Category: blogging challenge

Ponder with Care

On By litebeingIn blogging challenge, inspiration, musings25 Comments

My long time bloggette buddy Julie nominated me a while back for the 3, 2, 1 Me Challenge.

The directions are as follows:

Please write a post about Ponder, and including two quotes on the subject, and nominate three other bloggers to blog about a word of your choosing.

I took a very long time to approach this challenge, which is not really my style. Yet I hesitated because I did not initially connect with the word ponder in terms of this assignment. Since it did not ” speak to me “, I filed it away, knowing I would return to it when the time was right. That time is now.

So what was my issue with the word ponder? My immediate reaction was that I used to ponder way too much and that my addiction to introspection was a trap. At some point I considered my intellect to be one of my superpowers. I relied on it way too heavily, to the point of minimizing other ” pursuits” like imagination and emotional expression. I was afraid of the power of sloppy vulnerability and felt safer in the mental realms of  rational ideas, logic, and analysis.

Eventually I came to the realization that messy, loose states of being were a gateway to living more authentically and not a sign of weakness. Fragility can have a sweet delicate quality that evokes awe. This is part of the spiritual path, plain and simple.

I chose the following quotes that include ponder within them. Let’s examine the first one:

A season of suffering is a small assignment when compared to the reward. Rather than begrudge your problem, explore it. Ponder it. And most of all, use it. Use it to the glory of God.  Max Lucado

 

This quote by Max Lucado is more poignant in this moment because I am enthralled in a season of suffering. So much loss, rejection, frustration, sadness, longing, and despair reside within me now. Call it Mars/Chiron conjunction in Pisces angst or garden variety melancholy.  I am not certain that more pondering is in order for me personally, but I do agree that using my darkness for good is on point. This quote directs one to live out loud in the moment, not to judge oneself for feeling less than “acceptable.” Regarding the reward, I find these types of gifts are usually uncovered further down the road, in a small town called Retrospect. Are you familiar with Retrospect? It has a few strip malls, a gas station, a dive bar, and one decent diner. I recommend the fries with gravy.

 

The other quote I chose gives different directives on how to ponder:

It is possibly not very helpful to our inner life to ponder a great deal on how the external world is reflected in our soul. By doing so, we do not get beyond a shadowy picture of the world of mental images in ourselves.  Rudolf Steiner

 

This quote by Rudolf Steiner reminds me of a recent lesson by Matt Kahn. Matt often warns his students about associating the outer world with one’s state of  consciousness. If we encounter someone who treats us poorly, refrain from reaching the conclusion that we must also be treating others this way. He teaches that mirroring in this way is unhealthy and not a relevant spiritual practice. It appears that Steiner is in agreement here, cautioning against using what is outside of us as a barometer for one’s spiritual health. I am unclear on what he does suggest as an alternative, but I find his statement helpful and worthy of consideration.

The challenge requests that I choose a new word for 3 other bloggers to use in their posts. The word I have chosen is fragile.  I am using my guidance to choose the participants, so here we go: Michael, Tania ,  and Ka .

If you are reading this and are feeling inspired, please feel free to take up the challenge. Just follow the instructions and link back to this post. Challenges can make the world go around and blog challenges do so in a fun way 🙂

 

LAST CALL: As an aside, have you read the 2 new December entries in my Divine Mission Possible Challenge? If not, you can check them out here. There is still time to write a post if you have not already done so.

The challenge ends with this year, on 12-31-18 so time IS of the essence.

Taste a Sample

On By litebeingIn announcements, blogging challenge3 Comments

wikipedia.org public domain

I am inviting all my readers and new followers ( hi!) to check out all the awesome offerings in the November challenge Divine Mission-Possible. Visit here to find the schedule where all current links are located. There is even someone new  posting early next month ; a pleasant surprise by a new reader David.

I have found the blogs about mission/purpose/incarnation to be unique, moving, and thought-provoking.  Reading them have left me so much richer both in knowledge and compassion. Later on I will share more of my impressions on how this group of divine souls has impacted me personally.  I know you will enjoy them too. Most writers love likes and comments as acknowledgment of their efforts so please say hello after you partake of a sample! Thanks to all who have made this challenge a wonderfully soulful project.

If anyone still wants to contribute, I am opening the challenge for the remainder of 2018. In the meantime, be on the lookout for new material from me soon. Thank again to everyone!

 

love, litebeing

A Heartful of Wonder

On By litebeingIn art, astrology, blogging challenge, lightworker14 Comments

I have created this piece for my Divine Mission-Possible blogging challenge. Visit here for all the details and to see the schedule. Interest in participation has been low this time around. But you can change that in an instant!

Please join us now and make this year’s challenge the best one yet!

This topic of life mission is an easy one for me to address because I ruminate about it all the time. As I entered middle age and witnessed the loss of many of my friends’ parents and many of my relatives, the grip of time became tighter. Time continues to speed up so fast that when I plan events many months in advance, I recognize that they will arrive in what appears to be only a week or two. So what have I done so far and is there a point to my existence?  I have felt quite depressed for the past few weeks, considering if I have veered way off course. It is so tempting to focus solely on the regrets, errors, losses, pain, and disappointment.  But such a narrow perspective can be a distraction from where this sea of memories has transported me thus far.

I was a very quiet, reserved child who felt different and in the way somehow. I spent plenty of my days passively observing the world around me. My sensitivity, curiosity and imagination have been profoundly obvious from the start and it took me some practice to cultivate the gifts they could provide. The ability to delight in the grace of artistry have given me comfort beyond description. When I was able to transcend early despair and woundedness, I could access joy through a kaleidoscopic lens.

So much pain created so much chaos, but the correct people and opportunities presented me with the ability to discover what moved me. Writing, astrology, and spelling of all things, taught me how to channel my imagination, wonder, and visual acuity into form. I think that I was a great speller because I had an uncanny ability to visualize words. I no longer possess that ability, but excelling and competing in spelling gave me confidence that was sorely needed as a child.

The rocky cliffs of Étretat by Monet.jpg

My love of beauty led me to draw as my curiosity led to studying astrology. Drawing still relaxes me and conversing with a client about their birth chart brings all the analysis and attention to symbols and patterns to life. It is so natural to understand why certain aspects of mysticism are effortless to me now. I honestly prefer what comes easily to me, but that is not what I apparently signed up for. If earthly life could only be an impressionist painting, waiting for me to dive in and immerse my soul in its delicacy and shimmering rays of bliss?

I do relate to the idea of a lightworker and have for quite a good while. I was around before the harmonic convergence, before ” New Age ” became a thing. I was coming into my own during the swirling, hazy Seventies, where the experimentation and boundary blurring of the Sixties had shaped our Western world through a technicolor lifestyle. I decided while in high school that I wanted to become a therapist and a writer, and make my impact on brightening up the planet. Like many of us, I longed to fix the brokenness around me and inside me. I retain some of that idealism, but am much more incarnation-fatigued than ever before.

I came here to heal, teach, inspire and share cumulative knowledge through the occult, psychic/intuitive abilities,  creative impulses and wit. Yeah, I came in naturally witty ( Moon in Gemini). It has taken decades to see a clear path through my lineage and probable past lifetimes here and elsewhere. While the specifics are not absolute, the residue has led me to this conclusion. I am not certain about all the other labels we humans like to give ourselves, but I have been taught since my twenties that the planet would be transforming in a radical way. I do not have distinct memories of planning this lifetime, nor am I being informed of this by guides. Working on myself and serving others has provided me with this inner knowing.

all of these paintings under impressionist heading wikipedia pub domain

Am I grateful to be alive here and now? Not usually, no. The past 6 years or so have been incredibly terrifying and heart wrenching for me a good deal of the time. I have written extensively about the difficulties so I will not rehash them again. The grip on my neck is tightening and the stakes are higher. Or they seem to be. I am not always clear on how much more hardship is in store for us individually or universally. I do feel that I am on a mission and that without all the early blows and ancestral damage, the motivation may not have been in full force. I have read from several sources that old-time lightworkers lost their way because they became inundated with the harshness of the material overlay that can hinder the development of consciousness. I know this is true for me. But I have not given up, not entirely. On countless occasions, an unexpected, often subtle sign would appear, helping my melt away my despair, albeit temporarily. The more I love, the more my heart opens. The more vulnerable I allow myself to remain, the greater is the likelihood of pain and grief to penetrate my soul. But here’s the thing; my soul is so much bigger than little I, so much stronger than this body that I am renting by the hour. So I do the best I can, and when I need to rest, I rest. A full heart is a mixed blessing, but in the unlimited realms from where we all originate(and currently reside in parallel realities), blessings are infinite.

images courtesy of wikipedia.org, public domain

Ready, Set , Blog! Divine Mission- Possible

On By litebeingIn announcements, blogging challenge, Uncategorized5 Comments

 

We are looking for more folks to participate in this blogging challenge. It starts tomorrow! Please contact me now to reserve your date. It is a great chance to build community and spread light and inspiration. Contact me with any questions. thanks!

Click here to get all the details.  🙂

 

Remember, we are all in this together.

 

 

Wake Me Up Before I Go – Go

On By litebeingIn art, ascension, awakening, blogging challenge, consciousness14 Comments

Here is my contribution to A Selection of True Awakening Stories, Part III, created and organized by the magnificent Barbara. Thanks to my dear friend Barbara for making this all possible and gently nudging me to dig deeper into my being and scoop out some goodies to convert into the written word!

This project will be converted to a free e-book for all to enjoy and savor with glee. The previous two e-books are available for download on the right sidebar of my site’s home page.

I would suggest you read or re-read my previous two awakening stories listed below to gain a broader understanding of my journey:

Part I

Part II

This third installment will cover my “travels” from early 2016 until this present moment. While not much has really changed at the surface level, there has been tremendous energetic shifts just below the surface. Many of my regular readers know I use imagery as part of my communication process. Art and text ( often married with music as well) do more together than separately. I have chosen a few paintings by Julian Weir to complement today’s “cosmic update”. These paintings were selected because reality is depicted as malleable, shaded ,variable, soft and muted. I would say that my current state of being is quite porous, mutable, in flux, and often multi-dimensional. No-thing is ever how it seems, at least not from my vantage point.

Time is Fleeting: While I have functioned as a therapist at two different organizations, become more immersed in a local astrology group, and have witnessed more lovely souls enter and leave my orbit, these details matter little. While reading a high school year book recently, I discovered a quote that still rings true.

Isn’t it strange how all of the years dissolved into just a feeling?

I remember being blown away by this insight at the time. I do agree that all of human/being existence is reduced to momentary impressions and reactions. Feelings turn into memories but cannot replace the in-the-moment experience.

When you really get down to it, all we are left with are our experiences. Time moves so quickly in ” my reality” that I look back less and focus as much as possible on the moment in front of me. It requires plenty of re-programming for me to succeed, especially in this informational overload society. Experiences are purer when lived in the Now and the moment is all there is. I realize that while living in a body is limiting, it is still unique.

I’m on the Road to No-where:  The painting above is called The Road to Nowhere, which I did not notice until it was already uploaded. It fits in perfectly with the notion that there is no-thing to do, no-where to go, and no-one to be.

The past few years have been about picking myself up and dusting myself off after falling down over and over and over again. While it appears that my recent journey is mostly about recovering from an assortment of bizarre and mundane obstacles, I sense that IAM growing and evolving behind the scenes. It is obvious to me that I want to spend my remaining time on Earth serving the elevation of consciousness. I do not want to live my days “phoning it in.” Lately I have been drawn to working in the field of addiction. Many moons ago my psychic buddy Bob mentioned in a reading that I would do well working with addicts. It did not appeal to me then, but it has become a passion of mine. While I currently interview for jobs at  inpatient rehabs and outpatient clinics, it has dawned on me that my last employer really took a chance by hiring me. I realize that I could not answer many of the specific questions about chemical dependence  treatment being asked of me now, back then. I know now how much I did not know. (This doesn’t apply just to addiction treatment either!)

I did acquire so much knowledge in such a short amount of time. Looking back, it seems miraculous that my former supervisor advocated to bring me onboard. It took me some time ( I started that job 1 year ago today) to realize that the Universe was really conspiring to help me grow and manifest more of the experiences that I desire. I find it pointless to not serve humanity, especially at this point in our species’ development. The question remains: How to do so without getting stuck in the goo of despair?

wikiart.org public domain, artist Julian Weir

The Sludge Party continues:  There is so much sludge! I am referring to unresolved material that remains hidden at the unconscious and often cellular level. The more we live, the more we acquire. So many old insecurities have re-emerged recently, issues I thought we cleared for good. Some recent sludge has come up around rejection, being bullied, and #metoo incidents that date all the way back to the 6th grade. Revisiting high school via my class HS Reunion FB page has resulted in many dreams including former “mean girl” classmates along with some pleasant exchanges online. It is a mixed bag, sludge and fudge.  Afterall, looking at the old yearbooks revealed that awesome quote about the flow of time and how we process it.

The #metoo movement triggered old memories that I thought were long resolved. Many spiritual teachers say that we perpetually clear more and more as old content emerges again in a spiral formation. Other teachers say we do not need to clear anymore. All I know is that I faced head on some rather uncomfortable emotions, yet again.  I dealt with them, for now.

Ascension Apocalypse: While I am still as confused as ever about all the Ds ( densities and dimensions), I like the concept of ascension and tend to attract more and more information online and offline about this topic. While those who know me well would describe my personality as fixed and stubborn, I have revised my belief system several times, especially since the dawning of the new millennium. For example, I really could not relate to the notion that practically all Earthlings are slaves to the machine. It appeared to be a preposterous exaggeration.  Yes, I descended in part from an enslaved people. But I have never been forced to work without pay or treated like I had no value.  As I consider how primitive and stagnant our civilization is in terms of basic living conditions, deplorable does not even begin to cover it! Most spirits in human bodies have to work most of their lives to barely cover food and shelter, with little or nothing leftover. Millions live in squalor and are perpetually hungry. When I look at my life, despite all the education and skills, I have had to accept employment that was far less from what I desired, just to survive.  This planet finds violence and incarceration acceptable and does not agree that food, medical care, and education are birthrights. It is truly a dog- eat-dog mentality at play , while the 1 percent have more resources than they could possibly ever use.

Why do we live this way?

Matrix or not, there has got to be a purer, kinder way to live on this beautiful planet called Gaia. So I continue to do my best, using my guidance and intuition to plant me where I am needed. But there are many moments when I wonder if we are too late.

George Michael, Am I Woke Yet?  I titled this entry Wake Me Up Before I Go-Go as a riff on the Wham classic Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. This song has nothing at all to do with this topic, but I adore George Michael, one of the many sensitive souls who left Earth too soon. And yet, if you check out the video link provided above, you will see George is wearing a t-shirt with the words CHOOSE LIFE on it, hmmmm.

In any case, the title really distills what matters to me most at this juncture. I really, really, really, ( did I say really? ) REALLY, do not want to return here again in a body. I realized as a child that I did not want to be here and it only took a few more years to realize that I am not interested in doing this again. Per usual, the cosmic winks continue, as my phone began to ring just  while I typed the word again! I am not playing. There has to be more to explore in other realms.

So I conclude this cosmic update to say that I want to awaken as fully as possible, with love and nurture and care, before this body expires.  I do not wish to remain stuck on the karmic wheel and be a slave to any “authorities” whoever or whatever they may be. I doubt very much I would have chosen my circumstances without the goal of transcendence and awakening. If ascension is on the table, I want in! Maybe I am already partially there. There is no scorecard where I  track my progress, however both longing and love do register in my heart.

images courtesy of wikiart.org, public domain

Ready, Set , Blog! Divine Mission- Possible

On By litebeingIn announcements, ascension, blogging challenge, consciousness69 Comments

Ready, set, blog!

Blog challenge season is upon us once again at litebeing chronicles. Every Autumn since the blog’s inception in 2013 has resulted in a wonderful opportunity to build community and “cross-pollinate” ideas and sentiments across the blogosphere.

2018 is no different in that regard. My idea for 2018’s challenge came quickly and clearly.  I am interested in exploring the incarnated soul’s life purpose. I have been longingly inquiring about the meaning of life since my adolescence. Eventually I discovered that there is no absolute meaning, it is an inside job. Okay, then, but what are the particulars? Why are we here and what are we doing with the guidance we receive? A few days later I received validation through my Louise Hay Desk Calendar:

Like many of my blog posts, I invite my readers to look at issues that fascinate and/or frustrate me. This is no different. I would love to be able to regularly say ” I chose to come here and I am delighted to be here.” I cannot say that today. What I will say that going on an arduous job search has left me tired and bewildered. The first few weeks I was swept away in shock, a certainty about surrender, and illuminating synchronicity. Presently I am asking myself if I have more to do here and am I aware of my entire mission. I do believe in reincarnation and the concept of in between life planning. But I am also curious about how souls get to leave the wheel and move on entirely.  I also wonder if many of us readily asked to come to Earth now to participate in the anchoring of light.  Is this just a Cosmic soundbite or something sacred and precious?

The title for the challenge came swiftly: a play on the Mission Impossible franchise where the protagonist is faced with a mission in a briefcase with a time bomb attached. ” Here’s your mission, if you choose to accept it,  … “ And then the adventure begins! From this premise the blog challenge concept was born!

The rules are simple, but this time with a twist that I will reveal later in the post:

Instructions:

1 – Write about your spiritual mission here on Gaia. Are you a lightworker, Starseed, forerunner, Indigo, or none of the above? What have you incarnated to do or to be? Describe your mission and your journey to achieve it. Are you delighted to be here? There is no correct answer, by the way. Make it your own.

2- Pick a date and inform me here in the comments section.

3- Include ” Divine Mission-Possible blog challenge ” in the text and link back to this blog post.

4 Copy the blog badge and add it to your site.

There are some modifications to this format. If you are stuck on your mission, you are free to write about lacking a mission or your process on discovering what it is. You can also write why you don’t have a mission and how that impacts you. As long as you stay on this topic, you are golden.

Now here’s the twists:

More that one person can post on the same date! That’s right, pick a date ( preferably starting on 11-1-18) and let me know. I do not care if 2 or more folks choose the same date. I do not want that issue to get in the way of participation.

Here’s the final twist : I want this challenge to grow in numbers organically and reach way beyond my own group of readers. I think this topic is very important in the times we are living in, where the pressure is on to evolve or perish, or dis-engage from living a well lived life. 

So in that spirit, I am asking that every participant volunteer at least one other blogger to join. That person will volunteer someone new, and so on…

I am volunteering all my readers, but I will also ask someone specifically to get the ball rolling. If you ask someone and they decline, that’s alright. Try again! My intention is for a wave of creative passion to flood cyberspace with intense love and solidarity. Please contact me here with any questions. I will provide a schedule here on the bottom of this post. Please refer back here to keep up with the posting dates.

( Look for the cat in the montage! )

So let’s keep encouraging each other to wake up and complete our Divine missions. It is possible! I know it in my heart. I have met so many glorious souls through participating in blog challenges. Let Source flow through us as we celebrate our time here together. Unity consciousness is more than a platitude, it is a life skill! Please share this invite across your social media platforms. Thanks in advance for all the blogger love.

As the fairy godmother sang in Cinderella , impossible things are happening everyday!

So who am I volunteering? I have chosen Leigh, a longtime blogger buddy and dear friend who has taught me more than words can say.

I am so excited to get started. Please join me now!

DIVINE MISSION: POSSIBLE!

Challenge Schedule

November

1-

2-

3- Linda

4- Dayna

5-

6-

7-

8-

9- Dace

10- Michael

11- Tania

12- Barbara

13-

14- Kristen Ann

15-

16-

17- Linette

18- Cindy

19-

20-

21-

22-

23-

24– Wendy

25- Shree , Edith

26- Sue

27- Tom

28- Alexis Ray

29-

30-

Dec

1-

2-

3-

4-

5- David

26 – Carolyn

 

 

Just A Tease And More

On By litebeingIn Blogging, blogging challenge, consciousness5 Comments

WE HAVE THE SYNCHRONOUS MESSAGE

WE NOW HAVE THE BADGE AND CHALLENGE TITLE

ALL WE NEED NOW IS YOU!

Thanks Sue for the lovely badge. I had no doubt it would be beautiful. I will post again soon with all the details. Please keep the month of November open and tell your friends. This is gonna be really special!

love, litebeing

Just a Tease!

On By litebeingIn announcements, Blogging, blogging challenge14 Comments

Howdy Litebeings! I am giving you a quick heads up that November will once again be upon us soon. November signifies many things I can assure you. At Litebeing Chronicles we create a blogging challenge every November. The idea for Blogging Challenge 2018 came to me just a couple of days ago. Fortunately,  my guidance provided validation shortly thereafter. Here’s a clue:

More details to come!

It’s All About the Yummy

On By litebeingIn announcements, blogging challenge, food, griefLeave a comment

Just literally woke up to the news that my idol Anthony Bourdain killed himself and was found dead in France today. Honestly I do not know how much more emotional upheaval I can bear. I will be reblogging some posts that reference him in his honor. I am beyond sad and more than a little angry. I have watched all his TV shows and have dreamed of meeting him and perhaps imbuing some of his energy when I write about food and travel. If you are feeling depressed, please get some help!

 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call 1-800-273-8255 ( US)

litebeing chronicles

There are many instances in my life where I doubted the point of being here, chained to a body and being at the mercy of unexpected events that challenge its survival. Many thought leaders are now touting the benefits of waking up and staying in human form. So I started to consider some of the perks of 3D material existence. Many metaphysical teachers claim that sensory experiences are unnecessary on the higher planes. Immediately I thought, no need for clothes, jewelry, shoes, food, etc.

So I created a blogging challenge ( a Sense-sational one, you might say), to invite people to really ponder the gifts of living in form. After all, we all know the limitations. Which of the 5 bodily senses are preferred and how do they enhance your life?  This is what I was looking to uncover, in order to create a conversation about incarnation with a certain…

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It’s All About the Yummy

On By litebeingIn blogging challenge, consciousness, food19 Comments

There are many instances in my life where I doubted the point of being here, chained to a body and being at the mercy of unexpected events that challenge its survival. Many thought leaders are now touting the benefits of waking up and staying in human form. So I started to consider some of the perks of 3D material existence. Many metaphysical teachers claim that sensory experiences are unnecessary on the higher planes. Immediately I thought, no need for clothes, jewelry, shoes, food, etc.

So I created a blogging challenge ( a Sense-sational one, you might say), to invite people to really ponder the gifts of living in form. After all, we all know the limitations. Which of the 5 bodily senses are preferred and how do they enhance your life?  This is what I was looking to uncover, in order to create a conversation about incarnation with a certain perspective.

 Here is what I discovered about my preferences and delights:

If I was asked as a child to name my favorite sense, it would have been my sight. I have always been so fond of colors, patterns, and images and could not image functioning without use of my outer  eyes or third eye. I am definitely a visual learner and will forget names, but never a face! As my readers know, art is therapy for me and it never lets me down. Like C said in her post, the thought of becoming blind is simply unthinkable. My eyesight has certainly declined with time, but glasses fill the gap most of the time. I went from having superior vision ( 20/10) to requiring progressive lenses for myopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Yet I am grateful that these are usually a  minor inconvenience. I am quite fortunate that I do not need to wear glasses all day, but mostly for reading or walking outside where distances are out of focus.

I have experienced many shifts in sensory acuity over the years. As a child and young adult, my sense of smell was impaired. I could not smell odors and fragrances that others took for granted. When someone suggested I smell a  delicious flower, it was both disappointing and frustrating to notice nothing.  Then one day my sense of smell improved dramatically. Not only can I smell a variety of wonderful fragrances, I am very sensitive to strong and unpleasant ones. It is a mixed blessing, as many seem to be.

My ability to hear has always been sub par, but it never prevented me from enjoying music. Music has always been my companion, especially during the darkest times. It is remarkable how the vibrations offer unlimited healing of body and spirit.  But my left ear was always trouble and a few years ago I developed tinnitus. I was tested and have some hearing loss in the right ear. So sometimes I  struggle to understand when  someone is muttering or has a strong accent. But I have adjusted the best I can.

While it is important to have a sense of touch/sensation , it is not my favorite; particularly when confronted with chronic painful health conditions.  However, I do not take anything for granted and value the pleasure that often accompanies the ability to feel bodily sensations. I would give anything to re-live the tactile sensation of a head bump from Dexter, or the calming warmth of Jasmine sleeping on the back of my legs. Hugging my nieces or petting my cat “babies” are treasured moments that make life rich with meaning.

Like the majority of the challenge writers, I enjoy having access to all of my senses. In fact, I am pleased that I often have access to intuition, clairvoyance, clairsentience, and a few others. But the sense that provides me the most joy is the sense of taste, in the form of food. Interestingly enough, my sense of taste was not important as a young child. I was a very picky eater with not much of an appetite. Breakfast before school each day was half a slice of toast. Exciting, right? But as I matured, I began to develop a sophisticated palate and became a foodie in training.

Enjoying food is more than taking pleasure in consumption of fuel for the body; it is a process that integrates all five senses. Sight, sound, smell, touch, along with taste, can play a role in the gustatory experience.

Here are a few examples:

The sizzle of meat and veggies cooking on the grill.

The crunch of popcorn coinciding with the sharpness of salt and the luxurious feel of creamy butter.

The intoxicating smell of freshly brewed coffee.

The deep burgundy hue of a glass of Merlot.

The neon pink cloud of cotton candy.

The brittle caramelized sugar layer on top of creme brulee.

The silky texture of frozen vanilla custard meeting the decisive crunch of the sugar cone.

The bittersweet taste and unctuous smoothness of dark chocolate mousse.

The comforting aroma of mom’s chicken soup simmering on the stove.

The complex, thick, savory – sweetness of chicken mole.

The vivid, maroon goodness of red velvet cake, complemented by sweet, velvety cream cheese icing.

The crackle of peking duck skin marrying the succulent meat and unami hoisin sauce with the crisp bite of scallions and soft mandarin pancakes. Peking duck is a dish that exemplifies holy matrimony of the delicious kind!

One of my dreams is to be the next Anthony Bourdain so I can incorporate my passion for food, travel, and writing together as a food/travel critic. In the meantime, though, I am happy to share with you my thoughts and feelings on all things yummy here at litebeing chronicles. Thank to all who participated in this challenge either directly or vicariously. I appreciate your patience with me in finishing my own offering. Time kinda got away from me.

Speaking of time, let me wish all of my readers the very best of 2018. Please love your Selves first so that more energy is available to you for all you wish to manifest.  The journey really is within, after all.

Here are some blogs that feature my foodie spirit:

https://litebeing.com/2014/09/15/east-africa-in-west-philly-traversing-time-and-space/

https://litebeing.com/2014/08/18/returning-home-part-v-pendle-hill/

https://litebeing.com/2014/07/07/lucky-litebeing/

https://litebeing.com/2014/05/02/a-day-in-the-flow/

https://litebeing.com/2014/04/18/musings-herstory-poland-ukraine-and-ancestral-mysteries/

https://litebeing.com/2013/06/11/scenes-from-an-indian-restaurant-collisions-of-parallel-time/

https://litebeing.com/2013/06/10/111-global-party/

 

images courtesy of wikipedia.org, public domain