High Hopes

An ant can move a rubber tree if he believes he can.

"Be strong and courageous." a friend text me that today.

Many things are coming together in my life right now and if I believe in them and give 110% then I, too, may surely move a rubber tree.

Last night, I dreamt of using a kaleidoscope in a loft with a friend.
The loft indicates my highest unconscious inviting me to investigate and get to know my higher self.

My friend symbolizes a part of me - and their actions in the dream show you either what to do, or what not to do in your present situation.

We were sharing the kaleidoscope when he took it and froze it in one picture and then somehow printed it out like art. Hmmm?

My dream interpretation website said, "To see a kaleidoscope in your dream symbolizes the different fragments and facets that make up character. Various aspects of your life are coming together."

I just have to remember to keep turning the mechanism so that the separate parts may continue to mesh and mold as I also continue to grow and change.

Character is all we have in this life.

Some choose good, while others act the role of the bad guy. Some act boldly and reveal character easily, while others are more secretive and shy about letting walls down. Regardless of where we fit, our spirit is in us and our form is our only chance to communicate this divinity within. Therefore, this life, this one stage is our opportunity to combine all of our best parts into a beautiful complex being.

Each day is a new stage to perform on with opportunities to prove our beliefs and I truly believe my dream is telling me to really take notice of all the parts equally, but marvel in the beauty of their unique combination.

News...

Went to get my hair done today and ended up trading a necklace as part of my payment.

Felt pretty good to knock $60 off the price 

and put one of my necklaces around the neck of a super fun and talented friend of mine.

She made me look like this...

So, I made her this...

I love trade.

I also love setting trends.

This picture was in the February issue of Vogue Magazine...

On another note, my hair stylist reminded me about a super cool website called Blurb 

that helps you make your own book.  

I am super excited to embark on this great adventure into publishing my Children's book. 

***

I also shared with her the contact info for a special course that I heard about from a friend.

Its a three-day course called Awakening Awareness and its part of a bigger program -

 Ethicalife in San Diego.

Here are the bullet points on the home page to the website.

***

Everything is vibrating energy.

The essence of each human being is multi-dimensional, a rich tapestry capable of creative genius. Starting from the lowest vibration, these dimensions include:

• Physical – Our body and what we can touch, taste, smell, see, and hear, our vehicle for expressing in the world
• Perceptual – Our 5 senses and the intuitive realms, working through the nervous system
• Emotional – Our emotions, providing the passion in life that registers as sensation in the body
• Mental – Our creative intelligence, working through the brain
• Spiritual – Our unity with all that is, encompassing the body and our energy field.
• 
  

ENJOY!

Karma Haiku

My sister's tiny little puppy, 

Bella,

gave birth this evening!

They're Coton de Tulears and are worth a pretty penny!

I told my sister she has good karma, which inspired this haiku.

Here is Bella the day before she had FIVE puppies! She weighed 11 lb 2 oz a day earlier.

Karma maniacs

Cashin' in and styled out

On universe gifts

All are doing well and I have predicted the runt will be a boy named Einstein.

If so, he is mine.

Lyrics as Art

I took the lyrics to a few of my favorite songs and had them mixed up into Wordles.

See if you can figure out what songs they are!

Strength + Inspiration = ReLOVEution

I must be honest.  I watched this video because of the freeze frame image that appears on it before you play it.  It caught my interest.  I was both shocked and curious.  Does that mean that I am a part of the cycle?  Am I subconsciously contributing to the degradation of women?  In my heart, I think not.  However, it is content like this that makes me WAKE UP and see the problem for what it is..not just something out of my hands...but something CLEARLY linked to my choices and actions as a woman.



This video moved me.  Thank you http://www.missrepresentation.org/!  I visited the site and took the pledge to spread the word even though I already shared it on Facebook!


However, I went back to Youtube to read other's comments about the video.


Here are some hard truths that I found:


"Get ready for an unpopular opinion, but the world will NEVER stop looking at women the way we do......until women stop looking at themselves the way they do."

"This video started with a great real premise, the media effect on young women. It ended with an old stupid argument, men vs women. If you listen to this guy (4:45) he makes it sound as if media is tilted against women and it is just not true. Men are always portrayed as immature, losers and incapable of growing up (man-child). Women are always successful and superior as men. Read The Atlantic article "The End of Men" and google "Media Portrayals Of Men". Both genders are being degraded."

SO, I went on to read http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-end-of-men/8135/ and I believe that men are not to be battled against in this argument, but a force to be teamed up with to gain a step in the right direction.  

Let's not blame media and men for this outcome, but rather be accountable ourselves and make our own decisions to change the way world we live in.

It matters what we choose to look at, how we perceive it, and whether we let it affect us or not.

If we stop looking and feeding into the media's show, then we may be the catalyst for change in our own reality.  Happiness is found by realizing what we DO have, not by what the media tells us we need.

Here's to happiness :)

Haiku for MLK

Meant to post this yesterday, but better late than never...

Junior had a dream

Now we have a day for him

To remember ours.

Islands in the Sun

In my very first blog entry ever I wrote a list of 100 things to do for inspiration.

I've caught myself referencing  a lot lately, but tonight #2 really got me going...

#2:  "Discover a new island oasis to travel to"

I mean, who doesn't like to fantasize about going to awesome, 

secluded islands full of sunshine and nature???

It just so happens that I ran across this strangely fascinating island 

that is easily a stone mason's dream to visit.

And with a last name like Steinhaus - stone house in German - 

I am pretty drawn to it too.

Home On The Rocks

Here is a blog about a stone mason's trip to this place..

Blogs rule! Write more blogs people! This is good stuff.

This is where he stayed :)

A nice pool overlooking the airstrip and tiny town...

Looks pretty inviting...

Who knows?

Anything is possible.

xOx,

Ms. Panda

One minute

Late night inspiration:

Running out of time
And running inside my mind
Marathon of thoughts

The secret by law
Is unattainable to all
It's kept by the few

So much goin on
Sometimes it's hard to keep track
People talking loud

I love bath napping
When the weather is gloomy
Cuddle time, good night :)

So, I got this dog...

Lucy was only 8 weeks old in this picture, but I met her when she was only 5 weeks old. 

She was the runt of the litter and also the most playful.

Her mom and dad were both all black...

(Zant and Vita)

 Lucy came out with a "cow" belly and white feet, 

and what I call a Wonder Woman "W" in white fur across her chest.

You can really see it here...

I was infatuated and had to make her mine.

A week later, she was what Delta Air calls, "Live Cargo," but to me she was precious goods on a wildly bumpy and extremely hot journey from Kansas City to Atlanta and finally to her new home, San Diego.

She loved her new home - especially her new front yard - the beach.

She grew into her puppy paws quickly and played all day everyday with anyone or any dog who was willing!

She liked to run, jump, roll over, high five, shake, lay down...

She would bark when you asked her, "What's your name?"

And if that isn't enough, she even knows how to say, 

"I love you!"

Lucy lived the good life.  She had it all and bag of treats.  

When Lucy didn't think life could get much better, she got the ultimate toy - another puppy to play with!

Annie.

Lucy and Annie became best buddies.

With the exception of one month, Lucy and Annie have been together every day since Annie came along.

They are just like sisters.  

One gets jealous when the other gets attention, but they'll always be best friends.

They both love to go outside.

They both love the beach!

And they REALLY love when I put on my roller skates and let them pull me FAST!

Lucy and Annie are always happy, good girls and I am so lucky to have two creatures so full of love who are always there to greet me when I get home, give me kisses when I am sad, give me lots of hugs and kisses and are always there to absorb any negativity I may be feeling right out of my life - at least for that moment.

I found this on Facebook and loved it so much that I wanted to share it here, too.  

If you are a dog owner, you will understand and respect it, too.

xOx,

Ms. Panda, Lucy and Annie

Ms. Panda's First Vlog!!!!!!!!!

I am a woman of my word and my last post promised a video blog, a.k.a. Vlog, to prove I did my 100th blogging idea from the list I wrote in my very first blog here.

Here is #100 word for word:

"Do cartwheels in high heels and pretend I have super powers."

Now this creative idea came from a list of resolutions that I posted WAY back on Myspace and it somehow made it's way back to life here and now.  It reminds me of my great friend, Jessie King, who I know without a doubt would do them with me anytime, anywhere side-by-side without hesitation.  For now, I cartwheel solo. 

So without any further ado,  I present,

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!

xOx,
Ms. Panda

Ms. Panda's 150th Post

Go figure that today is almost over and I am just starting my blog entry.

Then I realize it is my 150th post!  Feels kinda cool, like a birthday or something.

So I decided to go to  my very first post and get some inspiration with a quickness.

Before I even viewed the list, I decided in my head to write about #50 and #100, since they add up to 150.

Just keeping it simple ;)

So #50 is "Sing more songs that I make up," which is ironic, cause I woke up today singing a song about Googling everything.  It's just so crazy that the world is literally at your fingertips.  It's really mind blowing, but back to my song. Remember that song about diarrhea that goes, "When you're sliding into home and your pants are full of foam..."  I'm sure you sang it or heard it at some point.  Well, I took that tune and changed it to this:

"When your mind just can't recall and you have to know it all,
Just Google it, Just Google it.
When you need an image fast so your mind can rest at last,
Just Google it, Just Google it..."

You get the gist of it, yeah?  Please feel free to add your own verses and sing at home :)

Soooo - with the day quickly nearing end and #100 left to do, I must go.  Now.  And do #100:

"Do cartwheels in high heels and pretend I have super powers."

Video blog to follow to prove I really am going to do it, of course.

xOx,
Ms. Panda

Twosday Haiku

Twosday is way more exciting that regular old Tuesday--when you are creative!

I love my "Twoskus"
Haikus written about twos
I hope you do, two!

I thought about one

But is wasn't quite enough

Instead I wrote two

Two dogs, man's best friends

Add another and things change

Poor middle doggy

One plus one is two

One and one is eleven

I like two better

Onesday and twosday

Appear on a calendar

In the month of Math

I learned how to add

When I was just a wee lad

I made my dad glad

Numbers and weekdays

Mix so nicely in my mind

Imagine, Twosday.

We went out to eat

"Two please, non smoking, thank you."

Enjoy your dinner.

A good recipe

Calls for two teaspoons, not one

I add extra, too

Today is Twosday

All day long, things come in twos.

One? No make it two!

One lonely person

Is fine, just fine, but with two-

You get love divine!

Think of all the twos.

Think of the things you can use

Two feet need two shoes

Two hands need two gloves

True love is two turtle doves

Two eyes look above

Two, three, four and five

Add em up and feel alive!

Do a jump and jive!

When Twosday's over
And the day of math is done-
Dreams of twos will come!

Happy Twosday!

Panda Fun

Sometimes, when I blog, I feel like this Mark Meynell  image :

I started searching through illustrations of pandas on the web and found this one at Jody's Art.

I found a sample of a comic strip about a panda here.

I even found a link to how to make a panda "origami" style.

My hands down favorite panda illustration so far is this one by  Bill Carman :

He also did this beauty:

I call it "The One-eyed Bunny Snatcher"

These illustrations, to me, are a hybrid of Maurice Sendak and Salvadore Dali.

Strange but beautiful and cool all at the same time.

Just getting started...

Stay tuned!

Sun Diego

What a wonderful weekend in San Diego - so blessed to be here and able to enjoy sunshine in January. 

Was able to sight the spouts and a tail of a couple gray whales less than 200 yards off the coast today. 

Pretty awe struck as I have been wanting to catch them during this winter migration and am stoked to think it was maybe a mama and her baby, or a couple of kids out there playing.  

They didn't seem too big, but I was in a car driving along the coast, so it was hard to tell. I doubt the water is that deep being so close to the shore, which adds to my assumption that they were calves.

I hear they are migrating in record numbers around Point Loma - the peninsula shown below. 

The island in the harbor is called Coronado.

This is the San Diego Harbor as seen from the top Point Loma.  

You can see the Coronado bridge and the Navy base in the distance.

This is Sunset Cliffs, the beach side of Point Loma - just before the point. See any gray whale spouts?

The waves have been incredible and the beaches are super crowed with surfers and photographers.

Lots of buzz about the high surf!

 At low tide, the girls got to go play at dog beach in Del Mar!

Happy dogs = happy day :)

I love the way things in life can be SO BEAUTIFUL without even trying.  

Rocks. Ha :)

Sometimes the simplest things can create the greatest beauty.

K.I.S.S.

xOx,

Ms. Panda