Unfortunately, I didn’t use all recycled/recyclable materials, but I plan on using the posters until they disintegrate.  Hopefully it will inspire you to find similar activities in your community!

Thanks again to TreeHuggingFamily for the inspiration.

Several topics are taboo in our culture, and many revolve around undeniably feminine topics, like menstruation, birth and menopause.  If you are a woman, though, the chances are at least one of these topics confronts you every month.

For a young woman, there might be anxiety over the first menses, the roller coaster of puberty.  For a woman trying to conceive, every period feels like a miscarriage, a death.  For many, birth can be as exciting as their wedding (if not more so!).  For an older woman, I imagine that menopause brings a plethora of emotions that I won’t even pretend to understand.  Yet through all of this, no matter where we are personally, we’re not supposed to talk about it?  Are we to deny this grand force of nature?  Say it ain’t so.

It ain’t so.

Read Anita Diamont’s The Red Tent.  Women are supposed to band together, learn and share from and with each other.  None of us are alone.  That’s why you seek out at least a few friends to hold near and dear, women you can share your cycle with, perhaps even synchronize with.  You can share your hopes and dreams, your fears and angst . . . a box of chocolates.  (Visit the Birth On Labor Day website and listen to the experience of women sharing their stories in modern-day “red tents.”  Then look for events happening near you.)

For me, I feel my cycles these days in a way I never did before I had children.  I’ve been blessed with a rather predictable cylce, and like the moon, I can feel myself waxing and waning, can sense when the storm is coming.  While I don’t experience excruciating, debilitating cramps, I have the emotional upheaval of a hurricane or volcano.  The week before menses, I feel apologetic toward my family, like I should carry a sign around my neck that says, “Please don’t take what I say personally.”  It seems that I am incapable of controlling my anger, my emotions, though I must admit that sense I’ve brought more attention to it, I am more aware and can at least stop some of the venom from spewing forth.

At times like this, it’s best to love yourself first, give yourself the extra space you need, and go forth gently.  That seems to work best for me, anyway.  Hopefully you’ve already figured out your coping or celebratory mechanisms.  Hopefully you have others with whom to share them.  If you haven’t given it much thought, then do.  Our lives, our bodies, are full of little miracles, and I believe that everything happens for a reason.  So whether you think your body is perfect or flawed, efficient or defective, this is the body you were given for this life. 

May we treat ourselves well, inside and out.

A doula client of mine is due any day now, and I’m reminded of what it’s like to be in those last days of pregnancy, full of life and discomfort, joy and anxiety.  You want to make plans, but you have to be willing to let go of those in an instant.  Life takes precedence.

Perhaps it’s not so much waiting that we’re really doing; that’s just our perception.  What’s really going on is that we’re making plans, scheduling our time, arranging our lives as we see fit . . . until Life happens, waking us from our delirium, our illusion that we have any kind of control.

Many of us have friends who are waiting for the right time to buy a house or to have kids.  Many of us put off dreams until we have the nest egg or until the kids are grown.  Most of us are just waiting for the perfect time to do something with our lives, if only we knew what that something was — if that time ever does come.

There is beauty in perfect timing.  A sense of control is satisfying to us, especially to our ego.  But don’t you just love the stories of someone living passionately?  They do what they do now because there is no better time?  They (like we could, too) use their talents to the max, love fiercely and live like this were their last day.

Have you seen Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture?  He has a book that just went on sale, too.  This guy gets it and probably always has.  It may just be that his eminent mortality makes his message speak louder to us than the ever-present existence of our own mortality.

We may think we’re waiting, but wouldn’t it be better for us all if we were living.  We can live our days, excited about the potentiality therein.  If what happens saddens us or brings us grief, we can hope to have the wisdom to find the meaning of it all,  to experience the growth that is offered. 

I look forward to the birth that is to come, though probably not nearly as much as the mother!  I hope to live these days with joy and gratitude.  May I not take the moments and all they are filled with for granted. 

We have a garden to plant now.

Last night we had one of those rare family evenings together, and my husband got inspired to let the kids make some cookies.  I was making the burgers, and we happened to have some sugar cookie mix leftover from the holidays (I never made the chocolate snowball cookies I intended to . . . maybe this year).

So, the kiddos got to make some cookies.  Honestly, I like my homemade recipe better (I think the secret is the almond extract — see recipe below), but we didn’t plan ahead and thus didn’t have time to chill the dough before cutting out our spring-themed cookies.

My favorite . . . probably the T-Rex cookie . . . though I’m not sure how the dinosaur relates to spring.  : )

If it’s rainy in your neck of the woods, too, sugar cookies make for a fun indoor project.  Even my 18 mo likes playing in the flour and squishing the dough in her hands . . . or feet.  (No, we didn’t eat that bit!)

Have a good one, and don’t drop your cookies!

Synchronicity (per Merriam Webster):  “the quality or fact of being synchronous,” which means “happening, existing, or arising at precisely the same time.”

A quick search will unveil much information on Carl Jung’s coining of the term “synchronicity.”  One of the first, not surprisingly, is a link to The Skeptic’s Dictionary.  I think it’s healthy to question things at first, so do read his commentary, even the suggested reading, if you are so inclined.  But personally, I feel that much of what happens in my life does happen for a reason and “in a meaningful manner” as described in Wikipedia.

That’s not to say everything that occurs has a special meaning. Sometimes to be doing laundry is to be doing laundry.  You know how I feel about being present in the moment.  Some events, however, lend themselves to a deeper meaning, even if that meaning is simply that you are on the right path.  These synchronicities are the ones I look out for to make sure that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.  The meaningful coincidences don’t always arise in the waking hours.  I’ve mentioned before that sometimes they arise in my dreams, particularly my “car dreams.”

So if you’re outside, inhaling the sweet fragrance of the cherry tree and notice a beautiful butterfly, perhaps that’s a synchronicity.  While working on a genuinely good project, opportunities falling into your lap, it’s hard not to view them as synchronicities, affirmation that your work is for a greater Good and part of your life’s purpose.

How often are you thinking of someone only for them to call?  Are the right things there for you when you need them?

This is not to say that you should go around willy-nilly, assuming that you’re doing the right thing, and what you need will be provided for you.  We all have work to do, and we have the common sense to plan for the necessities.  But I believe that the more we incorporate faith into our daily round, the more we trust that things will work for the best as long as we give our best and visualize the best, then why should we expect any less?  The Universe will give us clues along the way as to whether we are on the right track, and if we’re not, we’ll be given clues as to what it is we should be doing.  More often than not, it’s simply getting quiet, listening to our inner voice, realigning ourselves, and taking one step at a time.

I know the joy I feel at discovering and experiencing synchronicities.  It’s like a special gift for you from the Universe.  May you be open to receiving your gifts today.

For daily inspiration and to see what others are busily doing, Etsy is a one-stop shop.  It can also be your portal to selling your own goods.  Let me know if you do!

• Craft Magazine:  You won’t believe what some people have the creativity and time to do!  This is thie site from which the others were found.

• disdressed

• Sew, Mama, Sew!

• Crafty Pod

• Hyena Cart:  Has some craftily-made things and are noted to be earth-friendly

This is certainly not an extensive list by any means, just a little bit of what I look at.  Feel free to share your sources of inspiration.  I don’t spend that much time perusing others’ wares, but there’s enough out there to keep you at the computer all day.  Let’s get away now and get to our own crafting!

Have a good one!

Since I read Gone with the Wind in seventh grade, every time I think of a “Cause,” I’m reminded of the southern women in their hoop skirts, working with a passionate collective effort can to support their soldiers, their way of life.  Today, we may not be in hoop skirts, but as many women as ever work for their Cause of choice.

Obviously, I have my own passions and relative causes.  I spent the weekend at the Living It Green Expo, going between our Earth Scouts booth and the BirthNetwork/ICAN/DONA/La Leche League booth.  To all who would listen or inquire, I was explaining the Earth Scouts, trying to encourage them to start their own chapter, or I was giving them a bag of information, telling them the BirthNetwork is working to improve maternity care.

Now, I’m sharing my reflections with you.  Any day now, I’ll be doula-ing for a new mom.  At the end of the month, we have our diocese’s young women’s retreat.  To many, I’m living too stressed, working too much when I really am doing enough by being a SAHM.  To me, I’m living passionately. 

On NPR on the way to church yesterday, we had the pleasure of hearing part of an interview with Maya Angelou.  “Life loves the liver,” she said in her eloquent, smooth voice.  She says she does have fun.  She works hard and she plays hard. 

If at 80 I can say I’m having fun, working and playing hard, then I, too, will feel like I’m living well, living this life as only I can, living this life with the passion of a lover and the compassion of a mother.

What brings passion to your life?

*photo by ionushi from www.everystockphoto.com 

Praise be to the many sheets and even more little bits of paper that have brought order to my daily round.  What rest ye have given my mind, my heart.  How carelessly have I been to so quickly toss aside what one I held so dear — just because a day has passed.

Oh, how I love a good list.  Making one is part of the joy, pulling all the chaos into an order, a time-line of sorts.  Once made, a good list puts me on auto pilot (but in a good way), free to do what needs to be done, free to enjoy the tasks at hand without worrying about what I should/shouldn’t be doing.  (I know I have to work from a list today!)

About the same time I lost my watch (I’ll share that story another time), I also lost my compulsive list-making.  Why torture myself with the list of everything, leaving me at the end of the day . . . or even worse, the next morning . . . feeling like a failure  because missions were not accomplished?  Instead, I’ve implemented a variation on a theme of list-making.  Now I only make them when I feel overwhelmed and know I need to put everything to-do in front of me in chronological order.  I’m a visual person.

At the end of the night or the weekend, when I look at my list I can see all that I’ve done.  It’s not unusual to look at it with a sense of awe.  Superwoman would be proud, and I work without a Time Turner.  For those few things I wanted done but didn’t do, I realize that I am human, and it wasn’t really that important, anyway.

There are other lists lurking around here, too.  Wish lists, project lists, ideas and brainstorms.  The important part, again, is getting it out of mind; there are too many monkeys in there as it is.  If this helps bring a calm (which it does), then it’s worth it.  Experiment with this.  Of you already have a list-making habit, re-evaluate.  Does it really work for you?  Do you make enough lists?  Too many?  Do you feel accomplished at the end of your list time-frame?

As my responsibilities increase and to-do lists start to look like wish lists, I’ll try to remember my progress thus far and focus instead on my gratitude journal (my list of thanks), and I’m sure everything else will fall into place.

Some people do “things,” but last night I did “crafts.”  I did round 2 of tie-dying, and I worked on our Earth Scouts display for the Living It Green Expo this weekend.  See, I’m trying not to wait until the last minute.  It’s important for us to pace ourselves in the good works we’re doing.  If only it could be done more within normal waking hours.  : )

Lessons from second tie-dye experience:

• Being indoors made me more conscious of my mess.  I had to be indoors since it was rainy and dark outside.  Doing this was entirely possible only because all youth were asleep.  I would NEVER do this inside with all the kids around by myself!
• Washing Soda instead of Soda Ash.  We used all the soda ash at our last hoorah, so I took the information from the site I found and used Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (that I had on hand from making laundry detergent).  As the site says, it takes considerable more soda because of the hydration content.  I’ll take their word for it.  The thing is, I won’t know how it turns out until Friday!  So, the verdict’s out until then.  We’ll probably go back to the soda ash for next time, and next time I’ll make sure not to be trying to make dinner when the clothes need to come out of the wash.
• Gloves are highly recommended!  I just got rid of the last traces from the last experience, so I wasn’t about to go around with colored cuticles for another three weeks.  I don’t have latex allergies, so I just used some disposable rubber gloves — a pair for wringing out the soda wash and a pair for dying, simply because I’m lazy.  ; )
• Branching out to larger items.  We’re dying a sheet I tore in half and have used for slab clay work.  It will be the table cover for the expo.  I used two spirals, one on each end, twisting until they came together.  I had folded the section in half, so if it turns out, I should have four pinwheels (what we fondly call them).

I’m still loving my Cricut machine.  I used it to cut out letters for our tri-fold display and posters.  The tri-fold will just be informational about Earth Scouts, and the posters will offer “eco-friendly ways to celebrate spring” per the tree hugging family blog.  Give it a look; it’s a great site.

Now that I’ve got some crafts done, it’s time to move on to the “things” on my list, which, I kid you not, is over a page long!  No stress, though.  Everything that needs to be done gets done in its own time.

I’ll post pictures of everything set up at the expo after this weekend.

Have a happy day!

While doing the dishes yesterday, I took the opportunity to listen to/watch Oprah’s latest A New Earth webcast.  Obviously I’m enamored with this book right now because it applies so much to my journey.  If you read it and think it’s bunk, it’s not for you right now.  Read it again in a few years.

The thing about Chapter 5 is the “pain body,” that emotional aspect of the ego that feeds on negativity.  Think Christmas and all the family feuds simmering until the first bubble surfaces and bursts, setting off the chain reaction until everyone’s boiling mad.  Think your child throwing a tantrum,  pushing all your buttons until you, too, are throwing your own tantrum or stifling it, building up for sometime soon.

I call it our ball of fire.  My kids have the brightest fire at times, and if I’m caught unaware, caught when I’m in my unconscious mode, mine is ignited, too.  Negativity spreads like wildfire around here.  But it doesn’t have to.

Often I can almost see the fire growing.  I can keep it contained to the affected being and send him/her to her own space until the cinders cool down.  It’s better for me to have one in her room smoldering than a whole house full of flames.  I get horrendous headaches, which was a huge signal for me.  I could feel the kids draining my energy when we were at odds.  Maybe I wanted to let go of my pain body, but one of my buttons could be pushed to manifest a headache.  It could go from bad to worse, or I could let go.  Often, I let go in tears.  As sad as it was, it helped the kids open their eyes to their own part in the drama.  Fortunately, this hasn’t happened in a while.

As Mr. Tolle suggests and we know, the only thing you can do – the only thing — is to be present and aware.  This means not taking it personally.  (We like The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.)  This means realizing that this behavior is not who the person truly is.  My children are not little devils set on ruining my life.  They are beautiful beings who at some level have an issue (to say the least) to work through in this life, to let go of.  I can feed that issue, fuel the fire, or I can realize that I, too, am just working through this life, my lessons.  Together, we can Be with each other, offer space to each other.  We were brought together in this beautiful relationship for a reason.  This holds true for my 18 month-old to my 9 year-old.  I’m sure it holds true for my husband and myself.

Again, it’s just one of those simple lessons.  Just Be.  Just listen with Compassion, not your compassion.  Experience the moment like a breath.

Parenting simplifies itself once we bring awareness to it, a sense of non-attachment.  Each moment, though, we practice.  Each day, we experience a new aspect of our pain body, a new side of our ego, and, thus, a new opportunity to grow.  This is our spiritual practice.  This is our Purpose at the moment.  Our children are wonderful teachers.  When and if they have their own children, they may see us as teachers, too.