ANIMAL ODD COUPLES

About two weeks ago PBS began airing its annual pledge drive.  As usual the programs have been simply spectacular.  I could not help but smile from ear to ear as I sat watching one of my favorite shows - NATURE.  The topic was animals of different species who develop remarkable, lifetime friendships - and what interesting bonds these are.  A dog with a cheetah, deer, rabbit, monkey; a goat with a horse; an owl with a domesticated cat; a lion and a coyote - budding relationships that have turned conventional wisdom upside down.  

My favorite part of the documentary featured Charlie, a horse who was blind and who developed a 16 year-old friendship with a goat named Jack.  Jack would lead Charlie on a path to graze, spend time with him in the sunshine and then would guide him back home.  After Charlie died Jack was was never the same.  Other relationships depicted were of a great dane named Kate and a fawn named Pippin.  Pippin was orphaned and Kate took it upon herself to be her sorrogate mom.  They experienced fun together through their connection.  The owner of Kate did not want to interfere with Pippin being wild.  So she would not hold or pick up the fawn.  In this way Pippin was able to remain wild, going into the woods and sleeping at night and then eating and playing with Kate during the day.  Another startling relationship develped between a goose and a tortoise, who'd been together for four years. The goose would oppose anyone or anything that would dare come near the tortoise.  A curious aliance grew -  which, by the way, reminds me of the biblical scripture, "And the lion will lay down with the lamb" - between a lion and a coyote.  Both acquired when each was about 2 months old.  Obviously the lion outgrew the coyote.  The owner stated that if he thought for a second that the coyote's life would be in jeopardy he would remove the coyote. Odd?  You bet.  But the oddest couples can make the most devoted relationships.  

Gaining a new perspective as to how relationships develop, we need to reassess how we think friendships form.  Emotions such as happiness, sorrow, joy, anger, compassion are not exclusive to humans.  For example, research on brain scans show evidence of how the body reacts to grief - experiencing sadness which Jack clearly displayed when Charlie died.  It was as if he lost his best friend.  There's oodles of evidence that illustrates how elephants are affected when they come upon the dead bones of other elephants - whether they were directly related to them or not - and how they spend quite some time mourning.  Kicking and turning over the bones.  

All these relationships have developed with the hand of humans however, and live in secured, restricted areas.  Could/would animals living in the wild develop these close bonds?  I've learned to think, feel, believe that any thing is possible.  Just look at the different friendships that have developed not only between humans but humans and other animals.  What do you think?  Cheers!!

IN LIVING COLOR

Color is seductive, mesmerizing.  Life offers us a scintillating array of hues with which to play.  Pearly tones like taupe, cream or silver-gray go very well with my naturally graying locks.  I love the way these tones play up my skin, and, so I tend to lean more toward them, but I'm tremendously attracted to maroon, rust, magenta, crimson, black, cobalt, turquoise, deep green, navy, periwinkle. 

SOFT TONES:  This is the restrained end of the spectrum of the color palette.  These colors bring to mind spring blossoms, seashells, beach pebbles, all white, pale grays, natural weathered wood or stone, creamery ivory, honey yellows.  Easter-egg colors - the soft pinks, baby blues, cream.  I am totally taken with such delicate hues.

SINGING COLOR:  These colors demonstrate the wide-awake, exciting colors of childhood.  Carnivals and circuses revel in their palette.  You see these colors displayed in summer parks, fruit and vegetable markets which bring us a joyous abundance of color from the natural world.  When it comes to cheering up a room or celebrating a birthday, these colors come into their own.  Balloons and candy can often be found in these shades. 

MOODY HUES:  Here we find the colors of old tapestries or ethnic wraps that have seen a lot of wear and tear resulting in faded, stone-washed textures.  Smoldering earthy tones, dusky neutrals and silvered wood.

RICH SHADES:  In this category we have the dark purples, blues and maroons - there is an intensity about deep colors that I love and find very romantic.  Deeper tones are seductive and very flattering to use in home decorating. 

Although I frequently buy creams, grays, black, whites - neutral colors - for my clothes and home furnishings, I love all that nature offers, because living within one part of the spectrum can make life a little boring.   So try adding a splash of color, for example, red by way of a scarf, pillow, throw, or picture frame.  You will begin to live a charming life by enhancing it with color.  Cheers!!

P. S.  What are your favorite colors?

WARRIORS IN A PROLONGED BATTLE

Living a charmed life is not all about living a life of luxury filled with eating filet mignon and caviar.  There are times in life when truth tries to get your attention - when certain questions need to be answered.  For example, Where am I going?  Why am I here?  What is my real purpose in life?  How did I end up in this mess - again?  And many others.  But, truth be told, there are treasures - gems to be gleaned - buried in challenges, hurts, disappointments and obstacles in the form of inner peace, a balanced life, insights, healing. 

These questions come at the most inopportune times.  You are just going along living your life - planning, making and achieving goals, raising a family, working, involved in relationships - when BAM!  It happens.  And "it" could be anything, a divorce, children addicted to drugs, you get fired, people who you thought you were cool with don't really like you after all - whatever.  However, it is at these points in life - transitions, encounters with difficulties - that you begin to question what's it all for.  How the hell did I end up here?  You begin to question your self-worth, your self-value, even if you have enough courage to contiue in the battle - fighting.  It's mostly a battle with self, although there are external forces that you may or may not be aware of.  Inasmuch as we would like to stick our heads in the sand and pretend that life is good (at least on the outside to others), we must reflect, go deep within, do some introspection to find the answers.  Answers that will then determine our course of actions or inactions and growth. 

This is not a path that can be rushed.  Finding the answers, coming to conclusions may take months, even years to figure out.  From personal experience there is no time limit to this process.  However it is within this learning process - an "in the meantime," an "in the valley," so to speak that you gain greater self-awareness, you get to know who you really are, how much courage you truly possess.  You learn what you can live with and live without.  Trust me it ain't all pretty.  It's a time for crying, so have plenty of tissue on hand.  It's a time for high anxiety, uptightness, agitation - stress.  You will feel as if your nerves are literally unraveling.  But you develop mental and emotional fortitude. 

No matter how long the course takes I am convinced that you gain quantum benefits.  You then realize that you can handle it.  That there is no sense in "sweating the small stuff."  Not that your learning, growing, develping is small stuff.  You realize that life is a joy.  You masterfully deal with "life on life's terms."  And that my friends is one aspect of LIVING A CHARMED LIFE.  Cheers!!

Name Change

I want to extend a special hello to all my blogbuddies in blogsphere.  As you can see I have re-named my blog.  I believe that everyone can live/have a charmed life.  First, we must show gratitude for even small wonders like having air, shelter, food.  Sounds trite, but so very true.  My deepest desire is that all who visit this blog will leave encouraged, uplifted and happy.  Cheers!!

IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE

I know change is good, but that doesn't mean I like it under ALL conditions.  However, for the past few months I have been thinking about changing my blog title, and now I am in the process of coming up with a new name for my blog.  I have a few good ones.  I'm still a great fan of Vincent D'Onofrio (his name is part of my blog), but I think my life is suited for a different path now and I want my blog to reflect my true self.  So, in the words of Sam Cook, "A change gonna come."  Cheers!!

FEATHERS: WHAT DO THEY SYMOBLIZE

For the past month or so I have been seeing feathers.  I think it strange because I just finished reading The Secret (can't remember the author).  

A man in one of the stories told of how he focused his mind on finding a feather.  Not just any feather, but to his specifications.  This was to indicate how powerful the mind is in detetermining expectations and how thinking happy, positive thoughts can bring into your life what you dream.  For a while now, I too, have been seeing feathers.  Not with any exactness on my part, though.  Hmmm, what could it all mean?  Cheers!!

HUMMINGBIRDS: MAGIC IN THE AIR

PBS (channel 13 here in NYC) did a stunning documentary Nature program about the magnificent hummingbird.  The bird's uncanny ability to hover and fly backward make them like no other bird.  They are not just little "jewels" who dart in and out of our lives in moments.  Although elaborate feathers dazzle us with appeal.  Their behavior have experts in the field almost considering them insects -  except that they are birds - because only insects have the ability to hover.  These powerful birds are nature's tinest mammals with wings.  But make no mistake about it they are smart, powerful, feisty and will defend their territory to the death. 

Their eggs are about the size of a tic-tac.  OMG!  Can you imagine?  A fascinating fact is that the shape of their beaks - which can be up to four inches long - are determined by the shape of the flower from which they seek nector.  The longer the head or bell of the flower, the longer the beak of the bird.  They do have help, though, because flowers do intice these little guys and gals with their sweetness buried deep within.  So the bird has to almost bury themselves to have at the syrupy goo from the gods. 

Hummingbirds need an enormous amount of nector, about 1,000 flowers from dawn to dusk per day, and due to the lack of protein nectar offers, they eat a host of insects from flys to gnats.  Their wings flap about 200 per seconds - yes, that's right SECONDS.  And because of their high metabolism you would think that they would die in their sleep, but nope.  Their bodies go into a type of hybernation at night.  This lowers their internal temperature and allows for adjustments to match the outside temperature.  Then when the sun rises, so does their temperature and off they go.  It's truly fascinating!  Another interesting fact is that hummingbirds are native to the Americas, especially Peru.  So, if you are an avid bird lover and have a backyard feeder like Reena over at "missing moments," bird watcher or just enjoy our brillant, dazzling-colored feathered friends on the quick as they dart in and out of our lives in seconds, you can order the DVD and see this remarkable show.  Just go to www.PBS.com.

The hummingbird may be a small bird, but they touch our souls in a very big way.  True giants in the animal kingdom.

Cheers!!