Aug 7, 2012 |
My dear friend Beth sent me this poem in an email last night. She has no idea of the kind of week I’ve just been through… so all I can say is
THANK YOU.
~
[Jelaluddin Rumi, in Delicious Laughter, translated by Coleman Barks]
A dragon was pulling a bear into its terrible mouth.
A courageous man went and rescued the bear.
There are such helpers in the world, who rush to save
anyone who cries out. Like Mercy itself,
they run toward the screaming.
And they can’t be bought off.
If you were to ask one of those, “Why did you come
so quickly?” He or she would say, “Because I heard
your helplessness.”
Where lowland is,
that’s where water goes. All medicine wants
is pain to cure.
And don’t just ask for one mercy.
Let them flood in. Let the sky open under your feet.
Take the cotton out of your ears, the cotton
of consolations, so you can hear the sphere-music. . . .
Give your weakness
to One Who Helps.
Crying out loud and weeping are great resources.
A nursing mother, all she does
is wait to hear her child.
Just a little beginning-whimper,
and she’s there.
God created the child, that is, your wanting,
so that it might cry out, so that milk might come.
Cry out! Don’t be stolid and silent
with your pain. Lament! And let the milk
of Loving flow into you.
The hard rain and wind
are ways the cloud has
to take care of us.
Be patient.
Respond to every call
that excites your spirit.
Ignore those that make you fearful
and sad, that degrade you
back toward disease and death.
~
I love this poem. I’d never heard of Rumi until last night. I googled the copyrights to make sure I could post, and Rumi and Barks are so intent on sharing his gift of poetry that the caviat is only to cite them as the source and author/translator of this wonderful poem.
Astounding.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 6, 2012 |
1. The best water is from a slow dripping sink faucet.
2. Not leaving the sink faucet on a slow drip may cause Upset Kitty Syndrome, which results in shredded toilet paper in said sink.
What Did I Do?
3. It’s fun to sneak outside. It’s not fun to not be noticed, or be forgotten. The best fun is running around when the Humans tell me it’s time to get back inside.
4. Sleeping is my favorite.
Little Cat
5. Curling up on the Mommy-Human’s pillow is cozy.
Sparkles
6. Biting Dot’s nose when she cries is delicious.
We Call Her Demon Cat
7. Stuffed animals will always belong to the Felines.
8. We are Goddesses. ‘Nuff said.
9. We miss you when you’re gone.
Lizzie Cat
10. We will always love you. No matter what.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 5, 2012 |
Dot passed her driving test on Friday. She starts college in three weeks. She’s 17, and a natural beauty. This Mom worries every time she’s two seconds late coming home. I glare when young men do a double-take when she enters their line of vision.
At the Fence
I am a Mother Bear, and I will protect my cub. No. matter. what.
So I was absolutely thrilled when my friend Diane called me last month to tell me about her new venture: she is now a Damsel in Defense Pro. Over coffee, I learned how she wanted to make sure her petite niece, a college freshman, could be protected yet still enjoy her newfound freedom. Diane was introduced to Damsel in Defense: a line of self-defense product designed for women on the go.
I wasn’t able to get permission from their marketing department to use product photos on my blog, but they said it’s fine for me to tell you about their product. Diane showed me most of their selection.
I’m personally enamored with the Road Trip Auto Emergency Tool: this baby is gonna protect my baby nine ways til Sunday! It’s a flashlight, a flashing strobe-light, an alarm, a seat belt cutter, and and a window smasher. All that for only $25!
For my Grown Up Girl, I’ve got me eyes on any of their pepper sprays or stun guns. All are affordable. All are innocent looking. All will bring the bad man to his knees, allowing my girl (and yours!) to safely get away.
For a more hands-on defense, they have the $10 “Sock It To Me” kubotan, a keychain club with a point. One good poke and your assailant will be crying for his mommy.
Last week, Dot and I toured her college with another mother-daughter team we’ve known for years. The girls were excited at this next step to adulthood. Us Moms were discussing the peace of mind we have knowing our girls are in class together. At least some of the time. The fact that it’s a local community college doesn’t negate the fact that there are still bad elements (and people!) out there, so it doesn’t always matter that we live relatively close by.
Kellie’s mom gave the girls the best self-defense advice I’ve ever heard:
“It’s not how strong you are.
It’s how fast you are.”
When Diane sampled the $40 stun gun for me, people at the next table heard the click-and-buzz. There’s no way anyone would be stupid enough to mess with our girls if they have this in their hands!
I’ve decided to host a Safe and Sassy Party next Saturday. Since many of my friends are allergic to my cats, I’m going to have a Morning Patio Party. I’m looking forward to coffee and crescents with the Girls and Moms. I’m looking forward to hearing how we can all protect ourselves. I’m especially looking forward to earning enough free product to provide my daughter with the tools she needs to be self-protective, and self-confident.
Damsel in Defense is a relatively new company, started by the same team who began Scentsy. They know how to provide quality product at affordable prices. And they’re adding new items in September. Even more exciting, right?! I urge you to click and look at their website. In this day and age, we have a duty to protect those most precious to us, don’t we?
Mothers. Daughters. Grandmothers. Students. Workers.
Babysitters. Sisters. Nieces. Aunts. Cousins.
Women.
If you live locally, I invite you to Bedford Manor on Saturday, August 11, at 8:30 a.m. If you don’t live locally or can’t attend, but are still interested in supporting Diane’s new venture, this great new company, or just helping me reach my Party Goal, you can contact Diane through her Facebook page, directly at damsel4him@yahoo.com or call (760) 985-8313. All our girls are worth it!
Just be sure to tell her you were referred by Molly Jo of Frankly, My Dear…
damsel4him@yahoo.com
(760) 985-8313
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 4, 2012 |
While I really enjoy putting words on pictures, sometimes the photo itself says more.
These are photos that didn’t make it into the last few posts, but I still feel deserve to be noticed.
The Cakes
How I Spent My Wilton Certificate
Growth in the Garden
The Impending Storm
Casey’s Cupcakes
Narrow Stairs at the Mission Inn
My Average Work Station
And my newest photos:
Scharffen Berger Extra Dark Artisan Bar
Celebrating a great writing session by sharing a Mountain High Mud Pie
And finally, what’s been getting me through this week:
Jeremiah 29:11 What It Is. What It Isn’t.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 3, 2012 |
Writing is what I do best. It doesn’t always show through on my blog (although I want it to!), but I write every day. And when I give it my all, it shows.
But it still doesn’t pay the bills. Yet.
I love that word, yet.
And I know that someday, my writing will have yet another Big Before and After moment. I’m just not there…
Yet.
It’s been over a year since I lost my job, and in my human nature, I tend to get down and negative about the way of the world. I try not to, but hit after hit and sometimes I don’t handle it well.
My friend Wendy sent me this great email a few days ago: “I’m so proud of you and all your hard work while you’re out of work!!” She knows how to look on the bright side of things, and boost my spirits!
So I keep writing. I keep holding on, hoping that things will get better. I know they will. They just haven’t…
Yet.
And then I saw this on Pinterest.
And I applied.
And now I’m waiting.
Waiting to hear if I’m the lucky recipient of a $1,000 Blog Scholarship. I’ve so many ideas for building my blog, if only I had more funding. This could be the start.
And even if I don’t win, I’m glad that I entered. Their questions are thought provoking and helped me to verbalize what I want for my blog and how I intend to accomplish my goals.
If you won $1,000 to start up or maintain a blog, what would you do with it?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
This post is linked up with “What’s the Word?” Wednesdays
