chick peas cooking smell like farts
I can't write that , can I   ?
It would have made a nice title though.
Ah well,
I've soaked chick peas and kidney beans for 10 hours and now cooking them for later use in savourie and dips.
Lentils too.
I'm all set to create wonderful healthy dishes, but my home smells ...er.....a bit stale

I'm falling asleep here ...peace zzzzzzzzzzzzzz night night and sleep well ... sweet dreams all !

XX

Wot ? I hear you ask are they ? People have been asking. I wrote a long explanation for Lu the other day and then could not find it ... but now it's turned up, so here's Mira's impromptu understanding of a wot a vision bored board is.

 Vision boards are personal , visual representations of your goals , dreams, ambitions, projects ... in fact anything you wish to manifest or create .

They can be works of art  ....or not. Some are more like diagrams.  Each vision board is unique just as the process of creating it is unique. So allow your creativity to flow uncensored and have fun.

You need a board , stiff paper or canvas of a decent size.

Meditate, pause , reflect before you begin about its purpose and your goals .What is it that you want to create ?  What does the vision of your ideal life look like ? If you can imagine it , you are halfway there.

- love , relationships
- health, well being ,
- family
- finances
- home
- leisure
- passion ...etc etc

Brainstorm ... write down words phrases affirmations for each. Keep it all positive. Turn negative things around to be positive. Trick is to include what you WANT and not what you don't want in your life .. leave that out.

Then take a pile of magazines, the more varied the better and start cutting , tearing out anything that attracts your attention.

Select those bits that evoke your vision or dream. Play around with them for a while. Finally , put it all together on the board - the idea is to put on that board what you want to manifest in your life.

Allow the board to evolve
Put your created Vision Board somewhere where you can see it often. Mine's in my bedroom so I see it before I fall asleep and when I wake up. But you could also have it in your office. Each time you glance up at it  you will be reminding yourself ... prgramming yourself as it were.. towards your goal.

Get the idea ?

Have fun xx

Today has started well. I feel happy and inspired.
Today is Johanna's birthday - I've just sent her a greeting and a reading which I might share later.

http://sankhara-meditation.blog.co.uk/2008/09/30/my-books-4799335

Better move on now .......have a wonderful day

You were born on a Saturday and Cassiel is the ArchAngel assigned to the day of your birth.

Born: Saturday
Presiding ArchAngel: Cassiel
Assignation: Creative Power
Daily Affirmation: "I am grateful for seas of wonder & significance"

Celestial Title: Angel of Temperance

Archangel Cassiel, Accessing the Source is his specialty. He is a manifestor born out of the understanding of desire. 'De Sire' meaning of God. He holds the power to create new realities quickly. Divine light swirls around and through this angel for he knows how to harness it so exquisitely that only greatness transpires from the vision to the physical.

Cassiel is drawn to divine frequencies and consequently presides over dolphins, and other oceanic life. Water is a divine conductor and Cassiel gathers its energy by product using it to cleanse away feelings of negativity leaving clarity available to heal, feel and reveal. Cassiel asks you to give thanks for all your blessings and in return bestows upon you the power to share your spiritual gifts with others.

Cassiel will draw you into places of worship; places where the divine is strongly present. You will feel Cassiel�s presence out on the open sea, under a large oak tree, on the streets of sacred grounds (Ephesus, pyramids) and in the sanctity of your own prayer circle.

Associations & Assignments

Like any entity charged with duties and responsibilities, Archangels have certain associations of creation that are engraved in the very fibers of their etheric being. They are handed specifics to govern. It�s these assignments that bring them into this dimension where they can participate with us.

Celestial Order: Seraphim
Day: Watches over those born on Saturday
Chakra: Crown (7th)
Color: Violet, gold, white
Planetary assignment: Governs Saturn but spends a lot of time on Earth
Main Issue: Spirituality
Sense:Beyond Self
Fragrances/Incense/Oils: Lavender, Frankincense, Rosewood
Crystals: Amethyst, Clear quartz, Diamond
Life Lesson: Selflessness
Altar suggestions: A smooth glass vase containing fresh white and violet flowers; a spiritual gift from a loved one; a diamond or clear crystal gem to enhance spiritual communication; clear glass bowl of water containing iridescent glass pebbles and rose floating candles; single white taper candle; clear quartz crystal; prayer or message book and of course, a Prayer Chest.

http://www.angelhaven.com/aod/

Today is Archangel Michael's day ,
the day of All Angels
Today is also the eve of the Jewish New Year .

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

1 Tishrei, 5769

Rosh Hashanah Day 1

Love's philosophy

There's a  New Moon today , which is good for beginnings.
I've made intentions and a mental      list of things to do
 
Take geranium plant cuttings. This just might be the year when I succeed. I was so close to success last year. They grew roots but died when they hit the soil. See pics in media if you don't believe me .

Made an appointment for my annual visit to the gynocologist . He's nice . Meno has inspired me, He's in for a surprise.

I've started another starter - leaven - spelt and ryhe flour

Also , going to the hairdressers tomorrow for a trim.Can't do a thing with it ... you know how that is .... that certain stage of annoyance , that has been  invented by hairdressers. 

That's it for now ,

Still using leaven that I started a month ago and now refresh once a week..
No yeast added.
It's been proving all day and now 40 minutes in the oven at 250 C and then 175C
Tastes good .
Not sure about the texture , but then that is probably because I didn't knead it very long.

Night night 

A fruit fly has just tried to fly up my nose

I may just have a bottle glass of wine

I hope you are all enjoying your evening.*cheers*

Naked blogging.
Blogging naked.
The naked truth.
I'z been doing it since I got up today.
Going to put a stop to it now.

 Defence is the first act of war. If you tell me that I'm mean , rejecting , hard , unkind, unfair, I say , " Thank you , sweetheart, I can find all these things in my life. I have been everything you say, and more. Tell me everything you see , and together we can help me understand. Through you , I come to know myself. Without you , how can I know the places in me that are unkind and invisible ? You bring me to myself. So , sweetheart , look into my eyes and tell me again.I want you to give me everything ." 

From : I need your love - is that true ? by  Byron Katie 

 

 

Visiting the past with the strength we have in the present allows us to work through our history in a much healthier and neutral way. Because the past can bring up so many strong emotions, it is easy for us to get weighed down by the things that happened or the decisions we made. Going back with the knowledge we have right now, however, lets us replay things differently, often seeing that there were many more things happening than we imagined at the time. As you look on your past with new eyes today, you will gain greater insights about your life patterns.

Good idea
Take " the responsisble wise adult " to meet " the vulnerable confused child"

From: www.mydailyom.com

Three times in the past hour while posting here on BCUK Mozilla Firefox crashed !!!

*glum face*

Fortunately both sessions could be restored.
*happy face*

WOTS going on ??

Anyone else having problems ?

Have you ever considered the fact that criticism from others can be a gift ?

Criticism can be a gift. It does not have to be constructive , either. In fact , with the right attitude the more destructive the better Bring it on , baby ! Thinking this way almost makes me look forward to criticism in order to practice these things and find out stuff about myself while I'm at it . I find this an exciting thought. Don't you ?

!2:40 and I am about to have breakfast.
Morning spent on the phone listening to a friend who simply needed to ventilate her frustration and overwhelm; a dysfunctional relationships and things connected to arranging her father's funeral.

Heard from Lina that her grandmother , Meets passed away peacefully in her sleep, 11:30 am yesterday. Bless her soul with eternal peace , love and light. Meets is Home. Oddly enough I don't feel sadness any more , just deep love and peace and compassion for Lina and Maarja. Lina has lost a Grandmother and Maarja her Mother. Separation and loss are so painful.I shall miss Meets, but I am so grateful to have known her.

In other news, I've been invited out to dinner tonight.

And now , before anything else .. breakfast. TTFN.. read you later xx

Before I go any further, I simply must
pause,
and remind myself to breathe......
before going into stream of consciousness writing
I am feeling happy , playful and inspired
and can't help thinking that my present lightheartedness might have something to do with viewing Story Water's meaning of life video ( see yesterday's post )
Dug out Story's book " The Messiah Seed" last night, dipped in and read before drifting off to sleep and again this mornining on waking.
I do believe that , somehow, there is built in transformation in that lad's words

ACCEPTANCE of what is , first

To experience something at different speeds is to experience with different results

Faster is not better than slower, it is just different.

And what is TIME but the acceptance and allowing of the experience of becoming.

Right then .. on with Friday
Happy continuance to all  

Moving towards midnight I would like to leave you with Jung's beautiful mandala.

http://www.netreach.net/~nhojem/jung.htm

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Story Waters has summed up the meaning of life in 700 words in this video and I've been playing thisclip over and over again and passing it on.

"Where love rules, there is no will to power and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other."

Carl Jung

Here , two professional engineers illustrate the proper care and practical benefits of cats. While this may not be your personal style of pussycat care , one might pick up some tips and pointers. None of the cats, humans, or engineers were mistreated in the making of this film.

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

Today was really nice; warm sunny and blue skies as you can see. I took stuff down to the recycling centre and instead of walking around the lake as I usually do ,went for a walk around the neighbourhood , snapping piccies  as I walked.

Now this building  is just down our road. I'm not sure what goes on there but I would love to see it turned into flats . I'd move in straight away.

Our house is between this church and t'ther one across the street-see first pic.

This is our  house

Bush with pretty red berries on one side and bins on t'other . One on the left is for household waste and the one on the right for paper .

I hope this resonates with you as much as it did with me.May all sentient beings be well happy and peaceful. May we be the peace we wish to see in the world. Love to us all, Mira x

Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 1)

This is going on right outside my window.
Must have started around 6 am this morning.
What a racket.

'twas a glorious sunny day today
Me myself and I , armed with a bag of stale bread took ourselves down to the lake.

I should could do this more often

Captions , anyone ?

I think he's adorable anyway.

It's become a lunchtime ritual for me watching two episodes of Emmerdale Farm " Hem till gården " as it's called here in Sweden. Corry never caught on here, but Emmerdale has been running for years. We are about three years behind.

When the Prof and Johanna were over the other day, she said that a few people at work had started to watch too. One guy brought a packed lunch every day and since he was the only one he'd have his lunch in front of the telly in the conference room. He was alone until Johanna too started to bring a packed lunch and now it turns out there are a few of them in there at lunch time. The Emmerdale gang

When people here in Sweden ask me where I'm from , I say " Bradford , Yorkshire ...that's in the north of England , near Leeds " ( which they know from Leeds United ) and I add .. " it's near Emmerdale Farm." "Ah! " they say and all's well in the world

Today one of the old characters 79 year old Seth Armstrong died on the plane on his way home from Australia. Betty his partner aoll excited and dolled up had come to meet him at the airport and people back at the Woolpack had prepared a homecoming welcome party for him only old Seth's body was on its way to the morgue and not the Woolpack

This reminded me of my own dad's passing. He and my mum were in Riga , Latvia on a two week holiday to celebrate Riga's 800th jubilee. Lots of Latvians were there at thet time. Four days into their stay there , mum and dad had decided after lunch to go for a wander round town. At one point, mum heard dad say " Wait " She turns round to see him sink to the ground " It was like he was gently being drawn to the ground " she said later " I've not seen anything like it ". This was right by the Brivibas Peimineklis , the Freedom Monument! Despite efforts to resuscitate , 79 year old dad had passed on and mum returned to the hotel with only his walking stick.

Watching Emmerdale Farm brought back memories. Today's episode was also a tribute to the actor Stan Richards, who played Seth and had also died after a period of illness.

Anyway , I googled and found the very FIRST episode of Emmerdale on You Tube , which also starts with a funeral

Bless.

Wish I could dance like that.

I firmly believe that we ARE our thoughts and that we create our own personal reality with our thoughts. The thoughts we think result in stressful painful emotions or pain-free joyous peaceful emotions.

 Illusion

It’s all smoke and mirrors. The pain and chaos isn’t real. We do the damage to ourselves.

Question 2: Why do you give energy to something that’s not real?

The doubt, the reactive energy, the acceptance of defeat - why are you feeding it? It’s not even real!

Question 3: If you understand that it’s not real, why don’t you let it go?

Answer that one for yourself today.

 All suffering is in the mind. It has nothing to do with the body
or with a person’s circumstances. You can be in great pain without
any suffering at all.

To be in pain and believe that you shouldn’t be in pain—that’s
hell.

All suffering is in the mind.
It has nothing to do with the body or with a person’s circumstances. You can be in great pain without any suffering at all.

To be in pain and believe that you shouldn’t be in pain—that’s hell.

To question your stressful thoughts, to be a lover of what is, even in pain—that’s heaven.

Pain is actually a friend. It’s nothing I want to get rid of, if I can’t. It’s a sweet visitor; it can stay as long as it wants to. (And that doesn’t mean I won’t take a Tylenol.)

And, even pain is projected: it’s always on its way out. When you understand this, life becomes more peaceful.

Yesterday , 21st  September was an International Day of Peace and millions of souls around the world united in meditations, visions and thoughts of Peace.

Love and Peace to us all.
miramaze
x

21st September is the autumn equinox, isn't it ?
Has to be marked in some way , doesn't it ?
So, I decide to bake bread.

 I happen to look into my kitchen cupboard and there , perched on the very top shelf is one of these:

I climb up the step ladder to get it , wash it  and dry it as I have a cunning plan.
I shall use it to bake the bread which is ready for t'oven .

Here's what it turned out like .

And here's what got left behind .

Ooooops 

I did grease it well, or so I thought, obviously  not well enough.
Shame that .
Any advice on how  to avoid this  in future experiments greatly  appreciated .

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum    
this day is nearly done
arrr it  has been  fun
talkin' arrrr the pirate way
pieces of eight and swab the deck
Arrr... what the heck
I be wantin' t' go to sea now

Hoist up the mainsails
an' shut down me brain cells,
They only get in the way me hearties
must remember to bring the smarties
I don't be wantin' t'walk t'plank.
ship ahoy, Jim lad, yer want a spank ? 
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum ....I'm done   

& beautiful healing minutes

This 1st video in "The Healing Project" is intended to offer a free, immediate Reiki healing session to an on-line viewer anywhere in the world. In order to get maximum benefit from the session, simply sit comfortably and relaxed, and play the video. That's it! This 6 minute session is offered by Paula Renshaw, utilising Reiki Tummo.
"The Healing Project" was started by artist Kit Glaisyer on Jan 1st 2008, as an experiment to combine new media technology with spiritual healing practices. Visit www.thehealingproject.net

May you be blessed

How do you want your fire energy to burn? High flames or low smoldering embers?
What is the single most important passion in your life?
Who in your life are you most passionate about?
Where is the place that you most passionately love to live? To visit?

I would like my fire energy to burn steadily , reliably, with bursts of high flames and with periods of smoldering embers. Right now my fire feels very low ... needs a bit of stoking ... get the bellows out ....throw another log on the fire.

I'm passionate about Love , Beauty, Art, Self-expression in order to connect , soul to soul and heart to heart with another soul...other souls..... physically or telepathically , through the ethers and in dreams.

When I daydream I see myself living in a beautiful old town in an Art- Nouveau house built around 1888 with high ceilings , wooden floors , gold framed mirrors, a huge bathroom with a lion's claw bath tub, paintings , framed photographs , crystal chandeliers, prisms reflecting rainbows on walls, heady intoxicating scent of a dozen or so lilies , lace, oriental carpets , cushions ,dark chocoalte, fine red wine, glitter, silk , velvet, fur, linen , candles..... a large heavy wooden table in the kitchen with a huge bowl of fruit, cheese, virgin olive oil , crusty bread, garlic prawns, pasta ..... a balcony with potted plants and herbs , overlooking a courtyard ....breakfast freshly ground coffee , juice, eggs, croissants, marmalade.....

In the summer .. a house on a secluded beach; no need for clothes , just a few sarongs..painting...reading .. swimming....cooking ...eating..making love....

More here :

P.K. Mahanandia: Salut To A Living Legend

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

http://www.countercurrents.org/dalit-rawat301206.htm

Sitting in front of me on the TV screen I see " the elephant boy " and " the princess " being interviewed by Malou on " Efter 10 " . He's as perky and bright as en elephant boy and she, serene as a princess.

Theirs is an amazing story,
He's was an untouchable from a tiny village in south east India and she from an aristocratic Swedish family.

About 30 years ago he is told by someone , an astrologer, I think, that he will meet and marry a princess , an " OX " ( Taurus , the bull ) from across the seas. Meanwhile , she has a dream about meeting an elephant boy from India who becomes her friend.

She travels to India in the 70s , meets him one day on the pavement in Delhi while he is sketching portraits of people. Five days later they are married and he cycles to Sweden to be with her !!!!

I've just googled and found this wonderful elephant boy

Welcome to my homepage. My Name is PK Mahanandia and I come from India.
I have been in Sweden since 1977. I´m intrested in different cultures of the world.
I would like to build a special culturebridge between India and Sweden.

- I believe in one race, that is the race of humanity!

- I believe in one language, that is the language of heart!

- I believe in one religion, the religion of love!

- I would like to share my feelings of humanity with other through this homepage!

PK Mahanandia

View some of PK 's art here : http://members.fortunecity.com/pkmahanandia/

I feel totally gobsmacked .. moved .. uplifted .... happy .....

Amazing stuff !

" The Ugly Hand that Maims " painting by Wande George.

FMG- female genital mutilation - female circumcision.

It really makes my blood boil that this is still going on in our day and age and that it often it is women doing this to their daughters !!!! UNBELIEVABLE !!!

I happened to mention this subject to Haley, the 18 year old girl who was staying with me from Austin, Texas . She's a smart girl , but she knew NOTHING of this, so I fear that many don't know that this is going on,

One woman describes what she had to endure :

I had my Circumcision done when I was 7 years old.

When I was little and knew nothing about it. The procedures I had to endure are:
1. Set in a chair, (legs open) and let a midwife (da3ia in Arabic) cut me and then stitched me while three other women hold me back.
2. For about two weeks I wasn’t allowed to run or play any sports.
3. Using the bathroom was painful for about 3 days. After the process was done women and children came to my house ate candy, drank juice, said Mubark (congratulation) and if I was luck I got money.

Circumcision in Sudan is treated just like a wedding, graduation or even better then a Birthday.

Thank you for your concern for the women who endure this procedure, it means a lot to them to see that the world cares and campaigns for their basic rights.

If you are on FB , please join the group “2 Million people against Female Circumcision {FGM: Female Genital Mutilation”. Two million is the number of women who are circumcised each year {around 6000 a day}.

Hopefully by the end of 2008 we can have two million members. The possible side effects of female genital mutilation are numerous. They include urine retention, haemorrhaging, infection, pain, menstrual complications, infertility, and loss of sexual pleasure or inability to perform sexual intercourse, death and psychological disturbances. In some cases, babies have been seriously harmed during prolonged labor, due to circumcision, resulting in brain damage or death of the child please have a heart Join and invite others. This is for the four to thirteen year old females who can’t make that decision.

Thank you.
This group was created on the 15th of January,2008

~Consequences of FGM
Depending on the degree of mutilation, FGM can have a number of short-term health implications:
1. severe pain and shock
2. infection
3. urine retention
4. injury to adjacent tissues
5. immediate fatal haemorrhaging
~Long-term implications can entail:
1. extensive damage of the external reproductive system
2. uterus, vaginal and pelvic infections
3. cysts and neuromas
4. increased risk of Vesico Vaginal Fistula
5. complications in pregnancy and child birth
6. psychological damage
7. sexual dysfunction
8. difficulties in menstruation

In addition to these health consequences there are considerable psycho-sexual, psychological and social consequences of FGM.

~Justifications of FGM
The roots of FGM are complex and numerous; indeed, it has not been exactly possible to determine when or where the tradition of FGM originated.

The justifications given for the practise are multiple and reflect the ideological and historical situation of the societies in which it has developed. Reasons cited generally relate to tradition, power inequalities and the ensuing compliance of women to the dictates of their communities

Reasons include:
1. custom and tradition
2. religion; in the mistaken belief that it is a religious requirement
3. preservation of virginity/chastity
4. social acceptance, especially for marriage
5. hygiene and cleanliness
6. increasing sexual pleasure for the male
7. family honour
8. a sense of belonging to the group and conversely the fear of social exclusion
9. enhancing fertility
10. a social weapon of war

source: http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/key-issues/fgm

X

Shredded cabbage
Shredded onion
Grated carrot
Salmon cut in small cubes
a few cloves of garlic

Method

Stir fry veggies
Chuck in cubed salmon

Chuck in marinade consisting of :

lime juice
water
soya
honey
herb salt
chili salt

Finally , drizzle with sesame seed oil.

Consume !

XXX

A candle for a friend's old father who passed away peacefully at 5 a.m. this morning.

Theirs was a turbulent challenging relationship. His last week had been full of ranting and raving as he appeared to be expressing and releasing all his pent up rage and frustration.

The past couple of night had been peaceful though . Last night was the only night that my friend had not spent at his side and of course he'd taken  the chance to slip away. I've heard this happens often.

Blessings of love and light to all concerned.
Peace prevails in all hearts and souls.
So it is.

X

I keep trying to wrap things up in words and find it really difficult, especially when it comes to thoughts and feelings. Daily blogging has helped me enormously as well as commenting on posts and reading feedback.

My need for approval is great as is my need for permission.

" Is it ok ? "
" Is this all right ? "
" How's the food ? "
" Is it alright if I .... ? "

I'm sure this comes from inadequate mirroring as a child, not hearing things in words " Yes , that's fine .. you did a good job....oh this is delicious ..." etc etc

Now I am not blaming anyone in my past - it is as it is , but I am learning to understand bits and pieces about myself and others and realise how similar we all are to each other.

If only I was better at wrapping things up in words.
But then even people with LOTS of words have problems self - expressing.

" If you really knew me , you'd know that ...... "
and then I realise , HOW can you possibly know me if I don't show you that side of me ? How much of myself am I willing to share with you and feel safe and keep my integrity and self- respect ?

THANK YOU all my friends and bloggers for sharing your bits and pieces with me .. your stories ... your thoughts .. your feelings , comments , criticisms and feedback. I feel humbled , moved and grateful .

*end of mumbles .....it's a wrap "

ONEchallenge‭, ‬ONEworld‭, ‬ONEday: ‬ONELOVEfor…‭music‭

Can ONE song about LOVE and PEACE change the world?

Let us find out...

ONELOVEfor... is dedicated to uniting the people of the world by harnessing the universal power of music.

In honour of the widely unknown U.N. International Day of Peace on 21st September 2008, ONELOVEfor...music aspires to have every radio station on the planet air Bob Marleys iconic song, ONE LOVE at the same time:

09:21 & 21:21 GMT 9/21/08
09:21am and 09:21 p.m.

What would happen if ONE BILLION people came together for three minutes connected by a global message of love, peace and unity?

This is a first for humanity. The largest documented collective group of human beings focused on Peace in history.

Just Imagine.

ONELOVEfor...music is a call to action for YOU to contact your local radio stations and newspapers and get them to participate in making this a reality. Please do not just think about it, do it! The more people we have registered in support of this historic event, the more power it has to succeed; we need the numbers to make it happen. So get ready to play your part in making history.

MIRA loves this Bob Marley song for PEACE

Say no more !

* only mira being melodramatic *

Is it just me, or are things ... stuff.. emotions .... rubbish coming up to the surface everywhere ?

Have been commenting on posts and feel great empathy for the suffering that is going on.

Must be in the world soul too.

Macrocosm and microcosm.
Inner worlds and outer worlds
As above so below.

Speaking personally , I have been feeling weepy.
Hormonal sort of.
Thought of a soul friend miles away that I'd emailed a week ago and not heard anything.
Felt sad .. had a bit of weep , sent another email and then realised what I'd done .
Rash actions.

Silly me , blaming someone else , expecting someone else to fill the emptiness of the hurt inside of me.

But, you know what I mean , sometimes it is just ONE soul you wish to connect with and when instant gratification is not there ...TANTRUMS !!

Effects of acupuncture?

Possibly.
*sighs*

Still what needs to come up needs to come up.
Like a boil that needs to be lanced before healing can begin.
I do feel it is positive ... but why does the healing have to come through pain ?

Sometimes , I am tired of the war ....

This too shall pass ... I know

Had grilled salmon for dinner and the cooking fumes are still lingering.
Window open and scented candle burning.
Pity I don't have an air extractor.

Ah well ... it was good though
I'll bake next time

Feeling sleepy after the acupuncture.

Can't see the Lady Moon , but I know she is there.
Maybe I'll muster up enough energy to work on my vision board

see ya tomorrow

40 minutes. FLASHED by - it felt more like 10 minutes and I don't think I dozed off !
Had an attack of the giggles while lying there

Dipped into David Richo's " how to be an adult "

A psychologically healthy person needs the sustenance of the 5 A's

ATTENTION
ACCEPTANCE
APPRECIATION
AFFECTION
ALLOWING

ALCHEMY is the transformation of something into its opposite and happens in a container. A vessel , a crucible in which the lead of the ego can be transformed into the gold of the Higher Self. *thinks what a fantastic analogy *

Our identity cannot grow in isolation , because we are diological by nature

Only in the arms of someone can the first ' I am ' be pronounced, or rather risked "

D.W. Winnicott , Psychiatrist

Jung says that the longing for the spiritual is as strong in us as the desire for sex. I say, that authentic soul- to- soul- heart- to- heart -sex IS to experience the spiritual, the Divine .

The recurrent need for " the perfect partner" is a strong signal from our psyche that we have work to do on ourselves. For the healthy adult there is no such thing as a perfect partner except temporarily or momentarily. No one source of happiness exists , nor can a partner make life perfect . A relationship cannot be expected to fulfill all our needs ; it only shows them to us and makes a modest contribution to their fulfillment . We ask: ( I ask ) Could it be that I would not have learned what I needed to learn if I had met the perfect partner ?

The perfect partner is the mirage we see after crossing the desert of insufficient love

WOW .. *mira ponders awhile *

Only kidding .. nothing to moan about , apart from dentist's nagging.
They keep sending reminders and phoning ... as if I didn't have enough with my very own inner nagging voice STREUTH !

Right , moaning over .....

From my dream last night

I'm in a huge place ,
Olympic stadium size place
walls and partitions can be changed
for different functions
We are to see wild animals
lions , tigers
and the idea is to be as close to them as possible
without getting hurt or mauled.
Lots of people
We are directed all the time.
I am a little uneasy about being so close to the wild animals
but trust the organisers that adequate safety precautions have been taken.
At one point there is a panther .. some kind of big wild cat and a little lamb in the same enclosure and seem to be ok about it .
( sounds promising , dunnit ? ...lion lying down with the lamb )

Some big cats appear and mingle with us.
I touch one on the back while I can feel another is holding my foot lightly in his teeth.
" OY ! " and I tell the trainer who tells me everything is ok and moves the cat along.
One of the guards gives me a little Life-Light Ring ( healing gadget ) to wear on my fingers.

" Here - you will need one of these " he says and it makes me feel safe.

From Miramaze's Astrological Profile
Sun in Gemini
Your essential purpose in life is to make contact with, and connections between, whatever or whoever you regard as important - which is more or less everything! You do this because at heart you find everything interesting in some way or another. You are very alive to the variety of animate and inanimate objects on this planet, and you want to get to know as many of them as possible. As a rule though, 'get to know' is all you want to do. ( )

As long as you have a 'taste' you are satisfied; getting deeply involved is not really to your taste and you will flip like a coin from one interest or person to another as it suits you. There may be other parts of your personality/birth chart that need or are attracted to more intimate situations, in which case a more profound sense of human interaction will be asked of you. ( hmmm avoidance of intimate situations ? )

Like the many facets of life that you are acquainted with, you are able to turn your hand to many tasks and skills; indeed, it is your hands, as well as your quick mind and wits, which are your most excellent tools. You are, or should be, the communicator. There is nothing like a Gemini for keeping itself, the world and society in touch with each other and with what is happening.

Parts of me remember an incarnation in India or thereabouts. The music, singing and dancing in this video touches and awakens places deep within me while other parts of my present personality dismiss this as Bollywood. *sighs* which is a shame because in doing so they discredit the beauty.

What the heck to I know about politics...not very much .. neither am I very interested, BUT , here's a man who's opinion and wisdom I respect and value writing about the Obama Palin Effect and I must say he makes an interesting point.

Politics mirroring USA's national psyche ... he's got something there

See what you think

Obama and The Palin Effect
By: Deepak Chopra

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.

She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.)

I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin’s message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision.

Look at what she stands for:

--Small town values -- a denial of America's global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.

--Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need to repair America's image abroad.

--Family values -- a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don't need to be heeded.

--Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.

--Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war.

--"Reform" -- an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your ideology.

Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from "us" pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of "I'm all right, Jack," and "Why change? Everything's OK as it is." The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.

Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.

I like a good laugh and just had one, actually , over brunch.

" Till death " makes me chuckle.

Brad Garrett, Joely Fisher, Eddie Kaye Thomas & Kat Foster

What makes you laugh ?

Thank you friends for helping me rise above my blaaaaness, which is passing now like a dark cloud.

A helplessness seems to overtake me when I get into this state but fortunately , a part of me still seems to remain sane. The Angel takes me my the hand and suggests an early night and that I sit and gaze at the now nearly full moon. So I do just that . I sit on the balcony wrapped in a duvet and gaze at the moon. ( jackfrost suggested dancing and sent a beautiful piccie to illustrate this idea, but I was not quite up for that )

The lady moon is so beautiful , compassionate and understanding. She seems to understand . There is no need for words. so an hour or so later I am in bed asleep and dreaming.

Today I feel better . Refreshed . The " blaaaahness" has dissipated and I intend to rise above it today.

This morning I came across these healing lines :

" My heart rejoices , mu soul delights , my body too will rest secure . for You will not abandon me . You have let me experience the joys of life . "

Apparently these lines were written by a Jewish Mystic , Rabbi Nachman 1772-1810 who was a Hassidic master descended from the healer Ba'al Shem Tov founder of Hassidism. He selected 10 psalms that he saw as having the unique power to render complete healing. These lines come from the 16th psalm .

Beautiful ! I am grateful for this and all my blessings.

Thank you ALL !

XXXX

I feel blah ...
Could I be depressed ?
No , not really , not sad or anything ... just apathetic.
No energy or desire to do anything physical at all.

Lots of dishes piled up in the sink and I don't feel like tackling them just yet. I'm not going to do them until tomorrow.

My belly's full of a version of bubble and squeak; potatoes fried with shredded cabbage , strange as it may sound was very yummy .... glass of red to wash it down and 2 squares of dark chocolate.

I don't feel like doing anything or talking to anyone.
The phone's not rung either.

I called J. earlier on receiving a text that she 'd been waiting 2 hours for an ambulance to take her demented old father to the hospital.

Nothing seems to be happening in Blogland or TV or Facebook just when I
feel like being entertained.

Noone is calling.
Perhaps I don't exist.
10pm I may as well go to bed and read or write something.
No more writing on the computer. Enough is enough,

The Lady Moon is very bright and lovely again tonight
I think I'll sit and talk to her for a while

Nevermind .. this too will pass ....logging off now ..see you later people in Blogland. Take care .... tomorrow is another day

This is so beautiful

What a beautiful clear voice .... a little angel

( took me ages to get this one )

Can't believe it is Friday already!

This week has whizzed by.

I'm feeling tired. Sleepy. Wanting to hibernate already; get under the covers , sleep and wake up again in the spring. I miss summer. Too soon to hibernate ... it's too soon ! Get a grip girl !

It's a clear and sunny day . Chilly , but then it is autumn , innit . I want that Indian summer that's being talked about and promised here too.

Oh .. I have a few puns to share .. next post ... tarra for now

The  Alchemy of Love

 Rumi

A friend and I were discussing relationships. Why is it that we keep retelling our painful stories over and over again, sounding like a broken record , clinging to the painful yet familiar unable to let go ?

Just now Deepak Chopra's book " The Path to Love " opened at this quote:

Reactions result in a closed sat of options : awareness results in an open set pf options.

Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way , ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer or the future. The past is closed and limited; the future is open and free.

I saw her briefly tonight The first time in nearly two weeks.
It was an unexpected encounter.
I looked up and there she was in all her silvery glory.
What a pleasant surprise .

I love these visits of the Goddess

X

http://web.me.com/klaraelek/Site/Home.html

Isn't this " sea gardens " screen fabulous ?

As an outsider, looking in , I cannot help noticing and feeling at once horrified, amused and concerned by the arrival of this Sarah Palin mania ( not at all like our beloved Michael Palin ) just in time to make sure that Obama doesn't win the race.

Amazing what money, make overs and clever PR can do. Manipulation of minds.

It's very similar to these episodes on "Absolute Power".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kV2iyHjWeg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKEvgTFuWNk

I am laughing , but I am not too happy . We are all affected by the outcome of this race.

Back to bed after an hour of middle of the night blogging
Happens sometimes.
Thoughts whizzing around that chase away sleep.

and so to bed

peace zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

In answer to the question, "what can I / we do ? "
Here's an idea called the global coherence project

http://www.globalcoherenceproject.org/

I'm going to be a member .

 
As a member you’ll be joining a community of people committed to increasing personal coherence and improving the well-being of each other and the planet.

GCP members will receive the following benefits throughout the year:

• Invitations to regularly scheduled, members-only webinars, including an orientation to the project, instruction in coherence-building skills and interviews with respected thought leaders.
• Member alerts with suggestions on when and where to make direct, energetic contributions to planetary needs through coherence practice, meditation, prayer, directing intentions, etc.
• Participation in coordinated, date/time events to increase global coherence.
• Inclusion in synchronized research activities designed to measure the effects of focused group coherence on specific issues.
• Podcasts and video messages from the Global Coherence Project team.
• Updates on the development and deployment of the Global Coherence Monitoring System and the expansion of the Global Coherence Project.
• Access to Personal and Community Trackers that let you track your own and the GCP community’s current state and progress at coherence-building.

Participation in this project requires no financial commitment. We want all people regardless of their economic status, geographic location or personal beliefs to have the opportunity to become members. All you need is your heart, your intention, commitment and care.

We ARE  the change we wish to see.

'ave a butchers( look )  at this

http://www.instant-origami.com/

x

It was a lovely evening.

With food and preparation done , I could focus on being myself as well as being hostess.

I always feel a little overwhelmed when the gals arrive all chirpy, excited, talking ten to the dozen , so much to share.

With everyone's busy schedules we don't get to meet as often as we'd like. So when we do meet, we like to make the most of the time spent together.

In the end , I made the aubergine parmagiano bake with lots of mozzarella and fresh basil and could not resist a side of tortellini is tomato and garlic. A huge mixed green Italian salad with walnuts added for extra crunch.

For dessert , BRAINWAVE !!! spicy apple cake with cardamon caramelised apples and vanilla ice cream, which turned out amazingly well, even though I do say so myself. I adapted the gayatri recipe, substituting the carrots for grated apples and changing the spices . Sometimes , inspiration strikes and things actually work out .I am so pleased.

After dinner , we moved onto my well worn comfy black leather sofas and took turns in sharing innermost thoughts- 15 minutes each. These 15 minutes are stream of consciousness talking and it's always interesting to see what comes up.

I've cleared up , done part of the washing up and getting ready to hit the hay.

A lovely evening. Hope yours was too !

X X

A town is launching its own currency as a complement to the British pound to help increase shopping in the local community.

More than 70 traders in Lewes, East Sussex, have agreed to accept the Lewes Pound and 10,000 notes have been produced.

Tuesday September 9, 10:47 AM
In For A Pound: But Not Usual One

By Sky News

read article here : ( I think (
http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/09092008/140/pound-usual.html

What a novel idea
I think I'll invent my own currency too

X

Arrrrrg .. there is a definite R and nip in the air. The concrete floor of the balcony felt icy cold to my bare feet this morning. Sad leaving summer behind. Fun seeing all the blaze of colours appear .)

My plate breaking friends came over for dinner yesterday . Yet another evening of food and wine and interesting stimulating conversation. These two are totally in love with Stockholm and it was fun for me to see the place through their eyes. I noticed also how they seemed to be totally captivated by all the lights and roof tops as seen from my living room window. Bromma airport is a mere stone throw away as the crow flies Every now and then Judith would say : "Look there's a plane taking off " while Mike was too busy talking and so kept missing them .

Today I am hosting a GJLM meeting which involves making a meal and I would welcome IDEAS .. pronto .. LU ????

I have in my fridge ...

2 aubergines
2 packages of mozarella
parmesan
carrots
tomatoes
potatoes
cheese ....

lettuce
mixed salad
home made rhye bread
eggs
a little cream
and a little milk
tomato paste
.......jam .....soya sauce .....sambal olek .....of and some crawfish tails in brine

Any ideas ?
I can also nip out to the shop .....

No meat, please .

GAYATRI cake

2 free range eggs
2 dl sugar ( I usually use brown sugar or raw sugar )
2 dl flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cardamon
1 pinch cloves
1 pinch ginger
1/2 dl oil ( e.g. rapeseed oil )
1/2 rind and juice of lemon
3 dl finely grated carrots

Icing

200g philadelphia cream cheese
2 dl icing sugar
saffron

Method
Whisk eggs and sugar until fluffy
Combine all dry ingredients + carrots + lemon juice and grated rind
Add eggs
Mix well
Bake in greased lined tin for 40 minutes, 175C oven
Check after 30 minutes . Cake is ready when inserted pin comes out clean :-)
Cool

Icing
For the icing mix all the ingredients together and spread over the cake.

Enjoy

* Freezes well too

Curry anyone ?

There are several versions of this powerful ancient chant. All very beautiful and , I find , deeply moving .

"O God, Thou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Thy supreme sin-destroying light; may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction."

And it you want to sing along :

* In Devanagari:

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ।
तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

* In IAST

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
(a) tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
(b) bhargo devasya dhīmahi
(c) dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt

* In IAST Long Form

oṃ bhūr oṃ bhuvaḥ oṃ svaḥ oṃ maḥ oṃ janaḥ oṃ tapaḥ oṃ sat yaṃ
(a) oṃ tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
(b) bhargo devasya dhīmahi
(c) dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt

OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM !

A lovely sweet one

I'll post the recipe for Gayatri cake in the next post ....

Four hours and two pots of tea later , my tea-time guests have now left and I must say , we had a smashing time   Here's the evidence

We had a wonderful timeand four hours somehow flew by.

My scones were a disaster , but the Gayatri cake was light and yummy. There is a little bit left if anyone would like a piece.

Now I want some real food. A crunchy leafy green salad , some spaghetti with a little virgin olive oil , parmesan and a few drops of truffle oil ... mmmmmmm

Laters 

I was going to write something else about pain, emotional pain ...what was it ? A flash back to an Ingmar Bergman film that I saw.. must be over 20 years ago .. don't remember which one .. but it was a scene that contained an " aha " moment.

Liv Ullman was the woman and Elliot Gould was the man.

She was tormented and struggling with pain .. angst ...wrestling with emotional demons that had such a strong hold on her that she could not cry or utter any kind of sound in order to express and get some kind of relief. These agonising emotions were inside causing excruciating pain. I think she breaks a glass and grips the sharp pieces in her hand to cause herself physical pain , because that physical pain she could deal with ,Physical pain was somehow preferable and indeed the only way she had found to get some sort of relief.

This strong scene that has stayed with me for years and helped me understand deep psychic, emotional pain.

*shudders*

Are you still with me ?

i'm making such a song and dance about this aren't I ?

*chuckles*

Had a shower and washed hair ... about to get dressed and then nip down to the shop.

Take out smelly rubbish on the way out and bag of things to be recycled as the bottle bank is next to the shop

Smart. Efficient. Good logistics there, Mira

Need :

Cream cheese ( for topping )
eggs
milk
lemon
butter
ground cloves ( all out )

That's it

TTFN

x

There is wisdom in this. Easy for me to say , as I'm not in any pain at the moment , BUT , I do know from experience that pain is inevitable and the best thing to do is to breathe your way through it.

As for expressing true feelings .... I might just do that today , when my guests arrive *wicked chuckle *

Yes .. I am in a playful, yet profound mood

from www.kabbalah.com

Sunday, September 7

One of the biggest risks we can take is to feel. According to Rav Ashlag, the nature of human is to run away from pain. There's no free will and no exceptions to that rule.

Why do we check out emotionally, or avoid going out on dates, or making new friends? We can't stand the pain! A guarded heart affects everything we do, every relationship we have, and ultimately our connection to God.

Today, unchain your heart. Take a chance on love, or making a new friend, or revealing your true feelings. Let people see what's beneath your hood. There's something so liberating about exposing yourself. That sounds wrong, but you know what I mean.

I have now vacuumed

and

baked a cake

Some tidying has been done

Filing of papers

Fluffing up of cushions

Now into the kitchen to bake a cake

Good morning. Another cloudy dull and rainy day.  Most plants of the balcony have done their bit , drowned or died a natural death, except for these geraniums that are still going strong.

Rain , rain and more dullness. Stillness . A very quiet and peaceful Sunday morning. Hardly a sound now . Even little Tim in the flat below, who an hour ago was running around like ferret possessed is now quiet. His parents must have taken out his batteries or something.

I'm slowly  programming myself  to " tidy and clean "  It will take a while. Breakfast first and then any other excuse i can come up with . Rashid, Judith and Mike and coming to tea. I think I'll bake a Gayatri cake and maybe some of my sour dough bread sandwiches ? We shall see. Que sera sera

A dull dull rainy cloudy day.

Perfect for doing nothing

A-S phoned at 9:15 a.m. which I find just a little annoying coming from someone who knows me well

- Oh .. did I wake you ?

- Err oh no .. not quite .. I was just lying here trying to remember and make sense of my dream from last night , which was quite unpleasant.

She didn't have much to say . She had been off work for a couple of days with a cold . 3 of my friends have colds . I've been dishing out bitter grape-seed drops

My best friend's sister and hubby are in Stockholm visiting. I've met the sister once or twice years ago when she was visiting with her first husband. It's on of those duty things. " noblesse oblige " hehehe to meet up and entertain or do something together....and quite frankly .. I really don't feel like it. Is that awful ? Selfish ?

Drottningholm was mentioned for tomorrow , but if it continues to rain like this , I 'm not going . I'll invite them over for tea ...which means shifting dust and cleaning which I hate loath and despise .....CAN'T WIN !!!

I was reminded of this tonight. Click and enter , if you dare

It's quite a journey

Tee hee .. I'm having a Stephen Fry week

"Absolute Power " is on T.V. here ; channel 8 , a recently acquired channel with lots of BBC and documentaries and such.

Very refreshing here in Noddy Land I love it ... laughing a lot

The Friday vat of fermented grape has been uncorked.

*cheers*

Happy Friday .. hope you are having a good one

Dear Sweet Heart,

Love is like the wind; I can\'t see it, but I feel it. Whenever you hold my hand or touch my face, not only do I feel love inside of me, I feel your love for me. It\'s so real.

I never thought that I could ever love anyone as much as I love you. You are my one and only. One day, when we are old and gray, sitting on our porch in our rocking chairs, we\'ll be able to think back to all the fun we\'ve had. We can think of how we stayed with each other through thick and thin. We can think of all the fights we\'ve had, and how we always got back together. Our fights are what make us grow stronger and, if I could change one thing about our relationship it would be that we would never get old; that way I could spend eternity with you.

I love you. You are my heart, my soul, and my life. Most importantly, you are my true love and my future husband.

Love always
FELIX
PHONE(002389971672
Emial( ebomsfelix2008@yahoo.com

fippin' 'eck ...some people have lost a few marbles and definitely a there's quite a few screws loose

ewwwwwww !!

Are you stuck in a job you hate?

Feel like you just don't have enough to give to your professional life and your personal life?

You're not alone.

Career coach Marcus Buckingham met with a group of women just like you ( works for men too , I should think ) to help them figure out how to reignite the passion in their careers. Now it's your turn! Take Marcus's step-by-step workshop and use his lessons to change your life.

To watch this workshop on your iPod, simply subscribe to the podcast in iTunes and download each session automatically.

Details on www.oprah.com/workshop

I hear people complain about their lives , and quite rightly sometimes BUT .. it really is up to YOU to be the change you wish to be.

Hope you get inspired, I know I am

oops .. I've just discovered the " block quote " feature and am having teething problems

X

Browse Inside this bookGet this for your site

I've got all of Paulo Coelho's books apart from this one. The other day I saw it was available in bookshops here , but , in Swedish but as I prefer to read in English , I shall have to wait until Leeds and the BCUK meet in November to get my own personal copy

Still , since Paulo is so generous when it comes to sharing his material , part of the book is available on line Bless his generosity of spirit and his website at www.paulocoelho.com.

x

Stephen Fry is a lovely man. Intelligent, kind , honest , eloquent , successful actor, comedian, author, entertainer ...absolutely delightful but underneath this pleasing cosy cuddly figure is a cruelly tormented soul. I can't help feeling deeply moved.

Prince Charles evokes something similar in me.

I don't know why.

I would very much like to meet these two men.

Today I saw this interview , which, I discovered is also on You Tube , with Dr Pamela Donnelly living out my dream.

Imagine similar interview with Prince Charles
Could he .. would he ever be so open ?

PHEW ....

breathe deeply

*wipes sweat off brow*

I have just filled in a form that has been lying around for a month now.

I don't know if there is a word for it , but I haz formaphobia.

It wasn't so bad after all , but I really get worked up about it.
Always.
Even with the knowledge that after I've done it , it's not really that bad after all.

When will I learn ?

X

Ozzzy sent me this today , thank you ozzzy.

This resonates with me.

When I look through my ordinary eyes , the day appears cloudy , dull and cold , but when I open my grateful eyes, and when I open my heart, in this present moment , a whole world is filled with gifts and beauty .

Thank you , Ozzzy blessed be !

In recent years I've really grown to appreciate clean fresh water, on tap. Here in Stockholm our tap water is good enough to drink while in many parts of the world this is not the case.

London tap water tastes dreadful, full of flourine or something and the tales of the same water going round several times don't exactly help.

Yesterday I got an email from :

http://www.charitywater.org/birthdays/intro/trailer.html?MID=16

which is about someone visitijng a hospital in Africa and being horrified that the water coming out of the tap came out brown and dirty.  This lead to this guy asking his friends to donate money instead of birthday presents and funding for the drilling of a well to provide clean fresh drinking water for the people there.

This was two years ago and they are not stopping there.
Ethiopia is next and the goal is to get  safe drinking water to the people of Ethiopia.

He writes :

Thousands of people are giving up their birthday gifts this year and asking for small donations to help people in need.

100% of the money raised will go directly to building wells.

You can check out the photos and videos, and sign up to help at

http://www.borninseptember.org

Please consider donating if you feel moved to do so.

Thank you!

X

Had to wait twenty minutes for my appointment today. My therapist had been robbed. Her car was broken into , glass smashed,door damaged and bag containing journal and notes taken.

This is worrying , since our ID's are in there. Someone , walking through the woods had phoned her to say that they'd found her bag, BUT , had simply left it there *duhhhhh* How stupid ! She's still hoping her notes at least will be returned as in these cases thieves are usually after money.

Apart from that , I really enjoyed my session. Snored my way through it and woke up refreshed

The Slow Food movement began in 1986 when an Italian journalist visited Rome and saw a brand new branch of McDonalds at the foot of the Spanish Steps.

Carlo Petrini was horrified. To him, it seemed that a global takeover of industrialised, standardised fast food was well on the way - and it could be the beginning of the end for the huge variety of good, traditional, regional Italian food. He decided that it was necessary to set up a 'slow food' movement to counteract the potential for 'fast food' world domination.

	Food should taste GOOD: the frantic fast world's obessions with unnecessary industrialisation, excessive 'food miles', standardisation and homogeneity very often result in bland food that simply doesn't taste as good as food that has been produced locally with care, pride and passion. Food should be CLEAN: it should be produced in a sustainable way, without any negative impact on our environment, and with a minimum of artificial intervention. Food should be produced in a FAIR way: its producers should not be exploited but should be paid a fair amount for their skill and labour. None of this means that Slow Food is against progress or technological advances. Far from it, Slow Food is a truly progressive concept that seeks to utilise mankind's ever-expanding knowledge base to retain and develop the diversity of all that is best in our world heritage.

Makes sense to me . Slow food is SOUL FOOD

See : http://www.slowfood.org.uk/about.html

There's an R in the month now the central heating is on and outside temperature last night was only 7C.

A friend and I spent the afternoon at Rosendal gardens on Djurgården in Stockholm

http://www.rosendalstradgard.se/section.php?id=0000000051

It was still warm enough to sit outside and enjoy a biodynamic lunch in the apple orchard. Have noticed how tasty and full of life force  fruit and veggies are that have been grown in this way ? Tastier and more filling .. more satisfying. More expensive too- I paid 9kr for a big crisp and juicy apple - but it was worth it.

In other news , my house guest has now left and gone back to Mariefred where she is staying with one of her godmothers. It was fun having her stay here and equally good to reclaim my space again. I love visitors but also love and appreciate my space.