Merry Christmas 2024

Many blessings on your house upon this Christmas Day!

This is a time of peace and of fellowship and cheer.

The best that we can do, or so the Angels say

Is to love one another more compassionately this year.

We look around at all the things we have and feel

That we’ve been wronged because it doesn’t measure up

To the things that we see and have great appeal 

To the need to consume and “fill ‘er on up”,

That the media created to get us to buy.

 

We humans are more than a consumable good.

We are marvellous and beautiful and kind.

We are laughing and joking and makers of food

That we share with our friends or anyone we find

Has need of some time to refresh and to heal.

We are the ones that see others and care

Whether they are cold or need a good meal.

That kind of need isn’t so rare

Now that the world is turning upside down.

 

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Blessings,

Judy

Winter Hare in a Dream

Picture from an email from a friend.

I had the strangest dream the other night.  I guess the dream happened because it is getting close to Christmas which is my favorite part of the year.  Here is the dream.

********************

Roger and I got home from my Christmas party about midnight.  The moon was shining brightly.  And there, sitting at the end of our driveway, just like one of our dogs, waiting for us, was a very large, white hare, or rabbit, as she is often called.

We drove up and stopped because she did not move.   She looked at us, and seemed to thump her back foot.  Suddenly, we were engulfed in this very warm feeling, a feeling of peace.  I saw a picture of a Christmas from about five years ago when all of my family was together, sitting a a huge long table for twenty-two people, laughing and eating, and of course, telling stories.  The picture faded.  I saw a tall white lady, who waved her arm, and disappeared.  I knew we were being taken care of.  

Roger said, “Did you feel that? The warmth and the magic?”

I said yes… and our rabbit hopped away.  

I woke up knowing that life is good.

*****************

Blessings,

Judy

Elementals Speak - Fir, Spruce, And Pine - The Christmas Trees

 It is soon time to begin looking at Christmas trees.  The Elementals shake with frustration when their beloved trees are mistakenly identified as pine, when they should be fir, or as spruce when they should be pine.  So, the Elementals asked me to give a brief lesson in how to tell the trees apart.  And, yes, they are all EVERGREENS, remember, however, that calling a tree an evergreen is like calling you a human instead of using your name.

A Guide To Recognizing Christmas Trees

 

Look for the number of needles that come out of the same spot on a twig. If a twig bears needles in groups of two, three, or five, you can safely call it a pine.

Pine Tree Branch

If the twig carries its needles singly, it’s a good bet you’ve got a fir or a spruce. If the needle has four sides and, thus, rolls easily between your fingers, it’s a spruce.

Spruce Tree Branch

Pull off a needle, and roll it between your fingers. If it feels flat and doesn’t roll easily, it’s a fir.

Fir Tree Branches

Note:  This information on the trees comes from www.finegardening.com.  I am grateful for their informative site.

Blessings,

Judy

Wild Rice Soup Recipe From Our Ancestors

A while ago, we had friends over for a pot luck gathering.  I made several things.  However one of the favourite “eats” was this wild rice soup.  Several people said that they would serve it for Christmas, if I would share the recipe.  Some of us plan our Christmas menu ahead of time, and like to test the results before the big day.  Here is the Wild Rice Soup recipe.

  

Wild Rice Soup 

8-10 Servings 

Wild rice was, for hundreds of years, one of the -main food sources for the Indians of Minnesota. It is a large reed-like grass and grows in three to four feet of water. This grass, with its long sweeping flower cluster on top, sometimes grows eight to ten feet tall.

Ingrediants

1/2 cup wild rice ( I used ¾ of a cup of wild rice)
1 pound bacon (I left out all the bacon and drippings and added 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil.)

3 tablespoons bacon drippings (Leave out for vegetarian soup)

1 cup finely chopped celery 
1 cup finely chopped onion 

¾ cup finely chopped red pepper
2 14¹/2-ounce cans (ready to serve) chicken broth (I used 7 cups of distilled water and a 2 vegetarian broth cubes)

2 white potatoes, cubed
2 10³/4-ounce cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 

Variations:

Add grated carrot, or green onions, or finely chopped leek, or finely chopped mushrooms.

Wash wild rice. Boil rice for 15 minutes and drain; set aside. If you use the bacon, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and discard all but 3 tablespoons bacon drippings. Sauté celery, onion and green pepper or whatever veggies that you use either in the drippings, or in olive oil, until onion is transparent. Put in a large kettle and add rice, broth, mushrooms, soup and diced bacon. Cook on low heat for 1 to 3 hours.  (I find that 3 hours gives it the best flavour.)  Do not add salt.

Blessings,

Judy

Blue Jay Sings From The Tree Tops

                   

When we were out for our walk at Christmas, my dog and I were regaled by five Blue Jays, sitting at the tops of pine trees and nearby shrubs.  Their song sounded like “get ready, get ready, it’s here”, and it sounded like they were speaking of spring.  Or, maybe they meant that the days were now getting longer.

As we continued our walk, I could see the Sun shining through the trees, and it looked like the Sun had gotten bigger.  I remembered what I read from a mystic’s channelling – to pay attention to the Sun because it knows what it is doing.  And then I remembered that one of the legends about the Blue Jay.  The Blue Jay has its colour from flying back and forth between the Earth and the Heavens and that Creator gave it the colour, blue, to represent all the truth that it carried.

This made me think that Blue Jay was once again carrying the truth of great energies hitting the Earth, and that Blue Jay was telling all humans to prepare for the onslaught of light.

Many blessings,

Judy

Boxing Day 2023

 

Photo of Boxing Day comes from StatuatoryCanada.ca as Boxing Day is a stat day in Canada

Boxing Day means that Christmas is over and one must prepare for the New Year.  Boxing Day is also the day of amazing sales in retail stores and online.  The tradition of giving staff the day off the day after Christmas as well as giving them boxes of food and boxes of gifts (usually items that the household no longer requires) has been lost.  It is no longer a day of sharing with others - it is a day of accumulating stuff!

Some folks have traditions for Boxing Day such as seeing friends or relatives and eating up the left overs from Christmas Day.  Others use the day to go skiing or skating.  Some go hiking and if in the mountains, snowshoeing.  

Some of us take the day to rest and enjoy reading or watching a movie.

Whatever you choose to do, have a wonderful Boxing Day.

Blessings,

Judy

Merry Christmas December 25 2023

 

Wishing you a very Blessed CHRISTMAS Season and the best in 2024,
and....

To all of you that have been reading my blog and to those of you that send me emails and post comments, “Thank you!”  Thank you for taking time to acknowledge that the writing resonates with you.   

Many blessings,

Judy

 

Christmas Eve December 24 2023

 

Christmas Eve is a special time for many people.  Families have Christmas Eve traditions that they honour - either ones they have created or ones that they have inherited.  Here are some of the traditions that different people have shared with me:

• Drive around and look at Christmas lights
• Go to Christmas Eve church service
• Go out for dinner with family
• Have family over for pizza and games
• Have family over for appetizers and visiting and games
• Deliver hampers to those that need them
• Go to Church service and come home and unwrap presents
• Go tobogganing with family
• Go ice skating
• Order food in and watch Christmas movies

Whatever your tradition is, Merry Christmas!

Blessings,

Judy

The Tree Of Life Explained in Lakota Terms

The CHA WAKAN card - Tree of Life, #32, from The Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards by Chief Archie Fire Lame Deer and Helene Sarkis

In many traditions, the TREE OF LIFE is recognized - for all people see the tree as having roots buried deep in Mother Earth, and branches reaching up to Great Spirit, and Father Sky.  

The Lakota say that the humans are like leaves - when we become a certain age, or ripeness, we leave this plane and go into the Spirit World.   We die, our bodies go to the Earth, like the leaves from the tree.

The guidance on this card is one that is timely, as we move towards Christmas, a time that is very stressful for many people who either visit family or have family stay with them. 

"Open your heart to all your brothers and your sisters and to all of creation, relinquishing your judgements and expectations (of yourself and others).  Allow all our relations to be exactly who they are; accept all that you are."

If you feel the need to judge or criticize someone tomorrow, stop and ask yourself  - "Why does this bother me so much?"  For, often what bothers us in others is what we can not deal with in ourselves.  If we can identify why it bothers us, we are on the path to releasing that issue, like the tree releases the leaves.  When we release something that has bothered us for ages, we feel a deep stillness and peace.  The Shaman says that one must continually work on themselves-- if you believe that you have dealt with an issue and yet you remember it, then the issue is not solved.  Work towards Oneness and Peace!

Be compassionate...

Many Blessings,

Judy

Dragon is a Spirit Animal

Dragon image from fantasygalleryart.com/library. Picture by Ciruelo.

 

 

 

 

As I was wrapping Christmas presents, I watched/listened to Dragonheart, one of my all time happy movies.  So, I thought that I would talk about dragons.

What does Dragon mean to any of us?  Wikipedia has a wonderful list of general characteristics of a dragon which it draws from many cultures.  It says:

"There are many kinds of dragons in the different cultures. In general:

• A dragon is usually big and impressive 
• A dragon has: none to four legs, claws, scales and possibly spikes. Optional wings 
• A dragon perhaps looks like a snake with wings, or like lizards 
• A dragon has a tail and a long neck. 
• A dragon has a wide mouth with big and dangerous teeth 
• Sometimes they have horns and hair. 
• A dragon can fly 
• A dragon can perhaps breathe fire (or other dangerous substances). 
• A dragon has special powers. 
• A dragon could have flight sacs full of hydrogen and methane, that not only help it to fly, but also to breathe fire.  - from simple.wikipedia.org/dragon "

The article clearly states that the dragon is mythical, and yet, here are some well known characteristics, and a picture to prove the traits.  We humans have a great love affair with Dragon.

When protégées take the rites of the Munay-Ki, the Third Rite, the Harmony Rite, provides the protégée with a "serpent" in the base chakra.  The archetype of serpent may be either a dragon or a lizard or snake.  Many protégées tell of receiving a black or red or blue or multi-coloured dragon as their first archetype.

What message does Dragon bring?  Dragon is about  being in integrity, about being a healer, about walking softly on this earth.  Each of these aspects of Dragon speak to us about being able to walk and talk our truth, and healing those around us.  The "walk softly" means that we need to stop leaving our footprints of destruction of nature on this Earth.  

Ancestors tell us that Dragon was one of the original earthly guardians of all things.  When Man advanced, Dragon believed that it could retire to another realm because Man would care for the world.  Dragon had taught its knowledge to Shaman, Wise Men and Wise Women.

If Dragon appears, she is telling you to remember that YOU must care for the Earth and help restore it to health.

Many blessings,

Judy

November 1 2023

 

November is the turning point of the season that brings us winter, even though winter really starts at the Winter Solstice in December.  We already have a goodly amount of snow in Alberta, in different places. 

November signals a time of slowing down, of gatherings like Fall Suppers and Thanksgiving in the United States.  It is when many summer and fall activities shut down.

November is a time of remembering…of wars fought, of loved ones who left this year, of warm summer days on the deck or beach with family and friends.  

November is a time for being grateful that the year has been good.  Or, in some cases, it has been challenging and we have learned from the challenges. 

November is when most of us start Christmas shopping to get the presents to send away, and to prepare for Christmas Day which is now 55 days away.  

When we hit November, we comment on how fast the year has passed and wonder what happened to make everything seem to move so quickly.

Many blessings,

Judy

What is it About Mouse?

 

Picture of Woodmouse from The Mammal Society

"Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse!" - line from the poem, " 'Twas The Night Before Christmas"

Humans have long had a love-hate relationship with tiny Mouse.  On the love side, we have Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Stuart Little, Algernon, Mighty Mouse, and Jerry from the cartoon, "Tom and Jerry".  On the hate side, we have traps, science experiments, carrying disease, and eating holes in walls and bags of food.  One of the most famous views of Mouse's place in the world comes from the series, "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.  In this series, it is actually Mice that use humans for experiments in the human condition.

Why does mouse affect us so?  Why do we see pictures of people standing on chairs trying to get away from Mouse?  More than anything, people that are scared of Mouse are really scared of Mouse's power.  This tiny animal is a great example of "small package contain big power".

Mouse is fearless, very quick, and can climb pretty much anything.  Mouse also has very sharp teeth that are self sharpening, allowing her to gnaw through pretty much anything.  With her speed, ability to climb and her ability to gnaw, Mouse will challenge any obstacle and conquer.  And, don' t forget that Mouse is very intelligent. In different experiments, Mouse has proven her ability to look over the situation and to reason out a solution.

When Mouse shows up, do not be frightened!  Mouse has messages for you and will show you different ways of being.   

One - always be persistent in attaining your goals.  If you give up, you will go hungry!  

Two - walk through life in an unassuming way.  You do not threaten others and this allows you to go where you will, much like I do.   

Three - be wary of all people and all new things presented to you.  Someone is always trying to create a new Mouse trap.  Let people earn your trust.  Let them show you and others that they are "in service to others" and not selfish.  

Four - pay attention to the messages around you.  I see the the shadow of Hawk, and know that I will not be safe on my journey, so I rest.  I feel the energy of Coyote in the grass, and I know to hide and contemplate life.  I smell the rain, and I know that the Great One is providing water for me, and I must drink. 

May you find your way with Mouse's guidance.

Many blessings,

Judy

What You Seek Is Looking For You

The wonderful thing about life is that it really is a long, long, vision quest.  As you search and seek (not hide and seek), you send out energy to the Universe, telling the Universe what you want.  The Universe responds to thoughts, words, and energy, and She does her best to send what you need back to you.  It's really a lot like little kids sending out letters to Santa, outlining their wishes for Christmas presents.

When you receive what you have asked for, the cool phrase that describes the process is "manifesting".  You have manifested your desires.  What are the prerequisites?  That the wish is good for all and harms no one.  Therefore, you cannot wish for people to become ill or to die, or to be harmed.

Many blessings

Judy

Lean on Me

   Picture from Soundscapesourcing.com

Through the Christmas holidays, I practiced the idea of “lean on me” in two different ways.  In the first way, I was the leaning person. In December, I pinched a nerve in my back which impeded everything that I was doing.  I had to lean on people for help. 

In the second way, I was the person being leaned on.  A friend was going through some nasty stuff and phoned me for support.  As she had been exposed to COVID, I could not go and comfort her so we spent several long phone calls with her talking and with me listening.  Mostly all you need to do is listen.

Whether you are the leaner or the person being leaned on, there are some truths about expectations:

• The leaner is looking for some understanding, some love, and some kindness.  In general, the person looks for support.
• The person being leaned on does not need to solve the problem.  They just need to be mindful that the person is hurting in some way and that person needs love and kindness.

Many blessings!

Liver Detoxing Drink Recipe

  

                                    Picture of detox drink is from an email that includes the recipe

After Christmas, many of us work to change our eating habits and begin exercising to lose weight and streamline our bodies. I decided to detox.  I like detoxes that are simple and do not do any harm.

Health experts and nutritionists tell us to be more conscious of the toxins around us  - in our food, in our water, and in the air that we breathe.  I started looking for natural ways to cleanse the body.  You can find lots of recipes on line, in magazines, and in books.  

I like this recipe because it is easy and tastes okay.  And it seems to work. 

  

FAT FLUSH, LIVER CLEANSE, METABOLISM BOOSTING DETOX DRINK

1/2 apple, 

1/2 medium cucumber, 

2 capfuls organic apple cider vinegar, 

1/3 tsp tumeric powder 

1/4 tsp pepper (to activate tumeric)

400ml water (1 ¾ cups) 

Add lemon and honey if you want to add more flavour

Many Blessings,

Judy

Irish Soda Bread as a Pick-Me-Up

                                   

Our family loves soda bread.  We use this recipe because it tastes good, and it feels like it lifts our spirits.  Soda bread seems to balance the digestive system and its soothing taste is a good antidote for the rich food consumed over the Christmas and New Year festivities.

If you feel down, try the soda bread as a pick-me-up.  Tear off a bit and spread it for the birds as they love soda bread!

IRISH SODA BREAD WITH ROSEMARY AND CHEESE

--Makes 16 servings thinly sliced

1 ½ cups of all purpose white flour 

1 cup whole wheat flour 

2 tablespoons of granulated sugar (I use brown sugar) 

1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder 

½ teaspoon of baking soda 

½ teaspoon of sea salt 

1/3 cup of grated cheddar cheese (for a different taste, use raisins or currents) 

1 tablespoon of rosemary flakes or crushed rosemary or fresh herb rosemary as in the picture 

1 egg 1 ¼ cups of buttermilk (I use regular milk with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar) 

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil 

In a large bowl, combine all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together well. Stir in cheese and rosemary seeds into flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine egg, buttermilk and oil. Pour liquid ingredients over flour mixture and very lightly combine together into rough dough. 

Place dough in 9 inch by 2 ½ inch spring form pan lined with parchment paper. 

Bake in preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Happy baking,

Judy

Recipe for Ham and Potato Soup

 

If you are like me, you are tired of all the big meals - potatoes, ham, turkey, chicken, beef - that we all love to eat at Christmas time.  Changing up the menu for some hearty, home-made soup is a lovely way to use up left overs and still have a nourishing meal.  This soup is one of my go-to’s because we love ham at our house.  The soup is filled with goodness the next day!  Enjoy the recipe and drop a comment to tell me how it turned out for you and your family.  

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup 

Prep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 25 Min Ready In: 5 Min 8 Servings

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes 

1/3 cup diced celery 

1/3 cup finely chopped onion 

3/4 cup diced cooked ham 

3 1/4 cups water 

2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules 

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 

1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste 

5 tablespoons butter 

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 cups milk 

Directions 

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.  

Many blessings,

Judy

The Space Between Christmas and New Year’s Day

                                  Picture from Mamamia.com.au

The big day, Christmas Day, is over.  The guests have gone.  Leftover food is bagged and frozen.  The beds are stripped and in the laundry. Tired and energy flagging, everyone wonders what day it is and whether there is something they should be doing but forgot.  Some folks are taking advantage of Boxing Day sales and going out to Nature to rebalance and reenergize.  

How do you manage your time between the two days?  The toll that Christmas takes from all of us means that we need to have lots of water and lots of green food - veggies and salads to bring our body back to balance. 

Many Blessings,

Judy

Merry Christmas 2022

 

 

Love starts from your house, to your neighborhood, to your community, to your nation and to the whole world. Spread love to all those you meet. Let everyone feel the Universal love that raises us all. Merry Christmas to you!

To all of you that have been reading my blog and to those of you that send me emails and post comments, “Thank you!”  Thank you for taking time to acknowledge that the writing resonates with you.   

Love, light, and laughter,

Judy

It's About Time

 

The grumbling I have been hearing about not having enough time for Christmas… how there is not enough of it; how we don't need daylight savings time anymore; how it seemed to be getting darker at an earlier time, and how much time friends and family take, never mind the amount of time you spend at work. And, who has time for Christmas shopping?

If we did not have clocks and if we did not have time, would we still do the same things?  Would we still need to find food to feed ourselves?  Yes!  Would we still need to make sure that we had shelter?  Yes! Would we still do things with friends and family?  Yes!  We would act mostly in the same way.

So what does it mean when people say, "I can't take time for that!"  What they are really saying is that they do not really want to do the activity in question.

Yet, we need to find the time to be compassionate for our self and for others.  We need to find time to be in harmony with our friends and family.  We need to find time for self healing.  We must absolutely find time to live our life, to love, to meditate, and to be mindful. 

Many blessings.

Judy