Todays Spiritual Woman Summer 2013 by Mind and Spirit and Body Improvement

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman A magazine for women who want to explore their inner spirit and share with women all over the world.

Spring Issue 2013

2 MASABI Staff Lola Carlile Ph. D. Art Therapist & Editor of Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman Cin Broyles Digital Creative Editor & Advertisement Liaison Mind and Spirit and Body Improvement is proud to present our Spring 2013 issue of Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman. We would like to thank every contributor to this issue and are always looking for new submissions. Please send your artistic expression for inclusion by E-mailing our Editor, Lola. 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.

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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

“How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sw

~The Eagles, Ho

Spirit

Mind 4

Out of the Desert

Molly’s Last Journey

Technological Differences 101

Arab Hospitality

Summer Fun for All

Romanian Artist

Worst End of School Year Mom Ever

The Journey of Death

Art is Therapy

Tea Parties – a Thing of the Past?

Spray in One Place

THE BEST potato soup recipe ever!

Is it me or everyone else?

Growing Old

HOMEMADE SAMOAS

Garden Party

Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/villoks/768455844/sizes/o/in/photostream/

weat.Some dance to remember, some dance to forget”

otel California~

Body

Improvement

ABIDE

Brave New Girl

Slow Cooker Turtle Monkey Bread

Why Elders Admire Beauty: Beyond Seduction

Wild Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Heroes in our Midst Science Confirms Turmeric As Effective As 14 Drugs Healthy Eatmore Fudge Chocolate Bars Curves or the Absence of Them!

Seeking happiness and peace today BLT Dip Taco Bake Cutting it Close No diagnosis, no stigma: Participating In VetCAT Haiku’s from the Editors 3rd grade class 2007 Making Corn Husk Roses Today’s Spiritual Woman

Mind

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leo-gruebler/6372222257/sizes/o/in/photostream/ MASABI

The less you respond to rude, critical, argumentitive people, the more peaceful your life will become.

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

Out of the Desert by Gwynn Rogers

“Do not turn away, through cowardice, from despair. Go through it. … Pass beyond. On the other side of the tunnel you will find light again.” Andre’ Gide The past few days there has been much conversation about the bombing at the Boston Marathon. These talks brought depression, anger, and sadness. People in my groups talked about our anger and how to get through the darkness into the light again. To me these thoughts instantly carry me into a parched and barren desert where there is no water for revival… bleak and dead.

But then I remembered an incident from many years ago. I had traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado to visit my brother, Jim, as he was teaching at a school for blind and deaf students there. While he was at work I went exploring the area. I was in a deep, dark funk as my marriage was not going well. My brother had suggested I go explore a place called The Garden of the Gods on the outskirts of town to give me a new perspective of life. To me, this garden became a classic example of dark and light. The area leading to the garden was bleak, dreary, and dusty, with sagebrush and cactus surrounding it for as far as the eye could see. Yet, the outcrop of rock in the midst of this waste-land was stunning. I found variegated shades of rusty red and orange rock in all shades that had been shaped into an amphitheater in its midst. It was the “light” in the midst of the surrounding “dark.” As I wandered around in awe of the Garden of the Gods, I wondered what it would be like to be stranded in the wilderness, as there was little to no vegetation and no source of water that I could see. Then as I was despairing of the wretched area, I met another woman who was looking for “paint brushes” for her art. As we began to chat she awakened me to the creativity, life, and beauty of what I originally saw as the depressing desert. I no longer saw death and darkness, but new life. She introduced me to the Aloe plant… her paint brush. She plucked the long leaf, tied off the broad end of the leaf and shredded it. Instantly it was transformed into a paint brush. One could adjust the bristles to any size, shape, or length. Also, the Aloe plant is said to fix burns, dry skin, cosmetics, sun blocks, cold sores and psoriasis. Or if you drink the Aloe juice it can fix tummy problems too.

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Next we happened upon a Century cactus (Agape Americana – a distant relative of the Aloe plant) which looked like a giant, spikey crown with sharp needles at the end of each long sword-shaped leaf. The woman beside me grabbed the needle at the end of a leaf, ripping it down the length of the stalk leaving only threads from the plant. I was informed that the Native Americans used the needle from this plant to sew up their clothes. Then as we wandered around the various plants, rocks, etc. The woman pointed out a white mossy substance. She indicated that one scrapes the moss off the rock, washes it with the juice from the center of a cactus and lets it dry to become powdery. Finally, as a floury substance, one mixes it with more liquid from the cactus to make a form of bread from it. Lighting a fire, one can cook this substance on a flat rock to create a papery-thin tortilla type pancake. Where it sounds awful to me, my new found friend said eating it would be better than starving. Now, she did have a point there. As we wandered through the cactus she showed me how to take the heart out of the Century plant to find water. She also indicated that if we found a rattlesnake that we could de-head it first, skin it, and cook it on a stick over an open fire. She assured me that it tastes like roasted chicken. I think I’ll take her word for it! Here I thought I was in barren, god-forbidding land and this intelligent and creative woman was showing me the blessings the land offered should I ever be in need of them. She had moved me from the “dark” to the “light.” Enjoying the Garden of the Gods, I envisioned sitting in the open, colorful amphitheater visualizing listening to music soothe my soul as the setting red sun cast its’ warm glow on my vivid surroundings. I could feel the peacefulness of the desert area settle into my heart. Where I had come to this area expecting sadness and depression, I learned what gifts nature bestows on us. It only took another’s perspective to help me see the light. “Patterns and structure. Everywhere we look we see them. What appears random and chaotic also has order. And on Earth much of the order is linked to interrelationships that drive constant change. Cycles and rhythms. Pulses and flows. Changes in magnetic fields. Continental plates moving. Water cycles. Seasons changing. Life and death. Process and connection. Nature flows through webs of structure and shifting time: from ocean to cloud to rain to river to ocean. Natural rhythms.” Payson R. Stevens

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Technological Differences 101 By Sharla Wiemer On our internet journey we have conquered Email, Facebook, and LinkedIn, but are still working on Twitter….wondering how can we explain these three social networks to those who are not yet in the fold? I liken email to a letter albeit electronically. It is one you send to a friend or neighbor or new individual in your life. The content is supposedly just between you and the recipient. Facebook, on the other hand, is an open house you give for lots of people. They are free to drop in, chat, and leave. You occasionally share some information, but oftentimes just listen to others.

LinkedIn, on the other hand, is a planned and voluntary staff newsletter, where you can find out how others are faring at their jobsite and learn about all the new and wonderful works of others. Again, you self select, but your colleagues share your information with others and your network can be quite extensive. So if you are choosing social networks, which one is appropriate for you? I am now waiting for someone to politely share how Twitter fits into the scheme…. But, wait, what about Skype and Instagram? We have conquered the use of those as well. Skype is email with video – you see your recipient and they see and hear you! Instagram? Not quite sure this is very different than FB – I see some of the same pictures on FB that I see on Instagram. So I’m wondering who can tell me why I need Instagram and why people use it…Just sayin’ I’m trying hard, but at 60 years old, these new gadgets and networks and computer things need to be spelled out for me. I get it, albeit a bit slower…Now to find a bigger phone than the Samsung Note II! More stuff on it that I don’t need, but it’s big and I can actually read the emails. Not only that, I can text by just talking. Of course, comma (,) came out kama….but, hey we aren’t all perfect on this technological journey! How about coming over and sitting on my deck and taking? Where does that fit in… MASABI

BIRDS By Marsha Eibert

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Summer Fun for All By Zeta Zimmer

comes home, he is delighted at the excitement he sees in our children’s eyes and I wonder how it happened – the day flew by without an actual knock down thrown down or tantrum. After dinner the kids read the books we checked out from the library on Mexico. We continue listening to

the music until little eyelids flutter close. Ay caramba! Every year as summer looms on the horizon, I wonder

We can do this next week, but with a different culture….

how I can make it memorable for my three children? Two

We decided we would also study Greece, Germany, and

girls and one boy and all under the age of ten – too young

Japan, and not necessarily in that order. Looks like our

to stay alone. I must come up with some activities that

journeys this summer will be resplendent with joy and

both engage them and create a sense of wonder. To begin

lots of activities.

with, I decide that we will learn about the world, National Geographic style. So, where do we want to go? My

Some suggestions for country studies:

youngest pipes up – I don’t know. Why don’t you decide,

• Food

Mom? Shame shrouds me as I see that my children have

• Music

been stifled for way too long, so I haul out a few National

• Art

Geographics and we start looking at various photos. I find

• Maps

our old globe and dust it off and wistfully comment that

• Basic vocabulary

we can travel anywhere in our minds….Groans from the

• Famous people

two older ones.

• Stories/folktales

So we decide on Mexico. We want to visit Mexico, so

I’ve learned a lot from my children and one thing is that

we start planning. We want to immerse ourselves in that

I can’t make this too much like school – it needs to be a

culture for a week. What businesses are Mexican in nature

fun family endeavor. It would be nice to write a journal

in our city? There are Mexican-American restaurants,

about the experience, but I have to be careful the way I

shops, and even church services, if not actual churches.

word it or they will rebel and right now, I must tell you, I

Yes, there is a plethora of resources available.

have them in the palm of my hands!

We also want to listen to Mexican music – easy enough on Pandora! We decide to make our own Mexican feast. While our enchiladas are cooking in the oven and the frijoles simmering on the stove, we set out to make our own piñata. After much laughter and decision making and lots of guidance, we create our own fiesta. When dad

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

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 Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

Worst End of School Year Mom Ever by Jen Hatmaker You know the Beginning of School Enthusiasm? When

I feel like any sort of school energy

the pencils are fresh and the notebooks are new and the

required at this point is pure oppression, like

kids’ backpacks don’t look like they lined the den of a

the universe is trying to destroy me. I’m so

pack of filthy hyenas? Moms, remember how you packed

tiiiiiiiiired and I have five kids and that is just too many to

innovative and nutritional lunches and laid clothes out

educate well. I can only handle around two, so I’m going

the night before and labeled shelves for each child’s work

with Sydney and Caleb because they both like to read

and school correspondence and completed homework in a

and the other three are just going to have to enroll in Life

timely manner?

Skills Class one day and develop a trade.

I am exactly still like that at the end of school, except the opposite.

Yesterday Remy brought her books to me at bedtime – an hour notable for its propensity to incite rage and trauma – and chirped, “We need to read for 20 minutes!” and a little part of my soul died. “No, we don’t have to read tonight.”

“YES WE DO!!! MRS. BURKE SAID!!! WE HAAAAVE TO!!!” “We already read.” “NO WE DIDN’T!!! YOU ARE FAKING ME, MOM?”

“When I talk to you during the day, that’s like reading. You have to listen to the words I am saying and then make sense of them. It’s really hard work for you. It’s We are limping, limping across the finish line, folks. I

tapped out somewhere in April and at this point, it is a

called auditory reading. We’ve been practicing all day. I’ll write the minutes down in your log.”

miracle my kids are still even going to school. I haven’t checked homework folders in three weeks, because, well, I

My friend Glennon over at Momastery described

just can’t. Cannot. Can. Not. I can’t look at the homework

nighttime reading like this: “The little one wants to ‘help

in the folder. Is there homework in the folder? I don’t

read’ her book. So, let’s see. It takes her about six minutes

even know. Are other moms still looking in the homework

to sound out each word, and so if the book is one hundred

folder? I don’t even care.

words, well, I don’t specialize in math but I am telling you that I am stuck in that room FOREVER. It feels like I will

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be reading that book with Amma until I die.”

Last signature: April 26th. I’m good at other things. UNTIL WE DIE. Children should not be allowed to learn to read until they are already good at it. And why

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do we have to do this at bedtime when I’m one click

whatever, man.

away from becoming that scary under-the-bed-mother in “Mama” (GO TO BED OR I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO DIE AND THEN HAUNT YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AS

“Mom, I should’ve picked a black character. Like Abraham Lincoln.” Bless it.

A TERRIFYING CLOWN). I know

My shame was somewhat mitigated when I saw a kid

having an emerging

wearing a random t-shirt and jeans with a pair of swim

reader is exciting.

goggles around his neck (Michael Phelps) and another

Because of the reading!

girl with a piece of paper taped to her shirt with her

And the literacy! But

character’s name written in marker. I caught the eyes of

at the end of the school

their moms and was all solidarity, you guys.

year, when I’ve logged approximately 688

Teachers, we need to make a deal that after April

million hours with such

testing, we don’t have to do anything else. You don’t. I

gripping plots like The

don’t. I don’t care if you watch movies in class five days a

mother and the brother

week and take four recesses a day. I mean, Caleb had to

went to the store,

bring an About Me poster with five school days left in the

which takes 12 minutes

year. In September, this might have produced something

to decode, then I have

noteworthy, with pictures perhaps, even some thoughtful

to look at the ceiling

components to describe his winning qualities, but as we’ve

and sing hymns in my brain to get through it.

used up all our bandwidth, we yanked trash out of our

Then Ben tells me Tuesday that he needs a Ben Franklin costume for the Living History Museum

today, and I’m like what fresh hell is this?? I have no idea how I missed the correspondence on this (because I’m not checking backpacks is just a theory), but Brandon is the Costume and Project Parent and I am the Daily Grinder, which is a division of labor we agreed on to ensure our kids actually graduate one day and move out, but he is out of town on a mancation, so this is on me. I cannot even handle signing a folder in

late May; a colonial costume is cause for full, unrestrained despair.

actual trash can, glued it to a poster, and called it a day. I am not exaggerating when I tell you this is the very most we can do on May 29th. This is our best work:

So Ben went to school like this today, and there is no

Note the caveman labels: DRINK, MOTORCYCLE,

way this will ever not be a part of his childhood. Please

GAME, SHOP, FOOD.

note my scarf hanging out the bottom of his vest, as well

End of school hard.

as the soccer socks stretched over his Adidas pants. Just

Today’s Spiritual Woman

The E–mails coming in for All Of The Things – class gift, end of year letters, luncheon sign up, party supplies, awards ceremonies, pictures for the slide shows, final projects – are like a tsunami of doom. They are endless. I mean, they will never ever end. There is no end of it. I will never finish and turn it all in and get it to the (correct) Room Mom and get it all E–mailed and I am pretty sure the final week of school will never be over and this is the end for me. Brandon: “You don’t have to do all that, you know. Just blow it off.” Me, staring blankly: “Well, what a lovely thought you’re having there in your brain. How nice for you to be thinking that thought. I want to live in your imaginary world where my failure to do the School Stuff doesn’t mean our kid is the only one not wearing a purple shirt or didn’t have his pictures in the slideshow or didn’t bring in a handmade card for his teacher like every other student. I’ll just ‘blow it off’ and our kids can work it out with their therapists later.” “Touchy.” “You don’t even know about all this, man.” So, Mom out there sending Lunchables with your kid, making her wear shoes with holes because we’re.almost.there, practicing “auditory reading” with your 1st grader, I got your back, sister. We were awesome back in October;

don’t you forget that. We used to care, and that counts for something. Next year’s teachers will get a fresher version of us in August, and they won’t even know the levels of suckage we will succumb to by May. Hang in there, Mama. Just a few more days until summer, when approximately 19 minutes into our glorious respite from homework, liberated from the crush of it all, ready to party like it’s 1999, our precious children, having whooped and

celebrated and “graduated” and squealed all the way home will announce:

“I’m bored.”

MASABI

Art is Therapy By Lola Carlile

Have you ever seen quilling? It’s a beautiful, old fashioned way of using paper to make art. It was first created in the 1600s by Italian nuns. It was called quillwork because the nuns rolled strips of paper into circular shapes around a feather (quill). They used the beautiful art to decorate Bibles and make note cards. The craft then moved to France and England where “genteel” ladies gathered to create beautiful artwork. Quilling made its way to the U.S. before the American Revolution.

There quilling took on another life – purses carried beautiful quilling as decoration. Tea caddies, wine coasters, and, almost anything that could be quilled, was!

Today there is a resurgence of quillers throughout the world. Quilling can even be found in art galleries in many countries. All ages are able to create works of beautiful art in quilling. No longer is this an elitist art form mainly because of the inexpensive materials required to make the art.

To make the quills, use strips of paper, roll them, and glue them to another sheet of paper! Simple and beautiful. It is good to remember that any art form is therapeutic in of itself. So, take a moment and create a card or a small piece of quilling.

http://www.quilledcreations.com/ http://www.naqg.org/resources.html http://www.topsite.com/best/quilling http://www.kinderart.com/crafts/quilling.shtml Today’s Spiritual Woman

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Spray in One Place By Steve Cotton A transplanted Oregoninan

Summer is here. Now, I know the pedantic will point to the calendar. Proudly counting that I am five weeks too early.

But we all have our own ways of declaring the start of summer here in Melaque. For some it is the arrival of the land crab migration. For others, the start of the rainy season.

For me, summer has begun when the heat and humidity combine to make it too uncomfortable to sit on the patio without a floor fan. Thursday afternoon was summer for me. I have no idea what the temperature was nor how high the humidity climbed, but I could not read about one more Plantagenet tragedy without schlepping the fan outside. Even Gomez the Foster Dog abandoned his shady corner to join me in the electronic breeze. The start of summer means it is time for another tradition in my little casa. The water in my shower is gravity-fed from a storage tank on the roof. That water is pumped from a cistern on the property. The cistern water comes from the pipes in the street. Before that, I have no idea where it comes from. But whatever the source, by the time it gets to my shower head, it starts gumming up the works. Once a year, I take the screen off of the shower head and clean it out. I will spare you the description of the large hunks of debris I find. What interests me most is the calcification. In just one year, the holes in the screen are almost completely closed by mineral deposits. Almost as if I were showering in Carlsbad Caverns. It takes me about 15 minutes with a brush and solvents to strip the crust and clear the holes. I suspect the screen looked a good deal like my teeth as the dentist cleaned them earlier this week. But that task is done. The cleaning does not increase the water pressure, but, at least, the water does not spray everywhere other than where it should. And I can now get ready for the land crabs and the rain. They cannot be too far behind. After all, it’s summer. Today’s Spiritual Woman

Is it me or everyone else? By Mary Williams

The other day I invited the ladies in my Mom’s

group over for a play date. I cleaned the house, got refreshments ready, and even planned some fun games. As the time neared, my heart began to beat wildly and I thought, “Oh, no! Not again!” And, sure enough, not one mom arrived. I waited and waited and then with tears streaming down my face began to put the food away and assure my two young children that we could go to the park for fun. This has not been the first time that happened. I am beginning to think something is wrong with me and that’s when I realized our society might have morphed MASABI

into an “I care about me” land. I asked many of my friends on a mom’s group on Facebook and I was shocked at the stories they shared…I thought maybe it was me, but many friends acknowledged they knew me and reassured me that could not be the case…But many had horror stories of their own: *A family of 8 showed up for a shared Thanksgiving dinner and plopped down a single can of green beans on the counter and said, “I’ll bring more next time.” Then the family who brought 8 people to Christmas dinner and told me they’d already eaten the dessert they were slated to bring, so they didn’t bring ANYTHING. And then the people who were 3 hours late because “We were taking a nap.” * A person showed up with four immigrants in tow who did not speak English, but who ate the food we’d prepared from across the room, while standing up, and didn’t speak to us even once. Not even thank you on their way out, gestured or spoken. Then the woman recently for whom I made two huge, totally from-scratch chicken pot pies for her family of 9 (3 hours of work...I even boiled the chickens) who never even acknowledged the meal in any way, much less said thanks. She just showed up at our door one day with the empty casserole dishes and told my husband to give them to me. He had no idea what they were for, because she was so terse. * I’d plan play dates and then only one person would come -- or no one at all! My first play date at my house I stayed up late getting my house just right and cutting out shapes for a fun craft -- I had one person cancel last minute and one person no show -- it was so disappointing! There were a few times when more than one person

would come, but then they’d spend their time talking about mutual friends and experiences. I think that most of the people in the group had their established friendships and didn’t think that much about it.

the friends who came over early, watched me prepare an elaborate meal, then said they had to run an errand...and never came back!! When I called, the excuse was that the father had decided he wasn’t properly dressed.

* We actually used to invite many families from our church over for dinner, until we realized that in 3 years, we’d hosted almost a dozen families (most multiple times) and only one had ever reciprocated. And I also had numerous no shows, some quite memorable. Like the mom and daughter we invited to my daughter’s tea party birthday at a super expensive tea house. It was only going to be the 4 of us and I’d even confirmed the day before. The time of their expected arrival came and went. I called the mom, who told me that she’d decided to let her husband take the car instead. No notice, no nothing. I confronted them both about it and this couple actually began what I can only call a campaign of harassment, claiming to the church that I was talking about sex and torture in my religious ed class, etc.

*I want to add, I can make friends with a brick wall and I tried to host a moms night and out of 8 women, one came and she was over an hour late due to traffic.

* Another couple was 3 hours late to dinner and another family--with 10 children--called one hour before expected and said they weren’t coming. The wife said one of their children “had a cold” so they weren’t going to make it. The father was going to drive right past our house from church but he wasn’t comfortable coming to our house alone with the remaining 9 kids. I had cooked for two days preparing for the family of 12 and spent a lot of money, and she acted like it was nothing to us not to show up. Then there was the mom who showed up 2 hours late for dinner and her kids urinated on our carpets, cut up our clothes with a pair of scissors, and destroyed our board games. Then there was

Folks, this is not regional fiction. These are true things that have happened to women all over the nation. Is this a sign of something? I’m not sure of what, but I do know that I am not the only woman in the world who is lonely and wanting to make connections. It seems that people are way comfortable in their own skin and don’t care to make new friends or make others feel comfortable. I am not sure what to do, but I think the first solution is to talk about it. Commiserate with one another and start groups with like-minded individuals. It might be hard, but it is worth the effort. After posting my comment on my FB thread, I was amazed at all the offers of friendship and consolation. Yes, good people are out there. People who want to commune with me, but I must first find them in my local community. We can’t all live on the internet! It must start with me and I must first remember not to take it personally, but keep reaching out to others. At least I will know that I am making the effort.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

HOMEMADE SAMOAS

Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 2 cups flour 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract up to 2 tablespoons milk Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or nonstick foil. Cream butter and sugar. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Add vanilla and milk. Only add a little milk at a time just to help dough come together. U don’t want to add too much and make it sticky. Roll dough 1/4” thick and cut out circles. (NO cookie cutter? just use a glass upside down), then you will want a smaller cutter for the center. If you don’t have one, try using a straw or skip this part because the filling covers a lot of the center anyway! Bake 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool completely. Melt 1 bag of chocolate chips (dark, semi or milk chocolate) and dip each cookie into the chocolate MASABI

and set on wax or parchment paper. You can also just dop the bottoms if you prefer but I like to dip the whole cookie. Make the topping and place on cookies while chocolate is still wet. TOPPING: 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut 12 oz. caramels 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons cream Preheat oven to 300 degrees and spread coconut on a baking sheet. Bake it and toss often until lightly toasted and golden -about 15-20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside. Place caramels, salt and cream in microwave safe cup and nuke until melted and smooth about 3mins. When smooth, stir in the toasted coconut. Using a small spoon or spatula, spread the topping on cookies. Use any extra chocolate to drizzle across the top! Then u can set in fridge to speed the process of everything firming up.

Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake Crumble topping: 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cardamom 1/4 cup butter, softened Cake: 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup buttermilk 3 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen, but do not thaw!)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9″ square pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients, mixing together with a fork until crumbly; set aside. In another medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, cream together the remaining butter and sugar. Blend in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Blend in the flour mixture and cream alternately, beginning and ending with the flour (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Fold in the bluberries. (The dough is quite stiff, so be patient as you’re folding in the berries! Don’t mush them up!) Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the crumble topping. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool, and cut into 9 large squares.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Spirit

MASABI

http://www.flickr.com/photos/supersonicphotos/4220759860/lightbox/

Maybe it is not always about trying to fix something that is broken. Maybe it is about starting over and creating something better

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

Molly’s Last Journey By Evelyn Celli Molly was about 16 years old when she went on her last journey August 1, 2012. She was born in Shingle Springs California. My late husband and I adopted her when she was a small puppy. She was small and

we weren’t sure she would live through the night. We

hadn’t been able to resist her in the cardboard box outside the grocers. She cost only $5 but meant the world to us. Hank passed on and I moved To Ft. Collins, CO for my government job (USDA-AHIS-AC). After getting a home and a yard prepared for Molly, she came to stay with me about ten months later from my mom’s house in. Molly was a faithful companion. She liked to take me for a walk and loved jumping in the car to go bye/bye. She really understood when it was time to go somewhere, go to bed or eat. She used to come in the living room and bark to get me to come to bed. She also used to take her blue ball and toss it and go jumping after it, fetching it and bringing the ball back to me to throw back to her. When I would wash my hair she came in the bathroom and looked down in the tub to make sure I was OK. She

actually warned me when my husband fell in the shower by running from the bedroom where the shower was to me in the living room and barked. The first time she saw the snow she looked perplexed but soon she loved to walk in the snow wearing a velour angel coat, red Christmas sweater and raincoat. Molly was a very special dog; she filled the void I had in my life. Everyone who met her loved her and said that she was such a sweet and loving dog. She used to take food out of my mouth so gently without touching my lips and she was a big dog with a very big jaw! She came through two cancer surgeries and several teeth cleanings with flying colors. She developed thyroid problems and was taking medicines for that. She also had several different types of pain medications to help her with her arthritis on her back legs in her later years. Sadly, for me, she left this earth too early. I love and miss her very much. She has her resting place in a small urn I keep near my bed with the Angel dog pin, cards and pictures of her. The women at Pet Hospice were with me through all of the tough times when Molly took her last journey to Raintree Animal Hospital. They helped me through all the trying times. The volunteers at hospice helped me make a plan so I would know when it was time to humanely end her life. Without them I don’t think I could have done it alone. They were there with me and comforted me before, during and after Molly left. Thanks to these individuals I was not alone and was comforted. Life is indeed lonely without my Molly waiting for me at home, but I do know she is not in pain, and for that I am glad. Molly was a good dog. Yes, indeed!

MASABI

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

ssible!! o p s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; ng i h t y r e v E Once you choose Hope

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Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Girl Coming soon....

If you know of any young lady aged 11 - 16, this magazine is for her! September, 2013 we will launch our first online magazine for girls. We are currently accepting articles, photos, art, poems, and other submissions from the girls. Send any information to lola @ todayspiritiualwoman@gmail.com. MASABI

Arab Hospitality by Steve Cotton When I get into my “toss out the paper” moods (paper-light), I always find a few things that make me wonder: Why did I keep this? This menu is a perfect example. It was the breakfast and lunch menu from my Emirates flight from Dubai to Los Angeles last year. The cover is classy and culturally evocative. And I recall that the meals were very good. I think I had the

mutton kadhai for lunch. Something you are not likely to find on a routine United

flight. But why had I kept the menu? It was a very pleasant flight, but not really worthy of scrap book material. Then I remembered why I held onto this little piece of nostalgia. It had little to do with the menu. While I was transferring flights in Los Angeles, I sat at a snack bar with a stranger. He wanted to know where I was heading. So, I told him I had already been flying for most of the day on Emirates. I had inadvertently lit a fuse. It turns out he was an employee of Air Canada. To him, Emirates was about as evil as an airline could be because it was competing unfairly with Air Canada by offering “unreasonably” low fares. If Emirates was not stopped, it would drive all other airlines out of business. I recall similar dire warnings in the 1980s about Japanese businesses destroying all other businesses. An early episode of The Simpsons summed it up in the words of a nineteenth century union organizer. “You can’t treat the working man this way! One of these days we’ll form a union, and get the fair and equitable treatment we deserve! Then we’ll go too far, and become corrupt and shiftless, and the Japanese will eat us alive!”

Today’s Spiritual Woman

But I knew nothing of this maple leaf-keffiyeh fare war. So, I fell back on what I did know. “The service was superb.” His response? “They are non-union, you know. I will only fly with companies that are unionized.” I politely excused myself because there was no profit in further conversation. I am quite fond of unions. My Daddy was a union man -- a Teamster. And, as I told you last December (are you now -- or have you ever been --), I was a card-carrying member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America when I worked at the lumber mill. So, you will hear no stereotypes from me about unionized workers -- even public employee unions like the Air Canada flight attendants. But, I have noticed that when jobs are supposedly secure by contract, customer service tends to suffer. And there is a good reason why the service in an Air Canada cabin is not as -- let’s call it “memorable” -- as the service on my Emirates flight. I am not saying that the difference is unionization. But that appears to be what the stranger in Los Angeles was inadvertently advocating.

But there is enough difference in service that I would choose Emirates over Air Canada -despite the difference in air fares. Paying less for better service is merely the frosting on the lemon and white chocolate gâteau. I have a list of high service airlines. Whether they are unionized or not, I don’t know. More importantly, I don’t care. After all, I am buying a product, not an ideology. And service is what I look for first. Just like my choice for a new vehicle in Mexico. But that tale may be stalled until at least next week.

MASABI

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 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.

Order your copy today Through Barns and Nobel on-line

$12.99

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/three-blind-men-and-a-lady-lola-carlile-phd/1112896070 Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

Romanian Artist Alla Razloga Tradition tugs at all corners of my life. Candles, books, fruit, flowers and fine glass objects are what my eyes are drawn to right away, because they are a part of my history. I set up still-life objects that are common to my environment but by adding color, texture and proper placement my work comes alive for me. When I see a unique face of a stranger I like to imagine what they are feeling by the look on their face. I will then draw them in setting that illustrates my perception of them. The way my paintings come into being is from my direct observation. My easel is set up right next to the site so details of the items on the table are in close proximity to me.

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My portrait drawings consist mainly of family members, friends and casual acquaintances. Sometimes I work with a model who sits for me until the drawing is complete, and at other times I take many photographs in multiple poses until I get one that feels right and I draw from that reference. When painting I use oil on canvas and acrylic on canvas. Lately my drawings have been charcoal and graphite, because I can control them easier. Charcoal can be erased and edited by the wipe of a hand and placed back just as easily. I like to use Prismacolor pencils for certain projects because they require a layering of many colors to enhance the shade. Although I have specific tools I regularly use, I am always open to challenging myself and learning a different technique. I became interested in painting at a very early age. I have always preferred creating a representation of real life i.e. still life. The objects that I paint I find aesthetically pleasing which evoke happy memories from my past. This has been one of my main focuses at WOU. I did not realize the myriad of challenges an artist faced until I majored in art. I NOW have a better insight into the life of an artist and have to ask myself, would I do this again? MASABI

I have always been fascinated by what other people looked like and the amount of time and detail it might take to draw their face. I have learned that creating a drawing in a hyper realistic way will show the true likeness of their face and their personality. As I move forward in my development as an artist I will continue creating still life paintings and expand into exploring new genres and techniques. Portraiture will be continued with multiple mediums until a higher level of skill has been achieved. My plan is to move onto new content and subject matter.

When I first met Alla Razloga, I knew I had met someone absolutely special. For one thing everytime we had our drawing class, I clung to her and begged for advice. She was so far advanced and I was merely a beginner. She helped me see where I needed to improve and how I could make my art passable. Her art, on the other hand, seemed already professional. That was seven years ago and today she is a children’s book artist, a college graduate, and a woman with a mission/ Check our her blog to find out how to purchase her art and support this amazing young woman. It did help that were both of Romanian decent. That sealed our friendship. Please sit down and meet my friend, Alla!

Today’s Spiritual Woman

The Journey of Death By Lola Carlile I have always been afraid of death. I can remember the anxious breaths I took as I thought about dying when I was in my teens. I tried not to step on the cracks in the sidewalk for fear of hurting my mother and I checked the newspaper daily for fear of finding someone my age had died – surely that would be an omen. I truly thought I would never live to be 30 and here I am more than twice that age and I wonder where those feelings came from and why I have experienced this lifelong fear of death….Not even my religion has been able to assuage my overwrought feelings.

I don’t remember experiencing those feelings before I was a teen, so something had to have happened in

my middle school years that fed the fervish delight evil had taken over my thoughts….And what was there to fear in the 1960s? Well, I remember clearly bomb drills at school. We were to get under our desks and hide. As if that would help us live…And I was ever so distraught that my family did not have funds with which to purchase a bomb shelter. To add to that the year 1960 was touted for many Catholics and, indeed, the entire world over, as a time to discern seriously our world via the letters supposedly given to the children at Fatima by Jesus’ mother. Yes, I knew something devastating was to happen in the New Year, so the night of December 31, 1959, I remember crying and praying that our world would not be destroyed. And daylight came and nothing happened….And the next day came and still nothing occurred. What was I fearing? My first two years of high school were lackluster and I succeeded in Latin, being a dutiful daughter, and generally working hard. It was in my third year of high school that I was transferred from the all girls’ high school to a public school. And there I found more than books and work. I discovered clothing – before then I had been clad in uniforms and uniformity. Now I was exposed to something m ore and I yearned to have my own car, to build up my wardrobe – to live. And then all hell broke loose – my grandparents on both sides died within a period of two years. I flunked out of college due to a lack of good study habits and a desire to succeed. I wanted to live in the moment and that I did. I returned to college and finally got it right after my fourth college degree! Having the advantage of counseling and therapy graduate classes finally helped me realize that our childhood does indeed haunt us and using strategies for good mental health we can all finally face our demons and live the good life.

MASABI

Tea Parties – a Thing of the Past? By Vye Carlile

Once upon a time a little girl imagined growing up and attending many a ball and luncheons and coming out in a debutante party…. I once attended such a party in Dallas, Texas. It started with my friend, Mary, who was the debutante. But when I met her, I was not aware that she was a debutante. On the contrary, we were two young girls who hated our math class at The University of Dallas, and after roll was taken, we snuck out. I usually just went back to the freshman dorm where I lived and she, who knows where? She was a day student. One day she looked at me as we were tiptoeing out and we both laughed! She asked if I would like to go have a coke with her (in Texas all “pop”

is called coke). I happily agreed, as I did not have a car

at that time and was happy to get off campus for any reason. After that we just met and hung out. I soon found out she came from a very wealthy Dallas socialite’s home. Her father had passed away and her mom and brother and she lived together. This was back in 1966 and I can tell you that I was more than impressed with her bedroom that had two double beds! Not single beds, mind you, but double beds. And a large television and a whirlpool bathtub (or have I imagined those all these years?). To make a long story short, I got to see how the other half of the world live (or 1% as we say now). We went to Neiman Marcus and ate, but she preferred McDonald’s, having never been there. We prepared for her debutante ball and I, accompanied by her brother, a nice enough guy, who later on became a Catholic priest, wore one of her “old” debutante gowns complete with beading and bows. The night of the party we had a suite at the Sheraton and all I remember is the music and the bows. After that year, she left and married someone and we didn’t keep in touch, but one thing I do remember is that it was nice for a while to pretend there were no wars and no problems with finances. There were only good times, with little old ladies complimenting me on my dress, figure, or mind, whichever came first to mind. And sometimes I like to think back on that experience and reflect on the finer things a lady in the formal sense experiences. Having tea. Little cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese, and scones. I’m in the mood for a tea party once again. Maybe this time with my granddaughter….

Today’s Spiritual Woman

THE BEST potato soup recipe ever! Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, sliced into small bite sized pieces 1/2 regular package uncooked bacon, finely diced 1 medium onion, diced 1/4 bunch celery, diced 8 cups milk 4 cups water 4 chicken bullion cubes (use a cup of the hot potato water to dissolve, then use the cup of hot water in place of one of the above cups of water) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 cup salted butter 3/4 cup flour 1/4 bunch freshly chopped parsley 1 cup whipping cream ***For garnish:*** Shredded cheese fried bacon bits chopped green onions

Directions: In large pot, boil potatoes in water 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. In sautĂŠ pan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon fat and place on paper towel over plate to drain more. Add onion and celery to bacon pan over medium-high heat until celery is tender, about 5 minutes. To the large potato pan, add milk, water, bullion, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture is very hot, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Do not let mixture boil. In small, heavy saucepan melt butter. Add flour and mix well. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture bubbles, stirring 2 to 3 minutes to make a roux. While constantly stirring soup, add roux slowly until soup is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, reserved potatoes, and cream. Garnish with cheese, bacon bits, onions or all three. Serve hot!

MASABI

Growing Old Retiree’s Message

As I was lying in bed pondering the problems of the world, I rapidly realized that I don’t really give a rat’s hiney. It’s the tortoise life for me! And here is why: 1.. If walking is good for your health, the postman would be immortal. 2.. A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks water, and is fat. 3.. A rabbit runs and hops and only lives 15 years. 4.. A tortoise doesn’t run and does nothing, yet it lives for 450 years. And you tell me to exercise?? I don’t think so. I’m retired. Go around me. Senility Prayer God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference. Now that I’m older and wiser, here’s what I’ve discovered: 1. I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it. 2. My wild oats have turned into prunes and all-bran. 3. I finally got my head together, and now my body is falling apart. 4. Funny, I don’t remember being absent-minded. 5. Funny, I don’t remember being absent-minded. 6. If all is not lost, where is it? 7. It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser. 8. Some days, you’re the dog; some days you’re the hydrant. 9. I wish the buck stopped here; I sure could use a few. 10. Kids in the back seat cause accidents. 11. Accidents in the back seat cause kids. 12. It’s hard to make a comeback when you haven’t been anywhere. 13. The world only beats a path to your door when you’re in the bathroom. 14. If God wanted me to touch my toes, he’d have put them on my knees. 15. When I’m holding all the cards, why does everyone want to play chess? 16. Its not hard to meet expenses . . . they’re everywhere. 17. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. 18. These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter ...I go somewhere to get something, and then wonder what I’m hereafter 19. Funny, I don’t remember being absent-minded. 20. DID I SEND THESE TO YOU BEFORE..........?????? YaMANIMA http://www.flickr.com/photos/yumanuma/5498837127/

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Garden Party By Lola Evergreen scents scintillating nostrils Arborvitae creeping nigh the walk Foxglove waving in the cool summer air Magnolias the size of heads peeking through the leaves Garden party in Oregon

MASABI

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to be you.The world needs your unique form of awesomeness.

MASABI

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleyrosex/3604936492/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Body 41

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

ABIDE By Pat Garcia

When we abide,

It takes a person with a vision to stand steadfast when the storms of life are raging around them. Such people stand still as they abide within the framework of knowledge and wisdom they have received in accordance with their vision. They are unlikely to swerve to the left or to the right. They become unshakeable as they learn to abide and remain in a restful state that causes them to exercise patience, trust and faith as they wait on the outcome.

We wake up with expectancy: We climb over our hindrances: We tackle our procrastination: We move out of the realm of self-pity: We become unconquerable. Abiding gives us the willingness to place ourselves in the hands of God That are more knowledgeable than we are, That are more competent than we ever could be. “So,” said the child. “I’m ready to leave this place?” “You’re not quite there,” the Prophet answered. “But I am tired of this place, we have been here a long time. What are you waiting on?” “On you.” “On me? But I am ready.” “No, you’re not. You’re abiding.” “This abiding is old, and I am tired of it. Can’t we move on to something new?” “We are moving.” “No, we’re not. I don’t feel a thing.” “But you’re moving.” “How do I know I’m moving? You keep on telling me to abide, abide,

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but abide in what? Why am I abiding?” “I thought you wanted to see what happens if you continued to abide here.” “But nothing is happening. That is just the case. I don’t see anything taking place. We have been abiding here for days, and all I see is the same old storm, on the same old spot, doing the same old thing.” “Because you don’t see it, you think nothing has happened?” “Well, I surely don’t see any changes,” the Child replied, sarcastically.

The Prophet chuckled as he waved his hand over the child’s face. Behind the storm, it caught a glimpse of something, felt the movement of the water and with awe realized they were moving. “We’re moving,” the Child cried out. “We’re moving.” “Sure we are,” replied the Prophet. “Did you think you were standing still?” “I thought we were abiding until………” “You are abiding. When you have finished abiding, we’ll be there.”

http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Hope-Above-320892368 Today’s Spiritual Woman

Slow Cooker Turtle Monkey Bread Prep Time

Total Time

Makes

Minutes

Hrs: Mins

servings

2:15

2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits 3/4 cup pecan halves 2 tablespoons whipping cream 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips

We’re not monkeying around—you actually make this monkey bread in your slow cooker!

Spray 4 1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, mix brown sugar and butter; microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is boiling and smooth. In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, place granulated sugar. Separate dough into 8 biscuits; cut each into fourths. Add a few of the biscuit pieces at a time to bag; shake to coat. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the pecans in slow cooker; top with half of the biscuit mixture. Pour one-third of the butter mixture over biscuits in cooker. Repeat with 1/4 cup pecans and remaining biscuit mixture. Pour remaining butter mixture over biscuits, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Cover; cook on High heat setting 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and biscuits are no longer doughy in center. Tops of biscuits will be moist and may appear unbaked. Turn off cooker. Carefully remove cover so condensation does not drip onto bread. Cover opening with paper towels; return cover to cooker. Let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cooker; turn bread upside down onto heatproof serving plate. In 1-quart saucepan, heat cream over medium heat just to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Drizzle over monkey bread. Serve warm. Make the Most of This Recipe With Tips From The Betty Crocker® Kitchens You can substitute 1/4 cup hot fudge topping, heated, for the chocolate drizzle. Slow cookers vary. Keep an eye on your bread while it’s baking so it does not get overdone. If your cooker has a removable ceramic container, turn the container halfway around about halfway through cooking time for more even browning. MASABI

Wild

A memoir by Cheryl Strayed Reviewed in part by Lola Carlile As the cover on the book says, this book is a “powerful, blazingly honest memoir – the story of an 1100 mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe – and built her back up again. At twenty-two Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life – to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State – and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long distance hiker and the trail was little more than an ‘idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.’ But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. Strayed faces rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat, record snowfalls, and both beauty and the loneliness of the trail. Her book sparkles with humor and warmth and captures the terrors and pleasures of a young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.” Why did I pay $25 to go listen to this woman after I had shelled out more than twenty bucks to buy her book? A book about an activity I have never even thought of, much less would expect to replicate? What initially drew me in was the fact that this young woman had lost her mother and thought that she could not go on – her world was destroyed. She loved her mother so much that she did not know what to do with her life but crash. As I write this I come upon the 4th anniversary of my own mother’s death and I can totally relate. It’s gotten a bit easier, but my world was devastated when my beloved mother suddenly left us. Yes, she was 81, but there was not time to do all the things I had planned to do with her since I retired. We were going to live in the same city and travel together. We were going to go to lunch and shop and talk. I was going to write her story and now I have only piecemeal tidbits with which to work. My children were devastated even though they were grown men with wives and families of their own. The loss of a mother is indescribable. She resides in my thoughts and mind daily. I talk to her and try to share the love she showed me with the world. Cheryl Strayed, you were not alone and you know that now. Thank you for writing your wonderful story that encourages all of us and assures us that we will all “be okay in the end.” Today’s Spiritual Woman

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning In many child drownings, adults are nearby but have no idea the victim is dying. Here’s what to look for. By Mario Vittone A lifeguard keeps watch on opening day of the newly renovated McCarren Park Pool on June 28, 2012, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the couple swimming between their anchored sportfisher

and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each

other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine; what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept

swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not 10 feet away, their 9-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!” How did this captain know—from 50 feet away—what the father couldn’t recognize from just 10? Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew know what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for is rarely seen in real life. The Instinctive Drowning Response—so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the No. 2 cause of accidental death in children, ages 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents)—of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In some of those drownings, the adult will actually watch the child do it, having no idea it is happening.* Drowning does not look like drowning—Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene magazine, described the Instinctive Drowning Response like this:

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1.“Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled before speech occurs. 2.Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water. 3.Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe. 4.Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment. 5.From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.” This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble—they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the Instinctive Drowning Response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long—but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc. Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

• • • • • • • • • •

Head low in the water, mouth at water level Head tilted back with mouth open Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus Eyes closed Hair over forehead or eyes Not using legs—vertical Hyperventilating or gasping Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway Trying to roll over on the back Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks OK—don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you all right?” If they can answer at all—they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents—children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Heroes in our Midst By Vye Carlile

Knowing a true hero personally is a rare occasion in this world. Yes, we lamely nominate famous people heroes, but what exactly is a hero? A hero is someone who does extraordinary acts that help the lives of others. They give something up whether it is time, money, or life. With that definition in mind, I am proud to nominate members of Damascus Community Church as heroes in the lives of many Oregonians.

Several humble members of the church began a Military Mission at their small community church in Portland several years ago. One of the founders (he didn’t want to be named, as he believes the entire church group deserves credit) is a quiet, unassuming man who gives his all when it comes to answering the call. And that call was from the community representative of the National Guard who informed him that there was an urgent need to feed some military who return from deployment and for one reason or the other find themselves unemployed and needing assistance. Now, these individuals want everyone to understand that these military men and women are proud individuals. They don’t ask for themselves. Their coordinator noticed that things were rough and that’s where the church came in…Members of this church community have delivered over 160 boxes of food to the central Oregon area – from Portland to Salem. And they have done so without fail for every month, driving to Salem to deliver the ten boxes needed in that vicinity. Each year the local television station KATU TV conducts a toy drive and donates some toys to the Military Ministry. Not only are food items shared with the military, so are diapers and the toys. The church has extended the ministry to a local Catholic church in Salem – St. Edward’s. In June of this year, 24 individuals stepped forth to involve Salem in providing for their National Guard needs. DCC provided letters of support, ideas, and procedures, and even volunteered to send a representative to attend the first volunteer meeting at St. Ed’s. The hope is that this ministry will spread throughout the state and to other states as well. With individuals such as the members of DCC, the American theme of giving and caring is indeed alive and well.

MASABI

Science Confirms Turmeric As Effective As 14 Drugs Sayer Ji, Founder http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/science-confirmsturmeric-effective-14-drugs

• Lipitor/Atorvastatin(cholesterol medication): A 2008 study published in the journal Drugs in R & D found that a standardized preparation of curcuminoids from Turmeric compared favorably to the drug atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor) on endothelial dysfunction, the underlying pathology of the blood vessels that drives atherosclerosis, in association with reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients. • Corticosteroids (steroid medications): A 1999 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, the saffron colored pigment known as curcumin, compared favorably to steroids in the management of chronic anterior uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease.

•Prozac/Fluoxetine & Imipramine (antidepressants): A 2011 study published in Turmeric is one the most thoroughly the journal Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica found researched plants in existence today. Its that curcumin compared favorably to both drugs medicinal properties and components (primarily in reducing depressive behavior in an animal curcumin) have been the subject of over 5600 model. peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies. In fact, our five-year long research • Aspirin (blood thinner): A 1986 in vitro project on this sacred plant has revealed over and ex vivo study published in the journal 600 potential preventive and therapeutic Arzneimittelforschung found that curcumin has applications, as well as 175 distinct beneficial anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects physiological effects. compared to aspirin, indicating it may have value in patients prone to vascular thrombosis Given the sheer density of research and requiring anti-arthritis therapy. performed on this remarkable spice, it is no wonder that a growing number of studies have • Anti-inflammatory Drugs: A 2004 study concluded that it compares favorably to a variety published in the journal Oncogene found of conventional medications, including: that curcumin (as well as resveratrol) were effective alternatives to the drugs aspirin, ibuprofen, sulindac, phenylbutazone, naproxen, indomethacin, diclofenac, dexamethasone, Today’s Spiritual Woman

celecoxib, and tamoxifen in exerting antiinflammatory and anti-proliferative activity against tumor cells. â&#x20AC;˘Oxaliplatin (chemotherapy drug): A 2007 study

published in the International Journal of Cancer found that curcumin compares favorably with oxaliplatin as an antiproliferative agenet in colorectal cell lines. â&#x20AC;˘ Metformin (diabetes drug): A 2009 study published in the journal Biochemitry and Biophysical Research Community explored how curcumin might be valuable in treating diabetes, finding that it activates AMPK (which increases

glucose uptake) and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression (which suppresses glucose production in the liver) in hepatoma cells. Interestingly, they found curcumin to be 500 times to 100,000 times (in the form known as tetrahydrocurcuminoids(THC)) more potent than metformin in activating AMPK and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). Another way in which turmeric and its components reveal their remarkable therapeutic properties is in research on drug resistant- and multi-drug resistant cancers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cherriemio/ MASABI

What would you do if your twelve–year old son began his period? That is the question one California family had to ponder in 1960, an era when rock and roll shattered the innocence of the 50’s. With impending doom from nations near out 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. 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.

51 On Sale now through Author House Publishing online

Hardcover $28.20 E-book

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http://www.amazon.com/The-Twin-Within-painful-struggling/dp/1438958846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=13406 71814&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Twin+Within

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Healthy Eatmore Fudge Chocolate Bars By Chocolate Covered Katie http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/02/15/healthy-eatmore-fudge-chocolate-bars/

As a kid, I devoured Eatmore Bars when I got the chance (this wasn’t often because chocolate bars always led to me having temper tantrums… I’m guessing it had to do with the enormous amounts of ‘bounce-off-the-walls’ refined sugar…), and I have to admit, to this day, I still get a craving for a sweet, chewy, Eatmore bar… but nowadays I couldn’t bring myself to eat one. So instead, this recipe does the trick! Not only does this healthy version still taste like an Eatmore bar, it tastes like an Eatmore bar topped with FUDGE! Yes, fudge. Healthy fudge! No refined sugars, flours, or chemicals found here in these super delicious and incredibly easy homemade fudge squares!

‘Eatmore’ Fudge Squares • 1 cup pitted dates • 1/2 cup almonds, unsalted • 1/4 cup walnuts, unsalted • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder • 2 ripe bananas • 4 tbsp natural almond butter

• 1/4 cup more unsweetened cocoa powder • 4 tbsp unpasteurized honey (K note: strict vegans can use agave)

MASABI

Put dates in a bowl with warm water; allow dates to soak for 30 minutes, then drain. Mix together dates, almonds, walnuts, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder in a food processor until well blended. Spread mixture in a 9×5 baking pan (or an 8×8 is okay) until evenly distributed, and press down gently with a spoon. Mix together bananas, almond butter, honey, and other 1/4 cup cocoa powder in the food processor until well blended. Spread mixture over bottom layer until evenly distributed. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Cut into 16 squares. Re-freeze whatever you don’t eat, and enjoy at another time!

Curves or the Absence of Them! By Vye Carlile

I have never been a physical kind of person. I like to read, write, and watch movies, in that order. I also like sightseeing, but more on the bus type….I don’t remember ever taking a PE class in school, so why is it that I have finally found an exercise that I don’t detest? Mind you, I didn’t say I’ve fallen off the wagon and actually find exercise pleasing, but I have found one that I can do and actually works in creating some curves where before I had lots of roundness. It’s at a little place called Curves where I learned that my ole’ ADHD self could actually enjoy exercise. Thirty seconds on one and thirty seconds off. I could handle that. I do handle that. I go almost 3 – 5 times a week – sometimes only two. But I go! And that says more for my athletic club membership where I go maybe once a month and that’s if my friend is in town and calls me to meet her to “swim,” which I actually can’t do, but that’s another story for another time…. complete approach. You need exercise to boost your metabolism, a diet that starves fat and feeds muscle, and the encouragement and support necessary to stay on track. With this in mind, we introduced Curves Complete - a complete program with exercise, meal plan and one-one-on coaching - all in one program, and all in one place. Curves Complete has been proven to reduce fat and increase lean muscle, all while boosting metabolism.

Why Choose Curves: According to their website, “Gary and Diane Heavin

opened the first Curves in 1992 as a fitness and

• Curves is the largest fitness franchise in the

weight-loss facility designed especially for women.

world with thousands of locations in over 90

In a relatively short amount of time, Curves grew to

countries.

become the largest fitness franchise in the world, helping women in over 90 countries lead healthier

• Curves first opened in 1992 as the first fitness and weight-loss facility designed for women.

lives. The reason for Curves’ success is the practical

• Curves provides a one-stop program which

approach to women’s diet and exercise combined

includes exercise, diet, and one-on-one

with a supportive club environment. We invite women

coaching all in one place with Curves Complete.

of all shapes, sizes, and ages to lose weight, become stronger, and reach their health goals at Curves.

• A Curves 30 minute workout can burn up to 500 calories and works every major muscle group with strength training, cardio and

The Curves 30-minute workout exercises every major muscle group and burns up to 500 calories through a proven program of strength training, cardio and stretching. But we’ve always known that the best solution for weight loss requires a

stretching. • Curves Complete coaches are certified by the prestigious Cleveland Clinic. • Curves Wellness works with major insurance providers and large employers offering.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

• Curves constantly innovates with new programs

enjoy going there. A few months ago I visited my

such as Curves Smart, Curves Circuit with

sister and went to the Curves near her and it was

Zumba fitness and Curves Complete.

dismal. Maybe it had something to do with the

• Curves has helped millions of women lose weight, gain strength, and get fit.”

snow outside, but the gal at the counter could have cared less who we were or why we were there. She was busy doing paperwork and told my sister to

Well, if I can do it, anyone can! I lost 4 inches of

just follow me around – she didn’t even bother to

back fat, girls! Seriously, back fat! They measured!

show her the machines, so beware – not all Curves

And I think I made some muscle and got rid of

are made alike. Trust me on this one. But it is good

some other fat – when I look at my round tummy,

news to know that there is hope for even the most

it is not round anymore! It’s just got curves in

unexercisable of us around. And, yes, I think I just

it. But before you rush out to any Curves, pay

created a new word. Happy life’s journey to you all

attention – the one I go to is the best. They know

– I gotta go get dressed and head out for

me; they talk to me; encourage me; and laugh and

my Curves….

cry with me. They have become my friends and I

" It's Important to be nice to others, but it's even more important to be nice to yourself " MASABI

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

MASABI

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to start over. It is a new chance to rebuild what you want.

Improvement

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

BRAVE NEW GIRLS by Lola Carlile

Chapter 1 My Parents Are So Dumb Little children, headache; big children, heartache. ~Italian Proverb

Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that is may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”

You’ve heard a lot of teens talking about how dumb their parents are. You may have even said so yourself. What is it about parents that make their children think such things? Well, naturally, the world is filled with a lot of smart people and, then again, some not so smart people. When most of these smart and not so smart people get married, they do have children. And most of the children think their parents are, at best, pretty dumb. For a while. Then, reality and maturity check in and the child realizes that experience does count for something and perhaps, just maybe, her parents are ok. And maybe even a little smart…. But it’s ok to think these things. Can you imagine if everyone thought their parents were the best, the smartest, the kindest, the most wonderful? Well, that would be a description of heaven. And we aren’t in heaven, at least not yet! Parents might not understand some things. They might even seem out of touch with reality at times, but there are things that parents know that even you don’t know. For one, your mother knows what it is like to have a baby. Your father knows what it is like to provide for a family. They both have tasted responsibility. And they can’t just say, “No thanks, we’re done. We don’t want any more.” They have accepted responsibility for a family and now they have to endure for an eternity. By having a baby, that huge responsibility for life begins. Wow. That is an awesome task. So, when you are thinking of your parents and how dumb they must be, think of what they do know. Concentrate on that. My dad only went to the eighth grade. I thought of him as illiterate. I was going to go to college and not be as dumb as he. Well, I have several degrees, and, you know what? I can’t build an Adirondack chair like he could. I would have no clue how to build a playhouse with two rooms. I couldn’t even begin to reupholster my couch. Yep. Dad could do those things. So, now with advancing age, I see what wondrous things he could do. MASABI

My mom? She is from the old country. She talks too much and cleans up way too much for me. And she slaughters the language with her English mistakes. I used to correct her, but she got tired of me doing that. She finally told me to stop it. And now! So I did. But now I look at her with that advanced maturity and I see a woman who took care of her father during the war. How she walked over one hundred kilometers to find medical assistance for her dad is beyond me. I could never do those things. So what if she uses incorrect English? She has other qualities I don’t have. So I guess I’m not a smart-aleck any longer. I wish I would have not been one when I was a teen. I know now that my parents loved me and did the best they knew how to raise me. No, I wasn’t rich. I didn’t have a car until I could make the payment and pay for the gas and insurance. I definitely was just loved and given shelter and food in order to grow. Ok, look at your own parents. Write down what bothers you the most about your mother and father below. Remember to just write facts. Not your opinions. Examples: Mother talks really loud to me. Dad won’t let me date. Also, you may not write down only negative thoughts. You must write down positive thoughts as you go along.

MOTHER

This really bugs me….

This is pretty neat about her….

Now that you have finished writing at least ten things, think of the most important ones you have written. Compare with a friend or a sibling. Are these items on their list as well? Now, look at the most wonderful thing you wrote about your mom. Compare it to the most difficult thing. Do they even compare? You might sit down and write what you think your mother thinks about YOU! Can you put yourself in her place? Go ahead! You can do it! IF you don’t live with your mother, think of another female who has “control” over your life, or so you think. It could be an older sister, aunt, grandmother, friend, or employer. Just think of a female who is your role model and go for it! Today’s Spiritual Woman

This really bugs my mom about me….

Cool things my mom thinks of me….

DARE!

Do you dare share these with your mom? What a cool way to start some talking points with her. Ask her if these are some things that bug her about you. And are those some things she likes about you? You might hear some additional things you didn’t know about your mom. When you are finished with this list, why don’t you share the list you made on the previous page? Hum. What does Mom think now? After talking with Mom, write down the five things you think you learned from this exercise. Remember, you are in control of your feelings and your mind. Only you can make yourself happy. Maybe your mom has problems. Maybe she isn’t around for you. You can’t change those things. You can only change yourself and your perceptions of things around you.

My Reflections

Dad or Male Role Model

Things that my Dad loves about me.…

MASABI

Things he’s not so crazy about….

Father

This really bugs me….

This is pretty neat about her….

Ok, you know the drill. Read those and compare them. Share them with your dad. What does he think? Now, fill out this one on you. What does dear ole’ Dad think about YOU?

Things that Dad likes about me….

Things he’s not too crazy about….

OK, now you are ready to rock and roll! Talk with your dad and share your comments. What does he think? Is he surprised by any of your comments? Does he make you change your mind about your thoughts? Or not? Write below your reflection from talking and sharing with Dad.

This is a short excerpt from Brave New Girls book, Today’s Spiritual Woman

Why Elders Admire Beauty: Beyond Seduction

By Barry-Lee Coyne

While I cannot possibly be a spokesman for all male senior citizens out there, I likely can project a truthful opinion that covers many. The time has come to confront the myth of the “Dirty Old Man” out there. In witnessing the zest and vivacity of females in the Young Generation, we get inspired. The looks alone do not entice us or set our hormones on fire. We feel that males in their age bracket should feel extra fortunate. Our wont is to have special respect for those women who are motivated in pursuing their career goals. It is a good omen that such individuals don’t wish to rely on looks but want to cultivate their mental and social skills. Do I enjoy glancing at a pretty face? Probably so, if it seems authentic and not simply hidden behind cosmetics. I look for the form of “beauty” that projects sincerity. I appreciate the spunky woman who battles for her beliefs. Those who present themselves as simply showcases on two legs are egotistical would-be elitists.

There is no question that some younger women are in better condition than their older counterparts. But by the same token, who wouldn’t rather cruise in this year’s Lexus instead of traipsing in an old ‘72 Pontiac? And the beauty of the landscape of the Cascades finds its human sequel in viewing a wellsculpted female figure. Does that translate into a mode of seduction in play? Guess again. That fable is not a realistic option, so why waste my time tethered to a fantasy? Whatever time I still have on Earth needs to adhere to the plausible. Yes, I like to mentor younger people and be a source of encouragement. It’s a joy to help them job hunt and to profit from the hard, painful lessons I’ve absorbed so they not stumble needlessly. I’m also inclined to offer advice to those females having conflictual boyfriends, not wanting to see them hurt by lack of insight. Having been closer to my mother than my father, I may be projecting that ancient bond of trust. My reading of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as a teen still resonates. Not that I possess that needed energy to save all “damsels in distress”, but perhaps a few are worth the attempt. Equity begets quality. The fight for fairness is a male task I take seriously. May it never lapse into oblivion. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NOTE: The author has been married for 32 years and prides himself in having many platonic female friends. He is currently working to promote a Violence Against Women Forum later this year.

MASABI

Seeking happiness and peace today By Lola Wotta Today I feel stressed and worried. And I am not sure why. I think that relationships are difficult –spouses, children, and friends. I wonder that if our childhood and formative years are fraught with pain, emotional injury, and anxiety, how can we honestly expect not to engage in those experiences once we reach adulthood? Is there a way to escape the stranglehold of those emotions as we begin to live an independent life with or without a partner to help guide us? Some find solace in religion. Establishing a peaceful relationship with God enables one to look beyond the frailties of ourselves and others in this life. Espousing love and kindness is one thing and living it quite another. If our parents and grandparents advise us on living, we must look to their experiences. Were they successful and happy for the most part of their lives? Did they make the right decisions? If the answer is generally no, then why would be repeat their mistakes in our own lives? We can listen and learn – we can learn from the mistakes of our parents. We should look to those who are more peaceful and happier….it is in reading about those individuals and studying how they acted that we will learn how to live a more harmonious life. I look to my grandparents’ love and life as a beacon to me as how to act. They had wonderful faith in God. They seemed so happy…. One thing I do know is that we cannot control others. We can try and sometimes be successful, but it is an arduous task and one that is bound to fail now and then, more often than not. We can only handle how we perceive things. We can control ourselves. We can decide to be happy. We can surround ourselves with individuals who are happy. I try to work on being a better person myself. I know that in a relationship I have had to give 100% and not worry about what I was going to get in return. And then, amazingly, things started to happen I never would have imagined. Our finances began to come together and my hubby invited me on a date. And things were looking pretty good. . . . I can’t worry about others. I just have to worry about myself and pray for others. It is very difficult. My background haunts me. Anxiety. Worries. Feeling stressed. The bottle or the pills don’t help in the long run. I have to control myself and it’s difficult. More difficult than I can describe, but it’s all I can do. I just have to take it one step at a time. . . .slowly and surely to the path of happiness, peace, and love. I wish you love and peace and want you to know you are loved unconditionally. No matter what. Today’s Spiritual Woman

BLT Dip (Warning, it went so fast I barely had time to try it!)

Ingredients: 1-1/2 pound bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled, and divided 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded) or to taste 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste) 1 tablespoons mustard 2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes 1-1/2 cup shredded Iceberg lettuce pepper an salt to taste Toasted bread rounds, crackers, or pita chips.

MASABI

Directions: Preheat oven to 350Ë&#x161;. Spray a 11â &#x201E;2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside 3/4 cup crumbled bacon. In a large bowl, combine remaining bacon, cream cheese, shredded cheeses, sour cream, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and mustard. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes, remaining 3/4 cup crumbled bacon and lettuce over hot dip. Serve immediately with toasted bread rounds, crackers, or pita chips.

TACO BAKE (love the bakes!!) For all Low carbers!! Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1 packet taco seasoning * water as called for on back of seasoning packet 3 large flour tortillas (8-inch size) 1/2 cup Salsa Con Queso 1 1/2-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend Directions: Brown and crumble ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add in taco seasoning and water (following directions on back of seasoning packet). Once the taco meat is ready, turn off heat and add in 1/2 cup salsa con queso. Give it a good stir until thoroughly combined. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Spray an 8-inch round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Layer the bottom of the pan with a flour tortilla. Now add about 1/3 of the ground beef taco filling on the the first layer. Then add 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Continue until you are done with all the layers: another tortilla, more taco mixture, more cheese. Bake at 350F degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Until cheese is melted and edges are slightly golden brown. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Then slice and serve. I like mine with some sour cream and diced tomatoes on top. For other funnys, facts, tips, and recipes check out: www.facebook.com/groups/sarahsskinnyfiber

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

Cutting it Close

“Where do you live?” “Why did you move there?” And, yes: “Isn’t it dangerous?” The type of questions you might anticipate from a high school journalism student.

By Steve Cotton

And then, zinging in from left stage: “Do they have beauty salons [Note the “salons,” nothing so mundane as “shops” or as musty as “parlors”] in Mexico?”

Reading Steve Cotton’s missives from Mexico keep me entertained and educated. I hope you enjoy this latest one he posted at the beginning of June. I was sitting in a barber chair in Bend getting what would turn out to be one of the worst haircuts I have ever had.

She may as well have asked me if there is tea in China or rancho music in Nogales. After wiping the mix of shock and snobby sneer off of my face, I responded: “Yes, there are beauty shops in Mexico. In my little village, there is one on every other block, it seems.”

When I sit down in a barber chair, I usually like to read without interruption. Apparently, that has become a longforgotten custom. Or, at least, the young woman cutting my hair had never heard of it.

I should have left it there. But her amazement that such things existed in Mexico was enough to egg me on. When I get in My Father Knows Best mode, there is little to stop me.

From the moment I sat down, she reeled off question after question. For a moment I thought Christiane Amanpour had gone undercover. MASABI

In my best professorial tone, I went on. “But that should not be too surprising. Mexicans are an entrepreneurial people. They love setting up businesses. And low skill, small capital investments -- like beauty parlors -- are a natural mix.” I was a bit surprised at her reflection in the mirror. I expected gratitude. Instead, her face was a mixture of “How could you forget my birthday again -- this is the sixth time!” and “Just where have you been all night?”

fingernail and hair cells to the duty of fashion.

My bafflement ended with: “Low skills? I’ll have you know ... .” And I heard a lot of words following the imperative.

That may be because not much money is spent on traditional fashion.

When she calmed down, she said she was asking because a “client” of hers had come back from Cancun and told her that she could make millions of dollars down there because Mexico had no American beauty products in the salon. I let the worm on that hook wiggle until it drowned. I was not going to be drawn into another lecture based on -- what? ignorance, misplaced superiority, a foundation in economics that would thrill a politician? I just let her finish up.

Young women here wear conservative shorts and blouses. Even for swimming. Anything more revealing is reserved for tourists from Mexico City or Guadalajara.

These exchanges always amaze me. But they are not restricted to misconceptions about Mexico. When my parents came to visit me in Greece, one of the men traveling with their group told me he was terribly disappointed that there were not more people singing in the streets of Athens. The Happy Peasant myth seems to be universal in the American mind. The Mexican women in my village obviously devote a good deal of time on their hair and their nails. The beauty shops are always filled with women spending money on putting their dead

If you see a thong bathing suit in a shop or six inch stiletto heels on the street, you know the wearer is not from around here (unless it is one of the local transvestites). So, yes, my clip joint cutter, there are beauty salons in Mexico. And they perform the same function as in Bend. To let women look good for their women friends. Young Mexican men in board shorts are as oblivious of female fashion as are American young men in their Camaros. As for me, I earned a hair cut to show that honesty is not always the best policy when I am talking with, and in in the care of, a woman wielding scissors.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

No diagnosis, no stigma: Participating in VetCAT An Art Therapy Model From Chicago for Veterans by Esther Bergdahl Free VetCAT sessions take place twice a week in Chicago. Anyone who identifies as a veteran or service member is welcome. Art is therapy with no shame attached. That’s the attitude art therapist Suellen Semekoski hopes will bring more veterans to a new wellness program coordinated by the School of the Art Institute and the Albany Park Community Center. The Veterans’ Creative Arts Therapy Program, or VetCAT has big hopes for the future. The program gives veterans the opportunity to explore creative pursuits like visual art, dance movement and creative writing. Trained clinicians, who can help veterans learn and heal from the service-related issues they explore in their work, lead each session. “We’re trying to not create a program that is top-down therapy,” said program manager Iris Alvarado. “‘Here I am, the expert offering you solutions for your issues. You’re broken, I will help you. I will fix you.’ That’s not the way it works, and that’s something we’re really trying hard to work against.”

For veterans, mental health wellness is a pressing need. Between 11 percent and 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the National Center for PTSD. At least 10 percent of Gulf War veterans and at least 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans are affected by PTSD. In the general population, only about 8 percent of individuals experience PTSD in their lifetimes. “Art therapy taps into the nonverbal aspects of expression, so oftentimes people will draw something and it gives them a springboard to start to talk about it,” said Semekoski. “Trauma is encoded in the side of brain that doesn’t use speech, so it’s [about] coming back to the body, where everything lies. All kinds of traumas and all kinds of strengths too.” The program organizers sought to differentiate VetCAT from VA mental health programs, said Alvarado, herself a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. For some, the VA’s structured or regimented approach turns off veterans and makes the benefits of therapy inaccessible, she said. Building community is just as important as addressing personal needs, Alvarado added.“We have veterans who say they didn’t leave the house except to go to the VA for an appointment,” she said. “We’ve had people say, ‘I sit in my kitchen after my wife goes to bed and I write, and that’s the only time I do this creative thing.’ So we get them out of the door and into this community where there are other folks that are also sitting at their kitchen at midnight, writing.” MASABI

Veterans who are artists often point to the healing power of the creative process in their post-service experiences. Douglas Siefken, 63, of Chicago, was a combat and aerial photographer for the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He still pursues photography and has branched out into digital multimedia. “[Art] can help [veterans] come to grips with some of the things they’ve maybe had trouble coming to grips with over the years,” he said. Vietnam veteran Bill Dugan, of West Plains, Mo., worked as a lab and morgue technician for the U.S. Air Force. “The reason was because they knew I was an artist. I knew how to draw,” he said. “So they let me draw blood. That’s the logic of the military if you’ve ever been there!” Dugan works with sculpture, printmaking and drawing. Both he and Siefken are featured artists at a new exhibit at the National Veterans Art Museum in Portage Park. “You got to deal with the here and now,” Dugan said. “Live today. Go to therapy. You can’t fix what went by, but you can express what you did experience, and you can share that with people that are important to you. Especially the younger generation, they’ve had a good homecoming. Thank God. It’s good for them.” Semekoski agreed with Siefken’s and Dugan’s assessments. “Paradoxically, you can address stuff that is really painful, but experience the pleasure of the creative process, and that’s what makes [art therapy] very doable for people,” she said. VetCAT grew out of the Albany Park Community Center’s veteran employment program, but Alvarado said they emphasize a holistic approach to veteran wellness. “If folks are well, then their families are well, their communities are well, they can do better in schools and in jobs and in any other venture,” she said. Not all the focus is on trauma either: sometimes veterans need help with simpler life skills. “There’s such a high level of competency that veterans or military personnel are used to,” said Semekoski. “They’re used to doing their job and doing it well. And so some of learning the creative process is unlearning that, in the sense of the miracle of the mistake.” Alvarado hopes the skills that veterans learn in VetCAT sessions can also help their families, she said. Future programming may include teaching veteran spouses or other family members to use art to articulate how they can relate to each other, as well as exercises that help the family cope with each other’s mental states and needs. “If you identify as a veteran and you want to use these services, it is free and it is open,” she said. Semekoski sees VetCAT as an extension of a wider, self-propelled arts movement within the veteran community, she said. “Veterans are doing work that’s highly personal and highly therapeutic and highly raw at times,” she said. “It’s already out there. This is just setting up a space where safety is ensured.”

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Hiking

by Morgan Schmidt

R By

Climbing the sand dunes View trees and water Peaceful sights

dit a r t

aylie Maier

ionl Joining in

W WOW O P

circular Festiv e, ing

Civil rights By Mando Solario

Angelita

Signs and flags galore Thousands of all kinds Saving us

By Lisette Cervantes

Stately sculptures Angel made of clay Crowned, ready for flight Heavenly

Images Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: These amazing haiku were written by Lolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3rd grade class in 2007! Now these wonderful young people are embarking on their junior year of high school. Wonder what they write about now? MASABI

http://cindyb1973.deviantart.com/art/Air-167548492 http://www.flickr.com/photos/misserion/2276668526/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/10235100@N03/2693384070 http://www.flickr.com/photos usembmalta/7535276256/

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

71 List Price: $24.99

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.

Today’s Spiritual Woman

Making Corn Husk Roses by Penny Parker You will need : corn husk , glue gun , something to cut with. Start by cutting a circle out of the husk. Now cut a long strip and fold in half ( this will be the bud

Roll the (bud) into a well ,,, bud. Hot glue into place ( center) Now cut lots of petals and start to glue around your bud.

Keep going ( filling it up working to center ) Here i have cut more long pieces and folded in half to add around the bud in the center.

MASABI

Keep gluing and filling you rose. Now your done ,,,simple right?? i glued some natural raffia bow and dried babies breath to this one.

Add color by food coloring and warm water.

The inner flower is a foam ball cut into half , i painted it black and let dry then added tacky glue and stuck hole cloves in it ( smells nice ) and makes a lovely flower center. The rest of the flower can be made same as the rose but center goes on last.

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman

Spring Issue 2013 of Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spiritual Woman is a product of M.A.S.A.B.I. PO Box 2663; Salem, OR 97308

MASABI