About Me?

Here is some astrological information about me I learned today. I was surprised to see how accurrate it was on many occassions. Some were off-base, but overall really close. There was one section that really caught my eye. It reminded me of a question people ask usually as a pick-up line:

Are you a lover or a fighter?

I guess after reading this tidbit, I found out I am both. I guess that makes me an "until death" person. I will love you til death or fight you til death. I like the warrior part. I really feel I will spend my life fighting the battles for the sake of children and my people. I will try to do that with honor and a good heart. Passion will always burn in my within.

MzAriez's astrological profile
Sun in Aries
When MzAriez was born, the Sun was in the Sign Aries, the Warrior. MzAriez has a fierce capacity for loyalty, and expects it in return. Like a warrior, she prefers honesty and directness, without a lot of verbal frou-frou or psychobabble. There is an elevated need for shared experiences of extremity, adventure and intensity, and if the relationship does not offer enough of them, Arian energy can easily turn tense and edgy, even combative. A great intimate art for MzAriez, one upon which the viability of all her relationships depends, is to make sure she is fighting about what she is actually angry about. There's a risk, in other words, of expressing the energies of sexual frustration in the form of what appears, for example, to be a stupidly inflated argument over politics. Still, MzAriez brings many wonderful qualities to the table of love: the warrior's ability to make strong vows and keep them, a fierce devotion to truth, and a grand quality of aliveness.

How MzAriez Relates to Other People
Mercury Trine Neptune with an orb of less than 1/2 degree
You know things intuitively as well as rationally and have a rare capacity to perceive in others feelings, thoughts and dreams they may never have openly shared. Anyone close to you would have to share your love of music and interest in spiritual thought.
Venus Conjunct Mars with an orb between 1/2 and 1 degree
Yours was not a happy childhood and, while there is nothing you want more than a close love relationship, you may also fear it. You probably have an active sex life but may have some discomfort acknowledging feelings of love, dependence or vulnerability.
Venus Trine Uranus with an orb between 1 and 3 degrees
There is nothing humdrum about the way that you love. You have a flair for the unusual and the creative and are drawn to those who shun the conventional. You shy away from those who tend to be over-possessive. Your love affairs are also wonderful friendships.
Mercury Sextile Saturn with an orb of less than 1 degree
You are extremely well-organized and anyone who isn't equally so would annoy you. You are also very practical and fond of routine. A madcap type you couldn't depend on would ultimately make you miserable - no matter how intense the initial emotional attraction.
Sun SemiSquare Venus with an orb of less than 1 degree
Your love nature is very turbulent. You form relationships impulsively and then worry it's with the wrong person. There seems to be a dichotomy between the person you know yourself to be and the person you feel you should be in order to be valued and loved.
Sun SemiSquare Mars with an orb of less than 1 degree
Something in your relationship with your father aroused in you either fear or anger or both. Your relationships with men - personally or professionally - are not comfortable and when you are feeling vulnerable, you can be overly defensive or challenging.
Mercury Opposition Pluto with an orb between 3 and 5 degrees
You're not awfully good at being disagreed with. You delve into matters, think them through thoroughly and expect your conclusions to be universally shared. Flexibility is not your strong suit. No one should try to lie to you or keep things from you. Somehow you ferret out others' secrets although you keep your own.
Mercury Square Jupiter with an orb between 3 and 5 degrees
Details are not your cup of tea. You are fascinated by philosophy and the world of ideas. You are a great talker and reader and your best companions will be those who share your concepts and ideals. You prefer professional people with a certain flair.

Stay sweet 'n smile.....................Mz.

Martha, Martha, Martha

I don't know what it was. Was it the simply directions, the beautiful animals, or just how neat and tidy everything was? It was something, something Martha.

I believed it started in 1999. I liked watching HGTV and FoodTV. Martha's show would come on throughout the day and one day it caught my eye. So, I watched it and became enamored by the simplicity of her domestication. In Martha's world, everything had it's place and usually lined up symetrically. I became instantly hooked. I wanted the clean house and the sense of order. I wanted to make beautiful creations and host dinner parties. I wanted fluffy dogs and cats, including the colorful chickens laying pretty eggs. For a moment, I really wanted that life.
It took me a second to leave the fantasy and open my eyes to my reality.

My life is nothing like her's. I am a single parent just trying to raise my children to be happy and achieve their life goals. I don't have a farm, just an apartment with a fish only pet restriction. I live in a small town with limited resources and even more fewer shopping options. Then, I began to wonder. How could I have pieces of that dream in my life? I don't need the whole shebang, just the guidance to ease myself to a happy space.

According to Martha, she just wanted to "have had a profound effect on the way people live, the way they cook, and the way they entertain and garden" and that is her reward for her work. Well, I hope she knows that she has on made a lasting impression with me. I saw her make marshmallows on Oprah and I've never been the same since.

I am glad for the lessons she has taught and the recipes she has shared. She has inspired me to be a better parent, a better entertainer and a better person. With her magazines and products in my life, I have opened the door to new experiences. Some are functional in my little space. Some can make your mouth water when the aroma floods the kitchen. Some need some tweaking to personalize it to my own tastes. Overall, my family has benefitted from the Martha contribution.

When Martha spoke to her company, she said they needed to explain why they do the things they do since they had been great at explaining the how to. She is right. You need to know your why. And for me, it is the sharing of these joyous creations with those I care about. It is the meal I cook for the neighbors, the crafts I do with my kids and the smile I share when my garden grows.

So now in 2005, I continue to read and watch Martha. I continue to learn and experiment with her lessons. I still feel and share that joy. So, if it ain't broke.......you know.

Stay sweet 'n smile.....................Mz.

I Realized

I went to the clinic with my son today. I knew it would not be a normal day since the tragedy of yesterday. I watched the news spread across the world as our small town was flashed across the screen. Upon our arrival, we saw the news crews everywhere including a helicopter flying around the hospital in giant circles. Sadness was everywhere too as families and friends came and went from the hospital. My son tried to understand as I explained, but overall was confused. It made no sense to him that such a tragedy could occur in Red Lake. Why was a child killing other children or even his own family? His concrete thinking was unable to grasp it. But as I thought about it and it was hard for me too.

I understand the importance of our children's well-being. As a graduate intern in child protection, I see the children who have experienced horrible pasts, face difficult futures and all while just trying to survive the present. I realize everyday how important my work with children will be when I graduate and even the little steps I make as an intern. We have experienced a vicissitude that should serve as our alarm clock. Can we now wake up as it resonants blazingly? Will society once again hit the snooze button as band-aids are applied and then budgets are cut? Somewhere in our society, we have become desensitized to indigence and our rally for a better life is coming up short.

My training has taught me the strengths perspective practice method. It is a positive approach empowering people with strategies that are based upon their strengths and needs to promote resiliency. I have found this approach can be very effective and have seen the eyes of people light up when the things they can do are acknowledged and suggested. If we only had that magic mirror to empower us every morning, can you picture what the world would be like?

I wonder if we do push for resiliency, are we supporting desensitization? They say a healthy child is a resilient child, but it that true? Does asking a child to repeatedly adjust or recover from episodes in life desensitize him to tragedies or behaviors? Are we setting our children up to have mental health issues in the future? If children are our future, should we not be more careful about what we instill in them? Does our sense of community only mean something during tragedies and sporting events? As people, we need to ask ourselves these questions and many others.

I believe that band-aids are for treating minor cuts and scrapes. I never remember reading that they were for national tragedies or personal losses. Our society must accept the extensive work needed to repair our family and community well-being. It needs to be comprehensive and all-inclusive. It will not happen overnight. It will not happen tomorrow. It needs to address all of our generations and may take many generations to weave into society. The good news is that it is possible. What leader will say they do not want healthy families and communities under their watch? It will take a push and a few shoves to start and we may actually need a few band-aids for the cuts and scrapes along the way, but still, it can happen.

For now, my head keeps thinking. I am still trying to explain today. Maybe if we do something concrete like my son's thinking, there won't be a "today" for someone else.

Stay sweet 'n smile.....................Mz.

Mourning

Today, my heart mourns. The initial shock has evolved into sadness and sorrow. I feel the loss although it is not directly connected to me. Still, there is a connection. It may have not been my child or my cousin or even my reservation, but still it was my tribe, my people. So in their honor, I take this time to mourn their departure from this world as they journey onward to the next.

Stay sweet 'n smile.....................Mz.

Democrat or Republican

Here's another joke I stumbled onto:

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a field below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago but I don't know where I am."
The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feet above sea level. You are at 41 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.
She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Democrat.""I am," replied the man. "How did you know?""Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information. I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."
The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Republican.""I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?""Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You've risen to where you are by expending a lot of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met but, somehow, now it's all my fault."

Stay sweet 'n smile.....................Mz.

Bright Eyes

I met him a couple weeks ago. We both sit at a language table practicing the beautiful spoken art of Ojibwe. He actually speaks several languages which left an impressive influence on me to practice my knowledge more consistently. He was so charming, warm, and welcoming. I quickly felt comfortable in his company. Comfort is a big deal, too. Speaking a language as difficult as Ojibwe can lead to many mispronounciations. It can give the more fluent speakers the giggles and leave someone like me with a rosy face. It is amazing how one slip of the tongue can have you admitting to unrepeatable acts, asking indecorous questions, and telling preposterous stories that leave the listeners saying "what?"....and me saying wiidookawishin to the others.

I saw him again last week. It wasn't the first time I noticed his eyes, but this time was different. I could feel the weighted gaze upon me unlike before. I felt apprehensive, but dared to look anyways. I am unaware if it was curiosity or my obtuseness, but I lifted my head to greet his eyes. I immediately notice the pulchritudinous in front of me. His eyes were amazing and bright. You could easily see his depth and passion within. I knew at that moment that he was a person of great conversation.

Now, I am a sufferer and practitioner of satirical wit called sarcasm. It is the inheritance in my family passed down from one generation to the next. After repeatedly proving itself as a great surviving mechanism in times of need, I bring it out in arid situations.

Maybe it was my comfort level getting too cozy, the topic too heavy, or the eyes being so beautifully bright. I don't have any true knowledge as to why it left my lips, but out it flowed like the Mississippi River during flood season. I tried to correct my shallow commentary. But with his deepness, there was no reachable connection. Quietly, I watched as he drifted off to his own dreamland.

I have not had the opportunity to talk to him since that day. I missed having a conversation with him at the language table this week. I guess I'll make it a priority to be there at the next one. Maybe, he and his bright eyes will forgive me of my transgressions and engage in a conversation with me once again. And in return, I will promise myself to try harder not to be mesmerized by bright eyes again.

Yeah, right!

Stay sweet 'n smile.....................Mz.

His Question

My cousin, Daniel, is an interesting guy. He is a comedian by profession and possibly by circumstance. With wit and sarcasm, he humors the masses across North America. I have seen him perform and he is actually really funny. My favorite thing about Daniel is the fascinating conversations we have had. Especially, I loved the times when we stayed up all night playing Nintendo. I haven't seen him for quite some time, but the internet keeps us connected. Daniel has his own blog of commentary which I read often. Recently, he posted many questions to his readers. I decided I will answer one of them here.

When was the last time you layed under the stars?

Last week, I was traveling home from Duluth. It's about 160 miles of quietness for me. I love having the time to think and reflect without any distractions besides looking out for deer and the occasional crazy driver passing me by doing 85 mph. This night was little different. The sky was clear and all the clouds that casted over the city earlier were missing in action. The stars were twinkling above and their very sparkle made me look up. I know my face evinced my joy at the sight above me. But I was driving, so this glee was only transient. I began to wonder about the last time I spent stargazing.

Last summer, the kids persistently reminded me of their desire to go camping. I surrendered to their request when I found the tent of my dreams. I actually considered how exciting it would be to escape the city for some forest solitude.

We scored a jackpot with the weather. It was mild and sunny for three days. Our campsite was fairly secluded and peaceful. The kids were more than happy to haul wood to our site and appreciated the glow of the warm fire at night. We enjoyed our days of activity surrounded by nature. On the last night, after smores and stories, we quickly drifted off to dreamland.

I don't know what awoke me. I had the urge to leave the tent. I decide to go out and look around. The first thing I observed was how dark my surroundings were without the burning fire. The moonlight was fleeting and only the stars illuminated the sky above me. I decided to lay on my blanket and enjoy the view above. The trees around me limited my view to a portion of the sky, but still the stars sparkled with magic. These self-luminous celestial masses spoke serenity to my soul. I took pleasure in the moment until my body reminded me it was time to sleep. As I nestled into my makeshift bed in the tent, I closed my eyes. I could still see the stars in my mind. They were still twinkling bright as ever. That night I made a memory of those wonderful moments. This summer, I hope to make many more under the stars.

Stay sweet 'n smile.....................Mz.

Indigenous

....INDIGENOUS....

....Original....
....Local....
....Natural....
....Innate....
....Unaffected....
....Inborn....
....Normal....
....Inheritance....
....Tradition....
....Inherent....
....Descendant....
....Aboriginal....
....Nation....
....Ancestral....
....Native....
....Heir....


....Me....


Stay sweet 'n smile.....................Mz.