What about Caregivers?

I do a lot of talking about not giving up hope, about staying aware and about supporting friends and family that are battling cancer. So what about the caregivers? Lest we forget those folk, these are the family members or friends that heed this advice or know instinctively what they must do. The main character in Belly Of The Whale is married to an endearing man named Jack Emerald. He is an incredibly sensitive caregiver. He puts his feelings and emotions away, keeps these out-of-sight, brings them out only when he is alone. Like Jack, there are many people caring for someone they love. What can you do to help? Give a caregiver the day off. Step up and step into their shoes for a few hours, a day, or a week. Let a caregiver remember what it is to get stuff off his or her chest, become their place to vent, be a good listener. Caregivers need to be reminded that they will survive, that life has twists and turns and that no matter what the outcome they as caregivers, must stay healthy for them self and for their loved ones.

Remember we are under the Good Day umbrella. Whatever the weather the sun is out with the Leo Moon. In case you wondered about all the drama, if you aren't using that tool you haven't been reading Good Days. Pretend if you must. The best actors are the ones that act like nothing is happening. Met anyone who resembles this description over the last few days?

Have the best day today.

Talk later,
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Mid-week a Good Day

I get to wondering sometimes just how many of my blog readers there are out there. I'm not great with numbers so it is all a mystery. My thought extends to musing over the fact that perhaps no one really gives a fig about a Good Day versus a Not-so-Good Day. Frustrating, if I think about it too much. I am certainly not out to convert anyone...you either get it or you don't.
With that in mind let's talk about Wednesday. Once again most of us slept through the blip that sends the moon off the radar. By 8:30 am on Wednesday, the Moon is happily in the sign of Leo and stays there until about noon on Friday. People will be more expressive, more dramatic, more all about being the center of attention. Leo Moon asks us to have fun, to put a bit of sunshine in our lives. If you don't mind the bright lights and the applause needed during the next few days, you will do well. Children and lovers figure into the equation. The watch word is kick things up...get out there.

Writing about breast cancer does not make me an expert. Lots of research went into the background of my story, that and some personal experience involving someone else with the disease and thankfully not myself. I cannot repeat often enough that cancer patients need our love and support. We have to put our selves aside and focus on what can be done for this person we love. Belly Of The Whale is about the loss of hope. Our job in real life is to keep hope alive and well.

Have the best day every day.

Talk later...
www.kunati.com

Good-good Day

Yawn and stretch this morning...the blip occured while we were sleeping. Since about 6am we've been covered by a Cancer Moon. This protective reflection is almost as good as a Taurus Moon. Remember that is our ask-for-and-receive time, the cancer moon is our take-care-of-me moon. If you are considering anything to do with family, today and tomorrow are the best. For real estate or property transactions these two days are favorable. But remember not to sign anything that relates to new deals until the end of January.

Everyone should still feel the peace of being thankful. Despite having to spend time with relatives which can be trying, and down right irritating, we still need to say thank you. Without those people that we are bound to my genetics and blood we would not be who we are. Friends too, come under that umbrella, but we get to pick them and as the old saying tells us: that is a good thing.

Exercise is important. Don't you feel like a stuffed bird today. Begin a routine because you are not going to get slimmer over the next several weeks. Stay aware...say thank you.

Have the best day every day...

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Full Moon Weekend

Did you look out a window last night? Did you glance up at the sky during a night walk, plane landing, car ride or train stop? The moon is waxing. A term applied when the moon approaches its fullness. The landscape is bright and when the house lights are off, the illumination is startling. The majesty of the universe reflects back to us through the full moon. Our full moon will be in Gemini beginning Saturday at 6:30am. For those reading this before that time please note that our favorite "asking-for-things" moon in Taurus went off the scanner about 2pm on Friday. For those shopping Black Friday, good luck and save your receipts. The Full Moon in Gemini takes over the screen on Saturday and most of us will feel a bit restless and more talkative. Watch how people use their hands over the next few days. Talking with your hands is all about a moon in Gemini.

If you began a project or any type of planning at the last new moon (November 9th) you should see some fruit borne at this time. The seed you planted should be showing signs of life.

On a personal note the weekend looks quite interesting for me. There are several alignments that resonate with sweet tones. I don't fortell the future (just offer possibilities) and I don't do well guiding myself (too close to the subject-in-question) but I'll be curious to see what happens next. Speaking of the next thing to happen...just when we think we know...oops something else happens. The adage to live in the moment does have validity. I am not suggesting that you blow off tomorrow, but just reminding everyone not to go so far out into the future that you miss today.

Cancer figures into the telling of my story in "Belly Of The Whale". I have been blessed to date with only bearing witness and not being a victim to cancer. There is no script for cancer, no do this or do that and follow this recipe. Cancer does not discriminate, age makes no difference. The best we can do is stay aware, support those around us, the ones we love, and the ones we befriend who must battle the beast.

Have the best day of your life, today.

Talk later,
Linda

Got to have faith...

First off, Wednesday is a Good Day. Moon in Aries is still with us and continues to prod us to pick up speed. Impatient people are everywhere, in line, in cars, and behind the checkout counter. There is no way to avoid any of this frenzy unless we stay home and pull the covers up over our head. Use the spontaneity of Aries to get something creative going.
Thanksgiving ushers in a Taurus Moon and we all love that down-to-earth feeling from the mother moon. With Taurus we can be assured of eating too much and cooking a little too rich and sweet. Desserts are the favorite. Be sure to try each one.

What's up with keeping the faith? My spin on faith is: you got to have it. No matter how impossible your life seems, somehow, someway you have to put on your "grippers" and hang on. These are difficult times...garner all your reserves and don't lose hope. Without hope, there is nothing. To Give Up Hope Is To Give Up Life...

Have the best day everyday.

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Sunday starts off a Good Week...

This week starts off with more compassion towards our fellow man (and woman). Moon in Pisces asks us to be charitable, to give. For those of us in the United States the celebration of Thanksgiving is on Thursday. Why not begin the week by thinking of something to be thankful for everyday. Don't put the pressure on, just find those small things that make you smile or brighten your day. Thank a bagger in a grocery store...thank your boss for giving you Friday off...play a kindness forward.
The Pisces moon lasts through early Tuesday morning. If you want sympathy, Monday is a good day to get it. If you are into finger violins, Monday is a Good Day for complaints.

Checking out the site "Save 2nd Base" is really interesting the tee-shirt is worth a look and a buy. Remember to stay healthy and to stay aware. Someone, a friend or family member may need you to understand, need your support. Be there for them.

Have the best day everyday.

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Good Saturday

Okay so here it is the weekend and we've got a Good Saturday. Maybe a little quirky, maybe a little-go-left kind of day, but none-the-less Good. Aquarius Moon asks us to be tolerant of others, to help our neighbor by not forgetting that we are all in this together.
Went to see the film "The Ultimate Gift" last night...a sleeper, art house, Saturday matinee in Topeka kind of film, but a film with a message. A very Aquarius Moon message...if you have nothing or if you have everything it is worthless unless you have one true friend and others to share it with. Give and you will receive...your rewards may not be tangible. Can you live with that?

Check out a site, search around until you find the "Save Second Base" project related to Breast Cancer. Pink Tee shirts with two baseballs on the front and a Good message. If you are looking to give find your niche. This could be it. Stay aware every month, not just October.

Have the best day every day.

Talk later.
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

No Day Thursday...

What ever you have been saving up to do, don't do it on Thursday. Excuse me but things are not going to go the way you planned, no matter what. On these No Days I just let things happen...do without doing, which is actually a good exercise for life in general. If you get up late, arrive late, forget your keys, or fall asleep in class it won't matter in the big picture. Today no one is taking notes. Once you get the hang of No Days they become more interesting. Do not go on an interview, sell your house, sign important papers or ask your sweetheart to marry you. Remember we are now feeling the pull of our actions internally. Watch where you put your feet, don't speed, or argue with authority. Quotas for speeding tickets will be up and over the top. After 6:30pm the Aquarius Moon takes over. Expect a few surprises and anything that involves a group or organization should be successful. Aquarius is friends with everyone, tolerance is the by word. The next few days are about collective emotions and what is good for all.

With Mars retrograde this is a good time to make routine health check-up appointments. Problems can be remedied in areas of the body that have been a problem before. Stay healthy...stay aware.

Have the best day everyday.

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Good Day to read

Except for misplacing stuff I'd say it was a Good Day. I usually don't personalize my posts but I have to think that I am not the only one in a constant state of "looking" for something. Not life or death things just annoying whatevers that I decide I need and know that I had them last month or six weeks ago but now , poof, gone. This I 'd say is part of the slowing down of Mars in readiness for the backward dance until the end of January. If we have to go on these search missions as a daily exercise I will resort to the head banging mentioned in yesterdays blog.

Moon in Capricorn keeps emotions in check. There are no meltdowns allowed during this time. Wednesday this moon remains and wimps and cry babies will not fare well. Keeping that "stiff-upper-lip"is what it is all about.

We shouldn't take our selves too seriously even with a Capricorn moon. Remember to laugh at yourself and to find the humor in life even at the toughest moments. Laughter is the best medicine. Dole out this elixir to those around you. Capricorn Moon has a dry wit. Side splitting one liners are the funniest.

Remember to read. Kunati has a selection for everyone. From fiction to memoir, Kunati has it all.

Have the best day every day...

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Tuesday is a Good Day

Hopefully all of us are sleeping when the moon does its space walk. After 8am Tuesday morning we can go back to making money even though all things bullish won't turn around until mid-April. To those who find that news unsettling, remember that life is cyclical. Back track through history and you'll see how our current circumstances are in some way being replicated with those, say thirty years ago.
We are not very imaginative after all...fashion, music, food and politics, to name a few, come back around about every thirty years. This may get you thinking about cycles. Think first of two year cycles. We base a lot of what we do on a two year turn-around. Then there are seven year cycles...these are the strongest and often the most testing of all the cycles. The twelve year cycle brings us good fortune and the twenty-nine-thirty year cycle brings us full circle.

Perhaps that is enough food for thought and we should work the energy of the next two Good Days in our favor because these are the last few days before Mars goes backward. This motion only appears to occur to us here on earth. Believe it or not, that is the challenge. Just watch your head during the next several weeks, some may be tempted to resort to head-banging due to frustration.

Cancer does not discriminate. It makes no distinction between race, religion , poverty or wealth. Stay healthy...stay aware.

Have the best day every day.

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Thank Goodness for a Good Day

Yesterday was a blur. Not terrible, but none-the-less a little bit trying on the nerves. The moon slipped into Sagittarius about 8pm last night and the feeling of breaking the surface began, being able to breath and all that.
So what to expect today? People should be in better humor, but remember that Sagittarius can be brutally honest and will say things (with a laugh) that can cut to the core. Oh, but the Sagittarius moon doesn't mean to hurt with words but to be honest is not always to be kind. Try not to chop anyone up with the truth...please use the optimistic side of this moon to smooth over your conversation. The truth is good but use your higher sense of intelligence to put it out there. The Sagittarius moon brings excellent days (through Monday) to travel, have jury duty, try a case, expound on your beliefs, watch football, go hiking. publish a book, go public or do anything that expands your mind and your horizons.

Now what about shopping? Let's get down to it. Remember the window theory until the 15th? Today and tomorrow are the best of the best. If you've got a list, go for it...wrap later when everyone else is caught up in backward Mars energy.

FYI: There is a wine label out of California called: Cleavage Creek...honest. It is bottled by a man married nearly fifty years whose wife died of breast cancer. The label has different women brautifully dressed, each a breast cancer survivor. So my thought is this: check it out...buy a few bottles of red. Ten percent of the proceeds go towards the Cure. Have a glass...not the whole bottle...be sensible...stay aware.

Belly Of The Whale now has a blog on the Kunati site. As a matter of fact, all of the Kunati authors are officially blogging. What a Good Day to begin...Moon in Sagittarius is bona fortuna.

Have the best day everyday...

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Friday...Good Day

We may have all awoke scratching our heads. The mysteries of yesterday still sitting top-of-the-mind.
So will we fare any better today? Moon in Scorpio sends a mysterious message. We have to dig deep for answers. Most of us are too busy to take the time so for some the mystery will remain.
Suggestion for those more determined: Remember you can fly. (Excuse me?) Well I mean there is a way up and over, and, like I said, you can FLY. Another suggestion is this: Get what you need to get done by this evening because we are heading for a big fat No Day that will blanket tomorrow. From about 10:30pm tonight until 8pm tomorrow night and then you might just want to crawl under that blanket. No Days are not that depressing, you can use the energy to do the most mundane of tasks and to plan. Don't expect more from the day than necessary and know that anything said or done is not written in stone.

Scorpio sends a message regarding health. There could be something deep inside, something lurking that you can't see. Not to scare you but if your inner voice has been telling you the same thing...now is the time to check it out. Stay well. Stay aware.

Have the best day everyday...

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Another Good for Two Day

I suppose the idea of going two-by-two is not new. Noah and God had a similar one-on-one conversation regarding the Ark and its passengers. In a manner of speaking we can all learn from Noah's course of action. Two is better than one. The Libra moon insists on partnership. Continue, or carry on, using the two rule all of Wednesday. When Thursday appears the Scorpio Moon will stare down upon us beginning about 7:30am. All that business of relationships and not going it alone will wash out to sea with the intensity of this moon in the deep water sign of Scorpio. Prepare ahead for a rather intense day on Thursday. Do not take any "garbage" from anyone. Scorpio does not play cute like Libra, does not negotiate like Libra or try to make the peace like Libra. Bottom line is: do not try to BS your way out of anything. Scorpio moon will see right through your thin excuses.

There is a New Moon late Friday night in Scorpio. Use it to begin something. Projects that have to do with research, undercover, marine biology, mystery or unsolved anything could be on the list of try this or that.

Use this moon's energy to be healthy. A medical appointment under this moon will be very thorough.

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Two Good Days

Remember this is a duet of Good Days. Moon in Libra loves cheek-to-cheek dancing. Plan the next two days around that kind of activity, even if it means having one-to-one conversations with your boss. This energy isn't just about romance it is about one person to another. Use the forces of the universe in your favor. Keep in mind too, that we are still in that window of going forward and that it will not last past the 15th of the month. Get as much out there as possible.

Here is a thought from Mark Twain: "To get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with..."

Stay healthy...stay aware...

Have THE best day everyday....

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Start the week with a Mixed Day...

We all walked around today just missing walls. The time change always puts us a bit out-of-step. The extra hour is sweet but then the day seems to be in slow motion. By Tuesday most of my clocks should be displaying the correct time. Thank goodness for those genius cyberspacelings for changing my computer and cell phone.

So how much did you cross off your list? What a feeling of satisfaction we all got this weekend. Monday begins with that same "list" energy but fades out about 1pm. The afternoon is better left to chance than to any specific plan. Wait for the moon to change over to Libra just after 6:30pm to say yes or no to anything. Libra moon is all about two. Double everything, duets are highlighted and partnership is at its best. Do something nice for your favorite person...conversation works best in a one-to-one style. This mode of energy carries us along Tuesday and Wednesday. Sort of like Valentine's Days in November.

What did you eat today? We are what we eat. This is true. Be mindful of your diet. Stay healthy. Someone loves you, do it for your self and for them.

Have the Best Day everyday...

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Good Day...Good Night

Okay Mercury went forward and it was evident by the amount of people talking on their cell phones. I started to count and gave up because of the sheer numbers and doing the math in my head. There was so much to say today. People talked to strangers just to release sentences trapped in their heads for the last three weeks. Traffic was also affected. More accidents. People just couldn't get out of the way fast enough. Not to put a blanket over all this renewed verbalization but as with most good things comes reality. Jung liked to deal with the term "shadow" and his use of shadow was more like the dark side (Darth Vadar). Shadow comes into play with our communication as well. We are out of the backward dance but in its shadow until the 18th of November. What does that mean? What began in or around the 11th of October will finalize about the 18th. Do with that what you will.

Today was a Good Day and tomorrow will be Good as well. The Virgo Moon waits until just after 8:30am to come on the scene. Before that you can make your lists (you will need them). Virgo moon loves details and crossing things off the list. So this weekend should be good for getting things accomplished.

Drink Green Tea it has lots of anti-oxidants. Just one way to stay healthy and fight the fight.

Have the best weekend...

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/

Dancing forward on a Good Day

Get on your dancing shoes because today is the day the dance floor is available for forward motion. The supreme trickster(Mercury) got all his treats last night and is taking his bags of goodies and dancing forward tonight. Did you notice that today all the "stories" are about he said-she said? All that talk swirling backwards in our minds is gurgling up and out. Say it...mean it...be decisive...the window is open between the 2nd of November and the 15th...remember those Good Days to shop?...well, these are Good Days to talk as well. If you need to sign on the line, say hello, say good-bye, say I love you...say goodnight Gracie or some such DO IT during this almost two week period.

Today is a GOOD DAY...Leo Moon asks us to be expressive, go to the theater...have fun...dress up...wear a hat...all manner of ways to bring attention to self.

Now that the Pink Month Of October is behind us, we must keep our awareness level open...no slackers. Cancer knows no holidays, weddings, or birthdays. Stay healthy.

Have the best day everyday...

Talk later...
www.kunati.com/linda-merlino/