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Naked Feet & Eyes = Not-So-Blind Trust

I’m at the beginning of a very exciting new adventure – improving my vision and getting rid of my glasses. And I’m happy to share, in case you might like to try it too.

This morning, I did a 45 minute walk in the woods – without my glasses. I had them with me in my pocket just in case, but did the complete walk without them. Out my front door and back home again.

I also gave in to the temptation and did a very short stint in bare feet.

The sensations were quite interesting…

My feet have felt this minus 4 degree celsius cold in the past and they recognized and welcomed the momentary tingling and sharpness as the blood circulated and turned my toes a lovely pink. I really do enjoy the feeling. The most difficult part of it was getting my cold and slightly moist soles to slide back into my felt-lined boots. That was a struggle for me.

For my eyes, it was totally lovely! The fresh cold air on my eyeballs was exhilarating. And being able to pull my wool hat down to my brows with no interference from the rim of my glasses is something I almost never feel. I loved being able to do that.

The cold air always makes my eyes water and the tears seem to act like a lens, allowing another level of detail to come through. It was interesting to notice the ability to focus come and go as I looked up and down and around, as well as far away to the tree tops and closer to my gloved hands.

My brain, however, reached a different level. It had taken a lot of determined courage for me to actually try this. You see, I am the person who needs to put on her glasses to go down the stairs – to the bathroom – in the dark – at night. I don’t really physically need clarity or details to perform that function. But just in case…. My specs have become a total mental crutch.

I have relied on this crutch for close to 70 years! Is it just a habit? Can I really get rid of this dependence? I am determined to find out.

Before going out the door I had felt a tad unsure if I should take the chance…. What if I run into someone and don’t recognize her? What if I trip? What if …? Although it is a somewhat different concern, it actually made me think of FOMO – the Fear Of Missing Out. (Apparently that explains why some people take their phones to the bathroom.)

As I walked, I came to think of this choice of naked feet and eyes as a sort of metaphor for my life today. I don’t always see the path of my future 100% clearly, so I have to adopt a kind of trust – in myself and in the Universe. With anticipation and a degree of excitement, I have to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. And I don’t have to rely on protective armour to move ahead. And I don’t have to take myself so seriously. What’s the worst that can happen? And if it does come to pass, I can deal with it.

Now back to improving my eyesight. What I’ve learned in this course I’m following is that a huge cause of compromised vision is that the muscles controlling the shape of the eyeball are not relaxed, so they cannot perform their function properly. Two suggested techniques are palming and sunning. So I did these in the woods while leaning against Drumbo, one of my favourite trees. (Another very simple technique is blinking – apparently we should blink about every 2 to 3 seconds.) Because of my teariness from the cold, I definitely did a lot of blinking.

Back to the metaphor: Our path in life is not always clear or smooth or straight. There could easily be unknown and unseen dangers ahead, but we don’t stop just because they might be there. We carry on with faith in the future and our ability to see obstacles when we need to, and deal with them then.

Here I am, about four hours after coming in from my walk and I haven’t put my glasses back on. Hmmm. 😉 I seem to be getting used to this – it’s kind of a tolerance for ambiguity and lack of sharpness. But I am certainly able to function just fine. AND now I am embracing the hopeful prospects of getting rid of my glasses.

Today I will watch the video for day two. I am so looking forward to it! And I can’t wait to tell you all about the next development in this thrilling experience.

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Our Confirmation Bias on Covid-19 — Courageous Disclosure

Let’s admit it: we all are guilty of confirmation bias. That is, we all look out for, and welcome, “official” support for whatever we believe on a certain topic. If we believe the earth is flat, we are overjoyed when we discover the “evidence” on Duck Duck Go that supports our claim, no matter how outlandish it might appear to others. With proof on the screen right in front of us, we feel totally justified. And maybe even a bit smug, right?

To be truly confident that we are not simply being duped (let’s say by fake news) we should honestly acknowledge our bias while also examining the opposing views — with an open mind. Indeed, is it not possible that two or more positions have equal merit?

And then what? Hmmm.

Isn’t it equally possible that the opposing view has more validity? If so, then we owe it to ourselves to adjust our position and move on, wiser for the experience. Stubbornly holding onto views that make no sense can only keep us ignorant.

However if, after we have looked at an issue from as many sides as possible, we still come up with the same conclusion, shouldn’t we be brave enough to own our position, and shout it out loud and clear? Regardless of real or perceived criticism?

Shouldn’t we share what we have learned from extensive study of the experts’ opinions on these vital questions?

We think so. In fact, to do otherwise is the coward’s way out, and that doesn’t help anyone at all. It takes time in today’s world to arrive at Truth, and we are aware that many do not have the time or inclination to do the research required, nor to sift through the mass of information available.  Regardless, no one should ever accept anyone else’s “truths” at face value.  Perhaps, though, we could inspire you to question a little more, and do a small amount of research to find out what you believe — so you can make your own informed choices.

Here are links to some of the recent podcasts, videos or articles that we have learned from, and where you can perhaps get more info to help you make up your  mind on these vital issues.

The facts about Covid 19 that you may not have seen

Why you might want to say no to a vaccine

Why you might not want to wear a mask

Very insightful articles by respected journalists and the questions they ask

Why Bill Gates may not be your friend

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In the Red!

Chez moi, at Audities’ House of Cards, when I’m not taking photos, or designing greeting cards, I tend to dabble in experiments with fermented foods.

To date, I’ve mastered kombucha quite well, and drink it regularly. I’ve also successfully fermented beets, made beet kvass, and most recently, produced some delicious white cabbage sauerkraut. So now, I am on to a new venture: red cabbage sauerkraut.

For your enjoyment, I’ve documented the process from two days ago.

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Cabbage salt mixture

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Gray sea salt with some pink Himalayan

I added about four healthy teaspoons of coarse gray sea salt to about two and a half pounds of coarsely shredded red cabbage, and blended it together with my hands. The salt made the cabbage glisten with moisture almost immediately.

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Before using the mallet

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Thinking For Myself in 2018

As I go about my busy life, I get many reactions:

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To Share is to Care

  • “What?”
  • “You’re kidding!”
  • “Why?”
  • “That’s just weird.”
  • “I don’t understand.”
  • “You had better be careful!”

And, every summer, when I spend a week with my five sisters and their hubbies, I hear many variations of the same surprised reactions. And the reason is simple: I think for myself, and once I reach my conclusions, I act on my beliefs — no matter how unconventional. Unfortunately for my brothers-in-law, I also share most of these ideas with my more adventurous sisters. 😉 Some of the men call me a witch; they blame me for getting their wives into things they consider “weird.”

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