Weird Photos

Every once in awhile strange images show up with absolutely no explanation attached. Well the nuts at Explain This Image have a whole collection of such wonders. Below are some of my favorites.
Why isn't the lion driving, for example?
Is black the best color for this goat to wear?
Does this happen to ALL eighth grade science teachers?

SpringPony

I've been blogging diligently at www.wegwag.com. In the meantime I have been avoiding making my usual 'real' art, and have only this to show for a month long hiatus. I drew it while waiting for a rain shower to end so my friend Lindy and I could take to the trails of Eastern KY on wonderfully willing KY Mountain Horses.

Biology + Old Belief

My biological father was a fictional character because that is who he chose to be. Early on, he inserted this sharp tipped caricature of himself into his wife and three daughters. We each took it in and have given it safe harbor longer than has been healthy for any of us.

Yesterday I booted my copy out and in so doing set us all free; me, the spiny sharp unhappy cartoon and whatever was leftover of the original pure spirit my now deceased father was bron with and quelled through his own marred decisions.

Are there gifts in abuse? Did it make me more compassionate? More empathetic? Stronger? Did it have the opposite effect on my father? Does the balance sheet show 'zero'?

What my father and some other adults in our lives in the 1960's did by looking the other way was unhealthy. They created their own fog of regret that has lingered taking various shapes, creating miscellaneous pathways this far into the future.

However the transformation I experienced yesterday by literally and figuratively eliminating the quietly persistent toxic residuals from those days through deep tissue release, energy realignment and mental imagery has suddenly allowed me to assign those far away experiences a visual depiction -- allowing it to come out into the open, assume a shape that may now be transformed and reabsorbed by the universe no longer needing to hide within me, no longer needing to be held and protected but allowed to disburse and try again, accompanied by my hope that my father's deep wounds find healing in this release and hurt no more.

Who helped me accomplish this long overdue task? A wonderful intuitive healer. She uses a method that's sort of like message and sort of like reiki, or a combination of these methods - coupled with large doses of humor.

Yes - No - Maybe

My friend is having a discussion with herselves about an important acquisition. This sketch is meant to depict how these things usually go.

A typical decision making process can be challenging on the best of days and downright stifling when it's something huge.

It's easier when you know it revolves around loving what IS, CAN and SHALL be!

Satellite Offices

My fun friend, Marina, and I just spent several weeks working together connected by our ichats. It was a great way to be able to have the experience of sharing an office, a project and all the related benefits of being in the same room minus being able to share snacks. We laughed. We sang, told jokes and banged our heads together at the same when when necessary to accomplish a particularly difficult coding issue. We decided we love these modern new conveniences.
After too many hours though, things always seemed to deteriorate. This is when we had to perk back up with chocolate.

Making Money With Horses

Please click on each drawing so the image enlarges enough to read the words. :)

Kitty Cat Info

This is info from my kitty. He's not very serious, which is a trait I appreciate.

Relative Size

Last week I had the great good fortune to spend some time in the company of one of my sisters. What was so rare about this event was the fact that we were together as equal working professionals attending a conference on a topic we both have huge interest in: horses healing people. She is the Editor and I am the Art Director for the magazine published by one of the leaders in the field of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning. Our experience included witnessing applied theory as several equine assisted psychotherapy 'appointments' were conducted as part of the formal learning sessions. This is amazing work with an ever increasing record of creating impactful break-through "Aha!" moments for participants. You can't help but be affected even if you're merely an onlooker, which we both were.
Part of one of the more noteworthy sessions had two volunteer 'clients', a mental health professional, an equine specialist and 4 equines; two big, and two miniature horses. To make a sort of complicated story succinct, let me just say that the people in the arena all but ignored the hilarious, action packed antics of the minis as the people concentrated their efforts on interacting with the bigs. I was astounded. The wee ones were racing, spinning, biting and kicking! One even fell right in between and in front of the humans and never a once was a comment made while they worked to maneuver a big into a particular position. I couldn't believe how invisible the littles were to the people already occupied with the bigs. This therapy is all about metaphor, and this particular metaphor spoke loudly to me.

Later as I mulled this over in my subconscious, my sister whom I was at that point having dinner with as a sideline mentioned that she felt she would always occupy the role of big sister. This statement dumbfounded me. Sure, I could see the significance of that role when we were both about 40 years younger but what relevance was it now that we are in our fifties? That we're sisters, and quite close ones at that, is a relationship I celebrate - but I haven't considered myself any one's "little sister" -- little anything(!) -- for many many years. I was surprised she was hanging onto that role. I thought she too had embraced the unqualified sisters relationship as I had.

Which brings me back to that arena. I had noticed the minis. I had even been transfixed by them. It had driven me to uncomfortable levels of frustration that they hadn't even been much acknowledged. Is this an artifact of having grown up as a little sister? Can the fact that I have been on the side of the under sung, the underdog and the under-the-radar for a long time now be explained by these strangely unifying experiences? How do I feel about someone who knows me quite well still seeing me as little anything?

Part of me thinks it's a big mistake. Like those minis, I am every bit as significant and viable as the bigs. Unlike those minis, I'm pretty much the same size as my sister - I'm not smaller in any way. How is it she feels bigger? What is this bigness? And even more importantly, is it an unnecessary burden? My wish for her would be to let go of the size qualifier (or age qualifier, or any other adjective she'd care to attach) and just stick with the sister part. That's what I intend to keep at.

Another part of me thinks there's something really good there because I keep thinking about those minis in all their celebratory glory - as though just being little (underdog, under sung, under-the-radar) is its own gigantic reward and must be acted on in wonderfully unfettered joyful ways. As though bigs have some dictated duty to set forth the standards of dignity and refined grace in horses leaving the minis to go haywire with joy building on the notion of what it is to be horse -- expanding the concept in other ways freely shaking off the encumbrances of size replacing that with something else, in the case of the minis, raw, creative experience.

So here's what I have right now: At first when she said that I wanted to nip and kick out at her and tell her I hadn't been 'little' anything to anyone since going to college, Hmph! But as I reflect and reconsider where I'm leaning now is maybe she's been feeling much like a draft horse still pulling that heavy weight from our younger days - that now, in some ways, she's both comfortable with and even proud of. I would invite her to unharness herself and frolic in the daisies - at least for a little while, taking the yoke back up only by intended choice, not born-into situation, should she still then desire to do so.

PonyBelle Unveiled

Last week a friend and I formed a collaborative subsidiary of both our businesses as we completed a project we worked on together -- an interactive, high functioning professional networking site: EAGALA Community Lauren of Articulate Productions and me, Marti of StudioMudio combined knowledge, resources and drive together fully exploiting the wonder of the web to do so.

We met last fall playing an online game where players were encouraged to seek solutions and post their brainstorms on a website designed to portray the world ten years into the future. Lauren and I were among the most driven of the 7000+ players and noticed each other's upbeat and creative work style early on. Our friendship continued after the game ended - and here we are!

We are actively looking for new clients - ones with ethically balanced missions, among whose goals are to make the world a better place. If that's you or your organization - get in touch. We specialize in creative Web 2.0+ solutions!

Wishful Thinking

I just formed a page on Facebook called Wishful Thinking - click on the title above and it should bring you there. This is a forum for people to go public with a wish|hope|dream - so that we may all help envision you getting what you want, while you help see us getting what we want at the same time. It's all about connective consciousness. If you can't find it - friend me and I'll get you in.

Below is my own first wish - healthy feet for my horse, Mumu:

WishPuppy

I am going to create a Group on facebook within the next week or so, when time allows -- that is going to be a forum for people to publicly post their wishes, hopes and dreams. You may recall how I talk about needing to be able to see something in order for it manifest in your life (materials things, emotional realities, etc). The idea with this will be to make a public announcement and be able to post a note, photo or drawing of what you want - and all of us who see it will likewise wish it for you! I'll post a link when it goes live. Until then - start dreaming!

The Embodiment of Destiny

Click on the image if you need to see it a little larger...

Giddyup!

I have a friend who is struggling with mobility issues at the moment - with good reason, she is wheel-chair bound or even more frustrating for her, stuck in bed a lot. This situation are the manifested side effects of some heavy duty medications she is on at the moment. When I looked into this from my own point of view I realized that I too have mobility issues. I lately have been finding it difficult to go forward in picking up the paint brush and creating new worlds. So I drew this image to demonstrate how it may appear as though we're not so wonderful at getting around (in our lives or our life paths) we have but to imagine ourselves riding larger forces - even unseen forces - that will in fact create for us ways of going far superior than anything we could have done alone.

This drawing shows the little being (me, us) riding on the head of the horse who represents intention, hope, faith, optimism and all other personally transformational ways of getting around. Giddyup!

Holistic Design Think Tank

I recently invented a term for the process I employ to get clients to really engage connect their own marketing goals with their marketing tools. I call it "Holistic Design". It's an information collection and clarification procedure by which goals, hopes, dreams and missions are defined and considered when creating marketing tools like web sites, brochures and logos. It works sort of like this:
It's a lot of fun and usually brings to the surface aspects of a business of organization that the principles had long forgotten about! The reasons for being that make all the effort - the day to day stuff - worthwhile and meaningful.

Swear-a-Thon

Some of you may recall at the beginning of this year I started putting a dollar into a kitty for every swear I said in an effort to discourage myself from such language. Well I have $93 so far.(Don't know if this is good or bad LOL) I mentioned this to a dear friend who is currently struggling mightily with a debilitating illness. You can read her postings here. Anyway she needs one of those vans that lifts a wheelchair so she can become mobile again. Yesterday she started to create an online fundraiser to help her do just that. (She's a digital goddess, by the way - so handy with it all - it'll knock your socks off). She doesn't like to capitalize on people's empathy - and for the moment this is being set up semi-anonymously. As this necessarily may need to change to prove legitimacy - we'll keep you updated.
This project is in its infancy but is going to be sort of an ongoing swear-a-thon fundraiser. It would benefit right now from the input of someone (you?) who knows how to set up a 501(c)C fund so donations can be tax deductible (or know of a program in place that helps people on assistance acquire such things). Until then if you would like to help - throw a buck into a jar on behalf of this friend and stay tuned - as when an online donation site is created I'll post a link here. This is 100% legit - and let me tell you, you will not meet a braver soul - no mater how hard you try. This pal is as strong as they come and is not letting her current set of circumstances derail her from her own altruistic projects and creative flow. More later!

Sharing Mother Muse with a Friend

Yesterday I was invited to be the kitty-sister to a wonderful artist friend - and I gleefully accepted with this illustration of us with our kitty-muse mom.

My Learning Process

For a while I have been tackling the learning of a piece of software I put off literally for years thinking it was going to be too difficult. The wonderful thing is, because I came up to my need to use this particular piece of computer language sort of sideways, learning other programs as I had to, when I finally got to Flash, wow, though multi-armed and somewhat unyielding to my particular brain flow - in the end - it's working! I'm learning it!

This drawing began as my response to an image Wendy posted yesterday in our sketch-fun exchange -- she depicted a thing with multiple arms sort of, it got me thinking. I ended up drawing this, and then learning what it represented only after I was done, when Mikey asked me what it meant. You know how people do. The answer simply popped into my head. That's how art is for me sometimes, often a sideways , non-deliberate thing.

Wendy does the Chicken Dance!

Yesterday I talked a little about the thoughts I have about vegetarianism - and what sparked the thought flow for that moment was my wonderful, compassionate, talented friend Wendy is going veggie. I know her some and I know she's doing so out of complete altruism towards animals. Good job Wen! Here she is dancing the chicken with a chicken whereas were I to draw myself doing this the chicken would at least have to look worried. (sigh) Such is that hypocricy I told I live with.

Veg-Heads

I think about the hypocricy of my own actions whenever I eat meat. You see, if it were up to me to catch and slaughter animals for their flesh - I wouldn't do it. But I will buy packaged meat from a grocery store. What's up with that? Well I've decided that a maybe reasonable choice is to consume only humanely raised meat (dairy and eggs, too). And what's that? To me, usually local farm raised - that wasn't fattened up in some gigantic feedlot with only unhealthy corn silage (and other questionable additives) to eat. It's expensive and somewhat inconvenient to get. That's fine with me. Keeps us from eating too much of it. I have a ways to go with my commitment but that's the goal.

As for the slaughtering process itself - believe it or not great strides have been made (through the applied research of Temple Grandin, a scientist and animal behaviorist who has made it her career to tackle this usually taboo topic) in designing the abbatoire to be much less stressful on the animals as they are killed. But again, there is much work to be done - and perhaps if I ever hauled my butt over to such a place to witness this process that would do it. I would abstain from meat for life. I don't know - I told you, I'm a hypocrite on this issue.

I do thank the creature whose flesh I eat for this sacred transferral of energy. With reverence. And this includes the plants I eat as well. In the book "The Secret Life of Plants", the authors document research conducted around the globe that illustrates the sentience of plants as measured by usually their aspiration through their leaves. In fact there is one particular example that sticks with me where potted plants registered reaction when vegetables were being cut up for a salad in a kitchen.

So we consume sentient, living creatures no matter what we eat. For me the challenge is to always do so mindfully, gratefully and as kindly as possible.

By the way, ever since seeing the movie "Babe", I have crossed pork completely off the list. I told you, I'm confused. But that story made a powerful impact on my thinking.

(N)..ice Ideas

Last week an a fine misting of rain fell across the entire state of Kentucky while the temperatures dropped to and hovered near freezing - which created The Perfect circumstances for the rain to freeze and build up to over 3/4" thick on every surface: tree limbs, roofs, roads, blades of dried grass, and electric wires. Soon the weight began to take a toll and tree branches began crashing down. Then wires, then the modern infrastructure that is dependent on those wires.

Which left a lot of time to sit some and consider inter-connectedness a little more deeply. I worried about the trees, the birds, and all creatures who had to make their living outside during those days and, worse, nights. I gave some thought to the trees in particular who endured their fate with the calm they always exude. It occurred to me that though I could see parts of them breaking down, even whole trunks snapping sealing a dire fate - I wasn't considering the whole being. We almost never do with trees. So I drew what I think a tree sees when considering one of its own kind. Knowing half of the being was safe below ground made me feel better for them.

As I was cut off from this sort of digital communication I had to let go of the sketch-exchange I had started with my friend in California and thought about the new events in her life that are uplifting an already buoyant soul causing her to be too busy to keep up with that project anyway. At first I was bummed, I really do enjoy collaborating on things with friends like that - but then I rejoiced at her fortune.

Which brought me to a place of considered thought where letting go and trusting the process of belief, hope and optimism always keeps one from falling. I learned a bunch about this recently as my own career has been changing, growing and leading me in some very wonderful, healthy directions.

So here I am today - the ice is gone, new projects are unfolding and I am able to reconnect through my magic screen to the world at large. Always - or least often - intellectually stimulating, increasingly these past several months. The Internet is becoming the wonder I had hoped it would when it first unveiled itself in rudimentary form years ago. I am so delighted with the developments in technology I could just jump for joy. Ha!

Heart-Soul Universe

Here is my next sketch done this morning - that is both a response to Lauren's first one (see below) and additional info from somewhere within me! Click on each to see larger in a new window. I wish I could have hair like Lauren drew. Rainbow! Love it! I saw a girl in the Tokyo airport with such hair once. I pantomimed to her just how cool I thought that looked. She understood. ;-)

The Heart-Vibe Connection Zone

Click on image to view larger. This illustrates the Heart-Vibe Connection Zone in a 2 dimensional drawing. This is in fact a 4 or more dimensional concept - but you have to start somewhere! Where the energy from our hearts - our core essence - intersects with the vibrations of others' - this is where all things are possible. This is also where we have direct access to Spirit - the universal everythingness. It's deep! It's esoteric - and it's always with us! Feel yours?

This is 002 in the x-change with belle.

X-change with Belle + Serina 001

All this week I'll be posting my morning sketches based on a collaboration between two wonderful friends and me. When they give me their link(s) I'll add them here. We don't have any expectations or rules beyond - posting one sketch a day. (click on the image to enlarge in a new window)

This one is a depiction of my interpretation of how beings, events and times are all interconnected.

Understanding Dogs - Part 2

The following 3 books contain some of the most salient information ever compiled on the subject of comprehending the sometimes inscrutable sounds and actions of our best friends. First up is a treatise on the sounds, grammar (I'm not kidding!) and verbiage (it's all about the action with dogs) of pooches written by the inimitable Norwegian dog whisperer (sorry Cesar, she beat you to it!):
Barking: The Sound of a Language by Turid Rugaas

Next, in How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication, by Stanley Coren we have a compilation of sketches delineating typical canine postures and behaviors that begins by explaining typical canis lupus (wolf) behavior and is then extended to canis familiaris (domestic dogs). Among many insightful observations is the particularly interesting case made for the accidental confusion in signaling by dogs whose ears have been bred to be floppy - turns out canines relay on upright ears to convey myriad nuanced messages! Those tiny flicks, foldings and swivels hold much meaning.

And finally we end with an excellent book, recently published that builds on the foundation set by the two books above this time with photographs illustrating behaviors and postures all interpreted or explained to an extent heretofore never available. Good stuf! Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog, by Brenda Aloff.

These are all available on amazon.com and linked accordingly. What a great time to be interested in canine language, ethology and behavior - so much thorough and accessible information is just a click away.

Wild Delight! Delta Society Reading

As I study the Delta Society Student Manual for io's and my Pet Partner training I've been delighted to discover some significant overlap in recommended reading between their list and my personal library.

To begin with, there's "Calming Signals" by Turid Rugaas, a book describing the body language dogs naturally employ to alleviate stress in all social situations; canine and human. They also highlight the TTouch methods andwell written books created and described by Linda Tellington-Jones, an internationally celebrated horse trainer and riding instructor. How cool is that? You may wish to start by looking Ms. T-J's "Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training" book.

Though most registered teams feature a dog partner, Delta Society support materials highlight the work of a horse professional. This tells me io and I will be truly welcome additions to their national roster.

We are thrilled! io can't wait to get going!
Next post: Several more top rated books that provide even more enlightenment into the sometimes misunderstood language of horse and dog behavior.

Oh, I should mention we have set up a Fan Club for io on Facebook, where you can also follow his progress and adventures in happiness.

Delta Society Training: Cincinnati

Yesterday I attended a fascinating Delta Society training produced by Therapy Pets of Greater Cincinnati. They offer trainings and Pet Partner team evaluations almost every month. Director Glenna Mockbee and one of her own team members, chocolate lab Blake, as well as other experienced Pet Partner teams from their organization, introduced us to the theories and practices of becoming and being a Pet Partner team in a day long workshop.

Delta Society is a non profit organization formed in the later 1970's that has set the standard for training and registering pet and partner teams whose aim is to visit people who can use a boost. The benefits a person receives by interacting with an animal during a time of pain or stress, emotional or physical, is becoming an increasingly well documented phenomenon. Usually dog/handler teams are formed - but as some of you know - my cattle dogs are completely unqualified for this sort of work mostly due to their dedication to acting on their own naturally exuberant impulses. A great characteristic for herding cows, not so good for keeping calm next to a hospital bed.

That's why I'll be working with my miniature horse io! I thought I might be the only candidate in the room with such a goal in mind until a brand new friend, Dove Griffin (her miniature horse farm is: Minicamelot), piped up during her introduction that she was doing the same. An instant rapport was formed. Actually everyone in the room was an immediate friend; bound by our love of animals and desire to work with a well chosen partner to bring cheer to people who need some.

I'll be writing more as io and I progress through our training and introduction to facilties in and around the Bleugrass region of Kentucky. Once we're officially registered we will possess credentials and skills that will allow us to visit with patients, clients, residents; their friends and family as well as the staff of places like hospitals, nursing homes, long term care facilities, assisted living residences, schools and others. All of our work will be gratis.

Now you know why I need a trailer small enough for my car to pull, and cute enough to delight the casual observer as io and I pull into the parking lots of places where our goal will be to bring a light moment to an otherwise less than perfect day.

Audacity of Hope-Mobile

click on image to enlarge

Wishes Granted

Sometimes at night I lay awake, usually for no good reason, like worrying about things I can't do a thing about at 2 a.m. Last night was starting to be one of those events - when I stopped myself and rather than stressing about junk I made myself visualize all my friends having their wishes granted. Not that I know what their wishes are, necessarily, just that I could see each person celebrating because something wonderful had come true for them. Even people I know only a little, like my Pet Society friends, who I usually could only visualize as their pet, sorry, I granted wishes to. Then I extended my powers even farther and wished good things for entire groups of people, whole populations, even the globe. It didn't cause me to go to sleep any sooner, but I felt like I was accomplishing something good.

Please help us Visualize!

Io and I need your help. We are working our towards gaining Delta Society registration which will allow me to bring him for official visits to places like hospitals and other facilities where a smile is of great benefit to an otherwise stressful or bleak day. I am hoping to find a trailer small enough to be easily towed by my little SUV that can safely transport Io everywhere we're invited. If you could pause for a moment and picture us going places - that will help us a lot. If you come across something that might work - get in touch! Thanks so much.

Love Pipeline

This past Saturday some friends with mini horses and I loaded up and set up a corral in the gymnasium of a local church. We were there for a meet n' greet with hundreds of area Girl Scouts. It is widely known that girls love horses and this event proved that beyond any doubt. It inspired me to make a movie short about the experience and write these words:


Love sings its existence
across proximity of any nature
through its vibrational melodies
expressed in many forms

Personal Perceptual Sphere

It occurred to me this morning that everything I see is colored, influenced and even created by my own internal world. Every time I look out - I must look beyond - even through - my own opinions, thoughts, ideas and experiences. I have to forgive myself when I get too tied up with myself. I must remember to forgive others for doing the same.

www.swaptree.com

Are you like me? Do you have a stack of perfectly good books hanging around that you're pretty sure you're never going to read again but you don't have the heart to give away just yet? What if I told you there's a website you can post these books of yours to trade for newer ones! It's Swaptree.com, and I've made 8 swaps so far. I LOVE it! It's direct low impact recycling (swapcycling I'm calling it!). Each book costs just $2.61 to ship out. Reuse a padded envelope and that's it! You print the postage right from the Swaptree site. I think they make, like, 20 cents on that - but don't charge for anything else. You can then drop your padded envelop into any mailbox - no need for a special trip to the post office. How cool is this?! New books for just the cost of postage.

Over 8 Large Male African Elephants So far

Yesterday I started wondering about how much I've personally contributed to landfills through my own garbage creation. As an American consumer I average 4.5 pounds per day.

That's 4.5 x 365 x 51 (my age) or 83,767.5 pounds to date on my last birthday. The average weight of an African elephant (the bigger ones) is about 10,000 pounds.

My personal garbage production stated in elephants, then, is about 8.3.

Talk about needing to lose some weight! Time for me to seriously cut back.

The World Without Us

Have you heard of this book? It's been out for awhile and has appeared on many 'must read' lists. The content is a condensed encapsulation of all the wrongs we humans have done to this earth. Mistakes we've made that will continue to poison the surroundings for epochs if not forever. Nuclear and CO2 wastes being major among the ills we've set in motion.

Boo, us. And not just the recent us, either. Even our primitive ancestors laid waste to whole species by indiscriminate over hunting. Still, we can make healthier, more harmonious choices ourselves starting this second. The question is will enough of us do so? Really all we need is a quantum shift in our accepting personal responsibility towards maintaining a healthy planet. Doing so will embolden our chosen leaders (industry, government and spiritual) to make better choices and set in motion a turn-around our descendants will exist to acknowledge. Or we can ignore everything, continue on the path we've set and let some other life forms take over a couple epochs from now after we inevitably relinquish stewardship through unchanged now recognized filthy habits. But that would be crazy, right?

Who's next? Cockroaches? Those worms that live near vents in the ocean? Will their kind rise to replace us? In some ways, really, who cares? We won't be hear to see it, will we? In another - just how sacrosanct do you hold this existence? Is it worth saving or at the very least extending out as far as possible? Me, I think so. Besides I would be so embarrassed to have been a member of the species that ruins a good thing.

Re-usable Vessels

Hey, whatever happened to refillable containers? Let's go back to them! Imagine going to the grocery store with a collection of your own, fun, hip, containers and refilling your moo-juice, OJ, wine, salad dressing, peanut butter, olive oil, laundry detergent, etc, etc.

Am I crazy? Lately I have been feeling like such a jerk throwing away perfectly good single-use containers. Oh I recycle them, but that takes so much energy! To collect, transport, melt down, reform, transport, fill, transport again....
I want to buy really fun, cool ones and take them in to get filled. Could save me money and will DEFINITELY save energy! Hassle? Maybe some - but totally totally worth it from a sustainability point of view.

Friends Everywhere

Yesterday I visited a friend on her gorgeous and perfectly animal friendly farm where one of her pot bellied pigs, Delihla, gave me to understand just how elegant and friendly pigs can be. She clearly remembered a kindness bestowed months earlier when I stopped by to feed Betsy's menagerie last October. Next time you think of calling someone a pig, understand you will be bestowing a great compliment. If that isn't your intention perhaps instead you should call them a blasted beaurocrat or other such inflexible nitwit. ;-)

Side-Cycle, No-Cycle, Real-Cycle - Part 1

I just heard on the radio a new report on the recent downturn in the overall output of U.S. factory production. Bad news? Maybe not. For starters, a slow down in production means a slow down in consumption, which means a slow down in waste on all sides of that cycle. No waste making stuff, no waste delivering stuff, no waste showing stuff, no waste getting stuff, no waste bringing it home and then pretty quickly throwing stuff away after use. (Fact: 99% of all stuff purchased on any given day is thrown away within 6 months. 99%! Packaging, delivery materials, intended obsolescence, etc.)

This downturn is offering us all a real chance at finding new ways to let go of creating waste and new ways to create stuff. We can fix what breaks, trade out what we no longer need (books, clothes, etc) and forego getting crumby stuff that has no real purpose beyond informing our neighbors and peers that we're cooperative consumers (think home remodeling updates and personal fashion).

I'm calling it REALcycling. More soon!

Wise Minis

Last fall my mini, Iota Mcippus (io) started growing a fuzz-bomb of a winter coat. It is his sole possession. And he grew it himself. Though I have bought things for him - a blanket he takes off himself and a halter he wears when we're out and about, as well as barn and grooming items - his coat is all he needs. That and food and water. Io really knows how to keep a small profile when it comes to creating a carbon footprint. I will be studying his ways more over the up coming months.

Making Connections: A Year's Worth of Intentions

Mike and I just returned from a Very Long driving trip to see family throughout Georgia, Alabama and Florida. We took many back roads and it is the result of what I saw during our odyssey that sparked me to make some new choices. We passed abandoned strip mall after mall where not just merchandise, people's hopes, dreams. plans and buildings themselves are becoming disposable and apparently worthless. What I saw lining great swaths of American heartland was bleek. Depressing. Hopeless. We humans have made so many wrong decisions regarding our stewardship here on earth. It started to dawn on me that rather than be angry about what I was experiencing I was being afforded a great opportunity to take a hard look at myself and my own stewardship.

With this in mind, I've made some resolutions for the new year and I want to share them with you to help motivate me to stick with them. Here they are:

• Accept NO plastic bags from stores - bring my own
• Buy no new clothes all year (consignment, resale and other no-cycle items ok) Those of you who know me will know this could be a toughie for me. :-)
• No shopping at Wal-Mart or other low ball bid retailers
• Yes to local, hand made and re-purposed - I'm sensing a potential clothing loophole in this item, I'm ok with it ;-)
  
• Choose one day a month of NO electricity including internet, lights and other optional uses...
• Make one drawing or sketch a day - doesn't have to be fancy, finished or even particularly well thought out
  
• Update these PonyXpressions at least weekly
• Oh and one more thing...I have to plop into a savings jar for my dog JoJo one dollar for every use of the eff-word I make. It upsets him and usually doesn't make me feel any better anyway, so time to find new ways to express.

Wow, talk about synergy....2 hours after I posted this a pal sent a link to this site: http://www.storyofstuff.com
It's an animated talk that brings together complicated issues and offers a reasonable bite sized way to make lasting positive impact through personal consumer choices. The timing of getting the link blew me away! I hope you like it.