Turn off your FKG TV and do the research-TEN TIPS ON STAYING ALIVE

To say I'm angry, is just the old tip of the iceberg. I hate being angry and I dislike hate even more. But, I have been doing the research on many levels about our most recent flu outbreak-COVID-19. IT'S MINDNUMBING AND ONE-SIDED. SCIENCE KNOWS ALL.

There is a shitload of information. The one thing I find appalling and beyond belief is the lack of real information about prevention and reasonable preventative everyday things that we can do to help. Just yesterday the CDC finally updated it's site with hand-washing, isolation!(really, some of us must pay our bills, in other words, leave our homes to go to work-if we're not in the hospitality and travel business. Those people are trying to figure out how they will be paying for their life) and STOP HUGGING LOVED ONES!!!!

It was kind of the CDC to remind us-in fact-re-educate us in the art of Handwashing. Bravo!! And a special thanks out to Ellen DeGeneres for demonstrating early on the art of handwashing.

What makes this virus so different than the usual flu? Not much, it spreads the same way, it attacks the elderly and immuno-suppressed the same way, it has the same symptoms. The big difference is it was wholey blown out of preportion in the beginning. We have little research on how rapidly and profoundly flu's have spread in the past. The example of  Wuhun is what it looks like when a small flu virus mutates and spreads in an area of the world that has a LOT going on. It is the hub of the chinese hi-tech research, scientific research ( alarm bells) and more:

 " three national development zones, four scientific and technologic development parks, over 350 research institutes, 1,656 hi-tech enterprises, numerous enterprise incubators and investments from 230 Fortune Global 500 firms" Focus on Wuhun-Government of Canada

Is it any wonder that the chinese scientific community was on it ? It was not contained because Denial was the name of the game. As we know the first chinese physician to  recognize the problem was booed right out of there early on and eventually succumbed to the virus (according to the news). We also know that when a quanantine was announced hundreds of people left the area (not knowing they possibly carried the virus with them). Common sense. Mass hysteria does that. 

And here is a really great statistic-it is predicted that 95% will survive.Compared to cancer:

Almost 10 Million people die from cancer annually.

"Cancer is one of the world's largest health problems. The Global Burden of Disease estimates that 9.56 million people died prematurely as a result of cancer in 2017. Every sixth death in the world is due to cancer."

Okay, so I can go on and on. Here is what I do want to share. If you want to remain as healthy through this cytokine storm (the reaction that happens when the virus gets going in the body) there are a few things you can do.

1. Stop stressing-it decreases your immune system.
2. Stay rested
3. Wash your hands
4. Increase your Vitamin C-up to 2500mg a day or more
5. Get exercise.
6. Get out in the sunshine.
7. Be kind to one another.
8. Zinc tablets
9. Tonic water (quinine based)
10. Turn off the fucking TV and do you own research.

Growing older with Grace and Unconditional SelfLove

I am immeasurably happy. I am so grateful for this shift to what is really important today. When I decided to really go nuts over my hair and cut out the unreal, the face that shined through just filled me with self love. I finally, unconditionally love who I am. How did I come to this? When I look in the mirror I see a lifetime of learning. I see well earned smile lines. I see a sparkling minx in my eyes. I see a silver crown of hair that I have hidden from myself for 30 years of color.

It is like waking up to sunshine on your face on a cold day. I get it. I have got it to give. It is a totally consuming feeling of deep love within. As I sit here looking out at this beautiful space I get to call home, I am in Love with every tree, leaf, rock, bird and the blue sky. All the gifts right here in front of my face. And it fills me and I want to burst with gratitude. How lucky am I to have all that I want and more?!?!?

According to my stars I am here in service to mankind-I had my astrological chart read in college. I did not understand it for so long, yes, I am a nurse and life coach, but , what took a long time to realize is-where my purpose grows is not always evident and I may never know where I have impacted a life. Yet every act of kindness, every smile shared with a stranger has an impact. Every moment of calm in a storm offers a gift when offered from the heart. I spent so much time fighting this belief  being angry and hiding the sweetness of myself inside for fear of discovery. But no more. Service to humankind is about loving others beyond belief, beyond our pre-concieved, hallucinated viewpoint of others. So simple, just love. Find one small thing about another person you might rather dislike and smile and be kind. I find that this brings out the Angel in everyone, maybe not right then, but soon.

 I live in gratitude and love for every person who has ever crossed my path, for the lessons I learned and un-learned as a result of your presence in my life. I love you still.

 Just one tender act changes lives. 

A conversation with Self about drinking- while driving

I drove into Hood River (through White Salmon, down the hill, over the bridge, etc) today. As I was driving I started this conversation with my Self. It went something like this:

Self:  If  you're not addicted to alcohol, why do you drink?

I answered: That is a great question! I literally couldn't be happier, so, it's not that I am unhappy or depressed. I live by myself, so no one is leaving underwear on the floor or not cleaning the bathroom or doing their share of the dishes. That's enough for me to celebrate. I don't know, maybe I don't believe that it is so much an addiction as a habit. I know that some days I come home and all I want is a nice cold beer or martini because I have had a distressing day at work. Nothing I won't get over but until I do, I won't be relaxing or sleeping. It's like a short cut to comfort. And a habit-not an addiction. Other days, I sit in front of the fireplace and knit first or give the cat a good rubbing.

Self: Well, then, why not just quit? 

I answered: Well, I have before. And I could, but, not sure why I would. I rarely drink to excess (unless I am around my family and they love to drink together) I do my best not to finish a bottle of Champagne by myself-in the same night. And that is all I am going  to share on that topic. These days there is so much stigma around drinking and guilt. Typical of society to complain and attack the symptoms rather than address the deeper causes. It drives the mild drinkers underground and we tend to lie about it to our doctors. Who wants your medical records to say "drinks 1-5 drinks a day". People read that shit and can form an opinion.

Self: I can see this is an interesting subject for you.

I answered: Well, look around you. Everywhere you look there are vineyards, in fact pretty much every state grows grapes. There are thousands of US labelled wines. I gave up drinking it because it all tastes the same and it will NEVER be the wine that one can get in France or Spain, even Argentina. But, boy it is everywhere.  Whoa! I am way off on a tangent-sorry.

Self: Do you think you drink too much?

I answered: I do not. I have in the past, when I was sad, unhappy, frustrated and angry. I definitely tried to drown my sorrows, but after a while I resented the days I was missing because I was hung over. Self made unwanted time off. I could have been biking , cleaning, anything. Way to much time could be wasted being trashed all the time.

Self: What's changed? 

I answered: I see more. Sounds crazy, I know, but now I have time to actually see the world more closely. And I take more time to get out in it, many times alone, to just get a nature fix. I feel so much gratitude for the blessed life I live and have lived, even the sad times. They all brought me to where I am right now and this is good. Deserves a cocktail!

The end!

Fear and the Committee of Monkeys

I was reviewing my old posts and found one labelled, "Fear". When I opened it, I found that it was blank. Ya gotta love that!

I have so little fear anymore. I have faith. I have faith because all that fear and worry brought me nothing. I am not talking about the fear when hair on the back of your neck stands up or when your inner being says, "this is not right, step away", I am talking about all the fear created in falsehood by the ego. The fear that serves nothing. The fear of things we have no control over (even if we wish we did), fear of future events that may or may not happen, fear of a giant meteor crashing into the surface of the earth. Fear is the retardant of presence. Let me repeat that, FEAR IS THE RETARDANT OF PRESENCE.

We cannot practice presence while in a state of fear. Anxiety disorder is the inability to be present and the Ego's fine job of  broadcasting every little fear you may have ever had or may ever have in the future. Anxiety disorder is a result of not learning or being taught how to cope with ego mind.
I used to call it my committee of monkeys when I finally figured out that it was in my head. Oh the ego had a blast with me. I had the critic monkey, the bitch monkey, the doubt monkey, the monkey of unworthiness, the monkey of successful failure. I began to see them as little goblins on my shoulders, one on one side saying "oh, that was stupid" and the other side "who'd believe you".  Fear was pretty rampant and my steps back then were small, oh let me be truthful, they were teeny, tiny.  The funny thing is when I began to see the fear monkeys on my shoulders, they didn't have as much control of over my head. Some days I could just flick them off. And the more I flicked them off, the less they spoke negatively. Pretty soon there were only one or two of them and they were easy to control.
My mind started to get quiet. I started to meditate for short periods of time. I'd sit on the beach and just get quiet by listening to the birds and waves and smelling the water and feeling the breeze and the sand. When I concentrated on those things my mind relaxed. I felt immeasurably  more peaceful. Even my body relaxed. The committee started saying things like, "wow, this is so sweet". Yep, they began to enjoy this as well. And their language changed. The words they said were words of kindness and encouragement.

With practice I took this exercise everywhere in nature. I meditated on mountain ridges, snowy hillsides, in the woods, while snorkeling and scuba diving (just the getting quiet part), on road trips, sitting in front of the fire, standing in the rain and I welcomed the presence of the world/universe/God into my being. Rare is it that monkeys of old show up. By being present I have diminished the negative power of the ego. It is still there and works to remind me when I am in a negative place. But it no longer controls my thoughts. Fears worthiness in its proper place; there to protect me not consume me.