Monthly Archives: July 2016

Kittens-in-a-basketStay vigilant. Don’t fall into any plan to create race wars. The media wants to enflame us into action for ratings. The powers that be want to divide us to make it easier to bring in martial law. Be kind. Stay Mindful. We’re all in this together. We’ll get through this.

RELATED: Don’t believe the misinformation

You can find heaven in the midst of hell

You wonder how it happens?

Flag seller riled up community instead of following protocol
Start being kind and see how your life improves
Break The Cycle: Racists only know what they were taught
When we hate, we give someone else the power
Benny didn’t grow up thinking Mouse Lives Matter
When we believe all lives matter, we’ll start acting like it
True Americans celebrate racial, cultural and religious diversity
Honoring the angels you find in front of you

 

eye tear dropDo you ever feel like apologizing to an entire segment of society but you don’t have the vocabulary to even begin to address it since who’d ever thought in this lifetime such things would still be happening? There’s an almost overwhelming urge to fall at the feet of strangers apologizing on behalf of the ignorant and mean spirited ones whose skin is the color of mine. Even so, I hold the vision of a better tomorrow.   Continue reading

True Americans celebrate racial, cultural and religious diversity

american flag & statue of libertyTrue Americans celebrate racial, cultural and religious diversity. We Make America Great Again by showing in our daily lives that we believe in the USA’s Declaration of Independence directive “all men are created equal, endowed with rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” To suppress anyone due to race, culture and religion is very UN-American. Don’t get it twisted.

 

RELATED: Don’t believe the misinformation
You can find heaven in the midst of hell
You wonder how it happens?
Flag seller riled up community instead of following protocol
Start being kind and see how your life improves
Break The Cycle: Racists only know what they were taught
When we hate, we give someone else the power
Benny didn’t grow up thinking Mouse Lives Matter
When we believe all lives matter, we’ll start acting like it
Honoring the angels you find in front of you

Honoring the angels you find in front of you

mom and sons silhouetteI was behind a young mother in the store earlier. She had three sons, about 2, 6 and 8 and she was doing an admirable job of keeping them under control. The older ones unloaded the shopping cart while the youngest quietly watched his mom on the phone telling someone she’d “be right back to take care of it.”  She seemed weary but handled the scene with grace and ease.  I looked at the two oldest, it brought to mind the two young men — Alton Sterling  and Philando Castile — who’d been unlawfully shot by officers in the past 24 hours.  This strong mother was raising three young black men not knowing what would become of them in tomorrow’s society. No one with eyes open can pretend they’ll have equal opportunity in our lifetime. No matter how good a mother she is, no matter how good a person they grow up to be, because of the color of their skin.  I felt great shame.  When her groceries were tallied, I handed the cashier cash saying, “May I, please? Seeing you with your boys gives me hope for our next generation. Thank you.” And I meant it. I was grateful for the chance to lighten her load for at least the moment, perhaps to create a happy story to tell later, perhaps give a reminder that good and bad exists side by side.  But I could tell she knew that.  The timing was synchronistic. I seldom carry cash on me but I’d just returned from the bank where I’d cashed my $15 check for jury duty as well as a $100 donation check someone had gifted me. I never expected either amount, and would typically have deposited it rather than cashing it, so since everything was falling into place, I figured it was her money anyway.

RELATED: Don’t believe the misinformation
You can find heaven in the midst of hell
You wonder how it happens?
Flag seller riled up community instead of following protocol
Start being kind and see how your life improves
Break The Cycle: Racists only know what they were taught
When we hate, we give someone else the power
Benny didn’t grow up thinking Mouse Lives Matter
When we believe all lives matter, we’ll start acting like it
True Americans celebrate racial, cultural and religious diversity

You saved my life!

hand upI love it when someone says, “You’ve saved my life!” because then I can remind them they are the ones who attracted the people and circumstances into their life who gave them the direction and focus to attract their own solution. We are each more powerful than we can imagine. Look for the hand up, it’s always there.

Samsung Repair Assistant fixes my Galaxy S5 — and my karma

Update - Ugh still dropping wi-fi!!

Replacement phone on the way

I wrote a month ago that My Samsung Galaxy S5 Can’t Take It (original text below). It turns out I just hadn’t spoken to a knowledgeable tech before speaking to Curtis Moss today. He was the only tech who ever mentioned the Samsung Software Repair Assistant.  I ran it and at first glance it seems to have fixed the dropping wi-fi and video/photo upload issues. When Curtis first mentioned the Factory Data Reset, I was Aries-quick to butt in and tell him I’d already done everything the previous techs had told me to do before I called him. He was courteous yet wasn’t going to let me off the hook. He began walking me through the paces. And he was right. No one had ever mentioned the Repair Assistant and that was one of the first things he said we should try. I got a metaphysical and spiritual lesson from it also.  I bought the expensive Galaxy S5 since I thought instead of spending $150 on a phone that lasts two years, I’ll spend $499 and get a killer phone that will last longer.  A year in I began to have problems.  I see now the Repair Assistant may have fixed them, but no one at the Verizon store nor Verizon online mentioned it to me. I have to take responsibility for attracting willing — but under-educated — helpers. The lesson to me was, there may be good people standing ready and willing to help me, but if they don’t know — and they don’t know they don’t know — how helpful will it be?     Continue reading

denise dress i made herA childhood friend just wrote me on Facebook, “Andrea de Michaelis this is a Barbie dress you made for me when I was a kid. I found it in my things in NC. Your handiwork has lasted almost a half century.”

She was the youngest of our lil group and I liked sewing for her and dressing her up like a doll. I was probably early teens. Red plaid is still my fave flannel!

Old beliefs are my safety net until I feel firm in my expanded place

 We can all use a safety net sometimes

We can all use a safety net sometimes

Just when I thought I’d uncluttered all I could, I saw my office supply closet with new eyes.  I pulled out 6 old keyboards, 4 trackball mice, 20 lbs of manuals for software I haven’t had for ten years, packing boxes for every electronic device I’ve bought probably ever, miles of computer cable, microphones, headsets, chargers, routers, 10 key adding machine, cassette tape player/recorder, dozens of envelopes to mail out cassette tapes and a dozen small boxes. I moved these all out of the supply closet which left me with a lot more room and another big stack to go through in the living room to recycle or discard.  I have a habit of saving old equipment after it’s been replaced “in case something happens and I need to go back to it.”  I’ve never had to go back to it. Since it’s older and there’s so much new technology, it’s not like any of my friends want it, either. They have their own closets full of their own outdated equipment. I realize now that hanging on to stuff even though I’ve replaced it is a way for me to bridge the gap between what I know and what I’m learning. Between the old me and the new me in the making. My myth, my safety net is telling myself that, “well if I can’t do ___, then I can go back to my old way of doing things,” even if it’s a longer and harder road.  Upon reflection, I realize I’ve done that in my spiritual life as well, hanging on to old beliefs as a safety net ( in case my “new” beliefs didn’t pan out ) until I found my place firmly in my new, wider, more expanded territory. My old stuff, my old issues were familiar and unconsciously I felt comforted by them.  That’s why some have taken so long to drop and are still dropping. Every year I uncover another layer of the personality I know as me, and see more of the deeper Me, the essential Me, my SoulSelf within.

RELATED: We have to let go of what’s killing us, even if it kills us to let go
Links to other stuff I’ve written on My Uncluttering Adventures