LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE - Law of Divine Oneness

My posts in the next few days will be about the Laws of the Universe.  Applying these laws to one's life will have powerful and positive effects.  The concept of universal laws governing our existence predates modern science.  They can be traced back to ancient philosophies and spiritual traditions.

 Law of Divine Oneness

Everyone and everything is connected.

This law lays the foundation for all other laws.  Our every thought, word or action will take effect on others.  Try this:  erase all the titles you wear, like brother, sister, mother, dad, grampa, gramma, racial standing, social standing, academic degrees earned....everything.  Take all of the descriptions and titles away, and what is left is what makes you the real you. This is energy vibrating at a frequency.  Love is one of the highest emotional frequencies.  If you feel love, then you vibrate higher.  When you practice love, kindness and compassion for yourself (self-love), you are functioning at a high vibration.  Loving yourself helps you to be kinder to others, which makes you feel better.

When you encounter negative people or situations, train yourself to NOT take their negativity into your own life and your own thoughts.  Taking on their negative energy will affect your own energy.  It's critical that you focus your attention away from them and place it somewhere more positive.

We are absolutely able to better the collective one-consciousness of this world.  We can be kinder, more compassionate to others, realizing that each one of us is part of the whole.

There have been uncountable times in my life where I've felt like I lived on another planet.....my thinking was so different.....and, now I realize this is because we function on different vibration levels.  Our thoughts, emotions and behaviors are the result of us functioning on different vibration levels.

Positive emotions:  High vibration is associated with joy, love, gratitude and peace. Feeling energized and enthusiastic.

Negative emotions:  Low vibration is linked to fear, anger, sadness and resentment.    Feeling tired and sluggish.

Notice how your energy levels fluctuate throughout the day and what activities your thoughts might be contributing to these changes.  Pay attention to the nature of your internal dialogue, your thoughts, to see whether they support your well-being. 

Knowing this helps explain to me why I've felt like a Martian rather than an Earthling.  It's because I work so incredibly hard to manifest optimism, to see imaginary rainbows in the sky and keep my thinking out of the quicksand.  

THERE IS NO LIFE WITHOUT WATER

Looking down at a flowing trout stream

It's ironic that both of us feel grounded when we're by the water.  Doesn't matter if it's this flowing trout stream, a quiet lake, a river or an ocean....."let the rhythm of the water set your soul free." 

Water-Starwort (type of Bittercresss)

Trout streams are known for the clear water that's fed by natural springs.  One can imagine how the trout must savor the stillness beneath this lush cover of plant life.  Our recent amble along this stream, beneath the overhanging trees, underlined the fact that this ecosystem is thriving.  

When we open our eyes to the intricate web of life that exists in the natural world, we can feel the interconnectedness, the way Our Creator weaves the details of our lives into a tapestry.  Sad and bad things happen to us, but those things are part of the tapestry of existence.  The prettiest tapestries are woven of both dark threads and light threads. If we don't think of life in this positive way, then life can feel like a needless one-way trip to nowhere.

One thing for sure, we all need one another, and we all need to play nice with each other in the sandbox.  We all have days when we'd like to be a fish and hide beneath the aquatic plant life.  Actually, I don't think we can make it through our short time on earth without days of complexity, confusion and chaos.  My secret at these intervals, as I've written before, is to shift gears and go into turtle mode.  Yup, I crawl inside my shell and stay there.  Psychologists refer to this technique as "stop, tuck and think."

BLESSINGS HERE IN AMERICA

Today I recognize the everyday blessings I have here in America........

    I CAN.....

• ...read, write and listen to whatever I choose.
• ...support whomever I want.
• ...belong to whatever religion I feel best suits me.
• ...work at a job and earn money.
• ...retire from a job and enjoy whatever late-life years are gifted.
• ...continue to learn and expand my knowledge in fields that pique my curiosity.
• ...be creative through whatever artistic medium I desire.
• ...eat whatever foods I like and can afford.  
• ...own property, own my own home, move to a place where I feel safe.
• ...own personal possessions that I need and want.
• ...own a pet(s).
• ...spend time, or not spend time, with friends and relatives.
• ...go on vacations, choose the destinations, mode of travel.
• ...plant a garden, have all the flowers I want, plant trees.
• ...spend time in Nature....at a lake, in a woods, in a park, go fishing, go on a picnic in a public park or a secluded niche in a quiet place.
• ...go to my doctor, have faith in him, and have the referral process in place when my medical needs require going to a bigger medical facility.
• ...own a car, obtain a legal license to drive, and drive from the east to the west, from the north to the south, and all places in between.
• ...choose insurance plans for health, home and vehicle.
• ...go to whatever grocery store I prefer, buy the groceries I want and can afford, prepare the food as I choose.
• ...enjoy the internet, shop online, have orders delivered to my door, have online banking available.
• ...go our for dinner, decide for myself which restaurant best fits my wallet, go out with friends.
• ...sit outside and watch the world go by, watch the clouds float above me, listen to the thunder on a rainy day, or take a nap when I'm weary.
• ...have surgeries that provide me with brand new joints, relieving aggravating pain.
• ...stay in touch with others via email, snail mail, telephone, or any other techy device available.
• ...choose the clothes I wear, shop at a swanky shop or a thrift store, or a yard sale.
• ...do my own laundry in the washer and dryer that sits in the laundry room.
• ...take a shower, choose my hair style, have available all the necessary lotions and soaps and other hygienic needs.
• ...wear glasses when my eyesight starts to change, have cataracts removed when age dictates that need.
• ...travel anywhere in the world, except countries where we are not allowed.
• ...start my own business, earn extra money.
• ...choose to watch t.v......choose what to watch......OR, choose not to watch t.v.
• ...be alerted to bad weather heading our way through the local alert system on my iPhone.
• ...write a daily global blog.
• ...choose to go to a concert, a seminar, a festival, a celebration, a fair, a play, a movie, run in a race, a marathon.  
• ...get married, stay single, have kids, not have kids.
• ...earn all the academic degrees I can afford.
• ...hire a lawyer to represent me, prepare documentation.
• ...use public restrooms.  Lots of places are pay-to-pee.
• ...have access to prescribed medicines and can choose the pharmacy.
• ...enjoy air-conditioning on these hot days and warmth in winter.
• ...call a cab if I'm not able to drive.
• ...take advantage of convenience stores close to where I live.
• ...manage my own calendar, plan my days, say YES, say NO.

Acknowledging the good 

you already have in your life

 is the foundation 

for all abundance. 

 ~Eckhart Tolle

PLEA DEAL

I've pondered whether or not to post my opinion about the plea deal in Idaho.  

There is nothing on this earth I can do to express my compassion.  The one thing I can do is honor those who had their lives so brutally taken away that night.  Let us genuflect before the memory of......... 

Madison Mogen,

 Kaylee Goncalves, 

Ethan Chaplin

 Xana Kernodle.  

The news media is saying that the court made a plea deal with the devil.  Who can argue that?  

According to CNN, there is no stipulation in K's plea agreement to prevent him from doing interviews with the media or writing a book.  We hear about the Son of Sam laws, but we must remember that the specifics of these laws and their presence in every state vary significantly.  These laws, designed to prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes, mainly through the sale of books, have been challenged in court and often modified.  There isn't one single, identical Son of Sam law in every state.  Each state has its own legislation, and some have no such law at all.  

It would have been helpful for the judge to insist on K giving all the facts of the four slaughters and the location of the knife he used to kill these four beautiful kids.  And, what was his motive?  The one piece of fairness in the deal is the clause in the plea deal that K cannot ever appeal.  The appeal process could go on for years, and this way the deal is sealed.  And, bottom line, there's also no absolute guarantee that a guilty verdict would be reached or that a jury would have come back with a death verdict.  The way my brain can accept these judicial outcomes is to hope his new life in prison will be filled with the same brutal and cruel treatment he used to slaughter these four beautiful kids.  The court has made a deal with the devil, so let's hope K lives with the devil's family in Hell.

Trivia:  The name Hell has its origins in Germanic and Scandinavian mythology.  In Norse mythology, Hel was the goddess of the underworld, and her realm was also called Hel, a place where those who died of sickness or old age went.  As people converted to Christianity, the term Hell was adopted to describe the Christian concept of a place of eternal punishment for those who did not repent.

Lord of All, we lift up the souls of Madison, Kaylee, Ethan and Xana, asking for them to be at peace in your loving arms.  We pray for their families, that they find strength and comfort in your love and the support of their communities.  Help them navigate this difficult time and guide them toward healing.  May the memories of Madison, Kaylee, Ethan and Xana be a blessing, and may their lives inspire us to seek justice and create a safer world.  Amen.  

STEPPING STONES

We celebrated the 1st day of July with Mother Nature.  I took a few photographs, mainly so I could share them in my daily posts.  Blog topics can be a challenge, so will ration one photo at a time.

~Stepping Stones~

Life has taught me the secret to finding the little things that our natural world is made up of.  The secret is quite simple.  In order to find these little treasures, we have to look around us.  This photo is a perfect example of me doing that.  

These stepping stones weren't in front of me, but rather down from and beside a bridge crossing a trout stream, and I needed to look around a fence and a gate to find 'em.  The second I saw the stepping stones, I knew it was a meaningful sight.  But, I had to look to find them, they didn't just present themselves in front of me.

The longer we live, the more we learn how to wisely navigate our world......I'm not talking about circumventing the globe or visiting one hemisphere and then the next.  I'm talking about noticing, appreciating and honoring the little things that are right next to us.  Maybe I will write about this, because I worry that the interest and focus is on techy gadgets more so than on Nature.

It's inexpensive therapy to take the time to look at a leaf, moss growing on a log, the roots of a tree, an ant hill built in the crack of a sidewalk, a bird's nest.....every part of Nature can have a positive impact on us.  The number of natural wonders around us is uncountable and beyond our understanding.  Where we live, a trolley will take us past fields and timbers, expanses of greenery.  The color green comes to us in many many shades, yet they all blend together so as to call it all green.  It's challenging to notice the different shades of green in nature. 

I write about the good parts of being seasoned, living longer.  Probably the most phenomenal blessing in my life is my reverence for Nature.  To me, the whole world is a cathedral....a place to pray, ponder, appreciate, hunt, find and open the heart to the healing powers of the Universe.  In my cathedral, there is no repetitive liturgy, no  pre-packaged sermon, but there is a communion between me and the Almighty Maker of it All.  Money and Power have no pew in my cathedral.  It's a Sanctuary for my Soul, regardless of what all else goes on in our fabricated world.  

The photograph of the stepping stones is a metaphor for my journey to where my heart and soul are today.  My childhood was a classroom where Nature was a required subject.  The values placed on creatures, great and small, were a part of my early years.  Without that early day-to-day education, maybe I wouldn't be able to cherish the ever-changing wonders around me.

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

The phrase dog days of summer refers to the hottest and most humid part of the summer, usually lasting from July 3rd to August 11th.  This time of summer is linked to the star Sirius that appears near the sun during this time.  The star Sirius is known as the Dog Star because it is  the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (greater dog), which is one of two dog constellations (the other being Canis Minor).  

Big Dipper

Trust me, my knowledge of our solar system and constellations equals the size of planet Earth.....a speck in the Universe.  However, the Big Dipper is special to me.  Seeing it in the night sky grounds my existence on this massive, yet teeny-weeny, rock that's floating in outer space.  A person has to stop and think about this.  We refer to 'outer space' as somewhere out there, yet planet earth is located within it.  We forget that we are constantly moving through this outer space, around the Sun. 

Sometimes we humans get wrapped up in this business of personal knowledge, which some use to create a hierarchy among us.  Absolutely, yes, each one of us has a personal amount of information, but it is deeply rooted and influenced by our personal experiences, perspectives and interpretations, backgrounds and beliefs.  Knowledge comes to us through our engagement with the world besides through formal education and that which comes as second-hand information.  Knowledge also requires practice, for instance the ability to play a musical instrument.  Observation can also be a learning tool.  

Each of us adds something to the table.  That's a nice thought to keep active in life.  I personally have used my ears to learn about life.  At this stage of my life, I must say that it's easier for me to write and listen than it is to actually speak to others.  Talking on the telephone is simply not my thing.  One could say I'm weird that my fingers like to do the talking.  Give me a keyboard, and you can't shut me up.

Guess this all started with the dog days of summer.  It's the 1st of July, and in three days we celebrate America's freedoms.  There's only one thing I'll say about our freedom......it's that business of balance.  We cannot have personal freedom without contributing our share of personal responsibility.  In this life, one must give in order to get.  Actions, positive and negative, will generate similar responses.  Every kindness and every positive word contributes to the larger flow of positive energy.  Likewise, every cruel word and action contributes to the larger flow of negative energy.  

Another paramount phrase in life is this business of 'peace on earth.'  We've gotta remember that there is, and can be, peace on earth.....in tiny places.  If we are blessed to live in a home where we feel safe, secure and cared for....that's peace in a tiny place on earth.  I can't help but wonder how many tiny places around the globe at this second are experiencing this peace.  I'd guess there are a whole lot more than we may realize.  Cuz, the media certainly won't zoom in on peace.  Peace isn't possible anywhere unless everyone adds their fair share of kindness to the kettle.

Keep cool during the dog days! 

CAN YOU SEE ME?

This sweet photo came to me from my sis-in-law, Debbie.  

I have a sacred place in my heart for chipmunks.  To me, they are adorable little creatures.  Before we moved, our home had a back screened-in patio.  It was out there that we practically lived all summer and the fall until the snow fell.  A cement ledge was next to the screen and the chair I'd sit in.  A little chipmunk would come out and stand beside me, with the screen between us.  I named him Chippy and would talk to him every time he'd visit.  When we moved, it was hard for me to leave Chippy behind.

After some research, I find that chipmunks don't typically seek out social interaction, unless they feel safe.  Oh, dear, that adds more to the time spent with Chippy, 'cuz he, too, must've enjoyed my company.  I read that when a chipmunk visits us, we can interpret that to be a positive symbol of a playful spirit.  Awww, another layer of precious. 

"For small creatures such as we, 

the vastness is bearable 

only through love."  

~Carl Sagan  

ARE THERE BENEFITS TO AGING?

Here I sit in my retirement recliner, nearing my eighth decade of life.  A fleeting question hit my brain...........are there benefits of aging?  Oh, boy, that's a biggie, but I'm fairly certain others beside me are pondering that question.

I refuse to refer to us as older people, but choose to say we are well-seasoned individuals.  That implies we're like a flavorful dish.  Our life experiences have been the salt, pepper and spices.

1.  Well-seasoned people have a better understanding of relationships and have the acquired wisdom to figure out how to deal with them.
2. We tend to be more reliable and dependable.  Others can count on us to follow through and do what we say we will do.
3. We are no longer push-overs.  Nor should we be pot-stirrers.   There is immense wisdom in living one's own life and letting others live theirs.
4. We no longer have to go to work, set alarm clocks and put up with the politics of the workplace.  
5.  Our accomplishments afford us with contentment. 
6. CONTENTMENT is a powerful asset.  It brings us a sense of satisfaction and peace with one's life circumstances.  Studies show there's a correlation between high levels of contentment and reduced risk of depression and mental health issues.  Contentment helps us adapt to the challenges that come with living longer.
7. The more seasoned we are, the more we appreciate the moment.  Perhaps this is the only time of life where this is possible.  Our lifelong friendships become the gold nuggets in our pockets.  Nothing can compare to that business of being a friend and having a friend.  
8.  There's more time for us to practice gratitude.  Being grateful encourages us to accept what is, rather than what is not.   
9. The more seasoned we are, the more we appreciate what others do for us.
10. I'm finding that later-life is providing me with answers to questions that didn't have answers when I was younger.  There's a fulfillment that comes to us.  Maybe it's better said that I have a better understanding than I had when I was younger.  My intuition is at its sharpest now.  With that comes the ability to choose what enters my life and what does not.  Well-seasoned also reflects that business of being hurt many times in life.  We eventually come to where we say, nope, this ain't gonna be.  Maybe now I realize that my life is significant, and I must take care of myself, inside and out.  If that requires putting up walls, then that's what I shall do.  When a person senses that the gig is almost over, the mind overrules the heart.
11.  We well-seasoned ones worry less about what others think.  This increases self-acceptance and confidence.  Peer pressure is zero. 
12. At this stage, it's easier to focus on the positive memories and emotions.  That is what I do every day.  We can better manage our emotions.
13.  For myself, I cannot put a monetary amount on the sense of freedom that comes with this late stage.
14.  We seasoned souls can now see what we need and what we don't need.  We see how short life is, and we don't want to waste time with people and pursuits that aren't worth our while. 
15. One of my favorite things about this age is that I choose what I'm gonna do.  I've done my part to work for organizations, be told to report for duty at such and such a time, do an assigned task like scoop potatoes at a banquet.  This is so liberating for me.  I now choose what I'm gonna do with my time....no one else has that power over me anymore.  Better than that, I embrace not a scintilla of guilt.
16. My well-seasoned self carefully sifts out the negative aspects of life.  When the news comes on the TV, I pull an iron curtain over my brain.  It's beyond my understanding how people can be entertained by fake, biased news.  I boldly state the fact that I don't want to watch or read any media that's filled with hatred.
17. My well-seasoned self also values quiet time.  Time to be creative.  Time to respect the world as it is.
18.  We've been taught to view life as a continual decline.  Wouldn't it be smarter if we looked at life more as a staircase?  Life being an upward ascension of the human spirit, bringing wisdom and wholeness.  Only at the top are we able to reach our true authentic self.

THE FUN IN FINDING

 Living somewhere deep inside my soul is an avid archeologist and geologist.  From little on, I've been driven to look for leftovers from the past and/or unusually intriguing stones.  It's not unusual to see me walking forward with my head looking down to the ground.  

I remember the day we stopped to take our puppy for a potty walk.  The small park was covered with grass.  Pretty flowers were blossoming in a small flower garden, and right beside a stone lay a $20 bill.  That was my biggest monetary find to date.

Am not much into the psychology of dreams, but one of my recurring dreams is walking along a gravel road and finding coins.  In the dream, I keep walking and finding more coins and actually feeling the excitement. 

Just think of all that's buried in the ground we walk on every day.  Or, what might be under buildings?  Farmers talk about finding arrow heads and other Indian artifacts in the spring after plowing the fields.

My brain swells when I think about all the stuff that's on the bottom of the Mississippi River from Minnesota to the Gulf.  Some of us have a childlike sense of curiosity that stays with us through the years.  I admit to being a fervent creature of curiosity.  It's like I know there's a crazy amount of stuff buried beneath my feet that's waiting to be discovered.  Reading a book is another way we can satisfy our curiosity.  There isn't a book out there that doesn't have the power to teach us something new.  It's another way of finding something on our journey.  

Watching the clouds is a fun way to look for recognizable shapes.  Clouds keep changing shapes.  The sky is a rich source of ever-changing wonderment.    

TRILBY

Learned a new word.  TRILBY.  Before yesterday, I'd never seen the word in print, nor do I remember hearing the word spoken.  

Crossword puzzles are more than filling in the blank spaces with letters of the alphabet.  Crosswords are learning tools.  The puzzle clue was:  Fedora lookalike.  Well, I knew that a Fedora is a man's hat, but surely didn't know the answer was a Trilby.

Come to learn that a trilby is a narrow-brimmed hat, once viewed as the rich man's favored hat.  Sometimes called the 'brown trilby' in Britain, men were often seen wearing them at horse races.  The difference between a Fedora and a Trilby is the brim size.  Fedoras have a 2 to 3-inch brim, while trilbies are usually 2 inches or less.  The front of a trilby is turned down in the front and upturned in the back.  

The trilby got its name from the 1895 stage adaptation of the novel "Trilby" by George du Maurier.  In the play, the character Trilby wore a hat with a short-brimmed hat, which became popularly known as the Trilby hat.  The novel was a cultural phenomenon in England, thus the widespread adoption of the hat style. 

The trilby is a symbol of sophistication and a tribute to another era.  Wearing a trilby is considered a way to add a touch of classic elegance to an outfit.

GOOD DAY TO BUY A WATERMELON

 These are the flowers blooming in the small flower garden below our deck.  The flowers are small, not showy, yet their beauty and presence are important to me.  Their tiny sweet souls add to the beauty of our home...the building and the planet.  

A touch of lavender, yellow and red are the colors of the perennials.  The bridal wreath blossoms have done their part, and now these smaller plants are picking up where the spirea left off.  I call it a parade of nature.  She doesn't set all the flowers into bloom at the same time.  No, each species has its own time to enter the parade.  

On our trolley the other day, we couldn't believe how much the corn had grown.  Hot humid weather is what the corn likes and needs to grow.  The corn crops are planted so thick, one cannot see the rows.  It's like looking at a sea of green. 

When I think what the earth must be like in places like Death Valley and compare it to the rich black soil where we live, I feel the urge to genuflect and pray.  Of all the beautiful and rich places on earth, I'm fairly certain we were planted with tender loving care right where we are.  

The lawns, too, are lush and green.  A little rain fell last evening, with more in this afternoon's forecast.  I've seen photos of some wicked-looking storm clouds that hovered over some places.  From little on, there's been a prayer in my heart that we are spared from destruction.  Looking at small towns being totally destroyed can make a person sick.  What emotional horror must those people have to deal with?  and, how do they manage to start all over.  

We're having company at 11 o'clock this morning, for lunch.  A certain someone has done something extraordinary for me, but I'll keep it to myself for today.  It's this business of random surprises out of the blue.  Got up early and put together a macaroni-ham salad that I'll serve with kettle potato chips, and chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert.  

Oh, lest I forget, today marks the start of Watermelon Spitting Week (June 26-29).  This annual celebration (called The Thump) started in Luling, Texas and has spread to many other parts of the country.  A Guinness World Record was set in Luling in 1989 for the longest watermelon seed spit----65 feet, 4 inches.   That same year, another person broke this record and spit a distance of 68 feet, 9-1/8 inches.  

THE EMOJI

 Today's post is a follow-up to yesterday's where I talked about heart emojis.  According to Katie Couric Media, here are the rules of emoji etiquette.......

Which emojis should not be used?

Camera emojis can represent a request for nude/explicit images or videos.  📷

Peach, eggplant, cherry and banana emojis can all be used to represent body parts in a sexual context.  🍑 🍆 🍒 🍌

💦  The sweat emoji may also be used in a sexual context.

Avoid fruit and vegetable emojis, unless you're trying to flirt.  Just about any fruit or vegetable emoji can give off a sexual connotation, outside the obvious ones.

🍇 In some online communities, the grapes emoji is used as drug slang for cough syrup.   This is often a coded way to discuss substances without explicitly stating them.  On platforms like TikTok, the grapes emoji can also be used to reference a word that sounds like "grapes" and is related to a form of assault.

💎 The diamond gem stone generally conveys wealth or marriage engagements.  However, some online communities, 'specially those related to drug culture, may also use the emoji to represent crystal meth.

🥜 The peanut has a few potential meanings, but it has a significant sexual reference.  I'll let it go at that.

🍬 The candy emoji can mean Molly, Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine.

What is the language of the emoji?

The original emoji 絵文字, which means 'picture character' in Japanese, was created by Shigetaka Kurita in 1999.  It wasn't until 2010 when Apple and Google adopted it and the emoji entered the global mainstream.  Today, there are 2,823 emoji that convey information across language, culture, lifestyle and diversity.  It is a secret language.

What looks to you and me as a cute, harmless symbol, could mean something entirely different to the kids of today.  Sadly, they have become experts at using their own language to KPC (keep parents clueless).  All it takes is a single emoji to convey a threat, send a sexual advance, bully others, make racist comments or even complete a drug deal.

Parents must be involved with what their kids are doing and familiarize themselves as best they can with this new way of communicating.

It wasn't long ago when a teenager who wanted to buy illegal drugs had to venture into a questionable neighborhood, find the right street corner, identify the dealer and exchange cash to get their goods.  Today, 75% of drug deals happen through social media, frequently using cute, seemingly innocent-looking emojis.

In this time of shareable snapshots, quickly-deleted posts and lightning quick texting, teens can end up in compromising situations.  Technology has made it easier for predators to talk to and solicit minors, often while PIR (Parent in Room) or PAL (Parents are Listening).

Bullies go to all extremes to torment their victim while keeping their actions a secret from others.  Emoji allow bullies to hide their harmful messages.  While the victim understands the meaning, if caught, the bully will hide behind the original meaning of the emoji to protect themselves.

• With regard to bullying, these are emoji used to bully kids......
  
  
  
  Another troubling use of emoji is when they are used to communicate about criminal and physical threats.  Bombs, guns and knives are pretty straightforward.  But what about these other symbols that are used to threaten others?  Did you know that emoji are now permitted to be used as evidence in court?  It's important to make sure your kids know the risk in using them.
  
  
  

  
  

  Bottom line:  Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, it's a pretty scary world, and the kids are able to live in two worlds at the same time.  One at home.  The other online.  Two separate cultures.  One is safe, hopefully.  The other is not.

EMOJI HEARTS AND THEIR MEANINGS

Does anyone besides me wonder which emoji to put on text messages?  Well, I'm learning to avoid certain emojis, simply because the younger generations have their own secret meanings, especially for the fruit and vegetable emojis.  We need to know which ones not to use, is what I'm trying to say.  We also need to realize that what we see as one thing, the younger generations see as having a hidden context that we don't want to be using.  

First, the main difference between emojis and emoticons is that emoticons are made up of keyboard characters (punctuation marks and letters), while emojis are the actual pictures or symbols. 

Let's start with the meanings of different colored hearts.  The heart emojis are safe to use, depending on the kind of love we're trying to express.....  

Emoji Icon: ❤️
Emoji Name: Red Heart
Emoji Meaning: A classic red heart symbolizes love, affection, and strong emotions.

Emoji Icon: 🧡
Emoji Name: Orange Heart
Emoji Meaning: A heart in orange represents warmth, friendship, and care.

Emoji Icon: 💛
Emoji Name: Yellow Heart
Emoji Meaning: A heart in yellow expresses joy, happiness, and friendship.

Emoji Icon: 💚
Emoji Name: Green Heart
Emoji Meaning: A heart in green symbolizes nature, growth, and harmony.

Emoji Icon: 💙
Emoji Name: Blue Heart
Emoji Meaning: A heart in blue represents loyalty, trust, and tranquility.

Emoji Icon: 💜
Emoji Name: Purple Heart
Emoji Meaning: A heart in purple symbolizes love, spirituality, and luxury.

Emoji Icon: 🤎
Emoji Name: Brown Heart
Emoji Meaning: A heart in brown signifies stability, comfort, and earthiness.

Emoji Icon: 🖤
Emoji Name: Black Heart
Emoji Meaning: A black heart represents sorrow, grief, or a dark sense of humor.

Emoji Icon: 🤍
Emoji Name: White Heart
Emoji Meaning: A white heart symbolizes purity, peace, and innocence.

Emoji Icon: 💔
Emoji Name: Broken Heart
Emoji Meaning: A heart broken in two expresses heartbreak and sadness.

Emoji Icon: ❣️
Emoji Name: Heart Exclamation
Emoji Meaning: A heart with an exclamation mark shows strong affection or excitement.

Emoji Icon: 💕
Emoji Name: Two Hearts
Emoji Meaning: Two hearts side by side represent love and affection.

Emoji Icon: 💞
Emoji Name: Revolving Hearts
Emoji Meaning: Two hearts revolving around each other signify love in motion.

Emoji Icon: 💓
Emoji Name: Beating Heart
Emoji Meaning: A pink heart with lines represents a beating heart, indicating strong emotions or love.

Emoji Icon: 💗
Emoji Name: Growing Heart
Emoji Meaning: A pink heart surrounded by lines symbolizes a growing or expanding heart full of love.

Emoji Icon: 💖
Emoji Name: Sparkling Heart
Emoji Meaning: A pink heart with sparkling stars represents a sense of excitement or admiration.

Emoji Icon: 💘
Emoji Name: Heart with Arrow
Emoji Meaning: A heart pierced by an arrow signifies being love struck.

Emoji Icon: 💝
Emoji Name: Heart with Ribbon
Emoji Meaning: A heart with a ribbon is often used for gift-giving and love tokens.

Emoji Icon: 💟
Emoji Name: Heart Decoration
Emoji Meaning: A decorative heart is used for decorative purposes or symbolizing love.

TWO FAWNS

YOWZA!  After writing yesterday's post, we left home for a graduation party.  On our way, we had (what I called in yesterday's post) a surprise moment.  Right out of the blue, two fawns were standing beside the road.  They stood as still as rocks and waited until I could take this photo.  Aren't they exactly what I meant when I said we have little surprises sprinkled along our life path?  

We stopped the car, as no one was following us.  We savored the moment(s) until they swiftly ran back into the woods.  

How was it that we were exactly where these two little creatures were at the same moment?  

Can you see the fawn
in this picture?

Why do fawns have spots?  Well, Mother Nature takes her paint brush and dapples their reddish-brown coat with white spots so they blend in with the dappled sunlight on the forest floor.  This makes them less visible to coyotes, bobcats and foxes, and the fawns have almost no scent.  The mother deer leave their fawns hidden while they go looking for food, and these white spots help conceal their babies.  While momma deer is gone, the fawns remain motionless and curled up.  The spots disappear when the fawns are about three or four months old when they start to develop their winter coats. 

The average number of spots on a fawn is between 272-342.   The spots on their coat run in two lateral lines, one on each side of the spine, running from the ears to the tail.  Additional spots are randomly scattered on the body.  Their specific number and arrangement of spots are individual to each fawn, much like how fingerprints are unique to each human.

Does this look like evolution?

We can choose our own perspectives when it comes to Divine Design vs. Evolution.  Even though I must confess to being a doubting Thomas when it comes to many of my religion's teachings, my heart and my head can't help but sense a Divine Designer.  Some say that evolution is a part of the Divine Design.  It's not only the spots on a fawn, the stripes on a tiger, or the stripes on a zebra, but how 'bout the concentric growth of rings in a tree?  Why do the spots on a fawn disappear?  How does evolution do that?  Why does evolution give stripes to some animals and give spots to others?  How did evolution create the coloration of the peacock's feathers? 

Heaven knows, I'm no scientist, biologist, geologist or botanist.  There's a whole lot more of my cranial capacity than there are of the computer-brains in the world, and we have the right to choose what feels best for us.  It's comforting to think that there's a Divine Creator who is looking out for us.  Evolution gives me not a hint of comfort.    

Perhaps academia has all the answers, and the rest of us do not.  Most people wouldn't lay out their doubts like I do.  But, I use my doubts wisely.  My doubts drive my curiosity.  The intrigue for me is that over and over, more and more, I keep finding things in Nature that press the thumb on the scale of Divine Creation.  All that should matter to me is how I perceive things.  What does my level of understanding allow me to know?  what do my personal experiences tell me?  what does my level of compassion allow me to feel?  what understanding comforts me and quiets my mind?  what things do I need to do to feed my soul?  to lift my spirits?

For me, life is at its finest when I connect with Nature....when I find amazing beauty in the natural world.  When I engage in creative activity, life is at its finest for me.  When I feel a sense of purpose, life is at its finest for me.  Spending time with people that are like me....who like to laugh and joke around.....who are loving and caring......when our values align.....that's when life is at its finest for me.  When I take time to appreciate the good things in my life, that's when life is at its finest for me.  At my current age, I make sure that I treat myself to rest and relaxation.  I cast negativity to the winds and pray it flies far, far away from me.  When I am learning something new, life is at its finest for me.   

I am not a religious person, but rather a spiritual person.  Religion insists we follow a structured road.  Spirituality allows us to each hike our own trail.  I've never found wildflowers growing along the structured road.

SURPRISES --LIFE'S CONFETTI

Life is a litany of tiny surprises (unexpected moments of delight) that we easily and often miss.  A perfect example is the topic of today's post.  The four of us were driving the back streets of a nearby town when I spotted the house with a front yard adorned with pink and white petunias.  Yup, the boyfriend backed the car up so I could take these photos and share them with you, my faithful followers.....

See the little gnome on the lower right?

A lot of Midwest towns showcase big baskets of stunning, colorful,  trailing petunias hanging from lamp posts up and down the streets.  In the early evening you can see volunteers driving up and down the streets in golf carts, watering them.  

Petunias are named after the South American word Petun, which is another name for Tobacco.  Petunias belongs to the nightshade plant family that also includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and tobacco.   This popular trumpet-shaped flower is a genus of about 35 species of flowering plants of South America.  Originally, they were wild plants with small flowers, but over time have been genetically modified into these showy varieties.

Talking about these tiny surprises sprinkled across our paths is a good way for us to be open to the wonders of our world.  Simple pleasures come in all sorts of ways.....

• Simple pleasures.  A favorite song on the radio, the comfort of freshly washed bed sheets, the purring of a cat or the softness of a puppy's kiss.
• Unexpected kindness.  Think about the thoughtful gestures from people we don't know, like when someone holds the convenience store door open for us.  
• Feelings of connection.  A warm hug, a shared giggle or a genuine compliment.
• Beauty in nature.  The color of the flowers, the sound of rain and thunder, or the nightly settings of the sun. 

Despite what else is happening in our lives, we absolutely do have opportunities to shift our focus on the good and the beautiful here on Earth.  One cannot, and should not, expect the Happy Fairy to lead us around and point us toward these tiny surprises.  Not by a long shot.  There's a thing called personal responsibility.  It's up to us to pay attention to the small details around us.  There's lots of stuff to be grateful for every single day, no matter what other pains try to strangle the breath out of us.  We've got to invite, and be open to, the unexpected things that elevate our thinking.

Looking back at the already-lived decades, I sometimes wonder if the greatest challenge in life is this business of finding surprises in everyday moments.  Rather than letting our minds race ahead worrying about the future and whining about the past, we should be mindful of the here and the right now.  We don't have to transport ourselves to exotic places or spend money to see mega events, 'cuz we can know joy right smack dab where we are.  All we need to do is engage with our surroundings.

 

  

"Some people could be given an entire field of roses and only see the thorns in it. Others could be given a single weed and only see the wildflower in it.  Perception is a key component to gratitude.  And, gratitude is a key component to joy."  ~Amy Weatherly

STANDING PROUD AND TALL FOR JUSTICE

Guess I neglected to say yesterday that my confidence in our justice system is still intact.  The jury's verdict in the Karen Read case reassures us that the truth does win.  May blessings pour down upon the jurors and the alternate jurors for their attention and thorough deliberation.  My question now is:  are the feds going to investigate who did actually kill John O'Keefe?  The evidence presented at trial sure did give them a list of people involved in the setup of Karen.  As for the presiding judge, is her biased performance going to be investigated and will she be reprimanded?  Open and obvious judge bias cannot be tolerated in our justice system.  This is corruption, people.

My question:  Why would a judge so strongly and publicly display her support for corruption?  It was comical to watch how certain witnesses struggled to avoid the truth, at times slipped up, and undeniably testified as though they were hiding a made-up story in their pocket.  Oh, I could go on ad infinitum.  

About 2:00 a.m. this morning, I found a 2+hour interview of two of the defense attorneys, Robert Alessi and David Yannetti, on You Tube.  Watched a bit of the interview, but decided to save the rest for today's entertainment.  For someone who feasts on the judicial process, like me, it's a treat to get into the brilliant minds of the attorneys.  It was interesting to learn how they had a team of the best law school students assist them.  What an addition to the law students' CVs (curriculum vitae) when they seek to join a law firm.  To assist in a high profile case like this, that's gonna be a whopper benefit for them.

The scary part of this trial is the fact that this evil exists.  Gotta remember that Karen and her family had to endure two trials.   Imagine if it was you or me wrongfully accused of a murder, and we'd have to tolerate more than three grueling years trying to prove that we were framed.  That's why this is such an important case.  It will help prevent the same thing from happening to other innocent citizens of our country.  

I cannot help but ponder the fact that there are brilliant minds put onto this earth to maintain a moral justice among us.  This trial involved a legal brilliance that can't be bought at any academic institution.  This kind of brilliance is Creator-gifted.  Despite the amount of corruption in this case,  it was science, it was physics....the fundamental laws governing matter, energy, space, time and their interactions...that enabled the attorneys to challenge and prove their case.  Truth won.  Evil lost twice.  

Justice is conscience,

not a personal conscience

but the conscience of the whole humanity. 

KINDNESS

The 5 o'clock national news upsets me.  Reporters search out the worst, most nerve-racking events that take place every day.  As screwed up as the people of our planet may be, there's much more kindness.  But, we won't hear about that, cuz it's the sensationalism that gives them ratings and brings in the bucks.  

Yesterday my boyfriend and I were sitting here when our doorbell rang.  Sharon and Jean had been picking strawberries at a local strawberry farm and stopped by to share them with us.  The berries were large, red and so shiny that it looked like they'd been polished.  And, sweet?  Goodness gracious, yes, juicy and luscious.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said it best...........

Kind hearts are the gardens,

Kind thoughts are the roots,

Kind words are the flowers,

Kind deeds are the fruits. 

FLOWER FRAGRANCES

Why are some flowers, like peonies, roses and lilacs so insanely fragrant?  I swear, with the least bit of movement around them, their fragrance dances around the room, away from their velvety petals.  

Did some digging in the grounds of botany and found some fun stuff......

• 
  The fragrances of flowers are made up of vaporous organic compounds (VOCs), or tiny molecules, that evaporate easily, thus creating the scent that dances through the air.
• Floral scents begin as oils that are produced by the petals of most plants.   
• The specific combination of VOCs is what gives each flower its unique scent signature.  From the deep, soul-stirring aroma of roses to the light, refreshing scent of lilies, it's all about chemistry.  These compounds aren't random, they're meticulously produced by the plant to appeal to special pollinators.
• 
  
  The flower's scent is one of the most important communication channels mediating plant and pollinator interactions.
• Some flowers produce different scents to attract specific types of pollinators, like insects and birds, that transfer pollen from place to place....thus aiding in their reproduction.  
• Some flowers are more fragrant during the day to attract bees and butterflies, while others are more fragrant at night to attract moths and bats.  
• Flowers produce pleasant scents to signal the presence of their nectar or pollen.
• We humans also benefit from the flower's fragrance.  Studies have shown that the smell of flowers helps reduce stress and anxiety.  For instance, lavender and jasmine have a calming effect on the nervous system and can promote better sleep.  We should be sure to stop and inhale these invisible inspirations whenever we can.
  

Flowers have played a central role in the history of perfumes since ancient times.  That's another topic for another day.

INDONESIA VOLCANO

Indonesia in red

One of today's global news happenings is the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Indonesia.  Ash is said to have spewed into the sky some 6.8 miles.  Imagine how far up that is and what force was capable of such an eruption.

Most of us hear about far-away countries, we recognize their names, but truly don't where they are on the global map.  For me, I'm not familiar with Indonesia....thus, today's topic.

This southeast Asian country is made up of more than 17,000 Islands sprinkled across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.....6,000 inhabited.  Indonesia sits on both sides of the equator, straddling the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. 

Interestingly, Indonesia lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire and has hundreds of volcanoes across the islands, with some 130 active.  To put this into perspective, to the left is a photo found in Wikipedia showing their locations and names.  The Laki Laki volcano that erupted yesterday is on the island of Flores, east of Bali.

Circle marks Bali

In 1883, the volcano Krakatau eruption had an explosive force equal to a 200-megatonne bomb, killing over 36,000 people.

Indonesia has the highest concentration of volcanoes in the world.

The Ring of Fire is a string of underwater volcanoes and earthquake sites.  
Some 90% of all earthquakes
and 75% of active volcanoes on Earth
occur along the Ring of Fire,

Tectonic Plates

Ring of Fire is a horse-shoe shaped region in the Pacific Ocean stretching some 25,000 miles.  It's formed by several tectonic plates meeting and leading to intense geological activity.  Tectonic plates are massive slabs of solid rock that make up the Earth's crust.  These plates move and interact with each other.  The results of this movement are earthquakes,volcanic eruptions and the formation of mountain ranges.  These plates move at a slow pace, compared to the rate that fingernails grow.

JUDICIAL BIAS

Yesterday was what we call 'a growing day' for the crops, the lawns, the flowers, the gardens and the creatures who share the earth with us.  A total of 2" of rain watered the world where we live.

Have written about my interest in the Karen Read trial out in Massachusetts.  Well, that interest has ratcheted up to anxiety.  A sea of people wearing pink (in support of Karen) gathered around the courthouse in Norfolk County, some traveling across several states to be present when the verdict is rendered.  The tension is building, and already I need another blood pressure pill.  

From my personal perspective, I see our justice system not holding up to its high standards, 'specially when it comes to the judges who preside over the trials.  The judge in this case was caught and shown on national television signaling the prosecutor to object, he immediately objected, she sustained the objection and she smiled with her admonishment.  That's unacceptable.  Yesterday the defense made a motion for a more understandable verdict form, and the judge denied their motion.  Wouldn't one think the judge would want to make the verdict form clear and understandable?  If I was Karen Read, I sure would.  But......the bias and the corruption keeps on growing.  During the trial, I actually thought to count the number of prosecutor objections she sustained versus the number of defense objections she overruled.  

We all know that life isn't fair.....far from it.  Yet, our justice system is a sanctuary of safety for all of us.  My toes are crossed that the jury delivers a verdict of not-guilty by the end of the day, or I'll need to be medicated more than I already am.  (It's funny that I say that, cuz another viewer said the same thing in a podcast chat regarding this trial.)

Buffy

Tonight we're having company over for drinks and supper.  The rest of our June calendar is quite busy, with graduations and our own guests coming over.  It's that business of summer socializing.  Little Buffy is going to spend the day tomorrow with us.  It just might be a cuddle day.   Cuddling with this little monkey is mighty therapeutic, and at this stage of my journey, I maximize my opportunities.  It's been said that opportunities are like sunrises.  If we wait too long, we might miss 'em.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of my faves, said......never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.