Passing Over

About Death and the "going" process...
 One thing Odd about passing over into the spirit world and being no more in physical form is the ordeal of folks who love you watching as you transition.

We really don't understand death much. We've not been taught, and our concepts are a bit sketchy with regard to the spirit world, as a whole. We are learning more as technology and science grow into this field of study.
Most things I have clarity of concept of happens sort of like explosion-bursts of knowledge; And in this way is how I now understand death... 
These bursts of knowledge usually happen when I'm not paying attention, and then I realize way later on that, "Oh I just got something important there". Unfortunately, it's usually later in the day or next day when I realize the ramification of what just downloaded into my brain.

One afternoon, I was working in my garden next to the koi pond and realized my knowledge base about dieing was being expanded, mostly because a dear friend of mine had a Father passing over. As I listened to him talk on the phone, I just understood death in a way I never did. My friend was talking about the lingering process as the body dies. How hard it was for people to sit and watch or sit beside the one going and wait, and wait...
I've sat by the beds of many people passing over and never really understood either until now.
What is happening in that time period though is quite important for the soul. While we are here (on Earth) in these fleshly bodies we gather all kinds of poop from people of every sort. These childhood and adult situations leave a mark on us. They are imprinted in our soul. Either it is a good thing or it is a wound, which is embedded in our hearts and minds forever. We might not even know it is there... 

Before we leave this body things have got to be resolved and finished inside our minds and hearts. It's like a cutting away of what was, and a freeing of the soul into what will be on the other side. Call it trash cleaning if you will, but we each have to go though this sort of limbo before we pass over into the spirit world. It's not a bad place at all. Actually it's quite healthy and healing. You still have a breathing body, but the spirit can travel into the realm of Angels and talk to Elders who can help us understand and let go. Spirits come to heal your hurt places and minister to you. 

As this happens you receive the peace and strength needed to let go of this earthy body and people. When the issues keeping you bound here are resolved you leave...

I had a friend Rex who in passing, Hospice said, "He'll be gone in a day, perhaps two". Evidently Rex had other ideas... He was in that limbo world for almost two weeks and all the while he talked to people who had been gone for years and years, Friends, family and some folks who’s names no one recognized. Rex always addressed them as the came. We know because we heard him talk to them. A huge smile would normally come to his face as he saw them. He talked quite fluently and purposely. ... Odd thing about Rex, he was not able to communicate with us much. Other than just a few words or sounds he was usually silent. He'd had Alzheimer’s for 10 years. But, to these spirits he spoke very well. When he had moments of presence and we could feel he was conscience of us, but he seldom said a word. He had eyes with a glazed over expression, and we knew he was only here partly.

So, while this process is difficult for the living it is most certainly healing for the one who's leaving.  

There are people who go suddenly. I don't know how this applies to them, but I do feel like a provision is made on the other side for them to refresh and heal as they merge back into the eternal spirit, leaving behind the physical body used walk this planet.

Maybe this will help someone understand...

Blessings and Hope to you

Basics

I think every hard situation we bear brings change. Even with the changes we know something is coming that will make us different and how we react to things will be different. Enter, The Storm...

When the storm season hit a couple years ago, our life was more or less held captive to irate winds and systems that beat the coast down. If it wasn't one storm keeping you on tenterhooks it was yet another. On this day when our lights were to go out and lose power for three days, I realized how enslaved we are to almost everything, and how dependent we have become.

The lack of electricity showed me this...

No TV or anything else electric
No news because I was a dummy and didn't buy any batteries for the radio
No way to store food because it's all frozen and the freezer runs on electricity
No generator
No money because the banks lost power too (I'm laughing now but then it was not funny).
No gas, can't get that either. Besides the lines were long with people panic buying... They ran out.
No cell phone... For whatever reason. They just didn't work.

That is not an exhaustive list but it's a primer to getting you thinking about your own situation should the tables turn.

So, with that said, I'll ask you, What would you do without power? Any power... Not even a cellphone.

By The Way.. I'm not a survivalist either. I never was and don't live in fear over this poop and I'm not changing many details about how I live. "BUT", I do have batteries, now; and am looking at a generator. I also now have large tanks, should I need to store a bit of gas and water. Either way we'd be alright in the water and gas department for a while.

Food... Well, as long as I have a generator...

I guess what I'm getting at is that this difficult time birthed some changes and created some new ideas. This time also changed my view of the world and how I deal with things. This includes how I prepare for long term situations.

Later on in the following year, the economy took a nose dive. My husband retired, and we have got to learn to exist on almost half of what we were making. Another evolution is here... I'll keep you posted.

Vegetables and Fruit

When I was growing up, things were different than they are now. Dad had a garden (which wasn't always a good thing), and we ate a lot of things he grew. Sure somethings came from a local grocer but most of the stuff was from his garden. Then he had a couple citrus trees on the property which supplied a lovely treat every fall of Satsumas. I miss Satsumas.

Even though I grew up knowing how hard Mom worked putting up the foods, I was more or less ungrateful for the supply. Most kids are I suppose. Taking for granted what is supplied by someone's sweat and toil seems to be a fault of humans as a whole. What did grow out of that situation though, was a love of good fresh vegetables and fruit.

Shopping at the supermarkets now is such a disappointment. The cost is ridiculous and usually the quality is substandard. Not only that but you just look at the stuff and wonder where is came from and how it was handled before it arrived at the store. Horror stores can swirl around in your head if you listen to the news. So, you just grab the food, close your eyes and run before anything resembling common sense can get a foothold.

I am not a farmer and can't grow squat. I don't even pretend to know how to garden. Most stuff that has bravery enough to grow here is doomed to "R.I.P.". Loving the fresh foods though that a garden can bring is real. A new quest is born...

The "fruit stand lady" as she is called is really named Trish. She's such a hoot and I like her a lot. She's one of those folks you know is so hard working you just want to support her effort. Yep, that's Trish. One of the things I like about her is that she'll work with your budget. If she knows you can't afford a bunch, she'll tell you in advance she can't save you money right now but if you wait a week the prices on "such and such" will be going down. Buy it then. If you ask her in advance she'll even pick you up a box (bushel) at a good price.

You might ask yourself what you'll do with a bushel of anything. Well, let me tell you, you find a way to deal with it.

Mom and I recently purchased three bushels of peaches. She and I both love them and when they are gone for the year we always morn the loss. This year we decided to go ahead and buy them, process them and freeze them. It was a lot of work and I don't even think I want to touch another peach for a while, but they are in the deep freezer and there if we want peaches this winter.

Also done this year was Blueberries. I'd heard that blueberries were abundant this year and asked around until I found someone who had them growing. Thankfully one of my husbands buddies had some land in Georgia with a blueberry farm and invited us up to pick all we wanted free of charge! OK, so I don't want to see another blueberry either, but the effort yielded three gallons. They made it to the freezer too.

On the way down to go kayaking with my hubby we passed some fruit vendors on the side of the road. We got a couple flats of strawberries and shared those with Mom. They also went into the freezer. I think I have the fruit situation solved for the winter.

What hit me later on after all this effort in the weeks past, was that I was putting in the deep freezer a lot of food; Meat, Fruit and some vegetables. And, the metamorphosis that is really happening is that I now shop for my vegetables at local vendors and no longer shop at the grocery store. Whatever is in season is what I buy. I freeze for later on what is grown at this time of year. Guess where I'd not been in a long time? Wal-Mart...

Yet again, I smell the whiff of something on the air, and it smells like freedom.

Meat

This is not in sequence of events, but it's on my mind this morning so I'm going to write about it.

The veil has come off my eyes about what I buy and what I spend. Who decided I should shop at Mega-Mart? I mean really. I found myself logging in more hours at the local Mega-Mart than even I feel comfortable with. Something about it was pissing me off internally and I didn't know it. I'd walk in the store angry and leave feeling even more angry and had no clue it was environmental. Changing an environment though is something I did have control over. I however, was clueless I was in the middle of being controlled.

Controlled? Yes... I do believe I was! My power to decide was gone. My ability to choose was gone as well. Slave? Well, Yes! For lack of better words, this is how it felt.

After plunking down $230.00 in groceries and extras one day at Mega-Mart, something happened to me. What you say? Sort of like a mini-explosion in my head. The kind when you have gone to a car dealership and realize after signing the papers for a car; you have just paid too much. This begun the revolution for Change.

The myth of our Economy being in trouble is a bunch of bull-malarkey. What's in trouble is our personal freedom and our ability to think, act and care for ourselves. I'm not one to talk about government conspiracy or act "green" (trust me here). I've found conspiracy theorists to be radical and boring. And "green" crap? Well, it's just that (That's another blog). However, our freedom being changed by what's offered in stores is yet another way we are controlled.

OK, let me pose this to you like it was to me. If Mega-Marts closed down tomorrow or their computers failed, where would you buy your food or clothing or anything else you need? Do you have a quick answer? I didn't... This pissed me off some more. I'd become "Owner Operated"! You can ask my Mother, I normally revolt against control. Here I was though, A full grown free thinking adult controlled by a conglomerate; who's becoming more rich and powerful day-by-day with my money.

Breaking free:

So, I hear a buzzing sound.... What is it? It's the "void sound" of the now empty mind, which is free of the noise of the overhead closed circuit TV channeling advertisements into my unaware brain as I shop mindlessly at my local Mega-Mart. Drone? Yep. I think so!

Then a little voice pops up. It said, "Hey, we are out of veggies"... Ten minutes later I find myself at the local fruit and veggie stand picking up some stuff for dinner. I smell a whiff of something on the air... I think it smells like Freedom but I'm too unsure what that feels like, so I ignore it (Yes it's a metaphor. Stay with me here). Change is afoot.

The Child:

"Mom?"... Yes dear? "I'm not going to eat meat anymore" Huh?

So, this statement rocked my planet. The world crashed... I died... You don't see the blood and guts, just the vacant look of some poor sad parent; lost in bewilderment; knowing they have lost the resemblance of normalcy in their life.

"Would you like to explain this to me dear?", is about all I can mutter.

She goes on to explain how cruelty and inhumanly the animals we eat are treated (inwardly I sigh and think, "Oh god here we go again"). I know she's right but what the hell can I do about it? I mean really!

After a few weeks of struggling with her about food choices, what I should and should not buy, and that she can't eat this or that; I tell her to figure out how to take care of herself. Mostly because I am unable to keep up with her demands of how I should now feed the family. I feel totally frustrated and really angry inside. I've been posed with a problem and can find no immediate solution.

She eventually finds she can't live as a vegetarian either, so we are now both equally frustrated.

Now, I did listen to her and really tried to help out. However, in my researching "animal friendly" resources for food, the frustration levels exacerbate. I'd called about every "free range", "grass fed", "green growing" place on the internet to find some sort of meat she will eat at a price I can afford. Whew... Shoot me now huh? It's just easier!

However... "I smell a whiff of something on the air... I think it smells like Freedom but I'm too unsure what that feels like so I ignore it"...

The Meat Manager:

"Buzz Buzz" sings the little electric bell calling the meat manager to the window of our local meat shop. Looking into the window of the swinging door beyond where I am standing I see a lady about my age who is cutting up some huge hunks of beef. She moves in my direction. Inwardly I sigh and hope this goes well, but I feel so awkward forming the words I need to say.

When she reaches the front desk I just blurt out the truth. "I have a daughter who's refusing to eat anything with a face who's been tortured..." (laughing inside I feel like a nut case). Thankfully she grins (which is really the reaction I was shooting for with my honesty). After a moment of the "parent faces" which lets me know she understands, I move onto my actual story. 

Afterward she nodded, smiled and went on to explain to me that she had a similar problem with her kids  and that for a long time she looked until she found a Ranch in Colorado who had grass fed, free ranging cattle who would sell to her at a price she could afford to resell to the public. It took a while but it paid off in the quality of beef she sells. Wonderful Angus Beef with no guilt and at a price I can afford! Finally!

Not only was her business local, she was a hometown girl. This sounds a lot like supporting the local economy to me.

We've been buying her beef now for the last six months and we are quite happy. No more meat from Mega-Mart or any other Mart...

Step One to Freedom... Can you smell it? I can...

The fact that this change came as a result to my daughter being angry at the treatment of animals we ate was a bit sad for me. It took her to make me see. Oh, I'm no fanatic, and perhaps I should be? I'm not sure yet. That's still evolving. But, what I do know, is that I was no longer supporting a conglomerate store which had me spending money "hand over fist" buying meat I really didn't like to begin with. I also had a wonderful experience every time I went to my local meat shop. She has so much she can do for us with her resources. I'm excited again buying food for my family! Wow... Imagine That! I'm excited buying food. That's a long lost feeling.

Real Change

Rebirth? Renewal? Yes... This year has been like that so far. Maybe it's the theme of the year and I didn't recognize it until now? Either way it's been a hell of a ride and I figured I will share it with whom ever finds this blog. And to whom it concerns, I write real and honest and there is a message.

So, here I am in a new month; August actually and find I'm a bit slow getting the drift that changes are afoot. Nothing is really the same any more. Internally, Externally, everything is under some sort of a revision and metamorphosis. What I think, what I eat, what I buy, what I feel.... I mean gezz! Does it stop? ... Um, no; Which, you'll be reading about in the articles to come.