Food Frenzy

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Image by jbarsky0 from Pixabay

You’ve seen it; rows and rows of empty shelves at the grocery store. Carts piled high with food and paper goods. Panic buying, they call it, but what if it begins with something more primal?

If you look at the pyramid representing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs; food, water, warmth and rest are at the base of the tier and are defined as Deficiency Needs. These needs arise when there is a real or perceived lack in a person’s life. The longer this lack remains, the more the desire to fulfill the need. Currently, the fear of shelter-in-place has many people flocking to grocery stores to stock up on items to meet this need, sometimes in excess.

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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

If you read any of the local government closure orders, food and the supply chain are considered essential services and remain open regardless of the shelter-in-place. There is more than enough food to go around and the opportunity to get it. Those quarantined or self-isolating can have food delivered.

Cravings are intensified during a crisis. Anxiety sufferers tend to reach for salty, crunchy foods. Bread and pasta people need calming and comforting. Cookies, cakes and pies represent hugs, pleasure and reassurance. Dairy works as an antidepressant. Think about which shelves in the stores are the most plundered. In the book “Constant Craving” by Doreen Virtue (Hay House, 1995), she explains the emotional needs behind food cravings and how to overcome them.

Food cravings tend to be our first go-to for emotional comfort. As you reach for that bag of chips, stop for a moment and listen to your thoughts. Are you stressed? Do you have another option besides eating, unless you are truly hungry in which case, you are better off grabbing a crunchy carrot. If you are housebound can you do some form of exercise to burn off the stress? Maybe even throwing a pillow at the wall will help. Do you live in an area where you can safely get out and walk or run, while maintaining social distancing?

Be mindful of your need for extra food. When we come out of this pandemic, we don’t want to be carrying an extra load of body fat. Tend to your emotional needs first. Cry, scream, write letters and burn them, meditate, talk to the dog or cat, sit outside in the sunshine, walk, run, anything to keep from stuffing yourself with food. You’ll be glad you did.

You Can Live With Fear, Or You Can Live With Faith

Image by Anemone123 from Pixabay
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Fear is a sneaky little trick played by your Ego to keep you separate from everything that makes your life better. You stay disconnected from Spirit, who always works for your highest good. You isolate yourself from people that can help you. You avoid doing things that bring you joy. You stuff yourself with chemicals, food, and alcohol to cover up your fear. Basically, you avoid caring for yourself spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.

Now why would you want to do that?

Faith is support from the Universe that makes everything flow and resolve for the highest good of all involved. Faith is not blindly thinking that everything is going to be perfect and you don’t have to do anything. No, no, no. When you engage with the Universe, it’s like playing ball. You ask for help, and you get messages relaying action steps that can include doing nothing – like rest. Faith is believing that you will receive help and messages. Faith reminds you to do things for your best health. Eating well, limiting or avoiding substances, exercise, hobbies and activities, being with family and friends, providing service and anything else that benefits your spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health. Basically, the total opposite of fear.

Faith encourages you to be educated and informed about stressful events. Neither ignoring nor stressing about situations is healthful. Faith will guide you to turn left when you might normally turn right. Is my intended activity bad for me or should I continue with my plans? Faith will come in as a gut feeling about what to do. Trust your gut, it is the center of your power and immune system.

Global media provides information on demand, any time, anywhere, in any format. You can have real-time connections with people who live far away. You can see places you may never visit. The downside is that you forget to go outside and enjoy the healing benefits of nature’s cure – the sun.

Global media can also keep you locked in a state of fear, watching or reading countless hyped-up news reports of some disaster looming or occurring. Even though you are not there, exposure to these events activates your sympathetic nervous system, an involuntary response that sends a flood of hormones racing through your body. One of these hormones is cortisol, which is now known to create inflammation, believed to be a cause of heart disease.

Fear will make you sick.

Which will you choose? Will you choose fear and be afraid, isolated and ill? Will you choose faith and be guided to a safe, healthy and better life? Remember, as human we have free will choice. Choose wisely.

Pan-ic-demic

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Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

This morning’s news stated that at least 19 people have died in a tornado that hit Nashville. At present, only 6 people have died from coronavirus COVID-19. I’m sure if I researched further, I would read that thousands have died in auto accidents. Statistics provide valid and important information, while putting a perspective on things.

I am not attempting to downplay the COVID-19 virus, only the panic that seems to increase daily.

Panic is a negative energy caused by confusion and misinformation. Ignorance breeds fear and activates your monkey brain (the ego) to keep you from acting in your highest good. People do stupid sh*t when they panic.

If you are worried, check legitimate websites, like the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. If you have concerns about travel, they provide current information. Go to the sites of the places you are traveling to for any restrictions or information. Be safe but be practical. More than a medical issue, stopping everything or stockpiling everything creates a bigger hardship on the economy.

It is cold and flu season, and people die each year. Those with compromised immune systems are at-risk, and usually the ones that pass. COVID-19 is a particularly powerful strain, currently without a prevention. I have no doubt that researchers are putting in long hours at their labs to find either a cure or a prevention. Both public health officials and the medical community do not want either a pandemic or a panic, yet too many people persist in making it so.

Number one: stop doing stupid sh*t!

The medical community is telling people not to buy masks unless they are told to do so. Crazy people are stockpiling these things, driving up the price and depleting the inventory of those who do need them, like doctors. Who would you rather wear a mask? The doctor operating on you or your healthy neighbor?

Stay home if you are sick, coronavirus or not. No one wants your snotty nose in the office, grocery store or other public place. If you would bother to look at your doctor’s website, or other medical site, the first thing they say is to stay home. You are more than happy to lounge in bed any other time you don’t want to go to work, so why is this any different?

If you are going to poke in your nose, or any other orifice for that matter, wash your hands. Being gross is not funny.

Do things to stay healthy. Take a probiotic to keep your immune system optimal. Take other vitamins that support this. Eat and drink healthy things. Binge drinking at the local dive bar because you think you are going to die from coronavirus is only going to get you a week-long headache. Plus, you’ll stink.

Do not eat stupid sh*t. Rats, bats, snakes, or any other toxic living-in-a-hole creature needs to be left in that hole. It’s not cool, it’s not cute, and you are not on an episode of “Naked and Afraid”. Why people want to do that is beyond me.

And for you crazy, mad scientists out there who are cooking up some bioterroristic concoction; you are not Blofeld going up against James Bond. The real spooks will find you and throw your dumb ass into a concrete cell and the only chemical reaction you’ll get is the one with Mr. Big in Cell Block D.

Let’s all calm down for a bit. Do your research and check the facts. Take care of your health and avoid germ-breeding grounds. If you have routine medical tests that can wait, reschedule them so the doctors can focus on healing this virus. Purchase good food but avoid wiping out the bread aisle. It gets moldy and stale, and you don’t need to be encouraging the local geese population. Take some time for meditation. The first source you check for any worry is the Universe. Everything you need to know or action step to take comes to you from Spirit, who always and ever wants you to live your best life.

Chicken Soup Feeds Your Soul

soupI love chicken soup, but then, what’s not to love about it. I love making chicken soup and made a batch yesterday. Chicken, chicken stock, whatever vegetables I had available and dumplings. I’m sure many of you are familiar with those big, fluffy dumplings. Not these. I call mine the “Iowa Farm Girl” version. My grandma taught me how to make them. Eggs, flour and a little seasoning. Scoop up a small amount and stir into the boiling soup. They cook up into firm little delights. Because my grandma taught me, they are probably something from the Depression era, and designed to stretch a pot of soup for more people. We ate a lot of it in winter, so it must be true.

Chicken soup is good for many things. We know it to be a cure-all for the common cold. I think it fixes almost anything, simply because it tastes so good and leaves you feeling content and nourished. It truly does feed your soul.

If you are feeling a little blue, have some soup. If you are feeling cold and tired, have some soup. If you are hungry, have some soup. But if you just want to feel good, have some chicken soup.

Ratatouille

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Image by Sergei Belozerov from Pixabay

Whether it be a delicious French country dish made from harvesting late summer vegetables, or the animated film centered around a rodent gourmand who dazzles a restaurant critic with the same dish, ratatouille involves nourishing our soul.

In the Chinese calendar, we are on the verge of the Year of the Metal Rat. These zodiac Rats are know for their industrious nature, and the ability to gather sustenance and prosperity and tuck it away much like the harvesting of late summer vegetables.

I am a Metal Rat and fit that profile quite well. Coincidentally, I am petite and small-boned and quite adept at hiding in corners. You will often find me there, worrying and working myself to the bone, typical behavior of the first sign in the Chinese Zodiac. Although it might not be listed in this lucky sign’s traits, I do love me some metal music.

If you are a fellow Metal Rat, it is our year to shine. Metal is a conductive energy, so whatever we touch will have powerful energy behind it. Be careful and vigilant where you focus your thoughts and tasks, you don’t want to waste that power down the wrong path or in too much worry. I consider it quite auspicious that I am about to retire and making plans to building the next chapter in my life’s story. My efforts have been in the left-brained, logical world for many a year, so I am gearing up to give my right-brain, creative side some release. #Create!!

Even if you are not a fellow – ahem – rodent, it is a potent year for shoring up your resources. Invest wisely, beautify your nest and fill your coffers with that which sustains your life. The little rat is a workaholic worrier, always afraid there is never enough financial abundance, yet loves practical luxury. That little nest will always be stylish and those little feet shod in beautifully made shoes. The task at hand for the rat, is that in order to avoid excessive worry about money is to not overspend. Go green, recycle, upcycle, my little friends, and don’t overlook secondhand and consignment shopping. I have just discovered this market, and have scored some lovely luxury items at minimal cost. Minnie Mouse understands that you can look fabulous and be frugal at the same time.

Don’t neglect the inside, while covering up the outside. An overload of chemicals will keep you feeling off, bloated, itchy and overweight. Chemicals are everywhere and in most everything, and our bodies have difficulty in eliminating them. Think of your intestines and skin as a filtering system, and drink pure filtered water every day. Eat organic, non-GMO food. Rats have thin skin and are susceptible to the “itchies” and you don’t want to look like that. This is going to be a big year and you want to keep your body in as good a condition as possible so you have the energy to give it your best. Not that you shouldn’t do that any other year.

Remember to be a little social too, my fellow Rats, all work and no play is unhealthy. Our workaholic tendencies cause us to put all our duties before play, and usually there isn’t enough time nor energy left for play. Yes, I know you want to put the laundry away before going to the party, but no one has ever died from not having folded towels. A much refreshed you is a much happier you.

Come out of the corners, little Rats, dream big and put those plans into action. Be sure to join those celebratory parties when you meet a milestone. #wineandcheese

PS. I’ve also been told that rats make good pets.

Re-Evolving

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Image by Mira Cosic from Pixabay

Is it just me, or does it feel like Mercury Retrograde? I know it isn’t supposed to start until February 17th, but OMG, things feel crazy.

I have been reading some of the astrology reports and today begins a “collaboration”, if you will, of Pluto and Saturn. Pluto likes to destroy everything in its path, and Saturn loves to build structures. Maybe that’s why it seems like the work of my busy, little planet. I can’t claim to understand all of what this big meet-up means, but it seems pretty simple. Take a bulldozer to everything and rebuild. Not that I am recommending that to anyone.

It seems fitting that this is happening in January, when everyone is hell bent on setting resolutions and reinventing their life in some way. Most resolutions fail within about six weeks, or so I am guessing, so maybe this planetary collusion will help some of those big plans actually stick. Did you make resolutions this year? I didn’t and rarely ever do. You gotta turn something into a habit or way of life instead of just some grand plan.

Do you feel like you are stuck in some dull routine, just because, but it doesn’t really serve you? Perhaps Pluto will help, or maybe force, you into ditching it for something better. For example: do you go to your in-law’s every Sunday for spaghetti dinner even though it gives you heartburn for three days? Maybe you like your in-law’s, so why not suggest they come to your house for pot roast instead? Or maybe you don’t like them, and it’s time to have a chat with your spouse about doing something different for Sunday dinner. Who knows, your spouse might so full of relief at your suggestion that’ll they will make dinner. Winner-winner, chicken dinner!

Whatever the circumstance, it is important to acknowledge that there is some crazy energy going on and to do what you must to stop the panic. Don’t rush out to buy a new refrigerator just because it had a brain fart and displayed an error code. (Like ours did this morning. We have it on notice, but a backup plan with a spare fridge in the garage.) Don’t get a divorce because you hate in-law spaghetti dinners. Don’t quit your job because your boss went all stupid over a report. Breathe, be vigilant if necessary, but let the Universe guide you on the path for your Highest Good.

That is what this Pluto-Saturn thing is all about. The re-emergence of the real you. The ever, evolving journey of your life. The support and resources to make powerful, enduring changes. The Universe has your back and wants you to be happy and evolving into your best you.

A New Decade Rolls In

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Image by Annalise Batista from Pixabay

Happy 2020 to all! I’m back online, mostly, as I’m still in recovery mode for my wrist. Who knew such a little lump would be such a big deal. I’m back to work tomorrow so we’ll see how that goes.

Not just a new year has begun, but a whole new decade. The time is ripe for a new, or just revised, vision of your life. Resolutions are usually a wasted effort and often abandoned within three weeks. I’m talking about a vision. How do you see yourself? What do you want your life to look like? Have you practiced that?

In February, I am retiring after 18-plus years of government service. It’s been a good run for me. I helped start up a new county and made it a worthwhile career. I set my intention to serve and I feel as though I lived up to that goal. But now it’s time to serve me.

I’ve been in the prep mode of this event for a couple of years. I’ve begun new hobbies, written a-yet-to-be-published book, researched places to visit and practiced activities and interests. The three weeks I have been away from work due to my surgery have been very useful in teaching me what matters. I expect retirement to still have its surprises, but I am ready. I have my vision of what my life will look life. I look forward to this new decade and what it will bring.

How about you? What vision have you imagined for yourself? Have you taken any action steps or practiced your vision? Are you ready for the reality of it?

Many blessings, hopes, dreams and most of all, good times to all of you as we journey forth.

Ever Evolving

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Aging. There is a reason why it is a verb and not a noun. Or a journey rather than a destination. Some days I just blaze through them when I am focused on a task and not even notice that the time has passed.

Other days, I look in the mirror and think: WTF what is going on here?

Lately, I’m a bit obsessed with my wardrobe. I’ve always been a fashionista, with a tendency to make a statement with my clothing. I like edgy with leather moto jackets and studded boots. I like bohemian with flowy prints. I like color, texture and patterns. No one that knows me would call me beige.

What comes with aging, that is so mind-boggling, is the constant state of body change. All you women out there who have gone through menopause, know exactly what I’m talking about. There are a gazillion blog posts written on this very subject. Lots of WTF moments.

Change is inevitable, but I think it is difficult to accept what happens to your body. Your boobs get bigger and they droop. Your ass gets bigger and droops. And then there is this round thing that shows up around your waist like a Monday morning donut. WTF. It is not an easy task to get them corralled and back in shape.

A diet shouldn’t be a diet, but a lifestyle. Learn to love vegetables. Eat hormone free meat. Seriously? If it makes an animal get bigger, what do you think happens to you? Practice intermittent fasting, if nothing but to eliminate the digesting grumbles in the middle of the night. Take supplements because, yes, they really do work. Drink water with a chunk of lemon in it. It makes you pee, but you’ll notice the puffiness goes away.

Exercise. Walk. Take the stairs. Do weight-bearing repetitions several times a week. Even if it doesn’t do much for your shape, your bones and joints will love you. Having muscles will help you get out of bed in the morning, instead of just rolling over and hoping you don’t end up on the floor. Our muscles get weaker as we age, so you can counteract that by lifting weights.

Take care of your hair and skin. Nothing ages you faster than looking like you don’t give a sh*t. Gray hair looks awesome when it is well-cared for. Spending money on good hair products is worth it. Same thing with your skin. If you live in a dry climate, like I do, moisturizers are a must unless you like itching your way through winter. Coconut oil works quite well.

Keep up with your teeth. Brush, floss, see your dentist. Healthy teeth keep you healthier.

Breathe. Meditate. Get out in nature.

It will make it a lot easier to go back into your closet and throw out all the things you bought last year that no longer fit.

Festi-fall

IMG_0687Every now and then, my fashionista side says “let’s go play fashion shoot” and off we go to some interesting locale to get my vogue on.

September is nearly at its end, and the leaves are changing colors and floating to the earth. These last few days of warm weather herald a flurry of festivals; whether it is an outdoor concert or a romp through a pumpkin patch. Or for many, a chance to suck down a few gallons of beer at an Oktoberfest.

The beautiful colors of fall had me pulling on some festival worthy garments, such as this gorgeously embroidery tunic from Johnny Was, aptly named “Festival Tunic”. The pants are from Sundance and the 4-inch platform sandals are by Schutz. Although I wouldn’t recommend sauntering through a pumpkin patch in them. The happy hippy hat is from some shop in Estes Park.

IMG_0674Fall is such a lovely season. I think Mother Nature gives us all Her glory as a present before the frigid days of winter. Something to stick in our mind as we hunker down and nurture ourselves while She rebuilds herself for another season. And so should we. Getting out there in all my glory helps to remind me that whatever is hiding beneath those layers of clothes, like it or not, it is me and I can rebuild myself with all the intent and care as Mother Nature. Sometimes She, too, doesn’t look Her best, but with faith and knowingness comes another season to get Her festi-fall on.

And so will I.

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Just Peachy

peachesIt is Palisade Peach time in Colorado. If you have never had one, you are missing out on one of life’s greatest treats. Rumor has it that they are better than Georgia peaches. Sorry GA.

Mother Nature graciously gifts us with this annual bounty of flavorful goodness, reminding us of life’s true sweetness. One bite of these babies puts bliss upon your tongue and will fill you up without longing for anything beyond. This is true sweet, not sugar, not chemical substitutes, not some lab-cooked corn laden concoction that gets you addicted with the first taste.

Our Dear Mother is telling us to reach for Her blessings of fruit when we need a pick-me-up from life. If you are having a bad day or a series of bad days, put down the soda, the alcohol or any other substance that will only give you a temporary lift and leave behind unseen damage. She’s not too happy about genetic modification either, natural fruit is always available even if it needs to be shipped from another country.

When you cut them open, most fruit has a visible seed. Although you might not have the climate to grow that type of fruit, a seed is available to continue with your own harvest. Mother Nature loves renewables. A seed is also a reminder to plant ideas. When you take time to savor a piece of fruit, the pleasure helps you to relax and you might get creative thoughts. Use those thoughts to plant your own seed so when it’s harvest time, it will be Just Peachy.