cold person

I woke up at 5:30 this morning; the power was out. I figured bed was the warmest place, so stayed.

Got up at 7:30, put on boots and jacket, and went outside. The trees were flat on top, heavy branches dipped down to the ground. Most of them still have their leaves, and the leaves were weighted with gobs of icy snow. The Japanese maples, lilacs, and hydrangea were most loaded. I shook the trees and their big branches to dislodge the snow and the branches sprang back up to the sky. Did the same with the pine, cedar, rhododendron, and purple dollar tree. I don't know the proper name of that last one, but the leaves are dark purple, the size and shape of a dollar coin.

I scooped the deck and driveway. It was heavy slush and I could barely push a scoopful. I pushed with my legs, back, and shoulders. My neighbor from across the street came over with his snowblower to help me. How do I repay him? He won't take money. Sometimes I buy birdseed for him, and leave it on his porch. He has 3 birdfeeders.

I raked snow from the roofs: garage and house; got tired and came inside. I loaded the contents of my frig and freezer into two coolers and dropped the coolers into a mound of snow. The temp dropped inside as the day progressed. I ate cold leftovers from the cooler, apples, and rice cakes. I read and did Sudoku puzzles. I called my son to wish him Happy Birthday. Every couple of hours, when I felt chilled, I went outside to shovel more. That warmed me up. I wished  for a cup of hot coffee. I didn't want to drive anywhere because I haven't got the snow tires on my car yet.

Inside the house I wore leggings and pants, 2 shirts, 2 pairs of wool socks, a heavy wool sweater, and a wool shawl. It started to get dark. Maybe I should go to a hotel. It would be warm, I could shower and watch TV. I called the Ramada. They don't take pets. I called the Hilton: $75 extra for a dog. I couldn't leave Fluff. I went to bed at 6 with all my clothes on. I was nearly warm enough in bed, but kept waking up stiff and uncomfortable. At 10 I woke up and noticed the street light was on outside my window.

Power! Electricity! Heat! I got up and turned on the boiler and the electric blanket. Turned on light and the computer. Brought the coolers of food in and put them back. It was 56 degrees inside, 30 out.

I was going to be a cold person for Halloween, but now I think I'll go as an OccupyWallStreet activist. One of the 99%; Power to the People!

Farmington

Had one of those perfect days in Farmington: friends and fresh air.

I met Marilyn for breakfast. I had Thai Wonder Eggs and she had Scrambled Truffle Eggs. We caught up on current events: kids, health, family, & work.

Then I shopped at my favorite store: Reny's. I found some great bargains: an amethyst bracelet, a jacket for work, and a brown sugar soy candle.

On to Betsy's. I had bones for the dogs: Vader, Max, and Ellie. Black lab, shepherd mix, and Newfie. Dave took off to return Tirzah's car; Hannah emerged from the shower clad in 2 black towels, gave me a wet hug, reclined on the new couch, and told me about her job; and Betsy filled me in on her current events.

On to my beloved assisted living facility where I read the newspaper. All peaceful there. The tables were set for lunch, linen napkins and English china.

Next stop: Nina's gourmet food store, Up Front and Pleasant. Nina served me coffee in a tiny terracotta mug. I bought local free-range pullet eggs, hummus, and organic wine and left some books for her to sell. We caught up. I had a lot of catching up to do: I haven't been to Farmington for a month. I said hi to Nigel the Cat out in the parking lot and proceeded next door to The Chickadee's Nest, Julia's herb shop.

Julia shared some intuitive wisdom: focus on the positive, study Buddhism, and eat less. I bought a selenite  slab to charge my crystals. Julia grows herbs and sells soap, lotion, and stones.

Then Denise & I took our dogs for a walk in the woods. Today is the 1st day of hunting so we tied blaze orange bandanas on ourselves and our dogs. I wore the wrong shoes and kept slipping in the dry leaves. We found the sacred spot in the middle of the woods: branch and stone arrangements. Who decorated this spot? Her dog levitated, whirled, and jumped into every mud puddle. He stared at us from the water, asking, "Why aren't you in here with me?"

"Hello! It's 45 degrees, overcast, and you're in a swamp! No thanks!" The woods were gorgeous: all yellow leaves, pine needles, moss, and granite bedrock.

Then home. Prepare for snow and power outages. If I don't lose power, then I'm going to make a bean & vegie stew. I stopped at a farm stand on my way home and bought parsnips, peppers, red cabbage, and beets.

Back home. I got out the snow scoop and jug of salt. Winter? I'm ready. Bring it.

from Hilo, Hawaii...

Black sand beach in Hilo, Hawaii.

Want your own? click on this: HawaiiPhotoGirl.

Kindle Nation 2012

Reiki Stories to be featured on Kindle Nation Feb 23 & 24, 2012. Cool! Watch for it...

snow!

That's right. Snow. A Nor'Easter.

Before Halloween.

Maine is under a storm watch. We expect 8 inches of wet, heavy snow; wind; and massive power outages tomorrow night. Haven't got my snow tires on yet.  Better dig out the snow scoop, winter coat, and boots.

Oh, and I've got to figure out a costume for Monday at work. Saw something online. Cover yourself with post-it notes and be a little white lie. Oh, got to write some lies on the post-it notes. Like... ummm.... OK, that won't work. I can't think of amusing lies. All I can think of is that snow.  April Fool's?  No: Happy Halloween!

Hawaiian beach

It snowed in Maine today.

Meanwhile, somewhere on a black sand beach in Hilo, Hawaii....

HawaiiPhotoGirl is tracing Reiki Stories: My Hot Hands

 into wet sand

and filming waves washing over the words

and reversing the film

so the receding waves

will reveal the words.

tune into joy

That's what my Dad told my sister, and she told me... "Tune into joy."

Some days it's harder than others to do that. But it's a choice, and it's always possible.

And it's always the best path. Walk in the light. Tune into joy. Be kind. 

Tamarack

 Tamarack, Wilhelm Reich's summer home in Rangeley, Maine.

 Dodge Pond.

Orgonon

What an interesting, beautiful, and peaceful place. Orgonon: Wilhelm Reich's laboratory, school, and summer home. I spent the weekend there. 


Orgonon is on a mountaintop in the Western Mountains of Maine. It's not far from the Appalachian Trail, not far from the stunning views of Height of Land, and just down the road from Lac Mooselookmegunticook.  It's close to where I was first attuned: Tangwala in Oquossoc. 


It was a Reiki retreat and there were 10 practitioners. We had a private tour of the Reich museum, we hiked around the estate, played musical instruments, and shared Reiki. 


The museum is a 3-storey stone building with a series of decks for viewing the stars and sky energy. Inside the museum we saw Reich's paintings of energy. We saw his cloudbusters. I put my hand in an orgone accumulator and got a jolt of energy. It felt like I was on a fast elevator to the basement. There was a fabulous view of Dodge Pond from the decks of the museum. I did an attunement there, outside, on one of the decks. 


We stayed in 2 cabins. Bunchberry was Reich's study, and Tamarack his home. I stayed in Tamarack. 


It was chilly Saturday evening, and I built a fire in the stone fireplace. We ate spaghetti, lasagna, a marvelously colorful salad, casseroles, and homemade pie. Pumpkin: my favorite. There were apples, molasses cookies, and plates of cheese. There was way too much food. 


After eating we did some Reiki and attunements. We drank wine and played musical instruments: a didgeridoo, a brass Tibetan bowl, rattles, bells, and drums.  Some people danced.


The next morning we walked down the grass path past the twisted pines and moss gardens to Dodge Pond. We stood on the floating dock in the sunshine. In a gentle breeze, with birds soaring far overhead, we did attunements on the dock. 


Orgonon. Halfway between Oquossoc and Rangeley. A spiritual place. 

virtual pets

Have you seen the fish? Scroll down. At the bottom, see? Goldfish. You click to feed them.

I know, I know. They're virtual. Still. If I don't feed them, I feel guilty, negligent. When I write & post I feed them. If not, they go virtually hungry.

books books books

I ordered 100 books. They arrived. It was a dark and windy evening, with rain earlier.

Home from work late, porch light on, I discovered the boxes: sitting in a plastic bag, exposed to the damp wind.

Now I have 100 books. For sale, cheap to good homes. But wait, isn't everyone e these days? Kindle and Nook? Who plants their nose in paper, oh, I know, the off-liners. There are many.

They live off the grid: sporadic use of solar, wind, or pedal power. Or they have faces planted to computer screens all day and want to come home to an easy chair and paper. They want to  crease open the spine, fold back a corner, and place a favorite bookmark. Maybe one with a pressed flower, or perhaps a tassel. They curl into a soft chair to read. Pets hover. Lost for hours, they rise only for a fresh cup of tea or to throw another log on the fire.

Ok, you people? I have some books. 

Shakeology

So I'm trying this superfood thing. It's a chocolate powder, comprised of roots, nuts, & berries from all over the globe. Also grass and fungus. It's anti-oxidant, anti-depressant, and anti-gravity. It's like drinking espresso with a pinch of ecstasy. I put it in yoghurt: chocolate yoghurt. Added a spoonful to my decaf this morning: hot chocolate. Or mocha. It's good and supposedly good for me. Maca, sacha inchi, and yacon. Yum. Shake it up. 

sell 1 million eBooks in 5 months

with this book by John Locke. Click here: sell a million books. Thanks for the tip, Mark LaFlamme. 

Only $2.99 on Kindle. Worth a try, right? Note to self: buy a Kindle.

book...

How do you sell a book these days?

Load up the trunk and drive around to bookstores, start a blog, or send copies to your family- begging them to buy 2 more? Do something outstanding, become famous, and hire a ghostwriter? Hire fiverrs to put up posters and make trailers?

Mostly what I want to know is how to sell a book while working as a teacher 50 hours a week, maintaining a home, volunteering, doing the downward dog, and walking the dog. 

Reiki

Had such interesting conversations about Reiki today. Mostly about ego. About keeping one's ego out of the way, so the Reiki recipient can find his or her own way. Open to intuition. See the path.

I did a lot of listening today. And a lot of observing. Lots of traffic control, zipping around in a golf cart, and hugs. Blissfully shared Reiki with amazing practitioners and favorite clients.

I was in a tent all day with Reiki practitioners, massage therapists, athletes, and cancer survivors. It was a marvelous day- hot and sunny, breezy. Live music. Raspberry scones. Hope and courage. I saw bald heads, roses, and hand-carved walking sticks. There were lots of hugs. Some tears. Big smiles. What could be better than that?

Oct 8, 2011

Simard-Payne Park, Lewiston

This park is on an island in downtown Lewiston, Maine. 

There are a lot of abandoned buildings in Lewiston. 

There are canals, waterfalls, and the Androscoggin River. 

Reiki Stories: My Hot Hands

It's here!
Reiki Stories: My Hot Hands

Click here to purchase.

kindle nook eBook

I know, I know. I should buy a Kindle, Nook, or some such eBook reader. I know!

Like them in theory. A library on one device. No more piles of books in every room of my house.

After all, I successfully switched in music. LPs to cassettes to CDs to digital downloads and streams.

Yeah, I really like live music best.

And books. I like to curl up in a soft chair. I like to read in the tub and at the beach.

My nose is stuck to a computer screen all day at work. If a book is an escape, then I want to escape from screen to paper and ink. I want to go back in time. I want to feel the smooth paper, turn pages, and stick in a favorite bookmark.

So Nook? Nope. Kindle? I resist. As for you? Do as you like. For me? For now I'll continue to buy and share the archaic papyrus, I mean paper. Hey- did you know? You can read the Dead Sea Scrolls online!

procedures

Nursing school. Procedures, right? Placing Foley catheters and IVs, running codes, dropping an NG tube.

No. Why not? 

Because procedures change. Equipment changes. Teach you today and the procedure will be outdated before you graduate. And anyone can learn and do a procedure. 

So what then? Thinking. In nursing school we teach you to think. Why are you doing the procedure? What's the anatomy? How does the patient feel about the procedure and what does he or she believe about illness and health? What's the best way to perform the procedure, based on research? Thinking. Critical thinking. That's what we teach in school these days.

And holistic nursing. Look at the whole person, the family, and the community.

Communication. How will you speak to the patient, the family, and the health care team?

Politics. Where does the money come from, what can you do as a nurse, and what are the imminent reforms? How does one effect change? Thinking. That's what we teach. That's what nurses do. Welcome to health care 2011.