I Have Moved

Relax! No, I am not moving back to Illinois.

I simply have moved into a bigger room within the household. My housemate's teenage son moved out to his own apartment. This left his bigger room available. I spent most of yesterday moving my stuff.

I spent the most time moving my wall of quotes. The positive energy of these quotes surround me as I sleep. Well, almost surround me, I need to add a few more to the headboard space. At times, I think I have enough quotes that I could cover all for walls with them. I just need to print them out. So much to do, so little time. :)

I think the most glaring thing about this picture is that I am badly in the need of a new bedspread. I bought this rustic patterned one on clearance when I lived in the barn in Goldhill, Oregon.



The best and worse things about this room are the glorious windows. While I sit in my lounge chair I look out upon the landscape. Somehow it makes me feel closer to nature. There is also a wonderful nightscape to look out upon. I do most of my writing and typing while in this lounge chair and so I do love this sitting area.

You will notice I have placed my angel collection upon the windowsill. I like the way they are backlit by the morning light or the moonlight at night.

I am not a morning person, and there is far too much light in the morning, so the shutters do get closed. Of course, the angels are not very happy when I close the shutters but they do seem to prefer the windowsill to the shelves I could have put them on.

I keep a few pictures near my chair, including one of Brother Tree that I frequently glance at as I work.

All in all, I do like my new space. I think I will be staying for a while longer. I do like California. More accurately I like the personal growth and development that I have gone through since arriving here. Sadly, the same opportunities do not exist in the Midwest.

I do miss my friends and family and am so glad that we have been able to stay in touch via phone and email

Blessings to everyone.

On This Day

On this day of my birth, I have been reflecting upon my life and particularly about these past few weeks. I am aware of many deep changes in my persona and in my life.

The more I understand about myself, the deeper my sense of peace and harmony. Over the last few weeks and months I have tried to bring balance into my life. And I think, to the most part, I have accomplished that.

Part of these balance, part of the this peace and harmony, is directly due to my awareness of the beautiful world around me. I feel extremely connected to nature, to the earth. It's not something I am observing, but something I am. I am part of the planet.

These concepts may be either too grandiose for some, or perhaps too airy-fairy. Yet my life has been transformed. This is not a Californian thing but a spirituality thing. I certainly live in a household where such thoughts are not just welcomed, but commonplace. I live amongst spiritual peers and we are a blessing onto each other.

Moving here is one of the best decisions I have made. Even as it has distanced me from those that I hold near and dear.

On this day, I honor and bless:
all that have been in my life,
are in my life,
and will be in my life.

I sincerely pray that I have enriched your life as you have enriched mine.

Blessings.

The photo was taken a week ago during my visit to the redwoods. Brother Tree is behind me.

It Can Happen

Things can happen that I don't fully understand.

I spend most of Easter Weekend with a slight sore throat. I didn't think much of it, as I had spent a lot of time talking, and thought that was the cause of the soreness.

On the way back home on Sunday afternoon and evening, I started sneezing and blowing my nose. Great: a cold.

On Monday, I noticed gunk around my left eye. And I assumed the cold had moved to my eye as sometimes happens with nasal congestion.

But by Monday night, I suspected it was Pink Eye. Tuesday morning I confirmed this with my housemate and picked up an over-the-counter treatment. To no avail.

Wednesday, morning it had moved the right eye as well. The discharge seemed worse than the left had been.

Not taking any chances, I did go to the doctor and get a antibiotic eye treatment and a Zpak of oral antibiotic.

The only irritating thing has been the itch in my eyes and my fatigue the last couple of days.

I know that Pink Eye is most often associated with childhood and I seriously don't remember ever getting it, but do remember my neighbors getting it.

I have no idea how I contacted it, but it can happen even as an adult. Knowing it is contagious, I have been extremely cautious, using hand sanitizer and such.

Today, is the first day I have felt like working, and am hoping this means I am over the worse. The cold has been more at the nuisance stage than at the full-blown stage although the doctor thought I had the start of a nasal infection.

Oh, and there was another snafu as my prescription card would not work. that I had a problem with my health insurance when my left eye went blind. I got that straightened out, and I'm sure I'll get my prescription coverage back as well.

Not having the coverage helped me to appreciate the plight of those without such coverage. The eyedrops were $107 and the Zpak was $45. I'm sure I'll get it back, but I certainly wondered how others would afford it.

And so the Journey continues . . .

The Beloved Forest

Yesterday, on my Journey of the Heart blog, I spoke of visiting my beloved redwood forest. Again and again the meditations speak of the energy of the forests. Today's meditations speaks of Buddhism rising out of the forest.

I know such peace while in the forests. Yes, particularly, the redwoods forest, but all forest. The same is true when I am in a park that is filled with old trees.

I find that I somehow walk softer upon the earth when I am in forests. As I receive peace from the forest, I give back love, peace and harmony.

Most of all I am hold the trees and the forest in honor and respect. And in moments I include the entire earth in that thought.

Blessed Be.

A Great Weekend

I had a whirlwind weekend in the Bay area. I was visiting both family and friends. Each day seemed to be packed full of activities. My cousins prepared a turkey dinner on Friday night. There is just something about a roasted turkey that says both family and home.


On the way home I was able to visit Brother Tree in my favorite redwood forest. The weather varied between drizzle and rain. There was one family who were persevering to hold a family celebration but other than than that my two friends and I were the only people in the forest.

It was damp and cold. It was near fifty degrees and with wind and cold it felt good to be bundled up including gloves. Despite the weather it is was still great to visit the forest. It was quiet, and serene. And somehow more alive.

Of course the forest is alive. Yet as I stood and listened to the rain hit the leaves and it drip down to the ground, the forest seems to surround me in its energy.

Brother Tree particularly offered warmth and comfort, as I stepped into him to commune with him. And yes, I'm a confirmed tree hugger!

Blessings upon the Earth!

A Name Change / Reverting Back

It has been a long time since I have spoken about my book. I will admit to having spent most of my time on personal development. Yet I have not been fully ignoring my book. With the help of creativity coach, I have revisited the vision of the book.

With that in mind, I have changed the name of my book back to A Journey of the Heart.

That may not surprise many who have read this blog. After all it was the original title of the book as well as this blog. But it is the subtitle has more closely describes my present vision for the book.

Heart

of the

A Journey

A memoir of how I found peace and harmony for my life

and along the way found out how to love myself.

You will notice that I have also changed the description of this blog to the above.
This does not lessen the impact my communications with God have had on my life. They are in fact the method by which I found much of the peace and harmony.

It is my sincere wish that by sharing my life on the pages of my book (and this blog) that others might also discover how they too can come to love themselves.

And so . . . The Journey Continues.

To There and Back Again

I was out of the country for most of last week. I didn't announce to this blog that I was going as I didn't want to worry anyone.

I went to Mexico City to meet a friend. This photo is of monument of the Angel of Independence. If you traveled down the boulevard in the direction the angel is facing you would come to the US embassy.

Interesting enough, while I was visiting so was Mrs. Obama and Secretary Clinton. So there was heightened security in the area.

I was staying in a very safe area. My friend and I often ate dinner out and would stroll the boulevard after dark. We would pass the headquarters for the Mexican Bureau of Investigation as we returned to the hotel.

The only trouble that I had during the entire trip was that the my tube of toothpaste didn't pass inspection at the Mexican airport. It was the proper size, but I don't think they were familiar with the shape of the bottle. It was easy enough to leave it behind.

I had a very pleasant trip and the four days flew by. Posting this blog is one of the details I am taking care of. I am very anxious to return to the editing of my book.

The journey continues . . .

A New Writing

I have posted another writing. I will warn that while it didn't start out about this subject, this writing is about Sacred Lovemaking. It is not graphic, but it is sensual.

It may be beyond that which some are comfortable with God talking about. Yet, it also will give the reader a deeper insight into me.

Just click on My Writings to the right of this post, and read as much or as little as you desire.

Reaching for the Heavens

This picture of redwoods seems to be reaching for the heavens. That's what last night felt like for me. A housemate and I went to a spiritual dance last night. I'm sure many may find my experience far too "woo-hoo" but it was blissful for me.

The weekly dance is held in a dance studio. The lighting is very subdued. The music is very new age, very Middle Eastern but also African, even jazzy blues.

This isn't an organized dance, or couples dancing. It's a group of individuals who tune into the music and allow their bodies to move as it will. Some dance slow and methodically, others are nearly frantic. Some are sitting and swaying to the music. Some are laying down, and moving to the music.

Even before I became heavyset, I was never a great dancer. I can't seem to connect what I feel in my mind to movement in my body. By the time I get my body to move the way I want, the music has moved on. So I have just seemed to be making awkward gyrations. Spirit dancing isn't like that for me.

It doesn't matter if I am coordinated. I just move as I desire and my body likes it. But still I couldn't seem to get out my head. Luckily, my back was spasming. (Do you see what this implies? My back is spasming with pain and I see it as lucky, or as a blessing?) I decided to lay down.

I closed my eyes and seemed to instantly connect to my spirit body. I envisioned my spirit body dancing. This sort of played like a video on the back of my eyelids. I felt myself dancing around a fire. At times I was Native American, others African, Aborigine, and Chinese. I morphed from one dance and clan to another according to the music. And I soon found myself in a state of bliss.

I would open my eyes and be surprised to see people dancing around me. Forty-five minutes had passed. I would close my eyes again and be back in bliss. I moved to another spot on the floor (trying to find a cooler spot.) Once again I closed my eyes and was in bliss.

I would open my eyes and be fully conscious for a few seconds, close them again and be in bliss. Near the end of the dance, I opened my eyes to find my housemate dancing near me. I smiled at her. I thought to get up and dance with her, but closed my eyes and was once again at bliss.

This very much an out-of-body experience. I struggled to come into consciousness. I realized the evening was nearly over and I got up to dance a bit. Yet, I was not fully present either. I was half in body and half in spirit. Very surreal. Very blissful.

The last couple of songs were soft and quiet, and I sort of step-walked through them. And then the group circled up, held hands, announced our names, and were thankful for the dance.

I was not fully conscious. Those who deeply meditate will know the feeling I am speaking about. I could have come fully conscious, but was enjoying the afterglow of bliss. My housemate drove home for me. And slowly I came fully into consciousness.

Now, all told I may have danced for 25-30 minutes, in three different sessions. Ten minutes at the last. And I was utterly exhausted. My body felt as if I had danced the entire time. And being at such a high energy can be exhausting as well.

This was different from the ecstasy dance that I previously experienced. But I like equally well. I would do either of them again.

These are my thoughts this morning.

And yes, the journey is continuing . . . maybe just a little more blissfully than before.

My Writings

Have you ever wondered what it's like to talk to God? Or in doing so, what my life might be like? Or what God and I talk about? Well here's your opportunity.

From time to time, I am going to post some of my writings. If you have the patience, you will find a new insight to God and what my conversations with him is like. Now, just to clarify, I hear God as a male voice and I often refer to him as Father. But by no means am I limited by that. I am as comfortable with God as a female as with a male. It is simply my experience to hear a male voice.

Now, you may think it takes gall to say that I talk with God. Some may think the very idea is blasphemous but I mean no disrespect. In my experience, it doesn't take gall, it takes heart.

In addition to an insight into God, you will get a glimpse into my life and how I live life as I am guided by God. The only change to the posting will be a removal of names. I'm sure you will understand why.

If you are interested in reading my writings then to the right of this posting there is a box headed My Writings. I will add links as I post writings.

Blessings to everyone.