There are few things in life as stressful as moving from one place to another, whether you are moving across town or across the country; whether you are looking forward to the move or wishing you could stay where you are. Moving is a change. Change creates stress. Often, stress creates illness. There are a several ways to make the move smoother and to combat the inevitable stress that accompanies change.
The following tactics have been developed over time. In the past twenty years, I've moved eleven times, always to a better place, whether I thought so at the time or not. Either way, moving was traumatic to my system.
The first few moves I rushed didn't take care of myself and became ill. The several weeks of illness gave me the time I needed to recover from the move rather than taking the time, a few minutes here and there throughout the day to avoid getting sick.
The next few moves, I began to learn the relationship between the trauma of moving and the debilitating illness I had afterward and I slowed down, got organized and asked for help.
Five of the last seven moves have been across the county which included a spouse, pregnancies, kids, and dogs. We all survived and remained healthy throughout the entire process.
The move when I was eight and a half months pregnant is memorable because I was also preparing for finals at the university, and chasing a very active 18 month old. But I wasn't as stressed as previous moves. What had changed is that I had learned about the moving process and had taken advantage of some very old herb wisdom that I would like to share with anyone who would care to know.
The following is the result of my experience. I would like to say that if you have any health concern, consult with your health practitioner. If you are pregnant consult with your midwife before taking any herbal preparation, the life within you is extremely sensitive to everything you put into your body.
Preparation for the move. Planning for your move can save countless aggravations. Make a list of all the things you need to do. Everything should be on the list, from mailing change of address cards to calling the utilities.
Include in your plans, time to take an extra bath or spend time with a supportive friend.
Before you pack, look through your herb cupboard; make sure that you have plenty of everything you use regularly, plus an additional one month supply. The additional herbs will carry you through until you have found a new herb supplier in your new neighborhood.
Packing is also a good time to throw things away, give unneeded items to a local thrift store or friends. The fewer extra things that are moved the fewer hassles you'll have with the move.
If you don't already have these herbs in your pantry, make a special trip to your herb store and make sure that you have them to get you through the move.
Chamomile has a calming influence. In those moments when you feel up-tight sit down and have a cup of chamomile tea.
Pennyroyal helps the nervous system maintain a balance; it also has a sedative effect. *Do not use this if you are pregnant.*
Echinacea helps promote white blood cells and helps the immune system.
Valerian is known to relieve nervous tension.
Peppermint is a stimulant. It is a good to drink in the morning, for that jump start on the day.
Making your morning tea, mix 2 parts Peppermint with 1 part of Echinacea to start your day. Place 1 teaspoon of the tea mixture in a tea strainer to 1 cup of boiling water, infuse. A simple way to infuse your tea is to pour boiling water over the strainer into a cup then place the saucer over the top of the cup for several minutes.
Keep this anti-stress tea handy for stressful moments, mix equal parts Peppermint, Echinacea and Valerian. Infuse 1 teaspoon of tea with a strainer to 1 cup of boiling water.
Relaxing in the evening is essential. Try this evening tea. Mix 2
parts Chamomile with 1 part Echinacea. Infuse 1 teaspoon of herbal tea to 1 cup of boiling water.
Keeping things as simple as possible throughout your move, you may want to mix several batches of the different teas and place them in empty heat sealable tea bags, or prepare an entire teapot or thermos full of the herbal mixture you enjoy or need the most, so it will be ready for you any time.
Proper diet and hydration gives you the nutrients your body needs to get through this transition. Drink plenty of water and keep snacks, like dried fruit and nuts, available. Mealtime is a good time to sit, relax and plan the next portion of the moving process. It is more important in the long run to eat a meal than unpack a box. The box isn't going anywhere. It will be there when you return. Taking the time you need to refuel will give you the energy you need to complete your task.
Whenever people offer help, accept it. If nobody offers, ask for the help you need. Even if you do all the actual packing, having someone to talk while you pack can be advantageous to your overall attitude. If you have children, involve them as much as possible. Kids love to help. Keep things in perspective. A broken dish can be replaced. Saying good-bye to friends doesn't mean forever.
When the old passes, it gives room in your life for new and wonderful people, places or things to replace them, if you are open...to the adventure.
Reference:
Lust, John. The Herb Book. New York: Bantam Books, 1974.
Mabey, Richard. The New Age Herbalist. New York: Collier Books, 1980.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Exploring the Trunk
My husband has few things from his grandparents who immigrated to the United States early in the last century. The most notable item is Grandma’s Trunk. If this trunk could talk, oh the stories it could tell. The old trunk isn’t pristine but it is loved.
Grandma came from the old country at 16 years old. What courage she must have had to leave her home and all familiar for a new country.
For my children, this woman is great-grandma. They love the stories of the farm and other remembrances my husband has of this courageous woman. They also love going through the trunk.
The trunk opens with a creak then comes the puff of air, the aroma of Cedar and time. The top bin has smaller items dollies, clippings, baseball cards.
In the larger section, larger or lesser used items remain: crocheted coverlets, knitted lap blankets, doilies and other items from the past, photos, childhood costumes and a our daughter’s christening dress; contributions from four generations.
I want my children to know their ancestry, it’s important to know from where you come, to find out who you are. There are traits; I believe are based in DNA and knowing about the people who came before, you have insight into how to navigate yourself through the world, using your strengths and mitigating your weaknesses. This I find to be true for myself. And if it is also true for my children, I hope to arm them with all the information they need to progress as human beings.
I pull each item from the trunk and place it around the room. Some of the textile items need regular airing, and I just like to do that for all the things in the trunk. They see the light of day between two and four times a year.
My daughter is always interested in the story about her christening day, who were the people there, how did it go. She asked virtually the same questions every time. Not because she doesn’t remember, but because she enjoys the story.
Next, my son will ask about the baseball cards, as he picks them up and looks through the now, long retired, mostly dead players on cardboard backing. He wants to know about the card collection and why his dad still has them. His collection of Pokémon cards maybe one of those things he keeps into his adult life.
Grandma knitted a blanket for our first born son. He seems to pass by each time we’re in the trunk, just in time to hold it to his face, brush it against his cheek and sniff just a bit (of love, I think) from the blanket of yellow and white.
Our trunk gives us time to talk about what America was like for an immigrant in 1910 and what kids were like in the 30s and 60s. There are bits of history in our trunk, bit of our selves, and bits of loved ones passed from this life. The gift our ancestors gave us by passing these bits to us is invaluable. There is a powerful sense of right I feel when I hear my kids remind each other of the people from which they come and the stories about those people, the things they did and the time they lived.
It’s good.
Grandma came from the old country at 16 years old. What courage she must have had to leave her home and all familiar for a new country.
For my children, this woman is great-grandma. They love the stories of the farm and other remembrances my husband has of this courageous woman. They also love going through the trunk.
The trunk opens with a creak then comes the puff of air, the aroma of Cedar and time. The top bin has smaller items dollies, clippings, baseball cards.
In the larger section, larger or lesser used items remain: crocheted coverlets, knitted lap blankets, doilies and other items from the past, photos, childhood costumes and a our daughter’s christening dress; contributions from four generations.
I want my children to know their ancestry, it’s important to know from where you come, to find out who you are. There are traits; I believe are based in DNA and knowing about the people who came before, you have insight into how to navigate yourself through the world, using your strengths and mitigating your weaknesses. This I find to be true for myself. And if it is also true for my children, I hope to arm them with all the information they need to progress as human beings.
I pull each item from the trunk and place it around the room. Some of the textile items need regular airing, and I just like to do that for all the things in the trunk. They see the light of day between two and four times a year.
My daughter is always interested in the story about her christening day, who were the people there, how did it go. She asked virtually the same questions every time. Not because she doesn’t remember, but because she enjoys the story.
Next, my son will ask about the baseball cards, as he picks them up and looks through the now, long retired, mostly dead players on cardboard backing. He wants to know about the card collection and why his dad still has them. His collection of Pokémon cards maybe one of those things he keeps into his adult life.
Grandma knitted a blanket for our first born son. He seems to pass by each time we’re in the trunk, just in time to hold it to his face, brush it against his cheek and sniff just a bit (of love, I think) from the blanket of yellow and white.
Our trunk gives us time to talk about what America was like for an immigrant in 1910 and what kids were like in the 30s and 60s. There are bits of history in our trunk, bit of our selves, and bits of loved ones passed from this life. The gift our ancestors gave us by passing these bits to us is invaluable. There is a powerful sense of right I feel when I hear my kids remind each other of the people from which they come and the stories about those people, the things they did and the time they lived.
It’s good.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Book Review: The Diamond Shield
Book Review of The Diamond Shield by Colin Althouse NY: Vantage Press ISBN –533-12339-5 $14.95
Colin Althouse shares spiritual revelations in The Diamond Shield. With twentieth century understanding and language, he reiterates the common themes of most major religion. Using religiously cross-relevant terminology, the author prepares the reader for an induction into a budding movement which will provide for spiritual understanding by which a devotee chooses to live by the tenants of The Diamond Shield. Through a stream of thought writing style, the author promises a great many disclosures to come. He fails to deliver any original ideas. However, he does present an intermingling of intercultural belief systems and suggests that this book should be used as the basis of a religious evolution or creation of a higher religion. Ultimately, The Diamond Shield as a manual for life falls short of other similar contemporary texts.
At the beginning of the book there’s a warning to the reader, that many people just won’t understand the contents of this book. Only “chosen” people will truly comprehend the messages set out in both prose and poetry. It’s hard to believe that all readers wouldn’t understand this book, the messages are basic. Written in simple language and with such broad generalities, only people adhering to a specific religion might not "get" certain points.
The Diamond Shield is divided into four sections. The first portion explains the author’s complicated lives. Althouse has extensive memories of past lives – so much so that he is able to identify persons in present life with that same reincarnated person in a previous life and the relationships that they held with each other. Many of the lives of family and friends were similarly intertwined in pervious lives. Amazingly, many from the spiritual group around Jesus Christ at the crucifixion have reincarnated into Althouse’s group. Althouse, himself claims to be the reincarnation of John, writer of books of the Holy Bible. The third Mary at the crucifixion has reincarnated into Althouse’s wife in this life.
He documents this life’s childhood and coming of age stating that he’s an outsider to his community and has been for at least the last few lives. His outcast status provides some explanation for the lack of repercussions when he takes spiritual trips in astral body for days at a time.
The second section is split into compact sections of information: Simplicity, Justice, Restoration, etc. The information provided asserts the tone of authority explaining unknown truths to the reader. Revelations attempt to make sense of this life by putting this experience into a large cosmic scope, which simultaneously boosts and diminishes the importance of the personal experience in the here and now. In this section, I found the writing was so general that a reader could interpret much of these sections to fit with any established belief systems.
One particular passage I read and re-read over a period of several days was the section on “Entity.” Althouse speaks of vibrational plains and the calling of Dark Forces out of their confinement because the dominants in our society seek to control others. He continues, by suggesting that a possession by such an entity result from unfulfilled desires of that person and really has nothing to do with anyone else. But then he says the entities are independent of us just waiting for the opportunity to engage us. Then he says the entities are “real and living.” They can’t be destroyed. Yet they are our creations.
Another apparent contradiction comes in Althouse's belief in Restoration of the soul. The Restoration comes from Virgin Purity and Harmony found through abstinence, which he suggests everyone practice. Immediately followed by the “One Basic Problem of Human Kind” which is the unfulfilled Father-Mother Principle, which must be lived to be fulfilled, and he suggests that we all practice this too. How can one practice the virgin purity Principle and the Mother- Father Principle at the same time?
These types of seeming contradictions, I believe, leave the text open to reader interpretations rather than providing an actual written plan of the Diamond Shield as the opening statement promises.
The third section of the book is entitled, “The Poet’s Challenge.” For me, these writings are reminiscent of Old Testament Psalms and the Song of Solomon. Here again, I feel that Althouse’s writing is so vague that nearly any religious/spiritual interpretation could be applied.
The section, “Guiding Principles” is 270 rules to live by. While I agree with his assumption that some people need specific direction perhaps more than the 10 commandments of Moses or the 1 rule of Jesus. Althouse gives so many rules that surely no one could remember let alone be sure that they are indeed following all 270!
Obviously, this book didn’t speak to me as an authority, but staying with the rules of the book, perhaps I’m not chosen. However, I sure that this book will and does speak to some just like the other religious books.
I agree with many of Althouse’s assertions that the human race is in need of direction and uplifting from its present state and perhaps, he has provided that direction.
Colin Althouse shares spiritual revelations in The Diamond Shield. With twentieth century understanding and language, he reiterates the common themes of most major religion. Using religiously cross-relevant terminology, the author prepares the reader for an induction into a budding movement which will provide for spiritual understanding by which a devotee chooses to live by the tenants of The Diamond Shield. Through a stream of thought writing style, the author promises a great many disclosures to come. He fails to deliver any original ideas. However, he does present an intermingling of intercultural belief systems and suggests that this book should be used as the basis of a religious evolution or creation of a higher religion. Ultimately, The Diamond Shield as a manual for life falls short of other similar contemporary texts.
At the beginning of the book there’s a warning to the reader, that many people just won’t understand the contents of this book. Only “chosen” people will truly comprehend the messages set out in both prose and poetry. It’s hard to believe that all readers wouldn’t understand this book, the messages are basic. Written in simple language and with such broad generalities, only people adhering to a specific religion might not "get" certain points.
The Diamond Shield is divided into four sections. The first portion explains the author’s complicated lives. Althouse has extensive memories of past lives – so much so that he is able to identify persons in present life with that same reincarnated person in a previous life and the relationships that they held with each other. Many of the lives of family and friends were similarly intertwined in pervious lives. Amazingly, many from the spiritual group around Jesus Christ at the crucifixion have reincarnated into Althouse’s group. Althouse, himself claims to be the reincarnation of John, writer of books of the Holy Bible. The third Mary at the crucifixion has reincarnated into Althouse’s wife in this life.
He documents this life’s childhood and coming of age stating that he’s an outsider to his community and has been for at least the last few lives. His outcast status provides some explanation for the lack of repercussions when he takes spiritual trips in astral body for days at a time.
The second section is split into compact sections of information: Simplicity, Justice, Restoration, etc. The information provided asserts the tone of authority explaining unknown truths to the reader. Revelations attempt to make sense of this life by putting this experience into a large cosmic scope, which simultaneously boosts and diminishes the importance of the personal experience in the here and now. In this section, I found the writing was so general that a reader could interpret much of these sections to fit with any established belief systems.
One particular passage I read and re-read over a period of several days was the section on “Entity.” Althouse speaks of vibrational plains and the calling of Dark Forces out of their confinement because the dominants in our society seek to control others. He continues, by suggesting that a possession by such an entity result from unfulfilled desires of that person and really has nothing to do with anyone else. But then he says the entities are independent of us just waiting for the opportunity to engage us. Then he says the entities are “real and living.” They can’t be destroyed. Yet they are our creations.
Another apparent contradiction comes in Althouse's belief in Restoration of the soul. The Restoration comes from Virgin Purity and Harmony found through abstinence, which he suggests everyone practice. Immediately followed by the “One Basic Problem of Human Kind” which is the unfulfilled Father-Mother Principle, which must be lived to be fulfilled, and he suggests that we all practice this too. How can one practice the virgin purity Principle and the Mother- Father Principle at the same time?
These types of seeming contradictions, I believe, leave the text open to reader interpretations rather than providing an actual written plan of the Diamond Shield as the opening statement promises.
The third section of the book is entitled, “The Poet’s Challenge.” For me, these writings are reminiscent of Old Testament Psalms and the Song of Solomon. Here again, I feel that Althouse’s writing is so vague that nearly any religious/spiritual interpretation could be applied.
The section, “Guiding Principles” is 270 rules to live by. While I agree with his assumption that some people need specific direction perhaps more than the 10 commandments of Moses or the 1 rule of Jesus. Althouse gives so many rules that surely no one could remember let alone be sure that they are indeed following all 270!
Obviously, this book didn’t speak to me as an authority, but staying with the rules of the book, perhaps I’m not chosen. However, I sure that this book will and does speak to some just like the other religious books.
I agree with many of Althouse’s assertions that the human race is in need of direction and uplifting from its present state and perhaps, he has provided that direction.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Editors, Writers and Ethics
Ethics is one of those things, I think you’re born with them or you aren’t. It doesn’t mean that people aren’t nice, it just mean they aren’t honest or ethical.
Take an Editor for example: Writers trust Editors. We have to.
Writers send editors material in hopes that it fits with the editorial schedule and maybe make some money to, I don’t know, EAT or something frivolous like that.
The Magazine’s budget is tight. So, instead of paying freelance writers the publisher/boss tells the editor to hire someone. Eve, the editor hires her best friend or cousin, Ann, who can be in the office for 40 hours, which will save the company money. The promise is that Ann will produce material at a lower rate than the freelancers.
Okay, that’s the way it goes sometimes. We freelancers understand that you get what you pay for. Over time, the subscriptions will fall off. Eve, the editor will scramble to help the publication. Her job is on the line too.
So you’ll never guess what happens… Ann suddenly comes up with great ideas. She can write articles faster than anyone else. Her writing voice changes from day to day, article to article. She helps around the office and all the office correspondence goes through her desk too. Ann’s incredible.
Eve, the editor is happy and the Publisher is happy too. Now, the Magazine is within budget and subscriptions are on the increase. Sure, everyone wonders how Ann can do it all but not for long because everyone is just too busy and happy to think about it much.
The truth is that Ann does correspond for the office but she is also stealing.
Ann found the pile of freelance queries and suggested them at the meeting. Once the ideas were approved, she didn’t have a clue how to write them. She asked the freelancers to submit a list of resources and contacts. Even then, she was running out of time, the deadline was a month away. She asked the writer to complete the article on speculation. When the freelancer hit deadline, Ann quickly sent a reject letter.
Unknown to Ann, the freelancer was also a subscriber(in her husband’s name). Writers do often read the publications to which they submit. So the writer saw an incredibly familiar story in the publication. The title was somewhat different and a few passages were rearranged, but it was the writer’s article with staff-written byline.
So what could the writer do? Basically, working writers trust editors to be honest and pay them for their work. It would be impossible to copyright every idea and article, not to mention the legal bill to follow up on every unscrupulous editorial staff member. So we just don’t write or submit to particular publications, and we tell our writer friends.
The next month, the writer was shocked to find in her email inbox a request from Ann for ideas. Ann asked the writer to submit ideas with resource lists and if the writer wanted to go ahead and complete the articles.
The writer burned once, declined to submit.
How this particular story ends for Ann and Eve, I don’t know at this point. We’ll have to wait for it all to play out…
Writers want Editorial Staff to know that just because we work at home doesn’t mean we don’t have payments or eat (in fact, many of us have kids to feed too!). Every writer isn’t independently wealthy, most fit into the “working for the money” category.
Post-Script: Editors who pay freelance writers are encouraged to write kate.emails@gmail.com
Take an Editor for example: Writers trust Editors. We have to.
Writers send editors material in hopes that it fits with the editorial schedule and maybe make some money to, I don’t know, EAT or something frivolous like that.
The Magazine’s budget is tight. So, instead of paying freelance writers the publisher/boss tells the editor to hire someone. Eve, the editor hires her best friend or cousin, Ann, who can be in the office for 40 hours, which will save the company money. The promise is that Ann will produce material at a lower rate than the freelancers.
Okay, that’s the way it goes sometimes. We freelancers understand that you get what you pay for. Over time, the subscriptions will fall off. Eve, the editor will scramble to help the publication. Her job is on the line too.
So you’ll never guess what happens… Ann suddenly comes up with great ideas. She can write articles faster than anyone else. Her writing voice changes from day to day, article to article. She helps around the office and all the office correspondence goes through her desk too. Ann’s incredible.
Eve, the editor is happy and the Publisher is happy too. Now, the Magazine is within budget and subscriptions are on the increase. Sure, everyone wonders how Ann can do it all but not for long because everyone is just too busy and happy to think about it much.
The truth is that Ann does correspond for the office but she is also stealing.
Ann found the pile of freelance queries and suggested them at the meeting. Once the ideas were approved, she didn’t have a clue how to write them. She asked the freelancers to submit a list of resources and contacts. Even then, she was running out of time, the deadline was a month away. She asked the writer to complete the article on speculation. When the freelancer hit deadline, Ann quickly sent a reject letter.
Unknown to Ann, the freelancer was also a subscriber(in her husband’s name). Writers do often read the publications to which they submit. So the writer saw an incredibly familiar story in the publication. The title was somewhat different and a few passages were rearranged, but it was the writer’s article with staff-written byline.
So what could the writer do? Basically, working writers trust editors to be honest and pay them for their work. It would be impossible to copyright every idea and article, not to mention the legal bill to follow up on every unscrupulous editorial staff member. So we just don’t write or submit to particular publications, and we tell our writer friends.
The next month, the writer was shocked to find in her email inbox a request from Ann for ideas. Ann asked the writer to submit ideas with resource lists and if the writer wanted to go ahead and complete the articles.
The writer burned once, declined to submit.
How this particular story ends for Ann and Eve, I don’t know at this point. We’ll have to wait for it all to play out…
Writers want Editorial Staff to know that just because we work at home doesn’t mean we don’t have payments or eat (in fact, many of us have kids to feed too!). Every writer isn’t independently wealthy, most fit into the “working for the money” category.
Post-Script: Editors who pay freelance writers are encouraged to write kate.emails@gmail.com
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