Direct from the Writer’s Desk, Maryann Ridini Spencer shares a NEW way to look at “the luck of the Irish!” To Create Your Own Luck!
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by Maryann Ridini Spencer, SimplyDeliciousLiving.tv Recipe & Video Blog
According to Wikipedia, the term luck – “is good fortune which occurs beyond one’s control, without regard to one’s will, intention or desired result.”
Do you believe in “luck”? The month of March, with the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, brings the meaning of the word to the forefront.
St. Patrick’s Day is customarily celebrated with parades, wearing green, and for some, a toast at the local pub in honor on Ireland’s patron St. Patrick. A favorite iconic symbol of the day is the 3-leaf clover, the shamrock, which St. Patrick used to teach the Irish about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity (three divine persons in one God).
The 3-leaf clover also has a very lucky relative, the four-leaf clover – which, according to legend, brings about good luck if found accidentally. Each leaf of the four- leaf clover represents something wonderful – the first leaf - faith, the second leaf - hope, the third - love and the fourth – luck.
On St. Patty’s Day, one often hears the term, “the luck of the Irish” professed. However, examining Ireland’s turbulent history, with invasions, colonizations, famines and mass emigrations, one has to wonder about the “luck” part.
For it wasn’t until the Irish did immigrate to America, especially during the gold rush years in the latter part of the 19th century, that some lucky Irish prospectors achieved extreme wealth. Hence, the actual origin of the term, “luck of the Irish.”
While these prospectors may have been lucky, they also created their own luck.
So, this St. Patty’s day, while true luck may find you, why not begin creating your own luck setting personal and professional goals and start “visualizing” abundance and that rainbow leading to your pot of gold?!
Suggested Reading:
Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
And visit SimplyDeliciousLiving.tv, Maryann Ridini Spencer’s Recipe & Video Blog!
by Maryann Ridini Spencer in VC Style
Have you ever been out to dinner and had your friend, family member or partner answer their cell phone and talk for a few minutes, leaving you out of the conversation? Maybe you’ve been involved in a heart-to-heart and just at the moment you were going to divulge the most important detail, you were told to “hold that thought” while your loved one answered their cell phone? What about sharing an important conversation with a friend and they tell you that they just got a call waiting notification - can they call you right back? Or maybe you’re spending the weekend doing a family activity and have found that your hands seem to be mysteriously glued to your ipad or computer key board, much to the chagrin of your mate?
Without the risk of being too crass, sometimes technology bites. If you’ve ever been in one of the above situations, you have experienced, first hand, the frustration of being upstaged by modern technology, and as my old boss jokingly used to tell his victims, “by a bigger name.”
Connecting with the people in our lives – our friends, family and special someone - is vital to our health and wellbeing. Being kind and generous with our undivided attention can go a long way. Connecting on a face-to-face, technology-free, personal basis is paramount. Especially in this fast-paced, stressful era of job downsizing, mergers & acquisitions and where digital technology (aka computers, cell phones, ipads, droid tablets etc.) rule, it can be easy to alienate the ones you love by constantly living in the TMT. (Too Much Technology) Zone.
How can you demonstrate your love and be relatively TMT FREE?
Here are some great simple ways:
*Turn off your cell phone BEFORE you get to the dining table.
*Enjoy a Sunday meal with the entire family – create time together to talk and interact MINUS the electronics.
*On a date or at a business meeting? Power your phone OFF. You can pick up your messages later. You might also select your “alternate” greeting, letting folks know you are in a meeting and will call back later.
*Let your weekends or vacation truly be “time off.” Use your email “vacation message” or select your alternate voice mail message to tell clients, friends and associates you’ll call on Monday or when you return from your vacation. If you find that you have to be available to respond (or die), try to limit it to a specific amount of time at a specific time of day that won’t interfere with your dedicated activities.
Some great examples of how to use technology:
*Be free with tender thoughts and “I love you’s” – you’ve heard the Stevie Wonder song, “I Just Called To Say I Love You” ? Well, then go for it. Just don’t text or send images of anything you don’t want appearing on the front page of the Sunday papers (you never know with technology!) .
*Remember the words “Thank you” and always give thanks.
*To share an important link, thought, plan or idea that you can discuss and communicate on a personal level at a later time when both parties are available. Don’t replace personal, one-on-one conversation or connection by the exclusive use of technology.
Talk to those in your life about how you prefer technology to be used and some of your do’s and don’ts. Set the standards immediately.
Connecting on a personal level and nurturing your important relationships by being TMT Free, or at least controlling your impulses to reach for the iphone or tablet, can have extremely pleasing results. Enjoying the warmth of loving, appreciative and ATTENTIVE arms around you can warm up the day or night and fill the heart more than any chat on Facebook or Twitter.
SimplyDeliciousLiving.tv’s Maryann Ridini Spencer interviews Barbara A. Berg, author of “Ring Shui”
Maryann: Barbara, in your book RING SHUI you talk about the importance of rings on one’s fingers. This month is Valentine’s Day. How can single people bring romance into their lives?
Barbara: Rings play an amazing part in shifting our energy and amplifying our dreams and desires. They also play a very important part in the “wooing” and “courting phases” of developing relationships. They actually send off many signals as to whether to come closer or not.
While more men are beginning to wear more rings on more fingers, they still don’t wear them to the degree that women do, and their inner energy is still quite different from female energy when it comes to how they connect in relationships. Because of that, I have some similar and some different input on what single men can do to bring romance into their lives, and what women can do.
Single people of all ages:
1. A good start is to make a point of wearing no rings on your thumbs or middle fingers when you are going to look for love. Middle finger energy can come across as you need to overly protect your heart from hurt and even seeming like you are “commitment phobic”. They also can express some inner anger about being hurt before Thumb rings set you up to connect in a way that can be either overly giving and unable to receive and/or being controlling and power hungry. These aspects are not good beginnings for love. (This is true for both men and women.)
2. Wearing a ring you like that does not have a major connection to your family of origin or a past love on your right ring finger is a beautiful expression of authentic self-love that can subconsciously inspire someone to be drawn to you and want to “down the road”, put a ring on your left ring finger as a betrothed love. Make a point of the ring not looking like a wedding ring of some sort so it doesn’t invite someone to think you are already connected to a love relationship of some intimate sort. This is especially a good idea for women. Men can wear a ring there also, but it is not as important for a man to do as for a woman, especially if he is truly sincere about finding someone to truly bond with and love.
3. Especially for women, if you have been wearing a ring on your right ring finger, and you are growing impatient about meeting someone, wear a ring on your right index finger also and make a point of actively getting out and going to new and unusual places that are safe and interesting to meet people. If a man wants to be creative in putting out “love seeking energy”, try wearing a ring on your right ring finger or right index finger. This just might “stir up the pot” and bring some new and interesting love energy in. – I advise men to try this for very short periods of time such as couple of days at a time, especially on the index finger and see what happens. Women can generally wear rings on their index fingers for longer periods of time and feel ok about it, as more women do this than men. However, more and more men are wearing rings on especially their right ring fingers. See what feels comfortable to you.
Maryann: How can those in a relationship and/or married continue to create romance?
Barbara: If you are married, wear your wedding ring and engagement ring. If you haven’t been wearing your wedding rings or engagement rings, put them on. You don’t have to explain; just slip it on and give your beloved a card saying you love them and see what happens. – Don’t feel you have to wait for Valentine’s Day. If you are a woman and are wearing your wedding ring and engagement ring, also wear a ring you got from your beloved on your right ring finger. This supports your love. If you don’t have one from him, get yourself a fun ring you like and place it there. See what happens.
Whether you are married or not, place a creative and possibly glamorous ring on your right or left index finger, and see what happens. If you feel you need some help in dealing with your relationship, the right index finger can be your best friend. This is especially a good idea for women. A creative man could try wearing a ring on his right index finger and come up with a creative way to express his love for his intimate person that is new for both of them. See what happens.
Maryann: What are the suggested stones or types of rings to create romance?
Barbara: Silver is known for love and gold is known for power. Sometimes wearing a mixture of both can bring in some nice energy from others. Choose the color of metal that looks and feels best on you. Also, for women, wear the color of metal that you would most want to get from a beloved down the road.
For women, a pink color on the stone or gem helps bring on healing and love. Rose quartz is a good idea. So is blue Topaz. Onyx is a good, solid stone for a man to wear on his right ring finger. That can help attract women to him. (I do not advise men to wear pinkie rings when they are looking for love. That does not come across as being sincere.)
Maryann: Why is wearing rings on the middle finger a No-No?
Barbara: They are especially unhelpful when actively looking for love, as they can invite conflict, anger, and/or gaminess from others- and they can bring out the “worst” in you.
Maryann: When rings are on for specific reasons, should a person also express affirmations? Explain.
Barbara: Yes. When you place a ring on your finger, look into the mirror and say out loud to yourself what you want this ring to represent to you- and say it over when you look at your ring and think about love. For instance, when your place a ring on your right ring finger and you are looking for love, say to yourself, “I am drawing to myself the kind of love that reminds me of how much I truly love myself and deserve to be loved. I am ready to receive and give the best love I ever have had in this life time.” That’s a good line for a woman to say. A good line for a man to say is, “I am drawing to me a person I want to shower my love upon that reflects the love I have for myself. I will also receive love from that person simultaneously as I choose them to love and they will hopefully choose me. (Due to the differences in testosterone and estrogen, it is still a good idea to let the man make the first more and as a woman, smile and stand perfectly still. When woman do most of the “wooing work” in the beginning, they become the man in the relationship. I learned from some pretty bright women that the princess tends to try too hard but the Queen stands still. He’ll enjoy coming to you, especially when you reward him with lovely appreciation.)
Maryann: Do Ring Shui principles apply the same way for men as they do for women?
Barbara: They apply similarly. However, due to the built-in hormonal incentive to take action when a man is so inspired, he is less inclined to need his energy amplified by a ring to pursue a woman and connect with her if she is interested. Women tend to wear more rings anyway, and rings can actually boost their self- esteem more as adornment tends to mean more to women than men. However if you are a man who likes rings, by all means wear them. Just don’t get too picky. (In my findings, interestingly enough, I have found that single men who wear no rings are less picky about small things than men who wear them. They also tend to be more straightforward and “what you see if what you get”. However, men who wear rings do tend to love themselves- and that can set them up to want to give a lot to a woman when they are inspired. They just might be choosier in whom they desire. But then again, they are very lucky to have any one of us women!)
For more information, visit: RingShui.com
Alyce Morris Winston, Founder of The Jeffrey Foundation for Special Needs Children & Their Families
by Maryann Ridini Spencer for VC Style
The Jeffrey Foundation (TheJeffreyFoundation.com), a non-profit Child Care/Resource Center offering educational services, childcare and counseling for special needs children, was founded by Alyce Morris Winston in 1972.
Over the past 40 years, the Foundation, which strives to improve the quality of life for special needs children (ages 18 months through 18 years), serves children with such diseases as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and autism. Other children enrolled in their programs have a variety of physical impediments or are victims of abuse, neglect or in utero drug exposure.
At the Foundation, children and families are served through a variety of community-based therapeutic, recreational, educational and social programs including childcare, preschool, K-12 educational programming, speech therapy, occupational therapy, life skills, parenting education, after-school activities and social events.
While the Foundation serves the greater Los Angeles area, Morris Winston is also involved in a national and international outreach program, Special Child USA. Via Special Child, Morris Winston consults with other cities, states and even countries that are interested in developing similar childcare and resource centers.
“There are over 30,000 disabled youth in Los Angeles County that are in need of special interventions,” said Morris Winston. “Our Foundation is the only one of its kind in LA and we only have a capacity of only 124 children per day, and 40 families per month. So the need is great — not just in Los Angeles, but everywhere.”
Morris Winston, whose adopted son Jeffrey, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when he was two, abandoned her career as a Max Factor model and began the Foundation after discovering that there was not enough appropriate child care, resources or support for families with special needs children. What began in her living room is now housed in two professional buildings on West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles.
“Most of The Jeffrey Foundation’s students are referred by Child Protective Services or a Regional Center,” said Morris Winston. “Many of the families are headed by single mothers with multiple children. In the Foundation’s Parent Training program, over 85% of the children are in foster care and 10% are living with a parent who has lost custody at least once due to child abuse, neglect, maltreatment or abandonment.”
The emphasis of the classes and programs, which are inclusive, aim to build core competencies such as cognitive skill building, language development, gross and fine motor skills and social and emotional development, as well as provide health and nutrition education.
“We also strive to enrich our student’s lives by giving them the opportunity to enjoy some recreation and special events. We encourage them to learn and appreciate art, music and nature. Our mission is to improve the quality of every aspect of their live as well as serve as a support for their families,” said Morris Winston.
The current economic climate, and cuts in federal and state funding, are severely impacting the Foundation’s ability to keep some of their programs alive. To offset some of the negative impact, Morris Winston recently came up with the creative idea of “Project 40″ in honor of the Foundation’s 40 years.
Project 40 will be a series of 40 events and happenings to fight the economic turndown. Last night, one of the Foundation’s friends, Lladro Boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, hosted a kickoff reception and launch of the YES! Network (Executives for Special Needs Children and their Families). The YES! group will spearhead many of the Project 40 programs which will take place in Southern California as well as nationally.
Morris Winston hopes that through the YES! Network, different members of the business community will also become engaged to network, cross promote, as well as lend their expertise and support in developing new programs and fundraisers to sponsor and boost the Foundation’s needed programs.
“We support the community, and we need assistance from those in the community and beyond,” said Morris Winston. It does take a village and we want to be around for the next 40 years!”
To find out more about The Jeffrey Foundation, Project 40 and the YES! Network, visit:
From Left to Right: Circle of Love Ladies: Agnes Nicole Winter, Elaine DuPont Bernard, Mara New, Alyce Morris Winston (Founder, The Jeffrey Foundation, and Maryann Ridini Spencer (YES! Network Co-Chair)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS!
Fabio Viviani (Bravo’s Top Chef) presents Tuscan Style Comfort Food at the WOMEN TODAY Expo!
The second annual Women Today Expo returns to Ventura County to celebrate all aspects of a woman’s life — Career, Shopping, Cooking, Family, Health & more! Presented by the Ventura County Star and taking place on the Ventura County Fairgrounds (Harbor Boulevard), this year’s event features over 100 exhibitor booths and such celebrity guests as Chef Fabio Viviani (Bravo’s “Top Chef”), Master Chef Adrien Nieto (Fox’s “Master Chef”), “Project Runway” Fashion Designer Santino Rice and Singer/Songwriter Casey Weston (NBC’s “The Voice”). READ MORE.
Read & follow my new column “VC Style!” The column will focus on all aspects of healthy living as well as environmentally-friendly topics and will feature videos, articles and more!
Maryann Ridini Spencer to write NEW column "VC Style" for Ventura County Star
The Simply Delicious Living column can be read ONLINE and in PRINT in Natural Awakenings Magazine. Previously in print in Ventura County, the new markets include: Santa Barbara and Westlake to Malibu (including Agoura and Agoura Hills, Woodland Hills and Tarzana).
William Shakespeare ‘s Sonnet 116 about LOVE are words to live by. Enjoy and love deeply!
Sonnet 116 (Sonnet CXVI)
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
