It's a New Year

As I'm sure you have noticed. A new calendar. A new line in the checkbook. A new annual deductible.

There is much that needs to shift. It is a time to reevaluate. The movement has been happening. The desire for different, growing.

When we have certain responsibilities, sometimes it is difficult to see how we can fit anything else in or change what must be done. I have been caught in this trap of thinking a little bit. I created the responsibilities. I created what must be done. As such, I can create the change. And what is it that I am seeking to change?

On this journey, sometimes that answer is crystal clear and that makes the mission easier. Then there are times when it is fuzzy, hazy, prickly, and that requires really going quiet to listen to the defined tones within the static. You know something isn't feeling right, you know it's time. But for what exactly? It's inquietude.

For the last few years I have been enjoying the unfolding of Facebook. I have been so grateful to reconnect with people from my past for whom I have always had a fondness. Our paths, while traveling in a different trajectory, still run parallel. Becoming friends with people I have never met in person has redefined the word friend to include kindred spirits. Facebook has been a fountain of useful information, expanding my knowledge base about familiar and unfamiliar topics. And the personal photos and videos--I think I enjoy them the most.

And now it seems, over the past year or so, that this social medium has become the lazy person's way to express their own dissatisfaction with life. It's a way to shift the responsibility for their state away from themselves. Stories are shared that are just not even true. There is no vetting that takes place. The story fits the fear that is festering so it warrants that Share button. Then there generally is no comment along with it. If there were, it would at least suggest some critical thought went into the sharing of information. No, just a share. In many cases, I don't believe the sharer even read the post themselves. I think the caption was enough to satisfy the need to feed the fearwolf (TM on that word, thank you.)

I find myself reading some of these posts and without knowing much about the history or the supposed author, my reasonable person's mind tells me something doesn't add up. So I do a very simple query, see that it's not accurate, I respond to the poster, and only in very few cases does the post get removed. For the rest, the post remains for others to share, perpetuating the negativity and untruth.

I have quite a few Facebook friends who never post anything fear-based, and I sure appreciate their choices. And then I just see so many posts with real low vibration that I ask, "What do you want to feel like every day? What makes you feel good?"

The unworthy: I bet only my real friends will send me a hug today.
The wannabe patriot: Share this if you support our veterans.
The God believer: Prove you love God and share this in the next 10 seconds.
The responsible US citizen: Let's build a wall to keep out all immigrants and refugees until we can take care of our homeless.
The only hard workers: Like if you think we should drug test all people on welfare.

What is it about these posts that make people feel good about themselves? These kinds of posts are very connected. They are divisive, they are judgmental, they are based in fear, and for me, they are too negative.

It has me questioning my own posts.  Do they fall into these categories that I find distasteful and uninteresting? I imagine we all like to think we are adding to the greater good when we hit Share or Like, but are we?

Admittedly, I am strong in my convictions. Would I like to see everyone move toward plant-based eating to end cruelty to all animals and improve our overall health? Yes, very much so. Would I like for everyone to choose a loving thought, action or intention over something spiteful, vindictive, or hurtful? Oh yes, I would. Would I like for everyone to wake up in the morning and see themselves as the most important priority in their life? I would because I believe all of their other relationships would flourish. Would I like everyone to honor their own god? Absolutely yes, because when we can truly honor our god, we can only honor others.

As difficult as it may be, I am going to refrain from posting much on Facebook for a bit while I explore my own intentions. It will be a challenge because I find Andy Borowitz incredibly funny. I may post some photos or comment on another post, but I will be keeping a vigilant eye on the tone. I want to live in the most positive light possible. Only I can make space for the positive light around me, only I am responsible for that.

Peace.

Fierce Protectors

This has come up before and again in the past couple of weeks, and that is how protective my animals are of me.  It isn't until someone else points it out that I am aware of it.  I don't think of them as protecting me, but only of how protecting them is my mission, part of my commitment to them.

When I stop and think of it though, we are a family and very bonded to one another, regardless of species.  Thinking about my own human biological family, we are fiercely protective of each other if someone else criticizes one of us or makes life difficult for one of us. It only stands to reason that my pack family would be the same.

Aside from the poodles, all of the animals are prey species, meaning, they are not predatory. But each of them has at one time or another come to my defense. I can recall very specific stories. And it isn't that I've been threatened all of those times, but it is what they have perceived. Sometimes, it has been one defending me from another, mainly Pippin.

I know that can be humorous but there have been a couple of instances where I have needed help because he turned on me without warning.  It has been a long time since I've needed to call on Shadow to help me. All I would do was call out, "Shadow!" with a very certain sound in my voice, and that angel of mine would come running from wherever he was. Pippin would back off immediately and proceed to be broadsided by all of Shadow's might if he didn't move quickly enough.  And then Shadow would stand tall beside me until I let him know I was safe. (And then I would proceed to comfort Pippin after being charged by his big brother.)

There are other stories like this that I can recall, when there was no denying one of them was looking after me. It makes me think how proud and fulfilled they must feel because when I care for them, when I command Shadow off of Pippin, or catch Alibi wanting to nip at Shadow's little behind, I know how strong I feel.

It is an honor to protect another. I think we all wear that badge of love with pride.

But Where Do You Get Your Protein?

This is very common question I am asked by people who really don't know where they get their own protein.  They've heard that protein is necessary to eat and that it is found in meat, chicken and fish, so that's what they eat.  My guess is, they're not really sure how many grams of protein their own body requires per day.  In fact, a study by Luna revealed that 50% of women between the ages of 18 and 50 do not know if they get enough protein in a day.

Where someone chooses to get their protein is their business.  And where I get mine is my business.

But, for the sake of sharing information, which might be helpful to everyone in this round of question and answer...

The recommended protein intake per day for the average sedentary woman is 46g. Note that most recommendations you'll see are for sedentary people; that's alarming. I bump my protein intake up to account for my activity level and aim to consume 70g of protein per day. I can achieve this rather easily without eating animal products.*

So, starting with a minimum of 46g per day, this is my tally so far, and I haven't had lunch yet:

protein bar 8g
almonds 21.1g
raisins 1g
apple 1g
egg* x 2 12g
lentils 9g
avocado 1.9g
tortilla 1g
lettuce .5g

I have already consumed 55.5g of protein.  I have surpassed the sedentary woman recommendation and am just 14.5g shy of the active woman recommendation.

In addition to the protein I gain from this food, you can see the other nutrients, vitamins and fiber included.  

If you believe your best source of protein comes from meat, are you aware of how little the recommended serving is compared to the average portion served?

I say, eat what makes you happy.  While doing that, I hope you are healthy.

I know I am both.

*I eat the eggs of my own happy, free-range, well-fed hens.  When they are not laying, I do not buy eggs from any other source.

What a Coincidence!

Said no one today.

I spent the full day at the first annual Wellness Faire hosted by my favorite local vegan restaurant, Salud Raw Food. Corrine put the idea out there and she drew in some 30+ wellness practitioners with everything from gong immersion to Reiki, to natural soap, massage and of course, Angel Card Readings.

My day started by helping my neighbors turn their canopy around.  As it turns out, my neighbors were Judy Petullo and her partner, Barb, of VegNet Bend.  Judy and I are friends on Facebook, like each other's posts, share interests, but have never met in person. Check.

At 11:11, we all gathered in a circle for an opening celebration which included a singing bowl, a beautiful spoken word of gratitude and a sweetly sung mantra, one of my favorites.  That felt right.

A woman came to my table before I had finished setting up just as I was realizing that the pretty sign I made was at home on my scanner. It was quite breezy so my candle wouldn't stay lit, neither would my sage.  She graciously offered to come back in ten minutes.

The day started out quiet, for which I was grateful, because I really needed to pull back and get grounded in why I was there.  And then the day started rolling.

One woman, a Queen of Swords, told me some things about just saying what needs to be said, saying what people may not want to hear, getting it done and how sometimes it sounds harsh, but she has incredible compassion for people. She is a Sagittarian and did I know what she means. Her reading had the Eight of Swords, referred to as the Victim Card.  I told her I didn't get the sense that it was referring to her but more to people around her.  She has ten people in her care, two are soon leaving, and just this morning she told them they have a choice to either play the victim or take control of their lives.  She also told me she took herself out last night with friends and they went to dinner and dancing at a place called Maverick's and asked if I had heard of it.

The young woman she brought with her, a very at risk gal, sat down for a reading.  She was new to Tarot but used some of her counselor's oracle cards. What powerful cards appeared for such a delicate question.  When I told her that as The Magician she has every tool she needs to bring about the change she wants to see, she beamed.  And then the Ace of Fire appeared followed by The Wheel of Fortune. In this deck, The Wheel is represented by Archangel Michael and when I asked her if she ever works with him, she pulled her medallion out from under her sweatshirt and she was radiant with hope.  She told me other people had told her it's up to her to make changes in her life, but "to hear it from you, you don't even know me" really hit home for her.

A very patient man waited for the people ahead of him and he told me he had to come over.  He wondered if he should but this morning he had seen a bluebird and when he looked over at me, there was a Western Scrub Jay hopping around beside me, and I was wearing blue.  He told me he keeps being drawn to the area near Smith Rock; he's looked at other areas, but keeps coming back.  I said, "because I live near Smith Rock?" He didn't believe me at first and then realized I was serious.  All four cards were of the suit of Water. He said, "well, you shuffled them!" and I said, "yes, but you cut them."

The readings went on and for those who know about the cards, it was one aha! moment after another.

My last reading was with another practitioner.  We were the last two in the parking lot and the sun finally was shining right over us, a little warmth to an otherwise cool day.  She mentioned living in another country, learning to speak another language and making a new life, living in several other places, being drawn to Oregon for some reason and finding Bend to be the place she couldn't find on the East coast, and as a Sagittarius, moving and starting again is exciting.  "Do you know what I mean?"

In my world, coincidence, as is typically defined, is to be expected.  Every one of those connections enriches the journey for each of us.

To My Mother

Happy Mother's Day to my mother, Joan.

You are my mother, my friend, my confidante, my vicarious dance competition co-judge, my fan, my weekend call just to shoot the breeze, my weekly call just because, my concern, my lesson in forgiveness, my motivation to always do my best, my audience for my ranch tales, my reason for buying the car I did, my sounding board, my place of truth. 

Every day and night I give thanks that you are here in this lifetime.  Every day and night I ask Divine spirit to watch over you and protect you. Every day and night I feel special and loved when I think of you.

Thank you for supporting me in each and every one of my adventures and passions. Thank you for acknowledging events in my life. Thank you for admiring my writing. Thank you for asking. Thank you for knowing. Thank you for ignoring the human tendency to judge me. Thank you for showing me the freedom of releasing a secret. Thank you for inviting me to show and tell you how much I have learned and continue to learn. Thank you for updating me on your appointments and results. Thank you for trusting me with your thoughts. 

Whenever I say anything that includes "my mother" my heart smiles with deep appreciation.

You are my gift.  

With endless blessings of peace, light, and love.

Noelle.

Animal Communication

Today I had lunch with my friend, April, and as usual our conversation covered a multitude of topics over the course of a couple of hours. One of them was about animal communicators and animal communication, and horses. We talked about just how sensitive horses are, and how intuitive they are.  They know what's on your mind before you get down off the porch.  I was telling her just how trippy Alibi is and how I can ask him to do something and he does it.  I mean, verbally ask, not through body language related to conditioning.

When I got back home, I went out to enjoy my animals and noticed Hy Note's eye area and right side of his face looked discolored.  They roll in the dirt and sometimes he's just dusty, but this was different.  I moved his thick forelock out of the way and saw a little blood in his tear duct and then upon a complete body check, I noticed his cannon had blood from where he must have been rubbing his eye.  Looking again, I saw a very small cut on the lower eyelid.  Another half a millimeter and it would have been his eyeball--it was that close.

Naturally, I asked Hy Note what the heck he did.  What poked him in the eye? For a while it was just late afternoon horse scratching and loving time, so end of discussion there.  I realized it wasn't serious; I would get a warm cloth and wipe his eye and wash his face and soothe him a bit.

When I came out with the feed cart a little later, instead of standing over the bucket he has declared to be his, Hy Note walked away and over to one of the feed bags hanging on the fence.  It hadn't yet been filled, so this was significant.  He stood directly in front of the bag and then looked over at me to be sure I was paying attention.  I acknowledged that I saw him and that I would come look, so he left the empty bag and came to meet me at the feed cart and resumed his usual routine.

When I went over to the feed bag with the suspicion that whatever cut his eye was there, sure enough I found a long strand of chicken wire that had snapped off the netting and was sticking straight out right beside the feed bag.  Knowing how the horses eat from the bags, I was certain this was the culprit.

I have a gal coming for a few hours each week to help me with chores and we started moving the chicken wire that runs along the bottom of the field fencing to the outside of the fence.  The goats put their horns in it and pull, Faramir puts his hoof in it and pulls, it does no good on the inside of the fence and just gives me a constant maintenance project. Yesterday, we got as far as the section just before the feed bags.

One thing you learn when you have horses: if there is anything at all that can remotely possibly cut, hurt, or trip a horse, they will find it.

The other thing you learn is: if you pay attention and listen, a horse will tell you everything you need to know.

A Blessing, Right?

When you have heightened intuitive gifts, sometimes you have to stop yourself from completing that age old question: Is it a blessing or a ... and just look for the blessing. At the time, it may seem like a curse, but no such gift from the Universe would be a curse, so taking time to sit back and reflect often reveals the blessing, as shrouded as it may be.

On the drive home tonight, I just knew there would be a baby animal on the road that needed to be rescued.  I knew it like I knew today was Thursday.  All I kept hoping was that it wasn't one of the playful kids in a fenced pasture I pass several times a week.  I stayed in the left lane thinking that would give me the best chance of seeing both sides of the highway.  My eyes were darting back and forth, and back and forth.

And just ahead in between cars in the right lane there was a brief clearing and I saw.  I saw what seemed to be the down of a parent goose being swept up in the air as the other parent was frantically circling several goslings.  I couldn't stop.  There was a stream of cars behind me and no space to safely pull to the right and off the road quickly enough.

I watched in my rearview mirror as another car in the right lane approached and it seemed to me as if they slowed down.  It was hard to judge as I still had to keep my eyes ahead.

Tears started rolling down my cheeks.  The sobbing started. How is it that I knew an innocent creature would need help and then I was left powerless.  I ran through possibilities. If I pulled over I could run back along the shoulder and try to coax them off the road.  But what if my approach frightened them and they ran back out.  What if someone swerved to avoid them and I was there.  From what I could deduce, they were trying to get across the four lanes of highway, they were just starting out, not reaching the other side, would I be able to affect their instinct.

So, I continued driving, my vision getting more and more blurry.  I just kept seeing the frantic adult and very frightened and confused goslings.  When I got home, I changed and I went outside and hugged Alibi and cried while I told him what happened.

It wasn't until I picked up my computer to write this blog that it struck me.  Whenever I set out in the car, I always ask my angels to keep my path clear and all animals off the road and to guide me back home safely. Knowing in my gut there would be an animal in the road kept me in the left lane. My path was clear. I returned home safely.  Sad, but safe.