A year ago today, my best good buddy Choca died in my arms. Many of you were part of my community here at the time and remember it. It kicked off a year of loss: our dog, our unborn baby, my job. This is why I was convinced Sassy wouldn't make it to 2022. Choca was my hiking partner for many years, and because she never said anything, I came to enjoy silence rather than the adrenaline and distractions of my life off the mountains. I think my career in TV news eventually ended because of that - as the silence allowed me self-relfection, which brought self-awareness, and with it, awareness of the world around me. Choca's death was a violent one in the sense that natural death, I've heard, isn't always how movies depict it. This was the first time I'd ever been there for a last breath and for months after it, I woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and had other unexplained health problems. This may seem an odd reaction, but as a child I accompanied my doctor parents to hospitals and witnessed sickness and dying at a very young age. Avoiding death, while trying to understand it, became a driving motivation for me. Perhaps it is, in part, why I went to seminary and eventually became a reporter. I sought distraction from my own mortality while also seeking to control it through knowledge. A losing combination. In the book he wrote about his wife's death, CS Lewis said, "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid." That was my experience. And I had no choice but to sit through it. Then to confront it again and again throughout the rest of the year. But as I sat quietly, I realized something. I had believed that if I could unlock the secrets of death and finally come to peace with it- the ultimate question of existence that has eluded philosophers for centuries - I would finally come to know God. Instead, after last year, I now believe that I had gotten it backwards. Instead, it is coming to know God that brings one peace about death (and all other things for that matter). And thus begins a new journey, not of the head but of the heart. I'll end with another quote from a favorite Lewis book, the last lines of Til We Have Faces, “I ended my first book with the words 'no answer.' I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice? Only words, words; to be led out to battle against other words. Long did I hate you, long did I fear you.” Blessings to all of you on your journey. Thank you for being a part of mine.
This is my cod liver/butter oil daily routine. Shoot it with water and enjoy! Don’t forget to stock up with 10% off using “Alison” promo code at check out. Packed with vitamins A, D, K and omega 3s, it healed my chronic cavities naturally. It’s also great for so many other health benefits. If you’re already taking it, what’s your routine?
https://www.greenpasture.org/
Lily had her first “official” riding lesson on Sassy today. Sassy turned 32 on April 3. I still remember getting to skip school when I was 10 years old to watch the vet inseminate Sassy’s mom, Socialite. I’m so blessed that Sassy “trained” me and now has Lily on her back, learning patience and the importance of stopping for a healthy snack - among many other traits!
Goat yoga, here we come! First ever class this afternoon. Don’t forget your cod liver/butter oil, wine and more below!
COD LIVER/BUTTER OIL (Promo Code "ALISON" ):
https://www.greenpasture.org/?ref=198926
WINE:
http://alisonwinepromo.com/
COFFEE:
https://www.twinenginecoffee.com/alison
INDOOR GROW SYSTEM:
https://edengrowsystems.com/alison
OFF GRID-ISH LIVING CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ZpSZAfPsWQTKU5tSY1XAQ
Georgia is now the 2nd state to sign this kind of pesticide/herbicide liability protection into law. My theory is that all the billions in lawsuit earnings against Bayer (formerly Monsanto) have prompted some intense lobbying. It will come to a state near you.
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-law-roundup-maker-bayer-lawsuits
https://open.substack.com/pub/conservativeladiesofamerica/p/title-ix-is-back-where-it-belongs?
Perfect that Mahon declared June as Title IX month it will make pride month celebrators furious 😂
Music Companies are Entering the So-Called Artificial Intelligence (AI) Business...
And, that means the rest of us get scraped, with no attribution...
Universal, Warner and Sony Are Negotiating AI Licensing Rights for Music
https://archive.ph/R6YSO
"...
Any licensing agreements would likely involve a settlement of the suit between the two sides, and require some amount of damages paid for the use of music so far. Agreements would also likely involve the music companies taking stakes in the AI companies.
Music companies often take stakes as part of licensing agreements with startups. Universal, Warner and Sony had stakes in Spotify when the music-streaming service launched."