I recently decided to relocate my teepee from my front yard to my back yard. I realized I never used it in my front yard, b/c I simply don't like hanging out there where the cars drive by. I'm not sure why it took me so damn long to figure this out, but I'm so glad I did. I have spent just about every spare moment I have since it's been up, in it. I'm kind of sad its raining today just b/c I want to be out in it.

It's funny b/c James and I started working on building it 3 days in a row and each time we failed at getting the main structure stable. I kept getting frustrated and just stopping. Finally, the 4th attempt worked. Ive built two other ones and never had any issues. I guess it was all about right timing. It finally started coming together, and its my favorite one Ive made so far. Ive outfitted it with my crystals, favorite sticks Ive collected over the years, and other trinkets.

We've spent lots of time in it reading, hanging out with Bella & Violet, giving them massages, gazing at the full moon through the branches, listening to the birds, listening to music, watch the clouds, doing crafts, just laying there, drinking whiskey. Ha ha. Like I said, Ive spent every free moment the past several days in it.

I adorned my outside space with all the scraps Ive cut off all the bell bottoms that are too long for me. Which is just about all of them. Ive been saving the scraps forever for just the right project. This area is slowly coming together. Two friends gave me some rad old windows that I'm still figuring out just where I'm going to keep them.

Lots of reading the Bohemian Collective Magazine has happened in it too! ha ha. While I was making the bell bottoms garland above I heard some ruckus in the trees behind me, and turned to see an OWL flying from branch to branch. I watched it dart to the ground twice to catch something, although I don't think he got what he was going after. I have never seen an owl in the wild before. Only heard them in the night. My jaw was hanging wide open. I took the risk of running inside to grab my binoculars to get a better look and I'm so glad I did. He stayed on the same branch while I ran inside, otherwise I probably wouldn't of been able to spot him again b/c he blended in so well in the trees. It was the most magnificent thing Ive ever seen. I got watch up close all its crazy head movements. There were a few times it heard me moving and put its eyes right on me. I got to watch it for about half an hour!

This happened on the day of the Full Moon in Scorpio, which is just so appropriate, with owl having ties to the moon and to scorpio energy. Such great messages came through this beautiful witness. Leading up to this day, my week was a wreck. We had a really big emotional decision to make about my parents house, and I had to let some people that I really love down, and it hurt my heart so much to come to terms with this choice. I found myself at a crossroads recently. I thought it was just a crossroads with my parents house and what to do with it, but I realized it was a metaphor for the crossroads of my life. I was at the cross roads of continuing to live in the past, or to let go in a big way and move on ahead to my future. It was a painful decision, but I chose my future. I'm ready. I'm ready to move on. To let go with ties keeping me bound to my parents house. Let a stranger move in and walk away. Allow this to be a big blessing in my life to dream of things I may never otherwise be able to attain.

It was the first time since I can remember feeling like I made a choice that defined my life, and myself as well. In what I was capable of. Emotionally. I felt an weight lift, and a shift in my heart. Something was very tangled in that choice. And we still have so much go through before the house is actually sold and gone, but I felt like I took the first step on the beginning of a new path, and good god it feels amazing.

After the Owl visited me, we went to town and a turkey flew across the road right in front of our car. Owl & Turkey have been two of my messengers for quite some time, and this full moon, they made themselves very up close and in my face in brand new ways, and I couldn't be more thankful for them. Sometimes I really believe my parents speak to me from beyond the dead through the animal world.

I am trying to make some healthier choices in my day to day routine. Once again I have found myself in a rut of old habits and its time to turn the wheel. Here are a few things Ive been trying to do lately to help that... Starting with breakfast. I am a fried egg junkie. Period. I realized the other day that I had eaten fried eggs for breakfast for almost a month straight. I decided to start mixing it up again with one of my other favorites that I have let fallen to second, yogurt, berries & granola. I need to learn to switch it up more often... but I get so into my habits... especially with food.

When Im in my unhealthy habit routine I will grab a granola bar and call it lunch, and eat while I am packaging up packages or answering emails. This. is. no. good. When Im in my healthy habit state I generally eat some sort of 'pickers' lunch like this depending on what we have on hand, and eat it outside if the weather is nice... with no technology! I need alot more of this in my life.

Dinner is tricky around our house b/c James and I have very different eating habits and tastes. I eat alot more pasta and chicken than I would on my own b/c it is what he loves. I don't mind so much, but I do love the nights where we each cook our own meals... Like this huge chicken salad. It had apples, almonds, grapes, dried cherries and feta with strawberry balsalmic dressing. I actually really love making my own dinners.

Snack time for me is usually a shake. And I won't lie, I don't make the 'healthiest' of shakes. There is nothing bad in it, but it is quite fattening Im sure... but I love it, and I don't care. Usually has almond milk, flax oil, banana, peanut or almond butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, green powder & ice... and just recently I found out about adding curry and pumpkin spice to shakes, so that goes in there too. Oh, and dates or figs. So so yummy!!!

Drinking more herbal tea. Since I got the tea mix from Danmala Teas I am way more excited to make tea than just with my normal tea bags. This takes it to a whole new dimension. I just tried this blend called Bohemia and oh my I am in love. It is sweet and floral, which I actually thought I would not like, but I was blown away with its taste. It is just right. And is not ridiculously beautiful?

I tend to wait to use my essential oils until I am in dire need of them... like when Im in the middle of a migraine or really pms-ing. I have been trying to remember to use my favorite oil blend Clary Calm a few days before I start those feelings and it really helps me when I do. Another daily self nourishing thing I have been using is LaLaEarth's breast butter for daily and life long breast health. It is so important to me since I came from a line of women with breast cancer including my mom and grandmother, and lost my mom to it. This is probably my favorite self nourishing thing I do. (I'm not sure if its still active, but try using the code ROOTS10 for 10% off anything in her shop)

Another big healthy choice I am trying to make is more quality time with James. As with any relationship there are ups and downs, ebbs and flows... and with the preparation of selling my parents house, the cold winter months that seem to be dragging on, bouts of moodiness and depression from both of us, work stress, lack of time with friends, lack of exercise and the list probably goes on and on... we have found ourselves in a bit of a slump. A slump of stagnation. So we made a joint effort after finally communicating about it to bring back more of our fun things we used to do together, like playing scrabble. (of course I kicked his ass, but that is besides the point... right?) And any other little thing we can do or ways we can think of each other... Relationship and marriage is alot of fun, but also alot of work, and sometimes it is downright scary at how hum drum it can be at times... But we have both learned over the years sometimes you just need to pay more attention, change your routine, put the focus back on each other, list the things you are grateful for, and do the things that feel like 'play' together more often. Its a constant learning process.

Yoga. Need I say more? NO, but I will... I have been doing yoga off and on since I was about 18. Um... almost 14 years now... but sadly I have never allowed myself a very loooong duration of being fully committed to it. I take time off, I do it once a week, or once a month, sometimes everyday for a little while, then back to every now and then. I realized the other day how desperate my body was for movement, and I remember I had this dvd set my friend let me borrow. (I need to return it soon so I will be getting my own copy soon, its worth it). This video kicks my butt and is way different than the gentle yoga I do in my local town when I attend class... but I like it b/c it feels more like a real work out. And since there are so many different dvds that focus on different things you don't get bored. I get bored easily with doing the same dvd routine over and over again. With any kind of workout. I think that is why I never stick with them. Anyway, I love The Ultimate Yogi, so thank you Marissa for letting me borrow it all this time! It feels good to be back on the mat.

My biggest personal favorite way of showing myself love is through the bath. Probably b/c I am a cancer and so connected to water. When I am in the bathtub I can really think, bliss out, read, write, whatever it is I feel I need to get out or do during that time... I can focus more fully than I can out of the water. Out of the water I am fidgety, I can't keep myself contained to one space... I can truly relax in the water. There was a period a little while back when I realized I hadn't taken a bath in what felt like a few months, which is almost unheard of for me. I realized quickly this might be part of why I was feeling so off. Water grounds me, and connects me to spirit. I need my time in water.

Do you have any old or bad habits you feel like you need to release right now? What is keeping you from doing so? Are there things you used to take more time for but now realize they are in your distant past? How can you resurrect them today? Remember, it really is a choice.

grab a copy of the bohemian collective magazine

sponsors

INSTAGRAM

ETSY SHOP

blog archives

follow & subscribe