“Food For All”

I awoke this morning with my mind filling out an idea that has been growing for me for a while now.

The concept is “Food For All”.

Simply, everyone has food abundantly.

With so many people loosing jobs during the stay at home mandate, there is an essential need for low cost, yet a variety of fresh food, and to not have to wander through a big box store risking infection to find bulk items, with only a few options for the amount of money spent, then to have it go bad before you can eat it all.

I believe many people are seeing not only restrictions in this time of “pandemic”, but some are suffering a whole lot more than I have yet to be impacted.  – We still have one of us working. I have been planting a garden with the intent of sharing vegetables in a few months, but the process is slow and the need is now.  I have thought of  joining a C.S.A. ( Community Supported Agriculture – a subscription to a local farmer).

I saw this post on facebook, and thought “A-ha!”, that this was perfect amount and variety for fresh food for my husband and me to live on for a week for only $20!

I think it is an idea whose time has come, when companies are needing to pivot focus to serve where the needs of a local region are and stay viable. This company is already set up to do this, is ready to go, and is doing it!

It’s time for a new paradigm shift. Surely this idea can be implemented across the U.S.A and around the globe! And I am excited!

Cut Backs That Will Improve Your Health and Boost Your Bank Balance

Bunny Kitchen

There are probably two things that most people in the world would like to be; healthier and wealthier and the two are more connected than you might think.

Even the healthiest person in the world (Mr Motivator?) probably has days where they feel a little rundown and decide to ‘treat’ themselves to high calorie comfort foods. Sure, we’d all like to be a little healthier, a little brighter-eyed, a touch less tired and maybe one day, if we cut back on the chocolate, coffee and alcohol it might even happen.

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Un-Writing your story

Last week, a client and I were having a conversation in a session.  We all tell our stories, but, like in a counseling session… maybe we are there to UN-tell our story as we sift through the body’s issues.  

We are unraveling the way things appear with someone else to witness and listen to “how it was”… letting it go to make way for a new perspective, a new paradigm.

One of my many jobs I have had was a house cleaner.  People would hire me to come in to wipe, clean and sanitize surfaces.  Often there were layers of dust and sometimes downright disgusting things for me to do.  

But, often when I came, they would find the motivation to go through papers, laundry, boxes, bags, closets, rooms… along side me, to sort and organize.  It was great to have camaraderie as they found strength to conquer piles that had vexed them for ages.  It wasn’t my stuff, so it was easy…

It’s a whole ‘nother ball game when it’s yours and you have too much going on and too busy to stop and organize and sift.  With our busy lifestyles in modern times, we start out pacing ourselves as we run faster and motivate ourselves to push harder than what is really comfortable.  

As a mother, I know this all too well.  Now that the kids have gone back to school, I am running some with work, but I also get to work on and bring up to date everything on my to do list.  

How did it get this crazy?!  

Instead of beating myself up, I rest when I can.  I organize a pile when I can.  I take time to exercise when I can.  … and try to get some order back into my day-to-day life.  

Running past what is comfortable shouldn’t be a daily occurrence. There has to be a balance.  I have come to realize just how damaging stress is to the psyche and body over the last year and am coming to terms with what I need to do.  

Time to head off to another pile, or a massage for me as I de-clutter- inside and out.

: – )

 

I have a new breakfast favorite!  With my fresh veggie juices, I have a sandwich with egg white with wilted kale bits between 2 pieces of multi-grain toast with almond butter on one side and 1/2 an avocado slices on the other. Absolutely wonderful, and Oh! -so nummy!

The gardening work-out… (out)doors!

This past week I posted this via my mobile device as I was toodling around the yard…. It showed up as a new page. Not sure how to negotiate the electronics, so I saved this as a draft and am reposting it today. I’ve been having too much fun accompishing things outdoors to write much else…

I have been doing the gardening workout. Whew! It’s kicking my butt… Into shape!

Lots of squats to pick up mulch, raking leaves out of the way and shoveling plants in the game of yard Tetris… lunges with weights (aka mowing), and meditation while standing around watering are getting me grounded with the satisfaction of getting stuff done.

As I sweat out the toxins, I’m making sure I’m replenishing my core with good stuff like EmergenC and much like a favorite show with Uncle “Si”, I’ve been downing a glass of tea as I swing through the house for something I need and a bathroom break and an easy snack of an apple with some almond butter. Not even bothering to cut the apple, I just took a bite and sponned in some almond butter, took another bite and repeated! Yum!!

Take a break away from your computer long enough to get outside and breathe! … And join me looking around at the world around us. Fresh air is good!

And it’s so good to have a break, and at such a busy time of year.

“Just go Home!”

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I haven’t worked in a week, and it wasn’t as if I had planned it.  

At some point in the last week, it was as if life told me “Just go home! You aren’t needed right now. Go home.” So I did…

We decided that I was to stay home with our dogs instead of sending them to a kennel or having someone come watch them for the 24 hours when the family was to travel to an out of town graduation.  It just happened to coincide with Mother’s Day…

As soon as I got everyone off on their trip early in the morning, I went to the grocery store to get food that sounded good… vegetables that no one else likes in my clan…and ended up also with some grocery deli meatloaf and mashed potatoes and southern green beans. As it was early in the morning, it was just prepared and fresh.  I wandered home and sat out on the back porch in the still and perfect temperature, no breeze, sunny day and ate my food in peace.

At first I sat down and started eating slowly and wearily.  About 30 minutes in I noticed that the birds were singing.  How had I not noticed them before? Validation of how exhausted I was, I think… You never realize until there is a stark difference, a contrast to how things are going, that you see how things truly are.  It’s easy to keep going by saying “ I’m O.K. I can handle one more thing. I can push through this.” Never realizing that you have accumulated enough stuff to be carrying a mountain…

The neighbors next door were having their generations visiting to celebrate Mother’s Day.  It just floated past me. And in my heavy meal, perfect sunny day stupor, I fell asleep.  I hadn’t realized how tired I was working, busy getting everyone else ready to go on their trip in typical mother fashion.  During my nap I got enough vitamin D to burn my pale skin, from never getting to go outdoors because I was always working. 

A week since, my burn has faded now. 

I have taken advantage of nobody needing me all week once I got them all off to work and school. I have stuck to standing in the shade while I buried my hands deep in yard work, re-grounding and connecting with myself and breathing the fresh air. 

What a wonderful Mother’s day gift! 

I made these Healthier muffins the other morning… 

I made these Healthier muffins the other morning…  this recipe I got from a foil top under a container of Dannon “ Light & Fit” Yogurt.

…And by the way, I have never assumed to be a good cook.  Growing up with cafeteria meals as part of my parent’s paycheck, we didn’t cook much at home.  I have been on a learning journey ever since I arrived at adulthood unprepared to fend for my stomach! It’s been learning by default, but the things you need to learn, you learn quickly and with motivation!

Modifying recipes on product boxes is a quick and easy way to start.  Being a starchy carbs and sweets addict, I naturally started with sweets as something I could adapt to a healthier step up in my diet.  I have seen many people choose organic potato chips… they’re still a chip, but a better option while moving on and stepping up to even better choices…

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I doubled the batch because, well, I have large guys at my house…  and they eat a lot! Otherwise I’m a reluctant, lazy cook and figure that if I make a large batch, there’s less I have to do later…

-Plus, I added a ground up pear instead of the oil.  We got one of those little personal size blenders for Christmas, very handy.  And because I’m sneaky, I added a small handful of carrot sticks to my pear when blending… (Adding the veggies)  I usually add applesauce, but hubby got a big bag of pears and I needed to use them before they go bad…

I frequently use applesauce instead of oil in almost all of my baking except for cookies and waffles to add moisture but not fat, you don’t taste it, and you get the bonus of fiber!  Note that it does usually reduce the cooking time, so set the timer for a couple minutes early and check to see if a tooth pick comes out clean in the middle of the muffins….

I reduced the brown sugar by a 1/3.  I use stevia quite a bit, but here I know the brown sugar taste adds to the recipe…

I used lots of extra raisins for the sweetness and moisture …and yumminess,

And I added a couple of handfuls of chopped walnuts for the crunch, the protein and good fats… and speaking of good fats, a couple of tablespoons of flax seed.  You can add lots in baked goods without anyone knowing it. 

Voila!  Yum!

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I’m Not A Human Doing…

As I sit here contemplating doing my chores for the day, I keep coming back to the thought that I’m a human being… not a human doing… and I’ve got a lighter schedule this week, and thankfully so. So I can catch my breath.

This spring, I’ve been transitioning from getting a paycheck to a budget readjustment period of making sure I took every opportunity that came my way to make sure I had enough to make bills until I could see how the finances were playing out. 

The past few weeks have been a radical readjustment period for me.  I have been chasing business then crashing and burning… and, yes, that’s pretty literal as far as emotions go. 

No middle ground, just 100 % on and go and then emotional and physical consequences.

I think back to my post “Living like a racecar… that you have to come in for pit stops… “  …Or a total makeover and rebuild in my case!  – Bodywork, engine, and transmission…

There has got to be an easier way through life! 

I did use an affirmation for a while, years ago, that “ My life is easy”.  But I realized how many of my habits were hardwired to do things the difficult way, living the difficult life, having to responsible and diligent, and forcing relationships to work. 

Maybe because I grew up with very little and thought every physical thing was hard to get and was out of my reach.  I lived off others hand-me downs, and thought they were absolute gifts when I got them! This is something I am now more present with.

My parents showed hard work ethic, my father, especially, working long hours, yet my mother was always showing me the divine ability to pull from the cosmos whatever she needed by asking God verbally for what she needed in the moment, and invariably it always appeared, at the last moment. 

I have taken both of my parent’s approach to life, sometimes life has asked for me to rise to the occasion and do my fair share, and other times I have had to trust and ask and wait…Image

I am thankful for the back and forth.  -At least, I get the down time.  It would be nice to have a more stable life, but then again, how would I get my adrenaline rush filled?

I’ll be back to “busy” again soon.  For now I’m catching my breath.  Once my tank is full, life will send me activity again.  : – )

-Mandy

Taking a salt bath

My mind is blank and my emotions jittery this morning.  I have chosen to sit with them and let them be as I cruise through Facebook notifications and Yahoo news looking for peaceful entries and noteworthy news. 

I have been running “ like crazy” the last couple of days, like a week, and actually have a break today. Other than getting another teens’ driving permit… which makes me pause just to think about it… I have the day free. 

I see myself on a path and yet see another parallel path beside it.  I need to figure out where I need to be.  I am not good at living in two worlds. 

I chalk my antsy-ness up to my empathy and feeling other people’s nerves affecting me.  I often send people energy, or prayer, or non-local energy, sometimes for an extended period to help sustain them through a difficult phase in their life.

Transitions, change, being courageous all take an elevated amount of energy.  Just like intense physical training.  I am satisfied to be able to take a rest day once in a while, even though I am accomplishment driven.  I need grounding once in a while.

There’s lots on my to-do list, but I’m having trouble moving and getting my mind centered today.  So I am letting it be.  I may take a walk in a while, or take a salt bath.

Salt baths are great for clearing your energy, and especially great when you have to work in a toxic environment or around people who drain your energy, especially sick people. 

I use a whole 1 lb. 10 oz. canister of Sea Salt (Hain’s/non iodized) and a small 1 lb. box of baking soda.  Sometimes I’ll add some drops of essential oils like lavender, sweet orange, neroli, frankincense, or whatever I have on hand.  I’ll sit there until I’m bored and my body is warmed through with the heat, about 20 minutes or so before I get out.

Having always had allergies, though they are mostly gone now from what I do to keep my body healthy, I am still reserved when it comes to smells. I have chosen what smells good to me as opposed to what the aromatherapy is supposed to be good for. I just ask myself how much of the different smells smell good on a given day, and how many drops sound good, and use them.

After a lot of energy work sessions, I find the salt bath to be beneficial for getting me back on my feet, and keeping other peoples stuff from bothering me. 

If you are going through a trying time, even standing in a hot shower can soothe your mind and body, refreshing and relaxing you for whatever is next.  Try it. It might help. Let the bad stuff roll over and off your back, and away from you like warm water.  : – )

To your Health!  – Mandy

Waiting… for change

So, I have already fallen off the “post my blog every week” wagon…

I have been letting the waves of hormones and weariness wash over me.  I’ve been doing almost nothing, and like I have found often, life has been leaving me alone to take care of things. 

This is something I noticed early on in my massage therapist career.  There are ebbs and flows, and you have to go with them.  People always need my services when I have an expense coming up, whether I know it or not.  When I need to take care of things, I get “time off”.  It makes one budget, but you learn to honor the different phases of life.

I have been helping so many people to transition through stressful times over the last couple of years that I was getting over burned out and also needing to segue into something else myself. 

When one finds oneself in need of caffeine to make it through the day, it’s time to reevaluate things… especially when one’s health is posing questions about serious issues… Then it’s time to quit, and find something else that works better for you. 

It took me a while until things worked out to make the changes I could.  It was a matter of timing.  So I have gotten worse before I could get better while biding my time.  But I was looking for my “out” all the while trying to survive tug of war between daily grinding myself down and pushing with assertiveness to make money. 

I have gotten to the place where I’m now in the position that so many of my clients find themselves when they come to me for help.  “Broken”.  It’s my turn to remember what that feels like and I think that is a good thing if you make a living helping people, to BE there again.

So, I have been letting myself sleep a lot and slowly putting my house in order, really and metaphorically, as I reclaim my energy.  As I get a little bored, a sign that I’m better, I have done stuff.  I dig through an accumulated pile here, unload the dishwasher there… I’ll have a schedule again next week, for this week, I’m just here and it has been nice.  : – )