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More on the Weight Blog

Thursday, April 14th, 2016

I am happy the person wrote to you about not using soap. I haven’t used soap for years. He uses Apple Cider Vinegar when he gets really dirty in places. That’s fine – I do that also, but I also use organic dried milk to clean up. A little in the hand and then rub it onto the wet areas needing to be cleaned beyond just water. I assume the person writing is a ‘he’ since he talked about shaving.

You have a blog – from years past – which I picked up on, which is where I got the dried milk idea. You put it out for a facial. Wet your face, wash it with dried milk, let the milk stay on your face and lie down for about 20 minutes. The dried milk rubbed all over your face dries and gives you a skin tightening experience like no other. Rinse lots after your 20 minute rest, dry your face and add moisturizer – not the commercial kind, but clip a vitamin A capsule and rub it all over your face – followed by a vitamin E capsule, to make the A last longer. Before you go out for the day, rinse your face with cold water and pat dry. You will look stunning. If you have a problem with oily skin, use the powdered milk as a powder to keep down the shine and you are good to go. I don’t use the powdered milk as a powder, I have dry skin.

If I weren’t lazy I would give you the particulars of that facial in this blog, but you can look it up for yourselves. As I recall it was one of your first blogs way back when and I have been a devoted follower ever since. Keep on keeping on! And thanks! This is one place I know I can come to and not have to worry about marketing and advertising people selling me something in the guise of giving me information and knowledge.

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Everything talked about in this blog and in any other blog in the Bettina Network, inc. is the opinion of the person who wrote the blog and does not necessarily represent the opinions of Bettina Network, inc.

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, health, health and beauty, prevent obesity, weight problems
Posted in Bed & Breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Educational Institute, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Guest comments, Health, Health and Beauty, Hedge Schools, Historical Homes | Comments Off on More on the Weight Blog

The Rev. Nicholas Hood

Tuesday, April 12th, 2016

by: Marceline Donaldson, April 11, 2016

Rev. Nicholas Hood

Andrew Young, Nicholas Hood

Some remembrances write themselves. This one is being written through heavy grief because it is not only a memory of Nicholas Hood, but long overdue grieving of my youth and someone who contributed majorly to who I am as a Christian today.

Nicholas Hood is in my heart and soul.

The example he set for so many will last a very long time as will the witnessing to his life, his life’s work and his God. He was one of those who witnessed for his God in a mighty way. When God calls one to the ordained ministry, God calls the pastor and the prophet. When it is a genuine call to the ordained ministry the life of that person is never the same and their life forever after reflects that call. Clearly, Nicholas Hood was called by God to the ordained ministry and he never left the path he walked following that call.

“Suffer the little children to come unto me …………….” was one part of Nicholas Hood’s ministry. With a group of us in New Orleans, life would never be the same. We integrated the Congregational Church’s summer camp in the Panhandle. It was an incredible, life changing experience. There were times around a camp fire when we heard, as young Black children, what young White children thought of those like us. Stories of how the White children – teen agers – had been taught that integrated marriages produced spotted children. Comments I have never forgotten. That one stood out more than the rest because my grandfather had the genetic disease which causes one’s skin to turn from brown to milky white and I could see it spreading across his hands and in later years his face. His father was Blackfoot Indian. His mother was French. I knew better than to believe the stories I heard around that camp fire, but that one got inside and it took some time before I was able to dig it out. Nick Hood was there talking to all of us and going into detail on racism and how it works and spreads from one generation to the next. Those were stories told to their children by parents who were full of fear and afraid their children might bring home a Black boy or girl friend and they were doing everything they could to prevent that and keep the color line unbroken. What Nicholas Hood did for us, after that night around the camp fire, was to witness using the Gospel to put all of what we heard into a context which was powerful I can still hear parts of it.

Nicholas Hood was there at the end of that camping experience when we were on the way home and we all went into a diner to eat. We had been so caught up in the experience of being together – White and Black – that the reality outside the camp had not been restored and we sat in the diner causing a bit of an uproar because Blacks were sitting at the counter waiting to be fed. We were unaware of the sit-ins beginning to happen across the country. We just wanted lunch.

Nicholas Hood brought a group of us – very young people – with Andrew Young and Martin King – across the backroads of Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama as a Jr. High Choir to sing in White Churches in which Martin preached. We spent the night in the homes of the White Jr. High Choir members before and after the service and after that when we were all quickly hustled out of the homes where we were staying back into the cars to be driven down the road at high speed watching in front of us seeing Nicholas Hood, Andy and Martin hung in effigy from the trees down the road and behind us a group of very angry whites with rifles coming to run out of town the oversexed Blacks who couldn’t be about anything except a sex orgy sleeping with the young White teenagers whose families offered us hospitality. That was my first experience being seen, not as a human being but as an oversexed machine to whom friendship wasn’t possible – but was interpreted as some kind of sex thing. Nicholas Hood was there to put all of that into the perspective of the Gospel.

I didn’t realize how much children absorb of Sunday sermons until I looked back and remembered some of Nicholas Hood’s sermons, which got into my soul. I couldn’t have been more than 13-14 years old.

I’ve made lots of missteps in my life, but somehow I have always been able to self-correct. Some compass inside always brought me back to the faith of my childhood and the example of those around me at the time. To be able to see beyond today and to talk to those who are no longer here is a New Orleans thing and not an easy thing to handle, but Nicholas Hood kept my deepest secrets which were never shared. That is a gift and I am so very grateful to the giver.

Rev. Hood came to Minneapolis years ago and we spent an incredible evening going over life and where it had taken us. An evening I have always cherished. I’ve watched his life and how he lived it and one thing stands out above all else – his faith in God and his steps, which were ordered by God. He lived to the benefit of so many – me included. Life happens, but it does not always happen full of love while we are doing God’s work. We can get so confused as to what God is calling us to do. What is the work we need to be doing for ourselves and for others? Nick Hood’s life shows an example of someone who was very clear about the work God called him to do.

By your fruits you shall be known. By what Nicholas Hood was about all those 92 years speaks louder than anything anyone could say, explain, add to his life’s story. By the fruit of his life – “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17″So every good tree bears good fruit,” ………… You have left clear evidence by your fruit that you are one of God’s own forever, Nicholas Hood. May God bless and keep you close for eternity.

Weight, Beauty, Looking Young – always!

Thursday, April 7th, 2016

We have had much correspondence and many breakfasts around the topic of food, gaining weight, losing weight, looking beautiful, how to stay young, etc. – both at Bettina Homes and elsewhere.

We have gathered up all of our notes and this is the result.

Many breakfast discussions have centered around exercise, food choices, weight gain and/or loss and what do these things have to do with looking and feeling fit.

The consensus we have found is the best way to look young may have little to do with all that is discussed in the media and in lots of advertisements, but the biggy for looking young for many decades when all of your friends are clearly aging is to – 1) drink no alcohol and of course, no drugs of any kind, 2) eat organic foods and in moderation, 3) take a brisk walk each day to let the sunshine hit your body and the fresh air circulate all over, around and through you, 4) if you drink coffee and/or tea, make it organic. There are now several organic coffees on the market and there have always been organic herbs over which you can pour hot water for a great cup of tea.

We have noticed that the obesity figures are sky rocketing and wonder if that has more to do with what weights are considered obese. For example, for women it is getting ridiculous. A size 8 is now considered a ‘plus’ size. That is one way to drive the weight industry into making a zillion dollars. And those companies selling exercise equipment. If a woman’s size 8 is a “plus” size, can you imagine the money women are going to spend getting down below that so they won’t be considered ‘fat’ – or a plus size – or obese?

What is very sad is how women look who are now within the range of ‘ looking good in your clothes’? Most I have seen look as though they have just been through a very stringent course of chemotherapy, followed by radiation and have not yet recovered from the ravages of those treatments. Women models have make-up on their eyes which makes them look sunken and sick. A size 14 used to be considered normal and anyone wearing a size 14 looked pretty good. Healthy, beautiful, with lots of energy. I don’t understand how anyone can have energy – without some kind of ‘uppers’ when they eat a salad or less a day. Where is all of this headed?

All of this was brought to the forefront for us when we had breakfast with a model. She was lovely. She was there for the conversation and the breakfast seminar during which everything and anything is discussed. She had black coffee and a piece of very hard bread which she took out of a wrapper in her pocket book. We had fresh organic fruit – several kinds mixed together; a slice of organic bread with cheese on top and a sunny-side up egg on top of that with a side of beautifully cooked asparagus. For dessert we had a New Orleans-style bread pudding with hard sauce without the rum. I don’t know how she was able to have her breakfast with us eating away at the above, but what we were eating didn’t seem to bother her. I guess she has had lots of experience not eating while others enjoy a lavish meal.

From breakfast she had a very stressful day planned. I wondered how she was going to make it through such a strenuous day, especially since she had been exercising – doing her regular morning workout – for about an hour before she came to breakfast. I asked several times what keeps her going given her schedule and her diet. She kind of ignored me, explained she would have a small salad for lunch – without dressing of any kind, and a piece of chicken with a vegetable for dinner. That is her normal kind of eating day.

We wondered about the example this sets for young girls. But we were corrected and told to wonder about the example this set for young girls and young boys since both now had role models who were skin and bones and nothing else.

Thanks for the platform, Bettina people. I have a blog, but you have so many more people visiting your blog that I think I will send you articles I have written from time to time. Loved the house where we stayed. It was super elegant and breakfast was beyond a five star hotel breakfast. What we learned that morning was invaluable and would not have been available, except from the people around the table. They were very special.

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Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, breakfast table talk, Guest Comments, health, health and beauty, weight problems
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Conspiracy Theories?

Wednesday, February 24th, 2016

Breakfast at a Bettina Network Hedge School can be awesome as you talk to so many different people who come from amazing places with experiences that span the globe and includes ideas, history, remembrances and thought processes that sharpen your own.

I would not trade being a part of Bettina Network Hedge Schools for anything. My intellect is stimulated on a daily basis, let alone my knowledge base.

We had an incredible conversation at breakfast about the Supreme Court nomination and all of the push back for and against Barack Obama making that appointment. Basically, I wanted to know what does all of this mess mean?????

What came back to me was awesome!!!!!

First was a question – why would Mitch McConnell and all of those pushing to keep Obama from making this appointment be fighting so hard against that possibility, especially if Hillary is going to be our next president? I thought, as did others, that Hillary would more than likely make a more liberal appointment than would Obama. He is and has been a great president, but he is, in many ways, tied to the establishment in ways that Hillary is not.

And, if Hillary is not elected president would Bernie be any more conservative? He has shown by his Civil Rights involvements early on and his backing away from that commitment as he became more involved in his life’s work that he knows the establishment and he would not have been able to get as far as he has if he had kept his Civil Rights work active and if he had been actively involved bringing about those kind of changes in his environment. Vermont can handle liberal, progressive, socialist changes, but it is still a very White state. So, while his appointment to the Supreme Court would be quite liberal, his establishment ties said to some of us that he would be willing to accommodate his friends – especially those he needed to help push his presidency in the direction he wanted it to go. But that accommodation would not be nearly close to what Mitch McConnell and those fighting with him would be fighting to achieve. So why would Mitch McConnel and friends, not known for their liberal leanings, be working so hard to stop Obama’s appointment to give Bernie the go ahead to make this appointment?

It seems to me they know something we don’t and what they are working so hard for at the moment is for the appointment to be put on hold until someone more conservative becomes president and they can continue on with business as usual. And who would that be? Donald Trump or someone who will soon come out of hiding in the wings onto front stage?

There have been many conspiracy theories floating around this country connected to past presidents and presidential elections.

The one that sticks out in this discussion are the conspiracy theories around how Jack Kennedy was elected president. Rumor had it that his father made a deal with the mafia to produce the votes needed for his son’s election – especially around the Chicago area – and they did. Rumor continues that it was Marcello, the southern head of the Mafia in this country at the time, who put in the demand for Kennedy’s assassination because while the Mafia did its job for Jack Kennedy and his family, the Kennedy’s turned on the Mafia. The father – with his Mafia connections – made the deal, but Bobby and Jack went ahead when elected, to move against the Mafia and it does not tolerate those kinds of actions without a particular kind of payback.

Looking at the candidates, it seemed to us that Donald Trump’s business interests are casinos, construction, and gambling with heavy involvements in Las Vegas and New Jersey. That could be conspiratorialized to produce a Mafia connection linking Donald Trump’s success with the successful backing of his businesses by Mafia interests. He may even be one of those at the top himself, as this conspiracy theory unrolled itself.

Connect that to the conspiracy theories around Jack Kennedy and you have the new President of the United States elected the way the conspiracy theorists claim Jack Kennedy was elected. Although, according to those theories, someone intervened on Jack Kennedy’s behalf – he did not have the clout with the Mafia to do those negotiations on his own. All those trying to understand the Donald Trump phenomenon have apparently either not made this connection or are too young to know this ‘history’.

Is that something Mitch McConnel and his group of friends would know about? Would this be what they are structuring with this recalcitrance to allow Obama to even nominate a Supreme Court justice? Do they know something the rest of us don’t and are acting on that knowledge to keep a clear path open for what they know is in our future?

Since we are not a part of that inner circle we can only look on and attempt to interpret what is happening from their public actions and their current public actions say they are expecting a President of these United States to be elected who would push their political and other interests and one of the biggest is who is appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Who would be that swing vote that would bring the Court either one way or the other.

Given that Obama would probably appoint a more acceptable person to the Court in their eyes than would Hillary Clinton, we are seeing their hand tipped as to the fix that is in and the rest of us are supposed to sit back and be so involved in the fight, in the agenda they have set out for us to engage, that our minds are engaged in a way that we cannot see and do not realize what the McConnell boys’ actions are telling us as clearly as if they had taken an airplane and done sky writing about what they know is coming down the pike.

For all of those yelling ‘racism’ that is keeping you from seeing what is actually happening here. Clear your minds and think much more broadly.

All of the above is simply the result of a few people having breakfast together conjecturing, adding bits and pieces of history and bits and pieces of conspiracy theories which have been floating around for decades. Nothing serious and any similarities to the American Political scene at the moment are strictly coincidental.

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Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

Tags: Barack Obama, bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, breakfast table talk, Donald Trump, Guest Comments, Hillary Clinton, Making Connections, politics, Sexism
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You Claim to Believe in God, but do you, really?

Monday, February 15th, 2016

If asked, and it did not include a specific denomination or set of religious beliefs, most people would say – yes, they believe in God. They would add that this does not mean the traditional Christian God with the long white beard sitting on a throne, but God – the real one!

I would say, even those who claim to believe in the traditional Christian God don’t really believe. As many of those who claim to believe in Mohammed or Jehovah, don’t.

One of our perennial questions about God is -if there is a God why is there so much evil and destruction in the world? And that is the easiest question to answer – although we generally don’t want to hear, or read, or even come close to the answer. Keep that in our deepest subconscious where we don’t have to deal with who we are and how we are living our lives.

Who is God? The only comment I can make about that is – God is!

We have created many trappings around God, none of which we really believe, but we will die defending the right and truth of what we have created, or what our ancestors created and/or contributed to and passed on to us declaring their creation as eternal truth – and called it God, God’s Kingdom, heaven and more.

One small test of our belief system:

If God exists then death as we describe it and believe does not exist.

If God exists then there is another existence which we sometimes describe in our religions, but in which we do not believe because basically we don’t believe in God. We have created religions with saints and martyrs and heaven and hell and we have peopled our religious universe with a terrain which is amazing and in which we really don’t believe. And when the chips are down, we don’t believe in any of the supernatural world that we created and put forth as our religious belief..

We have and still fight wars over our religious belief systems. Isn’t that what is going on with ISIS and other groups in the Middle East and isn’t that what went on with the Christian Wars and all the other wars which we based on religious beliefs that we outlined, but didn’t ever really believe? We constructed them but knew they were nonsense when we were playing God in our creation and construction time. If what we created was really God and of God there would be no need to fight over who was right, who was wrong because God would speak to all of us. But we turned a deaf ear to God’s voice and ignored whatever God had to say because we wanted to control and wanted God out of the way.

Our strongest need seems to be the need for control and the best way to control is to set up a structure with an entity we call God at its head and put everybody under that structure demanding they conform to the behavior system which that structure promotes. We enforce our system by killing, maiming, ostracizing and shunning those who don’t fit and won’t act the way the religions we developed demands. Our religious beliefs are clearly not of God because they are full of fear. They control, grow, and use fear to keep the generations that come after us under the control of our kind – our group.

How do we give ourselves away! How can you look at us and know we don’t believe in the God we espouse? We have limited ourselves to what we can see, feel and touch! We have eliminated everything else because we don’t want anyone to come along to contradict what we have created – especially not anyone of God.

Instead of being a part of God’s universe, we have created a parallel universe that we inhabit; believe in; work towards building. This parallel universe has a god at its head who is really a thinly disguised man. They say there was a religion eons ago where the god was a thinly disguised woman. In Israel, there are the remains of a Synagogue whose altar has carved into it a Mr. & Mrs. Jahweh.

I’ve met a few people over the decades who believe God is – who know in ever fibre of their being that there is a God – that God exists. Generally, the rest of society holds them at arms length and has a difficult time taking them seriously. These are the people who have seen God. Or they have talked to those who have died. Or they have died themselves and been resuscitated. Or they were born with the gift of seeing more than what exists in this physical world. They are incredible people to be around – especially since the one thing they all seem to lack is the ability to judge other human beings. They also don’t seem to be able to see human beings as the only beings on this planet who are spiritual, above everything else.

It is so exquisitely beautiful to see beyond the limits we impose upon ourselves and each other because we need to control everything. It is painful to be around people who declare themselves superior to others and to the rest of the world because of their cultural religion. To give that up brings us into another reality where very few humans seem to be able to live.

To see the good and the bad in another human being and still love them is special. It is where God lives. To give that up to set ourselves up as an imitation of God is such a sacrifice and such a paltry way to exist. But we have done that, probably for as long as we have been on this earth.

What makes me think that fighting, killing, maiming, torturing others because they don’t believe the way I do is going to please my God and make me one of the martyrs when I die? What makes me believe that I am doing something other than moving away from God as I insist that my religion is better than. What makes me believe that God doesn’t want those people to live the lifestyle they have chosen? What makes me call someone else’s lifestyle sinful and call on the religion I created to justify my call? What makes me unable to see that maybe God lives that lifestyle, as well as others?

Is that my God bringing down that heavy judgment or my culture/class/ group – the people I hang-out with who make me feel better than everyone else – the people who define what is right and what is wrong – the people who have demolished their own ability to see beyond the physical and into God’s world because they might lose control if we all kept that ability?

Will we ever come to our senses one day or will we realize how wrong we have been when we are at that moment of death! Hell must be that moment when the realization of what we have done brings us enormous, almost intolerable pain- an eternal pain – born of the regrets when we realize at that moment that we cannot change how we have lived and we realize the preciousness of the gifts we gave up to take on the self-absorbed life we have lived limited to our own kind. It is the moment when we realize we really did not believe in God throughout our lives; – when we realize we substituted our own belief and our own religious construct for a beauty and incredible world that we could have lived in and been a part of; – when we see our human sight drop away and in spite of how we have lived, we feel the love of a God who forgives us our iniquities and pardons our weaknesses. When at that moment, our last human feeling is the one which wishes, if only we could have done the same! And at that same moment we realize what a poor imitation of God we have been and what a pathetic religion we have created out of our own need instead of having opened ourselves throughout our lives to what should have been.

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Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, breakfast table talk, Spiritual Reflection, Theology, Ubuntu
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Theologians Worldwide Join Us!

Tuesday, February 9th, 2016

What a wonderful resource for you and the rest of the world to add your home to Bettina Network Hedge Schools.

Where does one go to learn about your own religion, or other religions of the world? Not from books which give a very stilted structure and outdated information, but from someone who is doing research, writing about particular interests of theirs and yours and even more. Maybe there is someone who has a perspective, belief, expounding on something of interest to you – stay a few days and examine what both of you are doing.

And for the theologian – what a wonderful resource to be able to talk to people serendipitously to try out your thoughts, theories and to know where just ordinary people are coming from and their interest and interpretation of your work.

For the guest traveling the world – stay with a theologian. Have a breakfast seminar and bring up all the issues you have pondered for decades or maybe within your family for generations. Only thinkers allowed. Non-believers welcomed – those of very different religious beliefs and very opposing or complimentary theologies welcome. A theologian traveling? Why not stay with a theologian who might be doing something in which you are interested? Want an intense few days to talk with a theologian in a different area – not at a seminar, not presenting a paper, just the two or three or four of you – hanging out for a couple days?

Call us – email us – get more information about how you might fit and what this is all about.

Breakfast Table Talk – I am sure theologians know about kitchen table talk! Just look at what that wrought for Martin Luther.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, breakfast table talk, Kitchen Table Talk, Martin Luther, Spiritual Reflection, Theologian, Theology
Posted in Bed & Breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Educational Institute, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Breakfast Table Talk, Hedge Schools, Historical Homes, Historical Support, Kitchen Table Talk, Martin Luther, Spiritual Reflection, Theologian, Theology, Ubuntu | No Comments »

Musicians of the World – Attention!

Tuesday, January 26th, 2016

Bettina Network, inc. is looking for musicians who would like to have guests, for very brief periods of time – other musicians, conservatory students, those interested in music as attendees at concerts (possibly your concerts), supporters of your musical group. These are people traveling for other reasons for a few days who would like to combine that stay becoming more acquainted with musicians, their lifestyle and possibly take a lesson or two while staying with you. Consider talking with us about joining Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools. We check out all of our guests and families.

You benefit via the income from their stay; the possible lessons they would like while there; their interest in becoming knowledgeable about your career and lifestyle. They attend concerts while in your area and are interested to learn more about your musical interests and organizations you have founded and/or support – and more.

Pianists, conductors, harpists, guitarists, violinists, accordion concert artists, and all of you who have a love of your craft and an interest in others knowing about it on a very intimate basis. Call us and lets talk.

We do not cater to those looking to stay and who want everything for $19/night. No couch surfers nor air-mattress lovers. We cater to music lovers who want to see concert artists thrive; who want to know a little of your lifestyle; who want to stay with you and some may even want to study your instrument for a brief time and who understand that such a privilege cost. Not everyone plays an instrument who would stay with you. Some may even want just a brief introduction with no prior lessons or experience, but who always wanted to know a little something about your instrument.

Wherever you are in the world, call us – email us – write to us. We will come out to visit; tell you more about who we are and answer your questions about Bettina Network Hedge Schools.

If you are traveling and want to stay in a home where you can keep up your skill and technique with an instrument close by, call us for that too. We have homes where you can use the piano or other instruments for hours at a time and your host will be delighted to share. Stay with other musicians who share your lifestyle and travel needs, especially – but not only – when you are travelling for concert work.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Educational Institute, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network Information, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Hedge Schools
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The Beauty Regimen of the Year

Tuesday, January 12th, 2016

We have experimented with lots of ingredients to attempt to get the best beauty result over the years. The one that stands out from 2015 is a combination of liquid Vitamin C and Organic Aloe Vera – the whole plant.

They are an amazing combination and from our experience have given the most healthy looking results.

Mix half-and-half in a cup – half liquid Vitamin C with half organic whole plant Aloe Vera.

After your shower give yourself an all over massage with the half liquid Vitamin C and half Organic Aloe Vera mixture

Then you can do one of two things –

1) Put on cotton pajamas and cotton socks – if you are really into this you should also put on white cotton gloves and go to bed.

In the morning, take a shower -because the mixture will be sticky and all over. After your shower give yourself a massage with either Avocado Oil or Coconut Oil – try alternating the two. And then you are ready for the day. You will feel your energy level at high pitch.

2) If you prefer doing this in the morning – after a shower or very warm soak in the tub – give yourself a massage with the half-and-half mixture – put on your work clothes, for work around the house – and after an hour or so take another shower to rinse off the mixture.

And again – give yourself a massage with Avocado or Coconut oil and you are set to get dressed for the day.

Your energy level and beauty/health look will be fantastic.

Whether you use One (1) or Two (2) depends on whether you like to do your beauty regimen in the morning or at night.

We prefer the liquid vitamin C which is in the orange bottle. Some people tried the liquid C in the smaller dark brown bottle. The problem we had with that C is the fact that it seemed to us to be full of sugar, although the ingredients did not list sugar.

Two to three times a week will be great – less is alright, but does not produce the same results.

Inbetween times, take a long 1/2 hour soak in the tub. Put a quart of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar in the tub with you and just enjoy. Eventually, your aches, pains, will go away and if your experience is like ours you will find yourself free from the colds, and other things that those around you seem to constantly suffer.

You will find yourself craving oranges or lemons if you stop this regimen so be prepared. We think your body becomes accustomed to the vitamin C.

One New Years resolution – don’t put anything on your skin that you would not eat. They say you have a barrier which prevents stuff from getting into your body, however, we have discovered that what you put on your skin shows up in your blood stream in minutes.

P. S. When you shower, never – ever use anything except clear, warm water. No soap or anything else. It will ruin the goodness of the above beauty and health treatments and do nothing except pollute the water going down the drain in the shower. Created by Satan is that thing called soap. It destroys your body’s natural oils, which are very protective of you, and it actually does nothing that could be called good for you. The marketing and advertising people have created the need for soap over the generations and have been very good at their job – just as they have created the need for your house to smell like chemicals. Truth has been missing in all of the marketing and advertising. They have gotten us to believe a really foul odor created by chemicals, is actually “clean smelling.”

Be extra vigilant in 2016 of every ingredient in everything you buy and use.

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Tags: bed & breakfast, health, health and beauty
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Happy New Year – 2016

Monday, January 4th, 2016

…..and lots of success, great experiences, with much learning which develops into wisdom.

We had an amazing year full of many challenges which we have learned from and used to improve Bettina Network, inc.

We added Bettina Network Hedge Schools – which you can read about here –

http://bettina-network.com/pages/hedge_school/

and while tentative at first, they are now the most requested places to stay in Bettina Network.

Members of Bettina Network’s Lifestyle Community will receive write-ups about additions to the Hedge Schools all throughout 2016.

We hope you will suggest additions that will improve our offerings. In 2016 , we offer, $150 for suggesting a home which becomes either a part of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools or Bettina Network’s Bed & Breakfasts.

We are also still traveling to spend the night at the homes of those who want to join the bed & breakfast part of Bettina Network, inc. We do not take anyone into the Network without someone. who is a part of Bettina Network, spending the night to know what kind of experience guests will have in that particular location. We do the same thing with Bettina Network Hedge Schools so all of Bettina Network homes are thoroughly checked out and so are the guests who make reservations to stay in those homes.

Bettina Network Lifestyle Community is moving along and our goal this year is to make the Bettina Network Menu of Events one of the most outstanding and reliable calendars on the planet. That is a tall order, but we have experimented for a couple years and are now ready to move forward growing this gift for those who qualify. Membership in Bettina Network’s Lifestyle Community is not something you can buy. It is totally a gift from Bettina Network, inc. You access the benefits of this membership with a password which we send to you and renew yearly..

Besides putting together a calendar of events for a particular location, you can also use your password to add events which you would like to see offered by Bettina’s Menu of Events.

Bettina Network’s Blog passed one million readers about December 15, 2015. It was time for great celebration. The Blog continues to move ahead with an average of one thousand plus readers each day. In 2016 we will have a small number of sponsors of this Blog. Sponsorship will be open by invitation only.

If you are a member of Bettina Network’s Lifestyle Community you can send information, articles, blogs, pictures to add to this publication.

Reviews of places, things, books, etc. that we find interesting and stimulating will become a more frequent part of Bettina Network’s Blog over 2016. If you have suggestions, please don’t hesitate to send them.

Bettina Network Foundation, inc. is becoming amazing and beginning to fulfill our goals in ways we didn’t dream possible. You can read about the Foundation here: –http://bettina-network.com/pages/foundation/?ref=foundation and in Bettina Network’s Blog.

One of our big pushes this year – in 2016 – will be Bettina Network’s Estate Sales. It will be the end of February before that promise begins to be fulfilled, but we think you will find what we are doing with this part of the corporation, exciting. And – there will be parts of Bettina Network’s Estate Sales which will be accessible by Bettina Network Lifestyle Community Members only.

We have an improved money and credit card collection system. Our web site has a secure page where you can leave your credit card for any number of reasons and receive an email with the details of your charge within a minute of Bettina Network having charged your account. We love this part of our improvements and we hesitated on installing it because we wanted to be very careful with other people’s credit cards. This worked so seamlessly we fell in love and are now moving along very happily with our new system.

If you have suggestions for change, additions, subtractions, etc. please don’t hesitate to call us, email us, send us a letter, or however you communicate – stay in touch and help us keep Bettina Network, inc. moving ahead and fulfilling its original promise.

I couldn’t end this without a comment on the struggle we had all year and in past years as we suffered from having our business idea and business plan stolen without our knowledge or consent. That is still a problem. However, Harvard Business School has done a study on Airbnb and found racism in their system negatively affecting both host families and guests who are non-White. It is very difficult to maintain diversity/equality. It is easy and careless to install such a system which practices racism against minorities, especially in this 21st Century. Technology makes that kind of racism the kind which Pontius Pilate would understand and recognize immediately – bring that bowl of water and let those who practice such racism wash their hands and deny intentionality and culpability.

We look forward to all the excitement and experiences we are going to have in 2016 – the good, the bad and the in-between. All of it is what it takes to keep us on our toes and moving ahead.

Have a wonderful New Year!

From – All of us at Bettina’s

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Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Foundation, Bettina Network Information, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community
Posted in Bed & Breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Educational Institute, Bettina Network Foundation, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network Info, Bettina Network NEWS, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Hedge Schools, Historical Homes, Holiday Greeting | No Comments »

Christmas – A Joyous Occasion?

Tuesday, December 29th, 2015

We are so accustomed to celebrating holidays with a certain emotion which seems intrinsic to that holiday that we generally don’t think about why or if that emotion is appropriate to the holiday.

Good Friday is clearly a somber occasion and our emotions are quite turned down on that day. The Churches drape themselves in black and people come to Church to mourn.

Christmas, however, is joyous. Much gift giving and party attending and celebration. But is that the appropriate emotion for the ‘celebration’ of the birth of Jesus?

The bible clearly talks about and acknowledges Jesus as God. Although maybe not God again until the resurrection – because before that Jesus is human and experiencing all of the good and bad of life in human form.

Why did God have to come to earth to subject God’s self to our infirmities, sadnesses, pain, sin and more? To save us from our sins – so says the bible. Once the virgin birth happens we celebrate the arrival of God on earth because our sins are forgiven – penance has been paid once and for all times with the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.

What a horrible thought and what an awful commentary on all of us. We celebrate that God has had to take human form because we would not stop sinning. Jesus the Christ brought forgiveness of all of our sins. We seem to have brought jealousy, anger, resentment, and much more as we go downhill with the ugly side of human nature.

To me, it seems we should sit with sack cloth in ashes beating our breasts because we brought God down to such a low level. To celebrate the necessity of such an act and gift because we could or would not act solely out of our better nature is but a small part of Christmas. The larger part is the tearing apart of our garments because of what we caused the God we supposedly worship to experience. Caring plus Empathy equals Love, some say. We care about God, but we have no empathy so how do we get from Caring about God to Loving God? The way we celebrate Christmas shows our complete lack of empathy. The way we live shows how strongly we care about what God can give us, which is where we calculate God’s worth. Which is why we pray. And, if God doesn’t answer our prayers we question God’s existence.

Our self-absorption and self-centeredness overwhelms every other emotion. We act as though we are God and God is really our concierge. Suggest prayer is about something other than the adult version of a child’s prayer for a bicycle will bring down the wrath of the world on your head and not just the Christian world.

We act out the necessity of such a sacrifice, the birth of Jesus, everyday many times a day, even some two thousand plus years after that original sacrifice. Parenting gives one a little look into the love God had to have for us to do such a thing. Sacrifice your adult life to raise your children and give them what they need to get through life to its end and what do you receive in return? From what we have seen – mostly entitlement from your children. The moments of genuine love and giving are few and far between. Sounds like a re-enactment of why God felt it necessary to become human for our sake. God gave us Jesus and we responded by replacing Jesus with Santa Claus.

Buying all kind of presents from retail shops; getting together with friends and too much alcohol; dreading Christmas dinner with the family because it will end in horribleness; and I could go on and on. We are doing all of this while there are so many people in pain; at the end of their lives and alone not able to pass along their immortality, which to most of us is our life story. Why can’t we pass along our life story? Because no one is listening. Only celebrities and the rich and famous get to do that.

And it does seem to be getting worse, this ‘celebration’ of Christmas. It starts right after Halloween and continues through January. Some of us ease our consciences by making an effort to give a small part of our ‘celebration’ to those in need – and generally that is a very small part, usually limited to this one time Christmas gift giving.

We turn our Churches into concert halls for the holiday and pat ourselves on the back as to how wonderful we are because of it. We don’t do that by bringing those in need, to whom we dedicate those concerts, into the Church/Concert Hall for an evening joining with others to meet and greet and celebrate and form longer lasting relationships, but by using that Concert Hall atmosphere to indulge our need to lift ourselves above the pact with the nobless oblige feelings that creates in us.

The holiday in Christianity to celebrate would be Easter. However, Easter passes with barely a note, a present, a celebration. Not many family dinners because we go off to warmer climes or to celebrate other than at home and the less fortunate we give a small bit of our resources to over Christmas does not repeat over Easter.

We don’t stop to think of what a sacrifice it was for God to take on human form and all of the pains and vicissitudes of being human. If we let those thoughts into our consciousnesses for even a moment our lives would change. We give lip service to that and move on with our celebration.

Having given us 30 plus years – the way we count time – it was enough. We rewarded Jesus the Christ, for this gift we celebrate at Christmas of God becoming equal to us all for our sake, with a crucifixion.

One interpretation of the resurrection after the crucifixion is that it could be that God was disgusted with the scene he was a part of and after the horrible experience of the crucifixion, took back this gift of equality and of giving an example to all of humanity of how life could be lived with a different set of values, a different character, a different morality and so got out of here to a better place, leaving us with the mess, corruption, ugliness that we created and continue to wallow in because that seems far better to us than to clean ourselves up and act in a way that would not need such a sacrifice from God.

Not the least of our sins is the one which led us to using the story of Jesus on this earth as a way to strengthen sexism – by declaring Jesus’ birth as a male child the justification for the extreme Paternalism and Male Superiority which pervades our Churches.

Next to that is the fact that we took Jesus’ birth and life as a reason to reinforce racism by portraying ‘him’ with White skin and softly flowing blondish-brown hair. Would that be shoring up the racism we practice?

This is all such a pattern of how we live. Didn’t we take God-given food grown with sunlight, air, rain and turned it into something horrible with the introduction of chemicals, machinery to change its texture, color and nutritional value because man could make more money when its sold – bought cheap from the farmer, ‘ processed’ and sold for a fortune to everyone else?

Don’t we continually destroy the beautiful universe around us? It is so beautiful to look up at the sky; to see the flowers; to enjoy the life giving oxygen of the trees – until we cut them up, cut them down to make money? And guns? and so many artificial things we don’t need, but work ourselves to death to obtain, neglecting that which is real and of God?

How long, O God, must we suffer the pangs and vicissitudes of our humanity. It doesn’t look at all changed over these two thousand plus years. We are still a sinful humanity. What did your birth change – really?

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Ed Note: This is a very Christian message. We thought long and hard before putting it in the blog, but our need to be open to the world far overtook our concerns about printing it.

We welcome other religions to send us blogs on their thoughts, prayers and lifestyles. We will print them either with your name or without and if you request, we will put a copyright on your work.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Foundation, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Christmas, Racism, Sexism, Spiritual Reflection
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A Response to “Dogs = Emotional Slavery”

Sunday, November 8th, 2015

Thank you for your blog on dogs. I didn’t think anyone would have the guts to say what many of us are thinking and afraid to say because all around us are people who are so totally into their dogs it is pathetic, while the rest of the world just shakes its head in disbelief.

My pet peeve is the filth that dogs bring. We are afraid of rats and talk about the diseases they bring. It takes over 500 rats to make the kind of ‘shit’ that dogs make with one bowel movement and the smell is awful. Does the real difference in the way we think about these mammals comes from the fact that we control dogs, but can’t control rats? It is clearly not cleanliness or the spread of disease. Dogs are, hands down, able to spread disease much faster and more lethally than can rats.

I’ve also noticed how dogs walk all over the place and when they get home they walk into the house bringing whatever is on their feet and the first thing they do is to shake themselves to get rid of all the ‘stuff’ their hair has collected during their walk. Dogs themselves aren’t so filthy, they know what to do to keep themselves clean, it is their interaction with owners who either don’t know or don’t care about the negative reaction of their dogs with the rest of society. What comes off when they shake is amazing. Check it out and see if some of your diseases haven’t come from your home collecting all of this stuff.

I am so tired to taking other people’s dog shit out of my garden that I would like to outlaw dogs in my neighborhood.

What is most amazing to me is the fact that dog owners take their dogs for a ‘walk’ twice a day – at least. Actually, they are taking their dogs to the bathroom to pee and shit in another area – at least several blocks away from their own homes and gardens because they don’t want that mess, germs, bacteria and smell close to them.

I’ve seen dog owners take their dogs to other peoples gardens and hold the dogs to pee on the flowers and recent plantings that others have paid for and are taking care of to beautify their homes and neighborhoods. Why do the dog owners do this? So they don’t have to pick up the filthy shit. I’ve seen people walking their dogs with bags in their hands to pick up the dog excrement. Do they use the bags? Many don’t. It is mostly for show. If the dogs have a bowel movement in your garden, the owners can walk away from it and leave it there. The same thing with the small garden areas around trees, especially if there are plantings around the trees which cover the dogs shit so it isn’t found until they have moved away from what they have turned from a lovely garden into a dog toilet which does not flush.

It is time for this to stop.

I love dogs – but the dog owners are making life impossible. I read your blog when I had just come in from picking up dog shit off my lawn.

How do we get this to stop? It is time to stop romanticizing dogs and look at the reality of their lives amongst us. Particularly, their owners need to be trained and to understand this is not playtime or snuggle time, but reality time. The reality here is its not the dogs who are the problem, but their owners.

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Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, dogs, Guest Comments, health
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A Quotation

Tuesday, October 20th, 2015

“Don’t Take the presence of the storm to indicate the absence of God.”

The Rev. T. D. Jakes

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Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

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Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Foundation, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Spiritual Reflection
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Sexism 101 – Father Figure Problems

Monday, September 28th, 2015

One guest brought a problem to the breakfast table.

She was late arriving and most people were ready to leave.

Her agitated state made all of us stay and the resulting conversation, we felt, belonged on your blog.

We deal with sexism in all ways and places. Mostly, we talk and write about it in the workplace because that is where your income and vocation come into play. This breakfast table talk was about sexism in the family. Particularly with daughters who have father issues they don’t think about, recognize, work on or see as anything having to do with them.

Many women – especially those above 30 – have father figure issues and work them out in their lives. Most particularly in their romantic lives and in relationship to their mothers. Have a problematic relationship with your father and your mother gets trashed.

Sexual abuse has come into play now more than ever. In those above 30 it was not the issue it has become today. Men with ego problems work out their issues by using women, usually their wives and their daughters are the ones who suffer.

This woman was trying to talk with her daughters about their choice of male companion – husband, boy friend, fiancé, etc. She noticed that the male companion they chose was always one who was sexually abusive – and – we were not talking about beating or being physically abusive. We were talking about the male who pursued them being their teacher, boss, someone who was over them in a father-like position. The young women were protesting to their mother that she was being “hyper” and didn’t understand, paranoid with a chip on her shoulder, etc.. We thought she understood only too well because her own history reflected the same abuse, only at a time when to marry a male above you was looked upon as your having made quite a “catch”. The woman making that “catch” was looked up to, but in real time, on a day-to-day basis paid a heavy price in her personal life. As she talked we realized she basically hid this side of her life from everyone and presented a great looking marriage to the world. She couldn’t hide it from her children, but they saw her life through a child’s eyes and interpreted it through their own veils – through which she didn’t come out very well.

A woman in that position, so the table conversation went, would probably be very angry most or all of her married life. Basically, because she would not have recognized the sexual abuse she experienced during the courtship process, the marriage and the rearing of family.

Such a spouse needed the ego boost of having made a ‘conquest’ and would expect that ‘conquest’ to be in an inferior place to him. When that didn’t line up with the reality of the relationship, the woman suffered as the man tried constantly to pull the rug out from under anything she did to fulfill her life. She thought he did that even if the cost was to him, her, the marriage and the children. The things she did and contributions she made, if they were not according to her ‘stereotype’ he did not want them to succeed and did what he could to kill all of her initiatives and hard work.

He was her fulfillment and that is what she was limited to. He was her fulfillment according to his judgment and expectations. Whenever she tried to live her life on her own path she would find herself mired in mess. If she hadn’t dealt with what was happening and could or would not look at the reality of her life with this spouse then anger, frustration, explosions would follow. The children, witnessing this anger and those explosions put the blame exactly where it did not belong – on their mother, who then shouldered the negativity of her children and the abuse of her spouse. The abuse was never – in the family being discussed – physical, it was always on a very different, totally accepted level.

With her children now grown and having walked away from her to their father, what does she do!

Her agitation and unhappiness at breakfast, we thought, was coming from the fact that she either hadn’t seen her life as it was and how she had lived it during this marriage or the truth of that marriage was trying to come out and she wasn’t ready to deal with it. She was concentrating on her children and the pain of their rejection.

I reflected on how many older women with children I knew, whose children were now alienated from their mother and all in the bosom of their father. Most of the fathers I knew were divorced and in ‘new’ marriages where their ‘new’ wives were mightily puffing up that male ego.

We did a lot of talking, but didn’t know where to go with this or how to help. We skipped our morning appointments because this topic drew all of us – wonder why it had such a strong draw. I suspect it is something we all have inside and have not allowed to come out because it is not such an accepted, commonly discussed topic. I don’t even know how to write about it for this blog, but feel it is important enough to at least make the attempt.

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Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

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This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

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Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, breakfast table talk, Sexism
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A Teaching/Learning Community

Thursday, September 3rd, 2015

Join us as we grow the Bettina Network Hedge Schools.

What do you know?

Use your home to pass on to others what has been taught to you and look into becoming a Bettina Network Hedge School Facilitator.

What have you experienced in this life

which are lessons you can share with others!

What has life taught you?

pass it on!

One way to pass along who you are and your life lessons to others is through Bettina Network Hedge Schools – be a part of bringing about this world wide teaching/learning community.

How about your talents?

Sewing, Knitting, Crochet, Photography, Cooking, Design, Gardening, Calligraphy, Religion, Spirituality, Political History Philosophy, Psychiatry – what have we not included that is your passion?

Use your talents as a Bettina Network Hedge School Facilitator. Use your home to welcome guests who would like to know more about what you do; what you’ve learned; what you teach by staying with you for a few days to absorb your lifestyle, while they go about doing other things.

What is your legacy?

Here is your opportunity to put together the legacy you want to pass along and to be known for.

Piano, organ, other instruments, vocalist – open your home to those traveling for other reasons who also would like to study with you for a couple days or maybe even a week before they go back to their other lives bringing an experience like none other.

Each one teach one –

Your guests come to learn from you and to teach you. And you wind up with the extra income which will allow you to do things you weren’t sure you could afford – or that you wanted to do, but your money and position got in the way of your being effective. Let the world come to your home and be a part of an extensive and widespread “behind the hedge” school.

You and your guests become a part of Bettina Network’s Lifestyle Community with the ability to access deep into the Bettina Network, inc.

And to those traveling the world – why stay in an Inn, Hotel, Bed & Breakfast or other accommodation when you can stay in a Bettina Network Hedge School ?????

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This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

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Tags: Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Information, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Spiritual Reflection
Posted in Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Educational Institute, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network Info, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Hedge Schools, Historical Homes, Historical Support, Press Release, Press Release from Bettina Network, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Reflection, Travel Bettina Style | No Comments »

Those Eyes are Beautiful Because?

Sunday, August 30th, 2015

I love those beauty seminars at a Bettina Network Hedge School. New to me, but fantastic.

I could only stay one night, but what I took with me will last for years – I hope!

We had a demonstration, after a great breakfast conversation on your eyes. I tried it at home and am going to do this every night until my eyes look fantastic.

We took one small cucumber – organic. Put it in a blender until it was chopped up fine with liquid.

The person demonstrating stretched out on the floor and put a handful of the ground cucumber over each tightly closed eye. The liquid dripped off her face so she had a towel under her head and neck. The remaining cucumber she massaged into the rest of her face – first the liquid and then the chopped up parts and let it stay for about 1/2 hour while we talked about our beauty secrets. There were not many and mine came from commercial products which have cost me a fortune over the years, which is why I was traveling this time to a BN Hedge School.

When she rinse her face – in the Bettina Network’s way of splashing cool water on your face until the cucumber has been washed off method – she looked fantastic. Something happened to the color of her skin although I can’t tell you what – I just know it was different and much more attractive. She talked about how great her eyes felt. “They feel clear and unclouded – like they just had a great bath or a long shower.”

We were told to check Bettina Network’s Blog under “Health and Beauty” for more such beauty tips. I think my cosmetic bill is going down dramatically and soon.

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Tags: Bettina Homes, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, breakfast table talk, health and beauty, Hedge Schools
Posted in Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Educational Institute, Breakfast Table Talk, Guest comments, Health and Beauty, Hedge Schools | No Comments »

Sandra Bland – Strange Fruit

Friday, July 24th, 2015

Once upon a time, the “Strange Fruit, hanging from the trees” used to be from trees with green leaves, a trunk and branches growing up from the ground splattered with red.

Today, the “Strange Fruit, hanging from the trees” is hanging from man-made trees with blue reflected all around.

But look! Isn’t that the old white cloth under the blue?

And aren’t those tall pointy white hats pushing out from under the official issued uniform?

Really strange and awful fruit, rapidly spreading the disease of racism all across the country.

Being covered up by fear – that fear keeping those who could act from doing so.

Why! Oh God, Why!

This strange fruit is is Black and female –

the fear is that riots will invade those lovely, green, middle-class communities.

Rather let the strange fruit multiply and just hang there in silence. Much better than to act. The sacrifice of the few for the many.

But doesn’t that spread? isn’t it happening more rapidly?

Terrorism?

Not from the Middle East!

White – Male – Conservative – with strings into the groups of old

The Klan, the Citizens Council, the neoNazi …………………….why bother with a list, you know the names

This isn’t simply racism – this is Racism and Sexism.

Life is becoming ever more strange and silent.

The silent majority is back and in control!

Let the media slip in little bits and pieces to make it sound less awful; less threatening; let us not place blame where it belongs, but obfuscate.

Won’t that protect those of us who count?

Homicide, murder, reduced to a paid vacation, sometimes called Administrative leave – which happens before exoneration.

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Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

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Tags: African American history, bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, breakfast table talk, Making Connections, Racism, Sandra Bland, Sexism
Posted in African American history, Bed & Breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Educational Institute, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Bettina's Box of Shame, Breakfast Table Talk, Making Connections, politics, racism, Sandra Bland, sexism, Uncategorized | No Comments »

President Obama’s Eulogy of Rev. Pinckney

Tuesday, June 30th, 2015

We have been asked by many of our readers for the URL address of where they could find President Obama’s eulogy. Apparently, you folks didn’t think it was going to be great so you were doing other things while this incredible statement was being made. At the end, President Obama was referred to as “the Rev. President” by all of those on the stage – mostly AME pastors.

Incredibly, almost all of those pastors were male – in spite of the racism and sexism this entire event was decrying and which caused the death of Rev. Pinckney and 8 others being remembered. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies in this Civil Rights fight. I remember the all male public face of the Civil Rights Movement when Dr. King was its acknowledged head. Women were pushed aside when the press appeared. Those human failings, however, do not negate the hard work that has been done and needs to continue to be done, we just hope it will be done in a more “Civil Rights” way the next time. We would say – don’t bash others for their racism while your sexism is on display for all to see – change it all. God forgive us all!

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Tags: Barack Obama, bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, breakfast table talk, Racism, Sexism, Spiritual Reflection
Posted in African American history, Bed & Breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Educational Institute, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Breakfast Table Talk, Clementa Pinckney, Historical Homes, President Obama, racism, sexism, Spiritual Reflection | No Comments »

A Statement on the Environment

Tuesday, June 30th, 2015

Surprises come from many directions. This Encyclical Letter, distributed by the Vatican from Pope Francis, was one. We hope you read it and take it to heart. It is not something we are accustomed to seeing come from the head of a religious community. We hope more such statements are forthcoming.

We should make Pope Francis an honorary member of The Black Race.

Be patient as you read this letter – there are a lot of empty pages you must scroll through. We tried to eliminate the empty pages, but couldn’t so you will have to read and scroll yourselves.

The link to this Encyclical Letter follows:

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/06/18/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si_en.pdf

For the conviction and faith in this Encyclical and for having the independence and spiritual strength to publish it Pope Francis now resides in:

Bettina Network’s Hall of Fame.

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Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Hedge Schools, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Bettina's Hall of Fame, Pope Francis
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Membership in The Black Race

Monday, June 29th, 2015

To answer a callers question – we made an independent decision to give you an answer:

Question: Can you be a member of more than one “race” at a time? For example, can I be a member of the Black race and other races?

Answer: Yes. It is your decision.

Question: Do you have to be a citizen of the U. S. A. to become a member of the Black Race?

Answer: No, the Black Race has members spread around the globe.

Question: How do I join?

Answer: By sending an email with your request to bettina-network@comcast.net

Question: Now that I am a member of The Black Race can I solicit friends and relatives to join?

Answer: Of course. The more the merrier and the more effective we will be in this attempt to eliminate racism, sexism and all the rest.

MEMBERSHIP:

Trudi VanSlyck has become a member of the Black Race (Cambridge, MA)

The Rev. Dr. Robert A. Bennett, Jr. has become a member of the Black Race (Cambridge, MA)

Regina Downer has become a member of the Black Race (Weston, Vermont)

Marceline Donaldson has become a member of the Black Race (Cambridge, MA)

Prof. Dr. Hikmet Ucisik has become a member of the Black Race (Istanbul, Turkey)

Dr. Gino Cattani has become a member of the Black Race (Lucca, Italy)

Walter J. Foley has become a member of the Black Race (Norwood, MA)

Frances Maloney has become a member of the Black Race (Boston, MA)

Cheryl Nicholas has become a member of the Black Race (Randolph, MA)

Courtney Ratliff has become a member of the Black Race (Randolph, MA)

Jaimie Botero has become a member of the Black Race (Cambridge, MA)

Mike Johnson has become a member of the Black Race (Boston, MA)

Bruce Downer has become a member of the Black Race (Weston, Vermont)

Courtney Conway has become a member of the Black Race (Randolph, MA)

Nathaniel Conway has become a member of the Black Race (Randolph, MA)

Dr. Robert Perry has become a member of the Black Race (New Orleans, LA.)

Lani J. Stacks has become a member of the Black Race (Lemon Grove, CA)

Mr. Mark Roudané has become a member of the Black Race (St. Paul, MN)

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Tags: African American history, bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Rachel Dolezal, Racism, Sexism, The Black Race
Posted in Bed & Breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Educational Institute, Bettina's Hall of Fame, Guest comments, Rachel Dolezal, racism, The Black Race, Ubuntu | No Comments »

Jim Obergefell, my husband!

Friday, June 26th, 2015

In case you don’t subscribe to the notes from The White House, Washington, D. C., we are reprinting what just appeared, which we wanted to share with all of you.

Jim Obergefell and his husband John Hodges are the plaintiff in the same sex marriage case which the Supreme Court ruled on today, in their favor. It is profoundly moving and we hope you read it through to the end.

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Jim Obergefell is one of the plaintiffs in the case decided today by the U.S. Supreme Court that held that, for the first time, any couple — straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender — can obtain a marriage license and make their commitment public and legal in all 50 states.

We reached out to him to ask for his thoughts on this historic occasion, and this is the open letter he wanted us to share with you.

If you’re standing with couples like Jim and John, Pam and Nicole, Joe and Rob, and millions more around the country today — say so here.

My husband John died 20 months ago, so we’re unable to celebrate together the Supreme Court’s decision on the case that bears my name, Obergefell v. Hodges.

Today, for the first time, any couple — straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender — may obtain a marriage license and make their commitments public and legal in all 50 states. America has taken one more step toward the promise of equality enshrined in our Constitution, and I’m humbled to be part of that.

John and I started our fight for a simple reason: We wanted the State of Ohio to recognize our lawful Maryland marriage on John’s impending death certificate. We wanted respect and dignity for our 20-year relationship, and as he lay dying of ALS, John had the right to know his last official record as a person would be accurate. We wanted to live up to the promises we made to love, honor, and protect each other as a committed and lawfully married couple.

Couples across America may now wed and have their marriage recognized and respected no matter what state they call home. No other person will learn at the most painful moment of married life, the death of a spouse, that their lawful marriage will be disregarded by the state. No married couple who moves will suddenly become two single persons because their new state ignores their lawful marriage.

Ethan and Andrew can marry in Cincinnati instead of being forced to travel to another state.

A girl named Ruby can have an accurate birth certificate listing her parents Kelly and Kelly.

Pam and Nicole never again have to fear for Grayden and Orion’s lives in a medical emergency because, in their panic, they forgot legal documents that prove both mothers have the right to approve care.

Cooper can grow into a man knowing Joe and Rob are his parents in all ways emotional and legal.

I can finally relax knowing that Ohio can never erase our marriage from John’s death certificate, and my husband can now truly rest in peace.

Marriage is about promises and commitments made legal and binding under the law, and those laws must apply equally to each and every American.

Today is a momentous day in our history. It’s a day when the Supreme Court of the United States lived up to the words inscribed above the front entrance of the courthouse:

Equal Justice Under Law.

Thank you,

Jim

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Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Homes, Bettina Network Information, Bettina Network's Lifestyle Community, Spiritual Reflection
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Archive for the ‘Bettina Network Educational Institute’ Category

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President Obama’s Eulogy of Rev. Pinckney

A Statement on the Environment

Membership in The Black Race

Jim Obergefell, my husband!

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