The First Snow

The first snow fall happened yesterday. Actually last
night...oh, it wasn't much --just a few flakes of snow
caught on the wind which was fierce. Leaves were
ripped from the trees, almost the last of them to go.
Now is it is November and Halloween is behind us.

It is my birthday month. Last year was a big year and
family and friends celebrated. This year will be more
quiet, it is on a Monday this year--a work day. I
think next year it is on Thanksgiving...it does that
ever so often.

I already have a small Christmas tree up. It sits on
my mantle along with a garland of silk autumn leaves.
The radio is already playing Christmas tunes--there is
a station that usually starts the 1st of December and
plays non-stop Christmas songs. This helps put people
into the mood of the season and I enjoy old favorites
that remind of childhood and snow. But this year they
started on November 1st and I'm not quite that ready
to listen to Christmas carols.

Chicago really doesn't get much snow--anymore; at
least not what I remember Rochester, New York getting.
This is where I first saw snow and played in the wet
and white, fluffy and cold banks. I used to sled at
a neighborhood park and build snow men and tunnels
from November to late April.

But I was disappointed when I moved to Chicago and saw
that we hardly ever get a white Christmas. And what
good is snow if you can't at least get a white
Christmas out of it?

So when the first snow flakes fell last night, I was a
happy camper. I enjoy snow. I like the way it fall
on the branches and glistens in the moonlight. Okay,
I don't like shoveling it; but other than that--I
enjoy it. Okay, I don't like driving in it. But I
can still appreciate winter's beauty.

Take time to appreciate this coming season's weather
-- where ever you may live. The passing of the
seasons can be a delightful time and of course, this
is a magical time. When Mother Nature falls asleep
and we get to celebrate with family and friends the
time when the light will begin to appear again. Take
time to appreciate the season and your family and your
friends.

And stay safe and warm if you live in the cold
climates like me. And remind again, how much I love
the snow, when it piles up in my driveway and the
temperature is 20 degrees below!

Until next time....

Getting into a Comfort Zone

I started a new job three weeks ago, after being with my old company for seven years. The new place is in the same industry as the old, but feels friendlier and more intimate. The old had grown and grown over the years and as is common with corporations, it has had it’s share of growing pains.

I’m glad to be in the new place. It will provide better opportunities for me; the people are nice and I’m surrounded by friends who also found themselves from the old to the new place.

The commute is longer though—now an hour as opposed to less than 30 minutes. (Thus the reason for delay in latest blog getting be posted – I’m still getting used to the new hours.) I often don’t get home until 7 pm at night now.

I’m still trying to find the best way to the new place and back. The drive can be very pretty -- there is one route that is full of trees that hide million dollar plus homes. It’s fun to see all the nice homes—the tiny glimpses that I can see behind their gated walls.

Demetrius likes nice homes—he expressed a desire for me to live in such a fine surroundings. Some call these new homes Mac Mansions – they all look alike and we wonder how these people afford such a place.

I love the fact that my favorite non-physical entity wants me in such a home – which is fine for him since he doesn’t have to find a way to pay mortgages, much less taxes.

But the point he was making is that I deserve to be in the best place possible for me. By exposing me to wealth—as my morning and often evening drive now takes me through Wealth-ville – I can get comfortable with such dwellings and what it means to be wealthy. I can gain an appreciation; that I might not otherwise had for the finer things in life.

Often we self-sabotage ourselves when we express a desire which may currently be outside our comfort zone.

So our guides and angels, knowing of our desire, will show us aspects of that desire so we can become more accustomed to that which we have asked for. We are allowed to move towards our goals and desires in a comfortable, non-threatening method. We can then hold on to our desire when it does become a reality in a more easy manner. The angels know our comfort level and will move us according to that comfort level.

Everything happens for a reason. What have you expressed a desire for lately? And how comfortable will you be with it when it becomes a reality?

Goldfish Memory

Goldfish memory. That’s what I seem to have these days. Goldfish memory.

They say goldfish do not get bored in their tiny goldfish bowls, swimming around and around all day, because they have a memory span of only 3 seconds. “They” being scientists, sociologists and such.

I was in the Alzheimer’s ward of a retirement home recently, visiting my sister’s godmother. Whether she knew who were or not was unclear. We had visited several times before when her memory was better.

She would greet us happily however and greet us with “Hello! How are you! How have you been?”

Perhaps this was her standard greeting to everyone. Soon she would tell us how happy she was, that she was doing fine. At some point she would tell us how much she loved Santa Fe, which where her home for many years had been, before living in the nursing home.

But that was about as much now as we would get from her. After a few minutes, she’d almost greet us again; as if we just arrived there and then tell us how she was doing, ending on how much she loved Santa Fe.

It was sad to watch and almost painful, if she hadn’t been so happy. She was like the goldfish in the bowl, happily swimming in circles, coming back to the same spot with no memory of being there before. Goldfish memory.

There were many others in the ward with more devastating types of memory loss and moods dark and grim. It wasn’t a happy place. To know there are cures out there that aren’t being allowed must be frustrating to so many.

Thankfully for us, my sister’s godmother was happy at almost ninety.

But I was planning on making a point with my own memory. Something about…. oh rats, there is goes again. I don’t remember.

Ah well, goldfish memory. I’m sure I’ll think of it soon.

Practice ARK

I saw a wonderful movie the other day: “Evan Almighty.” This was a spin-off movie to the more comedic “Bruce Almighty” with Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman.

In this movie, “The Office’s” Steve Carell played Evan Baxter, who is a newly elected congressman who wants to change the world. Consequently he is visited by God (Morgan Freeman expertly reprising his role), who instructs Evan to build an ark, as in Noah’s ark. Soon strange biblical-type events begin to occur. Amid funny scenes surrounding animals and growing facial hair, there are many poignant scenes as well as gentle messages that are coming directly from the heavens.

At one point, God incognito as a waiter named ‘Al Mighty’ sits down with Evan’s wife, for a heart to heart talk. She is torn between loving her husband and wanting to lock him up as a nut case, since he’s building an ark in their backyard. She also wonders, as does everyone else about the Evan’s new beard and wardrobe. Evan’s hair is now grown out along with his beard; he tried to shave but God just grew it all back in an instant. Evan is also now running around with shredded robes and dress of the original Noah. According to Evan, the outfit provided by God, is very comfortable compared to his three-piece designer suits that he was custom to wearing, before all the craziness began.

God sits down with Evan’s wife, played by Lauren Graham from TV’s “Gilmore Girls”, and points out that people pray for all sorts of things. New jobs, new cars, happier families (her prayer) and that God doesn’t instantly wave a magic wand and give these items to people; rather he provides opportunities for these items or events to happen. When Evan begins building his ark, he has his sons to help him and they all become closer as a result. Evan’s wife’s prayer is answered.

I thought that this was an excellent method of reminding people of the way God works. When we prayer or ask, it is indeed given. But not necessarily in the manner in which the person specifically wants. Rather opportunities are presented so the final outcome is what the person wanted or needs. The essence or underlying truth of the request is always fulfilled.

Look back on what you’ve asked God for lately and observe how your life has been presented with opportunities for the request to take place.

The other poignant moment come when God speaks to Evan about how to change the world. According to God, one can change the world by one act of random kindness at a time. Acts of Random Kindness…ARK…. building an ark…was the biblical story really a metaphor for something bigger than a flood?

The movie has us thinking on that point and introduces several other relevant issues pertinent to today’s world and how we tend to operate. It is funny and poignant, without being preachy. It is a great movie for the entire family.

I know for me I will continue to build my own ark, practice my acts of random kindness and watch out for floods where ever or when ever they may come.

Honoring the Earth

My fairy class last weekend went very well. I love it when the students can connect with the material offered.

In this class I think one of the highlights was a photo in the workbook of a fairy ring. For the caption of the picture, the fairies had asked me to put ‘Can you find the fairies?

The photo in the book, “Connecting with the Fairies” was originally in color, but for the book was in black and white. I had needlessly worried that the photo wouldn’t show as well in black and white.

For this picture, a close-up of the toadstools in the fairy ring, which had shown up last summer in my front yard, was a great photo and was apparently full of fairies! My students saw them before I did!

There was a small gnome fellow and a female fairy, complete with wings, among several others the students found in that photo. I was thrilled and I think my students really enjoyed the class. I was also introduced to JaJaiai – a fairy queen who reigns over the flowers and field beyond my back yard. She came to me in a meditation that was part of the class.

The fairies remind us to be kind to Mother Nature and all of her plants, minerals and animals. In the time of ‘going green,’ remember to honor and respect Mother Earth. Make every day Earth Day. The fairies will bless you when you do.

I know I have been blessed with more energy and love recently. I have been given new knowledge and ways to connect my life with that which is beyond, that which is Divine. I feel richer as an individual and more connected to the whole. For this I am grateful to both the Divine and to the fairies.

As you honor yourself, you honor the whole.

Why Do We Self-Sabatoge Ourselves?

Way back in July of ’06, I started to write a weekly blog about everyday activities, my thoughts, ramblings and also some insights from my various guides, angels, etc. I enjoy writing these blogs and I received a variety of wonderful praise for the insights that they lent themselves to. Then my angels said to me one day, after I finished a nice blog, “Finish six more of these and you could almost have a book.”

Well, that stopped me dead in my tracks. A book! Wait a second, I’m not writing a book here—I’m just managing to get some thoughts out into cyberspace. I’m not ready for a book!

So I stopped writing the blog.

But the truth was – I did want to write a book and my angels knew it. And writing about the spiritual subjects that I write about, well, it would be a decent –okay—good book. Heck, I might even sell a few copies.

But I stopped writing.

I enjoyed writing. People enjoyed my writing and I enjoyed hearing that they enjoyed my writing. Yet I stop writing.

Why? I asked myself. And then I began to think about other types of projects I started and then stopped.

We’ve all had them—that unfinished knitted blanket, the unfinished novel, the unfinished painting, the unfinished paint job in the kitchen, the unfinished fill-in-the-blank.

Are we were chronic unfinishers? Dabblers who simply want to experiment for a time and then go on to another project? Did we just get bored with the project? Was it too frustrating for us? Or was there something else going on here?

Why do we self-sabotage our own success?

For the finish of a project does show that we can be successful. Do we not want to be successful?

People fear many things – the dark, ghosts, the bill-collector, monsters, mother-in-laws, the IRS. But they also fear failure and more often than not, they also fear success.

Why do we fear success? This was the thought that I had – for I was convinced that it wasn’t failure I was afraid of. But the funny thing is – success and failure are often the two sides of the same coin—that is, they are often more related to our underlying feelings than sometimes we care to admit.

For me, I think it comes down to some form of responsibility – if I am successful – then I am responsible for my creation. And in the form of a book – well, what good does a book’s knowledge do, if you don’t share it with the world?

I’m not afraid of criticism – I’ve had my share of that; but rather if my book is published and is successful, then I might have to come up with more successful material – and often times it was hard enough just getting through the first project, much less be expected to complete more.

But that is the risk of success. Success is risky – people will expect more of you and you will expect more of yourself – the next time around.

Can this be scary? Yes. But not when you have a great support team around you. And that includes your angels and guides. Plus your friends. And your family – if they are in alignment with your project. And if its blanket you finished knitting – they probably would enjoy it’s warmth, if not the color or design.

For those bigger projects – stop blaming yourself if you’re not ready to finish them. If you don’t want to own the success, that’s OK. Either stop the project or if needed – get someone else to finish for you. You can consider yourself successful then—great leaders know when it’s time to delegate tasks to others.

For me—I’ve started to write again. I enjoy it; people enjoy it. And if a book comes out of it—well, maybe I’ll make a buck or two.

I choose success and the risk to takes to be a success. How about you?