What a lucky woman I am; with 11 Texas in-laws visiting Steamboat for 1 week to 2 months, only 4 of them are staying with us--and I am so enjoying them all.  Even the two charmers under 2 1/2.  Thankfully, we have one very large guest room and the young parents (my husband's nephew and wife) are exceptional.  And my bonus son (husband, Webb's son) is here to visit, too, before a life-changing experience in the Phillipines.  Justin is completely cool, 2nd only to my precious daughter, Miranda, who wasn't able to leave Seattle at the moment.

So post July 4th, we continue to have fun tubing the Yampa, checking out the Werner Memorial Library and for the kids, Old Town Hot Springs.  I love our new community and how welcoming Steamboat has been to us--as well as my abiity to stay in touch with you via technology.  viva la blog.

It's early on a Sunday morning, and though I vow to take Sundays "off", I've decided that taking a few moments to reflect on gratitude is a good fit for a Sunday morning--plus I am behind on my communications!  Yesterday was such a beautiful day I decided to share it with you:

5:40  Awake early, refreshed and without an alarm.  Great start.

6:30  Tea, reading and meditatioin--all with Maggie the cat (now 14) on my lap

7:10  Rode my bike the short distance to the Recreation Center in downtown Steamboat for yoga with Jill Barker, a favorite teacher

7:30  Not only a great yoga class for me, but it gave me ideas for my own class this week

9:00  Decided to stop on the way back home next to the Yampa River; parked my bike, sat on a bench and breathed consciously.  So beautiful

9:30  A coffee at Amante with my hubby and buddy, Webb, while reading the paper, chatting and enjoying a few almonds with an apple

10:45  Amazing deals on a dining room set and bedroom set at an estate sale; the last things we needed after divesting ourselves of much in the move

12:30  Nitrate-free bacon (Beeler's) from happy pigs, eggs and rye toast with tea as our first meal on our new table; nice improvement over bar stools

1:30  Big-time catch-up on email, prep for a party and client needs; had the nicest feedback from a woman in Iowa who loved my book.  :)

4:20  Chill time on the deck as I sucked up some Vitamin D while reading a great review of Rosemary Gladstar's apprenticeship program; hope to take it

5:45  A lovely bath while reading a good novel and drinking my nettle tea

6:30  A glass of wine with leftovers while watching a recorded Oprah, then going through mail and getting a deposit ready.  Feeling abundant today.

8:30  Greet Webb after his killer day of fly fishing--so grateful he has that spiritual time to allow me my own space at home

10:00  Maybe a bit later than my ideal bed time, but I gently and easily  went to sleep and enjoyed a great night's rest

On this day of rest (well, mostly), I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect on my Heavenly Day yesterday.  Some believe that Heaven is a treat after we die if we do it all just right.  I believe Heaven is right here--when I am grateful.  It's impossible for me to be afraid at the same time I am grateful and in these challenging economic times, I hope you, too, will be able to focus on gratitude.

Thanks for reading.

The lushness of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Black Mountain, NC draw me back year after year for the Medicines of the Earth Conference--filled with many teachers I have grown to love and respect over the years:  Rosemary Gladstar (an unusual treat this year), Amanda McQuade Crawford, Cascade Anderson Geller, Roy Upton, Jill Stansbury and many other revered teachers make the 4 flights and 2 car rides to get here well worth it.

It is my privilege and my honor to work with the plants and I feel like I'm getting back to those roots after two years of near-insanity with the whole book publishing/pubicity gig after 7 years of writing.  This conference provides great sustenance for me as a healer and in turn, generates new ideas for how I can help others once I am back home in my office, .via internet when my clients don't live close by.  I already have a list of clients to contact next week regarding new ideas gleaned from these gifted herbalists, naturopaths, acupuncturists, MD's and more.  In addition to learning lots that I love to empbrace to help my clients, I also tend to learn about myself at these events.  And I am happy to report I am doing well (at the moment) of living in the present.

I sent out a newsletter yesterday that started with my desire to honor those who have passed on who have contributed to our knowledge and understanding of using plants to assist our healing.  One of the "greats" no longer with us is Bill Mitchell, an accomplished herbalist and teacher for many years, as well as a gentle yoga instructor.  I'm thinking of him especially today since on Thursday I leave for Black Mountain, NC for my annual herbal medicine conference where I first met Bill.  Everyone loved him and his passing was somewhat remarkable; he died of a broken heart in January, 2007.  Bill's son died a few months earlier of a very-unexpected heart attack at the very young age of 46, and the two were extremely close.  My understanding is that Bill was so devastated, unable to deal with his grief, that he, too, died of heart failure even though he had never had heart problems.

What a wicked thing for their whole family--and great lesson for us.  Grieving is normal and necessary, but when it goes on too long it starts to feel like resistance to "what is", as Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, would say.  Much of our own stress is a direct result of this resistance so instead, I am working at practicing acceptance, starting at the smallest level, liking dropping and breaking a glass on the floor.  The glass is a done deal the moment it hits, but how long will I be frustrated or angry about a situation I cannot change--other than clean up the mess?  It's a challenge because as you know, things "go wrong" often in life.  I may not like these situations, but vow to accept them better by practicing acceptance with every small situation.  But that still may not prepare me for the not-small situation of losing a loved one so I had better keep my faith in God/aka Higher Power.