A big Thank You

Dear Canadian gas consumer


This letter is intended to show our appreciation to you, dear consumer (insert your name here) of your continued purchase of gas for your vehicle. As you know, the price of oil has fluctuated madly in the last several months, but true to Canadian spirit you have taken it in stride, bravo!

While some citizens of hot headed countries may launch public protests to the cost of gas, you, dear Canadian, have stoically dished out your hard earned money to keep your vehicle on the road. Oh there have been complaints, letters to newspapers protesting the high cost of gas, but on the whole you have been generously understanding of our need to make lots of money at your expense.

Some of you have kept track of the prices of oil, when it went up and also, unnecessarily really, when it went down, and some of you who shall remain nameless cretins have had the audacity to claim that the price of gas should be considerably less than what it is. It’s people like you that take the joy out of discovering that yesterday’s price of $1.39 a liter is now down to $1.34 today. You should rejoice, instead, these sour malcontents point out that the fluctuation in oil prices should result in the price of gas being $1.10 a liter. What nonsense. How would we be able to meet those million dollar profit margins if we allowed that? Hmmmm??

We are just poor regular Joes trying to make it in this world. Why, we haven’t redecorated our mansions, er, humble abodes in several weeks years. We can’t even afford that second jet that we had our eye on. We are just like you, dear Canadian, with bills to pay, housekeeping staff wages to budget for, obligated to pay for our meals at ridiculously expensive budget dining family restaurants with our hard earned money and don’t get us started about tipping.

Our business of gouging the Canadian public is a very stressful job. Surely, you understand that in order for us to stay healthy we need those expensive European vacations several times a year. Now, we don’t mean to complain about our hard lot in life, but we felt you should hear our side of the story. Your continued expenditures support is taken for granted appreciated.



With loving gratitude

The elite heads of the major oil companies.

Shiva Lingam

The Shiva Lingam is revered by Hindus as the embodiment of Lord Shiva. The stone embodies masculine energy, dynamic expression and knowledge, with the markings being the feminine energy, wisdom and intuition.


Shiva Lingams come from the Narmada River, one of the seven sacred holy places of pilgrimage in India. The river periodically gives up these stones when the water level drops. The locals living by the river, following generations of tradition, then retrieve these special stones and hand polish them to bring out their individually unique markings.

The ancient practice of Feng Shui uses the sacred Shiva Lingam to direct the energy flow throughout one's home. It purifies the emotional environment in homes and temples. Place a Shiva Lingam in the Relationship/Marriage area of your home to bring you closer to your partner and other family members.

Lingams provide energy for the body, sudden clarity of mind in the face of confusion, the release of energy where there once was blockage, and the experience of self-acceptance, self-worth, happiness, contentment, unconditional love, and compassion.

Mayan Calendar/Aztec Calendar -- There is a difference

I am pleased to announce that I have made an amazing discovery. Those stonecast round calendars that we at Moonstone Path have for sale are Aztec calendars…not Mayan calendars. I say this because for the last couple of buggy eyed days I have looked up information on the Internet (thus sacrificing necessary bookkeeping work time) regarding both calendars. I thought Aztec and Mayan calendars were the same. They’re not. Who knew? Apparently a lot of people who study these things.

So, I’m going to focus on the Aztec Calendar. It’s a really busy piece of work. The original is kept at the Museo Nacional de Antropologia in Mexico. It is 12 feet across, 3 feet thick, and weighs almost 25 tones. It was carved in 1479 during the reign of the 6th Aztec monarch. It was dedicated to the principal Aztec deity: the sun. The monolith is carved from basalt – a solidified lava, this being an area where volcanoes were common..

 

Colour depiction of the Aztec Calendar

Originally the name for this massive stone slab was “Cuauhxicalli: Eagle Bowl” but it is universally known as the Aztec Calendar or Sun Stone. The Aztec calendar stone that is at the museum in Mexico may have been simply a monument or possibly a sacrificial altar. In the centre is the terrible sun god, Tonatuih. On either side of his head each hand holds a human heart, and his tongue is a ritual obsidian blade for sacrifice.

Around the face are four squares called Nahui-ollin, or Four Movement. According to Aztec legend these squares represented the different ways that the four previous suns (or worlds) had come to an end: first by jaguars who ate the humans, then by wind, then by fiery rain and, finally, by water (or floods). The Aztecs believed they were living in the fifth and last world.

Next outward from the four squares come the 20 day signs (each assigned its own glyph). The Aztec year was divided into 18 months of 20 days plus 5 extra (unlucky) days. Each of the 20 days was ruled by a different god:

Cipactli-Crocodile
Ehecatl-Wind
Calli-House
Cuetzpallin-Lizard
Coatl-Serpant
Miquiztli-Deaths' Head
Mazatl-Deer
Tochtli-Rabbit
Atl-Water
Itzcuintli-Dog
Ozomatli-Monkey
Malinalli-Grass
Acatl-Reed
Ocelotl-Ocelot
Cuauhtli-Eagle
Cozcaquauhtli-Vulture
Ollin-Motion
Tecpatl-Flint Knife
Quiahuitl-Rain
Xochitl- Flower

Following this are the 8 right angles (or symbols that look like arrows). These represent the rays of the sun placed at the 8 cardinal points. Finally on the Aztec calendar stone there are the 2 snakes that come head to head at the bottom of the stone. Between the tails at the top is a symbol probably showing the date the stone was carved.

The Solstice is set to occur on December 21, 2012, at 11:11 am universal time. According to Aztec Calendar Predictions it marks the completion of the 5,125 year Great Cycle of the Ancient Maya Long Count Calendar. When this Great Cycle ends, it will be naturally followed by the beginning of a new cycle.

Some say that Dec. 21/12 will be the end of the world. Others say that the sun will wreak havoc on our poor little planet. Others say that this will be a time of great transformation where we will evolve into a higher consciousness. I’m hoping for this last option.

Aztec Calendar

Aztec Calendar wheel 1000 BCE



Blood--it's Yours to Give

We've all seen that commercial about donating blood, how it can save a life blah blah blah etc. I know a lot of people who donate blood, my husband being one of them. And I admire them for it. They also vote in municipal elections, rather than stay home comfy/cozy like an unnamed person who I won't name.

Anyway, even though I liked those commercials about donating blood I felt far removed from the whole concept. After all, no-one I knew and loved ever needed blood. Note: I just watched a TED.com video with Brene Brown discussing vulnerability and allowing ourselves to show our true selves...so I may not have portrayed myself in the best light in the above. Just being my true self ya all.

Back to donating blood. Guess who needed a blood transfusion? I am now carrying 2 pints of a stranger's B+ in me. It saved me from having damaged organs in the nick of time. Needless to say, I am grateful to that person who took time out of his/her day to go to the blood donor clinic and have someone stick a needle in them and extract that precious substance from them. Probably got a little woozy and needed a cookie or juice or something. This was done, I'm sure out of a sense of humanity and responsibility and not for the sheer fun of it.

Here's a cute coincidence, last night a young highschooler who was doing his mandatory volunteering dropped off a poster advertising for a Blood Donor Clinic in Byron (where Moonstone Path is located) at the Byron United Church from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Tuesday, January 11th of this year. He asked if I could put the poster up in our window. What was I gonna say...NO? Just kidding. I would have put it up in the window even if I hadn't needed blood, I'm not completely evil.

So...to all of you who donate blood...thank you.

It's your typical Canadian Winter

South western Ontario has been receiving a lot of snow lately. If you live in London, ON you know what I mean. Last week we got quite a load of the white stuff, enough to close schools and transit services. We (read Derek) have been shovelling our sidewalk, both at the store and at home way more times than we care to. After a couple of snow free days, it is now again coming down like there is an unlimited supply of the stuff.

I don't like having to deal with snow. I don't like the potential hip breaking fall that may occur, I don't like the insecurity of the car not stopping when I want it to stop, I don't like the cold, I don't like it when the dogs track huge amounts of snow in, thereby necessitating me to wipe all that mess up. And why is it that big dogs love to get up a couple of times through the night just to frolic in the snow. Shae is not my favourite pet these days.

However, here's the thing. A couple of weeks ago before all this snowing started, I was standing in the store looking out the window, and a nostalgic longing welled up in me as I thought about the previous year when I looked out the window and saw all this beautiful snow falling. How pretty it was. How cozy and snug I was standing in our store looking out at this white winter land. It was a longing and an appreciation of the beauty of snow. Not a single thought of inconvenience had entered this thinking. Hmmmmm, is this what manifesting is all about. And if so, I think I know why I am not a multi millionaire as of this moment. Those thoughts about riches are not of the same purity as was the appreciation of the memory I had of the beauty of a snowfall.

And you know, the way the snow lies on the branches of the trees is just absolutely beautiful. This mushy appreciation will probably morph into something else when I have to wade though 4 foot high snowbanks to get to the bus stop.

Husbands can be Evil

Today hubby and I were on our way to the store when we passed a construction site where there was an extremely tall crane, slowly lowering a stepladder to the roof of the building under construction.

With a straight face, my evil husband said “I sure wouldn’t want to be the guy having to climb that stepladder to get into the crane.”

My reply, obviously before my brain caught up to my mouth, was “The guy doesn’t have to climb that ladder they’re probably just lowering it to the roof to use it. He gets in the box thing at the bottom of the crane—he doesn’t control it from the top geeez.”

That’s when I saw his evil smirk. One shouldn’t drive and smirk, I always say.

“You got me good this time” I said. Revenge, when it comes, will be sweet.

Trust in the unseen wisdom

Sometimes, or quite often, we don't get what we want. Isn't that absolutely frustrating. I mean... really. We know what we want, or at least have a vague idea of what we want (lots of $$$) or a purpose in life, I guess, or to have a perfect relationship with our mate and family. Or to not have to call in the dog whisperer to straighten out the pooch. Things like that. And when our desires aren't answered (thwarted) we are soooo disappointed.

But, you know, sometimes not getting what we want is probably the best thing. Let me tell you. I recently went to the movies with my daughter and her WONDERFUL boyfriend (he paid for my ticket) and we saw Paranormal Activity II. Now this was an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. Scary movies...well...they scare me. So going to a scary movie and watching it on the BIG screen called for seldom used courage. So I took a deep breath and sail to wind (or is that wind to sail) I went to the theatre and courageously watched this supernatural and quite scary movie. I only clutched at my daughter in fear a couple of times. Four to be exact.

The movie ended, I was rattled, but in a good way and, pumped up with bravado, couldn't wait to see the first Paranormal movie, now out on DVD. So the next day Hubs and I went to the DVD store to rent it. None available. DARN! Oh well, we could always get it off Rogers on Demand movies, right. We clicked through all the movies and couldn't find Paranormal Activities. DOUBLE DARN!!

I was soooo disappointed. How could this happen to me. I wanted wanted wanted WANTED to watch this movie and I wanted to watch it NOW. Didn't happen. So we watched other stuff on TV that night and I spent most of the evening fuming at not being able to see the movie I WANTED to see. Oh the injustice of it all.

Fast forward to the next day. As it turned out Hubby had to be at work late the next day, so I was home alone. ALONE. Well technically, both dogs and the cat were home with me, but really that's like being alone when it comes to that protected feeling. I mean, I'm sure that if I was in mortal danger they would come to my rescue as fast as only very old dogs can, not exactly a comfort. The cat would probably sleep right through the whole thing, it being even older than the dogs.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that as I lay in bed surrounded by wheezing, snoring and creaking old animals, I began to hear other sounds. Hubs, as I said was at work. It was really late at night, the wind had picked up, and I'm sure I heard that same anxiety provoking noise that always sounded in the movie just before something nasty was about to happen. Sleep did not stand a chance. As I cowered in bed with the blankets up beneath my chin, eyes darting to and fro searching for something I would probably not want to see in the first place, I realized that watching the first Paranormal Activity movie which my daughter assured me was as scary as the second one, would have been a really bad idea.

Sometimes my plans are thwarted for my own good.