Author Archives: Mike Nelson Pedde

He Says, She Says… F.E.A.R.

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Hello, Dear Reader:

Someone (we’re not sure to whom to give credit) once described fear as an acronym:

F alse
E xpectations
A ctualizing
R eality

We’ve all felt fear from time to time, whether it was a simple case of being startled, an overwhelming sense of dread, or somewhere in between.  So, the question is, can fear be justified?  Not the quick surge of fear that takes us unawares, but the long-standing constant fear that can eat away at our psyche.  After all, fear is always about anticipation of an event, not the result of same.

There’s an old saying that goes something like this (copied from memory, so please forgive any inaccuracies):

Where there is fear
there is danger.
Consequently, where there is no fear
there is no danger.

If the man and the tiger
are not one,
then the tiger may attack
out of fear.

But if the man and the tiger are truly one
then the tiger will not attack.
For what animal
would knowingly attack itself?

Hugs,
M&M

Follow these links to read what He Says/She Says: Marcia’s View / Mike’s View

Being Green: Radical Transformations

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Hi Folks:

Friday once again, so that means it’s ‘Being Green‘ day here on our blog.  It seems to me there are basically two ways to progress, and both can have their place.  One is to take an existing technology and improve on it.  For example, virtually every fixed-wing aircraft in the world today is a variation of the ‘Wright Flyer‘ first flown by the Wright Brothers in 1903.  However, when Igor Sikorsky first flew the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 in 1939, he ‘launched’ (pun intended) an entirely different mode of flight. (NB: The VS-300 is popularly known as the first successful helicopter.  The De Bothezat helicopter did fly some 20 years earlier, but was highly unstable and the project was scrapped.) Continue Reading →

He Says, She Says… Opposites

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Hello, Dear Reader:

Our ‘He Says She Says…‘ post is a day later than normal this week, but we have friends in town and they get priority…

Our inspiration for this week’s post comes from a Seth quote:

“I am saying this as simply as possible. There are profound complications beneath my words, however. Opposites have validity only in your own system of reality. They are a part of your root assumptions, and so you must deal with them as such.

“They represent, however, deep unities that you do not understand. Your conception of good and evil results in large part from the kind of consciousness you have presently adopted. You do not perceive wholes, but portions. The conscious mind focuses with a quick, limited, but intense light, perceiving from a given field of reality only certain ‘stimuli.’ It then puts these stimuli together, forming the liaison of similarity. Anything that it does not accept as a portion of reality, it does not perceive.

“The effect of opposites results, then, from a lack of perception. Since you must operate within the world as you perceive it, then the opposites will appear to be conditions of existence. These elements have been isolated for a certain reason, however. You are being taught, and you are teaching yourselves to handle energy, to become conscious cocreators with All That Is, and one of the ‘stages of development’ or learning processes includes dealing with opposites as realities.

“In your terms, the ideas of good and evil help you recognize the sacredness of existence, the responsibility of consciousness. The ideas of opposites also are necessary guide lines for the developing ego. The inner self knows quite well the unity that exists.” ~ Seth Speaks, session 587.

So… Can opposites represent a form of unity, or are they, well, opposites?

Hugs,
M&M

Follow these links to read what He Says/She Says: Marcia’s View / Mike’s View

Being Green: Appreciating the Moment

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Hi Folks:

September is upon us and kids have finished their first week back at school… A short post this week, but in last Friday’s ‘Being Green‘ post I added a link provided by my nephew (in-law) about one person’s daily commute by bicycle, and how he stops every day for a moment or two, sometimes longer, on the bridge connecting north and south Edmonton in order to appreciate the world around him.  After posting that I received an e-mail from my nephew reminding me about our experiences at the provincial legislature grounds in Edmonton; we were there in 2003 when my niece and nephew-in-law were married.  It wasn’t something I will forget.

I’ve been to the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa on more than one occasion, and tossed a few coins into the fountain housing the eternal flame.  I’ve been to the legislative grounds in several other provinces as well, including the one here in Victoria, but none of them compare (in my opinion) to the one in Edmonton.  Why, you ask?  Well, simply because instead of the requisite fountain on the grounds (the fountain here in Victoria was surrounded by a 15-foot fence on Canada Day), the grounds in Edmonton have been made into a water park, including a huge fountain and a wading pool.  For the people, by the people, and of the people.  On the warm day in August that we were there, the entire grounds were filled with people playing in the water, having picnics in the shade, walking, reading, cycling, and just generally having fun.  There was a wonderful sense that the locals felt they had a right to be there, that this was created for them.  And so it was. Continue Reading →

He Says, She Says… The Symbol Makers

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Hello Dear Reader:

If we asked you to define a symbol, the thoughts that might come to mind could include a logo for a company, an ancient pictograph or drawing, a number, a character or some other idea, but the truth is that everything in our world is symbolic.  Take a word like ‘cup’, ‘tree’, ‘car’, ‘sky’ or ‘money’ for example.  All bring to mind specific shapes, colours and ideas, specific symbols of ideas.  Even ‘time’ has its own symbology, as we understand time by its passing.

Here’s a quote from Seth:

“Objects are the symbols.

“You usually think of them simply as realities. You think of thoughts, images, and dreams sometimes as being symbolic of other things, but the truth is that physical objects are themselves symbols. They are the exterior symbols that stand for inner experience.

“There are, therefore, mass physical symbols upon which you all agree, as well as private, personal symbols. The whole nature and structure of physical life as you know it, is a symbolic statement made by groups of entities who choose to work with physical symbolism. So the body is a symbol for what you are, or what you think you are—and these may be two different things indeed.

“Any physical ailment is symbolic of an inner reality or statement. Your entire life is a statement in physical terms, written upon time as you understand it.

“Once you understand the symbolic nature of physical reality, then you will no longer feel entrapped by it. You have formed the symbols, and therefore you can change them. You must learn, of course, what the various symbols mean in your own life, and how to translate their meaning.

“To do so, you must first of all remind yourself frequently that the physical condition is symbolic—not a permanent condition. Then you must look within yourself for the inner actuality represented by the symbol. This same process can be followed regardless of the nature of the problem, or of your challenge.” ~ Seth Speaks, session 594.

If everything in our world is symbolic – the very fabric of our reality composed of individual and joint symbols – who then are the symbol makers?

Hugs,
M&M

Follow these links to read what He Says/She Says: Marcia’s View / Mike’s View

Autumn Leaves

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Hi Folks:

September now and next Tuesday the kids head back to school… The days are getting shorter and the leaves on the trees are changing colour too.

Anyway, there’s been some stir online in the past few days about Dr. Stephen Hawking‘s new book where he suggests that ‘God’ is not necessary to create the universe. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Hawking and he’s certainly entitled to his opinion, but it got me thinking about the following story. Now, I must point out that I first heard this story a long time ago, and every time I tell the story it gets changed a bit, but the storyline remains the same. I’m also not the original author of this story and don’t know who is, but whomever it is, I’d like to thank him or her for it! Continue Reading →

Being Green – Car Alarms…

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Hi Folks:

Friday has wound its way around once again, so it must be time for this week’s ‘Being Green‘ post.  Now, if you’ve been around for more than the past few decades you probably remember a time before car alarms were invented.  While these alarms have gotten a lot more sophisticated since they were first invented, what most people associate with them is the screeching siren that accompanies them.  When these alarms first came out people were generally appreciative of them, but that transitioned to annoyance, and now, for the most part, people ignore them.  One poll in England found that car alarms are the ‘most irritating piece of technology ever invented‘.  When a car alarm goes off today, most passersby won’t even bother to lift their gaze from their smart phones. Continue Reading →

Photo of the Month

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Hi Folks:

Well, September descends upon us tomorrow – back to school for those who are so inclined, and the end of summer vacation for most.  On this last day of August I had a look through Lightroom to see that I made nearly a thousand images this month.  In the digital age there are many who make a thousand images a day, but I’m still from the film era, where I would get a dozen images from one roll of 120 film.  Anyway…

I’ve put a lot of thought into what to make my ‘photo of the month’ for August.  We had family visiting at the beginning of August, and while I made several ‘tourist’ shots, I’m not a people photographer at heart.  We went to two different car shows this month and there were some good prospects there, but I profiled an image of an automobile last month.

I met some old friends for lunch today as they passed through town, and in explaining to them what we like about Victoria I mentioned that this is largely a city of villages, each one unique, and yet forming a coherent whole.  We haven’t been everywhere in Victoria yet, not by a long shot, but of the various places we have toured Oak Bay is my favourite.  While a separate municipality from the city of Victoria proper they are adjunct, with Oak Bay covering the city’s southeastern shore.  From our walks there we’ve found that Oak Bay has a sense of neighbourhood and community that we really like.  To that end I thought I’d use one of my Oak Bay images for this month’s selection. Continue Reading →

He Says, She Says… Unraveling the Truth

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Hello, Dear reader:

Our ‘He Says, She Says…‘ topic for this week started with one of  the daily ‘Tut quotes‘ (notes from the Universe):

“The truth not only sets you free, it slays all dragons, banishes all fears, connects all dots, and casts a brand new spell over those who’ve yet to see you as I do.

And you already had the world spinning in the palm of your hand…

Careful now,
The Universe

Dwell in truth and you will literally start to glow.”

In reading that quote we thought about another one, this time from Seth:

“I have something to say to each of you, and all of you. In many areas of your lives, you go to learn discipline. You are taught by another and by a teacher and by a great authority. You are taught to become disciplined. In this class, there are other issues involved, and now I will tell you the terrible truth!

“For I am an un-teacher. And an un-teacher un-ravels you, or lets you unravel yourselves, back to the truths of your being. An un-teacher helps you un-learn your ‘discipline.’ An un-teacher, hopefully – and it is a difficult task that I embark upon, playfully – an un-teacher, hopefully, lets you lead yourselves toward the freedom of your being. So, when you are used to discipline, you may, for a while, feel un-done, or without a foundation. And then, when you let your disciplines go, you feel the great foundation of your own being, and its greater freedom.

“There is a purpose to this class, as all of you know, and for all of my talk, you see, you still have not un-learned enough. For when I tell you that you create your own reality, none of you are really sufficiently secure in that belief to take advantage of it as yet; to grasp this great creative freedom of yourselves, and use it to make the life that you presently [live] be the most creative and joyful for yourself and others. And so you give yourselves and others excuses, and you are in this position because of that, or you are in this position because of that person, or because of your background.

“Now, this applies to everyone here, Ruburt included – to each of you. When you thoroughly recognize the majestic freedom of your own being, and your own creative power, then you recognize yourselves as creators, creating your daily life and joyfully helping create the mass experience of the world as you know it. And then, you are ready to say ‘I act out of the full joyful knowledge of my creativity.’ Then you do not blame events or others or circumstances. Then you are able to thank yourselves for the joys of your being, and the glory of your days. You are able to say to the smallest cell within the ear, ‘I give you greeting. I am thankful for our joint creativity: for our eternal knowledge which is ever new.’ . . .

“And your dreams will help you point the way to your own freedom – and they are pointing the way to your own freedom.

“Again, from my reality to yours: if there is one gift that I would give you, it is the reflection of yourselves as I see you, returned to you so that you could sense, as I do, the miraculous joy and freedom, and trust it. If you make mistakes, they are your own mistakes, and you can learn from them. If you make decisions, they are your own decisions you can make new ones. If you are afraid of making decisions, you cannot learn from them.” – Conversations With Seth, Volume II

The ‘truth’ of anything is certainly a huge concept, and more than we can cover in one blog post.  Still, we each wanted to share some of our thoughts on the subject.  However, before reading our ideas, we’d like you to stop for a moment and ask yourself what ‘the truth’ means to you.  Have you unraveled it?  Has it unraveled you in the process?  Or has it made you whole?

Hugs,
M&M

Follow these links to read what He Says/She Says: Marcia’s View / Mike’s View

Eating Our Way Through Victoria – Literally

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Hello, Dear Reader!

August seems to be harvest time here on the island.  Last month we wrote about some of the farmer’s markets in the area, and we’ve been adding to our food cache by eating the many fruits that are ripe and ready as we wander the roads and trails around Victoria.  Himalayan blackberries are unfortunately highly invasive around here, and so (strictly as a means of suppressing their spread, you understand) we’ve been collecting and eating their berries by the bowlful.  The canes do have quite persistent thorns, however, and don’t give up their crop easily, as our scratches can attest!  We’ve also been fortunate to find some tayberries, and in one spot a few loganberries that we simply couldn’t pass up.  We’ve also found some semi-wild apples, and if our neighbour’s pear tree would only grow a little more over the fence… oh well.

But enough about that.  We were fortunate also this month to have family come for a visit, and they’re big fans of Korean food.  Although we’ve sampled various Chinese cuisines as well as Japanese and Thai food, we’d never been to a Korean restaurant.  We ended up at the Korean Gardens (3945 Quadra St. in Saanich, just south of McKenzie).  Actually, our nephew-in-law did a wonderful review of the restaurant, so we’re just going to copy what he said here:

“After reading some of the negative reviews we were hesitant to visit the Korean Gardens restaurant. In fact, we first tried to find a Korean restaurant downtown instead based on those reviews. Luckily that restaurant was no longer in business and a hunger for Korean food drove us to the Korean Gardens.

Contrary to what others have experienced, the waitresses were prompt, yet patient, as we navigated the menu looking for dishes similar to those we were familiar with from other Korean restaurants. Once ordered, food began arriving quickly. The food tasted great, and the size of the dishes was average for this type of cuisine. All through the meal the service remained superb. It’s a rare restaurant where the staff will go out of their way to make a two year old, our son in this case, feel at home.”

It’s a restaurant we look forward to visiting again.  We also had the opportunity to have breakfast out at Floyd’s Diner earlier this week; we wrote about Floyd’s in our first ‘Food’ post.  The experience was wonderful, as always, and we maintain that the servers there give the best hugs in town.

Enjoy!

M&M

P.S. You can read more of our Food posts and restaurant reviews here.