Tag: Peace

#rawrlove

~ Sahara ~ 2 Comments

Last May, I wrote a post about a fellow blogger, Rarasaur. She was about to be put into prison for a crime she didn’t commit, (here’s her story here) and I was moved by the wickedness of a criminal “justice” system that essentially bullied an innocent person.

I saw an update on her today – she’s getting out of prison after 15 months.  15 months.  The Wee One wasn’t even a twinkle in my eye, I was still living in St. Louis, I was still working, but I wasn’t a rennie yet.

I’d thought about her several times over the past few months, and I was glad to learn that she’s getting out (hence this post passing the good news on.)

Job (In)stability

~ Sahara ~ 4 Comments

I’ve actually been thinking of writing about this lately, and then today’s Daily Prompt asked: How do you feel about your job? Do you spring out of bed, looking forward to work? Or, is your job a soul-destroying monotony of pure drudgery, or somewhere in between?

I am a social worker with a Catholic agency in north St. Louis, and I work with homeless addicted and mentally ill people.  My patience and enjoyment of the position has fluctuated over the years, and maybe that’s normal.  When I first started in this position, I was happy about the work and wanted to try new things, explore different ways of helping the clients. Then I started to see the same people again and again, the revolving door, and anytime I tried something new, I was met with resistance. Later, I started graduate school, and I spent a lot of time focusing on research and macro-level intervention, something I really wanted to get into.  I had hoped to find a job for after graduation (nope) or get into the next PhD cohort (not happenin’).

Continue reading “Job (In)stability” →

Inspiration Engine v.7 – Art and Good Food

~ Sahara ~ Leave a comment

This is a weekly post I do to highlight blogs or bloggers who have inspired me in some way during this week.

1. This post from Out of a Great Need concerns her dining room table and the space she makes for art supplies to be used easily and readily. I believe in the healing that art can give someone, and I like how easily it can be incorporated in one’s life this way.

I have lots of art supplies – paints, packaging scraps, mosaic tile – and lots of them, I barely use. Or I use for one big project, one that’s totally awesome (I made a mosaic of Odin’s Horns that doubles as a Ren Fair game board), but that I may not use again. When I think about using them, I get a little intimidated ’cause they’re so fancy. Shedding some of them as well as incorporating them like this blogger proposes suggests ways to make are more.

2. This post from xoamys is a wonderful reminder about the joy and good feeling that comes to me from certain kinds of eating experiences.  I never feel full enough eating a strictly raw or vegan food regimen, but I believe in the “harm-reduction” model of addiction recovery and healthful living, so I like to incorporate as many gems from these models as I can.  Also, since today’s the first day of spring, I can feel the entire Earth begin to get up to stretch. It’s been a hard winter.

Art of Impermanence in Coffee

~ Sahara ~ Leave a comment

I was recently looking up other blogs about rituals and thinking about that, particularly concerning coffee or tea, and I heard a story on  National Public Radio (NPR) this morning that led me to something beautiful.  The story was on Japanese tea in the 15th century, and when I went to their website to see the story, I connected to another story about coffee art.

How could I drink of this cup?! (Source)

Continue reading “Art of Impermanence in Coffee” →

Inspiration Engine, V.5 – Mindfulness and Food

~ Sahara ~ Leave a comment

Inspiration Engine is a weekly post I do about blogs that have inspired something in my this week. I normally do it on Thursdays, but am late (again) this week and am getting it out to day. Apologies.  I will also skip next week because I’ll be on my wedding trip. It will pick up the following week.

1. This post, “Untitled,” from the Mindfulness Revolution. This is a very calming post for me, in that it helps me focus and center. It says, “Anything that comes in through the senses is also regarded as ‘food’ for the body and therefore affects one’s mental emotional, and physical health.” I don’t know about you but I have a tumultuous relationship with “food;” I imagine we all do, actually. Eating is quite an emotional experience, and the consequences of eating (or not) have such  manifestations that we can’t help but have strong personal feelings about it.  As I type this right now, I am watching what I eat so I can fit into my wedding dress. At the same time, I am feeling a headache coming on, a headache brought of not eating the right thing at the right time, {or not enough of it.)   I’m also thinking about how to “maintain” dietary plans while at Disney World, a processed-food mecca. Therefore, the idea of nourishing myself through my eyes broadens my idea of “food” and consumption, sort of reframes it.  Moreover, the overall message of mindfulness is a particularly poignant reminder during this time in my life, just before my wedding (in three days.) Thank you, Mindfulness.