The first person who can tell me correctly, via 'comments' - by Monday, 9th February 2009 - when Romeo & Juliet was believed to have been written, will be entitled to a free mini love reading in answer to one love related question. I will be using a set of 13 talisman cards which are part of Susan Bowes Love Spells & Rituals set. I used them about 2 years ago to do a few readings and one quite recently. One card will be chosen at random for the reading.  I will announce the winner in a separate blog entry.


Details required from the winner:  Name, home town, date of birth and one question.  These details can be sent to me privately via the 'contact me' page.


Disclaimer: By law I must state that my psychic readings are given on the understanding that they are for 'Entertainment Purposes Only'. You must be over the age of 18 to receive a reading from me.

Any questions regarding specific health, mental, or legal problems will not be answered, please seek out professional advice for these matters.

I may say things you want to hear or they may be things you don't want to hear. I offer my readings in good faith and in accepting and receiving a reading it is on the understanding that I accept no liability and that you are responsible for the choices you make in your life.

"The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.  You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew.  Seek, therefore, not to find out Who You Are, seek to determine Who You Want to Be"                                                                NEALE DONALD WALSCH

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! 

Live the Life you've imagined".

- Thoreau

What can happen if you dream big?

My friend, artist and teacher Doreen Bates  who resides in West Tenessee, began studying art and painting over 40 years ago. She finally began entering local art competitions in 1990 in upstate New York (at the urging of family and friends) and her subsequent success encouraged her to start selling her work and “paint obsessively,” she says. Her first love was acrylics, but she began experimenting with oils in 1998. She now tries to divide her painting time between the mediums equally, preferring acrylics for the fine, crisp detail she likes for her bird and wildlife paintings, and choosing oils for her landscapes.     Doreen also works in polymer clay to create unique and beautiful jewelry, which she sells locally. Her paintings, jewelry, and native American crafts have won numerous awards. Doreen says, “I am positively driven to create. I believe that God-given gifts should be used, and my goal is to leave behind as much beauty and as many smiles as I possibly can.”
 

She is currently an instructor at the Lee School Academy for the Arts in Paris, Tennessee where she teaches drawing and acrylic painting for young people. and told me  "There is no art program in this county's public school system. The director of the county Arts Council has been trying for years to find a way to convince school officials to include art in the curriculuum, or at least a "visiting" art teacher--something.

So......a few months ago I got a conference call from the Arts Council director's office--asking if I would be willing to go to one of the county schools and teach an art class to 7th and 8th graders for a week as sort of a "pilot" program. This would be dependent on the music teacher of that school obtaining a grant.

Naturally I was enthused about the whole thing, and I later met with the music teacher, and outlined a project I thought we could feasibly accomplish in a 1 hour class, 25-30 students per class. I also drew up a materials list with prices for her to include in her grant proposal. Well, last night she called to say she'd just gotten home from the meeting where it was announced she got the grant!! YIPPPPEEEE!

This is an incredible opportunity for me and the schools! Not only can I personally connect with all these kids (and hopefully get them interested in art) but can tell them about what I do at Lee School, (hopefully getting more young students) and moreover, set a precedent for other schools to follow! This could really open a lot of doors for me as a teacher! I'm so excited".

I am so pleased for Doreen and think the words to this song by Ned Washington and Leigh Harline which was introduced in the 1940 Walt Disney movie Pinocchio.............most apt:

When You Wish upon a Star

When you wish upon a star,
Makes no difference who you are;
Anything your heart desires will come to you.
If your heart is in your dreams,
No request is too extreme;
When you wish upon a star as dreamers do.

Fate is kind, she brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing.
Like a bolt out of the blue,
Fate steps in and sees you through;
When you wish upon a star,
Your dreams come true.

Are you feeling stresssed and frazzled by the amount of things you have to do and finding there is just not enough hours in the day to do it all? Or perhaps you are starting to feel a little frustrated because there are just too many people in your life making demands on your precious time?  Below are 5 tips to get you started in thinking about ways to simplify your life.

1. Stop trying to do everything yourself...its ok to ask for help or delegate
2.Wean yourself away from people who drain your energy and take up too much of your time
3. Learn to say no
4. Dejunk your home (i.e. wardrobe, closets etc)
5. Evaluate your commitments (are you doing stuff that no longer serves any purpose in your life)