Another Portal, Another Open Door

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Today is November 11 — 11/11 is a highly charged and meaningful date.

If we set aside conversation about whether numerology is real or manufactured, I believe it can’t ever hurt to attempt to positively set intentions for my greatest and highest good. I mean, isn’t that something to strive for on a daily basis?

Scientifically, neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt due to experience; to modify, reorganize, and grow new neural pathways. One of my fave books on this subject is Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom by Rick Hanson, Ph.D.

Yes, an old dog CAN learn new tricks!

Things we can do to capture the essence of this 11/11 portal and hopefully also bring gratitude into a daily practice.

  1. Vision Board…If you don’t already have one, now is the perfect time to create a vision board by collecting images, quotes, and symbols that represent your goals, dreams, and desires. Spend time on 11/11 meditating or visualizing your goals while looking at your vision board to reinforce your intentions.
  2. Affirmations…Write down positive affirmations related to your desires and intentions. These should be present-tense statements (I am, I have, etc.) that reflect what you want to manifest. On 11/11, repeat your affirmations aloud or silently, emphasizing your belief in their truth. You can do this during a dedicated meditation or throughout the day.
  3. Gratitude Journal…Start a gratitude journal and list the things you’re grateful for in your life. This practice can help you shift your focus to a positive mindset. On 11/11, carve out some time to express gratitude for what you have.
  4. Meditation and Visualization…Practice meditation on 11/11 to quiet your mind and open it to the power of manifestation. Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. After calming your mind, visualize your goals as if they’ve already been achieved. Feel the emotions associated with your success and immerse yourself in this positive state of mind.
  5. Set Specific Intentions…Write down your specific intentions. Be clear and precise about what you desire. Take your written intentions and place them in a special container, like a manifestation jar or envelope, and keep it in a visible place as a reminder of your goals. Open them up next 11/11 and see what has come to fruition.
    Curated from https://collective.world/5-powerful-ways-to-manifest-your-greatest-desires-on-11-11/ Art curated from Pinterest

Sunsets on Fire and Devil Winds

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Last night’s sunset was spectacular.

We’re in the middle of a moderate Santa Ana weather event with hot, windy, clear skies and such low humidity that my throat is scratchy and my curly hair turned straight-ISH.

It’s also fire season and there were a couple house and vegetation fires in the area, but none close enough for me to worry about evacuating.

When I went for a late afternoon walk, the sky colors were brilliant orange and red, like the world was on fire, and maybe it is.

According to legend, Native Americans associated the strong winds with an evil presence–something fiery and destructive. After Spanish colonization, missionaries altered the term Devil Winds to “Caliente Aliento de Satanas”–the hot breath of Satan. It was subsequently shortened and Americanized to Santa Ana winds.

Next week, the weather forecast calls for rain with a Pacific storm, the first time we’ll have seen sky water in months. Fingers crossed it’ll happen because my garden is PARCHED.

Happy Friday!

KRISTALLNACHT | Never Forget

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The Night of Broken Glass, or Kristallnacht, was a wave of violent attacks against Jewish people, coordinated by the Nazi regime on November 9–10, 1938.

Nazi Party paramilitary groups and Hitler Youth carried out the attacks, but countless ordinary Germans watched and even participated.

My grandfather was a rabbi. Although he had already emigrated from Hungary at the the turn of the century, my mom assured me that it most definitely COULD happen again and that’s why we should never forget.

From The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: 

On November 9–10, 1938, the Nazis staged vicious pogroms—state sanctioned, anti-Jewish riots—against the Jewish community of Germany.

These came to be known as Kristallnacht (now commonly translated as “Night of Broken Glass”), a reference to the untold numbers of broken windows of synagogues, Jewish-owned stores, community centers, and homes plundered and destroyed during the pogroms.

Encouraged by the Nazi regime, the rioters burned or destroyed 267 synagogues, vandalized or looted 7,500 Jewish businesses, killed at least 91 Jewish people, and 30,000 Jews were “arrested” and sent to camps.

They also damaged many Jewish cemeteries, hospitals, schools, and homes as police and fire brigades stood aside and offered no help.

Kristallnacht was a turning point in history. The pogroms marked an intensification of Nazi anti-Jewish policy that would culminate in the Holocaust—the systematic, state-sponsored murder of Jews.

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
-Dylan Thomas

OB-SEH-SHUN | Cell Phone Lanyard

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My new obsession-mission was to locate and purchase the perfect neck lanyard for my cell phone.

I misplace my phone on a daily basis and if that’s not bad enough, I dropped it in the toilet last week. Although it’s surprisingly, actually, completely FINE after that mishap, it made me realize that I need to be more closely tethered to that little rectangle.

Being sick was the perfect time to do an obsessive amount of research about around-the-neck cell phone lanyards, and there’s a lot to learn.

So many decisions! Do I want flat straps or round cords? What’s the best method to attach to my phone? What degrees of sturdiness and stability are necessary, and what’s my price point?

Phone neck lanyards come in a variety of prices, from a low of five dollars to a high of $100+ for a Bandolier brand.

Did I want to order from Amazon or actually walk in a store and SEE the product in person?

I decided that I needed a sturdy metal attachment because I’m tough on my phone–not only do I often misplace it, but I constantly drop it, thankfully not in the toilet (that was special).

I stopped at Best Buy at a not busy time and two employees took the time to show me what THEY use and like. I appreciated their input and endorsement of a brand I was leaning toward simply from my exhaustive research.

Of course it had to be the right color because fashion MATTERS in EVERYTHING. I opted for a bluish-purple hands-free lanyard that works great as a crossbody holder for me.

Even better, those really kind employees further helped me by popping off my phone case and installing it, definitely going above and beyond in customer service.

Since I’m a VERY thrifty grandma, this one was pricier than the cheapest one I found, but the Casetify brand I chose is sturdy, well-made, and comfortable to wear.

Honestly, I don’t know how I survived without this handy accessory.

11:11 and 1:11 | What Does It Mean?

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I’m lazily and peripherally interested in coincidence and synchronicity, but when there’s a pattern and stuff happens A LOT, that’s when I sit up and take notice.

For the last two or three days, actually since Halloween, I’ve been surrounded by these numbers: 111, 11, and whether it’s the car or my phone or the clock at home, I seem to notice when it’s 11:11 and 1:11.

This might be significant, right? But how?

If you see 111 or any sequence of 1s, it could be a sign that new opportunities are on the way or that this is the start of a new beginning. It’s likely a sign to trust what’s happening in your life and recent ideas you’ve been having.

Angel numbers are a series of numbers that keep showing up in one’s life in order to send a message. They are called angel numbers (part of numerology—the study of the relationship between numerical values and life events) because it’s believed that this is how angels communicate with humanity. And one of these examples is angel number 111.

What does it mean?

Many believe that seeing 11:11 on a clock or timestamp is significant for divine guidance and power when it comes to manifestation, a sign that one is being guided by a higher power, connected to the universe on a more spiritual level.

Spiritualists call this event the 11:11 phenomenon. Seeing the number evokes a feeling of significance because it’s a mirror of twin numbers. Numerology attaches great importance to the number 11. It represents a new beginning or a positive event. According to numerology, when we look at the clock and the two twin numbers face us, the universe is giving us a supportive signal we may have needed at that moment.

Also, the 1:11 angel number is a way for our guardian angels to garner our attention to convey their message.

Or is it simply this?

In an article for Psychology Today, John W. Hoopes, PhD, says “you’re likely experiencing apophenia, “an error of perception—the tendency to interpret random patterns as meaningful.”

We humans are insanely good at noticing and registering certain things that are on our minds at the moment, more so than with topics that don’t seem so important to us. Are you thinking about whether you should really buy that new expensive bag? If so, you’ll almost certainly start seeing it everywhere. Have you and your partner just started trying to get pregnant? You may have the feeling that everything around you suddenly has to do with babies.

Scientists call his phenomenon selective perception. The term describes the human characteristic of the psyche to perceive certain aspects in our environment more intensely while we completely block out others. In particular, our brain finds patterns attractive and exciting, which is why we tend to unconsciously look at the clock at the same time every day and think it’s a coincidence every time.” (GlamourMag)

When you see these numbers, what do you do?

Even the Angel Kids are attuned to this phenomenon and call out to make a wish when we’re in the car and they notice the time. I don’t actually know what it’s all about, but I CHOOSE to believe it’s a positive sign of SOMETHING.

Happy Monday!

Ch-ch-changes | Autumn Colors

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Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
Ch-ch-changes…

Sing it, David Bowie!

We all fell back last night and gained an hour. For me, It’s always a bit of an unsettling feeling for about a week or so until I get used to it.

More ch-ch-changes…

Did you know that certain trees in Southern California DO change color and lose leaves in autumn?

This is my fruit-bearing mulberry.

The leaves morph into a sunny, vibrant yellow.

Green and yellow against a blue sky.

My garden doesn’t boast any maples that turn red, but these ch-ch-changes mark the hands of time; another autumn, another winter approaching, another year almost over and finished.

Ch-ch-Changes
Pretty soon you’re gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can’t trace time

Etidorhpa | Aprhodite

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Have you heard of this novel?

Etidorhpa: The End of Earth (1895) by John Uri Lloyd

Complete subtitle: “The strange history of a mysterious being and the account of a remarkable journey as communicated in manuscript to Llewellyn Drury who promised to print the same, but finally evaded the responsibility which was assumed.”

This is so strange. I can’t remember how or when I scrolled past this title but it reminded me of when I was little, my dad started talking about this book. He read the title to me and, since we both loved wordplay, helped me read it backwards to reveal the mirrored magic.

I can’t remember anything else about our conversation other than that, and I don’t have the book and don’t know what happened to it, so it’s simply an amorphous slip of a memory.

 it was written over a hundred years ago yet it contains absolutely profound theories about electromagnetism and gravity.

Since my dad was an attorney and lived among facts, reality, and documentation, it’s interesting to learn that he was drawn to the esoteric, but he was REALLY smart and loved to read, so maybe he was more complex than I realized.

According to Wiki, Etidorhpa belongs to a subgenre of fiction that shares elements of science fiction, fantasy, utopian fiction, and scientific (or pseudoscientific) speculation. Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth is the most famous book of this type, though many others can be cited. It imagined another world in the center of a hollow earth. Since Lloyd was a pharmacologist, his novel has provoked speculation that drug use may have contributed to its fantastic and visionary nature.

The book is available here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37775/37775-h/37775-h.htm

I started to read the first chapter. For me, it’s not an easy read, not like my romantic chicklit, so it hasn’t really grabbed my interest, other than as a vague but sweet moment in time with my dad.

If you have read it, or intend to, let me know what you think, and WHY Aphrodite is important…

Sunrise | Sunset

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I don’t know how it happened since I had all the vaccines; flu, pneumonia, and Covid – but I got sick!

Fever, chills, headache, congestion–all the worst symptoms. I’m feeling better after a few days of antibiotics. When I didn’t have much to do except look through old photos, I found some of my favorites from the Pacific Northwest. I sure wish I was there!

Sunrise through the trees.

Sunset on Shilshole Bay with the beautiful Olympic mountain range in silhouette.

Overlooking the marina.

It doesn’t ALWAYS rain, sometimes the weather is absolutely magnificent.

Trees Call To Me, Too

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There’s a tree that I’ve been watching
And I see it in my dreams
For it calls to me and whispers
As it dances in the breeze
It whispers of a struggle
From the roots up through the trunk
And from there it tells of healing
Grown of nurture, care and love
Becky Hemsley 2021

Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels.com

Pythagoras Knew

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“As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.”

In other words, don’t kill or eat animals. Be kind. Be VEGAN.