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the magic of some words

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I’m retweeting . . . my way . . . these words want to be shared . . . they speak to the heart, to the spirit, they have their own kind of magic – they show us another way of understanding ourselves and each other.

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@Soulseedzforall: Trust your instincts. Intuition doesn’t lie.

@PanacheDesai: Every one of us embarks on this journey from the Divine and every one of us is returning to the Divine. So what are you worried about?

@soniachoquette: You cannot breathe deeply and worry at the same time. Breathe. Let the worry go. Breathe. Allow the love and intuition in.

I think we risk becoming the best informed society that has ever died of ignorance. ~Reuben Blades

@james odea: The world is also facing a lot of new problems, most of which are man-made.

@james odea: A great Tibetan teacher of mind training once remarked that 1 of the mind’s most marvelous qualities is that it can b transformed.

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We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. – Marcel Proust

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It’s just an experience

I’ve been in Ecuador for almost six months; so much has happened in that time, though . . . one incident set the pace for the next few months. Four days after arriving in Cuenca, Toshi, my very nice and very helpful son-in-law who came with me for five days, and I were at the Rotary Plaza. He was ahead of me; I was standing still, we were looking around, trying to decide where to have lunch. Suddenly, I was flat on my face. Oh, what a sight! I’ll spare the details. People thought I had tripped because gringoes here seem to be good at that . . . the sidewalks are decorated with fairly large holes (just the right size for the ball of a foot), or protrusions, and when looking up at the beautiful architecture, or at shops while walking, or in conversation and not noticing a 14″ high curb . . . a fall might be the order of the day.

So, there I was bleeding, holding a piece of my front tooth, and absolutely dumbfounded as to what had just happened. Do you remember Christopher Reeves as Superman? He’s wearing his big S outfit and ready for action, then in a flash, SWOOSH! he’s in the air, arms straight ahead. Me, too! -though, in a flash, SWOOSH! I was flat on the ground, arms straight in back of me.

“Were you pushed? Did you trip? Do you have altitude sickness?” – “No. No. And No.” Then “What happened?” – That was the question that gnawed at me. “What the heck happened?” – I asked myself as I sat on the curb, dazed.

Then Toshi and I took a waiting taxi to the apartment where I’d been living for three days in El Centro. When we arrived, we saw Jorge, my landlord, in front of his store. He looked at me, and soon Toshi and I were in his car going to Bolivar Clinic where the inside of my lip was stitched! It was an ouch! hour. Jorge slipped out of the Clinic once and returned with an English-speaking friend from Loja. After stitching was completed, we drove to the old Military hospital across from the Rio Tomebamba for X-rays. I spoke no Spanish; therefore, was not part of the conversation with the doctors. Shortly after we returned to my apartment, a few quarts of tapioca soup prepared by Jorge’s lovely wife, Susana, were brought to me. Since I could barely open my mouth, it was perfect. And, in case you’re wondering, tapioca soup is ever so comforting. Jorge’s son, Steven, who speaks English, said that Susana prepares tapioca soup whenever anyone is sick. A few days later, another few quarts of soup came my way.

And two days later Toshi left for the States with a promise to not tell family about my temporary new look. In the weeks to come, Steven accompanied me to doctor appointments – always saying, with a smile, “No worries.”

It was a time to heal and read, and while I was doing that, a sentence made me stop: “Treat everything that happens to you as an experience. Don’t judge it as good or bad. It’s just an experience.” Those words grabbed my attention, and made me snap out of thinking, “What the heck happened?” And to stop reliving, and wanting to figure out, that accident- so important because those thoughts take energy away from healing.

Then I began remembering the kindness and help that came my way after that “experience.” Before I arrived in Ecuador, I’d read that Ecuadorian people are friendly and helpful; experience tells me that that would be an understatement. They really do “go the extra mile” if that’s what’s needed. Jorge, Susana, Steven, and the Casa Britanica Cuenca staff, I thank you!

20140126-144710.jpg the neighborhood where I lived and learned and healed. Oh, yes!

It’s a gorgeous day in Cuenca. Where you are, too?

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“Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything,and love is all there is.” – Gary Zukav

“Worrying will never change the outcome.” Gregg Braden

“Life is an adventure. Dare it.” – Soulseeds

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lorna byrne

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She inspires! And the messages she gets from Angels go around the world with her as she communicates what they tell her. Seeing Angels and receiving their messages, and asking them questions, I can’t image how that must be for her.

On one of her recordings she said that she was in a hotel in the Times Square area of New York and saw the Angel of Hope moving among the skyscrapers and sending hope to the people below.

That is a wonderful message for all Americans to keep in their hearts on this Fourth of July 2013. She said that the Angels tell her that America hasn’t reached its potential yet, but it will.
“@LornaByrne: Happy 4th July! America is a beacon of hope for the world http://bit.ly/1b9GOFH”

She gets and gives lots of hugs, and wants us to open our hearts and send out compassion and love to all the people we’re connected to — and that’s everyone.

Thank you Lorna Byrne for being a messenger of hope around the world.
www.lornabyrne.com

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

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A tweet: “@LornaByrne: Angels are asking me to ask you all to smile a litttle more.”

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into the lives of others

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I was perusing Inc magazine while enjoying a good cup of coffee, when I saw on page 64, La Colombe Torrefaction Every Cup An Adventure Tale, and read: “This company shows the passion the owner has for coffee and lengths he’s willing to go to get it. It’s like the Patagonia of coffee.” — Bob Lord

The photo of co-founder and CEO Todd Carmichael on page 64 audacious companies helps to tell the story. He goes anywhere in the coffee world to track down “high-end beans other roasters won’t risk pursuing.” The words violence and danger don’t seem to be part of his vocabulary — he just goes. A travel channel show called Dangerous Grounds “captures each expedition.” A savvy businessman who loves what he does, does it his way, and does it well captures the definition of the word, inspiring. And www.lacolombe.com/founders-biographiessuggests that his personal life is also inspiring.

Reading about people who see the world in a good, BIG way and live with that amount of passion, feeds the mind and soul. Nice, right?

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That same day I passed Rittenhouse Plaza and there was Joseph Dupoldt, a doorman who, without fail smiles and has an encouraging word for all who pass — should they be open to it. I pass Joseph to and fro when going to La Colombe which is next door, and so have an opportunity to collect his smiles and see him in action. And I’ve noticed that he doesn’t seem to realize the impact he has on the lives of the different people who come in contact with him as they go in and out of the door where he stands. He does though. He’s aware of when people want a smile, or when they want to be with their thoughts, undisturbed — either way, he’s there for them. If you pass quietly or linger a little, you can hear him singing; he likes du bop and has a wonderful voice. It’s easy to see that he brings harmony, joy, and awareness to his job, and that’s only the things I can see. Nice, right? I want to ask him where someone as young as he is got his wisdom. I wonder what he’ll say.

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“There is nobody else like you. The more you can quiet your own thoughts, fears, doubts and suspicions, the more will be revealed to you from the highest realms of imagination, intuition, and inspiration.” – Kenneth Wydro, American lecturer

“My country is the world and my religion is to do good.” – Thomas Paine

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the peace prayer

What would happen if many of us recited the Peace Prayer tonight? -I’m thinking maybe a big shift in mass consciousness. Maybe?

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

 

What do you think, would it work?

 

 

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Man’s Best Friend

Charlotte
Charlotte hams it up!

Anyone who’s had a dog understands the important role these special beings play in a family. The pure and unconditional love of a family dog is something that everyone should be fortunate enough to experience.

Charlotte is 8 years young and every single day she teaches us about unconditional love. Whether sitting at our feet while we peck away at a keyboard and work. Greeting us at the door without fail every single time anyone comes home or making sure she is body to body with whomever she is sharing the couch with.

Pure love, friendship & loyalty about sums it up.

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narcissus quagliata and michel domit

Lilou Mace has given us another exceptional interview with famous glass artist Narcissus Quagliata, and the creator of El Santuario at Valle de Bravo (two miles outside of Mexico City), Michel Domit.

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www.juicylivingtour.com
www.elsantuario.com

These two creators, with Lilou Mace, treat us to a remarkable interview which, if we carefully and deeply listen, will change us. I want to entice you to watch it on juicy living tour by writing about a few things that were discussed, and, when you’re ready, to search for the video titled “The Importance of Stopping the Mind! Mexico.” I’ll try to piece a little of it together for you to whet your appetite, although it won’t sing to your heart in the way watching and listening will. Something begins to stir in the listener when hearing about the creation of the beautiful light from the dome reflecting everywhere, and the amazing before and after story of El Santuario and the dome, hearing the words: heart, love, consciousness, creating, quieting the mind, the holy quartz mountain that has a spirit, quieting the mind, atoms, stars, the Tibetan monks, revelation, transformation, quieting the mind. . . .

Dialogue taken from the juicy living tour video:

We have two imaginations – one the perceptive, the other the creative – though no one talks about it, Silva Mind Control founded by Jose Silva does, and Michel Domit taught it for twenty years.
www.silvamindcontrol.com

Narcissus Quagliata created a beautiful dome for El Santuario. Before doing this, though, he took absolute quiet on the mountain for three months. He said that people have to learn how to quiet the mind and create a vacuum. And if you stop internal dialogue you become enlightened. He said that he created the dome by pushing away everything that was unnecessary. He said the most frequent question asked is: How did you invent the imagery? How did you invent it? The answer is simple, he said. I invented it by pushing away everything that is unnecessary. I create an empty space and then the images find me. I don’t go find them – absolute quiet and then I just stood still and within days my place was crowded with images. By quieting the mind you become a vacuum. That’s how Siddhartha became the Buddha.

Michel Domit said that his teacher Carlos Castenada insisted so much on stopping the internal dialogue – it is not us. The mind we are using is wonderful, but if we don’t know where the turnoff button is, it’s terrible. It can actually drive you crazy.
www.castaneda.com

He devoted eight hours every day for five months to meditation before beginning his El Santuario project. And he said that the spirit of the mountain guided him in the creation of El Santuario . . . listen to the video to find out how the spirit of the mountain communicates.

And so, the above is just a skeleton of a most interesting and enlightening interview; it’s much more exciting to watch and listen to it because time and again what’s stressed is that there’s so much more to life, and to us, than what we now believe. And the possibility of things being a lot different for us were we to deeply listen to the dialogue between Narcissus Quagliata, Michel Domit, and Lilou Mace on the video “The Importance of Stopping the Mind! Mexico” is very real.

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“In the universe there is an unmeasurable force which shamans call intent, and absolutely everything that exists in the entire cosmos is attached to intent by a connecting link.”
– Carlos Castaneda

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egg whites, they’re not just for eating

Lilian, my friend in Malta, forwards information that simply has to be passed along. Will we ever need to use egg whites in this way? One never knows, does one?

The story:

*A young man sprinkling his lawn and bushes with
pesticides wanted to check the contents of the barrel to see how much
pesticide remained in it. He raised the cover and lit his lighter; the
vapors ignited and engulfed him. He jumped from his truck, screaming..*
*His neighbor came out of her house with a dozen eggs and a bowl
yelling: “bring me some more eggs!”* *She broke them, separating the
whites from the yolks.* *The neighbor woman helped her to apply the
whites onto the young man’s face.* *When the ambulance arrived and the
EMTs saw the young man, they asked who had done this. Everyone pointed to
the lady in charge. They congratulated her and said: “You have saved his
face.” By the end of the summer, the young man brought the lady a bouquet
of roses to thank her. His face was like a baby’s skin. * *A Healing
Miracle for Burns:*

*Keep in mind this treatment of burns is being included in
teaching beginner fireman.* *First Aid consists of first spraying cold
water on the affected area until the heat is reduced which stops the
continued burning of all layers of the skin.* *Then**, spread the egg
whites onto the affected area.* *One woman burned a large part of
her hand with boiling water. In spite of the pain, she ran cold faucet
water on her hand, separated 2 egg whites from the yolks, beat them
slightly and dipped her hand in the solution. The whites then dried and
formed a protective layer.* *She later learned that the egg white
is a natural collagen and continued during at least one hour to apply
layer upon layer of beaten egg white. By afternoon she no longer felt any
pain and the next day there was hardly a trace of the burn.* *10 days
later, no trace was left at all and her skin had regained its normal
color. The burned area was totally regenerated thanks to the collagen in
the egg whites, a placenta full of vitamins.* *Since this information
could be helpful to everyone: Won’t you please pass it on?*

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parenting


I had a recent discussion with someone about bringing up a child in today’s world, and when I got off the phone I took a long, deep breath. it’s an ongoing discussion, and anyone raising a child knows about all the advice and opinions coming from books, magazine articles, blogs, family, and friends, and the confusion at times when needing an answer and finding contradictions.

I feel though that a few things haven’t changed: the ease of teaching at that early fun age by just walking and talking and playing rather than trying to get a teenager’s attention later on; the loneliness of making tough decisions, and the strength that follows; the importance of honing one’s intuition and common sense; guilt that creeps into the mind at all hours of the day and night (It serves no purpose, and it drains one’s energy); the importance of forgiving and then forgetting; communicating as much as possible; laughing often; knowing when to let go; and appreciating the gift of a precious life to care for and to love.

Then I thought again about writing more, and said, no, no, no, it’s too broad a subject having too many opinions. So, instead I’ll generalize and take the easy way and say: parenting in today’s world is having to give all you’ve got and expecting nothing much in return – for a while. It’s about knowing that if you do your very best, you’ll end up smiling often. It’s about building a strong foundation of trust in oneself, one’s child, and the Universe. It’s about developing the power of intuition. It’s about understanding that every child is different and nothing is written in stone, and no one knows a child better than a loving parent/caregiver. It’s about not comparing. It’s about using lots of common sense. It’s about unconditional love, understanding and compassion. It’s about letting go at the right time. It’s about hopefully staying two steps ahead until those parenting skills (which are mostly learned “on the job” – interesting because it’s such an important job) kick in. It’s about remembering the words of the older generation who keep repeating them when they sense you’re about to fall apart: “I know it seems like the longest journey you’ve ever been on, but trust me, it all goes by so fast.” Difficult to imagine, but true; I know from experience that it passes in a flash. Enjoy the ride, and every so often smile when reading the words of Khalil Gibran.

“Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of life longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.”

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And the following are Krishnamurti’s words taken from an address he had given in 1927 and printed in the book The Spiritual Tourist: A Personal Odyssey Through the Outer Reaches of Belief by Mick Brown (“This book starts out excellently and then gets better.” Robert M. Pirsig, Author of ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE):

“What are you seeking . . . you who strive and struggle and ache eternally with unsatisfied longings? Is it money? Is it possessions? Is it fame? Is it physical comfort? Is it love? Is it spiritual safety? . . . Yes indeed, you think it is one of these things. But I tell you it is not. What you are seeking for ceaselessly, day and night, is Happiness . . . The thing you seek is ever at your hand. Be Happy, and then whatever you do will be worthwhile . . . Do that which makes you happy to do, and you will do right.”

Today the sun is out in full force and I hear people laughing as they walk pass my window. It looks like a beautiful day; let’s be happy and enjoy.

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spices herbs plants

Many of us have just begun to realize the huge benefits of spices, herbs, and plants and allow them into our domain. They’ve always been there for us to learn about and use, though it seems many of us weren’t ready. However, judging from all the information available to us in this decade, we are ready now, right? In the light of that, let’s pay homage to a few spices, herbs, and plants.

I feel that the book, The Indian Grocery Store Demystified by Linda Bladholm, is a labor of love, and I highly recommend it. Lot and lots of information can be found in the easy-to-read, rather thick book. If I had a bookshop it would be openly displayed, and I’d amuse myself by watching how many people would stop, look, and happily buy.

Turmeric is “antibacterial, antiviral, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiparasitic, and a diuretic,” – the list goes on. The above-mentioned book tells us about the benefits of turmeric. I take it stirred in R.W. Knudsen organic tomato juice, along with a dash of cayenne pepper, these three ingredients seem to agree with each other and produce a smooth-tasting drink. There’s no doubt about all the benefits, we just need to read and understand and be comfortable with what we’re ingesting, and think about the right dosage for our body. It’s certainly essential in the cuisine of India, not only in curries, pick up a cookbook and find that page after page turmeric is used.

Cayenne Pepper: The following website suggests a passion for cayenne pepper and to click on and read about its innumerable benefits is to know the why of the passion. www.healsa.co.za/cayennepepper.htm it’s written that it “was compiled by Dr. Schulze’s Curezone.com”
www.curezone.com

The Spice Terminal at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia has cayenne pepper from Africa that’s 1,000 times spicier than what we’re accustomed to, and the person behind the counter said to take it very, very, very sparingly. I didn’t dare touch it, I’ll be back when I’m ready though. When I first began ingesting cayenne pepper I went into coughing fits at each attempt, and I often caught my “dear ones” rolling their eyes and saying, “Why are you doing this?” and “Stop taking it.” I couldn’t though because I knew that the benefits far outweighed the coughing time it took to get used to this spice. Now I happily shake it on fried eggs, into soups and stews, on cooked pasta, and stirred into drinks, etc. Indeed!

Just to let you know, the high quality of the teas at The Spice Terminal are irresistible, and lifting the glass lid off one of the containers of tea and having its wonderful fragrance come rushing out, is to be hooked, and then the words come tumbling out, “Excuse me, may I have half a pound and how much should I use when brewing a pot?”
www.readingterminalmarket.org


Cinnamon, too, has healing properties that are many, put a piece of bark in your coffee cup, add it to the water you’re taking out with you for the day, sprinkle the powder on toast, in yogurt, – you’re limited only by your imagination. Let’s remember to pay attention to using the right amount and not go overboard. Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D sums up the benefits of cinnamon very nicely in the September/October 2011 Well Being Journal, under the title The Healing Remedies in Spices.
www.wellbeingjournal.com
www.SusanSmithJones.com

Gingerroot remedies has a long list, too. I’m looking at a book by Mark Stengler, ND on Natural Healing, and there are three pages about the healing properties of ginger. I think that that says something about this rhizome – “a stem that runs underneath the surface of the ground.” I’ve subscribed to Mark A. Stengler’s Natural Healing newsletters; he’s “in private practice in California…adjunct associate clinical professor at the National College of Natural Medicine, Portland Oregon…author of many books….”
www.markstengler.com/articles


It boggles the mind to learn just how numerous and beneficial herbs are (along with spices and plants). The simple title of a book by Maria Treben, HEALTH THROUGH GOD’S PHARMACY, gives us an idea, in few words, of the power of herbs to heal.
www.mariatrebenherbs.com

Triphala and constipation . . . in the book SPONTANEOUS HEALING, Dr. Andrew Weil, wrote . . . “Another Ayurvedic preparation, called triphala, is the best bowel regulator I have come across . . .” and, he continues, “it’s much better than Western herbal remedies for constipation.” The mixture of three herbs can be found in capsule form in health food stores.
www.drweil.com

Have you been to the Indian grocery store Kalustyans Foods in Manhattan? To see the array of spices, herbs, foods (upstairs, downstairs), etc. is a real treat. Triphala can also be found there.
www.kalustyans.com

Aloe Vera, I would be here all week if I had to summarize all the benefits of just these few spices, herbs, and plants, so again I’ll call upon a professional, Scott E. Miners, the Editor of Well Being Journal wrote about Aloe Vera and Digestive Health, along with Topical Healing Powers of Aloe Vera – Personal Stories of Healing, in the September/October 2011 issue
www.wellbeingjournal.com


Snake Plant, this plant is wonderful and I talk to mine and thank it for doing what it does. It’s “the only plant that produces oxygen and removes carbon dioxide at night.” For the technical aspects of air purifying with
plants,
www.wolvertonenvironmental.com

I’m a novice and there’s much to know. I find it all so fascinating, and so slowly, cautiously, and happily I’ll continue to explore and learn about the amazing world of spices, herbs, and plants – those that the Divine One created for the benefit of all living beings. You, too?

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Lots of renovating went on at Reading Terminal Market; and, along with that, the owner of The Spice Terminal closed after many years — and so no more cayenne pepper from Africa and the whiffing of the fragrant teas in that space.