~ Lavender ‘N Chocolate ~

How I love this time of year!! Although I thoroughly enjoy each Season, Autumn is my absolute favourite. I am filled with enchantment when the wind blows, and the colourful array of leaves float through the air, creating a beautifully carpeted landscape to delight the eye as the trees prepare for their winter slumber. All of my senses are aroused, in seeing the gold, reds, oranges, greens and all colours in between, and in smelling the lovely scents of nature. The feel of the wind in my hair and on my face gives me a tingling sensation which fills me with an abundance of energy. The very air we breathe is full of mystery and magic. My senses just come alive, and I feel the wonder of living on such a fantastic and awesome planet, and I cannot help but dance with the joy of it. How blessed we are! Everything around us speaks of the Creators perfect harmony in the natural world. To me Mother Earth is a magical wonderland, and I shall never cease to look for the beauty which surrounds us on this amazing planet.

What a time we had traipsing through the frightening landscape of darkness and creepy images. It was quite an adventure for my little Sara and I, as we shared our space with those from the other side who chose this time to venture into our realm. It is well known that the veil between the realm of the living and those who have crossed over is thinnest during this hallowed time, and we could feel the ghostly presence of these visitors, whom must be our ancestors and loved ones to be sure. Why do I feel this is true? Well, as I am very sensitive to these things, having had many unexplained experiences which make me a firm believer in life after death, I could feel the presence of something all around us. Sounds a bit out there to some, yet I know there are others who believe and feel as I do, so I will not be shy about sharing my own personal experiences and feelings on this matter.

My daughter helped me to attire myself, as it was her idea, giving me a true look of a pagan female traveling through space and time while darkness ruled the sky. She was transformed into any ugly hag, warts, humped back and all, with a shy little rat residing within her hood. We presented quite the contrast, and evoked a certain amount of curiosity. Precious the rat created quite a stir, and most folks were quite puzzled at the odd relationship between the fair pagan and nasty old crone. I just smiled and made my serene way through the mysteries dark paths, leading the poor half blind old one along as best I could under the circumstances.

Needless to say, we had quite a pleasant time of it, and feel quite blessed with the path we walk on this beautiful Earth. Although we are not rich in the way of having lots of money, we are so very wealthy in many other ways. We are always taken care of, and have never lacked for food, clothing, shelter, and other necessaries. I find this simply amazing, as we seem to be given that which makes us happy and keeps us healthy, with little more than a thought and acts of loving and giving to others. So I do believe our ethereal visitors found our lifestyle worthy of a visit, and I’ll just bet they are always watching out for us. Something (or more than one ’something’) is surely making sure we are well cared for, as I can feel the presence of guardians in our Life, and am very thankful for this protection.

About one month ago I posted about the wonderful healing art of Qigong. I had been practicing for about 1 month at the time of that post, and now have been consistantly practicing for over 2 months. I thought this would be a good time to give a progress report.

Practice

First of all, I will mention that I practice for half an hour each day, and some days I practice twice in one day. If I am totally rushed for time I at least give 15 minutes to energizing my body. This has only occured at most 3-4 times in the past month. I am working up to giving 45-60 minutes per session, with a second session before bed of about 15 minutes. It is recommended to do these movements outdoors if possible, to gain the most benefit of energy gathered from the natural world. In China you will find people outdoors, at different times throughout the day, practicing these movements as a matter of their daily course. It is this gentle and active movement which keeps us strong, healthy and full of vitality.

Energy

I am personally experiencing a significant increase in energy, even on days when I am extremely active or busy. Although I have always been in really good shape, in recent times I began to fall ill quite often. That is not the case this year. Autumn is usually the beginning of flu and cold season, and not a single bug has touched me. My daughter and I walk 5-6 miles at least twice per week, when the weather permits, and I recall having sore feet when we returned home, and feeling a bit run down. That has not been occuring in the past couple of weeks, and I am still full of energy towards the end of the day, even after a long walk. This is very exciting for me, as I was very energetic and active when I was younger, and I am not ready to slow down yet!

Physical Appearance

Another significant change is in my physical appearance. When I was younger I never had to worry about my weight. Yet in recent years I began to plump up a bit. This was quite discouraging, and very frustrating not to be able to fit into my favourite clothes. I was quite bummed, and even though I worked out, I was left exhausted and still couldn’t seem to drop the weight. Actively practicing Qigong is supposed to put our bodies back into balance, and help clear the energy channels inside us, so the energy can flow properly through our organs and througout our bodies. When these channels are blocked, it can create lots of havoc on our bodies, including weight gain, leaving our bodies vulnerable to dis-ease and illness.

Well, I am very happy to report that I am definately losing weight. I do not own a scale; never needed one. But I am noticing that my clothes fit me, and I look really good. Qigong is beneficial in that if practiced consistantly, we will regain our normal size, that which we are meant to be. I am not a big person, and it feels good to be finding my way back to the size I was created to be.

All in all, I am quite happy with my progress in practicing this gentle, yet powerful art of Qigong. I will be happy to share this, my own personal journey as it unfolds, and will soon post a current picture to show how healthy I am becoming after 46 years on this beautiful planet.

**Note – To follow from the beginning of this wonderful adventure, please visit The Healing Arts of Qigong. Also, I wish to give credit to the Teacher I am following in this beautiful art… Michael Tse.

It is said that placing lavender under ones pillow brings about restful sleep, and sweet Dreams. This can be especially soothing if one is prone to get headaches, as I am. I am lucky in that I have a good supply of lavender flowers to place in sachets under my pillow, as well as in my drawers to draw the wonderful fresh scent into my clothing. I also like to burn the flowers to cleanse my home, disrupting the negative energy, and replacing it with the positive feminine energy in which lavender brings.

Although I have a good supply of lavender through friends and such, I would like to try growing it on my own this spring. I truly believe this will have a significant meaning in bringing about healing, in that it will mean that much more having grown it on my own. I love to grow things, and our home is full of green plants. Growing plants also manifests good energy in our homes, and this can feel quite rewarding and is beneficial to our wellbeing.

I also like to carry a sachet of lavender in my purse or pocket, so that if I feel stressed or tense I can just pull it out and inhale the wonderful healing scent. During times of grief this can be especially beneficial, as it brings about a sense of peace, and seems to have a sweet calming effect.

So, whether you are awake or asleep, I truly believe the healing properties of lavender will bring you good feelings, restful sleep, and Sweet Dreams. And the greatest thing is that lavender is a great scent for both men and women, so the men on the planet needn’t be shy about utilizing this amazing herb.

Having been a curious blogger for a couple of years or so now, I can really appreciate a wonderful blog when I find one. Of course anyone who truly knows me understands my love for art and all things beautiful. When my little S and I got our newest digital camera, we went totally picture snappin’ crazy! We love to take pictures everywhere we go. And we love taking shots of the most beautiful places; those found in nature. It never ceases to amaze me how much a picture can say about something most people take for granted, or do not even notice at all. I know of a fellow blogger who has a site with the most spectacular and lovely photos I have ever had the pleasure to view. Jordan McClements has definately earned my respect with his admirable talent as a photographer, and I am most happy to share this gift with whomever wanders through my own little part of the blogoshpere.

The image of the blue dragonfly above in this post is courtesy of Jordan, and he was generous enough to share. It truly captures my imagination, as I simply love dragonflies, those most magical of creatures which seem to visit me in many places along my path. The enchanting river shot, also one of Jordan’s works of art, reminds me of my favourite places to explore, as my little S and I are always looking for a great spot to soak up the beauty and sounds of nature. I can almost hear, feel, and smell the wonderful scents as captured in this beautiful photo. You can view these little beauties in their original form, as Jordan has a site called IrishViews.com, where you will find over a thousand beautiful and creative photos. If you are anything like me, you will most certainly find pleasure in viewing Jordan’s lovely photographs. Being Irish myself, these images have definately served to fire up my innate curiosity, imagination, and dream of visiting the lands of my ancestors to explore these wonders in person. Thank you Jordan… Enjoy!

Until recently, I thought I had discovered the finest arts in maintaining good health and fitness for my body, as well as my mind and spirit. I have studied the self-defense arts, as well as a bit of Tai Chi, and Yoga. I have always been healthy, and did not realize that perhaps a very important piece of the puzzle to staying youthful and dis-ease free, may still be missing.

Well then, my daughter knows how I love discovering new/old arts that are proven to bring about health and healing. She was concerned with how much trouble I was having sleeping at night, and how ill I had been off and on in recent years. So a few weeks ago she found a great book at the Library called ‘Qigong for Healing and Relaxation’ written by Michael Tse.

I was pretty phyched and excited once I began to read about this amazing healing art. The chinese people have been practicing these arts for many thousands of years, and I have experienced this wisdom many times throughout my life. So I decided to study Michael’s work and practice these movements. I am thoroughly amazed!! Not only am I sleeping better at night, yet I have a lot more energy to accomplish my daily tasks; I even have plenty of energy left over to have fun!

Qigong is pronounced “chee-gong”, and Qi means vital energy; Gong means work. So Qigong is an exercise that works on our vital energy, which is our life force. We cannot survive without our life force. With Qigong, we may play an important part in our own healing and in bringing our bodies back into harmony with nature.

I would strongly recommend this gentle and beautiful art to anyone, no matter your state of health. If nothing else, you will be pleasantly suprised at how graceful and balanced you will feel by taking a few moments of your day to spend gathering vital Qi and nourishing your body from the inside out.

I will soon be writing an update on my results, as I am still in the beginning stages of discovering the limitless value of this lovely art.

Some days we are especially reminded of what is most important to us in this earthly Life. Seeing the headlines reporting on the deadly storms bombarding the coastlines and islands in their paths makes me want to hold my loved ones close and thank the goddess for all our blessings. Keeping our family and friends in our hearts, thoughts and deeds are the most important aspects of living. We are rich in many ways, which have nothing to do with money, clothes and fancy cars. My little S presents the greatest of challenges in parenthood, yet she brings such Joy to my heart. She can try my patience to the very limits (and I am a VERY patient person most days), yet she has a special gift of Wisdom in which mere glimpses are emerging.

She gifted me a tiny plaque for my birthday which now has a place of honor on my desk to remind me of why my little ones are so very important to me. It says…

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away”

This is true in so many ways! It amazes me to watch my family grow, and develop into fine human beings. As the matriarch of this family, I stand in a place of honor. From babyhood to adulthood, I have experienced many ups and downs, yet the good far surpasses the bad. I have raised my children without a partner, yet I feel so accomplished when I see the goodness and values I am instilling within my children and their children as well. There is no greater reward than knowing these beings will carry on all that is good inside me to future generations.

As Family and Nature represent that which is dearest to me, I chose the picture above to show clearly that which takes my breath away. To watch my little one growing into a beautiful young Lady, inside and out, takes my breath away. When my little S looks at me with her big brown eyes and says ‘I Love You Mama’, her words enter my heart and take my breath away. What more can a Lady ask for?

August 27th marked my 46th year on this planet. How do I feel about that? Well, first of all, I like the sound of the number 46. It has a nice ring to it. Also, I do not look or feel my age, so I don’t really feel old. Although I was a bit melancholy for part of the day. I kept thinking about my family… those who are far away, and those who have crossed over. I miss them. At this time I am always reminded of days long ago when we were all together and so very happy.

While I was sitting on my patio thinking of my loved ones, I began to cry. This is unusual for me because I am usually such a happy person. The tears just came, and my heart felt near to breaking. Then a strange thing happened. A frog jumped into my line of site and landed on my beautifully blooming begonia! It startled me out of my tears, as it just appeared from nowhere. My plant sits on my patio table, and I have never seen a frog near my house before. I stared in wonder, and decided to snap a picture or two, to share this strange phenomena. The little frog jumped into my plant and disappeared. I did not see it hop away, and could not find it when I carefully searched inside the plant. It had served it’s purpose, then went its merry way… LOL

Needless to say, after that things just got better. My son J arrived with a cake and gifts. He and my daughter had visited the mall and got me some pretty cool gifts… books, candles and totally sweet chinese style wall hangings. And chocolate of course! Sweet, delicious Northwest Truffles in three delectable flavors… Raspberry, Mocha and Mint… yummm!! J got me two new movies; Stardust and 10,000 BC. We watched Stardust and it was quite entertaining. It sure gave me a whole new perspective into Rober DeNiro’s acting abilities.. hehehe.

My faraway family called soon after my son J arrived, and filled my heart with love and happy thoughts. My spirit brightened considerably as each moment unfolded, and I feel truly blessed to have so many people that truly care. The little frog sent a positve message that I am never truly alone, and although those I love are not always near me in person, the creatures that inhabit this Earth alongside us are here to keep us company as well. I spend so much time advocating for the health of the environment and the animals in danger on this planet, that it seems only fitting that it was one of natures tiny creatures that stopped by for a brief visit and pulled me out of my funk. Just goes to show you that it is the little things that count.

After DAYS of going back and forth trying to decide just what I want, I am finally very happy with what I am going with for my theme… at least for today! LOL

It is bold and clean with a bit of whimsy, and I love having a path in my header pic, as it truly speaks of how I am as a spirit traveling along a path into unkown mysteries and adventures. You never know what lies along the next bend in the trail, so let this moment be a great one and make the most of it. Since I love the Earth and all things living and green, it just seems fitting to have an earthy type scene to look upon each time I visit this soon to be delicious blog.

Here I am setting out upon a new Adventure. Although some of the things I will share may be new, much may be that which I have firm beliefs in already. I truly believe each moment is precious and we have the choice to make of it what we will as it unfolds. We can look at things from a bitter and dark point of view, or we can embrace the lighter side of Life and bring forth the best in each moment, enjoying the time we have to learn and grow on this Beautiful and Mysterious Earth.

I hope to bring about smiles and happy thoughts to those who happen upon my musings here at Lavender ‘N Chocolate. Feel free to follow along… I may be silly or serious, depending upon my mood or subject. Yet I hope to touch those who dare to enter with a bit of laughter and light, imparting what tiny bit of Wisdom I may have to share.

Of course, I love both Lavender and Chocolate in their many forms, so I will be delighted to make observations from time to time on these most delectable, delicious and aromatic natural wonders, as well as all the other wonderful aspects of a Lady’s life and imagination. Please do take a few precious moments to join in and add to the synergy of human beings living, loving, laughing, sharing and growing together in this Earthly experience. Welcome to my World!

Enjoy..

Teri
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