Thursday, December 31, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Saturday, December 26, 2015
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY TO THINK
ABOUT.......
December 29, 2015 marks the 125th Anniversary of the murder of 297
Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
in South Dakota. These 297 people, in their winter camp, were murdered by
federal agents and members of the 7th Cavalry who had come to confiscate their
firearms “for their own safety and protection”. The slaughter began after the majority
of the Sioux had peacefully turned in their firearms. The Calvary began
shooting, and managed to wipe out the entire camp. 200 of the 297 victims were
women and children. About 40 members of the 7th Cavalry were killed, but over
half of them were victims of fratricide from the Hotchkiss guns of their
overzealous comrades-in-arms.
TWENTY members of the 7th Cavalry's death
squad, were deemed “National Heroes” and were awarded the Medal of Honor for
their acts of [cowardice] heroism.
We hear very little of Wounded Knee today. It
is usually not mentioned in our history classes or books. What little that does
exist about Wounded Knee is normally a sanitized “Official Government
Explanation”. And there are several historically inaccurate depictions of the
events leading up to the massacre, which appear in movie scripts and are not
the least bit representative of the actual events that took place that day.
Wounded Knee was among the first federally
backed gun confiscation attempts in United States history. It ended in the
senseless murder of 297 people.
Evil does exist in our world. It always has
and always will. Throughout history evil people have committed evil acts. In
the Bible one of the first stories is that of Cain killing Abel. We can not
legislate “evil” into extinction. Good people will abide by the law, and the criminal
element will always find a way around it.
Evil exists all around us, but looking back at
the historical record of the past 200 years, across the globe, where is “evil”
and “malevolence” most often found? In the hands of those with the power, the
governments. That greatest human tragedies on record and the largest loss of
innocent human life can be attributed to governments. Who do the governments
always target? “Scapegoats” and “enemies” within their own borders…but only
after they have been disarmed to the point where they are no longer a threat.
Ask any Native American, and they will tell you it was inferior technology and
lack of arms that contributed to their demise. Ask any Armenian why it was so
easy for the Turks to exterminate millions of them, and they will answer “We
were disarmed before it happened”. Ask any Jew what Hitler’s first step prior
to the mass murders of the Holocaust was- confiscation of firearms from the
people.
Post shared on facebook by public page.Matthew W. Yates
Bedford, TX
(This Blog has not affiliation or relationship of any kind with that Facebook page or onwer's page. The article appear very interesting, that is the reason it is shared. It doesn't intend to offend anyone)
West Coast Native NewsLike Page
Remember Sitting Bull: Killed by Police
December 15, 1890
After many years of successfully resisting
white efforts to destroy him and the Sioux people, the great Sioux chief and
holy man Sitting Bull is killed by Indian police at the Standing Rock reservation
in South Dakota.
One of the most famous Native Americans of the
19th century, Sitting Bull (Tatanka Iyotake) was a fierce enemy of
Anglo-Americans from a young age. Deeply devoted to the traditional ways,
Sitting Bull believed that contact with non-Indians undermined the strength and
identity of the Sioux and would lead to their ultimate decline. However,
Sitting Bull’s tactics were generally more defensive than aggressive,
especially as he grew older and became a Sioux leader. Fundamentally, Sitting
Bull and those associated with his tribe wished only to be left alone to pursue
their traditional ways, but the Anglo settlers’ growing interest in the land
and the resulting confinement of Indians to government-controlled reservations
inevitably led to conflicts. Sitting Bull’s refusal to follow an 1875 order to
bring his people to the Sioux reservation directly led to the famous Battle of
the Little Bighorn, during which the Sioux and Cheyenne wiped out five troops
of Custer’s 7th Cavalry.
After the Battle of the Little Bighorn,
Sitting Bull and his followers fled to Canada for four years. Faced with mass
starvation among his people, Sitting Bull finally returned to the United States
and surrendered in 1883. Sitting Bull was assigned to the Standing Rock
reservation in present-day South Dakota, where he maintained considerable power
despite the best efforts of the Indian bureau agents to undermine his
influence. When the apocalyptic spiritual revival movement known as the Ghost
Dance began to grow in popularity among the Sioux in 1890, Indian agents feared
it might lead to an Indian uprising. Wrongly believing that Sitting Bull was
the driving force behind the Ghost Dance, agent James McLaughlin sent Indian
police to arrest the chief at his small cabin on the Grand River.
The Indian police rousted the naked chief from
his bed at 6:00 in the morning, hoping to spirit him away before his guards and
neighbors knew what had happened. When the fifty-nine-year-old chief refused to
go quietly, a crowd gathered and a few hotheaded young men threatened the
Indian police. Someone fired a shot that hit one of the Indian police; they
retaliated by shooting Sitting Bull in the chest and head. The great chief was
killed instantly. Before the ensuing gunfight ended, twelve other Indians were
dead and three were wounded.
The man who had nobly resisted the
encroachment of whites and their culture for nearly three decades was buried in
a far corner of the post cemetery at Fort Yates. Two weeks later, the army
brutally suppressed the Ghost Dance movement with the massacre of a band of
Sioux at Wounded Knee, the final act in the long and tragic history of the
American war against the Plains Indians.
(This Blog has not affiliation or relationship of any kind with that Facebook page or onwer's page. The article appear very interesting, that is the reason it is shared. It doesn't intend to offend anyone)
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Christmas is Here! Merry Merry Christmas!!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS! FELIZ NAVIDAD!
THANK YOU FOR VISITING!
PLEASE SHARE MY BLOG, SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT!
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Avicii - Broken Arrows
We just have to see the world just like a kid does. Never give up! and keep trying, we will fall, but want it counts is not how many times we fall, is how many time we get up and keep trying!
Avicii - For A Better Day
I do not agree about the Violence on this video, but the message. We want a better day for this world, but a lot of growing ups are destroying the innocence of children who are the future in this world, just due to their greed and nasty and sick desires. To fix this world, if any chance of still doing it, we should start by stooping the people who are destroying it, it may take a while, but we can do it. We do not have to get violence, but we can protect the innocent and care about more one another.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Monday, December 7, 2015
David Bisbal "Torre De Babel"
We are chips
of chess in a game of power, it is necessary to learn how to live in harmony,
because while some die of starvation, others wasting time and money on things
with not sense, that is clear, this is a call, and wake up time is short!
of chess in a game of power, it is necessary to learn how to live in harmony,
because while some die of starvation, others wasting time and money on things
with not sense, that is clear, this is a call, and wake up time is short!
Look well,
everything goes wrong and everything is upside down, and there may not be a
second chance to watch the Red Roses of Eden.
everything goes wrong and everything is upside down, and there may not be a
second chance to watch the Red Roses of Eden.
Hey Brother
look well, the ground beneath our feet is opening, and you will fall no matter
where you are, on top of the ruins of the Tower of Babel.
look well, the ground beneath our feet is opening, and you will fall no matter
where you are, on top of the ruins of the Tower of Babel.
About our Pact
is nothing left, we have not given You what you were expecting, Your broken
heart, now bleeding in pain.
is nothing left, we have not given You what you were expecting, Your broken
heart, now bleeding in pain.
For a helmsman
a group of blind people, which has anchored on this sea of people, where nobody
matters, nothing has its place, where only we can breathe so much desolation of
tears in the wind, and is a cross in the middle of the procession.
a group of blind people, which has anchored on this sea of people, where nobody
matters, nothing has its place, where only we can breathe so much desolation of
tears in the wind, and is a cross in the middle of the procession.
Look well,
everything goes wrong and everything is upside down, and there may not be a
second chance to watch the Red Roses of Eden.
everything goes wrong and everything is upside down, and there may not be a
second chance to watch the Red Roses of Eden.
Hey Brother
look well, the ground beneath our feet is opening, and you will fall no matter
where you are, on top of the ruins of the Tower of Babel.
look well, the ground beneath our feet is opening, and you will fall no matter
where you are, on top of the ruins of the Tower of Babel.
It is
necessary that I talk to you about the subject, problems are happening, or you are
saved or you are sentenced. Some in
alcohol they drown the sorrows, others in the neighborhood are opening their
veins, row, that the boat is getting burned, I see blood in the scene. If I were you, I will accept Jesus Christ and
I wear the emblem: pick me up, and change the system.
necessary that I talk to you about the subject, problems are happening, or you are
saved or you are sentenced. Some in
alcohol they drown the sorrows, others in the neighborhood are opening their
veins, row, that the boat is getting burned, I see blood in the scene. If I were you, I will accept Jesus Christ and
I wear the emblem: pick me up, and change the system.
Only you
decide your end, I want to talk to you, Only cry is what is left, the world is going
bad, I do not want to deceive you, just stop and think, we have to react, time
is running out.
decide your end, I want to talk to you, Only cry is what is left, the world is going
bad, I do not want to deceive you, just stop and think, we have to react, time
is running out.
Blind, stupid
and indifferent people, feverish mass of rich and poor, grass ready to cut, they
don't know where they are going.
and indifferent people, feverish mass of rich and poor, grass ready to cut, they
don't know where they are going.
We are a
sinister chess chips, betting our bodies, power game, planting fire everywhere.
sinister chess chips, betting our bodies, power game, planting fire everywhere.
Men of reason,
endangered species, consciousness has died, and only the echo of disappointment
is left.
endangered species, consciousness has died, and only the echo of disappointment
is left.
Wake Up, that
your time is short, open your eyes, before the abyss, where suffering doesn’t
matter, because you are a prisoner of your selfishness.
your time is short, open your eyes, before the abyss, where suffering doesn’t
matter, because you are a prisoner of your selfishness.
Do not turn
your back to the cries of the people, that what kills is being indifferent, do not
go around the storm, because at the end you will be the one who pay will pay
for it.
your back to the cries of the people, that what kills is being indifferent, do not
go around the storm, because at the end you will be the one who pay will pay
for it.
I want
transparent sky, in the whole world.
transparent sky, in the whole world.
Sometimes suffering,
teaches you how to live. Stop pretending,
don't wait to die, in this pavement jungle we have to resist. Start giving to received.
teaches you how to live. Stop pretending,
don't wait to die, in this pavement jungle we have to resist. Start giving to received.
Only you
decide your end, I want to talk to you, Only cry is what is left, the world is going
bad, I do not want to deceive you, just stop and think, we have to react, time
is running out.
decide your end, I want to talk to you, Only cry is what is left, the world is going
bad, I do not want to deceive you, just stop and think, we have to react, time
is running out.
Look well,
everything goes wrong and everything is upside down, and there may not be a
second chance to watch the Red Roses of Eden.
everything goes wrong and everything is upside down, and there may not be a
second chance to watch the Red Roses of Eden.
Hey Brother
look well, the ground beneath our feet is opening, and you will fall no matter
where you are, on top of the ruins of the Tower of Babel.
look well, the ground beneath our feet is opening, and you will fall no matter
where you are, on top of the ruins of the Tower of Babel.
David Bisbal, Wisin & Yandel - Torre De Babel
Es hora de que todos nos demos cuenta en que estamos contribuyendo en este mundo, y hacia donde vamos....
Monday, November 30, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Como siempre digo, solo Dios sabe lo que paso cada dia. Si compartes lo que sientes, algunas personas no les importa, no lo creen, o pueden hasta juzgar, o se distancia para no tener que lidiar con ello, y si no se comparte nada, la depresion crece y crese adentro de uno, y alguns veces uno no tiene ni ganas de levantarse, y se lucha por ocultarla y ser positivo por otros lo mas que se puede, y estar siempre alli por otros, cuando otros muchas veces no va a estar alli por uno. Depresion no es algo que se puede combatir y se ira asi por asi, se puede pelear, y tratar de sobrepasarla, pero siempre estara alli, especialmente cuando uno se siente solo, y cuando no se tiene con quien compartirla y que este alli por uno ( y No!, no importa si uno esta casado o no), todos necesitamos a un buen amigo en la vida cerca ademas del esposo/a, alguien quien por lo menos llame cada dia o de vez en cuando para ver como uno esta, salir con uno aunque fuese a tomar una tacita de cafe o te, e invitarlo a uno a visitarlo/a a su casa (si es hombre "lo", si es mujer "la"), y preocuparse por uno tanto como uno se preocuparia por el/ella. Jesus puede ayudar, pero recuerden, uno siempre necesita a alguien alli para uno. No cierren el corazon a personas que conozcan que sufran depresion, algun dia todos podremos necesitar a alguien alli para nosostros tambien.
Like I always said, just God knows really what I go through everyday. If you share what you feel, some people may not care, may not believe you, even they may judge you, or even keep away from you to not bother with that, and if you don't share, depression keeps building up inside you, and some days you do not even feel like getting up from the bed anymore, and you hide it by trying to be positive as much as you can, and try to be there for others, when other may not be there for you. Depression is not something you can just fight it and it will go away; you can fight it, and try to overcome it, but it will still be there, specially when you feel alone, and when you do not have someone to share it with and be there for you ( and No!, it doesn't matter if you are married or not, everybody needs a good friend in life close by besides their partner, someone who at least will call you everyday or often to find out how you are, to go out with you and have a cup of coffee or tea, and invite to her(if you are female)/his(if you are male) place, and care, as much as you will do for her/him if you could). Jesus can help you, but remember, you still may need someone there for you. Don't shut your heart to people you may know who may suffer of depression, one day you may need someone to be there for you too.
Like I always said, just God knows really what I go through everyday. If you share what you feel, some people may not care, may not believe you, even they may judge you, or even keep away from you to not bother with that, and if you don't share, depression keeps building up inside you, and some days you do not even feel like getting up from the bed anymore, and you hide it by trying to be positive as much as you can, and try to be there for others, when other may not be there for you. Depression is not something you can just fight it and it will go away; you can fight it, and try to overcome it, but it will still be there, specially when you feel alone, and when you do not have someone to share it with and be there for you ( and No!, it doesn't matter if you are married or not, everybody needs a good friend in life close by besides their partner, someone who at least will call you everyday or often to find out how you are, to go out with you and have a cup of coffee or tea, and invite to her(if you are female)/his(if you are male) place, and care, as much as you will do for her/him if you could). Jesus can help you, but remember, you still may need someone there for you. Don't shut your heart to people you may know who may suffer of depression, one day you may need someone to be there for you too.
This is so true, but sadly some people still even if it happens to them, instead of getting kind and helpful to not let anybody else go through that, they become bitter and they like to let other people suffer like them did or worse with the excuse that if they did not have anybody for them, why they should help others now. So sad!
And also, a lot of people do not like to help others at all, even when they can really help, because they do not believe the other what the other person is going through, but sooner or later their time will come, and they will feel how it is to feel alone, with nobody to help even when those people can, and when nobody will believe them or understand them as they did with others before.
And also, a lot of people do not like to help others at all, even when they can really help, because they do not believe the other what the other person is going through, but sooner or later their time will come, and they will feel how it is to feel alone, with nobody to help even when those people can, and when nobody will believe them or understand them as they did with others before.
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IF YOU ARE UNIQUE, U SHOULD HAVE A UNIQUE ITEM LIKE THE ONES WE HAVE! UNIQUE ITEMS FOR A UNIQUE PERSON LIKE U OR THE PERSON YOU GIVE IT O!
Get your gifts ready for the Holidays to come for The Special People in your Life. Our Prices are Low, But Our Items Are Great and Unique!! Come and Enjoy Shopping with Us!
Always remember Holidays have an special date on the calendar, but they should be celebrated, respected and shown everyday in our lives to the Special Ones in Our lives. Enjoy Shopping with Us Now!
Special Holiday Coupon from Tomorrow! Come and Give Something Made with Love! Something so Unique just like the person you are giving it to!!!
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IF YOU ARE UNIQUE, U SHOULD HAVE A UNIQUE ITEM LIKE THE ONES WE HAVE! UNIQUE ITEMS FOR A UNIQUE PERSON LIKE U OR THE PERSON YOU GIVE IT O!
Get your gifts ready for the Holidays to come for The Special People in your Life. Our Prices are Low, But Our Items Are Great and Unique!! Come and Enjoy Shopping with Us!
Always remember Holidays have an special date on the calendar, but they should be celebrated, respected and shown everyday in our lives to the Special Ones in Our lives. Enjoy Shopping with Us Now!
Special Holiday Coupon from Tomorrow! Come and Give Something Made with Love! Something so Unique just like the person you are giving it to!!!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/UniqueAsYouR
6 Best Reasons to Give Hand-Made Gifts
Best Reasons to Give Hand-Made Gifts for Special Occasions
There's Nothing Like a Hand-Made Gift from a Loved One!
Choosing the right gift for your loved one can be difficult, particularly when you're shopping for somebody who seems to have absolutely everything already! The last thing you probably want to do is spend money on a gift that's going to sit on a shelf, unused, or a trinket your loved one will look at once in a while but which otherwise serves no purpose.
Does anything hurt more than knowing that a gift you chose to give someone isn't what your recipient wanted? This can be particularly tough. So if you're looking or something special and not only unique but one of a kind, then you might want to think about giving a hand-made gift instead of purchasing something from the store.
Please note that making your gifts at home doesn't mean that they will cost less than what you can purchase from the store. Particularly in the case of fiber crafts (knitting and crocheting), it may indeed cost you more to purchase materials than to purchase a completed item at the store.
The purpose in giving hand-made gifts is to give something that is personal and individual to the person receiving the gift. You might not save money, but you give a particularly meaningful gift.
Hand Made Gifts are Wonderful for Any Occasion!
#1 Hand-Made Gifts are One of a Kind
Any hand-made gift you make is one of a kind. No two creations will ever be the same as one another, and this gives each piece special meaning. Even if you use the same pattern twice, you'll never reproduce the afghan that you made for your mother. The one you give your sister will be different. If you make hand-made candles for gifts, the scents and colors will be unique: You'll never make them the same again.
Needle crafts (of all kinds) lend themselves most to individuality because of variations in fabrics, yarns or cording. On the other hand, these are also the most expensive crafts to give as gifts and generally take the most time to produce. If you're looking to save money on your gifts, needle crafts aren't a good choice.
Handmade gifts are unique by design.
Source: kelly CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Do you enjoy giving hand-made gifts to your loved ones?
See results without voting#2 Hand Made Gifts are Personal
If you've ever had to look everywhere for the perfect gift for a picky person, you'll understand the significance of a hand-made gift being personal for the person who will be receiving it. When you choose to make your gifts rather than purchasing them, you can choose colors (or fragrances or flavors) you know your loved one will appreciate and enjoy.
Anyone who has ever looked everywhere for the perfect teddy bear for a little girl or the right color blue truck for a little boy will understand what it is to give a gift that has been personalized specifically for the person who will be receiving it. Because you can measure or choose (or even dye!) your own colors, you won't have to worry about it being the wrong color, the wrong size, or the other type. You can make all of these decisions for the person who will be getting the gift and because it's so personalized, it will be perfect!
Homemade jams, jellies and marmalade make excellent gifts!
Source: Wapster CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Home-Made Hot Cocoa and Marshmallows
Source: Gail CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
#3 Hand-Made Gifts are Crafted with Love
A gift should show the person receiving it that the giver has thought about them and that the giver knows them well enough to find something that suits their personality and their hobbies perfectly. In short, a gift is an expression of love from one person to another (platonic, fraternal or romantic love). When you choose to give a hand-made gift to somebody important to you, you're sending them the message that they were worth the time that you spent in creating that gift. Your gift is infused with the love of the hands that made it for the person who will receive it.
Very few gifts feel as nice as receiving something that you know someone put time into creating specifically for you. This introduces an incredible "love factor" to these amazing hand-made gifts. Ask anyone who's ever had an afghan or teddy bear made specifically for them.
Hand Make Gifts If...
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Don't Hand Make Gifts If...
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You believe you can produce high quality content.
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You don't know how to craft.
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You have enough time to finish the project.
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You're feeling particularly rushed.
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You have the financial resources to put into your gift.
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You don't like shopping.
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Make Home Made Gifts for all Occasions
Source: trenttsd CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
#4 Hand Made Gifts are Fun to Make!
For those people who enjoy crafts, home made gifts are great fun to make! There is, perhaps, no better reason to make your gifts by hand than the pure and unadulterated pleasure in the creative process. If you're a creative person, making gifts for your loved ones should be fun from the planning through to the finishing and the wrapping. What better reason is there to give hand-made gifts than the fact that you enjoy creating them? If none of the other reasons on this page appeals to you, hopefully this one will.
Hand Made Gifts can be Stash Busters
Source: Squirrel Cottage CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
#5 Hand Made Gifts are Stashbusters
Most crafters have some kind of a "stash" around their home. Whether they're knitters or crocheters, quilters or paper crafters, people who enjoy making things tend to "hoard" their supplies. Particularly when items are on sale, it's easy to get ahead of yourself and stock up on what you hope to use in the future. This can be a tremendous problem for people who make crafts on a regular basis.
When choosing to make home-made gifts for your loved ones, you have the option to make your projects "stash busters" that use up items that you've been stocking up on and hoarding for future use. You can use up yarn or paper or other supplies that you've been wanting to use for a long time but for which you didn't have a project designated yet.
So break out your stash the next time you have a gift to give somebody, and get it down to a manageable size again!
#6 Hand-Made Gifts May Save Money
While it is certainly true that in some cases hand-made gifts cost more money than the store bought versions of the same item (woolen sweaters are an excellent example of this!), in some cases hand-making your gifts may save money. Hand-made candles, for example, may save money over the pricey store-bought alternatives.
If you believe that you can produce a high-quality product, it may be wise to do so when the alternative is to spent $20+ on an item you can make for less than $10. Do note, however, that it is a dirty trick to produce a low-quality product just for the sake of saving money. Only do this if you believe that your quality is high enough to make a valuable gift.
A Word of Warning about Hand Made Gifts
Please do be fair to the people you're giving gifts to. Especially in a gift-exchange situation, make sure that the gifts you're giving are high quality as you would wish to receive from somebody else. Making your gifts at home isn't an excuse to cut corners or to give a low-quality finished product. Create the best you know how in order to please the recipient of your gifts, and remember that the standard is different for children than it is for adults.
When I was growing up my mother once told me not to give anyone something I wouldn't like to receive myself: This is a good rule of thumb with hand-made gifts. If it's not something you would love to get from one of your loved ones, then you shouldn't gift it to somebody either.
http://hubpages.com/holidays/reasons-to-give-hand-made-gifts
| The Importance of Handmade Gifts |
| Tuesday, 16 December 2014 00:00 | Written by Charleen Touchette | Blog Entry |
 When I was a girl, soon after the fall harvest I began making holiday gifts for my family, friends and teachers. Using whatever handwork or cooking skills I learned that year, I would knit, sew, embroider, bake, paint or sculpt homemade presents. As a young mom, the presents were jars of preserves, bottles of wine or dried herbs and sachets made from the gifts the Earth gives throughout the seasons. One year, I sewed placemats and napkins out of cloth remnants for each family member, and the children made punched tin napkin rings to go along. The joy we felt giving these gifts was deepened by the many hours we spent making them.
Many are rethinking holiday gift-giving thanks to the tighter economy. There is heightened awareness about the negative effects of hyper-consumerism charged to credit cards on a family budget, and on the environment and the psyche. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers spent 5.7% more during the December 2011 holidays than they did the previous year. But while per capita consumption in the US has increased by 45% since 1973, quality of life has decreased by about the same percentage. Affluenza, the book, PBS television program and DVD, focus on the perils of “Affluenza… overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.”
 Homemade gifts cost little in materials, but the time, effort and love put into each one makes them of great value. Gifts crafted at home inspire children, are eco-friendly, use less gas and packaging, and replace fossil fuel with human energy. Making presents requires thinking ahead and thinking about the recipient, while taking the time to make something especially for them. It is also an opportunity to consider gift-giving in general—and its place in our lives, our relationships and our communities.
Cultural anthropologists explain the role gift-giving has in all societies and the ways it connects us. Beyond the community-building benefits of gifting, through establishing bonds of reciprocity and support, the actual making of gifts has a salutary effect on overall well-being in that it fosters creativity and productive, purposeful work.
In the United States, gift-giving is primarily focused on Christmas and birthdays, while in the indigenous world, it is a part of daily and ceremonial life year-round. Generosity is highly valued in indigenous cultures and leaders are respected for how much they give away rather than by how much they acquire for themselves. Among the Lakota, the word for generosity, wacantognaka, “means to contribute to the well-being of one’s people by sharing and giving freely… of not only objects and possessions, but also emotions like sympathy, compassion, kindness.” The benefit of such generosity is seen as extending to the giver and contributing to their happiness.
The Lakota host gift-giving ceremonies called wopilas (literal translation: “thank-yous”) throughout the seasons for Honoring, Naming, Adoption and other ceremonies. In fact, wopilas accompany nearly every important event in an individual’s life including graduation, marriage and memorials for the departed. According to Elizabeth Grobsmith in her book,Lakota of the Rosebud: A Contemporary Ethnography, “[t]he Lakota giveaway is an example of ‘reciprocal exchange’ that serves the function of cementing relationships, expressing mutual affection and establishing a system of what the Lakota call ‘Indian insurance.’”
In many cultures, it is customary to gift a person who compliments something you wear, such as jewelry, with the object they admire. When I learned this as a child, I decided immediately that I wanted to be a person who gives freely with such unconditional love and generosity. I find that the joys of making things and giving them away freely with an open heart results in increased happiness and well-being for everyone. When something feels so good and is so good for you and the Earth, why limit it to only one day a year? Gift-giving year-round keeps the warm holiday glow burning throughout each new year.
http://ecohearth.com/eco-blogs/messages-from-the-earth/1575-gift-giving-handmade-and-year-round.html
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