A Sad Week...

Sometimes the best love is dog love...

Wanda
Born: January 5, 2004
Died: August 27, 2006

Pepito
Born: June 19, 2006
Missing Since: August 21, 2006

… We will miss you both every single day!

Great Gifts to Give

Another goodie from Rex’s site…

These priceless gifts are not seasonal. We can give them all year long. As we give them, we will find that giving enriches the giver as much as the recipient. These gifts are worth a million dollars, but they don't cost a cent.

1. The Gift of Listening
But you really have to listen. No interrupting, no planning your response. Just listening.

2. The Gift of Affection
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back, and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate your love for family and friends.

3. The Gift of Laughter
Clip cartoons. Share great articles and funny stories. E-mail especially good ones to people you know are feeling blue. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

4. The Gift of A Written Note
It can be a simple "I love you" or "Thanks for your help." A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5. The Gift of A Sincere Compliment
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal," can make someone's day.

6. The Gift of A Favor
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind. Try it on your way to work, or wherever you go today.

7. The Gift of Solitude
There are times when we want only to be left alone. Be sensitive to other people's feelings, and give the gift of solitude to others.

8. The Gift of Good Cheer
The easiest way to feel good is to make others feel good

Try some of these out. Start now!

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

As I was checking out my music collection and updating my iPod with new tunes, I saw Rent’s Original Soundtrack. I remembered the musical and the movie and it made me smile, real big!

Seasons of Love
Original Broadway Cast Company :
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Moments So Dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do you Measure - Measure A Year?

In Daylights - In Sunsets
In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles
In Laughter - In Strife
*
In - Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure
A Year In The Life
*
How About Love?
How About Love?
How About Love?
Measure In Love
*
Seasons Of Love
Seasons Of Love
*
Soloist # 1:
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Journeys To Plan
*
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure The Life
Of A Women Or A Man?
*
Soloist # 2:
In Truths That She Learned
Or In Times That He Cried
In Bridges He Burned
Or The Way That She Died
*
All:
It's Time Now - To Sing out
Tho` The Story Never Ends
Let's Celebrate
Remember A Year In The Life of Friends
*
Remember The Love
Remember The Love
Remember The Love
Measure
In Love
*
Soloist # 1:
Measure Measure Your Life In Love
*
Seasons Of Love ...
Seasons Of Love

Rent, both the musical and the movie is truly beautiful. Whenever I hear the songs, it always reminds me to appreciate life more by the second and a very moving piece of art.

Rules to Live and Love By

The very sexy Rhea posted in her blog Kathy Freston’s Rules for Finding True Love. I can’t help but smile with them (rules). I dedicate those rules to my bubbly friend Minah and I do hope that the right one will be knocking in front of her door... soon.

Ten Rules

1. Seeing your partner through the lens of love rather than fear automatically elevates the relationship to a higher plane. When you can get quiet and note when you are projecting fear, you can make the adjustment to see through a different filter. So often we feel indignant or incensed, but upon closer inspection we will find that we are really afraid. Once we assume our partner's core goodness rather than focusing on their "guilt," they will be more free to show us their best, which accelerates the process of shifting our perspective from one of blame and anxiety to one of acceptance and peace.

2. Being willing to forgive yourself and your partner, and to make amends when necessary is an ongoing process of cleanup. We all make mistakes; it's human. But when we hold fast to a grudge it eats away at our sense of peace and serenity. If you aren't willing to forgive, you might ask yourself what habit of ego you're attached to. Do you want to continue life with unresolved issues hanging over you? When we take a stand and refuse to let go of something, we can always find evidence to justify it. Or we can try to make peace. Instead of blaming or making excuses, we can clean things up and move forward. This is not an excuse for staying in a dysfunctional situation, but an opportunity to see innocence. Once we do that, we gain—or give—freedom to move out of a "stuck" place.

3. Relaxing when times get tough; assuming that "this too shall pass" allows you to roll with the punches. If you know things will inevitably arise to challenge you, you can be more detached when they do. Problems become worse when we dig in our heels and try to force a solution. By relaxing into whatever struggle arises, we remain flexible and open to inspiration and insight. Even if you have a hard time letting go, you can at least observe yourself taking things very seriously, which in itself helps to detach you from the experience of anxiety. Whatever is happening now won't be happening a year from now, so just keep breathing through the situation and see if you can take things a little less seriously.

4. Seeing in the dynamic of the relationship the reflection of what you need to learn helps bring you back to what is important. Sometimes we get lost in the chatter of day-to-day patterns and lose sight of the soul's mandate to bring us closer to realizing our Oneness. The best way to see where we need to work on things is to observe who we are and what we do within the context of a relationship. Any time you recognize your impulse to create distance rather than intimacy, you can make the adjustment and get back on track. This relationship, as with all relationships, is part of a curriculum to evolve into our highest potential. We come to know ourselves by how we interact with our partner, and by so doing we come to know Spirit.

5. When you don't know how to handle a problem, pray and meditate, surrendering the decisions to Spirit. Praying and meditating aligns your limited energy with that which is all-powerful. Of course we don’t have all the answers, but by consigning our limitations to our Higher Power, our burden is lifted. We need to be accountable for our words and actions and be willing to work through where we are stuck. We need to stay present and forgive. Beyond that, our creative power is fueled by Spirit. By praying, we ask for help and guidance; by meditating we clear our minds so that the answer will become apparent. By moving aside, we create an opening for God to work miracles in ways we could never imagine.

6. Honoring your partner's path and allow them the space to find their own way sends a clear message of respect. People need to work things out in their own manner and in their own time. If you try to help where help is not requested, you are signaling your lack of belief in your partner. If you back off and assume someone is strong and intelligent, strength and intelligence are what they will likely find. Although we are all on this path of realization and expansion together, each of us is unique in our lessons to be learned; the way you do something might be totally different than how someone else needs to process a situation. Rest assured that Spirit is at work in all of our lives, and give yourself a rest from overseeing your partner's personal business.

7. Keeping up your personal growth work means you will keep your mind sharp and your awareness keen. Read, study, and attend lectures; don't rest on the laurels of what you think you already know. The moment we think we have it all figured out is the moment things will come crashing down around us. Arrogance leaves no room for intimacy or growth, and is certainly not part of a spiritual curriculum. When you immerse yourself in learning, you will always have new skills and interests to apply to a relationship, and thus the relationship will always feel fresh and relevant.

8. Following the path of your own creativity keeps you attuned to that which moves and inspires you. As you indulge your creative side, you become less dependent on your partner to feel whole. Creative energy is the force that breaks new ground. To sustain love, we need to continually fuel whatever inspires us on the deepest level. Also, creativity balances out the egoic and intellectual side of life; it teaches us to play and have fun. When we engage our passions, we radiate passionate energy and thus maintain the interest of our partner as well as having your own sense of fulfillment.

9. Staying present keeps us in the moment which is where life is. Life does not exist in future predictions or past grievances; all we have for sure is right here and right now. Every moment teaches us something, and if we are busily trying to change or control something we miss the grace intended for us. By allowing the sacred mystery to unfold without trying to tamper with it, we can move through anything with much more ease and simplicity. As we cease resisting, any so-called negative situation or emotion will have the space to work out. And by the same token, when we are completely alert and aware in any given moment, we are open to the subtle miracles happening all around us. By staying present, we will see our partner for who they are; we will hear clearly their communication and respond to it astutely.

10. Staying present keeps us in the moment which is where life is. Life does not exist in future predictions or past grievances; all we have for sure is right here and right now. Every moment teaches us something, and if we are busily trying to change or control something we miss the grace intended for us. By allowing the sacred mystery to unfold without trying to tamper with it, we can move through anything with much more ease and simplicity. As we cease resisting, any so-called negative situation or emotion will have the space to work out. And by the same token, when we are completely alert and aware in any given moment, we are open to the subtle miracles happening all around us. By staying present, we will see our partner for who they are; we will hear clearly their communication and respond to it astutely.

Freston is the author of The One: Finding Soul Mate Love and Making it Last which was featured at Oprah’s Book Club, early this year.