Holiday Anticipation

Christmas Time of Year

Anticipation. For some, it is a stressful beginning and warm, self-fulfilling end. For others, it is a time for reflection. For many, it is a time filled with sadness, loneliness and remorse. Somehow we all pull through. Oneness. Even though it is hard to feel it sometimes, we are truly ONE. One breath, one song. One Love. God Bless and feel the comfort of togetherness. No one is truly alone.

Namate, Jen

Happy Holidays to All my Friends

WISHING YOU ALL A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY. STAY SAFE, WARM AND FEEL THE COMFORT OF
FRIENDS AND FAMILY. PEACE, JEN

Spinnin in circles

Spinning in circles
good days
bad days

where are they when you need them most?
where am I?

confusion fogs thought
spinning in circles

I wish I could be in 10 places at one time
I wish they could too

negative energy seeping in
go away
spinning in circles

he is in the hospital
he needs me

help someone
I cannot do this alone
spinning in circles

Sleep girl
tomorrow is a new day

perhaps I will stop spinning
clarity will follow

hang in there Brother
May God Bless you this night

love your sister

Imogen Heap Remix DJ Tiesto

Just ask

Now that the excitement if over

What do we do with ourselves? Philadelphia and the surrounding areas have had much excitement the past couple of weeks. A peaceful calm has fallen over us; however, the images will remain in our minds forever.

Another nice note....has anyone noticed the gas prices lately?? In New Castle, DE at a Sam's Club, the cost of unleaded gasoline reached as low as $1.99. Never thought I'd see the cost of gas in this range again.

Let's keep this positive energy going. Peace & Love, Jen

Come on out if you can. I was honored to meet him in Wilmington, DE, and look forward to his visit again. ~Jen

Sen. Barack Obama to visit Widener University, Tuesday

Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama will visit Widener University’s Main Campus in Chester, PA, on Tuesday, October 28. Senator Obama is scheduled to speak in the field behind Old Main at 10:00 a.m. The event is free and open to all students, faculty, staff, and the public.

Preparations for Senator Obama’s visit will begin on Monday. During this time, expect stricter security and limited access to parking. All students, faculty, and staff must carry their Widener I.D. with them at all times on Monday and Tuesday, October 27 and 28.

Because access to the Main Campus in Chester and to some parking lots may be limited beginning Monday evening through Tuesday afternoon, students, faculty, and staff may need to change their parking and/or travel plans accordingly. The university will continue to update members of the campus community about the event, parking, and logisitics as more information becomes available. Look for updates on Campus Cruiser.

Widener is proud to present this educational opportunity for members of the university to participate more fully in the political life of our community. The views expressed by the candidate do not represent official Widener University support or endorsement of any one presidential candidate or political party.

Halloween Scares
Nancy Hughes

Bubble , bubble

toil and trouble.

Witches on brooms,

what a sight!

Goblins and ghouls

acting like fools.

Giving us a fright!

Monsters that groan,

vampires that moan,

things that go bump in the night!

But aren't they sweet

as they cry "trick or treat"

under the bright porch light?

Oh Noooo....he's BUSHING around

Yes, I believe we can do better for our children

Fairy Dreams by Jen Park

I wanted to record this before I gave it to my children. I wrote this for them and will give them a story every two weeks. This is my first of the series.

Fairy Dreams:

To my children,

Meet Penelope Jade Dragonflier. I saw her last Sunday on a stroll in the nearby Park. It was just a quick glance, a smile and she was gone. As quick as she rode in on the prettiest dragonfly, she disappeared into the fog settling down for the day. I was feeling so fortunate to meet such a delicate fairy. So beautiful was she sitting on the stones covered in pink flowers. I tried running after her and asked in a despirate voice, "who are you?" Her quick reply in the sweetest voice stopped me in my tracks. She said while laughing, "hee, hee...I am Penelope Jade Dragonflier." Her voice, like a song trailed off as she flew out of sight.

I quickly returned to the place I had spotted her. While sitting down next to the stones where she had been sitting so pretty just moments before, I ran a smooth rock between my fingers. I wondered why she was here in this very spot....the same time I strolled by. I was so curious to know what she had been daydreaming.

I can't answer you these questions. I only know that whatever she was dreaming, it must have been beautiful. And why was she there for me to witness? Perhaps she watches over my sweet Nicholas, Brianna and Jacob while I am away studying. She was telling me in the way fairies do......they are okay.

For this, I am fortunate.

I love you always,
Mommy

Mystery of Numbers-try this

Choose and number consisting of five digits. Multiply it by 9. Now add the digits in the answer. If the sum is more than 9, add the digits of this sum, and repeat until the sum is less than 10. Your answer will always be 9. Repeat this exercise with a number consisting of six digits. Does the same result hold? :)

Mom and Dad's Alaska Cruise Photos

Mendenhall Glacier
My Dad and Aunt Joyce

Okay, we've all called someone this or some event or even ourselves, well now there is an interesting video about "it."

Your poems or random thoughts needed :)

Okay all you fellow bloggers.... let's hear it. I am asking for some random thoughts posted here in comments or
some of your recent writing. I can add you as an author after I hear from you in the comments section and publish
the Blog. If you are already an author then what are you waiting for? My summer course is over and I'd love to spend
some time here and share some stories, etc. Thanks! Love and Peace, Jen.

Six word memoir

If you look into these eyes

Words of Wisdom

You can run as fast as you want to,
you can stop for every pretty face.
The real surprise is no surprise,
the Turtle won the biggest race.

Truth and Intuition.....bring gifts to rejoice,
go it by chance or live it by choice.

Start on a journey that will change you whole life,
look inward, with eyes closed~to master foresight..
Change lessons to harmony, and deception to truth,
you can attain all you search for~that's the fountain of youth!

The effect of knowledge is about to unfold....
the missing link in this puzzle is not seizing your goals.

Look clearly at life and into your own,
understanding the choices that cannot be postponed.

Don't cry over spilt milk, the past or the curves,
your choices just bring you to the place you deserve.

As the road curves in and your purpose is changed,
.....it's to give you the viewpoints from both youth and old age.

You can go off the path, and make mistakes; but you'll pay the price if you do,
should you be wise and not hypnotized, anything in this world can come true.

If you are looking for answers, start from within,
the circle of life needs a point to begin.

Attempts to learn the golden rule,
beyond the well read educated fool.
True colors ~they reflect what you see,
contradictory images that show harmony.

Thoughts are like mirrors ~just slightly bizarre,
and it all comes from wishing each night on a star.

Fantasy is lucid on this trip through the dream,
the path travels inward~building high self-esteem.
Overcoming all images of fear and of strife.
thought creates reality...that's the mystery of life.

Think into being if the gift of this life,
it's so simple, you could miss it~and pay dues all your life.

Look in towards the mirror...focus and behold,
see beyond illusion while removing the blindfold.

Life becomes a circle, all fears you have come true,
you've got to be so careful, it will happen here to you,
Love completes this cirle~paradise or wonderland,
it's written in these words for you:

HOLD THE LIGHT
© 1968 Sommersongs / BMI

And I've seen where I'd like to be
It's a place where your mind is free
If you've seen it, better keep it, don't let go
Hold the Light, it's so bright
I can't describe it but it's right
And easy to find it, Hold the Light.

And I know what I want to do
I can try to enlighten you
If you've seen it, better keep it, don't let go
Hold the Light, it's inside
And will be there day or night
We can be somewhere, Hold the Light.

It's so hard to hold on, but you can if you try
Don't be mislead by what you've been brought up to do
It's for the better in you, and will be there day or night
We can be somewhere, Hold the Light.

And I've touched what I want to reach
And it's things I would like to teach
If you've seen it, better keep it, don't let go

Hold the Light, it's inside, and will be there day or night
We can be somewhere, Hold the Light
And will be there, Hold the Light
We can be somewhere, Hold the Light
And will be there day or night
We can be somewhere, Hold the Light.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Attracting your soulmate is a fabulous thing,
it should last to forever, not an overnight fling...
When you finally meet them, like the waves crashing down,
deware of betrayal as the circle comes round.

The path to love and happiness, is really not outside,
it's born from truth and honesty, and not within a lie.
It grows within the feelings, that centers in your heart,
it feeds on trust and loyalty, and does not tear apart.

That place we all search for should be easy to find...
and it’s created from images within our own mind.
Meditate on this vision and reside in that place,
a feeling of comfort ~ Pressure Erased.

Going to detail but beginning from scratch,
embracing the moment, making the catch.
Dreams of the future show what loving can bring,
and it comes from the energy in all living things!

I hope you’re not thinking that all this is bunk,
or that people who believe this all must be drunk.
Poetic justice ~ comes with knowledge and faith,
the secret of living is beyond commonplace!

What you've done with this life is all up to you...
see through illusion and toward a new view.
And when you are ready to gain the insight,
the 'secrets of all things' is revealed in clear light!

Count all your blessings ~ not gold or position,
knowledge is wealth to the mathemagician.
Doubting is trouble and ignorance a curse,
strive for enlightenment ~ not a ride in a hearse.

The simple truths are all inside, leave the past we left behind.
War or Peace is just a choice, spread the word in your own voice.
Awaken to the cosmic mind ~ Liberty in surreal times.

You were born to change the world ~ ...do it positively.

Try to be logical ~ not judge or find fault,
it’s all in the positive and the energy sought.
Compassion and forgiveness is rooted in now,
Love is the healing ...that the mind will endow!



time well spent, thanks Sassy :)
written & designed by Victor Kahn

I started this Blog with this wonderful poem and felt I needed to place it again

Imagine A Woman
author Patricia Lynn Reilly

Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman.
A woman who honors her experiences and tells her stories.
Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who believes she is good.
A woman who trusts and respects herself.
Who listens to her needs and desires, and meets them
With tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who has acknowledged the past's influence on the
present. A woman who has walked through her past.
Who has healed into the present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life.
A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf.
Who refuses to surrender except to her truest self and to her wisest
voice.

Imagine a woman who names her own gods.
A woman who imagines the divine in her image and likeness.
Who designs her own spirituality and allows it to inform her daily life. Imagine a woman in love with her own body.
A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is.
Who celebrates her body and its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite
resource.

Imagine a woman who honors the face of the Goddess in her changing face.
A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and her wisdom.
Who refuses to use precious energy disguising the changes in her body
And life.

Imagine a woman who values the women in her life.
A woman who sits in circles of women.
Who is reminded of the truth about herself when she forgets.

Imagine yourself as this woman.
:)

Congrats Obama!

Become a supporter now for a new America:
https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/nomination?source=20080604_NOM1_NDR_X_L1

Proud Mom!

Good job Nick! Keep up the good work at school. I've been meaning to place this photo here. Love you! Mom

Speak Kindly

The Colors of Many
The Words Yours
So Speak Carefully
Others are Listening
Harsh Words
Spoken Untruthful
Senseless Words
Hurt Growth
Destroys New
Welcomes the Old

Kind Words
Speak Truth
Spread and Flourish
Until Gently
They are Delivered

Jen

Very Creative

A Collection of Zen Poems

One of my Own:

Shallow seas open
Expanding the mind
thought leaves
emotions abate

all is quiet
now I can ((see))

Jen Park

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In this way and that I have tried to save
the old pail
Since the bamboo strip was weakening and
about to break
Until at last the bottom fell out.
No more water in the pail!
No more moon in the water!

-Chiyono's enlightenment poem,
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, 1957, p. 31
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This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.

- The Buddha's Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta)

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Everything
just as it is,
as it is,
as is.
Flowers in bloom.
Nothing to add.

- Robert Aitken, Roshi, As it Is

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The body is the tree of enlightenment,
The mind like a clear mirror stand;
Time and gain wipe it diligently,
Don't let it gather dust.

- Shenxiu

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Two come about because of One,
but don't cling to the One either!
So long as the mind does not stir,
the ten thousand things stay blameless;
no blame, no phenomena,
no stirring, no mind.
The viewer disappears along with the scene,
the scene follows the viewer into oblivion,
for scene becomes scene only through the viewer,
viewer becomes viewer because of the scene.

- Seng-ts'an, 600
Hsin-Hsin-Ming: Inscription on Trust in the Mind
Translated by Burton Watson
Found in Entering the Stream, p. 149
Edited by Samuel Bercholz and Sherab Chodzin Kohn

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Step out onto the Planet.
Draw a circle a hundred feet round.
Inside the circle are
300 things nobody understands, and maybe
nobody's ever seen.
How many can you find?

- Lew Welch
From What Book, 1998, p. 124
Edited by Gary Gach

How Emotions can Effect Reasoning -words by the Dalai Lama

"Control negative emotions through reasoning"
By e-mail[Thursday, March 08, 2007 15:58]
Thousands of devotees gathered at the Tsuglakhang (Main Temple) to listen to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings from the Jataka tales.

The Tsuglakhang courtyard was packed with devotees comprising of both Tibetans and non-Tibetans. There are many Tibetans from Tibet among the crowd.

His Holiness spoke on the importance of training our mind. His Holiness explained how negative emotions like anger, attachment and ignorance cause problems and unhappiness to all the sentient beings because we can't see and think when we are covered by these negative emotions and ultimately they lead to violence. These are our real enemies and it is within us.

He said that these negative emotions arise because we don't control or train our mind. "We cannot do that by offering prayers. Rather it can be done through reasoning. If we could train our mind and develop positive mental attitude such as compassion, then it would help oneself as well as the other beings. It will also help us in this life as well as in our next life. As we all believe in religion, we have to be compassionate all the time in good as well as in bad times. Thus, through reason we can train our mind.

"And for that, we need wisdom and knowledge to differentiate what is right and what is wrong and what are the things we have to adopt and what have to be dropped. That is why it is important to study the teachings of the Buddha", His Holiness said.

His Holiness emphasized the importance of studying even if we are dying tomorrow. He related that to the old people in jest and made every audience laugh.

Speaking on the various religions, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that all the religions in the world are for our benefit. They help us in solving problems though with different approach. All the religions conveys same message of love, compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance etc.

**I am experiencing some harsh life events due to negative emotions by others. How can we not have them in our lives, but one has to step back and see the whole picture
and realize the implications. I have also written a paper for my psychology class
this semester and found this article very interesting and so very true to my belief.

Just a Quick Hello

Hi Jen, It's been quite a while ..thank your for your posts on my profile and thank you for the invite to blog. I see you and Pat have kept with it. I however, took a good while off, one while I got settled into my job which I have since quit, it just didn't work out for a variety of reasons. I have tried to keep in abreast in what happened with Pat, although we lost touch. I'm not sure if Pat was aware possibly through Cindy but had he heard that Mark passed away, he was hit by car crossing the street after a Bengals game, and passed away do to head injuries I miss him incredibly. That along with other things kept me from blogging. I am back to blogging and hope to keep it going its really therapeutic I hope Pat is well, and when you talk to him ..please let him know I had asked about him... and I of course remain very good friends with Cindy. She is well, had more then her share of snow.. and is still getting it. I wonder if its ever going to stop snowing in Cindy's world ..lol

At the current time I am not working ...taking a little break.. (translation) cant find a job I am willing to work. I do hope that something comes along soon. Until then I will try to post something here and keep in touch.
Until then.. take care and be well. ~ Lisa

Happy St. Pat's Day!

Green everywhere you look! Lot's of Irish around this area. Was a long day of work and studies and it was fun to watch all the party-goers on the street. It's about 9pm and it seems the celebrations are just starting. I can hear bagpipes out on the street and people singing along. Lot's of funny green bling hats and jewelry. Someone came up to me and said that she couldn't get rid of her hiccups and I politely pointed her to the next irish pub for another drink to calm her spasms. A band is playing in the distance, a real Irish traditional song. Sometimes I wonder if they chose to make St. Patrick's Day in America just for the sake of a drink starting at noon and going into the night, but it's music like this that makes me realize that it is carrying on the traditions and celebrating life. I hope you all had a great St. Pat's Day! For me, I think I will wonder over to hear this band and perhaps a drink or two.

Take a look at Obama's Stand on Education

I was talking with a young teacher there, and I asked her what she saw as the biggest challenge facing her students. She gave me an answer that I had never heard before. She spoke about what she called "These Kids Syndrome" - the tendency to explain away the shortcomings and failures of our education system by saying that "these kids can't learn" or "these kids don't want to learn" or "these kids are just too far behind." And after awhile, "these kids" become somebody else's problem.

And this teacher looked at me and said, "When I hear that term it drives me nuts. They're not ‘these kids.' They're our kids. All of them."

She's absolutely right. The small child in Manchester or Nashua whose parents can't find or afford a quality pre-school that we know would make him more likely to stay in school, and read better, and succeed later in life - he is our child.


**VOTE FOR OBAMA**

Back to college

Okay, had a second to give you all an update. In case you did not know, I have returned to college. It was a big step to get back into school, but now that I am here...it is well worth the stress. The college that I attend is a great place for my choice of study. I am in an excellorated program and soon will be a junior at the University here. I apologize if it takes me time to get back to you. Keep writing and sending your e-mails. I will let you know how things are going on my end. Keep reading.....Love, Jen

Africa Fundraising Video

Thank you everyone for making this possible. Peace, Jazzi

SECOND MARATHON FUNDRAISING EVENT AFRICA

****SECOND MARATHON FUNDRAISING EVENT FOR FIGHTING POVERTY**
AND AIDS IN AFRICA

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DATE: Saturday, January 19th and Sunday, January 20th 2008
TIME: 10am slt - 10 pm slt both days

*Total of 24 hours

LOCATION:AFRICA ��

*Need a tp on the day of the event? IM Jen Leval or Roldan Noel
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Our first event last November raised $500,000L in 48 hours. We'd like to do that in 24 this time. So, please come join us and bring your friends to enjoy this beautiful SIM. Enjoy the art and culture, music and dance.

~~~~~~~~There will be a full line up of musicians here to entertain you during the event. If you'd like to participate or would like a schedule of preformances, please IM Jen Leval or Roldan Noel.

~~~~~~~~There will also be a silent auction running during the entire event of fine art and craft. Again, if you have a talent to share, please contact us, thank you.

*All proceeds will go to Africa to help fight poverty and AIDS. We will donate to the charity One.Org.

TOGETHER WE CAN HELP MAKE POVERTY IN AFRICA HISTORY!!! FIRST LIFE CAN BE DIFFICULT WITH GOVERNMENTS AND SYSTEMS. SECOND LIFE IS BORDERLESS, POWERFUL AND A GREAT PLACE TO COME TOGETHER AND HELP THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD.