·:[ GreenEye Wire ]:·
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This is Izzy Lou. She is my Niece. She is trying to look desperately pathetic so we will let her out of the kitchen. She might succeed if she did not look so damn cute. All that does is cause us to keep her in there longer so we can see her in all her adorable glory.

Poor Poor Izzy Lou...So sad. So desperate. Whatever will she do?

Yes. I am one happy girl. I have returned from a 10 day trip to the Amazon jungle of Peru with a new perspective on life. If you want to see images of my trip, they are all uploaded on Flickr.

Peru opened my eyes. I saw people who struggle for every bite they eat, and yet, through all of it, they were genuinely happy people. It took a long time for my western mind to understand: I have been raised in the “more is better” culture.

Now, I’m not saying that I’m going to give up everything I have, but I will certainly be more grateful for what I have, and I will make future decisions based on what will make my heart happy instead of getting more more more.

In other words, I really finally understood that life is a journey, not a destination. If you don’t enjoy the flowers along the way, then there isn’t much point to it all.

I participated in shamanic healing ceremonies thinking the entire time I’d never get my butt kicked or have to face any demons from my past. Boy, was I mistaken. I not only saw those demons, I had to reach through the fear and forgive myself. I had to figure out what God meant to me and shed all the bullshit excuses and lies I’ve told myself for years.

I didn’t think I felt much different going through this process until I got home and saw my life as I had left it. It was as though I was looking from the outside in. The person living in my apartment isn’t me now. Much of the internal chatter that has plagued me for years and years is gone. I can actually live in the moment, and see a situation just as it is, and not with all the stories I’ve told myself. I feel lighter. Happier.

Right now, I’m in the process of making some decisions for myself that will change the course of my life. It may take me some time to get where I want to go, but for the first time in a long time, I have a plan. Big changes will happen in this next year.

And, I got a cool new hammock!

You probably know that I like everything green. Today, I saw a beautiful shiny metallic green bug which I learned is called a Caterpillar Hunter. It is a “good bug” that will prey on caterpillars. (Don’t pick it up, though, it has a nasty bite..)

Order: Coleoptera
Family: Carabidae
Genus and species: Calosoma scrutator Fabricius

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The coolest thing though, was when I looked down and realized that this bug obviously has good taste. I happened to be wearing my favorite green corduroy jacket and sparkley metallic pink scarf.

Another interesting thing we have in common: the ‘laymen’s’ name of the Caterpillar Hunter is the ‘Fiery Searcher.’

I can relate to that…

Very seldom do I find something on YouTube that is really genius. This, however, is well done and worth passing along. It is the history of Wars from WWII from the Americans point of view. And, it is all done with foods that represent various countries. (The French Fries don’t represent France, which is what I first thought…a cheat sheet of which countries each food represents is here.)

Who knew you could teach history with exploding food?