Apiarian,

"Were I to be the founder of a new sect, I would call them Apiarians, and, after the example of the bee, advise them to extract the honey of every sect."  

- Thomas Jefferson

Do not regret what has happened. It is in the past.

Let it go. Do not remember it.

~ Rumi

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act,

the rest is merely tenacity.”

– Amelia Earhart

From love the soul learns a thousand lessons that can never be learned in schools.

~ Rumi

Our greatest strength lies in the gentleness and tenderness of our heart.

~ Rumi

Love is the bridge between you and everything.

~ Rumi

If you have much, give of your wealth;

If you have little, give of your Heart.

~ Rumi

The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10 thousand other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe.

- Michio Kaku

I smile like a flower not only with my lips but with my whole being.

~ Rumi

Love cannot be learned or taught. Love comes as grace.

~ Rumi

Sunday

May the earth continue to live

May the above heavens continue to live

May the rains continue to dampen the land

May the wet forests continue to grow

Then the flowers shall bloom

And we people shall live again

-Hawaiian Prayer

This is how I would die

into the love I have for you:

As pieces of cloud

dissolve in sunlight. 

~Rum

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." 

- Confucius

“The only real voyage consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes; in seeing the universe through the eyes of another, one hundred others--in seeing the hundred universes that each of them sees."

- Marcel Proust

"Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that's very important for good health."

- Dalai Lama

"The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings."

- J.M. Barrie: was a Scottish author and dramatist

"Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more."

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.

~ Rumi

If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together.

-- African proverb

"The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it."

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Elephants have been here since the beginning of time and they carry the wisdom, sorrows and joy of the divine mother embodied in the earth...There is no better model or reminder for us that we are here to love and take care of one another..

The Matriarchs

"If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving,

and for once could do nothing,

perhaps a huge silence

might interrupt this sadness

of never understanding ourselves."

-Excerpt from the poem: KEEPING QUIET by Pablo Neruda

Sunday

I choose to love you in silence, for in silence I find no rejection.

I choose to love you in loneliness, for in loneliness no one owns you but me.

I choose to adore you from a distance, for distance will shield me from pain.

I choose to kiss you in the wind, for the wind is gentler than my lips.

I choose to hold you in my dreams, for in my dreams, you have no end.

~Rumi

"Compassion is a conscious way of being, loving to create atmospheres in human groups and ways of being with people that make comfort and ease suffering."

- Patch Adams

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

- Leo Buscaglia: was an American author and motivational speaker

"We all have a treasure inside us. That treasure is a spirit. That spirit is a beauty, peace, enjoyment: a happiness. My creativity is a kind of digging tool for searching out that treasure."

- Zoshi

“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.”

Maya Angelou

May we find better ways of handling our fears than turning them into hatred.

(Debilyn)

True religion is not about possessing the truth. No religion does that. It is rather an invitation into a journey that leads one toward the mystery of God. Idolatry is religion pretending that it has all the answers.   

Bishop John Shelby Spong

“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you.”

- Neil deGrasse Tyson

"Beautify your inner dialogue. Beautify your inner world with love light and compassion. Life will be beautiful."

- Amit Ray: is an Indian author, and spiritual master

"Cleansing the mind does not require water. Practicing generosity does not require wealth. With a perfect mind, you will accomplish the dharma. By sitting up straight, you will see the Buddha."

- from Tibetan Zen

“God is not a Christian, God is not a Jew, or a Muslim, or a Hindu, or a Buddhist. All of those are human systems which human beings have created to try to help us walk into the mystery of God. I honor my tradition, I walk through my tradition, but I don't think my tradition defines God, I think it only points me to God.”

~ Bishop John Shelby Spong

Waveland Park Breakfast

Waveland Park Lodge holds a breakfast every month for the benefit of their scholarship fund and also to help kids at Parkland Academy with supplies and warm coats as well as mittens, etc. Not only is it a worthwhile cause you can get a great breakfast for $6. and they are helping kids at the same time. I had sausage, an omlette with ham, onion, cheese and something else in it as well as biscuits and gravy. I could also have had patty sausage, potatoes, french toast and pancakes and they would let me have seconds. The OJ was wonderful and the coffee was good.

I met some new folks and ran into some I already knew. I had a great time.

Then I went to the car wash. Got rid of the bugs from yesterday's road trip.

On the way home I got to pass one of those wind farm (I suppose they are windmills) thingies which were referenced in last nights posting. I snapped a picture as I passed. I suppose drive-by shootings are legal if you do it with a camera. Now I have to put up the shelf I got at the World Market. And the weather is wonderful. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs. j

Happy Chanukkah / Welcome (?) Wiinter

בני בינה ימי שמונה קבעו שיר ורננים

Read more here.

And today marks the beginning of winter (although it seems like it has been around for a long time. Read about why it begins on December 21 here.

To celebrate the winter blizzard warning and the bone chilling cold I stayed inside and made a crock pot of soup. I browned some stew meat cut up an onion soaked some beans overnight and threw it all in the crock pot with some ""better than bouillon" powder and some salt. It was OK. Next time I am going to make some Ham and bean soup. Thanks for stopping by. Stay warm and ARTYAL. Hugs, j

And I just found this on Bark Bark Woof Woof. Robin Williams in London. He does a recap of the election. Very funny.

Breakfast in Des Moines

I went to Des Moines with David and Theresa Baker for Breakfast.
Fredrick and Tom and families were there also. We had a great time. David has been telling me about these breakfasts for several months and he was right.
Pancakes, sausages, biscuits and gravy, French toast, fried potatoes, omelets, coffee, o.j. pancake and toast. All you can eat and delicious. Below are some scenes from the morning.

The Worshipful Master

Brother Jerry will receive his Third Degree tomorrow evening.

Practicing for proficiency.

We stopped at Dave's job site on the way home. I had a great time (as I always do with David) and want to go back again next month. Hugs, j

Sunday Smatterings (where do I get these titles?)

This is Mia. You can read her story over at Forks Off The Moment. It will touch your heart. Mia came to Dianne as a rescue kitten. She had been found in a parking lot. Now she is home.
By the way Dianne, I have a cat living with me also. Her name is Cassie. She is also my nephew's and she is sweet. I have a feeling that if he takes her someplace when he moves to Grad School I will be looking for a cat.
This is Hoyt-Sherman Place in Des Moines. It is where I will be going to see CRAIG FERGUSON in April. Hoyt Sherman was the brother of William Tecumseh Sherman of Sherman's March.
This is my Aunt Jo. At the age of *^ she has gotten a computer and is going to be on the Internets. Grandson Michael (of Tattoo fame) is helping her. She has wireless in her home. I sent her an e-mail and got a response saying that she hopes I will help her with it. I will go up tomorrow. The ony problem is that it is a PC and I am a Mac person but I might be able to help her out.
Amy's husband Lee getting suitcases ready to load in the car. I took them to the airport this afternoon.
Michael is living in Minnesota, Amy and Lee live in Dallas. They meet at their Grandmother's and Michael is the one who set her up with the computer. He played football for Iowa and he is a great muskie fisherman and all-around nice guy. As are they all. Jo is reading the print outs of my blogs. I am working on my fourth three ring notebook (three inch) and she can now read them on line.
Amy helping Jo with the computer. Amy works for Warren Buffet (although she has never met him) - she works selling air plane trips in private jets. She is responsible for 8 states. Amy, if I goofed up this you can correct me in the "comments" below


She doesn't look *^ does she? She has a cabin in Minnesota on Leech Lake and spends the summers up there. She is going to fly down to Dallas to spend some time at Amy and Lee's.

I stopped at the Gateway Market in Des Moines to get groceries. The stuff they sell there is so good and you can't buy some of it in the regular grocery store. I got out for under $70. Of course I only filled up two of my "green" grocery bags. I purchased cloth bags and am taking them with me to the grocery store when I get groceries. The other day I had them with me and they were right there ready to be packed and the sacker said "Paper or Plastic." It is force of habit but we all got a kick out of it. My friend Wayne taught me to say "Either one, I am bi-sacksual." and I got a kick out of saying that.

Jon was down at Iowa City looking the school over for Grad school. I hope he likes it and gets a good offer. Next weekend he goes to Miami University in Ohio. That place is 9 and a half hours away.

I am a little down right now but that is all right. I read an article from the Washington Post that says "Sadness may be good philosophy -- and better for you." I am not sure I agree with that. I get sad when I think about things that happened last summer and I wish that I could be closer to some people but I am not and I don't think they like me so I will just have to live with that. I am not the one who can "fix" things. Doubt that I will ever get over it.

I wish people would answer e-mails when I write them a question!

I think I am getting a damn cold. Shitty!
Always Remember That You Are Loved. Hugs, jcs