IT'S GRANDMA'S BIRTHDAY...

Actually, yesterday, January 29th, was Grandma's 105th birthday! Yeah, Grandma!! Dulcie Ruth Michael Shook , mother of 10 kids, nine of whom are living and range in age from 86 to 62, is a life-long resident of Pigeon Roost, NC.

This photo was taken in November at Thanksgiving. I've seen that sweet close-lipped smile on her face all my life... I look into her eyes, and I know that she still hears the mountains speak..She has always reminded me to listen... I always take her hand in mine in hopes that some of that strength and wisdom will pass my way.

Happy Birthday, Grandma !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you soooooooooo!!

WHITE'S THE COLOR OF THE DAY HERE AT THE FARM...

I decided to take a few winter photos of the farm this afternoon...Bottom line--I needed to get outside for a while....So, here's what I captured...a close-up of the amaryllis in bloom on our dining room table .....Buddha with his snow crown.....and the peace sign in the back field.

An aside: As I was looking at the peace sign, I had a faint recollection of a protest somewhere in our country this past holiday season about a family who hung a peace sign wreath, done in greenery and decorated with bows and ornaments. Evidently the family's neighbors thought the sign was some sort of symbol connected with the occult.

In order to pacify anyone who might question the intention of our peace sign, I offer the following Farm disclaimer: Those of us who live here at The Farm make no association except PEACE, i.e., the absence of violence or conflict, with the rather large snow-accentuated symbol that graces our back field. (What could be questionable about that? My gosh, wouldn't it be great if our species could come to a greater understanding of peace on every level of our lives?)

And,while I'm at it, for those who might be ponder the spiral that decorates the field below the barn...Well, it had its genesis in my boredom one day last summer as I was mowing and found myself doing donuts with the tractor there. (Tee hee!) And should a huge heart appear in the front field, hmmmm...I'll have to work on my rationale for it.

I'm a little giddy...Eliza's feeling better, it's Friday, I'm off to have a glass of wine, and finally start taking down Christmas decorations.

Namasté.....

MONONUCLEOSIS....NOT ELIZA'S FAVORITE TOPIC THESE DAYS...

Those of you who see me on a daily basis know that I've been consumed lately with caring for Eliza... Ms. Teenage Farm Socialite has been stopped in her tracks for the last two weeks with a whopper of strep throat, a horrendous sinus infection, and a case of mono that has landed her in the bed for days on end. In all honesty, it's been rough. With a blood cell count three times the normal number, a throat so sore she couldn't swallow, hours upon end of vomiting because of the incessant nasal draining, a steady external nasal flow (more snot that I could ever believe a body could produce), and high fever, it has been all I could do to keep her comfortable and hydrated. I was a frightened as she, but I couldn't let her see my concern and worry. I was not nearly as exhausted, but after a week and a half of constant caretaking, I will confess to being a rather fatigued mom. Never have I seen any of my children so sick, and it wasn't fun.

I do believe we've turned the corner, however. She's still weak and requires mucho rest, but the MD who saw her on Monday has given her permission to attend school for a half day for the next three weeks. Depending on what a second blood count shows at that point, E. will either return all day or have another three weeks of half time. She has to drop PE and rearrange her schedule so she can be finished by mid-day. She's not a happy camper about all this, but she's quite willing to concede that she'll do anything not to have to experience the "mono blast" again.

Despite it all, the two of us have had some really wonderful and genuine mom/daughter moments. In the midst of the worst of her illness, I got word that my friend, Cliff, had passed away (see previous blog post), so last Saturday afternoon, the afternoon of his memorial, I sat on the bed and told Eliza stories of good times with Cliff, her dad, and me many years ago. We also talked a lot about close to the heart matters....her boyfriend, dating issues, powerful things that young women have to be prepared to face in today's world, sexuality stuff, etc. Since all she really felt like doing was listening, I talked and talked, answered her questions, and talked some more. After we finished our chat, we watched a red-tail hawk outside my bedroom door for a long time as it preened itself in the chestnut tree across the driveway, hopped around looking for mice, and sunbathed. I do think the hawk was sent to us by Cliff as his way of checking in and letting us know all was well with him in the world of spirit. From there, I went into the kitchen, turned on the Sirius radio, and heard Bob Marley singing "Redemption Song," a song that I have heard Cliff (and Sam) sing many, many times over..."Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds...." I couldn't help by cry a few tears as I heard those two best friends singing in my mind.. It was a sweet, sweet moment...

So, in terms of past blog posts, only Mary Ann ventured a vote for favorite 2006 blog entry. (Mary Ann, you might be the only person who reads my ramblings!) She said she enjoyed the photos of the farm I post from time to time. My personal favorite entry is the story of Molly, the corgi who got stuck on the back porch this fall. (See October entries.) I will never forget the look of disgust on that dog's face, especially when she saw me pull out the camera!

Other items of interest here at the farm these days.....an amaryllis and orchid in bloom, a layer of snow on the ground that really highlights the peace sign and spiral I have cut in the fields, a couple of knitting projects in progress (I even have Eliza knitting...it's a great pastime for "sickies."), and the Christmas decorations STILL to take down...Plans are to get to the Christmas decorations this weekend...

Orders from headquarters to all: Remember to layer up, wear warm clothes, cover your head in the cold, and put on your scarf! Hydrate your body and keep the spirit light! Only two more months until the spring equinox!!

More later...Namasté...T.

JOHN CLIFFORD HODGES LEE, III

Last Monday night, I got a call with the news that my friend, Cliff Lee, had suddenly passed away. Cliff began work at Texaco in New Orleans on the same day that Sam, my ex-husband, did, and he was one of the most incredibly, unique, loving, fun persons I have ever known. Cliff grew up in Cincinnati in a rather affluent family. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were military officers, and I believe Cliff was a direct descendent of General Robert E. Lee.

I have never known another individual in my life who lived his/her life with the zest and joy that Cliff Lee did. His memorial service is today, and many friends whom I haven't seen in YEARS will be gathering in Cincinnati to honor him. I had thought about attending, but Eliza is quite sick with mono and strep throat, so the "mom" in me decided to stay here at the Farm. In my own way, I will be there with the others as they and Cliff will be here with me...Here are a few thoughts I wrote to share about Cliff.....(I can't get the blog to post photos, but I'll keep trying...)
____________________________________________________

Cliff....

When I recall Cliff Lee, I remember days in New Orleans – a Halloween night’s ride through the city with Cliff, the caveman who had the best costume of all--, tubing down a river in Mississippi on a Saturday afternoon-- driving down St. Charles Avenue with Sam, Nancy, and Cliff, the car windows rolled down and belting out “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” at the top of our lungs-- his and Nancy’s apartment in the city-- and laughter, such great, great laughter. Later, when we all relocated back to Ohio/WV, the memories continue—spending the night out way back in the woods in his new company vehicle that he got stuck only inches from the edge of a pond-- sledding in the front field of our farm-- more Halloween celebrations-- brunches on the back deck-- and the joy in his eyes as he held my son, Samuel, (his godson) and sang him to sleep. I remember weekends here with Helga and Cliff—a hot-air balloon ride and Cliff’s exuberance as he tried to communicate in German with the rather petrified Amish family who owned the farm where the ride ended. I remember Cliff’s determination as he rallied the Boy Scouts outside of Charleston to search for Puppy, our friend Norm’s dog, who fled after he and Norm were in a nasty accident. (And yes, under Cliff’s untiring direction, they searched the hills around the area and found the dog.) I close my eyes and can vividly see Cliff and Sam, standing together with the other groomsmen as they awaited Martha’s entrance at the wedding. When Cliff saw her, a huge smile burst across his face as a tear ran down his cheek. And in the stillness of my memories, I can still hear Cliff’s voice when I would pick up the phone and hear him say, “How ya doin’, ‘Miss Tammy’?”

Years have passed, and our lives have changed in many ways, but every year at Christmas, I hang two ornaments on our tree that Cliff and Nancy made the first Christmas after we all moved from New Orleans. This year, one of them, a woodsman with a tree under his arm, came unglued, so I put it on our coffee table with some greenery. As I was placing some pine cones and holly around it, I promised myself that 2007 would be the year I would make every effort to re-connect with Cliff. I thought of him so, so often. Now, in a way that I had totally unanticipated, that connection has been made.

All of us whose lives are so richly blessed by having known Cliff understand just how much Cliff loved life and lived every moment of it fully. What an amazing, incredible, wonderful gift to share with us all!

Today, as many gather together in Cincinnati to celebrate his life, I do so here, at the farm in Marietta. The woodsman is now surrounded by photos, flowers, and candles. In honor of Cliff Lee, I give thanks for this day, my friends, and my many, many blessings…….Godspeed, dear friend.

NAMASTE BLOG'S ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

WOW!! Where have the last 365 days gone? A year ago today, inspired and assisted by my friend and office mate, Mary Ann, I successfully set up NAMASTE blog and began to "journal" again after years of not being able to get my thoughts organized on paper, on the computer, or in my head, for that matter. This space has become the place where I chronicle the events in my rather small, insignificant niche in the Universe. After the initial hesitation about putting my ramblings out for the entire world to see, I have come to enjoy sitting down to the computer to scribble a few lines from time to time. Beyond "The Farm Family," I have no idea who reads NAMASTE although I have had a couple of anonymous comments over the course of the year. Thanks to those of you who do check in, and a special thanks for not leaving any highly critical or obscene comments! :0) :0)

In celebration of the fact that I have stuck to my commitment to blogging, would anyone like to cast a vote for his/her favorite 2006 post on NAMASTE ? I know what mine is, and I'm interested in others' thoughts. Just leave a comment with this post. I'd really appreciate it! (Actually, this is just a set-up so I can say that people read my blog!) :0) :0) I'll tally the few results, reveal my choice, and begin the 2nd year of NAMASTE with the results of the reader's poll. I'll give it a week or so for folks to have time to check-in and "vote."

Until then, thanks again for reading, and remember to laugh and love your life!

T.

PS: I'm still trying to crack a smile over the broken toilet....eergh! :0) My dear friend, Caroline, suggests that I get the outhouse going again!

BELATED HAPPY (???) NEW YEAR!

It's already January 3rd, so my greeting is a bit delayed. Nonetheless, I hope everyone is off to a good start in 2007.

The year is off to an interesting start for me...a leaking toilet and shower that are going to require major plumbing efforts (in which I am NOT participating!)...and oversleeping on the first day of class as a result of an electricity snafu that occurred during the night (and yes, it is the truth; my alarm clock really didn't go off! I woke up at 7:45 for an 8:00 class)...

I can't help but contemplate: are there underlying messages for me here? Hmmmm....1) Set my cell phone as a back up alarm clock, perhaps, and 2) get my **** together, literally.... (I have delayed getting the toilet fixed for a while, and now the shower's on the fritz as well). With no extra cash in my checking account, no extra cash in my savings account, no extra cash anticipated on the horizon, and no thought that I'll be winning the lottery, I think the third message to contemplate is getting yet another part-time job. EERGH...

On a totally different note, stay tuned for a look at the best of the Namasté blog from last year, as well as some sort of Blog One-YearAnniversary event, and hopefully, news of my inheriting a huge sum of $$$$$ !!! (Funny how all that cash from the dozens of email lotteries that I've won hasn't arrived in my bank account yet!)

Cheers!

Happy Winter Solstice

December 21-22, 2006

The Return to the Light

(Art Credit: Jennifer Hewiston, "December," 2006 Llewellyn's Witches Calendar)

CHRISTMAS LETTER - 2006

Greetings from The Farm

As I sit down to compose this holiday greeting, it’s almost 60 degrees outside, the sun is shining, and the crocuses are deciding whether or not it’s time to bloom. Although it feels more like spring vacation than winter break, those of us in the Mid-Ohio Valley know that tomorrow could bring ice and snow, so for now, we’re soaking in the warmth!

2006 has been a good year for The Wilders. Samuel, 21, has just finished the first semester of his junior year at Appalachian State University in Boone and is glad to be home and free of paper deadlines and exams. He is now an officially declared journalism major with a minor in philosophy and religion. Those of you who recall the chubby little guy who used to run around the farm in his Batman cape wouldn’t recognize him now. He’s tall, slender, and in very good shape thanks to the hours he spends on his mountain bike and weightlifting. He spent this past summer as an intern at the Thistle Mountain Winery in Ashe County, NC, and has become quite the expert on wines. I look for him to be a contributing writer to Food & Wine or some similar magazine as he travels the world on his bike, sampling gourmet fare and fine wines along the way.

Eliza, now 15, made the high school band color guard as one of three freshmen, so we spent a good part of the summer and fall involved in band events. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday this year, she promptly replied, “A really nice, tall, ‘hot’ boyfriend.” So, when she came home from school on her birthday, she announced her wish had come true! How’s that for conjuring up some good stuff! So far, her GPA hasn’t suffered from the hours she spends on the phone with Matt and other friends and/or in front of the mirror doing her hair, and I am very proud of the young woman I see transforming before me. As for college interests, as a 9th grader, Eliza has her eyes set on Brown University with the hopes of becoming a psychiatrist. We’ll see how that takes shape over the next three years.

Bobbi (my foster daughter from years ago) and Isabella, 6, have visited the farm twice this year. They still live in Philadelphia where Bobbi has a yoga/pilates studio / massage therapy business. As the photos show, Isabella reflects her mother’s beauty as well as her energy and love of life. One of my favorite images of Isabella’s last visit is of her asleep with the dogs on the floor underneath the dining room table. She was oblivious to the fact that the dogs smelled like cow pasture and mud; she was just into pretending to be one of the Corgis!

I began my 30th (!) year of teaching this fall. I’m still at the local community college, and I teach two classes as an adjunct at Marietta College. My work with the Evergreen Arts & Humanities Series at WSCC keeps me busier than I’d like to be at times, but I get to meet some amazingly creative and fun people in the process. I also am still very active on behalf of Cuban political prisoners. I do a lot of translation work through the Coalition of Cuban-American Women. In October, I had the opportunity to speak at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States in Washington, DC. My topic dealt with human rights abuses of Cuban children; hopefully, my research will become a part of the OAS’s annual report on the overall state of human rights abuses in Cuba. I still dream of owning a small place in Cuba some day where all of you can visit me in the snowy winter months, but that won’t be a reality until there is a change in leadership on the island and things stabilize as a result. It could take a while!

Holding down the farm keeps me really busy! I’m praying that the warm weather continues because I have this sense that the barn might not withstand another windy winter. Keep your fingers crossed please! :0) My garden and flowers flourished during the summer, and I can hardly wait to get my hands back into the Earth in a few more months.

Here at our home, we’re grateful for our many, many blessings…good health, the love of good friends and family, our critters (two Corgis, five cats, and a fish) and the beauty of the natural world that surrounds us. Our prayer for the coming year is that as individuals, as a nation, as a planet, may we all come into a greater understanding of peace and compassion.

We send our holiday love and hope that this finds everyone well and happy. Please plan a visit to see us this coming year!

Wishing joy and peace to all!

Infinite love,

Tanya, Samuel, & Eliza & Bobbi and Isabella

55 DEGREES ON DECEMBER 17TH...?????

What's happening? It's as warm as a spring morning today, December 17th. At 10:30 AM, the fairly accurate thermometer on the back porch reads 55 degrees. All the infernal ladybugs that didn't hatch out during the fall have decided that it's time to infest the house, and the crocuses are thinking it's time to blossom. The evergreens are pollinating (as indicated by my allergies), and I had to toss off the winter quilts on my bed last night because I got too hot under the covers!!! Commentary in the mall last night centered around folks not feeling like it's the holiday season because of the warmth.....

Now, I'm not here to complain. Those of you who know me well know that winter is not my favorite time of the year and that I constantly jabber about having a winter home in Cuba some day...(That is, when Fidel finally croaks-if he hasn't already-, the country stabilizes, and I come up with a windfall that will allow me to put up a yurt on a small patch of beach front property on the island...Dream on!!) BUT, here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, the temps have not been below 40 degrees for the entire month of December.

Perhaps it really is time for us all to rent the Al Gore movie, read his book, and investigate cleaning up our lives. For a person who grew up in the mountains of NC and remembers very cold, snowy, windy, bitter winters, this December seems really, really strange.

Namasté.....

FARM SILENCE...

It's totally quiet here today at the farm...I'm here alone (after going out earlier to have a morning coffee with Samuel, who returned to Marietta yesterday after finishing his last exam). The only sounds I hear are the clicking of the keyboard as I type this and the chimes hanging outside in the crabapple tree as they respond to the breeze that sets them in motion.

Loonis, in her own silently annoying way, stares at me and invites me to play fetch with her yet again, and the dogs sleep soundly outside my bedroom door. Our communication today is totally non-verbal, especially since I have the best case of laryngitis I think I've ever had and couldn't talk if I wanted to.

I've tried to mutter a few words a couple of times today...to Samuel at the coffee house....to a salesperson over the phone...to the UPS driver when he dropped off a package. I squeak out some pretty pitiful croaks, and then everyone remarks at how incredibly miserable I sound. Thankfully, I don't feel badly...I just can't talk.

Actually, it's really quite nice to reflect upon silence, be silent, and listen to the silence.... a mystical, contemplative place of solitude and peace to experience...I love it!...I might not even put on any music or turn on TV...I think I'll wrap a few presents and knit, losing myself in each stitch as I watch the dishcloths I'm making take shape. (There may be some inner dialogue and/or expletives if I drop a stitch and can't figure out how to correct my mistake, however!) :0) :0)

So, as the Universe must be directing, I'm not going to speak again today...I'm going to give my obviously inflamed vocal chords a rest, and move within.

Stay tuned.....Namasté...

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like the Holidays Here at the Farm

The theme of this year's holiday decoration was SIMPLICITY. So, with that beautiful thought in mind, I set about to pull out as few ornaments and decorations as possible. However, once I got into the boxes filled with Farm Christmas memorabilia that's been around for decades, I found it a bit difficult to pick and choose exactly what would be a part of the Simplicity Holdiday Spirit this year.

Bottom line...I pulled out much more "stuff" that I had originally planned to unpack, and the "simplicity" theme readjusted into a "sort of simplicity" idea.

Here's a sample of what one would behold in the house this year...There are several "altar" spaces in honor of angels, the Goddess, my dad and grandmother, and Santa...There's a Christmas tree that has fallen over twice already this year...(Yes, we've officially put up the tree two times now, and yes, it has a rather reworked look to it... Loonis, the cat, would like for me to make a public declaration that she had nothing to do with the tumbling tree...I'm still looking for a conveniently designed Christmas tree stand, one that REALLY does what the instructions say it will do...like NOT let the tree fall over twice!) To officially conclude the holiday decorating frenzy, there will be one more item to complete once Mary Ann comes over tonight and she and I get into a little wine and creative mode...Stay tuned....

So as my little stocking (my very first stocking from my very first Christmas) says...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

(And keep your fingers crossed that the tree, which I now have anchored down with a huge piece of iron that normally serves as a sculpture on my living room wall, remains upright!)

I GET HIGH WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS....

No, no, no...not the drug-induced high that many of my readers might automatically associate with the lyrics, but the best of NATURAL highs when beloved friends, who are closer than many blood relatives, stop by for a couple of days at the farm to kick back...relax... and enjoy good coversation... fine wine... and the beginning of the holidays here at The Farm.

I've known the people in these photos for close to 30 years now, and we've certainly seen each other through every rite of passage possible...births, marriages, remarriages, divorces, deaths, and various other life-altering events.

Each one of us has lived a rather "unconventional" life...we've done everything from travel around the country in a bright green school bus, work in the Peace Corps, live alone in a small house way back in the Virginia mountains, have huge gardens and live rather self-sufficiently, make art, become involved in environmental, social, and human rights issues to teach and work in the corporate world. We have rather strong alternative views on most things; we don't vote for the likes of George Bush; we are very Earth-conscious; we have always contributed to living in a loving way and making the world a much better place; we have produced interesting, intelligent children who carry on our legacies; we've all lived communally at some point in our lives; we meditate, do yoga, and chant in the sweat lodge, and we all share a profound love for one another at a deep and very special level.

So, last night, we declared that "THE HOLIDAYS HAVE BEGUN" as we gathered together here at the farm, cooked up a delicious meal, made a warm fire in the big room, listened to Sherm play his guitar, and sipped our after dinner wine. More memories were made to add to our friendship list of good times shared, as love effervesced in our hearts like bubbles from the finest champagne....It just doesn't get much better!

May everyone be blessed with similar connections this holiday season and beyond...They're the absolute very, very bestest thing in the whole wide world...

PIGEON ROOST, NC...

Population 30, give or take a few...Home of Grandma Ruth, who'll turn 105 on January 28, 2007... One of my favorite places on earth...

Here are a few photos of her, the barn I played in as a kid, the chicken coop where I got flogged by the rooster when I went to gather eggs while Grandma was milking, and galax, a waxy low growing plant she used to gather by the sack fulls to sell to the folks at the herb market.

CLOSET CLEANING, A URINARY TRACT INFECTION, AND GRATITUDE FOR FRIENDS

For some odd reason this morning as I started a MAJOR closet cleaning project, I felt like something was "off" in my body. Shortly after I got everything in my closet heaped in piles on my bedroom door, it became obvious that I had come down with an intense urinary tract infection (I know...thanks for sharing). SOOOOO, rather than being able to finish my project (and let me tell you, it is a HUGE project), I spent a considerable part of the day staring at the piles on the floor, drinking cranberry juice, and debating whether or not I should try to get to a doctor.

About a dozen excruciating trips to the bathroom convinced me that yes, I needed to get my rear end in gear and go to Quick Care. Well, Quick Care is closed on Saturday afternoon, so I headed to Physician Care where the receptionist informed me that I would have a two to three hour wait before I could see the MD. I confess to being a bit grumpy at that point since there were only 2 or 3 sneezing,coughing, and wheezing folks in the waiting room. Then it occurred to me to call a friend who's an MD to ask the huge favor or calling me in a prescription. Thank goodness, David was at home. I went straight to RiteAid, started the meds, and am feeling considerable relief.

Then, I remembered that the Evergreen Arts & Humanities Series had an event scheduled tonight that I needed to attend. Tom Jackson pulled through for me on this one, and while the concert was taking place, I mustered up enough energy to put on my clothes to go pick up Eliza after the high school basketball game.

When I called Eliza's friend's mom, Kim, to tell her I'd be by after the game, she volunteered--no actually insisted--on bringing Eliza home so I wouldn't have to go out. How sweet..how considerate...how loving!

Now, some 12 hours later after the onset of UTI, the closet stuff is still heaped on my floor and bed, and I've ingested enough fluids to drain a pond. However, as crappy as I have felt all day, I have been embraced and humbled by the goodness of others...by three people whose assistance and kindness made the day easy for me and enabled me to take some time to rest and feel better.

THANK YOU TOM, DAVID, AND KIM...I'll pay it forward, and I'm here whenever you need me...I am deeply, deeply grateful...

Namasté....Tanya

I HAVEN'T DISAPPEARED, BUT...

the week after Thanksgiving is always "in-service" at work, and in all honesty, I'm about in-serviced out. Compression plannings, meetings, and the annual Professional Development Day motivational speakers all add up to days packed with zillions of things that preclude anything important from being addressed, much less begun or completed.

Thank goodness for my beloved Mary Ann, who brightens my day with her wonderfully colorful creations and sense of humor. While I knitted through yesterday's speakers, she completed 8 Sudokus. Yes, the girls in A&S 237 are not well-behaved, and yes, we will make history!

My goal for the weekend is to get some photos and commentary from Thanksgiving week in NC posted and start thinking about the holidays...

Hasta luego....

FARM UPDATE ---NOVEMBER 21, 2006

Pre-Thanksgiving love abounds here at the Farm...Bobbi and Isabella arrived Sunday afternoon...Those two always bring loads of laughter and fun...Joe Davis came over from Athens last evening, and all of us, along with Tom Jackson, had some major deep connected farm time...lots and lots of laughter, a wonderful fire in the fireplace, and a succulent lamb, collards, wild rice, and homemade cranberry sauce meal Thanksgiving meal here at the farm... Bob, Tom, and I in the kitchen were a site to behold...Meanwhile, Isabella and her favorite farm friends, Annie and Molly, played so hard they fell asleep together underneath the dining room table! :0)

Tom J., the dogs, and I are off to NC tomorrow...Will see Grandma Shook...Ride around in the mountains...Hang out... Samuel and Eliza will be together in Florida....

It's all about love at its best....The photos say it all...

Joy radiates in every cell of my being at this moment...
I am grateful for this day and my many, many, many blessings....

Namasté... T.

PS: Check out www.positivenewsus.org

PSS: The Sychronized Global Orgasm for Peace is making the news...Jay Leno, David Letterman, John Stewart, and others have all mentioned it on their programs, and no one seems to think it's a bad idea...Go figure!!!!! :0) :0)

THE BIG "O" FOR PEACE - Think Globally, Act Locally

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

This is the First Annual Winter Solstice Synchronized Global Orgasm for Peace, leading up to Winter Solstice of 2012, when the Mayan Calendar ends with a new beginning.

The intent is that the participants concentrate any thoughts during and after orgasm on peace. The combination of high-energy orgasmic energy combined with mindful intention may have a much greater effect than previous mass meditations and prayers.

The goal is to add so much concentrated and high-energy positive input into the energy field of the Earth that it will reduce the current dangerous levels of aggression and violence throughout the world. Global Orgasm is an experiment open to everyone in the world. The results will be measured on the worldwide monitor system of the Global Consciousness Project.http://www.globalorgasm.org/http://blog.wired.com//sex/2006/11/global_orgasm_a.html
__________________________________________________________________
Please send out to your entire mailing list!

WHO? All Men and Women, you and everyone you know.
WHERE? Everywhere in the world, but especially in countries with weapons of mass destruction.
WHEN? Winter Solstice Day - Friday, December 22nd, at the time of your choosing, in the place of your choosing and with as much privacy as you choose.
WHY? To effect positive change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible surge of human energy. There are two more US fleets heading for the Persian Gulf with anti-submarine equipment that can only be for use against Iran, so the time to change Earth's energy is NOW!

Our minds influence Matter and Energy fields, so by concentrating any thoughts during and after The Big O on peace and partnership, the combination of high orgasmic energy combined with mindful intention will reduce global levels of violence, hatred and fear.This is something just about everyone can do and enjoy. And you can do it by yourself or with someone else. You don't even have to tell anyone you're going to do it!

THE SCIENCE: The Global Consciousness Project (http://noosphere.princeton.edu), Princeton University, runs a network of Random Event Generators around the world, which record changes in randomness during global events. The results show that human consciousness can be measured to have a global effect on matter and energy during widely-watched events such as 9/11 and the Indian Ocean tsunami. There have also been measurable results during mass meditations and prayers.

It's free! It's private! It's easy! It's fun! It just might be the most important thing you could do for yourself, your family, the planet and our species.

HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY, ELIZA!!

How happy would you be if for your 15th birthday, you put it out to the Universe that the guy you'd really like to go out with asked you out?

Well, just ask Eliza, whose request came true today when her friend Matt became her boyfriend Matt on her 15th birthday! She's so excited she can hardly contain herself!!!!!

As I write this, Matt, his brother, Josh, and Lexie, Eliza's best friend who is also Josh's girlfriend, are downstairs celebrating E's 15th birthday, playing Twister (hmmmmm??) and eating pizza. How cool is it that two best friends are going out with brothers - brothers who really like each other and get along well????!!??

It's been a magical day for Eliza..Friends honored her at school with gifts, and she's gotten several phone calls from friends and family. A really special call was the one she got from Samuel. To continue the celebration, Lexie, her mom, Kim, Eliza, and I are heading to Easton Mall in Columbus on Sunday to do some birthday shopping. It'll be a girls' day and fun, fun, fun...

My memories of Eliza's birth: Exhilaration at meeting my little girl, agony at having pneumonia at that time, a sore body (not so much from the C-section as from the discomfort of coughing all the time), and looking into two little eyes that never stopped gazing into mine.

Fifteen years later, I look into those same eyes and see into the essence of an amazing young woman...incredibly bright, sensitive, caring, compassionate, and beautiful in every way. And, I'm honored beyond words that she chose to incarnate on the planet through me so that we could share our lives as mom and daughter.

Happy Birthday, E! Infinite love.......Mom

CHECK THIS OUT NOW!!!

Go immediately to the Home Star Runner website and click on the New Fan Costumes button in the upper right corner of the page. (You have to be fast because the little icon there changes quickly). The very first photo that pops up is none other than our very own farm girl, Lori Beth (in the tee-shirt) with her friend Amanda, the bear-eating shark!!! (This, by the way, is the photo Lori submitted to the First Annual Namasté Blog Halloween Costume Contest that I can't figure out how to post.)

YEAH LORI & AMANDA !!!!!! You two "hot-ties" are cyberspace stars!

(If you've never checked out Home Star Runner, take a trip through the site. I guarantee you'll laugh along the way!)

Can't wait to get the word out, so I'm going to post this NOW!!!

HALLOWEEN SUBMISSION--They're all winners!

There were few submissions for the First Annual Namasté Blog Halloween contest, so all four submissions have been declared winners. Those of you who were kind enough to participate will receive something appropriate in time, so hang in there until your prize arrives. (NOTE: Lori's submission from Hawaii and Mary Ann's original submission wouldn't post on my blog, but I'll keep working on them. In the meantime, I posted a shot of Mary Ann that I took.)

The 50's Housewife-Mary Ann Abbott

Old Lady with Large Ass and Sagging Breasts-Mary Helgren

A Playboy Bunny-I have no idea who this is!

A Sweet Little Witch