The Law of Giving

Gratefully receive gifts. Keep wealth circulating by giving and receiving care, affection, appreciation, and love.
This is a hard one for our children sometimes...and adults. This year Adrian wanted to buy each of his friends a gift for Christmas and I discouraged him! I know most of his friends are part of a one income family. I didn't want his friends or their family feeling obligated to get him a gift. I was even more afraid that he would be disappointed if he did not receive a gift in return. I was so wrong about this! I wish I had not discouraged this action.
Giving gifts is so rewarding, even to my almost 9 year old. I watched yesterday as some of his friends gave him gifts for his birthday. They were so excited to give him something they knew he would like. He did enjoy the gifts, but I saw he had a hard time expressing it. Yet he played with his new toys all the way home and as soon as he got home, he hammered in his new basketball ring and then ran outside to toss his new Nerf ball. I only wish his friends saw that.
Gifts are filled with so much care and love. I'll never make that mistake again.

Three Worlds...

This early morning I lied awake in bed, feeling the softness of my sheets, the firmness of my mattress and so enjoying the comforts, but with it came a pressing thought of all I needed to accomplish today, before being a mom. A thought passed my head, I remembered a dear friend who once commented that she lies awake in bed for hours having a hard time getting out of bed.

Yesterday, I had a remarkable lunch with several ladies who left me feeling awed. These ladies were in their 50's and 60's. They had no children, no husband but had very prominent jobs. Jobs that had flourished during our better times-one a stock broker and one in advertisement. These ladies, despite their high demanding jobs had been major players in our community. They had an unbelievable charity volunteer record. They had been raising money for important charities for most of their career life. Even yesterday they were jumping through hoops to be volunteers at a local hospital. Our hospitals need volunteers. I was in total awe of these ladies, especially when the stock broker told me she had no idea what her future with her company would be and so I asked what shall you do then and she replied I will finish up my Architecture degree I have been working on for the past few years!

Fast forward and one hour later, I am hanging out with my "crunchy" girlfriends at the park, while our children run free. This was an adjustment for me. I had a hard time adjusting to the trivia we deal with on a daily basis. I believe that what we are achieving through putting our family first is a huge plus to our society and most importantly to our children. I believe we are all doing what is right. I believe in non-judgement. I believe we can all make a difference.

This morning I got out of my comfortable bed and without skipping a beat I jumped on my computer to work until I took my son to our rock climbing adventure. There was no time to linger, no time to think about the cares in the world. I have a business to run, a family to help support, and a child to hold. I don't pretend to know another world, though I admit I'd like to know another. I suppose there are some who would like to know my world...

So I got upset when a friend wrote about her thoughts of how Americans need to run their business. Am I really so upset about her opinions that run so close to mine?

Or is it I know she can lie in the comforts of her bed until she doesn't care to.

One is Silver and the Other's Gold

Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold. I've been thinking about my friends a lot lately. Having traveled all over I have friends on remote french islands off the coast of Africa and in Europe and the US Virgin Islands and on the mainland they go from Florida to Connecticut to California and every where in between. Many of my friends call me the glue that holds us together. The contact person who remembers to call once or twice a year and tell them all about our friends.
Making friends and keeping in touch is the easy part. The toughest part is those that have wanted to leave my companionship. I'm never sure of the reason, nor is there ever a closure, they just stop answering my phone calls.
I've spent nights past going over what I said or what I could have done to make my friend decide she just didn't care to have me in her life any more? Perhaps it's the distance or the full life that come with getting older. With marriage, kids, and work, there's just not enough time to talk to someone you never see. Maybe talking to me is the last thing they want to do at the end of a long week or day.
Never the less it still hurts. I have to admit, I have friends I've out grown. One girlfriend thinks every time she sees me that I have been dying to drink tequila, sing classic rock n roll like I'm on stage and stay up till dawn. I'd say I've out grown her. I'd say some times it's really hard trying to make conversation with her. We don't think the same way when it comes to nutrition, health, politics or relationships, but she was there when no one else was. She stuck her neck out for me when I was pregnant and needed an address so I could get medical care for cheap. She doesn't want to let me go. So I get to keep her.
Maybe my reason for thinking that I've out grown my tequila swigging girlfriend is the same reason my other girlfriends have dropped me. They were all friends from college.
Maybe we just grew apart. It's natural. We tend to keep close those who can reassure us our way of thinking is OK. But not me! I always love a challenge! And I always love my girlfriends forever and ever.
So I keep my precious metals-I keep the old in my heart, in my soul and in my mind. They might never be on the other end of the phone line, but they are always with me.

January Lessons

So many times I hear, "what curriculum do you use to teach your son? " Well I have to say, this has been a learning full month. Earlier this month I told Adrian he was going to log on to Time 4Learning, an online learning program, more often. His father was pressuring me. So for the sake of our relationship, we are trying to help Dad out. Adrian really does like this program and spends hours unasked playing on it. He's into the reading comprehension at the moment. I've noticed he's taking a little more interest in spelling too. He can skip around on the grade buttons.

But the biggest learning adventure has been the construction of his new tree house. Paul has allowed Adrian to do all the planning and most of the hammering. It's funny, Paul is always asking Adrian to get off his learning program to work on the tree house and Adrian is always trying to have as much fun on his computer before having more fun on the tree house!

And me? Well I am just so happy that they are both happy!

Why I live here?

The new theme picture is actually a local winter picture. We took this when we visited the Colorado River at the end of December. The local is about a 45 minute drive from here. Paul and Adrian have spent several days here, tooling around in a boat of some sort. There is a fisherie here too. Today was the most gorgeous day ever. It was a high of 70 degrees and the sun was bright! During my evening walk the colors in the sky were beautiful as a slight chill started cooling down the night. Two day's ago we were sledding on Mt. Charleston, another 45 minute drive!
I had lunch with a girlfriend and as we were remarking on the beautiful day, we both said together-"This is why we live here!"

This Pirate Looks at Another Year in the Forty's

Well, I don't plan on saying what year I turned this week, I can tell you James Bond's "From Russian With Love" was made the same year as me. We are watching yet another James Bond! My birthday was a great day, thanks to my family. I spent the first part of the day enjoying the spa at Green Valley Ranch. This had been a Mother's Day gift, I never got around to using. I wanted to many times, but it was such a great gift I kept waiting for the perfect time.
After four luxurious hours I got home to find the boy's had prepared a Greek Fiesta! Greece is the one place I have never been and have wanted to go all my life. I love greek food. We had lamb, olives, fabulous cream feta, and best of all-Saganoki. Saganoki is not a wine! Although my meal did come complete with a Greek wine. Saganoki is Kasseri cheese floured, fried in olive oil soaked in brandy and lastly it is flamed. You must always say "OOPA!" when the cheese is lit.
We placed all this on our trampoline in the TV room, lit some candles and watched Return to Witch Mountain 2. Later I watched Billy Elliot. It was a glorious day and I went to bed thankful for the thoughtful man in my life

.

Jimmy Buffet and I don't need Birthdays Cause My Friends Can Remind Me How Old I Am!

For the life of me I can not figure out how Miranda gets those videos on her blog!
So a few of my friends asked me how I came up with my blog name. I'm sorry I thought everyone knew this Jimmy Buffett song. Here I was always making reference to JB and I come to find out people actually don't know why!!! Sorry. Of course I have to say, I remember singing this song when I was 17, before many of my friends were born, so I should not be surprised! Here's the video I liked best. This video has the song really clear. Does anyone know how I can have this playing when you open my blog?
For you youngsters, apparently Jack Johnson sings it too! There is even a video with him and Dave Mathew singing it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGTaS0IFOs

Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all, you've seen it all
Watched the men who rode you switch from sail to steam
In your belly you can hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of em dreams, most of em dreams
Yes, I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
The cannons dont thunder, theres nothin to plunder
Im an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late
But Ive done a bit of smugglin, I've run my share of grass
Made enough money to buy miami, but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last
I have been drunk now for over two weeks,
Passed out and I rallied and I amoked a few reefs
But Ive got stop wishin, got to go fishin down to rock bottom again
Just a few friends, just a few you friends.
Now I go for younger women, lived with several awhile
Though I ran em away, theyd come back one day
And I still could manage a smile
Just takes a while, just takes a while
Mother, mother ocean, after all my years Ive foundOccupational hazard being my occupations just not around
Feel like Ive drowned, gonna head up town.
Feel like Ive drowned, Im gonna head up town

The Twelfth Holy Night - The Need for a Tree Image

I can't believe how I have been mourning over taking down our Christmas Tree! For me it is symbolic of the wonderful Christmas Season we have just experienced. It was truly one of the prettiest trees we have ever had. I have been buying a few cheap ornaments during this time of sales. Paul said-"We just got it right!" Because we bought the tree so late it is just now getting old enough that the pine smell fills up the house! I looked at our tree during dinner and thought I'll blog about our tree. So how surprised I was to read my email and find that today's message was of a tree!!! Tree's have always been special for me. I remember as a child feeling the energy that exuded our Pine tree in our country yard. When I was pregnant with Adrian I would go walking and concentrate on the energy from the trees in my surroundings.

Lynn's words today:

Our souls need an image of a Tree. A trunk, simple, straight and solid. Branches and roots, twisted, reaching deep and high, weaving, feeding and nourishing, budding, leafing and fruiting. Sanctuary to birds, bugs, serpents, squirrels, spirits and sleeping possums. Source of great myths and mysteries. The tree of knowledge and the tree of life. The Bodhi Tree of Buddha. Your Soul’s Tree. In our souls, spirit weaves into matter and matter weaves into spirit, especially when your core, your I am I, is strong like a tree trunk.The Tree has been an archetypal image through the ages. Now it is an archetypal image for the individual. Imagine your own soul's tree image.Tonight, imagine your Soul’s Tree. It is the source of the growth of your wonder and your wisdom. Tend to your tree with love. Feed it with freedom. Burrow into the roots and build nests in the branches.

Inner Christmas

Every year (for the last two years), I have received 12 emails (one a day starting Christmas day) representing an Inner Christmas. On the sixth Holy Night I read about arousal:

Tonight, look back over the year, or over your life, for the presence of arousal in your soul. What turns you on in ways that give you a strengthened sense of self? As for my life the answer shouts loudly: "yoga"- espeacially when I would practice on a Sunday morning on the Heart Shaped Beach of Megan's Bay in St. Thomas. Yoga does stengthen my sense of self, yet I do not make it my life pattern.



What new ideas, new feelings, new activities have you engaged in with enthusiasm? The election this year gave me lots of arousals and in some of these experiences there was a need to calm the soul afterwards.



When we can calm our souls and stimulate arousal consciously, we find true joy in our humanity.
I resolve to find more arousals in this the last year of the naughts.