In…..Sedona, Arizona.

Lots of music with a tone-a.
On a sandwich, have bologna.
Dance with someone or alone-a.
Eat your ice-cream with a cone-a.
Or your coffee with a foam-a.
Make a call on a free phone-a.

My third home-away-from-home-a.
The energy found my zone-a.

…. and they have rocks.  Lots of big rocks.

“everything has rhythm. everything dances.” – Maya Angelou

These are the days.

And boy, oh boy… this was one of them.  In a good way.  In a very good way.

From the earliest of starting out this morning… before the coffee was even ready to get up….

To three little dogs… who gave the best pouty faces I have ever seen….

With a slight snafu at the airport parking garage elevator…
You see…. I got off the elevator… with all the other strangers…., and watched the doors close as Mary said…”Arrrrgggghhhhh” and headed downward.   AND  THEN… everyone who had just been on that same elevator… now surrounded me in the hallway…. and ….. screamed in unison.. …”Arrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh!”

The lady next to me panicked…. …. … “Oh no!  Will she come back?”  To which I answered….”I kind of doubt it.  She’ll probably just chuck the whole idea and head back for the car.”

Oh… these are the days.

While behind the wheel….. and negotiating Sedona, Arizona… in search of some groceries… I was given some very good advice…. which follows……  “You may as well maintain your ignorance…. and keep on going.”

Ahhhhh.  Maintain my ignorance.  Among other things.  And keep going.

Yes.  These are the days.  The very best days.

…. and then we laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

“If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right” – Bob Basso

It is funny how the brain works.  Well.  Funny how my brain works.

I’ll be sitting, all wrapped up in the middle of something or other…. you know…. paying bills, washing dishes, planting bugging devices on the bottoms of trash cans… you know….

… those sorts of things.

And then it will hit me.  “Holy smokes.  I miss Steve Canyon.”  OR, “I wish Johnny Quest was still around.”  OR….”What the heck ever happened to Danger Mouse?”

Yeah…..I miss Danger Mouse.

But not as much as I miss Mighty Mouse.

Mighty Mouse had Mojo.   That guy was so cool…. and he looked great in tights.  And nobody could throw down Karaoke like that little rodent could.  “Here he is… to save the DAAAAaaaaaaay.”  That dude could knock back a Strawberry Milkshake like none other.

I miss him.  And his little red cape.

In either case…  Danger Mouse, or Mighty Mouse….. you could always blame it on the mouse.  Which is my theme really.  Blame it all on the mouse.

Once again, me and the mouse in my pocket.

If you were a leaf… what color would you be?  Do leafs know from the start that they will end up red, or yellow, or orange?  Or does the final color come from sun and water intake?  Predetermined… or circumstantial?

You know….

Some kids seem very happy and carefree.  Others seem to have the weight of the world on their shoulders.  Adults are the same way.

I wonder if we are born with a pre-installed disposition.  A little barcode.  I wonder… if… when we plop out of the womb… we have a pre-set of ticks and tocks.  And from there it goes.

Or perhaps it isn’t that at all.  Maybe we all enter into this world with tapioca for our emotional status.  We are just plain yogurt.  Tofu.  Grits.  And whatever flavor is added… that is the flavor we become.  Except for the consistency.  You know…. grits are way different from yogurt in consistency.  But cheddar grits, and cheddar yogurt both taste recognizably cheddar.

Some people just seem happy through and through.  To the very core of their being.  It doesn’t matter if a somebody pukes on their shoes… they say “Wow.  That was fortunate.  They could’ve puked on my lap.”

But other folks are just cranky.  Curmudgeons.  Mr. Grumpy Pants. No pleasing them, no matter what.

Why?  Is it the inner map?  Or the surroundings?  The lot in life?  Or the DNA of it all?

Probably a bit of both.

But what if we DO all start out with the same disposition.  And then it shape-shifts as we get older.

When does it all change? When do we lose our mojo?  When do we get nervous, or angry, or fearful, or loopy?

I think I started out being wound this tight.  Yep.  I think the tension started when I was in the ovary… waiting for my turn to get out… and away…. from all those other…. crazy-freaking-eggs.

And, because I was the last born in the family, I felt that I was late… or that I had missed out on something.  Yep…. late for the party.

It is all a mystery to  me.  I’m just pretty happy I busted out of the ovary.  I’ll tell you that much right now.  What color leaf will I be?  I think I’ll keep my face toward the warmth of the sun… and hope it changes my color for the good.

“The final mystery is oneself.” – Oscar Wilde

Silo.
Hi Ho.
Fly Low.
My Toe.
By Joe.
Pie Pro.
I Know.
Tie Bow.
Tai Bo.
Guy Mow.
Rye Dough.
Fry Roe.
Lie No.
Sigh Woe.
Why Go?

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” – Buddha

Symbolism is a huge part of our lives and culture.  Historically, symbolism has taken a plethora of shapes and forms.

One segment of this…. which  often interests me….  is animal symbolism.  Since “time” first made its debut with us people-types …. animals have served as “badges” of the personality traits that we little humans aspire to achieve.  Sometimes we look to that symbolism to reflect how we are… or how we wish to be.

Brave as a bear.  The proud eagle.  Loyal like a Dog.  Quiet as a mouse.  Oh, it goes on it on in that manner.

There are entire studies devoted to animal totems and symbolism.  Some feel that animal totems assist in understanding our past, and suggest that if we are attentive…. our animal totems can reveal glimpses of our future.

If nothing else, they aid in self-discovery.  They can capture our imagination, giving us incredible avenues of self-expression and awareness.

Now, there is an entire Native American Zodiac to match the more commonly known Zodiac.  I…. am…… well…. I am a Beaver.  Now I think this is actually pretty cool.  In the sense of the animal, it is a nifty and neat little creature.  She is busy.  I am busy.  She builds things and is a hard worker.  Likes water.  Good swimmer.  Hey.  Me too.

The Native American Symbol System says Beavers can be cunning and razor sharp.  BUT, people of the beaver-sign can also be nervous, possessive and over-demanding.  I am as guilty as wood-chucking-charged.

Here are how the rest go.

Aquarius = Otter
Pisces = Wolf
Aries = Falcon
Taurus  = Beaver
Gemini = Dear
Cancer  = Woodpecker
Leo = Salmon
Virgo = Bear
Libra = Raven
Scorpio = Snake
Sagittarius = Owl
Capricorn = Goose

And then there is the whole other side to this.  It is the one which tells about the occasion you see the animal.  For instance … if you see a squirrel, you make think it means fun.  Oh no.  Not at all.  It means “practicality and preparedness.”  It means you should examine your own provision in life.  I see a LOT of squirrels.  I am telling you that much right now.  Wolves mean something else.  Spiders, something else, and …. well… you get it.

So today… I saw a snake. For most people, it is simply a fear-invoker. But, I am not afraid of them at all.  Yet… according to the article I read, it is supposed to mean “a symbol of secret knowledge, cunning and transformation.”

But I saw a lot more squirrels than snakes. And more cows than squirrels.  Way more birds than cows…. I have so many animal symbols running around right now… I don’t know what to think.  There’s a whole zoo in my head.  And a barnyard.  It is getting crowded up there.

Ahhhhhhhhh.  That explains a lot.  Suddenly… this is ALL making sense.

It must be some kind of a sign.

Swedish Red.  Randall.

Highland.  Dutch Belted. And….Belgian Blue.

All of these are kinds of Cows.   I finally have learned about Holsteins, Jersey, Short Horns,  and Angus and such.  All of this after growing up in inner-city Dayton.   A city girl.  I did not know cows came in all of these flavors.

But recently…. I found out that invisible cows are herd…. but not seen.
And cows that are pampered too much will only give…. spoiled milk.
If you decide to knock a cow over… you mustn’t cry over spilled milk.

But back to my youth.

Yep.  A large Catholic Family growing up in an urban area.  The only kind of cows I knew…. were Holy Cows.

I wonder if Holy Cows drink Holy Water.  Heaven only knows.

But now that I am out here in the country, I’ve decided to give this cow farming thing a try.  But…. the other day I was milking a cow… and pulled my calf.

Oh.  Enough already.

Well…. almost.  Just one more thing.

Frequently, it seems our cows are terribly grumpy.  I just think they are mooooody.

Most of them won’t even give milk.  That would make them…. are udder failures.

Ohhhhh….. Sorry.   I don’t know what is wrong with me tonight.   I guess I’m just feeling kind of …. cheesy.

But cows are truly miraculous animals.  Just remember… without the cow….

specifically…..  those chilly Artic Cows…..

YOU would not have ice cream.

“We live at the edge of miraculous.”  – Henry Miller

Energy is good.  I like energy… and being filled with it.

Energy, in the American English sense of the word is defined as  “the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.”

According to the Law of Conservation of Energy……. the total energy of a system remains constant……  though energy may transform into another form.

Oh…. so much more can be said about the topic of Energy in Physics.  Volumes and volumes.

But… the most interesting part of it all is this……a scientific proven fact:

The total energy contained in an object is identified with its mass….. and energy cannot be created or destroyed.

I repeat… energy cannot be created or destroyed.   It is all there… already.  It always has been.  And it always will be.

It changes forms constantly.  But it is there.

With that in mind….. I was around two little boys for a good part of this day.  Now THAT is an entirely different definition of energy.  I don’t think… even Einstein… would be able to explain it.

But imagine 1000 little hamsters on Expresso, running on their little wheels, at warp speed Sulu.  On steroids.  Exponentially.

…. and that is not even close.

“Boy,  n.:  a noise with dirt on it.”  – Unknown

“The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” – Aristotle

Today was one of those days that really made me appreciate the very special people in my life.

The ones that have touched my heart, with love and kindness, and caring.  I’m not kidding you.  I felt it every time I turned around.

They are the ones that I can look to…. no matter when or where… and know there is a net, or a pillow, or a warm and welcome place at the end of the day.  A cup of hot soup on a cold rainy day.

Constant reminders all day long.  It started at a dog kennel, and it finished at a wedding reception.

And everything in between.

All of this may seem unrelated, but I can assure, it is most certainly intertwined.

The pinnacle to all of this?  The icing on the cake.  Well  tonight ….. while eating wonderful array of seafood Paella for dinner….

I  happened to glance down at my plate.  Whoa my. …    ……. There.  There it was.

A baby squid.  I believe it traveled all the way  from Seattle.  It sat there, with a little grin on it face, and it seemed to be giving me a little reassuring salute.  Little Oscar the Octopus.  Extending his little tentacle outward…… ….  with a big “Thumbs Up”….

So it reminded me in yet another way…. Just how much I am loved.

Oh.  I felt hugged.  By at least eight arms.  And that is octa-good.

“I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” – Pablo Casals

…. and tonight….

some fun for both my musical friends…. and my jock friends….

The Symphony Orchestra was playing a concert in the park. They were in the middle of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. The basses, in the back of the orchestra, decided they had a few minutes to spare before being asked to play anything, so they ran across the street to the pub for some ale. It was a windy day, so they found some string to wrap around their music stands to secure their music while they were gone. Once at the tavern, they could hear the music and keep up with the progress of the piece.

After a few rounds, they decided that they had to hurry because the last movement of the ninth symphony was under way. They stumbled back onto the bandstand and were fumbling with the string, trying to get it loose, but not having much success. The conductor saw what was happening and instantly sized up the situation: it was the bottom of the ninth, the score was tied and the basses were loaded.