As a Leo and a triple fire sign, (Aries moon, Aries rising) born in the summer of love, I never really thought about what it would be like when I turned 40. It was always about summer and just happy being another year older. This year, however, not only marks a new decade in my life (whew I made it!) but also a solar and lunar eclipse this month which has heightened my sense of awareness around everything and I’ll admit it has sometimes been challenging. Last Tuesday (my actual b-day) I awoke to an overwhelming sense of gratitude and this comfortable feeling in my skin that I can’t really describe. I can only say that being surrounded by 11 of my most loving friends (+ 1 loving boyfriend + 1 loving niece) last night at dinner put me into a place where I felt like honey on a warm piece of toast–the perfect union. This 40 year old has arrived and is excited to be alive.

This this is the sweetest story. Look at this tiny red panda cub (shown at left), recently rejected by it’s mommy at a zoo in Amsterdam, and then adopted by the zookeepers house cat. The baby is shown nursing on it’s new mommy.

Red pandas are a rare species, don’t get bigger than an average sized house cat and are not related to the giant pandas. They are also an endangered animal. Shown at right is an adult red panda. Isn’t he the cutest?

I opened my e-mail this morning to this sweet Paulo Coelho blog post. He made the following list based on what he learned from discussion groups and forums around the web. Jen and Linda, this is for you.

Why we love men

We love men because they can’t fake an orgasm, even if they wanted to.

Because they will never understand us, yet even so they go on trying.

Because they still manage to see our beauty, even when we ourselves no longer believe it.

Because they are lovers who only rest when we have had (or pretend to have had) pleasure

Because they are never afraid of the dark.

Because they insist on fixing things that are beyond their capacity, and dedicate themselves to this with the same enthusiasm as an adolescent, and get frustrated when they don’t succeed.

Because they are like pomegranates: most of them is impossible to digest, but the seeds are delicious.

Because they never comment on what the neighbors might think.

Because we always know what they are thinking, and when they open their mouth they say exactly what we imagined they would.

Because they never dreamed of torturing themselves wearing high heels.

Because they love to explore our body and conquer our soul.

Because a 14-year-old girl can leave them speechless, and a 25-year-old woman can tame them quite effortlessly.

Because they are always attracted by extremes: the opulent or the ascetic, warriors or monks, artists or generals.

Because they do absolutely everything possible to try to hide their weaknesses.

Because a man’s biggest fear is not being a man (it never crosses a woman’s mind not to be a woman).

Because they always eat everything on their plate, and don’t feel guilty about it.

Because they take great delight in completely uninteresting matters, such as what happened at work, or different makes of automobiles.

Because they have shoulders where we can rest our heads and sleep without much effort.

Because they are at peace with their bodies, except for small, insignificant things like growing bald and getting fat.

Because they are incredibly courageous in front of insects.

Because they never lie about their age.

Because despite everything they try to demonstrate, they can’t live without a woman.

Because when we tell one of them “I love you”, they always ask us to explain exactly how.

Talk about manifesting the future love in your life. Check out this story as reported by the New York Times and passed on to me via my darling sweet friend Jen who is a true believer in the power of intention.

Nicola Kraus, (shown at right with future partner David) co-writer of the successful book, “The Nanny Diaries” decided to manifest her future husband by dedicating her latest novel ‘Dedication’ to him. And at the time, she didn’t know who he was and she wasn’t married.

“I was creating a place holder,” Ms. Kraus, 33, said. ‘He was out there. I just hadn’t crossed paths with him yet.’ She began behaving as if she was already in love. ‘You carry yourself differently when you’re not alone,’ she explained. “I would carry myself at a party or a supermarket or a gym as if I was loved.’ Via:: New York Times

And guess what happened? A month later David Wheir (her future husband) kissed her, and she no longer needed to pretend.

The lesson here is powerful and simple and just takes some practice. Get clear on what it is that you want, feel it in your body and act like you already have it. It’s the same principle as The Secret and The Law of Attraction. I’m a firm believer in the power of intention and Jen, I love you very much.

This Albino Peacock makes me think of snowflakes and stars. She’s simply beautiful.

Oh beautiful, Divine creature, you make my heart sing. You are pure love. Can I take you home with me?