04/30/2024 - Beltane Eve

May Day, or Beltane, celebrates

spring at its peak and the coming

summer.

May Day Prep . . .

   -Build a Beltane altar

   -Decorate your table

   -Light a Beltane fire

   -Make a maypole

   -Play music

Sooooo love this holiday! 

When I lived in Mexico, May 

Day celebrated Día del Trabajo.

Parades, speeches and no school

indicated its importance.

Still I would have to say, I find

the lighter side, Beltane, ever 

so much more fun!

Decorated my table, including

a miniature maypole. A fire this

afternoon is in my plans and I'll

think about the music to choose.

Funny, I've always enjoyed the

eve of any given holiday more

than the actual day. Might be

because my parents always did

x-mas eve and used the day for

dinner and fam . . .

Happy celebrations!

04/29/2024

"The highest form of knowledge 

is empathy, for it requires us 

to suspend our egos and live 

in another's world." ~Plato

Truly, I admire the emotion 

of empathy above all others.

To walk the path of another,

understand where they are

coming from, the whys and

wherefores of what they are

going through . . . priceless!

And, understanding what a

friend is suffering, is ever 

so helpful.

On the other side of the coin,

it's truly important to listen,

simply listen. Saying this,

perhaps the most important

thing is that the empath not

take another's feelings unto

himself.

The emotions of another are

NOT our emotions! Their

pain is not ours to steal, as it

were.

Empaths care so deeply; it's

perfectly logical to want to

share the pain. This is a two

part bad . . .

One, the empath that absorbs

another's pain is no good to

anyone. Secondly, as said 

above, taking on another's 

issues is a kind of theft.

Remember, listen, don't absorb!

04/28/2024

So love and enjoy dif days!

Snowed all a.m. Began to 

heat up in the p.m. and so

did NOT know what to 

expect!

The snow stopped, warmed

up and friends stopped by. 

Wow!

So love sitting by the fire w/

our neighbors, having beers

and chat . . . reminding us of

the universe in which we live!

I find myself thinking about 

all the things that matter in

our paltry lives . . . yeah, 

I get that this may be an 

exaggeration of sorts . . .

Having said that, so love

friendship . . . and all that it

involves! Getting together,

sharing brews, chatting about

all things important, or not . . .

Promise, cross my heart, I'll

cherish these moments forever

and a day . . . make no mistake!

04/27/2024

Sats most interesting! . . .

One of the most interesting

things that happened . . .

SNOW and NO internet!

One would think a couple

of things . . . living w/o the

internet for a few hours may

not have any perceptible dif

in anyone's life.

Still, we are accustomed to a

certain level of connectedness.

One might even call this the

internet! Right?!

Bottom line . . . we are who

we are and each of us have

our own issues . . .

Not quite sure where to go

from here . . . Sooooo hoping

I have the courage to endure!

04/26/2024

"I'm dancing as fast as I can."

~Barbara Gordon

My life might just be a tad

easier, a bit more do-able, a

jot, a tittle more successful,

if I could only follow in the

footsteps of Barbara Gordon.

She has been an amazing 

example! In her book . . . 

I'm dancing as fast as I can,

she tells of locking herself

into her apartment, and not

leaving 'til she had cleansed

her system of all addictions.

Such bravery!

As I find myself on the other

end of life, I want to grow, to

become, to know . . .

I so appreciate the inspiration

she is to me!

 - - -

Barbara Gordon is an American

documentary filmmaker and 

author. Wikipedia

04/25/2024

"My story is filled with broken

pieces, terrible choices and ugly

truths. It's also filled with a major

comeback, peace in my soul and

a grace that saved my life."

~Ravenwolf

Such a truth! And I would ask, 

why is it that we so concentrate  

on the negative rather than the

growth?

Perhaps it's simply human nature.

We must have a need to explore

our dark side with the intention

of fixing it . . . only we seem to

get bogged down there.

I swear, before I pass onto that

supposedly better life, I long to

learn to sweep away the negative

and focus on the positive.

Again, what's the draw? Why oh

why do we find the negative so

tantalizing?! Methinks we need 

to retrain our minds.

I swear, I'm going to work on this

if it kills me!!! Ouch! That's not

a very positive statement. Oh well,

que será, será . . .

04/24/2024

Ever have a sense that

something is missing? 

A deep hunger, almost?

I find it's a bit like an

unrequited desire you can't

quite put your finger on.

I page through those pages

in my mind . . . Is it that I

need to lay eyes on my babes?

Perhaps, take a short trip?

Am I longing for a childhood

fave such as mac and cheese?

A grown up need for dark

chocolate? A chat w/a friend

whilst indulging in a glass or

two of red?

Is it something that hasn't

happened yet or a memory

out of yesteryear? Do I need

to sit by my fire and chat with

my dad? I do miss him ever

so much!

A nap? A rest? A special book?

A sunny day? A bit of warmth?

A letter? A card?

Alas, I ache with a longing 

so deep and simply cannot find 

an answer with which to soothe 

my soul . . .

I am sooooo hungry, starved for 

peace in my soul . . .

04/23/2024

"The world is full of magic 

things, patiently waiting for 

our senses to grow sharper." 

~W.B. Yeats

 

So love me the word magic!

Everywhere you look, it's all

around us!

Dew on grasses, sandwiched

'twixt and 'tween sunrises and

sunsets . . . ever a fave.

Clouds in the sky, telling their

own tales out of school. Stars

at night, overwhelming the soul.

An unexpected visit from an 

old friend. The gift of flowers,

a bottle of wine to share . . .

Above, I said something about, 

everywhere you look . . . The

problem might just be that we

look, but don't necessarily see.

We're so busy, rushing to the

next place we have to be, that

commitment we must attend to,

the job to be worked . . .

Perhaps 'tis the word busy that

amounts to blinders. And thus,

we miss all that beautiful magic

out there . . .

Alas . . .

04/22/2024 - Earth Day, 54 years

"Earth Day, observed annually

on April 22, was first celebrated

in 1970. Earth Day places a focus

on clean air and water, addressing

pollution and championing

conservation efforts." VOA News

Ever so pleased to have witnessed

this is my own lifetime . . .

I know there's a lot of sorrowful

happenings all around us. Thus,

it's somewhat easy to forget all 

the wondrous, the glorious.

Mother Earth gifts us so much . . .

Trees that surround us, gardens

to grow familial food, acres for

crops, streams, rivers and seas.

The list is endless.

Alas, I fear her righteous revenge

when she tires of the way we mis-

treat her.

On this Earth Day, it's time for

each of us to commit to doing a

better job. Let's remember those

three R's . . .

Reduce! Reuse!! Recycle!!!

Mother Earth, I promise, I

commit, to mind the three R's

more carefully each day I live . . .

04/21/2024

"Not all places of worship

have walls and a steeple."

~Zen to Zany

Methinks we're talking our

glorious Mother here . . . 

Mother Earth, Mother Nature.

When my docs gave me the

death sentence half a dozen

years ago, we moved into

this sweet little cabin, and 

I mean little!

I have to chuckle as looking

left, 'tis Mother. Looking right,

"It's a man's world out there!"

Rather speaks to my unbalanced

Libra, right?!

Still, I truly feel that my little

bit of paradise offers me a 

place of worship. Interestingly

enough, I find that my worship

of today is vastly different than

that as a child.

As a kid, 'twas of the "Now I 

lay me down to sleep" variety.

Nonetheless, fond memories 

of family prayer, readings and

discussions.

When it comes to the Christian

faith, my parents were the real

deal. So, how I honor my dad

for telling me when I turned 

13 that he believed me to be a

Pantheist as he himself was a

Panentheist. 

Speaking of real, doesn't it

come down to being real, 

no matter which path one

chooses?! Some simply drift

along; others walk their path

with absolute determination.

I love my path; I honor yours.

I do tend to believe that all 

roads lead to Rome, as it were, 

sooooo . . .

Happy journeying!

04/20/2024

"If I was ever accidentally

weird to you, just know I'll

be thinking about it every

night for the next fifty years."

Soulology

Sooooo owe this one to my

friend Joseph . . .

The bad part about this is it's

almost too true to be funny.

Obsession is the word we're 

looking at. I also hear the 

sages using the term letting go. 

Don't think I've ever let any-

thing go . . . I only have to be 

reminded and there it is all 

over again.

Approaching serious elder

years, rather wish I could go

having learned to ditch these

two particular enemies. Not

sure it's possible, but sooooo

needs to happen.

Advice gets handed out, books

and articles written, but these

particular maladies seems to

remain in place.

Just know, "I'll be thinking about

all this every night for the next

fifty years . . ."

04/19/2024

"You know how some people 

become reclusive and weird 

as they get older . . . I'm just 

about there . . . and it's sure 

coming in handy." Zen to Zany

My dad was an eccentric and

often told me I was a chip off

the old block. Just might mean

he thought I was as well.

Had to laugh this early morn

when I saw the quote . . . One

of the best reasons to be nigh

on to a hundred years old is 

you can be an odd duck and 

no one gives a flying . . .

Wondering if oldsters really

plan their shenanigans or . . .

simply are who they are?!

Methinks might have some-

thing to do with energy. 

Might be only enough energy

to BE . . . forget planning 

already!

I find I'm somewhat intrigued

to see what my alter ego comes

up with for today. It's Friday

anyway, right?!

04/18/2024

"I got friends that are Witches,

Starseeds, Christians, Pagans,

Hippies . . . I got friends with

degrees, LLC's and felonies.

I've learned from all of them."

~Unknown

One of my dear childhood

friends sent me this today.

Wow! Just W O W !!!

So love that I've been gifted

with friends from various

arenas. Makes for interesting

and thumbs the nose at all the

isms!!!

I'm slowly coming to wonder 

if prejudice isn't the main issue

in today's world?! Hatred of any

given group is beyond heartbreak.

The price for which is paid in

war, strife, poverty, starvation.

When will we ever learn?! 

Perhaps the answer to that would

be in small, overlapping concentric

circles. Each of us; loving others,

acceptance, giving . . . leads to

example and courage for others.

Here's to these amazing circles

of acceptance . . .