love s'more.

last month, honey maid began airing an awesome commercial celebrating
the diversity of families, the blessed blindness of love & what wholesome really means.

haters hated, like they do.

honey maid responded with perfection.
authentic, beautiful, creative, meaningful perfection.

just watch – while i go add "honey maid graham crackers" to my weekly shopping list.

one million hearts.

tomorrow is valentine's day.
it's also the two-month anniversary of the tragic shooting /
mass murder at connecticut's sandy hook elementary.

a group called sandy hook promise
wants all americans to keep the community of newtown
on our minds & in our hearts.

& to let them know we've got them
by sending them one million hearts,
via sharing a valentine ala interwebs.

click here to choose & share your heart with newtown now.

sandy hook promise is a nonprofit organization
created by newtown community members
in response to the senseless gunning down of
20 children, 4 classroom teachers & 2 school administrators.

the group's mission is to support the victims' families, the survivors,
first responders, school teachers & staff, & the whole community of newtown
by providing financial & service support & help however possible,
for as long as it takes for each individual to heal.

"we are committed to making newtown be remembered
as the place where we came together, both as a community & as a nation,
& decided we must do everything we can to prevent
tragedies like this from happening again."

you can help by signing the sandy hook promise here:

i promise to honor the 26 lives lost at sandy hook elementary school,
& do everything i can to encourage & support commonsense solutions
that make our community & country safer from similar acts of violence.

& liking the sandy hook promise facebook page here.

but if nothing else, then please, just share a heart today.
let them know our hearts are still with them.


image source: share 1million hearts.

third-time charm.

newsweek magazine, almost 80yo, recently announced its intention to
stop publishing a print edition & go all-digital beginning in 2013.

& thankfully, it looks like it may be going out a little better than it's been lately.

following a year in which it twice featured atrociously sexist covers
[one in april, another in august], it's good to see newsweek

take a turn for the less-desperate with its current cover, which features
15yo malala yousafzai & the headline "malala: the bravest girl in the world."

women & girls are the focus of fewer than 1 in 4 news stories worldwide,
so a cover about a female's achievements rather than her appearance
is kind of a big deal.

here's hoping newsweek keeps up the right fight,
representing women accurately & well, as it takes its final 3D breaths.

they do it. why can't we??

meet bff's kate & pippin.
kate, the great dane, & pippin, the young deer.
they're adoptive mother & daughter, & best friends.

pippin was just a newborn fawn in june 2008 when her birthmother abandoned her,
frightened by some neighbor dogs. pippin wandered around isobel springett's property
for three days until isobel finally rescued her.

isobel's dog kate adopted the tiny fawn almost immediately.
the two became inseparable as kate — who had never mothered & was spayed —
cleaned pippin, tried to nurse her and slept beside her.

eventually, pippin grew into an independent deer,
who lives out in the woods with her fellow deer, but
who comes for daily visits & playtime with her adoptive mother.

isobel, a photographer, documented their rare relationship,
& with her brother martin's words telling the amazing tale,
has just published kate & pippin: an unlikely love story.

they've also got their own youtube channel,
where you can enjoy moments like this:



there's something uniquely uplifting about animal odd couples like kate & pippin.
i think it's that they prove without doubt the power of love —
that love can override even something as ingrained as animal instinct.

happily, unusual animal friendships can be found all over the interwebs:

:: 9 unusual animal relationships, a huffington post.

:: dozens of photos of unusual animal friendships @ kikiriki pics.

:: a whole blog dedicated to photos of unusual animal friendships @ let's be friends.

:: unlikely friends: why we love odd animal pairs, an analysis.

:: unlikely friendships, a book by jennifer holland.

:: friends: true stories of extraordinary animal friendships, a book by catherine thimmesh.

:: & the classic animal pals story of tarra the elephant & bella the dog:
:::: there's the book, tarra & bella: the elephant & dog who became fast friends by carol buckley;
:::: & here's the cbs tv feature that i believe got the two on oprah:



ah, wise, wonderful animals — proving once again
the power to "reason" is highly overrated
& no match at all for the power of compassionate kindness & love.

top five regrets of the dying.

australian writer & songwriter bronnie ware
spent several years caring for dying people
who had gone home to spend their final weeks of life.

bronnie questioned them about any regrets they had or
anything they would have done differently, & within their answers,
she discovered common themes emerging again and again.

bronnie's memoir chronicling how these regrets helped
change her life will be published march 20th.

here, from the top five regrets of the dying:
a life transformed by the dearly departing, are
the five most common life regrets:

1. i wish i'd had the courage to live a life true to myself,
not the life others expected of me.
the most common regret of all.
make choices that honor your dreams.
from the moment you lose your health, it's too late.
health offers a freedom frequently unappreciated until it's gone.

2. i wish i didn't work so hard.
every male patient had this regret,
& as more & more women become breadwinners,
i sadly suspect they will share it.
simplify your lifestyle & create more space in your life.

3. i wish i'd had the courage to express my feelings.
many people quashed their feelings in order to keep peace with others.
consequently, they settled for a mediocre existence,
& held onto lifelong resentment over it.
speak honestly, & it will either
make your relationship healthier or
release the unhealthy relationship from your life.

4. i wish i had stayed in touch with my friends.
many people had let golden friendships slip through the cracks
while they were caught up in their own busy lifestyles.
give friendships the time & energy they deserve.
at the end of life, all that remains is love & relationships.

5. i wish i had let myself be happier.
many people don't realize happiness is a choice.
they stay stuck in old patterns and habits,
pretending they're content because they're afraid of change.
don't let fear or familiarity hold you down.
this may well be your one & only opportunity to live a happy life.

concludes bronnie ware:
life is a choice.
it is your life.
choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly.
choose happiness.


image source: windows7 wallpapers.

claus with pause.

in the spirit of celebrating the season
[rather than preparing for a season to celebrate a day],
i settled in this first monday morning of december
& put together a list [yes, another list!]
of how i intend to spend this holiday,
as inspired by my favorite life balance guru & dear friend
renée trudeau.
[read her original, inspiring e-newsletter.]

renée suggests some themes for a new way of experiencing the holidays;
they all sounded delicious to me, so
i created an intentional sampler for the season
to help me celebrate with savor . . .

i'm calling my 2011 holiday plan [wait for it . . . ]
"claus with pause."

here's what i want for christmas
[oh, & some material stuff, too, of course!]:

:: unscheduled time — for napping, walking, yoga-ing.

:: creative expression — via decor, food, gifts.

:: spiritual practice — via gratitude, music, being out in nature.

:: abundant giving — of money, blankets & toys.

:: family connection — by expressing affection, appreciation & lightness.

how about you?
how do you want to experience the holidays?
& how do you plan to get there from here?


image source: yvi`s torten & tortenfiguren @ flickr.com.

'tis a season.

i've been considering christmas.

of course, it's difficult not to
think of the holiday of holidays,
since it's been beginning to look a lot like it
since mid-october.

so i've been thinking about
how it's called the holiday season,
this annual span from
thanksgiving to the new year.

so this year, i'm trying to treat it as such.

rather than a timebomb-like countdown
to a single explosive day
of extreme merriment & overindulgence,

i'm trying to think of it as a season
that starts with abundance & gratitude,
& finishes with a fresh start,

with some giving, receiving & caroling in-between.

at the risk of seeming banal,
i'm trying to enjoy the journey.

avoid getting caught up in the
anticipation & expectation
as much as possible.

just be here now,
moment by seasonal moment.

live it like it's
more about the presence
than the presents, yo.

so here's my mantra for holiday 2011
[feel free to adopt or adapt as you like]:

find the joy.
share the jolly.
breathe deep

& believe.


image source: department56.com.

3 women 4 peace.

last week, the 2011 nobel peace prize
was awarded to three women
"for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women
& for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work."

liberian president ellen johnson sirleaf, 72,
is africa's first democratically elected woman president.
she accepted the presidency in 2005, following
almost 15 years of civil war & a quarter-million deaths in her nation.
known as "the iron lady," sirleaf holds a harvard university master's degree
in public administration & is up for reelection this year.

liberian peace warrior leymah gbowee, 39,
led her country's women to defy warlords,
their use of child soldiers & rape as "a toy of war."
she inspired a huge group of chirstian & muslim women
to stage a 2002 sex strike, refusing to engage with their husbands
until the violence of liberia's 14+-year civil war was over.
gbowee is the executive director of the women-focused peace-building organization
women peace & security network africa, & a mother of five.

yemen's arab spring activist tawakkul karman, 32,
leads the human rights organization women journalists without chains.
she has braved prison many times to fight for
women's rights, media freedoms & political prisoners' release,
& is a leader in the uprising against yemen's longtime president.
she has not left sanaa's change square, the center of demonstrations,
for four months, for fear of assassination by the president's gunmen.
karman is the youngest peace prize winner ever,
the first arab woman ever to receive the nobel & a mother of three.

the 2011 laureates bump the number of women winners
to a whopping 15 in the 110-year history of the nobel peace prize.
they're the first women to receive the honor since 2004,
when kenyan ecologist wangari maathai won.

the american foreign press called the choice
to award the peace prize to the trio of women's rights activists
"a celebration of women's growing empowerment
globally & especially in deeply conservative & tribal communities."

united nations chief ban ki-moon called it
"a testament to the power of women's leadership ...
& the vital role women play in the advancement of
peace & security, development & human rights."

united states president barack obama said,
"the[se] three women are all not only examples of
remarkable determination & spirit, but also a reminder that
when we we empower women around the world,
everyone is better off."

who we are.

tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11.

i know that it has, at times, frayed.

yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country &
the determination of the american people.

the cause of securing our country is not complete.
but tonight, we are once again reminded that
america can do whatever we set our mind to.

that is the story of our history,
whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people,
or the struggle for equality for all our citizens;
our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, &
our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

let us remember that we can do these things
not just because of wealth or power,
but because of who we are:

one nation,
under god,
indivisible,
with liberty & justice for all.

thank you.
may god bless you.
& may god bless the United States of America.


u.s. president barack obama
on the occasion of the elimination of osama bin laden.
5.1.2011




image source: denise gould.

hello, summer.

here in the heart of texas,
we've been having summer-equivalent
for quite a while now.

we hit 100 degrees for the first time may 25th,
& have hit it 15 more times since.

yeah, it's gonna be a scorcher.

& here on the blog,
i've been radio-silent
for a couple of weeks & counting.

why? same as it ever was . . .

life –
settling into a shifting-weekly summertime schedule,
trying to guide the kids toward the next level,
housetraining & training-training a puppy,
organizing & beautifying our home,
dealing with some first-family sickness & associated stress.

& work –
cranking through a couple of huge projects,
trying to keep them moving forward,
hoping to complete them by mid-july
so mama can have some summer time off.
oh, yeah – & get me some money, too.

juggling full plates nowadays
while wishing for the ocean.
the breeze. the sunshine. the salt. the sand.
mornings outside playing at the beach.
afternoons inside reading & napping.

sigh. maybe someday.

not sure it will be this summer.
too much up in the air to know for sure.

still, i say,
hello, summer.

hello, sunshine. hello, pool. hello, sno-cones.

hello, front porch & back patio.
hello, sunscreen & bugspray.

hello, camps & classes.
hello, teaching & learning.

hello, fresh food.
hello, weight watchers.
hello, money management.
hello, further beautification & organization.
hello, photo catchup.
hello, blogger.

hello, austin.
hello, dallas.
hello, canada.

hello, summer 2011,
summer of going along for the ride.
happy you're here.


image source: mingta photography @ etsy.com.

tune for today.

my fellow americans,

YES, WE CAN.

remember??
i do.

& whenever i can't,
whenever i doubt,
i watch this.

take four minutes today
& make yourself remember
what's great about being an american.
[p.s. working together for the greater good isn't just for democrats.]

the case against civility.

by now, you know her name:
christina taylor green.

she was nine,
& she was murdered.

the youngest victim of
the madman who opened fire
on congresswoman gabrielle giffords
& the crowd who came to see her at a grocery store
in tuscon last saturday.

fourteen injured. six dead.

yesterday, christina was the first
to be buried.

a beautiful third-grader.
smart. creative. giving.
an animal lover.
a new member on her school's student council.
the only girl on her little league team
[second base].

& born on 9.11.01.

there is so, so much to grieve for here.

but what i can't get past is how
christina's first & last days in this world
were connected with national tragedies.

christina was chronicled in a book,
"faces of hope,"
which featured a baby from every state
born on 9.11.

now she has been eulogized
by the president, who said,
"i want america to be as good
as christina imagined it."

when we were attacked by others,
christina's birth was seen as
a symbol of hope for our country.

now we are attacking each other.
& i feel christina's death may be seen as
a symbol of danger －
a distress signal for our country.

a living, dying testament
to what we are becoming
because of how we are behaving.

it's no longer just a case of civility,
of please or thank you or don't interrupt,
of good manners. that sugar-coating －
by the media, the pundits, even my president －
is beginning to sicken me.

because what it is, is a spectrum of violence,
& it begins with fear.
& every word or name or phrase or dictate
or image that amplifies the fear or alludes to violence
inches us further & further along the spectrum . . .

until it ends with a little girl's casket.

the solution, i think, is as simple
& as difficult as the golden rule.

if we're loving each other
the way each of us longs to be loved,
treating each other the way
each of us deserves to be treated

－ simply because we are here,
we are all americans,
all human beings,
all children of God －

there is no room for fear
& no reason or rationalization
great enough to justify violence.

christina taylor green
practiced it.
let her be our example
of how to do it right
& what happens when
we're doing it so very wrong.


image source: daily mail.

bikini & yogurt. forgiveness & peace.

i'm thinking this morning of
carrie fisher & jamie lee curtis.

yes, princess leia & the activia woman.

both actresses of a certain era
who have lost their famous fathers
within the past week.

carrie fisher's dad was eddie fisher,
a popular singer from the fifties,
probably most famous for his 1959 dumping of
carrie's mom, girl-next-door debbie reynolds,
for va-va-voom-vixen elizabeth taylor
[he was husband #4 of taylor's 8].
he died last week @ 82.

jamie lee curtis' dad was tony curtis,
a popular actor from the same timeframe,
possibly most famous for the cross-dressing role he played
opposite marilyn monroe in 1959's "some like it hot."
he allegedly once said smooching with monroe was like "kissing hitler."
really?? this from a boy born with the name bernard schwartz. hmmm.
he died yesterday @ 85.

both actress-daughters had difficult relationships with their dads.
both dads were unfaithful to their girls' moms.
both father-daughter pairs worked it out in the end.

& so i'm thinking of these celebrity women today
as they grieve their famous, flawed fathers.
& wishing them the same sort of peace their forgiveness
no doubt gave their dads.


image sources: somosfuga@photobucket.com, purepeople.com