Peace on Earth goodwill toward...

Merry Christmas Eve my blogging buds...
I have been having many conversations lately pertaining to male/female roles and attitudes in our society. Sooo, since I have been having these conversations I have also been paying attention to my words and my reactions to words. Some of them feel rather "big inside" of me, like when listening to a man talk about female anatomy using slang terms which hold an attachment of "yuck" to me. If you're gonna talk about it, please use the anatomically correct words, instead of those that degrade... When I witness (even from a distance) the degradation of anyone (just lately its been men towards women) if gets my blood boiling, and I need to take a step back, a deep breath and remember "but for the grace of (fill in the blank here) go I. If we can all remember to engage our hearts prior to engaging our mouths we would (hoping here) really live the energy of this season ~ peace on earth GOOD WILL TOWARD ALL!
Blessings on the road of discovery toward your best true self!
~ Janet ~

Tis the season...

Today I have been pondering the whole idea of giving. I recently witnessed a mother who promised a rather large gift to her child to get the child to make a choice about where he would live. And I heard someone in line saying "He better do xyz when he gets this, etc..." This got me to thinking about the act of giving (and the thought also included "lending"/giving money to family and friends). I have not always given with a free heart. I am guilty of having expectations of good behaviors for gifts ~ promises of "if you do this, you'll get that..."

As a parent I sometimes found it hard to think about my intentions before giving to my kids, and it can be even more difficult when the gift is for a partner or my Mom... But what I found is that if you give from your heart because you know it will make someone happy, then that should be the only expectation you have. And if you give because you think you have to, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment, heartache, anger, and ultimately suffering (for the one receiving too)...

Underneath all this rambling this is what has surfaced... This season I am not buying gifts, I am making things for my dear ones, and offering massage and energy services ~ Because it really is the thought that counts!!!

Sometimes you just gotta say WOW

Today as Jim, Sam, the dogs and I were outside playing (shoveling off the pond for ice skating, and clearing paths in the snow...) I had an "all of a sudden urge" to take the dogs into the woods. I stopped playing, looked at Jim and as our eyes met we seemed to know what the other was thinking... I told him I was taking the dogs into the woods, he said "yes I know and you will see something for me" and I knew he was correct. Its that feeling when you know something big is about to happen but you just don't know yet what it is... That's the feeling I had as I started on the path to the woods, stopped to ask permission to enter from the Grandmother tree, and headed into the woods. When I was almost to the upper field I "saw" a beam of light (almost like a lightning bolt, but smooth) and it stayed for a long time. When I got to where it had been, I saw a woman in a pinky peach dress and I heard the word magistrate. Puzzling, but I have heard more interesting things so I continued on my way with the dogs...

As I was nearing the end of our walk and descending back toward the house I saw through the woods what looked like three graves, but when I got closer I saw that in this reality they were posts to where the yurt used to be. And standing in the middle of the three "graves" as an old Indian man. He smiled at me, the dogs barked, I turned to call them and turned back and he was gone. It was breathtaking and peaceful and I knew inside of me that the three graves were mine, Jims and Sams and we have been on this land for many lifetimes and we will be here again.

The rest of the story was more private so I'll not share that yet, but it was brilliant and awe-filled and a little overwhelming, but its a gift to see it and feel it before IT is in this physical dimension, and as always, I am grateful and trusting!

So, all I can say to you my lovely bloggers is this: Take a walk in the woods today and expect surprises!! They will come if you invite them!!

Consistency for kids (4 legged and 2 legged)

So as you may be aware if you have been reading my blog since conception, in the last year and a half I have embarked on new family situation and living situation. With this new situation came another dog, an adolescent child and a new puppy... It has been interesting to say the least. We have really good times and then some really hard times and then we sometimes get to "coast". In this transition I have been focusing on the adolescent child's "behaviors", and forgetting the 4 legged adolescent child... And he has been reminding me lately that he is here, he is feeling pressure, and he needs some help knowing what's ok and what's not.

So, I being the loving mama, called my friend Juanita (who has rescued over 30 dogs in her lifetime, and who has been training dogs for over 20 years). After much discussion with all of us in the household she had some very wise tips about consistency, simplicity and energy (which was very important because sometimes hearing things from an "outsider" ~ someone who is not "in" the family it can be heard, absorbed, and implemented).

We agreed on the word to use to stop the whining, figured out that two times speaking to him was acceptable, and that after two corrections he would be isolated until the whining stopped. Then when he was quiet for a period of time we would let him enter the room again, tell him good boy, but not pay him too much attention. AND IT WORKED! We only needed to have two time outs and he has been a perfect gentleman the entire rest of the evening. No anger, no threats, no frustration, just simple and consistent! What a gift Miss Juanita Sunshine is! A true gift to my heart and my 4 legged kiddos!!