Category Archives: Serious Stuff

The Not-Giving, Hateful, Horrible Tree

Posted on by
Reply

This is NOT about that giving tree, Shel Silverstein’s sad apple tree who was abused and abandoned after she gave all that she had for years in her attempts to please a narcissistic little boy.

Taking a bit of a detour and as an aside to that, Angel Girl read The Giving Tree to me — well, not really READ it, but she had memorized every single word and wanted to “read” to me, just like her big brother reads to me. Too adorable, right?

Angel Boy, sitting on my other side, was quick to report in a loud whisper, “She’s not really reading like ME, Grandma, you know that, don’t you?”

I replied, “I know, T, but she wants you and I to be proud of her, so we’re just going to go along with it and praise her efforts, aren’t we?”

After she finished “reading”, we chatted a bit about what the story was all about and Angel Boy said how much he didn’t like it because it was too sad for him to think about the poor tree and Angel Girl chimed in with the same sort of commentary, “He took it all, Grandma, and all she had left was a trunk for him to sleep on when he was old. That wasn’t very nice.”

I was impressed by their empathy and compassion.

And then, because these children NEVER miss an opportunity to point things out to me, she said, “And the man in the book is WAY OLDER than you are, Grandma.”

Ha Ha Ha. Thanks for that, my angel.

Back to my rant, but before I begin, I need to make sure everyone is completely aware about how much I love trees. I don’t even hate eucalyptus trees, but they’re a menace and never should have been planted as a residential street tree, especially so close to houses. I mean, it’s not like I have a colony of koalas in my backyard that need a regular source of food, don’t you agree?

What I’m going on a tirade about is a gigantic eucalyptus tree lives in the space between my house and my next door neighbor’s driveway. It’s a city-owned tree so we can’t do anything about it. No birds nest here; even THEY don’t like it.

The California Invasive Plant Council (CAL-IPC) classifies certain eucalyptus as a “moderate” invasive.

They’re a real fire hazard and can disrupt ecological relationships among species that co-evolved over millennia, which is why many groups work to remove eucalyptus and restore coast live oaks. If that’s not bad enough, limbs fall during storms, and the euc’s shallow root system contributes to the whole tree falling, both of which have killed people.

Volatile oils in eucalyptus trees fuel more intense fires which is enough of a reason to permanently remove this tree.

They are a hazard in every sense of the word. Back in the 1900s, these trees were imported from Australia and planted with the hope that they could be harvested and sold as railroad ties. Unfortunately, eucalyptus is a brittle wood and cracks easily, therefore was unsuitable.

Eucalyptus limbs, branches, and trees regularly fall with potential catastrophic injuries. Recently, one eucalyptus as large as mine fell near our elementary school and was removed. 

Last January in San Diego at Balboa Park, a eucalyptus tree was uprooted and fell on top of a woman, obviously causing injuries. 

In 2017, A man in his seventies was killed by a branch that fell from a eucalyptus tree at Holiday Park in Carlsbad.

This tree continually drops leaves and other litter on the street, our yards, the sidewalk, and rain gutters. Roots are invasive. The leaves and other tree litter can damage vehicle paint. 

I’m really sick and tired of cleaning up this kind of tree debris every week or so.

A few neighbors and I wrote letters to the city expressing all of that and requested the tree be removed. That request was denied. This isn’t the first time we’ve made an effort to get the city to do something about it, and you would think they would be intelligent enough to remove a potentially dangerous hazard, but all they suggested was that If we wanted to spend more than one hundred dollars, we could appeal the decision, but so far, we have not done that.

I met with our councilmember and to no one’s surprise, received no help at all. I’m working on a little show-and-tell with exhibits for a future city council meeting to prove my point and will update you to share all the details about well my plan was or was NOT received. Heehee.

This tree doesn’t give apples; it gives me angst and frustration.

Coyote Awareness Week

Posted on by
4

This year, Project Coyote launches the first Annual Coyote Awareness Week, March 17-23, to celebrate America’s song dogs.

I can’t think of a better way to officially recognize the arrival of SPRING and the vernal equinox than by highlighting the importance of the beautiful coyote, especially on March 23rd which has been designated National Coyote Day.

My backyard camera captures their frequent visits, along with bobcats and sometimes both in the same night, which makes me very, very happy. I know they’re helping to deplete the rodent population that’s exploded in the last few years.

(And because a couple of readers have asked where “song dog” comes from, I learned that the word coyote comes from the Aztec word coyotl, meaning Song Dog or Barking Dog.)

The purpose of this new holiday is to raise awareness about the intense persecution and misunderstanding coyotes face and the importance of compassionate coexistence.

Coyotes represent the pinnacle of unethical and unscientific wildlife “management” in the United States. Increased awareness of and appreciation for coyotes are critically needed to reform outdated wildlife policies and end the unjust and unscientific persecution of coyotes deeply rooted in American culture ever since European colonization. 

Predator extermination campaigns in the 1800s–mid 1900s nearly wiped wolves, mountain lions, and bears off the map. But when the focus turned to coyotes, they responded to this persecution with resilience and adaptability, tripling their range in the last century and filling vacant niches left where wolves were extirpated. Rather than celebrating their resilience to adapt to a human dominated world and the important roles they play in our urban and rural communities, our society has often labeled the coyote as a “pest” or a threat to human communities. 

Coyote’s ability to adjust to changing conditions and diverse environments, along with their resiliency to survive and thrive in the face of relentless persecution, has left them vulnerable to insufficient legal protections. In almost every region of the United States, coyotes are legally allowed to be killed, sometimes incentivized through bounties, in unlimited numbers 365 days of the year, using almost any means, including killing contests, trapping, poisoning, hounding, and unregulated recreational killing. 

“If we can change hearts and minds about coyotes, the world will be a more compassionate place for all wildlife. That is why coyotes are our flagship species at Project Coyote. And that is why we launched the first annual Coyote Awareness Week,” said Camilla Fox, Project Coyote Founder & Executive Director. 

The inadequate protections for coyotes lead to at least 500,000 killed each year, of which over 55,000 are killed annually by the USDA’s Wildlife Services agency at taxpayer expense (as of 2022). Accurate numbers do not exist for how many coyotes are killed through “sport” or wildlife killing contests, because state agencies often do not track or monitor the killing of coyotes, and this number is likely a very low estimate. Even with this underestimate, it translates to: 41,666 coyotes killed every month, 9,615 coyotes killed every week, 1,370 coyotes killed every day, 57 coyotes killed every hour, and 1 coyote killed every minute. 

It is vital to foster coexistence with coyotes in both urban and rural communities. Coyotes play critical roles in our multispecies communities including regulating disease transmission by managing rodent populations and culling sick animals, keeping our communities clean by scavenging carrion, and limiting mesocarnivore populations (e.g. raccoons, skunks and foxes) thereby increasing bird diversity and abundance. 

Coexisting with coyotes and other wild carnivores can reduce conflict. Decades of scientific literature demonstrate the ineffectiveness of lethal “management” for reducing conflict and for reducing population size. Indiscriminate killing disrupts social systems and subsequently encourages more breeding and migration, which can lead to increases in livestock conflict.  Additionally, higher survivability of coyote pups can follow brief population declines due to a temporary increase in available prey, allowing coyote populations to quickly rebound and even increase in number. Despite this data, the default reaction to coyote sightings is too often fear mongering that leads to lethal management. To combat this, citizens across the country can empower their fellow community members to instead interpret coyote behavior, reduce attractants (like unsecured garbage, compost, and pet food), and humanely haze bold coyotes. 

It is well past time to replace lethal “management” with compassionate coexistence. Coyotes, like everyone, belong and have a right to exist. Coyotes are sentient, family oriented beings who deserve protection from unscientific and unethical persecution. 

We encourage supporters to promote coyote coexistence in their community this week- and every week. It’s a community wide effort to keep coyotes wild and safe from unintended habituation.

“Coyote power: surviving by one’s intelligence and wits when others cannot; embracing existence in a mad, dancing, laughing, sympathetic expression of pure joy at evading the grimmest of fates; exulting in sheer aliveness; recognizing our shortcomings with rueful chagrin.”
~ Dan Flores, author, Coyote America and Project Coyote Ambassador

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

Info curated from #ProjectWildlife

Novalunosis: Word of the Day

Posted on by
3

“The universe and the light of the stars come through me.” — Rumi

Novalunosis (n.) – The state of relaxation and wonderment experienced while gazing upon the stars.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

There’s some online discussion regarding whether or not novalunosis is a “real” word, but there’s no disagreement about the feeling of looking up in wonderment at the night sky.

Is Earth the only inhabited planet? With the vastness of the unexplored cosmos, is it even possible to think we are the only living, breathing, sentient creatures?

It’s an overwhelming feeling; novalunosis, but it can spark deep thoughts and conversations about infinity and the cosmos.

“The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stir us; there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation, as if a distant memory, of falling from a height. We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries.”
— Carl Sagan

Healing with Emotion and Body Code

Posted on by
11

I thought the first of March would be the perfect day to share a great therapeutic tool I discovered. Via a blogging friend, I was introduced to a healing modality that processes stuck emotions called Emotion Code and Body Code.

Both Codes re-align the physical body and release toxins, imbalances, and other misalignments.

I was lucky enough to be chosen by Intuitive Healing with Janice as a volunteer for three sessions, which meant I needed to learn all about it before the experience.

Janice says, “The technique works to identify and release trapped emotions.”

Emotion and Body Code are the newest, powerful tool in an energy healer’s toolkit. With them, one can identify trapped energies and imbalances in the body, decode them, alchemize (correct) them, and create an environment where the body can use its own intelligence to heal. The practitioner is the facilitator or radio receiver of information which is picked up from the subconscious of the client.

The Body Code method allows us to find imbalances in six key areas―Energies, Circuits and Systems, Toxicity, Nutrition and Lifestyle, Misalignments, and Pathogens―that are the root causes of our physical, mental, and emotional issues.

Intuitive Healing with Janice (she’s lovely, by the way) uses a form of energy work called The Emotion Code, where she helps people and animals literally get rid of their emotional baggage.  The technique works to identify and release trapped emotions; emotional energies from negative past events. Trapped emotions can cause sadness, anxiousness, block happiness, and cause them to feel disconnected from others.

Because trapped emotions are made of energy just like the rest of the body, they exert an influence on the physical tissues and can cause acute soreness and even more serious issues. They can slow down the body’s healing time, make you feel older, fatigued, and break down the body’s organs, glands, joints, and tissues. Releasing trapped emotions make conditions right for the body to heal itself physically, while emotional difficulties often disappear or become much easier to handle.

Often during a session, one might feel sensations such as tingling, tension, and/or emotional releases. The room may even begin to feel brighter. There can be a lightness or weight lifted

The goal is to bring the physical body back to homeostasis. 

Dr. Bradley Nelson, DC (ret.) is the developer of this advanced form of energy medicine. A holistic Chiropractor and Medical Intuitive, Dr. Nelson is one of the world’s foremost experts in the emerging field of Bioenergetic Medicine.

​His bestselling book, The Emotion Code, has been shown to help people all over the world rid themselves of their imbalanced emotional baggage. Many users of The Emotion Code™ technique have reported finding freedom from emotional problems such as sadness, anxiousness, and fear, as well as physical problems including fatigue, discomfort, and disease. A key element of The Emotion Code™ is removing emotional baggage that may be clustered around the heart. Dr. Nelson has coined this cluster of emotions as the “Heart-Wall,” and it has been called “the most important discovery in the history of energy medicine.”

I was fascinated by the process and what was revealed and cleared during my three sessions. Many people describe a feeling of inner peace after a session, as if a weight has been lifted. Others report better sleep, resolution of chronic skin issues, improvement in digestion, and a calmer, happier, positive mood. 

Since I’m always open to learning about and trying mindful tools, whether it’s meditation, conventional therapy, binaural beats, Reiki, or shamanic healing, I’d now recommend emotion and body code to the list. Best of all, Janice can practice this energy work via Zoom so her skills are available no matter where you live.

​Learn more at https://www.intuitivehealing.pro/

Rise and Shine

Posted on by
Reply

Even while it rains, my early morning view from an east-facing window was otherworldly and spectacular.

No filters or editing, just a landscape filled with rain, the break of day, and a sun who continues to rise and shine, no matter what.

There might be an inspirational message here about the indomitable will to survive in adversity or it’s simply a sunrise. Either way, it brings joy and gratitude on the first of February.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Posted on by
2

Did you hear about the unprecedented, record breaking rainfall we had in Southern California?

The area of Pt. Loma received nearly five inches of rain, half of its normal yearly amount. The last time San Diego received this much rain was ninety-six years ago. It rained 3.23 inches on April 5, 1926. The San Diego River is at the minor flood stage at 10.86 feet and still rising.

The news showed video after video of flooded homes and streets, people standing on top of their cars, and paddleboarders on the 78 freeway where the creek ran over the road and they had to close it down.

At Casa de Enchanted Seashells, a bit north of the city, we received about 3.5 inches of rain in four days, which was enough to turn parts of the backyard into a lake, but no water damage to the structure or foundation.

I was forced to brave the worst of the storm to get fresh gauze and compression pads (bad timing!) so I was actually driving around, but only locally.

It was pretty hard to see at times, and careless drivers were speeding, but I managed to hobble in and out with my wound care items and safely return home.

My curiosity almost got the better of my (not very) good sense and I was going to stop and take pictures of the flooded freeway from a vantage point on El Camino Real, but the windshield wipers were having a hard time keeping up with the heavy rain so I thought better of it, and drove back home.

It’s starting to dry out and warmer days are forecasted, but there might be another storm next week, so I hope everyone prepares for possible extreme sky water!

Tales of the ER

Posted on by
13

How was your Saturday evening? I hope it was better than mine, which you can probably surmise was spent in the emergency room.

Since I’m relegated to enforced rest at the present time, this might be a longish and rambling post…sorry in advance!

Here’s a little background to set the scene:

Lately, I’ve become obsessed with houseplants. It started gradually and before I knew it, I was fully engulfed in collecting, rescuing, propagating, and growing everything from Fiddle Leaf Figs to Calatheas to flowering cacti, and finally, MONSTERA. Yes, I’ve gone completely bonkers for Monstera.

I bought a giant specimen and had finally found the perfect feng shui location for it to thrive, but noticed that it could really benefit from some support.

I ordered a set of moss sticks from Amazon. They were due to arrive yesterday in the late afternoon and as I DO, I kept refreshing the tracking updates.

It was raining heavily when I finally heard the delivery truck.

I was so excited for those stupid moss poles that I FLEW down the flight of oak steps to the front door, wearing my favorite warm but very SLIPPERY socks; a gift from the original Angel Boy…

Without warning, because of course that’s how these things happen, I slipped and fell HARD. I mean really hard because I had been running, so my entire body weight slammed into the last few steps.

Since I’m no stranger to accidents, I sat there for a minute to triage the damage, upset with my stupidity and carelessness, When I ascertained that I hadn’t broken any major bones like a hip, I got up, went outside and picked up my package.

At that point, I had no idea what really happened.

The only part of me that had sustained the major hit was my left shin and I got an ice pack and lay down on the sofa. The pain was intensifying and when I lifted the ice pack, I saw a lot of blood seeping through my leggings.

WARNING: THE REST OF THE STORY IS KIND OF GROSS, not for the faint of heart.

You know how you have a feeling of impending doom? That’s what was going on with me.

I went to the bathroom, and before I looked at my leg, I brought out all my first aid stuff; gauze, tape, compression pads — just in case.

I washed my hands and gingerly and gently pulled up the bottom of my leggings and almost fainted (or threw up) at what I saw.

My leg looked like someone had slashed it with a hatchet and there was an open, gaping wound on my shin, all the way down to the tibia. I saw muscle and BONE. For real. Definitely not for the faint of heart, but I was trained by a wonderful nurse, and knew what to do.

I didn’t bother cleaning it at this point. I ripped open a large sterile gauze square with my teeth because I needed BOTH HANDS to close the two sides of the laceration. I did the same with the tape. After I placed a compression pad over the gauze and secured it with more tape, I knew this was no easy fix and I’d have to endure a visit to the emergency room.

I drove to the better of my two ER options, walked up to the desk and explained that I had a deep laceration that needed to be sutured.

They actually took me to a room immediately. I’m grateful that it was a slow evening and not very many people were there.

From the moment I arrived, everyone was helpful and lovely. Also since it was a slow night, many people came in the room to look at my leg. They praised my initial bandaging, and made jokes about why didn’t I sew it up myself, since it looked like I knew what I was doing.

At a time like this, humor is a great quality to possess, and I enjoy a good joke to lighten the atmosphere. I showed off pics of the grandkids, we discussed football playoffs, and they shared some of their more grisly ER injuries.

One person said she came in to see my leg because of how calm I was when I explained why I was there and she didn’t expect to see an eight-inch gash that must have hurt like hell, but I told her I’m always calm in the face of disaster and it didn’t hurt that much. (It does now, though. A lot.)

Because of the severity of the wound, I needed to have an x-ray to rule out any damage to my tibia before it got sutured. Luckily, my bone wasn’t compromised; no breaks or chips or blood vessel issues.

Other parts of my body are bruised from the impact, but my poor leg took the brunt of the fall from these beautiful but apparently now deadly oak stairs…no one has ever slipped before; I guess it was my lucky day, right?

More people came in to observe this AMAZING trauma surgeon repair the laceration. His wife was a doc too, an ophthalmologist, and we chatted about medical things while we waited for the suture cart and he determined how he was going to sew me up.

After the lidocaine injections, I couldn’t feel a thing, so I watched him work. It was kind of like an out-of-body experience. I probably bothered him with a million questions (like I always do) but he also taught medicine and he was patient and pleased to provide me with detailed answers.

A wound like that (think sharp hatchet splitting wood) needs layers of internal sutures as well as the exterior ones.

I had a total of twelve sutures and a few internal ones. After finishing the job, the doc told me how very lucky I was, because if the wound had been even a couple inches to the right, tendons and muscles would have had to be surgically repaired. Yup, I was lucky.

The tech came back in to dress my leg, adding about fifteen Steri-Strips between the sutures.

The nurse took a bunch of pics that are too graphic to post here and I know it’s going to leave an ugly scar, but I don’t mind because it’s a constant reminder to NEVER again wear slippery socks on those oak steps. EVER. NEVER. Lesson learned.

New Moon: Darkness and Light

Posted on by
Reply

111

There in the wild darkness
is the silence
And, after the darkness
Comes the light

A New Dawn.

A Little Poem by Athey Thompson

Tonight’s new moon in Capricorn can enlighten the pathway to our desires and our dreams, our awareness of who we are and how we feel about ourselves. Let go of any old unhealthy thoughts and beliefs.

A Little New Moon Ceremony
As the darkness draws near
Light a candle
Sit alone in peace
In silence
And invite your hopes
Your wishes
Write them down
Tell the New Moon
Of what you have written
And, welcome in your hopes
Your wishes
Believe you will receive
And say thank you
To the New Moon.
Upon such a dark night there be magic in the air, it be everywhere.
And, as they do say, ”Those who believe are those who receive”.

by Athey Thompson

A Great Mantra for 2024: Don’t Spiral. Evolve!

Posted on by
4

I love visuals and this speaks to me. Does it resonate with you, too?

I’m not really someone who enacts resolutions for the new year because it seems like the perfect storm for failure and then I’d feel terrible about myself for failing and spiral into shame…BUT I do comprehend the concept of making good choices and not repeating certain ingrained ways of doing life.

This brings me back to my admiration for the theory of neuroplasticity and the works of Dr. Henry Grayson and Rick Hanson, as I’ve written about previously HERE.

Remember: don’t spiral. Evolve!

Graphic found on Pinterest

Festival of Lights | Happy Hanukkah! | Chag Sameach 🕎 

Posted on by
5

Tonight’s the first night of Hanukkah and Hello Kitty reminds us to let our light shine!

Our Jewish Festival of Lights lasts for eight days and nights in honor of a 2,000-year-old miracle in which light won out over darkness.

During Hanukkah 1931, Rachel Posner, wife of Rabbi Dr. Akiva Posner, took this photo of the family Hanukkah menorah from the window ledge of the family home looking out on to the building across the road decorated with Nazi flags.

While it’s definitely a time for serious reflection, it’s also all about fun with latkes, gold coins, dreidels, lots of presents, and this iconic song by Adam Sandler:

Last year’s post about Hanukkah has a lot more info about the historical significance https://enchantedseashells.com/2022/12/19/whats-hanukkah-all-about/