Venus & the Moon Are Screwing Up My Chi

Between the full moon the night before, and Venus in transit across the Sun today, I feel things are a little off. A little wacky. A little cray-cray.

According to astrology teachings, my sign is ruled by the moon. I don't know if I feel influenced by knowing that or what, but I have always been incredibly drawn to the moon. And last night when it finally broke through its cloud constraints, it was magnificent. I felt energized, I felt like I could feel the moon. And I found myself being happy, hyper and batty all night. I'm surprised I didn't howl at the moon with my Husky dog.

Tonight Venus is traveling new territory. It's a gypsy planet in the night sky. It's being watched, and discussed, and photographed.
Yet things feel off.
Human relationships are clunky. Conversations are stilted. Missed connections. Awkward silences.

The only thing to do is go to bed, dream the dreams, and see what awaits tomorrow. Hopefully a sun without a blemish, and a moon that calms down.

2 Types of People in This World

You often hear people say things like, "There are two types of people in the world, this kind, and that kind." (fill in with various adjectives and verbs) I've always liked those comparisons. I'd like to share my favorite one:

There are two types of people in this world; those who are always happy, until they have a reason not to be, and those that are always unhappy until they have a reason not to be.

I think that is a really good assessment of how you can approach life in general. And you know you know both types of people.

Some other fun ones are:

There are two types of people in this world; those who like brussel sprouts, and those who don't.

There are two types of people in this world; those who disolve into a cooing mass of babbler when a puppy is put into their arms, and those who don't.

There are two types of people in this world; those who think white zin is real wine, and those who drink real wine.

Please, tell me some of yours!!

In a Relationship . . . With the Internet

I admit I really enjoy the place we are in right now with technology and the internet. I am fascinated by the ever-changing technological advances, the new and fast-growing social media channels (hello Pinterest), and the way in which information is exchanged today. I enjoy learning and experiencing what is new out there, what I like to participate in, and what I don’t. My iPhone is never far from my side and I do find myself pretty tied to the networks out there.

But lately I have started thinking about that magical day when I will just decide I don’t need it all anymore. When I’m old and retired and my perception has shifted, there will come a day when I say, “I’m done with the technology! Unplug me!” Will I be 70? 80? I don’t know. All I know is that I think about that with a smile. I think about a time when all of this doesn’t matter and what matters is who is beside you, who is visiting you, what you did that day, what you experienced that day, and if you are happy and content.

Until then, I’ll have fun - and keep learning - because I do need it for my job and my future career. And I’ll just look forward to the day when I don’t even think about logging onto ANYthing. Instead I’ll relax, calm down, slow down, and not worry about a thing. J

When do you think you will unplug from The Matrix?

The Old Tree and The Wind

Our Tree That Fell

Last week, a freak weather system brought the strongest winds that our area has seen in a long time. This mighty wind took something from us. It blew in with a force that wasn't taking no for an answer, and took down our oldest, tallest, and biggest Spruce tree. I can't describe what a shock it was to see it gone from the horizon of our yard. This tree was special. It was on land that was one of the original homesteads in the area. It was around 100 years old and 95 feet tall. It was one of the oldest, and possibly THE oldest tree in our little town. It was a fixture of our property, a home to the birds and squirrels, and something I stared up at too many times to count.

I guess I've always gotten a little attached to the trees around me. When I was a kid, my family owned 40 acres in Mid-Western Colorado. It was all natural, the only structure being the footprint of an old cabin, and a caved in wooden entrance to an old mine. It was beautiful land and we had so many family camping trips and picnics there over the years. There was evidence that a stream used to run through it, because there was a long ravine running through the property, a small trickle of a stream during wet years, and the location of the mine was right next to all this. But what was really striking about this particular area was the huge Spruce that was perched on the edge of the ravine. It was a blue Spruce, tall, straight and majestic, much like the one in our yard. However, the tree was right on the edge of the ravine and the dirt was eroding away, and about one quarter of the root system was exposed, with the trunk of the tree just barely on the edge of the ravine.

So if you came at it from below, in the ravine, you could sort of climb up underneath the tree. You could literally climb up the roots (one even bent at a 90 degree angle and made for a step) to the base. Then you got to the edge of the ravine, and the flat shelf above it was completely enclosed all around by the low, wide branches. You could hoist yourself up on the ledge and now be under the tree on flat ground. And the area around the base of the tree was all clear except for a thick cushion of needles. So a child could fit under there and move around and play, and not be seen at all from the outside, since the thick branches brushed the ground. (Is this making any sense? Hard to describe) OR, if you came at it from above, up on the flat ground, you could walk up to one side of the tree where the branches didn't quite touch the ground and formed a natural part, and you could duck down, crawl in, and gain entrance to the secret area under the tree.

As a kid, this was a wonderful place for me. Especially as an only child who had to entertain herself. And I would for hours, making up scenarios, talking to imaginary animals, and taking special things in there with me that I would leave for the next visit. My parents and I worried that it would fall. Each time we came back, I would strain my neck to see out the car window as we came over the hill, but that big tree always stood. I worried so much about it falling that I developed this ritual that only a child would execute. Within the mine tailings was lots of mica - Fool's Gold. You could scoop up a handful and sift the dirt through your fingers and the tiny flakes would sparkle in the sun. I thought this was gold for sure. I figured gold must have some sort of magic properties, and that it could surely help the old tree stay strong. So I would cross the ravine to the mine tailings, gather two handfuls of tailings and cross back to the underneath of the tree, and carefully sprinkle the dirt and gold dust on the exposed roots of the tree. I remember doing this many, many times one summer each time we visited.

My family eventually sold the land, and the tree never fell while we were there. And at least in my mind, it never will. So when I'm sad about losing our current tree, I'll think about how my relationship with trees started and try to remember that Mother Nature says when it's time to go.

The Sad Night

Nature, or (Disney) Nurture?

You know how sometimes a certain theme or topic keeps reoccurring in your life and it keeps coming up enough that you feel like you should stop and devote some time to it? Well lately for me that has been the topic of little girls going through a 'Princess Phase'. I have several friends and acquaintances who have little girls between the ages of 3-5. They have each told me on separate occasions that their little girl is going through a SERIOUS Princess Phase and they sort of roll their eyes when they tell me.

But what really made me take notice was one of those people saying that they don't really know how their girl became obsessed because they don't let her watch TV and rarely any Hollywood movies. He said he recognized that she had seen the Princess paraphernalia in stores, and her friends were into them, but he was just surprised that she got SO into it, when they didn't even encourage it in their house.

So the question becomes; is there something inherently within little girls that kicks in around this age and they are completely drawn to super girly things and fairy tales? Is it the gender part of their psyche taking hold and staking it's claim? GIRL! OR is it the Disney marketing empire, shoving it's princess crap at girls of this impressionable age everywhere you go and you just can't escape it?

And of course there is the appeal of the fairy tale in which the Princess lives, where everything turns out wonderfully and it's all pink, and rainbows, pet tigers, and vodka .  . . oh wait, that's MY fairy tale.
So that part does make sense. Princesses are involved in good bedtime stories and happy endings.

But is there more to this fascination? Have you noticed most girls go through this phase? Why do you think that is?

Humble

Portion from the next chapter in my novel. Will be out of context of course.

Fire. When I arrived, wherever I was, the first thing I saw was fire. I was so startled that I tried to turn and run. When that failed I tried to adjust to what was being shown to me. But my view was hazy and I wanted to rub my eyes and blink. I could tell I was inside a burning building, walking quickly down a hallway that was filling with smoke. The fire was up ahead, bursting out from a room and into the hallway, and running up the walls like a reverse waterfall. My new body seemed shorter and I was glad to see that the walk of this individual was normal and steady. I wasn’t sure if it was a man or woman yet, all I could see was the occasional raised hand, covered in a thick glove up over the coat.

We walked quickly but calmly, going into each bedroom we came across, and opening each and every closet door. The rooms were so far fire-free, but the blaze beckoned up ahead. When we entered a room that was farther from the roaring fire and it was quieter I realized why the vision was hazy. The firefighter had a mask on, and I could also now hear the person breathing steadily through it. The breaths came quicker than normal, but still controlled. We quickly shoved a twin bed aside to ensure no one was under it, threw open the double closet doors, and peered within the adjoining bathroom, all within five seconds. As if delayed a bit since my arrival, the person’s emotions abruptly slammed into me. It was possibly the strongest feelings I had felt yet from a person. There was no mistaking what I was sensing. It was pure and undeniable determination. The kind where you know you are really good at something and nothing makes you doubt yourself. It was focus that comes from so deep within you that you can see or hear nothing else but your goal. I could feel the conviction of what this person believed, and felt no wavering in that conviction.

As we re-entered the hallway and got closer to the fire I heard the sound of a voice in my head, and thought at first that it was my host speaking.

            “Ken – you find her?” a man’s voice asked. There was a sense of controlled urgency in the voice. I realized it was a voice in a headset within the helmet.

            “Not yet.” my male host answered.

Do What You Love, or Love What You Do?

Maybe it's the new year, but I've been thinking a lot about careers lately. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and I am thinking about where my path should go next. They say if you can find or create a job around your passion in life that it will never feel like a job and you will always be happy with it. I wonder how many people achieve this?
How many people feel that they are in THE job that utilizes their full potential and satisfies their soul? Are you? If not, how close are you?