Book of the Month

If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected.

CHIEF SEATTLE in a letter to President Franklin Pierce

I found and read the most wonderful book this weekend.  Once I began, I couldn't put it down. Actually, I'd had it for awhile, but put it in one of my folders on my Kindle and forgot all about it.   I've numerous folders for Astrology, Celtic Studies, Shamanism, Fairies and Angels, to name a few. I found this book in my Healing folder, and it is, indeed, all about healing. The book is called "What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality: Lessons from Wild and Tame Creatures" by Diana L. Guerrero, an experienced animal behaviorist and therapist .  What a fantastic read!

The author discusses how animals can strengthen our own spirituality and increase  awareness of our own caring and healing qualities.  Within each chapter we find examples of animals as spiritual teachers through the use of stories about our animal friends. The chapters lead us through the different levels of spiritual development embodied by animal models and  include:

1. Loyalty of the Dog  
2. Playfulness of the Otter 
3. Power of the Polar Bear
4. Heart of the Lion
5. Call of the Wolf
6. Vision of the Eagle
7. Mind of the Dolphin
8. Wisdom of the Owl

I'd like to share with you a couple of short excerpts from the book.
 From 'Loyalty of the Dog'...

  "William, a homeless man, arrived at McDonald's to get his morning meal. Outside, on a blanket next to his bicycle, was his dog. An American Staffordshire mix, the dog was in good physical shape and was a healthy weight. As William returned to share his breakfast with his companion, the loyalty between them showed, and the mutual love shone brightly through their eyes. I asked William about this life and current predicament. The encounter impressed me, because his relationship with his dog helped William be a better man despite his situation.

William took odd jobs for food and sometimes for money. This particular McDonald's fed him in exchange for his help maintaining the outside area of the restaurant. Both William and his dog slept out under the stars each night because William hated the attitudes of many of the homeless shelter helpers, the threat of theft, and the policy of "no pets allowed." The dog kept vagrants at bay. Inseparable, the two felt at home with the coyotes in the fields and the stars in the sky as their companions..." 

 
And one of my favorites from 'Power of the Polar Bear"...

"Polar bears accept life in a harsh environment by adapting to it.  With strength and stamina, they own their power.  These animals embody a strong sense of self and rely on their instincts. Like polar bears, we can move into personal power, self-acceptance, and confidence.  Accepting our strength taps us into the power of the  Divine." 

This is a wonderful read, and anyone who loves critters will definitely love this book.  This book truly touched me!

Monday Morning This and That

 “At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, bitter where it borders on taste, and more honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds. Containing depth within itself, darkness, something of the grave almost.” 

  Rainer Maria Rilke

Good morning, dear friends, and what a wonderful morning it is.  The weather has been wonderfully cool, and my early Autumn cold has pretty much gone.  I am feeling so much better.  I guess it is all the fruit that I eat lately.  The antioxidants knock the germs right out of me. It also felt good to 'choose' to stay home and nurse myself back to health and not have to worry about losing a sick day.

I am so excited.  As you can see from the above order, I received my package from Yankee Candle.  I have to admit, I did go a little crazy, but I just couldn't make up my mind so I figured I would try everything. I even ordered some Christmas scents.  But, when you look at it, I'd be buying candles for the holidays anyway, so why not buy from the best and have them in stock.  Besides, there was a great half price sale that I couldnt resist. So....

For Halloween I purchased...
Candy Corn 

For Autumn in General I purchased
Autumn Wreath
MacIntosh
November Rain  
Cozy Sweater

For Thanksbiving I purchased...
Spiced Pumpkin
Caramel Pecan Pie
Harvest
Banana Nut Bread  

And for Christmas....
Christmas Eve
Balsam  and Cedar

The other night, I had a dream about frogs.  It was the strangest dream. My dream friend had them as pets, and she carried them about in a glass aquarium.  It seems that these frogs were seemed to disappear at times, but they were really always there, just out of sight. When another friend came along and remarked that they were gone, we pointed out that they were still there, that all you had to do was take the time to look for them. Weird. 

Since this was the first time I ever remember seeing frogs in a dream, I dug out some of my old dream books and did some research. First of all, dreaming of frogs is basically a good omen. They are, in fact, a message from your unconscious mind. The frog is a symbol of transition and transformation--both spiritual and emotional. Frog can  represent positive changes in one's life, and in my opinion, because was able to see them while my friend couldn't, shows I am heading in the right direction. 

Then, as if to serve as reinforcement, the first news I heard when I turned on the television that morning was of Space Frog.  I am sure everyone has seen this picture before, but if you click to enlarge it you will see that that little dot is a frog that was sent flying in the blast off of the LADEE spacecraft. Poor little critter. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let's hope he survived, but it doesn't look good.

The ancient Egyptians associated frog with fertility and childbirth.  The water goddess, Heket, was so associated with fertility and childbirth. She was usually depicted as a woman with the head of a frog.  Egyptian women often wore amulets of frogs to insure their fertility.  In ancient China, frog is an emblem of Yin energy It was a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and wealth. They often placed a frog in living room in the left corner or opposite the door to ensure that  money would come into the house.

The Greeks and Romans associated frogs with fertility and harmony and were a symbol of Aphrodite and Venus.  In Scotland frog was believed to be associated with luck, and households often kept stone frogs in their gardens.  The Irish related them to leprechauns. And we find in early Christian myth that the frog was a symbol of resurrection and a higher stage of spiritual awakening. 

As a spirit animal, frog can remind us of the transient nature of our lives. Strongly associated with the element of water, frog connects us to the world of our emotions and feminine energies. Frog is a creature of the night and is associated with the mysteries of life, magic,  and the unknown.  In fairy tales, we find that frogs are very often a prince in disguise, thus signifying renewal or rebirth. 

So, how does this all fit into my life?  Still sorting it all out.

And finally, I do apologize for such a long post.  Sometimes I just don't know when to stop. So, I will take my leave and wish you well.  May your Monday be bright, sunny, and the source of joy.

Happy Friday the13th

Happy Friday The 13th! Don't look what's under your bed tonight & don't turn off the light. You don't know what's coming. Have a good day!

Unknown

Happy Friday to all you workers out there. Better yet, Happy Friday the 13th.  Many people worldwide are so affected by a fear of this day the they won't go to work or drive a car.  Some won't even get out of bed. In fact, this day is so filled with superstition about bad luck that many buildings choose not to include a 13th floor, jumping instead from 12 to 14. In fact, hotels do not have a room 13.  But why? Where did all this superstition come from? There are several theories about the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition. If you will bear with me, my friends,  have some trivia to share with you today.

Many believe that the fear of Friday the 13th dates back to Norse Mythology. According to the story, 12 gods had been enjoying a banquet at Valhalla, when the mischief maker, Loki, arrives uninvited, becoming the 13th guest.  During the course of the evening, he tricks Holder, the blind god of darkness, into shooting Balder, a god of happiness. Balder dies and the Earth falls into darkness. 

One  theory states that 13 is often considered unlucky because there were 13 people in attendance at the Last Supper--the 12 disciples plus Jesus--and within a day Christ had been crucified. The last member thought to arrive was Judas.  From this comes the superstition that it is unlucky to hold a dinner party with 12 guests.  Friday has always been considered a very unlucky day in its own right. It is believed to be the day of Christ's Crucifixion. Christians believe that this is the day that Eve offered the apple to Adam, leading to the expulsion from the garden...and we all know what that led to.

Yet another theory proposes that during the Middle Ages, King Philip IV of France ordered of France ordered the arrest and execution of the Knights Templar, along with the Cathars,  on Friday the 13th, thus marking it as a day of evil.  Furthermore, it was on  Friday the 13th, 1066, that King Harold, the last Saxon king of England, was slain in the battle of Hastings. 

In numerology, 12 is considered a whole or complete number. There are 12 months in a year, 12 Zodiac signs, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 apostles--while 13 is considered 'out of balance'.

In ancient times, our ancestors  marked time by the lunar cycle and calendar. The number 13 was considered a very favorable number to them, perhaps because there are 13 full moons in a year which was important for people who lived 'without electricity'.

To the ancient Romans the number 13 as a symbol of death, destruction and great misfortune. In ancient Greece Zeus the most powerful of all the gods,  was counted as the 13th god.  

Traditionally, there are 13 witches in a Coven. In Salem, 13  witches were executed a during the Witch Trials of 1692.

The 13th Tarot card is Death.

 All Hallows Eve has 13 letters. And. count the letters in 'superstitious'. 

There are some who believe that superstition most likely began as a Christian attempt to dishonor the Mother Goddess. An old legend states that  when the Germanic peoples converted to Christianity, the mother goddess, Frigga, was banished to a mountain top and labeled as a witch.  Thereafter, every Friday, (Frigga's Day) would gather 11 other witches and the Devil...making a total of 13...and together they would spitefully plan their mischief for the following week.

Needless to say, I am staying in today, and not for fear of a day. While riding home on the bus the other, a woman seated next to me was holding a child in her arms, and just as I turned to see if we were getting close to my stop, the child sneezed right in my face.  Darn!!!  Now I am feeling a cold coming on.  Staying in to nurse myself back to health.  After all, next Wednesday is a return trip to Atlantic City.

Happy Friday the 13th, and have a wonderful weekend.  See you on Monday.

What a Wonderful Life--Retirement Update

Retirement has been a discovery of beauty for me.  I never had the time before to notice the beauty of my grandkids, my wife, the tree outside my very own front door.  And, the beauty of time itself.

Hartman Jule

I'm almost two months into my retirement, and I have to say I have enjoyed every minute of it.  Such complete freedom--freedom from that dreadful daily commute on the subway, freedom from office politics, freedom from office gossip. I received a text message from one of my co-workers.   The same nonsense continues.  This one still  gets paid for doing nothing, that one buys hundred dollar pocketbooks and then hits on  everyone else to treat her to lunch, and so and so hates it there and is looking for work.  Well, she's been wanting to leave for a year now.   What's new about that? Everyone is still stressed out...too many clients, not enough time.  Oh, my seat is still empty.  Everyone knows what I went through there, and no one wants to endure the same.  Even my bosses are aware.  They finally hired someone for my position, but seated him somewhere else.

I can get up in the morning and say, "I don't want to go," and I don't HAVE to go. Hey, if the weather is bad, I can just stay home and not  have to worry about someone getting on my case or becoming the object of office gossip. 'Oh, she always takes off in the rain, and we have to cover for her.'  I've never heard of anyone saying that about me, but I do know they say it of others when they are off.  What makes me any different? And, if I feel like sleeping in, I do so.  I can't remember what the alarm clock sounds like. Do I even know how to set it anymore? And naps!  If I feel like an afternoon snooze, I can curl up in bed for as long as I choose.

Retirement is wonderful. It's doing nothing without worrying about getting caught at it.

Gene Perret

I am meeting friends.  Perhaps not the 'best' friends I had been hoping for, but I am meeting new people, going new places, and basically having a ball.  We laugh, we talk.  And I've noticed that no one gossips about another.  We are all the same.  Seniors who are enjoying this stage of our lives and living to fullest. Even cooking has become enjoyable because I am no longer cooking everything in one day. I have time now to experiment and create new recipes. Life is good. 

On the negative side, I'm still struggling with my pension.  It was due to begin on August 1st, but I'd not sent in a form stating that I am single...and it had to be signed in front of a notary public.  What the heck?  I sent in a copy of my marriage certificate and a copy of my ex's death certificate.  What more do they want?  See, there are five different ways to receive your pension and all pay differently.  Plan 1, which I finally chose, pays me the full amount.  The other ways involve a beneficiary, not for life insurance,  and each plan lowers the income you receive since they will have to continue paying after your death. And, all the other plans involve a spouse who has to sign a form that he has AGREED to the terms you have chosen.  What?  Why should my spouse be involved at all. it's my money, money I've earned.  It's my choice, and I should not need a spouse's permission. 

I'd originally signed it off to hubby, but since we are not legally married, they were putting me through the wringer...too much extra paperwork.  So then, I chose my son to be the beneficiary.  Guess what?  He's too young. Your beneficiary cannot be more than 19 years younger than you. That's because they want to pay out the least they have to.  Can't do anything but laugh.  Otherwise, my blood pressure would be rising.  I never heard of such nonsense, have you?  

Needless to say, the good news is that whenever they decide to send me my pension, I will be paid retroactively from August 1st.  Personally, I would think I'd be entitled from the date I applied, but one can't argue with the union.  They are always right, and this is their rules. Hmmph!!!

Not too long ago, I read about a study that showed that retiring is good for you because you feel ten years younger.  I can vouch for that. I am far more active, have more energy, and feel less depressed. In yet another study, it showed that the newly retired measured the most satisfaction with their lives, land although I do recognize that this is not true for everyone, that there ARE those who end up feeling lost and hopeless when they retire, for the main there is nothing like being able to do what you want when you want.  That is what the freedom of retirement is all about.  It is about living in the moment,  the joy of re-discovery, and a renewed appreciation about what life is all about.

I'm not retiring from life, just a job.

Unknown

Remembering. America Will Not Forget

I remember that day as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.  It began as a morning just like any other morning, a beautiful September morn. When the planes struck, I was working in a halfway house on the Bowery. We were not very far from the site. Our 46 clients were preparing for their morning meeting, and I was in my office enjoying a few moments of solitude before the day began.  Then, one of the  clients came running in asking to use the phone.  She said she'd heard that a small plane had hit the World Trade Center, and she was worried because her mother worked there. And just as she picked up the phone,  another client burst into the office screaming that we should come and watch the news. Suddenly, it wasn't just another morning like any other. Our world had been changed forever. 

I found the following beautiful prayer from "Prayers for Healing". I wanted to share it with you.

May our eyes remain open even in the face of tragedy.

May we not become disheartened.

May we discover the gift of the fire burning in the inner chamber of our being –burning great and bright enough to transform any poison.

May we offer the power of our sorrow to the service of something greater than ourselves.

May our guilt not rise up to form yet another defensive wall.

May the suffering purify and not paralyze us.

May we realize the greatness of our sorrow and not run from its touch or flame.

May clarity be our ally and wisdom our support.

May our wrath be cleansing, cutting through the confusion of denial and greed.

May we not be afraid to see or speak our truth.

May the soul’s journey be revealed and the true hunger fed.

May we be forgiven for what we have forgotten

and blessed with the remembrance of who we really are.

Eagle Woman
The Terma Collective

May our eyes remain open even in the face of tragedy.
May we not become disheartened.
May we find in the dissolution
of our apathy and denial,
a cup of the broken heart.
May we discover the gift of the fire burning
in the inner chamber of our being–
burning great and bright enough
to transform any poison.
May we offer the power of our sorrow to the service
of something greater than ourselves.
May our guilt not rise up to form
yet another defensive wall.
May the suffering purify and not paralyze us.
May we endure; may sorrow bond us and not separate us.
May we realize the greatness of our sorrow
and not run from its touch or its flame.
May clarity be our ally and wisdom our support.
May our wrath be cleansing, cutting through
the confusion of denial and greed.
May we not be afraid to see or speak our truth.
May the bleakness of the wasteland be dispelled.
May the soul’s journey be revealed
and the true hunger fed.
May we be forgiven for what we have forgotten
and blessed with the remembrance
of who we really are.

The Terma Collective

    
- See more at: http://heartsteps.org/tag/terma-collective/#sthash.M7O4FAIs.dpuf

May our eyes remain open even in the face of tragedy.
May we not become disheartened.
May we find in the dissolution
of our apathy and denial,
a cup of the broken heart.
May we discover the gift of the fire burning
in the inner chamber of our being–
burning great and bright enough
to transform any poison.
May we offer the power of our sorrow to the service
of something greater than ourselves.
May our guilt not rise up to form
yet another defensive wall.
May the suffering purify and not paralyze us.
May we endure; may sorrow bond us and not separate us.
May we realize the greatness of our sorrow
and not run from its touch or its flame.
May clarity be our ally and wisdom our support.
May our wrath be cleansing, cutting through
the confusion of denial and greed.
May we not be afraid to see or speak our truth.
May the bleakness of the wasteland be dispelled.
May the soul’s journey be revealed
and the true hunger fed.
May we be forgiven for what we have forgotten
and blessed with the remembrance
of who we really are.

The Terma Collective

- See more at: http://heartsteps.org/tag/terma-collective/#sthash.M7O4FAIs.dpuf

May our eyes remain open even in the face of tragedy.
May we not become disheartened.
May we find in the dissolution
of our apathy and denial,
a cup of the broken heart.
May we discover the gift of the fire burning
in the inner chamber of our being–
burning great and bright enough
to transform any poison.
May we offer the power of our sorrow to the service
of something greater than ourselves.
May our guilt not rise up to form
yet another defensive wall.
May the suffering purify and not paralyze us.
May we endure; may sorrow bond us and not separate us.
May we realize the greatness of our sorrow
and not run from its touch or its flame.
May clarity be our ally and wisdom our support.
May our wrath be cleansing, cutting through
the confusion of denial and greed.
May we not be afraid to see or speak our truth.
May the bleakness of the wasteland be dispelled.
May the soul’s journey be revealed
and the true hunger fed.
May we be forgiven for what we have forgotten
and blessed with the remembrance
of who we really are.

The Terma Collective

- See more at: http://heartsteps.org/tag/terma-collective/#sthash.M7O4FAIs.dpuf

Photo Day

"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil.
And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November."

Rose G. Kingsley

Gosh, here we are in September  already.  New York City's children headed back to school yesterday, and the bus wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be.  For me, this time of the year always brings back some wonderful memories. When I was little, I loved  the first day of school, and yesterday as I watched the excitement of the children on the bus, I had to smile as memories  came flooding back. As I listened to the  the squeals of joy and laughter on the bus, I realized that there are some things in this world that haven't changed, and the thrill of the first day of school and seeing one's friends is one of them. 

On a sad note, for me, at least, the summer fruits are spreading thin now, and apples of all shapes and sizes, pears, oranges, and clementines have taken their place. I don't care for winter fruits. Last winter I lived on clementines and grapes.  This year I plan to freeze some of my favorite berries and have been spending some time looking up some recipes in my harvest cookbook,but I'd best hurry.  Boxes of strawberries were vanishing from the shelves.

I purchased the above candles--Honey Pumpkin Pie, Caramel Apple Chestnut, and Cinnamon Glazed Pear--to tide me over until my order from Yankee Candle comes in.  Their candles are the best, and they have so many wonderful autumn scents to choose from.  I couldn't make a decision so I bought them all.  Not bad though.  They had a great two for one sale this weekend.

This is one of my bookshelves.  If you notice, there is a red book called "Raptor Red"?  It is a  story written from the perspective of a female raptor dinosaur struggling to survive on her own after losing her mate. The setting of the story is the plains of prehistoric Utah some120 million years in the past. It is a fantastic read, and if you can get your hands on it, do so.  You won't be disappointed.

 I was finally able to get a full picture of my mama and baby giraffe.  Hubby found them at a yard sale and bought them for me.

Aren't they sweet?

Well, it's time to get ready to mosey on out of here. Don't want to be late.  It's blood pressure day. Wishing you all the best on this fine September morn.

"By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer’s best of weather

And autumn’s best of cheer."

 Helen Hunt Jackson

Monday Morning This and That

And a good Monday morning to all. What a wonderful weekend it was. The weather was picture perfect, and I just had to get out of the house for awhile. So on Saturday I decided to go shopping for a  little something new to wear for fall. I had thought that my days of buying clothes were over, but even in retirement, it is nice to have a little something new. To my disappointment, the store was closed for the Jewish holiday.  Oh well,  there will be other times.  It took me two buses to get there, and I decided that rather than hop right back on the bus, I would walk it.  So, I walked from 47th Street to 60th Street to pick up the bus to bring me home. Quite an accomplishment for someone with an arthritic back.  Yet, despite the pain, I felt so invigorated.  As you can see from the sky in the picture below it was a beautiful day.

This is a picture I snapped of my building as I was waiting for the bus to go shopping.  We live in the back of the building, and my apartment looks out on a small courtyard.  Although the view from my window is not fabulous to look at, I will say it is quite a relief to not sleep in a room with a window that looks out onto the street.  Our bedroom was in the front in our last apartment, and for fifteen years we had cars passing by all night long.  You do get used to these things, however, so on our first few night's of quietude in our new place, it was hard to get used to the silence.

Sunday's church service was very moving.  With still another war looming, and all the violence we hear about every day, the service was all about peace.  The priest began the service talking about how violence begets violence. He went on to tell a story about two fourth grade boys who got into a tussle in the lunch room. It seems that one boy stumbled and bumped into the other who hadn't seen the boy trip and thought he had been pushed.  Both boys were sent to the principal's office and suspended for three days.  Then, their fathers were called in to see how they could help their sons resolve their difficulties so this didn't happen again.  Instead, it went thus....

Father one:  'My boy doesn't start fights, but, I did tell him that if anyone starts one with him, he should kick his butt.'

Father two (indignantly):  'So, you are saying that my boy started this?  My boy doesn't start fights either.  Your boy had to do something to instigate this.'

And on and on the two fathers bickered  until the exasperated principal had enough and sent them on their way.  The moral of the story?  "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."  And all could have been avoided if the one boy had said a simple "I am sorry" and the other accepted his apology.

He then went on to discuss the Cuban Missile Crisis and how close we came to nuclear war during that time.  He said that even though he was just a little boy in the early 60's, he remembers clearly how dire the situation was.  The world was on the brink.   He remembers how he and his friends used to go to the church to pray after school and how filled the pews were with others who also were praying for peace.  In the end, the leaders involved were able to come to an agreement that averted the annihilation of millions of people.  He wondered, did prayer have anything to do with it?"

And now we are on the verge of waging  war with Syria, and thousands of people are dying every day just because they hold different beliefs.  And  with Egypt also still in turmoil is there any hope.  He spoke of the Coptic Christians in Egypt and how, in recent times, they have become the object of persecution. But then, in the midst of all the pain and turmoil, there is a glimmer, yes, a small glimmer of hope. There was a picture in the news of a group of Christian protesters standing together to protect their Muslim brothers as they prayed, and a news article about Muslim men holding hands and encircling the church to protect their Christian neighbors as they prayed.  "Yes", the priest said, "there is hope for peace in the world and let it begin with us." Let us pray.

The service ended with the following processional hymn, and to be honest, the entire service had been so powerful that by now I had tears in my eyes.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth,  the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now,
With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow,
To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me!