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| Santa Cruz Sunset by Paul Hood, © 2008 |
Howling for Maddy
Tough week, especially for those in our original home town of Santa Cruz, CA. A little 8-year old girl named Maddy went missing, and the whole town got involved in trying to find her. She was found dead, a victim of a terrible crime, and her well-liked and trusted 15-year old neighbor was arrested for it with damning videotape as potential evidence. The shock and devastation for both families—and for much of the community—has been horrendous and all we’ve been able to think about for days.
How do you make sense of such a horrific tragedy? Is there any such thing as meaningless suffering? How do we come to terms with this kind of pain—our own and that of others?
One person I know, who did not know either family, has found herself screaming in agony. She described it as feeling like she tapped into the collective consciousness of the entire community—or certainly the pain of the mothers involved. I’ve been haunted by the screams of the mothers myself. Many people in Santa Cruz participated in a group howling (Maddy loved wolves) as the full moon rose last night.
Not able to sleep, all my usual tricks of no use, I finally decided to send healing to all involved, to add to the healing I know was being sent by many others. One of my teachers, Jeanine Sande, wrote on my Facebook page “Love, love, love.” Send love. And remember to be loving with your own friends and family and with yourself.
Another Santa Cruzan on my Facebook feed just a few minutes ago posted her latest gorgeous photo of the sun shining in a beautiful blue sky with blue ocean waves underneath. A typical Santa Cruz day at the beach. It made me feel joyful to see it. It is still the same beautiful place.
That’s the great paradox of the lives we live. The fact is that, right now, there is always somebody screaming in agony because their little boy or girl—their bright shining star—is gone. That has not changed, whether we hear about it or not, that’s always happening. And at the same time, somewhere, the sun will also be shining, there will be waves on the beach, and stars in the sky. And now there is one called Maddy.
We somehow are here to live it all, to find a way to find joy and meaning despite the suffering. And love—to help others and help ourselves begin again when we have to and carry on.
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Spiritual Counseling and Healing with Paul and Sheryl
It currently costs the same to work with one or both of us ($100/hour). Time to set up a session?… http://www.healingcommunication.com/How_to_Make_an_Appointment_with_Spiritual_Counselors_and_Healers_Sheryl_Karas_and_Paul_Hood.html
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Mama Love News— Lots of New Products
As always, email newsletter subscribers get 10% off in my Mama Love shop on Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/MamaLoveOrganics). Please subscribe by clicking the link at the right and we'll send you the coupon code.
I’ve been busy. Earlier this summer I announced that I was planning to discontinue my healing triple strength perfume balms. That is still true but I’ve always wanted a product line strong enough to be used as true perfume. So I’m now making my formulas available in a triple strength version in a 5 ml roller bottle. Like the perfume balms, these are far less likely to spill. You can easily carry them in your purse and use them as you like throughout the day.
I still have few perfume balms, at their new below-retail price. Those will be available until they are gone except for “Releasing Worry and Fear.” One of my customers contacted me to ask if I would ever consider making it again. She likes the other versions of this formula but says nothing helps her chronic anxiety like that perfume balm. And I knew that I still had a few empty jars and all the ingredients needed to make some. So that is back in stock! Until it isn’t anymore. (One more batch and my jars will be gone.) But that’s one reason why I now have the triple strength roller bottles instead.
I am also making my original strength formulas available in a 5 ml roller bottle as well. My original 1 dram formulas in regular bottles are still available—I like to pour a little in my hands to rub on a sore back or use for a gentle massage before bed. But those roller bottles are SO convenient, and they fit pretty well on the same Mama Love jackets I’ve been using all along so now that is an option you can choose when you buy them in my Etsy shop (see below).
One more thing: I am making a lot of the ingredients I’ve been using—or planned to use—available as do-it-yourself supplies in my Etsy shop as well. You’ll find a variety of unscented bath salts that you can use as is or with one of my Mama Love formulas for a great healing home spa retreat. And a wide variety of herb tea ingredients for making your own herbal blends.
My Etsy shop is starting to be the main shop where I’ll be selling Mama Love products online. It is the only place where I’ll be selling products I’m experimenting with or supplies. You’ll find the shop arranged by category on the lefthand side of the page. If you know exactly what you’re looking for, you can type the name in the search box at the top.
Visit Mama Love on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/MamaLoveOrganics
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Where to Find Our Artwork
In our joint Etsy shop... http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulnSherylArt
Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood... http://PaulHood.imagekind.com/
Beautiful Photographic Prints and Artwork by Sheryl Karas... http://sherylkaras.imagekind.com
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images... http://www.zazzle.com/paulnsheryl*
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Where to Find Our Videos
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We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Look up "Paul Hood" or "Sheryl Karas" or both. Mama Love has its own page. That's at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!
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