Be the Change you want to see in the world, Ghandi, 4" x 6" wall tile by Tammy Vitale $24

Is anyone still paying attention to the Gulf Coast as Ike moves across the open waters?  It isn't just New Orleans that gets hit by hurricanes.  We all know that but we hear not much else.  There's a town about an hour south of New Orleans (direct south) that I spent a lot of time in during the early 90s when I was working on Clinton's health care campaign for a DC non-profit.  Its name is Houma and it takes its name from the Native American Houma Nation, whose lands these were originally.  I had the honor to work with the chief and his daughter at that time.  It may be his daughter that is now Chief – unfortunately I cannot remember her name.  Since their tribe had never been acknowledged by the American government, they were non-entities when it came to getting government services for their low-income and elderly.  They took a liking to me, and I to them.  They arranged a wonderful swamp tour for Husband and me one of my visits there.

They were very hard hit by Gustav (and here comes Ike).  If you would like to make a direct difference in the life of a community, donations (tax deductible) can be made to the

United Houma Nation Relief Fund, 20986 Highway 1, Golden Meadow, LA 70357. 

Supplies may be sent to Old Store Relief Center, 4400 LA Hwy 1, Raceland, LA 70394. 

For information on needed supplies and reports on what going on with the Houma Nation, see United Houma Nation.  Remember, $10 can make a difference.  What's that?  2 visits to Starbucks?  Think about it, okay?

thought for the day:  Energies that emanate from your soul have instantaneousness to them.  Energies that emanate from your personality follow the path of physical light.   Fear, for example, is an experience of the personality.  The soul can be confused and away from Light, but it does not experience fear.  If the soul experiences an absence of Light from a part of itself, the personality will experience this absence of Light as fear…Unconditional love is of the soul, instantaneous, Universal, not bound…You change the way that you shape the Light which is flowing through you by changing your consciousness.  You do this, for example, when you challenge a negative pattern, such as anger, and consciously choose to replace it with compassion, or when you challenge impatience and consciously choose to understand and appreciate the needs of others.  Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul