I saw this license plate frame on the car in front of me while stopped at a red light …. So I had the opportunity to pull out a notepad and write it down … So often, we find ourselves wishing we are somewhere else … doing something else … being with someone else … 

If only we could appreciate the NOW.  It is no mistake that we are right where we are right now … there is a very good reason.  We just need to figure out what it is and learn to go with the flow … It is when we are still with the current situation at hand, regardless of what it is … there is a reason it was put in our path and we need to tune in and listen … What does MY body feel like?  What would MY heart do?  What is MY right action?

I learned this lesson the hard way just a few weeks ago …  Yes I AM still learning **chuckling**  I was stretching, reaching for a doorknob to let the dog in, turning my head back telling myself to remember to hang the towel up, and also thinking I need to feed the cats, when my leading foot caught on a bicycle tire, sending me into a heap in the corner between the door and a wall.  Well!  That stopped my multitasking right in its tracks, to say the least.  And no one could even get into the laundry room to help me up because I was smashed up against the door trying to unrumple myself.  Needless to say, I was not happy to be here now … and I was beginning to feel the pain in my hip and wrist …

Once I got up, did a check of all body parts, took remedies to support what I would undoubtedly feel in a bit, I carried on in my usual multitasking way …  YES you can laugh with me now … because the story continues ….

Within the hour as I continued helping out, thinking that a garment would be better stored in another closet, I only got a few feet when part of the garment got underfoot while walking on pergo flooring …. Yes I went crashing down again!  This time it was full on my knee … THAT DID IT!  OK!  I AM now paying attention.  I decided to stay down, gather my wits and breathe through the pain.

What are the lessons that you notice?

What happens if you stay put and just pay attention to your surroundings?

I'm learning that it's no easy task to learn the "be-ing". 

reprinted in its entirety ....

Dear friends, I just received this and want to forward it. It speaks to the miracles of this latest earth event. I hope we can each add our prayers and blessings to assist with the ongoing transformation that is taking place here. Join the net of energy and hope that surrounds us all. Add your own light and blessings.
Judy

---------- Forwarded message -------

One more email from us!  This from Japan, with a short note from Peter Gillies…
 
This is so beautiful that i have to share it. In the center of the storm, fearless, connected, and hopeful even knowing of the coming of a new age, people stand less fearful, more caring and sharing expressing the better part of humanity leading to Divinity. Please let us all stand in the vision of this rebirth as one, sharing our part with others and witness the calm.
 
loving,
Peter
 
A letter from Sendai
ANNE THOMAS  3/14/2011
published online @ Ode magazine
Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out a sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.

It's utterly amazingly that where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another."

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.
They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,
With Love in return, to you all,
Anne

 

**laughing** so I’ve already mentioned to you that I broke my immersion blender … what I am only revealing now is that I broke it while making my Green Soup.  LOL 

I dreamed up this soup when I felt like I needed more greens in my diet.  Knowing how good broccoli and kale are because of their dark green color, I decided that I would prefer a smooth soup made with these ingredients.

(Makes 4-5 Mason Jars)

Buy the best you can afford
1 potato, cut up
1 bundle of kale, stems discarded
1 cauliflower, cut up in chunks
2 stalks broccoli, cut up in chunks
2 big handfuls spinach
1 red pepper, cut into pieces for even frying
1 onion, chopped
Coconut oil
2 tsp – 2 TBL Better than Bouillon Vegetarian Paste, to suit your taste

I give instructions based on blending the soup … if you would like the veggies to be chunky in the soup, by all means cut them up to your preference. 

Fill a stock pot about ¾ full of water, start boiling, toss in the potatoes.

Add some of the Better than Bouillon …. You might add more at the end to taste.  You can also add a little coconut oil if you wish.

While that is underway, I fry up the onion & red pepper in a little coconut oil … I like the onions browned and the pepper to have scorch marks on it … remove from heat and set aside.

While frying the onion and pepper, cut up broccoli and cauliflower and set aside.

Strip the kale leaves from the stems.

When the potato chunks are about half cooked, add cauliflower and broccoli, cook until a little tender …. Because I blend it, I cook for about 5 minutes; you’ll know when the broccoli has a nice color to it.

Remove from heat, add spinach and kale, pushing down into soup until just wilted, then add the onions & pepper, and stir it all up. 

I use an immersion blender to whizz it all up until it’s reached the preferred texture. 
(**wink** now I will be using my Ninja! Blender)

Add Better than Bouillon to taste, and then chill either in the pot or in glass jars.

I like to store in mason jars and I only heat up one serving, on the stovetop, at a time … It sure comes in handy when I'm tired, it’s late, or I just want to eat something that satisfies and is wholesome .... or all of the above at the same time. =)

I sometimes change it up a little in
my bowl  … 
        dash of nutmeg 
        dash of celery salt/seeds 
        dash of cayenne 
        squirt of Tapatio 
        tastes quite lovely with sour cream
                    and a bit of cheese =) 

Change it up to suit your favorites, whether it’s veggies, quantities of each, and/or spices. 

I recently broke my immersion blender …. I pulled out my bargain blender from the closet so I could continue making my morning blender drinks …

Since I’ve been using it, I kept thinking there's got to be a better way … one in which all the lumps will be blended smooth … however, it works just fine for making my green soup smooth …  somewhat … enough.

So the other day, Landon and I headed over to Costco, on a hunch that they might be having a live demo with the Vitamix blender …. they weren’t … so in my shopping around town, ended up walking over to Kohl’s and saw the NINJA blender ….
6 blades … yeah-uhh that would blend anything smooth … then I took a closer look and read the specs …. a whopping 72 oz capacity … OMG I could feed an entire football team using that … it felt just a little over the top for my personal needs …. we left the store empty handed ….

Landon and I then stopped at Target, more “shopping” as he likes to say … we were looking for curtain rods, and somehow ended up in the blender section … where I found the perfect blender!  What I love about it, is the medium size … easy to handle, 48 oz capacity, small footprint, plus bonus chopper … and half the price of the SuperSize 72oz NINJA …

It’s also a NINJA blender.  The motor is a pod that you install on top of the pitcher or the chopping cup …  imagine if you will, no more trying to pry the bottom off so you can clean the base, rubber ring, and blades … yeah that’s what I’m talking about … the blades just lift out like a food processor and you can easily clean the pitcher, lid, then the blades, and voila … done!

Have I mentioned the 6 stacked blades?  **smile** at varying heights … wow … love, love, love this handy little gadget!  It has already earned its keep … and I haul it everywhere!

Product picture & description:
http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-Master-Prep-Black-Silver/dp/B003QB575S/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1299524317&sr=8-9

I have been using a new dvd these last couple mornings … and I have to say … when the alarm goes off with its spring-sounding bird chirping… I’m really loving it.  After listening to their cheerful chatter for a few minutes, I wave my hand in front of the alarm to snooze it …. Then as I lay there smiling until it goes off again, I think about what I could do … stay hidden in the warmth of the bedding until the birds chatter again … then I remember!!!  I have a new dvd and I roll out of bed … never thought I could evahhh be this excited to do a wake up routine …
 
Notice I said “wake up routine” …  **smile** 

It starts out slowly … flowing … graceful with each movement … moving … flexing … “dynamics” … really feeling the energy as you push, then “ease” … returning with the ease of graceful flutter of the arms and return to start all over again … ever changing … going longer each day … and finding that when I head outside to feed the horses, I have improved mobility, loving the feeling of improved flexibility, and realize with a smile that I love what I’ve just done …  This is a FIRST!  And here I sit looking forward to tomorrow morning when I get to do it again …