I hope my headline gets  your attention. A few weeks ago I posted a petition to urge Obama be the true Farmer-in-Chief and choose a sustainable, family farm friendly Secretary of Agriculture.

Here is the link for a new petition if you don't want to read me:

http://fooddemocracynow.org

He chose Tom Viscek, Governor of Iowa, a Monsanto Boy through and through. Very disappointing and unenlightend choice for such a critical position.

In case you have questions about why Secretary of Agriculture is so important, the USDA is at center of an environmental and economic policy vortex that controls food, environmental quality, animal welfare, small business family owned farms, regional and sustainable food policies, and influences health and well-being of all Americans and people world wide. Famine relief, development aid, disaster aid, and policy examples are all affected by USDA policies.

I fear Obama laid an egg with this choice. Vislak is a strong proponent of genetically modified crops and agriculturally produced fuel. These are the domain of the industrialized, monoculturated, patented seed, lawsuit flinging agribusiness giants.

The new petition proposes 12 sustainable candidates for key undersecretary positions.

http://fooddemocracynow.org.

Check it out. Know where you food comes from.
Support your local farmer.

Thank you.

(I was raised on a family farm that folded when agribusiness came in, and it is now a gated subdivision. Green productive farmland gone.)

This is Vassalboro, Maine, an inland farm town far from the decadent coast!
It doesn't say if patrons will be permitted to leave their Carhardts, and LL Bean Plaid Flannel Shirts at the door.

Planning Board Approves Topless Coffee Shop - 1/7/09 12:08 AM ESTfrom MPBN website

The Vassalboro planning board has approved an application for a coffee shop featuring topless waitresses.  That's despite the opposition of most of the residents who showed up at last night's meeting, reports the Kennebec Journal.  Town officials say they had no choice but to approve the application, since there's no local ban on such establishments, and the new coffee shop would be exempt from any future ban. The application was submitted by Ellsworth businessman Donald Crabtree.  He plans to open the coffee shop at the site of a former motel on Route 3.  Opponents of the venture are circulating a petition aimed at preventing the shop from opening, according to the paper.

My instant reaction was No never, not any value in suffering. But a moments reflection on times when I "suffered" told me something else.  There is value to a bit of suffering in the light for it prepares me to change. It tells me something's got to change and helps me know what in my life and in myself needs some changing.

Suffering in the dark/the shadow serves no one. it leads to more suffering for self and others: war mongering and suicide bombing and addiction, and despair, for example.

So if necessary, a little bit of suffering in the Light of Love can be a  reminder that we did not come here to suffer but for pleasure and bliss, so change what's not working, find the Love that missing, and get some help making the changes if you need to.

This movie is dedicated to Kathy (Centria) in Northern Michigan, who is also going outside everyday and writing about it. Kathy I hope you don't mind, being on you tube, I'll ask forgiveness rather than permission.


It is four minutes and 19 seconds of nothing much, but I am having fun!

I have been a shameless hussy with money over the past few weeks. It is such a hot, juicy relationship that I don't want to stop. Money and Me are gonna keep on coming together for the next year. Then we'll see if we've had enough or want to keep on loving for another year. (just so you know, Money and Me are not monogamous. We like to spread the love around. Jump on in ;o)

That suffering Q and R from a few days ago is turning over some nice insights for me, much to my surprise. Commenting at my blog post about that I realized it could be fun for us to look at our suffering habits together.

Now my most favorite way to suffer is to beat myself up for my mistakes and failures. My second most favorite way to suffer is to try to change somebody I love cause I know what's best for them. Do you like to suffer that way too? Well stop it. There is really NO value in suffering.

The invitation here is to catch yourself in your suffering  habit, and confess it here in the comments. Let go release be free and suffer no more.

I just smudged my comments link and called in the directions, so we are now in sacred  space.

:o)

I walked onto the terminal shuttle bus at Dulles airport in Washington DC and sat down. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was sitting across from me. He had come from South Africa to be in Washington for the inauguration. He didn't even have a ticket. He just had to be here, he said. He pinched his cheek, laughing, and said, It is such a wonderful thing, I want to pinch myself to make sure it is real.

I had my picture taken with him.

Next week I depart for one of the greatest adventures of my life so far. I have been invited to Loreto, Baja, Mexico, to paint a mural of whales and sea life.
The invitation comes from the Grupo Ecologista Antares (GEA), a local ecological organization who oversees the preservation of the Bay of Loreto National Marine Park.
This fragile and diverse ecosystem in the Sea of Cortes is home to over 800 species of marine life. Jacques Cousteau called it the “world’s aquarium.” The work of GEA, the Nature Conservancy and other agencies has helped restore populations of endangered reef fish, sea turtles and shore birds. Whales and dolphins who breed here also benefit from protection. Threatened once by overfishing, the Bay of Loreto is now threatened by overdevelopment. Vigilance by local and international ecological caretakers is vital.

This opportunity came to me when I met Colin Garland at a Ceremony of Light at the Center at Westwoods in Massachusetts in December. He designed a powerful labyrinth there. Colin has a group called Global Classroom which brings groups of young people and adults to work with the GEA in Loreto, as well as a cloud forest preserve in Costa Rica.  I asked Colin what could I do to help. I wanted to meet the whales for myself.

He conferred with Fernando Arcas of GEA, and they invited me to come to Loreto at my own expense to paint a mural of whales and dolphins at their new Visitors Center. Without hesitation I said yes. The honor of meeting the whales in their home, and communicating with them through my painting is awesome. Being of service to the people who work tirelessly to protect the waters they live in is my privilege.

It is necessary to bring most of the art materials I will use with me, as I cannot get them in Loreto. I am prepared to fund their purchase myself, and make this mural a true gift. I am inspired to invite my friends at home in Maine and in my expansive community of the internet to share this giving with me.

You may click on this link to donate through a special chip in account, or copy and paste it in your browser. You can also visit my website to chip in.

http://www.chipin.com/contribute/id/e76a24a84b8c3f3e

At my Touching Art Blog, I have placed a Chip In box to receive donations through Paypal. You may give any amount from a dollar up, kind of like emptying the change in your pockets to help out a good cause. I estimate the cost of materials and checking them on the airlines to be around $450. The Paint the Whales campaign receives donations through February 17. Please visit my website at http://carlasanders.com and Chip In.

I will be in Loreto working on the mural from January 27 to February 8. I hope to make the Peace Chamber fire ceremony on the beach in Loreto on February 7. I will take lots of pictures and share them with you when I return home. You will all be with me in my heart, and I ask that you hold me in your hearts and prayers.

The whales are singing to the Peace Chamber and King Oceanus is guiding my steps.