You win

I have learned that when I am sick my body has a message for me. "Go to bed. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.  Go directly to bed."  And now you are grounded.  You have my sympathy. You may have just won the prize for suckiest week. 

I have never heard of Herpes oticus.  I'll store this for future reference.

I have no idea what to do about the lying.  But being in that line at the pharmacy at that time was divine intervention!

Has Son #2 visited the Reiki healer yet?  She's going to be so much a part of the family by the time you're done.

Slept last night, after several nights of not sleeping. Made it so hard to get up this morning. Still working with the infant-self...

So, the strange thoughts of the day came from watching two videos. I watched one of elephants being presented with a mirror for the first time.  They showed deep signs of being self aware, of being a separate individual.  That is supposed to be unusual. But I truly believe the dogs and cats I have known understand they are individuals and separate/distinct from others of their species.  And as parents, they love their babes, mourn their losses.  I had a cat carry around a dead kitten for several days before she gave up...

But it went on to say that elephants could learn to solve problems as a team, which was surmised as the basis of spirituality.  The final question was, do animals, specifically elephants, have a sort of spiritual life?

The other video that caught my attention was of sled dogs interacting and playing with polar bears. It reminded me of a short documentary I watched with my grandson about cheetahs and gazelles. The cheetahs walk among the gazelles and all are serene.  The problems come only when the cheetah is hungry.  Then the gazelles run.

I got this sense of...well, Hicks' painting of the lion and the lamb.  I got this sense that when humans aren't looking and the predators are not hungry, things are peaceful. It is only us, and our fear, and our expectations, and our lack of understanding that creates a sense of the beast and the violence of nature...

Long day.  I hope you can take time off and truly relax.  If you need to talk, I'm here.

With love from Clare