Helped by Alice Walker

“HELPED are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be constant.
HELPED are those who love the entire cosmos rather than their own tiny country, city, or farm, for to them will be shown the unbroken web of life and the meaning of infinity.
HELPED are those who live in quietness, knowing neither brand name nor fad; they shall live every day as if in eternity, and each moment shall be as full as it is long.
HELPED are those who love others unsplit off from their faults; to them will be given clarity of vision.
HELPED are those who create anything at all, for they shall relive the thrill of their own conception, and realize an partnership in the creation of the Universe that keeps them responsible and cheerful.
HELPED are those who love the Earth, their mother, and who willingly suffer that she may not die; in their grief over her pain they will weep rivers of blood, and in their joy in her lively response to love, they will converse with the trees.
HELPED are those whose ever act is a prayer for harmony in the Universe, for they are the restorers of balance to our planet. To them will be given the insight that every good act done anywhere in the cosmos welcomes the life of an animal or a child.
HELPED are those who risk themselves for others' sakes; to them will be given increasing opportunities for ever greater risks. Theirs will be a vision of the word in which no one's gift is despised or lost.
HELPED are those who strive to give up their anger; their reward will be that in any confrontation their first thoughts will never be of violence or of war.
HELPED are those whose every act is a prayer for peace; on them depends the future of the world.
HELPED are those who forgive; their reward shall be forgiveness of every evil done to them. It will be in their power, therefore, to envision the new Earth.
HELPED are those who are shown the existence of the Creator's magic in the Universe; they shall experience delight and astonishment without ceasing.
HELPED are those who laugh with a pure heart; theirs will be the company of the jolly righteous.
HELPED are those who love all the colors of all the human beings, as they love all the colors of the animals and plants; none of their children, nor any of their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves, shall be hidden from them.
HELPED are those who love the lesbian, the gay, and the straight, as they love the sun, the moon, and the stars. None of their children, nor any of their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves, shall be hidden from them.
HELPED are those who love the broken and the whole; none of their children, nor any of their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves, shall be hidden from them.
HELPED are those who do not join mobs; theirs shall be the understanding that to attack in anger is to murder in confusion.
HELPED are those who find the courage to do at least one small thing each day to help the existence of another--plant, animal, river, or human being. They shall be joined by a multitude of the timid.
HELPED are those who lose their fear of death; theirs is the power to envision the future in a blade of grass.
HELPED are those who love and actively support the diversity of life; they shall be secure in their differences.
HELPED are those who KNOW.”
― Alice Walker

Enough said

The Brilliance of the Documentary

The best thing to come from streaming video, is the ability to watch thousands of documentaries you would never have come across otherwise. I have fallen in love with documentaries, specifically, the brilliance of them.

Documentaries not only tell you The Story, they tell you the story before, after, and the million of things that nobody knew were going on DURING the story. Ita's not just enough to know the facts of a story. For me, once I hear a story, I have questions. LOTS of them. Documentaries satisfy my questions and often lead to new questions about new topics that I have yet to explore. They are my idea of a cerebral Pandora Box.

I now have more documentaries in my streaming queue than I do movies. I am in heaven. I also can't seem to watch one without also getting online to crosscheck facts or names and will spend HOURS searching through pages of information.

History is always my favorite topic. Although, I have begun to watch a lot of social issue documentaries, which I am learning a lot from. I am currently watching, "Earth Days" which talk about the enviromental movement and the conservation movement. I recently watched, "Tapped", about the earth's water supply and bottled water industry. This one is s must....I will never buy bottled water again. "Stranded" is about the Uraguayan Rugby team whose plane went down in the Andes and left them lost and dying. Nothing is more moving than listening to the survivors tell their story. I could think of nothing else but their story for weeks after watching. "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead", was a great one and very heartwarming. I am about to watch Ken Burns, "National Parks" again. I am completely smitten by this particular series. I now want to visit every major national park during my lifetime. This is a goal I am serious about accomplishing.

My documentary list is increasing my reading list So I am off to get lost in yet another story...

ThingsAWoman Should Have

"A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....


enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own even if she ever wants

to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her

dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to

retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....

a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black

lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who

lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone

else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a

recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

HOW TO QUIT A JOB,

BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,

AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that she can't change the length of her calves,

the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

whom she can trust,

whom she can't,

and why she shouldn't

take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

where to go...

be it to her best friend's kitchen table...

or a charming inn in the woods...

when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she can and can't accomplish in a day...

a month...and a year..."

— Pamela Redmond Satran

Happy Spring!

The Crone has sighed and passed us by.
The Maiden blushes near,
In Grain and Fruit that bursts with life,
And the turning of the year.

We hear you on the whispering winds,
We see you in the flower,
This maiden of light, she now descends
To bless us with her power.

Lady of blossoms, of field and hearth,
We celebrate your youth,
Be with us as your fertile Earth
Brings forth a life renewed.

I am soooo happy it's Spring!!