Karmic Nectar

MY FIRST BLOG

Today it is in the low 80’s and there is a sky filled with sun. A perfect birthday for Karmic Nectar!…. I have actually wanted to blog for some time now. I have a collection of advice, karma, laughs, irony and creative visualizations stuck in my head that my friend Tami has been urging me to let loose for the past several years.

It is a bit intimidating, though, to reveal yourself to the world (even if I can’t see you). I have been told that I would be a great sales person because I am so passionate and motivate others to achieve what they want. I do feel passionate about what I believe in. I know I can help people or at least lead them in the right direction. But, I don’t want to shove it down any one’s throat. So, here it is in my (uncharacteristically) passive/aggressive way….. the portal through which I bequeath my passions: Karmic Nectar.

Music I Am Obsessed With Today

The All Seeing I’s “Beat Goes On” on the “The State I’m In” album

Cosmos Sound Club’s “Les Chrysanthemes” on the “Hotel Costes, Vol. 3″ album

The Herbaliser’s “Goldrush” on the “Very Mercenary” album

Peak Potentials or How I spent 2 1/2 hours at Starbucks today

I met Nichole at Starbucks today so we could go over some apparel that she wanted to order from me for her business. I sell imprinted sportswear and promotional products (anything you can put a name or logo on) and Nichole has created a business/passion/way of life called Equiscovery www.equiscovery.com. She runs Equiscovery out of the farm that is a stone’s throw from where we board Riley.

Equiscovery is “equine-assisted life coaching”. The website encourages you to “Create a true partnership… Discover your strengths… Achieve your goals”. I knew that Nichole was doing some amazing things up the road. We see each other on occasion and she has recently been there for me over the past few months when I have had some “horse emergencies”. I have also been hearing a lot about Nichole through my fabulous “new” friend Marci (the one who showed me how to heal through my energy session with the horses on Monday).You should visit Nichole’s site and follow her blog about Layla – a wild mustang from Nevada that was “gifted” to Nichole. Her blog follows Layla’s journey as Equiscovery “gentles” her… Their hope is to create a documentary about wild mustangs in America and to visit Nevada in the hopes of finding Layla’s herd and go back to where Layla came from…

We talked for a while and picked out some great apparel… the conversation turned quickly to the ideals and experiences that we both are fueled by: our life journey’s and the people we connect with, being true to who you are, finding strength in yourself and others (and animals) and (not to sound too cliche, but…) “walking the talk”.

She told me about Peak Potentials Training and the courses and camps she had done through this program. Peak Potentials’ mission is “To educate and inspire people to live in their Higher Self based in Courage, Purpose and Joy”. They specialize in “Inner world principles for real world success”. It sounded fascinating and intimidating… She had completed the “Train the Trainer” course, “Wizard Training Camp” and “Enlightened Warrior Training Camp”. Her stories were inspiring…. She told of one course where she was given a speech and she was to learn it, feel it, become the author and then get up in front of 600 people and present it as if she were that person. Nichole’s speech was Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.

On her way up to the stage, Nichole found herself becoming calmer and more grounded rather than nervous… When she stood in front of 600 people she began to speak and told me it was as though Dr. King was next to her… She said the speech poured from her and it resonated with the audience so, that after it ended the applause and energy threw her back a couple feet. A woman in her 50’s spoke to Nichole up on stage. Sobbing, she said that she had been at that speech – all those years ago. And that she was perched on her father’s shoulders while she watched Dr. King’s historic words. Her father had died 2 weeks after that and she hadn’t felt her father’s presence until now, while she watched Nichole declare the same message….

A year or so later Nichole was at another Peak Potentials Training camp and a guy asked if he could take a picture of Nichole. She asked why and he said that he had a “mentor board” that he filled with pictures of people who inspired him. He told Nichole that he had seen her in a previous course – the one where she recounted the “I have a dream” speech. He said he went to that seminar as a last ditch effort… that he felt worthless and had thought about killing himself before he attended the course. He told Nichole that she had inspired him with that speech and it touched him so much that he never forgot it…

Clearly, there is a reason why things happen.

2009 was a tumultuous year for me. I had no idea why it was happening… my days were an emotional struggle for me. I decided to write this blog and expose myself and everything I had been through because I knew there were people out there that were going through the same thing – people that I needed to affect. To help.

Every day I meet someone new (via this blog) from all over the world… You can affect other people. Open yourself up. In the words of Marci, “Just Be”…. “Grow”.

Music I Am Obsessed With Today

Collective Soul’s “How Do You Love” on the “Youth” album

Doves’ “Lost Souls” on the “Lost Souls” album

Depeche Mode’s “Little Soul” on the “Sounds Of The Universe” album

*today is a soulful day

Gluten-Free Favorite Foods Of The Day

Tonight I had tacos!! I made them using lean ground beef and McCormick Mild Taco Seasoning Mix. I used Ortega Whole Grain Taco Shells… I heated them up in the toaster before I filled them with the ground taco meat… These taco shells are light and crispy- not thick and grainy like usual taco shells. Then I topped with grated cheddar cheese… They were incredible.

I served the tacos with a salad… Romaine leaves tossed with diced apples, toasted walnuts and blue cheese crumbles – topped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I eat this salad at least 3 times per week… Sometimes I add shredded chicken and serve it as a meal….

Then I had “Cole’s Cashew Chocolate Chip Bite-lettes” by Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food. I found these at Harris Teeter the other night. You won’t believe how heavenly these are…. put it this way, they are all gone. My daughter loves them as much as I do. You can’t even tell they are gluten-free… They are made with rice flour, chocolate chips, cashew nut butter and are soft and chewy - and do not contain any artificial ingredients or preservatives. Go to www.lauraswholesomejunkfood.com and you can order a gluten-free variety pack of cookies including brownies and mint-double fudge…

Gentle Giants

I met my friend Marci at the barn yesterday morning around 10am. She wanted me to experience an “energy session” with the horses. Marci works at the barn on Monday mornings feeding the horses. But, what I realized yesterday is that the horses work on Marci Monday mornings….

Marci told me that horses feel our energy,… they can sense when we have pain – physically and emotionally. She wanted me to come out on a Monday morning – a time when no one would be out at the barn to distract us or the horses. We started off in the mare’s field. Two of them came over to us immediately. Lena and Meg stood very close and checked me out with their incredible noses. Marci said they were “working” on me. They pursed their top lip together and quickly moved it left to right while scanning my body. Sometimes they would stop on a certain spot and almost push themselves against me. Marci said they sensed something there or that I had stuck or blocked energy. And then they would just stop and close their eyes.. So peaceful- drifting off to sleep.

We stayed in the mare’s field for what seemed like a couple minutes, but what was in reality about 1/2 hour. We then went across to the next field to visit some of the geldings. Gryffin is a huge Percheron. He came over to me and put his mouth to mine… We just stood there breathing each others breath. He was so still…. a 1,500 lb giant next to me – not moving… just absorbing my energy.

Then he turned around walked over past the hay bale and just layed down…. I approached him- bent down to hug his enormous neck and I just stayed there. He didn’t move. It was so serene.

Indian stuck with me the most. He stayed at my ear for a long time.. breathing in and out.. Then he went to the back of my neck and pushed at me with his head. He worked on my hand.. sniffing, wiggling his lip and taking my energy. Marci said that when they take our bad or blocked energy as theirs they need to then release it. So she said they yawn or roll to get it out…. Sure enough,.. Indian then proceeded to yawn!

We did the same in all 6 fields. And the experience was the same… Each time Marci entered the fields the horses knew her as their dominant “mare” and showed her tremendous respect…. Marci said she comes here Mondays, not for the money, but for the “therapy”. It carries her through the rest of her week.

When I looked at my watch it was 1:00. We had been doing this for 3 hours…. impossible. I will do this again, soon.

Gluten-Free Favorite Foods Of The Day

Cadbury Creme Eggs – I know they aren’t good for you.. but, I LOVEEEEE these and only eat them when they come out this time of year…

Music I Am Obsessed With Today

Muse’s “City Of Delusion” on the “Black Holes and Revelations” album…

Clint Mansell & Kronos Quartet’s “Lux Aeterna” on the “Requiem For A Dream” album

Citizen Cope’s “Sideways” on “The Clarence Greenwood Recordings” album.

“The Energy Portal…..”

I stayed in for most of the weekend for 2 reasons…. First of all, I got the stuffy/runny nose, congested, sneeezy, headache-y thing going on…. and it snowed like 6 inches on Saturday and most of the area came to a standstill for a while. I watched, “Burn After Reading” OnDEMAND. It’s a Coen Brothers’ movie that stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Francis McDormand and John Malkovich. It’s dark, twisted and hilarious in a not-obviously hilarious way and it takes place in D.C. – which is a few miles from here. I love movies like this that start off one way and through a series of events that take you on a roller coaster ride, you end up not where you thought you would be…

I found another movie like this that took me on another ride today. “The Opposite Of Sex”, with Christina Ricci, Lisa Kudrow and Lyle Lovett. I LOVED this movie. I am not even going to describe it. Just see it. And, if you don’t like this movie then I guess we have totally different palates.

Anyway, back to Friday…. I have a friend, Pascale, that I met after college when I was working at Bloomingdales selling skin care. I worked at the Payot/Lancaster counter and she worked right across from me at the Janet Sartin counter. We hit it off immediately… She was hilarious and so much fun. We became great friends. Over the years we lost touch, but I knew she still lived in the area and I would run into her once in a great while. And, through Facebook we found each other again…  When the earthquake struck Haiti I immediately thought of her. She was from Haiti and had many friends and family there. I wrote to her asking if everyone was ok. She sent me the following email on Friday:

As many of you may know, Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake two weeks ago. This journal entry was sent to me by my cousin, Vanessa Cassagnol Sossa. I have chills from reading this…. Yet, it is only one survivor’s tale. Surviving the quake is just the first step, surviving the aftermath will be quite another…..

Pass this forward,

Pascale

hello all-glad to be around to write to you. after having taken all of this in i took some time to write things as i remember – although i hope to soon forget the darkest day i have ever seen.
january 12.
i woke up with a special prayer on my mind that day asked for  for protection that my children would be particularly guarded,watched over and kept safe guess my soul knew what would happen later on-how could my conscious self ever know.
i planned the day saying i would stop at the montana and drop off some artwork, then stop at the tennis club and tell them i would be returning very soon and then stop at the caribbean market to pick up some goodies. when the time came i refused to go with a hell no reaction and decided instead to take the kids to the shop and patiently wait for closing time to go home.
4:52 the kids were playing horse and trainer in the yard i was swept away by their joy when exactly three minutes later the earth turned to jello under my feet and then the earth started rocking uncontrollably. chairs and garden pots slamming down to the ground the sound of cracking ,popping. breaking , slamming and a thunderous roar. the kids were looking at me petrified-all i could say was “oh my God, oh my God ,get under a table!” and then it was over., as quickly as it began. when we got up i thought wow! that was a real earthquake-a big one!!and then i looked around. the wall surrounding the property was pulverized destroying my garden business,and as i am taking it all in-the employees came running saying the building next door had collapsed with everyone inside-i chalked it up to shoddy construction. her were screams coming from everywhere.and then it dawned on me -this was something much greater than what i thought.we worked our way home though immense traffic just praying my house would be o.k..we finally get home-ompossible to get the car inside-the propeties walls had been smashed as well-no way to get it-but my home was still standing.we worked our way over a mountain of rubble-so far so goodbut inside broken glasses and plates everywhere.my friderator doors wide open with all of it’s contents violently thrown to the ground.where would i start -this is a horribble mess where do i start? and then i looked at the walls. keep in my mind that this is a bugalow built in the 1920’s out of stucco-the walls were completely cracked straight through-no room was spared i knew that this could’nt possibly be code and with the fist after shock it only got worse ,no sleeping in this  house tonight or any night for that matter .the after shocks grew stronger and more frequent.wth each shake the kids asked is it ever going to stop???-yes-when?- i don’t know. no telephones no t.v.no radio no internet. cut off from the rest of the world.how will they ever know what has happend to us?? paco gets home and hands me his cell phone-here watch cnn-i know you are going crazy. the world knew!! yes-but how will they ever know that we are o.k. they must be worried sick-just as worried as we are.cnn showing pictires of the palace-THE NATIONAL PALACE HAS BEEN DESTROYED!!!!!!! Carribbean supermarket with all it’s clients and employes-the montana and the bellevue club destroyed, dissappeared!!how can this be???? it’s the end of the world.how fricking strong was this thing?????the list went on and on. cnnsays that port-au-prince was leveled-i think thats an understatement.and then the streets wre filled with people-all kinds-camping out -running for cover from the dreaded aftershocks-and i am trying to conincea handful that the trembling was norma-the plates needed to get back into place-they were’nt having it-they were almost as strong as the first one. babies criying everywhe.trul;y a scene from th apocalpse it was p[ithchblack at 6:30 and sound seemed to be sucked in a vacuum-and more aftershocks-and with eack trempor more wails,and more prayers.we never slept that night-wishing that day would come quickly.day finally came with news that so many friends had been killed under collapsed houses and so many more had dissappeared.but with all of this horror around me a look at yself and say”thank youGod “for taking care of us-we are all safe and sound.God heard my prayer that morning and took special care of me and my loved ones.i will never stop being grateful and i will never take anything for granted ever again.the outpouring of love and concern is such an immense comfort and i am confident that we will all come out stonger and better from all of this. thank you all for caring .we love you all very much

I assume there are a lot of  typos because she is probably writing from a Blackberry or some other type of handheld device that is hard to write on. Another incredible story from Haiti… We donated money to Haiti through Plan USA. We sponsor a child in Columbia through Plan USA. I found that this is a tremendous and legitimate organization. They actually have PlanUSA workers on the ground in Haiti helping with the aftermath. You can donate to help Haiti through their website:  www.planusa.org .

Read more…

Music I Am Obsessed With Today

Guster’s “Barrel Of A Gun” on the “Lost And Gone Forever” album…

Supreme Beings Of Leisure’s “Catch Me” on the “Divine Operating System” album

Doves’ “Walk In Fire” on the “Some Cities” album

Connections

Tuesday was filled with energy…. I had a mani/pedi appointment and while I was there I started talking to a girl named Stephanie. We instantly connected and I ended up staying at the salon for almost an extra hour because we both could not stop talking! From skin care to our personal lives we compared stories and eventually exchanged email addresses and phone numbers.

I have been in a kind of skin care vortex lately…. I have been asked for advice from several different people about how to take care of  their skin. I am a skin care freak… My mother started taking me to get facials when I was 13 from a woman in the neighborhood. Skin care was very important to her and she wanted me to have the same respect for my skin that she had. I started off using Lancome (it seems like it was the only thing around in the late 70’s) cleanser, toner, eye cream, day and night cream and eventually neck cream from the time I was a teenager. After college I worked at Bloomingdales selling 2 European skin care lines where my obsession with skin care and makeup escalated. Over the years I have tried most brands of cosmetics – from department store to drug store brands… you name it and it has been in my bathroom cabinet.

There are two products however that I have been using for a while that I feel should always be in your bathroom cabinet. An Alpha Hydroxy Acid product and a Vitamin A product (like Renova or Retin A). I use Retin A www.retinamicro.com and NeoStrata (which is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid cream) www.NeoStrata.com .

Knowing how much of a skin care freak I am my husband bought me a book a while ago by Paula Begoun, Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me. It is a bible of skin care information. A former makeup artist herself, she lists practically every brand of cosmetics known to man and goes through each product and rates them based on non-biased criteria. In the book you will find that the miracle night cream you spent a lot of cash on is filled with irritating oils and unnecessary ingredients. Eventually Paula created her own line of skin care “Paula’s Choice” www.cosmeticscop.com . I use all of her products and love them. Pick up the book…. It will open your eyes.

Read more…