An Imperfect Fence Mends Hearts

We (Baba and I) have had this bamboo screen for quite some time with the intent of putting it up together. I have struggled with "how" this project was going to get done as I was always the "assistant" (aka tool holder, beverage bringer, etc...). Additionally, since his ascension touching Baba's tools has not come easy for me. However, today after putting out the garbage and recycling, I took and deep breath, found the bamboo roll and took it out of its packaging. I then embarked with our children on completing one of many tasks on Baba and I's get to list.

It was a beautiful lesson on measurements and their conversions as well as safety and proper used of tools (measuring tape and wire cutters). No tears this tool touching and using day! I am so honored that we (our children and I) continue to work well together. After putting away his tools, I could feel Baba's smile and hear him say "Good Job, Babe.Well done, my children!" and I nodded and said "Well, done indeed."

Love I Can See...

It has been 6 months, 185 days, 4440 hours, 266400 minutes, 15, 984,000 second ...adjusting to your ascension.  Our children and I  miss your body temple, voice, touch, smell.. beyond measure. Getting to know you as pure spirit, light, vibration, elemental... has been at times very emotional and fleshy  and I thank you for your soothing spirit making those heavy rains pass quickly and always always bringing bright beautiful rainbows behind each storm.


As I continue to travel  this season,  thank you so for what you have given and continue to give....Thank you for allowing us to be Super Heroes in our union! Thank you for allowing us to listen, dance, love in and live each of the love songs we heard as children, young adults and adults.  Thank you for taking all that hurt you watched women go through and never once bringing it into our union. Thank you for being the most AMAZING husband, mate, lover and friend I could of EVER imagined! (All Praises to my Grandmothers's Mama Grace and Mama Truss who knew to get on bended knees when I did not!)  Thank you for trusting me and yourself enough to attend AYA's  Warrior, Healers and Builders Retreat and allowing me to go as well! Thank you for making our house a HOME! Thank you as a proud Afrikan and Filipino man for keeping your culture and passing it down to our children. Thank you for  taking all the hurt and love you experienced as a child and being the most AMAZING father! Thank you for transforming yourself into Baba James and being who you wanted to always be in your heart on earth. WE... Love you so, Baba James Thomas Alcantara!

Day 5 of 30 Day Detox and Chakra Deblocker

In the last 4 days I have been intentionally pouring into myself and Root Chakra. Each day I have consumed only what my body needs to detox, exercised and meditated  to reconnect the flow of  my body, mind, spirit and breath and connect all to Mama Nature and the cosmos. On day 1 of this journey, my husband, who is the sole provide of our family of 8,  was laid off and unlike other lay offs we have refused to continue embracing the season of fight or flight.  I have been told countless times that what you ask for comes and our heats desire is too begin and show others how to live grounded, connected and balanced lives.  We have known for quite sometime that we could not live out our hearts desire,  when his time is primarily and purposely spent in a oppressive unrighteous environment where he was employed. We wanted to be free from continuing fight or flight cycle and obviously needed a push. The universe provided that push and we are embracing it.  Our 6 children are watching how we honor our divine purpose through our union.  Not surprisingly the  reawakening my intuitiveness, my confidence and my purpose has begun. This process, which  began only 5 days ago, has been both  humbling and empowering. I begin today with my by detox regimen, increasing my exercise routine, listening to my Tibetan singing bowls, inhaling the aromatherapy diffusion  and  intentionally opening my creativity, enthusiasm and passion (Sacral Chakra) though it seems like the path has already been awakened.

Day1 of a 30 Day Detox

Today begins the first day of my 30 day detox.  During these 30 days, I am intentionally shedding my inconsistent healthy eating habits, exercise routines and journal time, while consciously work to remove my chakra blockage.  Beginning with small achievable goals daily will ensure that I reconnect with Mama Nature and her infinite wisdom, beauty and bounty and tap into the creator within.  I am long past due to shed a few of the long held beliefs, habits,  tones and tunes which no longer serve me, the creator or my divine purpose. So today, I have prepared my citrus water, teas, juices, soups and salads for the day, got my stretch on and my heart rate moving for 15-20 minutes, wrote a few words and intentionally focused on balancing my root chakra with the aid of  essential oils and the sounds of Tibetian singing bowls.  Intentionally stabilizing, grounding connecting is how I began this morning January 18 and day 1 of  my 30 day Detox.

A WORK IN PROGRESS of staying in the NOW...

Sometime we pull ourselves from the present into the past or the notions of what the future may bring. Recently after driving with my husband and our 6 children from southeast Georgia to northern California in three days...I found myself dreading the drive back in less than 96 hours and had to stop myself and focus on the "now" of being  together with family we have not seen in over 7 years, the "now" of our children meeting those they know by name in picture now in living color like cousins, aunts, uncles, grands... and basking in their love,  the "now" of going to Baba's and Mama's  favorite"eats" and sharing the flavors and ambiance with our children, and the "now" of honoring family including our ancestors with song, flowers and poetry.

The return drive was challenging, exciting and beautiful as we flew in record time from the city in the Bay to New Mexico where Long Run, our 15 passenger van hit something laying on the interstate, and broke down and we had a 2.5 day layover before pushing on in a rental.  Breaking down, walking briefly along  interstate 40, crossing over a barbed wire fence, seeing wild prairie dogs and rabbits miraculously made the dread of driving home totally dissipate and all I could do was focus in the now on getting home safely...oh, the humor.

Now Baba is preparing a journey to the west coast for one of the greatest assignments of all, taking care of his first love and Mama, and you would think I would have learned my lesson and not be so quick to begin missing him...while he is still here...Ahh, I am a work in progress of staying  in the now.

Path of a Healer

Spring sprang and brought with it an urgent need to address the respiratory issues of our first born son, poison ivy issues of my mate and skin issues of my own. Our son has been experiencing severe and multiple bouts of asthma like symptoms.  Our solution has been to eliminated the triggers which seem to be meat and all things white (sugar, potatoes, rice, flour, etc.), drinking plenty of water, eating plenty of raw fruits and veggies while giving him a liver detox.  He has claimed that before he hits the double digits this fall he will cease having asthma like symptoms.  I am so pleased to report that he is doing much better. Besides his color returning, gaining weight, and not using the nebulizer He can breathe! He can breath! and is walking out his healing truth that he will be free of breathing issues.

 No sooner had our son begun his road to recovery Baba got outside to do his annual spring yard work and caught a wicked case of poison ivy/oak. Thank goodness we had a 2 pound bag of dried jewel weed which I used to make salve, ice cube and spray tinctures.  Oh so happy to report that Baba is healing well and no other family member caught it!

I am also happy to report that after thinking I and the baby had caught poison ivy I was relieved to learn that we only had dermatitis which I attribute to the commercial detergent we had stopped using but began using again. So we are back on track and using our homemade laundry soap and I have also added homemade body wash too. The itchiness has subsided greatly and no new spots. So as spring comes to a close I can say as my family's healer "Together, We Made It, We Made It, We Made It!"

Food Allergies: A Path to Mama Nature and a Real Love of Real Food

When Baba  and I were blessed with the birth of our eldest son we rapidly entered and began the journey through the land of food allergies and over the years have been thankful for these travels.  I was a over thirty when he was born and  I was beginning to regularly experience seasonal allergies,  though Baba had endured allergies since childhood.   Both Baba and I knew what foods triggered these allergies and continued to eat these addictive foods.  When our eldest son arrived he carried the mantle of my eldest brother, who was allergic to peanuts and dairy. Our son's allergies went beyond as we soon discovered he was allergic to soy and eggs too.   I was thankful my husband and I came from a family of women who breastfed and our son loved to nurse.  With him I truly learned the power of breast milk as we slowly navigated our way though the introduction of solid foods.  Over the years, I learned to truly appreciate his connection to Mama Nature as his body is rhythmically in sync with the change of the seasons.  We as a family follow the seasonal calling of detoxing, cleansing, toning, strengthening...something our elders did not so long ago.  Baba and I have found that we can avoid allergies both food and seasonal if we drink plenty of water, stay away from processed foods and eat fresh fruits and raw veggies.  This journey has been one of finding our way to true health and wellness by looking back to the source of our original wellness. Though we do not use milk our son can drink local organic raw goats milk, and cheese. This is not surprising as I soon learned that goats milk matches up to the human body, is less allergenic and is easier to digest. Though we do not eat eggs he can eat local organic eggs from free range chickens.  We choose not to eat foods manufactured purely for profit or grown purely for profit.  As foods that are raised with the profit being health and wellness, can only give you back health and wellness.