Today we had a victory for reason vs. insanity!
The Food Industry's "Smart Choice" program was banned by the FDA!! (See the blog: New Food Industry Fraud, Septembe 7, 2009). The FDA said:
"...such programs may mislead consumers about the health benefits of certain foods, and it told manufacturers it will crack down on inaccurate labeling."
I wonder if Bush Boy's administration would have put a stop to such a humiliating program. But HOORAY for the good sense of Dr. Margaret Hamburg!!!
October 23, 2009
October 18, 2009
How Dear Is This Life
Tina Turner's song, Way of the World starts with:
"B-a-b-y, I need a hand to hold tonight.
One bright star to remind me, how dear is this life."
What a beautiful refrain: how dear is this life.
Especially when sung in Tina's expressive, husky voice.
Listening to Tina and thinking of Lizi.
I don't want Lizi to forget How Dear is This Life.
Lizi, give yourself as much Time as you can, not eaten by the work of the world.
Give yourself the months, years, you'll need to free yourself of the daily torture you presently face. The daily numbness, heartache, and depression which causes your soul to shrivel, to desire isolation and death.
I pray you can give yourself Comfort now.
We are entering the months of darkness and retreat,
the time of frigid days and nights when the world demands
that truly the strongest survive.
When life requires dormancy for survival.
May you have Comfort now.
A hand to hold, a bosom to howl in, the warmth of hot tea and family.
The long sleep needed for ultimate renewal.
Give yourself Comfort and Time, to slowly ease out of the
clutches of Cerberus, and the hounds of hell.
I pray that you keep the need for Acceptance always in your heart.
In time, when you are ready to renew your own life, when you can look around
and feel Joy, can let the music and light in, can dance and sing again;
then I pray you Accept all that has been asked of you by this dear life.
"B-a-b-y, I need a hand to hold tonight.
One bright star to remind me, how dear is this life."
What a beautiful refrain: how dear is this life.
Especially when sung in Tina's expressive, husky voice.
Listening to Tina and thinking of Lizi.
I don't want Lizi to forget How Dear is This Life.
Lizi, give yourself as much Time as you can, not eaten by the work of the world.
Give yourself the months, years, you'll need to free yourself of the daily torture you presently face. The daily numbness, heartache, and depression which causes your soul to shrivel, to desire isolation and death.
I pray you can give yourself Comfort now.
We are entering the months of darkness and retreat,
the time of frigid days and nights when the world demands
that truly the strongest survive.
When life requires dormancy for survival.
May you have Comfort now.
A hand to hold, a bosom to howl in, the warmth of hot tea and family.
The long sleep needed for ultimate renewal.
Give yourself Comfort and Time, to slowly ease out of the
clutches of Cerberus, and the hounds of hell.
I pray that you keep the need for Acceptance always in your heart.
In time, when you are ready to renew your own life, when you can look around
and feel Joy, can let the music and light in, can dance and sing again;
then I pray you Accept all that has been asked of you by this dear life.
October 15, 2009
Crescent Moon in Scorpio
The ides of October, a new dawn, I awake to see a beautiful waning
crescent moon in Scorpio.
How fitting for my Scorpio friend who just left this life, yesterday.
She slowly slipped away, held in the arms of her eternal lover.
I hope to meet her again, as a formless drop
in the Divine Ocean of Bliss.
crescent moon in Scorpio.
How fitting for my Scorpio friend who just left this life, yesterday.
She slowly slipped away, held in the arms of her eternal lover.
I hope to meet her again, as a formless drop
in the Divine Ocean of Bliss.
October 12, 2009
Amy
In December of 2008, when I felt at my abject bottom, I sought the guidance of a very wise, loving woman who happens to communicate her wisdom through horoscopes and the tarot. I first sought her guidance in 1976, it made sense to do it at my darkest.
She told me things which I seek to maintain each day as I write. Her words help keep me focused, help provide me with meaning in my life. I seek to be as authentic when I write as I try to be in person.
She told me to:
“Open up to letting the Universe write through you.”
“Communicate what I love.”
“Let my vision come through. I’ve been a writer in past lives.
Approach writing with joy and no attachment. Write because I love it. Write about what I feel passionate about. Seize it and do it. Seize the opportunity. Open up to Purpose energy. Don’t allow fear to get in the way.”
And most importantly the cards told her to say: “Give myself permission to have joy and happiness. Break my karma of grief.”
I’d written down her comments about this reading, and just now took the time to re-read them, and share them.
I believe that her love and vision for me is applicable to all women who seek to share what they love with the world. Honor your voice and your vision. Be a light and model for other women.
Thank you Amy.
She told me things which I seek to maintain each day as I write. Her words help keep me focused, help provide me with meaning in my life. I seek to be as authentic when I write as I try to be in person.
She told me to:
“Open up to letting the Universe write through you.”
“Communicate what I love.”
“Let my vision come through. I’ve been a writer in past lives.
Approach writing with joy and no attachment. Write because I love it. Write about what I feel passionate about. Seize it and do it. Seize the opportunity. Open up to Purpose energy. Don’t allow fear to get in the way.”
And most importantly the cards told her to say: “Give myself permission to have joy and happiness. Break my karma of grief.”
I’d written down her comments about this reading, and just now took the time to re-read them, and share them.
I believe that her love and vision for me is applicable to all women who seek to share what they love with the world. Honor your voice and your vision. Be a light and model for other women.
Thank you Amy.
Fragile
As the cold hard reality of the impending death of Lydia takes hold in my being, I must take great care, great effort to not allow my own still fragile re-embrace of life to slip. The pain of her loss evokes my own pain of too many losses. This pain which I vowed to move beyond; I vowed to continue with my life, to live life. The pain is so ready to surface, a slight scratch and it bubbles up creating once again the darkness, the film which can too easily color my day.
Karen Armstrong is interviewed by Tavis Smiley, discussing her new book: The Case for God, and she states an essential truth, which I paraphrase:
It's not the BELIEF in God/Goddess/The Divine which changes one's life, which creates a sense of meaning in life; rather it's the PRACTICE of compassionate selflessness which brings meaning, richness, deep peace to one's life.
Compassionate selflessness. The ability to place yourself in the other person's shoes. And not judge. Feel mercy and tenderness for another's soul, for their human condition. PRACTICE this and your life will be full.
I am feeling deep compassion for Lydia and Lizi. They are suffering the knowledge of impending loss, Lydia's death. I imagine a huge red ball of love hoovering over them, embracing and engulfing them. I imagine them holding each other tenderly, lovingly, stroking, touching, soothing the pain of separation, loss.
And I must continue to have compassion for my heart, my soul too. I must not let the anticipation of a dear friend's death keep me from my vows to practice this art of living.
Karen Armstrong is interviewed by Tavis Smiley, discussing her new book: The Case for God, and she states an essential truth, which I paraphrase:
It's not the BELIEF in God/Goddess/The Divine which changes one's life, which creates a sense of meaning in life; rather it's the PRACTICE of compassionate selflessness which brings meaning, richness, deep peace to one's life.
Compassionate selflessness. The ability to place yourself in the other person's shoes. And not judge. Feel mercy and tenderness for another's soul, for their human condition. PRACTICE this and your life will be full.
I am feeling deep compassion for Lydia and Lizi. They are suffering the knowledge of impending loss, Lydia's death. I imagine a huge red ball of love hoovering over them, embracing and engulfing them. I imagine them holding each other tenderly, lovingly, stroking, touching, soothing the pain of separation, loss.
And I must continue to have compassion for my heart, my soul too. I must not let the anticipation of a dear friend's death keep me from my vows to practice this art of living.
October 01, 2009
Earthquake Survivors
We survive an Earthquake. The earth quakes
beneath our feet. Disrupts our life, rips our
home to shreds. Causes pain and more pain.
Those who survive Earthquakes, Floods, Fire,
Death have a taste of Hell. A flavor of the
unimaginable, unspeakable.
May Peace and Peace and More Peace pervade
their souls, our souls.
beneath our feet. Disrupts our life, rips our
home to shreds. Causes pain and more pain.
Those who survive Earthquakes, Floods, Fire,
Death have a taste of Hell. A flavor of the
unimaginable, unspeakable.
May Peace and Peace and More Peace pervade
their souls, our souls.
For Lizi
Lizi, wife of Lydia, soon to be widowed.
I am widowed, three plus years, and want you to hear this,
want that these words somehow ease the enormity of your pain.
Which can never happen.
I know you will have your pain, despite my words, despite my tears.
I must tell you,
Now is NOT the time to doubt/regret/have second thoughts
about any of your actions.
Now is the time to act as clearly as your soul shines
reflecting Divine Love.
For the next number of weeks, just be with Lydia fully,
wholly, as a mother is with her newborn infant.
As new lovers are with each other.
She is all hers. You be all hers.
I wish you total clarity about what to do. The ability
to go inside, to be with yourself daily. The ability to
know what to do.
When with yourself, give time to reflect, give thanks,
feel loss; cry, cry, and more cry.
I know your pain intimately. I feel my pain when I feel yours.
It is hell; sheer hell. Nothing will mitigate your torture.
I wish I could.
You will survive this, you will come out strong and clear,
and you will even thrive.
All in time. All in time. But now is the time to Act
with clarity, without regrets.
I am widowed, three plus years, and want you to hear this,
want that these words somehow ease the enormity of your pain.
Which can never happen.
I know you will have your pain, despite my words, despite my tears.
I must tell you,
Now is NOT the time to doubt/regret/have second thoughts
about any of your actions.
Now is the time to act as clearly as your soul shines
reflecting Divine Love.
For the next number of weeks, just be with Lydia fully,
wholly, as a mother is with her newborn infant.
As new lovers are with each other.
She is all hers. You be all hers.
I wish you total clarity about what to do. The ability
to go inside, to be with yourself daily. The ability to
know what to do.
When with yourself, give time to reflect, give thanks,
feel loss; cry, cry, and more cry.
I know your pain intimately. I feel my pain when I feel yours.
It is hell; sheer hell. Nothing will mitigate your torture.
I wish I could.
You will survive this, you will come out strong and clear,
and you will even thrive.
All in time. All in time. But now is the time to Act
with clarity, without regrets.
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