I just wanted to let my WordPress family know that there are three awards waiting for you on Idealisticrebel. I hope you will pick them up and enjoy the fact that you are so wonderful. The first one I designed myself. Namaste, Barbara
Author Archives
Beauty of LIfe Award
Because of the importance of Human Beings taking action to save our planet, Mother Earth, I have designed this award to thank all the bloggers who through their blogs and their efforts show that they love and respect Mother Earth, and do what they can to save our precious and beautiful Planet. This award is a reminder that there is no Plan B, and no Planet B.
The Rules have to do with you and your conscience: when awarded this award, try to something good for the Planet every week.
Those who receive this award will be the bloggers who have brought to light the necessity of saving our Planet, and who encourage others to help in this important fight, through their words, art and deeds.
The very first recipients of this award are:
- Victo Dolore
- Jackie Saulmon-Ramirez
- AB
- Mark Bialczak
- Lady Pink Rose
- Toemailer
- Maryam
- Danaiana
- Bluerock/Debrazone
- Quiall
- MsTranquility
- Grumpygorman
- Eartlhyradiance
- Karen Wan
- Mihrank
- Lobetero
- Lilly
- Abuse Ends when you Love Yourself
- Sue Dreamwalker
- Moorbey
- Chocolate Vent
- Maxima
- Nandini
- Gillswriting
- Soul of a Gypsy
- Friendly Fairytales
- Charles1958
- Danicopiche
- Sadie
- Busy Mind Thinking
- belsbror
- Cassidy Frazee
- Susan Marie Malloy
- RoSy
A Big Heart
The Big Heart
Big heart,
wide as a watermelon,
but wise as birth,
there is so much abundance
in the people I have:
Max, Lois, Joe, Louise,
Joan, Marie, Dawn,
Arlene, Father Dunne,
and all in their short lives
give to me repeatedly,
in the way the sea
places its many fingers on the shore,
again and again
and they know me,
they help me unravel,
they listen with ears made of conch shells,
they speak back with the wine of the best region.
They are my staff.
They comfort me.
They hear how
the artery of my soul has been severed
and soul is spurting out upon them,
bleeding on them,
Messing up their clothes,
dirtying their shoes.
And God is filling me,
though there times of doubt
as hollow as the Grand Canyon,
still God is filling me
He/she is giving me the thoughts of dogs,
the spider inits intricate web,
the sun
in all its amazement,
and a slain ram
that is the glory,
the mystery of great cost,
and my heart,
which is very big,
I promise it is very large,
a monster of sorts,
takes it all in—
all in comes the fury of love.
—Anne Sexton
“Too many things are occurring for even a big heart to hold”
—From an essay by W. B. Yeats
May Peace Prevail
Asian Slave Trade: Kidnapping, Prison Ships, Humanity At Its Worst
This is a human rights post.
Convergence
“Outside, people!”
It was cloudy at noon with no forecast of rain. Another Monday was nearly half finished though not to everyone’s liking: a suspected long power outage was about to wreck havoc to normal educational activities.
Liza looked out the grounds to find a spot where she could be alone to write the rough draft of her report. She noticed a girl standing up from a nearby bench, leaving another with earphones on her ears.
Erika saw her coming. Though she never intended to have a chat with someone, she needed a sounding board about her dilemma whether to tell Leyla or not that his brother was in love with her. A stranger could give her an unbiased advice.
“Can I sit here?”
Erika nodded, sizing her up, trying to decide whether to tell her what’s on her mind.
“Can I ask you something?”
They laughed at the coincidence of them asking the same question at the same time.
“Go ahead,” Erika said, confident now she found a confidant of sorts.
“I like this guy, who keeps…
View original post 508 more words
Tears of Joy
This is award is for ALL my wonderful WordPress Family and Friends.
Thank you so much for all your support, every one of you! Please, take this Award and proudly display the Tears of Joy I shed for having each of you in my life.
Namaste!
Barbara
Versatile Blogger Award
Much thanks to Megan Elizabeth for nominating for this award. It is always an honor and very humbling to be nominated, particularly for this award.
The philosophy behind the award:
“When you consider nominating a fellow blogger for the Versatile Blogger Award, consider the quality of the writing, the uniqueness of the subjects covered, the level of love displayed in the words on the virtual page. Or, of course, the quality of the photographs and the level of love displayed in the taking of them. Honor those bloggers who bring something special to your life whether every day or only now and then!”
Here’s the rules:
If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.
- Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
- Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.
- Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)
- Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.
- Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.
7 Things about me:
- I am cold. I am always cold. I never took the thermal blanket off my bed, all summer long.
- I was born with jet black hair, and now I’m a blond — by choice! (Total vanity, I admit)
- I love to read poetry and I love bloggers who write poetry, but I do not write any poetry myself
- My very favorite place to visit is the French Quarter in New Orleans. I love the sights, the smells and the tastes of the neighborhoods. I find it stimulating and exhilarating
- My late husband once said that I had more dichotomies within me than any other human being he ever met. It was actually a compliment!
- I love music, most kinds of music. I love classic rock, blues & jazz, zydeco, ballet & opera, classical, new age, pop, and thanks to my 9 grand children, hip hop (sometimes)
- Even though I did not become a feminist until the 1970’s, as a child I was very aware of the injustice and hypocrisy in the world, and I loathed it. Always. Still do.
My 15 nominations for wonderful, Versatile Bloggers I cannot get enough of:
- Dr. Rex
- Hunt for Truth
- Petrel 41
- Petchary
- Inavukic
- Crowing Crone Joss
- SeaAngel4444
- Ivonprefontaine
- Xena
- Aquileana
- Modern Philosopher
- Jane Thorne
- D. Parker
- Rajagopal
- Michelinewalker
- Hit & Run
- Dani Lynn
- Risinghawk
- The Fifth Column
There are so many WONDERFUL Bloggers in my WordPress Family, and I wish I could give you ALL an award today because you are bright and funny and talented and dedicated and supportive and loyal and passionate. Perhaps someday…
Infidelity On Television Is Quite An Affair
Matters of the heart have long been fodder for TV plots, from soap operas to dramas to reality fare. But a new spate of shows is blatantly tackling the touchy topic of cheating.
And like the Facebook status says: It’s complicated.
Grace is cheating on Neil and so Neil cheats on Grace — but they love each other — in USA’s new drama Satisfaction. On FX’s Married, a hapless Russ is comically struggling with his sex life with wife Lina. (Both shows air Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT) And now Showtime is prepping an intense drama set to debut in October called The Affair.
“A generation ago, you never talked about having an affair. Then Oprah got us all talking about these things. And now that we’re all talking, the next step is we’re living things out more and less afraid — and TV’s catching up,” says…
View original post 312 more words
On the Journey to Happiness
I found this lovely discussion on Happiness by Buddhist monk, photographer and author Matthieu Ricard on the TED Talks channel on YouTube.
He presents an interesting perspective that I think is helpful to consider on this Journey we are all on, ultimately, to Happiness.
Each moment of happiness is a gift from the Universe Lake Erie Sunset Photograph and Copyright by Barbara Mattio 2012
The Heart of Mother Earth
At the heart of the landscape of Mother Earth, there is a feeling of belonging. Belonging is the basic truth of our existence. We belong here. Life belongs here. At the heart of gratefulness we also find an expression of belonging. When we say “Thank you” we really are saying “We belong together.” Many people don’t want to be connected or interdependent. Many of us don’t want to be obliged.
In a healthy society that is exactly what we seek: mutual obligations. Everyone is obliged to everyone and everything else, we all belong together, we are of each other. In this awareness we are freed from self’preoccupation—and only then, emptied of self, can we be filled with thanks.
” Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, give thanks and praise—then you will discover the fullness of your life.” —Brother David Steindl-Rast
Within this human impulse to gratitude flows the vast cycles of universal reciprocity—for everything that is taken, something has to be given in return. You can’t merely breath in, or only breath out. Death would find you. Life is not giving or taking, but it is giving and taking.
Universal Belonging
We give away our thanks to the earth
which gives us our home.
We give away our thanks to the rivers and lakes
which give away their water.
We give away our thanks to the trees
which give away fruit and nuts…
All beings on earth, the trees, the animals, the wind
and the rivers give away to one another
so all is in balance…
—Dolores La Chapelle
I will sing of the well-founded Earth,
Mother of all, eldest of all beings.
She feeds all creatures that are in the world,
all that go upon the goodly land,
all that are in the paths of the seas,
and all that fly,
all these are fed of her store.
Hail Earth, mother of the gods,
freely bestow upon me for this my song
that cheers the heart!
—Homeris Hymns XXX, adapted by Elizabeth Roberts
Awakening
in a moment of peace
I give thanks
to the source of all peace
as I set forth
into the day
the birds sing
with new voices
and I listen
with new ears
and give thanks.
You can see forever
when the vision is clear
in this moment
each moment
I give thanks.
—Harriet Kofalk
Morning Salutation
Smokey Mountains. Photographed and copyrighted by Barbara Mattio 2010
