Borrowed from the Daily Om…one day later.
According to the Chinese calendar and zodiac, January 29, 2006 brings us the Year of the Dog. This means that we have the helpful energy of this loyal companion to accomplish much good in the world and in our lives this year. When we think about dogs, we think of their steadfast love, loyalty, friendly companionship, and forgiving nature. Dogs are playful, but work hard and rest well. They create balance in their lives. We no longer need to be envious of a dog’s life, because we can incorporate these qualities to our lives this year.
Dog energy emphasizes the defense of our deepest loyalties with honesty and integrity. Dogs thrive in the security of a healthy, happy home. They value personal happiness and comfort more than material wealth. We may want to envision the world’s leaders being guided by the values inherent in dog energy. We can also choose this year as a time to focus on what’s important in our lives and apply a dog’s steady efforts to lovingly protect it.
To the Chinese, dogs symbolize justice and equality. We too can utilize this spirit to bark at injustice, right any wrongs, and restore order. Since dogs also enjoy helping people, this can be a good year for humanitarian efforts and the group consciousness energy needed for rallies and protests. Canine qualities like warmth, empathy, and genuine interest in others is beneficial in most situations. The Chinese calendar includes a five-year cycle of elements, and fire is the element for 2006. This means that this year’s dog energy is lit by the fire to get things accomplished. The Year of the Dog takes places every twelve years. With a dog’s forthright honesty and true moral integrity to guide this burning enthusiasm, we can look forward to a truly great year ahead.
In a first attempt to try and see Match Point at the nearby movie house, we got shut out! Okay, we didn’t get there until 5 minutes before the scheduled showing, but we figured since the movie had been out a while, the crowds would have died down. Wrong. It was so packed, that seating was only available in the 1st and 2nd rows. Ugh. So, we opted for a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant a couple doors down. I’m glad that the movie was almost sold out because it gave S & I to catch up on the past week and just talk. It was nice.
…in other weekend news…our friend JC came by to drop off presents (the best kind of visit!) that he had purchased for us during his big South American tour. S received an authentic peruvian alpaca knit hat and I received a most colorful and beautiful scarf/shawl from Bolivia (or was it Peru?). His photos and stories were amazing! Anyone up for an Inca Trail hiking vacation? 🙂
Sunday, Niki and I visited our friend Dani and her 1-month old daughter. She’s so precious. (Dani is the mom of Hershel, who is Lucie’s best-est friend.) We had lunch at a local Italian deli (they make THE BEST sandwiches) and spent the afternoon catching up.
And now, here we are at Monday. The 3-day weekend can’t come soon enough. To make things a bit better, a co-worker of mine was taking last-minute orders for Girl Scout cookies! Yummy Samoas (or Caramel DeLites, is what they’re calling them now), Peanut Butter patties (fka Tagalongs) and Thanks-a-Lots (a new shortbread cookie that’s dipped in chocolate and that says thank you in 5 different languages: English, Chinese, French, Spanish and Swahili – okay, the Swahili is bit random) are coming my way!
much better!