Angels
Posted on October 31, 2007 - Filed Under Deep thoughts, amazing, hope, joy
I have a friend who sent me some angels today and I really needed them. Desperately. She is a very special person, unique in ways that defy description. I don’t believe I have ever met anyone who is truly filled with love and whose goal was truly peace until I met her. I am grateful and awed to be any part of her life and honored to have her as a part of my life. In her case, I truly do believe in fate. It was fate that we met. It was fate that we found each other. I simply can’t believe otherwise.
And though we have never met in the real world, I couldn’t love her move. I couldn’t treasure that connection more. And it’s funny because we aren’t in contact in any constant sense. We don’t email everyday or gab on the phone often. Yet, I always feel like she is there, in the room with me. I carry her in my world and maybe in some inexplicable metaphysical sense, I talk to her every day on that level.
The people in our lives are so special and we so rarely acknowledge that, much less say anything out loud. I realized this today. Maybe it was the angels who opened my eyes, or the spiritual connection I feel to this most special person, or maybe it was just something I don’t need to define in any way. Maybe I just need to accept that something happened today for me. Something changed. And I’m a better person because of it.
I believe in angels, I always have. And I hope I always will.
Happy Halloweenie
Posted on October 30, 2007 - Filed Under Just For Fun, amazing, autumn, joy of creating
Some amazing pumpkins, courtesy of people who have a lot of talent and a lot of time on their hands. WC
Have a great, safe free candy night and don’t take any wooden apples. 
It’s a Cottage Industry
Posted on October 29, 2007 - Filed Under WTF?, assclowns, brain farts, dasterdly deeds
I’ve come to think that racism, as we know it today, is a cottage industry. And until we get rid of those who make it so, we will always have it. These two particular jokers diminish real racism and bigotry by following every media friendly incident they can muster and bloviating until we turn blue in the face.
The thing that gets me is how did either of these two gentlemen become ‘leaders’ of any community? Both reverands have what you might call checkered pasts and much questionable behavior and hypocrisy has been brought to light about each of them.
I’ve witnessed real bigotry and hatred based on race and these two manage to get it wrong nine and a half times out of ten. I find it insulting that either of these two men are given any face time or credence by the media and or the public at large.
My feeling is, that if these two fellows set their sights on something other than the limelight, there would be a lot less bullshit and a lot more healing. Just my opinion.
WC
Is There Any Good News?
Posted on October 26, 2007 - Filed Under Life, bad hair day, clueless, introspection
Is there anything good going on in the world, because I need to hear about it. Predictions of $100 a barrell oil (which means $8 a gallon for us?), people nervous about Iran, our leaders have zero percent approval and all of the candidates for the next big race stink. California almost burned to the ground, people get ruder every day, you can’t smoke in your car and several cities apparently, we’re all going to be paying for universal healthcare, Al Gore is a hero, Bin Laden is just misunderstood, taxes will go up, Hillary will win by default, stop signs mean nothing and McDonald’s is considered a restaurant?
I know I could stick my head in the sand and think of only puppy dogs and butterflies. Not read the news or listen to the radio and forget about politics. I could get my hands on some feel good meds and look at the nice sunset. I could write stories where life is fair and everybody lives happily ever after…But…
I’m too scared to look away. Too scared to pretend this too shall pass. Too scared that not enough of us are paying attention. Too scared that the chicken littles are winning the game and we won’t know it until we’re just part of the Matrix.
Things are just looking too much like a bad sci-fi movie to me, with all of us as the unwitting bit players, saying our lines, while thinking about what we’ll have for lunch.
Zelda would say, ‘hey it’s just something to do. It’ll change, it always does.” But does it? Will it? Does the bad never end?
WC
Creative Genius
Posted on October 25, 2007 - Filed Under Humor, Just For Fun, acts of idiocy, brain farts
(Time for a little levity. HT to Ger for this one. WC)
A man who just died is delivered to a local mortuary wearing an
expensive, expertly tailored black suit.
The Blonde mortician asks the deceased’s wife how she would
like the body dressed. She points out that the man does look good in the
black suit he is already wearing.
The widow, however, says that she always thought her husband
looked his best in blue, and that she wants him in a blue suit. She
gives the Blonde mortician a blank check and says, “I don’t care
what it costs, but please have my husband in a blue suit for the
viewing.”
The woman returns the next day for the wake. To her delight, she
finds her husband dressed in a gorgeous blue suit with a subtle
chalk stripe; the suit fits him perfectly.
She says to the mortician, “Whatever this cost, I’m very
satisfied. You did an excellent job and I’m very grateful. How much did
you spend?” To her astonishment, the blonde mortician presents
her with the blank check.
“There’s no charge,” she says.
“No, really, I must compensate you for the cost of that
exquisite blue suit!” she says.
“Honestly, ma’am,” the blonde says, “it cost nothing. You see, a
deceased gentleman of about your husband’s size was brought in
shortly after you left yesterday, and he was wearing an
attractive blue suit. I asked his wife if she minded him going to his
grave wearing a black suit instead, and she said it made no
difference as long as he looked nice.”
“So I just switched the heads.”
Mortality
Posted on October 23, 2007 - Filed Under Dear Readers..., Deep thoughts, Life, california, hope
In the last two and a half days I’ve had a chance to really examine my own mortality. It’s a strange sensation really - to think about the world without you in it. To think about your friends, family, pets, possessions, home no longer being there when they were just there a moment ago.
This morning when I awoke, there was a thick grey cloud of smoke just over the hill. I knew it came from the three fires blazing and threatening to merge, just a 20 minute drive from me. There are quite a few miles between me and ‘it’ but with gale force winds, an ember can fly a pretty long way. Our house is butted up against the “Wash” which is a dry riverbed that comes off the Angeles Crest National Forest. Lots of dry brush more than happy to make itself fuel for any fires that might want to visit. Indeed, I have seen fires just up the side of the mountain which is at the end of my block. I’ve heard the helicopters and seen the planes that drop the water many, many times. Believe me, folks, it’s unnerving.
Though wherever you live you come to accept whatever the natural disaster of that region is and tend to live your life - go about your business. I’ve lived here a long time and seen a lot of fires, a lot of mud slides and quite a few earthquakes. But, I’ve never seen 12-15 fires raging at once, never seen our spectacular firefighters stretched so thin and so far. So maybe that is why I decided to stay home from work today. My gut told me to stay. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I would feel if I came home to burned down home or dead pets, from smoke inhalation. Melted and fused possessions (precious few, I admit, but still mine).
My boss was none too happy that I decided to stay home. She essentially told me I was nuts to worry about it. She kept saying it wasn’t going to come and nothing was going to burn down. But I wouldn’t relent and I’m glad I didn’t. The winds have died down, which is good news. And it sounds as though a few of the fires have gotten a bit under control. Even the big cloud of smoke has dissipated. They say that the on shore winds should start tomorrow, which will throw moisture into the air and somehow help the firefighters fight the monstrous flames.
And I’m safe in my home with my pets and my things. Unlike 500,000 of my fellow Californians, many of whom who have lost everything except whatever they were able to take with them.
In view of all of this, the job doesn’t matter a damn. Nor does what my boss wants or whether or not she thinks I’m nuts to think or feel what I think and feel. Jobs can be replaced, so can bosses for that matter. In fact, I wouldn’t trade my job or job security for even one of my pets or my computer for that matter.
It’s times like these that you have to just stop and figure out what matters to you and then do your best to protect it. And so I am.
Thanks for all the well wishes. I am fine. I’m worried and frankly a bit scared, but okay, nonetheless. Keep praying for everyone else out there. There are millions of us and many of them need your prayers.
WC
Anyone interested in helping here are a few links:
http://www.directrelief.org/SupportUs/WaysToGive/WaysToGive.aspx
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/california.wildfire.donations.2.411576.html
http://networkforgood.blogspot.com/2007/10/southern-california-fires.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21444274/
Fire
Posted on October 22, 2007 - Filed Under Dear Readers..., acts of valor, bad hair day, heads up
Hi guys,
As you may have heard on the news, there are approximately 12 forest fires going strong here in Southern California. Unfortunately, several of them are rather nearby. The Governor has proclaimed a state of emergency and hopefully, we will have the National Guard and any other help we need to get the fires under control.
A few pictures:
The first one is a map that gives you the general locations of the fires. The others show various views from the fires. So far, 250,000 have been evacuated just from the San Diego area alone. Thousands of acres have been burned and our firefighters fight not just fire but up to 105 mile an hour Santa Ana winds, 0% humidity and dry brush. Hundreds of homes have been lost.
Say a little prayer for us, if you would. I’ll check back soon. I’m hoping against hope that we won’t be evacuated too.
Annie
Addendum:
If anyone is interested in helping here are a few links that you can follow:
http://www.directrelief.org/SupportUs/WaysToGive/WaysToGive.aspx
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/california.wildfire.donations.2.411576.html
http://networkforgood.blogspot.com/2007/10/southern-california-fires.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21444274/
Dear God…
Posted on October 19, 2007 - Filed Under Deep thoughts, Humor, Just For Fun, brain farts
My sister sent me these in an email and they are precious. Sure to make you smile. WC
On a Roll…..And it’s Splendid!
Posted on October 18, 2007 - Filed Under Humor, Just For Fun, brain farts
Okay, Moe over at the Nook had this screwy idea of doing a rolling post. Each person who has volunteered to participate gets to add 3-4 sentences as their contribution. Our participants are:
Moe tagged the Muse and the Muse tagged moi.
From Moe:
The curtains were drawn against the chill of an early winters evening. The only sound to be heard was a sigh as she poured over one of her interminable lists, this being for the coming weekends dinner party.
She was concerned how she would keep them apart after the recent unpleasantness.
It was unthinkable she not invite them both, but in doing the right thing by them, had created a problem for herself…..
From Poseidons Muse:
Drawing a soothing draught of red wine from her glass, she looked up from her list and stared across the room. A distant memory, like the transient flash of ‘his’ handsome smile, spurned her inner turmoil. She had developed feelings for Steven during her initial tenure at the University. Their first encounter seemed almost cliche. A fateful walk across an autumn campus, a stack of books falling upon golden autumn leaves, polite words spoken, lucid eyes meeting hungrily. Butterflies.
What had begun as an innocent friendship between colleagues (for Amy would later be introduced to Steven as a contemporary) later spurned into a brief, but torrid, romantic affair. When the couple resuscitated themselves from their grey moral vortex, they realised that they would make better friends than bed-fellows and had decided to remain in each other’s lives. Now, Amy had the task of playing chancellor and counsellor to her friend, as he struggled for a sense of equilibrium in his failing marriage. Once again, she sensed the butterflies.
From me:
Amy sealed both invitations, one for Steven and one for Margo, his estranged wife, and adhered a lovely tiffany art stamp to each. “I hope to God, they aren’t still arguing over custody of the dog or the chimp - helluva a dinner topic that will make.” She put the invitations aside for the post office run she would do in the morning and pondered the menu for the party. “Now what dish would both please Steven and compliment his lovely golden curls by candlelight - of course, curry!”
Okay, so I’m tagging Michael to pick this little ditty where I am leaving off. An email will be off to him shortly to inform him of his duty. Let the cheesiness continue!
BTW, if any of you would like to participate, just contact Moe at the Nook and she’ll add you.
Rip Off Alert - Update
Posted on October 17, 2007 - Filed Under WTF?, acts of idiocy, assclowns, brain farts
Okay, so this is pretty humorous… One of the bloggers who assisted us in exposing ’simply lea’ emailed me and asked for the contact info for lea’s assistant, that she had sent me.
I happily sent it to him. I just received an email from him this afternoon - apparently, the email address and name that ’simply lea’ sent me of the offending ghost writer, turns out to be Simply Lea’s real name and email addy.
So, have a chuckle and take a win folks, you nailed her, dead to rights. Can anybody say, Phoney?
WC
keep looking » 
