arggg the bloody things are driving me crazy, well crazier than usual, little teeny weeny buggers who home {or should that be hone???} in on Stinkers food, despite covering it, they still get in, so yesterday I put his dish of food into a another bowl with water AND covered it up, this morning I lift the lid and it is alive with the wee shits again, the biggies luckily are staying out this year but ruining my rose.......anyone got any hints tips or whatever - no don't suggest chemicals - a, I can't use them around pet food and b, I did resort to them a few years ago when we had an infestation it made no real impact and the fumes are horrendous - choking me!!

The weather has really hotted up again making for soporific afternoons -- ha I counted up the new hats yesterday and found I now have another 13, maybe I should move onto something else for a while LOL

THE VICTIM/PERPETRATOR GAME - honestly yes I can see where I have played both in this lifetime, this is one for some of the females who I know read here you know who you are xxxxxx you need to scroll down on this link for this particular article - enjoy

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message to the World Conference on Dialogue in Madrid today, 16 July:

I would like to thank the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, for this welcome and timely initiative. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Spanish Government for hosting this important event.It is important to note that many conflicts that appear to be rooted in religion often have their origins beyond the confines of faith. Indeed, political rivalries, territorial ambitions or competition for natural resources are fertile grounds for the emergence of violence. This unique gathering of religious leaders can help debunk the dangerous myth that religion, even when properly understood, inspires violence.Read on......

Color Me Natural
an interesting article on natural dyes and obviously somethng that is close to my heart

A crowd had been steadily growing as the sun pushed away the mid-June morning’s early clouds, and by eleven, the greetings and chitchat among gathering friends, acquaintances and strangers, volunteers and organizers alike had been fixed and focused into a chant: What do we want? Free soil! When do we want it? Now! What do we want? FREE SOIL! When do we want it? NOW!And so united, the work began. Volunteers, led by work team leaders, and with musical accompaniment, were directed onto the lot at the corner of Williams and Northeast Fargo where they got down to the business of turning it from a parking lot into a little piece of paradise. This was the joint vision of the people at Depave (depave.org), a Portland organization dedicated to the removal of unnecessarily paved surfaces in an attempt to combat pollution from stormwater runoff, and the lot’s owner, Ms. Angela Goldsmith. Thanks to the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, City Repair, of which Depave is a member organization, numerous local food vendors and construction outfits, not to mention the hundred and forty seven laborers who showed up to work, that vision was now becoming a reality.On-line film of the event: http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/depaving-day/

Without argument, a skillful therapist can greatly facilitate one's personal growth and insight by providing a safe space to express oneself and hopefully, unconditional love. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford such treatment, yet we all deserve access to healing despite our financial situation.

Most people are unaware that a Master Healer awaits patiently on standby for each of us, just waiting for the moment we sound the call for assistance. We all have at our disposal an infinitely wise and loving counselor and guide—someone, ever so gently, to point out our weaknesses and strengths, thus assisting us upon the path of life. And it doesn't cost a cent, except the amount of energy expended in making the call.{and I sometimes think that is easier for folks to pay money than to exert self discipline/effort, it does appear harder UNTIL we decide that it CAN be easy, I have thought that if folks could exert the same exercise on/with their mnds as they do with their body, we would be in a very different landscape}

You don't need a telephone, however. The call is within, to the source of your power, of love and life, your own Higher Self. Now there are many names for this entity ... some know it as the Soul, or Higher Power, guardian Angel, eighth chakra, or God. What we call it is meaningless. But to call upon it changes lives, for this great presence has the power to give us that elusive prize we all seek, a sense of being fully and completely understood and loved.Read more

Dare I go too far once more mocking/unlocking the foundations of reality? Sights, sounds, smells, touches, and tastes, shall fool/rule no longer. Decoding the external world, and giving an imprint in the brain to help us relate, they are not what they seem to be. Atoms can take on many forms. With inspiration, they bend to the will of One.