Friday, October 15, 2010

coincidence? synchronicity?

There I am - arrived in Milazzo, Sicilia, Italia via train! Then checked into the hotel with a sea-view (the Tyrrhenian Sea (yet another name I will learn to not only say but also spell before I leave here LOL - remember Aberystwyth? It's now about 18:00 - where can I get something to eat? I ask the very nice Italian woman at the reception desk. It's been a long day - train ride from 9:42 Napoli to 16:23 Milazzo. Ahhh...a restaurant just there she says - on "la spiaggia", and shakes her head as she looks at her watch - not open now.

Ahh, yes, how soon I forget..."mangiare per la sena" begins around 20:00 -- way past my usual eatting time for "la sena". Oh well, it is what it is! As I do not feel like walking into town (wherever that is).

Anywho, I can certainly amuse myself for an hour or so until the restaurant opens, especially since I have this cough and congested sinuses to keep me company.

So I walk into the restaurant sometime after 19:00. Large place overlooking "la spiaggia e la mare". Empty - but of course, it's 19:00. Yes, I am a tourist. Yes, I stand out. So what's new, you say? Anywho, not feeling so well, I am not up to speaking in Italian. Yet my comprehension is far better. So I manage to say I'm here for dinner. One man sends me out to the patio. Where the man there sends me back inside. LOL. So I sit inside and order. "Caponate al formaggio y orrechetti al fruitte de mare!" YUMMMMMM! Even with congested sinuses, these two dishes were delightful and tasty. And a huge portion as I was STUFFED!

As I wait for my order, I realize folks are not in a good mood. So I ask Source - please replace all of our etheric grids now. And as for me, let me be as fun as possible. As time went by, I noticed that the waiter was a bit nicer to me. Thank you Source. And then when they put on a movie - I asked in broken Italian and pantomine, to move outside because I did not want watch the movie. What followed was so comical. The waiter handed me my wine glass while he and another waiter lifted up my table and moved it out into the patio. LOL LOL. I got to sit outside after all.

So what's the coincidence you ask? Ok, ok...the waiter makes the usual small talk only it's in Italian. So I surprise myself that I'm able to have a conversation with him off & on as he walks past my table. And towards the end, I introduce myself.

Mi chiama Nina, et tu? Nino. Come e scrivi? N..I..N..O. I laugh at the coincidence. And tell him Nino. Maschile. Nina. Femminile. And point to each of us. He's somewhat amused, yet does not break a smile. Oh well, I was amused at the coincidence of it all. And the fact that I am remembering maschile and femminile for the Italian nouns.

And the coincidence with names continues...

So I'm walking to l'ufficio postale one day ... and thinking, I need to find something herbal for the last bits of my cough. I pass by this small shop and notice the word "erboristeria" and something tells me to go in. I did not make it to the l'ufficio postale because for the next hour or so, the lovely shop owner and I managed to "converse". She knowing no English. Me minimal Italian. Yet we did it - thank you Italian dictionary & intensive Italian class! Turns out her name is Pena rhymes with the Italian pronunciation of Nina. She's a naturapath. Also teaches yoga and is familiar with Reiki. So I show her how to use a pendalum.

From the erboristeria I move to my manicure appointment ... the manicurist knows a little English, so I end up managing to chat with her in Italian. Turns out her name is Lina. LOL LOL. Pena. Now Lina.

This is not the end of coincidences with names...

Days later I take day tour via ferry to two of the local isolas (islands)...Panarea and Stromboli. As I stand at the front of the boat a-awaitng our departure, the woman next me strikes up a conversation. She's Philipino and lives in Germany with her husband (who's standing next to her). So after a good while of chatting, I tell her my name and she laughs and says 'that's my name also'. I laugh and tell her she's kidding. No, seriously, that's my name. Only she spells it Nena which in Italian would be pronounced Neh-na. And I spell mine Nina. We got a good laugh out of all this. Especially when her husband was calling Nina later and we both turned around.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

i just love the italian way of...

...wrapping your food items up for you to carry home. See next two photos of la mia sena (dinner) tonight & salume e bresaola per a dimani. So pretty and neat. And I have now eatten one of the two items (the 3rd photo). YUMMMMM! I have to say, whatever I have eatten here in Milazzo, Sicilia has been DELICIOUS! Could not say that for Napoli.





...i negozi chiuso dal 1:30 al 4:30 per un pranzo (lunch) - see next photo. Milazza is a town and definitely, like Napoli, abides with the closing from generally 1:30 TO 4:30 per il pranzo. Given my experience of the last three years, that's about the time when the body slows down and wants nourishment AND a rest. Three hours definitely allows for un pranzo e un pisolino. The Queen of Sleep definitely approves! America, will you adopt?




Ciao! Baci! Abbracci! Luce!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Scotland East Coast -- 31 July to 7 August 2010 + another reminder LOL

What other things do I remember from Tanfield, England? The ARGHHHH morning that stretched into the afternoon, sitting in front of Jan's computer looking for the next place to sleep. The tedious and frustrating and NOT FUN time!

So there I was @ Jan & Justin's on that Wed - searching. searching. searching. Asking Jan & Justin what they thought. Weighing the pros & cons of staying here versus there. Was I using my intuitive sense. Yes. No. Yes. No. I was dancing. Mostly with the Not Using. Which contributed to Me, end of day, no closer to a place to sleep than when I began! I kept going back and forth. I pretty much had ruled out heading to Sicilia as I had planned. Yet finding a place in Eastern Scotland was really testing me.

Oh well, reminder #XX (lost track of the numbering) - when ARG, frustrating, non-productive moments come (AND they certainly will), take a break instead of continuing with the ARG, frustrating, non-productive stuff I'm doing. HMM, easier said than done (which is the reason I probably created these moments again later on this walkabout LOL).

AMAZING what happens when I let go and just flow with what's before me. For the next day, I did not get jump right in front of the computer. Instead I did my balancing. Then some energy processes to clear my system of non-bene stuff. And then it was time to find the next place to sleep. And thus it happened, that I landed in Perth, Scotland for the next 8 days to experience Scotland for the first time. And explore its East Coast.

Yes, my walkabout is for among a lot of things -- using & honing my 1st sense. The one we are born with & then develop the others. And at least for me, relegate it to my 6th sense. Perhaps that's the reason I use a dowsing tool when I'm balancing or doing energy processes, to help me hone my 1st sense. Because as I've seen time & time again with myself, my mind, my ego, my brain, can & will override the 1st sense IF I allow them. So as Diane once told me, the dowsing tool keeps her honest. And for me, it keeps my mind, brain, ego in check.

Anywho...Scotland is BEAUTIFUL! And Perth was perfect. The weather was great. Thank you Source. A city yet small enough that I did not feel urban! The train and bus station were walking distance so I was happy (and so was my back) that I physically was able to walk and go up/down stairs without the body going "what the hell are you doing to us?" So thankful for the restorative time at Linda, Jan & Justin's!

Now to use the 1st sense to guide me on what to do each day.

That's how my planned train ride to Aberdeen turned into a train ride to Inverness. 1st sense plus asking the ticket person which destination he would chose. The Scottish countryside & mountains, even viewing from the train, is so BEAUTIFUL. And all that Mother Nature..Gaia..Beauty is joyful in and of itself. Thus the train ride to/from Perth/Inverness was FAB! Relaxing. Not a lot of folks on the train that day so it was fun to just sit and stare out the window. Or videotape (Zackti the videorecorder I bought back in June, is getting a work out)...and I see I can add a video to this post...later LOL.

And this lovely couple I met while eatting dinner one night in Perth -- when I asked them what was the one thing in Perth that I should do, did not respond. Instead they said I should go to St. Andrews. They had been there that day and liked to visit. So I went there one day. And in the process, got a lesson in what it's like when things do NOT go the way I, yes I, planned them. I laugh at myself even now as I type. And shake my head at myself.

Now I'm using public transport the entire time I'm in England, unless someone else is driving. And the one thing about using public transport, is that you flow with that schedule. To get to St. Andrews via public transport, requires a train ride to Dundee, then a bus to St. Andrews. Well, when I finally figured out where the bus stop was (thanks to the GREAT info point on the pedestrian mall), there I was standing at the bus stop. AND the bus sails past. ARGH! So I look at the posted bus schedule..next bus in one hour. HMMM...time for bathroom break and return to the info point to see if there's another option. There is...return to the train station, take a train to Lechuars, then a bus to St. Andrews. At this point, I'm still in my ARGH state. And once I decide to take this route, then as I walk to the train station, I tell myself, I do NOT need to be in St. Andrews at a particular time. I will get there when I get there. I will see what I need to see. And this ARGH state is not helping so please go into the Light. Reminder: When things do not go as I plan, I can choose. Hmm? ARGH? AHHH? The 1st sense chooses AHHH! The other senses are all over the board LOL LOL LOL LOL. Thus contributing to me being in ARGH state longer than I need to be.

Anywho...what do I remember about East Coast Scotland? The sense of peace & groundness as I viewed and traveled the countryside. The strong mountains. Or walked the beach at St. Andrews.

The interesting people I met: the couple who sat at the table next to me at dinner & struck up a conversation with me. Delightful dinner conversation & we'll stay in touch. The woman who owns a crystal shoppe in Crieff. That's the most pendulums I've ever seen in a shoppe before. And she taught me how to use a pendulum. We'll stay in touch. The bellman @ the hotel who made me laugh - what are you carrying in that bag, a dead body? he said with a stern, serious look & then laughed.

The food? Haggis & tates is very tasty. I like it. Then again, I grew up eatting scrapple, which is probably a Southern USA cousin of Haggis. And it's common to find lamb burgers on the pub menu, which I love lamb.

At some point, I'll update this post with photos and videos. Until then...onward to Mallaig, Scotland on the West Coast...

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Todmorden & Tanfield, England 21 to 31 July AND reminders

I was asked along the way -- what would take me to Todmorden, England? Or Tanfield, England?

Fabulous-os Linda, Jan, Justin!

It’s been 5 years since Linda & I have seen each other. And where she lives is a new place to visit -- she just moved from London to Todmorden (north-east of Manchester, England). Anywho, I stepped off the train. And there was Linda, NOT changed a bit. Her fabulous smile. Her smiling energy. Her lovely quirkiness. All that met & embraced me. And it seemed like yesterday that we’d seen each other. That's what I LOVE about Linda and a lot of my friends. That feeling of having just seen or talked to them, when in chrono-time, it's been ages. Thank you Source for this reminder #1.

We managed to pack in a lot in such a short visit. Lots of cava, eatting, shopping and catch-up conversation. For on 23 July, we two were heading via train to Tanfield in County Durham, England to visit our mutual two friends Jan & Justin. AND in that short visit, it was WONDERFUL to just sit and chat about all sorts of things. Besides my back really appreciated the rest. Drink cava. Eat. Get caught up. Shop - the kyanite pendant I'm wearing now is a fab reminder of my fab visit with Linda. Yes, this walkabout is re-inforcing in me what is important in my life. Friends – definitely! Bubbly – definitely! Vegetables – definitely! Thank you Source for reminder #2.

Which brings me to Tanfield, England...Jan & Justin! Being at their loving home from 23 to 31 July was EXACTLY what I needed. Thank you Source! For my back still was not happy. So between a chiro visit and just relaxing at their home, my entire being was ready to continue my walkabout.

I still hear Jan now...wanting to have more time to take me sight-seeing, yet needing to attend to her work. And Justin not feeling well before and while I was there. It is what it is AND all was what it needed to be for Justin and I to get our well-being nurtured and nourished. And Jan to get her work completed.

Ah, speaking of nourished! I took FULL advantage of Jan & Justin's invite to their icebox. Each day was an foraging adventure to see what veggies I could take out and turn into breakfast or lunch. Breakfast for me is a protein and a veggie. So I knew on this walkabout, I would be challenged at breakfast time as veggies are a-typical breakfast foods. My host and hostess were often amused at my foraging and what I would come up with. I LOVE THIS! Thank you Source for reminder #3 - enjoy what you love while you have it for there will be times when you don't have it! Like veggies! Or a bathtub!

Visiting with Jan & Justin also seemed like it was yesterday. Although I saw them last year when they were in San Francisco and we had dinner. I love how we each take each other as we are - warts and all! Going with the flow of the moment. Holding the space for each other. Reminder #4 - sometimes just being with another person is what each of you needs - no words, no fixes, just being.

Aside from my visit with my fabulous-o friends. Hmm what do I remember?
The garden centers. These are NOT the garden centers I've been to in America where all they sell is garden stuff. Oh NO! Jan needed something so I went with her to one. And voila, a place to eat. Clothing. Luggage. Cards. Food products. Dishes. WOW, I just enjoyed wandering about to see what was there.

Also a theme forming...a momento purchased in each place I visited! I was introduced to Desigual designs in Aberystwyth - one coat in a small store there. The next time was in Newcastle near Tanfield, where the department store had a Desigual department. With the aid and subtle prompting of Jan on two occasions, Lady Blue Coat is traveling with me! And as I was to learn on this walkabout, sychronicities abound! For Desigual translates from Spanish to English as UNEQUAL which certainly describes each of us (and moi!). Plus Lady Blue Coat loves me! And I love her! And a friend once told me that both you and the clothing need to choose each other! Plus this saying embroderied in a corner of the coat definitely speaks to me in general: cazador de adventuras!

Onward ho...

things when I need them

Have been noticing on this walkabout...how I happen upon things as I need them. And ask for them. Thank You Source!

Such as...

The chiropractor. First in Aberstywyth, Wales – the only one was two doors down from the natural foods store where I inquired to see if they knew of a chiropractor in town. And in Tanfield, England, there was one less than a mile from where my friends lived.

The fleece shirt. It was getting cool in Oare, England. And since it seemed I was being guided towards Scotland, I thought I have all these great fleece shirts...AT HOME...NOT HERE. Please let me NOT pay an arm & a leg for something. The local store in Marlborough was having a sale and voila, a fleece shirt in my size. AND it was buy-one-get-the-second-free.

The packable waterproof rain jacket. The one item on my packing list that I forgot to pack LOL - how did that happen? The one at home does me no good here LOL. So I happened down this one street in Aberystwyth. There was this multi-purpose store with no store display windows. So I wandered in and, YUP, you got it, in the corner was a huge selection of raingear AND a GREAT sale on all sorts of rain jackets. Found one in my size. AND at a fabulous-o low price.

Wonderful weather. Thank You Source for all the wonderful weather I’ve had given the various locations I've been to thus far.

WCs. Thank You Source especially for this.

The Italian Intensive course that started on the day I called the school.

The umbrella. It was starting to rain in Napoli one day. AND, you guessed it, my umbrella was at the hotel (quite a distance away). Voila, I was near a shop where the week before I saw a fun umbrella for 2 euro, yet decided at that time--I have lots of umbrellas, why get another. Now I have another fun umbrella LOL LOL! Source, you're too funny!

And YES, there are those times when I needed something, like internet access, and did NOT find it. Those ARGHH! times. LOL LOL, yet focusing on my have-nots is not as productive as focusing on my haves. Besides I love living this saying of mine..."Awareness is a great teacher!"

Luce & Baci & Abbracci & Amore!

14 to 20 July 2010...Wales -- Aberystwyth

Well, today is giovedi, 7 ottobre 2010, 10:48 pm...

Taking the time to fill in the gap between 14 July…when I was in Oare, England s..l..o..w..l..y moving around..after I somehow threw my lower back out of balance that day..until I arrived in Napoli, Italia on 27 August.

Anywho, as the ole saying goes "hindsight is always 20/20". And so it is for as I look back, being in the all the places for those 14 days after the Martinsell Centre (Oare, England) greatly helped me go s..l..o..w. AND that is exactly what I needed (albeit not what I wanted - hey I'm on holiday and lots of things to see & do - HA!)

There I am with five days after the Martinsell Centre (16 to 20 July) and no plans and as importantly to the Queen of Sleep (moi!) -- no place to sleep.

Where to go? Where to go? The water was calling me since I’d been land-locked for now 13 days. I casually asked the massage therapist I saw in Marlborough on 13 July where she would go. She quickly responded with a look of longing -- North Wales. Aberaeron. Even though she’d not been there herself, she’d heard it was beautiful. Hmmm, I thought, never been to Wales. And it's on the water. And it's in the general direction of my friend Linda who's expecting me on 21 July). Sounds like a destination. And so began the first of my sit-down-in-front-of-a-computer-and-search-for-a-place-to-sleep-several-days-before-I-am-to-be-there. One where I could easily get to via public transport. Yes, the agony & ecstacy had begun LOL!

And as importantly, MY walkabout had truly begun!

Many hours later (my back was definitely NOT happy), actually more like 48 hours later, I had a place to sleep. And transportation almost booked. Not the Aberaeron I had thought of, Aberystwyth – yes, by the time I left there, I could not only spell the name without looking it up each time, but also pronounce it. LOL LOL

Yup, things happen for the best. For I was still moving pretty slowly and NOT looking forward to the train trip. On the other hand, being by the water was what I wanted. Being by the water always seems to replenish me. Thus finding a place to stay in Aberystwyth worked out since the train stopped there. Whereas Aberaeron was a bus ride from Aberystwyth.

By the end of 16 July, my body, especially my back, was extremely HAPPY, after two train changes, to finally arrive in Aberystwyth AND NOT get on bus! A big Thank You AGAIN to all those wonderful folks who helped me get my bag on and off the train!

Wales is definitely beautiful. Riding the train allows me to en-joy the countryside and whatever interesting things are happening (or not) out the window. There is a wonderful trail along the Welsh coast & includes Aberystwyth. Had I been there longer AND with a back that was well for walking, then it would have been a beautiful hike.

Oh well, it is what it is as Ekhardt Tolle says. Instead, I strolled or sat along the promenade, en-joying the wonderful sound of the waves. AHHHH, HEAVEN on earth for me!

Onward ho to Todmorden for a visit with a dear friend...

Saturday, September 18, 2010

3 Settembre 2010 - le foto di gruppo della classe







Learn something new each day my mother would tell me.


And voila...Google Translate is pretty darn handy if you have something to translate into your first language.

In my case, below is what Google Translate gave me in Italian so I could e-mail the 3 Settembre group photo to my classmates. One is Russian and knows English - piccolo... WOW, what courage she has! And finally some photos from me LOL LOL...

I wish I could capture the fabulous expressions of each of my classmates and 2 insegnanti (teachers). Priceless..funny..great as we learn Italian grammar and practice pronunciation/conversation for four hours daily -- lunedi to venerdi. And Ray's favorite - verbi irregulari. And what a work-out as I'm ready for pranzo after class.

Yes...for inquiring minds who want to know LOL...my spontaneous enrollment in a one week Italian intensive language class. WOW, has it been three weeks already. Turned into me completing the full four week course. Thus continue to be in Napoli. Now in a self-catering appartemento in the Quartieri Spagnoli. Lively. Noisy. Interesting. Great to hear the language and use it. What fun that has been.

Will at some point fill in the gap between Oare, England 16 July and today...a dimani...

Baci & Abbracci for now!
Nina

====
Ciao,

Ecco le foto di gruppo della classe.

Tanto divertimento riunione ognuno di voi. Grazie a ciascuno di voi per fare il divertimento di classe.

Trust Olga tornò in Russia in modo sicuro. Meglio Lydia con i suoi studi di lingua italiana presso l'università. Felice per l'insegnamento Bretagna con i suoi studenti italiani. Buona fortuna con il tuo Yuki test TOEFL.

Si prega di rimanere in contatto. E se qualcuno vuole visitare San Francisco, hai un posto dove stare.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Italian Language Lessons Anyone?

OK, my last post was sometime mid-July and it's now 30 August 2010. So what the h--- have I been doing? And where am I?

Well, obviously NOT blogging. All sorts of reasons...a small item like access to internet. And much like all things in Life, it's about setting time aside to actually do X, whatever X happens to be. In this case blogging was far down on the list, especially since most of August, access to internet was not as convenient (in my room). Source decided to test me LOL. There was access only in the hotel lobby. Then to access at the local coffee shop that closed @ 1600. Then to an apartment where first my friends and I could not figure out how to access. Then we did, yet I had to sit on the floor since the cable was short. NOW I am in luxury.

Anywho, enough of the reasons...NOW is NOW. And today, Monday, 30 August, I woke up about 8:30 and wondered what I might do today. I am in Napoli, Italy. Arrived here on Friday, 27 August. Ferry to Capri? Train to Pompeii? Walk around Centro Storico? Then I daydreamed about after I return to San Francisco, I want to go to Guatemala and take a Spanish immersion course... Then thought, what about now? Hey, what about taking an Italian language course here in Napoli. And since I have the LUXURY of internet access in my room, I googled and voila. An Italian language course here in Napoli. AND an Intensive class starts on 3 August (since I am half-awake and thinking Wed is 1 August). LOL LOL LOL. So I call the school Centro Italiano. The person on the other end, corrects me saying they have a class starting today not 3 August as that has past. So I can attend tomorrow since today is a placement test and then class for two hours. Since it is 9:30.

So, now it is 20:20. And it was fun, since all eight of us are beginners. Our instructor is a hoot, very expressive in voice and movements. Class is from 9 to 1. And daily there is an activity. All activities are in Italian. So @ 1600 I took the tour of Centro Storico, which is the old part of Napoli. I did not understand what Bruno spoke of as he showed us various historic sights, yet it was good to just hear Italian and absorb the sounds. AND not get hung up on knowing what he said.

Well, that's all for today! I am getting the hang of this spontaneity. And learning Italian is something I've wanted to do, just did not set aside time to do it. Well, if not now, then when?

Come ti chiami?
Quanti anni hai?
Sei Inglese?
Sei sposato/a?
Perche sei a Napoli?
Dei quanto sei a Napoli?
Che lavoro tai?
Di dove sei?

Ciao!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Wed 14 July 2010 -- Life Happens

Well 14 July certainly was NOT what I planned either...which all goes to show...being with what is...being in flow is the best way to live. LOL ain't easy!

There I was - all set to head off from Oare (England) to the farmer's market in Marlborough (England). As I crossed the kitchen to put my tea cup in the sink, my right foot landed half on the floor, half on the recessed doormat. For some reason, a recessed doormat at interior door entrances are popular here in England. AND un-familiar to moi! Anywho, that un-balanced landing made my ankle smart, so I stopped to attend to that. All seemed fine. Then 45 minutes later - I was leaning over the sink to brush my teeth, and the next moment, excruciating pain went across my lower back, near my sacrum. OUCH! Triple OUCH! Not felt this much pain in a long while. At the time, I made no connection between the mis-step and what I was feeling. All I knew is that, I wanted to straighten up and sit down somewhere. AND that did not happen for few more moments. Which seemed like a darn LONG time.

Sooo...I went into panic, fear, oh-no-what's-wrong, etc, etc. Especially since in two more days I was off to my next destination. Albeit, unknown, yet I would be off, presumably via rail. And this was NOT helping. Then I took a deep breath or two or three (oh h---, A LOT), and made my way finally to a seat in the kitchen. Started asking Source Et Al for help and doing energetic healing processes. As I'd had a massage the day before, I knew that this was not totally physical. The re-focusing definitely helped me for the next hour or so.

Thus Life had other plans for me that day. I ended up taking it very easy walking around the Martinsell Centre. Taking it very s..l..o..w was definitely the message the body was giving me. And so I complied.

Happy to say that FINALLY e-mailed my Village of Dancing with Source energetic healers to explain my situation & ask for help. They did some awe-some work for me--from afar. AND another trip to the massage therapist in Marlborough the next day helped. PLUS following guidance, which was to seek out a chiropractor that weekend -- after I arrived in Aberystwyth, two day later on Saturday 16 July (yes, I now can not only pronounce but also spell this Wales town (or city) without looking it up LOL LOL LOL.

Yes, I found a chiropractor there in Aberystwyth. How synchronistic! Two doors down from the whole/natural foods store I found & inquired at. And grateful to have an appointment on Tuesday, 20 July, 4 hours before I took the rail to my next destination. AND found a chiropractor 1.3 miles from my friends' home in Tanfield on Monday, 26 July. 1.3 miles, Thank You Source.

DEFINITELY both visits were what I needed as I was out-of-balance structurally. Could feel it with each step, or a sit, or up/down steps. Oh well, it is what it is. And my set of circumstances was definitely un-balancing, so I needed time to slow down and ensure I took loving care of me. That's what my lower back tells me. Like right now, it's telling me I've been sitting tto long - time to walk, stretch, walk, stretch. Can hear the chiropractor advising me to do the military walk frequently. Look forward and walk with arms and hips swinging. Off we go...

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Tueday 13 July 2010 Day of Grateful and Celebration

I woke up this morning (13 July). Staying at this beautiful and magical place called Martinsell Centre (in Oare between Marlborough & Pewsey here in England). And the first thing I asked was 'what am I doing today?' And the response was this is a day of grateful and celebration, so go journal about that. And then be in it for the rest of the day.

And believe me, that is NOT what I planned for today! And yet it feels very good to just be still and soak up all this fabulous energy from the beautiful nature around me. Also great to notice when I want to hurry up & go do what I planned for today (get on-line & figure out where I will be staying after I leave here on Friday). Yet when I take a couple of deep breaths & check in with Source, it feels perfect just to be grateful and celebrate. Right here. With the beautiful trees and nature all around me just loving me, with the overcast gray skies smiling down on me, reading a book, sipping on a cup of tea. Grateful, celebrating...the many downs and ups, joys and upsets, illness and well being, people and things, that brought me to now. Grateful and celebrating here now. So very blessed!

Cheers to you and wanting you to have your own day of grateful and celebration. SAVOR every last morsel of it! I definitely am!

AHHHH, lunch is served. And believe me - Nicola (the owner of Martinsell Centre) is an artist in the kitchen! Her vegetarian dishes are YUMMY! And lovely to have someone like her cooking for me.

Love & Hugs To Each of You!

crop circles - 9 July 2010

Well, yes, there's a delay in my blog posting. I'm writng now on 18 July from Aberystwyth, Wales. More on that later.

Crop circles! 9 July. What a GREAT experience. Being in a two-seater (pilot & passenger) plane flying over three crop circles near where we were staying - Oare (Martinsell Centre). From the air, so AMAZING to see them as they are VERY large. And to feel the energy as we circled over each of them. At some point, I'll post photos I've taken.

In the afternoon, we went via car to one crop circle - I think Olivier said this one was 4 days old. It was sunny and bloody hot! Which was fine as all that sun heated the earth & wheat field for that night we'd be meditating and sleeping in one of the crop circles.

The crop circle was quite large. And energetically - well my senses were not picking up much energetically, except when I went into the formation, I noticed I followed the flow of how the wheat stalks were laying down. I felt like I was in a labryrith after a while. Very peaceful, quiet, thought provoking.

They say that it's best to visit the crop circle soon after it is formed to gain the most from the energy there.

Meanwhile, we left that particular crop circle and returned to Martinsell Centre for a YUMMY and I do mean YUMMY dinner prepped by Nicola the owner. Looked at some awesome photos of various crop circles taken by our guide Olivier - such a gifted photographer!

Then it was time to go to the crop circle. We got there around 8:30. Mind you, where we are located, given the time of the year, it stays light until well after 9 pm. And starts getting light after 4 am. So we arrived at the crop circle when the sun was setting. And I was very happy it had been bloody hot that day as the field was still warm when we arrived from the hot sun.

We checked with Source and the meditation would be in the center of the crop circle. Thus we were sat in a circle within a circle. As I type this post, I am transported back to those moments during our meditation. Where I heard all the songs of the birds. The stillness of sunset. The energy of the meditation. The beauty of the sunset. The grayness of a partially overcast sky overhead.

We checked and we were to remain in the crop circle to sleep, so we put out our wool blankets. Thank you Source for the bloody hot day as the ground was still warm around 10 pm. We created a circle with our heads to the center and our feet to the outside.

As I settled in I realized I'd forgotten my earplugs - a necessary aid for moi, since noises like snoring keep me from falling asleep. Sure enough as soon as I fell asleep, folks were stirring. The dew was settling. And the temp was chilling. It was after 1 am and it was decided that it was time to leave. Bummer -- as I had just fallen asleep and wanted to see the dawn break in the crop circle. Yet I was ok to head back to the Martinsell Centre.

Definitely an experience I won't forget. AND would definitely do again. Interestingly enough, in discussion with Olivier and Nicola, few folks sleep in the crop circles. They often visit. Or meditate. Yet rarely sleep in them.

Yet another Source guided adventure!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Forthampton Court 2 to 5 July 2010

Arrived 2 July to Forthampton Court, Glouchestershire, GL19 4RD around 6 pm after a l..o..n..g (10 hours) flight plus about 2+ hour drive to our AMAZING accommodations! A wing of an estate house - the servants quarters-I think that's what this wing is. A charming couple are the owners. They graciously gave us a tour of their home yesterday 4 July and ended with bubbly to celebrate 4 July. Fascinating, interesting couple with the same to be said about the husband's family history. This place has been in the family for many, many generations. And is part of several estates owned by the family.

Anywho, it's now 5 July and it seems like I'm finally into this time zone. So peacful and quiet here in the country. LOVE it!

Traveling with a group (in this case there are a total of 9) is always interesting. I feel like a little kid - not wanting to sleep because I don't want to miss out on things. Especially since I'm in a new place. So many new things to see. Experience. Feel.

Like just now, I went with two of the folks to the grocery store Morrisons to shop for the group. That was an experience - being on the passenger side in the front seat! And NOT one I will do again, especially AFTER waking from a nice mid-afternoon nap! I agree with the driver - it's NOT fun being the passenger in the front seat. Not only seeing the left side of the road so close, especially on those narrow country roads. It's helping the driver remember to turn right and stay to the left. Or turn left and stay to the left.

Then there's the grocery store. How civilized (yes, I know Glenn, you'll like that I said that!). The checkers are seated! That's since the shoppers bag their own groceries! And the carts have a separate space in the front for things like large bottles of water. The types of tea were also different - like I bought a lime and ginger tea. LOVE touring grcoery stores when I travel to check out the similiarities and differences from the States!

Today was a lowkey day (no touring) so I was able to take an afternoon nap. Lovely!

Saturday, 3 July, we drove about an hour to Stroud to the farmer's market. That was fun. Although by comparison, the San Francisco Ferry Building farmer's market on Sat is HUGE! This farmer's market is the largest in England and it was quaint on the narrow street of Stroud.

Sunday, 4 July, Happy Independence Day! We went to Broadway in the Cottswolds to walk about and eat lunch. Then drove through Chipping Chamden & then home to meet up with the owners for a tour of their beautiful and expansive home. What can I say, it's so beautiful in that old way.

Well, the yummy smells are wafting from the kitchen next door, into this huge sitting area where I'm blogging. I'm hungry! So I will go into the kitchen to eat another yummy meal prepared by our fabulous chefs (my travel mates).

Ciao! Adio! Love & Hugs!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

off on an adventure

13 June 2010...11:40 am

Well, I am living proof that with time, intention, self-love, lots of support from those all around me, one can return to well-being. That does NOT mean that all the medical tests don't yield the same results. Or the diagnosis from the MDs differ. Just means that my entire outlook is "well-being" and so it is. Plus I've released a lot of internal energetic emotional stuff that was no longer needed.

That said, it's time for the next chapter in my life...and since the beginning of the year 2010...I am in the midst of four BIG happenings. The last three I would not believe at beginning 2010 would have happened for me now. Just goes to show, ALL IS POSSIBLE!

continuing the healing work to clear out blocks and barriers to abundance (versus scarcity) in my life. Thank Moi for showing up! Thank You Source! Thank You Dancing with Source processes used solo! Thank You for all the exchange sessions with other gifted and amazing Dancing with Source Master Facilitators!

offering private sessions as a Master Facilitator of advanced energetic healing
http://dancingwithsource.com/master_facilitators/nina-chong.html

in relationship with a loving, supportive man. He's Extraordinaire! We're both grateful to have crossed paths.

embarking on an 8 week travel adventure where I don't have a planned itinerary of where I'm staying (and I leave in 17 days). Tom calls it my walkabout! Don't know much about walkabouts AND it sounds FUN, so I'm there!

No wonder I need lots of sleep! I know, I know - this coming from the self-proclaimed Queen of Sleep!

Anywho, ALL GOOD to stretch me in ways I've not been stretched before. Or if I was stretched that way before, NOW I can see if I respond in the way I am NOW or the way I was before. Either way, it's ALL GOOD!

So stay tuned to this blog...the 8 week travel adventure / walkabout really began at the beginning of 2010 when I said I wanted to travel from July to December 2010 to see friends I had not seen in a while. There's power in them words!

Ciao! Adio! XO! Laughs! Light!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

12+ months YAHOO!

Tues, 4 May 2010...3:36 pm...EDT

Well March-end marked 12 consecutive months of well-being! WEE-OO! And April marked the end of 54 years of living and the beginning of year 55. WEE-OO!

So glad I blogged and morning paged along the way. While I and friends/family noticed the change in me as time went by. Definitely one of the ways to keep me focused on the Light side of things. So that when the Shadows and Dark try to settle in, they get received yet don't stay for long.

Anywho, where do I go from here? Well, maintenance & upkeep. Lifestyle changes requires maintenance & upkeep. It's like your body. Among all of its many wonders, it has a fabulous digestive system which works wonders when optimally functioning. And so it is with my entire system - now I feel I have in place what I need to ensure my system is optimally functioning, so that what does not serve, gets eliminated (and taken into the Light). And an early-warning system.

May you have in place all that you need to do the same! For your optimal health and well-being!

Love & Hugs!

Monday, February 15, 2010

food

15 February 2010, 6:56 pm...

I am watching Julia and Julie! And eatting a fantastic tasting raw salad! Yes, I definitely will go to cooking school. It's something a voice inside (probably my mother's) is saying I should not do. I should find a good-paying job. With benefits. And save up for my retirement. Blah! Blah! Blah! Yet @ 53 years old, I feel like I've given my life to others. What others wanted me to do! Even when I said it was what I wanted to do, was it really?

Anywho, I always loved the Joy of Cooking. My copy is well-worn and well-used. The lemon curd cookie squares recipe is to die for! And is always a hit when I was (yes, was) baking all my holiday cookies. I stopped baking when the JOY was no longer there. That was a sign if there ever was one. When the joy is no longer in something that once brought me so much joy, well, one would notice these things, if one was not going many miles a minute!

These days I go slowly not because of my health, because it feels like the thing to do. To SAVOR every moment, minute by minute. To feel JOY! So I decided that since I'm not in cooking school...yet! That I will get a raw living food cookbook and play with all the recipes. For I am about 80% raw veggies. The local organic produce delivery every Wed is a surprise. And has stretched me on quick and easy ways to prepare the veggies. I've become quite handy with my mandoline. And chef knife. Vitamixer. Like everything in life: Experiment! Experience! Have fun! Thank you Julie and Julia! for reminding to experiment! experience! have fun! And of course, have a few meltdowns from time to time! LOL

Bon Appetit!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Ten Months!

9:07 pm, Wednesday 10 February 2010

Feels good to be on the other side of well-being! So I'm moving through the 11th month of consecutive well-being. And am getting reminders from Source and my practioners, to s.l.o.w down. Like when I used to get a cold and after all the congestion, coughing, etc ends, I jump back into doing lots of stuff. Well, in this case, I realize today that I have come a long way to regain my life balance and well-being. And in doing so, I notice when I am upsetting that delicate balance.

Anywho, asked Source to bring it on! And in response, I was offered a great opportunity to identify and dismantle my barriers to abundance. This is from working with a group of Dancing with Source graduates. That began 31 January. Thus will be interesting to see how the year un-folds.

Hmm, boils down to - my actions are based on whose guidance? Mind? Ego? Body? Money? Other people? Past history? Source?

Ain't Life FUN!?

Saturday, January 9, 2010

lesson in self-care

9:23 pm Saturday, 9 January 2010

This is a reflection on the past 24 or so hours! Just awoke from 6 hours of really good sleep. Even remember a dream (which is un-usual for moi!).

Well, the past 24 hours or so was a lesson in self-care. And my reflection shows me that now that I have grown in that area tremendously in the past 24 months!

Thursday I awoke to the feeling that something was lodged in my esophogus (like when you swallow a pill and it doesn't go down all the way). Yet when I sat up (after the initial shock/surprise), it disappeared. And a drink of water yielded nothing - physically - was there. Plus I felt really horrible. Yet I forged on. Later that day I noticed off and on, a tingling in my entire left arm. And at times a numbness in my lower arm. I felt, just, ok so I figured I'd see what happened next day. I was assisting at ORSC course for the next three days and was looking forward to this. So I asked Source to work with me the entire night and run any healing processes that were needed to heal whatever was causing this tingling. And ensure when I awoke I'd be energized and ready for the next 3 days of assisting.

Friday a.m. - well I awoke @ 5:30 am, hit the snooze button. And yet when I rolled out of bed about 6 a.m., I thanked Source for I felt pretty dang good considering the prior day! And as I sat on the bus heading to Novato and the course location, I was going meticulous energy balancing. And noticing that the tingling in my left arm was there! I noticed it as the day went on. It would come & go. So I asked, what do we need to do? Can we wait until class is done and then when I am back in San Francisco, go check this out? So that is the agreement I made with my self. If the tingling was still noticeable @ the end of class, we would go to the emergency room and check this out.

Interesting to notice, what voices come out to challenge my own agreement with my self?
No, let's go home first, get some stuff to read and then go.
No, we're ok, let's not go.
It's nothing, you'll be fine.
You can't go, cause, it's the emergency room and who knows when they'll see you and you have to be back here to assist for the next two days.
Don't ask my ride to San Francisco to take me there, it's too much trouble for her.

Yet as I reflect, this was not just a lesson in self care, this was a lesson in respecting the agreements one makes with one self. It's about self-respect. About honoring self. About loving self. About the conversations within to do that. About chosing my highest good (and the highest good of all). Following the deep intuitive voice within in that is connected to Source. Is Source.

When the course day was completed, I knew despite all the voices, I would get the co-leaders numbers, my ride to/from San Francscio's number. And ask my ride to take me directly to the emergency room. It was time to to honor my left arm and my agreement to go take care of her. It felt scary. It felt good. It felt powerful. It felt like the thing to do.

And it was interesting to notice my inner conversations and voices as I sat either in the emergency room lobby or once admitted in the examing areas. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. To be seen by the ER folks. Or for test results. A lot of them were with Source. For I only called one person as I waited in the lobby - a Dancing with Source mate - a friend with whom we check in weekly. And asked her to do some healing processes for me. I ran down the list of others I could call to come sit with me, yet I was ok to not do that. Now in hindsight, it would have been a different experience. I would not have had the meditative-like moments I had as I sat or laid down in the examing area table. Or my internal conversations with self and Source.

No, I decided not to attend the Sat ORSC course to assist. And given I did not get much sleep last night, I decided as I lay in bed awaiting discharge, that I was not going on Sun.

Oh, I jumped ahead - the initial tests showed no sign of TIA (they explained yet I don't remember what the initials stood for) or stroke or heart attack. Interesting since Source and my body had told me this already. And they wanted to keep me overnight for observation, go from there. My last and only experience of hospital stay was back in August 2005 when my trip to the primary care MD to check out the reason for feeling bloated despite just having had a good bowel movement turned into a ticket to a CT scan, appendicitis diagnosis, and a trip directly to the emergency room for emergency surgery.

I knew, I was not in for much sleep, yet the body said it is what it is. We will sleep when we get discharged. And so we did or have. And now @ 10 pm, it is time for coconut water to help me hydrate. And more sleep.

Postscript:
Each morning I have a routine that includes drawing from the bottom of many decks of cards - each card deck nourishes a part of me for the rest of the day. So I just looked @ the cards I drew Friday morning. And am having a huge laugh with my self. With Source. Can't recall the order since sometimes that tells me something. The card comments in hindsight nourished me for my choices and experiences of the following 24 hours.

Reconsider a committment. You have the right to change your mind. Choice.

I am totally adequate for all situations. I am one with the power and wisdom of the Universe. I claim this power and it is easy for me to stand up for myself.

Your soul thrives on silence. From deep inside, you receive your most certain guidance and instruction. In silence, you are without distractions. this is why we fear silence - we fear its power. Enjoy quiet meditation today. In silence, we most readily preserve our integrity.

I am special. The most important person in my life is me!

Today, I identify a situation that binds me to the past and lay it at the feet of my Beloved Deity.

If it's not okay to be where you are while you're there, you can never truly be anywhere at all. You don't have to love and even like what's so for you now...yet to grow, to heal and to flourish you do need your own permission to be just exactly where, who, and how you are in this moment and for as long as it is so!

Are you reading the same chapter over and over again? THE END

Courage. Find the courage to hold on to your beliefts, even if the world around you chooses to believe differently. Have the COURAGE to change those beliefs that no longer fit the person you have become. In doing so, you truly become yourself.

Leaps of faith put us in astounding new places. YES!

Friday, January 1, 2010

nine months

11:10 am, Friday, 1 January 2010

YAHOO! Nine consecutive months of well-being and continued improvement in my energy, stamina, health! YAHOO! Thank you Source! Thank you village (of practioners, family, friends, healing circle, healers, angels, ascended masters from all cultures)! Thank you moi for showing up!

A friend wrote this to me the other day "I was told that if you turn your focus onto other things consistently and continue to turn this over to Source consistently, that will help."

Makes a lot of sense in general....fits with my experiment (yes, she's experimenting again LOL) of focusing on all that is going well in my life. That does not mean I don't acknowledge the things that are "not going well", just means I am listening to it all and looking for the 2% in the "not going well" that is truly "going well", is of value to me, serves me.

Case in point....since 12 December, I have not done my usual morning routine:
morning pages (where I write stream of conscious, no editing for 3 pages -- each page about 8-1/2 by 11)

balancing my entire system (chakras, subtle energy bodies, physical body, and whatever else my intuition tells me)

sitting quietly and asking for guidance on the 1,2,3 things on my to-do list that are priority for the highest good of all (and today I added the highest good of moi)

Well, on this past Sunday 27 December, I had a dizzy moment - in fact two in the course of an hour. After the second one, I was nauseated. Yes, I was concerned as this had not happened to me before. Luckily, I was staying with a friend so I stayed an extra day to be sure I had someone close by in case something happened. And I laid down to rest and before I drifted off to sleep, I asked Source to help me with what had just happened. When I awoke 2 hours later, I felt ok. And immediately knew I was out of balance in general. And I needed to return to my usual morning routine. YET, did I? NO. So on Wed morning @ 2 am (30 December), I was awoken by a sharp pain going from my right collar bone out to my right shoulder joint. As I appeared to be okay and there was no evidence of pain, I went back to sleep. At 8:20 am, I was awoken by a lump in my esophogus, like when one swallows a pill that does not go all the way down. Well, mine was stuck about 3 inches below my collar bone. Yet as soon as I got up, it disappeared.

Hmm, concerned? YES! So 3o December, I left messages with my rhuematologist, my primary care, my integrative MD to consult with them. AND for the first time, I also e-mailed my healing circle to consult with them. Yet did I wake up on yesterday, 31 Dec and do my morning routine. Not really. Not completely. And when I awoke from an 1-1/2 hour nap in the afternoon, I felt awful. And that's when it hit me - you are out of balance, begin to return your balance, your groundness. So I balanced my entire system, and it's truly amazing what you notice as I patiently and slowly balanced. Two hours later, I felt ready to end 2009 and begin 2010 in a way that supports me and all. I stayed in. Washed my sheets, my hair, myself (as a ritual of being and sleeping in something clean and ready for something new).

Anywho, interesting how quickly I want to return to what is old and familiar (and yet no longer serves me). And yeah for me. Thank me for showing up and noticing that I am responding differently to what Life puts on my path. I am awesome! And so are you!

Happy New Year! Happy New Moment! That allows us to focus on clarity in what we ask for, openness to accept what is received, courage to thank our self for showing up & being for the first place.