The Optimist Creed

I am currently reading a book that was a gift from Santa (a.k.a Mark). The Optimist Creed by Christian D. Larson is all about the life changing power of gratitude and optimism. This Law of Attraction business never gets old to me and only one chapter into this book, I am loving it. The following review by David Crumm sums it up nicely.


Most people who are considering this book today have never read a Christian D. Larson book, because his titles were best sellers a century ago. Nevertheless, after many years of covering religion in America as a journalist myself, I can say: This new collection of Larson's best books by Tarcher should be on the shelf of every preacher, teacher, small-group leader and writer who cares about contemporary spirituality and comparative religion.

Larson's "long forgotten" status as a pioneering writer is as obvious as a little Web searching. He is mentioned as the author of the popular creed of Optimist International. A few short web pages (even Wikipedia's entry is woefully short) explain that he was born to a Lutheran family who lived in a logs-and-sod house on the Great Plains. A brilliant student, Larson felt drawn to Lutheran seminary until he discovered a Unitarian book that blew open the doorway to broader spiritual awareness.

I am drawn to Larson because he became a journalist, too. He ran a remarkable magazine for some years, covering Progressive-era news and also articles about what he regarded as "scientific" advances in understanding faith and spiritual forces. Before we scoff at a century-old view of science, I also recommend T.M. Luhrmann's insightful new "When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God." A serious contemporary scholar, Luhrmann spent years studying the experiences of men and women who have vivid daily experiences of prayer. What Larson was trying to do at the dawn of the 20th century came from the same approach toward religion than Luhrmann is following at the dawn of the 21st century. Both asked: What can research and practical study tell us about spiritual experiences?

Why should we read Larson today, out of all the now-forgotten pioneers in inspirational writing and positive-thinking advice? Because Larson was a genius for writing practical prose, pitched for general readers. He had a talent for turning phrases. A century before Oprah, Larson was writing about "attitude of gratitude." A century before Eckhart Tolle, Larson was writing about "Christ consciousness."

Yes, Larson's books are available in many formats these days. But, this handy one-volume collection by Tarcher makes for smooth reading in a handy, contemporary edition. Plus, Tarcher's editors have sifted through Larson's dozens of books to find the handful that stand the test of time.


I hope all of you had a great holiday! I plan to spend these remaining days of 2014 catching up on my reading, spending time with family and friends, reflecting on the year behind us and looking forward to all the wonderful things 2015 has in store! 

~ Love & Light ~

Beaver Symbolism

I wasn't planning to write about the beaver today. ( I know...yep. I said beaver. Go ahead. Laugh it up.). As a matter of fact I was going to do a post on Solstice and what it means to me and how I honor this darkest day of the year... but then I saw a beaver swimming down the river this morning!

I had been told that beavers don't live in the rivers of Missouri after I thought I had seen one when we moved to Chigger Chalet back in 2012. I decided it must have been a gopher as it was on the bank and not actually in the water and forgot all about it. Well, bright and early this rainy morning, I was standing in the Yogate Studio brushing my teeth and staring at the water when I saw it. He was trucking along straight down the middle of the river making a perfect V formation in the water. I knew immediately that it was a beaver and stood watching, completely delighted. He was headed North and twice I saw him dive down into the water and smack his flat tail on the water. I wasn't about to step away and grab my camera so I have no photo evidence but I know what I saw without a doubt. 

Of course the first thing I thought about is the symbology of the beaver and what it means that he made an appearance for me. The following is from Whats-Your-Sign.com and I love what it has to say!

Beavers are ingenious builders, orchestrating megalith dams that can change the flowing course of entire rivers. This impressive aspect along with its association with water makes the beaver an analogy for building our up dreams.

In essence, the beaver tells us to believe in our dreams as if they were real. Build on them as if the dream is your reality. Change the course of your life flow by structuring your life with a goal to coax your dreams into your physical reality.

Animal symbolism of the beaver deals with building our lives up around our dreams.

Dream symbolism comes into play with the beaver because it is largely a water creature. Water is symbolic of:

As a Water Creature, Beaver Meanings Include:

• Dreams
• Psyche
• Motion
• Emotion
• Intuition
• Subconscious

Animal symbolism of the beaver also deals with working diligently. The dams and these beavers build are sometimes eight feet tall and span across entire bodies of water. That kind of accomplishment doesn't happen overnight, nor does it happen by just wishing of completion. The beaver says: "yeah, it’s great to have dreams, but you have to work at them to make the real!"

But it's not all work and no play in the Beaverville. Play, enjoyment, fun and games are also among the beaver animal symbolism. Specifically, the beaver shares quality time with family. This is also another key symbol for us – it reminds us to take time for ourselves, and our family.

The beaver admonishes unbalance, and encourages us to set our priorities right. Working to fulfill life-long dreams is admirable, but not at the expense of neglecting our friends and family.

Beaver Meanings for Us Personally

• Clearer understanding of our subconscious thoughts and dreams
• Ability to mold our thoughts more constructively to suit our needs
• Determination to follow our dreams
• Diligence to keep and reach our goals
• Balance and flexibility concerning ourselves and our expectations
• Take time for self, friends and family. The people in our lives are most precious

Animal symbolism is a pure, natural way to help facilitate change within each of us. By tuning into animals such as the beaver, we can create an energetic dialogue that may answer some tough questions in our lives.

How so? Mainly, observing and connecting. When we pay attention to the beaver's behavior and proclivities, we can compare or associate those features to our own behavior. By doing this we can match up, mimic, or employ beaver qualities in our own lives with a goal to stimulate natural (or even wild) solutions for ourselves. For example, if we have a blockage in our lives, a littlemeditation on the beaver may show us how to "chew" through the barrier in our path. Working with animal meanings and animal totems also helps us move into a natural cycle of life, which is always a good state to be in for finding solutions!

Areas of Life in Which the Beaver Can Help Us

• Need encouragement or inspiration in reaching your goals
• When you've got the blues, and need a boost of energy (beaver is better than B-12!)
• You're starting new creative projects or building new business deals
• You're attending a family reunion or class reunion
• You need a little more structure discipline in the family
• You've want more clarity in dream interpretation or subconscious realms.

What an amazing sight to see so close to the New Year! A perfect reminder that the Universe loves action and rewards it with bringing us the things we visualize and dream about! 

~ Love & Light ~

Plant Spirit Journey

I am currently reading Plant Spirit Journey by Laura Silvana. The following is the description found on Amazon Books.

Explore the mystical realm of the plant kingdom, and discover a hidden source of power and healing.

Born with the ability to see and hear spirits, intuitive Laura Silvana’s mediumship abilities extend into the world of nature. Her fascinating true story includes knowledge gained from a spirit shaman who taught her how to work with the beneficial energies of plants.

Silvana tunes in to individual flowers and herbs and lets the spirits of the plants speak for themselves. For example, dandelions possess a whimsical vibration to help counteract despair. Lilacs offer contentment and stability during times of transition. Red clover is a powerful healer that inspires courage, will, and determination.

This guide reveals the spiritual and emotional healing properties of 30 versatile plants and gives simple instructions for making plant spirit remedies at home. Both the plants and the ailments they treat are cross-referenced so you can easily find the information you seek. 

#Plants #Healing #mediumship #clairvoyance

~ Love & Light ~

Two Eagles

A pair of eagles were hunting the river late this morning. I knew something was happening when I walked outside and a large group of geese were frozen on the river. Not frozen like ice, but motionless. It was so quiet. Then I noticed the eagles perched in a tree behind my house and across the river. I sat on the deck and watched them for twenty minutes. The male cried out several times and it was fantastic! They kept an eye on Penny and I and the male made eye contact with me several times.


In the photo they are not very visible. I used the full zoom on my iphone but this is the best I could come up with. They are huge birds and the photo doesn't convey their size well. The male is toward the top of the tree and the female is to the right and pretty far below him.

A pair of eagles hunt the Finley River.

It is believed that if an eagle makes an appearance for you, the ability to hear spiritually and physically will awaken. The Native Americans say that eagle carries our prayers to The Creator. Eagle asks you to give yourself permission to be free so you may reach the joy your heart longs for. 

I am ecstatic to see this pair! I had heard that they lived on the Finley from neighbors and I even saw the male whiz by low to the water during the summer one drizzly afternoon, but having so much time to gaze at them today was an honor. They are majestic and beautiful beings. I embrace the wisdom imparted by these magical birds. 

~ Love & Light ~

Be Vewy Vewy Quiet. I'm Hunting Wabbits

Of course, Penny doesn't really hunt for rabbits, but she did take her new pink Elmer Fudd hat out for a spin yesterday. Enjoy the cuteness!


Herrow! Let's start our walk now, pwease.

Penny in her new hat.

Look! Over there! See it?

Her Elmer Fudd hat keeps her extra warm.

Let's go check it out!

She loves following a scent trail.

Okay, I'm pooped. Let's go home now.

Getting tired from all the exploring.

~ Love & Light ~

Survive The Holidays With Ashwagandha

Feeling the stress of the most wonderful time of the year? Well, don't feel bad, so is just about everybody else. Today we will take a look at Ashwagandha and I will fill you in on how it can help you power through the holiday season.

Ashwagandha plant.

Ashwagandha is an herb popular in Ayurvedic medicine. It is known for its restorative effects and helps to strengthen the immune system, making it the perfect remedy for holiday stress and protection against the colds and flus that circulate this time of year. It would also be helpful on January 1st after a late night on New Year's Eve. The easiest way to add ashwagandha to your diet is with powder made from the roots.

Ashwagandha roots.

You can add ashwagandha powder to soups and stews, a pot of rice or beans, but I'm going to show you how to make a simple warm beverage that takes a few minutes to make. It is insanely easy and will warm you on those cold winter nights while imparting its strength and protection to you. The following is taken from Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs.

Cinnamon-Ashwagandha Milk Recipe.

First, gather the ingredients.

Never seen ashwagandha powder before? Get a closer look. 

Warm the milk over low heat and then add the powders.

Add a little honey and stir until blended. Really it will never be totally blended and when you are drinking it you might find it gets chalky towards the bottom, so beware. I personally like to drink the mud in the bottom of the cup because I feel like that is where the most healing part of the drink resides. 

Here's to your health this winter! 

~ Love & Light ~

Deck The Halls

I swore I wouldn't do it. I promised myself. No posting holiday decoration photos. And yet here I am.

Sorry.

Behold, the tree! Somehow this blurry photo is the only one I took of the tree by itself.

The Christmas tree 2014

Isn't our new woodland Santa adorable? I love his soft scarf. I didn't plan to buy any new Christmas decorations this year, but when I saw him I just couldn't resist!

Woodland Santa.

The mantel already looks a bit different since I took this photo. It is now filling up with the Christmas cards coming in the mail. Also, the framed print of the basset hound putting out cookies for Santa has its own spot in the kitchen now. ( Thank you Amber! I love that basset hound print!).

Christmas mantel.

Some of my crystals and a whimsical tree.

Arrangement of crystals and tree.

I absolutely love this holiday tray I found at Target a few years ago. It has purple in it!! Perfect for the living room coffee table.

A hard to find Christmas decoration with purple in it!

Below are some photos I spruced up with Instagram. This first one is my winter centerpiece on the kitchen table. I think it looks much better in person, it was hard to photograph.

Winter centerpiece.

This next one was meant to show what I have done on top of the kitchen hutch, but I ended up keeping it because I like how it shows the new green paint and a peek of the purple hallway.

The new wall colors.

We had some extra lighted garland and used it to dress up the windows over the couch.

Lighted garland.

We found this cute little Santa at Susan's Christmas Shop in Santa Fe. He is actually a painted New Mexico chile.

New Mexico chile Santa.

The fire is so much more cozy with stockings and garland.

Toasty fire.

In 2012 when Mark and I celebrated our first Christmas together, we started a tradition of adding one ornament per year with that year's date. This year we added this little gem to our collection. The perfect way to always remember our Southwest Adventure of 2014.

That is all of 'em folks! I will leave you with a tune I've been enjoying this month. 

~ Love & Light ~

Giving Thanks

Well, we pulled it off! Thanksgiving came and went, and we all survived. The turkey Mark made was delicious and everyone else contributed with delicious side dishes. I couldn't imagine what a major undertaking it would have been if Mark and I had cooked all of the food! I hope this is just the first of many we host. Of course, I was running around like a crazy woman, so I didn't get many pictures at all. Here are the few I somehow managed to remember and take.

The centerpiece I made. Complete with real turkey feathers and crystals.

It was fun having the girls at Chigger Chalet. They really enjoyed being on the deck looking over the river. They had fun throwing acorns into the water.

My nieces at the Kid's Table.

Nana gave up her spot at the table to squeeze in more time with her grand babies at the kiddie table.

Mom and the nieces.

In the below photo, my mom is sitting with the little ones at the kid's table and I am the one taking the photo, but I believe the rest of the crew is in this one. I wish I had thought to take a photo of the table before everyone sat down. I thought it looked very pretty.

Left side front to back: Mark, Yenzel, Scott, Sara and Thomas. Right side front to back: Dad, Carrie, Phil, Simon and Dallis

Watching The Wizard Of Oz after eating.

Those are the only photos I managed to get away with. Something is better than nothing! It was a great day and I am honored that we got to have everyone together in our home again. 

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. -Cicero

~ Love & Light ~