The First Day of the Rest of My Life!

This is it.  Today is the day.  Monday:  the day of most "starts", right?  Wednesday:  the day of most "quits".  Sigh.

I'm feeling the motivation to lose weight, finally.  Things have gotten out of hand.  I'm here exposing myself in the hopes that anyone else who needs to join me in this adventure will do so and feel encouraged by what I write.  You, also, will encourage me with your own participation.

I have succumbed to the advertising of Nutrisystem.  Indeed, I intend to look just like Janet Jackson in four months.  Heh.

Ok, I'll have to tan a bit and exercise a lot, but I can do it!

It's too soon for me to announce just how much weight I would LIKE to lose, or even how much I expect to lose on this trek.  That would be overwhelming.  The truth is, I'd like to get back to looking like I did as a teenager.  Not because I will look like a teenager again, but because I'll FEEL more like a teenager again.  Without all the angst and hormonal surges.  The best of both worlds!

I started the morning with my teeny weenie little bowl of bran cereal.  Adding soy milk and stevia, it wasn't a bad meal at all.  Now I'm supposed to have some sort of protein drink.  I'll shake that up pretty soon.

Here's what I like about this whole scenario right now:  it's easy, it's already prepared, there is no measuring or thinking.  Since I'm living alone in Manitou Springs at the moment, what could be better?

I trek down to the kitchen, pull something out of the pile of breakfast, lunch or dinner and voila - my meal is in front of me.

Admittedly I have become very spoiled and very lazy when it comes to my diet.  When I felt that first surge of hunger I'd grab something.  Didn't really seem to matter what it was.  Peanuts, crackers and cheese, cereal.  Occasionally I'd make a good meal including vegetables, but I was often too lazy to do that.

Right now there are so many things I want to write, read and explore, that good nutrition just wasn't on my radar.

Here's what I have found so far this morning, in just a few hours of my new adventure.  This has inspired me to take all of my vitamins.  I've set up my new stereo where I will use it both for enjoyment and meditation.  

I'm going to stick to this, and will remain accountable to you, my two devoted readers.

Stay tuned.

Are we proud of our younger generation or what?!

Now and then we allow ourselves to think that the younger generations are going to Hell.  Why?  I think it's partly laziness on the part of us "older" people and also because what we hear on the news every day is mostly negative.  That's what news is for, though, not to report the ordinary, but to report problems which need to be fixed and the occasional outstanding moment.  For some reason we want to allow our problems to outweigh the good in our daily lives.  Perhaps that's human nature; perhaps that's just how most of us have been taught to think about life.

So here is a 17-year-old girl who, possibly, may have created a route to the cure for cancer.  When reading how she came to this procedure it certainly makes sense and seems almost simple, as most miraculous cures are.  However, no one thought of it before, so indeed, she has a special mind and a special place in history.

We have a reason to celebrate today, and to be grateful for the young minds which will help make our lives and the lives of our children better.

Click on the blog title or copy and paste this link to be taken to the article on this subject:
http://www.geekosystem.com/17-yo-cancer-nanoparticle/

New Moon Tonight, Folks

At 12:41am tomorrow morning we will be enjoying the new moon for January, 2012.

The new moon phase occurs when the moon is positioned directly between the earth and the sun.  Hence, the sun's light shines on only the back portion of the moon which we don't see here on earth.

As both of my blog readers know, I enjoy studying the "old ways" and tend to believe that nature holds power of us little humans.  Thus, I feel that just as the moon has power over the oceans it also has influence far beyond what we are generally willing to admit as the powerful human beings we feel we are.

Given that, I enjoy some simple rituals which allow us to show our appreciation for, and also use the power of nature.  New Moon is a good time to concentrate on new intentions or new goals, as the moon will now grow to be full in one month.

Whatever your intention may be (start writing poetry, get better grades, change a certain part of your personality, become a gourmet chef, etc.), this is the time to proclaim them and start work.  You will have the energy of the moon with you, helping you toward your goal.

Do you have a new goal?  I certainly do, and I will commence after dark this evening with a ritual cleansing bath prior to starting my new journey.

Would you like a personalized Moon Ritual made just for you and your new intention?  Please click on the box on the upper left side of this blog with the title "Buy a Custom MoJo Moon Ritual Here", pick whether you wish a new moon or a full moon ritual, and check out through PayPal.

Be sure to include a clear and direct intention via the message portion of PayPal.  I will promptly send you a customized ritual made just for you.

Whatever you choose to do on this new moon, may you be blessed in every way.

Here it is: The PERFECT, Traditional Grilled Cheese Sandwich Meal

Ok, here we go.  Now this is the quickie, down and dirty grilled cheese dinner for when you just got home and are starving.  We've all been there.

Grab two pieces of your herbed Italian bread (yes, they even have this at the Walmart), along with at least two different kinds of sliced cheese.  You don't have to get fancy here, this is the down and dirty version.  So pick a slice of American, one slice of Swiss cheese and a few teeny slices of your favorite (Havarti or gruyere are my faves).

Slap those cheesies on your fancy bread and sprinkle some basil in between the slices.  This is very important!  BASIL!

Pour a little extra virgin olive oil into your non-stick skillet and turn the heat on low.  Did you hear me?  LOW!  If yer a skinny-minnie and have no heart issues, slather that gorgeous frying pan with real butter instead of  EVOO.  Up to you.

While the first side of your basil grilled cheese is soaking up that oil and starting to tan, pull out a ready made can of Progresso tomato basil soup. I said this was the down and dirty version, right?

Pour that easy basily soup into a big cup with a handle and flash it in the micro for a minute.  Don't forget to cover it, silly.

Check the suntan on your grilled cheese and if it looks right around Jamaican, flip it over.

Now give that tomato soup a stir, recover it, and nuke it for another 45 seconds.

Now's the time to pick your grilled cheese wine.  I suggest a smooth chardonnay or liebfraumilch - whatever is your favorite.  For me?  Whatever is already open.

By the time you've got your soup cup set on your plate and your wine poured, you should have a nicely tanned grilled cheese.  Take your time, though, goodness cannot be rushed.

Got the stereo set?  Lights dimmed?  Yeah.  You're ready.  Carry that gorgeous plate of comfort food to the best seat in the house and there you are - caramba!  Happy.

Admit it, you want one right now, don't you.

Burning Incense Is Psychoactive: New Class Of Antidepressants Might Be Right Under Our Noses

I knew it!

Burning Incense Is Psychoactive: New Class Of Antidepressants Might Be Right Under Our Noses

When I burn incense I feel calmer, more centered and ultimately happier and more content. Who is to say what came first, the affect of chemicals from the incense or the affect of meditation on my brain? Chicken? Egg?

So priests have known for centuries that burning incense has a positive effect on us. Now if only it had a negative affect on their desire for pedophilia it would be considered a wonder drug indeed.

I am lifted up! Or, synchronicity in action.

We all have friends who, after spending time with them, leave us feeling whole again, better than we were prior; happier, fuller, more spiritual and infinitely grateful for the blessings in our lives.

I just spent several hours with one such friend. My life is more complete because of her. After moving to the boonies of Missouri I am fortunate to have found such a person. Really, I'd be lucky to have found such a person anywhere, let alone hiding secluded in the rolling hills of northern Missouri.

It makes me consider what it is that brings us together as friends and confidantes. How did I even find this person? Having moved from a large metropolitan area to 30 acres in the country my opportunities were more than limited when the only town close to me housed only 999 people. When a friend such as this is one in a million, how do you find her amidst only a fraction of that?

She delivered my mail. That's how. Yes. One of my most respected friends in the world was my mail carrier. I recall early on stopping on our little gravel road, rolling down my window, and greeting her. Ten minutes later I knew that I had to make some of my unusual jewelry for her. Not everyone is right for my jewelry, that's a fact. Beej was, indeed, a perfect fit for my darkly spiritual creations.

 

This synchronicity thing takes many forms.

I remember going to Tony Robbins' "Firewalk"* seminar approximately 25 years ago. I walked into the auditorium filled with hundreds of people. As I stood at the entrance thinking about where I'd sit and who I might sit next to, I spied an interesting looking dark skinned woman and chose her. Out of several hundred people I might have sat with I ended up conversing with the one who had been a college student, attending the school in another state where both my grandparents were professors and both my parents attended college. How do we explain this kind of synchronicity? What energy is it that draws us to those of like minds, experiences or quests?

Perhaps it is the same energy which brings us together geographically.  No, I think it's more than that.  It is awareness.  When we become aware of who we really are and what is important to us in this lifetime we recognize it in others.

We see it in the way people walk, the design of their lawns and homes, their bumper stickers and the aura surrounding them and their geographical locations.

More importantly, though, is that energy which directs us to those who not only lift us up but encourage us as spiritual human beings, bolstering our enthusiasm for life and the quest for knowledge.

Pay attention and act on your sixth sense when you recognize that it is all coming together for you.  

Fire!

Hello to my two readers out there.  You may notice that I have changed the name of my blog.

This name came to mind as my life began changing a few weeks ago.  Life can be constructed around the oddest catalysts, have you noticed that?  In my case, something seemingly negative has instead become the stimulus for my realizing a decades old dream.  Actually, TWO seemingly negative events account for this major lifestyle change.

The first was the fire we sustained at our beloved "ranch" just over a year ago.  As both of you know, our home burned to the ground.  Below ground, actually.  Yeppers, there's just a big ol' hole in the ground where our home used to be.  Now the property looks like a beautiful park.  I have to admit that I'm attracted to returning and visiting for that reason plus, as always, the enjoyment of plentiful wildlife on our 30 acres.  Perhaps this is the reason we haven't sold that beautiful acreage yet.  Too nice to give up.

I've been ruminating for over a year now on the psychological changes which occur when one's home burns down.  I suppose that at first it was a bit of a shock.  It seemed that my friends and family were much more upset by the whole episode than was I.  I never cried or became sad about the loss of our many things.  Antique collections, stained glass, thousands of pieces of depression glass and stained glass lamps are only "things."  Oddly, evidently, this did not particularly bother me.

Due to this I'd like to feel that I have my priorities straight.  Yes, I adored the house.  Yes, I adored living amongst nature and of course I adored all my funky art and collections.  But in the end they are only things which superficially decorate our lives.  They are not, by any means, life itself.

The only sadness was in the loss of our pets who I tried to save, but couldn't.  Those moments shall remain the most frightening of my life as for me, anyway, fire became the most terrifying element I'd yet encountered.  As I ran back into the rapidly burning house to attempt to rescue my pets I could think of nothing else but our beloved kitties.  They, of course, were hiding from fear and not to be located.  All I could think to do was kick out the window screens in case they would attempt to escape the house.  As far as we were aware in our constant returns to search for them, none did.

I didn't think to grab my purse which was right in front of me, or our comptuers, or our important papers, or anything of a collectible nature.  It simply did not occur to me.  I was after our pets and they were of the only import of all which resided in that house.  With the ceiling burning over me I knew I had to run back out or risk my life further.

The house was completely engulfed in flames in less than 20 minutes.  As the firefighters informed me, this is normal for new construction.  Who knew!  I certainly didn't.

Unfortunately, my sweetie arrived home just in time to see the last of his home burning down.  He was a rock.  Still is, though I know he felt the loss of our pets as deeply as I. 

We left the burning embers with the clothes on our backs and my husband's credit card in his pocket and headed, at 10:30pm on a Saturday night, to the nearby Walmart to purchase a suitcase, pajamas, fresh blue jeans and t-shirts and a few toiletries.  Accompanied by these necessities we cuddled together in a motel room for the next few nights. 

Outside of our sorrow over the loss of our kitties, I felt as though this was not at all a tragedy, but an adventure.  After all, life is change.  Indeed, I have always welcomed most changes that life has offered me.  Learning experiences all, this was yet another on my journey to a better place, both emotionally and psychically.

Following the fire we spent a week in motels and then two more at my Mother's home nearby.  Ironically, we found our next home just two doors down from my Mother's home.  Old, sturdy brick (less chance of fire!) and empty, we made an offer the seller couldn't refuse and moved in immediately.  What a lark it was to purchase all the furniture specifically as our clasic arts and crafts style home dictated.  Filled with natural woodwork and sets of pocket doors, I spent several weeks choosing just the right accompaniment for this beautiful home and had it ready by Thanksgiving dinner, 2010.  We celebrated with family and a traditional turkey dinner.

What heals your heart from the loss of beloved pets?  Caring for another rescued animal, of course.  A friend's farm kitten was offered and I grabbed the chance to shower a new addition to our family with all the love lost in the ether of our previous seven kitties.  Little Sharmayne, all black, long haired and full of piss and vinegar became without a doubt the most adored kitty in the northern hemisphere.  I still relish the hours, more than a year ago, that I spent returning home to play with her and cuddle her all night long.

The addition of four more rescue kitties from the Humane Society has well rounded out our family of furballs.  How fortunate am I to be married to a man who, also, is a feline enthusiast.

We spent nearly a year in this comfortable home when I encountered yet another catalyst of sorts.  "They" say that everything happens for a reason and although this has always made cosmic sense to me, I'm now becoming a truly convinced believer.

It turns out that getting a kick in the pants to make more changes - changes which pointed me in the direction I'd wished to go for decades - was precisely what I needed to guide me directly to my dreams.

And ....... what might those dreams have been, you are both wondering?  Well, for at least twenty years I have loved and wanted to live in the mountains.  Thanks to my younger daughter moving to the top of a mountain 21 years ago I've had plentiful experience in that arena.  From the get go, even as a child visiting the mountains with my parents, I've felt that my soul longed to stay in that geographical part of our country.  Nothing is as beautiful to me as majestic mountains and all the fabulous wildlife they shelter.

With litttle effort I located my perfect mountain home.  Two, actually.  Decisions, decisions!  I chose (for now) the one located in one of my favorite Colorado towns:  Manitou Springs.  Funky, quirky and full of cheerful people, Manitou has been one of my favorite trip destinations for years.  Now I live there - half time!

Having the best of two worlds is something I've only dreampt of in my past.  Living this dream is something I'm still adjusting to in a very happy manner.  In my mountain home I see Pikes Peak from one window and Garden of the Gods (a very spiritual place for me) from another.  With a caretaker's apartment in the basement, an art studio on the second floor, a whirlpool with a view and a fireplace in the living room perfect as a cozy reading spot, I can't imagine how mountain life gets much better.

 

But wait.  It does!  One dream leads to another so not only have I realized the enticing prospect of having a home in the mountains, but dream #2 has just been realized, also.  

It goes like this.  Two decades ago (as a young thing of only 40) my adventurous desire was to purchase a small RV, pack up Phil (my standard size white poodle) and take off for parts unknown - in particular, Sitka, Alaska. 

Now I don't know whether or not I'll be driving all the way to Alaska, but as of two weeks ago I do have a new gypsy motorhome.  Phil, unfortunately, is no longer with me so I carry his picture on the dash board.  Wherever I travel now Phil goes, too.  The new gypsy home is big enough for packing up my five kitties and heading out for parts unknown.  So now Dream #2 has been accomplished and will shortly be put into action via heading down to Austin, Texas to visit family for Yule.

What does this all mean, if anything?  You know I'm always looking for meaning in each of life's changes.  I think there's a lesson here for all of us:  don't put off your dreams.  Don't wait for your house to burn down to make "dream" an action word.  I'm not saying I would never have done these things which make life worthwhile for me, but I'm sure pleased that they are coming at a time in my life when I'm young enough to truly enjoy them, yet old enough to really appreciate them.

As Maya Angelou says, "each decade is better than the last."  I can attest to this.  Life has never been as good as it is now in my sixties.  Sure, my knees ache more than they did two decades ago, but everything that resides in my mind MORE than makes up for the aches and pains.

My gypsy days are just beginning.  There is so much left to learn, accept and enjoy.  I was watching the news this morning, enjoying a segment about a scientist/doctor who believes he may have the key to extending our lives for ........... ever?  Besides the fact that overcrowding the earth would become a huge problem, I wonder if we don't need the respite of death and rebirth in order to focus more fully on lessons learned and choosing our next lifetimes. 

But that's another blog .............. isn't it.

Conundrums

 

So, if a turtle's shell falls off, is she nekkid, or homeless?

Enquiring minds want to know.