Dancing in the Light

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas! I would like to share with you this beautiful Christmas message from a dear friend and spiritual teacher:

"The celebration of Christmas is there to remind us that the glorious and eternal God Power is at all times immanent in each one of us. This power cannot be perceived by the worldly faculties and hence we tend to forget that we are all beautiful souls, part and parcel of the supreme and eternal God. He is awaiting all His children and He offers us a way to reach up to Him…

"The aim of our life is to merge with the supreme Power... As we are part of this Ocean of love, compassion and forgiveness, we as children of our Father God should portray these virtues to all our brothers and sisters on this planet earth. It is asked from us to be good human beings and to act accordingly. If we have a chance, then why not help the needy ones around us? Many will appreciate a helpful hand or sometimes, merely a kind word.

"When your hearts open toward the absolute Power, the light will shine in you and all darkness will be dispelled in you and around you. The love will be overflowing and will be shared with all other dear ones. When this happens, then everyday will be a reason for delight, happiness and celebration..."

(Baljit Singh)

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Shower the people you love with love...

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Just shower the people
you love with love

Show them the way that you feel

Things are gonna work out fine
if you only will

Shower the people you love
with love

Show them the way you feel

Things are gonna be much better
if you only will…

(lyrics by James Taylor)

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How Sweet It Is to Be Loved By YOU!

His mellow voice warms your spirit like butter and honey on a cozy evening by the fire. His lyrics tell stories of lost love and redemption, of friendship and sweetness, of Carolina and Mexico and country roads. He takes you places in your mind where you can dwell easy and the water runs deep. And your feet just wanna dance to the sweet beat of his band. Yes, James Taylor.

In February of this year (2006), sweet baby James was honored as "Person of the Year" by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' MusiCares program. And what better way to honor him than by having some of the best vocal artists around sing his hauntingly beautiful, uplifting, insightful songs to an audience including James Taylor and his friends and family.

An unbelievable line-up of singers and musicians paid tribute to James Taylor and his songs. Bruce Springsteen gave a hands-down fantastic performance as he belted out “Millworker.” Taj Mahal and Dr. John cranked out “Everybody’s Got the Blues” with earthy, hip-swaying style. Keith Urban stomped out an unforgettable “Country Roads” that made your soul cry for more. Alison Krauss crooned our souls to heaven with “Carolina on My Mind”, and Carole King captured our hearts when she poured out “You’ve Got a Friend.”

King’s powerful voice and staccato piano rocked the hall as her eyes lovingly gazed into the big blues of her good friend James, who sat in the audience just loving it. And of course, he couldn’t stay away. He joined her at the piano for the roof-raising finale of the song. After that, what could top it all but for James Taylor himself to sing several of his best recordings, including “Shed a Little Light,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” and the soulful unforgettable “Fire and Rain.”

In the last couple of numbers, James’ brother Livingston joined him on stage to sing, while James’ two little sons danced nearby, holding their uncle’s hands. James’ wife sat in the audience with tears in her eyes.

And a jammin’, rockin’ good time was had by all!

The program was broadcast on PBS stations this past November. If you didn’t get a chance to catch this fantastic performance, not to worry. It’s available on DVD. The title is A Musicares Person of the Year Tribute: James Taylor (2006). Buy, borrow, or steal it. You won’t be disappointed.

See video clips here:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/jttribute/songlist.html


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Search for the Meaning of Life

For the past couple weeks, Bayou Child has been raving about Mark Bittner, Judy Irving, and the wild parrots of San Francisco. Today we bring you a few more quotes about these delightful and insightful beings.

From the film website:

"That rare documentary that has romance, comedy, and a surprise ending that makes you feel like you could fly out of the theater..." -San Jose Mercury News

"The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is the true story of a Bohemian St. Francis and his remarkable relationship with a flock of wild green-and-red parrots... Mark Bittner, a dharma bum* and former street musician in San Francisco, falls in with the flock as he searches for meaning in his life, unaware that the wild parrots will bring him everything he needs."

*Dharma bum (per Gary Snyder): "A homeless seeker of truth"

The film was directed by Judy Irving and stars Mark Bittner and a flock of wild parrots including special avian stars Mingus, Connor, Picasso, Sophie, Olive, Pushkin, and Tupelo. The film is 83 minutes and rated G. If you haven't seen it, then try to find it. Available on DVD in many public library collections and video rental stores.

From the book:

"...My search for a new situation had been half-hearted at best. I knew that ultimately there was only one direction for me: I'd go wherever circumstance led me. It wasn't a happy decision. I was going through another round of frustration with the lack of development in my life, but I was afraid to break out on my own. My understanding was that if I quit my path, it would ruin me. There could be no other way..."

-Mark Bittner, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story with Wings

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Strength, patience, and flying free...

Eric D. Lehman at hackwriters.com writes:

"...The film of Connor, Mingus, Picasso, Sophie, Olive, Pushkin, and Tupelo is some of the most touching and hilarious footage I’ve ever seen of bird behavior. Connor is actually a blue-headed conure [the rest of the flock is of a different species and has red feathers on their heads]... his outsider relationship with the flock mirrors Bittner’s relationship with our forward-moving, career-based society. Connor’s solitary journey through life makes him unique, more than the blue feathers on his head. Although Bittner offered him the comfort of his ramshackle home, thinking his treatment by the other birds harmful, the blue-head preferred to be wild, much like Bittner himself. How many of us have the strength or patience of either of these individuals?"

Read the whole review here:
http://www.hackwriters.com/wildparrots.htm



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The Joys of Becoming What We Truly Are

Dear readers - in the past few posts, we've introduced you to Mark Bittner, the writer, and Judy Irving, the filmmaker. Judy's film and Mark's book (both titled The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill) tell us not just about these intriguing avians of San Francisco - but also of a human life lived in honest awareness.

We humans have the capacity to wear many masks, and we may sometimes follow a maze of false paths. We may find ourselves so involved with the material aspect of life that we do not realize how lost from our true essence we have become. Mark Bittner didn't want to fall into that trap, so he wandered and lived on the streets for more than 15 years, seeking his true calling, looking for clues to solve the mysteries of life, and knowing that our spiritual existance endures beyond all things material. Throughout it all, he sought to remain true to himself and to his values.

Mark made the conscious decision not to jump through hoops that would build a career and lifestyle that was false for him. Yet he was not lazy or incompetent in any way, although some who didn't look deeply enough may have judged him to be so. In his relationship with the parrots, he worked harder than many people do in their daily jobs. He meticulously cared for the sick and wounded birds, fed the flock several times a day, and recorded his observations of the individuals, both in writing and with photographs.

Mark's writing conveys a pure and honest soul who plays no games and wears few masks, if any. He seems present in the moment, and there is a timelessness about him. As if he has always been here, or at least is in touch with that part of the inner self which is timeless and always in the here and now. Mark comes across as gentle and loving, deep and kind, warm and funny. He makes no efforts to conceal his flaws, but he isn't overly self-effacing or conspicuously humble either. He is who he is, and he seems neither proud nor ashamed of that. One cannot help but like him and the message his writing brings.

"For many years, I'd felt as though I were on a death march across an endless desert. And although, in the end, I received everything I asked for, I know that life is not about getting what you want. You can want the wrong things. Because I'd once invested all my energy into becoming something I wasn't suited to be - a musician - I lost my way for the longest time. Each of us has a true nature, the real laws of our being, and that inner nature will always receive what is appropriate to it as long as we're honest with ourselves..."

-Mark Bittner, in his book The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

If you're not sure what to do, do nothing... just observe and be ready to receive the mysterious gifts of the cosmos...

"They were the harbingers of my future..."

"According to certain Eastern religions and Western New Thought teachings, when one reaches a transitional point in life and doesn't know which path to take, it's best to simply do nothing. "Be still and know," says Psalm 46:10, which does not condone laziness, but rather, asks us to stay present and wait with confidence for the lead that will point us down the right road. In Mark Bittner's case, the sign he needed swooped down in the form of three bright green conures (aka red-masked parakeets) who landed on steps outside his North Beach neighborhood in San Francisco. The next day, all 26 of them showed up.... "

Read the rest of this fascinating December 2005 interview with writer

Mark Bittner and filmmakerJudy Irving here:

http://www.greencine.com/article?action=view&articleID=262

The Wild Parrot Man of San Francisco

Dear readers, in our never-ending search to bring to you that which is artful, unifying, truth-giving, and capable of awakening within you the yearning to find more beauty in this life (which is the purpose of this blog after all!), we bring you today the enchanting story of Mark Bittner and his wild parrot friends of Telegraph Hill:

They say he may have been a modern bohemian Saint Francis living in San Francisco and befriending wild parrots. Or maybe he was simply a man returning (for some time) to the original state of humankind living in harmony with the creatures. Yes, this is the story of wild parrots and a semi-wild man and how they danced, sang, ate seeds, and lived together for six years. Perched high upon a hill overlooking the San Francisco bay, the ancient story of human befriending wild beasts unfolded. The kind of tale that fascinates us today just as it would have fascinated our ancestors in ancient times -- and as such stories will always fascinate us humans, whenever a gentle, loving heart opens itself to the magic and mystery of creation and engages in a dance of truth with life.

Mark Bittner writes: "In 1988, I took a job as the caretaker of a house on the east side of Telegraph Hill. Two years later I spotted four parrots in the gardens outside my home. Within three years the flock had grown to twenty-six, and I was in love. I spent the next six years making friends with them and learning their ways... I watched them for several years with tremendous curiosity. What were wild parrots doing in San Francisco? Then one day a few of them flew to my fire escape, and my whole life changed..."

In 1996 Mark began writing a book about his experiences with these colorful, fascinating birds. He came to know each parrot individually and personally. Each one has its unique personality, quirks, friendships, courtships, and life pathways. Mark wrote his observations in a journal of the lives of Mingus, Connor, Picasso, Sophie, Olive, Pushkin, Tupelo, and many others whom he named, fed, observed, cared for, and befriended. He also photographed the birds, with stunning results. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story... With Wings is the highly acclaimed, charming, and best-selling result of Mark's six years with the birds.

Judy Irving, a filmmaker, began creating a documentary of Mark's work with the parrots in 1998. This resulted in her extraordinary documentary called The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. Although the title is the same as the book, the book and film focus on somewhat different aspects of the story. The film is as much a study of Mark as it is of the parrots. While working on the film, Judy and Mark fell in love. They are now married and living in the gardens of Telegraph Hill. Mark is currently working on a book about his years of living on the street prior to his encounter with the parrots. Judy continues making her high quality films on the environment.

If you read the book or watch the film, you will find that Mark's bird-friends become your friends. James D. Gilardi, Ph.D., Director of the World Parrot Trust, writes: "By falling in with a flock of wild parrots, Bittner has learned more about a real parrot society than those of us studying wild or captive parrots could ever hope to learn." But of course, the book isn't just about parrots. As one reviewer of Mark's book wrote: "By the end of his tale, you will no longer see humans as the center of the universe, if you ever did." And by the time the screen credits are rolling at the end of the film, you will find yourself transformed by this beautifully touching and compelling story.

What I loved especially about the film is experiencing how Mark himself evolves and transforms through his relationship with the parrots and eventually through his relationship with Judy. He was a lost musician, a street person, a post-beatnik, searching for truth and "right living" as taught by Buddhism. He took odd jobs, tried this and that, but never quite found his path. Until he met the parrots. And then Judy. We sense that the story is far from over, and we yearn to know more of its unfolding... I wish that Judy and Mark would write, or document in film or photographs, more about their personal lives since the publication and dissemination of their book and film. The film opens you up to the delight of these two people, and one yearns to know more. Like the parrots, Judy and Mark have become our friends through the magic of the book and film.

To experience the magic yourself, view the film and/or read the book, view Mark's photos, and check out the following websites. You'll be glad that you did! Beautiful story, beautiful people, beautiful birds...

(We found the film on DVD at our local library, so it was free and easy for us to watch it. I watched it twice! And am now reading the book, which I highly recommend.)

See Mark's photos of parrots:
http://www.markbittner.net/parrot_pages/gallery.html

Read about the book:
http://www.markbittner.net/parrots_book/index.html

Read reviews of the book:
http://www.markbittner.net/parrots_book/news.html

Read about the film:
http://www.wildparrotsfilm.com/

Turkey Tails?

Dear Readers have commented upon the Thanksgiving photo, a gem from my collection. Yes, those are turkey tails. (Tails, not tales. I have no turkey tales. Only tails.)

(Enough! Enough!) Yes, that is indeed a photo of turkey tails taken in Oregon by Handsome Hunk (HH) way back in, oh must have been 2003. Nice photo, isn't it?

Yep. Wild turkeys. Near the raging Umpqua River. (The river rages, not the turkeys.)

What's happening in the photo? Well, as HH explains it (and he should know, since he is an expert on animal behavior), the males all try to outdisplay each other for the female's attentions. The female picks out the big, fancy male tail that she likes best, and off they go to mate. Peacocks and peahens do the same thing. (Only peacocks have much more colorful tails than turkeycocks do, obviously.)

It's kind of a silly way to choose a mate, don't you think? I mean, transfer the behavior to humans. What if men started to wear big, fancy, colorful bustles on their butts to attract women? And what if women went for it? The bigger, fancier, and more colorful the butt decoration, the more interesting the man would be for a keeper. Wow. What a thought!

According to HH, we humans actually do this, but in a sort of different and more subtle way. Well, some of us do it. Oh come on, admit it girls, don't we tend to really like the guys who have one or more of the following: a super-sense of humor... charm and talent... a bright fancy car and lots of electronic doodads... an interesting, exciting, good-paying job... an upscale home... a great education...

Well believe it or not, those are just the human variations on turkey tails!

And sometimes (dare I say it?)... women do appreciate a cute male behind...

(Oh dear... I think it's time for me to stop blogging this morning...)

(What was in that blender drink you had this morning, Bayou Child? Lord-a-mercy Child, you sure do get crazy sometimes...)

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Oh, one quick thingie before I go: REVELATION TIME! Yes, Bayou Child's sister is the infamous Miss Mermaid! Read all about her and her adventures in British Virgin Island Land. And don't forget to check out her Treasure Chest. You can order yourself some mighty fine Christmas gifts from it... Here's the link:

DearMissMermaid.Com

Have fun, um, I mean - Have fun!

Thanksgiving Meditation

Sitting in the warm golden sunshine glow of early morning, eyes closed, mind still, body warm and relaxed, consciousness streaming silently, radiating outwards into the cosmos… aware only of being, not as an individual entity with a complex of unique feelings-thoughts-wishes-needs, but far more simply, just being… just being… as all living things are… just humming along as a tiny warm dot on a blue-marble planet spinning around our big yellow star…

Humming along, one tiny note in the orchestrated symphony…

But wait… what is this? What sound, what feeling? The ears of heart strain to listen…

Oh warm buttery sun feeling! What is it?!

It must be… it sounds like… a great humming of contentment! Joy! Warmth! Good friends and happy family… smiles joining this one to that one to that one…

The greatest song of all… the feeling of everyone connected to everyone else by golden strings of acceptance, care, compassion… from finger to finger, from heart to heart…

In this day, in this morning, this feeling of togetherness replaces all feelings of apartness. This feeling of joy outweighs any feelings of sadness, worry, or pain. This feeling of loving kindness sings more persuasively than selfishness and cruelty. All around this earth, the children are feeding each other, giving to each other, smiling at each other. No one is going without on this golden day. No one is starving or hungering for anything. All needs are being met. No one is keeping only for himself on this grand shining day. Everyone is giving all that they have and sharing all that they have. For all are deep in the knowledge that we are all connected. Everyone is smiling, laughing, singing, dancing in the plentitude of today…

This tremendous feeling of ONENESS and pure simple JOY washes the earth and all her inhabitants clean!

Has Bayou Child suddenly seen something wonderful of the future? Or is she drunk on the warming morning sun?? Or is this the collective feeling radiating from all the humble homes along the bayous on this Thanksgiving Day?

Whatever it is, it is a POWERFUL feeling of love and beauty...

In the past, Bayou Child may have discounted the importance of holidays because in our country, the USA, the holidays are so overly commercialized that one tends to forget or overlook their true gift. But if one can get beyond the commercialization, perhaps there is something there for us to attend to... Maybe we need holidays (Holy Days) to remind us of what we could be each and every day if we were to choose—to reach upward—to enliven our hearts with the real stuff of life during each moment. Not just remind us, but actually give us an experience...

For what happens when collectively we all focus on giving to others, loving others, being friends with all others? What powerful energies are released when we unite our positive mental vibrations? When we touch, soul to soul and heart to heart? Perhaps this is something that sometimes happens on the holidays and that could one day become our permanent state!

On Thanksgiving, we remember to feel grateful for all the blessings in our lives. On Christmas we remember to love, to give, and to enjoy. On birthdays and anniversaries, we remember to share our hearts and appreciate special ones. On Independence Day we are happy to live in a country where we are relatively free. During Lent, we remember to be simple and pure. On Easter, we remember the gift of eternal life. These are just some of the holidays that Bayou Child grew up with and is still surrounded by, but all cultures throughout all times have their holy times, their times of celebration, their times to be more than we usually are.

What if we strived each day to be much, much more than we usually are? What if each day, each moment, we were shining as bright as stars in our gratitude, love, giving, enjoying, appreciating, simple living... ? What if each moment with each breath, we were acutely aware of the gifts of life and of our power to share them with each other and with all of life?

Oh warm buttery sun feeling! Contentment! Joy! Warmth! Good friends and happy family… smiles joining this one to that one to that one… around the globe… no one wanting for anything…

Oh great day of Thanks!

At last! Nanishka and Stevronski!

(Or is it Nanichka and Stepanovich?)

Travelers from the West Coast time...

From the Mouths of Babes

Well I have been TRYING to upload a photo for you, but Blogger isn't cooperating tonight! I will get it uploaded tomorrow probably... Anyway, once it does upload, this photo hails you from the West Coast and is of Nanishka, my daughter, and Stevronski, her sweetheart and friend. (The original photo is quite crisp but has been artsied up for your enjoyment.)

Nanishka and Stevronski are sweet artsy people who live in a multicultural artsy community filled with music, philosophy, art, spiritual meanderings, socio-bio-psycho-cultural-political musings, travel, friends, and just general being. Has more novelists, artists, and spiritual masters per square foot of any city or town in the nation, I believe. Perfect place for Nanishka and Stevronski!

But soon they will travel away from their nest and into international waters. They are planning a visit to my sister, Miss Mermaid, down in the Caribbean after the new year rolls around. Miss Mermaid lives on the sundrenched beach of a tiny tropical island. Her lifestyle is one of lower latitude charm and laid way back attitudes. Nanishka and Stevronski will fit right in, don’t you think? We will encourage them to keep a journal-blog, complete with photos!

You are wondering about their names. Yes, Nanishka is a reincarnated Russian, we are pretty sure. She read all of Tolstoy’s novels by the time she was 16 and not only understood them but explained them exquisitely to her hapless, hopeless parents.

And Stevronski, also a Russian historical figure. A passionate, philosophical, musical, 18th or 19th century Russian reborn into 21st century hip-hopping America.

One time Nanishka and Bayou Child were going to attend a Shakespeare play. We had five to choose from, and I left it to Nanishka, as she understands Shakespeare better than anyone I know. Anyway, Nanishka said, “Well Mumzee, I chose a light comedy for you. Othello was also playing, but I thought that might be a bit too heavy for you. You’ll like this light comedy… it was one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays… (etc…)…”

She was 19 years old then. Bayou Child, her mumzee, was 40-something...

Of course, even though it was a light and “easy” play in Nanishka's mind, Bayou Child (being composed of far denser, slower matter from another universe) wouldn’t have understood much had Nanishka not been there to whisper to me exactly what was going on. We actually started out with a splendid dinner before the theatre. Over spanikopita and bacalava, Nanishka explained to Bayou Child the basic plot. And then during the performance, Nanishka kept me informed whenever I got lost, which was rather often.

Luckily, with Nanishka’s expert help and guidance throughout the evening, Bayou Child thoroughly enjoyed a night of light Shakespearean comedy.

Of course, down here on the bayou, we don't have much Shakespeare. Just the call of anhingas, frogs, ducks, and the occassional alligator...

My Prince Charming

Here he is in all his glory, my Charming One, the Love of My Life (LOML), and just a darn old handsome man.

You could call him a psychodelic yogi, but he is neither psychodelic nor a yogi, except in this photo which Moi took of him and then him snazzed it up in la photo programme.

You can make out the shape of his bod though, and that is for real. Yes, Bayou Child admits it, her LOML is a hunk. At the time she met him, she most certainly turned her nose up at the jockish braggadocios. But this college player was more than she bargained for and he won her heart forever. Not only insanely attractive and creative to boot, he proved to her that he had a brain, heart, and soul that just wouldn't quit.

So off those two went on a wild world tour to find their spiritual teacher in the Himalayas, directed only by a vague map that Bayou Child had seen in one of her famous visions when she was 16 years old. As Bayou Child recalled, the tattered map directed them to turn left from London, head south, take a swim in the Mediterranean, and then travel by boat and train east to Afghanistan. From there, she was told, they would find a "back door" into the Himalayas. And in a lonesome spot, far north of Delhi, there they would find (she was told in the vision) one of the greatest spiritual teachers to ever walk the earth.

Oh, but you know that Bayou Child (BC) and her hunk (HH)! Well, they made it to London and found an important message written as graffitti on the wall of the bathroom in a youth hostel. It said: "Life is the question. How you live is the answer." While pondering this, BC and HH trickled down through France, sampling some local vina on the way. At last, they reached the Mediterranean and were immediately invited to a wild party on the famous island of Ibiza. Which at that time wasn't quite famous in the way that it is now. Well, the party lasted for about ten months and when they woke up, the boat was leaving for Greece the next morning!

Well somehow in their post-party fog, they got on the wrong boat and ended up in Hawaii. And guess what? Their spiritual teacher just happened to be there! Bayou Child, recognizing his long white beard, kind eyes, and snowy turban from her visions, reached her hand out to him and said, "Oh my! We've been trying to get to India to the Himalayas to find you for the past two years!"

Whereupon he chuckled and said, "Yes my dear, I know. You weren't going to ever make it. So I came here to find you."

(And by the way, this is actually all true!)

Happy November to you, dear readers! Yes, the month of November is a fine time for writing. So fine that there's a write-a-novel-in-a-month marathon going on, and anyone can join in! Of course, today being the 6th day of the month, it's a few days late, but I think you can still participate! Go here:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/cjaycontent/index.php?id=2

And now, the glorious photo - ribbon of water shining in the rising sun haze. I told you I would start giving you some eye candy, and so I am. This is the view from my secret cabin in the Oregon mountains, that place I lived oh so long ago before flying away and landing smack on the bayou. The gorgeous photo was taken by my gorgeous beloved dear one, companion of my past 30 years. Oh yes! I'll shoot you an image of him next!

From Here to Eternity...

As you faithful readers know, Bayou Child lived for seven years on a lonely mountain in Oregon searching for Truth. That Journey took her to many places far and wide, inside and outside, and ended on another lonely mountain in the Himalayas on the other side of the globe. It was there that Bayou Child came face to face with the Truth that if she clicked her heels together three times, she would return home to that old Southern bayou.

In a little cabin high on the mountain in Oregon, the Truth slapped me silly! Yes, dear readers, do not search for Truth unless you are willing and ready to be knocked for quite a few loop-dee-loops. You will go into the ring expecting something ordinary, but you will be twirled around on top of your nose and find yourself pondering questions such as how do you walk across a raging torrent without getting wet? And how do you say good-bye to those who have left the earth but still sing sweetly to you at dawn? And most of all, what do you do with a big wet fluffy pink ego when you are quite ready to be done with it?

Well, the Truth can set you free. But first, it will beat the living shaloolah out of you! Because... well... you see, the Truth can only be given to one who is empty of everything else, apparently. So when we become innocent like children, only then can we really know anything. Because only then do we know that we don't know anything... and only then do we no longer need to play little silly head games with each other...

And that was why Bayou Child left the world of humans to begin with. She just couldn't take any more of those silly games that the clever ones play. And why couldn't she? Because the Truth had knocked the living shaloolah out of her! And when you have no more shaloolah in you, you are unable to play or to fathom the games of the clever ones...

And so it came to pass that Bayou Child wandered lost and broken for many years... at last ending up on top of a mountain in Oregon and was later taken to the Himalayas where she was cared for by some very kind monks who sang songs about Truth and healed her deep wounds with secret herbs and heady doses of purity, simplicity, and compassion...

Little Prickly Babies?

Hola! Que tal? Faithful readers, how are you doing? Well, it seems there are a few of you! I am humbled and surprised by the many who have read my few words here... So, I will try to write more than I have in this past year, when I blogged furiously for a while, and then gave up. Will start with posting a new photo for you:

These are baby porcupines! Aren't they adorable? Just thought I would share!

Blogaloo from Bayou Eden...

Hello readers... (if there are any!) Yes, BayouChild has been gone for quite a few months. After a fast and furious blogging spree, I had to go on to other things for a awhile. And now am back for a little blogging with photos...

Thought you might like to see the view from BayouChild's porch. Yep, that's a bayou out there... The grassy lawn slopes downward gently, and there's the water's edge, fringed with those exotic bald cypress trees that actually love to grow out of the water!

The HUGE tree in the foreground (you can just see a fraction of it) is an ancient oak tree about as big around as a VW bug. The other tree nearby and down a ways is a very tall, very large pine tree. That pine tree reminds me of a basketball player. Tall, lanky, with long arms for dribbling. The foliage peeping around from behind the pine tree belongs to the lower branches of a stately old pecan tree that dumps buckets of nuts upon us every year. Like busy squirrels, we spend the better part of late fall and early winter picking up the pecans, getting them shelled, and storing them for making pecan-tiramisu and other delicacies.

Just about an inch to the right of the base of the pine tree, you can see the first few feet of our solid cement dock, which reaches out like a 40 foot long finger into the bayou. Our bayou here is very wide, like a long, narrow, deep lake. Yes, it's a slow body of moving water, which is the usual definition of a bayou. We swim, canoe, feed the ducks, and watch the sunset from the end of our cement dock.

Why cement? Well, to keep the critters from eating it. What critters? Well, these cute little water-dwelling mammals called nutria. They immigrated from South America and eat wood. They can chomp down a wooden dock in just one summer. In May, your wood dock might be two feet above water as per normal, and you're diving off it to go swimming. In August, you could be wearing your snorkle gear looking for your dock underwater, wondering just who those little pesky brown nutria are and why they came here... So that's why our dock is made of concrete...

Perfect Blog Fuel: Tiramisu

Don't worry - someday I'll get back to the task of locating and sharing with you sites that review great blogs. And increasing my list of heart'n'soul blogs for you to check out. But I can't get to that yet because another issue has arisen. Blog fuel.

To put it bluntly, you can't blog without brain fuel. Working brains need fuel.

The brain only uses one kind of fuel. Glucose. Yes, that's sugar.

(I learned this while working on a doctorate in psychology, so trust me!)

The faster you can get a bunch of sugar up and into your brain, then the more you will be able to think. The more you can think, the more you can type. And the more you can type, the more you can blog.

Or study for exams. Or write dissertations. Or carry on with amorous adventures. Or do whatever your little heart desires and gives you a reason for living.

Now then. Listen closely. I mentioned in an earlier blog that those who blog a lot must consume a lot of caffeine, a lot of sugar, or both. That was just an uninformed hypothesis at the time, but we have now completed scientific, double-blind studies, soon to be published in peer reviewed journals. We put a bunch of rats in a lab with computers hooked up to the internet, gave them all the sweet coffee and chocolate they wanted, and they are blogging to beat the band!

And those cute little fellas really have some interesting things to say. Some of them are writing fascinating social commentary blogs about their plight of being caged, forced into experiments, and other inhuman treatment. Go rats!!! Demand your liberty!! The blog is mightier than the sword!!!

[Apologetic paragraph coming up - please read!]

Sorry, just kidding. There's no way I would do anything like that to rats. I happen to think that animals deserve to be treated with kindness at all times. They are our younger brothers and sisters on this planet. But if that imaginary blog-lab was filled with undergraduates who consented to it...

Sorry, just kidding again. I actually think that a lot of psychological experiments are spooky. And if not spooky, then selfish. They often don't help anyone except the researcher's career. What good is that???

[End of apologetic paragraph. Back to Blog Fuel.]

I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get to the Real Topic here. Yes, yes, perfect Blog Fuel for everyone. I mentioned it in an earlier post. Tiramisu. What is that, you ask? Tiramisu is Italian verbiage for "pick me up." (Tirami-su.) As in "make me have more energy." Not as in "hey babe, let's get it on." (At least, I don't think so!! But then again, maybe...)

Ahem. Have I lost you yet??

If so, then let's continue:

Tiramisu is the name of a famous Italian dessert described as "heaven in your mouth."

Haven't had it before? Let me explain...

Tiramisu is made in layers. First, there's a layer of soft, spongy cake or ladyfingers. This layer is drenched in STRONG SWEET espresso and liquor (such as kahlua or amaretto), then topped with swirls of chocolate syrup, or sprinkles of chocolate powder. (Starting to feel that special energy yet???!!!!!) Next layer is Italian cream cheese (mascarpone) mixed with egg yolks and sugar and cream. Then, another layer of espresso-chocolate-liquor-drenched cake/ladyfingers. And a final layer of mascarpone and whipped cream. Sprinkled with chocolate shavings. Chill and eat.

Wicked! Wicked! Wicked!

Now go blog! See what I mean?? Perfect blog fuel!

Like the song says, "ooooh baby, it's heaven on earth..."

Food for blogging. Guaranteed, yep.

[Brief historical note and self-revelational blurb coming up - please skip it. Unless you think I'm just really all that interesting.]

Now then my dear boyz and girlz readers, I would LOVE to tell you all about how I discovered tiramisu in an Italian restaurant on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, a few miles south of the Redwood Forest, while traveling a bit wildly with my quite wild childhood buddy Lola. When I'm with Lola, my name is Lula. And you can imagine what kind of trouble Lola and Lula can get into when they travel on Highway 101 in Lula's fast car... So, I know that all of y'all are wanting to hear the story of Lola and Lula and the Night of the Tiramisu, but I can't go into that right now because we are WAY OVER the recommended number of words for a blog-post. So I HAVE to get on with our main topic... I'll tell you the story another time, or just read it in my book, My Fictional Memoirs, which tells all. No, it's not published yet. I haven't finished it yet. Truth be known, I've hardly started it. Now I am getting embarrassed, so puhleez, let's get back to the blog here.

[End of embarrassing self-revelations. Forgive me. Please resume normal reading about tiramisu.]

NOTE TO VEGETARIANS: Yes, I know, the normal version of tiramisu has eggs in it. And liquor. And you know that Bayou Child is a home-style vegetarian southerner who doesn't drink liquor or eat eggs. Doesn't matter. I still make tiramisu. With eggless cake and without liquor, and just leave the egg yolks out of the marscapone. Use real whipped cream instead of egg yolks. It's just that simple. And it's still heaven on earth. And still great blogging fuel.

[Brief rant - excuse me for just a moment - you can skip this next paragraph, but you might like to read it. It contains some heart-warming information in case you are feeling alienated in some way. Actually, I'm feeling alienated, so that's why this need to rant has arisen. Excuse me, please.]

OK, tiramisu is NOT health food. I didn't say it was. Anyway, I subscribe to the "Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse" club. And let me clarify - by "young" I mean under 110 years old, ok?!? As for good-looking, I think all of y'all is good-looking. So don't give me no trouble on account of that. Ok, so maybe we just call it the "live fast" club. Are y'all happy now?? All I mean to say is that I believe in ENJOYING LIFE !!!!!!!! Don't kill me for it!!!

[End of brief rant. Continue reading.]

Are you vegan? Well, you can also make tiramisu without dairy, just use soy-cream-cheese, etc. No problemo! It will STILL pick you up!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can't really mess this thing up, because it's so darn good!

All right, are you still not satisfied??? Want a really healthy version???

OK, take 8 small, organic, raw bananas and peel them. Cut each banana in half. Then slice each half lengthwise, one time. You now have pieces about the size and shape of your thumb. These are your banana-fingers. (Each banana makes 4 banana-fingers. You should have 32 total banana-fingers.) Arrange 16 of the banana-fingers in neat rows in a flat, square, glass dish.

Next, blend about one cup of raw organic macadamia nuts (or cashew nuts) with a little organic raw coconut milk (add one tablespoon at a time, and not more than four or five tablespoons) and about one teaspoon of organic raw stevia leaves. Add the coconut milk slowly, because you want the mixture to stay thick. Don't add too much coconut milk!! Blend until very smooth and frothy.

Spread half the froth over the banana slices. Sprinkle with organic raw stevia leaves and powdered organic raw carob.

Repeat the banana and froth layers one more time, ending with attractive sprinkles of carob powder and stevia leaves on top. Garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves, if you want. Eat immediately.

Beautiful! Raw-Pseudo-Misu! Happy now??

Oh, by the way, for lots of tiramisu recipes, history, restaurants, ratings, etc. -- and to meet other tiramisu fanatics -- go here:
http://www.heavenlytiramisu.com/

It's a GREAT site. You won't be disappointed!! Happy tiramisuing!!

Blogaholism - strange new disease of the 3rd millenium

Am I becoming a blogaholic? I'm afraid so. I've discovered strange things about myself that I never noticed before. I blog while shopping. I blog while working. I blog while meditating. I blog while talking to the love of my life. I blog until I drop. I urge you to consult this brief list of signs and symptoms of blogging and see if you too have become a blogaholic.

If you find yourself feeling blogged-over each morning and can't clear your head until you read a blog or post a blog, then you might be a blogaholic.

If you can't stop reading and writing blogs until you are totally bloglogged, then consider the facts. You could be a blogaholic.

If you search out other bloggers and shun those who do not blog, you show signs of being a blogaholic.

If everything in your life is negotiable except blogging, you could be a blogaholic.

If you cannot imagine a day (or an hour!) without blogging, then the time has come to face it. You are a blogaholic.

If you blog while you drive, you are definitely a blogaholic.

If you have lost your job, your partner, your children, your home and your self-respect -- all over your blogging -- my friend, break through your denial. You are a blogaholic.

Is there a cure? Is there treatment? Can you become a recovering blogaholic? I'm too new to this arena to know. I only started blogging this week on Monday, and by today, Thursday, I realize that I am a blogaholic. It's beyond my control. I need intervention from a Higher Power. My husband is begging me to get help.

I'm going to put an ice-pack on my head, take an aspirin, and lay down for a while. The news is too stunning for me to face without a blog in my hand. (Oh my god, secretly I am wondering if I put "blogaholic" into Google if I can find any blogs about it. See? See? It's a sickness.)

in like flynn

We be blogging !!

Not just a cloth rabbit or a wooden puppet anymore. We are the REAL thing. Well, probably not quite. But looking kinda good so far.

And we are two-color. I should never, never, never have criticized BOBs for being two-color. (But our two colors are kinda artsy, don't ya think??)

Why “B-BEAUTY" for our blog, you ask. It is an acronym for Blogging about Blogs in the Eye of Art, Unity, Truth, and Yearning.

B-Beauty, get it?

Pinocchio Blog

Dear BlogReaders, I have a confession to make. Right now, in real time, we don’t even really have a blog. (sniff, sniff…) I have been writing all of this into a Word document.

:-(

I am sorry to admit to you that up until now, we have actually been pre-blog. Please, send in your nickles and dimes. Great Blog-Meister, please help Bayou Child become a real blog. We are like Pinocchio and the Velveteen Rabbit. Just want to be a REAL boy instead of a wooden puppet, a REAL bunny rabbit instead of a cloth one. A REAL blog, instead of a Word doc.

Is it possible? We haven't a clue...

It's a big decision, a big jump. But I decide to learn how to post all this writing into a REAL BLOG. My first step -- you know it -- is to Google.

e-blog a.k.a. Blogger comes up early. http://www.blogger.com/start

Seems easy, free, and I remember seeing a lot of blogs using this, including Clayton's blog. e-blog says you can create a blog by creating an account with them, naming your blog, and choosing a template. Let’s see if it’s really something that I, the blog-logged and chocoloate-cookie-less, can do… Blogger also says something about transferring from Word to blog being made easy. I hope so…

Hey boyz and girlz, WE ARE IN! We’re now posting at http://www.b-beauty.blogspot.com/. Let’s see what happens!

If I can do it, so can you !!

Ruminating about BOBs

Two thoughts are flying around my head. About this BOBs thing (Best of the Blogs) (www.thebobs.com).

First thought. How will the voting go? Unless someone is multilingual in at least five or more languages, how could one adequately make a comparison to vote? Doesn’t voting then become a function of one’s language? Does BOB address this on their site???

Second thought. Why did these particular blogs ended up as the final nominees? No doubt, these nominees are good and even great. But how could they be chosen above many others, which might also be quite meaningful and good? It must have been quite difficult to choose final nominees.

This brings home a defining thought for our developing blog – not to have a competition for the “best”, which cannot ever really be justified – but rather, to list a great variety of blogs that touch the heart and soul, uplift, move, inspire, open one up to greater experience, greater union with each other, with the cosmos, with That Which Is Greater Than Us All. In other words, it’s just a category, not a judgment.

[Devil's advocate paragraph coming up. Skip it if you are in a hurry.]

Of course, anyone can disagree and say, well, that blog you chose to blog about doesn’t touch my heart or soul, doesn’t do anything for me, who can say what would fall into the confines of your imposed category? Who is the judge of the boundaries, of what is “in” and what is “out”? Well, the boundaries will no doubt be fuzzy. What do we know about aesthetics and movement of heart and soul anyway? Only that there are some things that touch most people, although not all, and there are some things that touch a few but not most. So we will be looking for those that have universal appeal, are not necessarily political or social commentary, but rather evoke something Larger than Life in some way. Don’t know if it’s possible to define or to find…. Hmmmmmmm….. well, let’s not fail before we begin!

[End of Devil's Advocate. But uh oh. Here comes a story. Skip it if you are not in the mood.]

Reminds me of something a German friend once told me. He said that he admired Americans because they tend to just jump into a project without thinking through all ramifications, and then somehow they make it work and finish it, and maybe even end up with something surprisingly different from what was first intended. Whereas the Germans planning a project would sit and think through all potential endpoints and ramifications along the way, and in the end would say, “Oh pooh, it’s too much trouble, let’s don’t do it!”

End of blog for today. Will see you tomorrow. Maybe.

hearts reaching out to hearts

Late breaking news at photographer Clayton James Cubit's blog, which was the spring-board for this blog on blogs. As mentioned previously, Clayton describes in photos and words his visit to his hometown New Orleans and his search for his mother after Katrina’s devastation. The story moves forward as Clayton finds his mom and brother and tries to help them with his website, sales of his remarkable photos, and his journal. Read the exciting developments of today!!!! http://operationeden.blogspot.com/

Oh Great Blog!

BOBs, (www.thebobs.com), the multilingual thingie, yes, I can only comment on those in English, as I’m not fluent in other languages. Although I understand Spanish somewhat, have a smattering of French, a tad of German, and feel a heart-connection with Russian and Chinese… still (sigh), it’s not enough to appreciate the blogs in those languages. (BIG sigh.)

Anyhoo, will list a few to give you a flavor. Not sure if any of these would be be nominated for inclusion on our developing “A Blog about Blogs in the Eye of Art, Unity, Truth, & Yearning” (“B-BEAUTY”). (Or whatever we end up calling it!)

“Karmagrrl: Tales of a Karmically Challenged Life” - nominee for “Best Multimedia Blog”:
Karmagrrl does video-blogging (vlogging). A fun site to navigate. She’s got a dynamite quote by Anaiis Nin up there. That quote alone is worth a visit to the site! (Written in English.) http://www.smashface.com/vlog/

“I Am Thumb Head” – nominee for “Best Multimedia Blog”:
B&W images arranged on a calendar grid, one for each day of the month, by amateur photographer using a Sony Cybershot. Clicking on the photo brings it up enlarged and in color. Nicely done. Because they are images, doesn’t matter so much if your uni-lingual in a particular language. However, Thumb Head has a credit in English explaining that he/she is 26 and resides in Norway, etc.
http://www.iamthumbhead.com/

“Lyssa’s Lounge” – nominee for “Best Weblog”:
Looks very attractive, beautiful sepia images and flowing design, interesting photos – I would love to read it. It’s in German, so I can pick up a few of the phrases, a little of the flavor, but alas, cannot comprehend it in depths. If you read German, enjoy!
http://www.lyssas-lounge.de/peepshow/

“RealClimate”– nominee for “Best Weblog”:
Science written by those who are doing it. Great links, great info, and great topics. Have to use your brain to read this one, folks. Sample: One of the entries answers the question as to whether the current global warming could have contributed to Katrina hurricane. A lot of this goes over your head if you aren’t scientifically trained. However, the essay concludes with logic that most of us can understand. Although no one can say exactly what caused Katrina, for the future we might consider these facts: (1) Hurricanes are more destructive when ocean waters are warmer. (2) Increases in greenhouse gases will likely result in warmer ocean temperatures. (Written in English.)
http://realclimate.org/

My final note for today: If you don’t feel like visiting all the sites we've discovered today, then don’t. But please do visit Clayton Cubit’s site. His images are amazing. His writing is special. And so is he. Down-home, honest, and hitting the heart’s nail on the head. Especially don’t miss the photo of him marrying his Yankee girlfriend in New Orleans amidst the rubble and loss. Life and death. The phoenix rising from ashes. Order and chaos. In balance. That’s Clayton’s definition of beauty. I tend to agree. Go see:

http://operationeden.blogspot.com/

BOB sledding

Today is a new day! Tuesday! I'm de-bloglogged and ready to go!

Back to visit the BOBs again (www.thebobs.com). Seems like a good bet for viewing some high-quality blogs. Naturally, I’m a bit disappointed but not surprised that I don’t find Clayton’s blog there. I would have nominated his to be included, but it’s too late now (past the deadline for nominations). Maybe his can be nominated for next year?

Anyway, Clayton etc. aside, the BOBs site is still worth exploration.

The contest works like this: There will be two types of finalists. Viewers can enter their votes, resulting in one collection of finalists. And an independent panel of judges will also decide another set of finalists. All results will be posted on November 20, 2005.

On this page you can see all the nominees, a jumping off place to visiting their blogs. Clicking on each name takes you to a screen that gives a little blurb about that blog. Clicking on the main picture above the blurb takes you to the actual blog.
http://www.thebobs.com/thebobs05/bob.php?site=vote

All are worth looking at. You might even want to vote!

One major problem, unless you are multilingual. These blogs are in a variety of languages, naturally, as this is clearly an international contest. However, makes it challenging to comprehend them all if you don’t know multiple languages! That actually seems like a flaw here, as how can one compare and vote (and enjoy) if one cannot read Russian AND Chinese AND English AND Spanish AND Arabic AND French, etc. AND there’s no translation options. (Maybe I missed the button that helps you out if you only speak uno languago?? Simple-head that I am…)

OK, time out to go and take a look at some of these blogs from BOBs. I will get back to you later with a report.

Big Blog Country

Continuing with our trek into Big Blog Country, we tread intrepidly into GoogleSpace again and immediately stumble upon the BOBS.

http://www.thebobs.com/thebobs05/bob.php?site=suggest

Hey, what a name. Best Of the Blogs, hence the BOBs. Cute. And it looks good! Well, I mean, it doesn’t really look good, but it has good stuff. This international website hosts a major contest for best of blogs in five categories.

[Danger - brief ranting paragraph coming up - skip it if you want.]

The design of the BOBs site looks a tad techy for artistic eyes. What’s with the two-color design? I mean, this is the web – doesn’t cost extra to go all color! I’m trying to get into it… two color can be artsy; this isn’t. Sorry. My eyes got spoiled this morning looking at Clayton’s beautiful site. See, I’m already on first-name basis with him. That’s what blogs do for you. Give you new friends.

[Ahem! Back to the task at hand.]

BOBs might not be the most aesthetic of sites, but the site DOES have some great information.

And the information is coming in fast (maybe too fast!).

BOBs informs me that Google has a blog search engine:
http://www.blogsearch.google.com/

And there’s another one called Technorati:
http://technorati.com/

There’s lots to learn from BOBs. I can see that already. But I CAN'T GO ON. I’ve only been at this for a few hours today (yes! it it is STILL only Monday!), and my eyes and fingers are getting tired. Not to mention my brain, which is easily strained these days. If blog was just a random word, I might use it to describe how I feel right now.

Bloggy.

Kind of like waterlogged, but bloglogged. My head hurts. Maybe it was the 10 organic chocolate vegan cookies I ate before starting this entry. I thought they would help.

I'm succumbing to the bloglogged depths. Must... go... nap....

blogging for blog reviews

After a little thought about what the petunia am I doing, decide that the topic of my blog is:

(1) A search for sites that review or list Great Blogs.

(2) To share blogs that are breathtakingly beautiful (blogeutiful?), heart&soul uplifting, and insanely inspirational. Blogs that give you a high. Or at least, some good information.

My raison d'etre is defined. March onward. First stop, Google.

Up jumps the NYC Blogger Map. Cool. http://www.nycbloggers.com/ It’s not exactly a blog reviewing blogs, but is a system of categorizing blogs and helping bloggers meet each other in New York City. Big city melts down into a smattering of cozy villages and neighborhoods of bloggers. Nice.

Next, stumble upon the Weblog Review. http://www.theweblogreview.com/ They actually DO review blogs, but their homepage is somewhat chaotic and not so interesting to look at. They could use some aesthetic help. I wouldn’t nominate them for any prizes, but they prove useful as a portal to other sites.

Quick side-trip to Blogit. http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/ This is an interesting idea. Pay to post your blog. Pay to read blogs. Pay-Per-Blog. It APPEARS that you could MAYBE make some money if people read your blogs. Alas. A review of the writers’ incomes from the site makes it clear that, in most cases, you pay out more than you take in. Only one blogger appeared to receive more income than they paid Blogit in monthly fees. Smells a bit fishy. Some of the writing looks interesting… but I don’t have $12.95 per month to join right now, even if the fish smell didn't deter me.

[Brief foray into soap-box. Skip this next paragraph if you don't want to hear it.]

Noteworthy, aesthetic, and moving blogs should be free, don’t you think? But with some way built in for the writers/artists to make some income, maybe. Clayton James Cubit has set the standard for me today. His blog is free, but he is selling prints of his artsy photos as a fund-raiser for his family’s losses from Katrina. It would be very nice if money didn’t exist at all, and everyone’s needs could be met. Such a Golden Age isn’t here yet, but I do yearn for it. Art and love and God – all are free, or should be. Yet the artists and lovers and worshippers should also be taken care of. How to do it? Hmmmm…. That’s a blog for another day.

[End of soap-box foray. Resume reading normal blog.]

Hey loyal readers, it's time to take a break!! Blogging about blogs is making me feel like a fractal inside a fractal. And you might be feeling fractalized after reading all this, too.

People who blog and read blogs must drink a lot of coffee with sugar. Or eat a ton of chocoloate. Or gobble down loads of tiramisu. But I'm just fueled on wheat germ and soy milk. Maybe we have some organic chocoloate cookies around here somewhere...

to blog or not to blog...

Blogging About Blogs and Blog Reviews

This morning I viewed a quite moving blog by photographer Clayton James Cubit. In photos and words, he describes his visit to his hometown New Orleans and his search for his mother after Katrina’s devastation (http://operationeden.blogspot.com/). My daughter sent it to me, and I instantly caught its haunting beauty, as did she.

I am moved by the nature of Cubit’s site and wish there were a list somewhere of similarly moving, aesthetically appealing, and otherwise interesting blogs to visit. Maybe someone has done this. Searching for blogs that review blogs could be a blog itself. My first three thoughts about this are:

(1) What currently exists in the realm of blogs reviewing blogs?
(2) What about blogging about collections, reviews, and categorizations of blogs?? And along the way, listing ones that move your heart&soul, are aesthetically intriguing, worthy of note, as is Clayton James Cubit’s “Operation Eden” site.
(3) Guess there wasn’t a third thought yet.

This is my first attempt at blogging. I need to stop and THINK for a while. Not sure what to do next. I may - or may not - post again. Must consult the Inner Realms and the Blog Muse for guidance...