All Blog Posts (1,664)

By NBCBayArea.com and msnbc.com staff

One of most popular artists in America, "Painter of Light" Thomas Kinkade, died Friday at his home in California, his family said.

He was 54, and his family issued a statement that his death appeared to be from natural causes.

"Thom provided a wonderful life for his family,'' his wife, Nanette, said in a statement. "We are shocked and saddened by his death.''

His paintings are hanging in an estimated 1 out of every 20 homes in…

Aquene and Hello:
At this time I would like to offer prayers and thoughts to all on Mother Earth in their times of need. I especially would like to say I offer prayers for the people in Virginia with the plane crash recently. I understand there are no fatalities as of yet and pray it stays that way. You are all in my prayers and thoughts. Creator guide you all and keep you well.Blessings. Winishi.

Bird Droppings April 4, 2012

Listening for nature’s call

Lately as I venture out in the wee hours of the morning whip o wills are calling. It has been a few years since I heard them with such regularity. They seem to start after midnight and go till nearly dawn. With a dense stand of pine within one hundred yards of the house the loudest are nearby and then listening carefully in the surrounding area several more calling out. Most nights owls sounding off can be heard and an…

Hello All:

Unfortunately I have the task of bearing bad news. It would seem someone has hacked into one of my accounts somewhere and I've gotten alerted to it through my e mail services with "failure" notices from e mails that I've supposedly sent out when I did not. These notices are coming up with people from social sites I go to as who sent to or from including my own e mail address. So if you get anything with "shadoweagle" attached to it in e mail form please let me know as I am in…

Bird Droppings April 2, 2012

A song of the morning

There is a time each day when bird’s first start singing it is generally just before the sun begins to come up. First one and then another start in and soon birds can be heard throughout the trees. I stood trying to focus on the song with the morning quiet waning and in the early morning mist it was difficult to see much beyond the edge of the light. Today the songs permeated the air. I was wondering as I sat listening how many…

Not only is it Friday today and Easter coming up, but I am off to see my two grandsons today as soon as their Dad picks me up after he gets off work. Charlie will have spent the afternoon in pre-kindergarten (he's 3) and Lucas got up to his usual antics and hit the TV cabinet so hard that David's VERY expensive camera and lens fell off to hit the floor!

He is only 13 months old so we can't be too upset with him--that's Lucas, not David!

The sun is shining and I think this is part…

The old Volkswagen Beetle is iconic in Mexico, its little dome ubiquitous in thousands of vehicles zipping around major cities and chugging along country roads.

The Huichol Indians of Nayarit and Jalisco states are known for their intricate beadwork.

What better way to juxtapose ancient and modern than with … a beaded beetle? It is named the Vochol, a combination of the Beetle’s nickname, vocho, and the tribal name Huichol. Artists Francisco Bautista Carrillo and his daughter…

Hi folks:

Thank you all for your concern . . .it is very appreciated. We finally back now from Neurological Diagnostics at local hospital. They got all their testing done, took close to 3 hours. They are not disclosing anything as my wife has her follow up with her Neurologist on April 10, but if it was life threatening, they obviously as they stated, would have to disclose it immediately under perjury of law. So it seems on the 10th of April we will know full story. In mean time my…

Bird Droppings March 28, 2012

Thinking back to each piece of the puzzle

Officially spring is here and around here daffodils are finishing up and most flowering trees are near full bloom which of course in Georgia means voracious amounts of pine pollen, everything is yellow between rains. While cloudy this morning the air is slightly cool and hidden behind clouds the moon is just starting to come back. The clouds are low lying and creating a haze with the lights from around the…

Today is the day. My wife has her EMG to find out what is going on and if there is any nerve damage. Of course, this test being such that it is, we may not know results right away or it may just be forwarded to her doctor. We will keep all up to date however. Thank you.

Two faces to wash, and four dirty hands

Two insisent voices, making demands

Twice as much crying, when things go wrong

The four eyes closing, with each slumber song

Twice the garments, blowing out on the line

Two cherubs in the pram,soaking up sunshine

Work I do for twins, naturally comes double

But four arms that hug me, repay all my trouble.

*I don't know the author of this poem, I just read it in the newsletter of the multiple birth society that I belong…

Bird Droppings March 27, 2012

A morning meandering here and there

Sitting in my classroom which in many ways for me is a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of reality I wonder as I sit writing pondering the day ahead. I sit listening to the haunting notes of R. Carlos Nakai a Ute Indian playing a handmade cedar flute and the constant flow of water through my aquarium filters a calming effect and wonder. I had my annual evaluation yesterday and was reminded of my major…

Bird Droppings March 26, 2012

We are where we need to be at the moment

“We are discovering again that we live in a deeply mysterious world,

full of sudden coincidences and synchronistic encounters that seem destined.” James Redfield

Throughout my life I have felt a sense of belonging to that specific moment in time. Often I will pass by a spot that I have passed by hundreds of times and see something new that had previously never caught my attention before but at that…

Bird Droppings March 25, 2012

A beginning or end in a circle is where?

“It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.” Albert Einstein

Over the past two days we have had family visiting and friends and family coming to the house to celebrate the upcoming marriage of my cousin’s daughter. Last night we had a quick change as a cold front…

Bird Droppings March 19, 2012

Seeking that one moment midst the many moments in life

“Life isn't a matter of milestones, but moments.” Rose Kennedy

In a world filled with near misses everyone seems to be always seeking that one big one that perfect moment and lets close ones pass by unnoticed. I was thinking as I started this morning of my past life experiences in Loss Control Management which I was directly involved with for nearly 25 years as I worked in designing and…

Bird Droppings March 17, 2012

Sadly far too often children will become who we assume they are

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” Stacia Tauscher

So often I watch teachers treating students simply as things in the class room, items to be dealt with when needed and or if needed. Looking at a semester end test score yet to be, a number in an electronic grade book, or a number to be attained through the curriculum map and…

Bird Droppings March 16, 2012

Actions speak so much louder than words

Look at children. Of course they may quarrel, but generally speaking they do not harbor ill feelings as much or as long as adults do. Most adults have the advantage of education over children, but what is the use of an education if they show a big smile while hiding negative feelings deep inside? Children don’t usually act in such a manner. If they feel angry with someone, they express it, and then it is…

Bird Droppings March 15, 2012

When leaving behind and moving beyond a piece is always left

“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another!” Gail Sheehy, American journalist, author

Yesterday we were informed our current principal was going to the county office a significant advancement for him and a great loss for us. As I look around my room and wonder…

ByStacey Brecher

From The Daily Cat

How do you know if your relationship with your cat has crossed over into an unhealthy obsession?

If caring for your cat has heavily interfered with everyday aspects of your life, you may be obsessed, according to Debra Rothschild, clinical psychologist and addictions expert.

Putting off work deadlines or…

By Jeanine Byers Hoag

Native American Spirituality

If you were born during one of the date ranges listed below, you are part of the butterfly clan.

In Native American spirituality, humans and animals are considered to be part of one big family. Our animal companions are brothers and sisters in spirit and they offer us support and help in developing the strengths we need and learning the lessons we are here to learn.

Native American Astrology

This astrology…