Yummiest Gluten-Free Cake Mix!

I found a new source for gluten-free baking flour and cake mix: www.evitamins.com.  Check it out!  If you use the following link, you will help us both out...you get a discount on your first order and I get reward points:  http://www.evitamins.com/?ref=84298. It's a win-win situation.

The Dowd and Rogers cake mix is to die for!  I make a beeline to my favorite Whole Foods in Hingham when I'm back in Boston, but now I can just make a couple of clicks on my MacBook Pro and voila!!  In a few days, my goodies will arrive on my doorstep.  How magnificent is that?!

I can't speak intelligently on the other products at evitamins because I was laser-focused on that Dowd and Rogers.  By the by, I ordered three of the Dark Vanilla cake mix because I just love, love, love it.  However, there are other flavors, and I will try them next time.  If you try them before I do, please let me know how much you enjoyed them.

Ciao, for now!

Schools as Killing Fields

Yet another violent incident on a school campus.  What the what is going on with our young these days?  I'll be the first to admit that my default position is to inquire into what the parents are/are not doing; how is it that they are not serving their very own progeny with their very best?  Or is it that their very best is close to the absolute worst; and if that is the case, what is the fix?  Where do we start?  And I do use the word "we" intentionally, because contrary to popular belief in what has become a very insular society of one, it does take a village to raise a child. 

We are all so very much into our tablets, iPods, iPhones, etc., that we are divorced from our fellow human beings.  Other people are simply seen as an infringement on our own personal space.  Now I'm all for personal space, and I thoroughly enjoy my own company, but when we get to the point as a society that approximately eighty percent of our time is spent on our own or in cyberspace, we seriously need to take a closer look and really see where we're really headed. 

Sure, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, et al, are fun to have and to use; but when we get so wrapped up into those little technological worlds that we come to view actual people as a bother, then it's time to regroup. 

We are social animals and when we go against that makeup, then we will continue to pay the ugly and high price of the  tragic events that are being broadcast into our living rooms (or laptops) far too often, and they will assault our sensibilities on an ever more frequent basis.  Let's work on this and see if we can't begin to turn things around.  My money is on Us.

The "New" 30, 40, 50, 60......

Have you noticed that women who look younger than their chronological age are tagged with the label "the new 60" (choose an age).  I would posit that we just are. We look fabulous because our norm is to take care of ourselves by eating well, moving our bodies, and exercising our minds the way that life intended.

We need to have a paradigm shift in our mindset so that a fifty-five year old woman, for instance,  racing around on her red bicycle garners no more surprise than her grandchildren, who are enjoying a ride with her.  Ditto, that she also looks gorgeous. Some of us have great genes and will look great for decade upon decade, even if we don't strictly adhere to "being good" to our bodies all the time, but using our bodies the way they are meant to be used definitely fosters looking great.

The same paradigm shift must happen between our ears.  Some of us seem to have it ingrained in us that once we reach a particular chronological age that we are "old."  And we consider that being old means being limited physically and mentally; e.g, "I'm too old to learn anything new."  You are what you think.  If you're breathing, you can learn.  There are classes all over the place in practically any subject that might strike your fancy.  Is there something you've always wanted to know more about; or something that you always wanted to try your hand at, e.g., jewelry making.  Many of these classes are free or very low-cost.  If you want to take some college level courses, go to www.coursera.org.  These courses are taught by professors from all the top universities, such as Duke University, Harvard, U of PA, etc.  Although you don't earn credits toward a degree, you do earn a certificate for completing the course.  It's a great way to study something in which you have an interest.

 Regarding the physical:  the body is meant to move.  You don't have to go out and run marathons (unless you want to, that is), but you can get out of the recliner and walk around the block and take in the beauty of Nature, work in your garden, ride a bike, take a yoga or pilates class (there are tons of DVDs if you prefer to do this in your home). Oh, and by the way, have you heard of Zumba?!  Fun and sexy!  If you like to dance, look for one in your area. There are many locations that offer Zumba classes for free, so move those feet and shake those hips 'cause hips don't lie.  Check this out: (hang on thru the short commercial)  www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JD7nr2Vt0Q

After this paradigm shift becomes the norm, we will no longer fall over from surprise when we encounter a sixty year-old woman who looks fabulous and has a mind to match.

The Plaid Experiment

What would happen in the USA (and the world) if we were to all wake up one morning and find that we had become Scotch Plaid?  I don't think we could reasonably have a race issue (not that judging someone based on race is reasonable) if everyone is plaid.

Let's say we are all plaid for about five years; otherwise, it's business as usual.  I imagine there would be a great many surprised individuals when the day arrives that shows people who had previously been deemed as unsuitable because of their skin color, had exceeded across the board when what they did rather than what they looked like was the criteria.

So, why don't we all work on seeing each other as Scotch Plaid; expect the best of everyone, including ourselves, and see what happens.

Prayer for Help

God, I need some outside help.  I want so much to be free.  But I don't feel free.  I know it all in my head, that your life is living in me, that my life is a miracle, but in my heart it seems as if life is pressing on me and squeezing me until I feel limp and empty

Free... what can that word mean when my life belongs to so many others; when I get squeezed between the generation gap and the tax bill, and I want to walk out the door and keep on walking and never stop... Then what does it mean to be free?  God, I need some help outside myself tonight.

                                                                                     Gladis and Gordon Depree

Your Life

One of the greatest feelings in life is the conviction that you have lived the life you wanted to live -- with the rough and the smooth, the good and the bad -- but yours, shaped by your own choices and not some elses'.
                                                                               Michael Ignatieff

Accept, Then Act

Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.  Work 

with it, not against it.  Just following this advice will miraculously change your 

whole life.

The Loss of a Loving and Much Beloved Pet

Our animal family members bring so very much to the table. They are there when virtually everyone else has gone on down the road or are simply to busy...  My furry buddy even displayed my symptoms when I experienced a Lupus flare; now that's dedication! My husband once told me that he could tell if I had had a bad day by the way Nico was moving when he (hubby) returned home from the office.

My road dog, Nico, who was my shadow for fourteen and one-half years, has been gone since April 27, 2012 (He had cancer).  I miss him so very dearly.

When I first lost Nico, a friend shared "Rainbow Bridge" with me, and I share it with you.   Perhaps it will help you as you grieve your own loss...

     Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.  There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
    "All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
    "They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
    "You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.  The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.  Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...

Is Social Media Making Us Less Social?

Read an article stating that we trust each other less. Is it any wonder? How can you trust someone with whom you have no interaction except through your web connection, which is artificial socializing?

Yes, I use Facebook and I also tweet with people from across the globe, but I know that until I can make a deeper connection, I can't even truthfully say that they are acquaintances.  I know nothing about them except what they tell me, and vice versa.  Yet, I am not an essentially distrusting person.

The article also discussed the economic gap leading to distrust. Now that might be true for some, but I wouldn't put myself in the category of distrusting another simply because she/he is higher on the economic ladder than I am. How would that help me? Will my being distrustful of a wealthier individual assist me in becoming a bit more flush? I kinda don't think so.  

Our society has become a more global one in that we can get up and go nearly anyplace that we want to, but we hang back and become mired in our own solitude at an ever increasing rate because it's easier. Dealing with other people is not always pleasant, and we are becoming a very selfish species. It probably began during the "I'm okay, you're okay" era.  Remember that time? For those who weren't born yet, the collective psyche was encouraged to be more self-accepting and more accepting of others, regardless...

So, here we are now being told that we don't trust each other. Well, you and I can decide for ourselves whether we are mistrustful beings or whether we give the other person the benefit of the doubt until we encounter a reason to distrust.

Shake a hand if you can.  

And please, share your thoughts with me. I know it's social media, but we can still dialogue; and who knows, we might actually meet someday.  Six degrees of separation is an actual reality.

Who Are You... and Where Are You Going?

When I facilitated a Lupus Support Group in Sierra Vista, Arizona, one of my most fervent goals was to ensure that our group members really got it that Lupus affects each person differently, and that because one person with Lupus could scale a mountain on a particular day did not mean that every person with Lupus was so fortunate.  I am still trying to learn that lesson for myself, all these many years later.  ( To learn more about Lupus, click here: www.lupus.org)

Whatever it is that is meant for you, pursue that to the best of your ability. Sure, try different things, but just remember that EVERY thing is not meant for you. If you give something your all after you believe that you have been led to that thing and it's just not working, have the courage (or wisdom) to chuck it in and try something else. And remember that courage does not mean an absence of fear.  Sometimes, you just have to do things afraid.

So, who are you? Are you going to "do you," as Russell Simmons so famously said? In order to discover yourself, you're probably going to try different personas. You might choose to sit and await inspiration. You might get a tickle from something you hear on the radio or the telly. It might be a word or a phrase; it might be visual. And things start percolating. Sometimes, it percolates on its own; sometimes you give it a little help; and it boils down to "Who am I; who do I want to be?" So you give it a shot.

You might decide to go whole-hog and just dive in, or you might choose to ease in slowly by just sticking a toe in the water. How does the water feel? Does it feel good; even just a little bit, or does it feel really bad? If it feels good even just a little bit, then maybe you just put your foot in up to the arch. If it still feels good, put your foot in to the heel, to the ankle; and it's still feeling good. In fact you're getting some grooving vibes going on in your nerve endings.

So you might want to follow that. You might want to say, "Hmm-mm, I have a bit of a muse here. Let me follow this and see where it takes me.  So you do that, and things are just percolating along and you're still being easy; then you decide to up the ante and go full tilt, and it's feeling good and working well. Ah, suki-suki now.   Then...BAM! Brick wall. Well, you can let that stop you...as a matter of fact, it might be a good idea to pause for just a moment to assess the situation.You want to see if this wall is actually a brick wall or if it is just an obstacle that's been thrown up to test your determination; to see if you really, really want this; if you truly believe that you have what it takes to get this, to accomplish the goal; if it's something that is resonating from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. You are saying that this is really for me; I really, really do want this.  If that is the case, then that brick wall is just a test of your mettle to see what you will do. Will you double-down and climb this wall, tunnel under it, go around it; or just back up and take a running leap right through it? How you react in that situation is what will tell you if what you are working to attain is really for you.

Go well.