Issue 10
In this issue
1) Welcome letter
2) Opal by Sibyl McLendon
3) Letting Go by Marty Dow
4) Instant Beauty Boosters by Kim Newman
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January 15 Welcome
by Sibyl McLendon
Well, you all have made it through the new year's celebrations, through the kid's Christmas break, and things are getting back to normal, whatever
that is! For only half a month having gone by, my life has been filled
with ups and downs. On the one hand, my new greeting site is doing very well, and I am having a lot of fun doing it. On the other hand, the
transmission has gone out in our car, and can't be fixed until the beginning of February. Balance in all things, so goes the Universe. I
have learned the hard way that getting upset by life's mood swings is useless, it only makes things worse. I choose to look at this lack of
wheels from the standpoint of how much I need some exercise (I have developed what I lovingly call a 'computer butt'). Walking to the store
will most likely not kill me, and if it does, I was due to go anyway!
Now, on to the results of my need for feedback. First, I would really like to thank all of you who responded to my plea! I write this
newsletter for you, and I really wanted to do what was best for the majority. So, the outcome is (drum roll here...) that I will now be doing
a shorter newsletter once a week. I am going to be sending this each Monday. Several of you said that while size was not a problem from a
viewing standpoint, it was so long that they didn't have the time to read it all. If this is not what you want, you can find
the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this newsletter. I will completely understand. {You will
break my heart, but I will understand :-) }
I hope that all of you are experiencing only the best in the first part of the first month of 2001, but if life is throwing you any curves, be sure
and check out the article by Marty Dow. See you next Monday!
e-mail me at turquoise_woman@graffiti.net
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Opal
by Sibyl McLendon
This month 's topic is Opal. This beautiful stone is one of the most misunderstood of all. It has gotten a bad rap for hundreds of years,
being called "bad luck". Besides the fact that I don't believe in the entire premise of bad luck, there is no way that a beautiful gemstone,
given to us by the Creator, can bring bad luck to anyone. The main reason that it is considered bad luck is because it will crack and break a lot.
If it breaks, and then coincidentally something negative happens, a silly superstition is born.
There is a perfectly good reason why opal will crack and break: because the owner does not know how to care for it. Opals are over 75% water.
Over time, the water will evaporate, and this leads to cracking and
breaking. If you will just store your opal jewelry in distilled water, it will last forever. Alternately, if storing it in water is not an option,
just rub the stone well with mineral spirits, or soak it in water once a month. If you will just keep it hydrated, you will never have a problem.
Opal is a strong female energy stone, as is any stone connected to water and the ocean. Female energy is creative, intuitive, nurturing, loving
and warm. It can also be scattered, illogical, and emotional. Wear
female energy stones wisely, please. Opals can assist you in clearing the emotional body, and releasing old hurts. It will help you in using your
intuitions when you need them. If you are doing psychic readings, wearing
an opal can help you tune in. Don't wear them to that all-important business meeting unless your only job is to be creative.
Opal is the birthstone for October. That connects it partially with Libra, and partially with Scorpio. With Libra, it can help you to make
decisions, but can also keep you scattered. Scorpios can benefit by the
clearing of emotional hurts, but it can magnify that tendency towards being sharp
tongued.
Two pages with wonderful photos of Opals (I am not recommending any commercial site, I just like the photos): Page 1 Page 2
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Letting Go of Struggle
by Marty Dow
Because the belief in struggle is so strong in our world, I wanted to share with you a dream I had which helped me to realize struggle was a
choice. At the time I had this dream, I was in a great deal of emotional pain. I, like most people, believed I needed to suffer in order to grow.
The dream did not change my outside circumstances, but it helped me see my life in a new way.
In my dream, I was in a room with many other people. In the process of moving across the room, we had to crawl through a tunnel filled with
bees. It was impossible to accomplish our journey without being stung
several times. After I had completed a pass through the first tunnel, I came to a resting place. The people here were recovering from their bites
while preparing to enter a second tunnel.
Although I wanted to complete my journey, I was not eager to go through the same painful experience again. I looked around the room and I
noticed a man standing by a door. I approached him, asking if there was
another way to travel without all the suffering. He smiled at me and said, "Yes, you can go through here." He opened the door into a beautiful
garden. I completed my journey by following the path through the garden,
enjoying the sun light and beauty all around me.
As I reviewed this dream, I realized most of us go through life experiencing the pain and struggle of life, never looking for any
alternatives. The people in my dream assumed there was only one way to accomplish the task before them. When I got tired of being bitten, I
decided to look for another route. The man at the door was not blocking the way nor hiding its presence. He was there to assist anyone who asked
for help. When I decided to let go of the struggle, my journey became one of joy and beauty.
Over the years, I have shared this dream with many people. Most people are shocked at the idea that struggle is a choice. It is not a
concept they have ever entertained. Their experience of life has taught them to expect to struggle. For some, it is a pleasant relief to release
this old concept. Others are not ready to make such a drastic change in perspective.
Struggle is a choice. It is your right and responsibility to choose. As shown in my dream, whenever you decide to look for another path, there
is always someone there to show you the way.
Letting go of struggle does not mean I will never again run into obstacles in my life. Challenges still present themselves to me. It is my
perspective that has changed. I see these events as opportunities to watch as the power of God is demonstrated in my life.
Every problem contains its own solution. I may not know how things will be resolved, but I am sure a solution will appear. I can now flow
with the circumstances in my life, trusting that the answer will soon be revealed. This perspective creates a feeling of peace and joyous
anticipation.
Without trust, I resist those difficult situations, creating a feeling of struggle. The feelings and thoughts of fear create more chaos
and pain. I may not be able to choose every event that appears in my life, but I can always choose how I will view those situations.
Marty Varnadoe Dow, LCSW
Excerpted from How To Soar Above the Crisis: a complete system for using
crisis as a catalyst for spiritual transformation.
Re-printed courtesy of Marty Varnadoe Dow. To learn more, go to Institute
For Daily Living http://www.ifcl.com/index.htm
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INSTANT BEAUTY BOOSTERS by Kim Newman
RAPID CLEANSERS
Use plain live yogurt to cleanse the skin and remove dirt and make-up. Simply rub it into the skin then splash off with tepid water. Cheap,
natural and effective !!
Mix together 15mls (1tbsp), finely ground oatmeal with 30mls (2tbsp) of hot water, gently rub into the skin and then rinse off. Cheap, natural
and effective !!
Use jojoba oil or grapeseed oil to shift stubborn waterproof mascara. Apply with a lightly dampened cotton wool pad. Cheap, natural and
effective !!
SIMPLE SKIN TONICS.
Warm Chamomile tea 
is an excellent toner for dry sensitive skin types.
Apply with dampened cotton wool or a piece of muslin cloth. If using tea leaves, strain the solution first !!!!! Cheap, natural and effective !!
Pure rosewater 
makes a refreshing skin tonic. Try using it straight
from the fridge. Rosewater is stocked by all pharmacies. Apply with cotton wool or a dampened piece of muslin cloth. Cheap, natural and effective!!
If you are a soap and water user, you should not be !! Remove soap-suds residues and restore the skin's natural pH balance (alkaline/acid), by
using the following: Mix 5mls (1tsn) cider vinegar into a large tumbler
of cool water and splash over the face after cleansing. Cheap, natural and effective !!
SPOT BUSTERS!
Dab on neat acetone to dry up stubborn spots using a fresh cotton tipped applicator for each spot or pimple. Cheap, natural and effective !!
Apply dots of Milk of Magnesia liquid to heal blemishes and acne lesions. Cheap, natural and effective !!
Use neat Witch Hazel to clear a spotty forehead and or chin. This is not a miracle cure, so be patient !! Cheap, natural and effective !!
OPEN PORE TONICS.
Apply a small quantity of neat Vodka to the nose and chin area to tighten enlarged pores. Apply externally, drinking it will not have this
effect, so, no excuse for excess boozing !!!!! Cheap, natural and effective !!
A slice of lemon 
rubbed over the face on the affected area, helps to
make the pores appear smaller and also will fade freckles. Cheap, natural and effective !!
SKIN EXFOLIENTS.
1tbsp of white sugar mixed with a little hot water makes an excellent skin scrub for slightly spotty skins. Sugar has mildly antibacterial
qualities. Cheap, natural and effective !!
Smooth olive oil on your skin and rub in handfuls of sea salt, ground. This makes an invigorating body scrub. The minerals contained naturally
within the sea salt are of great benefit to the skin. Cheap, natural and effective!!
Massage a handful of coarsely ground oatmeal on the chest and upper arms while in the bath to leave skin soft and glowing. Cheap, natural and
effective !!
SPEEDY SKIN NOURISHERS.
To re-moisturize a dry, sallow complexion, massage a liberal amount of Mayonnaise into the skin. Use fresh mayo, leave it on for 10 minutes,
don't answer the door , then remove with cool water. Cheap, natural and
effective !!
A thin layer of sunflower or soya margarine serves as a good make-shift moisturizer. Use sparingly !!!!! Cheap, natural and effective !!
A small amount of almond oil or avocado oil will nourish the face and neck. Apply before bedtime and leave on overnight to sink into the skin.
You can also mash avocado and apply it to the face and neck as a quick fix
face mask, leave for 5-10 minutes then remove with damp cotton wool followed by splashing with tepid water. Cheap, natural and effective!!
Pierce a Vitamin E capsule and put the contents onto the face. This is a very speedy and effective food for your skin. Cheap, natural and
effective !!
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It is always a source of wonder to me that we have so much beneficial skincare around us. Expensive lotions and potions are far out of reach of
most people's pockets!! So, why not use what nature gave us? If we think
back and remember what our Great Grandparent's skin looked like, we might remember touching a soft comforting face. Most of our ancestors used
exactly the ingredients that I have mentioned above !! Throughout daily life we are gradually learning that returning to naturally active produce
provides us with exactly what we desire. Diet of course plays a major part too!!! No use caring topically for your skin then filling your body with
fried food, cakes and chocolate, eat healthy too !! Good luck and enjoy trying the 'recipes' I am sharing with you. Oh, have I converted you to
cheap, natural effective skincare yet ? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kim Newman Nature's
Skincare
Kim can be reached at snowpaw@graffiti.net
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