I like that line in the Little Mermaid that Ariel sings:

"I've got gadgets and gizmos-a-plenty, I've got whosits and whatzits gallore. Want thing-a-ma-bobs?.... I've got twenty! But who cares, no big deal, I want more.......I want to be where the people are, I want to see, want to see them dancing."

We are working on making Christmas gifts today here at home. My family always says "stick to pictures of the kids," other people say that we can give to a charity for them. I remember that feeling though, from my childhood the higher price-tag of an item means More joy. As a kid I remember the feeling of the One BIG GIFT. And you get your hopes up for it..which, inevitably sets up more for the fall. There is always disappointment when you look to an object as a savior. It's a funny thing we've ingrained in ourselves about Christmas.

There is something about the Gift. Why do we give it? ....you say, to have feelings of Joy.

You're right about being poor, because we are, and the things we want are the things we need, too. It all comes together that way... I think of "Consider the Lilies.....Look at the birds of the air...."

And I like that you mentioned "that advertising photo of the Joy-filled family," because I think images are so powerful in informing our decisions....

Nathan and I were just talking last night about how we each used to watch more movies than we do now. Remembering a time. You can become involved in the life of a character or a movie that you forget it's a set and and a script that a writer has written, it's a screen, it's character-types (written by people in board rooms in L.A.) saying and doing things to put forth a plot.

One of the most damaging things about it I think can be the surroundings, on an emotional level. You see the insides of house/apartments that are decorated by a designer for that film, *only* that film. The character appears to live a certain kind of life that we recognize, something close to a reality we've experienced. But there's product placement, there's lots of factors at play. When we relate to the character we want to be like them, it effects our ideas about what we buy, and how we feel about ourselves and who we want to be. It's so strange.

It's like when people miss the chance to go deeper, or just stay on the surface level. People say "I love you," but what does it mean? Sometimes it just has to do with listening and seeing a person as they are, heading into the forest with them. There are broken things, hard things, beauty.. but it doesn't have to be scary when I have You with me.

The "more rules," I think I was using to illustrate the left brain vs. right brained divide, and also where consumption comes in. We try to bridge the gap with some*thing*.... I liked what you said once that man cannot understand the woman. So to me, she's trying to bridge it with objects in our society. "Looking for a loop-hold on your heart." Some handle. . lip gloss, shiny, new,

I think that's what advertising tries to get us to believe, that stuff will be the medicine, the salve, pill, but it's hollow because people are always moving around. You can't posses them, or win them. Communication, It's that dance we do together. Two souls, touching.

That's why:

"Each day I stop knowing how to love you..."

Actually, I think I meant NUDIST. we are practicing being nudists in our own home.....NUDISM, NUDITY, whatever, etc...

You know what we need in here, Justin? Some dissenters. One of the things I love about your blog is all the angry people and then you answer them really calmly..... or maybe when they're really snipey, you guys get a little snarly, but it's in a kind of a cute way.

I just keep talking to you this way, and we're kind of 'the choir," ... I don't want to get an attitude like we're talking-up issues that we've already discussed before just for the benefit of others. If we're the only ones talking here, then I want to just be talking TO YOU. I mean, does anybody ever read the COMMENTS? All that itty-bitty writing. I doubt it. I think if it's just going to be us talking in here then we should try and go someplace new. It would be more fun for us then rehashing, or preachy, I think.

I keep thinking back to what you said about a person's story being something that cannot be told, but must be lived, must be danced. It makes me want to go change my words in the first post of this series from "Tell your story" to "Live your story," because it really is true. The whole words of that in the first comment really are great. I want to read it again, you should blog that one up. :)

Tom. I was meaning to reply to you last time, but I don't know why I never got to it. Thanks for your input!!

Creating a new sort of blog format is what I was wanting. It's taken me about three years of grinding images, and it's been a learning process --about how bright to make the exposure and how to imagine it in my head in order to get it to flow. It takes awhile, but I love it.

"And we've been a little more successful at practicing more nudity in our own home." ....I think I meant "Nudism." But you got what I meant, I think.

My 4-year old and toddler would rather go around without clothes than with them. And I must admit, I have had relatives act outwardly embarrassed around them, as if they are trying to teach them something for me. Though I'm not sure what. I think that person wants to make it clear that you're not supposed to be naked around other people, or maybe if you are that you should feel embarrassed. Again. I'm not sure. I try not to hold it against my relative, I think it's generational. But maybe it would be wise to revisit why we would want our children to feel that way. What would be useful about it as they grow and mature into adults? Because I think there are multiple layers to it. It also has something to do with a rigid following of rules without questioning why they are there and if they are working-- but taking the breast back from the sex industry for women is a good cause, too. We need to reshape that taboo out of everyone's minds, because it's just breeding hypocrites.

You said something once, Justin, and I really appreciated it, about how a girl in the church is taught to be chaste and "tune out"/be shy about her sexuality (I was looking for the exact quote....) before marriage and then once she gets married she's suddenly supposed to be ok with it. And then also about how the prudish nature of the church has led to a deeper problem. When people repress themselves sexually it doesn't just go away, it turns into deeper problems, like secrets and depression.

I don't want to get too hung up on the boobies/sexuality angle of the Mommie Revolution and alienate the why--I think ultimately it goes all the way down to how we think about our Planet Earth.

Also, I think that the prudish problem with the breasts and the church has something to do with this idea of work vs. play as well. As though, if something feels good then it can't be morally right. And then we get this divide that church is something you're obligated to do, but not something you would necessarily like to do, or choose to do for fun. No smile.

Taking care of our planet, same way.

Hey guys~ Thanks for commenting.........

ruben - thnx, for the girl images. It's amazing how much those two shoeboxes you dropped by my house have changed the world for me......I'm going to keep putting in more boobies for the time being (no vag's tho) ...I like that cartoon you drew when you were at our house of a little boy nursing at his mommy's big breast, and the mommy's saying, "You're not a Christian!".

People say shocking things to me like, "Why did you feel the need to flash your breasts in front of the world?" No it wasn't about that. It was about that it's not bad. Anyway, now I won't use me, because people had a problem with it, so I can use these women from the 70's. And they are all Grandmas now anyway... We will definitely try to get out together this weekend for ArtCrawl.

Justin -- exactly...... If I tell you my story, it might as well have been something I made up, out of my imagination, to entertain you. Or you might think it's the silliest thing in the world.... so. I will just live out this purpose in front of you,

Like a flower.

..loved this:

"Who we are is "a storytale" that has to be shared – otherwise we get stories about who we are – but never arrive at the actual answer. "

Yes, "an actual answer" as if who we are was a list or a grouping of facts. I mean, we can make up a list, resume, or say what we have done in our lives. I love old men who sit around on porches in their rocking chairs and lazy southern drawl and spin a yarn, It's so fun to listen, but that's completely different from DOING. And our God is the ultimate DOING, not TELLING.

I think tomorrow I'm going to break from "Shhhhh" because Abilene brought home a talking-stick from school today...It's covered with colorful ribbons, beads and feathers... There was a lovely story about a girl who forgot how to talk and a wise Chief wondered what was wrong, so he took her into the forest where she could be filled with more beauty than she had ever experienced, and then she started talking.... There might have also been something in there about her waving the stick over her head whenever she had something important to say:::: I'll have to get Abba to tell me again.

Thinking more about my family, too, ....we have so much. We are very BLESSED. And we've been a little more successful at practicing more nudity in our own home. It's your body, be ok with it.

I know it must be scary for some people in my family for me to be talking Revolution again--I had put it on the down-low for so long-- but it's not going to be like before. It's just living.... That's what I've realized. And anyone can say anything they want to me. Just because we have differing views doesn't mean that we can't still be as close as ever. Just don't be insulting (please). I love you. This is my talking stick.

Justin, I can't say what your friendship means to me--I've been waiting for you. I just needed one person. Thank you for connecting my dots --I think part of who we are is what scares us, too...

For tomorrow, I'll go more into the "who are you?" and scary, and I think you probably have your response at-the-ready.

~Love and Thanks

Good conversation is always a bonus. . .

I think it's best not t to set precedents...Pressure is not good for spontaniety. .

Just trying to dream about where to head next..I think I'll go with practically nothing for tomorrow. . . some dead leaves and a princess story.

I'm trying to make this like my new facebook update, have you noticed? I want to be able to express myself here like I do there, so that we can still discuss and with more people who may be outside that bubble . . . .really informal, though. Just say anything, please..GO AHEAD:::

Please, don't drop Elephant!
I always liked the idea of the elephants working together to build something, like say, the Pyramids!
Heavy lifting, together--I thought that was part of the idea...
I know that I am nothing without my friends...

I think that Waylon is a good ship's captain, but he needs a crew!
I just wish... * and I can say it from experience because I've been doing a weekly blog (unpaid) here for a year now...
I do wish for more communication.
I would gladly blog in a way that would complement Elephant more if I had more of a clue about where we are going.

body and soul~
joana