Birthday Vacation and Revelations

The remains of the fresh, raw milk...

I've been on a bit of a vacation since my birthday and rummaging through my toolbox...

I went to my Mom's in CT for the weekend and enjoyed some quiet and together time with family.  We ate breakfast at Crescent Beach:

...traveled to Lyme in pursuit of raw milk at Beaver Brook Farm:

 The Wool Shop @ Beaver Brook Farm

...had lunch at The Black Sheep and walked in McCook's Park (where we heard bagpipes...I kid you not...) with my cousins:

 View of Hole in the Wall Beach

Long Island Sound

And to finish off Saturday, we had a wonderful bbq at my Sister's with one of my nephews taking great pains to make sure the candles were placed perfectly on my cake (awww) and the other being adorable as usual (they are both adorable, of course)!

Sunday I bought yarn at A.C. Moore for a delicious cabled sweater pattern :)

It was a really nice weekend...reminding me even more how I want to be in quieter surroundings as soon as I can manage it.

To add to the loveliness,  I've had a couple days off of work this week! I've been cooking and knitting and sleeping in...aaah.

I seem to be indulging myself right through the end of the month! I visited an acupuncture clinic near my apartment and then booked a massage while there and I just purchased a Creative Healing session!

My head is spinning (but in a good way) since I realized I've been neglecting myself in lieu of "PAY THE BILLS, SAVE, SAVE SAVE!!!" I seem to be making up for it. ;) The debt reduction and savings plan is still very important to me, of course, but I was beginning to lose my creative and blissful way. I think, in future, I need to take more steady care of myself instead of exploding with it all in one week.

I have also realized that I want to start practicing my Reiki again and eventually be attuned to level 3.  So I am offering short healing sessions on a donation basis. If anyone is interested, you can e-mail me for more info!

But wait, there's more!!!

I'll be starting Lion's Share gatherings...hopefully in late October.  I'm going to experiment by having a lovely weekend full of cooking and togetherness at my cousin's in CT.  We've been trying to do this for over a year!

The more official Lion's Share Circles will be potluck and/or helped along by donations (I'm putting a donation button, here, in the sidebar).  I was inspired by "Julie & Julia" because I don't have sufficient cash on hand to throw parties on my own. Each get together will feature wonderful food and have themes such as knitting, dream-boarding, reiki, etc. I hope these gatherings will begin to foster the sense of community I want to create (and enjoy)!

And last, but certainly not least...it looks like I'll be returning to Scotland in the Spring!!!  I received word (the day before my birthday) of another workshop on Iona and really want to participate (more info on that in another post).

So, here's to a wonderful year of living and moving forward. 32 will be amazing.

XO

Rummaging Through My Toolbox...

Creative Dreaming had us look at the tools we've been using to follow our dreams. "Are we using a knife to scoop salsa instead of a spoon?"

I discovered that I have been putting the focus on all the "wrong" things lately…which is contributing to unhappiness. Not good.

I have been focusing on money…the lack of it and where it needs to go when it comes in. I've been focusing more on the work that doesn't bring me joy because it's been bringing me money…in hopes that I can pay off my debt and save money so I can pursue joy later.

Wrong….Wrong…WRONG!!!

Thankfully I was recently reminded of all the positive tools I have accumulated over the years. What delicious timing!

SARK!
I participated in a free tele-workshop last Wednesday and what a gift!!! I almost hung up when I found out we were going to have to participate…but stayed on the line and was rewarded by "meeting" two wonderful women who provided the exact words I needed to hear at that very moment.  I used to visit the SARK forum all the time but now mostly visit just for gratitude lists (which are important!) and to post blog links.  I've met some wonderful people on this forum though and I really want to get a little more involved again. One of the things SARK said that really resonated was that we have to build a bridge from where we are to where we want to be. I guess that's what I'm trying to do these days. After the call I decided to revisit the first SARK book I ever read, "Succulent Wild Woman."  A very good idea. Hell, I could write a whole post about SARK's influence on me!  Maybe I will :)

Nature
I have a park nearby but rarely go because I don't want to walk through chaos to get to the quiet…not sure how to work on this one. I suppose that's a metaphor for my life right now. "Walking Through Chaos to Get to the Quiet." I have requested some outdoors time when I go to CT for my birthday this weekend. I want to visit a farm and maybe do a nature walk...or do the Niantic boardwalk followed by a nice black and tan at The Black Sheep!

Reiki
I used to get treatments on a regular basis and then became attuned to give treatments. I used to practice more...but have let that slide as well.

Emotions
I had gotten really in tune with my emotions and having the "good cries."

Yoga
One upon a time I did a little yoga every morning  

Dance
I used to take tango lessons and do a belly dancing workout at home at least 3 times a week.

Singing/Music
Singing along to my iPod while I cook or get ready really sets me up for the day.  

Travel
Oh, how I would love to get out of town (preferably to you know where!) It always gives me a fresh perspective and opens my heart up.  So, since funds won't allow me to be in my favorite place right now...I have been asking about some local retreat spots...and my friends have been coming through with suggestions! 

And Speaking of Friends...
I'd forgotten what incredible tools my friends are! Wait…that didn't come out right…LOL. My friends provide inspiration, support and ideas that I never would have come up with on my own. I've been very hermit-like lately and feeling as if I need to go everything alone. Then I had a delightful dinner with my friend, Kim and a wonderful e-mail with my friend, Heidi…and then my herbal apprenticeship on the weekend where we strolled through the most amazingly peaceful place called "Pacem in Terris" and had a lovely picnic beneath the trees…and just today I was reading about my friend Christina's travels.  VERY inspiring :)

I suppose my task, now, is how to re-implement all these tools. I've let some slide, such as Reiki, acupuncture, dance or yoga classes, travel, and any kind of therapy/counseling due to the cost! My funds are still the cause of angst…as well as having to come into the city every day for work. I really don't enjoy the city anymore…even my neighborhood in Queens. I think I'd be able to enjoy my space more if I didn't have to go into the city every day…but that's going to take a lot of baby-stepping to figure out.

I want to start putting together Lion's Share gatherings this fall. All with different themes, such as knitting or dream-boarding…and of course there will always be yummy food!

I came up with a Lion's Share motto a few weeks ago...seems like another good tool to use:

Live
Love
Learn

XO

Dream Boogie with SARK!

Big news!  Best-selling author and artist SARK (aka Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) has just announced a new session of Dream Boogie with SARK, starting Wednesday September 22.  If you sign up by August 15, you save $20 with the "Early Dreamer Discount", and you also get a bonus jump-start workbook called "SARK's Purple Dream Crayon: A Playbook for Naming Your Dream"

SARK has been teaching workshops all around the world for over 25 years, and now you can work with her directly in this a dream productivity program that is packed with inspiration and innovation to help you move from dreaming to DOing.

You can enjoy some fun, free "Dream Boogie" samples, including interview audio snippets, plus colorful SARK videos, workbook downloads, and other funky little goodies for your dream.




*SARK has been an amazing inspiration to me over the years and I've met so many wonderful people because of her. I'm delighted to be able to spread the word about her and her wonder-full programs!

Cake & Pie!

We had a little send off party at the office for my friend, Sara, on July 30th...for which I made cake and pie.  Beat that!

It's a little inside joke.

I found some really delicious recipes though and thought I'd share the links here!

Guinness Oatmeal Stout Pie and Root Beer Cake

I'm sure you'll all think less of me because, in the interest of time, I used a frozen pie crust and (gasp!) store bought frosting!  I know...I know.  But it had to be done.  I also had to use good old A&W root beer because the bodega near my apartment didn't carry any natural sodas....can you imagine? :)

I want to make both of these again so I can tweak the root beer cake and make my own frosting.  It was SO sweet (though no one but me seemed to have a problem with that)! 

The pie was totally kick ass. Maybe some day when I have more counter space I'll attempt to make my own pie crust. Until that day, Fresh Direct carries a great frozen one!

It was a rather hilarious evening of slightly manic baking...complete with flour-y footprints all over my hard wood floor!  It was well worth it though.

We miss you Sara!

XO

"Sing The Changes"

This week's Creative Dreaming assignment was to create a soundtrack that best illustrates our life the way we dream it to be.

I found this pretty interesting because I normally get drawn to music that illustrates how I'm feeling now...which I suppose could contribute to feeling "stuck."

So here are some songs from my iPod, in no particular order, that make up my soundtrack.  The funny thing is that with the exception of Paul McCartney and Mike Scott, all these songs are the only ones by these artists in my collection. The energy of them stuck with me and I had to download them!
 

I love it when songs "find" us...























I've made a separate playlist with them that I will add to and subtract from as I see fit.  It's good to switch to in between the Glee soundtracks, The Waterboys, and Paolo Nutini...  :)
XO

Plans for "Becoming..."

I neglected to mention another part of my dream/plan.  It's to write a book.  This will take a while since it's going to be a memoir of sorts.  About my journey of "Becoming."

I've been writing since I was in elementary school.  Taking various creative writing classes and baffling my college friends by electively taking "Poetry" and "Greek Mythology."

When I was a freshman in college, I went through a bit a depression.  It's to be expected, I think, when going through a major upheaval for the first time.  I had moved to New York City from small town CT and after a rather good first semester found myself dealing with my closest new friend not returning to school and a bi-polar roommate who had semi moved out but still had keys to the room. As a result  I began to question my choice to move to New York and study Ad Design…you name it, I questioned it.

I also retreated into my poetry journal.  I took it everywhere I went and wrote some super dark poems.  When I read them now I almost can't believe I'm the same person!  All those poems are definitely part of the tapestry of my life. I know, now, that I can access darkness…as well as light.  They can both be gorgeous.

One particularly bad evening I called my Sister and asked her if I could come over. My Brother happened to be there and they were ordering Chinese.  Sounded good to me.  At the end of the meal we all reached for our fortunes and I got the one pictured above.  At that moment everything went calm and crystal clear.  I was where I  needed to be (here, in New York) because, well…that's where I was.  I pasted the fortune into my journal and kept writing.  That was February 1, 1997.

 The poem seems appropriate...

For a while I just thought that it was a crazy thing…I even stopped writing for a long time. When I started this blog the book idea came back into focus, and now it has a foundation!  Woohoo!

So I'll keep you all posted!  My travel plans are going to figure into the book quite heavily, so onwards and upwards!!!

XO