FiberTribe

Rock My World

If you're familiar with the film, What the Bleep Do We Know, this will sound familiar.  After I watched the movie I went to the website and printed the part of the interview with Joe Dispenza, the interviewee who described how he has set about creating each day he lives.   I decided to at least make a simple start on doing the same.   So each morning as I'm laying there in bed squinting at first light, regardless of how I feel, rested or tired, achy or supple, whatever,  I consciously shift my thoughts to the day ahead. And smile and think, It will be a wonderful day.  And then I set this thought in motion:  I am open to all good surprises appearing in my life.  My day will be full of good surprises and they will come to me in a way that will be unmistakeably clear that they are a direct result of my creating these thoughts.

Hokey? Simplistic? Simple-minded, even?  Maybe. Also incredibly powerful and world shaking in the past three weeks.  Some live examples:

• I find out that a not-to-be-named here person in sr. mgmt. has called a meeting regarding whether or not to close my dept. Totally out of the blue. I have not been invited to this meeting, am not supposed to know of it, but my boss lets me know so I can prepare ammunition for him in arguing for continued existence.  Peeps, this hits me in my deepest fears for personal survival, 'k? Stomach goes instantly to the 8o story drop feeling.                Within days and equally out of the blue, three major requests for new business come in to me all unsolicited and ALL of which effortlessly come to the attention of key attendees at the upcoming meeting. Without this dept., kiss that business goodbye.  A day or two later I find that unlike previous years, boss's boss will argue on our behalf. And another person is invited to the meeting who is also a supporter. He has never before been included in these types of meetings.
• Two days before I become aware of the above, a friend calls to pass on a referral to a European women staying here for a few months and in need of a room to rent. I meet with her tonight.  Can you say, pay for upcoming house repairs?
• In the past two weeks, every time I have been faced with an impossible schedule or unexpected staff absences etc. without me lifting a finger, meetings and appts. are rescheduled or cancelled by the other parties to the events before I even have a chance to call with that request. Eerie. We're talking people and events that are NEVER open to rescheduling etc.

Trust me, peeps. Though this might seem inconclusive, if I could share the gory details, it would be as starkly apparent to you as it is to me.   In short, this shit works. Go try it yourself, then fasten your seatbelts. The ride is terrific.

Melting not Writing

Yes, I'm alive, O Patient Ones.  But as the title says, I'm melting not writing, or more accurately, chilling in the air conditioning. The knitting is sluggish at best. Even on the lovely lapis Giotto. But we are HAPPY because heat and rain mean less chance of hurricanes blowing us to kingdom come. So we will restrain ourselves from buying yet more yarn in hopes of paying our electric bill.  Please note there is no mention of any moratorium on knitting mags, books, etc.  Go see Emma for a link to Get Knitted's online shop. They apparently have Rebecca # 30 AND the Rebecca special issue featuring GGH Soft. Yum.

To partially distract you from the lack of photos, I'll tell you that while you weren't looking I've become a gym rat. I have the quivering legs to prove it, too.  The goals are modest, just 4 times per week to start. It's humbling to say the least to discover just how out of shape I am.  This is going to take patience and discipline, of which I've got not much.  But Julian the trainer assures me that if I stick with 30 minutes minimum of aerobic stuff 4 times per week, in three weeks I should see some radical changes in the bod.  And trust me, change is good in this case.

So in the interest of keeping all ya'll from breaking into a chorus of "Fat-bottomed girls, you make the rockin' world go round..." how about sharing your secret tips,  weasly strategies, and sundry assorted mindgames for keeping oneself motivated to show and up and sweat disgustingly on a regular basis? 

Lomi Love

I attended a Lomi Lomi workshop on Sunday and it was full of those smack the forehead kind of moments.  As in shoulders in Hawaiian healing represent the archetype of mother (left side) and father (right side). Funny how that works. The frozen shoulders started with my left side and migrated to the right. All about the same time as I found out some choice bits of our family history that my mother had neglected to tell me. Anyway. It's a nice adjunct to working the purely physical side of teh ailment. 

Lomi Lomi is the ancient Hawaiian art of healing. It encompasses a form of massage but really is an entire way of being and perceiving the world.  Deep, dark FiberTribe secret is that I was trained as a cultural anthropologist, once upon a time. And socio-cultural linguist.  And to learn Lomi Lomi bodywork and healing, you must also learn the Hawaiian language.  It is beautiful and poetic and full of nuances and overlapping shades of meaning.  I have attended two workshops so far and that is really not enough to be considered a student of Lomi Lomi but who knows? Maybe that will be next on the horizon.   In the meantime, if you have any Lomi Lomi practioners in your area, go try it out. It is an amazing massage and healing experience.

In knitting news, the wrap cardi in Giotto is growing.  What a fun knit.  I'm already casting my covetous eyes on the Venezia colorway. Heh. The weight of the ribbon yarn is just right for Miami. Warm enough in a cold, over-airconditioned environment and cool enough to push up the sleeves and wallow through the steamy outside air (briefly).  I know, I know, post a picture. Right. Right after I get done catching up on the sleep I lost last night staying up till 1:30 am to finish the latest Harry Potter. Very worth it, gotta say.

Juno? I love you...

Have you EVER heard anyone say it better?

"Then I found a color of Koigu I became obsessed with and bought it all up and took it home to huddle over and croon at and defend from all comers with a sibilant hiss.  My preciousssss."

(From Enchanting Juno's blog, today's post)

After you clean up your keyboard, go tell her she's great...

Good Surprises

Lest you think all is bleak house chez FiberTribe, the past 2 months have also ralphed up some good surprises.  Starting back from yesterday, the new hot water heater was installed by Plumber Pete, a fellow native Miamian about my age.  Intelligent, articulate, and basically a hoot, we talked politics, marriage(s) past and present, men, women, dating, war, violence against women, raising kids, etc, etc.  All without him slowing down one whit on the installation.  What a fun gift from the universe. I doubt I'll ever see him again since he's not my regular plumber (and I'm loyal) but Plumber Mike is moving house and had to call in for reinforcements.  If the goddesses so will it, maybe I'll run into Pete and his wife sometime and will snag them for a cup of coffee or a brew and more fun conversation. If not, it was still such a gift to find a like-minded person in the wasteland that is South Florida.

What else?  The movie, What the Bleep Do We Know. If you have not seen this, peeps, please go rent it now. I know. I kept hearing about it, too and thought, eh.  Go. It is so totally worth it.  It's a hybrid of a documentary and a film. And the interviews with the participants and actors are as worthwhile as the movie (a real rarity).  It presents the frontline of quantum physics as it applies to our everyday lives and spirituality. Among other asides, it provides the scientific basis for clairsentience, precognition, remote viewing, and the healing and medical intuitive work I have been doing lo, these years.  But that's not why you should see it. See it because if you so choose, it provides a practical map for creating a wonderful life. If you've already got one, it will give you the tools to keep it going.  The website is worthwhile also. I'm starting on the books authored by the cast that are listed there.  You know that excitement you feel, that ripple down the core of your body when you encounter something or someone that you know is only the beginning of an incredible ride? It's been a while, peeps, but I still know it when I feel it.

Julian the patient trainer is another happy surprise. And since I've been asking for more clients to work with on readings I have had two offers of exchanges from other healers and two referrals for readings. How cool is that?  And I think I have the beginnings of a really cool science fiction story. 

Retrograde or WHAT??

Um, no, we did not get whacked badly by Hurricane Dennis. Sideswiped maybe. Didn't mean to leave you hanging. I guess I'm in a blah, blah blog state right now. Maybe due to the following? Is it just me or is every fucking thing falling apart, breaking down, going blooey, etc.?  Starting about 2 months ago,  I have:

• Had my house broken into, computer stolen, >$3,100 in items stolen, door damaged.
• Bought new computer + case + backup drives, + + etc.
• Bought new front door and frame without new glass in it. Expense of installation yet to come
• New metal-clad backdoor and frame (needed) plus expensive hurricane glass and labor
• Car breakdown, repairs, needed maintenance AND rental car for 2 days
• Roof leaks in front and back of house. Repairs made not counting the needed replacement of sheet rock ceiling and walls in said rooms
• New roof needed.
• Tooth extraction, gum surgeries (started not finished) . And then there is the massive dental work to be done after that
• New hot water heater (it blew last night, did I mention how cheery I am after a cold shower this morning? heh) and labor to install
• Plus ongoing massage therapy sessions twice a week not covered by insurance.

I am NOT crying poor mouth here but jeez, universe, didn't realize I needed to get my shit together ALL AT THE SAME FUCKING TIME, EH?!!

So I haven't been particularly inspired to blog lately.  But I HAVE been knitting. And watching some awesome movies. And reading some great books, each of which are deep and rich enough for a post in their own right. Which you shall have, O Patient Ones, soon, soon.

Am really loving the Colinette Giotto with which I'm knitting a wrap cardigan. Though the blue is coming off on the bamboo circs, the color and color changes really are lovely. And good at keeping my knitterly ADHD at bay. I finished most of the back and have started a sleeve already. It's a really fast and easy knit.  Have to chart the two fronts due to simultaneous front and side edge decreases and increases or I'll totally bollix it up.  At this rate of progress I'll be wearing it within a week. It is that quick.  The red Cotton Twist criss-cross top is languishing in the bag. Did I mention I apparently have a challenge with solid color, non-variegated, non-hand-dyed goodness yarn? Well, duh.

In other news, go congratulate Shobhana on her new book contract! 

No Luck with Giotto

Well the Knitting Goddess has redirected me back at the criss-cross Vogue #5 top. Which is to say that I have suddenly, after 25 years, begun knitting on gauge? WTF? Size 10 needles, one size down, which normally do the trick did not do the trick to get gauge with the Colinette Giotto for the wrap cardi.  And I'll be making a trip to Michael's for el-cheaps size 11 needles since the gazillion pairs in my stash have all gone missing.

Maybe I'll go seam up the Zen ribbon top I knit last summer. Ya think? Boring, I know.

In more scintillating news, we are now the target of the first Caribbean sea sourced tropical depression, set to arrive here on Friday, please god as a tropical depression and not yet as a hurricane, though hope of that is looking dim (see above). For explanation, the early part (ususally June and July) of the hurricane season normally produces hurricanes originating in the Gulf of Mexico or Central America. And the west coast of Florida, Louisiana, and Texas are the targets. But when we get a little further into the season, the hurricanes start rolling up from the southeastern Caribbean. And late in the season the really long distance ones originate as fronts coming off the west coast of Africa with plenty of nice warm water to fatten up on before rolling up the Caribbean bowling alley toward Cuba and us here in South Florida.

So here we go again, peeps. And me without my hurricane supplies. Time to hit the stores tonight and tomorrow before the panic sets in. Much time for knitting though, when cooped up inside.

Ok. Now Everything Hurts

In the best possible way, of course.  Julian-the-Patient-One (aka the trainer) put me through my paces on Friday on abs and legs only deferring on my wounded wings for now. So those abs and legs I was using to hoist myself up and about in lieu of using my arms? Well now they are screaming, too.  But peeps? I got a full frontal mirror view of myself in shorts as I dressed for the workout and migod, what a nasty jolt it was. I have cellulite places I didn't even know you could HAVE cellulite. And all of it in the last year and a half.  So yes, we will work on aerobic fitness and strengthening that which isn't yet broken, but by god we are also aiming to time travel our mingy peltz back to its former silky glory. Ahem.

Knitting, you say? I left the red cotton twist criss-cross top at my friend Kathleen's apartment. So now I have NO CHOICE but to start the Giotto wrap cardi.  Heh.

And though I have my boogie board purchased and all ready to rock and roll, the weather? She has been shit. Sun 5 minutes, torrential downpour for 20. ah, well. Maybe the pool at da Boy's place.  Happy Fourth, ya'll.