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                                                                                   Enjoy yourself!
When I decided to create my own "Homepage," I asked myself: "Self, how can you make this page personal, without simply answering the same-old questions in the same-old ways?" (and, Yes!, I do talk to myself... I consider it a sign of good mental health! ) You see, I don't want to simply tell visitors that "my favorite websites are..." & "my favorite music is..." or "I like cats" [even though I do!]...
If this is the best that I could find to do, why bother?? (Besides, I wondered, why would a visitor want to stay & visit, if I can't arouse my visitor's curiosity?)

"So, O.K. Self, what can you do to make this bit of electronic space 'unique'?"
Then I realized...[how obvious!]... "this little bit of electronic space is mine! ...My own space... My own World!"

"Eureka!" that was it; this is my world, to create as I please!....
So, I promptly declared myself "goddess" (just call me "Gaia") of this little World.
I looked around. And I wondered:
          What can I do to fill this World?... this mental- Wilderness?
          ... What will live in the Forest, in my mind?
And so... I opened my Mind, my Thoughts, and my Opinions;
...my Heart, my Feelings, and my Experiences;
...my Soul, my Beliefs, and my Dreams...

They emerged; took on forms, names, and personalities.

Please come in and meet them. You'll find them in the Forest:
Hillika--- visit Hillika's cabin;
Rowan--- go to Rowan's hearth (if she isn't home, go inside and wait!);
Cybele--- you'll find her in Cybele's sanctum;
Shadowolf--- she's usually near her Den;
... and Childe--- you'll find her in Childe's Playroom, of course!
if you have time, please come meet my husband; there is a "part" of him on his page!

And, please visit the Organ Transplant Page.
........................................................ATTITUDES...............................................................
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do
is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude.... I am convinced that life is 10%
what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes."
This is one of my favorite quotations;
also one of the most inspiring things
that I have read. It was written by            
Charles Swindoll.
Hillika's Lodge
One of my great grandmothers
was named Hillika Nati. The one
time that I remember meeting her,
she lived in an old cabin, in the
Smokey Mountains of northern
Georgia.
She heated her mountainside cabin with a wood stove;
she brought her water in to the kitchen sink with a hand pump;
lit her home with lamps; and had outdoor plumbing...
Hillika seemed like a family secret when I was growing up. She was my grandfather's mother. And, she was Indian. I hardly ever heard mention of her, before or after her death. I might not have ever seen her... that I could remember... except that once, she sent my great uncle to ask that I be brought to see her. This great uncle was well-loved, and my parents reluctantly agreed to his request.
As near as I can figure, I must have been 5 or 6 years old. I remember how long the trip seemed; and driving up in the mountains. I remember an old, unpaved drive to her cabin... the rickety steps... the smell of a wood fire... the feel of a chill evening, as I sat with her on her screened back porch, while my folks did...whatever... with my great uncle... And, I remember her, sitting in her rocking chair; the sounds from the woods around us, and that she told me what kind of animal made each sound.

I remember being sad when we left.
Sometimes I feel like her spirit has haunted me for most of my life. Sometimes I wonder if she left me some part of her, when she died. A gift from Hillika to her great-grandaughter...
You can read a true story about a strange experience that I had when I was a young child, that I think of as having "...met the spirits of my ancestors..."
just CLICK HERE...
I wonder how many of us who live in the United States have Native American blood? Probably quite a few of us.

And I wonder how many of us who have it even know that they do?? Probably fewer.
On my father's side, my great-grandmother was Creek. On my mother's side, I was told that I have a Seminole great-grandmother. My husband has Cherokee blood---more of it than I have Creek & Seminole, combined.
If you have heard of any Native American ancestors in your family...check it out; you owe it to yourself...

...not simply to verify "who" or "what"; but, to learn more about the Nations---all of them. Each of them is a distinct, rich, full culture. Each has something of value to teach all of us. Each is a part of this country's heritage, and can enrich your life by knowing about it.

Below, you will find a few of the many interesting websites that can teach you about some of these cultures:
http://geocities.datacellar.net/Athens/Forum/4438/
http://www.native-american.com/index.htm
http://www.fivetribes.com/
http://www.seminoletribe.com/
http://www.thespike.com/irolaw.htm
CYBELE'S SANCTUM
I am entering my "Crone" years. I won't pretend that I don't feel some sadness for the passage of my youth. In my mind, I still have the young body that I remember so well... in spite of the growing collection of aches and pains! If I could never see my reflection again, I'd probably be much happier.
I feel afraid of death; but, I also know that coming to terms with this inevitable transition is part of what must be accomplished during this part of my life.

But, along with these feelings, I also have a great sense of excitement, adventure, and in some ways a sense of relief at the approach of this part of my life! In it's own ways, this stage of life will be just as mysterious & wonderful, just as world-opening & life-affirming, as puberty or as motherhood.
CLICK HERE to go to the next page!
come to Cybele's Sanctum,
to learn more about the Crone years;
CLICK HERE...
1970 - Florida
1974 - Kentucky
1969 - California
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