Love is all you need...

30 years ago today.

And I can still vividly recall exactly where and with whom I was when I heard the stunning news of his assassination... and the shocking despair... the disbelief... that I felt inside.


One of my long-time favorite quotes was a Lennonism: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." It is a simple yet astounding truth, and I use it to this very day.

Thank you for everything - EVERYTHING - you did in the hopes of saving humanity, dear John. There's nothing else I can say that hasn't already been said, but that you are missed - and loved, still - so very much.

It's easy. Love is all you need.

Clown Power!

How to kick the KKK's flabby old ass: with LAUGHTER!

Upon my early morning coffee/Internet perusal hour, I happened upon this news story from '07. A collection of Sad and Ignorant Outcasts (aka the KKK) tried to organize a hate rally in downtown Knoxville, TN. A group of people dressed like clowns arrived on the scene, and gave them a hilarious run for their money! I salute them, both for their brave unwillingness to allow such outdated dogma to spew, and for their use of the power of love and laughter to overcome!
(I cut & pasted this report directly from the Neatorama site - full credit and link are at the end of this post)



Unfortunately for [VNN] the 100th ARA (Anti Racist Action) clown block came and handed them their asses by making them appear like the asses they were.


Alex Linder, the founder of VNN and the lead organizer of the rally, kicked off events by rushing the clowns in a fit of rage, and was promptly arrested by 4 Knoxville police officers who dropped him to the ground when he resisted and dragged him off past the red shiny shoes of the clowns. http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/7704982.html


“White Power!” the Nazi’s shouted, “White Flour?” the clowns yelled back running in circles throwing flour in the air and raising separate letters which spelt “White Flour”.


“White Power!” the Nazi’s angrily shouted once more, “White flowers?” the clowns cheers and threw white flowers in the air and danced about merrily.


“White Power!” the Nazi’s tried once again in a doomed and somewhat funny attempt to clarify their message, “ohhhhhh!” the clowns yelled “Tight Shower!” and held a solar shower in the air and all tried to crowd under to get clean as per the Klan’s directions.


At this point several of the Nazi’s and Klan members began clutching their hearts as if they were about to have a heart attack. Their beady eyes bulged, and the veins in their tiny narrow foreheads beat in rage. One last time they screamed “White Power!”


The clown women thought they finally understood what the Klan was trying to say. “Ohhhhh…” the women clowns said. “Now we understand…”, “WIFE POWER!” they lifted the letters up in the air, grabbed the nearest male clowns and lifted them in their arms and ran about merrily chanting “WIFE POWER! WIFE POWER! WIFE POWER!”



And in parting, I quote freely from Mark Twain, whose unfinished book, 'The Mysterious Stranger', summed it up perfectly, over one hundred years ago:



"Will a day come when the race will detect the funniness of these juvenilities and laugh at them--and by laughing at them destroy them?
"For your race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon--laughter. Power, Money, Persuasion, Supplication, Persecution--these can lift at a colossal humbug,--push it a little-- crowd it a little--weaken it a little, century by century: but only Laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast.
Against the assault of Laughter nothing can stand."
-Mark Twain, 'The Mysterious Stranger'


http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/03/clowns-kicked-kkk-asses/

Spring has nearly sprung...

... but not quite, just yet. In between some really nice days are the long, dreary, grey and rainy ones that make you go "bleccch!" 

 

But the robins have returned, the daffodils are blooming up in bunches everywhere, squirrels are busily gobbling up all the sunflower seeds and nuts I've left for them, and a few early froggies are singing beautiful nighttime arias outside our window (and you know how much I love that).

In a nutshell: I've started my new job, been workin', and loving it lots. Just what the doctor ordered!

Had some time in 'tween to undertake a few really big outdoor landscaping projects, including one that was needing immediate attention - the neglected Frog Pond out back. It had gotten overrun with the crabgrass from Hell and looked dreadful. I don't honestly think I genuinely *hate* anything, but I'm telling you, crabgrass comes awfully close to it. I mercilessly hacked my way through the tangled jungle and felt nary a pang of guilt. In fact it felt rather good!

So the Hubby and I got up early, and all day long, we dug, dug, dug... ripped weeds... rearranged the rocks surrounding the pond... laid down fresh weed preventer fabric (it says it lasts 10 years, and it BETTER cuz I don't plan on doing this again any time soon - my spine won't allow it!) .... put down about 250 square feet of brand new soil .... and voila'! 

All we need to do now is put down the rest of the rock border, add plants and flowers, and sit back to enjoy the hundreds of frogs and toads that come to stay here each summer. Can't wait!

Another huge project that took a few weekends was Stump Henge. It too had become a disorganized and overgrown mess, with bushes and weeds encroaching everywhere. We cleared out several hundred square feet of overgrowth, including something I'd never encountered before - this nasty, awful sticker vine that grows straight up from the ground like a thick barbed whip and intertwines into every bush and tree it comes into contact with. It was very alien and absolutely nightmarish! Even with thick leather work gloves, the huge thorns were able to pierce through, which was extremely unpleasant and painful. We had to be very careful about handling and disposing of it. 

                                                      Stump Henge before

But we successfully rid the immediate area of it, and created a wider, prettier area of Stump Henge, including a little shaded grotto area that you walk into through a natural tree arch. The beautiful cement bench we got from Ronnie Twist's statuary shop was moved further into the Henge under an overhanging tree branch. We sat there for a spell, enjoying the fruits of our labor, and were amazed at our creativity mixing so well with the natural landscape. The finishing touches will be added (more statuary, a bird bath, humming bird feeders, flowering plants, etc) and will look even better once the fresh grass seed we laid down grows in. It will be a shady, quiet little place to sit and meditate in.  

            Stump Henge after! You can now walk easily into and around it

The little potting shed table area behind the well house got a big cleanup as well, and so did the little brick wall around our ancient apple tree. Here are a couple before and after photos, with more pics in the coming weeks and months to show its progress. Right now, as it's still officially winter, there is not too much green, but seeing as this is middle Tennessee, that will soon change and all will be luxuriantly green beyond imagination.

 

              A calm and breezy Henge (L) and the revamped potting table (R)

One other project I'm working on is bringing my latest character to life. Here is the early rough drawing of him. Yes, he's a Viking, and his name is Snjarnl.

                                                    Isn't he cuddly?

Yeti is 15 years old, and while she's gotten just a bit slower, she's still very alert and active. Recently she made a new friend - a sweet West Highland terrier (or, "Westie" to those who love them) named Shelby, whose Mommy is my dear friend Linda. Shelby and Yeti got to have a play-date here at our home a few weeks ago. It was very cute!

                                Yeti and Shelby meet, as Linda watches

And yes. Yeti still loves to do the "water game" each and every night before I go to bed. She runs upstairs ahead of me, jumps on my bathroom counter, and not-so-patiently waits for me to turn the faucet on.

'Mommy! Hurry! Turn on the faucet, quick!' in her loud, yowly Siamese/Oriental  voice

*    *   *   *    *   *   *

Today is the 7th year anniversary since Everett passed away.

I think of him frequently ... and know he's busy doing his next job, which consists of helping animals. I don't profess to know all the answers when it comes to wherever it is we go to when we die, but I feel in my heart and soul that he's in a much better place, where he is happier than he was here on Earth. Anne Marie (his mother) is coming out to stay with us in a few weeks. I'm so thankful that she and Cynthia, his sister, are still in my life.

Happy New Year, Everyone

We're turning a fresh blank page at the onset of a whole new chapter. I know I can count so many among you who wish for positive change in the World. May 2010 be the beginning of an era of true peace and love.


All the best to you and yours!


Love & light,
Ellie