cerri,

You were talking the other day about tiramisu...when I was in Venezuela, they had a local dessert that I just loved. It was a cake/coconut/cream/cinnamon concoction....the recipe varied from restaurant to restaurant (kind of like gumbo does in Louisiana). What I loved about it was the name...bien me sabe (tastes good to me). I have been living all over the world for the past 20 years. My little boy is only five. He's been through two coup d'etats, three government evacuations, five homes and three kindergartens. It's hard holding families and marriages together with that much upheaval, but we have survived.

Over the past few weeks, I've been spending a great deal of time on the rest of the board and learning much more than I was by remaining strickly on the EN board. Why didn't I realize how easy it is to keep multiple windows open before...duh!! I don't know! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> Anyway, wanted to thank you for your perspective on so many things...you've cleared up more than a few questions I had....and your message is logical and understandable. You told me I could use some of the things you have posted...and I certainly have....so I hope you were serious. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> Thank you. I'm trying as hard as possible to be well informed and give clear advice to the people who are struggling along. Hope you don't mind that I've sent a few people for coaching your way!

Right now I'm trying to remember where I hid those hershey kisses!

Star...

Mmmmm.... that sounds really yummy!! So you ahhhh... keepin' those Hershey's to yourself?? LOL

Yes you are more than welcome to use any of my stuff. If it's from my site, like articles or NL's just give me credit. I also have the world's most depressing set of bookmarks with all kinds of links for things like effects of divorce and articles on bad therapy and sex addiction and prostitution and effects of pornography..... so if you're looking for something just give me a shout! If it's depressing enough to make you suicidal I probably have it! LOL

All over the world huh? Let's see..... I went from Iowa, to Illinois, to Minnesota, to Wisconsin!! Such an exciting life I lead! When I left my first marriage I really wanted to move to Alaska. I figured a non conformist female would do pretty well there, but then I met H and he hates cold. (Don't ask why we stay in WI <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> )

So where have you been? Mostly Central and South America? Any good vacation spots? We were in Costa Rica last winter over the solstice.

Do you have Harley's books? We bought a complete set years ago, and then acquired more as we went to the weekend and then training. I keep them either on my desk on or the floor next to me (depending on the level of mess I have at the moment) and use them often. Either to quote from or to just clarify something in my own head.

Alrighty, gotta go... we're going to dinner theater tonight, my mom is here and it was her idea. You can see where I get the food issues!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" />

Hope your weekend is wonderful..... enjoy the Solstice.... the days get shorter beginning Sunday!

C

How funny....but you know I lived in Alaska for 7 years! It's really beautiful, but kind of a hard life....can be really isolating. I've also lived in Indonesia, Trinidad, Columbia, Venezuela, and a whole bunch of US states. I've been married for 20 years...and made 17 major moves....it's been pretty challenging.

When you talk about the soltice...well you have no idea! Imagine living in Alaska...because that's where the soltice really counts....in the land of the midnight sun. Try to tell a two year old it's time for bed when it's broad daylight! Or try to tell them it's time to wake up when it looks like the middle of the night. Very bizarre!

*star passing some hershey kisses* (found them about midnight last night!)

Oh....and yeah, I have most of the Harley books. H and I attended one of the weekend seminars and then I bought several more....I refer to them alot. I always give you credit when I've used any of your stuff....heck I keep refering people over to you....I told Holdingontoit to give you a call....he can sure use some help from someone who is more pro-active than his regular MC....sheesh. I think this will be good for he and his wife. I'm pretty appalled sometimes at the advice people come here from the MC's with. My first two were worthless.....I did better on my own after finding this site than in all the months in therapy. I was desperately looking for a PLAN...something I could DO. I was so grateful. I put the word "infidelity" into the search engine...and this was at the top of the list. It was a great day. I am in recovery now, and am really happy.

Yeah, it's very hard to find a good MC and even then they don't work from the place of proactively teaching new ways of doing things. As I've said before, I wasn't as impressed with MW-D's stuff as I am with the Harleys. I did learn some good things, but she's not as consistent.

Anyway, one of the things she talked about as her awakening to a need to go beyond the ordinary therapy model was a particular couple she had as clients. She said they did all the regular intake work and all the talk about their childhoods and relationships with their parents and all the exploration into how they were repeating those same patterns in their marriage. And then she said, one day this couple said to her.... Ok, ok... we get it... we know what we're doing wrong and why.... so when are you going to tell us what to do differently?

I don't think that the average person on the street realizes that therapy is not about teaching you new skills, it's about exploring the internal you. That's great for many things, but if you want to fix a marriage new skills are the only real hope you have!

So today I got up at dawn and sat on our hill and watched the sunrise. I have this life long fascination with standing stones and stone circles and I want to make one here. (Hey, it's Wisconsin and there is no scarcity of rocks!!) I have the center marked now, and the spot where I would put the Sun Stone... the one that would mark the sunrise at the summer solstice. It was soooo cool. Tonight I'm going to mark the opposite site for where the sun drops below the horizon. I'm guessing the winter solstice won't be quite as pleasant!

I'm sure it must be amazing in Alaska.... I would love to visit there. We're thinking about Scotland in 2006 when the full moon hits the stones at Callanish at the land around it in a unique way. I have to research and see which full moon that is.... I'm really hoping it's not, like, January!

Where did you attend the weekend? How long ago?

C

cerri,

Scotland is amazing! It's my favorite place in the world. If you go, don't miss taking the ferry to the Isle of Skye....it is so incredible, the Black Cuillins! and the Jurassic formations of the Quirang!!

I lived in Wisconsin as a child during 3rd and 4th grade. My grandparents had a John Deere dealership in Randolph close to Beaver Dam. My dad graduated from the University of Wisconsin...it's beautiful up there.

H and I went to the weekend in March of 2002 in Houston. We were living in Venezuela at the time, and flew in for the weekend. I kept on with the MB material...H didn't...inspite of that, he does try to stay on board...and it isn't easy for him *giggle*.

Here's where I want to go.

Callanish

Callanish 2

Doesn't it just pull at your soul?

OMG!! That is incredible! I did go to Stone Henge, and it is pretty amazing...but there is something about those primitive stones that is incredibly moving! I wish I could send you some of my pictures of the Quirang...it would blow you away...but my scanner isn't hooked up yet, and I can't move this dang piece of furniture alone so I'll have to wait.

I am trying to write a book set in Scotland in the 14th Century, so I have tons of research books on the history, flora and fauna, kilts, clans etc. It's so fascinating. The next trip I'm planning on taking is to Ireland...I've never been. I have this "thing" for the Celtic countries *sigh*

Yeah me too.... the Celtic countries thing. Our HPS and HP were in Ireland and Scotland last summer. Their pics are wonderful. Newgrange is amazing.

I've always been fascintated with the Arthurian legends too. They are very much intertwined with Celtic mythology... Cerridwen, Merlin, Tintagel which now I read is connected with Cernunnos... mmmmm... I could start reading and never come back to this century!!

Here's the really incredible thing about Callanish. I was at a meeting at a friend's house, and they had a book there called The Tall Stones. It kept calling my name and finally I asked if I could borrow it. Well they hadn't read it yet so I got it from the library.

On the cover of the book was a drawing of standing stones.... that's kind of where the book starts out.

Then about a week later H drops me off at a friends and he runs some errands. When he comes back he says, Hey... I got you something.... and it's a book called Sacred Celtic Places.... a photo book. And on the cover is a photo of some standing stones.

THEN today I pull out an old copy (2001) of Circle Sanctuary magazine when I'm looking for something else, and there's a photo of standing stones on the cover.

I'm thinking... .wow.... all these within a couple of weeks.... very interesting. But when I compare the drawing on the one cover and the photos on the other I realize they are all of the same circle. The one at Callanish. I need to go there. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

Alright hurry up and move the furniture so you can send me those pics!! What's the book about? Fiction or non?

When were you at Stonehenge? Could you get close to the stones? I was reading about the restoration plans they have and it sounds like it will make the experience better than it has been recently.

The particular book with the pictures from Skye is called quite aptly "Skye", and I bought it while I was there because the photographs were so incredible. I brought back so many books that my luggage weighed a ton!! I went to Stone Henge on the same trip. We landed in London...but I wasn't that interested in the touristy stuff, we were with some friends who are from the UK (they had come to Louisiana the year before and we gave them the cajun tour). Anyway, we took a trip up through the Lake District (breath taking pastoral country) and stayed in bed an breakfasts along the way. Then up into Scotland through Loch Ness to Skye, then down to Edinburough, along the East coast...down to Bath (where our friends are from) and stopped in Stone Henge on the way back. My only disappointment was that I could not touch the stones....they were corded off. This was oh say 6 years ago now...so I don't know what has changed. It was still a mystical site.

I cannot believe how these stones at Callanish keep coming up in your life!!! I think you're right....they're calling you. Is your H going with you? Or will you take stowaways?

Tsk, tsk.... you should know better.... the rigid MB obessed chick doesn't even get to go to the mall by herself, much less out of the country!! ;)LOL

I would love to take the kids. By 2006 we'll have just the three youngest at home and they'll be 15, 13, and 11.... good ages for travel. I suppose they'd be bored silly, but hey, that's what parents do. Drag kids to things in order to stretch their little brains beyond Gameboy and sports!

Oh, and you could certainly come along!!! Wouldn't that be fun?

Stonehenge is still corded off most of the time. I thought I heard that there was going to be a Solstice Ritual of some sort today where the public would be allowed into the circle. But then there would be a bazillion people around and it would be very difficult to feel the energy of the stones and of the place itself.

I read that you can set up a private tour before it opens for the day, but I don't know if that means you can go into the circle. I think I would risk getting arrested to be able to stand in the center of the Dance of Giants.... but I'm guessing H is not going to be enthusiastic about that idea!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" /> <sigh> Men! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> LOL

C

Oh right! I'm sure 3 kids isn't enough baggage for one trip!! We had our kids with us for that trip, and they did find alot of things boring...but they had a great time too. It was a great road trip! And the highways are really nice there.

I would definitely take a huge risk to stand in the middle of those stones. Do you think that the ones at Callanish are roped off also???

So when are y'all thinking of going? The other thing I'd really like to do is go to Pacchu Picchu. Everyone I know whose been there says it has that same kind of "magic" about it. I'm trying to get my Ireland trip set up for next summer. I have a bunch of college friends of mine who want to get together for the trip.

Two years ago, H and I went to Italy (Rome, Venice, Florence), but the high point was going to Sicily. We went an found his relatives up in a little mountain village and they took us in and put on a feast for us. Everything on the table and the wine was made right there on the property and parts of the house...were from the 11th century. It was amazing.