Winter Wishcasting

Jamie asks 'what's your WINTER wish?'

Hmmm - on Solstice, (9:30 PM Wed the 21st, Pacific time) my wish is appreciation for the dark
"The dark half of the year
Suits me just fine
An incubation,
A percolation.
Winter time. The Dream Time.
Worms & calligraphy.
A quiet turning under,
the underbelly
A rich velvet basket,
Stars & frogs tucked around
the edges.
The Dark, my love, is a
Sweet loamy
Pocket for
Change-lings" Shae Savoy - We'moon 2011 calendar

It seems like we should be in ~ mid - November, & here we are at Winter Solstice!!

So my Mid-Winter's wish is for some slowing down, taking a breath, BEING here, at the longest night, the shortest day; appreciating as the wheel turns yet again toward spring & light return!

O Sada - it is good!

What is YOUR winter's wish??

WW - What's your DEEPEST Wish?

Jamie's prompt this week - What is your deepest wish?
To be my authentic Self, & by my presence to bring inspiration, peace, and calm.

When I lived at the coast, about 15 years ago, one friend/student asked about studying to become a Reiki Master with me, as she wished personal MASTERY, & felt Reiki Mastery would 'fit' that for her, if I felt comfortable with that as her 'burning desire.' She had lived for a time down the hill from Findhorn Garden, & was already a very authentic, focused person. I love our work together, as I learned a lot from HER!

My time at Breitenbush also facilitated being 'real,' awareness of the phases of the moon, of the change of seasons, of the ebb & flow of guests & focus of workshops. It was easy to teach Tai Chi & Reiki, easy to gather with others in celebration & joy, sadness & quiet ...

As we approach Winter Solstice, a time of going within & quieting down, we are also caught up in the busi-ness of Christmas parties, celebrations, performances ... and time with family & friends ... I wish to be true to myself & shine ...

What Deep Wishes & fine dreams call you?

Give-Away

Mmm - you know how much I LOVE coconut!!
Yesterday I made Hungarian Mushroom Soup using this recipe - but of course 'tweeking' it - coconut milk & oil, sorghum flour in the roue, savory rather than dill, nice fresh OG parsley came from my CSA share, & I had some left over roast chicken, so added that to the mushrooms! & 'of course' some garlic!

I first had Hung. Mush. Soup at Old Wives Tales in PDX, & love it! One (or more) of our Breitenbush Chefs had cooked there, & brought the recipe, or found it in the Moosewood Cookbook - & they offer a vegan version as well as the one with dairy.

Over on Bloggity Blog, there's a give-away for a tub of Tropical Traditions shredded coconut!! Wow - wouldn't that be awesome!! I'd use it up fast, too :) I have tried making coconut milk using bulk shredded coconut, & it wasn't great - so I'd like to try TT & see if it's as good as promised!

Head on over to enter the give away!!

Celebrate!!

Jamie's prompt for this weeks Wishcasting - what do you wish to Celebrate?

I've been busy this last week, participating as one of an ASL team 'signing' the Community Choir Christmas Cantata, 'Festival of Light.' Several of the songs include the sign for 'celebrate' & 'rejoice' - it is a jubilant, light filled offering! My 'goddess' niggles don't even get tripped, which surprises me at times. I've been told by SEVERAL folks that they enjoy my signing more than the students (who are Seniors in an ASL program, while I had one term of ASL 31 years ago!! But a dance background, so can 'do' choreography) .... 'your aura shows through when you sign'

I celebrate having eyes to see & ears to hear, to enjoy signing, but not 'need' it!

I celebrate this journey to the darkest night, & Light's return.

I celebrate being a grammie to a LOVELY little guy, & his big sisters & cousins, & the blessings of spending so much time with my grandson Zander (almost 7 months old) ...

I celebrate having 'food, shelter, & warmth' during this season of cold. Last night, a neighbor's home burned (chimney fire) THEY are all safe - but what a sad time to be faced with decisions about the home, about where to be ... (blessings on them, may they also be assured of food, shelter, warmth)

I celebrate friendships - both folks I know 'in the flesh,' & those of you I know through the airwaves! May we all be blessed this season of Light's Return!

& HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMIE!!

What do you celebrate?

WW - What do you wish to Remember?

Jamie's prompt on Wishcasting Wed is "what do you wish to Remember?"

I wish to remember how grateful I am for living on this beautiful, Blue Green Planet, what a blessing it is to be incarnate at this time!!

& for being born & living HERE, in the Pacific Northwest - where we have abundant water, trees, gardens, lovely OG veggies grown 'for us' by our CSA farmers, Katie & Casey For Grandchildren (5 - I am so blessed!), for music, dance, joy, vitality, health, and friends.

I wish to remember how blessed I was to be a wanted & cherished child, raised by parents who enjoyed being parents, enjoyed having ME (as ornery as I could be) & lived simply & honestly. Today would be their 62nd anniversary! (mama died ~ 7 years ago, & daddy 19)

& my daughter just shared a favorite, favorite memory: one sunny afternoon when she was ~ 9, we spent most of the day reading aloud, under the clothesline in our side yard - Anne McCaffery's 'Ship Who Sang' while her bro & papa were off collecting beetles with our Entomologist friend Jim .... 'one more chapter, please??' ...

This is Anne McCaffery's own memory of her son reading from that book for a camera crew: "I think the best story I ever wrote was 'The Ship Who Sang'. It still causes people to cry, including me. When Todd and I were reading it at Brighton, they had a BBC crew filming it. So there were these BBC cameramen hunkered down filming us, and comes the end of the story (which Todd always reads, because I can't go through it without weeping), I saw that these cameramen had tears rolling down their faces."
Anne McCaffery died yesterday, at 85 - may she fly with her dragons (Pern) & sing with the stars with Helva!!

I am blessed!!

What do you wish to remember?

Jamie Ridler Studios posts a weekly Wednesday Wishcasting prompt.

As Jamie says, "Wishcasting Wednesday is a safe haven for wishes, a fertile field in which to plant wish seeds and have them witnessed and tended lovingly. It’s a place where magic begins...Make a wish: Dare to dream."

"What would happen if every week you made a wish?

What magic might start to stir?"

Wischasting Wednsday - what is your Dearest Wish?

The first thought that came - 'World Peace' a la that silly Miss America movie - ooo, what's it called??? "Miss Congeniality!!" Where all the candidates wished for world peace ...

The last few weeks my mind has been on this particular window of emerging consciousness, & sense that we can, each one of us, assist in birthing our OWN greatest, dearest being, shine our light, & encourage those around us to do the same!

This Saturday I'll be going to Portland (good weather, please!!) with one or 2 girlfriends for a class with an author I've admired for 20 years - Barbara Hand Clow & her husband Gary. Author of 11 books, founders & editors of Bear & Company - the afternoon offering 'Entering the 9 Dimensions' is especially geared for bodyworkers/ lightworkers to assist our clients in learning to tap the healing & energy of the dimensions for themselves.

Mundane wishes - continuing to manifest abundant nourishing food, safe secure shelter & warmth for myself & those around me being so blessed - & all of you!!

(the Picture is beloved Mt Shasta, recognized by several Tibetan Lammas as the New World holder of the energy of the Himalayas - "(Úytaahkoo in Karuk or "White Mountain": the origin of the name "Shasta" is vague, perhaps from Russian (Tchastal, "white, clean, pure") from the early Russian settlers in California) is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California, at 14,179 feet (4,322 m) is the second highest peak in the Cascades." (Wikki)


What is YOUR Dearest (Greatest) Wish??

Wishcasting Wednsday - Who do you wish to have tea with?

What a lovely question Jamie poses "Who do you Wish to have to tea?"

My first thought was 'Gwynne, Cheryl, Janet & Elizabeth!' Gwynne lived awhile in England, & really knows how to *do* tea! The others - just seem like that would be a wonderful tea party! My granddaughters would have to be there, too!

Last Jan, KK's 6th chose a tea party for her BD, complete with hats, gloves, jewels ... the girls decorated various items, & were served tea & GF goodies on my mother's best china! So sweet.

Then I read Dionne's post on wishing to have tea with Vivianne, lady of the Lake, high priestess of Avelon! Wow - wouldn't that be an interesting tea party?? (I was already pondering who else I might invite, if there were no time/space/ reality limits!)

hmm .... I would like to take tea with Julian of Norwich! (ca. 1342 – ca. 1416)
Julian was an ancoress & visionary, living in a cell attached to the church in Norwich, England for a number of years, "her theology was optimistic, speaking of God's love in terms of joy and compassion as opposed to law and duty" She had a series of visions following severe illness, & with Goeffrey Chaucer, was one of the first to write in the English language (most formal writing was done in Latin or French)
Julian is best known for the phrase "…All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well"
I recall reading Anya Seton's lovely historical fiction book 'Katherine,' & being so struck by her portrayal of Julian. Like other reviewers, I find this one of the best written & engaging stories of historical characters, "Lady Julian's quotes made me cry, while Julian's prescriptions for Katherine's anemia made me laugh out loud" ... Katherine Swynford & John of Gaunt were parents or grandparents of a number of kings & queens - including Henry the VII & VIII, Elizabeth I ...

& perhaps while I'm at it, Sister Fidelma - there's a plucky, witty wise woman!!

Written by a historian, & set in 7th Century Ireland, Fidelma is both a religieuse & a judge (dalaigh ) "The Irish laws gave more rights and protection to women than any other western law code at that time or until recent times. Women could, and did, aspire to all offices and professions as co-equal with men. They could be political leaders, command their people in battle as warriors, be physicians, local magistrates, poets, artisans, lawyers and judges. We know the names of many female judges of Fidelma's period - Brig Briugaid, Aine Ingine Iugaire and Dari among others. Dari, for example, was not only a judge but the author of a noted law text written in the sixth century AD. Women were protected by law against sexual harassment; against discrimination; against rape; they had the right of divorce on equal terms from their husbands, with equitable separation laws, and could demand part of their husband's property in a divorce settlement; they had the right of inheritance of personal property and land and the right of sickness benefits when ill or hospitalised. Ancient Ireland has Europe's oldest recorded system of hospitals. Seen from today's perspective, the Brehon Laws provided for what might be considered a society approaching an almost feminist paradise."

& Juniper, the Duran, who is a wise seer & mentor for 'Wise Child' - Monica Furlong's enchanting triplet of books.

So Gwynne & co, my granddaughters, Julian, Juniper, Fidelma, & of course YOU!! - what a fun tea party!

Who else shall we invite??

Jamie Ridler Studios posts a weekly Wednesday Wishcasting prompt.

As Jamie says, "Wishcasting Wednesday is a safe haven for wishes, a fertile field in which to plant wish seeds and have them witnessed and tended lovingly. It’s a place where magic begins...Make a wish: Dare to dream."

"What would happen if every week you made a wish?

What magic might start to stir?"

(The image and text above are credited to Jamie Ridler Studios.

Click here for more info on Jamie Ridler Studios and Wishcasting.)

Wishcasting Wednsday - how do we NOURISH ourselves?

It's been quite awhile since I participated in this LOVELY practice of self-discovery.

Jamie's Wishcasting Wed question: "How do you Wish to NOURISH" yourself?

I think of being in (via transporter or flying carpet!) in the Hot Springs, soaking in the far meadow pool ... being fed lovely OG & GF meals, joining friends to dance, chant, doing Qigong under the trees ...

Yesterday when a client forgot HER appointment, I received a massage a co-worker - wonderful self-nourishment! & later picked up my luscious, fresh from the OG farm CSA veggies - having fresh, local OG food as the mainstay is very nourishing & uplifting for me.

Spending time with the lovely grandkids, esp my five & 1/2 month old grandson most weekday mornings ...

& just sitting on the couch with a comforter & book

Doing Qigong in the sweetness of my living space

Dancing, singing & signing with friends

Bliss!

How do you wish to nourish yourself?

Violet Flame for Transmutation - part the first

* In the mid 90s I'd seen mention of the Angel 'Grace Elohim' with the colour of iridescent white, whose motto is 'Grace it, & Move On!!' We don't need to 'process, process, PROCESS' everything - if it can be shifted gently - that's GREAT!!

The book (on Holistic Astrology) mentioned that Grace 'paired well' with St Germain with his violet flame of transmutation, & using the two energies together - transmutation & grace, was delightful way to shift energy 'gracefully.'

I wrote a little chant that I use with this combination:

'St Germain of the Violet flame,

St Germain of the Violet flame,

St Germain of the Violet flame,

Keeper of the Sacred Flame

Grace, Elohim,

Grace, Elohim,

Grace, Elohim,

Grace, Elohim"

I repeat these two 'sets' several times. Let the 'tune' come to you - for me, the first & third lines of each part have the same tune, 2 & 4 are slightly different, & I draw out 'G-r-a-c-e

In the late 90s, my friend Margo & I headed to Mt Shasta for fall Equinox weekend workshop, & on the way home, we stopped at the little 'I AM' foundation shop in Shasta City. She wanted to get another copy of a book she'd had, & I picked up little laminated cards with 4 versions of Violet Flame 'burn' patterns. A few weeks ago, found a little 'basic booklet' from the I AM folks at a bookstore in Salem.

So when a friend mentioned she was heading up to New Renissaunce Bookstore in PDX on Sunday, I quickly 'invited myself' along! The workshop was led by Astrologer Mark Dodich, who has been facilitating Violet Flame gatherings for several years. Mark says: "The purpose of the Violet Flame is to help you experience greater frequencies of your essential soul vibration in your daily life. It helps you to live in a loving place of power rather than a fearful place of powerlessness."

He mentioned his reading room is violet, & after the talk, I told him mine is too ...

When I walked into my Healing Room Monday, I had to laugh - not only is it painted (since ~ 2007) a lovely, mid range violet. - there's a picture of Quan Yin (also associated with the Violet flame), & one of Mt Shasta, a rayon hanging from Bali (purples & blues) with dragonflies & Stars, draped with a purple scarf; a print I picked up from Alaska in the mid 90s, a dragonfly/woman .... and my Intention & I AM tuning forks, which work with the Violet Ray energy ... plus angels, pink salt crystal, etc. I 'knew' all that - but seeing it with eyes attuned to that Violet Ray made it really striking.

Utilizing the Violet Flame is one of the quickest ways to shift energy. "Violet flame simply transmutes lower frequency energies into higher frequency ones that constitute a more natural way of being." (Pleiadian Workbook, p 87) "It's power to Transmute, it's power to change & raise Energy that has a slow vibration into Energy of a Higher Vibration. This is the magical, alchemical power of this most Sacred Violet Fire." (Quan Yin - Many Mansions)

I use a Violet flame 'portal' at the place my walkway joins the sidewalk in front of my home, so anyone coming to visit passes through that transmuting gateway. This is similar to the Native American 'burden basket,' leave your burdens at the door; pick them up again when you leave - or release them!

Mark led us through several meditations & exercises for us to connect with the Violet flame.

He set an altar with purple cloth & purple candle holders, purple 'light sticks' that we activated when seven of us read invocations of the flame, a picture of St Germaine, & larger cards with the 'burn patterns,' as well as a Zen Funeral bowl, for releasing a pattern we desired to be rid of.

You might wish to work with this picture of 'your own God Self' from the St Germain Foundation - Mark commented there are lots of websites/ books on Violet Flame teachings, each with their own 'spin,' so use the 'fish dinner' approach - pick out the 'bones' that don't fit for you as reading/ connecting with these offerings!

Utilizing that 'God Self' picture, "When the Student Calls to their beloved Mighty I AM presence' to surround her with the Electronic Circle of Protection & pass through her mind & body the Violet Consuming Flame, the "Presence" instantly projects this Wall of Light & Violet Flame around the physical, emotional & mental bodies. Thus, the Student of Light can move in the world, unaffected by the discordant, destructive creation of other human beings, as well as the accumulated discord of the past." (p 6, Purpose)

For many years, Quan Yin 'held' the Violet Flame energy, & is still associated with it.My pairing of Grace Elohim w/ St Germain captures some of her energy - use what feels resonant to YOU!

** Before the workshop, I did simple 4 part clearings & meditation found at Many Mansions, and shared them with the folks I was going to Portland with - we all found them sweet & powerful, & a great way to take the work to a new level. You may wish to do this first, then wait before doing others of the practices that appeal to you - use your own judgment! Mark reminded us that 'when invoking shifts, GENTLE IS FINE!!" That's one reason I 'pair' St Germain with 'Grace Elohim' - to invoke the 'grace' of moving beyond lots of process, & a gentle approach to the hearing.

I did the clearings of the Emotional, Mental & Physical & Etheric bodies, then the meditation given beneath the picture of the Lotus, with that 'I AM Presence' image in mind. I especially like the image of inviting energies from past embodiments 'that is not needed elsewhere' to be brought in, cleansed & transmuted for use' - recycling at it's best!

Violet Flame Basic invocations: "Burn, Violet Flame, Burn!"

''Blaze the Violet Consuming flame in its Purifying power of Divine Love''

''Blaze the Violet Flame through & around ____, transmuting its energy''

Note: violet flame is used from one's feet moving up through the body. I was intrigued wheh I realized several of my 'intention tuners,' which I found & ordered on e-bay just before taking the Auctonics workshop, are used this way, from the feet up - though I'd worked with Violet flame, hadn't really thought about that

- flames burn 'up' from the base!

Yesterday a client whose dad was a pharmacist remarked on striving for a clear blue/purple flame when using a Bunsen burner!! & I remembered waiting for the blue 'flash' when camping, & my dad put out the Coleman lantern! - flame #3 is a lovely violet.

Modes:

BOIL - the energy bubbles up through you & clears energy (above)

SWEEP - the flame sweeps through you (image on Rt)

SPIN - the flame spirals counterclockwise around you

DRIVE - more forceful - drives negativity out

One atendee asked Mark for suggestions in using the Violet Flame 'post workshop,' & after commenting that he dislikes 'have to do it this way' rules, he suggested a quick 5 minute practice of invoking the energy AM & PM, to move through you, clearing & transmuting any energy not in alignment with your highest good. He commented that this has REALLY improved his ability to fall asleep quickly!

You can also look for 'reminders' in the purple/violet colour range - a violet hand towel, candle holders, lavender essential oil in your bath (I add a few drops with Clary Sage & Rose Geranium to a jar of plain Epsom Salts, then add a handful to my bath water)

My African Etheric healing teacher suggests beaming 'rainbows' into your water before drinking - I find this a sweet practice (most healing teachers recommend 'blessing' ones water in some way) - remember to include violet! Another teacher commented that physical activity, which strengthens the root chakra (red) helps create the purple of meditation!

Mark & I have lavender treatment rooms, he said he painted his laundry room a VIVID purple (cleanse those clothes!!) & I painted my front door purple last winter!

This site offers a couple of sweet clearings.

Next time I'll share several exercises utilizing the Violet Flame - please share YOUR experiences!!

From the fairy garden

A couple of weeks ago I went on a sweet self-guided bike tour of 4 local veggie gardens. I DID ride my bike, & began at my friend Ellie's - she & her hubby have gardened almost 20 years on their HUGE plot, three terraces, they RARELY buy any veggies (don't even buy starts!) ... They have a lot that goes down to the creek (they don't garden the floodplain area - & have a deer fence between the 'tame' & bottom land.) Though it's mostly a 'practical' garden, with flowers relegated to flower beds around the house, one planting that I want to imitate - asparagus with Bells of Ireland!

The second garden I visited was a plot more like mine. Mike's (pictured above) is a normal size city lot, with mounded beds, a few sheds, a little spiral herb garden, several Orach - the red plant top Rt in pic., he gave me a seed head!! I had read that there are enzymes in the seed casing that help the seed sprout, so seed of this quinoa relative is a welcome gift!
In the front yard, Mike used sheet mulch in a large area & planted fall crops. He also has corn, beans & squash (3 sisters) in a garden in front - along with sunflowers & other big plants. He had a chicken 'tractor' (w/1 chicken) & a rainwater catchment ...
Both Mike & Ellie grow 'Black Aztec Corn' - Mike grinds it for cornbread, & Ellie's husband parches the kernels. All the gardens use drip irrigation & had late summer/fall plants - carrots, chard & spinach, cabbage, beans, leeks, tomatoes & tomatillas. Mikes also had currents & blueberries, while Ellie has an espalliered fruit orchard, persimmons, grape, fig, thornless blackberry ...

The next plot was a CSA on a city lot - Paul doesn't like mowing lawn, so put in raised beds when he moved in a couple of years ago, ordered mushroom compost, & began gardening! (goodness, wouldn't folks who object to veggies in front yards have a conniption fit!) He grows enough on one lot to feed his own & several other families (the CSA runs 20 weeks). His was the only garden with boards around the beds - the others use mounded systems.

And last was the Community Garden on Salvation Army land - both individual plots, & ones that are harvested for food boxes. They did have a few 'boxed' beds, but most were also mounded. A local shop owner (who has her 'sunny garden' plot here) buys cut flowers from the Community Garden! Folks with individual plots work in the community area several hours every month, & pay a very modest fee for their rows.

I have been perusing gardening books for ideas on cover crops & what to plant late summer/ early fall, & crop rotation. I planted carrots, salsify, buckwheat & radishes in one side of the old garlic bed, & beets, buckwheat & radishes in the other. Borage comes up on its own in that bed.

In a bed close to the quinoa, I put winter spinach, chard, arugula, lettuce mix, Endive, scatter planted corn salad, & edged with parsley, corriander, calendula & nasturtium seed. I have a sweet little pottery 'hedgehog' for sprinkling the seedbeds with.

On Monday (Labor Day) I did the 'soil balancing process' from Machaelle Small Wright's 'Garden Workbook' series. (check out her entry on 'gut gardening' to get started!!)
I'll write more about this process later - basically, you use soil amendments in a 'homeopathic' manner, working with Nature to balance & vitalize the soil. Machaelle writes: "The soil balancing & Stabilizing Process impacts the soil's vitality & not its physical fertilizer levels. However, when you use this process, you will find that the soil will test for fewer fertilizer needs. The process will have improved the soil vitality, which allows for more efficient interaction between plants & their surrounding soil."

On Friday, picking a book I'd requested up from the library, I also came home with 'Gaia's Garden, a guide to homescale permaculture.' WOW - lovely book! I can see that several of Mike's garden ideas came from this book, including the spiral herb garden! I'm attending a Permaculture 'Convergence' mid-October, so this is a timely read.

In Gaia's Garden, Toby recommends sheet mulch to prepare new ground, & occasional 'hugelculture' plots - using brush that you tromp down, then pile on mulch, top w/compost or an inch of soil & plant. (he says potatoes & squash LOVE these 'mounds') He gives of ideas for garden communities - broadcasting several kinds of seed over the same area, & what to plant in succession in those gardens; for conserving water, thinking beyond the vegetable garden, etc.

The last couple of days I've been working up several areas, trying the sheet mulch & a hugelculture mound.
The pic with the tall grass (above) shows this area in the middle of May, when I was cutting the grass with a hand sickle. I just piled the grass in heaps on the areas I didn't work up. My raspberry patch is in the back of this pic.

In August I dug the bed on the Right (next pictures) over a couple of days, & dug in a bag of mushroom compost, some lime, kelp, & other soil amendments. The bed on the L has been covered with the thick layer of mulch, & is ready for the last layers of compost & top mulch. These beds join in a U or 'keyhole' shape, with the top of the bed also being covered in mulch.

For sheet mulch, begin the day before by thoroughly watering the site you plan to mulch, & gather your materials. The next day, slash any vegetation, leaving it in place to compost (I'd done that in May, & covered with the layer of dry grass). Cover with a thin layer of soil amendments (lime, bone meal, kelp, etc) & open the soil a bit by wiggling a spading fork in different areas, if needed.
Add a layer of compost or green plant matter (I used chopped comfrey leaves & compost) ~ 1" thick - sprinkle with water.
Next layer is cardboard (I had several big boxes from my office) or 1/4-1/2" of newspaper - no glossy sheets - very wet. Overlap 6", & wet this layer (I sprayed the back of the cardboard before laying it down.
Next layer: another thin layer of manure/compost/greens
Next: 8-12" of loose straw, hay, leaves, grass etc - with some green matter mixed in, or blood meal etc (for nitrogen) ... wet layers as you add them - should 'be the consistency of a wrung out sponge' (Bed on Left, above, is covered with this mulch layer)
Top with another inch of compost or soil (last picture)
And mulch with 2" 'weed free' matter: straw, pine needles, wood shavings.

I used pine needles from my daughter's yard for the final layer of mulch (they are quite happy to pass them on, esp if I gather them!), & planted with seeds as the sun was setting: lettuce mix, buckwheat, spinach, onions, calendula, beans & borage.

A gal friend is giving me strawberry starts soon, so I looked up companion plants for strawberries. Years ago I planted strawberries in an herb circle, & made a LOVELY patch! I'll get some thyme plants from Incahoots, & perhaps plant some other low herbs around the edge ...
Rather than digging or tilling these beds, you simply add compost & mulch occasionally, push the mulch aside to plant or seed the compost layer. You can also dig kitchen waste directly into these beds, rather than the compost bin.

Enjoy your garden adventures!

Land Tuning

I've written about this before, but seems timely to post about it again!

Recently I've seen several posts concerning extreme weather in various parts of the country (Hurricane, drought). Let's think Local, & let it ripple out! The guides say "You may get asked to do several pieces of land. Thank you for doing this service."

Several years ago, my friend Molly Sheehan of Green Hope Farm Essences shared this wonderful land clearing practice, given by the guides of her land. She gardens co-creatively, & has a very sweet 'anyone can do this' attitude. Molly graciously gave me permission to share this, saying that the more people doing this or similar processes the better!

Machaelle Wright of Perelandra teaches similar processes in her Garden Workbooks, & offers her own powerful essences. I work with both of their processes & essences, integrating them into my own processes.

Molly comments that the guides & devas delight in being asked to help us, "A group of spiritual entities connected with Nature do the actual energy cleansing but this group cannot do this work unless a human asks them to do it. It is one of our vital roles in the co-creation & maintenance of earth. If a human doesn't ask for energy cleansing for a piece of land & this land is holding a lot of negativity, spirit's only options for removing this negativity are extreme weather."

What a perfect time to share this process!

** Imagine the boundaries of the land you wish to clear (you may want to have a map of your property, if it's larger, & may be guided to clear it in sections. If you're in an apt., clear your own space, imagining the grounding cord of the apt going into the earth below you, & clear the land surrounding the apt. Invite guidance for what best suites your circumstances!

Energy Cleansing Process

Find a quiet & comfortable place to center yourself. In the beginning, you'll want to be in the garden/ on the land you're clearing.

"Ask for assistance from:

The Overlighting Deva of the piece of land you want to clean. This being from the Angelic realm holds the divine plan for this piece of land. (Deva is a Sanskrit word meaning 'being of Light')

Angels Overlighting the land. They work with the Deva

The Elementals of the land. These are the beings who bring land into form & then hold it there so we can live in a physical world. Gnomes for the Earth element, Undine with water, Sylphs work with air, & Salamanders with fire.

Pan, Head Elemental of Earth (Machaelle Wright calls Pan the CEO of Nature)

Any Ascended Master of God realized being who is connected with this piece of land. There may or may not be any connected, depending on the piece of land. (You can always invite the presence of the Ascended Master Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, Quan Yin, St Germain, & other Masters with whom you you feel connected.)

Deva of the Earth's atmosphere, Lunaria

Deva of the Earth's surface, Sapphalo

Deva of the sun in the center of the Earth, Darndella

Our Sun, Helios & Vesta.

"After you call in this group, ask them to CLEANSE, CLEAR, RE-BALANCE & ILLUMINATE the land you are clearing.

"You can visualize all the negativity being removed from the land both below & above the ground. You can visualize yourself or an angel holding a sword (Michael/Michaella) cutting all the negativity free, perhaps spinning in a circle holding the sword out; or you can imagine a big gyroscope whirling & cleansing. The image only needs to work for you. If visualization isn't possible, it's OK. The land will still be cleansed because you have asked to have it done. Close the session with a thanks to everyone involved.

"This is the bare bones of a process. Over time you will probably develop your own individual approach. For example, you may get to know the names of the Deva & Angels of the land. You may get shown a process that will improve on this one. You may get asked to do several pieces of land. Thank you for doing this service."

** I also like to imagine a hedge of roses (think Brier Rose) with portals of violet flame at the entrances, clearing folks' energy as they enter or leave. At times I erect a golden pyramid above my property (rectangular here :) or a violet bubble - check in & see if any images come!

Any time you feel vulnerable, are concerned about weather or safety, take a few moments to do this process. It helps to have quick name for the process - you may simply invite 'Devas, Angels & guides of land clearing, please CLEANSE, CLEAR, RE-BALANCE & ILLUMINATE this land!'

* Besides clearing my own land, I often invite the Devas/guides of the city where I live (or someplace I'm visiting) to CLEANSE, CLEAR, RE-BALANCE & ILLUMINATE that place, as appropriate. I figure anyplace humans can toss litter, I can invite the guides to help clear! I especially see the 'green areas' being cleared, parks, the planting strips & flower pots in the downtown, etc. Molly invites us to listen to our guidance, & network with the devas, guides & elementals on this!

* I printed out a copy, put it in a vinyl 'sheet protector,' & posted it in my shower, & would clear the land each morning as I cleansed myself! Currently I keep one on an altar, & one at my office. It really does only take a few minutes, & is well worth the extra effort! Molly does it daily, I usually do it weekly, but at times more often.

If you have a name for your land/home, use that. Journal about the process, share it, do it with a group - & do it whenever you're worried about 'weather' or other extreme happenings around the planet! It helps.

* When you're gardening, do a clearing first, & imagine that you're infusing light into the soil as you play in it. Bless the water you offer your garden, & the plants as you place & nurture them. At Findhorn Garden in Scotland, the original gardeners worked in close harmony with nature, & were enjoined to bring light into the soil as they worked with it, to eat from the garden, & to drink lots of water.

Today I was reading Doreen Virtue's "Healing With the Fairies. I have her deck of the same name, & enjoy pulling a fairy card or two to for inspiration.

On page 71 she writes:"Deep within lightworkers' hearts & guts, they have a sense of time urgency.
"... think of a smog layer over the earth, but imagine instead of air pollution, it is a collection of fear-based thoughts. It consists of all the anger felt during morning commutes to work, plus 'lack thoughts,' where humans believe they lack the money, love or time that they need. These negative energies clog the dense level hugging the earth. ... it has a detrimental effect on everyone on the planet, including Mother Earth herself.

"If lightworkers lived & breathed this 'smog' which we call' race-mind consciousness,' they would become depressed and incapable of helping to eradicate it. So the heavenly supporters to lightworkers -- including the archangels, master healers, teachers, elementals, & starpeople -- send strong bands of lightwaves to the lighworkers. It is usually received in one ear as a high pitched tone that can seem loud, & even painful. This tone elevates the body's frequency above the race-mind consciousness, so the lightworker can retain a pool of energy & hopefulness that will motivate him or her to contribute to the solution."

Performing Land tunings on a regular basis contributes to the solution, & helps reduce 'smog' & raise vibration - both our own, our land & those around us. Won't you please add your 'tunings!'

Fall Gardening

As the slow starting, but now very nice summer rolls toward fall, my thoughts turn to planting some fall veggies! I'm lucky to live in an area where fall/winter gardening is fairly simple, though I don't always remember to get things planted at the right times!

The bare bed in the back of this pic held garlic which I harvested & braided a few weeks ago, the one in front has tomatoes, an artichoke, cantaloupe, cucumber & crockneck squash. Russian Red Kale is already coming up in that bed, self-seeding from plantings past. I've dug a couple of new beds, after covering areas of lawn with cardboard & grass clippings (this sounds more civilized than it is, some is 2' tall, & cut with a small sickle!) And have been reading up on crop rotations & increasing soil fertility.

This summer there have been a few 'rages' over folks planting their front lawns to vegetables, while others extol that practice as ecologically & visually sound. In Western Oregon, we're lucky that many communities seem to welcome, or at least accept, veggies in the front yard, composting, rain barrels & the like. I have a mix of herbs & flowers in front, with most of my veggies in my big back yard (lot is 50' x 100', with the house toward the front, so lots of room for veggie beds, fruit plantings, etc.)

I've had a CSA share the last couple of years, & we're also blessed with a couple of weekly farmers markets, one that runs 12 months of the year. Our local OG farmers grow both familiar & unusual vegetables, & it's always fun to try a few new varieties.

Since quinoa is one of my favorite seed/grains, I've got a couple of rows, plus a few of amaranth. These plants are used in many cultures as both a green & for their seeds, so I've been picking & cooking a few leaves at a time.I also have the perennial 'Good King Henry,' which is setting seed this year.

A few weeks ago I came home the farmers market with a bag of salad mix from Growing Wild Farm which included a lovely 'green' with bright magenta tips, obviously related to lambs quarters/ quinoa - Yum! It was delightful in salad or cooked, & so pretty.
When I asked about it later, they thought it was purple orach, but from the pictures on-line, it looked more like Magentaspreen, so I ordered seed of both a magenta orach, & Magentaspreen from Nichols Garden Nursery, & will soon plant some.
In this photo, the Magentaspreen is on the left (both green & fuscia leaves), Red Hopi Dye amaranth in the middle, cherry vanilla quinoa on the Right, & the more familiar shiny purple basil at the top (to show size).

All of these (except the basil) are in the 'goosefoot' family, related to our more modern spinach, & have been in cultivation for hundreds of years. An article on saving seed warns against planting several varieties close together if you want your seed to be 'true' to form, but also comment you can get some interesting variations if you do so! And they can all self-seed - but are nicely edible!

My son has a good crop of wild Lambs Quarters growing, which we call 'Emily Spinach,' as his 7 year old LOVES greens, & will go out & harvest a batch, then bring it in & cook it herself! I'm thinking of giving them some of the Magentaspreen seed to try as well.

In the "Ladybug Letter," Andy, a gardener & blogger talks about growing orach & ruminates on how to market 'red greens' with such funny names (goosefoot or mountain spinach)!

These 'greens' are best picked when 8-10", or you can harvest individual leaves as I do, leaving the tops to set seed. Quinoa seed has saponin (soap), so needs to be rinsed before cooking; but is a simple 'grain' for the home garden - & wonderfully gluten free!

Some seeds/plants for late summer/early fall planting: Leafy greens (lettuces, salad mixes, quinoa & its relatives, spinach, arugula, chard and mâche [corn salad]); root veggies (beets, carrots, onions, turnips, radishes, salsify, and rutabagas); brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale and Chinese cabbage); leeks & bulb fennel, and fava beans & peas will all thrive in the cooler weather and shorter days of fall. Some herbs & flowers(parsley, calendula, nasturtium, cilantro) may be planted now as well. In many regions, some of these cold-hardy crops will even survive the winter to produce a second harvest in spring.
You can plant small lettuce or sew seeds under tomatoes, to take advantage of the shade. Some gardeners recommend mulching around late summer sewn seeds/plants, to retain soil moisture. Seattle 'Tilth' publishes a great year round gardening guide for the NW, which gives month by month tips on planting & soil health.

Consider planting cover crops in some of the beds (one suggestion is to have 1/3 or 1/4 of the garden beds in a cover crop, to enrich the soil & hold it in place). These can be cut & dug into the soil or added to the compost pile. Buckwheat, clovers (red, Austrian, Crimson, white), alfalfa, fava beans are all options. Your county extension office will have suggestions for your area.
Buckwheat is good for any season, as it matures rapidly & can be cut when 1/3 of the plants are blooming & chopped into the soil. The feed store a few blocks from me sells such seed in bulk, which is very handy for the home gardener who may only need a handful of seed.

Happy gardening!

Medicine of Light

I wanted to share this lovely piece on protection & 'Medicine of Light' - blessed be!

A Hathor Planetary Message
Through Tom Kenyon

Medicines of Light:
 Protection and Healing from Radiation Poisoning, Neurotoxins, Bacteria and
Viruses.

 With the earthquake in New Zealand, followed by the earthquake in Japan, it
is clear that you have entered a more complex phase of the Chaotic Node.

We wish to impart a method for protection and healing from radiation
poisoning as well as other physical conditions. We call this *Medicines of
Light.*

This is obviously related to current events unfolding in Japan, however, as
future earth changes unfold, you may face similar challenges in your near
future from other locations around the world.

This method will assist you to both protect and heal yourself from exposure,
not only to radioactivity, but also to neurotoxins and to mutating forms of
bacteria and viruses. From our perspective you can expect to see an increase
of these in your near timeline.

The method involves connecting to your Celestial Soul, the BA. This action
is to connect to the realms of light that are a part of your being.

Everything that exists in your cosmos can be viewed as a *qualification or
energetic expression of light*—even your densest forms of matter are
essentially a form of light.

In this method you connect to your Celestial Soul, holding the intent and
expectation that it will impart to you an energetic that protects and/or
heals you. You send this intent to your Celestial Soul with the emotional
vibration of appreciation or gratitude. This is simply the vibrational
resonance that activates this higher aspect of your being.

Once you send this intent conjoined with appreciation or gratitude to your
BA, you shift your awareness into your heart chakra, receiving the energetic
of healing or protection into the heart chakra. You might experience this
energetic as a form of light, or as geometric patterns, or you may feel the
sensation of a descent of energy. You may also experience this energetic
simply as a thought/feeling.

Once the energetic is received in the heart chakra, it is ready to send.

For this phase you will need some pure water, since water holds this type of
information extremely well. Holding a container of water in your hands,
through intent, you send this energy that is in the heart chakra down the
arms into the hands and through the chakras that are in the center of each
palm. The energetic enters the water through this pathway.

We suggest you amplify this energetic by repeating the procedure three
times, for a total of three times—two more times in addition to the first.
 You then drink the water. The water permeates the water element of your
body, and the healing and protective qualities eventually enter every cell.

Through this action you are qualifying light, causing it to descend through
the central pathway of your body into your heart and sending it into the
water element. The consciousness of the water receives this energetic, and
when you drink it, the body receives it.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have been exposed to
radioactivity you would engage this procedure as we have described it,
qualifying the energy that descends from the BA to protect and heal you from
any possibility of radiation poisoning. If you have other means to protect
yourself, you should obviously engage these as well, but even if you are
left with nothing but the tools of your own consciousness, you can protect
and heal yourself.

If you have been exposed to neurotoxins you would do the same. If you are in
the midst of an epidemic that involves bacterial or viral infections, we
advise you to do the same.

As you collectively enter more deeply into this more complex and intense
phase of the Chaotic Node, bacteria and viruses will mutate faster. This
method will allow you to protect and heal yourself from these mutating life
forms.

It is important to understand that you are creating the protection and
healing through the powers of your own consciousness. You have direct access
to your own light realms. You have the sovereign right to engage the light
realms on your own behalf and on the behalf of your loved ones.

If you find yourself in one of these difficult situations we have described,
we suggest you take the Medicine of Light—which is the water that you have
charged—several times a day, as your intuition guides you.

The physical ramifications of the earthquake activity in Japan and the
resulting tsunami are very difficult to deal with. But we wish to shift our
attention from the physical to the mental, emotional, and spiritual effects
created by such a disaster,

Due to the fact that you are in a Chaotic Node and energies from deep space
conjoined with solar flare activity are affecting your energy bodies, you,
as a collective, are more affected. What we mean by this is that witnessing
the suffering of your fellow humans shatters the heart. There is a
recognition that their predicament could easily be yours. This recognition
can create an opening in your heart, and it is through the heart—your
heart—that higher states of consciousness are realized, and so the
earthquake in Japan is, in many ways, an earthquake of the collective heart.

The times before you are not easy. From our perspective, increased earth
changes are upon you. But one result of such events is that you are shaken
to your roots and the mass hypnosis pauses for a moment.  And in such utter
and surrealistic devastation, many of you see very clearly that your
civilization rests on tenuous grounds. We mean this both literally and
figuratively.

And so our advice for this phase of the Chaotic Node is to learn and master
the ability to create Medicines of Light for yourself, so that when the time
arises, you know how to engage this power of protection and healing that you
possess in your very nature. And we suggest you navigate through these times
not only with your minds, but with your hearts—and let your hearts be
touched, for it is through your hearts that you will ascend the spiral
pathway to your own greatness.

The Hathors

*March 16, 2011*

 ------------------------------

Tom’s Thoughts and Observations

I have been channeling the Hathors for about twenty years now and started
posting their Planetary Messages in February of 2003. And in all that time I
have never sensed in them such an urgency to post one of their
communications. Usually, I am given several days to dwell on and contemplate
their messages before writing my comments. But that luxury does not exist in
this moment. They have asked Judi and me to post this particular message as
soon as possible, and so I will make my comments brief and to the point.

The central message here is that all human beings have the ability to create
what the Hathors call *Medicines of Light*.  And this type of medicine has
an inherent capability and potential to protect and heal us not only from
radioactive poisoning, but also from the effects of neurotoxins, as well as
bacterial and viral infections.

The method is simple and to the point. Since some of you reading this may be
new to the whole idea of a Celestial Soul (or BA), let me clarify its
location and how to engage it. The BA, or Celestial Soul, is an aspect of
your own consciousness that is outside the constraints of time and space.
Some of you might refer to the Celestial Soul as the Higher Self. But
whatever you call it, your Celestial Soul exists in what the Hathors call
the *light realms*, and this aspect of you is engaged whenever you send it
appreciation or gratitude.

Your BA does not have a location in time and space since it is transcendent
to both.

But it does have an entry point to your energy field, which is about arm’s
distance above your head. If you were to raise your hands over your head and
touch your fingertips together, your fingers would be in the vicinity of
this entry point. And this is where you place your attention in the first
phase of their method for creating a Medicine of Light. (Do note that
placing of your hands above your head is only for orientation purposes. You
do not actually put your hands over your head when creating the Medicines of
Light).

Once you place your awareness in the area of your BA point, you hold in your
mind the qualification of light you wish to receive. Let’s say, for example,
that you have been, or will be, exposed to dangerous forms of radioactivity
and are in danger of radiation poisoning. After focusing your attention on
your BA point above your head, hold the intent that the energy that descends
from your BA will be an energetic of healing and/or protection from
radiation poisoning.

You then send the feeling of appreciation or gratitude upward from your
heart chakra to the BA point above your head—as you hold the intent or
qualification that the energetic imparted to you from your BA will protect
and/or heal you from radiation poisoning.

Next you shift your attention from your BA point to your heart chakra (in
the center of your chest beneath the sternum) and then wait to receive the
energetic of protection and healing from your BA.

Those of you new to this may need to send the intent or qualification along
with the feeling of appreciation or gratitude to your BA several times
before you notice a response. But just keep sending this intention joined
with the feeling of appreciation or gratitude upward to your BA until you
feel a descent of energy. When you feel the descent of energy from your
Celestial Soul, shift your awareness to your heart chakra. Allow your heart
center to receive this energetic of protection and healing.

You then place your hands around or over a container of pure water and send
this energetic received from your Celestial Soul into the water. The
energetic of healing and/or protection that has entered your heart center
will move down your arms and into the water through the two chakras that are
in the center of the palm of each hand.

Repeat this process for a total of three times. Then drink the water.

If you are in a precarious situation, the Hathors advise that you create a
Medicine of Light several times a day and drink it according to your
intuition.

As the Hathors point out, Medicines of Light have many more applications
than just protection and healing from radiation poisoning. You can use these
to protect and/or heal yourself from neurotoxins, as well as bacterial and
viral infections. Although they did not mention it, I asked the Hathors
after they gave this message if the method would work for other physical
challenges such as cancer. And they said that Medicines of Light could most
definitely be created in the same way to deal with this type of situation—as
well as others.

Obviously, if you are dealing with a serious situation such as radiation
poisoning, exposure to neurotoxins, and/or epidemics of bacterial and viral
infections, you will want to avail yourself of all medical remedies. In
other words, this method is not meant to replace medical or public health
solutions, but is meant to be an adjunct, something you can do *yourself—for
yourself*.

After giving their message, I asked the Hathors about making Medicines of
Light for those who are unable to do it for themselves, like children and
pets. They said that you would use the same method, except for the fact that
you would qualify the intent for the child or animal you are going to give
the Medicine to. For example, if you were creating a Medicine of Light to
protect or heal yourself from radiation poisoning, you would send the
thought that the energetic you are going to receive from your Celestial Soul
is for your own personal protection or healing. If you were going to do this
for a child or a pet, you would send the thought that the energetic you are
going to receive from your Celestial Soul is for the protection or healing
of the being you are going to give the Medicine to, i.e. your child or your
pet.

It is here that I would like to interject something. It is far better to
teach someone how to create a Medicine of Light than to create a dependency.
The ability to create Medicines of Light is an inherent ability in all human
beings. It is part of our multidimensional legacy. And to empower someone to
do this for him or her self is a service to his or her mastery.

I would personally hate to see this method being used by “healers” to create
Medicines of Light for others under the guise that they have some special
powers that others do not. This method for creating Medicines of Light is a
human birthright, and my feeling is that it should be shared with all
persons.

There is much that I would like to share about this simple method for
creating Medicines of Light, but philosophical and metaphysical observations
will have to wait for another time.

The Hathors are insistent that we post this information and circulate it as
quickly as is possible.

 ------------------------------

©2011 Tom Kenyon All Rights Reserved  www.tomkenyon.com

You may make copies of this message and distribute it in any media you
desire so long as you do not charge for it, do not alter it in any way,
credit the author, and include this copyright notice.

*******************
Nadya here:

I want to echo Tom's suggestion to teach this/share this with others, rather than doing it 'for them'
when possible!
Also, many of my healing teachers have suggested similar 'water blessing' rituals - so simple!
Yet often forgotten - DO THIS!!

Nutritional Protection from Radiation

Joining a world that's stunned by the effects of the Tsunami off the coast of Japan last week, & the deterioration of the Nuclear Reactors, I've been thinking about Iodine.

Sea weed expert (& biologist) Ryan Drum writes about this essential nutrient:

"About a half billion years ago early chordates (the vertebrates and animals with a notochord) decided to use Iodine127 for their respective thyroid hormones. This decision to use stable Iodine 127 as the definitive element in regulatory hormones is probably a significant factor in Chordata survival and success.

Chordates developed in the oceans where Iodine 127 was always available. Once chordates moved onto land, their iodine requirement became problematical. Land animals must derive their iodine from food and water. Fresh water often has less iodine than seawater. Unlike seaweeds, land plants seem to have no requirement for iodine and thus accumulate very little iodine.

Over time, most land animals developed efficient Iodine 127 extraction and storage mechanisms, becoming innately iodine-conservative with iodine reserves stored in thyroid glands and secondarily as circulating iodinated hormones bound to blood globulins. The absolute stability of Iodine 127 favored reliable longterm storage.

Prior to the 1940’s, there was no biologically available Iodine 131. This means that prior to the development of nuclear devices and facilities, animals had no prior experience with unstable Iodine 131 and probably no special protective mechanisms.

Are animals at risk for Iodine 131 uptake and subsequent radiation damage? Yes and no. Amazingly, animals can detect the atomic weight differences between the lighter stable Iodine 127 and the heavier unstable Iodine131. But, this is apparently the only detectable difference between the two iodine forms. Because of their innate iodine conservation mechanisms, iodine-dependent animals will readily take up radioactive, heavier Iodine 131 if they are deficient in Iodine 127. The Iodine 131 is placed in molecules, cells and tissues where iodine is needed, just as if it were Iodine127. The safety factor is: ANIMALS WITH COMPLETE BODY COMPLEMENT OF IODINE127 TEND TO NOT TAKE IN RADIOACTIVE IODINE131."

-- So, our task, if we wish to take it, is to be certain we have a 'complete body complement of Iodine 127!

Eating Sea veggies is one of the easiest ways to get that complement of Iodine 127. In 'Seed of Life Nutrition, Summer writes: "Bladderwrack, wakame, kombu and dulse have the highest iodine levels and therefore the most protective properties. Sea palm is good, as well. Nori isn’t known for having the highest levels of iodine, so in this instance wouldn’t be my first recommendation unless it is the only kind of seaweed someone likes or tolerates. For kelp powder 1-3 grams per day is a maintenance dose."

I use a piece of kombu when cooking beans or soups, (usually cut into smaller pieces, so it's easy to eat), & love to munch on wakame. I enjoy finding kelp powder that's not too granular, & sprinkle it on most anything I'd use salt on. Tuesdays I swim with my 6 year old granddaughter, & since the pool water is chlorinated, I take an iodine capsule. (chlorine, bromide & fluorine are in the same halogen group, & displace iodide 127!)

In my mid 20s, I developed pre-menstrual breast tenderness, & after reading one of Dr Jon Wright's articles, began taking a few drops of Lugol's Solution, & within a couple of months, that was no longer an issue. Dr Jarvis writes in his books on (Vermont) Folk Medicine that Lugol's Solution added to apple cider vinegar would reverse mastitis in the Dairy Cattle, & a few drops with a couple of tsp. vinegar in a glass of water would 'Calm the Race Horse type child!' Interestingly, he also recommends against wheat, (along with white sugar, etc) & comments that the folks in Vermont do better eating corn! hmm -

Dr. Jarvis was quite interested in the need for iodine, & the effects of consuming/esposure to other members of the same Halogen group:

Relative
Halogen Atomic Weight
Fluorine 19.
Chlorine 35.5
Bromine 80.
Iodine 127.

As always, remember I'm a massage therapist, & while interested in nutrition & well being for most of my life, am not a doctor. I encourage you to do your own research!

Always Apply a Joyful Mind

This morning, reading a bit in a library book before I rolled out of bed, I ran across this quote by Akisha, 11th century. "Always Apply a Joyful Mind" Rather like the 5th Reiki Precept: 'show gratitude.' I am grateful, indeed I am grateful for many blessings, health, happiness, family, food/shelter/warmth, clients, time, music .. & I have much joy in my life.

Life has been good & busy - since I began 'facebooking' I notice I've blogged less & less - instant gratification? & communication with a vast community - I recently read that 1/3 of the internet use is spent on Facebook ... now is that really true? While I write here, my FB is 'open' so am I considered spending time there, while I'm actually 'here' ??

(excuse me, I had to pop over cause I had comment notifications ...)

You see how it goes! & then there was a call from my March Red Hat Hostess, checking to see if she had everyone's contact information ... we're going to Wednesday Wines, with catering from Harvest Fresh across the street! Yes, those lovely photos are actually of the produce & other shelves! & if I didn't have a CSA share, I would be quite happy with the lovely OG & local fare -

A week or so ago, my former hubby called my daughter to ask about HIS family history - two of his sisters & a niece & nephew have celiac & have gone gluten free. My son & his family think about doing so, but haven't really stepped off the wheat wagon, ...

Now what is wrong (um, short sighted?) with a family of biologists, who, when they see several members of the family have a 'disorder' that is now known to have genetic links, & have health problems that are also related, but 'wonder' if they could also have gluten issues?? Do you think? He is lactose intolerant, which often follows gluten sensitivity, & 'does better' when he doesn't eat bread ... it's not just about bread! Sigh. At least he's asking questions!

Yesterday I received 'Gluten Toxicity' e-book from Shelly Stuart - a compliation of her research & info she'd posted on her website - yea!!
Love these quotes: "Unfortunately, gluten appears to be a difficult protein for everyone to digest. Humans don't have all the gastric (stomach), brush border (intestinal) & pancreatic (pancreas) enzymes necessary for ... it to... be broken down & digested easily." (chapter 2)

A DIFFICULT PROTEIN FOR EVERYBODY TO DIGEST!

& this one: 'like a ticking time bomb, perhaps, everyone who is ingesting gluten has the potential for an unfavorable outcome" (cancer, auto immune damage & diseases, malnutirition ...

Off to enjoy the morning - lots of light, off & on sun ... blessings on your day, may it be joyful!