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UPCOMING PEARLS: at least, these are the ones we’re dreaming ~ we’re always open to serendipity!

Doves from A Spirit’s Wings

White dove release, an uplifting experience in collaboration with A Spirit’s Wings of Asheville, NC. Like white-winged fireworks, they celebrate life and all its transitions in a natural way. Rock Doves fly together and when one bird goes astray, the whole flock circles back to take it in before they make their journey home. What a beautiful example of caring and community!

The healing connection between Horses and Humans

“Awake and aware” horses can have a powerful impact on human healing and well-being. We would love to film at Horse Sense of the Carolinas and/or Epona Ridge, two innovative programs with their own unique “equine-assisted learning” approaches. Horses are a mirror for human beings and can help with many issues and emotional blocks related to fear, self-confidence, power, trust, boundaries and more.

Escalate Love

This Pearl will illustrate the cumulative power of positive actions, even small ones, in the face of escalating violence. In an image from the workshops of Jim McGinnis’ Institute for Peace and Justice, one side of an old fashioned scale of justice holds “boulders of violence” that seem overwhelming. A shift in awareness lets us see that we can each add “pebbles of love” to the other side to tip the scale.  Jim’s sudden death in summer 2009 makes this one feel even more important.

The timely message is: “In the Face of Escalating Violence, Escalate Love.”

The Peace of Wild Things

This poem reminds us that when the concerns of the world press too hard on us, we can find peace and freedom in nature.

We have permission from poet Wendell Berry but still have to clear it with the publisher.

The Wonder of Whales

One or more Whale Pearls will be beautiful whale (and/or dolphin) footage, with some especially engaging close-ups and a soundtrack of whale songs, possibly with instrumental music. The goal is to help cetaceans burst into the hearts of viewers, so we humans remember how profoundly wonderful they are, care more actively about their plight and learn how to protect endangered ocean life from human-caused threats.

Honeybee Pearl

Little Pearls founder Debra Roberts of Holy Bee Press and Sister J of The Honeybee Project are strong advocates for these remarkable bee-ings. Honeybees are in trouble. They need us and we need them!

Progressive Revelations

This Pearl is based on a stunning Baha’i Youth Workshop dance that portrays both the uniqueness and the common ground of all world religions (permission still needed)

Cancer Survivor Pearl(s)

Cancer Survivor Pearl(s) with one or two friends, a woman and a little girl, whose bravery and spunk in the face of this disease are remarkable.  This topic is closer to home now, as Linda’s husband Jim is also dealing with cancer, with humor and courage.

Prayer for a New Time

Linda’s song, using footage from the top of Craggy Pinnacle on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, NC, with its 360-degree sweep of these ancient mountains – aaaaaah!

ET the walrus

ET lives near Seattle at the Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. We had an unexpected encounter in the fall of 2007 when the “Pearl” in him appeared. Homely and over 3400 pounds, he’s a surprisingly endearing character!

A series on intelligent animals

So many more animals with messages for us: elephants, parrots, great apes, to name a few.

Environmental/”green” Pearls

We would love to capture concepts such as “natural capital” and ecosystem services (services provided to us for free by Nature) and how we can work with these gifts we depend upon for survival.

Elder wisdom

This Pearl (or Pearls) would be from interview footage of fascinating elders we know.

Interspecies “families”

Those animals who have created unlikely bonds of love, across seemingly vast differences.

The Awkward Dance of Aging

Elderly parents and their adult children, finding their way through the difficult reversal of roles and trying not to step on each other’s feet.

The Awe-some Unfolding Universe

Concepts about the unfolding of the Universe and the place of humanity in that unfolding, from the work of cosmologist Brian Swimme (we have his blanket permission)

Joyful Dancing

Those special times when we can dance with ease, freedom, grace, “as if no one is watching….”

Amazing Grace

This Pearl would celebrate diversity and the potential for connection across apparent boundaries and differences. Filming could be preceded by a “building bridges” group process, so the peace and harmony conveyed across this wide spectrum of people is honest and real.

The interconnectedness of life

Beautiful images, combined with the striking words attributed to Chief Seattle.

The beauty of older women

A line of women on a beach, flowing past the camera.

And many more…..  Please share YOUR ideas!

Dog Pearls

The Dog Pearls series celebrates the wisdom and love of dogs. All will encourage adoptions and a deeper connection with companion animals, and with each other as human beings. Our 27 Dog Stars plus “extras” like a Boxer puppy from a dog park, all filmed in HD in summer/fall 2008, share valuable life lessons.

We created four new Dog Pearls in the fall of 2011, two in 2009 and two earlier ones.  We could make several more with the great footage we already have.  Background and funding information on the Dog Pearls is at
DOG PEARLS | OUR DOG STARS | DO(G)NATIONS

Here are some possible Dog Pearls, with working titles. Most will be spoken in “first dog”, from the perspective of the dogs themselves:

Dog Dog: If My Dog Loves Your Dog…

We hope to gain permission from Dr. Bernard LaFayette to pair his catchy, playful civil rights song with footage of our diverse Dog Stars. Dogs play with each other without regard to color or any other differences. That’s something we humans can emulate!

So Many Dogs, So Little Time

Instead of resisting the fact that companion animals have shorter lives than we do, our Dog Stars want us to embrace the gifts of loving many animals and be open to bringing new animals into our hearts and homes.

Let’s Go Out!

Have we got footage of dogs on trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains! They want us to enjoy the outdoors WITH them. Dogs nudge us to get outside to exercise and play – don’t most of us need that?

Be Patient – I’m Just Old…

Our older Dog Stars want us to love them for who they are, with all their frailties that can be so frustrating and sad as they age.

Harley’s HOME

Our sweet Dog Star puppy Harley didn’t match his first adoptive family and ended up in the shelter. He was adopted again, but that placement lasted only three months. His situation points to the need to carefully match animals with potential homes. Now called Harvey, he is thriving in a foster placement. All this great young dog needs is his forever home.

We Love Our Buddies

Most dogs thrive with another dog in the family pack. Just watch how much they love to play together!

These really good dogs ~ and many more ~ are waiting to be in new Pearls. Help us make them stars!

Cat Pearls, such as Therapy Kitten Theo with Grandma

We love cats, too! They could be the stars of many Pearls, though we know how hard it is to “herd” them.

Theo was a remarkably calm kitten who was a natural, informal pet therapist for Linda’s 95 year old mother until her death in November 2009. Maybe a Pearl of their still images, woven together…  You can read their story here: The Cat of My Dreams.

And Theo is hilarious at home, roughhousing with his dogs.