I am in the Raw Food Rehab Unit!

I am so very excited to be a part of the New Online Community of Support and Love, Created by Penni Shelton, Called Raw Food Rehab (as if you didn't already know).  And if you really don't know, what are you waiting for? Get your Raw Juicy Body over there!  Isn't it time to fall in love all over again with Raw Food?

With the Holidays just around the bend, support is more important than ever!   I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what Penni has done and how Welcomed I feel in the Space she created for all of us to enjoy and be our best selves in.
This Friday members, if they choose can begin a more intensive 11 week Program aimed to help you be accountable and really focused on your raw food goals.  You can expect results if you are serious and put in the time and effort to help yourself.
If you are not quite ready to challenge yourself like that, no worries the entire community still gets all the love and information that everyone in the "Vault" Receives.

So just Come and Join, Relax by the Pool, let your mind wander through the Gardens and delight in a world that you  can dream and be yourself in, surrounded by beautiful souls who are supportive, encouraging and inspiring!

What more can I say?
Its a Beautiful Day to Begin Anew...
See You There!
 http://rawfoodrehab.ning.com

Hugs

1rawgirl

Brads Raw Chips

I received an e-mail about a week or so ago from Brads Raw Chips Co. They asked if I would sample their chips and then blog about em. I received 2 bags of chips in the mail and did just that.

The two flavors they sent were Indian and Red Bell Pepper. Right away I liked the packaging. It was nice and simple, attractive and the ingrediant lis was what you would expect from a raw food maker...nothing artificial, no unpronounceable words. The Chips are perfect for scooping salsa or some other raw dip. They have a good balance of flavor. All in all I say that these chips are great for snacking and the Company and owner is obviously dedicated to helping spread the word about why eating raw foods is the best way to go. If you are looking for a tasty snack to enjoy, for at home, at work, as a gift or just for the heck of it...you cant go wrong giving these chips a try, in my humble opinion.

check em out online:http://www.bradsrawchips.com/index.html or show your support and become a fan on facebook: Brads Raw Chips

with Luv
1rawgirl

Adventures in Urban Gardening

We have seen lots of young praying mantis's while working on our garden projects..yay
Along the right hand side is where I planted native sunflowers that will get as tall as 9 ft. Great for privacy for us and our neighbors :)

The very front row closest to the street is Rose Verbena (my favorite wildflower). Then Behind the Verbena we planted the Purple Echinacea...yes the medicinal kind! Then the Golden Currant (native edibles) and the Nine Barks both are shrubs and will grow very tall and give us privacy!
2nd step was unloading the compost and it took 5 truckloads in a Toyota truck (which is a small truck). After about 3 weeks when the grass was dead, we dug down, peeled back the layers of newspaper and planted our native gold and are now enjoying the fine work we have done. In the Spring, our yard will be most awesome a site to behold!

1st we put down newspaper we got for free from the local recycle company. It's about 2" deep. This is to kill out the grass and weeds, without harming the critters that live in and on the yard. Then we added compost from the local city compost. Its free if you scoop it yourself, and with shovels, hi ho hi ho it was off to the compost to get our free dirt/mulch combo :)

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Oh but it's been a lovely weekend for Gardening and my oh my so much has been accomplished since Charles and I first began the transformation of the front yard.

1. Mowing lawns Suck! Now I know some people find it relaxing and such, that's fine for those folks. As for me, I have better things to do then mow grass, I have plants to plant and lovely herbs and veggies to harvest and yummy raw foods to create :) !!

2. Planting Wild Native species just makes sense to me, especially when there are so many wonderful and useful plants to choose from. The great thing about native plants is they are native to your state or area and that makes them the perfect choice for landscaping ones yard. They fit the climate and harsh conditions that other more foo foo plants cannot handle and thus generally need more care and maintenance. I like cats....they tend to themselves for the most part...I like plants that do the same.

3. The method we used is called lasagna gardening, and by doing it this way there will be less weed pulling and more of the plants that we will enjoy growing in the front and back yards. I will also be documenting all the fun we have doing the back yards for all our foods that we will grow year round.

Here is the list of what we planted- all of these are Missouri Wild Native Plants:

Rose Verbena
Purple Coneflower
Golden Currant
Nine Bark
White Sage
Dwarf Rose Bush
Garden Phlox
Elderberry
Sunflowers

Check out the Missouri Wildflower web site if you like and you can see all the wonderful plants to choose from and then be sure to check out the wildflower nursery's in your own state....keep it real and keep it Native!

www.mowildflowers.net

http://www.foodnotlawns.net/

For the Love of Sage and My own Sanity :)

This has been a very adventuresome year for me, but I am so happy to finally be able to blog about recent choices I made and what it means for my 5 year old Sage and I.

As a new single mom, since mid-Nov of 08, I have been on the hunt to find a job since April of 08. Not just any job mind you, but one that would still allow me to be the one to raise my youngest son Sage.
Let me tell you, it has not been easy! Most employers want you to work any shift. They want to pay you minimum wage. They want you to work set hours or flexible hours (flexible for them). There always seems to be crazy hoops they require you to jump through.

Out of sheer desperation, I finally took a job at a nursing facility as a dietary aide...The hour's were completely out of sink with my life and put the burden of childcare on my 15 year old son Gavin and my boyfriend Charles. They both were wonderful and really stepped up to help me, but the job was really for someone about 20 years younger than me and the pay was sad. I came home with my back in knots daily.

To make matters worse I went Hyper-Thyroid 2 months ago and had to stop my medication completely to go back to Hypo which coincidentally fell right in line around the time of this afore mentioned job, so not only was it a physically demanding job, I had no energy and I felt and acted manic...My wonderful, sweet family had to see the horror of it all...and I felt the guilt of feeling like a total failure.

To save myself, I found a promising job at a clothing re-sale shop, but the hours were not quite what I wanted and the pay was even less then the previous job. To complicate matters further, the part time job turned into a part, part time job. The lady I worked for had soooo many health problems that I began to feel very nervous about the job being anything but a temporary job. Rather than waiting for things to get worse I was back at the want ads and all I can say is Thank You Universe!!! I applied and interviewed for the new job that I am now currently preparing to start, officially, tomorrow.

The hours are perfect and when Sage is not in school he will be able to stay with me at my new job. Its a small day care, at a lovely church, that has the most loving and open vibe. These folks are non-denominational and that works well for me. I think folks should have the right to believe or not believe whatever makes them happy without others telling them they are wrong or judging etc.

The pay is better than I have been able to find elsewhere nor I do not have to work Sat or Sun. I am Happy.....I am Relieved....I feel like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders and that I can get my bills paid but not at the expense of my children and our time together.

As a single mom I can take care of my most treasured of all priorities in my Life...my children and myself. With this new job, I now have time to work on my own personal goals and aspirations. By taking care of myself, I will be nurturing the projects that are essential to my mental and physical health. Thereby, allowing me greater personal financial freedom and satisfaction.

My life is Back on Track...My Home is Clean and Organized....I am ready to Roll!

Love to the Universe

Love to All of You

And Love to the People who are Dearest to My Heart

And Last but certainly not least, Love to Myself!

P.S. To anyone out there who may be going through this...don't give up! It's never hopeless and there is always a way made for you if you hold true to what you need for your happiness and well being so you can prosper and grow (and pay the bills). Just Gotta Hang Tough and Believe that the Universe is working for you and not against you! Sending Love out to all the Single Parents who are working for a living and dreaming of a quality life for their children and themselves...You are Loved and Appreciated and very, very Needed in this World! Peace, Light and Love to YOU ALL!!!!!!

Urban Gardening

A lovely Chicken Coop and Chickens for their Eggs Only

A hops pole for the hops plant for their homebrewed beers

I know a lovely, hardworking young couple who wish to remain anonymous, but were willing to let me take pictures of their Urban Garden and talk to me about the many different plants they are cultivating on their property right in city limits here in Jefferson City, MO.

They have chickens and the coop her husband made in a day, but he also milled the cedar logs himself, which took a bit more time...They let the chickens out every evening 6 chickens total that they raised from chicks. They are interested only in the chicken eggs and have no plans to butcher for meat.
As for how they choose what to plant in the 4,500 sq. ft they have to work with, their philosophy is simple: Edible plants 1st, Medicinal plants 2nd and Native plants Only 3rd. They have over 300 species of plants between the front and back yard and of course including both sides of their home. Not everyone has the time or inclination to build such an amazing an diverse haven for themselves, but these are extremely self reliant folks of whom I am blogging about and neither have reached the age of 25 yet and are raising 2 little ones both under 3 yrs of age.

Here is just a modest listing of some of the variety of plants they are cultivating:
Hops were planted for use in their own beer making hobby, as well as growing their own tobacco for their personal and sacred enjoyment.
They have asparagus, red rasberries, black berries, strawberries, mint and lavendar, sweet potatoes, all kinds of fruit and nut bearing trees planted, sasafrass trees, witch hazel, rose hips, garlic, calendula, purple echinacia, black eye'd susansbergamont, st. johns wort, asters, cup plants, asian plumb tree, juniper berries and one of the Mothers favorite plants is a large, lush sumac growing at the front of the house, when the berries are ready it yeilds a lovely pink lemonade that is enjoyed by her family, and like many of the plants, honors and pleases her Native American Roots. The lady of the house said after years of intensive gardening the best method she has found to garden is the Lasagna gardening style. (Lasagna Gardening. You can get the book at your local library or online writen by Patriticia Lanza)

They are not the only ones doing it either, often as I walk or bicycle around town I always notice peoples gardens. Some are small, some are big...doesn't matter. What interests me is that people can and do transform bits of yard into lush food and flowers yielding a heaven in an urban setting. It ranks high on my list of activity that I find truly admirable in others. It inspires me to find my own way to cultivate the backyard of my home into something that I can take endless joy in. Something I can do with my youngest son Sage. Teaching him how to work in and with the earth so that he understands the deep connection we have with nature and so that I have a sacred outdoor space to pour my heart, body and mind into while connecting with Mother Earth on a daily and consistent basis.
What could be more lovely than watching the seeds I plant with loved ones grow and yield food for us to enjoy with each other and share our rich bounty with friends?

I invite you to take a moment and consider the resources around you, no matter where you live. If there is any way to make a space for such activities, consider giving it a try. You will be so thrilled when you pluck your first Zucchini or Cucumber out of your very own patch. And it tastes better than any of the produce you can buy in the store...lets face it, food with the freshest, highest life force energy is freshly picked. Thats a difference you can taste and feel!

http://www.foodnotlawns.net/

This is about living my bliss

My Blog Posts are about how I am doing it...I am not saying what I do is right for you or will work for you...I am saying that I had to find tools to use and that a big part of how I live my bliss is withing the postings of my blog...I am a 40 yr young woman. I don't look at that number as a bad thing...to me its just a marker of where I have arrived as I live my life within this mortal coil. I am fresh, I am free, I am me. I only see the possibilities in everything...Never willing to settle for what seems true on the surface when it doesn't feel right in my heart...


Live your bliss

Are you?

If Yes....Wonderful!

If No....Its your choice...its always up to you...Thats what the people who are saying yes are doing and understand. I am not going to tell you what to do, not going to even suggest that I have all the answers...I don't. What I do have is curiosity, about everything that helps me be more aware in my daily life. I am open to all the universe has to offer....I choose with every choice I make what my life is, what my experiences are.



Everyday I wake up and I blink my eyes while trying to focus. I realize that I have indeed awoken from another slumber and smile because I am alive. Not everyone is going to be able to enjoy that. A lot of people will start the day like any other day, and wearing a frown. That is the energy they are broadcasting, that is the energy that they are going to receive...a winner is a winner because they think like a winner, they act like a winner and they lose like a winner...its all about how you behave, even when in doubt, I have never gone wrong when adjusting my attitude. My heart always knows when the mind needs to be tuned. Its so simple, taking the time to tend to your own sacred vessel...you should be pouring more then just a little time and love into the cultivation of your inner most happiness and bliss. What could possibly be more important than You? You are vital to others, you must realize how vital you are to yourself. In fact you can either hinder or progress upon your path. The choices you make every single day are the choices that have begun to fully shape your so called reality. You helped create your life with the assistance of the universe and the impeccable laws that govern without fail.

Dont let the funk and grind get you down...never give up, never give in!

Hugs

1rawgirl :)

Energy & Space-The Inner Frontier

What I have learned while practicing the relaxation exercise 3 times a day is that I have been resistant throughout the last 7 days to this practice. Not surprising! Rarely do people make this space for themselves even though it is the kind of practice that can transform daily life by allowing one to connect with a space of pure energy. I guess all space is pure energy, but I am consciously staying awake while connecting to energy in this space. Its my intent that is so key. I realized also, that by not fully committing myself to un-interrupted time to do this practice, I am not only cheating myself out of good things, but I am also not respecting myself. I have made some very interesting connections indeed over this practice and I look forward to being open to receiving only the best in my life through this practice. This is not only an investment in my daily life, but in my future as well! Stress....it does not do a body good...Relaxation, now thats the Ticket...Yeahhhhhh :)


My above quote was borrowed from this site, ...http://quote-book.tumblr.com/post/135828107/via-maluna
and is a reblog from this site:http://bohocrush.tumblr.com/

About Susan Powter

I could not Sleep last Sunday Night, I ended up surfing the net until 3:30 am. But one site that I was really happy to check out was the Awesome Susan Powter! She has a new Book/program out and on her site she has an Ask Susan page, so I asked her this and this is what she replied back with:

On 07/06 Margo asks: Can belly fat be tight and tone without plastic surgery? I have 45 pounds to go and want tone abs more than anything. Can it happen with whole food and exercise? ps. You look Awesome!

Oh, your Body can get Lean, lean Lean and Strong as Hell absolutely.... And, you Are lucky 45 lbs Done...the Answer is Absolutely Without a Doubt.... Susan Powter

I really like Susan's no non-sense approach...I mean it doesn't get too much simpler than eat, breathe, move and think right? All I can Say, is I am going to save up my money and see what happens, the hour consultation alone is worth the price of the program and people should really know that plastic surgery just isn't the ideal answer..quick fix perhaps, but you are still left with all the emotional crap that got you fat in the first place and trust me, unless you get that stuff worked out by utilizing really sensible tools...you'll be under the knife for the rest of your life...I think there is a better way!

And she looks phenomenal and her attitude is dead on! She says it like it is and I LOVE That!

check out her site: http://www.susanpowteronline.com/

7 days- connection 3 times a day -update

I just wanted to share that I have been doing this exercise...if you read my previous post, then you know what I am doing. Relaxing for 20 min a day, 3 times a day. Sounds so easy and peaceful and it is and it aint. But heres the deal and why I am still continuing to do it. I made the commitment to see it through, and through the experience of doing this for myself the Universe would be able to get through all the malarkey that murks and muses around in my head at any given time. I do it because I have nothing to lose by doing it and I prefer to try things that I am told will assist me with my goals. I am more adventurous in my life now then ever before. So I am willing to let life take me on an adventure...I think its what life is about.

Am I able to stay on course with the 3 times a day? Yes. It takes me telling myself sometimes, that I am doing this for myself, just like I am bicycling or eating raw food. I am eating, breathing, swimming energy. So, I sit at my desk, and play my 20 min relaxation mp3 file and with feet flat on the floor and back upright....Do It. If I lay down and do it...I'm out like a light....Thats not the goal, the goal is to connect with energy and have more energy then before doing it. When I sit upright it really helps, its over before I know it. Sometimes I pop my eye open to see how many min I have left to sit there...its funny, trying to observe my ego, rushing me through what I need most...space, in my head space where I am relaxed and un-entangled from my inner, practically non-stop dialog. Afterwards, I feel, well... I feel lighter and I feel like there are less thoughts in my head clouding up my present moment...freeing me up for whatever the Universe has for me.

I still make myself do it, but like anything that is good for you, if it were easy right off the bat, I probably would not appreciate the benefits of a quiet, more stilled and balanced mind.
Got Patience? I highly recommend cultivating some...it does a body, mind, heart and Soul Good! :)

A Simple Path

The Sufi message below really spoke to me and fell right in line with what my 1 clear focus is for the next 7 days. To Connect with the Universe 3 times a day. Morning, noon and evening for 20 min ea. It adds up to a total of 1 hour a day. This is the kind of space that I can expect good things to grow from...I am tending to my inner garden...cosmic truth needs fertile ground. Every day, 3 times a day, I am preparing my ground. What will grow is likely to nourish me. I believe it will sustain me. I am willing to try, to be receptive and see where this takes me. Inaction has its place...action has its place as well. I am breathing...I have made my choice :)

Creating a space to attune with the infinite, the Universe, call it what you will. Whats important is that I connect with it, with conscious intent, 3 times a day within said space and see what happens :)

Volume VI - The Alchemy of Happiness

WHAT IS WANTED IN LIFE?

The Spiritual Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan

Tuning ourselves to the infinite is achieved by the way of silence, by the way of meditation, by the way of thinking of something which is beyond and above all things of this mortal world. By giving some moments of our life to the thought of getting in tune with that which is the source and goal of all of us, realizing that in that source alone is the secret of our happiness and peace.

The nature of being in tune with the infinite is this: comparing our soul to a string of an instrument, it is tied at both ends. One is the infinite, and the other is the finite. When a person is conscious all the time of the finite then he is tuned to the finite, while the one who is conscious of the infinite is tuned to the infinite. Being in tune with the former makes us limited, weak, hopeless, and powerless. But by being in tune with the latter we obtain the power and strength that will pull us through life in whatever adverse conditions may arise.

Original link to the Sufi excerpt above. My gratitude for these truths, always.

http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VI/VI_9.htm