fear and worry. no thanks.

I was so looking forward to today.  All weekend long the forecasters in southern california prepared us for the storm of the century, or at least the year.   A day in Los Angeles where the weather impedes your life, doesn't happen very often.  And what a better day to have that happen. Presidents day.  A day off.  50 degrees. Raining. A roaring fire.  What could be better? 

I watched people on the news sandbag their store fronts on Ventura boulevard fearing the worst. I watched newscasters who stretched from the beaches of Ventura to the mountains of San Bernadino broadcasting what might happen. rain. snow.  flooding.  the worst.   I watched an overly tan weather man tell me how bad things were going to be and to expect no less than four inches of rain in twenty four to forty eight hours.  I watched and prepared and anticipated the worst.  I was so caught up in the weather that my husband and I went to the grocery store to load up on groceries in case we couldn't make it out of our house for two days.  We bought into it.  The fear.  The worry.  The what ifs.  I was morbidly into it.  Excited by the challenge of bad weather, of weather at all.   

And while it did rain through most of the night and a little drizzle in the morning, by 1:00 in the afternoon the sun was muscling its way through the gray sky and blue sky won.  And by 4:00 there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  

How does that happen?  Two things come to mind. weather men are not supposed to be good at their jobs.  There is no other job in the world where you can be wrong time and time again, put people through hell, because of what you are telling them and be asked back to work the next day to possibly do it all over again.  I understand we live in Los Angeles and weather is hard to come by here, but for god's sake, how do you predict the storm of the century and the sun shines for half the day.  

Then it dawned on me.  We put a lot of faith in our news people, and what they are telling us, for the most part,  is be afraid. Be very afraid.  I don't think that they are blowing smoke up our ass about the economy, however, I do think there has been a fear mongering technique that has been happening for quite some time.  I for one am very afraid.  And I am turning it off tomorrow. No more news.  

Fear and worry. No thanks.  whether it's the weather or how the economic system as we know it, is crumbling into a million little pieces,  i am not buying into it. rather I will tune my radio into a different frequency one with a larger bandwidth that has room for all of life's cumulus clouds, lightning strikes and sunny days, but like the weather man's prediction, there's no way to predict.  You just prepare for whatever may come the best you can.  

Perspective.

I have a lot on my mind tonight. As usual. But instead of festering I am going to blog, which I haven't made the time to do in the last few days. And feel not good about it.
First of all, Wiley, my sweet husky who I took in to get fixed, is doing great. He is the best and in one day and many treats I taught him how to sit, shake and lie down. Tomorrow we will learn how to make mac and cheese.

I could talk about my dog and the parties I went to over the weekend or the amazing party that was in honor of my book, NOTE TO SELF in LA on Thursday and the 120 people that showed up to Me and Ro on Melrose Place to buy a book and jewelry, or both, or the fact that I got into my first facebook fight with a guy I went to 6th grade with, BUT I am not going to talk about that.

I just watched Obama give his first press conference and talk to us about what in the world are we going to do in this country to get us back on track and not fall into the great abyss of the great depression. Scary shit. I have faith and I continually try and focus on all that we have instead of what we don't have. But this is unsettling and these are troubling times. How did we get here??? So many reasons!!

For Perspecitve I pick up a photo album that I made from our trip to AFrica this past summer. That's is perspective in a way that can only be found by opening your eyes and your heart to the world around you. There is great suffering all around us. But in that suffering you can find a way to relieve it if you remain open and in action.

I also watched The View today. Among other things. Yes. I did. I tivo it and love to see the ladies bicker when I have a free moment. Diane Sawyer was on to talk about her special on Friday night, 2/13/09. She's so beautiful and eloquent. I was on Good Morning America three weeks ago talking about my book, NOTE TO SELF. Which when I see what other work she is doing, it only makes me appreicate her more, and feel so much gratitude for the opportunity to go on her show. What I saw made me weep. The poverty in the Mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee is that of Africa, only the people are speaking our language. They are young girls and boys, men and women of this country who have been forgotten and are hidden behind poverty and mountain dew mouth. As Diane said "their Horizon is their front yard." While so many of us have an endless horizon theirs is filled with garbage and despair.

When I watched Obama speak tonight I thought about those people in the Appalachian Mountains and closed my eyes to send them a prayer. To them, this recession is nothing new or different, but they won't be immuned to its effects. And their nothing will become less than that. Where that leaves them, nobody knows.

I want to do something about this.
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/diane-sawyers-view-on-poverty/288230380814016827

Wiley Blue made it.

He's fine. His manhood is intact and he is recovering.. back to his old tricks of pulling the toilet paper off the roll and into the hallway, or playing chase with my running shoe in his mouth. Or just staring. Staring at me brushing my teeth, trying to understand the strange noise the sonic care makes as he cocks his head from left to right. He also likes to stick his head into the shower and lick the drain and my legs. He's a wonderful treat and I love him. 

I love animals. All kinds of animals. But dogs seem to find us when we need them the most. I believe Wiley Blue is that kind of dog and spirit. He's not here for fodder or idle chatter. He's here to do something big.  Wonderful.  He was dropped out of the sky. special ordered from some weird Dairy Queen in a hat may I take your order person. 

Here' s a picture of him in all his glory. 

Trust me. I will be writing about my other pups, not to mention every other subject known to man,  soon.  He's just the newest addition to the family. 

love, andrea

Wiley Blue

I am sitting in my living room on the shag with two dogs fast asleep on either side of me.
Wiley Blue is our new Huskie, who literally fell out of the sky two weeks before Christmas. By fell out of the sky, I mean he was found running through the streets in our neighborhood and brought to us by a neighbor who rescued him from certain death. he is beautiful, trusting and young. Schweetie is our sheperd/lab mix that we rescued on Valentine's day last year from a crazy hoarder. And Newman our 16 hyear old Huskie is upstairs fast asleep, chasing rabbits.

In the morning i am going to take Wiley to the vet to get 'fixed' and I am having anxiety around this appointment (8:00 am). I hate that idea of sweet Wiley Blue getting in the back of my Subaru as he does everyday, but this day he's not going on a sweaty, long hike, rather he's going under and getting his balls snipped. ouch. He has had such a hard life so far. In his short year on the planet he was homeless for most of it and when he found a home (us) he has been attacked by random dogs twice. Once by a shepherd on our hike and the second time, in the same day, by a stray pit bull who almost killed him. The one thing that will get me in that car driving him to his surgical fate is that it's the right thing to do, he will live longer and I believe he won't be such a target for unwanted vicious attacks. . While he has his balls, he doesn't have the attitude to back it up. He's willingly submissive and a sweet sweet soul who wants nothing but to be a friend to everyone, give you a big kiss and hug hug hug.
Dogs are the best. They are loyal. They are unconditional. They are the ultimate companion.
They are always happy to see you. It's no wonder that dog movies make gobs of money. Who doesn't want to feel all that? sweet dreams Wiley Blue. Here's to the last night of life with your balls.
Note to Self: love your dog today.

how to give: bumper cars

I liken us to bumper cars...one week and one day later after Barack Obama was sworn into office and asked, implored, challenged us all to 'get busy' and rebuild this country. 'Get busy' and get to giving. The response after that week, from my perspective, and in my community and watching everything that I can, is everyone is freaking out...what do I do? How do I make a difference? How can I do something, when I have so little and am losing my job? Many of us are altruistic bumper cars: tons of energy, explosive electric currents, with pliable exteriors and bumping into one another and bouncing off one another in the effort to figure out how to do that....make a difference. Be something in this country and during this historic administration that leaves a mark, whether it's in our community, town, city, state and country. Not to mention the world. It can be overwhelming. But when it gets to be too much I say to myself and to you get back to basics. Start small.

On my walk today with my dogs (we have three now) I came to the realization that we can give in so many ways. Here are few...
1) Give money. Even if it's 10 bucks to your favorite charity. Every little bit helps. I know. I know. We are all hurting financially now or we are in a financial shift. Which is the time to give more. It will come back to you some way. Somehow.
2) Pick one or two foundations that you are going to support. (There's so many ways to give and donate, if you narrow down your focus your energy will be better spent)
3) Pick up a piece of trash on your street. And if you see someone litter, well don't yell at them, I have found this doesn't work. Pick up the trash for them and give him that look, that your mother might have given you when you did something you knew was wrong. In other words, don't let someone get away with littering. It is a weird insidious habit that is formed by laziness and it is my belief that most people don't want to litter they are just lazy and ignorant.
4) Bring canvas bags to the grocery store (I forgot mine today and between guilt and stuffing way too much into a plastic bag that broke on my way out of the store I was reminded that even if I don't have it in the line....it's worth running out, having people wait an extra two minutes, and getting the darn bag from the car.
5) Remember everyone you come in contact with is in need of being "seen" and "heard". Ask them how they are doing and listen.
6) Turn off your lights.
7) Embrace gratitude for all that you have. That will give you energy and remind you to give even when you don't think you can.

One of the most important things that I learned by publishing my book, was that healing begins by giving to others. It is a running theme that I was astounded by and am working towards everyday. Give to others. It will heal you.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. -- Gandhi

britney

according to MSNBC.com, Britney Spears was seen reading my book, NOTE TO SELF at a fancy hair salon in Bel-Air, CA. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28861801/

MLK remembered

Today we remember Martin Luther King and all that he did for this great country. And tomorrow we look to the future with a new president. I like everyone else in the country and possibly the world will be tuned in to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama and kissing the ground beneath my feet in honor of this great nation and to heal her wounds. They are plenty and great. "The fierce urgency of now" is now. We must act. "Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy." Our country is ready. I am ready. Are you ready?