Food Inc

Last night Ross & I sat sown to watch Food Inc.  Thankfully we waited until AFTER dinner to put it on...  Now I know that I am in Australia, not the US where this was filmed, but it still spoke to me.  Firstly, I am glad I am a vegetarian.  Lately I have been toying with the idea of the occasional meat meal, mainly because I have been craving fish & chips or roast chicken & chips.  That craving is gone.  Well and truly.

I knew the treatment of many of these animals was appalling, I had already made the switch to organic free range meat where possible (although it is a very expensive way to eat and not something we could always afford) but I had no idea of the drastic conditions they were kept in some place (actually in a lot of places).  And this treatment is not just encouraged by the massive companies that are buying the produce, in many cases it is mandated by them!

But it is not just the meat industry.  The entire food industry needs an overhaul.  Ross & I have been toying with the idea of a veggie garden for ages.  Time to stop toying and start growing.  We also often miss the local Farmers Market and buy our veg from the supermarket.  No more.  We need to be a lot more aware of what we are putting into our bodies.

I was so appalled by so much of this movie that I probably missed some bits.  I will watch it again I think.  I also want to find out how I can find out more about the Australian food industry to see if it is as appalling as the US.  I will need to start researching.  And I WILL start thinking more about the foods I buy.  Aiming for Australian grown and produced as much as possible, and fresh fruit and veg - from the markets.

I think the timing of this was something that was 'meant to be'.  I have been feeling more and more like I need to refocus on my food but the whole calorie counting thing was getting me down.  This is a way I can refocus and bring good whole foods back into my life without worrying about calories for now.  If I concentrate on the quality of my food, I am hoping the rest will follow.

Daily Tarot

Knight of Pentacles
This card represents someone in your life who is dependable and hard working.  They are resourceful, and thrifty.  Good with money.  Organised to the point of annoying.  A bit of a loner.  Can even verge on dull or stubborn.  If you draw this card you are asked to recognise who this person is on your life.  Is it you?  Or someone close to you?  Listen to what they have to say as they have a message for you.

xox

New Groups and Question Day

I had an awesome night last night, although I am well and truly exhausted today.  It was an incredibly late night for me, and we were one of the first ones to leave!  We got there dead on 7, and I didn't want to be one of the first ones there so I made Ross wait in the car with me for 10 minutes or so.  I was so nervous.  I actually said to Ross while we were in the car that we should turn around and go home, but he wouldn't let me.  :o)

So we made our way in, found the group right away (from the telltale E.T. DVD sitting on the table which is their 'call sign' to new members) and felt right at home right away.  Everyone was so friendly and we had people to talk to all night.  I came away exhausted but happy, and hope that we can get there for next months catch up as well.

So, on to Question Day

1) If food had no calories or fat what would your favorite dessert be?
2) Did you ever have anything stolen from you?? Did you get it back? 3) What was the last film you saw at the cinema? 
4) Do you always wear your seat belt? 
5) What do you do to make your water more appetizing?

Daily Goals

1) Try and stay awake for the whole work day

2) Drink water

3) Do NOT buy chocolate

4) Actually tidy my desk today

5) Try and stay awake (yes I know I said that twice, but I feel it needs reinforcing.

Daily Tarot

Page of Wands

The Page of Wands indicates creative restlessness, pent up energy, and perhaps some frustration.  She has passion and desire, but she isn't quite sure how to put it to good use.  This is someone on the verge of a discovery or a new phase of life. The Page also represents messages, in this case something possibly about career, travel, or even something spiritual.

xox

New People

Tonight Ross and I are going to a new Meetup Group.  I found this group through the same place as I found the Book Club.  It is called MeetUp and it is a worldwide website designed to get people meeting each other.  It has groups for just about every topic all over the place.

Anyway, tonights group is a meetup of people who are interested in the Paranormal and Unexplained.  It is up in the Adelaide Hills and both Ross and I are interested and are planning on going.  I am really nervous about it.  Mainly because it is a big(ish) group of people who all seem to know each other already.  Ross and I are the only new people going.  Plus I am a bit scared that I won't understand what people are talking about as some of the topics they discuss are things I have never heard of.  But Ross will be with me so I am sure I will be fine.

Daily Goals
1)  Drink water (this has been sadly lacking)
2)  Take my vitamins
3)  Eat better than yesterday
4)  Be brave and actually go tonight
5)  Tidy my desk because it is getting pretty overcrowded

Daily Tarot

4 of Cups
This card represents self-absorption, apathy and boredom.  You have been disappointed by somebody or something and now you are emotionally stuck.  You don't like what is in front of you and you can't be bothered to look further than your own brooding mind.  It is a shame because if you listen to the voice of wisdom you will look up and see that what you need is not that far away.

xox

Tarot Bits

Last night I did my first ever Tarot reading for someone else.  It was a whole lot of fun.  I went to my friend Emma's house and we played with the cards.  Ross came as well.  We did an overall spread for each of them and then they each got to ask some questions.  Some of the results were scary accurate.  I had to refer to the book a few times, but overall I was pleased with how much I knew right off.  It was heaps of fun.

Not much going on today.  My Achilles is still playing up so I haven't been exercising.  Food hasn't been great.  As much as I normally love winter, I am over it this year.  It is really affecting me.  I can't wait for Spring!

Daily Goals
1)  Drink water
2)  Monitor food
3)  Make that phone call I have been avoiding
4)  Tidy up at home
5)  Cook a healthy dinner

Daily Tarot

2 of Swords
You are facing a difficult decision or conflicting ideas, but are not willing to face the situation.  You have closed your eyes to it and are hoping it will go away and are letting your emotions distract you.  This card is telling you that the decision needs to be made rationally or intellectually, and not emotionally.

xox

Rainbows and Tarot

As I was getting in the car this morning I looked up and this gorgeous rainbow was filling the sky.  It was raining lightly and the sun was just coming up.  I only had my phone with me which is why the photo is a bit crummy, but it was a beautiful sight.

Yesterday I gave myself over to sloth.  Ross was at work, MIL was in the kitchen soaking stamps all day.  And I sat in my room, watched crappy sitcoms (That 70's Show - I love it), read, played Facebook Games, did puzzles, and just generally did nothing.  It was wonderful.  :)

One thing I decided was to try and build up my Facebook page for my photo cards.  So I have started another give away.  If you are on Facebook do a search for 'photo cards by kylie ann' and become a fan.  Invite all your friends to become fans.  The 100th fan, plus the person who suggested that person, each get 2 free cards of their choice.

Daily Goals
1)  Drink Water
2)  Eat no crap
3)  Stay away from Facebook and get all my work done
4)  Enjoy my tarot reading tonight
5)  Early night

In an effort to learn the Tarot in a more practical way, I have decided to draw a Tarot Card for myself each day and record it.  I use the Mystic Dreamer Tarot, so if you use tarot yourself and don't recognise the images, this is why.  If you don't believe in this or aren't interested, I will put it as the last part of the blog so you can stop reading when you get to it.  If this becomes the only reason you come here, skip to the end.  :)

Daily Tarot

Today I pulled the Wheel of Fortune.  This is one of the Major Arcana so it implies big things.  The Wheel of Fortune is the number 10 card.  So it talks about the beginning of something.  This card signifies a change is on its way, one that you may not be expecting.  The card tells you to be open to the change, and although it may not be what you were expecting it is likely to bring good fortune in the long run.

xox

More Tarot

Last night I went back to the Tarot Teachers house to finish the Tarot Workshop we did not get finished on Saturday.  Everyone was there which was really nice.  We finished the workshop by doing basic spreads and readings.  It was really interesting and by the end of it I was starting to really understand how all the cards fit together.  It is more than just knowing what each individual cards means, it is also about knowing how the different cards fit and what they mean when they crop up together.  I am getting better at understanding the symbols which is great.  I am going to have to really practice so that I can start doing readings for my friends.

One thing that came up in my spread - quite strongly actually - is that I need to take better care of my health.  I have been pretty slack lately with my food mainly, but also with exercise.  I really need to take stock.  I keep saying "I'm Gonna" but I never do.  Now it has come through very clearly in my cards that this is something that requires focus, and it needs it now.

xox

Tarot and Baking

Saturday I had my Tarot workshop.  We got there at 10 and spent some time getting to know each other.  It was a good group of 6.  4 of us had all been in the same Basic Tarot course, although we hadn't sat near each other so didn't know each other.  We spent the day going through the Major Arcana in detail.  We looked at the Tarot meaning, the symbology, the numerology, and the astrology associated with each card.  There is so much to take in.

At the end of the session we were meant to all do a detailed reading, but before we got to that we had already gone an hour over time.  So we are meeting again tonight to finish up.

I spent yesterday in the kitchen.  Firstly making a big bowl of veggie soup, then baking.  First up I made Hazelnut cookies.  I'll be honest, not a huge fan of them, although my MIL loves them.

That was followed by Chocolate Cream Cookies.

Now I tell you - these are sensational!  Kinda like an Oreo, but tastier.  I had some cream left, so I added cocoa and decided to sandwich together some of the Hazelnut cookies.

It improved them, but they are still not really to my taste.  They are nice, just not my kinda cookie.  :o)

Throughout the cooking I read a book.  It is "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.  A movie was made out of it that I had wanted to see, but never got around to.  The book was excellent.  Very moving.  I highly recommend it.

Last night Ross and I spent snuggled up watching TV.  No book.  No laptop.  No DS.  Just us.  It was sensational.  And way too long since we have just spent time like that together.  :o)

xox

It's Friday!

No Running Group again last night.  My Achilles is still sore.  Not painful agony kinda sore, more annoying.  But it gets worse when I run.  So I skipped last night.  This morning it is really tight.  If it is okay next week I'll go back.  If not I might wait another term before rejoining the group, but will run on my own when the pain has gone.  I am too slow to jump back in part way through the term.  I can't afford a doctor/physio/podiatrist or whatever the hell I need, so I am going to let it heal the old fashioned way.  Time and rest.

So instead last night I plugged in the laptop and got stuck into some writing.  I have finished the first draft of another children's book.  I am not sure about this one.  I will keep working on it, but it may not get to the publishers.  I love the concept I have come up with, but am really unsure about the way I have put it together.  I might need to put it aside and come back to it fresh in 6 months or so.

I have also done a couple more chapters of the novel.  I am now working on chapter 6.  It is interesting, my writing tutor said once that as soon as you get to about 7000 words, you start revising in your head and wanting to go back and change things.  I am up to about 10,000 words and that is exactly what I want to do. but she also said not to.  She said if you get bogged down in editing the first few chapters you will never finish the first draft.  So I am just plowing ahead and trying to get everything down.  I am actually a little stunned I am as far through as that.  I didn't expect to get there so quickly.  But it is going well and I am enjoying the process.

Tomorrow I have another Tarot workshop.  I am really looking forward to it.  I haven't done as much practice as I should have to prepare for it, but that's life.

Nothing else planned for the weekend.  Hope you all have a good one.

xox

Oh Dear...

But before we get to that....  I had a really good day yesterday.  I got to sleep in and got up at 7.30.  Now for most, that doesn't sound like a sleep in, but for me, that is bliss.  I went for a walk to get my morning Iced Coffee then came home and realised I had a whole day ahead of me with absolutely no plans.  Oh, what to do...

I spent some time with my Tarot Cards.  I drew a 3 card spread, studied the cards that came out, then once I had them right in my head did a reading of the cards.  It was fun. 

Then I made a little pillow, watched some TV, had some lunch, surfed the Net, did some shopping, and saw this amazing double rainbow.  It was so beautiful.

Now for the Oh Dear...

Over the weekend, I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror, sitting down.  It's back.  It's nearly all back.  All that weight I worked so had to move, it looks like it's nearly all back.  Time to get on the scales.  The scales were not as high as I expected, but they were too high.  And I look terrible....  It is not my highest weight - thankfully - and it is not back to where I was at the beginning of the year..  But it is way way way too high.

The problem is, I can't count calories again.  I hate it.  It sucks.  But it works.  Plus I love cooking lots of different things, and my MIL cooks a few nights a week, it is too hard.

So I have come to a compromise for myself.  I will count calories until 5pm.  I will allow myself half of my daily allowance until then.  After that I can eat whatever I want for dinner.  There will be no chocolate afterwards, no desserts (most of the time), no junk food.  But whatever I eat for dinner is allowed and free. 

I am going to up my exercise.  Back to the running.  Riding to work.  Taking the long way home.  I'm going to start yoga next weekend.  Even thinking about going back to the - gulp - gym....

I will give this a month.  If I don't shift anything I will reassess, but I HAVE to do something.  As much as I hate it, my body is becoming uncomfortable again.  I need my body to be healthy so that I can be healthy in all aspects of myself.

xox

Body, Mind & Psychic Expo

Yesterday I spent the day at the Body, Mind & Psychic Expo helping out at the Animal Dreaming Stand.  We had such an amazing day!  I don't think it was as busy as last year, but maybe that is because I was behind the stand rather than walking around out front.

I admit, it was a long day.  We started at 10 and it went till 7, although I left at around 6.30 as there were really very few people left.  I am an office worker by day so spend most of my day sitting on my butt.  9 hours on my feet was HARD!  LOL.  The weird thing is, it didn't feel like 9 hours. 

We had such an amazing day.  The people that we met were so amazing.  Everyone was happy and positive, and there was such an amazing energy around our stand.  Other stall holders mentioned that the energy around us was incredible.  There were 3 of us working there.  I have met Jeanette (who was running it) a couple of times but had never met Ilona before.  But the 3 of us worked together so well! 

I really put myself out there.  I was standing out the front and giving out affirmations which was drawing people in to us so that we could show what we had and do some one card readings with the amazing Animal Dreaming Oracle Cards and the Creature Teacher cards. 

It was scary being out the front and being 'visible', but it was fun and it was empowering.  And something I need to learn to do.

I did get the chance to go for a wander around the Fair.  My Mum and Ross came down and I had a chance to have a squizz at everything.  I was doing really well at not spending any money until the very end...  I found this gorgeous little meditation stool from Black Dragon Seats.

It is really comfy.  I often find when I am sitting cross legged on the ground that my legs cramp up quite quickly and my lower back aches.  I sit on a cushion, but it isn't really any support.  This little stool has 3 adjustable heights, and is surprisingly amazingly comfortable.  I sat down on it after I had been working on the stand for around 7 hours.  I swear, I wanted to stay there for the rest of the day.  Because we were working there the guy gave us a 10% discount which was lovely of him.  It was still more than I wanted to spend, but considering I didn't buy hardly anything else, it was still a way cheaper day than last year!

I also got to meet the team from the Free the Bears Fund.  I had a chat to the Co-ordinator and have the details for the next volunteer meeting that I have already booked into the diary.  I am really looking forward to starting to work with them.

I think the main thing for me that I got from the day though, is that now I know without a doubt I want to be in the spiritual healing world.  I have a lot to learn.  This is a process and a journey and I accept that.  But I felt so energised and content there.  That is where I want to be.  I am doing well with my Reiki, and I am studying the Tarot.  I have so many other things I want to learn.  And I will.  I just have to learn patience (not one of my strong suits) practice what I already know, get myself out there, and learn.  It will come.

xox

Tarot

Yesterday I did my Tarot Class at the WEA.  It was a lot of fun.  There is so much to learn (78 cards) however the tutor explained it in a way that made perfect sense.

The Tutor was Elizabeth Wheldrake.  She was really lovely and explained things is a way that was easy to understand.  I was quite surprised at the number of people in the class.  And at the average age.  I expected a lot of young new-agey types, but I would say the average age was around 40-45.  There were even 2 men there which really surprised me!

I have been interested in Tarot for a long time.  Over the years I have collected 4 sets of true Tarot Cards and 6 sets of Oracle Cards.  The problem is I never knew how to read them.  When you have 78 cards with all different meanings it is hugely daunting.  What I didn't know is that you can work out the meaning from the suit (traditionally Cups, Pentacles, Wands and Swords), from the corresponding number, and from the symbols within the picture.  It was really interesting.

At the end we played a Tarot Game which resulted in our giving readings to ourselves and each other.  That was a lot of fun.  And considering we were complete newbies to it, surprisingly accurate.  I am looking forward to playing with my new (5th) set of cards, and then working out which of the 5 sets I now own I would like to continue to work with.  I also hope to do a more advanced class down the track if it is something I find I have an affinity for.

xox

TGIF

This has been a looooong week.  Thankfully it is Friday!  YAY!  Thank you for all your kind wishes regarding Ross.  He is completely fine.  It looks like it was a virus and it is clearing up and everyone is doing well.  It is so scary when this happens though.  He feels like he wasted hospital time, however with his history he HAS to be vigilant and be wary of any pain.  I am glad we got it checked out and that all is okay.

Tomorrow I am doing a Learn Tarot class at the WEA.  I am really excited about it.  I have several sets of Tarot cards that I have collected over the years, but I have never really learned how to use them.  I feel like now is the time so off I go to class!  I have several other things like this on the go right now as well.  I am feeling more and more drawn to all things spiritual and new-age-y.  I have had a very keen interest in these areas for well over 15 years, but this year I am moving from someone with an interest, to someone who is active in this area.  It is exciting, and scary, and exhilarating all at the same time.

Next week I am doing my first Reiki session on someone outside of my immediate family.  Em has kindly donated her body to science and is allowing me to practice on her.  I hope it goes well.

Other than that I am relaxing and focusing on me.  The cooler it gets the more I tend to withdraw into myself.  Not in a negative way, in an introspective recharging way.  I love winter for that element, and I am actually looking forward to camping this winter as I am feeling more and more drawn to nature right now as well.  For a born and bred city girl, being drawn to nature is slightly obscure.  But I am trusting in my own intuition, and if nature is where I need to be, then that is where I'll be.

Other than that I am hoping to get out for a run on Sunday.  It has been 2 weeks.  I am not feeling bad about that, I just needed a break.  I have altered my planned runs to enter (in sidebar) to compensate for the fact that I need to rest and recharge.  I am looking forward to getting out there again though.

Hope everyone has an amazing Friday.  Catch you all on the weekend!

xox