Pepper's Good Bye

A special Goodbye to our very first pigs

I just had to say goodbye to Pepper another one of my very first pigs. Our First pigs were the ones that blazed the path for the others to follow . They set the standard for all other Potbellied pigs everywhere. They taught us well they even taught the Vets about the care of a very special species of animal, "The glorified Potbellied Pig."

Pepper was one of our kids on the block so to speak. Just like Quinton Riley ,Amos , Reggie , Pepper,Thelma, Sporty, Lulabelle , and Cornie, unfortunately I could go on and on ,but you know what I mean. They were the kids that went to school together and the ones that competed in piggy sports together. They even were in piggy camp together and at special social events, they did therapy together and Fairs .

They were the ones that taught us how to be good pig Moms and Dads. They were the last ones we tucked in at night and patted their heads and kissed their snooties. They were the first ones that demanded their breakfast in the morning as we were just opening our eyes.

They were the ones that made us who we are today. They taught us to laugh out loud and cry when they hurt.

They challenged us to reach for the sky. They taught us how to be proud to have a pig in the house and not be afraid to shout it from the roof tops. They inspired us to help save other less fortunate Potbellied pigs and get them new special homes like the ones we tried to make for our kids.

My Reggie girl and Pepper inspired me to become the leading zoning consultant in the US., because I didn't want anyone coming into my home and telling me to get rid of my pigs just because some old law says" No swine allowed".

They also made us love them no matter how big they grew. There were no such thing as a so called ,"Tea Cup Pig " back then. They were our babies no matter what.

They had their times, but all in all they gave everything to us we could ever hope to find . They gave us undying love and respect, acceptance, comfort, and courage to be who we are and not fear what someone would think about having a pig as a pet.

I personally found that by taking my first pigs out in public all the time, not only was I not rejected by people because of society's expectations, but my Reggie ,Pepper and I were welcomed everywhere with respect and awe for who we as a team had become and what we represented. All of us Pioneer Potbellied pig caregivers were a part of that process and I am so glad that we were and still are.

Our first pigs took us places and gave us friends we would never have met had it not been for them. We love them all so much. Who would have ever thought that here we would be in our later years still embracing what was a extreme turning point in all our lives? Our first Pigs were and still are today that amazing force that drives us on to better things and deeper a love of nature and respect  for all anima

We learned together to be tolerant and loving, to be patient and not so fussy about things. They taught how to live in the now. Something that people pay a lot to learn today from some glorified Guru. Just think how blessed we are to be a part of that and how wonderful it is to be able to guide new parents of their first potbellied pig in the care and expectations of a joyous life together.

I would have never traded my life for anyone's in the hay day of our first pigs. Those were the days my friends unfortunately they had to end , but they still live as motion pictures in our minds and emotions that we will always carry in our hearts for each and every one of our special first pigs who grew up together just like kids in the Hood.

Rest in Peace our piggy kids as we keep your memories in our minds and the love in our hearts for all of you that had to leave us. We will always be sad but you all gave us memories that we will never forget and friends to match.

When they left us they took a piece of our hearts along so they can stay connected and we will see them again someday but until that time we are here still doing what they taught us to do very well. Love and care for all animals because they are special and they need us.

By Becky DiNolfi ©

Outrageous Older Woman

An Outrageous Older Women

I am an outrageous older woman who has arrived at that place in my life where the only thing that counts is who you love and who loves you . My first pig Reggie was the little black bundle of porcine joy who saved my life. Having had 3 heart attacks within the span of 1 1/2 years I was living in fear . Reggie took that fear away and healed me. She took me on the journey of my life. She gave me inspiration, patients, laughter, and eternal friends . She taught me how to live in the moment, how to smell the flowers, every one, how it's not important how you look, but what's in your heart that counts. She made me an activist , writer , AA therapy partner, Reggie gave me the life I would never have dreamed , but most of all she gave me LOVE and devotion. Reggie has passed into spirit now but her inspiration lives on as I help save homes for the next generation of potbellied pigs. She left her mark on everyone's heart that she met, doing her job as a Therapy pet partner for over 14 years . I dedicate this blog to her and all the other potbellied pigs who made a difference in someone's life. They have Left Hoof Prints on the Hearts of those who chose to love a pig.

By Rebecca DiNolfi

2012 Mayan Predictions - End of World - 2012 Doomsday?

2012 Mayan Predictions - End of World - 2012 Doomsday?

IMAGINE

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair."
~ Kahlil Gibral

“The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened.”
~ J.R.R. Tolkien Quotes

"Honor All With Whom We Share The Earth"

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."
~ Rachel Carson

~ Good Morning Star Shine ~ The Earth Says "HELLO"! ~

“You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself”
~Buddha

"Open up your heart, let's come together,Use a little love, and we will make it workout better."
~ Ringo Starr

"It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder."
~Albert Einstein~

"We are here to make a better world. No amount of rationalization or blaming can preempt the moment of choice each of us brings to our situation here on this planet. The lesson of the '60s is that people who cared enough to do right could change history. We didn't end racism but we ended legal segregation. We ended the idea that you could send half-a-million soldiers around the world to fight a war that people do not support. We ended the idea that women are second-class citizens. We made the environment an issue that couldn't be avoided. The big battles that we won cannot be reversed. We were young, self-righteous, reckless, hypocritical, brave, silly, headstrong and scared half to death.
And we were right."
~ Abbie Hoffman

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the Eyes of others only a Green thing that stands in the way. Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and by these I shall not regulate my proportions; and some scarce see Nature at all. But to the Eyes of the Man of Imagination, Nature is Imagination itself. ~ William Blake

"When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.
~Albert Einstein

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed. ~Albert Einstein

“Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life. ”
~ Tenzin Gyatso

"World peace can blossom throughout the length and breadth of the world only when the world-peace-dreamers, world-peace-lovers and world-peace-servers desperately, sleeplessly and breathlessly long for the full manifestation of peace here on earth.”
~ Sri Chinmoy

"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. ~ Thomas Alva Edison

"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more.
~George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

"Peace must first be developed within an individual. And I believe that love, compassion, and altruism are the fundamental basis for peace. Once these qualities are developed within an individual, he or she is then able to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony. This atmosphere can be expanded and extended from the individual to his family, from the family to the community and eventually to the whole world."
~ The Dalai Lama

 

Weeds in our Garden ...

Weeds in our Garden ...

How Do You Make Your Garden Grow?

Heaven letter #3899 Published on: July 29, 2011

God said:

Yes, the weeds that you point out in another’s garden are your own. Pay attention to your own garden. In this case, weeds refer to faults.

If you did not have the very weeds you point out, you would not notice them in other gardens as much as you do. You certainly would not notice them with a superior air.

Finding fault is the antipathy of humility. Serenity is more like humility. Appreciation is more like humility. The more appreciative you are, the more you come from a high place, and this very high place bears the name of humbleness. There is no humiliation in humility. There is humiliation in finding fault. Don’t do it anymore.

The more obvious a fault is in another, the more you possess it. Why harp on faults? I suggest that you get out from under them. The splinter is in your own eye.

The beauty is here within you as well. Look for the beauty, and renounce faults. Be done with them. Help Me to lift the world. You do not help the world by putting it down.

Grow in the direction you want the world to grow in.

The only thing you can do is to be an example to the world. Be the example you would like to have before you. Wouldn’t it be nice and easy then if where you looked, you saw what you yourself would like to be? Be it then now. Be the inspirer.

This is God speaking to you in the way that life speaks to you. Life teaches you. Without ego, you would listen.

Emulate the highest. Complaining is not of the highest. No longer complain. No longer complain even once about anything.

Respond to what another says and not to your opinion of it. Will you take this as your motto? From now on foreswear criticism. Foreswear complaint. Foreswear displeasure. Embrace upliftment. Embrace.

True, complaint is contagious. There is a vaccine. I would call the vaccine upliftment. Uplift the world rather than carry it. Release yourself from your bonds.

Whatever you thought yesterday, think a new way today. Whatever you found fault with yesterday, let go of it today. Whatever you could have done better yesterday, do it today. Be a replenisher of the Universe. Be a replenisher of appreciation.

Appreciate everyone for their bravery. They are brave to come before you. They run the risk of being snapped at, isn’t that so? Be grateful for everyone who dares to come before you and risk your criticism, for you tend to think you know better, and so you comment on the weeds in another’s garden.

Weed your own garden first, and then go help your neighbor. How about saying nothing once in a while? Who told you that you have to speak out every thought in your head? Speak up when you have something uplifting to say. Inspire or be quiet. Inspire, or bite your tongue. Express your Higher Self. Everything else has been said and said more than once. Think of something new to say.

Think of hearts. How thirsty they are. Give them a drink.

Water the flowers in another’s garden. Share upliftment. Share inspiration. Be careful where you walk in another’s garden.

Weed your own garden, and then invite others to it. Be the beautiful garden you would like others to be. Your business isn’t to improve others. Your business is to inspire yourself. Then you will have many coming to your garden and asking you how you do it? “How do you make your garden grow?” they will ask.

Socrates thoughts on gossip

Keep this in mind the next time you are about to repeat a rumor or spread gossip.

+In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.

+One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about Diogenes?"

+"Wait a moment," Socrates replied, "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

'Triple filter?" asked the acquaintance.

+"That's right," Socrates continued, "Before you talk to me about Diogenes let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

+"No," the man said, "Actually I just heard about it."

+"All right," said Socrates, "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about Diogenes something good?"

+"No, on the contrary..."

+"So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something about Diogenes that may be bad, even though you're not certain it's true?"

+The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued, "You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about Diogenes going to be useful to me?"

+"No, not really."

+"Well," concluded Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even useful, why tell it to me or anyone at all?"

+The man was bewildered and ashamed. This is an example of why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

 

An Open Letter To All Mankind

Fairy Faith Brian Froud interview excerpt

How Poor We Are

It all depends on how you look at it.........

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. 

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, 'How was the trip?'

    'It was great, Dad.'

    'Did you see how poor people live?' the father asked.

    'Oh yeah,' said the son.

    'So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?' asked the father.

    The son answered:

    'I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.'

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.'
 Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

Pass this on to friends and acquaintances and help them refresh their perspective and appreciation.

    'Life is too short and friends are too few.'

A Different Kind of Faerie Tale .one and two

A Different Kind of Faerie Tale

by: Rebecca DiNolfi ©

      Most faerie tales begin with, "Once Upon A Time." , but not my faerie tale. It doesn't start   that way because it isn't  from a long time ago. It's from this time and place.  It is my  fairy tale. It began the day I moved into my new home in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

      It was warm that day in July in 2003 when my two potbellied pigs, Reggie, Pepper and I arrived at our last homely place. I unpacked the SUV and headed to the front door of our home nestled snugly in the enchanted woods. When I opened the door I was greeted with the overwhelming feeling that  this was going to be an amazing new adventure

     I set my things  on the floor, because there was nowhere else to put then. Unfortunately I had another month to wait before my furniture would be delivered , so that meant the house was empty except for one small chair left behind by the previous owner. The piggies were snooting around from room to room as I headed for the sliding glass door in the dinning room to let in some fresh air and see what was happening on the deck out back.

      As I stepped onto the deck I noticed a wonderful old maple tree A strange feeling crept  over me as I was gazing at this tree. I got the feeling I was not alone. I could not understand why I was feeling this way.

     All I knew was that I felt happier at this moment than I had felt in a long time. I felt a sense of peace and overwhelming gratitude to finally be here. It was a very  hard time I had just gone through  to get where I was now after my divorce.

     I continued to unpack and settle into my new place. A month had passed and my stuff had arrived.    It was suddenly August and the nights were getting a lot warmer so I was able to keep my doors and windows open for longer periods of time. It was a delightful summer and I could see the changes of the autumn leaves starting to appear here and there in the forest behind my home.   My potbellied pigs and I spent a lot of time there just walking among the wild flowers and trees. Of course they did taste a few flowers here and there.

     Whenever I was in the forest I always had a strange feeling of being watched, but I could not tell where this was coming from.  This feeling was something I never experienced before. It was a little unnerving but not  scary. Somehow this actually made me feel protected. As time went on this feeling of being watched got stronger. Then one day like magic I discovered where it was coming from, it was coming from my old maple tree.

     Since I am a professional dowser I decided to use my pendulum, and A.B.C. chart, to locate where the strange feeling was coming from. My pendulum told me it was the maple tree. I also found out that day that I was able to use my pendulum to talk to animals and my trees any time I wanted to. This was the beginning of something amazing. My tree told me his name was" Old Man" and he was my guardian. Then he gave me a special name, It was ,"My Lady Rebecca Fire Elf Shimmer." He even told the forest creatures, and now they call me My Lady Rebecca.

      I knew that day I was living in a magical place and I was blessed to have been sent here by my Angels and higher Being Strange things started to happen after that day with Old Man..

  Time was moving fast my first summer here. One hot summer morning I was working on a zoning case and I glanced out the window of my office. I noticed my neighbor's cat Peanut playing with something in his yard. I realized he had a chipmunk and was tossing it in the air. I grabbed my garden gloves and rushed out the front door. Peanut saw me and took off. I ran to  the little chipmunk lying motionless on the ground and picked it up. I cupped it in my hands and  immediately began sending Reiki. I am a Reiki Grand Master ,and it is just natural for me to do this. It seemed like forever, but he finally opened his eyes and looked at me.  I could see the blood running down his tiny cheek. He was scared to death. All of a sudden he jumped out of my hands and scampered away. I said good bye and went back to finish my zoning case. A few weeks later I was by my feeders and I noticed a chipmunk with scars on his face. I asked him if he was the same chipmunk  that the cat had hurt, and  he told me yes and introduced himself as Odie.

      From that day on Odie and I became the best of friends. I  saw him in my home one day looking out the sliding glass door at his friends on the deck to let them know he was special. He left me many presents of seed and peanuts in my home that summer and many summers to follow.  Odie has passed into spirit now but he will always be very special to me as he was the first animal I had ever communicated with. I even befriended a mole named Moe who would allow me to pet his back while he ate seed from under the fallen leaves.

   Summer had suddenly turned  into Fall and the trees were dressed in every color you could imagine. There was a golden glow coming from my enchanted forest.  It was beautiful. I loved talking to my trees and animals all summer. It was an amazing experience to feel the closeness I felt to these creatures.

     Then one morning in mid September, I received a phone call from my psychic friend Nancy. we talked a while , then she said " Becky, do you know that you are living on a port hole?"

    " No " I said but I wouldn't be surprised." I proceeded to tell her everything that had been happening here since the day I arrived. She also told me there was a tribe of 27 forest faeries residing here with me and my 2 pigs. I was really excited to know that.  I have always believed in the Fey. " Nancy. " I said , " This explains so much."

     After we said good bye, I used my pendulum to ask my faerie Queen her name.  I connected immediately and she told me her name was Noni  she said she has been here forever. Noni also told me how happy they all were that I moved here and that they were here to take care of me ,then she began to explain  how upset they were with me for putting my lawn tractor on the grass by the shed, because it had killed the grass.      I explained to her  that this was the only place I could put it and she told me that I should have put it on the shale drive way.

      I apologized to her for doing this and told her that as long as the grass was already dead there I was going to leave it there and we agreed.

     I was amazed about the faeries  and never told anyone that I was talking to them or  the trees and animals. I  guess I was still skeptical , but that disappeared the day some faeries were seen dancing in my hair.  This actually happened the next summer at Sacred Spaces , a healing zone and Angel gift shop I frequented for classes. That day i was with two of my friends , Nora and Patty  watching out the window  at an Eagle soaring over the brook out back of the shop. All of a sudden Patty started to laugh and turned to Nora and me as she proceeded to tell us that  she could not see anything at all because of all the Fairies that were in my hair dancing around. Nora looked at her and said that she was not surprised at all by this. Well needless to say I was ,and still am to this very day.

     From that day forward I was known to my friends as the Fairy Lady, and because of my faeries  I have been able to work with the local children that summer at summer camp making faerie gardens in the public parks around where I live.

     I have seen my fairies at 3:00 am in the trees in my front yard and I have faerie gardens of my own all around my home for my friends to enjoy, but I have left a special place that is still wild for them to romp in as they do very much like wild things.

       I now drive an SUV that has fairies on it and a sign across the front that tells it all. “Don’t Piss Off the Fairies”, is a statement they make because they are not  happy with what we have done to Mother Earth of late. This is the very reason they have disappeared from our site. They will only appear to the special children and adults that take them serious, and help keep Mother Earth free from harm

  I also invoke the faeries when I am performing my Drumming Circles to help heal Mother Earth, and I know they are with me everywhere I go to protect me because I have become one of them in spirit. I am a Fairy ambassador and activist that keeps a very special place in my heart for the wee folk as they were here way before we humans ever stepped onto this planet.

          The message I want to convey to you is this; Faeries are real and they will be showing themselves to more and more people as time passes. So they ask that you not only keep your eyes open you have to keep your heart open to feel the love they have for the earth and everything on it. So you need to learn not only how to look, but where to look. Most of all you need to believe with all your heart and soul.

      Become like little children again. Be like we were before we were told that it was not OK to be that way anymore. I feel that the hardest part of becoming an adult was leaving our inner child behind and all alone. I for one have found my inner child again since I came here to this special place in the enchanted woods and she is now free to be who she was meant to be, You see I am her and she is me.

      I am not afraid to tell my faerie tale  just because of what someone might think of me. I am so far past that. Yes I am  an outrageous older woman who in my golden years has been cut free to be the me she was suppose to be and I owe it all to my pigs and my Old Man tree , my forest creatures and especially my faeries who  showed me it’s  really OK to be me. Yes faeries are real  to those of us who believe, and I really do  believe in faeries with all my heart. Maybe you should too. It is amazing to finally become who I was meant to be, and live my life happily ever after.                                                  

THE END

Well not really !

A Different Kind of Faerie Tale , Part l l

   My Potbellied Pigs, Reggie and Pepper and I had settled in quite nicely to the sunny days and cool nights in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. We were fast approaching our first winter in our enchanted woods. Brightly colored leaves had been cleared from our lawn and the days were getting shorter and cooler.

     I had no idea how I was going to make it through my first winter alone. I had visions of snow up to our windows and winds howling viciously outside our door. Bitter cold days and frosty nights were always in my thoughts. I checked the list of things I would need and I knew I would be ok. After all I was sent here by my Angels wasn't I? They surely wouldn't send me here to freeze to death now would they?

     I knew I had to batten down the hatches and ride it out. I finished making my pigs new winter coats. Now they looked more like wooly sheep instead of potbellied pigs, but they would be warm. I bought a new snow shovel and a big bag of salt. I had a small propane fireplace installed. My oil and propane tanks were full and so were my cupboards. I was as ready as I could be. Mother Nature bring it on.   

     Our first dusting of snow arrived on the 14 th of October . It was beautiful to see the snow clinging to the few remaining colored leaves in my enchanted woods where the faeries were still twinkling at night. I was content. A little apprehensive, but content none the less.

     I began realizing that this would be the first winter I would be alone far away from my family. I didn't have much family left. My father and mother had both passed into spirit a few years back and the only ones left were my son and two daughters.

     Merna, and her husband, Bobby, Kelly, my youngest daughter, and my wayward son Douglas, who I never see anymore and my six beautiful grand children also

       My piggy girls absolutely loathed winter. It was really hard getting up at dawn to shovel a path on the deck and down the ramp to make them a potty spot every morning, but that was the routine.

     The night before our first Christmas there was a beautiful soft snow falling outside. Something or should I say someone kept telling me to take my camera outside to capture the beauty. I bundled up and went out to the woods to snap some shots of the snow and Christmas lights on the house, and my forest critters.

     Standing in total darkness surrounded by the sparkle of new falling snow was amazing. Wet snow flakes were kissing my cheeks. They reminded me of when I was a small child sitting on my Grandma Merna's ample lap, watching out her kitchen window. While we waited for the approaching snow to arrive she'd always say, " Becky Ann , can you smell the snow coming?" " Yes Gram . " I would say. I know only Gram and I could smell snow.

      While I stood there blowing snowflakes to heaven to kiss my grandmas cheek, I could feel a peace wash over me as I experienced the breathtaking beauty all around me. All I could think about was how blessed I was to still be alive on this beautiful snowy night in my enchanted woods. "I miss you grandma."

     I could feel the magic surrounding me. When I turned to walk back to my front door I whispered, "Merry Christmas." to my forest friends, but I could have sworn I heard a few little giggles blowing in the wind.

     I closed the front door behind me and removed my snow covered boots. I shook the wet snow off my poncho before I hung it by the front door. I was so excited by what I was experiencing at that moment that I didn't take time to even warm up by the fire before I headed right to my office. It is hard to describe what was happening to me at that moment. I was positive I had captured something amazing on my camera. I sat amazed as I watched the pictures starting to download there she was, Noni. I could finally see her.

     There on my monitor was the silhouette of a snow faerie complete with her delicate wings frolicking among the falling snowflakes in my front yard. I knew instinctively it was Noni, my fairy queen. Colorful orbs of every size covered the entire scene. Glistening snow and orbs appeared everywhere. In the next picture there was a mist with faces in it hovering directly above my head. The strange thing about these next pictures was that there never was a mist anywhere outside that night. There was only snow falling in big beautiful flakes. These pictures reminded me again just how special my last homely place truly was.

      Our first cold snowy winter had passed rather uneventfully except for my Christmas Eve adventure. Even though I had imagined all kinds of crazy things happening , nothing really did. It was peaceful and beautiful. We had made it through just fine and were none the worse for wear. The girls and I just had a little cabin fever, but that’s about all.

     It was now April. “Spring is finally here," I thought as I headed to the sliding glass door to let the girls go out in the yard. They had to go potty and wanted to do a little grazing on the tender new grass shoots. The air smelled fresh and extremely fragrant. The fragrance was coming from the trees and new colorful flowers that were popping their tiny heads through the moss covered forest floor.

     As soon as I slid the sliding glass door open I got the shock of my life. In front of me not more than 10 feet from my deck was a very young, very skinny black bear. She was standing all alone on a large flat boulder just looking at me and demanding food. She had just awoken from her long winters nap and was on her own for the first time in her young life. This would be her first year without her mother's help and protection. I knew instinctively that it was a girl because she was rather small and frail looking. She was starving from last winters' hibernation and was very thin and hungry. I grabbed my camera, which I always kept handy now, and I snapped a lot of pictures of her looking for the bird seed I always left on that boulder. I was shocked to be that close to her. She was the first black bear I had ever been that close to except for the bears I had seen at the Philadelphia Zoo many years ago. She yelled at me one last time, as she turned and disappeared in my woods.

     That bear encounter made me realize that I needed to be more careful from now on before I go outside or let the pigs out. She was so beautiful with her shiny black fur. As she walked away into the woods I could feel a real powerful energy exchange between us. This was to be the beginning of my special relationship with Pon, my beautiful Black Bear and her many cubs to come.

     Wonderful things keep happening to me since I moved here. Spring is always beautiful in the mountains and this spring I was able to do some planting and play in the dirt, after all I am what some people would call a tree hugging dirt worshiper. I was in my glory and so were my piggy girls as they rooted around the forest floor for their own delicious tidbits.

     Summer in the mountains is a very, peaceful, laid back time. I was beginning to discover that there were many different kinds of creatures residing here too. There were deer and wild turkeys walking up the driveway and many squirrels and chipmunks who visited my feeders regularly. I even saw a fox walk down the lane in the dead of winter looking for prey. There were Bald Eagles and Red Tail Hawks that flew over head daily and many other colorful birds that demanded to be fed, but the four legged critters I watched on my deck at night were the best. There were skunks of all sizes, possums, raccoons, and of course the bears. They took turns every night visiting my deck to eat the seed that had dropped from the feeders during the day. I was never lonely, because they filled my days and nights with beauty and joy.

     My first summer here I spent a lot of time taking metaphysical and healing classes at Sacred Spaces Healing Center.   I earned my Reiki Master/Teacher’s certification as well as my Reiki Drumming Practitioners certification. I explored meditation and past life regression. I discovered my Totem animals, and my Spirit Guides’. I purchased my first crystal skull, Kestamu, who started my love for the use of crystals for healing and my passion for a crystal skull family of my own. I attended my first Native American Pow -Wow ,and learned how to perform medicine wheel drumming circles ceremonies for the healing of Mother Earth. I held these in my home on the full moon and outside when we could find a special place to do it. In between I was still doing zoning cases for the pet potbellied pig. My life was filled with wonderful friends and many special animals who I loved very much.

     I was exploring my new magical world and in the process I was finding myself ,and I really liked what I found. That was the best part. I filled my days with yard work and house work and my nights were filled with reading, meditation, classes, music and time with my pigs giving belly rubs. Summer had again turned into fall with the all beautiful colored leaves, and another winter came and went uneventfully. It was spring again in my enchanted woods.

     Early one morning I received a disturbing phone call from my girlfriend Dotty. She was extremely excited as she tried to tell me about a mother bear and her two little cubs that had been chased into the trees out in front of her home. It seems they were chased by neighborhood dogs the night before. I hung up the phone and rushed to her house with my trusty camera to see firsthand what was up. She just lived up the lane.

     Sure enough there in the trees as big as life was a large sow and her two tiny cubs. I snapped some pictures and I hurried back home to call the local wildlife preserve.

       I agreed to meet the ranger at the trees. When he arrived he explained the bears were ok and said I should try to get everyone to leave them alone so the mother could come down with her cubs by night fall. He explained that bears are able to stay up a tree for three days and then he said, “They will never come down until after dark because of fear.” I felt better after he told me that, but I also knew I had to try and talk to her to calm her down. I could feel her fear as I turned to go home.

     At home I was able to connect with her. She told me her name was Pon and her cubs names were Minnie and Pooky. She told me how they were all chased up in the trees by two big dogs the night before. She said she was afraid and didn’t want to bring her babies down. I told her that it was ok right now because the dogs were in their house. I also told her she should not bring her cubs here because there were too many dogs and it wasn’t safe.

     I then placed a phone call to my friend Colleen Nickelson, another animal communicator from NY. I wanted her to help me speak with Pon. I introduced them. Pon was very confused. She wanted to know why she was able to see me, but she couldn’t see her. Colleen tried to explain that it was because I was here with her and she was in a different location far away. She said “Oh.” Then Colleen told her as I did, that it was ok to bring her babies down and take them back to the forest, but she made her promise that she would go fast before anyone could see them. I explained to Colleen that the ranger I talked to earlier told me she would never come down until after night fall, but as soon as Colleen and I finished talking to her I got a call from Dotty. She called to tell me that Pon was coming down out of the tree and so were her cubs.   She took pictures of them as they walked across the lane and disappeared into the forest. I had a feeling then that this was not going to be the last time I was going to see Pon and her cubs.

     I was right. In October, Pon brought her two cubs, to my back deck to fatten them up for winter on my bird feeders. The cubs were almost as big as she was by then. I just happened to be standing inside my sliding glass door as they came onto the deck. Only Minnie came onto the deck, and Pookie stayed on the boulder in the yard happily munching away on bird seed and corn.

     While I was watching Pon climb up the pig ramp I noticed she was holding her left front paw in the air and she was limping. I connected and asked her what happened. She told me that she had been bitten by a rock person. I sent her Reiki to help her and told her to be more careful. She thanked me, as she  patted Minnie on top of the head then she turned around to leave. As she was about to go back down the ramp she turned to look at me and she shook her massive head in acknowledgement. I had been blessed by their visit. I felt a heart link to her and the cubs while they quietly walked away to find new feeders. I mentally added that night to my growing list of amazing adventures and turned the deck lights out. When the darkness appeared again I saw something bright twinkling outside on the deck. Noni and her tribe had been there watching the entire time. This was just another reminder that my fairies were still watching over us. We are safe and loved I thought as I smiled a contented smile on my way to bed. “Sweet dreams.” I whispered to no one in particular as I tucked Reggie and Pepper in, and climbed in my bed myself. “What next?” I thought as I pulled the covers up I  began to drift away, hopefully to another magical adventure.  

The End , Well maybe not.

  

Staying Afloat amidst the Spin

                                  

                            Staying Afloat amidst the Spin
                                  Taking Things Personally

                         Try not to take everything personally,

          things that people say and do             don’t always have anything to do with you.

Every time you interact with others, you have the choice to listen to, acknowledge, and let go of their words, or you can take what they are saying personally. Taking things personally is often the result of perceiving a person’s actions or words as an affront or slight. In order to take something personally, you must read negative intent in an individual’s words or actions. But what people do and say has no bearing upon you and is usually based on their own experiences, emotions, and perceptions. If you attempt to take what they do or say personally, you may end up feeling hurt without reason.

If you are tempted to take a comment or action personally, creating some distance between yourself and the other person can help you. Try to determine what is at the root of your feelings. Ask yourself if the other person’s words or actions are just reinforcing some insecurity within you or if you can really be sure that an offense was intended. You may even want to ask them what they meant.

Finally, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Instead of taking their words as the truth, or as a personal affront, remember that whatever was said or done is based on their opinion and is more reflective of what is going on inside of them, rather than having anything to do with you. You may have been an easy target for someone having a bad day, and their comments may have been offered with no ill intentions.
When you recognize that what anyone says or does doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with you, you will no longer feel hurt or attacked. While it’s easy to take things personally, you should never let anyone’s perceptions or actions affect how you see yourself or your worth. Your life is personal to you, and it is up to you to influence your own value and sense of well-being. 

(author unknown )