Dearest Friends...

This is my new simplistic blog that I created as a way of telling you a beautiful new story about me, with its own chapters of how I returned to what I call home after a long pilgrimage.

Many seasons have passed away and so many events have transpired in my life. I willingly have chosen to refrain from many of my disparities here on my blog; not for any other reason than I want to bring a part of my world to you, that's full of bliss and joy. However, I do share in depth occurrences on my Youtube channel as another outlet to encourage my healing and inspire others along the way.

This blog is my journaled documents as a still placid reminder of my spirited continuation of my returning endeavors back to simplicity, rebirth, awakened self-love, and acceptance.

I want this blog to be filled with the surroundings of simplistic beauty as my transformational journey continues, as well as a rebirthing of the woman I used to be before I allowed such trivial matters to conform my spirited soul and get the best of me.

I willingly chose this path of good old-fashioned feelings. I would love it ever so much if you came along with me as a way to grow in love and friendship.

Yours til my next swim, Raquel

A Day Of Exhaustion And A Little Excursion

This morning my BG (Beloved Gardener) was home resting for the third day, as we do believe now, he had a mini heat exhaustion attack.

He came home from work on Friday of last week with severe dehydration. I put together some remedies for him to encourage his wellness, so I thought I'd share those with you, my dear readers.

If one doesn't take a trip to get an IV drip, here are a few home remedy particulars that I've used, and a few were quite popular in the early 1900s. 

Plums-Soak some plums in water till they are softened. Mash them in the water and strain. This drink is especially perfect for an actual heat stroke, and to calm the body. 

Coconut Water- Drink an outstanding amount to replace the electrolytes. I think most are quick to get Pedialyte, but coconut water is much better for you. 

Sandalwood Essential Oil- Apply a few drops (dōTerra is the only brand I use) on the forehead, and it will reduce fever.  

Encourage lots of slumbers.

As my BG slept for almost three whole days entirely, I worked a little in the garden, in between rain storms...I began pulling weeds.

I then took a short trip to the local thrift store and found several baskets to add to our ongoing collection and to make drying rack more full. 

When I returned to the cottage, there was one of the lovely back to basics I purchased for my BG on gardening. I also purchased the self-sufficient life for myself. 

I'm trying to keep pace, but frequently I get overwhelmed at the amount of work a garden and cottage life entails. 

"Next year, I'm going to build a proper cold frame, mark my words, just like the one I saw in The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. Now that was a fine piece of craftsmanship, with stout brick sides."-Tasha Tudor

Most affably yours 'til my next swim, 

Raquelxxx

19th-Century Simple Living In A 21st-Century World

The summer months have nearly passed away, my dear friends.

 My BG and I had to remove our large 30-foot palm a few months ago. I asked my beloved to bring home his chain saw from the garden shop so that he can slice the trunk into 3- inch chargers. They will be spectacular for evening garden parties. I'm not one to waste. Not because I'm such a frugal person, but I suppose because it's my creativity pouring from my fingertips. I find it utterly pleasurable.

At the back of the cottage doors, I find it's quite convenient to keep boots, baskets, gloves, and clippers close at hand.

As I've been going through some transitional moments, the tides turning so to speak, I am reminded again of all the particulars in my life and how every thing rebounds.

Most of you probably aren't aware of the side of me that I really haven't spoke of much. At least since the internet has come along. I'd like to take you along on a journey of the woman I was long ago before she was forgotten. That woman I would sum up in the best way possible by saying I'm an aspiring woman of 19th-century simple living in a 21st-century world. I was browsing through the few photo albums that I have of my children and I saw the girl I was as a young mother. I used to make dozens of calico printed skirts, smocked linen petticoats with lace and wore them daily with darling pillowcase aprons that I would sew.

My daughter would also wear pillowcase dresses. Do you remember when those were something the little southern girls would wear often? I think my daughter had at least seven, one for each day of the week. Her great-great grandmother would sit in the nursing home and embroider the edges of pillowcases and I would make them into dresses. My daughter never left our home without a pair of eyelet bloomers beneath her dresses. Barefoot maybe, but never without bloomers. (heh...)

As I've observed the numerous virtual committee meetings for the curatorship of the mansion in Carmel, California, I must admit it seems like at times I can see no light at the end of the tunnel. But then when I post an entry like the one tonight I'm reminded straight away that everything is in perfect timing.

Collecting more straw for another wispy broom. My collection is coming along nicely. 

  Preserving the harvest. Fresh green beans for supper. Whatever is in the season really eliminates the choices of whats to be prepared for our meals. What I love about gardening is the variety of fresh vegetables that are in season.

 The cottage has been under- construction for some time! For the last several months I've spent my time in between painting by removing all the carpet in the cottage. It may seem that it's not the best looking but I happen to fancy the bare concrete floors. The clean up is easy and especially when there's a bun-bun hopping about it makes my duties much lighter. I'm converting our front room into my artist's studio since it'll be much easier than having to clear the dining table every evening for supper. I am planning to seal the floors with a flat sealer to encourage repelling spills and markings from seeping into the concrete.

 I had sweet corn from the farmers market, so after my BG and I ate the corn I decided that I'd spend a few minutes creating some corn cob dolls. I loved making these at Thanksgiving with my daughter especially. My little boys weren't super fond of them, but they did enjoy making the turkey pine cones for name place cards.

 Today I planted flowers and watched closely to be ready for seed harvesting. soon...very soon...

 I find that preserving a seed harvest helps you to appreciate all the hard work that goes into every seed pod when they begin to flower--and that feeling of accomplishment is the earth's endowment.

My BG picks us daily vegetables from the garden and says "Let's make something from our harvest today, my love." (I feel little distinguishable nose twitching from holding my eyelids shut tightly to keep from dewy drops of tears streaming down my freckled fair complected, rosy cheeks). 

 I spent the morning like most mornings out in the garden. As I was perusing my tools, I was reminded of how much I appreciate my BG (Beloved Gardener) for collecting all vintage garden tools. He even sharpens them himself. Gardening tools are the first thing he goes towards whenever we visit a yard or estate sale. I think it's quite romantic. (shhh...) :)

Life is a gift to be appreciated every day. How glorious it is to be surrounded by natures beauty, the simplicity of daily devotion; to feel the true joy of contentment. 

What To Do When You're Upset Or Angry {According To Abraham Hicks}

My dear friends and Mermaid Junkies, 

Inevitably in life were going to line up with an experience which causes us to feel a negative emotion.
It's our inner compass telling us we've gone off, due North.

Once an upset has occurred, it's essential to be aware that you can't go back in time, change what happened or what was said. Do not hold yourself with guilt for your actions or your feelings of negative emotions.

We must get back on course.

When we don't address the issue it causes us to react in several ways, such as smoking a cigarette, eating, drinking, cut people off, slam doors, fight, argue, scream etc. and it makes matters worse.

I will inspire you with some things of how to make a resolution once an upset has occurred.

A UP-SET is actually a SET-UP from the Universe at large.

The Universe wants us to be aware of something, to awaken something within us that's not been acknowledged by us and the need to heal what is unhealed within us.

It's the Universe offering us an opportunity; an alert.

We need to place our conscious on the situation at hand and address each upset with validation.

Many times, we reject, deny or suppress these feelings when we should be allowing ourselves to FEEL them.

When an upset occurs, we are prone to fight or flight. It's our nervous system's way of protecting ourselves. When you are in the throws of the upset and are angry, perhaps breathe by taking nice slow breaths in and out and splash your face with cold water. Sing a song or hum to yourself. These things will relax your nervous system and acclimate normality within.

I'm going to list several scales of what causes an upset.

*An intention or desire that is opposed or prevented.
* an unfulfilled expectation.
* An ineffective communication.

All UPSET is comprised of one or all of these scales, for example:

My father gave me a truck and then repeatedly asked for it back. Thus not keeping his word when he made a promise to me. This caused me to feel bad, it hurt my feelings and triggered my unhealed emotion of distrust with my father. I felt abused, violated, and disrespected.

Most expectations are profoundly unconscious.

There is always deeper roots of an upset or an old wound. The trigger for me was the giving and the taking back of the truck. The truck wasn't the reason, it was a deeper wound of distrust which was the trigger. The hidden core belief behind the upset.

Throughout life, we add painful meanings to painful experiences. Mine was... my father doesn't love me as much as he loves things and money. He cares more about money than his own child. His word isn't his bond like he tried to teach me as a child, and he can't ever be trusted.

Now let's swim towards a solution when we have an upset.

Accept the experience IS and HAS happened and ALLOW IT.

Always keep in mind it's best for our expansion.

List in a notebook the positive aspects of the upset and how it is helpful for our healing.

Almost always an UPSET is traced back to an original trauma.

Find the original trauma, and write it down in a notebook. Validate the trauma.

Always remember that an UPSET is a call to awaken.

I hope this post inspired you and that it was an encouraging way for you to grow spiritually.

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquel

How I Manifested My Soulmate In Two Months Using The Law Of Attraction {Abraham Hicks Teachings}

How do you find your Soulmate/Twin Flame? Might you have more than one? Is there a difference between soulmates and twin flames? I will attempt to answer a few of these questions for you this morning.

After manifesting my soulmate BG {Beloved Gardener} Jeffrey Shawn Stafford, I sent out a lovely little YouTube video on The 13 Signs You've Met Your Soul Mate. Presently, it is the most viewed on ye olde youtube channel. The amount of views, speaks to me in regards to recognising that many are seeking that one true love; their soul mate. I'm such a romantic, and I love the inquiries I receive with regards to soul mates because I have certainly adored the subject of love my whole MerryMaid life, too. 

On July 29, 2017, marked the first marriage anniversary of my BG and I. In September will mark the second anniversary of our first tangible union. 

Jeffrey and I met through Facebook. He was living in Florida, and I was living in Oklahoma. I had been going through my own personal expansion for the last eight years, and things had begun to speed up with my desire to leave a very dysfunctional, mental/emotionally and unhealthy marriage. I wasn't looking for my soul mate, in fact, I wasn't even interested in marriage at all. Here's the first article of our love story. 

I wanted to exit my marriage and build my self-confidence. I was quite keen on learning all there was to know about self-love. I thought that a "happily ever after" was a long way in the distant future. I felt the definition of marriage was controlling, one-sided, selfish, neglectful, and dream killing.

When Jeffrey showed up in my life, it was a whirlwind of absolute intensity and a deep awareness sparked within our souls.

We remembered one another, even though we 'logically' had never met before. Our intuition began to wake up, our creativity, our dreams for the future, our mission and our unified purpose. Don’t get me wrong, there were a few rough waves that nearly broke us apart. It was a time of bliss and a time of raging waters. 

When your Beloved soulmate appears, that means it's a hard time for soul growth.

Jeffrey and I learned later on of a term called Twin Flames, after experiencing many of the so-called signs. Even though we qualify in this category were not quick to say it often or term our relationship as this. We simply believe that whereas many want to discover their beautiful union, there is a bit of romanticising in life. Dearie, I'll be the first to admit, I love to romanticise all things in life. That's how I make a living, through writing and illustrating fairy tales. Ekk...

The truth is that when you open your heart to love another person profoundly and unconditionally, it transcends the need to be labelled, it just simply IS. 

We must learn to let go of irrefutable labels, limitations, and beliefs that no longer serve us. We have to get to the feeling of allowance without resistance to manifest our most authentic desires; our soul mates. 

Creating the belief that your soul mate is reaching, dreaming and waiting for you, too, is a lovely sentiment. They will appear at the perfect time. Everything is always in perfect timing. If I would inspire you to believe anything about your soul mate, It's to KNOW with a surety that they WILL show up, and It will be perfect. Source knows you and knows your soul mate. The reference will always guide you to our soul mate when the souls are ready to meet. 

Try to allow and let go. To know that your inner being will always take care of you, no one can ever have what is in your personal escrow. It's yours and yours alone. Many times that I advise individuals, we as humans tend to get impatient and use the action to make things happen sooner than they should or force something into being. When we do this, it will invariably rebound. But let me also clarify, it's permissible if you do this. We are only human. We just have to start again, clear our energy and focus on some other things in our lives that are going exceptionally well. 

I know it's arduous at times, as we are apt to go about banging particulars into place as we have been conditioned to use action in place of allowance. I liken it to this analogy as a MerryMaid. Make-believe you are canoeing in the river. There is a current that is carrying you down the river, and if you just float and relax, the river will continue to send your canoe without any effort on your part. You just have to refrain from rowing, relax and allow. That's literally how simplistic it is if you allow your soul mate to come to you. 

However, the juxtaposition and the thing most humans have a tendency to do is to turn the canoe, paddle the oars with fervour and use as much action as they can going UP the river. Believing that to receive what they want in life (ex. Soul Mate) they have to work, or earn what they get from the strenuous effort. That is a falsehood. I am here to say that life isn't supposed to be arduous. It’s supposed to be happy, joyful, full of bliss and effortless. 

Source/God has an overview of us. Source wants us to meet our soul mate, but timing is everything. Believe in the fairy tale! We have soul contracts with our soul mates, and WILL FIND ONE ANOTHER!

I know you hear those little whispers of your inner being, the nods of idiosyncrasies, the feeling in your bones, the dreams at night when you slumber. Those moments are the spirit of divinity unfolding your destiny. Those are manifestations to you that things are always working out for you. 

P.S. I created a ceremonial that I used to manifest my soulmate in 8 weeks. I use it for everything. If you are ready to dive deep and manifest your soul mate, I created a ceremonial book that will inspire you and have your soul mate swim into your physical reality straight away. For inquiries send me a message in a bottle {comment below}. Below is an example of one I created for a customer. I tailor them to each person.

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquelxxx