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Rainbow's journal is a great way to spend some time when you are in the mood for a wee bit of silliness and entertainment. The journal itself is bright and cheery, with great image use! If you are looking for a few chuckles and a bit of cheering up, you can't go wrong with this ... Bravenet "Journal of the Week"!
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Happy Easter !
I never complain about the heat - but man, do I hate the bitchin cold

THE NIGHT BEFORE - BEATLES Our family just keeps growing. In January, my great grandson was born. We keep quite busy celebrating birthdays, holiday and other events, as you can see here:
Luv, Rainbow

"The Awakening"
A time comes in your life when you finally get it...
when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity,
you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice
inside your head cries out...ENOUGH!
Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling
to hold on.
Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you
blink back your tears and begin to look at the world
through new eyes. 
This is your awakening.
You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for
something to change, or for happiness, safety and
security to magically appear over the next horizon.
You realize that in the real world there aren't always
fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily
ever after" must begin with you... and in the process a sense of
serenity is born of acceptance.
You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and
that not everyone will always love, appreciate or
approve of who or what you are... and that's OK.
They are entitled to their own views and opinions.
You learn the importance of loving and championing
yourself... and in the process a sense of new found
confidence is born of self-approval. 
You stop complaining and blaming other people for the
things they did to you - or didn't do for you - and
you learn that the only thing you can really count
on is the unexpected.
You learn that people don't always say what they mean
or mean what they say and that not everyone will
always be there for you and that everything isn't
always about you.
So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of
yourself... and in the process a sense of safety and
security is born of self-reliance.
You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to
accept people as they are and to overlook their
shortcomings and human frailties... and in the process
a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.
You learn to open up to new worlds and different points
of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you
are and what you really stand for.
You learn the difference between wanting and needing
and you begin to discard the doctrines and values
you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to
begin with. 
You learn that there is power and glory in creating
and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life
merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.
You learn that principles such as honesty and
integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era,
but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon
which you must build a life.
You learn that you don't know everything, it's not
your job to save the world and that you can't teach
a pig to sing. You learn that the only cross to bear
is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get
burned at the stake.
Then you learn about love. You learn to look at
relationships as they really are and not as you would
have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.
You stop trying to control people, situations and
outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and
responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries
and learning to say NO. 
You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings
aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.
You learn that your body really is your temple. You
begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You
begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and
take more time to exercise.
You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and
uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And,
just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul.
So you take more time to laugh and to play.
You learn that, for the most part, you get in life
what you believe you deserve, and that much of life
truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You learn that anything worth achieving is worth
working for and that wishing for something to happen
is different than working toward making it happen.
More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve
success you need direction, discipline and perseverance.
You also learn that no one can do it all alone, and
that it's OK to risk asking for help.
You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear
itself. You learn to step right into and through your
fears because you know that whatever happens you can
handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the
right to live life on your own terms. 
You learn to fight for your life and not to squander
it living under a cloud of impending doom.
You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't
always get what you think you deserve and that
sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good
people... and you learn not to always take it
personally.
You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything
isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life
happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges
instead of
walls.
You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy
and resentment must be understood and redirected or
they will suffocate the life out of you and poison
the universe that surrounds you.
You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many
of the simple things we take for granted, things
that millions of people upon the earth can only
dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running
water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.
Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself
by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never
betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less
than your heart's desire. 
You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting,
and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.
You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can
listen to the wind.
Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand,
you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you
want to live as best you can.
Author Unknown

Much Love....
~Angelsgarden~

Yay! I've got just about all of my Christmas shopping done, and I only stepped foot in ONE store! As usual, I do most of my shopping on the Internet, and now that most of the big stores have their own online shopping sites, it makes it even easier for the gift recipients to just go to the local store and return the gifts, if they wish. I do put a lot of thought into my gift-giving, so I hope that there won't be a need for many returns.
This year, I also put together some homemade gifts, like homemade candy, mixes in a jar, and some personalized calendars and mugs.
For the calendars and mugs, I logged onto Shutterfly, uploaded a bunch of photos that I had, and put together some personalized calendars and photo mugs.
Soon, I'll be making Rum Balls...for the adults on my list.
I'm using 92% proof rum, so they'll be pretty potent!
Want the recipe? Well, here it is...in case you'd like to try it:
~~~~~~
Rum or Bourbon Balls
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 55 members Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Minutes Ready In: 7 Days 12 Minutes
Yields: 24 servings
"It isn't Christmas without these!!! They go fast!! Try using bourbon in place of the rum!"
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 cup rum
2 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place chocolate chips into a microwave-safe medium bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then continue to heat at 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Blend in rum. Add crushed vanilla wafers and chopped nuts. Mix until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
2. Roll the chilled chocolate mixture into bite-size balls. Roll balls in a mixture of ground nuts and confectioner's sugar, or just plain confectioner's sugar. Store in a covered container for a week before serving to blend the flavors.

ENJOY!
Luv, Rainbow

A beautiful true story by a very beautiful friend..........
I wrote the following article when I got stuck in Washington D.C. on September 11th. It was published in various places, and what was true then, is still true today. Please help to spread the Light and the message of Love and Understanding so that we can all truly come together in Peace…as One World.
On September 10th, I flew from Los Angeles, California to Dulles Airport in Washington D.C. I was suppose to fly on to Stockholm, Sweden to work on music with my friend, Pelle Handen, for our Los Angeles event.
Late that night on September 10th, I left Dulles Airport in a taxi, headed for our apartment in Washington D.C. The next day, I would leave for Stockholm, Sweden. On September 11th, I woke up to the sound of sirens wailing through out the city. Of course I had no idea that the Pentagon was burning, and I had just passed by it the night before. I looked at my website message board and emails were pouring in from around the world, yet, I still did not comprehend what was happening.
I turned on the TV, but there was no sound, only snowy pictures of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon burning, and a few captions. I tried the telephone, but it was not working. Here I sat in an apartment building on the 10th floor, which was located right in the heart of Washington D.C. between the U.S. Capitol Building, the Washington Monument and the White House. Incoming messages were saying that a car bomb had gone off at the Capital Building, and that the White House and Reagan National Airport had been bombed. I could not get any local news or even call out on the telephone, so I truly thought that a bomb would be dropped on D.C. and we would all find ourselves in the next realm.
When we are confronted with the tragedy of human and Earthly suffering and are faced with the true possibility of death, the feelings within can suddenly transport us to a somewhat supernatural level. Of course, I, like any other human (or as much human as I am) can initially react with normal stress symptoms when confronted with the possibility of departing this Earth so suddenly. After all, one does eventually get use to this Earth condition and the sudden thought of departing can take some getting use to.
The dear souls who departed quickly and instantaneously in these horrific incidences, did not have a lot of time, or any time at all to think about the situation. They were in this world one minute, and found themselves in another world rather suddenly. When you have time to think about these sort of things, or to live with the threat that you are going to be blown up at any moment, it can cause a certain kind of stress to the physical nervous system and the emotional, and even the spiritual psyche.
I emailed my beloved family members telling them how much I loved them, and that it had been a good life. I didn't want to dwell in the negative or be morose, but it was certainly a difficult situation to tell them good-bye. Words cannot begin to describe my inner turmoil. I cried as I wrote; yet I tried to sound cheerful and even glib about it. After a while, my intense stress was starting to settle down and I accepted the inevitable with a calm resolve. My time was up and that was that. I didn't really feel that I had accomplished all of my Mission yet, but I needed to tell my family good-bye, just in case, and it was important that they knew how much I loved them.
I spent hours communing with people from around the world. I can tell you that the Light was radiating strongly as a result of this tragedy, and it is still, ever growing. As I posted messages on my message board, emails continued to come in, giving me the encouragement, love and hope that I so desperately needed. People from far away places were asking me to call them on the telephone and to reverse the charges. Tears are forming now, just to think about this outpouring of Love. Everything that I had spoken or written about, was now manifesting as the Light accelerated to amazingly bright and world wide proportions. The things that can't be seen are often the things that can be felt deeply. And in feelings, there are often no words really, to describe what takes place. But I will try nevertheless, and hope that you can feel along with me in your heart and spirit.
I was elevated beyond all that I had ever known - joyous and exuberant, in what seemed on the surface to be a tragedy beyond anything we have perhaps known. Full of peace and hope now, I filled up my bathtub with water and all the containers I could find. My time was not supposed to end just yet. I knew that without a doubt. It was really only beginning, as I had a lot more work to do in this world! I needed to go outside and spread the Light and see what was going on. I didn't want to take the elevator 10 stories down, just in case, so I put on my jogging shoes and bounded down all 10 stories to the main lobby. I ask the doorman if it was safe to go outside. He said, it was probably safer out there than inside the apartment building. So with that, I immediately went through the glass doors out into the bright and humid D.C. sunshine. A beautiful day… but all the people were gone. Washington D.C. had been evacuated. Stores, restaurants, museums, the entire government had left and the streets and sidewalks were empty and eerie.
I had heard that the highways leading out of the city were jammed with cars and that no one was allowed in. All that remained now were strategic policeman on every corner, a few dazed tourists and the homeless that had nowhere else to go….and me. I was the only one to cross Pennsylvania Ave. to the Mall, which is the grassy strip between the U.S. Capitol Building and the Washington Monument. A TV camera crew was situation there as President Bush's helicopters came whirring overhead into the city. My heart leapt, and I was ready to dive into the bushes, thinking it was going to crash down. But then I heard that it was President Bush coming into the city to address the American people on television.
I walked alone in the city, yet, when I heard jets overhead, my heart raced again. So alone, no one to explain or tell me that they were not planes that were going to dive bomb exactly into the location that I was standing….and, what in the world was I doing standing around between the U.S. Capitol Building, the Washington Monument and the White House anyway? There are people that are suggesting that I was bringing Light to Washington D.C. Well, that can seem a little far-fetched to me…yet, what am I always talking about? We as humans need to be bringing Light into this world with however we do it.
I was not consciously bringing Light, you know, standing out there like a crazed person on the Mall waving my arms or anything…yet, we DO contain the Light within, and we DO have the capability to bring it to the world. It is the same as praying. Only in some cases, it is not even a conscious act or a planned event. We simply are Light, and it is our spirits that can reach out to others and help in ways that we may not even be aware of. It is with a sincere desire to help humanity that our spirits evolve and awaken to this power. It is a power that goes beyond and even past our physical bodies and our conscious minds. It is part of Creation…it is Spirit within, and the Great Spirit outside of ourselves…yet the Spirit that connects us all as one.
Nothing is by accident, and all things are for a reason. No matter what the situation looks like on the surface, there is always great meaning attached to it. What has happened now is for the ultimate purpose of good. This is what I believe. This is what we must believe if we are to survive in the physical realm and go on. This will help to usher in the New Age. Just know that through this Earthly tragedy, it is something entirely different in another realm. These departed souls should be honored because they chose on a spirit level to leave in this way, so that we could all move into the next level.
The chosen circumstances had to be monumental as to gain the attention of every person on this Earth. This is certainly no accident in the overall scheme of things, but a major and eventful happening that will serve to move us forward. It may not seem so on a physical level, but I know, having roamed the streets of Washington D.C. and standing between the Capitol, the monument and the White House, watching, feeling, talking to people…that something very, very important has happened.
I write this with tears and great emotion, because there really are so many multi-dimensional levels to this. There are the loved ones left behind…the children, the parents, husbands, wives and friends. There is the terror of those final, departing moments…and yet, the spiritual awakening that I have witnessed in my own heart; in the hearts of people in this city, and those coming to me in emails and on my Message Board…well, they have been beyond description. I would go so far to even call what is happening inside of people…a miracle.
I sit here, still, very much alone on the 10th floor, my apartment building right beside the FBI building, sirens still blaring, wondering…ever wondering, yet peaceful now within my soul…knowing all is, as it's suppose to be. I was here for a reason and a purpose… and then I will get on a plane next week at Dulles Airport in Washington D.C., fly to New York City, then onto Stockholm, Sweden. And then I will come back, get on a plane at Dulles and fly to Los Angeles.
Even though I have brought many inspired messages, and I understand and know how we are suppose to act, behave and think… still, I have tears. That is simply part of the Human Condition. It is inevitable to feel the pain. But through each other, we are connecting in Love and Light…and it is this that sustains me and helps me to do what I do and to be here now. I love you.