Freedom University

A L O H A !

  ". . . You know, 

if you take all your books, 

lay them out under the sun,
 and let the snow and rain 

and insects

work on them for a while -

 There will be

nothing left.

But the Great Spirit

has provided you and me
 with an opportunity for study

in nature's university. . . "

Tatanga Mani, 

Stoney Tribe

in

Touch the Earth: 

A Self Portrait of Indian Existence

by T.C. McLuhan

Christmas Vampire

A L O H A

to

YOU !

Gosh it feels like Christmas!

  The TV is showing blizzards

in North America,

Mrs. Obama and the girls

are here on Oahu with us. . .

The parking lots at Ala Moana Shopping Center

are full,

  the road to the interstellar telescopes

atop the summit of Mauna Kea

is closed

because of snow and inclement weather.

There is hurry, frustration, &

transformative joy 

at loose on this island.

  Locally based troops

were the last group to leave Iraq this weekend.

Our  Hawaii Air National Guard brought them home.

We see them marching into the hangar

to the jubilation of their families

on local TV news and it makes

me cry every time.

Can't help thinking of what poet Robert Graves,

a combatant in WWI,

said of the night that 

that war ended:

" The news sent me out walking. . .

cursing and sobbing

and thinking of

the dead. "

  =^.^=

Holiday cards are coming in 

bringing an air of festivity

into our home.

Meanwhile,

especially this year,

we are doing NOTHING

but enjoying it all!

There will be DRY champagne,

and happy times.

We are sort of:

Christmas Vampires,

enjoying it all through the emotions

of others,

free-riders.

It has been wonderful

visiting all of your posts,

looking around at all the jollity,

and deep reflection,

then leaving for the next party-

all without bringing anything

but a friendly comment,

or being thought rude

for leaving so quickly.

Thank YOU

for sharing this wondrous season!

Mindful of New Years, Hanukkah, Kwanza,

I have always enjoyed wishing others:

"Happy Holidays."

Nowadays, some who find that offensive

(as denying the primacy of christians)

have taken all the joy out of it.

I refuse to say Merry Christmas,

because bullies dictate it.

*SIGH*

Glad you and I

are past all that!

Thanks SO much-

Tell us a small holiday treasure you enjoy

in comments !

                                                                     Fondly, cloudia

Happy Trees

A L O H A !

The trees are happy today!

Look at the witless smile

on this guy!

You can really see

his personality

in this shot

Wonder

what they will be up to

tomorrow-

   (*)>
/ )
/"   

Thanks for visiting

What are your trees up to?

Tell us in Comments!

                                                                           WARMLY, cloudia

Emotional Day

" Thank You "

That was the message of the day

yesterday.

  I'm wrung out

from the sheer emotion

of it.

Sure,

nice things happen every day 

here in Waikiki

Parades here are commonplace

But yesterday, 

the parade was for these guys

The "Go For Broke"

WWII Veterans of Hawaii

Men who fought fascism overseas

and prejudice at home,

Defeating them both

This month 

they were awarded the

Congressional Gold Medal. 

They were already

the most decorated unit 

in US military history. 

Even if you usually don't click on videos, 

do  watch the video below about the Vets

and about the day.

  It was a beautiful day to say "Thank You" 

to REAL HEROES!  

Thank YOU for kindly visiting here. 

It really means a LOT!  

                      

                                       Warmly, cloudia

What does she see in HIM?!

Aloha, 

and Welcome to a

One Minute Romance !

 " Every cloud has its silver lining 

but it is sometimes a little difficult

to get it to the mint.  "

Don Marquis

" Every crowd has a silver lining. "

P. T. Barnum

" Every silver lining has a cloud. "

Mary Kay Ash

 There are many seasons

of love

“The best inheritance

a parent can give to his children

is a few minutes of their time

 each day.”

 

 M. Grundle

 

 And now, on to the show:

Thank YOU for visiting-

What advice would you give the couple?

Tell us in Comments!

                                                                                          Warmly, cloudia

Up the Rainbow Stair

A L O H A !

 

picture-click for tiny revelations

Find the stair

to the rainbow-

Up there

is a grand, light-filled

room
  whose pillars 

are giant trees

That room is filled 

with the languages

and voices

of all the world

Her dome a filigree

of light and white

There is also timely season 

of  night,
 glowing

to relieve the sight-

Else how could there be

windows seen in heaven

openings and gates

of light & love 

Portals

that some never

learn of

Note the Oahu weather map on the TV through the reflection. Click on this one for sure.

Through which to thread

the rainbow stairway

down-

Rainbow fairway
gaily painted
as a clown-

Rainbow
contradiction:
happy  frown !

Thank YOU

for riding here

on your pixel steed;

To leave a comment

is divine

                    indeed!   Warmly, cloudia

Be a Rat

A L O H A !

" Do good work 

and do it because it is a gift to the world.

  No matter how inconsequential

others may feel 

about the value of your contribution,

it is the giving that matters. 

The surprise here

  will be that the beneficiary

who gains most . . . is you. "

James Woods

" Cherish the dead

you once loved

so carelessly.

They still live

in your heart. "

James Woods

" The more perfect we are
 the more gentle and quiet
 we become
 towards the defects
 of others. "

Joseph Addison

( ´_?`)

Researchers

at the University of Chicago were surprised

at the consistency of their results;

Again and again, lab rats freed

a fellow rat.

To make it interesting,

scientists added tempting chocolate

to the situation.

23 of 30 rats

opened that cage door

for the other rat first.

"Basically they told us

that freeing another rat

is as important

as eating chocolate."

"In some case, rats first 

took the chocolate chips 

but didn't eat them,

they freed the other rat

and shared. "

Peggy Mason, PhD,

Some of the male rats,

7 of 24 tested,

didn't free the other rat.

"There were days when the male rats

took the day off

from helping their trapped partner,

but the females never did. "

Peggy Mason

study author

 in the journal

Science.

"If rats can be so caring and helpful

there's a sense of optimism.

It's something we could be. "

Jeff Mogil PhD

McGill University

So empathy is not a disadvantage,

but a characteristic we have preserved

as useful to survival.

Thank YOU freeing me

from the cage of my 'alone-ness'

today.  Leave a chocolate comment;

Be as sweet . . . As a RAT!

                                                Fondly, cloudia

Here's an amazing liberation: