WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT

Cooler weather has returned. Not cold, but normal, it was 20 F when I got up and now, at Noon, it is 35.9. Yesterday the last patch of snow and ice finally disappeared. A new batch is probably on the way.

Yes it is Noontime and I am just getting started. I was reading and listening to videos from the alternative news media. Although they emphasized the corruption of the world. They were largely hopeful about the outcome.

One thing I come away with is the value of suspending belief in anything and just accept the fact that almost nothing on the main stream media is really the truth. Partial truth perhaps, but horribly slanted.

We like to have beliefs, we can settle things in our minds and then we don't have to think about them. We don't realize it is like a snake swallowing a porcupine, we don't know when one of those quills might get us. All beliefs carry a myriad of suppositions, swallowing them whole is dangerous to the reasoning process.

Although, it is comforting to make up our minds about things, we don't have to and we should never take sides just to resolve a conflict in our mind. We don't have to resolve every conflict. We can suspend belief and see how things are shaping up. Becoming more aware is not taking sides, it is seeing the motivation on both sides. It is understanding where everybody is coming from. Then perhaps we can discern the most loving solution.

Lately I have been feeling some heaviness now and then. It could best be described as a sense of futility a blahness. I can get out of it fairly easily, but it has visited me almost every day for at least a few minutes. It could be coming in part from my personal life, but it feels more like a visitation from the larger world. It is like the darkness of the world encroaches on our consciousness. We can't fight darkness per se we can only dissolve it with love.

It may seem like we are just waiting for the cabal to collapse and the darkness to be dispelled. We don't have to sit and wait. We don't personally have to expose corruption and jail the miscreants. We can give energy to the clean-up forces with the love in our hearts and the thoughts in our minds.

Every time we connect with the love inside us we are giving energy to the love that is eclipsing the darkness. No, we don't need to wait for anything. This very moment we can connect with the love inside us and all around us. We can take a moment, quiet our minds, sink down inside, kind of a mini-meditation and feel the love that we are. Then we can bless the person next to us. The world's problems will be solved.

It is now 37 F and it is a gorgeous day. The chickens are loving it, the sheep are laying down basking in the Sun. I have dishes to wash, some bills to pay and then I am going to town.

Love and Peace, Gregg

WAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

We are on a weather roller coaster. The normal high for this day is 34 F and it is already 44.4 F. It has typically been ten to twenty degrees below normal for a few days and then goes above normal. Averages don't tell us how unusual the ups and downs are. We have to rely on our memories. I have been noticing it for the last several years, but it may have been happening for my whole life. I remember long periods of stable temperatures in mid-summer and in mid-winter, by long I mean a week or so. Well that is part of the fun of living in Minnesota.

So much for the weather, what else is new? We had a great Thanksgiving! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend. I look at the world and it is such a mishmash. I can have three different visions: I can look at how the love is growing; I can look at the machinations of the dark; or I can look as an assessor with objectivity.

I have no trouble seeing how the love is growing in the world and I recommend that way of 'seeing' because the world needs our energy.

Those of us who are not convinced at how crazy the world is may need to look at the machinations of the dark to free ourselves from our self created prisons that were orchestrated by the same dark forces. “Waking up is hard to do.” Is that a song, probably not. There is a song with a similar title isn't there? Oh ya, “Breaking up is hard to do.” Well enough of my blathering. We need to wake up! We need to break up with our controllers. That may mean immersing in a search about the plotting and divisive tactics of the dark. Our media, our political system, everything has been controlled or heavily influenced by a very few folks dedicated to power and money. However, once we begin to see, it doesn't help to keep our focus on it.

We can look at the world as an assessor. We can see how crazy it is, without despair. We can see how the empire is crumbling. We can see how the forces of darkness are being eclipsed by the light. We can grow in confidence that the darkness is on the wane and the emergence of the light cannot be stopped.

How much each individual has to see before they are convinced that the light cannot be stopped varies greatly. I think everyday more and more people are turning toward the light.

When we are convinced that love is the only force, we can take a deep breath and a sigh of relief and start building the kind of world we want. As we have discussed many times before, we must begin with ourselves. We must free ourselves from the prison of worshiping authority and allegiance to group think. We must have enough regard for ourselves to know we can think for ourselves. We must love ourselves. As we love ourselves and radiate that love, our families, our communities and all our institutions will benefit.

Happy Monday!

Love and Peace, Gregg

THE CLEAN UP

 

I am getting a very late start and it is not because yesterday was a big holiday and I had a huge mess to clean up. Yes there was a huge mess. We had 20 people for dinner. Jamie had made quite a dent in the work by doing some of the dishes after dinner.

I was out of bed by 7:30 and I started in on cleaning up immediately. Without even pausing for a cup of coffee, I cleaned up the kitchen and did my outside chores. Cleaning up after a party is a great experience. We remember the night before, the funny things, the sweet things, conversations dangled, others connected and completed. We remember the closeness, the teasing, the general hilarity; it was a joy to be together. We thought last year's was one of the best Thanksgivings ever, this year's may have been better. Matt was the only one who couldn't make it. He works at the Air Port, a busy time for TSA workers. I hope you could feel our warmth Matt, you were in our hearts.

I had such energy that I had the clean up completed by 9:45. Then I sat down with my first cup of coffee and then all that energy seemed to leak out. I have been like a collapsed balloon for a couple hours. After a little time catching up on some internet reading I am ready to blog. Oh, who is kidding who, I am only good for recharging my batteries the rest of the afternoon.

I will say we have had an amazing turn around in the weather. We had snow on the ground yesterday Morning and now it is 51 degrees F. I think it was 53 about an hour ago. It was bright Sun when I got up, but the Sun has been playing peek-a-boo the last couple hours. I think it might rain.

I plan on being here Monday. Have a Great Holiday Weekend!

Love and Peace, Gregg

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

It was cold this morning around ten degrees F. It was bright and shiny for awhile, now it is cloudy. We are predicted to get snow, less than an inch though, I was hoping the last vestiges of snow from two weeks ago would be gone; nope, if one searches they will find some.

We are on the last legs of preparation for the Thanksgiving Feast. I shouldn't say we, I haven't done much, the worker bee has been Jamie. Naomi and Elijah are coming over later today to help out.

When we were driving around yesterday we passed the former home of some good friends. The house and yard have been greatly changed. He was from Germany and she was a Minnesotan. I thought of him as the man with two PhDs, one in theology and one in psychology, however his erudition was not what greeted you when you met him. His most prominent features were his gentleness, he radiated a loving sweetness. Chris was his name, his wife Carolyn [sp?] was equally loving and accepting.

They moved to Germany. The last year we knew them Chris suffered from a degenerative disease {I don't know the final diagnosis}. He died in Germany. I think it has been over a year now. We reminisced about how much we enjoyed them and still missed them.

I am telling this story because when we got home, Jamie remarked on how nice it was to talk about these old friends. She said it really helped her memory. Jamie has been suffering some memory loss, perhaps associated with her sleep disorder. She has been visiting a neurologist, they haven't come up with anything yet. She will experience a block in her memory but if she gets the right clue everything comes flooding back. We are all familiar with this, but for most of us it is not general. We have every hope her situation is improving.

So these old friends gave us another gift by helping Jamie recall many pleasant moments in their company.

We can't help but be thankful for all our present and former friends in this Holiday Season!

Thanksgiving has traditionally been a family affair. I am fortunate to know my family are among my best friends.

I am sitting here with thoughts of what needs to get done before the snow flies. I don't think it is on the verge or anything, it is heavily overcast though. So I will just wish everyone a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Love and Peace, Gregg

A NOVEMBER DAY

The Sun was shining bright when I got up and shone for a couple hours but now it is hidden away behind a leaden sky. I hope it emerges this afternoon. It is typical for November to be cloudy. I doubt if this year is unusual. It was a very bright Sunny day yesterday. Perhaps I am more sensitive this year.

I am looking forward to the lighting up of the world. It seems like there are more people  looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. I wonder if my observation is correct? I know I am. I love family gatherings. We live a little too far away from some of my children to see each other on a more casual basis. The nearest one lives forty miles away and four live around eighty miles away. Thanksgiving is the holiday where we all gather here.

Jamie has been working overtime preparing what can be done ahead of time. Our porch is full of pies; mince, pumpkin and pecan for sure and I think a key lime. There are also sweet potatoes and other dishes. If a wayward bear would rip out the screen on our porch he/she could feast. I think about that, both our near neighbors have been pestered by bears. One of them did have their screen porch ripped. We have never been troubled and we have used our porch as a refrigerator/freezer for many years. By the time it is cool enough to use it that way the bears are hopefully sleeping for the Winter.

My chickens are in their egg laying slump. I am only getting two or three a day. My hens are getting elderly and many are on permanent vacation. We don't mind. They served us well in their youth now we will care for them. I did have to buy eggs though. Fortunately I have a good source of eggs from happy chickens raised organically.

I am ready for Winter although my hay man has yet to deliver me a couple big bales for my sheep.

Around this time of year, I am reminded how powerful a tool thankfulness is. I learned it quite awhile ago, but sometimes I forget it. Whenever I am feeling glum or a little gray around the edges, all I need to do is start reciting to myself what I am thankful for and there is an immediate lightening of my mood. If I am in a really dark place I may have to repeat things I am not really in agreement with at the time, but with repetition it becomes true. We can direct our thankfulness to Source, the Great Spirit, Allah, the Void, the One, Our Higher Self, God, whatever feels comfortable. All is One.

I need to go to the Amish with Jamie to get milk and then we need to do a little shopping in town. I love going to town, it is like gathering smiles as we go place to place. People really do radiate love!

I will at least post a Thanksgiving Greeting on Wednesday. I may not have the time to write a whole blog- but then- who knows.

Love and Peace, Gregg

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

The threat of Winter has receded for now, but the days have been dull and dreary. There are only tiny patches of snow left. There is the promise that the Sun will return tomorrow. We hope so.

The world seems dreary too. We need some singing and dancing, especially at the local level. When I was growing up almost every community had a dance hall that was really jumping on the weekends. People of all ages would get together to dance or just listen to the music. That world gradually faded away.

I know we can't go backward, but could we create more entertainment opportunities in our local communities? I have discovered through the years that seemingly ordinary people are amazingly talented. I bet if you take any hundred people several will be accomplished musicians. That would be true for acting talent too. People love to entertain and be entertained. It shouldn't be difficult organizing plays, dances, musical recitals etc. There are plenty of idle buildings churches, school etc. wouldn't it be great to get our faces out of the boob tube for an evening or two a week and get to know our neighbors?

Despite our separation, people really do love each other. Whether it was by accident or design our modern culture has enhanced separation. Oneness in a positive sense, we are bound to each other by love, is only an intellectual concept. {It will always be true, even if unconscious} Oneness in a negative sense, people bound by fear is obvious. Those seeking power and control have always been able to sway whole populations with fear; whether it be war or buying into the latest medical fad.

People have been herded into groups according to their beliefs which are largely based on fear. We need to wake up and break out of our fear based prisons. Fear demands that we accept certain ideas to belong. There are always rules and concepts that form bars to our intellectual cages.

Love always frees. It communicates but never makes rules. Love doesn't need rules because it always attracts. When we shed our outer shell created by assumed judgement we radiate only love, we attract.

We are all capable of walking out of our prison. We are locked in by a myriad number of little fears that have to do with judgement; self judgement and assumed judgement from others.

We can shed those judgements. We can get to know ourselves as loving and lovable beings. Let us remind ourselves everyday that we are lovable. Not once a day- many times a day! Let's remind ourselves that we are love throughout the day. We have been insulated and locked in to our little prisons, the best way to learn love for self is to love what we experience. Say to yourself. I love that tree, I love the Sun, I love that person; if you say it enough to yourself you will begin to feel it. The love is there in all of us. Many of us are aware of it and radiate it much of the time. Some folks love unconsciously all the time. Some of us have hidden our love from ourselves and need to discover it.

People are waking up and giving up their negative group consciousness. We are realizing we are One and bound together by Love.

Let's express it in our communities.

Love and Peace, Gregg

SURVIVING THE CRAZINESS

Well the snow is mostly gone a few patches here and there. It would be nice to get past Thanksgiving before we get more snow. We will greet whatever happens.

I don't know what to write about. What is there to say about the collapsing world. Nothing is believable. Neither political party represents the people. I have been a Democrat all my life [the radical wing]. I have watched it get more and more a party of the wealthy and power hungry. Now there is only window dressing [identity politics] between the two parties. They both do the bidding of the empire. Nobody, of any stature, in either party speaks out about the slaughter in Yemen, the secret wars in Africa, the oil wars all over the world, the use of drone warfare on civilian populations; maybe they feel helpless to do something, but they still should be shouting from the roof tops. Are they afraid they will lose campaign funding?

And what is happening to science? Especially in medicine! What is going on with the lowering of the high blood pressure guidelines? On the national news!? Reported without any real background? Looks like the science[?] and the media are kissing the ass of the drug companies. There won't be one life saved but the sale of statins will go up. I know I shouldn't be looking at the idiot box.

I could give endless examples of how corrupt our world has become. I know. I know. I have to stop looking at it. I have to take my own advice and focus on the love that I see growing everywhere. Actually, I can generally look at the news and see it only as an amusement, as if I was seeing a film about a dying empire that happened a thousand years ago. However, it is dangerous to be smug as little fears and thoughts get planted in our minds whether we like it or not.

The forces of divisiveness have really cranked up lately and this is coming from all sides of the political spectrum. Decisiveness has only one purpose, to keep those in power who already have it.

The good news is that the very cranking up of divisive tactics is an indication that the forces of power and money are losing. They are desperate. They need conflict and war to keep them in power. They can't maintain their positions without our energy. We have to quit paying attention to their craziness.

As we have discussed many time before, we must start with ourselves. We must end our own internal conflicts. Find our peace and extend it. We are the creators. We will have the world we want.

It is so simple. We need only to love ourselves and each other. I know it seems hard sometimes. Look for the progress. It is there in us and around us.

Love and Peace, Gregg