As Time Goes By

2006 is coming to a close. As always it has been a mixed year with some good and some bad. I'm spending the last day of the year battling a nasty virus. In spite of the flu I still managed to create something I am very proud of. I love National Geographic and their December 2006 issue has a wonderful story on Saturn, the jewel of our solar system. Based on photographs taken by the Cassini spacecraft and its discoveries about the moon Encelades I came up with this picture of what the scene would look like from the small moon itself. I am planning on getting the artwork to both National Geographic and NASA to see if I can generate interest in my doing space art for them. That is my plan for 2007. I hope all of you have a safe New Year's Eve and that the New Year itself brings you joy.

 

One More Day

"No one outside ourselves can rule us inwardly. When we know this, we become free." Buddha

I actually found my Oriental Wisdom calendar and ordered it from Amazon. If I had put in the correct name last time I was searching I would have found it earlier but I'm blaming this rotten cold that has my head all stuffed up. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;-) I also ordered six more calendar kits to have ready for gifts for this year.

I have one more work day for 2006 and then a three day weekend. Yeah! It has been a bizarre year at work and getting more bizarre all the time. I just do my job the best I can and leave it at the doors when I leave the building.  I'll probably spend most of the three days sleeping off this stupid cold in hopes it will finally go away.

Today's quote is really important. I have found that in the last few years that it is so true. We are the ones who enslave ourselves. If we can free ourselves of the burdens of being what others want us to be and stop and find out who we really are and be ourselves we will be much happier. Be the best you that you can be. You have to be able to answer the question "who am I?" Only you can know your strengths and weaknesses. Only you can decide what your core values really are. Yes their are others in life that it makes sense to listen to but in the end only you can decide what type of person you are really going to be.

I get very tired of hearing people blame others for their problems. It is time that people take responsibility for their own actions. You can take charge of your own life and be the type of person you can be proud of. I don't mean developing an overwhelming ego of "I'm the greatest." Learn to be a decent, caring individual who is comfortable in your own skin and with that comfort in yourself reach out and help others. Give others the help and comfort they need to better their lives so that they too can have the chance of being what they want to be.

Priceless

You have all seen the Master Card commercial where they say how much a couple of things cost and then end with something money can't buy and call it priceless. I was thinking about things like that this morning.

My mother is so tiny she gets cold easily. I found some nice warm pajamas and got her to try them. Then for Christmas I found her a soft, fuzzy and very warm light blue robe. Seeing my mother bundled up in her new robe and knowing she is warm. Priceless.

I got both cats a bag stuffed full of new kitty toys. Watching the two of them exploring the toy box with the new toys in it and deciding which one to play with first.  Priceless.

I have a rotten cold and over the weekend I ended up sleeping a lot. Waking up to have a cat stretched out on either side of me. Priceless.

I ran my own science fiction convention several years ago. At one convention I had Peter Davison as a guest. Peter insisting that my staff find me so I could go to dinner with them and then engaging me in talk about our mutual love of theater. Priceless.

The late Ray Sharkey was also a guest at one of my conventions. He was doing autographs when he saw a couple of my staff hustling me off to go eat and he turned to someone and asked "do I need to go rescue her?" Priceless. Later as he was preparing to leave he told me "come here doll" and gave me a big hug. Priceless.

At one of the first conventions I ran the late author Theodore Sturgeon came up and put his arm around me and said "let's run off to Ireland." Priceless.

My Aunt had one of those 7-Up glasses that looked like an old fashioned coke glass but upside down. My Dad called out very seriously "Michele come quick put your hand here the bottom has fallen out of the glass." I ran over and started to do so and he broke up laughing when he realized he had fooled me. Priceless.

I hold our new kitten Pixie a lot and when ever I take her over to mother she reaches over and "bonks" noses with mom. The look of laughter and love on mom's face. Priceless.

I was talking to the daughter of a dialysis patient on my old job and was expressing sorrow at her death. The daughter told me, "Michele I could never have done this without you." Priceless.

Spending hours on a picture on the computer and not really being sure if it is the way I wanted it to be and waking up the next morning to see how it rendered and it is perfect. Priceless.

My niece when I went down to her wedding bringing the dress, veil and flowers with me and helping her get decorations and favors together and her telling me frequently, "Have I told you lately that I love you?" Priceless.

Christmas Day opening a package from my conservative Republican baby brother and realizing he bought his liberal sister Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" because he knew I would want it. Priceless.

The love and support of my family. Priceless. Dad and the angels watching over me from Heaven. Priceless. God's love for me. Priceless.

The picture is called Snowy Delight.

Day After

It's the day after Christmas
And all through the house
The kitten's making more noise
The a two ton mouse.

So how can something that only weighs six pounds an has one tiny little bell on her collar make that much noise!

It was a nice Christmas is spite of the rotten cold. A special thanks to my baby brother who is the only Orange County Republican living in the San Francisco Bay Area for Senator Barak Obama's book. I gave up trying to explain to Mom and Old Ancient One why you sent it to me. ;-)

 

Merry Christmas

"To be able to hear the divine calling, for grace to flow abundantly, it is enough to love something dearly, music, the sun, or a little child." Ramakrishna

As we celebrate the birth of the Christ child may the joy and peace of this day be with you  throughout the coming year.

The picture's title comes from my favorite Christmas carol and is called All Is Bright.

That's The Spirit

I was just reading an article where football player Ron Springs is going to donate a kidney to an old team mate of his Everson Walls. That is the true spirit of Christmas.

The picture is called All Creatures Great and Small.

All I Want for Christmas

All together now let's sing!

All I want for Christmas is my cold to go away,
My cold to go away, yes my cold to go away.
All I want for Christmas is my cold to go away
I'm tired of sounding like a frog.

Okay we now return you to your regular scheduled Christmas music.

The picture is called Star and Moon.

Another Early Gift

My oldest brother finally got notification yesterday that the Army got his retirement pay straightened out and he will start getting it the first of the year. Yes! Whoohoo! This year has finally seen the culmination of a lot of behind the scenes work by me. My oldest brother had given up on the Army ever getting the pay he was owed straightened out. I refused to give up on it and got names, phones numbers, email addresses, etc of anyone and everyone who could possibly help. I wrote the letters, got the documentation needed, and forced him to sign the letters and mail them. It was important not only for him but to relieve the burden of worry on Mother. My brother went into this with pessimism high and kicking and screaming all the way that nothing would work. It would never be straightened out. Perseverance works.

One of my little brothers was giving up and wouldn't fight to get the disability he needed to be able to live and pay his bills. Again I went into high gear and got all the forms to him that he needed to fill out and get in to get the money owed him. Like oldest brother he was pessimistic but he now has his disability. Another burden off of Mother's shoulders.

Both of my brothers had cars that were junkheaps. Mother was constantly having to bail them out and pay for expensive repairs on their cars. I got on line and found out where the repossessed cars were being sold and now both of them are driving decent cars. Mother paid for them of course but she no longer has to pay repair bills on cars that weren't worth repairing.  A couple of years ago Mother bought me a car. My little Amelia (yes I name my cars) is a wonderful little Honda. Zoom, zoom. I wanted to pay Mother back but she wouldn't let me.

One of the greatest gifts this year was my niece marrying a wonderful man who loves her and her children. She deserves the happiness and the children deserve a loving father who is there for them. She called in a panic when she realized the relationship was getting serious and the greatest miracle occurred. God gave me the right words to say to convince her to open her heart and take a chance on love again. I was able to use my talents to help give her the wedding of her dreams. She always wanted a Princess Bride dress and that is what she was able to wear on her special day. I made the dress, veil and flowers for her. I sang The Irish Wedding Song for them.

I was there for another brother during the breakup of his marriage. He needed the emotional support and I made sure that he knew that he had my love and a shoulder to cry on if he needed it. For my youngest brother who got me into blogging we have both discovered the "joys" of snarks. In spite of the fact I'm a liberal's liberal and he is an Orange County Republican in the San Francisco Bay Area we are always there to support each other. Are you listening world? No one attacks my baby brother. You will hear from me.

Mother is getting ready to go at least part time and maybe even retire completely now that both of my brothers are going to be okay financially. That is the best Christmas gift of all. She has little Pixie here to keep her laughing and crawl up on her lap. Mother working full time was my last big worry.

So this has been a good year. Now that all of my family is taken care of I can take some time to try and get some things done for myself. First up is trying to find an agent to help sell the books and the art work. The reaction I have had to my card for this year has been so encouraging that I realize that there is an audience out there for my work. It is time to spread the joy people get from my art around.

The picture is called A Cat's View of Christmas.

FYI

If you see a posting with either the word "twee" or the phrase "someone woke up grumpy" then you know the person writing it is an idiot and will then proceed to let the world know what a jerk they really are. Right GK?

The picture is called The Star.

Pushing Myself

I have pushed myself the last couple of days. I am aware that their are a couple of people who read this blog just so that they can go back to their private group and laugh at what I say. Well in the geek tradition there are two quotes, "Laugh it up fuzz ball" and "Not my problem monkey boy." Geeks everywhere know where those quotes come from. Any way I realized I had been holding on to a lot of anger and I wasn't going to put Merry Christmas greetings on my old newsgroup because of a couple of people. I realized today that that was really petty and not the type of person I wanted to be. Why should I ignore the good people on the group because I am angry at a couple of others? "Consider the source" my Grandfather use to say. Thinking about it I realized that "Happy" was right. He may have only had a third grade education but my Grandpa was one of the wisest men I have ever known. I have put my greetings up on the boards, including the old one, and I mean the greetings for everyone with no exceptions.

So in this time of Christmas I would like to wish everyone who reads this blog a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Holidays. That should take care of all the multitude of personal friend's beliefs who may be reading and the other readers whose names I don't know.

A special get well to all of those people down ill with the virus that is filling our hospital up. For my little brother I have been keeping your friend in my prayers along with his family.

The picture is called Christmas Reflections. It is from a previous year's card. You will have to wait until Christmas day to see this year's picture. ;-)

Progress

Well I guess we are making progress. Mother had the doctor write her a note restricting her to working 6 days in a 2 week pay period. It is better then full time but I really wanted her to quit. She is worried however about the cost of her medicines which keep going up and up and can cost over $300.00 each month and this is after both her insurances pay. I tried to find another insurance for her but no one wants to touch her because of her age and health. It infuriates me that the people who need health care the most can't get it. I deal with so many people who can't afford health insurance and those who have it are finding that the insurance companies are paying for less and less and sticking their insurees with more and more of the bills. Any way I guess three days a week is better then nothing and hopefully by this summer I can talk her into retiring completely. It is a matter of convincing her to use the money in her retirement fund and in the savings for herself rather then worrying about leaving the money to her children. We would rather have her around longer then get an inheritance. Unfortunately she worries so much about her children and grandchildren and not enough about herself. Sigh.

The Christmas cards are finally done and the last of the presents wrapped. We won't be seeing my Aunt until after the holidays so I have time to do her calendar. I'll probably go ahead and print it tonight and get it wrapped just so that it is finished. I may go ahead and order some more calendar kits and see if I can sell some of the calendars this year. This year's calendar came out really nice. I think it is the best one I have ever done.

I've been frustrated in trying to find an Oriental Wisdom Calendar for next year. No one seems to carry it and I can't pull it up on line. The publisher of last year's calendar doesn't even have it. I decided to go ahead and get a calendar featuring the Dalai Lama instead. I'm sure that there will be plenty of quotes in there that will inspire me to write.

Speaking of writing I do need to finish that short story I am working on and see about trying to find a publisher for the book. I don't have the money to try and self publish at this time so I'll try the agent route and see if I can find one on my field. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Christmas will be here soon and with a little luck the antibiotics will kick in and I can spend the day without going Merry Achoo. ;-)

The picture is called Trimming The Tree and is the first of the Christmas pictures I've done with Bryce.

Almost There

"If you want to see the brave, look at those who can forgive." The Bagagavad Gita

I have all but Mom and the cat's gifts wrapped. I have one more calendar to print out but that one will be hand delivered the next time we go up to see Mom's sister so it can wait a bit. I'll get the cards tonight after my brother makes a run to the Post Office to get some stamps. Then I'll actually be ready for Christmas for the first time in years with time to spare. No last minute run on Christmas Eve.

I can't see today's quote without thinking of the late Pope John Paul II who forgave the man who tried to kill him. What a great thing that was and a lesson to all of us. One of the major problems with this world is the inability of mankind to forgive anything. Some people are just incapable of forgiveness. I have noticed that the people who are incapable of forgiveness are nothing but bullies. It is part of their mind set that they are the chosen ones and forgiveness is for sissies. Sad isn't it?

What a horrible waste of life to allow ourself to be full of hatred and anger. How can you be happy if you let negative emotions rule your life? You can't. Even with all the news of terrible things happening in this world there are still stories of hope and courage and goodness to be found.

This is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. It would be well to remember the innocence of a new born child who is born without hate and resentment towards its fellow man. We should take that innocence into our hearts and make our gift to ourselves the chance to forgive those who have wronged us.

Wonder Why

"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Friedrich Nietzsche

It is an interesting quote isn't it? I wonder about it sometimes as there is something that just doesn't make sense about it. If it doesn't kill you I guess it would mean you are a survivor but at what cost? Are you really stronger for it? I guess I just wasn't meant to debate philosophy or maybe taking philosophy in college at 8 in the morning when I was half asleep wasn't a real good idea. Then it was my freshman year and my first semester and I had Dad helping me out. It didn't dawn on my morning person Dad that his daughter was a night owl and didn't really function well before noon unless infused with massive amounts of caffeine.

I was reading someone whining about how anybody can have a blog on the Internet. For me that is the beauty of the whole situation anyone can write if they feel like it. Sometimes people read what you write sometimes they don't. I have no illusions that I am the greatest blogger on the net and that people are hanging on my every word. I write because I want to and it often helps me to get straight in my own mind how I feel about things that are happening in my life. Sometimes I hear from people who are touched by something I have said. That makes me happy. I like being able to help.

Blogging is a great stress buster too. It gives you a way of thumbing your nose at jerks who think they are at the top of the totem pole and are so important because they can dominate a newsgroup. Here it is your world and you are top of the heap. You have the final say so over who can access your thoughts and you can block people who are disruptive. You don't have to put up with jerks. I like that.

As long as a blogger has no illusions about changing the world blogging can be a tool for good in a person's life. I can get as personal as I want or say as little as I want. It is my blog after all. It is here in my little corner of the Internet where I can be free to talk about what interests me, makes me happy, makes me mad, whatever. This is my space and no one forces anyone to read it. So if you are reading welcome and I hope you like what you read and the pictures you see. If you don't there are plenty of blogs out there and I'm sure you can find someone with your own taste. Then again you can always write your own blog.

Half Way There

Okay the shopping is done I just need to wrap the stuff now. I have 2 calendars to print and need to do the cards still. I can print and wrap at the same time so I'll work on that tonight. Now if I can get rid of this stupid cold so I don't feel like death warmed over I would be happier.

While printing calendars I played around with Bryce. When I lost the computer a few years ago I lost three pictures. I had small versions of the pictures but not the large ones that I could print off and sell. I redid the last of the three By Dawn's Early Light and it came out nice. I had already done Chicago Winter Dreams and The Gift. While I was at it I redid a picture I have never been happy with City in the Sky.

Good news for me is that four people I know in Oregon and Washington came through the storms okay. I was really worried about them but got emails today to let me know they were okay. That is an early Christmas present for me knowing my friends were safe.

Sage Advice

"Do your best. Then, don't worry, be happy." Meher Baba

I think a lot of people need to take that advice. So many people beat themselves up with I should have done this or that or I shouldn't have said this or that. They dump a load of regret on themselves for things that are over and done with. My mother is a classic example of this. I don't know how many time I've tried to tell her she isn't stupid. She has this mental image of herself as such and nothing can break her out of that image.

In life the only thing you can really do is your best. If you do that then the results will be the best that they can be. You have done everything you can and it is time to let go and move on. If you spend too much time on regrets for things that could have, should have, might have then you take any time from the now that needs your attention. I know there are things in my life that I wish I could do over but I can't. I have learned to give myself a break. There will be good days and bad days, be gentle with yourself on the bad days.

One thing you can do with your life is to try and do things that will prevent regrets. I really miss my Dad but when he was alive I emailed him almost daily and talked to him at least once a week. I spoke to him the day before he died and told him I loved him. As much as I miss him I know that he had no doubts of my love for him. It is important to let family and friends know that you care about them. Don't just assume that they know you love them make it a part of your life to tell them frequently. I love you can never be said too many times.

Some things can be redone in life. People get a second chance at happiness if they are willing to let themselves be open to it. One of the most important conversations I ever had was with my niece when she was panicking over a new relationship. She had just come out of a bad marriage and was scared. I told her that she had to allow herself to love again and not be afraid. That if this relationship was meant to be then she needed to embrace that. The result was a beautiful Princess Bride and a very happily married young lady. Open yourself up to life.

In my art I have some pictures that I was never really satisfied with. I finally realized that I could redo those pictures using the skills that I have honed since I did the originals. It doesn't invalidate the original pictures because it shows a pattern of growth in my skills. In my writing I can rewrite things I'm not satisfied with and make them better. You are not stuck in the past. Embrace the now and look forward to the future.

The picture is called Perchance To Dream.

One Of Those Days

Ever have one of those days when you wake up and feel like pulling the covers over your head but you can't because there is too much work on your desk to do and it would still be there on Monday morning only doubled? Yeah one of those days with a nasty cold coming on and you really don't feel like dragging your aching body into work but you do any way. This was one of those days when the Vick's DayQuil just wasn't up to the job but I snuffled my way through the working day.

Something happened however that made it all worth while. I do a calendar each year using my artwork from the proceeding twelve months. I have a lot of family and friends who really love the calendars and that is what they want for Christmas each year. Well last night I printed the first of the calendars. I always print the one for the house so I can check and make sure there aren't any mistakes in it. My coworkers have been asking me to bring the calendar in because they like looking at it. Well this year the remarks were absolutely fantastic. I work with people who rarely give compliments but I felt so good after the review my coworkers gave of the calendar. They just loved it.

It is sure tempting to go back to a certain newsgroup and let a couple people know how wrong the rest of the world thinks they are. As my second grade teacher said "take a look at her art work!"

The picture is called Door To Your Dreams and people really loved it.

Not Ready

Remember when the original Saturday Night Live performers were called the Not Ready for Prime Time Players? I sort of feel like that in regards to Christmas. I'm just not ready for it. I need to try and get everything done that needs to be mailed by Tuesday to get it there on time. Sigh.

I wish I could teach Pixie how to operate the computer and print off everything that needs to be printed. After all mother keeps telling me how smart she is I don't see why she can't help me out. Well she is a smart little thing however she isn't quite ready for college yet.

What Pixie has really done for this family is made mother focus on taking better care of herself. Mom wants to be around to take care of the kitten. She will stop and rest more when she is feeling tired because Pixie will climb on her lap. Sometimes it is the small, free things in life that are the most valuable. It is a good lesson for this time of year where rampant consumerism is the norm to stop and ponder on the things in life that can't be bought. Love, faith, kindness are all things that have to be freely given and received. You can't buy them. We have Pixie in our lives because mother felt sorry for the mother cat and her kittens and started feeding them. She is still feeding the other three kittens outside but Pixie wandered into the house and decided she was adopting us. You can't buy the joy on mother's face when Pixie will bonk noses with her. The beauty of love is the real meaning of Christmas. God so loved the world that he gave us his only son.

Bells

This is the time of year that you hear bells ringing. The Salvation Army is out in full force during this coldest time of year to remind people who are doing their Christmas shopping that their are poor people who need food and shelter. I hope people are taking the time to drop some money in those kettles to help those less fortunate then themselves.

There are two other celebrations taking place during the month of December. The Jewish people are celebrating Hanukkah and the miracle of the oil. When the Jews went to rededicate their temple after it had been made into a temple to worship the Greek god Zeus they discovered they only had oil for one day. Miraculously the oil burned for eight days. The celebration now focuses on the rededication of the Jewish people towards the spiritual aspect of their religion and their survival as a people.

African Americans are celebrating Kwanzaa which was founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga and embraces the seven principles dedicated towards family and community. The principles are:

1. Umoja (oo-MO-jah) Unity stresses the importance of togetherness for the family and the community, which is reflected in the African saying, "I am We," or "I am because We are."

2. Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-yah) Self-Determination requires that we define our common interests and make decisions that are in the best interest of our family and community.

3. Ujima (oo-GEE-mah) Collective Work and Responsibility reminds us of our obligation to the past, present and future, and that we have a role to play in the community, society, and world.

4. Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support.

5. Nia (NEE-yah) Purpose encourages us to look within ourselves and to set personal goals that are beneficial to the community.

6. Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) Creativity makes use of our creative energies to build and maintain a strong and vibrant community.

7. Imani (ee-MAH-nee) Faith focuses on honoring the best of our traditions, draws upon the best in ourselves, and helps us strive for a higher level of life for humankind, by affirming our self-worth and confidence in our ability to succeed and triumph in righteous struggle.

Christians are celebrating the birth of Christ and this too focuses on family symbolized by Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. In between the Santa Clauses and other secular decorations it is good to remember why we are actually celebrating Christmas.

December is a wonderful month to rededicate ourselves towards helping the family of man. Remember those who are not as fortunate as yourselves and you will be giving the greatest gift of all. The picture is called Eastern Star.

Get Real

One of my brother's called me a liberal's liberal in his blog which pretty much sums up my politics I guess. I am a passionate environmentalist. I care about this planet of ours and what we are doing to it with our pollution and disregard for science that proves there are problems. My frustrations were emphasized this weekend when another one of my brothers was bragging that a friend of his found a great use for Al Gore's book on global warming as it makes great kindling for a fire.

I am sick of this "oh a Democrat said this so it has to be wrong" mentality. Come on people get real! How about reading what top scientists say about the subject. Try here for an example. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/changing.earth/?eref=aol

It is time that people stopped playing "party line" and started doing actual research into the subject and use their brains for a change. The brain has another function besides keeping your ears apart. Science is not the enemy. Get your ultraconservative heads out of the sand and start listening to what is being said about this planet. It is not a political question it is a question of survival on this planet of ours.

It is time that people of all political persuasions get together and look at a very real problem with this planet and see what can be done to improve Earth's health. We need to clean up the pollution of our air, water and earth. We only have this one fragile little planet to live on and we need to make sure that we take care of it.

The picture is called "Celestial Dance 2". I decided to rework and older picture.

Dream

They have been playing Christmas music at work the past week and one of the CDs they play has Vince Gill's Let There Be Peace On Earth where he sings the song and then his young daughter sings it. I love that particular song because it is how I try and live my life.

The last few weeks I've been feeling kinda down. While I love being Irish it does have a mood drawback in what is referred to as "black Irish moods" in other words a kind of depression. I have been looking over my life and trying to figure out where I've been and what I have accomplished in my life. I have been feeling pretty low and have felt like maybe I haven't done much with my life.

Last I had the strangest dream. In the dream were several vignettes where I was a participant but in every one I was the person who pointed people towards where to get the help they needed. I started the help process by listening to their problems and helping them get to where they needed to go to get done what needed to be done to get them what was needed to make their lives better and worth living. At the end of the dream I was rewarded with someone to be there for me and be my companion through this life. I awoke with such a feeling of peace.

Looking back at what has disturbed me the last few weeks I realize that the decisions that I have made have been correct according to my beliefs. While I enjoyed my newsgroup it was right to leave. I left making it clear that I did not approve of the behavior of three people in the group. It is not right to set yourself up as holier then God and then post constant viscous messages towards someone because you do not think he has the right to his New Age beliefs. This person posted a self righteous email to me quoting the Bible and going on how evil this person was and failed to see the mote in his own eye. He just assumed that this person was evil without knowing him based on what he assumed about his beliefs. As my Dad said there is a reason the word ass is in assumed because people who assume make asses out of themselves. The other two people are bullies who make up for their own inadequacies by bullying people on the net to make themselves look big. See the word assume you two. One of them is a bigot as well,definitely anti-Irish and most likely the person behind the homophobic posts as well. All three have in common hatred at their cores.

If anything my pondering about my life the last few weeks was underscored by last night's dream. I have always felt I was on this earth to help others. I may not have the riches of a Bill Gates but I give what money I can to help others. Most of all I try and help people in my jobs. My last job I helped people get their dialysis supplies so that they literally could continue to live. In this job I take every chance I get to help people who have no insurance and no money to pay for it get the medical help they need. I have put my personal life on hold to help my mother through her remaining years.

I have no doubt at all that God is there with me helping me through my life. He knows I am not perfect but I try. He forgives me when I err and helps me to do better. Most of all he gives me the comfort I need when I'm in a black Irish mood and lets me know that s/he notices what I have tried to do and that s/he has plans for me. I know I am not alone and s/he let me know last night I will not be alone in this world as well.

So God I want you to know I will keep trying to help others in any way I can. My solemn vow is that if I am ever in a position where I have the money to do so I will use it to help others. At this time of year It's a Wonderful Life is being shown and the ringing of bells symbolizes that another angel has earned its wings. My dream is to found the "Angels Wings Foundation" dedicated to being a place where people can volunteer and help others and not just throw money at a charity. I want a place where people can help make a difference in other people's lives.

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.

The picture is called A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes.

Sunset

"If your eyes are blinded with your worries, you cannot see the beauty of the sunset." Krishnamurti

One of the things I have been working on in my life is to not worry about things that I can do nothing about. There is enough to be concerned with that I can affect.

What are some of the things I am shrugging off? Number one has to be the computer conversion fiasco at work. I had nothing to do with this supposed great update and the piece meal way we are being shown how to use the system. It doesn't really work and I hear enough complaints from my two coworkers that I really don't need to comment. I can't do anything about it so I'll just take the paycheck and go on with my life.

Another thing I'm doing is reworking how I relate to my mother. I can't force her to retire although I can urge her to take better care of herself. Nagging mom just doesn't work. My new strategy is to wait until she brings retirement up and agree with her that she should do that. Of course letting her know that Pixie needs her at home does help. Hey I said I was rethinking I didn't say I wasn't plotting.

One of the main things I can affect is my health. I am trying to be more aware of taking my medicine when I am supposed to in order to keep the asthma under control. Winter is actually my best season asthma wise because there is a shortage of pollen to kick the allergies up.

I am going to spend the weekend working on Christmas things so that I don't have the last minute stuff to worry about this year. I have the calendar and the cards designed and can sit down at the computer and print them off. Tomorrow I plan to go shopping at one of the bigger malls out of town and try and get the rest of the shopping stuff done. In between I'm going to make a big pot of chili because it is the perfect weather for it.

The picture is called Fiery Sunset.

Space

Outer space has gotten a lot of press these last couple of weeks. First we had Stephen Hawking urging mankind to spread out and colonize other planets. We then have NASA planning on putting a permanent base on our moon. Now we have the news that water may still be flowing on Mars. Cool!

Ever since I discovered science fiction as a child I have always been fascinated by men going into space. I want to know what is up there in our sky. I am one of those people who believe we are not alone in this universe and that there are other beings out there. Hopefully they have gotten beyond the stage where they are always in danger of blowing themselves up.

One of the things science fiction talks about is superior beings who are waiting to contact us until we demonstrate that we are mature enough as a species that we won't bring our destructive ways with us. It makes sense to me. I certainly wouldn't want as my neighbor someone who builds bombs and rattles sabers.

If mankind would learn that they are one race, human, and learn to get along with each other we could take that vast amount of money we spend on war and channel it into making sure that everyone on this planet has a decent standard of living. Once we learn to take care of each other we can reach out to the universe and explore.

The picture is called Celestial Dance.

Ambition

"He who sacrifices his conscience to ambition burns a picture to obtain the ashes." Chinese Proverb

I really like that thought for the day from my Oriental Wisdom Calendar. You only need to look around to see how true that proverb is. How often ambition gets out of control and the person decides that what they want must be obtained at all costs regardless of who gets hurt in the process.

The first people that spring to mind are politicians who will sacrifice all principles to be elected. This year's mud slinging campaigns are proof of that. I abhor dirty politics. In an ideal world it would be persuasive arguments of how a candidate's programs would work to better this world that would be the deciding factor.

In the work place you see the back stabbing and gossip used as a tool to advance one's career. I found that in my old job to be especially true. She didn't care about the patients and nurses who loved me because I did my job so well and with such compassion. This lady wanted me out because I was the one who was loved not her. So she got the company to believe her lies and harmed patients whose lived depend on getting their supplies properly.

You see this ambition on the boards where someone wants to be the big cheese and will use bullying tactics to drive off anyone who challenges them in their perception of being number one. It doesn't matter if the person they target is on topic and discussing in an intelligent manner the topic of the board or not. Their idea of being the big man is how many people can they drive off the board.

Egos can be such destructive forces in this world.

Fly Away

There are a lot of places that I would like to visit. I think the top of my list has to be Ireland. We are Irish on both sides of the family and I really would like to visit the land where my ancestors emigrated from. The same goes for Scotland where ancestors of our Dad were from the Highlands. I would probably add Wales to the mix just because I would like to see the places where Mary Stewart's "Merlin" series started. I would like to see some of the theatre in London especially something by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. My dream would be to see Kenneth Branagh live on stage.

Hawaii is another place that is high on my list of where I would like to visit. On my old job one of my territories was Hawaii and my patients were always asking me to come over to visit. I would like to see all of the islands. It is especially tempting now with snow coming in tomorrow and the temperatures getting down into the single digits.

Hong Kong is also on my list of places to see. I am intrigued by the place. I would eventually like to see a lot of China especially the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. One of my favorite mystery series is Robert Van Gulik's "Judge Dee" series which is set in ancient China.

Like all good geeks I want to visit New Zealand and take the tours that show you all the places where "Lord of the Rings" was filmed. It looks like such a beautiful country. If I am going down under I'll of course want to see Australia.

When I was a child I had always hoped that I would be able to visit other planets. It looks like they are going to put a permanent space station on the moon. I don't suppose they would need an artist to come along? One with a couple of cats maybe? ;-)

The picture is something I was fooling around with last night and is called "Fly Away."

Stop and Listen

"I may not have any design upon my neighbor as to this faith, which I must honor even as I honor my own. For I regard all the great religions of the world as true, at any rate for the people professing them, as mine is true for me." Mahatma Gandhi

Today's quote from my Oriental Wisdom calendar needs to be taught everywhere. Too often people get caught up in their own faith and fail to realize that someone else's faith is just as valid as their own. I know so many people whose religious beliefs are different from my own everyone from Druids to Evangelicals to Jews to Buddhists to Taoists to Protestants of many denominations as well as my own Catholics and even Atheists which is a conscious choice not to believe in God.

Humans have a tendency to lump other humans into categories. This is especially true when it comes to religion. I would like to see more tolerance of other religions and a more ecumenical approach to religion. It is great when a person has a religion and follows it, however mankind has a tendency towards intolerance towards beliefs that are different then their own. If someone's beliefs don't dovetail with theirs many people immediately go on the offensive towards the religion of the one who is different.

Spirituality comes in many different shapes and forms. The New Age beliefs of many of my friends is a case in point. While much of it seems to be pretty far out as far as I am concerned still there is an element of spirituality and a oneness with the universe that does resonate with me. I find that many of these people act in a more "Christian" manner then some so called Christians. They are more tolerant of others beliefs.

The God we worship is the same one regardless of how we look at him/her. I wish that when people encounter a religion that is not their own that they would look on it with an open mind and see that it is an affirmation of the same God just seen from a different perspective. If there were more tolerance in the world towards people's religious beliefs there would be more peace.

The picture is called "Hazy Shade of Winter" because this snow falling here in the Midwest doesn't care what religion you are. You still need to shovel out that driveway.

Birthday Wishes

Today is my older brother's 60th birthday. Of course we are all giving him a bad time. That is what siblings are for isn't it?

Unlike my brother I listened to my Dad when he told me to find an age I liked and stay there. So while he is 60 today I plan to stay at 29 and holding.

The picture is "Guardian of the Fire" and we will definitely need the dragon if we plan to put 60 candles on Mike's cake and yes the Fire Department is on alert.

 

Heading for a Storm

We have our first winter storm upon us. Not sure how much snow we are expecting here in central Indiana. I doubt as much in the picture which is a rework of Chicago Winter Dreams. It is one of the pictures I wasn't totally satisfied with and used new tools at my disposal to redo.

It is "AIDS Awareness Day" and hopefully people will listen and try and do something to stop the epidemic. I hope God opens the minds of those going to the big conference in the San Francisco Bay Area so that those complaining about Barak Obama being there will shut their mouths and not their hearts and listen to what he has to say about AIDS in Africa and how we need to help. People are dying and that is more important then anything else today.

I am also more then a little concerned about Newt Gingrich spouting off again about wanting to curb Freedom of Speech. Didn't that clown disappear after a political scandal? What makes this country unique is our Bill of Rights that gives us freedom from tyranny. Once you start chipping away at that then you destroy what makes us great. I am tired of this specter of "terrorists" being used to take away my freedoms. How Mr. Gingrich thinks he can stop the Internet is beyond me.  Common sense would tell you that if you curb speech you aren't going to be able to hear if someone is plotting "terrorism."

I am glad the weekend is here. My science fiction shows are on again tonight and I can kick back and relax. This weekend I will be working on Christmas presents for family and friends. I have one more month to design and the calendar is done. I'll get the card designed this weekend and start on the printing of those. Other then that it is the same old wait up until mother gets home from work and fret because she has to work this weekend in this horrible weather. I can hardly wait until she retires at the first of the year.