Little Holiday Videos

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A Quick Peek Into The Season

Christmas baking and decorations make this holiday season a busy one. There's little time for writing, however, here are a couple of videos taken with our iPhone.

Going To The Tree Farm

Traveling to a Christmas tree farm in Woodland, California this year, we picked out our tree. You can cut down your own if you're feeling like an ambitious woodsman. Pre-cut trees are kept fresh in buckets of water. The workers will take off an inch from the trunk for those of us who don't own a saw. 

One of our favorite Christmas tree species is the Noble Fir. After picking out a humble 6-foot tree, we took the tag to the workers and requested shaking and netting. Shaking it removes loose needles and dirt and a net can help get it home.

A sense of humor is needed when the farm is crowded with holiday shoppers. Tree farm personnel demonstrated their funny-bone with the bottom line of this sign for the tree nets. Just kidding, of course!

Dramatic Winter Skies

Winter skies like to dance at this time of year and I captured some traveling clouds with the time-lapse feature on my smartphone. Music was then needed. The song I Wonder as I Wander evokes seasonal skies and is sung with layers of harmony by The King's Singers.

I had to giggle when I noted that I wandered in my neighborhood and I wondered if there were more Christmas decorations than usual, or had I not noticed them before? I included their photos in the video to connect with the song's lyrics.

 
“I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die
To save lowly people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Jesus was born it was in a cow’s stall
With shepherds and wise men and angels and all
The blessings of Christmas from heaven did fall
And the weary world woke to the Savior’s call.”
 

Bring Light To Your Creativity

For students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®), you can bring light to your creative endeavors with TRT® hands-on. Focus on Head Position #4 and Front Position #4 to support your expression in light. 

Let yourself relax into your heart. It's okay if it's not a professional production. The joy is in the process of creating.

With so many professional examples around us, it can be intimidating to pursue our own creative attempts. Remember when it was simply fun to create and we didn't worry about the outcome?

May your holidays be filled with wonder as you wander and may the new year be a source of joyful discovery.

 

Autumn Colors

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The Colors Of Fall

Fall has its own set of colors that fill our senses along with the smell of cool air and the sight of falling leaves.

It is a season that inspires us to turn within ourselves as we prepare for the darkness of winter and the task of keeping the flame burning bright.  We tender the light so that we may make it through the dark, long nights and find our way back into the growing light of spring.

Color Therapy In Our Clothes

Colors of autumn tend to be red, yellow and gold, orange and brown. Warm colors that wrap around us and comfort us during the cooler days and nights.  I find the colors of fall begin to exert their influence on me as the temperatures fall.

When I lived in Germany, where cool temperatures in fall are prominent, I noticed my blue sweaters didn't feel right in October. I had an urge to wrap myself in the rich colors of the earth as I moved through grey days and cold nights. It was as if I needed to apply color therapy to my clothes, so I could settle into my autumnal surroundings.

When I lived in Northern California, I was impatient for the cooler temperatures of fall which come much later in the year than in Germany. It's not until mid-November that the trees start to show their reds and yellows and mornings have that familiar chill.

Color In Fashion

It used to be that fashion etiquette dictated when we could wear certain colors. For example, white was not to be worn before Easter or after Labor Day. Pastels were not appropriate for fall or winter.

Nowadays, those restrictions seem to have disappeared into archaic dictates of the past. But perhaps there was some deeper meaning? Or was it simply a fashion style?

“Designers want me to dress like Spring, in billowy things.
I don’t feel like Spring.
I feel like a warm, red Autumn.”
— Marilyn Monroe
 

Do you find you sometimes need to shift the colors you are wearing based on the season?

Holiday Colors

The holidays of fall have their own colors. Halloween emphasizes the colors orange and black and this is seen in the many pumpkins and gourds. 

Thanksgiving colors are rich with the red of cranberries, the orange of pumpkin pies, the brown finish on our rolls and turkey skins and the yellow of our butternut squash.

Traditional colors for Christmas are the ripe red of holly berries and the primary green of our Christmas trees. 

As we move through the seasons, take a moment to notice if the colors have an affect on you.

Use Of TRT® Throughout The Seasons

You can combine your use of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) and your awareness of colors and how they influence you. As you purchase clothing, you can use your TRT® hands-on to connect with a fabric or color, for example, in Front Position #1 or Head Position #1. 

You can also apply your TRT® hands-on when you are in nature and observe the colors around you, no matter the season. It supports you to be in the moment and to be aware of your interaction with it. 

Are you seeing the vibration that is within the colors? Placing a hand in your heart is helpful to expand your vision on all levels.

What Is Your Favorite Color?

I used to say I have a favorite color. Now, I've come to realize that my color preferences change in the moment, depending on the season. 

Do you have favorite shades and hues that reflect the season you're in?

 

The Witch At Night She Comes

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The Witch

The witch, the witch,
At night she comes.
Shut out your light
Or she'll taste your thumb.

She'll smell it first,
She'll lick it next,
Then she'll decide
That you're the best.

She'll take you away
On her wicked broom,
She'll fly you around
The weird, weird moon.

She'll take you away
To her home,
And start fixin' – the chrome.

You'll try to stop her
But never win!
For she's got her mind
Set on you for din' ...


by Leslie Anneliese, age 10

Halloween And Witches

The Witch is a poem for Halloween written as a child from a long time ago.

Settling down in front of the black and white keyboard of our piano as a little girl, I would play spooky minor chords while chanting these “scary” words.

Everyone kindly feigned fright and due alarm at this story that predicted one’s demise by becoming a witch's dinner!

I wonder now how I learned that witches eat children for dinner. It's a theme also found in the Disney movie Hocus Pocus. I have a fun blog post about that movie entitled Hocus Pocus Halloween.

Apparently, there's an archetype in our society where witches are wicked and we worry about being consumed for dinner like in the story of Hansel and Gretel.

Even Shakespeare includes a cautionary tale about witches in Macbeth:

“Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.”
 
“We see the evil queen carrying her basket of poisoned apples to innocent Snow White.
We see the Wicked Witch of the West flying on her broomstick, with her winged monkeys, chasing Dorothy and her friends.
We see the squinty-eyed old woman of Hansel and Gretel heating up her black oven, preparing to eat the candy-fattened children.”
— Selene Grace Silver

Perhaps the notion that everything seems to be food for something else lurks beneath our awareness and is expressed in these stories.

Yet, stories of good witches are also to be found with the television show Bewitched and there is a good witch in The Wizard of Oz. The theatrical play Wicked also takes a look at our witches in the land of Oz from another perspective.

The Radiance Technique® And Childhood

When you have studied The Radiance Technique® (TRT®), you are able to begin a healing process that moves across time and space. You can heal experiences within your childhood and bring greater light to them. Those moments all accumulate in who you are now.

Study of The Second Degree of TRT® gives you an even more precise tool to direct to specific moments and people across time, including when we were young. It's a powerful technique to heal energies from our past which effectively interact with our present moment.

When burdens and hurts from the past have less power over us, we are able to express more of who we really are, with greater love and understanding.

By the same token, we are also able to expand our happiness from the past and this connects to us in the present moment as we spiral in greater joy and appreciation.  

 

Hocus Pocus Halloween

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Magic And Halloween

Halloween draws near. It's time to bask in the spells of magic and make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

Getting in the mood for Halloween demands a viewing of the movie Hocus Pocus. It has become a Halloween tradition. It’s time to curl up with warm drinks and popcorn in front of the wide screen to watch this classic movie.

Hocus Pocus

Disney's 1993 movie, Hocus Pocus, is a light-hearted show the whole family can enjoy. True to Disney style, there's just enough play on words to keep the adults entertained too.

Get ready for magic and time travel.

“Hocus Pocus revolves around the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, who are resurrected inadvertently, 300 years after their deaths, on the eve of Halloween in 1993.

Hanged as witches those many years past, they live up to their reputations and wreak havoc across Salem. Only a teenage boy (Omri Katz), his girlfriend (Vinessa Shaw), his little sister (Thora Birch) and a talking cat (Sean Murray) are able to stop them. ”

I Put A Spell On You

In Hocus Pocus the witches cast a magic spell over the entire town. 

However, apparently a magical spell was also cast so the movie wouldn't disappear into obscurity. The film has developed a loyal cult following.

“Critics tore apart the horror comedy, but it then went on to establish a cult audience thanks to its release on home video. ”

Who says magic's not real?

The Sanderson Sisters – Three Witches

“Bette Midler as Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson, the buck-toothed leader of the Sanderson sisters. She is the eldest and the wickedest of the sisters, as well as the most intelligent. She has a great knowledge of dark magic. Her robes are green.

Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, the second witch sister. Often complimenting and comforting her domineering older sister Winnie, she likes to eat children. Her powers are smelling children. Her color is red.

Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson, the youngest and most beautiful witch sister; she also is ditzy and vague. Her powers are mesmerism (by singing a siren song), which she uses to lure children to feed upon their life force. Her somewhat revealing robes are purple.”
— Wikipedia

Wicked And Delightful

Listen to the resonant ring of Winifred's voice, "SISTAHS !!!" as she calls to her beloved sisters. They are bonded in a coven as sisters and witches, even if she does call them idiots at one point.

The three sister-witches are a goofy bunch (after all, it's a horror comedy) and while they’re pretty silly, their magic is certainly wicked enough. Sucking the life out of young children qualifies, don't you think?

Sarah's Enchanted Song

As the witches fly on their broomsticks, Winifred calls forth to Sarah:

“Use thy voice, Sarah,
Fill the sky!
Bring the little brats to die!
Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha...”

Sarah sings a melodious song as she weaves a thread of magic to lure the children of the town to the witches' lair. Perched on her flying broomstick, Sarah coos her lullaby into the night sky. Her dulcet tones melt onto the children, mesmerizing them into obedience.

“Come, Little Children, I’ll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come, Little Children, the time’s come to play
Here in my garden of magic...”

Come Little Children

Sarah sings only one verse of the song, but its haunting melody enchanted people near and far.

Who is the author of the song's lyrics?

Some claim it was written by Edgar Allen Poe; that is simply not true. To add to the confusion, more verses were tacked on to create a longer version of the song.

It's our good fortune that author D. Melhoff launched an inquiry into the matter. Leaving no stone unturned, Melhoff's research on the topic provides the most satisfactory answers.

The first verse was written by Brock Walsh for the Disney movie Hocus Pocus and the music was composed by James Horner.

The origin of the added verses remains shrouded in mystery. Perhaps that's how it should be when you're dealing with a song that leads to the supernatural.

You can read all the circuitous details found by D. Melhoff in the post entitled: Who Really Wrote the Poem "Come Little Children"?

The singer, Erutan, also performs a full version of the song. She created a YouTube video with images from the movie Pan's Labyrinth as a cover.

Delve Into Halloween

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can enjoy spooky holidays too. While watching Hocus Pocus, you can apply TRT® hands-on in various positions, such as over the heart or abdomen, or on the adrenals.

It's easy to combine positions, such as one hand in the heart and the other in the abdomen. Any TRT® hands-on position is helpful when watching suspenseful or scary movie scenes.

Students of The Second Degree of TRT® can direct energy to the energies of Halloween and discover hidden meanings for themselves. 

Be sure to take extra time for TRT® hands-on during the upcoming busy holiday season that officially launches on Halloween night. Incorporate hands-on into your activities for stress reduction. 

Enjoy your Halloween celebrations!

 

Food For The Fourth Of July

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America Celebrates Its Birthday

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. Holiday displays in the supermarkets are set up to tantalize shoppers with outdoor foods and drinks.

Isn't this a gorgeous American Flag Pie created by King Arthur Flour? I dream of creating it one day. It may remain a forever dream, but in the meantime, it's nice to see.

If you're willing to tackle this pie adventure, here is the recipe for the American Flag Pie, made with strawberries/rhubarb and blueberries.

Time To Start Your Grills

Fourth of July in America.

Start your grills. Friends and family gather 'round for picnics and barbecues.

Grilled corn on-the-cob (with barbecue or herb butter), sizzling hamburgers and hot dogs are all de rigueur. Dedicated meat-eaters splurge on tri-tip beef. Vegetarians don't have to feel left out. Tofu burgers make a fine alternative.

Everything can go on the grill, not just meat. Vegetables and fruits also grill up pretty. A fun television show from The Food Network features recipes by Bobby Flay, the acclaimed grill master.

How about grilled peaches with cinnamon sugar butter? Sounds delicious, doesn't it? Click on the link for the recipe.

Summer picnic food on the menu:

Baked beans
Juicy watermelon
Chips and dip
Finger sandwiches
Fruit salads, and
Everyone's version of their famous potato salad

The Great Mayonnaise Debate

Family feuds have started over potato salad. Dill or sweet pickles? What brand of mayonnaise do you use?

People stand firmly entrenched in their mayonnaise camps:

1) Best Foods (west of the Rockies) or Hellmann's (east of the Rockies) – same company, same mayo, different name per regional distribution. 

2) Duke's mayonnaise has Southern roots and is also found in some states further north.

3) Kraft mayonnaise has a nationwide distribution.

4) Dare I mention Miracle Whip? Some argue that it's not even mayonnaise, but Miracle Whip has a strong, if not beleaguered, following. Take a look at this Tumblr account that proclaims in a joking manner, Miracle Whip and Proud Of It. Miracle Whip was created in 1933 by Kraft as a less expensive alternative to mayonnaise.

Rest assured, never the twain shall meet. Each brand has a dedicated cult following.

 

Here's a fun tongue-in-cheek story for your amusement.

The Family Mayonnaise Incident

We are a Best Foods mayonnaise family. In our corner of Washington state, that's our mayo. For decades we remained true blue to Best Foods.

Recently, my sister returned home from an 18-month job assignment in Tennessee. She was living south of the Mason-Dixon Line and Duke's is the mayo of the South. She divulged that she had tried, and liked, Duke's mayonnaise.

To make matters worse, she had the audacity to bring jars of Duke's mayo home with her. Even her husband was perplexed when he saw the alien mayo jars in her bags.

Oh, the shock. This was akin to heresy. My own sister, cheating on Best Foods. She admitted feeling a little guilty about it. 

After her heartfelt confession, we welcomed her back into the fold. She was home again in familiar territory and surrounded by Best Foods. Let bygones be bygones.

And then, our nephew ordered a big jar of Duke's mayonnaise from Amazon and sent it to my sister as a birthday present.

The saga continues...

 

Summer Activities For The Fourth

The Fourth of July is dedicated to picnics and summer fun, such as swimming, boating, hiking, and, not to be forgotten, naps in a hammock. It's a holiday, so some healthy relaxation is included on the menu. Reading a book in a hammock rates high on my list.

For students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) – be sure to bring radiant energy to all your events, picnics and relaxation. TRT® hands-on can be used for food prep, bringing your Radiant Touch® to the fruits and vegetables that you prepare. Those who have studied The Second Degree of TRT® can direct energy to their food preparations.

Whenever we have a holiday, it's supportive to dedicate extra time for TRT® hands-on. And, of course, it's easy to apply hands-on while in the midst of your summer enjoyment. Use TRT® while riding in the car, under a tree enjoying the shade, and while eating. You don't have to separate yourself away from all the fun to still benefit from use of TRT®.

 

patriotic cookies recipe

 

Happy Birthday – USA

Does all this food talk make you hungry?

I know I'm ready to treat myself to potato salad and other picnic delights.

Let's raise a fork and a patriotic spiral cookie in honor of the United States of America.

I'll see you at the picnic.

Hearts, Love and Saint Valentine

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Saint Valentine

February 14 – It's a day of flowers, chocolate, hearts and proclamations of romantic love.

On this day we commemorate St. Valentine as the patron saint of lovers.

Valentine earned this elevated standing with the greatest of sacrifices, his life. He chose to marry Christian couples against the edicts of the Roman Emperor, Claudius II.

 
 

Valentine In The Year 270 AD

The origins of St. Valentine are unclear, but it is thought he was executed on February 14 around the year 270. While imprisoned and awaiting execution, he befriended the jailer and his daughter who was beautiful and blind. St. Valentine performed a miracle and restored her sight.

Legend tells us that on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter and signed it...

 
“From your Valentine”
 

This was the very first Valentine.

St. Valentine is also the patron saint of bees and beekeepers. (Image above from Ithelda.) That makes sense if we're talking about the birds and the bees, but I think it's also due to the sweet nectar of honey. It's certainly a labor of love by our sweet bees.

 

Hearts Are For Everyone

Long ago, I abandoned the notion that love only exists between a romantic couple. While it's wonderful to celebrate romance, love is so much bigger.

Love takes many expressions and colorful hues.

As we get older, our lives reflect the expansion of this love. We start with love of only our nuclear family and then we often include someone else as a life partner. Children, relatives and in-laws are added into the mix.

Our Love Becomes Wider

Time passes and cycles shift. Children grow up and leave the house. Our love stretches out into wider circles, perhaps towards grandchildren and into the greater community. Our love expands like ever-widening ripples on a pond.

For the meditator, the journey shifts when love moves past a state of doing and becomes a state of being. In my post, The Winding Road of Life, I write about moving beyond the idea of "I love you" and into the discovery of simply being in a state of love.

You move past the idea of only loving someone. You begin to love nature and animals, ideals and causes. 

You move past exclusive love and widen your heart into inclusive love. A love that sees past your inner circle and embraces it all.

Expanding Our Hearts

In The New Expanded Reference Manual of The Radiance Technique®, Authentic Reiki®, Third Edition by Dr. Barbara Ray, Ph.D. — the entry on LOVE is found on page 144:

 

LOVE — Has the aspect of human or brotherly love which is referred to as love of the outer heart - love with an object. This kind of love is the warm feeling of affection felt or sensed from the chest/heart area, love from the lower planes. This kind of love is different from the love known as divine, spiritual, universal, Radiant Love that simply IS without external, outer stimulus or object.

You can use The Radiance Technique® for expansion of both of these kinds of love by focusing for extended times as a meditation the hands-on Front Positions #1 and #3; also Head Positions #2 and #3 for deeper insights into the vibration of Real Love.

 

In this text, Dr. Ray writes you can expand "both of these kinds of love" – neither excludes the other, we embrace it all. Our journey with our human heart is a part of our spiritual journey. All along the way, we learn more about real love.

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can use their TRT® hands-on to expand their awareness of love in their meditations. One of the great aspects of TRT® is that you can use it in any situation. Even when you're not meditating – you still benefit from the supportive, loving energy.

Celebrate Heart Day

If we see St. Valentine's Day as more than romantic love, we enjoy it as one day of the year when we celebrate hearts of all kinds.

As in the quote from Mother Teresa, you are invited to burn with love not only for your heart throb, but for your family and community, your ideals, and the world at large.

What a day to celebrate our joyful hearts burning with love.

 

Happy New Year from Radiant Nursing

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Welcome in the New Year

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Joyfully Celebrate The Radiance Technique®

For students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) – the celestial orbit of another earthly year lies ahead of us. Whatever may await us, whatever dreams we wish to come true – let's remember to support ourselves on the sometimes bumpy trajectory with ongoing use of TRT®.

We will be here, our Hearts in the Wind, to share our many stories together.

 
“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness.
I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can.
And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”
— Neil Gaiman
 

May this New Year be a time of Great Light and Healing Love... for each of you, your family and friends, for all of humanity, and our blessed animals, nature and Planet Earth.

Let the journey commence...