Everyday Miracles

Starting from scratch

2009-05-10T14:34:00.006-02:30

I'm continuing my "Everyday Miracles" blog here: http://www.creatingmiracles.wordpress.com/. Please join me there.

All new posts will be posted on my new site.

Hiking Signal Hill

2009-04-26T14:28:00.011-02:30

We went for a hike at Signal Hill yesterday -- my first time hiking Signal Hill. It's been a long time since I'd been on a hike. It's short -- only around a 3.5 km loop, but it involves about a 500 ft elevation gain. We took our time and enjoyed the sights (my favourite way of hiking). Our thought is that on nice weather days over the spring / summer / fall, we can do this as part of our Saturday morning / early afternoon date -- go for a short hike and then enjoy a nice lunch.

We feel as though we're among the luckiest people on the planet to be living in such a beautiful place.

For those of you who don't know, Signal Hill is a National Historic Site in St. John's, located just minutes outside of the core and has beautiful vistas of both the ocean and the city of St. John's. There's even a little "castle" on top of the hill, Cabot Tower.

Local foods

2009-04-26T14:13:00.009-02:30

We've been attempting to buy more locally.

Bidgood's in the Goulds sells moose patties and rabbit in a jar. We haven't prepared the rabbit yet, but it's the most disgusting looking thing -- rabbit meat in a jar. I hope that it will taste better than it looks. They also make great codfish patties. Yum, yum.

Auntie Crae's on Water Street sells a variety of speciality foods. We picked up a freshly baked loaf of whole grain bread yesterday. It was still warm from the oven when we purchased it. Just last week, I was telling Mel that we needed to find a place with good bread. We're going to make it part of our brunch date to pick up our weekly bread at Auntie Crae's from now on.

Food for Thought on Duckworth Street is a great place to get glutenfree products, including ones that I haven't been able to find at Dominion (such as chickpea flour).

I hear that Georgetown Bakery is a great bakery. We haven't been there yet as I hear that once they sell out of their goods, they close shop. Their baked goods are in such high demand that they often close early!

A City within a Park

2009-04-19T18:05:00.012-02:30

I was delighted to explore some of the trail systems that are a short walk from our place. Mel and I took Alex in his wagon and walked through spruce forests along the Waterford valley. We passed a small duck pond with mallards, American widgeons, black ducks and domestic geese, and walked around Powers Pond.

I'd heard that Mount Pearl had some good walking trails, and I knew that there were some that were close to our home, but I was very impressed by how it felt as though we were in the middle of a wilderness so close to our home. It felt like another dream come true!

The City of Mount Pearl has the slogan "A City within a Park". It sounds cheesy, and it's not very apparent when you drive around, but it sure felt like it when I was walking along the trails. I learned from the City of Mount Pearl website that there are approximately 65 km of walking trails within the city, and the city doesn't use any herbicides or pesticides in their parks!

I'm excited to explore different aspects of the area and the island in general now that the weather is warming up. All of these experiences make me realize how lucky I am. And, just as our mailman had prophecized (see Nov 13, 2008 post), it really does feel as though God chose our home for us in Mount Pearl. For those of you who didn't know, we bought the home sight unseen. I'd actually never even been in Mount Pearl before. The interesting thing is that several months before we had even decided to move to Newfoundland, I had gotten the message that Mount Pearl would be the best place for us to move. And sure enough, it was the place that we eventually chose to live and we love it.

A gift for nature

2009-04-11T12:24:00.003-02:30

A friend of mine inspired me to pick up a piece of garbage every time I'm out for a walk.

It's something that crosses my mind a lot when I see litter on the streets, but I often don't carry about a plastic bag with me.

Today, I was reminded to take two with me. One that I used as "glove" and the other to put the trash in. It didn't take me long to fill up a whole grocery shopping bag during our walk along a tributary to the Waterford River nearby our house. I was surprised by how much litter there was, but it felt good to even do the little that I did to clean it up. I'm going to continue to carry around some garbage bags with me and have already stuffed two in my purse for our next outing.

Acts of Kindness

2009-04-11T12:18:00.003-02:30

Alex and I were the recipient of an act of kindness today.

We went for a walk to one of the neighbourhood parks. It was the first time that we were at this particular park. By the time it was time for us to go home, Alex was telling me "he wasn't feeling very good", and he wanted me to carry him back home. All 35 lbs of him.

The wind was cold and I was struggling to carry him home, when an older gentleman said hi to us from his yard. Alex loves to talk to strangers and he told the man that he wasn't feeling very good. The man offered to give us a ride home. I hesitated just for a moment, but I realized it was a God-send because just a few minutes before I was hoping that someone would be able to give us a ride home. And, sure enough, the universe said "so be it".

It was a very short ride home (literally around a long block), but we were very thankful!

We're home

2009-04-08T21:24:00.021-02:30

We drove to Petty Harbour for the first time on Sunday -- it's only about a 20 minute drive from our home in Mount Pearl.

As we drove up to the harbour, the perfect song started playing on the radio -- Buddy Waisiname's "Salt Water Joys". The song itself is normally enough to get my heart, but in combination with the spectacular view, it was overwhelming. It's a tender song that really speaks about the love of this island.

I was overcome with emotion at the beauty of the harbour and the intense feeling of home that I cried -- no, I actually sobbed, as we pulled up on the side of the road and looked out at the harbour. It felt as though I'd arrived. We'd arrived. Our family, together.

It felt as though Spirit shook me a bit and said, "My darling child, look. Everything that you've asked for, everything that you've always wanted. It's right here. It's right here. You've arrived, my child. You've arrived. All you need do is breathe. All you need to is breathe. Take it in and breathe."

And, then I realized that it was true. I had arrived. I was home. Not just in the physical place of Newfoundland (which is part of it), but with respect to everything -- everything that I've spent my whole life searching. I'd arrived and I was home. And, there's no where else to go. Nothing else to do. But simply take it all in. And, enjoy.

Healing

2009-04-05T20:12:00.006-02:30

Alex's health has been remarkably improving.

Many things to be thankful for this week:

We've been able to re-introduce some of his favourite foods, including chicken, and today rice milk.
As a result of the re-introduction of chicken, we were able to eat out with him this week at Swiss Chalet. He is free to eat the chicken and fries there to his heart's content! (It had been over 7 months since the last time we were able to take him to a restaurant).
We've taken him off a daily antihistamine, something that he's been on for 2 years. We took him off his antihistamine a couple of weeks ago.
Tonight, for the first time, we dressed him in two-piece pajamas. Normally, we've dressed him in one-piece pajamas to make it more difficult to scratch his body.
His eczema has healed remarkably.

We are tremendously thankful.

Giving thanks

2009-03-30T12:27:00.007-02:30

I'm thankful today. I'm back in my centre.

I was introduced to a beautiful song. The lyrics are:

You do not need to be more than who you are.

You could not be less than what you are.

Perfect. Holy.

So simple, yet so grand.

In the eye of the storm

2009-03-26T00:24:00.007-02:30

It's been a stormy time. I've been trying to stay in the centre of the storm, where it is calm.

It's been a time of great emotional upheaval, forgiveness, love, redemption, laughter, and miracles. For me. And, it appears for others around me as well.

I'm praying for another miracle.

I recently read this quote from Einstein:

"There are two ways to live your life - one is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle."

Update: This particular miracle that I was praying for was granted a few days later. I was bracing myself for acceptance of whatever was to be, but was very thankful that the universe said "so be it" in this particular instance.

"It's a beautiful day"

2009-03-19T23:07:00.005-02:30

Almost everyday, Alex tells me “it’s a bee-wut-ee-full day”. On cloudy days, on sunny days, on windy days. It’s almost always a beautiful day.

Lots of wisdom in that.

And on days that I’m stressing about this or that, it’s always a great reminder when he tells me “it’s a beautiful day”. And, of course, regardless of what’s going on, I have to agree with him that it is.

Healing on the planet

2009-03-08T15:13:00.003-02:30

My understanding is that this is a time of tremendous healing on the planet.

It is a time to let go of anything old patterns, belief systems that are no longer serving you.

We are getting a lot of spiritual help right now to heal the old.

We are birthing a new earth, right here, right now.

It's an amazing time to be alive right now.

Be vigilant with your thoughts as you are a powerful creator. You are creating your world, and collectively, we are creating a new world together.

My understanding is that anything that is of the "old world" will not be supported as the new consciousness is being birthed.

Healing dream

2009-03-08T14:35:00.005-02:30

I had a powerful healing dream last night. One that reframed how I see myself, my family, my relationship to God, my life and my whole world.

In my dream, I remembered my rightful place as a child of God walking this earthly life, born to earthly parents, who are also divine sparks of God. I can let go of the charades of pain that cover up my divine "sparkles".

In my dream, I remembered that we are all meant to "sparkle", to walk fully as human beings of light. To be fully embodied beings of light.

It was beautiful and I think was the answer to my prayers for healing.

Someone recently asked me what I was healing from. I think that ultimately anyone that seeks any sort of healing is looking for the same thing -- a union with the Source. This is ultimately the only thing that will bring any sort of lasting satisfaction. Otherwise, we are looking at all of the wrong places for happiness.

I've spent my whole life looking elsewhere for happiness. I think we all do. As I've started to ask for what I've wanted and as I've received what I thought I wanted, I have often realized that I was still left with desire. Even after achieving or getting that which I'd yearned for.

After awhile, I realized that the things that I was searching for weren't leading me to the bliss that I'd sought. When I started to connect within more, I found that the ever present hole within me began to be filled simply by Presence.

I've experienced a lot of pain in my life. I think we all have. I've found that if pain isn't dealt with, it continues to show up in your life until it can be healed. The dream that I had last night reframed my past pain.

I was meant to live a fully embodied life, to be a fully embodied being of light. We all are.

Whole body vibration machine

2009-03-08T14:23:00.006-02:30

I tried one of those whole body vibration machine's yesterday in Paradise and I loved it!

If you haven't heard of it, it's a machine that you stand on for 10 minutes and supposedly it's the equivalent of a 1 hour workout.

All sorts of health benefits are claimed including:

burn fat
increase muscle strength
improve flexibility
increase bone mass density
stimulate lymphatic system
massage muscles
enhance balance and coordination
increase metabolism
increase lean body mass
decrease blood pressure
decrease cortisol (stress hormones) and increase serotinin (happy hormone) levels

More information can be found on it here: http://www.purelement.ca/down/16P.pdf

I found out about it from a friend who lost 12.5 inches from all over her body in only 2 weeks. This friend is an athlete, a rower, so I was pretty amazed by her results.

It was quite a fun experience to stand on the machine. With time, you can start doing all sorts of other exercises to target certain muscles (some of which are actually yoga poses)...

I tried it for the first time yesterday and I enjoyed the experience. I had it on a low setting to start. Even from the one session, I felt energized afterwards and I seem to have less neck and shoulder tension...

Gratitude

2009-03-01T20:23:00.004-03:30

We've been grateful for a lot of things lately:

We effortlessly found an amazing new tenant for our basement apartment.
I found a Reiki pratitioner to do trades with.
Alex has been sleeping through the night!!!!!!!!!
Alex has been doing very well health-wise.
We continue to love living in our new home in Newfoundland.
I love being back to teaching yoga again.
I have been receiving the healing that I have been praying for.

We feel very blessed.

Less is sometimes more

2009-03-01T20:17:00.003-03:30

We've at least partially solved the problem of a huge mess of toys in our living room.

Last week, we told Alex that any toys that he didn't help put away in his toybox would be put downstairs in the basement for a couple of days.

Sure enough, he didn't want to help and we were able to clear away a huge garbage bag full of toys. Our intention was to replace the toys within a couple of days.

It's been a week now and Alex doesn't even miss the missing toys and we find that he's playing more with the toys that are left.

And, it feels so much better to be in our livingroom. It's easier to clean up and isn't always a disaster area.

Sometimes less is more...

Wood burning stove

2009-02-21T15:19:00.001-03:30

We bought a wood burning stove today... It's a step closer to being off the grid, which is one of our dreams....

Quiet

2009-02-17T21:13:00.003-03:30

I've been quiet lately as I'm continuing to be in a quiet, inward healing time.

Please pray with me.

Happy to be teaching again

2009-02-12T22:15:00.002-03:30

I'm in my after class buzz and I just want to say that I'm happy to be teaching yoga again. It feels so good...

Himalayan salt rock crystal lamp

2009-02-08T21:15:00.003-03:30

We recently put a himalayan salt crystal lamp in Alex's. Since we’ve put one in his room, he’s actually been sleeping through the night. It’s done wonders for all of our morale!

We purchased it from the Healthy Choices on Topsail Rd, but you can get them at most health food stores. It only cost about $30 and was well worth it! We'll probably get one for our room as well!

Healing time

2009-02-07T15:20:00.003-03:30

During these last couple of weeks, I have been going through a healing time. An inward time. A quiet time.

It feels as though I am starting to emerge.

It is my prayer to emerge fully healed, transformed.

I am healed. I am loved. I am.

Community connections

2009-01-29T20:05:00.012-03:30

It's already been three months since we've moved to Newfoundland.

Happily, we've started making some connections with people in the community. Of course, we have a big extended family in Newfoundland, which has been huge in helping us feel like part of the community. It was the main reason we moved here... For example, Alex has a cousin who is his age, who he very much enjoys playing with. And I really enjoy the company of his mom, so it makes for a great visit.

We live on a cul-de-sac and we've been slowly meeting our neighbours. Some of them have lived on the street for 35 years! There are strong roots on this street. My husband and I are starting to grow roots, the first ones that we have formed since we met four years ago.

Before moving to Newfoundland, I visioned that we would have playdates in our home with friends who lived in our neighbourhood.... Well, my prayer has been answered as I've made a couple of mom friends who live close by. We had a playdate with one of them this morning with her two daughters. One of them is Alex's age and they get along very well. At the end of their visit, they share a hug and a kiss. We're starting to have a weekly Thursday morning playdate, alternating between three of our homes.

Another part of my vision was that a family with a toddler live either on our street or adjacent street. And sure enough, last month we found out that a family with a boy Alex's age lives directly behind us!

I started a women's spiritual circle with a like-minded woman, who I met through my husband. The circle started with just the two of us, but it's starting to grow. We provide a safe space to speak our present truth and support each other's dreams. There will be another woman joining us next month (maybe two). This is also another answered prayer as I was part of a women's circle in Calgary and had strong intentions of building another one here. And so it is.

If you haven't gathered so by now, I believe strongly in the power of intention.

We are powerful creators, all of us. We are always creating. We may as well create intentionally. And, if you find that you don't like what you are creating, you can always change your mind.

Connections with the recycling man

2009-01-29T19:55:00.004-03:30

Thursdays are an eventful morning for Alex and I as it's garbage / recycling pick up day. Since Alex loves trucks, it's very exciting for him to watch the garbage truck and also the recycling truck come by our house. That's two different trucks!

The recycling man now knows that Alex and I are almost always watching him through our window and after he picks up our recycling, he waves to us and we wave back at him. It's happened about five times now.

It was one of our highlights this morning.

A snow clearing angel

2009-01-29T19:53:00.003-03:30

We have someone on our block who secretly clears some of the snow in our driveway on big snow days like today. We don't know who our snow clearing angel is, but it sure is thoughtful of them!

Mel's also been a snow clearing angel for one of our neighbours....

Warning -- my blog content is getting weirder

2009-01-26T17:25:00.007-03:30

My husband has informed me that my blog has gotten weird.

A little part of me got scared that others would think that some of my musings are weird too.

After some deliberation, I decided that I would be okay with that.

Helpful websites

2009-01-25T22:11:00.007-03:30

Emerging Earth Angels
I feel as though I am stepping into my role as an earth angel and many of Karen Bishop's messages validate the feelings that I am having.
http://www.emergingearthangels.com/

Beacons of Light
I've felt for a long time that I am a Lightworker. I have been following this website for almost 9 years now -- Steve Rother comes out with a monthly channel from "The Group". Very powerful messages that I have strong resonance with.
http://lightworker.com/beacons/

Trust

2009-01-25T21:47:00.005-03:30

I am developing trust with myself.

Listening to my inner voice.

Learning to listen to the highest voice.

When I tune in, I find that my highest voice always has something loving to say.

Even when the personality of me is scared, angry, unsure, confused and I ask to connect to my highest voice, I can hear the voice of Spirit.

Last night, the message I received was this:
"Ah, my child, you are healed already and forevermore. You are loved, perfect. You need not seek your flaws and imperfections as you are perfect as you are. You are not the doer. You are not the orchestrator. You are loved, perfect. Everything is in divine order. You need not dredge up the past. There is only the now time. I see you in the perfection that you are."

Sometimes I can get lost, but always I know that if I become quiet enough to hear and if I ask and am open to hearing, then I can hear Spirit.

The truth is that I think that we can all hear the voice of God as God talks to all of us. All of the time. But, it's difficult to hear the voice of God when we are busy. Or if we are scared of what God might say. I think there was a time when I was scared of God. I thought that I wasn't worthy of God's love.

The truth is that there is nothing that anyone can do to stop the flow of Love. We are all worthy. We are all loved. That is the essence of our true being.

I have spent a lot of my life looking to others for the answer. Looking to others for the connection that I seek. I'm starting to learn that all of the answers that I seek actually do reside inside of me. That the Love that I seek is also seeking me. All that I need do is open my heart and allow it in. Be not afraid, but be very brave. Brave enough to feel as though I am worth it. That I am worthy. And, so it is. We all are. You are too.

I feel as though my life purpose, my life mission is related to this. Because it's been my life's struggle as well... To simply trust myself. Trust my intuition. Trust my inner knowingness. Just trust. And to help others trust themselves. Because we all are children of God. And, we are all meant to live amazing lives.

Visit to the Fluvarium

2009-01-25T20:55:00.004-03:30

We are having fun exploring different things in the St. John's area. Today, we went to the Fluvarium, which is an underground aquarium, where you can see what is happenning in an actual river. You could see the brown trout swimming underneath the ice. Very cool! http://www.fluvarium.ca/

Alex was most happy because there was another little boy and girl there and they played chase with each other and hid amongst the aquaria.

Hemp Hearts Update

2009-01-18T19:41:00.003-03:30

Well, the hemp hearts experiment as been working as far as I'm concerned. I've been eating 5 tablespoons with fruit every morning for breakfast and I find that it's been keeping me full for most of the day -- so I'm less apt to snack on less nutritious foods, and I feel like I've been starting my day with good nutrition.

Alex has also been eating it in the mornings and what's great about it is that we get to eat the same foods. He loves eating the same thing as me as we get to share food and connect in this way... I also feel good as I know that he's getting a good source of protein, healthy oils and nutrients.

Mel's been eating it too, but he's not as much of a convert because, apparently, it's good for your bowels too!

More information on hemp hearts is here: http://www.healing-source.com/about_HempHearts_b.htm

Yoga for Healing...

2009-01-18T19:34:00.004-03:30

I'm happy that my dream of teaching a Yoga for Healing class is in the process of being manifested -- the first class is in a couple of weeks. And, registration is going really well -- I'm pretty sure that it'll be a full class.

My intentions are to go "deep" with the class... Though, I suppose it will be as deep as the students want to go...

My intention is to hold a healing space for all participants -- healing for all levels of their being. To help open them up to the great possibilities and potential that life has to offer.

The class will be held in the beautiful healing space on the 2nd level of the Boathouse in Quidi Vidi Lake at the MoMaVie Centre. I'm excited to be part of a healing centre who shares the visions for transformation that I do.

More information about my class is here.

Joy is... sledding

2009-01-11T15:00:00.000-03:30

We've been spending the last two Sundays at Bowring Park. Joy is spending time together, sledding, watching Alex with the ducks, enjoying the fresh air, nature...

Hemp hearts

2009-01-03T20:53:00.000-03:30

Well, another prayer has been answered, it seems... And the answer is hemp hearts.

I've been looking for a good protein source to feed Alex as he seems to be sensitive to most meats (except organic lamb) and other common sources of protein.

Here are some of the benefits to hemp hearts... (see http://www.healing-source.com/about_HempHearts_b.htm for more info)
- More required amino acids (proteins) than milk, meat or eggs.
- A
complete protein source – more balanced and digestible than Soy.
- Contains
about 47% oil, 78% of which is Omega or Essential Fats.
- Contains all the
Essential or Omega Fats required for human health.
- Contains several times
more Omega 3 Essential Fats than any fish.
- More energy than energy bars
but with no sugar and less saturated fat.
- Suitable for those unable to eat
Gluten, Sugar, Milk, Nuts and Meat.
- Perfect for those with constipation
and those avoiding carbohydrates.

Yay, yay, yay.

Healthy Choices and, of course, the Hemp Store, carries it in St. John's and you can also order it directly from the company on the website above.

We've known about hemp hearts for at least a couple of months, but haven't been using it very regularly. I finally read the label on the container and it actually looks to have most everything that I'd been looking for. And, it seems to be safe.

The whole family is going to start eating them more regularly. Supposedly 4-5 tablespoons for breakfast in the morning plus some fruits and vegetables gives enough energy to last you until 3pm... I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Fireworks

2009-01-01T13:50:00.000-03:30

In Newfoundland, you can actually buy fireworks and beer at the local corner store.

Just about everyone purchases these fireworks to ring in the New Year. We brought in the New Year with two firework displays -- one bravely put on by Pete and Lisa, and another a few houses away.

As we were coming home from the party, and were coming down Mount Carson, there was a beautiful view of firework displays all throughout Mount Pearl. It was almost comical seeing the little light shows over individual houses throughout the area. This was about 20 minutes after midnight, but I can only imagine what it must have looked like at midnight.

We stopped the car on the side of the road to enjoy the display.

And, then when we pulled into our driveway, we were gifted with another fireworks display right outside our home.

Joy is... feeding birds

2009-01-01T13:37:00.001-03:30

We started feeding birds in our backyard. I love feeding birds. We purchased a ball of suet and seeds and put it up yesterday. It only took a day for some dark-eyed juncos to find it. We had up to 20 birds in our back yard.

I love that we have "wildlife" in our backyard and look forward to doing other things to make our backyard attractive to other birds.

It's been a long time since I've had a bird feeder. My last bird feeder was on a balcony 10 years ago and feeding birds was a messy proposition...

It brought me great joy in watching the birds feed.

I love birds -- really all of nature. Birds have a special place in my heart though -- so much so that I spent 5 years studying them in university.

I hope that some of the birds will chose to nest in our patch of trees behind our house -- nothing will give me greater pleasure. When I was a university student looking for bird nests in the backyards of cottagers in Delta, MB, I hoped that one day I would have birds nesting in my backyard. I'll let you know if that wish becomes true this spring!

Closed on Boxing Day

2008-12-26T20:04:00.000-03:30

Another reason to love Newfoundland. All of the stores are actually closed on Boxing Day. It's another quiet holiday to spend with family.

We visited with family this morning and drove to Cape Spear this afternoon -- it's the most eastern point of North America. Very pretty and very windy.

Natural living

2008-12-22T22:04:00.001-03:30

Simple things make me happy...

I found a place to buy sage. Not the kind to eat or to season, but to burn. It helps to purify and cleanse your energetic field. The Hemp Store on Duckworth carries it. Yay -- I just found out today, and that makes me very happy. I haven't been there yet, but I plan on making a trip there very soon. I don't need sage now, but I wanted to know where I could find it.

We also found a place to buy organic turkeys, chickens and lamb. Right from the farm. A place in St. Phillips -- about 20 minutes from our home. So we have a frozen turkey in our freezer and have been eating lamb for the last three nights. Lamb burgers and lamb stew. We're hoping that Alex will do okay with organic lamb. The only problem is that he doesn't like it -- not yet anyway... This is the first place that we've been able to find organic meat, so we're pretty happy. It's seasonal though (which makes sense, of course), so the chickens won't be available until June.

We started composting. (I haven't composted since the unfortunate worm composting incident of 2004...) That being said, I'm thrilled to be composting again. We don't have a compost bin yet as we haven't been able to find one yet -- probably since it's out of season right now. But, I've started to collect my compost scraps in a rubbermade container on the deck. Even something as simple as composting makes me happy.

I have to say that Newfoundland is behing the times in recycling. On the plus side of things, Mount Pearl has curbside paper recycling, which is amazing. But, many things that we were able to recycle in Calgary is un-recyclable. Hopefully that will change soon....

Yoga space

2008-12-22T21:41:00.001-03:30

I've been on a journey finding a yoga space. And, I'm delighted to report that I feel that I have found the perfect space. I still need to meet with one of the owners of the space, so it's not quite official, but in my heart, it feels like I have found IT.

Another prayer answered. And, it's better than I even imagined it would be!

Because it's taken longer than my other manifestations (i.e., not instantaneous / more than 6 weeks), I was starting to think that teaching yoga wasn't being supported by the universe at the moment. I was disappointed, but also knew enough that I didn't want to force it if it wasn't being supported.

Then last week, I had a dream that I was teaching a large group of students -- say 100 students -- in a library setting. I often have dreams where I am teaching yoga -- I feel that it's the universe's way of telling me that even if I'm not teaching in the physical, I'm still teaching out there in the etheric. My classes in my dreams are always full -- and are often very large!

Someone shared with me that they saw me teaching closer to the core (where I hadn't been looking -- I'd been looking in Mount Pearl, which is where we live) and also in a chiropractor's office. So, I looked in the yellowpages, went through each one and asked mySelf which one it was. And, I got the answer to my prayer.

I googled the space and found out that they offered workshops. And, that they also share the same vision / values that I do... I met with one of the owners last weekend and it felt like I was meeting with a soul sister. It was a beautiful meeting.

The space has beautiful healing energy in it. I got the sense that healing happens within those walls. It felt like a sacred space. The yoga room is intimate, beautiful and has huge windows and overlooks a lake.

Simple Living

2008-12-22T21:29:00.001-03:30

We try to keep everything in our lives as simple as possible.

I've been re-reading one of my books called "Simple Living Guide". About 10 years ago, I was very interested in the idea of simple living and now that I've revisited the book, I'm delighted that we are living many of the things that are described in the book.

The nice thing about it is that everyone gets to decide what simple living means to them. In essence, simple living is about living intentionally.

We have a small-ish home, which means there is less room for a lot of stuff.

We are quite mindful about the things we buy. I try to purchase only things that I love.

I received a new coat for Christmas, and so I gave away a coat today. I use Freecycle St. John's to find a home for things that I'm ready to part with, so that it can be used and loved by other people. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stjohnsfreecycle/ There are freecycle groups all over the world!

I bought a new pair of winter boots yesterday and gave away another pair that I wasn't using.

We try to minimize the amount of Christmas presents that we buy so that we can spend less time shopping and more time enjoying this quiet season.

We are intentional about how we spend our time, who we spend it with and how we spend it. We've learned to say no so that we're not overbooked or overworked. And, we've learned to say yes to the things that we love...

Crystal testing

2008-12-08T20:52:00.000-03:30

Some big prayers were answered in the last month.

It's been a very big struggle to feed our son as he is quite a sensitive little boy. And when I say sensitive, I mean sensitive.

A mom who also has a child with multiple allergies sent me this link regarding crystal testing. Essentially I can use a crystal on a string to figure out what foods would be good for Alex.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsXRonRpFic

It's been a God-send as I have literally been praying for an instruction booklet on how to feed Alex. And happily, there are some things that are safe for him to eat, like organic apples and organic bananas.

Anyone can use the crystal testing though to figure out what foods would be best to consume... And, one can also ask just about any "yes or no" question from the crystal....

High points of the week

2008-11-29T20:13:00.001-03:30

- I found a great vitamin store (Healthy Choices on Topsail Road) that has a lot of the supplements and speciality products that our family uses. Yay, yay, yay!! I'm still looking for a place to get organic meats -- let me know if you know of a good place...

- I found an online support group for Parents of Kids with Allergies... http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/. Yay, yay, yay -- now we don't feel so alone and have other parents to bounce ideas off of... I'm starting a support group here in Newfoundland and am looking for other families who are going through a similar situation.

- We made a great allergy-free meal today -- homemade banana bread and shepherd's pie with no gluten, eggs, dairy. It was very tasty!

- I've been able to continue to move my body (i.e., work out at a gym a couple of times a week) and think it's officially a part of my new rhythm and routine.

- I love living here and our home and it feels better and better everyday.

- I made a new friend! :-)

Topsail Beach

2008-11-23T23:02:00.001-03:30

There are so many reasons to love living in Newfoundland, a major one, of course, is that we are on the coast...

We live about 10 km from Topsail Beach and we've spent a couple of mornings throwing rocks at the ocean...

Alex can literally spend an hour entertaining himself by throwing rocks into the ocean. So can his dad.

Counting my blessings

2008-11-23T22:33:00.001-03:30

We are settling into our new home now and love living here.

It feels so good to be here, to be "home".

I haven't felt at "home" for a long, long time.

We are settling into our new routine and it feels good.

I've started moving my body again -- something that had fallen by the wayside in Calgary, but I've made a commitment to myself to make time for here. And, it feels good.

Mel and I are making time for ourselves and have started a weekly date night. (A big thanks to Mildred / "Grammy"). We had an amazing meal at the Casbah -- I highly recommend it -- and shared it with a friend (an old friend of Mel's and new friend for me) with whom I immediately had a heart connection with -- it was the answer to one of my prayers.

Alex loves spending time with this "Grammy" and we are so thankful to her for all of the countless ways she has supported us during this transition and in providing child care for Alex.

Alex has a cast on one of his lower legs, but he doesn't let it stop his jumping or running around or exploring one bit. I think he's actually quite proud of it, his "new boot", and his skills at getting around.

We went a church service today at a church within our community, just down the street from us, Mount Pearl United Church. Alex and I found a playroom in the church hall with lots of toys, so it was a definite fit for Alex -- they have a room with toys just for toddlers! I didn't get to hear much of the service, but it felt like a fit for Mel and my intuition is that it will be a fit for me. Another prayer answered.

Our new home

2008-11-13T20:29:00.000-03:30

The moving truck arrived yesterday and we are busy unpacking boxes and setting up our new home together.

Did I mention how much I LOVE our home?

It feels so good in our home... There's already a lot of love in the house.

Before I left Calgary, our mailman blessed our family and also the house that we would be moving into. It was a beautiful blessing -- he spoke for 10 minutes or so about how we would be blessed in our new home in Newfoundland. He spoke of the home that we would create together, how we would know that our home had been chosen for us by God....

And, that's truly how the home feels to us.

We bought the house sight unseen in a community (Mount Pearl) that I'd never even been in, so it does seem amazing how much I love the home.

It's a modest-sized bungalow, but perfect for our small family and simple tastes.

There's a spacious backyard, almost half of which is treed and overgrown with shrubs and herbs.

The basement is fully developed as an apartment, and is currently being rented by the previous owner of the home. She'll be with us until the house that she is building is ready. We haven't yet decided if we'll continue to rent it if she moves out. If we can easily live on the one floor, then we will look for an amazing, mature, quiet, responsible tenant...

Alex loves our new home too... When we brought Alex to the house to look at his newly painted room, he jumped up and down and danced and got all of us to jump up and down and dance with him. Then, he lead us in a dancing, clapping, jubilant march around the house. We took turns dancing in his closet as well. And, sang a song about his room and his closet.

I love Mount Pearl!

2008-11-05T22:41:00.000-03:30

We're not yet in our home in Mount Pearl as we are waiting for the movers to arrive, but I love Mount Pearl and the community that we will be living in! Mount Pearl is just barely a city with 26,000 people, but we have all of the essential amenities that we need close to home. We are only five blocks from one of the main streets in Mount Pearl, so we're close to our bank, shopping, our chiropractor, our dentist, video store, massage therapy, acupuncture and more. And, there are a number of schools and parks in our neighbourhood. We are only five blocks away from a river and walking / biking trail that leads to my mother-in-law (Mildred's) house (in one direction) and also to St. John's core (in the other direction). I haven't had time to do a lot of exploring, but there is also a pond / small lake nearby with walking trails around it. (Mel says that everything is called a pond here even if it's a larger body of water since next to the ocean, everything seems like a pond).

Mount Pearl itself flows seamlessly into St. John's (it almost feels like a community of St. John's), so we can take advantage of the amenities of a "larger "(yet small) city (of 100,000) (we're only around 8 km to the harbour). Mildred lives in yet another community, Paradise (pop. 12,000), which is only 4 km from our place!

I love that everything is close by!

Gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free raisin bread. mmm....

2008-11-04T21:50:00.000-03:30

I'm thankful that Dominion has a GREAT gluten free section and I found a gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free raisin bread that Alex loves.

He loves it so much that he woke up at 5 am this morning to eat 1.5 slices of bread. Then had 2 more slices for breakfast, and 2 more for dinner.

He hasn't had bread for three weeks now, so he deserves it!

The beauty of extended families

2008-11-03T23:30:00.000-03:30

Just a short post tonight because I'm sleepy, but I LOVE living in a community with family...

I love being part of one big happy family and I love that Alex has so many people around him who love him.

And a big thank you to Melissa again for painting our bathroom today!!!!!! :-)

Our new home gets a face lift

2008-11-01T21:57:00.000-02:30

My husband and his cousin knocked down a couple of half-walls of our home, opening up the front hallway, livingroom and kitchen, giving our place more of an open feel. And the walls are lovingly being painted by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to be.

And, we found our second car for our family -- again getting a great deal for a vehicle that was well taken care of...

Things are falling into place. There's so much to be thankful for!

New Found Land

2008-10-31T23:05:00.000-02:30

My husband and I have recently moved across the country, from Calgary to Newfoundland, where my husband is originally from.

We arrived four days ago, to this New Found Land.

I believe that it's very meaningful that I have chosen to move to a New Found Land -- I feel that it symbolizes a step into a new consciousness for me. I belive that many of us on the planet are positioning themselves consciously or not so consciously to places where they are drawn to be on the planet during this time of great transition.

Many things have magically fallen into place for us during this time -- many "everyday miracles":
- we sold our home privately to the first family who viewed it within a few days of listing the property;
- we easily purchased a home sight unseen within a week of selling our home;
- we were "gifted" exactly the right number of moving boxes by a stranger;
- we easily sold all of the many things that we wanted to sell for the price that we were asking;
- we found a car for an amazing price in immaculate condition a week before we arrived in Newfoundland;
- my husband found a job within 24 hours of landing in Newfoundland; and
- I was able to get a "transfer" with my Calgary employer.

I am thankful for all of the blessings of the universe and that everything has fallen into place so easily and effortlessly, which was my prayer.

We are moving into our home within the next week, when our moving truck arrives. I pray that our transition into our new home goes smoothly.

I also pray that I find the community that I am looking for, to meet like-minded people. I pray that I will feel a part of a community. If you have stubbled across my blog and feel a kinship with me, then please, contact me as I am looking to meet you!

I am also looking for some place to teach a yoga class -- I feel as though I am being called to teach a class to help others open themselves up to their inner wisdom. I am thinking of calling the class "Yoga for healing" and my intention is to help heal body and mind, and help with the integration of the body and mind with the Spirit. I envision teaching one class a week by early January.

Halloween

2008-10-31T23:00:00.000-02:30

Today, I took my son trick-or-treating for the first time. He's 2 and a half years old and has many allergies -- so many that I was nervous about taking him out...

We went to three neighbours near his grandma's house, all friends of Alex's grandma and he received a special treat from every house, one that he could actually eat.

In the first house, he received plain potato chips.

In the second house, when they f0und out that he couldn't have the normal candy, they gave him an apple.

And, in the third house, he was given a special puzzle that had been purchased especially for him.

Such a simple gesture that touched my heart.

Everyday Miracles

2008-10-31T22:55:00.000-02:30

I believe that miracles happen everyday -- many of which we don't take notice of if we don't pay attention...

This blog will be my way to take notice of the many miracles that bless my life every day.