About Me

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For me it is All About Being of Service & Living the Life of the Give-Away....

Being Mindful of those who are unable to speak for themselves; our Non-Two Legged Relations and the Future Generations.

It's about walking on the Canka Luta Waste Behind the Cannunpa and the ceremonies.

It's about Mindfulness and Respect. It's about Honesty and owning up to my foibles.

It's about: Mi Takuye Oyacin

Monday, November 29, 2010

For the Birds or Nuts to You

 
Since I was a child, thanks to my mother,  I have had a passion for seeds! Pumpkin & sunflower...I can spend hours cracking the shells between my teeth and slowly savoring those tiny salty inside morsels.

Until recently, with the influx of Armenian stores, seeds just were not readily available unless in those small overpriced packages.  Although those seeds were usually stale, they still made you crave more and one package was never enough to satisfy my craving once I began eating them.

Imagine my delight upon stumbling upon fresh seeds of both types in the local Armenian bakery....whoo hoo!  So once a week I now stop and buy a bag of seeds for myself and my mother.  I usually take my seeds home and eat them at night while working on my computer, sometimes I take them to work to share or eat at my desk...and therein lies the problem...... I like to eat them at my desk.

Two weeks back, I had some extremely good sunflower seeds.  I had shared them during our break, over Hye Kakan Kaffe, and had taken the remaining ones back to my desk  and was enjoying them while doing some paperwork.

For some reason or another I happened out to the Reference Desk where my manager was talking to the young childrens' librarian.  As I approached the desk she walked away...and my manager said to me: "I have something I have to talk to you about".  I asked him what it was and he told me he "I've gotten a complaint about you eating sunflower seeds at your desk and it is too noisy".  I wasn't very amused....in fact I was incredulous!  I told him that I couln't believe the "Pettiness" of some people...and he turned red.

Honestly....I have never once complained about the fact that the same complaining librarian will stand in front of my desk talking to the Reference Librarian, while I am trying to work, and go on ad nauseam whining about; her social life, the weddings she's in & attending, her dislike/terror of rattlesnakes & the fact that she continues to hike where they live, her dog, her friends, etc. for 45 minutes to an hour without stopping. 

What gives?  Oh, yeah....I forget, she's "special" and yammering incessantly in a high whining tone of voice isn't annoying or bothering anyone when they are trying to work..... Go figure!

             

30 Cents

I work in a Library.  I have for over 30 years.  The Library, like every other place of business has terms and conditions of use.  One of those is Late Item Fees, better known as OVERDUE Fines!

When a person signs for a Library Card, they accept the responsibility of proper care & use of materials as well as adhering to loan periods.

Where I work, you can borrow most items for THREE (3) weeks and renew them Three (3) times, unless there is a request/hold on that item, for a total of TWELVE (12) Weeks...that's like 84 days. 

You can renew your item by telephone, in person at ANY Library in our system, or online.  Heck, we even send you a 3-day warning e-mail as a reminder of the due date, if that's what you request.

So then, what's the big whine about a book being 1 day late and owing 30 cents? I mean, really, if you don't want to pay your fines, fine, don't.....you can still check-out materials until that magic limit is reached..... If you're decent and have a really good reason, we even consider giving you a break on your fines (as well as your arm).....


However, please remember, we do explain it ALL to you (shades of Sister Mary Ignatius) when you register for a Library Card (we even give you a printed copy of our policies).....  So GET OVER IT...pay the 30 cents but, Do NOT scream at the staff or call them nasty names as if it's their fault for your being remiss.


Saturday, November 27, 2010

The Horrordays Are Upon Us

 And so this is Christmas? 

Don't get me wrong...I Love the holidays, I do...I get 12 paid holidays off a year (this year I got 14-15 because of the Friday/Saturday thing)....so that's a good thing.  I get to see most of my family & friends (the ones who matter most to me).  We go out, we visit, we eat, drink & get quite jolly on the holiday!  I get to cook All the Ethnic foods from my childhood: perogie, tholma (dolma), cookies (well mom does these), borscht (no beets, the fermented Polish version), I buy tamales.....the champagne flows, as does the wine & tequila.....

Some years I have a tree, most years I don't, in fact mom hasn't had a tree for at least three years now.  I've giving up on wrapping paper...the gift bags I get @ the thrift store & 99 cents store are perfect and saves me so much time, ribbon...they look just as nice.  And, come on, let's be real, who looks at the wrapping any more.....it goes in the trash, the gift bags are re-useable!

Gifts:  what to get & for whom to buy......  Let's see, mom & I buy each other gifts throughout the year.  We go shopping together quite a bit, so if one of us sees something we'd just love to have, the other buys it.  I got my gift this year while at the County Fair, a beautiful painting of Peruvian women carrying flowers & children on their backs by R. Rivera.....  Mom just got hers two weeks ago, she was at Macy's and saw a pair of white gold diamond hoops that she wanted....she bought them, I paid her back.  Simple as that.  I buy my gifts for others all year round....sometimes I give them early and may or may not get them a second one.  I like to give gifts all during the year, I don't need an "official day" or reason....I just have it, I see it online, in the store...you like it...I give it to you!  Hey....it's the thought and it's a "Random Act of Kindness"....it's a "Let's give you some joy today" day.

So then it comes to this....for me christmas is not a "Holiday" for everyone...it is something that is forced upon the people, who are by Majority NOT "christian", in fact they are only 33% of the world's population, but obviously the "squeakiest", pun intended.  Hey, but who am I to kevetch?  I get two paid days off of work this year...and again all that scrumptious food.

New Year:  When is that, Actually?  January 1st?  December 21st?  My birthday, December 17th?  Your birthday? Rosh Hashanah?  Easter?   Vernal Equinox, March 20th/21st?   See what I mean?

Ok...I don't know where I'm going with this...they are random thoughts I have about holidays.....

I don't like shopping for gifts because I "have to".....I really hate the fact that Hallmark brings out their "christmas ornaments" in July...GAG ME!  I like to shop whenever the mood strikes me....like "If I stay in this building (work) one more minute I'm gonna kill someone....time to take a walk...I'll just go to T.J. Maxx"...  You know something like that.....I shop online, I shop when I go to Disneyland (hey the kids [of all ages] love it). I don't like crowds of people, especially ones that barge in front of me and refuse to say "Excuse Me"...or have kids running amok & screaming & grabbing EVERYTHING they want in sight!   Nope....just not gonna do it.

Why can't it always be Halloween? 

Thursday, November 25, 2010

So This Is "Thanksgiving"

Today is the day that most people in the u.s. celebrate what is called "Thanksgiving".  The wasicu (white man) history books tell one thing, while the Native American history tells us a much different story...one of betrayal & slaughter.

Putting all that aside, I happen to believe that "Thanksgiving" is not just one day out of the year, but that it is 365 days out of the year. 

Each & Every morning that I get up out of bed & can function in a "normal" manner is a day of Giving Thanks.  Every morning on my way to work, I offer up a pinch of tobacco and acknowledge the gifts Tunka Shila (Creator) has seen fit to graciously bestow upon my (sometimes sorry) self.

So even though today I am home alone...I have eaten well.  I made myself a hearty soup & have prepared food for the family feast I will attend tomorrow.

I count as my blessings:
All those who Love & Support me, as well as those who do not
My cats
My comfortable home
My health & continuing sanity
My Awesome (yet dry) sense of humor
My job.... Yes, I Do LOVE My Job (Thank-you Mark)
My ability to pay my debts in a timely and higher payment manner
My vehicle
My relationship w/ Tunka Shila
My intuition
My artistic ability
My creativity in the kitchen & out
The Cannunpa
The "Medicines" I carry & those which carry me
The food I eat & the Clean water I drink...
All those who made the sacrifice(s) so I may have food, drink, shelter & "medicine", ceremony & enough to share with others
"That man"....the gourd guy
So, for myself, it is like that...And the list goes on & on & on.....

Pilamiya.....Mi Takuye Oyacin

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Spirit Vessel Gourd Display

I am displaying my Spirit Gourd Vessels at:
   
 La Canada Flintridge Library
4545 Oakwood Ave
La Canada Flintridge, CA

Library Hours:
Mon, Tue, & Wed:             10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Thurs:                                   10:00 am - 6:00 pm 
Fri & Sat:                              11:00 am - 5:00 pm 

The one pictured above is from my private collection and is entitled: Nanuuq's Heart.

The display will run until November 31st. and prices are available upon request @ the front desk.   Gourds will also be available for purchase Saturday, December 4th @ the Library during the Friends of the Library Holiday Booksale.  A portion of the gourd sales will be donated to the Friends of the La Canada Flintridge Library