Functions at Ya Po Ah, etc.

carnival outfits

There are many events that the residents of Ya Po Ah organize for all that want to attend or  participate in.  Except for when I am with Chris all my socializing is with the people here at Ya Po Ah Every two months there is a birthday party  in the dining entertainment area and last Friday  was a Carnival birthday party. There were games and I had the face painting table. This was my first time at face painting and I did have a few faces and arms to practice on.  All of us in charge of games were dressed up in costumes After the games everyone enjoyed ice cream sundaes.  I never dreamed I would be living in a situation like this. It is perfect for me  and I have met  interesting  and like minded people, Back in Maine I loved Back Cove and everything I needed was there now it is the same, my surroundings are beautiful and I can ride my bike or walk to everything I need. 

I do spend too much time on the computer. It is so easy to look up anything I want to know about and I listen to talks on you tube. The news I get from listening to Democracy Now or PBS.  The world seems to be in a state of madness but  I believe underneath  or behind the scenes  great things are being invented and the green movement is coming into being and it will happen as soon as the greedy ones die off or change their course. It is great to see the young people become active on gun control. They are fighting against money and power, two steps forward, one step back,.If you want to see what we are moving toward look up biomimicry,  the bioneers  and levitation inventions.There is lots of info on you tube. Keep the thoughts positive. 

I  also want to express my thoughts on the gender issues. I believe humanity is coming to a male female balance. The male power, aggression, dominance  has been going on for thousands of years. The power over women has been their natural way, so now it is pointed out to men this is not acceptable behavior. and to treat all living things with respect. Many famous people have been abusive but should they be condemned for everything , when they have  produced great art or great whatever. Are we going to say Kennedy was not a good President, should we destroy Picasso’s paintings. There are a lot  of nasty people that have done great things, and I don’t condone their moral behavior, Morals again are different in other times and cultures..Should statues and buildings be destroyed now, because when they were made , years ago , it  was a different time, beliefs were different. Human for all their failures and faults are  remarkable beings that have created great civilizations, great art, great thinkers, inventors, etc. I am in awe at what humans have accomplished. This is the age of  technology, other civilizations  were great for things we  can’t figure out how they did what they did. We are not better, Everything happens when it should whatever time, past or future. Everything is alive and all life is amazing. We are living in a time of great change and I find it very exciting, because I believe we are moving toward a wonderful age of peace and harmony.

carnival   photo taken with funny hats

Spring is coming

rosemary in flower

helleborus

whitch hazel

For Valentine's Day

When I was a little girl I loved the different holidays, Christmas being my favorite as it is to this day. . In those days  my mother made most of my cloths. I did not have a lot , school cloths, (back then I wore skirts and dresses to school,) play cloths and best cloths for church and get togethers with relatives on holidays. For Easter I was given new cloths and I enjoyed seeing everyone dressed up with hats and gloves. Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas were feast days. I have always loved good food. Halloween was fun to get dressed up and go trick and treat. For Valentine’s day all the children in my class in grammar school would bring valentine cards and we would put them into a decorated box.and then draw them out one by one. I can remember putting my favorite ones into a scrap book. My grammar school had 8 rooms one for each grade. and the valentine box was a tradition every year. 

After art school I had a job as a greeting card designer.  As a little girl I drew animals dressed as people, and real animals like deer, rabbits and such and I liked fairies and little people so I have always liked cards and illustrated children books.

Here is a short history of Valentine’s Day. . St Valentine  was a priest from Rome in the third century AD. He secretly married soldiers,. Marriage for soldiers  was forbidden  by  Emperor Claudius. Valentine was thrown in jail and sentenced to death.There, he fell in love with the jailer's daughter and when he was taken to be killed on 14 February he sent her a love letter signed "from your Valentine".

The Romans had a festival called Lupercalia in the middle of February - officially the start of their springtime.t's thought that as part of the celebrations, boys drew names of girls from a box. They'd be boyfriend and girlfriend during the festival and sometimes they'd get married.

Later on, the church wanted to turn this festival into a Christian celebration and decided to use it to remember St Valentine too.Gradually, St Valentine's name started to be used by people to express their feelings to those they loved. 

I have a great collection of Christmas cards that I have saved through  the years and every Christmas I hang them  on ribbons  taped to doors and other places.I can’t remember getting Valentines after grammar school  so I decided to look them up on the computer and found every kind imaginable. I am celebrating  Valentine’s day this year, printing out on my computer some of the beautiful, cute and funny cards I found. 

This day is mostly for lovers or those that love one another. Love needs to be expanded, because the word has a narrow meaning when it really encompasses everything. I believe everything is created from love. It is an emotion that can’t be defined only felt. Here are some of the actions that love creates, passion, compassion, respect, forgiveness, surrender, kindness, deep affection, enjoyment, caring, appreciation for. It is action, a force, It is entanglement, It is giving and receiving. Everything needs love or it withers  or even dies. One can also love nature, for its beauty and the peaceful feeling it emanates. So I think we should up grade Valentines’s day and send our love forth. Who knows , it may bring peace to the planet.