They just keep arriving, via UPS and the postal service–the picture Jasper, the incredibly lovely “Picasso” Jasper, the opal-like Labradorite, the gentle blue jade, the medicinal flourite….around here, every day is Christmas, it seems like. 🙂
I have gemstones on my desk, on my nightstand, in the middle of my kitchen table. I wear at least one at all times.
And I’m learning a lot as I go along–for instance, black obsidian, wonderful for getting rid of negative energies, is nonetheless so strong that it can be overpowering without rose quartz to mellow it out a bit. (Lots of drama around here lately.)
I’ve laid out the beads for a couple of gifts–a turquoise necklace for an aunt, a gorgeous bracelet I might be forced to keep for my own but will probably give away–you get the picture. I also need to re-string my prayer/meditation beads, because the night I got home from Seattle, I wore them to bed, and when I woke up, beads went everywhere. Not to worry, though–just their way of telling me it’s time to add certain stones. 🙂
Some of you asked about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)–I have another appointment tomorrow afternoon, following Weight Watchers, and I can’t wait, because the first one was mind-blowing. Since I’ve only had the one experience, it’s difficult to describe the process in detail, but as some of you have been asking, I will try. In the last session, the therapist had me focus on a predominate feeling–something that’s been bothering me–telling him what that feeling looked like and where it lived in my body. All the while, I was holding a little device in each hand, and they vibrated in sequence–in other words, left side, right side, back to left, etc. I was instructed to get inside the feeling and stay with it as best I could–my eyes were closed–and, presently, the feeling began to change, to lessen. Finally, it faded away entirely. And here’s the miracle: it didn’t come back! Obviously, since none of this involved eye movement, there is considerably more to learn, technique-wise. I’m also studying a process called tapping on my own–if you’re curious, I recommend either the book, “The Tapping Solution” or the DVD by the same name. You can watch EMDR in action on Youtube, as well.
Speaking of books, I’m way into “The Goldfinch”, by Donna Tartt–I’m listening to it, that is. WOW. It’s fascinating. And I still need to finish reading “The Valley of Amazement”, by Amy Tan. Since today is new book day on iTunes, I’ve downloaded more audio books, most of which are nonfiction, although there are a couple of novels as well. Since I loved “Team of Rivals”, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (or Goodwin Kearns), I have her new book, “The Bully Pulpit”, in my que. It’s about Theodore Roosevelt–you know me and history. 🙂
This week’s prize winners (2 of them) will receive a signed book and either an Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card, value $50 each–you’ll know on Monday this time, because, of course, Thursday is Thanksgiving and Friday is a day off for Jenni. 🙂 I’ll be giving out 2 gift cards each week for a total of 4 weeks, so stay tuned and be sure to comment. The winners, as always, will be chosen at random.
That about covers the waterfront for today, my friends.
Be kind.
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
