Simple Grace

REMIND ME

2011-10-16T14:59:00.000-04:00

Remind me that a life caring for others is sometimes exhausting.

Remind me I'm doing just fine if I'm honestly doing the very best I can.

Remind me that I must do what I love.

Remind me no apologies are necessary for being exuberant, passionate and just a little bit selfish, as long as I'm following an authentic path.

Remind me that if I go to bed exhausted having fed the kids, got them to and from school, made ends meet, just for today, that is good enough. 

Remind me that it is OK - in fact it is better than OK - to take a break from relationships and nurture my soul, craft, being, inner life, and passions.

Remind me that one day I'll have the time and the energy and the inspiration (maybe even at the same time) to sit myself down to focus on the other stuff.
 

Remind me that I’m capable of doing what needs to be done.
 

Remind me that I’ve got a homerun in me.
 

Remind me that the right here, the right now, is all that matters.
 

Remind me of one of my favorite expressions: Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is the day. 
 

Remind me to stay in today. And that I was a child once, just like you.
 

Remind me to strive for hope, love and joy, and I’ll be on the right track. 
 

Remind me that wanderlust isn’t always a bad thing.
 

Remind me to ask you what you love to do rather than what you do. Remind me to ask who you are rather than what you do. Remind me to question what stirs your soul rather than your job title.
 

Remind me to inhale deeply and breathe when all I want to do is scream.
 

Remind me to do something for someone else, and then never tell anyone about it. 
 

Remind me to pay for the toll for the car behind me only to speed up and get away without needing a thank you. Remind me to hold the door and have no expectations.
 

Remind me to wake up each day and be ok doing the simple things.
 

Remind me to look at you in your eyes when we say good morning. And when I meet a stranger on the street, remind me to answer truthfully when asked: How are you? 
 

Remind me to ask friends: How are you today? How are you really doing? And remind me to then listen.
 

Remind me to think about what you are saying rather than what I’m going to say next.

Remind me to pray for those I resent and to allow forgiveness to enter.
 

Remind me that bathing my children and filling their bellies and getting them to practices on time is all about showing up.
 

Remind me that I don’t need a gold star for doing what’s expected.
 

Remind me that when I humble myself to ask for help it is always there.
 

Remind me that when I forget about myself I am free and available to be there for others.
 

Remind me that today I have choices.
 

Remind me that relationships, real relationships with give and take and total honesty, are the crux of life. And remind me I can only learn and grow and change by letting another human being get close to my soul.
 

Remind me that in life everything comes down to either fear or love.
 

Remind me to choose love every single time.
 

Remind me that when I ache and tremble it will pass and give way to serenity and sunshine.
 

Remind me that I get out of life what I put into it. Remind me if I'm willing to do the work then I’ll get results.
 

Remind me that letting go is the only way. Remind me when I hold on too tightly I’m guaranteed to fail. 
 

Remind me that if I cry now and then it is not a weakness. Remind me if you cry on my shoulder you are teaching me about the beauty of being vulnerable.

Remind me being vulnerable is being human. Remind me to be.

Remind me that I need to laugh more, because every time the wave of laughter washes over me I feel so damn good.
 

Remind me that there are simple miracles all around me. I need to open my eyes to witness them.
 

Remind me that I’m not in charge of other people. Remind me that with total acceptance I can shed a heavy load. Remind me that acceptance in all situations is the solution.
 

Remind me I need to live in the solution rather than contribute to the problem. 
 

Remind me that forgiveness does not happen by me simply wanting it. I need to take action and decide to forgive. 

Remind me that letting others off the hook is a gift.
 

Remind me that if I win someone else has to lose. Remind me it doesn’t feel very good to lose. Remind me that I’d rather be happy than right.
 

Remind me to be grateful for all of my teachers. And remind me part of contributing to life is passing it on.

Remind me that I live life in a way that is being true to myself without having to explain or justify my choices to anyone.
 

Remind me to appreciate the wonder of it all.
 

Remind me that my story is simple and I can have courage in all things.
 

Remind me to live life in the middle, neither wanting to rise to the top or sink to the bottom.
 

Remind me that someone must drive the bus, mow the lawn and dig the garden.
 

Remind me to take responsibility for my thoughts because they become words and then actions.
 

Remind me that the truth is good enough.
 

Remind me that I have brokenness but I am not fragile or broken.
 

Remind me that I need to pray, everyday, and believe in something greater than myself.
 

Remind me to ask how you are doing, instead of expecting you to ask how I am.
 

Remind me if I leave my ego at the door I will be open to new experiences.
 

Remind me to update my old way of thinking.
 

Remind me to look for the hidden gems and to unearth my authentic self.
 

Remind me that helping others helps myself.
 

Remind me to do what scares me.
 

Remind me that grace will find me if I open myself to her coming.
 

Remind me that I should stop gripping so tightly trying to create life and I can instead allow life to create me.
 

Remind me to bloom where I’m planted.  And that sometimes we have to lose to win.
 

Remind me to honor the fine lines and embrace the lessons and ask for sage suggestions. And then I must listen.
 

Remind me that I don’t know is a brave statement.
And, yes, is a complete sentence. 

Remind me that what I am writing or reading at this moment is exactly what I should be doing.

Remind me that everything, absolutely everything, is OK in this moment and just as it should be. 

Remind me to observe my daughters climbing trees, scraping knees and building fairy houses. Remind me I’ll miss the fingerprints.
 

Remind me to get outside and breathe in nature, at least once a day. And that a simple walk can change my outlook. Remind me that it is ok to nap more and accomplish less. 
 

Remind me to be gentle on myself and on others. 

Remind me to let myself off the hook and to allow others to fail. 

Remind me that I need to do it all over again tomorrow and turn to the quiet wind and whisper a thank you from deep within my heart. 

Written by Beth Jannery

Bridge and Martinis

2011-10-01T11:38:00.001-04:00

An excerpt from The Weekend at the Inn...

Regan learned a lot from her parents’ late-night bridge games too. Each card table had an ashtray and each hand held either a cigarette or playing cards. The air was thick with perfume and ash. Her mother was quite the entertainer. Her long hostess dresses, long like a hippie princess draped in bangles. If she wasn’t a Mom maybe she’d be a belly dancer. She loved watching her. The other husbands loved watching her too. Regan loved watching her sew all week, getting ready for the big bridge and martini party.

Regan watched closely from low under the hallway staircase, like a spy. She caught glances and gestures. She learned to understand what wasn’t happening and what it all meant. There was always more than meets the eye. She knew people said one thing and did another.

She observed grown, married adults intentionally looking the other direction. She learned about life. The last time the card tables and Swedish meatballs were set up, Mr. Powers pinched her Mom’s bottom. This surprised Regan.

She knew something funny started once the ice cubes clanked. But to see her mother get squeezed and not jump, well, that was confusing. Instead of the reaction Regan expected, her Mom smiled a secret smile. Mr. Powers looked away because Mrs. Powers looked at Mommy. Bridge parties were Regan’s training ground.

Back at the Nyson’s breakfast table there was lots of hustle and bustle in the background. Regan sat too long and her bacon got cold. Her aunt got off her case because she was too busy tending to the punch bowl. It seemed a real big party would start this afternoon. But, as it was explained to her quite seriously by her father, it will be a quiet affair.

Regan was pissed she couldn’t go with her Mom and Dad. She knew a lot already and doubted she’d be scarred by a funeral. Hours after breakfast, the side door opened and closed about two dozen times. Regan helped her boy cousins take coats.

Afterward they helped themselves to cream soda from the cellar, then some root beer, and later cans of beer. The house had strange doors and corners and stairwells. There was a hatchway where they could come and go as they pleased without much supervision. The adults were busy doing adult things.

Downstairs the games began. Upstairs everyone was old and sad and musty even. It was too much for a little girl to understand.

Her fake uncle stumbled down to the basement now and then to check on the kids. That day seemed to go on forever.

So Long, Sweet Summer!

2011-08-29T15:06:00.000-04:00

Kind of sad to see summer go. Summer romances begin for all kinds of reasons, but when all is said and done, they have one thing in common. They’re shooting stars, a spectacular moment of light in the heavens, fleeting glimpse of eternity, and in a flash they’re gone.
— The Notebook

The Weekend at the Inn - a few pages from my novel

2011-08-13T15:30:00.000-04:00

So many friends have inquired this summer about what I've been working on. Thank you. If I have isolated too much, I apologize. It is my default - my comfort zone. What have you been working on, they ask? A novel, I answer, with hesitation. The idea for The Weekend at the Inn came to me in 2007 when the lead character, Regan, appeared in my mind and dialogue began. Since then the book has been unfolding in small doses. It's about a woman who goes to the Berkshires in Massachusetts to take a sabbatical out of life. She has lost her husband and her daughter and she is utterly lost herself. A friend and I were having a conversation about how the book may be a little like The Big Chill meets Eat, Pray, Love. Sort of. I don't know. Who cares. It is what it is. Here are a few draft pages from The Inn.

Small Hands
Regan stirred, rolled over and smiled. She felt Grace’s small hand in hers, warm and innocent. Suddenly Regan sat straight up. She looked around the room, saw the canopy and the dressing table and her luggage in the corner. Her camisole on the floor in a sad bunch. She remembered now.
Had she fallen asleep?
What was that? A dream, or had Grace visited her tonight? This only happened one other time since her death, and Regan waited for her again each night, always disappointed when she’d wake with a longing. Sweet Grace.
Sweet, sweet Grace.
I’m so sorry.
Or she wouldn’t wake because she hadn’t slept one wink; insomnia settled in early after “that night.” It was a time she pushed deep into the bowels of her mind. Regan knew what she was doing. It was her protective blanket to be washed and laundered and ironed for another day. Regan’s therapist reminded her sensations could only stay hidden for so long. Regan knew demons remained dormant for some time. But she knew the ugly would come. She would face life alone without Grace, without Justin, without certainty.
She felt her eyes get heavy, stretched like a cat under the 100% Egyptian duvet. Her restlessness gave way to the softness. Night stood still for her, she felt protected. It was as if the visit from Grace gave her peace. Maybe it was a drunken hallucination, Regan was well aware she’d be hung over in the morning.
Her to do list popped in her head.
Ugh, reality? Not yet. Please, no.
She counted on her fingers while lying back down: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday – a few more days before the moving truck showed up. She made a mental note to go online and fill out the change of address form, something she wanted to avoid until the very last minute. Soon she would turn the key into the old New England colonial she rented from an old friend.
Regan knew she was lucky to find a place. She continued to count and plan. Once the month ended the boxes would be unpacked, she calculated.
She got through the fucking holidays and she had to arrive, and soon enough unpack and bury herself in work.
She ached to feel her small hands once more. Planning for any tomorrow without Grace felt wrong.
Finally, she slept.
When the sleep comes it helps.
She dreamed of her new friend "the poet." What was his name? And of the husband who should have remained off limits.
Sex is a temporary fix. Masturbation fills a void.
Both are fun distractions.
Until they stop working.

Retreat
Saturday mornings are a world away from the Sunday evening blues. Anyone who works knows the feeling intimately - the dull ache of doom on the horizon. The pang of anxiety.
Not today, Regan smiled. It’s Saturday. Even when Sunday hit she could avoid getting stuck in that rut. Her weekend at the inn would stretch into the week; she had scheduled her time perfectly.
Friday she’d arrive, settle in and get drunk. From there, who knew what would happen. Now, Saturday morning she giggled, remembering the night before. With only a slight headache she remained optimistic.
Ok then, check that box. Mission accomplished.
Saturday she planned to retreat. There were these small spas, well-known actually to the five-star R&R seeker, tucked away behind the dark greens that added to the Berkshire’s charm. She’d find one and create a day for herself. An oasis from the pain.
Regan’s body hurt. She knew herself well enough to know it was time to stop. There wasn’t much more she could handle at this point. Saturday would be her appointed day of relaxation. She had no intention of feeling, but a few services, salt scrubs, mud wraps and meditation would help her chill. Her skin was flawless and she knew how to take care of herself. Maintain the mind, body and spirit connection and you will be fine; she preached this mantra to her clients. She had maintained a handful of clients – working part-time while Grace was at school.
Regan had mind and body. She told herself two out of three ain’t bad.
By the end of the afternoon another box would be checked. Her weekend was right on schedule. Lists were a prized possession. Structure. Goals. Routine. All coping mechanisms. They helped her. Perhaps they saved her.
Life could be lived on track. She told herself this, and even believed it.
She rarely prepared for unexpected interruption. Unfortunately, when it hit it hit big. She wasn’t great with surprises. Chaos reminded her too much of her childhood; she preferred to remain in control and stay on course.

Home Away From Home
Regan planned her day. Saturday evening she expected to return to the inn. She set out to read, stretch her mind, maybe flirt a little if the fire was lit and the goblets were out. Getting a goodnight sleep would get her back on the beam. Yes, a day of r & r and a night of nothing and she’ be fine, just fine.
Then Sunday would come and she’d sleep late as to avoid seeing her new friends off on their drives back to their homes. Regan had no intention of staying in touch. It was settled. She drew her map. She rarely crossed her line in the sand.
The idea of an evening by the fire warmed her. Regan pictured the room with the fire. She recalled her first impressions. She liked this inn immediately. It was more than the standard, charming bed and breakfast. She sensed more of an intellectually romantic tone, if that makes sense, more so than what was on the website. The energy was palatable. People walked through the door and, if they were open to it, inhaled the energy. Yes, it was billed as sophisticated country and it lived up to its reputation. But the inn evoked more in Regan. She felt an undercurrent, a yearning even.
It took Regan to a place she hadn’t yet visited. An atmosphere of aged warmth, like a hand-knit poncho around her shoulders, comforting and drawn into a landscape of late fall, the trees almost bare-leafed the scent of mulled spice in the air.
Norman Rockwell’s studio was located a couple miles west. The inn was a place where time stood still and nothing seemed to matter. A safe pocket in torn trousers. A sewed patch on her father’s tweed blazer. The smell of his worn, leather briefcase. Each morning he’d set it on the kitchen table, pack it with a brown bag lunch – she wondered how his sandwich didn’t get smashed every single day – maybe it did. He followed the same routine, even after his wife got ill. The only difference after her death was the thermos. Before she died the coffee would be piping hot, ready, and made with love. His wife placed it next to his case like clockwork. It is what Regan smelled when she woke up. That pleasant smell, and footsteps of a busy morning. She memorized them.
Then, one day, there was nothing. After her mom died the thermos disappeared. Everything else, for all outward appearances, remained in place. But nothing was the same. No aroma, no familiar sounds, no hope of her mother returning. Plans change.
Her Dad did the best he could. It wouldn’t be easy for any man, raising an only child, a girl whose breasts hadn’t even begun to sprout. There would be so many things he’d have to learn. Or, he could give her the space to figure out life on her own. That’s just what he did.
The inn had powers - magical thinking. She breathed deeply, inhaled the freshly ground bean fumes, heard the loud plumbing, and felt at home. It was home away from home, even if she didn’t know where home was. The inn was home for now. This is what the inn did for the rare few; it captured souls, held, rocked and released them as any good home would do. Regan needed the nurturing. She grew up too fast.

One’s suffering disappears when one lets oneself go, when one yields – even to sadness. – Antoine de Saint-Expue’ry

Morning Breakfast
There was one thing Regan hated about inns; she found the idle breakfast chit chat dreadful. She could stand the smell of freshly brewed coffee no more. Regan showered and got ready to face the day. Hands full of reading material, Regan prepared to go downstairs to the common room, greet the guests at the inn – her new friends – and get on with breakfast. She calculated 20 minutes max and she’d be out the door and into the cold.
It was a nice idea. It may have worked, but Jennifer waited at the breakfast table ready to ambush Regan.
All bed &breakfasts, at least the charming New England b&b’s, had a few things in common. First, the awkward breakfasts. It was up to guests to introduce themselves, appear cheery – even if they weren’t morning people – and pretend to be interested in the details of where the guests are from, why they came, and the weather.
Who enjoys this? Regan racked her brain trying to recall the first time she encountered strangers at breakfast....

Lazy Summer Days

2011-06-27T16:35:00.001-04:00

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
~ Anais Nin

Novel Writing

2011-05-10T15:16:00.002-04:00

Thanks for stopping by. I'm working again on writing The Weekend at the Inn. The handful of characters, Regan, Erik, Jen, the Poet, Gerta and Sam are taking on a life of their own. It's an adventure. Where does this stuff come from?

   I'm also drinking too many cappuccinos. But that's just fine with me. Summer is my favorite season. Sundresses. Sandals. Sound of surf. Serenity.
I can almost taste it.
   Looking forward to what comes next. Northern Virginia is starting to feel like home. I do miss New England from time to time, but I long for the beach even more.
   Writing for me is exactly as Joan Didion once described it: I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.

Life is a State of Consciousness

2011-03-28T21:05:00.000-04:00

And the Truth turns out  to be nothing less than the amazing but undeniable fact that the whole  outer world -whether it be the physical body, the common things of life,  the winds and the rain, the clouds, the earth itself -is amenable to  man's thought, and that he had dominion over it when he knows it.

...As thy days, so shall thy strength be which, in modern language, may be translated as thy thoughts so shall thy life be.
 
...If you could only love enough, you could be the most powerful person in the world.
 
...It is the food which you furnish to your mind that determines the whole character of your life.
 
...Life is a state of consciousness.
 
...Supply yourself with a mental equivalent, and the thing must come to you.
 
...You must not under any pretense allow your mind to dwell on any thought that is not positive, constructive, optimistic, kind.

source: Emmet Fox

While You Are Here...What Kind of Person Do You Want To Be?

2011-03-03T07:20:00.002-05:00

Things Mama Never Taught Me is a March 2011 guest blog written by Ann Sheybani Hampton. Ann studied Creative Writing at Harvard University but she has one of those rare brains that understands Chemistry too (undergraduate degree). To stalk Ann, you can track her down at http://site.annsheybani.com and http://www.easthillwriters.com

“He’s hypnotized you,” Mom said when I told her I was going to marry the Iranian and move to his country. “Do you have any idea how they treat women in Islamic countries?”

I regarded her through narrowed eyes because my mother, who considered Raman noodles foreign, had zero understanding of different cultures. She wasn’t as vocal as Dad with her prejudice, but she wasn’t far behind him on the redneck spectrum.

The heels of her miniature pumps clicked angrily across the linoleum as she cleared away the last half-eaten plate of beans and franks left on the counter, then shoved a loaf of WonderBread around like a pint-sized bully. “You just have to be different, don’t you? You just have to be a rebel.” Reaching under the sink, she took out a can of Lysol, sprayed the area in front of her with a misty burst of pine, and then slammed the can down.

It was right there, I suppose, as she drew her can of air freshener at the OK Corral, that I decided there was no going back on my position: the Iranian and his country were going to be the best things for me since the invention of air.

Contrary to what my mother believed, I wasn’t by nature audacious. If anything I was an aimless thing fueled by anger. A blind girl with a cane frothing at the mouth. Like so many young people, my sole driving force was to be unique, to be different from my folks.

Mom, the quintessential Good Girl from Kathryn, North Dakota. The rule follower. Who watched life safely from the sidelines. Who felt vindicated each time someone stuck his or her neck out and got slammed.

Dad, the angry farm boy. Who railed against the Coons, Kikes, and Slant Eyes. Who pined incessantly for the small town where he was from. Who, like his father before him, ate meat and potatoes, drank Schlitz, and smoked unfiltered Camels cigarettes.

The Iranian, a graduate student then, appeared to be everything my parents were not: exotic, adventurous, confident, and sophisticated. What I refused to see— thanks to my standoff with Mom, thanks to my insistence that I follow any path that my parents would not— was that he promised to be a lot of other things as well. It didn’t occur to me that someone who’d been raised in a tiny Iranian village might not be the best match for me. It didn’t dawn on me that a country famous for a hostage crisis, and an Islamic Revolution, and a dour Ayatollah, and an 8-year war with Iraq might offer “interesting” challenges.

It took awhile to recognize that moving to Iran had been a tactical error.

I'd disregarded the posted travel advisory at the entrance of the passport office:a big, yellow warning sign that said, in effect: Do not expect the U.S. State Department to rescue you if you are stupid enough to travel to Libya, Iran, or Syria. And the bearded customs official who relieved me of my American passport when I entered the country. I was, from that point on, officially an extension of my Iranian husband. I couldn’t get a job, leave the country, or God knows what else without receiving his written permission.

But then I spent the next five years wrestling with an army of invasive in-laws, a husband trapped between two worlds, and the requirements of an infamously restrictive culture. Instead of leading that promised life of high adventure—camping with Bedouins, exploring the tombs of Alexander the Great and Darius III— I spent my days alone, in a dumpy dorm room, with a baby and Frank, a six-inch cockroach that crawled out of my toilet.

I came to recognize the undeniable precariousness of the life I had chosen. I witnessed a whole host of women lose so much of what they loved—their homes, their kids, and their sanity. I spotted the setup for disaster in my own married life. What, I wondered, had ever allowed me to think, even for a minute, that trouble couldn’t befall me? My demise, I sensed, would come from out of nowhere, totally unpredictable. Like a rogue wave, a titanic force I’d be powerless to control.

A little wiser, a little worse for the wear, I eventually came home.

But what do you know when you’re young and dumb?

I was listening to a speech on TED recently in which JK Rowling , in a commencement address, said, “It is impossible to live and not fail unless you live so cautiously that you might as well have not lived at all. Then you fail by default.”

Of course I thought of my mother, who I judge to have failed at life by default. So afraid to make a mistake, she’d played it safe. Home alone watching reruns of Scrubs. Sewing on quilts. Playing dominos once a week. Wringing her hands as acquaintances buy the farm.

But I also thought of my daughter. Freshly graduated from college. Venturing out into the great big world. On her own. Making critical choices. Despite her having far more aim, far more purpose then I ever did at that stage in life, some of her plans don’t seem sensible from a mother's perspective. Living in Cairo on a grant, for instance, despite the Middle East implosion.

A chip off the old block, my daughter will wind up suffering because, as Rowling notes, it’s impossible to avoid. Being young and dumb, she has no way of measuring what she stands to lose. She has no idea what questions she ought to ask. There are some things she wasn't raised to understand.

And yes, now that I’m walking in my mother's moccasins, I empathize with her.

I often wonder if I’m still the same reckless girl of my youth. Not so much angry, now, as oblivious to consequence. Not so much experience-hungry, as blindly trusting. Willing to trot after my man into the unknown just because he sells it as a grand adventure, like it’s really no big deal. Willing to dismiss the evidence of danger—the best-selling books, the movies, the documentaries, the photo-spreads—that give pause to rational people.

Like finding myself on Mt. McKinley with Walt. Balanced on a knife’s edge. 3000-foot drops on either side. The wind whipping. Clothes snapping like a superhero’s cape. The burden of an 80-pound pack. Body quaking. Viscerally aware that, with one false move, I could plunge to my death. Wondering how the hell I got talked into doing something so downright dangerous.

Or taking scuba diving lessons instead of lying on the beach. Jumping into the ocean, way off shore, with a 25-year-old, French-speaking dive master. So laid back he probably eats marijuana for breakfast. Face to face with my biggest fear—a shark. Not only staying in the water, Jaws’ theme music playing, but swimming after the thing.

Who does shit like that?

It was on this beach, in between diving with hammerheads and questioning my motivation for doing so, that I opened up the book I’d brought, Little Bee . A gorgeous novel written by a Brit named Chris Cleave. The story of two women—a young African and an Englishwoman— whose lives collide on a Nigerian beach one fateful day.

I marveled at the book from a writer’s perspective— its structure, use of metaphor, spot on dialogue, and building of tension. (I just love the opening line: “Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl.”) Yet it was the English character that got me thinking some more about recklessness, motivation, failure, and the price of our mistakes.

Sarah has found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Married to a man she’s not sure she loves, dissatisfied with suburban life, questioning her career, armed with a pair of free airline tickets, she’d been too busy running from her troubles to consider the wisdom of her holiday destination. Too interested in escaping the mundane, and seeking the novel.

It should never have happened, of course, in the ordinary run of things. There are countries of the world, and regions of one’s own mind, where it is unwise to travel. I have always thought so, and I have always struck myself as a sensible woman. Independent of mind, but not recklessly so….Clever me, I went on holiday somewhere different. That season in Nigeria there was an oil war.

And like I had in Iran, it is only when Sarah faces a situation outside of her normal purview—coming face to face with two young African girls and the soldiers who want to kill them— that she recognizes how ill equipped she is to help herself, let alone anybody else. She is designed to handle the challenges of her home environment, not the incomprehensible circumstances she finds on some third-world beach.

But I didn’t understand. Three days earlier, just before we left for Heathrow, I had been standing on a bare concrete slab in our garden, asking Andrew exactly when the hell he planned to build his bloody glasshouse there. That was the biggest issue in my life—that glass house, or the lack of it…I was a modern woman and disappointment was something I understood better than fear.

The problem is, and this is what you don’t get when you’re young, or reckless, some mistakes have too big a price tag associated with them. Some mistakes just can’t be taken back. Some mistakes change everything. And generally not for the good. Half naked on a beach before a band of murderers, a hair’s breadth from being gang raped, Sarah considers, for the first time, the precariousness of the position she’s placed herself in.

I was wearing a very small green bikini. I will say that again and maybe I will begin to understand it myself. In the contested area of an African country in the middle of a three-way oil war, because there was a beach next to the war, because the state tourist board had mail-merged tickets for that beach…I was wearing a very small green bandeau biking from Hermes. It occurred to me, as I stood there with my arms crossed over my tits, that I had freeloaded myself to annihilation.

I was talking about these ideas, what point I wanted to make, on my morning run with Walt. The notion of recklessness versus adventurousness, of playing it safe versus being plain dumb, of failure by default versus failure by experiment. About the stupid mistakes that have damaged us the most. And we agreed that the thing about life is that none of us gets away unscathed. We all suffer loss. We all fail. We all get betrayed. We all betray. We all die.

Some of us plummet from a mountaintop.

Or get eaten by a shark.

Some of us die in a car accident, like one of Walt’s friends, out on Route 44.

It comes down to this one question: While you’re here, what kind of person do you want to be? Knowing that no matter what you do, no matter how well you hide, you’re eventually going to get nailed?

Sara is changed by her horrific encounter in Africa. The woman who flew off on holiday is not the same one who returns. Such is the way with all good novels. Such is the way of life.

My experience in Iran, as troubling as much of it was, provided me a priceless education. It changed who I was. I grew up. I made life-long friends. I discovered my strengths. I faced my weaknesses. I found the courage to take the car keys of my life back, to take charge of my self.

Not so different from climbing mountains, and diving in the ocean. Lots of discomfort mixed with incredible beauty. Had I stayed home where it was “safe,” I wouldn’t be this woman I am today. To not evolve into someone different by the time I'm sixty will mean I have failed.

What would I choose for my own identity-seeking daughter? A life of safety like her Grandmother? To never learn who she is by trial?

Or one in which she takes on the Arab world half-cocked? To risk God knows what?

The answer is obvious for someone like me.

We shall not cease from exploration.
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time. - T.S. Eliot

12 Signs of a Spiritual Awakening

2011-02-12T21:12:00.000-05:00

1. An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

2. Frequent attacks of smiling.

3. Feelings of being connected with others and nature.

4. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

5. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experience.

6. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

7. A loss of ability to worry.

8. A loss of interest in conflict.

9. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

10. A loss of interest in judging others.

11. A loss of interest in judging self.

12. Gaining the ability to love

without expecting anything in return.

New Year, New You?

2011-01-03T11:08:00.005-05:00

I dislike when people try to reinvent themselves at the new year. My suggestion is to throw out the big resolutions list and forget trying to turn yourself into someone new.

My advice is to be the best that you already are - be your best self.

It's a new year, which means this is a great time to reflect about the all aspects of your life.

Here's one way: divide your life into different aspects and then create the whole. This is how I like to break it down: physical, intellectual, spiritual, emotional and social. Simple, right? I think so. Maybe it'll work for you.

This is how it works for me. Maybe it'll help you to take your fragmented self and shift things around to create a better whole. I believe if we focus our thought and intention, then we are able to focus our action and outcome. Take care of all the little details, focus positive thought and watch the grace that takes place.

Physical - the obvious. Exercise and well-being. Your health. I like Yoga and walks. I like the water and the beach and the sounds of waves. Balance and health. Fresh air and taking care of my body. This means eating real food - not sugar or processed food. This is the intention, knowing we will fail and pick ourselves back up and do the very best we can, taking it a day at a time.

Intellectual - doing the work I love. It is my belief that we must do work we are passionate about and the money will come. We are always cared for. Do the work you feel called to do. I need to be involved in projects that I believe in. What fuels your desires? For me it is writing and books and communication and media. I also want to profit from my work and I embrace the financial aspect of my work. Ask for what you are worth. Don't be afraid to set your standards high. If you are willing to do the work you will make a difference. If you have ten years or more experience in a field then you are considered an expert in that area; someone needs your expertise. Get paid for your intellectual endeavors. Stop giving away your time for free. You've worked hard - reap the rewards.

Spiritual - Meditation and prayer. Quieting the mind. For me this means a daily practice with a dose of nature. Reading is a big part of my spiritual life. Conversations with friends. Deep and rigorous honesty. Listening. If I am in a good place, I always hear what I need to hear. Helping another. Find your place of grace. Try to do it daily.

Emotional - Making sure your needs get met. Getting off balance happens quickly. Be what you need first - take care of yourself first - then there is room for more. Don't look to others to fill emotional needs....take care of yourself. Love yourself first. No one else is going to complete you.

Social - Have fun. Make time for friends. Create space for those you love (or could love). Throw a little romance and spice into your life. For me I want something real. Casual conversations are fine, but I have no desire to waste time, so small talk has no place in my life. As for dating and romance - I want it all - the courting, the romance, the sparks, the passion. Won't settle for less.

What does your new year look like? This isn't a new you, but a new year and in this new year you can ask for what you deserve. You can create the life you want. Or, focus your thoughts and allow a positive life to create you.

We Always Get What We Need

2010-12-17T09:56:00.000-05:00

Faith and grace and gratitude are beautiful themes of the holiday. I am always moved by meeting people who overcome struggle...their stories inspire. I love reading and writing and retelling stories of people helping people.....stories of beating adversity.....miracle stories....they make for good holiday reading because they force us to stop and think about faith, to feel grace and to embrace gratitude. Here is a story that has been passed down through the years and is included in Simple Miracles.
I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just seventy-five cents in my pocket. Their father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two.
   Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared. Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds. He did manage to leave fifteen dollars a week to buy groceries. Since he left, there were no more beatings, but there was no food either. If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, I certainly knew nothing about it.
   I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best homemade dress. I loaded them into the rusty old '51 Chevy and drove off to find a job. The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small town. No luck. The kids stayed, crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I attempted to convince whomever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job.
Still no luck.
The last place we went was several miles out of town. It was an old root beer barrel drive-in that had been converted into a truck stop. It was called the Big Wheel.
   A lady named Granny owned the place and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids. She needed someone to work on the graveyard shift, which was 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. She paid sixty-five cents an hour and said I could start that night.
   I raced home and called the teenager down the street that babysat for people. I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal.
   That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers we all thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel.
   When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money. I averaged $2 in tips each graveyard shift. I'm not complaining; I was deeply grateful to have a job to buy food for my children.
   As the weeks went by, heating bills began to add another strain to my meager wage. The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again on the way home.
   One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat. New tires! There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires. Had angels taken up residence in Indiana?
   I made a deal with the owner of the local service station. In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office.
   I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough. Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids. I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning. Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boys pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair.
   On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. These were the truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe. A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up. When it was time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas morning I hurried to the car. I was hoping the kids wouldn't wake up before I managed to get home and get the presents from the basement and place them under the tree.
   It was still dark and I couldn't see much, but there appeared to be some dark shadows in the car - or was that just a trick of the night? Something certainly looked different, but it was hard to tell what. When I reached the car I peered warily into one of the side windows. Then my jaw dropped in amazement. My old battered Chevy was full with boxes of all shapes and sizes.
   I quickly opened the driver's side door, scrambled inside and kneeled in the front facing the back seat. Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box. Inside was a whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes: There were candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items.
   And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll. As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most amazing Christmas day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude. I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning.
   Yes, there were small miracles in Indiana that long-ago December. They hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop.

Simple Miracle: No matter how low your bottom, a way out is always revealed. Unexpected miracles happen all the time. Keep doing the right thing and you'll begin to see your own daily miracles.

My Daily List

2010-12-09T10:04:00.000-05:00

I've been practicing Yoga for two decades. It is something I must do. I can do 99% of the poses - minus the handstand and extended back bend. No thanks. I'll never have that hot little tight Yoga bod either - or the trendy, organic, expensive clothes to match. But I've been doing it for years and I do it to center and stretch and breathe. I do it alone. It's free and it makes me feel good.

There are things we all must do each day. If I don't practice - or at least do some basic stretches - I feel off. I like to feel good - here are a few other things I must do in a given day to feel good. I call it my daily list.

Do you have a daily list? In other words, if you don't do the things on your list you feel off (like my last blog post...I realized two things that day....I hadn't done my morning Yoga and I hadn't expressed gratitude). It's a fast downward spiral. To avoid going to that place, to avoid negative space, I must hit my daily list.

1. Make my bed (don't drink, don't smoke, try to do the next right thing....try....)...

2. Grind coffee beans & make (strong) coffee in my French press. I'm old school. I know, I should drink more green tea...oh well. Last night I had authentic Korean hot detox tea so that counts!

3. Pray. Meditate. Reflect. Be quiet.

4. Express Gratitude.

5. Help others. Even if I help only one other person it gets me outside of self.

6. Hug, kiss and snuggle with my daughters. This really should be number one. It's pretty much the thread that weaves my day, week, month, year....life.

7. Laugh. When was the last time you laughed so hard you had to pee!? I love to laugh. 

8. Write. Something. Just write. Lately it's been a novel I'm working on called The Weekend at the Inn. It's getting quite erotic....who knew? Write....see what comes out.

9. Pick up clutter. I hate clutter. Call it a touch of OCD.

10. Nature. Something outdoors. Even a walk. Fresh air. Breathe deeply.

Pet Peeves

2010-12-07T13:01:00.002-05:00

Today I am not feeling the love. So, you get a taste of my mean and nasty side. I work really hard not to let little annoyances rule my life, but once in a while I dip into the dark side.

Here is a brief blog post about what is driving me crazy today.

Tomorrow it will be something new, hopefully you’ll catch me on my sunny side.

5. Liars – Just tell the truth. Keep life simple.

4. Toilet Cell Phone Users – Lately I’ve been in the bathroom (on campus, at an airport, a restaurant, etc….) and the woman in the stall next to me has been chatting away on her cell phone. Shut the *&%( up.  FLUSH! Next time her cell is going down the toilet!

3. Excuses – If you didn’t do the work you didn’t do the work. It’s that simple.

2. Complainers – I will make the argument that complainers are the same people who are full of excuses.

1. Dating at 40 sucks! I either get the men who want to marry me after the first day or they want to have an affair. Somewhere in the middle would be really nice. A little romance even….. 

Remember Thelma and Louise? You get what you settle for. If I surround myself with liars, toilet cell-phone users, excuse-makers, haters, complainers and cheaters….well then….if nothing changes nothing changes.

A Work in Progress: The Weekend at the Inn

2010-11-26T16:33:00.001-05:00

The Weekend at the Inn by Beth Jannery

Fear holds us back from doing the things we know we should do. I should write a novel. It's about time. This scares the crap out of me. I never went to school to be a novel writer. There is no novel degree hanging on my office wall. There is no English Lit major under my belt.

I studied journalism and facts. I like to be based in reality. Why bother with made up stuff? I like to write about what's real. It makes me feel safe.

Well, I'm tired of feeling safe. I want to write a novel. Why? Because I'm drawn to it. Disappear in a good novel and you've traveled for free. You've left your world for a little while without leaving your comfy couch. I want to get so lost in my own writing I forget who I am. I want to revisit the Berkshires of Massachusetts - the setting of my novel.

My whole life has been non-fiction. Facts, stuff that's "real" makes me comfortable and I feel safe. I have a fetish for encyclopedias. Google turns me on. I want to learn about everything. Why bother making things up?

Why? Because I don't think I can do it. What does that tell me? That I must try. We must do what we think we cannot do (I think Eleanor Roosevelt said that). In non-fiction I'd have to accurately quote her. In fiction I can make things up. Oh, the opportunities before me!

I've been throwing around the idea for my first novel for sometime. I've come up with four different book ideas. By working a little on each book I have managed to avoid the inevitable - my new novel. A little of everything makes one an expert at nothing. This is the story of journalism. But my story is changing....I'm writing a new beginning.

Why now?

Long weekends and holidays are great for stopping. I took some time to look at my ideas. I can go in many different directions. But I must chose one....for now.

There is the book that just came out. My most recent non-fiction: Simple Miracles. I could relish in the moment and stay present and enjoy the afterglow. But I don't. I won't. I'm moving on.

I could work on my spy thriller idea. Or my erotica book idea. Or a memoir about addiction. Or I could do what scares me the most - write a novel. Expose myself. Be vulnerable and insecure and just write.

This is what I must do; just write.

The resistance I'm facing is fear. I can avoid facing my fear by writing a little of this and that and maybe one day the novel will write itself? I think not.

The answer is to meet the resistance. To sit down and write. To go within and create.

Not sure where this is going, but it's a start.

My next book (at least for today) is titled The Weekend at the Inn. It will be my first novel. I'm putting non-fiction in the drawer for a while to focus on fiction.

There, I said it. Did you hear me? Remind me of this next week. Hold me accountable.

Sometimes all it takes is doing what makes us most uncomfortable. And saying it to someone else.

I'm working on a new book. It's a novel. It's called The Weekend at the Inn.

Goodbye resistance...

Hello book.

Little Traditions

2010-11-24T07:11:00.001-05:00

   Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect. It is the one time of year where the entire country is geared toward appreciation and gratitude. What simple miracles are in your life today? What do you do to celebrate these miracles? Many people talk about keeping gratitude lists, but what else can you do?
     One of the ways I try to build family bonds is through traditions. Wonderful memories are created through traditions. What better time to talk about traditions than the holidays?

Small, simple traditions are, in in fact, little miracles. Traditions bring people closer. Here is an excerpt from my new book Simple Miracles.

   Once in a while, at midnight, Tess will wake me up -- or I'll wake her up -- and we'll go do our thing together. We call it our "midnight snack." We'll run to the kitchen in our t-shirts and sweats and raid the fridge. We huddle together in bed spilling crumbs and sometimes bottles of water. She asks me to wake her up every night for midnight snack and once in a while I do.
   This tradition reminds me of a sweet coffee shoppe Skye and I walked to while on vacation one summer in Martha's Vineyard. We'd walk to the cafe' to get our morning croissant. It was called Espresso Love. What makes this memory sweet? Skye couldn't pronounce espresso so she says "special" instead. Each day she'd ask, "special love Mama? special love?"
   Even after we left the Vineyard and said goodbye to the morning walks to Espresso Love, I still carry those "Special Love" memories. Part of our traditions include talking about stories like this one. Children love to hear stories about themselves told and retold. It helps create their living history. I love sharing these little moments with my daughters - these little moments add up to this big thing called life!

Simple Miracle: What miracle moments do you share? We have midnight snacks and special love.

Bowls of Vodka Soup

2010-11-16T08:42:00.000-05:00

Five years ago I thought downing a mimosa for breakfast was a healthy way to start the day; orange juice has vitamin c. I didn't consider a Bloody Mary to be drinking in the morning - I never drank in the morning (denial) - I considered it a serving of vegetables. Same with olives in my martinis. Vegetables.

Five years ago I read The New York Times Bestseller "Dry" written by a former drunk and a very gay male, Augusten Burroughs, who was living in New York City at the time. I was living the ego-filled Stepford wife life in the sophisticated country - Connecticut. We couldn't be more different, until I identified with his description of my favorite meal: Martinis - bowls of vodka soup. We couldn't be more alike.

On November 17, 2005 I started a new way of life. I had a desire to stop drinking and that is exactly what I did (with the daily help of a 12 step program that shall remain anonymous). The reason I write this is to reach out to other women (and men) who may recognize themselves in my story. On the outside I had the home, the cars, the kids and most "things" money could buy. On the inside I was alone, isolated and uncomfortable in my own skin.

I was restless, irritable and discontent. I woke up every morning with the willpower to stop drinking. Every day I broke that resolve. My line in the sand, all my rules for my drinking, changed or were erased. I realize that trying to live on willpower was a big problem. My life was unmanageable and I was powerless over alcohol (step one and all it takes....a desire for a new way of life). I had to turn my will over to a power greater than me. I could not do this alone. I can't stay sober alone.

In my new book, Simple Miracles, there are a few miracle stories about people in recovery. In the book I list resources for anyone struggling with addiction. Most don't make it. If you or someone you love struggles with addiction (it is a disease) please use this website for more information www.AA.org or feel free to contact me. There is a better way. Today I'm happy, joyous and free.

And today, I want to say a personal "thanks" to Augusten Burroughs. He was the drunk I most identified with - the man who downed vodka soup just like I did - I was ready to hear the message.

New Book Release: Simple Miracles

2010-11-09T23:29:00.000-05:00

Simple Grace by Beth Jannery | Make Your Own Book

Pay it Forward

2010-11-05T13:29:00.000-04:00

My college students at George Mason University did something amazing this week. For an experiment in interpersonal communication, we broke into small groups and came up with ways to express gratitude. First, I read a story to the class from my new book Simple Miracles (to be released in two weeks). The story, in a nutshell, was about the concept pay it forward.

All it takes is for one person to do something nice (say something, make something, help with something, the ideas are endless) to create a positive reaction.

The students then put it to the test. The results were beautiful.

All morning I heard story after story about little one-on-one scenarios that played out through the week on and off campus and in the lives of my students. Each group of students (in 3-4 clusters) came up with a different approach, but all had the same result - they passed on love, friendship, gratitude and smiles (one group literally made construction paper smiles). Part of their assignment was to track the results and present their findings.

We all left the classroom smiling. We have more findings to report, but our project is already a success. I find the concept of creating a positive chain reaction to be an amazing thing. It was wonderful to watch it build from an idea into a tangible action.

But where did it start? The origin of "pay it forward" actually goes back to a play from ancient Athens from 317 BC, but the concept wasn't rediscovered until much later. One stunning example comes from a letter written by Ben Franklin in 1784:

I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.

A trick indeed. This trick, concept or expression we refer to as pay it forward is meant to benefit another person, ideally a stranger. It is a form of alternative giving.

The expression, pay it forward, is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead. In contract, typically there are two parties but there is the concept of third party beneficiaries. Pay it forward merely applies this contract law concept so that third party beneficiary be a stranger to the creditor (or obligee). More specifically, the creditor (obligee) offers the debtor (obligor) the option of "paying" the debt forward by lending it to a third person instead of paying it back to the original creditor. This, according to a clear definition I borrowed from Wikipedia.

In the end, pay it forward is nothing new. In fact, we can find examples of this alternative giving in literature. In Emerson's 1841 essay Compensation:

"In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody."

Then this, "You don't pay love back; you pay it forward," from Lily Hammond in 1916.

And now, a handful of new examples of pay it forward can be added to history from an energetic collection of college students in Virginia. What have you done today to make someone else smile?

Let Life Happen Miraculously

2010-10-27T20:54:00.000-04:00

Today I had a gift. An encounter with someone who reminded me to Let Go. I hold on too tightly.

The suggestion was, "Try to let the universe and God let things happen as they should. Life is far more interesting and better by letting go and enjoying the moment."

As a result it can be incredible to "see how things can happen miraculously."

Miraculously? How could I forget?! That's right, I'm supposed to be living a life full of grace. I'm even writing a book about Simple Miracles. Yet I need these daily reminders.

I need people in my life to gently (or boldly) shake me to help me remember that I am not in control. Let Go. Beth, just let go. Have faith.

This advice brings my thoughts to Emmanuel: As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit.

NEW BOOK "SIMPLE MIRACLES" RELEASED IN NOVEMBER

2010-10-20T17:19:00.000-04:00

When we

let go of fear,

only then can we gracefully

move from what was into the miracle of what can be.

Photo: Author Beth Jannery with her simple miracles, daughters Skye and Tess
Photography by Cathy Gorey Images by Cathy

Now the Fall is Here Again

2010-10-17T17:49:00.000-04:00

Listen to Norah Jones sing Shoot the Moon. Breathtaking.

2010-10-14T17:24:00.000-04:00

Everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many don't seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong job,the wrong marriage, or the wrong house. When you know and respect your Inner Nature, you know where you belong. You also know where you don't belong.

LIVE BY THE CURRENTS

2010-10-05T17:46:00.000-04:00

"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun."

Every man dies. Not every man really lives. William Wallace

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see. John Burroughs

If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. Van Gogh

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
Louisa May Alcott

My Dreamgirls

2010-10-03T18:55:00.002-04:00

The delusion is a kind of prison

2010-10-01T19:04:00.000-04:00

A human being is part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty… The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self.

We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive. (Albert Einstein, 1954)

Opening the Gate

2010-09-27T23:54:00.007-04:00

Can you stand at the gate and risk it being opened. Will you step forward and let the gate swing wide? On the other side, there you are, discovering yourself for the first time.

"Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Come into the garden, For the black bat, night, has flown, Come into the garden, I am here at the gate alone; the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the rose is blown. For a breeze of morning moves, And the planet of Love is on high, Beginning to faint in the light that she loves On a bed of daffodil sky. -Tennyson

Leave a few layers at the gate. Grasp the old and cold and black iron gate. Make it your own. Discover new layers.

Walk in with me.

Wesbite Gets Vintage Look

2010-08-27T10:44:00.002-04:00


check out the new "vintage" look

Simple Grace has a new look. 

CHECK IT OUT!

Now available for freelance projects.

Dear Summer, Please Don't End

2010-08-16T00:36:00.000-04:00

Summer is meant to be spent in the sand


Summer Shabby Chic Simplicity

Beach Cottage - One day I'll live here year round

“Even the upper end of the river

believes in the ocean.”

-William Stafford

“The waves of the sea

Help me get back to me.”

-Jill Davis

“One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach; one can collect only a few,

and they are more beautiful if they are few”

-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

All Good Things Will Be Yours

2010-07-26T17:26:00.001-04:00

I like to keep it simple. I love this advice that comes from an old proverb. It goes something like this.

Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; love more, and all good things will be yours.

Don't you just love it.

Let me hear from you today.

Truth Is Ever Present

2010-06-07T11:28:00.001-04:00

"Truth is perfect and complete in itself. It is not something newly discovered; it has always existed. Truth is not far away; it is ever present. It is not something to be attained....learn to listen to the voice within you...you will realize the unity of all things."
- Teachings of Buddha

Forty...Really?

2010-05-20T09:30:00.001-04:00

This photo shows models forty and older. The article claims "forty is the new twenty." I believe it. I was born in 1970. Translation = this summer I'm turning 40.

Forty? Really? Seriously? When did that happen? I feel 22. You know that feeling from your twenties when you felt anything was possible. I still have it. I didn't get the memo that I'm aging.

But I did get an invitation to celebrate this brilliant age. A girlfriend from high school is having a 40th birthday bash at a Malibu beach home. I'm flying out to join her for the long Memorial Day weekend. It'll be my first time in LA. I'm an east coast girl at heart.

But I was told the change of scenery will do me good. To be in a different world - to be with an old friend - to put the year behind me (as amazing as it has been) - to let some old wounds heal - to come back feeling, perhaps, less raw from the divorce.

This is a time of change. What better way to bring in a new year!

My thoughts about turning 40 and embracing this year of change? I'll break down what is important to me:

1. 40 = sexier than ever.
2. Savoring and appreciating my new home.
3. Grateful for healthy, smart and fun daughters.
4. 139 days of no refined sugar - it's a miracle!
5. Embracing change. It's all good.
6. Love my new positions (an intelligence firm & teaching communication at a university).
7. Letting go of financial fears.
8. Finding a new level of acceptance.
9. Strengthening relationships with people I love (my sister, a handful of good friends beats a roster of acquaintances any day).
10. Practicing Yoga, meditation, prayer and mindfulness.
11. Writing "Simple Grace Simple Miracles" for a fall release. And enjoying the process.
12. Living simply. Less is more.
13. Seeking Truth. Understanding, finally, what that really means.
14. Walking around the lake once a day keeps the doctors away.
15. Still dreaming about my (when the kids are grown) beachfront cottage. Always researching where this will be. Hoping to discover the perfect state, town and beach to call home. Doing this while living in today.
16. Exploring the eastern culture, incorporating further chakra work into daily living. This means a balance of the vital energy centers within the body. These chakras (for anyone interested) are - root, sacral, navel solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown.
17. Identifying character defects, apologizing for past wrongs and letting go of resentments. In other words, keeping my side of the street clean and doing the next right thing.
18. Allowing grace to enter all facets of life.
19. Facing fears.
20. Reading on a daily basis - learning something new.

I'd love to hear your list. What's important to you?
Happy birthday to my 40-year-old friends.

The Awakening

2010-05-14T09:30:00.002-04:00

The Awakening
(Author unknown)

A time comes in your life when you finally get…when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out…ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening.

You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.

You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you…and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are…and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself…and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn’t do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and everything isn’t always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself…and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties…and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for you next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not you job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drinking more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people…and you lean not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody’s punishing you and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You lean that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than you heart’s desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in you heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

New Blogs Created by College Students

2010-05-10T11:54:00.005-04:00

As promised, here are the new blogs created by my writing class at George Mason University.

The topic and writing styles range. You are sure to enjoy them.

Blogs in random order:

Erica http://brownbellelikeme.blogspot.com/

Madeline http://soro-aholic.blogspot.com/

Diana http://sweettomorrows.tumblr.com/

Collette http://survivingtwocultures.blogspot.com

Alan http://1shyguy.blogspot.com/

Joann http://eatsville.blogspot.com

Laura http://destinationrealworld.blogspot.com/

Tamim http://anonymousjanitor.blogspot.com

Rachel http://rayraywould.blogspot.com/

Jason http://thedevilsadvocate.tumblr.com/

Giulia http://passionateacquiesce.blogspot.com/

Lexie http://foodwithtude.tumblr.com/

Korina http://flyfashionista.tumblr.com

Jack http://howtoreallygetbig.blogspot.com/

Emma http://emmannay.wordpress.com/

Masoud http://Theblogaboutnothing.tumblr.com

Joe http://honolulublueandsilver.blogspot.com/

Lori http://1agentswife.blogspot.com

Charles http://livinactive.blogspot.com/

Lindsay http://mysearchforahigherpower.blogspot.com/

Frank http://lifeasafreshman22.blogspot.com

Ayano http://aibata.blogspot.com

Sometimes Life Gets In the Way

2010-04-28T19:32:00.005-04:00

Today I sat down to write. Put my butt down in the chair. “Write,” I commanded! Not a blog entry. Not catching up on emails. Not playful dialogue for a future chapter of a someday novel.

I wrote part of the book I’m working on. It is the work I should be doing. It is the work I love. But somehow I get sidetracked and feel guilty for pursuing this passion when so much “other stuff” must get done.

My next book release, Simple Miracles, is in the final writing stages. Then it’ll go into early editing, layout and so on. In other words, I have a ton to do.

I believe in keeping at it – whatever “it” is.

Break it down

Take a bite at a time.

Do a little each day.

Carve out the time. If the time isn’t there then make the time.

Put the other things on the list on hold.

Lately the list feels endless. You know “the list” because you have one too.

The list:
finalizing the legal contracts from a painful divorce process, meeting with a mediator, final “push” of the semester, creating exams, grading projects, just moved into a new place a few days ago, no phone service, updating my professional resume, making another list of repairs, attending kids school events, soccer stuff, new work projects, planning a trip, organizing plans with friends (healthy friendships take work too), carving out some personal time, looking for a new babysitter, summer camp forms, embracing wellness (on day 118 of no refined sugar), working on a new budget, groceries (ugh) figuring out insurance plans, finishing paperwork for new car, and so it goes….no different from your life I’m guessing.

Oh yeah, and WRITING.

Now, sometimes life does get in the way, but it will keep getting in the way if we let it. There will always be "the list."

Where is my writing in this? Keep what we love at the top of the list. My daughters and writing and wellness.

A move and a divorce are two biggies, but I won’t allow them to be excuses. Sometimes we procrastinate. Sometimes we feel fear. Sometimes we are simply tired or feel overwhelmed with meeting life on life’s terms. Worst of all, we don’t always get paid well for doing the work we love.

I need to be mindful to keep what I love most, my daughters and writing and self-care, at the top of the list. Writing my book shouldn’t come “after” everything else gets done. Neither should friends or family. Funny how “working out” tends to go last on the list for many of us too.

Meet the resistance. Pour another cup of coffee.

Face the fear.

Stay up an extra hour after the kids go to bed. Leave the dishes in the sink.

Show up.

Yes, even when life gets in the way, write!

Google Knows What You're Thinking

2010-04-19T13:58:00.002-04:00

When I'm not thinking about grace or living a simple life, I am thinking about random bits of trivia. I know a lot of things. Critics may refer to this knowledge as random information about nothing.

Friends tease me for knowing a little about a lot. There is a joke about reporters. I can make fun of myself. It is said that reporters know a little bit about everything but a lot about nothing.

Ouch.

I never liked that. Truth is I'd rather know a little about a lot. Everything interests me. I'm always searching. I have the disease of more. I want to know more, more, more, more MORE.....

Today, when no graceful thoughts came to mind, I thought about Google.

I challenge you to find a topic, search for it on Google, and come up with zero. It is the most popular search engine. It is impossible to search and come up with nothing.

What isn't on there? If you find out, let me know.

This made me wonder what other people are thinking about - right now. So I googled it. Well, here's what the world is wondering about....today....

1. ernie sims
2. boston marathon 2010
3. oklahoma city bombing
4. boston marathon live coverage
5. chicago park district
6. okc bombing
7. cma awards 2010 winners
8. boston athletic association
9. patriots day
10. shuttle landing
11. april 19th in history
12. wbz tv
13. boston marathon qualifying times
14. jennifer viera
15. timothy mcveigh
16. columbine school shooting
17. boston marathon course map
18. administrative professionals day 2010
19. edwin valero wife
20. universal sports

I'm not sure I can find grace in this other than to say we are all searching.

Social Media Revolution: Is Journalism Dead?

2010-04-07T12:53:00.014-04:00

People keep asking me what I predict for the future of journalism. Is journalism dead? They want to know how I see the popular social medias fitting into the next decade. They want me to tell them this is a fad. They want to feel comfortable. They want to go back to the old way of doing things.

There is no going back. It is a social media revolution. You've gotta' watch this clip. This is not a new world coming in some distant future. This is our world, today, here and now.

Why ask me? What do I know? If it is true what studies report, that it takes approximately ten years to become an "expert" about "something," then I'm considered an expert at communication, media and journalism. I have 15+ years experience in the writing world. I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. But I've yet to see anything as exciting as the communication transition we are in.

The other day a colleague compared the iPad to the invention of the printing press. Will we see a fundamental shift in the way we communicate? The answer is, yes. At least, I think so.

When I earned my masters degree in 1994, broadcast journalism and print journalism were worlds apart. I was just at the legal drinking age when I got my feet wet at CNN's investigative reporting unit. It was there that I caught the bug.

My passion for anything media has gone from being a news junkie to an inspirational writer. Now I'm teaching college students again after a decade. Throw in a little writing and consulting and editing and blogging and business journalism and no day is the same.I can't imagine sitting still. I fit right into our ADD world.

When I taught at American University ten years ago, my students didn't have email accounts. It was rare to have a computer in the classroom. In class this week at George Mason I showed communication students the social media revolution clip you watched above that highlights how Boston College no longer gives new students an email address because email is considered passe'.

Where will my students write? Is journalism dead? How will they make money? Good questions. We'll know the answers soon. One thing I know for sure is the world of print and broadcast are no longer separate. In fact, these students will do print (maybe, although newspapers are folding here, there and everywhere), they will do broadcast, they will blog and vlog and Facebook and post and tweet and chat and im. Oh wait, they already do.

Anyone can report. One of my students filed his own story on CNN's iReports this week. He is watching to see if it will be vetted by CNN. Similar sites encourage want-to-be-reporters (unpaid of course) to file stories not getting much coverage in the mainstream press.

What this tells me is there is no complex future coming. It is already here. This is the future. We are creating it right now. It is a social media revolution. No longer are terms such as "new media" valid. It is simply "media."

The media dinosaurs from the three blind mice of yesterday really lost their way. They need to ride the revolution wave and start doing it all. If not, they will become extinct. We are no longer watching your father's six o'clock news with dinner.

Depressed? Don't be. Tina Brown gives hope to Katie Couric. She says the internet will be able to financially support journalists in the future. Right now the worlds are exploding and there is sort of this "volcanic cultural shift" but soon enough we will see a golden age of journalism.

Until then, work cheap!

The change is here. It is now. It is not scary or intimidating. It is powerful and exciting and I'm fired up.

Aren't you?

What will the world look like tomorrow? Open your eyes and look around. Scroll. Search. Click. Stream. Tomorrow is happening today.

The social media clip I shared with you asks: "Are you ready?"

Well, are you?

Blogs: Show Me the Money

2010-04-05T08:04:00.002-04:00

Are blogs making money? Here is one view. It's from a blog I love to hate. Or, should I say, I hate to love! She has no filter. I like that. She makes money from her blog - I like that too.

We are in the midst of a crazy transitional period - what is happening to journalism, to writing, to the world as we knew it (I'm a J-School grad school grad)? It's crazy good or crazy bad. I'll opt for crazy good.

Now, show me the money.

Here is how one woman is doing it.
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/

Holding the Key

2010-02-25T09:23:00.000-05:00

I believe you hold the key. 

We aren't supposed to talk about politics, finances or religion. I don't always follow rules. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't utter the words "God" or "Higher Power" or "Faith."  

For me, this is the key to life. It is the key that unlocks the secret door to Truth. 

All three topics - politics, finances and religion - are great conversation pieces. 

This week a friend asked for thoughts about finding God. This friend is forming a new relationship with a power greater than him (call this power God, or Buddha or Karma or Grace or Love). He is searching for ideas and I love hearing about spiritual journeys.

The search for Truth is an ongoing dialogue with many of my friends and readers. It is a popular topic, even in the mainstream. This is why books such as: Conversations with God, Faith and Will, and Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith are scooped up. We are all seeking. 

These are my thoughts and my spin. You'll find your own, unless of course we follow the old rule and avoid the conversation for fear of disagreeing. Perhaps politics, money and faith are too private to discuss openly. 

Oh well, there I go breaking rules again.

Your search is beautiful. No right or wrong answer. It is all yours. No punishing adults to tell you when you are off track. No dismissive authority figure to put you down. Just love, friendship and your own personal relationship with God (when I say "God" I mean to say "higher power" whatever it is, or will be, for you).

- It has to be my own personal experiences with God. Until I could think about my own experiences with God (not some old, worn out version) then I could begin to define my relationship.

- I needed to understand what/who I was praying to. Not a rigid definition, but my own experiences and relationship. Not defined by someone else. I had to believe. I came to believe...
     
- What experiences have you shared. Go back as young as a child. Not the "father-figure/authoritative God" but the moments in life where you felt a presence. Where you talked to God and you knew there was something else at work in the world.

For me, God became a "feeling" of experiences. I could recognize
     this by remembering the times when I didn't feel alone. What were they for you? 

- This is your own God, your own relationship. What is the "ideal" definition of God if you could create one? What adjectives would you use? 

- God is Divine Mind - in this mind there are no limitations (no authority and no right or wrong). No limitations or restrictions.

- Instead of a Father/Son or Boss/Employee relationship, perhaps there is an Eternal Good sense. Or a Pure of Heart feeling. Have you ever felt this? Not scolding or condescending but a presence of not being alone. An overwhelming sense of peace - dare I say serenity. There can be no forgiveness without Absolute Love.
     
- Truth. What is your truth? What is your good and bad? Shine the light on that. Acceptance is God. A prayer I like: "God, help me to see the truth. Help me to set aside everything I think I know about you so I may have an open mind and a new experience."

- These are all ways I found my own experience with God and left the "old definition" of what I thought God was, or had to be. 

- I think of God as my God/me = Protector or Guiding Force/I am the Seeker of His Will Rather than a Righteous Father/a fearful child.

- I had to create my own conception of God. Then I could pray to this God...I came up with the following:
God is the nurturing, source of absolute grace, the conscious spirit, pure selflessness and humility, oneness and goodness and truth and ultimately love, which is everlasting and found within me and found in you. Eternal and infinite.

In essence, God is grace, presence and love within.

Finally, God is love.

I Am Living in Truth If.....

2010-02-05T19:53:00.001-05:00

You've heard me talk about graceful Emmet Fox before. I find anything Emmet always inspiriting. Fox kept it simple, just the way it should be. In life, he said, we should live in Truth. I agree, but how do we do this? How do we know if we are on the right path?

A friend reminded me today how living in Truth is actually quite easy. I believe many of us complicate simplicity, if that makes sense. Wouldn't it be nice if there was some sort of list (how I love my lists) to know if we are really in Truth. You see where this is going, don't you? A new checklist! Yes, it can be that easy - a checklist toward Truth.

Are you living in Truth? There is a list for this, compliments of Emmet. Take a moment to see how many of the points you hit. Do it today. Do it again tomorrow. Do it the next day....track your progress....you get the idea.

I Am Really In Truth If:

If I always look for the best in each person, situation and thing.

If I resolutely turn my back on the past, good or bad and live only in the present.

If I forgive everybody without exception, no matter what he or she may have done; and if I then forgive myself completely.

If I regard my job as sacred and do my work to the best of my ability.

If I take every means to demonstrate a healthy body and harmonious surroundings.

If I endeavor to make my life of as much service to others as possible.

If I take every opportunity wisely to spread the knowledge of Truth to others.

If I rigidly refrain from personal criticism, and neither speak nor listen to gossip.

If I devote at least a hour a day to spirituality, meditation and meaningful reading.

If I specifically claim spiritual understanding of myself every day.

If I train myself to give the first thought on waking to how I may help others.

If I live life always doing the next right thing. Think of the Golden Rule - the important point is that I practice it whether the other person does so or not.

If above all, I understand that whatever I see is but a picture which can be changed for the better through living in Truth.

Are you observing these points in your life? Are you living in Truth? I know there are a few glaring points I need to work on. Always be gentle on yourself, and always remember this is a journey - a search for Truth. Someone I love defines spirituality as the search for meaning in life. I like that. Hope you do too.

The author took the liberty of editing the points to keep it "even more" simple.

How's the "No Sugar" Thing Going?

2010-01-24T16:16:00.003-05:00

It's a journey, that's for sure. The first month of the new year is not over and already I've felt an enormous increase in energy (some call it raw energy) and my moods are happy and authentic.

Now, here is some Basic 101 from me to you - in hopes of getting you to join my journey. So many of you have asked me how to get started. The first and easiest way to answer this question is to say: "No refined sugar."

This is the start. Well, first the desire to stop eating crap...followed by the intention to stop eating refined sugar. Once you have an initial detox from this (I did and it took almost two weeks) you may crave more fruit than you could ever imagine (I did). There are many schools of thought about this - I am the more "mild" and "flexible." My rule of thumb is this: If I'm not eating refined sugar then it is fine (for now). I increased my smoothie intake, I fuel up on apples and grapes and I chose organic dried mango from Whole Foods above and beyond anything green. But that is just for now.

Soon enough, if I can keep the refined sugar at bay, I will explore more of this beautiful, alive and fresh world of real, live and raw foods. By this I mean to say that one day I may convert - my sister Melanie is looking into it - and she has new mental clarity and alertness by exploring the world of fasts, juicing, dehydrating and sprouting.

So far this week I "admitted" to a colleague that I'm a nerd: I don't drink - I don't smoke - I don't eat refined sugar. Geez Beth, what do you do?

Well, here is a link Melanie suggested I look into. http://www.kristensraw.com/

This is what I will do. I will open more organic, clean food cookbooks, I'll devour more blogs, I'll escape into studies about detoxing the mind and body from caffiene, sugar, you name it...and I'll begin my study into living and eating Raw.
If you want to know what to do to get started right now, Kristen's Raw Website has great suggestions. I've taken the following advice and I can vouch that it works.

Start by reducing or eliminating junk food, packaged snacks, fried foods, coffee, alcohol, white sugar, and white flour. Here is the first step: Go through your cabinets and just throw them away. Don't say, "I'll just eat these but not replace them," actually toss them out. Ceremoniously, if you like. Your life is about to change.

Next to go, I believe, is cooked starches, and later, wheat (and then red meat and dairy products). As for going Raw? I will read more and get back to you.

For now I need to focus on: 1) no sugar 2) low carbs 3) real food 4) nothing processed 5) more omega-3's and more fish to be enough. 6) increase my Yoga & Meditation practice. For me it is a new life....for now....

Goal for the week: It is time to say "goodbye" to the fat and sugar-free Klondike bars in my freezer - they aren't really food you know.

Raw Food appeals to me because you have a very clear description of what you eat - nothing processed, nothing enhanced, nothing you can't pronounce and nothing dead. Sugar and Fat-Free labels help, but if left to my own interpretation I will find the wiggle room.

Truth be told, I really do miss chocolate, but I know how my mind works. Here is an example - This week a friend recommended Jell-O fat and sugar-free instant pudding mix. All you do is add two cold cups of skim milk, mix for two minutes and put in fridge. When the chocolate cravings come, and they do, indulge. Thing is, I do this once and it is ALL I think about. I'll work on this in February.

Has anyone heard of an all-chocolate diet? Hhmm, I could be tempted.

Next blog I'll share a few of my home creations. Be warned.

A New Life - The timing must feel right

2010-01-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

If the timing feels right for you - it does for me - to begin to change your life from food addiction to freedom, then this list is for you.
This blog is about what I'm eating and about a new experience. Of course, you know me, I've researched and studied and read and culled and devoured endless material guiding me on nutrition and how to start my new life.
My life is already rich, full of grace, happiness, mindfulness, contentment with what I have, and a sense of acceptance with what I don't have (or no longer have...like the large colonial home in the sophisticated country of Connecticut, a huge, green and natural back yard, a garden with an arbor, and full and overflowing window boxes).
Yes, all "stuff" but everything about this physical plane added to my serenity. We should all be blessed to be around what we love. Although two years ago I said goodbye to New England country life and said a reluctant hello to a much busier and expensive Northern Virginia lifestyle, I'm finding acceptance. What I've discovered: I'm surrounded by meaning already. It is true, the expression, we already have what we need and life is just as it should be.
Nearness and daily love with my daughters. A life that is less overwhelming and as simple as I can create it. Books and books and more books piled in my shelves and on my bed stand. A spiritual adviser, work I love (deeply) and a willingness to be in the moment as much as possible.
How does this relate to food? My wellness is my priority now. And my daughters have been told "no refined sugar" will enter our cozy dwelling. I'm told - I've read - it is a matter of three 24 hours and a powerful detox is complete. But there is more. A commitment to a new way of life. Such as, water only. Some herbal tea perhaps. Living raw and naked. Any whole food served raw or gently steamed is allowed. No dressings. No creamy sauces. Not much from the white family.
What follows is a simple list for my blog readers who have asked what I am doing...what I am eating...how I'm doing it.
Well, for started one day at a time - this is the beginning - meditation and quiet and simplicity - less noise and less unwanted distractions. Best of all - this list. It was compiled by a mix of "experts" I trust. I'll share it with you.
Let me know if you begin your own journey, where you are with it, and how it makes you feel. When we shed pounds we also shed emotional baggage. Good luck and congratulations.
Please pardon me for sounding so damn enthusiastic, but this is something I've talked about doing for years. Now, it's early 2010 and I begin. It is a healthier path, in many ways, and it is what I need to do. I know this down to the core.
It also feels like freedom.
The list
raw nuts
dried fruit (not the crappy, processed kind)
go organic whenever possible (avoiding pesticides and hormones)
the raw nuts and dried fruit replace your usual snacks
dark chocolate is an option for some - not for me right now
dried beans and brown rice (soak in a bowl of water overnight to allow the sprouting process to take place...remember your Mom did this...somehow Americans forgot this simple practice in their quest for speed)
cook the rice and beans to a boil, add coriander, cumin, perhaps sauteed onions
cerviche - chopped fish, chilled, mix with lemon juice (real lemons), onions, some cilantro
root veggies - barely boil or steam
if you eat meat chose organic chicken or small cuts of filet
veggie juice or smoothies (blender or juicer required)
sashimi
sea veggies (try an Asian market for best prices)
use herring to add flavor to fish - use a raw vinegar, onions and spice for flavor
only eat non-farmed salmon
kale
mushrooms
wheat germ (i need to learn more about this)
bee pollen
small amount of raw honey (make sure it is raw and no heat is used to cull it)
grains
lentils
cod liver oil (i'm not there yet)
raw oysters (a favorite0
clams and mussels steamed (not there yet either)
blackberries
blueberries

You get the idea. Bon Appetite

Some Have Habits...Some Have Addictions

2010-01-02T23:36:00.001-05:00

addiction (-dkshn)

1. A physical or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, such as a drug or alcohol. In physical addiction, the body adapts to the substance being used and gradually requires increased amounts to reproduce the effects originally produced by smaller doses.

2. Habitual or compulsive involvement.

Time to come clean.
I'm addicted to the white stuff.

My most important Resolution (goal, hope, dream, intention, determination, fill in the blank) is to go cold turkey and simply say "no" to sugar.

In other words, I no longer eat refined sugar.

I can have no wiggle room. The white stuff, even a little dose, is not an option.

It is hidden in everything - in the strangest of places - in foods that would surprise you.

I wish it weren't so, and it is something I work on, but I live in a very all or nothing world. Black and white works for me. Cold turkey it is. Up or down. Right or wrong. Marathon or a stroll. I don't do things small. Either I'm on board or I'm off board. I've either succeeded or I've failed utterly.

But what I'm learning is the beauty in life is failing utterly. Then the sugar-free sunrise can be that much more captivating - especially with no emotional hangover - no up and down rollercoaster. Just life. Balanced and healthy and exactly the way I want it.

Hang on for the ride. No doubt I'll blog again about this addiction and kicking sugar's ass! But first comes detox.

The Essence of Life

2009-12-03T11:37:00.005-05:00

The holidays, aside from the vulgar commercialism, can be spiritually uplifting. No matter your religion, or your beliefs or your spirituality, there is an essence of life for us all.

The ideas you are about to read are not my own - they are culled from history, ancient times, and the works of an incredible teacher whose identity you will come to learn.

I wish these ideas came from me alone, but they did not. I wish I could take credit for the well crafted sentences you're about to read, but I cannot.

Please note proper attributions at the end of this blog entry for further discovery.

Thank you for reading my blog and books this year. I wish you all a blessed and happy and merry holiday season. May your new year begin with old wisdom.

Here is, what I believe, the essence of life. With Gratitude, Beth

Truth turns out to be nothing less than the amazing but undeniable fact that the whole outer world - whether it be the physical body, the common things of life, the winds and the rain, the clouds, the earth itself - is amenable to a man's thought, and that he has dominion over it when he knows it.

The outer world, far from being the prison of circumstances that it is commonly supposed to be, has actually no character whatsoever of its own, either good or bad. It has only the character that we give to it by our own thinking.

For me, this is the key - our own thinking.

It is naturally plastic to our thought, and this is so , whether we know it or not, and whether we wish it or not.

All day long the thoughts that occupy your mind, your Secret Place, as Jesus calls it, are molding in your destiny for good or evil.

In fact, the truth is that the whole of our life's experience is but the outer expression of inner thought. Ah, there it is! The essence of life!

Now we can chose the sort of thoughts that we entertain. It will be a little difficult to break a bad habit of thought, but it can be done. We can choose how we shall think - in point of fact, we always do choose - and therefore our lives are just the result of the kind of thoughts we have chosen to hold; and therefore they are of our own ordering; and therefore there is perfect justice in the universe.

There it is again - the essence of life. In case you missed it: and therefore our lives are just the result of the kind of thoughts we have chosen to hold.

But what about the sin part? The guilt? The we-are-horrible-people-and-must-be punished-for-our-sins-part? The reason why so many of us turn away from the dogma and are turned off by the very word Religion.... If our lives then, are the direct result of the thoughts that we have chosen to hold, then....No suffering from another man's original sin, but the reaping of a harvest that ourselves have sown.

But what about free will you may ask? We have free will, but our free will lies in our choice of thought (thus aligning us with that age old question of "what is God's will for me?)... replace God with whatever Higher Power you chose to believe in. It makes sense to me if I think of it this way, We have free will, but our free will lies in our choice of thought. If our thoughts are pure in spirit they are aligned with the will of the God of our own understanding.

This is in essence what Jesus taught. It is THE underlying message of the whole Bible.

Which brings us to The Secret Truth or The Great Law of the Universe. What is it? This essence? As within, so without. What you think in your mind you will produce in your experience.

Yes, it's that simple.

note: "What Did Jesus Teach?" Read more in Emmet Fox's The Key to Success in Life, 1934 (Analysis of The Sermon on the Mount).

Give the Gift of GRACE and Buy THE BOOK Here

2009-11-30T13:04:00.004-05:00

laws of simplicity

2009-10-24T05:13:00.008-04:00

There are "laws" to simplicity - of course there are - just like there are laws of the universe - laws of attraction - laws for life. I like simple in our age of complex. Lately I wonder why everyone is spinning their wheels, there seems to be too much angst, and it worries me.

Facebook, blogging, emailing, MySpace, Twitter, websites for the sake of maintaining a website, the churning and grinding of recycled information - I'm guilty of it too. Why do we do it? Is it self-imposed? Is any of it necessary? I already know the answers to those questions and so do you.

Reminds me of a junior high school play I was in called The Gigo Effect. I didn't understand the full complexity to the topic then but I felt the warning and knew there would come a day. Mind you this was back when electric typewriters were not commonplace and the Commodor 64 was but a baby. Maybe a few hacks were posting on bulletin boards but most hadn't any idea such an electronic world existed. The Gigo Effect? Garbage In/Garbage Out.

I like these laws. I like theories and the art of communication. I like the fundamentals of journalism and the news that brings me just that, new(s) as in "the new" as in something new I can learn. I was once a junkie, and I've got that news addiction under control. I've tried the mainstream technology fads (thus the blog) and I can say that 95% of it (twitter, tweak, twit, tweek? huh? myspace, yourspace, whosespace? who cares?) is but a waste of (my) time.

That said, a self-imposed experiment: limit access, less is more, cease unecessary blackberry activity, phase out the texting, voicemail and email checks (is anyone really so important?), forget the tweaks, unless breaking news, slow the wheels, stop the spinning, "analyze this" and blog that, gimme' a grinding halt, enough is enough. Ah, sigh!

Aren't you tired? I'm tired. Maybe it is time for us to heed the call to a more simple way of life. After all, there are "laws" to follow - if we want to restructure, downsize, regroup, resize, rightsize, newsize or simplisize (made that up). My thoughts - unless you are paid for it or truly find joy in it - then stop surfing, posting, using, buying, watching, talking, mindless eating, you get the idea. On that note, if I haven't used it in a year it is clutter. Recycle, donate, par down. In other words - garbage out - make room for what really matters.
Here are some 'simple' laws should you be so inclined.

1. Reduce Simplicity by thoughtful reduction

2. Organize System of many appear few

3. Time Save time and feel simplicity

4. Learn Knowledge makes things simpler

5. Differences Simplicity & Complexity need each other

6. Context Outside simplicity is not peripheral

7. Emotion More emotions not less

8. Trust In simplicity we trust

9. Failure Some things cannot be simplified

10.The One Subtract obvious, add the meaningful

Maeda, John. The Laws of Simplicity : Design, Technology, Business, Life

my new favorite quote

2009-10-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

“Live simply
so that others
may simply live.”
— Mahatma Gandhi

nonduality inspiration

2009-10-23T07:45:00.000-04:00

When we turn the mind inwards, God manifests as the inner consciousness.
Sri Ramana Maharshi

All separation, every kind of estrangement and alienation is false. All is one.
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Boundary lines, of any type, are never found in the real world itself, but only in the imagination of the mapmakers.
Ken Wilber

Oneness is like the clear blue sky - everything arises, unfolds, and subsides within its all-compassionate love... Everything is an aspect of Oneness. And our quest to know this comes from Oneness.
Abhinavagupta

The world exists only when we think about it; creation stories are for children. In reality the world is created every moment.
Jean Klein

Self-Realization or Enlightenment is nothing more than the deepest possible understanding that there is no individual doer of any action - neither you nor anyone else. Also you are not the thinker of any thoughts, nor the experiencer of any experiences - they happen. When it happens, no bright lights are likely to flash in your head!
Ramesh Balsekar

Sagehood has nothing to do with governing others but is a matter of ordering oneself. Nobility has nothing to do with power and rank but is a matter of self realization. Attain self-realization, and the whole world is found in the self. Happiness has nothing to do with wealth and status, but is a matter of harmony.
Lao-tze

We dream that we are awake, we dream that we are asleep. The three states are only varieties of the dream state. Treating everything as a dream liberates. As long as you give reality to dreams, you are their slave. By imaging that you are born as so and so, you become a slave to the so-and-so. The essence of slavery is to imagine yourself to be a process, to have past and future, to have history.
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

To be conscious of Being, you need to reclaim consciousness from the mind. This is one of the most essential tasks on your spiritual journey.
Eckhart Tolle

what's God got to do with homework?

2009-10-12T09:59:00.003-04:00

skye, my gifted 4th grader, is awake too late with me working on her homework. soccer practice threw off the after school routine, she's tired and now complaining about why she is the only one in the whole wide world who has do homework, blah blah blah.... i remember those days.

so i'm sitting with her and i have my own reading to do - my notebook is open and i'm jotting down ideas that come to mind about God, my conception of God and what a Higher Power means to me. this is a suggested exercise my "spiritual adviser" recommended in my quest to discover the meaning of life :)

i think, what a perfect opportunity to bond with my daughter. one of my favorite things is to get into philosophical discussions about our purpose, about love and about life with my daughters. i lean over toward skye and say, "i'm doing my homework too." well, sort of homework.

her face lights up. she's intrigued and asks, "really mom? you are? what's your homework?" now i'm thinking what a wonderful teaching opportunity this moment is presenting! i want my girls to think for themselves about religion and spirituality and philosophy and the meaning of life -

it is always my intention to avoid spoon-feeding them any of my beliefs and encourage them to analyze and dissect and pontificate about their own ideas and questions about life. i'm excited to see where this conversation might lead. but most of all i'm happy to let skye know she isn't alone, awake tonight, doing her work.

i begin to answer, "well, my homework is a little different than yours. i'm thinking about God and defining who or what God is for me and I'm writing my conception or definition of God...."

skye looks at me with a puzzled expression, rolls her eyes and says, without missing a beat, "yeah, whatever mom, but "God" doesn't have to be defined by tomorrow and my math has to be done."

back to the real world.

texture of life

2009-10-01T08:18:00.003-04:00

i like having texture in my life - all kinds - colorful, subtle, soft, grainy, bold, calm, beautiful and serene. i have found the perfect texture to use for my next book SIMPLE GRACE DAILY MIRACLES. the photography i've selected comes from artist (a camera in hand since age 10) Borealnz. here is a link to Borealnz's textures - to me they represent the complexity as well as the simplicity of life. enjoy! www.flickr.com/photos/borealnz

Submit Your Miracle Story for Publication

2009-09-28T19:24:00.011-04:00

I was inspired a long time ago, by Walt Whitman, to write a book about Miracles. My shift in perception about the world - from living in fear to living in love - is a small, personal miracle.

I believe we all have daily miracles and my next book titled: SIMPLE GRACE - DAILY MIRACLES is just that - it is an intimate look into our daily lives at the small but meaningful miracle moments that make up this thing called life.

I see miracles everywhere! Do you? If you feel moved to share your story with me - your own miracle, something profound that happened in your life - please submit it to me for consideration. If I use any of your work you will be acknowledged.

Enjoy this inspiration for you from Leaves of Grass...
Walt Whitman (1819–1892)
Miracles

WHY! who makes much of a miracle?
As to me, I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach, just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love—or sleep in the bed at night with any one I love,

Or sit at table at dinner with my mother,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive, of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds—or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sun-down—or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite, delicate, thin curve of the new moon in spring;
Or whether I go among those I like best, and that like me best—mechanics, boatmen, farmers,

Or among the savans—or to the soiree—or to the opera,
Or stand a long while looking at the movements of machinery,
Or behold children at their sports,
Or the admirable sight of the perfect old man, or the perfect old woman,
Or the sick in hospitals, or the dead carried to burial,
Or my own eyes and figure in the glass;
These, with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring—yet each distinct, and in its place.

To me, every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same;
Every spear of grass—the frames, limbs, organs, of men and women, and all that concerns them,
All these to me are unspeakably perfect miracles.

To me the sea is a continual miracle;
The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the ships, with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?

Watch Simple Grace on TV

2009-09-11T22:54:00.001-04:00

got books?

2009-09-09T10:56:00.000-04:00

Simple Grace

Daily Joys

By beth jannery

Book Preview

shop SIMPLE GRACE books

2009-09-09T10:55:00.001-04:00

Simple Grace

Awareness - Medita...

By Beth Jannery

Book Preview

Living Life (without Twitter or Facebook)

2009-08-31T18:40:00.003-04:00

To me, the twitterverse is like a river of human awareness, composed of billions of tiny 140 character molecules - each a snapshot of life or a thought or a reflection. A river of pure information that equals energy, according to the laws of quantum thermodynamics and stochastic processes. A river of life flowing by us as we meditate at its bank like some Siddhartha wannabe, in tattered jeans and Oakley sunglasses instead of orchid robes and begging bowl. And now, after long last, we see.

We see the beauty of the river, that some now call ambient awareness.

We reach in and touch the water of human consciousness.

Little eddies form - those are called tweetclouds.

We can be one with the river.

Or not.

It's all good.

Psychology Today runs a wonderful series of articles about the phenomenon of social networking and the psychology and neuroscience behind it. Quote attributed to a savvy writer named Moses Ma (see more of his work by clicking the headline).

time and change

2009-08-30T21:40:00.003-04:00

Most students entering college for the first time this fall were born in 1991.

1. For these students, Martha Graham, Pan American Airways, Michael Landon, Dr. Seuss, Miles Davis, The Dallas Times Herald, Gene Roddenberry, and Freddie Mercury have always been dead.
2. Dan Rostenkowski, Jack Kevorkian, and Mike Tyson have always been felons.
3. The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables.
4. They have never used a card catalog to find a book.
5. Margaret Thatcher has always been a former prime minister.
6. Salsa has always outsold ketchup.
7. Earvin "Magic" Johnson has always been HIV-positive.
8. Tattoos have always been very chic and highly visible.
9. They have been preparing for the arrival of HDTV all their lives.
10. Rap music has always been main stream.
11. Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream has always been a flavor choice.
12. Someone has always been building something taller than the Willis (née Sears) Tower in Chicago.
13. The KGB has never officially existed.
14. Text has always been hyper.
15. They never saw the “Scud Stud” (but there have always been electromagnetic stud finders.)
16. Babies have always had a Social Security Number.
17. They have never had to “shake down” an oral thermometer.
18. Bungee jumping has always been socially acceptable.
19. They have never understood the meaning of R.S.V.P.
20. American students have always lived anxiously with high-stakes educational testing.
21. Except for the present incumbent, the President has never inhaled.
22. State abbreviations in addresses have never had periods.
23. The European Union has always existed.
24. McDonald's has always been serving Happy Meals in China.
25. Condoms have always been advertised on television.
26. Cable television systems have always offered telephone service and vice versa.
27. Christopher Columbus has always been getting a bad rap.
28. The American health care system has always been in critical condition.
29. Bobby Cox has always managed the Atlanta Braves.
30. Desperate smokers have always been able to turn to Nicoderm skin patches.
31. There has always been a Cartoon Network.
32. The nation’s key economic indicator has always been the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
33. Their folks could always reach for a Zoloft.
34. They have always been able to read books on an electronic screen.
35. Women have always outnumbered men in college.
36. We have always watched wars, coups, and police arrests unfold on television in real time.
37. Amateur radio operators have never needed to know Morse code.
38. Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Estonia have always been independent nations.
39. It's always been official: President Zachary Taylor did not die of arsenic poisoning.
40. Madonna’s perspective on Sex has always been well documented.
41. Phil Jackson has always been coaching championship basketball.
42. Ozzy Osbourne has always been coming back.
43. Kevin Costner has always been Dancing with Wolves, especially on cable.
44. There have always been flat screen televisions.
45. They have always eaten Berry Berry Kix.
46. Disney’s Fantasia has always been available on video, and It’s a Wonderful Life has always been on Moscow television.
47. Smokers have never been promoted as an economic force that deserves respect.
48. Elite American colleges have never been able to fix the price of tuition.
49. Nobody has been able to make a deposit in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).
50. Everyone has always known what the evening news was before the Evening News came on.
51. Britney Spears has always been heard on classic rock stations.
52. They have never been Saved by the Bell
53. Someone has always been asking: “Was Iraq worth a war?”
54. Most communities have always had a mega-church.
55. Natalie Cole has always been singing with her father.
56. The status of gays in the military has always been a topic of political debate.
57. Elizabeth Taylor has always reeked of White Diamonds.
58. There has always been a Planet Hollywood.
59. For one reason or another, California’s future has always been in doubt.
60. Agent Starling has always feared the Silence of the Lambs.
61. “Womyn” and “waitperson” have always been in the dictionary.
62. Members of Congress have always had to keep their checkbooks balanced since the closing of the House Bank.
63. There has always been a computer in the Oval Office.
64. CDs have never been sold in cardboard packaging.
65. Avon has always been “calling” in a catalog.
66. NATO has always been looking for a role.
67. Two Koreas have always been members of the UN.
68. Official racial classifications in South Africa have always been outlawed.
69. The NBC Today Show has always been seen on weekends.
70. Vice presidents of the United States have always had real power.
71. Conflict in Northern Ireland has always been slowly winding down.
72. Migration of once independent media like radio, TV, videos and compact discs to the computer has never amazed them.
73. Nobody has ever responded to “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”
74. Congress could never give itself a mid-term raise.
75. There has always been blue Jell-O.

To see the source please visit: www.beloit.edu/mindset

Simple

2009-08-28T10:45:00.003-04:00

sim⋅ple

/ˈsɪmpəl/ Show Spelled [sim-puhl] Show IPA adjective, -pler, -plest, noun

–adjective
1.easy to understand, deal with, use, etc.: a simple matter; simple tools.
2.not elaborate or artificial; plain: a simple style.
3.not ornate or luxurious; unadorned: a simple gown.
4.unaffected; unassuming; modest: a simple manner.
5.not complicated: a simple design.
6.not complex or compound; single.
7.occurring or considered alone; mere; bare: the simple truth; a simple fact.
8.free of deceit or guile; sincere; unconditional: a frank, simple answer.
9.common or ordinary: a simple soldier.
10.not grand or sophisticated; unpretentious: a simple way of life.
11.humble or lowly: simple folk.
12.inconsequential or rudimentary.
13.unlearned; ignorant.
14.lacking mental acuteness or sense: a simple way of thinking.
15.unsophisticated; naive; credulous.
16. simpleminded.
17.Chemistry.
a.composed of only one substance or element: a simple substance.
b.not mixed.
18.Botany. not divided into parts: a simple leaf; a simple stem.
19.Zoology. not compound: a simple ascidian.
20.Music. uncompounded or without overtones; single: simple tone.
21.Grammar. having only the head without modifying elements included: The simple subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “pony.” Compare complete (def. 5).
22.(of a verb tense) consisting of a main verb with no auxiliaries, as takes (simple present) or stood (simple past) (opposed to compound ).
23.Mathematics. linear (def. 7).
24.Optics. (of a lens) having two optical surfaces only.
–noun
25.an ignorant, foolish, or gullible person.
26.something simple, unmixed, or uncompounded.
27.simples, Textiles. cords for controlling the warp threads in forming the shed on draw-looms.
28.a person of humble origins; commoner.
29.an herb or other plant used for medicinal purposes: country simples.
Origin:
1175–1225; (adj.) ME < OF < LL simplus simple, L (in simpla pecunia simple fee or sum), equiv. to sim- one (see simplex ) + -plus, as in duplus duple, double (see -fold ); c. Gk háplos (see haplo- ); (n.) ME: commoner, deriv. of the adj.

—Related forms
sim⋅ple⋅ness, noun

—Synonyms
1. clear, intelligible, understandable, unmistakable, lucid. 2. natural, unembellished, neat. 8. artless, guileless, ingenuous. 10. See homely. 12. trifling, trivial, nonessential, unnecessary. 13. untutored, stupid.

SIMPLE GRACE COACHING

2009-08-06T13:03:00.002-04:00

Simple Grace Books has expanded! Simple Grace now offers Coaching for adults and teenagers. Life Coaching has its roots in psychotherapy and counseling. Coaching is less expensive than traditional therapy & different in that Coaching provides clients with guidance to set intentions & achieve desired results.

Simple Grace Coaching includes life, career, relationship, teen, parent, addiction, family and spiritual coaching. Simple Grace Books offers several non-fiction, self-awareness & healing books.

Rates are $120 per session for Individual Coaching. Sessions are 50 minutes.

SimpleGraceOffice@gmail.com
www.BethJannery.com
571.926.9089

daily bread = love

2009-07-27T17:49:00.001-04:00

"There is more hunger for love and
appreciation in this world than for bread."
- Mother Teresa

what can you do with what you already have?

2009-07-27T14:02:00.003-04:00

People are always wanting more out of life. They want to be more, do more, more, more more.... What if what you are doing right now was enough? What if the person you are today is enough?

"Do what you can, with what you have,
where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

nirvana

2009-07-15T21:32:00.003-04:00

yes, there is a nirvana & it is leading your sheep to a green pasture. and in putting your child to sleep. and in writing the last line of your poem. - kahil gibran

chakra this, chakra that

2009-07-09T18:19:00.006-04:00

Life seems to be going a little chakra crazy. Lots interesting & stimulating conversations and questions in my life lately about chakras, colors and energy - chi - work. Here is a beginners guide for those who want to discover their inner chakra :) Chakra 101 - a little of this, a little of that. Don't you just LOVE learning something new!

There are seven major Chakra centers of the physical body, where vital energy flows and intersects. Through our Chakras, we transmit and receive physical, emotional, and spiritual energy. The chakras are manifested in one's physical state. The ideal is to have all chakra centers clear, balanced, and vitalized for optimal well-being. The chakra system goes back to ancient eastern masters. Each chakra is associated with a particular area of the body and a color of the spectrum. Stones are used at chakra centers for clearing, revitalizing, and healing.

The seven major chakras are:

Root Chakra The First Chakra is the Base or Root Chakra. Located between the Sphincter muscle and the Scrotum (for men). And (for women) it is located between the Sphincter muscle and the vaginal cavity. It's our grounding energy centre, keeping our feet firmly on the ground and our mind focused on physical and creative matters. It also governs our reproductive organs and our sexual vitality. The first chakra provides stability, grounding, physical energy, will, and security.
ASSOCIATED COLOR: Red. In all cultures, red is the color of life, warmth, and vitality. It stimulates the life force.

Sacral Chakra The Second Chakra is the Sacral or Spleen Chakra. Its location is about one inch below the navel and about one inch inward towards the diaphragm. Its basis is in emotions, sexuality and desires. It controls our relationships and social interactions with others. Physically this Chakra works on our lower intestines and digestive system. The second chakra governs creativity, healing, sexuality and reproduction, desire, emotion, intuition. ASSOCIATED COLOR: Orange; a warm and positive color, it is the color of nourishment and circulation.

Solar Plexus Chakra The Third Chakra is the Solar Plexus Chakra. Its location is the central cavity of the lungs, just below the breastbone. It is the root of our emotional balance, personal power and metabolic energy. When we feel upset, angry or hurt we often feel this Chakra. Its primal essence is that of the Will. Physically this Chakra works on the stomach and liver area. The third chakra governs intellect, ambition, personal power, and protection.
ASSOCIATED COLOR: Yellow , which stands for intelligence.

Heart Chakra The Fourth Chakra is the Heart Chakra. Its location is about 2-3 inches above the solar plexus in the centre of the chest. It roots out to the heart as well and its area is the general area between the upper lung cavity to the heart cavity. This Chakra is our love centre it controls our unconditional feelings and thoughts, associations, relations and compassion. It is responsible for the Heart, Circulatory and Respiratory systems.The fourth chakra facilitates love, compassion, universal consciousness, and emotional balance. ASSOCIATED COLOR: Green; a calming color.

Throat Chakra The Fifth Chakra is the Throat Chakra. Its location is about the midway point between the skull and the lower neck cavity. It is about one inch inward from the throat. As the name suggests this Chakra works on our throat encouraging communication and creativity. Physically this Chakra works on our thymus and thyroid glands. The fifth chakra governs communications and expression. ASSOCIATED COLOR: Blue; the color of innocence, blue is cooling, calming, and healing.

Third Eye Chakra The Sixth Chakra is the Third Eye Chakra. Its location is the central cavity of the brain, centered above the eyebrows. Known as the psychic energy center, this Chakra is highly active in mediums. Its basis is the intuition faculty and governs our senses. It is the link from which we perceive the higher zones and higher planes. Its essence is within the astral and dreaming worlds. The sixth chakra facilitates spiritual awareness, psychic power, intuition, and light.
ASSOCIATED COLOR: Indigo; the color of mystery and mysticism, it allows space for mental freedom.

Crown Chakra The Seventh Chakra is the Crown Chakra. Its location is at the pivotal axis point of the skull at the very top of the head. It is where the three platings of the skull intersect, frontal lobe, the left and right hemispheres. Its basis is that of knowledge, information, understanding. This Chakra is our spiritual gateway and higher self. Its essence is that of blissfulness. On a physical level this chakra is responsible for our head and nervous system. The seventh chakra is used for enlightenment, cosmic consciousness, energy, and perfection.

Summer Porches

2009-07-06T20:35:00.005-04:00

NOTHING BETTER THAN SUMMER ON A FRONT PORCH...

I question not if thrushes sing,
If roses load the air;
Beyond my heart I need not reach
When all is summer there.
~John Vance Cheney

Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne.
~Barry Cornwall

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. ~Albert Camus

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. ~Celia Thaxter

The summer night is like a perfection of thought. ~Wallace Stevens

In summer, the song sings itself. ~William Carlos Williams

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~Sam Keen

the faults of others

2009-07-01T09:23:00.002-04:00

Pay no attention to the faults of others, things done or left undone by others. Consider only what by oneself is done or left undone. -Buddhist Quote

Today, allow "calm" to be present within. Observe your role in any situation, past or present, acknowledge it and find the grace to accept and move on. It does not matter what he or she did - it only matters what role you played. Breathe it in. Look at it. Let it go.

Simplicity & Spirituality

2009-06-30T09:54:00.004-04:00

What comes first - simplicity or spirituality? One does not usually happen without the other. It is a chicken and egg scenario - I believe simplicity reinforces a sense of spirituality and spiritual beliefs give way to values of simple living.

Please notice - this photograph of inspiring landscape, found on flickr, costs nothing. I have changed consciously since I moved to Northern Virginia from 5 acres and 5,000 feet to two bedrooms and a small porch.

In the past I lived for my Connecticut colonial home - constantly in motion maintaining the house, the property, the gardens, the window boxes and such. It was a great joy, and while I love decorating with vintage flea market finds, at this point in my life I don't relish in the never ending maintenance - instead I want to spend the time with my daughters, carve out free time to take long walks around the nearby lake without worrying about returning to weed. Freedom from the "must-dos" allows me to take time to engage in meaningful conversation with friends, to write and to live along spiritual lines.

I'm practicing Yoga in my small space alone in quiet meditation instead of paying $ for crowded Yoga classes where everyone wears expensive all-natural fiber clothes. When did Yoga turn into a fashion show? A tank top, shorts and bare feet is all I need. Or for embracing a summer day - a simple sundress. Easy.

Perhaps we convince ourselves at times that our way is the only way based on our financial income - we do without because we have to - or we spend because we have it and want to be perceived a certain way. The real question lies in this - when you "have it" how will you live? Will you simplify or complicate?

A book I always go back to is "Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World." In the chapter called "Having Enough" I read this passage when I need a basic reminder that I already have all I need (and it comes from within).

"One's expenses drop dramatically when one seriously examines the impact of consumption on one's spirit, the earth, other people and one's time. In that sense, reducing expenses is easy, since we see the true costs of our actions."

To be honest and truthful, this was not always the case for me. I spent many times without thinking - or thinking having and accumulating would bring a form of happiness but the relief is fast and fleeting - the void is never filled. Today that emptiness or hole can be filled with mindfulness and serenity instead of materialism and wanting.

Learn more about simplicity and spirituality by joining The Simple Grace Program. Please contact me if you'd like more information or to register today. My email is: bethjannery@gmail.com

Click Here to View The Simple Grace Program on a NewTalk Show

2009-06-25T23:00:00.002-04:00

Tune in to The Sarak Show airing July 2009 and beyond...

Check Out The Simple Grace Program on a new talk show

2009-06-25T23:00:00.000-04:00

Check out Sarak and Beth on The Sarak Show, airing in Virginia this July
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQDyD9779xM

holding on to anger

2009-06-15T09:32:00.002-04:00

In Buddhism there is this idea that holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else, you are the one getting burned.

returning to your source

2009-06-15T07:35:00.002-04:00

As the proverb says, No river can return to its source, yet all rivers must have a beginning.

ego & the spiritual dimension

2009-06-04T18:26:00.002-04:00

You must have failed deeply on some level or experienced some deep loss or pain to be drawn to the spiritual dimension. Or perhaps your very success became empty and meaningless and so turned out to be a failure. - Eckhart Tolle

www.eckharttolle.com

be yourself - you already know who you are

2009-05-31T08:57:00.002-04:00

All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was naïve. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: that I am nobody but myself.
~Ralph Ellison

New Talk Show

2009-05-28T10:21:00.006-04:00

The Simple Grace Program - How to Live a Meaningful Life will be featured for one year on a new coffee-talk-style talk show. Meet host Sarak and wish her a congratulations for The Sarak Show. Her new show will hit the airwaves this summer.

www.sarakshow.com

It is our light that frightens us

2009-05-27T01:25:00.002-04:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson

2009-05-20T13:29:00.001-04:00

Simple Grace

Awareness - Medita...

By Beth Jannery

Book Preview

rough edges

2009-05-20T07:54:00.003-04:00

With every passing encounter there is a chance to grow or inspire.

Our rough edges can be sanded and smoothed by helping others and by allowing ourselves to be touched by others. We learn then heal then laugh.

Whatever you are going through today - big or small - someone somewhere has been through it and survived. Ask for help. Share your fear with a friend. Feel. Embrace the pain. Inhale grace. Grow. Bloom. Stand vulnerable in the moonlight.

photo: landscape photographer Cliff Lambson

rewards of the simple life

2009-05-15T23:30:00.000-04:00

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ~John Burroughs

a favorite thing to do alone

2009-05-11T15:32:00.003-04:00

http://smithsonian.org/visit/whatsnew/

one of my favorite things to do alone is wander around the Smithsonian Institute. if you haven't done this lately, here is a current link with new events and exhibitions. click, plan, visit, and get lost in thought.

best of all... all the museums are FREE.

here are two that look extra cool:

I Do Solemnly Swear: Photographs of the 2009 Inauguration
here until July 12, 2009

and

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn: Jazz Composers and Their Signature Works
here until June 28, 2009

Find Somebody to Help

2009-05-05T09:49:00.000-04:00

If you have no troubles of your own, go out and find somebody else’s. They are not half so hard to carry and your heart and soul need the exercise. - Hazelden Foundation

Green Pastures

2009-04-23T19:59:00.003-04:00

Yes, there is a nirvana. It is in leading your sheep to a green pasture, And in putting your child to sleep, and in writing the last line of your poem.
-Kahlil Gibran

If what's in your dreams wasn't already inside of you how could you even dream it?
- Kobi Yamada

to feel free...true freedom

2009-04-11T22:25:00.006-04:00

“There are only two kinds of freedom in the world; the freedom of the rich and powerful, and the freedom of the artist and the monk who renounces possessions.”
- Anais Nin

One of my favorite places

2009-04-08T21:37:00.004-04:00

There is Poetry Here....
www.brookfarminn.com
The Brookfarm Inn, located in Lenox, Massachusetts is one of my favorite places. If you have the opportunity to attend this poetry event, or stay at the Inn for a weekend, you will LOVE it. Linda and Phil are amazing, intellectual and kind hosts. The kitchen is worth a gourmet look - very cool decorating style - and the poetry, bookshelves and literary knowledge at the inn is outstanding. Visit www.brookfarminn.com

Each morning you are greeted with a quote of the day - the rooms have Hawthorne and the like - copies of books on the nightstands, maps of hiking trails and Kripalu down the street. Here is a personal invitation if you can make it...

Dear Treasured Guests,
We're pleased to invite you to Brook Farm Inn for a special event on SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2009, at 3:00. Read the details below and stay overnight if you can.
- Linda and Phil Halpern, Innkeepers

"The Four Seasons of Edna St. Vincent Millay" at Brook Farm Inn
You are invited to celebrate the life and works of Edna St. Vincent Millay, at an event on Saturday, May 16, 2009, at 3:00 PM. At Brook Farm Inn, in Lenox Massachusetts, Peter Bergman, Executive Director of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society at Steepletop, will present a program entitled "The Four Seasons of Edna St. Vincent Millay." The program will begin with an unknown, 1920's work, and will end with Millay's final published piece

acceptance

2009-03-30T10:39:00.004-04:00

Meditation for the Day
Be calm, be true, and be quiet. Do not get emotionally upset by anything that happens around you. Feel a deep, inner security in the goodness and purpose in the universe. Be true to your highest ideals. Do not let yourself slip back into the old ways of reacting. Stick to your spiritual guns. Be calm always. Do not talk back or defend yourself too much against accusation, whether false or true. Accept criticism as well as you accept praise.

what do you ache for?

2009-03-27T00:15:00.005-04:00

THE INVITATION

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.
© Mountaindreaming, from the book The Invitation published by HarperSanFrancisco, 1999

the future never comes

2009-03-19T10:38:00.006-04:00

getting tired of hearing the current buzz phrase, "live in the moment." even if people aren't doing it they are saying it, "stay in the day." i'm guilty too, telling others to "experience the now." it can get old... and annoying. yes, we know, forget about yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow, just live in today.
i get it.

but i didn't REALLY get it until i read this passage, "All we have is the present. The past is gone forever and the future never comes. When tomorrow gets here it will be today. Am I living one day at a time?" it clicked.... if there is only right here right now...there is no worrying about the future or regret about the past. right now is the present, the past and the future all in one single day. and it is the only one i have, for today, and up to me how to best savor it. worry or regret or love and truth? it's up to me (and my freewill) to choose.

source: AA Thought for the Day, 24 hour book
image credit: The Mountain of Tomorrow's Sunrise by William Crump

donate to my friend Eddie & MADD

2009-03-18T09:30:00.004-04:00

please help my friend Eddie walk to raise money for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Eddie spends his life helping addicts get clean and sober and he does everything he can to support recovery and MADD. here is his information:

go to: www.walklikemadd.org
go to: Houston
go to: donate to a walker
then: enter "Eddie deRoulet"

thank you

atomic energy

2009-03-16T08:17:00.002-04:00

why i came here, i know not:
where i shall go it is useless to inquire -
in the midst of myriads of the living and the dead worlds, stars, systems, infinity,
why should i be anxious about an atom?

-Lord Byron

eternal point

2009-03-12T08:24:00.004-04:00

when there is no more separation between this and that, it is called the still point of the Tao. at the still point in the centre of the circle one can see the infinite of all things. -Chuang Tzu, China

inspiration comes when it comes

2009-03-07T19:40:00.005-05:00

can't always say where it is going to find me - but inspiration comes when i'm ready to grow. sometimes in nature, or places like a secluded winter island, an old barn holding memories, fields of poppies, in people, in painting, or writing, and in love.

what to do when inspired? wish i knew. feel it i guess. let it be. see what comes to the surface. let inspiration penetrate you deeply in space and time you are unaware of. perhaps a creative spark ignites something new, or who you really are. or just quiet contemplation of a better, more authentic path. if inspired then turn to it, face it, and decide to walk down it.

don't always wonder where it could lead.

Trust yourself, then you will know how to live. -Goethe (1749 - 1832)

three things about life

2009-03-06T14:50:00.002-05:00

three things cannot be long hidden - the sun, the moon, and the truth. -Buddha

life isn't about finding yourself. life is about creating yourself.

Hey Ladies! INVITATION & BOOK SIGNING

2009-03-04T10:23:00.004-05:00

SPECIAL INVITATION FOR MY FRIENDS
Please come to support the ground-breaking Day Habilitation program for Adults with Autism & other Developmental Disabilities

A Simple Grace Book Series Book Signing (buy one, bring one, have one signed) and A Special Private Shopping Spree for Women Only Designed to Refresh, Re-energize and Renew You For the coming spring season

Refresh Your Home Decor
Special presentation by Louis Mazor Interior Designer, Suzanne Levin-Lapides and Meme Marcus, Owner of Penny Green, LTD. (luxury Linens)

Re-Energize As You Accessorize
Featuring: to-die-for Bags from
Emily Levitas' Gotta Have Bags
& Unique Antique & Estate Jewelry from Bijoux Jewels

Renew with a Whole New You
Indulge in a relaxing Neck & Shoulder Massage
Get a fabulous Make-over from our featured
Make-up Artist
De-clutter with tips from our Certified Professional Organizer

Plus, light hors'deouvres, wine, door prizes, goodie bags and more...

All to support our new Day Habilitation program for Adults with Autism & other Developmental Disabilities

Date & Time: Thursday, March 26th, 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Address: The League's Meyerhoff Room
1111 East Cold Spring Lane; Baltimore, MD 21239
Please use the 43rd Street Wellness Center entrance

And best of all...it's free!
But you've got to RSVP to attend...
Call the office to join us: 410.323.0500 ext. 311

www.leagueforpeople.org

real . risk . love . hurt . worth it?

2009-02-28T08:22:00.008-05:00

vulnerable & authentic -
yes or no?
love - are you open to it?
gentle - welcome the quiet moments?
risk - play it safe or open your heart?
pain - can you endure?
alive - do you feel it?
real - are you real?

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?" "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time.

That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.

Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby.

But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

- Margery Williams, from The Velveteen Rabbit

IT GOES ON - appreciating life today

2009-02-27T08:13:00.009-05:00

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - actually said by Abe Lincoln

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on. - Robert Frost

There is only one happiness in life -- to love and to be loved.
- George Sand, French Romantic Writer

selling fast - thank you!

2009-02-25T09:01:00.004-05:00

Simple Grace

Awareness - Medita...

By Beth Jannery

Book Preview

Mom's Little Angel

2009-02-17T16:41:00.005-05:00

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gregory E. Lang (of Daddy's Little Girl and Why a Daughter Needs a Dad fame) hits big this month with his very marketable new release titled: Mom's Little Angel: Stories of the Special Bond Between Mothers and Daughters (HarperOne, an Imprint of HarperCollins).

Doesn't the book title, like the cover, conjure up happy angelic times between a Mom and a daughter? Well, this Mom (of daughters) opens her mail today to find a copy of Lang's new book for review in an envelope. It then gets thrown in a royal blue J. Crew leather bag, stuffed under backpacks and lunches, and later found again on the kitchen counter making a nice stand for the leaky Children's Tylenol fever reducer. Lucky me, my angel Tess is home from preschool (again) after a very long weekend. Did I mention this weekend was long?

Now, as Skye (9) works on her homework reluctantly, screaming "Mom do you have a calculator" from rooms away, and Tess is complaining about her eyelids burning (fever reducer is just kicking in again), and this Mom-doctor-writer is wondering how to carve out the quiet space to give the book the attention it deserves - I finally breathe. The liquid medicine does get wiped off at some point and I grab snippets here and there.

Lang's book does deserve the attention it will get because it accurately highlights this special bond between a mother and daughter, whether in angelic moments or in chaos and insanity, the underlying emotion is love. Love! You will feel this love as you rip through the pages. Most stories (and I've perused most today stealing opportunities as they revealed themselves) give those mommy-heartstrings a tug. But more often than not, my reaction is more like a chill or shiver followed by a welled-up-tear. The selected stories bring forth pure emotion.

Lang says whereas Dad's are the heroic figures for daughters, Mom's are more like the constants in their daughters' lives (as I write this I am of course mindful of the exceptions & sad losses). This book celebrates the constants with applause. The author, being a parent himself, cheers for the daily moments rather than the superhero events. Mom's are the everyday life of the family. This resonates to the core with me since my Simple Grace Book Series is all about celebrating the daily moments in life and feeling the simple grace when it comes.

What comes to mind? Everything you would think - the obvious - heartwarming tales, teary times, warm embraces, skinned knees and Band aids. But Lang delivers more, which readers will welcome, with quotes like: "Too many times I've saved the good stuff for tomorrow, only to find out it was yesterday" and "I never thought I would be good at being a mother, but the moment I looked at my newborn daughter's face, I knew I would do anything and everything for my beautiful baby."

No doubt Mom's Little Angel will become the staple for the Mother's Day and new baby gift market, but it is more than that.

It is a tribute to the struggles mothers and daughters face that are often not mentioned in our sweep-it-under-the-carpet-sunshine-and-roses-world. No, not all the good stuff is spoon fed here. What I like most is the realness of his writing and the stories showing the difficulties in all our lives. We learn that angels aren't pretty and pink with lace and wings but they do come in the form of our little girls - muddy and sloppy and funny and silly and, like mine, with aches and pains and fevers.

Swallow this: "Any woman who survives raising a daughter like me deserves an award!" Well, here you go Mom. Thank you! You are the angel! Would I be a bad Mom if I went and told my daughters that one day they might be grateful too?

No? They'll find out on their own one day? OK, I'll file the blog and go start cooking dinner.

Book Bonus:
- gorgeous black and white imagery
- two dozen intimate stories only 1-3 pages long that will touch your soul
- a couple blank "share your memory" pages
- and my personal copy is signed - "To Beth and her Angels: Peace and joy be with you always!" Gregory E. Lang

Simple Grace - Miracle Moments

2009-02-15T11:16:00.003-05:00

C.S. Lewis wrote about amazing miracles. This topic, miracles, never gets old for me. I could devour miracle stories. This is why I'm writing my next book about miraculous moments that happen to all of us. Miracles!

Submit your miracle moments now! My next book (2010 release) is Simple Grace Miracle Moments. Every person has one. You have one. These are simple moments of grace that happen to you, often without even realizing it.

You might brush a miracle moment off as "a coincidence." Or you may assume that miracles only happen to saints. But look around you, share your story. What miracle has happened in your life.

There could be a miracle unfolding right now.

Simple Grace Miracle Moments is to be a collection of miracle stories and moments that happen to all of us - everyday "folk" who live "ordinary lives." Watch for the extraordinary in your life.

Send it in. 50 words to 5 pages. It's up to you. If it fits in nicely with this book it may be used in print. Only send if you are okay with seeing your miracle in a book. Names can be changed - and this can be a miracle moment you "heard" happened to someone else. The best kinds of stories are the ones that are passed on through friends and family.

The only rule here: It should give the reader goosebumps! Or, as a friend of mine calls them, Godbumps. You can email me directly: bethjannery@gmail.com

allowing love to come into your life

2009-02-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

When you are present in this moment,
you break the continuity of your story, of past and future.
Then true intelligence arises,
and also love.
The only way love can come into your life
is not through form, but through that inner spaciousness that is Presence.
Love has no form. - Eckert Tolle

The Washington Post Investigates Veteran's Inaugural Ball

2009-02-08T12:34:00.000-05:00

This article and investigation is accurate and from what I saw upclose and personal....he (the Veteran's Inaugural Ball organizer) scammed and hurt a lot of people. For me this brought up the issue of trust and should I continue to believe what people say? All of my efforts went into this ball for the "good" outcome, which was to be millions of dollars raised for Veterans. Instead I witnessed lies, deception and disappointment. Unfortunately at this time I am unable to see the good - except for the fact we caught him in a trail of lies before more money was stolen. It was not pretty and I withdrew all affiliation from the foundation organizing the event.

The lesson here, for me, is to proceed with caution. Do not always believe what you're told. Fortunately I began asking many questions and this article is the result. The ball was cancelled before millions were lost. As I said, proceed with caution, but in my heart I need to continue to trust and believe the best of people - I do believe there is good in everyone. However, I will look deeper into what I'm told and won't accept words on face value. In this case, I struggle to see the good in the scam-artist-CEO-organizer. But I have to believe there is good in him...somewhere!

My personal thanks to Keith Alexander for taking the time to research, investigate and write this article.

Multi-Agency Investigation Into Canceled Inaugural Ball
The Washington Post
By Keith L. Alexander and Meg Smith
Sunday, February 08, 2009

Angela Luckey was excited about working her first inaugural ball. The Obamas were supposed to be there. Maybe the Clintons, too. And two dozen beauty queens. The $250 and $500 tickets would go to a good cause: injured Iraq war veterans. She signed up as a volunteer on the Web site and enlisted two friends to join her.

Then she met the promoter, Darryl Dante Hayes.

No sooner had Hayes picked up Luckey and her friends at the airport than he told them that the Veterans Presidential Inaugural Ball wouldn't be held at the downtown St. Regis Hotel after all. Instead, it would be at a Hilton in the Virginia suburbs.

Then he asked the three volunteers from Grand Prairie, Tex., to put $64,000 in ball expenses on their personal credit cards.

"That's when I knew something was wrong," Luckey said last week.

The day before it was to take place, the ball was canceled with no explanation, although some tickets had been sold. The $50,000 check Hayes gave the St. Regis for a security deposit bounced, a hotel official said. The hotel and volunteers said they repeatedly tried to reach Hayes by phone and e-mail but never got a response.

The veterans ball is the only one of 10 official and 45 unofficial inaugural balls under investigation.

The U.S. attorney's office, Secret Service and D.C. attorney general's office are looking into whether Hayes committed financial fraud, officials at the agencies said. Investigators are trying to determine whether Hayes used Obama's name and sympathy for veterans organizations to boost donations and ticket sales and whether Hayes actually planned on throwing such a ball.

"We're investigating what the hell happened with the money," said D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles.

Hayes is a longtime Republican who ran a successful inaugural ball for George W. Bush in 2001. This year, he advertised his veterans ball on area radio stations and on the Web site of the Congressional Education Foundation for Public Policy, which he runs. The ads characterized the ball as a fundraiser for wounded Iraq war veterans.

Reached at his mother's home in Baltimore, Hayes, 52, said he was forced to cancel after all but two of the ball's 15 corporate sponsors pulled their support. Hayes said he had expected they would each contribute $10,000 to $15,000.

The Psychiatric Service Dog Society, an Arlington County group that places guide dogs with the disabled, donated $5,000. Its president, Joan Esnayra, said the money has not been refunded.

Hayes originally said he would share the list of the remaining 14 corporate sponsors with The Washington Post but called back to say he could not find the list. He said he thought he left the list in a rental car.

He says he intends to refund the money raised for the ball, whose problems were first reported in the Air Force Times.

"I'm getting the short end of the stick for trying to help these veterans, but I did nothing wrong," he said in a telephone interview. "All monies raised from that event were going to be donated to veterans organizations."

His financial problems date to the 1990s, when he accumulated more than $330,000 in unpaid taxes, according to court documents. He filed for bankruptcy protection in the District five times between 2001 and 2003. A civil suit in Prince George's County Circuit Court led to a $2.85 million default judgment against him in 2003 for breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation.

He created the Congressional Education Foundation eight years ago to educate minorities on such issues as health care and welfare reform and serves as its executive director. Although the foundation is listed as a 501(c) nonprofit organization, it is not in good standing, according to the IRS, because it has failed to provide financials for several years.

Hayes declined to comment on his financial history but said his personal affairs had nothing to do with his desire to help veterans.

And he had experience with balls. He helped produce the New Millennium Unity Inaugural Ball at the Four Seasons for Bush's first inauguration. R. Ronald Evans, former vice chairman of the D.C. Republican Party, called the event, which was aimed at African American Republicans, a success.

"I'm not sure he had the same connections with the Democrats as he did with the Republicans," Evans said.

According to Hayes, the Obamas were invited to appear at the veterans ball. A White House spokesman said the Obamas attended the 10 official balls and declined all other invitations. The spokesman said no record was kept of the other invitations.

When most of the sponsors failed to come up with the money, Hayes said, he spent a week scrambling to find replacements. He said that is when he asked volunteers to donate their money, too.

Nikki Slater, 17, Miss Teen Montana Galaxy from Missoula, was one. She was to have been one of 24 pageant winners working as greeters. She was instructed to bring a gown and her crown and sash.

Her mother, Debbie Slater, insisted that she and her husband chaperone. Hayes agreed to cover their expenses, too.

The Slaters bought Nikki a gown. She was interviewed by the hometown newspaper for a profile of the local girl flying to Washington for a ball to benefit veterans and a chance to meet the new president.

Less than a week before the inauguration, the Slaters had not received plane tickets or hotel reservations. Debbie Slater said they called Hayes, who assured them that they would have their itinerary in hand that evening. Then, Slater said, Hayes asked her to make a donation. Slater said he told her he would repay them after the ball when the donations were tallied. The Slaters donated $5,000.

The tickets never came. And since then, Slater said, Hayes had not returned dozens of her calls or e-mails. She described her daughter as "devastated."

"Here is a gentleman who said he was going to help raise money for the widows, the children, these people who have been injured," she said. "What a fantastic cause. How great that makes you feel to be able to help them. To this day, it's like, how can somebody do that?"

Hayes said he would issue a $5,000 refund to her credit card.

Some contractors for the ball were out of money, too.

Painter Michael Israel of Boca Raton, Fla., was promoted on the Web site as entertainment. He said he was engaged to paint portraits of the Obamas and the beauty queens for auction. Israel's celebrity paintings have sold for more than $100,000 at charity auctions.

Israel said he called and e-mailed Hayes repeatedly before the ball seeking confirmation of flight and hotel information. As the day approached, Israel said, he spent $10,000 to ship his paints, costumes and equipment to Washington. Israel said Hayes assured him he would be reimbursed for his expenses after he received proceeds from the ball.

"I feel used," Israel said.

Hayes said that he never intended to mislead donors and that he will make full refunds.

"I wanted to raise money to buy houses for families of injured veterans," he said.

"I wasn't trying to do anything wrong. I'm going to show the world I didn't take the money and run."

Old to New: Checkout my New Website at www.bethjannery.com

2009-02-04T08:59:00.000-05:00

Thanks for checking out the new website design for Simple Grace Books. Here is one of the original sites from a few years ago. Business has grown - books are getting published - so much more to learn. My gratitude overflows.

New Website One Click Away: www.bethjannery.com

2009 Book Release - It's Out!

2009-02-03T15:09:00.001-05:00

Simple Grace

Awareness - Medita...

By Beth Jannery

Book Preview

a gift of grace

2009-01-30T12:12:00.000-05:00

gifts come in funny ways and they are not always wrapped with a pretty bow. they arrive daily if we have our eyes open. one was given to me today; it appeared in my email inbox.

a reader of of one my books, Simple Grace - Living a Meaningful Life, sent a letter from the heart. it was her blog posting highlighting a couple thoughts that touched her. we're having coffee together one brisk february morning.

besides it always being a gift to hear from readers, she showed me how thoughts can be put into actions. read on. and let me know when you come up with your theme song. we're still working on ours.

blog of sharon rainey
www.sharonsnook.blogspot.com

the perfect moment

2009-01-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

have you ever experienced a perfect moment? if you think you may have then you haven't. if you have you know with every bone in your body. these moments are rare.

it is the opening of your heart where before it was sealed. it is lifting your eyes and knowing, absolutely, that life is greater than you can imagine. time stands still.

euphoria.

nirvana.

your inner truth is revealed in a blink. if you capture it and prolong it you will experience more and intensity burns but it is alright.

for a girl who can't live in grey - it is too uncomfortable - for a girl who has the defect of creating boxes and needing to put people, places and experiences into compartments - the perfect moment is a gift.

it is a gift that brings breathing space where all is right with the world. there is no anger or resentment and all hurt is healed. the past is meaningless. i let go of anything negative. the future doesn't exist. the perfect moment is when my heart is vulnerable.

stars are brighter. the air is more crisp. the mountain's peaks are sharper than they were. the tides flow in rhythm. music is heightened and every note revealed.

maybe love is felt for the moment. i'm still, for once, space in time - and i wait for another. it gives hope i can be better than i have been. maybe the boxes open a bit more and the grey is less fearful.