Jennifer Semple, age 16, 1966 Reverse of the above photograph _____________________________ Oh the innocent girl in her maiden teens knows perfectly well what everything means. --D. H. Lawrence Very few people like their school photographs, but I was absolutely floored when I ran across the above photo. As photos go, it's no better or worse than any other high school photo, but the message of self-loathing on its reverse really saddens me, for it reminds me how troubled I was as a teen. Context: I was planning to send this photo to Hans, a German penpal, but I must have thought better of it (or, perhaps, he did send it back--I don't remember--if so, then shame on him). The text on the reverse: Hans, I know this photo is absolutely shocking, Please bear with it: It's awful, & I look like a blimp in it, & if you don't like it, send it back. Tell me if you don't like it. Bless my late grandmother Mo (or Moo), who made this notation: Cute Moo I'm sure that

Fritz Perls as a young man. _____________________________ Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. --Paul Boese Forgive others their transgressions, forgive your own transgressions against yourself. Best yet, don't beat yourself up over the past. Just learn from it. Even if you are not religious, try on this 1969 Gestalt Prayer : I am I and you are you. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, And you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful. If not, it can't be helped. --Fritz Perls (1893-1970) Have a wonderful Easter, my cyber ones.

A hungry stomach cannot hear. --Jean de La Fontaine It's amazing to me that in this land of plenty, there are people who are going hungry and/or who cannot afford to buy the basics, let alone fresh fruit and vegetables. But when one has just lost a job and has no money, it's kind of difficult going to the grocery store, so the food bank is the place of last resort. I donate small amounts throughout the year to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank because people need to eat year round, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Won't you consider looking up your local Food Bank and donating a small amount today? Google search for food banks

This rock was found on a rock pile (Skopje, Macedonia, 2010). _________________ Geologists have a saying--rocks remember. --Neil Armstrong 1. Find a heart-shaped rock (or other unusual shape), and slip it into your pocket. 2. Wash it. 3. Photograph it. 4. Fix and crop the photograph. 5. Manipulate the photograph in interesting ways. 6. Post the images on your blog. 7. Feel the rock's earth energy. 8. Keep the rock and love it. I love rocks of all kinds, including the expensive kind, but I particularly like the common random rocks that you stumble upon by accident, the ones that you catch out of the corner of your eye and beg to be picked up. When I was a teenager, a know-it-all doctor told me that I spent too much time looking down (instead of up), but I have since discovered that looking down has its good points, too. Collecting rocks is my bliss. What's yours? If you don't know, look for it. Have a good day, my cyber friends.

Your body can be very forgiving, but you also need to forgive yourself for your food transgressions. What is a "food transgression"? I define this as bingeing and general overeating, eating mindlessly. Eating a piece of Key Lime pie is not necessarily a food transgression, but eating four slices would fall under this category. It's like defining pornography: you know it when you see it (or, in this case, when you do it). However, no matter what you did yesterday, today is a new day. Just pick up and move on.

Supermarket Psychology Beware. Supermarkets are sensory food traps, designed to entice you to buy and eat foods you don't really want or need. If you don't believe me, read here and see the above YouTube video. So how to avoid the snack food and candy aisles or at least mitigate the possibility of loading up your cart with foods that don't feed your body right? 1. Before going to the store, make a list, and once there, stick to it. 2. Don't go to the store hungry; eat a meal or snack beforehand. 3. If possible, leave the kiddies at home; they are pure id and will toss anything and everything, which you will end up eating, in your cart. Of course, you may still enjoy your special treats, but do so by planning in advance what you will and will not buy. Bon Appetit .