The Charmed Monday Minute, May 5

Hi, all -

I'm going back to a weekly Minute to see if I can keep these short--really a Minute to read. In my news, I don't have much except that I'm happy that it's spring (it doesn't look or feel like spring up here in the Catskills today, but we've had some hints and at least there's no snow).

I'm working on the edits and updates for The Love-Powered Diet which will be out in a new edition - its third incarnation - next year from Lantern Books. And I'm writing the essays for the sequel to Creating a Charmed Life. The publisher hasn't decided on a title yet but my working title is The Charmed Life Handbook: When You Absolutely, Positively Have to Live Remarkably.

Oh, we got it straightened out with Inspire Me Today: they will re-feature me in the fall. I apologize for any confusion there. And those of you who signed up but missed me can find me in the archives here.

Be well and happy -
Victoria

Recipe of the Week: Every time I don't do a recipe, somebody writes to me saying they missed it. I'm happy to share my favorites. As you've picked up from the past few Minutes, I'm doing a lot of raw food now so many of the recipes I'll share with you will be uncooked, but I'll share with you some of my favorite cooked recipes that my family has enjoyed over the years, like this one from Ingrid Newkirk's The Cookbook for People Who Love Animals (Warner Books): "Mock Chicken Loaf Florentine with Chickenless Gravy" For the loaf: 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed 1 Tbls. vegetable oil or water 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 Tbls. imitation chicken-flavored powder, or 1 vegetable boullion cube 1 ¾ cups boiling water 2 cups TVP (textured vegetable protein) granules 1 pound soft tofu 1 cup gluten flour or ¾ cup whole wheat flour 1 Tbls. nutritional yeast flakes 1 ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. poultry seasoning ½ tsp. onion powder 3 Tbls. vegetable oil Chickenless gravy: 2 cups boiling water 2 Tbls. vegetable oil 3 Tbls. nutritional yeast 1 vegetable boullion cube ½ cup diced fresh mushrooms ½ cup finely chopped onion Onion salt to taste Unbleached all-purpose flour Steam the spinach and drain well. Heat the oil or water in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until transparent, about 5 minutes. Dissolve the imitation chicken-flavored powder or boullion powder in the boiling water. Add the TVP and let stand for about 10 minutes. Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Pat the tofu dry, then mash. In a large bowl, combine the TVP mixture, spinach and tofu. Stir in the remaining ingredients and pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8 ½ x 4 1/2 -inch loaf pan. Smooth the top and bake for 45 minutes, or until brown on top. (If the loaf starts to get too brown, cover with aluminum foil.) Make the gravy. In a large saucepan, simmer all the ingredients except the flour for approximately 5 minutes. Slowly add the flour (tablespoon by tablespoon), whisking after each addition, until desired thickness is reached. Keep warm. Let load stand for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn out onto a platter. Serve with gravy. Serves 6 to 8. Preparation time: 45 minutes. Baking time: 45 minutes.

Correction: The New York Times has to do these so I can, too. Last week when I told you about creativity coach Debbie Abram, there was a typo in her email address. It should be Debbie_spiritdancer@yahoo.com. If your creativity is blocked or it's been crowded out for other things, drop her a line.

Quotation of the Week: "The animals of the world ... were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women were created for men." - Alice Walker in her introduction to Marjorie's Spiegel's bookThe Dreaded Comparison

Something for Moms of Every Sort: My dear friend (and one of my many mentors), Alice Marie is hosting a workshop in New York City on Saturday, May 17: "This Is an Emergence: Giving Birth to Your Authentic Self." It's for moms-to-be and anyone, male or female, who pregnant with a creative project. It's bargain ($15). Register at www.mamapalooza.com.

Where I'll Be: Friday, May 16 - Brookdale Community College (Lincroft, NJ) Women's Conference, "All in a Day's Work." I'm doing the closing keynote, "Fat, Broke & Lonely No More." The morning keynoter is executive VP of WE TV speaking on "The Other Side of the Tube," and the day is filled with terrific breakout sessions as well. For enrollment info or questions, email Linda Martin: lmartin@brookdalecc.edu. Sunday, May 18 - Unity Church of New York, Sunday service, 11 a.m., Symphony Space, 95th & Broadway, NYC. My topic will be "When You Get Lost Between the Moon and New York City." Sunday & Monday June 8 and 9 (and returning July 20-21) - I'm doing the evening lectures on "Younger by the Day" and "How to Live a More Spiritual Life" at the New Age Health Spa, Neversink, NY, www.newagehealthspa.com Thur. June 19-Sunday June 22 - North American Vegetarian Society Summerfest, Johnstown, PA, www.navs.org. They'll have me working a lot and doing various lectures throughout the week on health, well-being, aging well, making peace with food and weight, and bringing your ethics into the real world without being insufferable about it.

A New Internet Radio Event: Nancy Mills is the very focused woman who's come up with The Spirited Woman Circle Tele-Chat Conversation Series -- first Tuesday of the month, 10-11am PST, 1-2pm EST. Register at thespiritedwoman.com or call 888-428-1234. Here's the lineup: April 1: Jill Conner Browne, Sweet Potato Queens Books of Love May 6: Susan Miller, founder of www.Astrologyzone.com June 3: Carolyn Howard-Johnson, writer's advocate, "How to Do It Frugally" series of books July 1: Jacquelyn Mitchard, highly acclaimed author of Oprah's first Book Club pick, The Deep End of the Ocean August 5: Laurel Touby, founder of Mediabistro.com, just sold her company to Jupitermedia.com for $23 million September 2: Catherine Ryan Hyde, bestselling author of Pay It Forward October 7: Victoria Moran, self-help guru (I am?) and author of Creating a Charmed Life

The Charmed Should-Have-Been Monday Minute, April 3

Hi, all -

I'm late with these posts more than I'm on time, it seems. Life up here in the Catskills is very slow-moving. It's hard for me to remember my energetic NYC self who was so eager to communicate all the time. I trust that this affliction is not permanent and I appreciate your patience with my inability to get these out on Mondays.

Joya has been traveling the country applying for Masters programs in directing for the theater, which is very exciting and she'll be great, but it means she doesn't have a lot of time for being the "charmed assistant" so I find myself behind on a lot. Still, they're predicting sun for tomorrow and even though it snowed here yesterday (it snows a lot here), I can smell spring, which is a good thing.

Speaking of spring, Adair and I both had our birthdays. Mine was on the Vernal Equinox, the first day of spring. I went to the city (of course), and Adair and I had lunch at Bonobo's, a raw cafeteria in the Flatiron District, shopped at Victoria's Secret, hit a nail salon, and found a sweet little indie coffee bar to hang out and talk. That evening William and I went to Pure Food & Wine, an amazing ultra-gourmet raw restaurant on Irving Place near Union Square. It was exquisite. I had raw vegan versions of Caesar salad, spanokopita, and strawberry shortcake, and William had a baby greens salad, raw vegan lasagna, and an utterly amazing raw vegan tiramisu. In the gift department, Adair and Nick gave me a gift certificate to MooShoes (non-leather shoes, belts, purses) and William treated me to an afternoon at the Red Rock Day Spa here in Woodstock--massage with passive stretch, detoxifying body wrap, and sensitive skin facial --yum.

For Adair's birthday on the 29th, we went for presents (her in-laws gave her and Nick tickets to a Broadway show, and the rest of us regaled her with gift cards for spa services, dancewear, knitting supplies...) and lunch at Vegetarian Paradise II in The Village (a foursome: Adair, Nick, William, me) and then Adair and I took off for a girls' afternoon--costume-jewelry shopping, a street fair, and the farmers' market in Union Square. We both bought plants. I named mine Justin and Alissa, and Adair wrote to me and told me she'd named hers Eve. I guess some eccentricities just run in the family.

-Victoria

Recipe of the Week: This recipe is for super-easy, sugar-free brownies: even my husband scarfs these up. These are truly one-bowl brownies--you'll never have to wait more than 5 minutes again when that chocolate craving strikes. Brownies from Raw Food Make Easy for 1 or 2 by Jennifer Cornbleet (a great cookless book, by the way, and there's a companion DVD). Yield: 8 brownies, 4 servings 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts, unsoaked dash salt 10 pitted medjool dates, unsoaked 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa or carob powder 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons water 1/4 cup dried cherries Place the walnuts in a food processor fitted with the S-blade and process until coarsely chopped. Remove 1/4 cup of the walnuts and set aside. Add the salt to the remaining walnuts and process until finely ground. Add the dates and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and process until evenly distributed. Add the water, dried cherries, and reserved walnuts, and process briefly, just to mix. Pack the mixture firmly into a square container. Stored in a sealed container, Brownies will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator or one month in the freezer.

Calling All Christians: I know my readers and subscribers come from a vast array of belief systems, but if you are a Christian who has changed to more of a vegetarian diet, you oughta be in pictures! Here's the scoop from the producers: "Our project is a short documentary produced for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that will focus on how an increasing number of Christians are changing their eating habits based primarily on their commitment to faith. Such Christians feel that the way animals are treated is not consistent with what God had in mind when he created them. They feel God had no intention for animals to be mistreated at factory farms, where such cruel and abusive practices are used such as battery cages, gestation crates, and veal crates, in addition to the various mutilations and physical beatings they often endure. "This new movement of Christians points to specific verses of scripture that call for better treatment of animals. We are trying to find individuals, who, through their own relationship with God and/or scripture, have come to this realization. If you feel you meet this criteria, or if you know someone who does, we would love (!) to hear from you. Please email our producer, Emily Webster, at Ewebster@twocatstv.com or info@twocatstv.com (if the first inbox is full). "New York-based Two Cats Productions is an Emmy Award-winning television production company that has produced films for PBS, ABC News, CNN, FOX, MSNBC and over 20 networks outside of the US in such countries as France, Germany, Canada and Australia. For more information: www.twocatstv.com or www.HSUS.org"

Books recommended in my "How to Live a More Spiritual Life" seminar: So many people have requested this list. It's very eclectic and draws from many traditions. Take what suits. Some of these books are contemporary; others are classics. Jump in --it's a lifetime's adventuring: Poetry: The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse Selected Poems of Rainer Maria Rilke The Prophet, Kahlil Giran Emily Dickinson's Poems The Essential Rumi Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman The Essential Blake Nonfiction: The Law of Attraction, Abraham Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men & Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism, Anonymous The Red Book, Sera Beak Becoming Like God: Kabbalah & Our Ultimate Destiny, Michael Berg The Key to Theosophy, Helena Blavatsky Ecstatic Confessions, Martin Buber Cosmic Consciousness, Maurice Bucke, MD Lessons in Truth, H. Emilie Cady The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell, Ph.D. Life After Death: The Burden of Proof, Deepak Chopra, MD The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra, MD Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy Emerson's Essays, Ralph Waldo Emerson Power vs. Force, David R Hawkins, Ph.D. The Hidden Wisdom in the Holy Bible, vols. I & II, Geoffrey Hodson The Science of Mind, Ernest Holmes The Perennial Philosophy, Aldous Huxley How to Know God, Christopher Isherwood, tr. Dark Night of the Soul, St. John of the Cross God Made Easy, Patrice Karst The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis Life After Death, Raymond Moody, MD The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale The Biology of Transcendence, Joseph Chilton Pearce Peace Pilgrim: Her Life & Work in Her Own Words, Peace Pilgrim Invitation to a Great Experiment, Thomas Powers The Game of Life & How to Play It, Florence Scovil Shinn The Religions of Man, Huston Smith A Most Surprising Song, Louann Stahl Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and Its Attainment, Rudolf Steiner The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition, Dianne Sylvan The Way Out, The Teacher The Impersonal Life, The Teacher My Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis The Eternal Now, Paul Tillich The Power of Now, Eckhard Tolle In Tune with the Infinite, Ralph Waldo Trine The Cloud of Unknowing, Evelyn Underhill The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Barbara G. Walker Heal Thyself, White Eagle The Quiet Mind: Sayings of White Eagle Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda Metaphysical Mediations, Paramahansa Yogananda The Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav

A New Internet Radio Event: Nancy Mills is the very focused woman who's come up with The Spirited Woman Circle Tele-Chat Conversation Series -- first Tuesday of the month, 10-11am PST, 1-2pm EST. Register at thespiritedwoman.com or call 888-428-1234. Here's the lineup: April 1: Jill Conner Browne, Sweet Potato Queens Books of Love May 6: Susan Miller, founder of www.Astrologyzone.com June 3: Carolyn Howard-Johnson, writer's advocate, "How to Do It Frugally" series of books July 1: Jacquelyn Mitchard, highly acclaimed author of Oprah's first Book Club pick, The Deep End of the Ocean August 5: Laurel Touby, founder of Mediabistro.com, just sold her company to Jupitermedia.com for $23 million September 2: Catherine Ryan Hyde, bestselling author of Pay It Forward October 7: Victoria Moran, self-help guru (I am?) and author of Creating a Charmed Life

Where I'll Be: I'm in writing mode at the moment and not doing a whole lot of speaking, but I'll be here and there and would love to have you join me... Speaking: New York, NY, Sunday, April 13, 9 a.m. to noon, panel- "Publicity for Writers," annual conference, American Society of Journalists, Grand Hyatt Hotel, info at www.asja.org

The Charmed Monday Minute, March 17

Hi, all -

Top o' the mornin' (afternoon, evening) to you on this St. Paddy's Day. It's sunny today and the snow keeps melting. This is good stuff. Lots of new this week so I'll keep my personal stuff short.

I will tell you one sweet thing. On Saturday William got his tattoo in honor of James, his teenaged son who died last fall. It's a slight adaptation of James's favorite song lyric, "I am heaven-sent, don't you dare forget" (from the song "Okay I Believe You but My Tommy Gun Don't" by the band Brand New). I am now married to a man who has "He was heaven-sent" on one inside forearm and "Don't you dare forget" on the other. He came in after doing this and said, "I don't care what anybody thinks. It gives me peace." I'm so proud of him.

Love and light -
Victoria

Recipe of the Week: I just had this fabulous raw soup for lunch and have to share it with you. It comes from Raw Foods for Busy People: Simple & Machine Free Recipes for Every Day, by Jordan Maerin - a dandy little cookless book. Cream of Tomato Soup: 4 medium tomatoes 1 stalk celery ½ bell pepper, chopped 2 Tbl. Fresh basil or 1 tsp. Italian seasoning 2 tsp. lemon juice 1 avocado 2 tsp. maple syrup or agave nectar Salt, cayenne, and minched hot peppers to taste Blend well. Yum-yum. Serves two generously as an entrée, four to six as an appetizer. (If you want a lower fat version, leave out the avocado and sweetener and you've got Maerin's "Real Tomato Soup.")

Sherry Boone in cabaret: My amazing, extraordinary action partner (see Fat, Broke & Lonely No More) and wonderful friend will be in cabaret in NYC one night only. Tri-staters: this is not to be missed. Directly from a triumphant London debut in The Royal Festival Hall's Carmen Jones, Sherry Boone brings her new solo sensation The SuperSTAR Artist Show to the Metropolitan Room. From Broadway (Jelly's Last Jam, Ragtime, Marie Christine, Master Class) to Opera (Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival), Sherry Boone has garnered raves for a voice that Ben Brantley of The New York Times describes as "ravishing." Make your reservations now! Sherry Boone in The SuperSTAR Artist Show Monday April 7th -7pm NYC's Metropolitan Room 34 West 22nd Street NY, NY 212 206 4440 Alls seats: $34 *Reserve before March 21st for $25 (use codeword OPERA)* For a preview (and a treat), go to this link on YouTube.

A New Internet Radio Event: Nancy Mills is the very focused woman who's come up with The Spirited Woman Circle Tele-Chat Conversation Series -- first Tuesday of the month, 10-11am PST, 1-2pm EST. Register at thespiritedwoman.com or call 888-428-1234. Here's the lineup: April 1: Jill Conner Browne, Sweet Potato Queens Books of Love May 6: Susan Miller, founder of www.Astrologyzone.com June 3: Carolyn Howard-Johnson, writer's advocate, "How to Do It Frugally" series of books July 1: Jacquelyn Mitchard, highly acclaimed author of Oprah's first Book Club pick, The Deep End of the Ocean August 5: Laurel Touby, founder of Mediabistro.com, just sold her company to Jupitermedia.com for $23 million September 2: Catherine Ryan Hyde, bestselling author of Pay It Forward October 7: Victoria Moran, self-help guru (I am?) and author of Creating a Charmed Life

Let's get celebrating: Let's get celebrating: My friend Greg Tamblyn, a wonderful singer/songwriter, comedian, and all-'round inspirational guy (www.gregtamblyn.com) put in his recent newsletter that, as part of bringing about more understanding in the world, he was going to start celebrating different holidays from around the world. Here are the ones he lists as his favorites: Liberia: Matilda Newport Day, December 1. "A festival in honor of a widowed pioneer who lit a cannon with her pipe and saved her countryin 1822 when under siege by tribespeople." Mongolia: Naadam Festival, July 11-13. Three day holiday for "the manly games, of horse racing, archery, and Mongolian wrestling." (Women compete too, except in wrestling.) Finland: Walpurgis Night, April 30. "In the Norse tradition, bonfires are built to keep away the dead and chaotic spirits that are said to walk among the living." Japan: Coming of Age Day, 2nd Monday in January. "All people who turned 20 during the last year are congratulated. Cities and towns hold ceremonies with alcoholic beverages, which are the privilege of adults."

Calling all writers: This is a conference I never miss, and this year I'm moderating a Sunday morning panel seminar on publicity and platform. Here's the scoop: Annual conference, Amer. Soc. of Journalists & Authors, April 12-13, Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City. Public program and registration link at: www.ASJAConference.org. Award-winning literary journalist and author Melissa Fay Greene will be the keynote speaker on Saturday. Programming includes one-on-one "pitch" sessions with agents and editors, and opportunities for personal mentoring with professional writers. Representatives of several of the nation's leading magazines will participate, notably AARP The Magazine, Audubon, Better Homes & Gardens, E! Magazine, Family Circle, New York Times Magazine, Outside, Redbook, Self and Wired.

Where I'll Be: I'm in writing mode at the moment and not doing a whole lot of speaking, but I'll be here and there and would love to have you join me... Radio: www.healthylife.net - Wed., March 26, noon Eastern - guest: Jerrold Mundis, author of How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously (will be archived for later listening) Speaking: New York, NY, Sunday, April 13, 9 a.m. to noon, panel- "Publicity for Writers," annual conference, American Society of Journalists, Grand Hyatt Hotel, info at www.asja.org

Take care, and all good things -

Victoria

The Charmed Monday Minute, March 4

Dear Readers & Friends, I'm thinking of the children's poem, "The Owl & the Pussycat," where it says, "They sailed away for a year and a day..." because I'm a week and a day late on this issue of the Minute. But that's cool because today is a lovely holiday invented by my friend, writer and storyteller Deborah Shouse. This is March 4th: the day we're to march forth into the rest of our year, the rest of our lives. My reason for lateness is that I was in New York City for a full glorious week in a charming little studio on the Upper East Side. It was divine. You know the law-of-attraction idea that says that happiness begets more of the same? I really saw that. I was borderline giddy to be back there living the way of life I love so much. During the week I was there in giggly bliss, a refund from my former gym showed up in my account (it three months past due and I'd pretty much given up on it); an income tax refund we hadn't expected showed up and the accountant confirmed that it was due us after all, and then, things really picked up for my husband's screenplays. He's a lawyer working hard to make a career change; his screenplays are amazing, and yet that is one tough business to break into. While I was in the city, some very positive things happened for all three of his scripts. This tells me, (1) all good things are indeed possible, and (2) joy does open the way for more of itself to enter in. This past weekend I was at another idyllic place, the New Age Health Spa in Neversink, NY. I spoke there and had a restful few days of yoga, meditation, great food somebody else prepared, and a magical nature connection when three deer came right up to the window of the yoga center. We stared at them and they stared at us. It was heavenly. It reminds me that we all can stand to live in a more spa-like way: rest enough, exercise and meditate daily, eat fresh, organic food. It's not that hard - just uncommon. But we can change that. Link of the Week: I so hope this video link works for you... This is an image you won't soon forget. The woman in this news clip found this lion malnourished and about to die. She took him home and took care of him. When the lion was better she called the local animal sanctuary. This was the reaction she got when the lion saw her. http://www.telestereo.com/Archivos/video.swf (Please remember, especially if you share this video with children, that this is a special case. Most wild animals should never be approached this way, even at the zoo.) Info of the Week: For five years, I've been trying to interest my publisher in a book on living the spiritual life. For some reason, they won't bite, so I developed it as a class, initially for the Learning Annex of New York City, and I've now done it with great success there and at various churches, spas, and conferences. Through developing and refining the concept, I've come up with the 12 Power Principles for Living a Spiritual Life (and those are the twelve chapters of that book which will happen somehow - you heard it here). The principles are: 1. Accept yourself. If this is difficult, clean up your past as best you can and then look at each day at the end of it so you can make things right as you go along. None of us is ever going to be perfect, but we can start each day fresh and feel good about our imperfect selves. 2. Claim your joy. Joy is necessary. It's contagious, so being joyful is a great way to help others. And it begets more of itself (see my little story above about the great things that came into my life week when I was in such a happy state). 3. Take quiet time every single day. Meditate, pray, write in a journal. Quiet time is mandatory to get in touch with your deeper self and with your Source. 4. Keep a Sabbath. If you don't have a religious Sabbath, just pick a day and set it aside for spiritual, recreational (that means re-create, you know), and delightful endeavors. For me, it means no email and keeping my desk verboten. 5. Cultivate greater compassion. "Feel with" (that's the basic definition of the word compassion) the homeless guy on the corner, whether you opt to give him a buck or not. Feel with the people you read about in the paper, and expand your circle of compassion to include other sentient beings. The Jain saint Mahavira put it so beautifully: "To every creature, his own life is very dear." 6. Treat your body as a temple. Honor it. Care for it. Treat it kindly. Use it well. Feed it the best food, give it enough rest and exercise, and show it some appreciation: it does a lot for you. 7. Share your time, talent, treasure. Give of your time, let the world benefit from your talents, and give of your resources, either through tithing (regular giving of 10% of all money that comes to you) or some other system of sharing. This makes the world better and opens the way for the universe to give back to you. 8. Study and learn. Read the scriptures of the world or of your own tradition. Read mystical poetry (I love The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse). Read the spiritual classics such as The Yoga Sutras of Patajali or Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God. Read new books that help open your mind to more wonder and beauty and grace. 9. Create community. Bring into your circle people who are also on a spiritual quest. You need them to reflect back to you what's really important. 10. Allow others to, simply, be. Principle 9 states that you need people around you whose spiritual questing is in keeping with yours, but you also need to allow other people to be on other paths and some to be on, seemingly, no path at all. Shine your light: if it's of the wattage they can see and appreciate, they may want what you have and they'll ask how you got it. If not, trust that they have a Higher Power, too, and that they're just where they should be. 11. Find Spirit everywhere. Look around your life and your day and find God, Spirit, Presence, Source Energy. See it in nature, in serendipity, in children and animals, in art and beauty, in simple pleasures. 12. Make gratitude your constant companion. Make gratitude your first thought upon awakening. Make gratitude lists in your head as you walk around town or in your car as you wait for the light to change. Be grateful when things are going fabulously and be grateful when they're in a slump - it's even more helpful then. Gratitude connects you with the Source of all good. You can't do better than that. Love and light, Victoria Where to Find Me: I'm in writing mode at the moment and not doing a whole lot of speaking, but I'll be here and there and would love to have you join me... Speaking: Albany, NY, Sunday, March 9, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (careful: this is the day that daylight savings time begins), Unity Church of Albany, 2 Sunday services: "Awakening to the Light," 518-439-1775 Radio: www.healthylife.net - Wed., March 26, noon Eastern - guest: Jerrold Mundis, author of How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously (will be archived for later listening) Speaking: New York, NY, Sunday, April 13, 9 a.m. to noon, panel- "Publicity for Writers," annual conference, American Society of Journalists, Grand Hyatt Hotel, info at www.asja.org

Take care, and all good things - Victoria

The Monday Minute, February 11th, 2008

A Monday Minute on a Monday! Wonders never cease, do they? Seriously, thanks for your flexibility during my travels et al and being willing to read these posts when they come on other days. We went to Nashville last week for William's birthday (for those who don't know me, William is my husband) and to meet with some music people about one of his movies. I admire him so much: he has written three beautiful films and although the movie business seems to be fraught with peril and setbacks, he is staying true to his vision and I know he's going to make it. We also caught up with friends there including singer/songwriter Georgia Middleman, author Candy Paull, The Joy of Simplicity I Didn't Know That: Or Why We Say the Things We Say author Karlen Evans (I was a guest on her radio show, "Beyond Reason"), and healer/astrologer Rosemary Cathcart. And of course we did the tourist things like The Opry at the Ryman and the music bars on Broadway. One of the bands actually played my request, "Rhinestone Cowboy," after the lead singer commented, "Man, that's old." Cheers, Victoria What is it with "Rhinestone Cowboy"? ... Well, I decided that it's my theme song. For those of you who aren't "old," it was a Glenn Campbell's seminal hit from 1975. I hadn't thought of it in years until I was packing to leave New York and the lyrics came back to me as a sort of treasure map set to music. Here they are: I've been walkin' these streets so long, Singin' the same old song. I know every crack on these dirty sidewalks of Broadway, Where hussle's the name of the game, And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain. There's been a load of compromisin' On the road to my horizon, But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me. (Chorus) Like a rhinestone cowboy, Ridin' out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo, Like a rhinestone cowboy, Getting' cards and letters from people I don't even know, And offers comin' over the phone. Well, I really don't mind the rain, And a smile can hide all the pain, But you're down when you're riding a train That's takin' the long way. So I dream of the things I'll do With a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe. There'll be a load of compromisin' On the road to my horizon, But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me...(repeat chorus) Everybody needs a theme song... BeliefNet.com Blog News... Thanks to everybody who plans to read and participate in my blog on BeliefNet.com, which was supposed to have started today or a week ago. It hasn't. I'll keep you posted and send a special mailing once I know when the Charmed Life Blog goes live on BeliefNet. Question of the Week: Is your family, specifically your husband, a vegan? Did he transition his thoughts after meeting you? What is your approach to wanting your significant other to eat vegetarian? I find it hard to date/be committed to someone who is not an animal lover. What advice do you have for me and others facing this issue? - Tiffany Hi, Tiffany - Thanks for the question. My daughter is a lifelong vegan; my stepchildren eat conventionally; and my husband ate meat when I met him but became vegetarian (not vegan) after meeting me but - this is important - not because of me. He'd just never given the issue any thought; the way I live caused him to think of it. When he did, he realized he didn't want to eat meat anymore. I think that's the key: people do what they want to do. When something speaks to a person, he or she changes in response to that. If it doesn't, no amount of nagging and pleading and "educating" are unlikely to do much except turn the person off. For someone (and I quote you) "wanting your significant other to eat vegetarian," I suggest looking for someone who is already vegetarian. Meet them through online veggie-dating services, vegetarian group meetings or conferences, etc. Otherwise, look to make friends of all persuasions and see if your lifestyle awakens the same spark in someone else. If you're already in a relationship, take care of yourself, and love and appreciate the other person. That is, take care of yourself by eating and living in accordance with your highest light, and refusing to do anything that is ethically or esthetically repugnant to you. AND let the other person live his life, too, without criticism. Maybe he'll change and maybe he won't, but if you focus on what you love about him, you'll both be a lot happier. Adair's amazing play... My daughter Adair is a young actress, and her most powerful roles to date have been in Holocaust dramas. She played Anne in The Diary of Anne Frank, Eva in Kindertransport, and she has now been cast in an NYC showcase of Who Will Tell the Story? It's based on the true story of women in an Auschwitz barrack who committed to doing all they could to save the life of one of them, the one they believed could best tell the story. She did survive and wrote this play. It's a two-week run starting February 22. There is more on Adair's site; click on "Current Projects." A tiny, beautiful film... Filmmaker Monica Sharf has an exquisite 5-minute tribute to the troops serving overseas in "While We Lie Sleeping." It was a selection of the LA Film Festival and will be screening in New York City tomorrow, Tuesday, February 12, 6 pm (promptly -- it's the first film in the "Filmmakers at War" showcase) at Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue. For those of you not near New York, you can view this 16mm black and white silent short online. Where to Find Me: I'm in writing mode at the moment and not doing a whole lot of speaking, but I'll be here and there and would love to have you join me... Radio: www.healthylife.net - Wed., Feb. 27, noon Eastern - guest: Richard Blackstone, author of Nuts and Bolts Spirituality (will be archived for later listening) Talk/book signing: Fat, Broke & Lonely No More, Barnes & Noble, Rt. 9-W, Kingston, NY - 6 p.m., Thursday, February 28. Click here for more info. New Age Health Club, Neversink, NY: Friday February 29- Monday March 3, speaking on Creating a Charmed Life and Younger by the Day. Click here for more info. Radio: www.healthylife.net - Wed. March 26, noon Eastern - guest: Jerrold Mundis, author of How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously (will be archived for later listening)

Take care, and all good things - Victoria

Hello, charmed ones -

I hope this finds your life getting better and better, inside and out. I have some wonderful things going on (more below) and I've decided to package this year in the country as an extended retreat. Yesterday I went to a Vedanta Society retreat house in Stone Ridge, NY (www.ridgely.org) for a daylong meditation retreat. It taught me that I need to do more back strengthening exercises (I know that hatha yoga, the physical postures, was developed to help people sit for long periods of meditation; now I know why) and it reminded me how sweet such an intense meditation can be. While in meditation there, I got the insight that the successful seminar I've been doing for the Learning Annex in NYC, "How to Live a More Spiritual Life," needs to offered more places and as a teleclass as well as an in-person event. If you'd be interested in a teleclass like that, let Joya know (drop her a quick email at charmedassistant@aol.com) and if we get enough response, we'll plan a class for late February or early March.

It's still hard for me to be away from my beloved Manhattan. In order to write the new book, I drive to Kingston, a larger place, to write in a coffee shop. That more urban energy helps me a lot. However, I recently remember something someone told me a long time ago - I was twenty at the time. I was in a job that had become oppressive and she told me that as long as I hated it and desperately wanted to quit, I'd never be able to. I argued that I could just plain give notice and she told me, "You could, but you'd meet this job again, or everything you dislike about it, at another time with only the names and faces changed."