Wednesday 28 March 2007

A double-heart miracle!

So, about two weeks ago, I was feeling like I wanted some concrete proof. Something I could ask for and receive and hold in my hand as a reminder of the power of The Secret. In the book there is a story of a young man who wanted the same thing and asked for a feather. He followed The Secret steps and asked the universe for a very specific looking feather. He visualized it and was grateful for it. Two days later he found it at his feet. I wanted to experience this.

I asked for a rock. I sat and got very clear on what this rock looked like. I visualized it and imagined holding it in my hand. It was grey and heart shaped and smooth and fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. I would carry it everywhere I went and it would serve as a reminder to me of the power of The Secret. If I felt doubtful, this rock would remind me that I asked for something and I got it. I could do anything and get anything. It would be proof that The Secret works. To make sure that I would know it was my rock when it showed up I asked for it to be heart shaped but also to have a heart on it. I asked for a double-heart rock.

I started to tell everyone about this double-heart rock. This was new for me. My past behaviour would have been to not tell anyone in case it didn’t happen. I now know that this is a big part of why things didn’t happen for me when I wanted them. Fear that they wouldn’t happen and not sharing it with the people in my life and the universe. I talked about it with my sisters, my parents, my friends and every time I did I visualized it and imagined holding it in my hand. I could feel the heft and smoothness of it in my palm. When I told people who weren’t quite on board with The Secret or law of attraction yet, I noticed that I felt a little sheepish but I ploughed through and told them anyways and to my surprise they all got it and shared my excitement.

A week went by with nothing happening. I noticed that I was fighting disappointment and continued visualizing my double-heart rock. I saw my chiropractor again and told her about it and then asked her a question. What now? Am I supposed to get clear, visualize, be thankful and then just let it go and not think about it again until it shows up? Or am I supposed to spend time visualizing and being thankful everyday until it shows up? She told me that by talking about it with people was focusing on it daily and to keep doing that. She then asked me to describe the rock to her and after I did she told me that she has seen man-made rocks similar to that at a shop on Granville Island and that I should go look there and see if it is there. If not maybe I will end up talking to someone about it there and they will direct me on a different path. She said it is important to be adaptable. I won’t know how it will find me or exactly how it will look.

I took what she said about being adaptable to heart but I didn’t like the idea of my double-heart rock being man-made or that I would have to buy it. I decided to go to Granville Island and check it out anyways but I never got there. It was rainy and I didn’t feel like going. That was a week ago.

On Sunday, my miracle rock came to me! It was the first sunny day since forever and I went for a patio lunch with some friends. We sat outside in the sun and laughed and ate good food and it felt good. When we left the restaurant we ended up standing in the little parking lot talking and making plans for the afternoon. We were standing in the way of a car that was backing out of a spot and so we moved over. I looked down and I was standing next to a planter full of rocks.

My eyes scanned the rocks looking for a heart shaped rock and there weren’t any. I bent down and picked one up anyway. It was oval but it felt good; smooth and cool and just the right size. I closed my eyes for a second and pretended it was my rock. I bent back down and placed it back in the planter and another rock caught my eye. This rock was heart shaped. It wasn’t my double-heart though. It was the right size and smooth and great but not my rock. It was damp and cold and I dried it off with my sleeve and went to throw it back into the planter. It wasn’t my rock but it was close. I was getting close. I decided to hold on to it.

I put it in my pocket and turned back to my friends who had been deep in conversation and hadn’t paid any attention to me picking up rocks. As we walked away, I turned to my friend and showed him the rock. He knew about my search for the double-heart rock and was impressed at how close this one was to it. He agreed with me that I was getting close. We met up with our friends and played bocce in the woods and saw a great bald eagle eating a fish. It was a really good day.

I left my friends, ran some errands and called my sisters. They were together, sitting on LT’s patio and I went over to join them. I had forgotten about the rock until then and I pulled it out of my pocket to show my sisters. As I told them where I found it I was holding it in my palm. It was warm from being in my pocket. I looked down at it before handing it to ST and in the center of the rock was a tiny heart-shaped discolouration.

It turned out to be my miracle rock after all.

Here is my double heart miracle





Here is my double-heart rock! I took a picture of it so I could show you all. You can kind of make out the heart in the center of the rock. It is light grey and a little sideways.
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Sunday 25 March 2007

Why I feel so great!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that I am really, really happy right now and then I left you all hanging wondering why.

About a month ago I got the book The Secret. I had it in my possession for about a week before even cracking it open. Right away I loved it. This whole idea of the power of thoughts and feelings and words made instant sense to me. The odd part is that after reading the first chapter all I could think of were negative thoughts. My brain was full of weird negativity that seemed to me to come from nowhere. I felt awful and I stopped reading the book.

I woke up a couple days later and my body was in physical pain all over. My back hurt, my knees were sore, I felt stiff and achy, I felt sick to my stomach, my chest felt heavy and it was hard to breathe. I went out with my mom that day. Actually that was the day that I bought all the tea at the Bayswater Tea Co. I tried to get in to see my chiropractor but she was booked solid so I had to wait until the next morning. I took it easy that day and found that if I ignored it and kept busy then I didn’t notice it as much. So that’s what I did.

I woke up Wednesday morning feeling a little better but with the same symptoms; achy, stiff, sick, sore, heavy. My appointment with my chiropractor was early so I got in right away and explained my situation to her. I told her about starting to read The Secret and then being bombarded with negative thoughts. I explained that I was trying to do the right thing and just notice the negative thoughts without holding on to them. But it was a struggle for me.

She listened to me and felt my back and shoulder and hips. She had me lie down and started adjusting me all over. She explained that what was happening to me was actually quite crucial. Feeling sick to my stomach was related to my gut (instincts, feelings, intentions) and that feeling heavy in my chest is related to my heart (emotions, love, acceptance). She told me that I was on the verge of a huge transformation and that I was changing at a cellular level. I was breaking away from old patterns and creating new ones. She told me to keep reading The Secret. My new homework was to read it a second time once I finished it.

I have learned over time that being adjusted doesn’t mean instant relief. It definitely starts to feel better right away but it can take a day or two to feel wholly good again. Leaving her office, I felt sore but the nausea and chest heaviness were gone and I felt excited.

It was another day or two before I picked up The Secret again and by that time my body was back to feeling good. I read and read and read. I loved it! I couldn’t read it fast enough. I wanted to absorb The Secret. It made sense to me. I understood that what I was reading was fact and decided there and then that if this was going to work for me (and how could it not if it’s a fact) I had to give it my complete and utter faith. So I did.

I woke up the next morning elated. I felt so good. Happy and excited and healthy and free. I started creating goals and planning my future and it was fun. I sat and visualized things that I wanted. I created a vision board. I drew happy pictures of myself. I wrote out happy thoughts and beliefs. When people ask me how I am I say fantastic, wonderful, never better, great and then I laugh because it feels so good to say.

And because it’s true.

Wednesday 21 March 2007

Dreamgirls

I am a movie fanatic. I love movies. Last night st and I went to see Dreamgirls. It took us long enough since I wanted to see it when it came out, but with all the Oscar hype my desire to see it diminished daily. It finally came down to my mom, who had seen it and loved it, forcing my sister and I to go see it. I say forcing but it was far more gentle than that. She handed me 40 bucks and said "Here, I'll even pay for you to see it and get snacks too! Just go!" So we went.

Immediately I was hooked. I should insert here that while I love movies, I love musical movies even more! There isn't a musical that I prolly wouldn't get some enjoyment out of. I find that disclosing this information about myself, somehow diminishes my authority on recommending good movies to people. You lose a lot of movie cred if people know you LOVE musicals. Ah well, so be it.

Back to Dreamgirls. There is a scene mid movie with Jennifer Hudson belting out her heart and my entire body erupted into goose bumps. Chills. Complete chills. For the rest of the movie, everytime JH sang I got goose bumps. I even got them at one point when they introduced her onto the stage, just in anticipation of her singing. It was incredible.

Then of course, ST and I sang any line we could remember from the songs on the drive home. We are going to memorize and practice singing Effie's big dramatic song so that we can perform it all the time, anywhere we go - (beware JM, you know I'll be singing this one around you - especially if we watch Pitch Black again, which we won't!!).

I really liked this movie. Eddie Murphy was great. Beyonce was great. Jamie Foxx pissed me off - but he was supposed to. I have a new crush on Keith Robinson who has the best smile ever. Plus, I had a fun night out with my sister. So, thanks mom for getting us there!

Thursday 15 March 2007

More Tea! I'm addicted!

I went to the Bayswater Tea Co. again yesterday and bought more tea. I have been drinking rooibos every night and all of my rooibos options are fruity. I wanted something a little different for those nights when I just don't feel fruity. My mom had mentioned drinking a really nice lavender rooibos at a spa recently and I thought I'd like to try that. I walked into the shop with the intention of buying myself and my mom the lavender rooibos and then walking out. I should've known better.

I walked out with 4 new teas for myself.
Cloud 9 - lavender rooibos, smells like lavender and raspberries
Latte Macchiato - a coffee substitute, a rooibos with whole coffee beans that don't give off any caffeine
Toffee Ole - a dessert, toffee-flavoured rooibos
Cream Spice Swirl - I had this one last night with an oat fudge bar from Starbucks and it was the perfect combination. It is a spicy, caramelly smooth rooibos - delicious!

They also had an orange chocolate rooibos and mint chocolate that smelled wonderful. I am saving those for my next visit.

I have also figured out that all rooibos teas are excellent with milk.

I am seriously addicted.

Wednesday 14 March 2007

Sunday 11 March 2007

My life is really, really great right now


More to come on this. I had a few spare minutes before going out and wanted to let the world know that I am so happy and grateful for all I have.
Thank you!

Wednesday 7 March 2007

Tea Heaven

I am drinking a giant mug of coconut tea right now and every sip tastes like heaven.

This past Christmas both of my sisters bought me tea from the Bayswater Tea Co. LT, also bought me a little loose leaf teapot so that I could enjoy my new teas. I have been a tea drinker most of my life and my tea routine involved a cup or two of orange pekoe in the mornings and then chamomille or decaf green tea in the evenings. All of these teas purchased mostly in bulk at the nearest Safeway.

Never again!

Now that I have been introduced to tea heaven, I will not be going back to boring old bulk orange pekoe.

My mom and I went for the first time ourselves to The Bayswater Tea Co and we had a great experience there. The owner of the shop was working and she knew everything there was to know about tea and was extremely helpful and friendly. We commented to her that there are so many teas, how do you pick one to try. She has a great system for helping you with that exact dilemma and can narrow down your options from over 100 to about 6 in minutes just by asking you questions. "Do you like spicy? citrus? fruity? creamy? Do you want decaf or caffeinated?" As you are answering these questions, she is pulling down the teas and having you smell them and helping you choose based on what you like the smell of as well.

Through this process yesterday I left with a creamy coconut black tea (heavenly), a papaya mango rooibos tea (fruity and smooth) and another rooibos named Kilamanjaro that is spicy and fruity and heavenly with a dash of milk. I also restocked one that LT had given me for my birthday that is to die for. It's called Divine Temptation and it is a creamy hazelnut and nougat tea. I actually had three cups of tea yesterday afternoon just so I could try each of the new ones that I bought.

I am going to give you the list here of what I have tried so far but everyone's tea tastes are different so you might not like what I like. It turns out I am a fan of the really bold, flavourful teas, which I didn't know before yesterday. If you are a tea drinker, I totally recommend that you visit the Bayswater Tea Co and experience tea heaven. I'll post a link at the end to the BTC.

In the black tea family
Earl Grey Provence - it is a very bold lavender tea.
Brunch Blend - this one is a nice light fruity tea, very subtle
Symphony - this one is also light and slightly fruity and subtle
Coconut - bold, coconutty and heavenly
Divine Temptation - hazelnut and nougat. This one is a very bold tea as well. It is one of their most popular blends

In the Rooibos tea family
Blue Mountain - has bits of pineapple in it and maybe lemon too. fruity, bold and delightful
Bergamot - if you have smelled bergamot before this tea tastes just like it
Papaya Mango - smooth and easy to drink. it's good with a dash of milk in it
Kilimanjaro - this one to me smells like a spa. my mom wanted to pour this one into her bath water (which apparently you can do!). It is a little spicy, floral and citrusy. It's also excellent with a dash of milk

There are different types of rooibos but I seem to like the bold and fruity ones so I haven't tried any of the others yet. The store also carries green teas, white teas, yerba mate, matcha, tea infused honeys and chocolates, teapots, mugs, and all things tea related.
It is located on Broadway at Bayswater and here is link with a bit more info like specific address, phone number and store hours.
http://www.vancouverplus.ca/home/bayswater_tea_co/1059439

Happy tea drinking!!

Tuesday 6 March 2007

The Lives of Others / Pan's Labyrinth

I went to see The Lives of Others over the weekend and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it ever since. Part of my motivation for going to see this movie is that it beat out Pan's Labyrinth for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. I loved Pan's Labyrinth and couldn't imagine that after it won three other oscars that it lost Best Foreign Film to another movie. I wanted to see that other movie and decide for myself if it was better than Pan's.

Equal. It is equal to Pan's Labyrinth. They are two incredibly different movies and both very beautiful in their own way.

The Lives of Others is a German movie about life in East Berlin in the mid 80's. A Stasi investigator who has been assigned to spy on a couple finds himself absorbed in their lives. That was pretty much all I knew going in and I am glad I didn't know more.

Pan's Labyrinth is a Mexican film about fascist Spain in 1944 where a young girl finds distraction from her unpleasant life in an eerie fantasy world. It wasn't what I expected going in to it and again I was glad that I didn't know more.

Both films are so much more than the plot lines that I have given here and I recommend seeing them. Pan's Labyrinth in particular needs a big screen so see it in the theatre before it goes away. It is still playing all over BC but who knows for how much longer so go see it soon!

Here is a link to where PL is playing in BC
http://www.mytelus.com/movies/theatres.do?prov=BC&movieID=66477a&title=Pan%27s%20Labyrinth

The Lives of Others is only playing downtown, North Van and Kelowna so not so easy to get to depending on where you are but this one isn't so crucial to be seen on the big screen. Although if you are anything like me you have a hard time giving all your attention to rentals. I always putter, move around and get distracted when I rent movies. It's one of the reasons I go to so many in the theatre. If there is something I really want to see, it's best if I can see it in the theatre.

Friday 2 March 2007

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Oh the weather outside is frightful. Ok it's not really that bad. But it is March 2nd and snowing. This doesn't happen often in Vancouver.

Remember when global warming used to be called The Greenhouse Effect? At least I think it's the same thing. Everything I know about the greenhouse effect, I learned from an Archie comic. Dilton was trying to teach the gang to be environmentally conscious in the early 90's. Actually most things I know I learned from Archie comics. That Dilton imparted a lot of knowledge on me. I think I am such an avid reader of anything and everything now because of my Archie history. I read all things Archie obsessively while I was growing up.

So they are changing the look of the gang. Well Betty and Veronica at least, but I can't imagine that they'd change B&V and not the rest of the gang. They are making them look more like real people and I'm not a fan of the new look. I have to remind myself though that they have changed Betty and Veronica a few times over the years and while the current B&V are my favourite, I do like seeing the old ones once in a while. So I guess the next generation of Archie fans will feel the same way about the new B&V.

If you are curious to see Betty & Veronica's new look, I have attached the link here so you can check it out.
http://www.majorspoilers.com/archives/667.htm

I also discovered that Betty and Veronica have blogs as well (of course - who doesn't). If you have any desire to check those out, you can find them at... http://archiecomicblogs.typepad.com/bettys_blog/ http://archiecomicblogs.typepad.com/veronicas_blog/
...oh and they are denying that there is a makeover at all.

Well, I am off to work.
Peace and love
kt