Good morning! Wow-another blog post within a week...it must be rainy season! That afternoon after I posted last, I had my 2nd prenatal appointment with my midwife and got to hear the baby's heartbeat again! I actually had thought that was a special treat the 1st time and didn't realize we get to hear the heartbeat at every appointment-I was delightfully surprised! Everything is going perfectly and our angel's heartbeat was in the 140's again. Michael was wondering how they were going to differentiate his/her heartbeat from mine until he heard it and it sounded about twice as fast!
Today started by moving slowly, watching the rain/sleet fall and singing an invocation chant to my little one. I guess their hearing is developed enough to physically hear us now and it feels so lovely to sing and talk to this being growing inside me. A juicy orange, nettles/oat straw tea and a green smoothie with wild huckleberries, Vitamineral Greens, hemp protein powder, SunWarrior protein powder and banana are fueling me before I head to work. Yum!
I wanted to share with you some insight from an amazing workshop I attended a few weeks ago. We were so blessed to have this woman Qala join us from Australia. She has perhaps the biggest, purest heart I have yet to experience. The 1st evening was called "Igniting the Field of Love in your Life-Making Your Life That Much Better Through the Power of Love". I feel like I have a pretty open heart and I also realize that there are infinitely deeper levels of Love, Compassion and Gratitude to open up to. Here are some keys that I loved and she said to share freely:
Give Gratitude to Mother Earth EVERYday! Fell her underneath you and also all around you as her trees grow much taller than you.
Give up negative thoughts to their highest good. Purify your mind. Don't judge. Offer the negative thoughts up. If you do judge or think negative thoughts of someone, apologize to them telepathically.
Before you fall asleep each night, ask to be taken to the planes of Light. A light guide will come and take your Soul to Light. This is particularly good for bad dreams or fear. Teach this to your children and others. If you wake up feeling heavy, ask to be taken to the Chamber of Love before falling asleep. You don't have to understand this with your mind, simply feel it with your heart.
Resolve everything with Love. Never leave the room without resolving the energy.
Always follow your Heart Dream! Never give up!!
When you feel like pushing away, Embrace with Compassion!
Take everything into your Heart. Expand your heart by taking long, deep conscious breaths into your heart center. Feel your heart expand 6 feet in every direction. Do this EVERYday! Move the awareness in your mind down into your heart.
If you want o explore more, check out her sites at: www.qalasriama.com and www.TheDivineUniversity.com. The simple daily ritual of breathing expansion into my heart center and giving Gratitude to Mother Earth has been very powerful for me. Blessings to you!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A Very Exciting Announcement!!!!
Michael and I are 16 weeks pregnant!! How's that for big news? We are so very happy, grateful and excited. We started sharing the good news right away (at about 6-7 weeks) and I wanted to share on here, but felt like I had so much to say and little desire to add more computer time to my life. Our computer is sometimes painfully slow and likes to just shut down occasionally, but we are looking into a new computer that might be more inspiring to blog more. I did experience a period (about 4 weeks) of relatively mild morning sickness...actually, it was more like all-day sickness. I thought "I'm so healthy, I'm not going to feel sick", but I did. I never thought I was going to vomit and never did, but it felt like a low to medium level of constant nausea. I desperately looked for subs for the yoga class I was teaching because rapid movement and bending over to touch my toes sounding like a really bad idea.
At times, all I wanted was a good quality ginger brew from the health food store and I finally bought the all-natural saltine crackers and they tasted like Heaven. Most raw foods are rapid transit foods and that is one of the amazing beauties of them, but when I feel nauseous (like I have experienced when traveling in the 3rd world), my body calls for something incredibly dry and plain. Green juice continued to be delicious (especially the "Buzz Bomb" from the local Bean Hive Cafe, which is a folic acid queen with spinach, beets and oranges. Fat sounded yuck, so away went any cravings for high-fat raw desserts and I gave away delicious little raw coconut pie tartlets that I had. The mega-high flavors of many raw foods sounded yuck as well and green smoothies sounded...yuck. I had some chlorella tablets that I hadn't used because I prefer the fresh powder and those came in handy, so I could swallow them, now that I wasn't desiring my usual green smoothie sludge.
I have also been adding local game to my diet. My husband is a hunter, who is as compassionate as you believe hunting can be. He spends so much time outside, knows that elk love to eat arnica and is so aware of life in the forest.This is something I have vacillated back and forth on in my mind. I honestly added it simply out of listening to my body. And eating local food is really important to me. I remember this Spring, I went to buy some bulk tahini from our health food store and couldn't because there was a world-wide shortage of sesame. This was a big wake up call. Where is sesame grown anyway? None of my nut/seed protein can come from a local source. I have definitely focused on honey as my main sweetener because I think it is amazing...and I can get it local. I do also use stevia because I love the no glycemic index. One of our local farmers (Judy at Terrapin) had baby stevia plants this Spring. It is a tropical plant, but so far it is still alive and well in the dome. My friend's children loved it and kept running to the greenhouse for more "sweet leaf".
As I have been feeling awesome in my 2nd trimester, loving physical activity (mostly mountain biking, walking and Yoga), I have also been enjoying adding more raw back in. After a walk with a fellow pregnant amiga and a green juice in town, I satisfied my chocolate craving with raw chocolate avocado-banana pudding. I have been really light on the raw cacao lately as it is my only source of caffeine and I have only recently craved in back in my diet again. Messages from my body and Spirit feel extremely clear (and sometimes urgent) at this time. All of a sudden, I can just lay down and be asleep instantly. Just from listening within, I have known what exercise and food feels appropriate & nourishing and the most important thing is that I feel unbelievably blessed to have this angel growing inside of me-it is such a miracle! I feel it's presence very much energetically and my massage practice feels beautifully enhanced. We are planning a home birth (due date is April 7th) and are not going to find out the gender ahead of time...it will be biggest, most joyous surprise ever!
I hope life finds you in deep Gratitude and effortless JOY! I send you love from my heart!
At times, all I wanted was a good quality ginger brew from the health food store and I finally bought the all-natural saltine crackers and they tasted like Heaven. Most raw foods are rapid transit foods and that is one of the amazing beauties of them, but when I feel nauseous (like I have experienced when traveling in the 3rd world), my body calls for something incredibly dry and plain. Green juice continued to be delicious (especially the "Buzz Bomb" from the local Bean Hive Cafe, which is a folic acid queen with spinach, beets and oranges. Fat sounded yuck, so away went any cravings for high-fat raw desserts and I gave away delicious little raw coconut pie tartlets that I had. The mega-high flavors of many raw foods sounded yuck as well and green smoothies sounded...yuck. I had some chlorella tablets that I hadn't used because I prefer the fresh powder and those came in handy, so I could swallow them, now that I wasn't desiring my usual green smoothie sludge.
I have also been adding local game to my diet. My husband is a hunter, who is as compassionate as you believe hunting can be. He spends so much time outside, knows that elk love to eat arnica and is so aware of life in the forest.This is something I have vacillated back and forth on in my mind. I honestly added it simply out of listening to my body. And eating local food is really important to me. I remember this Spring, I went to buy some bulk tahini from our health food store and couldn't because there was a world-wide shortage of sesame. This was a big wake up call. Where is sesame grown anyway? None of my nut/seed protein can come from a local source. I have definitely focused on honey as my main sweetener because I think it is amazing...and I can get it local. I do also use stevia because I love the no glycemic index. One of our local farmers (Judy at Terrapin) had baby stevia plants this Spring. It is a tropical plant, but so far it is still alive and well in the dome. My friend's children loved it and kept running to the greenhouse for more "sweet leaf".
As I have been feeling awesome in my 2nd trimester, loving physical activity (mostly mountain biking, walking and Yoga), I have also been enjoying adding more raw back in. After a walk with a fellow pregnant amiga and a green juice in town, I satisfied my chocolate craving with raw chocolate avocado-banana pudding. I have been really light on the raw cacao lately as it is my only source of caffeine and I have only recently craved in back in my diet again. Messages from my body and Spirit feel extremely clear (and sometimes urgent) at this time. All of a sudden, I can just lay down and be asleep instantly. Just from listening within, I have known what exercise and food feels appropriate & nourishing and the most important thing is that I feel unbelievably blessed to have this angel growing inside of me-it is such a miracle! I feel it's presence very much energetically and my massage practice feels beautifully enhanced. We are planning a home birth (due date is April 7th) and are not going to find out the gender ahead of time...it will be biggest, most joyous surprise ever!
I hope life finds you in deep Gratitude and effortless JOY! I send you love from my heart!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Harvest Season!
Wow! Over a month since my last post! What can I say...it's Harvest time! September keeps me so busy, as the fruit is only ripe for a few weeks. My Excalibur dehydrator has been running nearly non-stop for the past few weeks :) My family was here visiting from Arizona this weekend and we all pitted plums and chopped apples to make the best fruit leather ever! (dehydrated at 145 for the 1st hour and then at 105 to preserve the enzymes) I am learning to keep the leather softer, as it rolls better and taste delish! My 1st batch got dehydrated too long and got too crispy. Now, the pears are ripening (much to my nephew's delight!). I will be freezing them for green smoothies and dehydrating some, which tastes like candy! I have also canned a bunch of applesauce and am slow cooking some plum butter right now (not raw).
Apples and plums and pears, oh, my! I have been a busy young lady!I have been lagging on the wild huckleberry picking compared to last year, but I still have a little time :)
It is such a extra special treat to walk outside with a harvest basket, pick fresh, gigantic cucumbers, shake some apples off the tree, wash the soil off some beets and pick kale from the oak barrel to make juice for the day-such an amazing time of Abundance and Deep Gratitude! Sending Love direct your way and asking us each and all to focus on all the amazing gifts we have in our lives!
Apples and plums and pears, oh, my! I have been a busy young lady!I have been lagging on the wild huckleberry picking compared to last year, but I still have a little time :)
It is such a extra special treat to walk outside with a harvest basket, pick fresh, gigantic cucumbers, shake some apples off the tree, wash the soil off some beets and pick kale from the oak barrel to make juice for the day-such an amazing time of Abundance and Deep Gratitude! Sending Love direct your way and asking us each and all to focus on all the amazing gifts we have in our lives!
Monday, August 10, 2009
"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin
I will have to take photos of the abundance we have growing around us, but for today just a quick note and perhaps some huckleberry picking. We are starting to receive cucumbers, tiny ripe apples, tomatoes and broccoli. I am about to make a big batch of juice with cucumbers, beet, kale, peas, apples and ginger (the ginger is the only plant we didn't pick from our property). It is so magnificently gratifying to grow and welcome into our bodies, such vibrant foods grown with love!
Leading the Juice Feasting group went well. One young man has released 22 lbs since he began changing his diet 3 weeks ago. It is fun to watch him blossom as he dives into his interests of Yoga and eventually organic gardening. May we all be so courageous to step out of our current realms to explore something new!
I am savoring the juiciness of summer and thus spending less time right here. I am consciously putting my feet directly to the ground more often to feel the Earth instead of spending hours with my Crocs on :) I am diving into the cold Montana water and am constantly amazed how much it cleanses me each time... a clean slate...refreshed, rejuvenated, empowered! Sending Summer Love your way!!
I will have to take photos of the abundance we have growing around us, but for today just a quick note and perhaps some huckleberry picking. We are starting to receive cucumbers, tiny ripe apples, tomatoes and broccoli. I am about to make a big batch of juice with cucumbers, beet, kale, peas, apples and ginger (the ginger is the only plant we didn't pick from our property). It is so magnificently gratifying to grow and welcome into our bodies, such vibrant foods grown with love!
Leading the Juice Feasting group went well. One young man has released 22 lbs since he began changing his diet 3 weeks ago. It is fun to watch him blossom as he dives into his interests of Yoga and eventually organic gardening. May we all be so courageous to step out of our current realms to explore something new!
I am savoring the juiciness of summer and thus spending less time right here. I am consciously putting my feet directly to the ground more often to feel the Earth instead of spending hours with my Crocs on :) I am diving into the cold Montana water and am constantly amazed how much it cleanses me each time... a clean slate...refreshed, rejuvenated, empowered! Sending Summer Love your way!!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
7 Day Juice Feast
Treasures fresh picked from our garden"Live your succulent wild life! Choosing succulence is a delicate act of revolution. It means waking up! Embracing your true self, studying your patterns and letting out your most alive self. We all have one. " -Sark
Friday, July 17, 2009
Outta the Hype and Into the Wilderness...Healthy Camping
My hubby and I were recently able to getaway for 5 nights in the wilderness (don't ask where...hee-hee!). We car-camped, in perhaps one of the most remote car camping spots around. I love sleeping at night in a tent ( to protect us from the mosquitoes) rather than in a home that has an electrical force field, even when most everything is turned off. The sound of the river strummed us to sleep and days were spent hiking to a waterfall, reading Anastasia and doing Yoga by some other falls, floating the river and hiking where my hubby could fish. It was such a treat, just as the pace of Summer was approaching light speed. I always have my wild edibles book in my pack and am a kid in a candy shop as I walk through the abundant forest. If you choose to pick wild edibles, please be respectful of the plant. Always pick a small amount of what is present and I always ask the plant if I may pick it before I do...sometimes they say no and that feels good too. Here are 2 of the wild edibles we enjoyed...
Stonecrop
Shooting Star
Besides the wild treats, it was fun to prepare and pack healthy foods to camp with.
We brought:
4 quarts of prepared, then frozen green smoothie
1 quart sunflower seed/brazil nut mylk (made concentrate by adding less water when blending and then adding more water to our morning cereal bowl while at camp)
soaked and dehydrated buckwheat and goji berries for cereal
big bag of leafy greens from the garden
ingredients for salsa and guacamole
fresh, frozen pesto made from the organic heirloom basil we are growing
2 zucchini for "pasta" noodles
zucchini hummus
dehydrated crackers
bananas, apples
lemon and cayenne for our morning quart of water
homemade raw trail mix
and probably some other yummy things I'm not recalling right now. It felt really good to keep it clean when away from home :) Do you have any camping/hiking food tricks to share? HAPPY SUMMER!!!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Home Grown Event at Stillwater Landing
The event last weekend was fun! The Stillwater Landing is absolutely gorgeous! It's like our own little private Montana Gorge venue. Carlos Nakai (amazing native American flutist) and other artists are performing there Thursday July 2nd. Last weekend, Mother's Power (a local company owned by Jeff Arsell) had a trailer with wind and solar power that completely powered the stage with open mic. Eastern Montana has gnarley wind and in his presentation he stated that Montana has the capability to be the 5th highest wind producer in the world if we harnessed this beautiful energy we are gifted with. They have a project going on NW of Browning on. I would love to incorporate alternative energy sources with him for our home :)
The local raw food posse was there as well. Shoot the Moon was serving up fresh juices, raw pizza, fresh local salad, raw soup and lots of raw treats such as Spirulina pie! Here is Shoot the Moon with Kailie, Emily and Wes and some of their gorgeous goodies made with Love!!
Michelle Berry of Berry Good Living was there too and made some amazing creations for the dinner like raw enchiladas with spinach tortillas, pumpkin seed pate filling, olive tapenade and chocolate mousse pie!! Unfortunately, we weren't clear until we arrived that we had to RSVP ahead of time to join in and donate for dinner, so we didn't get to savor any of her goodies this time. She recently began her own blog called www.berryblissful.blogspot.com -check it out!
The lovely Hutterites were there as well making homemade ice cream with this funky old John Deere motor. I was mesmerized by this awesome old school contraption until it started spewing nasty fumes which were less cool. XOXO!
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