A Bird in the Hand

I took this photo on a lovely late summer hike up Cypress way with a very good friend. He insisted that the birds would come if we held out our hands with a bit of something tasty. It worked! It was a long and difficult hike, I must say. However it was well worth the effort. The views, the conversation, the exertion, the birds and the sense of peace was indeed memorable.

Auspicious Bloom

My Christmas cactus is actually about to bloom. There is only one sweet red flower bud about to open. On a couple of occasions in the past few years, buds have formed. However they dropped off the plant before blooming. I never know if it somehow my attention, or lack thereof, that stops the process. This time I did something different. I moved the plant to an entirely new ledge. I wonder if this will result in a long awaited burst of flower. I hope so.

Oil Painting by my Loca Mexicana Amiga Liliana Barreto

'nuff said

end of summer

this is an old photo taken by an even older friend - my great friend Terry - who has now passed on. Wow would he have loved the English Beat concert I was at on Friday night!
"sooner or later" I will be able to tell him about it!
hiyhhiy!

Autumn

is with us now...and it is crisp and cool bright and sharp... yet days like Sunday held the memory of summer's warmth in its grasp. I walked out of my little home wearing my bright blue bomber jacket - the first time for the season - figuring I would need it in the crisp autumn air... but alas - it produced a belt of sweat once I tied it around my middle during my leisurely walk downtown. What a glorious warm day this Sunday turned out to be! Lucky me - I was able to go for an energetic walk by the ocean's edge with my lovely niece. The leaves of the Sumac tree outside my bedroom window are slowly changing to vibrant red. I notice a brighter and brighter view each morning - and notice an earlier and earlier sunset in return. The days grow shorter, the clothes grow more important as the chill night air sets in during my evening walks. I will grieve this loss of bright sunlight, yet I know I will embrace the warmth of my little fireplace and the comfort of my warm wool clothing, stockings and boots of autumn and our coming winter. The warmth needs be internal for autumn and winter... yet I hope my inner warmth shines through all the seasons.

Spring Blossoms

Tentatively they begin - then one day they have arrived for our pleasure. So fleeting - but anticipated by many - the blossoming trees inspire me. I walk under them hoping a few petals will concede to land on my shoulders or head...signalling something special is coming into my life. I revel in the delicate smells as I wander down the tree lined streets of my neighbourhood. I admit to premeditating my wanders to coincide with trees just blooming now...or just finishing... for the new limey green leaves appear all too soon replacing the blossoms as my new wonder. Truly I also look forward to the infant green leaves slowly hardening and darkening into mature leaves whispering in the breeze. Only then will I know that spring is here and summer is on its lazy way.

Affirmations

I rejoice in my femaleness. I love being a woman. I love my body.

I release the pattern in me that attracted unhealthy experiences. I create only good in my life.

The movies in my mind are beautiful because I choose to make it so. I love me.

I lovingly forgive and release all of the past.



I choose to fill my world with joy. I love and approve of myself.

I rejoice in my own expressions of life. I am perfect just as I am. I love and approve of myself.

I easily forgive. I love myself and will reward myself with thoughts of praise.

My concept of god supports me. I am normal and natural. I rejoice in my own sexuality and in my own body. I am wonderful!

I accept my full power as a woman and accept all my bodily processes as normal and natural. I love and approve of myself.

I am balanced in my creative flow.

I am free to be joyous.

I easily flow with change.

My life is divinely guided.

I am always going in the right direction!

Shamanistic Journey

Recently I went on a shamanistic journey. Yes I did! Prior to going on the journey we had to set an intent - give a concrete and specific outcome we wanted help with in our life now.

Specifically I went on a journey to meet my spirit helpers and ask for help to let go of pain in my heart and to free my heart to love myself and others.

and this is what I remember of my journey...

turned out I went to the rock in Jericho Beach Park. I went and asked the rock for help, hugged the rock and told the rock I need help letting go of the pain in my heart so I could open my heart to love myself and others. The rock told me I had to go through it. I was confused. An old woman appeared, bent back, with a white cane. She was pointing the cane toward the rock I think. I understood that I had to go through the rock. I asked her for help with the same intent. I faced the rock, I hugged the rock. I began to go through the rock. I was sort of pushing and then swimming through it. It was hard and then sort of like muddy material - I had to swim through it, push myself through the hard rock then the mud - then it split open and became water and a pool with portions of the rock around it - a rock pool and a small seal was there. A dark seal - I asked the seal for help - the seal was swimming in the water and I was swimming with the seal and I think I became the seal. Then I was standing holding the rock - it was transformed into a large pumpkin shape - but it was light and white and split open with light coming out from the middle of it. I was holding it - it was the rock - but changed. It was shining. I held it in my outstretched hands and felt it. I knew the white rock split open was my heart free of the past pain and open. I swam around the rock pool. Then I saw the old woman pointing again and she was pointing to an image of sunshine, and I saw two people holding hands and running or skipping in a field - I think it was me and someone - I don't know who or the gender. I felt energized and free. We were running, light and happy. It could have been children or adults, the energy was light, but I could not see the forms distinctly. The old woman kept pointing, the seal swam and the rock was still open and white. It was time to leave so I hugged the big rock, I thanked the rock, the seal, the old woman, the place and the spirits and I came back.

Peace of Mind

Apparently disposition is 50% hereditary, 10% is based on life circumstances
and a whopping 40% is based on intentional daily activities - conscious attention to make ourselves happy.
so, if that is the case, what are the kinds of things that can help boost the 40% we have in our control?

Well, I recently learned that one author - don't know the name - suggests the following twelve things we can actually do on a daily basis to consciously make and create happiness in our lives:

1) Expressing gratitude - contemplating blessings - appreciating people and things in our lives;

2) Cultivating optimism - imagining a bright future - manifesting happiness and what we want in our lives - opening our minds to the best possibilities happening - looking at the bright side and remaining positive;

3) Avoiding over-thinking;

4) Avoiding social comparisons - instead encouraging commonalities;

5) Practicing acts of kindness - doing things for others;

6) Nurturing relationships - choosing them actively and being present in a nurturing and social support network;

7) Developing coping strategies to overcome stress and increase energy and attention;

8) Learning to forgive - we store negative energy in our bodies - so forgiving someone (our ourselves)is healing - storing or holding resentments is not. We need to find a way to express pain or resentments and let it go;

9) doing activities that truly engage us - something that makes time just fly away while we are doing it - like writing, drawing, running, dancing, anything that helps us get out of our thinking selves and let go into the present;

10) Savouring life's joys - paying attention to the delight in life - receiving messages and taking moments to absorb moments and emotions as they occur - beauty in little things - notice little gifts life presents us if we are able to see them;

11) Committing to our goals - as small and insignificant as we need them to be - as grand and life transforming - just commit to try our best;

12) Practicing some form of spirituality - finding some form that is good for us - some belief or faith that is life affirming;

13) Taking care of our bodies - breathing, moving, exercising, eating healthy - learning what our bodies need to decompress and feel alive.