https://thebeet.com/how-to-survive-a-pandemic-3-ways-to-stay-healthy-by-dr-greger-who-wrote-the-book/

This website contains information that is MUST- reading for everyone who is smart, humane, and cares about their own health and preventing pandemics.

Google notified me they will be shutting down my blogs. Thank you for your loyal readership, dear friends ... Clara

Good Holiday Wishes For Health & Happiness to All

Hello Everyone ...

I've been unable to post to my blog because my PC is an older, beloved, reliable model.  So I'm doing this post on my laptop.  So it will appear sort of scrunched when I post it.

Blessings to us all in the midst of the pandemic and the political circus.

Here is a reprint of my comment sent to an entity called Rational Progress (about things rational and irrational). 

This topic is about something that is quite irrational.  Here is a reprint of it:

      "I agree that Mr. Zuckerberg can be despicable ... also apparently cruel.  I've been blocked from accessibility to my beautiful music artist Facebook page at Clara's Music.

There is no way for me to access the page and nothing that people including the computer repair tech have recommended works for this.  The opening page should be showing me with my lovely dog, Dixie Lee, with her seat belt around her, sitting in the passenger seat of my van.  Not a voluminous page, but an important one.  Losing accessibility to this page hurt me very much.  I can't enter the page to "troubleshoot" and seek a remedy, because I can't even open the page; it shows an endless redirect and and I have learned that FaceBook has done something to it that blocks me from it.

Mr. Zuckerberg has insulated himself completely, because there is no legitimate phone number for "customer service" and no remedy for the frustration of having my page taken away.  I also am blocked from viewing anyone else's FB pages".

I concluded my statement with my name, title, and email address.  To my blog readers, I hope that anyone else with this unresolved situation will speak out about it.

Best wishes to all for the New Year and may it offer relief to all from the effects of the pandemic.  Be safe and be well.

Peace and love ... Clara

P.S.  My song "Here's To You ... Earth & Animals Song" CD is recorded and its cover is beautifully illustrated by William (Sandy) Garrett of Songwriters Recording Studio, Knoxville.  If you have access to an organization that promotes respect for our environment and our brethren the animals, please let me know and I'll provide you with a copy of the CD.  You will be inspired!

Blessings to all.

 

 

 

 

Dixon ...a male calf at Farm Sanctuary ...

 I know you will delight in seeing this short video of Dixon, at Farm Sanctuary.   Enjoy!  Share with others!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA-rPS5KoFU&feature=youtu.be


 

Howlings Of The Lady Wolf ...

I'd like to extend a  giant "Hello" or "Howlo" to All -- and welcome back to Lady Wolf's Notes :) 

Well, these are scary times, for sure. Some people are saying we're in the apocalypse. And if we are, or aren't, we have a lot of work to do to make things right. I feel I'll be sharing a variety of thoughts with you with this writing, though I also feel that all the pieces can and do fit together.

We're now the world's epicenter for Covid 19, with politicians using the pandemic for self-aggrandizement. We are a divided nation, with deep wounds that need cleansing. I'm reminded now of my late husband who suffered a terrible rectal cancer and a gaping surgical, radiated wound ... the wound needed twice-daily cleansing, the process of which was horrifically painful for him to endure. And that is the way it is with wounds of all kinds ... they need to be cleansed, cleaned out and it involves work and pain. We need to clean up our government and its agencies, starting at the topmost federal level and down through the states and cities. Honor the rights of citizens; re-model our police departments, treat our fellow beings humanely, atone as best we can for wrongs committed recently and in our nation's past. The wrongs began when some of our ancestors came to this continent from Europe, forced America's original owners out of their homes and off their land, and began disrespectful destruction of the lands and wildlife that the Native Americans had respected and revered. Those deeds are still blowing in the wind, still are not righted. Then, some of our ancestors sailed to the continent of Africa and rounded up many of the native people there, the Africans, put them in chains, and brought them on slave ships to what is now the United States, where they were "owned", "property", mistreated, and used as slaves. This is painful history and cannot be undone, but it ought to be acknowledged and the damage righted to the extent possible. We in the United States are all Americans.  There is no room here for hatred and racism. The only acceptable path is love.

And we are now facing the wrath of a pandemic.  
Can each of us strive to be accountable, kind, ethical, civil, humane? Let's start with our current crisis ... let's each one of us wear a face covering when we are in public. Protect yourself and protect others. We need to rise above this pandemic and save lives in order to be able to fix all the other things. We need to acknowledge, respect, and address the concerns of peaceful protesters. We need to be peaceful when we protest in order to gain respect for our cause. And in the coming months, please let's hope, pray, and work for a cleansing of our politics and government. 

I'd like to write a little joyful thing here. I always have a little reservoir of joy on hand, just waiting to make an appearance.  So I'm going to reference and re-post here a tiny edited segment of a piece I wrote two or three years ago. It says I'm wondering if there is anything that the general populace can do to help unite people, reach across the divide, and promote the concept of universal love, health, and peace of mind? As a musician and a scientist, I'm suggesting the healing universal vehicle of music to accompany and complement our social and scientific efforts in combating the current illness and fear. Maybe we could resurrect songs like "Love Train", "Blowin' In The Wind", "Imagine". How about adding new healing music (in all musical genres) that also would serve us and others in a healing way? We need to feel a positive connection, compassion, respect for our planet and all of its beings, and, above all -- a sense of gratitude for Life itself ... and all that is beautiful.  Amen.

Info Re Nature And History Of Corona Virus ...

Hello Everybody ...
Last evening I viewed and heard a fascinating, wonderfully informative in its realness, presentation on YouTube. The video runs for a little less than an hour and every minute of it, from beginning to end, is essential for us to see and hear and consider.

Fifty-eight minutes may seem like a long time, but this moves along quickly and is majorly important for us. It will increase our knowledge and understanding about what is happening during this chaotic, disease-riddled, and frightening time. It can help us as individuals and as a nation and as the world that we and our fellow beings occupy. For me, understanding the nature of a problem is the major part of finding a solution to the problem. I think you will find this video very enlightening.

The link is 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G20cooZOiYE&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1T-Hz6NTvxtDvUdoKwAKgEfZ2ODZ2h06YWKqHd1Uk2kDTIAvyj_7o-kkM

Very, Very Important Stuff That May Help...

Hello Everybody,
I know I've not been heard from in quite a while; the major reason is that my husband was increasingly incapacitated over the past year or so and I was kept very busy.  But the real thing I want to tell you about isn't as much about me as it could be about helping someone else whose spouse has been tortuously ill and dies. When Jerry passed away on January 14th of this year, he was released into the peace he needed and on the following Sunday he had a lovely service for which I am very grateful ... a great and personable minister, a throng of wonderful friends of his two oldest adult children (my step-children), a major turnout including my and Jerry's daughter, my closest friend, many other dear friends of mine who are fellow musicians, and some who are my fellow animal advocates. There was a lovely picture slide show and the service was glorious!  

There is always "the day after" when I expected to feel whatever people feel on the day after. But it was only a few hours into that day before the onslaught began. There isn't a way I can politely describe the avalanche of medical bills from doctors I'd never heard of, as well as a few I had knowledge of having treated Jerry with treatments I hadn't approved of. I should refer to my late husband as Gerald as that was his preference in recent years.  I dutifully paid each bill a day or so after its arrival, thinking that after a while it will be over.
It wasn't.  It escalated. Weeks later, it became terrifying when I realized that the sizable amount of money that had been in Gerald's accounts was shrinking fast.  I became scared and thought my life will not be worth living (or possible to live) and I started hating my overstuffed mailbox. I began calling the creditors and some of them said that if I pay the bill in full they will give a 20% discount. In those frenzied moments it sounded like they were giving me something. Not true, folks!  Not true!  And here is why:

My new attorney (whom I'd contacted to revise my Will and my friend's Will) told me yesterday that I've been paying bills for which I am not legally responsible. God bless him.  Yes. A surge of hope went through me when he said that.  You see, the lawyer I'd inherited from the legal group I'd had for years when my previous attorney left to do other things, did not tell me what I'm about to share with you.  She appeared to be interested mainly in accessing control of my finances.  Yesterday I learned that if a spouse dies leaving his widow with a P.O.D. on each of his savings accounts, with the house deed being in both names, the surviving spouse immediately gets these things and is not responsible for payment of the deceased person's personal and medical debts.  Tennessee is not a community property state. When I found this out, I had already paid five-digit numbers of dollars and still had more bills coming in, demanding immediate payment.  This morning I've had the freeing experience of telling-off two of the money-seekers. All they needed to get from me was my husband's date of death, with one of them requesting a copy of the death certificate. So ... they know ... but they don't tell us! Yes, this is what our health system has devolved into.  It is big business ... and it's almost impossible to find a doctor who isn't owned by a corporation. Corporations have tentacles that reach into other corporations ... and there is a huge supply of people to initiate bills.  So I've laid it out here, in the hope that what I've said here will help someone else whose spouse has recently died. 

To end on a positive topic ... no, to have a new beginning of a positive topic, through all of this, the music kept me alive; I especially love watching the YouTube music videos of Beverly (Guitar) Watkins ... what a tremendous musician and personality; she passed a month or so ago, but her music lives on. Just Google her name and YouTube and my favorite video of hers is "Rock Me Baby"; it's done like you've never heard/seen before and it actually picks you up so wonderfully.

I'm interested in getting together with other musicians ... I've got the space at my house ... and my house loves to hear music.  So does my dog :)  He sometimes howls with music. Music has great healing energies.  Music is the Universal language ... esoterically and literally ... those planets whirling around up there make music; and you may have noticed that when musicians are playing together, there is no racial strife, no worldly troubles, no politics, no negativity, just bliss :)

Peace and Joy.

Hi Everybody, Yes, it's been a while (six months) since I've communicated ... due to Ruby's passing and many of life's challenges.  

But here's news and it's all good :)  I'll soon have ready my new music CD "Here In The Moment", the title of which sounds quite Zen. The genres are a heady mix, spotlighting of course, blues and ballads and jazz that feature my vocals, keys and bass and the ingenious talents and engineering skills of William (Sandy) Garrett of Songwriters Studio (who also created the cover design).  Several other talented musicians also enhanced the musical offerings. The title song was written in 2008 (the year of my church shooting injury) so its recording has been in "mothballs" until recently, when I brought it out and fell in love with it. The CD also has other treats and surprises too! And you'll notice that Clara the Lady Wolf has re-named her musical self and is now Clara M.L. Wolf (although I'm still a lady!) I'm hoping for a musical reappearance of sorts.  The new CDs (still in design completion and duplication process) can be ordered from me at (865) 659-5383 and I'll have a number of complementary discs.  

Are there any musicians who might like to jam and play music for fun?  Or maybe form a new band?  My home studio is available for us to use. Let me know at 865-659-5383.

And ... this is major news ... I have adopted a canine who is believed to have been found homeless in Memphis.  He was in rough shape when I got him, having been seriously attacked by the younger members of his pack at the rescue facility. He's got a lot of character, many vocal talents (he actually talks), and amazing intelligence. See his pictures on the right side of blog text. And ... we'd like to add that Sampson and I approve this message!   :)  :)  :)

Peace, love, and blessings ... Clara

Ruby Dog ... My Angel Dog ...

My apologies for coming out of my writing lapse with a post that is a sad one.

Ruby, my beautiful, smart, loving angel dog, passed into spirit on Friday, November 16 after the rather sudden onset of paralysis with its accompanying desperation, and with a shutdown of her complete digestive tract. A week before this, she had intermittently worn a facial expression of "I need your attention" and I'd check and see if she needed anything. Then she had a brief playful streak and tossed around her tennis balls that had been ignored for months. In retrospect it seems to me that it was the rally that often happens with animals and with people who are on the verge of a serious happening. Well, when it was clear to me that we were in a scary zone, I called a mobile vet and made an appointment for the next day. The vet was very knowledgeable, thorough, gentle, and kind and was recommended to me by my own vet.  

Ruby ... at about six weeks away from her 11th birthday ... was suffering and her face wore a worried, pleading expression. The vet and I helped her to lie down and the sedative helped her to relax ... and the pained look left her face. I sang to her all the while ... the song "Ruby ... you're like a dream..." from the movie Ruby Gentry ... and I petted her. I'm going to back-pedal slightly here to tell you that Ruby has always loved to hear music and my singing ... and would appear from wherever else she'd been in the house and lie down in front of my amplifier or the stereo. So on Thursday night I played a blues CD that a Knoxville harmonica player had given me a few years back ... it has several old blues tunes done by great blues players and singers; Ruby actually was smiling, as I played the whole album twice in a row.  

So on Friday afternoon, my beautiful angel dog, who had earned her service vest and, who had, previous  to when I met her at the shelter, won her battle with heartworm, and then gotten adopted at age 8, will ceremoniously be gone.

I think of her as a hero, as well as the most loving, intelligent, sweet dog I've ever known. I keep thinking I still see her, still hear her walking down the hall. Tomorrow, in keeping with my beliefs on waiting until the third day before doing cremation, her spirit should be flying free and, in truth, be with me in so many ways. This Thanksgiving I will feel thanks for the almost three years I was privileged to be mom to this awesome dog. And so, through my tears, I'll close with these words for her.

"God bless you, Ruby, Ruby Dog, Rubinski. Mommy  loves you and misses you; misses your beautiful face, expressive eyes and pointed ears, your long luxurious tail, your very silky cuddly self, the way you love to shake hands ... and your interesting baritone/basso bark and occasional growl. Watch for me ... and when I come we'll be together again." 


      

Happy Birthday To Me a.k.a. cloaks and drama

I didn't plan to post anything about it, but then this playfully disastrous part of my personality started knocking at my mind's door. At first it did a gentle tap-tapping and within minutes it was almost like the pounding noise of a fist against a locked door!  

Yes, in less than an hour and a half, I will cross the finish line of a significant birthday milestone :) It's scary stuff, folks :)

But I've noticed that in the weeks leading up to tomorrow and soon-to-be midnight, I've kind of stoked myself with a few things I hope to accomplish in the coming months. I want to visit wolves.  As everyone who knows me knows, I love these majestic and vilified beautiful animals. If I could, I'd travel to Minnesota where I'd have the best chance to see and hear them. And the mentioning of that state gives me a great opportunity to tell you there is a wonderful, hard-working organization there called "Howling For Wolves" (please look up their address and website on my animal ministry blog  at  http://animalministry.blogspot.com.) 

I'd also like to make one more trek to the beach and take in the energy and power of the ocean ... I prefer lovely Folly Beach and its wonderful beachfront hotel, where I visited a few years ago with my best friend with whom I hope to have more adventures and special memories. Also, I want to get a band jam together soon and enjoy the camaraderie that a group of musicians has when playing together.  We are needing a drummer; a small kit should be fine!

In other realms, I will continue to admire Willow, my beautiful tree and her little offspring and my indoor rubber tree, Rub-A-Dub. Ruby, my dog who happily responds when I call her "Ruby", "Ruby Dog", and "Rubinski" will soon be eleven years old and is so smart she can even tell what I'm saying when I spell words backward ... she is a joy and leaps with excitement when I say the letters R - A - C, as she loves to ride.

This post may, on the surface, sound a little silly, but it is merely wearing a cloak of silly disguise; remove the cloak and you'll see a woman of renewed spirit and dedication to what she deems important, needed, wanted. Yes, you'll also see a woman whose cloak has dropped to the floor, leaving her quite ... well ... visible :)

It's 11:11, an auspicious number, and I want to post this before the calendar changes to September 1, so I'd better do that now :)

Aretha Franklin ...

Here is my favorite quote by this great lady:

"Soul is something creative, something active.  Soul is honesty.  I sing to people about what matters.  I sing to people who accept it like it is.  There are tears when it's sad and smiles when it's happy.  It seems simple to me, but to some, feelings take courage". 

Amen.  

Precious and Profound --

The beautiful poem/quote below resonates perfectly with my own thoughts, stirrings, wonder, and sense of true communion. As you read it, take in the words and the picture it paints; be moved by it and feel the connection between self and the profundity and majesty of our fellow creatures.
                                                             
... Clara

The Summer Day ...

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down,
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

  ~ Mary Oliver ~

"Only You" Song and Video

Dear Readers,
Here is the link to my rendition of "Only You". It's a joyful work of audio and video; I hope you enjoy it.   
Clara


https://youtu.be/lHGhhVE7MZM

A writing by Pema Chodron

This profound writing by Pema Chodron, a wonderful and wise Buddhist nun and teacher. 

What Is Freedom --
But it's not impermanence per se, or even knowing we're going to die, that is the cause of our suffering, the Buddha taught. Rather, it's our resistance to the fundamental uncertainty of our situation. Our discomfort arises from all of our efforts to put ground under our feet, to realize our dream of constant okayness. When we resist change, it's called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, when we can embrace the groundlessness of our situation and relax into its dynamic quality, that's called enlightenment, or awakening, to our true nature, to our fundamental goodness. Another word for this is freedom -- freedom from struggling against the fundamental ambiguity of being human.

       

         ~Pema Chödrön  

Thank you, Ike, for sending me this post.

Sizzling Summer Update ...

Here is a quote by Charlie Musselwhite, the fabulous blues harmonica player who is sometimes referred to as "Memphis Charlie" and who has a fascinating bio. The quote speaks of the blues genre and says exactly what is true and it was offered by Dan Forte, ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award winner for excellence in music journalism.  It says: "The blues is your buddy in good times and your comforter in bad times. It empowers you to keep going. It is secular spiritual music, the gospel blues. It's music from the heart instead of the head." To which I say "Amen".

I write, sing, and play other genres of music -- each for its own reason and purpose ... love songs to tell my secrets, jazz as a mental work-out, latinesque for its excitement ... but blues is exactly what Charlie says it is and that's why I love it.  

Ruby Speaks ...

Rrf!  Hello Folks ... Ruby here!
Thank you for waiting so patiently for me to speak. Now that I have your attention, I hardly know where to begin :)  Look at my close-up picture for a few moments and you may think you see my lips moving :)

Yes, I have my service vest, after having visited doctors' offices and businesses around town for a while, I took the plunge and am service dog for Clara in a supportive way ... and also, in a general sense, for Gerald, who for some time now has not been able to walk more than a few steps even with his walker, but cannot use a wheelchair because it would be difficult to get someone to transfer him in and out of the chair due to his weight (a hefty medical person needs to bring a chair out to the car each time). So we have a car now in addition to Clara's truck. The car was originally bought to be a Rubymobile because it's hard for me to climb up and safely get down the step of the truck. But the Rubymobile also transports Gerald whenever he has an appointment. He requires considerable help in getting in and out of the car. Once at the appointment, he needs additional help and that's majorly where I come in. Everyone oohs and aahs and sort of reverently moves out of the way of our entourage as Clara, doctors, aides, and I help him to his destination.

Stepping back in time a few months, I was blessed at the Blessing Of The Animals service at Westside UU Church during October. It was a lovely service and Rev. Carol obviously enjoyed planning and conducting it.  

I'm now ten years old (January 1st) with a sketchy background and I look like the jet black German Shepherd that I am with some wolfy possibilities and colorations between my toes. I understand many words even when they are spelled (even spelled backwards) and when I growl it is the most fearsome, gutteral, baritone lyrical semi-howl sound. I only growl when I hear other dogs barking or yapping.

Recently I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Rev. Jenny at Borderland Tees in south Knoxville. Folks, if your organization wants awesome tee shirts at great prices, Borderland is the place to go. Rev. Jenny is a community pastor; she and her partner Bob have employed and assisted, with ongoing success, members of society who are on the fringes (borders) of society. I had a great time there being welcomed and petted :)

Now, I've held back this post until I could tell you something definite about Clara's new music video.  I love music and will stop whatever I'm doing, even if I'm napping, to come into Clara's music studio and sit right next to the amplifier.  She recently recorded two songs at Songwriters Recording Studio in Knoxville, with multi-talented William (Sandy) Garrett at the helm. One of the songs is a re-make of her original "Conversation". The other is an amazing, spellbinding (see I told you I know a lot of words) arrangement of the song from the '50s, "Only You"; it is featured on the video. There are special reasons that Clara chose to do this song and I am inwardly smiling as I think of what a beautiful, romantic song it is. HP Video of Knoxville is preparing the video and the YouTube link will be posted on this blog soon!

I am so enjoying this opportunity to write this guest post here and would like to remind everybody to please adopt a shelter animal. I was a shelter animal and so lucky that Clara walked in and saw me (I was depressed and wouldn't even look at her that day). She took a leap of faith and filled out the papers ... and here we are, the perfect match of human and canine :)    

Thank you for reading my guest post.
Ruby Dog
Rrf!

Earth Day 2018 and an Update...

I haven't posted here for a while, partly due to a couple of medical issues -- and they work as a team :) Also, time seems to be flying by. But there is a good reason, too:  I've been working on two songs to record later this week. One is the '50s hit cover song "Only You"; the other is a re-make (and re-structured version) of one of my originals, "Conversation". Vastly different from each other in genre and mood, they do go well together in expressing the singularity and attributes of the emotion that goes with my desire to sing and play them. 

My dog, Ruby, is wonderful ... she is a darling, affectionate, and super intelligent being and is now also a service dog.

Today is Earth Day and my thoughts and feelings about it are hopeful, painful, fearful, and apologetic to our Earth Mother. Of course, humans are what have brought conditions to a woeful level for our planet, ourselves, and the myriad of non-human inhabitants. We've seen the widely circulated picture of polar bears in the ocean looking for ice floes that are no longer there. We've read about the plight of bumble and honey bees. There are so many other examples of animal suffering and exploitation, environmental destruction, and threats to our own existence, brought about by ignorance and apathy ... and corporate and political greed. Even so, I can make myself say "Happy Earth Day" because I know that there are a great many of us who care about our planet and fellow beings. Let's make our voices be heard in whatever ways we can!  And let's vote for our environment. Earth is our home, we need to protect it.

Please send comments to the blog rather than my email address so that others can see what you say. It's easy ... just click on "anonymous". I always like to hear from you.

Yearnings ...

Deeply touching Nature,
The call of the wolves resonating with me.
Music for spirit, drums pulsing rhythm,
My body's earthy yet celestial response.

Flowers grace the bank of the brook,
Butterflies of every color
Swirl and dance in delight,
Around my face.

And love for my soul, oh yes!
Magical kisses on my lips, arms around me,
Like gentle rain on a Spring day.
What a marvelous dream it is.

And needed -- a little more time,
A little more time, please ...
For all of this to manifest.
How wondrous, How very wondrous it will be!


                    ...  Clara the Lady Wolf

Here is the link to my music video "Fantastik Five-Clara the Lady Wolf"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c76mqe3-1II