Glee

Joe says this is way too much like High School Musical, but it made me very happy. Check it out, it's from the new show "Glee."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf47ZaI_6j8

Humility, humanity, and speculation.

When one looks up the word humble in the dictionary, an array of different definitions pop up, ranging from unpretentious to weak and abased. This was curious to me, that one word , could have such opposite meanings. The english language is full of these types of idiosyncrasies. It seems that it's impossible to decide if humility is a weakness or a strength. If you humble someone, it is using the word negatively, if you yourself are humble, that's generally a positive thing. Isn't the act of humbling the negative. Anyway, that's besides the point. What I was really thinking about was what does humility look like? When we say a person is humble, what are we describing? I know that humility is not one of my strong points, but I wonder, have I really witnessed it in others? Life is funny like that. How can our views ever be unbiased, it is really possible to see the world humbly? What does this take? Don't we all believe that, to some degree, we know best? Do not all of us believe, we hold truth at our very fingertips? Is this not an act of pride in itself? If we think we are humble can we really be humble? How does one become truly open? The problem, I believe, lies in ever thinking we know, at all. Basically, human's are complex. I would love to meet someone, like Mother Theresa, and spend a year with her. To learn what it takes to label someone a saint. I wonder what she thought about herself? And Ghandi, what was his self-esteem like? I wonder, will I know, when I no longer need to know, and if I no longer need to know, how will I know I know? Anyway, this is why I called this blog the meanderings of a wandering mind. My point or purpose is to say, I would like to be more humble, I don't want to need to be right or find it necessary to compete. I don't want to know it all or compare myself to the successes of others. I want to experience the world, my way, using my senses, without judgement. I don't want to spend my life believing I know best, because I don't, I'm always learning too. So, when I began to hear the judge and jury in my head, I will silence them, it is not my place to label others, but it is my desire to love them.

To China

Saturday Joe, Emily, and I visited China (the China room at AC Gilbert House). These are pictures from our adventure.

"Ni hao." "Huan Ying."

We dressed in authentic garb and enjoyed tea in the gardens.

After tea, we went for a walk to visit the great wall of China. Where Emily spotted a dragon! Excuse the blur, Joe was pretty scared.

If that was not bad enough, the dragon was headed right for us!

We got away but we were really lucky. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to bring my little girl to China, and next time I'll be ready for the dragons.

Pregnancy weight and the lighter side.

I was looking in the mirror across from my bed this morning, and couldn't help but saying, as I was looking at myself, "Ho Ho Ho, Hans Solo." With all my pregnancy weight, there is beginning to be a resemblance. How I love my little Ella. I am thankful that instead of crying this morning about my round appearance, and extra chins, I could laugh. Progress, this is definitly progress. It's all so worth it.

Quote of the day

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.

-The Buddha

Symbols

The butterfly.

A symbol of the transformation of the soul. Due to it's progression from catepillar to butterfly, ancient civilizations (i.e. Greek, Aztec, Central Asian) used the butterfly to signify great change, using it in many myths as well as on tombs of their loved ones.

The Lily.

It is generally accepted that the lily is the symbol of motherhood. In greek lore, it was said that the lily was created from the breast milk of Hera. It also is a symbol for high eroticism and sexuality. A short while later, the white lily began popping up in Christian art. Christians believe that the lily symbolizes chastity and is often associated with the virgin Mary.

So why do we do this? Why is a butterfly not just a butterfly or a lily just a lily? I believe it is a testament to the nature of the human race. It is our desire, for things to not lie quietly on the surface, but for life to have a deeper meaning. We are not fulfilled to see just the butterfly, we must be able to see the possibilities the butterfly represents. A lily is not just a flower but holds some mystery for us to unravel, lingering beneath what our eyes register. Symbolism is our way to attach meaning to the seemingly meaningless, to express what our intellect cannot see but our intuition cannot deny. How we interpret the rest, is a decision for our perception.

Quote of the Day

"And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

-T.S. Eliot

Live List

So Megan, my beautiful sister-in-law,commissioned those who dared, to create a list of activities that they would like do during the summer. A list of things that were a tribute to living life, not just watching it pass by on the couch. Here it goes...after much careful consideration...this is my list...

1. Have a picnic in the park.
2. Visit the Portland Art Museum.
3. Pick wildflowers.
4. Write poetry beneath a shady tree.
5. Visit a ghost town.
6. Go to Joe's favorite german restaurant in P-town.
7. Have a bbq with my family.
8. See an opera.
9. Go to the Saturday market.
10. Visit the coast on a sunny day and fall asleep in the sand.
11. Go to OMSI.
12. Float on the Willamette.
13. Cherish the sunshine.

That's it for now, hopefully I can do it all. A protuding belly and swollen ankles may get in the way, but I hope for the best.

Quote of the day

'But I don't want to go among mad people', said Alice.

'Oh you can't help that,' said the cat. 'We're all mad here.'

Cosmo Vs. The wolf

Okay, Okay wolf pup. And they were just playing. But it was amazing to see evolution right before my eyes. The wolf, an ancestor of the dog, playing jubilantly together on a sunny day in March. Needless to say, I was in heaven watching them together, the subtle variations in body language, the constant communication of intention, I could have been there all day.