Today's Spiritual Woman Fall 2013

Today’s Spiritual Woman

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Creative souls sharing their life experience with the world!

Today’s Spiritual Woman

2 MASABI Staff Lola Carlile Ph. D. Art Therapist & Editor of Today’s Spiritual Woman Cin Broyles Digital Creative Editor & Advertisement Liaison Mind and Spirit and Body Improvement is proud to present our Fall 2013 issue of Today’s Spiritual Woman. We would like to thank every contributor and are always looking for new submissions.

Please send your articles for inclusion in our winter issue by e-mailing our editor, Lola at todayspiritualwoman@gmail.com.

Advertisers! Tell us about your services or products. Full page for $200.00, half page $100.00, quarter page $50.00, your business card for $25.00 for photo ready advertisements.

If you need us to create a graphic ad for you, we would be happy to for an additional $20.00 with the inclusion of your own logo and images. For more information or to place your advertisement, E-mail Cin Broyles. cinbroyles.masabi@yahoo.com MASABI

Advertisement Internship Available Help build awareness, revenue, and support for MASABI and Today’s Spiritual Woman Magazine. Qualified individuals may send in cover letter and resumé for this internship with possible commission to todayspiritualwoman@gmail.com. The position is ideal for a marketing or advertisement student in the Willamette Valley.

http://www.businessinsider.com/interns-voted-these-are-their-20-favorite-advertising-internships-in-the-us-2012-6?op=1

The views and opinions expressed in the articles of Today’s Spiritual Woman are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MASABI or the staff of TSW. We encourage authors of our articles in their diversity and ask that as you read you keep an open heart and mind.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

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John Fowler http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowpeak/ durangoleaves

Count your blessings.

Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward with the life that was intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.

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Spirit

death on line

Something to Ponder

Why I Don’t Like To Negatively Review Other Authors

POSITIVELY UNEARTHLY

Writing Groups for Adults Young Woman Inspires Many Sharing Travel Experiences

Vietnam Today A Trip of Dreams Accustomed to her face

the tribes of miami

Fall Senses

Becoming a Grandmother is a Learning Experience!

CHARITY—THE WORD ON THE STREET…

BRACE YOURSELVES, YOU’VE CHOSEN TO HOMESCHOOL… AGAIN Defining and Defeating Procrastination MASABI

Natural Shapes Apples, Fall, and Senior

Body Food Art Auburn University Homecoming Queen’s Mom Was Raped, Val and Jim’s Photo Adventure to Alaska

Improvement Ghana to me Playing Games Online….Giving In! Facebook helpful tips

Carb Free Cloud Bread

Soap Making for Kids: DIY Sea Creature Soap Craft

Dia de los Muertos

YARN POM SNOW PEOPLE Reindeer Gift Bag Santa’s Beloved Reindeer, Donner

Today’s Spiritual Woman

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Mind

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MASABI

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Today’s Spiritual Woman

death on line

by Steve Cotton

button.

Rather than wait for the Telmex drill sergeant to send me through my paces, I did all of that on my own. The result? As we say in this neck of the woods -- nada.

It turned out that the only time-consuming part of the call was getting a human being to answer the telephone. The young lady who eventually responded was very professional. She did not make me repeat the steps when I told her what I had already done.

What do the Rosenbergs have in common with my modem, backup hard drive, and cordless telephone?

They all have fallen at the hands of an electrical executioner.

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While I was at church yesterday, we experienced a mild seasonal thunderstorm. Rain. Thunder.

Lightning. One of the electrical discharges sounded as if it was part of our weekly sermon.

When I got home, I checked for telephone messages. Or, I tried to check for telephone messages.

The face of the base unit was as blank as teenager’s when asked to name the capital of Kentucky.

Rather than troubleshoot right then, I powered up the computer to check my email. But there was no internet signal. There was no signal because the modem had the same blank look as the telephone. No lights, at all.

The fact that I immediately started troubleshooting the modem is a rather good indicator that the internet is far more important to my life than is the telephone.

I have lost at least two other modems to power surges. When I call Telmex, the clerk sends me through a series of exercises that would make Jane Fonda happy. Check the power outlet. Check each cable. Look for a light on the power converter. Turn the power switch on and off. Push the cryptic reset MASABI

So, I now have an incident number. With it, the modem, some form of identification, and , of course, a copy of my latest telephone bill (because nothing can be done in Mexico without a utility bill in hand), I will be off to Manzanillo tomorrow to pick up my new modem. I was heading that way for my next dental appointment, any way.

Being without an internet connection for over 24 hours has been rather liberating. I read several chapters of Tom Wolfe’s outstanding book on modern art (The Painted Word) and took the time to really watch Lawrence of Arabia -- one of the best epics ever filmed.

And then I went up to the roof to watch an even better show. The annual Perseid meteor shower. Our home planet is crashing through the detritus of the comet WASPishly-named Swift-Tuttle. Last night the show was outstanding -- with a meteor about every minute. Tonight should be almost as good.

With offerings like that, I have no urgency in getting myself hooked back into the matrix. But I will.

No matter how nice it is to have an occasional break from the internet, it is still a marvelous tool.

No matter what the lightning thinks.

Why I Don’t Like To Negatively Review Other Authors by terribleminds https://twitter.com/vilutheril/status/379261653595877376

That tweet generated some interesting discussion

chirpy cherub-cheeked propaganda all the time, or always

on Twitter this weekend, but I feel like that discussion

be manically happy happy eeeeeee, but negativity also

still needs a bit of unpacking in a space that lets me talk

has a seductive, multiplicative quality. It gets attention. In

in bursts more than 140-characters at a time. (Twitter is

Internet terms, it gets “clicks” and it earns response. But

good at starting discussions and not as good at finishing

that’s not always a good thing, and you’re probably better

them or making them clear. Twitter is also most excellent

off trying to be relatively positive and further, writing your

at tweeting pictures of tacos, toddlers, dogs, as well as

own stories than trying to tear someone else’s apart.

spreading Vine videos of apathetic twerking. USE IT WISELY.)

Losing Potential Fans

My argument (read: opinion) is that authors negatively reviewing the work of authors authors is not

I say, “I thought Danny Flarngbaum’s newest novel,

the best idea in the world. You can! You’re free to. But the

Whale Thong, was an exercise in sloppy characterwork,

value proposition there is a bit shaky. As my wife’s boss

poo-bucket plotting, and narrative dick-punching, and I

has been wont to say: “The juice ain’t worth the squeeze.”

suspect Mister Flarngbaum’s time would be better spent working the Fry-o-later at McDonald’s than poisoning our

(To clarify, when I say “negatively review,” I mean that in the strictest sense -- a review that is, by its definition,

library shelves with his toxic claptrap.” I go on and on in my review.

a “pan.” I do not mean a positive review with critical qualifications.)

Here’s my thinking on the subject -- and you are of

You read this review.

And then you say, as a fan of Whale Thong, “Gosh,

course free to agree, disagree, or ragetastically headbutt

I really loved that book, and Chuck is being really

your monitor into a sparking pile of glass and plastic.

critical of it.” And then, you might think the next time

As always: YMMV, IMHO, and other fun acronyms that

you see one of my books, “Ehhh, he and I don’t really

mean, “You do as you like.”

agree on what makes good story,” and so you pass my books by. Or, you’re more offended than that, and you

Be A Fountain, Not A Drain

counter my negativity with your own -- maybe you negatively review my book, maybe you just say shit about me on Twitter, maybe you try to argue, whatever.

Above all else, I find it’s far more interesting to everyone else -- and more constructive to your own mood

Again: what’s the value here for me as an author?

-- to put forth positive vibes into the world than negative signal. Certainly not suggesting you be a robot shouting

What’s there to gain?

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Authoritative, Yet Subjective I’m a writer. Or -An author, said with nose raised in the air and a snifter of brandy swirling in my hand. And with that comes the illusion that I’m an authority on what makes good writing, good story, good characterization and plotting and cover design and publishing strategies, blah blah blah.

Again: total illusion. I’m not an expert. I am probably strongly opinionated on the matter but for every opinion I have about All These Things, I can surely dig up plenty of examples that exist in opposition of my opinions -- and, in fact, that do so quite successfully.

And yet!

When I offer my review, you might take it more seriously than, say, one from Goodreads. Not saying that’s fair or reasonable, only that it’s possibly true. Which means my negative review -- which sounds

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authoritative but is entirely subjective -- carries more weight. And I have an audience, to boot! So I’m using my reach and my (again: illusory) authority to do what?

To do harm to another author and their work.

Food Outta Mouths When I say “do harm,” what I actually mean is: Potentially rob that author of one or many sales. I don’t want to do that. Writing a book is hard goddamn

work. You’ve got rent to pay. Or a mortgage. You’ve got a food bill. And cats or dogs. Maybe one or several kids.

I don’t like the thought that my review is going to take money out of your pockets, or snatch food out of your kids’ mouths. Fuck that. I’m not “Internet Famous” or anything, but I have a blog and a social media feed that gets a substantial echo. Do I really want to use my social media reach to drink your milkshake or piss in your cereal bowl? No, I do not.

MASABI

I’ve Got Hurt Feelings

Some people say that writers don’t have feelings. We have feelings!

Ahem.

Point is, you write a bad review of someone’s book, how are they supposed to feel about it? The easy answer is: “They should harden the fuck up and accept it.” Which is probably accurate. But maybe they don’t. That’s how hurt feelings work -- they’re not logical. You feel what you feel. So, you give someone a negative review, you maybe just burned a potential future relationship -- and this is a much smaller community than you think. It’s still one based on those relationships, on authors helping authors.

Plus, it goes back to that authoritative thing -- a negative review from a fellow author is going to sting more than a negative review from a book blogger, or a critic, or somebody on Goodreads.

(And never mind the fact that authors have been known to play dirty pool from time to time -- purposefully writing negative reviews of books by authors they don’t personally like.)

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Again, not saying this is fair or reasonable.

But that question again: is the juice worth the squeeze?

What are you getting out of writing a bad review that matches or exceeds the potential negative ramifications for doing so? What’s the takeaway for you?

Go Write Your Own Thing It takes energy to write a bad review. Energy you could probably use elsewhere. Like, say, writing more awesome books. Go do that. Contribute word count to your own fiction.

My two cents: that’s where you’re going to get far greater mileage.

Your own stories are a juice forever worth the squeeze.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Writing Groups for Adults

By Lola Carlile

The group of twenty some men and women meet weekly for about two hours on a Thursday afternoon. Readers are numbered as they arrive and in that order share 5 – 7 minutes of their work. A German immigrant is writing about her experience in WWII and she reads poignant remembrances of her life in that ravished country so long ago. As she completes her latest installment, members of the group murmur, “Good, very good!” “Interesting!” Few ask questions or critique the piece. Perhaps the German woman would not gladly receive any criticisms of her heart-wrenching work….

Another older gentleman reads from his memoirs of being a soldier during the Korean War in Korea proper. His prose is laced with delicately phrased as well as strong words describing the experience. He states that he needs the group as his wife has just passed away and he is lost and lonely….Murmurs of assent silently thread themselves about the group.

A pair of teenaged, homeschooled sisters attend

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and their fantasy stories are delightful and their rapport with the members of the group warm.

Another woman in her late 30s adds to the fantasy stories with her futuristic story of an America none

of us would recognize.

A Vietnam veteran sporting a combed and clean pony tail pulls out his guitar and says he cannot sing well, but wishes

to sing a poem he has written. His shared stories and poems include wilderness descriptions and tales of solitude and fortitude. The group is grateful.

The group has inspired me and helped me want to continue writing my story, “The Priest’s Daughter,” which is the true, well, as much as it can be, story of my mother growing up in Europe during WWII. I skip many a meeting simply because I have not had the motivation to continue writing the story, for writing is a difficult task. Especially writing and researching….I need to research more on Munich during WWII. I don’t want facts and addresses – I want people’s stories and I am sure they are somewhere….

As I grasp with the knowledge that the group will meet this coming week again and it’s been several weeks since I appeared, I attempt to sit down and peck at the keys on my computer board, trying to serve up a meaningful and interesting chapter in Mother’s story. Maybe I should stop playing POGO or Solitaire on the computer and get busy, for the hours are counting down….

MASABI

We all live and we die. In between we retire. Yet Austrian born and Texas bred Lola Carlile gave little, if any, thought to retirement. When the big R entered her life, she was taken aback and began amassing amazing experiences one after another; however, some were not that amazing and some downright unpleasant.

Using her God-given talent, she began to record the ups and downs of retirement and it is her sincerest hope and prayer that others might benefit from her

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experiences.

Dr. Carlile enjoyed a wonderful career in education and upon her first retirement returned to graduate school to become an art therapist...

https://www.createspace.com/4098892 Order your copy today for only $19.99 on Amazon books. http://www.amazon.com/Therapy-Retirees-Lola-Carlile-Ph-D/dp/1481265377 Today’s Spiritual Woman

Young Woman Inspires Many Sharing Travel Experiences The following is part of a blog by Kai Marie Snell, a recent art therapy graduate, who is dedicating her life to explore, journey, and inspire.

And perhaps most of all...an aching, growing love for humanity-my family...and a desire to be in the heart of it all- to offer my sometimes graceful, often clumsy, imperfect self in service toward our evolution-so that we can learn to LOVE each other and ENJOY this beautiful earth!! There is so much to enjoy!

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Highlights of Nepal thus far: Tsewang and her delicious Tibetan food and much laughter as we try to communicate!! Boudhanath where I stay in Kathmandu and the daily pilgrimage of monks/nuns and villagers who circle and pray around the stupa at dawn and dusk, language lessons with lovely Sabeenathank u, evening ceremonies at Pashupatinath on banks of sacred (and filthy) Bagmati river, my three week journey around the Annapurna mountains (which I am still completing) and crossing the 17,800 ft pass (which I did!) Dashain celebrations in Muktinath with much food, drinks dancing and music! Visiting old monasteries and holy caves up high in the cliffs of mountains, a real latte in the remote village of Kagbeni ! Long stretches with no internet, getting around on my own two feet, solitude-sometimes loneliness, and meeting many many beautiful people along the way!

Sometimes traveling alone (especially as a woman) feels difficult and I want to come home!

I face issues of safety, comfort, navigating foreign culture, communication/ miscommunication, feeling alone, longing for more connection...

But then I meet a woman on pilgrimage here-in her 70’s, paralyzed from the waist down and with advanced stages of terminal cancer - traveling alone! Getting around either carried, by wheelchair or sitting on a skate board...going “where her spiritual guidance” calls her, which has been thus far: circling Mt Kailesh by horse in Tibet, working with shamans in the mountains of Bolivia and Peru, doing ceremonies in ancient temples of Egypt, with healers in Mexico, volunteering with children in a remote mountain village in Nepal (where I met her)...

Often facing discrimination/challenges -especially with accommodation/transportation- though doing it determined, guided by something Divine and expressing much love, appreciation and gratitude for her journey. A shamanic healer herself-who doesn’t charge for her healing, asserting that it always comes back around! She reminds me when you follow your calling you will always be taken care of-somehow...

Wow!! What a teacher for us all!

May we not feel limited by our circumstance or our fears and follow the call of our dreams.

MASABI

the tribes of miami

I thought the airport was an aberration. Until we went to Costco yesterday. When we drove past the front of the store, we had to pull around a young woman talking on the telephone -- waiting for a car to pull out. You can probably guess why. The parking

by Steve Cotton

“If you really want to understand Miami, you got to realize one thing first of all. In Miami, everybody hates everybody.”

So says a citizen of this city by the sea in Tom Wolfe’s Back to Blood.

That may be true. I don’t know. I have visited Miami occasionally since 1968 as a tourist, and not often enough to have a reasoned opinion. But if two events are even tangentially representative, the city is filled with impatient, self-involved people.

When I arrived early Sunday morning, I

gathered up my luggage and headed out to a very spot was right next to the entrance. narrow island to await the arrival of the hotel shuttle.

Unlike most airports, the island is not designated We parked further down the lot. When we came solely for shuttles. As a result, hotel shuttles, parking back, Miss SUV was still sitting there. Talking on her shuttles, taxis, and waves of private cars, trucks, and telephone. But she had pulled forward enough that SUVs all wedge their vehicles against the tiny strip of she had blocked the car trying to pull out, a car that concrete. was trying to exit the row, and traffic coming both ways behind her. People were honking at her and I am accustomed to systems like this in Mexico. telling her to back up. She ignored them. Roy and And I am always amazed how well they work down I stood there for a few minutes, along with several south. other people, enjoying what could only be called street theater.

Not so at Miami International. I heard more A nice-looking blonde standing next to us said: bleating horns than I have heard in Manhattan. In “A gun-toting Republican like me could put a stop to Melaque, you wouldn’t even know that horns are this.” As tempted as we were to see this plot twist, it installed in cars. didn’t happen.

The “me first” pushing mixed with the uncertainty of older drivers pulling into traffic had cars backed up like airplanes over Atlanta.

Impatience permeated the air.

A car stopped beside my luggage and me, and an older man (my age) got out of the car yelling at me for standing on the island. When he cocked his arm back, his son yelled at him: “Dad. Dad. Stop it. Not today.”

Considering the fact that everyone here seems to be at war with one another (with the exception of those who are too busy rushing down the freeway past the almost-stationary Cadillacs being captained by the crest of a white head), we were simply lucky.

In two days, I have been introduced to most of the tribes of Miami. It has been like visiting inside Tom Wolfe’s head.

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Becoming a Grandmother is a Learning Experience! by Gwynn Rogers “Grandparents who want to be truly helpful will do well to keep their mouths shut and their opinions to themselves until these are requested. At that point, if their ideas can be discussed … not as formed opinions but as suggestions to be taken or disregarded… they can be helpful.”

T. Terry Brazelton

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When my daughter announced that she was pregnant and I was to become a grandmother, I was totally thrilled, BUT I experienced a multitude of emotions and thoughts ranging from scare to delight. I was delighted that my daughter was to become a mother as she had her Master’s degree in psychology and had worked for several years, so she certainly wasn’t too young to become a new mother.

Yet, I was scared about my role of grandmother as I believed, “I’m too young to be a grandmother.” I was convinced my daughter was going to be the one to do all the learning, but there I was dead wrong! I was excited for my daughter, but at the same time I wondered if I was ready to become grandparent? By now I knew what a mother did, but what is the grandmother’s role? My daughter and I were to experience the novelty of motherhood and grandmother-hood together.

How hard can it be to become a grandmother? It’s simply being a mother, but older, isn’t it? Did I have what it took to be a good grandmother? What would be expected of me? I had all these delusions of my daughter turning to me for advice.

However, this is where my fantasy fell apart. I quickly learned that when my daughter had a child, someone should have presented me with a roll of duct tape that read “keep advice to self, unless asked!” My daughter, who was determined to be a good mother, bought and read all the latest books on becoming a new mother. Heck, what would the books know that I didn’t know? Plus, now-a-days the hospitals actually have classes for new parents, so does that make a grandparent obsolete?

Consequently, I learned quickly that the world had changed enormously in the 34 years since I had children.

I laid my children on their tummies in their crib. I used a Moses Basket to carry them around in, and the car seats were ineffective as my daughter climbed out all of the time. Tying her shoe laces together didn’t even prevent her climbing out of her car seat. Consequently, I simply opened up my station wagon, laid foam rubber over the entire back, then placed a nice soft sleeping bag down and put the kids’ toys there too. My friends called my car the rolling play pen. Now, everything is different including the more efficient car seats that actually keep the child in their seat. I MASABI

thought about some of the changes and thought how silly they seemed to me… except for the new car seats!

The kids made sure I received copies of all the new rules for caring for children.

Harumph! However, my daughter worked the entire time at being a good mother, caring for and loving her child. I wondered why she wasn’t asking for my advice. She was nursing, making organic baby food, holding her daughter and giving her lots of love. Then suddenly light dawned! My daughter was doing as I had done. She was being a good mother. She had made an effort to learn what good parents needed to know about caring for their children these days. Then I relaxed and settled into being a grandmother.

I loved holding my granddaughter, cuddling her, and rocking her to sleep or simply playing with her. My daughter and I shared ideas, beliefs, and memories, and before I knew it I was becoming a good grandmother. My daughter had successfully fit into the role of mother and with my daughter’s guidance I began to fit into the role of grandmother.

Now when my granddaughter sees me she jumps up and down in fairy circles delighted to see me. She and I do special things together, and I’m enjoying teaching her an extensive vocabulary of “alley-oop-boop, ups-a-daisy, cowabunga or bummer.” I can spoil her, love her, and send her home… just like my grandmother did for me. I guess I’m a good grandmother after all!

“The people whom the sons and daughters find it hardest to understand are the fathers and mothers, but young people can get on very well with the grandfathers and grandmothers.” Simeon Strunsky

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BRACE YOURSELVES, YOU’VE CHOSEN TO HOMESCHOOL…AGAIN by Martina Kreitzer

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This upcoming school year marks our fourth attempt to homeschool. Over the years, I have shared not only the family discernment of homeschooling, but also a reflection after the first year, including going all-in on organizing a dedicated homeschool spot in our old home. Since the end of the second school year came with a brand spankin’ new bebe and a less than brand spankin’ new house, but still new to us, I completely missed the opportunity for reflection.

YEAR ONE REVIEW – 2010-11 1. Too many subjects. One kiddo had nine subjects – why??

Rest assured, I won’t let this missed opportunity happen again, friends.

And, it’s not because I think my family is all that important when it comes to big decisions and family events.

4. Did the kids break public school habits? Mostly. They still try to strangle their siblings’ throats, but I’m also told this is normal behavior, even within homeschooled families…the urge to strangle will lessen over time, they say.

In case you don’t like to click links, let me break down the previous years of homeschooling for you.

2. Did the kids finish all of their work?

Mostly…AKA yes in homeschool lingo.

3. Did I try to run away from home throughout the year? Yes, but that’s ok and I’m told it’s quite normal behavior, especially after 4 p.m. AKA the witching hour.

5. Is husband still on board with homeschooling? Dunno…since year one was breaking public school habits, most of the homeschool day resembled the after-school homework insanity making it difficult to discern this was the right move for our family. See above #3 again.

6. Overall success? Do I want to go back into the lion’s den of homeschooling?

Yes. Yes, it was hard, but worth the many sacrifices as we learned to be around each other more.

MASABI

7. Pat self on back. Hunker down for year two.

Advice for self: try not to have a baby at the beginning of the school year.

YEAR THREE REVIEW – 2012-13 1. New bebe and new house dictated school year.

YEAR TWO REVIEW – 2011-12 1. TOTAL. COMPLETE. CHAOS. 2. Got pregnant at the beginning of the school year.

3. Started a new multi-contributor blog. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

4. Hid under nearest rock for most of the first and second trimester.

5. Minimal formal schooling, lots of real world experiences involving cooking meals, cleaning, and bringing Mom popsicles.

6. Unexpected putting home up for sale while buying another home.

7. April: upheaval – LOTS of upheaval.

Still very very pregnant.

8. Moved in May, had baby in June.

The all things homeschool closet.

2. Organized closet space specifically for most homeschool materials. Committed to organizing even if I wasn’t good at it.

Prayed Lord, help me be more organized.

3. Went with core subjects, reading, math, and grammar to start and added as the year went on to get my feet under me.

4. Realized that being extremely deficient in vitamin D contributed to my inability to tackle projects and get through the day.

9. Resolve to do better in year three.

Advice for self: seriously did not follow advice from year one review.

5. Start to see structure emerge throughout the year and cautiously test waters with multi-grade instruction.

New bebe will still be a newborn when year three starts.

6. One kiddo finished school early, and late in the summer for another kiddo. I’ll take this as a success.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

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7. The Kreitzer family is officially • Make a list of goals. This can be committed to homeschooling now. ::stifle anything from getting up before your kids screams of NOOOOOO:: – if you are so inclined, family Scripture time in the morning or evening, cooking So, what advice can I give you now that projects, park days, science experiments, I have been schooling for three academic field trips, extracurriculars, etc. Even years, covering if you can’t fit all of them into your schedule, having a running list will help high school, middle school, elementary, you focus on what you can incorporate at and preschool? a later point during the school year – or even next year.

Not much.

• Thorough research not necessary.

But I’m going to, anyway, in the spirit Some think you have to do solid research of hopefully appeasing your anxiety. in order to start homeschooling, and for those folks that may well be true. I was • Your family is unique. Your choices one who took an entire year to discern. I will reflect that uniqueness. It’s hard not also have friends who homeschool who to look to others and, on some weird non- have degrees in education who allowed material Keeping Up With The Joneses me to pick their brains like a starved thing, not to want to be like our friends. zombie in my quest for knowledge.

Allowing ample time to discern was what • Pace yourself. No, seriously. I I ultimately needed to make sure the best have heard countless tales of welldecision was being made, but that’s not intentioned mommas and dads who always the case for everyone. start homeschooling the moment their children are old enough to learn. If you’re • You don’t need to be smart to in this for the long haul, then going homeschool. I am a living example of easy in the beginning can be a real life this. I put homeschooling on the same saver. Don’t overwhelm yourself with plane as learning the Faith alongside my curriculums and over schedule your kiddos. I committed to learning the Faith family. Start with the essentials and add more seriously as my oldest two were activities gradually, if at all. If you’re learning. I learned {and still do learn} lazy like me, you’ll wait until they’re in something new each day. What you need second grade to formally school – I kid, most is the resolve to put that ego on the somewhat. shelf and commit to learning. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned about English by sitting with my son and going over lessons together.

MASABI

• Ignore the naysayers. This one is tough, especially if opinions come from people whom you rely on for support.

Someone is going to give you their unsolicited opinion on the matter. You and your spouse need to be united in this decision so that you can back each other up when the conversations come up that undermine your family decisions. Worst case scenario? Put on your I look like I’m listening eyes and go to your happy place.

• Nurture yourself through community.

Community is so very important and crucial to formation of our children.

Groups, and especially homeschool ones that focus primarily on support are going to be very nurturing. I see this in action in online groups I own and participate in. I like and encourage members to put aside their idea of “right” vs. “wrong” when it comes to the grey issues of the Faith and focus on using the word friend when talking to each other.

It’s harder to “right fight” when you are more invested in the friendship.

• Don’t suffer in silence. Sometimes life will take its toll and even the most seasoned homeschool momma will fall into spells of doubting her capability, maybe having children who are special needs and require more than you feel you can handle, or even falling into depression. There is nothing wrong with seeking out help when needed, or breaking through the fog of depression by talking with others. Silence can magnify the problem, sometimes making things feel worse than they are. If you find that you are struggling with something, pick a trusted friend, priest, or therapist and start the road to healing.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

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Defining and Defeating Procrastination

By Mark Gorkin, MSW

Am I the only one who, when facing a tiring project or a difficult report, suddenly has the urge to vacuum the living room? You know what I’m talking about – the “P”word: Procrastination. We put off or ignore doing so many things. Why? It’s not just being tired, lazy, bored, or forgetful. We often procrastinate because we’re anxious or angry about something: Am I up to the task? Or why was I chosen for this task? (Said with a “feeling picked on” tone.)

And procrastination is effective because it works: I get caught up in vacuuming; my mind shuts down about the report writing. But the gnawing in the gut eventually returns, until I break the avoidance cycle. Before providing some tips, consider the words of the ancient Roman poet, Horace: To begin is to be half done. Dare to know – start! (Growing up, my mother would “motivate” me with this quote. And you wonder why I’m such an expert on stress, guilt, and neurosis.)

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Here are three “take home” tips for defeating “Procrastination.”

1. Courageously sit. For thirty seconds, have the courage to sit with your antsy or angry feelings. Don’t just tune out. If still not ready to get down to work, go ahead… distract yourself. An ex-smoker developed a similar plan. At first, when trying to quit, despite her craving, she waited 5-10 minutes before lighting up. After ten minutes, if still needing that cigarette, she would have one. Over time, she didn’t need one!

2. Start small. Personally, as a writer, sometimes I just can’t start writing; I’m not ready. But I will make an outline or list bullet points…and then walk away from the keyboard. However, there’s a small crack in the overwhelming task or project. Now it’s easier to get back in the writer’s saddle.

3. Seek support. Finally, if all else fails, find someone who will encourage or bug you – that’s right – a “Designated Nagger.” Just don’t choose your partner or mother-inlaw; they’re probably doing this already…without much success!

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Today’s Spiritual Woman

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Spirit MASABI

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Today’s Spiritual Woman

Something

By George Carlin

George Carlin’s wife died early in 2008 and George followed her, dying in July 2008

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wellness.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

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to Ponder Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.

Remember, to say, ‘I love you’ to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.

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Creating beauty out of visual puzzles

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POSITIVELY UNEARTHLY

By Lee Coyne

Here’s a new spin on Planet Earth. It all began in 1945. We were having a jolly time on Venus. Not Venus DeMilo, that beauty with her arms missing. Nope, the planet Venus. One fine night our chief scientist was checking out the stars. Then something strange appeared. A funny looking cloud on Earth.

We on Venus had thought Earth to be a quiet and dreary place. Then this mushroom cloud appeared. As your teens would scream out, “Like wow! There may be some intelligent life there. Let’s check it out!”

Now on Venus, only teenagers can be members of our Congress. Once you get over 20, you are too old. So for a full decade they debated the burning issue: Should we invest money in sending a spacecraft to view Earth? Should we bring back a specimen if found intelligent?” None of us wanted to contaminate our planet with dumb Earthlings, would we?

Now those on the dark side were enlightened and wanted the flight. But those on the light side were, well…in the dark ages. The debate went on for years. Even worse than the snail-paced lawmakers in Salem. What a drag. Finally, the Venusian Congress struck a compromise: one ship and one person only would fly. They hated to waste money on frivolous items. And I was to be the ship’s pilot.

Talk of bittersweet departures. I had to leave my wife, Tambourina, and my 42 darling kids. You on Earth kiss goodbye but we have a different ceremony. It is called sniffing. You simply retain the aroma of the loved ones and keep that smell in your heart. I smelled the bitter & the sweet.

The four-year journey had many adventures. We ducked through meteors and saw your moon. It made me cry. It so reminded me of Tamborina’s face, full of pock marks. A beautiful sight that set my passions on fire.

At last I spotted Earth. What a dirty planet you have. So I hovered the ship over the blue skies of Montana. Suddenly, something squirted my way and blinded me. Then it sucked at my engine’s exhaust. We were forced to crash. They called this place Yellowstone. My poor Venusian skin started to shrink. I became even smaller than what you see before your eyes. A mere molecule of a Toastmaster. But then the hot vapors pulled me in. Seconds later, my tiny self was airborne. Little did I know that my future earth mom and dad were vacationing on their honeymoon.

But Mom was exhausted. She yawned. In the flick of a moment she swallowed my essence. Some nine months later I found myself reborn as an Earthling. And no, I never returned home. The doctors who examined me gave a cute name for my unusual condition.

People refer to it as VENUS ENVY.

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Three Blind Men and a Lady Lola Carlile infused her life with the love of art and when she retired from education, decided to return to the classroom to study art therapy. Little did she know the road ahead would be filled with intense challenges working with mentally ill adults with little or no sight.

She tackled the challenges head on, discovering that the easy notion of using clay with these clients would not work - at least not at first. Fall in love with the

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characters as Carlile relates their story of struggling day to day to find peace and happiness - an experience neither the author nor the readers will soon forget.

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Vietnam Today

http://www.haivenu-vietnam.com/vietnam-today.htm

My colleague and friend, Lynda Mick, recently returned from a backpacking trip to Vietnam. Her photos show a different side to the following article written to encourage others to visit Vietnam. Although her photos are real and inspirational, other friends have visited using the commercial route and their photos are more in sync with the following commercial blog. You decide – wherever you go in Vietnam, you will find the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s just human nature. Enjoy!

Emerging from the shadows the pace of change for us, and for visitors returning to the country after a period of absence, Vietnam is changing at breakneck speed. The potential bottled up by the war and the restrictions that followed as the painful process of reunification and reconciliation proceeded, is now being unleashed. In the cities, practically every street has a building site, slum dwellings are being demolished and replaced by modern high and low-rise dwellings, and new districts are being created in the suburbs to house the swelling urban population.

Country areas are being provided with a clean water supply, electricity and new services and facilities. Reservoirs are being built to ease water shortages and new coal and gas fuelled power stations are being opened.

Transport and communications are improving daily. Entertainment facilities are expanding, supermarkets are appearing, and tourism infrastructure is opening up new areas and locations to visitors. No aspect of Vietnam’s daily life escapes attention, and no-one is unaffected by the changes taking place.

Change is never neutral – it always creates winners and losers. Our government treads a narrow path in balancing the benefits of change with the social disruption that it causes. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of our people understand the problems and support the measures introduced to deal with them. Our nation has a long tradition of communalism. In the 21st century, communalism is manifested in ‘mass movements’ – national campaigns to overcome social problems such as poverty, drug abuse, pollution, health issues and so on.

Involvement comes in many forms, attending meetings, donating money and goods and so on, but the main form is volunteering time to assist. The Ho Chi Minh Youth Union, the Women’s Union and other large national organizations can mobilize millions of people to assist in building bridges, working with handicapped people, cleaning up dirty beaches and a host

of other activities.

Vietnam’s problems are shared by all developing counties. Each has its own approach, and each has its success and failures. No approach, system or model fits all – each country has a different context, so each has to find its own way. By trial and error, and with help from our neighbors and the international community, Today’s Spiritual Woman

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we are learning lessons and working out solutions in ways that fit our national culture and beliefs.

middle (an achievement in itself considering the country’s starting point). However, in one category Vietnam is always at or near the top – optimism about the future. We know the going will be tough, but we’re determined to get there!

We are now beginning to see the fruits of our labor. Poverty is falling, the economy is sound, industry is modernizing and tourism is expanding, for example. Vietnam has had several notable achievements in the health field – it led the world in containing SARS, is attracting international attention by treating tuberculosis successfully, and is well on the way to controlling malaria.

Photos by Lynda Mick

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Despite our progress so far, we are only at the beginning of the road that leads to our eventual goal of ‘Independence, Freedom and Happiness’ – a vision laid out by Ho Chi Minh in his Declaration of Independence in 1954. We have yet to come to terms with the major issues of wealth distribution, universal free health care, full employment and all the other conditions necessary for his dream to become our reality. Every so often, the views and attitudes of Asian people in relation to their quality of life are surveyed. Overall, Vietnam is usually ranked somewhere in the

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Today’s Spiritual Woman

A Trip of Dreams

By Victoria Standley (age 16)

I recently had the opportunity to journey to Europe to take a Master’s Class in Double taught by one of the most famous Bassists in the world, Gary Karr. I was surprised when my parents allowed me to sign up for the class which would be held in St. Moritz, Switzerland. I sure wasn’t going to argue with them on the subject! I was so excited, for this would be a once in a life time experience for both the class and the location. Europe has been my dream for a long time and it was answered!

I had never been on a plane before and it was so amazing. I loved take off; we went so fast! Our

companions were my mother, Ustina, my boyfriend Zach Abbas, and his mother, Janine Kidd. We left Oregon at 3 AM, and with only one stop in New York, we touched down in Milan, Italy at 6 AM, twelve hours later. Getting my passport stamped was the most exciting thing I comprehended; the rest was seen through blurry, jet lagged eyes.

We got to the car rental place and got our keys and went to go find our car, only to find that it was

really small and we had 4 big suitcases and 2 carry-ons to fit in besides us. Our little Italian-sized car

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surprisingly fit all of us plus our stuff at the price of comfort. My mom gets into the driver’s seat and it was a stick shift, no problem for her until she couldn’t figure out how to put the darn thing into reverse. After some time and a weird old man showing Mom how to reverse the vehicle through the window as he brushed up against her, we were on the road. In all my years of driving around with friends and family in Oregon, I’ve seen maybe 5 roundabouts total. Well, in one hour I saw maybe 300; every couple feet there was another one!! The drivers in Italy don’t follow any traffic laws as far as I can tell; it was fast and drive crazy or be killed.

Finally we made to it to Rivolta D’Adda where we had arranged to rent an apartment for the week. It

was a quiet small town where the people were very nice and tried very hard to communicate with us. It felt like we were walking into a movie. The streets were old and everywhere you looked it was just beautiful. Our apartment was, in my opinion very nice and roomy but no A.C, which was a problem for the two adults on our trip. I liked the weather there, very tropical. We were all very tired and the next morning they would be driving me to Switzerland for my class.

The restrooms in Europe are very weird! They don’t flush the same, you hold down a button until you

think it’s flushed enough, then let go and it stops. In most places you have to even pay to use the restroom. I made the comment to Mom that they must get very rich from people’s urge to relieve themselves. The only places that were free to use a restroom were bars and the custom was to smile at the bartender and ask to use the restroom. I never even attempted to figure out the bidet. Then some people in the Milan train station didn’t even bother to use the restroom; they just went out in the open! I saw many things I didn’t need or want to see... image of Karrkamp from http://www.garykarr.com/purchase/fr_main.html

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The drive to Switzerland was beautiful! So many mountains and green life all around it was like a

fairytale. Switzerland and Italy both look a lot like home, same landscape and crops; it was weird to be so far from home yet have it be so similar. Our drive through the Alps was memorable. To me it was funny, but Mom got very impatient with tunnels that were miles long. Every few hundred feet there would be a fire hose and an emergency exit for people to get away on foot if there was an accident. We finally got out of a tunnel and then 20 feet ahead you had to make a choice in 5 seconds as to go left or right and being in to tunnel so long, we had no GPS to tell us which way, so we went right and looped around and had to go through the tunnel all over again in traffic. My Mother could have cried.

Once we made it to our destination, I was about ready to explode with nervous anxiety. I was going to

live in St. Moritz which is the most expensive place to live in the whole world for a week with one of the most famous solo bassists in the world. The piece by Bach I prepared to perform made me feel very unprepared in comparison.

Our house/dorm/class was right on the waters of St. Moritz Lake. The water was so blue and picture

perfect with the mountain right behind it. It was breath taking. My room overlooked the view. I get there and we get my stuff squared away and find out I don’t have a bass, which is a big part of the reason why I was in Switzerland. Finally they find me a 5 string bass and I was OK with it, I’d never played on one before but I’d manage. Then a day later they found a bass that is one of the rarest in the world. It was a Carcassi and made in 1774. It was the most beautiful sounding instrument I have ever had the pleasure of hearing let alone being able to play it for a week. Everyone tested out my bass sometime during the week. The sounds they made with it were heart stopping.

So I say goodbye to my Mom, Zach and Janine and off they went to their own adventures in Italy.

There were 17 participants in total and they were from all over! Germany, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Japan, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey it was so incredible to meet so many different people with backgrounds different from mine. There were only 5 girls and the rest boys. I wasn’t the youngest which surprised me. A boy called Nuno beat me by 3 years being 13 and he was one of the most incredible players I’ve seen. They were all good! I was a beginner in comparison. They were mostly in their 20’s and early 30’s with some exceptions. Gary Karr surprised me. I thought he would be taller and look less like a beanpole. He was really cool to get to know and always had some wise crack or story to share.

The week went by so fast; my classes were amazing and I loved hearing the others perform. I was

always really nervous when it was my turn to get up and play for him in my time slots, but he made it easier to deal with the nerves and helped me realized a lot about my playing. I learned so much. I loved all the people who were there too. I made lots of friends and we all agreed to keep in contact. At night we would stay up late teaching each other cards and just goofing off on YouTube or hanging out. Then for lunch we would walk to the store and buy sandwich fixings and I would copy them so I could try new stuff. Their food is amazing. It was a lot of fun to hear them speak. They had such wonderful accents but a skewed view of how Americans actually talk. I explained we don’t all swear in between every other word. They all taught me so many things about where they live and what they do. For me it was interesting because for them being a musician is a job and back home it isn’t; it is a side thing you do for little money. One day Thomas (a German participant) and I explored the town. Everything is so old and has such history that it’s really

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remarkable how my definition of old and theirs is different.

I had a cold so most of the guys including Gary Karr, started calling me Victor and by the end of the

week Weis knighted me Sir Victor. We all had so much fun. My roommates Lilia and Ilayda were so sweet and amazing. I just loved getting to know them. Out of all of them, Natan who was from Spain, was the most playful. He was a lot of fun to be with. All of the guys were over 6 ft and all good looking; it was unbelievable.

With the week gone and past and my adventures of getting stuck in the restroom and being rescued

and then my attempted trek up the mountain with Marko and then swimming in the lake til I turned blue, I was really sad to leave. The classes had been amazing. I gave them all a hug and most kissed me on the forehead. I wasn’t ready to leave but we had a train to catch to Venice the next morning. So after the concert I drove back to Italy with my companions.

I have decided trains are very cool transportation. The train ride was not long and soon we stepped

into the place of no cars and sunny days. Venice was my favorite place to stay. Our apartment was right above a restaurant. We only stayed 2 nights, way too short. It was so quiet and peaceful; there was no rush to be anywhere. The ferryboats were fun to ride and there were lots of gondola rides around. And so many beautiful masks! I wanted to buy them all! Zach and I ate gelato a lot and explored book shops and fun knickknack stores. We went to a church that was dedicated to Vivaldi, a famous composer. You could walk to everything and the breeze from the water was divine. The food even more so. I would like to move there for the number one reason being the food. I was so sad to leave my watery paradise and all of its wonders and beauty, but off to Rome we went! We hopped on another train and made it to Rome in 3 hours.

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Rome is SO big. The streets are cobblestone and the buildings are all extremely old with carvings

and statues. We all went to our apartment and found AC that worked! We went exploring and in all the shop windows you could see David’s (the famous naked statue) junk. There was pasta and knickknacks and underwear and clothing. He was famous for his one “part” there. It was funny. My favorite place to go see was the Coliseum. I’ve now concluded that aliens built it. It looms over everything. Nothing can match its size or grandeur; pictures do it no justice. It is a ruin like nothing else. You couldn’t even walk to any part of the town without seeing a fallen column or building from the Roman Empire. You could feel the history; it was so strong, like walking in the past. The Pantheon was remarkable and huge. The door alone was at least 50 ft tall not even including the walkway entrance. We took a tour bus and saw a lot of the landmarks but it’s impossible to see them in 4 days.

We went to the Vatican and it took us 4 hours to get through the museum part of it. They had

hundreds of statues they were so detailed that you could see veins in their arms and wrinkles and then there were Egyptian artifacts and Chinese things and tapestries and painting that took up rooms by themselves.

The ceilings were the most incredible. Especially in the Sistine Chapel. Michael Angelo was a master, I’ve never seen something so detailed it was incredible. You just stared in awe.

It was hard to really digest everything we saw in the Vatican. You could spend days in just one room.

I was sad that we didn’t have time for St. Peter’s Cathedral, but next time….

It was sad to go home but we all missed our family and beds. The food in Rome was amazing and the

memories made were even better. Zach and I drank from the fountain at the foot of the Spanish steps and we all saw things that were more than a thousand years old. The culture was vibrant and fun and if I have anything to say about it, I’m going back again without a second thought.

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Smell-Good Stress Relief, brought to you by Mother Nature

by Brionna Brouhard, LMT Let’s face it, stress is just a part of our lives. Life can be hectic and at times, overwhelming. We all have heard that chronic stress wears on us, weakening our immune systems and making us more likely to get sick.

Too much chronic stress also leads to chronic inflammation, a leading risk factor for developing osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune diseases.

Yikes! So while a little stress is good for us, too much is just too much.

What can we do about it? Several methods reduce stress in our lives: regular exercise, journaling, saying No, talking to friends, etc. But one stress-reduction method you may not know about is the use of essential oils!

Essential oils provide the healing properties of the plants they come from, in concentrated form. When used therapeutically, this is called aromatherapy. The science behind aromatherapy is simple: the brain has over 50 million smell receptors which connect to the limbic system, which is the emotions and memory part of the brain. Smells directly affect emotion and memory, and stimulate the limbic system.

Some of the best stress-relieving essential oils include: Lavender This scent is said to have relaxing and stabilizing properties, allowing for alertness while feeling calm.

Lavender is one of the only essential oils that is okay to use directly on skin.

Orange This gentle scent cheers the heart and brightens the mood. A natural anxiety reducer as well.

Roman Chamomile Sweet, apple-like aroma that mixes well with Lavender. Soothes skin flare-ups and helps alleviate body soreness. Famous for reducing anxiety, anger, and stress.

Cedarwood Similar to Sandalwood, Cedarwood is thought to be emotionally stabilizing and helps focus the mind.

Used by Native Americans to help communicate with spirits.

Ylang Ylang Frequently used in perfumes, this scent balances anger and nourishes and encourages the spirit. Has been used as an aphrodisiac. Also stimulates circulation an lowers blood pressure.

What is the best way to use these powerful scents? They are lovely when used in a diffuser, allowing your home or office to smell wonderful, and can be applied to your pressure points. The best way to experience the benefits of essential oils, however, is through a massage! Aromatherapy massage is one of the best stressrelievers around.

If you’d like to try a stress-reducing one hour aromatherapy massage, call me at 503-910-7029. Mention you saw this article and you’ll enjoy it for the unbeatable price of just $50!

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Accustomed to her face

By Steve Cotton

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 It is always nice to see a familiar face in a new place.

You may recognize this one. You met this particular spider sixteen months ago in calling commissioner gordon. Well, not this particular spider. I doubt the spider in my Melaque garden flew north to Miami. If it did, it stopped at one of Miami’s numerous spas for a makeover.

And a good makeover it is. Take a look at those red spikes. Classier than the Sex Pistols.

Since my last post, I have learned a bit about these spiders. They have several common names (spiny-backed orb weaver for one), but they are formally known as Gasteracantha cancriformis.

And if you live anywhere from the southern United States through South America, you probably have several of these spiders in your garden. They are small. If you are not looking for a ceramic piece of jewelry, you are likely to miss it.

But, if you do find one, treasure it. It may be a familiar face that lets you find your way in a new place.

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Fall Senses

By Amy T Young via Wm Paul Young Home

from

St

Louis

Home from St Louis (Eagle Summit) and Tulsa (Mabee Center, Larry Payton celebration) - both awesome. Home to Autumn in full burst, a Fall into the extraordinary. My daughter Amy posts a blog and I like it a lot... it’s about my favorite time of year.

I have always loved Fall… The cool, crisp air while the sunshine lights up the sky. Layering clothing, which is actually an anomaly as I was rather opposed to a large amount of clothing while growing up. Boots, scarves, jeans, and my brother’s flannel shirt that he grew out of and I grew into. The beautiful trees changing from shades of green to shades of yellow, fiery reds, pumpkin orange and streaks of magenta thrown into the mix. The smell of Fall, baking Fall foods, sharing life with the people around me, all bundled up over a hot cup of tea, fires, indoor and outdoor…. If you haven’t gotten the picture, we are now entering into my favorite time of the year… Fall… and then the season of Christmas, which for me starts at the end of October….

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I always thought of Fall as a time where things die and pass away… It gets beautiful and then it is barren while new life grows, but I have had a new thought on the process, as I am finding this to be true in my own life. To me, Fall is a process where you find yourself so filled up, that beauty bursts forth in numerous “colors.” It is not part of the dying process, but part of a process where we get to share in experiencing the true beauty of

Today’s Spiritual Woman

the people around us. I am choosing to see Fall as a process where we explode beauty on the lives of those that we come in contact with until we appear to lose all of our color, but the truth is, we get to play in the “leaves” of our friends, families and anyone who crosses our path. It is a process where we are so focused on the beauty of who others are, that new life is growing deep inside our hearts, truths are being planted about who we are and who we are in community. Someone who may not be looking at the right things may see a bunch of people who have lost their vibrant outer shell, but those that look closely are able to see the beauty in those around them. As you enjoy and experience the beauty of the ones you love, your roots grow strong, your courage rises, you are able to know your value and feel the safety of those that are pouring out who they are.

In this process we have the opportunity to see Fall as a process where we lavish love on the ones around us, so that new life grows deep within the very core of our being, ready to spring forth, when the time is right. I don’t know about you, but I would rather see Fall as a time of shared brilliance, than a time where beauty turns into death, turns into new life. My goal is to leave traces of golds, reds, oranges and yellows on the heart of every person that I come into contact with, so that new life can be etched onto their heart.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/sponselli/260160470/ MASABI

CHARITY—THE WORD ON THE STREET…

BY CHARLA PHILLIPS SMITH

I had just had dinner with my husband at a restaurant near our local university. They happen to serve huge portions, so I divided my meal in half immediately and placed the other half in a to-go box. Upon exiting the restaurant, there was a man– probably homeless, possibly intoxicated—asking for a handout. My husband, asks, “You need money for food?” He replies, “Yes, for food.” So husband reaches over, takes my box with my meal in it, and hands it to the man. He said thank you, but I am not sure if he was necessarily grateful. The occurrence sparked a conversation between my husband and me about charity.

Charity is such a loaded word. Its connotations range from compassion to pity. Is charity patronizing or is it generous? It originates from the Latin word caritas which means “dearness, high regard, love.” Feeding someone who is hungry is an expression of love, but let’s be honest, several of us pass judgment when it comes to giving MONEY—to an individual or an organization or group. There is probably nothing wrong in scrutinizing a group to make sure we are donating to an organization that does not violate our morals and values. However, do we do the same with individuals who could benefit from our generosity? I have heard people say that they will not give a dollar to a pan handler on the side of the street because “He will just buy booze anyway” or “I’ve heard they are scammers” or “I’m willing to buy him a meal, just not give him money.” I imagine most of us are personally conflicted about this. St. Thomas Aquinas, said, “Because of the diverse conditions of humans, it happens that some acts are virtuous to some people, as appropriate and suitable to them, while the same acts are immoral for others, as inappropriate to them.” So how can we judge what an individual does with money received– or even earned, for that matter?

St. Thomas Aquinas also said, “The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing.”

Therefore is it more charitable to let an individual decide how and what to feed himself than to impose our version of charity, which may be: I will help you only if you spend the money I give you in accordance with my will? Will we leave that individual dead as St. Thomas Aquinas says? How do we maintain a person’s dignity? The memory of the evening we gave the man our food keeps resonating with me. The food is what we had to give at that moment, as we seldom even carry cash anymore, but I keep hashing it over in my mind, did we take away his will or dignity by giving him a meal instead of scraping together what little money we had and giving a handful of coins? My point is this: as long as God knows our hearts, and as long as our motives are pure, giving what we have to give– in any form– is a good thing. We may indeed think someone will take our money and spend it on liquor or drugs, but we will probably never know. But like giving to an organization that we know all about, we can make the choice of whether or not contribute if it is certain that the money will be used for more destructive purposes. The uncertainty is what makes this a moral issue for me. Am I doing more harm to that individual by facilitating a damaging habit with my contribution? I think that is why most people feel more comfortable in being charitable Today’s Spiritual Woman

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with basic needs: food, water, blankets, and clothing. There is likely no question how those things are used by an individual, because even drug addicts need food and shelter and clothing. I have no solution. Yes, we should be charitable, but it is necessary to maintain an individual’s dignity. That is what St. Thomas Aquinas would say is true charity.

A portion of society contends that a “hand-out” is not a good thing and that it takes away the dignity and empowerment of a person. There is also a portion that believes that all wealth should be apportioned equally and there is no responsibility on the part of the receiver, only on the part of the contributors. Neither one of these sits well with me. I do want to live in a world where there is no hunger, but I also want my children to realize the fruits of their labors and then learn to be generous with what they have worked for because it is the right way to please God, not to expect entitlements by virtue of their humanity. Pride gets in the way of this. St. Vincent de Paul, whose feast day we celebrate today, said “You must ask God to give you power to fight against the sin of pride which is your greatest enemy – the root of all that is evil, and the failure of all that is good. For God resists the proud.” Those who are too proud to be helped when they legitimately need assistance and those who feel entitled to all their own spoils because they earned them are sides of the same awful coin of pride.

Above all, charity requires us to love. Our intentions and our affection towards other human beings must be part of giving and receiving. St. Thomas Aquinas was inspiring because he believed in the dignity of the individual and the obligation of every human to every other human.

“Men should not consider his material possession his own, but as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need.” St. Thomas Aquinas

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Natural Shapes

By Steve Cotton

I have been hanging onto three photographs that I thought would make interesting posts. But I could never come up with an original hook for each of them. So, I will let them share a single hook. Shapes.

For a photographer (amateur of professional), Mexico offers a wealth of material. Colors. Light. Motion.

But, what fascinates me are the unusual shapes I run across in my walks. Sometimes within feet of my house.

That shape at the top of this post, for instance. I found it on the gate post leading to the laguna. At first, I thought it was nothing more than a glob of mud. But it was too high on the post to be mud.

Take a closer look. You can make out what passed for eye spots on the left. And there are segments.

At one point, this was a caterpillar. It was now a pupae.

Unfortunately, I never saw it emerge. I forgot to tell the gardener to let it be. I suspect he washed it off the wall.

Or how about this shape?

At first, I thought it was another pupae. Similar color. Similar shape.

But any resident of the Pacific Northwest could immediately identify this mass by the antennae. A slug.

The first one I had seen since my last hike in Oregon. And that was years ago, It was small by Willamette Valley standards -- where we grew slugs the size of buffalo. And, on this Mexican variety, I could not see the usual tell-tale slime trail. But a slug it was. It made me feel right at home.

For shape offerings, though, nothing surpasses the laguna.

I knew when I snapped this photograph that it would have an Oriental feel. Almost like a Japanese woodblock. The overexposure of shooting into the sun with a reduced exposure on the camera was bound to create a shadow effect.

But the circles of the lily pads, the straight lines of the tule grass, and the delicacy of the wading bird, evoke the simplicity of Japan. Especially, the squiggle on the right.

As if a calligrapher added a personal stroke with his brush. at the ancient pond a bird moves upon the pads a rippled echo

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Apples, Fall, and Senior by Viola Carlile As a former teacher, I sort of hybridize (new word?) art therapy by using all the expressive arts, including educational tidbits, to which the seniors really seem to react favorably. Recently after picking apples at a local Oregon farm, I brought apples in for tasting. I also provided a fact sheet about apples and we all learned that China is the country that produces the most apples on this earth. Most of us thought it was the US. The US is second in production of apples! We tasted apples and then listened to the song about Johnny Appleseed. The video is cute and some said they would like to see it next time....We hummed and we talked about what we might make with apples.

One gentleman who was supposed to be going to dialysis came out and listened in the periphery. He chimed in many a pertinent fact and was glad to know I appreciated his witty and informative tidbits. Why, he said, to test the sweetness of an apple, take a bite and suck out the juice. If it comes out sweet, then, by golly, that apple is sweet! If no juice comes out, then that apple is past time for eatin’!

He even said he might join us the next week when we are going to try apple cider and

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he commented, You gonna bring hard cider? and then he guffawed loudly. I gotta stay one step ahead of this guy, I recorded to myself...

I explained that art was uncanny in the fact that our brain is exercised by doing art - simply moving the crayon or marker to fill in an apple. Or we could just scribble. Smiles around the place. Out of four groups that worked with the apples, only one was barely able to use a crayon or marker. Yet she tried and smiled. Another rocked her baby and smiled when I asked her if she wanted to color.

Thoughts of apple pies, applesauce, and caramel apples filled out heads with nostalgia. The humming of someone in the background - the smell of the crisp, cold apples and the crunching sounds parlayed out afternoon into a wonderful and in the moment time of life.

I feel so much empathy and love for them and I’ve only met with them three times. Next time we will drink apple cider and maybe paint! Yes, abstract painting. It doesn’t have to be anything - it can be what you want.

I quickly find a few abstract art pieces on my huge phone and they all wonder at the beauty of art. I find myself corrected by an 88-year old woman when I say, “See? They are beautiful nothings!” And she says Oh, but they are something, dear!

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Duly corrected and duly humbled. Yes, I learn so much from these amazing seniors. I only hope I am able to make a difference in their lives and bring in hope and beauty to help them move on to a level of increased happiness.

I walk into the well cared for living room and three little ladies are sleeping, two of them snuggled together. All covered with a thin blanket. The television is blaring. Lucy and Ethel are eating candies and putting some in their chef hats....audience is giggling ....canned laughter.

Girls, wake up! It’s 1 pm and they are taking their afternoon nap. The caretaker informs me that they have quiet time (or did she say free time?) from 1 - 4 pm. I wonder if they remain like this until it’s time for dinner....

Their wrinkled faces begin to move and eyes open peering at me. It’s such a beautiful day! Come on! Do you wanna come do some art? Glares. Ok, I get it. They don’t want to move. So can I come over and sit by you and talk? Smiles.

I take that as consent and I pull up a chair and bring my Pandora station up and begin to play Doris Day singing “Autumn Leaves.” Smiles. Wider eyes. I hum along and sway rhythmically from side to side. Now they are all awake and watching me with weary eyes.

Come on hum with me! Hmmmm.....One sits straight up. She is listening. I am filled with gratitude that something has caught their attention.

I show them some autumn leaves I purchased at the Dollar Tree (God bless that store’s owners!). Aren’t these beautiful? I love fall. Oh, look at the colors - red, green, gold, orange....One of the little ladies reaches to touch them. Yeah, they are pretty these are silk. They won’t ever change! But look outside. Do you see leaves like this?

Too much of a good thing. They sink back into the couch ready to sleep once more. A window of opportunity. I play the song once again and small smiles creep across the faces of all three ladies. Maybe next week I can wake them up and get them to move to the table and do some art. I have not given up....

But the next house has ladies all ready to go - even a guy! They are excited to do something different other than sit and watch television. Lone Ranger is on and the noise is deafening. I ask the caretaker if we can at least turn the volume a bit down...she is quite willing to do so. And then we begin creating listening to Doris sing her heart out....

Only one resident thought my idea of fun was pure and simple folly - He took one look at the markers and other media and said, “I’m not interested in that” and then promptly wheeled himself back to his room. But five others remained and enjoyed the colors of fall.

Five open minds excitedly talking about who would be the recipient of their art....I exhale slowly. Yes, art is healing and certainly brings one “into the moment.”

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Bod MASABI

dy

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Today’s Spiritual Woman

Food Art

http://twistedsifter.com/2013/04/creative-food-art-portraits-by-hong-yi/ http://www.designboom.com/art/week-two-creativity-with-food-series-by-hong-yi-red/

Hong Yi is an artist/architect from Malaysia known as the “artist who loves to paint, but not with a paintbrush.” She also goes by the nickname RED because Hong sounds like the word ‘red’ in Mandarin. She challenged herself to create a new piece of food art for every day of March and shared her results on Instagram. She had two rules: 1. Only food could be used.

2. The creations had to be placed on a white place, which served as her backdrop.

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According to Designbloom.com/art, Hong is Malaysian and spent about 8 years studying and working in Australia. She graduated from the University of Melbourne with a masters degree in architecture in 2010, and after that worked for an Australian architecture firm in their Shanghai office for about two years.

Hong continued, “After about six months of living in Shanghai, I started painting portraits of iconic Chinese people and shared them with my friends in Australia and Malaysia by posting them onto my blog/facebook. My Yao Ming portrait done with a basketball, which I uploaded onto youtube, was the first project that gave me a significant amount of media exposure. I started to have a following online, and it’s been very encouraging to have people from around the world support what I do.

Projects that have given me the most satisfaction would be my Jay Chou portrait with coffee cup stains, and my current ‘creativity with food’ series. I like that I turned coffee cup stains - something that is seen as an annoyance and is often overlooked into a piece of art that is meaningful and smells good! My ‘creativity with food’ series has helped me push the limits of my creativity, and has taught me to work within the confines of a very small area - my previous works range from 1 x 2 to 3 x 4 meters.

I’ve learned to slice, dice, stir, boil...who would have thought I’d need that to do art!

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Samples of other Food Artist collections…

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Today’s Spiritual Woman

What would you do if your twelve–year old son began his period? That is the question one California family had to ponder in 1950, an era when rock and roll shattered the innocence of the 50’s. With impending doom from nations near our shores, the world was not ready to accept, discuss, nor tolerate a boy having a girl’s period. This American family was soon to be drawn into a world they never dreamed of, much less were prepared to cope with.

Lola Carlile is a writer, muse, traveler, and, most of all, an educator interested in the psyche of people. She lives on the West Coast with her husband and enjoys writing as a form of meditation.

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Stephanie Anne Stockton is a gardener, seeker of truth, and a woman in search of happiness from within. She also lives on the West Coast.

On Sale now through Author House Publishing online

Hardcover $32.29 Softcover $19.34 http://www.amazon.com/The-Twin-Within-painful-struggling/dp/1438958846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340671814&sr=81&keywords=The+Twin+Within

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Auburn University Homecoming Queen’s Mom Was Raped, But Spared Her From Abortion by Steven Ertelt What this article did for me confirmed for me that abortion is not the only solution when a girl is raped. Hard as it is to imagine, read the result of such a decision – one where a mom gave birth to a child conceived in rape….

Auburn University selected its 100th Miss Homecoming in Molly Anne Dutton this weekend but she almost didn’t win — not because she isn’t an attractive or capable college student but because her mother was raped and she could have been a victim of abortion. Dutton’s mother, after she was victimized by sexual assault, was given an ultimatum from her husband — have an abortion or face divorce.

She chose to keep the baby, leading to a “ridiculously inspirational life story” that many media outlets are noting this week about Dutton.

A couple of decades ago, Dutton’s biological mother, who was living in California at the time, was the victim of a sexual assault that resulted in her becoming pregnant. She was given an ultimatum by her husband: either abort the baby, or face divorce.

Lifeline Children’s Services, a Birmingham-based Christian adoption agency, got involved and helped the woman through her courageous decision to keep the baby and put her up for adoption instead of aborting.

This past weekend, the little girl born into those tough circumstances was elected her university’s homecoming queen after running on a platform entirely devoted to adoption advocacy.

“Because that resource was made available to my mother, she decided to give birth to me,” Dutton said. “And here I am talking to you guys 22 years later.” “Light Up LIFE” was Dutton’s slogan, the perfect summation of her campaign’s goal to spread the word that adoption can bring light into a dark situation. It took Auburn’s campus by storm.

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Val and Jim’s Photo Adventure to Alaska

By Val and Jim Brooks

Bear cache on the left and below Tern Lake on the Kenai Peninsula

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Hope, Alaska

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Kenai Peninsula Mountains.

Kenai River and Scenic drive

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Salmon and malamute!

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Poisonous Meadow – Death Camas

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Alaska wildflowers in Yukon

Alaska Pickhandle Lake

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Alaska Portage Glacier beginning adventure in Whittier Today’s Spiritual Woman

Carb Free Cloud Bread

A favorite from Pinterest

3 eggs, separated 3 tablespoons whole milk cottage cheese or 3 tablespoons cream cheese 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 (1 g) packet artificial sweetener

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Separate the eggs very carefully - there must be no yolk in the white. In one bowl, mix together the egg yolks, the 3 T of cottage cheese OR cream cheese and the one packet of sweetener until smooth. In the other bowl add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar to the whites and beat the whites on high speed until they are fluffy and form nice peaks. Very carefully fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites until mixed, but try and not break down the fluffiness of the egg whites too much.

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Spray two cookie sheets with Pam or other fat-free cooking spray. With a large spoon, “scoop” the mixture into 10 even rounds on the sheets (about the size of the top-half of the McDonalds hamburger bun; roughly 3/4 inch thick and 4 to 5 inches across). Bake on the middle rack. Here is when you have to watch them, because the cooking time is not the same on any two batches. It is somewhere around 1/2 hour, but it could be less or more. You just need to watch them until them become nice and golden brown.

Remove from the pans and cool on a rack or cutting board. While warm they are crumbly and similar to cooked meringue - but don’t let this fool you! Once completely cool, seal them in a ziplock storage baggie or a tupperware over night. They will totally change their consistency, to something much more like bread - a softer texture that is nice and chewy. If you do not like softer chewy bread, then eat them as they are, nice and crisp. Since the sides that were facing the pan are perfectly flat, you use these to spread things on, or make sandwiches, or even as a burger bun! The choice is up to you, and you will be quite amazed at how much like a bun these really are!

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Dia de los Muertos

By Lola Carlile

November 1 is a day that many Mexican Americans and many Europeans celebrate as a day of homage to family and friends who are no longer with us. It’s a day to go to the cemetery and clean the headstones and trim the bushes and add flowers to the graves. Some families even take a picnic blanket and have a picnic by the grave.

While this may seem macabre to some Westerners, it is a wonderful way to think about death – it’s almost as if the living are saying, “Hey, death! We are not afraid of you! We will mock you! We will stay near you and we will not be afraid.”

Recently a friend told me that the funerals at her church usually do not include the caskets with the body – it’s too depressing, she added. They just want to think of the positive, while many, especially Catholics, insist on having the casket in the church for funerals. I can even remember the first time I saw a dead person – it was my Grandpa. My Oma insisted we grandchildren gather around his casket and have our picture taken with our dead grandfather.

It freaked me out. And I was a teenager! When I went into the funeral home to see my father, I wailed and screamed so much that a nurse came towards me with a hypodermic needle….I shut up quickly as I am morbidly afraid of needles, too.

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So what are some things that are unique to the Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos? Families, groups, and individuals create an Ofrenda (an altar) to honor the person(s) who has/ve passed away. They create sugar skulls, skeletons dressed to go out, and place marigolds on the altar. They also put mementos of the person, such as favorite drink, food, and photos of the individual. This unique celebration makes me smile as it seems like such a positive one!

Music might also be played as the families and friends of loved ones reconnect on a positive level, sharing bread made especially for this day. Prayers, songs, and tales of the loved one keeps his/her memory alive.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Free eBook: Ofrendas Celebrando el Día de Muertos

58 Can I say again how much I love this time of year? I feel that the celebration of Día de Muertos just really brings out the most amazing creativity and artistic expressions from so many talented people. Of course, this occasion to remember our muertos, is a meant to be joyful, colorful and one to fill our senses and spirit with. The symbolisms surrounding the celebration are so beautiful and rich that it’s easy to want to join in.

Such is the case with this eBook, Ofrendas: Celebrando el Día de Muertos, that a group of Latina food and craft bloggers (and good friends and even a few SpanglishBaby Familia members!) have put together to offer for FREE! Sí, this amazing work of collaborative art is gratis!

Ana L. Flores is co-founder of SpanglishBaby and co-author of the book, “Bilingual is Better.” A bicultural and bilingual mom who is committed to holding on to her heritage, for over 15 years she’s been dedicated to creating content by and for Latinos in the U.S. and in Latin America. Now, through SpanglishBaby. com and LatinaBloggersConnect. com, her boutique agency connecting brands to Latina bloggers, she is living her dream of being a self-motivated entrepreneur and sharing the stories and resources which matter the most to her. Su casa is now in L.A. where family traditions from Mexico, El Salvador, the Netherlands and the U.S. are dearly embraced...en español.

Flip through the pages of this online magazine to find recipes and crafts that go beyond the traditional, while remaining firmly grounded in its origins.

http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/10/free-ebook-ofrendas-celebrando-el-dia-de-muertos/ MASABI

Teaching Literacy in a Global Society The Big Book of Reading Authored by Vye Carlile Ph.D.

Teaching Literacy in a Global Society is an informational text that will guide the reader to understand the nuances of teaching reading. It serves as a general guide to the many components involved in teaching and learning to read.

Publication Date: Apr 25 2012 ISBN/EAN13: 1469906406 / 9781469906409 Page Count: 164 Binding Type: US Trade Paper Trim Size: 6" x 9" Language: English Color: Black and White Related Categories: Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Reading

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https://www.createspace.com/3770052

About the author: Vye Carlile is a veteran teacher who secretly loves to read picture books in her spare time! Dr. Carlile has over 38-years of teaching every grade except for 2nd. Her unique style of making reading appealing to even the most uninterested potential reader is reflected in her many awards, including Salem’s Crystal Apple Award. She teaches with enthusiasm and a special nod to all the intelligences - not just the auditory and verbal so often the only way school is experienced. Dr. Carlile is not only a reader, teacher, and counselor, she is also a writer. Past editor of Today’s Spiritual Woman, she also has written five children’s books and one novel. In her spare time she travels, stalks her sons on Facebook, and spreads art therapy throughout her community.

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Improvement 60

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Today’s Spiritual Woman

Ghana to me

by Lynda Mick

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Mornings can be the hardest. I wake up to the tune of some roosters crowing, children yelling, or glorious gospel music blaring. My dreams of things familiar fade fast and I sit up to welcome warm rays of golden sun beaming through the shutters. I’ve been in Ghana for nearly seven months now. Still adjusting to cultural norms, I realize there’s no getting around being the white lady. When I step outside my compound I’m greeted constantly and relentlessly. Greetings are

a friendly necessity here. “Obroune” is the most common phrase ringing in the distance. In Ghana the term obroune is used to describe a person from another place. Kwasi Obroune means Sunday born foreigner, initially referring to missionaries; it’s now a coverall for any white person. My community chief has given me the local name Nana Fosua (after his mother.) Typically I respond to “obroune” with a smile stating “yenfre me obroune” meaning “I’m not called orboune.”

The children usually laugh and follow me into town chanting whatever new name I’ve introduced. Some of the children just run up and touch my skin to make sure it feels the same as theirs. My short walk down the red dirt road often feels like a mini parade. I wave and smile and try to respond to the various greetings appropriately. There are nearly eight different languages spoken in my town of about 2000 people. Many of which make a living farming coco. Not more than a couple hundred yards from where I sleep a vast jungle sprawls over a current of rolling hills.

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This “jungle” is actually a protected forest sprinkled with a variety of fruit bearing trees and fortified with copious amount of timber. I was told that roughly 50 years ago (about the time peace corps began in Ghana) the land in this region was being illegally deforested for the timber at an alarming rate. To address this, the Ghana government parceled out the land, introduced coco, and offered it to anyone willing to protect it. Thus a town was born. Initially it was known as “the village of strangers” because people came from all over Ghana,Togo and the Ivory Coast to accept the land.

Overtime however a chief was in-stooled and the children of children stayed and continued to farm the coco. Being a stranger here, this history resonates with me and brings me comfort as do many aspects of Ghanaian culture. The greetings and constant attention are somehow always tinged with affection. Whatever fruits being harvested in the forests nearby generally find their way to my door or bowl without request. The generosity here is absolutely contagious. Many Ghanaians often ask “how do you find Ghana?” curious of your opinion and proud to offer the statement “ there is peace here.”

I didn’t know where I would be placed when I signed up to be a peace corps volunteer. Today I find myself feeling truly grateful. The kindness and generosity of the people here in Ghana has inspired me to continue to live without fear and to trust in my self and my community. A lesson no doubt I will take with me long after this experience has ended.

Coco farm It’s about 3 pm and I have nearly weathered yet another afternoon of deadly heat. Napping in front of the fan is the only suitable option. I’m attempting to settle in and all but this time of day it seems completely possible to call Ghana home.

Earlier today I made my first trip to farm. The path in reminded me of so many hiking memories, it went up hill slightly, down through the tall grass and back out to open ground carpeted with crunchy leaves from the coco trees.

There were more color splashed butterflies fluttering about than I could count. Small open pockets between the tree

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branches let in just enough red hot sun to remind you that you’re still in Ghana. The shade is a beautiful thing here for so many reasons, most importantly though, it’s cool. I’ve found it very difficult to love being outside when the sun is so strong it demands you find cover.

After about a half hour of assisting with gathering the coco I took a seat by the water jugs to rest.

There were two old cruiser bikes loosely tied to the tree in front of me with an old teeshirt. They were complete with baskets in the front, fenders in the back, and throughly coated in the red dust of ghanian roads. I sat on the plastic version of a burlap sack with warm dirt, crisp leaves, and orange peels surrounding me tickling my senses. I could hear one thud then another then the sound of rustling tree branches as the farmers briskly poked down the yellowish squash looking fruit.

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Sitting there I realized how little I knew about something I enjoy so much. The farmers knew it too. A well spoken teenage boy was not shy to inform me that as a” white” I only know how to eat the coco, that I don’t know or see all the work that goes into it. Thankfully he also took the opportunity to educate me on the process. With a series of events this specific I always wonder about the first kook to try such a thing. I can imagine the whole “ let’s crack this open, pull out the insides, set them under some leaves to ferment, then set them out in the sun to dry up” took more than a little work to arrive at. Some people must have made many many mistakes to get this coco thing right. But when they did.. Man-o-man I love me some delicious dark chocolate. I envy the patience and commitment of the coco farmers. I hope that if nothing else during my stay here I can learn to adopt their virtues and always find shade.

http://www.africanbusinessreview.co.za/business_leaders/Cocoa%20beans.jpg MASABI

Playing Games Online….Giving In! By Lola Carlile I kept getting those requests on Facebook to play games. I stuck my nose even higher into the air as I deleted those requests and, quite frankly, thought how much better I was than those fools who played the games. Then my youngest son (whom I know is no fool) requested that I play one – it was an innocuous one on my phone – Family Feud. We played it a few times together and it was fun, although I couldn’t think of anything that worked, so we lost a lot.

But the laughs and satisfaction of doing something fun resonated with me.

Then my 4 ½ yr. old granddaughter showed me My Little Pony – that girl is already on level fifty something and she keeps talking about buying, planting, and harvesting, not to mention, putting all those ponies to work for her. Hum, rare adventure in capitalism I suppose… If nothing, that child certainly knows how to manage a farm! Well, a pony farm….

When I finished feeling way superior to those of you gamers out there, I sheepishly remembered I do solitaire and many forms of it on the computer for stress release. Yep, those are games, too! And I love to play my newest game on Chrome – POGO. Hubby disdains the noises the computer makes as I pop colored balloons online. Yes, I realize it’s insanely easy and anyone can do it, but somehow getting rid of those balloons feels good.

How is this all even possible? Can games help eliminate stress and encourage good feelings to reign supreme? Ok, creepy situation alert: in 2009 a woman allowed her three children to go hungry, gave up cleaning and taking out the garbage and had two dogs die all in the matter of a few months. Initially Lady X played only an hour on the computer, but as time went on, she continued playing until she lost all contact with reality.

According to Mail News in the UK, gamers are becoming hooked by allure of living a different online life.

They contend that for some years now, a debate has raged as to whether it is possible to become addicted to video games as one might, for example, become addicted to gambling. Some professionals scoff at the idea and say these games are merely forms of entertainment on a par with television or a book; however, they also concur that these pastimes can become obsessive behavior which is exacerbated by underlying and deep problems.

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The court in England was told the woman had been suffering from depression after her husband’s death, which explains why she might want to enter another world where there is no personal violence or sadness.

Around the world more clinics are seeing growing evidence of mostly young people at risk – drawn into virtual worlds where they are able to exert an imagined sense of control often absent in their normal lives. The problem is exacerbated as the usage continues until the individual does nothing else but play games. Simultaneously, physical health, social life and family relations decline and suffer.

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Back in September, 2010, a video game called HALO: Reach, designed for the Xbox system became the latest installment in a series where players engage in futuristic conflict between humanity and aliens hell bent on mankind’s destruction.

According to Mail News, “During the first 24 hours of its sale in the UK (RRP £59.99) a staggering 300,000 copies were snapped up. Worldwide takings for the game exceeded £125million in that one day.

Online forums have been raving about the game, awash with tales of all-night Halo-playing sessions and boasts of days taken off work and school (38 per cent of those who responded to one online survey claimed they had skipped classes to play the newlyreleased game). Among the most successful titles of all are those that allow players to interact with one another via the internet.”

“Continuing evidence includes when Internet hit: World of Warcraft has millions of devoted fans. These are known as MMORPGs or Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, a genre of computer games in which tens of thousands of players can interact with one another in a virtual world. Of MASABI

these games, the most well-known is World Of Warcraft. Again, the numbers speak for themselves.

In 2008, more than 11.5 million people worldwide were paying monthly subscriptions of up to £8.99 to play. In WOW, players create characters or ‘avatars’ in whose guise they spend hours joining guilds of other players to fight battles in a quest reminiscent of Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings. Success in various challenges allows gamers to make their way up a hierarchy of power.

According to psychiatrist Dr Richard Graham, who heads the pioneering Young Person Technology Addiction Service at the Capio Nightingale Hospital in Central London, this pattern of behavior is typical: ‘The adolescent world is intensely pressured and gaming can offer sanctuary,’ he says. ‘Studying for your exams or working on a relationship with someone is a fundamentally slow process. Video games - especially online ones like World Of Warcraft - offer an opportunity to acquire prestige and success relatively quickly. Real life becomes dull in comparison.’”

So when my husband and I play Freecell for

five to six hours on the computer, we realize how addictive games can be. So what can we do to enjoy these games in a harmless manner? According to many internet players, the following are some great ways to keep balance in your life from games.

Although these are aimed at children, it applies to those of us adults who should know better!

1. Accept responsibility. The problem lies within the individual, not within the game. No attempt at beating ‘addiction’ can succeed until the individual accepts its existence.

2. Identify the impact. How many hours a day do you spend playing games? Do you normally go out on the weekend? When was the last time you read a book? Identifying the negative impacts of the addiction will help you focus on positive improvements and getting back the things that you really are missing.

3. Avoid blame. Blaming others for problems that you alone must face does not solve the problems.

The vast, extreme majority of ‘gamers’ are healthy individuals, accepting responsibility is the first step.

4. Stay positive. While it is important to identify the negative aspects of the problem, it is also important to focus on the goal and progress that you have made.

do not listen to you, removal of the game console or setting of administrative control on the computer may allow you to better handle the problem.

7. Look in your drawer of CDs. Are there more than 5 games that you have played in the last two months? Are these games open-ended (like Civilization, World of Warcraft, or Evil Genius)? This could be a warning sign.

8. Add up the total hours played per week.

This includes time spent reading walkthroughs and watching videos and discussing games in real life.

Always round up! If this number is over 25, then there may be a problem.

9. Request that your parents put you on a strict time limit for computer playing. There are freeware programs available for download that can help with this. Playing hide-and-go-seek with your parents (hiding your games) is an effective way to minimize gaming overall.

10. Find something else to do. You know the statement “my anti-drug...” This statement is better phrased “my anti-addiction...” or “my anti-bad habit...” The best way to do this is to develop a variety of other things to do, with others.

5. Set Limits. If you decide that you have 1 hour per day to spend playing games, stick to that. Choose your games correctly! If you are playing a game that requires many hours of game play between saves or which is an open-ended game like many MMO’s, you likely should consider a different game or different genre of games.

6. Active parental monitoring. You are the parent, and thus you are in control. If your children Today’s Spiritual Woman

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Facebook helpful tips Chalk will remove all grease stains. Simply rub the stain with chalk and toss in the wash as normal.

If a shirt/sweater has static cling, put a safety pin in it. The static will instantly go away.

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Nothing kills weeds and keeps them dead for longer like white vinegar straight from the bottle!

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Soap Making for Kids: DIY Sea Creature Soap Craft April 2, 2013 By Jenn@Sweet T Makes Three

Note that this is “soap making for kids” and not “soap making for toddlers.” Sweet T was a little too young to completely engage in this craft, but she had fun adding the fragrance, coloring, and toys to the soap. And she’s certainly enjoying the finished products! We found a six-pack of sea creature bath toys at our local Dollar Tree so when the soap gets used, the kids have a squirt toy to use in the tub. Since I had the other materials at home already these wound up costing pennies.

Perfect party favors!

You will need: Clear glycerin soap blocks ($10 for 32oz pack at Hobby Lobby. Use one of their weekly 40% off coupons to make it $6) Food Coloring Silicone Cupcake Liners Essential oil Small toys (Dollar Tree!)

Glitter (optional)

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Directions: Microwave one block of glycerin soap in a pourable microwave container for 30 seconds or until liquefied. Add 1-2 drops food coloring and 1 drop essential oil. Add glitter if desired. Stir.

Pour into silicone mold and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before nesting toy in partly solidified soap.

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Since I used all the bath toys before deciding to take pictures and blog a tutorial, I used the only other plastic toy around. A cockroach. Nice, I know. My Dad and I have this inside thing where we hide plastic cockroaches at each others homes to try to startle one another so here’s his Easter gift.

The soap will be ready to remove from the silicone in a little less than an hour. All of our glitter sank to the bottom, but Sweet T likes it all the same.

71 There’s lots of variations for soap making with kids. I found small magnetic letters at Dollar Tree to use to make initial soaps. And really, if I can make cockroach soap the possibilities are endless.

Jenn

What will you come up with? Have fun making soap with your kids!

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YARN POM SNOW PEOPLE I’ve been having so much holiday fun with yarn poms lately… this little “Yarn Pom Snow People” project is one of the latest experiments! A fun holiday craft idea for kids of all ages… and now I’m also thinking that it could make for a cute winter bridal shower centerpiece… maybe add a cute little “snowy” heart in between the “snow couple”? Hmmm…

Full DIY details are below – but the first element you’ll need to recreate this project is a set of yarn poms in your own favorite colors. I used Vicky‘s fabulous Yarn Pom Poof tutorial to create these cute little guys… and they’re popping up all over our holiday decor this year!

YARN POM SNOW PEOPLE Holiday Craft Tutorial What you’ll need: - 4 yarn poms - two 2” white styrofoam balls - 2 pipe cleaners (orange + 2 additional colors) - 4 black ball point pins (for the eyes) - blue and yellow felt - 4 tiny pom-poms (for hat flower) - 2 bamboo skewers - Styrofoam or floral foam for base - fake snow - vase Directions: 1. Thread 2 yarn poms onto one end of each bamboo skewer, then top with a Styrofoam ball.

2. Push 2 black ball point pins into the Styrofoam ball for the “eyes”.

3. For each “nose” cut 2 small pieces of orange pipe cleaner (approximately ½” long) and twist the pieces together on one side to form a triangle shape. Stick the open side of the triangle “nose” into the Styrofoam head.

4. For each hat, cut 3 small pieces of felt: a 2” square, a 1”x 4.5”strip, and a 1.5” circle for the top. Glue the pieces together, then glue the hats to the top of each head. Glue 4 tiny pom-poms and a yarn knot together to create a “flower” for one of the hats.

5. Add a pipe cleaner scarves, and display the snow people in a vase filled with Styrofoam and covered with fake snow.

Trim the long end of the bamboo skewer below the bottom yarn pom as necessary to adjust the “height” of the snow people. Display & enjoy! =)

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Reindeer Gift Bag What you’ll need Paper bag Glue Card stock Pencil Scissors Pom-pom How to make it Reindeer Gift Bag -

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Step 1 Print the Reindeer Gift Bag template. (We used 8 1/2-inch-tall bags here, but you can alter the parts for larger bags, if necessary.)

Use a pencil to mark a brown paper bag as shown, then cut along the solid lines to create a rounded top and 2 separate teardrop ear shapes.

Step 2 Fold the bag along the dotted line, then glue an antler (cut from brown card stock) and an ear inside the fold on each side of the bag.

Step 3 For the eyes, glue 2 small white paper circles to 2 black circles, use a marker to add dots for pupils, then glue them to the bag.

Step 4 Glue on a red pom-pom for a nose. Let all of the glue dry before placing a small gift inside. courtesy of Spoonfull http://spoonful.com/crafts/reindeer-gift-bag

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Today’s Spiritual Woman

Santa’s Beloved Reindeer, Donner

By Vye Carlile

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Most people don’t realize it, but Donner was not always one of Santa’s A team to come deliver presents to the entire earth. As a matter of fact, he almost did not make it to the reserve team. The story goes something like this: Santa was wrapping up all the presents to get them ready for delivery. His head elf, Jakob sauntered up to Santa and eyed the big man, saying, “Mr. Claus! We are really in overdrive. We’ve made more toys than were requested this year and we don’t have enough reindeer power to take all the toys in one trip. We could perhaps take two trips….”

Santa stared down at this favored elf and bellowed, “Oh, Jakob, we can’t do two runs. If we did, some children would be worried they weren’t remembered this year…We have to manage.”

Jakob screwed up his little elf face and called to an assistant named Jonathan. “Hey, Jonathan, do you think the sleigh will carry all these presents?”

“Aw, sure, Jakob,” answered the little elf, “The only problem will be pulling all this extra weight. We don’t have enough reindeer power. We need another reindeer. What should we do?

Santa was busy listening to the elves and was so proud of their positive can-do attitude. He looked down at them and asked, “Well, do we have any reindeer on the reserve list?”

The two elves looked at one another and then put their heads down.

“Well? Continued Santa.

“Uh, well,” both elves began. “You go first, Jonathan.”

“No, you go first, Jakob!”

Santa began to become impatient, “Come on, someone go first!”

Jakob swallowed slowly and began, “Well, Santa, remember that large explosive noise you heard the other day? Remember that you said you never wanted to hear that voice again. It scared you so?”

Santa squinted and thought hard and then laughed, “Oh, yeah! It was that reindeer Thunder – he sounded so loud he did scare me, but what about him?”

The elves looked at each other again and then Jonathan offered, “Well, Thunder is the only reindeer available from the reserves. He passed all his flying and landing requisites. He is ready, but only if you want him.”

Santa smiled and then said, “Well, let’s give the ole’ boy a try, but I gotta tell you I don’t want someone named Thunder on my team – let’s use his name in German – Donner! That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?”

They all laughed and Donner was invited to become a part of the team and was warned that when he wanted to cough, he’d better warn everyone – ‘cause no one wants thunder scaring them, especially Santa.

Donner joined the other reindeer and had a wonderful time and to this day, Donner is one of the nine reindeer that accompany Santa to deliver presents on Christmas.

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Happy Holidays from our family here at MASABI to your families around the world May you be blessed and filled with love and compassion this holiday season.

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Issue 201 of Today’s Spiritual Woman is a product of M.A.S.B.I. PO Box 2663 Salem Or 97308

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