Charmed Monday Minute- 11/19/07

Happy, Thanksgiving, everyone ---

And happy Monday. This is the last day Joya and I will be working together in person. She'll stay on as my virtual assistant after I move (at least until she takes off for a Masters program in directing) and the Minute will go out every other Monday as usual.

William and I went up to Woodstock this weekend to take care of preliminaries like getting a car. I must say, that was tough. I never thought I'd ever have to deal with owning a car again. Well, you know the old saw about never saying never. We got a Honda Civic hybrid---automatic for William, although I've always been fond of manual transmissions myself. This week, we finish packing and the movers come Friday. We'll go out with Adair and Nick (my daughter and son-in-law for those who don't know the names) on Thanksgiving and come back and keep packing.

We've moved a lot and don't have nearly the "stuff" most people do, but I was reminded how much stuff accumulates when William's daughter Siân moved back to Canada a few months ago. She'd only lived with us for a year, and all her Stateside possessions fit nicely into a mid-sized bedroom. But when she moved she had to pack so many boxes, letting me know there's lots more here than I want to think about. All this brings me to...

The book of the week!

This book was a gift from my friend Cynthia Fellowes. Cynthia is a fascinating woman in her own right - a gifted actress, a prosperity coach, and an animal psychic. She's the official animal psychic for Commerce Bank- no kidding! Take a look at her site.

Anyway, back to the book:
It's Scaling Down: Living Large in a Smaller Space, by Judi Culbertson and Marj Decker (Rodale Press, 2005). It is the most humane and practical organizing book I've ever read. I loved that they said "90% of what's put in a file is never looked at again." My sentiments exactly. Scaling Down is great if you're moving, downsizing, clearing out, moving your parent(s) to a smaller space, or if you just want to get closer to only having around you things you use and things you love. The closet section alone is worth the price of the book. While I can't say that I'm looking forward to packing up, the suggestions in this book are making it seem more adventure than agony, and I know that I'll get to Woodstock with clarity and open space and things around me that lift my spirits. I give this book five stars, two thumbs up, cheers and accolades...

Quotation of the week: In an email from a beautiful friend, I read this bit of deliciousness... Spirituality is the end of arguing with what is. -Adyashanti Heading for the Hills Coaching Special: Someone wrote to Joya asking if we knew of a life coach in her geographic area. Actually, 99% of life coaching is done by phone so geography is not an impediment. I do see some clients in person in Manhattan, but I'll be cutting that back with my move and as a result, I'd like to offer you a special rate on telephone coaching services. Anyone signing up between now and the end of January 2008 who asks for the "heading for the hills" coaching special will get a 20% discount on any one-month or three-month coaching package. (This is in addition to the discount already built in for 3-month packages.) To learn more about Charm Your Life Coaching, my spiritual life-coaching practice, and see the fee schedule, go to my coaching page. To take advantage of this discount offer (available to new clients only), email me directly at charmedlifelady@aol.com. Barbara: Would you like to look and feel younger? Okay, here's the deal: a lovely reader named Barbara ordered a copy of Younger by the Day as a gift for a friend. In my multi-tasking state, I signed it to Barbara herself instead of to the friend. I signed another book properly for her, but I have one now inscribed to Barbara. ...So, the first Barbara who writes to Joya requesting this book (put "Book for Barbara" in the subject line and your mailing address in the body of the email) will receive the inscribed copy for free! The first Barbara to email gets it. (If you don't hear back from us, somebody beat you to it.)

A little seasonal something: Adair and Nick are rehearsing A Christmas Carol with Personal Space Theatrics in New York City (here's the link for more info for any New Yorkers interested in the show - this is the fifth and final year for the production and it's not to be missed). During one of the first music rehearsals, they were going over "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." When it came to the line about "bring us some figgy pudding," one of the little boys in the chorus belted out in the perfect pitch of a New York City stage kid: "Come bring us some friggin' pudding!" The director stopped the song and said, "It's figgy pudding, made from figs, not 'friggin' ' pudding." The little boy said, "Oh, I thought it was friggin' because we were really mad that nobody had given us any pudding yet." ...Which brings to mind: figgy pudding! When William and I were in Glastonbury, England, in 2003---and a wonderful, magical place it is, with legends of the Isle of Avalon and King Arthur and the Holy Grail---I got a recipe for figgy pudding that is more than half-a-millennium old. There was a large monastery in Glastonbury at the time that Henry VIII outlawed the Roman Catholic Church in England. Those abbots and monks who would not convert to the new religion were killed, their buildings demolished, and their lands seized. The operation was done quickly and haphazardly, though, so in the case of the Glastonbury Abbey, many of the structures were destroyed but some survive to this day. One of those is the monks' kitchen, recreated to show what it might have looked like in 1500, complete with instructions from that era for figgy pudding. The measures were hard to translate so this is my guestimate. Play with the amounts if you try this. It's pretty hard to mess up. Figgy Pudding from the Long Ago Monks of Glastonbury Abbey 3 cups white wine 3 cups water 1 Tbls. honey (I use agave nectar, but the monks didn't have that.) 1 tsp. ginger 2 Tbls. raisins 1 Tbls. ground almonds 4 to 5 cups dried figs, cut in quarters with stems removed Simmer on gentle heat 10-15 minutes till figs and raisins are swollen and soft. Pour into cups. Let cool. Say grace. Enjoy.

WHERE I'LL BE... TOPEKA, KS: January 6, Sunday, 11 a.m., Sunday service, "The God-Shaped Hole," book signing to follow; Unity Church of Christianity, 9126 SW Tenth Ave., www.wingsunfolding.com KANSAS CITY, MO: January 13, Sunday, 9 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday services, "The God-Shaped Hole," book signing to follow; Center for Spiritual Living, 1306 W. 39th St., 816/931-2395, www.cslkc.org NEW YORK CITY: January 15, Tuesday, The Learning Annex , workshop entitled "How to Have a More Spiritual Life" I'm on BeliefNet! I am honored and privileged to have some work of mine featured on BeliefNet.com, the premier site on the net for spirituality and religions. Here is the link to my latest piece, "10 Ways to Be Your Own Life Coach." New Internet Radio Show: You can listen to my internet radio show on HealthyLife.net from noon to 1pm EST every 4th Wednesday of the month. The last show was wonderful, featuring my action partner and opera-singer-extraordinaire, Sherry Boone. Check it out in the archives here. (Trouble listening? Click here for the site's help page.)

Victoria, Virtual Life Coach! Victoria is now the official Life Coach of the blog "Elastic Waist" and will be featured a few times a month in exclusive interviews! To view the first post, click here. The second is here. Enjoy! OprahSelects.com: Fat, Broke & Lonely No More was picked for OprahSelects.com since Victoria was a guest on the Jean Chatzky Show on Oprah & Friends Radio. If you go to the page, you can write a reader review if you'd like.

VICTORIA'S NEW, 10th, and (we're hearing!) BEST BOOK EVER, Fat, Broke & Lonely No More: Your Personal Solution to Overeating, Overspending, and Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places from HarperOne Get your copy today! If you'd like to order online, here are links to the big guys: Amazon Barnes & Noble Or, visit your favorite independent bookstore to get your copy! (To find an independent bookstore in your area, you can search on booksense.com here.)

Take care, and all good things -

Victoria Moran

Charmed Monday Minute- 11/5/07

Hello, all -

I'm so glad it's November. My astrologer friends tell me that October was largely taken up by a "Mercury retrograde" (when things are prone to go awry, communications are difficult, and tensions are high). I'm pleased to report that Mercury has straightened out and we have a new month for being grateful and going forward.

I would be lying if I said that things here were not difficult. We'll be dealing with the ramifications of James's passing (for those who don't know, my 16-year-old stepson made his transition in September) for as long as it takes. There have also been a series of losses, disappointments, and detours for my husband and me that have been going on for a bit more than a year, and with our move to Woodstock coming up the day after Thanksgiving, I'm also looking at the loss of Manhattan island (and not living two miles from my daughter), which is huge for me.

Nevertheless, I feel a great deal of peace most days. I feel James's presence and that's a blessing. (If you noticed that I used clumsy wording about him in the previous paragraph, it's because I feel strongly that he told me, "Stop saying I'm dead. I'm not dead. I'm just somewhere else, like if I went away to college.") I also have the great gift of being able to write the sequel to Creating a Charmed Life for HarperOne. It will be called Living a Charmed Life and it will be my Woodstock work through the winter and spring. In addition, there are very good things happening with my husband's screenplays. A producer we admire and trust is now involved. I can't say more till things are more solidified, but William has never been closer to his dream's coming true, and that makes me happy, too.

I'm also really eager to see what delicious surprises await in Woodstock. Even though I'm a city girl and am going with the attitude of a temporary regrouping, not a permanent exit, I look forward to living in this village that has such high consciousness, so many people who think as I do, and so much to learn and experience. If you want to know more about where I'm headed, you can visit their Chamber of Commerce's website. (I love it that there's a link on the Chamber of Commerce site for "spirituality." What a town!)

Blessings, Victoria

I'm on BeliefNet! - I am honored and privileged to have some work of mine featured on BeliefNet.com, the premier site on the net for spirituality and religions. Here is the link to my piece, "10 Ways to Be Your Own Life Coach." Recipe of the week - Garbanzo Curry 2 Tbls. Olive oil 1 tsp. coriander 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. turmeric 1 tsp. ground cloves ¼ tsp. cinnamon Minced garlic to taste (I used 4 cloves, but then I'm half Italian) Dash ground cayenne 1 pound green beans in 1-inch pieces 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 carrots, thinly sliced 2 cups water 1 ¼ teaspoon salt 1 20-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained Heat oil in large skillet until hot but not smoking. Add next seven ingredients and cook two minutes. Add green beans, potatoes, and carrots, and mix well. Add water and salt and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook fifteen minutes. Add garbanzos and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Serves 6 (and the leftovers are great). Do you have stuff to pass along? - A professional organizer is helping me pack for the move and she recommended these two websites as sources for deserving nonprofits who can use stuff I'd otherwise not know what you do with. They are: Wastematch.org Justgive.org

Book of the week - The Art of Simplicity: Living Life by the Essentials of the Heart by Candy Paull (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2006) The fourth in her series of absolutely beautiful books - the first two are The Art of Abundance, The Art of Encouragement, and Christmas Abundance - this is the readable equivalent of Earl Grey tea, steeped in a pot, and served in your grandmother's china. That is: it warms you through and through. If you're a fan of inspiring quotations, The Art of Simplicity, and all Paull's books, is filled with the cream of the crop: If grass can grow through cement, love can find you at every time of your life. - Cher If you want to see the brave, look at those who can forgive. If you want to see the heroic, look at those who can love in return for hatred. - The Bhagavad Gita Sin is an obstruction in the heart, and inability to feel and comprehend all that is noble, true, and great, and to take part in the good. - The Talmud (See, what did I tell you?) But beyond the lilting words of sacred texts and wise and clever people from throughout the ages, Paull's own insights in chapters such as "Spiritual Magnificence," "Clearing Clutter: Releasing That Which No Longer Serves," and "Taming the Money Dragon" are what makes this book a worthy read and top-notch gift. This author is infinitely practical. She gives you concrete things to do and none of them require that you have to buy anything or gather a lot of props. It's such a pleasure to read a book, say "Gosh, I can do that," and then do it and see your life get better. Give The Art of Simplicity to someone you know who's overwhelmed or in transition, or put it on your own list for Santa. And speaking of books... It's autographed-copies-from-Victoria time again. Get a head start on your holiday shopping by ordering personally autographed copies of my books for your friends and family members. It's easy: you can email in your order between now and December 10, and then call me with your credit card number (Visa, MasterCard, American Express). I cover postage and packaging charges. Books available are: Creating a Charmed Life: Sensible, Spiritual Secrets Every Busy Woman Should Know A cute little softcover. Great for stocking stuffers and gift exchanges. Some people put the book a gift bag with a box of the Celestial Seasonings teas - Victorian Earl Grey or Tuscany Orange Spice - that has a quotation from Creating a Charmed Life. In any case, everybody seems to love this book. $13. Lit from Within: A Simple Guide to the Art of Inner Beauty. Oprah said, "This book will light a fire inside you." Perfect for a young woman who doesn't realize how beautiful she is or any woman interested in enlightened self-care. Softcover. $13 Younger by the Day: 365 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Body & Revitalize Your Spirit. A great holiday gift since it's a day-at-a-time guide to a whole year of growing more youthful and vital. Softcover. $15. (Hardcovers are still available at $21.95, but I'd have to do a special order.) Fit from Within: 101 Simple Ways to Change Your Body & Your Life. This book tells everything I know that's kept me free of 60 extra pounds for 24 years. Softcover. $13. Fat, Broke & Lonely No More: Your Personal Solution to Overeating, Overspending, and Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places. Obviously, with a title like this, you could only give it to your very best friend (along with a copy for yourself so you guys could work on this stuff together), but I believe it is my best book, a fun and helpful read. Only in hard cover. $24. (Yes, you can save quite a bit on hard covers from Amazon or BN.com, but I'm small potatoes and have to sell at the cover price. Besides, you're getting a signed copy.)

15 Minutes of Fame - This weekend when I was away speaking for a TOPS conference in Amsterdam, NY, and the Unity church in Albany (thanks to all the new subscribers from both places), I got this email from my husband and thought it was a hoot: I was having lunch at Parnell's, and there were a couple of guys sitting next to me. I thought they were from Holland, and I broke one of my main rules and started to talk to one of them. I asked where he was from. He said Iceland. They are here in NYC because a friend is running in the NYC marathon. I told him that my wife had been to Iceland and that her books sell well there. He asked me who my wife is. I said Victoria Moran. He hit his friend on the shoulder and said "Oh my God, this guy is married to Victoria Moran". They went on to tell me that you are the no. 1 author in Iceland and that even though your books are written for women, all of the men read them, too. They said that there are special sections in the book stores for your books. Anyway, they know every book you have ever written, and were disappointed to find out they couldn't meet you. So their names are Hoskuldur and Smari and they are here until Tuesday. I'm sure they would be thrilled if you sent them an email (I have their cards). They insisted on paying for my lunch, because "I am the husband of the famous Victoria Moran." So, if Woodstock doesn't work out, there's always Reykjavik... WHERE I'LL BE... Nowhere! - well, almost. After speaking for The Masters Circle in Orlando this weekend (the premier chiropractic practice-building organization), I'll get a welcome break from traveling. I'll spend November on the move to Woodstock and December on the holidays and on starting the new book. I will doing another Learning Annex class in New York City on "How to Have a More Spiritual Life" January 15th. The first class was terrific; everybody had a great time and learned a lot, so: New Yorkers, mark your calendars. New Internet Radio Show: You can listen to my internet radio show on HealthyLife.net from noon to 1pm EST every 4th Wednesday of the month. The last show was wonderful, featuring my action partner and opera-singer-extraordinaire, Sherry Boone. Check it out in the archives here. (Trouble listening? Click here for the site's help page.)

Victoria, Virtual Life Coach! Victoria is now the official Life Coach of the blog "Elastic Waist" and will be featured a few times a month in exclusive interviews! To view the first post, click here. The second is here. Enjoy! OprahSelects.com: Fat, Broke & Lonely No More was picked for OprahSelects.com since Victoria was a guest on the Jean Chatzky Show on Oprah & Friends Radio. If you go to the page, you can write a reader review if you'd like.

VICTORIA'S NEW, 10th, and (we're hearing!) BEST BOOK EVER, Fat, Broke & Lonely No More: Your Personal Solution to Overeating, Overspending, and Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places from HarperOne Get your copy today! If you'd like to order online, here are links to the big guys: Amazon Barnes & Noble Or, call your favorite independent bookstore to reserve your copy! (To find an independent bookstore in your area, you can search on booksense.com here.)

Take care, and all good things -

Victoria Moran