Easy riding to lift the spirits

"...To flow where the Spirit takes you
And not be overwhelmed -
Living in the light of Easter"
Credit to ER; see the rest of the poem at ER's blog


"So long as we love to serve, so long as we are loved by others, I would almost say that we are indispensible; and no man is useless while he has a friend."
-Robert Louis Stevenson

Rest In Peace, dear friend

He was such a joyful soul, always ready to play soccer/football with you. His size spoke of his name, Rommell (big like a tank, and would knock you over like one too!)He lived to the average age of a 'big dog' but seemed to go so quickly; at least he didn't suffer much, and was with family when he passed. RIP dear friend.

Quote of the Day
"The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs."
-Charles de Gaulle


"Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really. "
-Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Tá mé óg, níl mé sean.

"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." :))
Lins, a Doctor Who quote!!! ;D







"You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing."
credit: words4ever.com, Michael Pritchard

The title, 'Tá mé óg, níl mé sean', translates to: 'I'm young, I'm not old' (compliments of Buntús Cainte.)

This is just a bit of fun. However, I wonder if sometimes we go through life, older than we need to be? Sure, there are the pressures of responsiblities, and unfortunate circumstances to deal with...yet, I think today, I would like to dwell on the having the mindset of one who is young, full of curiousity, joy, and hope.
Anyone here have some examples of how to have 'the mindset of staying young' with regard to approaching life?! It's not always easy to do, is it?!

TalkingBear, the other day, had a good quote by Edward Young and in somewhat of a pensive mood, I answered: 'It's good to pause and reflect, and to see if the life-course you are on is lining up with true North...in a manner of speaking. What is it that holds us from bearing a better report? Is it selfishness, pride, fear?

To reflect on what is valuable in this world, and to what benefit we use our lives for, in doing right and good by others. To live not in fear, but in boldness that we should answer not that we did little because we feared the unknown, but that we endeavored to do great so that our lives may count in the balance.

Quotes are wonderful to read; they make us ponder, reflect, feel good. However, quotes are only as good as we put them to action...not always an easy thing to do, because this may involve discomfort of self-evaluation, change, risk.'

Life is a balancing act, is it not then, perhaps....The mindset of one who is young, tempered with the wisdom that comes with age and embracing life's lessons. It's just finding that right balance to make it all flow... :)

Home Sweet Home

I love Springtime in the high desert. These photos were borrowed from the website of the Antelope Valley Poppy reserve. Hopefully the teen and I will be out and about to take a few photos of our own to share. We were out with the horses the other day, and the trail led thru a few of these 'flower carpets'. We thought that was absolutely wonderful enough, then the red-tail hawk flew over head to make the day complete!! There's a freedom in the beauty of nature! :)

"The day, water, sun, moon, night - I do not have to purchase
these things with money."
-Plautis

"The earth laughs in flowers."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good Friday Thoughts

Although my first entry this morning was thoughts on Friday fun...I do not want to take away from the solemness of the this day. I found a beautiful song sung by Karen Matheson of Capercaille; however, YouTube has not been cooperating of late, to get music vids posted. Thus the link to this song:

Green Waves


"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."
Romans 2:20

"Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born,...even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God...so teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom...Do return, O Lord; how long will it be?...And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And do confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, do confirm the work of our hands."
-Psalm 90

"For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
-John 3:16

Friday Fun!

This is Wonderful News!!!.....Could this possibly be true??!!...You know those experts!!

However, being in the science/medical field myself, I plan to apply my expertise to researching this subject fully...starting tonight. It is Friday, afterall!!!

To furthering our health with longevity, Cheers!! ;D

NewsFlash: Beer Fights Cancer
"Researchers are always looking for the magic bullet to kill cancer, and now they may have found it in a surprising place — a glass of beer! (Who knew?) It turns out that hops, which is the flavor component of beer, contains a cancer-fighting compound called xanthohumol.
Xanthohumol turns out to be toxic to several kinds of human cancer, including prostate, ovarian, breast, and colon. Further, it inhibits enzymes that can activate the development of cancer, and also helps detoxify carcinogens. It even seems to slow down tumor growth in the early stages. Scientists are trying to produce hops that contain even more xanthohumol, and the Germans are racing to develop a “health” beer.
But wait – there’s more! Other compounds in hops are potent phytoestrogens which may help with post-menopausal hot flashes and also prevent osteoporosis.
Beers that provide the most benefits contain the most hops, and include strong brews such as ale, stout, and porter. In general, the darker the beer, the better. For those who can’t stand beer, herbal supplements made from hops contain the highest concentrations of beneficial elements."

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-Benjamin Franklin

"Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer. ”
-Dave Barry

Ashokan Farewell

a hauntingly beautiful song...

Cherokee Morning Song (A beautiful Native American song)

"We n' de ya ho, We n' de ya ho"
I am of the Great Spirit, Ho! I am of Great Spirit, Ho!

"We n' de ya ho, We n' de ya ho, ho ho ho"
I am of the Great Spirit, Ho! I am of Great Spirit, Ho! It is so, it is so.

"He ya ho he ya, Ya ya ya"
Great Spirit, Great Spirit, Great Spirit

Lakota Prayer

"Wakan Tanka, Great Mystery,
teach me how to trust
my heart,
my mind,
my intuition,
my inner knowing,
the senses of my body,
the blessings of my spirit.
Teach me to trust these things
so that I may enter my Sacred Space
and love beyond my fear,
and thus Walk in Balance
with the passing of each glorious Sun."

According to the Native People, the Sacred Space
is the space between exhalation and inhalation.
To Walk in Balance is to have Heaven (spirituality)
and Earth (physicality) in Harmony.

A Noble People

Lakota Prayer

Wakan Tanka, Great Mystery,
teach me how to trust
my heart,
my mind,
my intuition,
my inner knowing,
the senses of my body,
the blessings of my spirit.
Teach me to trust these things
so that I may enter my Sacred Space
and love beyond my fear,
and thus Walk in Balance
with the passing of each glorious Sun.

According to the Native People, the Sacred Space
is the space between exhalation and inhalation.
To Walk in Balance is to have Heaven (spirituality)
and Earth (physicality) in Harmony.

Have a laugh or twa

"There are two theories about how to win an argument with a woman. Neither one works. "

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day."

Walking in the Sacred Space

PhotoCredit goes to my eldest daughter (as with some of the other Eastern Sierras photos) who is becoming quite an accomplished graphic artist.


This photo was taken last fall as we were returning from a stay up in the Eastern Sierras. The animals in the backround are Elk, a protected herd that frequents this area along this stretch of highway. They are quite magnificent animals, and during parts of the year you can hear that unique sound they make when they call to one another.


O' GREAT SPIRIT
help me always
to speak the truth quietly,
to listen with an open mind
when others speak,
and to remember the peace
that may be found in silence.
-Cherokee Prayer



If there is righteousness in the heart,
there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character,
there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.
So let it be
-A Scottish Blessing


Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
-Chief Seattle, 1854

Native Wisdom

"You have noticed that everything as Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round..... The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours...."
"Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves."

-Black Elk Oglala Sioux (Lakota) Holy Man, 1863-1950








Yes, these are Celtic Circle Knots. I just find some of the similarities of the Native Americans and the Celtic cultures to be interesting. Feel free to comment or add, especially if you have knowledge of either cultures. I'm always looking to expand my Circle of knowledge! :)

The Gael

Well, I'm heading back to some old stomping grounds, in Pennsylvania, to say a final farewell to my grandfather. He made it to 93yrs, his grandfather made it to 95yrs, and was always joking about sticking around to receive a letter from the Queen. :)

It will be tears, laughter and many a toast; a life well completed, and an example to us all! :)

Planxty - The Clare Jig

"...The just man liveth by faith."
-Romans 1:17

"Beauty comes from a life well lived."
-Jennifer Garner

"Life, if well lived, is long enough."
-Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart,
and you shall see that in truth
you are weeping for that which has been your delight."
-Kahlil Gibran

EL PORTEÑITO - TANGO - GARDEL - ARGENTINA

Thank you for your wonderful wit and wisdom. You walked humbly in your faith, forever an example to me. You will soon be free to fly with the angels and dance on the clouds....dance with passion, dance with joy, forever dancing in my heart....baila con la pasión, baila con la alegría, bailando por siempre en mi corazón.

Por una Cabeza - Gardel

Tan muchas memorias, mi abuelo de buen corazón, tan muchas memorias. Gracias por estar allí por me, cuando me padre, su hijo, se murió; y ahora, estoy con usted en espíritu mientras que usted dibuja sus respiraciones pasadas. Esta canción era uno de sus favoritos, cuando usted bailó tarde en la noche de Argentina, con su amor verdadero, hace tan muchos años. Es la hora de unir con ella; y si un tango, un jig, o un fling, usted bailará libremente por fin con su Señor.

So many memories, my kind-hearted grandfather, so many memories. Thank you for being there for me when my father, your son, died; and now, I am with you in spirit as you draw you last breaths. This song was one of your favorites when you danced late into the Argentine night, with your true love, so many years ago. It's time for you to join her; and whether a tango, a jig, or a fling, you will be dancing freely at last with you Lord.

an Irish ballad, '....he died o' terst...'

...it was nine in the morning on a cold and rainy night...eh?

Wicked Tinkers Live in Hartford, CT

"He who postpones the hour of living is like a rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses."
-Horace

"Ma bheir thu Muile dhiom, cha toir thu muir is tir dhiom"
( You may take Mull from me, but you can't take sea and land from me)
-anon

Wicked Tinkers!

The Wicked Tinkers are a fun bunch of guys that put on a really great show. They're based in SCalif but travel all over the States to the various Celtic Festivals and Highland games. Well worth seeing!

Standing sideways in the wind

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." ~ Roger Caras

"If you're short of trouble, get a goat" ~ anon


Our two Mastiffs and Jack the Goat aka weed eater....

Well, it's a miserable windy day here which is like saying the desert is very dry...It's 'mostly always' windy here, with some days better than others. I did manage to get out and plant a bare root Apricot tree.
The photo of the 'three' dogs ( yes, the goat thinks himself a dog) was taken today, and you can see that the goat's beard looks more like a windsock.

No more outside activity today as I need to have a purposeful purpose or have something very wonderful to look at from high up on a mountain-top to be out in the miserable gusting wind...therefore, I've chosen to stay inside. However, I am hiding away in the office from the hoard of loud and laughing children rampaging in the house at the moment (my children and their friends from a sleepover). So, warning if the posts today come up as those of a nutter, well there you go, I cannae be held responsible!! ;)

Trunk Monkey

...I think every hard working person should have one! ;)