Think on these things...

Today is the third and last day of Endangered Species Day. There are many good websites to read about the danger of extinction that so many of our species are facing on Planet Earth today. Google them and choose one as your animal to support. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will most certainly threaten many others. The brown pelican has been taken off the endangered list for only a short time. Now environmentalists are fearful this might put them back on the list ~ or worse yet extinguish them for good. Their habitats are being devastated by the oil.

I bring this up not as a gloom and doom presentation but as a reminder for everyone to be cognizant of the horrendous results of one of the oil companies' lack of concern for the damage their search for oil can bring about.

As most of you now realize, I am a firm believer that every living creature on this planet is connected by a single Life Force (I think of that source as God). The more one recognizes this fact, the more one becomes sensitive to the plight of all who suffer. Just as we can empathize and open our hearts to compassionate giving to the human victims of acts of nature such as tsunamis and earthquakes and hurricanes and tornadoes, it is hard not to feel the pain of living creatures on landand in the sea when we witness their being suffocated by the oil that is covering them as a result of not an act of nature, but from an act of man. These are not "just animals" as some would say to justify despoiling the planet for the sake of "man's needs" (in other words, to line their pockets). These creatures are "us". What would happen to mankind if we finally kill off all the animals and the habitats that nourish and shelter them? No question about it, if we survived at all, the world would definitely consist of nothing but vegetarians!

By thinking on this and raising our awareness we will also be assisting humankind in reaching a critical mass of consciousness that will lead to a more perfect existence on this earth. Our next leap in evolution. We must quickly change together as a species or watch the world as we know it die slowly but surely, starting with the most innocent of living things.



Think on these things..


Love,
Marilyn

I wonder...

And my mind wanders as I do.

This morning I was giving thought to the saying “the opposite of love is fear” and that led me to thinking about the Ego. One teaching is that any thought or action that is not loving is of the Ego. (And that all loving thoughts and actions are of the Holy Spirit.) And that reminded me of my great-grandmother. When I was very, very young the older generation was still trying to force children (and adults as well) to behave by scaring them with “the Devil” and his residence in Hell. My great-grandmother told me that the Devil always sat on one shoulder and an angel on the other. Both were whispering in my ear at all times and I should only listen to the angel (or “you know who” would get me!). Of course, that worked for a while at making me behave as a good little girl should. Fear of this scary thing called the Devil was further reinforced by my grandmother who scared me with stories about how the Devil was going to try to put the “mark of the beast”, the numbers 666, on my forehead so I would be his at last. I spent a lot of time plotting my escape should he show up. (One plan was to hide under my bed.) It is certainly easier for me to accept Ego vs. Holy Spirit!

I remember when one of my sons was young he asked me why there was this little voice in his head that warned him when he was thinking of doing something wrong that would get him into hot water! (Those were numerous times, I’m sure!) He would never have listened to anyone telling him the Holy Spirit or an angel was speaking to him! I informed him that was his conscience speaking to him. It’s strange how different meanings have been ascribed to the same words. And how quickly we can be turned off by one word, but accept the other.

As I was musing, for some reason I began to think about death and killing. I really admire people who decide to live their lives free from eating animals. However, I wonder how many of them not only do not wish to see animals killed for food, but also refuse to see them killed for other purposes. Do they not wear anything made from animals? I can understand not wearing animal furs. It does seem cruel to raise animals for their skins to adorn our bodies. However, what about native societies in cold northern parts of the world? What if they have no access to modern fibers to keep the frigid weather off their bodies? What about shoes? I suppose the vinyl and plastic shoes now being made in places like China can and do replace the ones made of leather. (Can you imagine all the stinky feet?) Are down comforters and pillows okay for use? Doesn’t the poultry have to be killed in order to use their feathers?

I love one of the Native American tales that says that long ago when Indians would kill a deer, they would place sweet grass in the animal’s mouth for food for its journey to the afterlife. They would offer up prayers of thanksgiving to the Great Spirit for sending them food for their families. Not only did their hunt – whether deer or buffalo, provide them with food, but they used every single part of the animal for some purpose. Hide for clothing and shelters, bones for needles, sinew for thread and ropes, etc. Nothing was wasted. Not true when the white men invaded their hunting grounds. Stories of the white buffalo hunters and their slaughters still make me cry.

Hunters today argue that killing animals for sport is actually good for the animals. They say it keeps down the population. Otherwise, the animals would starve. Well, I wonder what would happen if everyone at once quit eating meat of any kind? Farmers and ranchers could no longer sell their livestock, thus they would have no money to feed them. We would have millions of livestock and poultry starving to death. Right?

Are there any vegetarians in the military? Would they be considered conscientious objectors based on their eating habits alone? Are vegetarians against the death penalty? What about animals for medical research? I agree these animals must be treated as humanely as possible when being housed for such research, but what would be the alternative to using them for some of the critical medical research?

Some cultures believe they cannot kill any living thing – even insects. As much as I would love to be that enlightened, there are boundaries to my beliefs! I used to get so amused at the mother of a dear friend of mine. She is probably the most “enlightened” being I’ve ever known. When she would be forced to kill a fly (nasty, germ bearing creatures!) in her home she would announce with her death blow, “Liberated with love!”

I don’t have any answers for all my questions. I do think of all these issues frequently. I wish I were more diligent in practicing my beliefs. I am against killing of any kind. I hate war. I hate to see people hunt just for the trophies. I hate to hear the stories of how animals are treated by slaughter houses – or medical research labs. I hate what the oil companies have done to our oceans and the wildlife dependent upon them. But I haven’t been able to give up eating meat… or killing bugs… or snakes (well, only one snake)… or driving my gas guzzling car. I hate guns, but if I had one (I don’t) and I felt one of my family was in danger, I feel pretty certain I would kill to protect him. That must be my Ego talking.

I often feel very hypocritical.

I recently read that it is believed that the world -- particularly our young people, is becoming more compassionate and empathetic. Even the Dalai Lama said something similar on the Today Show yesterday. Perhaps this is because we aren't scaring them with the Devil any longer!

Peace and love to all creatures,

Marilyn

LOOK SMALL, INTO THE WINGS OF THINGS...

I’ve been trying to determine what I'm doing with my time lately. This morning, as I sipped my coffee while sitting at my kitchen window, it occurred to me that I have been spending a lot of time watching the “wild life” in my back yard. The weather has been perfect. Cool enough that I don’t need to run the air conditioner, but warm enough to open the windows. Even being “aurally challenged”, with the windows opened I can hear the birds sing. The white-winged doves call “who cooks for you” (I often call back to them, and they will keep it up as long as I will play the game!). The squirrels chatter and chase one another, and various birds delight me with their songs.

This morning two of the young squirrels scampered over the yard, stopping to dig up pecans they had previously buried. As I watched their antics I noticed a pretty large lizard on the patio. As usual, the little sparrows were working themselves silly trying to feed their broods. I watched as one fed three young ones almost as big as she was. They were big enough to fly, but I guess they didn’t have the skills yet to feed themselves. I also spotted a male cardinal feeding two juvenile cardinals right about dusk. I've noted that about cardinals -- they seem to like to feed later than the other birds. Maybe it's because there is no competition at that time of day.

I have been observing a nest of mockingbirds in the honeysuckle bush over the fence in my neighbor’s yard. Occasionally I would see four little heads pop up, mouths open wide. I couldn’t get quite close enough to take a good photo. Then one day I looked out the window and saw a young mockingbird hopping across my yard. It would hop three or four times, then stop and flap its wings three or four times. It repeated this over and over, but it never got off the ground! By the time I found my camera and got back to the window, it was nowhere in sight.

The next day I was in the front yard pulling weeds when the two mockingbirds I had been observing feeding the four fledglings started calling to me and flitting from one tree to the other. As I always do, I whistled back. They continued to do this in an almost frantic fashion, chirping in between whistles. A short time later I moved to the back yard to pull more weeds and they followed me, even getting on very low branches to catch my attention.

Beside the back porch I keep large containers to put pulled weeds in. Imagine my surprise when I went to dispose of a handful of weeds and spotted the little one pictured above! It had apparently made it up the porch steps the day before and then fallen into the plastic bucket, where it spent the night. No wonder the adults were calling to me. They wanted my help. I was happy to oblige – but first I had to get my camera and take some pictures! Is this not the cutest thing?

I gently guided it to the corner near the nest. A few days later I noticed two of the young mockingbirds flying short distances in my neighbor’s back yard. I was hoping one of them might be the little babe I rescued.

(HEY! I'M NOT YOUR MOTHER!)

As if the back yard and all the trees around don’t have enough room for nests, I was watering my hanging plants by the front door when suddenly a tiny wren flew out of the philodendron! While she was gone I got a stool and climbed up to see what was there. A perfect little nest with three tiny eggs! When I think they have hatched, I will try to get a picture of them as well.

Besides getting lost in daydreams while watching the little creatures in my yard, I recently took a brief tour around Burnet with my camera. We have a lovely park with Hamilton Creek running through it. Just look what I caught soaking up the sun and perhaps doing a little daydreaming, too:

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As you all know, we recently celebrated Mother's Day. This was the third time since my own mother died, and I seemed to miss her more this year. My youngest, Matthew, invited me to spend Mother's Day with him and Amy and their two children. He and his next door neighbor Chris cooked dinner for the moms who were in attendance. Below are Melissa, Elizabeth, Amy, and Hollie. By the way, Hollie gave birth the Wednesday after this to Montannah. Congratulations, Hollie!

The food was delicious -- shrimp and steak kabobs and twice-baked potatoes courtesy of Chris. We shared wine, and also toasted with champagne.

As the mommies were celebrating, Miss Kelly had to doll up for the occasion as well. She had on her pink "princess" shoes. When Elizabeth pointed out that she also had on pink shoes, Kelly informed her that her shoes had diamonds! Grandmommy took a photo to show how pretty they were.

It was a lovely evening. Kelly let me sleep in her bed, and the next morning I made my trip back home. I had a bouquet of beautiful flowers to bring with me. And warm, loving memories of a special Mother's Day. I hope all of you mothers reading this had a special day as well.

Until next time.

Peace and love,

Marilyn

I SEE YOU

Nearly twenty years ago I was working at FEMA in the newly formed teleregistration division that allowed victims of natural disasters to call in and register for disaster assistance. This was formed at the time of the Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco in 1989. I had been called back for a new disaster, and I was still taking applications over the telephone. Each of us had our own little cubicle and places to thumbtack information to help us with completing the applications. By this time, I was a student of Unity and a firm believer in positive affirmations. I tacked upon the wall by my telephone a bumper sticker that read “Good Stuff Happens”. There was another version at the time that seemed popular with a lot of folks, but it was the opposite of what my sticker stated.

Disaster assistance employees were considered “temporary” employees. In the beginning of a disaster we needed lots of people on the telephones. I can remember as many as 500 – 600 working at one time. Many of these were quickly released as the number of calls decreased. Consequently, as we were a university town, we hired a lot of college students in need of supplemental income, even if only temporarily.

When I tacked up my “Good Stuff” sticker, I was very quickly inundated with young people who were drawn to it like a magnet. Most of these were young men. I was very moved by their sincerity in asking me questions. A lot of them were in their freshman year, and I represented a mother figure. Maybe they just needed reassurance as they were far from home.

One young man was so handsome he was almost beautiful. Like someone out of a Michelangelo painting. A cherubic face and curly dark hair that fell over one eye. He came with two or three others to talk with me on break, but waited until we were alone to bring up the fact that he was very sad that people did not get to know the real person behind his good looks. He told me how lonely he was most of the time. Even though young women were attracted to him, it was always just a superficial attraction. And for obvious reasons, the guys his age didn’t want to hang out with him. My heart was moved by his story. I don’t remember what I told him, but I’m certain I told him that the right young woman would show up when she was supposed to... and to not give up trying to be a friend to those he dated. I know I told him he was blessed with his good looks – they were a gift. He was modeling to earn money for his college tuition.

The most inquisitive young man was persistent in tracking me down during breaks or slow times when the phones were quiet. He asked me all kinds of questions about my faith, religious affiliation, books I read, etc., etc. I told him at the time I was reading a book about “Findhorn”. This was (and still exists in a much more sophisticated form) a spiritual commune that was started on a northern coast of Scotland in the early 1960s. The book I was reading was concentrating on the beautiful gardens these people were able to grow in the cold, inhospitable climate. Even in the dead of winter, the roses bloomed incredibly large and beautiful. Agriculturists came from all over the world to study their organic methods of gardening. The practices at Findhorn were very unconventional to say the least. I agreed with many who said it was the frequent group meditations that attributed to their success. I also shared with this young man that these first people at Findhorn believed that plants had spirits or Devas who helped them grow, and that these spirits communicated to the people the methods to use to make them thrive! (Not that I agreed with this.) This led to a discussion about other beliefs. He wanted to know if I believed that God was in everything. I told him I did...that God was omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. The next day he came to me and teased me, saying that he did some research and that my beliefs amounted to “pantheism”... I said, “No, no”. And we talked more about the presence of God, as I observed it. The life force in all living things. (A rock did not qualify as “living” in my eyes!) And all living things need to be treated with reverence.

I don’t remember when the young man left FEMA, so many came and went. It was months later, perhaps even a year, that I received a telephone call late one night. The connection was poor and it was obviously long distance. It was my young friend. He called to tell me how much our conversations meant to him. I asked him where he was. He told me he had dropped out of UNT. When I expressed my dismay, he informed me that he was now attending Duke University. Surprised, I asked why he switched. He told me he decided to take a different path with his life, and that he now was majoring in theology. I guess he needed to clarify in his own heart what he believed.

I have often wondered about this very special young man. I wish I could recall his name. Maybe someday I will recognize him on a book cover, or hear of him in a pulpit somewhere. Wherever he is, I know he is making a difference in the world!

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Today I read an article on my internet news site that struck me as very powerful in a low-key way. The author of the article was Terry Tillman. He told of being on a safari in northern Africa about 20 years ago. Everywhere he went he noticed the indigenous people greeting each other in the same way. They would look closely into one another’s eyes. One would say something, and then the other would speak. Terry said he asked his guide what they were saying. It was a Samburu greeting that went like this:

“I see you,” said one. “I am here,” said the other. It was an act of “coming together – of connecting at a heartfelt level.” Or, as Terry felt, “Until you see me, I do not exist. When you see me, you bring me into existence.” It is a way of being in the present moment with another person. It says that they really matter.

How powerful that is! And how I wish that sometime or other, if one of my grandchildren is in need of being recognized for who he/she is, someone will take the time to say to them, “I see you.” And he will answer, “I am here.”

Until next time...

I see you

surrounded with peace and love,

Marilyn

FOLLOW-UP TO DIET OR DIE (and MORE)

I was surprised at the reaction of a few of you to my last blog post. I think the subject of food is tricky in this country. I started off thinking I was writing a humorous piece, however, it ended up pretty damning of the food industry. Or at least what the media has convinced some of us is going on in the industry. I got some good advice and decided to write a little more on the subject.

One friend, Mary, (see her comment on the last blog) reminded me of how I have retreated from my belief in the mind/body connection -- at least where food is concerned. I, too, think that if we believe something strongly enough, our "thinking makes it so"! I also believe that my Creator places the right foods for my consumption, if not in my hand, then in my consciousness. Any woman who has ever been pregnant can vouch for the "cravings" we experienced. Most of the time, cravings indicate a need in our body. (This does not mean the cravings for such addictive elements as sugar, alcohol, caffeine, etc.) The same is true when we aren't pregnant. We just have to be tuned in, and listen to our body's needs.

In my younger years I mostly thought of food in terms of "what can I afford?", and what can I feed my children that corresponds with what the one semester of cooking in Home Economics told me I should. I trusted the food supply completely -- unless my mother told me differently. For years I wouldn't use frozen foods because she told me they were no good! When I reminded her of that when I caught her using them, she laughed at me. Said they weren't very good when they first came out, but that had been years before and they had greatly improved. I'd been missing out on easier and better tasting foods than the canned ones I used, and some cheaper than a lot of the fresh vegetables and fruit.

My diet when I was younger differed greatly from what I eat now. I certainly used more canned goods. I also drank lots of Dr Peppers! The result was a mouth full of cavities. But no weight gain as they say young people suffer from today. However, there were no sugar substitutes until the use of saccharin and then cyclamates in the late 50s and early 60s. And no high fructose corn syrup being used in our drinks as they are today. We mostly ate or drank the "real thing" (in this case, sugar). Maybe that's the problem today. In order to increase profits, so many substitutions that end up being harmful are being used in our food and drinks.

Once we allow certain knowledge into our brains, I don't believe it's possible to unlearn it. We know what we know -- period. However, I can and will cease and desist adding to my already overloaded cache of food additive information! Of course, I still plan to stay away from the additives that I already know are harmful... saturated and trans fats, and especially high fructose corn syrup. If it weren't for the subsidies to farmers growing all that corn, perhaps it wouldn't be such a cheap substitute for sugar. I understand why preservatives are necessary to so many products. Too bad they don't "preserve" our lives as well! And I didn't even touch on the "bad" carbs, or the supposed carcinogens we ingest everyday. Aaaaaagggghhhhh!

When my mother was about my age she had high cholesterol. Rather than put her on medication, her doctor advised her to walk. She bought the first (and last) pair of "sneakers" she ever wore, went to an indoor mall along with other seniors, and walked daily for a month. I don't know how far she walked each time, but it must have been a considerable distance because she brought her cholesterol down by 30 points in one month! So, along with my new (improved) credo of "moderation in everything", I am going to commit to walking at least 10 to 20 minutes daily. When the rain quits, that is. I'll keep you posted.

Food habits have become the new smoking habits for many of us. Kurt Vonnegut (who suffered from depression and attempted suicide at least once in his lifetime) was once asked why he continued to smoke when so many studies pointed out the dangers in doing so. His response was that smoking was the only "socially acceptable form of suicide". Well, that certainly is no longer the truth. Is eating anything and everything we want now the new socially acceptable form? (Or will you go outdoors to ingest that bucket of KFC or double Big Mac?) I hope not. I think it is more a matter of ignorance of the facts of our food supply and its harmful contents that are causing the rampant obesity, diabetes, and heart disease we are seeing in our society today. But too much knowledge can be dangerous as well. Such as my "overload" of info that produces a type of paranoia. One feels like throwing up your hands and giving up! And that can be unhealthy as well.

Enough of that. I began this original blog to be a positive, upbeat, "let's talk about all the good stuff" kind of blog. So now I am going to insert what I have been using as a basic food guide ever since the book Super Foods by Steven Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews was published. SUPER FOODS! Foods we all need to have in our diet. Foods that are not only healthy, but can be a prevention to many illnesses when incorporated into our diet on a regular basis. I highly recommend the book. In alphabetical order, these foods are: Beans, Blueberries, Broccoli, Oats, Oranges, Pumpkin, Salmon, Soy, Spinach, Tea -- green or black, Tomatoes, Turkey, Walnuts, and Yogurt. Since the book was published I have heard of more foods being added to the list. My favorites are Avocado and Mushrooms. With the exception of salmon, I keep most of these in my fridge or pantry. I don't know why I don't do salmon more often, as I really love the taste. I guess I prefer fresh fish (I do buy frozen fillets of tilapia by the bag), and fresh salmon is a little pricey most of the time. Ummm. All this food talk is making me hungry!

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On another note, about a month ago my daughter Carajean and her daughter Ashlyn came for a brief visit. While they were here, son Matthew and his family came over as well. I put Matthew to work on a few little things, like taking down a fire alarm that wouldn't work. He, in turn, put his son Travis to work helping him. To keep from getting a stool, he used Travis to finish taking the screws out of the ceiling:

Pretty nice to have around, huh?

Then there was a rousing game of -- uhhh, something -- with Ashlyn, Aunt Carrie, and his mom. Having played a game or two with Travis in the past, I'm pretty certain he won this game! Kelly and Grandmommy were doing something else at the time. Probably primping!

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Ending on that note, I've got to post this picture of Miss Kelly and the bluebonnets that her daddy took yesterday. What a little doll -- even with the knee out in her jeans! She probably wants to be like the big girls since these shabby jeans are back in style!

I really appreciate feedback on the blog. If you wish to comment, just click on Comments at the end of this entry. Or email me your thoughts as some of you did last time. I will publish them or not, as you wish.

Until next time..

Peace and love,
Marilyn

DIET OR DIE?

When I say "diet", I'm not speaking of a diet to lose weight. Our family is blessed with pretty good genes. As far as I know, there are no really obese members. There are some who think they are too big and go on diets from time to time to lose a few pounds. My late mother and sister both complained mightily about their weight. Looking back at photos of our younger years, I laugh when I remember how "fat" they thought they were, and how healthy and beautiful they really looked. Jean gained quite a bit of weight toward the end of her life, but that was due to all the medications she was taking. Especially the steroids that kept her breathing passages open. I was considered "skinny" by my family. I am now ten pounds heavier than I was twenty years ago, but people laugh if I complain about the weight I've gained.

So.. why the "diet or die" heading? In the 1970s I was told I had high triglycerides and needed to cut out a lot of fat and fried foods in my diet. I did so, according to what we were told was healthy at the time. At a recent physical checkup, I was told I now have high cholesterol levels as well as a high blood sugar count. I am determined to lower both by the next blood test in May. Thus, I've added more research to my ongoing search for a healthy diet. I've already had one heart attack, and do not wish to experience that again. Nor do I wish to go on medications they use to treat high cholesterol or diabetes... both of which could lead to an early death!

I am an inveterate label reader when I shop for food. The trouble is that I don't recognize so many of the ingredients on the labels nowadays. To speed things up, I look for the ingredients we are being told about in the news that are unhealthy for us. That list grows longer and longer, much to my dismay! Watch out for trans-fats, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, artificial sweeteners, gluten, and of course, there is a whole school of thought telling us that refined sugar is killing us all! Stevia sounded safe as a substitute sweetener, however, the FDA considered it unsafe in our foods but safe to sell as a dietary supplement. Now I read that the FDA has approved it since Coca-Cola wants to use it in their products! So, as a person with a sweet tooth, I will now try to substitute stevia or honey in my coffee. Of course, I'm warned to be careful with the honey I buy as well... no processed honey! And did I hear that the honey bee population is down?

I dearly love the flavored nondairy creamers in my coffee. They are now banished from my home in favor of Soy flavored with vanilla. (I am lactose intolerant.) Reading that label, I discover it is sweetened with "evaporated cane syrup".. Back to the internet for more research!

I quit frying foods years ago except for the occasional fried chicken dinner I prepare when one of my children visits or I visit them. It is their favorite from childhood (along with chocolate fudge cake). I grit my teeth and buy old-fashioned Crisco just for that purpose. When I needed oil for anything else, I bought corn oil until we were told corn oil was not acceptable -- I needed to use canola oil or olive oil. Anything else I "fry" is stir fried with olive oil. Until my daughter's last visit, when she told me I should not stir fry with olive oil, as the heat transforms it into a "trans-fat"... (Oh, God, I wonder how I've stayed alive this long!) I'm back to canola oil!

Do you see where I'm going with this? I love my cheeses and yogurt. They're out. Packaged goodies like Rice a Roni, some soups, all baked goods and candies, and ingredients I use in some of my favorite casseroles are all "no-nos" now. What's a girl to do? Ahhhh. Fruits and veggies -- all fresh, of course. Have to be careful about what country they come from. Remember all the e-coli outbreaks from spinach and strawberries. Looking at the glycemic index, I see that I have to be stingy with some of my favorite fruits... too much sugar. And what about all the chemicals used in growing them? The organics are pretty expensive.

I've mentioned that my daughter and her family have all become vegetarians or vegans. They did so on ethical grounds, but have also been encouraged by the health benefits. In the past few days, I've seen on the news that American meats and dairy products are not allowed to be sold in many countries abroad due to the high concentration of antibiotics and hormones! I found one kind of beef available in my local grocery that is guaranteed to be antibiotic and hormone free. It is only for sale in a ground beef form, and costs over $3 a pound. The other alternative, which I haven't tried, is bison! Not a big beef eater to begin with, I am going to have to stick to poultry and fish. I am hoping to find a local poultry farm that produces healthy poultry. In the meantime, I am keeping my head in the sand about all the horrors in the poultry industry. Then there is the heavy metal problem we have with seafood!

I can't even go on a bread (whole wheat, high fiber) and water diet. The statistics on the safety of our water supplies in this country are more horrifying than the food safety statistics. Even bottled water is no longer considered a safe bet. Most of the available bottled water is just filtered water from whatever city in which it is bottled. The list of medicines that are now found in city water supplies, even after treatment, makes one wonder if we ever need to go to a doctor when we're ill. We are probably already imbibing the medication he would prescribe!

I guess you could consider growing your own food. That's if you could find farmland that has not been contaminated by years of over-fertilizing and pesticide use. Or -- and this I am tempted to do -- you could just ignore all the scary information out there and cook and eat anything you like! And die!

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You know I'm only kidding about the last paragraph, but I am so frustrated with all the emphasis on health of late. I don't enjoy eating or drinking any more. I am on an aspirin regimen for my heart, and recently read how even one glass of wine might set off bleeding in my stomach so severe I could bleed to death. And they told us a glass of wine at night is healthy!

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Before I close, I need to correct the date I posted in my last blog. Earth Day is April 22nd this year, not the 25th! I don't know where I came up with that date! Reading this you might agree with me that we all need to take better care of our planet earth and the things that live and grow on it!

The wildflowers are absolutely glorious this year, as you can see in the slideshow above.

Peace and love to you all,
Marilyn

INSPIRATION

It is finally springtime in the Hill Country! Spring always floods me with “inspiration”. In-spiration – I like what Wayne Dyer once said about one meaning of the word. “In spirit”, he said. Seeing the gray, brown countryside green up, and then watching as the colors burst free from their winter hiding places seem to renew my own spirit.

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A recent experience also inspired me. This time I had no doubt as to where the inspiration came from. Saturday night before Easter I had my first labyrinth walk at a local church. The congregation had turned the entire sanctuary into a darkened prayer labyrinth for seekers of any faith to “make a pilgrimage” – a spiritual journey – akin to a walking meditation. An opportunity to commune with God and conduct self-examination. At each Station I was led to a greater realization of where I am in my relationship with my God, my family, and my personal path. I was filled with spirit and a desire to do better as I journey through the rest of my life.

I find it thrilling to note that when I am inspired (“in spirit”), good things seem to happen out of the blue. I have been watching the abundance of weeds and wildflowers grow in my yard, and although I love anything green or blooming, I realized they would have to be mowed again very soon. I am on a limited budget, and I’ve been wondering how I am going to afford to have my yard mowed this year. Last fall I had one estimate of $50, and earlier this year, in desperation, I paid someone $35 to mow and weed eat. Those prices were just too much for me on any kind of regular basis.

I heard mowing sounds this morning and looked out my front door to spot two men mowing my neighbor’s yard. Before long, there was a knock on my door. As I told the gentleman I didn’t think I could afford his price, he said to me, “I’m not looking to get rich from this. I mowed your neighbor’s yard for $25, and I will do yours for that also.” I was amazed, as that was a price I had been saying to myself I could afford from time to time. As he turned to get his lawnmower, he handed me his business card. The name of his company? “Heaven Scent”! I do believe he was!

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The brilliant sunshine and balmy temperatures we have been experiencing are perfect for daydreaming. And daydreams open the way to inspiration. At least they do for me. So many creative pursuits come to my mind. It's no accident this happens during springtime, when nature is full of birthing.

Daydreaming also raises memories of times past -- perhaps of sitting on a riverbank with a cane pole in my hand, not really caring whether or not I catch a fish. Picking armfuls of wildflowers to make garlands or lush bouquets to decorate my kitchen table... Or walking barefoot in a cold stream. The memories and good feelings will stay with me forever. The laziness daydreaming brings on competes mightily with the inspiration I am also feeling! If I were an accomplished artist, I would combine the two and create beautiful pictures of my memories of happy times. Instead, I will make pilgrimages into the surrounding hillsides with my camera, and try to capture memories for a future time.

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The prayer labyrinth left me with a lingering notion of "my path", and where it might be leading me. I will continue to open myself to "inspiration" by way of enjoying our beautiful planet, even if only in my little area of the world, as well as meditation, and of course, daydreaming! I will joyfully share my insights as well as photographs as an offering to the Spirit that is within us all.

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I am sorry I missed the recent "earth hour" event. It was very meaningful to me last year, as I turned off all electrical items in my home and read by kerosene lanterns. Be sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Earth Day celebration. It is April 25th this year. This website spells out some of the things in which you might wish to participate: http://www.earthday.org/

Until next time, may you all be "inspired" by springtime and the re-birth of nature, and may this Spirit remain in your heart throughout the year.

Peace and love,

Marilyn