Common Sense Evangelist

The Golden Path

2011-09-13T06:20:00.000-07:00

Spirit notes, observations & recognitions

2011-06-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

I make little notes in my BlackBerry as things come to me, especially things of a spiritual nature - anything that helps me understand God better. Some are direct quotes from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Here are some recent ones. Any of them could be expanded into a longer piece, and that may happen, as Love provides.

20110611 The so-called pleasures + pains of matter perish, and they must go out under the blaze of Truth, spiritual sense, and the actuality of being. (S+H:296)

20110609 My kindle displays 'Items Downloaded' each morning after I turn on the wifi function to get my newspaper, and give it a moment to connect. And there, just like that, is the new Christian Science Monitor. It strikes me this is a perfect example of how prayer works.

20110608 We live in an eternal moment where all the rules of Heaven apply.

20110607 To infinite, ever-present Love, all is Love, and there is no error, no sin, sickness, nor death. (567:7) Later the mail brought a PCH sweepstakes offer. I filled it in, put it in the mailbox, and later realized my error, brought it in, tore it up, put it in the trash.

20110606 Today I'm going to where God has reserved a place for me: Annual Meeting at the Mother Church in Boston.

2011605 We live + move + have our being in Mind, God's Mind. How could there be anything but Good in this Mind?

20110604. Life produces life. Truth produces truth. Love produces love. God is the doer, and God's work is done.

20110531 beautiful qualities come from God and are not subject to death, decay, or diminishment.

'...and real consciousness is cognizent only of the things of God.' (S+H:276)

20110530 Pray with True thoughts, God perceptions.

20110529 Truth, spiritually discerned, is scientifically understood. It casts out error and heals the sick. (S+H:275)

20110527 I am a spiritual being, and not subject to material conditions.

20110526 'as he stood before me leaning on his crutch, I said to him, "Which do you lean on the more, that crutch or on God?" He looked at me and said, "On God, threw away his crutch..and stood erect and free...' (MBE: Christian Healer, p121)

20110525 To lose excess body weight, feed the essential self and not the enlarged borders.

'Cast your net on the right side' I said, as I tore up the PCH sweepstakes entry I had put into the mail. And replaced it with a true thought and my dental bill payment.

20110524 As I am spiritual, nothing can happen to the real me except what expresses God's goodness and allness.

20110520 Spirit and its formations are the only realities of being. Matter disappears under the microscope of Spirit. (S+H:264)

20110519 Detatch sense from the body, or matter, which is only a form of human belief, and you may learn the meaning of God, or good, and the nature of the immutable and immortal. (S+H:261)

20110518 The Allness of God, good, is real and true: everything else is a mortal dream.

20110513 Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true...
(S+H:261)

20110504 The steady emanation of God's being, of which I am a part: that is my reality.

20110504 Progress takes off human shackles. The finite must yield to the infinite. (S+H:256)

20110501 God is ALL, and GOOD, and wants to be known, even as we ourselves are known.

20110429 We are in eternal life right now, having a mortal dream.

Happy New Year, Happy New Day

2011-01-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2011

I expect to keep growing and loving and being as long as I can feel for the next true thought. Since God is good, and always near, I have no appetite for fear. ♥

(My thought on reading this excellent article)
Ellen Goodman No Time for "Tirement"
Source: http://www.truth-out.org/ellen-goodman-no-time-tirement66434

Morning Prayer 12/29/2010

2010-12-30T06:43:00.000-08:00

Dear God,
You do not need praise + glory.
Knowing all and being all,
You have no need of that.
But we do need to feel ...
Your awesome goodness + Your power.
Because of that, we bow and sing
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Visible and Invisible

2010-12-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

I've lately been thinking about things visible and invisible,
with some surprising insights.
As my real being is spiritual, my real being is invisible,
just as God is invisible.
My abundance being spiritual
is also invisible,
and yet it appears in my human life,
in Love's own way.

It helps to be humble,
grateful for Love's provision,
even when it cannot be seen.
It is there, and my gratitude for it,
welcomes it into my human life.
Only a fearful sense of lack
needs to soften and yield:
God is already on the field.

12/15/2010

Bald Like Me, poem for my sister in chemo

2010-12-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

Bald Like Me

When I lost my hair
from chemo,
I thought I should wear a hat, a scarf, a wig,
but then I knew it would be better to feel
innocent as a baby
and just as bald.

No one thinks a baby should feel shame
at the lack of hair.
I could wear a hat if cold,
but otherwise
let all the world see
me - simply happy to be alive,
going through therapy.

No one seemed to mind
this radical stand I took,
and the best thing of all was the relief,
the thumbs-up honesty
of other women who understood,
at the clinic, bald like me.

Gail
12/12/2010

The Rally and the Peace Train

2010-11-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Dan and I went to the Jon Stewart/Steven Colbert "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" last weekend in Washington DC. I was loving being in such a huge (more than 200,000) peaceful, determined crowd! People generously made room for me and my scooter, Dan and Jacky Gallivan too. It was like being in a vast sea of friends of all types and sizes and colors. Being the day before Halloween there were some far-out costumes too.

The high point for me was when Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens came on stage and began his wonderful song 'Peace Train'. The song was rudely interrupted in a planned comedy riff that - for me at least - fell flat. I wanted to go on that train! The song wove in and out of the riff, competing with other train songs, but it touched a wellspring of hope in me that is flowing even now.

The lyrics of the song, the urgency of it, are playing in and out of my days and nights since then. I just googled it and found the lyrics and want to memorize them:

Now I've been happy lately
Thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun

I've been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Something good's bound to come

For out on the edge of darkness
There runs the peace train
Peace train take this country
Come take me home again

Peace train sounding louder
Ride on the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
Come on the peace train

Peace train's a holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
This is the peace train

Get your bags together
Come bring your good friends too
Because it's getting nearer
Soon it will be with you

Come and join the living
It's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer
Soon it will all be true

Peace train sounding louder
Ride on the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
Come on the peace train

I've been crying lately
Thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can't we live in bliss?

For out on the edge of darkness
There rides the peace train
Peace train take this country
Come take me home again

Peace train sounding louder
Ride on the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
Come on the peace train
Come on, come on, come on the peace train...

Life as a Morning Glory

2010-09-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow

as a Morning Glory...

Social Security and Nonviolence

2010-08-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

I sent this to Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today:

As I hear news of certain politicians eager to reduce or eliminate Social Security, I begin to have thoughts of Gandhi. Fasting in his helplessness, his powerful example changed a nation.

What would these same politicians do if their parents began fasting?

I hope it won't come to that, but you never know.

Citizen Gail

Relief for Pakistan

2010-08-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Watching TV footage of the overwhelming flood devastation in Pakistan, I wonder why we don't send our own soldiers in Afghanistan to do relief work over the border in Pakistan. I can't help thinking that would do more for Peace on Earth than escalating a war that has no end in sight and very little reason to continue.

Citizen Gail
8/18/2010

A Clean Energy Future

2010-06-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Today I sent this email to President Obama using the whitehouse.gov website. I pray he is able to seize this vital moment when change is possible.

Dear President Obama,

I am waiting-waiting-waiting for you to ignite the fuse that will launch us into a CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE. The oil spill in the Gulf is the perfect moment of truth for such an announcement.

We need to ignite the imaginations of our current and future engineers and scientists to envision the solar-wind-wave and other technologies that will get us into a clean renewable energy future.

Every car running on clean fuel. Every home and workplace in America heated, cooled, and powered with clean energy. We can do it. We just need leadership to point us all in that direction, fund the most promising research, and LET'S GO!

Citizen Gail Murray

Big River Blues

2010-06-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

When a song starts playing in my head, there's usually a reason. This week it's some lines from the song 'Call' on Bill Harley's wonderful CD 'First Bird Call'. In the song, a wistful father, missing his grown kids who have flown the nest, is offering his heartfelt advice. These lines keep coming to me:

Be a fool for God and love, not some worthless dollar.
When you find something's wrong, Stand Up and Holler.

I feel like standing up and hollering myself. Something is wrong with decisions being made by the State of Rhode Island's Big River Management Area, decisions that adversely affect citizens of my town of West Greenwich, and in particular, three good friends and their families.

Engineering studies have already shown that the land acquired years ago for a reservoir is unfit for that purpose. Open space is always welcome, but some just settlement must be made with those families who now live as 'tenants' on the land. It is claimed that the State is losing money managing the area, but how is that so?

I think my friends deserve a real answer to this question, and real solutions need to be forthcoming for both Citizens and State. We should not treat our good people like this. I think people should get their homes and property back, pay town taxes, and resume life like the rest of us.

It may be there are hidden forces and motives at work here, people who want to oust the citizens for their own purposes - perhaps housing or shopping developments. If so, I trust this will all come to light in the end.

But in the meantime, I do feel like standing up and hollering. I am trusting Love will show me the best way to do this, and I am listening.

message to Senator Reed

2010-06-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

With the oil spill growing in the Gulf of Mexico and now coming ashore, there has never been a better time to aim for Clean Energy for America and the world!

Imagine the industries to be born, the research that will bear fruit, the homes that will all be insulated and converted, the work for everyone, and the growth to our economy - growth in the right direction.

This is our Moon Shot, let's go for it!

Why I love texting

2010-04-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

Note: I sent this message today in response to an online CS Monitor article, "100 texts a day? That's the norm for many US teens."

I'm a spiritually-minded grandmother and I LOVE TEXTING - for another reason. For me, it's quality not quantity that sets the standard. I pray for words to share with one who is needing encouragement or support. Short, powerful words of truth and love come easily, and I type a simple short, true sentence. Love does the work: I'm just passing on the message.

The Balance of my Thought

2010-04-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Today's question:

Do you believe more in the goodness of God
or the evil of man?
--------------------------------------------

It's a balancing act - every day, every moment. As mortals we are confronted with all sorts of contrasting pictures, suggestions, experiences. It's just part of being human. We get to see it all and decide: Do we want more or less of what we see?

Jesus told the fishermen - who had fished all night and caught nothing - to cast their nets on the right side. They did, and could barely haul in the load of fish that came into their nets.

This is an important teaching. If we are consciously knowing and feeling the goodness of God in our day, more genuine good will swim into our day.
On the other hand, if we are worrying more about bad things that might happen, more unwelcome things will come our way.
Our thoughts and feelings have power to shape the feeling-tone and substance of our days.

So I choose to think about what I believe is true.
I choose to know that God is good, and good things come from God.
I don't have to know how they will come: God takes care of that.
My job is to move the balance of my thought from lack - to Love.
When I don't know something, can't find something, I can trust that God who is Love, will guide me to what I need. God who is all-knowing Mind will help me to know.

I choose to put the balance of my thought with divine Love, and all that Love provides.
This is a comfort and a kindness I give myself, the gift of remembering God.
It's a daily practice, a daily remembering, a daily putting the net on the right side.

Thank you Love

2010-01-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

I saw AVATAR: A transformative vision of the future... respect for all life forms... powerful and kind female leaders... the end of aggressive domination... I find myself looking at our dogs with different eyes. Even little spiders seem somehow magical.
Thank you to granddaughter Bethany for insisting that I see it - in 3D, no excuses! I love that this vision is evolving and the new generations are embracing it. ♥

prayer for Haiti

2010-01-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

In quietness, I turn to Love,
knowing God is everywhere.
Even in the rumble and rubble of earthquake,
nothing can stop Love's power.
Souls in heaven, souls on earth,
we are one.

Afghanistan and Greg Mortenson

2009-12-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

I am so heartened to hear that my hero, Greg Mortenson, author of best seller "Three Cups of Tea", who has devoted his life to building schools for girls in remote areas of Afghanistan & Pakistan, is being SERIOUSLY LISTENED TO by American military commanders. Check his blog for more on this: http://gregmortenson.blogspot.com/

I've just ordered his new book, "Stones into Schools", a continuation of the story, and really look forward to reading it. I've been immersed in readings about and by Gandhi this past month, in addition to my usual spiritual study and practice.

All of this causes me to know we have no business being in Afghanistan if we are not there to really bless the people. Not by changing them to be just like us, but by understanding their real aspirations, the hopes they have for their children and their country, and to partner with them in bringing those hopes to life.

The CONGRESS Option

2009-11-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

In simple fairness, I favor giving the American PEOPLE the same robust health care plan that members of CONGRESS currently enjoy. The Golden Rule applies here: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Instead of naming the new plan the "Public Option" we might call it the "Congress Option".

Failing that, award the members of Congress and their families the same benefits eked out as the Public Option. Somehow I think the Congress would suddenly come to its senses and realize what this means.

Thank you,
Citizen Gail Murray

Uneasy with Afghanistan

2009-11-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a message sent to Christopher Lydon after listening to his conversation with David Bromwich. You can hear the full recording at:
http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=298500047&u=3315832

Chris, This was a very timely and thoughtful conversation. I too have felt disappointment with Obama, and this conversation sheds light on the incredible forces at work as the Military-Industrial coalition seeks to expand its influence and protect its own.

I have long felt uneasy about Afghanistan - something about it just didn't add up. And now even more so. I think the approach of Greg Mortenson's book "Three Cups of Tea", building schools for girls in remote areas of Pakistan, would do more for Afghan culture and hope than all the military operations we can envision.

What we really need is an enormous transformation of OUR OWN ECONOMY. Al Gore was right. Our global common enemy is climate change. Our common solution is ENERGY - clean, renewable energy. Clean skies that we may capture pure sunlight, and no longer poison our atmosphere with our waste.

Enormous transformations are needed, and every budding scientist and engineer can be put to work. Cars that do not run on gas - every car in America converted. New kinds of batteries to capture the sunlight, wind, and wave power. Every home in America properly insulated - imagine the building boom from that! And this is just the beginning - no telling how far the transformations can go.

Obama needs our prayers.

Thanks for your contributions to our understanding,
Gail Murray

Rising - a poem of yeast and life

2009-10-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

I saw the action of my life
as a tiny yeast, rising,
breathing hope to dense humanity.

Humble and unseen,
my breath makes pockets in the gluten
of this loaf.

It multiplies,
stretches further still
the skin of possibility.

All of us together, breathing,
rising,
filling the mountains with hope.

God,
when the firing time is nigh,
and we flee, invisible, rising
up to Thee,

May our work be perfect
in Thy sight:
May it nourish all humanity.

gg murray

2009-10-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

October 7, 2009
Dear Eleanor Smeal,

As a grandmother, a feminist, and an abortion rights advocate, two events have coincided to alert me to a powerful opportunity to change the direction and dynamics of the abortion debate in America.

Last night my husband and I attended a lecture by Michael Nagler, founder of Peace and Conflict Studies Program at UC Berkeley. As he described the work of Gandhi, I realized the courage and tenacity it requires to change deeply held social customs, attitudes, and laws. It takes real people standing up publicly for what is right, not hiding behind others, hoping things get better.

And then today, your letter came in the mail, in the aftermath of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, in Kansas.

I think it is time for we women who have had abortions to come out publicly and tell our stories. We can make a difference, I am sure of it. By speaking our painful truth, quietly, with no need to argue, we will be heard.

Above is a possible design for posters to be carried, buttons to be worn, T-shirts to be printed. I favor a choice of background colors, to match the feeling of our stories.

Speaking truth to fear,

Gail Murray

Medicare for All

2009-09-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Going to a vigil for healthcare this afternoon. Decided the rhetoric is way too confusing, and there is a much more positive way to state the vision, so I made this graphic - and had it printed and laminated on 11x17 paper. I'll be sitting on my scooter in the center of town and proudly holding it up!

Citizen Gail

Message to President Obama

2009-09-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

Sent using website http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/President_Obama/

I cannot support more war in Afghanistan or Iraq. I can support literacy and education for women.

Here in the USA we need a full-out Energy Revolution! Every home made energy efficient, every vehicle retrofitted - and the R&D that will make such an effort possible.

Think of the jobs this will create! The good example it will set around the world!

We need your LEADERSHIP because we can be SO MUCH BETTER!

Citizen Gail Murray

Message to Congress on Healthcare

2009-08-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Today I sent this message to my US Representative Jim Langevin and my Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse:

I am besieged with healthcare confusions of my own, not to mention all the televised craziness in town hall meetings. The only choice that makes sense to me, a retiree who wants the best for all Americans, is HR676, Medicare for All.
Please, let's end the confusion, stand up for what we really want, and get on with the next good thing we can do.

Citizen Gail Murray

Finding Balance

2009-08-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

Today I got a weekly email from the Spirituality.com website, inviting me to consider and respond to the question: How are you praying to find balance in your life?

Here is my answer. I'll check the website on Thursday to see all the answers.

I make a practice of noticing the balance of my thought. If the content of my thought is more on the side of worry, fear, irritation, I know I need to let Love in. I think of things I do appreciate, ways that Love has and does provide for me, evidence of God's goodness. I can feel the shift when the balance moves to hope, then trust, then confidence in Love's guidance and provision. It's a beautiful, lawful process: changing the balance of thought changes the unfoldments that naturally follow.

Gail
West Greenwich RI USA

Golden Rule for Healthcare

2009-08-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

This healthcare debate shouldn't be so hard! If we seriously considered the Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you - compassion and common sense could be reconciled. I think the profit motive - especially on the part of the insurance industry - is gumming up the works. Citizen patients and citizen doctors want the same thing: a healthy body and a healthy body politic.

Citizen Gail

Healthcare Wonderings...

2009-08-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a message I sent to the White House on healthcare this morning:

I am a retiree with a Medicare Advantage policy (AARP Secure Horizons thru United Healthcare). So far this policy has worked pretty well for me for routine visits, pharmacy, and even surgery. But I am troubled that so many of my fellow citizens, including children and seniors, do not have decent or even adequate access to healthcare. I wonder if I should join in solidarity with them by changing to a simple Public Option, should that become available.

Citizen Gail

Losing My Religion for Equality - by Jimmy Carter

2009-08-01T05:52:00.000-07:00

Losing My Religion for Equality by Jimmy Carter

Friday, July 24, 2009

Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a
twisted interpretation of the word of God.
I have been a practicing Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible
teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort
to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people
around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern
Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It
was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders,
quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve
was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin,
ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and
prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the
military service.
This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to
one religion or belief. Women are prevented from playing a full and
equal role in many faiths. Nor, tragically, does its influence stop
at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This
discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has
provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal
rights across the world for centuries.
At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to
the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution,
genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But
it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own
bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to
education, health, employment and influence within their own
communities.
The impact of these religious beliefs touches every aspect of our
lives. They help explain why in many countries boys are educated
before girls; why girls are told when and whom they must marry; and
why many face enormous and unacceptable risks in pregnancy and
childbirth because their basic health needs are not met.
In some Islamic nations, women are restricted in their movements,
punished for permitting the exposure of an arm or ankle, deprived of
education, prohibited from driving a car or competing with men for a
job. If a woman is raped, she is often most severely punished as the
guilty party in the crime.
The same discriminatory thinking lies behind the continuing gender
gap in pay and why there are still so few women in office in the
West. The root of this prejudice lies deep in our histories, but its
impact is felt every day. It is not women and girls alone who suffer.
It damages all of us. The evidence shows that investing in women and
girls delivers major benefits for society. An educated woman has
healthier children. She is more likely to send them to school. She
earns more and invests what she earns in her family.
It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against
half its population. We need to challenge these self-serving and
outdated attitudes and practices - as we are seeing in Iran where
women are at the forefront of the battle for democracy and freedom.
I understand, however, why many political leaders can be reluctant
about stepping into this minefield. Religion, and tradition, are
powerful and sensitive areas to challenge. But my fellow Elders and
I, who come from many faiths and backgrounds, no longer need to worry
about winning votes or avoiding controversy - and we are deeply
committed to challenging injustice wherever we see it.
The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders,
brought together by former South African president Nelson Mandela,
who offer their influence and experience to support peace building,
help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared
interests of humanity. We have decided to draw particular attention
to the responsibility of religious and traditional leaders in
ensuring equality and human rights and have recently published a
statement that declares: "The justification of discrimination against
women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were
prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable."
We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful
teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify
discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of
all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasize the
positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world's major
faiths share.
The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify
the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the
determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than
eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support
the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.
I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same Scriptures in
which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of
the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops,
apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn't until the fourth century
that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted Holy
Scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the
religious hierarchy.
The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have -
an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate
women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen
the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or
justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of
women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of
Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and
founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for
proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time
we had the courage to challenge these views.

Source:
http://www.ruthgroup.org/2009/07/24/losing-my-religion-for-equality-by-jimmy-carter/

Jabba the Frog

2009-07-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

I've started swimming again, and loving it. The water is cold for July, due to the very cool weather and thunderstorms we've endured. But today the bright afternoon sunshine invited me to play, and of course I did not resist.

But as I swam about, I was startled to see a frog, resting like a tiny 'Jabba the Hutt' (from the movie Star Wars), regarding me unblinkingly from his perch. This perch being a bulge in the blue pool liner - above the water, and just under the upper rim of the pool.

This may be the same frog I captured in my hands and tossed out of the pool yesterday, or the one my grandkids spotted last weekend, though I can't be sure. Yesterday's frog was on the northern rim of the pool, possibly trying to escape, so I thought I might have been doing him a favor. In any case, I wondered. Can a frog ever get OUT of the pool, once it has gotten in? Are there bugs and food enough for such a being?

Also, there was the matter of his skin color - apparently bleached from the chlorine that 'cleans' the pool. Both frogs - today's and yesterday's - have that skin color. It's a bit creepy to behold, but otherwise they seem quite normal. Of course it is possible that there are not two frogs, but only one,who chooses to live right there, fat and calmly watching me.

Well Jabba, I say, I don't mind you being there if you don't mind me. May this pool be good for both of us. And maybe I'll see you next sunny day.

Kicking Against the Pricks - in politics and in life

2009-07-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

Checking my email, today's Abraham message says:

You cannot notice what-is and complain about it, and be a vibrational match to the solution. When you were living the problem, you were asking for the solution, and Source said yes immediately. So, there's never a reason for you to be wallowing around in a problem for more than about a second. You can get so good at this that before you're even aware that the problem has gotten started, you've already got the solution under way.
-- Abraham

This message is the response I intuitively feel when I read the daily political emails. I remember Jesus' words: "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:5). Imagine the futility of kicking your bare legs against the thorns. You make no progress, but get scratched and bloodied up every time.

If divine Love is already giving our most blessed outcome to us - in spirit, and poised for manifestation in and as our lives - we need to be glad for it, open our thoughts to how good it is for us and for everyone, envision how it works, flesh it out in thought and deed. Make ourselves ready for it!

The longer we spend kicking against the pricks (thorns and old ideas), the less we are giving our powerful creative attention to the good that is wanted - and would appear, but for our persistent kicks.

My two cents,
Citizen Gail

in the BlackBerry patch...!

2009-07-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

Lord help me, I am the proud and confused new owner of a BlackBerry Curve phone/camera/browser/GPS/and who knows what else! This is a world of multiple applications, teeny-weeny keys, brilliant displays, and and and... Even my BlackBerry for Dummies book is not a huge help, though I did manage to upload my first group of pictures to my computer this morning, and emailed them.

Still, the device is truly exciting for its possibilities. Instead of a purse bulging with all the devices I like to carry (cell phone, camera, notebook, etc) I have this slim little thing that fits in my pocket!

All I wish for now is a BlackBerry buddy, a patient friend who can guide me through the BB world. Still, I think the main person who needs to be patient - is me. When I think of the s t e e p learning curves I've already managed in my years as a computer programmer, I know that even this one will eventually yield and become second nature. Be curious... be kind to self... trust there is an answer... know that Love is guiding me... and it does.

Meanwhile, across the ocean, my grandaughter Megan is experiencing summer as an exchange student in Finland! She competed for and won this scholarship, and I am immensely proud of her. Not only that, but she is blogging her experience at http://summerinsuomi.blogspot.com/ and it is a very fun read!

Gail

My highest wish...

2009-05-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

To know God so clearly,
completely, innocently,
that all that is unlike Love
vanishes as morning mist
in the morning light.

gail 5/9/09

Economy and Generosity

2009-03-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

As I watch news reports of stock market losses, home foreclosures and business failures, a small resilient voice in me says, "God hasn't gone anywhere, lost any power, stopped being Love and stability and endless provision." And I know that we as God's ideas, his very likenesses, have similarly lost none of our spiritual power, creativity and intelligence.

So what's the problem?

Humans seem to be very easily influenced by fearful thoughts echoing round about them. Holding these fearful thoughts naturally tends to create the very circumstances that have been imagined. It's hard to break out of what amounts to a mass hypnotic vibration of fearful thinking.

Except if one knows to turn to a much more powerful thought, the eternal truth of our being alive in God, divine Love. "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling" (Psalm 91). Knowing, feeling, and abiding in God's love is the surest way to a deeply nourishing and fruitful life.

So how to respond? Yes, by knowing these sustaining truths. And by humbly listening for the guidance that naturally comes as we align ourselves with these truths.

One clear thought I've had is to practice generosity - to be as generous with others as God is with me. I don't live in a mansion on earth, but I do have heavenly riches - and so does everyone. These riches are invisible, but they can be experienced in prayer, and they can be offered in love.

At the same time, I notice that my closet is bulging with clothes I've outgrown or no longer wear. Someone could use these clothes. I will give them away. My bookshelves are weighed down with wonderful books that are waiting for new readers. They can be offered with gratitude for the goodness in my life. Truly, there is no end to the good that can be shared, if we just know how to look.

With love,
Gail

What does it mean to be spiritual?

2009-02-01T07:29:00.000-08:00

Question of the week on http://www.spirituality.com/question/index.jhtml

My answer:

It means to sense the greater Consciousness in which we live and move and have our being. To sense it in a constant, companioning sort of way, and be guided, inspired and transformed as we make our heavenly/human day.

Gail West Greenwich, RI USA

January 20, 2009 - Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T04:29:00.000-08:00

Waking around 3AM… Today is Inauguration Day for Barack Obama, and I may as well get up and write my joy.

All the months of yearning, hoping, reaching for a better concept for my country and my life – me and millions of others – is finally, today, bearing fruit. We’ve felt it coming for months, years, from that first nomination speech for John Kerry, back in the summer of 2004. We listened to it, gathered around an ‘illegal’ portable radio with a coat hanger for an antenna, in our tiny Edgewater 3 cabin, and felt ….We can be better…We can be whole…We can at last fulfill the promise of America.

One of the beautiful things about Obama is his use of the word ‘we’. We the people. It’s not all about him, one man, one leader. It’s about us, what we can become, with a clear enough vision, and with hearts united.

This summer I listened to Barack read his Audacity of Hope book on my MP3 player. I learned his life, his worldview, the depth and breadth of his thought. I have been companioning with him in my heart. I felt compassion when his beloved grandmother, ‘Toot’, passed from this life on the day before the election.

Now we are become like “the first fruits of them that slept” …the long nightmare of suppression of human vitality is coming to an end… as the audacity of hope wakes to the confidence of what men and women can truly become.

How thankful I am to be living in this time.

Thrilled for America - and the world

2008-11-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama's election is a miracle of dreams and work and transformation. I feel layers and layers of shame and fear dissolving since his beautiful acceptance speech just five days ago. Wow America, we did it!

Today Dan sent me this link to a site that includes photos of joy around the world at this news, and also the text of his acceptance speech.

(Click on this link http://www.obama2008.eu/ or copy and paste it into your browser)

With love and joy,
Gail

Happy Morning, America!

2008-11-05T05:30:00.000-08:00

Last night Dan and I stayed up way late to watch the election returns in this historic American election. Every time another state went for Obama, I let out a joyous Whoop! We saw John McCain's gracious concession speech. We saw the enormous crowd waiting for Barack to emerge.

And then out he came, holding hands with his daughters and wife, and gave a sober and moving acceptance speech. This morning as I check my email, here is his message, to me and to all of us who supported his campaign, written to us before he walked out on that platform last night:

Gail --

I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.

We just made history.

And I don't want you to forget how we did it.

You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.

I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.

We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.

But I want to be very clear about one thing...

All of this happened because of you.

Thank you,

Barack

Finding the Flow

2008-10-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

Coming upon this sketch this morning as I reach for an improvement in my thought and body. What a surprise to find this funny and deep message! A sketch I made a few years ago, a gift sent up from the past to the present me. Just what the inner Doctor ordered.

It reminds me of the beautiful and endless flow of life, truth, and love from my divine Source, God, Love itself.

Love is already supplying me with all that I need, and my part is simply to realize this, feel the relief of it, and turn my tired thought downstream, and go with the Flow…!

The Flow is always on, always giving – and here as I write this, the phone rings and it is my beloved brother, calling from Florida. We have a warm and heartfelt chat, and I am once again amazed at the serendipity of it, at all the ways that Love shows itself …when I am simply ready to receive.

Citizen Gail 10/21/08

Morning thoughts and Meditations - 10/6/08

2008-10-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

from my lesson:
"All that really exists is the divine Mind and its idea,
and in this Mind the entire being is found
harmonious and eternal." - Mary Baker Eddy

and from my pen:
Mind is all-in-all
and this Mind
is entirely good.

Do not focus upon the problem:
focus entirely upon the freedom
and expanding love
of the solution.

Love is my Source
and my Substance,
and I will align
with That.

Gail

Debate Party afterthoughts...

2008-09-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

Last night Dan and I went to the first Obama-McCain presidential debate at the home of a welcoming couple from Narragansett with a very large screen TV.

This is one of the things I love about Obama - the way his campaign uses the web to make it easy for people to connect and communicate. Democracy comes alive! We were about fifteen people, mostly strangers when the evening started, making connections, sharing insights, offering our heartfelt support to our amazing candidate, Barack Obama.

I think it's fascinating - how men and women see the debates in terms of winning or losing on the intellectual debate points themselves. Dan thought McCain won last night's debate on that basis. Not me. During the primaries, he thought Hillary won - again and again. Not me. The candidate who gets my vote is the one who can make me feel a future I want to live in, a diversity that is a joy to be a part of, a clean energy economy that will free us from oil and oil wars, the one who helps me come alive to my very own job - as Citizen Gail.

Yes we can!

2008-09-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

I love the open-ended future this photo expresses - and this election represents.

Uneasy with Politics

2008-09-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

I just deleted a previous blog post on Sarah Palin since I cannot confirm that the photo is authentic - a rifle-toting beauty wearing an American flag bikini. Some have suggested Palin's head could have been photo shopped onto the image of another woman's body. But the photo certainly made me uneasy.

Time to think on more positive aspects of life in America, life as a woman and grandmother, life as a spiritual being having a human experience on our dear planet Earth.

Somehow many of the political words and slogans flying through the air these days have nothing to do with the real potential that we have. Not that we should look to politics for spiritual nourishment, but we do look for truth, for hope, for respect.

Personally, I find that Obama has the qualities we most need as a nation at this critical time. But I am not waiting for November to see the change. I am going to see it everywhere, by using my spiritual vision now.

This means appreciating every sign of good in my life, and in your life too. Feeling that welling up of gladness at every recognition, no matter how fleeting, that there is a great and unseen power for good operating at every moment, on every level, of this earthly spiritual experience.

Having true thoughts changes me, and my thoughts in turn affect the world around me. It is an intimate process of give-and-take, signals received and offered, all in a day's living.

Gail 9/4/08

Morning Poem 8/23/08

2008-08-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

Into the collective dream
that we share,
I introduce a true thought.

It goes forth and multiplies,
love upon love,
after its own kind.

Gail

The Kitchen of my Life

2008-07-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Coming into the kitchen of my life,
sun streaming through,
all the dear objects, the sink,
counter, table, refrigerator,
the dishes neatly stacked on shelves.
All things waiting for me, like
an orchestra, all tuned and
ready to play.
This room, the first one built,
when the house was just a dream,
a tent in the yard, and my heart
full of hope.
Like a dream I come into it now
to make my morning coffee,
like coming back after a long time away.
Standing there, light streaming,
have I died,
and is this heaven?

Gail 7/17/08

Casting On / Casting Off

2008-05-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

When is casting on... like casting off?

When you're knitting or sailing...!

Either way - it's all a journey.

I think thoughts like this as I take up knitting again.

Gail :>

Have and Am

2008-05-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

What I have is what I am;
and what I am
is what I embody
in my thought.

- Gail 5/17/08

for my Mother...

2008-05-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

After the War: a Reckoning

2008-05-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

I think people now know that Bush attacked Iraq for oil - it was a made-up war - and 9/11 made it easy to fan the flames.

The question now is: Knowing the dwindling supplies of oil, the instability of the oil-rich countries, the growing appetite of emerging industrial nations, the melting icecaps, and our own indefensible dependence on oil... What to do next?

I think a Manhattan Project for clean energy independence is the most needed response - for America and the world. Imagine the new industries to be stimulated, the schools of Energy Engineering, the blessings to planet and economy.

For the Iraq War we owe a deep apology - to the Iraqi people from the American people. Allowing this abuse of our democracy by Bush & Co is as shameful to our history as Hitler's manipulation of the German people in WW2 is to the Germans. A nightmare by any other name is still a nightmare. We must wake up from it, reclaim our moral bearings, and together with other nations, chart a new path into a vibrant future.

With hope for us all,
Gail

I change the world

2008-03-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

I change the world
from the inside out
by waking up and being true.

Being wise as a serpent
but without guile,
and harmless as a dove.

Gail

What my words are for

2008-03-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

My words are for
the healing of the nations,
for the children
of all ages.

They are for
seeing through confusion
to the pure, delicious
Source
of all life.

Gail 3/27/08

an hour and a half with Obama

2008-03-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

Here's a revealing anecdote by Marc Andreessen about a meeting with Barack Obama when he was considering running for President.

It says much about the welcome change he represents. Thanks to Paul Kaltschnee who sent it to Dan who sent it to me.

- Gail

Abraham - on the act of flowing

2008-03-04T06:02:00.000-08:00

You intended to come forth into the physical realm of contrast to define what is wanted, to connect with the Energy that creates worlds, and to flow it toward your objects of attention, not because the objects of attention are important -- but because the act of flowing is essential to life.

- Abraham-Hicks 10/15/1996

Paul Loeb on Obama vs Clinton

2008-03-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

Paul Loeb, author of "Soul of a Citizen", offers some insightful observations about the experience and organizing skills of the two Democratic contenders. While many of their positions are similar, he thinks Obama demonstrates the ability to mobilize ordinary citizens, and especially youth, toward that more perfect Union for which our country was formed.

A quote from Loeb's most recent article:

"If I look at both Obama's record and his campaign, I see someone who understands the critical role of citizen movements and works to build them as a force capable of creating major change. That's what we've needed to address the major challenges of the past. It's what we'll need to address this ultimate crisis we've created through the combination of technological inventiveness and short-focus blindness. The Clintons may have spoken out against the Vietnam War when they were young, but they've been hedging their bets and distancing themselves from citizen movements ever since. We need a movement-building approach for global climate changeand for all the other crises America's next president will inherit from Bush's disastrous reign."

the full article:
http://www.paulloeb.org/articles/ObamaClintonGlobalWarming.html

link to previous Loeb articles:
http://www.paulloeb.org/articles.htm

Happy voting Rhode Island!

It's this Tuesday, March 4. I'll be there: I hope you will be too.

Gail :>

Source and Suffering

2008-03-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

People are suffering
from a sense of separation
from Source, from the flow.

But Source hasn't gone anywhere.

Only the I
has arrayed itself in opposition
to the flow,
and wonders why
it is so dry.

gg murray 3/08

Dan and Gail - a love poem for us

2008-02-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

We are friends who exchange books, tender looks, and ideas;
friends who give comfort, encouragement, and laugh out loud
at the jokes we make.

We might share a bed, or a poem,
and always the weekly grocery list.

We seek truth, and share it,
any way we can.

Gail 2/17/2008

Better Work for Hillary

2008-02-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

I think it's time to help Hillary get back to guiding the nation as the thoughtful Senator Clinton from New York.

True, there still are more primaries to go, but I personally feel the race is over. I think we should embrace her and thank her for fighting the good fight, and ask her to join us in forming a more perfect union.

My own favorite saying seems to apply here:"The right solution is a blessing to everyone and leaves no one out."

Gail

Notice the Contrast

2008-02-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

Barack on Super Tuesday Eve - Hartford Civic Center

2008-02-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

AP photo

Yes I was there - wild horses couldn't have kept me from it! What a beautiful, colorful, vibrant crowd it was - what a moment in the history of our time. He is so intelligent, aware, respectful of people. A woman in the surging crowd apparently fainted or started to. He halted his comments, pointed to the disturbance, and asked people to give her some space, to make sure she was okay. Hearing that she needed water, he tossed a bottle from the supply under the podium, and the crowd carried it to her. Seeing she had been cared for, he went on with the program without missing a beat, because the beat includes all those who need to be lifted up - and that includes me. What a night!

With hope for us all,
Gail

Clinton Campaign Tactics

2008-01-28T07:11:00.000-08:00

Obama is right to wonder who he is campaigning against. For Bill Clinton to sink to lowball racial profiling when the hopes of a nation are rising is the cruelest joke of this campaign. And it backfires sharply on the Clintons.

Clearly, Bill doesn’t have enough to do. At least when he was president, the job kept his enormous energies engaged. Well, with a few exceptions, that is. But Bill’s behavior now reflects very badly on Hillary. Either she is directing him (very bad) or she has no control over what he does (most likely and equally bad).

Meanwhile, Obama represents real hope for a future we can all be proud of. He inspires me, a white grandmother, to write and care about politics. He stirs the imagination of a whole young generation. How wonderful is that!

Gail 1/28/08

Message to Barack and Hillary

2008-01-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

There is one issue that cuts across all other issues and that is Energy Independence. Hydrogen, solar, geothermal, wave-action - a huge R&D must happen for America and for planet Earth. Personally, I believe hydrogen - extracted by splitting the water molecule with a ray of solar energy - will be the the clean and renewable way. But with abundant energy, we would not need Middle East oil. With the economic boom of a new energy economy we would not fear for our jobs, our future. With clean energy for America and the world, Planet Earth could slow global warming. Please raise this issue to the forefront. America needs to take the lead again at this most crucial time. Think of the jobs that will come, and the freedom.
Thank you,
Gail Murray

Happy New Year America!

2008-01-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

"The simple truth is that hardly anyone realized what an extraordinary candidate Senator Barack Obama would turn out to be... However this election turns out, Mr. Obama can be credited with a great achievement. He has drawn tons of people, and especially young people, into the political process. More than anyone else, he has re-energized that process and put some of the fun back into politics. And he’s done it by appealing openly and consistently to the best, rather than the worst, in us."

- New York Times Op-Ed columnist Bob Herbert 1/5/08

Dan and I watched campaign news until late last night. There has hardly ever been a better, more exiciting night of political commentary on TV. And this morning's New York Times comment quoted above pretty much sums it up.

Happy New Year America! Hope is on the rise.

Gail

Personal Poll - how the candidates look to me

2007-12-30T08:44:00.000-08:00

As of today, December 30, 2007 here's how they look:

We're considering cavassing in Portsmouth for Obama next week, Dan is checking the details. We canvassed in NH for Kerry last time, a first for us, and a good experience.

Personally, I like all three Dem front-runners for different reasons:
Obama for his inclusiveness, his vision of the good we can reach for as a people.
Edwards for his sense of fairness and his willingness to shake up the big-money interests that distort democracy.
Hillary for her savvy, her bravery, and for the intelligence she would bring to that office.
I also like Richardson for his experience in government and foreign relations, his understanding of immigration issues, and his sense of humor.

Stay tuned...
Gail

Run don't walk to see The Water Horse...!

2007-12-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

We were simply blown away by this beautiful movie, the magical story of a boy and his secret friend, lovingly hatched and raised until he grows too big to hide. Set in Scotland during World War II, it is a love story that transcends realities.

Here is a link to the movie's website for more photos
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thewaterhorse/

A movie that leaves you with a long-lasting smile,
xxx Gail

Barack and Hillary

2007-12-23T07:27:00.000-08:00

This cartoon by Barry Blitt in today's nytimes.com captures the intuitive sense I have of these two candidates. Barack, light and free and flexible. Hillary, burdened by baggage of all kinds, most especially by the tone-deaf campaigning of her husband, Bill.

Right from the start, I've thought that Hillary should stay in the Senate and serve the people by doing a great job there. She is doing a great job, by all means continue it!

At this moment in its history, the country needs uplifting in every way. Young though he is, I think Barack Obama has a sense of the direction we need to go, with the emphasis on 'We'. Not a pompous speech-maker, he resonates directly with the hope of a country where every man and woman has a chance for a full and fruitful life. By his very life he exemplifies a reason for that hope. And by his intelligence and inclusiveness he leads in a way that leaves no one behind.

This is a desperate period for America. It is time for a new type of leader. I pray we may have the guidance to choose well, and to live up to the real promise of freedoms we have - but barely know how to use.

Gail Murray

In a Barrel Over Christmas

2007-12-19T07:22:00.000-08:00

I notice that I’ve been feeling unusually blah about Christmas this year. I feel like being quiet inside and letting it all go on by.

I have four vibrant grandchildren and usually put much thought into finding a gift for each one, treasuring the Christmas morning tip-toeing of a child down the stairs to see what Santa left in her stocking. We all know Santa isn’t real, but it’s such a fun pretend!

But this year…blah.

Perhaps it’s my spiritual journey, just retreating more and more from the materialism of it all. The jingle bells, advertisements, the never ending Christmas muzak in the grocery store and shopping malls.

My retirement income isn’t much, even though my grandmother heart is as wide as the ocean. I’m starting to feel like something is wrong. Should I be loving more, buying more, giving more? Especially buying more.

I have the idea of all these conniving advertisers, casting images of the perfect Christmas, with the real intent to make shoppers feel like a barrel of shit…until they buy their product. And all of us well-meaning friends and family members, scraping bottom and feeling guilty and inadequate to the occasion. Feeling like barrels of …HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

I see a pattern here and I’m giving it a name - The Barrel of Sh-- Theory of Christmas. Just giving it a name, I found myself laughing longer than I have in years. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! It’s so irreverent!

As for the spiritual meaning of Christmas – the birth of the divine idea, the baby Jesus, the refugee parents, the manger, angels and all – that story lives and gives hope of transformation to anyone in a lowly place in life. But Jesus was poor, and had no use for pretense of riches or importance. Whatever would he think of his birthday today?

I think he’d understand exactly why I cringe at the thought of it all. There is nothing wrong with my love, abundant and flowing in all directions. There is nothing wrong with celebrations – holy or pagan – and may we all dance for joy. But I wish for my gift giving to be guided by inspiration, by love, regardless of the season. Let there be perfect need and response, and may I have the honesty to be there when the Spirit calls.

With love,
Gail

Tit Bits - a love story for knitters and healers

2007-12-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

***********************************************

To my wonderful women friends
who may know someone in need of a new
left or right breast,
raise a toast to Beryl Tsang
who knitted her way to wellness
and emerged with a business
and a smile.

Thanks to my knitting daughter Jackie who sent me the story:
Source: knitty
or go directly to Beryl Tsang's site:
tit bits

Googling Beryl's name, I also found this reference to a workshop last April in Toronto:

April 23, 2007: Tit-Bits: knitting & breasts with Beryl Tsang. In this workshop themed "Take Back the Tit" participants will learn to knit and construct "Tit-Bit" out of a luxury fibre (cotton silk, soy silk or cashmerino) that can be used as an object d'art or object de nécessité. Women who have lost a breast to cancer can use the Tit-Bit as an alternative to those nasty silicone prosthetics that resemble liver, while others can knit one that can be used for social or political action.

Beryl Tsang holds graduate degrees in East Asian history and cultural studies and has a long and varied career that has included a stint as a policy "wonk," diversity consultant, community worker, adult educator and advocate. A practicing Buddhist, she has a deep interest in faith, feminist and social justice issues. She also publishes and speaks widely on gender, identity and class. When not working Beryl can usually be found hanging out with her family (two kids, their dad and their pet snake), knitting mass quantities of unsual oject d'arts and lying on a yoga mat. A knitter who believes in reclaiming public space she is a founder of the Toronto Knit Rabble and an organizer of the twice yearly TTC Knit A Long.
Source: http://www1.oise.utoronto.ca/cwse/events.html

When my mind opened like a flower

2007-11-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

When my mind opened like a flower

there in the bookstore,

I knew my duty and my power

lay all in the beholding,

the gentle focus, seeing, sensing

of my soul.

As I felt that pulse, and followed it,

undistracted by the clamor of the world,

just stayed open with my flowering mind,

I moved in a realm of blessing,

a kingdom of the inner eye.

gg murray

Aloneness and Creation

2007-10-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

I am drawn to ponder the word ALONE,
and in that pondering remember its opposite,
which is almost completed by the word ALONE:
ALL ONE.

Whether coupled or single, I think the external manifestation is always a match to the inner reality of the individual. We can be lonely in a couple or a crowd, or happy and fulfilled alone or with others. What are we doing with our powerful imagination? What are we making in the workshop of our mind? What images pulse with feeling and color - desirable or undesirable. These are the ones we are giving life to. Are they what we want?

This is such a slippery subject, the objects of attention and emotion in one's own mind. We naturally want to blame outer circumstances, people, conditions for the state we find ourselves in. Yet we are in charge of our own experience. I think this is an inescapable conclusion. But also, when faced directly, is enormously freeing. And empowering.

The notion that I can turn my thought to something that nourishes and encourages, that gives me beauty, that soothes and uplifts - that is a huge awakening. Even a glimpse of this, as when a door opens just a crack, can let in enough light to start the journey. One step at a time, one thought at a time, moving toward that which offers its blessing.

Gail

Letter to Congressman for HR 676

2007-10-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

After checking the link on http://www.michaelmoore.com to see how your representative voted on HR 676 Medicare for All, and learning that our RI Congressman Jim Langevin has voted NO, I clicked on the link to send him a message, and this is what I sent.

Dear Jim,

I was shocked to learn that you, of all people, are opposed to HR 676, Medicare for All. I retired two years ago, and am learning the bitter fact that basic health care expenses, including dental and vision care, are eating up a huge chunk of my and my husband's monthly income. This is not right, not in America where human life and well-being are championed.

Please look deeply into this issue and consider the difference your vote can make. That is one vote you will never be sorry for.

Thank you,
Citizen Gail Murray

Bill McDannell at Obama rally

2007-10-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

Exerpted from Bill McDannell's journal
http://wtetw.com/journal.htm

Tuesday, October 2:
This afternoon I had the opportunity to speak at a Barak Obama rally and was extremely well received there, and then drove up to the San Diego Veterans for Peace meeting and talked a bit and answered questions there.

I promised some people at the Obama rally that I would post the little speech I gave at the rally here in the journal. So here it is, as promised:
I am truly grateful for the opportunity to speak to you today. I am nobody special, but I did just complete a special journey, and I would like to share with you a few of the experiences and insights I gained along the way.

On November 4th of last year my wife and I sold our home in Lakeside and most of our possessions, bought a 23 year old camper, and I set out on foot from San Diego, carrying a petition asking Congress to officially end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and restore the Constitutional balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of our government. My wife drove the camper, accompanied by our two dogs, as my support vehicle and, on August 18th, after 3,185 miles of walking, I arrived in Washington, D.C.

I planned my walk to pass through smaller towns and travel along secondary roads most of the way and saw many, many places I've never seen before. I saw one thing in many places that particularly impressed me. In the center of many small towns across America I found an open square surrounded by local businesses. In the center of the square would invariably be an impressive, stately old building, often the tallest building in the town. I realized as I walked into these towns that if the building had a cross or some other religious symbol on their towers they would obviously have been magnificent cathedrals. But these buildings do not display a religious symbol. If anything, they have a huge clock near their peaks. These are the city halls and county seats of America, and most of them are lovingly preserved.

These buildings speak of a time when government was absolutely central to the lives of the citizens. It was here where local justice was served. It was here where dedicated men and women did their best to bring the Consitution of the United States of America into direct connection with the local barber, the local shopkeeper, the local rancher. It was here where the average citizen most directly touched America, and it was a place treated with respect, diginity and, yes, reverence. When people came to these buildings - and they did so often - they knew they were about important business and that their presence there and their participation was valuable to their city...and their country.

If there is anything we need to reclaim from the past, it is this sense of direct participation - and direct responsibility - in the affairs of our nation. Shortly after the Constitution was drafted, someone asked Benjamin Franklin, "What have you wrought, sir?" Mr. Franklin replied, "A republic - if you can keep it." That injunction has now been passed on to us. We have a republic - if we can keep it. And I have been trying to sound a simple warning that we barely have a republic now, and are in grave danger of losing it altogether if we do not dedicate ourselves to keeping it. I do worry that America will go the way of Camelot - a bright, shining dream that died before it ever was able to fully become a reality.

While we were on our journey my wife and I did a lot of thinking, and talking, and reading. We stopped one day and picked up a book that is probably familiar to many of you. It is called "The Audacity of Hope", written by a man by the name of Barak Obama. And my wife fell in love. She found a man in the pages of that book who remembers America and has a clear vision of what our nation is about and how it should be governed. But I have to be honest with you. As the weeks and months unfolded and the various candidates appeared before the cameras and communicated with the public, she became more than a little bit frustrated. She wanted more than anything else to search out Mr. Obama, and to walk up to him and say, "I just finished reading this wonderful book by a man of great integrity and vision - and I think you might want to take a look at it." She was not hearing what she was expecting to hear. The insane process that now leads to our choice of presidential candidates was taking its toll and obscuring the message she had hoped would be brought forward.

And she was frustrated. Because as I walked across the country we were also looking for something. We were looking for leaders.

We were looking for leaders whose first allegiance is not to political party or personal fortune, but always and only to the Constitution of the United States of America.

We were looking for leaders whose primary concern is not for the people of their district or the people of their state, but for the people of this planet - and for the planet itself.

We were looking for leaders who know that when the founders of this nation wrote that all of us are created equal and are endowed with certain inalienable rights they were not talking only about Americans, but about all of humanity.

We were looking for leaders who at last seek to learn from our history and our mistakes - and vow to do everything in their power not to repeat those mistakes.

We were looking for leaders who recognize that admitting a mistake is not a sign of weakness, but rather a clear sign of strength, maturity and wisdom.

We were looking for leaders who have the sense to understand that when they stoop to the rhetoric of fear, intolerance, prejudice, arrogance and hatred - they have lost their way and are no longer deserving of the public trust.

We were looking for leaders who can comprehend that when you employ the tactics of the enemy you become the enemy.

We were looking for leaders who are smart enough to know the difference between supporting our troops and supporting the misbegotten mission of their commander in chief - and brave enough to articulate that difference.

We were looking for leaders who are aware that when they authorize the use of tactics of war they will have the blood of our sons and daughters - and untold numbers of innocent foreign citizens - on their hands for all eternity.

We were looking for leaders who realize that war is not a tool to be used to shape the political landscape or appease corporate interests, but war is a terrible, loathesome and evil thing that always demonstrates an abject failure of leadership.

We were looking for leaders who can see that as long as we are engaged in the actions of war we cannot possibly explore any of the other actions available to us when we seek to resolve an international crisis.

We were looking for leaders who understand that, when the primary cause of instability in Iraq is the presence of our military forces, sending more military forces in to try to stabilize the country is the equivalent of pouring gasoline on the fire to try to put it out.

We were looking for leaders who acknowledge that they are not the deciders, but rather - in this great nation - it is We, the People who are the deciders - and that if and when they become unresponsive to We, the People, it is not only our right, but our solemn obligation to immediately remove them from office.

And you may find it difficult to believe, but we found a leader who possesses all of the qualities we had been looking for. We found a leader who has both the vision and the power to right the wrongs that have been inflicted on our nation, to steer us to a bright, promising future, to instill new hope, new strength and new passion within us and rekindle the beacon of American greatness that will inspire and unite the world in its pursuit of peace and stewardship. That leader is here with us tonight. That leader is you - the citizens of America.

We discovered that you have not lost the dream - you remember what this nation is about, you have the wisdom to perceive when you are being misled and manipulated, and you have the determination to make things right and make our nation whole. You also have the power, as citizens of this grand republic, to steer its course responsibly. As you now strive to invest that incredible power in Mr. Obama as your representative, I ask you - I implore you - to remember that the power remains yours - and you must continue to use it to propel the man you support in the direction you know he needs to go. Continue to hold him accountable; continue to remind him of who he is - and who you are - so that he may not lose sight of the goals you strive to achieve through him. Remember that your office - the office of citizen - is the most powerful office in the grand experiment that is democracy, and its responsibilities neither begin nor end at the voting booth. Do everything you can to keep your candidate true to himself and true to us because this is the way forward. America will learn from her mistakes and regain her glory when her people reclaim their authority and faithfully exercise their power to guide their chosen representatives toward governance that is true to the principles upon which she is founded - the principles which form her soul - the principles which make her great.

A Vital, Conscious Portion of the Universe

2007-09-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of recycling a number of books I have used and loved on my spiritual journey. In doing so, I stop and leaf through them, pausing to savor certain passages. Today I came upon one of my early heroines, Jane Roberts, and her final book, The Way Toward Health, dictated in the months before she died. While Jane was not herself able to take advantage of all the life-affirming messages she shared, I hope she knows that many of us are, and I for one remain thankful of the light she shone as I was finding my way. - Gail

Each person is a vital, conscious portion of the universe. Each person, simply by being, fits into the universe and into universal purposes in a way no one else can. Each person’s existence sends its own ripples throughout time. The universe is conscious at every conceivable point of itself. Each being is an individualized segment of the universe; then, in human terms, each person is a beloved individual, formed with infinite care and love, uniquely gifted with a life like no other.

No animal considers itself a failure, obviously. People, however, often identify with their seeming mistakes, forgetting their abilities in other directions, so that it seems that they are misfits in the universe, or in the world. The conscious mind can indeed have such thoughts because it so often tries to solve all problems on its own, until it begins to feel frightened, overburdened, and a failure in its own eyes.

The inner ego, however, always identifies with its source-identity as a beloved, individualized portion of the universe. It is aware of the universal love that is its heritage.

It is also aware of the infinite power and strength that composes the very fabric of its being. Through being made aware of these facts, the exterior ego can begin to feel a quicker sense of support and nourishment. The knowledge can let it relax, let go, so that it feels its life couched and safe, knows itself to be indeed a beloved child of the universe, both ancient and young at once, with an identity far beyond the annals of time.

It is of great value, then that each person remember this universal affiliation. Such a reminder can often allow the inner self to send needed messages of strength and love through the various levels, appearing as inspiration, dreams, or simply pure bursts of feeling. The inner ego draws instant and continuous support from the universal consciousness, and the more the exterior ego keeps that fact in mind, the greater its own sense of stability, safety, and self-esteem.

One of the attitudes detrimental to good health is that of self-condemnation, or dislike of the self. Such attitudes are unfortunately sometimes fostered by parents, schools, and religions. Feelings of self-worth, self-esteem, and pleasure with one’s abilities promote feelings of well-being, health, and exuberance.

From The Way toward Health by Jane Roberts, Amber-Allen, 1997, pages 147-148.

Toward a Vibrant Energy Economy

2007-09-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

When I think about America, the future, and the things that must be done to make us whole again, the biggest item on my list is ENERGY INDEPENDENCE. Why do so many people fail to make the obvious connection between our lack of a vibrant energy initiative and our wars in the Middle East?

I've been watching Ken Burns' series "The War" on PBS this week and it is awesome. What becomes so clear is the difference in spirit between the Iraq War and World War 2. WW2 touched everyone, transformed the economy and the industrial base of the country, opened the way for the Civil Rights and Women's movements, and so much more. Every citizen was doing something for the war - even the children. Contrast that with our fearless leader's encouragement after 9/11 to go out and shop.

If we were serious about winning energy independence, and thus end our coveting of foreign oil, we would initiate a Moon Shot or WW2 level of focus and commitment that engaged every citizen. The whole planet would benefit as natural clean energy sources were discovered, tapped, and put to work for us. We would recycle everything. We would stimulate A WHOLE NEW INDUSTRIAL BASE and economic wealth. In the process, we would even put the brakes on global warming!

We have to forget fossil and nuclear fuels in order to clear our minds for the work ahead. No, we're not going back to the stone age, we're going forward into a dynamic and abundant future. A future where we understand the energy exchange between sun and leaf, oxygen and carbon dioxide, and can put that knowledge to work for us. Where we naturally split the water molecule into its hydrogen and oxygen elements with a pure beam of sunlight.

And let's not call it a 'War On' anything. It's a vision, a prayer, a shining bridge to the future.

Gail Murray

Message from Baghdad Burning

2007-09-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

I've been very concerned about River, the writer of the blog 'Baghdad Burning'.
I emailed her a week or so ago, hoping she is all right. Her last posting had been about the family's decision to flee Iraq. Then two months went by with no postings. But here, to my great relief, is her story of what has happened. - Gail

----------------------------------------------------

Thursday, September 06, 2007
Leaving Home...Two months ago, the suitcases were packed. My lone, large suitcase sat in my bedroom for nearly six weeks, so full of clothes and personal items, that it took me, E. and our six year old neighbor to zip it closed.

Packing that suitcase was one of the more difficult things I’ve had to do. It was Mission Impossible: Your mission, R., should you choose to accept it is to go through the items you’ve accumulated over nearly three decades and decide which ones you cannot do without. The difficulty of your mission, R., is that you must contain these items in a space totaling 1 m by 0.7 m by 0.4 m. This, of course, includes the clothes you will be wearing for the next months, as well as any personal memorabilia- photos, diaries, stuffed animals, CDs and the like.

I packed and unpacked it four times. Each time I unpacked it, I swore I’d eliminate some of the items that were not absolutely necessary. Each time I packed it again, I would add more ‘stuff’ than the time before. E. finally came in a month and a half later and insisted we zip up the bag so I wouldn’t be tempted to update its contents constantly.

The decision that we would each take one suitcase was made by my father. He took one look at the box of assorted memories we were beginning to prepare and it was final: Four large identical suitcases were purchased- one for each member of the family and a fifth smaller one was dug out of a closet for the documentation we’d collectively need- graduation certificates, personal identification papers, etc.

We waited… and waited… and waited. It was decided we would leave mid to late June- examinations would be over and as we were planning to leave with my aunt and her two children- that was the time considered most convenient for all involved. The day we finally appointed as THE DAY, we woke up to an explosion not 2 km away and a curfew. The trip was postponed a week. The night before we were scheduled to travel, the driver who owned the GMC that would take us to the border excused himself from the trip- his brother had been killed in a shooting. Once again, it was postponed.

There was one point, during the final days of June, where I simply sat on my packed suitcase and cried. By early July, I was convinced we would never leave. I was sure the Iraqi border was as far away, for me, as the borders of Alaska. It had taken us well over two months to decide to leave by car instead of by plane. It had taken us yet another month to settle on Syria as opposed to Jordan. How long would it take us to reschedule leaving?

It happened almost overnight. My aunt called with the exciting news that one of her neighbors was going to leave for Syria in 48 hours because their son was being threatened and they wanted another family on the road with them in another car- like gazelles in the jungle, it’s safer to travel in groups. It was a flurry of activity for two days. We checked to make sure everything we could possibly need was prepared and packed. We arranged for a distant cousin of my moms who was to stay in our house with his family to come the night before we left (we can’t leave the house empty because someone might take it).

It was a tearful farewell as we left the house. One of my other aunts and an uncle came to say goodbye the morning of the trip. It was a solemn morning and I’d been preparing myself for the last two days not to cry. You won’t cry, I kept saying, because you’re coming back. You won’t cry because it’s just a little trip like the ones you used to take to Mosul or Basrah before the war. In spite of my assurances to myself of a safe and happy return, I spent several hours before leaving with a huge lump lodged firmly in my throat. My eyes burned and my nose ran in spite of me. I told myself it was an allergy.

We didn’t sleep the night before we had to leave because there seemed to be so many little things to do… It helped that there was no electricity at all- the area generator wasn’t working and ‘national electricity’ was hopeless. There just wasn’t time to sleep.

The last few hours in the house were a blur. It was time to go and I went from room to room saying goodbye to everything. I said goodbye to my desk- the one I’d used all through high school and college. I said goodbye to the curtains and the bed and the couch. I said goodbye to the armchair E. and I broke when we were younger. I said goodbye to the big table over which we’d gathered for meals and to do homework. I said goodbye to the ghosts of the framed pictures that once hung on the walls, because the pictures have long since been taken down and stored away- but I knew just what hung where. I said goodbye to the silly board games we inevitably fought over- the Arabic Monopoly with the missing cards and money that no one had the heart to throw away.

I knew then as I know now that these were all just items- people are so much more important. Still, a house is like a museum in that it tells a certain history. You look at a cup or stuffed toy and a chapter of memories opens up before your very eyes. It suddenly hit me that I wanted to leave so much less than I thought I did.

Six AM finally came. The GMC waited outside while we gathered the necessities- a thermos of hot tea, biscuits, juice, olives (olives?!) which my dad insisted we take with us in the car, etc. My aunt and uncle watched us sorrowfully. There’s no other word to describe it. It was the same look I got in my eyes when I watched other relatives and friends prepare to leave. It was a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness, tinged with anger. Why did the good people have to go?

I cried as we left- in spite of promises not to. The aunt cried… the uncle cried. My parents tried to be stoic but there were tears in their voices as they said their goodbyes. The worst part is saying goodbye and wondering if you’re ever going to see these people again. My uncle tightened the shawl I’d thrown over my hair and advised me firmly to ‘keep it on until you get to the border’. The aunt rushed out behind us as the car pulled out of the garage and dumped a bowl of water on the ground, which is a tradition- its to wish the travelers a safe return… eventually.

The trip was long and uneventful, other than two checkpoints being run by masked men. They asked to see identification, took a cursory glance at the passports and asked where we were going. The same was done for the car behind us. Those checkpoints are terrifying but I’ve learned that the best technique is to avoid eye-contact, answer questions politely and pray under your breath. My mother and I had been careful not to wear any apparent jewelry, just in case, and we were both in long skirts and head scarves.

Syria is the only country, other than Jordan, that was allowing people in without a visa. The Jordanians are being horrible with refugees. Families risk being turned back at the Jordanian border, or denied entry at Amman Airport. It’s too high a risk for most families.

We waited for hours, in spite of the fact that the driver we were with had ‘connections’, which meant he’d been to Syria and back so many times, he knew all the right people to bribe for a safe passage through the borders. I sat nervously at the border. The tears had stopped about an hour after we’d left Baghdad. Just seeing the dirty streets, the ruins of buildings and houses, the smoke-filled horizon all helped me realize how fortunate I was to have a chance for something safer.

By the time we were out of Baghdad, my heart was no longer aching as it had been while we were still leaving it. The cars around us on the border were making me nervous. I hated being in the middle of so many possibly explosive vehicles. A part of me wanted to study the faces of the people around me, mostly families, and the other part of me, the one that’s been trained to stay out of trouble the last four years, told me to keep my eyes to myself- it was almost over.

It was finally our turn. I sat stiffly in the car and waited as money passed hands; our passports were looked over and finally stamped. We were ushered along and the driver smiled with satisfaction, “It’s been an easy trip, Alhamdulillah,” he said cheerfully.

As we crossed the border and saw the last of the Iraqi flags, the tears began again. The car was silent except for the prattling of the driver who was telling us stories of escapades he had while crossing the border. I sneaked a look at my mother sitting beside me and her tears were flowing as well. There was simply nothing to say as we left Iraq. I wanted to sob, but I didn’t want to seem like a baby. I didn’t want the driver to think I was ungrateful for the chance to leave what had become a hellish place over the last four and a half years.

The Syrian border was almost equally packed, but the environment was more relaxed. People were getting out of their cars and stretching. Some of them recognized each other and waved or shared woeful stories or comments through the windows of the cars. Most importantly, we were all equal. Sunnis and Shia, Arabs and Kurds… we were all equal in front of the Syrian border personnel.

We were all refugees- rich or poor. And refugees all look the same- there’s a unique expression you’ll find on their faces- relief, mixed with sorrow, tinged with apprehension. The faces almost all look the same.

The first minutes after passing the border were overwhelming. Overwhelming relief and overwhelming sadness… How is it that only a stretch of several kilometers and maybe twenty minutes, so firmly segregates life from death?

How is it that a border no one can see or touch stands between car bombs, militias, death squads and… peace, safety? It’s difficult to believe- even now. I sit here and write this and wonder why I can’t hear the explosions.

I wonder at how the windows don’t rattle as the planes pass overhead. I’m trying to rid myself of the expectation that armed people in black will break through the door and into our lives. I’m trying to let my eyes grow accustomed to streets free of road blocks, hummers and pictures of Muqtada and the rest…How is it that all of this lies a short car ride away?
- posted by river

I Forgot!

2007-08-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

Gee... just the other day I came upon some of the little cartoon sketches I used to love making. Very simple childlike drawings - of feelings. And yes, I forgot about them. How much fun they were to draw... how emotionally honest. And duh...! How perfect for the Briarpatch Greetings cards I design!

But today the light went on, and I saw how I could make this simple drawing and take it upstairs to Dan's printer/scanner, save it, email it to my computer, and use it in any digital creation - email, Word document, or especially cards designed with Publisher.

This is such a fun realization. I truly forgot I could do this - never connected the dots. Now I can see a whole new line of cards streaming forth from this idea.

Office of Citizen

2007-08-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

From an email to Bill McDannell, who has walked across America to deliver a petition to Congress to end the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan http://wtetw.com . He has finally arrived in Washington. - Gail

Today's Abraham message, coming in my daily email, seems especially relevant to share:

Your government is the byproduct of the vibration of the masses. A war is the byproduct of the vibration of the masses. In other words, this is not a war that your government has waged against your will. This is a war that has grown vibrationally from the vibration of the masses.
--- Abraham-Hicks 5/8/2004

We have been badly served by our current leaders. Now it is our turn.

I think the real task - for those of us who want a better world - is to reclaim the power of the Office of Citizen in a vibrant democracy. To me, that is the real meaning of what you have done. Let's step outside our own comfort zones. Step outside the War on You-name-it kind of thinking. Begin imagining the much better America we all want to see - made up of American citizens who know their rights, who are not afraid to dream, to lead, to take the first step in faith. And all those steps that flow from that courageous act. Let us be the change we want to see happen in the world.

Rx for America

2007-08-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a comment after reading a Common Dreams article entitled "US Tumbles Down the World Ratings List for Life Expectancy".

I think the real problem with well-being in America today is MESMERISM. Too much sitting in front of TV, too much exposure to advertising based on fear of…whatever. Fear of death, illness, obesity, poverty, terrorism. All stoked by commercial and political interests.

I swear if people would just switch of their TVs, take a walk, meditate, get a life, read a book, think their own thoughts for a change - this can all be reversed.

One by one we can envision and embrace a whole new way of being alive on Planet Earth.

Gail Murray

Prayer for America

2007-07-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

Years ago, in my work running groups, I discovered an important principle. This has sometimes been described as 'Begin with the end in mind". In my case, the end that I reached for was a feeling-tone, not a specific accomplishment, but a spiritual sense, a vision.

I asked myself... How do I want us to feel at the end of this group...or even at the end of this meeting? Hopeful? A sense of unlimited possibilities? Respect? Understanding? A confidence in each other, even a tenderness toward each other? Each group is different, yet each contains unlimited possibility.

Once I had a clarity about the feeling-tone I was aiming for, everything else easily fell into place. Planning was effortless, the details almost seeming to arrange themselves. I could rephrase this method as "Begin with the healing-tone in mind".

This morning I found myself applying the same test to an issue that has troubled me greatly - my country, America, its leaders and media obsessed with terrorism, seemingly having lost its moral compass in the world.

How do I want my country to feel? What feeling-tone for the people in my country? What kind of leadership-tone to aim for as we head into the next election?

I want my America to feel vibrant, hopeful, creative, powerful, generous, inspiring. Unafraid of difference - indeed, appreciative and respectful of the wonderfully diverse human qualities and traditions on earth. An America that is unafraid to join with others to create a future worth living for - a future that allows for the never-ending unfoldment and diversity of life on earth.

This is my prayer on a morning in July.

With love,
Gail

Bill McDannell's walk

2007-07-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

I continue to be moved by the example of Bill McDannell and his wife Jonna in their walk across America to deliver a petition to Congress end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes just up and doing the one thing you can do, whatever it is, is enough to tip the balance toward justice. Toward that more perfect Union we know is possible, the real promise of America.

Bill is a former Methodist minister, Vietnam vet, and lifelong Republican who has simply had enough. He and Jonna sold their home in California, bought an old camper, and began a Walk to End the Wars. The journey is chronicled in Bill's daily Journal in http://wtew.com/

Basically, Bill walks, and Jonna drives the camper which includes their two dogs, Finn and Spoof. She drives ahead some miles and he walks to join her. He rests, then they repeat the process. If he is invited to speak somewhere, he does, then returns to continue walking to where he left off. They stay in campgrounds. Sometimes friends they meet may offer an overnight plug-in and water in their driveway. As of today, they have made it more than halfway through Ohio.

Bill took this photo of his shadow on some dunes while walking. When I saw it posted on the website, I thought it would make a great t-shirt design, so I formatted it with text and background color. Theresa Bescher who manages the Cafepress function for the walk, took the graphic and voila! A whole bunch of shirts and cards and things you can buy with this image on them. I'm impressed. I bought some cards and a t-shirt. I'm going to wear that shirt with pride. To see the Cafepress shop and what is available, go to http://www.cafepress.com/wtetw . 20% of the cost of items purchased goes directly toward the Walk. Donations of any kind are needed and most appreciated.

Not all of us have legs that can do this kind of walking, and that includes me. But we all can do something. What that something is, we have to listen and trust our inner guidance to show us. I can write and make graphics. I can pray and ponder deeply, until I reach that point of clarity and sweet relief that is the sign of Spirit, of blessing. And from there I will know the next good thing to do.

Life is a journey, whether feeling our way by foot or by heart. Let us each find the hidden path where the human life and the soul life can beat as one.

With love,

Gail

Live Earthquake

2007-07-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

I watched Live Earth on computer and later on TV. I was simply blown away by the event. Coming of age in the Sixties, I remember Woodstock, and though I wasn't there, the ripples of that event got the attention of my generation in the way Live Earth will speak to the generation that is now coming of age - across the globe.

It wasn't just the music, but the sheer magnitude of the day - with simultaneous concerts across the globe, the clear message of environmental urgency, the sheer cultural richness of it all, the huge stadium-filling crowds, the intimacy of the internet as I hopped via keyboard from continent to continent, savoring the crowds as much as the performances.

Sure there was trash and excess, same as any ballgame. But there was no violence. And lots of hope, lots of awareness of the common breath of humanity we all must share. I predict the ripples from this event will stir the next generation like nothing that has been seen before. You just have to know what you're looking at.

Gail

Do My Cookies Show?

2007-06-19T06:58:00.000-07:00

A poem comes to mind this morning that expresses a longing and a desperate hope I felt 27 years ago. I wrote it when I was living in Miami, far from my Rhode Island home.

Do My Cookies Show?

I lived a country life, no locks on the door.
A cookie jar always full,
and an oven always baking more.
It seemed to keep the burglers away,
or if they came and stole a few,
I never knew, and never felt afraid.

Now I am a stranger in the city:
my roots don't want to grow.
Dear God, I wonder,
do my cookies show?
Do the friends I've loved, the prayers sent,
the letters patiently, daringly penned...
Do the words I've spoken
stand unbroken in this new land?

I wear no makeup, city finery,
no jewels in my hair.
But I remember gardens,
gorgeous strings of peas,
and I was there.

And when I walk down the street,
does the road stretch back
to where I've been before?
And God, if I wanted, could I go?

In fact I did go back - we went back - my daughter and I, and got on with building a life that deeply made sense to us. I went back to school, then worked until retirement at a challenging and fruitful job. She grew up, went to college, got married, and now there are four incredible grandchildren.

And yes, those cookies, those poems and prayers, they do stand unbroken - as in heaven, so on earth. Every thought sends forth its own vibration and creates after its own kind. Knowing this, I do not fear my own thoughts and feelings. I actively exercise my imagination and prayer. I listen to my inner guidance to form beautiful ideas. I feel the gratitude flow from me. And I wait in wondrous trust for the next step... and take it.

With love,
Gail

Lessons from a bird

2007-06-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

This week we are charmed and surprised - sometimes startled - by this tufted titmouse at the window. Apparently his mate's nest is nearby, and he is determined to scare off that bird he sees reflected in the window!

He flies at the window suddenly, pecking and thrusting, sometimes hanging on with one foot while he scratches with the other. I am touched by his determined effort. And at the same time I see what a metaphor this is for the way we humans resist and attack... things that are nothing more than reflections of our own fears.

Lessons from a bird, thank you Lord.

Journal entry 5/27/2007

2007-05-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

I’m reading a book I picked up at Barnes & Noble last night, Mother Teresa – Her Essential Wisdom, and these small powerful passages are stirring my soul. Her instinct to work among the poorest of the poor, to work with the dying... I feel some of those stirrings too.

Since retirement two years ago, I have been working as a hospice volunteer. At first I began in people's homes. Then I worked one afternoon a week visiting hospice patients in nursing homes. Some of those relationships lasted for months, in one case even a year. Now I am working one afternoon every two weeks in the inpatient unit, a 10 bed unit where the average stay is 6 days. Sometime I will write about how beautiful it is to be there.

In our culture it is lonely and often scarey, the journey of dying. There is such a fear of death that even loved ones do not know how to accompany one who is progressing toward that change. Yet I am drawn to moments like these, where an offering of kindness and companionship is so deep - for both the giver and receiver.

In investigating the complex choices available as Medicare decisions approach for Dan and me, I feel instinctively I want to get the basic bottom-line plan, what any poor elderly person would get. Why should I have special priveleges?

From long experience, I see that every thought I think creates something. Thoughts of my spiritual oneness promote a deep happiness and sense of well-being. I learn to listen to my inner guidance, the Soul of me whispering kindness, humor, and direction. That is a wellspring of life.

I note the food stamp challenge undertaken this month by a handful of congressmen and women – to live for a week on what a poor person receiving food stamps would live on to eat - $21 per week. Eye-opening for them, to say the least. Here's a recent posting on their results:
http://foodstampchallenge.typepad.com/

Then there is Bill McDannell from California, a Vietnam vet and former Methodist minister who feels so strongly about the immoral war in Iraq, that he has sold his home and belongings, and set out to walk across America to deliver his petition to Congress. Now his only home is a small camper truck his wife Jonna drives to follow him. He asks only for a friendly place to park at night to tie into electricity and water. He logs his progress on his computer and uploads it to his website. People he meets join him and sign his petition. I could be tempted to walk a mile with him with my scooter. Here is his petition:
http://wtetw.com/petition.htm

With the arrival of summer, I sort through my clothes, looking to trim away all except the ones I love the most. I don’t need a yard-high pile of shirts! Plus it is such a relief to bring things I no longer need to the Salvation Army.

Soon our old above-ground swimming pool will be opened for the season, hopefully with a new and quieter pump. Swimming is so good for me: I want to take care of my body, make myself available for new life – in whatever form it comes.

I envisioned a new card this morning: You inspire me. And as I think about my eBay card store, which basically has zero activity, I long to take a more radical step with it. Maybe offer cards for $1 each, or even free, or simply the shipping charge. The work is to help people say true and wise things to each other, to uplift and heal. Something is stirring there too.

Sculptors in life

2007-05-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent design I made for card or poster. I love thinking about how we create with our thoughts and feelings, a passion of mine for the last thirty years...

How to make a beautiful day?
How to shape a thought so that it has the maximum exposure to light and love?
How to discover and express the unique and wonderful and eternally unfolding beings that we are?

Gail 5/25/2007

The Ant Parade

2007-05-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

I can see the ant whiskers twitching as I remember this tale. As though they are listening to me and I am listening to them.

A long time ago, when my daughter was still a girl, we lived in a little house in the Rhode Island woods with our dog and cat. We felt safe and happy in the house our friends had made for us, and I felt glad to be living in the country and to be so close to nature.

But that summer something changed. At first we only noticed a few ants climbing around the sink. They were the scouts. In a few weeks there were ants in the kitchen – on the walls, on the table, floor, around the sink and counters. It was hard to do anything without seeing three or four ants going about their business.

I like ants well enough outside the house, but inside my home – this would not do. I hated doing it, but I began squashing them wherever I saw them. And doing that for several weeks made me feel ugly inside. I was mad and upset at the ants, and I was ashamed of all the killing I was doing. There had to be a better way.

So one day I just prayed, and asked for help in knowing what to do. The answer came gently and clearly, as though someone very kind was speaking to me: Ants are always looking for a better home. Imagine what a good home would be like for them. When they have an idea of a better home to go to, they will leave.

I remembered a Bible passage that talked about this. About the way we could feel into our spiritual sense of home: “For we know that if our earthly house… were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (II Corinthians, 5:1)

This was a whole new way to think about the ants. I felt excited. I began thinking about the qualities of home for them. It would have shelter and food nearby. It would be safe from predators, even humans. I began to imagine a home in nature that would be like that, just perfect for the ants.

Right away, that helpless angry feeling began to soften, as I saw the problem from the ants’ point of view. They had a right to a good home just like I did.
I was sure that it existed and they would find it. I stopped killing them, and just kept knowing there was a wonderful home for them and that my home was wonderful for me.

In a few days, I noticed something unusual. There was a LOT of activity going on. Ants were on the walls, climbing down to the table, dropping their eggs onto the floor. Ants on the floor were carrying the eggs down the step into the living room, and from there they made a column going out a crack under the front door. The ants were moving!

Wanting to be helpful, I put a towel on the floor so the eggs would have a softer landing. And finding it hard to walk in the kitchen without stepping on them, we decided to go out for the day. Hours later, when my daughter and I came home, they were gone. Only a few stragglers remained, picking up the last few eggs. We let them finish their work in peace.

The house felt silent, safe, ours again. I knew the ants had indeed found a new home, and I silently blessed them even as I felt blessed. They stayed moved too. And over the years if I saw a scout, I remembered to cherish the spiritual sense of home – the house not made with hands – for both of us.

With love,
Gail

Reasons to feel good now...

2007-04-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

I was reading from Ask and It Is Given early this morning, and this quote on page 4 really got my attention:

"It is our powerful desire that you be pleased with where you are right now, in this moment -- no matter where you are. We understand how strange these words must sound to you if you are standing in a place that seems far from where you want to be. But it is our absolute promise to you that when you understand the power of feeling good now, no matter what, you will hold the key to the achievement of any state of being, any state of health, any state of wealth, or any state of anything that you desire."

So I thought of making a list of Reasons to Feel Good Now, and began writing:

I am a spiritual being, coming forth from a boundless spiritual universe, into this exquisite moment of physical awareness.

"All things are thought. All life is thought activity." (from The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ)

I can be grateful for the things that are seen, and be joyful in the things that are not seen! For the invisible things/vibrations of Spirit are my natural environment, abundance, and heritage.

I can boldly walk the boundary between the non-physical and the physical - with gratitude for guidance, abundance, and for the pure joy of creating - as in heaven, so on earth.

On a beautiful spring day,
Gail

Peace be with you, Kurt Vonnegut

2007-04-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Imagine a life as fruitful and free as Kurt Vonnegut, who passed this week. - Gail

Published on Friday, April 13, 2007 by CommonDreams.org
Peace Be With You, Kurt Vonnegut
by Harvey Wasserman

As the media fills with whimsical good-byes to one of America’s greatest writers, lets not forget one of the great engines driving this wonderful man—he HATED war. Including this one in Iraq. And he had utter contempt for the men who brought it about.Kurt Vonnegut was a divine spark of liberating genius for an entire generation. His brilliant, beautiful, loving and utterly unfettered novels helped us redefine ourselves in leaving the corporate America in the 1950s and the Vietnam war that followed.
Having seen the worst of World War II from a meatlocker in fire-bombed Dresden, Kurt’s Sirens of Titan, Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, cut us the intellectual and spiritual slack to seek out a new reality. It took a breathtaking psychic freedom to merge the interstellar worlds he created from whole cloth with the social imperatives of a changing age. It was that combination of talent, heart and liberation that gave Vonnegut a cutting edge he never lost.
Leaving us in his eighties, Kurt also leaves us decades of anecdotes and volumes of writings—and doodlings—about which to write. But lost in the mainstream obituaries—including the one in the New York Times—is the ferocity with which he opposed this latest claque of vicious war-mongers.
Vonnegut gave his last campus speech in Columbus. He and I met here many years ago, after another speech. Not knowing me from Adam, he was gracious enough to give me his home address.
Out of the blue, I sent him a book-length poem about the passing of my parents. I was shocked when he called me on the phone about it. I asked for his help in finding a publisher. He said to publish it on my own, and gave me advice on how to do it, along with a blurb for the cover.
From then on we talked by phone. His conversation was always friendly, funny, insightful. When last I asked him how he was, he replied: “Too fucking old!”
Last year, apparently on the spur of the moment, he agreed to speak again at Ohio State. It would be his last campus lecture.
When word spread, a line four thousand students long instantly formed at a university otherwise known only for its addiction to football.
Anyone expecting a safe, whimsical opener from this grand old man of sixties rebellion was in for a shock. “Can I speak frankly?” he asked Professor Manuel Luis Martinez, the poet and writing teacher who would “interview” him. “The only difference between George W. Bush and Adolph Hitler is that Hitler was actually elected.”
Holding up a book about Ohio 2004, he said: “You all know, of course, that the election was stolen. Right here.”
Explaining that this would he his “last speech for money,” Vonnegut said he couldn’t remember his first one. But it was “long long ago.
“I’m lucky enough to have known a great president, one who really cared about ALL the people, rich and poor. That was Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was rich himself, and his class considered him a traitor.
“We have people in this country who are richer than whole countries,” he said. “They run everything.
“We have no Democratic Party. It’s financed by the same millionaires and billionaires as the Republicans.
“So we have no representatives in Washington. Working people have no leverage whatsoever.
“I’m trying to write a novel about the end of the world. But the world is really ending! It’s becoming more and more uninhabitable because of our addiction to oil.
“Bush used that line recently,” Vonnegut added. “I should sue him for plagiarism.”
Things have gotten so bad, he said, “people are in revolt against life itself.”
Our economy has been making money, but “all the money that should have gone into research and development has gone into executive compensation. If people insist on living as if there’s no tomorrow, there really won’t be one.
“As the world is ending, I’m always glad to be entertained for a few moments. The best way to do that is with music. You should practice once a night.
“If you want really want to hurt your parents, go into the arts.” He then broke into song, with a passable, tender rendition of “Stardust Memories.”
By this time, the packed hall was reverential. The sound system, appropriately tenuous, forced us all to strain to hear every word.
“To hell with the advances in computers,” he said after he finished singing. “YOU are supposed to advance and become, not the computers. Find out what’s inside you. And don’t kill anybody.
“There are no factories any more. Where are the jobs supposed to come from? There’s nothing for people to do anymore. We need to ask the Seminoles: ‘what the hell did you do?” after the tribe’s traditional livelihood was taken away.
Answering questions written in by students, he explained the meaning of life. “We should be kind to each other. Be civil. And appreciate the good moments by saying ‘If this isn’t nice, what is?’
“You’re awful cute” he said to someone in the front row. He grinned and looked around. “If this isn’t nice, what is?
“You’re all perfectly safe, by the way. I took off my shoes at the airport. The terrorists hate the smell of feet.
“We are here on Earth to fart around,” he explained, and then embarked on a soliloquy about the joys of going to the store to buy an envelope. One talks to the people there, comments on the “silly-looking dog,” finds all sorts of adventures along the way.
As for being a Midwesterner, he recalled his roots in nearby Indianapolis, a heartland town, the next one west of here. “I’m a fresh water person. When I swim in the ocean, I feel like I’m swimming in chicken soup. Who wants to swim in flavored water?”
A key to great writing, he added, is to “never use semi-colons. What are they good for? What are you supposed to do with them? You’re reading along, and then suddenly, there it is. What does it mean? All semi-colons do is suggest you’ve been to college.”
Make sure, he added, “that your reader is having a good time. Get to the who, when, where, what right away, so the reader knows what is going on.”
As for making money, “war is a very profitable thing for a few people. Jesus used to be so merciful and loving of the poor. But now he’s a Republican.
“Our economy today is not capitalism. It’s casino-ism. That’s all the stock market is about. Gambling.
“Live one day at a time. Say ‘if this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is!’
“You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere. They are people behaving decently in an indecent society.”
The greatest peace, Vonnegut wraps up, “comes from the knowledge that I have enough. Joe Heller told me that.
“I began writing because I found myself possessed. I looked at what I wrote and I said ‘How the hell did I do that?’
“We may all be possessed. I hope so.”
We were joined for after-speech drinks by the professor and several awe-struck graduate students. Kurt expressed an interest in renewable energy, so I sent him another book, and he called back with another blurb, and more advice on how to publish it.
We planned to have dinner. I wanted more than anything to introduce my daughters to him. But when I finally made it to New York, he was too ill. Now he’s gone. When a national treasure and a being of beauty like Kurt Vonnegut invites you to dinner, don’t make plans, hop on the next plane.
The mainstream obituaries are emphasizing Kurt’s “off-beat” career and the “mixed reviews” for his books. Don’t believe a word of them.
Kurt Vonnegut was a force of nature, with a heart the size of Titan, an unfettered genius who changed us all for the better. He was possessed of a sense of fairness and morality capable of inventing religions that could actually work.
Now he’s having dinner with our beloved siren of social justice, Molly Ivins, sharing a Manhattan, scorching this goddam war and this latest batch of fucking idiots.
It hurts to think about it. But we should be grateful for what we got, and all they gave us. So it goes.

Harvey Wasserman read Cat’s Cradle, Sirens of Titan and Slaughterhouse Five in college, sought Boku-Maru, and has never been the same. He writes at www.freepress.org and www.solartopia.org
Article printed from www.CommonDreams.org
URL to article: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/13/492/

Fun and Games in RI - on Global Warming

2007-04-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

I summarized this article for RI readers, but for those who live in other states, go to
http://events.stepitup2007.org and follow the links! xxx Gail

STEP IT UP Global Warming events in RI this Saturday, April 14 – and around the country to raise awareness and galvanize actions. (Copy and paste the links below into your browser for details about each event).

Block Island – Make Beach Angels in the sand 12:30 pm – 1:30 am
http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/857

Bristol – At Roger Williams University – at the law school on 114 right before the bridge, noon – 2:00 pm
http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/1033

Newport - First Beach, aka Easton's Beach, at the rotunda by the Save the Bay aquarium and playground! Sheldon Whitehouse, speakers, music & dancing! Noon-2:00 pm
http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/1110

North Kingstown – 10:30 am – 2:30 pm The Sierra Club of Rhode Island is revving up to get North Kingstown to become the next "cool city" to sign onto the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/766

Providence – THREE EVENTS:
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM at the Shepherd Building, 255 Westminster St. An indoor/outdoor celebration of music, food, speakers, and information on how we can all do our part to help the environment at this important event open to everyone. Check out the fuel cell powered Model T! Bring the kids to help urge Congress to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2050.
http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/542

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm – at Johnson & Wales University, 8 Abbott Place – for students, faculty, staff and administrators of J&W U.
http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/1076

8:00 am – 2:00 pm – March, Run, and Bike to Step it UP! We will be walking, running and biking to the Statehouse and then over to the other Providence event at the Sheppard Building. If you want to do something active and make a statement, come join us! The bike group will be riding "across the state and back" (different distances for different levels). If you can, please write "step it up 07" and or "80% by 2050" on an old white t-shirt.
http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/1157

On Immigration

2007-03-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

The impulse to immigrate, to expand, to grow in ways that are impossible where we are is so basic to every living being - from microbes to man. Every plant pushes its way into new territory. Every child at some time knows he or she must leave home. Combine that with repressive conditions in one's native land and the intense desire for a better life for one's children, and there you have it.

Couple that with fear of strangers, Bush-stoked fear of terrorism, a general paranoia in the American population, and you see our native open heartedness turn sour.

I say we should welcome immigrants for the fresh new desire they bring! We all came from immigrants, except for the natives and those who came as slaves. We are all working our way to better lives as best we can. Let's face up to this mesmerism of fear we've been under and deflate it with spiritual appreciation for what we all are - each one a treasured child of God, no matter where we came from.

Somehow we need to get back to that beautiful shining sense of what America is for, get out there on the growing edge of it, meditate on it until there is no more confusion in our hearts. We will grow into the free people we have always aimed to be, safe and unafraid to offer what we have, because we know there is always more.

Gail Murray 3/15/07

Beyond Walter Reed - letter to Congress

2007-03-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

As I read the stories about decay overtaking Walter Reed hospital, it seems to me that the health care delivery system that America needs - for both civilians and military patients - is a single-payer system that leaves no one out.

The layers of complexity revealed in the military hospital breakdown - the outsourcing, the multiple branches of the service and their varying requirements for record keeping, communication, and payment - it boggles the mind. But listen to average Americans trying to sort out their Medicare benefits, or choose between competing insurance plans. It all adds up to the same thing: patients must come first. Not profits, not competing insurance carriers, not paperwork. Patients must come first.

Other countries have figured this out and America can too. There is no excuse for our country - which should be a shining example of best practices - to be lagging behind other countries in our care of military and civilian patients, or in our coverage of all those who shelter in our borders. Compassion and common decency require this of us, and we can rise to answer this call.

Gail Murray

Hundreds Rounded up at New Bedford Factory

2007-03-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

The war comes home, in every way. Here is a letter I wrote to the Providence Journal today about the brutal roundup of people in a neighboring city. The full story is below.
-----------------------------------------------------------
It makes me sick at heart to think my government has sunk so low as to bring about a terrifying scene like this one at a New Bedford factory that manufactures backpacks and other military gear for Iraq. Mothers fleeing their sewing machines, rounded up in the freezing cold. Unknown numbers of children not accounted for. Brutal working conditions that only workers fearing their illegal status would endure - and a company deliberately recruiting them for their ease of exploitation. A shameful war that provides orders for this equipment. And to top it off, an immigration policy that is blind to human needs and human dignity.

To my mind, this scene fits the profile of the disgusting conditions at Walter Reed Hospital, and the lurid torture photos at Abu Ghraib. When do we citizens arise and demand a country we can be proud of again?

Gail Murray
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Hundreds nabbed in raid
11:08 AM EST on Wednesday, March 7, 2007
By Karen Lee ZinerJournal Staff Writer
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Ana Cornejo abandoned her sewing machine at 8 a.m. yesterday as immigration agents from around the country swept through a textile plant that reportedly manufactures military gear for U.S. soldiers, detaining hundreds of illegal workers and the plant’s owner and three top managers.
Chaos ensued as people fled for the exits, Cornejo said.
“They said, ‘Don’t run, don’t run,’ ” Cornejo said. “My friend is seven months pregnant. She ran and then fell. She was crying and crying and she felt pain — she was bleeding. The ambulance came and took her.”
Other workers described people bumping into sewing machines and tables in an effort to escape arrest and almost-certain deportation for being in the country illegally.
Early estimates put the figure at around 300 people detained at the Michael Bianco Inc. textile plant at 89 West Rodney French Blvd. Paula Grenier, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Boston, said last night that number “is still evolving” as the processing of detainees continued.
She said detainees who were found to be in the country illegally were being brought to Fort Devens for processing that will lead to deportation proceedings.
The raid followed an 11-month undercover criminal investigation, according to statements from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston.
The plant’s owner, Francesco Insolia, and managers “knowingly and actively” recruited increasing numbers of illegal workers to meet demands of multiple Department of Defense contracts since 2001. In 2004, the company received an $82-million defense contract, according to allegations in the affidavits filed in support of search warrants executed yesterday. More than 500 people work at the Bianco plant.
Workers who waited outside after proving their legal status said Bianco textiles manufactures backpacks, ammunition pouches and other gear for U.S. soldiers in Iraq, and that government inspectors often visit the plant. Bianco textiles also specializes in the manufacture of handbags and other fine leather goods.
The affidavits allege that Insolia, 50, of Pembroke, Mass., “intentionally seeks out illegal aliens because they are more desperate to find employment and are thus more likely to endure severe workplace conditions he has imposed.”
Those conditions allegedly include “docking of pay by 15 minutes for every minute an employee is late; fining employees $20 for spending more than 2 minutes in the restroom and firing for a subsequent infraction; providing one roll of toilet paper per restroom stall per day, typically resulting in the absence of toilet paper after only 40 minutes per day; fining employees $20 for leaving (the) work area before break bell sounds; and fining employees $20 for talking while working and firing for a subsequent infraction.”
Along with Insolia, payroll manager Ana Figueroa, 40, and Dilia Costa, 55, both of New Bedford, and office manager Gloria Melo were charged with conspiring to encourage or induce illegal aliens to reside in the United States, and conspiring to hire illegal aliens.
Louis Torres, 45, of New Bedford, was charged separately with “the knowing transfer of fraudulent identification documents,” after being arrested at a nearby record shop.
Insolia was released after his court appearance and declined comment.Insolia’s lawyer, Inga Bernstein, said, “The whole story will come out, and at that point it will be a very different scenario.”
The raid was part of “Operation United Front,” a Homeland Security effort that targets employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, said Homeland Security spokesman Richard Rocha. He said ICE agents flew in from around the country to take part.
“We want to make sure that employers know that hiring people who are illegal is not something ICE will tolerate,” Rocha said at the scene. “We also want to make the point that each of these illegal workers are taking jobs away from people in New Bedford.”
Rocha said ICE agents were “talking to each one of the people who have been detained” to determine whether they were indeed in the country illegally, and therefore subject to deportation. Asked about the many mothers who had infants or young children, Rocha said, “we’re not going to leave any child on the doorstep” and would make determinations on a “case-by-case” basis.
Behind the police tape across from the barricaded building, workers who were able to prove their legal status joined relatives and friends of workers who were still detained inside shivered for hours while waiting for information. Some sobbed and clung to one another. Others fumed.
“The people are working there, they are not stealing or doing drugs. They are not trying to do anything bad to the country,” said Rosalina Jovel, a Salvadoran immigrant and U.S. citizen who said she came to stand in support of the many people she knew who worked at the textile plant. “There are so many criminal people around, dealing drugs … why don’t they go hunt them?”
Ann Sheehan, a volunteer advocate for Mayans (Guatemalan Indians) in New Bedford, took umbrage at law enforcement.
“If people think this is part of the war on terror, they’re sadly mistaken. I don’t understand. I don’t know why we’re spending our time and money this way. This isn’t the war on terror, it’s just terror itself. It’s social terror.”
Advocacy workers rushed to the scene to deliver prescription medications for detained plant workers who have chronic conditions, such as diabetes and epilepsy.
Acting on information that most of the detained workers were women, the advocacy group representatives said they were working through New Bedford public school authorities and contacting day-carecenters and private day-careoperators, to ensure that children would be safely retrieved.
“Our main concern is for the children,” said Helena Marques, executive director of the Immigrants Assistance Center. “My concern is that a lot of people [arrestees] are women, and they have children. We are trying to get information to the schools and day-care centers.”
The bigger worry was that spouses who might also be in the country illegally “are so afraid of immigration — that might keep the fathers from picking up their children,” Marques said.
“The other thing is that we’re in weather that’s 9 below zero. These children are walking home — who are these children going to be walking home with?”
Marques and Bethany Toure, of New Bedford Community Connections, which works with the state’s Department of Social Services, said a local church had opened as a resource center “to help people talk about their fears in this situation, and to answer questions.”
Lawyer Ondine Sniffin, who works for Catholic Social Services, was among the advocates who rushed to the scene. She was allowed in the building, “but not very far,” she said.
“They are not getting access to legal counsel, even though they’ve requested it,” Sniffin said. “That is one of the many travesties.”
Sniffin said she was denied access to her client, whom she said is a Salvadoran woman and mother of a U.S. citizen child who is 3 years old.
Paula DaSilva, a 23-year-old New Bedford woman whose job at Bianco includes stitching Velcro onto ammunition pouches, said a company secretary announced the raid over a loudspeaker.
Said DaSilva, “It happened real fast.”
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement 24-hour toll-free number for families and friends seeking information about detainees is (866) 341-3858.

remembering Molly Ivins

2007-02-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

For all my friends who live with great intensity. Molly was and is a heroine of mine, and I feel her passing so keenly. Love, Gail

Published on Friday, February 2, 2007 by the Texas Observer
Remembering Molly
by Bill Moyers

What a foot-stompin’ reunion there must be at this very moment in that great Purgatory of Journalists in the Sky. I can see them now—Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, Ray Stannard Baker, Upton Sinclair, Henry Demarest Lloyd, Ida B. Wells, David Graham Phillips, George Seldes, I. F. Stone, Walter Karp, Willie Morris—welcoming our darlin’ to their bosoms.

Oh, my, how she comes trailing clouds of truth-telling glory! Look at her—big-hearted as ever, leaning over the balustrade and reaching down to the tormented of Hades, moistening Tom DeLay’s lips, patting down Bob Perry's hair, erasing George W's sandstone scribblings. In the celestial light she glows as irrepressibly and vividly as she did here on Earth, where she made the mighty humble, the wicked ashamed, and the good ol' boys reach for the barrel to hide their forlorn nakedness. And, oh, the stories she must be telling as we speak.

At a PBS meeting a few years ago, she ended her talk with a joke that would have gotten anyone else arrested or excommunicated. But she was carried out on the crowd's shoulders, as right now she is being ushered into the Council of Ink-Stained Immortals, where the only religion is truth. Save some room up there, Molly: You have inspired us earthbound wretches to keep trying to live up to your legacy in the hope of joining you there one day.

Bald and Beautiful

2007-01-31T21:40:00.000-08:00

It was the spring of 1995. Dan and I were having a little outing in the city, and had seated ourselves at a table in a small semi-posh restaurant. The waitress had taken our order, and as we waited for our food to be prepared, we couldn’t help overhearing the rather loud conversation at a nearby table.

Two women were going on about how hard it was to get a good hairdresser these days, all the trials they’d been through, trying this color and that style, all ending in exasperation.

I reached up and touched the bare stubble of hair on my scalp, and an evil thought crossed my mind. I leaned over and whispered to Dan, “They better STAY AWAY from my hairdresser if they know what’s good for them. I’ve been going to the Hairdresser from Hell!”

I write this as a salute to my then-self, and to all women who choose as I did, to go bald in chemotherapy. There is something powerful and good about loving yourself no matter what. Deciding to stand up for honesty, for simplicity, for not hiding or needing to hide.

Wearing a wig may be just the thing for some women, but for me it was hot and itchy, an unnatural thing on my head, when my scalp just longed to breathe free. Some women wear fancy scarves or hats, and I do not object to their choices. Of course wear a hat on a cold winter day, or if feeling especially jaunty, adorn your head with something fun. But let it be for the joy of it, and not out of fear of how you look.

When strangers noticed me on the street, I thought with my bald head and big smile I might look like a rock star, a Buddhist nun, or a chemo patient just glad to be alive. Occasionally someone would know, and just give me a smile and victory sign – those were the best.

The trials of chemotherapy are long behind me. I’ve had countless haircuts since that day. But today, when I met another bald-headed woman, it gave me such a feeling of joy to find another one unafraid to be herself. It is a sure sign of life, and I celebrate her life even as I celebrate my own.

Gail Murray 1/31/2007

The Moon Shot of this Age

2007-01-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

Solving the energy crisis will be the Moon Shot of this age. Not only finding clean new sources of energy, but the more challenging task of developing the infrastructure to store and deliver it to wherever it is needed.

Local generation of energy is the ideal - using whatever is locally abundant - solar, wind, geothermal, waves, etc. I had a neighbor who illustrated this in a low-tech way with a solar panel in the bed of his pickup truck, trickling hydrogen into a tank, and running his truck on that.

This is not an insurmountable challenge - if the desire and will and resources are there. People will figure this out. There will be new storage technologies too - better batteries or something even more elegant. Consider the leap we have already made from diskettes to flash drives as an example of the transformation required. There is such an urgent need for this that engineers and tinkerers all over the world are working on it.

Whenever the price of gas jumps a nickel and people start worrying, I always think it should cost $10 a gallon! Maybe then we'd see some serious energy research. In the meantime, it may help to keep framing the Iraq war as Zbigniew Brzezinski did recently on the PBS Newshour, as a colonial war in a post-colonial period. And I would add, a colonial war for energy.

Gail Murray 1/15/2007

Bad Examples Also Serve

2007-01-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

Years ago, Kurt Vonnegut in his eerily humorous novel, Cat’s Cradle, coined a phrase that seems to fit the circumstances George W. Bush finds himself in today. A wrang-wrang is a person who serves as a bad example to others by showing what happens when a line of thinking or action is carried to its logical conclusion.

The president of a democracy who believes in the joys of liberty and speaks of them all the time, but acts like a dictator, ignoring the will of his own people – that president serves as a wrang-wrang to leaders of would-be democracies throughout the world. Don’t become a democracy if you don’t want to be undone by the will and authority of your own people.

I believe we have reached that point in America where the people will not stand for it any more. No more blood for oil. No more raining devastation on civilian populations. No more time wasted when we could be developing our own energy and health care solutions. No more turning away when we could be proudly joining with other nations in finding environment solutions that will help the whole world.

A president always hopes for a legacy. There certainly is one now. But in a curious way the image of Bush as a wrang-wrang could serve to strengthen our own democracy as Americans rise to reclaim the power and goodness that has always been ours.

Gail Murray 1/12/2007

Send in the dead

2007-01-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

And now for the computer error that says it all - they're sending the dead to fight in Iraq! No, this isn't the roaring finale to The Lord of the Rings, it's today's news.

Here is a simple human error, compounded and multiplied by the computer. Heart-wrenching for those who received such letters, yet on another level, sometimes an error unwittingly points to the truth. Why is the military stretched so thin? Why so many tours of duty? Why these letters right after Christmas?

I first spotted this article in the wee hours on the AP site, then on CNN. Strangely, a short while later, both items had disappeared. Now you can find it on michaelmoore.com, or with careful googling, the original Reuters story will come up. Perhaps, like the Watergate break-in, the story behind the story is one that is growing by the minute.

- Gail
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January 6th, 2007 2:26 pmArmy mistakenly asks deceased to re-enlist
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Army said on Friday that it will apologize to the families of deceased and wounded officers that it mistakenly encouraged to re-enlist via letters sent out in late December.
About 75 families of deceased officers and 200 families of wounded officers received such letters sent to more than 5,100 officers between December 26 and 28, the Army said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, the database used to address those letters contained names of officers who were killed in action or wounded," the Army said. "Army personnel officials are contacting those officers' families now to personally apologize for erroneously sending the letters."
The names of these soldiers had been removed from the database, but an earlier version of the list was mistakenly used, the Army said.
The Army said it is taking steps to ensure this mistake does not happen again.
On Thursday, a U.S. soldier was killed in western Baghdad, bringing the total to 3,006 the number of U.S. soldiers killed so far since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
The United States has 132,000 troops in Iraq and President George W. Bush plans to unveil a new Iraq strategy as early as next Wednesday that could include a short-term increase of up to 20,000 U.S. troops in the country.

First Step

2007-01-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

(c) gg murray 2007

Independence and the American Spirit

2006-12-28T10:03:00.000-08:00

I believe we owe the Iraqi people a profound apology for the slaughter and destruction our policies have caused.

We owe our soldiers work that does not make us ashamed.

And we owe America a real pathway to energy independence by devoting war dollars to R&D dollars for clean renewable energy.

The energy independence I seek will be a real homeland security because it will be generated on every rooftop, captured on every windy hill and plain, derived from ocean waves, and captured from water by splitting the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen.

Just as victory gardens sprang up at an earlier time in our history - and may take root again - we can turn from huge and vulnerable energy grids to locally generated energy. I think of Rosie the Riveter, the World War 2 poster girl for the American can-do spirit. We can do this - and we must.

Let us send no more of our precious men and women to the killing fields of Iraq. We have work to do here at home, urgent work, and we better get to it.

Gail Murray 12/28/06

Abraham on 9/11 response

2006-12-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Answering a question about how would Abraham respond to the September 11 attacks:

We would gather a world forum, we would ask all of the television cameras to come, and this is what we would say: It seems that this act has come in response to other actions. It seems that someone has seen this as a way of sort of leveling the playing field. And it seems to us that if we respond in kind, that all that will happen is it will stir up more of the same -- and ensure more of these pockets of disaster happening globally as time goes on. And so, we have decided that we will do the unexpected, and not respond. Not because we think that they are right -- but because we do not think that in doing that, we would be right, either.

--- Abraham
from a workshop in October 2001.

Making Other Arrangements

2006-12-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Here is a hopeful vision of the future as oil goes away in our lifetimes. I've been longing for someone to express what William Kunstler has so eloquently laid out for us in this article.

And coming from a lifetime of faith and discovery, I know there are vast untapped spiritual and emotional resources available to us - as individuals and as a people - that will guide us through these times.

With love,
Gail

http://www.orionmagazine.org/pages/om/07-1om/Kunstler.html