Rivers lead to oceans...Kayaks lead to freedom

Merry Meet,


I am happy to see you…I see you got some color…summer seems to be going well for you…

Massage has been slow, but steady…I am working with several new pathologies and find the muscle structure quite interesting…

American Boudica Publishing is working in the background putting together the up coming trip…upon my return we will be releasing 3 books (Boudica, Children, Health)…at the moment, all energies are making sure we get the trip together and get me home safe;)

In the Circle of Boudica, I must ask for your prayers for baby Zach…he is back in the hospital and the doctors are having a hard time getting the feeding tube in...he will be going into surgery in the morning...he also has been diagnosed with pneumonia;(

The Menu…I have been having oatmeal or scrambled eggs or poached eggs or raisin bran or total with a banana and an orange…welcome to breakfast…lunch has been my large meal…chicken parm. or veal parm. or flounder or cod with 2 veggies (summer squash, zucchini, spinach, carrots, green beans, etc…), if I have a starch, this is when I have it…Supper…this is a light sandwich or salad or bowl of soup…I miss food, but have lost weight in a healthy way with NO pills or shots…really needed to cut back on soda so, I added 2 glasses of water and 2 of natural juice…before I allow myself a soda, I force myself to have the water and juice…I have lost weight and I do feel more energy…I just really want to eat food instead of what food eats;)…I will be ready to make the trip…

The gardens are a sea of color…we have been getting some much needed rain…flowers are popping up everywhere…mowing the yard is now up to twice a week...I am glad dad is home to work in the yard with me...

The dogs have been enjoying the increased amount of exercise…Chole has been enjoying the doggy pool….Quintus feel in the fish pond…he was so freaked out, it was cute…Chewy has been training them both, very sweet…

The website for the Sunshine Paddle is now up…training has been started…we have started gathering needed goods…plans for road and kayak being made…a lot of work;)



So as you see, I’ve been busy…

May you all be blessed,

D

Reaching for the Stars

Merry Meet,


You look well today…I am feeling a bit spunky…the ½ week has been quite active…sorry I have no goodies made, I do have cold sweet tea, let me get you a glass…come in, sit down, relax

Massage has kept me on the go…my youngest 2 clients (7months & 9 months) are in the hospital doing battle for their respective lives…I have turned over all info to the doctors and consult with the parents…I have a client who I had to pre op for knee replacement surgery…another is just returning after eye surgery…On Monday, I will be expanding my business…I will keep you up on that later in the week..My last client today was a 90 minute that needed his body stretched…I do love my job…

Okay…great news at school…I made the Deans List (because I made good grades, I am not in trouble)…Yea!!! Whoohoo!!!...I have done 3 papers in the last 4 days…I find American Lit quite interesting…the teacher is a hard read and it is a work intense class, but I feel what I am learning makes it worth it…

Chris and I have much new to post…I need to keep it under wraps for now…I will fill you in this weekend…*smile*

Next week is going to be the start of an ultra-busy few weeks…Walter is prepping the roof as we will be putting on a membrane…thanks to a friend that generously gave me some paint…we have also started cleaning the house to paint it…

I am cleaning out the pool and getting it ready to start putting on the cover…I have still been going out everyday, but the water has started getting cold…we have decided to leave it up for winter…I have also started to prep the pond for winter…I have taken advantage of the cooler weather to clean up the garden…the compost pile is getting big

I am so looking forward to Samhain…it is the time of year to feel the breath of the past on your shoulder…In the Circle of Boudica, I have been helping moms find fun way to celebrate those who have passed on with the kids…one of the families rents a farm with a grave site on the property…she took the kids out and cleaned it up…the kids decorated it…the kids have found candles they will burn…it has been a lot of fun…another young woman has been planning her meal with the kids…her mom just passed, so they will make the food grandma made…what a great way to remember someone…a young man, who recently lost his wife, is taking the kids to see grandma (mother’s mom)…I can feel the love…it is a great thing…what are you doing to bring in the season?



Rose Hip Syrup

• Gather rose hips after they have developed and turned red. Some herbalists recommend waiting until after the first frost for improved flavor. (These fruits are commonly found on bushes well into winter.)

• Rinse rose hips well, remove any stems or flower remnants

• Bring two cups of water to a boil and add four cups of rose hips. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the water has been reduced by half

• Allow to cool slightly and then strain through a jelly bag or cheese cloth

Stir in 2 cups of local grown honey.

This rose hip recipe keeps well in the fridge. It is a great immune booster with an antibacterial back up (great for cold, flu, sinus, sore throat). Rose hip syrup is especially good on pancakes or to sweeten teas.


I will start cooking next week and it will go thru until after Yule…get ready to eat…I am looking for a good pumpkin bread recipe…do you have one? Or maybe one for pumpkin cookies? I will be making chicken with butternut squash and mashed potatoes for dinner tomorrow…if you are hungry, come get a plate…

Give me a hug…may you have much love and many blessings…I am here if you need me…listening to Van Morrison and doing homework or working on a client or working on the publishing business…I will sleep someday;)

Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance

With the stars up above in your eyes

A fantabulous night to make romance

'Neath the cover of October skies

And all the leaves on the trees are falling

To the sound of the breezes that blow

And I'm trying to please to the calling

Of your heart-strings that play soft and low

You know the night's magic

Seems to whisper and hush

And all the soft moonlight

Seems to shine in your blush...

-Van Morrison

Blessed Be,

D

Hooked on a Feeling

Pull up a chair…I know I look tired, but I feel good…I got your messages…this week has been running at a break neck pace…here, enjoy some pomegranate juice and I will fill you in…


Massage has been great…I have been helping new therapists start their own business and trading information with others…I love my old Dean Martin CD…it is a 72 minute run and every client this week has let me work through the whole thing…the energy has been great…

Chris and I will be ready to release a special project at the end of next week…He and Rose are getting ready to tape Chapter 2 of the ‘Family, Friends and Funerals’ book…I am awaiting the demo copy of book 2 (Chronicles of an American Boudica, Love is Like an Onion), as soon as I approve it they will release it…my fingers are crossed that it will be perfect...

School has been difficult…I thought I would breeze through the computer class…Thank Goddess for a great teacher…I learned many new tricks and programs…I have to admit it was NOT easy….the meltdown I had with the Excel program…learning excel sucks…knowing excel is very useful…then for my final tests, the computer kept kicking me off causing me to fail…the teacher let me take them from a different computer and I was back to passing…my streak of A is still happening…YEA!!!!! My new class is American literature. I am very excited as this will teach me many new writing skills.

This was a great week for the Circle of Boudica…the Induction Ceremony was beautiful…I was honored by the presence of Lady Sabrina…since it is a very private thing there is not much I can say…however, I would like to thank those who sent wood from all over the world…the fire sparkled and smelled beautiful…the moon was clear and bright and I felt like the Goddess hung it just for me…I had to pinch myself…I now hold the title of Lady Dorraine…I now have members to our community and this community’s Book of Mysteries has been started…the first priestess training class starts October 1…I will also be preparing the young mothers on how to make the Samhain holiday fun for the kids…Samhain will be our first full service around the bon fire…I am attempting to hook up the webcam for those in our community around the world to join us…for any information please contact our Bard, Mr. Bilton...

Today I turn 45…what a wonderful feeling…often times in my younger years, I did not think I would make it this far…it took many people working hard to get me here…I work hard everyday so all their work is not wasted and in hopes to make them proud that they gave someone a chance…life is good and I have been blessed…my birthday wish is for all of my friends and family to feel so blessed…

Recipe for Herbal Tincture

1. Chop the fresh or dried herb and place it in a sterilized mason jar. The more finely chopped the herb becomes the more easily the plant material will be extracted. Coffee grinders are ideal for grinding dried herbs into powder. Food processors and vitamix blenders are often used for chopping or grinding fresh herbs.

2. Determine the amount of alcohol to add by determining the weight of the plant material. Alcohol should be added at a 1:5 ratio for dried herbs and 1:2 ratio for fresh herbs. One ounce of dried plant material would require 5 ounces of alcohol. One ounce of fresh plant material would require 2 ounces of alcohol. Pour the alcohol into the jar covering the herb. Vodka is commonly used alcohol for making herbal tincture.

3. Seal the mason jar with a sterilized lid and place it in a cool dark place. Label the jar with the date of preparation and the herbal contents. Shake the herbal tincture each day for two weeks.

4. After two weeks, strain the plant material from the herbal tincture using cheesecloth. Herbal tinctures should always be stored in dark colored, glass bottles. A dropper is ideal, as it will allow the herbal tincture to be dispensed at specific ratios. Label the dropper bottle with the date and type of herbal tincture.


May your week be wonderful…please take time to let me know how you are all doing

D

P.S.
I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful Harvest Moon

Feeling Quite Purple

Thank you for making time to sit with me…it has been a great week…here have a glass with ice, I have gotten hooked on Simply juices…I have lime or raspberry lemonade…which would you like?


Let’s start with all the updates…

As I have been feeling quite in tune lately, my massage clients have really felt special…I have worked in detail on their bodies…we have been speaking on nutrition and moving in a positive direction…we have been looking for more natural ways of dealing with minor complaints…I have now used Homeopathy on 3 different situations (2 human and one dog) and found it to be effective part of treatment…my hands have been gliding in the muscle…I feel like the muscles just want me to be there...I have been getting into some old Peter Gabriel…as you can see, I really love my job…

School is amazing…I just finished ‘The Herbal Medicine Chest’…I have another A…I hope this old girl can keep it going…this is really a great way to go to school…the class is challenging and the other students keep you thinking…our teacher was waiting on his wife to have a baby the last 2 weeks…I think the whole class was pulling for her…lol…my next one up is a computer class…I wonder what new goodies I will get there…for the next week, I am on summer break…

American Boudica Publishing is a busy place…since I have next week off we will be working hard…Chris will be getting a video reading of chapter 1 From ‘American Boudica, Family Friends and Funerals’ posted…I will be posting one called ‘Massage FAQ’…we should have ‘American Boudica, Love is like an Onion’ on the shelf by 9/15/10…The website should be ready by 10/1/10…it is a lot of work…I am so glad for all the helping hands…Chris and I have gotten the Skype down to a science…often makes me feel like I am on that cartoon ‘ The Jetson’s ‘ with my video phone…some things are just amazing…I can remember when that was a futuristic thing, Damb am I old…yea, but I am still cute

I will be banging down some more doors to try to get more government contracts…I have been on hold with this as I had so much else going on…so much for a summer break…people going back to work is more important than me sitting on my ass…so I will not complain;)

I have started seeing the change of season…fall is on the way, but the heat is not abating…the flowers and bugs have changed…this has been the colorful grasshopper year…we have had green, red and yellow ones hopping and flying everywhere…their nightly song does not come through an MP3 player and is very comforting…I will be kind of sad to see them go…I am getting ready to cut down the lilies…the crape myrtles’ have taken well to their new home…I have 3 more to plant…I also have 2 extra if you want them

The kids are well…mom has been home for a few now and is getting back into the swing of things…dad has the yard looking right again…he had to rip up his tomato from the turvey thing because a caterpillar ate it…the heat of the summer, after such a cold winter…made some things beautiful and made other look half dead…I think it amazed us both how much came back…isn’t nature cool

We have let everything around the pond grow tall to protect the fish…the water stays clear and cool when the sun does not shine directly on it…I like to stand on the deck and watch when they eat…They have been liking all the bugs jumping in the water…you can here the snap across the water…their orange and white colors have been shining this summer…must be all the grasshoppers…

The cat has been wanting to be brushed a lot…he is starting to shed again…the dogs have been liking their weekly bath…chew bitems is so small when he shakes off, the tub does not even get wet…when Shinara shakes off, she soaks the whole bathroom…Draco just sits there and gives me the evil eye…he loves to get in the tub and hates to get out…the gliders have been quiet since the others have been gone…the last few nights they have been letting me play with them again…I guess I am forgiven…all in all not bad at the moment

I have been enjoying the new TV…I do not get to watch very much…as a matter of fact, I DVR everything…so when I do get to sit for a few, I can fast forward through commercials, I can watch 3 half hour or 2 one hour shows in and hour…it is quite cool to stream the Netflix…I have had great luck with it…the Wii looks quite cool on the screen too…it has been a lot of fun

The pool has been a challenge…a friend of mine mentioned a pool service…I was a little green with envy until I went out the next morning…cleaning the pool may not be everyone’s thing, but you can learn about the area you live in by what happens with the water…it’s clarity can speak to you of what is in the air…the bugs you remove let you know when to plant or cut…the back yard has been much greener than the front due to the humidity the pool gives off…I am addicted to my pool…lol…I still try for twice a day and for at least 20 minutes…it has really helped me keep going in this heat

I have been gathering wood for the induction ceremony…I am very nervous and excited

There was a haze across the moon tonight…this is never a good thing…I will pray t passes quickly…Walt called me about a broke fuel line and overtime has been called off…I will keep faith and make the best from it…

Are you in need of sleep…if so you can go to most local grocery store vitamin isles and find Valerian…as always ask you doctor, but it has been working for 100s of years…no need for heavy prescriptions doing damage to the body…it is also a pretty plant

Life is good…I accepted the fact many years ago sleep is not a requirement, life is…I have really felt great about where life is right now…its not perfect, but good none the less

It is my hope that this finds you with a smile…some good thoughts of your own…may you find at least 3 blessings in you life today (small ones count)…

Blessed be,

D, Cooper-Rooney, LMT