Wednesday Wishcast -What do you wish to complete

So today is Wednesday and over at Jamie Ridler's Studio that means it is time to start wishing. Today's wish prompt is "What do you wish to complete?"

Hmmmm interesting question, what do I wish to complete?

I wish to complete my journey to forgiveness, there have been some things In my life that I have done that I feel like I have been punishing myself for. I meant no harm in these things and truly the one I harmed was myself. At this point in my life I would like to heal and forgive and move forward.

I wish to complete my goal of losing 40 pounds, I know this will aid in my physical body feeling better.

I wish to complete "The Joy Diet" book by Martha Beck even though it has brought up some tough stuff for me. I tend to jump into these type of books and then jump out when the going gets tough, I have Jamie Ridler and the book blogging group to thank for their support, which is really helping me stick with it.

I think that is enough for now I am sure I can come up with a million things but I think Forgiveness is the big one. The image above represents the me I am now forgiving the younger me.

Enjoy your day fellow wishcasters.

Namaste,
KAren

Visual Free Association Game

Hi!

Being a very visual person I tend to look at images and words will come to me. It reminds me of the free association game where someone says a word and then you say the first word that comes to you from that.

I thought it would be cool to post images here and then post 3 words that come to me immediately upon viewing the image. If you care to join me just add your words to the comments section below.

Here is todays picture from All Posters

Salvatore Dali

and my 3 words are:
Taking In Beauty

Full Moon Dreamboard - Earth

Today is the Full Harvest Moon Dreamboard over at Jamie Ridler's Studio.

When I was reading Jamie's description during her new moon post the idea that jumped out at me was EARTH. MY dreamboard is full of earth visions. The center piece is from Sage Woman calendar. I love the woman in the middle she is out in nature calling to the elements to honor them as she grounds herself on the earth.
I was also drawn to add the owl and the horse for some reason (can you find them)
I also loved the image of the spiral and the shadow of the person raising their arms up.

I think the dream I am seeing for myself in this dreamboard is more like a reminder. A reminder to plant my feet firmly on the ground and remember to come back to earth to find my center and balance. I am a triple earth sign, Capricorn Sun, Taurus Moon and Virgo rising so the this is a good reminder for me.

Please click on the picture for a larger view. I am away and the lighting is bad here so the picture is not the greatest.

Great Giveaways at Mrs B's Confession of a Pagan Soccer Mom

Hi All.

There are some great Halloweeney giveaways at Mrs B's Confession of A Pagan Soccer Mom. She has also decked out her blog in it's Halloween best, very cool.
Click on the badge below to check out all the fun.

Good Luck!

A Pause for some Musical Entertainment

I just felt like a little "Jammin" today.
Bob Marley always was a powerful voice for freedom

Spring, Summer, Fall or winter, it's always a good season to listen to reggae!

Enjoy.

"Jammin" - Bob Marley

The Joy Diet - Second Ingredient: The Truth

I have to be truthful here, I did not want to do this chapter of "The Joy Diet". I wanted to tell a little white lie about it , make something up as I went….but you know how that goes.

I tried to hide from the truth all week but it just kept creeping up on me, like once I had it set in my mind to avoid the truth, the truth just kept jumping out at me. Actually I grew up in a house that held lies and shame, not that you would know that from the outside, but I felt it and now I find I would rather hear the truth. That is not to say it was all bad, because it wasn't. I also did not sit well with nothing this week, but I think that had to do with the fact that I was trying not to hear the truth, and sitting with nothing can lead your mind to the truth sometimes!

Here are some of my experiences while reading this chapter on truth and where it led me.

In reading the chapter I recognized myself when she was describing dissociation and denial. I did that a lot as a kid and still do it now from time to time. The problem is as she states, things start to feel unreal, and we lose touch with our senses. It was so bad for me at one point that the only thing my body felt was pain, pain in my stomach, arm, leg, whatever it was at the time. My body was giving me messages to wake up and start listening. I had numbed myself out so much from my emotions and was very disconnected from my body; my favorite way recently of doing this was by emotional eating. The truth being that I gained 60 pounds in a few years before I realized what was happening.

It has been a long journey but I feel I am on the path to healing where this is concerned. I still struggle but I see some forward movement, especially in being able to share my story and to actually stick up for myself instead shutting down. Some of the people in my life did not like when I starting “talking back” and wanting answers, I was not acting like the good girl they wanted me to be. And now as an adult I can see those ways of coping that served me well as a child and young adult no longer serve me and I feel It may now be safe to look for the truth within.

I will share a truth that came to me as I was reading this chapter: My Dad is NOT the man I thought he was, he was more and less than I thought. He was a man of secrets, some of them coming to light after his death. I think he spent a lifetime in denial and he struggled with addiction. Having to juggle so many secrets must have chipped away at him. But the truth also is that he DID love me the best he could, and ironically I got my sense of justice from him (he was in law enforcement) and I believe I inherited my empathy and compassion from him.

I believe his was a tender soul but he grew up in a tough environment and he had to cope the best he could to survive his circumstances. I was very angry and felt betrayed when I discovered some of his secrets but I have moved past that into forgiveness and compassion, that is my truth for today. So you see the story I had told myself about my father was not the truth and I may never know the whole truth of that story, but that is ok. The picture above is of my Dad holding me as a baby, I wish I could remember that moment. And the truth now is I am ready and willing to heal.

Wow sorry this is so long; I guess my truth wanted to be heard more than I expected. Thank you so much for your support in giving me this space to share my story. And I look forward to hearing all about your week of truth.

Whip It - Movie Trailer

This movie looks very cool. I love the tagline "Whip It, be your own hero"
Here is a brief description from Imdb
"In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin."
There is a line in the trailer that I like, when talking about the roller derby the lead character explains why she is doing it by saying "I am in love with this" Oh, I hope some day to say that about something I am doing.

Looks like it's right up my alley.

Have a great night.

Trailer for "Whip It"

Wishcasting Wednesday - What do you wish to share?

Over at Jamie Ridler's Studio today is Wishcasting Wednesday. The prompt today is "What do you wish to share?" Hmmmm this one has me a little nervous, how much am I willing to share with all my Wednesday Wishcasters?

I can share that I am wondering what my purpose in this lifetime is, I feel like I am adrift most days, living in a state of anticipation, waiting for something to react to instead of just living my life. I wonder a lot about the past and what happened there that broke my trust and faith in the world. I wonder can I just be ok with the not knowing, can I just take those steps forward and start making the changes that will help me grow and find my place.

I can share a secret with you, sometimes I wonder if my husband really loves me or if he just stays with me because he does not think he can find someone else. It has nothing to do with him really it has to do with me not feeling like things are ok, a general lack of faith and trust in things and a lack of self-esteem in self.

I can share a bit about Trust and Faith, they don't come to me very easily, both were broken pretty early on for me. I am rebuilding them slowly, even participating in this exercise of wishcasting is a sign that my faith and trust is rebuilding, and I have all of you and Jamie to thank for that so THANK YOU!

I can share that one of my newly found dreams is to share with others this creative path I am on, I have found it has led me to different modes of healing, modes that get you out of your head and into the spirit. I would love some day to have a place where I can gather with like minded souls and we can all create together in a safe place where we can SHARE our stories.

I feel like just sharing some of these things with you has helped create some openings in me, some space where the heart can grow. The picture above is of me outside standing in my mint plants, I have a sense of peace outside in nature recently and I am going to try to make an effort to be outside more.


Namaste

Visual Free Association

Being a very visual person I tend to look at images and words will come to me. It reminds me of the free association game where someone says a word and then you say the first word that comes to you from that.

I thought it would be cool to post images here and then post 3 words that come to me immediately upon viewing the image. If you care to join me just add your words to the comments section below.

The first one is from Andrew Wyeth. Image from JSS Gallery.
Here Goes...


And my 3 words are:
Longing
Searching
Reaching

What are your words?

A Visit to Woodstock, NY

Hey All,

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I am lucky to live about one and a half hours away from Woodstock, NY. We decided this Saturday to take a ride over there.

I just love the town's vibe, there are artsy people, hippie people, homeless people, dog people, tourists and many other types of people both young and old.

The links below are to some of the stores we visited and what we purchased. I am like a kid in a candy shop in this town. I have to remember I don't have a money tree in my backyard (one of my Aunt's favorite sayings when I was growing up).

If you ever go you have to check out Joshua's Cafe for lunch or breakfast. I had the BEST chicken matzah ball soup and tabbouleh salad.

Sorry the pictures are from my cell phone so they might not be the clearest.

Stores:
Talisman Gallery
Here I bought the affirmation necklace, the circle says Faith and the heart says courage. I also bought a Reiki candle for courage (I am sensing a theme here!)


The Woodstock Style Company
Here I bough a vintage Grateful Dead T-shirt, some pins (the one says "Who says I have to be normal") love it, and the cute hat which I have to say is the first hat I have actually bought myself in years.



Mirabai Bookstore
A great all around bookstore who's motto is "Nourishment for mind and spirit"
I bought "Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest" and "Eating for Acid Reflux".

Candlestock
Here I bought some beeswax candles. The picture is of a multi-candle that they have been burning for years.


Well that was some of my adventures through this cool town, I have to go back and visit again since there was way too much to see. I think I could live in or near this town and be quite a happy camper.

Namaste

A Pause for Musical Entertainment

An oldie but a goodie! ( Click Below)

Stevie Nicks - Rhiannon - Live 197O's

she looks so young.

The Joy Diet -Week One - nothing

This is the first week of Jamie Ridler's Book blogging of Martha Beck's "The Joy Diet"

So, my fellow dieters, how did you make out fitting 15 minutes of nothing into your days?

I know alot of people might say they are too busy to fit 15 minutes of nothing into their days, but I can't use that reason. I AM NOT too busy, I work a part time job which gets me home between 2 and 3 most days I have no children and my husband does not get home until after 4pm. So...unless I have an errand to run I really do have the TIME to fit in 15 minutes of nothing a day.

So how did it go you ask, not so good I reply. I have learned that from the minute I get home until I go to sleep I am constantly distracting myself with either the TV, or reading during the times of nothingness. I have come to the conclusion that I just don't want to be alone with my own thoughts and I unconsciously distract myself all the time. I can't just sit and meditate, I always had a problem with that. The only time I can get close to a meditative state is when I am creating, but that is not really doing nothing, is it?

I thought this is not going well and I will have nothing to share with the group about doing nothing. Then at the end of the week I noticed something, I noticed that I am quite ok doing nothing when I am OUTSIDE, even if it is just sitting on my front porch amidst the sounds of birds and cars. During this time I am really not thinking about anything.. YIPPPEEE, finally I found my nothing spot. I find I am at peace in nature be it on my front porch, a park, by the ocean and so on.

Ah, but the catch is this, I avoid doing this for some reason which has yet to be discovered. Maybe I will discover the reason while on this journey with you.

I hope your first week was full of good nothingness.
The picture above represents my vision card for nothingness, just sitting outside enjoying nature.

My moment of joy this week: Playing catch with my puppy Bella, she really loves it and I swear she smiles the whole time!!!

Until next week fellow dieters.
Namaste,
Karen

Raw Food Recipes That Took Me By Surprise

I am currently working with a holistic nutrionist Maureen Huntley to clean up my diet and learn about different foods and ways of eating that can be helpful to my Asthma and Gerd.

Well you can imagine my shock when she said are you ready to try some "Raw Food"?
It was like she was speaking a foreign language talking about eating "living" raw fruits and veggies. Other than crudites and salad I am a big fan of cooking my vegetables and adding them to my plate alongside my grains and protein of choice for the day.
She assured me you can get all you need from the fruits and vegetables kept in their natural uncooked form.

So Maureen came over for a "raw food cooking" lesson and I asked can we really call it a cooking session if we are not actually cooking anything?
I am quite surprised to say I actually like quite of few of the things we made and I will share the recipes for them below. I also have a juicer and she gave me a easy recipe of 1 apple, 2 stalks of celery and a handful of parsley and "BAM" there are 2 of your daily servings of fruits/vegetables. The juice was very tasty, sweet and a little salty.

The biggest challenge for me is getting in all those daily recommended fruits/vegetables so this will help me to that and to keep most of the nutrients by not cooking everything.

But... am I ready to kick my stove to the curb.. nope not ready for that yet but I think I can incorporate this into my regular diet.

One more tip I got was about bananas, the darker they are the more sugar they have in them, it is best to eat them when they are just starting to go from green to yellow.
You can peel them and freeze them and then when you want a frozen creamy treat you can put the bananas and other frozen fruits in the food processor and blend.

Recipes:
Angel Hair Pasta and Sauce (pictured above) from Living on Live Food: Alissa Cohen

you can use a Saladacco to make the most pasta like shape for the zucchini or any slicer you have than can make ribbons.

Pasta: 3-4 Zucchini
Marinara Sauce:
2 1/2 Cups tomatoes (roma)
12 Sundried tomatoes, soaked
3 dates, pitted and soaked
1/4 Cup Olive Oil (extra virgin)
4 cloves garlic (I used 2 and that was plenty for me)
2 Tablespoons basil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1. Spiralize the zucchini (or ribbon slice) and put in a large bowl.
2. Place all Marinara ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Pour sauce over zucchini and serve!

Stuffed Collard Greens: Quick and tasty snack

Guacamole for stuffing:
2 Avocados
1 roma tomato
Salt and Pepper to taste
blend in processor until smooth. (you can add anything you want to this)

1. Take freshly washed Collard Green leaf and spoon guacamole on and roll up.
2. Slice the rolled up leaf like sushi and dip in soy or tamari sauce.

I have to say I really liked this and the longer they sat the more tender the Collard Greens became, a little sweet even.

** You can also use this stuffing to stuff a portobella mushroom cap.

I will share more recipes as I experiment. If you have tried any raw food recipes or juices I would love to hear about them.

Have a Great Day.
Namaste,
Karen

Wednesday Wishcasting:What luxury do you wish for?

Photo:Darhomes
Over at Jamie Ridler's Studio today is Wishcast Wednesday. I have to first say thanks to Jamie and all my fellow wishcasters, it has been wonderful to participate in this group and I am grateful for all your encouraging words and support for my wishes.

Today Jamie askes what Luxury do you wish for? Wow that is a tough one.

Here are some luxuries I wish for:

The luxury of acting without fear and anxiety. It can be exhausting when fear and anxiety rule over every decision you make, really exhausting.

The luxury of security in my relationships. I am always working to make the others in my life happy so they won't leave me. For once I would just like to feel secure in my relationships, to feel that the people in my life love me just as I am, warts and all!

The luxury to love my body no matter what shape it is in, now this is a biggie since I have spend the better part of my life really disliking my body. I am coming to see it as mine and I want to love it and take care of it. I don't want to take it for granted anymore or feel like I have to hide it away.

The luxury to create art in a nuturing space where I can grow as an artist and maybe someday grow that space to nuture others who yearn for a space to create in, to teach them as I teach myself.

And lastly on a material note I would love to have a luxurious kitchen one filled with love and laughter where I can cook and gather with my friends and family.

Namaste to you all.

Autumn Equinox/Mabon Thoughts and Links

Sept 22, 2009; 5:18 P.M. EDT begins the Autumn Equinox, day is equal to night and there is balance produced between both.

Mabon is the 2nd harvest festival sandwiched between Lammas and Samhain. Some refer to it as a Thanksgiving like harvest holiday.

I always start to feel the pull to go inward at this time of year, which is funny when you think about it since it is the beginning of school for all school goers.
I still at 43 get that urge to start things like gearing up for school which clashes with that going inward vibe.

So this year I have decided to listen to the natural world and slow down and enjoy the harvest that is here and start the turn inward for some introspection and much needed rest and rejuvenation after the spring/summer season.

Maybe if I heed this natural way of things I would be less prone to sickness this time of year from all the rushing around. It will be hard to resist the mad rush of the season that is coming up with all the outside influence of the commercial holidays. I think the local CVS will probably start putting out their Christmas decorations any day now, they seem to put it out earlier and earlier each year.

So that is my intention for this season, to slow down some, to enjoy the harvest and prepare for the fall/winter season.

This is also a good time for rituals or prayers for protection and security.

The links below are some thoughts on Mabon from Mrs'B Blog and Dreamwriters blog, they both have some great ideas to enjoy this time of year. The third link has a ton of information on the Autumn Equinox and Mabon for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy the season of golden colors, crisp apples, root grounding vegetables and letting your energy go from harvesting to resting.

Namaste,

Mrs. B Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom
Dreamwriter
Magical Winds

Fame- The Movie 2009 vs. 1980 version

I am looking forward to seeing the movie "Fame" the 2009 version. I am a sucker for all movies with singing and dancing. I think I must have been a dancer in another life. I am amazed and awed at the way people can move their bodies. Dancing is like art to me when I see it; it moves me as does music.

I was looking through youtube for the movie trailer and I got caught up watching clips from the original 1980 version which I loved and watched many times when it first came out, I was just entering freshman year of high school that year.

I had forgotten how gritty and real the original was, I wonder how the new version will compare. Irene Cara rocked the house in 1980. See for yourself the difference in the two, below I linked the 2009 trailer and the 1980 trailer. If you search for Fame 1980 on youtube there are many great clips from the original movie.

Fame 2009
Fame 1980

The Secret - how do you feel about it?

I am not so sure how I feel about "The Secret", I feel like it may have taken the Law of Attraction to a very materialistic consumer driven place.

The Law of Attraction is a very old concept, "The Secret" did not uncover this.
Some of my problems are with the black or white take on you being the cause of suffering/negativity in your life, now I do believe we can absolutely be the cause of some of our suffering but I don't believe we are the cause of it all. I think some suffering can also be societal and in some cases familial.

I just can't buy into a concept that can say an abused person attracted abuse to themselves, especially in the case of a child or victim of a violent crime, to me that is just evil doings by the person doing the abusing, in no way is it the victims fault, that again is just my belief.

I would love to hear thoughts on the Law of Attraction vs. "The Secret" because I believe "The Secret" is just touching on the subject. I am interested in the law of attraction as a whole and I would like to bring more of the positive into my life. I think the good thing that can be said for "The Secret" is that it introduces people to the Laws of Attraction, but where to go from there?

The link below is a buddhist opionion on "The Secret" and I found it very interesting. Especially in the conclusion, when he states that the pursuit of having it all can actually take you out of living in the now or distract you from living in the now.

Thoughts anyone?

http://globalchemy.gaia.com/blog/2007/6/a_buddhist_look_at_the_secret_pt_1-the_life_story_of_the_buddha

The Next Chapter: The Joy Diet - Beginnings

Over at Jamie Ridler's Studio today is the beginning of Next Chapter book blogging club. This time the book is "The Joy Diet" by Martha Beck. Here is the link to "The Joy Diet" Book Blogging on Jamie's site.
I am very happy to have found Jamie Ridler and this community of wise women/men. I have especially enjoyed the Wednesday Wishcasting and the Full Moon Dreamboards, it has helped me focus my creativity in new ways. So thanks to you all for your encouragement and support.

I am practing being positive as I can get bogged down by the negative so I wrote a quick poem about "The Joy Diet" with some positve affirmations based on the chapters in the the book. It is posted below.

So I wish us all much happiness as we embark on this joy diet together.

Namaste,
Karen (deldino)
______________________________________________________________
Poem for the Joy Diet

Nothing I will do with my mind for 15 minutes a day,
Truth I will search for in my thoughts and words I say,
Desire I will look into my heart and reach for what I want,
Creativity I will let flow freely from its font,
Risk I will overcome fear and take that first step,
Treats I will give myself for every time I say YEP,
Play I will remember as I find my true North Star,
Laughter I will release to be heard both near and far,
Connections I will treasure as we travel this path to joy,
Feasting I will savor as well as anticipate and ENJOY
_________________________________________________________________

A Pause for Musical Entertainment

I LOVE this song, just gets my toes tapping and my fingers snapping.
Makes we want to dance in the streets.


Enjoy your Friday! Click Below for Song

Smooth

Self-Sabotaging at it's finest.

So here is how it all starts... I wake up feeling cranky about my ups and downs with my diet. You know how it goes, lose 5 pounds gain back 3 lost 5 more gain back 2 and so on and so forth. So today I wake up with my mind set that today once again starts the first day of my healthy eating plan.

Cut to my drive to work as I start daydreaming about taylor ham, cheese and egg sandwiches, so much I can taste it in my mouth!!!! UGGGHHHH!!!! No I say it is OATMEAL you really crave and love, you know it is!

And do you what the kicker is... I don't even eat taylor ham, egg and cheese that often to begin with, it is probably the most fattening thing my self-sabotaging gremlin could come up with from my memory banks.

I am contstantly amazed at how quick my self-sabotaging gremlins come to life.
It is a constant battle with myself.
If any of you have any tips or tricks I would appreciate them.

So wish me luck. For now It is me 1 and gremlin 0 as I sit here enjoying my oatmeal with honey.

Have a great day.


Images: google search