This blog is for me to write down some of the weird and wacky thoughts that clutter my mind. A place for me to record some of the goofy, strange, paranormal, religious, fun and/or not so fun things in my life.
I just learned about the Defender of Wildlife's efforts to help save millions of dolphins from being killed! You can help: http://www.care2.com/go/z/12381
Did you know that ocean wildlife is in jeopardy?
Scientists worldwide recognize that large-scale industrial fishing techniques -- such as purse-seining, longlining, and drift-netting -- are devastating our oceans and the countless wildlife species that live within them. In the Pacific, many species of dolphins, endangered sea turtles, sharks, sea birds and other marine wildlife are all falling victim to the nets and lines of tuna fishermen.
Dolphin-Safe Tuna Program Under Attack: Three dolphin populations in the Eastern Pacific -- the northeastern offshore spotted, the eastern spinner, and the coastal spotted -- have fallen below their "optimum sustainable populations" as a result of dolphin unfriendly fishing practices. Despite this, the Bush Administration is trying to weaken the definition of the dolphin-safe label on tuna cans. Their proposed change would allow the harmful practice of chasing and setting nets on dolphins to be labeled "dolphin-safe."
Sea Turtles in Trouble: Sea turtles, abundant throughout the world's oceans for millennia, are being killed when they become entangled in fishing gear or caught as bycatch in fishing nets. All eight of the world's sea turtle species are now listed as threatened with extinction. Within the last decade, the Eastern Pacific populations of the critically endangered leatherback turtle have declined by 78%.
Sharks in Danger: Due to their low birth rate, slow maturation and growth patterns, and naturally small populations, shark populations are vulnerable to pressures from fisheries and human exploitation. Populations of Pacific Angel Sharks, Lemon Sharks, and Blue Sharks, to name a few, are all being adversely affected.
We need your help in convincing the Bush Administration to finally demonstrate leadership position on these issues at the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission and elsewhere, rather than passively waiting while our ocean resources are destroyed. Sign Now! Once you have signed, tell your friends about this imminent threat to these magnificent marine mammals! http://www.care2.com/go/z/12381
Please take a moment to sign this petition. It takes just 30 seconds and will really help. To view additional petitions, please click here: http://www.thePetitionSite.com Thank you
Many present-day cultures are busy ones. Wanting it all, we look always forward, striving to live optimally and successfully, improving ourselves, and immersing ourselves in the hustle and bustle of great achievements. In doing so, however, it is easy focus our attention on tomorrow while letting today slip by unsavored. It becomes difficult to stop, to soften our focus, to look around, and to consider the here and now. We forget how important it is to just take pleasure in the simple joys of existence, like clear blue skies, birds singing, sunsets, the laughter of a loved one, or the rich taste of a favorite dish. You may feel you are too busy to revel in the small stuff, but your future will wait for you and there will always be another responsibility on the horizon. Each moment of your life, however, has the potential to bring happiness, satisfaction, and growth.
There is a saying: Life is what happens while you are busy making plans. While not entirely true, there are real benefits to taking the time to experience life's positive aspects. Many of us, if we try, will find we are able to make time for living. If you are truly scheduled down to the minute, shake off some unimportant commitments so you can focus on what is vital. Give up control for a few minutes or an hour, and watch the world go by, take a walk in an unfamiliar place, bask in the sunshine, look at the clouds, or play in the snow. There are other delights that come from doing that which we enjoy, but which may not fit into our grand plans or seem like a waste of time, such as treasured hobbies or practicing recreational skills. These are vital, too.
Remembering to live expresses that you value the whole of your life, rather than just the past or the future. It reminds you why you do what you do and helps you appreciate who you are, instead of only who you will become. The path you will walk is hidden from you, but the path you are walking can be enjoyed from moment to moment, if you take the time to be a part of the goodness around you. Next time you find yourself overwhelmed with goals, healing, and becoming conscious, don't forget to just live.
Oh I wish I would have remembered to take my camera with me this morning!! It was so beautiful out there on the bike trail. It was very foggy, couldn't see very far ahead of you. All the trees and bushes were so wet it sounded like it was raining from the water dripping off them. And the spider webs were amazing!! Hubby found a giant one that I missed as I went walking by. He goes for an early morning run and I walk, when he gets back to where I am we walk home together. This giant web was about 3 feet tall and a couple feet wide with a huge garden spider in the center of it. It was a perfect spider web and I really wish I had my camera to try to get a picture of it. The webs were all covered in misty water drops from the fog so you could see each strand of web, it was just beautiful. Then as we were walking farther I started laughing at my hubby because he looked just like the webs did. His hair and eyebrows were covered in misty water drops just like the spider webs!! He has his head shaved quite short so you could really see all the water drops on each hair, it was cool!
I just love mornings like this. I have always loved the fog. I remember when I was young the fog would get so thick in the mornings at this time of year that we couldn't see more than just a few feet from our house when we looked out the window. It was like the whole world had just disappeared. I would go out and just run and run and run around in it. It's one of the happy childhood memories I will cherish for the rest of my life and now I remember back to the joyful, carefree feelings of being a kid every time I go out into the thick fog.
Mornings like this really make me yearn to be living in the country again. I live in town and have a very small yard. When we moved here the only trees in the yard were a butternut tree and some kind of flowering tree that the village planted at the curb. Now we have oaks, maples and pines growing out there. We also put in some bushy hedges and more lilacs. There was one bush of lilacs when we moved in but they don't have any smell to them at all. They're a really pretty dark purple but have no lilac smell when they bloom. By the time I get done here, I'll have my own small woodland forest to be one with nature in.
To see and to be seen can represent powerful experiences in one's existence. There is meaning in the loving gaze of a mother or a teacher's stern expression and, in looking upon one who looks upon you, there is a sense of sharing. In Hinduism, there is a blessing that one can attain through shared vision. Darshan is both a glimpse of the divine and the grace-bestowing view of divinity. As a form of worship, it requires seeing with reverence, devotion, and purpose. Darshan is often described as concentrated energy that passes between a devotee and the physical representation of a deity, or a student and enlightened master. The exchange, which takes place through eye contact and a hug, can inspire feelings that vary between euphoria, peacefulness, and other emotions. It brings a lasting sense of bliss.
In India, some people travel long distances to be looked upon by a holy man or woman who can bestow blessings with their view. Others make pilgrimages to certain temples to see and receive the Darshan of spiritual idols. But Darshan can also refer to a personal spiritual vision in which you have seen and communed with, if only for a short time, a deity or spiritual presence. It is more than a momentary experience, however. Darshan is something that can be assimilated into your life. The blessing is meant to stay with you because its imprint is forever etched upon your soul. The ultimate aim of the blessing is to be able to see grace wherever you look by helping you purge your subconscious of negative or unhealthy habits. The meaning of Darshan can also be expanded to include seeing everyday images that lift your consciousness.
Understanding Darshan on an intellectual level does not always prepare one for the experience. If you do choose or even unconsciously experience Darshan, you may not feel anything at first because the blessing is so overwhelming, but the rewards will eventually come. Simply delve into the experience and tune out the world as much as possible, to bask in the blessing.
Because life is short, the temptation to overindulge is ever-present. We want to glean as much pleasure as possible from everything such as what we eat or what we do. Or, conversely, we are so driven to stay healthy or be successful that we throw ourselves into exercise or work with abandon. But the true means of achieving what you want lies not in overdoing it, but in moderation. A balanced life does not lean in one direction, but contains a measure of each element: work and play; friends, family, and solitude; pleasure and abstinence; and necessities and indulgences. The ancient Greeks practiced moderation in all things, believing that in excess, virtues became vices. And so it is. Things that benefit your body and soul in one amount, whether it is medication, nutrients, forethought, or introspection, can be harmful in higher amounts.
The concept of moderation is embodied in the middle ground between all extremes and is thus a source of steadiness. It is simply the capacity to exercise self-control. Living moderately often means forgoing short-term pleasures in favor of deeper, long lasting happiness and considering all aspects of your actions. It also means never categorizing anything in terms of 'always good' or 'always bad.' Sleeping in for hours may seem a wonderful idea until you consider the daytime lost and the difficulty you may have sleeping later. Avoiding all sweets feels like the healthiest choice, but may not be if it's making you feel deprived. A strong sense of thrift can become stinginess just as a strong sense of generosity can become a tendency to spend beyond your means. The benefits of moderation are said to be a healthy body, a clear mind, increased vigor, and a welling up of positive emotions.
Moderation eschews rigid control in favor of allowing you just enough of any one thing for it to be satisfying, but not enough for it to be detrimental. Thus, it unlocks a healthy lifestyle without denying any pleasures, any ambitions, or your changing will, through equilibrium and equanimity in all things. Living a balanced life leads to rewarding experiences that not only heal and nurture, but can also fulfill you to a fantastic degree.
While we may not recognize it at the time, every challenge we face is ultimately an opportunity to bring more love and higher consciousness into our lives. The obstacles we encounter every day - whether great trials or minor bumps in the road - provide us an opportunity to learn and to grow. By placing obstacles in our path, the universe focuses our attention on life lessons that, on a deeper level, we wish to comprehend more fully. If we choose to, we can view any disharmony in our daily lives as an invitation to shed an old belief or behavior pattern in favor of a more enlightened one.
The challenge is to recognize the lesson being offered by a given situation. Often we learn about a positive quality by experiencing its opposite. An impulse toward anger may teach us about love or acceptance. A sense of constraint may teach us about freedom. A situation that appears beyond our control may prompt us to discover our own role in its creation. The lessons presented to us may encourage us to develop soul qualities such as humility, patience, or forgiveness.
Sometimes we are too involved in our present difficulty to find that higher perspective is more easily recognized in hindsight. Yet this doesn't mean we are without the tools to deal with it. Regardless of the size and nature of your difficulty, an attitude of love and gratitude will move you through it more easily and bring resolution more quickly. When difficulties arise, hold a loving thought for yourself and for whoever else is involved. Challenge yourself to find something in the situation to be grateful for, no matter how small, and thank the universe for it. This shift in attitude will shift the situation and your perspective, and it will bring you closer to that deeper understanding your soul is seeking on your behalf. Life lessons don't always come packaged the way we expect them to, and it is sometimes these lessons that ultimately bring us the greatest joy. http://www.dailyom.com/
http://www.dailyom.com/ A Balanced Stone Turquoise Whether seen as a bridge between water and sky, or a piece of the sky itself, turquoise has captured the imagination of generations. Revered by cultures from across the globe, this smooth, blue gem remains a talisman of health, wealth, good luck, and protection from sickness. In the ancient Middle East, turquoise was believed to change color when its wearer was ill and the stone was considered sacred and powerful by the Egyptians, the Aztecs, and Native Americans. Traditionally, the stone, either set into jewelry or loose, was carried as protection to ward away the evil eye. Today, turquoise is still considered an effective means of healing the body and soul. Its presence is said to benefit the entire body and to deflect negative energy that might be harmful. The stone can also have a positive affect on your mind, increasing your creativity, empathy, wisdom, and serenity.
Turquoise, which simply means Turkish stone, comes in many colors, ranging from intense sky blue to greenish to almost white. You may feel drawn to a particular hue, but the shade of the stone will not increase or decrease its latent powers. Some crystal healers also use it as a detoxification aide. When you have obtained your stone, wash it in pure water and bless it. Afterwards, you may simply want to hold it and focus on its energy in order to draw positive vibrations from it. Laying or rubbing the stone on the part of your body, such as a muscle or the chest, in need of healing can also be effective. Or, if you prefer, have the stone set in a piece of jewelry so you can keep it close to you throughout the day.
Many people believe turquoise to be associated with cleansing, protection, and spiritual balance. The stone is also said to have the ability to simultaneously open and stimulate the chakras, letting beneficial energy flood the body. In healing, it bridges the gap between the physical, spiritual, and emotional parts of us, lending strength and healing to those parts of us that need it most. http://www.dailyom.com/
