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June 2015

Mind KEY / 2015 / June

Campfire cooking – the stew to beat all stews (cooked on a campfire)

Over the Mountain in Estes Park, COMy family likes to camp.  We're pretty outdoorsy and, in Colorado, we're near to great mountain retreats.Pelican at Bear Creek Lake Park, CO at dawn  One of my favorite meals (and easiest to prepare at the campsite), is campfire stew.  The best part?  Everyone prepares it for themselves, the way they like it, so no one’s able to complain about the ingredients!  That's important when you're camping with kids.I do suggest some pre-camping prep, but I’m good with that. Here’s a list of ingredients I pack for the stew (all diced into bite sized pieces): Stew beef Chicken Onions Carrots Celery Pre-cooked potatoes. To make things easier, most stores sell the mirepoix – pronounced meer- pwah - (onion, carrot and celery...

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The Teacher-Student Connection: Standing on each other’s shoulders

Carol Douglas ~ Petal DollTeaching is source of creative influx for sculptor and jewelry maker, Carol Douglas. She began her career as a teacher and has since moved into sculpting for herself and others. Now, after many years creating on her own, she has returned full circle to teach metal clay and polymer clay workshops to students of all expertise—from the amateur to the professional. The rewards of passing on knowledge come back tenfold, Carol says.  In addition, sometimes a student takes a lesson and does something so creative as a result, that she finds herself inspired to go further next time.  “It’s a synergy,” Carol said.  “I start on your shoulders, then you can start on my shoulders, and it goes on and creates a...

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Teachers and Students Connecting Through Nature

Every day I am a runner in a maze as if I were Zelda from the first Nintendo system. One day I teach, and they learn meanings of words like "scruples" and facts about the real Dracula. The next day I am shadowing a student who at any moment could disappear into the woods, or I am intervening in a verbal battle between a bully and his or her prey. "Enough with the side conversations. Get off the table, please. Focus on your work. Stop cursing." These are a few of my favorite daily declarations. But then there might be a Wednesday or Thursday when I get to play Scrabble with my struggling readers. There may be a Friday when I can get the...

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The Teacher I’ll Never Forget

Mrs. Brischetto’s breath reeked of coffee and cigarettes.  Her face was inches away from mine, infuriated eyes glaring behind huge glasses.  Frustration settled in every wrinkle on her face and her arms flailed in the air.  My second grade classmates gathered around my desk watching me shrink smaller and smaller into my chair.  My math book sat opened on my desk and I stared at it blankly.  The unfriendly shapes and words started to blur together, creating a soup of ink on the page.  I don’t remember what my teacher screamed but her words were slicing me to pieces.  They belittled me, taunting me on my inability to figure out the math problem.  She had explained it to me over and over.  I just didn’t...

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Where I learned to love Editing – The Teacher Student Relationship

No, no, no!  Latin is good!Mr. Vargas, you suck.  You got my Latin-loving hopes up and I feel like I was taught wrong.  Let me explain.  Mr. Vargas was my seventh grade English teacher.  He wore polyester, drove a banana yellow corvette and he taught English.  Now, this was before they called it "Language Arts", before there were any ESL classes, before IB classes and before reading and English were separate classes.  You took English.  Only English.  And you learned about the English language.  We conjugated our little 7th grade hearts out!  For what seemed like hours and hours I'd work on my homework.  I'd write essays and decode poetry and take furious notebooks full of notes.I am sure that this is where I...

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In a Nutshell: The Mind Key Community at large

Saturday was Mind Key's very first Festival, and despite the rain it was a fabulous way to ring in the summer.  A lot of programs were cancelled due to the downpour and overall resulting mayhem.  I know a lot of people didn't turn out because the weather was just miserable...

Midsummer Festival TODAY

Don’t forget to join us TODAY for the Mind Key Midsummer Festival in Ringwood.  The weather looks like it will be beautiful, and we’re gearing up for a day full of music, events, and lots of fun and inspiration.CLICK HERE for a full listing of vendors, activities and a schedule of the day’s events. This family-friendly event is also a great opportunity to get some physical healing, learn about membership and view our beautiful hardcover book: The Mind Key Project: An Anthology for the very first time.We will have live music, an open mic, and round out the day with a bonfire by the lake.  There will be awesome give-aways and gift certificates every hour.  Need a last minute gift for Dad?  Pamela Dzbenski will...

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The Mind Key Midsummer Festival is Tomorrow, Saturday June 20th

The Mind Key Midsummer Festival is an opportunity for the Community at large to meet vendors and educators whose goal is to help you find healing and passion.  At Mind Key, we believe that when you are on a path that leaves you fulfilled, inspired, and always striving for the next best thing, then health and happiness follow.  We’ve planned a day of events with this belief in mind.  Self discovery through dream interpretation, creative activity, and different health modalities are only a few of the ways we’re sharing our path with you.  Musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments and play at our open mic.  Poets and writers can read their work between demonstrations throughout the day.  Children will have an opportunity to explore...

Want To Be a Ghost Hunter?

capturing energy/spirits on cameraFor you DYI ghost hunters, there’s much available today to get you started.  Although there is no substitute for professional (Ahhh, are there really any professional ghost hunters?) advice, going through some great websites can give you a jump start.  My all time favorite and the site I went to first is Chuck’s Paranormal Adventures (http://www.chucksghosts.com/).  He talks about equipment, evidence, offers a glossary of terms.  He actually comes at it from both the scientific method, as well as the metaphysical, offering protection advice such as using holy water and sage, something I recommend.  I met Chuck at a recent NJ Paraunity Expo.  He is down to earth and offers good advice.For those of you...

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The Mind Key Community: Meet Joani

Joani O'DriscollAs a massage therapist, Joan O’Driscoll is trained in sports medicine and is oncology massage certified. Clients looking for healing and relief from cancer treatment seek out her gentle touch, and those looking to compliment their sports and fitness regime recognize her talent for finding trouble spots and treating them accordingly.In addition to her training and talents as a massage healer, Joan is also undergoing schooling to become a naturopathic doctor.Diana Gibson says, "Joani O'Driscoll has helped me to recover from strenuous physical activity. Because of her massages I am able to recover faster and improve my athletic performance. She is highly knowledgeable about the human body and has the unique ability to make her client feel euphoria and complete...

Sweet Sweet Wonderland: Meet Dina

Sweet Sweet Wonderland is a family owned specialty bakery in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.  They offer a seasonal selection of baked goods from their signature cupcakes to their  brownies, cookies, cake pops, cakes, pies and more… all as delectable to the palate as they are to the eye.Founder and lead baker, culinary artist Dina Gilmartin first realized that she had a need to bake while taking a Home Economics class in High School.  Not only was she at the top of her class, but she also received a award for outstanding ability in the culinary arts.  She was going to school for early childhood education, but her work was so exceptional that they allowed her to accept this monetary prize that was generally awarded...

What does it mean to be a Mind Key Member?

Are you looking to push your work or business into the next stage?  Trying to build a website or bring more attention to your existing online presence? Sell more product or find new clients? Have you wanted to share what you do with photos, video, and articles, but don’t know where to start?Mind Key wants to help bring the vision and collaboration of what it means to be connected, and to help you do the same.This is an opportunity for health professionals, artists, writers, businesses, practitioners and the people interested in their work to fulfill their resolutions to become more involved, build their following, and create an online and physical presence. Mind Key is about living...

The Mind Key Writing Team

I wanted to take a moment to talk about the Mind Key writing team.Many of you have been wondering why we’ve been focused on writing games, contests, and stories.  What does this have to do with healing, or discovering my personal path, you ask?It’s a good question.  And luckily I have an answer for you.Writers and artists are the distillers and the synthesizers of information.  Whether through painting, Brian Froud's "The Piper"music, dance, or the written word, we take the information in our brains, the energy and emotions that affect our bodies and our souls, and we translate them into material that makes sense to the rest of humanity.  This creative ability is something we all possess, but we express it differently.  In other words,...

Meet the Community — Vera Remes and Raven Reiki

Vera Ann RemesWhite Raven by Dana BreeReiki Master and Certified Angel Card reader, Vera Remes, began Raven Reiki after completing courses at Michael Harner's Foundation for Shamanistic Studies and with Sandra Ingerman on Shamanic Journeying for  Guidance and Healing.  She proceeded to combine nuances of shamanic journeying, music, drumming, crystals and psychic intuition to the Usui Reiki she was taught, creating a modality of healing she dubbed “Raven Reiki.” In addition to these modalities, Vera is also certified to perform past life regressions and future life progressions - each intended to bring greater insight and enlightenment on your path and in healing and achieving goals and dreams.As a special needs teacher turned lawyer who rode horses for a local sheriff’s department in her spare time, Vera...

In a Nutshell: Fiction and Life Parallels

Last week on Mind Key, the blog, your Mind Key writers explored fiction and life parallels.  In Meet the Community: Danielle Rose on Tuesday, Charla introduced you to Mind Key's creator, Danielle Rose.  "I've been talking to trees and faeries ever since I could remember," Danielle says. Her connection to the fae and to nature has taken her down life's path less traveled.As a mom of two girls, Danielle is perpetually on the go, but she’s always focused on what she has found most important, homemade family dinners, playing outside and reading.  “I've been reading my favorite chapter books aloud since my youngest was about six months old," she said.  "Today, both of my girls adore all of my favorites and that means...

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Mind Key the Novel: A Review

After the disappointments of a sour break up and the troublesome relationship with her abusive father, Noelle heads to the Jersey Shore.  It’s supposed to be another brief vacation with her mother, dull and numb after the Noelle Ricci as drawn by Michelle Farencirecent heartaches.  Still, the rumbling waves of the Atlantic shore make Noelle feel at home, as if she’s belonged there all of her life.  But it’s not just the salty breeze and the soft wet sand under her feet that draw her in.  Arden, a boy vacationing a few apartments away, captures her attention and before she knows it— her heart.  The two spend only a couple of days together but somehow she feels as if she’s known him for years.  It...

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How fiction changes everything

There’s something special in the way fiction opens the brain to draw its own conclusions and make new connections, while nonfiction—although certainly having its place—presents facts but rarely offers the opportunity for expansive thinking as fiction can.That’s not to underestimate the importance of nonfiction.  Facts are useful, but facts change.  And facts aren’t always… well, fact, are they? Opinion can be debated but cannot be proven… facts are hard information that can be proven or disproven.  In other words, facts can be false.  When fiction resonates, however, it catches us some place deep within our hearts and psyche… that place where we know truth, not as a fact, but as a place of understanding and peace.  Because fiction does not claim to be anything other...

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Spirituality based on Film

Spirituality based on film.  I find myself shaking my head.  While films like Avatar definitely encourage thought, I find it hard to lend credence to cosplayers or regular, everyday people who would worship at the “tree of Utraya Mokri” were it real.  Phrases like “I see you” have crept into the language of our society with stealth.  I have to admit, I like that saying, though.Star Wars is another film whose principles have gained many followers.  The Star Wars memorabilia area at Comic Con was by far the most popular with my family last weekend.  The films have actually spawned many discussions in my household.  Being surrounded by boys (including my husband) who love the series, we’ve talked a lot about the story...

Meet the Community: Danielle Rose

We each have the ability to change our life, create our future, heal ourselves,and achieve our dreams.Danielle Rose is many things, but conventional is not one of them.  She identifies herself as a writer, herbalist, intuitive reader and faerie healer, but she's so much more."I've been talking to trees and faeries ever since I could remember," Danielle says. Her connection to the fae and to nature has taken her down life's path less traveled.Danielle grew up in a dark place.  "I don't really remember much about my childhood anymore, probably because I've blocked a lot of it out," Danielle says.  In a family plagued by emotional abuse, Danielle turned to her connection to nature and to her writing and journaling as a way to actually heal."This was a huge breakthrough for...

In a Nutshell: Past Lives, Parallel Lives, and Future Lives

The idea of past, parallel and future lives almost seems ridiculous to a metaphysical heart surgeon who believes in the power of the present.  However, who we are and who we are to become is affected greatly by how we view the broad spectrum of our life (or lives).“Our bodies live this current lifetime and label it the present, but the continuum of our entire existence isn’t limited to the restraint of time,” Tamara Rokicki says in The connection of parallel lives.  “The past is what we see when we look as far back to the day we were born.  Our future is the years we have yet to live until we reach the end of our journey. But is there more?”In Past life regressions...

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