Christina from Rachael Ray-please read

The Rachael Ray show is doing this piece about a teenage girl named Christina, who has set a goal to loose 70 lbs by prom. This weight loss will be essential for her health (important) and in her mind the development of friendships. I want to yell at my TV and tell the girl, "friends are not made by the size of you butt, but the size of your heart." I have loved many an obese person and not thought one second about their weight. It appears that this girl is motivated to be pretty and to have power. I have never seen her do anything for anyone else other than whine about not being pretty. REALLY this is inspiring people, for God sake I don't feel inspired I feel annoyed, this kind of television is continuing to perpetuate the idea that what gives a person value is there exterior. Christina, joy will never last if it is based on you external needs. What makes joy last is being motivated by love, both for self and others. That will mean weight loss. Love is first, then, butt size, not the other way, it never works.

New Addition

Just before Halloween, we brought home a little black kitten. She is all pins and needles right now and I am covered with little wounds on my hands and legs. The funny thing about owning and aNIMAL48, (the cat just put on the caps lock and typed 48)... as I was saying- the funny think about owning an animal is that they demand attention. I tired to ignore the kitten when I got home from a nice drive with the hubby. I was hungry and wanted a snack. The cat was circling around being annoying. I just wanted a snack, when I felt a tug on the back of my pants as she climbed all up my back meowing the whole way saying, "YOU WILL NOT IGNORE ME" "Okay!" I sniped back with a huff, frustrated I put down my cracker and brie cheese and just cuddled the kitty. We both calmed down, she pranced away. As she pranced off she looked back at me and said, "You could have made that easier by saying hello with the cuddle."

Rumi Poem

On Friday afternoon I for the first time in months I completed a Yoga CD called Yoga Chant by Shiva Rea. I slowly twisted, and turned, and moaned, as aches throughout my body and my mind were stretched and eased.  At the end of the CD is this beautiful Rumi poem:


Remember the entrance door 
to the sanctuary is inside you. 
Love is a river 
Drink from it. 
A pearl in the shell 
does not touch the ocean. 
Be a pearl 
without a shell, 
a midful flooding 
a spark turned to flame 
bird settling nest
love lived. 

As I contemplated this poem I have discovered that it is the perfect life map for me.

1. The only place to find peace is in my own heart and I maintain the temple.
2. Love is vastly available if I want it.
3. To learn and experience more I must be brave and open
4. Find what makes me awake and spread it.
5. be in my own personal place that is home and settle there.

Rumi said to me with these easy steps love lives. I am going to use these five principles in this blog and continue my love filled life.
Cheers to being a bird, settled in nest.

Learning To Be Critiqued

So any one that has been reading this blog knows I have a desire to be perfect. Well there is no wake up call to your imperfections than going to a writers group in downtown "Yaleland" with a group of professional writers all over 40.  I do give myself props for being brave.
It all started when I went to the Meetup web-sight and I uploaded my children's story to be read and critiqued. Then on a very rainy New England day, found parking, launched my umbrella and walked a few blocks to a swanky bar.
Then went down two flights of stairs to the basement of the bar. The basement was reserved for the writing group. The I gave a nervous smile, some hellos sat among people I had never met before, the critics.  The group covered both the strengths of my work, and covered what was not working. Of course, I only heard what was not working, went home and felt a little sorry for myself.  I have let some time pass and today I have began making some of the changes and am feeling excited to have some spring boards for improvement.
I am making the characters names more fitting to there behavioral characteristics. I am excited to be working.  I may not be perfect, but I am real.

p.s.
some name changes:
Cronkite=Topper Light
Jimmy= Pep Savor
Kiva= Minta Steady
Moddy= Sharpy Dapper

What do you think?

Sitting on the Couch

There is this wonderful tool that is so helpful in getting rid of any lingering emotions that weigh heavy on your heart. It is not that B.S. of,"just feel happy", or" just be grateful you are alive". It is not anything that removes you from what is sitting on your couch, staring at you with only the intensity that a lingering emotion can do. What you need to do is walk over and

sit down next to it on the yellow checkered couch, look it directly in the eyes, and say, "Okay I am ready. What do you want?" Then listen/feel. Don't listen to any voices other than that of your feelings, especially those visitors that masquerade as feelings: they go by the names of guilt, shame or any other pesky emotions associated with not being good enough or broken. Who you are sitting with on the couch is sorrow, anger, joy ect. If you really listen, I mean really listen, they tell you who you are, like a loving person, that needs more places to be loving, or a busy person that needs more place to rest, or a hurt person that needs to let their voice be heard.

Then when your done with your chat thank them for reminding you, your alive. Then get up from the couch and tell yourself how valuable you are, and take charge of your day.
My heart is light and joyous today. Not because I have had no pain in my life, but because I have and each day learn who I am and the more l learn the more I like being me.