Cellular Level (not about phones) –

One of the three excellent post-trauma one-on-one counselors who met with me in recent weeks, raised the question of belief systems, God, and spirituality. We had an awesome conversation about our mutual feeling (more like "a knowing"), of being connected with other people, animals, and plants at a cellular level – that is, truly being bonded with, interconnected with them – in a very real, spiritual way. I enjoyed speaking with someone who so obviously understood my description of what I call the Universal Spirit or Energy. It is my awareness of that cellular level connection that fuels my immense affection for animals and plants and my caring about other people.

I used to tell the kids in my humane education classes and audiences, that all people and creatures in our world are The Earth Family. Most of the children seemed to really relate to that phrase and its meaning. My hope is that some of them (now teens and young adults) will hold it in their minds and hearts as they become adults and take leadership roles in our world.

Over the ten years that I did those speaking engagements, I did get an angry telephone call from a child's father who accused me of "preaching a new religion" and demanding "I want you to stop it"! But I didn't.

Just as one cell of an individual body knows and is affected by what is happening to another cell we each are part of an intricately-woven tapestry ... at a cellular level.

Keep Scrolling, Please!

Lengthening Days! I love those additional minutes of daylight we’re getting now!

Share The World (Everyone Matters) –

This is a wonderful poster that I had framed several years ago. It originally came into my hands while I was humane education director at a regional non-profit organization. I got two copies of the poster and gave one to a favorite classroom teacher for her students. The poster depicts children representing each racial group; they are dancing in a circle around a globe of the Earth, holding hands with various members of the animal world. It’s a beautiful and inspiring picture and message. I'll be singing about the interconnectedness of all people and all of Earth’s family (fauna and flora) – at church (TVUUC) on February 3rd, accompanied by Bill.

Read some of my thoughts about interconnectedness on my website at http://claralandau.home.comcast.net; click on the "Sunny Dae" link.

Leo On The Loose – (astrologically speaking)

Early last Sunday evening, I took on a major furniture-moving event. It was much more of an event than a project, because it was not a planned or thought-out thing. It was sort of an emotional storm – the kind that demands great physical release. From what? I’m not sure. Six hours of shuffling, lifting, and dragging items, both within my loft and from the loft to the basement, left me tired and well-spent, but pleased. Here in the loft, I enjoy quiet solitude and the company of my plants and a significant portion of my library. This is a good place for me to come and catch my breath (the computer is downstairs), lay down plans, and remember and/or re-discover who I am. Dixie Lee loves to hang out here, too.

Playmate –

A month or so ago, Bill (my talented, eloquent guitarist for whom I have great affection and admiration) became ill with some form of the flu. Several weeks went by before he was feeling like hauling his guitars and amp over to my place for some music practice. Of course, I’d missed him and our music in the interim. Somewhere during that time, a song drifted into my mind from long ago – it is one that my mother often sang to me when I was a child. "Playmate, come out and play with me"... it goes on "And bring your dollies three, Climb up my apple tree". I wrote down the words I remembered, then changed a few of them to fit my purpose. It became "And bring your guitars three" and then I thought of two alternate lines..."And bring your guitars two (the number he usually brings)", followed by "I want to play with you".

If you’re not familiar with this old-time children’s song, then this may not mean much to you; if you did hear it when you were a kid, you may be smiling now :) The original of the song was composed in 1940 by Saxie Dowell. Various versions of the lyric have circulated ever since. The song is in 4/4 tempo. My mother would alternate "Playmate" with a somber 3/4 tempo song called "I Don’t Want To Play In Your Yard (if you won’t be good to me)", but I decided not to include that!

Experimenting with "Playmate", I turned out a fun, rhythmic, jazz arrangement of this wonderful little piece of yesteryear.

Dogster –

I couldn’t resist! One look at http://www.dogster.com/ did it for me. Dixie Lee is now a member and is gathering "Pup Pals". If you’d like to visit her page, she is # 698748.

Frances/Francis –

My household has a new member! Frances/Francis (your choice), the calico goldfish, joined us early in January. Years ago, I had a large aquarium with many fish. Maintaining it was sometimes toilsome, though the sight of fish blissfully swimming around the tank was very calming, entertaining, and nice. I’m thinking that Frances is probably a female fish (just a hunch), though the double spelling of the name should make things right for her/him. It’s fun to have a fish again.

Music Recording & Peripheral Services –

I want to mention here the extraordinarily expert tech and creative services that musicians can expect if they visit my musician friend, Sandy Garrett, at his Songwriters Studio, here in Knoxville. His website is at http://www.songrecord.com/. Always helpful and pleasant (and affordable), he is the very best!

YB Advertisement –

Will end this post on a note that may seem like (may actually be) misguided humor! Last summer I thought "Oh, why not give it a try?", as I placed my very nice (in my opinion) music lesson ad in one of the yellow page telephone directories. I wasn’t expecting an avalanche of lesson requests, especially in the current down-turned economy. But I wasn’t quite prepared for the three – yes three! – inquiries I’ve had thus far.

Inquiry #1: "I had an accident at work last week and lost a finger – can I still learn how to play piano"? The caller’s vibes were sincere ... I think he was looking for some kind of reassuring dialogue... so I suggested he might call me again after he’s healed and had therapy.

Inquiry #2: A husky male voice announced, "My name is Sharon and money is no object. We’re helping a man who just inherited a half million dollars" (or maybe it was a million and a half ... I don’t really remember which). Sharon continued: "We’re helping him to spend it. He likes to be dominated by women". I tried not to laugh out loud and I heard myself saying "Oh, every woman’s dream"! "Yes", says Sharon. "He wants piano lessons but wants a mean teacher – can you be mean? Money is no object." "Well, Sharon", I say, "Make some calls around and I’m sure you can find someone meaner than me."

Inquiry #3: "While I was in jail, I had lots of time, so I wrote poems. My friend said I can sell the poems if I get someone to write music for them". I say, "I’m driving right now and can’t stay on the phone. Are you from Knoxville?" "Yes". "OK, then ... pick up a copy of MetroPulse and look on their musicians-seeking page. I need to hang up now." He says, "What’s MetroPulse"?

I’m tempted, of course, to think about what a waste of money it was to place that ad (though I never would have known if I hadn’t tried it); yet, that old, overly-used phrase "It all depends on how you look at it" kicks in. Three strange calls and I guess the possibilities are endless – with seven months remaining for this telephone book’s use. I’ll cross-file this experience under "Weird Humor" and "Life Lessons". Who knew what I was missing during all those years I didn’t have an ad :)

Best wishes to all in this New Year!!!

Helping Animals --

For most of my adult life I’ve been involved in causes that advance the humane treatment of animals. My introduction to the very existence of such causes was some graphic film footage I happened to see on television sometime in the early 1970s; it was about whitecoat baby seals. It really jolted me and opened up my heart to the needs and sufferings of other beings. So letter-writing, sign-carrying, radio PSAs, whatever, became a part of my life’s activity. During the 1990s, I edited and published Janna Publications (named for a little rescued dog and the brand-new friend who helped with the rescue). It was a newsletter, sprinkled with my hand-drawn illustrations and articles about various animal-related issues. I still have a box of the back issues, if anyone would like any of them. Most of the items covered are relevant today.

For ten years (October of 1993 to early 2004), I promoted, booked, and presented a humane education program that I had scripted. I traveled to classrooms in all of the schools in Knox and contiguous counties, all grade levels. I also went to the various locations of the Boys & Girls Clubs and Park & Recreation sites, presenting the program on behalf of an area non-profit organization. Kids and teachers were enthusiastic about it. Soon I was also speaking at adult civic organizations, responding to calls of college students who had chosen an animal topic for a paper and were requesting my help and to several requests for pet bereavement counseling. Many aspects of the work were gut-wrenching, but, overall, the work was very meaningful and fulfilling and I was able to pour a lot of passion into it. I have boxes of letters, posters, drawings, and cards from kids, teachers, and scout leaders, that were sent to me over the years.

This past week, I was reminded of how much of that identity remains with me. On Saturday, Jerry rushed into the house during his lunch break and excitedly told me he had an emergency that needed my help. I went outside and, there in the back of his pickup truck, was a dog – a chihuahua – unconscious. He explained how he’d seen a driver in a maroon Mercedes hit the dog about three blocks away. The driver did not stop. Jerry had looked and noticed that, although the dog's eyes were closed and she at first appeared to not be alive, she was breathing so he stopped and held up traffic in both directions while he picked her up and put her in his truck. She looked pitiful, bleeding from one ear and eye and with several injured spots on her head. She was either pregnant or had given birth; she had no collar or ID. I gave Jerry some towels to put around her and then rushed into the house and telephoned the nearest vet’s office. I was matter-of-factly told that they were about to close and I’d need to call an emergency clinic. I repeated my request for help and was told to "hold on", which I did until another country song played and I realized no one was returning to the phone. The emergency clinic took my information, recited their initial charges, and said they’d be expecting me. When I went back outside, all of a sudden the little dog regained consciousness and began frantically running around the back of the truck trying to jump out, not letting us get near her (she was terrified, growling, and definitely ready to administer a bite or two). We tossed a padded quilt over her and Jerry carefully wrapped her in it so he could transfer her to the back of my truck, which has a closed back. I adjusted the tailgate so she would have ventilation and then I called City Animal Control. I was thankful for having been put on that rude, eternal hold by the vet’s office because, if I’d put her on the front seat of my truck and started driving to the emergency clinic as I’d planned, she would have regained consciousness beside me in the truck. Jerry left to go back to work and an AC officer soon came. As gently as she could under the circumstances, she manuevered the little dog into a cage in her truck and told me she would drive by the area where I’d told her the dog had been hit, to see if the owner could be located, since veterinary care was needed. Beyond that, of course, the dog was bound for the animal shelter, an evaluation, and possible vet care. I did suspect that there was internal injury and bleeding so she may have had to be euthanized.

The circumstances reminded me of the portion of my humane education program where I’d tell kids and adults that animal control officers have "a very hard job". A very hard job, indeed. This particular lady remarked that this was her "second one today who has been hit" (by a vehicle).

Also remembered were the things I used to say about animals being abandoned and left to the fates, without any ID or means of obtaining food or protecting themselves from traffic, the elements, larger animals, and even some mean person. The little dog has reaffirmed that part of my identify that I carried proudly during the years I passionately delivered my program, as humane education director.

Please contact me if you would like any of my Janna Publications back issues. I also have a limited quantity of other pro-animal literature.