My Blog

Happy Holidays

aj2feathers — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:52:34 GMT

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday

Charlies Poem

aj2feathers — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:44:24 GMT

This was written by a gentleman named Charlie from McMinnville, and I asked him if I could share it with you all. It brought tears to my eyes. I wrote this poem just before Christmas of 2000 & never put it up on the net anywhere because I was afraid it wouldn't measure up...it's not your usual Christmas subject matter,but I was recently convinced to put it on here to see what everyone thought of it. It's written to the rhyme of "T'was the night before Christmas." T'was the night before Christmas on the streets of anytown USA in a cold dark alley amid old cardboard boxes he layed... His clothes were all tattered and he was dirty and rank he had run away from his family they were abusive because they drank... Out on the streets begging people for spare change was a normal routine on any givin day then back into his alley cold, hungry and scared was another routine that he and others shared... He prayed for something better a change of some kind then reality would set in and he would lay there and cry... There would be no presents there would be no Christmas feast no singing of Christmas carols around a beautiful, decorated tree... Just a meal at a local shelter his first in nearly a week a hymn sung by a local choir then it's back out onto the streets... Then on that bitter cold Christmas Eve night a figure of light did appear he arose from the ground and trembled with fear... "Be not afraid" the figure did say "for I come before you with good news today I'm an Angel of the Lord sent to guide you back home your family and your father how they miss you so"... He shouted in anger shook his fist in the air he cried out "I hate that place i'm never going back there"... The Angel of the Lord spoke once again "wait my child you don't understand the home I speak of has streets paved with gold and the father I speak of died for your soul"... "There's no hunger or sadness theres no sickness or dispair where i'm taking you no one's homeless or scared"... "For in the kingdom of heaven you will live eternal life in the arms of your new family and the Lord Jesus Christ"... He trembled no more there was not a tear in sight for he knew his prayer's had been answered that night... His prayer's of a home and a loving family who cares yes the Lord had answered his Last Christmas Prayer. Please volunteer your time to some place that helps out others or do something nice for someone less fortunate this holiday season. Charles L. McClain/author photoman0506@yahoo.com The above is his request of us this holiday season. You may share this but please include his name and email address. Thanks, aj

Thought for the day

aj2feathers — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:43:23 GMT

I thought I'd write something today. I went and got my flu shot three weeks ago and havent felt good since then. Hope everyone had a good holiday. Take care and be safe

Today's Message of the Day is:

aj2feathers — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:33:02 GMT

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.

Elders Meditation

aj2feathers — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:51:21 GMT

"Abuse and repression have no place in a traditional family." --Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders Traditional families guided by their culture were taught how to live. The were taught about relationships, respect and spirituality. Only since alcohol was introduced to Indians have we seen physical abuse, sexual abuse and verbal abuse. These behaviors have no room in traditional families. The cycle of abuse must be broken during this generation. We do this by asking for help to quit drinking and abusing and return to our traditional culture and spirituality. Creator, plant inside of me the knowledge of the traditional family.

Spirit of the First People

aj2feathers — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:44:33 GMT

The spirit of the first people, the Native people, has never died. It lives in the rocks and the forests, the rivers and the mountains. It murmurs in the brooks and whispers in the trees. The hearts of these people were formed of the earth that we now walk, and their voices can never be silenced. Red Tree Woman

New Meaning to Things

aj2feathers — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:59:21 GMT

I never thought of it that way -- but here are new meanings to things. ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle. BEAUTY PARLOR: A place where women curl up and dye. CANNIBAL: Someone who is fed up with people. CHICKENS: The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead. COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours. DUST: Mud with the juice squeezed out. EGOTIST: Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation. HANDKERCHIEF: Cold Storage. INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper. MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better. RAISIN: A grape that has sunburn. SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time. SKELETON: A bunch of bones with the person scraped off. TOOTHACHE: The pain that drives you to extraction. TOMORROW: One of the greatest labor saving devices of today. YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed. WRINKLES: Something other people have. I have character lines only

Daylight Saving Time

aj2feathers — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:28:34 GMT

Daylight saving time is messing with my sleep pattern and will eventually aggravate my CFS/Fibromylagia. I find myself going to sleep early and waking up even earlier. And then there's the fact that I'm spending sooo much time on the computer during the day that I'm dreaming about it at night or wake up several times during the night thinking about things that I need to do or look up on the computer. Hopefully when I get tired enough I'll fall into a deep sleep and won't dream about computers

Simple Life

aj2feathers — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:26:41 GMT

I long for a simple life. One free of hustle and bustle, not to mention the stress. My days seem to be crammed with things to do, people to see, appointments to keep, classes & meetings to attend, and a job to go to. Monday's seem to be the worse for me. It's hard to find time for me, to do what I want to do, what I need to do for me. I'd love to run off and find Grizzly Adams and live with him, have him take care of me like he does the people and animals around him.

Sequel to "Dances With Wolves"

aj2feathers — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:57:18 GMT

I thought I'd pass this on for those of you who liked the movie. Simon Wincer has signed on to direct "The Holy Road" -- a sequel to "Dances With Wolves" -- for Moonstone, Amicus Entertainment and Double Eagle Films. Film, which is being presented to international buyers at AFM, is penned by Michael Blake, who wrote the screenplay for "Wolves" as well as the two novels on which the two films are based. Story picks up 11 years after "Wolves" as the Comanche tribe is in steady decline and the threat of white settlers looms. The title "Holy Road" refers to the transcontinental railroad, which is a symbol of the clash of civilizations. Wincer most recently helmed the Steven Spielberg-produced Emmy winner "Into the West." He also directed the Western miniseries "Lonesome Dove."

Symptoms of the BIRD FLU...

aj2feathers — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:15:52 GMT

With flu season upon us I just wanted to remind everyone to watch out for the bird flu because it can be very contagious. The Center for Disease Control has released a list of symptoms of bird flu. If you experience any of the following listed, please seek medical treatment immediately: 1. High fever 2. Congestion 3. Nausea 4. Fatigue 5. Aching in the joints 6. An irresistible urge to crap on someone's windshield Haha. Got you. :D

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

aj2feathers — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:31:31 GMT

I wasn't feeling good today (haven't since I got my flu shot on Saturday) and I had a rough night. So I skipped school today and went out to the refuge since it was nice. I saw all kinds of birds like snowy egrets, shovelhead ducks, Canadian geese, even a juvenile bald eagle. But the neatest thing about it was the field full of hawks. I've never seen anything like it before. There was red-tails, broad-winged, and a couple of large rough-leggeds like the one in the picture. There must have been 10+ hawks out in that field hunting mice.

Value of a Relationship

aj2feathers — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:17:46 GMT

Sometimes we have to kick people out of our lifes because the pain of remaining in the relationship becomes to great. That is what has happened in my life recently. I've had to evaluate a couple of relationships and figure out if they were worth keeping. I found them to be very painful & stressful and sorely lacking in quality I want in a relationship. Call me selfish but even though I love these people and would like them to be a part of my life, I just can't remain in the relationship. I'm doing this for the sake of my sanity.

Prayer-Native Style

aj2feathers — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:21:11 GMT

"What does it matter how long I pray, so long as my prayers are answered?" --Sitting Bull, HUNKPAPA LAKOTA Too often we worry about the words we use in prayer. We focus on the words. What really counts is the spirit and intent behind our words. It is the spirit and intent that the Creator responds to. He reads and listens to our heart. Prayer isn't only when we fold our hands and pray. Prayer is when we talk to the Creator even when we are walking down a path or sitting on a hill or walking in the mountains. The Elders say, walk in prayer. We should be willing to talk with the Great One. Great Spirit, today I will pray to You all day. Listen to my heart. From www.whitebison.org

Drug Dream

aj2feathers — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:24:17 GMT

Last night I had a drug dream. It was the first one in a long time. But I wasn't using the drugs just involved with people who were. In the dream they stole my money and car, it was a good reminder of what it was like, and how I never want it to be again.

The Donkey

aj2feathers — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:10:22 GMT

A friend email me this one. The Donkey One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up. Remember the five simple rules to be happy: -Free your heart from hatred - Forgive. -Free your mind from worries - Most never happen. -Live simply and appreciate what you have. -Give more. -Expect less NOW.......Enough of that crap . . .The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock. MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON: When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

The Visit

aj2feathers — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:05:31 GMT

I visited my mother this weekend. She lives in the Yakima Valley. The drive up Hwy 97 was beautiful. The trees were full of color. I think that the longer I'm in recovery the more I appreciate things like that. I got to see at least 12 herds of wild horses on the Yakama Reservation that belong to the tribe. Their wild horse population has grown quite a bit since I've been going up that way. I was telling a friend of mine, who is a member of that tribe, that they should invest in buffalo since they have all that open range. Anyway my visit with my mother was good. I took her out to lunch and just spent some quality time with her. We haven't been able to do that in some time since I've been so busy with school and work. We're planning a trip to the beach in the spring when the snow has left Whites Pass.

My Sonshine

aj2feathers — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 02:32:44 GMT

I dedicate the songs "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton and "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan to my son, Joseph, who passed on June, 14, 2000. I hope he found some peace.

Pipestone

aj2feathers — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:51:27 GMT

Good Native music from Pipestone, just follow the link: http://www.myspace.com/pipestone?tr=y&auid=3090119

The Fall

aj2feathers — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:18:22 GMT

I love the fall in the Pacific NW. The trees are all turning beautiful shades of yellows, oranges, and red. As a kid I use to love kicking my way through the piles of fallen leaves. That's why I call it the "kicking leave" season. Fall and spring are my favorite times of the year, when nature is just waking up for the summer and going sleep for the winter. I went out to Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge yesterday, seen some snowy egrets, hawks, eagles, and one coyote. Way cool.

Taking a break

aj2feathers — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:33:47 GMT

I'm just taking a break from the homework. It's been a long week. A friend of mine emailed me this picture. I liked what it said, so I thought I'd pass it on.