Awaken!

Lilac scented breezes

Stir my Soul today.

Though, Easter is the Season,

Summer's on the way.

Birds will sing as flowers dance

To the "music of the spheres".

The party's on!  Come play & prance,

(If you're astute enough to hear it).  

Rejuvenation has begun!

Reawakening's in progress!

As humans go, I, for one,

Have embraced the frost's egress!

Come join me now, release the maudlin

Doldrums of the Winter!

Let loose your Spirit, quit your dawdlin'

Find a garden gate, and ENTER!

Simplicity

  What does simplicity mean to you?

  Is it quiet time alone in Nature?
~few sounds, minimal distractions,
~the least possible components of solace? Or joy?

Simplicity...
~Multi colored leafy gems against a clear blue sky?
~The song of a bird, the scent of fresh cut grass?
~A leaf quivering in the breeze?

Or a good book, a crackling fireplace on a cool night?
~ Family time at the beach?
~A simple meal shared with friends, laughing?

Simplicity...
Feeling the warmth of a pet on your lap or by your side?
~Noticing that wild creatures want for nothing, content as they forage & hunt for Nature's inevitable bounty?

Simple pleasures, uncomplicated moments, cycles of seasons and lives.
~Patterns of motion and stillness, sound and silence, bright and dark,
~Yin and yang, warmth and cold, waxing and waning...

Something delightful lying in wait, yet undiscovered...
                                    Simplicity

A Tale of Two Loves

  This is a Brown Headed Nuthatch.

They are tiny, very fast and Squeaky!

In fact, they sound like a baby's or a dog's
squeaky toy!

They have been around on and off for a few
years now.

One year they branch they were nesting in came down in a storm.  They have held a special place in my heart ever since!

  I was SO happy to see this the other day--->

Both the male and female were excavating
the cavity.

I can't tell them apart, but there were two of them
doing the work, taking turns.

Acrobatic and adorable. Squeaking while they worked.

  Doing what Nuthatches do, hanging upside down and excavating a nest cavity with their tiny little beaks.  Spitting sawdust chunks everywhere!














  And then along came THIS guy!--->

He saw a perfect place to build his nest cavity
by enlarging an already started hole!

He is a Red Bellied Woodpecker and is at least three times the size of my Nutty little friends.

  But HOW could you be mad at this sweet face?

He began calling for a mate to come and join him in his Tree Palace.

There has been a female hanging around all winter.

I hope they don't pass like two ships in the night.

And so he waits.  And calls to her, and waits some more.







 Nature is funny that way.

It's hard to know who to route for.

I just love them all.

~Naturegirl55

Fall

Watching the leaves come tumbling down,

I'm tempted to give in to sadness, and frown.

Summer's eternal (in recent recall)

But there's no denying the arrival of Fall.

Missing the sweet scents and blooms of July,

Fruits in my garden, a bright blue clear sky.

The shifting of Seasons, wild rain clouds and wind,

Herald replacement of days that have been.

The fragrance of apples and dry, leaves of brown

Surround trips to farm stands just outside of town. 

Cinnamon, pumpkins, sweet cider and mums

Are replacing the Summertime treats one by one.

Well, ready or not this Autumn is here!

I'd rather just smile than to shed bitter tears.

After all, It is only a number of days

Before Winter's cold breath will blow Fall away!

Nature Knows Best

 Where did we ever get the idea that we know everything?  Is there not still some mystery left in the Universe for us to discover?  How presumptuous are we as a human species?  All rhetorical questions, of course, for which there are no satisfying answers.

  We are always assuming that if something is "struggling" (by human standards) we need to step in and put our big fat handprint on it.  Maybe some things are just "Nature's way".  Perhaps our interjection is just interference and hubris.  What if our opinion of the way things "ought to be" is wrong?  Maybe our human ideas are unwanted by Nature, by the animal, and botanical kingdoms.

  Not trying to be negative here, but, speaking from personal experience.   The times I have tried to "help" have only made the situation worse, leaving me feeling inept and feckless.  Perhaps I should have left well enough alone!  And that, in a nutshell, is my message.  Nature Knows Best! Trust her!!

Keto 101 (Pt. 2)

Have you started yet? Don't forget, it's not like a "DIE-et"!  I've always hated that word! You can adjust your carb intake as you go along and get better at it.  Just start!

It takes about 48 hours for any oops'es to clear out of your system in order for fat burning to begin.  It takes a few weeks or months for one to become fully "Fat Adapted".  Which means your body has been transformed into a blazing hot furnace, obliterating any fuel you feed it!

In the meantime weight loss begins almost right away, with "water weight" or loose fat melting first.  Your metabolism will fire up, and so will your energy level!  I used to think my metabolism was almost dead!  I tried EVERY diet and did everything the AMA recommended and... nada!  The ONLY thing that ever worked for me (back when I was 20) was Atkin's (low carb), my first clue, but it was way too much protein for me and I had Hives every day!

Weren't we taught that "everything we eat turns to glucose" (sugar) in biology class?  Doesn't it make perfect sense that if there is stubborn fat on our bodies, that having a FAT- BURNING body would be better than having a SUGAR- BURNING body?  Logic!!
  Spend 3 minutes here ➽ https://youtu.be/GNK3f3ycA5Y

Good News!  When reading labels, you get to subtract the FIBER content from the CARB number!  So, if something has 10 carbs and 6 fiber, it's only 4 NET carbs per serving*, and is perfectly Keto acceptable. *Always keep an eye on the "Serving Size" on labels.  They purposely try to deceive us!

Your body will tell you how many carbs (from vegetables) are "Keto" enough.  Most people try to eat as few as possible, like under 10 a day to begin. Some can lose weight on under 20 and others go on "maintenance" after desired weight loss is achieved at under 50 carbs a day.

Macros- You will undoubtedly encounter this term, short for Macro Nutrients.  Meaning, Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates.  Keto people will argue that carbs are NOT a nutrient!  You don't have to be all anal about counting macros, but I suggest checking them out for a few days to a week.  It will help you get a handle on what to eat and more importantly how much.  This may carb calculator be helpful ➽https://cronometer.com/
  These two Keto kids are adorable and very helpful, although their Keto is different than mine.  This video on their YouTube channel explains Macro calculating ➽https://youtu.be/A9G22O5H_Mc

Insulin Resistance- Most overweight people and millions of not so overweight people have a condition called insulin resistance.  In short, it means that our pancreases are malfunctioning because of all the sugar in the Standard American Diet.  (Notice that those caps spell SAD!)  This is the precursor to DIABETES!! To heal it, you need to eat a lot of greens, so don't skip the salads and veggies!  Good video on this subject from another one of my mentors, Dr. Berg. ➽https://youtu.be/iTjDi2ZO0n8 He believes in healing your body FIRST and then weight loss will occur naturally. Either way Potassium found in leafy greens and avocados can reverse this condition.

"Keto Flu"- If you're not getting enough Potassium, Magnesium and salt, you will feel what they call the "Keto Flu".  Just a feeling of aches, malaise and maybe dizzyness, easily curable with salt, which helps activate the Potassium (don't skimp) and maybe a Magnesium supplement.  Sometimes I use V-8 though it has about 11 net carbs.  Magnesium rich veggies...

• Spinach
• Avocado
• Swiss chard
• Pumpkin seeds

Enough for now! Bon Apetit!





 

Keto 101

     It has come to my attention that a lot of people would like to be healthier and lose weight through the KETO eating plan, but don't know how to go about it.  (Ketogenic, meaning burning Ketones for energy.)
     Most have heard about it from friends who have had some measure of success.  However, it is becoming like the game of "telephone" when we were children.  The end resulting message is NOTHING like the original intention!  Some feel sick due to their lack of knowledge and a bad start.

     Disclaimer: I am not a Doctor or a genius (my friends already know this) but I have been on the Fat For Fuel plan for a year and am having success and believing it is a very valid way of life.
     I intend to share what I have learned as clearly and succinctly as possibly.

#1. Keto is NOT a diet! Not like Weight Watchers or Mayo Clinic diets.  It is a NEW Way of Life. ("Diet" as in the [Standard American Diet] of the average American.
      It came about through a discovery that the AMA (American Medical Assn.) made a GIANT faux pas years ago and published a bunch of LIES about meat and fat causing heart disease.  A study was done by a less than honest researcher who skewed his findings and apparently the AMA was too embarrassed (or too corrupt) to go back and tell the truth and look stupid years later, so they let it go! Proof here--->   https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/22/debunking-the-science-behind-lowering-cholesterol-levels.aspx

#2. Don't worry, IT'S EASY!!  Start slow! There's no rush. You are just changing your body's entire fuel supply from Sugar to Fat!!🤯
      First, begin to familiarize yourself with the labels on EVERYTHING you buy.  Carbs especially.
      Second, begin to wean yourself off "Demon Sugar".  If you can stand Stevia, start using it instead of sugar wherever you can.
     Third, Choose better quality food.  Just start somewhere, you can clean up your act as you go along.

#3. Things you will need:
       ~A  case of amnesia regarding everything you learned about CALORIES, DIETING, FAT, EXERCISE  & HOW MANY MEALS A DAY.
   
       ~Avocadoes, Grass-Fed beef, Kerrygold Butter, Eggs (as free running or Pasture Raised as possible), Coconut oil, cheese from grass-fed cows (Kerrygold also sells cheese), stevia and/or erythritol.

#3a. Things you will NOT need:
        ~EXERCISE!!!

All right, that's enough for now, just to get you started.

Footnote: There are two kinds of Keto. "Clean" Keto and "Dirty" Keto.  Most of us just ride the line between both.  "Clean" would be all grass-fed, non GMO, non preservative ridden, chemicalized, REAL food.  "Dirty" is everything else technically low or no carb including Fast Food with the buns removed, Diet soda and other stuff that's not really good for you but "qualifies" as no carb. We're all just doing the best we can, with the resources we have!

The Music of the Spheres

If you listen carefully, you may begin to hear,
The Universe vibrating out the music of the spheres.

The Hum, the Hush, the Rush of particles in space,
The ancient song of mermaids, the sound that stardust makes.

The vacuum of space allows for unrestricted flow.
Sound, vibration, notes and tone emitted long ago

Traverse the void of nothingness that's filled with mystery,
Delivered to our collective Soul, from tomes of history.

An angel's voice, a loved one passed, a message on the wind,
A whisper of eternity that roars above the din.

There is a buzz, a rhythm, that lies within as well.
It's beckoning and calling us to listen to It tell

The story of akashic scrolls, of annals hidden, cloaked.
Faint tidings of old memories, that only time bespoke.

This living, breathing earth we ride is part of All That Is.
Waters, winds, and lightening storms, insects and whales' spout fizz,

Sweet birdsong, chirp, beast's bleat or bark, is bliss to one who "hears".
Together all of us compose the music of the spheres.



   

A Rainbow of Precious Gems

How rich we are! How fortunate and blessed!

To be endowed with the opportunity to revel in the opulence and silky, sultriness of a warm Summer afternoon. 

Breathe deeply the warm scents of cedar and pine in the richly woven fabric of the woods. They glow with beams of amber light as the golden sunset fades.

What joy bursts forth from the heart when rare flying jewels come by to be admired and treasured!

A rainbow of precious gems are ours to savor.  A wealth of beauty
right before our eyes!

How prosperous is a life flush with these luxuries to appreciate,
to cherish.  Be grateful.

Perspective

I am a but speck of dust in the vast recesses of the Universe.

I am however, a speck of Life.  A point of consciousness.
A cognizant morsel of the mind of God.

In being so, that makes me an integral part of the Great Unknown.
Like every minute particle, an intrinsic portion of the whole of  Life.



It is said that if you take away one infinitesimal fragment of the Whole
the whole will cease to be.

Good thing no minuscule bit can truly be separated from it's Source.

In every seemingly insignificant mite the Perfection of the Totality is present.