Spoiled again!

My guys gave me all kinds of cool stuff for my b-day today. I got a big witch doll, a set of Halloween dishes and mugs, a vampire doll with moveable arms and fingers, a black & orange bead necklace and bracelet set, a couple tin Halloween buckets, a hanging pumpkin guy, glow-in-the-dark halloween gloves, a set of mini mugs one is a pumpkin and one is a ghost, a witch frog ornament- hubby was walking past a store this afternoon and saw it so he ran in quick to get it for me (I'm a witch & I love frogs... LOL!), a set of nice pot holders with oak, maple & birch leaves on them- I love trees, these are so nice I think I'll hang then up for a while and use them when I absolutely need to, and I got a creepy, ceramic, green cat bucket. And the other day I had to make a mad dash to a store with hubby- he had been in there doing some b-day shopping and they've had a 6' tall skull man prop for sale. It was pretty expensive so we didn't get it earlier when they had put it out. Well, someone had knocked it over and ripped the cloth and did very minor damage to the stand (which you can't even see because of the cloth haning on the prop). They know I am the Halloween Lady around here so they offered it to my hubby at cost. He wanted me to check it out to make sure it was worth it. It was very worth it!! It's the exact same skull man you can get here for $69.00 but we only had to pay $15.00!!! I told hubby he could give that to me for my b-day. I am soooooooo spoiled!!!!! Hubby always makes me a b-day dinner, but he's working nights again and he had to work tonight so he's going to make me my dinner tomorrow.

I'll try to gather everything together tomorrow and take a pic to post. No time tonight, it's Homecoming tonight so I gotta get down to the game.

Beauty Chant

Printed from www.care2.com

Beauty Chant
Adapted from Teen Psychic, by Julie Tallard Johnson (Inner Traditions, 2003).

Chanting and breathing were commonly used by the ancients to stimulate their well-being and awaken their spiritual natures. While this chant is borrowed from the Navajo tradition, similar chants and prayers are found in many other indigenous cultures. The Beauty Chant can be a lovely daily morning prayer: its simple yet powerful words will help you become stronger and more present in your body. It can also be sung or stated any time of the day as a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us all and is within each of us, all the time.

You may use this chant when you are feeling negative--or when you are brimming over with the beauty of the world! It will help to lift you up and bring you back to a more positive and strong place, or help you to express your appreciation of beauty. It is also a powerful reminder that you can be beautiful just as you are. Say the chant here:

Beauty before me.
Beauty behind me.
Beauty below me.
Beauty above me.
Beauty beside me.
Beauty within me.
I see beauty all around.
In beauty may I walk.
In beauty may I see.
In beauty may we all be.

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Teen Psychic
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Daily OM- The Power Within

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The Power Within
Energy 101

There is an undercurrent of energy thrumming through the Universe. Like the wind or a whisper, we can sometimes hear it and often feel it. Most of the time, we sense this energy unconsciously without any tangible proof it is really there. Thoughts, emotions, and the life force in all living things are forms of this kind of energy. So are creativity, growth, and change. The impressions, images, and vague premonitions we get about people and situations are other examples of formless energy. When you enter a space and feel an "intangible tension" in the air that gives you a sense of foreboding in your gut, what you are likely experiencing is energy.

Energy cannot be destroyed, but it can be transformed or transferred from one person, thing, or source to another. Though energy is formless, it does take form and shape in the way it flows and resides within all things: a grain of sand, a bird, a stone, and an ocean wave. Living things radiate complex vibrations while nonliving things' vibrations are simpler. Energy is a magnifier that can attract like energies while repelling disparate ones. Many of our reactions to people and circumstances are based on unconscious reactions to their energies. We may even intuitively tune into the energy of a situation we are facing when making a decision about how to proceed. With careful practice and meditation, we can learn to sense the energy within other living things and ourselves. We can also become more attuned to how we are impacted by different kinds of energy. For instance, being around too many energies can leave one person feeling edgy or excited, while another person will feel tired and drained.

While some people feel that energy can be controlled, others see it is as the unknowable force that moves through all things. The combined energy in all things plays a hand in birth, death, growth, movement, and stillness. Practitioners of Aikido believe that all living beings share a common energy source that is our life force. Whatever your beliefs, it is worthwhile to explore the roles energy plays in your life so you can understand it more fully.

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Daily Om- Stillness In Motion

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Stillness In Motion
Doing Things Slowly

Life can often feel like it's zipping by in fast forward. We feel obliged to accelerate our own speed along with it, until our productivity turns into frenzied accomplishment. We find ourselves cramming as much activity as possible into the shortest periods of time. We disregard our natural rhythms because it seems we have to just keep up. In truth, rushing never gets you anywhere but on to the next activity or goal.

Slowing down allows you to not only savor your experiences, but also it allows you to fully focus your attention and energy on the task at hand. Moving at a slower place lets you get things done more efficiently, while rushing diminishes the quality of your work and your relationships. Slowing down also lets you be more mindful, deliberate, and fully present. When we slow down, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to reacquaint ourselves to our natural rhythms. We let go of the "fast forward" stress, and allow our bodies to remain centered and grounded. Slowing down is inherent to fully savoring anything in life. Rushing to take a bath can feel like an uncomfortable dunk in hot water, while taking a slow hot bath can be luxuriant and relaxing. A student cramming for a test will often feel tired and unsure, whereas someone who really absorbs the information will be more confident and relaxed. Cooking, eating, reading, and writing can become pleasurable when done slowly. Slowing down lets you become more absorbed in whatever it is you are doing. The food you eat tastes better, and the stories you read become more alive.

Slowing down allows you to disconnect from the frenzied pace buzzing around you so you can begin moving at your own pace. The moments we choose to live in fast forward motion then become a conscious choice rather than an involuntary action. Learning to slow down in our fast-moving world can take practice, but if you slow down long enough to try it, you may surprise yourself with how natural and organic living at this pace can be.

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Lumpy tree on the OLA hiking trail

hmmm..... I wonder what's living in it??

The poor tree :-(

Injury day

This is Homecoming week at school. Today is fake an injury day. My boys and I all got a good burn for the day. I forgot to take pictures of theirs before they left this morning. I doubt the burns will survive the day for me to take a pic of them after school. They turned out really cool, my oldest has the burn across the top of his hand and up the outside of his arm. My youngest just wanted it along the top of his hand. Me, I just did a small area to kinda practice and to show the guys what it would look like. I took my SpecialFX make-up and fake blood to school and walked around giving students black eyes and bloody cuts and bruises. I gave one teacher a bloody bandaged arm and another teacher slashed wrists. It was a very fun morning, just what I needed to help get back into the Halloween mood!!!

Here are a few pics of my little burn....

This pic is without using the flash. The red around the gooey burn shows up.

This one I used the flash, it takes away the red around the burn but you can see the gooey stuff better. :-) That's my baby Lars on the floor, he had to flop in and get his pic taken too!

Now this one here, doesn't that look like George Washington in it????

LOL!!!

6 Mystic Symbols for the Home

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Six Mystic Symbols for the Home
Inspired by Sacred Space, by Denise Linn (Ballentine Wellspring, 1995).

Simple Solution
The symbols in your home have a life and spirit of their own, and they are constantly affecting the energy of your home, believes author Denise Linn, a leading expert on clearing the energy of a home.

She thinks we can literally change our life by harnessing the power of the symbols around us.

Linn writes: “A symbol can act in two ways. First, it can be used to focus and project your energy through it. Second, a symbol can function as a magnifier and transmitter of energy, even if you are not focusing attention on the symbol.”

Here are six mystic symbols for the home, and what they can do for you:

Circle: The circle is one of the most potent symbols. It represents eternity, completion, unity, the universe, wholeness, perfection and the Great Mystery.

Triangle: The triangle embodies the power of the pyramids. It relates to the combined power of body, mind and spirit, of mother, father and child, of past, present and future, of the Holy Trinity.

Square: The square symbolizes the four elements: air, water, fire and earth, and the four directions. It represents stability and strength, the four seasons. It represents the material world.

Cross: The symbol of the cross pre-dates Christianity and is perhaps the oldest talismanic symbol in the world. The cross symbolizes eternal life, resurrection and divine protection from evil. It also represents Jesus Christ.

Pentagram: The pentagram symbolizes the human body with each point representing one part of the body’s extremities—the head, hands and feet comprising each point of the star. It is used for protection.

Infinity: The symbol for infinity looks like the number eight laid on its side. This is a very powerful and cosmic symbol to use in your home.

Daily Om- Emotional Freedom

It's amazing how often these Daily OM's are exactly what I need some days. :-)

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Emotional Freedom
Denying Your Feelings

Dealing with powerful emotions can be challenging, especially when we are going through chaotic, sad, or cruel experiences in our lives. Often, it can seem like we have only two options for dealing with our feelings so they don't become too overwhelming. We may let our feelings out in an immediate and visceral way, or we may bottle them up by suppressing our emotions inside our bodies. Most people make the second choice, repressing their feelings in an attempt to deny them. The truth is that there are many positive ways to deal with emotions, and experiencing your negative feelings doesn't have to constitute a negative experience. Denying your feelings is not only unhealthy for the mind and the body, but it may also rob you of valuable information you could be learning about yourself and your life. Suppressing your emotions can even impede your short-term memory. Acknowledging your feelings can help you better understand them and help you recover naturally from change, stress, and grief.

If you find that facing your feelings head on is proving too difficult during times of emotional distress, you may want to explore alternative ways of expressing them. Otherwise, the emotions you deny could morph into unconscious anger or self-hatred. Expressing your thoughts to friends or family can be helpful. If you don't feel ready to share them, try giving them words by writing down what you are feeling. Give whatever you are feeling simple words like "livid" or "angry" or "excited". You can also funnel your feelings into a creative outlet, physical exercise, or chores. Even just accepting and speaking your feelings out loud to yourself can be a healing release. In releasing intense emotions, it is most beneficial to acknowledge the feelings, allow yourself to feel them, and let the feelings go. Those who are willing to experience and release their feelings without judgment also find that their lives become less stressful. Breathing deeply, going for a long walk, or doing a constructive task can help you respond to your feelings in a healthy way.

While burying negative or uncomfortable feelings can numb the pain, it also may inevitably dull your ability to experience your more positive and pleasurable feelings. You may find yourself afraid to open up in the future for fear of getting hurt. The feelings we deny aren't limited to anger and sadness. Suppressing our happiness or excitement can be just as unhealthy. In learning how to express your intense emotions in a healthy way, you are giving yourself the freedom to fully experience the more joyful emotions that come with being alive.

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