The number of entertaining local sightings are starting to sprout just like those too early buds and bulbs. Although it’s still really cold out (five miles on the damn bike ride just about froze my freaking face off) the sun is shining, so if you stand still, there’s SOME warm. Not enough for one woman I spotted today though. In a fur coat.
You guys who don’t live here in Hippie Haven have no idea how RARE this is. She was too far away for me to detect real fur or faux, mostly it was her silhouette that caught my eye. She looked like a cartoon, and not even a classy one like Cruella De Vil. More along the lines of a scribbled caricature loosely defining a spherically shaped fluff of garment that had strangely booted stubby legs sticking out the bottom.
(Hate Free Zone here, don’t forget. I often describe my own pudgy self elf as very orb-like in structure. Not casting aspersions upon this, I’m sure perfectly delightful individual, merely attempting to give you a better idea, visually, of what I noticed.)
Then I was behind this person. I’ve never seen that pink sticker before so I haven’t a clue what it stands for. The Eugene one was also new to me.
Wag More Bark Less we’re all familiar with now. Also you may notice that lack of adorable toys and figures on the dashboard of this car I’m taking the picture from, that’s because I was not driving my Wee Walnut. Emmy’s original POS ride has recently stepped in to be a back-up. My brakes are still questionably safe (of course they are, did we imagine they would fix themselves? Well, yes. We kind of did) so I alternate between the two.
Neither car seals all that well, and we live in a damp place. I am fair and kind, so I give each a chance, once a week or so, to dry out as I go erranding with the heat on. (This is also an excellent way to stretch our gas mileage. Sadly though, the front yard looks like a scrap heap exploded and spewed crappy, dented, mismatched, broken vehicles up and down our block .)
The other observation I made today was just the most cheerfully colorful thing ever. A girl with purple hair! Bright, brilliant, and creatively shaded, oh man, it was glorious! Everyone who has ever yearned for purple hair, I’m tellin’ you, THIS was it. Bonus, she was toting a dog along in her arms. He was sort of squishy and round, very reminiscent of Max, so even if I hadn’t adored her because of her awesomely hued tresses, I would have loved her for that.
And speaking of probably inappropriate worshipfulness, I have a surprise for you today.
Can you see inside this government truck? It is my outstandingly fabulous mailman. (In this family we have a soft spot for letter carriers anyway – wave wave - hi Mike!) I was just getting home this afternoon when I heard the distinctive sound of a postal delivery being made right behind me as I parked. I grabbed my camera and stood entirely in his way.
He was his usual smiling and wonderful self as I handed him one of my business cards so he could find us. Remember that Degrees of Interaction we talked about, where we connect with a bank employee? (Don’t bother searching for it Robin, I just wasted the better part of an hour, I’ll just tell the story again tomorrow if anyone is interested.)
Well it came back to my mind after I released Outstanding Mail Man back to his job. It seems as though all my life I’ve been blessed with tremendously efficient and friendly postal workers. Both the ones who are trusted with my home correspondences as well as those I have done business with across the counter. Our current guy is no exception, he does his work (quite often above and beyond) with a smile, and unfailingly just brightens my entire day when I get to visit with him. Thank you, Fabulous Letter Carrier, I hope you find your way here so we can all express our gratitude.
The ever-controversial triple draw has returned to our card altar today. This time we’ve flipped over one of my absolute all time favorite images, and one of my, uh … LEAST favorite. (So far. Who knows what else this deck has to offer us?)
“Inner Voice ~ II Major Arcana ~ (R)
The Inner Voice speaks not in words but in the wordless language of the heart…. like an oracle…. alert watchful, and able to accept both the dark and the light. The crystal represents the clarity that comes from transcending all dualities. It is connected with the cosmos, through the crescent-moon crown, and the earth, as represented by the green leaves on the figure’s kimono.
There are times in our lives when too many voices seem to be pulling us this way and that. Our very confusion in such situations is a reminder to seek silence and centering within. Only then are we able to hear our truth.
Guidance ~ Three of Rainbows: The Physical ~
The angelic figure with the rainbow-colored wings on this card represents the guide that each of us caries within…. when this card appears it means you can trust the inner guidance you are being given. It speaks in whispers…. in following the inner guide you will feel more whole, more integrated, as if you are moving outwards from the very center of your being. If you go with it, this beam of light will carry you exactly where you need to go.
The Mind ~ Page of Clouds: Mastery of Mind ~
…. the head is filled with mechanisms, the mouth is ranting and raving, and the whole surrounding atmosphere is being polluted by this factory of arguments and opinions…. somebody, somewhere is stuck in a ‘head trip.’ Take a look and make sure it isn’t you.”
One of the first things that jumped out at me when I saw these three together was how dramatic they all were in regards to delivering our messages and showing us our signs. Access to the Mind, outside (or from within) Guidance, and that Inner Voice. It’s like we are getting the Trifecta of Telling Us What To Do!
In the traditional Tarot there are several examples of symbolism for The Monkey Mind, that chattering, incessant, busy-headed-ness we all find so overwhelming, and many of us have trouble turning off or tuning out. This Mind card reminds me of that. And since it’s in the position of a Page, my thought is that this specific message has to do with exactly that concept.
Guidance and the reversed Inner Voice are very clear as well, combined with that chattering Mind we’ve got a blinking neon sign that says to just shut up and listen. Our Team is trying really hard to tell us something, but we aren’t always giving them the attention they deserve. We put together this Group, before we got here, so it’s super important for us to heed what they have to say, as well as be aware of any time or instance when we are disregarding that Inner Voice.
Basically we are being instructed to tune in. No more hesitating when our signs and messages feel quiet, just listen MORE. Don’t try to figure it out, we don’t need to. (Don’t overthink it!) We simply need to allow the non-words to come through. Follow our hearts, feel our emotions, and we’ll be fine.
Today’s Deck:
Osho Zen Tarot
The pink one’s a marathon sticker, 26.2 miles, but I’m not sure why it’s pink.Google will provide an answer. Ahhhh, there appears to be a breast cancer marathon. So that’s probably the pink one for you.
Again, with the paying attention message. Still confused on what I’m supposed to pay attention to!!! I thought I was paying attention, but maybe I stopped? Sheesh, this is confusing. I’m going to sleep on it and decide in the morning.
Dan said so too, definitely a (gag) pink marathoner. Go her! (Not so much with the pink, but good that she’s someone who has a caring heart and displays that.)
Okay, here’s what I think about this paying attention confusion. Next yoga class, take a sec when it pops into your head, and ask “pay attention to WHAT?! Please.” And then listen. You could do it another time, but while the body is relaxed sometimes the mind follows along. Just a thought.
Wow it seems like we’ve been getting this same message in different ways for days now. I’m trying to listen. The other day I was driving down the road and I suddenly had a brief, loud, burst of tinnitus. I tried to remember exactly what I was thinking the second before, but it wouldn’t come back to me.
Your mailman seems very kindly. I can’t see him well enough to know for sure but his look felt cheerful. I hope you know, Outstanding Mailman that we all appreciate you vicariously.
Your purple hair girl reminds me of a girl who started the new job the same day I did. She is so cute. Her clothes are colorful and not traditional and you can tell she has fun getting dressed for the day.
Glad to hear you had a good trek today. I sent you an Allen Carr email.
That’s also a sign, usually for me it’s a dead person trying to get my attention and tell me something. Or it could be one of those signs of a sign. It will return. As more ear ringing (I call it “head ringing,” like they are ringing the door bell in my head to let me know they’re standing outside patiently), or some other signal.
Yeah, that picture was not great. If he finds us here I’m hoping he’ll give permission for me to try again!
Yay for getting to work with a lovely young colorful person, I’m so glad for you.
We have MUCH to discuss about our Raw Food guru. Wink wink.
I’m slightly amazed that you didn’t instantly try to talk purple-haired-girl into marrying me. That, after all, has been your MO for several years now….
She was on the bark path by DairyMart and I was in the car! If I see her again, I am SO chasing her down and getting her number for us,
oops, I mean you.
(For almost ten years now. It’s not working,
and I have no idea why….
Eugene Coffee Company at 18th and Chambers is one of my favorite places. Family owned* and managed, Sue Harnley does a bunch of cool stuff. She hosts a “Barista Institute” for HS kids each summer to give them a week of training/experience in working at and managing a coffee shop, and a Friday night event for deaf people and their families called (I thingk) Silent Fridays. Anybody with that bumper sticker is an ally. Even with a pink marathon sticker.
When the guys retire from work, they always (almost) grow beards. I have been thinking of dying my hair blue, purple or magenta…not green, for some strange reason…
*Family owned: Lesbian bankrolled and managed. Sue does the “sweat equity” part of the equation, and Alicia Hays and her partner put up the $$. Alicia also comes to the Barista Institute and talks about managing social networking identity to help kids avoid getting into some trouble when looking for employment.
Awesome! Hero/Ally – tomAYto/tomAHto.
(Hair COLOR, not dye, do you want Gay to haunt you?!)
Oh yeah, ringing in retirement with fabulously bright hair would be so cool.
great message, very timely for me. nothing interesting to add, just popping in to say HI JULIE
Wave wave! HI BARB!!!
y’know, there was something that 3 or 4 different sources mentioned or suggested to me and I thought “Oh, this must be important.” I’ve now forgotten what it was!
If it was important, I think it will have to come back, right?
Which card was your favorite and which don’t you like? You didn’t say? I don’t like the one with the disembodied lips and the eyes in weird places. Very disturbing.
Really? You don’t think one has ME written (drawn) all over it?
(Yes, totally agree on the dislike. That ugly misplaced face one is horrid.)
Hallos! (Like Barb, I gots nothing to add.)
Wave wave, hallos to you as well!
I thought that one was rather disturbing as well, Skye. Like, can it just talk to me with my eyes closed, please?
Two walks and fifteen minutes of dancing like a lunatic today! Go me!
Yay Karen! Go you!
Karen, I stuck it UNDER the one I loved, it looks much better when you can’t actually SEE it at all.
Yay you!!! (Love the lunar dancing.)
Would have loved a picture of the girl with the purple hair. Purple is one of my (many) favorite colors.
Don’t worry. I wasn’t going to try to look that up for you. I’m on drugs again this eve (damn back) and it is evening. This morning, well more afternoon after last night, as I was trying eat and read, I found out that my 6 yr. old niece knows how to use the Video Skype button. And she decided that she would spend her time skyping from one person to another and back, again and again and again. This was to make absolutely certain that EVERYONE knows that, “IT IS ONLY 5 MORE DAYS TILL MY BIRTHDAY! AND SUNDAY WILL BE MY PARTY!” Delivered while spinning around and around in a chair. I love my niece, I truly, truly do. But after a couple of hours we started clicking our status to invisible, so we could use the computer in peace. And I didn’t get here till now!
I, too, would like to know which cards were the like and dislike!
My fingers are crossed that Purple Haired Girl lives somewhere obviously close by and I’ll see her again, hopefully when I’m not IN a car and can actually talk to her. And take her picture!
Ohgawd. You lasted longer than I would have with the birthday excitement.
I am so very sorry about your back doing this to you again. Is it something on-going that you can treat at all? (I worry, ya know.)
Be careful what you ask me. I have lower back issues just by virtue of being built funny. I used to work horses, once upon a time, and I fell rarely. But when I did, it seemed to make up for all the small ‘normal’ tumbles I should have taken. No back bones broken, but muscle trauma. I was in a car accident when I was 27. Tractor trailer took out the back of the car. That’s mostly upper back crap. I tore my lower back up in a twisting dive maneuver to keep my son, who had thrown himself backwards out of my arms, from landing on his head. Then re-injured the area moving 50 lb. bags of sand (long story). Then I woke up several years ago with excruciating pain in my right arm, shoulder, and back and very little movement. Options on offer, slept wrong, pinched nerve, issues pertaining to the car accident, basically no one can tell me what the issue is. Except that it has never totally gone away. Know how your husband knits with sticks? That arm position will totally set my neck off. The only way I can knit is with circular needles in my lap. Exercise and caution will help with the lower back issues (along with not sitting too long on anything firm). My neck and upper back? I’m basically screwed. They are never happy, but exercise up to a point, helps up to a point. The biggest issue is muscle spasms/cramps. I have muscle relaxants and a Tenz unit (damn, can’t remember how that’s spelled, too lazy to look it up). Sometimes, however, the muscle relaxants just kick me in the ass. I hate that. (control issues….) Overall, the lower back is less trouble than the upper back. Sitting here writing this to you, I think this is why I have trouble taking those new shoes of mine out the door. I’m afraid I’m going to find out that the nerve issues in my neck are going to stop me from being able to do something I used to love with a passion. (I just had to stop and have a cry. Gawd I hate these ‘epiphany’ moments.)
Smiles, and big love.
Here’s to your healing.
(Longer reply below the next post.)
Went to a writers workshop today. Brain dead. It was an agent panel; much talking that delivered nothing. : ) I’m going to bed and not going to overthink anything. Just wanted to see what everyone was up to. : )
Ick, they overthinked it AT you. Best to sleep it away then. Glad you came by to check in!
(You were SO on my mind today.
)