October 31, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

Happy Hallowe’en

Happy Hallowe’en to all my readers and friends.

I’ve decided to be totally not serious, and not deal with reality in honor of it being Hallowe’en.

Some of you may remember these songs; for some of you they may be new. But they’re some of my favorite “monster” songs, from when I was young.

The first is Vincent Price doing a wonderful cover of the Monster Mash. For those of you who are too young to know the wonderful Mr. Price, he ruled the Horror films in the 50’s and 60’s, and did the ghoulish rap at end of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Flying Purple Eater is what was called a “novelty song” from the 60’s and it’s always been one of my favorites, never failing to make me laugh!

I have to go now, to chase the Zombies on the River!

Have a ghoulishly good day!

Monsterously yours,
Barbara

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Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea

That a maiden thre lived who you may know

By the name of ANNABLE LEE;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea:

But we loved with a love that more than love —

I and my ANNABEL LEE;

With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, lonb ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful ANNABEL LEE;

So that her high-born kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went envying her and me —

Yes!–That was the reason (as all men known,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

CHilling and killing my ANNABEL LEE.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we —

Of many far wiser than we —

And neither the angels in heaven above,

NOr the demons down under the sea,

Can ever disserver my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE,

For the moon never beams, without bringing my dreams

Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling — my darling — my life and my bride,

In the sepulchre there by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea.

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September 19, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

Grasping at Self

Many spiritual people believe that sickness, of the mind or the body has little to distinguish them from one another. As the years go by, and they do so quickly, we experience ailments. These ailments trigger our anxieties. Not feeling well is actually a magnet for anxiety. It reminds us of our frailty and mortality. Being aware of our mortality can often assist us in being in the now moment. Minor illnesses can help us to remember we are human.

The mind has a more difficult time healing the physical body than it does the emotional body. Neurologists are beginning to do case studies of the subconscious and the part it plays in healing the physical body. In some cases, the mind alone can heal physical sickness, even where conventional medicine has failed. I have personally experienced it.

In addition to Neurologists, Buddhists also believe that the mind can heal the physical and emotional body. For all of us, sickness can provide an opportunity to slow down, let go, and appreciate life even in the midst of suffering. Sickness can be a broom we are given to sweep our lives clean of the accumulations of negative attitudes and emotions.

Many of us have experienced tragedies in our lives and for some of us there have been multiple tragedies.These can cause real sickness. Conventional medicine often can not cure these illnesses. Doctors do all they can to the best of their abilities but nothing completely works. But by using the subconscious to help, the emotions and the physical body can be used to release the past from its control of the present.

When we experience tragedy, physical or emotional, even if we go to therapy and “work it through” often the subconscious continues to hold on to it. The mind’s conscious level has let go of the incidents but the subconscious still has a grip and it can be strong. It can make you very ill, even for years.

I am excited that conventional medicine is beginning to study how our minds make all of this happen. I am excited that there are doctors who are studying this with their patients. This is more than “thinking positive.” Positive thoughts make anything somewhat better and easier to tolerate. Meditation can help. For instance, I found that Transcendental Meditation often helps with chronic pain. It also helps to remember that sickness is impermanent.

Neurologists have found that talking to the subconscious can help. Reassuring it that you are safe, whatever has happened in the past will not occur again and if it did; you would handle it differently. Chanting ” Thank you” for your body a hundred times several times a day can make big changes.

Take good care of yourself and your body. Eat healthy, exercise and remember there is no blame in the work of healing. Do not grasp at self as this can cause illness and suffering. Remember that a good joke can help with healing. Be open to any approach which might help. This should definitely include conventional medicine as well as alternative forms of healing. Also remember that balance in life helps us to heal and to remain healthy.

Be kind to anger, fear, or discouragement as they arise. Even if they are strong or persistent, be patient with them and it helps to bring them into balance. This assists the body in its healing.

Namaste

Barbara

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Botanical Garden, Asheville, NC. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2013

August 1, 2014 by IdealisticRebel

A Thought on Comedy

I believe that we all can say that the world is stressed. Both in the sense of hatred, violence, and bigotry and in the sense of the wars going on. It causes a sense of negative energy and anxiety for many people. If we add in the outbreak of Ebola, there is much pain in the world. There is a War on women started by the GOP. It is not limited to America. I don’t want to belabor these facts.

My father always said that laughter was healing. It is very good at balancing negativity and allowing our bodies and souls to exhale. I have decided that I wanted to give my readers something to make them laugh and laugh hard before going back to reality. It is important to detach and allow our bodies to destress. I hope you enjoy these videos.

The first video was one of my father’s favorite skits. It is very funny and I am sure many will remember it. The second video is one of my favorites. It is from the Carol Burnett show. From left to right you will see Tim Conway, Carol Burnett, Vicky Laurence and Dick Van Dyke. I hope you have a few minutes of stressless bliss. Feedback would be appreciated so I know if this is something that you feel is helpful.

BorderCal

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July 10, 2012 by IdealisticRebel

If I Told You the Truth About God

Many people claim to have the truth about God. Millions of people on our planet are determined that they know God and that they are the only ones who do know God. They are so sure that wars are fought to prove their point. I think it must get difficult to be Divinity because you are supposed to guarantee both sides victory because they know all about you and you want them to win. Where do we go from here? Many mystics, over the millenniums, have had intimate experiences with God, cosmic consciousness, Divinity or whatever name is used, on the inner landscape. The following poem was written by Kabir, a eastern mystic centuries ago. Typically, he and his work were not accepted until after his death. He understood that most people wanted God on their terms; not its. He experienced the presence of the Beloved and was ridiculed by Muslims and Hindus alike until his passing. There is a unique irony in his poems. Many mystics have used poetry, music and nature to help explain the God experience. The following poem is one of my favorites.

I Just Laughed

“If I told you the truth
about God,
you might think I was an idiot.

If I lied to you about the Beautiful One
you might parade me through the streets shouting,
‘this guy is a genius!’

This world has its pants on backwards.
Most carry their values and knowledge
in a jug that has a big hole in it.

Thus having a clear grasp of the situation
if I am asked anything these days

I just laugh!
—Kabir