The First Shot

Today, Jan 21, 2021, I received my first Covid-19 vaccine shot. As I am writing this, my arm is a little sore but it is only about 12 hours since I got it. My older daughter warned me that she had a very sore arm for a couple of days (same type, the Modern) so I have been alerted. But I also decided to take some extra Vit. D and K since that is supposed to help moderate the effects.

I am grateful I was able to find a clinic that had enough supply and was willing to work with me; up until a few days ago I was considered too healthy even though I am well over the age limit. The only thing that changed was that this clinic in Mattawa (about an hour away) had some appointment openings. Many of the distributors in the larger cities are already filled up with appointments for the next two to three weeks and have several weeks of backlogs as well.

Although I know there are folks who are eligible who do not want the vaccine and who don't want to take the risk of what might happen with something not well-tested, there are plenty who do want it. The risk of getting Covid-19 is so much worse, as I have learned from friends and one in particular is a nurse who got it herself and now, almost two months post-recovery, she is still dealing with lung capacity, stamina and brain alertness. I do not want that.

The current theory of some doctors is that Vit. D, C and K along with Zinc are good as prophylactics for the disease. I have been diligent in taking all of them and also the social distancing, wearing a mask, washing hands and sanitizing when out since March when it first became apparent this was going to be more than a 'flu' strain. The U.S. leadership failed the population by minimizing and refusing to take aggressive actions and today, almost a year since the whole world became aware of the dangers, over 400,000 people in the U.S. (of all ages) have died from it.

Perhaps I should have written about the isolation, the weeks and months of staying at home, finding things to occupy my mind and hands, but I did not want to add to the frustration by putting it down on paper (blog). And there were other issues to focus on after Wayne developed a blot clot in his left leg in June and then had other health issues all through October, November and December - one we are still dealing with today.

The one bright spot in all the turmoil of the past four years is that Joe Biden was elected and inaugurated as our new President and yesterday offered up a plan for hope and recovery! It feels to me, at times, as if my relationship with Wayne has been just like the political situation with the discovery of things which should have been revealed before we ever decided to get married. There is not much I can do about it now except go on from here. But when I find I am with someone who has his own self-interest at the forefront all the time, it is discouraging.

So tonight I am hoping that the astrological and energetic shifts will bring me some personal hope and recovery as well. And this First Shot will be followed by another and while we may never return to what was called 'normal' perhaps we will find ways to nurture the needs for social interaction bordered by national respect for each other and that our hope is not misplaced.

Changing the Energy

 Yesterday I received this story in an e-mail, asking me to send it on. As an Intender, one who attempts to change the world through energy, I ask you to join me in the intention that follows this story, if you align/agree. And I also intend you are seeing the value in sharing this intention with others.

Mientras los periódicos y las televisiones hablan de la vida de los famosos, el jefe de la tribu Kayapo recibía la peor noticia de su vida:

While newspapers and TV talk about the life of the famous, the head of the Kayapo tribe received the worst news of his life:

Dilma, la presidenta del Brasil, ha dado el visto bueno a la construcción de una planta hidroeléctrica enorme (la tercera más grande del Mundo).

Dilma, the president of Brazil, has given approval to build a huge hydroelectric plant (the third largest in the world).
Es la sentencia de muerte a todos los pueblos cercanos al río, ya que la presa inundará 400.000 hectáreas de bosque.

Más de 40.000 indígenas no tendrán donde vivir.

La destrucción del hábitat natural, deforestación y la desaparición de multitud de especies es un hecho.

It is the death sentence to all river towns, as the dam will flood 400,000 hectares of forest.
More than 40,000 indigenous people have no place to live.
The destruction of natural habitat, deforestation and the disappearance of many species is a fact.
¡40.000 seres humanos!...

¿Y nos preocupamos por 6 o 7 o 10 que llenan las revistas?

¿Qué llevan puesto?

¿Con quién se casan?

¿De quién se divorcian?...

¡Por Dios... qué vergüenza, sentimos los que valoramos cada VIDA COMO ÚNICA!

40,000 people! ...
What we care about 6 or 7 or 10 that fill the magazines?
What are they wearing?
Whom do they marry?
Who gets divorced? ...
My God ... what a shame, we feel that we value each LIFE AS ONE! But do we?
¡NO hay vidas "MAS DIGNAS" que otras!... todas estamos en este mundo para vivir con la misma dignidad... y no habrá una "guerra justa"(si alguna lo es...), simplemente ante este imperdonable, habrá un silencio:

¡el de los fuertes!
Lo que conmueve y hace que algo se retuerza por dentro, lo que genera vergüenza de nuestra cultura...
NO lives are "more worthy" than others! All of us in this world are entitled to live with the same dignity ... and there will be a "just war" (if there is ...), just before this unforgivable, there will be silence:
That of the strong!
What makes something touching and twisting on the inside, creating shame in our culture ...
La "impresión" que tuvo el jefe de la comunidad Kayapo al enterarse de esa decisión, su gesto de dignidad y de impotencia, bajando la cabeza, llorando... ante el avance de "nuestro progreso", hipercapitalista, la modernidad depredadora, la civilización que no respeta la diferencia ...
The "impression" that had the chief of the Kayapo community to learn of this decision, the gesture of dignity and impotence, lowering his head, crying ... before the advance of "our progress", a hypercapitalist, modern (??) predatory civilization that does not respect the difference ...
¿Hasta cuándo aún?...

¿Y qué va a ser ahora mismo tambien de los Dongria Kondh? en la misma situación, y tantos y tantos seres humanos oprimidos...
¿A nadie le importan....?
How long still? ...
What will happen now also the Dongria Kondh? in the same situation, and so many human beings oppressed ...
What… no one cares ....?
Sólo podemos cambiarlo nosotros, cada uno de nosotros, no ellos...

Por favor haz que esto circule

y sintamos vergüenza...

 We can only change ourselves, each one of us, not them ...
Please send this story to as many as you can

and feel ashamed ...

I intend there is enough reaction to this news that the President of Brazil sees the value in changing/reversing his permitting decision and that other solutions are found for electrical energy so these indigenous peoples and other native peoples are continuing to live and love and feed their families on their lands and the animals and birds and insects continue to do their destiny work on these lands and this is for the highest and best good of all concerned, so be it and so it is! Whoooooooooo!

On BEING an artist

One thing I have learned from The Artist’s Way, referred to by those of us who are actively following that path as TAW, is that BEING an artist is given to everyone. It is a gift from the Creator, but not everyone wishes to unwrap the package and find out what is inside.

I have been a risk-taker most of my life. I have fallen in love, been married, had children (a huge risk, in my opinion), traveled to many places, been active in various sports and learned new languages. Many of my friends have given me nicknames to show their appreciation/awe/fear/jealousy of my adventures. More than once I have heard someone say, “I wish I could do what you are doing....”

Anibal Moreno, an artist from Bogota, reminds me how
to stretch the canvas in preparation for putting my sketch
on it and making it into an oil painting. Anibal is also
my neighbor, living in the cottage on the property.

So it is with being creative and being an artist. It is about DOING it. It has nothing to do with whether one is gifted enough to be entitled to a particular creative act... because it is not enough to have the gift if the package is never opened.

There are a number of acquaintances I have made through MM and what a vibrant and creative bunch they all are! One has come up with a way to motivate people to raise funds and awareness about MM, another sends out endearing handmade ‘buddies,’ many know of the sensitive poetry that Susie has produced and made into a book, "A Power Within - Poems of Love," while others are sewing and knitting dervishes or advertising executives or pianists or playing the saxophone and so it goes. 

How can I be less creative when I have such shining examples before me? I am not sure if it was the threat of MM so close in my family that made me decide to take yet another leap into a new culture and to really focus my creative energies. But here I am, and here’s what I did this week: made cookies with local ingredients, had a ceramics class, got some oil painting instruction, had a Gestault session to free up my art spirit, wrote a poem in Spanish, went to a new theatre group gathering and took some more photographs. Oh, and discussed plans for the local chorus group to be re-activated.

This is the preliminary work. I think I will call it just
"Window," or in Spanish, "Ventana."

Being retired has its benefits, but there are pockets of time for any individual who wants to take the risk to open the package. Kids just naturally want to rip open the box to find out what is inside and try playing with it. When we ‘get more mature,’ we forget about how to play. I guess I’m just too curious and too willing to try something new... except for jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, BK! I may have to get a little bit older before I want to try that.

The bowl on the left was my first one and I have since
removed some of the fingerprints on the one to the
right. Today I dipped them in colors! The ladies here
are also taking the class, but are much more advanced.

I recently wrote on a website for artists’ that fear is the biggest obstacle to success and being afraid to dream of success means one doesn’t dare have hope of overcoming the fear. Margaret recently wrote about the need for cancer patients to have hope...(scroll down the link to that title.) and my friend BK has written about hope as well. It is essential for life. And being creative is part of the energy that makes life worth living... for whatever time we have left, because no one knows when the Green Door will open for them.