Isabel Designs

 

Inspiration - Photo by N.Cotnam

I had an opportunity to view two fabulous DVD’s over the weekend. They were so helpful and inspirational that I thought I’d share the titles and links here on Isabel Design. 

I’ve been familiar with Dr. Wayne Dyer’s work for many years, have seen him on PBS, and own a set of audio CD’s called “The Power of Intention”. Saturday night I gathered with a few friends to watch “The Shift”, where Dr. Dyer “explores the spiritual journey in the second half of life when we long to find the purpose that is our unique contribution to the world…(it) not only inspires, but also teaches us how to find the path to our spiritual purpose and therefore our greatest joy.”

The second DVD introduced me to a woman who’s been creating positive change in the world for years, Louise Hay, and her book and dvd entitled, “You can heal your life“. Hosted by Louise, the movie “offers not only an intimate look into her moving and inspirational life story, but also a special segment devoted to helping you apply Louise’s affirmations and groundbreaking wisdom to heal your own life and the challenges that you face today.”

I thoroughly enjoyed the message and recommend these DVDs to anyone who is looking for purpose in their life.

Angus Woody MacDoodle

I was walking in the woods yesterday, as I often do, when I heard a faint but familiar sound. I turned to see a tiny orange tabby emerge from a pile of wood rubble, and without hesitation it came towards me. I hardly had time to bend down before he was at my heels. An adorable kitten, six to eight weeks old, obviously socialized, looking a little worse for wear and all alone. He had some trauma to his tail and a dirty face, but other than that, looked healthy. I picked him up and carried him out of the bush. Knocked on doors of surrounding homes, but couldn’t find an owner. 

It is appalling to me to think that people abandon pets, but it happens. This is not the first orphan kitten I’ve attended to. Families living in the country seem to be targets for unwanted cats and dogs, as if by some mysterious right it is our responsibility to care for discarded animals. I have certainly fed and cared for my share of strays over the years because of someone else’s neglect. It is not a burden I choose, yet I cannot disregard the living, breathing, hungry creature that wanders across my path. 

So I named him Angus Woody MacDoodle. Thankfully I had a can of tuna in the cupboard, and though it took a bit of coaxing, he ate up the small bowl that I put out for him. Then I wrapped him up in a shirt and brought him to the local veterinary clinic where they kept him overnight (a portion of his tail had to be amputated). Today he will be delivered to his new home. One phone call to a friend was all it took. Angus will have a family after all. 

At the end of the day, I’m feeling like a kitty hero – making the big resue, playing nursemate and adoption agent all at the same time. An act of compassion that took little effort but will yeild big results. I believe every moment we step outside of ourselves to serve another – animal or person, or even when we tend to the environment – we create goodness in the universe and expand the possibilities for love and respect in the world. 

How do you feel about this? Share you comments with us now.

As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. As I watch the day unfold with sunshine, I am trying to put the list of things I need to do in some type of priority. Of course there are the regulars that always seem to eat up my weekend like house cleaning, groceries and errands. But on this day, I hear the song of my perennials singing, “Ready or not, here I come!” The daffodils are blooming, the bleeding hearts are budding, and there is a new little friend whose name I can’t remember, a gift from my sister in law, blossoming little white flowers above spotted green leaves. The leaves that I neglected to rake last fall are now compacted on the lawn, and the stalks I left for ‘winter interest’ are now just looking dead as the new green plants are emerging underneath them. It sounds like a lot of work, and there is a part of me that wishes I could wrinkle my nose like Samantha from Bewitched and make my gardens perfect. However, once I’m out there, the feeling of nurturing my plants always brings on a sense of peace and satisfaction. So, I think my regular chores can wait. Gathering up my wheelbarrow, shovel, gloves and rake will inevitably bring about more satisfaction as I focus on my connection with Mother Earth.

It’s a rare sight for most of us, so I’m considering myself very lucky to have an eagle in the neighbourhood. I can’t tell whether it’s male or female, but it’s very big, its presence ominous. I first spotted it hovering above the lake last fall, and wondered if this was simply a migration stop. Apparently, eagles love fish, and the little lake I live on has plenty of them, so even if there’s a little competition with the herons, it’s a good feeding place. At any rate, it came back this spring and I hope it’ll stick around. 

I don’t know very much about the bald eagle, but I do know it is the national symbol of the United States, and a sacred symbol to many native American and Canadian tribes. In some cultures, eagles are considered spiritual messengers between the gods and humans. “They send their prayers to Eagle, so as it rises above the chaos to meet the Creator…it will return with a vision for the people.” (Animal Totem)

I have always been interested in spiritual signs. I seek them, wait for them, and hope to recognize them when they are presented to me. I wonder if the eagle has a message for me? According to the Animal Totem website, an “eagle shows us that people with high ideals need to be able to spread their wings so they can reach for the stars. Eagle brings the gift of clarity of vision. As long as we follow our intuition we will be heading in the right direction.” 

Another website on totems says the eagle is a great reminder of our own ability to soar great heights even if it means getting ‘scorched’ in the process. Perhaps the message for me is to glide  and flap on the air current and let go of the emotional fear of falling – or failing; to be open to new experiences and possibilities, even if they make me uncomfortable. That’s a good message any day of the week.

When I was a little girl, I was always drawn to my mother’s jewelry box. It was fun to try on her pretty things and play grown up. My favorite thing to do was open up a purple velvet case, that Mom always kept separate. Inside were what I came to name, her wedding pearls. It was a necklace which had been a gift from my Dad and which Mom wore on her wedding day. Luckily for me, it was my ‘something old’ and my ‘something borrowed’ on my own wedding day. As an adult, my memories are more about peeking in the velvet case, than seeing the necklace on my Mom. As my daughter prepares for her Prom, we have been hunting through an enormous number of stores looking for just the right outfit. As she tried on her dress with the necklace she had planned on wearing, she disappointedly remarked, “I don’t think it looks right”. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it earlier, maybe it was a divine reminder from above…. In any case, I offered for her to wear Grandma’s wedding pearls. It has been a long time since I opened the purple velvet case. The mystique and memories are always vivid. To my delight, they are the perfect compliment to my daughter’s dress, and the glow of happiness at the privilege of wearing them was evident. For me, it’s never about the actual value of an object, but the sentimental value that wraps itself around an object over time. Now my challenge is to make earrings to match!

memories from childhood