That wacky Leo-Aquarius Full Moon, "The Planets", the "Bewitched" house and other things.

Okay, so then.  I had no idea there was a house in Santa Monica which was the inspiration for the house set used for "Bewitched".  Nope, although I'm this uber fan of the show, I don't have it all memorized, nor do I know every scintilla of trivia.  I just know that it's been an inspiration to me since I was a pre-schooler and that my spirit guide's name is Samantha.

So when a friend of mine posted the photos of the actual house and the "set" house on my Facebook wall, I did a flip over imaginary uneven parallel bars like an Olympic gymnast.

Holy Bisquick in a pan!!

And my friend just assumed I'd already made the pilgrimage out to see it.  Sha - NO!  But I'll most definitely add it to our itinerary when next in Southern Cal.

Aquarius, the Water Bearer, all cosmic-like.

So, alright, there's that.  Then I opened the inbox today to receive a newsletter from Molly Hall of About.com Astrology.  Come the early hours of August 2, this Thursday, there will be a Leo-Aquarius Full moon.  Let me fill you in about the ramifications of said moon.


And now, I'll let you in on something a little more personal.  I'm an Aquarius, and guess what my rising sign is.  Yeppers, that would be Leo.  So I'm essentially taking a bubble bath in some of the most cosmically aligned potion you could ever imagine finding at Sephora.  And it must smell like violets and citrus and vetiver, and the water never changes from the perfect soaking temperature, and while I'm soaking, I'm being met by Samantha my spirit guide who takes me to a starry, glittering castle and opens a door to the upper most parapet and therein lies all the answers to all Universal queries ...

Alrighty then.  I'll flit back down to Earth and tell you that, in fact, as the Leo-Aquarius moon approaches, I'm going to attend the Ravinia festival tonight with my sweet hubby; this is an event we've been giddy about for months.  The piece which we'll be enveloped by this evening?  Gustav Holst's "The Planets", an orchestral suite inspired by the seven planets then known by Holst back in the mid 1910s.  The suite has seven movements, each named after a planet and its corresponding astrological character (Mars, the Bringer of War; Venus, the Bringer of Peace; Mercury, the Winged Messenger; Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity; Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age; Uranus, the Magician; and Neptune, the Mystic).

(This Mid-Century Mystic is filled with avarice over the costumes the folks are wearing in that vintage LP cover, let me tell you.)

As my airy Aquarian mind grasps to find a way to tie this blog rant all together, it finally decides to leave that up to you, dear reader.  I'll probably report back in a few days, after the cosmic cymbals crash in the sky and Leo roars and Aquarius blinks her eyes and thinks, "Wow.  Groovy." And the lion follows the path the water bearer's celestial river spills toward, in an ever-expanding search for full moon power and magic.
 

Monday is Tarot Day: Meditation on The Hermit.

So it's been a few weeks now since I took part in a life-changing experience, the Chopra Center's "Seduction of Spirit" retreat.  I've been a very good meditation student, having only missed one meditation session.  That was yesterday.  And I haven't exploded anything like that.  Not that I thought I would, but when you're really committing to a meditation practice, you feel pretty guilty if you miss a day.

Which is pretty much what meditation is NOT about.  It's about entering the silence, connecting with Universal or God energy, and about cultivating a healing place in your soul from which you can bring about positive change in the world.

Going within.  Not escaping, but retreating for 20-30 minutes, twice daily.  And, like the Hermit portrayed in this beautiful image from seewithin.wordpress.com, holding a gentle light up to your heart, to notice its connection with All  That Is, and to express it outward in our lives.

I love this card because it also brings to mind another type of meditation I enjoy: walking in nature.  It's quite easy, healthful, and healing.

No matter which form of meditation you choose, DO choose.  I believe we all need it - and all of us need all of us to practice it.

Namaste.

A little unexpected miracle at the book signing.

Last night, I was honored to give a lecture on my book, "The Cotton Candy Road Trip" at the Oak Park Arms, the wonderful retirement home my dad has lived at for the past 11 years.  I've seen him change, wane, grow, wane again, and blossom into the wisest, most charming soul while he's been living there.  Not that he wasn't always charming, but by virtue of the fact that he comes in contact with so many people there, and obviously affects them so powerfully and beautifully, his magnificent power is multiplied times infinity.

Anyway, the lecture and book signing.  After the audience had some wine and cheese, I took the stage, talked about how the book took shape, read a chapter from it (on Lakeside, one of my Top Five parks).

Vintage neon ride sign at Denver's Lakeside Park

 Then I opened up the room to questions, and the folks had some great ones:

"Are their parks like Riverview still around?"
"Do parks still install vintage merry-go-rounds?"
"What sort of admission fees do vintage parks have?"

One lady wanted to ask question after question; she decided to buy the book in the end because it excited her so much.  In fact, a lot of folks generously purchased copies, but that wasn't the unexpected miracle that occurred.

Back to Dad.  When his caregiver wheeled him into the Terrace Room (once THE fancy bar at the Arms, when it was a grand hotel), Dad really seemed out of it.  His eyes seemed dim and had little of their usual sparkle.  Wine and cheese were brought and when he eyed the red wine in the small plastic glass, he asked what it was.  This is not Dad; this is some other guy, I thought.  Red wine is his lifeblood, one of his passions.

If I said that my Dad's condition worried me a little last night, it would be a gross understatement.  My attention was really drawn more to him than my task at hand, the reason I was brought in that evening.  But I breathed, knew the caregiver would keep a close eye, as would Ben.  All would be well, right?

I lectured and read, and occasionally (okay, a LOT) glanced over at Dad, who either seemed like he was sleeping or just slipped away into the spaces where his dementia leads him.

After my talk and question session were over, I immediately sat down by Dad.

"Hey, Daddy.  Did you like that?  Did you enjoy my talk?"

Daddy glanced into my eyes, and he was no longer sleepy or fuzzy; he was present.

"Every single thing about it was spectacular.  You really know this and I am so proud of you."  

 And he smiled.

At that moment, my attention was drawn down to our little dog Ivy, who was being petted by one of the residents.  My eyes were drawn like magnets directly to the woman's hand.  Because it wasn't her hand, it was, without a doubt, my deceased Mom's frail, tissuey-yet-elegant hand that was petting our beagle (Mom loved dogs).  And then, all at once, it was the woman's hand and she continued stroking and scratching our pet.

Angels love to bring families together, even those who haven't been in the same space together for awhile.

It doesn't matter to me how many copies are sold of the book, nor how many people are touched, enlightened or inspired.  God will provide exactly what is needed in those avenues, of that I am completely sure.  I got all I needed last night, from both my parents, who were present and proud and loving every single spectacular thing.

Monday is Tarot Day. Wheel of Fortune and Law of Karma

I had a hard time figuring out what to write about today, after the horrible events of last week in Aurora, Colorado.  It pains me to no end when I think of the lives that have been shattered, of the pain and suffering one prison caused that shot out shock waves all over the world and will cause a ripple effect through the lives of so many people.  Frankly, it almost feels like attempting to connect a tarot card with the experience isn't fitting, or may come across as insensitive or lame or both.

The tragedy has so many layers of pain, of fear, that it's impossible to find a card that will, in any way, shed light on it.  I don't think there are enough cards in the deck to sum up how I'm feeling, how catastrophic this all is, how depressing it has become.

The Wheel of Fortune wasn't my first choice to write about in connection with Aurora.  But it doe fit in many aspects.  If you look at the Wheel as "luck", then, yes, one could say that some people had the horrible "luck" of being in the wrong place at the very wrong time.  And that millions of people, of course, weren't in that theatre, so their "luck" was "good".  You could say that.  But that's not what's hitting me.

I'd rather look at the card from the prospective of karma, or the Law of Cause and Effect. And I choose to not look at what occurred, but what can happen from this point on.  How this can be a springboard to a safer, more peaceful future.

The suspect armed himself with "civilian semi-automatic weapons".  Why any civilian needs an semi-automatic attack weapon is beyond me.  Do hunters take out guns like this, that can shoot off 50 to 60 rounds in one minute, to hunt deer or geese?  I'm guessing not.  No, ammo like this is used for one thing and one thing only, to kill and main, out of fear and anger.

So this is my prayer: this tragedy will cause our government to change gun laws and outlaw weapons such as these for civilians.  That this senseless, mind-numbing slaughter will cause an effective change in how we look at life and its preciousness and fragility.

What we all do NOW can cause a positive outcome in the future.  Cause and effect.

Amen.

There's no need for this.

There's no need for citizens to carry weapons.  No need.  Firearms should be legal only for police and the armed forces - that's it.

No one knows when someone who's absolutely in their right mind will snap.  No one knows when someone who is mentally ill will snap.  No one knows, so why have a right to put others at risk by something that is so tenuous?

Please, please.  This is the time for everyone, all walks of life, all political leanings, to come together for peace.  If not now, then when?  How many murders, how much more cataclysm?

Energetically, we're at a place where we can start making strides in the direction of love.  Or we can slip back in the other direction, but it's getting harder and harder for our world to spring back toward Light.

Now is the time.

Monday is Tarot day! Yesterday was the Law of Pure Potential

And yesterday was the last day of my Seduction of Spirit retreat through the Chopra Center.  I promise to give a better summary in the next few days, but I've been so booked up today with a visit to one of my book's parks, Santa's Village Azoosment Park, an interview with a Chicago Tribune staff writer while there, and a 1 1/2 hour-long voice-over job right.  Not to mention I'm still getting back into "real life" after being away from it for a week.  

Then tomorrow I start another audio book, plus I'll be interviewed by a writer for a local paper, the Elmhurst Independent.  And I have to figure out what I'll be talking about at a book signing this weekend.

Looking back on yesterday - and the Law of Pure Potential - I realized that I just yawned a deep, full-boy yawan and let go of any tension at all regarding my upcoming week.  I looked at the week from the standpoint of it brimming with potential, with "all good"ness.  Essentially, I packed my tote bag this morning with a few copies of my book to give away (as today is the Law of Giving and Receiving), threw in a Kashi bar for energy, filled up my water bottle, and boldly marched forth, like the gent at the left, who is the tarot embodiment of pure potential.  The Fool begins his journey and absolutely anything is possible.  He's not even numbered; the Fool is "zero".  It's Anything Can Happen Day everyday.

No, I wasn't wearing tights, nor was I considering jumping off an actual cliff, but I had the whole Fool card thing down to a "t".

Oh, except for the fact that Ivy wouldn't be able to accompany me.

Ivy, who is not too fond of cliffs.

The Law of Dharma and being an Interesting Person

"My, you really have a lot going on - you're a very interesting person."

"Wow, you are busy with so many interesting things!"

"Voice-over?  I'm very interested in learning how you got into it."

I apparently interest people.  I don't aim to, it's not something I do consciously or something I set out to accomplish.  I don't wear a t-shirt with this guy's face on it:

The Most Interesting Man in the World.

But time and time again, I hear how interesting it is that I spin so many different, unique and interesting plates in the air.

Part of the meditation process we've learned this week asks you to begin every session by asking yourself these three BIG Questions:  "Who am I"
                                                       "What do I want?"
                                                                      "What is my dharma?"

Dharma is your life purpose.  It's the thing you really should be doing, the thing that lights you up like a Chinese lantern, the thing that, when you're ensconced in it, makes all else swirling around you seem to stand still.

And, just this weekend, I've decided that I have a very interesting dharma.

Through a series of Fortunate Incidents, I've managed to stay relatively employed in the voice-over world, while I'm also a life coach, and at the same time I published a book about vintage amusement parks, read tarot cards for fun and (some) profit, and am now quite possibly on the path to become a primordial sound meditation instructor through the Chopra Center.  Oh - and from time to time, I likey me time on the stage, pulling faces, wearing my madcap, and running about.

The divine Angela Lansbury

How do all these interesting-yet-disparate things work together?  What energetically binds them?  In essence, how can I distill all these things into a few words that summarize my dharma?  After this retreat, I can incontrovertible say I know the magic phrase.  I liken it to Eglentine Price in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", when she learned the spell that made inanimate objects move on their own.  Hers was "Treguna, Makoidees, Trecorum, Sadis Dee "  Mine is:  "I inspire."

Now, that's rather a vainglorious boast, isn't it?  Well, I don't think it is, if it's in one's heart, if you set out to help and enlighten and pep up folks just by doing what you love.  Love is God. God inspires and uses folks to do His work; I know this and believe it at my heart center.  So why should I hide this light under a bushel?  That serves no one - and might singe the bushel.

It's a challenge though.  Because I don't put this on business cards or websites.  I just do what I do - and love the vast majority of it.  If people are drawn to my work, if they derive some sort of positive benefit that makes their day just a little sunnier, gives them just a soupcon more confidence or happiness, then my job is done and my dharma pup is satisfied with her little dharma chew toy.  And all is, truly, right with the world.

The Law of Detachment (or how not to say,"@^&*%&*$#@&^"!)

"Can I just tell you how hard it is to follow the Law of Detachment when, right before you leave for your wonderful Chopra Center retreat you check the mail from the day before and learn that you got a $100 ticket for a red light "violation" and when I say it with "quotes" I mean that because I KNOW I slowed down and if I didn't stop for the prescribed three seconds, well, they can just go and sit and spin on that fleepin' red light camera because there's no sign saying you have to stop for three seconds, now IS there? Because I sure as heck didn't see it!  Where's the countdown?  Where's the egg timer?"

(cleansing breath)

The above inner conversation played over and over like an old, wrinkled, scratchy cassette tape on my way in to the retreat center today.  I looked at the situation every which way, I felt violated, and I cursed the City of Berwyn, the annoying red robotic camera, the maker of the annoying red robotic camera, the planetary alignment on the day the photo was taken, and the Wendy's berry almond salad that I kept from falling on the floor which may  have made me slow down for two rather than three seconds on that fateful day.  I cursed them and I cursed them all upside down and from left to right.  They were all complicit in turning my day of Sweetness and Light into the day of Bitterness and RED Light.

Like I said, it was quite hard to detach, but detach I finally did.  I meditated and I did some reflection on the whole situation.  And here's what I came up with:

In the whole grand scheme of things, it's no big deal.  If the City of Berwyn ends up with one hundred dollars of my money, I hope they use it to continue their civic clean-up. In the past few years, this near west Chicago suburb has really gotten a lot cooler, with a variety of nifty shops and great restaurants.  They've installed new curbs and streetlights.  A friend of mine who's a long-time resident has even gone as far as saying it's "hip".  Outcome: a prettier, friendlier Berwyn.

And I think the City of Berwyn should write a nice thank you note to the Chopra Center, for helping me to work through this situation, using one of the Seven Spiritual Laws. Because if I received this notice even a few days ago, my conversation, mood, and eventual attitude would have been much different.

Let's use some adorable canine imagery.  Instead of this pup (who still hopes the ticket will be thrown out, or at least severely discounted):


It woulda been something like THIS:
   And you don't want THIS pup behind the wheel of a car, now do you?
.

The Law of Intention and Desire

I have absolutely no business blogging at this hour.  I have to be back at the Chopra Center's "Seduction of Spirit" retreat tomorrow by 8:45.  I meditated about 2 hours today.  I looked into the souls of over 100 people this afternoon.  And I just had cocktails with two of my best girlfriends ( like that made sense after meditating for about 2 hours).

I mean, come on, what else could be in store?


Plenty, I'm guessing.  If today was any indication. With the souls and the chakras and Deepak Chopra's amazing lectures and the mini organic cannoli.

Today's blog post will be rather shorter than the rest, because I'm just plum tuckered out.  But let me say this:

I wrote down a number of my desires today in my trusty brocade notebook.  One in particular, involving my book "The Cotton Candy Road Trip" was particularly clear and defined.

If it should come to pass, you'll all be the first(s??) to know.

Peace to all ...

The Law of Least Effort

A photo of this little Zen dog was shown to our group this morning by davidji, one of our "Seduction of Spirit" leaders, to help illustrate The Law of Least Effort.  He said we could share it, so I am.  Yep, he's a dog person.  Just another reason I adore this guy.

 Just flow with the Dynaflow* ...



I did, but I'm still tired.  Today was an emotional one, luckily with more ups than downs - and the downs weren't really "downs", just a bit draining because of how heart-felt they were.  But flowing along with the Law fo Least Effort reminds one that when your efforts come out of love, there is no effort.  When you take on something because you wish to send love, when your giving is infused with love, it's easy-peasy.  And it is.  This includes when you give to yourself out of love.

I started today when I decided I wanted to completely divest myself of some old thoughts, hang-ups really, regarding meditation.  When I learned it before, there was a lot of tumult going on my life.  So, when I'd go to meditate in recent years, I would reflect back on that time - and it soured me to the experience.

Until today - when I decided that I was ready to completely and utterly let go of that old "tape".  And with it, my old mantra. During one of our group meditations, I essentially let it enter my consciousness, heard it, and "poof" I blew out a puff of air and, with it, that old mantra my soul's outgrown, now replaced with my shiny-bright primordial sound mantra which is like a mother's loving embrace.  The complete letting go at that moment was momentous.  And it solidly sealed my intention to embrace my meditation practice from that moment on.

Today was also huge because I bravely admitted to the world that I intuit.  When I actually allow myself to own that, amazing things happen.  So it was no mistake and no coincidence that I walked into one of my new friends who wanted a tarot reading at the exact moment we both had some downtime to sit and I shared the reading, with love, and it flowed like silk.  At one point I held back on giving  this person a great bit of insight, but when I learned that I was 150% spot-on (after more specifics were revealed by this querrent), I had to laugh and shake my head and admit I'd been holding back on a huge intuitive hit.  So I went forthwith and purchased a very special necklace that I was drawn to on the very first day.  I'd begged off gifting myself with this rather luxurious treasure, but, as it was the day of the Law of Least Effort, I finally said, "It's time."

Actually, to be completely honest, I was drawn to the area where the necklace was without even knowing there was a necklace there.  Like I said, I intuit.  I walked up to the table and there was this little necklace on a gold chain, with a small talisman depicting the third eye chakra, and what did the small card say about this particular piece of jewelry?

My blessed Tulku "Ajana chakra pendant.  Of COURSE it has an amethyst in it.  Of COURSE it's my favorite stone.

                                                                           "I Intuit."

Like I said, when you just go with it, when you follow your wandering led by love and your heart, the right thing, the perfect thing, is ready to blossom right in front of you.

*From Wikipedia:  Dynaflow was the trademark name for a type of automatic transmission developed and built by General Motor's Buick Motor Division from the late 1940s to the mid 1963.  Just in case you were curious.

The Spiritual Law of Karma

Today on the Chopra Retreat, we focused on the Law of Karma, of the choices we make, of how we choose to act regarding our surroundings and how that affects us.  I drove home, replaying my day, and thought, "Well, I don't think I made any BIG choices today.  I mean, it wasn't like I decided to walk backwards down the stairs and fell down the whole flight. Nothing BIG happened today as far as my choices go."

And then I caught myself going "A-HA!"  Because I was caught in the very thing that causes the karma and the wacky merry-go-'round that can ensue.  Unless you stop just long enough to see how you might be chasing your tail, how a limited belief can dampen something astounding.

I was seeking out some sort of miraculous, life-changing moment when karma came with its big mallet and whacked me on the head.  However, I almost neglected to see all the glittering moments the day consisted of:  the people I met today who were miracles, the food I ate which was one blessing of flavor and texture after another, the lectures I attended which shook the air and energy in the room, resulting in a a storm of elevated consciousness. 

It's all about how we choose to react to what we're given.  We all have bad days, or superb days - it's what we make of them.  Every little magnificent nanosecond.

This video sums it up so strongly, I'll just let the visuals and words do my speaking for me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxNX5M_XSeA


So my good day?  I choose to call it brilliant.  (But I must admit I'm glad I did attempt any sort of stair stunt; I did yoga and that, for me, is stunt enough!)

Monday is Tarot Day! Such a beautiful new beginning of spirit!

I've recently been enjoying "Tarot Awareness", a wonderful book about using tarot for meditation.  Book's been around for awhile, but it only makes sense that I should learn about it a few months ago and embark upon it now, because, apparently, the Universe wants me to meditate again. 

Today was my first day of the Chopra Center "Seduction of Spirit" retreat. The retreat space, at Eagle Wood Resort in Itasca, IL, couldn't be more lovely, the staff from the Chopra Center couldn't be more helpful and welcoming.  And I couldn't be more blown away by my good fortune - or more blissed out right now. Group mediation with around 160 other beautiful souls can do that to a person.

But enough about that.  What's up with the Ace of Wands and my new take on meditation and this wonderful gift that's come my way?

The suit of Wands are about spiritual matters.  Oh, lookie -  seems as though the hand of God is handing someone a big ol' wand of sprouting consciousness, of spirit ready to bloom and grow.  Hmmmm ... could it be me that's ready and willing to jump back into the meditative realm again?  Seems all arrows - and mystical god-like, ghosty hands floating in on a cloud - are saying "yes!".

It's as if God/Universe is basically making Itself clear about my need to meditate, about the importance of that sublime quiet stillness, about calming down, cooling off.  Since 2012 began, I've been off and running, quite often meeting myself at the door, and rarely giving myself any time to really be quiet, inside and out quiet.  My hubby recently asked me, while I was in the throes of running about and complaining about one stress after another, "Will meditation help?"  I blush to admit, I said I couldn't calm down long enough to sit quietly for 3 minutes, let alone 30.

For the next 6 days, I won't be able to escape it.  God will basically be sitting right next to me, gently reminding me that this truly Magic Wand will be at my ready, in the form of my new mantra (my primordial sound mantra, one that I've had with me since I came into this world, one that I met again today like a long-lost friend who knew everything about me and was so glad to be able to reconnect after decades).

All I need to do is trust, to stay still, to calmly remind my wandering mind that this unique and brilliant sound is mine and will help iron out all the rumples.

The Chopra Center Retreat starts tomorrow ...

I've also called it "Possibly Changing My Life Forever" or "Reinstilling the Importance of Meditation Again" or "That Really Great Thing I Won From WCPT".  But whatever it ends up being, I'll blogging about it here.

Tomorrow at 2 PM I start learning Primordial Sound Meditation.  I learned TM (transcendental mediation) about 19 years ago, and I still practice it from time to time, but not like I did several years ago.  That's why I entered the contest to win this retreat.  And win it I did (which still bowls me over).

It begins tomorrow afternoon at 2.  It runs all week long, until Sunday afternoon.  I'll meditate (with those primordial sounds.  First I need to learn exactly what they are; apparently they're connected to your birth time), I'll do yoga (they say it's  for beginner and intermediate levels, which makes me unbelievably relieved, as I'm not wont to twist into a pretzel), and I'll attend lectures and hear Deepak Chopra speak.  THE Deepak Chopra.  You know - the guy who hangs out with Oprah Winfrey and wrote a bazillion books and is wisdom beyond comprehension?  Yep, him.

Did I mention this was all free?  Yes it is.  Because I won it and am still shocked and stunned at my luck.

I even get to be treated to awesome vegetarian cuisine and traipse about the grounds, blissful and serene, presumably with a tummy full of lentils.

I'll let you know more when I know more.  'Til then, I'm immensely jazzed up.  I get to retreat from the usual daily routines and enter a world of mantra and movement, of music and contemplation.  And curry.  Hopefully lots of curry.

An image just came to mind for the upcoming week.  So I looked around online to find it.  This is the image:

Be curious to see if this means anything pertinent in a few days' time ...

"Jaws" and the 4th of July.

It's a sweltering 90-something degrees outside on this 4th of July in the western Chicago suburb of Elmhurst - and it's only 10:30 in the morning.  I'm hiding inside as long as possible, but there's a dog to be walked, a visit to Dad to make, a BBQ to attend.  Until then, I can set my sights on what I'd really, really like to do today, if all my druthers were running the show.

It would require an inflatable kiddie pool, me in my swimsuit, a large outdoor screen (or bedsheet jerry-rigged to serve as one), and a cockatil named "the Bruce": blue curacao, pineapple juice, midori and vodka.  It would also require that I set up a DVD player or projector that would show one particular movie on that screen, while I'm bobbing along in the kiddie pool, drink in hand.

That movie would be "Jaws".

From Montygog's Art-O-Rama.  Visit the blog: montygog.blogspot.com.  And if you do, can you PLEASE find a way I can order a print of this???

You see, while most folks are ensconced in their annual viewing of "1776" or "Yankee Doodle Dandy", I'm chomping at the bit to revisit Amity (which means "friendship") Island for their annual regatta and hear the deputy sheriff opine that  "Those aren't my people. They're from all over the place. Did you see all the license plates out in the parking lot? Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey... I'm all by myself out there.", and wait to hear the strains of "In the Good Ol' Summertime" as Elaine Brody (wearing the best floppy hat ever woven in the mid-70s) waves to her husband while he patrols the waters for the looming fishy menace.  Their kids are safe in the pond (although it's for old ladies) and all is right with the world.

Until it isn't.

So consider me warped and a little cracked in the cranium, but the 4th of July doesn't bring images of fireworks and burgers on the grill and "For God's Sake, John.  Sit Down!".  No, for me, it's that time right before Quint, Brody and Hooper venture off into the unknown depths of the ocean (Brody with his Blistex), to boldly face the big fish who could "swallow you whole", to learn what "chumming" is (and why you need a bottle of Old Spice at the ready) and sing a few rounds of "Show Me the Way To Go Home."  That's the 4th to me, when I recall that long-ago July afternoon when my parents and I went to see "Jaws" for the very first time on the big screen at the Golf Mill Theater.  It's been my most favorite film since then.

 "Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again" - Quint, "Jaws", 1975

Feel free to add some of your favorite "Jaws" quotes!

Monday is Tarot Day: the 5 of Pentacles

After last week's historic decision on the Health Care Bill, I've had some time to ruminate on the situation.  Actually, I ruminated on it for quite a while, long before President Obama brought it to light.  Health care weighs on my mind because I'm one of the underinsured.

Not uninsured, but underisnured.  I have one of those catastrophic policies that I pay a small amount for each month in order to pay a lot if, in the event a 16-ton weight drops on my head, I'll be covered.  I'll lose a huge chunk of my savings, but that's the gamble one takes with such a policy.

And that stinks.  It also used to stink that folks would fear going to the doctor becuse of a pre-existing condition.  Because once their "secret" was found out, they could be bumped from their insurance.  Under the new health care law, pre-existing conditions will eventually no longer exist as a means of exclusion.  Thank God for that.

Actually a lot about health insurance stinks.  I'm a firm believer in universal healthcare, medicare for all, for socialized emdicine.  NO ONE should have to pay to be well, to be alive.  Health care should be a right.  Insurance is for cars and houses and apartments, not a human life.

There are so many people out there who, because of the supreme court's decision on the bill, won't be in the sitauton of the folks pcitured in the 5 of Pentacles.  Think of that.  Look at them.  Out in the cold, no one to care for them.  The child, like Dickens's Tiny Tim, on crutches, in a snow storm.

Many folks out there have no problem with the less fortunate being thrown out into the cold.  "Get a job," they might say.  Like that's the panacea, the cure-all for it all.

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say: I'm a firm supporter of the health care bill.  I believe all people should get free healthcare eventually.  Life should be treated with dignity.  I believe someone named Jesus made a big deal about treating the less fortunate with compassion.  Yeah, I seem to recall something about that ...

Thanks for letting me ramble.