The Bluebird Patch

"I feel blessed to live and raise my family in the south. Life is good in the south and it's not just the weather it's the people. The south is so much more than fried chicken, corn bread, collars greens, and mac and cheese. The south is a place where the term hospitality gets a brand new meaning. Southerns know how to live with an attitude of gratitude. They show class, and take pride on everything they do and always take criticism with grace and poise . Southerns take things slow, enjoy every day, and make the most of what they have. " Liza Cardona  

Photo: Lindsey Monroe (Special Event and PR Coordinator) and Liza Cardona (The Bluebird Patch).  Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside. No matter what is going on outside of us, there's always something we could be grateful for. - Barry Neil Kaufman Today I'm grateful to be able to connect with one of the best non-profit organizations in Atlanta, Camp Sunshine. You can tell a lot about an organization by their employees and volunteers. If you have never been to one of their events I can assure you is like stepping in a happiness cloud. You can feel the passion and the commitment of everyone involved. Camp Sunshine is 100% dedicated to enrich the lives of Georgia’s children with cancer and their families through recreational, educational and support programs.  Camp Sunshine relies heavily on donations and fundraisers to operate since all of their programs are free of charge. They have a spring camp coming u

  Wash your hands, clean up the gulf - with a little help from Bird Project Eco-intelligence, creativity, and innovative philanthropy unite!! Tippy Tippens passion for sustainable growth is quite unique. She makes the objects that we live with us, work for us instead of against us and ultimately give us a greater sense of happiness.   Each black, bird shaped soap contains a white, ceramic bird, handmade by moi from Louisiana Clay, which remains as a keepsake once the outer soap has washed away. Through the daily act of washing, you will eventually free the clean, white, ceramic birds inside - potent symbols of restoration and recovery. The soap is shaped to be cradled in your hand and is a powerful representation of all creatures affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster. The soaps are made with natural, locally sourced ingredients: biodiesel glycerin, fair trade olive oil, aloe, activated black charcoal, and a light c

“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” Mother Theresa Everyday people , everyday kindness. Meet Frank, John and Jack; three “Muffin Men” who are turning retirement into an opportunity to distribute food and kindness to those in need. Sponsored by the Men's Club, the Muffin People are a group of parishioners who collect day-old baked goods and food donations from local Starbucks' and supermarkets to help feed the hungry in Oakland. The group meets on the last Wednesday of every other month at 7 p.m. For 19 years, a group of volunteers (33) from St. Monica Catholic Church in Moraga have been picking up food set aside daily by several stores, including Lunardi’s, Safeway, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Diablo Foods and Whole Foods. The food is delivered daily to several Oakland agencies that serve the needs of the poor.  http://www.stmonicamoraga.com/index.cfm?load=page&page=194

MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS ARE NOT THOSE THAT YOU SEIZE BUT THE ONES THAT SEIZE YOU. “Happiness are little moments in life that we cherish and hold so dear. Screaming at the top of our lungs as we slide down the mountain, roasting marshmallows over a campfire, sipping hot cocoa with a Snow Angel, and building your own fort to protect you from a furious snowball battle are the kind of memories you'll always cherish. The secret of happiness lies in learning to pause and recognizing these small moments that make life so meaningful." Li za Cardona    

These photo manipulations were created by Mary Bailey. She sees herself as a curator (of sorts) of all the wonderful images - past and present - that people share on Flickr. On January 2010 she took her first Photoshop course and discovered what a wonderful creative tool it is. "It was sort of like falling down a rabbit hole. When I went looking for inspiration, I found it here. I discovered how much I enjoyed searching through your photos for just the right image for a digital collage or photomanipulaton".  To see more of her work  please visit her at:  miles beyond the moon

"One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings."     Franklin Thomas "It's no secret that I'm a fan of the Center of Puppetry Arts. Their puppets shows are not only educational but are full of humor, songs, and audience participation." Liza Cardona In celebration of Black History Month the Center For Puppetry Arts Presents "Ruth and the Green Book".  Chronicling a relatively-unknown chapter in Civil Rights history, Ruth and the Green Book follows an African American family as they travel from Chicago to Alabama in the Jim Crow South of the 1950s. After being turned away from hotels, gas stations and restaurants, 8-year-old Ruth and her parents are introduced to "The Green Book," a travel guide for black motorists conceived

  “Compassion is the force that allow us to empathise with the suffering of other species and in doing so manifest our own uniqueness. Cultivating compassion is critical for humankind. As human beings if we don't learn to work in harmony, side by side, in respect and understanding, the survival of humanity could be endangered”.  Liza Cardona The Charter of Compassion is a cooperative effort to restore not only compassionate thinking but, more importantly, compassionate action to the center of religious, moral and political life. Why a Charter for Compassion?   The Charter for Compassion movement believes the principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour