Since I don’t really participate in Halloween any more, I thought I’d post a little collection of Halloween treasures my girlfriends and I have made over the years.
The pumpkin is real with succulents hot glued to the top. As long as you spray the succulents with water every couple of days, they last quite a long time.
I’ll bet you can’t imagine how much fun I had creating skulls! Each different, with their own personality.
The little skulls are even fun to decorate…
This skull is my favorite. By the time I painted, and decorated it, it started to speak to me. Something only artists may understand .
I hope you enjoyed seeing all my skulls, now I just have to pull them out this year.
I’ve been reading a new book titled, The Man Made of Words, by N. Scott Momaday.
It brought to mind that the words we use, the words we say, and how we say them can be of great impact to others. Just think about the ways we can or do get a point across. Sometimes we will repeat a story 900 times, other times we forget and leave things out, but other times we can be impatient, and be cutting, or even cruel. We all have said something that we didn’t quite mean the way it came out, but did any of us ever think of how those words made the other person feel. My son tells me I beat a dead horse, and he is not happy about it!
I’m an impatient person by nature, so I’m usually trying to pull back and be more patient. This takes an incredible amount of self control at times. Most of the time I can do it, but sometimes I can be nippy, & regretfully bitchy! At that moment, I never stopped to think about how my sharp words have made someone else feel. (Patience is my New Years Resolution! Always) This book has brought so many things to mind, and the way words can cut deep into the people listening, or to whom the words are directed. I don’t want to do that to anyone, and that certainly would never be my intention.
I watched this man of the Nations, N. Scott Momaday on a talk show a couple years ago, and decided to purchase this book for my husband for Christmas. When it arrived I stuck it away to be wrapped later, and put it in a place that even I couldn’t find it. So the next week it occurred to me that I hadn’t wrapped it for my husband, and since I was sick all of that December, I hadn’t bought anything but a flashlight for him. I felt terrible, but my kids didn’t even get much. Lo and behold, I had purchased two books for him without realizing it, and neither of them were found in time. It was to be the Christmas that goes on giving!
Next time I feel myself loosing patience, I need to slow down and think about how those words are going to sound, or have an impact on the other person. Everyone has their own problems, and sometimes they don’t show them, so a little bit of kindness, patience, and the more careful selection of my words might put everyone in a better place.
Thank you for slowing down to read Karen’s Stone Soup, see you next time.
This is a post I had long forgotten, but I decided to publish it as a reminder to myself to be a little kinder, and more compassionate.
I also want to let everyone know that going forward my focus will be on aging gracefully, and loving who we are in the so called “Golden Years!”
Advice from Maria Sabina, Mexican curandera (medicine woman) and poet:“Cure yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon. With the sound of the river and the waterfall. With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds. Heal yourself with mint, with neem and eucalyptus. Sweeten yourself with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile.Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a touch of cinnamon. Put love in tea instead of sugar, and take it looking at the stars.Heal yourself with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain.Get strong with bare feet on the ground and with everything that is born from it. Get smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with the eye of your forehead.Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier.Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember…you are the medicine.” — with Vickie Mitchell.
I thought this so beautiful, I couldn’t resist posting it for everyone to read. I hope you liked it as much as I did.
Thank you for stopping to read Karen’s Stone Soup. See you next time, Karen
Do you treat yourself with love? Do you enjoy your everyday life? Do you have a place that you can go to be alone?
Yikes, I sound just like a commercial for a pill or something! I promise you it is not.
Treating oneself with love and kindness is essential to survival, especially in this climate of uneasiness and the unknown.
I have learned over the years that I function much better if I take time out for myself to rest and recharge. After all, we are all giving so much each day to simply survive. My quiet place would normally be out in nature, around trees or a stream, but in this heat my quiet place is in my husbands office where I can close the door, but not before announcing, “I’m going in, keep everything quiet please, and don’t bother me unless the house is burning down!”
Of course that isn’t always easy to do nor is it available to everyone, but each of us has to find their own place of solitude. There have been times when a long walk is just the thing to bring me peace. Sometimes it’s as easy as going for a drive, or sitting in the car. But not before putting a note on the car window saying… ” I need some alone time, Don’t talk to me, don’t tap on the window, don’t text me!”
Each of us has to find a place to contemplate, unwind, relax, and connect with your inner self.
Our survival depends on it!
Thank you for stopping to read Karen’s Stone Soup, see you next week, Karen
I’m laying in bed looking out the window, with clean, crispy fresh air pushing it’s way into the room giving me newfound energy to start my day. What will this day bring me? Will it stay cool, or get hot & muggy? Whatever it brings, I am ready and willing to jump out of bed, brush my teeth, wash my face, and start my beautiful day with a cup of coffee, and a little meditation. I know, It’s not for everyone…some people would rather have a cup of tea!
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I have always loved the coolness in the morning, especially when it’s a bit overcast, and quiet. When my children were small I would get up early so I could sit quietly with a cup of coffee, and just start my day slowly while the kids were asleep. That was the plan, but many times my plan was foiled by an aggressive little munchkin getting up too early, and reuining my plan.
Today after feeding my kitty Kramer, and letting Daisy dog out, I’m drinking coffee with my husband, but the kids are grown, and gone. The things that inspire me aren’t the things that inspired me many years ago when my kids were small. Now I get inspired by birds chirping, or a gentle breeze in the air. Some days I’m inspired to read, or paint, sketching out on our patio, or take a walk through the neighborhood. Things I couldn’t do when I had a young family.
On this morning with sweetness in the air, I’m inspired to listen to the crows. They are very verbal this morning, and I feel like they are letting me know to “keep looking.” Sitting on my patio, I’m trying to keep looking, but I’m also trying to figure out what else the crows are telling me. In my Animal Speak Book by Ted Andrews, it tells me that crows bring you magic and creativity. OK! Now we’re talking. I’m all about magic, and creativity….bring it on.
Even though I am not interested in venturing too far from home, I still very much invested in nature. For now nature means to me, that I walk through my back yard where peace, & serenity hang in the air. I love my trees, & it won’t surprise some of you to know I even talk to the trees, & the birds. Ok, so they don’t talk back in the way we do, but they do respond if you pay attention. I try to pay attention knowing if I’m really quiet & concentrate, I will hear their answers!
Thank you for stopping to read Stone Soup, I’m really happy to share with you my thoughts, & ideas about my life. See you next time. Karen
Sunday after church (on line of course), we were all giving readings from spirit, and nothing resonated with me. I listened patiently as all the messages seamed to be general, and almost for everyone. So I sat there taking it all in, and realizing I had a spirit on my left waiting for me to read him. He was patient, courteous, but still wanted me to acknowledge him.
After everyone had finished their reading, I finally said I’d go next with a man who had been waiting patiently for an hour. He first showed me black and white poke dots. I thought, what the what?? After received that I had a very unexpected and strange thing happen to me. I found myself viewing his journey from behind his eyes. I was a little taken aback as this had never happened to me before. We walked all over the forest, watching little animals in the woods, traveling, seeing the ocean, the beach, and exploring everything around us! I thought to myself, this is what I love to do! That was an interesting experience in itself, when out of my mouth I exclaimed, “This reading is for me!” I was so stunned that I lost my connection with this man. I didn’t know that was coming, it just spewed out.
As soon as that happened, our Minister Malcom took over and finished the reading. Malcom was able to connect to the same man that I had been connected to, and this is what he told me…..The man was my grandfather, he was here to let me know to keep looking, and exploring, I’m on the right path!
That was from my grand father who I haven’t seen since I was a teenager, & it warms my heart to know his spirit is watching over me, guiding me, and keeping me safe. My grandfather passed many years ago and I feel so blessed to have him come to me, & let me know he is here supporting my efforts.
This may sound strange to some of you, and I can understand. But I assure you, as strange as it is, it’s true. We can speak with our loved ones that have passed, and we all have the ability. Some of us don’t want any part of it, but if you just open up and consider the possibility that there are things still unexplained, you will be amazed at what is possible!
Have you ever had a dream of a loved one, or dear friend that had passed? Maybe even one of your animals from the past is in that dream. Well, this is one way they contact you, another way is you might feel your pet jump up on your bed, but when you look—nothing is there. You could have sworn something was on your bed, maybe even up against your leg.
I know I’m stretching your world right now, entertain the possibility of finding peace from a place we have been programed to know nothing about. This isn’t a religious thing, Spirit is totally non-denominational.
Just give it some thought!
Thank you for reading my post today. Many blessings to you all. Karen
Old as Dirt and Proud of it! 
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