Wouldn't It Be Nice...

...if we could live without 'ego'. If we could learn to accept each other and celebrate our differences, rather than merely push for 'tolerance'? Tolerance is such an ugly word. In my mind, it conjures up images of gritting one's teeth and trying not to explode. Hardly the image of compassion that our world so desperately needs.
What if we each take a moment to remember a moment from our own lives when we felt totally accepted. Maybe it was from a loving parent or relative. Maybe it was a dear and trusted friend. Maybe a teacher or mentor. Let that feeling wash down and over you. Internalize that feeling of warmth, love and acceptance. That feeling that someone 'gets' you...loves you...cherishes you JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, warts and all!
Embrace that feeling and file it away in your mind and heart, but keep it close by.
Plan to remember that glorious feeling when you are next faced with seemingly unlovable people or situations that frustrate you to no end. Try to remember that time in your past when someone loved you at a time when you may not have been your most lovable. That person saw through to the real you and just plain ol' loved and accepted you anyway.
I know this is far easier said than done, but it is so worth a try.
Maybe we could soften the harshness of this angry, judgemental world if we all could collectively accept each other, just the way we are NOW...no matter what gender, ethnicity, social position, sexual orientation, political outlook...
Maybe we could reunite our hearts on the basis of common threads such as love, compassion, integrity...
Just a thought.
Hope you have a great day today, whoever YOU may be!

Boy, they sure grow up fast!

This is our sweet,intense,and ever-challenging son and his adorable girlfriend, as they were headed to their Junior Prom last week.
They look so wonderful, but then , I may be a bit biased!

Talent

"Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place it leads." - Erica Jong

SciAm Article: Evolution of House Cats

I just opened our June 2009 issue of Scientific American to find a cool article about the evolution of the house cat. Very interesting stuff, and just goes to show that cats are far wiser than they appear. Apparently their sinister plan to gain complete world/human domination began far earlier than previously thought!

Max says "...and dis iz a problem?"

Here's the link to the story:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-taming-of-the-cat

Those Astronauts Rock!

{I love this photo-it puts things in perspective for sure!}

The NASA crew has completed it's mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope so that we may hopefully receive many more years of stunning images from deep space.
Please check out these links for the complete mission documented in pictures.
Very impressive!
Way to go, Atlantis crew!
You guys rock!
http://www.nasa.gov/
or
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/05/hubbles_final_servicing_missio.html

Atlantis On The Way To Hubble!

Anyone who knows my husband and me knows we are bigtime space junkies. We are science geeks of the highest order, and our incredible Universe never seems to run out of things that knock our socks off.
First things that comes to mind are the amazing images of deep space that the Hubble Space Telescope has given us. I can't help but think about all the other worlds out there just teeming with life, but so far away we may never know for sure. At least, not in our lifetime.
One of my favorite movies is Contact starring Jodie Foster. Great movie on so many levels. And written by Carl Sagan, an amazing mind who lived to plumb the depths of possibility.
Tomorrow's the big day for NASA and the Atlantis crew. They will begin the final repair of Hubble.
Hope all goes well for them and that they return safely to our beautiful blue world.
Visit this site to see some gorgeous views of our vast Universe:
http://www.spacetoday.org/DeepSpace/Telescopes/GreatObservatories/Hubble/HubbleBeauty.html

Thought For The Day

“This is what you shall do: love the earth and sun, and animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence towards the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown, or to any man or number of men; go freely with the powerful uneducated persons, and with the young, and mothers, of families: read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life: re-examine all you have been told at school or church, or in any books, and dismiss whatever insults your soul.”
-Walt Whitman