Art Appreciation

Art was always a very big part of my life. Not only was art something cherished and nurtured by my family growing up but it was so prevalent that I can heartily and simply say that art was an inseparable part of my life.  From early childhood to young adulthood I was greatly influenced by the beauty and power of all forms of art, it presently enhances my life and I imagine it always will.
         

My earliest memory of art was using Crayola crayons, the ones that came in a box with 64 colors and a built in sharpener. We had reams of clean newsprint, plain notebooks as well as stacks of coloring books available seemingly wherever we went, whether it be at home, a cousin or friends house as well as the doctor or dentist’s office. What a great memory to get to use a fresh new coloring book. At age four I was constantly pretending I was the secretary of my favorite TV character and I would be taking imaginary dictation and be writing perfect circles with pen on paper over and over again.  I didn’t think of it as art back then, I was just a little girl scribbling or doodling, but now I would consider it art.  I remember breaking my leg at age 5 and being brought art supplies by my relatives; something to keep me busy while I recovered and convalesced.  Every Easter in our baskets along with candy we received those flat long rectangular boxes with the circles of primary water colors and brand new paint brushes with little pads of watercolor paper.  I also remember dabbling with craypas, those drawing sticks of half crayon and half pastel and I loved the way their colors could meld with other colors and you can use the tips of your fingers to create shading.  I also remember smearing the red on my cheeks as pretend rouge.
         

We grew up in an inner city neighborhood and we’d play for hours in the streets, coloring the macadam with colored chalk drawings and of course many hopscotch boards.  When I was about 10 years old my father started to get interested in oil painting and he bought many flat small canvases. We would all sit together around the kitchen table, my two sisters, my mom and dad and myself and we’d paint on our canvases with oil paints. My dad used books and TV painting shows to direct his endeavors. My mother and I remember drawing on the boards with pencil then painting in the lines.  Another favorite kitchen table art event was the yearly egg dying where we would always try for the different and unusual shades by dipping, double dipping and over dipping a few eggs to see if we can make some new color discoveries, many of which resulted in your basic shade of ugly gray or muddied brown.
           There were always books around our apartment on how to paint with various mediums such as oils, watercolors, and acrylics. There were books on how to paint landscapes, still life, people and animals as well as books of famous painters like Van Gogh, Renoir and Picasso.  There were books with in depth directions on how to draw anything.  I remembered loving to draw horses because I was

fascinated by how easy it was to put together the certain sized circles, ovals and connecting lines in just the right places to get the proper proportion so the the horse would look just right.
I was intrigued by the book on how to mix colors and the beautiful photos of color wheels and pages and pages of color swatches made of brushstrokes.  I was also curious how they came up with some of the names of colors such as sepia, burnt umber and raw sienna.
          Besides the art supplies and all the painting and coloring we did at home, there was always some craft project going on whether it was clay sculpting or paper Mache or little sewing projects.  School also incorporated many art adventures.  In 4^th or 5^th grade I remember being put in charge of decorating the bulletin boards with colored construction paper, cutout shapes and letters depicting the present history lesson, current season or approaching holiday.  Even the many books available at school and home I have fond memories of how beautifully illustrated they were.  We had a lovely children’s bible that I would spend hours just looking at the pictures and could tell the whole story without even reading it.  I can’t forget to mention the class trips to museums to see famous paintings and sculptures as well as the artsy crafts we did in girl scouts, such as pasta art, shadow box book reports and activity scenes as well as popsicle stick people and houses.
          Besides all of these lovely art experiences I had as a child I distinctly remember some of the artwork that graced the walls of my home and the homes of some of my relatives.  My grandparent’s apartment had a lot of religious artwork, paintings of baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary.  I also seem to remember a print hanging up of Leonardo Davinci’s The Last Supper.  I can still conjure the emotional qualities portrayed by this art.  I vividly remember gazing at the many ornate statues and stained glass windows in the Catholic churches I attended as a child and can still touch into and feel the deep impressions all of this had on me.  I’ve always loved the art on Christmas cards and remembered being surrounded by Norman Rockwell paintings on the Saturday Evening Post Magazines.  One painting that stands out from my parent’s house was A Young Girl Reading by Jean Honore-Fragonard.  I absolutely loved that woman in the ruffled yellow dress reading her book; I wanted to be her somehow.
          I am thankful for the myriad ways that I was exposed to art as a child.  I have one sister who went to art school and presently creates brilliant works of art and another sister who collects and treasures all kinds of art and fills her home with it.  My father’s paintings adorn my mother’s walls as well as my own home and I myself love to create art in various forms and mediums.  I am appreciating the opportunity to have gathered and documented my thoughts on this topic and I find myself most grateful for the way that art has richly informed, educated and nourished me as a child and as a human being.

CICADA MEDICINE

Cicada Medicine In our part of the country we are presently being visited by the 17 year cicada and their whirring, clamourous sound.  They start early around 5 am and don't quit until night fall.   I am amazed  that the young cicada live in the earth for 17 years then they break through the earth and molt, hatch, sing and mate only to lay eggs that then make their way to mother earth to wait another 17 years. I have actually been feeling mesmerized by their  surround sound and am figuring they are here now for a reason and if they are bringing a message I want to recieve it on one level or another.  One thing the Cicada do bring  to us is their healing medicine.           In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the cicada exoskeletons are used as a powerful medicine and have several therapeutic actions. ChanTui (Periostracum Cicadae) are used to dispel wind-heat in the body especially from the head or eyes. Cicada are a common ingredient used in formulas that treat early-stage febrile disorders or wind-heat syndrome affecting the throat, such as laryngitis, hoarseness of voice, sore throat, headache and fever.           Cicada dispels heat from the skin and is commonly used as well for the relief of various dermatological disorders, such as urticaria, rash, eczema, measles, chickenpox and itching.  Another attribute of cicada medicine is its ability to extinguish liver wind and relieve spasms thus helping to relieve muscle spasms, twitching, convulsions and high fever, facial paralysis, post-stroke speech, impairment, tetanus, constant crying in infants and infantile seizures.          As Cicada medicine relieves  liver wind, the liver opens energy pathways to the eyes  helping to brighten the eyes and relieve superficial visual obstruction, blurred vision, red eyes and excessive secretion of tears.                            A Fitting Testimonial          Several years ago, one of our office/herb shoppe assistants was overcome by laryngitis. Paul Olko, our beloved TCM herbalist  wrote her a prescription containing cicada which she promptly prepared and started to take.  By the next afternoon, her voice returned. There is no coincidence that nature provides in the most fitting way to use an insect with a powerful voice to help return someone's voice.          Enjoy their singing while they are here. They'll only be here for another few weeks before they disappear into Mother Earth once again for another 17 years.                                                                                                                               Lisa Olko RN is a Certified Health and Lifestyle Coach.  To read more about her and the services she offers visit her website.  To get a Free Health Consultation with Lisa click Here.

Seasonal Cooking Classes

Last Saturday was my first Seasonal Cooking Class of the year and it was a smashing success!  I had four women attend  and we cooked a lovely,and deliciously, easy meal together.

Getting Started....All the ingredients are arranged and looking colorfully beautiful!

Barb coring the apples for our dessert of Baked Stuffed Apples... with the new and handy dandy apple corer...we all took turns.

Mary Ann and Barb are stuffing the apples with walnuts, dates, almond flour and coconut oil.....getting them ready for baking.

Just finishing! 

Red lentil stew simmering away with onions, garlic, parsnips and kombu.

Checking on the brown basmati rice which is cooking up rather nicely.

Sharon juliennes the granny smith apple to put in the crispy veggie slaw!

Here I am preparing the salad dressing....with simple ingredients...nothing fancy but oh so yummy!

Tossing the veggies to incorporate the dressing.....we have savoy and red cabbage shredded fine, julienned granny smith apple and mung bean sprouts.

OH MY GOODNESSS.....the best oven roasted broccoli ever....the texture was scrumptious not to mention the flavor!

Happily serving it  all up!

Marjorie....happily waiting to eat!

The finished product....Red Lentil Parsnip Stew over brown basmati rice, with roasted broccoli and veggie slaw.  I forgot to take a picture of the baked apples, but they were delicious....pink lady apples just melted in your mouth hot out of the oven.


Next Seasonal Cooking Classes coming up 
Saturday April 27  11am-2pm
 Hold the date!  
Please join us!!!!!!!!

Lisa Olko RN is a Certified Health and Lifestyle Coach.  To read more about her and the services she offers visit her website.  To get a Free Health Consultation with Lisa click Here.

Snake Energy Rising

Happy New Year..... again!  This time the lunar New Year ....how exciting the Year of the Snake!  Many of the predictions seen favorable. I am going to summarize the message from Master Hua Ching Ni, Taoist Master of 37 generations.

The Snake symbolizes flexibility and constructive transformation.  A new stage for the world has arrived and opened the possibility for a New Faith, New Life and New Hope. There is Hope for a Universal Agreement in this world despite our many differences. There is Hope that all human cultures can detoxify by removing their conceptual poisons....which means that our cultural belief systems can cause separation between people and can slowly poison humanity and there is greater hope now to transform this. There is Hope for the spiritual purification of all people. We must embrace the basic truth that we are all one life and can now learn to return to Mother Nature.  There is Hope that the future civilization can be led by the Feminine Principle. The feminine (water) principle must be put above the masculine (fire) at this time for the survival of humanity and to form a new culture in the world. It is time to ignore gender differences and allow the Goddess to rescue and support life at this time without fighting or bloodshed.  There is Hope that we learn to embrace all healthy lives just like Mother Nature.  He uses the examples of the Sun, Our Heavenly Father created by Mother Nature and provides the spiritual qualities of generosity, openness, and straightforwardness.  While the moon reflects the Sun and the true femininity that accomplishes all by offering assistance and attention to detail, at the same time being receptive, motherly, sisterly, helpful and caring.  Master Ni emphasizes humanity's need for spiritual cultivation to reach a higher level of development and ensure our own survival.  He talks about Humanity's need to truly embrace the Yin-Yang principle which illustrates mutual existence of opposites which need each other to operate. He says..."Blessings and misfortune are partners in life, and overly extending in either direction invites the other side. "  Master Ni states there is hope that we fulfill the Global Mission and again references the rising of the feminine principle to soften the spiritual condition of the world after the long standing over-expansion of the impulsive male principle.  He further goes on to embrace all spiritual pioneers of every faith and encourages people to propagate the constructive side of their faith and clearing out any narrow-mindedness.  It  truly is a time for deep Universal Spiritual Harmony.

I absolutely love Master Ni's message and I can also see the parallel to what is referred to in Hindu tradition as the Shakti energy... the Feminine energy flowing throughout all of nature.  An image that quickly comes to mind is that of a coiled serpent or the Kundalini located at the base of the spine or the root chakra  a.k.a. the energizing potential of life itself, the living goddess who brings life to all things. As a side note....the feminine principle rising is not a time for women to dis the men....but rather it is a time to work together and to elevate our thinking to take total responsibility for our lives and to bring out the best in each other....It is a new time truly.... It is indeed the time for compassion, collaboration and  the coming together of people all over the globe.  These are amazing times we live in.

It really was a powerful week last week...with it being Mardi Gras, the meteor strike in Russia, the Pope resigning,  the beginning of Lent, immediately followed by Valentine's Day which also brought about the huge V-Day celebration created by Eve Ensler called One Billion Rising or "Strike Dance Rise" the global strike to demand an end to violence against women.  The use of the word strike seems  pretty serpentine to me....and the song and the dance so beautifully compelling and energizing!  Now that's global unity if ever there was.  Here is one of my fave flash mob videos of V-Day......such awesomeness.... watching these younger women beating the drums with such vibrancy and all ages dancing together......wow......wish I could have been there!

Lisa Olko RN is a Certified Health and Lifestyle Coach.  To read more about her and the services she offers visit her website.  To get a Free Health Consultation with Lisa click Here.

SEW CHANGE

Lisa Doll

This Saturday was spent doing something very special, magical and unusual....sewing self portrait dolls,  a doll made in ones' own image. This can be taken a step further by incorporating parts of yourself that you would like to bring out. The doll can signify a hidden part of yourself or maybe even help to heal an aspect of yourself from the past perhaps the inner child.  I've been making dolls for about 27 years and sewing probably since I was twelve.  The idea for this self portrait doll came as I was working through a somewhat challenging time in the midst of heavy life-changing transformation ( I still am) During this time a mentor/ teacher/therapist invited me to paint a self portrait....well the image of myself  that arose quite astounded me for what I saw on the easel when I was done was a vivacious, pretty, juicy, earthy, Italian woman who was bare-footed, with turquoise feather earrings wearing a flowery bright red dress and a strand of pearls..... the backdrop..... Sicily, with sky, mountains and ocean surrounded by grapes, grapes and more grapes.  I could see all the weariness of the hardwork of transformation paying off with the result being a vital beautiful woman presenting to the world her radiance and the fruits of her labor.  So of course the next step was to sew my self-portrait doll..... And so this playshop arose from my own evolutionary process, my love of sewing and especially my love of sewing with women.  On a side note as a Health Coach I see this as valuable work to use with my clients as well as they transform their lives.

We started the day off with the lighting of a candle to bring focus and intention to our task ahead....to welcome the spirit of the doll that we were bringing forth...to acknowledge the gift of our creativity and to hold the clarity of what we were doing with the highest intention possible to bring benefit to ourselves and to others. Then we introduced ourselves briefly and I read the following poem:

TIGROTTI

And the time will come

that you can go 

no further

though it feels

you have 

come so far

and the trip 

is nearly done

you cannot 

go on

you are so tired

your will 

is gone

so you just

give up

you lay down 

in the dirt road

on the side of

the mountain

and pray

for help

then

the merit of all 

past action

bounds

to your side

like a sleek 

and rippling 

Bengal tiger

to pick you up 

lick you clean

and carry you 

by the scruff

of your neck

to the

new

time

(The title is affectionate Italian for 'Tiger Cub')

And the sewing begins....first we pick out the skin fabric.  Here is Karen shaping the head and body of her doll.  Then the tedious part.....making the arms and legs and putting it all together.

Here is Dorisse working on her doll and chatting, of course stories come out when we're working with our hands.........she invented her own way of making the legs and arms in all one piece right along with the head and body.....very clever....she has had a lot of sewing experience under her belt.   She made a beautiful doll at the last doll playshop and here she is in the picture below.  The little doll you see next to her actually lives in a pocket under the doll's skirt.  

Here I am at my computer reading a special piece called  Lick the Fire. You don't have to trust the process. by artist Shiloh Sophia. This piece of writing helped to get our creative juices flowing. Next to me on the floor is Deborah sewing her doll's arm piece. 

And here is Diana.....our resident pregnant mom.  It was so great to have her and what a blessing and a gift that her husband was at home with her two young ones so she could have a day to herself.  She was making a beautiful doll in a slinky gold lame evening dress with a purple velvet jacket... 

It was magical to see her doll's outfit and personality come to life.  (Sorry the picture came out blurry)  The doll's outfits were being made from various scraps of fabrics, recycled clothing and bits of trim and wool roving or yarn for hair.

The day passed so quickly and several of us had to finish our dolls at home.....but we took pictures of what we had and the finished doll pictures will roll in as they are completed.  So we have Deb's doll with red calico, gingham and embroidery to honor  her  Grandmother who loved to sew and......

....... Karen's doll with linen and calico who has a soft Country look about her.  

I can't wait to see the completed dolls.

Maybe the next playshop you can join us.....




Lisa Olko RN is a Certified Health Coach and Lifestyle Educator.  To read more about her and the
services she offers visit her website.  To get a Free Health Consultation with Lisa click here.

Ring in the New Year with a Smoothie!

Happy 2013 everyone!  Can you feel the collective sigh and the shifting of energies now that 2012 is behind us? It was a high energy year with numerous lessons to be learned on many levels individually, locally, nationally and globally.  There has been a bursting forth of so much knowledge and it has felt at times hectic, urgent, thrilling, frightening and like one big adventure ride.  There have been many good things that have been gleaned personally and for all of humanity despite the pain experienced by so many of us..... The good news is that amazing growth comes out of the exploration and experience of our shadow side.

The best thing that has happened to me this year by far has been my decision to enroll in school at Institute of Integrative Nutrition.  It has been an anchor for me and a vehicle for personal growth and also the deepening of my education in Holistic Nutrition and Health Coaching.  My ideas are endless and the possibilities unlimited....I  look forward to seeing what evolves for me, what I create but also where I am led.

My New Year's present to you......A smoothie recipe.  I have been having fun with smoothies for many years but this last year I think there has been a smoothie revival!    I  must say I sure do look forward to my smoothie breaks.  I either take my break in the morning or mid afternoon when I'm really needing a pick me-up. Smoothies are really so forgiving and so is this recipe. Feel free to experiment and make your own delectable creations.  The big buzz these days is the Vitamix.....and I agree they are really sensational especially at $400. To be quite honest my humble blender at a fraction of that price has done the trick all these years and is still delivering the delicious goods!

Smoothies are a fun way to get some extra nutrition in. Sometimes you can throw in some ingredients that someone might think they don't like i.e. spinach or cilantro or probiotics or whatever (just don't tell them until after they try it and like it)...especially kids but even some picky adults.

There are many ways to make a smoothie and they come in many colors and I will post new recipes as I experiment.  Here is a recipe for a purple smoothie:

1/2 ripe banana

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 cup cilantro

1/4 cup light coconut milk

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup water

1 Tbs almond butter

Whiz all in blender for a good minute.

Drink and enjoy!

For a printable version of this recipe click here


Let me know what you think of this smoothie.
I'd like to send out blessings to us one and all.  May this year be filled with many ways to nurture body, mind and spirit in love, light, peace and joy!


Lisa Olko RN is a Certified Health Coach and Lifestyle Educator, to read more about her and the services she offers visit her website.  To get a Free Health Consultation with Lisa click here.

Winter Solstice Blessings

In honor of the Winter Solstice, this poem came into my inbox from  the Sisters of the Integral Way a group of women who nurture  and cultivate the study of the Tao in their lives.  It is an excerpt from the book, The Five Healths for a New Humanity by Hua-Ching Ni & Mao Shing Ni.  It is most gentle, very exquisite yet powerfully strong in its meaning.

玄 女 真 經 

The Teaching of the Mystical Lady

天 地 孕 育 生 民,

Heaven and Earth conceived and nurtured human life.

至 黃 帝 之 世,

Until the time of the Yellow Emperor, 

塵 世 大 亂.

The human world was in great turmoil. 

九 天 玄 女 乃 降.

A mysterious lady from the highest Heaven descended to Earth.

或 謂 玄 女 乃 北 極 玄 氣 化 形.

As it was told, the Mystical Lady was the manifestation of the

Chi, or energy, from the North Star, 

云: 輔 弱 冠 之 黃 帝 登 位,

Destined to aid the young Yellow Emperor to the throne, 

以 安 天 下.

That the human world might know peace.

黃 帝 純 質 聰 穎,

The Yellow Emperor possessed the high intelligence. 

啟 玄 女 曰:

He requested her, saying:

何 以 為 至 中 ?

How may one become truly centered? 

何 以 為 至 神 ?

How may one become most spiritually efficacious?

何 以 為 至 正 ? 

How may one achieve uprightness to the highest degree?

何 以 為 至 聖?

How may one become most sagely?

九 天 玄 女 曰:

The Lady of the Ninth Heaven said to him:

帝 位 為 至 中 ,

The position of the healthy humanity is the most centered.

帝 位 為 至 神 , 

The position of the healthy humanity is the most subtle and effective. 

帝 位 為 至 正 ,

The position of the healthy humanity is the most upright.

帝 位 為 至 聖.

The position of the healthy humanity is the most sagely.

何 以 為 至 中?

As to how to strike the true center,

發 心 若 發 箭,

Use the mind like a shooting arrow,

無 偏 但 適 中,

There should be no deflected attention,

一 舉 而 中 的.

But with one shot, it hits the target.

能 所 歸 一 處.

Concentration brings this about.

何 以 為 至 正?

As to how to be most upright,

帝 心 若 發 箭,

The heart of the emperor should be as if shooting an arrow.

不 上 亦 不 下,

Its aim cannot be too high or too low.

不 左 亦 不 右,

Nor should it be too far to the left or too far to the right.

不 差 毫 髮 適 中 的,

There should be no slight deviation from the target.

所 發 所 至 歸 一 處.

From shot to impact, the arrow’s flight should be one and precise. 

何 以 為 至 聖?

How can one be most sagely? 

上 天 下 地 人 為 中,

From the high Heaven to the Earth below,

People are the center.

上 頭 下 腹 心 為 中,

Betwixt the high head and the low belly,

The human heart is the center. 

五 官 百 骸 氣 為 中,

Among the five organs and the whole body structure,

The vital chi is the center. 

萬 般 思 慮 神 為 中,

Among all types of thinking, the conscious mind is the center.

若 能 懂 得 守 中 理,

The one who is able to understand high truth

Enjoys remaining faithful to the center.

宇 宙 一 氣 永 居 中.

The cosmos is but one energy that always remains at the center.

何 以 為 至 神?

How can one be most spiritual?

一 物 無 可 分,

It is something that cannot be further divided.

It is to be presented in metaphors 

有 以 為 光 明,

Some think of Light.

有 以 為 道 路,

Others of the Way.

有 以 為 生 命,

Some think of Life.

有 以 為 真 理,

Others of Truth,

有 以 為 永 恆,

Still others of perpetuity.

How indeed can one be the most spiritual?

合 者 為 之 有,

When things come together,

There the new can be created.

分 者 為 之 無,

When they are divided,

非 無 亦 非 有,

There can be nothing or no existence.

惟 此 是 至 神.

This is how to know the highest spirituality. 

帝 啟 曰:

The Emperor respectfully asked:

人 有 此 可 能 乎?

Can humans have this potential? 

玄 女 曰:

The Lady answered.

吾 有 中 空 理,

We have the principle to be empty centered.

且 看 離 中 虛,

Look at the trigram of Li[2],

空 明 歸 一 處,

Where the empty center stands for light.

從 此 識 初 氣.

From this, one can understand the source of chi.

帝 又 啟:

The Emperor again requested:

均 人 也 ,

If people are the same,

何 有 思 維 之 不 同?

How can their thoughts be so different?

玄 女 曰:

The Heavenly Lady replied:

人 貴 得 天 啟,

Thoughts are valued as coming from nature.

以 天 地 為 用 心 者 為 正,

Where thinking meets Heaven and Earth there is uprightness. 

失 之 私 心 , 則 不 正.

But to treat others according to personal preference,

That deviates from what is right.

發 心 通 天, 則 合 上 帝.

Set your mind on reaching the wishes of Heaven,

To concur with the will of God.

若 以 發 心 正 否 為 判.

Once the mind is made up

Right and wrong can be judged

By the resolve of the mind.

邪 正 可 分 , 道 魔 立 判.

Then right and wrong can be known

By the purpose of the mind.

帝 曰 : 天 啟 有 異 乎?

The Emperor asked: 

Does Heaven inspire human beings differently? 

玄 女 曰:天 啟 非 異,

The Heavenly Lady replied:

There is no difference.

心 有 邪 曲 耳.

But in the minds of people lie the differences.

帝 曰 : 若 以 發 心 為 上 帝 , 可 乎?

The Emperor asked:

To make the upright use of the mind the God-self, 

Can this be proper?

玄 女: 宜 其. 否 則 , 則 涉 妄 測 天 意.

The Lady responded: Yes indeed!

Otherwise, there can be wrongdoing to exploit the Heavenly will. 

人 之 所 能, 貴 其 行 其 正, 得 其 中 耳.

A human being is capable of being upright and centered,

此 為 履 踐 天 理, 自 合 天 心.

This means to realize the Heavenly Law,

To accord naturally with the Heavenly Heart. 

帝 謂 者, 此 云 天 地 之 心 耳.

That which is called the Heavenly God by humans,

Is simply the heartfelt expression of Heaven and Earth.

帝 曰: 人 為 何 能 久 生 長 年?

The Emperor asked:

How can people be long lived?

玄 女 曰 : 無 他 .

The Heavenly Lady replied: There is nothing other than

但 守 中, 知 節; 敬 事 上 帝.

To be centered, know things have their limitations, and

Respect the highest reality. 

In the universe,

There is only one great divinity that is God.

“G” represents Great,

“D” represents Divinity.

What does the “O” represent?

Whosoever knows to keep to the “O”,

God is with that

individual.

Li is the trigram of fire

in the I Ching. 下,