Living the Dream

This is my world.

I live in the city - isolated behind trees and trellis.
I grow perennials -daisies and irises, lilies and roses.
That blue plant is spiderwort.

When I was younger, raising children, working and going, I dreamed of being a little old lady in the woods. When I was very young I lived in the country, baking bread and planning to birth repeatedly.
I got over that.

But I kept cooking and sewing and learning.
I am a novice gardener.

Some things grow well. I plant survivors.
Some plants leave after a spell. It used to bother me, but then, I have friends that do the same thing.
I live in a city of transients.

This morning I was listening to Wayne Dyer talk about japa mediation. I have been praying and affirming for my right and perfect work situation. I have been living free of attachment to the source. Or so I thought.

Cleaning. Ahh-ing. Om-ing. Being. Waiting. Patiently. Trusting.

I decided that since I am planning to go back to work I had better get the stuff done that I have been ignoring. I was not as hot today. I took down the curtains. I dusted, vacuumed and mopped. When I stepped out the shake the rug I noticed the mail had already arrived.

It was a thin envelope. Not what I was expecting. Still, I imagined it might hold hope.

Reading the form letter, I nearly collapsed in sadness. I was heart-broken. Bad news usually comes quickly, like two days. It has been two weeks so I was sure I had the job. I cried.

I did not call my favorite support person because she will remind me that I am living the dream. That my life is prosperous. That I am blessed. She will say I already have everything I need and fortune smiles on me. She will remind me to keep believing. That stops the tears.

I called my Z and boo-hooed for a bit. Then, I too remember that I am seeking my right and perfect work situation. Since I did not get this job at this time, it is not it. No point in crying about not getting something that was not for me.

As the day unfolded I realized I was attached to this job as the source of my income. How had that lie creeped into my thinking? My life is living proof of greater possibilities than relying on any single source of abundance. I love my home. I am grateful for the blessing to live and dance and play. The day may come when I am called away. Until then, I bless each moment living being here free.

This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival; a joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and attend them all. Even if they're a crowd of sorrows... still, treat each guest honourable. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. (Rumi)

Coconut Oil - Head to Toe

Coconut oil is great for the body - head to toe. I included a photo of the actual products I use rather than offer a generic discussion. 

Coconut oil is great for hair care and treatment. It contains fatty acids that act as anti-microbial agents at the scalp and hair roots. Used regularly it can help get rid of dandruff. Because it retains moisture, coconut oil helps prevent hair breakage and damage. Coconut oil contains Vitamin E. It keeps scalp and skin healthy and hair rejuvenated.

Coconut oil is great for cleaning and moisturizing the face. It is naturally antibacterial, calming, and moisturizing. Coconut oil melts at 72 degrees, and a little dab will do you. Apply to face with fingers and then wipe away with a warm cloth. Scoop out solid oil and place in the palm of your hand, it will melt. It only takes a little. Coconut oil is perfect for removing make-up. When coconut oil is absorbed into the skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep connective tissues strong and supple.

Apply coconut oil to your body for skin care and healing. It is known to improve skin elasticity, is great for shaving, and serves a perfect "glide" for massaging tired muscles. Coconut oil is rich in proteins. These proteins keep skin healthy and rejuvenated, both internally and externally. Coconut oil also helps in the treatment of psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, and other skin infections. When applied on scrapes and cuts, coconut oil forms a thin, chemical layer which protects the wound from outside dust, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues. Coconut oil will aid in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. It also penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin to strengthen the underlying tissues.

Apply coconut oil before or after baths to shift the effect of drying soaps. Use as the base for body scrubs (which can be made at home, easily, by combining sea salts or sugar with coconut oil). Used after sunburns, coconut oil can help reduce redness and limit some of the damage done by sun exposure. 

Coconut oil is great for digestion. The saturated fats in coconut oil have anti-bacterial properties that help control, parasites, and fungi that cause indigestion and other digestion related problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. Coconut oil has been proven to stimulate your metabolism, improve thyroid function, and escalate energy levels. The fat in coconut oil also aids in the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making you healthier all around.

Use coconut oil for a natural sexual lubricant. When moisture is desired in personal areas or for vaginal dryness, coconut oil holds its glide longer than commercial lubricants and without strange unidentifiable ingredients or sugar (glycerine) which can cause yeast infections or promote them. Coconut oil is anti-viral and antibiotic, an added advantage during sensual activities. Remember, oils are incompatible with condoms and diaphragms.

Pamper your feet. Coconut oil is an effective cure for athletes foot because it has anti-fungal properties. As a moisturizer, rub coconut oil on your feet either after taking a bath or before going to sleep. It will cure your cracked heels and soften your feet. Corns and calluses will also be softened by applying coconut oil. Soak your feet in warm water with a sea salt and a teaspoon of coconut oil. Coconut oil softens and moisturizes while removing dirt from the outer layer of skin, leaving it shiny and smooth.

Coconut oil has been a well kept secret. We tend to only get the marketed bit. There is so much more to know.

About the picture. These are my body care products. I own some commercial products, but can't justify replacing them when they run out because I already own what I need. Dr. Bronner's is made from coconut oil and is Kirk's Castile soap. I included the cost for comparison to other body products on the market. We have a choice. 

I save where I can, to splurge when I want.

Hot Time in the City.

The high today was who knows. It was scheduled to be 104, but at this writing the temps at 105. It is 7:32 PM. I spent the day working in a garage organizing, sorting, cleaning, recycling, pitching and setting things out for a garage sale. This is dated office material I am clearing, rather than personal stuff. We are recycling/shredding anything more than ten years old. There is easily 100 pounds of confidential paperwork that was unpacked and left to be tended. It was hot!

I was excited to be so productive; we made grand progress in cleaning and clearing. It's a whole new world. Only a few people stopped to visit the sale. I remained delighted for each one and at the complaint about the heat, I reminded them that this was like a sauna. A free sauna. All you have to do is sit back and sweat. We sold a few items, but the reward was a job well done.

This week I have DA (my grand-daughter) evenings. She wanted to go swimming. She cannot swim. Her Jojo (uncle) has a pool at his apartment, but he's working this evening. So, we went to the cooling station. There are a few of them around the city. Even though she lamented not stopping at the city pool, she had a great time, as you can see.

They're calling for rain in three or four days. Until then, we'll keep looking for ways to beat the heat.

Having My Way

That's my four year old grand-daughter insisting she can go up the escalator unassisted.

"I can do it myself."

The museum was slow enough that I was willing to stand back and watch (capturing the moment). She made it. This time. Other times things went differently.

We all want the chance to prove ourselves to ourselves and everyone else.

This four year old gets to make lots of decisions about her day. What she wears, eats, drinks. Which books to read. Which toy to play with. Still she is four, and as such needs guidance from one who can keep her safe and support her movement through the day. Sometimes, there is conflict.

Conflict, angst, and distress began my day...

Hair. Socks. Shoes. Tears...

And away we go! They promise a heat index into 108 degrees. While DA is at school, I am going to chill out. When she gets back home, we will do it her way.

As I let go, life gets easier.

The Declaration

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.-