Likes & Dislikes

Hey, we all have things we either do or do not like. This blog entry will give some of my own likes and dislikes. Of course, if I tried to list everything, this blog entry would never end, so I'm just giving a few that I wanted to share today.

First, some of my dislikes:

I hate slugs. They are slimy, little creatures, and I've seen plenty of them living in Western Washington. I once got a slug in my hair, and that, by no means, changed my dislike of them. I find it interesting that I don't mind snails, though. It must be the shell that makes all the difference. Maybe, I should try to imagine that those slugs are just wanna be snails.

Speaking of both shells and gross, slimy things. I like some seafood, but I've never liked clams. Even their shell, doesn't make me want to eat them. I've honestly tried them more than once, and I still highly dislike them. I tend to prefer milder tasting seafood that doesn't actually taste all that fishy.

Violence, wars, bombs, weapons. I wish that people would find a better way to resolve their issues than these means. Diplomacy, diplomacy, diplomacy. It's not "us vs. them". It's just "us". We are all the people of the earth. Living otherwise will get us nowhere, fast.

Aagggggh! Snakes terrify me. The big, fat ones are the worst, but I'm not too fond of any of them. Although, even I will admit that the colors of this particular one above make it look kind of pretty. I still think I wouldn't want to encounter it in real life. I recently saw a guy with a big boa constrictor or python (I didn't dare linger around to be sure which) wrapped around his shoulders when my boyfriend and I were walking around at the Whaling Days street festival in Silverdale, WA. When we went past the snake, I was holding my boyfriends hand. I didn't realize that I was squeezing his hand very hard until he pointed out that he'd still like to keep it in the future. Hey, he has another one on the other arm! I guess he just prefers to have two. I was a little nervous and paranoid for awhile after I saw the snake. I glanced around periodically looking around for the guy and his slithering pet in the crowd. It was a relief not to encounter them again.

Now, some of the things that I like:

It's clear from my blog that I like dragonflies, but I'm also a big fan of butterflies as well. They are so pretty! I like that they come in such a great variety of colors and patterns, and they are an ancient symbol of the soul and of transformation. In the photo above, the blue of the flowers is also very lovely.

Yum! Pizza is one of my favorite foods. I like all kinds of toppings on it. I even had pizza for dinner just last night.

I have had visions of the Eiffel Tower in my head since I was six years old and first began to dream of going to Paris one day. I've travelled, but I've not had the opportunity to visit France yet. Someday, I'll go there and see this view of the Eiffel Tower for myself.

Last of all, I love flowers of all varieties and colors.

All photos in this post are courtesy of http://www.public-domain-photos.com/

Until I type again,
Kami

Finding A Healthy Way To Fix

Photo courtesy http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

It's been hard for me to understand that much of what I think of as "control" is an illusion, albeit, a very powerful one. Life is full of things that I have no control over. This doesn't mean that I haven't spent plenty of painful time, bashing my head against the wall, and trying to take control of many situations that weren't actually my responsibility. I have spent most of my life trying to fix things and people over which I have no real control. It has taken me a lot of time to recognize that I only have the ability to make decisions for myself and my own life, not for other people and their lives. That doesn't mean I don't still try sometimes to fix things and people that I have no real power over. Yet, these days, I'm more easily aware of when I'm trying to do this, and I don't try do it as often as I used to. That, my friends, is what I call progress.

The first time I heard the song "Fix You" by Coldplay, I loved it immediately. It has both a haunting and an uplifting quality at the same time. Although, in trying to free myself from the compulsion to always fix other people, I have to admit that the lyrics of the song used to bother me. My brain keeps screaming - I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO FIX YOU! THAT'S NOT MY JOB!

Tonight, I've been doing some thinking about this. I believe that I've been looking at the idea of "fixing" too narrowly. Perhaps, there is a more balanced path where exists a different, healthier way of fixing; fixing that isn't trying to change someone else, but involves just being there for them, offering them love and support, as they heal and grow. Instead of trying to solve someone else's problems for them, by being present, a person can offer them the strength and, thus, help "fix" them in this way.

I was curious what was intended by the lyrics when the song was written, so I did a little research. I found that most people agree that Chris Martin wrote the song for his wife, actress Gwyneth Paltrow. The commonly given reason is best summed up by a respondent on Yahoo Answers:

"Chris wrote this song for Gwyneth Paltrow after her father died. She came home from the hospital covered and drenched in tears, and he started crying and asked her, `what can I do for you? tell me how I can do it' and she looked up at him, and said `just hold me... cause you're the only thing that can fix me right now'

And that was that - he wrote the song the next day."

Whatever the true meaning behind the words, I've grown to have a new perspective on the lyrics. Now, I believe the song speaks of the comfort and peace that can be found in the presence of those who love you, especially during those difficult times when love is most needed. With this new understanding, I can better explain why I always feel such strong emotions when I hear the song. Whether you are or are not familiar with it, here are the lyrics:

Lyrics to "Fix You" By Coldplay

"When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse?

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you."

Now, please use this link to enjoy the official version of video on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI-o25K6B-E

Until I type again,
Kami

Princess Silly Putty Pants

As a kid, I remember playing with Silly Putty. Usually, I'd first get the Sunday newspaper. The Sunday comics were the only day the local newspaper printed them in color. The other six days of the week, the comics (and in that particular newspaper this is still true) are a single page and in black-and-white. Sunday, on the other hand, brought several pages of colorful comics which I'd look forward to getting my hands on each week.

I'd read every comic, eating my breakfast of pancakes or cereal, or something like that. Then, I'd open up the Silly Putty in its plastic egg shaped container and wonder "Why does this container look like an Easter egg?" I'm sure I asked the question out loud, but I don't think anyone in my family knew why it comes in a plastic egg that looks like the kind you'd fill with candy at Easter time. After opening the egg, I'd pull out the glob of putty and stretch it, bounce it on the table (makes sense because Silly Putty used to be known as "Bouncing Putty"). Finally, I'd start pressing it onto the comics, pealing it off, and marvelling at each picture as it was replicated onto the putty. I'd stretch the faces of the comic characters, smash and fold them, and then do it all again, over and over.

Oddly enough, I've been planning a blog about silly putty for awhile. It's become something of a joke between my boyfriend and I. One day, I thought of Silly Putty, out of the blue while we were out having breakfast. He looked it up on-line, and told me somethings about it. At the time, I didn't even think to ask him about the egg-shaped Silly Putty container. I took some notes from what he read, and then I finally said "Hey, wait! If you read all this yourself, then it might spoil what you'll read later, in my blog." He laughed and stopped reading and has since then decided to call me a ridiculous nickname "Princess Silly Putty Pants". We agreed that it would take a lot of Silly Putty to make me a pair of pants, and it would be quite the strange pair. Of course, if I had a pair, I'd have to sit on some colorful comics and walk around with Garfield or Snoopy on my rear. Can you imagine how big their poor heads would be stretched each time I bent over? I'm sure that would be one use for which Silly Putty was never intended. That's saying a lot for a product that's been around since the 1940s and has been many places including an exposition at The Smithsonian and even to the Moon!

Not surprisingly, Silly Putty has a official website which they call "Silly Putty University Camp". Yes, if you're so inclined they have a test and a degree that you can earn. On the site, there's a must read timeline of the history of Silly Putty under "History 101" which includes some short original T.V. commercials. The "Silly Science" section tells us more about how its made and some experiments that can be done with it. Also, don't skip the section from a contest that they had where they list the "Silliest Use Winners". Be sure to note, that none of them are wearing Silly Putty pants. Maybe, they can only be worn by a true princess.

Here's the link to the Official Silly Putty website: http://www.sillyputty.com/ There's also a lot of neat info. and some other links about Silly Putty to be found in Wikipedia, so here's the link to that as well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silly_Putty

Until I type again,
Kami