Today on my Sunday Book Review I’m reviewing a beautiful, short story, A Ride Down the Milky Way by Sherri-Lee Vitalla. In this book, the characters are the moon and the sun. Sherri-Lee also has a heartwarming Facebook page called – The Rise of my Fall, where she posts moving messages and many excerpts from her two books about observations from the moon and the sun as they observe ‘the girl’ and ‘him’ as they touch on some of the painful things we endure in life, and encourage ‘the girl’ and ‘him’ with positive affirmations as ‘the girl’ struggles and triumphs over some of life’s challenging moments.
In Sherri-Lee Viitala’s second book, get ready to follow along with Moon and Star as they watch over the girl on her journey through life and love, heartache and happiness.
My 5 Star Review:
This is a sweet and endearing short book about the moon and star observing and conversing with inspiring messages in short dialogues as they observe ‘the girl’ below on earth as the girl navigates through moments of hope, despair, memories and more about ‘him’.
These one page stories filled with emotion and beautiful illustrations will touch your heart and will also serve well as a bedside guide you can pick up and open a page for a daily inspiration through a beautiful message. Yes, the stories are about the girl being watched from above. But I guarantee, there’s something in here that will touch everyone.
Here’s one that resonates with me, as I grieve the loss of my beautiful husband:
“Moon?” Star called.
“Mmmmm hmmmm, said moon.
“I think she knows,” Star said.
“What’s that?” Said moon.
“That he’s looking for her. I think she knows,” Star said.
“How do you know?” Asked moon.
“She’s smiling,” said Star.
Moon and Star watched from the heavens above, shining just a little brighter.
Blurb:In Sherri-Lee Viitala’s second book, get ready to follow along with Moon and Star as they watch over the girl on her journey through life and love, heartache and happiness.
My 5 Star Review:This is a sweet and endearing short book about the moon and star observing and conversing with inspiring messages in short dialogues as they observe ‘the girl’ below on earth as the girl navigates through moments of hope, despair, memories and more about ‘him’.
On my weekly visit to my husband’s (our) grave last week, I saw something I’d never seen before. Oh sure I’ve seen the odd dragonfly in my lifetime, but this time I saw five of them.
Whenever I visit my husband, I plant myself down on our grave to have a chat with him, or read to him. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t actually feel him there as much as I do when at home, but there is usually always a sign he gives me that he hears me and knows I’m there. Every time I talk to him while there, a light, or sometimes gusty wind will blow. I know this is how he communicates with me while outside.
Once, when I had gone there to visit, shortly after his funeral and the snow had melted, I couldn’t find his grave. I drove over to the office so they could pinpoint it for me. I was all flustered in my already anxiety and still shocked state when I couldn’t find him, and when I finally did, I sat down on his holy ground and cried.
Another time I visited, it was a rather calm day weather-wise, but a huge wind picked up when I looked up at the sky, as though the wind was a messenger, letting me know, he knows I was there. After the visit when I got back into my car, I turned on the radio that had been off during the drive there. The channel switched to the 50s station on Sirius XM on its own – his favorite, and one that I never appreciated listening to. The song playing was Johnny Cash – I Walk the Line. My husband loved Johnny Cash. I stopped the car and from my tears, broke out in laughter and said out loud, “You little bugger, I know that was you.” And my heart felt at peace in that moment as I drove off.
I have experienced this wind or breeze many times in many different places outside when I speak out to him. I also find various feathers on my path when walking outside and various coins show up at home when I’m looking for something else . But last week was something different. As I cleaned up the dead flowers I’d laid there two weeks before, I looked up at the sky, and for a good ten to fifteen minutes, I watched in splendor, as five large dragonflies circled back and forth and round in circles way above my head. Their beautiful gossamer wings sparkled through the sunlight. It was mesmorizing. They kept flying, but never left my orbit. I’ve always been drawn to dragonfly symbols, knowing they have a magical connotation, but not knowing exactly what they represent. So of course, I had to look it up:
Most definitions will tell us that the dragonfly symbolizes spring, rebirth and renewal. And different countries around the world seem to have their own specific definitions. The Celts relate them to fairies, in Japan they represent transition from summer to winter, in China they represent good luck and love. In Vietnam they say dragonflies are weather predictors. But collectively, most people deem them a spiritual symbol of rebirth and transformation, not unlike the butterfly, that emerge from larvae and turns into something beautiful.
Dragonflies only live for a short time once they are transformed, signaling, life is short so live it up. With their near 360 degree vision, they see all around them, offering the ability to see beyond what any human can. Ultimately, all interpretations will tell us that when we see a dragonfly, it’s a reminder to break free, reinvent, transform into what we want to be, reminding there is beauty in freedom, and freedom is short-lived so live in the now. That is my interpretation from all the information I’ve taken in.
Seeing five of these beautiful creatures way above my head circling around for all those minutes felt like, once again, my Puppy was sending these messengers to let me know it’s okay to go forth and transform. I know this in my soul. I just feel stuck still in my heart.
One more sign: As I mentioned earlier, I believe my husband announces his presence to me through wind. Another day last week while at the pool, surrounded by nature, he greeted me with a very welcome breeze on a steaming hot summer day. I thanked him for the beautiful, much needed breeze, and asked him to let me know it’s really him communicating with wind by sending me a butterfly. An hour later a baby Monarch butterfly flew right onto my left arm close to my shoulder. I sat there for a few minutes while my heart felt joy as we communed together, knowing very well that my husband answered my call.
As many of you know, I have been a participant of the #WATWB for almost five years. This was a group of authors who posted something positive every Friday on the last Friday of each month to deflect from some of the negativity going on in the world. While I was on winter blog break, I didn’t know that March was the last month for this.
It was nice to be part of a set scheduled posting, but that doesn’t mean we can’t randomly share posts on goodness at our leisure or whenever we come across something worthy of sharing. So this past weekend I was feeling a bit nostalgic and was surfing through some different genres of music videos on Youtube and came across one of my favorites by Tim McGraw – ‘Humble and Kind’, and another classic relic by Teddy Pendergrass, sung when he was still lead singer of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes – ‘Wake Up Everybody’. Both these songs spoke to me with renewed emotion on reminders of the state of our world with big messages to remind about patience, tolerance and actions needed, reminding us about compassion. Like Teddy sings, “The world won’t get no better, if we just let it be …”
We are all, still the world. McGraw’s video is beautiful – both words and video. Pendergrass’ song is still very much of importance, despite the 70s being long gone, the message remains relevant, wake up everybody!
I hope you enjoy and are rejuvenated in compassion as you listen to the words. Not sure about you guys, but McGraw’s video has me reaching for tissues everytime. That song has been the ringtone on my phone now for quite a few years.
Official Soultrain video – by Philadelphia International records
Welcome to May edition of #WATWB – We are the World Blogfest, where writers share an inspiring article they’ve come across, to share some of the goodness in the world and to deflect from negativity.
Today I’m sharing a heart-warming article I first saw on our local TV news, then searched for the article. Because of the never-ending lockdowns in our city, it’s especially important to keep up the good spirits in children who are sorely missing out on social interaction. This little boy, Lucas Walker, has started a ‘snake chain’ of Kindness Rocks he hand-painted then started the chain of rocks at one of our Toronto beaches, and invited others to join in and add rocks. Now, people of all ages are visiting and enjoying reading the rocks and so many others are adding their own.
Giant Rock Snake is melting hearts in Toronto:
“Something as simple as a rock snake is getting plenty of smiles from the community after seven-year-old Lucas Walker started it last week.
Since the Beaches kid placed the first four painted rocks next to the Kew Beach boardwalk and set up a painted sign encouraging others to join in, it has grown to about 15m.
“He was just looking for an activity to do and wanted to get others involved,” Walker’s mom, Sema Sali, told blogTO. “We were heading to the beach one day, and were like, ‘Hey, why don’t we do something fun and creative’ and he was like, ‘Let’s paint some rocks!'”
Please visit the original post at BlogTo.com to see some of the wonderful rocks and how many more that have been added since Lucas began with four rocks.
If you’d like to join in with a post about something good going on in the world, please join us with your post by sharing it in our WATWB Facebook group.
Welcome to my Sunday Movie Review, where I share a review for movies I’ve watched that I feel deserve attention.
HBO special- I am Greta – the journey to becoming Greta Thunberg, documented. I watched this documentary two weeks ago when I came across it as I searched my saved lists of docs to watch. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to elaborate on who Greta Thunberg is – the teenager from Sweden who has Asperger’s and created a global movement for climate change. This doc is the story of how Greta’s movement gained world attention, from its inception to the global stage her protests grew into.
My 5 Star Review:
The documentary begins with 15 year old Greta’s concern with the state of the planet and climate change, and nobody seemed to care.
One lone girl, Greta, sits on the pavement in front of parliament on a Friday afternoon in Sweden with a protest sign, handing out papers she’s written about the danger in the world of climate change globally. Greta has Asperger’s and explains how she has no friends, often doesn’t like to speak, and her best supporter is her father, who tells us Greta has a photogenic memory and that Greta began pulling out plugs and turning off lights at a young age to conserve energy.
Greta begins gaining national attention when her Friday protests grew bigger as her movement eventually reached global attention. She’s eventually invited to speak at the UN. As her cause and popularity get noticed around the globe, the Friday ‘no school’ climate protests catch on around the world where thousands of kids join the fight.
“I don’t care about being popular, I care about climate justice and the living planet,” Greta laments. “It will be over soon and nobody will recognize me,” Greta says after a big televised conference. But nobody did forget Greta. The press began to follow her closely. Greta gained worldwide attention and supporters who said they cannot let her do the fight on her own, as she raises awareness everywhere she travels, thousands of teens join the fight globally. The official hashtag for Greta’s mission becomes #FridaysfortheFuture. This girl’s dedication, despite the flack and obstacles she encountered, is and was relentless. I cried my eyes out on so many levels as I took in the magnitude of her plight.
Greta stands true to her beliefs. As her mission is to cut emissions and pollutions – Greta’s movement was expanding globally and she had to begin making appearances to support her movement and embolden her supporters. But Greta would not fly in airplanes, it went against everything she fights for, but she takes the long road and becomes a globetrotter to show up for the cause and protests, as her father staunchly supports her and accompanies her on her missions taking long train journeys throughout Europe. President Macron invites her to Paris, in a televised conversation, he shares the importance of rich countries needing to help lead the way to climate change. Macron: “How do you manage school doing this?” Greta tells Macron she’s a nerd who makes up for missed school at home.
As Greta gets invited to more European climate change summits where her fight grows in recognition, she begins to question why she is getting so popular, “I honestly don’t understand why I get invited, so they can be spotlighted to look like they care as if they’re doing something. They’re doing nothing.”
Greta is challenged with her Asperger’s and her struggle for wanting to be left alone and her need to spread the message. Preferring to be alone, Greta must conquer her struggle while rallying up a charge and taking up those invitations requesting her presence. Her frustration often requires alone time. “Everyone promises to do things better, but they never do. Pretending feels kind of fake. What matters is emissions must be reduced and has to start now.”
Greta visits the Pope who encourages her to keep up the fight as thousands gathered outside the Vatican shouting Greta’s name, chanting for ‘Greta to save the planet.’ But of course, with glory also comes the bad press and negativity from some of the more ‘authoritarian-type’ world leaders who don’t seem to be interested in saving the planet. Putin thinks it’s a bogus cause, Trump makes fun of her, Balsenaro cuts her up, and her own government says she’s just a kid, in fact, most world leaders interviewed and asked about her, feel the same way – except Macron.
Then come the death threats as social media starts picking on her. But Greta said she didn’t care. “Humanity sees nature as this giant bag of candy, that we can just take what we want. But one day nature will strike back, I don’t know exactly how but there are heatwaves and floods and fires.”
She’s invited to the EU parliament to speak among hundreds of diplomats and gives a well researched speech on the devastation of climate change, through tears she shoots her words and finally gets a standing ovation. Greta is asked, “Why did you cry during your speech?”
Greta: “Animals and people are dying.”
“Why do some think of you as a radical baby who can’t really do anything,” one politician asked her.
“Sometimes I feel like the microphone isn’t on. Is it on? Because I’m begining to wonder. You lied to us and gave us false hope. Nobody is talking about it, nothing has changed. We children are doing this because we want our hopes and dreams back.”
Greta gets invited to speak in the USA at the UN climate summit in New York. “Since I don’t fly because of the enormous climate impact on aviation, it’s going to be a challenge.” It took two weeks for Greta and her dad to sail to America.
“I don’t want to be a person who says one thing and does something else. I don’t want to fly across the world because it’s easier that way,” Greta says as as she and her dad prepare the journey across the Atlantic from Plymouth, England. Droves of people wish them well as they sail off on rough waters in a sailboat. Greta encounters both seasickness and homesickness on the trek. “I don’t want to have to do all this. It’s too much for me, around the clock. I know that it’s important and what’s at stake. But it’s such a responsibility. I should be back in school, not the other side of the ocean.” Greta writes and dictates during the journey, questioning herself if her cause has taken her too far out of her comfort zone, in awe that her meager beginnings of being a solitaire young girl who began her lone protest sitting in front of her parliament building with a sign, one Friday afternoon.
The sails are up as Greta and her dad reach New York harbor. The crowds of people awaiting her were magnificent in size and chant. Greta shouts to the people, “We are dependent on each other to survive. If you see a threat it’s your responsibility to sound the alarm. I feel like this is my responsibility in a way.”
Greta goes to the 2019 climate summit in New York where world leaders congregrate. Her speech begins, “My name is Greta Thunberg, and I want you to panic. The world is waking up and change is coming whether you like it or not.” The speech ends with, “If you deal with problems in time instead of waiting, your problems won’t get as big because if you do that, you come out on the other side and there it’s better.”
Greta planted the seeds of hope and still runs her protests every Friday since 2018. Since that time, over 200 activists have been murdered for fighting for clean air. In 2019, more than seven million people joined Greta’s protest. Despite Greta’s efforts, the world is still not on track yet to meet the requirements for the Paris Climate Accord.
“We will not stop until we’re done” ~ Greta Thunberg
It’s that time of the month again, WATWB – the last Friday of the month, and time to share a good deed going on in the world to celebrate goodness and deflect from the negativity in the world for the We are the World Blogfest.
Today once again, I’m thrilled to share this initiative I came across, happening again in my own city of Toronto, where a carpenter, Khaleel Seivwright, has put his skills to work to build tiny shelters for the homeless. With our cold Canadian winter already taking effect, and the numerous amount of growing homeless growing with the evictions taking place in this pandemic, sadly, we can expect more of the same. But Khaleel has started a Gofundme to raise monies to continue to build these shelters – fully insulated, complete with a window and a door.
As much as I appreciate people like Khaleel and his efforts, it’s a sad situation to know people are homeless, but somewhat of a comfort to learn that they won’t freeze to death. Read on to learn more about this endeavor.
Toronto Carpenter is Building Insulated Shelters for the Homeless
Winter is almost here and in Canada, that means very cold weather. It also means bundling up outdoors and staying indoors more. Nothing is more relaxing than drinking hot cocoa by a fireplace and watching the snow falling outside.
But for people who don’t have homes to warm up in, Canadian winters can be treacherous. That’s why Khaleel Seivwright, a carpenter in Toronto is building and giving away tiny portable shelters to people who are homeless according toCTV News.
He told CTV that he wanted to build “something that would be useful for people that are staying outside this winter.” He knows they work because he built the first one for himself a few years ago in British Columbia and it kept him warm in -15 degrees Celsius. Seivwright has already dropped off two shelters.
The tiny shelters are built of wood, insulated with home insulation and have a door and a window. They have caster wheels to make them portable and each one has a smoke detector to keep occupants safe. There is just enough room for a person to lie down in it. Each of the homes cost around $1,000 to build. . .
I’ve been trying to clean up some of my posts from my contributions at Sisters of the Fey, which is now closed and I’ve moved over my prior posts and currently organizing them on my Header Menu, and somehow found I didn’t have this posted on my page. Also, of course, by moving into my drafts, it wouldn’t get seen if I didn’t hit the publish button. So if some of you remember this post when I originally posted it at the Fey, please enjoy again. For those who haven’t previously read it. It’s worthwhile learning how to work with our angels to dispel negative energies that attract to us.
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WE ARE ALL CONNECTED THROUGH VIBRATIONAL ENERGY, AND WE REFER TO ‘CONNECTED’ BY WAY OF ETHERIC OR PSYCHIC ENERGY CORDS. BUT WHAT ARE THESE INVISIBLE CORDS, AND HOW CAN WE ELIMINATE THEM TO HELP RELEASE AN ENERGY CONNECTION WE PREFER NOT TO KEEP WITHIN US?
We must practice the art of cutting these cords, and to help with the releasing of these cords, we look to Archangels Michael and Raphael. The energy cords we’re most linked with are people in our close circles, and almost always, family. These same cords also connect us to profound events in our lives that remain in the back of our sub-conscience – some good, some bad. And it’s those unhealthy attachments we want to eliminate.
All the negativity we carry because of unhealthy chords that bind us should be cleared from within every once in awhile, just as we clean ourselves and our homes. If you find yourself continuously carrying bad feelings, reliving unpleasant events of unfavorable conditions or energies from someone close to you taking up too much residence in your head leaving you feeling unsettled within, it’s probably time to begin cutting cords.
There are various methods we can use to cut the cords that weigh us down, but the first step is to relax, do some deep breathing, and meditate for a few minutes to bring on the calm. Then we are ready to call on Archangel Michael to assist us by closing our eyes and concentrating and asking Archangel Michael, to please remove the cords that bind me.
It’s also important to recognize where you’re energy is draining you to specify the cords you want severed. Again, you can ask Archangel Michael to help open up your awareness and to help find the draining cords. Then follow the cord(s) in your mind’s eye beginning from the top of our head, leading to the heart, and feel by visualizing, Michael’s power of white light entering through the top of our heads. Keep the visual of white light around you to stay grounded. Whether by laser of light or by visualizing Michael holding a handheld vacuum penetrating through your head right down to your feet, visualize the cutting and evacuation of these cords as the ‘cleaning’ passes through each chakra. When you feel the cords have been released, ask for Archangel Raphael (the healer) to seal the open wound from the cord removal by replacing with thoughts of joy and love in your heart. By severing these cords, it makes room for peace and clarity.
Our angels are always with us but they will never impose themselves in our lives unless invited to. This is known as free will. We need only ask for their assistance and keep an open heart when summoning.
Below is an example of what you can say. Don’t get all caught up on wondering if you’ve used the right words – speak from the heart. You may use any variation of calling your angels you feel most comfortable with. Just remember to close off the wound after the cord cutting. Below is a good example of what to recite either silently or out loud:
Archangel Michael, please pull on the roots of the cords connecting me to (name or situation) by using your light and sword. Release the roots and cord to divine light. Now envision a shower of divine light all around you and the person you’ve just cut the cord from to send off the negative energy. Then you can ask Raphael to seal the wound, which should leave you feeling more centered, balanced and lighter within.
Tips:
You can always call on your angels to ask for help.
Keep track of your feelings before and after cutting cords.
You can always hold or surround yourself with your favorite grounding stone while doing this.
Smudging yourself and/or surroundings after a cord cutting session helps to remove the negativity after the cord removal.
I found this helpful video to give you an idea how to perform the cord cutting.
* Just a note to let you know, even though our Fey blog is closed, our (new name) 5 Spiritual Sisters page is alive and well on Facebook.
Have any of you here ever tried working with your angels?
Welcome to this month’s #WATWB – We are the World Blogfest, where writers join in on the last Friday of every month to share good deeds going on around the world to deflect from some of the negativity going on in the world and shine a light on good things going on.
This month I’m sharing World Unity Week, which celebrates the ‘shift’ from ‘Me’ to ‘We’, and it falls perfectly into this week!
Watch this beautiful two-minute video and see how the world collectively comes together with kindness and moving past the ‘me’, evolving into ‘we’.
What unusual thing have you done during the global “pause” of the pandemic when faced with “the new normal”? Some people have tried to learn a new language, others have immersed themselves in DIY, home baking, YouTube workouts or have just got better at working remotely. But in parallel, many people around the world have been reflecting on the tangible sense of togetherness and interconnection that is uniting us at this time.
It has become clear, even when we’re separated, just how connected we all are. There’s a tangible empathy for essential workers, and also our fellow humans in general. Most of us can sense a kindness vibe that’s getting us all through this current pandemic as communities rediscover their abilities to find local solutions to bigger challenges. This sees strangers turning into real neighbors and reaching out to the most vulnerable, for instance. In parallel, many people have downgraded their interests in material consumption and embarked on a more self-aware spiritual quest to relate differently to others, reaching out and feeling a deeper connection with other people in the world around them. . . continue reading
If you’d like to join in with adding a post on something good going on in your community or across the world, you can add your post link on our group Facebook page.
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