Simone Butler's Blog, page 3

On April 15 2019, a horrific fire broke out in the roof area of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris.  When the spire collapsed, it created a draft that slammed all the doors and propelled a fireball through the attic.…

During the Civil War, brothers fought against brothers over the right to keep human beings as property. Decades of controversy were brought to a head when Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, triggering seven Southern slave states to secede from the U.S.…

Years ago, on a train headed to Tokyo, Terry Dobson witnessed something that changed his life.

It was a peaceful afternoon and the car was relatively empty. Then the train stopped, the doors opened and suddenly the quiet was shattered by violent curses.…

Many in western North Carolina were hard hit by Hurricane Helene. This includes the folks at Earthaven Ecovillage near Asheville, a region previously considered a climate safe haven. After the epic storm passed, the hundred or so Earthaven members were confronted with raging rivers in their roadways, downed trees everywhere, landslides, and bridges damaged by flood waters.…

Nobody could have foreseen the young Mohandas Gandhi becoming a world leader. Small and unassuming, with a big nose and jug ears, the Hindu boy was so shy he couldn’t speak up for himself.…

Photo of red-tailed hawk by Erin Western

This year, the San Diego region has been experiencing heat waves and drought conditions that have severely impacted local wildlife. All over California, birds and mammals are suffering from dehydration and heat stress – especially this week, as temperatures soared into the triple digits and wildfires raged. …

Most of us will remember Don Henley’s 1982 smash hit “Dirty Laundry.” The catchy tune was a scathing send-up of tabloid journalism, which was then on the rise. To air one’s dirty laundry means to discuss or argue about unpleasant or private things in front of others.…

Recently I’ve been playing with an exciting new approach to manifestation, as outlined in the book Scripting the Life You Want, by Royce Christyn. It involves a daily practice of writing down your intentions for the day ahead, including things you hope will happen along with others that you absolutely know will happen.…

Have you been watching Simone Biles at the Paris Olympics? If so, you know greatness when you see it. “She’s not even human,” I’ve heard several people say of the world’s most decorated gymnast – who’s been wowing star-studded crowds.…

By the early 1950s, Frank Sinatra’s career had hit a low ebb. No one wanted him as a singer or an actor. Yet when he read the book From Here to Eternity, which was about to be made into a movie, Sinatra knew he was born to play the part of Maggio.…