Day 1

Woo! Day One of the 100 Day Reality Challenge begins December 1st!! Since one of my intentions was a fitness based one, I became part of the 100 Day Fitness Challenge too! I guess I didn't want to spend all day *thinking* about things, I also wanted to get off of my butt and do something! I'm excited to begin because it's the right time and I am finally ready for this.

I am up late because I happened to get my DVD in the mail: The Shadow Effect by Debbie Ford. OMG. I wasn't sure if I'd find it useful but it still interested me enough to buy it. I am not even sure what to say about it. I don't really know where to begin because there is SO much in it and it's very important. The idea of it is to embrace your dark and light sides and not to be ashamed or suppress your "shadow" part of yourself. (The part you are not happy with...not able to share with everyone...you hide it...you are ashamed of it...you are held back by it if repressed.) We all have it.

Maybe you are ashamed of something specific from your past. An event. A trauma. Were you abused physically? Emotionally? Did someone betray you? Can you not forgive them? Can you not forgive yourself?

All that we were told about ourselves that is bad and all that WE say about others that is judgmental and bad leads to feelings and beliefs that shape our lives. We must be allowed to expressed ourselves - dark and light - in order to grow and be our best self.

I cannot even say how much I learned from this movie because it's too long and too personal and involves other people's lives too that I won't share out of respect to them. I did do one of the exercises at the end and literally had my mouth open in shock at the end of it. (at myself.)

I did learn to appreciate all those who have been in my life so far. (even the ones who most people think are "evil.") I appreciate where it got me and how it makes me work and try and identify with people. It has also helped me be able to see beyond other people's insecurities and hurt and see what they are capable of if they are courageous. I appreciate the lesson I learned from them very, very much from childhood until now. I've met some amazing people! (most of them never even knew what they were capable of.)

You should see this movie. If you feel stuck. If you feel angry. If you are tired of not being able to express yourself in the "right" way according to everyone else around you... check out www.TheShadowEffect.com and know that you are perfect and you always were.

Animoto.com

Preparing for a New Challenge

"Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don`t do that by sitting around wondering about yourself."
~ Katherine Hepburn

Just in time!! I happened to find the latest 100 Day Challenge on Lilou Mace's Facebook status! I quickly went to her website and joined. December 1st is the starting date and my job until then is to choose what I wish to achieve during the "Reality Challenge." I'm new to all of this, so I am just sorting out the profile and linking up a new YouTube channel for my vlogs. This is WAY beyond my typical comfort zone! (so I figured I'd give it a go!?) I figured that posting video logs of myself talking about my progress may be too much for me to take! I thought of You Tube and I was afraid that I'd crumble with the first criticism! I went ahead and did it anyway because I'm tired of being afraid to do things. With lots of support from others in the Challenge, I think I'm nearly ready for day one!

"Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great."     ~ Mark Twain

I seem to have put the goals for the challenge in the back of my mind and am doing other things for now hoping the goals will become obvious to me. I have thought of a few so far.. well, more than just a few! I need to be clear on them before December first though to make sure I can make it all happen. Also, I want to make sure the goals are healthy and in my best interest, if that makes any sense.

While keeping all of this in the back of my mind, I am making room for this challenge. I am doing so in many ways and one way is by making room in my home. I'm clearing out boxes that have been in storage for up to seven years! (What was I thinking??) I have moved a lot and carried these "important" things with me all these years! They are taking up an entire large room in my home and also the basement. Setting aside a week to do this, I've cleared out the basement already and am half way through the storage room. The most interesting part is that I remember why I held on to these things. I was afraid that someday I may need them. I always had the "what if" thing going on. What if I were snowed in and needed blankets? What if I wanted these decorations but didn't have the money for them when I wanted them? So many what ifs. These "important" things were a safety net in just knowing that I had them. They reminded me of many good times in my life. (What if those were the best times I'd ever have? I'd have to hang onto them!) Well, I cannot make room for new things that matter if I have these old boxed up obsolete items keeping me static.

It has been fun looking through photos and old journals I wrote in. I was afraid it would be sad to see any of it, but so far it has not been. The only sad moment was seeing photos of Minnie, my kitty, and also BJ as a healthy, shiny perfect Lab. The journals are not sad, but interesting...

One journal entry was talking about how stuck I felt in the home I was living in. I had a dream to leave and start all over again. I seemed to write that many times over those years, actually. I had made a list in the journal of the things I wished could happen. I had to laugh because every single one of those things on my wish list DID happen since writing it. I made them all happen. Moving out. Home schooling Britty. Being healthier. Owning a company. Being able to work from home. Financially supporting myself and not being controlled in that regard. All of it happened and I did quite a bit of work to make it happen. None of it was luck. It never really is.

Seeing this makes this 100 Day Reality Challenge even more exciting. I do know I can make things happen if I work at it and know clearly what I am aiming for. Moving the 7 year old memories out is not as hard as I thought it would have been. Closing the door on an unhealthy ten year relationship was a process, but one that I finally feel completely free of. This sparked the "making room" mentality... internally and externally. Storage room first. Then looking inward to guilt and anything left from other life events. Clear it out. Make the room. December 1st is when new things happen. I will have made them happen. It will not be luck.

Thank you Lilou! I was so ready for this and I "stumbled" across it. I will be sharing my journey on CCOR and also here, possibly, and cannot wait to see what happens next.

Lastly: a storage room find - tucked into a book of her life was a photo of Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Their story is a great one and *may* become part of my goals for the 100 Day Challenge!!  This is my favorite photo of them together:

"I don't think that work ever really destroyed anybody.   I think that lack of work destroys them a hell of a lot more."  ~ Katherine Hepburn

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Image 1 source

Image 2 source

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for all the messages you wrote on Facebook and on your blogs! I know it can be hard for some of us to see a dead bird on the table if we are going to relatives' homes, but I hope you can find a way to enjoy the holiday and the company, even if that means creating a new tradition for yourself.

For us, we will be having a vegan Thanksgiving (of course!) with veggies and Tofurky. (and a coconut macadamia carrot cake!) In the spirit of celebrating a harvest, we will also think about our 2010 project to grow more of our own food. Our initial "Square Foot Garden" is a go for the spring. Producing our own organic veggies and herbs will be fun, economical and much healthier! I'm excited for that! Aside from food, we will also acknowledge another tradition in this country at Thanksgiving time:

The National Day of Mourning honors Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today.

I have always found the Native American culture interesting with their deep spirituality and traditions. The first Thanksgiving that we celebrate traditionally does give thanks to the food and the cooperation of two very different groups of people. How honored the Pilgrims must have been to have collaborated with such a profoundly different group of people who could help them in many ways.

I found some great images on the web for Thanksgiving. I'm happy to be having a compassionate Thanksgiving because it seems to be all about the turkey these days! (Tofurky's aren't quite as cute...)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Babies!!

Roosting not roasting. I love them:

How beautiful is this photo:

Your Shadows.

T H E   S H A D O W   E F F E C T

A Journey from your darkest thought to your greatest dream.

"In this age of public humiliation and media meltdowns, the work of New York Times best selling author, Debbie Ford, continues to make headway as she exposes the opposing forces of both light and dark that compete for attention within every human being. In her film debut, The Shadow Effect, Ford presents the hidden power of “the Shadow” alongside some of today’s most provocative thinkers including Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Mark Victor Hansen, James Van Praagh and others.

In this life-altering journey, individuals who have transcended child abuse, racism, the Holocaust, war, and wounded upbringings, share their remarkable stories. Meet those who have learned to face their terror, heal their wounds, and embrace their higher, heroic selves to overcome the shadow effect."

I ordered my copy of the DVD today. Click on the banner to go to The Shadow Effect website and to view the trailer:

Just a Good Ole Boy

...never meanin' no harm!

Karen just shared this link with a bunch of us animal loving girls. It's John Schneider and a video clip of his experience with an awakening. I loved this clip because not only do I love animals, but it reminded me of when it first hit me that I'd never eat animals again! (or wear them or use them...) I just knew it was right for me to choose to avoid that kind of pain. Looks like John just realized a few things that he needed to know to help out his path. Check it out! (Thanks Karen!)



I'm glad he can change things that no longer work for him. It was nice to see it and hear it in his own words. :)

To Show You My Love

I just made a wedding slide show with this song and it's stuck in my mind. Sad to me, but very beautiful. I thought I'd give a bit of exposure to this great artist.



As this plays, I will copy a bit from an email I received today from The DailyOm. It was a bad day and made me question why I do what I do. Interestingly enough, I came home to this:

"Some of our goals and dreams come to fruition so easily that it is as if an unseen hand has done much of the work for us. When this happens, we say it must have been meant to be. On the other hand, when dreams and goals require a tremendous amount of effort, we may interpret this to mean that our dream is not meant to be. However, difficulty is not necessarily a sign that our hopes and plans are ill-fated. On the contrary, difficulties and challenges along the path can be important parts of the project’s overall meaning.

When we find ourselves facing difficulties with a particular plan or project, the chances are we know already whether we are meant to continue on or let it go. We simply need to look within ourselves for the answer. When an idea is meant to be, it comes back to us time and time again. Then we know we can go forward, no matter what challenges arise, knowing that it is meant to be."

I hope that helps you if you begin to question yourself too. Just keep on doing your best. It is enough and always has been.

Your Thanksgiving Turkey!

Sponsor a Turkey

Since 1986, Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey Project has encouraged people to save a turkey at Thanksgiving through sponsorships that help us rescue animals and provide care for them at our sanctuaries, as well as educate and advocate for turkeys, and other farm animals, everywhere. Now is your chance to join us in saving even more lives this year.

For a one-time donation gift of just $25, anyone can sponsor a turkey who lives at either our New York or California Shelter. As a Adoption Certificateturkey sponsor, you will receive a special Adopt-A-Turkey certificate with color photo of and fun details about your new friend.

Turkey sponsorships also make perfect gifts, so make an even greater impact this holiday season by sharing the love with others. For a gift of $150, you can sponsor the whole flock and have adoption certificates sent to family and friends!

We are pleased to present here photos of beloved turkeys at F. S. who not only need your sponsorship support this Thanksgiving but also your help showing others just how deserving of life farm animals really are. We are privileged to have these beautiful birds in our care, and we know you’ll love making a difference for them too!

source: Farm Sanctuary

Donny and Marie Show

Do you remember this show? I cannot believe I was actually laughing so much at Donny's Soul Man performance near the end. The music, the OUTFITS, and the dancing are sure to bring you back to how awesome TV was then!!



"I'm a little bit country...I'm a little bit Rock + Roll!!" I miss my Donny and Marie dolls!

What the BLEEP Do We Know!?

What the BLEEP Do We Know!?

The Original 108 minute film - released in theaters in February 2004. Starring Marlee Matlin and 14 Scientists and Mystics. Exploring the worlds of Quantum Physics, Neurology, and Molecular Biology in relation to the spheres of Spirituality and Metaphysics. Part documentary, part drama, part animation:

Part 4 of 6 of a series, "Down the Rabbit Hole:"



Watch all 6 YouTube clips if interested. It mentions aging, emotions, reactions, habits, changing yourself and recreating your life!!

This Is It

Awesome movie. The songs are great and seeing MJ behind the scenes and hard at work is inspiring. His dedication and over-achievement are a rarity in most and we were lucky to be ale to catch a glimpse of that from rehearsal footage. Makes me wonder what those shows would have been like if *this* footage was just prepping.

Thank you Michael for giving 100% in your life and sharing with us, even if only by rehearsal footage. The audience was clapping and cheering you on in a small theatre and missing you as the credits roled. Nothing was wasted. We saw your effort and energy and dedication. It was nice to be there with you for that when you did not know we would be watching, caring and inspired by it.

Smooth Criminal:

Boston VegFest 09

It was nice to make time off for Boston's annual VegFest! I was sad to go alone but was happy to find friends there from real life and Facebook! It was nice to meet people from Vegnews and even Maple Farm Animal Sanctuary as well.

The Vegnews stand offered a free copy of their magazine. I get the online version, but I do miss flipping through the pages of this awesome magazine! I grabbed a copy for me and for you, Karen! :)


Vegan Treats is the company name and their booth was not only the most popular, but it was so pretty! Check out all the cute cakes they made and I will show you a closer up photo of them too... yum!

I was psyched to see Sequel there and giving samples of their Vega products! Their new sport drink is really good and soon to be available at places like Whole Foods. It was nice to meet my Facebook friend and vegan body builder Robert Cheeke there are well. (makes me want to work out now...)


One note on the Vega powder... I usually make mine with Hemp milk. Some make theirs with water. The nice lady in the pink sweater there said that half milk and half water is what she does. She shook one up for me and it is even better mixed like that! Not too thick and not too watery!

Below is the Sproutman! I've ordered from them online, but it was nice to pick up some organic seeds for sprouting.


I was happy to see my friends at Buddha Hut cooking up a storm at VegFest! The owners were there (husband and wife) and it was nice to say hi. I had to RUN since I'm on the 30 day raw food challenge and did not want to sample anything, but I already know they are great! Worcester based and really nice! (All vegan!)


The crowd...


A close up of those cakes! All vegan. Why are they not raw? :P


Such a pretty day out today. I liked the view from VegFest. (See the sign for it?)


Some views from my walk back to the car:








At home, showing Britty what I got for her!! MMM! Vegan Treats cakes! I picked out cookies and cream, carrot cake, coconut cream, and brownie cheesecake:


As for my treats, I got the spouting seeds. (I know, not as exciting as the cupcakes, but I do need to eat better and feel better!)


A new stainless steel water bottle:


Acai power powder for my shakes.smoothies:


"Twister" power powder for shakes, smoothies or even for sprinkling on salads. This has chia seed, flax seed and brown rice. I also got raw cocoa nibs from this company. The rep told me that all of their products are raw.


I also picked up a t-shirt from Maple Farm Animal Sanctuary and heard they need weekday volunteers. (Hmmm! This is worth taking a day off for!) I picked up some samples for myself and friends and tried not to buy everything in sight. I sampled coconut water, which I actually liked for the first time. (I guess different brands are better than others.) Looking at my own cupcake photos, I'm getting hungry so I am off to find something raw to whip up!

Thanks to VegFest and all its sponsors and exhibitors!