Colour As Healing Therapy

I love colour ~ colour in my home ~ colour in my clothing ~ colour in my art. Colour plays a major role in setting up a particular mood or state of mind. Colour affect one's feelings, moods, and emotions. Through this week I would like to touch on different aspects of colour and how large the role is that it plays in our lives. Today I would like to discuss colour therapy and it's healing properties.

Colours are certain wavelengths of electro-magnetic energy seen through our eyes. The colour we see is the part of the visible spectrum that is reflected back by a certain object.

Colours affects us in so many different ways. They influence our mood and emotions. They have their impact on our sense of well-being or unease.

Using and avoiding certain colours is a way of self-expression and sheds light on our personality.

Colours affect our perception (light colours make a space look big, a high ceiling looks less high when painted in a dark colour, etc.)

Colours influence the flow and amount of energy in our bodies and the use of Colour as a Therapy is a truly holistic, non-invasive and powerful therapy which dates back thousands of years.

True healing comes about when the cause of the condition or illness is addressed and transformed. If healing goes no further than masking the symptoms, then, eventually, that which brought about the need for healing in the first place, will resurface and manifest itself within the body in one form or another.

Holistic healing says that the body is an outward expression of that which is taking place within the mind, the soul and the spirit of the individual. Thus, any healing technique which deals only with the physical body and the energy field of the individual tends to accomplish one thing ~ it jump starts the individual and gives him or her an added boost of energy. That energy boost then allows that person's own internal healing mechanism to become mobilized into greater activity.

A preference for certain colors can point at two things:

Self-expression (you choose the colors which match your personality; for instance green for a lover of harmony and nature)
Completion (you choose the colors you need more of; for instance an active, passionate person chooses blue colors to cool down his nature).

An aversion against certain colors gives information as well.

Red

Healing properties: Brings warmth, energy and stimulation, therefore good for energy, fatigue, colds, chilly and passive people. Red energizes heart and blood circulation, it builds up the blood and heightens a low blood pressure. Energizes all organs and the senses hearing, smell, taste, vision and touch. Increases sexual desire and activity. Stimulates ovulation and menstruation. Cancer is never treated with red, because it stimulates cell growth! Red links with and stimulates the root chakra, at the base of the spine, causing the adrenal glands to release adrenalin. This results in greater strength. Red causes hemoglobin to multiply, thus increasing energy and raising body temperature. It is excellent for anemia and blood-related conditions. It loosens, opens up clogs, releases stiffness and constrictions. It is excellent for areas that have become stiffened or constricted.

Preference for red:

Red is associated with passionate love, sex, great energy, impulse, action and stimulation, assertiveness and aggression, courage, strength and power, adventure, danger, warnings, revolt and revolution. Temperamental and ambitious people with a need for personal freedom.

Aversion to red: A person who has an aversion to red may be over-active, too impulsive, hot-tempered, aggressive and egocentric, or have difficulties with people with such characteristics. It can also symbolize deeply hidden fears and rejection of his own assertiveness.

Orange

Healing properties: Orange is warm, cheering, non-constricting. Orange has a freeing action upon the body and mind, relieving repressions. Orange shows new possibilities and other options in life. Stimulates creative thinking and enthusiasm, and helps assimilate new ideas.It is also helpful in dealing with excess sexual expression. Orange stimulates the lungs, respiration and digestion. It increases the activity of the thyroid. Relieves muscle cramps and spasms. Increases the amount of mother milk. Finally, orange links very strongly with the sacral chakra.

Preference for orange:

Orange represents the warmth of the fire. It brings even more energy than yellow, celebration and great abundance, comfort, enjoyment of the senses. Warm, sociable, dynamic and independent people who dedicate themselves to whatever they do.

Aversion to orange:

A person who has an aversion to orange may have suppressed sexual feelings or other difficulties with sensual enjoyment of life. The attitude can also be over-sensual, indulgent, or too materialistic.

Yellow

Healing properties: Yellow helps strengthen the nerves and the mind. It helps awaken mental inspiration and stimulates higher mentality. Thus, it is an excellent color for nervous or nerve-related conditions or ailments. It also energizes the muscles. Dark yellow soothes pains in the nerves. Yellow can be used for conditions of the stomach, liver, and intestines. It helps the pores of the skin and aids scarred tissue in healing itself. Yellow links with and stimulates the solar plexus. Activates and cheers up depressed and melancholic people. Gives lust for life.

Preference for yellow:

The color of the sun, life-force, vitality and energy. The colour of cheerfulness, curiosity, flexibility, progress, amusement, contact through traveling and communication, learning and practical knowledge. A feeling for writing and speaking.

Aversion to yellow:

A person who has aversion to yellow may be emotionally disappointed and bitter. May have tendency to rationalize feelings, or to avoid the depth of life by often changing relationships, many superficial relationships and/or constant changing activities.

Green

Healing properties: Green is the color of Nature and the earth. It is balance and harmony in essence and possesses a soothing influence upon both mind and body. It is neither relaxing nor astringent in its impact. Green can be used for just about any condition in need of healing.
Green stimulates the heart chakra. Green affects blood pressure and all conditions of the heart. It has both an energizing effect and a moderating or soothing effect. It cures hormonal imbalances and stimulates growth hormone. Harmonizes the digestion, stomach, liver, gall bladder with a healing effect on kidneys. Increases immunity. Builds up muscles, bones and tissues. Stimulates inner peace. Strengthens the nervous system.

Preference for green:

Green brings peace, rest, hope, comfort and nurturing, calmness and harmony. Interest in nature, plants, fellowmen, children and animals, health and healing, natural and plain life. Longing for a safe home and family-life. A dislike of conflicts.

Aversion to green:

A person who has an aversion to green may be more interested in independence and self-development than in a warm family-life. May prefer to keep a distance in relationships.

Blue

Healing properties: Blue is cooling, electric, astringent. Dr. Edwin Babbitt, in his classic, "The Principles of Light and Color" states that "the Blue Ray is one of the greatest antiseptics in the world." It cools down inflammations, fever, high blood pressure, stops bleeding, relieves headaches, calms strong emotions like anger, aggression or hysteria. Brings tranquility. Soothes suffering. Blue can be used for any type of ailments associated with speech, communication, or the throat. Excellent for laryngitis or inflammation of the larynx. Blue stimulates the throat chakra. The throat chakra is often referenced as the "power center" and "the greatest center in the body" because it is the primary center of expression and communication, through speech.

Preference for blue:

Cool and soothing, dreamy and magical. Peace and rest. For people who keep a certain distance, but give calm and practical help; they are faithful and loyal, have a sense for order, logic and rational thinking. Flying in day-dreaming, ideals or nostalgia when felt misunderstood. Dark blue is more severe and can be melancholic. Blue is also the color of truth.

Aversion to blue:

A person who has an aversion to blue, may be very disciplined, strong career worker, with an aversion of commentary or restriction. He may have charted out a clear direction for his life.

Indigo

Healing properties: Indigo is a great purifier of the bloodstream and also benefits mental problems. Indigo combines the deep blue of devotion with a trace of stabilizing and objective red. Indigo is cool, electric, and astringent. It stimulates the brow chakra (third eye) and controls the pineal gland. It governs both physical and spiritual perception. It can be of great assistance in dealing with ailments of the eyes and ears.

Violet / Purple

Healing properties: These are colours of transformation. They heal melancholy, hysteria, delusions, alcohol addiction, bring spiritual insights and renewal. These colours slow down an over-active heart and stimulate the spleen and white blood cells. Aids sleep. Soothe mental and emotional stress. Decrease sensitivity to pain. They help in detoxification. Leonardo da Vinci proclaimed that you can increase the power of meditation ten-fold by meditating under the gentle rays of Violet, as found in Church windows.

Preference for violet/purple:

Colours for meditation, contemplation, mysticism, spirituality and religion power. A longing to ascend and dissolve polarities (purple consists of the active red and passive blue), to improve the world. Reservation, mystery and dignity. Soft, sensitive people with often paranormal abilities.

Aversion to violet/purple:

A person who has an aversion for violet/purple may have very serious attitude towards life; and may find it difficult to give dreams, fantasies, vague fears or memories a place in it. May have tendency to reject everything unnatural or unrealistic.

White

Healing properties: White is the perfect colour; for it is all colours, in perfect balance and harmony. Just about everyone has heard of surrounding people with the "White Light of Healing and Protection." White light raises the vibration of one's consciousness and the body, bringing harmony in all aspects of one's life. Directing white into a part of the body that needs healing is one of the fastest ways to bring about healing.

Preference for white:

White points at innocence, purity, virginity, cleanliness, freshness, simplicity, nothingness, oneness and truth. In some cultures white is the colour of death and mourning.

Aversion to white:

A person who has an aversion to white colour is solely interested in 'realistic' and tangible things, not in illusions or things that are beyond seeing or understanding. Knows and accepts imperfection and does not wish to achieve perfection.

Magenta

Healing properties: Strengthens contact with your life purpose. Stimulates adrenaline and heart activity.

Preference for magenta:

Much energy and activity focused on achieving power and self-realization. Strong but controlled passions and emotions. Daring, ready to fight, willing to give everything for a goal. Can drive things too far and have fixed ideas.

Aversion to magenta:

A person who has an aversion to magenta may feel overwhelmed by people with strong convictions or heavy emotions like jealousy; also may have difficulties with exposing deep emotions.

Pink

Healing properties: Heals grief and sadness. Restores youthfulness. Brings you in contact with your feelings.

Preference for pink:

Regarded as a feminine color. Pink symbolizes softness, sweetness, innocence, youthfulness and tenderness. Soft and kind people.

Aversion to pink:

A person who has an aversion to pink may have a challenge with expressing soft, tender, female side.

Turquoise

Healing properties: Increases intuition and sensitivity. Works disinfecting and antiseptic. Tones the general system. Builds the skin. Relaxes sensations of stress.

Preference for turquoise:

Just like the wide turquoise sea you don't want to feel restricted and you don't immediately bring to the surface what goes on in you ~ emotions can remain hidden. A colour for renewal, innovation and inventions, progressive techniques, alternative ways of living together, humanity.
Aversion to turquoise:

A person who has an aversion to turquoise may be looking for solidity and security in society, especially in marriage. Also, may be reluctant to think originally or to walk new paths.

Brown

Preference for brown:

An earthly colour for practical people with a preference for natural, tribal and primitive things, solidity and simplicity. Brown can be warm and cosy but also depressing. Family-life persons, stable people, loyal friends.

Aversion to brown:

A person who has an aversion to brown may feel an aversion against normal, boring, trivial life; may not feel connected with his roots (home-land, family, etc); may experience instability in health and attitude.

Grey

Preference for grey:

Very neutral and indifferent, non-expressive. It can be deliberate, but also lifeless, fixed, depressed and apathetic. Reserved, cool people; unwilling to expose themselves or to have obligations. Grey can be refined and tactful.

Aversion to grey:

A person who has an aversion to grey may prefers to be straight to the point, no time for political and tactical attitudes. Demands clarity, a knowing where one stands.

Black

Preference for black:

Symbolizes seriousness, darkness, depression, death, mourning, mystery, secrecy, occultism, a standing apart from or revolting against triviality, provocation, underground, underworld, things that have to remain hidden, nothingness as the great source of all creation, the need to keep your energy with you. Black is a color for extremes, everything and nothing. People who foremost trust themselves.

Aversion to black:

A person who has an aversion to black may have fear for the unknown, or fear for the abuse of power. Desires to become free from all kinds of dependency, blockages, hindrances; to throw off shackles.

Colour

Do you love colour?

Do you choose colours according to your mood?

Do colours affect your mood?

Here's a little primer on colour and why it plays such a large role in our lives.

Here is a colour wheel which is an organization of colour hues around a circle, showing relationships between colours considered to be primary colours, secondary colours, complementary colours, etc...

Primary colours are red, yellow and blue.

Secondary colours are achieved by mixing the primary colours. These colours are green (mixing blue and yellow), purple (mixing red and and blue) and orange (mixing red and yellow).

Tertiary colours are the result of blending primary and secondary colours, for example ~ red-orange, orange-yellow, yellow-green, green-blue, blue-violet, violet-red.

Analogous colours are a palette of compatible colour combinations that blend well together. They are neighbors on the colour wheel. They tend to live harmoniously because they are relatives to each other.

These colours are less vivid, bright and saturated. They have less contrast and vibrational energy then complementary colours. Think of purple, blue, and, magenta colours in a twilight sky or the yellows, golds, and oranges in an Arizona desert. A pine forest has light greens to blues and purples within its depths.

Complementary colours are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel. They contrast, enhance and intensify each other. An example of complementary colours would be red and green.

Monochromatic colours are all the hues (tints and shades) of a single colour. As a result, the energy is more subtle and peaceful due to a lack of colour contrast.

Triadic colours are high-energy colours that are found by choosing three colours that are separated by 120 degrees on the colour wheel. The primary (red, blue, and yellow) and secondary (purple, orange, green) colours are examples of triadic colours.

Colour, without our realizing it, can have a profound effect on how we feel both mentally and physically. Dr. Morton Walker, in his book The Power of Color, suggested that the ancient Egyptians as well as the Native American Indians used colour and coloured light to heal.

Blue can "slow the pulse rate, lower body temperature, and reduce appetite.

Green soothes, calms, and has great healing powers. It is often worn in operating rooms by surgeons.

Orange symbolizes balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrancy, flamboyancy, and is demanding of attention.

Purple represents royalty, spirituality, nobility, ceremony, mystery, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning. Purple is considered an exotic colour.

Red is associated with love, valentines, danger, desire, speed, strength, violence, anger and can evoke a fight-or-flight response, raise blood pressure and make the heart beat faster.

Yellow represents joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard, spirituality and inspiration.

Did you know that colour is light and energy and the fact that it has a physical effect on us has been proven in experiments? When blind people were asked to identify colours with their fingertips they were all able to do so easily. The shorter the wavelength, the stronger the underlying physical effect.

Sir Isaac Newton demonstrated that light travels in waves, when he shone white light through a triangular prism and, when the different wavelengths of light refracted at different angles, he was able to demonstrate that the colours of the rainbow (the spectrum) are the component parts of light.

So now that we've completed our lesson on colour theory, let's get back to my original question ~ is your mood affected by colour?

Most definitely .... When yellow daffodils, bluebells and colourful crocuses appear, we immediately begin to feel livelier, all symptoms of SAD seem to disappear ~ when grey skies and rain or snow surround us we instinctively draw in and tend to hibernate.

We choose colours to surround ourselves with according to our mood. We wear colours choosen according to our personality type.

For example ~ a very confident person will wear many, varied bright colours. A person with a lower self confidence may choose darker colours in an effort to blend into the background and not draw attention to themselves.

From my own experience I find that I am uplifted when I choose to wear brighter colours like yellow, orange, coral and turquoise. After enjoying cashmere's, denim and wool in shades of grey, brown, navy and black through the winter my spirit is uplifted as I anticipate the arrival of the warmer weather when I enjoy all the colours of the rainbow making me feel as glorious as my garden in bloom.

This morning the sky was many shades of lavenders, reds, corals and pinks set in a beautiful silvery blue morning sky. A few wispy clouds were sprinkled here and there across the sky.

"Red sky in morning ~ sailors warning .... red sky at night ~ sailors delight."
This gorgeous sky I was treated to this morning is, according to the old adage, my warning that bad weather is on the way.

Hope it holds out until tonight, Don is planning on barbecuing steaks for my thirty-twenty fifth.

Looking Forward

One third of the way into the "Year of Barb", I continue my journey to a calm acceptance and a pure & true happiness that radiates from within. I am succeeding in many of my resolutions.

Putting myself first ..... releasing anger, bitterness, resentments and old hurts ..... accepting, loving and enjoying this time I have been given with my mother in the sunset of her life ..... nurturing myself ~ physically (still exercising every morning ~ alternating 20 minutes daily on the recumbent bike ~ treadmill), spiritually, emotionally (centering myself through quiet introspection, meditation & reading) ..... loving every single moment I have with my daughter and grand babies ..... learning to say no ..... not biting off more than I can chew ..... getting back into my crafting and art.

One important aspect of this journey is starting each morning with an attitude of gratitude. My feet do not touch the floor before I have expressed gratitutde. Then with each step towards my day, I say thank you. This simple act has gone a long way to improving my postive outlook on life. It is very hard to feel negative about anything when you are thankful!


Finish every day and be done with it.

you have done what you could.

Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;

forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely,

with too high a spirit to be encumbered

with your old nonsense.

This day is all that is good and fair.

It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations,

to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

I Love ....

........ this child.

My third grandson ~ Mammys love.

He is precocious ...... he is daring ...... he is precious ...... he is sweet ...... he is beautiful ...... he is so very gentle with his baby sister ...... he loves his mammy and never fails to greets me with kisses and tight hugs after jumping into my arms (usually from the third step).


(We won't be able to do this much longer, he's getting heavy).

While visiting last week, he and I had fun playing a game called "Guess Who". On our second game, I guessed who he was on my second question. He stopped with shock on his face, looked up at me and said, "Mammy ~ you're right." The stunned look on his face as he gave me a high five was absolutely priceless.


Then on Saturday, while we were entertaining friends, the doorbell rang.

Don went to the door and I heard him say, "Oh my God." I couldn't imagine who was there when I heard the voice of our little princess.

She came in and ran immediately to her "Poppa" and stayed in his arms for most of the visit. She was quite shy with our friends, but had no trouble entertaining everyone as long as she was in Poppa's arms.

While in his arms, I asked for a hug and kiss and she placed her little hands ~ one of each of my cheeks and brought my face to hers to give me a kiss. It was such a tender moment, that I could barely contain my heart from bursting with love for this precious child.

This young lady is very girly (Mammy is looking forward to pedicures together) ..... she loves sparklies (I must always wear jewellry for her when I visit ~ she does look for it) ..... she is entertaining ...... she is loving ...... she knows what she wants ...... she is going to break hearts ..... she is going to make her daddy worry ..... she is stunning ....... she adores her Poppa.

How fortunate am I to be Mammy to such wonderful grandchildren? And these are only two of my loves.

I could never imagine being separated from my four babes. They are my happiness ~ the air I breath. Just the thought of them, brings sunshine to my day.

As I sit here writing this I am looking forward to my visit tomorrow, hoping that Ryan our oldest grandson is better from a cold he was fighting earlier this week. Fingers crossed he will be better tomorrow and Mammy will once again have her weekly fix.

How Beautiful Is This????

Yesterday I received a package in the mail from a dear friend whose blog I regularly read.

We have never met, but have shared numerous emails and lots of comments on each others' blog.

I apologize for the sideways shot, but no matter how hard I tried, it absolutely refuses to upload right side up, so here is the beautiful shawl knit of Noro wool, which Vickie sent to me ~ albeit sideways. It's is gorgeous no matter how you look at it. The wool is so soft and luxurious and I have been wanting to pick some up and make something, anything just to feel this beautiful yarn pass through my fingers as I knit.

I must mention here that knitting is a moderately new craft to this lady. She just started knitting last year if I'm not mistaken.

Beautifully done Vickie!!!!

Thank you so much. I am actually sitting in the office with the window open right now and have the shawl around my shoulders to keep the chill off.

It is clasped together with a beautiful handmade wooden ornament made specifically to hold the shawl from falling off the shoulders.

It also came with a gorgeous card hand painted by her husband Dave - Thank you Dave - another cherished keepsake.

There was also a deliciously fragrant peppermint handmade soap which was made by Sherrie over at Frenchy's Finds. Can hardly wait to try this invigorating soap.

Fabric & Flowers

What a beautiful spring day it was yesterday with more of the same on the way today?

I thought it would be nice to take my mom out somewhere she has never been before, so off we went to Ikea.

She was a little overwhelmed by the size of it ~ it really is quite a large store.

She enjoyed it thoroughly and we stopped by the restaurant for breakfast which she really liked.

As I walked through the window coverings & fabric section, these beautiful fabrics practically jumped into my shopping cart, so I relented and purchased a couple metres of each.


I won't say what I'm making, but they will somehow make it into the "Handmade Giveaway".

Then when we got home, my son stopped by ~ a surprise visit with these beautiful roses for me.

It was a lovely finish to a beautiful day.

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful week.

Body Image

How do you view your body?

The dictionary defines body image as a term which may refer to a person's perception of their own physical appearance, or the internal sense of having a body which is interpreted by the brain.

Essentially a person's body image is how they perceive their appearance to be to others, which in many cases may be dramatically different from how they actually appear to them.

Do you know that 44% of women today express negative feelings about both individual body parts and their bodies as a whole. The desire to lose weight is highly correlated with poor body image, and more women than men desire to lose weight.

There are a brave few on Flickr who recently have been posting self portraits of face & body in an effort to improve their body image.

If you pursue self portraiture, it can help you in your efforts to accept your body. Shooting self-portraits regularly gives you inner strength and can help in the process of healing any illness ~ physical and psychological. As real women, we must undertake to do whatever it takes along the journey to become more comfortable in our own skin.

The little girl inside of me wants to see a beautiful woman, but unfortunately when I look in the mirror this is far from what I see.

I only see the wrinkles, the big stomach, the sagging breasts, the thinning hair, the not quite straight smile, etc.....

Why is that?

Why do I not see what the people who love me see?
Why as women are we so hard on ourselves?
We are constantly bombarded with "Barbie-doll" images. By presenting an ideal that is so difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. It's no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty. The message we're hearing is either "all women need to lose weight" or that the natural aging process is a "disastrous" fate. Botox, Restlyne, liposuction, fat transfer, laser skin resurfacing and chemical peels. These procedures are as common as having a tooth filled. Clinics and spas providing these services are popping up on every street corner.

Why can we not be happy with this marvelous body we have? The body that has sustained us throughout our lives .... the feet and legs that carry us where ever we go .... the arms that carried our babies .... the hands that lovingly prepare the very nourishment that feeds our body .... the breasts that fed our children ..... the stomach that nurtured that life as it prepared to be born ..... the face with all its characteristics that is ours alone.

Negative Body Image is a distorted perception of your shape. You may perceive parts of your body unlike they really are.

You are convinced that only other people are attractive and that your body size or shape is a sign of personal failure.

You feel ashamed, self-conscious, and anxious about your body.

You feel uncomfortable and awkward in your body.

Positive Body Image is a clear, true perception of your shape. You see the various parts of your body as they really are.

You celebrate and appreciate your natural body shape and you understand that a person`s physical appearance says very little about their character and value as a person.

You feel proud and accepting of your unique body and refuse to spend an unreasonable amount of time worrying about food, weight, and calories.

You feel comfortable and confident in your body

Here are ten things you can do every day to improve your body image.

1 ~ Twice a day, everyday, I will ask myself: "Am I benefiting from focusing on what I believe are the flaws in my body weight or shape?"
2 ~ I will think of three reasons why it is ridiculous for me to believe that thinner people are happier or "better. I will repeat these reasons to myself whenever I feel the urge to compare my body shape to someone else.
3 ~ I will spend less and less time in front of mirrors, especially when they are making me feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about my body.

4 ~ I will exercise for the joy of feeling my body move and grow stronger. I will not exercise simply to lose weight, purge fat from my body, or to "make-up for" calories I have eaten.

5 ~ I will participate in activities that I enjoy, even if they call attention to my weight and shape. I will constantly remind myself that I deserve to do things I enjoy, like dancing, swimming, etc., no matter what my shape or size!

6 ~ I will refuse to wear clothes that are uncomfortable or that I do not like but wear simply because they divert attention from my weight or shape. I will wear clothes that are comfortable and that make me feel comfortable in my body.

7 ~ I will list 5-10 good qualities that I have, such as understanding, intelligence, or creativity. I will repeat these to myself whenever I start to feel bad about my body.

8 ~ I will practice taking people seriously for what they say, feel, and do, not for how slender, or "well put together" they appear.

9 ~ I will surround myself with people and things that make me feel good about myself and my abilities. When I am around people and things that support me and make me feel good, I will be less likely to base my self-esteem on the way my body looks.

10 ~ I will treat my body with respect and kindness. I will feed it, keep it active, and listen to its needs. I will remember that my body is the vehicle that will carry me to my dreams!
Let us not pass on this legacy of self abuse to our daughters and grand daughters. Let us learn to love ourselves as our friends and family do. Stop for just a moment and think ~ if your best friend talked to and treated you the way you do to yourself ~ would you maintain that friendship. Of course not ~ so it's time to become your own best friend and love yourself.

Friendships

What do friends mean to you?

My friendships are so important to me. Even more so since observing my mother following my dad's death with no outside support from friends. All she has is Don & me and our family and she relies more and more on this relationship. Her situation make me even more determined to cherish and keep strong the friendships that I enjoy presently.

What makes a friendship?

What draws us to particular people and not to others?

In the past year I met a woman who I felt an instant connection with. We recently spent some time together and after 3-4 hours of non-stop talking, it felt as if I had known her forever.

I have spent the last couple of days trying to analyze why I felt this instant connection and yet with other relationships I find that I cannot go deep. Time spent together produces those uncomfortable moments or lapses in the conversation. Do emotions play a role here ~ are there resentments ~ jealousy ~ bitterness that resides so deeply they can't be identified yet somehow they put up a wall that is so difficult to get over?

Edited to add:

Today I spent some time with another friend. We chatted about my thoughts and she offered some interesting insight on how she and I were both raised in a very judgemental, critical atmosphere. Could the fear of criticism or judgement be what holds me back in these relationships? Hmmmmm, I wonder ......

Is the deep connection that is felt instantly when we meet a kindred soul something as basic as a commonality with our likes & dislikes ~ or something deeper such as our moral structure.

In our familial relationships what makes some work and others not? My thoughts stray to my relationship with my mother. I love her, but do not consider her a friend, yet my daughter is a cherished friend to me.

A dear friend who lives hundreds of miles away from me is one of those connections. We have known each other for over 20 years. We share the odd email and occasional phone call. Six or seven years ago I went to visit her. Our conversation started when I arrived and didn't stop until I left. It was like we had never been apart. How can that be when we don't constantly refresh that friendship on a regular basis? The connection just remains constant.

This new friendship in my life has really made me think deeply about why some relationships work so well and so comfortably while others although the love is there present those uncomfortable moments where participating in meaningful conversation is almost painful.

I believe everything in life happens for a reason and I know this new friendship has arrived in my life for a reason ~ it is up to me to determine what that reason is.

My cherished friends and I go very deep in our conversations, sharing everything, supporting, loving each other and giving all.

I think of a dear friend who I have not met in person, yet we have shared intimate thoughts and feelings through very lengthy emails. I cherish her words in each email and look forward to the day when we will meet. Will we still have this innate ability to be as open with each other in person or will there be those uncomfortable moments. I hope not ~ I have most definitely grown through the years to love this person.

What are your friendships like?

What are your thoughts on these feelings that haunt my thoughts as I try to understand these dynamics?

I would be interested in knowing how you view your friendships and if you experience these same issues that I have raised here.

Happy Monday

As I sit here this morning enjoying my morning coffee, I'm watching a very gentle spring snow fall as it comes to an end.

It's one of those beautiful snowfalls with big, wet snowflakes that holds onto everything as it comes tumbling out of the sky.

Everything has a light coating of white ~ my concrete statuary in the garden are all wearing garments of white ~ the gazebo frame which is charcoal gray has a ribbon of white laid carefully over top of the frame ~ the cedar bushes are frosted with white whipped cream ~ the deck has been covered with white velvet ~ the bare trees are a study in sharp contrast as the dark brown limbs hold onto the snow ~ the bird feeder has been dusted with icing sugar ~ every plant laying dormant in the ravine behind us has been sprinkled with white frosting ~ all the homes have changed the colour of their roofs to pure white ~ Chelsea after going out for her morning, ahem "constitutional" came in looking like she had been sprinkled with coconut ~ the birds are not in flight, but taking cover under the larger branches on trees ~ even the chain link fence between our garden and the ravine is outlined in white.

Outside my window looks like a crisp black and white photograph with a few focal points of colour.

I have to describe this quickly ~ it blew in wild and willful, but was over in just a few moments.

I am not posting any pictures of this beautiful scene ~ you will have to use your imagination to see what I see.

Have a lovely, happy Monday!

Give Away

Today on reading Sherrie's blog over at Frenchy's Finds, I read that she was doing a handmade giveaway.

Sounded like fun, so I decided to participate, however in order to participate I must "Pay it Forward".

The first 5 people who respond to this post will get something hand made by me: it will be my choice, but will, hopefully, be something you can use or enjoy for its aesthetic merits.

I won't guarantee that you will love it ~ but I sure hope you do!
I also promise to mail my handmade gift to you before the end of the year (December 31, 2009) or sooner.

To participate, you must "Pay It Forward" by posting your own hand made giveaway on your blog. Then put together something to be sent out as 5 surprises of your own.

These surprises can be anything ~ a piece of art, a photo, a poem ~ whatever you choose.

Now I'll just wait for the comments to come rolling in! If you're one of the first five to comment, please e-mail me your mailing address (mailto:barb.takeda@gmail.com, and my gift to you will go in the mail sometime in the next 9 months!

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Life Lessons

~ Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

~ Marry someone you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

~ Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

~ When you say, 'I love you ,' mean it.

~ When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.

~ Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

~ Believe in love at first sight.

~ Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

~ Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

~ In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

~ Don't judge people by their relatives.

~ Talk slowly but think quickly.

~ When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'

~ Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

~ Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.

~ When you lose, don't lose the lesson !

~ Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

~ Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship..

~ When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

~ Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

~ Spend some time alone.

~ Bliss ~

If you love to knit, you must pick up the newest Debbie Bliss knitting magazine.

This is the second publication.

Last year, I picked up the Fall/Winter one and literally drooled over the patterns.

In fact there wasn't one pattern in there that I wouldn't love to knit.

The cover on the Spring/Summer magazine tantalizes with it's soft pastel and believe me when you open the pages, the softness continues.

There is a beautiful section on all white ~ white cushion covers, white dish cloths, white trims, white blankets, etc...

I love the white blanket and this I will be my first project. It is knit on circular needles in a plain garter stitch with a ribbed border. Simple, lovely and would look just great on my bed for a little extra snuggling.

There are cardigans galore and I think I just might make every single one.

Well, off to dream about colours and yarns and whether I can talk hubby into springing for all this yarn I'll require.

Here are a few patterns from the Fall/Winter publication last year.

A Thought

I can't change the direction of the wind,

but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

Remembrance

This day is the second anniversary from the first day I saw my precious granddaughter ~ Gabriella.

This to the left is Gabriella in my arms with a couple of other children in the orphanage.

Along with that wonderful memory come the sharp, cutting images that are impressed on my memory of Africa and her pain.

Today I am thankful to Gabriella's Enat (birth mom) for the enormous sacrifice she made in giving up her child. I cannot imagine the hole it must have left in her heart.

Only through her unselfish sacrifice were we able to bring this amazing child into our lives.

I remember all that I witnessed there ....
the terrible living conditions ....
the number of orphaned children living in the streets ....
the extreme poverty set against extreme wealth ....
the struggle of so many people.


Then there is her breathtaking beauty which is in stark contrast with her poverty.




















Terrible living conditions .... not enough food .... little to no wages for many.














But still I was uplifted in this country at the joyfulness of these people ....
their generosity .....
their willingness to always help.

But always when I look in the face of this beautiful girl ~ my granddaughter ~ I will remember Africa, the impression she left on me and the place in my heart that she touched.

Barb Needs

This morning I saw this little game on my daughters blog.

Hers answers were much more interesting than mine. If you do this, you go to Google and type in "your name" followed by the word needs, then run a search.

Here's what I need.

1. Barb needs to leap ~ trying to do this this year.
2. Barb needs to be fed a variety of foods including vegetables as well as meaty foods ~ hey where's the sweet stuff.
3. Barb needs some positive vibes ~ always.
4. Barb needs to only hear your voice clearly ~ I'm going to interpret this to my being a good listener to each and every person in my life.
5. Barb’s Needs. Meds. Meds. Meds. Water. Water. Water. Food. Food. Food. Bianca. Bianca. Bianca. Toilet ~ yes, yes yes and definitely yes to the toilet after all that water.
6. Barb needs healing vibes ~ again always.
7. Barb needs to be eliminated ~ don't think I care for this one too much. LOL

Another friends needs "an orgasm". I would rather that than #7. Oh well, we can't have everything we want can we??

Let me know if you decide to try this. Come on you know you want to do it ~ it really is fun!

Resolutions

How are you doing with your New Year's Resolutions?

Have they fallen by the wayside ..... are you sticking with them ..... or are you telling everyone that you're sticking with them but really just keeping up a facade?

Well, I'm telling you today that my resolutions posted in January, are still first and foremost in my mind. I will not say that I have successfully completed them, but I am in the ongoing process of running towards that finish line.

I resolved to "take back my life" and make this the year of Barb and that is exactly what I have been doing.

Along the way, I have been firm in my decisions ~ no fence sitting for this girl. When I make a decision to move forward ~ I do.

One major decision I made was to remove the resentment, bitterness and anger from my mind. I realize that my family is as it has always been ~ I am NOT the problem, so it has been quite simple for me to remove myself from the equation. This I did for ME, not for anyone else. I had to come to the realization that the resentment, bitterness and anger was hurting me and no one else.

Due to the upheaval not only in my life but my home as well, my attention to my physical condition went by the wayside. So, how did I correct this you ask?

I spent about one week in the basement cleaning, throwing out a lot of stored unnecessary items and rearranging and I now have my exercise area set up again with a treadmill and recumbent bike and I have faithfully walked or rode every morning for 12-15 minutes for about 6 weeks now. I'll never be ready for a triathlon but I do feel more energetic because of this particular attention to one part of my life.

I also resolved to spend one day a week with my grand babies and I have given them back Thursdays. Now having said this, I have missed a few here and there, due to illness, chauffering my mom to appointments, but I thoroughly enjoy spending time with them, giving them me in whatever ways they want ~ game playing ... movie watching ... singing ... talking or just loving each other.

Don and I have started to go out without mom, leaving the guilt feelings here at home and not allowing them to fester while we are out together. Every time I leave the house, I cannot allow her to overwhelm me with feelings of guilt because I am not taking her with me. Before my dad passed away I certainly didn't take her with me each and every time I went out, so why did I feel I had to when she moved in.

So as you can see I am overcoming quite a few of the obstacles that had been stumbling blocks to my happiness in life.

Mom too has started to make a few changes herself ~ she has gone back to church on Sundays which gives Don and I a couple of hours to ourselves. She is talking about going to visit her sister in April. Not only will that be good for her but it will give us a break too.

And I'm back to crafting regularly ~ knitting, quilting, baking, painting, etc...

So as you can see, I'm well on my way to reclaiming me.

As I write this post, I have just completed the finishing touches on an angel food cake with fresh whipped cream & raspberriess and shaved dark chocolate curls. As well I have had a lovely pot of marinara sauce simmering for hours filling the house with wonderful aromas and I'm sipping a deliciously fruity glass of sangria. Why all these specialities today. These are for my sister Fran who is coming here today for her birthday dinner a little later as her birthday was last Friday ~ but better late than never.

So salute to your resolutions ~ keeping them ~ and succeeding in your determination to follow them through to completion.

What Would You Pay For a Pet????

Recently, I came across an article about this new breed of cat which I found quite interesting, although I cannot imagine spending this kind of money on a pet. It would seem to me that this cat would be a status symbol for the up crust population of our society.

A new hybrid breed with Asian leopard blood, the Ashera, is slightly more eye-catching, than the Bengal.

They stand 4 feet tall on their hind legs. At $22,000, they’re certainly a very expensive breed of cat. The Ashera weighs around 30 lbs and lives for 25 years. Despite their hefty price, they’re actually fairly low maintenance, though they do prefer to sleep on heated beds.

The reason the Ashera is such an expensive cat breed is that each one is guaranteed to have the same coloring and appearance. These traits are bred, from the African Serval, an undisclosed domestic breed and the aforementioned Asian leopard cat, by British entrepreneur Simon Brodie of Lifestyle Pets.

The is a picture of an Ashera GD kitten at six months of age.

Brodie also developed another expensive cat, the hypoallergenic cat. These cats notably do not possess the gene that causes them to produce the Feld 1 glycoprotein, the major cat allergen. This allows cat lovers whose families include one or more persons with feline allergies, or who have feline allergies themselves, to still keep a feline friend around the house. Lifestyle Pets are even planning on introducing a hypoallergenic Ashera in the coming year. These cats range in expense from the Allerca GD’s $5,950 price tag to the Ashera GD’s $28,000 price tag.

Any of these cats may provide a (feline) lifetime of entertainment and companionship for their owners. However, a new Lexus convertible and a cat from the SPCA might be a better way to spend your money than $40,000+ for the most expensive cat.

What I Love About Winter!

When it's so cold outside that there are feathers on the windows.

When it's so cold outside that the snow cracks when you walk on it.

When the sun shines brilliantly on the snow and it glitters like diamonds.

When I go for a walk in the ravine and hear the trees crack.

When the ice crystallizes around stones, tree limbs, anything laying in the creek where the water swirls its' icy fingers around each object.

When the cold permeates our home creating the need to wrap up in lots of warm & cozy blankets.

The dazzling colours of a blue sky against the blinding white of the snow.

Going out, turning on the heat in the car seat to warm the leather and then gradually feeling the warmth work itself into my body.

A cafe latte.

The stillness .......

Make A Perfectly Luxurious Bed

Start with your mattress.

Do you need a new mattress?
Do you need a new mattress pad?
Or maybe just a little extra comfort is in order.

If that's the case, try an inexpensive foam topper. Or if money is no object go for a 2 - 4" piece of memory foam or a feather bed. It really makes a difference. I sleep on memory foam and it is absolutely delicious. There are no pressure points and the foam really does mould itself to your body.

Now for the sheets. Don't skimp here. Quality sheets really are much nicer to sleep on ~ the higher the thread count ~ the softer and more durable the sheets will be. Thread count refers to the number of threads, both vertical and horizontal, in a one-inch square of fabric. A good thread count is about 400 - 500. When choosing fabric content a Supima or Egyptian cotton is superb.

After placing the mattress topper of your choice on top of the mattress ~ place the fitted sheet over both.

Now the flat sheet goes on with a nice, deep fold back on the top sheet ~ at least 12 inches. Don't forget the hospital corners. After tucking in the bottom of the sheet, lift up the overhanging side about 12" back from the bottom ~ making a triangular shape. Now just tuck in the bottom of the triangle. Lay the side back down and you have a perfect hospital corner.

Did you know that tightly tucked hospital corners where used to protect patients from falling out of bed before the side rail came into use.
Top the flat sheet with a light, quilted coverlet and matching shams. Then, add a duvet with cover, folded at the end of the bed. It's nice to match the duvet cover to the sheeting.

Now for the pillows.

Choose a pillow suitable for your sleeping habits. Select a soft pillow if you sleep on your stomach ~ a medium pillow if you sleep on your back ~ a firm pillow if you sleep on your side.

Pillow fill is a personal choice and can be polyester, foam, goose down or a combination of feathers and down. Down is usually more expensive. It's very soft and is easy to shape or mold to your head and body. Polyester, which is less expensive, is comfortable too, depending on the quality, but it won't fluff up the way down does. Check the amount of fill in the pillow (how full it is). The more fill, the firmer the pillow.

Now for pillow placement.

Sleeping pillows in the back, shams that match the coverlet in front of that, then decorative pillows in front of the shams. A chic hotel style of placing the pillows is to lay the sleeping pillow with the sham laying flat on top of it.

The decorative pillows look best if you choose another fabric or texture different from the duvet and coverlet. A good size for the decorative pillows is a 22" square. And then perhaps a small rectangle pillow in the very front.

For a king size bed use three euro pillows across, for queens use two across. However, don't go overboard with the pillows. Do what is comfortable for you, as too many pillows can just be a hassle. There should definitely be some space between the folded duvet cover and the pillows.

Finally, make your bed every morning. Our mothers were right - it really does make a difference in how the room appears and how the sheets feel to get back in at night!

Now if reading about that on a Sunday evening doesn't make you sleepy, I don't know what will!

What Am I Working On Now You Ask??

My craft room seems to have inspired my creativity lately and I just can't seem to sit still without something in my hands.

About a month ago Sebrina and I spent a day together for her birthday. While we were out we popped into a fabric store. They have just started to carry a small collection of yarn. While I was going through the yarns and free patterns, I saw this pattern for a poncho. The yarn is a wool bamboo mix made by Moda Dea.

I didn't care for the colour combination shown on the pattern to the left ~ it felt a little wintry to me .... so I decided to purchase a lovely natural off white colour and make it.

Fingers crossed I'll have it completed by spring so I can throw it on over a pair of jeans when the weather is a little cool, but too warm for a coat.

One side is completed and I'm about 1/3 of the way up the other side.

Here's how the pattern is shaping up so far.

I'm just loving the texture. It is quite an easy pattern but very boring. A two stitch cable every three stitches which switches from front to back every other row.

Stay tuned ~ I'll post it when it's finished ~ hopefully in the next week or two.

Here's a closeup showing the pattern and texture.

Food Week

Although I'm not participating in "Food Week" this week I have thoroughly enjoyed some of the yummy recipes shared by the participants. You can see whose participating here.

In my effort to try to calm down whatever is going on with my digestive tract, I've been eating less and less meat, so last night at dinner I made a vegetarian dinner for myself. My mom and Don also ate these dishes but had chicken pot pie with it.

Here's what I had and let me tell you it was yummy!
I pan fried onions & garlic in a little olive oil until the onions were translucent. Drop in about 20 grape tomatoes cut in half. Then top it all off with a bunch of chopped swiss chard and continue cooking wilted. After it was done I sprinkled it all over with Herbamare® Provencale Aromatic Sea Salt (made by A. Vogel).

The other dish we enjoyed was yams cooked until tender, mashed with a little butter and Herbamare. Mash half an avocado with a little lemon juice, cumin a sprinkle or two of Herbamare. Top off the yams with a big spoonful of the guacamole.

The other half of avocado I scooped out and chopped with tomato, feta, red onion & a little lime juice drizzled over top. Fill up the avocado skin with the mix and enjoy!

Sorry no pictures, you'll just have to imagine how delicious this was and the best part for me was no tummy problems afterward.

A Thought

"When we create harmony in our minds and hearts, we will find it in our lives.

The inner creates the outer.

Always .....


Louise Hay

A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet

How gorgeous & creative is this beautiful photograph my daughter took.

She considers herself an "amateur" photographer, but I am constantly stunned by the breathtaking beauty of her pictures.

Water droplets full of reflections from what is surrounding her at that precise moment .... water droplets in mid drop as they rush earthward to meet the object of their affection .... beautiful bokeh .... fabulous action shots of her children .... imaginative textures and layers over images .... beautiful natural shots of seagulls, swans & geese in all their frosty winter beauty .... food & drink shots that make my mouth water.

She captures such perfect moments in time ~ moments that once passed are forgotten save for her magnificent images.

She recently opened an online shop to sell some of her photos after much encouragement from friends and family.

Please drop by her shop and check out some of her pictures.

You can also view all of her photographs on her photostream on Flickr.

What The Heck Is My Problem?

I haven't been doing too much blogging lately or even visiting my favourite blogs to read or leave comments because well ~ here I go again with more health issues ~ digestive and stomach problems.

A while back I posted that I had a pet gallstone 4mm to be exact. I have nursed this little guy for quite a few years, but last year due to stomach pain my doctor sent me for an ultrasound. No inflammation, but my pet is still in residence.

I struggle with a yeast overgrowth in my gut which I constantly must be wary of, watching sugar intakes and using a product to keep the overgrowth down to a manageable level.

Over the past couple of years, it seems that no matter what passes my lips causes me some type of digestive distress ~ pain ... bloating ... distention ... gas ... a feeling of always having eaten too much, yet a constant gnawing feeling in my abdomen, gastric reflux, heartburn ... etc... And these problems flare my asthma which just add to the cacophony of issues I'm dealing with by impairing my breathing.

So in my quest to try to discover just exactly what the heck is my problem, I have researched Celiac's disease and tried eliminating gluten from my diet. I definitely had some success with this, the bloating and subsequent gas was easier to cope with.

I've questioned ~ could it be IBS, could it be diverticulitis, could it be leaky gut syndrome, could it be a gallbladder attack, could it be gastritis, could it be colitis ~ the list goes on and on. Symptoms will subside for a bit, but then come back with a vengeance. At this point after quite a few months of pain, I am nervous whenever I pick up something to eat. Will it cause me pain? Will it make me bloat? Worse yet will it give me gas and cause me embarrassment?

I've been in crisis for the past few weeks with this pain and am now unable to determine just what foods are causing this discomfort. All my symptoms seem to point to my gallbladder and knowing that I have a large pet stone, it seems quite reasonable to me that this is what it could be.

I must interrupt my rant here to mention that I recently had a consultation with a gastroenterologist who has me scheduled for an endoscopy on March 26th (Happy Birthday to me). He is planning to take a biopsy from my stomach and small intestine. His opinion from my symptoms is that I have a problem with my stomach muscles not naturally contracting. Apparently there is a condition called Gastroparesis where the stomach muscles are paralyzed due to the stomach not getting nerve impulses from the vagus nerve. His recommendation in the interim is to eat more and smaller meals. I've been doing this for about 10 days now, but even a few bites this week are causing me great discomfort.

So my quandary at this point is do I just sit and wait until March 26th for the endoscopy, or do I trundle off to the emergency room at my nearest hospital with this problem where I know I could have the on call specialist most likely pursue some immediate testing to determine the cause of this pain.

This week is probably the worst it has ever been ~ I have lost nearly 6 pounds due to cutting my caloric intake by half. I continue to drink my aloe vera juice and take my diglicerized licorice (DGL) to sooth my digestive tract but with little success. I've resorted to chewing on Gaviscon tablets which do help a little, but I don't want to continue this for too long due to the aluminum content in this product.

Well, the silver lining in this cloud is the weight loss. I've been wanting to lose weight for years, but just can't seem to get it off ~ severe lack of will power, not to mention a husband who seems to love me just as I am.

So here's to stomach problems that last long enough for me to knock off about 30 pounds!

Ding ~ Ding ~ Round Two

Well, just when I thought I was well on my way to recovery ~ two days of no snot, blowing, coughing, head pain, etc.... I've received a knock out blow ~ only this time I think it might be influenza.

Last night I woke up every 30-45 minutes feeling quite nauseous. This was followed by a few quick trips to the bathroom for rather violent eliminations, followed closely by another.

Now this morning, I'm quite dizzy, achy and with a tight chest, so my guess ~ this is the flu. Thanks goodness, I'm not normally a puker, so, so far no upchucking. Keep my fingers crossed on that one.

So, my question is whose to blame? I am ~ that's who.

All of the stress I have subjected my body to during the adjustment of having my mom move in, has I am sure played a huge role. I know that I have been under a great deal of stress as we three have worked towards adjusting to this new situation.

My concern now is that my mother is exposed to me and as well I visited with my grand babies yesterday, exchanged hugs and kisses which exposed them to this bug as well. So Seb, forwarned is forarmed.

I did a little research to see just how much of a role stress plays in our overall well being.

"When an individual is faced with stress, his body mobilizes for action in what is called a fight or flight reaction. During a fight or flight reaction, the heart rate increases, breathing is accelerated, and the muscles tense up as if in preparation to throw something like a rock (fight) or to run away.

If stress persists after the initial fight or flight reaction, the body's reaction enters a second stage. During this stage, the activity of the sympathetic nervous system declines and epinephrine secretion is lessened, but corticosteroid secretion continues at above normal levels.

Finally, if the stress continues and the body is unable to cope, there is likely to be breakdown of bodily resources. It is in this stage that there may be a reduction of the levels of epinephrine and nor-epinephrine in the brain, a state related to depression. Stressful life events are related to the risk of infected individuals developing an illness. Traumatic stressful events may trigger either behavioral or biological processes that contribute to the onset of disease. Chronic stress has been associated with increased reports of illness. Long-term exposure to chronic stress may facilitate the development of illness during exposure to stress. Exposure to chronic stress may results in permanent or at the very least long-term psychological, biological, or behavioral responses that alter the progression of illness. Those who had either a work related or interpersonal chronic stressors (defined as stress lasting one month or longer) had an increased risk of developing colds compared to those who had no chronic stressor. In addition, the longer the stress endured, the more likely a person was to become ill.

Psychological stress predicted a greater expression of illness and a greater production of interleukin-6 in response to an upper respiratory infection. Life experiences are significantly related with energy level."

So my advice ~ stay well ~ stop and smell the roses and try not to obsess over anything in life ~ because, you will pay for it with your health. I'm learning ~ if I can't change a situation, then learn to live with it without obsessivly stressing about it. Stress breeds stress and as I said in an earlier post, the tension in our home has been so thick we could have chewed through it and we have passed it around from person to person.

It's Done!

Here's my quilt that I started a couple of weeks ago using the Amy Butler pattern. You can get to the free pattern here.

Not too big ~ just enough to throw over my lap if I feel a little chilly.

I quilted the entire piece by hand. After quilting a couple of seams on the sewing machine, I wasn't too crazy about the finish, thus the hand quilting. I really like the way hand quilting looks especially after the first wash and dry when it puckers it up so nicely.

I quilted using a stitch-in-the-ditch technique on every seam and then bound the edges with the blue & white toille pattern.

I'm very happy with the result.

Julie, you might be interested to know ~ I just couldn't master sewing the binding on with the sewing machine. This, even after looking at instructions on line and also the pictoral instructions in my Kaffe Fassett quilting book, so I cut and sewed the strips by machine and then hand sewed the entire binding onto the quilt by hand. Got the corners bang on by hand.

An Inconvenient Truth

Yesterday, I finally sat and watched "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. This DVD was quite an eye opener on how emissions of C02 are rising and destroying our atmosphere. The catastrophic effects of this destruction are mind boggling.

If you haven't seen this documentary yet ~ my recommendation ~ run don't walk to your nearest store and pick up a copy ~ you must watch it.

I have for years tried to conserve as much as possible ~ mainly because my utility bills are kept low by conserving. After watching this DVD, yes I still like my low utility bills, but my focus will definitely expand to include my contribution to helping heal our planet.

I watch my consumption and try to leave as small a footprint as possible by reducing, re-using and re-cycling. When I hear the facts that were presented on this documentary, it pains me to think what we have done to our home and what we may or may not be leaving for future generations.

An Inconvenient Truth is a documentary hosted by Al Gore in which he discusses the scientific facts behind global warming, explains how it has already begun to affect our environment, talks about the disastrous consequences if the world's governments and citizens do not act, and shares what each individual can do to help protect the Earth for this and future generations.

It is a very interesting and informative documentary to watch.

Have you signed up yet for your contribution to "One Million Acts of Green"?

Did you participate last year in Earth Hour by turning out your lights for one hour. I did and I've signed up again.

It's happening this year on March 28th at 8:30. Show your support and love for your home and go here to sign up for 2009.

WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?

Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising.

The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence. The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable.

We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.

The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.



Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.


The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.



At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.



If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences


Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.



Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide. Netherlands, Manhattan, British Isles, one half of the Florida coastline and many other land masses would be underwater from this catastrophe.

Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.



Droughts and wildfires will occur more often. Right now Australia is suffering from wild fire made more intense from the catastrophic heat wave they are experiencing. Click on Australia to read about how climate change is responsible for this occurrence.

The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.



More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

A Thought

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.”

Dr. Suess

Let's Freshen Up

My family room fireplace was feeling very grey, very cold and very ugly to me. It really needed a shot in the arm.

Ever since we purchased this home, I have wanted to build a wood mantle and surround for the fireplace, but alas, in five years it still has not come to fruition.

So in the picture on the left, when we first moved in, I whitewashed the lavender ~ yes that's right LAVENDER bricks. Unfortunately it made them look grey and I have done my best to ignore how awful they looked for nearly five years.

This morning while I had my coffee I thought to myself ~ why don't I get out the Benjamin Moore Cloud White semi-gloss paint and paint over the whole darn thing, mortar, brick & stone mantle included.

Here below is the result. I had fun moving the pictures around in the room and re-stylizing the mantle as well. As you can see I went with a collection of mercury glass with a nod to a primitive feel on the left. I switched the original picture with an African flavoured painting and set a brass handmade singing bowl beside it. This will have to do until I actually start the DIY project and get that mantle and surround built.

All in all, I'm quite happy with the look and the room suddenly feels like the sun is shining in it.

What Do Dreams Mean?

Do you dream?

Do you believe that dreams have a meaning for your life?

My dream life seems to have provided a doorway to those in my life that have passed away. I have lost a grandfather I adored .... a sister I loved .... a brother-in-law who was a dear friend ... and very recently my father.

Following the death of my adored grandfather, I grieved for many, many months and especially because I had scheduled a visit to see him on the very weekend he passed away, so I did not get to see him before he died.

I struggled with his death and loss of time spent with him prior to his death for 3-4 months. Then one night, I had the most vivid dream of him. We had our visit .... he reassured me that he was happy, that he loved me, that he missed me and then he was gone. But following that dream, I had such a peace in my soul which washed over me providing a calm acceptance of his death.

So I remember wondering about the possibilities ............

Then when my sister died, I was fortunate to have many, many dreams of her and I spending time together, having tea, lovely conversations, which all served to give me a sense of peace in accepting her death.

When my brother-in-law passed away 1 1/2 years ago, Don & I received an upsetting phone call from his fiance to please come to their apartment. When we arrived the paramedics were still working on him, although it was clear they were not going to bring him back. I found myself tortured by the very painful night he died, my memories of sitting on the floor beside him, holding his hand all the while knowing he had slipped away before I had had the chance to say ~ "I love you", missing him and our wonderful conversations, the unexpected visits and great meals prepared by him after my sister died. We were great friends and I truly loved him. Every time I drive by his apartment, I feel the pull to stop and have a coffee and conversation with him.

But then last night I dreamed of John. We talked and visited, had a wonderful meal, expressed our love for one another. I remember standing with my arms around John, my head on his shoulder and feeling his very tight bear hug. I can still hear his voice and remember the words we spoke.

I wonder now will I still feel that pull to stop and have a coffee when I drive by his apartment in the future?

A Little Fun

I've come to the conclusion that I really must be sick, since I've been sitting here for about one hour amusing myself with layering different textures over a photograph.

But I must say it was fun to see how the picture changed each time I applied a different techniques.

This one is a poster overlay.

This one is a pencil sketch.

This one I exploded the pixels.

And this one is a neon overlay using 13 colours.


Okay, I'm done now ~ going to have a nap and sleep off the drugs before I attempt to cook dinner on the gas stove.

Sneeze, Cough, Blow, Cough, Sniff, Sneeze

Well, it has finally happened to MOI.

MOI ~ who never gets colds, flu, infections ~ finally succumbed and have a whopper of a cold. It's in my chest, in my eyes, in my sinuses ~ I'm not positive but I think it might be in my toenails too!

I'm sure this is my punishment for being so cocky for years about never getting sick. I really cannot remember the last time I was sick from a virus.

It started with a very sore throat for three days. I immediately increased my Echinacea, Vitamin C and garlic thinking I could beat it. After three days I thought that a sore throat was it and would soon be over.

Then we went out for dinner Saturday night to our daughters. Within about an hour of being there I started to have what I thought was one of the worst allergic reactions to their four cats & one dog I've ever had. But alas no ~ it was not to be ~ by the time we got home, my eyes along with various other orifices on my head were running keeping me awake all night along with coughing, blowing, sneezing, etc....

So for the last few days, I have been living in a drug induced stupor ..... trying various concoctions to alleviate all these symptoms .... sinus pain, sinus congestion, dripping eyes & nose, tight chest, dry cough, chest congestion, popping ears with sloshing liquid, slight fever.

So yesterday morning I send wonderful husband to the drug store. He comes home with bags full of different remedies. I say I can't take them all, but he says he wasn't sure which one was best so he thought I should try a different one every four hours in order to determine which one worked best for me.

So here is what was in the bag.

Benylin All-In-One Day/Night
DayQuil/NyQuil
SinuTab
Advil Cold and Sinus
Ricola Cough Drops
Cold-FX

And then there's the increase in immune boosting supplements .... extra Vitamin C, Garlic, Echinacea and for good measure I doubled my Greens Plus. I made a big pot of chicken soup from a chicken breast (bone in) and I'm drinking that. So I'm into day three and hoping that things start to ease up soon.

So here is my report of what products are doing the trick.

I have to say that nothing is getting rid of all the symptoms, but that NyQuil sure does make me sleep. One little dose and ~ lights out. Maybe I should take this all day too, so I can sleep right through this virus. LOL! The SinuTab eliminates the sinus pain best, but the DayQuil works best for the all the other symptoms.

Now I have a very well stocked medicine cabinet for the next cold virus that hits our home.

And, I promise to never, never, never again say that I don't get sick. The "Virus Gods" must have heard me and decided to teach me a lesson in not being quite so cocky in the future.