Have you ever seen something that had an immediate impact on your life?

Something so wonderful, so you couldn’t quite understand the magnitude at the time, but which moved you to action, figuring the whys and wherefores would later appear?

I had such an experience yesterday when I saw the most compelling post on Facebook. Lisa Weldon, who blogs at “reSoulin’ My Dancing Shoes,”  had shared the most interesting Kickstarter opportunity. When I looked at it, I was mesmerized by heavy green foliage, a green cabin and sunlight dappling through the trees. The vision had that spring green look of new life and new directions. And, how right I was.

The future SunbonnetSmart hiking in the Garden
of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO, September 1978.

The scene reminded me of my middle to late 20s, in the 1970s, when Jethro Tull’s “Songs from the Woods” was my favorite album and life seemed to be an unending series of mental “forks in the road.” So many choices, what to do, when and why. Constant questions without much guidance and plenty of uncharted vision as to “what ought to be.” It was overwhelming and ponderous. I was more timid then, in some ways, more assured in others, but I remember I was up to the task, assuming I could always, “punt” as I used to say, if things didn’t go my way. “Have an alternate Plan B” was my motto.

And, through the years, I’ve had many “Alternate Plan B’s.” That’s why I kept returning all afternoon to the Kickstarter video that Lisa had shared. Watching it, the green forestscape opened up to the story of Ally Kirkpatrick,  a young film maker, artist and visionary, who at 29, is at the stage I was in the 1970s. Much like I quit my job, packed everything into my Toyoto Celica and drove across country to live in Colorado, Ally decided to leave Brooklyn, going to go live in the woods, at her father’s hunting cabin.

Ally reading at the Green Cabin in Virginia.

While Ally was there, in a tranquil, but secluded spot, she devised a plan to passion out her future. As she blogged and examined her life, she found the “expanse of time and space” a bit overwhelming, compared to her hectic life in Brooklyn. She decided to reach out to people she admired. People who, as she says in her introductory Kickstarter video, “..had lived their life creatively and with gusto.”

The first person with whom she got in touch, she had met at BlogHer ’12, during a Breakout Session on Pathfinder Day, August 2, 2012 in New York City. Ally and Lisa Weldon had been in the same session and hit it off right away. Perhaps they were drawn to each other because, although there was a thirty year difference in their life stages, they were in somewhat the same quandary. Lisa’s life had taken unexpected turns overnight requiring her to stop, exhale and begin again. The void she felt closing in on her was very similar to the uninterrupted blocks of time Ally was experiencing at her dad’s cabin. Ally recognized a kindred spirit and called Lisa.

Ally’s Kickstarter call for funding.

Now, months later, the two, with the help of many others, have put forth Ally’s video proposal for Kickstarter funding. If you are not familiar with Kickstarter, it’s a wonderful site where dreams and business proposals are presented for patron financial backing. Each proposal must have a goal established. After donations are pledged, if the project funds at its goal or above, the leader of the project receives a check. If the project does not reach its goal, then no cash is forwarded and pledges are vacated. So, Ally set her goal at $5,000 and she is off to a great start, but I am hoping she gets much more than that.

Additional funding would allow her to tell the stories of more women in life transitions, watching them create new paths to abundant self-fulfillment. Much like Lisa and Ally inspired each other, women learning from other women who have faced the dreaded unknown of life changes will, in turn, be inspired from the stories in Ally’s films. To get a feel for the project, visit with Ally at her “Stories from the Green Cabin” area of her web site, Allytk.com .

So, do you feel as empowered as I do by the creative approaches these women have taken to cure the deafening hiccups in their lives? If you are able to financially show them some love, would you consider donating to Ally’s “Stories from the Green Cabin” Kickerstarter listing? It would make my day to see this project not only funded to its goal level, but also way past, to provide for more stories from more creative women.

Please note! The project must be funded within thirty days from its start, which is by 3:27pm on June 30, 2013.

Activity Books were popular when I was a kid and I loved them. Big, thick, coloring book type, newsprint paged, goldmines of things to see and do.

There were puzzles, cut outs, paper dolls, rhymes, rebus brain teasers and lots more. It was enough to keep me occupied for days as I worked my way around the pages that captivated me with scissors and paste. Especially when I was sick. I would stay happily in bed with my crayons, pencils and my play books.  I was warm and snug while creating great things and merry wonderment.

You can see why then, when my friend, ElaineR.N. decided to play Humpty Dumpty, I was disappointed I couldn’t just run to the store, to send her an activity book. That and a new book of Crayola Crayons, the one with 64 colors and a sharpener in the box would be “just the thing.” But the diversions of fifty years ago pale beside the fun things we have today with the Internet.

So, putting my finger to the side of my head like Pooh Bear, I tapped my temple saying, “Thinking, thinking.” I realized the only choice was to create a fun activity page to electronically distract Elaine from the discomfort of her broken wrist while it heals. So here, Elaine! These fun things are for you!

Cutest Thing in the World

Suggested stream-able movies on NetFlix.com, in no particular order: October Sky, My Brilliant Career, What the #$*! Do We Know?, Sirens, Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story, The Secret, Holes in my Shoes, Keeping Up Appearances and Sebastian Maniscalo in What’s Wrong with People (comedian.)

2013 Passover Jam

The Nursey Crossword Puzzle: Click Image

Canadian Candid Camera: Space Laughs

Get Well Maze: Click Image

Whimseys and fancies for fun and wrist healing profit.

I hope you feel better, Elaine!

EFT, or the Emotional Freedom Technique, combines stimulating acupuncture meridian points while saying phrases to effect change in one’s life. It’s easy. It’s free. It works.

But, you’ll have to prove it to yourself. It took quite a while for me to get into it, and when you talk to people who feel it is effective, many say the same thing. It just seems to be too good to be true. They didn’t believe something so simple could have such a great, far reaching effects. I understand as I was the same way. Although introduced to EFT in 2008 by the friends who led us to drink raw milk, and eat raw butter and cheese, it wasn’t until my medical doctor advised EFT for me in 2012, that I began to take it seriously.

Yesterday, when I was BlogHer Commenting with FatCat and ElaineR.N., I mentioned EFT as a good companion to effective weight loss and shared a video I had found online, just to give them a brief introduction. Because they seem to be interested, I am sharing more about the process here, so anyone who needs the technique can try it out for size.

I decided to join in on the Online World Tapping Summit 2013, which just took place in February. It was free, with a different theme to each day’s tapping, but I eventually signed up so I could get MP3 recordings of the directives, as I felt it was so beneficial. Here is an intro to this year’s Tapping Summit so you can get a feel for what it’s all about.

EFT Introduction by Gary Williams and Nick Ortner

As I mentioned, tapping included the various acupuncture meridian points where energy flows throughout the body. You’ll notice as you watch the videos, there are different sequences used by different professionals, depending on what they feel works best. You’ll be able to decide what’s best for you as you learn more about the routine. Many medical doctors are fans of EFT. For a list of EFT practitioners, click here.

An EFT Demonstration

I really enjoyed the World Tapping Summit, which has been growing through the years to include hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. There is a web site with more information, if you are interested. If you’re REALLY interested, you can send for free DVDs and e-books, also at the same web site.

The more one studies quantum physics, the more one realizes the reality we have been brought up to believe is brick and mortar in 3-D, is actually a hologram of energy. Basically, we are nothing but our thoughts and thoughts become our reality.  The sum total effect of this is astronomically astounding and will knock one off kilter when it is first encountered. But, the more one reads and studies about it, the more it cannot be denied. The energy base of our existence is decidedly true.

Eventually, you will run into counselors like Louise Hay with profound ideas of healing who say that if you have an illness, why? What is it accomplishing for you that you can’t give it up? I was very sick when I first ran into that statement and I thought she was crazy, as anyone not enlightened would. But, as I used the Hay House techniques and got well, I realized Louise Hay was a gifted healer. Healing is a journey, whether it’s physical or emotional disturbances that are troublesome.

One quick way to see profound results using energy healing for the mind and body is EFT. Try Emotional Freedom Techniques to see if you get relief.

March 2013
Join SunbonnetSmart.com
for a post every day
here and/or on BlogHer.com

With the creed of giving to get and knowing the glass is half full, lifetime abundance can be had by all.

In the 1980s I was overwhelmed by the powerful teachings of Louise Hay, celebrated author of You Can Heal Your Life. Reading her words and listening to her meditation tapes was a mind altering experience. That’s why I am saddened by what seems to be a common mindset displayed today.

The book, “You Can Heal Your Life,” in a movie.

Rather than reap the rewards of a bountiful universe, many bloggers seem to bemoan lack and look to capitalize on discord. Perhaps they believe sensationalistic post titles will bring a Comment flow, but it’s a lopsided trade. Positive actions and thinking patterns actually insure a better world and guarantee financial rewards. Living with an “attitude of gratitude” will change one’s life.

But, don’t just listen to me. Take it from Amanda Palmer, one of today’s brilliant and gifted musical artists who recently gave a TED Talk on risk and trust in the music business. She now gives away her CDs, asking for donations if one is able, and is reaping the rewards of goodwill.

Amanda Palmer: The Art of Asking

Giving to get, being vulnerable enough to allow human connection, is what life is all about. Building walls by pointing out inadequacies only makes us feel inadequate and halts the flow of abundant return. This concept is as old as life itself, concisely depicted in the Bible, Ecclesiastes 11:1, where it is written, “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”  

In August, Rolling Stone magazine covered Ms. Palmer’s successful crowdfunding in May where she raised 1.2 million dollars for her new album, Theatre is Evil. Having been a fan of Amanda Palmer for many years, I have fallen in love with her spirit, her direction and her sense of self as displayed in the following song,  In My Mind.

“In My Mind,” Amanda Palmer connects with us gloriously.

Amanda Palmer is a great example of having the confidence to allow oneself to be vulnerable. She risks, trusts that she will get a return and she does. Amanda Palmer’s TED Talk was Friday, March 1, 2013, and on March 2, Rolling Stone Magazine again wrote about her crowdfunding strategies.

Feeling worthy to give, then giving while believing this gift will be returned enables each of us to profit, whether the return is love or financial.

March 2013
Join SunbonnetSmart.com
for a post every day
here and/or on BlogHer.com

Priscilla Judd has a vision. She is determined to inform the world it’s taken a wrong turn.

A piano tuner by trade, she has an ear for harmonics that easily translates over to her music. As a piano tuner, Priscilla uses a tuning fork to begin the calibration or tuning of each note on the keyboard. First she tunes the center octave of eight notes. The rest of the notes are tuned in line with the first octave. Using damping felts to isolate strings so each tone may be heard in its pure state, Priscilla builds the scales represented by the black and white keys. Tuning a piano proficiently takes lots of practice. In command of an exacting science, Priscilla has trained her senses to be accurate and precise.

Priscilla Sings to Bring About Change

And so, Priscilla is observant of the world as it really exists. She doesn’t necessarily like what she sees. She espouses what is good for people and Mother Earth may not be what is practiced by multinational corporations with higher yearly incomes than the gross national product, GNP, of some countries. She has widened her musical talents toward playing guitar and singing her original compositions to protest what she feels are dangerous trends.

O Canada – Who For A Lost Democracy

Visit with Priscilla on her web site where she shares her passions. She writes, “I suppose you’ve noticed that planet Earth is under seige? Our environment is threatened everywhere on this planet.  Sadly, human life and nature are not the most important factor when it comes to decisions made by Governments.  Democracy is threatened by corporatism – the neo-liberal or neo-conservate agenda. So, I’m an activist. I walk out and protest. I sing about wild salmon, climate change, pipelines and tankers, local food and farming, GMO, pesticide and First Nations issues.  I sing in praise of nature and heroes who stand for nature and social justice.”

If you are reading this post on Sunday, March 3, 2013, you have a wonderful opportunity before you. Priscilla’s song, the YouTube above titled O Canada – Who For a Lost Democracy, is in CBC’s Best New Artist Contest. As the contest site says, “Join our search for Canada’s best new artist. Vote for your favorite act, right now! Round two polls close Sunday, Mar. 3, 2013 at midnight ET. Check back Monday at 9pm ET for round three of voting.”

As of this writing, Priscilla is fourth from being #1 in the Second Round of voting. Take a moment and vote to get her in Round Three!

Please VOTE at http://bit.ly/V4XtnU

Round Two ends Sunday, March 3, 2013.

March 2013
Join SunbonnetSmart.com
for a post every day
here and/or on BlogHer.com

How easily most of us read these words and are able to immediately relate. Listen to what? Shout out what? What should we communicate and when should we do it?

There are so many people who can easily “listen up” or “shout out,” the phrases have become cultural idioms in the English Language. Idioms are phases that have an accepted use other than their literal meaning. And so, “listen up” means “pay attention” while “shout out” can literally mean to “shout out” or just to “pass the word around” and tell everyone you know. But, people who have hearing and speech problems cannot always either listen up or shout out. For them, these simple directive phrases, can cause frustration and fear over the inability to express feelings while communicating effectively.

When I was a kid, there was nothing more exciting than staying home from school to watch a space launch. We all knew of Astronaut John Glenn and in February of 1962, it was all anyone talked about. He orbited the earth three times and became a national hero. Later, after his outstanding military career, he became a Senator from the State of Ohio, serving in Congress for twenty-five years.

Senator John Glenn’s wife Annie hid a debilitating secret.

With the name “John Glenn” being household word for most of my life, I thought I knew everything about him. What I didn’t know was his wife, Annie Glenn, was emotionally suffering for most of those years while her husband was in the limelight. She severely stuttered and was extremely fearful of interacting with anyone outside the Glenn family. She did not get help until she was fifty, but then became fluent after attending a treatment program at HCRI in Roanoke, VA. Now Annie and John Glenn are dedicated to publicly sharing that no one has to isolate themselves due to speech and language inabilities.

John and Annie Glenn encourage all stutterers to get help.

There are many, varied communication treatment options and modalities available, along with innovative outreach methods. The American Speech-Hearing-Language Association or ASHA, found at ASHA.org, is a proactive organization  reaching out to insure help is available for everyone with hearing, speech and language problems. ASHA.org provides a Professional Search Tool Page with easy access to audiologists or speech-language therapists. ASHA’s intent is all inclusive, stating that,  in order to enable Communication for a Lifetime, “The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is committed to ensuring that all people with speech, language, and hearing disorders receive services to help them communicate effectively.”

John and Annie talk about stuttering being treated into fluency.

Hearing loss and speech difficulties do not always begin at birth or in childhood, but may commence at any stage of life. Many people, who become speech, hearing and language disabled later on, live for years not understanding that their sensory functions are slipping away. Those who have had stokes may not be able to fully communicate to their previous level of proficiency overnight. Those who have difficulty speaking, who stutter, have trouble swallowing or keeping their balance when they walk, may be too shy to reach out for help, feeling overwhelmed by perceived obstacles.

ASHA headquarters in Rockville, MD.

So, listen up and shout out to those who might need professional help to ease their inabilities to speak fluently, having any one of a number of speech, language or communication challenges. Shout out to inform others who might need emotional support to get help for themselves. And, listen up, if this is something you, yourself need. Don’t wait to get help. Opportunities for physical and emotional healing abound. They are there for the asking. Get Help…Don’t Wait!

With the wealth of resources listed on the ASHA.org web site, it is reassuring to know anyone who has speech, hearing and language challenges can find help in the privacy of their home by clicking on the Professional Search Tool Page. Thank you, ASHA.

I wrote this blog post while participating in a campaign by
BOOMboxNetwork.com on behalf ASHA.org and received payment
for my participation. All opinions stated within are my own.
I believe in and support the work of ASHA.org

Needing some time off without the time, money or energy to go?

Don’t feel left behind. Go on a virtual vacation. I’ve been going on them for years, since the 1980s. I find the whole experience very rewarding, refreshing and recreational. And, when I say recreational, I really mean re-create-tion-al.

Once I began to understand quantum string theory and the fact that we live in a virtual holagram,  I said, “Hey! What the heck.” Nothing really exists and we’re all just movies playing in somebody’s mind, so I might as well focus on the somewhere else I’d rather be. It became easy to fine tune the existence channel, heading out to parts of my brain, unknown. So easy. It was a Woo-Woo and a Win-Win!

A virtual vacation world is waiting for you.

I’m amazed at how many people don’t know about meditation tapes. I say tapes, because all this was big in the 1980s when the mediation tapes actually were tapes, but I really mean tracks. Recorded mediation tracks can consist of instrumentals without talking or music with an overlay of guided mediation. I enjoy both, depending on my mood and where I want my mind to go.

So, before I introduce you to some of my all time favorites, check out this great mediation site, where they are so hep on sharing mediation options, they have free downloads. It a virtual smorgasbord of alternate realities, only a click away. Also, on this meditation site they explain, better than I can, why easing the mind every day can lead to higher activity levels, better performance and improved quality of life.

Here’s a wordless thunder storm with its soothing rain.

I love the nature tracks which take one to waterfalls, tropical jungles with calling birds or by the ocean. Usually they are without voice overlays. Listening to a few of them, you will become an expert on whether they are just playing a loop of repetitive sounds or whether the whole cut is original from start to finish. The thunderstorm experience above, is a great track that plays non-repetitive sounds, so it sounds fresh and real.

Just Google meditation or guided meditation to gather a bevy of sources and styles, including Tara Brach, Fragrant Heart, Audio Dharma and a host of other choices. YouTube is also replete with a selection of videos. Once you arrive in the meditation area, there will be more than anyone could hope to listen to in a month.

Guided meditations help people sleep better.

What’s my favorite guided mediation album of all time? Sanctuary Island by Robert Gerzon. I love it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to it. This one does have to be purchased, but it can easily be downloaded and you’ll be comatose before you know it.

So, get listening, get traveling. Run those imaginations wild.

Wow! Let the audio-visual Thanksgiving weekend continue. Can’t seem to stop.

Today as I was “penny hiking” around YouTube, I came upon some of theBritain’s Got Talent 2012 summary clips. I like these much better than watching the TV show, because you see the best of the entries. While the regular talent shows go on too long for me, with me feeling awkward for those contestants reaching above their performance level. The summary clips spotlight the accomplished entries who could become professional entertainers.

Best of all, I love the shows where Simon Cowell receives his come-uppins, the ones where he is quick to judge a person on their appearance. He doesn’t seem to understand, even at his stage of the game, that talent and physical presentation are not necessarily connected.

So, maybe, if you watch TV often, you’ve seen this and it’s old hat, but today, I was left spellbound by the spectacular shaming of Simon. See what you think:

 Charlotte and Jonathan in audition.

Charlotte and Jonathan in the Semi Finals

Charlotte and Jonathan in the Finals.

From Wikipedia:

“Jonathan Antoine (born 13 January 1995) and Charlotte Jaconelli (born 24 August 1995), known collectively as Jonathan and Charlotte, are an Englishclassical crossover duo from Essex. They finished as runners-up in the sixth series of Britain’s Got Talent in 2012, being beaten to the winning post on 12 May by dancing dog act Ashleigh and Pudsey.^[1] At the time, they were aged 17 and 16 respectively. Despite not winning, the young duo were offered a £1million record deal by Simon Cowell on his record label Syco. They have since released their album Together which reached #5 in the UK Album Charts. The album was released in the USA and Canada on October 30, 2012.”

Boy! Watching this uplifting story and listening to Jonathan & Charlotte sing was just what I needed to witness today. Such a miracle of creation.

Neither Jonathan nor Charlotte were born before 1995.

Every now and then, one just has to stop and think about things.

I find life very challenging now. There is much unrest and people are questioning things that have never occurred to them before. With questioning comes fact finding and research to see what paths one should take, what course of action is best, or whether the prudent thing to do is nothing at all.

While it is easy to see this lack of a firm direction as chaotic, it is also one of many options and opportunities. A while back, I was confused and wondering about things in my life, and as I often do to get my mind off of of my troubles, I went and took a “Penny Hike” on YouTube.

Penny Hikes were common when I was a kid. We walked up the street to the corner and flipped a penny. If it was heads, we took a right turn. If it was tails, we took a left. It was amazing and fun to see where we ended up, walking round the neighborhood passing the time with a best friend, maybe getting a Popsicle on the way. They were a whole nickel, but worth it, once in a while.

And so, one day on my aimless Penny Hike on YouTube, I used the mouse to click on videos at a whim, seeing where they would lead, having no directing purpose or intent. It was much like people flip open a sacred book while shutting their eyes, pointing a finger to the page to select a passage to read. I traveled around YouTube in the same way, seeing where my higher self would lead, going right or left on a whim, as I watch a number of short clips to clear my head.

Will you look what I found, both in one day, when I couldn’t quite cut through my problems? Isn’t it amazing? One after the other. After watching both of these videos, I had put my problems back into their proper perspective. Nothing seemed insurmountable.

This Korean singer was on the streets from the age of five on.

Freewheeling

In “Part 1 – Finding Freedom,” the underwater wheelchair enables
Sue Austin to go on a dream like exploration of an underwater world.

Spiraling up and out of myself when feeling down, thinking of others overcoming worse situations than mine makes me thankful. It helps me calm my thoughts into a more productive mindset. I just had to share my two new “uppers” and am so interested to know if these videos speak to you in the same way they do to me.

We pretty generally follow the routine. I was raised to do so. So, was my husband.

But, what does one do when the routine isn’t working? What happens when the way things have been done, since, like, FOREVER, is no longer producing the desired effect? At least not in its place and time, for a certain person. And what if that person is your child? And what if the routines are the grand institutions of public and private education? Thirteen years ago, neither one was working for us.

When faced with such a problem, what does one do to remedy the situation? Just sit there and watch? Or, take the bull by the horns, remove the child from the school system and begin to home school? Thirteen years ago, that was our nightly topic of conversation. And thirteen years ago, home school we did.

And today, thirteen years later, the day we have been moving toward for so long was here.

Tonight, it is over. Our home schooled students have had their first college interviews.

I decided to do this post today, when I read “I Am Done with My Child’s School,”by Jeanne’ from Sippy Cups and Booze. I was in agony reading the post and picturing the sad depressing situation, not to mention the life of her poor son. It’s scandalous what is done to young people in the name of education.

In our case, to give an example, the child had been writing both upper and lower case letters since they were three years and some months old. At a private school, we went for our October Parent/Teacher conference when he was in the fours class and were told he was a problem because he couldn’t write his letters.

“Wow!” I said, biting my tongue, “He’s known both upper and lower case for over a year.”

“Well, she said, “I’ve seen no evidence of that, what-so-ever.”

I replied, “That’s strange, as we went out to dinner last night and he wrote both upper and lower case on the place-mat at the table.”

“Well,” she continued, “It’s a shame I can’t look at the place-mat *snicker* to see that he can do them.” (Do you believe the snicker?)

“Oh, no problem,” I replied. “We have it right out in the car,” and my husband retrieved the place-mat to share it with the woman.

And. She. Said, “Oh! These are very good. Do you mind if I have this to put in his folder?”

That’s when I couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Let me get this straight,” I said, getting ready to build up to a crescendo, “You’re his teacher and have no idea he can write his letters, both upper and lower cases? And, your remedy for the situation is to put this place-mat from a restaurant in his folder?”

I mean, wouldn’t you think she would be motivated, at least in front of us, to work with him and see where the misunderstanding had occurred? No, it was “place-mat in folder.” Check in block. On to the next thing not to teach him.

She said something back to me, but it was so idiotic, I’ve repressed it. That incident was the first of many other peculiar situations finally leading us to home school. But, we lasted until the next year where, after thirty days in a public school kindergarten, we went to the Board of Education, took them out and never looked back.

Now, tonight, with it behind us, it was the best thing we could have done for this child that, years later, took first year Latin at age seventeen at the University of Maryland with sophomore to senior college students and got the highest grade in the class.

I have to wonder if Mrs. What’s-her-face might want to put THAT in his folder.

Why not? She didn’t teach him Latin either.

Don’t expect me to be nice.