"Healing the Earth Family"

My newly-created program entitled "Healing The Earth Family" is ready to be up and running.  It is a free program (I'll bring a tip jar to help defray expenses) and is sort of my "statement of hope" for our world.  The hour-long program will soothe, challenge, and inspire and is presented with narrative, video, and one of my songs.  It's geared to adult groups, clubs, and organizations.  I've created some very relevant print handouts and I have a display loaded with really nice pictures.  The uplifting song is at the end of the main video and the program has a particularly nice closing mode.   Those of you who know me will remember my injury several years ago in a church shooting.  It took me a long time to heal and I still have some of the physical residuals, which serve to remind me to be grateful for the gift of life.  Current happenings, world-wide, are unpleasant reminders of what happens to the human spirit when spiritual bankruptcy and the lust for power take hold of people.

I think you'll like this program.  If your group (small, medium or large) is in or near Knoxville and you'd like to view and hear "Healing The Earth Family", please contact me at claralandau@yahoo.com.

Two Anniversaries Approach ...

The first of these anniversaries is Dixie Lee's upcoming 13th birthday -- a celebratory occasion -- which will be on August 1st if she is able to stay the course for the next four weeks.  For a dog her large size (Rhodesian Ridgeback), 13 is very old. She has been at varying degrees of deafness for the past couple of years (sometimes her hearing briefly seems to partially return); she has cataracts that are quite progressed; she has small bumpy growths on various body parts that her vet and I are reluctant to tamper with because giving her anesthesia at this stage of her life would be risky.  I know that sounds perversely comical as she could slip away at any moment during a nap. 

She sleeps a lot; she loves to eat; she has maintained the utmost ladylike hygiene.  Always an "aloof" dog (her breed description very accurately uses the word "aloof"), she has never been aggressive ... until now.  I think she has become fearful.  When people come to the house now, I need to put her in my/her bedroom where she remains quiet and content.

The other anniversary that I will privately observe, is the upcoming 7th anniversary of the church shooting at TVUUC.  At five years, the church (perhaps rightfully) decided that there would be no future observances.  For me, there is so much that permanently affected me -- emotionally of course. And physically -- the residuals are rather constant reminders.  Most importantly, spiritually ... in the months and years that followed the event, a part of me awakened and helps me live my life, has helped open the door for beauty and appreciation and gratitude.

So the day is one that is meaningful for me.  Last year on the sixth anniversary, I walked in my favorite local park where there are lots of trees. Trees, I find, are so able and willing to absorb human sorrows and to reflect human joys ... and to offer strengthening energies.  My walk was one of meditation and gratitude; then I visited with my dear friend and we talked of gentle and beautiful things and had tea.