Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant Pledge $1 Million For Tornado Relief

Reblogged from CBS Baltimore:

OKLAHOMA CITY (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder are giving $1 million for tornado relief, matching a $1 million pledge by star player Kevin Durant.

The Thunder announced Tuesday that they'll give $1 million to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other disaster relief organizations helping after Monday's disaster in suburban Oklahoma City. Earlier in the day, Durant pledged $1 million to the Red Cross from his Durant Family Foundation intended to match other donations and be an incentive for more people to give.

Read more… 154 more words

Durant is awesome!!!

A Prayer for Betsy

How could I forget my friend and fellow writer Betsy? Betsy Randolph is a State Trooper and Spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. I send prayers for her as she and others work to assist the injured, rescue those trapped, and recover those missing.

Betsy was interviewed by CNN tonight. She said “people are trapped. You are going to see the devastation for days to come.” Other news outlets reported that Betsy said the tornado caused “absolute devastation” and the tragedy is “like nothing” she has “ever seen before.”

Tonight Betsy was someone people were looking for. People wanted to be sure she was safe. I had hits to something I posted about her on my web site tonight. Glad to learn that she is ok and there to help others.

Deadly tornado hits Oklahoma City area

Sending Prayers

Tonight I send out my prayers to the people of Oklahoma. It is always so disheartening to learn about a tragedy like this. I pray for the little children who were taken before their time. May their parents somehow find peace.

I also send out my thoughts to my favorite virtual couple (R and M, better known as S and B). I believe you two actually live in Oklahoma? I hope you, your friends, and the members of your families are alright tonight.

Poet James Nave Battles Cancer With A Hundred Poems : NPR

Reblogged from We Drink Because We're Poets:

via Poet James Nave Battles Cancer With A Hundred Poems : NPR.

I met James Nave 25 years ago while working on a story for NPR. He was a whirlwind of energy, performing poems out loud in grade schools in his hometown of Asheville, N.C. He went on to perform all over the world, from La Paz to Paris to the Philippines.

Read more… 89 more words

What an awesome way to battle! F

A Lady, A Hero and Hooks

Today I took the day off from the gym because I had a few errands to run. When I was leaving work two people caught my eye in the lobby. There sat a gentleman and a young lady caught up in their own creative world. I was immediately intrigued by the duo and wondered what they were up to? I decide to approach them on my way out so that I could ask. My first question was “are you making jewelry?” As it turned out, they were “tying flies” to snag Pike in Pilar, New Mexico. I told them “my brother is a fisherman and he would love you!” Hum? They had set up shop in the lobby of my building and they were working away.

While I ran one of a few scheduled errands I couldn’t help but think about these two people. Who were they? Why were they tying flies? Were they grandpa and grandchild? What was their story? I know I love history more than running errands, and by this point I can probably add more than coffee because I made a mad dash back to work. In a split second I had decided that I wanted to know more. I approached the busy workers with a smile while asking many questions. It is always so refreshing to meet new people who want to share their stories. In a short amount of time I had learned all about these people. I also set up a phone interview with the gentleman for this evening.

~Dr. Dinwiddie and Jamie Groves Working~
Photograph by Felicia Lujan_3.5.2013

Since the first of the month I had been contemplating which woman I wanted to research and write about in honor of National Women’s History Month (2013). The more I thought about that particular young lady, the more I realized I should focus on a woman who is currently making history. I was so amazed that a 24 year old woman was so mature, caring, creative, and patriotic. This special woman and her hero/mentor/grandfather figure had a worthy story to tell. This month is indeed Women’s History Month and the Library of Congress is featuring an exhibit titled The Women of Four Wars. Ms. Jamie Groves and Dr. Stu Dinwiddie are honoring our wounded warriors in a very special and unique way which is right in line with that exhibit.

Jamie Groves and Dr. Dinwiddie are not related. These individuals just work together to help disabled veterans, still Jamie thinks that Stu is “the granddaughter that he never had.” For the last six months, they have been tying flies and giving them to Albuquerque veterans as part of Project Healing Waters. The mission of that organization is dedicated “to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.” It is such an awesome project that I was so honored to learn about. Dr. Dinwiddie is also a disabled veteran who now uses his time to help others along with his youthful partner. He has become Jamie’s mentor by teaching her to fly fish. Dr. Dinwiddie said that he was taught how to fly fish at 14 years old and that he learned from the son of Aldo Leopold!

~Jamie Groves Tying a Pike Fly~
Photograph by Felicia Lujan_3.5.2013

~A Jamie Groves Handcrafted Pike Fly~
Photograph by Felicia Lujan_3.5.2013

Jamie truly is a rare woman. At 24 years old she is contributing to the well being of those who made a difference in New Mexico history by protecting our freedom. She is passionate about what she does and insisted I didn’t take her picture until she “was working” and showing me the Evergreen Hand. The Evergreen Hand is a special tool invented and developed by Jesse Scott to assist disabled veteran fishermen. I was astonished to learn that Jamie will be teaching wounded warriors who have lost a hand or arm how to tie a fly with one hand. After watching them for a while, I don’t think I could tie one with two! This wonderful woman told me proudly that she sits on one hand to practice. This is how she knows that she can teach others. Dr. Dinwiddie told me that Jamie was touched on a recent visit with wounded women. Her participation in this project makes a world of a difference in a male dominated sport/hobby.

I am always so intrigued by the hidden history of our community. These two people are involved in a project so worthy of a mention. I was honored to take the time to learn so much. I learned about a lady and a hero making a difference in the lives of our wounded warriors one hook at a time.

Custom Crafted Rods by Stu Dinwiddie

Phone: 505.470.3673

Email: rsdinwiddie@plateautel.net

Understanding My Heart Chakra <3

I have been taking some time to learn more about my chakras. I want to better understand myself emotionally, physically and mentally~ how I feel inside and out~ how I think. Chakras are energy locations within our bodies. Hinduism and Buddhism both teach that these energy locations can be manipulated to make us better and whole people. Some people refer to the chakra as an energy wheel or vortex.

The chakra I am interested in starting with is my heart chakra. It is the strongest energy source. The green energy vortex of the heart is the central point of balance which corresponds with unconditional love, the acceptance of self and others, and true connection. Learning about and manipulating the energy of my heart chakra will allow me to better understand myself, as well as my connection with others.

This chakra is at the center of all relationships. It involves those who give love and those who make love. Buddhists believe that this energy center provides for the integration of a person’s physical and spiritual connections. Since I was in high school I have experienced shortness of breath, which is indicative of tension in the heart chakra. It has become much better with exercise, but I am starting to see that some form of meditation or Reiki would probably help. I had several expensive lung tests years ago and they all came back saying my lungs were perfect. Maybe it has always been a blockage of energy?

I have learned that Reiki may be a good way to balance my heart chakra. Energy can be stimulated by absorbing nature through hiking, gardening, or working with plants and flowers. Floral design does make me feel good, so that could be a great start. Reiki is a Japanese form of alternative medicine to promote the healing of energies. It is a natural, holistic, approach to well being.

There is also another reason that I think it is important to learn about my chakras. On January 29, I posted Eye 2 Eye. In that piece I talked about the “eye of contemplation” or the “eye of the spirit.” It is said that this eye of knowledge is only open when we become fully illuminated with spiritual insight. This is really the highest level of consciousness. I do want to be fully awake, real, and free.

~The 7 Chakras~

~The Heart Chakra~

A Look at the Symbols in Bless Me Ultima

On Sunday my sister and I took our mom to the movies. This week is her birthday and she has been wanting to see the new movie Bless Me Ultima. The movie is based on a book written by Rudolfo Anaya. The novel took the writer many years to finish, and he is said to have employed spirit guides and his subconscious mind to complete this work. It was published in 1972. The book has been used in classrooms for many years because it is well respected in the world of Chicano literature. I was also very anxious to see the film because I knew it featured a curandera and that it would be filled with love, magic, history, land, nature, herbs, and witches. What’s not to love? A curandera is a female folk healer who uses faith as a weapon. She also employs good magic using herbs, spirit guides, and the power of the natural world around her. The story is not that of Ultima’s. It is the story of a young boy named Antonio Márez y Luna, an outside spectator who is contemplative of many things.

Our Tickets to Bless Me Ultima on 10.28.2012

Photo I took of Ultima “La Grande”
and Antonio in the movie Bless Me Ultima

At first I was surprised to learn that the movie was two hours long. I must say that there was not one moment of the movie that didn’t capture me completely. We laughed and we cried as a New Mexico story graced the big screen in a way that I have never seen. I have one of the original runs of Anaya’s book. When I was a girl I remember reading the book in school, and in college we did chapter studies. I felt that the film flawlessly embodied and conveyed the heart of the original story. We all loved the film. I always feel so blessed to have people in my life who understand me. As we left the theater, I explained to my mom and my sister that I was taking notes on my phone. My mom said “I know,” and my sister said “I figured.” In some movies I have attempted to take in a notebook, but it is hard to see what you are writing in the dark and have found it much easier to jot down thoughts in draft form on my phone. One day I aspire to complete a full literary analysis of this novel, but for tonight I will deliver the symbols I derived from the film.

Photo I took of the funeral procession
of a Trementina witch sister
in the movie Bless Me Ultima

When we were leaving I told my mom that I saw so many symbols in this film. I adore my mature and intense mind. My mom was very curious about the symbols I saw, so I dedicate this to her. Maybe with any luck I will make her and my sister just as crazy as I am! If you have or haven’t seen the film, or even if you have only read the book, look deeper. In my mind, symbolism is about connection. A symbol is a connection~ usually from sight to an object or idea (with the mind)~ to a feeling (with the heart)~ and then ultimately to a person, place or thing. Following are the symbols I ascertained from Bless Me Ultima. This was not Ultima’s story, however, she embraced symbolism like no other character in Anaya’s novel does. The end of the movie brings the strongest and most poignant quote. When “La Grande” dies, Antonio laid her to rest and said “I did not cry~ her voice is everywhere.” The quote confirms a connection of all symbols in the book and film.

Symbols in the Movie

Ultima or “La Grande”~ was a symbol of love, sacrifice, life, death, land, faith, respect, acceptance, forgiveness, nature, power, protection, knowledge, tradition, and healing

Ultima’s Owl~ was a symbol of protection and sacrifice

The Moon~ was a symbol of mystery, land, time, magic, and knowledge

The River, Rain and Water~ were symbols of life, death, healing, abundance, and the seasons

The Land, Herbs, and Farming~ were symbols of home, family, tradition, knowledge, continuity, and healing

The War~ was a symbol of evil, change, vice, and sin

Death~ was a symbol of fear, evil, mortality, and immortality

Religion~ was a symbol of connection and disconnection

The Power of Scent: Yerba Buena

**Antique Peppermint Oil Bottle**
My grandma Corine always kept a bottle
like this near her bed. I do not remember a
label, but this looks just like the bottle
she kept there when she was alive.

Humans have such an intricate olfactory. The sensations and power we can get from the slightest or strongest smells have the ability to attract us, repel us, awaken us, and heal us. When I evoke memories of the past, one memory reminds me of my maternal grandmother and her love of peppermint oil. Today I read a post by my beautiful cousin Jessica, and it reminded me that I had been wanting to write about this. My cousin is a doula who has a deep appreciation and respect for natural healing as well as the world around her. Her most recent post featured a book about identifying, harvesting, and preparing wild plants which are edible. After reading about the book I remembered that even my mother loved peppermint. For many years we grew wild hierbabuena, a perennial herb which we used to make sun tea on a regular basis.

There were many staples my grandmother kept in her bedroom. Most staples were kept very close to her. I still remember her light colored bed with shelves where she kept pictures, prayer books, a rosary, and her little brown bottle of peppermint oil. Today I could swear that she used that bottle for literally everything that caused her pain. Before I looked up both the folk and scientific healing properties of this plant tonight, I may have thought the oil didn’t work for everything. The main things I remember her using it for was for what she called “a crazy head,” which was dizziness, a headache or maybe motion sickness. She also used it for her “dolores.” I would be talking with her and she would pop the top off and place the bottle right under her nose. Breathing in the scent of this essential oil always seemed to help her. I know she also rubbed it on her muscles and on her temples for a headache. I am sure that my grandma’s use of the peppermint plant and the oil went back even further, possibly to her grandmother. It is sad that I can no longer ask these questions as my grandma passed away several years ago.

**A Scent for Whatever Ails**
Santa Fe Reporter 9.2.1987
Here you can see some local
use of peppermint.

The absolute best source I found on medicinal plants was an online 458 page guide on the New York Botanical Garden web site. The online resource is titled Dominican Medicinal Plants: A Guide for Health Care Providers (2010). The guide was compiled and edited by Jolene E. Yukes and Michael J. Balick, PhD.  It also featured the input of close to 20 doctors, a vast array of health care professionals, and members of the community. The guide features Hierbabuena, and says that “other common names” are “Hierba buena, mentha, menta, toronjil, yerba buena (Spanish); mint, peppermint, spearmint (English).” This guide was the best one I found as it features aspects of folk medicine as well as scientific studies of the plant. The Dominican medicinal uses for peppermint included: anxiety, burns, muscle relaxant, diabetes, indigestion, menstrual cramps, minor skin abrasions, stomach aches and abdominal pain, stress, and uterine fibroids. Yes indeed the “traditional preparation” of the plant involved making “a tea by infusion or decoction.” I know I did drink a lot of tea with mint in it when I was a child. Even in adulthood, my mom would bring me baggies with fresh mint.

**Memorial Wreath for Corine Garcia**
When my grandma passed away, I made
her this wreath with my famous gold tipped
roses. There was one rose to represent
each of her children on the wreath.

Today I use peppermint oil daily. I also recently purchased a bottle for my mom and one for my sister. I do believe in the healing power of scent. This essential oil is invigorating. I have used the oil to make soaps and lotions. Putting a bit of that lotion under my nose and on my face before I hit the gym opens up my airways and energizes me. Like my grandma, I use it on my temples if I have a headache and on my muscles when they hurt. My favorite use of the oil is in a diffuser. A few drops of oil in some water can alleviate stress and promote warm feelings. The drops are even great directly in a candle to fill your room with a unique scent. I am a human with an intricate sense of smell. Scents can attract me, repel me, awaken me, and heal me, just as my memories do. Until today, I didn’t recall my mother’s use of mint? I do not recall her using it for medicinal purposes, however, I do recall her mother (my grandmother) doing so. It is always amazing to me when I make a generational connection like this- especially something passed from mother to daughter. Since I do not have a daughter, I will need to pass this tradition and knowledge on to my son.

Lost an iPod, Lost a Friend

*****************************
“When we come close to those things that break us down,
we touch those things that also break us open.”
~*~Wayne Muller~*~
*****************************

It has been a bit since I posted last. I have posted to this site regularly for over a year, but I needed some time to collect my thoughts. After unanticipated loss it seemed natural for my emotional algorithms to be off. I do apologize to my faithful readers. I had a writing block for a couple of days. I felt uncreative and uninspired. On Friday I felt like a hot mess. I hate being negative, so instead of letting my brain waves control me, I exerted control. I made up my mind to harness the negativity and unleash a positive wave. I started at the gym with a new 1,000 rep leg workout. Yeah— that helps! I can also say that after a few days, my creativity and my smile returned. I have a new notebook with ideas for poems which will break your heart or break your mind, and analytical pieces which will make your brain spin. I felt inspired tonight when I realized that my site received over 600 hits during my down time with absolutely no new content. Really… Thank you… Phases of loss are funny. Of course I really didn’t want to experience the loss of my iPod much less the loss of a friend, but unfortunately there are some things that even a relentless Virgo can’t control. Data is curiously consumed by the black hole of eternity. Ones and zeros turn off and on revealing a tricky new code for the master file. Friends curiously fade away like a vibrant rainbow after a steady rain. What can we do??? Malcolm X once said “there is no better thing than adversity.” He said “every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time.”

Good Friday: The Penance of Imperfect Creatures

~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~

“As machines become more and more efficient and perfect,

so it will become clear that imperfection is the greatness of man.”

*****Ernst Fischer

~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~

“Sometimes we strive so hard for perfection

that we forget that imperfection is happiness.”

*****Karen Nave

~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~…..~~~~~

Being human is one of the hardest jobs that many of us have ever had. The struggle between the good and bad, the dark and the light, the positive and the negative, at times can be overwhelming. Sometimes just a reminder of inescapable imperfection is enough to comfort the weary. Like with anything else in life, we need to do our best to walk a crisp line, and be the best people we can be right? In 1973, the Journal of Religion and Health (Vol. 12, No. 1) published a paper titled Saints and Sinners by Harry C. Meserve. In the paper, Meserve was “pondering the mystery of sanctity,” and he says that “the world’s moralists have tended to divide mankind between the saints and the sinners, ourselves and the enemy, the sane and the insane, the wise and the foolish; and these distinctions, sometimes descriptive, are usually inadequate.” Meserve goes on to say that “we come into the world neither good nor evil, but with a potential for both. We end up, unless we are true saints, as some what mixed beings, with, one hopes, the weight on the side of goodness.”

My uncle Rick Lujan has always walked to El Santuario de Chimayo with his lion cane. He made the cane out of a juniper branch, and it was the first carving he ever made. Today the cane is about five inches shorter because of the walks.

This week marked the annual Holy Week pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayo, in Chimayo, New Mexico. People from all over the world, and from various religious backgrounds walk hundreds of miles to the sacred Catholic site to ask for forgiveness, and pray for blessings. Saints and sinners alike make the trip to pay homage, erase darkness, and inspire the light. “Three pueblos, long abandoned, have been located in the area and dated, the earliest being about 1100 A.D.” Tewa Indians recognized Chimayo “as a shrine,” and “a place of healing.” Local accounts note that “in 1706 the Chimayo Valley was a part of the San Juan Parish. Later, in 1751, it was administered by the Holy Cross Church in Santa Cruz.” The Santuario de Chimayo was built in 1816 by Don Bernardo Abeyta, but a small chapel dated back to 1810. The site was dedicated to Our Lord of Esquipulas. There have long been “stories of the miracles performed through the healing earth beneath the shrine.”

My grandma Corine loved El Santuario de Chimayo when she was alive. This was a container of the holy earth she gave to me years ago. Her favorite was the saint who “wears old, worn shoes.” His name is Santo Nino or the Holy Child. There is likely no statistics to confirm the number of “sick” people who visit that saint. He continuously wears out his brand new shoes “from nightly trips giving aid to those in need.”

In 1996, the pilgrimage was called “a sacrifice,” and that is still true today. When I was young I walked countless times to the magical place with a well containing holy earth. The well was “the site of a holy apparition in the 1800s,” and “the soil where the apparition appeared is said to be holy and the source of miraculous healings.” Sinners and the “sick” need to be healed, thus droves of imperfect humans take containers, buy containers, and fill pockets with gritty holiness to ward off unwanted pains. In Saints and Sinners, Meserve said that there is “a division between good and evil; but the division, the conflict, is within each one of us.” Can miracles, faith, and a bit of sacred earth really cure the “sick?” Well according to Meserve, “the problem of the saint and the sinner within the same person is not unlike the problem of the healthy and the sick person within the same in individual. All of us, at one time or another, are sick. Yet elements of health exist in all of us, too, even when we are at our lowest ebb.” Apparently the answer is yes!

So why do so many make the Holy Week pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayo? Why do they ask for forgiveness? Why do they pray for blessings? Why do they need to cure the sickness? Are they saints or are they sinners? Maybe the latter really is one in the same? The only real answer– put simply– imperfection should be accepted because unfortunately, humanness is hard.

The Saint Wears Old, Worn Shoes by Alice Bullock- Santa Fe New Mexican, Pasatiempo, December 7, 1969

Sources:

~Native Mountain Villages- Santa Fe New Mexican, July, 16, 1951

~The Saint Wears Old, Worn Shoes by Alice Bullock- Santa Fe New Mexican, Pasatiempo, December 7, 1969

~Saints and Sinners by Harry C. Meserve- Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1973

~Obscure Oratorio Predates Famed El Santuario- Santa Fe New Mexican, Pasatiempo, February 21, 1985

~Faith Keeps Them Warm by Chris Roybal- Santa Fe New Mexican, April 5, 1996

An Archive of Memories: Healing After Repressing Loss

In my book Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews, a bird is very symbolic. Birds are often seen as angels, and flight represents “leaving the earth and rising to the heavens.” The color yellow has long been a symbol of friendship.

Over the years I have combed through historical records on anything and everything. It is rare that I become sensitive in regard to most. Recently, I learned about the early death of two young boys. The boys did not die together, and I read about both of them on the same day. They both died many years ago. One was a teenager who froze to death while lost in the mountains, and the other was a nine year old boy who was run over. The nine year old child died at such a young age, leaving behind his family and friends. Thinking about his death, and considering those left to deal with the loss made me sad for several reasons.

How do children deal with loss? It is complicated. How do adults deal with explaining that loss and comforting their children? Sigmund Freud was an expert in this field. As one of my favorites, he was a master of dreams, healing, and the analysis of the mind. Not long ago, Chris VerWys presented a paper on the Freudian Levels of Mental Awareness. VerWys presented his research as part of the Department of Cognitive Science with the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In his paper, VerWys identified the three levels associated with Freudian theory.

These levels were: conscious or what we are aware of; preconscious or memories which are easy to access; and the unconscious. The unconscious includes “censored and repressed memories.” Hum? Maybe the unconscious is an archive of memories with restricted access? Maybe the inner vault of the mind? VerWys says that “our earliest childhood memories may be locked in the unconscious, yet might still influence our everyday behavior.” He also said that Freud believed that “understanding the memories trapped in the unconscious” was critical.

In 2003, Nancy Weitzman published a paper titled The Three Stages of Grief. The paper was published online by Suffolk County Community College. In her study, Weitzman identified “three stages of grief that are experienced by” those “left behind.” She said that “these stages include many emotions.” “Each stage” (such as “numbness, disorganization and reorganization)” needs “to be felt and lived through in order to successfully proceed to the next stage.”

The research says that for most “there is no formalized way to sever the relationship you have maintained with the deceased.” I assume there are various forms of closure? What if a child does not attend the funeral? For that child, “the body may be buried, but the emotions of those who love the deceased continue to survive.” Weitzman’s research concludes that “recovery from grief will happen most quickly and successfully if you allow yourself to feel everything you feel and do not repress your fears, your panic or any of your emotions.” If the grief is unresolved emotionally, it is difficult for healing to begin. According to the paper, “unresolved grief will turn into delayed grief.” In children, this can apparently be tricky. Here is what she had to say about children coping with loss.

*****”Children can read their parents usually quite well.  They know when their parents are upset, angry, confused or lying to them.  Deception can harm a child and should never be considered acceptable when dealing with your children for any issue.  When the parents have difficulty facing a death, it will be difficult for the children as well.  When the parents can accept a death and their feelings about the death, the children will begin to come around and be more comfortable with it as well.” 

*****”They should always be told the truth and they must know that their deceased loved one is not coming back to them for any reason.  The death is final.  Should the child attend the funeral, it is helpful for them to know that the deceased is buried in the earth – the finality is clearer for them when they witness a burial.”

*****”Encourage the child to write a letter to the deceased.  Keep pictures around of happy times and of visits to places that were enjoyed.  It is important to have reminders around for the child and for the entire family.  When a cemetery visit is planned, take the child with you and read the gravestone to them.  Help them understand the meaning of remembering their loved one.”

I think these seem like great steps toward healing old wounds, and getting access to the archive of repressed memories. Writing a letter to the person you lost, visiting their grave site, sharing happy memories with others who loved them. We need to remember…

SOURCES:

Sigmund Freud by Chris VerWys- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)-Department of Cognitive Science
http://homepages.rpi.edu/~verwyc/FREUDOH.html

The Three Stages of Grief by Nancy Weitzman- Suffolk County Community College
http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/pecorip/scccweb/etexts/deathanddying_text/Three-Stages-of-Grief.htm

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