New Year's Eve

Every day I see or hear something that more or less infuses me with delight, that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light. It was what I was born for - to look, to listen, to lose myself inside this soft world - to instruct myself over and over in joy, and acclamation. Nor am I talking about the exceptional, the fearful, the dreadful, the very extravagant - but of the ordinary, the common, the very drab, the daily presentations. Oh, good scholar, I say to myself, how can you help but grow wise with such teachings as these – the untrimmable light of the world, the ocean's shine, the prayers that are made out of grass?

~ Mary Oliver

And so another year ends. 

This morning when I awoke, I promised to spend at least one hour a day cleaning my house, clearing out the clutter, tossing papers, unused items, anything that doesn't add joy or beauty to my life and inner sanctum.  Home is where the heart is, and I want mine to be healthy and happy. 

After working on one corner of the family room, and seeing how it "breathed" again, now free from cobwebs and chaos I, too, breathed easier.  Smiled inside.  Knew I was that much closer to being able to invite friends over for a cuppa tea.

It will take time.  I know.  It took nearly thirteen years to get like this but, God willing, it won't take a fraction of that time to get back to its original state. When I bought this house, it was magical.  Everything was so beautiful, clean and inviting.  Now, I can hardly sit down.  And, who knows where anything is?  I've often said that a person's home directly reflects their state-of-mind and, more importantly, their heart.  My house looks how I feel on the inside:  disorganized, unkempt, and unhappy with some of the "rooms."

With a new year comes a resurgance of energy.  I plan to use the momentum to, not just make some half-baked New Year's resolutions, but to ride the tide of rejuvenation and rebirth.  2010 promises to be a better year.  For our nation, the world and our personal lives.  It's time.  It's all about time.

So one little corner of one big room has been cleaned.  It looks happier.  I feel better.  We're off to a good start.  Each day I vow to spend at least one hour in SPACE:  sorting, purging, arranging, cleaning and ENJOYING my new digs and new outlook on life.  Sweetie Sue and the kits gathered around me this morning as I worked, with one-pointed attention, on one corner of one room.  As if to say, "You can do it, Mommy!" I felt their encouragement and loving presence.  It means so much and spurs me onward.

So as I bid adieu to 2009 and welcome 2010, I hope to try harder, live happier and work with more joyfulness and passion.  And leave the rest to the unquantifiable powers that BE:  the heavens, the stars and pure Divinity.

Let the New Year begin. . .

The Second Day After Christmas

The holidays are over for another year.  Whew.  As with most families, mine is difficult at times, Christmas being no exception.  Why?  That's for the stars and God to answer.  How?  Beats me.  True, year-after-year?  You betcha!  And so started the traditional yultide cheer.

My oldest sister always makes Christmas dinner at her house but insists on serving it when it's dark outside making it impossible for me to come.  Why?  Because I don't do well at long-distance night dirivng on three expressways in wintertime.  One year, as I was driving home at 10:30 PM, my car hit a patch of black ice and swerved about 90 degrees as it slid sideways.  That was on expressway number one, and I've never forgotten the panic in my heart, sure I'd be a goner any second.

That was three years ago.  So, now, much to the chagrin of my family, I refuse to drive at night-Christmastime or not. This year, my sister begrudgingly (according to my Mom) relented and agreed to serve dinner at 2 PM. Mom said, in a tone that resembled a warning by Medusa, "She said ok, but she's not happy about it.  Heavy. Ominous.  Are we having fun, yet? 

With that, I felt about as welcomed as Bambi entering a lion's den.  Still, I wrapped and baked and packed and stayed up 'til 2:00 AM putting last-minute touches on all my gifts and goodies.  But when I awoke, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter; when what to my wandering eyes should appear but an ice storm outside and pellets of pouring rain, my dear!

So I rang-up my sister and explained I couldn't drive in such torrents.  She was less than pleased but said ok and decreed dinner would be served at 2 PM just the same.  I watched as the rain continued all day but happened to peruse Craig's List and saw a community dinner being offered in a nearby town.  Hmm, sounds interesting.  Why not?  Got dressed, took my new pup and drove (in the rain) to Tecumseh High where I experienced what felt like straight out of A Christmas Carol.

An all-volunteer crew putting on the nicest dinner I'd ever seen.  Tables in the cafeteria were all decorated with red Poinsettas and lighted snow-scene centerpeices.  Turkey casserole, homemade mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, apple, cherry and fresh fruit pies, oranges, apples and plums filled the air with the sweet smells of holiday cheer.  Volunteers helped pour apple juice, tea and coffee and get everyone settled and comfy as we enjoyed our feasts.

It was called, Beulah's Christmas Dinner as she was the mother of the lady who organized it this year.  She left an endowment to do good in the community, and her daughter (a local elementary school principal) chose to sponsor a Christmas dinner for the lonely or anyone who wanted to partake of this charitable meal.  And, many people did.  There were families, kids, couples and single folks, like myself, there.  The food was delicious, fellowship friendly and hospitable.  I couldn't've experienced a nicer Christmas meal.  (And was given four more to take home!)

Back at the ranch. . . .my middle sister said there was tension in the air. And, the day after Christmas, my oldest sister's birthday, (I know, a double header and hard to take when you're not into sports) she said was even worse as some of the relationships are fraught with hostility & angst.  My inner knowing sensed this and felt relieved to withdraw this year.  Yes, I was alone.  Yes, I felt moments of isolation and loneliness, yes, even sparks of self-pity, here and there.

What I didn't feel was tension.  Or anger.  Or grief.  True, I spent Christmas with a cafeteria of strangers.  But oh what warm and welcome feelings I felt.  People smiled and shook my hand, thanked me for coming, gave me food, Poinsetta plants and bags-full of fresh fruit to take home and enjoy.  The true spirit of Christmas touched my heart even though it wasn't spent with my family-of-origin.  Rather, my family-of-life. 

And, after all, isn't that what the true spirit of Christmas is really about?

The Best Christmas Gift of All!

Finding Sweetie Sue and S.S. finding me.

It's a Merry Christmas

because we have each other. Whether human

or furry friend, it's the love you share that counts.

So, to all of our wonderful Blog and Blogger friends:

MERRY CHRISTMAS ! ! !

You Are Not Alone

I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.

Taylor Caldwell
American Author and Novelist
1900-1985

Fly away with me.

Know that I am here.

For you.

Always

And forever.

Beauty lives within us all.

Appreciate the Wonder of Life!

 

The Best Reasons of the Season

With two wars going on globally, the battle for national health insurance raging, the state of the economy dismal and getting worse, unemployment at an all time high (my own included) and woes in the personal and professional realm, what's there to celebrate this Christmas, I ask you?

When I started this blog, it was to grieve the loss of Suzy, my beloved Sheltie.  It was to be a repository for all my sadness and wailings.  My personal dumpster, if you will.  Then, it began taking on a life of its own.  Evolving, like all of our lives, into its own form, with its own tales and truths. So it is this season, as I sit down to write my blog two days before Christmas.

Not knowing where I'll be, who I'll be with (if anyone) and what I'll be doing, uncertainty can drive a person mad. Yet, being spontaneous is a wonderful adventure.  So when I think of the Chinese "yin and yang" or polar opposites, I think of happy and sad, good and bad, glad and mad and so on.  And then I think about how that applies to all of us so much of the time.

Uncertainty is often fraught with angst & worry.  What will happen if. . . . . .?  Am I capable of doing this?  Who else will be there?  Will they like me?  Am I good enough?  And on and on.  Then, the moments of joy, when one feels safe, secure, in the right place at the right time.  Comfortable.  We all experience both feelings many times a month, week, maybe even each day.  And, life goes on.

Oprah always says, "This, I know is true. . ." then goes on to say what she feels in her bones.  No matter the ratings, her personal life, family woes or global foes, Oprah knows certain things to be true no matter what.
Things that anchor and delight her, things that bring her love and are there for her. Things that matter. And so it is with me this holiday season, for these reasons, this is what I know. . .

From My Meditation Teacher

From The Dhammapada: Flowers

The perfume of sandalwood,

Rosebay or jasmine

Cannot travel against the wind.

But the fragrance of virtue

Travels even against the wind,

As far as the ends of the world.

How much finer

Is the fragrance of virtue

Than of sandalwood, rosebay,

Of the blue lotus or jasmine!

The fragrance of sandalwood and rosebay

Does not travel far.

But the fragrance of virtue

Rises to the heavens.

Know What You Want

You've got to accentuate the positive,

Eliminate the negative,

Latch on to the affirmative,

And don't mess with Mister In-Between!

--Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen from the

hit song, Accentuate the Positive

From book entitled, Invisible Armor:  Protecting Your Personal Energy by Thomas A. Hensel

Last Tuesday I went to our camera club's Christmas party and had a fairly good time.  Why only "fairly good?"  Because of some innane banter I chanced to have with a few folks. When one goes out, especially to a holiday or festive affair, one expects to laugh, schmooze, and engage in lighthearted party-type conversations.  Right?  Well, one would think.

The table I was at had three men and three women at it, and we all chatted amicably.  Until, that is, I mentioned the photojournalist's talk we had all seen the night before.  I mentioned that some of his photos weren't to my liking and cited his very first photo, of a three year old with his pants down reaching up to flush a toilet in a public urinal.  Maybe I shouldn't have even started this line of conversation, maybe it was my fault when one of the guys shot back, "Oh yeah, I saw a guy photographing piles of poop."  Not to be outdone, the next guy trumped his remark with, "A photographer I know showed slides of road kill."

What was this turning into, a contest to see who could come up with the grossest images at the dinner table?  As I said, I probably shouldn't've even mentioned not liking this guy's work, as the conversation took a turn for the visually worse, and I lost my appetite for the chocolate pudding cake I had been enjoying!

If all that wasn't bad enough, I went on to chat with another fellow camera club buddy who, somehow, got onto how a fraternity hazing prank exploded in his face and caught his whole body on fire!  He was playing the role of Merlin, asking all new pledges to stick their heads over a bowl of highly flammable chemicals when, suddenly, he was alone in the room tanking up by adding more chemicals to the bowl when, POUF, it exploded back on him!

As he was telling me this, I had felt a mix of shock, disgust, and no prank goes unpunished, that is, the pransker usually gets his comeuppance, too, (you jerk!)  But I digress. . . the point being, is this holiday fun?  Appropriate banter and merriment at a Christmas party?  I think not!  After such an array of visually disgusting cantations, I collected my Corningware dish and left.  Such was the camera club's Christmas party 2009. 

In getting back to the above quote, I think it's a good idea to stick to positive conversations most of the time, let alone at holiday gatherings.  Be interested and interesting.  Listen carefully and add something light and fun.  Be the kind of person you'd like to chat with, and be there mindfully and with good cheer.  Time is of the essence, and we all only have a finite amount if it.  So choose wisely.  Your friends, your plans, your conversations.  For, in a moment, they'll all be gone---POUF!

Live Each Day to the Fullest

Friend, do it this way - that is,

whatever you do in life,

do the very best you can

with both your heart and mind.

And if you do it that way,

the Power Of The Universe

will come to your assistance,

if your heart and mind are in Unity.

When one sits in the Hoop Of The People,

one must be responsible because

All of Creation is related.

And the hurt of one is the hurt of all.

And the honor of one is the honor of all.

And whatever we do affects everything in the universe.

If you do it that way - that is,

if you truly join your heart and mind

as One - whatever you ask for,

that's the Way It's Going To Be.

Lakota Instructions for Living

As passed down from White Buffalo Calf Woman

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Animals, Nature, Art, Beauty, Truth, Honor, Innocence, Warm Friends and Family, Carriage Driving, Love, Intimacy, Trust, Travel, English Countryside, Any countryside, Faith, Magic, Glitter, Grand Cayman, Vermont, National Parks, Switzerland, Good Conversation, Delicious Food, Chocolate Chip Cookies (preferably mine), cuddles, snuggles, Gourmet Gardens Restaurant, Broadway Musicals, laughter, handbells, books that leave me more inspired, red, cozy sweaters and PJ's, roaring fires and fireside chats, old trees, babbling brooks, any pets I've had the great fortune to have known, harmony, peace, tranquillity, Calligraphy, enchantment, possibilities, fun, freedom, flexibility, imagination, creativity, collaboration, flowers, baby-anything and LIFE!

Sweetie Sue Perry | A Dog Named Christmas

Sweetie Sue Perry | A Dog Named Christmas
WOULD YOU PLEASE VOTE FOR MY PUP
AT THIS LINK EVERY DAY THROUGH DEC. 15th?

http://www.hhofdogcontest.com/dogs/sweetie-sue-perry-dec-08


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In The Spirit

Blessed is the Season Which Engages the Whole

World in a Conspiracy of Love!

--Hamilton Wright Mabie

With the addition of a new pup and the holidays upon us, I reflect back on happier times. Suppose many do.  When we were children and lived in a protected bubble of sorts.  Mom and Dad there to protect and guide us, sisters to play with or talk to, friends to do things with and relate to.  A simpler time in many respects. 

Now, alone at mid-life, the world fraught with headlines of terrorism, political spats and national concern about health care and aging baby-boomers, there isn't a day goes by that I don't worry about the future.  What will become of me if I don't have health insurance?  Or children to look in on their old Mom every now and then?  What if I get sick or, worse, lose my mind or get Alzheimer's or dementia?  Then, what?

I suppose Chicken Little felt the same level of fears as he ran around shouting, "The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling!"  And he believed that it was.  Yet, nothing happened.  Perhaps the best approach to the future, in this perilous present, is to relax, breath deeply, and believe that the sky is intact.  Believe in a Higher Power, the flow of the Universe, the goodness of humankind.  Believe in one's Self and one's family (yes, including furry families!) and friends.  Believe that we all have a finite amount of time here on this ol' Earth and worrying about the future won't stop anything from happening now, or then. 

So live the best life you can.  Love openly and freely. 
Believe in the power of Divine Intervention, global peace, the beauty and wonder of animals and nature.  It's the best life has to offer--right here.  Right NOW.

What a Weekend!

Saturday nights, I usually eat dinner on a tray table while watching Bobby and Cissy dancing on the Lawrence Welk Show followed by a rousing round of Canasta online then honker down in bed with a good book--my companion for the evening.  Not so last Saturday, though!

All that afternoon I went Christmas caroling in the country then raced home, showered and headed across the street for my second holiday party of the day.  From jeans and horses to Christmas trees and holiday cheer, it was a jammed pack day of glad tidings of the season.

As I made my way from farm to town, I recalled holidays past when I was married or had a dashing escort and smiled in thinking about happier times.  Everything changes, and sometimes all we have are memories to keep us warm.  Each holiday party was special in its own right, each unique, each offering new faces, food & fun.  Yet when I came home at the end of the day, somehow, I didn't feel so merry and gay. 

Yes, I have my kits and new darling doggie.  Yes, I have a lovely home and hearth.  But, through it all, I have only myself at the end of the day.  Quiet.  Peaceful.  No conflicts to be sure.  But what about sharing the joys of the season?  The ups and downs, happy times and sad?  It felt lonely as I lifted my favorite crystal necklace over my head and undressed for bed. 

Alone.  With the kits.  Listening to my pup snoring peacefully. 
Life, as it is today.

Christmas Caroling in the Country

Today is the annual "Christmas Caroling in the Country" outing.  I used to ride my horse, Daisy, but have since gotten older, wiser, (plus bumps and bruises from falling) so, now, ride in the hay wagon.  Much safer. Just as fun.  And, today, I'll be taking Sweetie Sue, too.  She should love all the horses, country sights, sounds and smells and feel right at home.  Of course, I'll be taking my jingle bells to provide musical accomaniment as we sing our way o'er hill and dale!

Can't wait.  Love this outing and look forward to it every year.  Will post pix later on or maybe tomorrow, as tonight is my neighbor, Brooks' annual Christmas party, too!  Busy, busy, busy.  But, enjoyably so.  Ever since his divorce,  he hasn't held his annual holiday gathering.  Now, 3 years & 1 new love later, he's in the mood again, & all of his friends and neighbors are invited for Christmas cheer, once more!  So, as soon as I get off the hay wagon, it's into the shower and across the street to Brooks' Christmas party and rockin' the night away!

A day of laughter, a day of cheer, a day in the country, a day that's finally here.  Looking forward to it all!  Ho-ho-ho!

Celebrate YOU!

Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to

be living someone else's life.

- Kobi Yamada

Meet the NEW Sweetie Sue

When I adopted Sweetie Sue, on November 16th, she had been picked up wandering the streets as a stray.  Her coat was quite matted, and one of the provisions of adopting her was that I'd have her groomed soon.  So last Monday I did, and here's a whole new Sweetie Sue.

While I like her new "do" and am glad she can see, again, I prefer a slightly shaggier look.  (Do you?)  And hope her fur, especially around her head and face, will grow back in fuller and thicker, like before.  Sometimes pet groomers get a bit over-zealous in their attempts to clean Fido up, and they trim too much.  Sweetie Sue had to have her back legs shaven as they were all matted and clumpy and her underside chest area, too.

Aside from looking more "trim," she's the perfect pup and eats well, sleeps soundly, rarely barks and is getting acquainted with the kits very nicely.  Some more than others, but they're all adjusting to each other as well as can be expected.  Sweetie's puppy, bouncy, enthusiastic and loving.  I couldn't've asked for a better pup!

                 

BEFORE

Reflections of Affection

"Love’s greatest gift is its ability to make

everything it touches sacred."

--Barbara DeAngelis

Thanksgiving Day - Purrrrfect in Every Way

Today my 91 year old Mom and I were supposed to go to a nice restaurant for our Thanskgiving Day meal.  Except she called me, last night, saying she wasn't feeling up to it and couldn't go.  Alone, on a holiday---again.

Pouring rain outside.  Both of my sisters, in LA and Philadelphia respectively, with their families, children, grandchildren and plentiful tables aglow with all the sweets and treats of the season.

This morning as I started thinking about writing my blog, I came up with all sorts of titles:
"Another Mac 'n Cheese Thanksgiving,"  "Holiday Blues."  Then, the humor started bubbling up, "Thanks. For What?" and, "Another Turkey Day--For Sure!"  When all else fails:  laugh. 

Then, I looked around, took a deep breath and saw the true meaning of Thanksgiving this year:  Honey, Sunny, Sweetie Pie, Syndi, Simba, Sweetie Pooh, Tiggy and Sweetie Sue!  All lying about me calmly, reassuringly, lovingly and loyally.  What more is there?  The newest member of our clan is working out nicely. After all, I only adopted her a week and a half ago.  And, so far so good.

She's delightful in every way.  So spunky, funny, lively and adorable.  Even the kits have taken to her.  She brightens our world and makes me realize the meaning of gratitude--for her, the kits, my home, heath, heart, and the happiness I feel when we're all together.

Indeed, a time of blessings and bountiful love.

Thanks-Living

The world is so full of wonderful things we should all, if were taught how to appreciate it, be far richer than kings.

Ashley Montagu, 1905-1999

British-American Anthropologist and Humanist

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Nature Makes People Nicer

Want to be a better person? Commune with nature.

Paying attention to the natural world not only makes you feel better, it makes you behave better, finds a new study to be published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

"Stopping to experience our natural surroundings can have social as well as personal benefits," says Richard Ryan, coauthor and professor of psychology, psychiatry and education at the University of Rochester. While the salubrious effects of nature are well documented, from increasing happiness and physical health to lowering stress, this study shows that the benefits extend to a person's values and actions. Exposure to natural as opposed to man-made environments leads people to value community and close relationships and to be more generous with money, find Ryan and his team of researchers at the University of Rochester.

The paper includes four experiments in which 370 participants were exposed to either natural or man-made settings. Participants were encouraged to attend to their environments by noticing colors and textures and imagining sounds and smells. In three of the studies, participants were shown a selection of four images on a 19 inch computer screen for two minutes each. Half of the subject viewed buildings, roads, and other cityscapes; the other half observed landscapes, lakes, and deserts. The urban and nature images were matched for color, complexity, layout, and lighting. In a fourth study, participants were simply assigned at random to work in a lab with or without plants. Participants then answered a questionnaire assessing the importance of four life aspirations: wealth and fame ("to be financially successful" and "to be admired by many people") and connectedness and community ("to have deep enduring relationships" and "to work toward the betterment of society").

Across all four studies, people exposed to natural elements rated close relationships and community higher than they had previously. The questionnaire also measured how immersed viewers were in their environments and found that the more deeply engaged subjects were with natural settings, the more they valued community and closeness. By contrast, the more intensely participants focused on artificial elements, the higher they rated wealth and fame.

To test generosity, two of the studies gave participants a $5 prize with the instructions that the money could be kept or given to a second anonymous participant, who would then be given an additional $5. The second participant could choose to return the prize money or keep it. Thus, subjects had nothing to gain if they chose to trust the other participant, and risked losing their money.

The result? People who were in contact with nature were more willing to open their wallets and share. As with aspirations, the higher the immersion in nature, the more likely subjects were to be generous with their winnings.

Why should nature make us more charitable and concerned about others? One answer, says coauthor Andrew Przybylski, is that nature helps to connect people to their authentic selves. For example, study participants who focused on landscapes and plants reported a greater sense of personal autonomy ("Right now, I feel like I can be myself"). For humans, says Przybylski, our authentic selves are inherently communal because humans evolved in hunter and gatherer societies that depended on mutuality for survival.

In addition, write the authors, the richness and complexity of natural environments may encourage introspection and the lack of man-made structures provide a safe haven from the man-made pressures of society. "Nature in a way strips away the artifices of society that alienate us from one another," says Przybylski.

Lead author Netta Weinstein says that the findings highlight the importance of creating green spaces in cities and have implication for planners and architects. Incorporating parks and other representations of nature into urban environments may help build a stronger sense of community among residents, she explains. By contrast, "to the extent that our links with nature are disrupted, we may also lose some connection with each other," the authors warn. This alienation may help explain other research showing that urban as compared to rural dwellers show more reservation, indifference, and estrangement from others.

On a personal level, Weinstein says the take home message from the research is clear: "We are influenced by our environment in ways that we are not aware of," she says. Because of the hidden benefits of connecting with nature, people should take advantage of opportunities to get away from built environments and, when inside, they should surround themselves with plants, natural objects, and images of the natural world. "The more you appreciate nature, the more you can benefit," she says.

MEET: SWEETIE SUE!

Three months after losing my beloved Sheltie, Suzy, I visited our animal shelter and met a pup who stole my heart. Named after two of my kits, Sweetie Pie and Sweetie Pooh, and my darling Suzy, I now have a Skye Terrier/Wheaton cross named Sweetie Sue!  She's as cute as she looks and as loving, too.  Full of vim and vigor at the ripe old age of 8, she jumped out at me as I walked past her kennel, took one look, and couldn't resist.

She'd been picked up as a stray, kept in quarantine for a week to allow her owners to come get her, and then placed up for adoption on the 14th--the day I found her.  Even so, I decided to sleep on it as adopting a dog is a big decision.  Couldn't stop thinking about her,especially those ears, and went back on Monday to welcome my new best friend.

A nice young lady interviewed me for about 45 minutes, asked me if I had children at home, a fenced yard, any other pets, how long the dog would be left alone and many other detailed questions.  Good! Glad they were so thorough.  Then, she gave me a hefty packet of information, bag of Science Diet Dog Food, voucher for a free vet check and 2 DVD's about welcoming my new pup.  This, in addition to her rabies and distemper shots, micro-chipping and reduced fee since she was a senior citizen.  Excellent care and interview.

Then, she brought "Sally" (her kennel name) out, all wiggles and wags, thrilled to be getting out of confinement, and we jumped into the car and took off as if we'd known each other all our lives. It was truly magical. Only one faux paux, or shall I say, faux paw, was when I let her out in my fenced backyard and, suddenly, she was gone.  I looked down the block, and there she was jogging down the middle of the street! I hopped in my car, pulled up next to her, opened the door, and she jumped right in! It was amazing.

So, I guess fate brought us together, as I feel it did with all of my animals. It's been three months since Suzy and I said our final farewell, and I didn't feel like getting another dog right away. But, time marches on, and so must we.  I was getting that lonely feeling, again, restless and ungrounded without a furry friend by my side.  So when I found this pup, with those adorable ears, my heart said, "this is the one." And, judging by the love and affection I alrready feel from Sweetie Sue, I think Suzy would approve.

More tails to come. . . . woof!

Confucius Say. . .

If there were one word that could act as a standard of conduct for one's entire life, perhaps it would be 'thoughtfulness.'

Confucius, 551-479 BC

Chinese Philosopher and Teacher

Surprise, Surprise

Last week started out heavy and ended lighter, thank goodness.  After I lost both my substitute teaching job AND my extras film role, I got an e-mail from my agent asking if I could work as an extra on TRUST last Friday.  Of course, I jumped at the opportunity and ended up spending 13 hours with David Schwimmer, the director and Clive Owen, the hunky star.

We filmed at a nearby school.  Outside, I was a parent walking back to my car with my daughter.  And, inside, I was a parent rooting for her in the gymnasium as she played volleyball.  Then, Clive Owen had to walk across the gym, single out the perpetrator who's bugging his daughter on the internet, and beat him up. It was really exciting although, I must admit, I detest violence of any kind. 

Still, it was Hollywood!  It was the movies, and I was in it--yey!  The only thing that really bothered me that day was that they served a gourmet meal, of succulent scallops, prime rib, pepper steak, redskins, corn, pies of all kinds plus two healthy salads, one a spinach and the other romaine and other dark greens with savory dressings.  Yet, for the "extras," they set up a separate buffet of macaroni and cheese, little chicken wings and iceburg lettuce called "salad."  Yuck!

Discrimination, period, bothers me.  And when it's directed at my tummy, to deny me nutritious food due to greediness, then I have a problem with these intentions.  I mean, after all, a Hollywood film is budgeted in the millions, so what's the difference, a few pennies?  This was the first film set I've been involved with that did that--separated the cast and crew's food from the extras (peons.)  And that's simply not right. It harkens to discrimination anywhere, any time. 

Nutrition, of any kind, should be shared.  Sustenance is important for everyone.  Whether it be in the form of food, nurturing, parental/sibling relationships or personal exchanges.  Anything that provides qualities that enhance one's life and extend one's longevity, should be shared equally.  The optimum word being "equal."  For when there's discrimination, there is violence.  Whether it be passive, as in the separate food for extras, or blatant, as in the race riots of the 60s, hosing of Kent State student protestors or any number of national or global acts of aggression.  It's all just plain WRONG.

If animals ruled the world, especially pups like Suzy, we'd all be much better off.  For there would be no discrimination.  Only equality, kindness and love.