GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #199

The meaning of this phrase is very important to me and hopefully to you as well.

Our elders deserve all of this and so much more.

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #198

Lucid dreaming is a fascinating topic. It is when you are dreaming and are aware that you are dreaming. In some cases, you are simply aware; in others, you have some control over what you do or what happens in the dream. This is apparently a technique that can be practiced and improved. I haven't done much reading about it, but there are a few links below that are interesting.

My personal experience with lucid dreaming is with only one very specific kind of dream and what I do in the dream. It has probably happened to me a dozen or so times in my life, but it is SO good when I can do it because it's a way I can wake myself from a horrible nightmare.

So in these particular dreams of mine, any number of things can be happening, but whatever it is, it's absolutely awful—unbearable even. There comes a point in the dream when I very suddenly think that this is so horrible, it's can't be real—it's got to be a dream. Then I consciously shake my head and I wake up!!! I think I'm actually shaking my head in real life as well as in the dream. The first time this happened (maybe ten or more years ago), it absolutely blew my mind, and I was so very relieved. Subsequent times, I've been so very grateful that I was able to wake up and that I had the awareness while in the dream that I could (possibly) shake myself out of it and wake up from it! The sense of relief is always so strong!

Some nice resources about lucid dreaming:
http://lucidity.com/
http://luciddreamingstories.com/
http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/12-amazing-benefits-of-lucid-dreaming.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201212/lucid-dreaming-and-self-realization


I'd be so interested to know if anyone who reads this has ever had lucid dreams. Would you leave me a comment and tell a little about your experience if you've ever had one? Thank you!!!

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #197

I have, as I am sure you have, heard the expression, "Think out of the box" many times. Be creative. Brainstorm. Try to go beyond your comfort level. Be a divergent thinker. It always has to do with thinking, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, I decided to change the phrase to more of an action phrase. Go beyond the thinking part and DO it!  :)

That is all.

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #196

Today it is SO much easier to find cruelty-free products than ever! I would go into what exactly "cruelty-free" means here, but today I will just give you some links to explore.

Definition from Wiki: "In the animal rights movement, cruelty-free is a label for products or activities that do not harm or kill animals. Products tested on animals are not considered cruelty free, since these tests are often painful and cause the suffering of millions of animals every year."

Only products with the leaping bunny are certified cruelty-free products:

GREAT LINKS FOR FINDING CRUELTY-FREE PRODUCTS:

https://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/LeapingBunny

http://features.peta.org/cruelty-free-company-search/index.aspx

http://www.leapingbunny.org/guide/brands

http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/list-of-cruelty-free-brands/

http://www.navs.org/cruelty-free/labeling-and-cosmetic-regulations

GET THE CRUELTY-FREE APP! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cruelty-free/id313825734?mt=8

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #195

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you, vegetarians, for not eating our turkey friends this year. Thanks to anyone else who didn't eat turkey or who bought their turkey from a certified humane source. They are beautiful and interesting birds, and they, as all factory farm animals, suffer greatly during their short lives in these conditions.

Please scroll down to read some interesting facts about turkeys.

Here are some interesting facts, found on www.onekind.org. (By the way, the turkey image is an extracted vintage "Tom Turkey" illustration from 1921 found on www.clipartplace.com, another nice image sourcing website for designers.

This is a fact I'd like to highlight for this post:

"Turkeys are intelligent and sensitive animals that are highly social. They create lasting social bonds with each other and are very affectionate; rather similar to dogs."

• The modern domesticated turkey descends from the wild turkey.
• Turkeys are known to exhibit over 20 distinct vocalisations. Including a distinctive gobble, produced by males, which can be heard a mile away.
• Individual turkeys have unique voices. This is how turkeys recognise each other.
• Turkeys are intelligent and sensitive animals that are highly social. They create lasting social bonds with each other and are very affectionate; rather similar to dogs.
• Turkeys have outstanding geography skills. They have the ability to learn the precise details of an area over 1,000 acres in size.
• Like peacocks, male turkeys puff up their bodies and spread their elaborate feathers to attract a mate.
• Baby turkeys (poults) flock with their mother all year. Although wild turkeys roost in the trees, as poults are unable to fly for the first couple of weeks of their lives, the mother stays with them at ground level to keep them safe and warm until they are strong enough to all roost up in the safety of the trees.
• Wild turkeys are able to fly at up to 55 mph, however only for relatively short distances. Most domestic turkeys however are unable to fly due to being selectively bred to be larger than would be suitable in wild circumstances.
• The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence. Female feathers are duller overall, in shades of brown and grey.
• The area of bare skin on a turkey’s throat and head vary in colour depending on its level of excitement and stress.When excited, a male turkey's head turns blue, when ready to fight it turns red.
• The long fleshy object over a male's beak is called a snood.
• Turkeys have 5000 to 6000 feathers.
• Benjamin Franklin wished to have wild turkeys as the national bird of the USA, rather than the bald eagle. 
• The turkey is believed to have been sacred in ancient Mexican cultures. The Mayans, Aztecs and Toltecs referred to the turkey as the ‘Great Xolotl’, viewing them as ‘jewelled birds’.

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #194

I have so much for which to be grateful in this life. I could write a list a mile long.

For today's phrase, I wanted to express gratitude as seen on people's faces. As I perused photos on the morguefile.com website, I was touched by so many of the photos of smiling kids, so I decided to use those. Children's smiles often express pure joy. I think when we feel gratitude, we should try to picture smiling little children... then picture ourselves as children smiling. Better yet, when we want to remind ourselves about all we can be grateful for, we can picture those faces. Pure joy, when we feel it, is something about which we can feel extremely grateful. Not everyone has many moments like this. We can be grateful when we do, and we can also be grateful that others do—that as humans, we are capable of feeling happy and can express that through smiling. We can also be grateful that smiling at other people can sometimes make a huge difference in their day.

Happy Thanksgiving. Smile! :)

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #193

Yesssssss!

Oh, yeah!!!!!

Alright!!!

I rule!!!!

Cool!!!!

Awesomeness!!!

What more can I say?

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #192

I've got a monkey on my back.

I've been eating really, really cleanly for some time now. Well, except for the occasional cheating. But mostly great. Lots of (non-meat) protein, tons of good veggies, very little carbs, healthy fats in low quantities, practically only fruit for sweets (and not much of that)... BUT...

I LOVE CHOCOLATE!

Here is the problem with that. I can't eat any chocolate without wanting more and more and more. I can't keep it in my house. Even if I eat out and have a chocolate dessert, I find I start craving it more afterwards. Ugh.

I've lost more than ten pounds in the last few months—something I really wanted to do. I have just a few more to go to reach my goal. I'm working out every day, and I'm getting a lot stronger as well as increasing my cardiovascular condition. Plus I just feel better! My clothes are fitting me again; I feel great when I work out; all of this relieves stress greatly.

Actually, as I sit here, I have a bag of chocolate (Lindt dark... one of my very favorites), which I'm just keeping as a "grab bag" gift for my family's pre-real-present-opening activity in December. I could reach over there right now and just have one...

NO! If I do, I will have fallen off the horse, and that entire bag would be gone very quickly.

Woe is me. :(

PS—Remove "Enthusiast," and insert "Addict." I need help!

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #191

No, this has nothing to do with the horror film that was apparently released a couple of years ago.

I'm just intrigued with this phrase. I did a teensy bit of research about it, and, as I thought, it is part of an ancient script... some other wording or translation of this is probably found in many of the world's religious, pagan, philosophical, and other texts. "Ashes to ashes..." you get the idea.

I came across a website that discusses the phrase in terms of scientific discovery and physics.

From http://www.arkintime.com/as-above-so-below/:
"When modern science extended the reach of its observation to the galaxies above and the microbes below, it made a surprising discovery: an atom proved strikingly similar to a solar system. Both were comprised of particles kept in orbit by the gravity of an energetic core. Modern technology had reiterated the wisdom of the ancients, who coined the very same discovery in the adage: As Above so Below."

Apparently, something called the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus is a short work which contains this phrase. 

From a Hermetic Fellowship site (http://www.hermeticfellowship.org/HFHermeticism.html), the question, "What is Hermeticism?" is answered. Hermeticism is a religious and philosophical/esoteric tradition based primarily upon writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus.

Here is yet another link that explains the phrase to some degree:
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/a/below_above.html

If you're interested... check out the above links. 

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #190

I am intrigued by the macabre, the bizarre, the creepy, the strange... I love scary stories and movies. It's no wonder that as an undergrad many years ago, I took a course called "Ghost Story Literature." Among other authors, Poe's work was a focus of the class, and we read "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven," for example. I enjoyed the class, as you might well imagine.

I don't know why I decided to find a quote by Edgar Allan Poe today, but I really, really like this one. I suppose you could say there is some kind of strangeness in just about any kind of beauty. The word strangeness can be interpreted in so many ways. Being strange can just mean unusual, not necessarily odd or weird.

It's really an interesting statement to ponder. We can find beauty in the ordinary... Is that because if we look closely, there is some kind of strangeness that helps bring out the beauty? What is your take on this view of beauty? I like thinking about it, myself...

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #189

What the world needs now. Maybe more than ever.

By the way, the song was actually written by Nick Lowe.

Link to original Elvis Costello & the Attractions video of the song


Lyrics:

As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity

I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred and misery?

And each time I feel like this inside
There's one thing I wanna know
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding?

And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony

'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding?

So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony

'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding?

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #188

To all you Peaks Freaks (of which I am one): You will know what this means.

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #187

This is a lyric line from a song I wrote called "Heartbeat Everywhere." A lot of people have told me it's their favorite song on my CHARM CD. I'm rather partial to it as well. My partner Paul and I play it live regularly as an acoustic duo. Rather than add more commentary, I'll just let you look/listen/watch/read (and buy if you want).

LOOK:

LISTEN: Reverbnation Page (click on "show all songs" and scroll to the bottom)

WATCH: Video of live performance

READ (lyrics below):

BUY CDs: My G. Lee & Jet Blonde CDBaby page

HEARTBEAT EVERYWHERE (words and music by Gloria Roubal, a.k.a. G. Lee)

I never wanted to be on a roller coaster ride with you

You were the one who locked me down, put the belt on

And let me try something new

Once we were up so high, way up in the air

Stomach dropping, getting mouthfuls of my own hair

The feeling of dread that I had was no longer there

Now my excitement could take me anywhere

I always wanted to run my fingers through your hair

I always wanted to see what it would feel like to kiss you

I always wanted to hold your lips against my own

To have your body next to mine

To feel your heartbeat everywhere

So now I know that you have thought about me too

As I thought about you

But I never ever knew until you

Told me I made your heart skip a little beat

Made me float up 'til I couldn't feel my feet

Ain't it sad we might have gone through our whole lives

Feeling bad about the love we might be missing

Whether we ever get together doesn't matter

'Cause I know what's in your heart, and you know what's in mine

I always wanted to run my fingers through your hair

I always wanted to see what it would feel like to kiss you

I always wanted to hold your lips against my own

To have your body next to mine

To feel your heartbeat everywhere

I always wanted to run my fingers through your hair

I always wanted to see what it would feel like to kiss you

I always wanted to hold your lips against my own

To have your body next to mine

To feel your heartbeat everywhere

To feel your heartbeat everywhere
To feel your heartbeat everywhere
To feel your heartbeat everywhere

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #186

I don't know when I first heard of or read Rumi, the 13th century Persian poet, Islamic jurist, and theologian. The wisdom of this spiritual man, who lived from 1207–1273, is vast and deep. So much (if not everything) I've read by him applies to the present. It is timeless and universally true, in my own opinion.

This quote is particularly pertinent to my life right now as well as to the lives of many people that I love.

From Wikipedia:
Although Rumi's works were written in Persian, Rumi's importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. His original works are widely read in the original language across the Persian-speaking world. Translations of his works are very popular in South Asian, Turkic, Arab and Western countries. His poetry has influenced Persian literature as well as Urdu, Bengali and Turkish literatures. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world's languages in various formats, and BBC News has described him as the "most popular poet in America".

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #185

Listening to Neko Case as I write this. I became a real fan of her at a live concert several years ago at the Canopy Club in Urbana, IL. I had several of her CDs before that, and I did like her a lot, but the show was to promote the CD "Middle Cyclone," which has SO many amazing songs that truly move me. Then I continued to discover songs of hers that I already had that touched me differently from that point on. Some of her songs are more upbeat than others (I tend to be drawn to the more melancholy ones, but love the uptempo, "happier" songs too).

This song is on her CD "Blacklisted," which happens to be the first CD of hers I purchased. So much of what I love is her voice and delivery. I love the instrumentation (and her musicians are always stellar on her recordings and her live shows). She always has a specific amount and type of reverb on her voice, which works exceptionally well for her. I love her style. I can't even really describe it. There's some country, folk, roots rock, Americana, "cowboy music,"...and more influences, but she really has a style all her own. Many of her songs' lyrics are cryptic (at least to me), which I like. It's like she's telling a story but not telling everything, so you wonder...

"Stinging Velvet" is a song that has an upbeat, toe-tapping feel, yet the lyrics are so sad!

Listen here (pay no attention to the video that is with it...)

Lyrics:

Rain falls, I fix my eyes
Let go of the focus and I blur out all the lines
Just to remember, remember

Crying 'cause it's not my fault
Water through my lashes look just like Christmas lights
And I still remember, remember

Cold and shivering
Cold and shivering
Cold and shivering warm

Sing please, rock me to sleep
Quiet as a canyon up under heaven's eaves
I surrender, surrender

Downstairs the furnace swells
Safe from all the horrors in your stinging velvet arms
And I surrender, surrender

Cold and shivering
Cold and shivering
Cold and shivering warm

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #184

This song by The Bird & The Bee is stunningly beautiful and sad. Haunting. I cried the first many times I listened to it, or at least came close. It definitely moves me.

Please read the lyrics and listen to the song.

Lyrics

Song on Youtube

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #183

To show compassion and support for France during this incredibly painful and difficult time.

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #182

Chris Cornell is one of my very favorite rock singers/songwriters. I was first familiar with him as lead singer of the band Soundgarden, and I enjoyed songs such as "Black Hole Sun" and "Burden in My Hand." (He is also known for being the lead singer in the band Audioslave as well as Temple of the Dog.) It wasn't until a friend lent me the Chris Cornell solo record, "Euphoria Morning" some years later that I really developed a deep appreciation for his voice and songwriting.

Probably my two favorite songs of his are (click on song title to listen):

Wave Goodbye
and
When I'm Down

Damn, those are good songs.

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #181

I was on the hunt for great literary quotes, and I came across this one from the 1890 Charles Dickens book, Great Expectations. I've never read it. Maybe I will one day. But the quote is something I believe in wholeheartedly. I find it so sad that in our society, people are afraid to cry. People are afraid they will be judged harshly by others if they are seen crying. Men, particularly, are socialized to hide their tears, or better yet, don't ever even admit to having them. SO SAD! Kids make fun other kids who cry (at certain ages anyway). People are seen as having their emotions "out of control" if they weep. I could go on and on... but I'll just say tears are natural and human and necessary. If tears are arising, pushing them back is not healthy. Sure, there are times when crying is less than convenient, and sometimes we can push them back temporarily so that we can cry in safety—by ourselves or with someone we can lean on... someone we trust. I love this quote so much—the way it's worded and the message it clearly communicates. One day, if I read the book, I'll know the context in which Dickens meant it in the story. But it stands alone just perfectly.

I created two versions (just in terms of color and effect). Not sure which one I like better. You?

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #180

I love animals. ALL kinds!

As far as animals I've lived with, I grew up with cats (and a few hamsters, lizards, toads, snakes, box turtles, and I think that covers it). I love cats. I have two cats currently (Stella and Zeba) along with one dog (Silvio). I always loved dogs but never had much experience with them as a kid. I was in my mid-thirties when we adopted our first dog, Danté, from the Humane Society. He was such a special boy. He's been gone for about seven years, and I miss him still. Shortly after adopting Danté, we adopted Nica, and they were the greatest pair. Nica was the sweetest dog in the world. She's been gone for just over a year. Needless to say, I still miss her greatly as well. There have been many cats in my family who've died... I love and miss all of my fur family members. The love will always remain...as will the memories.

My relationship with each animal is unique. I don't love one any more than another. I love them in different ways—as different as the unique personality of each one. The three with us right now are sweet, quirky, playful, affectionate, and funny in their own ways. I can't imagine a home without animals. (And, I do have two praying mantises right now as well, but that's another story!)

But this post is about puppies. Until Danté was part of the family, I never knew how much dogs could enrich our lives. Danté was about seven months old when we adopted him, so he was still a puppy, but not a baby. I've never experienced having a young puppy. No matter... Dogs...puppies... they add something so special to a family.

I have always remembered the Peanuts comic that said, "Happiness is a warm puppy." Charles Schulz based his Snoopy character on his own beagle. In fact, most of my childhood experiences with dogs were with Snoopy, I guess you could say! Anyway, I wanted to use this for one of my phrases, and today I came across this wonderful photograph on Morguefile.com that so beautifully expresses the sentiment.

I enjoyed creating this one. I hope you enjoy seeing it.

I found a couple of examples of Peanuts comics that have the text. I'm not sure if the Lucy strip was the original place that Charles Schulz placed this phrase, but they are both so sweet. :)

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #179

Today's phrase is a song title. I wrote this song a few years ago and never had it properly recorded. I did record a demo of it on Garageband, which was really, really fun (and I'm fairly proud of my little production of it!), but I'm hoping to someday record another CD of just songs I wrote completely by myself. Ah well... No time for that at the moment.

Oh, and I do play the song at live solo performances, occasionally.

GLORIA'S REVERBNATION PAGE (listen to my demo of the song here)

SEA OF APOLOGIES (words and music written by Gloria Roubal)

I used to float but lately I've been pulled down
I struggle to maintain my head above
Knowing what I know now about how you believe
You can talk your way out of anything
Take advantage of my love

You had me fooled then when you got down on your knees
So promising that image I observed
And now I rue the day when I first said hey baby that's okay
It began a chain of pardons that you did not deserve

Swimming through the sea of your apologies
Has a quality like sweet but tainted honey
Like one of my old dreams
Can barely move it's hard to breathe
And the only way is out that time is running

When only just a few had been said to me by you
It was effortless to wash up on the shore
The best of us can make the very worst of bad mistakes
Getting over yours was easy for you
So you made them even more

But the sorries were increasing
Time between them started shrinking
And the guilt you were releasing formed an anchor tied to me
For my forgiveness you would plead
And the more I would concede
The more I sank so regretfully

I used to float but lately I've been pulled down
But now I can regain my buoyancy
Knowing what I know now I think I'll say goodbye and go now
Fly away on these new wings of clarity

Swimming through the sea of your apologies
Has a quality like sweet but tainted honey
Like one of my old dreams
Can barely move it's hard to breathe
And the only way is out that time is running

Swimming through the sea of your apologies
Has a quality like sweet but tainted honey
Like one of my old dreams
Can barely move it's hard to breathe
And the only way is out that time is running

The only way is out that time is running
Only way is out that time is running

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #178

I've been working at my new job for just over three weeks. I'm the Design & Marketing Coordinator at the Champaign Public Library, and I love it!

Today I had the task of designing the Staff Development Day agenda. My manager, who is wonderful by the way, suggested that I actually create one of my hand generated type phrases to place at the top of the agenda. How exciting for me! I actually got to design one of these for an authentic piece at my job!!!

I'll try to remember to post the entire agenda document later so you can see how it all fits together, but for now, here is the "headline." We're printing it on 4.25 x 8.5 orange card stock (black ink only), and the agendas will be front and back.

The Director of the Library said she liked it, too, which is a big plus!

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #177

And THE CARS sing...

Let the good times roll... Let them knock you around.
Let the good times roll... Let them make you a clown.
Let them leave you up in the air,
Let them brush your rock and roll hair...

That song was running through my head today. I'm a sucker for that era and genre of music. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel happy, uplifted!

So when a song like that is running through my head, I'm pretty much in a good state of mind. :)

(And OMG... the production is amazing. LISTEN. No wonder... The producer was Roy Thomas Baker who also produced five of Queen's albums... just a little tidbit of trivia.)

By the way, the song by The Cars is titled, "Good Times Roll," but there are, of course, a number of songs titled, "Let the Good Times Roll." Let's see what Wikipedia has to say about that:

Let the Good Times Roll may refer to:

• "Let the Good Times Roll" (Shirley and Lee song), a 1956 song by Shirley and Lee
• "Let the Good Times Roll" (Louis Jordan song), a 1946 song by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
• Let the Good Times Roll (album), a 1999 album by B.B. King
• "Good Times Roll", 1978 song by The Cars
• "Good Times Roll", a parody of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" from The Rutles soundtrack
• "Good Times" (Sam Cooke song), also known as "Let the Good Times Roll"
• "Come On" (Earl King song), also known as "Let the Good Times Roll"
• Let the Good Times Roll (film), a 1973 film featuring Bill Haley and the Comets, Chuck Berry and others
• "Let the Good Times Roll", a two-song single by Swedish indie pop band My darling YOU!

So there's that...

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #176

Jack Kornfield is one of my spiritual teachers. His books and CDs have been so important and valuable to me in my spiritual path, especially when it comes to his guided meditations for difficult times. I take such comfort in his voice, his gentleness, his wisdom, and his great compassion. I have learned so much from him and continue to do so. I'm so grateful for Jack Kornfield and my other spiritual teachers.

For some reason I was thinking about him today, and I decided to search for poignant quotes. When choosing a quote for my daily phrase, I do tend to look for short ones for obvious reasons. This quote is really the beginning of a longer quote found on goodreads.com.

Here is the entire quote:

“Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be. Let your body relax and your heart soften. Open to whatever you experience without fighting.” 

        ― Jack Kornfield, A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life




Here is a photo of and brief bio about Jack Kornfield found on his website (jackkornfield.com):

a bow of welcome to you

Jack Kornfield is one of the leading Buddhist teachers in America. A practitioner for over 40 years, he is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness and vipassana meditation to the West. His approach emphasizes compassion, lovingkindness, and the profound path of mindful presence, all offered in simple, accessible ways in his books, CDs, classes, and retreats.

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #175

Happy Birthday, Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone! He was born in 1814 on this day (November 6), which would make this his 201st birthday. He invented the saxophone in 1846.

If you look for a "holiday" on just about anything or for a particular day these days, you'll find it. Today I was searching for a holiday on today's date, and up came Saxophone Day (unfortunately spelled "Saxaphone Day"). So, at the dismay of my saxophone-playing husband, I'm recognizing the "fake" holiday of "Saxophone Day" in my daily phrase. It's really to honor Adolphe Sax. :)

For a little background for those who are interested, this is from today's Google Doodle blog:

"If you were alive in the mid-nineteenth century and had a particularly keen ear for music, you might have noticed a void somewhere between the brass and woodwind sections. Adolphe Sax certainly did, and being both a talented musician and the enterprising man that he was, he started tinkering and endeavored to fill it. The result was the iconic, honey-toned instrument still bearing his name: the saxophone.

The son of an instrument-maker, Sax was highly creative and had a deep understanding of brass and woodwinds. He started tinkering with instruments of his own, and upon bringing together the body of a brass and the mechanics of a woodwind created a hybrid that would revolutionize music. His eponymous saxophone had a sound all its own, a wonderfully smoky middle ground between the two.

The Saxophones that were popularized by the likes of John Coltrane, Lisa Simpson, and Kenny G constitute only a fraction of his impressive body of work. From the whimsical looking 7-bell trombone to the large and swooping saxtuba, Sax never tired of exploring, experimenting, and creating new—and sometimes unusual—instruments."

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #174

This photograph, to me, is absolutely stunning. The phrase just quickly came to me in the first two seconds of seeing it. I don't even know what it is about this color in the sky that affects me so. It's also the beauty of the composition. The clouds, the trees, the moon... all of it. I have no idea what kind of processing was used, but I don't care. It's absolutely gorgeous and I could stare at it for hours.

That is all.

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #173

I wrote this song some years ago, but I still play it live with my wonderful music partner, Paul Sabuco. I love that he loves the song; it makes it even more fun to play and sing.

Have you ever loved someone so much that you were willing to do absolutely anything for them, even at the cost of yourself? Not healthy, I know... but have you ever been there? Well, that's what this song is about.

LISTEN to "Shatter Me" on Reverbnation

"Shatter Me" LIVE at the Canopy Club VIDEO

Lyrics:

SHATTER ME (lyrics, music, and all recordings of the song—copyright Gloria Roubal, a.k.a. G. Lee)

You know I'd do anything you asked me to
I would even let you shatter me
Sun and moon shining down to comfort me
Very soon I will be on my feet again

Broken apart but gently reassembled
Makes my scars grow stronger every day
Every start comes with an ending
Battered heart still beating, still okay

Shatter me
Shatter me

I'm highly capable of putting myself together
But I would do anything to make this feeling last
I'm easily able to put it all together
But I would let it stay in pieces if this could linger on forever

Coming undone can be worth the feeling
Then I can get on and repair my sunken soul
I will leave a trail of crumbs for you to find me
So you can bury me once again

Shatter me (oh, I will let you)
Shatter me (I will let you shatter me)
Shatter me (Just pick up all my pieces when you're finished)
Shatter me (Pick up all my pieces when you're finished if you shatter me)

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #172

Do you ever look up at the sky at night and get all caught up? Sometimes I do. It's so fascinating. It's really difficult—if not impossible—to fathom what we're seeing when we look at the stars. We're seeing things that happened millions of years ago. We're seeing things so far away, we can't even begin to imagine. One of the things I think about is what it must have been like for early people to look up and see these heavenly bodies, not having any idea what they were, which was a source of religious beliefs, myths, and other ways people came up with ways to explain the unexplainable.

I still love to find constellations. I only remember a few, but it's still so cool to see Orion's belt, the Big Dipper and Little Dipper, and a few others I can recognize.

So when you look up at the night sky, just ponder these things. And ponder the fact that we all see the same heavenly bodies when we look at the night sky. So beautiful.

PS Be sure to visit Unsplash.com when you can. There are so many cool photos there, and you can download them and use them free of charge, free of licensing! High resolution! :)

Gloria Roubal's Daily Hand Generated Type Phrase #171

Today my friend Miriam's dog, Frida, died. She died peacefully in Miriam's arms. I felt such sadness, such grief, such helplessness when I learned of her passing. I knew it was coming. Due to a common problem with Dachshunds' spines, Frida suddenly became paralyzed from the low back down, and it was a matter of days between this happening and today when she died. You just never, ever know how long anyone is going to be here. I hope Frida didn't suffer, and I send love and light to Miriam and her family. May Frida be at peace. I think I will cry myself to sleep tonight.

GLORIA ROUBAL'S DAILY HAND GENERATED TYPE PHRASE #170

Today is the very special Mexican holiday, "Day of the Dead," or "Día de los Muertos." I have always loved the art that I've seen associated with this day, but I've never (until now) researched it to understand the meaning of the holiday. It's really quite interesting and meaningful.

During this time, "the boundaries between life and death begin to blur. Men, women and children of all ages honor and celebrate their loved ones who have passed away, participating joyously in a festival that has roots nearly 4000 years old." (source: http://www.art-is-fun.com/day-of-the-dead/)

The purpose is to remember, honor, and show great respect and love to one's family members who are deceased. Elaborate altars are created, fancy food is prepared, and offerings of many kinds are placed out for the spirits of these ancestors.

One of the beliefs is that that Heaven's gates open at midnight on the 31st of October, and the spirits of all deceased children—angelitos—are allowed to reunite with their families for one day (24 hours). What a wonderful belief!

There is much more to this special day, including the history of the art associated with it, such as the sugar skull. Rather than try to summarize any more of it, just visit the links below if you're interested in learning more about Día de los Muertos. It's really cool.

These sites are worth checking out. :)

http://latino.si.edu/dayofthedead/
http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/support/dodhistory.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

Image found on: http://www.crafthubs.com/browse?tip=day-of-the-dead