The Loss of a Pet - It's Always Difficult

I'm running late today, so it'll be a short post. But I also had a rather sleepless night, so I'm wondering if it will be possible to sleep-swim. Hmmmm, a thought, for sure! I might find out. I finally had a chance to catch up on posts and emails from friends, though, in the wee hours of the night/early morning. One friend of many, many years posted that she had to have her beloved dog put down over the weekend. She arranged to have them come to her to keep the tension down and allow her pupper to be surrounded by the things familiar in her life. I wept when I read this, and I have tears falling again now. 

This is one of the last photos of Pippin that my friend 
shared with us. Here's her Halloween costume from this 
year. Such a wonderful outfit indeed. Pippin was never 
very fond of winter, however, so I'm sure she's glad to 
not have to deal with another one. 

I've known this particular friend as an online friend for almost two decades now. A very long time. When I first came to know her, she lived in the West Coast, in San Diego. At that time she was one of two friends I had who lived in that area - both have now moved across the country. My friend moved to New Jersey and the other friend of mine moved to Florida. An adventure for everyone, I'm quite sure. 

It is never easy to uproot and move a long distance away. 
I moved across country from New Mexico to Minnesota, 
these two friends both started out in San Diego, one 
moved to New Jersey, the other to Florida. That's a LONG 
way to go. 

There's really nothing like a pet, however, to help you with such a move. Uprooting a life to start a new job or a new life randomly, can be heartwrenching. My New Jersey friend moved to bring herself and her Mom closer to other relations. She now has a loving family close by and her new life seems to have worked out quite well for her. My other friend moved because of health reasons, which haven't been resolved yet, but I have hope that they will be soon. 

I know that my own pets will be waiting for me, and I trust 
that Pippin will be waiting patiently for my friend to join 
her many years from now. The love of a pet is a true 
one, and not even death can end it. 

But, above all else, my heart is aching for my New Jersey friend right now. It's always a hard, hard thing to lose a pet, and her dog was the last bit tying her to the old San Diego life she had led. All of her bridges have now been burned behind her, and she's walking on her own now. I'm writing this to remind her that because of our modern world, we're actually never truly alone any more. She's been my friend for many, many years, and we'll continue to be friends for as long as she will allow me to be one for her. I know all of you have friends like that, so take the opportunity today to reach out to some of them. Tell them how important they are in your lives, because I can tell all of you, my readers, that you're massively important in MY life and I'm grateful every day that you're here for me. So, I'm off to the pool. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

A Heartfelt "Thank You" and "I Love You" to Each of my Internet Friends

Here we are at the end of another year. Since I don't post on Sundays (and we'll be celebrating the New Year with family), this will be my final post for 2023. What a roller-coaster ride this year has been. I'm not sure I could have made it without chatting with you several days every week and interacting with you virtually. As friends, you're my lifeline - people I can reach out to and get a response from. I value each of you far more than you may ever know, and the fact that we've never met in person is completely irrelevant. You're friends of mine, and I embrace each one of you. 

Embracing a friend - I can't do it in person for all of 
you, so I'm doing it virtually in today's post. 

My refrigerator is filled to bursting, my living room table is covered with containers of DH's cookies of the season. (Since I don't eat cookies, it will take a while for the piles of sugared goodness to disappear). My mantle is filled with the cards of friends both near and far, and my heart is filled with the knowledge that I have friends around the world who care about me . That means a lot. 

I'm sending out *hugs* to each one of my readers, many 
of whom I've known for more than 10 years now. You've 
been my lifeline over the years, and I value you more than 
you'll ever know. 

So, *hugs* to every one of you. My life would be poorer without having "met" you, and if the Fates are kind, we might even meet in person one of these days to share a cup of tea and a nice chat. But, even if you and I never meet, we have met. We've interacted, we've supported each other, we've shared our joys and our sorrows, our accomplishments and our failures, and highs and our lows. We've enriched each others' lives throughout this year and prior years. What a gift you've given to each other! We've got a community here. Our boundaries don't encompass everyone together - I have people on my "friends" list who might not be on yours, and you have those who are not on mine. But we interact, we communicate, and we support each other. That's what communities do. I won't be popping over to your house with a platter of food, but I'll be here, six days a week, communicating with all of you. I'll read and comment on your posts, and if I'm ever in your area, I'll try my best to actually meet you for a few hours, face-to-face. 

It's all of those little things that build into a 
big thing called friendship. You're my friends, 
my companions and my fellow walkers along 
life's pathways. I'm grateful we're walking the 
same path right now because I love walking 
next to you. 

So, as we move into a new year with renewed hopes and dreams and the world on the edge of yet another world war, I beg all of you to remember that it's the little things that pull us together. I may not remember exactly when we met - what conversation brought us together, or what internet topic merged us into a unit of common thought. But I'll always remember that I did, and have, and do meet you - every day. So, THANK YOU. Have a blessed New Year, a year of fulfillment and happiness. I'll be back in 2024. *Hugs* to all. 

Speaking Out Against Hatred - Let's Rise Above It

It's Saturday - what a relief! It's cold, and there's already snow in the northern part of the state. We're about a week ahead of time for leaves and weather, which really doesn't make me super happy - winter is my least favorite season here in the Frozen Northlands. It has its' own beauty, but I'm not a fan. The one nice thing about this time of the year is I can start wearing my long-sleeved T-shirts again, and I love my selection of long-sleeved T's. I also get to wear my sweatshirts and sweaters again, and I have several of those that I really like too. So ... good and bad - that's how so many things in life are. 

One of my favorite long-sleeved T-shirts is the skeleton
of this guy - the Short Faced Cave Bear, standing 
erect. It's a beautiful shirt that I bought from the Field 
Museum in Chicago many years ago. I wear it often and 
will hate it when it finally gets too old and worn to wear. 

Yesterday President Trump and Melania were diagnosed with COVID-19. By the end of the afternoon, the President had been moved to his suite at Walter Reed Hospital, to work from there under more controlled conditions while he recovers. I don't like the man - have never liked him, but I don't want anyone to get sick and suffer from this damned disease, not even the mini-tyrant in the White House. 

I'm not a fan of the President. I didn't vote for him and I 
don't support his policies. I think he was a huge mistake, 
and I'm hoping he gets defeated in the November 
election. But, that said, I don't wish death and harm on 
anyone, so I'm sorry he caught COVID. It's a bit of 
poetic justice in a way, I admit. 

I visited FaceBook yesterday to catch up with some friends and the vitriolic posts being slung back and forth between my friends and acquaintances frankly made me a bit sick. One dear friend of many years was openly wishing death and torment to Trump. I did post a couple of time in various boards that we should all be above the hatred, that we shouldn't fall to those depths, but the poison was horrific. So I'm putting this out here now, and if you hate me for it, so be it. 

Nobody deserves death. Without doubt there are 
evil people in this world who probably push that 
a bit, but very few people are evil. Most are walking 
a wide space between angelic and demonic. 

I don't wish death and destruction upon ANYONE. I'm not sorry that Trump is getting a taste of the terror others have been feeling over the past few months, but I'm not wishing death on him either, because that's not in my hands, and I wouldn't want it to be. I have a hard enough time killing the occasional spider who won't leave, or a mosquito that's trying to bite me. I can go after flies with gusto, but a person? No. Absolutely not. I'm not going to sully my own karma by wishing death to another human being, no matter how heinous that person might be. 

I want us to be able to return to the days when we could 
hug a child without fear of infection. I want love, not 
hate to be the standard for the day and our lives. I dream 
of peace, brotherhood (or sisterhood) and understanding 
I am TOTALLY a child of the 1960's 

So I hope EVERYONE with this horrible disease is well cared for and will recover because I don't want ANY more deaths from COVID in this nation or in the world. I hope that we can all meet our friends and relatives without social distancing, that we can enjoy hugging a child or a sister, brother, father or mother without worry. I hope that love triumphs over hate. But the posts I was seeing yesterday were hateful and reminded me how very far away that goal seems right now. Have a good weekend, be kind, and please be safe. I'll be back on Monday. 

A New Year's Wish For You

A short note for my friends and readers this New Year's Eve. 

For those who sorrow - comfort.
For those who hunger - fulfillment.
For those who question - answers. 
For those who love - joy. 

For all of you who have enriched my life over this past year - peace and thanks. 

Love to all. I look forward to a 2019 shared with you. 

Topical Indecision and Resolution

I have less than 30 minutes to get this written, illustrated, and posted. Ooof! I'm not running super late, but I actually catch up on emails, orders, and other basic bookkeeping structures first thing in the morning before settling down to write my blog. The blog is extemporaneous - very much 'off the cuff', and most of the time completely unplanned. So ... what to talk about today? 

I can't seem to decide on a topic for today's blog. 

I'm cold - of course we're having our first "cold" snap and there are months ahead to deal with cold and posts mentioning cold, and ... did I mention cold? Since, in this case cold is relative - it's actually not too bad outside, I suspect my cold is simply me right now. I'll shelve that topic for a time when it truly IS cold. 

I'm not quite at the curling up in a blanket state yet. That will come. 

I'm tired - well, that's rather normal, although I have caught up from my sleepless 4-hour night earlier in the week. I always live my life on fumes. When I die, I want to look back on my life and be happy that I tried to maximize every moment - every opportunity. Of course, that's not possible because even now, as I look back, I see the paths not taken and the choices not made. Feh! 

It's not warm enough to be running the fan (I'm quite
grateful about that since that's uncomfortably hot). 

I'm hot - well, no. That particular topic is dead in the water for months to come, now. We're firmly into fall, the leaves are turning, and a day in the 60's F is a positive and warm temperature. Catch us in July and that 60 F will be considered cool and comfortable, even cold. 

I might be this-and-that, but I'm not quite
at the level of bouncing off the walls. 

I'm alert and bouncing off the walls like a crazy bunny. Hmmm ... although that has possibilities, it also sounds a bit frantic. So no ... I'll just skip that posting topic completely. 

That single kiss just made my day. Now
he's back asleep and I'm wrapping this up.
Perfect! 

How about a simple touch of love. DH just got up at 4:00 am to take a quick bathroom break. He walked down two flights of stairs and came into the computer room, kissed me on top of my head, turned back around, left the room and, after climbing back the two flights of stairs, went back to bed. No words, just action, and I'm going to have a really happy glow as I start my day. See? Love truly conquers all. 

Have a great Thursday. I am expecting one item in the mail and then I can start on this year's holiday cards. Decisions were finally made yesterday and my original theme intent of March has shifted into a totally new direction. It's good, though. Meanwhile, I'm wrapping this up and heading out to the swimming pool. Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Simple Things That Mean So Much - Quilts

There are simple things that mean a lot to each of us. One of my simple things is a quilt - a star quilt that I used nightly where I sleep. It comes to mind this morning because it needs a repair and I have to think about whither or not to give it up to my friend who runs a custom clothing alterations and repair shop. If I do, I'd have to give up my quilt for a week or two and I'm so reluctant to do so. 

Lakota star quilts are ceremonial and used for commemorating
many different occasions. Baby sized ones are used for
newborns, and the elderly are buried in them. They are a
cherished gift, not casually given. 

My quilt has developed a tear in the backing and some of the stitching is unraveling. It was made by my sister in honor of my grandmother's death, and was one of two that she sent to me as a "Thank You" for my help within the family and an acknowledgement of what I had meant to her and to my grandmother. The second star quilt is satin, so beautiful and quite slippery. It is a reminder of the satin star quilt which draped grandmother's coffin when we buried her many years ago. Although I love the satin quilt, it is the simple cotton quilt that holds my heart. 

Although color choices are optional, more often than not
they will at least use sunrise colors within the star on a white
background. The preferred quilting stitching is usually
circular patterns - not the fancy quilting you will often
find in Nordic white-on-white quilts. 

I'm not really sure why I'm so attached to this patterned cotton blanket. It's the perfect weight - can be covered with an afghan (one that my mother made while watching evening television decades ago) if the room is cold overnight, or just used on its own for temperate nights. If it's super hot, I'll often just have it draped nearby. But that cotton star quilt is always on top or near me. DH uses a tied quilt that was given to him as a thank you for work done at a different relative's memorial, on a different Indian reservation. His quilt is also starting to fall apart. 

This stunning Star Quilt was made by Nellie Star Boy Menard
from Rosebud, South Dakota; a Lakota woman. The quilt was
made for her grandson. She received a National Heritage
Fellowship in 1995 for her quilting. Are you interested in
Native American quilts? Here's a link to a lovely exhibit
from Michigan State University. 

I suppose it's the way of all things, that they are used and finally fall into disrepair. But these quilts that we use daily are a part of our lives and, by this time, a part of our personal heritage. So, I will take a serious look at my star quilt when the weather gets warmer. I'll purchase and wash the fabric that I want to put onto the back, and I'll think about whether I want to let someone else do the repair, or whether I want to beg a few days off from work and just settle down at my sewing machine and do the repair myself. I can do it - I have the capability. It's time that's my enemy here. 

Do you have a few special but simple things that mean the world to you? Share with me. What do you have and why does it mean more to you than things of much more monetary worth? Have an excellent Tuesday and to those of you in the East getting snow once again, bundle up. Spring is actually here, it's just waiting in the wings. 

Acknowledging The Spectrum - TDoR

We're old, my hubby and I. The modern world is pulling him kicking and screaming into cultural and sexual identity awareness. I'm finding it rather liberating, he's finding it very confusing. Raised in a world of "male" and "female" as acknowledged identities, he's finding the sexual spectrum WAY confusing. I admit, it does take some thinking to acknowledge not only cis, but others along the spectrum. Yesterday, a crossword puzzle that he was doing had "them" as a clue for a plural reference used as a singular sexual identity and he was confounded. 

I admit, the use of "they" or "them" in reference to a single person who is gender fluid can be confusing. The first novel I read using the terms caused me to stumble for a while until I got into the flow and understood the manner in which it was used and the character using it. I have to assume that a cis-male raised in the Roman Catholic tradition and educated in parochial schools could have some problems with the expanded gender definitions and identities of today's populace. I imagine that people throughout the world have difficulties accepting some sexual identities and I know that people throughout the world, and also here in the USA, are bullied, assaulted, and even murdered because they identify as non-cis - i.e., somewhere different along the spectrum. 

Human sexual identity is not just black and white (or
blue and pink). There are varying degrees along
the wide spectrum. 

Every year there is a Trans-gender Day of Remembrance. This occurs in November, right around Thanksgiving Day. Did you know there is such a day? Have you ever read the Spreadsheet from top to bottom? Have you drilled down to other years? The 2017 spreadsheet I've linked here is accurate as of November 12, 2017. I'm quite sure there are names that have been added to this list since then. 

TDoR was held on November 20th this year. Why
did it take me so long to post this? A variety of
reasons, not least of which it took me this long to
read the entire list through my tears. 

We're moving into the major holidays now. Hanukkah is winding down, Christmas is coming quickly and Kwanzaa will follow on its heels. Then New Year is the start of a new slate for many. Perhaps it's time to think about those who are along the spectrum while you celebrate your holidays. My annual donations are all going to projects that support homosexual, trans-sexual, trans-gender and gender-fluid people, because 40% of all homeless people start out as kids who were kicked out of their homes because of their sexual identities. The people who were supposed to protect and love them, their parents or caregivers, turned their backs on them because of ... well, who knows why. There's really no excuse at all for that kind of behavior. 

People are people - anywhere along the sexual spectrum. Why are
we hearing about so many new definitions now? Maybe because
people are finally courageous enough to speak out. 

So today's blog turned into a bit of a downer, but let's be real, folks. In this season of happy and lights and Santa Claus, there is a darker side and there are people who are pushed away into the dark alleys because looking at them would be an embarrassment for too many others. Let's stretch out our hands and accept, help, and respect ALL peoples, not just the select few who fit our molds. Happy Monday - get your last-minute shopping done, wrap those presents, and have a great day! 

Acts of Kindness, We Remember and The Meme

Look at the other side. It's been one of those sayings or recommendations for a very long time. Turn the other cheek, look to the other side, the grass is always greener elsewhere, the night is darkest before the dawn, etc. Things are pretty dark right now and likely to be that way for a while. I can protest, I can write my congressional representatives, I can wear a pink pussy ear hat; yes. There are many things that I can do to express my fears and dissatisfaction. But the only thing I can do that will directly affect anyone else is to be kind.

Just a single act of kindness can brighten someone's entire
day. Spread joy and happiness, there's too much darkness
around right now. 

So I'm making it my goal to do something kind every day. I'm hoping that like ripples in a pond, my kindness will influence someone else to be kind, and so on, and so on. Killing with kindness would be a better way to die. At least I think/hope so. To that end, yesterday I secretly bought breakfast for a pair of women who often eat at my local Perkins. Today I'm going to design and print out some sayings on business cards that I can hand out to bring a smile to people, and I'll seriously consider printing out and posting an "All People Are Welcome Here" sign for my store's door. Kindness can be infectious.

I believe this with all my heart. I've resized this and have added
it as an avatar for LJ also. It's just a good reminder of the little
things we each can do that mean so much. 

Tonight is Project Runway Junior night, so I'm looking forward to seeing what these talented young designers can come up with this time. Face-Off, on Tuesday night, was spectacular and so much fun. I'm delighted that I can once again watch such a creative show.


https://youtu.be/WVqmUtWBy8E


One last thing before I continue with the 365-Day Meme. The World Jewish Congress has come out with a video and a campaign called *We Remember*. I posted it on my FaceBook page yesterday, but in case you want to be involved in this, check out the website page in the link I've provided above and join me. We remember, and we swear that we will do everything in our power to never allow another Holocaust, Killing Fields, Rwanda, etc to happen. Click on the *WeRemember* banner at the top of their page to see a short, but wonderful, video, watch the short video above in my blog, use the hashtag #WeRemember in your posts to various social media, and join this movement.

Now for the 365-Day Meme ....

Love is a wonderful thing. Cherish it, nurture it, and
pass it on. 

Who is the last person to tell you they loved you?

My DH makes it a point to tell me at least once a day that he loves me. He often tells me much more frequently than that. It makes me very happy, so that's an awesome thing. Go out and tell someone that you love them too - it's important and it will make their day.


What is the favorite piece of art that you own?

I have a lovely multi-stone sculpture of a bear that DH bought for me many years ago. We saw it at our favorite art gallery and I fell in love. The price tag was worn, and we thought it was a LOT less when we looked at it because the first number had been almost worn off the tag. It was several HUNDRED dollars more than what we had thought, but we bought it anyway and paid the credit card off for months. It's still one of my absolute favorite pieces, though and I've never regretted the purchase.

Give a flower to someone today, brighten their world. 

So there you go. Go forth and have a wonderful Thursday and make someone's day a bit brighter today. Give a stranger a flower, buy a cup of coffee for a homeless person, help a child color a picture, help build a snowman with the kids down the block. Let's keep the darkness at bay for one more day.

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

I've been taken in by this commercial since I first saw it several weeks ago. As I settle down for a nice sleep tonight on Christmas Day, happy in the knowledge that I get a second day off tomorrow, I'm sharing it with all of you because if you haven't seen it, or have only seen the short version, you owe it to yourself to look at the whole thing. Well done, Apple!

I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas holiday. I'll be back posting on Tuesday morning.

- Erulisse (one L)

Good Solstice To All

It's Solstice, and isn't that a wonderful thing? Whether it's your Winter Solstice as it is for those of us in the northern hemisphere, or the Summer Solstice as my friends in the southern hemisphere will experience, it is a day of celebration. Once more the sun will arise and (for the north) our daylight will now begin to gradually increase once again. That's a VERY welcome thing.

I'll start out with Solstice at Stonehenge. Although I feel a greater
connection with Avebury, I am always amazed by the power and the
sheer scale of Stonehenge. 

DH always gets really grumpy in the dark of the winter, and I don't do so well myself when my daylight is this decreased. I am very grateful that I don't live even farther north because I'd be more than cranky - I'd be unbearable.

At Newgrange, Ireland, there is a roof box that
allows the sun to shine into the chamber on the Solstice. 

As always, I pray for peace and understanding for this coming year. I look at the world as it is, though, and know that is a dream that will likely remain unfulfilled. Hatred closes people off, it restricts their hearing, filters their sight, and colors their world. Too much of today's world is writhing in pain now and too many head-blind people are roaming around, painting the world in the dark colors of Mordor. Sauron wasn't slain, he was transmuted and he still spreads hatred across the lands.

In this wonderful photo, the sunrise is altered by the shadow cast by
Mount Rainier. The peak is located in the Pacific Northwest of the US,
in the state of Washington. 

Please, celebrate this beginning of a new solar year by doing something kind and unexpected. Just a little thing -  buying someone a cup of coffee or pushing a child in a swing. Spread the love. Love is a powerful force when it is turned to acts of kindness.

I had a similar photo last week, but I fell in love
with this one as I was looking for pictures. It's
a stunning, and very cold, photo. 

Have a wonderful full day of the Solstice and get your last-minute holiday shopping done. You're running out of time! Happy Tuesday. As promised, I have sunrise pictures for you today. Blessed Be!

A Celebration of Color and Diversity

Yesterday was grey, dreary, foggy, rainy, and generally bleh! I can't tolerate another day like that, so I'm looking for color today. But first, I want to share a video with all of you. This is a simple film that lasts less than seven minutes but expresses so beautifully why I am so adamant about LGBT rights. Although I'm embedding the video below, in case you can't get that to come through on your computer, I'm also including the link here so that you can see it one way or another. Keep your tissues handy, this one had me in tears.





The group, "Freedom to Marry", approached Richard Blanco, the poet who spoke at President Obama's inauguration, and requested him to create an original poem celebrating love the the freedom to marry. His poem is spoken in this short film and addressed, so beautifully, why I am so passionate about this issue. I urge each of you to click on the link and watch it. It will enrich your day.

Now back to color...

I hate dreary days, and since I started by talking about LGBT rights, I'm going to home in on the colors of Pride. The original Pride flag was designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker for the San Francisco Gay Freedom Celebration.

The original flag featured eight stripes. The pink
was dropped, the blue was changed, and only a
single purple was used in the version we now see. 

Each stripe of the flag had meaning within the scope of humanity and equality. The stripes were Pink/Sexuality, Red/Life, Orange/Healing, Yellow/Sun, Green/Nature, Blue/Art, Purple/Harmony and Violet/Soul.

The current flag features six stripes.

Shortly after this premiere the pink stripe was dropped because of insufficient fabric availability and then, within a year, the flag was changed to six colors and the blue was darkened to royal blue. This is the flag we are used to seeing today.

There are other flags for PRIDE - ones that you may not see as often.

The bisexual flag celebrates the intersection of the sexes
with the smaller lavender stripe. 

This is the Bisexual Pride flag, designed in 1998 by Michael Page. It features three stripes, The magenta stripe at the top represents same sex attraction, the blue stripe at the bottom represents opposite sex attraction and the narrower lavender stripe in the center designates attraction to both genders.

The traditional baby colors of blue and pink frame the white of change
in the Genderqueer and Transgender flag. 

In 2000, Monica Helms designed the Genderqueer and Transgender flag. It features the traditional baby colors for genders - blue for males and pink for females, with a white stripe in the center designating those who are transitioning, unisex, gender neutral, or who have no gender. She designed it to be hung in any aspect.

Although this flag is less common, it acknowledges a segment
of humanity that are often ignored. 

This three-stripe flag is sometimes used for Genderqueer. Designed by Marilyn Roxie, it represents those who are genderqueer, Two Spirited, gender fluid, or androgynous. The lavender stripe is the mix of pink and blue representing androgyny. The white stripe stands for gender neutrality and the green stripe stands for those who do not identify with the traditional gender spectrum.

So celebrate color today, watch the short movie, and continue to be aware that people are complex creatures who don't fit into boxes, but instead they burst out from their societal prisons to express their own unique individuality. Celebrate diversity. Celebrate Love. Happy Friday to everyone!

It's Friday, Right? - MEH!

So, it's Friday and I'm very "Meh" about today. I feel fat and old, I feel uninspired, and I have no real desire to go to work and sell things to customers. But - like so many of you - I really don't have much of a choice. I have to sell things to put food on the table and pay the mortgage.

Maybe I just need some Happy Feet of my own today...

I haven't written anything original in more than a week which is a real dry spell for me. The Tolkien Weekly drabble prompts for the "Birds" series just really didn't do much for me. I have some basic ideas jotted down, but haven't been motivated to actually settle down and compose at all.

I'm just burned out today. 

Maybe I'm experiencing a bit of burn-out, or maybe I'd rather just have my head in a book and leave the writing to those who do it better than I do. At least for a while. I'm a bit frustrated on the writing end, though, because I'm feeling that practically every author does a much better job at the craft of writing than I do. It's a momentary depression and I'll really concentrate on not allowing it to take over my mind, but it's my daily struggle pushed to the next level.

Why stay with one flower when so many are calling out?

I think that part of why I'm struggling is the knowledge that I am not a unidirectional creator. I know people who work in one media and through that one media, they fine tune and eventually achieve success. I bounce all around like a ball in a pinball machine. I write, bead, paint, craft, enamel, and draw, and I'm sure there are other media that I enveloped into the above list or forgot completely like book binding and silk painting. I find it difficult to stay with a single flower when there is a field of blooms standing before me.

TJ and Eric - two people deeply in love whose world
crashed down within the past year. The highest highs
followed by the lowest lows. 

I think one thing affecting me this morning is the total destruction of a Happily Ever After that was so deserved, and so looked forward to and supported by so many. A love affair of several years that was due to find its culmination in marriage later this year crashed and burned because of the serious illness of one of the two partners. I'm stunned that the illness of one which now seems to have resulted in paralysis below the neck has been followed by a nervous breakdown in the other causing him to pull back to rebuild his own psyche. They have friends, supporters, and a network of people behind them, but their own physical realities have caused them to have to pull away from each other and their best support, their love for each other, may well not survive this blow. I've been reeling from this for the past few days and I guess I just have to think and internalize a bit more before my own balance is returned and creativity can come back.

In the meanwhile, it's Friday, the weather is beautiful, and a passing owl gifted me with a gorgeous feather which sits on my desk in front of me as I type this. I know things will improve, and apologize for using my blog as a toxic waste dump today. Back at you tomorrow and have a fabulous Friday.

Father's Day Weekend is Here

This weekend is Father's Day and even though my own father has been dead for more than 20 years, I have to post and honor the day because all of us have fathers. Now ... some of my readers have or had fabulous fathers. You know the kind - supportive, helping you explore the variety of life choices ahead of his kids, creating a safe and loving place to return to each day after school, and being generous with his sense of humor and support of his kids. That's the kind of father we all wish we had and some of us were actually lucky enough to have a father like this.

Happy Father's Day to all of you. 

But there are other kinds of fathers out there that don't quite fit into this definition. These are the fathers who might almost be better called 'sperm donors' instead of fathers. These are the fathers who are violent towards their families, who drink away their paychecks or spend them on drugs, who don't attend the performances or sporting events of their kids, and who only move through their lives from one day to another, dragging down everyone they touch along with them.

What kind of father did you have? I was very fortunate. I had a father who met the first description. My friends and other family members also had fathers who mostly fit the first description. But many kids out there don't have that good fortune.

To find a large list of organizations helping homeless
LGBT kids, just follow this link. 

It is a fact that 65% of the kids living on the streets these days are LGBT kids who have been kicked out of their homes because of their sexual orientation. Sixty-five percent! That's a HUGE number of kids who thought they had a safe place to return to after school and who found the doors locked against them or their very lives threatened by those who should have loved and supported them throughout their lives.

AJ and Alex are two homeless LGBT youths living on the streets of
LA. For their story follow this link. 

When a child is born, a road of infinite possibilities open up ahead of her. Parents hold the baby and are amazed and awed that they have the responsibility for this small life - that they will raise a bright and vibrant child who will grow up happy, healthy and fulfilled. That's a great goal. These new parents don't look at their baby and see a drug abuser, a thief, a murderer, or a bully. But these are also possibilities.

What does the future hold for this child?

So celebrate Father's Day and be thankful if your father was supportive and loving. It's exactly what a father should be and you were lucky and cherished. And reach out to those who are less fortunate than you were. Support some of the shelters which exist for LGBT teens who have no other place to turn. Turn your fond memories into action to help others. Here are some resources for you to check out...

The Point Foundation empowers LGBT students to continue their education through grants and scholarships.

Live Out Loud connects LGBT students with LGBT adults in their community, providing positive role models and connections.

New Alternatives provides safe shelter for LGBT youths in New York City.

Although these are East Coast focused (except for the Point Foundation), I'm sure that your specific area also has shelters and programs designed for homeless kids, most of whom are LGBT and I've listed other resources and links in the photo captions above. If you want to help kids, working with your local LGBT programs is a really good way for you to celebrate the loving father and supporting life you were lucky enough to have. If your home wasn't as happy, or you overcame great difficulties to become the fantastic person you are today, reach out to help others overcome their damaging circumstances. Have a happy Saturday and a great Father's Day.

When Did We Become So Angry?

So yesterday's news - another school shooting, this time in Nevada with at least one teacher dead and two students in the hospital. The shooter took his own life. What a waste. It was the thirteenth school shooting in America this year.

Michael Landsberry, a teacher and former Marine with
tours in Afghanistan and Iraq behind him, died as he attempted
to wrestle the gun from the 7th grade student shooter. The
teenager later shot himself. 

Twitter comments about Mister Landsberry from the students he touched.

I have to wonder - when did we, as a society, become so angry? When did "Make Peace, Not War" morph into "Firearm Justice"? Have we moved back in time, deciding to have personal disgruntlement and arguments solved by walking towards each other at high noon, guns blazing? What the hell is wrong with us?

Love the entire imagery of this picture. 

I don't know of many religious beliefs that do not espouse peace between peoples, no matter what angry or vengeful god they may portray. I do know of many interpreters of divine will, however, who narrow their focus so much that they close off the majority of the world's population as "unworthy". Unworthy of what? Who knows. I don't know of many people who don't have a better time hanging out with friends than with people with whom they feel uncomfortable. But it's become too easy to point fingers at those who are different, to bully or physically abuse those who are perceived weak, or to take out aggression and perceived slights upon others in a mechanized and violent way.

Stop bullying. Stop allowing one person to feel good at the expense
of another. Celebrate diversity and individuality.

This is America, and as much as I love my nation, I know the issues of gun availability in this country. In fact, I remember discussions with friends over the years where said I felt sorry for any foreign nation which might want to take over our country. The US would become a guerrilla war fought from house to house and town to town because in any given block, there are hundreds of firearms. Are you frightened yet? Maybe we all should be!

"Call of Duty" is one of the more popular 'shooter' games for
video players with a new version due out soon.  Will
it become real on the streets where you live? 

Somewhere, somehow, something has gone terribly wrong and we're losing a generation. They are feeling forgotten, ignored, and abandoned. When my generation felt that way, we banded together with love-ins, music that is considered classic today, drugs (some not so good, but others generally positive) and mostly passive anti-war demonstrations. We put flowers into the end of rifles and mourned the dead of Kent State. We gathered at the Haight and at Woodstock, had love-ins and sit-ins, and as we aged, we become responsible for the laws and running of the nation.

I remember this picture from when I was young. Although protesting was not always
directed in a way that helped in the long run, the protests were peaceful, not
violent in nature. They were flowers and sit-ins with guitars and marijuana, not
secondary school students coming to school with semi-automatic weapons to shoot
as many people as possible before committing suicide.  

Ooops! Did we f__k up? The generation before us, those who fought in World War II, is often referred to as the "Greatest Generation". Will we look back on the heritage of the baby boomers and see that we took that great promise handed to us and threw it behind us into the nearest trash container? I'm amazed that we seem to be focusing on nothing more than our material wealth, our retirement incomes, and our insular lives. Something is drastically wrong in this country right now. These school shootings and the general anger that seems to simmer just below the surface of our society are only small, visible bits of a much larger illness. Is there a cure?

Four young people were shot in what is known as the Kent State
Massacre.  The Ohio National Guard shot 67 rounds into a student
crowd protesting the Vietnam War killing four and injuring 13. 

I believe that all cures begin with a single step and a single person reaching out to others. I'll continue to try affecting people in a positive way, hoping that the stones that I throw can help overcome the storms out beyond my horizon. Will I be successful? Maybe, or maybe not. All I know is that I cannot stop the fight for common sense, mutual respect, and kindness - above all, kindness.