A couple of days ago Marianne Williamson gave a speech announcing that she will be running, for a second time, for the office of president of the United States. For those of you who may not know who she is, she is the author of fourteen books. “A Woman’s Worth” was published in the early 1990s, which turned me into a fan of her writing. Like myself, she is a passionate writer. She is also a motivational speaker. I urge you to listen to her announcement speech. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/onSa2UF8_kI?feature=share
I can’t imagine the amount of courage it takes to take on the status quo – especially since during the debates four years ago, she was positioned at the very end of the platform and only allowed to answer a couple of questions; while Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders stole the spotlight. I hope that you, and many others, will listen to what she has to say. If she were to become president, I know that our planet would have a fighting chance of overcoming the many challenges it is facing today. Marianne addresses the same issues that I often talk about in this blog – climate change, equality, peace, free medical care (which I believe should include free holistic care) free education, living wages, and corporate greed. It is high time that we have a female president. Kamala Harris, in her hard-won position as vice president, has forged the path for other women to follow.
I was growing up during the late 1960s when women were only beginning to make some headway in this patriarchal society. We have been making good progress; but the overturning of Roe v Wade has brought us sliding backwards into an uncertain future. I was only two years out of high school when this monumental legislation was passed. My youngest daughter has worked in non-traditional roles for her entire life. She worked in a railroad yard where she was the only female employee. She drove a limo for several years. She has now spent more than seven years in the Army National Guard and she is also a peace officer for the town of Wheatland, and more recently, Torrington, Wyoming. She still finds herself battling sexual harassment in the work place, fifty years after the fierce activism that took place with my generation.
I know that there are a growing number of women who, like myself, will not back down. We have not failed. We simply have more work to do. Marianne has a second chance to show the world what women are capable of. This gives all women a second chance. I have two great granddaughters for whom I hope and pray, will grow up in a world where equality no longer must be fought for.
6 MARCH 2023 SECOND CHANCES
1 MARCH 2023 SILVOPASTURE
If we are going to stop global warming, we must make every effort to reestablish biodiversity. This means that we must have a combination of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms making up every type of habitat. Each habitat must have its keystone species. In this way, Nature’s own perfect balance will be maintained. Our current economic based system is not sustainable. The rampant deforestation, destruction of habitat, and demise of thousands of other species, to make room for more of us, will not end well. We must recognize that in destroying Nature, we destroy ourselves; for we are not separate from her – we are part of her.
Agroforestry is an attempt to combine trees, shrubs, food crops, and farm animals together, which benefits the environment and ourselves. Silvopasture, or agrisilviculture, combines forests and grazing livestock. Animals are allowed to graze freely among the trees. This eliminates the need to grow/import/export feed for them, saving a huge amount in cost. The grazing is managed, meaning the animals are moved around in order to allow the grasses to replenish themselves. As the animals graze, their droppings fertilize the soil, which in turn fertilizes the next flush of growth of grasses, as well as the trees. The fallen leaves from the trees also become nutrients for the soil. This has always been Nature’s way, before we had the completely wrong idea of raking them up and carting them off to a landfill.
One day we will look back at the way animals have been treated: confined in small spaces, standing and living in their own feces where disease runs amok, and being deprived of the lives they were born to live. One day we will ask ourselves why we have acted so cruelly and heartlessly towards the animals that we share the planet with. Silvopasture will give these animals back their lives and their dignity. It will help to bring balance back to a world that is quickly losing its balance. It will bring back biodiversity, which will benefit all.
27 FEBRUARY 2023 SUNNY MONDAY
This has been one of the longest and coldest winters in my recent memory. We never actually had a fall as it went from hot and dry to cold and dry. Then we suddenly had snowstorm after snowstorm after snowstorm. There have been two mornings when I woke up to minus twenty degrees fahrenheit. The first time resulted in a burst water pipe in my laundry room. Even those people who have lived here for most of their lives are telling me that they are tired of the wind and the cold, and this seemingly endless winter. Looking ahead at the weather predictions for the next two weeks promises no hope of temperatures reaching out of the forties.
This is where it takes a great deal of determination to accept the situation as it is. Obviously, there is nothing I can do about the weather and I am stuck here for the time being. The morning sun; however, is streaming through my window. I feel myself leaning into it in the same way my plants reach for the light. I know that winter will pass. I know that spring will come. So how do I stay rooted in the present moment? Eckart Tolle tells us that when we come to accept the unacceptable, we will find peace.
It is Monday morning. Many people dislike Monday’s, but I like that they are a beginning. I like to anticipate the good things that may come to pass by the end of the week. When I bask in the warmth of the sunlit rays coming through the window, I know that each day is becoming a tad bit longer. I can pick up my seed catalogs and dream of the flowers I hope to grow in the coming months. I look forward to different bird species flying north on migration. Yes, it is Monday and it is cold and windy and frankly, quite miserable outdoors; but I am grateful for the roof over my head, for the heat that warms my little house, and for a hot bath that helps my old bones to endure. Mostly, I am grateful for the hope in my heart and the endless possibilities that are moving towards me one day at a time.
22 FEBRUARY 2023 REFLECTION
Today, I am reflecting on reflection. Light shines forth from its source, our sun. It is reflected off the clouds to the snow; and then it is further reflected from the snow to the surrounding space. When the sun reflects off a placid lake, it illuminates everything around it. Light reflecting from a pane of glass, or a mirror, is so enhanced that it can be temporarily blinding. When we carry light within our being, it is capable of reflecting back to us, from others, even without their knowing. As our individual lights reflect, they increase and bring more light into the world. If enough of us begin reflecting our light, there is hope that the darkness consuming our planet will disappear.
Much of the country is snowbound today as we are confronted with another severe winter storm. The world feels dark inside our homes and many of us are winter-weary. I am looking at the snow differently now; however. I am noticing that the light reflecting from the clouds is reflecting back to us from the snow, blanketing us in peace. The sub-zero temperatures are seemingly pressing plant life back down into the earth. Many animals in hibernation will remain huddled in sleep, in their dens; but our Earth has begun its trek back towards the Spring Equinox, and the growing light will soon begin to nudge them awake from their restful repose. The green shoots of summer snowflakes, crocus, and grape hyacinths will be poking themselves through the snow and opening flowers to the welcoming light.
Today, I reflect on the growing light of Spring and my spirits are uplifted, knowing that the dark, dreary Winter will soon be overpowered. Spring will win the day and Winter will retreat once again, to prepare for battle with Autumn, later in the year. In spite of the cold today, I am smiling at the snow, because I know its days are numbered.
20 FEBRUARY 2023 DO NO HARM
The Monarch butterflies are making a comeback! This is good news to begin a new week. There are still thousands of other butterfly species that are threatened with extinction, but the Monarchs are proof that when enough people care, miracles can happen.
The Hippocratic oath, first stated by Hippocrates, the Greek physician known as the father of modern medicine, says, “First, do no harm.” These words have been supplanted in the oath taken by medical doctors of today. Hippocrates’s words are open to interpretation. It appears that even in this “age of communication,” we are still bogged down by ambiguity and varied opinions. What one person views as “harm” may be looked at by another as “saving a life.” With our increased understanding of the physical laws of Nature, we seem to create still more confusion. The recent overturning of Roe v Wade is another example of people twisting words to manipulate events.
The words “First do no harm;” however, could not be more straightforward. We have been clearly shown by scientists and biologists all over the world, the harm that we have done – and are still doing – to our planet. If we would simply stop our incessant talking and just listen, we would hear and see the truth that Nature has been trying to tell us. She is asking us to stop doing harm by using pesticides and herbicides, destroying habitat, and undermining the sustainability of ecosystems. She is trying to help us.
I am reading David Attenborough’s most recent book: A Life on Our Planet. He has written the book to bear witness to the loss of biodiversity and to the fading away of the natural world. He has in his words, “seen it with his own eyes.” If we are honest, we have all seen the harm we have done. Some of us have chosen not to see, to go on living in a world that falsely believes we are separate from Nature; but until we all decide to do no more harm, our fate remains uncertain.
15 FEBRUARY 2023 COMPASSION
We have all heard the expressions, “to turn a deaf ear,” and “to turn a blind eye.” We have seen the proverbial wise monkeys from Japanese wisdom who “see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.” And, there is the childhood rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Yet many of us have been hurt by words. When we are young, we tend to believe what others tell us about ourselves, whether it was words uttered by our parents, our teachers, or our classmates, some of us reach adulthood with emotional scars that we carry throughout our lifetime.
Language and words have become for human beings, a tool for our survival. Being a wordsmith myself, I am fascinated by words and the concepts they invoke. Words can be strung together to create a poignant poem, or they can be arranged into the murky quagmire of difficult to decipher legal jargon. Words are used to sell us things we don’t actually need. They are used to fill the empty spaces in our head when we haven’t learned to be comfortable with silence.
We must learn to use the tool of language with care because when words are spoken continually or when our thoughts become a raging river, we are unable to hear the quiet messages that emerge from within. When we turn down the volume or turn a deaf ear to the noise of others, when we close our eyes to outer stimuli, and when we silence our own incessant rambling, we are able to hear our own soul whispering in our inner ear. We are able to hear the cries of Mother Earth, to see her pain, and to respond from that quiet place of compassion.
13 FEBRUARY 2023 LOVE IS LOVE
Valentine’s Day has always been associated with romantic love. Most of us have experienced romantic love at least once during our lifetime. Romantic love; however, can be fleeting. For some, it stays a while and grows into a deeper, lasting love. Love is many faceted. The meaning of the word is often lost through overuse. We love our children unconditionally. We may love our country. We sometimes love what we do and we love our recreational activities. We can love chocolate, love flowers, or love sports cars. Are these things really love at all? Yes and no.
Love is not simply an emotion. Love is the motivating power behind our intelligence. It is what drives us. It is essentially, the life force itself. It is God, Goddess, Universe, Spirit. It is the cause of every life form. Regardless of the words following, “I love…,” love is love.
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I want to promote a different kind of love than romantic love. Today, and for the entire week, I want to encourage you to love our planet. It is that thing which quite literally, has provided us this physical existence that we call life. In my book, Question Everything: Overcoming Passivity in a Perilous World, I have tried to encourage greater love for this Earth that we call home. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I am giving away free copies of the book to the first three people who message me. (Due to the cost of postage, this is available only to those based in the U.S.) As a reminder, the book may also be purchased in hardback, paperback, or digital format at the following link: https://www.dldbooks.com/lisbethwilliams/
Happy Valentine’s Day!
8 FEBRUARY 2023 INTELLIGENCE
I have never doubted that animals, birds, and fish are as intelligent as human beings – if not more so. Scientists and biologists have proven this in many species. Like us, they have problem solving skills and the ability to use tools. Chimpanzees, dolphins, elephants, crows, weasels, octopus, rats, squirrels, bees, and pigs are but a few of those species that we have attributed with marked intelligence. We humans have rated ourselves as the most intelligent; however, I seriously doubt this.
In reality, there is complex intelligence in all living things. There is also compassion and emotion. Some of the spiritual teachers and leaders of New Thought have ascertained that there is unlimited intelligence in the universe. It is the same intelligence that created our solar system, our planet, and all of the living organisms that call it home. That intelligence is available to ALL to use; however, our collective and very inflated egos have erroneously believed that this intelligence has been given only to us. Intelligence permeates every species on earth. This is how they are able to adapt to changes in climatic conditions and to evolve.
We foolishly try to measure intelligence as though it were some force existing outside of us. Many of us have had to take “IQ” tests when we were in school. Intelligence is within all of us; and it is within all of the flora and fauna of the earth. We can use that intelligence wisely, for the good of all; or we can use it selfishly, to destroy life. It is not; therefore, our intelligence that sets us apart from other species. It is our moral codes. Societies dictate the moral code for their people, but often those morals are biased. Examples: It is okay to annihilate large groups of insects or to kill fellow humans in war. It is okay to “put an animal down” that is suffering; but it is wrong not to do everything possible to “save” a human life. Human beings have agreed to not question our own behavior, but I say that it is time to question everything.
6 FEBRUARY 2023 VERNAL POOLS
Although World Wetlands Day has come and gone, I want to talk a little bit about vernal pools. Vernal pools are a type of wetland that forms in naturally existing geographic depressions, in the early spring. They are not fed by inlets or outlets, or even by underground springs; but fill slowly from winter snow melt and spring rains. They are shallow, but they are rich in the flora and fauna that they provide for. During their brief appearance, they are host to salamanders and frogs, insects, and crustaceans such as the fairy shrimp. The breeding habitat that the springtime pools provide for these species is vital to their survival. Turtles and invertebrates depend on the pools for breeding, although their dependence upon them is only seasonal. They spend their early development as eggs and as larvae in the vernal pools. Once they grow into adulthood, they move on to a terrestrial existence. The vernal pools dry up, usually, by the end of summer.
One of my favorite wetland species is the tiny tree frog, the spring peeper, which is only about the size of a postage stamp. While it can live its life in a permanent wetland habitat, it is usually found in a vernal pool setting, often hiding under the leaf litter once it has reached its adult stage. Salamanders and their newt cousins are seldom seen; but they require vernal pools to lay their eggs. They will spend the remaining months upland from the pool in which they hatched, foraging in natural, undisturbed (by humans) vegetation. There are close to 30 salamander species in the United States.
Nearly all of the species that utilize vernal pools return to the same pool each subsequent breeding season; just as waterfowl and some birds often return to the same nest. This is why it is absolutely imperative that we protect these temporary wetlands. It has been a brutal winter in much of the country and many places have seen more snow than usual. On this cloudy, bitter cold winter day, I feel like spring cannot arrive soon enough. I am looking forward to the spring melt and the cheerful evening song of the tree frogs!
2 FEBRUARY 2023 WORLD WETLANDS DAY
I postponed yesterday’s blog until today because I want to make my readers aware that this is not only Groundhogs Day – it has also been designated as World Wetlands Day. Most of us are familiar with Punxsutawney Phil’s annual prediction for the end of winter. Ironically, if measured according to the equal distance between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, we still have exactly six weeks of winter remaining, regardless of whether or not Phil sees his shadow. World Wetlands Day is by far of greater importance. While groundhogs are not a wetland species, they often build their burrows along streams and they are good swimmers. The health of our wetlands affects even our beloved Punxsutawney groundhog.
The first World Wetlands Day began in 1971, implemented by the United Nations. In the past half century, we have lost 35% of the world’s wetlands. We are losing them three times faster than we are losing our old growth forests. Restoring wetlands is vital for the health of all the planet’s ecosystems. Wetlands help to improve water quality by slowing down the movement of water and allowing it to penetrate the soil slowly, which then helps to replenish the underground aquifers. They help to prevent heavy rains from washing away valuable topsoil and the nutrients contained in it. Since they store water, water then becomes available for plants and trees during dry spells. Wetlands act like the Earth’s sponges. They soak up and prevent excess water from being lost. They stop erosion, which also prevents soils from becoming depleted. They sequester between 20% and 30% of the carbon that is in our air and they add organic matter to the soil.
Wetlands are essential for the complex relationships between millions of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals. They are a giant food web providing for not only the resident wildlife; but also for the many migrating species that use them for breeding, like waterfowl and wading birds. Beavers and alligators are important keystone species to wetlands, as are newts, and freshwater crayfish. Muskrats, mink, shrimp, oysters, many fish species, clams, blue crab, Dungeness crab, wood ducks, otter, Peregrine falcon, otters, and black bears all depend to some degree on wetland habitat. In fact, one third of all the species in the United States are wetland species!
There are things that we can individually do, to help protect our wetlands. We can be mindful about the water that we use – especially the waste that results from watering lawns. If we live in an arid climate, we can replace grass with drought tolerant ground covers and plant native plants that require less water. We can add a rain garden if we live in an area that gets a lot of rain, which will mimic what a wetland does. We can refuse to use toxic products that end up in our rivers, and eventually our oceans. We can modify our diet to one that carries less of an environmental impact. Whether or not you live near a wetland, you can remind your friends that today is World Wetlands Day. Help to raise awareness about why our planet depends on them.