Pardon the Dust!

I've moved my blog over here from Typepad (nothing wrong with Typepad, just cutting costs ☺) so Pardon the Dust!

I don't have this all set up yet, so stay tuned - great posts and lots of information and inspiration is coming your way.  In the meantime, please stay around a while and read the archived posts!

Happy Sailing and make each day a Great one!

A Healing Crisis Day

Every so often I have a day where I just feel like crap.  Sometimes it's physical and emotional, sometimes it's emotional and spiritual, others it's all three.  I simply can't get out of bed in the morning, I mope around the house, I feel restless, can't get my butt out the door and could eat everything in sight.  I had a day like that yesterday...

It was a healing crisis day for me.  I've learned over the years to go with that flow and just be.  If I lay on the bed, I do so with all the laying on the bed gusto I can muster.  If I'm going to eat food that's not on my diet, I eat sparingly and make sure I savor every morsel, as much as a person in my state of mind can savor anything.  If I'm going to mope, it's going to be a darn good one.  I want to have as conscious a healing crisis as I can without trying to over-analyze it, deny any of it, or fight it.

As I pout and sit idly by, I take time to think about what's going on - what led up to this day - what initiated these "L" feelings - lost, listless and lethargic.  It's usually something that I'm learning to deal with in a new way or I'm pushing through an evolutionary process on some level and I just have to let it take its course.  I know the feelings won't last very long (if they did, I would definitely see my doc - it could be something serious) so I just stay with it as best I can, do a lot of deep breathing, and see what I can learn from it on as deep a level as possible. 

The next day I feel much better, clearer, more open and, sometimes, a little wiser.   And today I do feel much better and quite a bit wiser.  So I am grateful for days like yesterday even though when I'm in the soup, it's not a very fun place to be....

Poetry: To the Unknown...

The fire begins
small and unassuming.

I stand in the hall
and watch it flicker
in the back of the house,
white,
yellow,
bright,
hot,
smokeless.

It licks the walls,
growing slowly.

I enter my room
to pack -
things of importance
or so I think.

I grab them,
methodically, unthinking.
Grabbing, stuffing
with no purpose,
no meaning,
no priority.
There is no excitement,
no anxiety.
I just grab and stuff
as the fire grows.
There is time.
Grab, stuff, grab, stuff,
grab stuff.
Unthinking.

My senses are soon jolted.
With a great roar,
the fire breaks through.
And inferno engulfs
the back of the house.
Yet, it burns quietly,
steadily,
whiter,
brighter,
hotter.

I am cool.
I see clearly.
I know it is time.
I take only one bag,
a sea shell and some pocket change
in a small pink purse.
I speak out loud,
"Goodbye, all my lovely things"
to my books, my furniture,
my music, my treasures, my walls,
and calmly walk out,
down the brightly lit, cool, hot,
smokeless, fiery hall,
passing a thin stranger
dressed in wool,
who casually enters my room
and disappears.

The dog waits for me
patiently
on the landing.
Clutching my remnants,
I descend the stairs,
whistling for him to follow me out
to the unknown.
"C'mon, boy."

Mental Floss

Ok folks - we all know how important it is to keep our minds fresh and sharp.  Here's a great exercise I just found.

Go down the list of words and don't read the words - read the COLOR that the words are printed in.  Read it out loud and see how quickly you can read them all!  Have fun!

RED
YELLOW
GREEN
BLUE
RED
BLUE
YELLOW
GREEN

In Memory of Ernie the Cat

In Loving Memory of Ernie the Cat


Ernie the Cat went to Heaven on Friday, July 18, 2008 after a 3 month illness. He had congestive heart failure and respiratory problems, including asthma, and in his last two weeks he developed dementia. His passing was peaceful and painless.  My dad was with me as Ernie drifted away in my arms.  He is sadly missed by his owner, Brenda and his kitty brother, Bert.

Ernie was my Zen kitty - nothing seemed to faze him. He wasn't very fond of the camera so there aren't many pictures of him looking right at the camera. He was a most handsome kitty with the sweetest face. He didn't say much either, although in the past year he did start to say "Alright!" most all the time. He was a "chirper" - one thing I'll miss most is his little chirp he would utter when I touched him while he was sleeping or contemplating.

Ernie often took the back seat to Bert. He preferred to be the observer rather than the participator. When it came to hunting the occasional mouse in the house or the once in a while millipede or spider, Ernie pointed them out and helped track them down then allowed Bert to do the rest. He was the perfect "assist" kitty.

Ernie (and Bert) came to me in June 1994 and have shared my home since then - their presence has blessed me in so many ways.

Ernie was diagnosed with hyperatrophic cardiomyopathy when he was a kitten and they didn't expect him to have a very long life. He certainly fooled us all and for that I am eternally grateful!

Ernie loved getting massage and we both enjoyed his one-on-one time with me every evening. He liked to sit on my chest and lick my face - he purred and purred (he was a very easy purrer), and sometimes drooled, and got this totally dreamy look on his face that I will never forget.

Through a lot of major transitions in my life Ernie was always there by my side to comfort and provide comic relief when things were really tough. If I was sick or had surgery, Ernie and Bert would "tag team" and make sure that one of them was always in bed with me, looking after me in their sweet little kitty ways.

He loved his sun spot in my massage studio and was actually attuned to Reiki. He would often hang out in my studio when a client was getting bodywork and he became good friends with many of my clients.

Ernie enjoyed playing "monsters under the covers" with my toes when I was in bed and "chase the feathers" with the feather wand before bedtime.  He had his favorite squeaky mice and I would often hear him in the other room flipping them about while I was working in my office. 

Ernie rarely ate people food although once in a while he would enjoy some rice or spaghetti from my plate. He loved steamed kale and collard greens, especially when they had a little rice vinegar on them. He enjoyed people canned tuna, especially the juice. Besides water he enjoyed his daily saucer of Silk Soy creamer. But for the most part, his favorite food was canned kitty turkey with rice and also canned kitty tuna. He wasn't the neatest eater and after his meals he would sport a little food goatee that he always allowed me to wipe from his precious mouth.

During the last 5 years, he often spent his day time with me in my office, watching me work and often napping on my desk, in his special chair or on top of the file cabinet. He loved watching the birds at the feeders from the studio window. He enjoyed belly rubs and we would often fall asleep at night with him beside me, my hand rubbing his belly.  Once I was asleep he would get up to watch the deer in the back yard but when he heard me stir, he would dutifully run back to bed to cuddle with me.  What a boy!

Ernie is survived by his "mom" Brenda and his brother and littermate Bert as well his grandfather Joe and many friends who loved him. I'm sure he is running free in the fields of Heaven, breathing easy and having the time of his life with his kitty friends who passed before him. Run free, Ernie - and know you are always loved and sadly missed. One day we will all meet again on the Rainbow Bridge.

To view more pictures of my beloved Ernie, click here.

Tribute to John Henry

LEXINGTON, KY (October 8, 2007) John Henry, the legendary Thoroughbred racehorse who was twice Horse of the Year, was humanely euthanized at the Kentucky Horse Park today at 7:00 pm.

My friend Carol and I met the handsome John Henry a few short weeks ago at my Dad's Annual USS Ranger CV-4 Reunion.  We spent the afternoon a The Kentucky Horse Park and met this amazing horse along with others in the Hall of Champions.  He was a fighter with an incredible spirit and zest for life.  He will be greatly missed.

"He was not the best race horse. He was not the fastest or the busiest," retired Daily Racing Form columnist Joe Hirsch said. "He wasn't the greatest weight carrier, and certainly not the handsomest or the most personable. But he was the most remarkable horse who ever raced -- anywhere."

Read more about the wonderful John Henry at The Kentucky Horse Park's web site.

USS Ranger Reunion Trip for 2007 - Day Four

Today is check in day for the USS Ranger Reunion in Covington, KY.  People are coming in from near and far.  Today my friend Linda from Dayton drove down to visit with us.  We had a lovely meal in the Radisson revolving restaurant.

Tonight Carol and I decided to have a light dinner in the restaurant.  Their French Onion soup is wonderful and with a basket of multi grain rolls and butter, well, we were in heaven. 

USS Ranger Reunion Trip for 2007 - Day Three

Day Three dawned bright and sunny and Carol and I decided to snoop the area.  In Covington/Cincinnati they have this great shuttle system - The Southbank Shuttle.  For just a buck or two you can sit back and travel around the main sections of Covington and Cincinnati.  We figured it would be a great way to see the general area and decide where we wanted to snoop some more.

We had a late lunch with Joe and Ann in Mutter Gottes again.  After lunch Ann went shopping and Carol and I went for a walk through the neighborhood.

Tomorrow the Reunion officially starts with check in and meet and greet. It will be good to see old friends again!

USS Ranger Reunion Trip for 2007 - Day Two

Once again, as happened last year, the internet connection at the hotel was there but quite slow on my laptop, so I am posting everything after the trip.  It was one of the best trips we've ever been on!

Day Two - Monday, September 17th.

We arrived in Covington, KY and the Radisson Hotel about mid morning.  It was a great ride - we got a very early start out of Pittsburgh (and thank you again Tom-Tom - had it not been for you, we would still be driving in circles trying to find out way out of the city!)

Met up with Joe and Ann and walked over to Mutter Gottes (Old Town) for lunch at one of the German restaurants there.  The food was wonderful and it was warm enough to eat out on the front porch.  Of course we had to have a large glass of German porter with our meal. ☺

We all unpacked and settled in. 

The hotel is a round hotel - so the rooms are interesting - narrow at the door and wide out by the windows - each room has a little balcony.  Our room overlooked Covington and we thought that was nice until we met Joe and Ann for happy hour in their room before heading up to dinner in the hotel restaurant.  They had a view of Cincinnati and the Ohio River - another Wow!  Carol and I were just a bit bummed about that.

The restaurant is beautiful - it's on the top floor and revolves - so in an hour you get to see the entire landscape - including Cincinnati, the river, and Covington.  I kind of left the room view go but Carol mentioned it throughout dinner - what a nice view they had and our view kind of sucked.  ☺  During dinner Joe disappeared and came back about 20 minutes later with 2 room keys.  He had gone downstairs to the front desk and asked that our room be changed.  Boy, did we get a great view!  Thanks, Carol, for speaking up!  Even with 2 happy hours under our belt and sharing a bottle of wine at dinner, we moved our stuff to our new room in about 15 minutes! 

Cincinnati at night is dazzling and we had the view to prove it!  If you visit the Radisson Hotel website, you'll see what I mean...

USS Ranger Reunion Trip for 2007 - Day One

All I can say is WOW!  The Chihuly installation at The Phipps was fabulous, awesome - words just cannot do it justice.  Here are some shots I took.

If you ever get the opportunity to see a Chihuly installation, please make sure you do.  The WOW factor is off the map.  They did decide to keep some pieces there permanently so head to the Phipps and feast your eyes.

We do have to thank our Tom-Tom for getting us there - we got a little lost on the campus of Carnegie Mellon and Tom-Tom got us out of there perfectly. 

Now we are settling in at the Hampton Inn for the night and will continue on to Covington, KY bright and early tomorrow!

USS Ranger Reunion Trip for 2007

Today my friend Carol and I are heading out to Pittsburgh, PA - our midway stopping point for Covington, KY where this year's USS Ranger Reunion will be held.  My dad is a former Ranger and we will be meeting him and his partner Ann there tomorrow.

We are leaving bright and early today in eager anticipation of the first stop on our trip - The Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh.  We will be seeing the Dale Chihuly installation there this afternoon and we are both so excited about it.

Happy trails!

Does the Date make the Marriage?

Thousands of couples are getting married today. Why? Because of the date: 07/07/07. Many think it will bring good luck to their marriage. I'm curious – will the date actually make the difference in how the marriage unfolds and works out?

My neighbors are getting married today – because of the date. I don't know if they are getting married because they love each other (they've lived together for over 3 years, had a child together 2 years ago, they fight all the time, he constantly calls her rude and contemptuous names, he can't hold a job and they keep the recycling folks busy handling their 2-3 cases of empty beer cans a week). I just know that they are getting married because they think it's "really cool, man" to get married on 07/07/07. Like that magic number is going to stop the fighting, and change their language (every other word out of their mouths is "F" – even when yelling at the children, which is pretty much all the time).

Thousands of couples all over the world are flocking to chapels, churches, JP's and Las Vegas to get married today. And all for the date. But have they done their home work? Have they done their marriage work? Do they have all their ducks in a row when it comes to finances, family, careers and blending two lives into a loving and functional marriage? Have they developed the intimacy required to spend the rest of their lives together – through the tough times and the fun times? Do they have more to go on after today than the mere fact that their wedding date is 07/07/07?

I would love to know the statistics in about 10 years as to how many of these couples are truly experiencing marital bliss and how many have already hit the divorce courts. I'll keep you posted on the folks next door. Maybe today will luck to not only them but to me as well. Maybe I won't be awakened anymore at 2AM from their screaming fights. Maybe I won't have to listen to them yell at their children anymore (she has 2 from 2 previous relationships). Maybe they will clean up their language and learn new ways of expressing themselves rather than "F that!" or "F you!" I won't hold my breath waiting...

[Addendum - sad to say, the above mentioned couple is now in prison for a prescription scam they worked in Spring 2008]

Re-Claim Who You Are!

I recently re-claimed my fragrance. Let me explain.

Many years ago I wore fragrance. There was always some kind of fragrance from Chantilly when I was in my teens to Tresor when I was in my 30's. I went through a Patchouli phase too as well as a Rose phase and a Lavender phase. I also love incense and used to burn Nag Chompa and other scent-ual incenses in my home.

Then I stopped wearing fragrance altogether. Why? Because my mother and sisters didn't like it and I wanted desperately for them to like me, so I stopped. They always made such a fuss about it – and believe me, I certainly didn't overdo – everything was light and tasteful and I enjoyed the light bouquet that floated around me when I moved. Ahhhh....

BUT, my family objected - constantly. You would think I was doing something terribly awful to them.  My mother would gag (funny how her cigarettes didn't bother anyone at all) and my sister would leave the room with her hand over her nose.  They even went so far as to complain about the smell of empty boxes I would provide them from my work – you see, they were (are?) pack rats and needed sturdy boxes with lids to store their "stuff". Working in a computer room provided plenty of great boxes for them – but they complained all the time because the boxes smelled like me. My mother would go so far as to lay the boxes out in the front yard, on the bushes, to air them out for days before bringing them into the house.

The complaints didn't end there. If I used a soap or hair product with an odor, they complained about it. If I used a laundry detergent with an odor, they complained about it. So I went totally fragrance free. And I was miserable. And I discovered, it wasn't the smells they didn't like – it was me, plain and simple.  You see, they complained about me bringing my cats to visit when I would stay for the weekend, so I stopped that.  They complained when I brought my laundry to do, so I stopped that.  They complained when I offered to paint the interior of the house because I couldn't possibly do it right.  They complained when I cleaned the house because I moved something I shouldn't have and my sister lost the opportunity to clean ("but I was just going to do that today!" she would wail)  The only thing they didn't complain about was when I took them out to eat on my tab or bought their vitamins and herbs and didn't request payment).  That seemed to work ok for them.

Now that we are all estranged (their choice) and I've discovered that they really don't like me, fragrance or not, I have taken back my power and I wear fragrance again. If people don't like it, then they don't have to be around me. I use lavender sprays on my linens and Aura Cacia body sprays on me. I use fragrant soaps and hair products and I burn incense and fragrant candles all the time. I use a lavender dish liquid and scented oils in my body work practice. It's me – and I love it - so get used to it. ☺

My question to you is this: is there anything that you love that you have given up in order to please someone in order to get them to like you? Think about that and make sure that the relationship is totally worth losing a part of yourself in the process.

The Darkest Night

[photo from LPI Earth and Space Science Newsletter]

In a few minutes from now, it will officially be Winter - The Winter Solstice.

This is the day in the seasonal calendar when the day is the shortest and the night is the longest.

It's one of my most happy days because now we head back towards the light.

You see, since the Summer Solstice, the days have been getting shorter and shorter - pretty un-noticable until you reach that day in late Summer when you begin to feel the change.  Soon we are marching steadily towards the dark until we come to today - the first day of Winter.

From here on out, it's light light light!  Each day will begin to get longer as we move through Winter and into Spring.  This was a time for celebrating in ancient times - and I agree wholeheartedly.

So what can you celebrate today - right now?  Not just the Holy-Days and New Year but life in general?  This is a great time to reflect on the past 12 months - how did you spend them?  Did they serve you well?  Did you serve them well? 

What are your plans for the next 12 months?  How do you plan to welcome back the light?

Me, I've lit candles and made a lovely dinner.  I've put on some soft music and I plan to spend my evening relaxing and reflecting and setting my intentions for a 2007 that's prosperous and abundant in every way.

I wish you the same!

Corzine Signs Gay Civil Unions Law in New Jersey

Finally another state, New Jersey, is recognizing partnerships of gay couples - now it's not considered marriage, mind you - God forbid the religious right get their pants in a snit over that - they are calling it a civil union - but this does allow gay couples in New Jersey to enjoy some of the rights of married couples:  adoption, hospital visitation rights, inheritance, and medical decision-making. 

It's not perfect yet it's definitely a step forward for the gay community.  No, it doesn't flow through into the Federal level, but it is a start.

Watching the opponents rant and rave about this on the news I wondered what they are so darn afraid of?  They claim calling these partnerships "marriage" will soil the institution of "marriage" - heck, I know plenty of straight relationships who are soiling the institution of marriage pretty well so what's the rant all about?  You have the cheaters, the beaters, the marriage repeaters - I just don't get it.  And I guess I never will (and wonder if I even want to). 

Anyway, to all my gay friends living in New Jersey - congratulations!   You now have rights that I, as a straight woman, have taken for granted all my life.  I am thrilled for you and continue to support the efforts to move even more into the future where gay partnerships will fully be considered marriage.

Make Sure You Vote!

Tuesday, November 7th, is voting day in most of the US and I urge everyone to get out and VOTE!

While we all have been absolutely pummeled with the most outrageous and negative campaigning in a long time, and while we have all probably had it up to our eyeballs with this election, it's still important for us to make our voices heard at the polls.

In his new book, "The Audacity of Hope", Illinois Senator Barack Obama (my choice for President someday) calls upon us to all practice "citizenship" - we CAN make a change in the way this country is run.  We CAN make a change in Washington and in our own state capitals and local governments.

Don't wait for the "other guy" to make the move - get off your butt and get out and vote on Tuesday.  Your voice DOES count!  I'll see YOU at the polls bright and early tomorrow.

Bert's Allergies

Over a year ago we had a flea problem here.  Not sure how the fleas got in since my kitties never go out (you only need one pregnant female flea to have a major flea infestation).  Using only natural methods I was able to get rid of the fleas in about a month, but the after-affects continue to linger with my Bert.

I'm very grateful for Bert's doctor, however there's just so much chemical intervention I'm willing to go along with.  After two cortisone injections and a course of prednisone the rash on Bert's belly was still there - and of course it came back stronger each time the drugs wore off.  What happened was the flea bites flipped Bert's immune system and now he has a food allergy.  He's allergic to the proteins in chicken - try to find a cat food that doesn't have chicken in it!

So I did a lot of research and I have found a venison cat food that Bert and Ernie both enjoy (I can just hear Ernie whining every time I feed them - "Why do I have to eat this stuff???  I don't have a rash!")  

I also discovered Lita Radford, D.A., Hom, a brilliant homeopathy practitioner, who has an excellent web site: Pets4Homeopathy.  I highly recommend you visit her site.  I purchased several homeopathic remedies from Lita and I'm so happy to say that the rash is just about gone and Bert's growing hair back on his little pink belly.  I'm expecting a full belly of hair by Christmas.  He's a happier cat and I'm a happier cat mom!

Recipe: Black Bean and Corn Salad

This is a tasty salad and one of my fall favorites.  It's so simple and quick to make - you simply cannot fail at this one!
Here's what you will need:

1 can of organic whole kernel corn
1 can of organic black beans
1 medium organic tomato (heirlooms are great in this recipe)
1 bunch of organic cilantro
1 organic lime
1 small organic red onion (a vidalia will work well too)
some extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)

Drain the corn and the beans and add them to a large mixing bowl.  Cut the tomato into a small dice - you can peel and seed it if you like - I don't.  Cut the onion into a small dice.  Add the tomato and onion to the bowl with the corn and beans.  Drizzle the evoo on the veggies and beans just enough to glisten them - you don't want them swimming in the oil - this is part of the dressing.  Then add the juice of the lime and toss well.  Finally, add to the mix about a cup of cilantro leaves (cilantro can often be a bit sandy or dirty, so make sure you wash it well - you can substitute flat leaf parsley, but it just doesn't have the same taste and does change the flavor of the salad).  Season with a tiny bit of salt and ground pepper if you like - not really necessary.  Garnish with a nice sprig of cilantro to serve.  This serves about 4 people.  This is so easy and quick to put together!  Enjoy!

Juggler Chris Bliss

One of the keys to Vital Living is laughter, smiles and just feeling good all over.

A friend introduced me to this video this week and I just have to share it with you.

The video is of Chris Bliss, probably one of the best jugglers ever.  This is his performance from a Juggling Finale in March 2006 and I have to say I've never seen anything quite like this.   Words cannot describe how amazing this man is:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4776181634656145640&pr=goog-sl

Laugh, smile and enjoy!

The Emmaus Halloween Parade

I live in the Borough of Emmaus in Pennsylvania (about an hour north of Philadelphia, in an area called the Lehigh Valley), and when I tell people who don't understand the "borough" part, they think that my town is inhabited by underground creatures.

Well, tonight you wouldn't be too far off.  It's the night of the big 85th annual Emmaus Halloween Parade and it's quite an event in these parts.  In fact, it's the biggest event of the year!  People were already staking out their spots along the parade route this morning.  The french fry and cheesesteak vendors are in place and they are putting the street barricades up as I type this.  It's gotten so big that the Borough has even placed porta-potties along the parade route.  That's a nice touch.

Folks started decorating their homes weeks ago in anticipation of this event.  This is HUGE!  It's televised on local cable and all the Borough dignitaries come out to view the parade (yes, there is a viewing stand) and vote for the best of show.  High School bands from all over the Valley march in this parade.  Local service groups and churches enter floats in the parade and groups of grade school kids and folks who just want to come out and have a good time join in as well.  The whole event has a Mardi Gras flavor and atmosphere to it.

They expect about 900 participants in tonight's parade with each person receiving $1.00 for marching in the parade.   Other monetary prizes are awarded to floats and bands.

Years ago I used to live right on the route. I had my big Halloween party on parade night and served up my famous oyster stew along with lots of freshly made salads and crudite with amazing dips.  Family and friends would join me to watch the parade from our bird's eye view on my third floor balcony or down on the street where all the action was.  It was grand!  I miss those days...

So ghouls and goblins, put on your finest attire and join me tonight at 7:30 - I'm walking into town to see the parade - hope to see you there!