Month: June 2012

June 12 – Daily Feast

There is an undercurrent that feeds us false impressions like a gentle trap that tells us we are doing right – because it feels right. Feelings are so easily manipulated they can’t be trusted as a measure in anything. We stay with bad habits because it feels right. The habit comforts our feelings and the familiar touch makes us believe we can’t give it up. But it is the path that winds back through the same experiences – almost like being lost in a jungle. We think we are on the right road out, until we find our own footprints going around and around. Whether it is a habit or a person, or a situation we are trying to escape, we have to know our feelings are not to be trusted. They keep us knocking on a door that seems like home but is simply the same stopping-off, na hna I, familiar place. Beware of feelings that deceive.

It has been said that there is no deceit in touching the pen to sign a treaty, but I have always found it full of deceit. ~

STANDING ELK

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Daily Motivator for June 12 – Move ahead with no regrets

Excuses are easy, and consequently they are worthless. Real, focused,  sustained work is difficult and challenging, and can achieve magnificent  results.

What is easy and carefree in the short term becomes painfully, desperately  difficult in the long run. Because when you waste today with excuses, you fill  tomorrow with regret.

Work can be tedious, frustrating, inconvenient and draining, and yet you  absolutely can get it done. Regret, on the other hand, is impossible to escape  once you’ve created it.

So without question, it is far better to use your time to create value rather  than regret. Instead of taking the seemingly easy way out, take the truly best  way forward.

This hour, this day, this week, you are depositing the fruits of your efforts  into the lasting experience of your life. Be sure to fill those deposits with  meaningful, positive value rather than with painful regret.

You have the opportunity right now to make an effort that will make a  difference. Make the effort, do the work, create real value with your time, and  move ahead with no regrets.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator 

Daily OM for June 12 – Roles of Support

Doing Our Best Work

by Madisyn Taylor

 

Each one of us is very much needed and we all have our role to play adding to the success of the whole.

 

In the great symphony of life, we all have important parts to play. While some people are best suited to be conductors or soloists, their contributions would be diminished considerably without the individual musicians that lend their artistry to the fullness of an orchestra. The magical accents of the percussion section might sound random and out of place without the music they accompany. But any one member of an orchestra, doing less than their best at their particular part, can destroy the harmony of the whole piece, such is their importance. So although we may not receive the same amount or quality of attention as another, all of our contributions are valuable and integral to the success of the whole.

When we do our tasks well, we infuse them with our unique energy, making each act a gift. Each of our personalities and talents are suited to different roles of support. Even leaders and star performers support others in their own way. We can look around us at any moment to see that while we nurture some people with our work, others are supporting us with their gifts. Doing any job from this place within us allows us to do our part with humility and gratitude, while also learning lessons that move us steadily toward our goals.

When we can be fully present in every job that we do, we bring the fullness of our bodies, minds and spirits to the moment. Our contribution is enhanced by the infusion of our talents and abilities, and when we give them willingly, they attract the right people and circumstances into our experience. Anything we do begrudgingly limits the flow of our energy and closes us off from the good that is available to us in every situation. But by giving the best in us to make the world around us better, we open ourselves to receive the best from the universe in return.

 

Daily OM 

Lighten Up – 9 Easy Steps to Becoming A Witch

Want to be a Witch, yet don’t want dangerous items in your home? We’ve assembled this comprehensive kit to meet the beginning Witch’s needs, without compromising safety.

Includes:

1 Rubber Athame.

Painted black handle, silver blade. Very flexible. You can swing this about in Circle with no fears about hurting anyone!

Exclusive! The incredible Collapse-a-Wand!

Hand-wrought of authentic wood-grained expanded foam, with a special adhesive patch for attaching the Power Stone of your choice (see below).

2 Battery-operated Candles (1 black, 1 white).

No more concerns about flowing gowns catching fire.

1 package Glade Stick-ems.

Fresh, floral scent, without the concerns of burning incense. No messy ash to clean up!

1 shaker Mrs. Dash.

Get all the flavor and zip of salt, without the sodium!

1 Quality Fold-a-Cauldron.

Easy-to-assemble, genuine simulated cast iron corrugated material. Complete instructions.

1 Fabric Rainbow Disk.

No sharp corners to be concerned about. The perfect centerpiece for your own Altar. No worries of offending anyone, as could happen with those misunderstood pentagrams.

3 Assorted colors soft vinyl “Power Stones.”

Focus the energy of crystals. Perfect for attaching to your Collapse-a-Wand!(Choking hazard. Not recommended for children under 3 years of age)

1 Booklet

, “How to Be One with the White Light, Because There Is No Dark Side, Luke” subtitled: “The Absolutely, Completely Comprehensive Guide to Everything Possible that a Witch Needs to Know to cast Any Spell at All”

BONUS!

Order now, and we’ll send you our exclusive Fill In The Blanks Book of Light! All the spells you’ll ever need, and YOU fill in the names and dates! Quality softcover binding.

All packaged attractively in a lovely carry-case, which unfolds to become your altar cloth.

Rush out and get yours today!

 

— by René Friberg, aka RaeVynn Sands

Air Sealing Tips for Hot Humid Climates

by Chaya, selected from Networx

By Carl Seville, Networx

Since we’re heading into the summer, and it may well be a hot one  this year,  it’s a good time to look at home improvements that can help  save energy and  make your house more comfortable in those hot, sticky  months coming up. Air  conditioning installers in Miami and other hot, humid climates are going to  get a lot of work this  summer. How can you get the most from your investment in  air  conditioning?

The first thing that homeowners and contractors need to understand is that air sealing is really  important.  The most  common insulation, fiberglass, doesn’t work very well  when air leaks  through it.  It’s actually a pretty good filter for dirt  (you may have  noticed that it’s used for those cheap furnace filters), when you  cut  open an old insulated wall you usually see big streaks of dirt where air   has been blowing through the insulation for years.  Not only do air  leaks  keep the insulation from working, they let lots of humid air into  the house,  making your air conditioner work harder.  Tightening up those  leaks keeps  the house more comfortable, keeps the humidity lower, and  saves a lot of energy  in the process.

So where do we need to air  seal, you might ask?  Pretty much  everywhere, but let’s start at the  bottom.  For now, I’ll assume that you  have a wood framed floor with a  vented crawlspace below it, and probably  fiberglass batt insulation  installed between the floor joists.  Carefully  pull out the batts around  any big holes like tub drains, pipes, big wires, and  any other place  where there are holes in the floor decking.  Plug those  holes with foam  boards, spray foam, or anything else that won’t let air pass  through.  Don’t jam fiberglass insulation in the holes – it won’t air seal   anything.  Then carefully caulk all the small holes where wires and  pipes  pass through the floor.

Finally, make sure that all the  insulation is pushed up tight against the  subfloor and held in place  with skinny metal bars called tiger teeth.  If  you’re really ambitious  you could seal and insulate your crawlspace, but that’s a little too involved  for this post.

Then  you need to go inside and caulk all the cracks between the walls and   the floor.  If you’re replacing carpet or refinishing wood floors, put a   good bead of caulk or spray foam between the baseboard and the  subfloor.   Next, start moving up the walls, filling in all the gaps in  the drywall –  around receptacles, pipes, wires, window and door trim,  and anything else that  makes a hole in the wall finish.  You can buy  foam gaskets to put behind  electrical plates that will help seal them  from more air leaks.  If you  have any knee walls – walls between  interior space and attics, make sure that  they are well insulated and  have a solid air barrier on the attic side –  something like drywall or  foam board, carefully caulked at all joints and  edges.  If your house is  missing this, all the heat from the attic will  flow right through the  insulation into the room, making it really  uncomfortable.

Finally,  we need to fix up the ceiling.  This is where we usually get  the most  air leakage, particularly in the summer.  Go up in your attic and  start  pulling the insulation away from the walls, pipes, wires, and any other   openings in the ceiling.  Seal those holes the same way you did the ones   in the floor, making sure that you get all of them.  You should also  seal  the crack between drywall and the wood wall at the top – that’s a  big air leak  in most houses.   But the biggest ceiling leak is the attic  stair or  access hatch.  You can build or buy a nice foam box to seal  over the top  of them, but you have to be careful about putting them back  every time you go  into the attic.

If you’re not interested in taking on this project yourself, think about hiring a weatherization contractor to inspect the house and  make the repairs for you.  If you’re lucky,  your local utility may offer  rebates for doing improvements like these –  you can be more comfortable, save  energy, and get a little money back  in your pocket.