Lamb Bolognese and Roasted Kale

Lamb Bolognese
1 lb lamb, ground
1 can crushed tomatoes

1 T oregano

1/2 t cayenne pepper

Splash red wine

1/2 head garlic, chopped

1/2 pound porcini or other mushrooms, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

salt and pepper

Serve with pasta and roasted kale, below.

Sauté garlic under medium heat until just brown. Add mushrooms and cook. Remove garlic and mushrooms and set aside. Brown meat, add remaining ingredients, including mushrooms and simmer for about half an hour.

Roasted Kale

Preheat oven to 425

I head kale

salt

2 T virgin olive oil

Wash and dry kale very well. Remove stems and roughly chop. Place on a shallow pan, add salt and olive oil, coating evenly. Place in oven. Start turning after 10 minutes. Cook until light brown and crisp.

Compost Tips

Turn your kitchen scraps into “black gold” and make your own compost. Compost is the super-rich, crumbly soil that is made when dead plants and leaves are broken down by worms and microorganisms and it is super-rich fertilizer for your plants and trees. To make compost, save organic waste—vegetable and fruit parts, coffee grounds, tea, eggshells, brown paper products, grass and plant clippings. Do not add animal leftovers, dairy products, oils or waste.

Set up a three-sided stall or purchase a recycled plastic tumbling composter. (An added benefit to a tumbling composter is that it allows you to collect liquid fertilizer as well as the solid compost. Liquid fertilizer is great for indoor and outdoor plants.) Composting requires four elements to work: oxygen, water, carbon and nitrogen. Carbon is created from brown or dry materials such as brown paper bags, newspapers and leaves. Nitrogen is created from green or wet materials like fruit and vegetables, weeds and plants.

If you set up a stall for your compost, alternate layers of browns and greens, add some water, and cover with a tarp. With a tumbler, everything goes in and you roll it around. Add water as needed. Microbes will eat the mixture and the temperature heats up as material is broken down. When the pile cools to ninety or one hundred degrees, it is done and you have rich compost!

Excerpt from Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet.

Toxic Chemicals in Your Home

Virtually every object used in building your home and the objects within it—the insulation in your house, your sofa, food storage containers, floor cleaners and even fabric softener—impacts both your health and the health of the planet. Unfortunately, in spite of the “all natural” or “safe” labels that are included on some of these products, many of them are unhealthy.

The good news is that concurrent with growing consumer awareness of the dangers in ordinary household objects is an increase in the availability of environmentally-friendly and human-healthy choices as manufacturers acknowledge and try to meet this burgeoning market.

Nowhere has the impact of the average consumer been greater than in the food industry, fueling the rise in the availability of organic food. Organic retail sales have grown an astonishing twenty percent per year since 1990—compared with an increase of between two and four percent of total food sales in United States.

As desire for organic food grows, so does the demand for healthful products of all kinds. Even though the major manufacturers are aware that there is a demand for healthful products, the vast majority of them are still not offering them. Although many businesses appear to be providing environmentally-friendly and healthful products; beware of the company that advertises its product with terms that are unregulated—such as “natural.” “Natural,” when used to describe shampoo, is usually a complete misnomer—the shampoo may be filled with synthetic chemicals and might contain only minute amounts of truly natural ingredients, such as jojoba or honey.

In addition, the government has historically allowed unsafe products to be sold as safe in this country. The use of lead is a great example. In 1909, eight European countries banned the use of white lead for interior painting. It took half a century for the United States to catch up—lead was not banned in paint and gasoline in this country until the 1970’s and 1980’s respectively.

Today, there are still thousands of toxic products being sold. To exacerbate the problem, manufacturers continue to pollute our air, water and land. There is no way to avoid all contamination while living on earth, but this chapter provides practical information and tips to help protect you from excessive exposure to the variety of pollutants that most of us are subjected to.

In addition to providing tips on how and what to purchase to live in an environment free from toxins that are made from cheap, unsustainable methods, this chapter explains how to eliminate nearly all pollutants from your home. You may be shocked to discover that many seemingly harmless household products contain dangerous chemicals. However, most of these products can be easily removed and replaced and some will lose their toxicity over time, so you needn’t panic and think everything in your house must be replaced. For example, freshly installed wall-to-wall carpeting emits toxic gases into the environment; however, carpeting stops outgassing six months to a year following installation. Another example is painting your walls with paint containing volatile organic compounds (VOC’s): the damage is already done, the paint stops outgassing and you may as well wait until the next time to use an eco-friendly paint.

Indoor pollution greatly increased after the end of World War II, with mass-produced housing. These new houses were made with new, lightweight materials, materials that were produced by the petrochemical industry. These products, made from petrochemicals, release chemicals into the air—through a process known as outgassing. Outgassing is the slow release from the material of chemical residues used in the manufacturing process into the atmosphere. They include VOC’s and many other petrochemical derivatives. Materials made from petrochemicals include plywood, particleboard, carpeting, vinyl flooring, adhesives, paints, fabrics and much more.

Excerpt from Chapter 1, Harmonious Environment, Copyright 2007.

Safely Clean Mold, Mildew and Scum

No matter how diligent you are, you probably get mold, mildew and scum in your shower. Most commercial cleaners made to clean showers are very strong and unhealthy to breathe. Bleach is especially dangerous to your health.

Here is a wonderful alternative that has virtually no smell and is completely non-toxic.

You will need:

Hydrogen peroxide

castille soap

Baking soda

Bowl

Microfiber cloth or a rag

Mix a few drops of soap, about an ounce of peroxide and a handful of soda into a bowl. Dip a microfiber cloth into mix and apply to mold and scum. Work small sections at time, replenishing mixture when necessary. Don't make a lot at once, as the fizz created when combining ingredients acts to remove mold and scum.
Scrub with brush if necessary and rinse.

For a free guide to other non-toxic cleaning products, go to: http://www.harmoniousenvironment.com/From%20Toxic%20to%20Safe%20and%20Healthy.htm.

For many more tips, read the award winning book,

Chi, or Energy, Even Affects Dogs!

Everything on and of the earth has energy—a continuum from the highest vibrational positive life-force energy to the lowest vibrational negative energy. The earth itself has positive and negative energies that affect its living inhabitants. Buildings and other structures have energy and absorb either negative or positive energy, or a combination of both. Plants are able to absorb negative energy (such as toxins) and convert them to clean, fresh energy in the form of oxygen (air). Animals, including humans, can pick up and create both positive and negative energy.



Some animals, including dogs and cows, seek out positive energy. Cats, conversely, prefer negative energy. If you have ever wondered why your cat is drawn to friends or family who dislike them, this is the reason. Given the opportunity, cows in a pasture will graze in the areas that emit positive energy.



I had my own validation of the difference in energy early on in my practice of dowsing. Several years ago, by dowsing, I cleared (removed negative energy) from a client’s newly purchased condo. The next day, she called me and told me that her dog, who had always slept in a particular spot on her bed in her old apartment, and who had refused to sleep in that spot in the new condo— was now back to sleeping in “her spot” on the bed. When I had doused my client’s bed, I had detected and cleared negative energies. It was a wonderful validation of my work. Obviously, the dog could not understand what I was doing, but recognized the difference in the energy afterwards.



Like dogs, humans feel best when surrounded with positive, life-force energy. And, just like dogs and cows, we know when we are surrounded by positive or negative energy. For many of us, this knowing is hidden from our general state of awareness and may be completely ignored. But our bodies are paying attention; they respond to dramatic shifts in energy—either positive or negative—but if we do not understand the signs, we may disregard them.



For example, have you ever entered an indoor or outdoor space (like a beautiful park) and suddenly felt peace and joy? You were entering a place filled with positive life-force energy. Conversely, a sudden sensation of fear, anxiety or aggressiveness would be a result of strong negative energy. The energy that surrounds us matters to our sense of well-being. And it also affects our level of stress and therefore our health.



Replacing negative or disturbed energy with positive, life-force energy is an important aspect of creating a harmonious environment. In virtually all cultures throughout history, the awareness of life-force energy has been of paramount importance. The goal of all these cultures is to make a space feel good. The Chinese call this energy chi, the Japanese Ki, the East Indians prana, and some Native American Indians, Mana.

Low, negative energy in a person manifests itself as fear, depression, illness or anger. High, positive energy in a person manifests itself as love and joy. Surrounding yourself with positive energy in your home and workspace will help fill you with glorious energy—and love and joy will come to you!

When a space feels heavy or makes you feel uncomfortable, it needs to be cleared. Negative energy is a result of many different factors. Some examples are dirt, clutter or disturbed earth energies. Illness, anger and fear in present or past occupants of a space will create negative energy.

If you clear your home and work spaces, you will be better equipped to face the inevitable negative energies that you will encounter in public spaces, because the majority of your time will be spent in positive energy which boosts your immune system against the negative.

What is Negative Energy in Public Spaces?

Negative energy can occur anywhere, including buildings, places in nature and in cities. When you are in an area where violence has occurred—physical, mental or verbal—there will be negative energy. There are also negative earth energies. Technology, such as electrical power stations, emits negative energy.

Virtually all of us are aware of negative energy, at least subliminally. You might have experienced the feeling of entering a place and suddenly feeling desperate to leave—for no apparent reason. Or, you may be walking in a section of a city and suddenly sense your adrenaline pumping and experience fear—yet nothing out of the ordinary is happening. You are picking up the negative energy in an area.

You may pick up on the negative energy from technology. I find it painful to shop in an electronic store, for example. The energy and all the positive ions in the air from the electricity emitted from the appliances makes me nauseous, tired and light-headed. (Note: negative ions are positive energy. Negative ions are odorless, tasteless and invisible molecules that make us feel good. They are found atop mountains, in forests, surrounding waterfalls and beaches. Negative ions produce biochemical reactions in our bodies that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, which helps to ease depression, alleviate stress and enhance our daytime energy.)

What is happening is a swift change in emotions as you enter a negative area. If you are feeling happy and serene, for example, and enter a space with negative energy, your sudden experience of anxiety, fear or anger is a direct result of the surrounding negative energy.

Sometimes negative energy just happens—like in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam. You are in your happy mode, when suddenly the freeway is at a standstill. People are honking and cursing—and you find yourself abruptly feeling angry and aggressive. You have picked up on the collective consciousness.

Negative energy in buildings can show itself physically with mold and dampness. If particular areas are affected with negative energy, these areas can feel colder than the rest of the space for no apparent reason. You may get goosebumps or shiver—even though the place is warm. Sometimes the space feels heavy on your person. If the energy is dark enough, the hairs on your neck or arms may stand on end.

When you feel the effects of negative energy in public, try to simply experience the emotions you suffer and allow them to pass. In other words, if you are in a public space feeling fine and suddenly your mood changes and you feel depressed, chances are pretty good that you are simply picking up the low energy around you. Note it—the experience of depression—and let it go. If you cannot shake the negative feelings, encompass them with love and compassion and they will eventually disappear, because the negative charge will lose its strength against the stronger, positive emotions. Think: are you going to observe anger (depression, fear) or let it rule you?

Another option is to visualize golden light—filled with love and compassion—to be surrounding and protecting you. This exercise can be beneficial anytime you need to feel better.

Excerpt from Harmonious Environment, copyright 2007.

Smudge for Better Energy

Smudging has traditionally been performed by Native Americans and is the ritual burning of herbs to create smoke to clear and purify a person or space. Ceremonies may begin and end with the burning of these sacred herbs. Herbs such as sage, sweetgrass and cedar are generally used.

Try to obtain and burn a variety of herbs to see what you like best. All three purify and remove negative energy. Obviously, if the smell of an herb turns you off, you shouldn’t use it for clearing negative energy.

Herbs are allowed to dry naturally and are either bound together in a bundle called a smudge stick or sold loosely. They can be purchased at many mind, body and spirit stores, at some natural food stores, at Native American Festivals, some alternative bookstores and online.

You can also grow your own herbs. This is especially nice, as you can form a relationship with the herb as it grows. When harvesting, cut what you need—allow the plant to regrow for the following season. Bind the herbs tightly together with string and hang upside down in a cool, dry area until they are dry.

Before you begin to burn your herbs, find a fireproof bowl to catch any sparks or to hold loose herbs. The Native Americans traditionally use an abalone shell for this purpose. Keep in mind that the bowl will get hot and that the herbs will continue to smolder following the smudging ritual—so plan on placing the bowl and herbs in your kitchen sink or fireplace when finished.

Light the smudge stick; when ignited, blow the flames out. The bundle will smolder, releasing the fragrant, purifying smoke. Hold the bundle with your dominant hand and hold the bowl under the smudge stick with your other hand.

If you use loose herbs, put your fireproof bowl on a fireplace mantel, stove or kitchen sink and light the herbs. Once they have caught fire, gently extinguish. Hold the bowl (you may want a potholder under the bowl if it tends to get hot) and wave the smoke with your other hand or a feather.

Begin by smudging yourself—you want to purify and remove your own negative energies. If you would like to perform the ceremony as the Native Americans do, you will want to honor Mother Earth. First, thank the Four Directions by beginning in the East, then South, West and North, working clockwise. Next, hold the smudge near the ground to thank Mother Earth and then above to honor Father Sky and the Great Spirit.

Next, allow the smoke to drift over your face and head. Continue to allow the smoke to cleanse your entire body. Think how the smoke is purifying you and removing any negative energy.

Smudge anyone else with you or anyone who will be entering the soon-to-be smudged space—they too should be purified. You can use your hand to move the smoke or use a feather—also a Native American tradition. Go down the front of the body from head to feet and then repeat down the back of the body.

You must be fully present when smudging—no conversation, picking dog fur off furniture and so on. Be focused and in the present when performing this ritual. By doing so, you will find that you just know which areas—on a person or in a room—need extra smoke. You may linger with the smudge around your husband’s feet or find yourself thoroughly smudging a linen closet. Go with whatever guides you.

Make a point to linger in the bedroom and around the bed; around your favorite seating areas and in the entryway to your home. Smudge your entire home—even an unfinished basement and attic and cupboards and closets.

When smudging the house, work with or without a feather. If you use a feather, place smoking herbs in a fireproof bowl and wave the smoke with the feather. If you choose not to use a feather, direct smoke by waving the smudge stick. Smudge each room starting in the east and working clockwise around the perimeter of the room. Smudge any individual objects that need it; then stand in center of the room and allow the smoke to drift.

As you smudge, keep your thoughts on the process; visualizing negative energies dissipating and the room becoming purified and filled with love. When you are finished, thank Mother Earth.

Excerpt From Harmonious Environment, copyright 2007.

Green Choices for Your Home

With few exceptions—one being particle-board furniture—if your existing eco-unfriendly floors, walls and furniture are in good condition, do not be concerned about replacing them; simply keep them clean. For example, if the paint on your walls contained VOC’s, any damage from outgassing would have occurred during the first six months to one year. Likewise, if your carpet is synthetic or the material has been doused in pesticides, it too has already caused its damage in outgassing. Most of the damaging chemicals that outgas into your home will do so during the first year. Until you are ready to replace an item, simply keep it is as clean as possible.

If, however, you are purchasing a new home or are in the market to buy new furniture or make other changes, the following general guidelines should help you to make the most healthy and environmentally-conscious choices:

* Purchase refurbished furniture and building materials when possible.
* Buy items secondhand.
* Purchase products made from sustainable woods and grasses, such as bamboo.
* Look for natural, not synthetic products.
* Buy the best quality that you can afford so that items will not have to be replaced often—or ever.
* Purchase only what you need.
* Buy locally harvested or manufactured products and save on transportation costs.
* Recycle whenever possible.
* Revamp. For example, buy good quality throw-pillow inserts and replace the covers, when they become worn or you tire of them, instead of the entire pillow. Likewise, if your sofa upholstery is worn-out, but the sofa itself is in good condition, simply reupholster. Wall-to-wall carpet can be removed, cut to a smaller size and a natural backing like rubber applied to the carpet, for a new life as an area rug.
* Look for eco-labeling on products that you buy. While the criteria varies, essentially an eco-label will include the following criteria:
o Avoidance of resource depletion
o Low energy demand
o Avoidance of chemicals in the manufacturing process
o Avoidance of chemical emissions, residues and outgassing
o Biodegradability
o Ethical issues

Excerpt from Harmonious Environment, copyright 2007

The Dangers of Petrochemicals

The biggest source of pollution comes from the use of petrochemicals, which causes both environmental damage and damage to the earth’s inhabitants. A non-renewable resource, the use of petrochemicals is so pervasive in our lives that the removal of them overnight would result in an unrecognizable world. Petrochemicals heat our homes and transport people and products. Plastic products are derived from petrochemicals. Many cleaning supplies, paint, clothing, furniture, building materials, packaging materials, toys, carpeting, appliances, automobiles, planes, trucks, makeup, grooming products, soap, detergent and pesticides contain petrochemicals and require the use of them during the manufacturing process.

Almost all chemicals in use today are derived from petrochemicals. During the manufacturing process, most petrochemicals are combined with chlorine—an extremely dangerous chemical. Chlorine produces toxic emissions and contaminating wastes. Chlorine continues to pollute when disposed of, as the wastes emit further atmospheric, liquid and solid toxic waste.

Saudi Arabia claims that they can keep up with the increasing demand for the next fifty years, but many experts think this is impossible. These experts, although still a minority in the oil world, argue that the geological challenges inherent in extracting oil and the limits of modern technology will soon make it impossible to extract enough oil for the world’s needs. So while there may be oil available, it can become impossible, or at the very least extremely expensive to extract from the earth.

Chevron, the second-largest American oil company, is actually talking to the public about the problem. A series of ads running in 2005 read: “One thing is clear; the era of easy oil is over.”

Once consumption exceeds production, the price of a barrel of oil could soar into the triple digits. A result of exorbitant prices for transport fuels and for products made out of or by petrochemicals would probably lead to a global recession.

Nobody knows how long oil will last and the Saudis refuse to substantiate how much oil reserves they really have. Few politicians talk about the fact that eventually oil will run out—and that there will be catastrophic consequences unless we come up with viable alternatives to the use of petrochemicals. It is estimated that world’s oil will last until 2050, natural gas to 2030 and coal until 2200.

Excerpt from

Harmonious Environment, copyright 2007

Boost the Energy in Your Home with the Front Door

The other day, I wrote a post called Entryways and Doorways Should be Clutter Free. In response, Barbara Ann O’Leary wrote a comment about not being sure which of her doors constituted the “front” door.

She wrote: “I live in a ranch house. The formal front door opens to the front yard which is a wooded lot which rises upward. In other words our home is built part way down a slope that reaches down to a lake behind our house. I think of myself as living in a grove of trees by a lake. It is very beautiful here... but in some ways we have never fully moved into this place.

We never use the front door. And we frequently have things piled up in the foyer area.”

The front door to your home is the “formal” front door, the door that faces the front of the home and that the architect designed to be the front door. In Feng Shui, the front door is the “mouth of chi.” It is often centered in the middle of the home and is the main entryway of chi or energy.

If you are like Barbara, you probably enter your home by whatever means is most convenient—often through the garage. If this is the case, you may—like Barbara—ignore the esthetics of the front door and entry and allow stuff to accumulate.

Barbara told me she feels stagnation and I’m not surprised. If you aren’t using your front door, I recommend you do an experiment. Clean up any clutter inside and outside your front door and use the door, at least once a day. Ensure that the energy that enters your home can meander throughout without large obstructions.

If your door doesn’t work properly fix it. If the paint is chipping, paint it. If the door has glass in it, make sure it’s clean. Finally, if you don’t like your front door, consider changing it.

Use your front door for a week or so and note any differences you feel about the energy of the house or how you feel in general.

Barbara also wrote that her home is built part way down a slope. It sounds like there are trees in the front to help prevent too much energy from entering her home, but if there are no barriers, a home on a slope could be subject to too much energy rushing in. (Let me know, Barbara.)

For example, if the home were close to a road and the energy from the traffic could enter the home, that would result in an overabundance of negative energy coming in. If that were the case, I would recommend putting up barriers, like trees or a fence.

Another way to slow down the energy entering the home is to have a meandering walkway from the driveway to the front door.

I worked on a home that had a poor layout in terms of its front door. Here are photographs and the story of how the space was reconfigured. In addition to the changes made inside the home, the straight walkway from the driveway was replaced with a beautiful, stone pathway that meandered from a gate by the driveway to the front door. These changes made a remarkable difference in how the home felt.

If you are unsure about the importance of energy or how to feel it, consider how you feel after spending time in the following environments:

· At the sea

· In a forest

· In a crowded mall

If you are like most people, the sea and forest will invigorate and the mall will exhaust. That’s the power of negative and positive energies!

In these times of economic hardship, it may seem frivolous to worry about your front door. I’m certainly not suggesting that you spend money you don’t have to make some grand entrance. However, working within your budget to make your front door, and the areas inside and out, feel special will absolutely be worth the time and money you put into it. As the “mouth of chi,” allow your door to bring in only high quality energy and watch your life change!

If You Eat Meat, Make it Free Range

The conditions for most animals raised for meat or dairy products are deplorable. Over-crowded living environments, tail docking, force feeding…the circumstances under which most animals live are horrendous. However, if you eat meat, eggs and dairy products, there are humane alternatives. Some farmers allow their animals to graze and have outdoor space in which they can roam. When this is the case, the label on the products will state they are free-range, cage-free or pasture grown.

Look for meat from animals that were:
· Raised without added hormones.
· Raised without antibiotics.
· Never fed animal by-products.
· Raised in a humane manner by farmers and ranchers who care about the welfare of the animals and the environment in which they live.
Free-range meat, dairy and eggs are available in some natural food stores, from select local farmers and, increasingly, in supermarkets. Beware of labels; remember that organic doesn’t necessarily mean that the animals were treated humanely. However, you can safely purchase meat at Whole Foods® stores, as they have instituted an “animal-treatment standards” program that supports the humane living conditions of the meat and poultry sold in their stores.

If you have never had meat that is organic and ethically raised, you are in for a treat. It is far more flavorful and richer than “conventional” meat. “Conventional” is the current phrase being used to denote food that is subjected to pesticides and other current standards in the United States.

Take turkey breast, for example—the conventional turkey breast you buy in the grocery store is injected with up to fifteen percent of any of the following: salt, sugar, sodium phosphates, turkey broth and flavoring. The turkey is watery and bland. Conversely, organic, free-range turkey has nothing added to it. It is firm and has real flavor—delicious!

Animals that have been humanly raised and slaughtered have had less stress in their lives than their unfortunate counterparts. Just as stress affects humans physically, it also affects animals. Therefore, the less-stressed animal will taste better, as their bodies have not been subjected to the levels of anxiety of conventionally raised livestock.

The meat, dairy products and eggs from animals that have been treated well have a much higher energy than those that have been mistreated. When you eat this food, that energy enters your body. Think about what the collective energy must be like on a massive hog farm where the pigs are confined indoors with no room to move around, are fed from a variety of sources including their own species, and receive inadequate ventilation. Compare that to an organic hog farm where the pigs roam outside with plenty of room, are fed organic food and can socialize with their neighbors. The difference in the pigs’ energies is immense.

Cows actually seek good energy. When allowed to graze freely, cows will always gravitate towards positive energy fields in the earth.

Although more subtle than meat and animal products, the energy from organic produce and all other organic food is of a much higher frequency than conventional food. Whenever possible, choose organic—for your sake, the sake of the planet and the sake of the animals and plants.

Excerpt from Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet.

Entry and Doorways Should be Clutter-Free

The front door to your home is of paramount importance, as it is the main access point for energy or chi to flow inside. The pathway leading to your front door and into your home and entryway should be inviting, open and free from clutter. Visualize life-force energy as it flows up your walkway and into your home. Are there obstacles preventing this energy from flowing smoothly and easily? Do you open the door to a pile of shoes and coats thrown on a nearby chair? Does your door hang on its hinges correctly, open and close properly, is it in good condition?

Overgrown bushes, dead plants or flowers, discarded objects outside your home, and clutter inside or around the front door and entry area can result in chi moving too slowly or inadequately into your home. The chi in your home becomes too yin and the result is that your home feels stagnant, as not enough fresh energy is entering your home. As clutter inside the home causes negative, stagnant chi, so do overgrown bushes, dead plants or flowers, or discarded objects outside your home.

Keep all doorways in your home free of clutter to help ensure the proper flow of chi in each room.

Excerpt from Harmonious Environment.

Chi, or Energy, Even Affects Dogs!

Everything on and of the earth has energy—a continuum from the highest vibrational positive life-force energy to the lowest vibrational negative energy. The earth itself has positive and negative energies that affect its living inhabitants. Buildings and other structures have energy and absorb either negative or positive energy, or a combination of both. Plants are able to absorb negative energy (such as toxins) and convert them to clean, fresh energy in the form of oxygen (air). Animals, including humans, can pick up and create both positive and negative energy.

Some animals, including dogs and cows, seek out positive energy. Cats, conversely, prefer negative energy. If you have ever wondered why your cat is drawn to friends or family who dislike them, this is the reason. Given the opportunity, cows in a pasture will graze in the areas that emit positive energy.

I had my own validation of the difference in energy early on in my practice of dowsing. Several years ago, by dowsing, I cleared (removed negative energy) from a client’s newly purchased condo. The next day, she called me and told me that her dog, who had always slept in a particular spot on her bed in her old apartment, and who had refused to sleep in that spot in the new condo— was now back to sleeping in “her spot” on the bed. When I had doused my client’s bed, I had detected and cleared negative energies. It was a wonderful validation of my work. Obviously, the dog could not understand what I was doing, but recognized the difference in the energy afterward.

Like dogs, humans feel best when surrounded with positive, life-force energy. And, just like dogs and cows, we know when we are surrounded by positive or negative energy. For many of us, this knowing is hidden from our general state of awareness and may be completely ignored. But our bodies are paying attention; they respond to dramatic shifts in energy—either positive or negative—but if we do not understand the signs, we may disregard them.

For example, have you ever entered an indoor or outdoor space (like a beautiful park) and suddenly felt peace and joy? You were entering a place filled with positive life-force energy. Conversely, a sudden sensation of fear, anxiety or aggressiveness would be a result of strong negative energy. The energy that surrounds us matters to our sense of well-being. And it also affects our level of stress and therefore our health.

Replacing negative or disturbed energy with positive, life-force energy is an important aspect of creating a harmonious environment. In virtually all cultures throughout history, the awareness of life-force energy has been of paramount importance. The goal of all these cultures is to make a space feel good. The Chinese call this energy chi, the Japanese Ki, the East Indians prana, and some Native American Indians, Mana.

Low, negative energy in a person manifests itself as fear, depression, illness or anger. High, positive energy in a person manifests itself as love and joy. Surrounding yourself with positive energy in your home and workspace will help fill you with glorious energy—and love and joy will come to you!

When a space feels heavy or makes you feel uncomfortable, it needs to be cleared. Negative energy is a result of many different factors. Some examples are dirt, clutter or disturbed earth energies. Illness, anger and fear in present or past occupants of a space will create negative energy.

If you clear your home and work spaces, you will be better equipped to face the inevitable negative energies that you will encounter in public spaces, because the majority of your time will be spent in positive energy which boosts your immune system against the negative.

Excerpt from:

Harmonious Environment, copyright 2007

Laughter is Contagious

An excellent example of how our thinking and feeling can institute change comes from an incredible study by Dr. Masaru Emoto. Emoto’s experiments show how powerfully your thoughts can affect your physical environment. In his book, The Hidden Message in Water, Emoto demonstrates how water will change form in response to thought.

Emoto mentally projected love to a bottle of water, which was then frozen and the ice crystals were photographed. The crystals were beautiful, clear and symmetrical.

Next, Emoto allowed the water in the bottle to melt and directed hate to the water. He froze the water and photographed the ice crystals. This time, the crystals were misshapen, dense and ugly.

Every one of us, consciously or unconsciously, affects the objects and people around us—including ourselves—on a continual basis. Think about the expression “laughter is contagious.” It is! How do you feel when you are around happy, laughing people? Usually, you can’t help but feel good yourself. All emotions are energy and energy passes from one body to another; from one object to another; matter to matter. Emotions are contagious!

Emoto also found that low frequency water reacts extremely negatively when exposed to low frequencies, but high frequency water is not affected in any way by low frequencies. This is because low and high frequencies are not on the same wavelength, and when we are in a high frequency state we are not affected by the low frequencies of our environment, other people, objects or food.

Each of us has the power within to choose what emotions to own. When we are filled with loving energy, it increases the love in the collective consciousness and raises the energy in the world.

Earth-Based Spirituality

Earth-based spirituality is based on reverence for the earth and all of its inhabitants and has been practiced from antiquity to the present. Its roots lie in the shamanic wisdom of the ancient Caucasian peoples of Britain, northern Europe and Scandinavia; the Taoist teachings of the East and with the Native Americans of North America.

To honor all livings things is the basis of Earth-based spirituality. The Native Americans treated all beings on earth as their equal and all were considered part of the whole, or the Great Spirit. The Great Spirit is within all plants, minerals and animals and the earth itself. It is the life-force energy or chi; it is the “Breath of the Invisible.”

Earth-based spirituality recognizes that nothing is ever destroyed; that it only changes form. Matter is a physical and intelligent manifestation of energy, and energy is contained in all matter, but matter does not exist in all energy. The Earth and its inhabitants are all beings of energy and are all interconnected and interrelated.

We are integrated parts of a whole being. We affect the whole by our thoughts, words and actions—just as we are affected by other human beings, and by the animal, vegetable or mineral kingdoms, and by the higher frequency metaphysical energy patterns.

Earth-based spirituality is about following your own intuition—not some “authority” or that nebulous “they.” It is your intuition that is all-knowing, powerful and true. When you follow your intuition, you are following your heart. When you follow your heart, you are being guided by your higher self which is connected to all that is.

Learning to trust your intuition is important for all aspects of your life, and there are many books which discuss the aspects of this level of consciousness. When it comes to decorating your home, what sounds simple can be quite difficult until you learn to distinguish between your intuition and what you think you ought to be doing. When in doubt, meditate on the question at hand and see what comes up. Or, ask yourself if your reaction/desire is based on fear or love. Intuition is never about fear. Fear manifests itself only in the mind/body.

For example, suppose you are wandering around a craft fair and see a beautiful vase. You instantly visualize the vase in your living room and feel happy gazing at this vessel. However, moments later you worry: “what if it looks out of place?” “What if the vase is actually hideous and your husband and friends hate it?” Now, you look at the vase again and feel confused and think, “do I really like it?”

Yes, you really like it. Those nasty voices in your head are pure fear. When you see something and immediately love it (or think it’s awful) that is your gut feeling, or intuition.

Think about it, we are literally bombarded with things when we shop. Craft fairs are a great example because there is so much to see and judge. A quick glance at a craftsperson’s wares will usually be enough to draw you in for a closer inspection or keep you moving along due to a lack of interest. So, when you see an object that you think is beautiful among hundreds or thousands of other crafts, take note!

In another example, you are shopping with a friend, the “knower-of-all-things-trendy.” She spots this awesome new kitchen gadget that “you must have.” This gadget promises to slice/dice/whatever, and your first reaction upon looking at it is that you already have perfectly good knives to do the same job.

Your friend looks a bit askance when you admit that you aren’t sure that you need this new tool. This worries you—perhaps you do need this gadget. It might make kitchen chores easier. You might be the only one without one, struggling away while others blithely do their chores.

Now, stop. Look at the gadget and trust your intuition to guide you. If you are still unsure, ask your friend for a demonstration, but pay attention. I find that my first response is generally right on—if I react with delight over some new thing, it might just be what I need. However, if my reaction is an eye-roll (another useless piece of junk), I move on.

Your intuition knows what is authentic; it is not influenced by what is the newest and shiniest.

Excerpt from the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, copyright 2007.

How to have a Green and Non-toxic Law and Garden

Gardeners who use pesticides are much more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those who avoid the toxic chemicals. Farmers and other heavy pesticide users are forty-three percent more likely than nonusers to develop Parkinson’s. Even amateur gardeners who use pesticides are nine percent more likely to develop the disease than non-users.

Eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers, toxic pesticides and herbicides unless absolutely necessary and then use only those with a “caution” label. There are organic alternatives—feed plants with compost or composted manure. For pests, try biodegradable soaps, oils and sprays and beneficial insects. Consult a holistic-type pesticide remover company. Burn citronella candles or use deet-free insect repellant to keep pests away from you.

Visit www.BeyondPesticdes.org, for natural pest control tips.

A beautiful way to attract garden pest predators is by having a water element on your property. Water gardens attract frogs, toads and garden snakes that eat insects, grubs and slugs. Any mosquitoes that are attracted by the water are eaten by the fish, toads, birds, bats and snakes.

Attracting birds to your property has many benefits. They eat bugs, and songbirds create beautiful, soothing music. They are also a joy to watch. If you have space, plant berry-producing trees and shrubs like hawthorn, toyon, dogwood, mountain ash, mahonias and viburnum to attract birds. Bird feeders and bird baths will draw birds, too.

To attract hummingbirds to your property, plant bright red and pink flowers such as ajuga, columbine, bleeding heart, lobelia, phlox, butterfly bush and veronica.

To attract butterflies, plant the flowers alyssum, butterfly bush, calendula, fennel, marigold and phlox.

Bats love mosquitoes and other pests and eat hundreds a night. They can be encouraged with bat houses.

Lawns
From an environmental point of view, lawns are disastrous. In addition to using tremendous amounts of water, seventy million pounds of chemicals are dumped onto lawns every year and much of it washes into our water supply. Lawnmowers emit as much hydrocarbon in an hour as a car driven fifty miles. In addition, the chemically-treated lawn clippings that go to landfill leach into the soil. 25


* Consider replacing all or some of your lawn with rocks, ground cover, flowers, shrubs, shredded bark and so on.
* Mow your lawn on the highest setting and allow clippings to stay put.
* Use a hand-push, non-motorized mower—think of it as a good workout!
* Water as little as possible.
* Use only natural and organic fertilizers and pest controls.


Compost
Turn your kitchen scraps into “black gold” and make your own compost. Compost is the super-rich, crumbly soil that is made when dead plants and leaves are broken down by worms and microorganisms and it is super-rich fertilizer for your plants and trees. To make compost, save organic waste—vegetable and fruit parts, coffee grounds, tea, eggshells, brown paper products, grass and plant clippings. Do not add animal leftovers, dairy products, oils or waste.

Set up a three-sided stall or purchase a recycled plastic tumbling composter. (An added benefit to a tumbling composter is that it allows you to collect liquid fertilizer as well as the solid compost. Liquid fertilizer is great for indoor and outdoor plants.) Composting requires four elements to work: oxygen, water, carbon and nitrogen. Carbon is created from brown or dry materials such as brown paper bags, newspapers and leaves. Nitrogen is created from green or wet materials like fruit and vegetables, weeds and plants.

If you set up a stall for your compost, alternate layers of browns and greens, add some water, and cover with a tarp. With a tumbler, everything goes in and you roll it around. Add water as needed. Microbes will eat the mixture and the temperature heats up as material is broken down. When the pile cools to ninety or one hundred degrees, it is done and you have rich compost!

Excerpt from the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, copyright 2007

Use Your Emotions to Attract Your Dreams!

In Black Sect and other Western forms of Feng Shui, visualization is a one-step process. To visualize means to form a picture in your mind of a desired outcome. So, when you place the water fountain in your living room, you see money flowing into your bank account with ease.

With Harmonious Adjustments, there is a second component to visualization. In addition to forming an image in your mind’s eye, you feel what it’s like to attain your goal. In the case of having money flowing into your bank account, allow your body to tell you how that feels. You become emotionally attached to the outcome of your desire. This time, when you place that water fountain in your living room, smile. Smile and feel the emotions of what monetary abundance means to you. Feel the emotions in your body and in your heart. You may still ‘see’ a monetary figure in your bank account, but you must also engage your emotions.

When you place an object with the desire for a particular outcome and you engage your mental and emotional energy for that same result, a huge amount of positive energy drives that wish to be made manifest. Leave no room for negative thoughts—energy—to weaken the positive energy. The object that has been placed is already infused with your positive energy; you must hold that same vibrant energy in your thoughts and body.

Do You have Hyper Kids?

My neighbor is all freaked out because her three boys and girl are finished with school for the year and they have so much energy that her husband can't stand to be around them!

It may come as a surprise that you gain control over overactive kids by reducing the energy in your home. Here are some tips:

* Reduce--or eliminate--clutter. Clutter causes stress and anxiety in adults and overactive kids.
* What color is your child's bedroom? Colors like red, orange and yellow are overstimulating. Studies have proven that red raises blood pressure! Replace with blues or purples to get a calming effect.
* Does the energy from the street rush into your front door? If so, slow it down with the addition of trees, bushes, rocks, a meandering walkway, fence.
* Is there an abundance of noise in your home from TV's, music and computers? Lower volume, decrease time spent watching TV or on computers.
* Add houseplants. They are calming and also reduce air pollution!
* Make sure your kids can get time to play in nature everyday. This not only makes them happier, burns off energy, but calms them down.

Treat Yourself and The Planet to an Eco-friendly bed!

Because so much time is spent in bed, special consideration should be given to this piece of furniture and this is the place to splurge on the best quality, organic products that you can afford.

· Choose a good solid wood or bamboo frame that has been assembled with non-toxic glue and finishes. A slotted frame is best, as it allows air to circulate beneath it.

· When it is time to replace your mattress, opt for a chemical-free mattress made with any or all of the following materials: organic cotton, organic wool, natural latex and organic silk. Most mattresses are made from polyurethane foam plastic, sprayed with chemical fire retardants and covered with polyester. Mattresses take several years to outgas.

· Use mattress and pillow barriers to prevent and trap dust mites and protein allergens. The best mattress toppers or pads are organic wool (best choice), non- treated down or merino wool. What I especially love about wool is its wicking ability to keep you comfortable and sweat-free year-round.

· Choose sheets and blankets made from chemical-free, organic cotton, silk and wool.

· Vacuum your mattress monthly to clean out dust mites and place pillows and mattress pad in the sun, as direct sunlight kills dust mites.

· Choose comforters and pillows made from hypoallergenic down encased in organic cotton, silk or wool. Pillows made from organic buckwheat are also a great choice.

Excerpt from Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, copyright 2007.

Raise The Energy in Your Home and Give Yourself a Boost!

Replacing negative or disturbed energy with positive, life-force energy is an important aspect of creating a harmonious environment. The Chinese call this energy chi, the Japanese Ki, the East Indians prana, and some Native American Indians mana. In virtually all cultures throughout history, the awareness of life force energy has been of paramount importance. When people say, 'this room feels good', they are referring to its positive life force energy.

You already employ some space clearing techniques. For example, when you clean your house, you are removing negative energy. Likewise, when you open your windows you bring in fresh, positive energy. Next time you clean your house or open windows, note how much better your home feels.

Low, negative energy in a person can manifest itself as fear, depression, illness or anger. High, positive energy in a person can manifest itself as love and joy. Surrounding yourself with positive energy in your home and workspace will help fill you with that glorious energy!

When a space feels heavy or makes one feel uncomfortable, it needs to be cleared. Negative energy is a result of many different factors. Some examples are dirt, clutter or haphazardly placed furniture. Illness, anger and fear in present or past occupants of a space will create negative energy. Negative energy may be present in your space due to a variety of reasons including technological disturbances, low frequency electromagnetic radiation, disturbed personal belongings, geological faults or pressure ridges and underground water.
I clear a space using several methods, including dowsing, smudging and using Tibetan bells.

Dowsing is an ancient practice first used to find water. Dowsing is also used to clear people and spaces. A dowsing rod locates negative energy and a pendulum releases and clears that energy. Dowsing is especially useful when moving into a new home, as it will clear the energy of the past occupants.

Smudging has traditionally been performed by Native Americans and is the ritual burning of herbs to create smoke to clear and purify a person or space. Herbs such as sage, sweetgrass and cedar are used.

Tibetan bells, whose clear lovely sound fills a space are also used to disperse negative energy and to raise vital life-force energy.

All three methods are excellent tools to clear negative energies and to allow positive energy--or chi--to flow properly and in abundance.


For more information on how to clear your home of negative energy, read Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet.

Awesome Potato Salad

I love this potato salad! Make a few hours ahead of time or let chill overnight to allow flavors to mingle. If you like sweet, use sweet pickles or add sugar.

Serves 6

5 medium red or new potatoes, boiled until done, chop into bite sized pieces

4 eggs, boil 10 minutes, peel chop into smallish pieces

1 T or so Tabasco

3 ribs celery, chopped fine

3 half sour pickles, chopped fine

Handful of parsley, chopped fine

Small red onion, chopped fine

½ bunch of scallion, chopped fine

1/2-1 cup mayonnaise

1 juice from lemon

Salt and pepper

Black or green olives, chopped (optional)

While potatoes and eggs cooking, mix all vegetables. Cut potatoes and add lemon when hot. Mix Tabasco with a bit of mayonnaise. Mix eggs and potatoes with vegetables, add salt and pepper. Stir in mayo and Tabasco and extra mayo. Chill.

Kale Pie

Really good and a different way to eat kale. I served with sweet potatoes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1 large bunch kale, or 2 medium, chopped
1 medium red onion
1 T olive oil
1/4 cup milk
6 oz sheep feta cheese, crumbled
6 eggs, beaten
Pepper
Pie crust

Saute onions until translucent and add kale. add a bit of water and cover on medium. Stir and watch water. Continue to saute, about 15 minutes or until tender.

Mix remaining ingredients and add kale. Place mixture in pie crust and bake 45 minutes.

Blackened Tofu on Caesar Salad

This is a great and easy meal and I serve it with a good, warmed bread. Recipe yields several cups of blackened mixture; store in an airtight container. I use this mix on chicken and fish, too. I order organic bulk spices from Mountain Rose Gardens--cheap and fresh!

Extra firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes.
Blackened Mix
Canola oil

Coat tofu on all sides. Use a cast iron pan and coat it with some oil on a medium flame. Cook until tofu is nice and dark. Serve on a big Caesar salad.

Blackened Spice Mix

1 cup Garlic Powder

1 cup onion powder

2/3 cup paprika

1/3 cup cayenne

2/3 cup oregano

1/3 black pepper

1/3 cup cumin

2/3 cup lemon peel

1/3 cup tumeric

salt

Caesar Dressing

1 ½ olive oil/canola

2 T white vinegar

anchovy paste

2 garlic pressed

3 T lemon juice

2 T Dijon mustard

2 t white pepper

½ cup parmesan cheese

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Add all ingredients except eggs and whisk or blend in a blender. Stir in eggs.

Your Home Can Help or Hinder you Landing a Job

Is your home cluttered and dirty? Is your home unwelcoming? If you answered yes to either of these questions and you are looking for a job, your home could be hurting your chances at success. Clean, remove clutter, and organize your home. Next, use the magic of Feng Shui and simple manifestation techniques to help you land the job of your dreams!

A home that is dirty, filled with clutter and unorganized is not a happy place to live in. The energy is stagnant and negative. Consequently, the people living in this environment will suffer. Clutter will literally bog you down and you will feel stagnant, unable to move on in your life. It will make you inefficient, because you are constantly searching for things. Stress, because searching for things causes anxiety. Lack of productivity and energy, as negative energy of clutter depresses.

This environment is hardly conducive to aiding you in a job search.

If you are living in these conditions, begin by cleaning your home thoroughly.
Next, get rid of the clutter. Clutter is anything that isn’t used or liked.

Sometimes, we hold onto stuff for sentimental reasons. Clutter can also be just too many objects on a given surface. If you collect stuff and don’t wish to get rid of those objects, another option is to rotate them. For instance, if you have six objects on a side table all vying for attention, store three away for half the year. Now, the three objects will look nice and you won’t have that cluttered look.
If you have things around that aren’t being used or enjoyed, that stuff is not giving off good energy and will make you feel stagnant in your life.

If the prospect of organizing is akin to a trip to the dentist, start with a small space. If cheap psychological tricks—like rewarding yourself for a job done—work, employ them. Conversely, do not try to organize a space so large that the project could take weeks—forcing you to look at depressing piles of things waiting to be organized or removed. Take that large space and divide it into easily managed projects.

The payoff for a clean, organized home or workplace free of unwanted clutter is immense. The energy in your home or workspace will change—stale and negative energy will be replaced with positive, powerful, life-enriching energy. The space will feel lighter. And that good energy will make you feel more energetic and happier. When you know where to find your belongings, you will find yourself with more time—to be more productive or to actually relax. Finally, a clean home—one that is as free as possible from dirt, mold and allergens—is a healthier space.

Once your home is organized and clean, you are ready for the fun and exciting part of your journey—using Feng Shui and manifestation to help you get your job. The following is a basic introduction to Feng Shui.

It is beyond the scope of this posting to give more than a rudimentary explanation of Feng Shui, but I hope this will interest you to study this remarkable practice further. Feng Shui is based all about energy, or chi and the placement of objects to increase good energy.

There are two levels of Feng Shui; the visible and the invisible. Moving, removing or adding objects is visible, but changes also occur on the invisible level. When I go to my chiropractor because my back hurts and he realigns it, I instantly feel great. One reason is because the pain is released, but the other reason is that energy is now flowing properly throughout my whole body, so it adds to my sense of well-being. When an object is in the correct place, it too exudes positive energy, which radiates and fills the space. When a room is in proper alignment, you cannot help but to feel good in it.

Another aspect of the invisible level of Feng Shui is to first visualize a particular outcome that you would like as a result of making a change. For example, you will learn how to add objects to a room to strengthen or bring love into your life. When adding these objects, you need to focus your thoughts on the object and visualize having a strong and happy marriage or finding your soul mate.


Above is the Bagua Map, used in Black Sect Feng Shui. to help you find a job, you will concentrate on the Career, Wealth and Helpful People categories. Picture the Bagua placed over your entire home or a single room. The door to the home or room must be in one of the three quadrants—career, knowledge or helpful people.

· Water flowing represents cash flow:
o Put a water fountain in entry room of your home..
o Put a water fountain in the wealth corner of the home or in the wealth corner of a room, like the entry or bedroom.
o Photograph or art depicting water
· Flowers
o Put fresh flowers anywhere in home for bright energy and to uplift spirits
· Fresh plants and bird feeders outside represent growth—as in career
When you add any of these objects, visualize yourself accepting the job of your dreams. Look at these objects on a daily basis and keep those positive thoughts in mind.

By the author of the award winning book,

Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, copyright 200