B

I forgot to tell you about the most exciting part of yesterday. At the end of our time together, our leaders gave us a little certificate thing.

B, who I didn't want as my group leader... blessed me so much. During my feedback time with her yesterday (after I delivered my final "talk") she said, "Krista what can I say? You were right on. You hit every point. Do you have any questions for me?"

I tentatively asked, "Can I e-mail you or call you and pick your brain, and have you critique me and my work?" Without even the slightest pause, "Of course you can. I would be delighted to help you any time."

My life has taken on a completely new direction and I am thrilled to see what's going to happen. The "Yahoo's" no longer torment me ~ they are but a distant annoyance. I no longer feel the sting of the betrayal or rejection or oR OR. Funny, I haven't thought about them in a while... However, yesterday while having my coffee and quiet time the thought came to me... The ONE subtly told me she was going to do something to hurt me... It went like this (when I was confronting her lies)...

"Don't fuck with me Krista."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Just don't fuck with me, I was studying to be a lawyer."

*note This is where I got really angry... I do NOT like bullies or being threatened

CLICK and that was the last time I spoke to her. She tried...sent me a birthday card, sent me a Christmas card... but I didn't respond...

WHAT can I say? I'm so glad to have that woman out of my life. I was talking to a friend last night and telling her about where I was, where I am now... and she said, "Krista you just had to get all that negativity out of your life so that you could move to the next level...and NOW you are taking off."

Okay the silver bullet (my car) is loaded up and I'm heading out. I really HOPE my tire holds up 'till I get home. The idea of being stranded out in the middle of nowhere is not appealing to me. Although, I'm sure I'd make some poor, starving vulture very happy.

I'm going home

Words simply are NOT sufficient to describe this experience.

SHE's pushing 80, has written OVER 40 books, is an international speaker... during her talk today, she asked ME up on the stage for a "demonstration". I was so nervous just standing next to this woman... after that "session" was over, she approached ME. Said, "Krista you are absolutely beautiful... I believe you have a gift... I want to invite you to our mentor program..." OMG! First, she thinks I'm pretty? What a compliment from a woman that taught "etiquette" for a number of years... Second, SHE believes in ME? What an honor! A mentor?

My tire STILL has the nail. I called AAA tonight, the guy said it should be alright...and went on his way. So... I will head out tomorrow. With the pillow on the head rest, the other pillow on the seat and my blanket over that... My "passenger" and I will race from the rising sun to Pacific Ocean... I'm going home.

I am NOT a freak!

Hello? Anyone out there in cyber land?

So... today they had us give another "talk". With 5 minutes to prepare and 3 minutes to talk, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Let's back up... yesterday when they introduced the "speakers/small group leaders", I sized up B and decided that I DIDN'T want her. She is a cross between my old baton coach and my ninny next door... WHO did I get? B! Today I learned that her mentor is one of my most favorite authors/speakers ~ a gal I've heard speak many times, own her CD's and ALL her books. To add insult to injury, I've actually read some of B's books and liked them (not putting the connection together until TODAY)... AND her best friend is ~ OMG a woman I heard speak while attending Biola ~ the one who first planted the seed (for me) of "speaking"!

So... I get up there, in front of everyone, knee's knocking AGAIN and gave my 3 min. blurp. Deep breath ~ sigh ~ she told ME that I'm a "natural" and that this is clearly my "calling". Can YOU believe it? What a compliment!

AND B lives near ME in CA!

AND I have a nail in my tire! Do I have it patched up? Do I leave it and hope I make it home? Do I? Do I? Ohhhh why ME?

AND I learned that I'm NOT a total freak! THEY said it's good to talk to yourself and find messages in EVERYTHING in life and to WRITE a lot! I do those things naturally... I can find a "life lesson" in anything... Ha! And it's OKAY! :)

Okay... now... homework assignment ~ prepare a 10 min. talk!

Blinders and BloPPing

Okay Okay... I'm awake. This bed is the next best thing to MY bed. That and I'm totally wiped out. And this is only day two! Because I have a full kitchen in here, I went to the market and got "groceries" i.e. coffee, hot cheetos, pizza ~ ya know things I CAN "cook". However, I did NOT get coffee filters ~ thus my coffee is a bit grainy. Yuck! It'll suffice though.

We had a "homework" assignment... part of it was to list the 5 hottest topics in America today. ummmm I don't know? I don't watch the news or read the paper... on purpose. I think there's so much evil and WRONG in our world, that I don't feel the need to inundate myself with it... life is depressing enough without turning on the TEA VEE and hearing about ALL that is depressing about our world. Yet, SHE (omg one of my favorite authors/speakers) said it is important to keep up on what's happening. Here's my internal battle... Do I succumb and watch the news because someone I respect greatly said it's important, or do I continue to live with my self-imposed blinders on because it allows me to sleep at night?

Well, I suppose I should go get ready for my day. Layers... I'll wear layers because it's hot hoT HOT outside and cold colD COLD inside. I'm confident this helps my cold situation. Oh and btw... they talked about the importance of BLOppING! I knew I was onto something ;)

the sky has opened up

It's as though the sky has opened up, releasing all sorts of possibilities for me... This is an amazing time ~ they had us give a "talk" today...knee's knocking and horror filled, I got up in front of all those people... and DID IT! No... I'm telling YOU, I was scared outa my mind! I've read these people's books, heard them speak...and then I had to speak in front of them... So, it's safe to say that today, I was stretched beyond my comfort zone.

I'm learning a lot and meeting some fantastic people... I wish I could be more coherent in this bloP, however I think I am just too exhausted... and I'm still battling that cold. so... I think I'll simply say... good night.

Take The Wheel

Up before the sun... I left California... on the wings of anticipation. Out the 91 fwy... The song blasting through my speakers was "Go Tell It On The Mountain". Perfect Serenity.


I leaned into the rising sun... Figuratively of course... With arms outstretched... each fist filled with sand, that was slowly slipping through my palms and blowing away in the wind... I was FLYING... and for the first time in a very long time... I felt totally FREE.

That which was slipping away was ALL the confines of "conventional norms"; all restraints of SHOULDS and OUGHTS... breaking out of the borders and parameters that never really suited me anyway. Think about it... what is the "norm"? It IS what MOST people do ~ the mean or mode of statistics ~ meaning it is simply what the majority of the population does. i.e. it's the "norm" to get married (heterosexual) because that is what most people do. it's now become the "norm" to divorce too... Just because it's the "norm" doesn't make it "right" or "healthy" or oR OR... 2000 years ago, the "norm" age for a woman to marry was 13! AND she typically married a man much older (20+ years). Nowa days that would be called pedophilia. So... who needs "conventional norms" anyway? Who needs to be put in a box?

I was a woman, traveling alone... However, I must say... I had a brilliant idea ~ I put the passenger seat back, a pillow at the head rest, a pillow on the seat and a blanket over it ~ to appear to be a passenger.

Leaving OC behind me... 4 lanes, became 3, then 2 and I was clearly NOT in California anymore when the rest stops did NOT have seat covers. And of course my mind... I had LOTS of time to think...

ONE: Signs. Do they ever think about what the signs are really saying?

"Prison ahead, do not pick up hitch hikers" There were so many ~ that was my entertainment ~ finding stupid signs...but my mind is drawing a blank at the moment.

TWO: What ARE those little doors on the back of the big trucks? You know what I'm talking about? They're little trap door things about a foot tall... for what?

I was zoooommming right along (going about 100 mph on the open road) when my tire did the hobble wobble thing. Oh NO! I was out in the middle of NOWHERE. ALONE. Then the song was "Jesus Take the wheel". I suddenly changed my mind about flying. You see, I don't want to fly because I don't want to be eaten by sharks. But out in the desert, I'd be eaten by vultures ~ which would be a slow, painful death. If a shark is eating my flesh, I prolly died before I hit the water. So then... I'll fly. As my life flashed before my eyes... I reverted to my "dramatic" thinking ~ "would anyone even know I was missing?" "have I left anything unfinished; need to reconcile anything with anyone?" Pulled off the road in Arizona... called my Dad, who didn't answer his phone. Did this and that and made it to my niece's place... She has 3 cats that LOVE me and I have asthma... nice. With the tire looked at, I continued on to New Mexico.



Alas... I made it here safely and I'm loving this hotel room! Good night from New Mexico!

OMG! Again... I am honored

So... remember me writing about the music fella from the other day at the studio? I just got an e-mail from him... He wants to know if I'd be interested in writing HIS book! OMG! What an opportunity! Are you kidding me?!!! I'm all over that! My reply was a-quick-sound professional-yet-totally-willing/honored-to write-the-book!

Okay, I just went from numb to that jumping out of my skin thing. And I have a friggin 11 hour drive ahead of me. First I must clean my house... Whenever I leave on a "trip", I feel the compulsive need to clean my house and leave everything in "order". It's more about, should something happen to me ~ like I die ~ I want to leave things clean for whomever comes to clear out my things. I know...that sounds morbid, but really... isn't that the polite thing to do? LOL :)

Leap of Faith

Numb. That's how I feel... kinda just in a "zone". Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I'm fighting a cold ~ yet, I REFUSE to get sick. I've been going a 100 mph in a hundred directions and I think I'm simply exhausted. Went to my Mom's yesterday, after visiting with Mrs. A (who is still in the hospital from her fall and appears to be declining rather rapidly)... I robbed my Mom's Orange tree and she gave me some Vitamin C tabs.

Everything has been happening so fast. It's a good thing, don't get me wrong. My little brain can scarcely take it all in. It's as though, someone or something else is directing all the events taking place in my life ~ each day laying the stepping stone for the next. And MY "responsibility" is to have the faith to step onto the next stone ~ to be obedient and follow the path leading out before me.

My heart is at peace... in the KNOWING that I am on the right path... yet, it is a bit frightening at times ~ when I realize the magnitude of what is being done. As I heard it... Remember in the Indiana Jones movie, when Harrison Ford is running from the bad guys...and he gets to that cliff. It's either turn around and be slaughtered or take a leap off that cliff... He put his hand over his heart and he stepped out...

I've placed my hand over my heart...and stepped off that cliff in FAITH. I have not fallen, rather the wings of the angels have carried me; gently, protectively, lovingly delivering me to that first stepping stone... I don't imagine it will always be smooth, I've certainly worked very hard ~ thus I'm exhausted.

And now, I prepare to go to New Mexico... I have no idea what to expect ~ except that I'm driving a million miles alone (me, who falls asleep every time I get in a car). I'll be working/training along side of women who's books I've read and sat in their audiences hearing amazing talks (me, who sometimes feels so small and insignificant)... I feel SO honored!

I think sometimes, people don't step forward because they don't feel like they have anything to offer or that they are good enough... They will forgo an opportunity to be involved in something good because they feel so bad. EVERYONE has SOMETHING to offer... I'm not friends with people because of what they can offer me ~ or because of what they have... I choose my friends for their hearts... Ahhh I digress.

I'm going to take some vitamin C and load up the car.

Raise Your Hand!

Raise your hand if you have TIME WARNER CABLE? OMG! I went to the studio today and... what an experience! Here's a funny coincidence... there was a guy there taping ~ a musician...
And... wow he had an amazing story!

I'm might be moving. Yeah, now that I've done ALL that work on my house... someone else can enjoy my pond! Oh well... it adds charm to the back yard anyway... We'll see what happens... anything is possible at this point.

Pond Phase 1 million

This might look like a random assortment of rocks... but believe me ~ it is like a tetras game ~ each rock strategically placed. AND my body hurts. I may change my name...

First: Manual

Last: Labor



and I'm DONE. The pond IS complete!

Dreams...really do come true

Let me just tell you... When I was 13 years old... my Baton Group took twirling to Europe. We traveled and performed... even at the Amercian Embassy in England, on Good Morning Great Britian TV... The Eiffel Tower... Amazing experience... My friend sent me this link ~ COOL.


My MOM who cleaned houses, so that I could take dance, gym, baton lessons... sacrificed so much. (Unfortunatly we didn't own a video camera) wow... that link brought back a lot of memories... I was ONCE a great baton twirler LOL now... I'm just a builder of ponds.

Pond Phase...ummm I forget

So...whatever phase this is... Went down to the riverbed, loaded up M's truck and wheeewwww what a bunch of WORK. THANK YOU M for helping me with that...

With the truck loaded up, we were driving back and I asked M, what kind of influence am I? She said, "Aside from the fact that we just took rocks out of the river bed for YOUR pond?" I said, "seriously... what kind of influence am I? Do I encourage people to do good or bad?" She said, "YOU inspire people to do GREAT things... to be better people!"

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to my HERO ~ The man that taught me how to change my oil, rotate my tires and SO MUCH more! He taught me what LOVE IS... to labor hard in everything that I do... He LOVED me as though I was his own flesh and blood...I LOVE YOU!

He Graduated!

Yeah... He made it!

Happy Graduation to my favorite

NIECE

All 'A Board

Where do I start? Everything is moving so quickly, I can scarcely take it in...

Met with L yesterday... She's IN. We sat at her kitchen table and I began to tell her about my "passion". I could see the wheels spinning in the depth of her eyes... She teared up and said, "Count me in Krista..." We went out in search of her turtle, whom her late husband C named "Titus". I said, "ummm L, he's a SHE...that's a female turtle." L believes in this "mission"... she said, "C would have been honored to be a part of this... and so am I." We hugged, I left.

Came home to a phone call from my "fuck 'em" Mother... This is how our brief call went...
"Krista... remember years ago when Oprah wanted us to go on her show?"
"uhhh yeah."
"And I refused?"
"Yes, I remember."
"I'll do it now. I'll go and tell OUR story... if it means raising the money for your horse program, I'll do it. I'll be embarrassed as hell, but I'll go."

OMG! First, can I just tell you how awesome it is to see this woman... who has lived the "Million Pieces" book (for real, not a lie... that WAS her life)... she's completely turned her life around. Second, can I tell you how amazing it is to end a call with the woman who gave birth to me, severely abused and neglected me (to the point where the medical professionals said the odds were AGAINST me surviving), with "I LOVE YOU." Forgiveness is a powerful thing... I forgave her years ago, and our healing began... NOW she's willing to go on National television and tell OUR story in order to help other children like her... and me.

AND now... I need YOUR help. It's called, "Rescued Animals Rescuing Children" ~ That's the proposal I've written and need YOU to vote, leave comments and tell EVERYONE you know about it... Go to http://www.membersproject.com/ Find project ID # 07305

All 'A Board! Who's IN?

I AM not afraid...

Grab some tissue... snuggle in... this may be on the longer side of the bloPs


I was afraid to say, "Whatever" until now...

I know the passion burning in my heart and yet I'm humble enough to know that I can't do it alone ~ I need help. I made a list of what I need ~ specific details... slipped the paper in my God box two nights ago. I called R (the prayer lady), "I need your help, can we meet?" "Of course, Krista... come on over." Before leaving the house yesterday, I checked my e-mail... and there was an e-mail from a gal...


"We've never met, however I read your web site and it says that you want to include equine therapy in your program... I just completed my certification and was wondering if perhaps you might need some assistance." Are you kidding me?! THAT was one of the specific things I prayed for ~ an equine specialist! Less than 12 hours and it was answered!


So... I get to R's house... bursting with excitement for this new program I want to get started. Her kids were there... they looked like shy doves...wanting to hear what I had to say, yet not wanting to be disrespectful. I invited them to join us... really? Their eye's lit up... We all sat in the living room, and they all listened intently as I described my "passion". R said, "what do you need from me?" I shyly responded, "I need you to pray." I turned to the kids and asked them to commit to praying for the program as well. It was as if I had handed them the presidency of the United States ~ the boys jaw dropped as if to say, "YOU want ME to be involved too..." I reached my hand across the table and took each of the kids hands into my own... "This IS a kids program... who better to lead, than a child?" We all held hands and prayed... the boy boldly prayed unashamed of his speech impediment... and my courage was lifted...


Then... to my office for a client. A young girl that I have NOT managed to reach. I usually connect with kids rather easily... but she is so locked inside herself. I've met with her a few times... nothing. NO connection. Devine appointment? I took Abby to the office with me... The girl came in, plopped down, folded her arms ~ silently challenging me (again) to try to break her defenses. I explained to her that my dog is NOT friendly either... as I'm telling this child that my dog bites... Abby waddled over to her... unsure...tentative... and lifted her bony paw, scratching the girls leg. I sat quietly... just watching...as the girl lifted her bony hand and began to scratch Abby's belly... She then moved onto the floor, where Abby promptly laid down, rolled over and encouraged this broken girl to rub her belly. If the girl stopped, that bony paw reached for her tiny hand to continue... it was mesmerizing (to me anyway). I was speechless... Shortly into the "scratching" session... she began to speak (the girl that is)... she said, "sometimes bad things happen to make people bite." I just waited and she continued... "my grandpa touched me in places I didn't want him to... so I just don't let anyone get close to me anymore." She lifted her eyes to meet mine... I could see the tears, waiting for permission to fall... pooled... long awaited... It was the first time she's told anyone... And in that moment I became unafraid to say, "Whatever"


Whatever I can do to reach them

Whatever I can do to give permission for their tears

Whatever is required of me, I will do it


Animals can reach people in ways that no human ever could ~ regardless of skill. I DO believe I owe my dog $150! She did in 15 min. what could have taken me a lifetime... she loved that little girl into her "space" (being somewhat demanding of the "scratches"), fingers and paws joined to create the understanding that sometimes bad things happen to make people bite...

final episode of Oz

(ahhhh my company has gone back to her "oz"... wheeewwww I have the house to myself again ~ I shall take a bath with the door open ~ just cuz I can.) Now let's continue the final episode of the Wizard of Oz....

When they arrive at the Palace in the Emerald City, they must put on spectacles before they enter so that the brightness will not blind them. If going into the Emerald City symbolizes descending deeper into the unconscious, we see the rationale for the spectacles, the shock of one’s unconscious forces can truly blind. Their first experiences in the Emerald City reminds one of the visions in dreams; many people dressed in green clothes with green skins who do not speak. Finally, the Wizard agrees to interview them. They each see him differently through their own projections; thus, Dorothy sees a large head; the Scarecrow, a lovely lady; the Woodman, a large and terrible beast; and the Lion, a ball of fire. They see the Wizard as different aspects of their own unconscious minds. Each are told that to achieve their wish from the Wizard, they must kill the Wicked Witch of the West. Thus, the Wizard seems to be telling them that they must have courage to face the continual shadow within themselves. At this point the Wizard seems almost an anima or animus figure, certainly a guide to the unconscious.

So they must seek further into themselves to complete their assigned tasks. As they fight their adversary, the witch, they show further that their missing function is present all along. The Scarecrow shows cunning by saving the others from wild bees; the Woodsman shows feeling for his new friends. The Lion shows bravery to face the witch in the present. And Dorothy, without consciously realizing the intuitiveness of her act, throws water over the witch and destroys her.

When the foursome arrive back at the Emerald City with their task completed, they discover that the Wizard is not a Wizard at all, but merely a man from Omaha who has pretended to be the Wizard. Thus they are forced to face again the fact that their missing function is within them. However, it is still so difficult a revelation that the Wizard must give them artificial facsimiles for their missing functions. This would seem to emphasize man’s difficulty in facing his weak function and the realities of life. The Wizard is not able to help Dorothy return to Kansas and it takes more adventures for her to finally realize that she had the power all along to return. Her ruby slippers can take her anywhere and she needs but to click them together to return to consciousness. With this intuition she returns to Kansas apparently well on the way toward self-actualization.

Thus Jungian theory does fit into the Wizard of Oz, transforming Baum’s story into a visit into the unconscious. Perhaps its wealth of unconscious material explains its eternal interest to children. Perhaps throughout his story, enough of Baum’s own unconscious appeared that he was able to momentarily capture it in the parable. And then again perhaps the story is so rich in characters and occurrences that it could be seen from still other points of view. In any event, it does seem that the tale is yet another way of approaching and explaining some of the theories of Carl Jung.

Dorothy

Let us now view Dorothy and the world of Oz from a Jungian viewpoint. Dorothy is an orphan living with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a farm in Kansas, U.S.A. She lives in a dull, conservative world where her role is that of a child who has not really begun to discover herself. Suddenly, a cyclone takes her in her farmhouse to a new and strange world where she lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, perhaps a shadow figure symbolizing elements of her unconscious that Dorothy does not accept, and kills her.

She has arrived in Oz, the world of the unconscious. A group of dwarf-like creatures greet her with much joy and reverie, but Dorothy does not join in. She is bewildered by the strange occurrences and says she wants to go back to Kansas, her former state of consciousness. She has begun her search for individuation and is already ambivalent. The Good Witch of the North appears and encourages her to begin her search for self-discovery through the guise of seeking Emerald City and the Wizard who resides there. She takes the ruby shoes of the dead witch, and, with the encouragement of the Good Witch but the curses of a new shadow figure - the Wicked Witch of the West, she begins to follow the yellow brick road that will lead to the Wizard and individuation. The reappearance of a shadow in the second witch seems to symbolize the continual presence of the personal unconscious. Thus she leaves the immature childish dwarfs behind as she begins her search for self-understanding.

As Dorothy follows the yellow brick road, she encounters three figures that lack important functions, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion. These characters can be viewed as animus figures, as the functions of Dorothy herself, or as other immature individuals seeking individuation. The Scarecrow is encountered by Dorothy hung on a stick in a cornfield. His lack of a brain symbolizes absence of the thinking function, thus he behaves foolishly. The Tin Woodman first appears rusted so badly that he can not move. Dorothy oils him only to discover that this creature is also incomplete -- he lacks a heart or the feeling function. The Cowardly Lion first menaces the threesome, but cannot face the reality of a counterattack. He lacks courage or the sensation function -- he cannot face the present. Perhaps Dorothy’s lack is the fourth function, intuition, because she does not have the foresight to see how to achieve her goal of getting back to Kansas or leaving the unconscious world of Oz for the conscious world of Kansas. Dorothy convinces all three to join her in her journey to seek the help of the Wizard.

As this foursome progresses toward the Wizard each seeking that which he lacks, through one another they slowly begin to discover that their weak functions are present but need further development. For as many adventures occur, the Cowardly Lion shows courage, the Tin Woodman feeling, the Scarecrow thinking. Dorothy even begins to show intuition by her dogged determination to see the Wizard as a helper for all.

We interrupt...

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program...

Mt. Hood, Oregon





Smoking area with NO smokers in it...




NO SMOKING area with a group of smokers...



View from my plane window... of a dismantled plane next to the run way ~ comforting!


TREE HUGGIN HIPPIE! JOJO MOVE... Come on... I'm building here whether you like it or not...



Phase 2 ~ Pond expedition

Phase 3 ~ add water



That's what you get for rolling around in my pre-pond... you two are filthy! Oh don't look at ME like that!


Pathetic creatures!

The Wizard of Oz

Next... let's do a study on the Wizard of Oz... This might take some time as there are so many "lessons" to be learned. I don't just merely want to talk about the book (as L Frank Baum wrote it)... I want to add another component to it. Of course there are several theories regarding the meaning behind the story (some declare ties to Populism, Buddhism, Jungian-ism and etc...). I lean toward a Jungian interpretation... Now... buckle up, this may take a few days... (cuz my little mind only works so fast)... Ready?

Since its publication in 1900, L. Frank Baum’s, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has delighted children and adults of all ages. Its characters Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and, of course, the Wizard himself have intrigued large audiences of readers and moviegoers who certainly see some of themselves in the portrayal. Witches, small dwarfs, strange animals, cyclones, magic, and fairies add further fantasy material. The story has a moral, or perhaps numerous morals, and a happy ending. There are many ways that this universal story can be interpreted through Jungian theory.

Carl Jung refers to four functions in the consciousness as ways of perceiving the world; sensation, thinking, feeling, and intuition. Sensation is our sense of function; it tells us that something is, that something exists, but nothing else. Thinking tells us what something is; it adds perception and judgment. Feeling tells us the value of things; what it is worth to us. Intuition enables us to look around corners and be concerned with the future; it allows us to see the future in the now. (Jung 11-17) Jung points out that each individual is strongest in one of these functions, and during one’s youth it is wise to develop that strong function and then, later on in life, to attempt to develop one or two of the others. Each function, as it becomes well-developed, has its counterpart that is weak; thinking’s counterpart is feeling, while sensation’s counterpart is intuition. These functions are also matched with the attitudes of extroversion and introversion. Extroversion looks outward toward objective facts and other people for reality; introversion looks inside oneself for answers and feelings. Thus, by combining one’s functions and attitudes, one can understand much about one’s individual personality. In addition to the concept of personal unconscious, Jung refers to a collective unconscious which contains the primeval general characteristics of man. His concept of the personal unconscious is called the shadow, a result of a compensatory reaction of one’s unconscious to conscious self or persona. To discover these unconscious parts is viewed by Jung as important if one is to continue development or individuation. Jung’s well adjusted self-actualized personality has not only developed two or three functions during his progression in life, but also has become aware of elements of his unconsciousness. As one moves toward understanding of unconscious, one becomes acquainted with one of the more mysterious of the archetypes, the anima (for the male) or the animus (for the female). Jung views this figure as necessary for understanding the opposite sex. When one becomes acquainted with this his anima, then he can begin the journey into his unconscious mind and discover parts of himself that otherwise would remain concealed, giving mere hints of their existence by behavior that to most is unexplainable.

It is imperative to get a handle on Jung's basic theory to fully comprehend the character analysis... So...chew on this for today and tomorrow we will begin to examine the character's individually... :)

If you pay close attention to this BloP in the next few days... you'll find several hidden meanings and messages... so keep up! I have LOTS to say.

Pinocchio

Although Pinocchio promises the Blue Fairy he'll be good, temptation can be a powerful force for any boy -- even one made of wood. Curious and naive, Geppetto's "little wooden head" has got a solid thirst for adventure but a shaky sense of what's right and wrong, despite the persistent advice of his "official" conscience, Jiminy Cricket. An easy mark for the practiced con-men of the world at large, Pinocchio must beat temptation and learn to become brave, truthful, and, most of all, unselfish. Only when he proves himself deserving of the Blue Fairy's trust, and his father's love, will he become a real boy.

Ahhhh So, Pinocchio learns that he must BE loved to become REAL.

Do you see the dilemma here? The Velveteen's skin horse said, one had to BE loved to become real... with nothing required of the rabbit, except to BE. However, Pinocchio's Blue Fairy said he had to BE loved to become REAL by "earning" or being "deserving" of it ~ meaning that he actually had to do something (being trustworthy, brave, unselfish...) to become REAL.

Which is TRUE?

Here's the deal... We are LOVED, regardless of what we do... we simply ARE. However, to become REAL... well, it IS by our actions (words, behaviors, unselfishness, servant hood... loving others) that we become REAL (or authentic).

Oh, the lessons in children's book ARE so profound and thought provoking!

The Velveteen Rabbit

Have you ever read the Velveteen Rabbit? Everything one needs to know about "life" is IN that book... Please allow me to pull out a few of those "lessons" that I learned from the book...

... Between them all the poor little Rabbit was made to feel himself very insignificant and commonplace, and the only person who was kind to him at all was the Skin Horse.

The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.

"The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

The Rabbit sighed. He thought it would be a long time before this magic called Real happened to him. He longed to become Real, to know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad. He wished that he could become it without these uncomfortable things happening to him...

...That night, and for many nights after, the Velveteen Rabbit slept in the Boy's bed. At first he found it uncomfortable, for the Boy hugged him very tight, and sometimes he rolled over on him, and sometimes he pushed him so far under the pillow that the Rabbit could scarcely breathe.

... And when the Boy dropped off to sleep, the Rabbit would snuggle down close under his little warm chin and dream, with the Boy's hands clasped close round him all night long.

And so time went on, and the little Rabbit was very happy -- so happy that he never noticed how his beautiful velveteen fur was getting shabbier and shabbier, and his tail becoming unsewn, and all the pink rubbed off his nose where the Boy had kissed him.

I am going to HELL

I'm at the airport ~ waiting for my flight... laptops, digital camera's, little port things to down load pictures... are dangerous in the hands of some....


and of course I'm the geek in the bathroom taking a picture of the directions to "flushing" sign. I'm wondering why "solid waste" has 3 water drips next to it? And how confusing is it... flush UP for this and DOWN for that? Couldn't they come up with something easier?



They have this full body scan thing. A person steps into it... and this blast of air shoots out... eventually a little green light goes on and the door on the other side opens. It's kinda like a car wash. There I was standing in line, minding my own business... anxiously waiting my turn to strip and load (take shoes off and put all my belongings on the tray thing)... when this lady steps into the full body scan. The puff of air shot out and so did she! She screamed and jumped out of the scanner thing... LOLOLOL

I, of course, bust out laughing. NOT a soft, gentle giggle...and FULL BLOWN CACKLE! OMG it was too funny! I couldn't help myself... really! ALL eye's were on ME... but I was past polite and couldn't stop laughing. I managed to get out, "I know, I'm going to hell for laughing."

And of course I'm also going to hell because I GOT the lighter past security! I wasn't about to let the robots steal that lighter... Texas already has one of mine...

So... I'm going to hell. But first I gotta go board that giant with all the other lambs... like lambs to the slaughter. Have I mentioned how much I hate flying?

Outa the Clouds

BTW most of the horses on this ranch are rescued... Ummm my favorite is the one rescued from Katrina... That horse was swept up in the water along with all the others... He found a place to get something solid under his feet and patiently waited for...THREE WEEKS for help. Living off the bark of a tree and whatever happened to float by, this little guy held on for dear life. Sheer determination and will... he was rescued.

Sometimes the storms of life sweep us up and the water level is so deep and the turmoil... oh the anguish! We hold on for dear life and wait for help to arrive... If we're not careful, we may not recognize help when it does arrive. I think of that story of the man who was in the storm...

After days of raining, flooding becomes a concern of the local town’s people. As the flood-waters rise people begin to climb onto the roof of their homes. After climbing onto his roof, the man begins to pray ardently, “God please save me.” As the man waits for an answer, a boat comes by, but the man tells the owner of the boat, that God is going to save him. The boat goes on. A little while later a helicopter fly’s overhead and a latter is lowered, but the man waves the helicopter off while screaming that God is going to save me. Well the flood-waters continued to rise and the man drowns. When he gets to heaven, St. Peter asks, “How did you die?” The man tells him how a flood caught him and that he drowned. The man then asks St. Peter a question, “Why God did not answer my prayers and save me?” St. Peter tells the man, “I don’t understand, God sent you a boat and a helicopter.”

There are other rescued horses... one that had been beaten so badly, the doc had to sew her face back together... one who had been starved past recognition... So many...

There's a little dog in the pound ~ Hammy. I saw him when I went with my friend that day. I was strong... well except for the two turtles I got. Later I was telling my mom about him, "And there's a dog there that looks just like Reggie!" "Is his name Hammy?" "Yes" She saw him too... Little Hammy NEEDS a home! He's gotta be coming up on his last days at that damn KILL shelter... I called my Mom when I landed in Oregon and asked her to go get Hammy outa jail for me. She told me NO WAY! But if he's still there on Monday... I'm going to get him myself . LOL

I digress... This day marks the end of my Oregon trip. We are flying out tonight... Another plane! This flying business... I don't know that I can get the hang of it. I'm driving to New Mexico in a couple weeks... I like to keep both feet on the ground at all times... well except when I'm dreaming my dreams ~ I definitely need someone to bring me out of the clouds sometimes....

Off to dream my next "mission"...

Silent and Still

Let me tell you HOW this started for me... So, it was a few days before Christmas and I needed a couple small gifts for my Mom. Since she loves to read... I thought a book would be good. I went down to the book store by my house... ran in thinking I'd find a book real quick. Ummm then IT hit me! My bladder was FULL. Therefore, I grabbed two random books off the shelf... shuffled to the counter...paid the lady and ran!

Now fast forward... I was getting ready to go to Texas and didn't have anything (new) to read on the trip... So, my Mom gave me one of the two books I had gotten her. I read the entire book during those few days in Texas... I was SO inspired and motivated and in awe of this couple and their horse rescue... I just HAD to meet them. Can't even begin to tell you the impact that book had on ME. So... I sent a letter... and they responded! They invited ME to meet with them and visit their ranch. Thus I AM in Oregon... meeting this amazing couple and their horses and staff... What an honor!

And can I just tell ya... there IS something so awesome about starting the morning  'round a fire pit! THAT is what I'm talking about! Watching a horse be worked in a round-pen... listening to stories from their ministry AND being encouraged in my own dreams and goals... When I get home, I am moving forward with this passion... cuz I know, that I know that I am on the right path... It's that deep knowing thing I get from time to time. When I AM silent and still... I can hear the voice guiding my next steps.

Oregon

Too much to say, too little time... Let me simply put it this way ~ Oregon is AMAZING!

Surviving the "geriatric" flight (I kid you not... there were so many elderly people gettin on that flight). My whole, "What if it's the pilots time?" thing was shot... I figured those geriatrics were "closer" to their time...and one of them would take our plane down. But ALAS we made it...

For some reason I can't download the rest of the pics I took today onto this bloP...but they are fantastic. Even saw wild horses...just walkin' around.

And this hotel is GIGANTIC and the room...OMG a spa tub upstairs...a living room, a bed room... I've NEVER stayed in a nice room like this... What a treat!

Spent the day with the horses and the horse people... I'm getting fired UP.

For now... I'm going to get in that spa tub and relax my cold, tired bones. Did I tell ya it snowed on the drive into Bend? Yeah... SNOW. Then the sun was out for a bit and we drove with the top DOWN. Anyway...

turtle rescue

Okay... So... I went with my friend to the humane society place to pay her dog tags... and... dang it... I HATE that place! All the dogs...cats...bunnies... TURTLES needing homes. I left with her ~ strong ~ "I won't do it!". Later... I went back on my own... weak, humbled, determined to rescue something. OH! Not one, but TWO slider turtles ended up in my hands... I took 'em to my parents house (as I'm leaving for a trip) and added 'em to the one slider's pool. 4 + 2 = 6 turtles! I thought my Dad would flip! I sneaked in the side gate so he wouldn't see me... but he rounded the other side of the house as I was slipping them into the pool.

"What ARE you doing?"
"uhhhh....nothing?"

Then he spotted them... I held my breath.

"Oh... two more females? Now we gotta get you a male so they'll have babies."

I almost fell over into the pool! Something has happened to that man. Or perhaps he's just resigned that I'm going to forever be rescuing animals???

I figured, he didn't flip about the turtles... so that was the best time to tell him about the pond. I did. He said, "need help?" OH MY GOD!

Now... I'm going to find some horses to rescue!

Happy Found Birthday

Church Family Pic-Nic! We got our food and sat down. I said to L (pastor's wife) and R (I call her the prayer lady), "This is like being in a bar... when in there, people automatically assume you are drinking. So, I'm here with a veggie hot dog, but it looks like a meat hot dog and people are going to assume I'm eating an animal."

Little Sally (and her mom/brothers) came to the pic-nic today... she said, "I Love You!"

That pic-nic marks the 2nd year of JOJO! Two years ago, we saw him on the side of the road. He had his paw up, as though he was injured.

I said, "there's a dog."

she said, "it's dead."

I said, "it's standing up."

she said, "it's dead standing up."

She pulled over... and jojo now lives with me... Happy FOUND birthday jojo!

Anyone need a DOC?

ERGO

Dr. Jack Kevorkian has been released! Hmmm anyone need a doc? He COULD be the one to save America... If they'd just let him fill his patient list with all the "bad guys" ~ we could end the war (Osama), we could end government corruption, we could end lots of things...

Yeah... I'm a little bored... So, yesterday I was digging and the neighbor "brat" looked over the fence and hollered to her Mom, "She's digging in her yard!" Then she yelled at me, "What are you going to put in that hole?" (In MY head only ~ put your guns down all you judgers) "How many kids are over there?"

Pre-Pond

Day #1 Fish pond expediction is coming right along. dig dig dig till the sweat drips from my nose... then I step away from the shovel. The problem with "manual labor" for ME = my mind runs a hundred miles per hour... I could find a "life lesson" even in the dirt and grime... Got up early this mornin' and began my work... I ripped up all the plants and things ~ down to the dirt a while back (before the tent experience) ... now the digging fun...

Imitation IS the best form of flattery... I suppose I should take it as a compliment... Guess some people just don't have orginal ideas or thoughts or words...

When I was little, I'd go to my Mom and say, "Why do they copy me?"

She'd say, "Because they want to be like you."

"If they want to be like me, why do they treat me like that?"

She'd say "Because they are jealous that they can't be like you."

OH!

Anyway

ANYWAY
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway.
-Mother Teresa, "A Simple Path"