YUM-YUM: ZEN AT DAWN

"Watching the moon
at dawn,
solitary, mid-sky,
I knew myself completely:
no part left out."

-Izumi Shikibu (974-1034)








from The Enlightened Heart
An Anthology of Sacred Poetry
Edited by Stephen Mitchell

Sometimes when YumYum
wonders why he is still such
a small pig, he becomes
very Zen in his struggle to
accept that small outside
still contains Infinity inside.
This he knows. The moon
only reminds him.

SOCIAL BUTTERFLY

Today YumYum and I observed that Bear seems to attract the most attention (and treats and lap-time) between the three of us and YumYum casually remarked, "That's because he's a social butterfly." YumYum didn't know what that meant, he'd just overheard mom say it about each of us at one time or other, so he blurted it out since Bear's lettuce was bigger than his!

Truth is, we know Bear is an older pig (5 years +) and has never really been loved, cared for, or appreciated and included as a member of a family.

We enjoy how much he delights in the discovery of how precious love feels when you've been neglected and smelly your whole life, and your toes grow misshapen because nobody will trim your nails, and it becomes hard to walk, and life feels dismal...alone in a cage with nothing but a glimmer of hope,
deep inside,
that you really are a beautiful guinea pig; and that maybe before you die someone will see how special you truly are.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR BEAR

(NOTE FROM EDITOR: Today is Bear's first blog post.)

After all the Olympics hullaballoo, we felt the need for quietude and love. Mom's oldest friend, Susan (holding me for the first time) brought her daughter, Shaina, and Shaina's brand new sparkling baby boy, Seamus, to meet us! Mom used to babysit Shaina when she was 5 years old and they all went camping and hiked up to Cascade Pass one summer together. It was the first time mom ever saw a glacier up close and personal. And now Shaina is all grown up with a baby of her own! They live in Seattle, where mom used to live.

Susan had heard a lot about me but we had never met. I think we are in love. I match her hair. And she knew all the right places to pet me and make me purrrrrr.....she chucked my chin and petted my jolly jowls and they wiggled back and forth and I was so happy I popcorned right in her embrace! I love Susan and Shaina and Seamus and hope they come back soon. Mom was blissed out to have her favorite girls (and Seamus) here at one time; she just couldn't stop beaming!

It seems like our family just keeps growing and PandaPig and YumYum got treats while we all received compliments on how handsome we are and how much YumYum has grown. We love it when mom's friends visit us, especially after mom hasn't been feeling well for awhile and she got to hold Seamus which cured everything, especially when she smelled his baby head.

It was a perfect day. We were sad Edwin had to go back home to Seattle but Chai, the Bengal Cat and Sami, Chai's gorgeous Tortie Girlfriend missed him and now they are all together again, too.

So, today was girly day. Epic Love. Girly style: PURELY EPIC!

HE MAY NOT BE A GUINEA PIG BUT...

Forget Eddie the Eagle, there's a wild lynx here on the Olympic downhill course... | Mail Online
We are so proud of this guy for competing with the human Olympians on what has come to be known as one of the most dangerous downhill courses in the world. (We have emailed him to steer clear of the luge track.)
People think they're the only ones who can play in the snow and compete, well, think AGAIN, YOU PEOPLE!
Go, cat, go!

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THE OLYMPIC FLAME

This is the picture Edwin took from his seat adjacent the stage during Opening Ceremonies. k.d. lang sang "Hallelujah" as the cauldron was lit. They weren't letting guinea pigs in but Edwin made us proud!

Video | Opening Ceremony: Hallelujah | NBC Olympics

Video | Opening Ceremony: Hallelujah | NBC Olympics

This song is what mom plays when she cleans our cages every day. Usually we listen to Rufous Wainwright singing from the "SHREK" soundtrack. It makes us all cry because, well, we just do. We feel touched by a Presence Divine, even in the midst of poo, pee, and hay flying everywhere. It's so human, so guinea piggie, so universally saturated in Mercy. So, here is kd lang at the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics 2010. We would like to listen to this one, too, maybe at night when mom gets us all ready for bed and we say our goodnight prayers of gratitude for having our new lives, together; we are One, we are Love.

Hallelujah!

And face it, people, does she move you to tears or are you a rock?

EDWIN'S SEAT BEHIND PEOPLE IN WHITE!

Video | Opening Ceremony: The uniforms | NBC Olympics

Edwin miraculously walked into the Olympics and scored a seat to Opening Ceremonies within two hours of the start. He sat only feet from the Athlete's entrance and even got an autograph from the Armenian alpine skier while she marched with her team! His face is actually on this video. He had fun!

THRILLS AND SPILLS: SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING! NOT FOR SHY PIGS!

This is how Mom and Edwin skate!  Mom falls down for no reason, but when Edwin fell, he always made sure to take out a few competitors with him!   Bad Edwin.

Mom once found herself racing along, humming to herself when the next thing she saw were her own skates flashing before her eyes. In that split-second, she thought, "That's a  bit odd?" and next  thing she was bouncing off the ice on her bright, blue helmet!  Bounce, bounce, bounce. That's MOM!

Edwin, he's just BAAAAaaaaaaaaaadDD!  If he goes down, you do not want to be on the ice, near the ice, in the arena, even in the same city, state, or country.  You might not even want to be on the Earth.  That is why they built the Space Station: so somebody would still survive to keep mankind alive, whenever Edwin raced.

That is a fact.  Ask NASA. Or U.S. Speedskating.  Or anybody in Western Washington, USA.  Or Mom.

Video | Short track crashes and spills | NBC Olympics

Video | Short track crashes and spills | NBC Olympics

PIGS CHEER APOLO TO FIRST MEDAL OF GAMES!

Short track News - 2010 Winter Olympics - CTV Olympics

NO ORDINARY HALLELUJAH!

Video | Musical recap of the Opening Ceremony | NBC Olympics
EDWIN TOOK HIS PACK ON THE BUS YESTERDAY, NOTHING IN HIS HAND BUT SOME VEGAN PUMPKIN BREAD AND ENDED UP ON THE FRONT ROW AT OPENING CEREMONIES OF THE 2010 OLYMPICS WHERE k.d. land sang our favorite song as the Olympic cauldron was lit dramatically!

Our deepest sympathies to the family, team and friends of the Georgian luger who lost his life in a practice run yesterday. Edwin said after the Olympic flags were raised they were lowered to half mast.

We hope and pray, not for snow on Cypress Mountain, but for a safe and peaceful time and place where the entire world can celebrate as One.