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Mistletoe’s Lesser Known Virtues

12/12/2020

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​The legend states, "those who kiss  under the mistletoe
will fall in love and stay  in love."
​

Memories of mistletoe may be pleasant for some, but my most frequent experiences were sheer panic, as I realized, often too late, there was a cluster over head and the wrong guy standing next to me. 
Romantic novels, and some friend’s stories, give a different perspective. They describe an opportunity to finally have an  innocent kiss  with your heart's desire and  find out if there is a  special spark. If the legend holds true, this is followed by a guaranteed happily ever after. 

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MISTLETOE Caution - POISON
Gender: Masculine
Element:  Air
Planet: Sun
But this year, the coronavirus, masks, and distancing will eliminate what we have probably all thought of as mistletoe’s one and only role in holiday celebrations. We think of it as the  ‘kissing herb” and further examination probably  ends. When we apply labels, positive or negative, we tend to stop looking for other characteristics. 2020 has given us the  opportunity to view almost everything from a different perspectives, and taking a closer look at mistletoe may be surprising and beneficial!
Mistletoe, like most herbs, has a variety of folk names. One is All Heal, referring to its long, historic  role  in providing protection and healing. It has been carried to prevent, or cure, plague. It also ensures safety from fires and lightning, and will bring about good luck and fortune. Some sources  go  so far as to suggest there are spells using mistletoe to help you obtain immortality!
If you see mistletoe this year, I suggest  you abstain from kissing, but give some thought to attributes you might not have considered. We could all  use a bit of protection and healing from the plague, and mistletoe, all heal, will serve  us well.  
You might want to use the same approach with friends and family. What gifts and talents have been hidden in others  because they are over shadowed by a more dominant  label?   Holidays will be less  hectic this year and we’ll have more time to hunt for previously unnoticed treasures. Are there people in your life who have gifts and talents  you hadn’t noticed? Look beyond their most obvious talents and discover what you’ve been  missing!
Have  you discovered aspects in yourself that you have kept hidden? Do  you have interests  you’ve wanted to explore but haven’t taken the time to research or practice? You may  have an affinity  for music, but  focused  only on team sports. You might want to learn a  language and  study another  culture  so you’ll be ready  to visit exotic lands when  its safe to travel again. You might have  considered writing a novel but never made  the commitment to  follow through. These long dark days of isolation can give  us  an opportunity  to  explore and  develop new, or dormant, talents and skills. 

Nature is filled  with lessons.  Being more aware of mistletoe’s role in  lesser known virtues may guide  us to  insights about ourselves and  others we might not have considered. 
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Half of Eight is Zero

12/4/2020

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One of my most powerful lessons on creative thinking was my aha! when I realized that half of eight was O!

I was in an arithmetic class in elementary school and as I looked at the number 8, I realized that "half of eight equals 4" wasn't the only right answer! This discovery thrilled me and I immediately raised my hand to share this with my teacher and the rest of the class. The teacher was neither impressed nor pleased. She was visibly annoyed.

By the time I got home, my dad, a calculus professor at an engineering school, had received a call. He sat me down at the dining room table to have a conversation. His face was expressionless (my dad had made a considerable amount of money in the Korean War playing Black Jack and unlike me, had an enviable poker face).

He told me that my teacher had called and given her perspective, quite negative, on my discovery, and he asked me to explain mine. 

"Well, I just realized that half of eight can be zero," I said quietly, my head down. 

"Can you prove it?" he asked, and I saw a grin cross his face. He knew I could!

So I drew an eight, and covered the top. 0!

My dad was not angry. He was pleased! And as I looked at the 8 I realize it could be an E or a 3! And if I turned it on its side, it could be an m or a w! 

It was then that I realized being creative in school might not be well received. Over the years, many teachers wanted me to memorize and regurgitate. Thankfully my dad, a Calculus professor, wanted me to think.

My life would have been very different if he has scolded or reprimanded me as my teacher had. I have often wondered over the years as I've worked with young people, how many times their creative ideas and potential contributions have been squelched. Seeing things in new and different ways adds such joy to life. 


Just this morning my daughter Mycala came up with an idea that i could see changing everything in her life, and have a humorous and joyful impact on others!  I've been smiling since and thinking of how blessed I was to have support in my life for looking for more than one right answer!
​
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Cherishing the Moment Feeds the Soul

9/16/2020

 

 “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole world revolves. 
Slowly, evenly, without rushing towards the future.”
 ~ Thich Nhat Hahn


We live in an “instant” world. Handwritten letters, carefully thought out and elegantly penned, were once delivered  by mail. The anticipation of an artistically caring response could last for days or even weeks, and reread for a lifetime. Now we send rapid fire e-mails and abbreviated text messages and respond within seconds, often more reactive than thoughtful.

At one time, preparing a meal, from harvesting to artistic preparation and delivery to the table, could take hours. Once seated at at the table, which was often adorned with handmade linens and a center piece, we took the time to savor the flavors, share conversation, and recognize and appreciate the effort that went into the meal. Now, too often we fly through the drive through window on the way to here or there to buy over processed, fatty and over-salted food. At times, a meal is rapidly devoured in the car, or taken home to be gulped thoughtlessly in front of a television set blaring with upsetting messages. No wonder we’re still hungry after the meal. We haven’t really been fed!

During leisure time, people gathered  to share hobbies: to knit, crochet or make quilts that took months to finish. Now many of us have no idea what it is like to experience the satisfaction of completing a long term project, either alone or with others. Taking time to learn new skills and complete creative projects feeds the soul in a way that nothing else can replicate.

Even simply drinking a cup of tea can be done without presence or appreciation. Finding ways to slow down and value each moment will enrich every aspect of our lives.

Action:
Slow down. This activity is one of the most powerful concepts you can apply. Pay attention to the moment. Live mindfully. Take the time to experience the senses, the flavors, the simple joys that we often rush through.

There are two steps to this process. The first is awareness. The second, consider ways to  become more mindful. 


1. Awareness
Buy or create a notepad that is beautiful and romantic. Why would you use anything else, now that you’ve discovered how much beauty can enrich your life?  As you go through your day,  make notes when you find yourself beginning to rush. Don’t judge or make any changes - just capture the activity or moment when you find yourself rushing instead of savoring. It might be a hurried exit after gulping breakfast. Or a quick goodbye to a family member, sharing a conversation that you don’t even remember moments later.  Keep your notepad close at hand and add throughout the day and into the evening. 

2. Consider alternatives to create more mindful awareness
Find a quiet time to sit and reflect on each item. What could you do differently? How could you slow down and savor the moment? Are you aware of activities that you rush through because of poor planning? Are there thing you do you don’t enjoy that could be delegated or completely discarded? Is there a way to increase the joy so that you truly want to slow down and savor the moment?


As with previous action plans, you’ll find that change begins with awareness.  When you are ready, apply the changes that you’ve noted. Begin to thoughtfully incorporate a slow and deliberate, mindful awareness and appreciation of your life’s precious moments.

This morning I was rereading one of the sessions in the Take the Rose Instead course and thought this might be a helpful reminder for all of us. One of the benefits of the  pandemic is many are being more mindful of the present moment and the rewards of slowing down. 

The Power of One

8/15/2020

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I recently read a story about a man who dreamt he was a softly moving beam of light floating through a crowd. The dream prompted him to consider the impact he had on others as he moved through his day. He made the decision to literally be a 'beam of light'.  He made a commitment to bring warmth and light to his personal '10 foot zone". With our 6 feet social distancing area during the pandemic, it is positive way to think of filling the space. 

There are people who light up the area around them naturally. Wouldn't it be phenomenal if we would all become aware of the warmth we can extend to others, whether in a long line at the grocery store, a traffic jam or passing a neighbor? A smile and a kind word can make all the difference. If they don't smile back, we shouldn't take it personally. We never know what is going on in people's lives. But most of the time people will be receptive, and they'll probably pass the warmth along to others. 

We can't control what is happening in the world, and the media makes us very aware of the ugliness and injustice. Yet we are much more powerful than we realize. Extend a warm smile, a sincere compliment, gentle reassurance -  it doesn't cost anything to use our boundless source of love and energy to make the world a kinder, gentler place. We all have the power to impact our own 6 foot radius. If each one of us commits to that small area, and all of the circles connect, the impact would be immeasurable. 

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing 
would suffice to solve most of the world’s problem.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi
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The Power of Words

1/24/2020

 
Words are so powerful.
Last night I found this note from one of my participants. It warmed my heart and reminded of how fortunate we are to be able to lift up ourselves, and each other, using 26 little marks!

"As always, you and your work are my highlight of the day!  Thank you so much for reinforcing affirmations and words/thoughts I say about myself.  I need to be reminded repeatedly.  You are truly a gift. I am so grateful for the gifts you are sharing with me!" 

As I consider the power of words, I'm reminded of one of my favorite insights on resources - a quote taken from an advertisement  to promote local libraries.  

​Roger von Oech, author of A Kick in the Seat of the Pants and A Whack on the Side of the Head, shared his perspective from an advertisement for a library

Miracles at Your Local Library!

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


“At your local library they have these arranged in ways that can make you cry, giggle, love, hate, wonder, ponder, and understand.

It’s astonishing to see what these twenty-six little marks can do. In Shakespeare’s hands they becameHamlet. Mark Twain wound them into Huckleberry Finn. James Joyce twisted them into Ulysses. Gibbon pounded them into The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. John Milton shaped them into Paradise Lost.”


What can you do with these 26 letters to honor yourself? I challenge you to arrange them in a way that will inspire and delight!! Make a gratitude list, write a thank you note to yourself, capture your treasured memories in a journal, write a poem or a song! Be kind with your self talk! Use affirmations.
 

If we use our words to inspire and nurture ourselves in the same way we use them to honor others, our entire perspective about who we are and what we can accomplish will change. We will step into a whole new world of miraculous possibilities!
​

What can you do with 26 little marks?

Power in Gentleness

1/27/2019

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When people are born they are gentle and soft.
At death they are hard and stiff.
When plants are alive they are soft and delicate.
When they die, they wither and dry up.
Therefore the hard and stiff are followers of death.
The gentle and soft are the followers of life.

Thus, if you are aggressive and stiff, you can't win.
When a tree is hard enough, it is cut. Therefore
The hard and big are lesser,
The gentle and soft are greater.

     - Yi-Ping Ong, from the introduction, Tao Te Ching
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Remembering  the True Meaning of Christmas

12/25/2018

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As we celebrate Christmas, let's remember the true meaning and hold that spirit in our hearts for everyone. Wishing you all peace, love, a safe journey and a safe and comfortable place to live. 
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Faith

7/20/2018

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"if you have faith, even if it's only as tiny as a mustard seed,  you can move a mountain." Our Bible school teacher passed around a necklace with a mustard seek embedded in plastic, while she explained the power of faith. Or tried. We didn't challenge her. Those weren't the days when a child would yell out "Are you crazy. You mean you think you can just sit there and believe and the whole mountain will move?" 

We lived in a town surrounded by mountains and I had never heard anyone express concern about their placement. The story made an impression, but it didn't make a lot of sense from my eight year old perspective. 

I was still thinking about it when I got home and did what I always did when something didn't make sense. I asked my father. He was brilliant. He taught calculus at an engineering school, read Chaucer and Shakespeare for personal enjoyment,  and did crossword puzzles in ink. He started college at 15, had 3 majors and 2 minors, and completed one of his master's degrees in French. He was one of the few adults who never talked down to me because I was a child. He made me feel he respected my opinion as much as one of his student's or  another adult's.

He had an extensive vocabulary yet communicated clearly. He wasn't interested in impressing others. He was interested in learning and education.. "if you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it."  

My father could have been very judgmental about education and degrees, but he was concerned with learning for the joy of it. He literally lit up when given the opportunity to help others,process information. He had been a Methodist Sunday school teacher for nearly two decades, so he was well prepared for this conversation.

He explained that the mustard seed represented a spiritual point of view and the mountain represented a problem or challenge. "The mustard seed story illustrates if we have faith, we can solve our problems. It is also about taking the responsibility to believe in ourselves enough to confront our concerns."

"But," he continued, "we don't necessarily have to solve a problem. Sometimes we can move a mountain by changing our perspective. If we have faith, and stop reacting and trying to fix things, we might find that what we perceived as a mountain is a blessing in disguise. We often make things harder than they have to be by trying to control everything."

My dad used an example that made the lesson clear. I had recently been concerned that a friend was mad at me because she had been avoiding me for a couple of days. She had been planning a surprise party for me. I had been angry and hurt and began avoiding her. Later, I felt terrible. 

Faith comes from inside .We don't need to prove to anyone we have it if we do. It extends beyond the faith we have in ourselves. It is about giving others, and life's circumstances,, the benefit of the doubt, and not making judgements or assumptions. 

​I wrote this years ago, when my brother and I joined the Pine Street Presbyterian church in Harrisburg, PA.  Recently, there are events causing me to question our county's direction. Revisiting this helped shift my perspective and give me peace of mind. I hope it will do the same for you. 

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Labels

7/2/2018

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When I find myself becoming defensive about a 'weed', and if you've followed my blog, you know I do from time to time, it occurs to me that it's probably time to seek help! Hahahaha! This time the plant I'm defending is poke. My friend Carrie has no empathy for the stand I'm taking because it's taking over her garden and yard, but as always, she's patient with my idiosyncrasies. 

My expectation certainly isn't that people nurture and cultivate it. Actually, the plant has done well on its own for centuries without any coddling from gardeners. It's just that anytime the wrath directed at a plant eliminates the appreciation for its benefits - and it does have benefits - my first instinct is to guide them to look from another perspective. 
​
If we look beyond the label 'weed', we'll find a plant rich with history, health benefits and more.

Poke has been used in Chinese medicine, Appalachian folk medicine, attributed to healing cancer, arthritis, and Lyme disease. A folk cure for arthritis is to swallow one berry a day, fresh or dried, I am NOT recommending this, but have a friend who swears by it. The poison is said to be contained in the seeds so if you don't chew them and release the poison, they pass right through. 

Corrina Wood, founder and director of Southeast Wise Women, gives a wealth of additional information on using poke for medicinal purposes for any who are interested.

​The berries were used to make ink for the draft of the Declaration of Independence, I've made the ink to use for journaling as well as painting, (recipe below) and the color is exquisite!  It has also been used as a dye. Few colors rival the beauty of poke.

In my all of my courses, whether Enhancing Your Life with Herbs, Illustrated Journaling, Mosaics and Kaleidoscopes, A More Creative You and others, I encourage people to consider a creative approach. An interesting challenge for poke is to write a poem or a song about it. You can write your own, or if you prefer, you can listen to Tony Joe White's version! 

Tony wrote Polk Salad Annie, and Elvis made it famous. Ok, not as famous as Love Me Tender or Jailhouse Rock, but there are some who know and love it. I'm one of them. It's on this site - see Mabon, Poke and Elvis,  or just do a google search. I have no idea why it isn't one of his best known. Actually, Elvis doesn't even know it very well - he had to use a cheat sheet when he sang  it. Who but the King could get away with that? 

In the song, polk (poke) salad is gathered - oh, here. I'll include the lyrics below. ​
​
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Poke
Phytolacca family
Folk names - Polk, Poke Root, Polk Root, Coakum, Cocan, Crowberry, Pigeon Berry, Virginia Poke, Inkberry, Garget. I have never heard it called "Poke Weed"

Polk Salad Annie
Tony Joe White
If some of ya'll never been down south too much
I'm gonna tell you a little bit about this 
So that you'll understand what I'm talkin' about
Down there we have a plant that grows out in the woods
And in the fields looks somethin' like a turnip green
And everybody calls it polk salad, polk salad
Used to know a girl lived down there 
And she'd go out in the evenings and pick her a mess of it
Carry it home and cook it for supper
'Cause thats about all they had to eat, but they did all right
Down in Louisiana, where the alligators grow so mean
There lived a girl, that I swear to the world
Made the alligators look tame
Polk salad Annie, polk salad Annie
Everybody said it was a shame
Cause her momma was a workin' on the chain gang
(A mean vicious woman)
Everyday ?for supper time, she'd go down by the truck patch
And pick her a mess of polk salad, and carry it home in a tow sack
Polk salad Annie, the gators got your granny
Everybody says it was a shame
Cause her momma was a workin' on the chain gang
(A wretched, spiteful, straight-razor totin' woman
Lord have Mercy, pick a mess of it)
​

Illustrated Journal Page - Poke

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The berries above are colored with poke ink - beautiful variations from pinks to purples. 
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Zen Prosperity

4/30/2018

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Prosperity is not in what you have attained, 

but rather in what you give away...

for it is only when you become empty

that you can be filled with something greater.
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    romance and treasures within and around them 
    that are often dismissed or completely overlooked."
    



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