As We Gather For Our Feast

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Thanksgiving Preparation

Grocery shelves groan under the weight of extra produce that will grace our tables. Pumpkins and butternut squash are piled high. Extra displays are set up with traditional foods for the Thanksgiving table such as sweet potatoes and yams, bags of cranberries, green beans, and stuffing mix for the turkey.

We Remember Our Farmers

It's a holiday for feasting, a celebration of the abundance of the year's harvest. We come together to share our food and to give thanks.

With gratitude for our endless bounty, we also take a moment to remember and thank those who provide all this food for us.

Our farmers.

Paul Harvey, a radio broadcaster from a time when radio was king, delivered a broadcast in 1978 about farmers. It became known by the title, "So God Made A Farmer."

Harvey painted with his words the hard work and humble life of a farmer. A rising sun waits for no one and so, the farmer rises early each day to tend the animals and the fields, no matter what. It's a life that requires resiliency and strength. How many of us would have the fortitude to be a farmer?

Ram Trucks condensed the speech for a Super Bowl XLVII ad in 2013, adding rich photos to accompany the descriptive words.

God Made A Farmer (text)

And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer.

"I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry, have to wait lunch until his wife's done feeding visiting ladies and tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon -- and mean it." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt. And watch it die. Then dry his eyes and say, 'Maybe next year.' I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire, who can make harness out of haywire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. And who, planting time and harvest season, will finish his forty-hour week by Tuesday noon, then, pain'n from 'tractor back,' put in another seventy-two hours." So God made a farmer.

God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor's place." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bails, yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-combed pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow lark. It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed and rake and disc and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk and replenish the self-feeder and finish a hard week's work with a five-mile drive to church. 

Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life doing what dad does." So God made a farmer.

–Paul Harvey

 

Expand Our Gratitude

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can expand their gratitude during the holiday season. Extra time with TRT® hands-on in Front Position #1 or #3 supports us to get in touch with the inter-connections of our lives.

When we purchase our food, we touch it with universal energy that is accessed with TRT®. We are able to expand the light within our food.

For students of The Second Degree of TRT®, there are layers upon layers of people, animals and crops that we can support with radiant energy. Whether we choose a vegetarian or an omnivore life style, we can direct energy without judgment.

Farmers Face Challenges

There are struggles for today's farmers on many levels. Concerns swirl around us such as animal treatment, genetic manipulation of seeds, loss of crop land, and getting food to the hungry, just to name a few. As we become more and more urbanized, there is concern as to who will be our next generation of farmers.

As a student of TRT®, you can pick what speaks to you personally and hold it in your heart with your TRT® hands-on. You can dedicate time to support it with radiant energy. You may not be a farmer, but you can support them with radiant energy.

We Say Thank You

We also remember the long chain of people who bring the farmers' food to us. Many hands touch the food before we buy it, like people who package it, the truckers and the store workers.

This Thanksgiving holiday, we bow our heads before the beautiful food on our tables and we say thank you to everyone who helped bring it to us.

 

Photos of the farmers are all
by Paul Mobley from an article in The Morning News.

 

Seattle And Puget Sound

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Get Your Rain Coat

Seattle is known for its rain and cloudy weather. If you live here, you learn to carry on in spite of it.

One of the first things to do is invest in a waterproof rain coat. A rain coat makes everything possible and you feel invincible.

Then off you go. Because you never know when sun breaks will shine through.

Especially at this time of year, with fall moving into winter, changes of sun, rain, mist, and clouds are mercurial. 

This rain coat is from an Eddie Bauer outlet store. When you're on the ferry, the wind blows your hair everywhere in the obligatory photo-op with the Seattle Space Needle in the background.

Puget Sound

 
“In geography, a sound is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, and wider than a fjord; or a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land.”
— Wikipedia
 

Seattle sits next to the large body of water known as Puget Sound.

Interesting facts from Explore The Sound:

  • Puget Sound covers 1.6 million acres and has 2,500 miles of shoreline.

  • The region’s 2.1 million acres of state-owned submerged saltwater lands are home to 211 fish species, 100 sea bird species and 13 types of marine mammals.

  • There are 68 state parks and 3 national parks, as well as wildlife refuges, national forests and other public lands that border Puget Sound.

  • The Sound helps drive $20 billion of economic activity in Washington State.

  • The Puget Sound region encompasses 12 counties populated by approximately 4.3 million people.

  • Ninety cities and towns border the Sound.

  • There are 19 major watersheds in the Puget Sound region.

Out On The Water

The deep, salt-water of Puget Sound laps at the shore of Seattle. While it's wondrous to observe from land, it's even more satisfying to be out on it.

On this day, we headed out on a private boat. Although the forecast called for rain, we were lucky to have none during our time on the water. Just another example of making your plans and seeing where they take you.

We encountered powerful waves due to a strong wind. Our boat rocked up and down and we imagined ourselves as pirates on a wild sea. 

The boat captain adeptly navigated the waves that tossed us like a bucking bronco and he maneuvered our boat into calmer waters. The sun glistened and danced across the water in happy delight.

Being In Nature

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can expand their connection with nature through their use of TRT® hands-on while they are outside, be it on land or water. When we access universal energy, we begin to see the inter-connections between man and animals and all that exists. 

Atoms hum together whether they be liquid, vapor or solid. The song spins out loving threads binding us in a tapestry that sparkles in the firmaments of the heavens.

Being in nature uplifts our hearts and the Seattle area provides ample opportunity to be outdoors.

 

 

Dahlia Flowers

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City Flower of Seattle

Although I've lived in the Seattle area before, now that I'm "settling down," I'm learning more details about this place that I'll be calling home.

One thing I discovered through Seattle Refined – a television program dedicated to all the ins-and-outs of the Seattle area – is that Seattle has a city flower. It's the Dahlia.

 
“Ordinance 32137, approved November 19, 1913, established the dahlia as the City’s official flower and requested that the Park Board of the City plant and cultivate the flower in suitable quantities to make effective displays in the City parks.”
— Seattle City Symbols
 

In this post is a set of photos of Dahlias that I took with my iPhone 7. These flowers were blooming with wild abandon even at the end of September.

In this first photo, I was lucky to share a dahlia with a busy bee. His wings were buzzing so quickly that you can scarcely see them. The rich yellow of his body contrasts with the red intensity of the flower. 

Stop And Smell The Flowers

Flowers speak to our hearts. I was lucky to discover an entire garden dedicated to Dahlias in the town of Silverdale which is just across the water from Seattle. It's an interesting little patch that was cultivated and located at the town's post office. 

I've been there before, running into the post office to take care of mailing errands. I had not paid attention to these sweet flowers blooming in all their glory.

When I finally noticed, it was a great reminder to increase my awareness of my surroundings and to "stop and smell the roses" – or in this case, the dahlias. There's often some truth to be found in an old adage.

Dance With The Flowers

I loved taking the time to wander in the garden, snapping pictures with my phone camera. Standing amidst so many flowers, all singing their melodious songs, my spirit was filled with wonder and appreciation for nature.

Gratitude washed over me to be with the open hearts of these flowers in all their many shapes and sizes. We shared a dance of our spirits.

Many Variations Of Dahlias

Dahlia flowers have many variations in their shapes, colors and petals. In the photo above, this one appears to have a fire burning within.

I was surprised to learn that Dahlias originated from Mexico and Central America since The Pacific Northwest is markedly cooler and wetter than those areas. However, a post about growing Dahlias had this to say:

 
“Although dahlias are native to the highland areas of Mexico and Central America, they are particularly fond of our cool-summer Northwest Coast climate in Washington State, and it’s easy for anyone to grow them to perfection with very little care.”
— Puget Sound Dahlia Association
 

Gardens As Sweet As Your Smile

Wistful inner petals encircled the nectar-filled jewel at the center of this lavender flower above. Its feathered patterns enchanted both pollinators and me. I was intrigued that it, too, was a Dahlia.

The Old Farmers Almanac informs us that the Dahlia was named for Anders Dahl (botanist), born on 17 March 1751.

 
“The Dahlia you brought to our isle
Your praises forever shall speak
‘Mid gardens as sweet as your smile
And colour as bright as your cheek.”
— Lord Holland (1773-1840)
 

Dahlias Are Magical

For students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®), it's possible to share and direct radiant energy with plants and flowers. One way is with TRT® hands-on by gently cupping your hands around a flower.

Your Radiant Touch® accesses universal energy and expands upon the wholeness that is within both you and the flower. It can be a wonderful exchange between universal hearts.

 
“Did you know that the city of Seattle has an official flower?
It’s the beautiful dahlia, and there is nowhere better to see them than the Volunteer Park Dahlia Garden, and no better time than August - when they’re in full bloom.”
— Seattle Refined
 

In the dahlia garden, there were many more flowers in colors of orange, yellow and white. There wasn't enough time to photograph them all.

Next season, when dahlias are blooming, I hope to capture more photos of these flowers that are like magical fairies. A visit to Volunteer Park Dahlia Garden is on the books.

 

Bake Your Election Day Cake

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Election Day Is Nigh

National and midterm elections in the United States take place every two years.

Some people are glued to their television sets to follow minute-by-minute results.

Others, to avoid the stress of it all, keep their tv sets off and check the results once the drama is all over.

Take A Stroll Into The Past

If we were whisked back to colonial times, we'd find ourselves busy preparing our Election Cakes. In early America, Election Day was an important celebration, second only to Thanksgiving.

Our Puritan ancestors did not acknowledge the religious holidays of Christmas or Easter, believing they were too connected to Papist idolatry. Furthermore, to say that religious, "holy days" existed implied that other days of the year were not holy which was not acceptable to them.

Election Day, therefore, provided a rare chance to celebrate in high fashion. Parades filled the streets. People came to town from outlying areas and everyone fêted the day with religious ceremonies, dancing balls and fine food.

Election Cake Old World Recipe

I found an official Election Cake recipe from 1796. With these quantities, you’d have a lot of cake.

“Election Cake:
30 quarts of flour
10 pounds butter
14 pounds sugar
12 pounds raisins
3 dozen eggs
one pint wine
one quart brandy
4 ounces cinnamon
4 ounces fine colander seed
3 ounces ground alspice
Prunes and currants

Wet flour with milk to the consistence of bread over night, adding one quart yeast;
the next morning work the butter and sugar together for half an hour, which will render the cake much lighter and whiter; when it has rise, light work in every other ingredient except the prunes, which work in when going into the oven.”
— Simmons, American Cookery, 1796

Cakes of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries were typically produced through soaking or sour leavening, not unlike sourdough breads. This traditional method of soaking flour in sour milk or leavening dough with sourdough starter optimized nourishment received from these foods. In a time without mass-market refrigerators, it also made use of sour milk that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Election Cakes were filled with healthy, wholesome fats such as butter and fresh eggs. The added alcohol helped with preservation of the cake. The dried fruits made it similar to our infamous fruit cakes of Christmas.

Get Out And Vote

Election Day Cakes were also a way to entice people (in the beginning, men with property) to come out and vote. They could vote and receive a slice of delectable cake. Later on, it was even a bit of a bribe to vote straight down a ticket.

Cake sustained not only the voters, but the people counting all the votes late into the night.

Vintage Election Cake For Today

We can bring the past into our present by baking our own version of an Election Cake.

What better way to celebrate or soothe your disappointment than with cake? 

If you'd like to try a modern-day version of Election Cake, here is a recipe. It has a yeast mixture that harkens back to our historical Election Cakes.

Election Cake Revival

Voting is a remarkable aspect of our heritage in the United States. With the passing of the decades, people have tended to become blasé about this privilege. Others hold the stance that you can't complain about elected officials if you didn't vote. 

How fun to honor our history of voting with a present-day revival of Election Day Cakes. We could be creative and celebrate with any cake of our choice.

Here's a bundt cake from Martha Stewart that makes a great Election Day Cake. No yeast mixture is needed. This Kentucky Bourbon Brown Butter Cake would hit the spot, whatever the voting outcome.

Baking Cake With TRT®

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can use TRT® hands-on when they are baking, with the ingredients before mixing and with themselves prior to starting a recipe. 

It's also fun for students of The Second Degree of TRT® to direct energy to our history as we learn more about the past – where we've been and how that connects to where we are going. It's your own discovery process.

Celebrate your right, and privilege, to vote.

Cake brings all of us together on this wonderful day of our democratic process. Go forth and bake your cake.

See you on Election Day.

 

Moving Is Filled With Goodbyes

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Goodbye Takes Many Forms

Moving is a time of saying hello to unknown, future adventures.

It's also replete with goodbyes.

Saying Goodbye

Moving means saying farewell to grand things: jobs, co-workers, a house that was a home, friends and family.

There are also goodbyes to little things, those sparkles that brighten one's day. Like loving gestures whispered on the wind and permanently seared upon my heart. Now, without them, a pale cloud of thin sadness drifts over me.

It's the goodbye to a sumptuous farmers market filled with year-round delectable treats. Or the wistful farewell to a food co-op with a bulk section that inspired envy.

Goodbye To The Little Things

It's little conveniences that are figured out over the space of several years. To avoid frustrating freeway backups, I discovered bucolic back roads. I whisked through wide fields dotted with cows and horses, heads bent to the tufts of grass before them.

The car dealership that provided good service (how rare is that?) and courtesy car washes. Or, the best place to buy gas.

The hair stylist. I finally found a good hairdresser after enduring a series of terrible hair cuts. She listened to what I wanted. She knew her trade. My heart sinks to think of the hairdresser-search beginning again.

Goodbye To The Earth

I said goodbye to each plant and tree that I had planted in the front and back yards. I watched them grow and change through five years of seasons.

The maple tree in my front yard grew stronger and straighter than all my neighbors' trees planted at the same time. Maybe the water helped, maybe it was the love. 

That tree had a story. Soon after I moved in, one of the stakes holding the tree broke. The furniture maker who came to adjust a piece of furniture noted its state of disrepair. Without being asked, our goodbyes had already been said and we hadn't mentioned it, he drove back to my place with another one to replace it.

I happened to look out the window to see him at work. Each strike of his mallet on the stake was made with deliberate, careful attention. I didn't walk outside, not wanting to disturb this selfless act of caring. He never knocked on my door, never asked for recompense.

My heart still smiles when I think of it. His stake held tight over time against the fierce, delta winds. My maple tree reached to the sky with that firm support, straight and tall. 

I was able to thank him in person for his thoughtfulness, five years later when I had another piece of furniture to repair. He was sweetly proud of his handiwork and we stood together, admiring "our" straight tree.

I hope the new homeowners appreciate its regal beauty.

Little things, left behind as my car drove out of town.

Goodbye Held In The Heart

Use of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) – TRT® hands-on supports us, especially when wistful feelings of loss pass over. It's not about making it go away, figuring it out, or shoving it down and putting a ribbon on top. 

It's the simplicity of a hand in your heart as you hold the loss, as you hold the love. The fire accessed with TRT® burns – quiet and steady. We are that fire deep within, burning bright, in gain and in loss.

Goodbye. Hello. The continuum of our lives.

 

A Song For Ariel

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Saying Goodbye To The Neighbor's Kitty

Moving can include saying goodbye to the neighbor's kitty. 

Ariel, a long-haired grey cat, came into my life a couple of years after I moved in to my place in California. The neighbors in the two-story house behind me moved out and soon after, she started to appear in my backyard.

"Hello! I'm heading over the fence to hang out in your backyard." 

Whose Kitty Is This?

I visited the people in the house behind me, to check if the cat was theirs. I was deeply concerned this might a situation of people moving and abandoning their pets. But, fortunately, they confirmed the cat belonged to them and that her name was Ariel.

I have to say I don't "approve" of outdoor cats. Veterinarians agree that cats are healthier, safer and live longer lives when kept as indoor cats. 

A Backyard And A Kitty

But, when Ariel decided to make my backyard, her backyard, it didn't seem appropriate to lecture the neighbors on my views of proper care for cats.

Trying to chase her away would have been silly, as we're all familiar with the challenges of herding cats. 

I certainly couldn't wish her harm. In fact, on the contrary, I fell in love with her as my friendly neighbor and frequent visitor.

"Meow! I'm at your sliding glass door. Are you there?"

Enjoying The Backyard

Ariel and I both enjoyed the backyard. She would pop over the fence early in the morning and spend most of the day there. She had a couple of spots that had been worn smooth into comfy lairs by her body. 

She would greet me with a soft meow and come out from under the bushes when I entered the backyard. She'd come to the sliding glass door to say hello in the evening.

Being a cat lover, I wouldn't dream of resisting her sweet face and freely shared TRT® hands-on with her. I talked with her.

What a sweet, loving kitty. I could pick her up and hold her; she loved being petted. She was always kind and gentle with me when I handled her.

 I consciously made a decision to never feed her any food so she wouldn't think of my place as her real home, but she, nonetheless, made it her second home.

She would head over the fence, sometimes late at night, back to her own house. I'd tell her that she should be home with her family.

"My name is Ariel, and there are secrets within my eyes."

Saying Goodbye

I told Ariel, more than once, that I had to go away for good, that I was moving. Trying to explain that is not so easy even with other humans, much less animals.

I left a note for the new homeowners about her and I hope they will be kind to her. 

When we have to say goodbye, students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) are able to apply TRT® hands-on as they are preparing for the transition. Loss and grief are a natural part of leaving, even when you know you must go, even when you might look forward to departing for new adventures.

Students of The Second Degree of TRT® can also direct energy across time and space to people as well as to animals. 

I continue to direct radiant energy to Ariel and pray that she will be safe and sound.