Heaven protect me from a prejudice so unworthy of my reason!

I wish I could live in luxury, but I don't.

So, I often wonder about people in Second Life being catfishers. I believe there are many out there and the ruin things for people who are actually sincere. There are those out there who use sad stories so you can fall for it and that makes it hard for people who actually lived this hard story and will not be believed. I truly dislike this kind of behavior. 

Of course, it is easy to be a catfish yourself. In Second Life we can look beautiful, younger, and be more glamourous but eventually, people will look right through this crap and figure out that a person is not real. I am not saying that in Second Life you cannot make yourself look like whatever you want, that is not the issue. The true problem is deceiving people to gain popularity, money, and power. It is just wrong no matter what you think. Live through the beautiful avatar you created the beautiful person you are and meant to be.  

Nope, this is NOT what I look like in Real Life. LOL!. Wish I did but far from it.

I like to give people a little warning about trusting others who they really don't know. We all get so sucked into this and want to connect with others that we may forget about the signs. It is like when you met people in real life, you did not tell them your whole life story or your address and full name. You proceed with caution. It is the same here in Second Life, be cautious. I am not saying that you cannot find real genuine people here, because you can, but we all have a little something we hide from others. Be cautious and have your eyes wide open so your avatar and you will not get hurt.

Don't trust everybody.

Being totally honest with people whether it is in Second Life, Social Media, or face to face may create a risk of becoming vulnerable. You really have to be ready if you are going to do this and accept the risks of the critics. The haters will shred through you and fragment your smile to a sad face. Snippets of your very existence of laughter in chatrooms and private chats will now be on display. And all of a sudden not a scintilla of proof appears to be true anymore. Don't let shoddy behaviors ruin your fun and that gut feeling you have right now in real life? Trust it, it is telling you something is unworthy of your goodness.

Poesie and Music speak to the soul

Lerne erst die Menschen kennen,
denn sie sind veränderlich.
Die dich heute Freunde nennen,
schimpfen morgen über dich!

I was reading the other day my old Poesiealbum that I have from Germany. A Poesiealbum was a little journal you gave to friends and teachers in your classroom and they wrote in a poem and decorated a page with stickers. I remember all girls had one and you would even give the journal to boys to write in. If they did, you smiled for days.

Writing a blog about my adventures in Second Life is kind of a journal I can read when I am bored and some entries make me smile. Some entries are amazing because I have no idea where the wisdom came from, other entries well they may not be so bright, but they do represent a day in my life.

I love this phrase: Wenn du lachst, lachen sie alle. Wenn du weinst, weinst du alleine. In english it means when you laugh, everybody laughs with you, but when you cry, you cry alone. Another one of the poems I read was when you have dark days, do not worry because the sun comes out again. I wonder if we understood in those young tender years any meaning of life. 

Pony Ride ~ is a community of Music Lovers. Where music speaks to the soul. Underground electronic sounds are what we are about. 

There was another saying that a good time does not fall from the heavens, but you have to create it. It is already inside your heart. It must be true people in Second Life create good times and are passionate about what they create. 

My all time favorite verse in my Poesiealbum is this one: Redet einer schlecht von dir,so seit es ihm erlaubt. Doch du, du lebe so, dass keiner es ihm glaubt. Translated it means if someone talks bad about you, it is his right, but you live so that nobody believes him. 

Picture taken at Pony Ride

Create something from the heart today!!!

If man is five...then

Five is no ordinary number. The Chinese believe five elements make up everything under the heavens: metal, wood, water, fire, earth. Indeed, if you look at things in nature, you can see that most things really are different combinations of just these five things. Rocks, for example, are earth and metal; trees are wood and water and draw their nutrition from the earth.                                                                                                                    ~ Yue Huang

Five also means balance and symbolizes man, health, and love. Five is the number of human beings. There are five senses: sight – hearing – taste – smell – touch. For me, 5 is the day of my birthday which also means, Leo is the fifth astrological sign in the Zodiac.

We do a "High Five" to celebrate in agreement with someone. The Jews will often call it “The Hand of Miriam”. Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aron. It may also represent the 5 books of the Torah.

The Five Olympic Rings symbolize the five continents. 
There are many more fun facts about the number five, which then may lead to the question if man is five, then the devil is six and God is seven. Perhaps these are other numbers I can research.

The band "the Pixies" came up with that line in their song "This monkey has gone to Heaven" and that may mean many things and perhaps each person interprets it differently. For me well I would say when I am done listening to all the input from others whether it is media, friends, and family I may think whatever, this monkey has done to heaven. In other words, I am not listening anymore. 

So if we want to talk numerological about 5,6,7 and count them together, which adds up to 18. All two-digit numbers ( in this case 1+8 ) get added together which then adds to 9. Nine is the number of heaven. Those born in the sign of Sagittarius, because Sagittarius is the ninth astrological sign in the Zodiac.
There you go...listen to the song and see what your thoughts are or just enjoy the sound of it.

Wish I could, I could’ve said goodbye...

...I would’ve said what I wanted to
Maybe even cried for you
If I knew it would be the last time
I would’ve broken my heart in two
Tryin’ to save a part of you



Don’t wanna feel another touch
Don’t wanna start another fire
Don’t wanna know another kiss
No other name falling off my lips
Don’t wanna give my heart away
To another stranger
Or let another day begin
Won’t even let the sunlight in
No, I’ll never love again
I’ll never love again.




And I want to pretend that it’s not true
I don’t wanna know this feeling
Unless it’s you and me
I don’t wanna waste a moment,
And I don’t wanna give somebody else the better part of me
I would rather wait for you

~James Arthur lyrics

Second Life and Postcrossing

The wise study geography and owls exhibit consist of a classroom full of examples of the beautiful postcards I have received from Postcrossing members around the world. Postcrossing is celebrating 15 years since starting just 2 years shy of Second Life's anniversary. I have met a few people in Second Life who know about Postcrossing and are members, how cool is that? 

The creators of Postcrossing have been working with Brazil Post on a new Postcrossing-themed stamp that is being released! 

It’s a beautiful stamp by São Paulo’s illustrator Daniel Lourenço, showing 2 people connected through postcards. It’s a big, beautiful stamp, and we have no doubt Brazilian postcards will look extra nice with it.

I always think of who were the first people who connected in Second Life? 

One thing is similar, artists love Second Life and Postcrossing. For me it is fun and I get to share my art with others. Many of my postcrossers I sent postcards to get some of my art as well, just like I get to share it in Second Life. Just like Second Life that grew from a few members to many many many residents, Postcrossing has over 791,726 members from 206 countries. Way to go!!!

I like getting cards from people I would otherwise never ever had contact with, just like in Second Life. I am very happy to share some of the beautiful owl cards I received in my Classroom Themed Exhibit ( I am a teacher, what else would you expect).

I do want to give credit to the Vordun Museum and Gallery that is an art and history experience like no other in Second Life! Browse the many galleries and exhibits. The Museum is owned by Jake Vordun who is also the fabulous creator of Fancy Decor.  I discovered this gem some years back and always go see some of the new exhibits there, you really feel like you are in a museum. Jake had an exhibit about Postcrossing Sincerely Yours and when I checked out the link I was right away hooked and became a member. Thanks, Jake for the inspiration!!! 💗💗💗Things you learn from visiting a museum even if it is in Second Life. 

Ok, Second Lifers go and become Postcrossers as well...and no I do not work for any of these places I just want to share my joy with you and hope you will love it too. 

The "Wise" study geography and owls.

Come Visit the newest exhibit at the Retreat: The "Wise" study geography and owls.

The exhibit is all about what I love to do besides Second Life and Art. Postcrossing is actually fun for those days when you cannot log into SL and ask people on Twitter: Does anybody have issues logging on? Stop asking those silly questions and do something else until it all clears up. I am sure the Lab or is it still the Lab, well whatever fires up Second Life sometimes technology is down. Face that fact...It is down.

You will survive, yes you will.

What is Postcrossing?

The goal of this project is to allow anyone to send and receive postcards from all over the world!

The idea is simple: for each postcard you send, you will receive one back from a random postcrosser from somewhere in the world. Cool, huh? I think it is...

So, in the exhibit, I only picked a few of the many many cards I received. You can learn about geography, so when you meet a SLer and they say they are from Latvia, you will actually know where that is. See how this works...education using Second Life and Postcrossing.

We have to live through the bad days to get to the good ones. Hang in there, they are coming.

Never regret anything that made you smile

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.” – Oscar Wilde

“Live each day as if your life had just begun.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
You should live life to the fullest and have some fun. Life is not always a bed of roses,

It is a combination of petals, leaves, and thorns. Some situations act as a thorn in our life, But it is up to us how to react to life and death. Life is beautiful and short, So learn from a tree, about standing tall. When the world around us feels like full of demons, there will always be a different world filled with angels.

 “Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” – Mary Oliver

Some days can be dark and gloomy, Remember that there is always some sunshine which makes life bright. You don't need to be good at everything, Try to be the best in any one thing. Success is hard to get if you don't attempt, Because if you don't try, then the only thing left is the pain of the opportunity that you let go.

“Happiness, not in another place but this place… not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman

When it pours, play in the rain!!!

Sometimes we get anxious when we worry and think of the "what ifs". We cannot really solve our problems if we always think the same and accept things the way we are, we may not get ahead of it. I am the perfect example of that. I get lazy and forget to change my mindset. We must examine what’s in front of us. But we also must uncover latent factors which contribute to the problem. Don’t look for solutions immediately; take time to comprehend the gravity of the issue. Keep redefining the problem until you arrive at the root cause. The solutions you devise will save you a lot of ‘fire fighting’ and frustration. Plus, for what it’s worth, it will open new avenues for you.

Sometimes I feel a cloud is over my head and follows me, but instead of feeling all yuck and pitiful, I need to remind myself to play in the rain. Think about how you loved playing in the rain as a child. You never thought of the negatives that you would get wet and maybe sick, you just played in it. 

Problems are inevitable. The unpleasant feelings which accompany them… they’re not. Consider all options, regardless of how irrelevant they currently appear. Keep an open mind. Seek comfort in the uncomfortable. You can do this! Don't be afraid to get a little wet along the way. It dries you know.

Happy Independence Day!!!

We at the Retreat and Basement Club want to wish you all a very Happy Independence Day!!!

When I became an American citizen it was a very proud moment in my real life and I never ever take this for granted. You don't become an American overnight and there is a long process one must follow. There is filing the application, the fees, the fingerprints, the background check, the test, the interview, the physical exam, and probably more stuff I forgot by now. By doing all of this the legal way you will eventually get there. Don't give up, keep working on all of the requirements. You see you do not get a High School diploma or GED unless you have all the credits, right? 

I highly recommend all Americans and also those who want to become Americans to go and take a sample test of the "Civics Test". Try is and see how many questions can you get correct. I failed miserably in Political Science in College when I first took that because I knew nothing about the American System as a German. The more you know, the more you will understand why this government signed the Constitution. 
Now go and do it...study some American Values...

No Social-Distance in SL!!!

One of the lifesavers about Social-Distance has to be the virtual world, like in my case Second Life. We, who have been here in this virtual world know and appreciate this even more.
Social Distance means: maintaining a safe or appropriate distance from other people, especially to slow the spread of contagious illness or disease.

OBLEE performing at the Basement Club brought many avatars here. Please do go and visit OBLEE's website for information on his music.

Here in Second Life, we do not have to sacrifice on this at all. We can be in a club packed with people and enjoy a live performance and still have contact with the people socially but maintain our distance. 

Virtual World, like Second Life, is for all of us to be socially interactive.

So, I read some time ago in an article that researchers believe new immersive technology could lead to isolation, but maybe when social needs are met online, people won't need in-person interaction as much. It is this VR that now brings us together so we can interact with people online. I mean think about it, would you rather not have technology? How would us teachers conduct classes for our students, how can we catch up with family, how can we do just about anything during this pandemic. It is virtually impossible to think about life without all of the technology and right now during this crisis it is needed and part of our lives to keep us sane.

What I am trying to say is that Second Life can help people overcome loneliness, isolation, physical and mental challenges. We who are here in Second Life do not need any researchers telling us that we avoid people socially because we don't. We build friendships, relationships that carry over to the real world and how could we have met these people if it wasn't for the Virtual World of Second Life?