Christmas Joy from Ollie the Chocolate Labrador

Posted by Barbara Techel

Today I’m passing along this oh-so-delightful dog, Ollie, who I recently came across on Instagram, which you can also access via his Facebook page too. Ollie, with a delightful British accent, provides oodles of entertainment, smiles, giggles, and often a good hearty laugh, plus moments of sighing awwwww, as he has been opening an activity a day from his Advent calendar. 

This is one of my favorites (below), though honestly, it is hard to choose as they all are unique and fun. But to get you started and then you can carry on your own adventure of catching up on all the other activities from the Advent calendar here is Day 15 with Ollie making snowflakes.

Just click here to watch!

XO

Barb

    

The Thing I Thought Would Never Happen Finally Happened!

Posted by Barbara Techel

Something kept catching my eye in the mirror recently.

Could it be what I really think it is?

As I orbit around the sun heading toward celebrating my 60th birthday mid-year in 2023, could I finally be seeing what I’d been wishing for?

That something that not all women embrace, but that thing I’ve been eagerly anticipating?!

Around 10 am this morning sitting in the chair with Missy, the gal who does my hair standing behind me, I said, “Do I have some gray hair? I think I’ve spotted some of late” as I pointed to a few sparkles in my bangs.

She parted my hair at the top of my head near the crown and said, “yup, you have a few back here too.”

“Oh my gosh,” I said. “I’m SO excited!!” And I meant it. I am thrilled! We high-fived.

Then we both had a good laugh about it. Because this is not the “normal” reaction she encounters. But instead often hears in exasperation, “cover up the gray!” And Missy noted how clients sometimes seem to forget, Missy in her mid-40s is almost all gray – and it looks beautiful on her. Something she embraced too and I’ve long admired that.

Women and our hair – what a time of transition many of us will go through with it. I’ve certainly had my moments over the past few years. At times having a few meltdowns because my hair isn’t what it used to be. While it’s always been thin, it has gotten thinner, and that has been difficult to embrace at times.

How my mom warned me not to go down the “rabbit hole” of trying different “magical potions” and admittingly a few I did try with no real visible results. But then realized I just needed to be okay with where I am at which I’m happy to say I embrace most of the time now, though a few sprinkles of frustration occur now and then. But I’m able to let it go quicker than before.

And that is a celebration to take a step toward embracing ‘what is.’ And a celebration for the added few sparkles I now see when I look in the mirror, which I asked Missy to please NOT cover up as she proceeded to give me a few highlights mixed in with lowlights.

Perhaps it’s hard to see in the photo, those few grays of sparkle. But I know they are there and it feels like a special passage.

Are there other gray hair embracer’s out there?!

XO

Barb

    

Eagle and Vision of Storytelling

Posted by Barbara Techel

This morning sitting at my altar where I pull oracle cards for myself I just asked what it was I needed to know today. Nothing pressing on my mind, but just open to what the cards had to share with me.

The cards, Grandmother Redwood – Storyteller and Eagle – Vision were the two cards pulled.

I really appreciated the pairing of these two cards together. How Eagle holds the message of vision –  and how that plays out at any time in our lives – whether during times of reflection, contemplating our next move, or opening to a different perspective.

And how important storytelling is.  In what way do we share our stories? Or perhaps for some, it is difficult to do so. But how important it is as a way of being heard, knowing we matter, that our legacy in some way lives on. How storytelling has the potential to help heal not only the storyteller but those who read or hear the story.

As I’m waiting for the proof for the guidebook that will accompany my animal-themed oracle deck and also what I hope is the final proof of the cards, this card pull resonated for me in the following way.

I’d held a vision for eight-plus years about creating an animal oracle deck. Though all those years ago I couldn’t see myself as an artist and hadn’t a clue how I would even put together a deck. My life continued to play out as intended and then it occurred to me that I could collage a set of cards. Well, that was the spark I needed and off I ran with it!

That time creating the cards was such a joyful and fully immersive experience. At times, yes, frustrating when I couldn’t achieve the result I was looking for, but eventually, I did. It was the vision I held that kept me going.

As I reflect on the project being this far along and as I await the proof of the guidebook I see the storyteller portion of this reading come to life. Another vision I had, was back in 2013 to learn more about the wisdom of animals, even though I wasn’t sure how that would unfold.

Through my own healing journey of healing the wounded parts of myself, many animals were part of that journey for me (and still are as we are all a work in progress!) And those stories came to life in various ways through the messages I wrote for each animal in my deck.

It feels like a lovely confirmation of this journey I’ve been on for the last years of imagining this deck and doing the inner work along the way, to now seeing it near completion. 

It was absolutely healing in many different aspects as I reflect on this. From thinking I wasn’t an “artist” and how that could have held me back, and how I grew from that place to create in a way that felt in alignment for me, to also deepen my relationship with each animal I created a card for. 

And this vision I held for myself of creating an animal-themed oracle deck that I now hope will touch those it needs to touch and help others on their healing journey too.

In my mind’s eye, I see that eagle sitting at the very top of that huge Redwood tree with new and welcoming perspectives that opened because of this journey…

XO

Barb

Cards used: Song of the Grandmothers Oracle deck by Kara Simons & Animal Reflections Oracle Deck by me.

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