Say I Am You

Thanks to the lovely angels at Artella for this beautiful tome. Rumi is timeless.


http://www.artelladailymuse.com/

December 7th, 2008

'Say I Am You'

Today's Creative Quickie for the soul: A poem of worship, written 800 years ago by Rumi
"Say I Am You"A beautiful poem by Jalalludin Rumi, set to soothing music and scenic views, is today's Quickie for the Soul. Choose a quiet moment to read the Sufi poem "Say I Am You". Then go to the YouTube link, make sure your audio is set to a comfortable level, breathe deeply, and enjoy.

I am dust particles in sunlight

I am the round sun

To the bits of dust

I say

"Stay"

To the sun

"Keep moving"

I am the morning mist

and the breathing of evening

I the wind in the top of a grove

and surf on the cliff

Mast... rudder

helmsman and keel

I am the coral reef they founder on

I am a tree

with a trained parrot in its branches

Silence

Thought

and voice

the musical air coming through a flute

a spark of stone

a flickering in metal

Both candle and the moth crazy around it

Rose...and the nightingale

lost in the fragrance

I am all orders of being...

The circling galaxy...

The evolutionary intelligence

The lift....and the falling away

What is...and what isn't

You who know Jalalludin

You the one in all

Say whom I am

Say I am You

Sagittarius Horoscopes
(Nov 22 - Dec 21)
Next Week
For the Week of Dec 8th, 2008 -- Your personal life will definitely not be boring this week. A Full Moon in your 7th House of Partnerships is bound to bring activity, whether shaking up what you've already got or springing a social surprise or two. Finding your balance can be difficult, though, as your moods can swing wildly with rapidly changing circumstances

Finding my balance can be difficult, both physically and emotionally, but I usually end up on my feet in the end. Isn't that what life is all about?

Loved my visit to Woodstock yesterday with Helen. First we hit the book sale at the library, located on Library Lane. Found my little sampler, "All things must change" at Talisman. When we arrived at the Woodstock Bead Emporium, my favorite source for Herkimer diamonds, the proprietor told us they were relocating. There's truth in that sampler. Found more hands in the magic supply store.

While perusing Candlestock (really), a shop on Tinker Street, I came across a candle of three unusually familiar looking simians. I posed the question, "Have you seen an orangutan lately?" The response was less than helpful. The mystery continues. Refer to the following post:

http://michaeldemeng.blogspot.com/2008/12/missing-linkor-have-you-seen-my-monkey.html

Today, a baby shower for a dear friend. The cycle of life brought many of us together for a reunion and celebration of the good things. Wine is good. And this is true.

You are the one in all

Say who I am

Say I am You

Photo of Woodstock treasures and non compliant monkeys~seeing, hearing and speaking nada

Back to Oaxaca

Not literally, sigh, but some of my pics are posted on Flickr.

Vaya con dios, mis amigos y amigas.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80924136@N00/?saved=1

Here's a little music for dancing around the studio, or any place you like :)

http://www.todotango.com/spanish/las_obras/grabacion.aspx?id=1534

Woodcarver's studio, Oaxaca ~ I like!

Another LK Day of Sharing ~ Song

I believe in love at first sight because it happened to me.
On a sweltering Sunday morning in August, my best friend Eileen and I attended mass at Our Lady of the Snows RC Church. It was a full house, so some of the parishioners spilled into the vestibule, standing and fanning themselves with the hymn cards during the service. The huge fans barely moved the humid air through the church.
As I stood there holding my missal, I felt an elbow jab my ribs. I looked at Eileen. She tilted her head toward the right side of the crowd as she smirked and kind of raised one eyebrow.
Following her direction I turned to look at the object of her attention. As I did I found myself looking into the most beautiful brown eyes. He smiled as I blushed bright pink. I dropped my gaze and turned the page in my missal, determined to look to the front of the church until mass ended. When it did I looked again in his direction, but he had disappeared into the crowd. Eileen and I diligently attended mass each Sunday for the rest of the summer, but he never reappeared.

School started right after Labor Day. My high school class had over 2000 students in attendance. The hallways reminded me of a subway platform at rush hour, packed with people hurrying to go somewhere, but unable to move faster than a crawl. I was peering into classrooms trying to find my bio class when I saw him sitting there. To say I was smitten is a gross understatement of fact. Cupid's arrow had pierced my heart. It was almost as though an electrical charge ran through me. I was lovestruck, paralyzed, momentarily unable to move.
As I walked into the classroom he looked up and waved. I was fourteen, he was sixteen~Romeo and Juliette. My dad and my brothers tried to discourage his attentions, but he wasn't easily deterred. By the time we graduated from high school I was going to nursing school and he had to go to war. Things were never the same after that. But this much is certain, I never felt that way again, no matter how many times I fell in and out of love. That experience was the gift of a lifetime.
This sweet song reminds me of him and of first love...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5t62TR0dss

SPANISH IS THE LOVING TONGUE
(Charles Badger Clark, Jr., Revised Version)



Spanish is the loving tongue
Soft as music, light as spray;
'Twas a girl I learned it from
Living down Sonora way.
I don't look much like a lover,
Yet I say her soft words over.
Mostly when I'm all alone
"Mi amor, mi corazon"





Nights there were when I would ride
She would listen for my spurs,
Throw the big door open wide,
Raise them laughing eyes of hers.
How the night would soon go flyin!
All too soon I'd hear her sighin'
In her little sorry tone ---
"Adios, mi corazon."




Never seen her since that night,
I can't cross the line, you know.
Tney want me for a gamblin' fight
Like as not it's better so.
Yet I've always sort of missed her
Since that last sad night I kissed her;
Lost my heart and left alone
"Adios, mi corazon."










I shared a song for the first day of sharing, it just seemed natural to me
What a great opportunity to collectively celebrate life

Picture of cemetery known for unusually high bee population, Mitla, Oaxaca
http://gryphonsfeather.typepad.com/the_poetic_eye/2008/11/a-little-more-sharing.html

Bearly There

Drinking coffee, staring out the living room window at the first giant snowflakes of the season. They soon turned to raindrops, but there is no denying winter's arrival is imminent. While perusing Percival Press I found this unusual comment from Viggo Mortensen.

Open letter to Patrick Barkham, in reaction to his report about bears in the Selkirk mountain range of British Columbia in the Saturday Guardian of 22 November, 2008 ("Bear Thrills"):

Dear Patrick,

First of all, congratulations on your recent trip to British Columbia. That province contains some of the world's most beautiful alpine scenery and abundant wildlife, including grizzly and black bears. You described the Selkirk Mountains area well. Since I am quite familiar with the region (I live near the Selkirks, south of the Canadian border), and am accustomed to seeing bears in the wild, I hope you will allow me to correct a misconception in your 22 November article.You talked of the grizzly bear's ability to "scale trees". They, unlike the more common and wide-spread black bear, are not in the habit of doing so.

VM

When I was a child someone told me a grizzly bear could peer into a second story window, standing on his hind legs. I tormented my younger sister many a night by asking her if she saw the grizzly bear peek into our bedroom and stare at us. Such a mean streak.

I recently had a discussion with one of my patients about, of all things, bear hunting. Black bear are common in upstate New York where he hunts deer and bear in season. My coworker asked him what he does with the bear after he kills it.

"Do you eat the meat?"

"No, you don't eat bear meat. We hunt for the skin."

Now, I'm not a hunter. People who know me would be terrified at the thought of me shooting a gun. My depth perception is negligible and I am, for want of a better word, a klutz. The only nature trophies I have are ones I shot with a camera.

My Uncle Manny, who owned a farm up in Elmira, New York, explained deer hunting to me. He said the deer were overpopulated and some would starve to death in the winter if they weren't culled. My Aunt Emma cooked the venison and my uncle and cousins used most of the rest of the deer.

I still felt as though they were eating Bambi's mom, but it made some sense to me.

Just hunting an animal for the thrill of the kill doesn't make sense to me.

Sagittarius Horoscopes
Next Week
For the Week of Dec 1st, 2008 -- Rest up on Friday while the Moon in your 4th House of Roots keeps you close to the nest. A little cuddling with a comfortable person is more likely than a blazing romance then. On Saturday night, though, the Moon fires into your dramatic 5th House of Romance to put you in the spotlight and bring more pleasure into your life.

Poor Kanye! I really like his video, though :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVZX-W3vo9I

Maybe I'll rest up with him Friday night. We can watch The Dark Knight and sip some cervezas.

Saturday I'll be heading back to Woodstock with Ms. Helen, the Bee Lady. She just had the best jewelry show ever. And...I got my birthday present early. See how gorgeous it is. Helen is an amazing artist. She has a unique style and exquisite taste. She also does commissions.

I have succeeded in coercing, er...convincing another friend to get Beautiful Mutants (thanks for the inspiration mr. d :) for me for my birthday, too. This is going to be another awesome birthday celebration.

http://www.mutatovisual.com/beautifulmutants/gallery.html

Turquoise and silver necklace, I coveted the pearls and the earrings ~ Helen bastbeads@hotmail.com Happy Birthday to me!

Love Lockdown ~ sad Kanye West, very sad :(

Celebrating Loss

Now, we all know about the circle of life. I mean who hasn't watched The Lion King a hundred times. Oh, well if you hang around kids a certain age you have. In retrospect, that can be a tough movie for a child or an adult to watch. Simba loses his dad, Mufasa. I mean he dies! Hope that wasn't a spoiler for anyone. It is heart-wrenching, but it's an important part of the story. So it is with real life. Loss is an important part of that story, too.

Did you ever just sit and shout out a question to the universe? Sure you did. Me too. Yesterday after work I was sitting with a couple of friends and did just that. Then I let it go and just relaxed and hung out for a bit. When I arrived home I checked my e-mail. Lo and behold, there was a message. It held an answer I didn't expect. A real curve ball. Way out of my expectation, but an answer none the less. The solution to one situation lead to a complete change in my mindset. I'm still experiencing that free-fall sensation while coming to grips with a new version of reality. That really is what life is all about, though.

When I'm upset, confused, happy or sad I usually turn to music.

I found The Temptations singing I'm Losing You. When I watched their performance, which is amazing, it reminded me again that loss, though very painful at times, is necessary to create space for other things in life. So, with that in mind, I will try to celebrate loss as another beginning. Here they are!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leD9kTMWS9M

Picture ~ Monte Alban

Leporiphobia

Awww, Wrick! Now my fear of bunnies is over the top!

Ghosts by Ladytron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yaEwcmrR4Q

It may have started way back with Monty Python

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcxKIJTb3Hg

Do You Suffer From Rabbit phobia?*

Symptoms of Rabbit Phobia:

breathlessness, excessive sweating, dry mouth, shaking, heart palpitations, inability to speak or think clearly, a fear of dying, becoming mad or losing control, a sensation of detachment from reality or a full blown anxiety attack.

You are not the only one to suffer from this phobia. Most sufferers are surprised to learn that they are far from alone in this surprisingly common, although often unspoken, fear.

Rabbit phobia is an intense fear of something that poses no actual danger.

While adults with Rabbit phobia realize that these fears are irrabbitional, they often find that facing, or even thinking about facing, the feared situation brings on a panic attack or severe anxiety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnZQk13pzfY


Believe me, I much prefer the company of my vampires. At least there, what you see is what you get. Coming down the home stretch of Nanowrimo!







*From 'Cure Your Phobia Instantly' (disclaimer on website)
Donny Darko Poster, somebody help me!!

Thanksgiving and Tasmanian Devils

This reminder from the lovely hippo, from Australia, over at http://www.nervousness.org/ tells us what we already know.

Every one needs someone to watch out for them sometimes, even if you are a Tasmanian Devil.

http://www.tassiedevilappeal.org/tda/landing.php

There are a gazillion things I am thankful for and today I'll be with my family remembering so many of them (perhaps after a glass of wine). One person holds a special place in our hearts.

He loved his family and he loved to cook, so Thanksgiving was right up his alley. My sweet Dad.

I hold his memory in my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgLHVi40Gc8&feature=related

Now, go eat your pie and have another glass of wine. You may drive one another a little nuts, but, that's what family does. Although we're spread out from Long Island to Brooklyn and Queens to Florida to California to Washington state we still manage to send hugs and kisses by phone or by net. Let us all count our blessings.

Tasmanian Devil ~ Wikipedia

http://avaaz.org/en/ We can do it!