Buttercupchappati Chronicles

Light your candle

I have lit my candle - which will burn all night tonight to bring the light back into the world.

My vigil is for so many and so much.

My candle always burns for the long long life of HH Dalai Lama, HH Karmapa, Dr Nida and all of my other wonderful teachers.

It burns for the people of Tibet that they will soon be free in their own land.

It shines the light of Yuthok out across the world that we may all benefit from his healing and blessing.

It burns for all my family and friends, may all of your wishes be realised.

And it even burns for me! Lighting my way, hopefully, to see where I am going in this next and new year. Merry Christmas to you all, and travel safe and well in 2010.

Om tare tuttare ture soha!

My on-going love for Harry Potter

I am in the middle of a re-read of the Harry Potter Books. You know how it is, sometimes you crave the comfort of a well-loved, well-read book. It's like settling your bum into a favourite chair, one that remembers your shape.

I have adored these books from day one. I am, slightly smug, happy to say we were in the first wave, and read the first one when it was still an emerging best seller.

Anyway.

This time I am so enjoying the wonderful people that live in these books. It makes me all the more perplexed about the nonsense that was put about, and still is from time to time, about how bad they were for children. Really.

Yes there is evil, but step out your own front door and see what you find if that is what you are looking for. There is the ugly picture of real unkindness in the seemingly picture perfect home of the Dursleys. Gee, no kids in our world suffer at the hands of their families do they?

Magic, wish there was more of it in the world. Children who believe in magic cope better with life's inconsistencies because they have the ability to believe in something beyond the realms and constraints of daily life. And it's fun. Who wouldn't want to put a pigs tail on someone really annoying!

But the good things in these books seem to be less news worthy. There are some truly wonderful adults around Harry. Professor Lupin with his grave and gentle demeanour is so kind to Harry, so careful and respectful of him. Mr and Mrs Weasley, I would move into the Burrow tomorrow! Isn't every Big Brother or similar mentoring program looking for someone like Hagrid to help a kid over the hard bits?

Friendship. Ron and Hermione show true friendship over and over. In these times of being bullied over the internet and on your own mobile phone, how can this sort of courageous friendship be a bad thing for children to read about? The friendship of Harry's father and his group, its' strength was shown to exist even after death.

The hero's. Dumbledore with his wisdom, letting Harry be who he needs to be. Snape who shows us the dark sacrificial side of heroism. Sirius who is such a flawed hero and must die so Harry can be free of the tragedy of his parents. Harry himself. Sometimes I read these books and weep for that little boy who is so alone and yet so resilient.

And Fred and George, some of the funniest people I have met in a book, ever.

My only complaint is that they had to end, and so I have to keep going back to Hogwarts in my mind and in my heart through the magic that is the book.

(Yes I love the movies. Casting? Don't get me started! Rickman was born to play Snape! But I am first and foremost and forever, a book girl.)

To Write Love On Her Arms

I can't say it any better than they can, so:

"MISSION STATEMENT:

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

VISION:

The vision is that we actually believe these things…

You were created to love and be loved.  You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story.  You need to know that your life matters.

We live in a difficult world, a broken world.  My friend Byron is very smart - he says that life is hard for most people most of the time.  We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that all of us live with questions, and all of us get stuck in moments.  You need to know that you're not alone in the places you feel stuck.

We all wake to the human condition.  We wake to mystery and beauty but also to tragedy and loss.  Millions of people live with problems of pain.  Millions of homes are filled with questions – moments and seasons and cycles that come as thieves and aim to stay.  We know that pain is very real.  It is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real.

You need to know that rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, that God is still in the business of redemption.  We're seeing it happen.  We're seeing lives change as people get the help they need.  People sitting across from a counselor for the first time.  People stepping into treatment.  In desperate moments, people calling a suicide hotline.  We know that the first step to recovery is the hardest to take.  We want to say here that it's worth it, that your life is worth fighting for, that it's possible to change.

Beyond treatment, we believe that community is essential, that people need other people, that we were never meant to do life alone.

The vision is that community and hope and help would replace secrets and silence. 

The vision is people putting down guns and blades and bottles.

The vision is that we can reduce the suicide rate in America and around the world.

The vision is that we would learn what it means to love our friends, and that we would love ourselves enough to get the help we need.

The vision is better endings.  The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships.  The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love.  The vision is graduation, a Super Bowl, a wedding, a child, a sunrise.  The vision is people becoming incredible parents, people breaking cycles, making change. 

The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead. 

The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know. 

The vision is hope, and hope is real.

You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story."

http://www.twloha.com/vision/

this is so cool

Been busy eating, drinking and making merry,

oh and making fun of PRS and his BIG BIRTHDAY.

Fancy turning 50.

Not happening here let me tell you!

But we had fun. It started with a lovely dinner out for the two of us and our wedding anniversary on the Friday night, at the Royal George in Kyneton. Just beautiful, a real treat.
Then Saturday we had a gathering of friends and family for the Really Old Person and his birthday. It was a great afternoon, a beautiful warm Woodend day and the restaurant Zarby's, kept the delicious food and wine coming.
My super-shopper-sister-in-law stayed over with us before her trip back to Sydney the next day and took us out to lunch at the very lovely Lakehouse in Daylesford.

Spoilt? Oh yes!
Fasting this week? Oh yes!

And I must complain that all this festive behavior has put me way way behind the eight ball for my tilt at the 50,000 words for National Novel Writing Month. The crystal ball shows a few late nights on the Powerbook headed my way.

 

classic!

they need more money by the 6th November, you know what to do

have cut-out-paper yurt, will find Shambhala

Yes, it's that simple, who knew?

If you go to http://www.waytoshambhala.org// all will be revealed.

We can then say with hand on heart: thank goodness, god, goddess, ganesha or whoever was in charge on that day (Loki?) for the internet.

The Way To Shambhala.
Create your own utopia.
Anywhere.

Can't wait for the ninja monks to arrive, wonder if they will be hungry...

National Novel Writing Month

You write your 50,000 words, you win, we can all win. Go and sign up right now.

http://www.nanowrimo.org

(So much to say today, have you noticed?)