Would You Rather Be Peaceful or "Right"? ;)

Recently, one reader, Gregory, sent me a very interesting list for some 'alternative' uses for cucumbers, other than eating them (which we have been doing with joy almost every day recently ;)
Here were a few of my favourite cucumber tips from Gregory - I haven't tried to verify any of these yet - I think they're interesting though - lemme know if they work for you ;)

* Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
* Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
* Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
* Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
* Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.
* Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

ENJOY ;)

on August the 13th I embraced:

1 quart water
3 cups goji juice with marine phytoplankton
2 cups greeeeen juice
bowl of yummy daaaaaark cherries
3 cups greeeeeeen juice
2 cups water
shared nori roll meal with Mr. M: *amazing* reed avocado, dulse, sprouts, chopped cucumber and curry-kraut stuffed into nori sheets with kale chip samples on the side, followed by 3tbsp acai powder ;)
2 cups water


It's that time again: voting is ON right now for the 2010 VegNews Veggie Awards :)

You can vote until August 31st on categories such as your favourite veg*n foods, restaurants, chefs, books and so on...AND there are quite a few raw food options amongst the answers to choose from ;) You can also ADD in your own raw-based answers by choosing the 'other' answer option on many of the questions, if you prefer ;)
There are some GREAT prizes on offer too, for those who share their votes, including a global getaway, veg*n foods, books and more...you can get in on the voting at this link HERE - enjoy ;)


on August the 14th I was blissed with:

1 quart water
3 cups greeeeeeen juice
bowl of YUMMmMmmmmmmy dark cherries
handful of fresh figs
2 tbsp spirulina crunchies
2 cups water
random cucumber salad meal with Mr. M and his family - cucumber salad stuffed into nori sheets, followed by 3 tbsp acai powder
mug of herbal tea
1 cup water


on August the 15th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
samples of stone fruit at market, followed by a fresh fig FEAST w/ Mr. M :)
3 cups greeeeeen juice
1 cup greeeen juice
shared nori roll meal with Mr. M: avo, curry-kraut, cucumber slices, sprouts, lecithin and dulse stuffed into nori sheets, followed by sample of vanilla bean living nutz ;)
2 cups water


LOVE, love, LOVE this passage I received by email recently from the Hazelden "Gift for Today" messaging service:

"In every conflict, ask, "Would I rather be peaceful or right?"

The power of detachment, the willingness to choose to be peaceful rather than make every conversation a battleground, is freedom at its very best. There is no mystery in how this is done. It's a decision any one of us can make as often as the opportunity to disagree comes up.

We don't really even have to hope for a more peaceful life. It's ours just as quickly as we make the choice to want something different in our daily interactions. Remember, those who come forth provide us with opportunities for practicing peace."

I *love* this concept of "would I rather be peaceful or 'right'?" ;) I've received the same message before via Abraham-Hicks too...I feel this is such a vital question to ask oneself in interactions with other humans... "would I rather be peaceful or 'right'?"
So many people seem to be remarkably attached to feeling that they are 'right' and/or have 'won' in a situation...yet who is really 'winning' anything, if someone in your context is feeling uncomfortable, unhappy or shamed?
I choose peace, for myself and those around me...what do you choose? ;)

All love and reverberations of delight,
A. Stokes-Monaaaaaaarrrrrrrrch. xxx

Five Surprising Things I've Learnt Since Releasing 160lbs...

Five Surprising Things I've Learnt Since Releasing 160lbs:
My life has changed in many surprising ways since releasing 160lbs with a raw lifestyle...here are a few of the more unexpected things I've come to understand/recognise:

1. The more giving, open-hearted and generous I am, the more the universe seems to deliver yumminess straight back at me, in abundance...

2. The more I listen to and honour the promptings of the 'still, small voice within', the more effortlessly and synchronously my life seems to flow...

3. I cannot make other peoples' choices for them, including what they eat, how they treat me or any of their reactions...

4. Don't take anything personally (kudos to Don Miguel Ruiz especially for this gem ;). If people are behaving towards me in a way that I find confusing or rude, I find it most useful now to recognise that it is their OWN stuff they are acting out towards me and to send them blessings and let go of it... ;)

5. I have a choice in every single moment to spiral my energy upwards or downwards – life is open to interpretation and misery is always a choice ;)

I trust you're enjoying your own inner and outer explorations too...what surprises you?

on November the 2nd, I loved:

1 quart water
2 cups greeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, ginger, lemon
bowl of energy soup with fermented seed cheese flax cracker samples on the side, followed by some of the AMAZING new Superfood Cereals from Living Intentions – yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :)
1 quart water
mug of spicy tea
1 quart water

LOVE this new 'Raw Food Kids' song video from the Boutenko kids - SO cool, some excellent lyrics and LOVE the costumes - these guys are true raw superheroes of our time :))) GREAT video to share with raw children methinks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd1Z4snq2Jo

on November the 3rd I enjoyed:

1 quart water
2 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton, Merlin's Elixir and Etherium products
2 cups greeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, spinach, parsley, lemon, ginger
bowl of energy soup with fermented seed cheese cracker samples on the side, followed by a little hand–mixed yumpot: lucuma/maca/mesquite/cinnamon powders with orange oil, pine nut butter and water = YUM
3 cups water
amazing flax cracker and raw cashew cheese samples at our talk, followed by 2 apples and 2 raw almond cookies
1 quart water
2 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton and Merlin's Elixir
2 cups water


on November the 4th I was blissed with:

1 quart water
2 cups green juice: celery, cucumber, spinach, parsley, fennel, Jerusalem artichoke, ginger, lime
bowl of energy soup with fermented seed cheese flax crackers on the side, followed by a handful of the AMAZING Superfood Cereals ;)
1 quart water
2 cups greeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, ginger, lemon
2 apples with another handful of YUMMY Superfood Cereals :)
3 cups water

I was recently reminded of the AMAZING photo exhibition 'Ashes and Snow', which I had the supreme pleasure of visiting in person in LA, back in 2006...have you seen that exhibit? Apparently it has been seen by over 10 million people now, worldwide, making it "the most attended exhibition by any artist in history". WOW ;O ...So I would guess at least a few of you have borne witness to the astounding beauty in these photos, depicting humans and other animals together. NOTE: none of these photos have apparently been 'photoshopped' AT ALL, they are all shown as taken – truly profound – check out the full gallery at the link below:

http://www.ashesandsnow.org

 

 

With effortless, breathtaking beauty abounding,

Ms. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

Would you rather be RIGHT or happy? ;)

A few weeks back I was listening to Abraham–Hicks quite a bit. One thread of what I received via that input seems to have stayed with me, slowly percolated through my consciousness and membranes and is now asking to be expressed. So, here we go... ;)
The idea was about how children in our societies so often seem to be raised to be in COMPETITION with each other, rather than co–operation and how we carry this energy with us into adulthood.
We are taught to compete in schools, compare ourselves to each other with grades and awards, shamed if we do not get things ‘right’ and so on. Children develop fears around making errors, being laughed at or being ‘wrong’. We might move from being content little 4 or 5 year olds before schooling to believing we are inherently flawed, unacceptable and ‘wrong’. We may turn on each other, laughing at a classmate who gets smthg ‘wrong’ for example, rather than offering support. No–one wants to be the one to make an error – we want to be accepted, we all want, of course, simply to be loved. We may learn to seek love through the marks we get in classes and favourable comments from teachers or we might rebel against the whole system instead and find ourselves deemed even more ‘unacceptable’.
The point Abraham–Hicks were making in the piece I heard was that now, as adults, any experiences that we had along these lines are now way behind us. That reality is not here anymore...and YET, so many people go through life still acting out based on things they learnt back then – comparing themselves to others, laughing at or shaming those they consider ‘wrong’, pointing out ‘errors’ in others’ behaviour rather than supporting them. It's like we still feel the pressure of those eyes watching and judging us, even though the source of that original tension is loooong gone. Many still exert that pressure on others too - collectively, we may keep this judgemental energy alive.
Where is the love here? Where is the co–operation and support? We are adults now and we also have free choices in every moment about our thoughts, words and actions...how about stepping away from any competitive, fierce, fear–based energy and reaching out to others with LOVE instead? As a ‘straight–A’ student throughout my schooling career, this all speaks deeply to me, as I can really identify with both the intense desire to ‘be right’ and get those grades, plus also the softening later in life as I step further and further away from that whole system, towards unconditional love.
I was an expert at working the school system – I knew inside–out how to get A grades and yet ultimately...it all felt very un-fulfilling and empty to me – my real soul was not being seen or nurtured – it was like I was just accurately jumping through hoops on command...
This also reminds me of another great little point I absorbed from Abraham–Hicks. A few times I have heard them mention ‘would you rather be right, or be happy?’ I absolutely LOVE that...love, love, LOVE it.
This speaks sooooooooooo deeply to me (especially to the very strong Virgo component of my being ;) Would you rather be RIGHT in a situation, or be happy? Is ‘getting your way’ and being seen to be ‘right’ your ultimate fulfillment, or sharing joy and an easy flow?
Abraham shared a wonderful anecdote about Esther Hicks to illustrate this: apparently sometimes Jerry, her husband, hooks up the trailer to the back of their vehicle when they’re in a tight car park space and she gets irritated by it, because she doesn’t like the extra effort it takes to get out that way. On one such occasion, as she was about to start trying to get the vehicle out of the space, she noticed herself thinking ‘I hope we don’t get out’ and she laughed out loud, as she realised she would rather be RIGHT about whether it’s a good idea to hook the trailer on now or not, than HAPPY and flowing along on their journey. ;) I imagine most of us can pick out similar examples in our own lives and relationships...and where can we trace these patterns back to...? (Please note that I am not seeking to 'blame' modern schooling systems here, nor trying to suggest that schools are the only arena in which children receive this kind of conditioning...)

Hmmmmm...well, maybe it’s time now to let go of any deeeeeeep old patterns like these and move into a lighter, brighter, more loving flow? Well, I think so and I MUST be right, because I just gave myself an ‘A’ in unconditional love flow, ok? ;)


on Feb the 8th I had:

1 quart water
2 cups home–made rejuvelac
bowl of yummmmmy broccoli/zucchini salad
little mug of spicy tea
1 quart water
20 chlorella ‘nuts’
2 little apples
bowl of grawnola with blend of almond milk/carob/maca/lucuma/yacon/cinnamon/vanilla powders
3 cups water

OOoOoOooo, it’s a full moon in LEO tonight, during the time of Aquarius – yeeeeeeeeeeeeeee–HAH :) love it...as you may know, the Stokes is a lioness and the Monarch is a water–bearing gent, so I was muchly pleased to read the following charming little write–up this evening about the merging of these energies, on Lisa Dale Miller’s AstroWisdom site:

“Some think that Leo and Aquarius are diametrically opposed to one another. But I find their synergistic and interdependent relationship unique among the signs. Aquarius demands radical change, which cannot be accomplished without Leo’s talents: unwavering self-belief in one’s personal vision and true leadership. Leo demands creativity and caring, which requires the Aquarian rejection of personal glorification in favor of global identification. When balanced, the Leo/Aquarius polarity works hand in hand to further the evolution of human civilization. Our new President Barack Obama is a Leo with a Aquarius rising, so he exemplifies successful integration of these two energies.”

YUMMY :) ...and I didn’t know that abt Obama – interesting...you can read the whole of her summary about this full moon HERE.
THANK YOU all SOOOOOOOOOOO much for all the beautiful birthday messages Mr. M received yesterday too – he was awash in a wave of raw love ;) May it all be multiplied back to you all manifold...


on Feb the 9th I had:

1 quart water
cup of Wild Power tea
2 cups green juice: celery, cucumber, fennel, endive, kale, Jerusalem artichoke, celeriac, ginger, lime
bowl of broccoli/zucchini salad
little mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
2 cups green juice: celery, cucumber, fennel, endive, kale, Jerusalem artichoke, celeriac, ginger, lime
bowl of chia soaked in blend of almond milk/lucuma/maca/carob/vanilla/cinnamon/yacon powders
little mug of spicy tea
3 cups water

I’ve been poking around for tooooons from my childhood a lot recently on YouTube, as I was making a special playlist for mmmmmmmmmmmmy sister, Nicola (whose birthday happens to be tomorrow, the 10th, which is also my 'half-birthday' – this is a definite power time in my connective field – she and Mr. M were born 2 days apart in the same year. Happy Birthday ;)
Well, you can listen to the whole playlist I made for her HERE if you’d like to get a sense of my childhood musical influences ;) LOL… I especially wanted to share one song below though – ‘You can call me Al’ by Paul Simon, filmed in concert in 1986 in Zimbabwe I think – so FUN :) Just try to watch this and NOT smile/wiggle/giggle/enjoy ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rN7R6r0T48

All love,
Miss Stokes. xxx