just in case there is...

If you happen to believe in a place called "heaven", it is likely you also have a fairly clear picture of what that place looks like. It could be some sunny, flowery field where the waterfalls are chocolate and the flowers smell like your mother's homemade cookies. Or maybe you imagine it to be palatial, where you get to live in the mansion of your dreams and you can eat lobster and caviar to your hearts' content without ever gaining an ounce. Perhaps it's simply an endless beach with crystal clear waters and bottomless margaritas. I've asked hundreds of people what heaven means to them, and not a single one of them repeated anyone else's version.

Such is the mystery of heaven. That is, if there is such a place.

Most of you are aware by now that I am not a follower of religious tenet. I don't believe in god as defined by religious cultures, regardless of sect. When people ask me if I believe in god, I always respond with, "first you'll have to define what god means to you". I do this because as varied as peoples' versions of heaven are, so are their definitions of what god is. It used to be a slippery slope, especially back when I was of a mind that I felt the need to defend myself. Major arguments would always ensue. Many "friends" were never to be seen again. Part of that was my doing because I was as vehement about my beliefs as they were about theirs. Nobody would budge. Feelings got hurt. Friendship over.

Many years  have passed since I was that confrontational Being. I no longer feel desire nor need to defend my beliefs, or judge anyone else for theirs. To each his own, I say. If believing in a god that will meet you at some pearly gates to welcome you home is what makes life more bearable for you, I see no reason whatsoever to hold it against you. As long as your beliefs don't infringe on my liberties we won't have a problem. End of story.

There are more reasons than fleas on a stray dog why I believe what I believe. Those reasons are neither relevant to this "conversation" nor anybody's business. I prefer to keep such things to myself or, in very special circumstances, between trusted friends. Mostly because I don't feel the need to talk about it. Also because it's a tired topic and I'd much prefer to talk of art and critters and music and mountains. It makes for a much more joyful Life, and these days that's pretty much all I care about.

Which leads us to the purpose of this missive:

I saw a photograph the other day on a post that was about who you'll meet in heaven. It was a lighthearted piece; it made me smile. Apparently, the woman who penned the piece was on the fence about "heaven". She was trying to figure it out by writing it out. I do it too. Probably a big reason why I write on this here blog. It's about reaching for clarity. Sometimes it works.

Anywhooooo....the moment I saw the photo, without reading a single word, the first thought that popped into my head was: "if there is such a place as heaven, this is what mine will look like." Just the thought of it made me giggle. My mind immediately snatched onto the thought and ran with it. All manner of lovely images flew though my head, making the scene so clear as to transport me to this heaven. That was a week ago. I haven't stopped thinking about it. It still makes me giggle. And I thought it might be a lovely way to begin my week. Just a little seed, tossed out to the winds, to see where it might plant itself.

There is no other purpose for this meandering, other than to toss it out to you, and, maybe, if I did my job well enough, inspire you to share your own thoughts.

Heaven or no?
What's it going to "look" like when you get there?
Who will be there to greet you at the gates?

{Go on. Click that comment button and share your thoughts. Please?!}

Even On Your Worst Day...

"Even on your worst day, there is a possibility for JOY."

That quote is from an episode of Castle. He'd been snooping in Kate's desk and found a stick figure made from beach wood and string and assorted beach stuff. After a bit of bickering, she finally told him the story of the object. Turns out it was from the day of her mother's funeral. She and her dad had been surrounded by friends and family, both of them miserable with the whole affair. Her dad grabbed her and whisked her off to Coney Island. There, still dressed in their funeral garb, they walked the beach, gathering treasures and finding their way into the joy of the moment, despite the passing of her mom, his wife. Together they constructed the stick man and she'd carried it with her since that dreadful/joyful day. Castle asked Kate if the day was "a happy one or a sad one". She replied, "Both." And then she said, "He reminds me that even on your worst day, there is a possibility for joy."

It's one of my favorite episodes. And I never forgot that story. So, one day, I decided to try to recreate that stick man. I keep it on my fridge. As a reminder. It always makes me smile. And then...

Today, whilst sitting at my desk, trying to get started on some work, I heard on of the Yorkies barking. Nothing new. They're a noisy pair. But this wasn't a playful sound. It was clearly a sound of distress. I stopped to listen more closely. Three seconds passed before it registered. I jumped out of my chair and ran outside. There I saw Sophie facing the pool, standing statue still. Bentley was facing his house, barking more intensely. Where's Barkley????

I ran to the pool and saw the poor little fella trying desperately to get OUT. The water is ice cold. He's NOT a very good swimmer. I grabbed him up and ran to his house, hollering for his mama. She opened the door to see me dashing up the steps, holding the poor, soaked puppy at arms length. Both Bentley and Sophie were at my heels. She said, "I kept thinking, why won't he stop barking?". All I could think was, thank the gods for my instincts. And for my ability to distinguish their voices. And for Bentley, looking out for his brother. And for Sophie, pointing to the pool. I was so full of adrenaline at that point, all I could do was hand the dog over and go back to my house.

And then it hit me. I couldn't stop crying. I kept thinking about what might have happened if I hadn't gotten up and went out there to see what was wrong. Or if I didn't have that ability to note the different tones they use. Or if Bentley hadn't done what he did. All those images kept screaming through my mind as the adrenaline worked its way out of my system.

Now, as I've typed these words, I can feel my body relaxing. I can feel my heart resume its normal rhythm. The tears have stopped. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. He's okay. DEEP BREATHS.

What's left is this:

Profound gratitude.
For being able to hear what he was saying.
For listening to my intuition.
For both Sophie and Bentley doing their parts.
For getting out there in time to save that little guy.

 As the calm returns, in my head all I hear is:

Even on your worst day, there is a possibility for JOY.

NOT a Thanksgiving Day Post

Today I am grateful. As I was yesterday, and the day before. And the day before that. As I will be tomorrow...and, with practiced intention, the day after that. Yes, I will spend a few hours with family for our traditional feast tomorrow. And I will watch football from my first sip of coffee til my eyes are ready for rest. In short, the only difference between tomorrow and any other of my days is that there will be a food fest...and some time with family. You see, I make it a practice to begin each day in Gratitude. I also have no illusions about the "holiday" we call Thanksgiving. Mostly, it makes me sad; it is not what we have been taught. The Native Americans I've met in my lifetime don't see it as a day to celebrate. Can you blame them?

But that's another story for another day. (or NOT).

Today, I am grateful. And this beautiful little Being is one of the reasons why I can begin each day with Gratitude.

You don't have to be The Dog Whisperer to see that she is not thrilled with that thang on her head. But she tolerates me when I ask, and she always gets a treat for allowing me to use her as my model. I don't do it often, but sometimes I simply cannot resist. She's just so darned cute.

This Dawg, whom I call Sophie (among many other names) is the Joy of my world. She rescued me shortly after my Bruzer crossed The Rainbow Bridge. Had she not come to live with me, I'm not sure I'd have survived that passing. Honest. I begin each day in a state of Gratitude because she begins each day with me. She jumps up on my bed (if she isn't on it already) and gives me lots of puppy kisses and tail wags and a general smothering of Love. How can I not begin my days gratefully?

I'm going to share these few photos, and leave it at that. I've no doubt there will be at least a bazillion other postings about Thanksgiving Day. So, rather than adding to that long list, I'll simply share my numero uno reason for the Gratitude that I practice each and every day of my immensely blessed Life. 

Oh...and I shall wish you ALL a wonderful celebration of Gratitude, Family, and Endurance (because we all know that a day of family is something we endure as much as we enjoy. Such is the nature of "family", yes?) I pray your day will be tasty, happy, full of laughter, and at least one good football game. 

Now then...the rest of Sophie's poses....

Cheers, my Lovelies! Gobble, gobble, gobble.

HallieArt! An Amazing Little Dog

It is not uncommon for me to find or be sent all sorts of goodies about critters. I am, after all, the consummate critter lover. Very often I begin my day with videos and/or postings about some critter or other who has/is/does wonderful things for its Human or fellow critters. I am always grateful, and usually amazed at what they can do. I know firsthand just how awesome the Four Leggeds, Feathered, Scaled, and Crawly things are. I keep them in my world for a reason!

Today, whilst perusing my emails, I found a video about a pup named Hallie. Her story is more than magnificent. And her art? Well, let's just say that there is most definitely some serious magick goin' on with this little critter. Lest I overdo the whole ga-ga thang, I'm just going to provide the link to her website. I am absolutely certain you will enjoy all of her offerings.

And, by the way, her Human ain't all bad either! But please don't take my word for it. Go see for yourself. This is a wonderful, joy-filled site and very much worth your time.

HONEST!

HalliEArt

Up and down, round and round...

When all else fails, watch the puppy. Watch him as he races around the yard like a crazy person, dashing up and down the hills, stopping only long enough to throw himself on the grass to roll over and over and over again. Then, he gets up and takes off like somebody lit a firecracker under his butt. Up and down, round and round, a party all by himself.

If that doesn't cure ya, nothing will.

P.S. In the words of the Great Bruzer: LIGHTEN UP, MAMA!

Ain't that the truth?

sun-dried goodness

there's just something about drying clothes in the sun, ya know?

there's a smell that can only be described as

sunshine.

how can ya beat that?

i am blessed to live in a place where, 

even in winter, the days are usually quite warm.

do not be fooled. 

it gets c-o-l-d here too.

but mostly it's at night.

and mostly it doesn't last long once the sun comes up.

the temps here can vary as much as forty degrees

from night to day

but even still, i can do my laundry

 and never have to touch the gas dryer.

nice!

anyway...

as i was hanging my clothes out this morning, 

looking at the magnificent mountains off in the distance

listening to the red-tailed hawks screech across the skies

and the crazy little chickens making their crazy little noises

i was overwhelmed with this feeling of...

utter bliss.

no. really.

i know that sounds kinda goofy

but i don't care.

it's true!

i got goose bumps all over 

 let out a giggle that surprised me as much as it did my dog.

he looked up as if to say,

"what's up? what're you gigglin' about now?"

i walked over and gave him a big ol' hug

and thanked him for being here.

i just felt this incredibly huge appreciation

for all that is my LIFE.

there's just somethin' about

that sun-dried goodness

ya know?

Diamond-Studded Puppies...and all that jazz.

For all the zillions of books there are to 'learn how' to succeed, there's nary a one that tops the sound of coyotes or the crow of a rooster.

HUH?

Napoleon Hill ("Think and Grow Rich") may have been ahead of his time and Wallace D. Wattles ("The Science of Getting Rich") may have come up with his own little snippets, but for all the Rich Dad, Poor Dads out there, the one thing you can count on is that it's not about what you know, it's about how you feel.
If you happen to be remotely attuned to the whole Law of Attraction thang, you already know that "like attracts like" (contrary to the old "opposites attract" thang). If this 'law' happens to be true, then the next logical conclusion is that if you have any aversion to 'rich folk', you are not likely to attract your own wealth. You may run into some windfalls here and there, but the likelihood of your ongoing financial success (as in MORE MORE MORE) is about as likely as snow in the tropics. Ain't gonna happen.


Case in point:


I have a friend who is as talented as they come. She is an exquisite artist with a passion for her work like none other. Her work is magnificent, as is she. And every now and then she hits it big. She goes from absolute poverty to rollin' in the dough in a heartbeat. And then...back to absolute poverty again. To the point where her friends bring her groceries so she won't starve. Really. There is never any lack of financial drama. Phone gets turned off. Car gets impounded. Eviction notices. The whole shebang. Then...at the very last moment, the money comes rollin' in and she fixes all the delinquencies...until next go round. 


Luckily for her, she has a tribe that supports her, no matter what. I'll be the first to admit she's well worth it. But for the longest time we both contributed to this pattern, me by enabling, her by sitting as 'victim'. Every time something would pop up, she'd call and we'd talk it over, come up with a solution and carry on to the next challenge. This went on for years. And then...


One day, as I was listening to her rantings, I heard her say something about the "asshole rich people" who can go out and buy diamond-studded collars for their stupid Chihuahuas. She was really on a roll about how ridiculous 'they' were and how much it infuriated her. She just couldn't wrap her brain around the idea that "they're so stupid and talentless and utterly mindless jerks. How was it that these really dumb people could acquire such wealth?"


As I listened, I suddenly heard what was really going on. It hit me like a ton of bricks and it was all I could do to let her finish her rant without interrupting. When, at last, she took a breath, I offered this up:


"How do you feel at this moment? Right NOW. Do you feel that ache in your gut? Do you feel at ease? HOW DO YOU FEEL?"


She told me about her angst, and anger, and outright righteousness. She told me about her rising blood pressure and her elevated heart rate. She was as honest as she was enraged.


Then I said, "Think about this. You don't need to respond. Just let it sit for a while. Think about how you FEEL about "rich" people. Think about how it makes you feel when you think of all that money. Think about how pissed you get when you see them buying what you consider to be ridiculous stuff. How do you suppose you're EVER going to have that kind of money when the thought of it makes you feel so shitty? It's like you're telling yourself, 'yea. I want all that money but I don't want to be like them.' Total contradiction."


Maybe it's time to take a good look at how we really feel about money. Does it make us feel inferior when we don't have any? Do the people who have lots of it make us want to commit acts of violence? Does the idea of lots of money make us feel anxious and incompetent? Because if that's the stuff we feel when we think about money, ain't no way we're going to have it in any kind of abundance. No way, no how. The only way to grow the flow of dollars is to see it as what it really is: just another form of energy. You could even go so far as to say just another form of love. Really! Because money is nothing more than energy exchanged. If your energy is averse to that exchange, you're going to dangle by a thread for the rest of your human experience. If you see it for what it truly is, you're going to allow the flow of that energy to wash you in more than you could ever spend. If you don't believe this, just take a look at where you are. Take a day or five to really pay attention to how you feel when the subject of money comes up. Any semblance of aversion to wealth and the wealthy is going to stop that flow before it even begins. Once you clean that crap out, you're on your way to whatever it is you most desire. It sounds easy, but it may be more of a challenge than you can guess. Mostly because of old patterns. And how we feel about what we deserve. And...the old proverbial fear of success (not fear of failure!). 


So what's all this have to do with coyotes and roosters? The way they make me feel. Whenever I hear their voices, I feel like I hit the jackpot. I feel like there is a wealth of life-giving energy surrounding me. In short, those sounds make me feel rich. They make me feel like the wealthiest person alive. They make me giggle my ass off. AND they completely eliminate any thoughts of lack. These are the feelings that promote more of my own wealth. These are the things that confirm what I know: it's not about what I don't have...it's about what I do (have)...and the utter appreciation for all of it. 


I once heard J.K. Rowling say that money merely afforded her nicer clothes and more freedom. Freedom to do the things she enjoys and help loads of other people who are not yet so blessed. Money is freedom.


You don't have to believe a single word. All you have to do is look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. You'll hear your truth. And then...you can go out and buy a diamond studded collar and giggle your way home.