Norway Library

Memorial Library in Norway, Maine will be an energetic vortex on March 20, 2012. That's a Tuesday, 6 pm.


Energy workers, light beings, and angels will gather. Regular humans too, and humans are pretty amazing. What's up, you ask?


A reading/signing. Please join us.

Looks like a beautiful building. According to their website:
 "The Norway Library was established in 1885. For many years it was located above Longley's store, until the present building was completed in 1938. This building was a gift to the Town of Norway from Mrs. Maude Kaemmerling, a summer resident of Norway Lake, whose relatives were some of the early settlers of Norway."

live your life by signs

Do you? Do you notice symbols and patterns?

Driving home from work today I saw 2 ravens high up in the bare branches of a maple tree: black silhouettes against a snowy sky. I like ravens.

I notice spirals. I see them in metal grillwork, paintings, and plants. There are spirals in shells, cowlicks, and the cosmos.

Pennies. What do you think of when you see pennies on the ground? They remind me of childhood, surprise gifts, and spirits.

Numbers. Some people notice number patterns. What numbers speak to you, and what do they say?

Sometimes I think these signs are saying to me that I'm in the right place at the right time. I'm on the right path. Sometimes I think they bring me to the present, the now. So I take a deep breath and appreciate the now.

That's all for now. 

the paradox of self-perception

Healing Hands workshop with kids today. The kids ranged in age from 4 to 18.

I taught with Tookie. Tookie is smart, well-educated, brilliant, beautiful, and compassionate.

We sat on the floor, in a circle. I sat cross-legged, blending right in with the shy and solemn children. We introduced ourselves. Tookie started.

"I'm Tookie and I'm 29."

There were gasps. Tookie gasped at the gasps. "Oh, you think I'm old?" she asked. The children nodded. Tookie turned to 18 year-old Wren. "Do you think I'm old?" she asked.

"Oh no," Wren said. "29 isn't old. Old is like, 55."

Now it was my turn to gasp. I did it silently, internally. Pretty sure it was silent.

We went around the circle as the children introduced themselves, prancing and writhing as children do. They were feeling more comfortable. They did cartwheels and flopped flat on the floor. There were a lot of young energetic children. Then it was my turn.

"I'm Meredith and I'm old."

The little girl on my left leaned over and whispered, "We already figured that out."

Then it was time for an activity. Everyone got up. Wren came over to me and solemnly offered her hand. "Let me help you get up."

How is it that others see one as elderly and decrepit; while one sees oneself as vibrant, lithe, strong, curious, and flexible? How is it that the body ages while the mind retains a youthful perspective? I feel wiser, but not older. 

Kale fritatta

Wash one large bunch of kale.

Cut into thin strips, I use scissors.

Saute in olive oil, cover.

Add chopped celery, onion, and pepper.

Add diced garlic and ginger, maybe some cooked tempeh.

Cover and cook low for 10 min.

Pour a glass of red wine. 

Take the dog out and look up at the starry sky.

Breathe in the cold dark air.

Add 2 beaten eggs.

Cook another 5 min, covered, on low.

Contemplate the pleasure of silence and solitude.

Take the dog out again. 

Ice chunks crunch beneath boots.

Kale Fritatta.

writing and speaking

are important facets of being an excellent nurse.

The nurse must know how to assess the patient, how to recognize changes, and what to do when changes occur. So the nurse must be able to write and speak: communicate and collaborate. One must be able to work with others to facilitate the patient's progress to his or her best health.   

corn rows

Used to go on long car trips when I was a kid. Sat in the back seat and watched the rows of corn flip past the window. Corn, corn, and more corn.

We lived in Illinois. The land was flat, the air was hot, and there was lots of corn.

the smallest things...

... add up to being a great nurse. Like being gentle, caring for a grandma with dementia or the young person who is developmentally delayed, and focusing your entire day on helping that person be clean and comfortable, well-fed, and connected with the world.

This is why I love teaching. I get to see these marvelous adults: intelligent, educated, and compassionate adults; nursing students, turn their attention to helping one person, in one day, achieve his or her best health.

numerology

Patterns of numbers tell me I'm in the right place at the right time.

morning glories

Was sitting in the sun, in my summerhouse. Sunny and 42 degrees, snow melting all around. I closed my eyes and turned my face to the sun, thinking of solar flares and northern lights. I opened my eyes and noticed small black pellets on the floor: seeds.

Morning glory seeds. The lattice walls of the summerhouse were twined with flower vines and dry seeds were bursting out of papery globes. I got a glass jar and started picking the spheres. I burst the paper and blew the shreds out of my palm, dumped seeds into the jar. Ready for spring planting and summer blossoms.

rain on the plain in Maine

in January. Let's talk about global warming, climate change, and 2012.

hello UK!

... and thank you for buying my books.

According to sales figures, am selling more in UK than USA.

Thank you Merseyside, Liverpool, London, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. 

call 911

The inflammatory response. It's like calling 911.

Say your house is on fire and you call 911 and no one comes. Your house will burn down. If that's your body and the inflammatory response, then you get septic and die. 

Say you call 911 and the firefighters come and put out the fire, save your pets, and all is good. That's the inflammatory response doing what it's supposed to do.

Now, let's say you have a candle burning in the window and you call 911. The firefighters come, 5 trucks! They chop down the doors with axes, break in the windows, and douse your house with water: attic to cellar. For a candle. That's the inflammatory response in hypersensitivity mode. Overreaction. Autoimmune disease. Body attacking self. Not so good.

In rheumatoid arthritis the body attacks the synovial lining of joints. In ankylosing spondilytis the body attacks the spine. In lupus the body attacks the nuclei of cells. Can you imagine...attacking your own cell nuclei, think about it. 

That's what I taught today. 

Reiki symbols

Reiki practitioners use symbols to focus, to relax, to meditate, to bring us to the Reiki energy.

I practice drawing the symbols every day. I visualize them when I share Reiki. Some teachers say the symbols are secret, others share them freely.

snowy beach and Shelties

sandals in the snow

Fluff and I went for a walk around the pond on campus. I don't know what the kids did last night, but they did something. It was cold last night, below zero, and we have a fresh half foot of powdery snow. But warm 20F and sunny for our walk.

There was an odd collection at the center of the pond. A circle had been cleared of snow. Inside the circle: a 6 foot table, tipped on it's side; a pile of cardboard; and a circle of folding chairs. The shore of the frozen pond was littered with crushed red Solo cups. I saw several sandals: some in pairs, some sadly mismatched. I saw a sweatshirt, some underwear, a grass skirt, and more cups.

It was noon, but I didn't see any students. There were several other adults walking dogs. No students, just random sandals in the snow.

coffee in Lewiston

Where are the funky coffee shops in Lewiston?

The ones we can walk to, stroll by, drop in, and wander out of. Hang out and read newspapers, books, and nooks. Eat pastries or slurp soup. The ones nestled among small shops with handmade items, local produce, and organic food. Where are those?

We can drive to Starbucks, drive through Dunkin Donuts, drive out to a strip mall, or drive through Tim Horton's. We have an incredible pastry shop, out on the highway by the car lots. It's right after all the car dealerships and just before the lake. The shop owner is a world-class pastry chef; the breads and pastries are unbelievably incredibly delicious. Yeah, right out there in car dealer land.

Our only discernible downtown is a street of Halal shops located in former banks and department stores. The district court is there too, so there are several lawyers offices. There are a couple of lunch places and some expensive dinner restaurants. But no funky breakfast place, no coffee shop. Coffee: that's what we need here. 

Naples, Maine

Tomorrow: explore Naples.

It's on the shore of Sebago Lake, near Songo Locks. Should I bring skates, snowshoes, or an ice shack?

I'm going to meet a friend and Reiki practitioner from Denmark, Maine. I'm eager to hear about her recent Reiki experiences and her thoughts on ethics, intuition, and practice.

We sure have a lot of Europe and Scandinavia here in Maine: Norway, Naples, Denmark, Vienna, Paris, and Sweden. Also Moscow, China, and Mexico. So many immigrants.

Roland Flint

I've been thinking of the poetry of Roland Flint.

He said, "Poetry is a quick way to the sources of the spirit."

and wrote, "stop and be quiet and listen"

being a nurse

I love working with students. I love helping them use their skills, compassion, life experiences, and wisdom to transform themselves into nurses. The students inspire me to be a better teacher, nurse, and human being.

When I lecture, it's to an audience of 70 students in five sites. I speak to 40 or 50 people locally, and beam out to distant rural hospitals. I take a small group to hospitals and nursing homes.

My clinical group usually consists of eight students. We put on nursing scrubs and go to medical institutions. I teach them about the culture, practices, and procedures. I enjoy getting to know these students, and showing them my philosophy of nursing. I strive to model compassion, critical thinking, and teamwork.

When we are in the medical institutions, I wish I could be everywhere at once, but I am able to spend just small bits of time with each student. So I ask them to email me weekly, to tell me what they learned. Last year a student emailed me. Her patient was in a hospital, and being transferred to a hospice. She described how she cared for him. She bathed him, and positioned him for his comfort. She talked to him, not knowing if he could hear her. She said she did just "small stuff." She asked me if she had done the right things.

I responded: "Thank you so much for providing excellent care to your patient. I'm so proud. Yes, sometimes the "small stuff" is everything. And sometimes the most important, meaningful, and wonderful things you do are done silently and almost anonymously. No one saw you do those wonderful things for your patient. But you did them. Thank you. Sometimes nursing is the most humble profession."

walk in the light

This is a time of great spiritual awakening, remembering.

That could be frightening or alarming. If this is happening to you, there's a simple solution. If you feel alarmed, remind yourself that you walk in the light. Say, "I am of the light. I walk in the light." That should do it.

If not, if you feel negative energy swirling around you, then imagine a bubble of light around yourself. Breathe in the light. Surround yourself in glowing spirals of light. Ask the light to illuminate your path.

Be light. Be well. Enjoy your transformation to a lighter being.

learn this...

I spent the day looking at web sites for interactive learning. Good starting points were merlot, TED.com, and KahnAcademy  . From there I explored, clicked, and listened. I heard experts speak well on their topics, I took online quizzes, watched videos, and sifted through current and expired sites.

I was looking for great sites for my nursing students. Sites that would stimulate thought, engage minds, and foster a love of learning. There's tons of free stuff online, great educational sites... go, explore, learn. 

Reiki+

Reiki appeals to people who are also interested in other modalities. Reiki opens intuition. Reiki is simple, noninvasive, and quiet; not flashy or sensational. These factors seem to lead to practitioners blending modalities during a Reiki session.

It's interesting to see how people work. It's good to work with others. Maintain connections.

Me? I'm passionate about Reiki, just Reiki. For me, just Reiki is enough. Wishing you a very Reiki day.

Teresia Reiki Share

Went to a Reiki Share today, at Teresia in Norway, Maine. It was right on Main St, across from the hospital. Charlotte's Reiki place is in a big arts and crafts house full of integrative practitioners: acupuncturist, social workers, and Reiki. There's a stream out back: Pennesseewassee Stream. 

We shared Reiki in Charlotte's beautiful room. It was clean and fresh, with a wooden bench, crystals, and a Reiki table. An efficient heater let us forget the bitter cold outside. My hands pulsed and throbbed with the energy, and I felt energy swirling around the room. I got images of a cold grey choppy ocean. I felt hot and had to take off my wool scarf.

After Reiki we had lunch in the kitchen. It looked like an old farmhouse kitchen, with tall wooden cabinets and windows that looked out on the stream. Charlotte made lentil and Swiss chard soup and fresh whole wheat bread. The soup was hot and the bread still warm from the oven. I brought cabbage salad, with dried cranberries, walnuts, and sesame ginger dressing. Joan brought cupcakes. We drank tea. A good way to spend a few hours on a cold January Saturday.  

Bulgaria

My uncle was a poet.

He traveled to Bulgaria, read poems, met some people, and learned local songs. I went to his funeral and met a Bulgarian poet. This poet sang a song for me, "Oh white wine, oh white wine, I wish you were red."

kale

I'm on this weird kale kick.

What's your favorite recipe? Micah likes it juiced with ginger. I like a kale fritatta: sauteed in olive oil with garlic and happy (free range) eggs. I read a recipe online: spray with olive oil and bake into crisps. I had kale salad from Whole Foods last week, chopped and doused with sesame dressing.

I love the dense curly greenness of it, in this cold white winter that is Maine. I like the price, bought a bouquet of kale at Whole Foods for $2. Bought a showcase armload today at local grocer for $1.47.

You can think vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, OK. Boring. Or just go with the crunchy deliciousness. The intense green in a season of grey and white. Kale. 

search terms

People find this blog via various means. The server shows me some ways people find me. Following are search terms some used to find this blog. So interesting.

archives on mt apatite

barefoot girl skateboarding

chakras

horses on grass and clovers

kendall pucci

numerology 11

reiki

teresia reiki

turkey claw

Friday 13

Lucky or unlucky?

Are you superstitious or psychic?

Former are wary, latter are grateful.

Many healers respect and celebrate the date. Let's honor the healers past, present, and future. 

1-13-12

Happy Birthday to my Grandma and guide, Orva Amelia. 

past lives

Someone asked me about my past lives.

My most recent were as a businessman in Boston and a child killed at Auschwitz. And I don't believe that time is linear. I think time explodes, waves, and cycles around.

How do I know about my past lives, you ask. Not through an online quiz. I got this information through meditation, dreams, and semiconscious questioning. You can do this too. Relax, ask, and believe. 

Scotland

There's something about Scotland. The accent, the weather, the people.

Let's go. 

Snow!

The snow event of 1-11-12 and 1-12-12. First the anticipation. Will we have school? Will it really snow? Will I have to drive in it? Will I lose power?

Woke up in the night a couple of times to check. Not yet. Alarm went off. Still no snow and no school cancellation. Off to work, no prob, all ready for my 5 hour lecture.

It started to snow so the students went home early. I stayed to work. Watched the flakes out my window, watched the snowplows go by. Time to go, oh dear. I don't like to drive in it. I mean, if it's cold and dry then fine. But if it's slushy or icy, if it's slippery, then I'm white-knuckled all the way. It was slippery.

First, I let my car warm up. I brushed the snow off the windshield. While I was at it, I brushed off several windshields. Surprise, coworkers. Though it was so windy and still snowing, they might not notice. I took off. A truck ahead of me slid sideways through a busy intersection. That didn't look good. Maybe doing it on purpose, to show off? Having some fun? I proceeded slowly and cautiously. The truck continued to slide sideways, but I took a right. I kept an even speed, trying not to brake or accelerate abruptly. Made it home.

Someone had snowblowed my driveway. Thank you, neighbor!

All my pent up energy: anticipation, excitement, nervousness, and fear- I channeled into shoveling and scooping. I cleaned off my steps and deck, and by that time there was another layer of snow on the driveway. Vigorously scooped that off too.

Now safe and warm at home I can relax and watch the flakes. There goes the snowplow. Everything is white.

nook?

Here's something I hadn't considered: the Nook runs on batteries and electricity. Running costs.

Turning pages is free.

Still haven't bought that Nook. Still looking at them.

I like the thought of consolidating my library. Books pile up so. I have piles and piles of books. Just read a few, super good: Delirium Tremens by Mark LaFlamme, The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings, and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, by Helen Simonson. All paper. All good.