Connecting to Mother Earth in a modern world

Do you ever feel like you are alone in the world? Like you are this insignificant individual that can’t make a positive difference? Like you are totally “unconnected?”

For many people, their daily lives are full to the brim. Rushing to get the kids off to school, going to work all day, rushing to gather up everyone, making dinner, baths, laundry, walking the dogs, dog classes, private lessons, Dr. appointments – the list goes on. Rush, rush rush. When we DO have a few minutes to rest, we sometimes have a deep sadness that comes over us. Like we are just a little rat running in a mindless maze.

Since humans have roamed the Earth, we have been at one with nature. At one with the land, plants, trees, animals, water and elements. We relied on the signs of nature to help us decide on our daily tasks. If it was sunny, we’d tend to our garden. If it was rainy, we would stay inside. Over the years, we have gotten away from the connecting to nature and we rely on technology to tell us what we should do. I mean, what would we do without the The Weather Channel, right?

So in moving to this life of depending on technology, we have helped create this feeling of isolation. We lead very “private lives” and keep to ourselves. But we’re not happy. We can’t all quit our day jobs and become homesteaders, so how do we find a middle ground? Mother Earth will always provide if we ask for help.

Here are seven easy tips to connect with nature and bring that feeling on oneness back into out lives.

1. Diffuse Essential Oils. My favorites right now are Lemon, Peppermint, Cedarwood, Laurel Leaf, Rosemary, Rosewood
2. Crystals. Any lovely healing crystal will do but Rose Quartz is always a good one. Put it somewhere where you'll touch it often and let it's energy infuse into your body. Carry smaller stones in your pocket and put them in your car.
3. House plants. They actually need us to breathe near them. So spend a minute just breathing near your house plants.
4. Gaze out the window "daydream." Most of us have beautiful trees and plants in our yards. At the moment, it's winter, but they are still there. Gaze out the window and connect with the plant life outside.
5. Touch. Look around your room or office. There are so many things made of wood. This puts "tree energy" into your life. Things like window frames, book cases, hardwood floors, pencils, bowls, cooking utensils - they are all made of wood. Touch these items and feel the energy of the tree that supplied this useful item in your life and give thanks.
6. Just Drive. Turn off the radio, put down the cell phone and just drive. Look at the surroundings as you pass them on your trip. You will see wonderful plants, trees, grassy fields, rivers - all amazing creations of Mother Earth. Feel this connection to these things as you pass by. When you pull in to a parking lot - pick a spot near a tree or bush. Thank it for the shade or wind-block it provides.
7. Animals! The perfect gateway to Mother Earth energy are our animals. They bring us joy and love and help us reconnect. When you're feeling down or disconnected, spend some extra time with your animals. They'll help you!

My doing some of these easy things, you will feel more connected, more alive and happy! When you are happy, things around you take on a whole different look. You can find joy in the smallest things. Little things like the soft, sweet kisses of a puppy!

The Chicken Diet - not what you think

Most of you know that I have chickens on my hobby farm.  I've had the same set for about 6 years and love watching them do their chicken things.  They roost in the barn at night but during the day, they have the freedom to get into whatever chickens get into.  Usually, that is eating grass or dandelions, snapping up bugs, scratching to bring up bugs from the ground and searching the grounds for the best morsel of food.  I observe their behavior for three reasons: #1) I love birds #2) I eat their eggs so want to know what they're eating (since I'll sort of be eating it later) and 3) They are funny.

A couple of years ago we had a bad mouse problem in our little barn.  Over the winter months it kept getting worse and worse due to the prolific breeding habits of these little rodents.  I have several animals in the barn, dogs that frequent it and I just don't think their is ever a reason to poison any living creature.  We did lots of fun things to try and rid the barn of the mice and while we did, we'd see the occasional chicken snap up a little mouse and eat it whole.  Yes, slurp! I talked to other chicken owners and they say their chickens to the same thing. They even eat small snakes if they are fast enough.  They are omnivores so that makes sense, just icky.  After all these observations, I learned a lot about what a chicken would eat and kind of thought they'd eat anything.

That was, until I tried feeding them something that I was eating.

The chickens that I've seen eat rocks, grass, worms, fruit, mice, etc. would not eat what I was eating!  So, just what was I eating that a crazy chicken wouldn't touch or even give a second glace at?  Well, I'll tell ya.

We had tacos one night.  Nice organic free-range beef, fresh tomatoes, salsa, lettuce - you know, yum!  I was in a rush at the store and couldn't find an "organic" taco shell so I bought the most common named brand. It is just me and my husband and we couldn't eat all 10 taco shells so I thought, hey, they're mostly corn, so I'll crumble them up for the chickens.  I'm always giving them stale bread, crackers and stuff like that.  Hmmm, much to my surprise, they wouldn't eat them.  The chickens who fight over an earthworm, wouldn't eat the taco shells that I had happily consumed the night before.  EEEK!  They investigated them, pecked at the pieces a little bit, but did not in any way consider them food.

So it got me thinking about what was in them.  Yellow Corn, Whole Grain Corn Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Water, Salt, Dehydrated Lime.  Sounds relatively OK to me (except the PHSO). I'm not going to go on a tirade about what the mass production of corn has done to our country and food system, but this really put things in to perspective about what food I put in my body.  I mean, if my chicken won't eat it, or at least peck at it, it probably isn't real food. So my "chicken diet" is to think like my chicken.  Well, not to eat a live mouse, but to consider how fresh my food is and how simple it can be and how it will be better for my body to eat this way. 

Lastly, I really do know why the chicken crossed the road. Honestly, to get to the other side.  My chickens do this all the time in the drive way and it always gets me giggling.