Do You Have an STD?

*** this post originally appeared in An Irie Life***

No, I’m not referring to that kind of STD. I’m referring to a Spiritually Transmitted Disease. Yes, there is such a thing. Though it may not necessarily be found in a medical journal.

Spiritually Transmitted Diseases are very real and come in a variety of forms. While these diseases can affect a person’s life, they can be cured and a person can get back on track with their spiritual development. Let’s take a look.

1. Chosen Ones - People afflicted with this have the mentality that they and/or their group are spiritually superior to all others. They feel that the path which they are on is the only path, all other faiths are false. There are a myriad of spiritual paths which can be traveled. And truly spiritual people will not condemn another’s path or beliefs. A person needs to follow that which resonates with them. If a person wishes to join a spiritual group, then that person should look into the true thoughts and beliefs of both the members and the leaders.

2. Spiritual Mimics – This is a person who acts like those who are further along on the path to enlightenment. A Spiritual Mimic will talk, act and even dress as a Spiritual Master would, but a Mimic hasn’t been through the training or teaching or soul searching. Mimics will do this for various reasons – laziness, feeling that the schooling isn’t necessary for them or simply because they feel the need to belong. Mimics do themselves a disservice by skipping the ‘hard stuff’.

3. Fast Track Spirituality – Becoming a truly spiritual person takes time. A person can’t ‘read all the books’, ‘see all the movies’, ‘hear all the lectures’ and expect to become enlightened. Following a spiritual path is a continued evolution of the soul. A person will encounter both the good and the bad. The tough times help a person better understand themselves and helps them grow spiritually. Anything worth having takes time.

4. Spiritualized Ego – When a person obtains too much information and doesn’t do the necessary introspective work, they begin to think they have attained spiritual enlightenment. That person then feels superior because of the abundance of facts and information they know, but they lack the knowledge and the wisdom necessary to progress on their path, let alone instruct others.

5. Fluffball Spirituality – This is the refusal to deal with the negative emotions and thoughts which a person will experience in any given day. These people do not like to think, or talk, about Life’s harsh realities. These people simply do not acknowledge that there is anything bad or evil. This refusal to acknowledge the darkness which in-veritably occurs in the world is also reflected in how they deal with their own dilemmas. The dark days help us grow as individuals. It also teaches how to take charge of a situation and turn it around into something positive.

While they are all different, these STD’s also all share similar traits. And they can all be detrimental to a person’s spiritual path. Remember, anything in Life worth having is worth taking the time to do right. Empires weren’t built over night and their is no escalator on the road to enlightenment.

Animals and a Sense of Self

Do animals have a sense of Self?

Many people, usually highly educated people, say they don't. {{could these people feel that their intelligence is being threatened?}} These educated people believe that only a few animals -Great Apes, Dolphins/Whales, Elephants, Birds such as Crows, Ravens, Magpies and the like - are capable of recognizing their self and have any sense of empathy.

I disagree with that hypothesis. Having been owned by several Cats and observing animals of various species, I believe that most animals have a sense of who they are, understand the consequences of their actions and feel empathy for another animal, even if that animal isn't of their species. 

Case in point - Gomez enjoys having his hair brushed every morning. He will sit on the edge of the bathroom sink, with his back to the mirror, in the mornings to get his hair brushed. After I brush it, he will turn around to look at himself in the mirror. No doubt to admire his ravishing good looks.

It is said that most Cats will not respond to their reflection in a mirror. This is believed to be a trait of an animal who has no sense of self or any sense of empathy. I don't respond to my reflection. I was never a child to stand in front of a mirror and play or make faces or do any of those things that most kids do. Does that make me as 'dumb' as an animal? 

{{I've known many people who would fall into that category!}}

A few months back, Hubby & I watched a program on PBS about a biologist who immersed himself into a Mule Deer herd in Wyoming. Now most people will think that a Deer is a rather 'dumb' animal because they are a herd animal. Herd animals are usually thought to only act as a collective - that there is no individualism or individual thinking. But I feel that train of thought is wrong. Especially after watching this PBS show. 

Click here! It's a MUST-SEE!

Last Autumn I had an experience that haunted me for days - even now as I write this post, my heart aches. I was driving up into the mountains to make a trip to the gift shop that handles some of my artistic creations. In the Autumn, Deer are seen everywhere - in people's yards, on the highway, sometimes even in the city. I wasn't very far up into the mountains when I came around a bend and saw three young bucks standing by the side of the road. As I got closer, I saw a buck laying on the shoulder of the road with a broken neck. He had evidently been hit by a car. The three bucks were milling around their dead companion, nuzzling him and prodding him. They didn't want to leave their friend. Now, if those deer really were as 'stupid' as most people think, wouldn't they have run off and left their dead companion?

Let's not underestimate our furry friends. They understand more than we know. Let us treat them with dignity and respect, but then we Humans seem to have a problem even with treating each other with dignity and respect. So, let us be the change we wish to see in the world.

To read a good article on animals and kids who fail a mirror test, Click Here!

To read a blog about Cats and their behavior, Click Here!

Monday Musings ~ Insistance

My prompt for the Monday Musings have been the Celtic Tree Oracle cards. I will pull a card every Sunday and then ponder its message.

I always shuffle the cards quite well.
Well...Yesterday I shuffled the cards, pulled one out, and behold, it was The Beech card. The same card I drew two weeks ago. My first thought was that maybe I hadn't shuffled real well. So I inserted the card back into the deck and reshuffled - not once but three times! Once again I drew a card. It was The Beech. So I sat quiet for a couple minutes, placed the drawn card back into the deck and reshuffled. This next time I drew The Sea - last Monday's card. Hhhhmmmm....
I know a person isn't supposed to keep pulling cards till they get the one they want. And that wasn't the purpose of me re-drawing the cards. I guess, I wanted to see if the Universe had any other message for me besides the same one I had been receiving for the last two weeks.

So one last time I reshuffled and pulled a card. This time I pulled Heather.

The Heather card also represents Mistletoe. The two combine to guide the person into closer contact with the world of spirit and the resulting healing this pathway can lead to. Mistletoe is also called 'all heal' by the ancients and many modern medicines contain its derivatives. Heather is considered a gateway between the Spirit World and the Fertile Earth.
It's interesting that all three of these cards are dealing with hidden knowledge - whether it be knowledge that is hidden deep within ourselves or knowledge that is hidden away and we must search for it in various writings or in the knowledge of others. These cards also speak of accessing this knowledge through a journey to lands which can only be reached by crossing through a veil.
A little back story - The reason I have been using the Celtic Tree Oracle deck is because it is the only oracle card deck I have. But also because it contains the Ogham runes or alphabet. I have been researching the relationship of the written Ogham language and languages of other civilizations. Because there is ancient Ogham writing in Colorado and researching it has led me down a rabbit hole so deep, I ended up in Mesopotamia.
The Universe is wanting me to take that next step and realize what is beyond that closed curtain. But how?

Autumn's Altar

“I’ve often thought of the forest as a living cathedral, but this might diminish what it truly is. If I have understood Koyukon teachings, the forest is not merely an expression or representation of sacredness, nor a place to invoke the sacred; the forest is sacredness itself. Nature is not merely created by God; nature is God. Whoever moves within the forest can partake directly of sacredness, experience sacredness with his entire body, breathe sacredness and contain it within himself, drink the sacred water as a living communion, bury his feet in sacredness, touch the living branch and feel the sacredness, open his eyes and witness the burning beauty of sacredness”  Richard Nelson 1989

I recently read a post written by Aine at Bones and Sky blog on Altars. She began her post with the above quote. 

I loved the quote and had to share! And well, her post got me thinking.....

When I first began exploring the path less followed many moons ago, everything I read said I needed an altar with all my sacred tools in order to follow the path. And the altar needed to look like "XYZ". Somehow not only did the thought of formal rituals but the thought of a formal altar did not sit well with me. It was at that point that I began to realize that I could follow the path less traveled and not have the "necessary" formal items. 

But still, try as I might, I could not seem to put together this altar that I would read about - an altar that had sacred tools or pictures of the ancestors, or images or tributes to specific gods or goddesses. As I aged, I began to look at places in my house through a different eye. I then realized that I had altars. Only these altars were a bit different. They contained items from Nature. Branches from a Sweetgum Tree. Acorns gathered during a full moon. A pretty rock found on an afternoon's hike. A potted herb on a windowsill. Occasionally the altar might include an item that belonged to someone who has begun their Spirit Walk. But the items were all things which resonated with me.

Altars are a personal thing. There is no right or wrong way to put one together. They can be elaborate or simple. Large or small. The only rule one should follow when making an altar is to go with what feels right. 

Mother Nature sets forth an altar. It is in clear view in every park, every wild area, every yard and garden. And it changes with the Seasons. Autumn's altar is a colorful one. A carpet of red and gold interwoven with green. The bounty of the season's crops is laid out in every field and orchard. The large harvest moon lights up the night with its warm glow. Mother Nature is showing her appreciation to those who should only look. So as we welcome Autumn, let us look upon Mother Nature's altar and give thanks for not only the blessings we have, but also the blessings which have been shared with us.

De-cluttering Your Time

Earlier this year I wrote a few posts about Living Deliberately. Click Here to go to those posts!

I wrote about how clearing your house of material clutter can bring about many positive changes to one's life. Now I am writing about de-cluttering your time. Yes, our time can become cluttered. Soccer practice, swim lessons, club meetings. While all these activities can be fun on their own, when combined in a short time frame, they can be overwhelming.

Activities can sneak up on us. We have lots of free time, so we decide to take a few extra classes. Then we're ask to help out at school or take over a committee and before you know it, you meet yourself coming and going. 

Just like material objects, activities can pile up. Society, advertising and our culture are all guilty of convincing people that being busy is a sign of prosperity - just like they try to convince us that more stuff is better! We have been told (in a very subtle way) that we have a need for these activities so that we may define who we are. And rather than take a long hard look into ourselves, we buy into this myth. We are not defined by the groups we belong to, nor the classes we take, nor the positions we hold in a certain club. We are defined by our thoughts and actions. Something many people are afraid to confront. And the only way to do this soul searching is to have free time. 

Time clutter also prevents us from living and enjoying each and every moment. Something that is ever so fleeting. When we are busy, we are always thinking ahead to the next task. We feel we must rush through  this project - possibly causing us to not do our best - so that we might have time for the next one. When we rush, we fail to appreciate each moment for what it might bring. Opportunities may be overlooked. Precious moments are never seen. So slow down, take a deep breathe, and relax. Unplug for awhile and spend some (true) face time with your family. When was the last time everyone ate dinner around the table? And actually conversed with each other? 

Maybe it's time we all took a look at how we spend our time....

We are given only a certain amount of time. Use it wisely.

To Read More Click Here!

And Here!

Nature Contemplation

*** Okay, I lied! This really is my last post for 2013!***

The Art of Daniel McPheeters

Altars & Shrines

The Art of Lisa Binkley

The Utes

The Utes were the indigenous Native American tribe to most of Colorado and several of its neighboring states. They were not a large cohesive tribe but numerous nomadic bands that followed the migration of the herds. The Utes lived primarily in the Four Corner states but roamed further out when hunting buffalo, antelope, deer or elk. Many of the roads and highways in these regions follow old Ute migratory paths.

  

It is estimated that the Utes have lived in this area for a thousand years, having migrated from regions of northern Mexico. Their language belongs to the Uto-Aztecan language found in that same region. The Utes were skilled warriors who specialized in horse mounted combat.

Chief Ouray and his wife Chepeta are two of the more famous Utes. The town of Ouray in western Colorado is named after this Ute Chief. Chief Ouray was known as the Great Peacemaker and he negotiated several treaties with the U.S. Government.

The Tabeguache Band of the Ute traveled through the Pikes Peak region. They called Pikes Peak, Tava, which means "Sun" and took their name from the same word. Thus they were known as "People of the Sun or People of Sun Mountain".  They are one of  a few tribes which have an emergence myth rather than a creation myth. The Utes believe they originally came from the Pleiades constellation and emerged into this world on the slopes of Pikes Peak.

Pikes Peak Tidbits

Pikes Peak - America's Mountain

image source
Pikes Peak and downtown Colorado Springs

• Pikes Peak is a mountain in Colorado's Front Range and also a part of the Rocky Mountains
• At an elevation of 14, 110ft. it is the eastern most 14,000ft. peak in the U.S.
• Pikes Peak ranks 31st out of the 54 mountains in the state of Colorado that are over 14,000 ft. in elevation

image source

• At sunrise the shadow cast by Pikes Peak can extend as far as 50 miles to the west
• Pikes Peak is composed of pink granite called Pikes Peak granite
• In the early Spring and early Autumn, some of the shadows cast by Pikes Peak resemble Abe Lincoln. Though some say it looks more like Uncle Sam. Best viewing times: mid-day in late February and late October

image source

• A trip to the summit of Pikes Peak inspired English professor, Katharine Lee Bates to write a poem - America the Beautiful, which was later put to music and became the song by the same name
• The first American credited with seeing Pikes Peak is Zebulon Pike

image source
Pikes Peak as seen from about 30 miles away to the East

• When gold was first discovered in Colorado (in an area of present day Denver) in 1858, eastern newspapers referred to the mining area as "Pikes Peak". This was because Pikes Peak was one of the first things travelers saw as they came across the eastern plains of Colorado. Thus, "Pikes Peak or Bust" became the slogan for the Colorado Gold Rush, even though gold wouldn't be discovered in the Pikes Peak area until 1890.
• Pikes Peak can be seen as far away as 80 miles to the east

image source
Old photo of Pikes Peak from the west near Cripple Creek

• Pikes Peak is a designated National Historic Landmark
• Pikes Peak is the most visited mountain in North America and the second most visited mountain in the world! Second only to Mt. Fuji in Japan.
• At the summit, the oxygen level is about 60% of that at sea level

image source

• The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile and motorcycle race to the summit of Pikes Peak. It is the second oldest automobile race in the U.S. The track measures approx. 12 1/2 miles over 156 turns & climbs over 4, 720 ft. The track used to be dirt but now the Pikes Peak highway is fully paved

image source
Pikes Peak as seen from the Garden of the Gods

• The Ute Indians, native to this area, called Pikes Peak, Tavakiev (Sun Mountain). Pikes Peak is a sacred place to the Utes (more on this next week), believing that their people emerged into this world from the slopes of this majestic mountain.

Don't forget to enter my September Give-Away!

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What the Future Holds

Oh, if only I knew. 

The future is always an uncertain thing. But like the old saying goes, "When one door closes, another opens." Only this time, we may be building the house so that door may open.

We're creative, inventive, optimistic people. And I know deep down the Universe will not abandon us. We have had moments of deep despair and moments of intense joy and hope. We cling to the moments of hope and joy and love. Pushing aside the dark despair which tries ever so hard to shut out the light. 

We  are not ones to sit and bemoan our situation. We are exploring our options and not ruling out anything at this point. My posting here may become random.  So much to do......

So Mr. Trickster, if you happen to be reading this, We may be down but we are certainly not out! You will need to find someone else to aggravate!

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.

On Becoming Homeless

Greed. 

It's all-consuming. It gets its hooks into a person and turns them into some kind of monster - just like in a horror movie.

The man who owns the house we currently live in has become consumed with greed.

He chose not to let us know that the monthly mortgage payment had risen. So for an indeterminate time period the balance due kept climbing until we were extremely behind in our monthly payments (even though we had been making our 'normal' payments in a timely manner). This gave him what he thought was leverage to get us out of the house so that he could 'flip it'. And profit a nice chunk of change.

We had to go to court to settle the mess. Four weeks of waiting and worrying. That was the worst 4 weeks of my life!  

Worry about what kind of judge we would get.
Worry about my daughter and her children - would they be able to find something they could afford in the area? At possibly a moments notice?
Worry about our four-legged kids - would Hubby and I be able to find a place to live that would take all the animals? The thought of having to take any of the critters to the pound was more than I could stand. The tears came often. The thought of being homeless weighed heavy on our minds.

Fortunately the judge was a reasonable person and dismissed the case. But we still have to find another place to live. Our contract on the house will soon be up and we are unable to obtain the necessary home loan. And because of our four-legged kids, finding another house is proving to be quite challenging. There is a great prejudice in this area against large breed dogs.

Life is not fair. It never has been and it never will be. I can cope with the normal, everyday unfairness.  But these extreme challenges are beginning to wear on my nerves. I do believe I need to have a talk with that Trickster.

The (Lost) Art of Listening

Listen.
Do we really LISTEN any more? Do we listen to each other? Do we listen to ourselves? 

As children we are always being told to "Listen Up", "Listen Here!" or ask "Are You Listening". 

Listening is something I have been working on with Granddaughter #1. She is prone to asking questions and not waiting for an answer. I swear she loves to hear the sound of her own voice.

I keep trying to impress upon my Granddaughter just how important listening is. Being a good listener enables her to learn in school, to be aware of the environment around her, to be a good friend.

Our ancestors many, many years ago had to be good listeners. Listening allowed them to hear the sound of their next meal, should they be out hunting. Listening kept them safe from approaching enemies or dangerous animals. Listening warned them of approaching storms. Family history and traditions were passed along through spoken tales and stories.

But as Man has evolved and the world has become polluted with man-made noises, I feel this very important trait has begun to be 'de-programmed'  out of our psyche. 

The World has become a noisy place. Traffic, television, radio. We are bombarded by noise  on a daily basis. Is this why we don't listen anymore? Too much noise? We 'tune out' the noise and withdraw into ourselves, seeking our 'quiet and calm' spot. 

 Over the course of an average day, a person will encounter many people. And depending on your profession, you may have to have more than a casual conversation with these people you encounter. But do you only go through the motions or do you really 'converse' with these people? Do you listen to what the person has to say and give a well thought out answer?

You might be amazed at what you discover should you just choose to listen. The lovely song of a finch on a beautiful Spring day. Children's giggly laughter. Listening gives us something to laugh at, something to smile about. Listening gives us reason to slow down and enjoy some of Life's small pleasures. 

So, I have taken my Granddaughter outside and gotten her to listen to the sounds of Nature. It has helped her to pause for a moment and take in what's around her. She is slowly becoming a better listener. Learning to quiet the sound on the inside so that she might hear what's happening on the outside.
Now if only she'd listen when she's told to clean her room.....

Appreciations

I would like to say Thank You to each and every one of you wonderful people out there in Blogland for leaving me so many wonderful and lovely comments on my recent post The End is Nigh... They touched my heart and soul immensely. This truly is a wonderful and supportive group of Bloggy Friends! And I appreciate each and every one of you for hanging in there with me through all the ups and downs of the past few months!

And Life has definitely been full of its ups and downs. Hubby seeking and finally finding a job; searching for and finding a place to live; moving half way across the country (and we're only half way done! a lot of shop equipment is still in Arkansas); (still) waiting for the house in Arkansas to sell so that we might actually get ahead for a change. 

And then there's the family matters - my son-in-law being arrested last Spring on extremely serious charges and still sitting in jail awaiting trial. This was devastating not only for my daughter but the children as well. And the actions of not only my side of the family but my SIL's have both surprised and disappointed me. The family members who are devout Church goers and who proclaim to be most charitable and giving, have been the worst. They turned their backs on my daughter - as if she and the children are pariahs of society.  

And then The Rift in my immediate family occurred during The Holidays. This Rift resulted in my daughter, her four children, and Jane (their Kitty which Gomez wrote about on Monday) moving in with me and Hubby. But as Wendy, a dear Bloggy friend, once posted - All Great Changes are Preceded by Chaos. In a very short amount of time I have learned to live with two children who have ADHD (one of which is a 2 yr old!), I have begun to heal the hole which was ripped through me when my daughter was forced to move out of her brother's house, and I have learned to appreciate the weekends as that is the only time I get to see my Bestest and Dearest Friend - My Hubby!

But Life is progressing along. Daughter now has a part-time job which we hope will turn into something full time. Granddaughter Bri is attending preschool at a fantastic Arts-Integration School only a few blocks from the house (click here to learn more about the school) and has begun to really blossom (she was struggling with her language skills). Granddaughter T'beth will be attending the same school next year. My Creative yearnings are slowly returning and I am exploring the possibility of having a booth at some upcoming Art Festivals. My Mojo, My Magick, My Witchyness - something which has been playing hide-n-seek with me for quite some time - has finally begun to return.  

And then there is the upcoming Wedding which is rapidly filling my time. My future Daughter-in-Law compared my organizational skills to the legendary Martha. Hhhhhmmmm..... not really sure I'm that good. But having a tendency towards OCD is a plus! 

So, I shall keep you posted on my adventures in helping with a most unique style wedding and will share with you some of the creatures (as they take shape) that have been filling my brain lately. 

So until next time ... Happy Haunting!

The End is Nigh....

Or is it?
No, I'm not referring to any 'End of the World' prophesies. I'm talking about the end of this blog.

I started this blog as a place to talk about my art. It then evolved into something much more. A place to showcase Art on Sundays. A place to meet up for walks in the Woodes. A place to write about the odd and the unusual. A place to have fun.

But lately, Life has taken the fun out of me. It has drained my Soul and my Creativity. I felt that my Muse would never return to me. And truthfully, I wasn't sure that wanted my Muse to return. I was planning on ending this blog. But sometimes the Universe has other ideas. Other plans for us.  


Those plans have appeared in the form of a wedding. The wedding of my youngest son to a wonderful woman. And my soon to be Daughter-In-Law has honored me by including me in the design ideas for the Wedding Reception. AND I have been asked to make the Wedding Cake! My DIL has great faith in me. 
So the Universe would not leave me to brood. It has drug me out of the gloom which had engulfed me. And while the dark clouds still hang overhead, they are not as heavy as they once were. The Universe always has a way of restoring the balance. 


And so I am off to commune with Nature, to try and connect with the Spirits that once danced with me and my dreams, to touch the pulse of Life. So this blog will continue - there are more tales to tell, more art to be viewed, more walks to be taken in the WildWoods. 

The Spirit of a House

Our Transition House is nothing special. It was built in the early 1960's - one of many brick 'cookie cutter' homes in a suburb of Denver, called Northglenn. I'll share my discoveries of the area as I explore more. I am anxious to visit more of the many parks that are within the Northglenn city limits as well as see if there are any deep, dark secrets to be discovered in the history of the town of Northglenn.

But back to The House. Most of what I have learned about my house and the neighborhood has come from my next door neighbor. She has lived in the home next to mine for about 18 years. It seems that in those 18 years, our house has had a new occupant (either owner or rental tenant) about every 2 years. Some of the occupants appeared to have loved The House and made loving, well planned renovations while to others The House was just an object. Oh yes, and one of the former tenants expired in the backyard.

*** I would love to hear your thoughts on why so many families have lived hear in the past two decades. ***

While Transition House is small, it does have a 'homey' feel to it. And I know that my 'Little Fae Friends' have made the journey with us and made friends with the Fae who already lived here. Whenever we're in the basement family room, we can hear their scampering on the main floor above us. And the Cats have quite the fascination with sounds only they seem to be able to hear which come from the attic. The Dogs and the Cats have settled in to their new surroundings, perhaps better than we Humans have.

The Yard has enormous potential - but anything is a vast improvement over what (or lack there of) is here. And while I miss having a stately old tree in close proximity, the Cherry tree, the Apple tree, and another unidentified fruit tree bless me with memories of my childhood when I had a magickal Apple Tree to lay under on hot summer afternoons. I hope my grands can make some magickal memories with these trees.

Like a stray animal happy to finally have found a home, Transition House appears happy to have finally found someone to nurture it and help it grow to its full potential.

Rules for Being Human

1. You will receive a Body. You may like it or you may hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.

2. You will learn Lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called Life. Each day in this school, you will have the opportunity to learn Lessons - you may like the Lesson or think them irrelevant and stupid.

3. There are no Mistakes, only Lessons. There is a process of trial and error; experimentation. The 'failed' experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately 'works'.

4. A Lesson is repeated until it is Learned. A Lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it.When you have learned it, you can go on to the next Lesson.

5. Learning Lessons does not end. There is no part of Life that does not contain its Lessons. If you are alive, there are Lessons to be learned.

6. 'There' is no better than 'Here'. When your 'There' has become a 'Here', you will simply obtain another 'There' that will again look better than 'Here'.

7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your Life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. what you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your Answers lie inside you. The Answer's to Life's questions lie inside you. All you need do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

11.You can remember it whenever you want.


Author Unknown

Bee Update

First, I would like to say Thank You to everyone who commented on my post last week about Bees. The input provided was most enlightening. My little friends continue to visit me while I work outside. They have now been joined by the occasional Bumble Bee.

I didn't know what to think when they first started showing up. I ruled out the need for water (in 110+ deg temperatures, a person does have a tendency to sweat a bit!) since I have a small ornamental pond in our courtyard and there is a larger pond about 50 yards from the house. (Bees use water to help cool the Hive in hot weather as well as to thin out honey so it might be fed to larva)
Someone suggested to me that the Bees could be attracted to my pheromones. And this could very well be, though I'm not sure about the chemistry between Bees and a person's pheromones. That is something I must delve into when time allows. And no I haven't been wearing perfume or deodorant (I know, I know.... but when you are by yourself and sweating like Niagara Falls, deodorant is the last thing on a person's mind!)

After reading and pondering, I feel that the Bees are telling me several things....

• That all my efforts - all the painting done on the house, all the boxes packed, all the weeks spent alone while Hubby was attending school and doing homework will pay off. That I will soon be able to enjoy the 'fruits' of my labors.   
• The Bee encounters at the new House are also a sign that those 'frutis' await us - that the hard work that Hubby and our youngest son have done on the new place will pay off in the end. And soon We will all be able to sit back and enjoy each others company!
• The Bees are also encouraging me to continue on the mystickal path ~ I have a lovely Witch and several darling little Witchlings waiting for me.
• And the Bees from the WildWoods are bidding me goodbye. I shall miss them dearly. But many new friends await .....

The Meaning of Bees ~ Input Please!

Bees have become a companion of mine lately. I seem to always have one or more flying around me, landing on me, or just sometimes being a general nuisance (there little feet tickle the back of my neck). These are honey bees that seem to be craving my attention - not Bumble Bees or Sweat Bees but Honey Bees. {Hubby says it's because I'm so sweet! He must be buttering me up for something!}

I have been doing a fair amount of work outside, packing up the garage and other shop buildings, and bees always seem to find me, doesn't matter if it is early morning or late afternoon.  I am wondering if this is an omen, a message perhaps?  Hubby even reported that he thinks there is a ground nest of bees at the new house. Hhhmmmmm....... What are these little guys trying to tell me??

Implementing Life's Lessons

I have previously written of some of the lessons that the Universe wanted me to learn. The two most important lessons I learned from the Cajun people of South Louisiana - The importance of Family and The Enjoyment of Life.

All too often Life places obstacles in our path. Sometime these obstacles are small and easy to overcome and other times they can be very daunting and almost over-whelming. But we must always remember that we are never alone in tackling these difficulties, no matter the size. Family and Friends (and really, aren't our friends part of our Family?) are there to help us on that journey we call Life. They are there to listen when we need to talk, lend a hand when we need help, share in our joys and our woes. All we need to do is ask for their help.

So, when my oldest son called last week needing assistance, I did not hesitate to say that I would be there to lend a hand - even though it meant that the completion of our house makeover would be delayed. Ten days ago, my daughter-in-law was in a 4-wheeler accident and broke her collar bone. And while my son is a very capable young man, the stress and strain of working full time, running the house, and taking care of their two little girls and his wife was rapidly becoming too much. My DIL's family lives nearby and have been great to lend assistance but they all work so their time is limited. I flew out to Denver this past Saturday and will be here till about mid-May when I'll head back home for my Hubby's college graduation.

Please send positive healing energy my DIL's way. She may be looking at surgery if the brace doesn't pull the bone back into place.

And this recent accident has only proved that Life can be so uncertain. One never knows when something can happen. We should all strive to live each and every day to its fullest. Every day dawns anew - a fresh start - a chance to fulfill dreams.