My Blog

Back online

greginjerome — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 07:13:56 GMT

Greetings-Been offline for a long time. WIll be connected next week. Things are moving along. The job at the restaurant is great, busy busy . Max my Rottie is not doing well, don't yet have a definitive diagnosis, soon hopefully, if not, am facing the inevitable sad decision, I'll keep you posted. Looking forward to chatting with everyone again and hope all is well. Sorry for not having been able to maintain the tribes I started but hopefully can pick them up again shortly. Many blessings. Greg

Still Offline

greginjerome — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 21:42:02 GMT

Greetings All, I still have no internet connection and won't for awhile. Am borrowing roomates pc for a few minutes. I decided to go ahead and take the plunge and go to work full time for the restaurant, great decision, loving it. I will be in touch as soon as I can get back online. It'll be awhile. I hope you are all well and miss chatting with you. Greg

OFFLINE FOR AWHILE

greginjerome — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 16:22:03 GMT

Hey All, I will be offline for a couple of weeks at the most, until I get internet connection at home. Just in case anyone sends something and I don't respond. Blessings-Greg

Here and Now

greginjerome — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:17:22 GMT

The essence of our being is love Health is inner peace. Healing is letting go of fear Giving and receiving are the same We can let go of the past and of the future Now is the only time there is, and each instant is for giving and forgiving We can become love finders rather than fault finders We can choose and direct ourselves to be peaceful inside, regardless of what is happening outside We are students and teachers to each other We can focus on the whole rather than the fragments Since love is eternal, death need not be viewed as fearful We can always perceive others as either extending love or giving a call for help

Major Life Change

greginjerome — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 20:25:56 GMT

I have been working in various aspects of social services for 20 years. I've done case management, supervision of residential treatment centers, clinical treatment plans and assistant director of child crisis shelter. I am currently the program manager of a non-medical in home health agency. Prior to taking this job in January I worked for a similar agency for 6 years. For a long time I have had the desire to do something totally different, but with thoughts of many things I never knew what it was. I've been bored with social services for a long while now, several years. I also work at a restaurant one day a weekend in Jerome. I've been there since last November. When I started there I needed the money, now with my full time job, I don't but I have stayed because I love working there. I love the co-workers, the atmosphere, the owners and the general work that I do which is now bartending and serving one day a week. The owners love me and love what I do at the restaurant. They want me to go to work full time for them. This is a huge decision for me to leave the job security I have for a job with great money but no guarantees. The social service job is a guaranteed salary, same money every week, holidays off, accumulated leave time. I work 6 hours a day and get paid for 8. Pretty good huh? The restaurant job would be 4 days a week, 10 hours shifts with 3 days off, no money guarantees except for the server wages which are about $300. a month. I would however have prime shfts that are busy. The restaurant I work at is in a high tourist area and we are cranking the business. I've already made my decision and am going to give notice to my regular job on Thursday to make this huge life change but I think it will be great. I need to let go of my security fear and know that when I do, that things will be great for me in this other job. I'm almost there, mentally. When I work from 11a-6p on Saturdays at the restaurant I generally bring home more than I do at my regular job in one day, sometimes twice as much. So I thought I'd share this. I'm actually pretty excited about it. I'm going for it now!!!

Captive Marine Mammals

greginjerome — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 07:46:11 GMT

Every year thousands of marine mammals are captured and sold to marine aquariums for public dislay and amusement. Some captive marine mammals include species of dolphins, orcas, beluga whales, sea lions, seals, sea turtles, sharks and manatees. Many of these marine mammals are brutally killed or suffer and drown when they are entangled in nets during capture while frantically trying to escape. Many captures involve captors screaming, yelling, pounding steel and wood on boats and bombs similar to M80's being launched into the water to scare the mammals into pens and nets, where the struggle for escape and survival ensues. The parents are separated from their young never to be reunited. Many species of marine mammals mate for life and as their families grow they develop into large herds or pods. Many species live their entire lives together as a family unit and it continues to gorw and expand. These animals are captured and sold to aquariums in the name of 'Public Education'. The public display industry has asserted for many years that the display of marine mammals serves as a necessary educational purpose and that the animals' welfare need not necessarily be compromised to achieve this. Mostly, this assertion has gone unchallenged. But as news gets out about traumatic captures, barren concrete tanks, high mortality rates. and aberrant-even dangerous animal behavior, people are changing the way they "see" animals in captivity. Many facilities promote themselves as conservation enterprises; however, few such facilities are involved in substantial conservation efforts. Rather than enhancing wild populations, facilities engaged in captive breeding tend merely to create a surplus of animals who may never be released into the wild and are therefore only used to propogate the industry. People react on an emotional level when they go to marine parks and see captive marine mammals. They are endeared and fascinated. They are presented with carefully orchestrated presentations on marine mammals behavior and their life in the wild. However the public is not educated with the "behind the scenes" truth about wild captures and the devestating loss of countless lives during herd drives and captures. Not to mention the loss in marine parks on an annual basis that is hidden from the public. Nor is the public educated on the trauma involved in not only being captured, but being separated from family units never to be reunited. Families that attend and support marine parks are able to go home with and enjoy their families. Marine mammals aren't. They are locked in barren concrete tanks to live out their lives performing tricks for public amusement until they die from old age or complications caused by various illnesses. There are many documented reports of whales bashing their heads against tank walls until they develop aneurisms and die. This is caused from stress related to capture and boredom. Orca's(killer whales) swim an average of 80-100 miles per day. In captivity, natural feeding and foraging patterns are completely lost. Other natural behaviors such as those associated with dominance, mating and maternal care, are altered in captivity, which can have a substantial impact on the animal. Lolita, an Orca who has been in captivity in Florida's Seaquarium since 1970, is now 22 feet long and weighs 8000 pounds. Her tank measures 80 feet x 73 feet. Lolita's pod started out at 100 when she was captured. The ones that survived the horrendous captures were sold to parks all over the world. Most dies within an average of 5 years. Lolita is the only surviving member of her pod and has been in captivity for 36 years. She is 36 years old. Imagine life in a concrete tankf ro 36 years. People say she is the lucky one because she has had adequate care and survived. The lucky one. Is she? The public display industry maintains that it enhances the lives of marine mammals in captivity by protecting them from the rigors of the natural environment. The truth is that marine mammals have evolved physically and behaviorally to survive these rigors. Captive marine mammals are not afforded the luxury of acting as they would in their natural habitat. In the wild, marine mammals are not hand fed, food is not witheld if they refuse to do tricks, they have room to go as far as they wish, to build families, lives, mate, play and do what they do. Check out this link for the story of Lolita before and after her capture. When you read it, you will ask yourself, "How could they and why would they?" You decide if this is right or wrong. http://www.orcanetwork.org/captivity/lolitacapture.html

American Buddhism on the rise(Yahoo News)

greginjerome — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 19:29:39 GMT

By Jane Lampman, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - That genial face has become familiar across the globe - almost as recognizable when it comes to religious leaders, perhaps, as Pope John Paul II. When in America, the Dalai Lama is a sought-after speaker, sharing his compassionate message and engaging aura well beyond the Buddhist community. After inaugurating a new Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education in Vancouver, B.C., the Tibetan leader this week begins a visit to several US cities for public talks, sessions with young peacemakers, scientists, university faculty, corporate executives, and a California women's conference. But he'll also sit down for teach-ins among the burgeoning American faithful. Buddhism is growing apace in the United States, and an identifiably American Buddhism is emerging. Teaching centers and sanghas (communities of people who practice together) are spreading here as American-born leaders reframe ancient principles in contemporary Western terms. Though the religion born in India has been in the US since the 19th century, the number of adherents rose by 170 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to the American Religious Identity Survey. An ARIS estimate puts the total in 2004 at 1.5 million, while others have estimated twice that. "The 1.5 million is a low reasonable number," says Richard Seager, author of "Buddhism in America." That makes Buddhism the country's fourth-largest religion, after Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Immigrants from Asia probably account for two-thirds of the total, and converts about one-third, says Dr. Seager, a professor of religious studies at Hamilton College, in Clinton, N.Y. What is drawing people (after that fascination with Zen Buddhism in the '50s and '60s)? The Dalai Lama himself has played a role, some say, and Buddhism's nonmissionizing approach fits well with Americans' search for meaningful spiritual paths. "People feel that Buddhist figures like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh of Vietnam are contributing something, not trying to convert people," says Lama Surya Das, a highly trained American lama in the Tibetan tradition. "They are not building big temples, but offering wisdom and ways of reconciliation and peacemaking, which are so much needed." Even a larger factor, he suggests, is that Buddhism offers spiritual practices that Western religions haven't emphasized. "People are looking for experiential practices, not just a new belief system or a new set of ethical rules which we already have, and are much the same in all religions," Surya Das says. "It's the transformative practices like meditation which people are really attracted to." At a sangha "sitting" in Cambridge, Mass., last week, some 20 devotees sat cross-legged on four rows of large burgundy-colored cushions before a small candlelit altar. A practice leader led a quiet hour of meditation interspersed with the chanting of prayers and mantras. The group then gathered in a circle for a half hour of discussion. Carol Marsh, an architect who served as practice leader for the evening, had an interest in finding a spiritual path for years, but was "resistant to anything nonrationalist," she says afterward in an interview. "Then I read 'Awakening the Buddha Within,' [Surya Das's first book on 'Tibetan wisdom for the Western world'], and it spoke to me directly.... My ultimate aim is liberation." After eight years of practicing, "I am happier, more grateful, more able to roll with whatever punches or moments of annoyance may present themselves," Ms. Marsh says. What's so valuable to Jane Moss, who's been practicing 15 years, is learning how "to be in the present moment." And also to accept that reality involves perfection and "to view the world as good and people as basically loving." Each month, the group holds a meditation focused on love and compassion. The sangha has been meeting since 1991, when Surya Das opened the Dzogchen Center here after decades of training with Tibetan teachers. Before becoming a lama, he was Jeffrey Miller, raised in a middle-class Jewish family in Brooklyn. An anti-Vietnam-War activist while at the University of Buffalo (N.Y.), he was stunned when his good friend Allison Krause was shot and killed by the National Guard at Kent State in 1970. "When I graduated in 1972, I was disillusioned with radical politics - I realized fighting for peace was a contradiction in terms, and I wanted to find inner peace," he explains. Instead of graduate school, the young Miller headed off on a search that ended up in the Himalayas, where he spent the rest of the '70s and '80s learning from Buddhist teachers while teaching some of them English. There were plenty of struggles and moments of doubt, but also illumination, he says. Following a centuries-old path to cultivate awareness, his training included two three-year retreats of intensely focused practice. "One of the great lessons of that monastic brotherhood was learning to love even those people I didn't like," he says, speaking by phone from a retreat in Texas where he's training others. There are many schools of Buddhism, but "everyone agrees that the purpose is the individual and collective realization of Enlightenment," Surya Das continues. "That is defined as nirvanic peace, wisdom, and selfless love. It involves a practice path that depends on meditation, ethical behavior, and developing insight and active love." Buddha means "awakened" in Sanskrit, a language of ancient India, where Siddhartha Gautama founded the faith and an Eightfold Path some 2,500 years ago. Buddhists believe that through that path one awakens to what already is - "the natural great perfection." They do not speak of God, but of the human or ego mind with a small "m," and the Buddha (awakened) Mind with a big "m." "Healing energy takes place through an agency far greater than, yet immanent in each of us," Surya Das has written. "We are all Buddhas." One doesn't have to subscribe to a catechism or creed, or be a vegetarian. Nor do people have to give up their religion. That's why some Americans speak of being Jewish Buddhists, for instance. The Dalai Lama, in fact, often encourages people to stay with the faith of their cultural upbringing, to avoid the confusion that can sometimes result from a mixing of Eastern and Western perspectives. Yet others are going more fully into Buddhist study, particularly as the writings and training by American-born teachers increase its accessibility. The Dzogchen Center (Dzogchen means "the innate great completeness"), which has sanghas in several states, teaches an advanced Tibetan practice; annually, it offers numerous retreats, from one-day to two-week gatherings. Surya Das - whose Tibetan teacher gave him his name, which means "follower or disciple of the light" - is the spiritual director. Thirty devotees are currently cloistered in a 100-day retreat for advanced students at the Dzogchen retreat center outside Austin, Texas. They are in the third of a 12-year cycle of silent retreats - which will likely produce new teachers. Several Tibetan teachers helped introduce Buddhism in the US, and one, Chogyam Trungpa, founded Naropa University in Boulder, Colo. But the teacher succumbed to excesses that tempt clergy of various faiths - alcoholism and sexual misconduct. The Dalai Lama has warned, too, of some teachers who seek leadership for financial rather than spiritual reasons. The issue of students and teachers is today one of the most controversial in transmission of teaching from East to West, says Surya Das. Still, a healthy American Buddhism with its own characteristics is emerging. It is less doctrinal and ritualistic than in the East and more meditation oriented, less hierarchical and more democratic and egalitarian. It is more lay-oriented than monastic, and more socially and ecologically engaged. Perhaps most noticeably, "the role of women as leaders and teachers is very significant here," Seager says. The Dalai Lama speaks of Buddhism naturally taking new forms in each culture. As he travels the globe, he also emphasizes building bridges between faiths, as well as finding nonviolent means for resolving differences. This weekend, the Nobel Peace Laureate will spend time with youths in Denver engaged in conflict-resolution projects. He'll bless the Great Stupa, the largest example of Buddhist sacred architecture in the US, located at Colorado's Shambhala Mountain Center. Next week he'll speak to 20,000 at a football stadium in Buffalo, and at the alma mater of Surya Das, who was one of his attendants for several years. The American lama will also speak. "Buddhism made me a mensch and brought me happiness," Surya Das concludes contentedly, "and helped me find my place in life and the universe."

What is Old?

greginjerome — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 05:07:20 GMT

How did we become so conditioned to think that age is something to be scared of? I was listening to a co-worker today saying she was mortified to be turning 30 two days ago. A friend of ours had a talk with her and it seemed to set in and she was okay when she turned 30. I thought, 'geez, your going to have a nervous breakdown when you turn 40.' So many people have told us that getting old is scary, something to be wigged out about, something to fear, because of the way you will look or the fact that you are drawing closer to the end of life on this plane. We have had years and years of conditioning. Newspaper, magazines and the tv telling us how to stay younger, look younger, feel younger. Things we can buy, things we can ingest, surgeries available to us. All to prolong the inevitable. All of these companies that sell the endless brands and name products that reduce wriinkles, make them disappear, make you look younger. These companies, the press, tv, radio, papers, magazines, loreal, revlon, mabelline. All of them making billions, selling to peoples fears of growing old and dying. And I'm sure that so many of them do not realize it in this light. It is okay to want to look younger if you can surpass the thought that you will be ugly if you get wrinkles. I am okay with aging. I can't remember a birthday that bothered me where age was concerned. I will be 43 in October. I look in the mirror and see little lines here and there. More lines when I smile. I was told it adds character. I suppose. I did kind of have a several minute freak out last year when I realized that one ear sticks out a tiny bit further than the other one. No one else has ever mentioned it. I discovered it when I was 41. I laughed about it later, no big deal and has nothing to do with aging. I think gorwing older is okay. Just like the rest of your life, it's what you make it. People are scared of death, many terrified of it. I know that I used to scared of death to various degrees but have pretty much resolved it. Way too long to explain. It is what it is. We all have different beliefs on where we go when we leave this plane and that scares people too. There is a good chance that any one of us could die at anytime, at any age and not have to worry about growing old and dying. Where did we go? We'll know when we get there. Sort of off-topic, or veering off, but related: People ask how old I am. When I tell them I am 42, quite often, people will say, "wow, you don't look 42". What does 42 look like. There are people that are over 50 that look like they may be in their 30's. People who are 30 that look 50. It really doesn't matter. Age is a number. Growing old is nothing to fear. If people take care of themselves and their body the aging process is easier and you look better and feel better. It has to be because you want it, not what anyone else thinks. Again, I think that many of us need to resolve our concerns about death and then hopefully growing old won't be so scary. We will be at peace with it. Last week I got a new client who recently had her leg amputated and most likely the other one will come off. My co-worker said "Gosh, she lost her leg and she's only 44." Uhm, what's age limit? I'll check into that one and get back to you. Peace-Greg

Max Goes Away

greginjerome — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:00:09 GMT

Well the decision has been made that Max will return to my Mothers house in Phoenix, at least for now. I am unable to find a place to rent that will take 112 pound Rottweiler. 2 negative aspects, 112 pounds and Rottweiler. If he was 20 pounds or an assist dog, it wouldn't be a problem, because little dogs don't do property damage. So he is going back to stay with my Mother while I find a place for at least myself and until I can secure a place for both of us. I had a potential property owner suggest that I get rid of him. I recently met a new friend. She and I were talking about the situation and she told me about her friend who has dogs that would probably take him if i wanted to get rid if him. New friend, doesn't know much about me to suggest I get rid of him. It's like getting rid of a kid, to me anyway. So as sad as it makes me that he won't be with me, on another level it's comforting knowing that there is somewhere else for him to go for now.

Stop-Look-Listen

greginjerome — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 03:17:45 GMT

I was walking in town today and looked up to see a bird flying pretty low over my head on it's way to some destination with a lot of speed and determination. As it passed overhead, it made a high pitched buzzing sound as if it was signaling a landing at the birdport. I stopped and watched it fly away, the high pitch becoming faint as the bird disappeared. As I stood there watching, I realized how fascinated I was that birds can fly. I see birds all the time flying here and there. Usually when I see them I think they are pretty or I see them briefly then forget about it, a slight notice if anything during my daily "I'm caught up in my own reality". I don't know what struck in me today but it brought me back to the realization of the beauty that surrounds us that we take for granted. It made me stop in my tracks and think about what we miss when we don't pay attention. The beauty in nature that we miss or that we take for granted. When I had this realization, my heart just opened up to what is right in front of me, everything. It's one of those moments that brings me back to not taking life so seriously and being caught up in my own stuff when it really isn't that bad to begin with. So my point in sharing this is to remind yourself to stop and experience the beauty of nature, people, animals, trees and all the wonders the universe has so unselfishly blessed us with. Spend some time with nature each day. Stop-Look-Listen-Observe-Be. You'll be glad you did.

Tis Mine!!!

greginjerome — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 06:14:41 GMT

Finally!!! I've been wanting a banjo or a mandolin. Actually either because I want to learn both. Jim, owner of the Sage Post Gallery and Bookstore had this banjo sitting in his storage. he doesn't play. He told me to take it, try it, keep it, play with it for awhile, then we would talk about terms later. I put out to the universe some time ago that I wanted a banjo. Living in a small town where everybody knows everybody has it advantages. Now I am doing some free online lessons until I find a live teacher(as opposed to a dead one). Check out Jim's website and The Sage Post online. http://www.thesagepost.com/index.html

Where I Am Today

greginjerome — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 18:34:25 GMT

I had a rough time over the past couple of years. When I moved from Phoenix to Northern Arizona, I had this idea that everything would be different. I thought that being out of the dirty, hot yucky city and moving to the nice, slower, mellow cleaner environment would be the change I needed. As I found out drama and problems follow you everywhere. It made me realize even more that life is up to me. But the realization and practice of life being up to me doesn't always sink in. I have many lessons to learn and sometimes I repeat them for whatever reasons and in my own good time, I finally get it. I pass the class. In 2004 I transferred to Northern Arizona(Cottonwood) with my former job. I hated Phoenix and after being there 18 years I couldn't stand it anymore. Accepted for the transfer, the answer to my prayers? Yes and No. I lived in a few different places when I first came up North. One of the worst being 5 minutes from the casino. Thinking Northern Arizona would be a good place for me to get over the little slot machine addiction I had turned out to be quite the opposite. 5 minutes away, boredom, depression, insomnia. It all culminated into this really ugly time in my life. One of the darkest I can remember. I realized my problems and sought help. Attended gamblers anonymous, went to counseling for depression. It was all getting better, life was starting to feel good again. One night at 12:30 I get a call from my Mother in Phoenix(1 1/2 hrs away). My dog, Baby who was with us for 14 years was dying. I rushed home to be with her and my Mom while she passed peacefully in her sleep. This was the hardest loss I have ever faced in my life and wasn't sure how to get past it. I've never dealt with much human loss in my life, except for my grandfather and we weren't that close. Time healed and it got better. Again my life was getting back on track, things were looking up. So I had to wind up moving because the owners of the trailer I was in wanted to sell. I moved in with a friend(fairweathered friend at best). He said i could stay until I found a place if I would watch the place while he was gone. No problem. I was quiet, cleaned up after myself, took care of things. All of a sudden, he meets a guy who spent the night literally every night for two weeks. It got really hot at night keeping the heat turned up so I couldn't hear the porn in the next room night after night, but not my place so nothing I could say. Althought I detest being at the mercy of other people, I was thankful that I had a place to be. After two weeks he couldn't live without this guy. Wants him to move in and me out, within 3 days, knowing that within a week I was having surgery and needed a place to recuperate. Okay fine, not his issue, it's mine. So I moved into a guest house of some friends, had the surgery, recuperated. Again thankful for a place to be. Then moved to Rimrock where I had a large 1530 sq ft home on 1/2 acre all to myself. I loved it. It was quiet, peaceful. After being there for 6 months, Scot and I started dating. After a few months I moved in with him. Of course we both justified that he didn't drink very much at all when I was at his place and this would probably help him start getting help to quit. Uh huh. Past lessons obviously not learned. So I moved out and in with him. Lived together for 3 months and it ended last November. The drinking got worse and worse, twice as bad as before. Too much pressure for him havin us live together and too much dysfunction for me. On Thanksgiving of last year, I started moving out. I spent the day with him for Thanskgiving at his request. After the umpteenth Christmas cd and all he drunkeness, i was done. I told him I needed to go because i was thinking if I had to hear Christina Gaguilera sing another xmas song I was going to throw the jim beam bottle at him. I was out. I moved to Jerome, again thinking this would be my answer. I was very depressed and anxious about a lot of things. I was so depressed that I did nothing except go to work and come home. Sleep. Insomnia. Sleep. Depression. Sleep and then more insomnia. It was so bad that I didn't even want to be on this planet. The things that kept me here were my Mother and Max. Those were my strongholds to this planet. So again I sought help. Currently I go to therapy once a week to deal with the anxiety. I go to a psychiatrist once a month to deal with the depression. I was going to al-anon to learn more and be more understanding about alcholics in my life but recently quit going because of things I don't agree with being shoved down my throat twice a week. I'm taking a break from it(the reasons are for another post at another time). I am getting out more, meeting more people and I am happy. I love my job, I love my life. I am more secure in myself and realizing that in regards to my anxiety, I don't need other peoples approval. I lessened the fear I have had of confrontation based on what people are going to think of me. The depression is gone. I sleep great, I eat well. I am just freaking feeling great and doing my thing many things. There is a potential man in the works. We are meeting next weekend, no hopes going up, no expectations, we'll see what happens. The biggest thing I am realizing is that it is really up to me how I work this life out and I am choosing to be happy. Also up to me to choose what I am willing to accept from people and what I am not. The past few months with some help I have learned and developed useful tools for many situations and they work!!!

The Eye Patch Project

greginjerome — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 18:12:25 GMT

I wanted to post this and see how much participation I could get. A friend of mine and belly dancer here in Northern Arizona has had her eye removed due to cancer. She is putting together the Eye Patch Project. We are hoping to get enough eye patches to hosted and displayed in a gallery. I will be speaking with some of the gallery owners in Jerome where I live. We are asking for handmade, functional eye patches. Anyone interested in making and donating an eye patch, please mail me so I can put your name and information on a list. This project is not limited to belly dancers, it is open to anyone willing to donate some creative energy and time to give Erin a variety of eye patches to wear until she gets her new eye. Anyone who participates and donates a patch will have their name and contact information listed once the gallery display in setup, or we can not post the information if you wish to remain anonymous. Here is the story from Erin: WHY I'M DOING THIS In July I went in for surgery, to have my entire left eye removed. The tumor in it was not shrinking, and there was a very big chance the cancer could spread. So, by removing the entire eye, it cuts the chances of metastasizing. However, there is no guarantee that it has not spread, and we will only know every 6 months when I go in for an MRI for my brain and liver (which is probably the first place the cancer will show up if it has spread).IF no shadow turns up on the MRI, then we know that at least, there are not 10 billion cancer cells growing. Anything less than that in number will NOT show up on the MRI. Otherwise, if a shadow does show up, we know it has spread, and that there is a minimum of 10 billion cancer cells that have had time to grow. In that case, I will be undergoiong the usual types of treatment, chemo therapy and surgery. I know for sure that there are NO RULES about cancer. It just does what it wants, and the medical profession just tries to keep up. The cancer calls all the shots. Anyway, ever since I publicized my diagnosis a few months ago, bellydancers from around the country were wanting to make me artistic, bellydancer ish eye patches. It seemed like so many people were interested, I thought it might be very nice and helpful to encourage them to really go for it. So that eventually, we could make an art exhibit of the patches, with a small blurb about each artist and/or dance troupe..I have a few so far, and will push this thing so it will grow. I need a place to show these patches, and I would like it to be here in No. AZ for starters. I also want to use this opportunity to publicize who we are, we who love this dance so much. That we are REAL, that this dance in its many forms is REAL, not stripping, not burlesque, not pole-dancing. So, now, this EPP means a LOT more to me, Folks, I hope you will all participate. Please include your dance troupe, fire troupe, and anyone else who might be interested. Anyway, if you are interested, or want any more information, or have any ideas for this project, please give me a call.. PS. I plan to WEAR these patches until I get my new eye. HOW TO MAKE ONE 1.You can buy patches at pharmacies for about $3. 2. or make your own 3. They can be made of any materials: you can use silk, satin, leather, metal, chain mail, plastic.. please no burlap.. otherwise sky is the limit. 4. you can sew, glue, blow torch, knit, carve, whittle, macrame, whatever suits your fancy. 5. Let me know when you need my snail mail address, so you can mail the patches directly to me. 6. They should be wearable. 7. We will ask for a donation at the exhibit, and all proceeds will go to the local society for visually impaired. I have to contact the local organization up here, since I'm new. So mote this all be.

Fire Spinning In Jerome

greginjerome — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 17:59:46 GMT

I had a really nice time having dinner with Mia Donna and meeting her friend Julian. Much to my surprise, they wanted to spin fire in Jerome after dinner, so off we went. Julian and Mia are wonderful fire spinners. We were across the street from the Spirit Room bar and as they were spinning a crowd of locals and a few Jerome visitors gathered. It turned into a very nice fire show, complete with a tip jar someone made. How cool was that? I even did my first fire spin with Mia Donna's poi. Very few moves but awesome nonetheless. Grinning from ear to ear about it, I was the one at dinner that said I loved poi but had little interest in spinning actual fire. Well my mind is changed now....thinking about it. Great fun and an unusual spur of the moment event for the locals.

My Weekend

greginjerome — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 06:28:13 GMT

My friend Cindy came to visit from Friday until Sunday evening. We had a great time. Friday evening we rented Frida. The story of Frida Kahlo. It was a wonderful movie, very well made and I was extremely impressed with the way they incorporated her art from situations that were going on in her life. Those situations in the movie turned into paintings. Very different from the ordinary. It did take 3 days to watch it because we were tired at night. We ate at Belgian Jennies on Saturday, great pasta, then went to the Spirit Room and watched Major Lingo, a band that has been playing in Jerome for 24 years. Sometimes they are good and sometimes they aren't, wide variety of music. Sunday we spent the morning at The Sage Post, a local shop and gallery. This is one of the galleries that will be displaying some of my work. I told Cindy was done with my original business name of Gregarious Designs. I've had it for years and it just feels old and immature at this point. So we sat and did some automatic writing which was cool, then some word association. We did some word association with Jim, the owner of Sage Post. What we came up with for my new business name was: "Blue Sky Arts-An Ethereal Vision". I loved it. The attached photo is a sample that will probably be tweaked. Cindy put this together when she returned home Sunday eve and this is one of three samples. So it was a fun weekend and we are planning a Bisbee trip for labor day weekend. Let me know what you think about the business title and potential logo.

Lame Laws!!!

greginjerome — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 05:56:08 GMT

Here are some lame laws I found, they're so lame they're funny. Thought I'd share. LAWS There is a law in Illinois that prohibits a number of things, one of which is a public erection, and another one of which is nude dancing. The prohibition against the public erection has never been challenged in the Supreme Court, but the prohibition against nude dancing has. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In June 1993 an Army sergeant won a court order in Maryland to legally have his name changed. The next day he had second thoughts and went before a judge to get his original name back. But the Anne Arundel Circuit Court judge informed the sergeant formally known as Tyrone Victor Wright that he would have a 30 day wait before he could use his original name again. So for the next month, Tyrone Victor Wright was called by his new name, Jesus Christ Hallelujah. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ It is illegal for a man to give his sweetheart a box of candy weighing less than fifty pounds in Idaho +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Ohio, if you ignore an orator on Decoration day to such an extent as to publicly play croquet or pitch horseshoes within one mile of the speaker's stand, you can be fined $25.00. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Marshalltown, Iowa, horses are forbidden to eat fire hydrants +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hunting camels is prohibited in Arizona +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Devon, Connecticut, it is unlawful to walk backwards after sunset. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Denver it is unlawful to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next-door neighbor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Arizona, when being attacked by a criminal or burglar, you may only protect yourself with the same weapon that the other person posseses. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Arizona you may not have more than two dildos in a house(better do some thinning out) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Alabama Incestuous marriages are legal. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Alabama it is illegal to impersonate a person of the clergy. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Alabama it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Alabama you cannot chain your alligator to a fire hydrant +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Florida if an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In Arizona you can be arrested for cheating on your husband or wife

Infinite Windings

greginjerome — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 07:17:01 GMT

Angels

greginjerome — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 01:11:39 GMT

Spirit Animals and Totems

greginjerome — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 02:51:11 GMT

Part of the shamanic tradition is connecting to the energies of the earth and all life upon it. To assist with this, animal imagery is strongly utilized. In the East, it is said that the way to heaven is through the feet. By connecting with the energies and rhythms of the earth, we give greater impulse to our life. Animals fascinate people because they provide a spiritual tie to the earth, and can become symbols of great power and energy. There is an unconscious recognition that animals reflect archetypal forces within the world, reminding us of the primal sources from which we came. We can use animal imagery to learn about ourselves and to actualize their related archetypal energies. Animals serve a great purpose in our spiritual development. In many myths and tales, animals speak, deliver messages, and call the individual to the hero's path of awareness. Animals are a part of the initiation process, leading individuals in and out of the wilderness of life. Animal totems and guides assist us in breaking down barriers and opening up to the new. Carl Jung tells us that animals are representatives of Mother Earth. Part of the spiritual quest is to re-establish ties to the Great Mother which may be lost or forgotten within your life. It is not enough to keep our images autistic and undeveloped. We must breathe new life into them by recognizing that all animal forms and images reflect archetypal forces. These forces have their own qualities and expressions which are evident through the natural behaviors and activities of the animal itself. Though many people in todays world have lost or ignored the instinctive tie we have to the rhythm and patterns of nature, each of us can still develop our intuitive ties to enhace our lives. Every animals reflects specific energy patterns and by aligning ourselves with the animal, we align ourselves with the energy pattern that works thorugh it. By studying and reading about animals, birds, fish, insects, reptiles, amphibians and more, we learn about the qualities they reflect in our selves and our life. This is essential to understand when we discover our true, personal spirit animals and totems. The more we learn of our totems, the more we honor the archetypal energies that affect us through them.. Each species has it own unique qualities. An ant may not seem as glamorous as a bear, but an ant is as industrious and has a strength that far exceeds it size. Ted Andrews-author-Animal Wise. ------------------------------------------------ Anyone wishing to share spiritual animal experiences, commentaries or questions, please comment. Greg

My Dog

greginjerome — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 17:51:18 GMT

His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me...whenever...wherever-in case I need him. And I expect I will-as I always have. He is...my dog. Gene Hill

Redneck Wedding Cake

greginjerome — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 04:38:29 GMT

Jar Of Souls

greginjerome — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:30:00 GMT

A piece that I did awhile ago. Polymer clay over a cheap glass vase.

A Walk In The Rain

greginjerome — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 23:11:22 GMT

Last night near sunset, it got cloudy and dark. The wind was blowing pretty heavy and steady. It started to sprinkle as I began my evening walk uptown and back home. By the time I was halfway uptown it rained a little harder. What a beautiful time. I see people bolt for an inside reprieve at the least sprinkle. It' s only water, it will dry with no stains, unless you are wearing silk... The walk in the rain was beautiful and refreshing. What an evening.

Javelina in the Morning

greginjerome — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 13:52:19 GMT

I couldn't sleep this morning and was up at 3:30a.m. and have been up since. I was watching the sun come up over the red rocks of Sedona. I looked back at the mountainside directly behind my house. I saw a herd of Javelina making their way down the side of the mountain not too far from my house. From what I could see I counted at least 15 adults all traveling together. Was really an awesome sight. Unfortunately they were not close enough for me to get any decent pics. So I posted a pic of a Javelina for those who haven't seen them or don't know what they are. Javelina's are a member of the Peccary family. The one in the picture is actually a Collared Peccary. They have some ancestry to pigs but in fact they are not pigs and are not desert pigs as many like to call them. An average adult weighs 40-60 pounds. They are formidable adversaries if approached, especially during breeding season when babies are close. They also have the longest, razor sharp canine teeth of any carnivore in North America. A friend of mine who has lived in Jerome for 19 years walks a certain path every morning. She told me that most mornings they are out walking the same path and are pretty close to her. Not one has ever charged but she is also educated enough about Javelina to stay clear of them when they have babies. When I moved up here to Jerome I learned quickly that we don't put trash out until the morning it is picked up. They LOVE IT!!! One night I heard a lot of scuffling outside my door and thought it was dogs. I opened the door to at least 4 full-grown Javelina staring at me. I then asked my housemate not leave bird seed on the ground and to put it in birdfeeders in the trees. So for those of you who haven't seen them, this is what they look like. I think they are pretty cool but strange looking animals.

Fluffy Tree Huggers Rock!!!

greginjerome — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 03:00:30 GMT

I am okay with peoples differences and differences of opinions. But it's annoying when I hear people talk about "Fluffy New Agers", what exactly does fluffy mean. If you ask someone who says that, you get a mutitude of nonsensical answers based on things they don't even know or have no clue about. Basically many people hang on to the comments and thoughts of others around them instead of researching knowledge for themselves. Yes there are people who may appear to be "out there" in their philosophy be it new age, new thought, metaphsyics or whatever their path may be. But "out there: is a judgement also. When we say "out there" what does that mean? Don't know but it usually indicates our feelings of someone that is "different" from us or what we are used to seeing. So what? What's normal anyway? What is normal for you may not be normal for me or anyone else. As an example, when some people see someone walking down the street dressed in black, black hair, black lipstick, black eye shadow, I hear that they may be devil worshippers. Oh heavens, everyone hide your children from the upcoming sacrifice on the next full moon. Oh and don't forget to put the animals inside because they are popular staples for satanic rituals. A few years ago I met a group young people dressed in goth type attire outside a convenience store. We started talking and they were the nicest coolest people you would want to meet. We had a great time inthe parking lot. Why judge them? How does one know if they are making a difference in planetary conciousness? How does one know that they are not making a difference in energy in how they use it, spread it and transfer it to other people or how they internalize it to heal themselves? The answer is, they do not know. It is a judgement based mostly on hear-say or as previously mentioned, things they hear from other people, or things they hear on television and in the media. Geez, okay people, now hang onto everything you hear and read in the media becuase you know it is all 100% true based on statistical research. Survey says..... We each make our own mark in this world. We each have our own divine purpose. But we each have to figure out what that purpose is or choose not to know and get by, just surviving day to day. That too is okay. Knowledge and resonsibility is not for everyone. We do what we do and we believe what we believe. We each choose our own spiritual path, have no spiritual path or we stay on the ones chosen for us children because we know nothing better and are afraid to veer off the path we are bound to. Again this okay, individual choices. Let people be who they are. They are going to be who they are anyway, so mutual respect and not judging is really good energy, especially when you think it isn't. It's a fact that this planet, it's environment and it's inhabitants need all the healing and positive energy each of us can muster and put out. Call me a tree hugging, birkenstock wearing, fluffy new ager, out there, hippie if ya want. I'll make my differences in the world and in those around me and hope it spreads like wildfire to others, not only in my corner of the world but as far as possible. I try to expand my conciousness everyday, where is yours? It's my thing but it doesn't have to be yours. All in all, let people be what they want to be without labeling and judging. Just let it be.