Soul work

Living an Inspired Life

/ Lee Reynolds

Following up to my post which I wrote a few weeks ago on inspiration, (Cinnamon Raisin Bread and Inspiration, or is it the other way around?)  I wanted to share a few additional thoughts and also a link to a TED Talk I recently found, which further inspired THIS post. Have you ever wondered where creative inspiration comes from? I know you know what I’m talking about because we have all experienced it in life. Even those people who are very analytical, and have a black and white belief system and say they don’t have one creative bone in their body. We all have that golden connection to the divine, whether we want to admit it or not. Whether we want to be open and allow it to settle within, filling us with brilliant light to shine out into the world. Our Bravo moments!

I have experienced those timeless, uplifting moments when I parent, cook, garden, but lately they erupt like a geyser to the surface of my consciousness, not able to be contained below ground any longer. They spill forth and I either have to grab a piece of paper and write down the flowing words, or they evaporate into the heavens. If I do capture them in time and I start to fill my bucket with ideas,  thoughts, feelings of expression; the words pour out of me and I KNOW, I am but a vessel of divine creativity.

Those moments, when I have captured pure love, and passed it on to my child, or put it into my soup, or my garden, or allowed it to flow onto a page, I know that is eternal soul speaking through me. That is the little piece of GOD that shines within me. I live for those brief, elusive moments. They are the things that get me up in the morning and I hold my breath for all day….always looking to be taken, swept away and allowed to soar on the wings of inspiration.

We are all given these glimpses, but for some of us they appear more readily or for longer stretches of time so we can produce great works of art. Some of us have to just show up as Elizabeth Gilbert wrote in her book, “Big Magic,” and say, I’m here, ready to do the work and just hope that “creative genius,” will come to the table. That is our job, to show up, to not lose hope, to trust that we will be lifted by creative genius to have a baby, write a song, paint a picture, or write a book.

Sometimes, we just have to keep breathing, keep experimenting, as Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in the quote that started this blog post.

“All Life is an Experiment, the more you experiment the better.”

Because the more that I do what I love to do, parent, cook, garden, practice my yoga….and write….the better I get and sometimes that is enough. It has to be,…..but I’m still holding out for the moments of pure Grace that come in the early morning hours while the house lies in deep stillness.

If you have 18 minutes and want to be further inspired, check out Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk called, “Your Elusive Creative Genius.” It’s interesting that she gave this talk quite awhile before she wrote the book, “BIG MAGIC.” The ideas for that book, were obviously starting to stir and  alighting inside, ready to settle and allow her to write another great book.

We all have it in us, we just have to BELIEVE and keep showing up, being open.

If you can’t see the video below, check out this hyper link to “TED talk, Your Elusive Creative Genius.”

I hope this post and the Elizabeth’s TED Talk lifts you up and moves you in the direction of your most creative self. So you can live your best life.

Lately, I think that is what my blog is evolving into. I started it while on the road to becoming more environmentally conscious, more sustainable. My intense appreciation for Mother Earth, (H.O.P.E. is my acronym for “helping our planet earth”) but there are other ways to give back. Helping those find their link to the divine is truly coming home. Surrendering fear and filling the space with gratitude, is the first step. Always letting go and trusting, holding the belief we are souls first, living an earthly existence and we are limitless as a result. If we can assimilate that belief system into our lives, not just for seconds but  mindfully throughout our lifetime. It’s then we will be filled up with love and creative genius will alight within us to help us create a better world. Each of us contributing the beauty of our soul.

And while yes, I’m going to be talking about building chicken coops, gardening for a more productive vegetable yield, baking a healthier cake, raising a kinder, more conscious child, and more, I want to tap into why we are all here on this planet at this time in history. I know the world is shifting, the vibration towards pure consciousness is speeding faster and faster. That explains why in many pockets of the world there is chaos, because many people are driven by fear and that creates anger and hatred, but if we remember from where we came and who we truly are, our time on earth will be remembered as the shift in mass consciousness towards spiritual awakening.

It may feel unsettling but any change, even a positive change can make us feel shaky. As one final link, check out this piece written by, Jim Malloy, “How The Consciousness Shift May be Affecting You.” We just need to let go and trust and peace will reign. Hold the vision with me…H.T.V….maybe that will be another new acronym for my blog…sounds like a new T.V. network.

Stay tuned for more from this network….more to come on H.T.V. as the inspiration is flowing nightly. Thanks for being my co creators! I love you all!

Here is a quote from Choquash – a Native American storyteller – which captures the essence of all this…

“The elders have sent me to tell you that now is like a rushing river, and this will be experienced in many different ways. There are those who would hold onto the shore… there is no shore. The shore is crumbling. Push off into the middle of the river. Keep your head above the water, look around to see who else is in the river with you, and celebrate.”

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 

All Aboard the Peace Train

/ Lee Reynolds

I just finished writing a blog post about living a sweet life but I’m not immune to the recent terrorist attack in Paris, that occurred on Friday, November 13th, 2015. My first thoughts were fear. I knew my niece N, who moved to London this past year, was in Paris on business. I thought of her immediately. Then thanks to Facebook, I saw she was safely back in London. Then I thought of my own daughter Alyssa, who is teaching and working in London. Traveling around the U.K., writing, doing her photography, when time permits. She was in Paris last Spring after the Charlie Hebdo massacre and I was worried enough. My next thoughts were that London is too close to Paris. And then, because I believe we are all connected on this planet, if not my niece, or my daughter, there is another out there who was affected. Today, there is a mother, many mothers, who are mourning their child. Their children. Children mourning their parents. The ripples spread through the world. Many are trying to understand, “Why?”

Fear is the greatest weapon of the terrorists.  Are we willing to let them use it against us?

As I was checking my Facebook page I read a comment below a picture of the Canadian flag, that was encouraging others to stop Syrian refugees from entering our country. I understand this statement however I don’t agree with it. It’s fear based.

I think about the people in the terrorist groups and can only believe that they have been taught to hate and have not experienced much kindness in their life. When we say to innocent people of a terrorist war that we can’t offer you refuge, are we any better than the terrorists? Do we perpetuate the feelings of hate? I want to use my energy and illuminate love….can you imagine if we all came from this place?

Interestingly, I’m right in the middle of a 21 day meditation challenge put on by Deepak Chopra and Oprah that is called, “become what you believe,” and I understand totally how we create the life we want by our beliefs. Everything we think about ourselves and others, shapes the world. Although I studied the effects of our core beliefs during my Context Training years ago, it is refreshing to take another look at the power and the beliefs/walls we build up to keep us safe.

It’s only when we break down the walls and realize that we are always safe, that nothing can touch us and that we will always have enough, that we will be able to share with others on this earth and peace will be the result.

You may not know how to start but it begins at home. With your own family and friend relationships. Look for opportunities to be kind, to be compassionate, to open your heart to others.

On Friday, after filling my van trunk full of groceries I was hurriedly trying to get out of the parking lot and up ahead I saw a woman sitting next to the stop sign, “Oh no” I thought. A piece of torn cardboard resting in her lap which said simply, “hungry.” As my car moved closer, as there was a long line up, I noticed several thoughts rushing through my brain. All thoughts that had been placed there by previous experiences I have had or things I have heard from others.

“Oh she is probably a junkie and needs a fix.” “She should just get up and get a job if she wants money.” “She isn’t worthy of even being noticed.” I watched all these thoughts flood my brain and then I listened to my heart. I thought of what I had to give. I had a few dollars in my purse that I could spare. It was cold and she was sitting on the ground with just a sweater around her shoulders, and as I got closer to her, I wished I had a spare coat. I have so many in my closet back at home.

I rolled down the window and she got up, looking deep into my eyes, flashing me a brilliant smile. That’s when I saw one of her eyes was badly damaged. Just then she lowered her eyes and reached her hand towards me, it was frigid but as we touched, a warm light glowed between us. I wondered if she felt it too? Anyway, it wasn’t much and as I think about it now, I wished I had done more, given her some of the groceries in my trunk. It does illustrates how little it takes to help in our own communities.

You may live in a community where there are many, obvious homeless people and it may feel overwhelming. You don’t have to help them all……just pick one rather than not doing anything. Believe me, it will make a difference. It will make a difference to that one person.

Ever since I saw the news footage of the little Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi, drowned and washed up on the beach in Greece, I knew I wanted to help. I wanted to make sure our government knew I supported the refugees. I could be silent and not write about this today but it has touched me so deeply. If it were me and my family, I would hope that someone out there was compassionate enough to reach their hand out and help. I’d like to believe that we Canadians are those people.

Let’s give them a peaceful home where they are safe. Where they can raise their children and have a better life. And for those of you who are saying, well, but we are letting terrorist into the country, all I can say is trust in our immigration security process and know that if a terrorist wanted to get into our country…they would find a way.  If you are saying, they will be a drain on our health care, our education, our welfare system, and more, I can only say, if we do nothing and look the other way, we will feel the impact in more ways that you can ever imagine. And it will not be good. Moving in the direction with love and peace in our hearts will ALWAYS bring goodness.

There are countless innocent families needing our help. They don’t want much, they have been living on the streets, the lucky ones in tents for heave sake. Just breathe and trust…this is the path to peace. This is what the world needs right now. This is the turning point in so many ways.

 

Let’s share what we have (do you BELIEVE in the loaves and fishes story?…here’s the one I tell my children…there is always enough and from a mom of 8 children…you’d better believe I have seen this time and time again…especially in more difficult times) and I KNOW, that if we do that, the next generation of Syrian children will know kindness, compassion, acceptance, and most of all love. That is how we change the world. It’s that simple.

Let’s get on the peace train and make sure everyone who wants to join has a seat. Are you coming?  Remember, we create our reality with our thoughts, with our beliefs. It starts from within. What do you believe? I believe in miracles!

Join me in singing one of my favourite songs from my childhood…..even as a young child I was moving in the direction of peace and love.

Click here to see Cat Stevens playing, “Peace Train.”

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 

 

Cranberry Scones~Entering the Castle

/ Lee Reynolds

 


~Saint Teresa of Avila~

I’m back! After a month long hiatus from my blog, I want to declare I am well. My computer however needed serious healing with the local computer geeks…but it now seems well too. While it was being repaired though, I was able to plough through my latest book club selection by Caroline Myss called, “Entering the Castle… Finding the Inner Path to God and Your Soul’s Purpose.”
(This book was inspired by St. Teresa of Avila, who was an extraordinary 16th century saint and contemplative master. She wrote “The Interior Castle” which was a guide to finding your soul.)

                                                                      
                                                         
A glimpse into the writing from this book……

“Contain your experience with the divine so that it does not escape you but rather shapes you.  Be silent.  Silence will help you avoid engaging in the games of competition and illusion that regularly seduce us in the outside world.  Silence also helps you avoid distraction.  It helps focus the busy mind—the mind that always has to be doing something, thinking something, the mind that always has to be otherwise engaged lest it become introspective and allow the soul’s voice to override its own.  The silence I am describing is a silence that you use to contain the grace you receive when you enter the Castle of your soul.  This quality of silence allows you to engage in discernment.  You carry this silence within you, even when you are with others.  It allows you to hold your center amid the chaos of your life; it keeps you clear so that you do not do or say things you will regret or make decisions out of fear.”
Caroline Myss
Source: Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul, Pages: 38-39
Our book club meeting was cancelled last night because our hostess, L, had a houseful of sick children and an ailing husband. (I have been there!) That’s okay, as it gives me more time to go back and work on some of the “soul work” that the book suggests.

Do you ever find it interesting that when you are working on connecting with the divine, that stuff comes up to make you work all the harder to align yourself and your actions with your highest self? WEtLL, I have had a boat load of crap hitting the fan around here all month and I am very conscious of how unsettling it is to me. I guess that is the thing about raising your vibration. All of a sudden you are hyper-sensitive to negative energy fields AND how you are reacting to them. Let’s just say, I have been caught up in the drama a bit more than I would have liked.

Okay, here is where I breathe in and whisper “Om” and exhale slowly.Peaceful breathing.

I’m not going to go into details over everything that has transpired, for there is always something in life to suck us in and take control of our sacred self and don’t we love to vent! In retrospection, I’m so grateful for the blue screen which signaled the shut down of the hard drive on my computer, for I wouldn’t have taken the time to REALLY read this deeply moving book or been listening to my soul which is gently reminding me that all is well. In our darkest moments, the brightest light shines.

Although I was aware that the key to communing with my soul was practicing a daily ritual of silence, meditation, and prayer, this book reaffirmed what I already knew and helped to get me back on track. It carried me through some rough patches this month.

In the past, my prayers have often started with a thank you, but then they would go on asking for protection for my family, friends, and world. While reading “Entering the Castle,” I have come to realize that within the walls of my castle, I am always protected. There is NOTHING to fear. My prayer is now just a humble thank you. It is a blissful thank you. It is a tearful thank you, as I’ve been reminded that I am perfect exactly as I am and always, ALWAYS loved. All is well.

On this earth school, we get side tracked as we bump up against walls and try to figure out how to scale them. We forget that the draw bridge to our castle is always down for us to cross and we can enter at any time to be restored and filled with the love that is waiting there, just for us. Then when we re-emerge to our “real life,” we are over flowing with light and love and wherever we go we shine.

 


I’m going to spend a lot of my weekend in my castle, restoring my energy. In silence, as much as one is able with 6 children in residence. In quiet contemplation throughout the day. I may head out for a walk in nature sometime throughout the weekend and then when my legs are tired, I’ll return home to make myself a pot of spicy chai tea. My favourite thing to drink this time of year. Maybe I will even whip up another batch of cranberry orange scones.The last batch I made last week were literally inhaled.

A favourite room in my castle is filled with floor to ceiling dark wood bookshelves, loaded with   books. A crackling fire is filling the room with light and on either side of the fireplace are comfy chairs. Between the chairs, is a small table, perfectly suited for a tray with a pot of tea and a plate of scones.

It is there, when I sit opposite my soul and open up boxes from my past. Memories of humiliation, hurt and ridicule. It is there I empty the boxes, letting go of fear, anger, and scorn. Not just inflicted upon me, but also when I was the perpetrator of pain. I become humble. My wounds finally heal and divine grace overcomes me. Peace and a sense of of belonging fill me and a connection to all things in time and space overwhelm me. Tears of gratitude flow.

And then I leave that room after saying a thanksgiving prayer and open another door, peeking into another castle room where more soul work can take place.


What does your favourite castle room look like? What restores your soul so you can heal and go out into the world and fill it with more light? You are not alone.

Princess Victoria and Kathryn in their castle in our family room


Before I close, I want to share my delicious scone recipe with you so you too can whip up a batch and perhaps while you are sipping your tea and enjoying a scone, you will think of me and know you have a soul companion while you are on your journey. Your soul’s journey.

(BTW..scones are a Scottish quick bread originated between 1505 and 1515. Scones are named after the Stone of Destiny (or Scone), the place where Scottish kings were once crowned…….kind of an appropriate thing to take into your castle is what I was thinking)

These scones were eaten quickly while still hot, yummy!



Hope’s “Castle” Cranberry Orange Scones

Ingredients

2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar and then 2 tbsp of sugar for topping
1 tbsp grated orange peel
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup cold butter
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup orange juice (I squeeze the orange that I used for the peel)…save 1 tbsp for the glaze
1/4 cup half and half cream
1 egg 
1 tbsp milk for the topping

Glaze recipe

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp of orange juice
1 tsp of cinnamon…Alyssa loves this addition

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, orange peel, baking powder salt and the baking soda. Then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Set aside and then in a smaller bowl combine cranberries, orange juice, cream and egg. Add to flour mixture and stir until you have a soft dough.

Pour onto a floured surface and then knead gently. Pat dough into an 8 inch lightly greased pan…I use my cake pan. Brush top with milk, then sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown. Let sit for a few minutes and then turn over onto a wire rack. 

When slightly cooled, drizzle the glaze over the warm scones. Cut into triangles, serve nice and warm,,,,and don’t forget to set aside a few to take into your castle with your pot of tea.

  “Let your Castle become a sacred ground beneath your feet. Live the power of your soul. Listen to and follow the voice of your soul. You are not alone. No higher purpose in this life exists than to be called into a mystical relationship withe the divine.” ~Caroline Myss~…last page from the book


“Let nothing disturb you                         
Let nothing frighten you
All things pass away
God never changes
Patience obtains all things
He who has God lacks for nothing
God alone suffices.”   ~Saint Teresa of Avila~

Leeds Castle in the U.K. (interestingly, as I was writing this blog post, my daughter unbeknownst to me was touring Leeds Castle…WOW!


And all manner of things shall be well~

 Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 

 

 

Healing Our Body, Our Soul and Mother Earth

/ Lee Reynolds
Wisdom to heal is within each of us
Little did I know but this blog post was inspired early this morning, when I selected one of the tiny wisdom cards from my seashell. The words on the card said, “Slow down~When you move too fast, you miss so much.”~
These precious cards were given to me this past Christmas by my niece, T, who lives in Victoria with her family. Her husband R and her two beautiful daughters, H and M. My niece T, is a gentle soul with a warrior’s heart. She is sensitive, compassionate, kind, loving and oh so generous. Thank you T, for helping me remember what I already know.
(If you are interested in learning more about these cards….I will put more details below)
The wisdom cards given to me by my niece T…..this one says, “Slow down, when you move too fast, you miss SO much.”

As I went about my morning, I thought about this message and very quickly it became clear how it  would resonate in my life. First, I received an email from my wonderful sister B, who is a strong, intuitive woman with such a kind heart. She goes out of her way to help others for instance, rather than going to high tea to celebrate her birthday this past Sunday, she asked how she could help our son who was flying back to the city to start his second term of University.

She not only picked up Mitchell but his friend as well, she took them grocery shopping at Costco and then drove Mitchell to his dorm and his friend to the place he resides while going to school. Other than a foot injury last year, she always seems to be so healthy. She is really good at listening to her body and soul, and taking care of both,  but is service to others another key to staying healthy?

Then, she told me about her daughter T and her granddaughters not feeling well this week. Flu season is here after all, but I just went hmmmm, maybe there is a message I can learn from all of this today. T (who you may remember gave me the wisdom cards) and her husband both work, lead a busy life in a large city, raising their two beautiful girls but they are really good at listening to their bodies. What’s up….are they able to slow down enough for what their bodies need?

Then I received another lovely email from my sister, C, who is a yogi, a personal trainer, a reiki master, an artist, and I think a modern mystic…but aren’t we all? Except most of us aren’t truly tuned in or even trying to listen. Anyway, she wrote me an interesting email titled, “Universal Health.” In her email, whether she realized it or not, she inspired me on ways to stay healthy, and also help the earth. She mentioned that this month she was involved in some art classes and then she talked about hanging their laundry to dry and how she loved the smell of air dried clothes.

Finally, she wrote about their green bathroom practice to save water, “when it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” Okay, maybe TMI, but I was thinking of how her whole life has been devoted to staying healthy within her mind, body and soul, while inspiring others to follow suit. Also, by walking the earth gently it allows healing to take place which in turn nourishes us. Mother earth give us the basics for perfect health, clean water, air and healthy food, not to mention beauty everywhere to feed our soul.

She then took me down memory lane when she used to teach fitness and on her business card were the words, “Universal Health.” Her creative, and artistic son, S, drew a picture of a cute alien in meditative pose, floating above the world with, “Universal Health” as the heading. She wasn’t just promoting her ability to train individuals towards greater fitness and health but she was referring to how we could heal the earth, and hence heal ourselves by creating a healthy Universe for us ALL to enjoy.

Okay, too many coincidences for me to ignore. I had to write about health and how we can heal ourselves. It also seemed like the perfect blog post for a New Year, when so many people are working towards their conscious intention of obtaining great health, more joy, greener living…etc. Thank you to my sisters, and my niece for this inspiration.Although, you have no idea how extensive you touch my life in so many other ways.  Okay, here is my post for today….

 

 

 

Recently my family had a lovely, relaxing holiday, as well as two bonus snow days which were magical.  I thought we were ready to start the New Year with gusto and although everyone finally returned to school and their respective jobs this week, some of us were not functioning at our best.
Now that is understandable, as it takes a few days to re-adjust to getting up earlier and fitting back into a regimented structured schedule, but over the holidays a few of our children caught cold viruses and weren’t recovering as fast as I would have liked.
Will got sick first, a few days after Christmas. Although he had had a slight cough, I was surprised how quickly his croup incident came upon us. We had put him to bed, thinking nothing other than it had been a lovely day. There was no warning whatsoever, until in the middle of the night, I awoke to our little guy’s barking cough. I knew exactly what was occurring when I saw him sitting up in bed, gasping for air.
The first croup incident occurred when he was a toddler. When we realized he was having such a hard time catching his breath we did the logical thing and rushed him to the ER at our nearby hospital. When we arrived, they diagnosed him as having croup and administered medicine through an inhaler. However, he had improved so much just by being out in the cold air on the way to the hospital, that the next time he had a croup incident, we just took him outside first rather than rushing him to the ER.
At the back of my mind though, I’m always second guessing taking my child outside, instead of to the hospital. As I sit rocking him, bundled in a warm comforter, whispering soothing words, “it’s okay, it’s okay, take little breaths, little breaths,” I’m praying inside, “please God, keep him breathing, keep his heart beating.” It’s such a terrifying experience as a parent and yet, a part of me is also saying to myself,…..”Hope, it’s okay, it’s okay… JUST keep breathing.” We always know the path to take deep inside.

What is always amazing to me is how resilient children are. They can be extremely sick one night and then bright and chipper the next morning. It’s so surreal. But there is a lesson here, as small children live in the moment and appreciate the smallest things in life. Their joy and exuberance is another key.

Then, a few days after putting the vaporizer away, we heard that tell tale, barking cough coming from the twin’s room. Both girls had had colds, but it was Kate who was struggling to breathe one night. Although she and her twin, Victoria had been tiny 5 pounders, when they were born, they have been healthy babies and toddlers. We have been really thankful that they have hardly had a cold in their 31/2 years. So when she caught the croup virus, it really caught us off guard. Thankfully, like Will she recovered nicely after a trip outside and an evening with the vaporizer in her room. Then a few days later, Victoria, who also caught a cold, developed a rash all over her body, which I understand is a common side effect from some cold viruses.

Not only were the little ones feeling unwell but our oldest daughter Alyssa, who has been teaching in the U.K. since September, and working so hard at her new position, caught the flu right before Christmas and she spent the whole holiday coughing and was extremely tired. And back in our home, Grace had a cough and Clark also had been really tired and suffering from a sore throat. As the kids got ready to head back to school, I KNEW I had to do something drastic. I opened up my pantry and went into my laundry room, where I keep my herbs.

Okay, my pantry needs serious organization work…but keeping a well stocked pantry with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, flax, oats, quinoa, can really give you the boost when you are needing a quick energy fix.
I use this indoor expandable clothing rack to dry my herbs…it’s great and accessible when I need to refill my herb jars.
Being able to grow my own herbs has taken my cooking to another level…one of greater health AND looking at my herbs reminds me of that song by Simon and Garfunkel…”Scarborough Fair”….see below

If you can’t click on the link above, click here to hear and view… Simon and Garfunkel’s song, “Scarborough Fair” which I always think of when I’m using “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” in my cooking…love this classic sweet melody….sing it while making your soup to heal your family

I took stock and knew that things like garlic, ginger, “parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme”, brown rice, vegetables, all simmered in an aromatic broth would heal us. There is something restorative about these foods, they are our comfort foods, allowing our bodies to balance and return to perfect health. Here is my version of a healing Soul Soup….

Hope’s Chicken and Rice Soup…(although I have added chicken, vegetable broth and more veggies works beautifully with the rice and all the garlic and ginger too…let your heart be your guide)

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
4 tbsp fresh minced ginger
2 celery stick
6 Chicken Thighs
12 cups of  chicken broth 
1 cup of uncooked basmati brown rice
5 large carrots
1 tbsp parsley (and if you have any fresh as well you can add it to the soup when serving)
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp rosemary
Salt and pepper
(optional: swiss chard or spinach)

Directions: 

1. Soak 1 cup of brown rice (I use basmati) in 2 cups of water
2. Bake chicken, seasoned with some salt, pepper, garlic and ginger in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes

I sprinkled the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder and ginger powder…and caught all the juice in the tin foil and added it to the broth



3. In a large stock pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and saute, 1 diced onions, 1 cup up celery stick, 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 tbsp of fresh minced ginger…cook until translucent. 

 

4. Add 12 cups of chicken broth

5. Add the dried parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, oh and salt and pepper to taste. Then carrots.

oops, sideways…but you get the idea…lot of lovely dried herbs are the key to flavour

 

And if you are making it a totally veggie soup…be creative..I love beans and mushrooms with carrots

6. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan and saute second medium diced onion, 2nd celery stick, 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 tbsp minced ginger…add the cooked chicken. Allow the chicken to brown really well creating more broth for the soup. (we are funny about meat…we like to cook it really well…especially chicken…plus it just makes more broth) After cooking for about 10 minutes, add chicken to the stock pot….add salt and pepper liberally as you are browning the chicken

After cooking the chicken in the oven, browning it with onions, celery, garlic and more ginger just layer the flavors again.


7. Rinse the rice and add to the stock pot.

I had been soaking the rice in a jar…rinse it and then add it to the soup…boiling and then simmering

8. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour…..or until the rice is cooked. (I like making my soup mid afternoon and simmering for a few hours until dinner…the smell in the house is like aromatherapy in my opinion) Also, if you want to add some swiss chard or spinach do so just before serving the soup…the added greens are lovely and add more nutrition to your soup.

Light a few candles, serve with a green salad, bread sticks (recipe below) and a glass of white wine…or in our kids case, they had their Umma’s special, “pink lady”drink..which is cranberry juice and ginger ale which is perfect when your tummy isn’t feeling all that great and you are maybe a bit dehydrated….it makes it festive for the kids to have a special drink.

 

Okay, actually this doesn’t look all that great…ha…but then I had to serve 9 people and wasn’t able to touch up before the photo shoot…but you wouldn’t believe the flavour…D came home for lunch the next day so he could have more soup!…good thing his office is just 5 minutes away from home.

 

My family was saying…’really mom, another blog post…can’t we just eat already…it was so delicious and restorative HERE’S TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH!

 

The little girls sitting next to us at their little table were thrilled with the Soul Soup…”we are all in perfect health!”..CHEERS!

Although, I did not make bread sticks on the day that I made this delicious soup, as we had some good heart buns in the house, I love making my bread sticks to go along with my soups…or my pasta…well my kids like bread sticks anytime. Here’s the recipe. Mitchell brought the recipe home from his grade 9 Foods class. I have never been a fan of taking Foods in high school for our kids because I teach them how to cook at home but this was one recipe, I was thankful to receive as we enjoy it several times a month.

Mitchell’s Bread sticks…also known as our Crazy bread recipe

Ingredients

5 cups Flour
5 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
5 tsp yeast
450 ml of hot water

Topping;
1/2 cup of melted butter
2 tsp garlic powder
75 ml parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 F

1 Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast
2. Add hot water to make sof dough
3. Turn out dough onto lightly floured counter
Knead until smooth, and elastic, about 2 minutes
4. Cover, with a damp paper towel, Let rest 5 minutes
5. Meanwhile, combine melted butter, and garlic powder
6,  Roll out dough to 1 cm thickness.
7. Using a pastry brush, brush on half of the melted butter
8. Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
9. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until lightly brown..watch closely
10. Remove from oven and brush with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese

Cut into sticks or shapes of your choice

I make a large batch and they disappear very fast…the little kids begging for some BEFORE dinner

Then as if that weren’t enough, as this health idea was brewing in my brain all day, I received a phone call from our son Mitchell. As I mentioned earlier, he is back in Victoria attending his second term of University, but today he called me to say he went to the clinic as he wasn’t feeling great and it’s now confirmed that he has contracted mono. (His roommate in his University cluster had caught it in the fall) I absolutely knew by then, that after the little ones were in bed tonight, I would be writing a blog post about health and healing.

I wondered why he was so tired during the holiday break. While he worked really hard at his grocery store position, both weeks while home, as well as filled each moment visiting family and friends, he seemed more under the weather than is normal for this energetic, upbeat 18 year old, (almost 19 year old) so I was concerned. Knowing this virus was brewing, makes me wish I had made some soul soup for him before he left to return to school.

Well, as for the Wisdom card message, “Slow Down, when you move so fast, you miss So much, ” a few thoughts have come to me today. First, often we become sick to begin with by burning the candle at both ends, if you will and not allowing any light to infuse our lives. We work so hard and life for many people today is stressful. It’s also, not aligned with what our earth needs to heal itself either.

When we slow down and connect with nature, we are able to balance ourselves and recognize what each of us needs to do in order to stay in perfect health and keep our Universe healthy as well. By living consciously, breathing deeply, moving and connecting out in nature, eating whole, as close to nature food, we stay in our natural state. Perfect health.

So the next time you become ill, say thank you. It’s an opportunity to slow down and allow contemplation and connection to occur….”what are you meant to be doing after all?”

 

And before I close, I just wanted to share some information about the precious wisdom cards and a link to an interesting TED Talks presentation by Allan Savory below. First about the precious cards.

These card were created by a Victoria, B.C. yoga teacher, mother and nature lover, “Linda Cirella.” Each deck contains 80 cards and is printed on eco-friendly paper in Victoria, B.C.  Canada
These cards were created to remind you of what you already know deep within your core; and to help you to connect with it….because when you embody that wisdom you shine BRIGHTLY and you feel more ALIVE. And as a result you have more to give to others…So the world gets a little brighter!!!

Thank you again to T for the cards and to my sister B and my sister C…for always inspiring me! YOU ARE LOVED!

 

If you are interested in purchasing the cards contact Linda at om_shantii@yahoo.ca 

Wisdom is always a great gift to share.

And my final thought for the day is in regards to a Ted Talk my sacred sister, L, sent to me about healing our planet by Allan Savory. (thanks L…your angels must have whispered to send it to me)

Here’s the link to the Youtube video, but if you are using an apple product you may have to click here to see it. “Allan Savory’s presentation on TED Talks, how to green the world’s deserts and reverse climate change”

I believe it’s worth the time it takes to view it….slow down, when you move too fast you miss so much.

You never know when you will pick up a tiny piece of wisdom, put it in your back pocket and contemplate how it may change the world. Remember, we are ALL connected!

Until, I see you again, may you be WELL, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earthlings Get Grounded

/ Lee Reynolds

When you’re finally up at the moon looking back on earth, all those differences and nationalistic traits are pretty well going to blend, and you’re going to get a concept that maybe this really is one world and why the hell can’t we learn to live together like decent people.

 

— Frank Borman, Apollo 8, Newsweek magazine, 23 December 1968.

It’s been an action packed week and I’m sorry I haven’t been able to write any posts but as you may have read, it started with D and I attending an Urban Farm Symposium last Saturday and continued with a long awaited visit from my sister B and my brother in law J. Life has been rich with new ideas and insights and I’m thankful, since I wouldn’t have much to write about without the abundance of both in my life.

Before I move into the meat of this blog, I want to give you a bit of the back story so you can appreciate the whole picture and some history. My sister B lives in Victoria on Vancouver Island. Not too far from my homestead, only a days drive and ferry ride away but far enough so we only see each other a few times a year. And that is when she generously comes to visit. I remember our visit in the summer of 2013. She was chiding me for walking everywhere barefoot. I told her that putting shoes on was too much of a hassle since I was often running after the little ones. We were down to the garden, or play area,  or swimming in the pool, several times a day and it’s not like we have a yard with obstacles like chicken droppings or even dog waste. But still, she cautioned me on being careful walking in the dirt as there are pathogens that could enter through broken skin etc and cause infection.

Did I mention she is my BIG sister. She was just shy of 13 when I was born, so she has always been a bit protective and always nurturing towards me. This past summer, she and her daughter, T and two granddaughters, H and M, came for a visit. We had a lovely visit with lots of laughter and some moments of deep soul talk. The kind only sisters can share (and nieces). My sister always brings gifts that are useful and some that I wouldn’t go out and buy myself. For instance, on one of her shopping trips, she came home with a lucky bamboo plant in an elephant planter. Since I study the art of Feng Shui, I knew she was giving us a gift full of many blessings. She is always bestowing the best of life upon me and my family.

 

This is my lucky elephant bamboo, full of blessings that B gave this past summer

I’m also thankful, that she is highly organized and is often clearing clutter, another wonderful Feng Shui practice. There have been many occasions where I have benefited after one of her space clearing sessions. This past summer was another such time when she left a box of “things” for me to peruse after she left. Some of my most treasured pieces of clothing have come second hand from her, so with tears still in my eyes wondering when I would see her again,  I unearthed the contents piece by piece,  trying on this and that. When I came to the bottom of the box there were a familiar pair of shoes I had often admired her wearing. They are a pair of lovely brown, Josef Siebels.  They are what my  mother in law D would have called, “sensible walking shoes,” when she herself lived in Victoria watching women walking their dogs in such footwear.

WOW~ I was thankful to have a new pair of shoes. On the first day this fall, when it was particularly cold, I wore them when taking the little girls to preschool. I was chatting with J, our children’s preschool teacher. We go WAY back, since she taught our oldest son, Clark, 18 years earlier and every little one since then. She knows our family really well and we have been fortunate to have her in our lives.

I don’t really know how our conversation took off but I think it had something to do with the weather finally growing colder and I was having to ditch my sandals. I told her I had spent most of my summer barefoot and that my older sister must have felt sorry for me as she gave me these wonderful shoes to wear, as I motioned towards my new, high end shoes. J, said she knew someone who also enjoyed going barefoot and commented about it being very good for you.

My sister B and brother in law J arrived at our home last Monday. While the weekend had been gloriously warm, the weather had shifted on Monday which was decidedly colder. We hadn’t started the furnace yet this year, so after giving my sister a big hug and chatting briefly, I noticed she was uncharacteristically barefoot. I asked her if I could get her a pair of socks or something. She looked down at her very tanned feet, (did I mention they had been on holidays down the Oregon Coast etc for the past month?) and said, “no thanks, I’m doing the barefoot thing.”

We talked about their trip etc and then it finally came around to her feet once again and I asked what was up with the bare feet? It was then she told me about a book she and B had read while on their holidays. It was called, “Earthing.” They also had the DVD, which they had brought along for us to watch. She showed me pictures of her and J walking barefoot with my other sister, J and her husband B. (hey, just now I noticed that the couples share the same first letters…but in reverse)  They had been visiting with them for 2 days and they were “grounding” themselves at their acreage all weekend.

Grounding or Earthing is defined as placing one’s bare feet on the ground whether it be dirt, grass, sand or concrete (especially when humid or wet). When you ground to the electron-enriched earth, an improved balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system occurs.

The Earth is a natural source of electrons and subtle electrical fields, which are essential for proper functioning of immune systems, circulation, synchronization of biorhythms and other physiological processes and may actually be the most effective, essential, least expensive, and easiest to attain antioxidant.
 
Modern science has thoroughly documented the connection between inflammation and all of the chronic diseases, including the diseases of aging and the aging process itself. It is important to understand that inflammation is a condition that can be reduced or prevented by grounding your body to the Earth, the way virtually all of your ancestors have done for hundreds if not thousands of generations

I had to laugh at first. Here was my big sister first telling me to put my shoes on, actually giving me a pair of shoes and now she was telling me to take them off. In addition stressing that going barefoot was the way to go. I could have told her that.

Although I didn’t know there were any significant health benefits, I knew how I felt after being at the ocean, walking on the beach for a week or burying my feet in the sand while the children made crab castles. Also, walking in my garden barefoot or sitting and meditating on the earth felt restorative. When we listen to our body and how it’s reacting, we are never wrong.

Well, throughout the week that B was visiting, when we had a moment we would go out into the yard barefoot. The little people were thrilled because they knew intrinsically what felt good and were baffled at why I had been harping at them to put their shoes on since the weather turned cold. As long as they were bundled up with a sweater etc, they felt great barefoot and surprisingly enough, the earth still held a lot of heat from our long hot summer.

Our little girls, Victoria and Kate grounding with their Auntie B.

And so, my dear blog friends, from my big sister, now to you I say, “to shoe or not to shoe?” that is the question. Maybe, if more of us went barefoot on the earth, communed with nature, our whole world would be healthier and more balanced. At the very least we would be connected to our roots and care for Mother Earth as she cares for us.

AND

That brings me to another insight I had during the week. As you probably know, unless you are living off the grid without any contact with the outer world, during the past week there were several acts of terrorism in my country, one which occurred on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. A lone gunman, Michael Abdul Ehaf-Bibeau, who was a recent convert to Islam, killed an unarmed soldier, 24 year old Cpl. Nathan Cerillo, who was standing guard at our National War Memorial. He then went on to enter the Parliament building and after a round of gun fire was shot and killed himself. My heart just weeps and I know this sounds crazy, but I am so sad for everyone involved…even the shooter.

There have been so many horrific events of terrorism around the world but I think for many reasons this latest was particularly disturbing since Canadians are known to be peace keepers and this act occurred in the heart of our political system…close to where our Prime Minister and MP’s were debating choices we as Canadians uphold. Freedom, justice, equality, etc.

With the thoughts of growing food swirling in my head from last weekend’s Urban Farm Symposium and the idea of  grounding/earthing and its benefits, along with this news story settling in my heart, I have to wonder if most of the world has its head in the clouds. For many on earth being in a dream state is how they maneuver through life. Asleep to the fact that we are all connected and unaware that if we don’t wake up now, our precious Mother Earth will be destroyed and humanity along with it. Cracks are forming all over the earth.

For many humans the light is being turned on and through their environmental concerns they are starting to see the bigger picture. As if they are out in space and looking with awe at the beauty and peace within our grasp. Understanding that we can’t heal the earth and all the damage we have done to it, without addressing people’s suffering at the same time.

Something I read this week in a book by Pema Chodron called, “Taking the Leap,” resonated with me and I wanted to share it here. She wrote,

“Working on ourselves and becoming more conscious about our own minds and emotions may be the only way for us to find a solutions that address the welfare of all beings and the survival of the earth itself.”

She further shares this,

“There was a story that was widely circulated a few days after the attack of September 11, 2001, that illustrates our dilemma. A Native American grandfather was speaking to his grandson about violence and cruelty and how it comes about. He said, it was as if two wolves were fighting in his heart. One wolf was vengeful and angry, and the other wolf was understanding and kind. The grandson asked his grandfather which wolf would win the fight in his heart. And the grandfather answered, “the one that wins, will be the one I choose to feed.”


She continues,

“So this is our challenge, the challenge for our spiritual practice and the challenge for the world~how can we train right now, not later, to feed the right wolf?”
                                                                                        ~Pema Chodron, from “Taking the Leap”~

I want to thank Pema Chodron for that. I finished reading my Sacred Sister’s book club selection earlier in the month. It was called, “The Places That Scare Us” by Pema Chodron. I enjoyed it so much that I started reading more of her writing and it has settled in my heart. She is right on.

I know the wolf I want to feed.

How about you?

Every day we make choices to wake up. Sending understanding and kindness into the world seems the only way to heal.

Another way to stay awake though is being grounded and so, that ties in to the benefits of EARTHING….it just feels like a constantly flowing circle, we keep coming back to ourselves and the answer seems so simple. Take care of the earth, and the earth will take care of us.

If you want to learn more about Earthing, I thought I would give you a link to the YouTube full movie. It’s called, “Grounded.” (click the highlighted word) and it is a light, easy to watch documentary of one man’s story and how Earthing changed his life and the little town of Haines, Alaska.

Well that was my week in a nutshell. As I said a sad goodbye to my sister, I wanted to share a picture she took of D and me with Will. I’m wearing another of her gifts…..what she called, “grandma’s apron” and you know what? There could be a revival of these lovely things as it’s really useful. A blog for another day. Hey, and notice my fantastic shoes in the picture below. Thanks B! I’m blessed to have cool sisters!  Also, so very grateful that I have people actually reading my blog so thank you to you…my dear blog readers!

Peace out!

D, and myself, with our sweet William…saying goodbye to my sister B and brother in law J

Until we meet again, may you be well, peaceful and happy.

Blessings from Hope

Energy of Attraction Meditation Challenge

/ Lee Reynolds

Is this a road you would like to walk?

Call it synchronicity or what but have I been talking about the law of attraction lately on my blog? Well guess what? My favourite teachers, Dr. Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey, are running a FREE “Energy of Attraction” meditation challenge that begins on November 3, 2014.

I just registered and wanted to share this link with you too. It may JUST be the path you have been seeking lately. If you are interested in attracting a big WISH into your life and getting into the gap, check out this group meditation program. See the highlighted link (Energy of Attraction) above.

I hope to be omming with you soon.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

What Can I Give?

/ Lee Reynolds

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”~Mother Teresa~

If we REALLY believe we are ALL connected on this earth and ripples of kindness can touch the WHOLE world, then what is stopping us from giving even a little each day.

The other day when I was at our Super Store shopping, ALL by myself, a very rare occasion since Will was enjoying his first full day of kindergarten and the little girls were at preschool, I had an opportunity to help another person.

Our grocery store offers a weekly free product if you buy over a certain amount of groceries. This was not a big shop week for me but in front of me was a man about my age with a little toddler in his cart and a TON of groceries. I knew from experience that he was going to be WAY over the minimum amount for his free item but I didn’t see the said item at the end of the conveyor belt.

The cashiers are told NOT to offer the free item unless the customer requests it, which kind of irks me, so when the cashier told him the total amount and the man was about to pay for his groceries, I piped up, “what’s the free item this week if you spend over $250.00 dollars? The man looked at me and then the cashier, who looked sheepish and said, “oh, it’s the FINISH dish washing detergent,” but you have to have the item so I can run the code through.

The man shifted, looked at his toddler in the cart and I jumped in saying, “I’ll go get it for you while you load your cart.” I flew off in a flash, forgetting  since the twins were born that occasionally when I run, I sometimes have bladder issues. Thank heavens though, this time there was no unfortunate incidence…maybe doing a good deed helps the bladder. Anyway, I got back in no time and gave the product to the cashier who thanked me actually really nicely. The man thanked me NOT once but several times and I told him that, “hey, I’m a mom and you can’t just leave your little one in the cart to run and get the free item.”

As he was paying for his groceries and continuing to load his cart, he opened right up to me telling me he had just come home after being up north working for two weeks and they had nothing in the house. He said they probably could use the dish washing detergent and he hadn’t even checked when he left the house. He further told me that he had 5 children and the little guy in the cart, his youngest, was stuck to him at the hip since he had arrived home. I had made a friend. It made me feel really great.

And that wasn’t all, the older couple behind me were beaming at me when I returned with the item and the older man leaned in to me as I was paying for my groceries and said, “that was really nice of you.”

NOW, I’m not trying to blow my own horn or anything but this incident just demonstrates how something so simple, as helping another person out really is, plus, I benefited, as I got a bit more exercise than I had planned. It was a WIN/WIN. We are all busy and get involved with our own dramas but if we can just take a moment to look into the next person’s eyes and realize they are US. If we can offer them something to make their day easier, even if it’s a smile or a compliment, (like the one the older gentleman gave ME) well don’t you think at the end of the day the WHOLE WORLD would run smoother.

JUST THINK ABOUT IT!

And check out this video if you want to be inspired further. (If you are using an Apple product, you may not be able to view this YouTube video below, and if so, you can click on this link to see this inspiring message.)

Let’s send a ripple of small things with great love into the world.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Caesar Salad and Living Fully

/ Lee Reynolds

What does a Caesar salad and living fully, have in common? Very little, unless you look at it from my perspective. A few events and experiences in the last week have inspired this blog post and finally this morning everything is formulating clearly in my mind.

If you aren’t interested in the connection, then scroll down to find my easy and delicious Caesar salad recipe. If you have a cup of tea nearby AND the time to immerse yourself in one of my novellas, then I invite you to read on.

Our oldest son “Clark,” which interestingly enough is old English and means scholar, likes to watch our National news whenever he emerges from his room. We usually only see Clark at meal time and on the rare occasion he wishes to be with his family, which is usually only at mealtime. Now, I don’t want to give you the idea that Clark is anti social or anti- family. Far from it. After all he chose to stay home and attend our local University, even though he had been accepted at an excellent University a distance from our home.

Clark brought home dry ice from his day at the science centre

He can be quite an extrovert. He can talk to anyone about anything, anytime of the day.  For only being 21 he is quite accomplished, having achieved his second Dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do, became an accredited lifeguard, as well as excelling in playing violin and sax in our local youth symphony and jazz band. When he isn’t studying Science at University, you can find him in our local gym lifting weights, creating music and playing games with friends or working at the Science Centre. He is known as the Science guy in the birthday party set, as he can make a mean cup of flubber and give you a wild ride on the gyro chair. When he does come home, he is pleasant, regales us with a few interesting tidbits from his day and then he heads to his room to recharge. I also think he squeezes out his sponge, so when he re-emerges he is capable of absorbing more knowledge.

When he does make that entrance, it usually coincides with opening the fridge and turning on the T.V. to our news station. I suppose this is one of his many sources for knowledge but personally, I find the news too disturbing. Terrorism, countries fighting and killing their neighbours, and even our  own federal government politicians squabbling like little children. It all seems to unnerve me and put a damper on my daily enthusiasm.

Clark appears to be unmoved by the events transpiring all over the world. He is able to watch with detachment but with interest as he forms his own ideas about the world he lives in and perhaps too, how he would like to help it evolve. His is the next generation to create change and if Clark is any indicator of how they will manage, it will certainly be with conscious intent. He lives fully in the moment and makes wherever he is a better place.

Another source of news comes from our local paper. The “Morning Star.” It brings a piece of community into our homes and reminds us how closely we are all connected. Even though it’s only a few dozen pages in length, at most, I usually don’t have much time for this, published three times a week paper. Thankfully, while the little girls played, I took the time last Wednesday to flip through the pages as I would have missed out on something that has impacted me. Maybe this is how Clark views his obsession of watching the global news.

When I turned to the obituary section, I got hit in the gut with shock and sadness over seeing a friend’s picture. I say friend, because whenever I saw ” Erin,” I always felt good. She was the best sort of friend. One who always makes you feel happy that you ran into her. I met her for the first time when her oldest child was in preschool with my 3rd oldest, Mitchell. She had a lovely laid back attitude and a quick, light laugh that filled the air with joy. I loved that she didn’t bat an eye when her little daughter wore a tiara to preschool every single day throughout the year. I used to be more controlling and would have encouraged our child to leave the head piece at home, so when I asked her about it she said, something like, “well I’m going to let her be a princess for as long as she wants.” I LOVED that about her. I aspire to be more like that.

Over the years, I would bump into Erin at our local music school, where we would discuss the benefits of music lessons and how to encourage practice without pushing our children. Then there were the times I saw her at soccer games, me yelling my head off but her with a relaxed, “whatever” attitude. She was always interested in our ever growing family and would always say, “I don’t know how you do it!” Which made me feel stronger somehow and even though things may have been difficult the morning I saw her, after her comment, I would dig deeper and find the best of myself to mother our brood.

I haven’t seen her in a number of years as although our children attended the same high school, once children become teens they aren’t always accompanied by their parents. It wasn’t until I was helping out at the grad decorating afternoon last June when I heard someone say, “did you hear about Erin?” And I said, “no, what are you talking about?” Over the years I have been so absorbed raising our family and have not kept my ear to the community gossip. I had heard our family was often the subject, with our larger size and us having children well into our 40’s. I preferred to distance myself from people who were in the “know.” But this had put me at a disadvantage as well, since I wasn’t aware when someone was having a hard time.

I had no idea she had been battling brain cancer and was in the final days of her fight. Throughout Mitchell’s graduation weekend, I kept thinking about Erin, her two children, her family and how they were doing. It impacted me. D said he saw her not looking so great at the grad picture gathering but I had missed her. Mitchell too had been affected by this news. He knew all about it of course because of social media/Facebook, but he hadn’t ever said anything to me until I asked him about it. I know he was thinking in his teen terms something to the effect,”by the grace of God go I,” in that his mother was physically well and his classmate, he had known since preschool, was losing her’s.

Over the summer, I was on my guard every time I opened the paper wondering if this would be the day I would hear about Erin leaving the earth. The summer came and went and she presumably fought on. Then on September 18th, as we had just heard  the teacher’s strike was over and our kids were going back to school, she lost her fight. She was going home. I was so sad when I saw her face on the obituary page. She shouldn’t be there. Heck, we are almost the same age. Her youngest still hasn’t even graduated from high school. Do you ever wonder about life? How things don’t seem fair. Beautiful, kind, generous people, leaving the world while evil persists in all sorts of individuals.

Of course if you have read my blog, you know about my husbands co- worker, whose young teen son was killed in a boating accident this past June. And then, our oldest daughter’s high school friend dying in May, from complications after a double lung transplant. She had fought CF with hope and optimism her whole life and would have turned 24 last June.

While all these events touched me, I was thinking, the one thing we have in common is that we are ALL going to die.  This used to be a joke in my husband’s family since his Dad sold cemetary property and planned funerals. He used to say, “none of us get out of here alive.” The other thing we have in common is we have a choice how we are going to live?

My 11 year old daughter Grace had a sleepover on Friday night. Early in the week she had come home from her first days at school a bit depressed since her good friend had moved to Alberta. When I suggested a back to school sleepover party on Friday night she perked right up. I knew she was excited about it because when I went into her room to collect the garbage from her wicker basket under her desk, I saw a piece of paper outlining fun ideas for her party. “Dinner, 2 hours at our local rec centre pool, movie/popcorn, games”…it just made me smile.

As I was thinking about my friend Erin letting her little girl be a princess when she was small, I thought about my Grace and how I wanted her to enjoy her princess years too. She is going to be leaving childhood pretty soon and becoming a teen and I wanted her to have some wonderful memories of this special time.

I decided to make a homemade pizza, which is often our Friday night dinner anyway, and also make a caesar salad which is Grace’s all time favourite. When I was at the grocery store though I forgot to pick up the dressing we usually purchase. The old me, would have called D to bring some home after work (using more gas to drive to the store) but the new me, trying to be frugal while being more sustainable, with a can do attitude, decided to make it from scratch. I Googled a bunch of recipes and came up with a creation for our evening’s salad. It absolutely amazes me how empowered I feel when I don’t need a product….cross out caesar dressing off my grocery list. I can now make it from SCRATCH.  I know weird but I get a great sense of satisfaction from little things in life, like THAT.

Grace and her friends, I was admiring all the girl’s long hair and of course, I was seeing their invisible princess tiaras too.

The pizzas turned out delicious (cheese being the top choice for the girls but wow..the vegetarian I made was superb, if I do say so myself) and the salad was sensational. I made a large bowl but every last bit of romaine was eaten. A great sign of success! Especially among tweens, who don’t always like their veggies. The sleepover was smashing too. The girls liked the dinner, the pool time, the movies, the popcorn/licorice. In morning, D got up early on Saturday to make them pancakes with fruit, syrup and whipped cream and I made them a fruit smoothie. One of the girls had to get up early to go to her gymnastics class and then she said her family were off for an afternoon hike at a mountain about a 2 hour drive from our hometown. This family is always living life with “gusto.” They always are doing something physically challenging.

The celebration of life service for my friend was later that afternoon. I didn’t attend. I thought about it but then felt a better place for me to remember her was in my garden. So while D puttered around the garage, I mowed the lawn, cultivated around my still growing herbs and turned the contents in our compost bin. Once living grass, leaves, vegetable and fruit peelings are now rich, dark fertile dirt. Full of potential for new living things to grow in next spring.

We all are going to die but we also have a choice how we are going to live.What things can we grow in our fertile lives. What do we want to create,  how we can be a service to those around us, how we can help those who are struggling all around the world. It’s a reality check that brings me daily back to how I want to live fully.

A while ago, I did a meditation challenge with Dr. Deepak Chopra and I wrote down something on his web site that touched me.

“Today, and everyday, I give that which I want to receive.” I nourish the Universe and the Universe nourishes me.”

Yes, sometimes it’s just about making a great ceasar salad and letting my daughter be a princess for a bit longer but mostly it’s living life with gusto. Giving all of me to the world. I have a lovely quote on a book mark I use for my soul filled books and as I absorb new ideas and thoughts, I close my book on this idea;

“If there is light in the soul…..there will be peace in the world.” ~Chinese proverb~

Today, what I can share with the world is my caesar salad recipe and my light.

Buddha said~”Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”



Today, I’m thinking of Erin. All the kind, encouraging things she said to me and all the laughs she shared with me. All the light she brought to the world. I hope she is at peace.

“Precious Lord, take my hand.
Lead me on. Let me stand.
I am tired. I am weak. I am worn.
Through the storm,
Through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord
and lead me home.”

~African-American Spiritual~

Please join me in lighting the world and living fully while we are here, for my friend Erin, for all the people struggling, and for the people whom you have loved and hold close to your heart.

.

AND now, finally here is my caesar salad recipe…..for after all, we have to eat too. This is part of living life with gusto, my dear Italian friend Jane would wholeheartedly agree!

Here’s are the main ingredients you will need

You will also need croutons, bacon bits,

Grace’s Caesar Salad 

Ingredients

1 head of romaine lettuce
1 cup of homemade croutons
1/8 cup bacon bits (you can purchase vegan bacon bits too)
2 cups of croutons (easy to make)
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese


Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable_oil
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp white_wine_vinegar
2 tsp Dijon_mustard or 2 tsp of dried mustard
2 tsp  anchovy_paste (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 tsp Worcestershire_sauce
3 tbsp light mayonnaise 

Preparation

1. Dressing: In bowl, whisk together oil, cheese, vinegar, mustard, anchovy paste, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in mayonnaise until smooth.

 

 

 

 2. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces to make about 20 cups (5 L); place in large bowl. Add dressing, croutons, bacon bits and cheese; toss to combine.

 

And here is our Friday night, sleepover dinner. A dinner fit for princesses!

 

 

We loved this so much, that I made a lentil soup on Saturday night and ANOTHER caesar salad, this time, adding roasted chicken pieces to the salad. It was sooo yummy, and hopefully it will go down as one of Grace’s childhood favourites.
As for me, “I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.”

~John Burroughs~And all the blog posts I want to write. Thanks dear family and friends for sharing in my life, reading my novellas and lighting the world with your love.


Live life with your heart wide open

 
Until we meet again, may you be well, peaceful and happy.Blessings from Hope

      Summer Ends on this Soul Sunday

      / Lee Reynolds

      Goodbye summer!

      It’s been sweet. There have been so many wonderful memories and special moments to hold close to my heart.

      Summer ends today on this sacred Sunday.

      Yesterday, after working really hard around the house and yard, me cleaning the house, then mowing our lawns and working in the garden, while D cleaned the pool and cleared the junk lying around in the garage, we popped our kids into the van, picked up the LAST slurpee of the season, dropped some books off at the library and went for a drive into the country.

      We drove past fields of corn still growing, farmers mowing their final cut of hay, and cows fattening up, lazily eating late summer grass. As the kids slurped the last of summer’s sugar, we in the front seats, talked about how 2014 hadn’t gone as we had planned, We started talking about what we wanted our future to look like.

      We looked at some acreages (just land) that were for sale. Some too small, others too steep and tree filled, and then we drove past the BEAUTIFUL old fashion (but new) farm house, I have fallen in love with. It’s too far out for D to commute. Too far from the high school and University bus, and well, although it has an abundance of land, 78 acres, we’ve aptly named it, “the ON the grid house.” It has a high power electric line, (138 k.V.) I think D said, running down the middle of the huge hay field. While I LOVE this house and can imagine our family living there, having all my innards humming, isn’t my idea of living off the land. Plus, in our opinion they are asking too much money. So we drive on.

      When we came to a side road, D asked if I wanted to take it, knowing full well we would eventually come to another road. A road I had dreamed would lead us to our new home. I just nodded and for the longest time we drove silently thinking of what was ahead. Then we started to chat, admiring the farms with quaint houses with matching red barns, or making a comment about how some people don’t care for their precious land and allow debris to clutter up their property. We are envious.

      Eventually, we came to the road that would take us past the farm we had dreamed of living in this fall. Interestingly enough, the name of the road didn’t ever dawn on me until now. It’s called, “Hurt Road.” Do you ever think about the power of names? D smiled at me as he turned right and we meandered along the road, drinking in the beauty of the late summer glory. We were seeing this road for the first time  in late summer, since we found this property late last year when snow was almost on the ground. Everything was so green, rich and beautiful.

      Finally, we came to the Christmas tree farm’s first drive way,….it has this lovely 1/2 circle drive way that you enter from one side and leave from the other. I rolled down my window and the crisp scent of fall filled the air. You could hardly see the house, although it’s only situated 100 or so feet from the road. The deciduous trees are so thick with leaves but here and there are colours of yellow, orange and red. The trees know fall is coming.

      For a few seconds, I let myself daydream about turning into the drive-way and going home, then reality hit. This is someone else’s house now. The pain hit. Sheepishly, I asked D if we could leave a note on the front door, asking the new owners to contact us if they ever wanted to sell. He reminded me the house had sold at the top of our price range and they would want more money, IF they ever were to sell. I slumped into my seat for a minute as we slowly drove down the road and then sat up a bit taller to admire a horse we were driving by. I was sad. We turned around at the end of the road, as it is a dead end road, (just what I wanted) and this time as we cruised by the farm, an insight came to me.

      It dawned on me, until I say goodbye to the dream of THAT farm, I will never have my heart open to find another just as wonderful. A place for all my family to grow, to learn, to connect. A place where we can sit around the dining room table, like the Walton family from my favourite childhood T.V. show. A place where we can become even more sustainable and independent. A place where we can become not just farmers, but be soul FILLED people.

      And that is also the way it is in life. If we are always hanging onto a time, a place, or things, our hearts and minds aren’t open for new experiences. As time travels and we continue on our path, we need to open our arms and our hearts for the joy that is waiting. As I say goodbye to summer, I say Hello to the unknown of fall and the memories to come. Abundant blessings to be sure.

      This post also reminds me that right now, RIGHT NOW, is all that matters. Right now, is the gift given on this last day of summer. On a Soul Sunday. I’m going to go and have a relaxing bath, get dressed and join D and the kids who I can hear are in the kitchen laughing while making pancakes. There is fresh fruit and maple syrup too. Ahhhh the luxury of living in the moment. The bliss of it all.

      As I leave you, if you haven’t checked out Oprah’s Soul Sunday interviews to help you connect with the sacred, I would highly recommend them. They help me remember we are all connected and living our dream, right now!

      Note: If you are using an Apple product, you may not be able to view the video below. If so check out this link that should connect you to the video with Dr. Brian Weiss and Oprah talking about grief and living)

       

      Join me in welcoming Fall!

      It’s going to be the BEST season yet!

      Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope

      Sacred Circle Book Club

      / Lee Reynolds

      Another year of reading has begun. Last night was my first book club meeting for the year. Our book club year starts in September and concludes in June. We take the summer off to read our own material. Most of my summer reading was on the subject of homesteading. I LOVED the book called, “Chickens in the Road,” by Suzanne McMinn.

      This author was living my dream of building a homestead with chickens and many other animals, all while raising children. Apparently Suzanne had a successful blog while she was building her homestead which further endeared her to me as I know how much time writing consumes. She has moved to a new farm and I’ve been meaning to look her up to see if she still blogs. If so, she has a future follower. She writes from the heart and her journey touched me deeply.

      e.

      Another book I REALLY enjoyed this summer was, re-reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book called, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle…a year of food life.”

      If you haven’t read this book and are madly interested in living sustainably by growing your own food and living healthier, this is THE BOOK to read. I liked listening to the audio version too as Barbara, her husband and her daughter narrate the story and bring the stories to life. They feel like family now.

      And finally, I cried when I finished reading, “The Dirty Life,” by Kristin Kimball. Have you ever been so absorbed in a book, you felt you were one of the characters? I especially loved how they used horses to till the soil and prepare their fields. (I’ll mention here that I was  madly in love with horses when I was a teen and I spent many blissful days on the back of my horse, Blondie) I grieved as I read the last page of Kristin’s book and I hope someday to have a farm so full of life as they enjoyed on Essex Farm.

      Well those are my summer reads and we haven’t even talked about my Sacred Circle book club yet. Are my blog posts mini novellas or WHAT!

      In the fall of 2012, as I waited for the world to end on Dec 21, 2012, (Mayan Calendar prediction) I realized I wanted to start 2013 on the path of connecting deeply with my soul.

      During the last 10 years from 2001 and 2011, when I was trying to conceive our last four children, I experienced profound moments of insight and felt touched by many miracles. Now that our Grace, Will, Kathryn and Victoria were safely on the earth, I knew that I wanted to delve into my authentic self and continue to grow as a soul. Not just for me, but for our children. All our children.

      The older I get, it seems like the life lessons are on fast forward and I wanted to keep learning at a rapid rate, so I thought joining together with other like-minded women would create that environment of experience and enlightenment. At the end of 2012, I mentioned my desire to a few friends, who wouldn’t look at me like I was CRAZY and before I knew it, we were having our first Sacred Circle meeting.

      My sisters and I take turns choosing selections, then once a month we meet in our hostess’s home and discuss the book choice for the month. These are a few of the books we have read in the past.

      Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander

      The Field by Lynn Mctaggert

      Living in the Light by Shakti Gawain

      The Four Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz

      The Fifth Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz and son

      The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

      The Untethered Soul by Michael A Singer

      Well that gives you a glimpse into what we have read in the past. Do you think this genre interests you? Are you intrigued? Are you a student waiting for the teacher to appear? If so, I invite you to join us and read our future selections.

      I’m sorry, I didn’t get my act together enough to get this out before now as I was busy blogging about making Borscht (hey, nourishing bodies is important too) etc. but if you want to join us here is a look into this year’s selections so far. This month, (Sept) we read the book called, “The Hidden Lamp, Stories from 25 centuries of awakened women” by Zenshin Florence Caplow

      The consensus from those who read this book was, this is the type of book that one needs to read over the course of a year, instead of as a monthly book club selection. The stories evoked some strong reactions in some of our sisters, as women over the centuries have been suppressed and abused as  many of the stories were on this theme.

      When we were discussing some of the stories, the thought that being born on this earth as a specific gender is part of our growth as a soul, …..but wouldn’t it be great if we could move beyond our gender? I like the following quote from a spiritual teacher:

      “When a human being becomes so still that they begin to lose awareness of their gender, and they are simply looking into that abyss where there is no notion of self whatsoever, the world disappears. And that’s really the only place to go. It’s the only place to remain.”

       

      Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/andrewcohe271068.html#gXRsR9C2CDhwxmPe.99

      Ideally, that is the direction we humans on earth are moving.
      Anyway the conclusion with regards to this read was,  if you are interested in delving into these stories at a deeper level and are interested in Buddhism, this would be the book for you.

      And now for our NEXT selection……………………………..drum roll please,

       

      Next month, October 2014, we are reading the book called, “The Places that Scare You: A guide to fearlessness in difficult times” by Pema Chodron
      Here’s a quote I relate to by Pema,
      “…feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.”
      ― Pema Chödrön
                                                        

      I’m looking forward to reading this book by Pema Chodron. I’ve listened to a few of her audio books and her voice emanates peace and wisdom. Perhaps you too, will resonate with her words.

      Will you join me and my other sisters in reading? I’m going to do a blog post after our next meeting and would love to hear your comments on the book….or maybe you have read a wonderful book that has touched your heart and impacted your life. Please share what you are learning. This was one of the reasons I wanted to start this blog, to connect with other like-minded people. All over the world.

      The Mayans were right, the world as we know it has ended.  We are now flowing in the direction of living consciously and tapping into our sixth sense, living mindfully with love and compassion in our hearts. We  realize we are connected to all people, all things, to Mother earth and our vibrations are moving in the direction of creating harmony. I personally, believe that one of the reasons we are seeing such evil all over the world now are because there are pockets of fear in the world. Anger and hatred are always the result of great fear. It’s my belief that love will prevail. I trust we are rising to live from our highest self.

       I hope reading books, like Pema Chodron”s book above will guide  us in the direction we need to
      travel.

         
       

                                              

      If all this interests you but you want to hear more about it…check out Dr. Wayne Dyer’s Youtube video called, “The Shift.”  Dr. Dyer was one of the first teachers I sought and even D enjoys his thoughts and wisdom….. he knows how to reach people from a human level.

      Here’s a link to Ambition to Meaning, “The Shift”

      (If you are using an Apple product, you may not be able to view this video, if so check out the following link to watch, Dr. Wayne Dyer’s, “Ambition to Meaning, The Shift.”)

      Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope  
      . 

      Say Grace

      / Lee Reynolds

      “Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live.”

       

      This evening my day 16 meditation was titled, Radiating Grace. As Deepak spoke on the definition of Grace, I was thinking how I have experienced it deeply in my life. Our daughter, aptly named Grace was one of my greatest blessings.

      Our sweet girl finally came after a long time trying to have our 5th child, and after experiencing a sad miscarriage of what I thought at the time would be our last baby. She came on the wings of surrender and gratitude. 

      Before she was conceived though there was another. That baby I called my Soulbaby. We had finally gotten pregnant the month of the horrific 911 tragedy. Why, after trying to conceive for so long we should finally get pregnant that month. I don’t know but despite how a shadow of darkness had descended upon the earth, our Soulbaby arrived bringing light to my life. 

      She wasn’t with us long. Only a breath of time. When I was 10 weeks pregnant I went in for an ultrasound only to hear words that will never leave my memory, “I’m sorry, there is no heart beat.” What happened in the last few days before that ultrasound? They measured her and found that she had just passed based on her size. I chose to wait for my body to miscarry on it’s own because as sad as I was, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her. Even though she had left her body, I wasn’t ready to let her little shell go. 

       

      And so I waited day after day for my body to realize that it didn’t have to keep sending energy to my womb but it didn’t want to say goodbye either. During that time of grief I was given a deep sense of comfort, which enveloped me like a warm blanket.  As tears flowed from my heart, I was flooded with love and I knew I was experiencing grace. It was deep and powerful but light and peaceful as well. 

       

      I knew I was loved and I had been given a gift. Something I had been praying months for and it had been given but with conditions. The fact that I had even been pregnant felt enough. Sometimes we have a lifetime with our children and sometimes we are not given that but even a brief time is a lifetime. It was my Soulbaby’s lifetime. I knew she had given me a glimpse of eternity.

      After two weeks, my Dr. wasn’t prepared for the pregnancy to continue even though my body wasn’t showing any signs of letting our baby leave. There was fear of infection, so I was admitted to the hospital where they induced the miscarriage with drugs.

      As the first snow of the season gently drifted outside my hospital window, like angel wings falling to remind me all was well, I miscarried on November 30, 2001. It was a tough Christmas that year.

      We had given our children two Siamese kittens for Christmas, and one was not thriving. I carried Samurai (our little warrior)around in my arms and fed him with a tiny baby bottle of special kitten formula. I prayed with each breath that he would start to grow but he too wasn’t meant to survive. When he was 10 weeks old, our vet who we had been working with closely, told us that he had severe digestion abnormalities and we agreed to let him go peacefully. I mourned that kitten along with our Soulbaby. Still, I had a deep sense of everything happening for a reason and beneath all the grief there was this brilliant light.

       

       

       As winter was ebbing away, my sister C, who is a yoga teacher, asked if I would like to join her and her yoga class to attend a weekend retreat of meditation and yoga at a nearby forest Buddhist Monastery. Although, I had 4 other children to care for and I hardly ever left them, I asked my husband if I could attend. He had a sense this was what I needed to do so he agreed to hold down the fort.

       

      The month of the retreat, I started meditating as I knew we would be doing seated meditation for at least 30 minutes at a stretch and I had to be in condition to sit that long. I would practice my yoga and then sit and focus on my breathing. Before settling down I would breathe slowly in and out repeating the words, ” trust and let go, trust and let go, trust and let go.”

       

      I was planning while at the monastery, to surrender my desire for another baby. Ever since the miscarriage 4 months earlier I held onto the belief that maybe we would get pregnant again but I had to face reality. I was moving closer to 43 and our Soulbaby would be our last. I was letting go and trusting. With each meditation session I felt a greater sense of peace and  pieces of joy were finding their way into my life. I saw beauty in the smallest things and I was immensely grateful for everything in my life. The time was deeply profound.

       

      The day before I was to leave though I thought it odd that I hadn’t had my monthly menses. Since I still had a drawer full of home pregnancy tests from trying to conceive for so long, I casually took a test. I never in my wildest dreams thought it would show a positive. I just needed to know so I could prepare the appropriate products. As I was packing hygiene items, I picked up the home pregnancy stick and couldn’t believe what was showing. Two perfect pink lines.

       

       

      Is there a more beautiful sign?

       

      I went out into the garden as the March sunshine was starting to bring out the first blooms and I just sank down into deep appreciation and awe. Could I be so blessed to have conceived another baby? 

      All through the retreat weekend I carried a sacred secret and was over flowing with love for everything. Nothing bad could ever touch me again because I knew that even if I lost the baby I was carrying I would be okay. I just enjoyed each day I was pregnant and my mantra was a whispered, “thank you.”

      Our daughter was born December 5, 2002, 1 year and 1 week after I had said goodbye to our Soulbaby. A month after I turned 43. It had been a difficult birth since she was born posterior. There was a tension and hush in the labour room and I knew from given birth 4 times before that the nurses were concerned. After the birth, our nurse told me she thought for sure I would need a C section. Most babies in posterior position aren’t born vaginally.

       

      But she finally arrived after a long struggle, sunny side up but very blue and still..  She was whisked over to the isolette and the silence was heavy as the seconds ticked by without any sound. I prayed that I wasn’t going to loose her now after going through so much but I was just so thankful for the time we had had together. It had been the most joy filled pregnancy. After what seemed like forever, the best sound broke through the quiet of the morning. A small cry was heard.

       

      And so, tonight’s meditation reminded me of that time and I felt like I needed to share it. Our Grace is a lovely, sweet 11 year old now and when she smiles it lights up the room. I  will never forget the one that came before and I have wondered if it was her soul coming to teach me to be grateful…and then she came back again. That belief feels right and resonates with my soul. She is my Soulbaby. My Grace.

       

      Below is the written excerpt from my evenings meditation. I hope you are following along with Deepak, Oprah and I as well. This meditation series has helped to expand my happiness this month despite the fact that I could wallow in sadness over several of my children leaving the nest. But I’m not. The really cool thing about experiencing Grace once is, it never leaves you.

       

      Our beautiful Grace Elizabeth

       Day 16 – Radiating Grace

      “The quality of mercy is not strain’d . . . it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”
      ― William Shakespeare

      Grace is an important aspect of expanding our happiness, because it is through grace that we express love and blessings completely and unconditionally. We are each a source and conduit of grace.
      Grace is a loving power and presence that elevates and brightens whatever the challenge or situation might be. As we mature into our authentic selves, we are more open, receptive, and expansive, and so we naturally feel the influence of more grace in our lives. It is this same expansiveness and openness that makes it easy for us to radiate that grace along to others.
      Radiating grace is not about adopting an attitude of sainthood, and offering benedictions to family and friends. It happens naturally, in moments as simple as passing along, or sharing, the fullness of heart that you feel when you offer a helpful gesture or kind word. When we share grace, our happiness increases many fold. <span 1.6em;”=””>Today’s meditation facilitates this free flow of nature’s grace from your life to others.

      Have you experienced a moment of Grace?

      In deep gratitude it comes.

      Until I see you again, may you be well, happy, grace filled and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope

      Hope Lights the Way

      / Lee Reynolds

      Last night I finally got back to my “Expanding Happiness” meditation challenge with Oprah and Deepak and guess what the theme was for where I left off? “Hope” of course. In case you are not following along with the meditation program, I thought I would share this one with you. If you are, then you will have to write to me and tell me how it resonated with you.

      Hope has always been a strong element in my life. Of course if you’ve read my mini novella, “about me,” you would know that I was actually born in the little town of Hope, B.C. which I think is kind of fitting in many ways as this belief has been the running theme throughout my life.

      Ever since my Dad was killed in a truck accident,when I was 5 years old and left my mom alone to care for me and my 3 older sisters, I have had something to hang onto. The belief that everything happens for a reason and things will be okay was an undergoing current in my life. Even though our family was falling apart after his death and we were financially in tough shape, my spirit kept me strong.

      I believe, one of the most important lesson for us on this earth is to trust and let go. I thought for a while that this was just my journey but I see time  and time again that the story may be different for my neighbour, but the lessons are the same for everyone.

      Having “Hope” to hang onto was my lifeline. And that is why this meditation focus touched me deeply last night. Being hopeful, keeps us optimistic and looking on the brighter side of things keeps us happy. Being happy, attracts good things to occur in our lives and having goodness in our life brings more joy. It’s such an important element on our earthly journey.

      Anyway, I wanted to share the excerpt from today’s meditation with you and “hopefully” it will touch you as it did me. If you missed the meditation, you can still allow the daily message, “hope lights my path” to flow through you today and remember that you are, “all possibilities.”  If you want to take it deeper you can repeat the Sanskrit mantra as you go about your day. It is, “Shreem.”  Breathe in, breathe out, with the word Shreem moving through you. You are all possibilities.

      Here’s the excerpt”

      This is my Hope wind chime over looking my garden

       

      Day 6 – Feeling Hope

      “The greatest joys in life are found not only in what we do and feel,
      but also in our quiet hopes and labors for others.”       ― Bryant McGill

       

      Today’s meditation activates the power of hope in our hearts. Hope is a key spiritual component of our joyful self. Spiritual hope is not a feeble, anxious wish for things to be better . . . it is the active engagement of our aspiration to the almighty force of evolution. True hope ties our individuality to the cosmos, giving us the guidance and support to move toward our hopes and dreams. This expansion and fulfillment of our aspirations is an essential joy of life.

      We feel happy when our love grows and our territory of influence expands, and hope is the leading edge of this expansion.
      Our meditation today takes us to the source of hope, the source of our evolutionary expansion of consciousness. From this still center of being, we illuminate the light of hope in our life.

       

      May Hope light your way.

      Until I see you again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope

      Homemade dishwasher detergent

      / Lee Reynolds

       

      As I grieve over the fact that our oldest daughter has moved to the other side of the world and I miss her terribly, I realize that I can’t just lay in bed and be sad. The thing about having other children is that you have no choice. You have to get up and do what needs doing each day. Oh that reminds me of a wonderful poem I read years ago and I’d love to share it with you now.  The poem is an excerpt from the book called, “The Invitation,” by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. Have you read it?

      If you are needing the recipe for the dishwasher detergent, because that is eventually the destination of this post, please scroll down to the bottom of the page. Otherwise if you are able and willing to take a diverted path with me, I think there will be a point to this post and it will be about  more than clean dishes.

      But who knows, have you ever started on a path and “thought” it was taking you in a certain direction and you ended up being somewhere totally unexpected. Sometimes my posts are like that. We will see where this path takes us.

      .

       

      The Invitation

      It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

      It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

      It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

      I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

      I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

      It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

      I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

      I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, ‘Yes.’

      It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

      It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

      It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

      I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.


      Isn’t is amazing? If you haven’t read anything by Oriah check out her writing.I love that part in the poem that talks about wanting to connect with someone who can get up after a night of grief and despair, bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

       

      There have many times in my life where I have had to do just that. The day after having an ultrasound, and learning that our much wanted “Soulbaby’s” heart beat had stopped, I had no choice but to go on. I awoke the next morning to light, even though I was surrounded by a grey fog of grief. All around me were happy, chirping voices of our children, waking up for the day and I had to get up. I had to feed them, and care for them. I had to love them. I had to keep going.

      The really wonderful lesson I learned during that time of waiting for my body to say good bye to our baby, (my body didn’t want to miscarry) was that grief is full of grace .It takes us into a deeper dimension of human experience, floods us with pain and as waves of grief wash over us, we have glimpses into another realm.  A place of peace. I recall waking each morning to a living night mare, waiting for my body to let go, only to find a hungry little one asking, “what’s for breakfast.” I was humbly grateful for the children already in my care. They anchored me to this life and allowed me to see the beauty in the world. Loving those ones and loosing others, are all part of the experience we call life.

      And while letting go of our oldest can’t even compare to that time of grief, or others I have felt, for she is very much alive and well. We are excited for her to continue her life’s journey, I’m still so sad that she will not share my day to day life events. I will miss making carrot cake for her and seeing her smile as she savours it. I will miss the smell of her fresh, sweet scent and oh the music that filled the house as she played on her piano will leave an echo of longing in me.

      But today, I realize that the dishes still need to be washed, the children need to be fed, the house needs cleaning. I must nurture the children remaining and allow their childhood memories to flourish so they can carry them out into the world just as their big sister is doing now.

      What is the big drama going on in your life? What do you think is really going on and what are you learning from your experience and situation?

      Is there a “mundane” task that can be taken on with sacred appreciation so you can find joy in the moment?

      And so FINALLY, after much ado…the dishes. Those dirty dishes ground us!
       

       

      We renovated our kitchen a number of years ago and bought a highly regarded Bosch dishwasher with a stainless steel drum and enough cycles to confuse a person but it has never cleaned our dishes really well. 

       

      Sorry it’s a fuzzy pic…but here is my kitchen…our dishwasher is next to our sink

      I have tried all the various cycles on our dishwasher. I’ve experimented with all the various top selling dishwasher detergents, as well as tried a few final rinse products but our dishes never get really clean. I don’t think I’m the only one either. I was really getting tired of watching my children pull the glasses and dishes from the cupboards and scrutinize them with a discerning eye which made me feel like I was a horrible housekeeper. Occasionally I would tell them that they need to go and live in a third world country for awhile to appreciate a clean dish here, well almost clean anyway. Then several times this year we had their friends visit and as my children inspected cups to serve their guests, their friends would say, oh yeah we have to do that at our house too. Hmmmm.

      This summer during one of the weeks that I was trying to stretch our budget and during another of my rants on how we were  drowning in product packaging, I found this really great recipe for dishwasher detergent. You know what it works. REALLY WORKS! at cleaning our dishes.

      The first time I used my new homemade dishwasher bombs, they left my dishes squeaky clean. So if you are interested in having clean dishes too, THEN check out this recipe and make a batch for your family. It’s this kind of stuff that keeps me grounded on this earth and thankful to have another day to experience life. Even when it is tinged with sadness and grief. Oh and the best part, it costs next to nothing, the ingredients are in any well stocked kitchen as they are used in many cleaning and baking recipes and it’s all environmentally friendly with no toxins. You gotta love that.

      Hope’s homemade dishwasher detergent  

      Ingredients

      1 cup of washing soda ~if you have difficulty finding this…you can make it…see below~
      1 cup baking soda
      3 tbsp of citric acid
      1 cup of coarse salt
      1 cup of water
      Opt: Essential Oil of your choice…Lavender or Tea Tree Oil are a disinfectant

      I didn’t have any citric acid in my house so I used the lemonade mix my best friend gave me during her last visit…first ingredient…citric acid…voila. Thanks Tamara!

      If you are unable to find washing soda, all you have to do is place 1 cup of baking soda in a baking sheet for 1 hour at 425 degrees F, spread it thinly and it will magically transform into washing soda. My sciency son Clark was impressed the first time I made this and he reminded me how important chemistry is in our lives.

      Directions

      In a medium size bowl mix all the ingredients together. If you are wanting a powdered detergent you are done after adding all the dry ingredients. Just put it in a container with a scoop and enjoy.

      I added water to the mix though. Once you add water the mixture will fizz for a few minutes. Once the fizzing has stopped you can mix it further. This hardens rather fast so you need to work quickly. Take a teaspoon size scoop and mash the mixture into individual ice cube trays or you can make little balls like I did and lay them on a cookie sheet to dry for 24 hours.

      Letting my “bomb” dry in our laundry room

      When they are firm you can put them in a container and start using them. If you want to add any essential oil just add it with the water. I added lavender to our first batch which had a lovely lemon and lavender scent.

      I found the perfect container to put under my sink

      When I have a pot or pan that is unusually dirty, I just mash a bomb into the soaking pan and let it sit overnight and in the morning I easily clean it. Sometimes you have to take the gritty mixture and scrub the pot with it so it’s really clean. I love this so I have also eliminated scrubbing pads.

       

      I want to also share that I have stopped adding any type of rinsing solution to my dishwasher and now only add a few tbsps of vinegar to my machine. Results: clean, green dishes.

      You know I was thinking about my great grandmothers and all the work they had to perform before the invention of  appliances and convenient kitchen products, theyhey also lived in a time when there was a lot of grief. I mean my own grandmother had 8 children, of whom only 6 made it through childhood, also there were childhood diseases and accidents, all more mainstream than they are now so having a lot more housework and just keeping their families fed took enormous amounts of energy. Maybe this was how they were able to cope with living in those times.

      Being more sustainable is trendy now. It is certainly a greener choice and one of frugality but there is another side benefit; it allows us to be mindfully connected by doing simple chores and remembering that although feeling whatever drama is occurring in our lives is an important aspect of this earthly experience, being grateful for the small things in life gives us the greatest joy. Who knew, clean dishes was so huge!

      Until I see you again, may you be well, happy, and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope

      Meditation~Expanding Happiness

      / Lee Reynolds

      Are you ready for a big boost of joy?

      Today is the beginning of another meditation challenge with the Chopra Center. Have you participated in group meditation before?

      I did my first meditation with Oprah and Deepak a few years ago and it was life changing. I have meditated “solo-fully” many times before however receiving a daily inspirational message and uniting with like-minded people all over the world gives me soul shivers. If you are up to expanding your happiness and joy, please join me. My favourite part is when Deepak  says, “I’ll mind the time” and I have the grace to connect with my spirit.

      All you have to do is register. The address is below. Oh, and the best part is it’s FREE

      https://chopracentermeditation.com   

      Until I see you again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope

      Soulful Balance

      / Lee Reynolds

      I often get asked by friends and acquaintances, “how do you do it?” I know what they are talking about when they see me out with our twin daughters and our youngest son, knowing we have a household full of kids at home as well. They make an additional comment that usually goes like this, “I mean you always look pulled together, so young.”

      I usually just laugh it off and say something like, “oh, you know, kids keep you young.” Which is partly true. There is nothing like surrounding yourself with the energy of children who are endlessly curious, immensely enthusiastic and always in motion. You can’t help but absorb that good stuff too.

      Plus, there is the fact that you are always running after them, feeding them, cleaning them, keeping the house in order and food growing in the garden; if one wants to get into really good shape and lose weight, my advice, have 8 kids. They are your personal fitness trainers, AND they eat all your food. Just joking…well sorta.

      I do know several parents though that look really tired most of the time and rather worn out. Maybe they give parenting a bad name but I think it’s more about not being in balance. I don’t know but I do know what keeps me feeling and thinking young. Partly yes, it is mothering our brood but mostly it’s finding that balance between living in my earth suit and being connected to my soul.

      Me, finding that balance in tree pose

      Although it’s easiest keeping that connection when I’m practicing yoga, in quiet meditation or working in my garden, the way I gain the best balance of all is when I’m just living my life. Being a mom, being a wife, being a sister, being a friend, being a homesteader and trying to be the best that I can “be.” In each breath I take I remember, “This is the only moment that exists.”

      When we live our moments with that thought always as our mantra, it brings us right back to here and now, breathe in, breathe out, this is it. Be grateful for that mindset. And you know what is really amazing about this way of being, living mindfully if you will. You can actually get more accomplished in your day as your energy is boundless. When you are in balance, you are in flow with everything. Grace and ease comes to you.Anything you desire comes to you.

      It’s that simple. Try it today. Each time someone asks you a question, turn to them and look them fully in the eyes and say to yourself, ‘this is the ONLY MOMENT that exists” You will find that THAT connection will be meaningful and intense. The next time you are driving anywhere, repeat that mantra and notice how things all of a sudden seem clearer and more vivid. Did you ever notice that children naturally give you their full attention when they are talking to you and they play with that same sort of focus.

      It’s that simple, living mindfully each moment takes practice but is easy once you get the hang of it…and the cool thing is the more you do it, the more you move easily into that groove because it feels so good.

      I wish that life should not be cheap, but sacred.  I wish the days to be as centuries, loaded, fragrant.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

      Until next time, may you be well, happy, balanced and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope