In Memory.. Uncle Jim..

James Q. Cook : Born December 4, 1919. Died January 25, 2007.

I never saw him during his long struggle with Alzheimer's.
I remember the man who's face lit up when talking about anything sports!

I remembered when I found with delight introducing my husband, Kevin to Uncle Jim, because the two of them had great fun being encyclopedias of their sports knowledge.

I remember about 15 Christmas Eves at Grandpa Lopeman's house, with the whole family-- Great Grandpa Lopeman, His children, their children and their children's children all hanging out in the basement, the place where all Grandpa's big parties were held.

I remember John Todd making us laugh so hard we would get in trouble for being too wound up. John, I know you are John, but I can't stop the "Todd" from tumbling out to this day.

I remember so many other things that made growing up knowing family and extended family well worth knowing.. I remember family and appreciate those memories greatly. At the moment it just seems like a party, in the years that follow, it becomes a golden memory treasured for the "simpler" times they represent.

We are all grown, with families all over the United States now, but I still remember the excitement and joy that represented Christmas with family and family and family. :D

Rest in peace, Uncle Jim.

I believe that love and art can change the world!

You Are Surrealism

Dreamy and idealistic, you've created a world that is all your own. It's very likely that you've either dabbled in drugs or are naturally trippy. You are always trying to push beyond the boundaries of your culture and society. You believe that art, love, and freedom can change the world.

What Art Movement Are You?

This is very true for me, and I am naturally free to be, "trippy". I feel this freedom from my firm belief in art, love, freedom to choose, dream and manifest richer world.. It's all good!

In fact at this time last week I was blogging on my thoughts of The Secret and the Laws of Attraction.. They support the art movement too. When I am free to feel the art, love, and possibilities, answers come faster, the sun shines brighter, and things just happen that way..Less to do with drugs and more to do with possibility and abundance.

Being the Change We want to See-- Who will go first?

Arun Gandhi is born and cultivated a rich philosophy about the nature of peace and accountability to quieting active and passive violence. His assertion is that whether active or passive violence, participating in that environment is creating a residual outcome of violent action.

Behavior modification is the best way to start to shift energy and thinking on peaceful living, is to focus on pursuit of what is truth. It seems to require an ongoing practice to trade greed, selfishness, and possessiveness for love, compassion, understanding, and respect. To achieve this, requires a deep practice, more as a basis of our existence than something we say, but something powerful that we choose to do.

Arun Gandhi is a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi founded the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in Memphis, Tennessee. www.gandhiinstitute.org.

We have to be the change we wish to see. Unless we change individually, no one is going to change collectively. For generations we have been waiting for the other person to change first. A change of heart cannot be legislated; it must come out of conviction.