"Souls speak in a way that words fail. And the eyes are the vehicle for that exchange." ~ Greeneyezz
"He who can stimulate my mind and caress my soul, rules my world." ~ Greeneyezz
"We all are truly spiritual beings and our souls touch easily and frequently. We just need to quiet our thoughts and ourselves in order to hear and feel it." ~ Greeneyezz
"A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life." ~Richard Bach
Paul Rivers: How many lives do we live? How many times do we die? They say we all lose 21 grams... at the exact moment of our death. Everyone. And how much fits into 21 grams? How much is lost? When do we lose 21 grams? How much goes with them? How much is gained? How much is gained? Twenty-one grams. The weight of a stack of five nickels. The weight of a hummingbird. A chocolate bar. How much did 21 grams weigh? Last night was a very cold and crisp night. Far too cold for me to be out in it. So I made the best of it. A roaring fire that sparked and crackled with light, life, warmth, and coziness; dinner, a nice glass of Red, and a great movie popped into the dvd player. And a nice warm comforter. Can't forget about the comforter!
I didn't feel like cooking and didn't want to go back outside, so I ordered take out and had it delivered. This wasn't just your run of the mill take out joint. Choices - Better Take out and Delivery is a wonderful place! You can order anything from Salad Caprese, Chicken Riggies, Seafood Fra Diablo; to Sweet Potato Ravioli in a sage and walnut brown butter, or even Sheperd's Pie or a Grilled Cheese Sandwich if you so desire. I ordered the Chicken Francaise and it was Delish! The food is incredible and I smile everytime I think of the fact that it is completely take out and delivery only! According to the menu I have, the chef has either rubbed elbows working with or prepared dinners for such notables as President Clinton, along with some other leaders of the world during the International Economic Summit. She has also worked side by side with world-renowned chef, Wolfgang Puck. And Damn! They're located just 2.5 miles up the street from me and they DELIVER!
Though I wanted to include info on this wonderful neighborhood restaurant, this is certainly not the focal point of my writing. The movie I watched, it's premise, and the inter-connectedness to each of us is what has truely inspired me. 21 Gramsis not a new movie, having debuted in 2003, though I hadn't seen it before last night. The premise, being we lose 21 grams in weight upon the exact time of our death, was based on a study conducted in 1907 by a Dr. Duncan MacDougall.
According to a 2004 reportby Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), they somewhat dispute this claim here:
The trailer for the 2003 movie, 21 Grams, starts off with a sentence that is both authoritative and inexact: "They say that we all lose 21 grams at the exact moment of death". It's a short and sweet attention-grabber - but the science behind that sentence adds up to zero.
People have believed that the "soul" has a definite physical presence for hundreds, and possibly thousands, of years. But it was only as recently as 1907, that a certain Dr. Duncan MacDougall of Haverhill in Massachusetts actually tried to weigh this soul. In his office, he had a special bed "arranged on a light framework built upon very delicately balanced platform beam scales" that he claimed were accurate to two-tenths of an ounce (around 5.6 grams). Knowing that a dying person might thrash around and upset such delicate scales, he decided to "select a patient dying with a disease that produces great exhaustion, the death occurring with little or no muscular movement, because in such a case, the beam could be kept more perfectly at balance and any loss occurring readily noted".
He recruited six terminally-ill people, and according to his paper in the April 1907 edition of the journal American Medicine, he measured a weight loss, which he claimed was associated with the soul leaving the body. In this paper, he wrote from beside the special bed of one of his patients, that "at the end of three hours and 40 minutes he expired and suddenly coincident with death the beam end dropped with an audible stroke hitting against the lower limiting bar and remaining there with no rebound. The loss was ascertained to be three fourths of an ounce."
He was even more encouraged when he repeated his experiment with 15 dogs, which registered no change in weight in their moment of death. This fitted in perfectly with the popular belief that a dog had no soul, and therefore would register no loss of weight at the moment of demise.
But before his article appeared in American Medicine, the New York Times on the 11th March, 1907 had already published a story on him, entitled Soul Has Weight, Physician Thinks, on page 5. His reputation was now assured, having been published in both a medical journal and The New York Times (a Journal Of Record).
As a result, the "fact" that the soul weighed three-quarters of an ounce (roughly 21 grams) made its way into the common knowledge, and has stayed there ever since.
But when you look more closely at his scientific work, you see large problems.
Firstly, six (as in the six dying patients) is not a large enough sample size. When I studied statistics, my lecturer convinced me that, concerning people preferring one cola to another, "8 out of 10 is not statistically significant, but 16 out of 20 is".
Second, he got "good" results (ie, the patient irreversibly lost weight at the moment of death) from just one of the six patients, not all six! Two of the results had to be excluded because of "technical difficulties". One patient's death did show a drop in weight of about three-eighths of an ounce - but this later reversed itself! Two of the other patients registered an immediate loss of weight at the moment of death, but then their weight dropped again a few minutes later. (Does this mean that they died twice!?) Only one of the six patients showed a sudden and non-reversible loss of weight of three-fourths of an ounce (21 grams).
The third problem is a little more subtle. Even today, with all of our sophisticated technology, it is still sometimes very difficult to determine the precise moment of death. And which death did he mean - cellular death, brain death, physical death, heart death, legal death, etc? How could Dr. Duncan MacDougall be so precise back in 1907? And anyhow, how accurate and precise were his scales back in 1907?
From such slender beginnings as a single non-reproducible result, enduring myths are born. There may be lightness after death - but this experiment didn't prove it. We do leave something behind us when we die - the enduring impact that we have had on others. We would probably have as much success in measuring the impression of that mental impact, as we would of measuring the weight of the soul.
Very Interesting. Though seriously debatable, it would be interesting if now...100 years later, that study was conducted again, using reliable measures.
Karl, however, brings up a very real topic at the end of his paper: "...the enduring impact that we have had on others. We would probably have as much success in measuring the impression of that mental impact, as we would of measuring the weight of the soul."
I believe there is a connection between the two. The impact we have on others and our soul. The older I get, the more I realize just how spiritual we, as humans, really are. We each possess an energy that is very real.
It's often felt, though not seen.
There's a lot of truth to the Yiddish Proverb: “The eyes are the mirror of the soul”. They exude so much energy. They reflect so much of a person. They mirror so much of me.
When I meet someone, their eyes are the first thing I see. It's kinda funny too, 'cause sometimes I'm not able to recall the actual color of them, as my 'focus' was on what I see reflecting back at me! I've always placed a lot of emphasis on this. If someone is unable to meet my gaze directly and openly, and if they avert their eyes a bit too soon, I wonder what they are hiding and I tend to lose interest. This, for obvious reasons, does not apply to my job and the people I work with in that capacity; as that's often commonplace with some people. I do however, use that as a gage to their progress in being able to openly communicate with me and allow themselves to trust another human being....again. I also tend to be sensitive to the cultural dynamics of some people, as in the hispanic culture, it is often considered rude to look another in the eye.
This eye-to-eye is not meant in a 'power-play' manner at all. I find that to be a turn off and completely off base to what I mean. It's more like if there's a connection, an exchange of inter-personal energy. Can the core or soul of that person be touched? Do they seek what is reflected in mine? There's an intimacy about that, which draws me. I've felt it from across a crowded room with a "stranger". I've actually had 'strangers' approach me and comment on it. I put 'stranger' in quotes due to the oxymoron feeling of that level of intimacy with someone whom I've never uttered a word with before. There's an energy that passes through, and it's not necesarily sexual in nature, though it could be.
And if one does know the other?? And intimately? That silent communication with in our souls, is all the more beautiful and precious. Ever be in a room with someone and when you glance at eachother, there's an electricity and energy that is exchanged? And it's felt! Like words were not needed and a whole conversation was had that only two sets of eyes could understand? Those sometimes end up being the Best Conversations that I've Never had!!!
My ex-husband and I used to have that level of intimacy. I miss that. Souls speak in a way that words fail. And the eyes are the vehicle for that exchange.
I also think it's not always an easy and comfortable thing either. I am reminded of a quick exchange between two characters in one of my favorite movies, The Thomas Crown Affair. The psychiatrist, Fay Dunaway, tells Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan): "Enjoyment isn't intimacy" and Pierce counters with: "And intimacy isn't necesarily enjoyment." Truer words were never spoken.
We are spiritual beings. We give off as much energy as we absorb from other people. Self-awareness helps. So does sensitivity to others energy. Allow yourself to shine. Look for that light in others too. It's there.
Inter-dependent. Inter-connectedness.
How much does your 21 grams weigh???
“Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul.” ~ Wayne Dyer
What was born in 1928, tips the scale at 8.5 lbs, stands only 13.5 inches tall, and on three separate occasions was Refused to be accepted???
Give up??
.
.
.
Answer:
.
The Golden Statue of The Academy Awards and The man of the Night, otherwise affectionately known as:
The Oscar.
Does anyone know just what 'he' looks like?
He's a knight, holding a crusader's sword, standing on a reel of film with Five Spokes. For a bonus question, can anyone correctly identify what those Five Spokes represent???
Answer:
The Five original branches of The Academy:
Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians.
I didn't know this. I kinda figured most of you wouldn't either. :)
By the way; those three times when Oscar was denied acceptance?? 1935 - Dudley Nichels the writer for the movie The Informer. The Writer's Guild was on strike. 1971 - George C. Scott for his performance as Patton. He detested the actual Character. 1972 - Marlon Brando for his role in The Godfather! Political statement against treatment of Native Americans.
I get into watching the Oscars. I like trying to guess who wins and how close my picks come to theirs.
Of course I also like to know who's gonna strut across the stage with an outfit in competition with Bjork with her dead Swan wrapped around her neck! :)
For anyone else who would like a list of who's nominated for what, you can find it here. Or you can click on the picture below and print that one. (if you print the one below, the font is a bit smaller!!) :)
I'll be posting my picks. If anyone else would like to take a guess at these, download the ballot, check off your own picks and either email me at Greeneyezz or write your picks in the comment section of this post. If you email me your results, I'll make sure to post them here. Just make sure you include your nickname on the ballot.
With the weather being sooooo cold now, it's a perfect time for me to rent the movies up for Best Picture. It goes well with a nice roaring fire, a glass of wine and a nice large comforter!
Living in upstate New York you have a wonderful opportunity to be a part of all four seasons...
Whether you really want to or not.
Some people can appreciate this, others not. For those who are unable to find the beauty in each season, I am reminded of a joke, albeit tasteless, that a famous comedian (Sam Kinison?) had made about Ethiopians starving but living in the desert. I am mindful of the fact that 'Weather' is oftentimes used as a conversation filler and lends a feeling of community among people. It just doesn't have the same adrenalin rush on people that Religion and politics have, so it makes for a pretty safe topic for people to bring up.
I happen to enjoy all four seasons that is offered here in this area of our world. In order of my choices: Autumn, Summer, Winter, and Spring. I think one needs to be flexible in their ability to adapt. And adapt, I have. :)
Though I would like it a bit better if we didn't have 5-6 months of Winter-like weather, I know it would make it seem longer if I wasn't able to enjoy that this had to offer. It's kind of like the ole cliches Life is What you Make of It and If Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade. I don't think either of these statements reach the loftiness of cliche-hood without there being some truth in there. I think we forget this sometimes. I know I do.
I had been thinking how we could go through the past holiday season and NOT have a blanket of snow cover our area. It just does not feel right to me. And nor should it. Global Warming has been bantered about as a leading cause of this, and I tend to agree with that. Sooo, I did my snow dance and prayed to the Flake Gods to grace us with more than a dusting of white frosting. Now somehow I'd like to think that I had that kind of power, to just bend the Weather Gods to my will. (I can't even get my own cat to stop putting snags in my new comforter!!) But snow it did. And with each flake that fell, I secretly smiled, thinking the norm had returned to Central New York.
I couldn't wait to have large roaring fires in my fireplace. The smell of wood burning, the snapping, crackling and popping of the logs, the way the fire danced and made shadows on the walls and the intense warmth I feel when lying in front of it, all is made more intense by the contrast of blustery white drifts of snow just outside my door.
I also couldn't wait to just be in the snow. Just be. Be.
I went snowshoeing today for the first time. Beaver Lake was running a special for a one hour 'lesson' and rental for $3. After the lesson, we continued to just trek the paths. I've learned something new. I learned how to snowshoe. I really don't think there is a skill to it at all. It's walking. Just walking. Though it was still nice to be doing that in the woods. I learned something else too. Well, actually, I already knew this. I like things that get my adrenalin going. I like skiing, whether down hill or X-Country it matters little. I just has more of a rush than, than snow shoeing!!! :) But I was still glad I tried it. I like to try new things. It keeps life interesting to me. It keeps it fresh. Besides, it makes that nice roaring fire I've got going right now, all the more better!
Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation Darkness stirs and wakes imagination Silently the senses abandon their defences ...
Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendour Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender Turn your face away from the garish light of day, turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light - and listen to the music of the night ...
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams! Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before! Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar! And you'll live as you've never lived before ...
Softly, deftly, music shall surround you ... Feel it, hear it, closing in around you ... Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind, in this darkness which you know you cannot fight - the darkness of the music of the night ...
Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world! Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before! Let your soul take you where you long to be! Only then can you belong to me ...
Floating, falling, sweet intoxication! Touch me, trust me savour each sensation! Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in to the power of the music that I write - the power of the music of the night ...
You alone can make my song take flight - help me make the music of the night . . .
I had met an old friend for lunch today. Ended up at Hafner's on Taft Road. I forget why I don't go there more often, as I've always enjoyed it there. The warm aroma of a well-stoked fireplace, the occasional crunch of peanut shells could be heard under my high heel boots, and the place was quite busy, considering we had been just through a real nice snow storm from the night before and continued through out most of the day. The Snow Goddess must have heard my chant, though I think some people were not amused with my successful 'snow dance'! :) The food was good, the atmosphere warm, and the company great! My kinda place.
I hadn't seen K. in quite some time. We used to work together years ago and she had moved into a flat across the street for me for several years before she decided to move into her boyfriend's house about 2 years ago. This had been an up & down, on again - off again kind of relationship, of which the most recent was most definitely OFF. She sent me a change of address, having finally movedout of his house back in October, though it had been over for a long time now. To make a long story short,
She is engaged.
And Not to D.
And she's moving next week.
To Washington.
The State.
"Waitress???? Can you bring me more coffee please, we're going to be here awhile!!"
Three hours and one pot of coffee later, K. filled me in to her world. The gentleman 'in question' is an old Childhood sweetheart. I remember her talking about him before. More in relation to his younger brother D., with whom K. considered her best friend through out her life; that, and a little bit of notoriety. I'm digressing a bit, but K. is originally from Sackett's Harbor, up north. A Beautiful and small quaint village out of a Norman Rockwell-esque environment. For those who are aware, Sackett's Harbor is famous for two things: Their locally brewed beer and Funny Cide, the Famous Race Horse who, in 2003 won two legs of the Triple Crown. He had first won The Kentucky Derby and followed that with another win on The Preakness Stakes. The 3rd and final leg, The Belmont Stakes, unfortunately saw him place 3rd, not first. Though he was shy of The Triple Crown, having career earnings of approximately $3,455,603 is still not too shabby.
NO, I do not follow horse racing. And nor do I have my own bookie! :) Funny Cide is owned by a small group of former high school buddies in Sackett's Harbor. With in this group were two brothers, Mark and Peter Phillips. The two uncles to K.'s best friend and his brother, her fiance. I remember K. asking me if I wanted to put money down on her friend's horse, as she had. Damn! I wish I had!!!
Anyway, she had reconnected with him and, Well the rest is history. Well there's a lot in between, but for her privacy, I'll refrain.
I just want to say Congratulations K. and D. I'll be there in July with bells on my toes! :)
“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”
~Abraham Lincoln
Wise words.
Wise words indeed. Recently, I've become aware, that others too, are becoming aware of their own mortality and either facing Middle-age, or heading towards it. DisneyKid had recently posted about it and SaintGabriel had also shared her thoughts as well. And not too long ago, I had ranted about my own denial of needing glasses (a classic benchmark of rounding that bend.)
So, what does that mean? What got me to really start thinking about this was a post I had put up in Yada in response to NewtoCNY, who had recently gave up her prior job to attend school full time, to become a Massage Therapist. Kudos to her!! Kudos to taking a dream she's had and making changes in her life to make it a reality. It's interesting. I had commented: " When we are doing something that we truly enjoy, it makes a Huge difference in how we feel about things." Someone else, I believe it was doboy had echoed my sentiment, as he too had recently begun a new venture and chapter in his own life. I remember just how important that statement really is. About 6 years ago I had started to work for a Children's Residential Treatment Facility (RTF). It was a sub-division of their main agency and dealt strictly with children in Foster care and the Foster Care Parents who helped them. The job itself was ok. Just ok. What I hated the most was all the driving that was required. I was all over the place, from Oswego to Utica, to Baldwinsville to Auburn, Weedsport, and Seneca Falls. I DREADED going to work. That's not good, particularly for someone in my line of work. Needless to say, when I left and started where I currently am, my whole outlook on life had changed too. For the Better!
"When we are doing something that we truly enjoy, it makes a Huge difference in how we feel about things."
I also think that notion applies to other facets of our lives. I used to have a link up on my blog about dreaming the 'impossible. If you could not fail, what would you do??? I think it was my way of getting others to realize some of their own dreams they may have and have spent a good portion of their lives with their own dream being unrealized. If I can at least get you to write your dream down, the sheer fact of someone focusing enough to type out a dream of theirs, may put something in motion to do something about this. Some people won't take that risk. Some people will.
Those people who do, are the ones I want to get to know. There is a spark, an energy, a Passion about them that is definitely magnetic. They exude life, and there's something about a person who reaches out for their dream, and not shelve it to collect dust of what they had 'wished' their life to be like. And with the on-coming of Middle-age, That means Oh, so much more.
A tear that fell in silence, from eyes that swim in pain It may have gone unnoticed if not for the glassy stain The anguish of a heart that bleeds as salty tears For the passing of a dream, and longing through the years
A tear that fell in silence, from a spirit that’s incomplete Now sorting through the memories, still fresh but bittersweet A burden left to carry, the weight of a thousand dreams Has left the soul to perish in a world of silent screams
A tear that fell in silence, for the lost and ravaged heart That searches for hope and healing in a world now torn apart An essence tightly bound, and forever locked in chains Is now drowning in a storm, of cold and bitter rain
A tear that fell in silence, for emotions insincere For unfulfilled longing for words to never hear A mind that has accepted, but the heart is still confused For the spirit has been damaged and wears a nasty bruise
A tear that fell in silence, for the soul that seeks relief To have the burden lifted, and to relieve the heart of grief As time will heal the hurt and the memories will fade So allow the tears to flow to end this masquerade
A tear that fell in silence, for no one’s allowed to hear To know the deepest secrets, to share them without fear So stand alone in silence, or hide in the black of night No one to offer comfort, or make everything alright
A tear that fell in silence, a lyric to a sad goodbye To bleed away the sorrow, so don’t forbid the eyes to cry They’ll wash away the sadness, an elixir for the soul To restore the strength and courage, and the spirit that makes you whole.
On Thursday, I went to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Civic Center. It was part of the Season tickets series for The Famous Artists' Series of Broadway Shows that come locally to Syracuse. It's kinda neat that they are the traveling troupes from Broadway as well. My sister and I have had season tickets AND the same two seats for about 6-7 years now. They're actually damn good seats, we are about 7th row Center. About 3-4 years ago, we had tried to see if we could move up a few more rows, and was told that someone would probably have to die first. Alrighty then! Since they had been able to bring Phantom Of The Opera and Les Miserable here, there had been a major increase in Season Tickets, to the point where they had to open up another day to accommodate all of them. Anyway, I had seen this show before, several years ago, but for some reason, I think it was at Syracuse Stage and Not a Famous Artist's Series. It did not really hold my attention though. Was the dancing and Singing good?? Yes. I just don't think it was memorable.
My Sister's Birthday was also a couple days before (Tuesday, 1/9) (Happy Birthday, Dearest Older Sister!!) {She would be disappointed if I DID NOT tease her about that!} :) So, in tribute to her birthday, I had taken her to dinner first at BC Restaurantin Armory Square. An upper-scale restaurant where the owners, Sara & Bill Collins, appear to have extensive experience. Bill used to work at Montrachet and Tribecca Grill in NYC. Though I've never been to either restaurant, I am familiar with them, as they are often mentioned in Bon Appetite, Gourmet, and Epicurious. My sister had the Apple Chestnut Stuffed Pork Loin, with Winter Squash Slaw in a Pomegranate Reduction. I had The Grilled Salmon, with a Citrus Fettuccini Parmesan Tomato Cream Sauce. We both started out with a bowl of their wonderful Crab and Tomato Bisque, and finished with sharing a Creme Brulee for dessert. Yumm! The Food was wonderful! This was my first time there, as I had been tossing back and forth if I should try BC or go with my all time favorite - Antonios. BC won out, this time around!! :)
A nice night and a great way to segue into a long weekend off!
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
I collect beautiful pictures and photos from various sources. I do not take credit for them and will try to either give credit to the proper owner, or provide a link back to the source. I will promptly remove any that are copyrighted, or give credit where credit is due. Please contact me with any concerns.
Summit of Mount Jo 9/24/10
A few friends were worried about me. They were worried about me hiking Mount Jo by myself, so I took this video to show how many people were around that day if I needed assistance. I even chatted with several and had a few people share a glass of wine with me at the summit. :)
Mount Jo. 9/24/10 After the crowd left
This is what the summit looked like... with no people on it. In the previous video I took, I showed all the people who had made this same hike to her summit.
