It's Memorial Day in America....

...and I have no idea why I picked this to share, but here it is.

Shawn
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Today is International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia

Hail, Gaia....

So, I needed to blog and we were talking about wedding cakes...

....and a friend paid me a lovely compliment. My reply was to describe our wedding cake and how it came to be, back in 2010 at our Bluebonnet wedding (the one where we actually invited people).


Our cake topper was a china Claddagh with an inscription that fit our philosophy. When we went to look at cake ideas it just freaked out the cake designer when I didn't do all the talking. Noel was a major part of the deal, lol. When we decided the style we wanted and flavor/frosting (red velvet/butter cream with crystallized rain droplets), we showed her an example of how the flowers should look (bloomed-out roses) and I told her there needed to be 9. When she asked how they should be placed, I told her "however you want, as you're the artist." She obviously hadn't ever been given that much leeway and looked at me like I was nuts, lol. I didn't turn all "Bridezilla" until the cake was 15 minutes late, by my determination. Never mind we were having near hurricane weather and it was pouring and blowing a gale outside. The gals that delivered the cake just looked at me and laughed and laughed....

Shawn

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SGTex writes again....

April, her showers scant but sufficient unto the bluebonnets, traditionally brings us to thoughts of the National Day of Prayer. This year the splendid patriotic holiday falls on May 01, and that just couldn’t be more auspicious. I’m not a Pagan but I sleep with one who reminds me that May Day is Beltane, that day of felicitous ritual meant to bring abundant crops and healthy livestock. 

In the past, the Interfaith Council’s diversity-based contribution to the region’s public observance included Buddhism and so brought rain and protection of Dyess AFB from budget cuts.

Political considerations being what they are, I particularly wonder this year whether our mayor and the city of Abilene intend to be mindful of the constitution or disregard it. Last year, it was almost as surprising as the cold weather and sprinkle of rain that City Hall had assented to hosting an evangelical Christian ceremony at noon on the National Day of Prayer.

As a patriot of faith, I felt called to visit City Hall just exactly then, to get in on the religious freedom. In my denomination we ring a bell, burn incense and chant. I was respectful and timed my participation so as not to be disruptive; nor did my small protest sign violate civil etiquette.

After all, for several National Days of Prayer in a row, church groups appeared to have accepted their obligation as good citizens to carry out their Christian-only event somewhere besides City Hall, and for those several years the City of Abilene accommodated/endorsed no religion. As our Atheist neighbors are quick to point out, that is one good way to keep things lawful and just.

The other way would be for the mayor and city to welcome proponents of all the various options in faith and philosophy, perhaps even affording alternative and minority religions advance notice and invitation. That, goodness knows, will be the day and amen.

No, I’d say there’s a 50/50 chance city government and church culture will get together again this year and try to carry on with allegiance to Shirley Dobson’s ultraconservative constitution-stomping cult, the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Now that Abilene’s Atheists have organized, I hope a few of them can take over guarding the “no establishment” national covenant and be prepared to make an appearance at City Hall, 555 Walnut, on May 01 if the situation calls for it. High noon is the traditional time, but let’s all call City Hall a few days beforehand to confirm.

I feel sorry for San Angelo, where they’re nearly certain to violate the rights of thousands with a Christian-only observance at Tom Green County Courthouse! Such events do nothing to protect us against terrorism, oil spills and freakish weather.

Meanwhile, happily, the open-minded Abilene Interfaith Council is planning its inclusive ceremony and bread-breaking embrace of our nation’s religious pluralism, slated to occur at the Center for Contemporary Arts, in sight of oft-consecrated Minter Park. How positive, and how powerful!

My generation went through a phase of liberal religious tolerance and relativism when a sentiment prevailed that all spiritual teachings and beliefs are true. That, of course, is not the case at all. Some religion fails the test of reason. Some religion engenders misunderstanding instead of respect and compassion, and produces backward, hateful politics instead of progress along the road to universal peace and justice. But if constitutional religious liberty continues to operate in this society, a sort of free market effect should lead to the eventual extinction of bad religion and success and survival for superior teachings.

SGTex
(article printed in the Abilene Reporter-News)
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Hello, world.....

Earlier this week in Austin, Texas....

...the goddess watches over the state capitol.

Animals Asia Transforms Moon Bear Bile Farm To Sanctuary

Just think...

....and if we want to keep the butterflies coming, we'd better make some changes.

In the garden.

Shawn
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For some reason, this picture makes me remember....

....not long ago I ran on to an old black and white photograph on the web that was posted by someone who'd been at my old summer camp.  Pictured was one of two lovely Great Danes that belonged to the camp director.

The dogs spent a lot of time out in the woods behind the camp buildings.  After breakfast one morning I was on hand to see them return to camp carrying something between them.  At first it was hard to tell what it was, but when they carefully picked their way through the salal and ferns at the edge of the woods and came down on to the property, I saw that it was an orphaned tiny fawn. The poor thing was drooping, half dead, and one dog had a grip on it behind the ears and the other had it just above the little tail.  I guess they saw me there and brought it over, dropped it in the dirt near where I was standing and sat down to wait.  I ran to the kitchen and told the camp director who came running over, picked it up and hurried it away to check it over.  It lived, but just barely.  I got to help bottle feed and care for it the rest of my time at camp that season.

The next summer when I went back, it was a fully-grown, beautiful doe dubbed...you guessed it!  "Bambi."  And she liked Sugar Daddy suckers, and did not hesitate to nibble at my jeans pocket until I gave her my candy.

And now you know another one of my stories from long ago.

Shawn
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Spring is here....

.....so I just stopped by to say ~Blessed Ostara~ and ~Happy Mabon~

Shawn
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Can I make a suggestion....?

Yes.  I'm talking to ME.

It seems that which I find to be provoking often becomes thought provoking.  I'm pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to go, ya know?

What?

I'm just trying to gain some control over my life these days.  It's not that it's *out* of control.  It's just not exactly Shawn driven, if you will.  All too often, instead of my waking up to a day filled with what I'd like to do or be, I just sort of respond (react) to what....happens to happen.  Does that make sense?  (insert eyeroll here)

I think the problems (ahem) are pushing me around just a bit.  I'm going to start pushing back.

That being "led by your dreams" idea seems nice, doesn't it?!

From now on, I resolve to be provoked to think more about the DREAMS than the PROBLEMS.

I can do this.

Giving it my best shot and then I'll try to get back to you with how it's going, okay?

Cheers!

Shawn
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And in US news....

.....it's a start, but we've got a ways to go.

I'll be so glad when it's just "marriage."  Won't you?!

Shawn

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The other day...

...might have been a day to celebrate a birthday.  The person whose day it was is no longer "with us," so to speak, but there are more than a few memories of who she was and what she did and said and thought and loved (whew) that live on in my mind.  Or maybe it's just in my heart, most days.

A few of you know who this is, just by seeing the flowers.

She loved delphiniums.  Flowers that grew as tall as they could along the fence behind the white daisies, with bees, heavily dusted with pollen, busily buzzing around.  She'd cut bouquets for friends and to take to church.  The floral stems were so many and so tall that they had to be laid out on a towel in the back seat of the car, with a tall vase wrapped in tissue paper, waiting her arrangement.  Just beautiful.  I always liked to gather up the fallen blossoms and dry them in a dish on my dresser. That's a fun memory.

What else do I remember about her?  Oh, that on her birthday morning one of us would have a heckuva time getting a parking spot close to the Pioneer Bakery so we could go pick up her usual cake.  She loved the springtime bouquet of daffodils and grape hyacinths designed to fit on a round cake with almond filling between the layers, frosted in buttercream, and the cake almond flavored, too.  Vanilla ice cream picked up on the way back to the house.  Coffee would be served and frilly napkins and gifts stacked nearby with ribbons and cards over which to exclaim.  Lots of laughter.

Those are the bright, happy memories that offset some of the more serious thoughts and questions I still have that emerge in dreams of days gone by, when family was close and people were in touch.

I do know that she would have been helping me get to where I am today, in Texas.  She'd have lots to say and be sending bulbs and tubers and seeds for gardens (same temperate zone) and she'd be telling me to stick up for what I believe and live my dream.  Don't set those goals aside!  Don't be talked out of anything about which you really care or believe or want to try!  Hang on to those "manners" and get back your equanimity.  Be proud of what you've accomplished and done.  Don't pay attention to people who don't pay attention to who you are or what you know or where you've been.  Speak less often if you have to.  Think more.  Don't get mad....get even.  (That would be a BIG one)  You don't have to yell to be heard.  Just keep your Truth and Be You.

Yeah.  Those would be the positive influences she had back when, and still would have.  There are negatives in there, too....but it wouldn't be nice to speak ill of the dead.  Especially when you're talking about them on or near their birthday.

Haha!!

Happy Birthday, EL.  You did right by me, and I do thank you.

So there.

;~) Shawn xo

Oh, and by the way.....

You have 2 cows...

SOCIALISM
You have 2 cows.
You give one to your neighbour

COMMUNISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk

FASCISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk

NAZISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and shoots you

BUREAUCRATISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then
throws the milk away

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy
grows.
You sell them and retire on the income

ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (VENTURE) CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by
your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption
for five cows.
The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the release.
The public then buys your bull.

SURREALISM
You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to
produce the milk of four cows.
Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why
the cow has dropped dead.

A GREEK CORPORATION
You have two cows. You borrow lots of euros to build barns, milking sheds, hay stores, feed sheds,
dairies, cold stores, abattoir, cheese unit and packing sheds.
You still only have two cows.

A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike, organise a riot, and block the roads, because you want three
cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce
twenty times the milk.
You then create a clever cow cartoon image called a Cowkimona and
market it worldwide.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows,
but you don't know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.

A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
You charge the owners for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.

AN IRAQI CORPORATION
Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
You tell them that you have none.
No-one believes you, so they bomb the ** out of you and invade your country.
You still have no cows, but at least you are now a Democracy.

AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Business seems pretty good.
You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.

A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The one on the left looks very attractive...

attributed to Matthias Vargas
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With thanx to our friend Magda, who lives in South Africa and is very funny.

The problem with the world today ....

.... is that everyone says they care, but most (including me many times) don't back it up with any effort. One can only assume that if caring is not backed up by effort, then it is not really caring. 

Nobody has time to sit and relax and talk and play. Everybody is too busy with their own lives and dramas. People will be sitting across from you and not even notice that your hair is on fire. Its always about tomorrow and next year. I am having this experience so I should post it on Facebook.

Everybody has their nose in their phone texting and multitasking and we all forgot how to be just plain ole friends and family that do things with each other and communicate and watch the kids play, or even play with them ourselves. 

It used to be so easy to be a friend and have friends and it has turned out to be the hardest thing in my life to do anymore. You build relationships over the years and then they get blown off and you never see that person again except maybe at their funeral. You gather with friends at Christmas or Fourth of July or birthday parties, and realize you will probably not see them again till the next celebration. I may be getting old, but I liked it back when our phones were connected to the wall and there were not 150 channels on TV, and 30 some-odd cold medications to pick from and just too many choices.

You and your friends wore the same thing more than once and your car was a beater and you and your girlfriends all got together and borrowed each other’s clothes and went with a carful to the drive-in and never paid attention to the movie. We were actually forced to stay connected with each other, stay in one place, do one thing at a time (maybe two).

Having everything you want right now or striving to have it all has made us less human and less happy. Things. Then more things.

If a friend does not act the way you want them to you blow them off instead of talking it out and all that history goes down the drain. Everybody can see the faults in others and will only accept people that are doing what they think is the right thing. We don't mind pointing out what is wrong with another but have a hard time with giving actual deep spiritual hugs and saying “I really love you and I want to know what you are going through.”

We don't let our children be children. We want them all grown up in one second and to keep up with the other kids the same age as them, and be the best at everything. We don't want them to act like babies. We don't want needy, imperfect kids or grown-ups around us. We call them emotional vampires. We don't accept imperfection in any area of our lives. But NOW is all there is and this always involves imperfection. We need to accept people we love for what they are now, not what they can be in the future.

Our children won't really remember how nice and perfect their house was. My favorite house growing up was my Nanny's (grandmother’s) and I remember going out and playing with friends, playing card games at the dining room table, eating chocolate cakes that she made with pecan halves on top, smells of her soap when I took a bath, the color of grass and a sprinkler to play in, the picture hanging over the bed I slept in when I spent the night. It feels like contentment and security. We remember the things that are usually uneventful that happen daily and that invoke the feelings that someone cares and loves us no matter what we did.

These days, I have never been so lonely being surrounded by people. I remember when we looked at each other in the eye in the supermarket and said hello. I remember when someone driving had the courtesy to wait until they person in front of them made a turn without blaring on the horn or speeding around to cut in line. I remember when people said they were gonna do something with you and actually followed through. Or maybe I just remember it all wrong. I'm just saying that I need to be present for a person sitting in front of me. That is the best gift I can give to the person I love. Focus. Listen. Look at a person. Don't run away if they cry or get angry. Make an investment in flesh and blood. Matter.

I have probably three huge boxes of pictures and mementos and at least 30 or more home movies of people that I once loved or called friends. Many have died and many have left my life or me theirs for stupid reasons. Most are not in my life anymore. They rejected me or I rejected them. We don't stick around and work it out. Maybe all those memories are worthless in the end. Maybe it is better to be a robot. I don't know. Get it done and don't let your emotions get involved. That is maturity right? Don't be weak. Don't cry or act like you care. Don't wear you heart on your sleeve. Become a robot. People like you better that way.

Sylvia d'E

Our guest blogger is smart, sweet and funny.  She's a dynamic woman making a difference in San Angelo, Texas, and we're privileged to have her as a friend.  Thank you, Sylvia!

Happy Valentine's Day....

....from Texas, America!!!

Shawn & SGTex
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Words shared with me....

"The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.


They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth."


~ Henry Beston "The Outermost House"


These words were shared with me today, and I wanted to share them with you.

Namaste'

Shawn
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Just dropping by...

.... to share this word of advice.

Especially to me.

Wouldn't it be a different world if we made an effort to value the feelings of others?

Just imagine.

Ciao~

Shawn
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