Lishui is a rapidly growing industrial city in China. With the government’s help and blessing, developers have been transforming rugged farmland into level parcels suitable for manufacturing facilities. In recent years, engineers have used dynamite and dump trucks to flatten 108 hills and mountains. The official motto that guides workers is “Each person does the work of two; two days’ work is done in one.” While I don’t normally recommend that you engage in such extreme labors, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to make an exception. You’ll have cosmic forces on your side if you do the work of two as you carry out the equivalent of demolishing mountains.

Goodness, this makes me tired just reading it. And I want to slap the Chinese for taking out 108 mountains and working their people like they’re disposable. *sigh* I’m sure that wasn’t Rob Brezsny’s intent.

And it’s true.  I’m going to be crazy busy.  Yule cards, many prezzies that need to be started and finished.  Prepping for my brother and his family’s arrival for the Christmas holidays.  And some other stuff.

My bro and I are both adopted.  Not blood siblings.  We are as close as any siblings can be.  As we grow and mature we continue forging an already strong bond.  This means more to me than just about anything in world.  I love my brother like I love my own self and life without him would be a dreary lot.  We have had some bad times over the years too.  But not once did any of those times ever change my undying devotion and love for him.  But I never expected this.

One of my favorite fantasies was that my birth family would be wealthy and decide that they felt so bad about it all that I become an heir.  heh.  Smoking crack one would think.  But that is exactly what just happened to my brother.  And he’s decided to share some of his good fortune.  Happy Thanksgiving to me.  And Joyous Noel, Merry Christmas, and Brightest Solstice blessings all rolled into one.

The first thing on my list besides some savings? A new vacuum.  One that my poor back can handle.  Vacuuming is the worst chore in the world for me.  I’d rather clean the toilet and the cat box than vacuum.  I leave it for weeks.  And with a dark green carpet and being a woman who plays with fabric and thread, you’d think I’d do it more often. I need one with some serious suction so I don’t have to work so hard.  I just hate it and usually end up on the couch with a pain pill. 

Who knew back in my wild and crazy days that I’d be EXCITED to buy a vacuum?

Five days a week I go through my list of links and check my favorite blogs for new posts.  And I was floored to discover that one them, Pandora’s Bazaar, listed me as one of her newly linked blogs.  For the same reason that Pandora mentioned, I love this kind of list because I get to discover new blogs too. 

And this one?

Lover of Strife?  Is rocking things up very nicely.  I’ve linked to a great post she wrote a day or more ago that just was inspirational.  But there’s more there, much more.

Thanks Pandora.  To find more kindred spirits just makes my day.  And to find that *I* am a kindred spirit to someone else like Pandora or Grace?  Makes me verklempt.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote my house and senate people calling for the impeachment of Dick Cheney. I received a form email last week from Patty Murray that basically said that she felt that if we impeached Cheney it would distract us from other issues that needed attention. And I was just disgusted at how lame this was. What chickenshitted rationalization it is. The guy has broken our country into pieces, has neighbors spying on neighbors, has done all he could to crush the constitution, used our resources, both human and financial, for an illegal and immoral war to fill his pocket and it’s not worth it to impeach the rat bastard??? He should be jailed in my opinion, as should Bush. But I do believe that we must get rid of Cheney first and not be left with him if Bush is ousted. Devil before Minion.

I am proud to say that I have considered myself fortunate for some time to live in the voting precinct for Jim McDermott. One of the only politicians I have ever truly respected. And this is HIS letter to me regarding the impeachment of Cheney.  It too is a form email but I’m much happier over the content.

Dear Cynthia:

I have received your message demanding impeachment of the President, and I appreciate knowing your views in this matter. I share your outrage over the conduct of the Bush Administration. Because Vice President Cheney has played perhaps the most critical role in developing the disastrous policies of this Administration, endangering both national and international security, I have joined several members of theHouse of Representatives in calling for his impeachment.

For many months, I viewed impeachment as a drastic course of action that would distract Congress from the considerable work requiring its attention. Over these same months, however, the Vice President insistently has pursued provocative actions that have threatened civil liberty, undermined the rule of law, and jeopardized our international standing. Impeachment of our highest elected officials should be considered only when those individuals commit intolerable acts. Sadly, the Vice President egregiously has violated the public trust, placing himself above the law and beyond its constraints. It is appropriate that the Congress now exercise its authority and obligation to remove him from office.

As you know, the impeachment process is protracted and complex. As the 110 th Congress progresses, I will keep your remarks in mind. Again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,
M
Jim McDermott
Member of Congress

Yay Jim. Go get him.

First I just want to tell Grace that I haven’t changed my mind. 😉

ahem…

This is always a quiet week around the office. Lots of folks taking extra days off due to the American holiday of Thanksgiving. Here at the University where I work, we get the Friday after Thanksgiving off instead of Columbus Day. This decision was made by the employees. We are a diverse and politically correct group of folks. Most days I can go with this flow. I’m all for including instead of excluding. Or remembering history the way it really was instead of how the winners tell you it should be.

In AA November is Gratitude Month. I’m sure this is a direct result of Thanksgiving. And I? Love it. While I don’t go for the party line story of the original Thanksgiving and sometimes I think the Indians Native Americans Tribes should have given us what for instead of the food, I can’t help but love the idea of having a feast that revolves around the idea of being grateful for what we have, what is right in front of us.

I’m grateful for many things today and thought I’d take a little inventory.

I’m grateful for:

• The sky, the earth, the air, the trees, the path I’m on
• The Beloved who honors all of me
• My family whose generosity and giving hearts have a lot to do with why I’m still on this green and blue rock in this body
• My sponsor who makes my life so interesting
• The rain that patters on my roof and makes me smile when I’m in bed reading and I hear it’s arrival
• The crows that gather at my home AND office
• That I have enough in this age of never enough
• That I have 4 days off this week
• That I think I finally have a migraine medication that works YAY!
• That the universe has a sense  of humor
• The warmth of a glowing fire
• Crispy turkey skin
• Hugs
• Blogs, pagan or otherwise
• Paganality
• Books
• The new black sweats I am wearing to work that don’t look like sweats but they sure are cozy
• That the part of the family that lives in France is coming for Christmas
• That I am aware of and access my creativity on a regular basis
• That I am sober and alive