Speaking of Bella Abzug, guess who got a beautiful red hat for Christmas!!!!!!  My daughter bought it for me.  I have a nice purple pants suit that I will wear with it.  I plan to may 2005 the beginning of "making up for the sobriety of my youth".  WooHoo!!  Anyone care to join me for a Xanga Red Hat Society?  Could be quite fun enjoying life together.

I have learned thankfulness is a blessed gift and comes as a quiet surprise when you least expect it.  All it takes is stopping long enough to be aware of all that you have in life.  Not looking backward, forward or around me at others.  Simply looking at who I am and what I have.  Christmas gave a beautiful gift.

I pray for many blessings of love and joy to each of my friends across xanga.  zera

My dear friend,

I am reading (more like devouring) mystery books by Patricia Cornwell.  These are not for the Murder She Wrote cozy lovers.  Wow!  She keeps me on the edge of my seat and I must finish the book or I'll die sort of feeling.  Excellent writer.  Of course, alot of the stories take place in Richmond which is my old home.  Great fun to read.

We had to give up our annual trip to Richmond for Thanksgiving this year.  We just don't have the money.  We are getting closer to getting the major bills paid off though.  Soon we will be out from under, I hope. 

Atlanta is quite chilly this weekend.  The birds do not come out quite as early and Sweetie is upset about it.  We all enjoy watching the birds come to the feeder on the patio.  The Canadian geese just flew over on their way to the river.  Must be a wake up call for the birds. 

Well here is another blast from The Hippie Dictionary.

Bella Abzug (1920-1998):  social issues attorney, politician, civil rights advocate and women's rights leader.  As a White female lawyer from the north, in 1951, she defended Willie McGee, a Black man charged with raping a White woman in Mississippi.  It was a pivotal trial in the effort to bring equal legal rights to the African American community in the Southern United States.  Abzug was elected to the US House of Representatives from New York City in 1971, serving four terms.  She was the primary officer of the national commission presiding over the historic International Women's Year conference in Houston, Texas, in November 1977.  Bella Abzug wrote the book, The Gender Gap, published in 1984.

I need to search the internet for more information on Bella.  She is a terrific role model for women. 

Got to run.  Till the next time . . . . . .   Namaste    zera

My dear friend,

Life is good here.  The weather is warm for October.  The little ones should enjoy trick or treating tonight.  My little ones are sound asleep.  They should crawl out of bed somewhere around 2 p.m..  They are a little big to trick or treat but that's what they plan to do.  Halloween has always been a fun time for this family.

Money!  Well, we aren't broke but we sure work week to week for the old paycheck.  Thank goodness that we are healthy and have jobs.  Think I am going to try to work part time between now and the end of the year.  I am certainly in a lot better shape than last year when I thought I should have worked.  This year I will do it. 

Here is another person from The Hippie Dictionary:

"Abernathy, Rev. Ralph David:  (1926-1990)  social issues Baptist minister, civil rights leader, a founder and eventual president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., on april 4, 1968.  One of King's most trusted associates who was with him when he was assassinated.  Rev. Abernathy led the Poor People's March on Washington, DC, in 1968.  He is reportedly the first person to use the word pig in reference to the police.  He used the term in a sopeech about the police riots in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention in August, 1968."

He was the son of a farmer.  Studied sociology at Atlant University before becoming a paster of the 1st Baptist Church in Montgomery.  He died in Atlanta on 4/17/90.

Brings back a lot of memories.  Imagine being a close associate of Martin Luther King.  The suffered and they edured.  Good memories.

My dear friend,

Life can be so busy and full from day to day that it swiftly becomes weeks before I have written to you.  We are still warm but definitely overcast here in Atlanta.  It is the end of October.  Shouldn't we have cooler weather or am I still living somewhere else in my mind?

Chris built me a wonderful flower box the area in back (depending on your perspective) the railing on our patio.  I have filled it with my two azalea bushes, the petunias, my miniature rose bush and the marigolds.  He found a Georgia Bulldog reproduction and put in the flower box as well.  That was a gift for Megs.¢¾

I put more seed out for the little birds that visit our patio everyday and noticed that one of the squirrels has decided to use my flower box as a hiding place for his nuts.  I am glad so many creatures enjoy the flower box.  It appears to be a great waiting area for the birds as they take turns looking for seeds in the bowl. 

One of my bosses has given me a book, The Hippie Dictionary by John Bassett McCleary.  It is "a cultural encyclopedia of the 1960s and 1970s."  What fun!  Thought I might share some reminders with you to fill up any empty spaces left in our minds.  I am particularly interested in the people from our era.

"Abbey, Edward (1927-1989):  a radical environmentalist and author of the 1975 book, The Monkey Wrench Gang.  The book chronicles a fictional group of environmental commandos who plan to blow up the controversial Glen Canyon Dam.  Abbey is responsible for the word monkeywrenching, the act of physically disrupting a company involved in activity that is considered environmentally objectionable, such as dam construction and logging.  Abbey and his book influenced Dave Foreman and other leaders of the Earth First! movement." 

I found an interesting website for him at www.abbeyweb.net.  He wrote several books that sound very interesting, Desert Solitaire, The Journey Home and Abbey's Road.

And a quote from the website "Death is everyman's final critic.  To die well hyou must live bravely."

I will go back and research the whole website and perhaps buy a book to read.  You are never too old to learn.  I would have to leave this planet without filling in the gaps of my experience.

May you have the very best day today.  Blessings.  Namaste.  Love.  zera

The new day is an incredible blessing.  No matter what has gone on the day before, you awake to a new day.  So much possibility with a new day.  Anything could happen.  The beauty of an early morning sunrise with fog rising from the river that makes the world magical.  Peace fills my heart and hope is right behind.  The quiet of our home while everyone else is asleep allows me time to reflect.  Like an empty cup I am ready to be filled. 

Life goes on with or without me . . . . .

I just saw an eagle gliding over the treetops with something in its claws.  Could have been a little creature.  Joy and sadness wrapped up together.  On my patio a little lizard (baby lizard) has climbed upon my patio chair and is sunning itself.  My flowers haven't done as well as I would have liked this summer.  The patio has been very hot for one.  But I didn't bother to use new potting soil when I transplanted new flowers and I believe that was not such a good idea.  A few really hardy plants are still blooming.  So, come cooler weather, I will be dumping old potting soil and ridding myself of old planters to get ready for the pansy planting frenzy that occurs in the fall.

Did you know that April 20th through September 20th is the month of the Lady.  The Catholic church recognizes that this is the time of Mary's Assumption.  But the ancients also knew that this was the beginning of harvest time and of course the time of the goddess.  I believe Hecate was one of those particular goddesses.  Also, Dahlia's are the flower of this time of the year.  They are absolutely beautiful flowers.  Wish I had a few of them on the porch. 

Well, got to run.  Love to you all.  zera

Do you ever wonder what is wrong with this world?  Manytimes I am sure.  I am angry and feeling very helpless at the fact that women over most of this world are mistreated, some brutally so.  This is not right.  Why is the UN not demanding change?  What can we do to stop the brutalizing of women and children.  Women need shelters and protection and education and skills to support themselves.  Any suggestions here?  zera

Saturday afternoon revelation:  Chatting with husband while we were out toodling around town, thought about not ever having a dream or a goal in my life that I could put all my energy into.  We were discussing deep issues!  Metanoia!!!!!  I do to have goals and dreams that I have met and am putting all my energy into.  When I met OT I knew that he was the man I was going to marry and live with for the rest of my life on this earth.  And I through every bit of charm, wit, wisdom, beauty, love talent, etc., etc., into getting him to marry me.  Well, accomplished that.  Am working on the rest of my life part and it does require work every day.  That is what a relationship is all about.  The second dream of my life was to have a little girl to raise and love and adore.  Well, I have my Megs.  And I do love her with all of my being.  These two have put me through the deepest hell and the highest heaven and everything in between.  Without them I would me a mere shadow of who they have helped me become.  So, I have a lot to hold my head up for.  I am a wife and mother and for me there is nothing better in my life except now being a friend.  Blessings.  zera

I have so little to say anymore.  Life is busy and my child is has grown into a beautiful woman who is strong, confident and delightful.  My husband is well and we are getting back into our old discussions about life which is always fun.  And I still look forward to dropping by Xanga and having a friend of two drop me a little note to let me know that I am still thought of.  To me that is a beautiful gift of life and friendship.  Blessings to you.  zera

I read this on the web somewhere and forgot to put down the name of the author.  Hope you enjoy it.  "We have forgotten that our only goal is to live and that we live each day and that at every hour of the day we are reaching our true goal if we are living.  The days are fruits and our role is to eat them."

How simple.  Take this into your week.  Live life each moment aware that this is your place and time. Live it.  Blessings.  zera