9am eternal
(I can hear you calling)

On the sentimental wave
an all-conquering emotion
ruling this enclave
like a former devotion

Calling a name
as familiar as it was true
reigniting the flickering flame
the meaning still offers no clue

Lingering amidst the sunset
fading by sunrise
-the part so desolute-
yet without compromise.

March 31st, 8:56am

No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place. ~Zen

I read these today, and really wonder if they can be true. The magazine assures us that it is indeed factual, according to various reliable sources it has to be said, but can this be right...

Ten years ago, only 500 people in China could ski. This year, an estimated 5,000,000 Chinese will visit ski resorts.

As for banking, nothing has changed really,

The original name of Bank of America was Bank of Italy.

Which brings me to this one, which I do not wish to spend much time pondering, because even with today's billions, it seems only a dozen people hold the world's currency...

If the entire population of earth was reduced to exactly 100 people,50% of the world's currency would be held by 6 people.

The year is 2006, but not much has changed, only the stomach is closer to the land than it was in the 1800's...

In the 1800's, people believed that gin could cure stomach problems.

I did hear that McDonald's were beginning to close 'restaurant's' in the UK, as they seem to have gone beyond the levelling-off stage, but as David Bowie once said, this is not America...

McDonalds calls frequent buyers of their food heavy users.
Americans ate eight million more orders of french fries and almost six million more hamburgers this year compared to last. [for the year 2005]

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

Marcel Proust

Distinction found beneath the surface
heavy eyelids sink without trace
unveiling a worldly, operatic paradise
a mercurial night given to hypnotise
Though no bed of roses nor a curtain call
this life offers death, both to befall-
the latter's friendly disguise assumed foolishly
-eventual truths and goals striven feverishly-
life's instinct touched upon these very hands
balance! the redeeming feature over time across varying lands

Thirty year old sounds
abounding the surrounding now
fresh and clean-
deepest feelings embrace all that I mean

the Sun glares at me, clouds deceived
It's greeting gratefully received
a moment of past illuminating what's next
music from all sides putting life into context

It's to fly - rise or fall
to float - sink or swim
walk - with both feet firmly on the ground
run - but learn to walk first!

Talk - though speak only when spoken to
answer - upon waiting your turn
question - on your head be it
this life?? for better or worse

I found this article extremely interesting and thoughtful, changing the shape of my own day with it's depth.
Therefore, I post it herewith for you all...

Fear is our programmed response to danger, heightening our senses, supplying a surge of internal energy that we may require to save our lives. But our danger detectors never did work perfectly, and they were programmed in our evolutionary past, when sources of danger and means of escape were both different from what we face today. The result is that fear is very far from a reliable indication of danger, and yet it remains a powerful force within us. ‘Panic’ is the word we use to describe irrational fear, and it can deprive us of our critical functions at a time when we need them most. It may not matter so much that we are gripped with fear as we watch a horror movie, but the fear that engulfs us as we stand before an audience can distort our performance, alter the message we seek to communicate.

Deconditioning our fear responses is a lifetime endeavor. One by one, we replace them with sound judgment about what is a threat to be avoided, and what is an adventure to be embraced.

It has been said that transcending fear, we arrive at love.

~ Josh Mitteldorf

Though my energy is low, indeed lower than ever, I am replying to all your beautiful comments on my post, wordwards, as I owe you all so much.

No fear, the word is love,
lauren6

“It is true that we cannot be free from sin, but at least let our sins not be always the same.”
~ Saint Teresa of Avila, born in this month (28th), in 1515.

The impossible may spark a revolution of possibilities
spoken of unknown pleasures and untold mystery
wistful fancies spiralling beyond the mind's dreamy eye
from dusky flights ensuing hours offer dawning rewards
destinations of the soul, travels of the mind
a heartwarming discovery awakening the senses.

From the worst, I witnessed the best...yes, watching Arsenal from my sick bed, last night was a great joy, even from a Liverpool supporter!
Apart from the opening minutes, Arsenal were exhilerating, and captured their dizzy heights of two/three years ago...maybe even exceeded them.
Juventus were made to look a complete shambles, and remember last season, Liverpool did the same to Juventus at Anfield, at the same stage, but for fewer minutes, and sadly allowed Juventus a solitary consolation goal to bring with them back to the San Siro, which was not enough, and Liverpool, with that blistering 45 minutes of total football, went onwards and into history.
So Arsenal, surely...you have the best chance you've ever had to make it through to the semi-finals.
As a lifelong LFC fan, I wish you the very best.

My wishes are also for Benfica to somehow overcome Barcelona in the Nou Camp.
Força Benfica allez allez

Yes, the wind is tearing away at the early flowers, heaving at the garden furniture, dismantling the feng-shui arrangements in the hospital courtyards, but still the Sun touches the surface of all things...eventually.

And this is my feeling today, though the Sun may take on any shape or form in life, from you to me, and all that exists between, it will not, and can not lay it's rays upon every blade of grass, or crack in the pavement that may be a clink in my armour, but give it time, as with ALL things, and the Sun with it's life-sustaining charm, will touch upon even the darkest soul, bring a glow to the souless, warmth to the blue, and guidance for growth.
Never see the darkest slabs of concrete, but relish the Sun that will always win the day, even though it must set to darkness, so we must all act in like manner...awaiting the new day...for every sunrise has the hope and possibility of being better than any other before.

Remember the Sun, it is like us all, unable to shine constantly through a screen of creation, but behind the persistant clouds, behind the mask, lies a great burning gift of life within us all.

This is for you all.

I'm fading, my body tells me, but I have set myself a timescale that can offer much more...if the Sun shines, so will I.
But sometimes, the peaks and troughs are all too easily forgotten.
I'm only human, it may not be enough for some, but it is more than enough for me.

love to all,
lauren6

A Silent 'S'

wind growls through leafless limes
nagging at expetant daffodils displaying tremendous resolve
clouds thrown together cluster round the beckoning Sun
drawing us all before it's warming rays
-a welcome feeling for Winter-weary Souls
Howling cold halted by tingling Spring sounds
such gentle tunes liaise with our deepest senses
igniting the imminent explosion of Spring
Winter creases now unfurled; laid smooth
free from icy restriction to rejoice in Spring's salvation.

Why do ‘a fat chance’ and ‘a slim chance’ mean the same thing?

Why do we hang our clothes on a washing line and not a drying line?

Why do people skip breakfast more than any other meal, considering that this is the time when the stomach is emptiest, and proven to be 'the most important meal of the day'?

When you feel down, why do people ask what’s up?

In horse racing, why do they award the rider and not the horse?

If insects are so obsessed with bright lights, why don’t they fly off to the sun?

Whatever happened to "Make Love not War?"

"The only thing stronger than a mother's love is a garlic breath."

Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.
~Aesop

Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth.
~Ludwig Börne

"All I do is act on my passions and they call it sin.
All I do is tell the truth and they call me a hypocrite.
All I feel is pain and sorrow and they call it love.
All I do is pour my heart out to empty pages and they call it poetry."
~Benito Behar

This is well worth posting, sharing, and above all...remembering!

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older,their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, "I love you", mean it.

FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. Please No name-calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY ONE. Spend some time alone.

Author Unknown

Are computers masculine or feminine?

A French teacher was explaining to her College class that in French,
unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

House is feminine "la maison." Pencil is masculine "le crayon."

A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?" Instead of giving the
answer, the teacher split the class into two groups-male and female-and
asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a
masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons
for their recommendation.

The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the
feminine gender (la computer) because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is
incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for
possible later review; and,
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending
half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be
masculine (le computer) because:
1 In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they
ARE the problem; and,
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a
little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.

Music: Daft Punk

"Even a stopped clock is right twice a day."
- Proverb

ROMANCE MATHEMATICS
Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage

OFFICE ARITHMETIC
Smart boss + smart employee = profit
Smart boss + dumb employee = production
Dumb boss + smart employee = pro motion
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime

SHOPPING MATH
A man will pay £2 for a £1 item he needs.
A woman will pay £1 for a £2 item that she doesn't need.

GENERAL EQUATIONS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

HAPPINESS
To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little.
To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

LONGEVITY STATISTICS
Married men live longer than single men, but married men are a lot more willing to die.

PROPENSITY TO CHANGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he
doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED
Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next."
They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

besmirching a cirrus-strewn sky
six rings chosen to deny
silence suffocates like cumulus in the ascendency
splitting the day, extremes in residency

what sounds now for the mind on tenter-hooks?
rumble of passing cars to be read like books?
as light touches ark turning blue
midday's port-of-call affords renew

familiarity override alienates isolation
the feelings a causeway and heart a tide,
emotional dam plugging away energy like sap
thirsting for you to bridge the widening gap

You know, sometimes goodbye is easier than hello...
and tonight, likewise, I cannot sleep, for the events of this afternoon, and the fears of the upcoming days. The progress is slight, if negligable. The spinal root nerve injection has now passed into it's second week, with no obvious benefits, though I have found some sleeping positions tolerable, for which I am grateful.

However, all these jabs and 'quick-fix' solutions have put more pressure on something of greater importance; the heart, which today seemed to do the pole-vault, (speeded-up), several times in one minute. (At one stage I feared the worst, but called the nurse, just in time, though my weekend is now totally accounted for.)

I'm typing here, for my sanity and with a belief that somewhere down this lonely line, fresh, vigourous Oaks, bathed in summer sun will once more be found, housing a dozen birds, illuminated by the brilliant power of reflection, nurtured by nature's unending cycle of life, from which we all spring.

My days are no longer free, nor easy, and I hesitate to detail the extent of what I'm presently enduring, as it may be tedious, boring and a little morbid.

I'm weakening by the week, but remain hopeful, though my view of the world, and my own place within it, has changed enormously these past weeks in particular, there is so much to appreciate around us all...and that is enjoyment we can all share with equal appreciation, in great quantities.

All the best everyone.
lauren6

PS: Noted that Liverpool have once again been paired with Chelsea, who are noticeably feeble of late. With 15 goals in our last 3 games, we have a good chance indeed.

A book should be an ice-axe to break the frozen sea within us.

-Kafka

The Oxford Dictionary's latest definition of the following words:

Office : A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Committee : Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.

Lecture : An art of transferring information from the notes of the Lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through the minds of either.

Conference : The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.

Conference Room : A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.

Yawn : The only time some people ever get to open their mouth.

Smile : A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

Etc . : A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.

Experience : The name people give to their mistakes.

Miser : A person who lives poor so that he can die rich.

Criminal : A guy no different from the rest....except that he got caught.

Boss : Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

Doctor : A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you with his bills

Compromise : The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

Classic : A book which people praise, but do not read.

Opportunist : A person who starts taking a bath if he accidentally falls into a river.

Father : A banker provided by nature.

Politician : One who shakes your hand before elections and your confidence after.

9 hours touching the world's other side
merely half a day from the turning tide
beneath the frosted Earth
humbling days, a Winter's bylaw-
set my mind travelling
to be comforted
in the arms of your every word
screaming pain released and momentarily unheard

Just wishing everyone a good week.
So glad Liverpool have found their scoring touch, in spectacular fashion.

What is your highlight of this week?

History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.

Maya Angelou

Fear is not the natural state of civilised people
Aung San Suu Kyi

Down from the Western Heights
your sad eyes soon showed delights
a shy little thing eager to please
on clifftop walks for recovering knees
castle battlements, parks and sea
the healthiest life by degree
august drew a line, then full stop
your life remembered in this teardrop

Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within.
Alfred Lord Tennyson

Walk into the woods.
Keep walking. Walk off tracks.
Do not plan where you are going.
Take whatever directions appeal in the moment.
Keep walking.
When (without realizing) you are lost, look into the eyes of the dragon,
then your adventure begins

Last night I enjoyed the final part of "Time" with Michio Kaku, exploring time. It has been a truly fabulous 4-part series...

TIME

In this four-programme series, string theory pioneer Michio Kaku goes on an extraordinary exploration of the world in search of time.
He discovers our sense of time passing and the clocks that drive our bodies. He reveals the forces of time that make and destroy us in a lifetime. He journeys to some of the Earth's most spectacular geological sites to look for clues to the extraordinary depths of time at a planetary level. Finally, he takes us on a cosmic journey in search of the beginning (and the end) of time itself.

1. DAYTIME
Sunday 26 February 8pm-9pm
Time seems to drive every moment. It's the most inescapable fo