Month: November 2011

Funny Holiday Eating Tips

While I was searching the internet for some useful tips this holiday season to post on our company blog that I manage.. I found this VERY USEFUL list of Holiday Eating Tips! This is a MUST READ!

Written by Craig Wilson, USA TODAY

peppermint bark popcornHoliday Eating Tips

I hate this time of year. Not for its crass commercialism and forced frivolity, but because it’s the season when the food police come out with their wagging fingers and annual tips on how to get through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds. You can’t pick up a magazine without finding a list of holiday eating do’s and don’ts. Eliminate second helpings, high-calorie sauces and cookies made with butter, they say. Fill up on vegetable sticks, they say. Good grief. Is your favorite childhood memory of Christmas a carrot stick? I didn’t think so. Isn’t mine, either. A carrot was something you left for Rudolph.

I have my own list of tips for holiday eating. I assure you, if you follow them, you’ll be fat and happy. So what if you don’t make it to New Year’s? Your pants won’t fit anymore, anyway.

1. About those carrot sticks. Avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it’s rare. In fact, it’s even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can’t find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnogaholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy.Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello? Remember college?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the centre of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. You can’t leave them behind. You’re not going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards, mate.

10. And one final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention.

Reread tips. Start over. But hurry! Cookieless January is just around the corner …
Many Blessings and Happy Holidays!
Raventalker

Dream – Working with the Masters

I was having a pretty wild dream this morning… I was in this place on a mountain that was like a monastery where one might go to be trained by the masters. My husband was there as well. We were both in the physical course together.. we were being taught something like Tai Chi but it was called To Tai Chi or something like that … something only the masters knew. Suddenly one of the masters recognized me and called out my name and said.. Holly, what on Earth are you doing in this class … you should be in the class for the creatives. I said to her, because I want to do it all. Everyone in the class laughed, even the masters… the master was like… but no one can do it all and no one needs to do it all .. and I said but I want to learn it all and at least give everything a try. I want to see for myself how much I can do….. I want to explore all the abilities inside me.

The master and the other students then began to tell about how the classes for the creatives were very hard. Telling about some of their own experiences from the classes. They started going on about how the master would describe things for you to draw and you would have to draw from your own mind ….. you would not be given an image in the physical to draw from.  I was then shown images of their results and the master spoke about how  different everyone’s perspectives were and how beautiful each drawing turned out. I understood this and appreciated the process and that this would be something that would just make me better at what I already do… but it did not change the fact that I wanted to try the harder things… things that I had never tried before to see what other abilities were inside me.

The Master appreciated my wanting to learn and so allowed me to do so.

I was then given this task that was extremely odd in my mind. I had to open up this fruit/plant looking thing that had something in its center .. it was round and had thousands of hair like moving parts.. very compact and the size of a silver dollar. I had to be very careful taking it out … placing it in the palm of my hand and moving it to this big cushion type thing that wasn’t really a cushion.. I’m not sure what it was. The master had told me what it was but that bit I forgot. When I placed this thing on the cushion looking thing it began moving from inside its center – outward. the cushion looking thing it sat on then began to grow. The master said to me that whatever it is placed on.. grows. It has the ability to turn even the smallest stone into a mountain.

The next scene in this dream was as if that master and I were floating overhead while this thing I took from the plant was creating a mountain… as the rock it was on grew it would move to another section of the rock and the rock would continue to grow and grow until it was indeed a very large mountain.

Suddenly my dream leads to an end where even in the dream it felt also as though I had skipped past many things to get to this part of the dream. I was in some sort of group discussion about death and I spoke up to say… but I already know where I go, I have seen it. Everyone paused… the master looked at me quizzically and asked me to  tell them what it was I saw.

I spoke of a large stone mountain that was dome shaped surrounded by pine trees. The Master then said I know exactly where that it…. let me show you and she then took me to that place … we went there and we were floating above it and I looked at her and said something like, see..  I told you I had seen it ( this was a place only the masters knew of .. I was told… she again looked at me quizzically) and that’s where I woke from the dream.

Note: there were lots of details that I had also seen in this dream that I haven’t described here such as the vibrant colors of the drawings the students had done.. the landscape of the mountain the monastery was on… some of the tasks the students were taking part in.. etc.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Daily Insight – Uggggggg

Yeah that’s right today’s insight is “Uggggggg”

So I felt the pull to post my daily insight today and so I pulled out my cards.. shuffled .. shuffled and shuffled some more. The growth card popped right out of the deck. I thought, ok I reckon growth it is.. and then as I started typing the subject line I just did not want to visit this subject today. I was just not ready to embark on this task. I have talked about growth many times before but today was not the day for me to share any light on this particular subject.

So what’s the insight for the day?

Be fully aware of what your own body and intuition tells you. Know when to push and when to let go. You see, I could have pushed through my insight on growth but if I had done that while I wasn’t really feeling that particular topic, chances are it wouldn’t have reached the ones who may really need it right now. So, I let it go. It is what it is and today is just not the day for growth. Today is the day we learn more about listening to ourselves and our own inner knowing. Today we let go of that feeling that we need to always be doing and always .. constantly growing .. and allow ourselves to just be.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

What We Allow

Today Spirit urges me to talk about what we allow in our lives.

We need to stop often and take a look at the things we allow in our own lives. It’s easy to see what others allow but we must stop for a moment, step back and truly look at our own lives to see what it is we are or are not allowing.

Think about a few examples here: (Things we allow or block from our lives)

Love – we know how to give it but are we allowing it to be returned to us?
Kindness – same as above
Fear – ooooooo that’s a mean and nasty one.. be careful not to let your actions be guided by it
Creativity – are you doubting your creative self – blocking the creativity from flowing through you … when it comes to creativity you have got to let it flow  – also don’t let others stifle your creative ideas
Doubt – Oh  another ugly one … doubt can cause us and the people around us far more harm that one might think. Practice trusting yourself and that inner knowing that stirs inside you. If you can’t trust yourself, you’ll not trust anyone else either.
Success – are you truly allowing yourself to succeed or are you putting your own road blocks in the way?
Growth – are we allowing growth in all areas of our lives or are we again stifling or even pushing ourselves… trying to control how much we grow… how much we move forward … let nature take its course and allow your own growth to come at its own pace.

These are just a few examples… throughout our lives there are so many things we will find ourselves allowing in that are no good for us.. we talk ourselves into accepting what is … instead of seeing what could be or what is best for us.

Many blessings,
Raventalker

My Art Show Experience

Well I just finished yet another art show. Over the years aI have participated in quite a few art shows, festivals and fairs and along the way I have learned a few things.

1. I never sell anything at these events
2. A lot of work goes into creating, preparing, setting up and tearing down
3. The reward from the above is meeting new people… not making money.. but meeting new people

Sure you get your name out to a few more people, you meet some nice new folks but sales rarely increase from these events. People just aren’t buying…. not just from me, but hardly from anyone else either.

Will I continue to do art.. YEP! It’s who I am.. it’s a huge part of me. It’s like breathing.. I have to create.

Do I regret doing any of the festivals, fairs or shows? NO, because at least I can say I gave it a try.

Will I do more? Probably, after I have forgotten all about the last experience..LOL… I am always hopeful.

It’s all about who you know. Getting in front of the right audience is key! No matter how many shows you do, unless you are in front of people that understand, like and get what you do… you’re not going to sell a thing.

For me creating art is more than just something I do, it’s who I am.. an extension of me. I wouldn’t be me without the art-side of me. It makes me feel good to create and it gives me something to look forward to, the reward is in the finished piece, not in the sale of that piece. Although, a sale would be really nice… hahahaha, it sure would help fund future projects. But that won’t stop me from doing.

Artists create for themselves but also it is a great honor when someone else finds happiness in one of our pieces. Note for beginning artists: Don’t stop creating, believe in what you do and keep putting your work out there for others to discover.. you just never know when that right person will come along and your efforts will be greatly rewarded.

I overheard several artists this weekend speaking about their art and one of the most common phrases I heard was “it has taken me xx years to get to this point.”

They had to continuous work at perfecting what they do, to get to where they were just starting to be recognized… so whatever you do.. don’t give up.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

If your soul wants to….

If your soul wants to sing … Let it sing
If your soul wants to dance … Let it dance
If your soul wants to cry… Let it cry
If your soul wants to dare… Let it dare
If your soul wants to laugh – Let it laugh
If your soul wants to hide.. Let it hide
If your soul wants to praise .. Let it praise
If you soul wants to complain.. Let it complain
If your soul wants to love… Let it love.
If your soul wants to be.. Let it be

 To often that we push ourselves into doing or acting in a way that is not good for us. Somewhere down the line we will find ourselves saying .. “I should have” “I could have” “Why didn’t I”.

 We will hold on to the things that need to fall away from our lives, hoping to keep whatever “normal” we think we should have in tact. We’ll hold onto relationships (friends, family  and lovers) longer than we should for fear of hurting someone else’s feelings. We’ll hold onto bad habits for fear of change.
We stop nature from taking its course so often that we damage not only our own lives but all those involved and then we sit and ask that every so popular
question.. “Why?”.

 Well because we did it to ourselves. We held on when everything inside of us said “LET GO!”. We need not worry about what we have already done and focus more on this moment forward. The past is done, there is no changing it. However, we are able to shape the future.

 We need to learn how to listen to our inner knowing, pay  attention to our surroundings and when the universe sends us a gigantic sign to
say STOP..RUN..GO THE OTHER WAY!! then we should listen and do that very thing!

 Don’t be afraid of what you can become.

 All of our lives we have heard others says things like: “If I was younger..” “If I knew then what I know now…” “The youth holds the world in their
hands”

 We hold our own world in our hands. WE have unlimited possibilities. It is not wasted on the young, it is wasted on those who do not believe in
themselves.

 It’s time we are start believing!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

What Tomorrow Brings

hdr_00021_0What tomorrow brings…. Tomorrow is a new day… A new beginning….

Life is what you make it. You get what you put into it.

Life has it’s ups and downs and all-arounds … it’s not what happens to us but how we react to what happens to us that determines how our day will be, how it will end and how the next day begins.

You have the power within you to make your own life whatever you want it to be. Let’s do be reasonable tho, of course we would all like to be millionaires but that’s not likely to happen. We can create our own magic, our own happiness and our own success.

Many walk through this life seemingly asleep and zombie-like. They just go through the motions of the day without truly living. So much is lost for them. They do not see their own possibilities. Life is constantly buzzing all around them and yet they are numb to it.

We all go through periods of seclusion and detachment from the world.. how long that period lasts is up to us. Some seem to stay in that period for their whole lives. I am sad for those who feel stuck in that period. My wish today is that they are able to see the world with new eyes and see their way out of this dark time. I can’t imagine how it must be to live everyday without light, love and a zest for truly living.

If you take nothing else from my words today.. my hope is that you know these few things: You do have the power inside you to turn your world around. Life’s possibilities are endless. It is never too late. Dreams do come true. Life is worth living. Love and happiness are inside you always. Magic is real.

Many Blessings for a magical day,
Raventalker

Wisdom of the Ages – Gayla Moore

Wisdom of the Ages  – an interview with Gayla Moore

I have been thinking of doing this for some time now. I want to do a series of interviews with random people to see what kind of wisdom we can take away from getting to really know each other. So here it goes, my very first interview.

I met with Gayla Moore this afternoon and here are some of the things we spoke about:

Question: I asked her what was the one moment in her life that completely changed her life from what it was before that moment to what it became afterwards.
Answer: Gayla’s answer was the day that she got married. She was only 18 at the time and said the difference that was that she had to actually grow up. She talked about how young they both were and how at that age they barely saw past the palm of their hands. They had no idea how life was going to really be.

Question: I asked Gayla if there was any of that young girl from way back then left inside her.
Answer: Gayla said although she has grown wiser and has matured with her years, part of that young, naive girl still lives inside her. Part of how she has matured is that she now appreciated her raising, her upbringing that is usually lost in our youth.

Question: I asked Gayla what advice would she like to leave behind for others.
Answer: Gayla says to live your life trying to do the right thing, whether you do it or not at least try to do right. Don’t be tempted by the thoughts that can sometimes pop into your head. She hopes that is how people will remember her, that she lived trying to always do right.

Question: What was your happiest memory?
Answer: The day her son was born.

Question: What was the saddest memory?
Answer: The day her father died. Gayla said that she was closer to her dad than anyone else she ever knew. I then asked why she felt closer to her dad than anyone else and her answer was simply that they appreciated each other.

Question: I asked Gayla what her favorite childhood memory was.
Answer: Gayla stated that her favorite memory was being on the farm playing in the dirt and playing with the rocks. Oh the simpler days gone by. Gayla says she still loves playing in the dirt and with rocks. She reckons its the connection with the Earth that calms her and makes her feel good.

Question: My final question for Gayla and had to do with her career as a real estate agent. I asked her what real estate advice would you give to a new agent coming into the profession.
Answer: Gayla said that you should work to please your client, don’t just work to make the money. She also said, don’t ever count on the money til you have that money in hand. All kinds of unexpected things can come up last minute when it comes to real estate.

I think that’s some great sage advice!

Thank you Gayla for your time and for answering all my pesky questions. It’s a pleasure knowing you and I am honored to have spent quality time getting to know the real Gayla Moore.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Daily Insight New Beginnings and Change

Daily Insight 11-7

New Beginning – Listen to your inner being and trust your intuition … old things will fall away painlessly as you start something new. This may be a new way of thinking, a new way of doing things or even new projects and or work.

Change – Change strengthens us… to more we allow it the stronger we become. I know it may sound strange but think about the changes you have gone through so far and take a look at where you are now. Have you not grown from your experiences? Have you not become stronger? Now you see. Don’t fight change… it’s going to happen sooner or later .. why drag out the process and make things far more complicated than they need to be.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

11-1-11

There is sure to be a lot of activity today being the day after Halloween and 11-1-11.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m talking about the Angelic or Master  Numbers.

So here is some information about the numbers 1, 11, 111, 1111 and any other combination of the 1s.

This first snip comes from http://www.angelscribe.com/1111.html: “Whenever you see the sequence 111 or 1111 show up, it is a great sign of a golden opportunity. Both sequences mean that a “doorway” has opened up in which your intentions and goals will manifest extremely quickly. The Angels have taught me to focus my thoughts and intentions whenever I see 111 or 1111, almost like making a wish when a cake with candles is presented to you.”

I find this so true. I have noticed that since I began to recognize these sequences of numbers, straight away I have a mind set for blessings, gratitude and positive thinking. I thank the angels for the nudge and I can’t help but feel really good inside when seeing these numbers. It’s not just the numbers 11 or 111 it is any combination of triple digits. Each with their own significance.

Lately I have been seeing 666 a lot. This tells me to change my thoughts. What I have previously conceived to be bad is not neccisarily so. Previously, my thoughts toward the 6s came from early childhood conditioning. Growing up in the bible belt of the South, we are taught that the 6s are evil, thats the Devil’s number, the mark of the beast. Can you imagine that poor number 6 and how it must feel to have such a bad reputation for no real good reason at all. So now when I see the 6s I smile and acknowledge the message and the goodness that can be found in that number and dispell any negative thoughts that may come to mind.

Ok back to the 1s. Today is indeed a magical day filled with endless possibilities for us all. We simply need to recognize that the possibilities exist and that they are within our reach. We then need to take positive action to walk forward in our lives to bring about the changes that we wish to see.

Have a blessed and prosperous day,
Raventalker