Adjustment ...

My intention when I started this blog was to write a lot--not every day, but frequently. Which I have done if you include all forms--letters, emails, journals, blog posts--but not from a more purist view. So a few days ago I realized that I should try another approach. Which I've done, and so far it's working. I'm doing a Drawing Journal.

I bought a rad set of 30 markers for my Christmas present to myself. I have a small notebook of drawing paper, 5" x 7". And I'm doing at least one drawing a day in 2012. But I got a head start. Haven't done today's yet, but, here are the first four. I feel like I'm letting my brains and my guts out for all the world to see here! But, doing it anyway.

Happy New Year!

The holiday season has inspired conversations on change, transition, 2012 ascension, and more.

In working with a client the other day, I asked him to think about this question:
Knowing that we are a part of this 2012 Ascension process, How do I want to show up for and in 2012?
How do I want to show up physically?
How do I want to show up Mentally?
Emotionally?
Spiritually?

Our ensuing discussion resulted in some great insights. I resolved then to do the same for myself. Uh oh, here it is the last momentous day of 2011, and I still haven't. So, here we are, down to it.

I do, by the way, always seem to end up looking at this question at this time of year, as do many of us. It was helpful to hear life coach Kim DuBrul speaking yesterday morning on Star 92.9 about this very thing. She had a great suggestion. When reviewing your year and all that has transpired, refrain from focusing on what you didn't get done. Focus, rather, on all that you did experience and achieve. Be kind to yourself.

OK, here we go.

How do I want to show up physically in 2012?
I want to be radiating marvelous and optimum health at all levels! Asthma is a thing of the past. I am energetic and take all the Right Action steps to achieve my goals.

How do I want to show up mentally?
With clarity, insight, awareness and inspiration; with objectivity and nonjudgment, and the ability to maintain focus on what's important.

How do I want to show up emotionally?
With equanimity, respect, balance and boundaries. With joy, peace and love.

How do I want to show up Spiritually?
hmmm ... that's a juicy one. Attuned, tapped in to Cosmic Consciousness. Fearlessly. With love and compassion, courage and strength. I have a feeling our resources will be tapped in this coming year, and I want to be ready. I want to be able to be a resource of love and support for those in my family, my circle, my life. So I believe Inner Connection will be important, a strong connection to our Higher Self, and to Source. Outward indications point to a really interesting time, especially if you Read Between the Lines and go beyond mainstream media. Many of us have known this for a long time; yes, it is here now.


So, bottom line, that's how I want to show up for and in 2012, yet what it boils down to is Love. Love myself more. Love you more. Love our Earth more, and our galactic home. Love is a beautiful, healing vibration that can change lives, move mountains.

So, here's wishing you lots of Love in 2012. Happy travels~

Chris Bohjalian’s The Night Strangers

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

My rating: 5 of 5 stars






I just finished this book—and my mind is reeling. What a (in a good way!) horrible, horrible story, brilliant, a head-banger, creepier than anything I’ve ever seen from Chris. I’m still twitching, shaking off images from the last part of the book the way a horse twitches its skin to jettison a fly.



It’s a horrible story because of the human tragedy and trauma that comprise it. It’s creepy because you want—no, you need—to know that you’re not that vulnerable—but guess what? No guarantees. It’s creepy because—oh, wait, I can’t spoil the surprise. Suffice it to say, children deserve better. The really creepy part, however, is the way it resolves. Holy smoke. Did not see that coming. The circle is complete.



Don’t worry---though the story itself is chillingly dark, the ingredients are pure CB: wit, depth, connection, insight, astonishing versatility through the voice changes, brilliant illumination of the human psyche under impossible duress, passion, creativity, and an inexorable adherence to the truth—of the story, as he’s created it. It just rings true, which serves to enhance its readability even further, though I found more dread with each turning page. I sure couldn’t stop turning the pages, though. No way.



A huge CB fan, I blame many sleepless nights on him. With good reason. His latest, The Night Strangers, is no exception. If you like a good horror story, I urge you on. However, first polish up your Dream Catcher over your bed, program a crystal for your bedside with Protection, double-bolt all your doors and settle in with a pot of Chamomile Tea. It’s going to be a bumpy night.





View all my reviews

Ringing Bells, Running Water

Life is getting more and more strange. At least in my world.

Is it 2012? Is it the planets? Is it solar activity, CMEs?[1] My numerology? Biorhythms? My imagination?

One day last week, I got home in the afternoon and the kids told me, “Mom, the doorbell is ringing on its own.” What? Sure enough, 5 minutes later the doorbell rang, and no one was there. I checked. Then there wasn’t another peep out of it. The thing about our doorbell is it’s pretty new, was installed only a couple of months ago. Also, it has about 6 or 8 different ditties it cycles through before you hear the same one again.

That evening the kids and I had different activities going on, so we all got to bed a little later than usual, around 11:00. Imagine my surprise when the doorbell rang at 1:00 a.m., scaring the bejesus out of me. And again, 5 minutes later. And again, 20 minutes later. I had checked from a window, there was no one there. Yet it kept ringing, with its different tones, every 5-20 minutes until 3:30 a.m. It was so surreal, so bizarre, and I was so stuck in that no-brain zone between sleep and awake, there was no way it occurred to me to try and figure out how the doorbell worked and how to “put a cork in it.” I occasionally dozed between rings, which was horrible, being thrust into waking again, so harshly, by this strange-sounding doorbell. When I didn’t doze, I lay there freaking out, wondering if I should call the police to cruise by, just in case … . Like I said, not thinking clearly.

I still haven’t figured out that lesson. Obviously, learn how to take the batteries out of the doorbell, which I later found out is what I could have done. But other than that? Release attachment to a good night's sleep, perhaps? That morning, I went to take a shower—in the main bathroom, not mine, as the hot water in my shower wouldn’t turn on all the way, for some reason. That had been going on for a couple days. So, I take my wonderful shower in the main bathroom of the house, and when I’m ready to get out, the cold water won’t turn off! Too much. I cranked on that handle as hard as I could; “Left is loose, right is tight,” after all, but to no avail. Unbelievable.

Well, when I finally got dressed and got the water turned off at the source, in the basement, and was on my way to a doctor appointment, I finally had time to ponder this ridiculous night… I guess technically my morning. Ringing bells, running water. Ringing bells, just to remind me that I’m not in Control? A reminder to disregard the meaningless in life, and focus on what counts? To not let distractions derail my Path, my Power and Purpose? And running water—an overabundance, of cold water, a flood, which we had already had enough of here in Vermont quite recently. A reminder to Go With The Flow, to let go of the oars and let the Stream take me …. Or, a reminder that the colder weather is coming, and it’s getting time to prepare for Fall, and its pal Winter. And also a reminder: to squeeze the last drops out of summer, to soak in the sun, to revel in the rivers and bathe in the brooks, to bask in the languid laziness of summer afternoons and give thanks for her Glory.

I am reminded—of long summer afternoons in the 1960s when summers seemed endless, and the grass was so comforting, and comfortable, as I lay upon it, a young child, gazing at the sky for hours, watching the clouds, and letting my brain just wander. Did my mother look out her kitchen window at me, think to herself, “Oh, there she is. OK,” and not worry? Or did she wonder just what the heck was I doing out there and think her firstborn was a nutter?

Ringing bells, running water.

Bells are our alarm clocks, our signals, our indicators that something else needs to happen now. Water gives us life, keeps the cycle of life going, water is a constant reminder of the consistency of the life force of the Universe around us.

Ringing bells, running water. A message brought to you by … Life.

---

[1] Coronal Mass Ejections

The Devil Colony by James Rollins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


James Rollins hooked me from the get-go with his book Amazonia. Lo these many years later, with his latest, The Devil Colony, he is still keeping me enthralled.

The Devil Colony is the latest installation of the Sigma Force series, and I was first on the list when the local library got it. I've actually now read it through twice. I love Rollins' writing because the action is fantastic; very descriptive, pulls you right in. Yet the character development stays strong throughout the series--you keep caring about the individuals whose adventures we're addicted to following. And yet the best part for me is how he weaves in real stuff--real technology, real history--to tell the tale. Who knew that elements of our United States Seal came from the Iroquois leader, Chief Canasatego, and others from Manasseh, one of the ten lost tribes of Israel? Food for thought, that.

Great book, great read, an irrisistible distraction from those things we need to do. So don't start it if you have work to do!



View all my reviews

Blue & Green

Summertime ... it's what we put up with mud season and months of frigid temps for, here in Vermont. It's summer beauty is breathtaking; around every corner lies another spectacular vista, with entrancing deep greens of the hills and meadows, and brilliant blues, captured in sky and water alike. I just can't get enough of it.



As a kid, I used to lie on the grassy lawn for hours and just watch the clouds. I remember thinking at the time that green and blue must be very special colors, for God to drape our summer world in them, taking them in with our senses from May to September. They must be healing us, I thought, because they are so dominant at this time, and so intense--demanding to be absorbed, in our face with unstoppable beauty and irrepressible blessing. It's hard for me to now acknowledge that there's not much of it left, this summer of 2011. I haven't climbed Mt. Mansfield yet, nor Camel's Hump, 2 spring goals I have quietly harbored. Where have the days, the weeks gone? There has been lots of time spent in appreciation, though, and time in the mountain rivers, Lake Champlain, Lake Dunmore, an old favorite.


Vermont summers are very giving, in my opinion. We are given warmth, and the joy the sun carries on its Light; we are given gorgeous flowers, their messages borne on fragrantly wafting breezes to delighted olfactory receptors; we are given the exhilaration of the aforementioned vistas and views, those hills and valleys, mountains and waterways, wrapped in summer's mantle of emerald and tourmaline greens, sapphire blues; we are given the bounty of the gardens, the freshness impossible to describe but gratefully received; and we are given respite--respite from the harsh demands of fall, prickling us to "get ready," to batten down the hatches before winter's bite; respite from winter's austerity, winter's starkness and barren chilling cold; respite from the interminable wait... waiting for the sun to turn warm once again. Yes, I'm still basking in summer's warmth and delicious glow.


Yet I can't deny the cooler nights, the approach of school starting up again, and September, and reddening leaves. I won't even try. 50 years of Vermont's changing seasons has prepared me. Prepared me to be grateful and receive and acknowledge all the blessings of all the seasons; prepared me to detach, let go and release them as they come and go; prepared me to be flexible and adaptable and to accept what is; prepared me to have Faith, know that while each season is different, it will come around again. There are still a few more days to really sink into summer's magic and revel in her beauty and blessings. Join me, won't you?

Nature's Lightshow

Last Thursday night I was driving through a part of Shelburne, away from the lights of Rt. 7, my son with me in the car at 10:30 at night. A flash in the northern sky caught my eye. I braked, riveted to the sky. Many miles to the north, lightning lit up the clouds. There were only occasional clear bolts visible, but constant illumination of the clouds between us and the lightning. I'd never seen so much lightning at once in my life. Multiple flashes, every second, here, now there, then on the other side of the northern sky. A constant lightshow, it was mesmerizing. I was captivated.

After 10 minutes of silent, delighted observation, a small, sleepy voice disturbed my vigil. "Mom? Can we go home now?"

It took all my willpower to turn away from the lights; the orange, yellow and pink of the clouds as the lightning continued within them, unabated. I marveled at the silence--not a sound to be heard from the storm so far away--while reveling in the perfect visibility of the visual evidence.

We wended our way home, through the trees and over the hills, losing sight of the magnificent display. But I kept it with me, stored in a file in my brain labeled "Outrageous Nature."

New Moon/Solar Eclipse = hard core processing ...

Yesterday I was walking on a little path at Shelburne Bay Park, beside the LaPlatte; the birds were singing but otherwise it was pretty quiet. There I was, minding my own business ... Until the snakes entered my awareness. On the way out, there were two of them, but they disappeared quickly into the tall grass. One was dark, the other green, I noticed.


On the way back as I neared the trailhead, there was a dark snake with a couple of lighter-colored lines down the side of him. He was just hanging out there on the side of the path, in plain view. He didn't move a muscle as I passed him. So obviously, Spirit wanted me to get the Serpent message. I mean, 3 snakes in one quick walk! There was no ambiguity here. Here is an excerpt, from this website: http://www.whats-your-sign.com/snake-symbolic-meaning.html

In the keen Celtic mind, snake symbolic meaning of transformation came from the shedding of its skin. Physical evidence of leaving its form behind (casting off the old self), and emerging a sleeker, newer version made the snake a powerful symbol of rebirth and renewal. As far as the occult (hidden) symbolic meaning in Celtic and other cultures, this can be connected to the sleuth-like ways of the snake.

Disappearing in colder months and summoned by the sun marks the snake’s connection to the shadow worlds with its successful ability to live within the dark realms for extended periods of time. Alternatively, the snake softly moves into the embrace of the sun, and so it encapsulates the ancient magician's creed of moving in perfect rhythm of natural forces.


In Eastern Indian myth the Sanskrit word for snake is naga and these are associated with the element of water . Picking up water’s symbolism of emotion, love and motion, nagas in this light are considered a feminine aspect and embody nurturing, benevolent, wise qualities. To wit, the practice of nagayuna in Eastern Indian alchemy seeks to achieve loving harmony between the physical and ethereal. Simply put, all of us striving to better ourselves by calmly easing into places of personal balance within the cosmic balance of the whole are practicing this ancient technique.


This is so interesting to me, because of how I’ve been feeling this week. A big issue has been plaguing my soul, and it's been really hard. Definitely shadow stuff. But, maybe that’s what this is telling me—that that is only the symptom, or the thing to draw my attention in. Perhaps the real deal is what the above is saying: achieve loving harmony between the physical and ethereal… calmly ease into places of personal balance within the cosmic balance of the whole. That’s what I should be focusing on. And that’s essentially what I did yesterday morning. I was headed over to my workspace to do some deep processing, and then I remembered the What’s Alive Inside circle. So I turned around and headed over there, getting there late. But I was greeted with open arms.


It was big. It was huge. We had a great morning. I got just what I needed. I loved being there. I got to really just face and be with what was inside me at that moment, which is what has been percolating all week. It was the perfect space to be with it, sit with it, and then transform it--just like the snake, shedding its skin. I was able to shed the pain and the sadness of it, let it go. Thank you, serpents, for the messages and the guidance.


The next piece happened after I was done working yesterday; it was around 5 or so, I was sitting there on the patio to just relax with nature, looking at the beautiful view, taking in the sounds of the birds, the soft breeze caressing my face… I shut my eyes to tune in for a moment when I heard something. I opened my eyes and there was a deer, bounding through the meadow not 30’ in front of me! I moved inadvertently when I first saw it, and it stopped on a dime, and froze. I froze too, and it didn’t see me! It stood there for about 5 seconds, looking around, then bounded off across the knee-high clover field right in front of me. Gorgeous. Wow. So beautiful. So let's check out Deer Medicine.


Just as the deer has an uncanny sense of where to find the green freshness earth provides, we can ask the deer within ourselves to seek out our inner treasures. In meditation or day dream, go on a spiritual hike with the deer. See yourself walking in the woods with the deer leading you into amazing depths within your soul. Each step you and the deer take will lead you deeper into your spiritual knowing, and to limitless treasure within.

The deer (particularly the doe, females) has the capacity for infinite generosity. Their heart rhythms pulse in soft waves of kindness. Match that graciousness by offering your trust to her. She will reward you by leading you to the most powerful spiritual medicine you can fathom. In China the deer is a symbol of happiness and good fortune. Indeed, its name in Chinese is a homonym for the word abundance.


From this, I receive the message to go within myself. Just like I practiced in the morning, this is telling me to remember the goodness within me, remember my Authentic Self, my Spirit. Connect and live it!


As if this weren't all enough, this morning I led my Thursday morning Goddess Gathering. We did an in-depth exploration of our Selves, via the Goddess Support battery. Wow, it was quite a journey for all of us. Ishtar is part of that blend, and Ishtar gave us each a message. (Ishtar is the warrior aspect of the goddess archetype--her keywords are Strength, Power and Passion). Her message to me was, "Stand right here with me! I am no bigger or stronger than you are. Step up! Be here with me, it's Who You Are!" So again, the message is to step into my Power; Be Who I Am. I definitely feel closer to that today ... One of my favorite affirmations I work with is "I am now in joyous alignment with my Highest Path, Power and Purpose, which directs every thought, word and deed throughout my day." Would that I could live up to that every day--but it's a great goal.


Happy New Moon/Solar Eclipse. My astrologer friend Eric says to take it easy the next few days. I recommend it--it behooves us all to give ourselves a break and really go within, do some processing at this time. It will pay off immediately--and we'll likely suffer the consequences if we don't! here's Eric's full forecast:
http://www.spiritofchange.org/daily-astrology-june-2011/daily-astrology-june-30-2011-thursday

A spring gathering of dowsers in the Green Mountains

Woke up with the birds--no, scratch that. I beat 'em by a long shot. 3:00 a.m. And just kept thinking about the wonderful connections and inspiration that happened at the Dowsers convention.


It was incredible! So many good people, both attendees, and speaker/vendors. I enjoyed hanging out with so many old friends, and turning on new ones to my incredible energy tools and what they do. It--the convention--was a transformative experience for many people. One new customer--a woman I know I'll keep in touch with--had one major and 2 mini-breakdowns in the first 3 days. Having experienced the death of her sister and mother to cancer, and her ex to suicide, all in the last 2+ years, there was a lot of pain that needed releasing. The third one happened in front of my booth. I had just applied some of my energy essences to her, and balanced her aura with a wanding technique, when another friend came up and showed us his new essential oil which he'd just purchased from another vendor. "It's called Transformation," he told us, and applied a drop to our 3rd eye chakras. Well, a couple minutes later this woman burst into tears and sobbed for 5 minutes on the shoulder of another wonderful customer-friend who happened by. Then she stopped and started laughing and smiling again. Transformation indeed!


It was so good to be able to have those conversations that I have wanted to have for a long time with friends I haven't seen in months, or longer. Catching up on, not only personal things, but comparing notes on the cosmic and global issues. Wonderful, inspired and inspiring conversations happened every time I turned around. The real fun part for me was turning people on to my essences and batteries. Especially the ones who are "out there" anyway. They sit down with my batteries, hold it to the heart chakra for a moment, and then go, "Oh! ... Oh, yes. Nice." and then they're quiet for a minute, while I watch the facial expressions go from bliss to amazement to joy and back again. I love it.


The really sensitive ones, John Butler, for instance, an amazing healer from Syracuse, just giggled the second he picked it up. Then he laughed. This is all with his eyes closed, he's just taking in the energy and having a ball with it. After trying the Ascension 2012 battery, when he finally could open his eyes, he said, haltingly, "This battery takes you to other dimensions." he paused, closed his eyes again. "You don't just bounce right back," he added. He bought it, right then and there, along with the Ascendant Man Battery. These are the two brand-new ones I made right before convention, and they were a big hit.


Wil Alaura, another great healer in the Syracuse area, enjoyed the batteries also. I ran him through the demonstration meditation, and he told me what he saw psychically, which was very cool. When I pointed out that it could be used two ways, one with the logo away from you, and one with it toward you, he said, "Well, there's a vortex in front of the logo, about 2 inches in front of it, it's right there, I see it." So, that was great; confirmation on what I already knew. The logo I created with MacDragon's help a couple years ago is the perfect symbol to represent my Work. Wil also gave me some great ideas about getting my essences out to practitioners, which I plan to follow up on. He bought the Anti-Stress and the Light Me Up batteries, two of my favorites.


I didn't attend many presentations at all, because I was at my booth selling and sharing and enjoying the people. One I did attend, however, was Darrell Brann's. I forget the title, but it was fantastic. I know that what I'm doing is leading edge, and Darrell's work is also way ahead of the curve. It's nice to meet others who are sailing these uncharted waters. It is a comfort knowing I'm not alone, even though it feels that way a lot. I highly recommend his information. Www.harmonicsofhealing.com.


The other really exciting thing about convention was being able to have Barbara Evans's Image Key cards there, hot off the press. I was one of the five people to receive the prototype deck, which I brought to my Thursday morning Goddess Gathering. We worked with it, loved it, and provided some feedback for Barbara. The final product turned out beautifully. They are gorgeous! It's another thing, though, that people have to "get." "These aren't just pictures," I tell them. "They're multidimensional. A meditation with these images will take you amazing places." Some people did get it, and the cards (a really great price! $22). Barbara is doing an 11-11-11 event in Michigan, and has asked me to come. That's something to look forward to! Check out her divinely-inspired work at http://crystalwingshealingart.com/.

The other really fun part was hanging out with my friend Lee, a crystal miner from Arkansas. He brings boxes full of amazing quartz and it's all dazzling. We share a booth, so I basked in their glow the whole time. His prices were low, quality was outrageous. Everyone was happy. OK, that's it for now. 6:11, time to get up and at 'em. Or, as my dad used to say, "Bounden duty time."


Make your day a good one! :-)

Morning musings...

I woke up this morning with the birds. That's what happens when you leave your windows open at night in my neighborhood. Those birds are rockin' early. I sat up and looked at the clock and it was 4:44. Hmmm, so it's going to be that kind of day, is it? Oh, Good!


I pulled up the laptop, which is running at 44% battery right now as I write, incidentally, and got back to the David Wilcock video I was watching yesterday while on the Chi Machine and doing yoga. This is a great one (as his usually are). It's his appearance at the L.A. conference of Project Camelot, the Awake & Aware conference (I think in '09). It's really good. David really doesn't repeat himself much from event to event. I've seen and heard quite a bit of him, both on videos and in person. I've never heard some of what I was listening to on this video. I love it when he gets really out there.


In this one he is talking about the ley lines in England, sacred sites all over the world and how they are built on points on the Earth energy grid. He also spoke about how our reality consists of SpaceTime and TimeSpace, and how we bounce back and forth constantly between them, the former being 3D Space, 1D Time, and the latter being 3D Time, 1D Space. It's great stuff! Then he gets into the stones themselves, the standing stones and the henges that you find in the UK along the ley lines. "The hyperdimensional energy is what makes the matter that is building the stones," he said. "The matter that makes these stones, the stone itself, the actual hard stuff, is built from hyperdimensional energy; energy from the Timefield is flowing into our SpaceTime. That's what, according to Dr. Dewey Larson, all matter is built from is this hyperdimensional exchange between 3 dimensional time, and three dimensional space. That's all it is. So of course you're going to get time anomalies. But it's also the energy that builds you, it builds your DNA, it builds your bodies, so when you get more of it flowing through you, you're going to get more health and vitality. Because it's the energy of your consciousness, because it IS consciousness."


I love a new explanation for something I have known in my bones for a long time, but trying to spell it out can be challenging. DW has a great way with words. Gregg Braden said in a video I saw yesterday that when we are happy and joyful and full of good energy, our hearts are beaming hugely--the energy extends for kilometers, he said. Just as David said in the quote above, if we get enough of the Life Source energy flowing through us, we are just better--stronger, smarter, healthier, happier. Abraham calls it connected to the Stream. I call it raising our frequency, aligning with our Higher Self. The point is, when we are vibrating that powerfully, we can move mountains. When we are that attuned to the energy that creates worlds, the Sourcefield (DW again), there are literally no limits. He talked also about time travel; how when you learn to go into Timespace, you can move either forward or backward. Depending on how you move, when you pop back into SpaceTime you can be either in the past or the future, if you like--if you jump in behind where you were when you left, you're in the past. If you come back ahead of where you were when you left, you're in the future. We just need to learn how to manipulate it consciously. Who's with me? Let's start practicing.


The bottom line is, we are living life in the fast lane right now, and I mean the cosmic, universal, it's-all-a-crap-shoot fast lane. We can hold our own, energetically, but we need to know how. There are voices of wisdom and knowledge out there who can show you the way ... find one who works for you, who makes sense to you, whose words resonate as truth in your heart... We aren't alone, though sometimes it may feel as if we are. Seek out those kindred spirits who can be your companion on the Path. I have many in my life, I'm blessed that way. Five of them came over yesterday, and we got ourselves in a really blissful and beautiful state with my energy essences, then we put pyramids on our heads and sent out amazing energy to heal the planet, with big crystals and wands in our hands, for good measure. Wow. The energy was astonishing under those pyramids.


If our heart energy extends for kilometers when we're feeling good, as Gregg Braden says, then how far does it go when amplified by large crystals and pyramids? I wonder what it looks like, energetically ... Does a spirit guide look down at the house and see all kinds of light and color streaming out of it for miles? Does it change when we switch the pyramid on our head from a pink one to a blue one? hmm ... interesting questions. I'm sure if you peeked in the window, we looked like a bunch of wingnuts, but we felt GREAT! I know we put out a lot of healing for Earth; for Japan, for the Mississippi flood victims, for the Gulf of Mexico, and all trouble spots on our planet. It felt good. We're going to do a lot more of it. So if you're taking a walk one day, and a wave of bliss washes over you, it just might be that blast of crystal energy coming from my group of friends, sitting here in Vermont with pyramids on our heads. Offered to you, with our love. Enjoy!

Rose-colored Glasses ....

I don't do depressed well. I'm just not familiar with it, it's not a state I spend much time in. I've always found too much to be joyful about, despite what has often seemed like 3 lifetimes' worth of lessons cleverly disguised as travails packed into one. I'm too much of an appreciator of life to get bogged down in sadness, usually. I appreciate beauty, I appreciate kindness and goodness, I really appreciate love. And I find these things everywhere I look, which is a good thing.


Rose-colored glasses. My wasbands have used mine to condemn me and criticize me, telling me to see things how they really are. In a way, they're right. I mean, I generally subscribe to Abraham's viewpoint, which is, Yes, wear the Rose-colored glasses. You have to visualize and align with how you want things to be, rather than how they are now, if you want them to change. So, that's what I do. I think I do have a pretty good perception of what is, but I definitely focus on the good, the bright, the light. And this can cause me pain.


I keep forgetting that--because I have an excellent Forgetter, especially of things unpleasant. Like certain people in my life who continue to be a source of pain. I get hurt, I back away, I try to maintain a distance, for my own salvation. But then the natural caring, the concern, the kindness that is who I am forces its way to the surface, not to be kept down and suppressed. In this way I warm up to them again, soften my heart, let them in. Only, a couple of years later, to find I should have been watching my back. Uh, would you mind pulling that knife out, please, the one between my shoulder blades? I can't quite reach it...


My best friend said to me, "You keep expecting them to change. They can't. They can't change, and they won't." I know, I know ... damn that Forgetter! Wow. So, as soon as I get over the shock of this one, because it is a doozy, I'll try putting that Forgetter in storage for awhile, see how long I can go without it. Because some things need remembering. Such as: There's enough pain in the world without painting a target on yourself. Remember to keep your heart open only to those who treat it well. Note to Self: Remember that.

We'll see how good my Rememberer is ...

A Trillium Communion

The other day I was called outside by the nature spirits--I had to go out to play. I climbed a hill by Shelburne Bay, and it was amazing to be out there. I felt so exhilarated, so supported and nurtured by Nature, it was a beautiful healing experience.


I love this time of year because it's Trillium Time. The trillium bloom is gorgeous, amazing. You can just feel the fairy energy all around you, walking among the trilliums. On the path I came to a spot on the wooded hillside where the beautiful white tri-petalled trilliums surrounded me. Their energy was so sweet and pure and happy! Their message to me was pure joy that day. I wanted to receive it, and receive it deeply.


I've talked on this blog about receiving before, how it's not as simple as it may seem when the bothersome human mind with all its issues gets in the way. Really receiving takes surrender--complete and utter surrender. Who does that? As folks who've studied with me know, the strength of the Goddess is in her surrender. Women are the Yin half of the equation. Just look at the word--it has "in" in it! The Yin is the receptive, the passive, the left side of our bodies. The strength of the Goddess is in her surrender.... Her ability to completely surrender and receive. The trick is to be discriminate in our surrender--be selective to those energies you surrender to. Keep a fine filter up there, so you can receive only the high vibrations of your choosing and keep away the other.


So there I was, sitting on a log on that hillside, with the winking trillium fairies all around me. I was carrying crystals in my hands as I hiked, of course. First I used them to channel my energy offering to the Spirit of the Place. I channeled Love and Healing, and then the energy of my custom "Marna" battery. I did it with conscious intent, asking for conscious feedback. Right away I felt the response from the trillium fairies, "Ooh, this is a fun human, this one knows how to play!"


One of the crystals I held was a double-terminated crystal (it has a natural point on both ends, whereas most quartz crystals grow out from the matrix and terminate at only one end.). Double-Terminated crystals are more powerful in the way they transmit energy, being a whole circuit unto themselves, one end being male and the other end female. I made sure the female end of the crystal was pointed out, and the male end of the crystal was pointed up my arm. This enabled me to use the crystal to receive the energies of the trillium more powerfully. (The female end of the crystal draws in, the male end emits.) I set my filter of intent to bring in the trillium energy. It was incredible! It felt light, bright, sparkly, twinkly, somehow other-worldly.


As someone who channels a lot of energy every day, my ability to send is very strong, because I'm always channeling it out, sending it with my sending hand, the right one. My left one (the natural receiver) is much weaker when it comes to sending, which is to be expected. However, my left hand should be as good at receiving as my right one is at sending, and that's not the case. Learning how to receive was such a big lesson for me last fall and winter with my illness, but as I've said, knowing that intellectually and even in my heart is not the same as actually being a good receiver on the energetic level. So I sat there with my crystal and opened up, really went into magnetic mode, just kept surrendering more and more to the influx of trillium joy and light. It wasn't as easy as it should have been. I had to keep consciously letting go more and more, relaxing into that mode. It worked, I was able to do it. The trillium fairies kept feeding it to me, more strongly. At first I just kept feeding it into my heart chakra, but after a bit, I sent it down my right arm with the out breath and into the crystal in that hand, sending it back out to them, with my love and gratitude added. Again, I felt the energetic response of that place, its Spirit. It was so happy to have my energy play with. It felt so good, I felt such peace, yet so energized, in this easy communion with the flower fairy realm.


Eventually I got up and kept hiking up the trail. At the top, there was another smorgasbord of trillium, all over the place. And they recognized me! When I reached them, they were already energetically greeting me, waiting for me. The Group Trillium Mind had alerted them to my passage, and they were waiting with open arms, faces, petals and leaves. So if you haven't gotten out to commune with the trillium yet, do so. There's only a few days left of their short season. Look them in their beautiful faces, give thanks for their joy and giving spirit, and revel in their being. Then tell them that Marna sent you. Tell them I said Hi. :-)

Vitamin R -- Now's the time

Mother's Day morning.
Been awake for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet. Enjoying thinking about being a mom; thinking about my own mother, radiant angel she is now.

And glad to take the time to write this morning.

There's been a lot going on! And I'm thankfully creating opportunities for magic. That just feels more and more important than ever. We're having fun with it, too. That said, I just heard a friend say yesterday that the "Little Grandmother" Keisha Crowther has said recently that everyone needs to carry a quartz crystal now, she stressed that it was urgent.

I carry at least one, usually a few crystals on me at all times, have for years. It's nice to hear others promoting my favorite healthy habit. Speaking of crystals, Wednesday evenings I lead a Cosmic Playdate/Crystal Healing Meditation, and we've recently been working with the theme of the new influx of radiation being injected into our world from the Fukushima plant in Japan. On the face of it, there's not much we, the masses, can do about something like that ... There is one way, though, we can help, and that's with our intent, fueled by our own energy. So a couple of weeks ago, that's what we did. We prayed Dr. Emoto's prayer for the waters of the Fukushima plant, and for the waters of Japan.

We held crystal balls as proxies for Earth, and sprayed essences of Clearing on them, Joy, Love and Peace, visualizing each time that beautiful frequency bathing Earth in its radiance, for the benefit of Earth and everything that calls her Home.

It was a beautiful, energizing and peaceful exercise, and we all felt marvelous afterwards. Being filled up with these high frequencies makes it easy and fun to then energize our own life, our loved ones, our home and family. Every act, every word and deed becomes a sweet and sacred prayer, when performed in this state of Grace.

Come play with us some Wednesday evening if you're local, and want to share my path of crystal light; we gain so much, and give even more. What could be better than that?

At the last Cosmic Playdate, we continued with the radiation theme. With crystals to amplify the focus and transmission of the energy, we again did a brief healing of Earth, and then we focused on another aspect of the issue. I figured that with all of the Deva spirits in our world, there are obviously ruling Devas of this particular frequency or type of radiation that is leaking out in Japan. So we addressed that entity in our meditation, asking it to modify the nature of the radiation so as to render it harmless to human and all other life on Earth. We made our own energy offerings, through essences, of Love and Peace and Joy, then made our prayers for balance of our world and environment with this radiation leak. We felt big forces at play here, we felt we'd been heard.

But the best idea I had was the new reality we chose via my Subconscious Reset technique. I'll leave you with it to ponder. I came up with it when I realized that other than with our intent, our energy, we can't do anything about a nuclear meltdown. EXCEPT, evolve. Evolve! So here's the ultimate human challenge. Can we evolve our bodies, right now? David Wilcock told us in his presentations that we are evolving quite quickly these days, historically speaking. Specifically, he said we humans are now as different, in terms of our DNA, from the ancient Egyptians as they were from the Neanderthals. That blew my mind when he said that. We haven't stopped changing, and it feels to me, in fact, that change is accelerating. These are the ascension times, are they not?

So here's the reality we got into alignment with that night:
"I choose now to be a conscious participant with all of my cells of all of my bodies and my DNA, in my rapid evolution to accommodate our changing universe, and all its influences."

Like it? If so, use it. Pass it on. Let's just choose, right now, to evolve enough to use this kind of radiation as a vitamin. Vitamin R. You with us? Mass conscious evolution ... now's the time.

Wake-Up Meditation

I just had a cozy little meditation in bed, all snuggled down in my flannel sheets, toasty warm. The rain is pounding outside, I’m seeing lightning periodically through the crack in the curtains, and the thunder growls at me intermittently.

I realized yesterday that the whole last week I’ve been thrown off course. Nine days ago I got some news that really shook me up. It’s been preoccupying my time, because it has made me call into question my allegiance to certain people and things, so I’ve been knocked into this vortex of indecision, astonishment, disbelief, and real regret—that it happened. Because now I also have to make a decision about future events, and my participation in them.

Anyway, I just woke up to the fact yesterday how hard this has all hit me, because the last 8 days I’ve been just spinning my wheels. I’ve been reacting, emotionally and intellectually and energetically, but hadn’t gotten out of that rut. Phew. Nice to know, eh?

So yesterday, I figured it out—half the battle. Then, I did an attunement—an activation—on a client for my Clearing frequency. She can now channel it—my Clearing energy, and after an hour of channeling this energy, and running it hard through my entire being, all my bodies---well, that was fantastic. I had been unburdened of so much. My client was energetically really ready for that step, and after getting rid of a pesky little past-life blockage that appeared, to be cleansed, she was channeling it perfectly once I taught her the symbol. It was such a great afternoon! That felt very downstream for me. Not that I want to start doing activations, per se, with any frequency, I don’t. But doing energy work is something I do really well, and enjoy it, while getting great benefit from it for myself and others. A good way to spend my time and energy, in other words.

So I did this meditation this morning, and it was awesome. I started with a strand of beautifully pink rose quartz beads I’d strung into a necklace with some pearls. I channeled the Clearing into them, then Love; my Love frequency and Rose Quartz go together like mother’s milk and a newborn. I lay it on my heart chakra and just let the energy flow, not even guiding my thoughts or visualization—just being quiet, getting centered. It felt really nice, finding that stillness I hadn’t seen that I was missing all this time.

Then I picked up my personal crystal I’ve programmed for my work, and channeled, in rapid succession, Clearing, Love, and then Abundance. I hung out with Abundance for a while, enjoying its grounding and centering flow. And while there, I played some more with this Downstream concept that Abraham is helping me with. I’ve succeeded, in part, in having that feel normal to me now, most of the time, rather than the paddling upstream feeling normal. At first, the speed of the flow was a little intimidating, but I kept reminding myself that everything I want is downstream… I am so grateful for Abraham’s patience with us humans—we can be so pathetically predictable sometimes. But the whole Stream metaphor has really worked for me, helped me align energetically align with something I thought I’d already gotten—like, a long time ago. The work is never done. Abraham says that, too. We’re never going to get it all done, so let’s just relax about it and take the time to find the joy as well, express it, revel in the love, and share it. And keep going with the flow, Downstream.

Earth Spirit adventures in Shelburne

I had a wonderful meditation this morning. It’s a really busy week getting ready for the Earth Spirit Conference, and I still woke up with renewed determination to take time for yoga, chi machine, and meditating. This morning I combined the meditation with my energy batteries. Wow, what a fantastic experience.

I was in an ok space to start with, but with the first battery, my space changed. For the better. I first used the Clearing Blend battery. I shook it to activate it, then held it in my left hand—the receiving hand. The energy was a bright rush of Clearing power up my arm, to my heart chakra. I filled up my heart chakra with the next couple of breaths, afterwards filling up my whole body with the energy. I visualized it as particles of light, traveling through every part of my body and clearing energy, transmuting everything that wasn’t mine or of benefit to me, into light. It was glorious! This battery is a combination of Clearing, Protection and Joy (Angelic energy essences); Clear Quartz and Golden Topaz (from my line of crystal essences), and Spirit (the fifth Elemental energy). After a few breaths I put it on my heart chakra and worked it from there; it feels different, it “plugs in” faster that way. When I first pick up something, I hold it in the left hand, because it’s really easy to sense the quality and character of the energy as it moves up your arm. When I just want to receive it, to utilize it, I hold it on the heart chakra, and take it in. Direct download.

Then I went to the Anti-Stress Battery. Goddess, I love that one. It’s extraordinary—13 essences combine to make this standard battery, and it is phenomenal. The Clearing, Peace and Joy just mellow and brighten my aura right up. The Love, Relax & Release, Water, Rose Quartz and Emerald energies act as a soothing balm to the Heart chakra, as well as help relieve physical tension. I draw them in with my in-breath, and they just filled me up with their beautiful radiance in a fulfilling, steady shine. The Psychic Vision, Air and Green Calcite energies act to calm, embrace and balance on the mental plane, I felt my mind just smoothing out. The wrinkles of worry vanished. The Earth energy grounded it all, gave it a foundation to stand on, to support me from.

Next, I dabbled with the Meditation Battery on my upper 2 chakras. I did the 7 Chakra Spiral Meditation with the Goddess Support Battery. And finally ended up with the Abundance battery. As I held it on my heart chakra, I felt the pull of the Abundance frequency as it penetrated to my core, settled there in my matrix, and then put things right, got me all sorted out and in order. It’s an interesting sensation—I’m reminded of J.K. Rowling’s description when Harry disapparates for the first time, as a “tugging” in his gut. As it worked its way through my layers, sorting and organizing, putting me back together, I felt the alignment it created out of order, alignment which then allows a clear signal to be broadcast, to then draw in what is desired.

Alignment is something Abraham talks a lot about, and as I’ve been listening to the words of Abraham on their CDs, I’ve been paying more attention to how I align my energy. It’s been really fun, because I’ve been having some very profound experiences in terms of awareness expanding and how deep I am going in meditation—sometimes I come out the other side of me into the Universe, and that’s very cool.

At the last, I sat with the Goddess Support battery again, and held it right against my SuperPower wand. It’s a crystal wand I made years ago, about 2’ long is the copper tube, with a cap at one end, and a large clear quartz crystal at the other. It’s wrapped in beautiful purple suede. I made this in the mid-80s. If anyone reading this was at the Harmonic Convergence event at Shelburne Farms in ’87, that was the wand that was passed through the hands of 200 people in the big ceremony of the weekend. (!) So I held this wand with the Goddess Support battery and then activated it with my tuning fork, directing the energy out to the planetary grid. After a bit I sent it to the Earth Clock, to plug in there, and to a dear friend who is helping transport a friend from the hospital today. I sent it around the planet via the grid, asking that all who could benefit from this energy would receive it. There is much strife going on these days on Planet Earth, both seen and unseen. It feels like Gaia is shrugging her shoulders, humans and their constructs no more than flakes of dandruff, falling off, tumbling about, and it feels good to send good energy, higher frequencies, out there. I can’t remove the trauma from Japan, but perhaps I can lighten the energy a bit. I can’t vanquish all the weapons in all the hot zones but a little Love goes a long way.

So I prepare for the Earth Spirit Conference this weekend, where I’ll do my part to spread good energy out to the world through my products and crystals, and I’ll be ecstatic because I’m with other folks who do the same thing in their own way; I revel in this event which is created to give expression to love, to peace, to divine purpose, to exploring the mysteries of life and how we can be the change we see we need in the world. And I love that it’s so much more powerful focusing energy for Good when 150 people are doing it together.

How will you align your energy this week?

Namaste.

Healing Planetary Trauma Today ...

Wow, so much going on in the world.

The events in Japan, and the aftermath, are awe-full to behold. For a being, and a body, the size of Gaia’s, it’s just a little shake, but look at how that translates in human terms. It’s mind-boggling to even think about, but seeing the TV footage really brings it home.

This morning a friend came over and we did a meditation for healing for Japan. I assigned two gorgeous big clear quartz crystals to the job. Clara held one and I held the other. First we sprayed the Clearing essence on them, to clear the crystals, and then we focused the Clearing energy over the country of Japan. I learned long ago that in working with traumatic events, you first need to remove the energy of the trauma, otherwise there’s nowhere for the healing energy to go. And that's where the Clearing energy comes in beautifully.

So we sent the Clearing energy over the whole country of Japan, but concentrated in the northeast, where the damage is heaviest. As soon as we tuned in, we both noticed the huge flow of energy—prayers, fervent wishes and good energy—going there from everywhere. It was a huge river of energy, beautiful and strong. The energy of the trauma was thick and dark and dense in my mind’s eye over that part of Japan. I visualized the Clearing energy as vortices spinning counterclockwise, to penetrate into the density, to clear away that energy of pain, anguish, fear and grief. We called in our angelic and archangelic Friends and loved ones in Spirit to join us, and it was obvious when they instantaneously did. Using the crystal in my hands to focus the energy, I sent it with Love, asking that it be directed to where it needed to go. We also asked that it be received in the same intention as it was offered, that all beings and Gaia herself receive the energy of Clearing for its most optimum outcome. After a few minutes I realized it was time to pull out the energy being exuded now, spinning the vortices clockwise, so the energy of the trauma could be released, carried on the flow of the Clearing that had been received. At some point I felt a shift, and it all felt quite a bit lighter.

Right about then the phone rang, and I answered it, after seeing who the caller was. It was just perfect—the call lasted just long enough that when I disconnected and tuned back in, we both realized that the Clearing energy had had a few minutes more to keep working, processing the energy of the trauma. That’s when I became aware that the nature spirits overseeing those regions were taking this energy and focusing it to where it was most needed. It almost seemed like we were sending in this beam of light to a prism, which was refracting it into different wavelengths and directing it onward to the best place. In fact, Clara echoed that vision a few minutes later. “I see a crystal over the whole place,” she said, “And it’s receiving this whole stream of energy and splitting it up, sending it to the different places it’s needed.”

We then switched to the Healing frequency, spraying that essence on ourselves and the crystals, and again directing it to Japan. I noticed that the Healing was being accepted, drawn in nicely. We programmed these crystals to keep broadcasting these frequencies, and asked our Spirit friends to keep up the effort, guiding these energies for the highest benefit of Japan’s land, people, flora and fauna.

Then we used two different crystals and went to work on the turmoil in the Middle East. It was immediately obvious that here was hate and rage, rather than the pain and grief and overwhelm that characterized the Japanese situation. Clara found a hard crusty shell of energy over the Middle East which was hard to penetrate. “I’m just holding the space for Clearing,” she said. I was seeing something similar, but I was also seeing these little threads, roots, in the density and darkness that extended back aeons in time to the origins of these conflicts.

I tried contacting the nature spirits ruling the regions there, and found some of them distorted energetically by the will of the cultures, the peoples and their lands, that they oversee. Free Will is in blatant display here, but in a context of (to borrow again from the Abraham material) going upstream, to hate and struggle, and the corresponding pushing against. I put forth the intent that everyone there, and indeed all world leaders, relax, open their hearts, and go with the flow downstream to Love and All That Is. That felt very appropriate and effective. Clara and I programmed these crystals for that purpose, and they will all remain so for the time being, holding and broadcasting our intent, which of course is subject to the Divine Plan.

We talked about watching our own thought processes, and Clara offered a beautiful insight: “When we open our hearts, we’ll open for them as well; when we choose to flow Downstream, we’ll also flow for them; when we choose Love, we’ll choose it for them, too.” We are our brothers’ keeper, face it. Only one of us here. So, join us in choosing Love, won’t you?

{written Wednesday morning, 2 days ago}

This morning I finally had a chance to sit, be still, and focus. I need to take some time to tune in and prepare for tonight’s Cosmic Playdate. I’m so excited to be doing this again. Last year it was called Crystal Healing Meditations. I had stopped for the summer, and never started up in the fall again after getting taking ill. I’m back, I’m ready, and it’s time for it. The name Cosmic Playdate is much more apt. We are going to have fun tonight!


So I sat down on the bed with my basket of essences, took a couple of deep breaths, and sprayed 3rd Eye Clearing essence on my 3rd eye. It’s just like putting up a windowshade and letting the light flood in. Instant illumination. I sprayed Psychic Vision on my crown chakra, and sat with those two for a while. I’ve been paying more attention lately to how I’m running my energy, and I usually start any meditative or tuning in process with these two essences to focus my frequencies. Is it powerful—my Psychic Development kit.


I’ve been listening to Abraham (Abraham-Hicks.com) lately, which has also helped me decide more clearly how to focus my energy. Abraham makes it so simple. And yes, I’ve been listening to Abraham for almost 20 years (but not lately), and it’s still new, it’s still fresh and it still hits home. Timeless wisdom there … Anyway, Abraham asks, “why are you paddling upstream?” So I’ve been looking at my life, asking that of myself. I’ve put a stop, over the years, to lots of that upstream nonsense. Being a legal secretary, for instance. That was soooo swimming upstream for me, and I did it for years. So what’s downstream, for me, I’ve been asking. And this is it. Teaching and learning, learning and teaching, and my forte, my passion, is the area of—well, there’re many words for it—metaphysics, new thought, spirituality, Higher Consciousness, etc. That’s why I’m so excited about tonight, starting up again my weekly Cosmic Playdates.


The Psychic Vision energy opened up my crown chakra right away, I feel the “pull” as it starts energizing my Rainbow Bridge (our connection to Higher Self). Next I sprayed Joy up over my head to let it float down, lightening and brightening my aura from the outside in, because that’s how it works. I still feel it out there. Then I sprayed Abundance on my Crown, 3rd Eye, and Heart chakras, and under the tongue. Abundance energy is very centering; it penetrates to the matrix level of your being, and puts everything back in order, realigning and re-integrating before moving to the next layer out to do the same thing. I like doing it after I’ve sprayed a few others, because then they act as “building blocks” of new, good energy for the Abundance to use in the rebuilding, deep in our energetic foundation.


By this time I was so charged, so energized, it was amazing. I decided to use this wonderful state of being I was in productively, so I sat on the other side of the bed, near my little altar. It happens to be near the Prosperity corner of the room, and the house. I gathered all the crystals that were on the altar and cleared them. Then I held them by twos and charged them up with this wonderful combination of frequencies I was resonating with. Wow. Then I focused even more on aligning with the Stream that Abraham talks about, and I can literally feel myself swept away by the current of my Stream, it’s so fast.


Abraham talks about that, too, on the CDs I’ve been listening to lately. If we’ve built up a lot of vibrational escrow with our focus on what we want, the good stuff, then once we actually get out of our own way and become a vibrational match to it, bingo! There we are, in the stream! But, it’s going to be really fast, so hang on, because we’ve energized it so much. That’s what I’m feeling, that’s where I’m at right now. Powerfully aligned with the stream, the Life Stream, the Stream of wellness and thriving and relentless joy and bliss and overflowing abundance, and it is fast.


I decided to point this wonderful energy in the direction of my business for a few minutes, and within 45 seconds I’d come up with a new, amazing product that I want to bring to market. Nothing like I’ve got now—It’s a high-end spiritual tool that with the energies of the angels, the elements, beautiful stones and crystals will help focus your intent, powerfully, and will assist in manifestation and your creative process. Wow.


I’ve been having fun with my focusing lately—I manifested a brand-new car for myself 11 days ago, and that was an astonishing process. I may tell you that story in another post. I have manifested some great things in my life this year already, and the journey keeps getting better. If you’re around, come to my Cosmic Playdate some Wednesday night, you’ll have fun focusing your energy with me, too.

Icefishing (Really! I've actually done it!)

Today I popped into a little market for a cup of coffee, and was rather amazed to see they had a cash-container/sign-up box for the contest for guessing the correct date for the Ice Melt on Joe’s Pond. I thought about doing it. I’ve gone by there enough times that I’m intrigued by the whole thing. It fascinates me, actually. And it got me thinking about ice on the various lakes around here, and how long it lasts…
I went for a splendid walk at Shelburne Bay recently. The path was a little snowy & icy, but walkable. It was a beautiful day, crisp and cold, and the light filtered down through the layer of cloudcover, becoming translucent and silvery in its passage. I kept looking east, to my right as I progressed along the path, gazing out at the ice-covered bay. There were no ice shanties out there. I didn’t see any ice fishermen either. Oh, wait. What’s that? I watched a few moments, and yes, there was a lone ice fisherman out there. Not in a shack, just out there, by himself, hanging out. It was starting to snow, so the visibility was getting bad, but I could see him. I’m assuming it was a him. None of my women friends icefish.
Anyway, I kept walking and soon lost sight of him, but it brought to mind a memory of the one and only time I’ve gone ice fishing in the last 40 years.
It was back in the day when I was still married to the wasband. Our son was still a wee babe, we were at his parents’ house for Christmas, visiting them in Iowa. Grandpa mentioned going ice fishing, so we put the baby down for his nap and with Grandma home to watch him, off we went, to one of the farm ponds nearby.
Grandpa did it in style—he had a fancy new ice fishing shanty that his kids had gotten him for Christmas. They had it set up in good time, and there we were, the three of us (him; his eldest son, my then-husband; and myself), hunkered down inside it, a line each in three holes we drilled through the ice, hoping for a bite. I might add at this juncture that fishing in itself has never been a draw for me—something about dead amphibians really hits me the wrong way. But I sat there in good faith and good feeling, enjoying the novelty of the experience.
After about 20 minutes of sitting, nothing was happening. We were getting cold, even in the shanty, but we didn’t want to go back empty-handed. I had not revealed the true extent of my weirdness to my in-laws, and was a bit reluctant to do so, but something needed to happen. So, I opened my mouth. “OK, guys, we need to start visualizing here. If we want to go home with fish, we need to start concentrating. C’mon, see those cute little fish biting these lines, lots of them, coming right to us.” The wasband was mildly receptive to this plea, but Grandpa snorted his disbelief. I focused then on my husband, “OK, honey, just visualize the fish flocking to our lines, keep holding that vision.”
Within a couple of minutes, I felt something, and pulled a fish out of the hole! Another twenty minutes of sitting there, and I ended up with about a dozen fish, my husband three or four, but poor Grandpa had none. Which was odd on the face of it, seeing as the holes were mere inches apart! Those fish were delicious, too, when we sat down to eat 45 minutes later, fried and tasty as can be. The power of visualization was once again put to good use.

That's my fish story, and I'm stickin' to it!