2012 Crossing Over, A New Beginning OFFICIAL FILM [Brave Archer Films®]

Tipi Village Retreat

This is the place we are getting married in August.

Enalas 3-6 mo. photo book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Easy, raw, vegan: Banana Ice cream

Simply peel the bananas put in freezer over night. Next day put in the food processor and blend, thats it.
I like to add walnuts to the mix and process that in. I think adding a couple frozen strawberries or blueberries would also be good.This is so easy,  when I was making it,  I really could not believe how good it was going to be. Now, I eat it every morning with fresh sliced strawberries and agave drizzled on top. We bought some hazelnut chocolate butter from hummingbird wholesale that melts when you heat it up.

Blueberry cobbler

I just love blueberries and hazelnuts they are very high in antioxidants and local to our Eugene area. This recipe is mostly raw and very easy to prepare.

Mix:

1/4 cup granulated coconut sugar

1/2 cup roasted hazelnut butter

 Next step is to add the 1 1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Mix gently.

Let the mixture sit on counter for 1 hr. to allow flavors to merge and for blueberries to thaw.

I sometimes make a topping out of soaked then dehydrated buckwheat. I add cinnamon, walnuts, honey and flax seed to the buckwheat before dehydrating. This process is a little time consuming but well worth it.

Sprinkle on the blueberry mixture,enjoy!

Potassium Pie

     I think that this important to have a diet full of all the nutrients our bodies need to be healthy. Here is a raw pie recipe that has bananas and avocados. Having a body rich in potassium will lessen your chances of up taking bad potassium from the cesium lurking in our air.

The content of potassium in an avocado is higher than that from a banana, with an estimated 540 mg. of potassium per 3 oz. serving. So this pie is a rockin source of potassium!

3 bananas sliced

Put aside..

Then in blender or food processor place following ingredients..

3 avocados remove seed and scoop meat out of shell

1/4 cup of  local raw honey

1/4 cup granulated coconut sugar

1 tea. ground vanilla

1 tiny can of coconut milk

1/2 cup cacao powder

put aside..Consistency of pudding!

Then in food processor place..

8 dates

2 small handfuls of soaked and sprouted almonds

1/4 cup soaked and dehydrated walnuts

3 T. soaked and dehydrated pecans

1 tea. ground vanilla

Blend until fully chopped...Then press into bottom of pie dish.

Now place the banana slices, in one layer, on top of crust. Keep extra aside.

Last pour the chocolate mix on top of the bananas. Garnish with rest of bananas. Place in fridge for 1 hour or so then serve.Enjoy and remember above all to breathe in good release bad.

Poems

what shall be shall be

I want to be with you, how can this be, this distance between us is as wide as the sea.

For you, it's a mystery.

For me. it's a dance.

The depth of our love is unusually vast.

Created in sequence for us to believe. 

Someday, somehow, the days of longing shall cease. 

Each moment is a glimpse of what shall be. 

Torn in two and one half is with you.

When the wind flows past you, on a warm summer day, it may be my kisses being blown your way.

Grandmother

Ancient ones called upon

 prayers answered

 ship finds land just before daybreak

 golden light shines through

 as grandmother steps forth

 a small hand reaches out

 her eyes say don't go

 white mist carries her off

 to the land we don't know

 we are forever as one

 like the tide meets the shore

 Blue crystal waves reach into my soul

 reveals my heart, it's yearning so.

 Grandmother come to me once more.

The green lantern

 I wanted to make a drink with mint because our yard is filled with it. I just bought sparkling mineral water and I always seem to have a lime in the fridge. When I was pregnant I wanted a lot of iced drinks. That has now changed I'm back to myself and like things room temperature but this is refreshing,tasty and a great exception.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (packed)  fresh mint 
• ½ tsp Lime Zest, grated
• 1 cup Cold Water
• ½ cup Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or agave
• 1 (10 ounce) bottle sparkling mineral water 

Instructions

• Blend all the ingredients, except sparkling mineral water, in a blender, for about one minute.
• Take a large glass measure and strain the preparation through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Put ice into tall glasses and pour the prepared drink.
• Top with sparking mineral water and serve. Enjoy

Iodine rich recipe

Salad of goodness on the left. Tropical carrot salad on the right.

I have come up with a tasty recipe that is rich in Iodine. It's also a raw food dish. I love raw foods because they are really cleansing to the whole body. I find that my skin glows, I have better digestion, and my energy level increased. I'm not strictly raw, I just like to have a balance. This recipe has 48mg of Iodine and serves 4 people well.


Salad of goodness
4 cups almonds
5 stalks celery, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
2 tbs. parsley
5 tbs. lemon juice
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 - 2 tsp. himalayan crystal salt
4  5 inch. strips of kombu, soaked briefly, then chopped .
Puree Almonds in a food processor until fine. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and half of the Avocado mix listed below.Add the rest slowly according to your taste. I like to eat this dish with sprouts and lettuce or the Tropical carrot salad listed below. Happy eats my lovies.
  These ingredients below are to be blended until creamy
1 cup pine nuts
1 large avocado
1 tbs. lemon juice
2 tbs. coconut vinegar
1 tsp. Celtic sea salt
6 medium pitted dates 
1/2 clove garlic 


Tropical carrot salad
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped Pineapple
1 tsp. himalayan crystal salt
1 tbs. olive oil
3 tbs. orange juice
Stir together and thats it.


The carrot salad does not have any Iodine. I just like it in combination with the salad of goodness.
I hope you like these recipes. I'll be back with more.

For the love of food!

 In some way or another, I seemed to have dedicated my life to food. As soon as I could reach the counter standing on a chair, I was in business. When I was 13, I came to the realization that meat=animal and became a vegetarian. I was the first in my family to ever make this choice. I was questioned and ridiculed.
 Although I've spent most my life cooking and preparing food. I had little knowledge on being a vegetarian. So I ate tofu and lots of it. By the time I was 18 it stared to have an effect on my health.
 I went to a medical intuitive, she helped start the journey to what I know now. I stopped eating wheat, minimized my intake of dairy, integrated fresh organic vegetables and eliminated refined sugar. As for the meat I was hesitant to put that back into the daily routine. After a couple months, I decided to eat meat once a month and learned the importance of Organic, free range and local.
 Later I went to an ayurvedic doctor, she came to the conclusion that my lymph system was not very strong, I was always getting sick and congested. I added good salt to my diet, chlorophyll, homemade chai, bone broth and chia seed soaked in water. 
Two years ago, I learned from my fiance Eric that red root tincture helps to stimulate the lymph system, I also take Oregon grape for the immune system. I have not been sick in these two years. I have found what works for my body. What a relief.
 My diet is unique. Let me tell you all about it.  
For starters I only buy Organic. I base every meal around the type of vegetable or grain I feel like eating.
 I eat oats, spelt, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, barley, lentils, beans and kamut. 
 I like every kind of vegetable and fruit, however I'm sorry to say that tomatoes and eggplant are not a part of that list. I like white potatoes and corn but I'm concerned about their genetics. So, I use them sparingly. Kale can be grown year round in our climate and is a good source of protein. I'm sensitive to oranges but I eat them. Lemons are so helpful to alkaline the body. Lime juice helps shrink the stomach.  
 When I was pregnant I wanted red meat and I allowed that craving to take hold of me. I'm narrowing that intake down as each day passes. I figure that as long as I'm nursing Enala I can indulge in that craving once a week. 
 I buy Organic local grassfed beef and chicken. I love venison but I'm not a hunter so when I'm gifted some I'm most grateful. I will eat salmon if its wild, farmed salmon is suspicious. I've tasted lamb and then feel guilty. I'm not all that excited about buffalo because I have mixed feeling. I don't eat shrimp, I learned that for every 10 shrimp a pound of non edible sea life is destroyed. Other than salmon I rarely partake in seafood.
 All my baking is gluten free. 
 I don't eat soy, unless it's organic, cultured or fermented. 
 I use walnut, sesame, coconut and olive oil in my cooking. I like butter but I use it sparingly.
 Goats milk and cheese is better digested in my body.
 I enjoy local raw honey, it can heal to alleviate allergies, real maple syrup, good clear agave and coconut sugar. Dates and raisins are great for eating when I crave something sweet. Molasses is high in Iron and I like it.
 Seaweed is yummy and has important minerals, strengthens hair growth!
 I choose coconut vinegar over apple cider, for the taste is preferable. I do like apple cider vinegar for it's healing properties. Sometimes I dilute a little in water and drink it. 
 Ginger helps my belly when it aches. 
 I never really liked chicken eggs. Then, I learned that eggs are a complete protein. I tasted farms fresh eggs. Makes all the difference. Now we raise our own hens. Duck eggs are a super food.
 I eat eat all Organic seeds and nuts, peanuts and cashews are minimized. I like raw better. I always soak then dehydrate all nuts, mostly because it tastes better but mainly to remove the tannins. Sesame seeds are high in calcium.
 I started eating fresh homegrown sprouts which I enjoy as part of any meal or by the handful. They are also a mild galactagogue. 
 Mushrooms are tricky, I know they are a dead food, but it's hard to resist sauteing some organic brown criminis or hunting for some chantrelles.
 Fermented foods, like kimchee are an important source of active culture which aids in a healthy digestive system.
 I have said that basil could be replaced for a bouquet of flowers and be far more useful. Vanilla has been used by women as a perfume. I will put a little vanilla bean in the batter and a little on me. Cinnamon can be used in almost anything. It will enhance the dish and give it that desired flavor. When to use white  pepper over black is a must know when learning to mix flavors.  Parsley and cilantro are important additions when making certain dishes. Knowing how to mix the herbs are so important in turning any dish into a masterpiece.
  I cannot call myself a vegetarian or a serious carnivor, raw foodist or vegan. I have no interest in fasting or becoming a sun-itarian. I have come up with a new type of diet and I'm telling people I'm a dankatarian. Dank meaning very good.
 I agree that once a year in the springtime an intestinal cleanse is a must. I'm looking forward to that next year when I ween Enala. 
 I truly enjoy eating and creating food that helps heal the body. That being said, I hope to share some really good food combinations with everyone reading. 

The beginning of forever

     Eric is my love.  He is an amazing being.....  He handcrafts longboards for a living, right out of our home in his shop.  He is gifted in the art of painting, gardening, music, communication, and being an attentive father to his newborn baby daughter, Enala Hazel Myers.  I'm so happy Eric is in my life.
     We met in the 8th grade (not formally) and  I recall running down the halls of Roosevelt Middle School, yelling "burn the bra!!!" as I sped on by.  I was always dressed in some outrageous handmade outfit, that I probably put together the night before, while Eric was styled up in a button up shirt and sweater vest.
     Eric remembered me, for many years later he approached me at a celebration downtown.  He said, "Tabitha is that you....?"  I didn't know what to say, and I did not remember his name.We were both 22 at the time and very free. Later that night he took me in his arms under the full moon and gave me the best kiss ever.
     That was the highlight, for neither of us wanted to tell the other how deeply we cared.  So life passed.  He is so good about remembering a friends special day, and always came to my birthday parties.


     If you were to watch our relations up close, I'm sure you'd have said "finally,"when at the age of 27 he said with passion  "I love you".
     He came to me, after years of longing to be with him and subconsciously waiting.  I thought Eric was saying, "I love you" in the way a dear friend says it. As an independent individual, I really did not take it to heart.  Weeks passed, then something changed in me after looking back at a text he written while away in San Francisco, "I'm ready to love you now, come back to Eugene."  I showed a friend.  We both laughed the kind of girly laugh when jumping on the bed in pajamas at an all girls slumber party.

Eric in his booth at holiday market.

 I had been gone from our home town Eugene for two years and wasn't planning on returning, I swear that hometowns have a way of luring a person back in.  After the long drive from San Fran to the Eug,  I went straight to his house.  He had just come home from Holiday Market and answered the door in his straw hat.  He looked me in the eyes and then held me close in his arms. I think that was the only time I knocked at the door, because after my arrival, I was so loved and cared for by this beautiful soul, I didn't want to go anywhere.

 I had been longing to go on a vacation to Maui.  Eric's sister Adriane had lived in Haiku for a year or two and so we talked about going to visit.  We booked the trip for February, and were there for two weeks.  In that time we went sailing, swimming, and camping.  Of course, Eric brought ten of his longboards to sell, so he pedaled them and skated wherever we went.  We met some really wonderful people on our journeys and were referred to a beautiful cabin on private property that had three fresh spring fed pools, avocado trees that dropped their fruit on the roof of our cabin and a variety citrus trees not far down the jungle path.  The Kings pool was the largest of the three pools and it was flanked by a very large sacred cave.  The Queens pool meandered further down the property to a seventy to eighty foot waterfall with views to the ocean.

     Prior to going to Maui, my grandmother Ruth had given me a ring that belonged to my grandfather.  She encouraged me to ask Eric for his hand in marriage.  When she asked, I laughed and said "thats silly", yet she told me that our love was real and had good feeling he would say yes. That made me a little nervous because I had never thought of myself as the marrying type. On the other hand I do believe in ceremony and had loved Eric for years.

     I took the ring from my grandmother, cleared its energy, cleansed it in the ocean, and hid it in a safe spot.  I knew that the right time would present itself to present it to Eric.  We explored the land and found  ourselves in the cave near the Kings pool.  It was so big had a sweet humid aroma.  It reminded me of the scent of cold wet moss you might find in the Pacific Northwest, mmmm.

     I felt there had been ceremonies within this cave in decades past by the people of this land, and could feel the spirit world very close.  I asked Eric "Do you feel a presence?"  He said he felt his grandfather Edward.  I felt mine as well, realizing that this was a sign. I trusted my grandfather when he was alive.  Even now in the spirit world, I felt he is still guiding me.  I got really close to Eric and said, "I have something for you," and I had him open a pouch.  Inside was the ring and several crystals.  After a moment of silence, I said "Do you know what I'm saying?"  He said "Yes" with passion, responded with a kiss and embraced me in silence.

Eric with nephew Azlan in Hawaii

Sacred sailing

  


  
     During the Holiday Market, two months prior to our beautiful trip to Hawaii. Eric had a vision of me pregnant and showed excitement in his depiction to me.  Shortly after we got back from Maui, we talked further about children because I felt a spirit wanting to come in to our lives.  He was so excited when I mentioned opening up to the possibility of allowing this female spirit to take form.

mmmm flowers

     We were so in the moment, and months later I became obsessed with finding the kitten of my dreams, even though I don't really favor cats.  That was a little out of the ordinary.  I also wanted to find a glider rocker, I told myself, "It sure feels good to rock."  My sister Seani just so happened to be at our house when the glider rocker was being delivered.  I mentioned to her that I wanted to find a kitten as well.  Right at that moment, she said "your pregnant," I laughed and said "maybe." Later that night I bought a test, and sure enough, I was. When I told Eric, he was a little upset that I did not go through the process of finding out with him, and I jokingly said "Did you want to hold the pee stick, honey?"  When I thought about how sincere he was in wanting to participate in everything, I realized that I'm not in this life alone anymore.

Our birthing story

Dec.29th beginning of labor.

So happy, Nov.27th

We had a visit with the midwife, she suggested going to the edge of the continent. So we did. It was pouring rain that day, but I had a good feeling it would be ok, and it was the sun came out just in time to take some beautiful photos.  Minor contractions started on the way home. I remember saying "If this is the beginning, I can do this no problem." By 9:30pm I was in the thick of it, there was no timing the contractions, I could not even think. 

 The midwife was present about an hour or two later and made the decision that the baby was posterior, because I was having severe back pain. 
  I remember thinking to myself, I'm glad were at home, riding in the car would have been unthinkable and looking back, a hospital would have tried to interrupt the process with some sort of over the top explanation, or scared me into thinking something was wrong and more than likely some mumbo jumbo regarding  painkillers.
 I never once asked for painkillers, the bodies job is to feel the pain so it knows how much oxytocin to release.

  The toilet was my best friend. It think it's almost instinctual because typically that is where one goes to release.

My love Eric was constantly rubbing or applying hot rags to my lower back, speaking words of encouragement and feeling the pain with me, he really helped.

 Soft danceable music was playing for a little while and during that time, I was actually laughing and having fun, squatting and swaying with Eric and the doula.
 All the lights were low, almost dark, clocks cellphones and anything that would disturb the natural process were
turned off or covered up. At one point I wanted to know the time, it was 6 am, that was so good to hear, for some reason I thought it was only 2 am.

  The midwife, her assistant and our doula were the only ones present. I planned it that way because they are all experienced,
trained in the art of birth, know when to speak and help almost intuitively.
 Family seems to feel the pain or feel sorry and that never helps when trying to open up larger than a woman ever will.
 I say that giving birth is as intimate as having sex. Thats why I felt so strongly about home birth. Privacy.

 After 16 hrs of labor and well into the next day, I knew the threat of being transported to the hospital was hovering in the air. I would be able to keep birthing at home as long as my heart and the babys remained strong.
Then the midwife told me I needed to lay down for a while and rest, my uterus was tired and she could tell.   She gave me an option to have sterile water injected in my lower back, it was to help relieve the lower back pain for a small amount of time.
 The decision was mine, but it was not an easy one to make. The drawback was that it may or may not work, I would need 4 shots, and each one stings like a wasp bite. I made the decision to get the shots. The sting was significantly stronger than a wasp bite, luckily it turned out to be a wise choice.
 I was able to rest for approximately an hour. I woke from that brief slumber with contractions, however they were not as strong and further apart. This is when my midwife had the first uncertain look in her eye, but as it turns out, she had a few tricks up her sleeve and the doula kept urging them on.

 I was so impressed with all the tricks the midwife knew.
Truth be told they don't really teach this kind of birthing brilliance in conventional medical school.

A few examples: The rebozo is a shawl that is wrapped around the hips,when down on hand and knees, two midwifes aggressively rock the hips from side to side this is a traditional mexican midwife technique to turn the baby, it was a nice feeling.

Herbs, such as blue cohosh to help speed up contractions when they had slowed.

Curb walking outside, I put one foot on the curb and lift the other leg off the ground as I step. The ground was a little icy, so being aware of every step was important. Being so focused on my step took the attention away from my contractions, that was a nice break. The sun was out, a couple with a baby stroller walked on by and smiled. The doula said "Their happy because they already had their baby"I grumbled a little. She took my feelings and turned then into words.

Then the miracle technique, thats what I'm calling it. Our midwife released my cervix from 4cm to 6cm in less than a minute by going internally and applying her fingers on a certain pressure points.

Other things that really helped me:

Lemon with salt and coconut water for hydration.

Honey mixed with brown rice for nourishment. I only had a spoonful every hour or so.

    After that Eric and I were left alone to kiss and relax together. That is when everything started to irritate me, I was swearing, I was saying no and stop. I was being really pessimistic. At this point the midwife woke up from her short nap, the assistant put her book down and the doula came gently out of her meditation, looked at one another and one said "Did you hear that,  sounds like she's pushing".

 In that short time, I had opened the rest of the way, I was found in the bathroom with Eric, trying to soothe me, but in that moment  nothing could be done to help....I was in transition.
 I remember saying "I feel like punching something" Eric held up his palms and said go ahead, I didn't  punch anything, however, something needed to happen.
 Someone suggested we move to the living room. The assistant gave me some much needed advice, she said"Take all that powerful energy you are expelling through your words, direct it down to your core and use that to push".

 I was only able to position myself on hand and knees, after a few observations, the midwife suggested I lunge, turned out the baby was also asynclitic. My body was then leaning face first into the doulas neck. The doula was sitting on a birthing stool. A crystal that hangs from the curtain rod in the room, caught the sun and filled the room with rainbows.

Pushing for one hour, using all my strength. The midwife finally said she could see the head, with another push her head was out and with another her body. Nobody was yelling push like they do in the movies, I was grateful for that.
19 hours into labor....I heard the sweetest cry. Eric held out his hands to catch her, he passed her to me, from underneath. I leaned back into his arms and put her on my chest looked down and said "She is so beautiful", she started nursing instantly. I then delivered the placenta which was placed in a bowl.

  Then I got off the living room floor and went into the bedroom to lay down. I was rushing with pure love, I felt no pain. My body knew exactly what to do.
 I was so happy, the midwife educated us on the importance of not washing her, due to the antibacterial properties of the vernix. Also how nursing triggers chemicals in my body that keep producing oxytocin and helps to retract the uterus.
 I had Eric call my mother to come over at this time. I told my mother of the experience and she was a glad not to have witnessed me in pain. She is very empathetic.

 The midwife was very thorough in the gentle newborn procedure of checking the baby over. Enala Hazel Myers weighed in at 8 lbs. 16 oz. and she was 22 in long and very healthy.
 Later the midwife told me that the birth was one of the most intense she has attended in her many years of assisting births to be proud of my strength and my pelvis.
 The midwife and her assistant had given me 7 stitches. I tore a little, but I did not feel it. After a while they both went to the other room, cleaned up everything, while the doula made food. By 9 pm we were all ready to sleep. They all said their sweet goodbyes. The midwife came by everyday for a week and every three days for three weeks , then once a week until out last at 6 weeks. She is so thorough and full of great advice.

 The doula later told us that during her meditation angels had entered the home and she could feel her own pelvic area release when I was in transition. The doula also came to us for weeks after. She is still there for us whenever we want to talk about anything.

 Giving birth is the most ethereal and empowering thing I've ever voluntarily gone through. Sincerely, well worth the effort and temporary pain. I hope this story inspires women to know their body is meant to give birth.

Enala Hazel Myers born Dec.30th 3:54 pm 8lbs. 6oz.
This is her at 7days 

Our midwife and baby
at the, in home, 6 week checkup