I don’t have good words for describing the wedding right now except to say it was exactly as it should be. There were no hitches and glitches of any magnitude and the wee ones that occurred fell away easily against the bounty of love flowing between the bride and groom and those who love them.

(I had a weird little thing for each of my kids when I would describe how they and I each fit together. I would say, "Samantha is my heart, Jeremy is my soul, and Kevin is my hope." Those who knew all of us as they grew to adulthood would simply give a knowing nod of agreement. There are stories of why for each connection, but not for now. Jeremy is the one who wed on Saturday. I could not have picked a more appropriate mate for him.)

Two songs define the entirety of the process for me. From the birth of my older son to the day he wed. Stunningly apt choices for both songs.

Below are the lyrics to their first-dance-as-married song:

Keith Urban’s

"Making Memories Of Us"

I’m gonna be here for you baby


I’ll be a man of my word

Speak the language in a voice that you have never heard
I wanna sleep with you forever

And I wanna die in your arms

In a cabin by a meadow where the wild bees swarm

And I’m gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I’ll earn your trust making memories of us
I wanna honor your mother
I wanna learn from your pa

I wanna steal your attention like a bad outlaw

I wanna stand out in a crowd for you

A man among men

I wanna make your world better than it’s ever been

And I’m gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I’ll earn your trust making memories of us
We’ll follow the rainbow
Wherever the four winds blow
And there’ll be a new day
Comin’ your way

I’m gonna be here for you from now on

This you know somehow

You’ve been stretched to the limits but it’s alright now
And I’m gonna make you a promise

If there’s life after this

I’m gonna be there to meet you with a warm, wet kiss

And I’m gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I’ll earn your trust making memories of us
I’m gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I’ll win your trust making memories of us

And the lyrics to the song Jeremy picked for the mother-son dance:

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Simple Man lyrics
Songwriters: Van Zant, Ron; Rossington, Gary;

Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say
And if you do this it’ll help you some sunny day

Oh, take your time don’t live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
Go find a woman you’ll find love
And don’t forget son there is someone up above

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me son if you can?

Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold
All that you need is in your soul
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me son if you can? Oh yes, I will

Boy, don’t you worry you’ll find yourself
Follow your heart and nothing else
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me son if you can?

Baby be a simple, be a simple man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man

So you see, yes? How the weaving works? I knew you would.

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Everyone knows

Everyone knows it’s all prep
Prep to live and prep to die
Prep to walk and prep to talk
Prep to consume and prep to be consumed

prep to be …. someone

From the first time we raised our hand
to hit
to high five
to answer a question at school

prep to be …. part of the whole

From growing tall and large
to separate
to procreate
to make another large and tall

prep to be …. apart from

From our first pursed lips
to our first kiss
to our first cuss
to our last scream

prep to die …. it’s all prep

Everyone knows

©Pamela V Jones 2011

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 A link round-up done by elf surrounding the impact of ebooks taking chunks of creative works out of the print books pile and how it will effect those (especially children) who grow up in poverty. The impact on rural communities. The ethical twist of ebooks having a "number of reads" allowed in the public library system. The cost of the ebooks themselves plus the readers and ever changing and updating technology. DRM. Etc.

Many voices have weighed in on this topic in the blogosphere. They are worth reading and considering.

Round-up here.

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After a guided meditation on light and dark self and some symbolic crafting of ribbons and charms based on the meditation, we did a bit of divinatory rune dipping. Each of us dipped our hand into an opaque bag containing runes, pulled one and drew its symbol on a card. We then returned the rune to its friends in the bag and passed the bag on to the person next to us. We were to take it home and find its meaning and consider it. Below is the one I pulled and its meaning:

 PERTHRO: (P: Lot cup, vagina.) Uncertain meaning, a secret matter, a mystery, hidden things and occult abilities. Initiation, knowledge of one’s destiny, knowledge of future matters, determining the future or your path. Pertaining to things feminine, feminine mysteries including female fertility, and vagina. Good lot, fellowship and joy. Evolutionary change. Perthro Reversed or Merkstave: Addiction, stagnation, loneliness, malaise.

(It was not reversed.)

I will begin considering it as soon as I manage to subdue the deep laughter bubbling up from within me.

Hey, Universe! Appropriate much? 

*chuckling still*

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 From my friend on the Left Coast, who keeps the labyrinth and strings the beads and names the dead from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq:

May they and families find peace on this Day of Recitation. 

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From  madelienegrey 

“A Message To Women From A Man: You Are Not ‘Crazy’”

You’re so sensitive. You’re so emotional. You’re defensive. You’re overreacting. Calm down. Relax. Stop freaking out! You’re crazy! I was just joking, don’t you have a sense of humor? You’re so dramatic. Just get over it already!

Sound familiar?

If you’re a woman, it probably does.

Do you ever hear any of these comments from your spouse, partner, boss, friends, colleagues, or relatives after you have expressed frustration, sadness, or anger about something they have done or said?
…………………………

And the act of gaslighting does not simply affect women who are not quite sure of themselves. Even vocal, confident, assertive women are vulnerable to gaslighting.

Why?

Because women bare the brunt of our neurosis. It is much easier for us to place our emotional burdens on the shoulders of our wives, our female friends, our girlfriends, our female employees, our female colleagues, than for us to impose them on the shoulders of men.

It’s a whole lot easier to emotionally manipulate someone who has been conditioned by our society to accept it. We continue to burden women because they don’t refuse our burdens as easily. It’s the ultimate cowardice.

Whether gaslighting is conscious or not, it produces the same result: it renders some women emotionally mute.

These women aren’t able to clearly express to their spouses that what is said or done to them is hurtful. They can’t tell their boss that his behavior is disrespectful and prevents them from doing their best work. They can’t tell their parents that, when they are being critical, they are doing more harm than good.

When these women receive any sort of push back to their reactions, they often brush it off by saying, “Forget it, it’s okay.”

That “forget it” isn’t just about dismissing a thought, it is about self-dismissal. It’s heartbreaking.

No wonder some women are unconsciously passive aggressive when expressing anger, sadness, or frustration. For years, they have been subjected to so much gaslighting that they can no longer express themselves in a way that feels authentic to them.
…………………………….

con’t at title link…..

Don’t read the comments. As usual anonymity brings out the ass in many.

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I’ve been watching the 2 gray squirrels that live in my yard, chasing each other up and down tree trunks and jumping from one tree to another, hiding their food in the one spot that looks like a grave – for almost 2 years. Earlier this evening the The Fierce Yorkie barked like mad out the back window at something in the yard. We looked and a hawk was there, pecking at the ground. ("ground" ha!) I grabbed the phone, took some pictures and realized he was pecking at something awfully large, not "probably a mouse" like the man had said.

I was moving away from the window having decided I did not want to know what the beast was eating when he TOOK OFF IN FLIGHT. There hung one of "my" gray (now dead and missing some innards) squirrels. ~sigh~

Bloody circle of life. Not in my yard, damnit!

: (

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