a cat with no PhD

.

i ran across this this morning

it's a funny feeling to get insight from a "bad guy"

and it's encouraging to be reminded, again and again,

that you don't need special qualifications to be of service

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

"When you recognize that pain and response to pain is a universal thing, it helps explain so many things about others, just as it explains so much about yourself. It teaches you forbearance. It teaches you a moderation in your responses to other people's behavior. It teaches you a sort of understanding. It essentially tells you what everybody needs. You know what everybody needs? You want to put it in a single word? Everybody needs to be understood. And out of that comes every form of love. If someone truly feels that you understand them, an awful lot of neurotic behavior just disappears. Disappears on your part, disappears on their part. So if you're talking about what motivates this world to continue existing as a community, you've got to talk about love."

Dr. Sherwin Newland
Speaking of Faith, "The Biology of the Spirit"

indiana sunset

Wow.
unusual in Ind, Pa

after small group
at Grace

playing in my head

We learned this song in Gospel Choir.

It's stuck with me. It plays in my head a lot.

And, thanks to the fact that we live In the Future,
I can find stuff like this on YouTube. Sweet!

The Sound of One Flower Clapping

Montana Stacey Gives Marcie The Boot!

My pal, Montana Stacey, and I have a codeword for her social persona:

Marcie

... as in, Peppermint Patty's BFF.... who kind of....... letsherselfgetbossedaround..... at... times.


Therefore and in general, the world is not privy to her innermost thoughts. But, when one slips past the gate and escapes into neighborhood, its a keeper!


Imagine my delight, my surprise, when I got THIS in my inbox:


It is 2008 and we have an African American running for President of the United States of America. Wow, how our country has changed...In 1963 Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I have a dream" speech demanding/praying/pleading for equal rights for all Americans. That speech inspired and motivated many and gave people hope. Here we are 45 years later and most would say his dream has come true. Today we need change once again..this time most of the country is affected and we need to stand up and make this change happen for the future of our country and all Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.stated "I want to remind America of the fierce urgency of now."
These words ring true for all of us today as we set out to save our planet from global climate change,boost our once booming economy, house our homeless, and provide affordable health care for all Americans.
As a woman I will say I was very proud and supportive of Hillary Clinton and never thought I would see a woman running a sound campaign for President in my lifetime. What an inspiration for young women in this country and now I believe i will see a woman as president in this lifetime.
I am forever the optimist and am convinced that Americans are ready for a change and frankly we cannot afford to lose this time. I have been awake during an 8 year long nightmare wondering when it will ever end watching George W. making one bad decision after another. My hope is that Americans take ownership of our country and help the politicians to make these necessary changes. We need to create jobs for Americans, and we need to support legislation that helps to clean up and preserve our environment.
One of my favorite quotes said by Gandhi was "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." We can make a difference with minimal effort to reduce our carbon footprint and save our planet. Recycle, ride a bike, buy a hybrid car if you have the means, plant a tree, invest in alternative energy and most importantly remember two of my other favorite sayings:

1. Consume less and Share more
2. We all live downstream

As a manager of a retail clothing store I can say that my most common complaint is that we do not sell enough products that are made in the USA. Wouldn't it be lovely if our Levi's were made in Ohio instead of Vietnam? Are you willing to pay $10.00 more per pair? I can tell you in Missoula I am seeing the Eco Bulbs flying off of our shelves and we have a very conservative client base. Missoula is a bicycle town and I am seeing more and more Hybrid cars on the streets so I am seeing changes take place every day and that gives me hope for our future.
As Dr, Martin Luther King Jr. stated on that hot August day in 1963 "it would be fatal for the Nation to overlook the urgency of the moment." VOTE for change and do your part to help our country now.

~~~~~~~~

We said, Montana Stace.

And, she made it a group email, so the word, HER WORD, is out.

And that is what it's all about anyway.

Hi-Lites

Things that happened today:

Hiked on the trail @ Sarver

Listened to an exceptional episode of
speakingoffaith.org
~James Prosek
shared his thoughts on
life and fishing~

Picked up a hitch-hiker
on the way home

Did not get murdered

Rosie O'Donnell published
my comment
on her blog

taught Babs to cast
with a fly rod,
for about 9 minutes,
until she got bored,
as expected

so we moved on
to skipping stones,
discussing autopsies,
envying the kayakers,
and sitting in silence

later, we made a big salad
and John shot at chipmunks
while we talked about:
Heaven
bears
an Easter Bunny sighting
a witch
and
dreams we had as kids

and this evening
I made chili
with Babs' B-Day Honey
as the Special Ingredient

"like a scar that won't quite heal"

Heard this on NPR the other day.

-click Listen Now



Trying to tell what it's like,

3 years now,
living in Katrina's wake.



lyrics to "Long Black Line"