It’s the Simple Things

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Hello readers and visitors!  Hoping you’re finding time to enjoy the day.

I’ve loved roses for as long as I can remember – tried growing them in Michigan once I owned my own house but for reasons – beyond long brutal winters – wasn’t successful.

That didn’t mean the desire didn’t live in my heart.

As luck would have it the house we bought in the East Bay (CA) had a couple of rose bushes.  Problem?  I didn’t know how to care for them.

Neighbor to the Rescue!!

I was fortunate to live next to a woman who was more than happy to share her knowledge of all things Mother Nature with me.

We used to enjoy chilled white wine overlooking our efforts in the summers while she – older – shared life’s wisdom with me.

Fast Forward

The simple pleasures.

I normally have tennis shoes on when I grab my garden hose and – after turning the spigot – pull it down the drive to water plants.  Today was different.

Meeting of the Happy Kind

As it happened I had a set time where I’d be talking on the phone with a longtime friend. Given I wasn’t wearing socks or shoes in my house I saw no point – given the beautiful weather we’re having – to don them when I stepped to my porch for a chin wag.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been outside in bare feet.

After concluding the call I looked over – realized the flower and fauna I’ve been babying could use a dose of water.  Not bothering to put on shoes I stepped over to turn on the spigot.

Wow! Mother Nature!

Halfway across the driveway I stopped to consider how long it had been since I’d run across cement or put my bare feet in dirt

  Memory upon memory …

As a kid I spent my life running around in bare feet, uncaring how the hot cement of the sidewalks and driveway burned.

I remember the feel of grass on my feet – the feel of mud near the river at the local park.

The Sun Shines

About a half hour later a neighbor went by.  Smiling I told him of the joy of watering my flowers.  It was only ten minutes later I understood the look of confusion on his face.

Why would you water flowers with a garden hose when you have a sprinkler system?

Because to do otherwise would deprive me of the simple pleasures of life.

Visualization & Manfesting: Managing the Down Times

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Water drop or rain drop falling on water surface. Liquid ripple splash in sunlight with reflection, macro image. Abstract background, 3D illustration

Came across two articles related to manifesting.

A topic I frequently write about.

It got me thinking.

Especially the visualization one.

I’m due for a refresh on my visualizations.

Life changes around us so it’s good to reevaluate your goals to ensure things are moving in the right direction.

As I sat down to my lunchtime reading it occurred to me I could share how I handle the between time.

The time between when goals are first visualized to when they manifest.

This particular between time has another angle.  I’m still interested in the goals I’ve been visualizing but I’m not putting specific visualizations behind them because of the nuances life’s changes have introduced.  These changes mean it’s premature to put visuals – which are powerful tools for manifesting – into practice.

Too many variables are in play.

My lunchtime reading had me realizing I’d unconsciously come up with a solution.

Don’t Visualize.

Yeah, right.

My mind doesn’t race but it does tend to not shut off.

I’ll wake in the night with an idea for a book or a podcast, etc.

While this is cool on the surface it can lead to burnout.

Been there, done that, don’t want the sequel.

I unconsciously chose an activity that soothes my active mind.

Nope, not walking.

I reread my favorite books!

I love reading.

Some of the books are stories I’ve written.  Others, novels by my favorite authors.

It’s an enjoyable activity that keeps my mind engaged to the degree I don’t stress over the fact it’s in between and I need to wait out a few things.

Things outside my control.

I consider it letting the soil rest so it will be ready when I plant the next seeds.

A hobby can be a wonderful way to distract the mind from what is outside its control and while in this particular case it’s rereading stories it could be playing a sport, building Legos, doing jigsaw puzzles.

Ideally it should distract and relax.

Be well and Happy Manifesting!

Did Homeopathy Speed Healing?

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Wanted to share an observation that may help others.  

Anyone who’s listened to the introductory episode of my podcast series Navigating the Holistic Path: Integrating Holistic Health Practices Into Everyday Living knows I’m big on homeopathy as part of my holistic bag of tricks.  I recently had a healing experience that – as I aim for – gives context.

I’d been taking hypericum perforatum to address sciatic pain.  It didn’t take long to feel a significant reduction in pain but – as they say in Ginsu Knife land – there’s more!

I noticed I was sleeping better.  I went from [often] waking up between 1 and 3 am (after going to bed at 10 pm) to waking up after 4.

Going from 2 – 3 hours a night to 5.5 – 6!

One blessed day I woke up close to 6!

Curious I did a bit of research – saw that this is a homeopathic version of St. John’s Wort.

Homeopathic formulations are micro-doses and are not the same as their herbal counterparts.

St. John’s Wort is used to – among other things – help with sleep!

Ginsu Sharpening

There’s More!

The therapeutic nature of this homeopathic remedy is its effectiveness as an anti-inflammatory which is why it’s helpful with sciatica.  As it happens I was on my morning walk days back when I took a spill.  Putting my hands out I ended up scraping my right palm and left thumb to the degree there was a bit of bleeding.

Right knee too.

While it stung I continued on.

To walk it off.

I’m grateful for the commuters who stopped.

Offered to take me somewhere – made sure I was okay.

Am I Seeing This?

Sci-fi comes to life.

As I walked I periodically looked at my scuffed skin.

Kept mentally replaying what if I hadn’t… could I have avoided…?

I noted something pretty unbelievable.  It appeared as if my scrapes were healing before my eyes. They were literally disappearing!

Like something out of a sci-fi film!

Doubting Thomas Rides The Skies

I kept looking – kept seeing progress too quick to be believed.

And yet I was seeing it.

Plausible Explanation

I suspect having taken the hypericum – anti-inflammatory – for days before the spill meant my body was primed to throw healing resources at the wound.

Reducing inflammation so the body could heal as it’s meant.

And Now?

Within 2 days the wound was 1/4 in size.

No bruising – never was any which is fantastical given the fun of doing a baseball slide into rough pavement.

The thumb is completely healed and after 3 days the palm is almost free of any scabs.  

Incredible.

If I hadn’t seen it I would never have believed it.

This is the kind of story I share in my podcast series.

Real life.

Be well!

Banishing Demons (Negative Energy Pulling You Down)

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I recently launched a podcast series about integrating holistic health practices into everyday living. 

Drawing on my tendancy to use stories to give context.

While the initial episodes focus more on the body and mind part of the equation I do sprinkle in the spirit piece.  

I’ll be including more of the third part of the holistic pie in future episodes.

Wanted to share a recent experience that illustrates I walk the talk.

The Universe Steps In

Kismet in Action.

I was reading through the Apple News feed

Insert whistling and carefree skip down the morning routine trail.

An article appeared that intrigued me with its title.

A piece suggested based on something that caught the algorithms’ eye.

Not even halfway through I knew this was the perfect information at the perfect time.  Even though we hadn’t renovated we had areas in our home that had stagnant energy.

Including some that felt almost ominous.

Energetic Case Study

Bedroom Closet

For whatever reason that closet has long bothered me, to the degree I insisted the door always be shut.

In hindsight this probably added insult to injury since it meant no air circulating.

Aaron and I share the closet and he was baffled why I was so insistent the door always be closed.

I knew something off with the energy in there.

 Excited I might have a fix I put a bowl of lemon water in and yep – it lifted the energy. 

I also sprinkled a mix of baking soda and salt on the carpet with the intent it be vacuumed up in a day or two.

I knew putting a bowl of salt in a room or space where an argument had taken place would remove negative energy but hadn’t heard of the mix before.

Weirdly enough after the space was vacuumed the energy came down again.

I did a repeat lemon water treatment.

When I came to the realization I was going to have to do at least one more lemon water – maybe every couple of days indefinitely – I decided to get to the root cause.

Keep Digging

The root’s there somewhere.

I’m sharing because – as I mention in my podcasts – conditions are likely to return if you only deal with symptoms.

Holistic healing deals with root cause.

But First…

It isn’t as if I hadn’t tried dealing with the issue.  

For the past several years.

  • Switched my side with Aaron’s
  • Switched front to back
  • Organized by clothing item
  • Organized by color/season
  • Got rid of anything that no longer served

Nothing worked.

I ended up switching the two sides back to how they were.

Out of Sight But Not Out of Mind

Or Spirit

Just so happens I had a small inexpensive box I’d purchased at Michael’s Craft Store containing items that – though they used to hold joy – now held disappointment.

To the degree even thinking of what was in the box made me sad.

The fix wasn’t something I could tackle with a plan.

I’d held onto the items in the hopes maybe the individual who did have the fix might … 

I know. When we leave our happiness up to someone else’s behavior or actions we set ourselves up for failure but I felt getting rid of what was in there was admitting defeat – that the situation was hopeless.

Stubborn Celt that I am I refused to give up hope.

After awhile I shoved the box where I wouldn’t have to look at it.

And be reminded of what I’d lost.

I was determined to get to the root cause of the negative energy in that space.

The box and its contents as they were now energetically entwined.

Timing is Everything

When I opened the box I saw another smaller one inside.  I got the biggest smile!  

I thought I’d gotten rid of it during a before or after move sort/organize.

Not only did I still have this box which brings memories of a wonderful time in my life but upon opening it found things I thought lost in a move!

I was so happy!

After securing the box and the items it contained I turned to the other box.

And items representing disappointment and sadness.

I wasn’t sad!  Finding those items I thought gone lifted my spirits to the degree I could look at the remaining items dispassionately.

I could also let them go without feeling all hope was lost.

I just didn’t care anymore.  Waiting for something that might never happen was no longer worth my time or effort.

This morning I noticed that for the past few days I’ve been leaving the closet door open.

The monsters hiding inside have been banished.

More adventures coming soon.

Be well!

Podcast Episde: The Stories That Make Us

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Working on the second episode of Navigating the Holistic Path: A Series About Integrating Holistic Health Practices into Everyday Living and thought I’d give a bit of information about what to expect.

As I mention in the introductory episode throughout the series I discuss the differences between allopathic and holistic approaches to health and wellness and share stories to give context.  

I also share tools to keep in your holistic bag of tricks.

The second episode is brimming with stories of people including family who influenced my decision to live the holistic path.  As I write in my blog post I believe it’s important to share stories and I’m very grateful to the people who had such an influence for the life lessons and wisdom they shared.  It’s because they did I can pass that knowledge and wisdom to others.

Knowledge is Power. Experience is Power to Share.

Here’s the thing.  Not all the stories are happy ones but they are truths that shaped my life and my journey to where I am today.  My intent is to share the lessons and the wisdom in ways that avoid drama and yet allow for credibility.

I believe this approach allows me to help people from numerous walks of life because they will see we are all connected.

A fundamental principle of holistic.  

As a lovely woman I met today put it.  “We may not all have the same adversity but we’lve all had adversity and it means we can relate.  We are connected.”

Well said.

I’ll be giving an update on when to expect the next episode soon.  In the meantime I invite you to watch the Welcome episode.

Be well.

Navigating the Holistic Path

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I’m pleased to announce the launch of my podcast series Navigating the Holistic Path.

A series about integrating holistic health practices into everyday living.

Throughout the series I cover the differences between holistic and allopathic approaches to health and welness and share stories to give context.

I also share tools and resources to keep in your holistic bag of tricks.

Topics in the introductory episode include

  • The long windy path to my becoming a holistic doctor

Includes the story of how life derailed my plans to put me there.

  • A holistic approach to anxiety

Includes holistic remedies and resources.

  • Alcohol as a holistic tool

Includes factors to consider when deciding whether to incorporate.

And more.

Be well!

Ice Cream Man: We Need to Tell our Stories

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I volunteer to help kids with literacy.  I showed up on a recent day and was asked if I’d be willing to work with a special needs child because the specialist had to call out.  Happy to do so I soon found myself in a secluded part of a hallway listening to a little boy read about a tour of an ice cream factory.

The nature of the program means the volunteers and students find places to sit together which may be in an overcrowded room with a cacophany of voices or in a hall where students changing classes walk by.

At one point he looked at me and asked “Why so many screams?”

This was after watching him struggle with the fact he was trying to form the thought.  Telling him to take his time seemed to help him relax and articulate what was on his mind.

Why So Many Screams?

I immediately picked up his concern over the word scream but also knew he lacked context.  I quickly explained it was a childhood rhyme.

I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream.

I suspected my explanation didn’t fly because he wasn’t familiar with the rhyme so I quickly explained it was something kids would call out when chasing the ice cream man.  This necessitated I explain what the ice cream man was.

And why kids would be chasing him.

I admit – I have not seen or heard an ice cream man in all the years I’ve lived in this region of the country but that didn’t stop me from telling this sweet boy

“I’m old.  When I was little in Michigan my friends and me would chase the ice cream man – you could hear him coming by the music in his truck – yelling “I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream.”

I watched him think over the honest explanation then slowly nod.  And then he smiled.

A beautiful smile that lit up his features.

He said “I can’t wait to tell my mom.”

I don’t know if his mom is a translplant from another part of the country – maybe a place where she grew up hearing the telltale sound of an ice cream truck coming in her direction – but it reinforces my belief that we need to share stories with our kids

and grandkids …

I saw first hand how the lack of knowledge confused and alarmed.

We need to tell our stories

To share wisdom and give context.

And to reassure.

The Cosmic Justice of Adversity

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I was opening a bottle of malbec and reflecting how it came to be I’m able to use a sommelier’s corkscrew to open a bottle of wine.

The man who first taught me to use a corkscrew told me since I wasn’t strong enough he’d show me a different way.

He taught my mom and I at the same time.

This man – a doctor – explained since women didn’t have the upper arm strength to use a sommelier’s corkscrew without risk of injury we should put the bottle between our ankles and use a specific type of corkscrew.

No no no

The man I married apparently had a different opinion as evidenced by his teaching me to use a Christmas gift he received when we lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.

A sommelier’s set.

I remember him holding up a corkscrew I’d seen wait staff using.

Including women.

I’d always admired their quick dexterity, lamenting I didn’t have the strength to do so without injuring my … wrist?  Arm?  Rotator Cuff?

Or so I was told.

Aaron held up the other contraption while promising there was a better way.  When I explained the why of which I used the other he set a wine bottle on the counter and said “Watch.  I’ll let you do it but I’ll show you what you’re going to do.”

Under his patient guidance I succeeded the first time.

Years later I’m using that wonderful gift and feeling – not smug – just good.

As I was pouring it through an aerator I thought back to a similar situation.

Where adversity threw an opportunity in my direction.

As Fate Would Have It

It was a wild set of coincidences that led me to working at DEC.  A novice who needed to prove myself it came to be the senior TCs told me to clean out “the closet.”

In exchange for helping me become a Technical Consultant.

It was filled helter-skelter floor to ceiling with old VMS manuals

As well as bits and pieces of God only knew what in terms of computer parts.

I spent an entire weekend on a ladder organizing that room.

Method To The Madness

My tech mentor showed up “unexpectedly” to help me.

He spent four hours on a Saturday advising which manuals were worth keeping and which had truly outlived their usefulness.

He told me not to get rid of one piece of hardware.

I Might Use It Someday

Uh-huh where have I heard that before?

The other TC’s came in Monday beaming and suggesting I might be worth investing their mentoring in after all.

If…

Blackmail is Such an Ugly Word

They more or less collectively pointed to the pile of bits and pieces and told me if I could get the 8088 to load an OS they would agree to train me to be a consultant.

Unforseen Consequences

Not everyone was on board with promoting an administrative to the “elite.”

I was given a tiny cubicle so close to the back door it wouldn’t take much for me and my bits and pieces to go careening – helter-skelter – down the stairwell.

Less than three feet as it happens.

Who Was That Masked Man?

Aka Cosmic Justice

One Friday afternoon I was testing apps on this tiny little computer I put together.

I literally had to build the 8088 from parts and these were long past the days of an 11/780.

We’re talking MicroVAX era.

A gentleman popped his head over the cube wall and asked where everybody was.  I smiled and said “Oh it’s Friday.  They don’t come back from lunch unless there’s a proposal due Monday.  Then they work all weekend, often staying to 3 in the morning and coming back at 6 or 7 til it’s done.”

I told him I was always there helping out – which was 100% truth.

He pointed to the antiquated piece of equipment and asked, “What are you doing?”

I explained “Oh this is an 8088…”

He smiled and said “Yes, I know what it is.  It’s old.  Why is it on your desk? What are you doing?”

I explained the blackmail.

The “deal” negotiated by those making 2 – 3/x what I made.  

He smiled and we chatted for some time.  

I told him of the exciting OEM deals I was helping with and how I had just taken over managing the LAVC. 

Among other projects – having proven myself – I was working on.

I remember thinking he was a pleasant man but – being semi-customer facing and part of the region’s headquarter team – I was used to chatting with wonderful interesting people whose identity I didn’t know.

No Way!

The kind gentleman thanked me and went on his way.  A short time later a colleague I wasn’t aware was in his cube came rushing into my tiny piece of corporate real estate and gasped “Do you know who that was?!”

“Who?” I replied.

My apoplectic colleague hissed, “That was Uncle Ken!”

“Ken Olsen?” I replied my stomach dropping.

What had I said?

Though nothing was ever said directly the path to my aspirations was smoothed out.

The tiniest tiniest bit.

I will never forget that day.

The Take-Away?

You never know what Adversity is doing for you.

Even after a lifetime of it I don’t.

Walk the Talk

Holistic Podcast

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I’m starting a podcast!

Holistic Style.

Entitled Navigating the Holistic Path it’s a series about integrating holistic health practices into everyday living.

Throughout the series I’ll be talking about the differences between holistic and allopathic approaches to health and wellness and sharing stories to give context.  

Some of the topics I’ll be discussing 

These topics will be spread across multiple episodes.

  • Mind Body Spirit

What is it and how can we use it to help health and wellness?

  • Experts in the Field

What are the different options when it comes to finding a holistic health practitioner?

  • Family Care Holistic Style

How do I find the right health care practitioner for my family?

  • Why doesn’t it stick?  Why sickness comes back

Environmental impact on illness.

Will include the impact of a toxic workplace on health and well-being.

  • Nutrition

Dietary and supplement advice in the media

  • And more.

Stay tuned.

Mushed Back Into the Cookie Dough

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Taking a much needed music break.

Listening to Solar Echoes by Sir Nigel Stanford which – interestingly – maps beautifully to my Metatron’s Army series and NO – the brilliant creative does not endorse my work.  

I didn’t even realize this until years after I published the series.

Doubt he knows I exist or knows his Cymatics video put into motion parts of my EMF Sensitivity experience that were difficult to explain.  His Solar Echoes?  Well that’s a whole other beautiful ball of interconnected creative wax.

I’ve spent the past weeks pedal to the metal on an upcoming project – at times truly asking myself what the hell I was thinking.  I mean aren’t I the person who just spent 2 plus years putting myself back together after Covid Lockdown induced burnout scattered my soul to the wind?

To Burn Out

Or Not

I honestly never thought I’d write again.

Didn’t think I’d be able to read fiction either – I was in that much pain.

It wasn’t until I ended up in the hospital because of this fun that I was able to find a way out of the soul cave-in my life had become.

The ER Visit? I translated their allopathic mumbo jumbo into my holistic “This is what I need to do.”

Including stopping medication in lieu of holistic alternatives – something I’ll be discussing in this upcoming project.

Walking for weeks that turned into months – hours spent in silence with only my wounded soul as my companion – I slowly put myself back together.

It was painful because I would start to think of something I could write which gave me immediate severe psychic pain that almost had me doubling over in the middle of the sidewalk at 6:45 am.

Music Soothes the Broken Soul

I just took a moment to see which song was playing as I write this.  

Because it speaks to my healing soul.

Solar Echoes.

I’ve long written about music as a healing agent.

Playlists for EMF Sensitivity among other uses.

In this context it isn’t just a break but a reminder that I can’t wander into that creative swamp again.

I’d drown.

And as my need to create wars with the thought of having to pick up the pieces again I realize that like a cookie cutter segments pieces of the whole to put on display at holiday time the place and time I live in has forced me to carve out pieces of my work.  

Pieces of my creative soul.

And the Burnout?

What do we do after we’ve punched out a number of shapes to showcase?

We mush the remainder into a ball and bring out the rolling pin.

To Start All Over Again.

Back into the Mush.