My neighborhood is filled with female children. It's torture!
Here is a sample of my afternoon:
...."she called me a bad name"
...."she said I said blah blah about her"
...."she pushed me on purpose"
...."she was mean to me"
...."blah, blah, blah, etc., etc.
I can't tolerate it! Is this a girl thing!!!????? It's been so long since I was a kid that I can't really remember if I used to be the same way with my friends. Is this a normal part of growing up??
One minute they all get along, the next someone (or more) has been casted out. They feed off of each other's drama and play it out to the fullest.
Because of my tendency to like peace and quite I find that I sometimes allow myself to get sucked into it myself. I have to be mindful and try and tune it out and let them settle their disputes on their own.
Needless to say, I was glad when they all had to go inside for the evening. Whew!!!!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Belief Systems
I have been reading a lot of good books lately. Most of them would be classified as New Age, Scientific, Philosophical, or Metaphysical. I like books that enable me to ponder different perspectives other than the ones that society or my upbringing inflicted upon me.
The idea that I am powerless to a God outside of myself who picks and chooses whom and when "he" will help, never really rang true to me and pissed me off most of my young life. This "belief" along with the "educational" ideas I choose to practice with my daughter, make me a real oddball to family, acquaintances, and society in general. I have never been "normal" and hope never to be if the society I witness is deemed "normal".
Being an oddball may not be such a bad thing anyway. Who wants the puppy in the pet store that has the coloring and markings like all the other puppies. At the end of the day, everyone always wants the odd colored or different looking pup.
So, back to my book...Infinite Possibilities by Mike Dooley. The book talks alot about belief systems. We are all brought up to believe certain things...usually brought down from generations of like beliefs.
All children are born innocent, trusting, loving and with a rich imagination.
Children's ability to learn, dream, trust, excel and explore are encouraged or discouraged during early years. The children's consciousness are continually being shaped into adolescence and onto adulthood by continuing memories, myths, and messages from family, environment peers, society, their culture and lessons learned from painful mistakes or rewarding experiences and successes.
In the end, the belief system of this person has been formed and becomes the guiding force in their life. Decisions, judgements, reactions, actions, habits, feelings, thoughts of limitation or aspirations for the highest are determined by your belief system.
A bad experience in school, being told you wouldn't amount to anything, a failed relationship or failed business venture, and an environment that doesn't nurture hope, education, self-reliance or creativity can shape your belief system. This belief system shaped will be based on limitation and low expectations from self and life.
Self-checklist: Have you learned to limit yourself?
Do you still dream?
Do you believe you can change your present circumstances for the better?
Do you believe that some people are just lucky, smarter, prettier, faster or more worthy than you?
Do you believe it's too late to start again?
Are you feeling like a hopeless victim because you don't see anyone in your environment rising above and overcoming negative conditions?
What you believe determines what you can achieve in your life. If you believe that you are poor you will be poor, if you believe there is not enough (scarcity) there will never be enough, if you believe that if you don't believe in the right "God" you will go to hell, you will go to hell (only in your own thoughts and mind). The belief list goes on and on.
Be willing to read, leave your comfort zone, open up to new ideas, new places and new people. Believe again as a child, in the impossible.
Don't let an old belief system keep you from succeeding in a relationship, a career, financial freedom or that dream whatever it may be.
Belief systems are hard to change in most ordinary folks. Then again, everyone has their own "truth" which doesn't make anyone else's "truth" less or more than what it is....A BELIEF.
The idea that I am powerless to a God outside of myself who picks and chooses whom and when "he" will help, never really rang true to me and pissed me off most of my young life. This "belief" along with the "educational" ideas I choose to practice with my daughter, make me a real oddball to family, acquaintances, and society in general. I have never been "normal" and hope never to be if the society I witness is deemed "normal".
Being an oddball may not be such a bad thing anyway. Who wants the puppy in the pet store that has the coloring and markings like all the other puppies. At the end of the day, everyone always wants the odd colored or different looking pup.
So, back to my book...Infinite Possibilities by Mike Dooley. The book talks alot about belief systems. We are all brought up to believe certain things...usually brought down from generations of like beliefs.
All children are born innocent, trusting, loving and with a rich imagination.
Children's ability to learn, dream, trust, excel and explore are encouraged or discouraged during early years. The children's consciousness are continually being shaped into adolescence and onto adulthood by continuing memories, myths, and messages from family, environment peers, society, their culture and lessons learned from painful mistakes or rewarding experiences and successes.
In the end, the belief system of this person has been formed and becomes the guiding force in their life. Decisions, judgements, reactions, actions, habits, feelings, thoughts of limitation or aspirations for the highest are determined by your belief system.
A bad experience in school, being told you wouldn't amount to anything, a failed relationship or failed business venture, and an environment that doesn't nurture hope, education, self-reliance or creativity can shape your belief system. This belief system shaped will be based on limitation and low expectations from self and life.
Self-checklist: Have you learned to limit yourself?
Do you still dream?
Do you believe you can change your present circumstances for the better?
Do you believe that some people are just lucky, smarter, prettier, faster or more worthy than you?
Do you believe it's too late to start again?
Are you feeling like a hopeless victim because you don't see anyone in your environment rising above and overcoming negative conditions?
What you believe determines what you can achieve in your life. If you believe that you are poor you will be poor, if you believe there is not enough (scarcity) there will never be enough, if you believe that if you don't believe in the right "God" you will go to hell, you will go to hell (only in your own thoughts and mind). The belief list goes on and on.
Be willing to read, leave your comfort zone, open up to new ideas, new places and new people. Believe again as a child, in the impossible.
Don't let an old belief system keep you from succeeding in a relationship, a career, financial freedom or that dream whatever it may be.
Belief systems are hard to change in most ordinary folks. Then again, everyone has their own "truth" which doesn't make anyone else's "truth" less or more than what it is....A BELIEF.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Texas Proud
The other night as I was tucking Summer into bed and she said to me..."ya know mom, every time I hear the word TEXAS I feel proud.". Hmmmmm.....I guess it doesn't take too long of being in it's presence that "Texas Proud" rubs off on you.
You can feel it everywhere you go...or at least in the Austin area. That positive feeling of being a part of a city that cares about their surroundings. A place that nurtures it's citizens and makes it welcoming and accessible for families.
Lucas even noticed it while he was visiting last week. He pointed out how everyone was all about Texas here. From the longhorn symbols plastered to the back of their vehicles, the Texas jingles that accompany all the local commercials, to the Texas Stars affixed to their homes. It's obvious that everyone here loves Texas. You just can't help but to love Texas once you have experienced that city unity.
I wondered...why is it?? What is it about a city, state, or another specific area that makes someone nurture it to the point that it's "loved"? What is it about an a city that makes everyone want to flock there?? Are like individuals automatically drawn to an areas that fit their personalities and lifestyles??
Maybe it's one of those things like, why does everyone want to drive a Toyota or Honda instead of a KIA or a Hyundai....
What is it about your city that you love the most?? What is it that attracts you and keeps you in it's presence???
You can feel it everywhere you go...or at least in the Austin area. That positive feeling of being a part of a city that cares about their surroundings. A place that nurtures it's citizens and makes it welcoming and accessible for families.
Lucas even noticed it while he was visiting last week. He pointed out how everyone was all about Texas here. From the longhorn symbols plastered to the back of their vehicles, the Texas jingles that accompany all the local commercials, to the Texas Stars affixed to their homes. It's obvious that everyone here loves Texas. You just can't help but to love Texas once you have experienced that city unity.
I wondered...why is it?? What is it about a city, state, or another specific area that makes someone nurture it to the point that it's "loved"? What is it about an a city that makes everyone want to flock there?? Are like individuals automatically drawn to an areas that fit their personalities and lifestyles??
Maybe it's one of those things like, why does everyone want to drive a Toyota or Honda instead of a KIA or a Hyundai....
What is it about your city that you love the most?? What is it that attracts you and keeps you in it's presence???
Monday, April 5, 2010
Right to Die
As I was thumbing through my Oprah magazine the other night I came across an interesting article.
The article was about a woman who's mother had opted to "off" herself instead of dying the slow agonizing death that her degenerative Parkinson's disease offered her.
The mother had gone as far to include the family making sure they would be there for her "suicide".
Long story made short, the mother had a failed attempt in overdosing herself on morphine. Eventually, she decided the best way to die was to starve herself to death.
After a few days of starving her physical body her death was finally underway. Her children sat by her side and watched her slowly die a painless inevitable death.
Although the article gave me the creeps a bit...and only because this sort of death is out of society's norm, it did get me to speculating.
Why do we prolong the inevitable???? If we are nothing but a burden to ourselves and our loved ones and our "purpose" here on Earth is done why not lessen our physical and emotional suffering????? We have no qualms with taking our suffering pets to the vet to have them euthanized, but yet we don't find it acceptable to offer our fellow man the same relief.
In this instance I think about my mother. She was dying of cancer and death was inevitable yet she hung on for 2 miserable months while her loved ones watch her suffer(and she suffered) before she finally passed.
Think about it; when a child is to be born we sometimes quicken the process by inducing labor or scheduling a C-section to take the baby early. Why is it o.k to quicken the process of birth but not death???
In essence and reality we are all dying, just at different rates. And quite honestly we all commit suicide....some of us just do it quicker than others. Some of us die of heart attacks from stress, some of us smoke and drink ourselves to death, some of us hold anger and resentment inside manifesting physical illnesses such as cancer and other similar diseases.
I'm sure the debate over Euthanasia can get very in depth with pros and cons, but it's all very simple in my opinion. Luckily, Euthanasia is legal to a limited extent in the state of Texas...just in case I ever need it one day...
When it's all said and done, I'm assuming the big debate over Euthanasia probably has a lot to do with religious beliefs than it does about practicality.
The article was about a woman who's mother had opted to "off" herself instead of dying the slow agonizing death that her degenerative Parkinson's disease offered her.
The mother had gone as far to include the family making sure they would be there for her "suicide".
Long story made short, the mother had a failed attempt in overdosing herself on morphine. Eventually, she decided the best way to die was to starve herself to death.
After a few days of starving her physical body her death was finally underway. Her children sat by her side and watched her slowly die a painless inevitable death.
Although the article gave me the creeps a bit...and only because this sort of death is out of society's norm, it did get me to speculating.
Why do we prolong the inevitable???? If we are nothing but a burden to ourselves and our loved ones and our "purpose" here on Earth is done why not lessen our physical and emotional suffering????? We have no qualms with taking our suffering pets to the vet to have them euthanized, but yet we don't find it acceptable to offer our fellow man the same relief.
In this instance I think about my mother. She was dying of cancer and death was inevitable yet she hung on for 2 miserable months while her loved ones watch her suffer(and she suffered) before she finally passed.
Think about it; when a child is to be born we sometimes quicken the process by inducing labor or scheduling a C-section to take the baby early. Why is it o.k to quicken the process of birth but not death???
In essence and reality we are all dying, just at different rates. And quite honestly we all commit suicide....some of us just do it quicker than others. Some of us die of heart attacks from stress, some of us smoke and drink ourselves to death, some of us hold anger and resentment inside manifesting physical illnesses such as cancer and other similar diseases.
I'm sure the debate over Euthanasia can get very in depth with pros and cons, but it's all very simple in my opinion. Luckily, Euthanasia is legal to a limited extent in the state of Texas...just in case I ever need it one day...
When it's all said and done, I'm assuming the big debate over Euthanasia probably has a lot to do with religious beliefs than it does about practicality.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Our Week So Far...Day 4
If at all possible, Lucas always brings his mountain bike on his trips to Austin. The bike trails here are as irresistible as all the other trails.
On Wednesday we decided to take him to an area we had never hiked. The park, Emma Long Metro also has the most treacherous bike trail in the state of Texas.
I was a little worried when we dropped him off because the sign at the beginning of the trail specifically said that the "buddy system" was best for these particular trails. Of course, Lucas didn't even bat an eye at the warning...
I made a mental note of the time we dropped him off and a little request for his safety to the Universe, then we ventured on down to our nature trail hike about a mile down the road.
I have to say that this trail is going on my favorites list. The trail was beautiful and serene. It was shaded and the trail ran alongside the creek with several crossings along the way. There were also small waterfalls along the creek that made it even more peaceful.
Here are some pics of our hike...
Another beautiful day inside and out.
On Wednesday we decided to take him to an area we had never hiked. The park, Emma Long Metro also has the most treacherous bike trail in the state of Texas.
I was a little worried when we dropped him off because the sign at the beginning of the trail specifically said that the "buddy system" was best for these particular trails. Of course, Lucas didn't even bat an eye at the warning...
I made a mental note of the time we dropped him off and a little request for his safety to the Universe, then we ventured on down to our nature trail hike about a mile down the road.
I have to say that this trail is going on my favorites list. The trail was beautiful and serene. It was shaded and the trail ran alongside the creek with several crossings along the way. There were also small waterfalls along the creek that made it even more peaceful.
Here are some pics of our hike...
Another beautiful day inside and out.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Our Week So Far......Day 3
The last time Lucas was here he had expressed an interest in touring a cave. So, a cave was our destination today.
Just because we had recently visited the Longhorn State Caverns Cave, we decided to try out another cave that none of us had seen before...Inner Space Caverns.
Inner Space was a bit pricier than Longhorn and much more crowded. It did have a little more to offer as far amenities. There was a playscape and panning for gems for kids.
It's hard to say which cave was better. I guess a cave is a cave, but I would have to say that I enjoyed Longhorn a smidgen more. Maybe it was because we were the only tourist and were able to ask questions freely, and it was bit more glistening with an abundance of crystals...and of course there were not 1,000 little school kids running around. :-)
That said, Inner Space was worth the money we paid and I certainly would give it a thumbs up.
Here are some pics of our day....
This is fake cave art done by a UT art major but I thought it was pretty cool anyway...
After our hour and half cave tour we were way overdue for lunch so we stopped in and ate some Texmex at Chuys....Mmmmmmm good!
Just because we had recently visited the Longhorn State Caverns Cave, we decided to try out another cave that none of us had seen before...Inner Space Caverns.
Inner Space was a bit pricier than Longhorn and much more crowded. It did have a little more to offer as far amenities. There was a playscape and panning for gems for kids.
It's hard to say which cave was better. I guess a cave is a cave, but I would have to say that I enjoyed Longhorn a smidgen more. Maybe it was because we were the only tourist and were able to ask questions freely, and it was bit more glistening with an abundance of crystals...and of course there were not 1,000 little school kids running around. :-)
That said, Inner Space was worth the money we paid and I certainly would give it a thumbs up.
Here are some pics of our day....
This is fake cave art done by a UT art major but I thought it was pretty cool anyway...
After our hour and half cave tour we were way overdue for lunch so we stopped in and ate some Texmex at Chuys....Mmmmmmm good!
Our Week So Far......Day 2
Tuesday Morning. Lucas has been battling the snorts and sneezes ever since he arrived in Texas. Austinites claim the cedar is horrid and that it will eventually get you. Personally, I have never felt better since moving here...no allergies, colds, or anything of the sort...weird, huh???? I guess it's true that happiness is the key to health. :-)
So, I have been trying to help keep Lucas as comfortable as possible with a nightly dose of drugs. Luckily, he is not a whiner and is trudging right on with little complaint.
We were having Summer's b-day party at Austin's Park. Being it was the middle of the week the park didn't open until 3:00p.m.
On the way to the park, we stopped and picked up Jordan. The girls were SOOOOO excited.
With it being during the weekday and off season, thankfully the park was not crowded. The minute we got there all the "kids", Toby and Lucas included took off to take advantage of the activities.
I knew I was going to be stuck at the table watching the cake and everyone's stuff so I was smart enough to bring my latest reading material.
At the end of the day, I think everyone had a blast. The "kids" had a blast playing, and I was in heaven reading my book in a sunny corner window with no interruptions.
Here are some pics of our little small, personal party.....
So, I have been trying to help keep Lucas as comfortable as possible with a nightly dose of drugs. Luckily, he is not a whiner and is trudging right on with little complaint.
We were having Summer's b-day party at Austin's Park. Being it was the middle of the week the park didn't open until 3:00p.m.
On the way to the park, we stopped and picked up Jordan. The girls were SOOOOO excited.
With it being during the weekday and off season, thankfully the park was not crowded. The minute we got there all the "kids", Toby and Lucas included took off to take advantage of the activities.
I knew I was going to be stuck at the table watching the cake and everyone's stuff so I was smart enough to bring my latest reading material.
At the end of the day, I think everyone had a blast. The "kids" had a blast playing, and I was in heaven reading my book in a sunny corner window with no interruptions.
Here are some pics of our little small, personal party.....
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