Searching for the Bone

Ruf Ruf!

Sometimes I wonder which way to go, what I'm supposed to do, and does it matter anyway? Even here, where things are supposed to be better, there are still a lot of decisions I have to make. Like the time when I get a sniff of a really good piece of meat, or someone's tossed a steak bone, and I want to wrap my little canines around its juicy invitation, and bliss out on the taste explosion, with fireworks in my mouth spreading to the tips of my paws. Times like these I have to stop and ask myself: am I supposed to be doing this? Aren't I supposed to be doing something more than just enjoying a good piece of bloody bone? Aren't things supposed to be better, now that I'm not just an earth-bound mutt? These things are still a little confusing for me.

So, when I get confused like that, I ask for help.

Lucky for me there's a good source of very good information where I am. People share with me, those who have already sorted out these questions for themselves, and seem to be happy with the answers they've come up with. And then there's my friend that I call Noname, who really is hard to describe, seeing as he has no body, and I guess that doesn't make him a "person" but he sure has personality! He comes across really strong, has strong opinions, and whenever I ask which way to go, or what to do, he always seems to know. All I have to do is ask, it seems.

I don't know how it works, but it does.

My pal back in the web of life, the Woods Nymph, asks Noname a lot of questions, too. She has quite a responsibility, taking care of the forest like she does. When some situation pops up that gives her confusion or stress, somehow she discovered that by getting real still, and listening to the sound of her own breathing and nothing else, that she was visited by this ... this Noname, and when he comes, answers to problems do, too. When he appears he makes you feel great! His visits are so peaceful, so easy. And at times when I need a little help, like whether I should be chasing some tasty morsel, or helping someone do something, whenever I'm in doubt about what to do, I just get quiet, listen to the sound of my own breathing, and wait for Noname to appear. And then I ask him. And...I listen to the answers he offers to my questions. That's the tricky part. Listening. Getting quiet enough to listen.

So, back to my job of being the chief dachshund in the squirrel-hunt-in-the-sky. Till next time, my blogger friends!

With a woof and a jump, I'm dancing with cha!
love, fredito

doing my thing

When I began all this sharing-with-the-world stuff, it was to let people know about the groovy environmental gem of an indie film, "Lithium Springs." I thought I was just being a good publicity stuntdog, pulling this trick of coming back from the other-side to rave about my role, the movie's great footage, the quirky story, etc. etc. But then something happened--I think it takes me a while to realize what really is happening while it's actually happening--and I realized that I'd left the planet before I ever got the chance to say what I meant to say. That's what's so good about having another opportunity, here, at my blog.

So many people are fascinated with personal accounts. I'm glad. It's nice to know how life affects each of us. For me, I had fun, and I was lucky 'cause I also got to experience what love was like, and to experience the thrill of chasing cross-fires of madly running squirrels, and to feel the wind in my ears as I sat on my friends' knees as they drove their big cars. Life for me was pretty amazing, seeing as I started off being treated like a sperm-carrying bag of canine DNA. My life didn't actually start until I was chosen at the breeders by my companions, Carter and teZa, and I was brought home to enjoy their happy family life. They treated me like a king! They let me do whatever I wanted, well, mostly. All I had to do was look a little sheepish whenever I peed or poo'ed in the wrong places, and try not to bite strangers when they picked me up, thinking I was such a cute little poochie, yuk! Pretty much everything else went along smoothly as long as I continued smiling whenever I saw the ones I love, and hung out, staying close to home.

Things went bad, really bad, when I couldn't give up my addiction to wandering.

At first I got away with it. Thought I was pretty cool coming up with ways to have an escapde. Before I went blind I'd make it back home before anyone even missed me. And then afterwards, they always found me! I was getting to rely on their dedication and by now, practiced abilities to track me down, 'cause usually I couldn't find my way back, seeing as I lost my sight by that time. Besides, some little old lady-type would usually find me and take me in and start feeding me all sorts of bacon breakfast leftovers, and I got, you guessed it--lazy. I didn't even think about returning to the hardly-ever bacon house I lived in, and just assumed I'd be found. And I was...all the other times.

But not the last one.

That trip was a mistake, I admit it. I should have known not to push a good thing too far. But nooooo, did I learn? Some of us have to get our lessons by having our noses shoved deep in our own ca-ca, if you know what I mean. My need to wander was self-centered and utterly pointless, and look where it got me! Gone from my loved ones!

For me, I had to die to find out how much of a wise-ass I'd let myself become, thinking I could roam all over without a care to speeding cars, snapping aligators (yes, I used to live close to those) or other dangers that abound in the physical realm.

But I'm not wasting any time beating myself up about having been a nomad-addict. It must have been my destiny to just make a presence on the EArth long enough to help make that film, and learn about blogging. I guess. Here, from my perspective, I figure I still have a lot to say, and a good way to get my message across, thanks to the blogsphere.

Hooray for modern life! Woofing with you all, in the Dance! Here and there, wherever you are, and sending you smiles of inimitable love:
fredito

In the Dance, the meaning of my life

Hi World!

I love being out of my body! But the really amazing thing is that I can still be with you, and enjoy the dance, the twirl of energy we all are, from here, the place where I am now, in the Light.

When I was in my little dachshund suit it was fun, don't get me wrong. Sometimes I would lose myself for hours just doing dumb things like diggin' for grubs, barking at the cows in the pasture, or chasing a rabbit, and then I'd sleep it off on the couch and no one would bug me for hours.

I got away with so much, thanks to my dear companions Carter and teZa.

But now that I'm here, where I'm writing my blog from, it's so much bigger, so much lighter, and I feel so much more in the rhythm of this feeling I've always had, which for lack of anything better I call "the Dance", a feeling I knew was underlying everything that was fun in my short dachshund experience. Maybe it's what some people call "being in the flow."

Besides, just before I took off I was really not having any fun. Over-bred, i think. My genes were imploding or something. I went blind and got fat literally overnight, and my beautiful fawn-colored coat turned grey within six months. Everything went downhill fast, almost as if someone had blown a horn signally the "end" and ... well, it happened fast.

So here I am sharing with you out there.

I think the reason for coming into my dachshund suit was to help Carter and teZa make Lithium Springs, this environmental folktake that I ended up being the star in, practically! You may think that sounds boastful, but when it came to making real choices about really worthwhile things, it was me who got the main guy, Evinrude Jones, to go for saving the land instead of filling his pockets with moo-la.

So, until i get a chance to speak through my muse again, who writes for me what i put into her head, i'm here to tell you that none of you on Earth should ever give up! FIght for what's right. Live and Love and Laugh as much as you can, because that's what life is all about, in the end. That's the Dance.

I'm your friend, and I'll see you soon.
In the Dance,
fredito

Things are not what they appear to be.

Hello world. What's on my mind today is along the lines of what I spoke of my last post: creating balance in our lives. To me (just a little guy who's already left it) the world itself is terribly out of balance these days. BUT--the good news is--things are happening RIGHT NOW that are creating a shift, making things right themselves out of necessity, bringing things quite naturally back to balance.

It's important to observe this happening. You can see it best in nature. It's also very important to take action and help nature with creating this alignment with the Higher Good as much as each of us can. I've lived through many a hurricane. With each killer-storm there's always a renewal, a re-birth, a re-committment to healthy growth and an elimination of old, stagnant, and often diseased limbs of trees, etc.

The human tragedy of storms, like New Orleans, is sad, yes, but there are many lessons to be learned from these catastrophes. All crisis have, within them, an opportunity to grow, to learn, to become happier, better, more fulfilled. Each of us has our own personal catastrophers to live through, too.

Each one of us counts. Our lives, no matter how small and insignificant we think we are, makes a huge difference.

With humans, it's almost as if nature has stepped in and taken over, trying to make things better on earth, even if the general consensus among human cultures is mired in conflict, war, inaction and a heavy dose of denial.

Sorry, but that's what I found to be true, when I was in my dog-body. In my own life, no matter how difficult or challenging things got, there was always a reason for bad things happening, and if i could just stick it out and stay in there, not give up hope--things always worked out for the best. Always.

Like how i came to live with my companions, the nice couple that helped me make my movie, Lithium Springs. I'd been living in a box, literally, with no contact with anyone but my litter mates, and the commercial-minded breeder who decided I was so handsome, so special that she was going to "save me" for studding purposes. She thought that was terrific. I thought that was like being doomed to live in hell on earth. No one ever touched me. No hand ever petted me. No one cared whether I lived or died...except if my stud services were to pay off.

And then the day came when I grew too large to be the "miniature" I was supposed to be, yet I was too small to be a regular-sized dachshund. So...I was canned as a breed specimen. Yup, that' what they called me. Nice, huh? Heart-felt, warm, cozy, enlightened...NOT!!!

So one day the perfect people just came along, saw me, chose ME out of all the others that were available at the breeders (they said it was because of my laid-back attitude, my insouciance, my shyness, my sincerity, yes that's what they said!). It was love at first sight. I couldn't believe my lucky stars, and they felt like the perfect dog had been delivered to them, after months and months of looking all over. That's how I got to be Fred Lord, going home with my companions Carter and teZa Lord. If you haven't checked it out yet, please click to the right and see our movie, Lithium Springs. It says it like it is, and it's fun, too!

Laughing is important, but some things are serious. And, I guess this subject I'm sharing about today is a little more serious that the giggle haw haws that I usually like to do. But...that's how we keep in balance, isn't it?

I had to learn to be around humans. They were scary at first. So BIG, so strong, so--controlling! I was afraid of them! But I got plenty of hugs, and plenty of time with my big companions, and soon my fright turned to unconditional trust and love. How did I get so lucky? Don't ask me. It was just ... meant to be, living with the Lords.

So...if we can see that what happens to us as individuals is the same as what happens to the world in general; i.e. the old "microcosm as macrocosm" point of view, we can understand that so-called horrendous events are not what they apear to be, not at all. Nature has a way of balancing out all her charges, the stars and moon and sun, the earth, and the entire expanse of Her cosmos. And we, whether we're dogs, red dwarfs in space, or people, we're all magnificent designs of nature, so we, too, are in the flow of nature's being in charge of Her creation's balance.

(Please give me some slack here, because I'm calling nature 'Her' ... I'm just waxing poetic, and certainly am not talking religion or anything dogmatic like that. Yipes! woof woof!)

Yes, of course we can add, or detract from nature's ways. We should, too! We can help as much as we can to better the world, make life happier, easier, healthier whenever we can. But...even if we were to do nothing ('cept complain, which an awful lot of people love to do these days, it seems, with the war in Iraq, the Bush-bashing, the fear, the toxicity of the environment, etc. etc.) nature will balance things out, in time, by Herself. Maybe something terrible will have to happen if the imbalance continues at the hand of greedy industrialists and politicians--but nature, and the earth itself, will continue to correct the dis-ease with nature's way of restoring the world to a healthy balance.

It's happened before, in history. And it continues to happen, today.

I want to talk about the surge of people who are being born at this time with an uncanny understanding of how things are. What some people call the "Indigo Children" or the "Crystal Children". Jeez, I feel like I was an Indigo Pup and no one ever recognized me! Imagine how many "enlightened beings" there must be floating around the earth right now, it staggers my imagination, because the evidence of just the few who are in the public eye is quite astounding. People need more enlightment! People need help! Politics won't do it. Art, Spirit, love of nature will. Nature, in Her wisdom and benevolent ability to maintain balance in Her creation, is filling that empty void that ignorant, shamefully out-of-balance has created.

It seems to me, humble little ol' me, that the increased numbers of children with ADD, ADHD, autism and other syndromes that seem, each year, to be increasing is for a reason. There are many who feel this is nature's way of balancing the over-abundance of other types of people, those who feast on violence, fear, disrespect, and are basically quite asleep in their awareness. Who is to say that these children with these traits are not the ones who are here to teach us? Yet so often we label them "handicapped" and feel sorry for them, when in actuality, and it's being proven more and more, they are able to reach heightened perceptions, communicate telephatically, and demonstrate other, quite remarkable characteristics that science and society just don't know quite what to do about, or how to interpret the huge numbers of these children being born with "special gifts."

Isn't this amazing, how nature is taking care of the imbalance for us? Just think about it.

I am.

As always, I am your ever-loving, ever-Dancing, friendly dachshund from beyond, fredito

Rave Review for MY MOVIE, wow!

Hi world. Missed y'all. I was getting ready for the upcoming dachshund races soon to be held in Ohio and couldn't blog for a bit (that almost rhymes, doesn't it?). Did you know even I'll be there? It's true! I'm (errr) flying in from points unknown, keeping it a secret for now the exact where and when of my visit and duties at the races. But of course you'll be sure to know, 'cause who else but me walks around looking so conceited? I can't help it really, it's just the way I am. Did you know that my companions actually had the nerve to call me a "CBD"? What? You don't know what a CBD is? C'mon! Where have you been! Is this a dachshund world, or what?

A CBD is the acronym for "cute but dumb." I know, I know, you think that's terrible, and awfully derogatory. But really, it's the tone in which it's spoken that says everything that the people who use it, can't. My friends always said it with a laugh and a big smile. True. Quite simply, a lot of people are incapable of expressing the deep and meaningful feelings for their, errr, companions, like me. Too often people over-feed us thinking that's being loving. Yipes, it's just the opposite! We furry companions need love, pure love--the food thing is best kept basic. Yep, that's what we are, companions. Hate that "pet" thing. We're companions, aren't we? Well, I am at least. I never was any good at the sit-in-lap-bit, or the bark and rescue thing, or even the fluff up and look tough scenario when the bad guys try to unfasten the screens. Me, I'm the one panting and looking goo-goo eyed, waiting for a pat from everyone from the postman to the pizza guy. Okay, okay, so there was that one time when I got freaked when somehow I got myself stuck in the barbed wire fence out in the cow pasture, behind my house. So when old Mr. Wentworth came over to rescue me, how was I to know he wasn't trying to strangle me or something? Of course I had to bite him! And you know I was the one who had the worst of it, when they (the animal control people) put me under house arrest for two weeks, just because there was an outbreak of rabies around my neck of the woods and they claimed they had to "watch me for symptoms." Yeah right. Symptoms my arse. They were using me as an poor innocent example for all the others, all the tough kids who get away with bloody murder. The kids who cut in and out on the highway nearly wrecking any decent driver, and how bout the ones who steal all the trick and treats from "honor system" hand-outs at Halloween? Why they'd have to pick on me? Me, a CBD. What a world!

Anyway, before I get all riled up and carried away, I wanted to share the good news! Lithium Springs, MY MOVIE (see the right hand column for a link to the movie's website) has just been given the rave review of all rave reviews by the "Library Journal"--which is sent to all school libraries across America!!

Dig this, and I quote:
Lithium Springs (www.lithiumsprings.com)
This quirky, offbeat independent film provides some interesting insights into the value of our natural environment. Retiree Evinrude Jones discovers a map (in a library book, naturally) to Ponce de Leon's long-lost Fountain of Youth and its treasure. Jones quickly sees that he alone recognizes the exact location of the loot and sets out with his dog, Fred (ME!) to find it. Along the way, Jones encounters the crystal-clear springs and streams, woodlands, and fields of central Florida: old friends; a potential romantic interest; wood and water spirits, bikers; and unscrupulous developers. This extremely clever allegory presents the choices one must make between the intrinsic natural beauty of the springs and underwater caves and the traditional lifestyles supported by the surrounding lands and the prosperity rooted in the destruction of the environment, i.e., development. This is a beautifully filmed, whimsically funny family movie that contains a "treasure" for every viewer. It will resonate for those faced with one's environmental heritage vs. jobs, money, business, and parking lots. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Wow. So then this guy calls Carter, my movie's director, and tells him they're going to represent Lithium Springs and take it to all the schools in the good old U. S. of A. WOW, double WOW. Not only that, but this "Library Journal" has made Lithium Springs the "pick of the week." How 'bout them dog-biscuits! Yeah.

So now I'm off to do my push-ups, chin-ups and some sprints. Gotta get in shape for the races! I'll see you soon. Don't forget to write me, here at the blog. Seems it must be kind of hard to figure out how to do, 'cause no one's done it yet. Will someone please let me know if it is...hard, I mean. Thanks. I really appreciate you dachshund-loving people, and I think you must appreciate us people-loving dachshunds, too. La la la la.

In the Dance, I am yours truly, Fredito

the importance of being balanced

You know, when I was in my dachshund suit I didn't much think about keeping things balanced. They just were. Being more on the instinctual level, that is, being true to my calling as a bona fide animal, I just did what came naturally. I didn't think about what I should or shouldn't, ought or oughtn't do. We animals just live. That's what is so nice about being a dog, or a cat, or any other animal besides you guys, you human beans out there in the blogoworld. Man, I tell you you guys have it rough. You have to think: "Okay, today I'm going to take a walk and work off that ice cream sundae I had last night," or, "I really shouldn't have that sandwich because of the carbs, I ought to have a salad instead."

Yipes! What a lot of thinking you guys have to do! Well, first of all let me tell you how sorry I am that you have to, but let's get over that stuff. Nuff time for pity, more now for how to keep it all balanced, so you can get down to the real stuff--which is--having fun in life!

Some people think dogs should be better educated. They send us to obedience schools, sometimes even insist we see doggie-shrinks, but I'm here to tell you that that's a bunch of bunk! We're just doing out thing, being natural animals. And the problem with you guys, you human beans I mean, is that sometimes you forget how very close you are to us other beans, the animals who share your precious globe.

Why just today there was a news item about an elephant over in India who went amok and ended up killing some poor guy and flinging his body around as a weapon, injuring many others. Why? Because some people (probably kids) threw stones at the elephant while he was parading, doing his thing, trying to be a nice quiet, polite elephant. But enuf is enuf! The elephant lost it and, well, death is a horrible thing, especially for a person who is in the line of an elephant's attack.

The point I'm trying to make is: why not own that you guys, you human beans are animals, like us who were or still are, and give yourselves some credit for the limits of your being able to do or not do things? It has always amazed me how the people I ran into insisted they weren't like me, an animal, but covered up their scents with smelly perfumy stuff, or wore their hair in un-animal-like styles that tried to disguise how close they and us really are. Walking upright is fine, go ahead I don't care, but don't think that walking on two legs instead of four is going to change the fact that you and I, and all of us, we are all the same.

It's just that you human beings (see, I know how to spell it, really!) THINK you think a lot more than other animals. But...truth is, do you really know? Okay you can type and run computers and the rest of us animals, we're more interested in just staying alive, breeding, and maybe having a little more fun than we ought, if we can get away with it. But why not? We're only here for as long as we're here! What's the big deal, the big serious deal anyway, that you guys try to make of everything?

Life is gonna happen, no matter what we do about it. We may as well have some fun while it's happening.

So today maybe some of you will look at your life and sort out how to make it more balanced, okay? If you're a heavy-duty thinking kind of person, maybe you could try to turn it off for a little bit and go out and have some pointless fun. Why not? If you're a silly waste-time type, maybe you need a little more discipline, and you could pick up a book and learn a little. If you're out of shape, you probably need to do something physical. If you're muscle-bound and always thinking of your body, maybe you need to pray. And if you're always talking about one thing, just listen to yourself and perhaps be your own editor, and smile, and laugh, and gently bring yourself to another topic. It just might make the difference between having a happy day, today! or just another day that you're muddling through.

Mind you, this is just my suggestions. You can do what you want. I'll still love you! Won't you Dance with me, in the Light! your ever-lovin' freditor

hi world

This is fredito. Yup, it's me and i just want to welcome everyone to my place, here in the blogosphere. This is a place where we can meet and speak about things that will make a difference, not only to me, but hopefully to you.

I'm a pretty simple spirit: a used-to-be dachshund and not quite ready to be another-kind-of-thing yet. I'm still attached to my dog-ness, so that's why I'm feeling like I need a blog, I guess. To make closure. My needs were always just to love and be loved, and to pretty much not worry about anything else but to feel useful.

Now that I'm no longer in my little furry body i still pretty much feel the same way about things. Love is the most important thing to me, still, even though i no longer have that cute, warm, good-smelling, short-legged body of mine that everyone seemed to appreciate so much. But i still have my feelings. And believe me, to feel love is the delight of delights. It's the only thing worth living for. And you know what? Love is also the only thing worth being not-alive for, too. Go ahead, laugh if you want, but it's true. I can't explain it, but love is like juice that keeps things lubed up, keeps everything going smoothly. Even when they don't look like they are, as long as love is involved--or compassion if you like that word better--everything will turn out for the best. Trust me. I can say these things without sounding corney, you see, because i have a certain kind of vantage point from where I am.

Okay, that's enough from me for today. I hope you all are having a great life and we will talk soon. Let me know what you think about this stuff, and of course, I will continue sharing with you. I'm pretty tuckered out right now though, setting up this blog with galateZa, my pal, so i think i'll let you out there in the webworld have a chance to talk.

Dance with me in the Light, your fredito