The Goddess's Daily Groove

Inspirations instead of Resolutions ~ Be a Rebel in 2012

2011-12-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

The year 2011 is almost finished, and I am sure you are reading/seeing a lot of “end of year” or “new year” articles right around now :). All the good, and the bad, of 2011 summarized in small spaces or snapshots. People are asking what your resolutions are......

One of my INSPIRATIONS for 2012 is to become more focused on what I WANT. Notice that I do not say “resolutions”. I don’t believe in resolutions. It is a harsh word, and quite frankly, how many resolutions really work for you? What happens if you don’t achieve your given “resolution”? Does everything go to hell and you just give up?

Mix it up a bit this year and write “MY GOALS” over your list of things to achieve in 2012, or “MY INSPIRATIONS”. Hang that over your mirror, or on your fridge, and see how much more snuggly that makes you feel. Then set a realistic pace, so you don’t crash & burn, but instead achieve what you want.

Another thing I would like to mention in regards to setting a realistic pace, and this comes from deep down personal experience: Be true to yourself. I know my faults :)..and try to live with them, rather than against them. Every once in a while I will try to go against my authentic self, but it never works out. So, find your strengths, and focus on them rather than on your weaknesses.

On my list for 2012:

1. Though I have tried to get rid of things I do not LOVE in my life before the New Years Eve, it is a never ending journey. I am going to evaluate purchases & items thoroughly, making sure I love them enough to: Use them. Clean them. Smile at them. That goes for everything, down to socks & underwear!

2. I will only attempt projects that energize my soul, rather than de-energizing me. I will admit defeat, and let it roll of my back, thus rolling out of my life.

3. I will surround myself with people I love, and lovingly send those that suck energy on their path away from me.

4. I will enjoy my family more consciously.

5. I will try new alternative methods to control the pain in my body, while building my strength. I will chronicle this, hopefully it will help others. My goal is to join a ToughMudder marathon, preferably in September of 2012.

6. I will take a Thai cooking class.

7. I will plant more medicinal herbs in my backyard, and let them grow wild & free.

8. I will convert my front yard into a edible garden :).

9. I will learn to meditate (as my fabulous friend says:” Peace is Possible”).

10. I will laugh more.

11. I will make a trek to Sedona.

There you have it. It is in writing.

What are your inspirations for 2012?

Much love,
Heike

Whatever happened to Pong?

2011-11-26T08:56:00.001-08:00

My very unpopular opinion of video games was strengthened last night when I watched the news about Black Friday. Hoards of people where shoving each other, pepper spraying, stepping on kids (who should not have been out there) in order to get a discount on some of the new WAR video games that are coming out.

Really?

Grown adults need to stomp, pepper spray, and beat on each other HERE, while our soldiers are defending our country, living the video game in real life? I find these war, street, gang, robbery, car-jacking reality games disgusting. I find it sad that people need to spend their free time shooting & accosting people, living a "fantasy". If you want to play war, enlist. Give our soldiers a break, let them come home to the safety they are sacrificing their families and lives for.

I have this discussion often, and my kids are not in contact with these games. Having a boy who loves to "shoot" at things with his Nerf gun, I know it will be harder to keep him from the allure of the realistic video game as he gets older. Yes, there is a difference for me between him playing "cops" in the park with a Nerf gun, and shooting people on a screen that is so realistic that it scares me. And they just keep playing....

I grew up with a loaded gun in the house. My dad, when he was there, kept it under his pillow or next to it at all times. I was taught what a gun could do if it is fired, it could hurt or kill something. Very simple. I did not touch it. It was not because I was a girl either; I was just a curious and crazy as the rest of the kids....I was just taught the seriousness of a gun.

Then again, when I was a kid we kids played Atari...Pong...the game where you bounce the ball back and forth. Donkey Kong and Caterpillar, later Star Wars.

My opinion is often challenged, as many of my friends let their kids play very violent video games, or they play them themselves. I believe there is a fine line that we cross when we let our kids get conditioned to hurt, run over, shoot, etc other humans on a screen. Yes, it is JUST a video game, but is it really? What happens to the spirit when our kids experience this on a constant basis, as the video games, sensors, and realistic game consoles make you feel like it is the "real thing" and your are right in there?

I am not against the video game culture. I love the fitness games, the adventure games, etc. It is amazing what they bring onto my TV screen. We have an XBoX, and my kids play CARS and Harry Potter :).

I am sending this out as a thought. Let us as least try to keep kids from the violent reality games. This year, think about what you are plopping down $60 for, and what you are bringing into your homes. Go find a good family board game, or take your kids outside and shoot Nerf guns.......

With love,
Heike

Dinner from a Box ~ Life is Good.

2011-10-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had to make a choice: Skip hanging out with my kids to prepare a dinner that I could cook/bake/etc WHILE hosting a small pack of teenage girls who I am going mentor in clothes reconstruction (yipee!!!), or just make the boxed dinner my mama imported all the way from Germany :).

I really did not want to prepare this made from scrap, home-made, healthy meal. The whole process of stopping what I was doing, feeling inadequate because I did not prepare something before (frozen, crockpot???), the thought of trying to cook instead of tinkering....

In my cupboard sat 2 boxes of Miracoli. A box that takes me back to my childhood...because yes...I grew up with a single, working, mama. I was in charge of the household by the time I was 12...and Miracoli was a part of it :). Since the expiration is sometime in 2017, I think we can assume it is not organic.

I spend lots of time & money make sure our food is organic, local, grass fed, cage free, happy........I grow what I can to make sure it is “clear”. I make lotions and shampoos because commercial ones are filled with chemicals. I even make my own washing powder :).

But there are days when I just don’t care about all that, days when my priorities lie in simplicity. Days when I buy my kids a chemical, BLUE or RED slurpy just because it makes them happy...

Today, I opened a box and made dinner in 9 minutes. It took me 9 minutes to relive some fabulous childhood memories (food does that to me), 9 minutes to serve my kids food that made them say: “Mama, this tastes SO good!” (go figure!), 9 minutes to simplify my life and do what I want.

Yippee!!!!!

Trash to Treasure..teaching the love of being "different"

2011-08-11T23:32:00.001-07:00

My sweet little baby is a teen. If you seasoned Mama's are shaking your head in pity, I'll take it. Even Goddess Babies have teen moments :).

Living the life we do, we do not have to conform to the status quo. I am thankful for that, but always knew that ONE DAY, my bubble would burst.

The big needle came in the apparition of a "formal dance" my Goddess Baby was to attend. She does not attend school, this was her first opportunity for a formal dance. Since this was part of a state wide, annual event, attended by teens, the pictures of past dances were to be found all over the internet via Facebook. I had to control my face while viewing the pictures, I knew what was coming.

We dress Gypsy. Vintage. Funky. The thrift store is our mall. We pay no more than $3.99 for Abercrombie jeans, and barely fork out $10 for boots.

For days I watched my Goddess Baby try on hideous clothes that made her look like she jumped out of a B version of a bridesmaid movie, but I bit my tongue. Frustration. First experiences with "I have to conform with this style, it makes me gag, but I want to fit in, but I really don't want to fit in". Sound familiar? Nothing worked, it was my chance!

"How about we take one of the dresses we found at the thrift store clearance and alter it?" I say. "We were going to cut them up anyways....". Bait, and hook.

It took a little back and forth, a few tears, some tough love.

Before:

After:

Happy Gypsy Goddess Baby:

Cost: $0.62 for the dress, $4 for the dye, $1-4 for the embellishments.

In the end, she was fabulously flamboyant, and lovin' it. One girl offered to buy her dress for $400!!!! (wonder if that check would have gone through??? We are cash only, just for the record :)..), but by then she had bonded with her dress. We even made it so it can be changed into another style with the flip of a stitches.

Ahhh...how I love valuable lessons.

Much love,
Heike

A little tweak here + a little tweak there = Massive change

2011-04-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

I became fascinated with the art of Feng Shui years ago. I love walking into places and seeing immediately where the the good Chi is flowing, or not.

Unfortunately, my own house seems to block me from doing what I need to do. If you have been with me for a while, you know the decluttering and re-arranging is an ongoing odyssey.

Over a year ago, I sent my Bagua to Elyssa of Intuitive Living Feng Shui (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/intuitiveliving). When I told her my main challenges in life, she immediately pin-pointed what was happening on my map. One of them is my son; high spirited and energetic, can't seem to "come down" at the end of the day. With a recent move of rooms we made before he started getting nutty (that is the mild version of some temperamentful nightly adventures), we moved him into the bedroom, which happens to be in the Love & Marriage area of our little house. Bad move. In many aspects. One of the things Elyssa pinpointed is that he was put in a "power position", and of course is too young to handle that.

Our little house does not leave much room for creative room rearranging. It has taken me exactly one year and day from the time I received my Bagua back to get the family to work with me.

It is important to get the family's approval when making big moves like this.

I cannot even explain the craziness that went on this house over the weekend, and recommend you only do this with your partner/spouse if you have a very strong relationship! It's a tester.

We moved all the stuff (and there was alot of stuff! Another issue) out of my son's room into the living room. Then we tiptoed over the stuff, and put our bed in our former, and now again bedroom. This left a large add on room, that will be our play & studio room empty-ish....so we put up shelves and began moving the stuff in there :). Next, we need to remove about 4 million books, and ton of girly stuff, and a very old carpet out of second bedroom. This will be painted, Pergo put in, a wall erected, and we will turn it into two smaller rooms. Then my son will get his bed back and have a cave to sleep in.

I know it sounds crazy. But even the small moves we made already made a difference in sleeping patterns.

If you are not ready for such a big project, do something small. We had to make an emergency trip to IKEA to pick up something for one of our shelves, and I picked up some fabulous ORANGE curtains! I took down the beige ones that were up in our living room, and hung the new ones. I can't even describe the change! Now the sun is flowing through the curtains, giving the room a warm glow. They make me happy :). See the grainy picture above, taken with the webcam. The camera is somewhere in the house.....

Now go tweak a little!

What I found out...

2011-03-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

If you followed the last month or so, you know I was posting excerpts from my Gratitude Journal. I did not post every day, as some posts were just to personal to share...nor did I share my whole note :).

It was interesting to me, as every day when I thought about "What am I grateful for?", I basically came up with the same things.

My kids, my husband, my dog, my house, my garden, my art, my friends.......I had to dig deep to get past them.

What I do realize now is that I have more in my life than I could ever need. We recently had a big storm, and I realized how lucky I was to be in my cozy house as the wind whipped against it. My kids are awesome, even if they rub my last nerve sometimes...ditto for the husband.

I am going to contemplate on these 30 days more; I am grateful.

Attitude of Gratitude ` Day 30

2011-03-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

So today is my "official" last day of the the Gratitude Journal.

I am grateful for my hands. They create, work, stroke, write, nourish....without my hands, where would I be?

I am not a glove wearer. I hate gloves. Since I work with paints, gardening, etc, a lot, my hands get a beating. Recently, my hands became so rough that I could not make my Kitchen Witches. "So?" you say? :)

Making Kitchen Witches lifts my spirits. They make me laugh. They are also provide $$'s for me, this is really a labor of love.

My hands were so rough that every time I touched the fabric, they pulled and got snagged. It was so frustrating, I finally gave up and stopped making my witches for about 2 months!

Crazy, eh? It made me realize how important my hands are not only to "nourish" us in a practical way, but also in a spiritual way.

Wearing gloves.............

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 26

2011-03-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for my dog. Actually, for all my dogs, as I had to give one away, and had to let one go after living together for 17 years.

There is nothing like the love of a dog. My dogs, I must admit, are always a little stubborn, weird, challenged, different, spirited....and not one comes back on command. I am sure it is me. Yet, each one has saved me from disaster, each one is loyal to the core, and will instantly react to any sign of distress (even if it is a bad dream!), each one has been a monster protector of my children.

Take Rex, my wolf :). He is the most fabulous dog, rescued from a back yard breeder, comes with several issues that are getting milder as he grows older. He loves us in his dog way, he is a constant challenger of the Alpha hierarchy :).

He walks with me no matter what the weather, or the terrain. He never says "No. I don't feel like it now." A little game of "searh & rescue" makes his day. He knows when I need his calm dog energy, he lays next to me, with contact. Even if I move :)....he moves with me.

I am grateful that he chose our family, and that we stuck it out with him.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 19

2011-03-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for my mother.

Best friend, supporter, savior, ear, sounding board......

I regularly throw her out of bed with utmost important and immediate needs :).

She is the best.

Smooches.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 15

2011-03-11T23:07:00.000-08:00

Whew...

I had to think long and hard about this today. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for things all the time....but singling them out and writing them down, that's a whole 'nother story.

It has been a crap week, quite frankly. Both of my kids are sick, and have been for 7 days, which NEVER happens. We are all stir crazy, since we are basically in quarantine. That does not make us a happy bunch. We need to wander......

At the same time, we are looking for a car. Talk about a downer. I want a specific model of Volvo...and they are not to be found privately. Dealing with car dealers is a real adventure in bull shit. Yesterday, we drove 1 hour and 45 minutes to look at a car that looked FABULOUS on the computer. We called to get details, etc, and decided it was worth the drive. I packed us portable dinner, and as soon as my hubby came home, we hit the road. We get there, and the car has low miles, but it has obviously been in some kind of accident. It has all kinds of defects inside. My gut instinct from the first time we accelerate is: HELL NO! So we drive back home.

Today was just an overwhelmed, overstimulated, and under moved day. Every time I tried to start a project, I was interrupted.

Whine, whine.

So, as I was scrubbing the gook off my prized wooden board left behind from a forgotten doughnut in a bag (yech. I will never eat one of those eclairs again. You do NOT want to know what it turns into after 2 days), I thought: "What am I grateful for today??".

Silence.

Then my daughter, who is so sick, came stumbling out of bed almost in tears because the roof of her mouth is irritated and swollen from her illness. "Mama, do you have anything for my mouth? It hurts so bad."

Yes, I do. I cram in my herbal treasure cabinet, take care of her. Immediate relief, no chemicals, and now she is sound asleep.

I DO know what I am grateful for.

I am grateful for the knowledge that has been passed on to me by all those wonderful wise women, herbalists, alchemists, and kitchen witches.

Grazie.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 12

2011-03-08T04:28:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for my hands....

these hands that create, cook, write, soothe....

Day 9 - Grateful for the revelation: My shit stays when I am gone....

2011-03-05T22:24:00.000-08:00

Today was a pivotal moment. After testing the law of gravity a week or so ago with my car, I am having quite a few moments. We made it ok, but my car succumbed :(.

Anyways, I was driving up my street, and screeched to halt! ESTATE SALE! (Sadly, I did not even realize the sweet old lady had crossed). We left with a pressure cooker, lots of wooden knitting needles and crochet hooks, lots of linen, a woolen cardigan, a funky polka scarf, and a typewriter for my little man.

This lady was a seamstress, and a had a treasure trove of needles, buttons, threads, etc...all lovingly sorted & stored in boxes and bags. Bags and bags of wool, and many finished sweaters, handmade (unfortunately, with acrylic yarns :(...why?) She had her linens pressed, lots of little trinkets, lots of jewelry, pressed hankies (!!!)

You could tell this lady took care of her things, she loved to create.

Now her kids are selling her things for a few cents.

I had a revelation, and all of a sudden I have no problem "purging" to make space.

No matter how much I love my stuff, no matter how hard it is for me to let go of things that are attached to memories, no matter what I paid for it, no matter who gave it to me, no matter how much it is worth....

It does not matter. If I leave tomorrow, someone will sell it all for a few cents.

Attitude of Gratitude ~ Day 7 & 8

2011-03-05T09:03:00.000-08:00

Yep, I have condensed two days.

I am grateful for the healthy food I have access to: free range chicken eggs from a neighbor, raw milk, lots of veggies & fruit....I look out into my back yard, and know that in a few months, we can get food from our land.

I am also able to help my kids through this bout of "feverish ickiness" with herbs, instead of having to rely just on chemicals. Yes, it takes longer, as their bodies are healing themselves. Yes, the gratification is not instant, but long-term. I am able to protect myself from all the rampant germs in the house by brewing my own potions :).

So, there it is. I am grateful for germs & their keepers!

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 7

2011-03-03T00:52:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for my home.

This little house of mine. It keeps me warm, and cozy. It is small, but big enough. It is colorful, meeting our every creative whim.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 6

2011-03-01T23:06:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for my children.

They are just fabulous. They are funny, smart, brave, adaptable, curious, alert, aware...and they constantly drive me up the wall. One at a time, they tag team :).

I watch them sometimes, and I could just cry, they are so wonderful. I am often in situations where I thank the Universe that I was gifted with THESE two children. They are so different, yet they have a strong root of ME in them.

That in itself, can be scary :).

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 5

2011-02-28T23:59:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for all the talented healers in my life. All those fabulous Goddesses that are supporting me on my journey back to optimal health.

And all that with respect & love for Mama Earth, and what she has to offer us.

Grazie!

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 4

2011-02-27T23:44:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for CHOICES.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 3

2011-02-26T23:00:00.001-08:00

I am grateful for my husband....
the one who holds my hand when I need it held,
the one who lets me be who I am,
the one who drives me up the wall,
the one who pulls me back when I fly the coop.
He is not perfect, but neither am I.

:)

P.S. Join me for 30 days, as I post what I am grateful for. See Day 1 for more info!

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 2

2011-02-25T22:27:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for my friends, the handful of women on whom I depend :).

Wild, intellectual, raw, caring, nonjudgmental, open, fun, deep, imperfect.

Love 'em.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 1

2011-02-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

as life has it, I had a rather tumultuous experience a few days ago.

It has prompted me to start a Gratitude Journal, as times like these not only have me thanking Universe profusely for protecting my kids & myself, it also makes me realize how lucky I am. I have attempted similar journals over the years, but this time I am committing to journal what I am grateful for daily...for 30 days.

It has stirred some reaction on the Goddess Facebook page :). Fabulous!! I would love for you to join me by posting your daily entries here.

What a better way to RAISE GOOD ENERGY than to be grateful to the Universe TOGETHER??? To share with sisters around the world what we are thankful to have in our lives?

I will post the summarized versions of my entries :)...or maybe more. Feel free to post how much, or little, you feel compelled to share.

Thank you for letting me into your lives, and sharing mine.

Much love,
Heike

DAY 1

I am grateful that my kids & I are safe, even though we are grieving the potential loss of our funky Volvo. I cherish the ones I love, everything else can be replaced.

Is Brain Space over-rated?

2011-01-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

I have a rare few moments to my self right now. A friend picked the kids up for some play time, the dog is not barking, I have finished all my “to-do’s” for the day.....it is an “ah” moment.

When I called my husband to tell him our car is ready to be picked up, he suggested I walk and get it (it is only a 15 minute walk...), but I said: “NO.”

No, I am going to sit here, drink my tea, read this article without being interrupted. Then I am going write down my thoughts, plan my backyard/food area, look for something online.....all of this without someone calling my name, needing refereeing, asking me a question, or any other task that obviously only I can handle (like putting a new roll of toilet paper on the roller in the bathroom).

I am going to take an hour all to my self, let me brain remember what it is like to have a thought and ponder it through to the end, and do absolutely NOTHING productive. I am just going to sit here and delve into information, soak it up, and store in the long forgotten area of my brain set aside for knowledge.

The sun is out (California. Feels like spring, I even hung out some clothes), so if my dog and I FEEL like it, we may put on our gear and head out for a walk to pick up our car.

But only if we WANT to.

How are you going to claim your brain space??

:)

Reconnecting

2010-12-31T16:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been since October 27th since I posted last!

My life has taken on a turbulent nature. Since these last days have been days of reflection, I have been able to pinpoint where I went astray :). In my world filled with media, kids, dogs, friends, new projects, chaos...well, it ate me and spit me out 2 months later.

So, on December 4th my 4Runner was stolen, right in front of my house. Talk about instant reflection. We were forced to rethink our schedule completely, and I realized how frantic it was! Driving constantly, hopping in the car for every minute little thing....driving, driving, driving. It is amazing how much I rely on things like my car in my life. I was made to rethink my life, how to make things easier, combine trips, and cancel events that were not priority. I must say, cancelling things came easiest to me. In a way, I had a valid excuse to cancel things I really did not want to do anyways, but somehow slid into. It was good for my kids too, who had to think of how to get to the many places they want to go to. It made them just say "no" also. See a pattern?

So many things happened as a result of this theft, it is too much to write. We have purchased a new car, a Volvo that I found while searching Craigslist for my car parts :). It is fabulous, and safe.I would have never even looked, as I kept sticking money into having my "convenient" 4Runner repaired. My car was recovered on Dec. 26th, with it came new chaos. It is now going up for sale :).

Since I was home so much, I was able to sort & find things I have been missing. I started a new set of fermentations, and I am working on new formulas for teas, etc. I am ready to create again. I am starting a new food & exercise regime to bring my body back to it's optimal balance. I hang out more with my kids, and as of tomorrow, my computer time will be dramatically cut back (intervention!!).

With this last post for 2010, I wish you all a blessed New Year. May all your goals come to fruition, and may your wished be fulfilled in whichever way Universe sees best :).

Much love,
Heike

JOURNEY: A Gift

2010-10-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you are given a gift and don’t know it until you have thrown it away.

A few weeks ago, I had the rare opportunity to have Bea, a artist/shaman, draw a spirit picture for me. I was completely unprepared, as I did not come to her with a “question”. I thought she could just put me on my path, the one I am supposed to be on right now. Ha! She sat patiently as I formed the question I wanted to ask from the jungle in my brain. So many questions!! She said:”I can’t answer that, that is a yes/no question. If I answer that, you may not like the answer.....”. True. So dug deep again, formulated what is really stirring my spirit right now, and asked.

Bea started her drums, closed her eyes, and began her magic. She started telling me what she saw, and what did not make sense at first, was spelled out more clearly, and I almost dropped from my chair. She began to draw. I recognized the beautiful apparition in the drawing, she was a familiar, my Spirit Guide. I had tears in my eyes. Bea did not know that she has just made the first picture of the guide I have seen in my dreams for years. The picture took shape, and in the bottom corner she drew a squirrel.

A squirrel??

What the heck? I am not a fan of squirrels. They make my dog crazy, who then makes me crazy. When we walk on the leash, a squirrel can bring the hell dog out in him. What is a squirrel doing in my picture?

Bea asked me if I had a connection to squirrels. I told her “no”, and gave her my hell dog story. “You know, squirrels are industrious animals....I think this one is with you for a reason.”.

Hmmmm.....

Oh. The day before, I finally dug up my garden beds, pulled out old plants (this is always hard for me, hate letting go...), and spread chicken manure to prepare for my fall crop. While digging, I found two acorns. “How did those get there, Mama?” “I don’t know, the squirrels must have put them in.”.

I fold Bea about my acorns. She told me to put them on my altar, the one with visuals.

I panicked. Where did I put those darn acorns? I remember putting them on a table, thinking we should root them for trees. When I got home, I searched high and low for those acorns.

I was devastated. They were gone. My spirit gift, my “oak trees”, where gone.

I got over it. Today, I went out the bed to plant some seeds. What did I find?

Another acorn. Another gift.

Another chance......

*Bea can be reached at http://www.pizerart.com/bio.htm

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness

2010-09-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I homeschool my kids. Today, we continued our history lesson on the American Revolution by watching an excellent film series by the History Channel called America - The Story of Us.

They really know how to bring the Revolution, and the key players, to life. Daniel Morgen, the intelligent drunk who led the militia and highly expertised "mountain" soldiers, George Washington, the rebel leader :) (I had no idea, the man was a courageous hunk!), and all the strong and willful men and women who settled in the United States. The hardships they endured to fulfill their dreams, as simple and insignificant as they may seem today.

Freedom? Choices?
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, ...
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends,
it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it."

Hard to believe this was drafted over 200 years ago. And what people had to endure and sacrifice to receive these simple rights.

Fast forward to today. A nation under siege of the bad economy. Torn, strapped, angry...People are spoiled from living the Good Life for so long, and now can't cope.

Personally, I was so impressed by the images of this film, and thinking about the strength and will these people had.

I felt wimpy. Yes, wimpy.

There is no reason in the world that I cannot have what I want in life. There is no reason that I cannot travel the road to my dream immediately. There is no reason that I cannot make enough money for my family to have what they need to live fulfllled and happy, with my talents. There is no reason that I let my body get weak, and then complain of getting ill and feeling fatigued. There is no reason that my husband, who works like a dog on a schedule that would have killed me 3 years ago, can't quit and do the work he loves. It is all about how you see life, and thinking about what you REALLY want, and what you willing to do to get it. Anything?

Yes, I am getting off my ass immediately.
Why don't you get off of yours and join me.

With love,
Heike

The House Loses Nothing....

2010-08-19T07:59:00.001-07:00

Whenever we spend hours looking for an important paper, or an object; when we are at a point of frustration because we can't find it.....

"The house does not lose anything."

That is what I say, and it is true. Lately, things have gone missing. There one minute, gone the next. Two days ago I was frantically looking for cocoa powder. I was making pudding at 10pm at night, and I KNEW I just saw the cocoa the day before. I searched, and search the kitchen. I looked where it belongs, I looked behind the pots, I looked in my pantry...nothing. I even interrogated my kids the morning; they just looked at me like I was crazy, since our cocoa is raw and bitter :). Who would want to sneak that in the night??

This morning my coffee ran out, and I went to find my emergency stash of coffee beans. Since they are whole, I also had to dig out my grinder, which I have not used in about 7 months or so (I buy ground coffee, I am a practical girl). Right behind it, stuffed in the very back of the cabinet, was my cocoa powder.

My little deranged kitchen fairies...

Digging around made me find things I have, but don't use.

I grew up in a family that always had food. My dad always cooked for an army, literally :). He was a Staff Sergeant, and he often invited his troops to our house and cooked for them. He cooked for everyone, and food was his remedy for everything.

Tante Erna, who was practically my second mother for the first 13years of my life (I will dedicate another blog just to her), cooked. She was a refugee from East Germany, and as humble as they were in the beginning, there was always food. Lots of it.

My husband is one of eight kids. They were poor. My husband is like a kid in a candy store when we go to Costco...he buys like there is no tomorrow.

When we have parties, or just a dinner, all this "training" comes to surface. There is always enough food. It is as if we have a fear of not having enough, and so there is always excess.

What prompted these thoughts?

As I was digging for my grinder, I had to move a one gallon bottle of vinegar. It is half full. My first thought was: Darn, now I have to go to the health food store TODAY and get another gallon.

I could feel the panic set in. Is that crazy?? My house is so full of food, another family could live of this for at least 3-4 weeks, I am sure. We are far from affluent, yet we spend so much on food, and other things we could live without but feel a need to have. Both my husband and I have been trained to panic..Afraid of not having "enough" has thrown us into a habit of excess. Excess is like a pimple on my butt these days, everything in our life is "stuffed".

On that note, there are some interesting theories that these habits stem not just from childhood, but from past lives (if you were hungry in a past life, you tend to overcompensate with food in the next ones...and so on). Healing the past and can change the future.....

It is time for a "re-training" and a simpler life. My spirit, my wallet, and my fridge will thank us......

Some fun....

2010-08-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

Does a Goddess in the Groove "Goddess" share your life? Is one of my sweet Kitchen Witches spreading magick in your home? Are you reading my book? Post a picture on my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/thegoddessinthegroove, and receive a coupon for 20% for my Etsy store, no expiration :).

Also, check out my adventures of "sustainablility" at http://www.herbmagik.com.
My husband is calling me the Pioneer Woman :).

Have fun!
Laugh!
Blessings,
Heike

Journey: Letting go, whether I like it or not

2010-08-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

If you have been with for a while or follow La Luna, you know that now is a perfect time to let go...release....

You also know that I have a hard time parting with anything put my money :).

The last few days have been strange, it is as if Universe is saying:
"Heike, I have had enough of your procrastination. How the hell are you supposed to receive, when you don't get rid of what does not serve you?".

Hmmm...when it is time to let it go, I feel as if it is serving me just fine. But our house only has so much space, and I still watch the "Tiny House" videos for inspiration.

Just now, I was making jam. While waiting for the jam to seal, I started washing the dishes I made. I turn on the "chomper" in my sink. Two of my favorite bowls fly through the air and

BAM!!!

They hit the ground and shatter to pieces. I have had these bowls for a quite a few years...the dragonflies were fading. They had chips and dents, but I did not want to throw them away.

As I was sweeping up the carnage, I realized this was one of several instances when something that should really leave either broke, burned, disintegrated, or had water damage so bad it was useless. I am also in the midst of planning for greater things to come :), moving rooms to accommodate new ventures, and bringing in new duds. I have had some strange opportunities to release both things and beings....

Watch what flies around you with open eyes, may just be some tough love from the Universe!

Anyone else experiencing this?

JOURNEY:The magic of a good book....

2010-07-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

I am a lucky girl.

A few weeks ago I was on day trip with MY WOMEN to Berkeley (the coolest town...made we wish I was 21 again for about an hour), one of stops was the "Half off" bookshop. Straight for the clearance sign I went. Guess what dropped into my hand? The sequel to one of my most favorite stories, "Chocolat".

:).

I didn't even know there was a sequel! "Girl with No Shadow". I also discovered that Joanne Harris wrote a bunch of other books just for Heike.

Can I admit that I made up for the many books I gave away?

A few minutes ago, I wrote on my FB: "Jazz, glass of wine, a good book". I got all snuggled, ready to turn off the puter, and what do I see? My friend Denyse posted the winner for her book "Without Alice". Zipped right over.

Me! Me! Me!

No shame here....I won it :).

http://djkirkby.blogspot.com/2010/07/are-you-punked-books-winner.html

Do yourself a favor and check out her blog and book. I got to read excerpts as Denyse was putting it together. She is a fabulous writer, and her story will keep you turning the pages....

Now for that glass of wine :)........

JOURNEY: Stillness.....

2010-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

My life is loud, and a bit chaotic. It seems that there is always something chattering in my head....the computer, the phone, the kids, the dog.....or maybe the TV as background noise as I seldom sit down to watch something. If it is quiet in the house, I guarantee you that one of my neighbors has their garden people blowing away three leaves with leaf blower. I have a feeling the leaf blowing maniacs enjoy polluting my world with noise, while they are wearing protective ear muffs.....

With that said, everything is fairly quiet between 11PM and 8AM. You may notice that most of my writing, posts, FB banter, etc, happens between these times. I also paint Goddesses or create my Kitchen Witches then, because it is QUIET!!! I can have, and complete, a thought process.

Now that the summer is here, I have another place to escape to:

My hammock. In the mornings, my dog wakes me up between 6am and 6:15am, like an alarm clock. I let him out in the back yard, and follow him to lay down on my hammock :). Decked out with a pillow and my favorite blanket, I snuggle up under my tree. It is so peaceful. If I don't fall back asleep, lulled in the cool morning air.....I listen to the birds, the bees, and other sounds of the morning. The leaves of the tree swishing....Every once in a while I get a sloppy dog kiss (I am at the perfect height when laying in my hammock, he does not have to stretch!), or get knocked in the head with a dirty, slimy, well loved squeaky toy, but other than that, it is PEACE.

BLISS & PEACE?? I realize that I write often of these "spots" in my life. It is because I am very conscious of how "peaceful" I am when I am there. I am not meditating, I am not doing breath exercises, I am doing nothing but consciously enjoying my moment there, without any outside "chatter". Our world is noisy; it seems we are becoming more wired, more distracted, more torn to multi-task constantly.

BTW, even my children have a PEACE spot, they picked it completely unknowingly, and call it that....it is under a weeping willow, buy a stream, in our park.

Where is your PEACE spot?

JOURNEY: Just do it....

2010-07-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

I got to experience the pure innocence and lack of all inhibitions again.

Only, it was not me being carefree, but my son, who is 8. I took him to the public pool, swam with him for an hour, and then let him head out on his own. Within 3 minutes he joined a group of kids that were there for summer day camp.

He played with a dozen or so different kids until it was time to leave. As we were walking to the car, he says: "I made a lot of new friends, Mama!".

He did not care what they looked like, talked like, how old they were. He did not care if he never saw them again, and probably does not know their name.

It does not matter, he lives for the moment.

Today (or tomorrow!), I challenge you to live for the moment. Walk up to someone who you think looks interesting, or who you have been eying for months now, but never talked to, and just introduce yourself. It does not matter who/what/why, or if they scream and run away :).

Have no inhibitions, this is the first step to loving your authentic self.

I have done this a few times, and can tell you that it has added people to my life that I just LOVE!! Had I not just talked to them, they would have walked in and out of my life...and I know what I would be missing.

So, go, just DO IT :).

And then tell us what happened.

*If you are new, check out the "Journey" tag for more information.

JOURNEY: Checking OUT for a day

2010-07-06T00:52:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to "Check out" for a day. No phones, no computer, no piles of clothes or paper, no dishes, no bickering kids...

We grabbed our dog, stocked our van with a weeks' worth of food, and headed to the Marin Headlands for a day. We had a fabulous day, and now the husband, the kids, and the dog are sleeping blissfully.

I released myself from all responsibilities for day, and guess what? The house is still standing as I type :).

Give yourself permission to "check out" for a day, or even a few hours today.

JOURNEY: Let them go, and they will come

2010-07-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

The beautiful moon is waninng, and this is the time to RELEASE.

Release stuff! Think of the 80/20 rule.....we use 20% of what we own, and the other 80% is just cluttering up our lives.

One of my big projects is all my books. I buy books all the time. I leave the thrift store with 5-10 books on a regular basis.

Where do I put all these books, you ask?

Good question.

In piles. All over my house. I am starting to look like a crazy hermit book lady.

The day I started sorting books, was the same day that I got home and my next door neighbor met me with a stack of books. "Wait, I have more!" she says. She returns with a box filled with books.

25 wonderful, some classic, some fabulously obscure, herbal books. Even a little wildflower pocket guide for hiking!

sigh.

I love them already. She has inspired me to be more selective with the books I keep, so I am sorting, FOR REAL, and will list the books I have for others to enjoy.

So, my Journey task for this waning moon is my books, and my junk pile, er, desk in my room with all my bills hidden in between the other pharaphanelia that ends up there.

I am sharing a photo of the shelf in my living room...this is nothing, will not post the others.

Send me a pic of your Journey task and I will post it! heikesharp (at) gmail.com

JOURNEY: Looking at life through rose colored glasses....

2010-06-22T21:14:00.001-07:00

Bliss. Bliss. Bliss. Bliss.

I have a few places that make me happy, but these two are available to me daily for ZEN, or when I need to recharge.

Morning walks (even if there are mornings I really have to drag myself out, and Rex has to bring me my shoes...). Once I am here, my heart is happy.

Fresh. Dew. Peace. Mystery. Companion. Mulberrys. Trees. Sacred Grove. Air.

...and then there is the RIVER! My escape.

Water. Flow. Strength. Peace. Friends. Happy Children. Nature. Trees. Cool. Zen.

Where do you go to recharge? What place makes your Spirit sigh in bliss?
An "escape plan" is mandatory.... :)

**If you are new here, you can get more details by clicking on the Journey tab.

JOURNEY: Happy Triggers

2010-06-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

Think of something that makes you happy.

We all have Happy Triggers. Something you hear, something you see, a smell.....they bring back good memories, make you feel happy.

For me, a Happy Trigger is Noxzema. That pungent white face cleanser brings back happy childhood summers, going to the lake, starting the ritual of "taking care". I love the smell....The other day, I bought some for my 12 year old daughter. When I open the container, the whiff made me smile.

All I have to do is open the container and sniff :).

Now, find your Happy Trigger.

What is it?

Think, hear, smell, do.....whatever makes you smile. While you are smiling, and your energy is happy, say your affirmation to the Universe. Remember what you asked me, your Fairy, on Sunday?

"I want xxxxx"

Ahhhhhhh.....:).

What's your Happy Trigger?

Need help decluttering? Need a RED Mixer??? :)

2010-06-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

FlyLady is a gem on the internet for all of us who are challenged with staying on track when cleaning & decluttering. She even send dinner menus!!

Check out this contest while you check out the site...a beautiful RED KitchenAid Mixer.

http://savingdinner.com/contest/

Ooooooo...

JOURNEY: I'm your Fairy, what do you WANT???

2010-06-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Imagine you are asleep, and feel a little tickle on your nose. You scrunch, you sniffle, you SNEEZE!

You open your eyes, and there is a glittery apparition.

"I am your Fairy. I will grant you ANY wish. But...you only have 5 seconds to make the wish."

Tick. You panic.
Tick. You race through all your NEEDS in your mind.
Tick. You panic more...
Tick. Now your WANTS are creeping up.
Tick. You have to DECIDE!!!

Time's up. POOF. She's gone........

Every day we are faced with decisions. Doing what is best, or doing what we want?

If someone grants us one wish, do we wish for what we NEED (which most likely include what a whole lot of other people need, including the dog.), or can we be "selfish" and wish for what we WANT? Do we have to wish for something huge, since the opportunity may never present itself again?

I would always say I would wish for a million dollars. In my mind (then), money was the cure for everything. And, a million dollars can buy me a whole lot of what I WANT. Right? Wrong. At least, that is not how I feel today, because I no longer believe money alone can buy you happiness & fulfillment. It's nice, I love it, but it is not the cure for a deep need to fulfill one's passion.

Today, I am your Fairy. Fairy Wishforwhatyouwant. Do not think about what bills need to be paid, do not help anyone else, do not think about how you are going to get it, how you are going to have time for it once you get it, how long it takes, when it will arrive, what others will think, or....why you should get it. Be selfish and self-indulgent. The first thing that comes to mind is probably what you REALLY want. Don't overthink it.

No manners here. Be bold & simple. This fairy only understands primal language :). Primal language means nouns & verbs. Ever train a dog? Then you know "Sit!", works a lot better than "Can you please sit down, Honey?".

For example:
"I want purple hair."

Start simple and embellish later, still keeping your wish clear so there is no miscommunication. I will start with mine to give you an idea :).

"I want to attend Denise Linn's Soul Coaching at Summerhill Ranch."

This is what I want. I will say this first thing in the morning, and last thing at night.

Now.

What do you want?

*If you are new here...check out the Journey tab for more details....

JOURNEY: Powering up with the New Moon

2010-06-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, Beautifuls!

Yesterday was a brand new NEW MOON, giving us the perfect energy to begin our

JOURNEY!

Check out the JOURNEY tab, and stay tuned for the first Journey post.....

Much love,
Heike

Join me on an adventure....

2010-06-08T01:16:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I have been on quite a journey in the past months. Sometimes consistant towards my goals, sometimes consistant all over the place :)!

I have found that all things go better in the company of friends....so I hope you will join me in the next few months as I begin a more "charted" journey of discovery, fulfillment, goal setting, implementing, sweeping out the old, and welcoming the new.

When I say "join", I do not mean to just watch me, I hope you will "join" me interactively! I have been thinking about this for a while, and it one of the reasons I have let go of third party ads, etc. I want this to be a place of sharing, and support. Sharing of stories, of success, of challenges. Tears of joy, and tears of frustration.

No judgement, no opinions, only support & sharing.

We will share via the comments. Official beginning will be the Sunday after the next New Moon, and will will work with the magic of the moon. No worries, there will be no pressure, no grading, and it will fit in with your life, however chaotic you may think it to be. I promise :).

If you are ready to grab my hand and join this circle, say "AY"!

Much love,
Heike

Uniting my World :)

2010-06-01T09:36:00.001-07:00

Thank you for joining me on The Goddess in the Groove! In the past, I have given away a copy of my book each month on my blog. Now that I am "reassigning"(see note below) the purpose of my blog, I will merge my blog friends & my Facebook friends and pull a winner tonight :). I appreciate you.....♥ , have a fabulous day!

**********Dear Bloggy Friends.....I love having you in my life :). As you may have noticed, I have severely neglected my sweet blog. My life is bountiful, yet still a bit chaotic. I am in the midst of re-circling, and finally finding a path to my purpose. I have installed a Facebook page for random thoughts and wonderful things I find on the web. I have started a new blog at HerbMagik, where I chronicle my experiments with everything from making lotion & shampoos, to fermenting, to herb drying, to tea making....you get the picture :).

The Goddess's Daily Groove will be dedicated to a journey, an interactive one. I hope you will join me, as journeys are much better in the company of friends.

I am removing any third party ads, and any "button" you will find will be directly connected to me, or a company that I affiliate with, thus having my personal seal of love :).

I will continue to give away copies of my book when the urge hits, as well as coupons for my Etsy store, or maybe even a sweet Kitchen Witch...but will merge this gifting with my FB friends to spread the love.

Much love,
Heike

Hair Food for the Soul ~ or ~ An Odyssey of Going Au Naturale

2010-05-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I made the decision to grow out my hair. I have been wearing it short for many years now. One night, I dreamed of me, but I had gypsy hair, with ribbons and trinkets. I was so comfortable in my dream, so serene and complete....so the odyssey began.

One benefit of short hair is that it forgives. My hair forgave all the highlighting, drying, curling, and hair dye every 3 weeks. Gray is the only color my hair was not..thanks to chemicals. Fast growing hair is a bitch when you go gray.....(I have my kids and my husband to thank for that.) I knew that if I wanted to let it grow, I would have to lay off of the chemicals.

I will now share my journey with you, just incase you are on the same path :)...and spare you the bumps.

First I tried natural dye. You can find it in the health food store. Let me tell you a secret: It is not natural. Duh. I don't know what planet I was on as I mixed the color and developer. If you mix, it is not natural. It hit me like a brick when my head started burning. Ok, off to look for a different brand. Quite frankly, if you put on your bifocals and read the fine print, I have not found ONE brand, and I checked about 5 different ones, that does not have some type of synthetic, toxic, chemical in it.

Next, henna bar shampoo. Though I did like this shampoo, it did nothing for the color on my hair. I would leave it on for long time, since some people stated it helped their roots be less noticable. Not mine. Gray as ever, and my hair dried out from the shampoo.

(A picture of my hair this morning.)
I stayed away from henna, remembering the gritty, muddy, yucky gloop I had on my hair many years ago that took me weeks to get out. Then someone mentioned the easy application of henna with conditioner. I am always open for an experiment! When my mom was here, we hennaed. The application was pretty easy (still messy), but the results just did not wow me. I still had a ton of gray, plus my hair was a mousy, weird color. I did mix henna, cassia, and indigo. I tried using only henna as a base, but the color was drab.

While researching I found a henna mecca! The site, hennaforhair. As I read, I found that their application was very different. I was willing to give it one more try, and ordered henna. I read their hanna book, and was enthralled by the history and tradition of henna. Also, it explains very well how henna works on the hair, how to mix, and why you must let henna "cure".

I finally received my henna yesterday and prepared it to sit overnight. This morning I covered my hair, and ran around the garden for 2.5 hours planting.

Voila'!

I love it!!

And since I really am keeping chemicals from my hair, here is my beer shampoo recipe. Your better half may cry at the sacrilage...but it is lovely, and does not dry out my hair. Taken from "Natural Beauty at Home" by Janice Cox:

Base:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup castille soap

Take 1 cup of beer, and cook down until it is about a 1/4 cup. Mix with the base. Done :). it is a bit runny, you may want to store it in a beer bottle, better put a big SHAMPOO sign on it to avoid any misunderstandings :).

Stale beer is great as a setting lotion too! Use instead of mousse...the beer smell goes away quickly, and your hair will be shiny & bouncy.

Enjoy!!!

Can't live up to the simplicity with all my junk....

2010-05-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend was dedicated to the attic.

I sent out a flag to all my friends to send out a search party in case they did not hear from me by the evening...who knew what was up there?? The dog keeps looking up and barking, I was afraid we might run into critters :). Then I would have to jump down the ladder and seal up the entrance.

We found wonderful memories. Photos from our travels, wedding, births of my two kids. Wonderful photos from my two other dogs, Caesar & Napoleon with my daughter when she was a baby. You an see the devotion in their eyes.... :). We found my stereo with turntable, and all our records. Zillions of yards of tull from my wedding, lol! Lots, and lots of things we have been missing, and bought double or triple because we thought we had lost it.

The house does not loose anything.

With a heavy heart, I let go of things. My husband is much more radical than, throwing stuff in giveaway bins. Geesh. He is right, hard to declutter when you don't let go. I have lived without these things for 5+ years, but still.

Today I am feeling much better about letting go. Emotional detachment is prime. I dropped of nice clothes and games at our local homeless shelter. Even the suit my husband wore to his papa's funeral. They were so appreciative, it makes me want to declutter even more. The emotional bond is much easier to break when you know someone else can, and will, use your belongings.

The goal: Getting out half of what we have by next week, moving around 3 rooms, painting them in the wonderful colors we each chose, and creating sanctuaries for all of us. I will have a HUGE table where I can create, and leave my creations when I need to take a break. I see days of Kitchen Witches, Goddesses, and sewing these awesome clothes I have in my head.

Hopefully, all of this will inspire me to live a simpler live, with out accumulating so much JUNK. Really, if I could have the money magically appear in my wallet of the all the stuff I never wore, used, lost and bought again....I would be a RICH woman.

Am putting a sign in my wallet, taped to my ATM card. It says:
LIVE SIMPLE

Are you decluttering? Share with me, inspire me :).
Off to dig in the trenches!
Much love,
Heike

Authentic = slightly unpopular or Superstar

2010-04-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

The day you decide to be authentic and not give a toot about what others think, is the day you will become both unpopular and gain superstar status at the same time.

How quickly people will judge honesty as bitchiness. Saying what is true to "you", speaking your thoughts out loud, uttering your opinion and sticking to it even after you have heard others....well, it is quite "unladylike".

LOL

On the other hand, there are those who respect you because you are authentic. Because you say what you feel, wear what you want, like who you want, eat what you want, write what you want....In general, you do what you want. It is a stage in life that comes when you no longer give a toot, because, quite frankly, those that matter love you as you are, on good days and on bad. And the rest, well, they really don't matter.

Just my thought to take you into the lovely weekend.
With love,
The Real Me

Stay away from my babies, and why I hoard coffee cans & pickle jars.

2010-04-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung here in my neck of the woods......and when spring springs, we PLANT!

It is like the sun awakens urges deep inside of me, making me want to dig, plant, nurture......

So I have planted tomatoes. Six varieties. As soon as I dug up the ground, tilled in the compost and alfalfa, nurtured those babies until the frost past...planted. After three day we had a freak cold spell.

Now you know why I save every coffee can and pickle jar (that is what I told my dh anyways, who likes to go through my stash and grumble!).

We have hung up a Topsy Turvey for strawberries.

I went to the Seed Bank in Petaluma and bought "Gypsy Tomatoes" and "Huckleberry" seeds. Sigh....this is the first year I actually grew cucs and the above, as well as Cistus Incanus (rockrose) from seed in little seed pods.

I set out my cucs a few days ago. Yesterday I went out to talk to them, and they have been chomped on my by "???". Oh, you nasty little critters, stay away from my babies!!

Today, I will spray my babies with:

Garlic & Heat
Crush 6-7 large garlic toes. Put in sprayer with about 1.5 cups of warm water. Add 4 crushed chilli peppers (or a few tablespoons of tabasco). Shake. Let sit for 12 hours. Spray baby seedlings to keep away munching slugs and caterpillars!

P.S. Works on herbs too, but you will have to wash them well as they will absorb the taste of garlic.......

On my quest for authenticity....

2010-04-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

Every day I discover a new thing I can "naturalize" in my life. I always thought I was pretty natural & crunchy, but, by Goddess, there is still so much out there!!

Two days ago I had a few hours to myself, and headed to the thrift store for my weekly session.

I found "Back to Basics - How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Crafts".

Wow...

This book can teach me every from making toys, planting food, canning it, making tools from scratch, surviving a disaster, making a rocking chair, skinning a rabbit and making leather from hide, making soda, making beer. I can also build a fence and a house. Once that is done, I can make cheese and other dairy products from the milk of my cows and goats. I can tap a maple tree. I can build a pedal bike that creates energy. Make masks & ointments. I will clean the hooves of my draft horses. I can build a root cellar. I will make my own sauerkraut.

The universe has sent me this book for a reason. My ranch is waiting....just have to find it :).

I am off to find a coon for my coon hat.

And the winner is......

2010-04-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Kristina!

Her response:

"OMG! Please say you are not kidding! I have been wanting your book FOREVER! :)"

That just makes my day :).

Congratulations, Kristina :)......

To order your own copy, go to My Website. Ordering directly from me will enable me to sign your book :).

You can also go to Amazon at
Goddess in the Groove - Musings From the Goddess Within

Greetings,
Heike

The Poor Man's Food that will keep you healthy....

2010-04-01T20:30:00.000-07:00

In Germany, there are so many traditions around spring time!

In Frankfurt, you would know spring is coming when the market stands began selling "Gruene Sosse", packets of herb that you used to make a traditional food for Green Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. Of course, you can eat this any time you want, the Green Thursday has a reason :).

As the lore goes, the farmers, poor and famished, would always have potatoes that they grew themselves, and their chickens, who also fed themselves, would lay eggs. As the spring rains fell over the land, herbs and weeds grew abundantly. The farmers picked the herbs and weeds, and turned it into a green sauce, which they served over potatoes and boiled eggs. The green sauce was said to have magical qualities, helping the farmers ward of sickness (now we know they were packing the vitamins!), and so it was eaten every year on Green Thursday to keep them healthy all year!

Gruene Sosse

7 green herbs, including parsely, sorrel, dandelions, cress, borage, dill, chives (I had borage & sorrel in my garden, bought the others. Also added Miner's lettuce, as I happened to find a patch on my walk today :)....in the spirit of the dish).

Chop fine in food processor or mixer. Or go the 'old way" and hand chop very fine....

Add just enough sour cream to make a thick sauce.

Add salt n' pepper to taste.

Serve over boiled potatoes (new ones are best) and boiled eggs that have been halved.

Voila! :)

Gruenkern Suppe

2010-03-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow my Mama goes back home after staying with us for 4 weeks :(.

Time always flies when she is here. This time we did nothing but hang out. She babysat for me so that I could spend a FABULOUS weekend with my girl friends, cooked, hung out, watched a zillion episodes of WEEDS with me on the internet, and just discussed my woes of the world with me :).

We also experimented with new grains, and called forth the old ones I grew up with.

Here is a fav, my kids love it too.

Gruenkern Suppe for 4

1.5 cups of spelt
half of an onion
Veggie broth (or chicken or meat, to taste)
Miso (if preferred)

Cube onions and saute' lightly in olive oil. Add spelt and toast until browned. Fill up with about 4 cups of water (or chicken or meat broth if using). Cook for about an hour, or until spelt "bursts". Add about 2 tbls dry veggie broth, and about 2 large tbls Miso. Both of these are to taste, add more if you like it. If you like your soup thicker, take a good ladle of the soup and spelt and puree in the mixer. Add that back to your soup.

Now you can add grated carrots, chopped greens, ginger...it is limited only by your imagination and what you have on hand :). Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy some nourishing tradition :).

Give it to me.......just because?

2010-03-23T22:19:00.000-07:00

Today a post on New Moon Girls fan page really started my gut churning again.

It was the simple question of a mom, if she should give in to her 11 year old daughter asking for a pair of $130 UGGs, even if the mom thought they were over priced. My first response was: Just say NO. Actually: "OH HELL NO!"

I pondered this for a moment, and tried to put myself in this mama's shoes. She must be a much nicer mama than me, since she was asking, yes? Or no?

It put me back about 12 years, right around the time my little Goddess was born. As soon as she slipped out, the world became a scary place. I was seeing girl exploitation everywhere!

This is precisely why I started "The Goddess in the Groove". It was my place to speak out against all this insanity against women and girls.

As my little Goddess began to grow and thrive, I threw on my mama armor, ready to kick butt. I began to question why girls had to be cute & giggly, submissive & sweet, and why they were being sexualized through clothes, pageants, the media, etc. Why did little girl clothes look like something a hooker could wear if it was a few sizes bigger? And do you really want some perve staring at your little girl's butt, trying to focus in on the word "Cutie" written across it?

I am digressing.

Back to now, 2010, where tween girls seem to think shopping in malls, $40 T's, $100+ jeans & shoes, $100+ cell phones, etc. are there just for the asking.

Mine does not.

I take my kids on adventure trips to the thrift shop. We all dress well. I have taught them that is alot smarter to spend $20 and get a bunch of clothes, than to spend $40 and have one shirt, where you are wearing that company's brand across your chest, or your ass, for FREE. I have taught them that jeans need to speak French, do my laundry and put it away, pooper scoop, and do my bills before I would pay $90+ for them. I have taught them that we do not only shop at thrift stores because we are smart and our dollar is worth something, but because we recycle everything else, why would be buy new clothes that contribute to bad labor and non eco friendly practices? Not to mention: Why would I want to look like everyone else??

LOL. Maybe I was just a smart mama when I started this, because I knew one day my daughter would be a tween. Peer pressure is strong, and thankfully she is unaffected. And that child will wring a tear out of a dollar, she is stingy. I have found the best remedy for the "Ineeditis" disease is the "Youhaveenoughmoneytopayforityourself". Instant cure.

:)

I realize that my kids don't go to public, or even private school, and even if they ran around like raggamuffins it would be ok in our world. But every world has some kind of peer pressure, and we as parents have to guide our kids. Especially girls.

My goodness, if you let them think the right pants, the right boot, the right size, is what makes them good, well, that stinks. How will they ever find their true strength? How will they make the right decisions, based on their instinct, what they know is right and wrong, if someone else is dictating who they should be? What they should wear? How they should look?

If you can't say no, tell them to earn the money for the outrageous item themselves. At least they will learn the value of it. Even if you are rich and don't care about the money, think about the VALUE of a good lesson :).

Green, Green, Green............

2010-03-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

It just happens that I have an abundance of Borage in my yard, and all this green is fabulous for your health. In honor of the beginning of spring, here is one of my favorite recipes. You can use any green herb this way....Borage grows like a weed once established. It has a wonderful, fresh cucumberlike taste, and the flowers can be eaten off the plant :). You can even candy them, but my kids just eat them like that, or we use them as garnish.

I use the Simpler's Method (a little of this, a little of that) for cooking, so tweak and adjust as necessary :).

You will need:
Big bushel of Borage leaves, garlic, onions, olive oil, yoghurt, veggie or chicken stock.

Chop the onions (1 large) and garlic (2 cloves) and saute' until translucent. Fill up with a little bit of vegetable or chicken stock. Wash and chop the borage leaves. Add to hot stock and simmer just a few minutes until the leaves are soft.

Pour the mixture into the blender and WHIRL until the matter is a thick puree :). Put back in pot and add some stock. Remove from heat, add yoghurt and mix in until smooth, adding salt & pepper (and nutmeg, if you like it) to taste.

Serve, adding a dollup of sour cream makes it even YUMMIER!

Enjoy!

It's official...we are now Little Leaguers.

2010-03-11T22:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our first practice.

I have been avoiding organized sports all these years, and this time the family wore me down. Our youngest spawn wants to play baseball, follow in his grand-daddys footsteps.

In my two visits to the field, I have already experienced:

1. Little boys between 8-12 having a "potty mouth" that will make even an OLD, seasoned potty mouth like mine drop open (you can read details on facebook).
2. Grown women verbally fighting. I walked away before they began swinging fists.
3. Kids bitching at their parents, and parents thinking it's cute.
4. Me, freezing my ass off because I obviously do not know the appropriate baseball field attire. Tomorrow, I am wearing gear.
5. My son needs a cup....lol.
6. Everyone should go pee before we leave the house, since the bathrooms at the field are always locked up.
7. I am either going to have to undergo a complete personality makeover to get through this, or bubble up.

My baby is having a blast, and once he figures out where to run to and how to hit that little ball, we are gonna' kick some butt!!

:)

DIY woman

2010-02-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been a craze! Here is a quick update on miscellaneous happenings:

1. I am still doing no poo....shampoo, that is. Baking soda and vinegar. The interesting thing is that the time between washings is getting longer and longer. Though I do think the combo is drying my hair out a bit, will have to find an in between alternative. My hair is growing, and is at the hair raising length of nothingness...not short, not long, just there.

2. I am successfully medicating my dog :). He seems prone to this weird ear infection in his floppy ear. As a trip to the vet, with a very small tube of antibiotic, costs $75, plus another $35 for the follow up a week later, and so on....Not only that, while trying to find the Guatamala version of this antibiotic online (so I am cheap, hey, I am an artist....) I found out that it has caused dogs to go deaf. Thank the Goddess for my diverse friends and the internet. I have made him ear drops with beautiful purple gentian violet that stains the world when he shakes..but it seems to helping! Also, adding nettles to his food (what is good for mama can only be good for the pooch), and salmon oil. Today I took him for some primping around at Petsmart (we don't buy food there, but it is great for socializing!! LOL), damn, it must hard being so LARGE, FURRY, and CUDDLY! After several attempts of people trying to touch & tousle....he fell asleep, mentally exhausted.

3. Thank you to my friend Julia who gifted me a macrobiotic cookbook. OMg...I am in love. It was written in 1987, and I cannot believe how right on it is about the effects of certain foods. I am switching our diets.

4. Still not eating meat. Only had one craving attack after reading a post about Elk Stew. Had to settle for buffalo, and at 3 plates of hot, steamy, stew. It was fabulous, and I am good.

5. Planted an apricot tree. Now we have fig, plums, kiwi, grapes, boysenberry, rasberry (if the cane ever sprouts), rhubarb (still in the bag, but will be planted), and oranges. Found out our parcel is too small for chickens :(.

6. My baby turned 8 today!! I am .....???

7. My big baby is growing up and writing awesome essays, I am so proud of her.

8. My mom is coming in a few days...YIPEE!! Love it when she is here......Just love it.

9. Feng Shuied my bedroom, turned my bed...only to find that I could not sleep. Turned it all around again, and there you have it.

10. Attmepting to get more sleep. Good night.

Volcano on my head

2010-02-13T00:54:00.000-08:00

I am a hair girl.

Over the last few years, I have been brunette, black, streaked, red, mahagony, dirty blonde, and everything in between. My hair has been styled every which way, but mostly short. When it did not work, I pulled out my scissors and CUT. Voila! Luckily, my hair is forgiving and grows fast.

A few weeks ago it was time for a cut, and since I swore to my friend that I would NEVER attempt to "fix" the back of my hair again, I had to wait for an appointment.

I don't wait well for anything.

I made the decision that it was time to grow out my hair. My husband will rejoice, he has the male long hair syndrome.

I have suffered for 4 weeks, as it is too long for me, but way too short to try to put up. My attempt to a ponytail looks like a little duck butt.

I have crocheted a hat just cover my hair. I have considered shaving it all off.

So it is growing. Which means I have to stop torturing it with chemicals. Today, I began washing my hair with plain baking soda, topping it off with apple cider vinegar. Over time, this will rebalance my scalp, which totally over produces due to being washed & conditioned with harsh agents (and I use natural hair products....)

I was like our favorite volcano experiment! If you have never done it, put some baking soda in a glass jar. Top it off with vinegar, and watch it rise......

Hmm.....Now my hair looks and feels like it did when I lived in a hut in Jamaica for 4 weeks with no shower.

(Heike has removed this picture after the wine wore off. WHAT was I thinking??)

We will call it Phase One - Determination - of the Hair Project.

If I had only kept my mouth shut.

2010-02-11T00:38:00.000-08:00

I am sure we have all had a time in our life when we wish we would have kept our mouths SHUT.

You know the instant the wrong thing comes out of your mouth. In your mind, you are saying "Oh shit." Yet, it is too late. It is out. You try to paddle back and save your grace, but you know deep down inside that the cat is out of the bag.

Or when the friend you spilled your soul to, turns out not to be such a close friend after all. Either you part suddenly over a difference, or you slowly drift apart. Intimate parts of your life have now become public knowledge.

How about our favorite Facebook & Twitter? Striptease on the internet.....I am always amazed at some of the things I read. Tirades, accusations, divorce announcement, love flings, busting out of others....Hmmm. You can hit that REMOVE button, but what has been said has been said. Once it is on the internet, baby, you can't take it back. Today, I saw so many wonderful things that made me laugh on my FB, but days like this are rare. Facebook and Twitter are revealing that inner need to expose ourselves, and get recognized for it.

How do we remedy this? Zip our lips? Bottle it up inside until we burst? Talk to ourselves?

From the Life of Me ~ Seed Hatcher

2010-02-06T10:28:00.001-08:00

Somewhere under that butt are parsley & echinacea :).

From the Life of Me ~ It was all good, until I exploded the oven

2010-02-03T23:24:00.000-08:00

This morning we finished up some more of our kitchen remodeling project. I still can't find space for all the things that were in my kitchen before we started painting. Today, I began to just throw things in the trash that I could not find space for. I wanted to hang up my pictures & misc. items, yet I could not find small nails. I also wanted to touch up any spots and the huge gash the clock that fell off the wall yesterday left (I was just yelling at one of my children to stop chasing the dog and making him crazy....and off plopped the clock. Just like that. I hid my laughter and I told him that was the rise in energy created by yelling, LOL. Creative parenting), yet, I could not find the small brush. So after doing our school work and getting dressed, we swooped up the dog and drove to our favorite nature area. After a nice long walk & exploration, and meeting a new dog friend, we made our way to our favorite thrift store, conveniently located 5 minutes away. May as well make the ride worth our while, right?

The oldest scored with the cutest jacket and 4 great books, the youngest found a bag full of Legos (Mama, look there are even LEGO PEOPLE!!!) for $4, and found a brand new J. Jlll linen dress in my FAVORITE color teal for $3 :)...

I am not vegetarian. We then went to buy some buffalo meat because after 4 weeks of not eating meat, my body was screaming for MEAT! I thought before I wake up at night as a wolf and accidently devour the dog, I had better listen and eat. So I made a delicious stew with buffalo and root veggies (Mama, this is your BEST yet!)

With my belly full, I decided to try out the recipe in this great book I found "Artisian Bread in 5 minutes a day". I made my dough, shaped my loaf, heated the oven with my stone. It also said to put in a broiler pan for the hot water (that will make steam, for the crust). I was too lazy to find my broiler pan, so I put in my favorite pyrex brownie pan. The beauty of this method is that you prepare dough once, put part of it in the fridge, and then all you have to do it pull it out and let it rest before putting it in the oven. Fast & fabulous, I love it!

My beautiful loaf slipped right onto the stone, then I quickly poured the hot water in the pyrex dish, and

BAM!!!

It exploxed into 6 million tiny glass pieces.
Crap. I instantly realized why it said "Put a BROILER pan into the oven." It is metal, so when it is hot, it will not explode into tiny pieces. Yes, I did KNOW that, I may have just forgot.

So, I have just spent 2 hours picking pieces of glass out of my oven and off my floor. I have also learned to unscrew and remove the bake pan from the bottom of my oven, since we have gas, a ton of glass slipped into the slits :(...I had to throw my dough away, and am now baking the dough I had in the fridge for tomorrow.

I am drinking wine.

Salute!

No Snow, but we did almost run into Scooby Doo......

2010-02-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we were supposed to go play in the snow. Unfoturnately, the day before yesterday Spring decided to pounce on us, and it melted all the snow below 8000 ft :(. Since we were only going to get away for a few hours while our paint dried, we did not make the trip.

Instead, we took the kids to their favorite park, and guess what?

We ran almost ran into Scooby Doo. He must have JUST left to solve another mystery....

Future ranch = another dog.

2010-01-30T15:44:00.000-08:00

I know you are just dying to know what we do on weekends, here is a little sample of my Saturday :). It seems there is always something happening on Saturdays....

Today, we got up at the crack of down, fired up our GPS, and drove to a Sheepherding aptitude test. Our GSD is a "herding" dog, after all. Or rather, German Sheperds are herding dogs, but not mine LOL. Now we have the certificate to prove it!

Herding 101. What makes a good herder, and why some dogs aren't. Finding out now that each of these 28 dogs will go in one at time, herd, be evaluated, etc. I am glad I brought food....

"Mommy, there are 28 dogs here just dying to play with ME! Please? Please?"

Yeah!! We are number 19, we are next!!

Rex is almost as big as the sheep. He chases them a bit, nibbles one in the butt, runs a bit more, but definitely does not have the prey/hunter instinct a good sheep dog needs/wants. He thought he was playing, LOL.

So, now we know that when we get our ranch, we will have to get a real sheepdog. Thank goodness, since Rex already has a job....Head Guard Dog.

The Life of Me - 30 days to a better butt :)

2010-01-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

This is day 3 in the Life of Me.

January is the month of good habits for me. I only have 2 days left to improve myself, so I might have to extend this good thought to February.

All habits take 30 days to form. Since my health is suffering a bit of older age, I decided yesterday that my first new good habit will be to practice the 5 Tibetan Rites daily.

This is what Rex thought about that:

One of the reasons any exercise regime falters in my life is that I never have TIME. Unless I get up super early, or I exercise at 11:30pm, which is prime time for wine. The 5 Rites are perfect: You don't need any equipment, you can do them in about 15 minutes, they strengthen the whole body, and they say it is a fountain of youth!

http://www.lifeevents.org/5-tibetans-energy-rejuvenation-exercises.htm

Get twirling!

In the life of ME

2010-01-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

In the past weeks I have been doing a lot soul searching. I have decided to make some changes, and with that comes that I have to dedicate my brain and my energy to my "cause". In this time, I do still have a lot to say, but it is not always appropriate for the public :)...

So, for the next few weeks I will share some snapshots from our crazy, sometimes humerous, sotimes not so, life.

Much love,
Heike

This is one of favorite stomping grounds...a few weeks ago. Now, after all the rain, it looks like this:

The water rose right up to the trees...no swimming here.

Yeah, we found a diving spot! Water, water, water......

Everybody loves them some wet dog.....

It's all good......

2010-01-23T00:14:00.000-08:00

"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing"
` Agatha Christie

This was in my Simple Abundance today. Isn't it fabulous? There are times when you think nothing worse can happen, not another repair, another unexpected bill, another broken glass....the kids go nuts, the husband stinks, a rotten mood prevails.

When all quiets down, a glass of wine; you have some time to "rebalance", all is good.

Embrace your life, and it will love you back.

What I am grateful for: The opportunity of change.

What I am manifesting: Change :)

What I am reading: "Violin" by Anne Rice

It's official...there are new hormones in the house.

2010-01-13T23:33:00.000-08:00

It is here: The Tweens.

Adolescence is kicking me in the butt. My sweet baby is suffering from dual personalities. My sweet little Goddess, every once in a while her alter ego surfaces and turns her into a mainstream TWEEN. All my goddessy, green witchy, natural sweet mama upbringing just VANISHES, and the Tween takes over. Ugh. I knew it was coming....

:)

She is still perfect, though every once in a while I have to bring her back down to earth. It is truly amazing what happens when your child, a baby, begins to find her own identity. They are formed by you, but are definitely beginning to pave their own journey.

I watch her with fascination, frustration, and pride.

I thank the Goddess for this blessing, and thank my baby for choosing me to be her mama :).

Now, to get my big girl panties on and jump right in......

"I have what I need" she says as she hangs everything on the GO BACK rack...

2010-01-07T23:21:00.000-08:00

Today I had an hour to myself, and not far from where I dropped off my kids is my favorite thrift store.

"Oh, I will go and browse the books".....

If you recall, last week, in a panic to rid my house of unneeded items, I carted off two carloads full of "stuff". I have no idea what made me go to the thrift store today, as I AM WEAK.

My name is Heike, and I am a thriftoholic.

Even I must admit, though thrifty, I am still spending quite a bit of my grocery money on treasures at the thrift store.

Today was a different day. As always, I found at least 3 fabulous clothes items that someone must have donated just for me. A bohemian linen blouse, a tattered cotton skirt in my favorite green with a cotton slip sewn in, super soft green chinos that were brand new....all three fit perfectly. As I am primping and smiling at myself in the mirror as I do when I snatch....a thought blared at me.

"I have what I need."

Well that sucks. Now how am I supposed to enjoy my treasure?

I put them on the GO BACK rack, bought 3 books and the hand knit cardigan with little flowers for my little Goddess, and left. In the car, I became much happier that I did not purchase yet another fabulous blouse or skirt. Quite frankly, I think I will rework some of the stuff I have. I look pretty dorky in normal chinos anyways.

With everything being tight, every dollar counts. I am becoming even more aware that we have everything we need to live a happy life. Hell, even if you took half of everything away, we would still have plenty. Plus, I would not have so much laundry to fold........

Bliss is in the ones we love, and life's simple pleasures.

Be one with nature :)...and learn.

2010-01-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

If you are homeschooling, or if you just want to get out and enjoy Mother Nature with your kids of all ages, this is an excellent resource.

You will find challenges, beautiful pictures, experiences...all from a "real life" mom, and real kids :). This is how we do science!

Check out her beautiful trees & snow, and new ebook. There are also many free resources on her site :).

http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2010/01/winter-series-of-outdoor-hour.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

Happy forging!
Heike

My Tupperware set me free!

2009-12-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

If you have been missing me, well, I have been down in the ditches with dust, dirt, dog hair, and other unmentionables. I have found bills that have been completely ignored, others from 2002, pictures of people I do not know the names of anymore, and clothes....

Oh, my beautiful clothes....

Today is day 4 of a manic panic ditching session before I ring in the New Year tomorrow night with friends. I received the not so subtle messages in my dreams and horoscope that I better get my ass in gear and get rid of what I did not want repeated in 2010.

I was contemplating torching the place, but then I do love this house. Plus, the heater in the van does not work.

Four evenings ago, as I was stuffing yet some more books (which I just purchased at the thrift store!) into my custom-built bookshelf that is stacked double-deep, one of my old books fell out and on to my toes. "Clear your Clutter with Feng Shui", by Karen Kingston. I have only read this book at least 5 times in the last 10 years, but something made me open to page 1 and start reading, AGAIN. That was a mistake. Oh my GODDESS! I walked into my kitchen, which happens to be my Prosperity area, and thought: I am doomed. I was still sorting Tupperware at 4 am. I threw out everything that did not have a top or bottom (no matter if they were expensive Tupper or cheap Rubbermaid), all my ten million saved joghurt canisters, scrubbed my sink, found my table, etc. My recycle bin is full.

Next I tackled my bedroom, which houses my super book shelves behind a beautiful, vibrant curtain, LOL. I myself am amazed at how many Feng Shui, Moon Magic, Magic, Herb, Knitting/Crochet, Business & Network marketing (old life), and misc. Goddess Power books I have. One of the nice things about clearing that first layer of books is that I find books I totally forgot I had...and I already bought another copy!

Uff, and that pile of STUFF on my desk. I hate paper, yet it loves me. It attaches to me like a bad stink.

As it says in my good little book, clutter attracts bad energy. I already know that, so why in the hell do I have so much clutter? It is crazy. So, on day two, I hauled out 3 giant boxes of paper, old magazines, crap. That was after I sorted out books into piles for friends, piles for doubles, and a box for the thrift store (I do not give books away lightly, and yet, I had a whole box of books I did not love. Not enought to give them to friends, that shows you the state of mind I must be in sometimes). Finding so much stuff that was unwanted, and unneeded really got me thinking about how this stuff correlates with my life. If you know me, you know that "clutter", and trying to get rid of it, seems to be a thread. Having the proof stare me in the face........

That is when I paniced! Only how many days until New Years Eve??

Yesterday I tackled the garage/junk room/laundry/pantry room. That room morphs at night and grows stuff. That room is like a pimple on my ass. I have no idea WHY we cannot keep that room clean. So I tackled it yet again.

Today, I explained to the kids that this is an emergency. My daughter must go into her closet, and get out whatever she does not love. LOVE, you hear me??? I don't care what I paid for it, if you have ever worn it, if it is still too big. If you don't LOVE it, hand it over. Amazingly enough, she filled a whole garbage bag, even though we just cleared a few weeks ago. We have good friends to give most of it to, yet, another nudge into my conscious. Heike, what the hell are doing???

My son, well he dumped the giant storage tote that has been sitting in my living room, and it was Christmas all over for him. Once he sorted out Legos, train tracks, Lincoln Logs from the general mayhem, I made him choose one to give away. I got the evil eye, and had to bribe a kiss with the promise of Diary Queen.

My closet, well that is a matter of its' own. I do have clothes that I have had for at least 20 years, and I think they still fit me for the most part. That does not mean I should wear them, ever. I still had some polyester stints in there from my working days, some success suits from my direct sales days, and lots and lots of shoes. I have a shoe thing. Or had, since now my wardrobe consists mainly of cowboy boots, hiking boots, and tennis shoes that lift your butt. I have not worn heels for at least 4 years, yet, I still had 3 pairs of heels, with price tags in my closet, nestled in with all their buddies. What can I say?

I took a deep breath, and plunged in. I stuffed a giant bag with clothes for WEAVE, and another for the thrift store. I am over the initial shock, and might go back in tomorrow and take out some more.

I packed my car, and donated. I came home, and discovered that I forgot two bags, LOL.

Now, I am going to tackle more paper. I have to punch little holes in it and file. I will do so with a smile and a big glass of rum. Maybe rum & coffee....

One more night...

What I am thankful for: My kids, who are afraid I may be going insane.

What I am reading: "House of Spirits" by Isabel Allende.

Well, I'll be darned, has it been over a year?

2009-12-20T12:43:00.001-08:00

In the last few days I have had the opportunity to meet up with old friends who I used to see on a regular basis.

Friend Nr. 1: We live 5 minutes from each other. We used to meet once every two weeks and escape to the bookstore for coffee and some laughing. Her new baby will be 1 year in Feb, and we figured out that we have seen each other twice since she is born :(...once was at a soccer field when I was walking the dog and she brought me rhubarb. So, it really doesn't count as our time.

Friend Nr. 2: We live further apart, 20 minutes or so. We have not seen each other for over 1.5 years. Last night, we realized how much we really have in common, and why we became instant friends when we met. Our boys, only 5 days difference in age, are like soul brothers.

It made me realize that my "busy" life, which 80% of is not life enhancing, is taking over the things that make me happy. How does this happen? Very slow and steady. I end up doing alot of things that I dread to the minute I have to do them (are you nodding your head??), and get so worn out that I no longer make time for the things I love. One of them being seeing my friends that make me laugh, discuss, reflect.

Well, I am sure lucky that I am realizing this before I have lost my mind and my spirit.

Simplicity Opportunity # 3 : Ditch the "busy" stuff that is not ABSOLUTELY necessary, and pen my friends into my calendar at least once a month.

Simplicity Opportunity

2009-12-17T22:43:00.000-08:00

Who would have thunk it?

Once I have decided that "simple" will equal "bliss", there is no more back talk in the house. It has been decided: half of everything will go before Solstice.

Opportunity #2 :) : Space.

Take me back to the days of no toilet paper...

2009-12-16T20:19:00.000-08:00

We claimed new identities, and stepped back in time to the year 1846. Let me introduce:

John Muir is only 8, and his greatness and gift to the world is still unknown. He is a young trapper boy who can start a fire with flint and a piece of pottery.

Virgina Ann Parker, a young girl who came to the fort with her dad. Her dad makes friends with all the Indian chiefs, because he is a good man. She will be one of the many women entrepreneurs that makes California great.

Agathe Murray is a German immigrant, who married her Irish husband Ian Murray in New York. They both came down with fever on the way to California, Ian did not make it through, even though Agathe is an experienced herbalist and midwife. Unfortunately, her herbs were stolen on the trail by a loathsome criminal, and there were no herbs for her to pick under the snow.....

We are living temporarily at Sutter's Fort.

I slaved away in the candle making station all day :), over a pot of hot wax, coughing like crazy because the smoldering smoke was giving me black lung...I am painstakingly making candles, one very thin layer at a time. Dipping, drying, dipping, drying, dipping, drying...hundreds of times..Each candle is coveted, and is only used when absolutely necessary. The candles are locked in a box, otherwise they would be looted by the critters who are attracted by the strong scent of animal fat.

Everyone, even the kids, pitch in as we bake bread in the large clay oven, chop the few root vegetables and meat for the stew. While we cook, the children make ropes for tack and tools.

After a long day, the adults get together to fetch their dinner. As they sit and socialize, the children gather for their dinner. Full bellies and laughter. Then it is time dance into the night.....

************************
Back to reality, California 163 years later.

After spending a day at Sutter's Fort "iiving" as a pioneer, I am almost jealous of the simplicity of that time, despite the inconveniences & hardships.

One of the things that struck me was how attentive and willing to pull hard labor the children were. All ages. I am sure they would not be so zealous if they had to do it every day, but still. I also liked the idea of respecting and taking care of the elders first. This is something our society is lacking. At the end of the day, the adults and kids laughed and danced together, and I got a weird sense of community with people that I just met that morning. My kids were so happy jumping and dancing around, it almost made me sad that I cannot offer them this type of environment.

The fort life, though a bit more comfortable than out on the trail, was pretty rough. I am amazed how resilient people were. It makes me realize how spoiled, and soft, I am.

In preparation for Solstice and the New Year, we are still purging, and now "I" will make a conscious effort to simplify.

From now until New Year's Eve, I will pick one opportunity to simplify.

Opportunity #1 : I will not commit to, or plan any new commitments for 3 months.

Happy Simplifying!

What I am reading: The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

What I am grateful for: Opportunities

Show me your Buttocks, and make me smile :)...

2009-12-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, everything happened in the kitchen. I grew up in big, brownstone buildings, and the winters in Germany were COLD. There was only one room that was heated during the day, the kitchen :). In the evening, the oven in the living room would be fired up for a few hours, but the kitchen is where it was happening. I think it is in the blood, the kitchen is still my favorite part of the house, and I am not the greatest cook!

A few months ago, when my mama was here, she inspired me to try my hand at an old craft :). When I was many years younger, I made her a Kitchen Witch, one that still hangs in her kitchen. She said it made her friends laugh when they visited, and that she would like to give one to some of her dearest friends. How could I say no? So, while she was here, I began rummaging in my brain archives to see if I could remember how I made her.

I made a few prototypes, and finally figured it out again. I am sure the original looks different, but I am digging my new witches. For one thing, they make me laugh. Constantly.

Meet Letti:

Not only is she cute, but she has a naughty side. Meet Letti's naughty side:

:)

Letti is one of the many witches that come from my hand lately. Each one, just like my Goddesses, have a very distinct personality. Every once in a while, they will look like a close friend, LOL.

Now these little witches are not here only to make us laugh, they have a serious mission:

"A kitchen witch, sometimes called a cottage witch, is a poppet or homemade doll resembling a stereotypical witch or crone displayed in residential kitchens as a means to provide good luck and ward off bad spirits

The poppet is supposed to depict a "good"witch who inspires productivity and safety in a kitchen, but also counteracts any ill-will directed to the home. It is considered good luck to give a kitchen witch to a friend or family member. So that those unfamiliar with the kitchen witch can understand its meaning, sometimes a note will be hung around the witch's neck stating her purpose. It could say “So your pot never spills over and your sauce never runs.”, or “To keep your home safe & cozy.”....or whatever your heart desires." (most of that is from Wikipedia.com, it short and to the point. You can get really in depth by digging further :)...)

There is all kinds of lore about Kitchen Witches.
I hope you enjoy it :).

Much love,
Heike, Letti, & the Kitchen Witch crew

P.S. Some of the "Crew" can be found on my Etsy store at www.goddessinthegroove.etsy.com

Advent, Advent....

2009-11-29T22:41:00.000-08:00

This is the magical time of year I anticipated as a child, and now my children do. Advent :). It is the countdown, 4 Sundays before Christmas Eve, or Solstice. Today we lit our first candle.

Even though I do not come from a religious family, we always celebrated Advent, in our own way. I do with my family. Our wreath is not alive, since we cannot gather our our pine boughs close by. But we have our wonderful little wreath, we add real little treasure to it every years for our celebratons.

"Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt,
erst eins,
dann zwei,
dann drei,
dann vier.
Dann steht das Christkind vor der Tuer."

I found this wonderful description of Advent, both the Christian and the Pagan way :).
http://www.blogher.com/simple-seasonal-practice-christians-pagans-and-those-between#comment-139779
Find your way to this wonderful tradition, whatever it may be..

Cooking with the Spirits - Hello, Papa :)

2009-11-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

Certain things I cook are not only tradition, they are linked to certain loved ones in my life. If they have passed over, the process of preparing, cooking, and then enjoying "their" dish brings them rignt into my kitchen, and to our table.

This one is from my Papa. You can buy Rotkraut in a jar in Germany (and now in the states in certain deli stores), but there is nothing like the real thing. This goes well with turkey :).

P.S. We all cook with the Simpler's Method, or like Amelia Bedelia...a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. Adjust to taste.

Rotkraut (Red Cabbage)

1 or 2 heads of red cabbage, cut into "shreds", not too thin
1 large onion
Bay leaves and whole cloves
1 sour apple
Nutmeg
Sugar, vinegar

I use a large cast iron pot for this recipe :).

Glaze cut up onion in vegetable shortening. Add cabbage, and about 2 cups of water (you can do a half water, half red wine :)..), seasonings. Let cabbage cook down a bit, add quartered apple. Simmer for about 60-90 minutes. Add a little apple cider, sugar, and salt to taste. If you like your Rotkraut thicker, you can mix a little cornstarch with cold water and add it, it makes the sauce thicker.

Voila'!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brewing.....

2009-11-20T23:36:00.000-08:00

Lots of healing....We are almost waiting for the herbs to jump up and start singing!

Finished product :)...getting ready to pass out to friends.

Kitchen scene. You would think I am a little "Martha" :)....Too good not to share.

As I am getting rid of things we don't need, I am beginning to find my Spirit that was smashed beneath some stuff under some pile :). I have spent the last two days mixing teas and making Elderberry Syrup. My house smells divine, though a bit like a distillery :). I am also finding that my youngest child has a knack for the herbs (the nose knows!) like me, whereas my oldest is in charge of the "descriptions and marketing" of new Goddesses :). We have decided it is time that our ranch finds us, so we can live off the land with our animals..... as long as there is an internet connection........

Countdown to a new life.

2009-11-12T22:50:00.000-08:00

"You have to practically die, and wake back up".

Not his exact words, but that is what Dr. Wayne Dyer told me the other night at 2:30 am on PBS. I could not sleep, and thankfully was so frustrated that I decided to while my life away by watching TV.

Why would he say this? Well, what I heard was that you have to practically die and wake up "brand spankin' new" in order to drop all your baggage, your bad habits, your toxic friends, family, and life in general.....unless, of course, you are committed enough to begin following the Tao. Dr. Dyer fascinates me. Check out his "Change your Thoughts, Change your Life".

I swear I heard him say: "So Heike, the first step is to follow the 80/20 rule. And start in your closet, then tackle the rest of your life."

"Oh, and Heike? Get going now, 'cause you have a LOT to get rid of before we can continue."

In case you, as I, did not know the 80/20 rule before Dr. Dyer made it up for me personally:

You use 20% of your ______________(fill in the blank with your favorite. Mine immediate list: shoes, clothes, books, yarn, fabric, beads, shoes) almost every day and every time you need ___________________ (shoes?). The other 80% of your _____________________ sit there unused. Take that 80% and give it away immediately, with love. Then take your favorite item of your 20% of ________________, and give it to someone with love. There, that is ONE of the steps to changing your life.

Wow. This show came after a few other signs were dancing in front of my face, it is time for some radical change. Since then I have shredded 5 million pieces of paper, helped my kids sort through books, cleaned out my fridge (20% edible, LOL), and tomorrow I am finally ready to give my closet a radical shake. (Goodbye, green go-go boots, good bye embroidered vest...and some other loved family members.).

After all, Dr. Dyer told me so.

In my next life, I will be a Drifter.

2009-11-04T13:06:00.001-08:00

I have decided to be a Drifter in my next life. My family agrees that this would be the preferred lifestyle, so I don't have to do it alone. My dog does not care, as long as he is with us. We love the road, and discovering new places and people.

There, it is decided.

I have come to this conclusion after our recent road trip, and upon returning and facing the chaos of this house. On the road, we live so simple and happy, what happens when we come "home"? As of tomorrow, I am starting a new Dump the Junk challenge, as I seem to work better under pressure...

Scenes from our new life. Enjoy:

Our Gypsy Wagon :). The Big Blue Van is back in service, and we are loving having her back...

View from my bed in the morning...With the sounds of the crashing waves!

Robinson Crusoe casting? My children in their natural habitat.

And here we are, in MY natural habitat. I can't think of anything better than being by the Sea when the full moon is above us :).

"Fried Green Tomatoes", and then some....

2009-10-26T19:40:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite movies is "Fried Green Tomatoes". I cried and howled with these women, and can watch it over and over again....

My friends know how much I love this movie, and that I LOVE to eat fried green tomatoes :). No surprise then, when a friend emailed me and asked if I wanted her green tomatoes before they get composted.

I had not idea HOW MANY tomatoes she was talking about! The Goddess was looking out for me, and the same day I picked them up, an email titled "How to make Homemade Green Tomato Relish" landed in my inbox, thanks to www.motherearthnews.com :)!

My first time making relish, and it is YUMMY! I have some extra....

So here you go, I copied and pasted the recipe for you, so you can make your own Green Tomatoes! (p.s. I used a bit less sugar, still sweet!)

Ingredients:
25 medium or 35 small green tomatoes
3 medium green bell peppers
2 medium sweet red peppers
3 medium onions
4 tbsp pickling salt
4 cups sugar
3 cups white vinegar
3 tbsp mustard seed
3 tbsp celery seed

Instructions:

1. Chop, process or grind all vegetables into a fine dice, then cover with the pickling salt and stir to coat. Let the mixture stand for 3 hours, then drain well.

2. Boil the sugar, vinegar and seeds for 5 minutes, then add the vegetables and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Seal in hot, sterile pint jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

What I am reading: "An Echo in the Bone"...by D. Gibraldon. This is the newest in the Outlander series, so I won't say much. I am a bit disappointed, was expecting ???? Anywho....I am only halfway through, might get better.

What I am manifesting: Organization. Trying to get my website updated for upcoming sales and the holiday season. I think every woman wants a Goddess for the Holidays, don't you?? :)

What I am thankful for: My family, and friends.

Great Cookie Challenge - Ugly, but fabulous!

2009-10-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went on a date, and he took me to see "Julie & Julia"! Isn't he fab??

I loved the concept of taking one recipe a day and blogging about it....I love Julia Childs for her quirky self. I could never commit to blogging about one recipe a day for a year (can you imagine!), but can certainly do ONE a WEEK!

On a recent thrift store treasure score, I found "The Great Big Cookie Book" by Hilaire Walden. Over 200 recipes :). So the kids and I are going to sacrifice ourselves and try at least one new recipe each week and share our pros & cons with you. And the recipe, of course :).

Applesauce Cookies
Makes 36
1 pound cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped (I used applesauce)
3 tbls water
1/2 c sugar (I used 1/4)
1/2 c butter or margarine (butter only in this family!)
1 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon (we used almost 1 :)...we love cinnamon!)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking sola
pinch of salt
1/2 chopped walnuts
1. Cook the apples with the water in a covered saucepan over low heat until teh apple is tender. Cool slightly, then puree in a blender or mash with a fork. Measure out 1/4 cup.
2. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a baking sheet. In a medium-sized bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until well mixed. Beat in the applesauce.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into the mixture, and stir to blend. Fold in the chopped nuts.
4. Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until they are golden brown. Transfer onto a wire rack and cool.

Ok, our cookies were pretty flat, not round and brown like the ones in the book (B says they are not REAL cookies! :)..). But oh, are they yummy! They are not even completely cool, and we have eaten most of them (We DO have to test them, aye?).

Enjoy!

Dr. Phil, I could have told you that!

2009-10-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Did you see the "Working Moms vs. Stat at Home Moms" show tonight?

I hardly watch Dr. Phil, or any T.V. anymore, but my husband was watching this when I came back from walking the dog.

"You have to watch this."

So I did.

LOL....this is an age old "Mommy War". Even on Dr. Phil, the cats' claws were coming out. I was a bit surprised at some of the things that were said, on both sides, and by Dr. Phil.

I have been on both sides, and still am. I had to give my precious baby to a complete stranger when she was 3 months old to go back to work. I also thought it would be no problem, that was, before she was born :). Once she was here, I did not want to give her to anyone. I remember sitting in the bathroom pumping milk with a slurping breast pump so I could breast feed her. I remember crying in that same bathroom, because I was miserable. I remember calling my sitter from work, to find she was not home, and leaving work in a panic to see where in the hell she was with my baby. I just about killed her. I remember my baby "smelling" like someone else when I picked her up (I am just a sniffy kind a girl). I also remember a sweet woman who loved my baby, and was sure to keep me up to date on everything.

I wrote for an online magazine, about Attachment Parenting. I was flamed by stay at home moms, saying I could in NO WAY be attachment parenting since I am working. I was thrown into the Mommy Wars without my fighting gear. I quickly flamed back, and realized how judgemental women really were. I petitioned that we should all work together to make the world better for our little angels. Yeah, right, that went well.

I did not have a boss like Dr. Phil who said I should always put family first. Whenever something important was happening, I could not simply take off, I had to feign death.

When my baby was 2.5 years old, I was working as a Sales Director for N. California for a luxury resort. I had to travel. It killed me. I would buy us "bonding" necklaces, call home constantly, etc. I came home from one of my trips and was sitting in the dining room with my baby. She goes to phone and picks it up. I ask "What are you doing?" She says: " I am calling my Mommy". "But I am right here." "No, you are my Mama, this is my Mommy." I had morphed into the split personality mama. I then picked up that same phone and gave my 2 week notice.

This was all very erratic, and I would not advise anyone else to this. It has been a rollercoaster of financial disaster, bliss, isolation, bliss, frustration, bliss, marriage struggles ("You need to go back to work!"), bliss, and serious self guilt, and serious bliss. I have gone to work several times since then, had another child, and survived. I am still married too :).

Now I am a Stay at Home mom, and there are days I would LOVE to put on my suit and go away for 8 hours.

LOL!

But I would not give up my life for anything. I get to hang with my kids, we home school, I see them grow and flourish. They will only grow up once, and I plan on being part of that. I can work again when they are old.

Don't get me wrong. I am also the product of a working mom, and I turned out pretty damn good. Still, this is the choice "I" make. Staying home does not mean that we are rich, that I am under-educated, or that I cannot find a job....or that I hate mamas that work.

Don't underestimate me, you hear?

Taking back America

2009-10-08T21:43:00.001-07:00

I have said it before, and will say it again:

With a little thought, and a little inconvenience, each of us can help take back America.

This is from our dinner discussion.

"I" believe, that if every time you shop and you insist on buying "Made in USA", you can make a difference. I know it is hard, inconvenient, and pricier than buying "Made in Wherever", but I "insist". It is a pain in my butt, but I still insist. Just think if EVERYONE did this? I believe it would send a statement, and seeing past unions and high cost of labor (as you can see, we have already gone through the pros and cons of importing) here in the U.S, maybe all parties could get their heads out of their asses and help save this drowning ship. Companies here could continue to operate or reopen, people would have jobs, quality would not be a crap shoot, and maybe, maybe we could get back to making cars the world wants to buy (including Americans).

I buy local whenever I can, and usually hit the markets a half an hour before closing so that I can get the food I need for the budget I am on. I trade whenever I can. I buy used 98% of the time, I only draw the line at underwear. I take my friends' extra fruits and veggies and freeze, can, or jam them. As a thank you, I give them jam :).

I am now in the process of cutting away gas. As a kid, I walked everywhere, for hours. Of course I lived in a city, and the times were different. I won't let my kids walk alone here. BUT, I am making it a point that we walk together to places that are close enough that we can walk there within an hour. We need to wean ourselves from our car.

My mom laughs at me and says: "No wonder the economy is in such a bad state!"

That may be true. I may the cause of the retail downfall during the Holidays, and I certainly am not a benefactor of Black Friday. I choose not to be a mass consumer, I have enough essential things I have to pay for, like food and bills. You could argue that the people in the stores that close are losing their jobs too. It is true, but I will argue that there is no need for a Target, Mervyn's, Kohl's, Circuit City, etc at every corner. My goodness, they all sell the same stuff! It is the overindulgence of everything that is killing this country. Only allow so many clothes, electronic, craft, etc, stores in a certain mile radius, and they will thrive.

The more we think, the better it will get.....

:)

If you can read this....

2009-09-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

evn thO I considA Mself quite comp savvy, I stil cnot read a few of d txt msgs Im sent. It sEmz mnE of my peers av mastered dis skill. f u cn read dis, plz contct me so I cn snd u d pattern 4t Vintage Crochet Tablecloth Id lk mke. Obliviously, there's sum1 ot la dat cn read:

Sl st in ea of first 2 chs of c8. Ch 8, sk3 ch, dc in next ch. Ch 5, dc in secn ch of next ch8. Rep around w dcs in 2nd an 6th chs, of ea ch8, and ch5 betw dcs. End slst to 3rd ch of ch 6 (12 spaces).

:)

Might as well be Japanese.....If this makes sense to you, can I send you the pattern for translation?

Americana...

2009-09-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have been on the road experiencing beautiful Americana. I am sharing the road with all the big RV's, Harley's, and shrouds of tourists from all over the world :).

It is funny to drive through the state you live in as a "tourist". We are driving through giant trees, collecting sea glass, and stopping at every kitschy stop there is.

I am amazed at the vast expanse of nature we still have available for our pleasure. I have also visited Ft. Bragg, and wonder how so much of this beautiful coast can be fenced off with big military relics rotting on it? We perused the dumping grounds the military created on one of most fabulous beaches, and hope we have not contracted some mysterious ailment while searching for treasure. People find old cold coins and dubloons (can you believe it?) there still....

We have met homeless people, seen lots of hitchhikers (they do still hitchhike on the coast!), I saw real live buzzards for the first time in my life, and found MY house right by the beach.

Pictures coming soon.
Much love,
Heike

What I am reading: Maps
What I am grateful for: America

What is your Calling?

2009-09-05T00:20:00.000-07:00

"Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it." -BUDDHA

I read this quote over and over, and kept seeing "Ghandi" at the end. Strange :)?? I think I am finding my work, and morphing. I truly hope everyone can find the work they were really meant to do before they leave.....

I am off, ending a strange week of misread days, chaotic home, and this evening, I almost let my truck roll into my neighbor's nice, newer, expensive pick-up. My dog caught another mouse/vole (eww...he plays with them :(...), and there is mysterious water on the side of my house that I hope is not ours.....

Much love,
Heike

Kitchen Witch

2009-08-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what many who know me now may think, I did not grow up with a hippie mom, or a Strega Nona :)....my Oma did not whisper spells in my ear, or fly around the moon with her broom. Neither did my Mama :)...I did grow up with two practical women who knew how to harness what Gaia gave them to take care of us. I was also taught to trust my "gut", and knew that the there was an invisible string tying us together. We always knew when something was wrong...and still do, to this day. And, we are all moonstruck.

As a teenager, I became interested in Tarot. I still have the first Tarot card book my Mama gave me :). But Tarot was not on my path, it was curiosity. My first realization of the Spirits came with Grandma Boehnke, the day she looked out the window to show me the cemetery across the street. She knew she was going to die.

My car accident was my passage. My first conversations were with my Opa, he helped me through many nights in the ICU. I also learned that my dead were not gone for me forever.

The older I get, the closer they can come. My draw to herbs and their healing energy came shortly after my daughter was born, that was my second passage. I was never supposed to birth a child...yet I had two. My son brought me the words that accompany people when they have ailments I am supposed to see :).

If you believe in Spirits, you will know when they are with you. I just spent 2 hours in the kitchen with one of mine, clearly feeling the love :). Someone once asked me if they speak German or English, lol, and I don't know. We just talk...and then they go. I feel blessed to have them by my side.

As I write this, I am sending them my love and going to finish cleaning my kitchen. I grew up in "kitchens". My Spirits loved and lived in their kitchens, and I am sure that is why they join me there so often.

Ade'......:)

Self Help

2009-08-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

When I had "the" car accident in 1990, my life changed drastically. Over several years, I healed. Not back to my original, pre-accident state, but to a fairly healthy state. I was walking, riding my bike, swimming, dancing. I was not horseback riding, skiing, bungy jumping :)....all this with a broken back.

The last few years have taken it's toll on my body, much of it is because I do not exercise enough. Getting in and out of a car is not the same as walking up and down 5 flights of stairs several times, eh?

Unfortunately, the last years have also been an odyssey of unsatisfactory diagnosis when I DO go see a doctor. Pain is always blamed on the after effects of my accident. I only go because the pain is so strong that I am ready to jump off a cliff. To this day, nothing has helped. I even tried acupuncture, which was heavenly while I was in the office, but as soon as the needles came out, the pain was back. I was contemplating permanent little needles, I wonder if anyone makes these?? :) I became so desperate that I began taking hard-core nerve numbing medication. It was great for about 3 days. I took it right before going to sleep, and I finally slept for more than 2 hours because I had no pain. I did feel like I partied all night the next morning, but hey, it could be worse.

10 days later my body filtered through that medication and did what it always does, it rejects. It becomes immune, which is precisely why I never need medication :)...

I have spent two hellish weeks of no sleep and constant, burning/stinging pain. Now I am going back to what I was meant to do: Find a way to heal myself. I want to share with you what I find, what works, and what doesn't. As life goes, once I decided to embark on this journey of research, things come to me that I did not know about.

1. Mullein ROOT tincture = You will find the "leaf" and "flower" tinctures often, but not the ROOT. If you google "Mullein Root", you will find wonderful explanations by Michael Moore and Jim MacDonald on the uses of Mullein Root for back pain and more...I suggest you find your own mullein, or grow some as I will, since the root tincture is pretty hard to find :). It is a wonderful healing plant.

2. Ashwandangha :) = Never heard of it, and one day it just popped up on my screen. Well, this little herb has been used for hundreds of years by Indians and in Africa for many things, one of them being inflammation (how perfect for ME!!!). Also for insomnia, mental alertness, stress..and more. I think it popped up just for me..and it has joined my circle of friends.

I am also researching foods that cause nerve inflammation. The possibilities are endless.

I am also drinking infusions of the nerve building tonic of nettle, horsetail, and oatstraw.

I am going to be one ZEN woman very soon :).

To be continued.....

Is whacking a cushion considered P.E.?

2009-08-13T21:26:00.001-07:00

It is that time of year....everyone is going "Back To School" shopping. We are too, as we love the deals on pencils, erasers (we luv us some erasers!!!), highlighters, and those yummy, stinky white erase board markers that are just too much fun. Thankfully, I don't have to buy uniforms, trendy clothes, or gigantic backpacks with iPod connectors. We are all getting a new pair of hiking boots that cost over $12. A girl has to splurge where she must.

We just completed our annual homeschooling conference, and I am home, feeling inspired. Not by the mess and chaos this mega weekend has created in my house, but of the possibilities...all the POSSIBILITIES!

I was fortunate to hear Jon Young of the Wilderness Awareness School speak. Wow. Here is another author whose book I have possessed for a while but never delved into, who brought it alive for me by talking about parts of it. (On that note: I intend to take parts of my book live, as I see how alive the spoken word can be!). His depiction of "community" really spoke to me, and I am sure a future post will get into this more deeply as I dissect and order my thoughts on it.

I met many new friends, and saw and learned of many new homeschooling approaches. Geesh, we are lucky. I will come back to this post when my kids are driving me up the wall :), and I am scratching at the doors of a school BEGGING for them to let my kids in, LOL.

Seriously, the POSSIBILITIES....

Next week we are "officially" starting school. My kids, being a bit older now, are fully involved in the choosing of classes and curriculum, and my oldest is responsible for journeling some of her work for our records.

I know "school" is about to start for us when I asked my children to do this:

...and they ask me if it counts as P.E.

:)

All is well.....

What I am reading: Fiery Cross (from the Outlander series)
What I am thankful for: My life.
What I am manifesting: Organization

Authentic living

2009-08-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

Though my posts may seem sparse these days, it is not for the lack of SUBSTANCE in my life. Actually, the past days/weeks have been filled with things that make me ponder, and keep me away from the computer.

My garden is one. I nurtured, and even put in a watering system, but when I went to my sweet friend's house last week, I just about died with envy when I saw her tomatoes. My tomatoes are just not happy, two of my plants keep dropping their Blossoms. I don't do chemicals (my friend doesn't either), and have tried to plump the earth...Well, now I have gone and bought some calcium in a bottle for an outrageous $7, and I am out there spraying EACH blossom in the hopes of coaxing a tomotoe to sprout. One of the scrawny plants is my Striped German, of all the nerve. Yet, some of my garden is blossoming, and parts are looking a bit like the Secret Garden....Benjamin planted beans everywhere, and they are trailing all over the place, creating some funky formations. I will post some pics at Green Sub Mama. The cuke is one that Benjamin tied off while it was growing, I found it like this :)....

My dog. Goddess bless him, poor buggar has something going on with his ear. First, I found what looked like a huge, full tick. I did not know it was a tick, to me it looked like a bloody Lima bean. It was laying on the floor, like an alien. We had no idea where it came from, only that it had blood in it. Ew... Later that night, we Googled dog ticks, and there was our friend. Looks like he must of been hanging on somewhere for some days, because he was quite "full". We don't know if it was in his ear, but now we have been digging and cleansing his one standing ear for 3 days, and he has had enough. I am getting a full body work out, as it seems that I am the only one who can administer ear stuff. Tonight, I squirted in Olive Oil, just incase it is ear mites. Another Ew. But I am sure as hell not going to pay $40 for the Vet (the one who always looks down his nose at me because my dog does not let him dig or squirt stuff in his ear voluntarily) to clean an ear. Since we are all downsizing, I even tried the mobile clinic at the Feed Store for vacs, and it was just fine...saved me $10+ a shot. Now my poor Rex crawled in his kennel in the hopes that I will not follow him in with my ear pharaphanelia....

We are gearing up for our homeschooling conference, which heads up our "not back to school" year:). It is a 4 day event, and we are all looking forward to it. After that, we start our schooly fieldtrips :)...our computer games, our science experiments. My kids do math and language arts every day, as well as history. This year we are studying Medieval times, and we are so stoked. We LOVE history.

I am spending much time thinking about how much more simple my life could be. I am also looking at ways to trade my talents for things we need. I am even thinking about setting up a big ol' mirror, and cutting/dying hair. Not only because I love it, but because I feel a need to use my talents more. More on that in another post.

I am reading more, and not just "shop" stuff, school stuff, and how to manuals. Leisure reading; I am especially entranced by "Drums in Autumn" by D. Gibraldon, and am up till the wee hours in the morning reading. They are making me think more about simple living. I fully realize this is a novel, but still, their lives take on this weird twists, and they always make things work. Fascinating.

My Mama is coming in a few weeks, and we are planning a ROAD TRIP!! One with funny, kitschy stops, driving through trees, museums, dinasours, and lots of wild coast....I can't wait!

Live, Love, Laugh

2009-07-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

For some reason the past days have been filled with ideas, and myself being thankful for the things I have.

Take today: I went to the river with my kids. It was 100 degrees, yet sitting by the shore of the water, under the shade of the beautiful tree canopies, with good friends was PERFECT. Or bobbing around on the tube with my daughter, letting the river current takes us away......

Every once in a while, I have what we can call a "Shit Day". As the name implies, everything that day sucks. The laundry, the yapping dog, the bickering kids, the husband who gets on my nerves, the computers that don't work, the constant whining of people around me......those the are same days I burn myself while cooking, the giant bag of rice pops open while I try to pour, the dog food bowl gets sprawled all over kitchen so the ants come for the kibble that does not get swept up, my hair does not work...

LOL!

The other day, while giving my husband a Heike Lecture about being grateful for what he has (I like to give those sometimes...), it clicked. You know, when I told him that the sucky stuff will go away if he changes his thought pattern. Instead of telling himself over and over again how terrible this and that is, he says: "Wow, I have a FABULOUS wife, great kids, a roof over my head, I still have my jobs, and even the dog loves me." Sound familiar? It is what they tell us in "The Secret". And I realized that that is our fundamental difference. I can't wake up and think doom. Yes, it may make me seem a bit Airy Fairy, but that is ok. He is the Serious One, and we must find our middle.

Or just keep watching "The Secret" over and over and over.

Much love,
Heike

What I am reading: Drums in Autumn!! Yahoo! Love it. Now all I want to do is drink whiskey and say "arse" :).

What I am grateful for: My life.

What I am manifesting: Sales :). Check out my new Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Goddess-in-the-Groove/123470391528?ref=ts

Ok, then, just kiss my butt.

2009-07-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

Not you, this darn computer!
The original post had a different title, but since it crashed (FireFox that is) 3 times and lost all the photos, AND I had to upload all AGAIN...I am done, you hear? What is a visual post without photos???

So this is the last time. It better work. I am saving it right after this sentence, so if the post seems unfinished later, it is.

Ok, now on with my real post:

Wow...it has been a week since I wrote.

Honestly, my mind is so cluttered and chaotic right now, I do not make much sense to anyone but me.

So, I will write this post in pictures, and captions, for the "visualist" in all of you :). Much love, Heike

My daughter had the wonderful idea to look for a pair of MY (25+ year old) shoes to wear with HER (11 year old) outfit. I know I have cool shoes, but where did those big feet come from?? How can it be that I am already sharing shoes???

Ahhh..the last minute creative prep. New Goddesses, Goddess Rocks (they rock!), Beer Cap Pies, and some beans, freshly harvested from the garden. How does all this come together? I don't know, but this IS my life.

Goddess on the Rocks! Digging into my piles of rocks, I MAY be a bit of a rock hoarder...making beautiful use of them.

At the festival, with 2 hours of sleep, getting up early to take the dog to doggy day care. My cart broke, and we had to lug all this stuff in 100 degree heat. I did not have coffee yet. "SMMIIIIIIILLLLLLE" she says. Ugh. In the end, the festival was a bust. Never again, my Goddesses say..

Would they respect her more?

2009-07-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

We just watched a few nature shows on PBS, and an interesting discussion came up.

If HUMANS were forced to live the way nature intended, would they respect Gaia more?

- It humans lived like they did before the modern conveniences of air conditioning and heat, of deep freezers and processed foods out of a box, would they respect the Earth for the wonderous living, nurturing creature it is? Would they celebrate the Seasons again, adjusting to survive each one?
- If they had to wait for the cool breeze to cool off instead of switching a button, would they fear global warming more?
- If they had to hunt for their food, kill it, skin it, cut it, then prepare it for storing, would they respect the life-giving energy of a cow or other animal more than they do now, seeing only a slab of meat on some styrofoam?
- What if everyone had to grow their vegetables or fruits themselves, would they respect nature more, or even just the hard labor of love of an organic farmer (who again, respects Gaia too much to poison her with pesticides)?
- Would families live in clans again to support each other? Would families sleep together for warmth, instead of being separated, each in their own room, if there were no heaters?
- Would they take shorter showers, if the showers were cold? Would they have smaller tubs, if they had the haul the hot water in by buckets, and out again the same way?
- Would they build sprawling suburbs were farms used to be, if they had to walk everywhere, use a bike or a horse buggy?

Watching the encroachment of animals, all in the name of human sprawl and convenience, and the blatant oblivion to the destroying of our Earth saddens me. It is just another choice humans are making, without thought of the future. I do wonder if we were just "unburdened" by all these conveniences for a short time, if it would open the eyes of HUMANS and save our Mother Earth from further abuse?

Just some thoughts from our dinner table, with love.

The best things in life can be FREE!

2009-07-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

After spending a month SpiritZapping, I think my next focus will be: "What great things in life are FREE?"

With the zapping, a profound thread emerged. How can we maintain a quality of life on a shoestring budget? I surely did not invent thriftiness, but I will continue to share what I can :).

I also want to mention that you are not alone out there. I did receive several private emails during the month, and thank you all for sending them :). It warms my heart to know that I can support you on this journey, and that my posts may have made a difference, or just opened a door to new thoughts!

One of the recent emails, published with permission, although I changed the names to protect the Lovelies :)...

"I love your new spirit-zappers postings!

Welcome to my world! We pay cash for everything and it's really difficult when you need things like new tires or any kind of extra expense. It SUCKS! We have no credit cards and probably couldn't afford the payments if we did. Credit cards can become a crutch and then people end up paying monthly on them and don't have cash so they have to keep using the cards. I'm glad we don't have credit card debt but sometimes I wish we had them so that we could use them in an emergancy like when we need new tires (my tires are bald and could pop anytime) or to pay for dental work. I recently broke two of my molars and don't have dental insurance so I am really worried. Even getting a hair cut is such a luxury. It cost me $40 for XXX to cut my hair which might as well be $400 with our current budget. (snippet removed to protect the Lovelies) LOL! I can just imagine that John would flip out too if you paid $40 to get a hair cut. Maybe I could go every two or three months. We'll see. I can totally understand that she has to earn a living so I don't begrudge her at all and she does a fantastic job and is worth every penny.

Most of the time I'm just grateful that we have a roof over our heads. This economy has really taken it's toll on us. Luckily XXX was able to get some handyman work and painting/building some cabinets on the side for some extra cash which helped a lot. He still has not found a job. My sister was laid off from her job last week. She had been with the company for 10 years.

We don't have cell phones because that was the first luxuries to go when XXX was laid off. XXX always wonders how teenagers and people on welfare manage to have fancy cell phones. That's a pet peeve of his. Our luxuries lie in distraction through TV and Internet. We have a comcast package that includes phone, internet and cable for $100/month and my internet is high on my priority list because it offers a gateway into so much information and keeps me connected with friends and family. I would go bananas without it! Recently I splurged on Netflix, though I don't know for how long. I feel guilty spending $9/month on it even though it isn't that much, it is when you live on a shoe string. I LOVE Netflix though. (snippet removed to protect the Lovelies) I get the sale ads from Safeway and SaveMart and buy ONLY what's on sale. Haven't bought new clothes in over a year. I guess I spend my clothing budget on my internet. Thrift shops don't usually carry anything I would want to wear in my size.

When I watch the news on TV I get depressed hearing about unemployment and state budget crisis...etc. When I saw what was going on in Iran, I did feel very fortunate that we are not it that kind of crisis and I felt sorry for those people. I think we have taken for granted so much that we were accustomed to enjoying in life. Having the rug pulled out from under me has been a real eye opener as to being grateful for the little things. There was a time in my life when I could not even fathem living the way I am now. I expected more, perhaps I still do. I know I do. Even when I thought I didn't have a lot, I really had more than I imagined and even now, when I am living on less, it's more than some people have. I just wish it would get better and soon. Universe?!? Are you listening?!?

One of the things I admire about you is that you live simply and you do it with style. Your home is warm and cozy and you make not having a dishwasher seem tre~chic. LOL! You find things to do that are free or low cost and it's fun to be around you. We have some other friends who keep asking us to go camping and stuff but I told XXX that as much as I love these people, they are likely to want to go out to a nice resturant for dinner or something that would cost $$$ and we wouldn't be able to afford it and I wouldn't want to be a damper on their fun or even have them pay for us. You know what I mean? If I went camping it would be very simple and we'd be eating what we brought, no fancy stuff. No stopping at the casinos or anything like that. When we say we are on a tight budget we mean it. What we have is what we got and if it's gone, it's gone.... There ain't no money tree growing in my back yard. Hell! I don't even have a yard right now!

It takes everything I can muster to stay positive and focus on moving forward with hope and determination that this time in our lives will get better. Somedays I just have to take a xanex and try to block it out. =)"

I am sharing this with you, because I think it is important to see that no one is alone in this. ONE of my responses is that when you decide to live your authentic life, those around you will respect you for it, and those that do not will fade away. It takes a certain amount of courage to be authentic :)...

So now I am enjoying this beautiful Sunday! My men are off on a fishing trip on the search for the GIANT carp :), and my daughter and I are preparing for a day of making Goddesses and girly stuff.

P.S. The picture above is one we took on our recent Blackberry adventure...complete with scars and spirits :)...you can read more at Green Sub Mama.

Enjoy your Authenticity!
Heike

What I am reading: "Voyager". Finally! Drawn back in, feeling a connection with the Highlanders....
What I am grateful for: The simple things in life that me happy.
What I am manifesting: Sales....

SpiritZapping in a Nutshell

2009-07-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

After 30 days of SpiritZapping, I have some thoughts:

1. I am still not quite used to paying cash for groceries and "extracurricular" activities. The first week I had $17.82 left over, the second week I ended up with $1.73 at the end of the week. Today, I bought $35.00 worth of fruit under the amused eye of German lady at our newly found fruit stand. That is alot of fruit, but my kids have already eaten half of it. They both had the "effects" of lots of stone fruit, LOL, so $17.50 virtually went down the toilet...

Wlth that said, paying cash is really opening our eyes, and making me say "NO" to quick fast food meals or other little extras that slurp our money.

Once we are over the shock, we will venture into paying cash for everything.

2. Taking each SpiritZapper area individually, and making it my day's mission to blast it, made things much easier. It is much less overwhelming this way, and the sense of accomplishment is FABULOUS! Now the challenge is to keep them clean. It also made me realize how much unnecessary junk we have, and how that zaps my energy every day :(.

3. 30 days is not enough.

4. One of my days was commissioned for "deleting" SpiritZapping people from my life. That is truly empowering. Cutting those ties. It does not mean I don't love them, or that I am deleting my history with them. I am just letting them go because they do not make me happy.

5. See Nr. 1. I do believe if more people would look at their spending, not only in time of need or economic disaster, they would get back the basics and stop being spenders, consumers, trashers. I love that my posts made some people re-evaluate, and that they empowered them to take the first step. :)

6. My kids are keeping their rooms clean. They are awesome. Once I gave them the base, they were able to go in and FEEL the good vibes :). Now they are doing it on their own. They are also helping keep the other parts clean, they are taking responsibily.

I am going to do this again, but am taking a break from it now. I think zapping "publicly" was a challenge on it's own, since I felt obligated not just to myself, but to the "public" :).

Thank you for following along with me, I hope I have inspired you to Blast your own SpiritZappers!

Much love,
Heike

Getting back to my roots...

2009-06-30T23:34:00.001-07:00

"Being good isn't always easy, no matter how hard I try......"

Dusty Springfield, "Son of a Preacher Man"

Blasting the SpiritZappers, Day 23 - Catch Up

2009-06-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today is "officially" day 23 of my Blasting, and I am catching up with all the past projects. I am mainly concentrating on my Junior's room, as she is coming home from camp tomorrow :). We put up her new fan (with a light, finally she does not have to be a cave dweller anymore!), hopefully that will let her "see the light" of a nice, neat room :).

But a girl can't be all about work and no play! This morning I took my boys on an adventure. We keep driving by this park entrance, an itty bitty one that connects to the American River Bike trail. So this morning we donned our adventure hats went to check it out :). Super cool...you can see a few more pics at Sub Green Mama .

I am scrounging with my cash budget for groceries, and have a whopping $7.53 left until Sunday. I will fill you in more at the end of the month with my SpiritZapping synopsis.

Much love,
Heike

P.S. Every time I turn on the radio, I hear this sappy song "Live your life like there is no tomorrow" by ???. I think it is a sign, and I am hanging loose a little.....

What I am grateful for: Wide open spaces in my back yard that fascinate me. Getting back to my roots....
What I am manifesting: Sales

FLASH MOB!

2009-06-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

If you look real close, my kids have the big hair :)....even Mr. Heike is in this clip, looking very "official", even though he does not work at this mall :)....Please pass it on to raise awareness for all the great work United Way is doing.

Enjoy!
Heike

Blasting the SpiritZappers, Day 20 - You will be quickly and safely removed.

2009-06-22T23:29:00.001-07:00

Today I tandem-tackled the kid's rooms :).

After perusing the online stores for the perfect long, but not too high, and not too wide bookshelf, I realized that none of them were in my $5 budget. Then it hit me, I jumped into my car, raced to Home Depot. I bought a few concrete blocks and 10ft board, and Voilà!, the perfect shelf was born. And guess what? It has magic powers....it made B WANT to clean his room!!

On to the older child. There is a challenge that will take me at least 2 days.

She is tucked away safely at camp :), in the woods, singing "Kumbayah". She will be SO HAPPY when she comes home to a clean, fabulously scented (all natural, of course. Who am I??) room. And she will never know what fueled the bonfire that is going to make my marshmallows tomorrow night. And no, I do not want to hear any opinions on privacy. That died when I walked in there the other day and just about wilted. That room is mine.

What I am reading: Still "Dragonfly in Amber". I don't know, not grabbing me as much as the first one. Also "Teaching our kids responsibility".. :)
What I am grateful for: Going to the river with my family.
What I am manifesting: SALES, still.

Happy Father's Day, Papa

2009-06-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pictures of us, and I know he likes it too :).

Papa
01/30/39 - 04/22/2001

Blasting the SpiritZappers, Day 19 = Surviving the Recession, it's really nothing new.....

2009-06-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today my SpiritZapper is this issue I have to get off my chest:

Well....

last night 20/20 was showing the first of the series "New Normal". They were showing how people are now surviving the Recession. Again, just like Oprah, they showed people who are "over-consumers", people who wanted to keep up with the Joneses, Nouveau Riche who were friviously spending money on unimportant, material things. All of these people were making a ridiculous amount of money before, and still were over spending.

My friend Brandy and I were discussing this show on Facebook, commenting if WE were now "normal"...here is my response:

"LOL....well.....
I am always amused at these shows (Oprah did it too). I guess I was just considered "dirt poor" before it was considered "nooveau chic" to reuse, shop at the thrift store, walk your dog instead of walking on a treadmill at the gym, etc. They always act as if these once big spenders have invented a way to "survive the recession". Newsflash: there are people living like this every day because they would rather "LIVE" than than live for the money for the rest of their lives. Or maybe they aren't paid a ridiculous amount of money for sitting on their asses, compared to those who work hard for their little money.
Can you tell this subject gets me a little riled up???"

Yes, this subject is close to my heart, and even though I commend these very mainstream, informative shows on their vigor to educate the masses who seem used buying everything on credit, it would be nice if they would venture out and find out how we "normal" people are surviving this recession.

You see, our houses are worth nothing also, yet we manage to stay in them. My husband's salary, already too low to make strides with, was also cut "due to the economic recession". We have always bought junkie, used cars so that we would not have a car note, and it has been getting us from point A to point B safely for years. We even sold one and are now using one car and making it work. We haven't had a real family vacation in years, and must say that the camping trips and family day trips to the beach, the ones Richies seem to think are a demeaning alternative to a "real" vacation, are a blast. I have been baking my own bread and growing my own food, or trading work for food at the organic farm for years to make organic food happen for my family. Five days a week, my husband works 2 jobs so that I can raise our kids, and if I did work and put my kids in daycare or "activities", I would have to work two also. We made the choice years ago to cut back and sacrifice so that we could do this. We Freecycle, shop garage sales, and all our clothes, except underwear and shoes, come from the thrift store. My kids, and I, are constantly asked where our "cool" clothes come from, and they PROUDLY say: "From the thrift store!".

You see, we have been living like this for years. The working poor. My kids know the value of money, and are proud of it. They are not suffering because their parents won't buy them designer clothes or an iPhone anymore. And though it is harder and harder to survive with less and less, it does not hurt us so bad because we are used to making due and being grateful for what we DO have.

I feel a bit sorry for all those who are now in this recession shock, but I think America is learning a lesson. A lesson in Gratitude, Compassion (you see, now being rich enough to go a "good" school is no longer a guarantee of a good life. Maybe now those who are blessed to have a degree from a "good" school will no longer look down on those working hard for their money because they could not afford to go to a "good", or any college.), Humbleness, Patience, Thrift (don't buy it unless you can pay for it). Hopefully it will also contribute to more family time, and all those "de-tached" kids everyone complains about will find their families again. Mom and Dad won't be so busy paying for the numerous cars, Wii's, designer clothes, etc, and can spend some time with their kids. Kid's might learn responsibility, both to their families, and to themselves, by being held responsible for more than just getting primped for school or sports.

Maybe this is all a Divine Plan?

I for one, am willing to apprentice anyone on how to survive the recession, without any judgment :). I am grateful that I am able to have the life I lead, however poor it may look on the outside, LOL.

Much love,
Heike
P.S. I just got a nasty little message, saying I am jealous, and that I should have "gotten an education". :) I do have an education, and I had a dream job that paid me well...Sweetie, I CHOSE this life. I am not jealous, and am happy for anyone who has lots of money to make their dreams reality. Good for them! I still play the Lottery in the hopes that we will win one day...BUT...I will not sacrifice the short time my children are growing up, I will not sacrifice my whole day and life, I will not sacrifice every ounce of energy I have, nor will I sacrifice my Spirit for money. I have what I need.

This post was not written because I am "MAD" at rich people. That is so small-minded. This post is because I am frustrated that the world should feel sorry for those who have sold their souls, and now they don't know how to handle the heat.

Blasting the SpiritZappers, Day 17 & 18 = Procrastination

2009-06-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well, another double duty day!

Today, I am tackling what I call the vault. This space seems to either hold, or gobble up all important papers or receipts in this house.

It is a catch-all, this picture is from a mild day, and unfortunately, it is in my bedroom. Now that I have cleared off the dresser, the "everyday crap" that comes from the rest of the house and from my husband's pockets, lands here. Under, over, behind that are important bills, checks, receipts, and other miscellaneous data that should be saved. I have already sorted these piles about 6 times, I just have not filed them, and then new things seem attracted to them AND THEY MAKE BABIES...I swear!

So, I am putting on some 80's music, Little Man is playing detective with Nancy Drew on the other computer, and I am off.....

What I am reading: Dragonfly in Amber (does not seem to read as intense as number one of the series)
What I am grateful for: Time
What I am manifesting: SALES!

Blasting the SpiritZappers, Day 15 & 16

2009-06-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

Don't give up on me yet!

:)

I am not falling behind, but cleaning up behind myself. I have spent the last two days one miscellaneous zapping. Funny, once things are a bit in order, others seem so much more URGENT.

Yesterday, I went into my daughter's room to drop off some clothes. I almost killed myself tripping over something. I will not embarrass her SHAMELESSLY (because she reads my blog daily) by posting a picture of what I saw when I opened her closet....but...between the rubbish on the floor and the closet crime scene, her room was deemed a SpiritZapper.

Yessiree. First of all, she has the best and biggest room in the house, she better damn well respect that I took the TINY room with no decent closet so she can stretch her wings. She couldn't stretch her wings in there, even she were a flea!

I love her :)....and vacuumed. No worries, I am not one of those moms that tears through her child's room in a rampage.

I am one of those moms that will put everything in one little convenient pile and give you a day to deal with it before I make a big bonfire.....

Love, Me

Blasting the SpiritZappers, Day 14

2009-06-15T22:37:00.000-07:00

We recently had a garage sale, and my family insisted I keep this stupid Floormate to clean the floor. It was up in the attic for about 2 years because it is big, I have no where to store it out of the way, and it kept harnessing all the dog hair into one giant PLUG that was hard as concrete and a pain in my ass to clean out. I can do better with a mop....

Well, to make a long story short, we kept it, it is in my way, and when I recently did try to use it, the brushes did not work.

So today, my SpiritZapper Blasting entailed getting rid of all "tools" that do not work properly and take up my Spirit space. When Benjamin asked me why I was giving away the cleaner, I told him the brushed don't work.

His little eyes lit up.

"Mama, let ME try to fix it!".

Sure. Go for it. Why not, I am getting rid of it anyways, and just got the "Best Mama in the World" award.

He took it apart. Put it back together.

The brushes work!! He is a genius! Now we just have to try it with water......

Blasting the SpiritZappers, Day 12 & 13

2009-06-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am combining two days :).

Technically, I blasted the SpiritZapper of isolation yesterday, by spending an evening with my girlfriends. We made rice noodle rolls, had lots of dessert, and laughed ourselves to tears. Then I got to have a slumber party :).....

Today, I tackled the SpiritZapper of "no money". You know, the one who shows up when you look into your account and you have $1.22 to your name, but your bills are going off the next day???

My other half and I have dissected our budget today, and have found that after allotting money for food, utilities, and other miscellaneous things we HAVE to pay for, we have less than a good dinner and a beer of play money per week.

Is this depressing? No? :) No, because surprisingly, we still have this bit extra. I am going CASH now, and it will be interesting to see if we can manage to stay in our allotted cash budget. The only one who will be depressed is my network of local thrift stores....maybe they will send me a "PLEASE come back!!" coupon?? Our budget did not include any of my sales, mainly because they are so sporadic. My next project will be marketing.....

Happy Sunday!

What I am reading: Everything About Your Tween, and Dragonfly in Amber
What I am grateful for: My girlfriends. Gawd, I would just wilt without them! Love y'all!!!
What I am manifesting: Sales

Blasting the SpiritZappers, Day 11

2009-06-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Yipee!

It is getting harder and harder to find the Zappers in my house! :) Guess it is time to zone in on the humane and community Zappers??

I am so concentrated on the zapping, I forget to share the fun stuff with you! Today, we were carless, so we harvested Chamomile....the zen of lopping off Chamomile heads while taking in the intoxicating scent of relaxation. Check it out.

SpiritZapper #10

The dog kennel.

We have an XL crate in our living room. A person of my size could live in there. My dog loves his crate, it is his peace place. I love my dog, and he needs to have his peace with the rest of the family.

Unfortunately, this big, black crate does nothing for the zen of our living room. Not only does it not match our "decor", which I would dub "witchy, fairy, colorful, with a bit of IKEA", but it also seems to attract CRAP like a magnet.

Ok, I am cleaning it off. Anyone have a remedy for magnetism??

What I am reading: Dragonfly in Amber, and various cookbooks I found at the thrift store.
What I am grateful for: My girlfriends
What I am manifesting: Sales