Davis Clan~

The love of a family is life's greatest blessing.


"If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people."
- Thich Nhat Hanh


Our parents taught us love and how to love...


In this human form, we tend to focus on what we can see. It sure seems as if we are separate from each other and our environment. Yet many of us have had momentary glimpses of another reality, one in which we are all interconnected through the One Spirit that animates all life, and it cloaks us in abundance, beauty and divine love. This view of life feels more real to us. It also feels good because it evokes love, compassion and awe, emotions that are directly linked to our wellbeing. 


Happiness and Loving Parents are sources of positive energy. 


I love these quotes...
We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.
-- Henry Ward Beecher
There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child.
-- Henry Ward Beecher


Thank you, Mom and Dad, for loving us and for teaching us how to love. Thank you for all that you have done and thank you for allowing us to become who we are today. You are ALWAYS LOVED! <3 ~

Harnony~

I just had a spirited weekend, filled with zest and just so zippy with a wonderful zany girlfriend of mine, Tiff! Tiff, you RAWK! I must say, I'm feeling rejuvenated after a fun-filled, spectacular weekend visiting Tiff in Fort Lauderdale! Pretty much, we spent quality time together, chit-chatting, playing in the kitchen, enjoying the views from her 16th floor condo, eating such divine and amazing meals, and more chit-chatting! Tiff, THANK you for all that you have done and you're the best! 

While I was there, Tiff and I shared our thoughts, poured our feelings, opened our perspectives, and more! Pretty much, we opened our hearts and exposed our souls to one another, allowing us to open our eyes and mind. It helped to see things from different views, and to receive objective views of all this.

I'm inspired and grateful when one wants to work as a team. That is one of the most important aspect in life. I believe working in harmony, being open and honest with each other and expressive. On my end, OPEN COMMUNICATION is VERY IMPERATIVE to me! Things will work smoothly if communication is freely open. Yes, I'm guilty for not being open at times, facing my fears, stepping over some hurdles but of late, I'm mustering up to do I must do!

Surrounding yourself with harmony is classic way of increasing income and wealth, used for centuries in a variety of different systems. It is also said harmony calms aggression and resentment while increasing self-esteem and self-confidence, and to enhance one's compassion, patience and forgiveness. It is said to enhance your capacity to love others and yourself.

Meditation, prayer, rituals, and ceremonies for healing and living in harmony with nature and the ecology raise our own consciousness and the consciousness of the earth; going for walks and spending time in nature deepen our relationship with nature; and reading books and studying topics on ecology and sustainability give us knowledge about nature and ways to live in harmony with her; but if we do not do anything to heal the earth on the physical plain all our ideals remain in our head and they do not have the force of action. Ideal and action remain separate and we remain separate and alienated from ourselves and nature.

We say we want a world living in harmony. But do we really? We forget that the macro is simply the micro magnified, that what we see in the outer world is a pure reflection of the inner. We want to have love and peace, but the question is: Are we willing to BE love and peace?

Since we cannot have what we are unwilling to become, social change is not possible without personal transformation. What is our deepest intent?

- Deborah L. Johnson, from her book Your Deepest Intent

I have a love of balance and harmony that extends to your treatment of interpersonal relationships. One move is not better than the other. Nature's harmony is around us and within us at all times.

When we communicate in sign language... May our hands fly in beautiful harmony and I wanna fly with you in spirit! 

Have I ever experienced astral plane or astral projecting? Well, many people have different definitions so I would need to know what is your definition then I can tell you my answer. If you mean out of body experience, yes. If you mean becoming more "conscious", stepping out of the physical plane, I think so. I don't know how to explain it in words. I do know this... I can sense other people's vibrations/vibes and if I'm at the right time, mood, and place, I could sense people's color. Some would think I'm too observant. I think I'm just being observant of our life and the way we live.~

Tee that I Love!~

This sounds like who I am, does it not? I fell in LOVE with this tee that I couldn't resist the urge to purchase it!


What an AWESOME day I had! Adam and I went canoeing on Hillsborough River, from Sargeant Park to Morris Bridge Park, Thonotosassa, FL. The canoe trip was 4.5 miles and again, it was AWESOME! 


The experience was somewhat a hoot! We had a really close encounter with one of 21 alligators we saw. This creature was swimming toward us and we tried to guide the boat away from it. Picture this... Hawk-Dove Race or the Chicken Race! He/She was coming onto us... HEAD on! Of course, knowing myself, I love the thrill but I do want to live! I stayed as calm as I possibly could while Adam fluttered just a bit, slightly frantic to escape the possible scenario. All of sudden, just 2 feet away, he submerged and I'm having wild imaginations running through my head! Whoa, did we paddle?! Not only we had amazing view of the beauty of our Mother Earth but also we were greeted by Wood Storks, Spoonbills, Blue & White Herons, turtles, and more! 


When Adam and I were about 35 minutes away from our destination, we took a moment to lay back in our canoe and bask in the sun. So calming, serene and filled with tranquility. It was a beautiful moment to connect with our Mother Earth and for her to connect with us. 


Don't you agree... that this was one of many great ways to celebrate Earth Day?! It was divine... Simply majestic and MAGICAL!!~ Thank you, Earth, for all that you have done for us all~

Preserving Our World~

Preserving Our Planet

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2010

Imagine our world without clean water, clean air, sustainable land, or living oceans. Our natural resources exist in a delicate balance and are vulnerable to environmental changes. That’s why it’s imperative that we all do our part to conserve, preserve, and care for the Earth’s resources — and protect the environment that sustains us with food, fuel, shelter. Our Earth is our Provider!

One of many ways to go GREEN!~

*Looking at the calendar*
EARTH DAY!! It is 3 days away!! Some of you wonder... How the heck do we preserve our Mother Earth or how do we become more GREEN? No, I don't mean green with envy. I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about. There is one way to go green and one of the easiest way to do it is... CHANGE!!

Here are Josie Maran’s eco beauty tips:

1. Your makeup is one of the easiest ways to go eco.  Try products made with organic ingredients and housed in biodegradable packaging.
2. Look for lead-free lipsticks to make sure your pucker is chemical-free.
3. Always start off with a primer using Argan Oil, the Moroccan cure-all, it naturally nourishes and hydrates skin while smoothing fine lines.
4. You can’t go anywhere without mascara.  Look for mascara with a fragrance-free formula containing organic ingredients like Jojoba oil, Argan oil and Beeswax – these condition and strengthen lashes!
5. Brush your teeth with organic and natural toothpastes and look to use a toothbrush made in the USA from recycled plastic.
6. Make the switch from a body wash to a bar of soap to save on excess plastic packaging.
7. Switch out your regular shampoo for an organic and natural one.
8. In lieu of conditioner, massage your scalp and locks with coconut or almond oil with lavender before washing the oils out with shampoo.
9. Organic and fair trade coconut oil is truly pure and makes an excellent moisturizer for the face and body (it’s also great as an eye makeup remover).
10. Use a non-toxic, natural & organic ingredient deodorant which is free of chemicals.

I can vouch on coconut oil! I cannot go a day without it! 

As for deodorant, some of you may wrinkle your nose but I have not used deodorant in YEARS! Because I live a healthy, RAW-VEGAN living lifestyle, there is no need for it! I LOVE it! 

Call me extreme but there are some things that I can add to what you can do to become more eco-conscious. No, wait... I don't want to bore you to tears and we have a life ahead of us! I will blog more as time goes on so, no worries there!

Double WHAMMY! There's another reason for celebration! The Davis Parents (mine, in particular) was married on April 22, 1972 and they will be celebrating their 38 years together! I will write more about them eventually... but, whoa! DOUBLE WHAMMY! 

Can you give me another reason why we should celebrate on April 22nd?! Do tell!~

Joy of Life~

Two questions one should ask oneself ~

• Have you found joy in your life?
• Has your life brought joy to others?

I will write more as soon as I receive comments... Bring it on!~

Comics - The Facts of Life!~

This is what happens when one person litters.
One person can manifest into a mass!
Be the CHANGE and MAKE THE CHANGE!~

Be sure to check out "The Pajama Diaries" by Terri Libenson.
She must have been following "Jamie Oliver's The Food 
Revolution" on ABC network! So true... about how this 
nation is living their lives these days!

I am SO in LOVE with this one!!~

Labels~

You know what? While I was out for a power-walk and reverse sprints (yes, that's walking/jogging backwards... well, I tried but I keep going off track, ending up in people's yard!), random thoughts came to mind. Labels... What are they? Why do we have them? What purpose do they serve? What does that prove?

You're a male. You're a female. I'm a female. One is white. One is African-American. One is Jewish. One is Hispanic. One is Latin American. One is African-American. One is Scottish-Irish. One is an alien (really?!). Granted, it gives us an identity, yet why must one identify themselves? Your body, whatever sex you may be or whatever skin color you have (I hope it is not purple and yellow polka dots but then again, I would love to see that!), houses a soul that does not recognize the gender, race, color, etc. What we do to our body serves our soul, our spirit. Why must we separate ourselves?

Just recently, I received an email (via FB) from a friend who asked me a very good question... Am I crazy? Am I wild? Am I interdependent? Well, I am what I am, that I am. Why am I that? How can I explain? Again, there goes the labeling. We are so conformed to label, are we not? I admit, I'm independent (perhaps to the extreme)... Yet, interdependent? How? We all have a relationship with others. I believe in ONENESS. Allow me to elaborate -

INTER-DEPENDENT or CO-DEPENDENT
In the religions of the world, spirit is the concept of an innate essence of a being and the different religions embrace spirit in diverse ways. The spiritual wisdom among the diversity of the tribal cultures are identified with three common features around the world:

1. They are earth-based. The relationship between the earth and the people is one of interdependence.
2. The acts of daily life, birth/death, and nature are all endowed with deep meaning through ritual and dance.
3. Lastly, tribal cultures view all the individual things that make up the universe like rocks, trees, mountains, rivers, people, animals, etc. as being interdependent.

This interdependence is not just a physical dynamic but a spiritual one as well. Unlike the concept of human souls which are believed to be eternal and preexisting, one's spirit according to tribal wisdom develops and grows as an aspect of living interdependently with the community.

Healthy Relationships - Interdependent, not codependent

"One of the false beliefs that it is important to let go of, is the belief that we need another person in our lives to make us whole.  As long as we believe that someone else has the power to make us happy then we are setting ourselves up to be victims."

Codependence: The Dance of Wounded Souls by Robert Burney

Codependence is about giving away power over our self-esteem.  Taking our self-definition and self-worth from outside or external sources is dysfunctional because it causes us to give power over how we feel about ourselves to people and forces which we cannot control. 

If my self-esteem is based on people, places, and things; money, property, and prestige; looks, talent, intelligence; then I am set up to be a victim.  People will not always do what I want them too; property can be destroyed by an earthquake or flood or fire; money can disappear in a stock market crash or bad investment; looks change as I get older.  Everything changes.  All outside or external conditions are temporary.

That is why it is so important to get in touch with our Spiritual connection.  To start realizing that we have worth because we are children of God.  That we are all part of the Eternal ONENESS that is the God Force/Goddess Energy/Great Spirit.  We are Spiritual beings having a human experience - our worth as beings is not dependent upon any outer or external condition.  We are Unconditionally Loved and we always have been.

The more we can start owning the Truth of who we really are and integrating it into our relationship with ourselves, the more we can enjoy this human experience that we are having.  Then we can start learning how to be interdependent - how to give power away in conscious, healthy ways - because our self-worth is no longer dependent on outside sources.

Interdependence is about making allies, forming partnerships.  It is about forming connections with other beings.  Interdependence means that we give someone else some power over our welfare and our feelings.

By healing our emotional wounds and changing our intellectual programming we can start to practice discernment in our choices so that we can change our patterns and learn to trust ourselves.

As we develop healthy self-esteem based on knowing that the Force is with us and Loves us, then we can consciously take the risk of Loving, of being interdependent, without buying into the belief that the behavior of others determines our self-worth.  We will have feelings - we will get hurt, we will be scared, we will get angry - because those feelings are an unavoidable part of life. Feelings are a part of the human experience that we came here to learn about - they cannot be avoided.  And trying to avoid them only causes us to miss out on the Joy and Love and happiness that can also be a part of the human experience.

True magic of emotional intimacy can flower.  The sacred magic of Love is worth the effort.

Two people consciously working together can be a very beautiful experience. 

Red Jay Bird!~

Isn't this a beautiful creature? He breezed right through the door of the patio and hopped around. I have not seen a red jay bird in eons and how refreshing it was to see this being! Let's give it a big hello! 

This creature must have the brains or good sense of directions because as I opened the door wider to allow itself to be free, all I did was walk about the pool and out it goes!

I recently peeked at the symbolism of red jay bird and what message it may give when one sees such creature. "Peace, Love, Grace. Just that everything is going to be alright." That is music to our eyes!~

Gator or Sunshine?

You got to be kidding me! Gator or Sunshine? I think they have the names all mixed up with the states! Upon posting up the blog last night, I received an email from a sweet girlfriend about the Gator/Sunshine state and this is what she wrote:


Cute blog – so YOU! I have to correct you one thing – Florida is not a gator state. That’s a no-no.  Wink! No darling – that’s for Gainesville/Ocala and northwest Florida peeps where U. of Florida Gators (barf barf barf) is.  Whatever! I am Hurricane (U. Of Miami) so they are our rival.  By the way, if you ever go to the UF campus – HOOOLYY SHIT! It is HUMOGOUS! Anyway the accurate statement for Florida is Sunshine State.  That’s coming from a native Floridian – born and raise this state.  No wonder why I want to come home after 7 years of living in Rochester – that’s what happened when you are spoiled by living in warmer climate all of your life.  SMILE! SMILE!

The soup sounds good! Damn!  Can’t wait to try it at café.

You got to be kidding me! Florida as Sunshine State? No offense but after residing in both states, Arizona shines more brightly, more often, and more intensively than FL. Arizona - 1; Florida - 0. Warmer weather? Yes, granted it is warmer than Rochester! Good golly! Kudos to those all of us who survived the roller coaster ride of Rochester's weather! This past winter, FL and AZ was pretty much similar in terms of its temperature. In AZ, you could easily sit out in the sun and be warmed up within 20 minutes whereas in FL, you would have to assure yourself that you are warm.During the dog-ear summer days, AZ gives a whopping blow to FL! Arizona - 2; FL - 1. What about humidity? Well, I don't mind the humidity and call me crazy but I LOVE to sweat! Perhaps that explains why I love to work out and get myself to soppy wet. Sweating is SEXY! Sweating is awesome! A great way to release! I don't mind the dryness, yet not as dry as AZ because you would be forced to double your consumption of water (unless you take a licking of good quality Himalayan Sea Salt or Celtic Sea Salt to retain water). Another bonus, less usage of oils (or lotions if you use lotion) to lather on your beautiful skin. In this case, Arizona - 2; Florida - 1. A major factor that is important to me = MOUNTAINS! I gotta have my mountains! FL is so relatively flat that if you jump, the highest mountain you would see is in Georgia! If I want to challenge myself to go hiking and feel the burn in my legs, I would have to climb the bridges here in FL! *Shaking head* I need my mountains where I can connect with the roots of our nature, connect with my being, have my nature fix! Yep, I'm a rugged girl. If you love going to the beaches, come on down to FL! I don't mind the beaches and yes, it is a beauty of this planet earth. It does give you the sense of serenity and peace but I still prefer the mountains. Arizona - 3; Florida - 1. That's just me...

I'm about to head out and pump up some blood, to get my heart beating, and my skin wet. Exercises does you wonders - may it be yoga, dancing, walking, jogging, biking, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, rock-climbing, etc. It is a way to get in tune with yourself and allow you to relive your soul, take care of your body that houses your soul. 

Hmm... I better stop or else I'm never going to get out of the door! Don't worry! I will write more! Before I skip on out, let me tell you that if you have any questions about health, well-being, foods, recipes, superfoods, life, experiences, me, ANYTHING... I will do my best to answer them!

Have a blissful day! Rawkin' On!~

All Souped Out!~

Who would have thought you could be souped out!? Earlier today, K and I were creating and testing out the cucumber-avo soup, with variation of flavors, to offer and serve at the Rawk Star Cafe/Marketplace (which we are aiming to have its doors open next month!). Good golly! We consumed 24 ounces in total - 8 ounces of Cucumber-Avo with Spicy blend; 8 ounces of Cuke-Avo with Oregano; and Cuke-Avo with Dill. All were GOOD! The base of this soup is good to go and it is approved by three tasters! *licking lips* YUM!~

Some of you may wonder, how have I been doing of late. Some even encouraged me to start up a blog. Some believes that I should compose a book. A book?! I'm not sure where to start or even to begin! I'm racking my brains (yes, we have more than 1 brain... well, in my world, we do! One consists of emotional intelligence, one is spiritual, one is mental and one is well... Mom - pardon me but I have to say it... sexual!) about the fact that I would have to sit in front of the computer, click-clack the keys away, let the hours whiz by, search for a reliable and trust-worthy publisher, and hmm... money to get started? Heck, I don't even possess my own computer/laptop! Yeah, I know... I know.. I know! I'm living in the world where almost everyone owns one! Well, I'm not everyone! So there... pfth!

Would you believe that I have been residing in FL for 5 months to date? Give a hoot if you think I will be here for long? Tell me... how long do you think I will be a resident of this Gator state?

Last night, I had a great conversation with a sweet, dear girlfriend - BL and I LOVE the quote she shared with me!
"The thing that we run from is the thing we run to."

So true! Face your fears. Face your worries. Face your anger. Face your passion. Face your desires. Face your dreams! Face it or it will come back and bite your pwetty arse! I must forewarn you, it may hurt like a wretch!~ I kid you not!

You know what?! I'm ECSTATIC that I'll be traveling down to Fort Lauderdale next weekend! To have a short and sweet but RAWKIN' AWESOME getaway and spend quality time with my crazy girlfriend, TIFF! She is one SNAZZY girl!~


Would you believe that I have not been to the beach or seen a setting of the sun since I moved to the Gator state?! What is WRONG with me?! Hey, I did explore the Everglades and hiked 17 plus miles! I did greet the gators, the birds, and other creatures that roam about. 


Hmm... work is calling my name and I shall write/type more soon - when I have the time on my hands. Would you believe that I had this account set up YEARS ago but never took a moment to post anything? *shaking head* About time, wouldn't you say? *giggling*


Enjoy your evening and I hope you had a good read!
Hugs~