My Outing To Visit Spiritual Rose
As I do with most anything I come across that piques my curiosity, I’m still seeking restful ways to de-stress. Some days I focus so on Charlie that I wince every time his feet slide or he coughs.
I’ve got to find a way to be more tranquil so that I can be the calm that he needs me to be.
As usual my topic yesterday brought the same old fervor that always comes with stumbling across new ideas and sharing them with you. I didn’t know there were so many of you who were open-minded to this. But I am so glad to share this journey with you.
Heavens, I didn’t think I was still open-minded to this. Though I recall in the early nineties practicing visualization techniques and feeling more calm for having done so.
So what if many of us are in our fifties and sixties and seventies and eighties, we are still women seeking that which brings us a modicum of tranquility in a world that seems to have slipped off its axis.
It’s hard to sit around and read the news and not feel calamitous. I have to keep telling myself that yes, that’s still happening and I can’t stop it. But I can stop how I react to it.
So ladies, let’s explore the inner “hippie” in all of us. Bring out the crystals, incense for those of you who can safely burn it, and create a small spiritual corner that is ours alone.
I’m game!
Yesterday at acupuncture they focused more on Charlie’s back legs. He is losing feeling in both of them. So they said they need to re-establish feeling in the nerves so that he can still get about.
They gave me home exercises for him. I fold up a thick towel and put it under his tummy to hold him up. Then I move his legs and take his feet and rub them across a surface to make him more aware of them.
Putting him up on a towel takes away the pain of having to fully stand, and gives him a place to rest when his muscles get too tired. This is to work his muscles and strengthen them.
I purchased another supplement the doctor suggested called Canine Musculoskeletal Support. This and the one for his heart is powder, but comes with a very small spoon to give him the right amount.
Since I can’t sprinkle it on his food due to Ivy sometimes eating with him (the girl has a bottomless tummy it seems), I instead roll up the pill pocket I put his medication in and roll it across the powder until there is no more in the bowl.
I plan to get out early before it gets too hot and visit the store I mentioned, Spiritual Rose. I figure it will give me ideas for what I want to accomplish in my apartment.
I took the liberty of copying this from their website:
Here’s some of what it says:
We are a woman-owned store located in Tulsa’s historic midtown. We believe in honoring all spiritual paths and seekers. We carry a variety of goods for everyone from boho to Buddhist, crystal-lover to candle fanatic, Mother-Earth-loving to magic-weaving to mighty skeptic.
Books, stones, incenses, herbs and teas, cartomancy decks, home décor, and so much more fill our shop; we also stock locally crafted goods, including handmade organic bath products, jewelry, and local art.
Spiritual Rose is named after our owner’s mother, whose portrait hangs behind our front counter. We hope to honor her brave entrepreneurial spirit, fierce femininity, and loving perspective.
We are currently seeking opportunities for giving in alignment with our values. Spiritual Rose values giving back to women and girls in our community who have faced adversity, standing with our LGBTQ+ soul siblings, multi-faith fellowship and cooperation, and racial equality.
Oh, I love that it’s a woman-owned store! And that the name honors the entrepreneurial spirit of the owner’s mother.
I am going to go explore, wander the store, and see what beckons to me. I’m mostly going to accumulate ideas.
I just took Charlie out and there’s a bit of a cool breeze. It’s as if the weather is trying to be accommodating as I make my first trek into this new idea (for me) of alternative spiritual path seeking.
Start thinking about a special space in your own home if you don’t have one. Even if it’s just a small corner. We are dedicating this space to ourselves. We will adorn it with things that are special to us. And we will seek enlightenment and tranquility together.
Ladies, if at first we don’t succeed, we shall try, try again. And I really think us old dogs (those of you in my age group) can certainly learn new tricks. There’s nothing to stop us.
“Enlightenment must come little by little. Otherwise it would overwhelm.” – Idries Shah
In this terrifying, chaotic world I think all of us should find places of peace and tranquilty. Just like in other things not everyone responds to or appreciates the same things. So whatever works.
For years the only way I can get back to sleep if I wake up in the night is to say the Lord’s Prayer over and over again. Even though it can be extremely painful to watch MSNBC I do because I want to know what is happening. Too often I have to turn it off and repeat the Prayer again and again to calm down.
So find a way to calm yourself but stay educated and involved because we all have to work to together to make the changes that have to come next November. “Head in the Sand” is NOT the answer now. So PRAY and work to end this insanity. The only good thing that could come out of all this is that we have to decide what is GOOD for us and create it. In spite of intense objections. The future for our kids depends on it.
I’m with the ladies who commented that God is the only true source of real peace and tranquility and nothing else or no one else can give it. I read the Bible every day and spend time praying to God and that’s where I get strengthened and my faith increased.
Strongly recommend getting in the Word of God and spending time talking to Him.
Because my daughter died in the same week we moved into this house three years ago I have wanted to move away from it. But as time has passed and we haven’t found something that suits us better that makes sense financially, I’ve decided to let go of the desire to move for now and just try to enjoy being here. I switched up two rooms, putting the office room in the bigger of the two extra bedrooms and the guest room in the smaller one and it’s been a much better decision than I expected. The smaller bedroom is a pass-through room from the hallway to the kitchen/utility room area and now when I go through it I see a bed with pretty pillows and some of my trinkets on the dresser and it makes me happier than when I saw the office clutter. I sometimes lie down on that bed for a few minutes of rest which I never did before. I also got almost all clutter out of our big bedroom so it is a much more restful room. I say almost all clutter because my husband’s nightstand gets cluttered with his stuff but I can handle that much! It’s so nice to lie in bed and look at the dresser that is not cluttered anymore. There is a plant and a plaque that says, “Give your troubles to God, He is up all night anyway.” We got it from my husband’s mom when she was downsizing. I thought it was a silly saying but now I really practice turning over my cares to God at night for a more restful sleep. I am not drawn to “hippie” approaches personally but do have a shelf in the hallway with natural objects found on our travels — shells, pebbles and such that are nice to see and touch. I’ve been working in the yard more so that it becomes more attractive to wildlife and that’s been really enjoyable, both the work and then watching the birds, butterflies and squirrels. I know I’m being called to get out and be with people more so I’ve been making more efforts to talk to neighbors and to get in touch with old friends. I’m meeting a friend this weekend to get a couple of plants for the part of my yard devoted to native plants. I’m going to get some ironweed and milkweed. Butterflies love these plants. I am more grateful now for my yard, which was so bare at first and kind of overwhelming but is slowly becoming a pleasant and more attractive place.
Brenda, I’m so excited that you are embarking on this new spiritual venture. You are inspiring me to again pay attention to that area of my own life after having neglected it for a while. I think paying attention to things of the Spirit can add a new dimension to life that is very nurturing and healing. And who doesn’t need those things?
Poor little Charlie without feeling in his back legs. Is that from nerves in his back being pinched or some other cause? I hope this new therapy will help him so he can walk more easily. That is such a handsome photo of him you posted today.
The store you’re visiting sounds wonderful. Full of beautiful and tempting items and ideas. I’m gathering that they do have a website. Could you post it?
I’ll be interested to read your report on your visit to Spiritual Rose. Happy Weekend to you Three!
Yes, the nerves going bad are in Charlie’s back. He’s had trouble there for years. But now it’s affected the nerves going to his legs. Here is the website you asked for: https://www.spiritualrose.net/
I love stores like this. I don’t always buy but there’s just that sense of calmness that comes over you upon entering. Can’t wait to see what you think of it.
I checked out Spiritual Rose’s web site ~ I could spend HOURS in that place!! You are so lucky to have it near to you!
I can’t wait to hear about your foray there ~
I am so interested in these ideas, Brenda. Thank you for taking us along with you. I am very open to this path, have long been so. A kind of return and renewal I think.
Sending you all good thoughts for your exploration and for a joyful week-end.
Mary
Can’t wait to hear about your visit to this store – it sounds lovely! There’s one that sounds similar in my area, but it’s pricey. I went in there and looked one time. I didn’t buy anything.
With Ivy trying to eat Charlie’s food, can you feed one of them in a private spot, such as the bathroom or your bedroom? That’s what I have to do with my cats since they eat different food. Monkey goes in the bathroom and Clementine goes in one of the spare bedrooms. When Zippo was alive, he ate in the kitchen.
How exciting Brenda! I can’t wait to hear what you think about the store and the ideas you come up with!
I sure hope the exercise helps with Charlie!
I’m anxious to hear your observant reactions to this shop. I try to stay open to ideas and think about things that are different. I hope you find something to relieve your stress. I think that stress does us far more harm than we realize. I do know that plants and color affect me for the better but worst of all what affects me adversely …negative people. There’s just so much negativity I can take and then I have to move away from people. I like people very much but for the most stay on my own. It’s hot hear today in SC but I have to get out and run errands. Have to get meds and go to rehabilitation exercise. I’m preparing for a trip to visit my grands up in the Adirondack Mtns and it’s harder for me to travel but I want to see them so badly I think I’d crawl over broken glass. We’ll spend a week together at a cabin on a lake… no WiFi, no tv, just family and visiting, cooking, camp fire, s’mores, board games and enjoying the ever wild Adirondack Park… my idea of heaven here on earth. Looking forward to hearing about what you discover.
I’m with you on this Brenda. There was a time I was into all this but raising a family, working a job and generally fighting to survive took it all away. Little did I know that I needed it more at those times than ever. I do know my chakras must be in a tangled mess much beyond being blocked! Even though I am now retired I have not felt truly at peace for a long time. I just turned 67 and I think it is time I change things for the better.
I think that is a great idea, having a space in your house that is just yours. I have the luxury of having a whole house to myself, so I do not have to make accommodations for anyone other than myself. But my special space is the smallest room in the house – the back backroom, which overlooks the backyard. I get good breezes when I opened the windows and fragrances from whatever is in bloom in the garden beds. At night, in certain seasons, I can hear the hooty owl. I can see moonrise. I use this room as my den/library/office. It has a desk I’ve had since 1986, two tall bookshelves, and a dresser that is filled with overflow curtains, draperies, table clothes, table runners, throw pillow covers, and various other cloth/material decorating items. The room is filled with light, and photographs of my family, friends, from my travels, and souvenirs from various places. The bookshelves hold a lot of my chess and historical reference books, biographies, books on various religions and various historical works (non-fiction, yes, I’m a history nerd), all of my genealogical research, and a stash of DVDs which I occasionally play on my laptop DVD player. The desk is a mess, but like most messy desk people, I know where everything is. The bookshelves look chaotic because they are pretty cram-packed and filled with things, but they are organized. The dresser holds my printer and a small 2002 flat screen TV which I turn on a few times a year, mostly when old Christmas movies are on. Except during Christmas season when I have the large tree up and decorated in the living room and have the fireplace in there going, I am mostly in this room day in and day out, when I’m not outsize in my Shezebo reading in good weather and listening to the tinkling and peaceful sounds of my now two water fountains – one solar, one a plug in that I have near the power outlet on the outside of the house. I am fortunate – I have a lot of space all to myself. I know a lot of your readers may not. But having one corner where you can keep your or a few of your favorite things, maybe have a chair with a table and lamp or a floor lamp if there is no room for a table, or a small writing desk that is all your own tucked into a corner with a hanging shelf or two close by to hold your favorite things, or overlooking a window so you can look out on to preferable a serene and lovely view. When I was a kid, even before I was a teenager and craved time alone and my own, private space (we were a family of 8 in a 3 bedroom/1 bath flat), I made a space for myself in the old attics in the large old flats we used to live in – nobody used those spaces except for storage, so I could make a sort of “fort” walled off from the rest of the space overlooking a window. They were rough, not insulated – too hot to use in full summer and too cold to use in full winter, but the rest of the year they was all mine. Gee, I haven’t thought about those old attic “rooms” I made for myself in years! Best of all, my siblings thought they were “creepy,” and didn’t bother me up there. LOL!
I am interested in this, Brenda. I yearn for peace and calm in my own life. However, I learned a long time ago that if I can’t do something about a situation, it is a waste of time to worry about it. My husband always asked me why I didn’t like watching the news on TV.
It is always bad and i couldn’t do anything to change it. Why stress myself over situations that I couldn’t control?
Sounds good. I’m in.
Brenda haw you considered giving Charlie bone broth? Countless web sites outline its benefits ,i.e. immune boosting, strengthening bones and joints and digestive issues to name a few. Chewy’s carries it in both powder and liquid forms however I choose to make Capo’s myself from raw bones. Simple to make in a crock pot using raw bones cut into hockey puck size pieces that any meat market butcher can do for you (cow leg bones and pig feet have the best marrow which is what your are looking for, also chicken feet are good), apple cider vinegar and water to cover the bones..most important thing is to cook for at least 24 hrs, more if you can to allow the good stuff to leach out of the bones. Depending on the size of your crock pot this makes a good amount which can be frozen for later use. I drizzle a couple of table spoons on Capo’s kibble and he loves it. I give part of each batch to my daughter for her little terrier mix who has lower spine/back leg dragging issues and she says she notices an improvement especially in cold damp weather. My Wal-Mart sells 2lb frozen packages of the right size cut bones, maybe because there is a large Hispanic population here and they are a main ingredient in some of their recipes. Anyway it may be worth checking into, I know you are like me there is nothing we won’t do for our babies.
I am not allowed to burn candles or incense where I live. (They have a point. Some of the people here would definitely burn the apartment building down.) So i use essential oils in a diffuser. xo Laura
Good morning Brenda,
I am looking forward to your news about the store. I practice hot yoga 5 days a week and frankly it is the best thing I have ever done to calm my mind. I have a “room of my own” that is filled with all of my special things and every time I go in their I feel more relaxed.
I hope the exercises help Charlie.
Have a wonderful weekend.
I had a couple of surgeries this summer and was house bound for 8 weeks. I pulled out my coloring books and markers. Have not touch them in over a year. Helped me to zone out and relax. Something about the colors and motion of the pens.
I found inner tranquility many years ago. It’s prayer to my Heavenly Father and belief in His Son. I have had prayer after prayer answered all my life, but especially since I have put more and more trust in Him and less and less inward searching. I never got into any of the hippie stuff, and I can look back over my life and see where I was protected from myself and didn’t even realize it.
In 2017 I almost died and was in ICU for 2.5 weeks with a 50/50 chance of surviving. My Christian friends sent up prayers for me all over the world…even some of my Jewish friends. I survived, and am doing good now. My life expectancy is not long, as I have cancer, but I am not fearful of what will come. The answered prayers continue, and now I am aware of each one…large and small. And I thank Him daily for each one.
I totally agree with prayer. The Lord takes care of me every day. I don’t need any hippie stuff to see me thru.
On God can brings us true tranquility. I, too, have had too many blessings to not believe in Him.
When I read the Psalms in the Bible; I see that God looks after my every need. Peace is a gift from God. He restores and heals us.