Posted on February 8, 2016
Gung Hay Fat Choi!
I fricking love any excuse to dress up and monkey around!! (‘xcuse the pun!!) and tomorrow is the official start of the Chinese Year of the Monkey, ooh ooh aah… Tonight, while everybody was watching the silly Super Bowl, I had a playdate with Schweetheart and what fun we had. Got my outfit put together for tomorrow… Red, gold, new red shoes (aren’t they glam?). Here’s the drill to ensure you have a fabulous New Year of the Monkey:
- Wear red (preferably new) with pops of gold
- De-clutter your house
- Don’t wear black or white (they signify death)
- Have your hair cut before the new year
- Wear new shoes (preferably red)
- Do not lend anything on this day or you will be lending all year
- Refrain from using foul language or bad or unlucky words
- Don’t talk about the past year
- Just be very positive and expect only the very best
- Lots of Positive Affirmations
- OMG — no knives or scissors this day!! (hairdressers and chefs, take the day off)
In addition, this year we have a new moon in Aquarius on Monday, meaning it’s a perfect day to set new intentions, give up bad habits, and take up better ones!!
Without further ado, I wish you all a Happy Chinese Year of the Monkey!
Hugs,
Patricia and Schweetheart my pet monkey xxx
Updated on February 6, 2016
Too Much Play is a Good Thing!
January was truly a mixture of good and bad, happy and sad. I wasn’t too excited at the thought of having our first Mercury retrograde begin the new year. It started on January 5th, and finished on the 25th, but there was a fallout of a few days afterwards. I didn’t really feel its vibes until the last week and then it went out with a bang!! The BANG (a good one) being the arrival of my new book Adventures with Angels.
I am so in love with that book. Holding it in my hands for the first time brought tears to my eyes. Some of the chapters may do the same for you. It was written from the heart for you my beloved readers. It tells of my adventures around the world — from Paris to Morocco and Israel to Ireland!! Were it not for Divine Intervention, I may not be here right now!
The January sad was the deaths of singers David Bowie, Glenn Frey (Eagles), and Nathalie Cole. All talented entertainers, and way too young to die! That’s why I say ‘Too much play is a good thing!’ I think that was the saddest part of January for me. And of course it is always such a long and cold month!!
The happy was a couple of fun events I went to which included a joint 90th and 50th birthday celebration for a mother who turned 90 and her son who turned 50. We were invited to dress up as either 20s flappers or groovers from the 60s. I opted for the 60s look, and we danced the night away to fabulous tunes from the decade. It was such a fun event. I definitely want to dance more! That’s on my bucket list for 2016 d.v.
We went to see a couple of great movies, including ‘Brooklyn’, ‘Joy’ and ‘Room’ — all brilliant productions. ‘Room’ gets my vote for the best movie I saw in 2016, so far.
More happy was the fact I stuck to my gluten-free diet and yes, I did manage to lose those Christmas pounds, and then some. So that made me happy too. The writing was really flowing in January and I made great progress with my current book Starlets for pre-teen girls. I am so loving writing this book. It is my drug of choice currently — that and dark chocolate (the darker the better!)
I decided to postpone my 40 day Spiritual Journey until Wednesday the 10th of February. It is Ash Wednesday, and the start of Lent; a perfect time to begin a spiritual journey. In addition, there is a new moon on its way on Monday the 8th February which heralds the Chinese New Year of the Monkey. It’s all good!
If you want to give those 2016 resolutions another go, do it next Monday the 8th February. A great day for new beginnings. So get busy and set your intentions!
I’ll sign off for now!
Hugs,
Patricia xxx
Posted on January 20, 2016
Day 1: It’s Not About You.
Today my 40 day spiritual journey began…
Glancing at the newspapers this morning, I realized how desperately our world needs God. It was one sad story after the next. A murder-suicide which resulted in the deaths of three young people, more terrorist attacks, more sadness and tears, more doom and gloom…
Yes, God We need you, I thought to myself – badly!
Got myself comfortable, said my rosary, had mass at lunch time today, prayed for all my deceased loved ones, and finally as the day came to a close, I lit a nice scented candle in front of my little home altar and opened Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life. His book has sold over 32 million copies around the world. Rick Warren would rather we read one chapter per night and ponder on it, along with listening to his message each day on the internet. The bottom line today is ‘It’s not about me. The purpose of our life is far greater than our own personal fulfillment, our own peace of mind, or even our happiness. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. You were made by God and for God – and until you understand that, life will never make sense.
‘This is not a self-help book. It is not about finding the right career, achieving your dreams, or planning your life. It will teach you how to do less in life – by focusing on what matters most. It is about becoming what God created you to be’.
“Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way to finding yourself, your true self”. It is all about dying to ego. Without God life makes no sense.
The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity. That’s what this book is about.
The above are just a few snippets from today’s chapter. For more information, tune into Rick Warren at the address below:-
Go to www.purposedriven.com/day1 to hear his message for the day.
Cheers for now!
Patricia
Updated on January 19, 2016
The Bigger Your God, the Smaller Your Problems!
Hi Guys,
Long time no write…I’ve been abroad for a few weeks, and totally pre-occupied completing my book Adventures with Angels: My Encounters with Heaven’s Messengers. I hope to have it ready for Spring. Ideally, for the Solar Eclipse on March 8th! Currently, the planet Mercury is retrograde and slowing things down considerably.
Christmas came and went with all its joyful jingle bells, happy songs, delicious food, and warm family gatherings. Having just returned from my native Ireland, there is always a tinge of sadness leaving behind a parent and siblings, in a country I once called home. Where is Home? I often find myself asking. Over here in Canada people say to me, “I love your accent, where’s it from?” Imagine my surprise when during my recent trip home, a lady in a shop asked me “Where’s your accent from?” What?? My accent is clearly Irish, and this lady could not tell! Where is home anyway? I guess home is where your heart is, and my heart is in both Ireland and Canada.
Ireland is my spiritual home because every time I go there, my faith is stronger upon my return. There is nothing I enjoy more than spending time alone in one of the many magnificent old churches in Dublin, or coming across one hidden jewel in the heart of the Irish countryside. These spiritual palaces are steeped in history and you can just feel the devotion in the walls, pews, and old wooden benches, shiny from years of use.
I get great bang for my spiritual buck! Every time I spend some time in prayer, I come away ten times happier. There is no mystery, therefore I decided my resolution for 2016 was to spend more quality time with God, and to make him a bigger part of my life. In the words of Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, “The Bigger your God, the Smaller your problems. The Smaller your God, the Bigger your problems.” Yeps, that makes perfect sense! Tomorrow, Tuesday January 19th, d.v. I am beginning a 40 day spiritual journey with Rick Warren. Just go to www.purposedriven.com/day1 to get a sample. If you like what you hear, get a copy of his book, and join me on the journey. I am always delighted to get your comments. We’re in this together, BoomerBabes!!
Cheers!
Patricia xxx
Updated on November 22, 2015
Hugs from Ireland!
I’m writing this blog in my great big Papa Bear bed here in Ireland. Mama Bear — who is 93 — is snoring happily on the South end of this massive bed. Sister Sonya’s dog Ruffio is snoring on the West side of the bed, while I’m on the East side. Yes, the bed is cavernous! and we’re tucked cosily in while the wind howls outside…so cozy! We’re like the Buckets in Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.
We just spend hours sitting around chatting about everything under the sun. I thank God for this opportunity to spend true quality time with my beloved Momma. Outside our bedroom window is a bird feeder. We can gaze outside and see all these gorgeous little birdies coming for a feed. Boxes of chocolates everywhere. I cannot remember the last time I had such a relaxing vacation!!
The jet lag has flown away just like the airplanes that delivered me to this blissful place. No driving, no pressure, no ‘you gotta save the world’ demands, no weighing scales, no worries…just simply ‘being’. The gentle rhythmic breathing of my aged mother, and my sister’s dog Ruffio, remind me that yes, it’s o.k. sometimes to just chill…
Hugs from Ireland,
Patricia xxx
