Sunday morning in the company of poets

What We Need Is Here
by Wendell Berry

Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here.

And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye, clear.

What we need is here.


I know why the caged bird sings
by Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.

image credit: www.birdsasart.com

How an attack by a troll in America sent a flock of chicks to South Africa... a true story!

Yesterday I was attacked by a troll. I was not under a bridge, nor was I performing in a stage adaptation of a children's fairy tale, or daydreaming in a parallel universe. I was at my desk and I was chatting online in an internet forum. A forum troll is a person who posts a message that is intended to upset, disrupt or insult a person or group. It took me by complete surprise, because I live in a state of awareness where violence is rarely able to find a toe-hold around me.

I happened to be engaged in a discussion about the degradation of the nutritional value in our food sources including contamination, and bio-engineered and genticaly-altered products and concerns about health risks associated with processed and fast foods. These are subjects that interest me and as many of you know, I work with several global projects which focus on education, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture.

Whamm! I won't repeat the name calling and barrage of insults that were flung at me, and at the group in general by the troll. It's simply not important. But what is important is that it got me thinking. I did some research. And, I ended up sending love, not only to the troll, but to the world. I remembered this quote:

"In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher."- the Dali Llama

I would guess that most trolls are feeling weak, sad, perhaps living lonely lives. Disrupting a group, or a community, gives the illusion of power. Like a needy child, for a troll, any response is recognition, and they are most likely unable to distinguish between irritation and admiration; their ego grows directly in proportion to the response, regardless of the form or content of that response. Trolls, although they would never admit it, are looking for love.

As the mother of three grown boys, I learned many years ago that the only way to stop negative attention seeking behavior is to ignore it. And so, I disengaged from the conversation immediately. But I also know that this behavior often happens because someone is feeling neglected or unimportant.

So, I made a donation Heifer. Heifer builds sustainable communities. They've developed a set of global initiatives – areas of emphasis that must be addressed if we’re to meet our mission of ending world hunger and poverty and caring for the earth. They serve those often neglected or deemed unimportant in the world of commerce and capitalism.

From their website, here is a list of the projects that my donation will support:

Agroecology
In a world where land is overused, community members need to learn how to protect and rejuvenate their land, water and other natural resources. Heifer helps by teaching environmentally sound agricultural techniques.

Animal Well-Being
Before any Heifer animal is passed along to a project partner, Heifer trains the new recipient in animal management, using Animal Welfare Guidelines.

Gender Equity
In Heifer's view, gender equity is a social justice and human rights issue that directly leads to ending hunger and poverty.

HIV-AIDS
Today, we as a world community, confront AIDS, a virus that in the past 25 years has either infected or killed over 64 million people. It is not only a health issue, as it fractures every sector of society, and for Heifer, it is a prominent concern in the arena of sustainable development. This is why Heifer is incorporating HIV/AIDS education in our community training groups.

Microenterprise
Heifer provides both "no-interest living loans" in the form of livestock, as well as small monetary loans to help people start and expand businesses that yield big benefits for families.

Urban Agriculture
Heifer is reconnecting city-dwellers with their food sources, building strong alliances and instilling an entrepreneurial spirit among adults and youth through our Urban Agriculture projects.

As I said, I imagine this troll behavior happens when one is feeling neglected or unimportant. Well, my troll, you are important! By forgetting who you truly are, you helped me to remember who I truly am. Every once in a while I guess I need a catalyst to get moving and engage in projects in which I can open to love, compassion, and forgiveness in new ways. So, I thank you for your kindness.

As the Dalai Llama teaches,"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. "
Namaste.

Why Bonanzle Sudzle is more than just a bar of gourmet soap

As many of you know, I have a new storefront on Bonanzle.com Bonanzle is a brand new e-commerce and social marketing site that reached a million listings in 6 months, and was recently voted the best ebay alternative according to Examiner.com. It's a grassroots effort, championed by a growing base of forward-thinking veteran sellers, who share a community-centric, cooperative spirit. Management is responsive, accountable, hands-on, and creative.

There's team spirit at Bonanzle, a refreshing change for sellers migrating from ebay who have felt that they had become more like spectators watching their on-line marketplace storefronts being managed more and more by the venue and less and less by themselves. While Bonanzle expects business owners manage their own businesses, they simply provide the venue, albeit a venue that listens, really listens, to the wants and needs of the sellers who are setting up shop there. How?

A few weeks ago it was announced that sellers who met certain criteria could be "approved" to create and sell Bonanzle-branded merchandise. Why? Well, who wouldn't want that cool Bonanzle logo emblazened across a T-shirt or a coffee mug? It's well known that orange is a happy color, and green, is, well, green, the mantra of the moment for that other grassroots movement that is trying to help save the planet! But there's more...

Scrub everything that's extraordinary!

At Bonanzle.com, you can find everything but the ordinary, including Bonanzle Sudzle soap. No where else, just at Bonanzle. Did I mention that this is a very grassroots effort? Bonanzle members are helping to fund the very features that they vote for as "next up site improvements" by offering branded merchandise. Did I mention that management is incredibly responsive, accountable, hands-on and creative? And that sellers really believe in future of the site?

So, I'm in with Bonanzle Sudzle Bubblz! One dollar from each bar supports Bonanzle site development.

Blended with highest quality ingredients including Ylang and Sandalwood essential oils and soy, coconut, and olive oil, Bonanzle Sudzle soap has a gender-neutral fresh, green, woodsy scent that is calming and relaxing. On the skin, ylang oil has a soothing effect and corrects over-dry as well as overly-oily skin by balancing the secretion of sebum. Sudzle is very luxurious and will leave your skin soft and beautifully conditioned. You can even use it as your shaving soap.

So, Sudzle is really good for you, and really good for Bonanzle, too!

Each hand-cut bar weighs about 2.5 ounces, and measures 1.5 x 3 x .75 (+-) inches. And each bar puts a dollar in the Bonanzle big ideas fund. And this site has lots of big ideas!

So, scrub yourself silly with Bonanzle Sudzle Bubblz! It's more than a bar of soap, it's a little piece of a community of experienced, trusted, forward-thinking, cooperative spirits that you'll enjoy meeting and doing business with. Do visit Bonanzle today!

Inner beauty is more beautiful!

What color lipstick is "in" this season? Natural glow or matte finish? Big hair or slick bob? Is auburn the new blonde? Are you trying too hard?

Breathe... and find your inner beauty that transforms you beyond your skinny jeans and allows you to feel your essence and what is essential to life. Get in touch with your inner beauty that you always are, and be free once and for all!

Inner Beauty means you acknowledge you are not who you think you are!

Inner beauty is your essence. Your personality is like the light of the moon. This light of the moon is beautiful but the source of the moonlight is from the sun. The moon is merely a reflection of the true light. The light of your being is powerful beyond any foundation with built in shimmer or shampoo with built in highlights.

Inner beauty means you are forever enough. In this culture of hurry and hustle you are focused on the dynamic of “never enough.” Our collective media's main focus is ensuring that you never get to “feel enough.” If you get to feel enough it might then mean the end of economics. You get little time to rest in your soul. This is the place of real recreation. This is the place where every day is a holy day. These words “holy day” are the original meaning of the word “holiday.”

You can travel the world of inner beauty without ever going anywhere other than your heart. You can go on a holiday anytime. Just take a moment. Sit still and breathe in and out slowly. Become the fine being you always are and learn to know you will always be fine. Commit to knowing life and give up the limitation of belief.

Inner beauty is the expression of love. Inner beauty is the expression of love and compassion. It begins with awareness of each moment just as it is. Inner beauty requires you to be vulnerable. Take a moment this week to allow your feelings to be feelings without judgement.

Inner beauty is being comfortable with the experience of no-thing. It means being prepared to be empty in order that the Beloved can pour unconditional love into this empty space. All you are asked to do is be attentive. Allow the free flow of grace to enter, and you will know that you are the beauty you seek. Be beautiful. Look inward and find the source of beauty that you truly are. This will give you a glimpse of the timeless, ageless wonder that you are. Just perfect, and beautiful as you are!

Reach for happiness! Smile!

"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. They are but trifles, to be sure, but, scattered along life's pathway, The good they do is inconceivable." - Joseph Addison

Want to be happier? Just smile. A smile is usually contagious and will often be returned, so that the positive feelings flow both ways. Cheerfulness is a state of mind in which we feel content and confident and are free of stress, anxieties and fear. A prolonged state of being cheerful is called happiness. And you can choose it, no matter what is going on on your life.

Jon Haidt, author of The Happiness Hypothesis, teaches positive psychology. He actually assigns his students to make themselves happier during the semester.

"They have to say exactly what technique they will use," says Haidt, a professor at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville. "They may choose to be more forgiving or more grateful. They may learn to identify negative thoughts so they can challenge them. For example, when someone crosses you, in your mind you build a case against that person, but that's very damaging to relationships. So they may learn to shut up their inner lawyer and stop building these cases against people."

Be grateful for life's simple pleasures, and be accepting of life as it is in this moment. Focus on what is beautiful, miraculous, magical. Simply by cultivating an attitude of gratitude and non-judgement you will be so much happier! Once you've decided to be happier, you can choose strategies for achieving happiness. I recommend performing a daily "gratitude exercise." It involves listing a few simple things that you are grateful for. This shifts your energy away from draining negativity and promotes a wellspring happiness vibes. It is most often our response to a situation—not the situation itself— that is responsible for our unhappiness.

Unhappiness doesn’t lead to anything positive. It does lead to negative feelings of powerlessness. The more unhappy you believe you are, the greater your feelings of powerlessness. This contributes to even greater unhappiness. The cycle goes on and on, getting stronger with each go-around.

We don’t have to spend our lives troubled by feelings of unhappiness, sadness, powerlessness or low self-esteem. We can learn to take greater control of our thoughts and feelings, and thus to exercise greater control over our lives. We can choose to be happy.

Holding a grudge and nursing grievances can affect physical as well as mental health, according to a rapidly growing body of research. One way to curtail these kinds of feelings is to foster forgiveness. This reduces the power of life's challenges and the people who perpertrate negativity to drain you of your happiness.

In his book, Five Steps to Forgiveness, clinical psychologist Everett Worthington Jr. offers a 5-step process he calls REACH. First, recall the hurt. Then empathize and try to understand the act from the perpetrator's point of view. Be altruistic by recalling a time in your life when you were forgiven. Commit to putting your forgiveness into words. You can do this either in a letter to the person you're forgiving or in your journal. Finally, try to hold on to the forgiveness. Don't dwell on your anger, hurt, and desire for vengeance.

The alternative to forgiveness is mulling over a transgression. This is a form of chronic stress, says Worthington.

"It's associated with almost everything bad in the mental health field includiung obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, probably hives, too."

Who wants hives?

image credit: www.shootstudios.com

Welcome To Your 30-minute At Home Spa Vacation!

Grab your robe and slippers, and find a soothing CD that you absolutely love. Light a scented candle...

Let go of your day, your obligations, responsibilities and stress. Try to relax. Take yourself on a far away vacation in your head, tell yourself a “Once Upon A Time” story, remind yourself what a princess you are and remember how essential these precious moments are to your happiness and sanity! Even on a Tuesday evening!

Welcome To Your 30-minute At Home Spa Vacation!

Slow down your breath, your thoughts and your movements. Put on your favorite CD and start prepping a very simple shower or bath in a wonderfully slow, deliberate and unhurried way. Take time to watch the candle burn, smell the fragrance, feel the soft robe or towels, look at the sparkling drops of water and run your hands through it, take in the joyful process of an every day activity that we normally just fly through without a second thought! Cherish these simple, sacred, rejuvenating moments.

Use your essential oils. Not only do they smell great, but they are extremely good for your skin. Essential oils can help rejuvenate the skin, eliminate waste, alleviate stress, enhance your mood, restore vitality and facilitate the regeneration of new, healthy cells. The rule to applying essential oils is to never apply them directly on your face or skin. Just add about five drops to a bowl of warm water. Soak a washcloth in the water and then apply to your face and neck as a compress for five minutes. Repeat three times. Gently towel dry and finish yourself off with an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory facial splash.

If you have a choice of essential oils to choose from, select one that suits your mood and purpose. Choose soothing oils (like lavender, chamomile, jasmine, sandalwood and ylang-ylang). Good revitalizing and energizing oils when you need them are peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, basil and juniper.

Another in home spa trick is to mix an ounce of ground sea salt with 10 or so drops of your favorite essential oil. Add water and make a paste so it spreads easily. Apply it to your entire body and slough off the dead skin with big circular strokes. This salt scrub will exfoliate dead skin cells, cleanse the pores and help your body get rid of any toxins. These are your precious rejuvenating moments. Take your time. Pamper yourself !

Care for your hair if t is taking a beating in these winter elements. Add ¼ ounce of lavender to sixteen ounces of shampoo. Or for oily hair, add ¼ ounce of lemongrass or rosemary to 16 ounces of shampoo. Essential oils can make invigorating scalp massages. Rosemary is awesome! Replenish lost moisture to your skin and hair this winter by taking two tablespoons of organic flaxseed oil twice a day. You’ll also get rid of the skin itchies and combat wrinkles and sagging skin!

Remember to rejuvenate from the inside! Drink 8 to10 glasses of water every day. Eat lots of whole foods, green vegetables, fresh fruits, grains, nuts and lean protein to reduce inflammation, replenish moisture and bring back that, healthy youthful glow.

Bathing in Blessings: Flowers, Rocks and Water

In this series, "Bathing in Blessings," we've been combining the energies of flowers, rocks and water to create powerful elixirs. Today, in this last lesson, I'll share a list of some of my favorite, most trusted stones and essential oils that you may combine and experiment with. Use this list to guide your purchases as you create the basics of your well-stocked pantry. Begin here, and you'll be well on your way to taking an active and pro-active commitment to yout total health and well-being and to living your best life.

(For basic directions on how to make and use synergistic elixirs, please refer to the blog archives Sunday, December 28, 2008.)


The Stones

Amber Healing, soothing, stabilizing, harmonizing. Opens the doors of the mind to higher vibrational realms.

Amethyst Blood cleanser & energizer. Helps alleviate addictions. Purification & regeneration on all levels of consciousness. Meditative, opens divine love and inspiration.

Aquamarine Purifies the body, gives clarity to the mind, calms the emotions. Assists in dispelling fears and phobias. Supports creative expression, meditation.

Citrine Cheerful, lighthearted, golden rays of hope! Warming, energizing. Detoxification on all levels: physical, mental, emotional. Disperses self-destructiveness. Assists in awareness of higher self. Attracts abundance.

Fluorite Assimilation of nutrients. A powerful physical healer. Grounds excess energy, improves concentration, meditation.

Hematite Relieves stress, energizing. Assists blood circulation. Supports will and courage.

Lodestone Aligns energy fields. Magnetic, attractive element. A powerful healer.

Moonstone Emotional balancing, relieves anxiety & stress. Assists in birthing and female imbalances. Calming, aligns emotional body with higher self.

Quartz Crystal Amplifies all energies!

Tourmaline A most powerful healer! Balances endocrine system, vitalizes body and mind. Highly electromagnetic. Dispels fears & negativity. Protective.


Essential Oils

Acacia Relieves stress, nervous exhaustion.

Amber Aid to deep meditation. Healing, soothing, harmonizing. Spiritualizes the intellect.

Clary Sage Tranquility, peace of mind, relaxation, confidence, antidepressant, vivid dreams. Strengthens kidneys. Aids PMS.

Frankincense Excellent for meditation, inner strength, intuition, mystical. Calms body/ mind & emotions. Peaceful sleep and pleasant dreams.

Grapefruit Vibrant, light, cheerful. Aids in dispersing negativity, depression. Promotes digestion. Tones body, circulation, liver, kidneys, pancreas, gall bladder, nervous system.

Jasmine Sensual, aphrodisiac. Assists in opening the heart to spiritual realms. Emotionally uplifting, eases depression. Stimulates creativity, dreams.

Lavender Highly charged purifying and healing properties. Eases depression, anxiety, insomnia, headaches. Strengthens immune system, respiratory system. Clears negativity from aura & environment. Promotes intuition, inner guidance.

Myrrh Facilitates deep meditation. Mystical and sacred. Promotes inner strength, confidence, courage.

Peppermint - Refreshing, vitalizing. Assists in clearing negativity in aura & environment. Concentration, calms nerves. Eases headaches, digestion, nausea, colds, flu.

Rose Brightens the heart, romantic, inspirational, beauty, harmony, divine love. Soothes relationship difficulties. Relieves tension, sadness, grief, envy, jealously, resentment, anger. Rejuvenates circulation, nervous system.

Sandalwood Opening, expansive and centering. Calms mind & emotions. Very meditative. Relaxing, calming, relieves depression and stress. Inner strength.

Tangerine Happy, bright & cheerful! Assists adjusting to life's circumstances. Stimulates digestion.

Vetiver Balances connection with earth. Aids in development of patience & stillness. Deep relaxation. Tranquility.

I hope that you will come to love and respect the spirits of these minerals and plants. As a healer, I use them almost every day to balance energies, to heal mind, body and soul. They were placed on this Earth by our Creator for you, and for us all. My personal perspective is that spirituality, and rocks, and plants, and pure water are synonymous, I can't have one without the other! These are the sacred gifts from the Earth Mother, the most powerful medicinal tools that are available to enhance that connection with Spirit.

May you be blessed.

image credit:
www.clermontduvalartgallery.com

109 Front Street, a most wonderful shopping mall you'll just have to experience!

This rare Centauress is almost 7 inches tall and about 8 inches long and as you can see she's charming! A most lovely figurine, she was made by the long closed Freeman-McFarlin Pottery Company of California, most likely in the 60's. She has subtle silver lavender coloration on tail hair and hooves and her her eyes are interesting and almost lifelike...

You certainly won't find a wonderful treasure like this at the mall!

Or will you? I just have to let you know about the grand opening of 109frontstreet.com– a most extraordinary virtual shopping mall, created of widgets from the finest sellers at Bonanzle. And this
Centauress is waiting for you at Jamiro Eclectica on the Mezzanine level!

Because you appreciate unique and beautiful things, and love finding bargains and delights online, 109frontstreet.com offers a huge variety of unique products and services to take a quick peek at, 5 floors in fact – and then for deeper searching links lead back to the shops on Bonanzle.com.

Enter on the Mezzanine where you'll discover Art, Photography, Ephemera, Antiques, and Collectibles. Be sure to stop on the third floor where you can browse collections of items for Home, Garden, and Pets, including the famous DogSPA Boutique, where you can pick up Gourmet Jimmy Chews, the most decadent delight ever baked for pampered pooches! You'll find Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods on the fourth floor, which is home to sellers of health and beauty products, clothing and accessories, and personal care and wellness items and services.

109 Front Street is a most extraordinary shopping mall, and we are certainly excited to be a part of it! To celebrate the Grand Opening, we're offering 15% savings on any purchase at our mall store through February 14! Just enter coupon code LOVE109 at checkout for instant savings! We'll see you there!

Hang a prayer flag in your heart today

As the inauguration of Barack Obama takes place at noon today on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., as Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. oversees the changing of the guard by administering the oath, I will close my eyes and visualize prayer flags flying in the winds of change. And my heart will soar!

Prayer flags are colorful panels or rectangular cloths often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside. The Tibetan word for prayer flag is "Lung ta", meaning "wind horse".

The prayers contained on the flags are carried by the wind, and your own mind, to all as a blessing. When I see a prayer flag flying in the breeze, I am reminded of the call to say a prayer for the welfare of all beings, to work to bring about virtue, goodness, healing, and happiness in the world around me.

Celebrate the winds of change! I hope that you will take a moment to to add your hopes and dreams to the prayer flags I’ve strung for today! Prayer flags are used to send blessings and prayers on the wind for the welfare of all beings, and to help us to be mindful to be kind, compassionate, and joyful throughout the day! Please leave your prayers and blessings in the comments box. Today is a good day to string prayer flags. I shall, from my heart to yours!

photo credit: www.johnharveyphoto.com

Win this Handcarved Burl Bowl on Bonanzle Today!

Come Have Some Fun!
If you haven't yet enjoyed the thrill of a Bonanzle Live Chat Auction,
today's your day!
I'll be auctioning this "Root of the Earth Bowl"
live, in my booth chat box today,
Monday 1/19, at 5pm PST “Bonanzle Time”
(6pm MST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST)
www.bonanzle.com/oshunspirit1

This is a 15-minute progressive auction,
with more goodies added as the bidding heats up!
No reserve! Shipping is $5 in addition to winning bid.

A unique, one-of-a-kind Valentine gift for someone very special, this burl is perfect to use as a decorative centerpiece filled with pinecones or river rocks, in the kitchen to hold fruit or to serve rolls, in the bath to hold spa essentials, or on your desk or dresser to catch your car keys and your spare change. It measures approx. 10 x 12 x 4" deep.

Hand-carved from reclaimed Chinese fir trees, gorgeous in their simplicity and natural beauty, these gnarled bowls are not just useful, but have a great story behind them. Each bowl is made from the stump of a Chinese Fir called Shan Mu from the mountains of Central China. Artisans painstakingly hollow the stumps, sand them to a smooth finish, and seal them to be food safe. Knots, cracks and imperfections are considered part of their charm! Throughout this process, the artisans strive to maintain the unique character of the parent tree. Each of these pieces are one of a kind and they are all made by hand from a single piece.

Through Root Carving, farmers are able to provide a consistent income for their families. They do the work of digging up the roots and pass them on to skilled artisans who turn and carve them into unique bowls and baskets. The wood is washable using warm soap and water, occasionally treat with mineral oil to maintain.

Our collection of home goods is designed to reflect your passion to live an earth-friendly lifestyle, to preserve resources and the dignity of indigenous people, and to reconnect to the beauty of the natural world. Our offerings are good for you, and good for us all!

I'll be live in my Bonanzle booth before the auction
to answer any questions you might have about Bonanzle Live Chat Auctions. Please note that the $100 price currently on the piece is simply to hold it untill the auction. Bidding starts at 0.
See you at the auction!