Well it's been a very difficult week.  I had to cancel my workshops due to a lack of interest.  I've been in denial believing that all of my efforts would one day magically turn into this wonderful garden retreat.  But no one is reading my blog or responding to my group on Facebook or signing up for my workshops.  Whether I'm ahead of my time or out in my own little world, I now realize it's time to stop these exercises in futility.  My last blog wasn't going to be long - so here is what I know. 
I have been writing this simple statement out for the last couple weeks in my morning pages.  It's from Marianne Williamson A Course in Miracles.
    "Preparing for a miracle - Even though this situation looks bad (or hopeless or endless - I am opening a window of possibility to an unexpected outcome."  Isn't that an amazing way to keep the faith?

I believe this will all come together as something magical called my life.

Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles. Samuel Smiles<< MORE >>

I have to apologize for all of the emails you received yesterday from my blog.  I understand how annoying it is to receive unnecessary emails.  As you saw, it took me at least 6 times to rectify the problems.  Please take a look at one of the posts from yesterday!  Thanks to my loyal readers who alerted me to the issue.

Quotes
The only person who never makes mistakes is the person who never does anything.  Denis Waitley

There is nothing wrong with making mistakes.  Just don't respond with encores.  Author unknown

THIS WORKSHOP SERIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED as of September 2, 2009

Dragonflies and Daisies   The Garden Retreat

presents 2 workshops in the Series

Fall Into You

Use the changing of the seasons to fall into the real you

using the workshops to take self care to a whole new level!

 

To all of the girls, women, ladies, friends and family who would like to spend some time together in a natural, nurturing setting this series will allow you to do that.

The workshops begin Saturday September 12^th with the second following shortly after on Saturday September 19^th.  Both will be held in Stavely, Alberta (just an hour south of Calgary or an hour north of Lethbridge on Hwy 2).  Each 5 hour workshop is time spent dedicated to you.

 

Ø      September 12^th Meeting Your Goddess. 

The Creative Process to define and honor her.

Do you love yourself enough to call yourself a goddess?

Learn more about how to be a goddess by exploring the ideas of beauty, passion, intuition and power with teachers living and using these techniques in their every day lives.  Belly dancing will allow you to get in touch with your goddess in a physical way.  Learn about beauty using the most colorful facial you've ever had.  Feel passion from someone balancing motherhood and her dream as a jewelery designer.

 

Ø      September 19^th Practical Tools for Improving your Health and Wellness. 

Acquire tools to energize your health goals.  First we will assess your fitness level, work on setting goals, discuss nutrition and share healthy, practical recipes, and healthy ways to relieve stress.  An experienced local yoga teacher will lead us through the basics of yoga.  

 

Early registration pricing is available until Monday, August 31^st.

When registration and payment is received by Monday, August 31^st you will receive a $10 discount.

When you register and pay for both workshops by Monday, August 31^st you will receive a $25 discount.

Each workshop is regularly priced at $57 including lunch.

Each workshop runs from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Register now by contacting Michelle Collins of Dragonflies and Daisies at dragonfly@platinum.ca or by telephone 403-549-2031.  PayPal and cheques accepted. 

 

This week I am going to give you some of my easy recipes that you can go to when you feel you need to inject your menus with something different.  Believe me our meals don't look that different on a weekly basis.  A small portion of meat and lots of veggies is usually all we need for supper.  Sometimes some oven or BBQ roasted sweet potatoes in olive oil and spices are there too.  This time of year corn on the cob is a great treat, butter and all!

I am really enjoying edamame (aka soybeans) as a great snack.  I can only get them in the city.  They are found in the frozen vegetable section.  You boil them for a couple of minutes then rinse in cold water.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  They do have a tough skin so I just bite the beans out.  They are yummy and Gentry quite enjoys them too.

Here is another way to enjoy salsa (they specify it be cooked salsa because the tomatoes are way better for you when cooked).  Add the spicy salsa to a mashed avocado with chopped onions and garlic.  So you've got an easy guacamole dip.  I enjoy it for lunch with crackers, or whole grain taco chips or celery or whatever you can think of.

Another way to use avocado is in sandwiches.  This is an Avocado tuna wrap.  I am not a tuna fan - I don't find it has much taste.  But this one was tasty.  This recipe is from the July 2009 Chatelaine.  To your drained, canned tuna add lemon juice and dill weed.  You might need a little mayo to moisten it.  I didn't need much.  Stir gently, but keep it chunky.  You will thinly slice 1/2 a red pepper, 1/4 red onion and 1/2 avocado.  On the whole wheat tortilla spread hummus (YUM!) then the other fixings and roll it up.  This makes 2 wraps.

I will save and keep adding to these in the nutrition blogs.  If any of you have any equally simple recipes please share them!!  I know how easy it is to get bored with what we eat.  If you can throw in a new snack, or a different combination it's all good.

Quotes
Fix your eyes forward on what you can do, not back on what you cannot change.  Tom Clancy  How easy is it to live in the past playing the "should have" game.  Instead work on what you can do in this moment to make a difference.

Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.  Jim Rohn  I can think of many people who know lots of stuff but can't express how they feel about it.  What a difference that would make.

The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by obvious realities.  We need men and women who can dream of things that never were.  John F. Kennedy   We all can do that if we take off the skeptic or cynic hat.  Practice dreaming - and have faith.  That is the one thing I am working on right now - faith replacing fear.

Like I mentioned last week, there isn't much of summer left.  Man that is hard to write.  It has only started, but that happens every year right - 8 weeks of sun and fun - we have to cram a lot into those 8 weeks called summer.  Everything from weddings to family reunions to back to school shopping.  This is supposed to be the time we relax, enjoy the sun, have people over for BBQs.  Actually this summer we haven't had one wedding to go to.  And we have almost felt lost - our 8 weeks haven't been planned out ...<< MORE >>

It's hard to believe it's August!  The summer is half over - it's dark when I get up again.  It is such a fleeting time.  Sigh.  But I have done my best to enjoy it - to think when a breeze blows by with that certain smell of fresh and green and say - that's what summer smells like.  It smells like the lake, the rain on dry ground, it smells like watermelon and berries.  Magic. 

While enjoying these moments and stringing them together I am preparing for my next 2 workshops in the fall.  And I am trying to ...<< MORE >>

Gentry has had some issues with his blood pressure in the last month or so and so when I read these RealAge tips I figured there might be other people that are having the same issues. Of course there are many variables that contribute to blood pressure but at least these are things you can incorporate into your diet quite easily. << MORE >>

I read an article in Chatelaine on women spending money. And when I cut the article out and kept it I wrote on the top Worthiness. The perspective I want to add to this article is that women often don't believe they deserve to spend money on themselves.<< MORE >>

Well my first Dragonflies and Daisies event has been and gone. It was a beautiful day with 6 truly inspiring women. I wanted to share some of the comments they provided me with after the event. After hearing these wouldn't it be nice if we would do this for each other on a regular basis<< MORE >>