yoga is back.........

In the midst of the events that took place these past couple of weeks, it made me look at a few things and prompted me to make some changes. I think I live a pretty balanced life in many areas but there  is always room to improve. I really go in fits & starts with my exercise regime and I feel like it's time again to address that. I'm a woman who is in her late 50's and I really want to maintain my fitness so that as I age I can continue to participate in life easily without having limitations because of a diminished physical status. I used to do a lot of power walking, but winter seems to be a better time for me to do that at the local track at the community centre. I don't want to go to a gym as its an expense I would rather do without. I would rather spend that money on our trips to the market to buy healthy food choices. So I thought that it was maybe time again to do some yoga, which I can easily do in the comfort of my own home. I have done lots of yoga in the past and the rewards are always so deep. It's not just a bit of stretching of the body physically, but it also stretches the mind in many ways. I spoke with my partner Kelly about it and she agreed that she would like to try it also. It now also is turning into something that we can do together. Yoga is new to her so we are heading into it slowly which is fine for both of us since I haven't done any in a long time. 

Our bodies were designed to move and yet our everyday movement is truly not enough. Yes, we walk and move daily, but to actually spend time in an activity that is designed to work on muscles is what is so important. There will be so many dividends paid in terms of how the yoga will help us in mind, body & spirit. It is not only a physical activity but there is a mental component that is part of it also. It has a meditative element that is greatly beneficial to our wellness. It is also about the 'breath' element. Breathing is a big part of our health and wellness. How our breath moves through our body is important to each and every cell in our body. I see even our food choices being affected by the element of yoga as they relate to our wellness. When I go to pick something to eat either for a snack or a meal I make that choice by being more invested in my health and wellness so I will tend to make a better choice. I believe that all of these elements combined allow us to move through our day and life in a more balanced way. Mind, body & spirit all working together as one. We were given the gift of a human body and it is our responsibility to nurture and take care of it. 

We began 2 days ago and I can honestly say I feel a difference already. I can feel the fact that my muscles have been stretched in various ways and I must say that I LOVE the feel of that! There is something about the feel of the 'stretch' that makes me enjoy the yoga so much. I feel as though my body is waking up and the cells are being invigorated with movement. I think the cells are happy with my choice to incorporate movement into my exercise regime and will give back to me in ways that increase my health and wellness. They are smiling because they are happy that I am taking care of them! I know, that maybe sounds silly but that's the way I look at it. If I am good to my body, my body will be good back to me. Maybe my 'stretching' high is like a runners 'high'. It makes me look forward to our next yoga session and when you miss one you truly can't wait to get back to it! 

So we have begun our yoga journey and I feel that it is going to be a really great one in so many ways! We will both be able to enjoy together the rewards that it will bring to us. We have set a goal and when you do this with someone else there is that level of accountability that goes along with it and it helps you to stay on track and keep a good focus.

So yoga is back in my life and I'm happy about that. It's thirty or so minutes out of my day that will add up to so many benefits over time. That is a small price to pay for wellness in so many areas of my life. 

I hope that you have some time in your day to devote to your wellness. It's just so important. 

Blessings, 

Maggie

pesto!!

I came across a pesto recipe on a blog that I follow that I found kind of intriguing. There are lots of different variations of pesto out there and this one had a twist that I thought I just needed to try. The 3 main 'green' ingredients are parsley, basil and sage. It was the sage that caught my attention. Sage has such an earthy flavour to it that I thought it would make for an interesting combination of flavours along with the parsley and basil. My jar of pesto was almost empty in the refrigerator so it was time to give this recipe a try!

We are part of a community garden site in our town and I headed there to gather my greens. The basil this year was hit by a late frost, but it came back well and is offering the gardeners lots to harvest. We also have a herb plot where I gathered the parsley and sage from. It wasn't long before I had what I needed and I took my pickings back home to begin making my pesto.

I just love this pic of all these beautiful greens together! Garden fresh and full of so much goodness!

I washed my greens and roughly chopped them up and then processed them in the food processor until they were somewhat finely chopped. Now it was time to add the garlic, parmesan cheese and the nuts, which I chose walnuts today. I have used pine nuts in the past to give it that delicate nutty flavour, but they are a treat for us since they are so expensive and I simply didn't have any on hand. So in the walnuts went along with the garlic and parmesan and it was processed all together. 

Now comes the oil and make sure you have a good quality olive oil that is preferably 'first cold pressed'. This really makes a difference in the taste and quality of the oil. I choose to use organic for our cooking needs.

 So just pour this in the feed tube of the food processor and allow the pesto to become the consistency that you want depending on what you are going to use it for. It's always easier to add more oil to it if you want it thinner. If you are going to use it as a dip or a spread then you want to have it a bit thicker. For a pasta dish you can add more oil to it and then it will mix better with the pasta. 

So mine at this point remains to be a bit thick and that way I can use it as a dip or thin it out for our pasta dinner later this week. I always love the amazing colour that pesto is! Such a beautiful and rich green! 

At this point it's ready to be stored in the refrigerator. It will last several weeks when kept cold. Just always remember that it is all natural and there are no 'preservatives' in it, so it's best to use it while it's still fresh. But remember, you can freeze pesto too! That way you will have the freshness of summer during the cold, snowy days of winter! 

And I must give credit to the blog that I found it on. It's called A Garden for the House. 

So here's the recipe with a few changes that made it my own!

P.B.S. Pesto

Parsley & Basil ~ about 2 cups each, when roughly chopped and lightly pressed down.

Sage ~ 10 large leaves

2 large cloves garlic

1/4 cup of nuts ~ choose whatever kind you like, today I used walnuts

1 cup of grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Olive oil ~ enough to achieve the desired consistency. 

Add salt to taste. Mix in the food processor until all the herbs are pureed well.

Now you are ready to store it in your selected container. I just use a mason jar for mine.

Keep it in the refrigerator or freeze measured portions for use at a later time.

ENJOY!!

Maggie

a great & quick lunch......

I had an appointment this morning at 10 am and neglected to have any breakfast before heading to it. I know, this is so bad! I would be the first person to let anyone know that this is not a recommended practice. Given my absence of breakfast I decided that lunch needed to be a great one! So.....what on earth did I have on hand to make that happen?? I looked in the refrigerator and found myself a boiled egg. That's where the inspiration began. I pulled the multigrain bread from the freezer and took out one slice. No need for two as the calories add up in bread. It was going to be open-faced for sure. I mixed the egg with some mayo and thai basil and then headed to add some romaine and thinly sliced tomato. And so far the organics are adding up too! I try to incorporate organic as often as I can to keep us on the protected and healthy side of the farming fence. Next I sprinkled the egg salad with some hemp hearts and then saw some guacamole in the frig and placed a dollop on top of it all. I have to say it not only was going to taste amazing, it looked amazing!! I sat out on my deck in the warm summer air and enjoyed every morsel of my open-faced sandwich.

I hope you can find some inspiration in your refrigerator for your lunch or any meal for that matter. Keep it stocked, as well as your pantry and you will be less inclined to stray into the fray of foods that are maybe not as healthy for you. The more convenient the food, often the less healthy it is for you.

Be kind to yourself and feed your body well. You are the person that your body depends on to fuel it well! Make your food choices the best you can and you will feel the rewards!

Here's a pic of my amazing lunch!

delicious! 

Healthy blessings to you all!
Maggie

avocado circle....

its always interesting what inspires me......

begins in Autumn......

I will once again be offering Reiki beginning in the Autumn of this year. I will post more details as they become available.....

The energy is building .......

Blessings to all,

Maggie

my garden Buddha

I just really like him being in my garden...... a quiet presence

Buddha quote.......

"To keep the body in good health is a duty.....otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear"

~ Buddha ~

lunch in a minute........

Last minute lunches can be a challenge when my daughter sends a text in the morning only. I have the dog at home today so shopping is not an option, so I simply had a look to see what was in the refrigerator and it wasn't too bad. Some leftover chickpea quinoa salad, a few fingerling potatoes that I mixed with spring onion, basil and some olive oil & garlic vinegar, quickly boiled some organic eggs to make devilled eggs, lettuce & our first carrots from the garden and organic tomatoes! It all came together perfectly!!.....and was delicious! We topped it all off with a bowl of organic strawberries drizzled with a touch of agave and a couple of pieces of dark chocolate on the side!

lunch time!

 It was a great lunch on the deck under the warm summer sun!! 

I hope you had a tasty lunch as well! 

Blessings, 

Maggie

sad tears.....

I have cried many tears since hearing of the death of a former partner. We parted company a year ago and it was time for this to happen...... in fact it was long overdue. We both knew that it was. We had each moved on and my life is now filled with a newness that I have not felt in a long time. It makes me very happy where I have arrived at in life. Given all of that I have been somewhat surprised at the depth of my sadness and all the tears that I have shed over the passing of this gentleman. We didn't part company on the best of terms, but I think it is still sad when a person leaves this earth at such a young age and so quickly. It was the shock of it happening so quickly that affected me most. And much of it could have been prevented. I won't go into a long tale of what that was all about but it speaks for itself. We choose to live our lives in certain ways and we must be prepared for what the outcomes of that might be. We choose our consequences is what I am saying.

I think the tears are beginning to subside and for that I am grateful. It is so draining to feel all of this emotion for so long. I have been exhausted for days now and need to get back to my normal self. I understand that this is all a process and I have been able to talk it through with friends and family.

I know he came into my life for a reason and when we parted that reason was complete. He in fact said he knew we would not be together forever. He was wise. So, my lessons from him were spiritual ones and I will always be grateful for those gifts. They shaped who I am today and will live with me always.

This chapter is now officially closed but the lessons will live on forever.

Blessings,

Maggie

I do believe........

Every time I go for my massage appointment this is what I am greeted with........ 

saying good-bye....

It has been a very difficult last few days. I heard last week that the man that I had lived with for many years was in hospital and then this week had passed away. This was both sad and shocking news to me. I have not been together with him for over a year and we had not maintained any contact but this was still very overwhelming to hear. I maybe had not been with him any longer but we had shared a life for many years and it's the memories that are now coming to the surface. Our paths in the beginning crossed where we worked together and it was his spiritual teachings that I enveloped myself in as we shared a life together. He was one of my most influential spiritual teachers. Our paths before we parted company were going in different directions, but I am forever grateful for the spiritual teacher that he was. I in fact told him this as we discussed our parting because I felt that it was important for him to know this.

the beach at Port Bruce yesterday

He had a habit of always going to the beach at Port Bruce, just a short drive away, early in the morning usually and would walk the length of it like a meditation. It was something that was special for him and brought him peace. He would take this time to think and be alone. Most times he would come home with several rocks in his pocket that he would have picked up on the beach and they would collect in baskets around the house. Other times driftwood found its way home so that he could make it into drumsticks to go with the drums that he would craft. Yesterday I felt I needed to go there and say my good-bye to him. I knew it was the right thing to do for myself. I drove there midday and parked the car in front of the beach. There were not many people there except for a few fishermen along the length of the pier. I was able to walk in silence and reflect on our life together. I knew him well. I knew him very well. I'm sure he knew this was coming and I'm sure he had come to accept it. He had told me many times he was not afraid to die. There is some solace in knowing that for him. My sadness is big as he leaves this earthly place with a life that to me seems unlived. But yet this was the life he chose before he even arrived here......at least that is what I believe. He provided many of us with his knowledge and spiritual guidance and I will believe that this was his path in life. It was not a life that was to be for his own good, but for ours. I wish it could have been more balanced for him but I guess not this time. Who knows what his next chapter will be.

it was always about the stones

As I walked the beach I came to stand and look over the water and all of a sudden I was surrounded by 8 or 9 bright green dragonflies. They were huge! He knew that the dragonfly is one of my power animals and I'm certain that he sent each and every one of them to encircle me. At the same time a hawk soared overhead silently. He loved watching the hawks. It was all perfect. I said thank you and turned to walk back to my car. I stopped one last time before I left the beach and looked up to the sky and offered my thanks for his gifts........and I quietly said 'good-bye'.

I know I can go there anytime and his spirit will be there.

he is in amongst the clouds

It seems surreal to me that he is no longer on this earth but I understand that his life's purpose is now complete and he is no longer needed here. If my memories will allow to come into play for a moment my wish is that if he returns to earthly form at some time I hope that it will be in the Piazza San Marco as he loved it so! He could be a musician in one of the orchestras that play each evening and that way he could spend his nights in a place that he so enjoyed. 

Blessings to you all.......

Maggie

beet greens .....

We were at the community garden this morning to mow the lawn and do some weeding and I came across a plot with these beautiful beets......and the beet tops are so gorgeous !!! I just needed to share this great shot!

gardening blessings,

Maggie

hot, hot, hot......

Our temperatures this last week and a half have been high in the 30's with the humidex readings in the mid 40's. I think global warming is responsible, which in turn makes us responsible. Mother Earth must be respected. That is all.

Maggie

life.......

 After having heard of a sad event that took place this week it tends to make me struggle with the fact that sometimes things that happen in life just do not seem fair. In this way life remains a mystery that we are not privy to. We always want answers or think we know the answer, but there are many things that happen that we do not have the answer to. And I trust that this is the way it is supposed to be. Not fair?? Well, we are not the one to answer that I guess. So I surrender knowing the answer to the greater power that lives among us.

Blessings,

Maggie

abstract 'doing' .....

My weekends off start on Fridays. I have the day to myself as my partner has taken Micah to daycare for the day and that means I am free to go about as I please. I have had my tea and  now my mind begins to roll infinitely with all the things that I could possibly do today. I am forever one who fills the day with tasks and then, and only then, will I be able to feel that I have accomplished anything. It's not really a good thing for me to do because I have filled my plate far too full, far too often only to have less than optimal results. I end up exhausted and spent both physically and mentally. I have always struggled with this concept of doing. But even as I write about this I can understand that if I sit quietly and relax with a cup of tea or read a book, that I am in fact 'doing' something. There may not necessarily be anything to hand to you at the end of that time and say....'here, look at what I did', but I will have done something. So my accomplishment is an abstract one as opposed to something that is physical in existence. It can't be held, touched, seen or felt. But it's there. And more importantly I did it for myself. 

I only truly have one commitment today and anything else that comes about will be by choice. So I will look at what my choices might allow and move ahead from there with my day. 

It fascinates me that I continue to learn and grow in spite of the fact that I might have thought that I learned a certain lesson before. I can know what to do but the actual carrying out of this can be my hurdle. But I keep on learning and the choices come quicker and quicker knowing that I must keep myself happy and not look back at the end of the day and wish that my choices had been different. 

Aah......life is so interesting. 

That is all for now. I must move on with my day.

Blessings to all,

Maggie

humility........

This word sprung into my thoughts several days ago as I was listening to the program 'Q' on CBC. I often listen to previous show of Q as I get ready for work. There was nothing prominent about what I was listening to except the tone of voice that the interviewee displayed. It was with his voice and tone that the word 'humility' came to mind and now my mind is exploring all of what humility might mean.

The first thing that comes to mind is that I see it as getting out of the way of yourself and letting things be as they are. No changing, no forcing, no excusing, no creating.... nothing. Just letting things be the way they are and accepting it for what it is. I see it as a calm, quiet and respectful state. And given all of that, I also see it as something that is difficult to embrace and maintain in this frenzied world that we all live in. It is so easy to get caught up in all that is surrounding us and yet living a life of humbleness is a far greater gift to give to oneself, rather than all of the anxiety that life often holds. It will show the world your true character.

There are many lovely quotes for humility. I will share some of these here.

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." ~ C.S. Lewis

"Do you wish to rise. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility." ~ Saint Augustine

"You cannot produce trust, just like you cannot 'do' humility. It either is or is not." Wm. Paul Young 

"Humility is my table, respect is my garment, empathy is my food and curiosity is my drink. As for love, it has a thousand names and is by my side at every window." ~ Tariq Ramadan

All of these quotes just say it so well. That we need to be our humble self and let that be at the core of who we are. Interestingly enough I believe that it is unknowingly at the core of who we are and as we navigate through life and this world, it becomes clothed in the garments of selfishness and ego. These layers must be shed so that we can be who we truly are. Even when I think of the word 'humble', I feel a calmness. It does not conjure up feelings of anxiety or fear. It just feels easy and ok. That sounds so simple doesn't it?....especially given that we are faced with so much each and every day that challenges us and our integrity .......but simple it truly can be if you choose to live this way and reveal what we know is deep inside of you and the 'you' that the Creator knew you were all along.

May you day be filled with simple pleasures.......

Blessings,

Maggie

tasty quinoa recipe......

I somewhat struggle when my daughter comes over for lunch because she is vegetarian, although I adapted pretty quick with that, but now she is also sensitive to gluten. I have come to understand that gluten is in so many foods that I would have never suspected. Of course the flour and its related food products like any baked goods or pastas were understandable, but it is a ingredient in so many other foods that I would have never imagined. Wheat is used in many, many other food products from soy sauce to veggie burgers. A lot of the vegetarian substitutes have gluten in them for binding. This knocked out a lot of the foods that I kept on hand when she would come over. In the winter I would make a lot of soups, even last minute if she came over, but in summer I find it a bit more difficult. I guess one thing is that it needs more planning, but today I managed to quickly put together a delicious salad for our lunch. I have been doing a lot lately with quinoa and this salad had that as one the the key ingredients along with chickpeas and pimento. I thought I would share the recipe with you all. The recipe book is called Quinoa 365 ~ The Everyday Superfood , written by 2 sisters, Carolyn & Patricia, who call themselves the Quinoa Sisters. When I was out in B.C. last fall I came across this book at my friend Mae's home. I should share with everyone that I am somewhat addicted to cookbooks! I can curl up with a good cookbook and have a great time exploring recipes and ingredients. Anyway.....I had not had any exposure to quinoa before and I was curious about it. It is a 'good for you' type of food! Packed with nutrients of which the most important one is protein. I have tried many of the recipes and there is one for a chocolate cake that is a huge hit at our home!! It's absolutely delicious! But today called for a salad since our temperatures here are currently running in the high 30's to low 40's! It called Pimento Chickpea Quinoa and here's a pic of the final product.

Pimento and Chickpea Quinoa ( credit goes to Quinoa 365 )

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

2 19oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 

1- 2 fl oz jar sliced pimento, drained

3 tbsp capers, drained

2 tbsp sliced green onion

2tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic

Pinch cayenne pepper

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for an additional 4 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork and allow the quinoa to cool. 

Combine the chickpeas, parsley, pimentos, capers,green onion and quinoa in a large bowl and set aside. 

In a separate bowl,  mix the oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and cayenne until well blended. Pour the dressing over the chickpeas and quinoa mixture and stir well. For the best flavour, let the salad sit at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to serving.

The only thing I changed was a tablespoon less capers and I added a bit more olive oil as the dressing seemed a bit tart. 

Enjoy!! 

Maggie

Trumpet vine......

This plant came creeping over the fence from my neighbour's side this year and just in the past couple of weeks it began to bloom! First these clusters of buds showed themselves and then the beautiful trumpet flowers bloomed! Mother Nature designs the most amazing plants and I'm not sure that we take note of this often enough. I had never seen anything like this before and I had to get a close up look at it immediately. The shape, colour, texture and it's design is incredible! I had no idea what is was and after a quick internet search I found out it is called a Trumpet Vine and also a Hummingbird Flower. So apparently they attract hummingbirds and coincidentally this is the first year I have  had a hummingbird feeder in the yard and just on the weekend we had our first little fellow show up for a drink! What a gift that was to see! We were thrilled! Back to the plant.....it has quite dense foliage and therefore can house bird nests well. It is also though apparently quite invasive and can crowd out other plants, so we will have to watch for this although its root is not in our yard, but it might trail itself underground into our yard. We will keep a watchful eye. 

All in all I am pleased to share in it's beauty. It reminds me that I must appreciate the beauty that Mother Nature provides for us each day.

Blessings,

Maggie

new to me.....I love them!

my favourite new thing! 

Ok, so maybe this isn't new to you but I just discovered these Bernardin lids for my canning jars once they are opened and in the refrigerator! I think they are a splendid idea! I went to get some more lids and rings last week and came across these on the shelf too! It's just so much easier to get into what you have in the jar rather than dealing with the 2 piece lid & ring. And what makes it even better is that they are BPA free!

Ok, so that's my news for the day! Lol.....until tomorrow folks!

Blessings,
Maggie

Sunday pancakes......

It seems that Sunday mornings are turning out to be 'pancake' breakfast day!

 A while back I made pancakes for my grandson on a day when he was with me and the leftovers went in the freezer. Well, it seems that Kelly found them and quite enjoyed them! The pancakes are a gluten free mix that I came across and since I have a daughter who is sensitive to gluten I thought it was a good idea to have the mix in the pantry for those times that she might be here. They taste great and I figured we could all take a break from gluten and not miss anything important.

For the last several Sundays when I ask what we might have for breakfast I keep getting the same answer......"Could we have those pancakes with the things in them?"....."Cuz I really like them." Haha....she's so funny when she asks. And the 'things' in them by the way are hemp hearts. I like to add them for some extra protein and also the nutty flavour they provide. So yesterday was no different and the pancake flipping began!

Here's a pictorial of the pancake morning!

gluten free mix with hemp hearts added 

adding liquid ingredients

this time I added a hint of cinammon 

wait for the 'bubbles' before you flip

looking tasty!

a plateful of pancakes!

extras ready for the freezer!

So "pancake Sunday" seems to be the trend for now and that's ok! I like to have my eggs & toast and Kelly has her pancakes. Of which I will often just have a bite or two! 

I wonder what other Sunday morning breakfasts are out there in your house? Let me know! 

Blessings to all,

Maggie

our small harvest......

I have a community garden plot with my partner Kelly and we tend to it lovingly and watch it grow daily. We have had our challenges with the rabbit and the deer that like to come and visit and nibble on our lettuce, beans, beets and peas. We have decided that these plants won't be able to be a part of our garden next year as they are food for the animals and we never get to have much of a taste. The lettuce are the only plants that we have been able to harvest from. Our tomatoes are fine as are our carrots and radishes. It's been a learning curve for us but that hasn't kept us from enjoying a tasty salad!

I am also on the committee for the community garden and we held our meeting at the garden site last evening. After the meeting I picked some lettuce and basil and took it home to share on our table. It's just the best thing to be able to pick your own food and have it fresh to eat. From garden to table is the best way. I do wish I had a larger garden and I wish it was at my home, but since I live in the city my yard doesn't allow for that. Next year we will have some containers on the deck that we will use to grow the plants in that the deer seem to love. We will simply work around the deer problem.

Here is a pic of my harvest from last night.....I just love it!

Red leaf & oak leaf lettuce as well as basil...

And I just couldn't resist sharing this pic! I just think this cabbage is a thing of beauty!!! It's not from our plot, but it's awesome looking!!

I hope your garden is growing and that you are enjoying yours as much as we are. Ours is only a small 10 x10 plot but we love watching it grow our own food! 

Blessings to all,

Maggie 

lavender time........

My lavender.....so pretty!

There is an area of my garden that stands alone in its beauty. It ranks above all other in colour and scent and it was recently in full bloom. It is my border of lavender that I have cultivated over the last several years. I began with only a couple of plants and it has now expanded to a full border along the back of the deck. Each year as spring begins I await its recovery from winter  as it can look rather bereft from the wind and cold temperatures of the season. It was with some concern this year that I kept a watchful eye on my precious border of lavender. It seemed to have a bit of winter kill from the cold, but alas as the temperatures warmed and as the sun began to shine it came alive and grew to fill in where the winter cold had left barren places. Tender young shoots of delicate pale green sprang forth and soon filled in those empty places. I was able to enjoy it as the border was filled with the palest of lavender buds and then the flowers began to bloom! The pale lavender turned to bright purple yet it still had a softness to it. I loved being able to show off the blooms in a small vase and even the buds were beautiful in a small crystal dish.

I found a recipe for a Lemon Lavender Shortbread and decided that we needed to give them a try. The recipe was not only gluten-free, but dairy free also. They were a great treat and I have saved a small mason jar full of buds so that I can make them again. Here is a photo of how they turned out!

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

I had planned on making a lavender & lemon verbena tincture but the rains came and the blooms were not looking the greatest so I will wait until next year to try again.

I had a small garden statue of St.Francis that I decided this year to move to another location. There was a perfect spot in the middle of the lavender border and I think he looks perfect there! Somehow it just seems like home for him......and when the sun shines early in the morning he looks quite heavenly.

St. Francis in the garden

The time has come when the border now needs to be trimmed back. I managed to keep some lavender buds and will use them for the cookie recipe in winter and recall the beauty of the flowers that sprang from the buds and bloomed beautifully while surrounding St. Francis.

I hope you enjoyed my lavender journey as much as I did. I already can't wait to see it begin to bud again next spring.

Blessings to you,

Maggie

Reflections.......

I had a difficult conversation last evening. All the emotions that came up for me during and after the conversation were ones that reside deep inside of me and some go as far back as my early childhood. It amazes me that as much as I have worked on my emotional and psychological health for many years both professionally and personally, these emotions are still there and come up from time to time. They are not suppressed because I know that I have worked on them and understand them, but they never really leave.  It merely proves to me again that 'cell memory' exists and it can bring back both physical and emotional responses very quickly. In fact in just seconds I can 'feel' just like I did when I was in a previous situation that was similar. Our minds and bodies are amazing.

This morning I am reflective in my thoughts and am taking some time to observe them. I sit in my meditation room with a cup of tea and some quiet music playing. The door to the room is ajar so that all or any of the furbabies can enter the room also if they need to. Currently Micah our Weimaraner lies beside my chair. I have smudged with sage from a special place that I visited with my partner Kelly called Lillooet. It hails from British Columbia where you can simply stop by the roadside and pick some sage. It's scent is so wonderful. I now can also smell the sweet scent of vanilla incense and have said my prayers not only for myself, but also for you, as I pray for all of mankind each day.

As all of this exists around me I can better ground myself and come to understand the emotions I was feeling surrounding the conversation. I can now see it was not at all the content of the conversation that was affecting me, but the way it made me 'feel'. It conjured up feelings and reactions from my past and it felt very uncomfortable. So now I can better work through all of this and come to an understanding of another piece of me. We are complex beings. We are intricate beings. We are hard to understand. But if we take the time to reflect and listen to the voice in our soul.....well, then we often can begin to discover who we really are and why we feel the way we do. It's work.......but, it's good work. Work that we must do to reveal our true selves and then live our best life. The authentic life we were destined to live.

The way I was feeling this morning drew me back to this painting. It is one that was given to me by a friend back in 2000. I look at it and can see myself as the woman sitting on the boat reflecting on her thoughts. I am always drawn to 'the water' when I feel this way and this morning I may be sitting in my meditation room, but I can go to 'the water' through this picture. I close my eyes and I'm there.

I pray that your day has a few quiet moments where you can reflect on life, a few moments where you can witness joy and a few moments where you can know yourself a bit better than you did yesterday. Every day brings growth.........thankfully.

Blessings to all,

Maggie

cherries...

my daily prayer......

Divine Creator........thank you for this day and all days that have gone before and all days that are yet to come. May I live this day with grace, sensitivity and compassion. May I live this day knowing that you are with me and surround me at all times. May I live this day knowing that you watch over me always. May you also watch over ........... and bring them peace. I thank you for your kind blessings and the abundance that you bring to my life and all of mankind. Amen.

homemade pesto......

Summer time allows me to revel in one of my favourite herbs. Basil is it for me in the summer! The beautiful scent of just picking a leaf from the plant is enough to send me reeling! Can you tell that I so love it! The gorgeous dark green leaves and the scent combined make it my favourite herb in my small kitchen garden. This week I made my first batch of basil pesto and I was quickly reminded of its beautiful flavour and why I love it so much. I did go all out and use pine nuts in the recipe. The pine nuts are a bit expensive but you must at least once taste the difference they make and treat yourself to that each summer. I have also used walnuts and macadamia nuts in my pesto and have had very tasty outcomes. I find that a good quality parmesan also makes a big difference and will factor into a great taste when all the ingredients are combined. Do yourself a favour and if you haven't had pesto before do give it a try. It's amazing! It's also very easy to make and takes no time at all in a food processor. I think a jar of fresh pesto will need to be a basic staple in my refrigerator this summer for sure!

Blessings,

Maggie