The Plainest Evidence

DISCLAIMER:  I am describing what I am seeing.  I came across one of these images on another page and many people saw the same things.  It is up to you to make up your own mind.  The labeling is all mine, and highlights the things I have seen in this panorama.

The above image was taken by the Curiosity rover on Mars in February 2014.  Original image is seen here:  http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/pia17931-main_m34-sol528-wb.jpg

You can do a Google search for 'Curiosity rover mars images' and find all kinds of weird images.  Some can be explained as camera tricks or sun bursts or simple wind erosion.  In general, the landscape itself looks nothing like what you would imagine it to look like.  The only current source of erosion should be wind.  Yet, some of the features of this martian landscape are eroded in a way that suggest water erosion or some other mysterious intervention.  On Earth, there is a place called Puma Punku.  Its an archaeologists dream.  (see earlier post).  One theory on Puma Punku is that it was destroyed, but there is no evidence to suggest who.  The landscape is riddled with debris of a once mighty complex of buildings, huge boulders and statues litter to area.  This martian landscape looks similar in that it appears to be an ancient complex, now destroyed and buried partially under the sand.  I will point out my reasons for thinking this further down the post. 
 

This particular image caught my eye because of something that cannot be explained away with simple explanations.  The image is here:

This sort of phenomenon cannot be caused by wind erosion, and it certainly is not a camera trick.  This is the original image, zoomed in, as taken by NASA's Curiosity rover.  You can see the head of a statue and the top of a pillar just to the top left of the head.  This amazing find led me to examine the entire image further.

My findings are contained below.  I had to divide the image into 4 even pieces to make it easier to describe what you will be seeing, so each section will be labeled 1, 2, 3, and 4 as seen left to right.  And within each section I will post a picture of each phenomenon I was able to see and a general location description.  You may have to click on the images and zoom in to be able to see them, or go to the link I provided with the original image and follow my directions as to the location and zoom in further to see the details.  The original image has a high resolution, allowing you to zoom in and maintain good pixel images.

Within section 1 (far left 1/4), we see:

This image is in section 1 at the very top of the image.  I see what could potentially be the remains of more statues.  The top most circle is definitely a head, and the other two images are unknown but look too well carved to be simple wind erosion. 

Section 2 (second 1/4 from the left):

In this image, from the bottom to the top, the first and third circles look like statue heads.  Tricks of light or bad camera angles could be responsible, but its almost a coincidence that they look similar.  The second circle is an oval shaped rock with a strange hole in it.  I am not certain that such a perfectly hollow circle could be carved by wind.  And the top circle is a stack of rocks.  Wind cannot stack rocks.  And this rock stack is stacked with the smallest rock on the bottom.  Weird.


Section 3 (second 1/1 from the right)

This image appears almost in the middle of the third section.  Notice the circle on the top left, is that a boat??  It has a shape similar to that of a partially sunken boat.  You may need to zoom in to see it clearly.  The bottom circles are pointing out the area I was mentioning earlier about a complex buried under the sand.  You can see what appear to be walls peaking out of the sand.  These are not regular rocks.  The bend at angles that suggest they were the corner of walls, and the one on the right looks like it has a carved line in it.  There are several other places in the original image that have similar 'walls' and they are all in that valley of sand.

Section 4 (first 1/4 from the right)

In the far left side of the original image, smack dab in the very middle of the landscape is the statue head and column.  It sticks out immediately among the rocky area.

This landscape looks like it succumbed to some sort of natural disaster (earthquake) or a destruction at the hands of another martian civilization (or a civilization from another world).  The rocks look broken and carved, not by natural forces such as wind, but perhaps some of them were carved by water that existed on Mars millenium ago.  Or they were destroyed.

It leaves you with a lot to think about. 

Day of Remembrance

The service on October 27, 2013 was held in conjunction with Samhain, the day to remember those who have gone before.  UUCL held a regular service with a Ritual of Remembrance, in which members of the congregation were invited up to the chancel and read the name of an ancestor and laid a flower and lit a candle in their honor.  I named Debbie Swanson, my deceased aunt.  She died suddenly of cancer, and her death weighs heavy on my soul, though I do not know why I feel more strongly about her than I do from the death of my brother.

"To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal, to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and when the time comes to let it go, to let it go." - Mary Oliver

There was a reading of Jane Flander's "Testimony" and the sermon called "As Trees Let Go".

At the beginning of the service, the children paraded into the sanctuary in their costumes and it was so cool to see how many children actually attend our church.  I believe that the UU church is a strong component of teaching children about tolerance and equality.

We sang the following hymns from SLT #413 Go Now in Peace and #175 For All the Saints.

Fracktivism

The topic of the worship service on October 20, 2013 was the dangers of fracking.
Our guest speaker was Elaine Esh Lapp, a longtime PA resident who grew up in a farming community now devastated by fracking.  She gave lots of citations and stories and facts about fracking and what it entails and how it destroys the surrounding communities. 

"This we know. The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth." - Chief Noah Sealth

In the older children's Sunday School class, they were talking about what they would do if they were God, what kinds of things they would do.  My oldest daughter's innocent answer was "Give sharks immortality".  If only adult minds could work so simply. 

Our hymns were SLT #21 For the Beauty of the Earth, #1073 The Earth is Our Mother, and #175 We Celebrate the Web of Life.

Some members also played music for us.  Phil Holzinger played Amazing Grace on trumpet, as well as the usual anthems played by our pianist.

Loss and Grief, Resilience

I will combine two services in this post because I didn't take many notes from the first one, but I didn't want a two line post, so here you go.

The first one is from July 28, 2013.  It was called Loss and Grief.
We sang the following SLT hymns: #101 Abide With Me, #1002 Comfort Me, and #1015 I Know I Can.
We read from the Christian scripture, Colossians 3:12-15
The sermon was basically about the degrees of grief and how to make it through each one.

The second one is from September 29, 2013.  It was called Resilience and the title of the sermon was A Reed in the Wind.  This was an amazing worship service.  Everything spoke to me so deeply!  The opening quote on our order of service was from Winnie the Pooh.  It read: "Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - Christopher Robin to Pooh.

Our Reverend was presented with a new stole, to mark her new contract as a full-time minister with our church.  It was a beautiful stole, hand-embroidered by a member of the congregation with many religious symbols on each side.

Early in the service, we have what's called a Time for All Ages, where the children and young at heart will gather in front of the church and there will be a reading, a story or a fable, or some other activity.  On this day, the Director of Religious Education (DRE) Kate Prisby read a story about a donkey in a well.  The donkey fell in the well and the farmer couldn't get him out but he decided that it was time to fill it in to prevent future falls.  So the farmer called a group of people together and they started to fill in the well with dirt.  In the beginning, the donkey struggled and panicked.  But after a while, he settled down and realized that he could just take one step up.  The farmers continued to throw dirt down the hole, but after a few inches, the donkey would take another step and eventually, the hole was filled and the donkey was out.  The moral of the story is simple enough, shake it off and step up.  After the Time for All Ages, our congregation sings Go Now In Peace, which is a hymn that offers peace to the children as they head off to their Sunday School classes. 

The service was filled with inspirational quotes on resilience. 

"One who never makes mistakes, never makes anything." - Theodore Roosevelt
"If you are going through hell, keep going" - Winston Churchill
"I haven't found a way that works, I've found ten thousand ways that won't work." - Thomas Edison

And several from Maya Anjelou

Our hymns were from SLT, #347, Gather the Spirit and #322 Thanks Be For These

Infinite Hope

The sermon on July 21, 2013 was called Infinite Hope. It was about having a sense of hope in the darkest times.  Our Director of Religious Education shared a story about Gander, Newfoundland.  Gander took in thousands of people on September 11, 2001 when planes were diverted away from NYC after the terrorist attacks.  With no questions asked, and without regard to ability to re-pay or their faiths, the people of Gander sheltered and fed their fellow man.  That is pretty amazing.  

"It is our duty as people of faith to stand in a place of curiosity."  I do not remember the source for this quote, because it really called to me.  Curiosity makes us human, and without curiosity we fall into complacency.  

Rev. Anne shared a poem called Blanket Weaver from the book Encounters.  I am having a hard time finding the text for this, but if you find a source for me please let me know!

Here are the hymns we sung that day.  The hymns come from Singing the Living Tradition (SLT), and other sources.

~~~SLT #276, O Young and Fearless Prophet

O young and fearless Prophet of ancient Galilee, thy life is still a 

summons to serve humanity; to make our thoughts and actions less prone to please 

the crowd, to stand with humble courage for truth with hearts uncowed. 
We marvel at the purpose that held thee to thy course while ever on the hilltop 
before thee loomed the cross; thy steadfast face set forward where love and duty 

shone, while we betray so quickly and leave thee there alone. 

O help us stand unswerving against war's bloody way, where hate and lust and 

falsehood hold back Christ's holy sway; forbid false love of country that blinds 

us to his call, who lifts above the nations the unity of all. 

Stir up in us a protest against our greed for wealth, while others starve and 

hunger and plead for work and health; where homes with little children cry out 

for lack of bread, who live their years sore burdened beneath a gloomy dread. 
O young and fearless Prophet, we need thy presence here, amid our pride and glory 
to see thy face appear; once more to hear thy challenge above our noisy day, 
again to lead us forward along God's holy way. 

~~~SLT  #1027, Cuando el Pobre (When the Poor Ones) (for the sake of space, 

I will post the translated version here.

When the poor ones who have nothing share with strangers, when the 
thirsty water give unto us all, when the crippled in their weakness 
strengthen others, [Refrain] then we know that God still goes that road 
with us, then we know that God still goes that road with us.

When at last all those who suffer find their comfort, when they hope
though even hope seems hopelessness, when we love though hate at times 
seems all around us, [Refrain] then we know that God still goes that 
road with us, then we know that God still goes that road with us.

When our joy fills up our cup to overflowing, when our lips can 
speak no words other than true, when we know that love for simple things
is better, [Refrain] then we know that God still goes that road with 
us, then we know that God still goes that road with us.

When our homes are filled with goodness in abundance, when we learn 
how to peace instead of war, when each stranger that we meet is called a
neighbor, [Refrain] then we know that God still goes that road with us,
then we know that God still goes that road with us.

~~~SLT #170, We Are A Gentle, Angry People

We are a gentle, angry people, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are a gentle, angry people, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are a justice-seeking people, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are a justice-seeking people, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are young and old together, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are young and old together, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are a land of many colors, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are a land of many colors, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are gay and straight together, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are gay and straight together, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are a gentle, loving people, and we are Singing, singing for our lives
We are a gentle, loving people, and we are Singing, singing for our lives

A New/Old Faith

Hello everyone!

I thought I would share a little of my faith with you.  I have done this in the past, sharing my Pagan faith, but there has always been another aspect.  A tolerant, open aspect.  As the title says "a new/old faith".  I've always carried with me the principles and beliefs of the Unitarian Universalist church, they walk easily hand in hand with my Pagan faith, and Pagans are accepted and valued members of the UU (Unitarian Universalist) community.  I attended an Esbat at a UU church when I was a teenager.  When my second child was a baby, she and her sister were dedicated at a UU church in Utah.  And this past summer, me and my family became full members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, led by Rev. Anne Mason. 

The UU faith is an amazing faith, believing that everyone is equal in God's eyes and they really put that into action with their involvement in their communities.  I thought I would share some of that with you today.  I will first post the UU Principles and the sources from which they draw their faith.  I'm sure many of you can identify with one or several of them. 

There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Unitarian Universalism (UU) draws from many sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
• Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

I would also like to share pieces from the services we have attended at UUCL since the summer.  I take a notebook and write down the hymns and any readings or thoughts that come to mind.  Those will be in the following posts.

Why I Am A Pagan

Why am I a Pagan?
It's not an easy question to answer.  Just as when someone asks 'what does it mean to be a Pagan'?  Those are not easy answers to give.  With many other faiths, you can say 'I am Christian because I follow Christ' or 'I am Muslim because I call God by the name Allah and follow the Q'uran'. 

To be a Pagan is to be a little bit of everything I guess. 

As a child, I grew up in a household that were Christians, though we never went to church or got baptized, just Christian because it was the 'thing' to do.  When I became a preteen, I began exploring.  The world was small to me, and while I was aware that there were a multitude of religions in the world, I didn't really thing of them as religions, but more other lifestyles.  I didn't know any better.  So I started going to church, many different denominations.  Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic, Baptist, Church of Christ, Church of God.  But none of it made sense to me.  There is even a passage in the Book of Genesis 1:26: Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness"  The plurality of that statement was always confusing to me, since it was taught that there was only one God, a male figure.  And I wondered, why would He use 'Us'?  Also, if we are made in His image, and there are two sexes, wouldn't that imply a male and female Deity?  Now that made sense.  So as I got older, I explored the possibilities, and it came to me.  It was possible that there were male and female Creators.  After all, women are the bearers of children, not men. 

As I came to this realization, it was as if the universe opened up to me.  Where most people would see something insignificant or plain, I would see so much more.  Where people would see science, I would see a miracle.  A tree is not just a tree, it is an integral part of the world, creating life through it's oxygen and shade through it's leaves. 

And if I listen to the simple miracles of life all around me, I can almost hear the Gods of Old talking to me.  And my ancestors as well.  I have been the family genealogist for over a decade now and I have traced lines of ancestors far back in time, and I feel like it's a way to honor our past.  It's a way to learn about the way life was before it was complicated by industry and technology.  It's a simpler way of living. 

To be Pagan, I am accountable to myself and my community.  There is no guidebook for Pagans, our morals and life lessons come from nature, from our own conscience, and from our community.  To me, it is a very honorable thing to teach my children, that all ways lead to God, by whatever the name you choose to call them.  If you lead a good life, a noble and helpful life, you will arrive in a peaceful place when this life is done. 

I hope this way enlightening, for those who read all of it.  And as always, I am open to questions.  However, I do not like to be told that 'I am doing it wrong' or that 'I am going to Hell'.  I shed the God vs. Devil, Heaven vs. Hell worldview long ago.  Ask me anything, I'm an open book.

Have a great weekend everyone!

20 Weeks, Super Happy, but Disappointment rears it's ugly head.

It's been 9 weeks since I posted my last post. 
I am now 20 weeks pregnant, and I feel great.  My blood pressure has stayed normal, my weight gain hasn't been an issue yet, and my baby is perfect.  We found out we are having another girl.  Most of the people who know us know that we wanted a boy, but I am thankful that we are having another child at all.  Over the last few years, our family has felt incomplete.  I was even told that I was unable to conceive due to an ovarian condition, so I had pretty much given up all hope of it being complete.  Until April that is.  In April I received a positive test.   Many times over the last year I had bought tests and taken them, not really hoping for a positive result, but just out of hope that maybe something would change.  By the beginning of April, I had missed a period and felt pregnant, so that test was intentional.  Fast forward approximately 16 weeks and here we are, having another girl.  I am so blessed and thankful that I have been granted my one humble prayer.  But having another girl is not where the disappointment has come from.


Over the years, I have been greatly disillusioned with my family.  I have tried hard to forget the horror of my childhood, and I may have succeeded if I had been smart and cut all ties with my family after I got married.  But then again, I had tried to make my family into the ideal that it should have been.  I invited all of my family to my wedding.  No one came.  I was alone at my own wedding, I knew only 3 other people there in addition to my husband, I had never met the other in-law family until the day before the wedding.  I felt horrible, and for some unbelievable reason I forgave them and continued speaking with them over the next few years.  A little less than a year after my wedding, my first child was born.  I kept having these day dreams of my father and step-mother coming down to where we lived to meet the baby and celebrate with us.  Upon coming home, there were dozens of people at my house celebrating the birth of our first daughter, but again my family was nowhere in sight.  I only spot to them on the phone because I called, not the other way around.


Fast forward 2 years, and the birth of my second child.  We were living close to my family so it should have been an easy task for them to spend time with us.  In the almost 2 years we lived in that area, they came to my house maybe twice.  I spent a lot of time out at their place, but that was the only time there was any familial visitation, if I drove the 45 minutes out to their place.  When I was 7 months pregnant, we were in a bad car accident.  Instead of sticking around for the birth of my child and helping us get back on our feet, my family left the state.  My father was not even there for her birth, nor was he much interested in her.  Lots of things have happened since then, but the whole point of this point is my current disappointment with my family.


When I announced my pregnancy to the families, my in-laws were thrilled.  I could hear the screams and happiness through the phone as my husband told them.  My family, however but not surprisingly, was as non-chalant as they have ever been.  They treated it as if I had screwed up again, as if I was a 15 year old child telling them I got knocked up by some random street bum, not like the woman who has been happily married to the same man for 9 years and is living her life honestly, honorably, and industriously.  My father didn't answer the phone, so I left him a message and when he returned my call, he told me that he was laughing about it when he heard the message.  He was mocking us for having another daughter when we so badly wanted a son.  It was like the polar opposite of the happiness and well-wishes we had received from my husband's family and our friends.  Even worse, when he saw the name we were going to give our daughter, he said "That's what you're calling her?  Ooooooookay" as if mocking our choice.  So far, only one other person has expressed that they didn't really like the name, but they had said it was up to us and they were happy no matter what.  Could my family get any worse?  Talking with them is like an antidote to happiness, an instantaneous burst of depression.


I should be really happy, I have had so much support and well-wishes from my dearest friends and my in-laws.  Yet here I sit, dwelling too much on the pain that my family has caused me over the years.  So I resolve to put an end to it, but the end of the year.  They obviously aren't excited for us about the birth of our beautiful and blessed child, so I won't involve them (burden them) with any news.  Not even the birth of my child will be announced to them.  And while I am recovering from childbirth and bonding with my little angel, I will also be struggling to maintain my distance.  Why am I so weak when it comes to this?  I shouldn't allow them to continue to hurt me and treat me as if I am something so unimportant.  Over the years I have kept the ties, which is more than I can say for my other siblings.  Is that why?  Am I an easy target for their 'woe-is-me' attitude?  Well I'm done.

Week 11

11 weeks today, May 31st.  29 weeks to go, give or take.  I was unable to beat the morning sickness this time around, though it has been different than the previous two.  I am very nauseous almost all of the time and the fatigue is kicking my butt.  I have had more breaks from it during the day and small bursts of energy, but I am so over this trimester.  3 more weeks and I can move into the more comfortable and beautiful 2nd trimester.

This week has been quite the rollercoaster.  My youngest daughter had an asthma attack over Memorial Day weekend and was hospitalized for one night.  It was a scary event, this was her first hospitalization ever and on top of that, the rollaway bed in the room was very uncomfortable.  Needless to say, neither of us slept that night.  She came home on Sunday and after a few days of medicine, she is doing much better.  Now my husband is sick, not sure what it is other than its very uncomfortable for him and we are hoping that its a temporary thing.  On top of the illnesses in the family this week, the kids are finishing up school.  Selene graduated from kindergarten yesterday and Arwen has an award's ceremony today.  Tomorrow is only a half-day and that is it for school until August 29.  It's going to be a long summer.  By the time it's over, I'm sure I will be nice and plump and swollen and miserable from the heat.  My hope is that the girl's find some measure of self-control and help me out more this summer.  I have lots of activities lined up for us to do and I'm sure we can fill in those lazy days with trips to the river or just at home doing nothing.  

Little baby is doing well, heart beat was 171 at my last appointment.  I have even felt him moving slightly.  The girls are excited and can't wait to feel him moving too.  I say 'him' because we are hoping for our little boy.  We have had a boy's name picked out since we got married almost 9 years ago.  Here's hoping that our little Donovan will being coming in December.  If it's a girl, names are trickier.  I don't want a cookie-cutter name and I prefer to have a name that has meaning and personality to it and isn't already overused.  We did love the name Maya, which means the creative divinity in the universe, but I have seen it twice already so I'm not sure about it.  The other name me and my husband love is Briseis (bre-say-iss).  Certain members of my family hate it, but should I really care?  It's a beautiful, classic name found in literature.  Only time will tell what this child will be called.  All I care about is that they will be healthy.

Coming December 2012

Two years ago, severe menstrual pain and irregular cycles led me to my doctor.  After several tests and a question-answer session, I was told I had a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.  Later tests revealed that I was not ovulating and thus infertile.  I was devastated.  I suppose my disappointment was ill-founded since I already have two children but the pain of it was still there.  I held out hope that they were wrong and I would soon find myself pregnant.  Fast forward two years.  Around Christmas last year, I became less concerned with getting pregnant and more concerned with keeping my cysts under control and losing weight.  So I went back to my doctor who told me my best chance was taking birth control.  So I took the prescription and bore the cost of it, my insurance didn't cover it.  After a few months, I decided to quit taking it and just live my life.  It wasn't doing anything for my weight and it was causing more pain than I wanted.  In March, I quit keeping track of my cycles.  I would always mark it on the calendar, but this time I just gave up.  I felt like that part of my life was over.  At the beginning of April, life continued.  By April 15, I hadn't had my period yet but I knew my cycles were crazy so I didn't think anything of it.  Along came April 17, I felt horrible!  So that day, I went and bought another test.  This was probably the 10th test I had bought over the last 2 years.  I set it in the bathroom and forgot about it.  2:20 AM April 18, I was wide awake.  I'm not sure why, but I felt compelled to go and take the test.  I knew it would say 'negative' and so I took it and left it on the counter and went back to bed.  Half an hour later, I was still awake so I went in and looked at the test.  I must have stood there for quite a long time, I did not expect to see the double line!  So I took the test downstairs and laid it on a blank white piece of paper and drew a heart around it.  And there it sat until 5:30 AM when my husband woke.  I showed him the test and we both shared a quiet moment of triumph and anxiety.  So I guess you have figured it out by now:  I'M PREGNANT! 

This is my miracle.  It is hard to describe what I am feeling right now.  My little baby that wasn't supposed to be will be here in time for Yule/Christmas 2012.  I always contemplate rebirth at that time of year, so it feels unbelievably fitting that he/she will be here just in time for it.  So I guess I will be blogging all about the pregnancy from now until then.  Because I had stopped tracking my periods, my due date is Dec. 22.  I am now 9 weeks along, baby is busy making fingers and getting bigger and he/she is a little wiggle worm.

Have a great week!

The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers

In her book "The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers", Dr. Meg Meeker details the habits to reclaim passion, purpose, and sanity.  Many women have been pushed to their brinks by the pressure to be beautiful, organized, and useful.  What many don't realize is that they are fine just the way they are.  In fact, the majority of men don't want a super model wife (though they will tell their friends that they do).  So I am listing the 10 habits as discussed in Dr. Meeker's book, with my own experiences and advice attached to each.

1. Understand your value as a Mother: Many women do not know their true value.  They spend so much time obsessing over whether to stay home or work, on their looks or their weight, or on what they will cook for dinner.  Relax.  As long as you keep yourself sane and your kids healthy, everything is as it should be.  One day, when your children are grown up they will thank you.  Whether you work or stay home and raise your children, you are contributing something to the character of another human being.  That child will grow and use you as an example.  Don't worry about your flaws, your kids will not care.

2.  Maintain key friendships:  The biggest lie I have ever heard with regards to motherhood is that mothers have no friends.  It is very important that mothers have friends.  If you don't have any close friendships, seek them out!  There is bound to be a person who is in the same boat as you who can relate to your lifestyle.  Maintaining friendships is important to both parties' sanity.  When you have a close friend, you can let your feelings flow.  Rant your heart out!  That way, you won't be too grumpy to love your kids.

3. Value and practice faith:  Any faith!  Don't follow a faith because it is expected of you.  That sends a dangerous message to your children that faith is an obligation, and not always a good one.  If you are a practitioner of any faith, practice it, live it, love it, pass it on to your children.  I am a Pagan myself, but I am always learning about other faiths, and I have passed on key teachings from every major faith to my children.  All of the faiths share key beliefs and morals in common, so it is not hard to give your children an open-mind when it comes to faith.  But the best example you can give your children is to be true to your faith.  Don't simply say, I am a Christian.  BE a Christian.  Don't say, I am a Muslim (or insert choice faith), BE that person.  LIVE that lifestyle and be an exemplary example of it.

4. Say No to competition:  This is not a race to see which mother has the coolest new toys or which mom bakes the best cupcakes.  Just let it go and be you.  You don't have anything to prove to anyone.

5. Create a healthier relationship with money: Your worth is not determined on how much money you have, but what you spend your money on.  You don't always have to spend your money on the kids, but the kids come first.  However, you should put away a little money every month for yourself.  As long as the kids have shoes, clothes, and anything they need for school, they are content.  So go and buy yourself a candy bar or a new outfit.  Don't stress on something as silly as money.

6. Make time for solitude:  I know from experience that this is easier said than done.  My house is 3 stories, the main floor has the kitchen/dining room, living room, and laundry room, the second floor has the bathroom and two bedrooms, and the third floor is a finished attic.  Despite the seemingly large size of the house, each floor is only about 700 square feet and the walls are so thin, I can hear my kids when I am upstairs in the bathroom and they are downstairs watching TV.  It is very important that you plan some 'you' time.  Take a long hot bubble bath after the kids go to bed.  My kids never go to bed on time despite a strict 8 pm bedtime.  This is where my wonderful husband comes in.  If I am at my wits end and need to get out, he takes over the duty of bedtime and I can escape to the movies, or just a quick run to the grocery store.  If you are a mother, you know that a solo trip to the grocery store is literally a mini-vacation.  

7. Give and get love in healthy ways:  This should be pretty self-explanatory, but a lot of women just don't get it.  Giving love is easy.  Teach your kids how to care about others.  Volunteer your time and services where they are needed.  Getting love is trickier.  Some women feel that they need a man to get love.  This is not always true.  For the love of God, DO NOT stay with a man simply to avoid loneliness.  If he is using you or abusing you, you are not getting love and your kids will be the ultimate sufferers in that situation.

8. Find ways to live simply:  There are many blogs on this topic and plenty of tips online.  I leave it to you to discover those.  I also have a topic on here about Simple Living.  Trust me, it makes a world of difference.

9. Let go of fear!: This is a hard one, even for me.  I can imagine all of the things that can go wrong with my kids.  It adds a whole level of stress that is so hard to shake.

10. Hope is a decision--so make it!:  Hope gives us meaning and purpose. Indulge your imagination, imagine all of the possibilities to future holds and cling to them with all of your heart.

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Beautiful Morning...

...and an early morning at that.  It is 6:47 AM EST, and it is completely normal for me to be awake right now.  Most people think I am completely nuts.  I am not wide awake, mind you.  I am awake enough to function and I can do this without a cup of coffee.  I still drink coffee but for it's flavor, not its caffeine benefits.  Caffeine does nothing to me.  Anyways, to proceed with my thoughts for the day.

I feel amazing.  I don't think I have ever felt so clear in my life.  As my last post suggested, I was contemplating what veiling would mean for me.  It covers a broad range of purposes, so after finding some kindred sisters out and about and online, I decided to give it a try.  I covered in a style called a tichel, a scarf or bandana simply tied over the head, covering the top part of the head and the hair that is styled in a bun.  I didn't know what I would think about it.  I had always had the misconception that covering my hair would be some sort of large step backwards in my independence, that I would be doing it as a sign of submissiveness to my husband.  Well, I learned a valuable lesson.  It's all crap!  I covered for several hours the first day, and anytime I was home yesterday.  I have decided for the time being that I will cover with the tichel while I am at home.  I see it as sort of my domain and my covering is like a crown, my mark of respect indicating that the home is my domain.  I feel ultra-sexy when I wear it, even my husband gets excited when he sees me in it.  It also has a nice effect when I take it off just before bed, seeing my hair is sort of a novelty thing now. 

I don't expect too many people to understand why I am doing it, or believe that it is a request from my Divine guidance, or that I actually enjoy doing it (in fact, I don't have it on right now and I feel completely naked).  But any woman who has felt a calling from their God to do something out of devotion, and more specifically my Muslim, Mennonite, and other conservative faith sisters will understand.  And even if I have no one to share this journey with, it is who I am and I am proud of it. 

So what is everyone up to for the rest of the week?
I am off to the library, those books won't shelve themselves.  I am only 2 months away from beginning to write the library's history in book format and hopefully I can get it done in 2 months.  I have all of the material I need for it, organizing and catalogued by me, so it should just be easy.  I just have to organize the words on paper in specific order and viola, a book. :) 

HAVE A MARVELOUS DAY!

Veiling as a Religious Devotion

In recent weeks, I have come across several blogs discussing this topic and friends have posted about feeling called to veil.  It was quite refreshing to know that I was not just imagining it.  Many Pagan women are now being called by their Higher Power to veil.  Some are feeling called to veil or cover their hair for religious ceremonies or prayer.  Others are being called to veil at all times.  I myself feel called to veil while I am at home.

In Western society, this is a strange topic of discussion.  Why is that?  I love it when I can educate people or provide them with another point of view to a topic they might never have given any thought to.  This is one of those topics.  Veiling, or covering of the woman's hair is not as strange as one might think.  I have produced some examples of veiling from cultures around the world, including here in the United States.

                                                               A woman covered while praying.

Veiling as a religious devotion has a long history, dating back centuries.  Greek and Roman women covered their hair.  Roman women were required to cover their hair upon marriage.  Examples of veiling and covering of the hair can be found in polytheistic and monotheistic religions around the world.  Jews, Muslims, Christians (Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic), Pagans, Hindus.  You name it, women are choosing to veil themselves. Unfortunately in some cases, it is a requirement by the law of their country.  When you think of religious law requiring veiling, you probably thought of Islam?  Well, the reality is that most of the majority Muslim countries of the world do not require veiling.  Still in other countries, it isn't required by law, but by the rules of the Church.  In Catholic religious ceremonies, women are asked to cover their hair.  The same goes for Jewish women.  If they don't, it won't necessarily cause them any problems, but they will be looked upon as rebellious and against the true teachings of the Church. 

 I do not look on veiling as oppressive to women.  I like to think of myself as progressive when it comes to women's issues.  And I was once a woman who thought that covering your head was just another tactic used by the patriarchy to control us.  I have changed.  I no longer see it as a restriction or a requirement.  I see it in a whole new light.  It is simply another tool of devotion, much like making offerings, fasting, or praying.  I have not veiled yet, I actually don't know how to do it but I plan to teach myself.  I will veil around the house as I go about my daily duties as a stay-at-home mom.  The laundry doesn't wash itself. :)  In a practical way, if my hair is covered, it cannot get in my eyes and make it difficult to go about my business.  I do not feel brave enough to veil outside in public, though I may veil as I work in my garden. 

It is a calling I feel is a test of my devotion.  I know I have proven my devotion many times through prayer and offerings, but I also feel like this may be an answer to a prayer I offered up once.  I prayed that the world would take it easy with their judgement of Muslims women who choose to veil as part of their devotion and not because their husbands or fathers required it of them.  When I first received the calling, I was a little weary. 

After all, fulfilling religious duty can sometimes be a lonely business in a polytheistic society that is antagonized by the monotheistic majority.  But in the last few weeks, more and more of my Pagan counterparts are coming forward with the same calling.  Could this be a preparation for a higher calling?  Could it be a sign of the great awakening?  Who knows?

Other blogs that discuss this topic:
http://riamorrison.hubpages.com/hub/Veiled-Pagans
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/pantheon/2012/03/veiling-a-different-take-on-pagan-womanhood/
http://pagannews.tumblr.com/post/17712814696/pagan-veiling (this one has some other great links and photos)
http://blessmegoddess.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-recently-came-across-post-regarding.html
http://paganmotherslife.blogspot.com/search/label/Veiling
http://tpoaic.blogspot.com/2010/11/modest-pagans-head-covering.html

Little Known Mysteries of the World

I thought I would try something off the beaten path for today.  When you think of Earth Mysteries, your first thoughts are usually something like the Great Pyramids, Stonehenge, or the Lock Ness Monster.  Well, the Earth is so full of mysteries, it's impossible to fit them all on one page.  So I compiled a short list of Earth Mysteries I first learned about this year.  I think mysteries are a great part of life, and pursuing the truth behind them is a worthwhile pursuit.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to know more.  Mysteries make life fun.  So here we go, in no particular order, some little known mysteries of Planet Earth.  I highly recommend you look further into these mysteries, because I am not going to put everything here.  Where would the fun be if I did?

The Dogon Culture of West Africa
If you have never heard of these people, I am not surprised.  The Dogon live a traditional centuries-old lifestyle.  Their legends tell of beings who provided them with astronomical knowledge.  You would think that it could be all fake, until you actually listen to what they know.  For centuries their ancestors have passed down knowledge about the Sirius star system, hundreds of years before the advent of modern astronomy.  All of their legends have been accurate.  Like many ancient cultures spanning all 7 continents, the Dogon creation story tells of a being who came down from the sky and either created humanity or gave the existing population knowledge far more advanced than what was available.  Their astronomical knowledge dates from 3200 BC. According to their traditions, Sirius has a companion star which is invisible to the human eye. This companion star has a 50 year elliptical orbit around the visible Sirius and is extremely heavy. It also rotates on its axis. Today, this is known thanks to modern astronomy.  It is true!  But these people have known about it for the last 5000 years.  Where did they get this knowledge?

Palenque Sarcophagus Stone
The ruins of Palenque, Mexico are small compared to larger sites such as Tikal or Copan, but they contain some of the best examples of architecture and carving in the Mayan world.  In particular, there is a carved stone atop the tomb of K'inich Janaab' Pakal.  The tomb was discovered in 1953 after Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruiz Lhullier removed a stone slab in the floor of the back room of the temple superstructure.  The carving was unlike any seen before.  What could it mean?  Mainstream historians claim it is a depiction of Pakal going into the Underworld.

A designer from Lucas Films created a 3D model of the above carving and it looks like this:

Make up your own mind about what that looks like to you.

Derinkuyu
Derinkuyu is a multi-level underground city located in Turkey.  It is a feat of incredible skill!  Created around 1400 BC by the Hittites, more than 20 floors deep, able to accommodate between 35,000 and 50,000 people at any one time and locked from the inside, this city was used as shelter against attack.  Our ancestors had better building skill than we do!  It has all of the features of any city of the time.  There is even a ventilation shaft that provided air and water to the inhabitants below.  Not surprisingly, this underground city wasn't discovered by modern people until 1965 when a farmer accidentally knocked down a wall while renovating his house.  Engineers today are still baffled by this city.  Learn more at: http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-chat/2149076/posts (it has pictures!)

Puma Punku
By far one of the mysteries of the world that gives me the most creeps, Puma Punku.  Located in Tiahuanaco, Bolivia, Puma Punku is one of four ruined structures located in Tiahuanaco.  They are among the oldest and most baffling mysteries on the planet.  Compared to modern technology and architecture, they defy all logic. 
The first mystery regarding Puma Punku is how were they built?  The stones are carved so precisely, they could not possibly have been carved using the rock-carving tools available to the inhabitants of the area.  The stones are made of granite and diorite.  The only stone stronger than those is diamond and there are no diamonds in that area.  The other mystery is that they are too heavy to have been brought to the site from the quarry located more than 10 miles away.  And the blocks fit so well together, like Tetris pieces.  Even with modern tools and techniques, this site could not be replicated.  But the reason it gives me the creeps.  What destroyed this site?  There are many theories regarding this.  If you look at photographs of the site, the ruins are not just ruined, they are scattered all over the place, suggesting something truly cataclysmic. 


Well, I hope you like this glimpse into some of the most fascinating mysteries the ancient world offers us.  I encourage you to study some more, and if you think there is a mystery that I may not yet be privy to, let me know.  Ciao!

Simplicity

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo DaVinci

And there you have it, from the master himself.  Simplicity is indeed the ultimate sophistication.  But it is becoming a dying idea.  People crave simplicity, but it almost seems unachievable in our world.  We are always connected and demand speed and efficiency in every aspect of our daily lives.  There are even people today who couldn't make it from home to work without a GPS.  I firmly believe that if simplicity were a staple of our lives, the world would be a better place.  People would spend more time contemplating the more important aspects of life.  Families would spend more time getting to know one another.  The world of bureaucracy would not thrive in a simple society.  There is no need to complicate things to the degree they have been.

First, you must simplify your home.  This is the most important place in your life.  You come here at the end of every day.  You bathe here.  You eat here.  You sleep here.  You recreate here.  This is the most obvious place to begin the journey of simplicity.  If you are like me you have piles of things lying around that you have been meaning to get to, but your life is far too complicated to deal with it.   Let me give you an example of one thing in my house that has complicated my life and the steps I will take to simplify it.  I have a few stacks of magazines, one in my bedroom and the rest in my attic.  I received these as giveaways from my library and from a person who no longer had need of them.  There are mostly cooking and travel magazines.  I bought them mainly for my scrapbook, but I have also collected recipes from these magazines.  So in an effort to clear it away, I am going through each magazine and tearing out the pages that contain a picture or phrase I want for my scrapbook and those go into a folder.  The recipes I want go into my recipe folder.  And viola! No more piles of magazines.  Throw the scraps into your recycling bin.  Do the same for anything else in your house.  Organize your bookshelves, movie cases, etc.  Organizing your media can create simplicity in the fact that you can go straight to the item you need without having to dig or spend too much time looking for it.  The same goes for your kitchen.  This should be self-explanatory.  Keep all of your can goods in one spot, spices in another, you get the idea.

You should also simplify your life outside of your home.  After all, this is where you spend most of your time.  I will not go into too many details, except to say that there are things in life that we have been lead to believe are necessary for our convenience, happiness, and to be a regular part of society.  I beg to differ.  Our predecessors lived quiet happily without what we consider regular 'luxuries'.  Technology is one of them.  Cell phones are over-rated.  I own one, and I will share my reasoning behind my opinion of the cell phone.  I spend a lot of time outside my home, and with kids in one place and a husband in the other, it is necessary that I can be reached in an emergency.  Beyond that, I have no use for a cell phone.  If someone wants to call me, they can call my home and if I am not there, I have an answering machine.  I always check my messages and return calls.  My cell phone is only used when I am not at home.  It sits next to my purse and keys.  

As I mentioned above, many people cannot live without their GPS.  This leads me to believe that map-reading is a lost skill.  Let me tell you a little story.  When I bought my first car, GPS was just becoming available.  I went on a trip to a place I had never been before, through winding roads and forest.  I didn't even have a map.  Instead, I paid attention to the signs.  If you drive frequently, then you know that almost nobody reads signs anymore.  Learn to read a map and sell that GPS!  In most short trips, you won't even need the map.  Enjoy the scenery, not the yappy mouth on the GPS.  

Another way to live simplify.  Be debt free!  I am one of the anti-credit card people.  The credit card is a trap put in place by financial institutions who prey one citizens who they know, and rightfully so, that they have no self-control.  They will spend money, even if they do not have that money.  Use cash or a debit card whenever possible.  If you use a credit card, you complicate your life.  Beyond not having the money, you are actually paying to use that 'invisible' money, so you are losing money anyway. If you can learn to live your life with utter simplicity, then you will not have need for a credit card.  Yes, you may be poor, but so am I.  I am perfectly happy doing what I do.  I have learned to live within my means and with a touch of creativity, we have everything I need.

And monetarily, I am poor.  But I am rich in what really matters: A husband who loves me above all others and two beautiful children who are healthy and love to learn.

Simplicity offers us peace that modern life seldom offers.

 

Inspiration, Where are you?

I am a terrible blogger.  In my perfect world, I would be able to write to my heart's content.  I have always had a problem committing ideas to paper.  They swirl around in my head with all of the grace of a ballet, yet once I am sitting in front of paper (or a computer), they swirl the other way.  I would love to allow a glimpse into my overactive mind on a daily basis.  But I will start small for the moment.  I have a notepad in front of the computer with topics I would like to write about here and hopefully new ideas will be added.  For the moment, please know that I am committed to this blog.  I know my readers do not know me that well, but I hope you at least learn something new while reading and get to know me better.  I have always been the victim of misplaced stereotypes, cliches, and ignorant remarks.  But I really am just a normal, responsible person.  I am only different in that I want to know everything.  I do not believe that knowledge is finite and I think it is an honorable pursuit to continue your education, not just in schools but in your local libraries, historical centers, online, everywhere in life.  So, some of the topics I have written down to start with are: Simplicity, The Veil, little known mysteries of the world, places I have lived, and Spring Cleaning and it's symbolism.  Have a great week everyone!

Great Places of Puerto Rico

I have never really talked about how much I love Puerto Rico.  I have lived there in the past and would love to visit again soon, but like everywhere else it has it's problems.  I do not think I will ever live there again, but Puerto Rico has such natural beauty, it can bring any person to tears.  I thought I would share some of my favorite spots in Puerto Rico and tell you a little bit about each place.  I have included pictures so you can picture yourself there.  Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so when you visit you do not need to go through customs, you do not need a passport, and U.S. currency is used.  You can also send mail via the Postal Service, making it convenient and cheaper than international travel.

El Morro

El Morro, or 'The Fort', is located in Old San Juan.  It was built to protect San Juan bay from pirates and invading forces.  It no longer serves that purpose, and is recognized as a national park by the Department of the Interior.  It is open to guided or self-guided tours.  It is at the northern-most tip of Old San Juan and before reaching the actual fort, there is an enormous meadow that is popular with picnickers and anyone who just wants to sit in the spacious grass and enjoy the wind coming over the cliffs from the Atlantic Ocean.  It is also the scene of the annual Festival of the Kites.

El Yunque

 Although I never had the pleasure to visit this place, El Yunque is like paradise on Earth.  El Yunque is the only rainforest in the US National Forest System, located on the east side of the island near the town of Fajardo.  It is home to countless plants, animals, and waterfalls.  Despite being a tropical location, temperatures deep in the rainforest can dip down into the 50s, keeping you cool on long hikes.

Casa Grande

Casa Grande (The Big House) is located deep in the interior of Puerto Rico in the town of Utuado.  It is an eco-friendly bed and breakfast.  By eco-friendly, I mean it is not a typical hotel or bed and breakfast.  The rooms do not have TVs or radios or alarm clocks.  There are showers and fans to help keep you cool.  Each little room is separate from another and each one has a hammock on the porch.  The one you see in the photo is the one we stayed in.  It was located right in front of their beautiful pool.  Each morning, the resort offers yoga classes and for added fees, you can go horseback riding, tubing, or check-out for the day and go explore the plethora of caves in the area.  This place was so relaxing and romantic, we conceived our first child here.  But you didn't want to know that.  Don't let me tell you about it, experience it for yourself.  Visit their website at http://www.hotelcasagrande.com/.  You won't regret it.  The prices are the same for a mediocre room in San Juan, but the experience is much nicer and the scenery is unbeatable.


La Poza de las Mujeres

La Poza de las Mujeres, or Women's Well is a little known local secret.  When you come here, you hardly ever see tourists unless they came with family who lives on the island.  It is a beautiful secluded beach with a little something for everyone.  Want to lay in the sand?  You got it.  Want to float in calm crystal blue waters? You got it.  As you can see in the middle photo, there are two accesses to the ocean.  The one of the right is very calm, no waves and is blocked from the open sea by a low natural wall.  The side on the right opens to the sea and is much deeper with waves for surfing.  We took my oldest daughter to the calm side when she turned one year old and did her dedication and blessing in the Old Ways.  This beach is definitely worth the trip.

El Conquistador and Bioluminescence Bay

The picture on the top is El Conquistador Resort.  Owned by a former employer of mine, the Wyndham Hotels, I was able to visit this incredibly posh and expensive resort for the employee price of only $25 a night and let me tell you, I felt so out of place, like POOR was written all over my face.  The resort is now owned by the Waldorf Astoria chain and regular prices start at $279 a night.  I was very lucky to visit when I did.  We swam in the pool and enjoyed our balcony, which overlooked a golf-course and El Yunque in the distance.  The second picture is an actual photograph taken at Bioluminescence Bay, just below the cliffs of El Conquistador.  The glow is caused by organisms in the water that glow when touched.  I never had the chance, but this would have been a magical experience.

Lastly, my next sharing is not a place, but an animal.  This animal thrives in Puerto Rico and has since made its way to Hawaii, but the species never fairs well outside the island.  They are called Coqui, and their song is heard everywhere in Puerto Rico at night and after rain.  Here is some audio for your listening pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54-FzuE-w0U.   When we moved back to the mainland, we bought a CD that features the sounds of the coqui taken from El Yunque and we play it every night while we sleep.  Some people are annoyed by it, but I love the sound and the legend behind it, but I will leave you to do that research for yourselves.

I hope you have enjoyed my little tour.
Enjoy and good journey!

 

I Love...

There are so many things to love about this world.  Here, I try to list as many of them as I can think of.  Please take this list to remind yourself of the little things that can bring joy to even the darkest day.

I love:
Actors, Air, Afternoon naps, Alpacas, Anita Blake, Apple-picking, Apples, Archaeology, Arms, Astronomy, Babies, Baking, Bali, Bananas, Baths, Beaches, Bed, Biking, Birds, Boating, Books, Bread, Breezes, Britain, Butter, Cakes, Camping, Cats, Caves, Celery, Celts, Cernunnos, Cherries, Chicken, Children, Chocolate, Coffee, Concerts, Corn, Creators, Dancing, Darkness, Daylight, Deer, Demeter, Diana, Dictionaries, Dinner, Dr. Pepper, Dogs, Dolphins, Donuts, Dresses, Ducks, Earth, Earthquakes, Egypt, Elements, Fairies, Farmers markets, Festivals, Fire, Fish, Flowers, Food, Frogs, Fun, Galaxies, Games, Gardens, Genealogy, Grapes, Grass, Happiness, Hiking, History, Hobbies, Holidays, Honesty, Horus, Hot Dogs, Ice Cream, Ideas, India, Intelligence, Isis, Islands, Jinga, Juniper, Jupiter, Kali, Kepler, Kites, Kittens, Laughter, Learning, Libraries, Love, Magic, Marriage, Mars, Mayans, Milk, Mint, Money, Moon, Mothers, Museums, Music, National Geographic, Night, Ocean, Odin, Osiris, Owls, Painting, Pan, Pancakes, Parks, Peace, Pele, Philosophy, Photography, Plants, Popcorn, Potatoes, Prayer, Puerto Rico, Queens, Questions, Quizzes, Quotations, Rabbits, Rain, Reflection, Rivers, Rocks, Saturn, Schools, Scotland, Sewing, Sharks, Sif, Singing, Skates, Smells, Snakes, Solar Systems, Space, Spirituality, Spring, Squirrels, Stars, Swimming, Summer, Sun, Theater, Thor, Thunderstorms, Traveling, Trees, Understanding, Venus, Volcanoes, Walking, Warmth, Water, Watermelon, Weddings, Whales, Wilderness, Wishes, Woodwork, Youth, Zoos

If you think I have missed anything, please feel free to comment on it.  Those who know me well will catch anything I missed.  Love you guys!

I Respect Your Opinion, But...

There was a time in my life when I held everyone's opinion equally to my own.  If someone disagreed with me about anything, I would say 'well you are entitled to your opinion' and leave it at that.  But it seems that opinions have turned into less of a flexible viewpoint and more of a 'I'm right and You're wrong' viewpoint.  I have only met a few people who can disagree with someone, yet still maintain a mutual respect and admiration of the other person.  For the most part, I have been abused, degraded, insulted, and relegated to an inaccurate definition of my true character.  I have always thought outside the box, never accepting anything at face value.  On the other hand, I believe everything until proven otherwise and I do not usually have to wait a long time to decide on something.  Up until the end of last year, I have been tolerant of the abuse.  But now I take a stand.  Anytime I see a news article that I find wrong, I post on its comment board.  I really should know better than to read those threads, but I am far too curious for my own good.  What I see there is the epitome of human wreckage.  It's nothing but narrow-minded bigotry spouted by couch-potato philosophers and political critics who have long fallen for the fear-mongering and lies that are rampant in the media.  Simply stating a fact or your interpretation of the story can earn you the kind of disrespect I never thought possible in this 'great nation' of ours.  More and more I am ashamed to be an American.  And it is not because of our President, and for the most part the politicians.  It is because the average American has become so blind with hate that they cannot see past their computer screen.  Just the other day, I commented on a news article about Rick Perry wanting to make English the official language of the United States.  My reply was that English has always been the official language and I proceeded to spout my knowledge of the benefits of being bilingual or multilingual in the world.  Learning more than one language has been proven to increase intelligence and understanding, and it is encouraged in most countries of the world because of the value it can bring.  But despite my reply being educated, non-confrontational, not to mention grammatically accurate, I received several replies calling me 'a typical fucking liberal'.  What does that have to do with it?  I am a person first and foremost.  I do not like to be labeled as a 'liberal' or a 'conservative'.  Based on the way I live my life, most people would probably call me a liberal.  But I also hold conservative values.  I prefer to look at things as they come to me, regardless if they are considered one or the other.  Why live as a label?  Why not be me?

So I have made the decision to stand up for myself.  I have plenty of people in my life who love me regardless of my faith, political ideals, world viewpoint, etc.  So why should I waste my time dealing with other people and their bigotry.  It is, after all, my right to ignore them (although ignoring anything I am passionate about is very hard!).

On another note, personal responsibility is dead in this country.  Too many people want to blame me for things that are either none of my business, or things that are not my responsibility.  Are you too lazy or selfish to take responsibility yourself?

So this year, I will be very liberal with who I allow in my life, starting with Facebook.  I have people on my Facebook from every facet of my life, from friends I grew up with, friends from high school, music buddies, local friends, and friends I work with.  But I also have allowed people to friend me for the sake of Facebook games.  I do not mind having these people on my Facebook page, but if I find too much bigotry, deleted.  Attacking me for something completely stupid, deleted.  I'm sorry if this seems harsh, but I cannot continue to let myself get riled up and anxious because someone cannot handle who I really am. 

To those friends who support me no matter what, I love you guys!  You guys are the reason I still see the light.

2011: A Weird Year

2011
What can I say about this year?  It was a weird one indeed.  When we rang in 2011, I was still in the midst of grieving the loss of a brother and an aunt and I had high hopes that 2011 would be a turning point in my life.  And in a way, it was.  I learned to accept myself a little more and to stand up for myself against those people who had always made me feel inferior.  So here we are a year later, 11 days away from 2012.  I will perhaps post another blog soon about my feelings toward 2012, but for now I am going to write about 2011.  I realize that I am going to miss a lot of topics, mostly due to space issues, but also because some of it wasn't important to me and I could care less about them.

In 2011, a child murderer walked free and a religious fanatic got his due.  We said good-bye to Steve Jobs, Borders Books, Harry Potter, the Iraq War and a whole slew of terrorists, dictators, and many innocent lives.    My reactions to each: Steve Jobs, not really bothered by it as I did not worship him like so many did.  To me, he was another CEO;  Harry Potter: Good series, never read the book, indeed the end of something that held people together for the last decade;  The Iraq War, another campaign promise kept, and good riddance to it.  It was a war started on false information and cost us many of our best men and civilians on both sides; Border Books, this made me sad.  I preferred Borders to Barnes and Noble.  Luckily, there is Books a Million to fill the gap. 

A Royal Wedding

For years, I have followed Prince William.  Not followed in the stalker sense, but followed out of reverence.  I saw how this young man was able to stand up under pressure when his mother died and grieved publicly.  I knew that he would grow up to be an exceptional person and would carry his mother's interests forward as he became a man.  His charities worldwide are a living tribute to the late Princess Diana.  And I knew that someday, he and Kate Middleton would tie the knot.  When they briefly separated last year, I was sad.  I felt like William would never find someone so right for him as Kate was.  And then they reconciled and announced their engagement in November 2010.  I have great hopes for their marriage.  Sometimes, time apart is just what people need.  And it doesn't always mean that they do not love one another, it is what it is.  And besides, we as Americans can hardly make it our business to judge them and vex them.  I read too many comments and posts during the wedding, mostly from Americans condemning the happy couple and saying stuff like 'it will never last'.  Yeah, Americans with your bigotry and 60% divorce rate cannot talk!

East Coast Earthquake

As if the summer-long drought couldn't make life on the East Coast any more interesting, we get an earthquake!  Of course, I grew up in California and was quite used to earthquakes.  And I didn't even feel the earthquake.  Me and a friend were driving at the time and I attributed the little shudder I felt to the motions of the car.  When my husband called me and said 'earthquake!', I thought he was crazy.  Then my friends husband called.  And when we arrived at the store, people everywhere were talking about it.  Leave the Yankees to make a big deal out of a little shudder.

World Population: 7 Billion

Say hello to Danica May Camacho, the 7 billionth person on Earth.
I have heard talk that the world cannot possibly support this many people.  I say that it can.  The world is abundant!  Those people who believe that it cannot support this many people lack two very important things: Faith and Understanding.  For me, faith is a very real and important part of my life.  The Gods can provide for any number of people.  And Understanding; the reason some parts of the world lack basic resources is the result of several factors.  Population density is one of them.  We have so many people all shoved into cities worldwide and entire countries with just a few inhabitants.  Then consumption is another problem.  'Western countries' consume the majority of the world's food, despite not being the largest countries in the world.  Rampant fast food and obesity are the consequences.  People consume more food than needs to be and therefore, people around the world go without.  And it is not just that, the tyrants have control over a large portion of the food as well, and they use it as a tool of emotional torture against their people.  If there were true equality, compassion, and understanding, no one would go hungry.

The End of an Era

Good-bye shuttle :(  This was truly the end of a glorious era.  But it meant something so personal to me.  As a child, I dreamed of going to space.  I worked hard to learn the ins and outs of the shuttle program, even tried for a scholarship to Space Camp and briefly entertained thoughts of joining the Air Force.  And now I realize, perhaps even if my dreams of joining the space program would have come to fruition, I would never have rode that great flying bird to space.  I watched all of the remaining launches and I had to fight back emotions as I watched Atlantis launch for the last time.  It was like watching the death knell of my childhood.  Perhaps those emotions run too deep for me to put it entirely into words.


The Occupy Movement

A little humor.  And I feel that is what has become of the Occupy Movement, a source of entertainment and humor for the Right and late night TV.  Their intentions were noble, but like most noble causes, have died a quick death.  The Occupy movement in my city have been there for 2 months.  They even received a permit to occupy the park from our Republican mayor.  Perhaps so he could make fun of them?  I wish they would do something more than just leave their tents in the park to kill the grass.  Maybe they should get serious.  This is some revolution...

Rapture (maybe?)

Strike one!  Strike two!  When will the fanatics learn?  Even their Scripture says 'no man will know the end of times'.  So why do they try?  All these people were good for was a laugh and clogging the entrance to my local Walmart with their leaflets.  What a waste of paper!

Weird Weather and Global Warming

Earlier this year, I posted a brief comment on Facebook about my annoyance with snow in October and someone replied 'so much for Global Warming'.  With that simple reply, he displayed to me his ignorance.  Global Warming is not just about the Earth warming up, which it is.  It is also about unstable weather patterns as a result of the warming oceans.  This year was ripe with examples of unstable weather patterns.  Crazy blizzards kick started 2011 and set records in places not usually known for their snow fall.  All through spring and summer, the country suffered from rare tornadoes, droughts, wildfires, and late season snowfall.  In my area of the country, the summer drought was so bad the farmers feared losing their crops.  And they did, just not like they thought it would happen.  Hurricane Irene skated its way up the Eastern seaboard and dumped record rain, causing flooding not seen since Hurricane Agnes.  And shortly after clean-up from Irene, a bizarre October Nor-ester came and dumped record snowfall the week of Samhain (Halloween).  I am not a snow person and needless to say, I was very much annoyed with snow everywhere when I was just getting excited about Halloween.  AND DON'T GET ME STARTED on the racks of CHRISTMAS stuff at my local stores the week BEFORE Halloween and the HALLOWEEN stuff on clearance before it was even HALLOWEEN!

All in all, 2011 was a very trying year for me and I hope that I will get some peace in 2012.  I will post later on my thoughts for 2012, my goals, and most of all my thoughts on December 21, 2012.