While I was growing up I attended 12 schools in 12 years. I thought there were actually 13 of them, but I’ve lost count of one somewhere along the way. In any case, I wanted to reminisce about something and this is what came to mind.
So, with no further ado:
1st Grade Lubbock, Texas
2nd Grade Austin, Texas
2nd Grade Corpus Christi (during a 2 week family vacation)
3rd Grade Columbia, SC (School burned down)
3rd & 4th Grade Columbia, SC
5th, 6th & 7th Grade Oslo, Norway
8th Grade Ft. Leavenworth, KS
9th Grade Salina, Kansas (North HS - school was too crowded so they moved us)
9th Grade Salina, Kansas (South HS)
10th Grade Hagerstown, MD St. Maria Goretti
11th Grade Smithsburg, MD
11th & 12th Grade Fairfax, VA - James Robinson HS
What I want to say is about Army Brats. We settle in quickly. We have to. There are two ways of looking at it. We put down roots quickly, but they don’t always run deep. We can’t look down the street or across town and see friends from years before. They just aren’t there. After having lived in Oakland for over 20 years I figured that I ought to start calling it home.
From Lubbock I can remember the river we used to travel over. Looking down I could see water rushing, white water tumbling over rocks. I wasn’t frightened, but this is a memory that I’ve had from that time. I remember the frogs that would come out after the rains and the huge tumbleweeds almost as big as we were.
In Austin I can remember the most magnificent skies before a thunder storm. The thungerheads piling up in the really big sky. Just a wonderful place to live. I remember my grandmother and my grandfather and my Greatgrandma, Neddie, who lived up the hill on Balcones Drive. Way, way up at the top of the hill.
In South Carolina I can remember hearing the troops chanting as they marched around early in the morning before we had gotten out of bed. We had a huge pine tree in the yard we shared with another family. We lived in World War II converted hospital barracks. There was a cat walk that ran alongside the house that we loved to play in.
The longest we ever lived anywhere was in Norway. There are some things that I have taken from that country that I still hold dear. I love cucumber salads. I love herring. I love Norwegian sweaters. I love Norwegian snow. The Norwegian people are some of the most loving and gracious folks on the face of the earth. I was only there as a little girl, but I do remember so much from that country.
I remember hills in Fort Leavenworth. This was the only place I ever rode a horse and I took lessons the summer we were there. I rode ShopTalk. He was a beautiful brown horse and for some reason he liked me. He didn’t like anybody else. I adored him.
Salina, Kansas was flat. We were all military families with no fathers around and lived at Schilling Manor. Our fathers were in Vietnam or Korea.
Hagerstown, Maryland where I went to school as a sophomore at St. Maria Goretti. This was the first time I’d been around civilian kids.
Smithsburg, Maryland. I spent half of my junior year here.
Fairfax, Virginia. James S. Robinson H.S. Where I finished up my junior year and graduated from high school. I was in the first graduating class of 1973.
I finally got my driver’s license when I was 20 years old and had 4 learner’s permits in 3 different states…Kansas, Maryland and Virginia and in Germany.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Grief
One of the more popular pages at Talking to Spirit is the Grieving page. And, grief is the source of most of the email that I receive. So, I’d like to talk about that right now.
I’m not a trained grief counselor. The only experience I can bring to the table is personal. I know what it feels like. I know that the feelings, the sharp pain dulls with time. I know that everybody reacts to grief in their own way. Some just collapse. Others carry on and try not to show much to the world at large. I also know that even years down the road I will think of the telephone calls my mother and I shared and the grief for her will well up again and blindside me.
My grandmother, my mother’s mother, passed over when I was 12 years old. I grieved horribly for her. I can remember as an adult driving down the highway, suddenly thinking of her and the tears just started to flow. Not a real safe situation, but it happens. I got home okay. But, my point is that the grief seemed just as sharp 20 years after she had passed over.
In those days I didn’t know how to channel. Now I do. I learned how when I was 35 years old. Not everybody channels like I do, but I know for a fact that everyone, every single person on the face of this earth can talk to their loved ones who have passed over. All they have to do is to talk. They can talk quietly or they can talk silently. They can roar with anger and pain or they can laugh remembering wonderful moments of love they shared. And, the wonderful thing is that those loved ones who are dead can hear what is being said. They hear and they understand. They still care and they certainly love. So, don’t think that they will warn you that something horrible is going to be happening to you, you’re going to flunk your course or lose your job or have your purse stolen because those are your lessons. But, all you have to do is to close your eyes and think of the person you love who has died and they know it.
Are they with you? Yes. They are also with others who think of them. Same time. Washington state, North Dakota and California, all at the same time, wherever those loved ones are. Are they happy? Yes.
People ask are they okay? Yes, they are fine. Do they think of me? Yes, all the time. Do they still love me? Yes.
Something else to think about with folks who die is to think in terms of people don’t leave with unfinished business. The soul has done exactly what it set out to do. Stuff is done. Time to move on.
I know that all of this raises more questions than it answers, but if I can give one person, just one person who is grief stricken a glimmer of peace, then I will have done my job.
I’m not a trained grief counselor. The only experience I can bring to the table is personal. I know what it feels like. I know that the feelings, the sharp pain dulls with time. I know that everybody reacts to grief in their own way. Some just collapse. Others carry on and try not to show much to the world at large. I also know that even years down the road I will think of the telephone calls my mother and I shared and the grief for her will well up again and blindside me.
My grandmother, my mother’s mother, passed over when I was 12 years old. I grieved horribly for her. I can remember as an adult driving down the highway, suddenly thinking of her and the tears just started to flow. Not a real safe situation, but it happens. I got home okay. But, my point is that the grief seemed just as sharp 20 years after she had passed over.
In those days I didn’t know how to channel. Now I do. I learned how when I was 35 years old. Not everybody channels like I do, but I know for a fact that everyone, every single person on the face of this earth can talk to their loved ones who have passed over. All they have to do is to talk. They can talk quietly or they can talk silently. They can roar with anger and pain or they can laugh remembering wonderful moments of love they shared. And, the wonderful thing is that those loved ones who are dead can hear what is being said. They hear and they understand. They still care and they certainly love. So, don’t think that they will warn you that something horrible is going to be happening to you, you’re going to flunk your course or lose your job or have your purse stolen because those are your lessons. But, all you have to do is to close your eyes and think of the person you love who has died and they know it.
Are they with you? Yes. They are also with others who think of them. Same time. Washington state, North Dakota and California, all at the same time, wherever those loved ones are. Are they happy? Yes.
People ask are they okay? Yes, they are fine. Do they think of me? Yes, all the time. Do they still love me? Yes.
Something else to think about with folks who die is to think in terms of people don’t leave with unfinished business. The soul has done exactly what it set out to do. Stuff is done. Time to move on.
I know that all of this raises more questions than it answers, but if I can give one person, just one person who is grief stricken a glimmer of peace, then I will have done my job.
Learning
I can remember how frightening it was for me when I began to experience glimmers of psychic awakening. Except, I didn’t know what it was at the time. I thought I was going crazy is what I thought. The problem there was that having never gone officially crazy I wasn’t sure that was right either. Anyway, once I got a half-way steady hold of myself I thought to go look and see if these weird things had ever happened to anybody else.
The weird things that were happening to me started with me seeing the number 222 everywhere. I mean it was everywhere. It was on sales receipts. It was on the microwave. It was on any digital clock display you could think of. People would call right at 2:22. I’d pause in any book I was reading to look at the page number to see that it was page 222. None of the other pages…just 222.
Dennis and I had a fight and the VCR shorted out. It was 10 feet away from us. My dreams were really vivid. I was having visions during that time of day or night where you aren’t quite asleep, but you are also not all the way awake.
I could tell when the phone was going to ring…and, then it rang. I could tell who was going to be on the phone. I could tell what they wanted to talk about before they even opened their mouth.
We didn’t have the internet in those days, so the research I did was limited to the books in my library and at the used book stores I liked to go to. I found one by Colin Wilson about ESP. I didn’t read the whole thing, but I read enough to realize that everybody had ESP to some degree or another and to have these things happening to me wasn’t all that strange. That’s when I calmed down and moved from a frantic state of mind to one of curiosity.
And, what with one thing or another, I discovered that things can move forward a whole lot easier once you’ve relaxed. It took years until I finally arrived at the point where I made a conscious decision to learn how to channel and talk with my Spirit Guide and it was years after that decision had been made before I actually got to talk to Folks in Spirit.
As I moved from one stage to another I found there really wasn’t a lot of guidance available for folks like me who were moving tentatively into this really unknown and sometimes scary realm. The guidance available is obviously written from the author’s experiences and background. So, you can run the gamut from really cautious teachers to the kind like me who sort of toss you in the water on the first day. From the student’s point of view they think there is the possibility of sinking. From my standpoint I know you can already swim.
There are no formalized lessons out there for learning this stuff. And, each and every teacher you run into will have something of value to impart to you. One isn’t better than another. They are all great. And, face it, they are willing to talk to you. Some will charge you money and others won’t.
The weird things that were happening to me started with me seeing the number 222 everywhere. I mean it was everywhere. It was on sales receipts. It was on the microwave. It was on any digital clock display you could think of. People would call right at 2:22. I’d pause in any book I was reading to look at the page number to see that it was page 222. None of the other pages…just 222.
Dennis and I had a fight and the VCR shorted out. It was 10 feet away from us. My dreams were really vivid. I was having visions during that time of day or night where you aren’t quite asleep, but you are also not all the way awake.
I could tell when the phone was going to ring…and, then it rang. I could tell who was going to be on the phone. I could tell what they wanted to talk about before they even opened their mouth.
We didn’t have the internet in those days, so the research I did was limited to the books in my library and at the used book stores I liked to go to. I found one by Colin Wilson about ESP. I didn’t read the whole thing, but I read enough to realize that everybody had ESP to some degree or another and to have these things happening to me wasn’t all that strange. That’s when I calmed down and moved from a frantic state of mind to one of curiosity.
And, what with one thing or another, I discovered that things can move forward a whole lot easier once you’ve relaxed. It took years until I finally arrived at the point where I made a conscious decision to learn how to channel and talk with my Spirit Guide and it was years after that decision had been made before I actually got to talk to Folks in Spirit.
As I moved from one stage to another I found there really wasn’t a lot of guidance available for folks like me who were moving tentatively into this really unknown and sometimes scary realm. The guidance available is obviously written from the author’s experiences and background. So, you can run the gamut from really cautious teachers to the kind like me who sort of toss you in the water on the first day. From the student’s point of view they think there is the possibility of sinking. From my standpoint I know you can already swim.
There are no formalized lessons out there for learning this stuff. And, each and every teacher you run into will have something of value to impart to you. One isn’t better than another. They are all great. And, face it, they are willing to talk to you. Some will charge you money and others won’t.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Saturday Worm
Arghhhh. The cat has worm breath. Shelby, love her dearly, decided to bring us a worm this morning. I don’t like surprises. Unfortunately, I forgot that it was a gift. I screamed. Scared Dennis. He was doing something delicate in PhotoShop. Then he yelled because I’d scared him. Shelby is just standing there with her tail held high pacing around talking about the whole adventure. The other cats are grouped around watching. I left. I went back to the study and shut the door. I just couldn’t deal with the worm writhing across my carpet. This was a really big worm too. We’re not talking about a panty waisted worm. We’re talking this worm was at least 8 or 9 inches long. Any longer and I’d be inclined to call it a snake.
After awhile Shelby stood outside my closed door talking to me. None of the cats like it when doors are shut in the house. So, after awhile I opened it up. I couldn’t understand what she was talking about, but decided after looking at the floor carefully and not seeing the worm it was okay to venture out into the hallway. I made my way to the front room and didn’t see the worm. I was trying to calculate how long it had been, how big the worm was and where he or she might be by now or where Shelby might have taken it thinking to hide her treasure from bad Mommy and Daddy. My heart sank. I thought I should have just been a grown up when I saw it the first time, picked it up with a Kleenex and taken it outside. No worm. Dennis had his back to me still working at the computer. I didn’t say anything. He said, without turning around from what he was doing, “I took it downstairs.” Ah, big sigh of relief.
Now, the big psychic thing about this whole misadventure? The guides said nothing. Not one peep from the Folk in Spirit who generally have something to say about everything. Not one blessed peep. Thanks. You’re welcome.
Why didn’t you guys say anything? What would what we have to say have any bearing on what was unfolding? This was your lesson, not ours. You are still unsettled by it. Yeah, well, I guess I’ll get over it. Except, I want a cigarette. You don’t smoke, Dear. I know. But, that still doesn’t mean I can’t want one. Petulant. Yeah, that too.
After awhile Shelby stood outside my closed door talking to me. None of the cats like it when doors are shut in the house. So, after awhile I opened it up. I couldn’t understand what she was talking about, but decided after looking at the floor carefully and not seeing the worm it was okay to venture out into the hallway. I made my way to the front room and didn’t see the worm. I was trying to calculate how long it had been, how big the worm was and where he or she might be by now or where Shelby might have taken it thinking to hide her treasure from bad Mommy and Daddy. My heart sank. I thought I should have just been a grown up when I saw it the first time, picked it up with a Kleenex and taken it outside. No worm. Dennis had his back to me still working at the computer. I didn’t say anything. He said, without turning around from what he was doing, “I took it downstairs.” Ah, big sigh of relief.
Now, the big psychic thing about this whole misadventure? The guides said nothing. Not one peep from the Folk in Spirit who generally have something to say about everything. Not one blessed peep. Thanks. You’re welcome.
Why didn’t you guys say anything? What would what we have to say have any bearing on what was unfolding? This was your lesson, not ours. You are still unsettled by it. Yeah, well, I guess I’ll get over it. Except, I want a cigarette. You don’t smoke, Dear. I know. But, that still doesn’t mean I can’t want one. Petulant. Yeah, that too.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Fralph?
Where Illegal Alien has a totally different connotation. Now, then, we might proceed. I am wanted in over 532 galaxies. I am a mutant. Nobody likes a mutant. I’ve got arms where other beings have their eyes. I reach and seek and see things other beings only dream of. I am megalomaniac to the extreme. Ah, excuse me, this is your channel speaking. You dare to interrupt me? Me, who has laid waste to civilizations with the mere blink of one of my many hands? Ah, yes. Vooph? Oh, it was much more than that. It was Vooooopppphhhhhttttpt. Yes, I thought so, but I wasn’t sure that I was hearing right. This is the Friday Funnies, right? We can have a new column? No, I am Fralph. Nice to meet you, Fralph. I got that right? Well, as right as you can get it. Your ears are not attuned completely to my way of speech. I suppose you have feet where your mouth is too? You dare to speak so to me? I’m not at all certain you’re being serious. I’ve never had an alien come to talk to me this way. Mostly, I deal with Folk in Spirit. Not so heavy on the alien side of things. A good thing too. I’m going to go find a different channel to talk to. I need one who will bow down before me. One who will be afraid of my many hands and fingers. I want one who will cringe when I roar. You are a pansy channel. You channel flowery smells. You are not a good channel at all for me. Well, that’s okay too. Nice to meet you Fralph.
Sheesh. That was totally weird. Anyway, I put Fralph’s part in bold. Actually, he wants red, too. Fine, I will comply with your demands Fralph, but I need to hurry. I’ve got to leave for work in a little bit. Vooooopppphhhhhttttpt.
Later note from the channel: It came to me that the above was from one of my cats who had passed on, though, they didn't own up and tell me which one it was. I just sort of psychically felt that it was one of my cats. So, no alien invasion for the weekend.
Sheesh. That was totally weird. Anyway, I put Fralph’s part in bold. Actually, he wants red, too. Fine, I will comply with your demands Fralph, but I need to hurry. I’ve got to leave for work in a little bit. Vooooopppphhhhhttttpt.
Later note from the channel: It came to me that the above was from one of my cats who had passed on, though, they didn't own up and tell me which one it was. I just sort of psychically felt that it was one of my cats. So, no alien invasion for the weekend.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Asking for Prayers
I’m asking for prayers of love and healing for my sister. She had surgery yesterday to fuse two of the vertebrae in her neck. She’s going home today. Thanks.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Corned Beef and Cabbage in a Crock Pot
Mix up a quart of apple juice. Add in 2 heaping teaspoons of prepared mustard, a half cup of brown sugar, 6 whole cloves and a couple of bay leaves.
Slice up two onions. Chunk up 3 carrots and arrange on the bottom of the crock pot. Rinse and pat the corned beef brisket dry. Lay, fatty side up, on top of the vegetables. Pour the apple juice mixture over the top. Throw in a handful of roughly chopped parsley. Wedge cut half a cabbage and lay over the top of the meat. Lid on. Power up.
There wasn’t enough room for the potatoes, so I’m going to do them separately in a pot on the stove.
I am cooking this for 8 hours, though you could also do the 5-6 hrs or 8-10 hrs route.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Sign Language
I was surfing around this morning and came upon a terrific website to help you learn American Sign Language: http://www.lifeprint.com/
Here's your first word. It's love.
Ruts
There are good points to be made for routines and there are just as many good points to be made for being flexible. I think in the last few years I’m settling down into a pattern of being perfectly happy in a rut. Normally, anytime anybody would talk about being in a rut it would be from a negative point of view. So, you’d say you were in a rut and automatically everybody is thinking of suggestions for you to get out of it. Except, I suddenly realized I’m happy being in a rut.
What now? Well, I suppose I could explore my rut and see why I like it so much.
There’s work. That’s pretty much the same day in and day out. There’s a cyclical quality to the work so there is change within the month, but from one month to the next? Same stuff. Pretty much. That doesn’t bother me. I do get to be creative every once in awhile when I build a new spread sheet or a data base or something like that. So, that’s all fine. I wouldn’t say it was boring, but it is the same. The only thing I’d like to see different is that I could take more time off.
Home? That’s the only other place we’ve got. Well, home can be divided into three categories. There are chores which actually don’t take up a whole lot of time. As I’m aging I also notice that my eyesight is for the birds. So, I don’t see dirt as well as I did. Hence, housework is lighter. I’ve reconciled that well with being a Virgo (I feel) because my husband is a slob and in order to retain happy relations in the family I needed to become a slob too. I did that years and years ago, so the transition to super slob as my eyesight fades is no big deal. I’ve even taken to wearing sweaters over top of my blouses to hide the wrinkled backs. Whatever works.
Relaxation at home. That’s fine too. We’ve got cable TV and Netflix. I’ve got tons of books to read. I’ve noticed another benefit of aging is that I’ve become forgetful. So, I can read my favorite books over and over again and there’s an unexpected freshness to each one….because I just can’t remember them the way I used to.
We come now to the crux of my wanting to talk about ruts. This is where my energy, enthusiasm and creativeness is centering on my websites Talking To Spirit and my blog, The Spirit Moved Me and Look What Happened. So, if you figure that I’m basically in a rut and, more important, happy in my rut, how am I supposed to go forward with these projects? I find I am stalled on the book project. Absolutely stalled. The blog moves forward of its own volition almost. The website creeps forward slowly, though I just figured out a way I might improve things there which will be a big project in itself.
Would you like some input from the Spirit World? Yes, that would be nice. I can’t seem to talk my way out of a paper bag this morning. I thought it would help just writing about it all. Well, it is difficult sometimes to gauge your progress when you are in the middle of the course. What you might do is one or both of two things. You could chart your progress on any given project. For instance, on a calendar devoted to work on your website you could say on the 15th you added substantially to the main page. Two days later you did work on another page. The day after that you added 3 links. This way you would be tracking that particular progressive movement and in looking at your accomplishments you would see the forward movements being made. Then, you would see you are not in a rut you have just been working on a monumental project that is NOT cyclical in nature as your work is, but is more along the lines of a never ending story. So, you thought you were in a rut but you really were not.
In one area of my life. Yes, in one area of your life. This is where, as you said, most of your creativity is centered these days. That would make sense. You allow the other areas of your life to be calm while you walk a thin edge here. Is that how you see it? No, it is merely an observation. I need to read this…you talked too much and I faded out…also, my memory sucks. Fine, go ahead.
Hey, that really is good advice. We are here to serve you. Are you teasing me? Yes. I thought so. Okay…do you think I am a slob or do you think I’ve just got a lot of projects going at once? The general consensus is that you are a major slob. Major slob? Excuse me? Yes, you channeled that correctly. It’s been awhile since I laughed while we did this. We would like to point out that it has been a long time since you invited us to speak in this manner. Yes, I suppose it has been. We need to do this more often.
Okay, I just noticed you said there were two things I could do to improve things…but you didn’t mention the second one. Yes, you came up for air too soon. Okay, I’ll dip back down again.
The second thing you could do in order to see the progress being made is to have a system of review in place. At present you might not read any given page for months on end. Every weekend, with an eye to seeing how things are on the website you could read a number of your pages. This way you would also notice if there is something more that you would want to add and the maintenance of the site would truly be attended to. It would be a measure of control you could put into place that you do not have now.
Hey, that’s good. Thanks. These are good ideas.
What now? Well, I suppose I could explore my rut and see why I like it so much.
There’s work. That’s pretty much the same day in and day out. There’s a cyclical quality to the work so there is change within the month, but from one month to the next? Same stuff. Pretty much. That doesn’t bother me. I do get to be creative every once in awhile when I build a new spread sheet or a data base or something like that. So, that’s all fine. I wouldn’t say it was boring, but it is the same. The only thing I’d like to see different is that I could take more time off.
Home? That’s the only other place we’ve got. Well, home can be divided into three categories. There are chores which actually don’t take up a whole lot of time. As I’m aging I also notice that my eyesight is for the birds. So, I don’t see dirt as well as I did. Hence, housework is lighter. I’ve reconciled that well with being a Virgo (I feel) because my husband is a slob and in order to retain happy relations in the family I needed to become a slob too. I did that years and years ago, so the transition to super slob as my eyesight fades is no big deal. I’ve even taken to wearing sweaters over top of my blouses to hide the wrinkled backs. Whatever works.
Relaxation at home. That’s fine too. We’ve got cable TV and Netflix. I’ve got tons of books to read. I’ve noticed another benefit of aging is that I’ve become forgetful. So, I can read my favorite books over and over again and there’s an unexpected freshness to each one….because I just can’t remember them the way I used to.
We come now to the crux of my wanting to talk about ruts. This is where my energy, enthusiasm and creativeness is centering on my websites Talking To Spirit and my blog, The Spirit Moved Me and Look What Happened. So, if you figure that I’m basically in a rut and, more important, happy in my rut, how am I supposed to go forward with these projects? I find I am stalled on the book project. Absolutely stalled. The blog moves forward of its own volition almost. The website creeps forward slowly, though I just figured out a way I might improve things there which will be a big project in itself.
Would you like some input from the Spirit World? Yes, that would be nice. I can’t seem to talk my way out of a paper bag this morning. I thought it would help just writing about it all. Well, it is difficult sometimes to gauge your progress when you are in the middle of the course. What you might do is one or both of two things. You could chart your progress on any given project. For instance, on a calendar devoted to work on your website you could say on the 15th you added substantially to the main page. Two days later you did work on another page. The day after that you added 3 links. This way you would be tracking that particular progressive movement and in looking at your accomplishments you would see the forward movements being made. Then, you would see you are not in a rut you have just been working on a monumental project that is NOT cyclical in nature as your work is, but is more along the lines of a never ending story. So, you thought you were in a rut but you really were not.
In one area of my life. Yes, in one area of your life. This is where, as you said, most of your creativity is centered these days. That would make sense. You allow the other areas of your life to be calm while you walk a thin edge here. Is that how you see it? No, it is merely an observation. I need to read this…you talked too much and I faded out…also, my memory sucks. Fine, go ahead.
Hey, that really is good advice. We are here to serve you. Are you teasing me? Yes. I thought so. Okay…do you think I am a slob or do you think I’ve just got a lot of projects going at once? The general consensus is that you are a major slob. Major slob? Excuse me? Yes, you channeled that correctly. It’s been awhile since I laughed while we did this. We would like to point out that it has been a long time since you invited us to speak in this manner. Yes, I suppose it has been. We need to do this more often.
Okay, I just noticed you said there were two things I could do to improve things…but you didn’t mention the second one. Yes, you came up for air too soon. Okay, I’ll dip back down again.
The second thing you could do in order to see the progress being made is to have a system of review in place. At present you might not read any given page for months on end. Every weekend, with an eye to seeing how things are on the website you could read a number of your pages. This way you would also notice if there is something more that you would want to add and the maintenance of the site would truly be attended to. It would be a measure of control you could put into place that you do not have now.
Hey, that’s good. Thanks. These are good ideas.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
What Goes Around Comes Around
I just want to explore this concept a little bit this morning. Trying to put myself into somebody else’s shoes to see how they can justify their shitty behavior. Now, that’s a judgment call on my part. I’m thinking somebody else has acted poorly. They made me feel bad. I was hurt. I am still thinking about it. I’m just exploring why I don’t feel so great about this. I’m not going to say what it was that happened to me because it really doesn’t matter. What matters right now is how I feel. Or, felt. I’m actually feeling better now.
Okay, maybe writing about it is going to allow me to put it into a different sort of perspective. So, the person hurt me. But, from their standpoint they were in the right of it. The thought occurred to me that this person had come from an abusive family and having been the object of the abusive behavior for such a long time had, in turn, begun to act abusive toward all and sundry. Okay, I can buy that.
The point of the lesson is how did I manage to put myself in the way?
If you consider the object lesson of, “What Goes Around Comes Around” I really need not worry that this person is going to get hers….she’s getting it all the time. I’m stuck here, Guides….can you help me out?
Certainly. Good morning, Dear. Hi. We might ask the question of what does the daffodil feel as the elephant tramples her into the earth? The elephant was not intending to harm the flower. The flower was in the way. You, Dear, were in the lady’s way. It happens all the time. You can’t hope to live a life of complete blamelessness. There are all sorts of assorted venial sins that people commit any day of the week and you, Dear Channel, are not excluded. Okay….Okay… Would you hear more? Please. I just don’t really like hearing this. Well, so we would be truthful with you and sometimes the truth is a little difficult to listen to. Okay, I’ll let it flow.
Lessons are not always pleasant. When you set out to move along your life’s path people will assume, wrongly so, that being on their path means life is good and all is pleasant. What if a part of the person’s lessons are to learn about harsher things in life? Face it, they are there. Any lesson you learn has different degrees of presentation. If you are clear in your heart and mind the harsher lesson need not be that harsh. If you come from a place of muddled thinking the lesson might be more than a painful stitch in your side.
Also, taking your position of being so receptive to Spirit you are also receptive to the “spirits” of those still in body. You’ve just got the volume up too loud. Your task, then, might be to turn down the volume a bit so that you can listen to the problem but not experience what the other person experienced. This would also extend to your dreamtime.
Yikes. Well, yes, it is a bit different. Do you have any more questions? No. Hey, thanks. That was interesting.
Okay, maybe writing about it is going to allow me to put it into a different sort of perspective. So, the person hurt me. But, from their standpoint they were in the right of it. The thought occurred to me that this person had come from an abusive family and having been the object of the abusive behavior for such a long time had, in turn, begun to act abusive toward all and sundry. Okay, I can buy that.
The point of the lesson is how did I manage to put myself in the way?
If you consider the object lesson of, “What Goes Around Comes Around” I really need not worry that this person is going to get hers….she’s getting it all the time. I’m stuck here, Guides….can you help me out?
Certainly. Good morning, Dear. Hi. We might ask the question of what does the daffodil feel as the elephant tramples her into the earth? The elephant was not intending to harm the flower. The flower was in the way. You, Dear, were in the lady’s way. It happens all the time. You can’t hope to live a life of complete blamelessness. There are all sorts of assorted venial sins that people commit any day of the week and you, Dear Channel, are not excluded. Okay….Okay… Would you hear more? Please. I just don’t really like hearing this. Well, so we would be truthful with you and sometimes the truth is a little difficult to listen to. Okay, I’ll let it flow.
Lessons are not always pleasant. When you set out to move along your life’s path people will assume, wrongly so, that being on their path means life is good and all is pleasant. What if a part of the person’s lessons are to learn about harsher things in life? Face it, they are there. Any lesson you learn has different degrees of presentation. If you are clear in your heart and mind the harsher lesson need not be that harsh. If you come from a place of muddled thinking the lesson might be more than a painful stitch in your side.
Also, taking your position of being so receptive to Spirit you are also receptive to the “spirits” of those still in body. You’ve just got the volume up too loud. Your task, then, might be to turn down the volume a bit so that you can listen to the problem but not experience what the other person experienced. This would also extend to your dreamtime.
Yikes. Well, yes, it is a bit different. Do you have any more questions? No. Hey, thanks. That was interesting.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Rune Cast
The Significator represents you and your current state of being.
Ansuz
Ansuz represents mankind's spiritual connection to God and the universe. It is often referred to as the "God Rune." This Rune embodies reason, truth and justice. It denotes the coming of knowledge and true counsel from a higher authority.
The Crossing Cast denotes that which opposes or influences you.
Mannaz
Now is the time for you to explore your inner self and those of others. Your intelligence and creativity are very well honed at the moment. Cooperation from and with others should be very easy to attain.
The Foundation Cast addresses the origin of your question.
Raidho
There may be delays in reaching your goals. You may become disassociated from those around you. Try to keep your lines of communication open.
The Recent Past represents past events and concerns.
Perthro
This may be a period of loneliness and stagnation you must fight through. This may not be a good time for you to take chances or indulge in any form of gambling.
The Crown issues that are significant in the present or may come to pass in the future. This cast foretells future events which you may or may not occur, depending upon how you respond to the present situation.
Uruz
Uruz is the Rune of harmony, order and inner strength. Often it marks endings and beginnings of periods in our lives. Uruz also symbolizes your ability to tackle new challenges by confronting them with the powers that lie within you. Opportunities probably abound for you right now.
The Future depicts that which lies ahead.
Ehwaz
Ehwaz reversed indicates a restless soul in need of change. Although you may hunger for something different, do not act in haste.
Emotions cast signifies the current state of your emotional self.
Isa
The Ice Rune, represents stagnation and a passionless existence. Your life's course may seem blurry at the moment, but if you persevere you will move onto better days.
External Forces represents the influence of others in your life as well as trends in your relationships with others.
Elhaz
Elhaz represents your power to protect yourself and those around you. It also connotes the thrill and joy of a successful hunt. You are in a very enviable position right now, because you are able to maintain what you have built and reach your current goals. Enjoy.
Hopes and Desires stands for the hopes and desires you have for the outcome of your question.
Sowilo
The Sun Rune, denotes power and strength. That which you want may be attained. Sowilo also denotes mental clarity and added warmth to your relationships.
The Outcome the ultimate outcome your question. Remember the future is not predetermined. Interpret this cast in the context of the entire reading and as an indicator of the path you are currently on, but not bound to. reading.
Ingwaz
Ingwaz signifies completion, success and fertility. Your present ambitions are about to be met. You are fecund in both mind and body.
If you'd like to cast the runes for yourself go to: Rune Casts
AnsuzAnsuz represents mankind's spiritual connection to God and the universe. It is often referred to as the "God Rune." This Rune embodies reason, truth and justice. It denotes the coming of knowledge and true counsel from a higher authority.
The Crossing Cast denotes that which opposes or influences you.
MannazNow is the time for you to explore your inner self and those of others. Your intelligence and creativity are very well honed at the moment. Cooperation from and with others should be very easy to attain.
The Foundation Cast addresses the origin of your question.
RaidhoThere may be delays in reaching your goals. You may become disassociated from those around you. Try to keep your lines of communication open.
The Recent Past represents past events and concerns.
PerthroThis may be a period of loneliness and stagnation you must fight through. This may not be a good time for you to take chances or indulge in any form of gambling.
The Crown issues that are significant in the present or may come to pass in the future. This cast foretells future events which you may or may not occur, depending upon how you respond to the present situation.
UruzUruz is the Rune of harmony, order and inner strength. Often it marks endings and beginnings of periods in our lives. Uruz also symbolizes your ability to tackle new challenges by confronting them with the powers that lie within you. Opportunities probably abound for you right now.
The Future depicts that which lies ahead.
EhwazEhwaz reversed indicates a restless soul in need of change. Although you may hunger for something different, do not act in haste.
Emotions cast signifies the current state of your emotional self.
IsaThe Ice Rune, represents stagnation and a passionless existence. Your life's course may seem blurry at the moment, but if you persevere you will move onto better days.
External Forces represents the influence of others in your life as well as trends in your relationships with others.
ElhazElhaz represents your power to protect yourself and those around you. It also connotes the thrill and joy of a successful hunt. You are in a very enviable position right now, because you are able to maintain what you have built and reach your current goals. Enjoy.
Hopes and Desires stands for the hopes and desires you have for the outcome of your question.
SowiloThe Sun Rune, denotes power and strength. That which you want may be attained. Sowilo also denotes mental clarity and added warmth to your relationships.
The Outcome the ultimate outcome your question. Remember the future is not predetermined. Interpret this cast in the context of the entire reading and as an indicator of the path you are currently on, but not bound to. reading.
IngwazIngwaz signifies completion, success and fertility. Your present ambitions are about to be met. You are fecund in both mind and body.
If you'd like to cast the runes for yourself go to: Rune Casts
Monday, March 13, 2006
Communicating with Spirit
This is an email I received today. The reply came back to me because the person didn't provide me with a good email address. Whatever. In order not to have wasted my time with it and on the off chance that she might read this blog, I've put her email and my answer here. I get asked this question a lot.
Hi..
I was wondering if you could help me? communicating with the spirit world has always facinated me. The question is: How can i go about learning to do it and am I capable of doing it? I don't have a lot of money so preferably a 'free' way to learn would be good.
I don't even know whether I'm asking the right person, I'm a very cautious person and I don't want to be lead up the 'garden path' as they say. Maybe, really there's no such thing and what people say is total rubbish. I don't know. It has always interested me and would love to experience spirit communication. Is it possible??
Hi,
Yes, it is possible to communicate with Spirit. However, for some it is easier than others. I learned from, "Opening to Channel" and from lots of meditating and many years of wanting, but nothing happening. Trying even when things don't work is crucial. So, one person might have thought a year into my journey that I was being led down a garden path and given up and another might have kept on. You can say yes it works and no it doesn't.
It's sort of like a riddle, but if you work hard enough at it, it will work.
Talking to Spirit can be flat out obvious like how I do it now or very, very faint and whispers only like what happened with me in the beginning. At least 6 years separated the first of the journey from the end. Like I said, hard work.
Then again, I've come across people who sit down and do it immediately.
It's different for each person.
Crucial to the process is your maturity. Best to channel, I think, when a person is in their 30's.
Read books written by channels. Lots of them. No getting around it. Read.
The Seth books, Emmanual, Ramtha, Bartholomew, Findhorn, the Michael Channels.
Or, you can spend more money and go someplace like the Berkeley Psychic Institute. But, like you said, you don't have and don't want to spend the money, so read a lot. There is no magic wand to make it any easier than that.
Learn to use tools of divination. That will strengthen the contact between you and Spirit. Lose anything you have that smacks of supersitious fear.
There is NO, absolutely NO room for fear when you connect with Spirit. If you have any they will certainly take care of it for you and that, I guarantee you, will not be fun.
This is not a parlor game. What you begin with this process will stay with you for the rest of your life, so be prepared. You will not get away with anything again the rest of your life. You will be so honest you won't believe it.
Your teachers will come to you. Some you will like, others you will not like. You will learn from all of them. Most will not spend a whole lot of time with you. This is mostly a process that you go through on your own.
Meditate. It is necessary that you meditate. Be willing to lay your own heart and soul bare. You WILL be facing your innermost fears and you WILL be clearing those issues up. I repeat, there is no hiding from emotional and psychological growth when you connect with Spirit.
So, if you are presently under psychiatric care forget about channeling. If not, go ahead. And, do this only if you are of age. Teens have no business doing this.
And, cautious is not going to cut it here. This takes a lot of courage.
Start with, "Opening to Channel"
Sincerely,
Pauline
Hi..
I was wondering if you could help me? communicating with the spirit world has always facinated me. The question is: How can i go about learning to do it and am I capable of doing it? I don't have a lot of money so preferably a 'free' way to learn would be good.
I don't even know whether I'm asking the right person, I'm a very cautious person and I don't want to be lead up the 'garden path' as they say. Maybe, really there's no such thing and what people say is total rubbish. I don't know. It has always interested me and would love to experience spirit communication. Is it possible??
Hi,
Yes, it is possible to communicate with Spirit. However, for some it is easier than others. I learned from, "Opening to Channel" and from lots of meditating and many years of wanting, but nothing happening. Trying even when things don't work is crucial. So, one person might have thought a year into my journey that I was being led down a garden path and given up and another might have kept on. You can say yes it works and no it doesn't.
It's sort of like a riddle, but if you work hard enough at it, it will work.
Talking to Spirit can be flat out obvious like how I do it now or very, very faint and whispers only like what happened with me in the beginning. At least 6 years separated the first of the journey from the end. Like I said, hard work.
Then again, I've come across people who sit down and do it immediately.
It's different for each person.
Crucial to the process is your maturity. Best to channel, I think, when a person is in their 30's.
Read books written by channels. Lots of them. No getting around it. Read.
The Seth books, Emmanual, Ramtha, Bartholomew, Findhorn, the Michael Channels.
Or, you can spend more money and go someplace like the Berkeley Psychic Institute. But, like you said, you don't have and don't want to spend the money, so read a lot. There is no magic wand to make it any easier than that.
Learn to use tools of divination. That will strengthen the contact between you and Spirit. Lose anything you have that smacks of supersitious fear.
There is NO, absolutely NO room for fear when you connect with Spirit. If you have any they will certainly take care of it for you and that, I guarantee you, will not be fun.
This is not a parlor game. What you begin with this process will stay with you for the rest of your life, so be prepared. You will not get away with anything again the rest of your life. You will be so honest you won't believe it.
Your teachers will come to you. Some you will like, others you will not like. You will learn from all of them. Most will not spend a whole lot of time with you. This is mostly a process that you go through on your own.
Meditate. It is necessary that you meditate. Be willing to lay your own heart and soul bare. You WILL be facing your innermost fears and you WILL be clearing those issues up. I repeat, there is no hiding from emotional and psychological growth when you connect with Spirit.
So, if you are presently under psychiatric care forget about channeling. If not, go ahead. And, do this only if you are of age. Teens have no business doing this.
And, cautious is not going to cut it here. This takes a lot of courage.
Start with, "Opening to Channel"
Sincerely,
Pauline
Friday, March 10, 2006
My Guide Said...
Being sick is not fun, nor is it something a well balanced person should look forward to. However, there are aspects of being sick that you might apply to your more healthy moments that could be of benefit to both yourself and those you love.
Face it, when you are sick you take time out to be sick. Even if you continue to slog through your work day you recognize the fact that you are sick and at your first opportunity promise yourself that you will crawl into bed for some much needed rest. You are very aware of your condition and you ply yourself with potables in the form of traditional home remedies such as chicken soup, gargling with salted water, and honey and lemon to soothe your scratchy sore throat.
Additionally, there are many over the counter medicines that you can take to give you comfort and to mask your symptoms so that you can continue to work or go to school. Ideally, you would stay home to be sick, but many people just cannot or choose not to do that. It’s, more than likely, already too late in the sense that you have already spread your cold amongst your co-workers and students, so what’s the use? Stay at work. Just remember to wash your hands often. But, cautionary germ spreading techniques aside, the point is that your attention is brought back to your poor, aching, sick body moment after moment. You sneeze. Argh. You crap. Ohhh. You ache. Owweee. Your head hurts. Uhhhh. Your skin is crawling with chills. Eeeee. You just cannot concentrate on anything else. Your attention comes back to your condition time and time again.
That’s how you need to meditate. Your attention will wander. Bring it back to the point of the meditation. You think about what you’re going to be doing today. Bring your attention away from these plans to the focus, to the light of your meditation. Why do you think nuns spend so much time in prayer? Do you think they move to that wondrous place right quick? No, they know how to move in and be with Source. But they do it a lot and they do it often. We would caution you about over-meditating. But, you can certainly do it for 20 minutes at a stretch. Any more time spent on it than that and you should have a meditation coach to confer with, but 20 minutes out of your day is not going to kill you.
With practice, with long practice, the accumulated benefits of a practice of meditation will begin to show. You, certainly, will notice it first. Basically, you’re going to feel a whole lot better, both emotionally and physically. Because you feel better you’re going to interact with your world in a more soothing way. Hey, you could probably run for office and win on the meditation ticket. All joking aside, it’s the old law of change yourself and change the world you live in.
Face it, when you are sick you take time out to be sick. Even if you continue to slog through your work day you recognize the fact that you are sick and at your first opportunity promise yourself that you will crawl into bed for some much needed rest. You are very aware of your condition and you ply yourself with potables in the form of traditional home remedies such as chicken soup, gargling with salted water, and honey and lemon to soothe your scratchy sore throat.
Additionally, there are many over the counter medicines that you can take to give you comfort and to mask your symptoms so that you can continue to work or go to school. Ideally, you would stay home to be sick, but many people just cannot or choose not to do that. It’s, more than likely, already too late in the sense that you have already spread your cold amongst your co-workers and students, so what’s the use? Stay at work. Just remember to wash your hands often. But, cautionary germ spreading techniques aside, the point is that your attention is brought back to your poor, aching, sick body moment after moment. You sneeze. Argh. You crap. Ohhh. You ache. Owweee. Your head hurts. Uhhhh. Your skin is crawling with chills. Eeeee. You just cannot concentrate on anything else. Your attention comes back to your condition time and time again.
That’s how you need to meditate. Your attention will wander. Bring it back to the point of the meditation. You think about what you’re going to be doing today. Bring your attention away from these plans to the focus, to the light of your meditation. Why do you think nuns spend so much time in prayer? Do you think they move to that wondrous place right quick? No, they know how to move in and be with Source. But they do it a lot and they do it often. We would caution you about over-meditating. But, you can certainly do it for 20 minutes at a stretch. Any more time spent on it than that and you should have a meditation coach to confer with, but 20 minutes out of your day is not going to kill you.
With practice, with long practice, the accumulated benefits of a practice of meditation will begin to show. You, certainly, will notice it first. Basically, you’re going to feel a whole lot better, both emotionally and physically. Because you feel better you’re going to interact with your world in a more soothing way. Hey, you could probably run for office and win on the meditation ticket. All joking aside, it’s the old law of change yourself and change the world you live in.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
The Guardian Angel's Mistake
A middle aged woman has a heart attack and is taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she has a near-death experience. During that experience she sees her guardian angel and asks if this is her time. The angel says no and explains that she has another 30-40 years to live.Upon her recovery she decides to just stay in the hospital for a few more days and have a facelift, liposuction and a tummy tuck. She even has someone come in and change her hair color. She figures since she's got another 30 or 40 years she might as well make the most of it. She walks out the hospital after the last operation and is killed by an ambulance speeding up to the hospital.She arrives in heaven again, sees her guardian angel and says, "I thought you said I had another 30-40 years!!"The angel replies, "Sorry. I didn't recognize you."
I subscribe to Belief Net's Joke of the Day. That's where this came from.
I subscribe to Belief Net's Joke of the Day. That's where this came from.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Polenta Adventures
I made polenta yesterday. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. One of those adventures in cooking I wanted to take. But, I wasn’t sure, both if we were going to like it and if I was going to be able to make it right. I did some checking around and found that Polenta can be sort of like mashed potatoes. Soft, just mounded up as a side dish and a gravy or spaghetti sauce put over it. Or, as a side with a stew. Or, you could put it into a bowl and then dump it out when it sets up and slice it.So, here I am with 2 cups almost of coarse cut organic cornmeal/polenta from the trip I took the other day to The Food Mill. I looked in one of my recipe books and they called for 2½ cups of polenta to 6½ cups of water. I found some fine cornmeal up in my cupboard and added that to what I’d gotten to fill it out to the required 2½ cups. I also sauted up half an onion, threw in some salt and got the water to boiling.
Once it was boiling merrily away I slowly poured in a thin stream of the polenta whisking all the while. It didn’t take long and it began to thicken up. I switched to a spoon and continued stirring. And, stirring. And, stirring. I thought my arm was going to fall off. The recipe said 25 minutes. I didn’t read farther. I set the timer and took little breaks away from the job. Once I looked at the recipe again and saw it actually said 25-50 minutes for the stirring. Yikes.
I threw in a little bit of herbs de provence that I have. And, I kept adding water. I think, in total I might have added in a good 2 more cups of water. It just kept getting so very, very thick I was worried things weren’t going right. At one point I added in a little milk just for the hell of it. And, kept stirring. I remembered watching one of the cooking shows Giada De Laurentiis did. Her sister was there on the show stirring the polenta and said you always must stir it the one way (which way I couldn’t remember) or you would invite bad luck. I was stirring this any way I could. And, the recipe said for best results don’t stop stirring. I still wasn’t certain I was doing the right thing with this stuff and thinking to myself, “If it is horrible I will just throw it out”. I spot tasted what was going on and it was palatable. Not exciting, but it wasn’t breaking my teeth.
A channeling funny? I’m talking to the guides as I’m doing this. They are offering up all sorts of helpful suggestions. Some I act upon, others I don’t. It’s how we work. Companionable cooks and company in the kitchen while I work. Anyway, I was flagging on the stirring part. I mean, I was thinking my shoulder might be hurting the next day. I just don’t physically exert myself all that much and this was a job. So, somebody in Spirit (it was probably Seth) says, “Here, like this” and I started to stir the crap out of the polenta. It was amazing. Here I am exhausted and this guide takes over and I’ve got this sudden burst of energy…or, rather, my arm is moving like nobody’s business. Well, you would have to have been there. I said, “Okay, okay….that’s enough! Thank you very much.” And, we went back to the labored stirring I was doing. I should have let him continue for awhile. That was the worst pot to clean I’ve had to do in years.
Toward the end of the 25 minutes (no way was I going past that!) I started stirring in bits of scissored up parsley and grated cheese. It wasn’t much of either. I couldn’t taste the cheese in it so much as I noticed the texture change to a much creamier sort. The parsley sparkled it up with the bright green speckles.
I dumped it into two bread loaf pans and set it at the back of the stove. Some time later, not long, maybe an hour, I transferred both into plastic bags. It was amazing, they came right out of the pans as firm little loaves of polenta.
Towards dinner time Dennis had come back with pork cutlets for us to have as Weiner Schnitzel. But, we decided that hammering the cutlets out was going to be too long a job for Saturday’s dinner and we’d save that for Sunday. I hesitantly said, “We have polenta if you’d like to try that.” Dennis cocked an eyebrow at me and said, “What if we don’t like it?” He has memories of dinners past where I had launched into adventures in cooking. I said, “How about if we have grilled cheese sandwiches.” He brightened right up and said, “And, tomato soup.” I said, “Okay.” And, if the polenta is horrible we can just throw it out and still have something to eat for dinner.
I sliced it up and fried it. I used a knife on the first few slices and then rooted around in my sewing stuff and got a length of thread to use on the other slices. I liked that technique better. A nice slice and different to do with the thread.
Dennis had the first two slices out of the pan. He said, “Hey, I like this.” I gave him some pepper and onion relish from Harry and David to have with it. It was also good just with salt and pepper. Then, he had another couple of slices. By then he said, “This can be our dinner.” I agreed. This stuff was really very good! We also thought it would be good with fried eggs in the morning.
So, it was worth it. I’m glad it all worked out. Something I’ve been wanting to try for a long time, not sure I was doing the right thing and it actually ended up tasting very good.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Saturday Cookies
I was actually looking for this recipe:
COOKIES FROM CAKE MIX – From Cooks.com
1 box cake mix (any flavor)1 or 2 eggs2 tbsp. shorteningWaterFruit, nuts, coconut, chocolate bits, etc. (optional)
Use 2 tablespoons water for crisp cookie or 1/4 cup for soft cookie.
Drop by spoonfuls. Or roll into balls and flatten. Or form into roll, chill and cut into slices. Use your imagination. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
When I came across this recipe
Knock You Nakeds at Recipe Goldmine:
1 (18 1/2 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup evaporated milk, divided
3/4 cup butter, melted
60 vanilla caramels, unwrapped (one 14 ounce package)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, pecans, the 1/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter. Press half of the batter into the bottom of a greased 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 8 minutes.
In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt caramels with remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When caramel mixture is well mixed, pour over baked layer. Cover with chocolate chips. Pour remaining batter on top of morsels. Return to preheated 350 degree F oven and bake for 18 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares. Makes 16 to 20 bars.
COOKIES FROM CAKE MIX – From Cooks.com
1 box cake mix (any flavor)1 or 2 eggs2 tbsp. shorteningWaterFruit, nuts, coconut, chocolate bits, etc. (optional)
Use 2 tablespoons water for crisp cookie or 1/4 cup for soft cookie.
Drop by spoonfuls. Or roll into balls and flatten. Or form into roll, chill and cut into slices. Use your imagination. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
When I came across this recipe
Knock You Nakeds at Recipe Goldmine:
1 (18 1/2 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup evaporated milk, divided
3/4 cup butter, melted
60 vanilla caramels, unwrapped (one 14 ounce package)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, pecans, the 1/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter. Press half of the batter into the bottom of a greased 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 8 minutes.
In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt caramels with remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When caramel mixture is well mixed, pour over baked layer. Cover with chocolate chips. Pour remaining batter on top of morsels. Return to preheated 350 degree F oven and bake for 18 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares. Makes 16 to 20 bars.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Happiness
This article ties in with the recommended book of the month, "The Art of Happiness at Work." It occurred to me that I was able to talk about something I knew about first hand. Of course, everybody can talk about being happy. But, in my case I went from a place where I was not happy to a place where I was happy and my surroundings did not change at all. My fascination with this topic is the feeling, which I also embraced for most of my life, that happiness was something that happened to me rather than something that sprang from within. I look at all the people who come and go in the company I work for, I look at so many relationships that fail, I look at folks who cannot open their mouths except to complain and, I remember how I used to think, "If only something was a certain way I would be happy". Baloney.
Some years ago I quit my job. I spent a year and a half at home writing and reading and doing a lot of inner child work. It was during that period of time that the wheels were set into motion for me to learn how to channel. One of the first things I did was to read most of, "The Course in Miracles"...just the lesson part. Then, I began reading all sorts of material that had come from channeled sources, from, "Messages From Michael," to Emmanuel, to Seth. In addition I did a lot of journal writing. I wrote one and a quarter million words just to see if I could do it. All of these things provoked movement for me.
After a year and a half of all these activities the folks at my old job called me back. I was only supposed to go back to work for a month to train somebody new because my replacement had quit, but I ended up staying and I've been there 13 years the second time around. What was really interesting for me was that I was miserable when I quit that job. I was not a happy camper. Everybody bothered me, everything they did, everything they wanted, anybody who called. If I had been able to cast spells they would all have been toadstools.
The really curious thing about it when I returned after a year and a half hiatus was that nothing about that job had changed. The same people were there, the same problems, the same issues. Nothing had changed. But, I was happy. Go figure. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what happened. Still, to this day, 13 years later I am basically happy. I have my up's and down's the same as anybody else, but for the most part there is an underlying cushion that was not there before. I believe it is happiness.
Now, what is really interesting to me is that I really did not change much. It did not take all that much to change my entire outlook on life. It took a very minor tweaking. It was hard to do in the sense that I really did not know what I was doing, but the degree of change was enough that it affected how I view life. And, it all began with the desire to effect change. How the changes occurred, the order they happened, the new things I was exposed to and the psychic awakening that took place all snowballed. In retrospect, taken all together, it might look like a lot of things happened, but, I just get the feeling that it was the way I look out at life. Instead of being the victim in all of this I gradually saw that I was actually the orchestrator of my life; that I had a whole lot more to say about what was going to happen than I thought I did.
So, the secret to happiness? I think it is an important aspect to know that you can be happy. Know that it might take awhile, but happiness does not depend on financial riches. It does not depend on a good job. It does not depend on how good you look. Happiness does not depend on the clothes you wear, or the school you go to or the degree you earn. Happiness is something far and away simpler, and small and precious. I truly believe that everybody, no matter what their circumstances are can be happy.
Some years ago I quit my job. I spent a year and a half at home writing and reading and doing a lot of inner child work. It was during that period of time that the wheels were set into motion for me to learn how to channel. One of the first things I did was to read most of, "The Course in Miracles"...just the lesson part. Then, I began reading all sorts of material that had come from channeled sources, from, "Messages From Michael," to Emmanuel, to Seth. In addition I did a lot of journal writing. I wrote one and a quarter million words just to see if I could do it. All of these things provoked movement for me.
After a year and a half of all these activities the folks at my old job called me back. I was only supposed to go back to work for a month to train somebody new because my replacement had quit, but I ended up staying and I've been there 13 years the second time around. What was really interesting for me was that I was miserable when I quit that job. I was not a happy camper. Everybody bothered me, everything they did, everything they wanted, anybody who called. If I had been able to cast spells they would all have been toadstools.
The really curious thing about it when I returned after a year and a half hiatus was that nothing about that job had changed. The same people were there, the same problems, the same issues. Nothing had changed. But, I was happy. Go figure. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what happened. Still, to this day, 13 years later I am basically happy. I have my up's and down's the same as anybody else, but for the most part there is an underlying cushion that was not there before. I believe it is happiness.
Now, what is really interesting to me is that I really did not change much. It did not take all that much to change my entire outlook on life. It took a very minor tweaking. It was hard to do in the sense that I really did not know what I was doing, but the degree of change was enough that it affected how I view life. And, it all began with the desire to effect change. How the changes occurred, the order they happened, the new things I was exposed to and the psychic awakening that took place all snowballed. In retrospect, taken all together, it might look like a lot of things happened, but, I just get the feeling that it was the way I look out at life. Instead of being the victim in all of this I gradually saw that I was actually the orchestrator of my life; that I had a whole lot more to say about what was going to happen than I thought I did.
So, the secret to happiness? I think it is an important aspect to know that you can be happy. Know that it might take awhile, but happiness does not depend on financial riches. It does not depend on a good job. It does not depend on how good you look. Happiness does not depend on the clothes you wear, or the school you go to or the degree you earn. Happiness is something far and away simpler, and small and precious. I truly believe that everybody, no matter what their circumstances are can be happy.
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