The Laughing Otter- because life’s just too short

Otter:
[1]- woman medicine, healing, sensuality. Let loose of boundaries and limits and just let go.

[2] Playful, capricious, active. Otter people are often very lighthearted, playful people who are naturally joyful. During rough times, otter people are often optimistic and are masters in finding the humor in even the worst situations. Otter medicine teaches the value of laughter, play, and feminine wisdom.

[3] The otter is a feminine totem. It’s fur and pelts have been used from time immemorial by medicine people the world over to hold their medicine tools.

Otter is the symbol of grace and empathy. Otter medicine takes great pleasure in the success and happiness of others, and will work untiringly to help others achieve that. There is no selfishness in otter. They could never be mean, or self-centered, or self-driven. You will not find an otter who gossips, or who “flames” others, or who is unnecessarily critical in a vengeful way for the purpose of otter is to support and enhance OTHERS, not themselves.

Otter is also a signal that you need to take more time for yourself to just play and be silly. Lighten up! You must feed otter’s playful side so that she can continue to help balance your great concern for the welfare of others. We lose sight, sometimes, of our own spirit’s need to be lighthearted and to laugh and be childlike. That is a very important element in walking in balance.

[4] There are two kinds of Otter, the river and sea. Delightful creatures to watch in the wild otters have a strong curiosity exploring every nook and cranny they can find just to see what’s there. Their curiosity reminds us that everything is interesting if looked at from different angles. They know how to float on the currents of life enjoying the beauty that it holds. Their relaxed attitude reminds us to laugh with life and not take things to seriously. They offer us the gift of laughter, trust and playfulness.

Otters are agile and fast in the water. They are often seen floating on their backs with their paws extended out of the water, sliding on their bellies playfully, or performing acrobatic maneuvers. Water has long been associated with the emotional energies in man. Otters glide through the emotional ups and downs of life with ease and can teach us how to do the same. They represent the creative, nurturing energies that live within us and show us how to honor them.

Otters are excellent parents and care for their young longer than most other marine mammals. They enjoy the company of other otters and are rarely seen alone. Those with this medicine benefit by living on or close to the water and find comfort in group interactions.

The otter is very talkative. When frightened their calls take on an erie piercing sound similar to a baby screaming. They have few natural enemies and are not afraid of humans. During the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, otters were one of the few creatures that would allow humans to hold them without putting up a fight. As the oil was wiped from their bodies the otter would lie very still in the arms of the one caring for it, unafraid and trusting.

When otter appears in your life it is asking you to let go of worry and pain, lighten up and enjoy what life has to offer. Trust your inner knowing , develop trust for others and embrace the world with excitement and enthusiasm. Life is what we make it. The otter shows us how to create a joyful future. All we need to do is follow its lead.

[5] Otter brings understanding of our childlike self and asks us to rediscover our playful side. In its wisdom it advises us to nurture our talents and make good use of them.

Snake:
[1] Snake comes when we are moving toward change and need to let go of a part of our old self. Snake awakens our spiritual intuition allowing us to explore the mysterious depths of our mind and soul. Its unblinking stare looks into our souls and teaches us how to birth untapped power and creative wisdom.

Heron:
[1] Aggressive, Self-Determination, Self-Reliance

[2] You are strong and aggressive, determine your own course in life and rely upon yourself. You find a comfortable balance in the “shifting sands” of life for you are able to see opportunity where many would not look twice. You know what is best for you, and have the courage to follow your own path.

You are a person who does not need the security of a 9 to 5 job, pension plan, group insurance and the assurance that every day will be the same. You are one of those rare breeds that can live on the razor’s edge of life, and have an in-born instinct about what will and what won’t work for you. You are happiest when you are exploring many things, learning many skills, and are often known as a “jack of all trades”. While this may give the impression that you are flighty and irresponsible, quite the opposite is true. If one thing fails you, you have an assortment of knowledge and skills to fall back on. You are never without, and adapt into new working situations with ease.

While you enjoy a social life, it is not a necessary part of your existence for you are quite at home alone, with your own thoughts and devices. You are comfortable with yourself, and have no need to be surrounded by people. You are not impressed with status symbols, or accumulating “things”, and have no need or desire to play the game of “keeping up with the Joneses”.

The great blue heron is the “boss bird”, the king of the marshes. It is the tallest of the herons, and the most powerful in flight. It hunts with a slow, deliberate, stalking stride that seems to tell everything else to stand aside. If you are attracted to the blue, you approach new opportunities with even more aggression. You know what is best for you, and will not allow anyone else to change your path.

Heron medicine is strong and courageous. It is not afraid to take responsibility for every aspect of life. It will never pass the buck, or deny an act or deed. It is the totem of character and strong will, but it will never use those gifts to bully or take advantage of others. If you know someone who is afraid to take control of their life, introduce the heron. It could make a difference.

I’ve updated the Sakura Blossoms page, and it’s full of ideas.

Otherwise, my birthday is coming up… I think I’d like to celebrate nice and quiet, doing something I love. Tea maybe, or a fun single-shot tabletop RP game, or maybe just lay at home and read a good book. We don’t really have the money to do a lot, so I’m going to enjoy it by playing around and resting!

…. I’m not sure why I put tea in the subject, since I’m afraid all I have to say on it is more rambling about the beauty of a fresh poured cup, which I’ve been enjoying a lot of recently. ^_^

Goodnight!

My entry to the Cost bento of the month contest at Lunch In A Box Forums.

Salad: Broccoli and peppers (Broccoli: 1¢; pepper: 1¢)

Orange Wedge: < 1¢

Strawberry: 3¢

Chicken: 5¢

Rice:  4¢

Teriyaki Sauce: 3¢

Explanation: I bought the chicken at 79¢/lb, and used roughly an ounce. That’s 4.9¢, rounded to 5. The rice is 50lbs for $18 which is 36¢/lb, and I used roughly 2oz. That’s approximately 4¢. The broccoli, pepper, orange and strawberries were bought from a farmer’s market- broccoli was 28¢/lb, the orange was 35¢/lb, the peppers are 8/$1,  and the strawberries were a dollar per box, with roughly 30 berries in each. With a quarter ounce each of pepper and broccoli, that comes to 2¢ of veggies. The orange came to 3¢, divided into quarters makes it less than a penny per wedge. The strawberry came to 3¢. The sauce was homemade with mirin and soy, both bought in bulk. The entire container came to under 3¢.

That makes my grand total come to 18¢  to fill a 120ml box. It’s not a grand luncheon, but it’s a nice snack. You can triple all the ingredients and make a nice lunch meal for 54¢, and double -that- make a good sized meal for a man for just over a dollar. It’s also nutritionally balanced- a carb, a veggie, a protein, a pair of fruits, and a seasoning. Mine comes to (roughly) 63 calories and 6g of carbs, and since it’s roasted chicken, the flavor is very rich and salt becomes unneccessary. I only added the sauce for color in the bottle… I didn’t use it when I ate the meal! So to triple that calorie count and you’ve got 126 calories and 18g of carbs, which means it’s good for all diets, including insulin resistant, diabetic, and low fat/low carb. No nutritional deficiencies!

I mean, I know that people look at this site, because the stats tell me so. But it’s hard to find a reason to update these days. I have pictures to post, I suppose, but then I get strange looks from people along with the comment “You’re putting your BABY online? >> Well… isn’t that… you know… *whispers* unsafe?”

As if more than five people read this page. And two of them live with me. ><

So, these days my cooking has petered off a bit, since I can’t seem to find my inspiration for new recipes. I have a new recipe box, though, to fill up with interesting ideas, and that may help me feel more … encouraged to cook. I’ve also taken up embroidery again, although I haven’t done it since I was very young and my great-grandmother first taught me the basics of ‘women’s craft’. She made sure I could tell which end of a needle was proper, thread it correctly, how to tie knots of the sewing persuasion (my dad taught me knots of the binding sort) and how to crochet a basic chain. She taught me to sew buttons and how to select scraps of cloth that would look nice together.

My grandmother (her daughter) has taken up those lessons, and now I am old enough to appreciate what I’m learning. Embroidery is so elegant and it’s something I can do in my quiet time… not that there’s much of it! I’d like to learn to sew, too. Patterns are beyond me, I’m afraid.  I’d like to make my own clothes- I think I found the style I like best, and it’s the EGA- Elegant Gothic Aristocrat. And before you get images of great fluffy bustles and yards of lace spilling everywhere, my personal preference is the sleek, delicate style. (I really love the lolita look, with it’s muffin-shaped skirts and delicately embroidered accents, but I am just too old and too big to look good in baby-doll anything). I do admit a weakness for pretty hats, though.

And tea. Definitely tea. Ohhh, tea parties are the love of my life! A hot mug of Irish breakfast tea while I’m nestled into a blanket on a cold, foggy morning in bed… a delicate porcelain cup with rose petals painted on the fluted edges filled with an English black… watching orange pekoe leaves unfurl delicately in the hot but not boiling water… oh, yes, Heaven is full of the best quality teas. And delicate little tables in a sunny corner with a lace tablecloth and a lovely painted teapot.

… and now that I have waxed entirely too poetic on my favorite drink, I shall move on to something less irritating. I’m not sure what, but something.

Ah.

Cocoa’s mange appears to have returned with a vengence, and her vet seems unwilling to give the treatment that served us so well in the past. It will be up to me, I suppose.

My little Bear is doing so well, also! He rolled over all on his own a few days ago, and he has finally figured out how to get things to his mouth.

Orion’s parents came for a visit this last weekend, and I believe they had a good time- I’m not sure, I didn’t ask, but they did seem to enjoy themselves. It was a bit cold for them, though, I believe! It snowed the whole weekend, and we didn’t get to the parks, but we did take a lovely jaunt through the mall and a nice dinner with my mom and dad on their last night in. I didn’t know that we’d be able to, since my mom only just got back from her own vacation, but the timing was impeccable! I’m so glad.

Mom also bought my Bear a bouncy seat, too. He’s just loving it, but it’s definitely not a ‘play alone’ toy… he only wants to play in it if someone is sitting right there to play with. He’s like that, though- he doesn’t enjoy playing alone. I don’t mind… I like playing with him.

Otherwise, it’s work and play as usual. I really can’t wait for the nice weather- my garden isn’t going to get going by sitting there untended! I do need to find planks, though. I’m not sure if mine came over with us. And I need to talk to my grandfather and find how much fill-dirt costs. I’d like to make raised beds to help keep the dogs out of them, but I suppose we’ll see what I can afford this year.

Best of days to you!

My sinuses are full. My head is whirling. >< No update today- I can’t think past “sleep? No sleep? Oh… sleep now?”

Sleep now.