WE THE PEOPLE

As the Autumn leaves succumb to rain and wind and yes, our first snow, we must remind ourselves that the changing of seasons is a gift from our Creator.  The very One that is truly the common thread in all that exists, no matter what belief system you engage in. 

In our country where the topic of conversation, is not the beauty of the seasons, or the wonderful bounty of fall, but the battle between 2 very different and 2 very vocal candidates for the big job as President of these United States. 

Yet, as I watch the news, which is very hard to do anymore, we are not as united as we should be as "the people".  Not only is there more division in this great land through racism, and sexism, and oh boy am I, as a woman tired of all that talk, the political process is a nightmare this time around.  I am quite sure this is not how it was meant to be for the election of our leader. 

How is it that if one doesn't believe in another's viewpoints, or personal opinions, an all out battle ensues?  What ever happened to "to each his own"?  I have the right to disagree with you on your political viewpoints, or perhaps it is you, that disagrees with my views?  Whatever, we are individuals, and in a free society, those are our rights.  But, to take that disagreement and turn it into a physical, or a verbal assault on another's well being, is just plain wrong, and I just shake my head in disbelief at how quickly so many judge another.   For we will all be judged by our actions in the end.

There is only one judge...and I'm not talking about the one at the courthouse, after you get your butt arrested for violent protesting.  Where is your pride?  Have you no honor?  What about integrity? 

WAKE UP AMERICA!  There's alot at stake in this great land...and it really has nothing to do with the crap of " He said, She said"...blah blah blah.  Get the facts and educate yourself fully before you go into that voting booth.  And yes, that too, is not only your right, but it is a privilege!

Everyone, thankfully, in our family is gainfully employed.  We do our fair share...we volunteer, we give back, we participate in our community events, including the church...and yes, we are proud of it!  Yes, we can look in the mirror each day and know that we make a difference in our society!  A positive difference!  And yes, we are proud of it!

You too, can make a difference.  It is your right.  But it is not your right to thrust yourself into my peaceable kingdom.  First, I will not allow it or accept it!  And second, your negative efforts will be infused with guilt and shame and will drain you of all that is truly good that lies deep within your soul!  Tune inward!  And if you have nothing nice to say to another....keep your mouth shut!

Remember..."do unto others".  And for your own salvation, always give thanks!

Aloha!

In Memory of...

1.  This Memorial Day weekend, we will take part in the local parade and ceremony to Honor those brave men and women who serve this great land of the United States of America!  This is what it is all about this weekend, remember? 

2.  A Dear Friend of ours passed away at the age of 109, just 2 weeks short of her 110th birthday!  We will be celebrating her very long life on her birthday.

3.  I wish that the people of this great land could put aside their personal and political differences long enough to realize that WE ARE ONE!  It doesn't matter to me where you come from, what you look like, what your belief system is, where you live, or whether or not you eat meat.  We all come from the same life force...YES, WE ARE ALL CONNECTED...SO PLEASE GET OUT THERE AND ACT LIKE IT!  COMPASSION, KINDNESS ARE ALL IT TAKES.  Take the ego out of it...it's that simple!  And please do thank a Veteran...not only this weekend, but every chance you get!  I DO!

4.  I always have great plans in Spring for my gardens.  And then the temps rose to 90 degrees, with high humidity, and well, it feels more like the lazy days of summer, and a whole lotta nothing gets done.

5.  Memorial Day is very special for me.  Not only to honor those mentioned in #1, but because it's when my Mom died...and I went into early labor with our 2nd child.   Out of state, 1 month early, completely unprepared for giving birth during the middle of the funeral...  I like to think that Mother met her new Grandchild in passing, for it was a sad day, yet, I was given something joyful to carry me through the mournful pain of her death.  Birth and Death...life goes on!

And you know what... at birth, this beautiful new baby, looked just like my Mom.  God works in mysterious ways!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU DEAR CHILD # 2, AND ALOHA TO MAMA!

Vision

There is a little stone church up on the mountain that has an incredible view.

I do not belong to this church, but it is a popular place, and many come to visit just for the view.   It is a popular place for weddings.  Recently at a memorial service for a friend, I captured the stained glass window as it told a story of its own.  

  From their website:

The Stone Church welcomes all seekers. Our motto is, “Open to people, open to God.” As you walk through the beautiful mahogany front door, you will face a stained-glass window based on the words of the prophet Isaiah: “For my house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7). On the window are symbols from eight of the world’s major religions, from Christianity and Islam to Buddhism and Native American faiths.  Our community comes from many different traditions – including Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist and Jewish. We are gay and straight, married and single, young and old, and we find common ground in the affirming spirit of this remarkable place.

The simple message here and the spirit that envelops you as you enter this church, is one of unity.  Whatever your belief system is, we are one.   As a seeker, you must have the vision of a seeker, and that vision does not come from your eyesight, but from your soul, where the true spirit lies within all of us!

In this lifetime, I hope and pray to witness the true communion of all the peoples of this great land, where the exchange of thoughts and emotions can be realized on a spiritual level so that peace can truly prevail...for one and for all!

Peace be with you on this fine day!

With much Aloha to one and all!

Community

Higgins, BEST DOG EVER, with local turtle

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Cara

Higgins 1999 - 2012

A whirlwind of days has just flown by me like the wind that brought that terrible storm to the northeast bringing the beautiful month of October to a close.  The Nor'easter that was so dreaded, seemed to slip right through here, thankfully without any new damage.  The first snowfall, though bitter cold the air, has already faded away.  Thankfully, so that we all may catch up a bit from the personal traumas and dramas that have touched on our lives recently.  

• He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity. (Ben Johnson)

It's been said that bad things happen in threes.  Well, we have met our quota for now, I hope.  For the first of our recent bad times was when our beloved dog, Higgins died.  Now, this dog was truly the BEST DOG EVER.  He was a loyal companion to our children.  

The first day they ever had to ride the school bus, this dog, barking all the while they were getting on this big yellow vehicle, proceeded to just sit down directly in front of that school bus so it could not carry his beloved charges off.  Oh, the bus driver beeped her horn, and he just sat...and barked.  His BFF had to get off the bus to walk him away and back to the yard, barking all the while. 

Now I would've brought him back myself, but oh no, Mom was not allowed to stand at the end of this very long driveway and wait with the kids for the bus.  That's what Higgins was doing, and NO MOMS ALLOWED!  Since that day, he actually got on the bus with the children, and was rewarded with a treat for not blocking the driver's progress.  He made his way down the aisle with his kids until they sat, and made his way back greeting all the new friends he would make over the years...getting yet another treat as he disembarked.  

This morning ritual was then repeated, as he waited patiently for the afternoon hour when he could get back on that bus to greet his friends, for more dog treats and then walk them home safely, yet playfully with his tennis ball or squeaky hamburger that he would drop at the end of the driveway and retrieve on the rebound, for he was happy his playmates were back.  If he was inside for that afternoon hour, boy would he let me know with whining and pacing that it was time for the bus!!!  

Yes, he was the BEST DOG EVER!  And he is sorely missed!  That he died on our 25th wedding anniversary, with his kids by his side on his own terms, as he waited until the youngest daughter got home to sit by his side, was a true testament to his brilliance.  For it was the first time that we, as a family were all together at home for a change.  And we were together for him, as he was always there for all of us, whenever we needed him, without judgments of any sort.  True, loyal companionship.

• Grief is the price we pay for love. (Elizabeth II)

Part two of our three part trauma/drama is when a very dear friend's mother passed away.  Now this woman wore her faith on her sleeve and she was very proud that it would be the legacy that her family, friends and community would attribute to her.  At the wake, her daughter in law, while grieving smiled a great big smile and told me how thankful she was that Gloria's (Grandma, Mom) gift to her children was her faith.  For that is exactly what this family was drawing on to get them through this painful time together.  It brought them comfort.  Her church honored her for her dedication to the faith community that we were all a part of.  And that brought comfort to my family, too.

Now the third and final installment of our "bad x 3" events, took place just after Gloria's wake.  I had to make an appearance at a work function, so of course my cell phone was turned off.  Since I dropped my watch, and did not know what time it was, I took out my cell phone to check the time, and there were numerous missed calls by an unknown number.  Well, it is one of those dreaded moments when time escapes and the color in your face pales you.  

It was the 911 call center to inform me that my husband was being transported by ambulance to the hospital for an accident.  I will forego the details here, because I could not even breathe when I heard the words of what type of accident it was.  I ran to a friend for help, as I could not make any sense of the notification I had just received, but in short order she had me and one of my children gathered together as we followed that ambulance to the hospital.  One good thing about all this was that, one of our other daughters was with him in the ambulance, and it was his friends who were actually accompanying him to the hospital, ambulance driver, EMT...fireman...the works.  Thankfully he was not alone.  And there was a slew of "comedians" when we arrived at the emergency room to try and keep the spirits up for all of us...Fire Chief aka Principal of the middle school, and more fire dept. gang, policeman friends, gees, guess that pager/scanner thing alerts everyone who matters in our lives.

The accident itself, while it was severe and required surgery, thankfully was not life threatening and he is currently asleep and on the mends, though he must remain still for at least a month...says the surgeon.  Oh my...  He's just not that type of guy.  The troops have rallied, the children (all grown up) are the best, and I am just trying to catch my breath.  For this whole episode from Gloria's wake to the surgery, had only been 2 days, it seems like weeks have gone by.   And I am exhausted!!!

• Some people strengthen the society just by being the kind of people they are.  (John W. Gardner)

I believe that we are a good, kind family unit.  We are community minded individuals and always do our part whenever we can.  Now I am not gloating, because I also believe that the best type of charity is done anonymously, without seeking acknowledgment for the effort of any sort. However, I am able to draw this conclusion, because the outpouring of support to us has been tremendous since my husband's accident 4 short days ago.  

While our whole family unit was in the emergency room for hours, a clean up crew, complete with wood splitter, had been sent to our home to clean up the source of the accident...which happened while hubby was cleaning up from the incredible Sandy disaster that swept through here and left us with trees down and without power for days.  

Then the next day while at the hospital for pre-surgery testing, and endless paperwork, dinner arrives from a wonderful friend nearby for the children who were at home awaiting Dad's return. The day after that, a truckload of seasoned, split firewood is delivered to our home in preparation for the Nor'easter that threatened to take out the power and down more trees yet again.. (Thankfully that did not happen.)  That firewood was stacked neatly outside our front door and the wood stove has been burning hot ever since, because at the change of the clock from daylight savings the temperatures dropped to bitter cold.  Yes, splitting firewood is one of my husband's favorite past times, and he is not able to do that right now.  Yet, we are warm.   And warmed by the generosity of others.

Feeling safe enough to go back to work for a normal 8 hour day, while hubby was resting and under the watchful eyes of the kids to keep him from trying to do any sort of manly chores, like putting more wood on the fire, dinner arrives yet again to my home just before I get there.  Amazing!  Now this is what it is to be part of a community.  

• “Community has little to do with proximity.” (Aaron Starkey)

I would like to encourage everyone to perform a simple, random act of kindness towards another.  It can even be to adopt a pet from an animal shelter.  I have started a list of things that I will be doing for others to give back for the outpouring of friendship that has been bestowed upon us in recent days.  It involves, baking and sending anonymous greeting cards through the good old USPS. And we always, always pay the toll on the bridge for the car behind us.  Yes, simple random acts of kindness are good for the soul.  Give it a try, it will be the reward that you give yourself for just being human!!!