Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Disaster Everywhere!



 This morning I look outside and hear the rain falling at a steady gate and the wind gusting just a bit. In this moment I am filled with gratitude that we have been spared the devastation that nature has been baring down on us in so many places around the world in the last two weeks.

Irma, Jose, Maria, earthquakes, politics.. If you're a believer in the End Times this sure looks like a run in that direction. The news is steeped in, oozing of and is saturated with disaster, destruction, fear and impending doom. What do we do with all of this input and information? From a distance we cannot physically touch so many who are suffering, it is overwhelming to say the least. I do find myself hesitating more then I ever did before when asked "to support Irma victims" off the cuff at my local grocery store or random pop up requests online. GoFundme pages are all over the web and how do you know it's legitimate anymore. So many scams, faux websites, identity theft possibilities, knowing that there are some that take advantage of these weak moments to rob, rape and steal... Still, I want to do something.

Locally is usually where I start. There are always extra collections at our church when these things happen. The funds go directly into a bigger pot gathered from all over the world and are sourced to the highest need, offering food, water, medical support and respite for the people already deployed to help in those areas that have been hit the hardest. But for me, dropping a twenty into a basket just doesn't feel like enough somehow. Being tactile and creative in most everything I do I tend to want to "make something".. Secondary needs, such as comfort or contact in a more tangible way. I am thinking on it still. The higher and more immediate need is supplies, volunteering of time and resources and for now that means money. It will bring what is needed for the greater good, but the comfort is still needed too, so I'll keep the other in mind for now.

Some disasters aren't always big and devastating nor to the magnitude that we have been witnessing on CSPAN, The Weather Channel or Fox News these last few weeks. But disasters can be alarming as they should be, not for dramas sake or for the fight or flight response to surge and kick in, but more so, that we take notice. That we look up and are aware of what is going on around us. Personal disasters are not as catastrophic by the worlds standards and are felt and witnessed on a much smaller scale, but they exist in the midst of all the other alarms and they happen all the time closer to home.

An apathetic response to overwhelming need is a thing that I struggle with sometimes. Which fires do you help put out? Where do you pool your resources? What is the best way to support this and heal that? Who will help you? When is the best time? Should you go it alone and know where you stand or join others in a common cause? All of these questions can leave me stunned and stuck in a place of inaction. Over many years I have learned that when I get this way I need to take a backward step so that I don't stay frozen. Then in that step back I cultivate a space and pray.  Prayer for me in those frozen places brings a pause and in that quiet reflection I am able to discern all of those questions and the voice that answers is familiar and one that is always divinely led. "Use your gifts."

Personal tragedy in any life is a disaster. It does not have to be an "Act of God" to be considered so. Disaster for some can be the loss of a job while living pay check to pay check. The death of a child. A diagnosis with no hope of a cure. Grief. Becoming disabled. Falling out of love.. Anxiety, addiction, daily pain and suffering. Loneliness. Whatever any of these may be for each individual or family; that is the adversity, the affliction, the disaster.

So how do I use my gifts in the big and small of it all is what this is boiling down to.  No cause for alarms, banners, social media updates or drama seem to be needed, not even money most of the time. Mostly what I'm feeling drawn to in the bigness of the big stuff is to use whatever gifts my divine advisor suggests and use them in small ways. Pretty simple actually.


"Do small things with great love"~ St. Mother Teresa

A friend once told me that I had such a diverse personality attention wise (she was being kind), that using one or two word commands like the Buddhist tradition suggests would be far more productive in prompting my action, in my inaction. Mmmmh.. Seems wise enough for me. So here it is....

STEP BACK. LOOK UP. NOTICE. PRAY. LISTEN. TRUST. ACT SMALL. REPEAT.

Feel free to join me!

Peace Always~Denice








Friday, August 18, 2017

Learning To Set Goals

 In the last 35 days of my life I have been on a trek to a nutritionally cleaner way of life. After taking out about 95 percent of the gluten in my diet I am amazed at how much better I felt. Being encouraged with the process I decided to begin adding more of the other "free" forms to my lifestyle and see how it all unfolds.

Initially I had set a goal for 30 Days, but it ended up being more like a daily goal or commitment to feeling better. Never perfect, slow and steady, always moving forward was my mantra. What I did find out in my 30 Days of gluten free living was that I was feeling amazing! Lighter, clearer, everything just seemed to work better from the inside out. I also discovered that there were connections to other nutritional pieces that ran in the same circles as gluten, like sugar & alcohol. Those two seemed to organically jump on board with the gluten so I've also been freeing myself of those a little at a time. The alcohol was easier then the sugar, but mostly I think it's all how your body deals with it so I am trying to be patient with myself with each decision.

What is super interesting in all of this is these things that I'm becoming free from have totally contributed negatively more then I ever imagined to my feelings of lethargy. low energy, indistinguishable fog in my brain and to me not truly being my best self.

"What's the sense in living like that?" you might ask. Free of all of those things doesn't make for much fun.. or does it? Well, that's what I'm being open to and learning about. To me it doesn't feel like I'm sacrificing or depriving myself overly much.. When I weighed the pros and cons of what I was experiencing in those first 30 Days it seemed crystal clear that the pros were winning. None of these choices inhibit me from anything important to me that is life giving or deprive me of enjoying the things in my life that I truly love to do. Some would argue, but those some, are not me.
Alas! No argument. :)

So here were the CONS:  Constant indigestion whenever I ate or drank gluten. Sugar spikes with crazy energy and crashes that always led to sugar comas. Terrible sleep patterns. Cravings that sent me into a tirade of seeking whatever it might be that I was needing to stuff into my zero hunger face! Irregularity, stomach aches, hangovers from booze and food. Swollen body, fingers and toes, and a big ole belly just hanging around not doing much of anything. Awesome... That's how I want to feel on a daily basis.. (oozing sarcasm).
Now the PROS: These pros are linked to what I am doing now, which is GF(gluten free) & AF(alcohol free).. The sugar is pretty intermittent so I didn't want to speak to soon about that. So, positives about GF & AF for me are, no intergestion at all. Zero!! No antacids needed, no stomach aches. I have tons of energy! Mental energy more then physical I'd even say. I'm reading more, wake up earlier and feel better, don't need as much sleep and just feel more whole and like myself. I have saved over $200.00 by not having a couple of drinks every night and in just a years time that's a few pretty sweet trips to do something life giving and fun! A definite PRO there. Lastly, my belly has shrunk! I've lost 5 lbs and I think it's straight from my stomach. I haven't done anything except those two things, a total bonus.

This is all in just 35 Days.. Pretty psyched. There has been one issue though the last 5 days. I had hit my 30 and then kind of felt all over the place. Was not watching my intake of gluten very much, snacked on way too many sweets and wasn't really being mindful. A friend mentioned to me that I needed another goal. That it was the goal that motivated me and that I should think of what that next one would be. Smart friend :) It made all of the difference. I wanted to continue my focus with the AF & GF still, so...

My new goal is walking! Daily mindful walks. I have 25 more days to get to my collective total of 60. I feel like the walking will support all the other wellness pieces and allow them more time to sink in. This new goal has shifted my thinking and given me a new sense of purpose, I'm anxious to get underway. In the last few years I've had to embrace my monkey mind nature and find that if I keep things interesting in one way or another it all seems to work out pretty well. So walking it is! Besides, if I move more maybe the sugar might not have to all go away. :)



Share your goals in the comments below! It makes all the difference.


Be Well!
Denice

Friday, August 11, 2017

Using Things Up



Yesterday was one of those days... Phew! My feet hurt, legs were screaming and was I pooped. Funny though, I didn't even leave the kitchen 80 percent of the day.  I found that after being away camping for four days I had so much fresh food between the camper and the house refrigerators that there was no avoiding it and I needed to get busy. With the weekend approaching I wasn't going to have time to mess with any of that stuff, so I rolled up my sleeves and got started.

The list of foodie items grew as I pushed my way past the first layer of condiments, bags of produce, veggies from our neighbors amazing garden, cabbages from last weeks farmers market, a bin full of kale, carrots "that needed to be used".. I always hesitated when my Mom used to say that when referring to meat growing up.. But there I was, scraping off the bad parts and making good use of what I was determined to make into a variety of dishes to carry me through the weekend. Here's what surfaced.


A huge pot of minestrone soup, littered with fresh kale, all of those carrots :) (we can keep that to ourselves..) halves of onions from a variety of past chop fests, chickpeas I had cooked just mid week/last week... and ground turkey as the "meat source".. fortunately, I had pulled that out of the freezer that morning so it doesn't fall into the carrot category.

Next...

A new batch of fermented kraut. Complements of my dear hubby who shredded and pummeled both of them into a beautiful bubbly concoction. That will be ready in a couple weeks. Love the red and green together.


Then...

Banana Bread! Four very, very ripe bananas laying sadly in the fruit basket. This one is "normal". My middle son Alex is always hesitant with my cooking because I experiment, often, and he is a straight shooter when it comes to food. So, in honor of his possible pop in visit this weekend there is a straight out of the 29 year old Betty Crocker waiting on the counter for him. ;)

And...

Vegan/Gluten Free Pumpkin mini muffins! Those are for a gathering tomorrow minus a few for me. Lots of food sensitivities in our next generation so these fit the bill for that and used up my applesauce that was in the frig along with the vanilla almond milk. Bam!

Along with...

Pizza! That ended up being for dinner.. Dough from Portland Pie that we didn't use camping, left over pizza sauce that was hiding under the deli drawer.. who even looks there anyway?? It was clean of any wild penicillin so on top it went. The pizza, like the soup was perfect for all the other bits of veggies, chicken sausage, ten rounds of pepperoni and two 1/4 full bags of mozzarella. I went even a little further with this one, Alex would not have approved, would have said I ruined it, but added chopped up grape tomatoes and the last of the garlic and herb goat cheese just begging to be on top. Bam! Again. It looked awesome! Unfortunately, so awesome that there is no "actual" photo documentation to share.

Lastly, I made fresh brewed iced tea and used up the last of my Hibiscus Tangerine & Oolong teas, boiled up two big red potatoes, then took a full box of arugula, the bin of kale along with three loose cloves of garlic and sautéed it all up in the final quarter cup of my bottle of olive oil! Now that felt good! I'll eat the greens in either some omelettes over the weekend or with the boiled potatoes and some of the newly marinated chicken that is patiently waiting it's turn.

Using things up like that brings me such satisfaction. It keeps me mindful of the bountiful options and choices that life gives me everyday. It keeps me humble and grateful for what I do have and creates space in my mind to think and process, all the while my hands are busy. I guess I could have tossed a lot of it in the compost bin, or just waited another week to throw it all out, but what's the fun in that?


Nourishment comes in many forms it seems and yesterday for me, it came in abundance!


Bon Appetite.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Setting Your Own Pace


Something I'm discovering as I approach my 50th birthday and navigate the 50th year in this world is,  that "pace" is unique and a very individual thing for each of us.

When I was in junior high and high school I ran spring track every year. That ran, (literally) until my junior year, 11th grade, when I had a boyfriend,  a drivers license and a job, which unfortunately steered me away from any prospective Olympic medal opportunities I may have had and left me to navigate a new type of experience. I always regretted not continuing on that path. Anyway...

Track, with all of it's strange dynamics was a steady and predictable sport for me. It had order, it made sense, you didn't need to really think about it much once you knew the rules and it all seemed to fall together, you just had to show up and follow directions.

The routine for us was always the same during the first two weeks of training, so as, to condition our bodies. Pain was involved, but it was good for us we were told, after a long Maine winter and to quell all of those surging hormones.

This practice was always consistent. You changed up, you stretched in a big circle on the grass while hearing the explanation of what was to happen that day and why. After hearing clear direction we were led to the track for a light jog together to continue warming up, then we all headed into our separate specialized events to begin.  Limber, focused, warm and prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. What a life concept!!

If you were running late and missed the routine you had to do the whole warm up scenario alone, and then had to wait for a personal discussion from the coach which could cost you half of your practice time as she didn't think very highly of tardiness. If you were late it usually only happened once.

So my thought or question today is... Isn't pace, discipline? Yes? I think so. Pace and Discipline are, being steady, showing up, being prepared, present and doing what is expected of you initially, until you learn what your specialties are. What your events in life might be? Interesting.

My pace and my discipline is unique to me. When I find that sweet spot in my life I am content, warm, confident and happy. When I try to "keep up" with another's pace I get burnt out, lose my focus and want to walk off the field. If another 's pace is too slow, I am impatient,  erratic and become excruciatingly frustrated by the sloth like progression of the slower way.

I don't think there is anything much to do or acknowledge about any of this meandering, but mostly just to notice and be mindful of what your pace may be and how it fits into your life situations. I think knowing that your pace is a bit too fast for someone gives you pause to be compassionate and patient with that moment. Then if you're in a situation where you are feeling anxious and overwhelmed by the whirlwind pace around you noticing your need can allow you to raise your flag and say, I'm going to take a break for a while, which brings a pause into the experience and allows for more balance to come back in.

In 50 years of living a life of races, stretches, events and lite warming jogs, I am grateful for the pace that I have found and am currently living. Sometimes I'm up for a good, fast run but I find more so that I am my most content when life is steady, predictable and present. My authentic pace isn't a discipline any longer mostly because I have shown up on the field, listened and followed directions for my own path. Blessed as I am I get to choose now. I get to choose to sit in the big circle, declare my specialties and even if it hurts sometimes, continue to stretch.

Have a great weekend and set your own pace!




Cheers! Denice

Friday, July 21, 2017

Express Yourself!

It still amazes me, the shift that happens within my writer's mind when I allow space to let it play. The ideas, the scenarios, the presence in all things that just seems to come when that door is cracked open. Part of me knows deep inside that the reason I don't "go there" is because of this shift.

Life in the last seven months has been nothing short of a crazy train of changes, new opportunities, milestones, and forward momentum for so many of the people that surround me and that I love in my life. My creative internal pause button has been on during all of these months and as I begin to open up to this blog platform I know it is going to be difficult to be here.

My personality is one that does't really know how to do anything part way, I'm either in or I'm out.. It seems very severe and rigid for someone who leans on the flowery side of life most days, but that is kind of how it happens and is part of who I am to the chagrin of my nearest and dearest.  This askew concentration becomes very evident when I begin to write. I hyper focus on the material, I day dream about the next piece, I envision every photo into a story or a non fiction narrative and the rest of my life skitters off the path and becomes a trail of tears in my literary wake. This is why I don't always "go there", as it obviously can be a struggle.

Fortunately, the longer I've lived and opened this door I've come to terms with the monkey mind that shows up on the page and although it may take me down the path of no return for a time, during the writing, I've managed to place a rein on it. My daily writing in my journals over the last twenty five years is where I have wrestled and trained. This practice has allowed my inner monkey to relax a bit knowing the ideas are safely tucked away and have not escaped my attention. "Some day", I assure it... we will sit down and get these written, but for now we need to go grocery shopping... Lol..

I'm not crazy, just creative! I need a t-shirt that says that.

The muse or our creative selves are a living, breathing part of who we all are, some of us just access it easier then others. Mine shifts.. Thank God! I am grateful for that. When I'm not writing, I'm cooking, if I'm not cooking, I'm mixing up salves and concoctions with my essential oils and herbal remedies.. If not that, then making jams, pickles, gardening, reading, exploring mixed media arts of all shapes and sizes, taking pictures & thinking about writing... That usually gets me back on the page in short order. It's all good in my opinion.

Expressing who we really are in whatever way we can, in whatever time allows during the seasons of our lives is imperative to the Greatest Creator of all.. This is why we are here people. :))



How will you bring it today? I know I am not alone. Have a monkey mind kind of day~

Cheers!




Wednesday, July 19, 2017

How Does This Happen?



A year ago?? Shut the front door!! Not just a year, but a year and three months since I've shown up on the page here on this venue. Y'all must have thought that I got lost in Nashville, cause that's the last post I wrote. Wow!

Life is precious isn't it? A rhetorical question of course but a question that comes up in the best of life's moments and in the worst. A lot of life has happened in that last stretch of time, but bringing it all to the present moment doesn't support where I am today, but it does however make me a little bit more of who I am now. So, that said.. I am in hope of working my way back into this space and for all of my five followers I apologize. Lol.. My public awaits! :)

Coming back to this space again and again has been an inner pull for going on ten years now! The blog arena seems to enrapture me in all of my eclectic avenues and although it is intermittent, it always feels like the best fit. This morning I was trying to navigate  a new platform on Wordpress but didn't have the patience and thought, "why reinvent the whole thing right now when you already have a place to write".

So, for now we will see how this goes and maybe down the road a bit, my new and more evolved blogging self will get a new groove on and bring it. But until then, or until my soon to be 25 year old son stops in long enough to pick his tech support mind, A Fiberlicious Account it will be. :)

Cheers!