The Monroe Institute-Canada

Paul Elder should receive a huge debt of gratitude, accolades and 'kudos' in bringing the famed Monroe Institute's Remote Viewing, Gateway and Guidelines programs from Virginia to Canada. Now in it's second year, this advance has made it immensely easier for those who reside in the west to attend the organization's latest advances in understanding human consciousness.

A pioneer in the research and education arena of this vast exploration was the original founder, Robert A. Monroe, who is credited in popularizing the term 'out-of-body experience,' otherwise known as OBE. To better understand the late Robert Monroe's work, I invite you to watch the 9 videos of rare filmed footage of him from 1990:

http://www.monroeinstitute.org/about/robert-monroe

From 23 years ago, I believe it was no coincidence to see in these videos that he was drinking from the exact favorite coffee cup I also possessed at the time...simply amazing!

Altering brain wave states by using sound, well known as Hemi-Sync, was cutting edge technology a few years back. Just as everything evolves, a newer, complementary technique known as Spatial Angle Modulation (SAM) has recently been introduced as an advanced '3-D' form of consciousness exploration.

Paul Elder has been a TMI facilitator since 2002 and is author of the fascinating book, 'Eyes of an Angel' which can be purchased through Barnes & Noble, Amazon or Paul's website:

www.paul-elder.com

May, 2013 is your opportunity to get introduced to 2 beginning programs through the new Monroe Institute-Canada:

Remote Viewing Intensive, Level 1
May 17-19, 2013
Sandman Inn & Suites
Vernon, British Columbia

and

Gateway Voyage (6-day intensive)
May 25-31, 2013
Honeymoon Bay Retreat
Vancouver Island, British Columbia

For additional information, just click on the website:

http://monroeinstitute-canada.com/

Congratulations and BRAVO, Paul Elder, in consistently assisting others who 'seek to know more' by your endeavor of expanding The Monroe Institute, west.

©2013 Debbie Ballard

Romance dance with a psychic twist

Can you believe it? The popular online dating site Match.com is celebrating its 18^th year since being launched today.  Match.com and other sites similar to it, such as eHarmony, OKCupid, Our Time, PlentyofFish, or Zoosk are widely popular. Why? Well, because almost every woman out there is essentially looking for another human being to connect with on some emotional or heart level.

Just ask Louise Helene; she’s encountered just about every form of that ‘seeking’ in her more than 30 years experience as a psychic advisor. While expertly weaving actual client stories, following a common sense wisdom pattern and accessorizing with techniques on teaching how to tap in to your own intuition she has managed to fashion a book to help others get ‘dressed’ for that all important occasion: the romance dance. Get ready to do a spicy Salsa! Her new book, ‘I Saw Your Future and He’s Not It: A Psychic’s Guide to True Love’ will show you how.  Co-authored with Kim Osborn Sullivan, PhD. it is currently available through Llewellyn Worldwide, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and IndieBound. 

Louise Helene was gracious enough to answer some of my questions recently:

Can you name one circumstance that prompted you the most to write this book? If so, what was it?

LH: I don’t feel there was one circumstance, but rather my desire to help women find happiness in their love life.  

Were you inspired at all by the wildly popular 2004 book and 2009 movie ‘He’s just not that into you?’

LH: No, I was inspired by all my clients throughout the years that need peace, harmony, and clarity when navigating their love life.

Many of the female clients written about in your book seem to be focused on males they meet that are either handsome or physically attractive in some way.  Do you feel that since that with such a focus, other characteristics are being overlooked in seeking a potential mate?

LH: Yes, sometimes my clients will ignore bad behavior, and poor character in a man they find handsome.  Interestingly, however, love IS blind as many of my clients only found the man in their life “handsome” after they were in love with him.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Within the last 20 years or so, online dating has become immensely popular. Do you feel this has enhanced or hindered achieving genuine long-lasting happiness in love?

LH: I feel online dating actually helps people find more potential partners and soul mates, so it’s a great thing.  However, because of the obvious dangers, it is more important than ever to develop, and listen to our intuition to screen out the good guys from the bad guys.

What is your assessment of the following article written in 2011? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704409004576146321725889448.html

LH: This article is true in many aspects, but (to cut to the chase) if women expected, and required more of men, they (men) wouldn’t be so unreliable and unstable.  Unfortunately, women have a tendency to be very forgiving of the men they love.  A good rule of thumb is:  A woman needs to set the rules down early in a relationship, and require good behavior from her man.  Many times how your relationship begins is how it ends.

Regarding using psychic ability in finding love, do you feel that if we listen to our initial ‘gut’ reaction when encountering someone for the first time, that it reflects the most accuracy?

LH: Absolutely, our initial “gut” reaction when meeting someone is the most accurate, but most people don’t listen to their inner voice.  My book helps train women to recognize and pay attention to what they are feeling.

In our current American society, do you feel there is an ever-increasing pervasive attitude of ‘disposability’ in relationships that could be summarized something like this: “If you don’t meet my needs, I have no qualms with throwing you away and finding someone else.” 

LH: I have clients that work very hard to hold their relationships together, sometimes too hard.  In general, I feel that people (especially women) do not end a relationship easily, and only after much soul searching and heartache.

What percentage of your clients do you feel seek your advice about love relationships as confirmation to their own assessment of their situations and why?

LH: About 50%, but they don’t have confidence in their evaluation of their situation, and need a second opinion.  Also, many times their heart tells them one thing and their head another.

What is your opinion on how social media, texting and the like have changed dating as compared to the past?

LH: Men don’t call women anymore.  I hear many women complaining that they barely talk to the men they meet because HE prefers to text.  Women like to text, but they also want to hear the sound of the man’s voice, and have the intimacy of a conversation.  This is a bigger problem than most people realize, as it breaks down personal contact and connection.  It also doesn’t help that many men sit and text constantly while on a date.  

With your track record of over 30 years of giving psychic readings, are your clients still looking for that special one: their soul mate?

LH: Over 80% of my clients eventually have found their soul mates, some of them are still looking, and a few realized they were happiest when flying solo.

Please give one outstanding example of how psychic knowledge really saved the day where love was concerned with one of your clients.

LH: One of my clients came within two days of marrying a serial cheater.  With some psychic help, and a little investigating she found out her future husband had two other girlfriends.  The wedding was called off, and she married a wonderful man two years later.

If you could only give one piece of advice regarding looking for love, what would it be?

LH: Don’t love someone out of loneliness, take your time, and listen to your intuition.  Do these things and you will recognize true love when it comes to you.

Available in paperback and Kindle edition, Louise Helene’s book simply gives women the empowerment of some very down-to-earth tips on how to emerge as the ‘belle of the ball’ in the love department: helping any woman to glide gracefully across the romance dance floor confident in her own ability to love and be loved.

For more information on the authors:

http://www.louisehelenethepsychic.com/

http://louisehelenethepsychic.blogspot.com/

http://www.kosbornsullivan.com/

You can purchase the book here:

http://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738734934

http://www.amazon.com/Saw-Your-Future-Hes-Not/dp/0738734934/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342886244&sr=8-1&keywords=i+saw+your+future

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-saw-your-future-and-hes-not-it-louise-helene/1111647744?ean=9780738734934

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780738734934

©2013 Debbie Ballard

Running from fear

 
The volatile explosions that befell the Boston Marathon today remind us, once again, that protection and safety can be stripped away from us within an instant...when and where we least expect it. However, there is a way to know what to be prepared for, even before events like these occur.
Remote viewing (RV) is a systematic way to look at future events such as this. And even if we may not like or have control over that which we actually see using RV, at least we can possibly be 'ready'.

Take for instance:

the 2011 Japanese Tsunami/Nuclear Disaster
the H7N9 (and other) bird flu strains
the honeybee colony collapse
the emergence of a 'rust' fungus on certain plants
the economic collapse

These topics (and many more) have all been remote viewed years in advance before they actually occurred by Ed Dames and his team of RV professionals. Thousands of his students from all over the world have attended workshops & lectures over the past several years, but none have been so important as the Killshot Update Events of 2013. In order to be 'ready' for upcoming occurrences, 2 more of these events are planned for later this year in September & October.

Ed has taken on the monumental task of trying to inform as many people as possible who would heed his advice on what they can do to preserve their way of life for themselves and their loved ones when the inevitable (and RV-predicted) happens. 'To be forewarned is to be forearmed' seems to be the adage he is living by in trying to impart his RV future event knowledge to his fellow man (and woman). To learn more, please go to:

www.learnrv.com

There, you can procure free DVDs that will show you all too familiar events of our current era and the consequences, thereof. You can also sign up for the upcoming Live events or purchase DVDs to learn how to remote view at home...or you can read the community forum that is teaming with many years' worth of invaluable RV instruction information.

At any rate, whatever your interest is in the multitude of RV applications...be ready.

©2013 Debbie Ballard

Lucy's Kitchen

You know when a restaurant is good when you eat lunch there twice in one week! The lucky first time I got to try the cuisine was when my department celebrated a co-worker's birthday and today I procured 'to-go' for three. Lucy's Kitchen in Burien, WA has a diverse Chinese menu that, quite honestly,  just can't be beat by any other in our local area! So far, I've tried the Curry Chicken and the Sweet and Sour Pork...and both were delicious. Portions for lunch are IMMENSE, range in cost from $5.25 to $6.75 and come with steamed or fried rice & egg flower or hot sour soup & a fortune cookie! Believe me, there is absolutely way too much for one person to eat at one sitting.  The owner, Xiaoyu Wang (Lucy),  has a welcoming charismatic energy that makes you want to come back for more of her delicious Szechuan, Shanghai or Clay Pot specialties. You can order online and free delivery is available within a limited area for as little as $15, minimum. The atmosphere is uncluttered with comfortable chairs and tables complete with lazy susan turntables if you want to share. So the next time you have a craving for Egg Foo Yung, Fish in Black Bean Sauce, Moo Shu Pork, Salt & Chili Pepper Fried Shrimp, Sliced Beef with Oyster Sauce or 3 kinds of Duck, stop by and visit Lucy! Tasty, tasty, tasty!

http://www.lucyskitchenseattle.com/

©2013 Debbie Ballard

Playing in the Major Leagues

Just as the full swing of games that the boys of summer play begin in order to rack up batting statistics for the 2013 season, I received a very timely and fascinating communiqué from professional remote viewer, Alex DiChiara:

“For the last 6-7 years I have been working on perfecting a Remote Viewing (RV) application that can accurately predict future events. For three good reasons I use sporting events as targets:

1. The events are unequivocal
2. There are games that occur every day, so they are readily accessible
3. They provide sustainability (a daily profit), which is necessary in order to keep any RV group motivated, focused and cohesive.

I also recognize that any successful research endeavor requires the final application to be simple, practical, and ultimately one in which any viewer can execute alone, or within a group.

Over the last 6 months, with the collaboration of a Professional Gambler (PG), we have developed a ‘next generation’ of our specific RV protocols. This is the culmination of over 15 years’ worth of work which resulted in ‘uncoupling the target’; thus avoiding the problematic binary fading issues by making the protocols direct. We do not use associated photos in our remote viewing. Instead, we employ a ‘compound cue’. The PG sets up a list of winning picks for the day, assigning his list a specific TRN (target reference number). I then incorporate that TRN in my cue, assigning my own ‘new’ TRN which directs my team of viewers to target the ‘optimum winner’ on the PG’s list. Our cue does not restrain the data and allows the Matrix (the source of all information) total free range to identify the optimum target. We do a short 8-10 minute session of the most recognizable architectural feature of the arena where the actual win occurs.

I theorize that our failures in earlier research (the classic early success that later faded to random), was in large part due to:

1. The very close association between the two teams. The winner was intrinsically associated with the loser and at some point the novelty (which carried the earlier work) would pale and although we were getting spot-on RV work, the results became random. It was as though the viewers simply viewed whatever target was more interesting to them, individually.
2. The use of old photo targets, where the viewer is directed to that photo site at a time different to the actual target event. Simple chance offers the researchers the false conclusion that ARV (Associative Remote Viewing) works because of a slight percentage increase up to 63%, which actually is only 1 additional hit out of 10 in success rate over random.

Our Next Generation of protocols uncoupled the winner/loser association. The viewers now simply target the optimum winner and sketch the arena where the win occurs…so there is no longer any binary viewing. This Next Gen is the same as if viewing the current primary residence of a murderer, or the current primary residence of the next US President, for example, both of which are commonly used in age-tested successful cues.

We have just completed our ‘Spring Training’, so-to-speak, consisting of 5 weeks’ worth of testing with a 85% + success rate despite housekeeping mistakes! I have not observed any fading or false positives. We all hope that this Next Gen application will hold and therefore be expanded and applied to all sorts of future predictions. Just in time for the new season, for example, we have started working on targeting baseball games.

We are always interested in adding viewers to the group to increase target confidence. If anyone is interested in joining this group, please contact me at alex141@pacbell.net”

Congratulations, in advance, to Alex DiChiara and his team of dedicated professionals who will be, no doubt, making history on the RV timeline in the art of future event prediction.

Be sure to read Alex DiChiara's blog: http://rv4real.blogspot.com/

©2013 Debbie Ballard

22K

22,000...
the number of days having lived on this earth....
the number of sand grains passing through the hourglass...
the number of 'there's always tomorrow'...
the number of imprinting onto memory before oblivion...
the number of 'seize the day'...
the number of miracles that celestial heaven grants...
the number of finite vs. infinite...

©2013 Debbie Ballard

Sunny Smiles at Saltwater

Snapshot of today: low tide with white caps that matched those of the Olympic Mountain peaks in the background & sunny smiles of kind passersby who simply requested the memory of their journey to this place be captured in a photograph.

Lawn daisies interspersed with dandelions and discarded mussel shells dot the carpet of green beneath my feet. 

While I sit back and relax on the Rockie Burgess Memorial Bench, I am prompted to wonder who Rockie was to have once loved the same view that I do now…

Scuba divers trudging off to the shoreline to the right of me, bikers inspecting their pristine machines to my left. 

Tied-in-place kites sailing on the wind to the north, while the owners constructed castles in the sand to the east.

Dogs leashed-all sizes, shapes and colors of fur.

Kids unleashed-all sizes, shapes and colors of hair.

A lady who looked like she stepped right out of a magazine advertisement from the early 1950’s, with meticulously covered tresses, seemed like a serene time traveler lost in thought gazing out over the waves.  She walked by me with her daughter, both in simultaneous graceful cadence.

Wheelchairs, strollers, bicycles; it doesn’t really matter what type of wheel as long as it gets you closer.

Lovers strolling along draped around one another, while others engage in quiet conversation holding hands and resting on a driftwood log.

Some carry a water bottle, others an entire cooler. Some are eating an impromptu snack, while others indulge in an elaborate grilled picnic.

Sisters & Fathers & Uncles & Grandmas

In

Hoodies & Jackets & Sweaters & Blankets

All

Laughing & Sauntering & Socializing & Searching for their own beach treasure

An hour ago, my hair had been cut and styled, but now it is tossed about by the fickle breezes, the strands bestowed the gift of the fragrance from the sea, as well as, a glistening kiss from the sun’s rays. 

A hiker with a backpack sits in almost a yoga pose on the warm sand while taking pictures of the next interesting thing. 

A few sailboats and motorboats dot the wavy landscape as if meandering adrift. But soon my eyes strain to see something smaller on the horizon. Slowing coming in to view were 3 stand up paddleboarders. They looked hearty enough when they landed, albeit somewhat fatigued. They also looked foolish without lifejackets in surf this rough.

And, as always, the crows follow me everywhere. I pretend not to notice their noisy display trying to get my attention…it’s a game I play with them…as in the past I’ve cast them a tasty tidbit. They remember faces, you know.

Only once was the atmosphere pierced by the tinkling tones of a cell phone. The owner was the lone person I observed using an electronic device in the entire park. How delightful it was to have this preserved bit of natural paradise just be all the entertainment that actually was required for this afternoon.

I came to be mesmerized by the cry of the seagull and to breathe in the salty air and thankfully I was fulfilled to satisfaction with more than enough beauty until I dwell within the dreams of it tonight.

***I have had the distinct pleasure of enjoying Washington’s State Parks for the last 25 years.  The Parks celebrated their Centennial on March 19^th, but have endured very harsh budget cuts of late that have devastated staffing, safety, maintenance, trails/camping areas, nature programs…you name it! In the Seattle area alone, there are some very famous entrepreneurs that have achieved greatness in the financial arena. I would love to see them come together on behalf of saving our Washington State Parks from almost certain ruin by stepping up to the plate and investing in the NEXT hundred years of their development. I wish that all the impetus of effort and money that is currently being poured in to bringing the Sonics basketball team back to Seattle, be also applied to the Washington State Park System, as well. Future generations, like the young people in my picture, need to have the chance to discover and to enjoy the multitude of one-of-a-kind  natural experiences that the Washington State Parks have to offer.  If the Parks don’t survive, shame on anyone who could have easily presented a cure, instead of neglecting and abandoning them in to obscurity.

Learn more about these fabulous places at:

http://www.parks.wa.gov/

©2013 Debbie Ballard

Related article: http://www.examiner.com/article/crow-woman-s-shore-observations

Piscean footprint

Today, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars & Neptune, are all congregating in the mystical sign of Pisces. A spotlight-like emphasis on all things that have to do with the 12th sign of the zodiac will, therefore, be accentuated in that area of the celestial sky. Some of those things may include:

• oceans, liquids, water
• artists, musicians, dancers
• chemicals, poisons, potions
• seers, psychics, mediums
• religion, spirituality, compassion
• secrets, sleep, visions
• mist, fog, mirages
• chaos, confinement, crime

Those are some pretty big shoes to fit in to, as Pisces rules the feet, also.

Being an 'old school' astrologer, my interpretation is that the aforementioned 5 planets are currently in a configuration called a 'stellium.' Basically, if you have 4 or more planets that meet up in the same sign or house of the zodiac, you've obviously got an emphasis in that arena of life. Some astrological sages say that these planets have to be in a tight conjunction within 5 degrees of each other, while others will give a much wider 12-degree variance. Regardless, it's pretty remarkable when you get that many planets in one sign in any given moment.

The fact that we currently have both personal planets (faster moving planets that affect the individual personally) and an outer planet (slower moving, that usually affects people globally on a generational level) just highlights the importance of this particular Piscean transit.

Thus, what will the imprint legacy be from all this? With so much expression of mutable energy displayed by these 5 planets in Pisces alone, expect nothing less than big time CHANGE, demonstrated in both a personal and collective way.

©2013 Debbie Ballard

Miracle

Dear Santa,

I  know that you basically exist to make sure Christmas wishes come true for all good children...but I wonder if this 'big kid' could also impose upon you a little for a small miracle. For you see, I'm a senior citizen who resides in an adult home. I pretty much enjoy my surroundings and am generally happy with my circumstances, but my family is growing more and more distant from me. It's not that I don't have any family, mind you; I certainly do! Children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. But they hardly communicate with me directly, anymore.

At first, a few years ago, I learned to accept that they couldn't come visit anymore because of their busy schedules. That's understandable. Then eventually they didn't bother to invite me to any of their social events and functions, probably because I move so much slower now. It's bothersome for them to have to put up with that, right?

But...things are far worse, lately.

No one takes time to write letters or send sentiments in the mail via cards much anymore...so I miss out. I so used to enjoy seeing their handwriting and reading over and over what they had to say when they wrote.

No one phones me much anymore because a good conversation requires a certain amount of attention be paid to the other person...so I miss out. I so used to enjoy the excitement of hearing their voices when they called.

I don't have a computer in which to receive emails with pictures of important events that they've celebrated...so I miss out. I so used to enjoy looking through the pictures of their smiling faces over the years.

Because of my fixed income I can only afford a landline phone that doesn't receive text messages...so I miss out. I so used to enjoy learning what was happening as their lives unfolded.

During the rare occasion of actually being in their company, I often feel lonely anyway, because most of the time they are busy checking Facebook, Twitter or Skype even though I'm in the same room...so I miss out. I so used to enjoy any moment with them in person.

Santa, are there any small miracles left in your goodie bag for someone like me? I'm not asking you to turn back the hands of time, nor even to slow it down. But, my time here grows short and before I leave this earth I'd like to spend some quality time with my family. I'd like to get to know them and to have them know me, personally. I know this is a lot to ask and that you are very busy, but if there is any way that you could let my family know I'm still interested and enthusiastic about their lives, I'd be so appreciative!

I'm grateful because the senior home has lots of activities and excursions to keep me busy and such, but it's no substitute for sharing life's moments with the family I love. Next year, if I'm still here, all I'd like for Christmas is to not be forgotten by my beloved family.

Thanks so much, Santa.

Your friend,

Big Kid

 ©2012 Debbie Ballard

Going, going, gone

                                          Photo credit: Major Ed Dames


If you were able to discern what you didn't necessarily want to see, yet vital information could be revealed about the future of your survival or that of your loved ones, would you want to know how you could accomplish that? If you answered 'yes' to that question, then you really should have attended the last beginner remote viewing workshop of 2012 conducted by world renown RV teacher, Major Ed Dames. In less than a month (November 3rd & 4th, 2012, to be exact) you could have been in Reno, NV learning this incredible skill DIRECTLY from one of the original members of the team that put RV on the map. But, alas, it is already SOLD OUT! Don't fret if you missed this one, however, as there's an 'URGENT DISCLOSURES' LIVE EVENT in Reno on January 19, 2013:

https://www.remoteviewingproducts.com/lrv/workshops.cfm

Personally, I like to call RV 'systematic ESP' because it taps in to information about anything, anyone, any event or any time period you care to look at without using one iota of intuition. In these perilous times in which we live, it is imperative to prepare for what is yet to come, as it can literally mean the difference between life and death. For a glimpse at what you can see about the future that will affect us all, see the video trailer attached to this article 'Remote Viewing Disasters'...a highly-anticipated quality video that Major Ed Dames offers in collaboration with Remote Viewing Products.

If, for whatever reason, you can't attend the workshop, Remote Viewing Products has a plethora of DVDs you can purchase to view at home, including the beginning course:

http://www.remoteviewingproducts.com/

Want to learn more about RV before it's too late? There's a entire community comprised of individuals from all walks of life from around the world that share that same curiosity:

http://www.learnrv.com/
 
AND to top it all off, the Major is offering to give YOU a free DVD on an upcoming event that many remote viewers have been seeing for years, now:

http://www.thekillshot.com/

Got questions? Get answers with Remote Viewing.

***On Tuesday, October 16, 2012, Major Ed Dames was the guest of radio host George Noory on Coast to Coast AM...if you become a C2C Insider, you can download and listen to this and other appearances that the Major has made within the last couple of years:


http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2012/10/16


©2012 Debbie Ballard

 Video trailer of 'Remote Viewing Disasters (Major Ed Dames), credit: Remote Viewing Products

Oasis of perfection

 

It had been a rough 20 days...filled with hospital admissions, ambulance rides, urgent care visits, numerous doctor consultations and worry over the health of a loved one. On one of the most perfect of Harvest Moon Fall days I can ever recall, somewhere betwixt the mixture of the cool, crisp air and waning sunshine, I needed to escape the pressure of reality for just a short while. In my driving to and from within the land of 'what needed to get done', I felt enticed to visit the restaurant where I had twice before had the comfort of a really delicious meal, start to finish.

Three times must be a charm because Barnacles at Des Moines Restaurant & Bar delivered perfection once again! Starting with a smile and the inviting demeanor of my waiter, Guy, up until the friendly goodbye handshake before my departure from family-owner, Jake, every minute of my mini respite was well worth the time spent.

The most robust coffee immediately warmed my spirit, followed by a fresh, and I do mean fresh, salad with probably the best ranch dressing I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. This time I ordered the salmon for the main course, which is drizzled in a honey-dill glaze. In case you didn't know, it's not all that easy to sear/grill a filet of salmon thoroughly, yet still leave a certain succulent tenderness. Most of the time it ends up being over or under cooked, but not by the savy chefs at Barnacles. They know exactly the perfect combinations of what herbs and spices enhance the flavor of this delectable fish the best.

Coupled with a more-than-generous baked russet potato and perfectly-steamed broccoli (not raw or mushy)...well, it was more than I could have hoped for in an impromptu dining experience. But the bread...OMG, the bread! I think I could come in for a slice of that homemade goodness, alone. More on the consistency of a pound cake, a slice of this sweet and yeasty white bread needs no accompaniment, whatsoever. It became my dessert as I couldn't resist gobbling up the entire slice, yet leaving with a box of leftovers of the abundant portions of the main course to savor for another meal.
So, amidst the Full Moon madness that surrounded me, I was able to find a temporary oasis of perfection while dining in Des Moines, Washington's sanctuary of flavor: Barnacles.

You, too, can thoroughly enjoy your next meal at:

Barnacles at Des Moines Restaurant and Bar
22636 Marine View Drive
Des Moines, WA 98198
206-878-5000
www.barnaclesatdesmoines.com

Addendum: Much to my dismay, this wonderful restaurant closed on December 30, 2012. Another victim of the economy, perhaps? At any rate I shall miss it very much! Good luck in future endeavors to the family who owned this gem.

 ©2012 Debbie Ballard

Blue Moon? Well, yes and no...

It all started with a simple error. In March of 1946, author James Hugh Pruett wrote an article for ‘Sky and Telescope’ using the Maine Farmer’s Almanac as a reference…trouble is, he misinterpreted the source. The Farmer’s Almanac was widely utilized since the early 19th century for help with gardening via celestial movement and weather predictions. Ordinarily, according to the almanac, there were 3 full moons within each season , or within a quarter of the year. What’s more, each of these full moons had its own special name within each respective season. Rarely, there would be a 4th full moon within a season because of lunation cycles and that was defined as a blue moon.  In his misguided attempt at an interpretation of this, Pruett declared that a ‘Blue Moon’ was the second of 2 full moons occurring within the same month. What? He must have stayed up much too late watching the moon to come to that mathematical conclusion from what the Almanac originally stated…or perhaps he had indulged in too much moonshine the night before?



At any rate, this misinterpretation continued on down through the years and this new ‘Blue Moon’ definition was first popularized by the radio show ‘Star Date’ in 1980. The next year, the makers of the game Trivial Pursuit found Pruett’s article and further propagated the misinformation throughout the entire world. The rest is history. So, going by the ORIGINAL Farmer’s Almanac seasonal definition, the next Blue Moon isn’t scheduled to occur until August 21, 2013. However, even the Farmer’s Almanac has since succumbed to Pruett’s ‘lunatic’ calculations and they show the next Blue Moon as August 31, 2012. So enjoy this rare event, whichever date you should choose, made less rare throughout perpetuity by one teeny, weeny, itsy, bitsy mistake.

You can watch this year’s celestial show at:

http://events.slooh.com/

©2012 Debbie Ballard

Camping in July

Day One…a nice, sunny day and not too busy on the freeway. ..went to pick up the rental car and found out that they wanted a $200 deposit, so we decided we didn’t need a car that bad after all…but, found the perfect woodsy campsite a short distance from the pool/lodge/store within the Chehalis Thousand Trails park…had a problem with the camp electricity vs. our house batteries…the two batteries need to be replaced like our main one did on the last camping trip we had a few months ago…we just disconnected them for now and everything worked fine…the medieval weekend that was planned  in this park was also cancelled, so that was somewhat disappointing, but we found our own source of entertainment…typical Mercury retrograde…cell phones only worked on roaming,  our rooftop satellite TV didn’t work, nor could I receive the radio stations I usually listen to…but  chirping birds, the rustle of leaves in the trees and the crackling of a toasty campfire work very well as substitutes...thus, I  think I slept better than I have in years within this quiet.   

Day Two…the stubborn clouds did not part to let the determined  sun come through until late afternoon….no matter, while walking the dog I found teeny tiny pinecones  and enjoyed identifying plants and delicate flowers along the way…we roasted Twinkies over the evening’s campfire…first tried them last summer and now they have become a tradition…nevertheless,  I could detect that there was a slight change in the air and,  sure enough,  it rained during the night.

Day Three…very cloudy and cool all day…we even turned the heater on and wore long pants (at the end of July, no less)…it was the kind of day that we indulged in the park ice cream social to lift our spirits and made  paprika beef/potato/gravy slow cook in the crockpot all day (which we later ate before the night’s campfire, accompanied by some great wine)…the 2012 Olympics in London started today but we were busy going through items within the storage cabinets in the motorhome that desperately needed to be ‘weeded out’…probably will  be returning  home quite a few pounds lighter… it was entertaining to watch all the new arrivals on Friday night after about 6 pm that were anxious for a weekend of camping with their respective families…I like to watch how people set up their camps or walk their dogs, and sometimes, cats!

Day Four…again, cloudier and even cooler, the sun only peeking through merely a minute or two…but that didn’t stop the flow of youthful humanity heading towards the pool, store or hayrides…it just meant the ritual campfires started earlier in the afternoon…however, some families need to learn a bit of “camp etiquette”  when it comes to making noise…i.e. it’s not necessary to scream at the top of your lungs in order to speak with your mother who is walking right next to you…nor is it necessary to roll up your squeaky awning at 6 am on Saturday morning waking up all those trying to get some relaxation within nature…most of all those who have the audacity to use a bullhorn at their campsite and think it’s funny should be shot at sunset…nevertheless I tended my mesmerizing campfire until late and still didn’t use up all the wood we brought…and yes I had to have  that delectable concoction of old…s’mores.

Day Five…alas we had to go home…no more peace and quiet and serenity during the night..and of course, the sun comes out in all it’s glory when we could have used it earlier in the week…back to the hustle & bustle and the daily grind…(sigh)...but, we stopped at Lucky Eagle Casino on the way back in Grand Mound, WA. What a nice place THAT is...and you can actually win some money on slots there, imagine that! I wanted some Indian fry bread, but alas there was none...the staff is great, though, and we got a free camping site from them, good for a year...I'll definitely be back for a weekend!

 ©2012 Debbie Ballard (Text & Photo)

It

I was born with it.

At age 10, I didn't know what it even was.

At age 20, I was on a quest to search for it.

At age 30, I had it but didn't know it.

At age 40, I was too busy to be worried about it.

At age 50, I began to wonder if I still had it.

At age 60, I realized there was more to life besides it.

At age 70, I started to reminisce about it.

At age 80, I could care less about it.

At age 90, I completely lost it.

At age 100, I forgot what it even was.

At death, I couldn't take it with me.

What is it?

©2012 Debbie Ballard

(Picture credit: The Life and Age of Woman, Currier & Ives, 1850)

Leave a comment about what you think it is...

Container Gardening

This is my tiny outdoor container garden. Believe it or not,  it is comprised of hens & chicks succulents, 3 kinds of mint, parsley, nasturtiums, basil, lilac, cilantro, Kenilworth Ivy, shallots, variegated oregano, Creeping Jenny, Bleeding Heart, chives, lavender, rosemary, red geranium and a green mantle sedum. Away from this shot I also have a tomato plant that will produce a golden orange variety of the patio type. When I am pinching back the herbs or tomato plant, I never wear garden gloves, as I enjoy the distinctively unique fragrances that are produced from their essential oils. Even watering them in the early morning produces these heavenly 'earthy' smells. So even if you have a very small space, you can still create a personal Shangri-La with a mixture of edible and non-edible plants and flowers in containers.

Obsession with Gai Tom Ka (or is it Tom Kha Gai?)

Ok, I'm back from a vacation out in the woods at Chehalis Thousand Trails. This campground is where the Thousand Trail camp membership all began 40 years ago. This is also where my phone didn't work, radio didn't work and in order to watch TV or have a WiFi internet connection you had to walk to one of the two lodges.But most of all it was the quiet I coveted. No airplanes flying over...just stillness...REALLY nice.  Even though the weather wasn't perfect (it was only sunny the day we arrived and the day we left), we still had a lovely campfire every night, thanks to the dry alder and cedar wood I bought a couple of months ago. That, alone,  provided a pleasant ambience for conversation while roasting hot dogs, twinkies or marshmellows for s'mores each night.  Also, we watched DVDs we had forgotten we even had, I got a lot of crocheting done and we cleaned out some cabinets in the motorhome that had been forgotten about for the last 7 years! All in all, it was a very nice, relaxing time...especially when the highlight of the day was looking for teeny weeny pine cones and identifying wildflowers.

But now that I"m back in civilization doing the normal routine,  I also feel the desire to get back on track with a lot of things to get things accomplished...one being writing (must be the Full Moon)! And...having been gone for so many days I stopped after work to get some of my most favorite soup EVER at the deli of a QFC grocery store:  Chicken Curry Coconut Soup.  QFC (Quality Food Center) is known as Kroger in other states and Ralph's in still others. Anyway, this soup is SO scrumptious that if I'm not careful I could almost indulge in it every single day. It is so chock full of Thai flavor & spices, as well as, nutritional goodness that it's rather difficult to describe without putting it directly on your tongue to taste for yourself. The QFC version contains at least all of these ingredients: curry, lemongrass, ginger, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, red bell pepper, tomato, carrot, onion, spinach, celery, chicken, chicken stock and basil. Trust me, this concoction blended together is absolute pure magical alchemy.

Here is a link to a recipe that comes about as close as I've been able to find on the internet to the delicious QFC version, adding cilantro and a few other goodies:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/thai-hot-and-sour-coconut-chicken-soup

If your palate has a love for flavor, I highly recommend this soup.

Bon appetit!

©2012 Debbie Ballard (text only, not the link or photograph)