laurel ley
Me and Inspiration
Less stuff = more life
Posted on Oct 4, 2016 Leave a Comment
Many many years ago [Yeah, a whole bunch of ’em] I wondered if I could rent my house and live on the rental income. At the time, that income would have grossed about $7000/year, before taxes, expenses and all the other stuff. I thought the math worked, but then life intervened and I did a lot of other things. Along the way I realized the math really didn’t work, for a number of reasons that had nothing to do with inflation
Why do we laugh at newspaper hoarders and admire money hoarders?
Posted on Sep 27, 2016 Leave a Comment
We’ve seen the cartoons, laughed at the television programs, sympathized with people dealing with those dotty old newspaper hoarding, cat-loving, catsup-packet-snatching relatives. Yet we praise, admire and try to emulate these same characteristics when we see billionaires with more money than god chasing after more of it. So they can get even more.
Just how much is enough?
From a medical viewpoint, hoarding’s primary symptom is excessively accumulating stuff
See The Future From The Eyes Of The Past
Posted on Sep 12, 2016 Leave a Comment
Know, going into this, that there have been movies, television programs, books and other materials already put out there regarding the topic I am about to lay out. I am in no way trying to infringe upon those who ‘did it first’. I see myself as carrying on a time honored tradition. Some call this, “What’s old is new again”, however, I stipulate that history does, in fact, repeat itself
Entitled
Posted on Sep 5, 2016 Leave a Comment
DISCLAIMER: Throughout this post I am speaking in generalities. I do not hold to the notion that the actions and/or words of a few are indicative of those of the whole group of the people.
Recently, there was an incident which took place in Nice, France. This one select incident was taken and blown completely out of proportion by the entitlement country of the United States
Enjoy the Simple Pleasures in Life
Posted on Apr 11, 2015 Leave a Comment
I spent hours today in my small yard, cleaning up a few plants which had spread, put a few in small pots to share wtih neighbors, gave some to my immediate next door neighbor … pullled TONS of weeds (I will n…o longer use toxic herbicides). To me, there is something so rewarding about communing with nature. LOL, finally I just had to go take a shower as I had dirt pretty much anywhere I could get it, caked on myself event.
Interspersed with this, I took care of my Canadian Geese friends, Mallards, and turtles who came for their daily cracked corn; of course, including Bubala and now Penelope.
I ended the day by taking all four dogs to the beach at sunset. It was Camo’s first trip. LOL, I hear a yapping on the beach at one point and YEP, I was correct … Dachshunds. Two young girls, so darling.
Wishing each of us … the ability to allow ourselves to enjoy the simple pleasures in life; that’s where the real joy is to me ~Laurel
Favorite upbeat music: created 8/23/12 for my soul family participating in the LIFE program by Robert Gonzales
Posted on Nov 17, 2014 Leave a Comment
[as originally posted on Facebook
Spanning two years, 2012 and 2013, I participated in a program which was life-changing for me as it supported me in learning how to sit in whatever space I was in at the time: http://www.living-compassion.org/life.
I truly love and appreciate everyone and everything about the program. Yet music ALWAYS speaks to my soul. At least once in the four week-long sessions we played music for the group to dance to. I put together this playlist with some of my favorite upbeat dance music. If I recall correctly, I was guided in the song selection; yet all of it was about love, in some form, and could be applied to “self love”.
That is one of my favorite things to do …. take songs/lyrics, poems, FB posters, etc. about love and apply the intention to your developing a love relationship with yourself. As surely, until you love yourself, can you love another?
LOL, I’m sharing my song list in context of a blog I’m writing on “The Nature of Love, and How We Express It”. I envision a spiral starting with self and as it spirals up and outward as your self love begins to include everyone and everything around you, including the life you have created to experience. What’s more fun is that one of my long-term favorite songs is by the band Spiral Staircase.
What was so remarkable to me about this song list is that it was created during a tumultuous time of my life; yet music always brings me home to myself as did the LIFE program, my soul family in that program, and this playlist which I reshare with my larger soul family:
- “Come and Get Your Love” by Leon Redbone
- “Let’s Groove” by Earth Wind & Fire
- “Fallin for You” by Colbie Callait
- “Pocketful of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield
- “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday” by Spiral Staircase
- “What I Like About You” by The Ramones
- “This Time It’s Real” by Tower of Power
- “This Will Be (an Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole
- “OMG (feat. will.i.am)” by Usher
- “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley
- “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb
- “Super Trouper” from the movie with Meryl Streep, etc
- “I’m Gonna Getcha Good” by Shania Twain
- “Shiny Happy People” by REM
- “Clumsy” by Fergie
It all starts with love of self; and well, to me, that includes music which opens the heart ~Laurel aka Dragonfly Unleashed
2 January 2014: Sometimes only music can soothe my soul; well, that and snuggling with Dachshunds
Posted on Jan 2, 2014 Leave a Comment
[As originally posted on Facebook]
Started this playlist for Prince soon after his “gastric signet ring carcinoma” (stomach cancer in layman’s terms) which has spread to his lymph nodes.
Tonight, after a rough day with the kids here, between Prince and Blaze, I spent the night listening to the playlist, thus far. I alternated between sobbing and deep napping. I’d wake up, feel a shift had occured, and start the cycle again.
When you think about it, we have a love affair with our kids. So when they pass, it’s not just as if a close friend or family member has passed; in many cases, it’s as if a lover has left us.
In Prince’s case, he is my second soul/heart dog. In fact, when Tuna died 19 April 2013, I was comforted by the fact that Prince would be with me for years to come as Tuna was my original soul/heart dog. I’ve barely allowed myself to grieve Tuna’s passing as it’s just been too painful.
Interestingly, as the Universe works, since I reconnected with my spiritual beliefs on 21 November 2013, I’m more grounded in my foundation than I’ve ever been. Hence, another gift of Prince’s passing is that I am also grieving Tuna and Tiffany’s passing in 2013, rather than continue to keep it bottled up, which some think is a contributing factor to cancer.
I’ll likely keep expanding this playlist …. feel free to share and post any of your favorite songs to grief by.
(11 December 2013)
- “Gravity” ~ Sara Bareilles
- “Do What You Have To Do” ~ Sarah McLachlan
- “Verdi Cries” ~ 10,000 Maniacs
- “I Will Remember You” ~ Sarah McLachlan
- “Hold On” ~ Sarah McLachlan
- “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy” ~ Sarah McLachlan
- “I Love You” ~ Sarah McLachlan
- “Only Time” ~ Enya
- “Prayer of St. Francis” ~ Sarah McLachlan
- “Sweet Surrender” ~ Sarah McLachlan
- “Here Without You” ~ 3 Doors Down
- “But I Do Love You” ~ LeAnn Rimes
- “City of Angels” ~ 10,000 Maniacs
- “Alice (Stealing Beauty)” ~ Dead Can Dance
- “Just You and Me” ~ Chicago
- “All That She Wants” ~ Ace of Base
- “Without You” ~ Dixie Chicks
- “Cowboy Take Me Away” ~ Dixie Chicks
- “American Pie” ~ Don McLean
- “This is My World” ~ Darius Rucker
- “You Were Mine” ~ Dixie Chicks
- “In This Life” ~ Delta Goodrem
- “Landslide” ~ Dixie Chicks
- “Comfort” ~ Deb Talan
- “The Sign” ~ Ace of Base
- “Linger” ~ Cranberries
- “Don’t Turn Around” ~ Ace of Base
- “Can’t Fight the Moonlight” ~ Leann Rimes
- “Over You” ~ Bryan Ferry & Roxie Music
- “Give Me Just a Little More Time” ~ Chairman of the Board
- “Stay” ~ Alison Krauss
- “Persephone” ~ Cocteau Twins
- “Dance Away” ~ Bryan Ferry & Roxie Music
- “Wishing You Were Here” ~ Chicago
- “Waiting at the Gate” ~ Carly Simon
- “Horse With No Name” ~ America
- “Memory” ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber
- “Strange Magic” ~ Electric Light Orchestra
- “End of the Road” ~ Boyz II Men
- “More Than This” ~ Bryan Ferry & Roxie Music
- “Natural High” (extended version) ~ Bloodstone