HOMEIssue 36
In This Issue:
1) Welcome Letter by Sibyl McLendon
2) Pearl by Sibyl McLendon
3) Navajo Emergence Story
4) Journaling by Barbara Gould
5) The Power Of Music
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Welcome Letter
by Sibyl McLendon
Yá'át'ééh! Welcome to MousePages. I pray that your week will be a
wonderful one. Today, I have been thinking about how easy it is to get
off track. We all experience challenges in our lives, some little, some
big. It is so easy to get trapped in the challenge, instead of being
able to step outside of it and look at it with an unemotional eye.
As long as we are living inside of the problem, it is impossible to
solve it. All we see when we look around is the problem, the solution
will elude us. Live inside of a challenge long enough, and our path
disappears. We forget what the goal is, who we are and what we are here
to do. All this hamster-wheel thinking just stops us in our tracks.
If you are experiencing a challenge in your life today, I encourage you
to stop, take a moment, maybe go outside somewhere peaceful and quiet,
and try to get centered. Step outside of the problem, and take a good
hard look at it from an unemotional aspect. Chances are, you will at the
very least remember who you really are, and that the challenge is NOT
the end of the world! I bet that a possible solution will present itself
if you can be quiet enough to hear it. Spirit will always tell you what
to do if you can listen long and hard enough.
Recently, I kind of lost sight of what I am here to do . Like most
everyone else, I got scared because of a challenge that had popped up.
Fear is the little death, it says in the book "Dune". Very true! Now I
remember what I am supposed to be doing with my life, and the fear is
gone. I am expecting the resolution to my problem to arrive today.
Always remember to expect the best and you will get it.
A crowd of troubles passed him by
As he with courage waited;
He said, "Where do you troubles fly
When you are thus belated?"
"We go," they say, "to those who
mope,
Who look on life dejected,
Who meekly say 'good bye' to hope,
We go where we're expected."
~Francis J. Allison
Have a wonderful week.
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Pearl
by Sibyl McLendon
Pearls are the earliest known gemstone used for adornment by ancient
people. One reason for this may be that a pearl needs no polishing or
cutting to be used in jewelry, it can be used exactly as it is found. I
suppose that everyone knows that pearls come from oysters. When some
natural irritant gets into the oyster's shell, it secretes a substance
called nacre around the irritant. This nacre is what produces the
pearl, which is composed of aragonite and calcium. Colors of pearls can
vary, and this is due to the various types and amounts of pollution and
salt that is in the water that the oyster lives in. These days, most
pearls used in jewelry are cultured, which simply means that the
irritant has been introduced into the oyster as opposed to it occuring
naturally.
Just like any gem associated with water, pearls are feminine in nature.
They will heighten your creativity, your nurturing, loving feelings. As
with anything that is from the ocean, they are ruled by the moon. They
are the birthstone for June. They correspond with the astrological sign
of Gemini. The calcium found in pearls can be very beneficial for
anyone who is need of extra calcium, and they do have a gentle healing
effect on bones and teeth.
Now, any feminine stone is a bad choice to wear when you need to be
logical and unemotional. Don't wear pearls to that big business
meeting.
Pearls can be damaged by humidity and hair spray!
http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~jill/Lect17.html
Just about everything you
ever wanted to know about the making of a pearl, with photos.
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Navajo Emergence Story
The Diné emerged from three previous underworlds into the fourth, or
"Glittering World," through a magic reed. The first people from the
other three worlds were not human, but animals, insects and masked
spirits which are depicted today in Navajo ceremonies. First Man ('Altsé
Hastiin), and First Woman ('Altsé 'Asdzáá), were two of the beings from
the First or Black World. First Man was made in the east from the
joining of the white and black clouds. First Woman was made in the west
from the joining of the yellow and blue clouds. Spider Woman (Na
ashje'ii 'Asdzáá), who taught Navajo women how to weave, was also from
the first world.
Once in the Fourth Wolrd, the first thing the people did was build a
sweat house and sing the Blessing Song. Then they gathered in the first
hogan (the traditonal Navajo home), which was made exactly as Talking
God (Haashch'eelti'i) had told them to. In this hogan, the people began
to arrange their world, choosing names for the four sacred mountains
that bordered their land and choosing the four sacred stones that would
become the boundaries of their homeland. The San Francisco Peaks
(Dook'o'oslííd), represents abalone shell and coral. It is located just
north of Flagstaff, and is the Navajo's western boundary. Mt. Blanco
(Tsisnaasjini'), located in Colorado, represents white shell stone, and
stands for the Navajo's spiritual eastern boundary. Mt. Taylor
(Tsoodzil), found east of Grants, New Mexico, represents the turquoise,
and stands for the Navajo's spiritual southern boundary. Mt. Hesperus
(Dibé Nitsaa), also in Colorado, represents the black Jet, and is the
Navajo's spiritual northern boundary.
After putting the mountains where they should be, the Holy People put
the sun and the moon into the sky and were in the process of placing
the stars into the sky in a very precise way, but Coyote, known as the
trickster, grew impatient, and seized the corner of the blanket where
the stars were being kept and flung the remaining stars into the sky.
The Holy People continued to make the necessities of life, like clouds,
trees and rain. Everything was as it should be when the evil monsters
appeared and began to kill the new Earth People. They were saved by the
miraculous birth of Changing Woman (Asdzaa Nadleehe) at Gobernador Knob
(Ch'óol'í'í), New Mexico. Changing Woman grew up around El Huerfano Mesa
(Dzil Na'oodilii), in northern New Mexico. She married the Sun and bore
twin sons, who became heroes to the Navajo. They are known as "Monster
Slayer" and "Child-Born-of-Water". The twins traveled to their
father
the Sun and got weapons of lighting bolts to fight the dreaded monsters.
Everywhere that the Hero Twins killed a monster, the monster turned to
stone. The lava flows near Mt. Taylor in New Mexico are believed to be
the blood from the death of Ye'iitsoh, or the "Monster who Sucked in
People". All of the rough rock formations on the reservation, such as
the immense Black Mesa (Dzil Yíjiin), are believed to be the bodies of
the monsters that were turned to stone. When all of the monsters were
dead, the Holy People began creating the four original clans. Kiiyaa
aanii, or Tall House People, was the first clan. They were made of
yellow and white corn.
In order for her husband, the Sun, to visit her every evening, Changing
Woman went to live in the western sea on an island made of crystal. Her
home was made of the four sacred stones (abalone, white shell,
turquoise, and black jet). Eventually, she got lonely during the long
days and decided to make her own people. She made four clans from the
flakes of her skin. These are the Near Water People, Mud People, Salt
Water People, and Bitter Water People. When these new clans heard that
there were humans to the east who shared their heritage, they wanted to
go meet them. Changing Woman gave her permission for them to travel to
Dinetah. They traveled toward the Chuska Mountains and on to Mt.
Taylor. Finally, the people arrived at Dinetah, the Navajo homeland, and
joined the other clans living there. .
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Journaling
by Barbara Gould
Down through history people have journaled. Good thing! If it weren't
for this there might not be any reliable records of the past. I,
myself, am not a historian but I have made a pretense at journaling for
many years. I say 'made a pretense', as I would start at the first of
the year and do
fairly until the next month or the next week and then there would be
gaps you could pitch a cow through. Spasmodic journals are all over in
my files.
My mother kept a journal. Now, she was more dedicated that myself, and
I have hers on hand also. I am glad to have them and do read them,
though the mood must be right. My mom was also a writer and she could
wring me out in three lines. I feel certain she wrote in total honesty.
I find, even in my journals, I write, not for myself but in case
someone else would read them.
You know, don't hurt anyone's feelings and don't expose yourself to
thebone.
In fact I am in the midst of what I call "the manuscript"! It is the
story of who I am and why; mainly to get down interesting little stories
and poetry that I have written for years. The purpose being to enlighten
my children and grandchildren to just who I am and what caused me to be
this
way. Recently I had a Creative Writing teacher tell me to write for
myself, not for anyone else. "Write it for yourself.!" As I stated
before, it is hard to bare yourself to the bone for anyone. But an
ordinary, or even not so ordinary, journal can become a valued gift to
those who love you and
want to know all they can about you just because you are you.
During my days as Senior Companion I was paired up with a man who had
cowboy'd for a large ranch in this area for forty years. He had
mentioned wanting to write a book so the program station supervisor
assigned me to be his companion. He told wonderful stories of
the
past in the area just in the course of conversation but he was not ready
to have it recorded. He would talk about it then say, "We'll get around
to it one of these days." He was not ready to let me use a small
recorder either, so, sadly the stories were lost when he died.
One of my other companions who I became very close to showed me her
journals from time to time. She began back in the years of being a
young wife and mother on a ranch. She kept them, not in a fancy little
diary but in ledgers, little or even big spirals, anything that she
could write in
suited her just fine. She had a lot of them and still keeps a daily
notebook of what ever happens every day.
I was so impressed with hers! She had glued, pasted, taped in
newspaper and magazine articles and pictures that either pertained to
her family or just interested her. She saved postage stamps, stickers,
cards of every size, style and shape, letters, cartoons, poetry and her
own personal
entries. What a wonderful legacy for her family to have; when she is
gone, to be able to go back and learn even more about her life from the
time she was very young. She and I spent time looking at many of them
pondering as to how she ever found the time to be so thorough. Raising
a family and serving as a helpmate on a dry land farm in southwestern
Montana back in the days of hauling water, cooking on a wood range,
baking bread, doing laundry in an old wringer washing machine. Also
they raised a vegetable garden and grew beautiful flowers. Canned
and
made preserves sewed for her daughters. The twelve mile trip to town
was in a horse drawn wagon, an all day trip, and not often. Still she
journaled religiously!
I purchased some of those smaller, spiral, 150 page, 9 by 6.5 lined
three subject notebooks and I have been real dedicated for nearly a year
now. As a girl I remember using the little locking five year diaries
that were sold everywhere. Good grief!!!!! About all you could squeeze
in on any
indicated day would be brief beyond belief! My Mom had some larger,
really nice diaries that she used from time to time; she also was
fortunate in being able to obtain a rather nice little notebook the
first of each year from her auto insurance company. I have some of
those also.
The thing is, it is not only important to you for your own thoughts, it
can help you to keep track of what you did and when. Most of us cannot
remember things like when the washer had to be repaired, when you had
your last tetanus shot, the last time you heard from cousin Roger! If
you put a beginning and ending date right on the cover, just like you do
on each check record section that you carry within your check book, you
will find it easier to locate things.
The therapy factor also plays a part here. If you are hurt or angry,
maybe feeling a bit emotional from time to time you can also vent this
in your journal and you know, I find that this also takes away the rough
edge and shows me that "this too will pass." It is a healthy,
beneficial habit to get into.
I mentioned once in a class something about burning my journals and my
Writing Prof. about had a fit. "Don't ever do it!" Your first thoughts
and your journal thoughts are priceless, the best thought process to
begin with and even use in your writing!"
I still have them, but must admit, I also toy with the idea of having a
burning ceremony!
@2001gould Barbara Gould writes articles, basic topic being aging,
short-short filler
paragraphs, s poetry and short stories. She self-published a poetry book
in 1996, has been published in various other areas including a weekly
column. She had a career in Early Childhood Education and Development;
worked in a private home as a Nanny then volunteered for five years for
the Senior Companion Program. She officially retired earlier this year.
http://geocitites.com/mtnmagpie/index.html
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The Power Of Music
"Shower the People"
James Taylor
You can play the game and you can act out the part
Though you know it wasn't written for you
But tell me, how can you stand there with your broken heart
Ashamed of playing the fool
One thing can lead to another; it doesn't take any sacrifice
Oh, father and mother, sister and brother
if it feels nice, don't think twice
Just shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel
Things are gonna work out fine if you only will
Shower the people you love with love
Show them the way you feel
Things are gonna be much better if you only will
You can run but you cannot hide
This is widely known
And what you plan to do with your foolish pride
When you're all by yourself alone
Once you tell somebody the way that you feel
You can feel it beginning to ease
I think it's true what they say about the squeaky wheel
Always getting the grease.
Better to shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel
Things are gonna be just fine if you only will
Shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel
Things are gonna be much better if you only will
Shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel
You'll feel better right away
Don't take much to do
Sell you pride
They say in every life
They say the rain must fall
Just like pouring rain
Make it rain
Make it rain
Love, love, love is sunshine.
Oh yes
Make it rain
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