ho, ho, HO!

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AP Television

As I came out of the post office today, a camera man asked if I would speak to the Tim Johnson situation. Thank the stars I have the news on my Google home page!! I had just read about Tim's mystery illness, though nothing today... eek! So I agreed and I spoke to how hard this must be at this time of year for his family and I hope they are able to have the support they need for their new situation. He asked me about Mike Rounds replacing Tim, should he be incapable of returning to work. I told him I'd sure like to see Tom Daschle back in Washington again! hee hee hee

what are you saying?

Gemini: You can usually deal with unexpected changes in your schedule, yet today might test your willingness to roll with the punches. Perhaps you are pulled off course by friends who have fewer responsibilities than you at this time. Playful activities with children might sound like more fun than what you need to do. Whatever distracts you now, make sure that you don't lose the healthy balance in your life.

Let us live gladly! Quite certainly we are free to do it. Perhaps it is our only freedom, but ours it is, and it is only phenomenally a freedom. 'Living free' is being 'as one is'. Can we not do it now? Indeed can we not-do-it? It is not even a 'doing': it is beyond doing and not-doing. It is being as-we-are. This is the only 'practice'. 'All Else is Bondage; Non-Volitional Living' - Wei Wu Wei

Courageous Thursday

courageous

adjective possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching; "Familiarity with danger makes a brave man braver but less daring"- Herman Melville; "a frank courageous heart...triumphed over pain"- William Wordsworth; "set a courageous example by leading them safely into and out of enemy-held territory" [syn: brave] [ant: cowardly]

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Well-fortified with a Karen Coffee (big ol' Carmel Breve today! catch a glimpse in the picture!) from Black Sheep & some dark chocolate covered coffee beans (I'm sprung!!), I decided to head over to Hannah's Bench to finally take some pictures. (more pix & a video on the bodhicitta blog)

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

HANNAH LEA JENNER

All Souls Church

Unitarian Universalist

I once had Hannah's bracelet wrapped around the urn's neck... it broke (I've saved the beads for future art work ::g::) and I replaced it with this beautiful goddess hemp wrap. The hemp and most of the blue beads were from a kit I bought for Hannah last summer at the Sidewalk Arts Festival (she has my green beaded one on in our family pictures from last November), which we never got around to doing together. While we were in Corvallis, Hayden found Goddess Nirvana at the downtown bead store!! We bought lots and lots of little goddesses... and couldn't part with many! I've got the most of our stash wrapped around my baby girl. Ultimate sisterhood, I was surrounded by the most amazing female energy while I made it and blessed it and wrapped it; I am reminded each time I see it. Thank you to the women who were with me in body: Mary, Qacei, Donna, Madelyn, Mercedes, Joni & the multitude of other Corvallis Sprites I encountered and to the whole of you who are with me always in Spirit. Today's a good day. I'm ready for some bell ringin, some carol singin, some big ol snot rollin tear sheddin and some Big Christmas Hope Buildin!! I'm still diana. Danggummit, I am. I'm gonna laugh today, I'm glad to be alive. I can feel the good stuff!

Self Portrait Tuesday - RED 2

I'm wearing a red bra.
It's a sexy one.

Breathed my way thru Tuesday

Tuesday, December 12, 2006 Every little thing is blown out of proportion today, yet it's not just because you are lost in your fearful fantasies. Others, too, are part of the problem, for they may be making a project more complicated than is needed. Beneath this mental inflation is the reality that you are dealing with large issues. Remember to breathe deeply and think before you act. A cool approach can help you calm down enough to put everything back into a more workable perspective.

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I'm gonna go do some artwork while the boy sleeps and the muse calls...

I don't have an accent... it's the lack thereof you're not hearing...

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The South
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Gettin the Gumption

completely lost yesterday. don't know what happened, I slept away most of it. totally avoided the candle light service last night. absolutely not ready to go public.

Happy Solstice to Hayden, we picked up Guitar Hero II this morning... I'm feeling guilty because the disc for GHI is missing... and I got no gumption. So we each paid half and he gets his solstice gift 11 days early :) He just played Surrender by Cheap Trick. We used to sing it to the kids all the time. Long forgotten Family Anthem. Just know that this is what you got, Life is easier if you just surrender.
This is the December I got. I gotta surrender. I gotta surrender the Decembers I've already had. I've got to surrender the Decembers I won't ever have. I've gotta surrender to *this* December. To this only one time ever in this lifetime, this December right here. The one chance I've got at Now. Mama's alright; she just seems a little weird.
I surrender my sadness to the here and now.
I surrender my gift for joymaking and commit to sharing it with the world today.
I'm gettin' the gumption.
I'm dressed and out of bed. Not shrieking.
Three signs it's could be a good day.
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Dave Koz has a great holiday album, "December Makes Me Feel This Way" with a very peaceful picture of Dave smiling in the snow. He wrote it after his dad died. It's that melancholy joy that doesn't quite make sense, even in the midst of it. I'm gonna hang out with Dave and his saxophone today...
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Daily Horoscope for Gemini: Life can get complicated as you are left unsatisfied by the same light and easy interactions that are usually quite fulfilling. Although serious emotions can make you feel uneasy, you are being asked to swim into deeper waters now. You have much to learn about intimacy, though you may try to avoid the intensity at all costs. You can get ahead of the wave by diving in before you are pushed.
>hmmm, I am feeling this; it's not serious emotions making me feel uneasy, it's emotions, it's any emotional swimming of any kind. Yeah intimacy and intensity, fuck you, I'm just fine right here firmly on the sand, watching. Yeah, like that. So. Yeah. Huh? Right. I can, too. Right here. Stayin. Sure. For now. Not long, though. Okay, fine! I'll feel, but it will suck. Not mostly suck, some suck, but suck just the same. Just so ya know.
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Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything. - Kurt Vonnegut
>well, I've got that going for me, I'm a freakin' laugh a minute over here! Somebody come laugh at me!

Winter Solstice

I love, love, love Winter Solstice... we've had a yule log and good company, as our tradition continues to grow and take shape; each year a celebration of it's own. One year we took part in a Palm Family tradition of the Advent Spiral. Hands down my favorite of all renewal ceremonies.

Melanie laid a spiral out on her basement floor with duct tape and garland. In the center stood "The Source," a lit candle to represent your personal source of "Light Renewal." The circle was opened with prayer. Each participant has their own unlit candle to meditate with as we stand in circle; each person walking the spiral, towards the Light, in silence. Once the Light has been Renewed from the Center, the group begins to share the ways the Light does Shine from this individual. Lit candles are left along the way, to illuminate the Way of others to come. When the ceremony is completed by everyone present, our Collective Light is a powerful reminder of Life Possible. I'm so excited to take part in the Spiral again this year and I'm excited to bring home the inspiration to an East River Solstice celebration, too.
It will be a dark sky, come Solstice... perfect night for a fire and some dancing and bell ringing and sharing of the gifts with the neighborhood critters.

My Courageous Self Portrait

Red

It's the Real thing... all hail the sacred red!