Weaving A Gem Of A Life » peridot

November Contest, Part 2

Peg Cherre — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:14:54 +0000

Ah, Turkey Day. In addition to bringing to mind all the reasons we have to be grateful, for most Americans it’s filled with traditions. As a kid, I have a few essential Thanksgiving memories: my mom getting up early to begin drying out white bread in the oven, later to be cubed, mixed with chopped onions & celery & pounds of margarine for the stuffing; watching the parade on TV; and getting the jellied cranberry sauce out of that can in one piece. These three were constants.

When I had my own family, we adopted several of my hubby’s traditions – using bags of various Pepperidge Farm bread blends (cubes and crumbs) as the base of the stuffing instead of white bread we’d dried in the oven, adding sausage to the stuffing, and cooking that turkey in a paper bag.

If you’re like I was that first year, you’re now saying, “Huh? Cook the turkey in a paper bag?!” Yep, you butter the inside of a brown paper grocery bag, slip Tom into it, fold the end over and keep it closed with clothespins. It really does keep in the juices and reduce cooking time. I’m sure its where Reynolds got the idea of their browning bags.

One Thanksgiving tradition that’s remained constant throughout my life? Getting that jellied cranberry sauce out of the can in one piece.

One of my sweetie’s weirdest traditions? An essential leftover lunch included a stuffing sandwich with on doughy white bread. With mayonnaise WHAT?! That’s a bread sandwich! Putting bread between two slices of bread! Yep, I agree, it’s totally wrong, but my comments never budge the practice. Nor could his insistence make me try it.

Remember the prize this month? It’s a healing gemstone talisman. Made with moss agate, amethyst, amber, peridot, and my coppery wishes for peace.

So as part 2 of the November contest, what’s one of your Thanksgiving traditions? Tell me sweet or odd, long-standing or newly-formed. If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, use another food-centric holiday of your choice. (You can still respond to the first part, if you prefer.)

November Contest

Peg Cherre — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:50:35 +0000

Although here in the northeast our gardens are pretty much done in October, traditionally November is a time of celebration for the past growing season. Thanksgiving is the culmination of this, and includes gratitude for many things beyond just sufficient food.

My November contest is in that spirit of gratefulness and abundance.

I made a talisman specifically for this month’s prize.

Copper is said to bring relief from some joint ailments. I just love its rich, warm color. I’ve stamped it with the word shanti, which means peace. That’s part of what I think of with gratitude, and what I wish for. Inner peace, peaceful thoughts and feelings toward others, and peace in my community and the world.

I chose an assortment of gemstones for their healing properties. With Thanksgiving generally a time of abundance, I included moss agate, amber, and peridot. These three gemstones are said to bring abundance to their owners. Because of the word I chose for the copper, I wanted to repeat the message of peace and happiness, so I selected amethyst, peridot, and repeated the amber. Peridot is also helpful in inspiring compassion, an essential element for both internal and external peacefulness.

I’m sometimes asked what one does with a talisman. Here are a few options: carry it in your pocket (my personal favorite) or purse, hang it from your bedpost, put it on a leather thong and wear it around your neck, pin it to your waistband. The point is to keep the talisman near you as much as possible.

So how can you win this lovely talisman? I’ll be posting several entries asking for your response related to the November theme. All you need to do is comment on one or more of them.

For this week, the question is this — tell me about a person that graces your life, that makes you grateful for his or her presence, that brings a smile to your lips. I’ll tell you about mine in a few days.

Gems for the Economy

Peg Cherre — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:42:08 +0000

It’s not as if you need the talking heads to tell you that we’re in economic trouble, you live with it every day. Even if your personal finances or your retirement income seem stable now, you worry about how long that will last. If you’re among the millions of people in the United States and around the world who’ve been hit hard, you’re struggling to maintain your home and buy the groceries.

Can gemstones help you through difficult financial times? If you choose wisely, the answer is yes.

It all starts with knowing what you’re looking for. I’m not in any position to offer any advice to those who have money to buy diamonds or other precious gems as investments; that’s way out of my league.

But I can offer help to those of you who, like me, are struggling and worried.

Gemstones to bring prosperity

Let me be clear: I don’t believe in magic bullets. I don’t think you can carry a gemstone in your pocket while you sit on the couch and watch reality TV and expect to have good things happen to you. Although it sure is true that people who work hard aren’t guaranteed of success, if you don’t expend significant energy on achieving your dreams, it’s a pretty sure bet that you’ll be disappointed.

That being said, I do believe that gemstones can help you realize your goals. Which ones? It depends.

Gems to encourage positive thinking

Green stones, specifically moss agate, green garnet, green aventurine, and malachite can help you achieve prosperity. Tiger eye has been used to achieve and maintain financial success. Citrine, labradorite, bloodstone, and peridot can also help you achieve success.

But is that all that’s needed?

I believe positive thinking is at least as important as anything else we can do. Sure, we need to be realistic, but negative thinking patterns bring negativity toward you; positive thoughts and actions bring positive responses. If you think you’ll fail, chances are you will; if you believe you’ll get that job you’re interviewing for, you’re more likely to get the offer. Amazonite, garnet, and snowflake obsidian help to transform negative thoughts into beneficial ones. Rainbow quartz is particularly good at encouraging a positive outlook and helping you to see the positive possibilities of any situation.

Gems that enhance creativity

Creativity and flexibility are also important attributes in tough times. Expand your mind and expand your possibilities. How can your current skill set and your past experiences be applied to a complementary position, or even to a completely new field? Green garnet, citrine, and green aventurine all encourage creativity. Malachite promotes flexibility.

There are other characteristics that are likely helpful, too. Courage, openness, and protection are just a few.

Of course, these are broad overviews; the properties of each stone should be studied more carefully to reflect your specific situation. Contact me for personal consultation and the creation of a gemstone talisman designed just for you.