When Did You Feel Most Beautiful

Even when you doll up for special occasions, it's not about the right hair or makeup or dress that makes you beautiful, it's about feeling right about yourself and how you exude it to others. It's the beaming smile of joy at that moment that captures your beauty, even if you weren't looking your best, say after child birth. What you notice first when reminiscing over old photographs is not how good or bad you looked but how your face reflected your authentic self. Most special moments have one common thread and that's the love that connects you to others. Family, friends, coworkers and strangers that move your emotions so deep it shows on every inch of your face. You are the most radiant woman in the world when wonderment and love are your foundation and become as indispensable as your blush.

Allure: The Feminine Mystique

"Taking joy in life is a woman's best cosmetic." ~ Rosalind Russell

You might see other women with confidence and assurance or patience and poise yet tend not to see it in yourself. If they have allure, then so can you! In times of instant gratification and "talk shows, tattletale books and tabloid truths", it doesn't leave much to the imagination let alone exude any mystery of feminine wiles. You don't have to be a Hollywood starlet, for today's real woman, just living and loving is alluring enough.

Intuitive Sense

The sixth sense is often considered a female attribute. Sarah does not want to debate whether it exists since she knows it does so she just wants to know if you use yours. If you imagine yourself as a radio, your dial should be tuned in perfectly and not picking up static. You should be aware of your own gut instincts, educated guesses and just knowing something is meant to be. Today she asks you to reach inside and "seek the wisdom and guidance of your authentic self" and try to use it daily to help it develop and flourish.

I've got nothin' ;)

Reach Out and Touch Someone

Sarah does not mean like the 80's AT&T phone commercial either. She wants us to physically embrace someone and shares several stories of being touched. One single mom schedules monthly aromatherapy facial and body massages as preventative medicine for her peace of mind and over all well being. Treat yourself to a therapeutic massage if you are lacking in the being touched department, (and even if you aren't) but touch others today and really connect with who or what you feel, from stroking your child's hair, kissing your loved ones, or wearing different fabrics like cotton, wool or silk. Delight in the sense of touch, and feel the deep sentimental chord is evokes.

My treat to myself is a monthly manicure and I need to kick it up to a pedicure as well. I haven't had a massage since November when I visited my sister in Mexico. Angelica at the beach club made me feel heavenly. An annual massage in Baja California will have to be my prescription to peace of mind and over all well being!

Major and Minor Chords of Pleasure

In today's chapter, Sarah shares a story of how a head injury disabled most of her senses for almost 2 years and wants us to consider how much we take for granted until we lose it. When it comes to your hearing, are we truly listening to the symphony of sounds that surround us? There is rhythm and music in day to day sounds, not just what comes out of a pair of speakers. Loved ones' footsteps on the stairs, raindrops falling on the roof, cat purring and dogs panting all combine to become the concerto of life that we can delight in and be thankful for. Listen to the song the world is playing for you! My baby girl Purrl sings to me every day!

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

and could see far better when you were younger! I could go on and complain about how aging tampers with the ability to see clearly but the point of today's chapter is to appreciate your gift of sight and all that we see but seldom take the time to look at and appreciate. The sacred sense of sight. Sarah has a painter friend who is able to capture so much detail that it's like a photograph and while we might not be that talented, we can still see the reality that surrounds us. Today, she asks us to look at all the people in our world from family, friends and coworkers to pets and strangers and SMILE at them. "Never forget that the gift of vision was so important that when God created the world, the first command was for Light in order to see,...and he saw that it was good."

I had not read this chapter until I got home from work and I had actually done one thing relative that Sarah would probably see was good. I stopped at my turnoff from the number 3 highway to take a picture when I saw something I appreciated and moved me. It reminded me of our God that created light and watches over us from not just "up there" but everywhere. When I was a child, every time I saw a sun beam reaching through the clouds and radiating from the sky to the ground, I believed that God was shining down on someone. Just as the Star of Bethlehem shone down to guide the three wise men to baby Jesus, God shines down daily to guide someone as well. Swiss Artist Paul Klee declared, "One eye sees, the other feels." So true, as every time I see this it evokes powerful feelings of peace and hope.

A Taste For Living

Did you know that tastes buds wear out and you have less now than when you were a child? When they wear out they do regenerate but just not as much as when you were younger. Today we are to find new ways to increase the pleasure of taste and even though I had a bland salad for lunch, (which my GM so kindly special ordered :) it was perked up by the tart taste of balsamic vinegar. Sarah suggests hunting out ethnic food stores to try out and clean out your spice drawer of duplicates and make way for fresh new exotic spices to reawaken your sense of taste.

Perfect timing since I last trip to the grocery store I bought a cute new spice rack for the countertop to fill with the excess spices bought in bulk and still in ziploc bags. I have a spice drawer AND a spicy lazy susan in the cupboard and now the spice rack, so that's probably triple what I need, so I think tonight I will clean the cupboard out while watching (listening) to American Idol and then search the net for recipes with any spice I want to use up. Bon Appetit! (please ignore the ugly 90's kitchen tiles, another project for another day...month...or year)

The Scent of A Woman

The first thing that comes to mind for most people is the 1992 movie starring Al Pacino, a remake of the 1974 Italian film about student who takes a job to assist a blind, medically retired Army officer. For me, it reminds me of an over scented woman. It's pretty bad when you are in a small public space and someone's personal scent invades your space, be it lack of personal hygiene or an over scented woman (or man). You can google all about how much is too much and how much is enough. A little dab'll do ya people! Your presence is enough to fill the room, there is no need to fill it with, no matter how lovely the scent, enough potency to make our eyes water! Please? lol

We each have our own distinctive personal aroma and perfume can smell different on different people. I remember when I was younger I wore Channel #5 but when I became pregnant, it smelled like mosquito spray on me. Just the other day, my friend Lisa admired the scent I was wearing which was one she had tried but didn't like and gave it to me. I get lots of compliments when I wear Perry Ellis' "f". Smells great on me, not so great on her. (And I just ran out!) Sarah explains, it's a combination of one's diet, health, hygiene and hormones that effect your personal scent that will effect perfume or cologne on everyone differently. Each person's home has a distinctive smell as well. What you've recently cooked or products you've recently used to clean are major contributors as well as house pets, children, flowers and more.

Since smells spur memories, without scent it would be like amnesia. Sarah wants us to enjoy the simple pleasure of your sense of smell and go out to discover new smells, from going to a chinese restaurant, a used book store, a department store perfume counter or a flower shop. Take a walk in a garden, the woods, a farmers market etc. to inhale the world around us. "God instructed Moses to build an altar of fragrance and to burn sweet incense when he prayed. Today when you inhale something wonderful, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for this marvellous gift." 

Sensory Awakening

"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul" ~ Oscar Wilde

Sarah writes about the 5 senses being barely appreciated and that most people spend the day in a dull trance. For the next week, she asks you to take just a moment each day to pause and appreciate the natural gifts you've been given. Reach out and hug your loved ones. Taste the sweet fruits of the earth and look at the brightness of the blue sky. Listen to Spring around us in the chirping birds, budding trees and sprouting grass. Inhale the scent of spring flowers. "...awaken your awareness to the sacredness of your sensory perceptions."

Today is my first day of work at 93.7 Praise FM in Medicine Hat. Today I return to the 50 minute commute to work and thankfully it's a far cry from bumper to bumper gridlock of the big city. The first 40 minutes is highway driving through the rolling hills of beautiful south eastern Alberta country side where I can slide my sunroof open and roll the windows down to let the fresh air blow in. At least until I get to the feed lot, where the windows go back up and the recycled air button goes on. We call it the "Brooks Button" around here. It's the smell of money to some people but definitely not to me!

Today I am bringing spring tulips with me for the Sales Supervisor to brighten her desk. Both sight and smell will be stimulated along with the rest of the sensory overload I will be going through with so much to take in. I only hope that no one is allergic to the pollen or I'll be bringing them right back home again!

Aromatherapy: The Restorative Comfort of Frangrance

"Smells are surer than sounds and sights to make heartstrings crack." ~ Rudyard Kipling

Sarah was a convert via a trusted friend to the pleasure and power of scent to heal the mind, body and soul. The blend of essential oils or the extracts of plants is an ancient art. Lavender oil massaged on the temples can rid a headache. Rosemary can activate memory and Basil stimulated the brain. Peppermint enhances mental clarity and sharpness and as I learned on Pinterest, also repels spiders. Inhaling a scent can make the brain trigger biochemical secretions that can affect your moods, feelings and emotions. Immersing in scent stimulates the lymph system and enters the bloodstream. Whether soaking in a oil infused bath or heating in , discover the soothing replenishment effects of aromatherapy. 

Personally, I don't like the smell of Lavender but I recently discovered a bottle of Rosemary oil in the back of the cupboard and poured some into an empty reed diffuser. Rosemary oil is said to stimulate hair growth, boost mental activity, relieve respiratory problems and reduce pain. Well I'm loving my long tresses, no Rosemary is allowed in the bedroom and burning scented candles can be toxic so essential oils are replacing Glade candles in this household. Unless a candle is made of paraffin or soy, no more burning candles until I can find safer ones. Plus, after quitting smoking a year and a half ago, my lungs seem to be extra sensitive to pollution and tightens right up when I'm around any kind of smoke including campfires and bonfires. "sniff sniff". Then there is my lower back pain that seems to be diminishing. That is probably because there is no need for me to do any vacuuming any more due to the fact that I got a Roomba for Christmas and the iRobot vacuum is scheduled to clean daily. Now if only there was such a thing as an iDuster!!!

Taking The Cure: Bathing Pleasures

"There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them." Sylvia Plath

Sarah believes, "when in doubt, take a bath". A long, luxurious, calming, relaxing, soothing, stress relieving bath. It's not just great for the body but for the mind and spirit as well. It's Just another way to meditate and replenish. Begin by indulging, or investing, in bath accessories to enhance the experience. When asked what you want for your birthday, Mother's day or any day, suggest bath products so you'll always have an ample supply. Thank you Tellisa for getting me started on the right path, a lovely gift for starting my new job from a lovely, thoughtful lady. (Tulips I got at Safeway, just $2.99!!) 

Sunday night I will soak to my heart's content before the big day. Monday is day one of the new job. New things to learn, from a different music system to a new station name, number and call letters. They say that for every year you work at a radio station, it takes the equivalent number of months to forget the old and get the new flowing off the tongue. It was 4 years at my last station so I will give myself 4 months not to make a mistake and stutter on the calls. If I make a mistake, I'll try harder and I'll try not to worry too much and then go home and take a bath. 

Spring Rituals of Replenishment

"Sacred space and sacred time and something joyous to do is all we need. Almost anything then becomes a continuous and increasing joy." ~ Joseph Campbell

What ever you are waiting for, be it peace of mind, contentment or inner awareness, it will come...eventually, and not when you want it to happen, but when it's meant to happen. You have to be patient, so while you are waiting, take note of your favourite surroundings or search out a new sacred space to spend an hour and reflect on your many blessings and be spiritually replenished. Some place new could be a public garden, museum gallery, old library or quiet chapel. My favourite place is on the back deck, surrounded by trees being rustled by the wind and birds chirping and fluttering. The view across the prairie is flat of land and full of sky. The farm is a peaceful place, my sanctuary for quiet reflection of grateful thoughts and thankful blessings. :)

The Face in the Looking Glass

"The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy" ~ Yves Saint Laurent

It sure makes sense to me to enhance your passion for life, for yourself, by using tools that make you feel better, especially since I've just spent the last 9 months pretty much in my pyjamas and on the couch, makeup-less.

Some people think it's silly that I put on makeup to go to work when no one can see me on the radio. It reminds me of the old Wonder Bra Commercial.


when i'm looking good i feel good

and when i feel good i look great

and great is how i want to look

cause when i like what i see i enjoy being me

we care about the woman you are

wonderful wonderful wonder bra

In my case, If I look good, I feel good. If I feel good, I'll SOUND great!

As I get older, time is wearing on the canvas I "paint" everyday. Sunspots, not age spots and laugh lines, not wrinkles, are a part of my life now, no escaping it, but I'm not going to fight it tooth and nail all the way, just use a little makeup tool to mask my flaws, not mask the real me. Dove has a new campaign and the video is going viral and some people are very upset that it features only thin, blond, blue eyed women. Yes, there are others, but only for 10 seconds or less. Pretty subjective as to what beautiful is. Thankfully beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and what their opinion shouldn't count. Tall or short, thin or not, black, brown or white, it's more important how you feel about yourself, and your inner beauty is far more important, outer is only what people see first and it's up to you to show them what's inside.

Younger friends of mine have already got laser eye surgery, eyeliner tattoo and even Botox. I was tempted about the eye surgery but prefer to take my glasses off to read rather than put on a pair. I'm too chicken to get my eyelids tattooed. (ouch) and I hate needles too much to try Botox. An eyelid lift could tempt me but for now, IPL treatments at Sante Medi-Spa and skin care products from Meaningful Beauty will have to do. It makes my skin feel smooth, soft and young, which in turn, makes me feel beautiful, one step closer to loving the skin I'm in!

Making Peace With Your Hair

"Genius is of small use to a woman who does not know how to do her hair" ~ Edith Warton

How about who does not WANT to do her hair? I used to have a short spiky do that wasn't too difficult to maintain but it just didn't travel well under a motorcycle helmet. Growing it long means it is low maintenance and easy to just pull back into a ponytail and not worry. My "crowning glory" is slowly greying and these days I am slower to hide it. Gone are the days of highlights or low lights with foils or caps. I'm back to my natural hair colour (far darker than my hairdresser, Monika owner of Hill Barber, would prefer) Apparently the rule of thumb is to go a shade lighter the older you get. I say it's just a ploy of the beauty industry to keep you going back for root touch ups, which now, I have to do anyway to cover the grey, so why not do the colour I want, rather than the colour "they" say! Colouring also add fullness and my thin fine tresses need all the help they can get. I would so love to have the thick full manes as seen on shampoo commercials, but it is what it is, I got what I got and you gotta work with what you got. So I'm working it, baby! Stop fighting it and accept it's personality. It's a part of learning to love yourself, one of the biggest lessons being taught in Sarah Ban Breathnach's book, Simple Abundance: A daybook of Comfort and Joy!

"Your thorns are the best part of you" ~ Marianne Moore

Walking As Meditation

"I will tell you what I learned myself. For me a long, five- or six- mile walk helps. And one must go alone and every day." ~ Brenda Euland

For me it's just a short 2 mile walk, to pick up the mail at the end of the road and back. Once in a blue moon. When the sun is shining and there's no wind. Yeah, fair weather walker Sam I am. For Sarah, it's not exercise, it's "moving meditation". She walks for her soul. Henry David Thoreau says, "It requires a direct dispensation from Heaven to become a walker." Must be why I'm not a faithful walker, yet. There are lots of different reasons for walking like increasing the heart rate and building strength, solving a problem, finishing an argument with yourself or someone else, to connect to the world around  you and to meditate. Fitness of the spirit. Those are all her reasons. I need to find mine. If you have a hard time trying to sit and meditate, then try walking meditation. Even just twenty minutes is long enough to restore a sense of serenity. Let go of your stresses and struggles for just 20 minutes and let life unfold and walk your worries away... "step-by-step"...I will as soon as the snow melts lol

Discovering the Momentum of Creative Movement

"Whenever I feel like exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes" ~ Robert Maynard Hutchins

Oh how true it is with me and how how bad it is to be. It is not self-nurturing but how does one convince the brain otherwise? New Year's resolutions have long fallen by the wayside. I don't go to the gym anymore and even though there is an elliptical in the house, it's hidden away in another room. Out of sight. Out of mind. That needs to change. I can't wait to get back to work to be active. Walking is what I love to do most (wish I hadn't traded the tread mill for the elliptical) Sarah says not to refer to the activity as exercise or fitness, but creative movement. No need for gyms, weights, jogging or classes. Imagine all the ways that bring you joy. Dancing, golfing, swimming, yoga or Tai Chi and WALKING! Deep breathing, stretching, meditation and more! New ways to move and and move on.

I will need to force myself not work through my lunch break so walking it will be! One change I have done is started counting calories with the Calorie Count App on my phone, lap top and iPad. There is no excuse not to log in what goes in. Like the TV show "Til Debt Do Us Part" where Gail Vaz-Oxlade makes you accountable for every penny you spend going out, I make myself accountable for everything that goes in my body. You are what you eat right? I now eat way better than I have in years, starting each day with a pro biotic and fruit, green tea with each meal and my version of Dr' Oz's Green drink every day. (1 cup spinach, 1//2 English cucumber, 3 stalks celery, 1 apple, 1 orange. Chop and mix in a a blender) 200 calories of goodness! I feel better as I sit and write beside the window with the curtains wide open, revealing the falling snow, but I still don't feel like exercising. Hello? Did Old Man Winter not get the memo from Mother Nature that it's Spring? I am a fair weather walker (fair weather EVERYTHING) and it's so not fair the weather is awful! But being Southeastern Alberta, this won't last long and the forecast says it will be back to above zero by Wednesday and +10C by the weekend. I can't believe we were riding motorcycles last Tuesday and golfed 9 holes (with no power cart!) in Foremost last Saturday! A bit brisk, but nothing like a brisk walk to make you feel great!

PS - Today was a great show of those who love to exercise by running in the Boston Marathon but a horrific end for so many. Prayers for all who are touched by today's explosions. My mind is shocked, my heart is heavy, and my soul is forever touched.

When You Hunger and Thirst

"The body must be nourished, physically, emotionally and spiritually. We're spiritually starved in this culture - not underfed but undernourished" ~ Carol Hornig

This chapter, Sarah writes about swallowing life in order to manage it, literally. Emotional eating. I actually don't think I do that. For me, it's pure boredom that pushes me to the junk food cupboard. (which no longer exists I might add. More on purging the kitchen and "The 17 Day Diet" book by Dr. Mike Moreno later) What people hunger and thirst for is not food or drink but an attempt to fill an emptiness in search of inner peace and a deeper connection.

Is there any coincidence that alcohol is called spirits? Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung considered alcoholism a sacred disease. M. Scott Peck wrote "perhaps alcoholism was a spiritual disorder or better yet, a spiritual condition." The next time you reach for something to fill that emotional or spiritual void, she wants you thing think again and focus. What you are really reaching for? What are you really nurturing? Do you thirst joy and serenity as she does? If you are anxious, walk it off, if you are stressed, take a long bath. Ask your authentic self to reveal your deeper needs.

PS - Anyone notice the date on this post compared to the last? It's been exactly one year plus and day since I last posted. So much for blogging every day! So much for reading every page cover to cover of Sarah Ban Breathnach's book, Simple Abundance in one year! Oh well. Rather than beat myself up for not achieving that goal, I'm going to hit the restart button, keep going and just do the best I can. A lot has happened over the past year, from being unemployed for the last 8 months to being offered a new job just 2 days ago. So forget the past and let's leave it right where it belongs, in the past. Time to move forward, onward and upward to new heights and new beginnings!

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them -- every day begin the task anew." Saint Francis de Sales