Entry #38: Lilac Trees Blushing Violet, Steve Jobs, and Attaching to Others Actions

Dear All:

Spring is exploding at the moment. The sky has a big bright blue smile today and the trees, shrubs and plants are beaming with green and ready for another spectacular season of flowering trees and bouquets! While the sun's warmth loves the blushing lilac trees, the "baby pink" and "June bride yellow" tulips wait patiently in the flower beds for their floral friends to appear.

As the birds chirp and flutter during the day's journey, perched nearby are the Morning Doves, often paired and quietly whistling their "who" songs of God's light. Their ringing of unique songs, among the clatter, gives me great joy this bright spring season. Let's hear it for the Zen in the backyard!

Tweet

1.  The Morning Doves, perched nearby, quietly whistle their "who" songs of God's light.
2. The Doves' presence and calm whistling, among the clatter, gives me great joy this bright spring morning (4/29).

As the lilac trees blush with violet and the tulips sit attentively in the garden, I see how attaching to people/events can be exhilarating or not, however we choose, right?

It is exciting to think of Steve Job's accomplishments and his impact on the world. Rolling Stone Magazine writes, "Steve Job's is the CEO of the most valued company in the world." When I read about his childhood, his rise and fall with Apple Computer and his later life, his path was to build the best computer in the world and also to attain self love and understanding like the rest of us. God bless Mr. Jobs for his inventive and intuitive computers, phones and astounding gateway to music!

With the exhilaration of Mr. Jobs and his Apple products, comes the continual "ego tugging" of attaching ourselves to people and/or events that do not make us feel good. I am amazed how much time we spend (as adults) discussing others actions, in particular when it has nothing to do with us. If we focus on our own thoughts and actions, (especially the ones we are proud of) then, 1) there is no conflict whatsoever 2) we are in a state of calm and in control 3) we can nourish ourselves more 4) we are working our emotionally healthy relationships 5) we are working our emotionally healthy selves 6) we are letting go of our self importance (ego) 7) we are demonstrating a higher level of communication to the world 8) we gain a new understanding of our responsibility in close relationships and how they make us feel 9) we stop the negative noise and 10) if we are living one of the universal laws, then nothing can go that wrong, right? 

Tweet

1. If I am focusing on my actions today, I am good to go!
2. I am responsible for everything I am feeling today. 

While full grown trees explode with this flowers and morning doves whistle their tender songs in the backyard, perhaps we can we look within to understand the ways in which our ego can "tug at our bliss".  If I am being present (which means thinking, feeling and discussing my own actions), surely nothing can go that wrong, right?

Let's pray for the women, children and animals who need our fierce and determined protection at all times.

With Love and Sincerely,

Kristen

Entry #37: April's Showers Happy Hour, John Muir and The Gift of Respect

Dear All:

The moderate temperatures have continued and the rain arrived yesterday morning. We are relieved because the trees, shrubs and plants are being served the cocktails they've been waiting for. The tiny buds have exploded into my favorite color jellybean green and are now enjoying the season's dance with their friends the tree branches. The backyard birds continue their flutter and flurry while building their dear little nests up and down the trees. The springtime frenzy in the backyard is magic at its best! 

Tweets

1. The backyard birds are chirping loudly which is causing a flurry this twilight evening.

As the puddle's pipe with raindrops and the shrubs beam with green pride this Earth Day, we celebrate this event with more respect each year and in particular the individuals who've made it their business to protect the breathtaking nature and wildlife that exists today. 

When I lived in Northern California I frequently strolled Muir Woods right in Marin County. I realize now (since I got my head out of my ass) that this great park with the biggest redwood trees ever, was named after Mr. John Muir.  "Today we celebrate the birthday of John Muir. His activism helped preserve Yosemite Valley and create Sequoia National Park. He's also the founder of the Sierra Club and is often referred to as the "Father of the National Parks."--Yahoo News

Tweet

1. God bless Mother Earth today and forever.

With the trees and plants getting their drink "on" in the backyard and Earth Day in full bloom, we thank the people who translated their ideas of preservation and respect into a monumental gesture. It is not easy keeping the developing "dogs" from chopping into the sweet pure earth. It wasn't easy then and it sure isn't now. The respect Mr. Muir demonstrated years ago has had such an impact for what exists now. Just imagine how respect could transform the understanding we have for ourselves and how our relationships and outlook could improve. 

The gift of respect is what I learned from my parents, Tom and Jane. To have self respect is a gift we give to ourselves. Respect towards others is another gift we give ourselves because the result is so positive.

If we could show respect towards others in a genuine way 1) when we have different viewpoints 2) when we have different cultures 3) when we do not interrupt others when they are speaking 4) when we show our friends/family respect (no matter what)  5) when we are truly happy for others 6) when we mind what we say  7) when we give others our full attention (not easy for me) 8) when we can agree to disagree 9) when we empathize and 10) when we continually find solutions to problems with others, then nothing could go that wrong, right? Let's hear it for loving ourselves til the cows come home (within reason) and continually finding a "way" toward others and our differences. I'm just sayin...

Tweet

1. How about we allow our differences to exist today?
2. "In a world of harshness, it is time to soften and expand how we go about our life."--OM Horoscope
3. I'll take a large glass of happy today with no ego please. Thank you!

I am all about the love, but when stories arise of children being preyed upon (there is an investigation has been opened again from a 1979 case that took place right here in NYC's Soho district) I shake my head, look above and ask the Divine, why couldn't one of us be there to protect this dear little guy?

Let's pray for the women, children and animals who need our fierce and determined protection at all times.

With Love and Sincerely,

Kristen

Entry #36: Rainfall Cocktails Please, The Audacity of Fracking and The Relief of Getting Over Myself

Dear All:

The temperature is so moderate that it feels like Memorial Day, only it is early April. As we wait for this month's showers to nourish the trees, shrubs and plants, the cherry blossoms continue to dance and the tiny jellybean green buds giggle with their friends, the craggy tree branches. The heavenly ringing of the Cardinals' bells and the Sparrows' melancholy, yet amazingly pretty whistle becomes intense as they flurry and flutter with one another to this season's love dance. Let's hear it for the Zen in the backyard!

Tweets

1. Where the birds sing, there is light.
2. I will have a large glass of yellow sunshine today, thank you!

As the sunshine and tulips toast to us from the garden, waiting for their rainfall cocktails, it seems hard to ignore the gnarly headlines depicting the audacity of fracking (sigh) and the environmental ramifications.

Hydraulic Fracturing is a way in which to drill "inexpensive" clean, gas. The cost per barrel seems to be a relief from what we are paying now, but the toll in our dear Mother Earth is concerning, to say the least. There are some hard questions surrounding this issue, though. Instead of fracking, do we 1) maximize the use of coal or 2) do we fill the country sides with windmills and kill all the migratory birds and double electricity while doing this? At the end of the day I am going with the ladies, and that would be Mother Earth!  Where is the fucking EPA when you need them? Jeff Goodell of Rolling Stone Magazine wrote a scathing article claiming, "It is not only toxic, but it is more about flipping land than drilling for gas." With the GOP in the dog house this year, this kind of headline is not surprising. Thank goodness for social media on this one.

Tweet

1. "I think of plants as living things, and I respect them."--Florence Boogarets, Florence Boogarets Garden Design 

With Spring getting ready to bloom and Fracking being such a drag, is there any way to control our emotions when our loved ones may not be loving and kind towards us? I am the nicest person in the world when things are going my way. If we can lose our self importance (ego) with everybody & everything, we may just get some relief from ourselves. Yahoo!

So, if I do not react when loved ones 1) listen to me with judgment 2) say something of unbearable truth to me (but its true) 3) talk instead of listen 4) display unfavorable actions that I may not agree with 5) share something unfavorable that someone else said 6) withhold info that I am "attaching to" 7) shout at me 8) do not do what I have asked them to do 9) have passive aggressive tendencies towards me 10) cannot look within, then I am Getting Over Myself, and what a relief it is, right?  Yahoo! 

Tweet

1. I Got Over Myself today, what a relief!
2. If I let go of my ego today, I'm good to go.

As April's flowers sip one rain drop at a time, and as we monitor the Fracking bills being passed/not passed in Congress (via Social Media) and while totally Getting Over Ourselves even when others throw their ego bullshit our way, nothing can go that wrong right?

Let's pray for the women, children and animals who need our fierce and determined protection at all times.

With Love and Sincerely,

Kristen