" Ain't No Mountain High Enough ... "

If you need me, call me. 

No matter where you are, no matter how far. 

Just call my name. I'll be there in a hurry. 

On that you can depend and never worry ...

No wind, no rain, 

Can stop me, babe 

If you wanna go 

I know, I know you must follow the sun 

Wherever it leads 

But remember 

If you should fall short of your desires 

Remember life holds for you one guarantee 

You'll always have me ...

Ain't no mountain high enough 

Ain't no valley low enough (say it again) 

Ain't no river wide enough 

To keep me from you. 

~ Ashford & Simpson ~ Ain’t No Mountain High Enough ~

***

B-L-I-S-S ... the last few days, Russell and I were gifted a mini-vacation in the Rocky Mountains with my parents.  They booked a vacation rental for the four of us in Canmore.  So we had to pack and plan for a three-night get away.  You know the saying “everything but the kitchen sink” ... well we may have taken that as well ... juicer, organic veggies and fruit, coffee & supplies, medications, laptop .... And it is a good thing we have an SUV ... it was fully packed!

My mom knew to book a place with a full kitchen so as soon as we got there, the juicer got set up, groceries were unpacked, and coffee was being brewed for my upcoming enema.  Although this is the norm for us, it still amazes how we just know what to do when, regardless of where we are ... and still stay right on schedule.  
Man oh man I’ve got an awesome team!

Initially I wasn’t looking forward to the “hassle” of taking my therapy on the road, but I am so glad we did.  This was the first real trip for Russell and I since coming back from the clinic last March.  And those that know us, we have always travelled every year so this was a huge treat ... and I realized that a change of scenery is EXACTLY what I needed.  

Thankfully, Canmore is about an hours drive from our home, so it is easy to make this happen.  Mountain Living ... I understand why others get tired of the busy city life and make that change ... it is simply breathtaking.  As the mighty mountains tower above us, the pristine views, the quiet, calm atmosphere and the uninterrupted green settings provide plenty of benefits to your mind, body and spirit.  

I had plenty of room to breathe ...

We talked about what it would be like to live there and if we could truly enjoy the natural therapy mountain living would bring after a stressful day ... the best of nature.  We could still grow a garden and even chop our own wood for those crazy winters we endure.  Mountain living could give us our very own natural paradise.

It would be a massive change for the two of us ... but it is not as far fetched as it may seem.  A geographic move has been on our radar for many years, even prior to my diagnosis.  We just assumed it would be to a warmer climate and near water ... and still may be, you never know.

But for now, thanks to my generous parents, we had this wonderful opportunity ... to relax, play cards, read books, eat good food, and share in each others company.

Feeling truly loved & blessed ... I embrace every morsel of this life ...

Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white ~ Mark Jenkins

" Newborn ... "

Newborn ...

I've got someone seeing grace in me

Someone respecting me

I've got someone who's there for me

Someone saying prayers for me

For all the right reasons

~ Depeche Mode ~ Newborn ~

***

This weekend, I had an opportunity to celebrate the upcoming birth of a newborn.  My girlfriend Jasmeen and her husband are expecting their first baby this spring.  So exciting ... bringing so much joy in their lives and for those of us touched by them.  Thanks to my gorgeous girl, Rupi who hosted a wonderful afternoon, we showered Jasmeen with happiness and love ... keeping her body, mind and spirit in a blissful state.  Precious ♥

In the spirit of babies, recently I read that the expectant mother needs to sacrifice many things during her pregnancy, as she is being a given a gift of a lifetime, her precious newborn.  I read she should hear melodious songs, read revered books or beautiful literature, wear comfortable clothing, adorn herself with fragrant flowers and always be in a happy and serene atmosphere.  This increases her chances of giving birth to children who have better cognition, spatial and depth perception.  As well as avoiding packaged foods, restrict animal products and alcohol ensures a healthy baby.  And lowering stress and anxiety is crucial as this can lead to subtle changes in an unborn child’s development ... high signs of stress such as high blood pressure increase heart rates of their babies.

All this literature made me think ... why does this have to apply to only expectant mothers?  Just think ... apply the above to yourself as often as possible ... *sigh ... pure bliss!  We are just as important as our newborns.  We too are a gift and it is never to late to treat ourselves with a mother’s kindness and love ... loving kindness, the feeling of love, warmth and caring as the object.  You see, a mother’s love is unconditional - there are truly no strings attached.  So why do we attach strings?  Why do we beat ourselves up, tell ourselves it is too late or we are not good enough?

When we truly take care of ourselves and our bodies at all times, not just times when we are “suppose to”, we will have the same effect on ourselves as we would on a newborn ... for example, you wouldn’t feed your baby junk food, so why do you feed this to yourself?

So start off by imagining yourself as a kid ... wouldn’t you want the best for that kid?  Imagine showering that child with comfort, security, safety.  Continue to positively nourish that child's internal and external environment.  Now use that image as a way to cultivate a sincere wish for happiness for yourself ... a wish held within every one of your cells ....a wish to be truly happy ... a wish to embrace yourself with feelings of peace, bliss and joy ... unconditionally.  Precious ♥

" Get Real ... "

"What's up? 

What happened when I wasn't around? 

Who did what? 

What went down? 

Get real, Get real 

Think about myself it happens to me 

It happens in the tunnel when I let myself feel 

Get real, Get real"

~ David Bowie ~ Get Real ~

***

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and enjoying the holiday break.  We had an opportunity to visit with out of town family and friends.  Such a beautiful time to just be together with loved ones.  And this year in particular, I really enjoyed every moment.  Moments of laughter, silliness, joy, reflection, giving, receiving, sharing, love, bliss, tears, rememberance, and gratitude.  All these emotions and experiences jammed packed into 5 days can also bring on a truckload of expectations.  But this year, I managed those ... expectations that is.

You see, with expectations can come happiness but almost always comes disappointments.  And with disappointments comes anxiety and with anxiety comes stress ... and so on.  A stressful time no matter how you slice it.  In addition to the usual family issues to handle and all the reactions therein, the media tends to portray how our holiday “should” be.  Mix in the financial pressure and over spending issues ... this can be a challenging time.  

Reflecting back on my previous blogs about the “perfect gift” ... understanding that receiving what is provided with no expectations is just as important.  Not getting caught up in what the holiday should look like, how it should feel, and what you’re going to get or how people are going to react to a gift you are giving ... all of which can dominate our minds ... bringing so many feelings of deep anger and resentment.

So how do I keep it all in check but still make the most of this glorious time?  

First, I stay away from romanticizing the holidays.  I keep my levels of expectations quite low and accept what was right in front of me.  Light bulb moment ~ I have realized that instead of wishing what could be, I accept what is ... sometimes what is provided by those you love is all they can give.  Acceptance. 

Second, I Get Real.  I know that I am blessed to have those in my life who love, respect and support me.  I know that  at the moment, I cannot fully indulge in the delights of the season due to my therapy but my loved ones understand and work around it instead of feeling sorry for me.

Third, I have an Escape Plan.  Yes you read that right .... as you know I am all about detox! detox! detox! and that goes for my external environment just as much as my internal environment ... so if I find I am in a situation that I find overly critical, I remove myself from that environment emotionally and literally if need be.  Meditation, Hot Yoga and Writing are my outlets.  Find a safe place, a sanctuary, for you to retreat.  

Fourth, Breath.  Being mindful of your breathing ~ deliberate and deep.  Sometimes just letting it all out, a sigh of relief, can make a big difference.  Shallow breathing and fight or flight situations go hand in hand. 

I know that I am not alone when it comes to the potential stress holidays can bring.  Yet remembering that YOU have to take care of your emotional, physical and spiritual well being because if you don’t, who will?  

" Wrap It Up ... "

" No more will I shop around now 
You know I've got the best thing in town now
I've seen all I want to see
What your loving means to me now
Wrap it up, I'll take it"

~ Eurythmics ~ Wrap It Up ~

***

I was so excited to write this post today because I decided to wrap my christmas gifts in a different way this year.  With old magazines.  Yes, you read that right, old magazines.  I guess a classic old standby for many, but for me ... guilt free gift wrap ... Go Green!!

Considering half of the 100 million tonnes of paper products used each year in North America going to packaging, wrapping and decorating consumer goods, this year I decided to choose from the stylish options of my old mags.  Feeling quite "crafty", I customize the paper design, while cutting down on using new materials.  

It's really quite easy, fun and in-expensive.  Just look for articles spreads that reflect your recipient's tastes.  For large presents, I lay out the amount of selected pages needed to cover my gift on the floor and tape them together to achieve a cool patchwork design.  For smaller gifts that only require one page, I try to choose beauty spreads that feature multiple products scattered on one page.  And with ribbons from previous gifts given to me, that are still in really good shape, I make bows, topping it off ... voila, see my "masterpiece" (videos) ... remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder ;)

Supplies ...

Final Product ...

And just in case this is not your cup of tea but you are interested in some natural, eco and recycled wrapping ideas, here are some suggestions:

• Tie pine cones in to your gifts with thin ribbon on the base ... spray them with a natural pine oil scent to add to the experience

• For the men in your life, use old keys, nuts and bolts as an accessory

• Paper tablecloths are an ideal medium for wrapping large and awkward shapes.

• For a lovely aroma, use old oranges, slice them up and dry them in the oven or airing cupboard ... after a couple of days these can be tied in to gifts

• Tie any dazzling embellishments, like jewelry or buckles, with ribbons to bedazzle your gifts
  
• Paint cream, gold or brown dots on brown paper for a shabby chic finish

• Recycle last year's Christmas trimmings and tie them on to gifts instead of the tree