The Red Phoenix Feng Shui

Beds and Beams

05/17/2013 13:12:00

Do not place your bed under a beam. Beams over a bed symbolize separation if they appear between the bed’s occupants.

Do not place your bed under a beam. Beams over a bed represent health problems in the area of the body that the beam bisects.

If this cannot be helped, drape fabric along the beams or use a canopy.

You can also hang wind chimes, flutes, or red fringe on the beam.

Is Your Bed Affecting Your Relationship?

05/10/2013 13:27:00

The Red Phoenix Feng Shui Friday: Beds: Box Springs:

A double bed can fit two people but it can be small and uncomfortable for consistent long time use. Queen, sized beds have a perfect amount of space for two and do not crowd but not so much space that intimacy goes out the window.

A King sized bed is too big for two people. Each person tends to sleep on their own side of the bed – this creates space between the two people.

The box springs for a King sized bed are usually two separate box springs. This separation energetically creates separation for the people who are sleeping on the bed.

The separation is the Feng Shui issue. When you combine the physical separation between the two people and the energetic separation caused by the two box springs there is not much support for a close, intimate relationship.

If you love your King sized bed and you are happy with your relationship – keep it! But, if you are not happy with the relationship, consider a new Queen sized bed.

If you cannot replace your mattress you can unite the two pieces by tying the legs of the frame together with a red ribbon at about where the shoulders would be and another where the knees would be (two ties, two pieces, two people).

Or, you can cover the box spring with a mattress cover or a fitted sheet to create one piece. To add extra Feng Shui power – make it a red sheet.

The Red Phoenix Feng Shui Friday: Beds: Bed and Windows

04/12/2013 11:11:00

It’s The Red Phoenix Feng Shui Friday: Beds:

Bed and Windows:

Do not put the head of your bed against a window. Energy enters the body through the head; the window lets in too much “wind” energy.

Our head is the part of our body closest to Heaven. This holy part of the body needs protection and support.

If your bed is in front of the window, be sure you have a solid headboard, curtain, drapes, blinds, or shutters to block off the window.

For more information on Feng Shui, or to book an appointment, call Dorine King at 612-272-8425

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY: Fluid in the Middle Ear

04/10/2013 09:04:00

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday!

Today we begin a new feature for The Red Phoenix Feng Shui dealing with health and wellness. This may include a Case Study, an Aromatherapy Tip, an Article about an Essential Oil or an Herb and it uses, or maybe even a recipe for dinner. Today we are presenting a

Case Study: Fluid in the Middle Ear

Chief Concern: My client is a 60-year-old woman who has Fluid in the Middle Ear with inflammation but no infection.

History: The client has elevated levels of Cholesterol but is not on any medication, High Blood Pressure, is under a doctor’s care, and taking Lisinopril (40MG), and Amlodipine (2.5MG daily. Her blood pressure is under control as long as she stays on medication. She is overweight but has lost 20 pounds over the past 5 months and expects to continue to lose weight at a healthy rate. She has increased her daily activity a little in the past 5 months but still considers herself to have a sedentary lifestyle. She enjoys cooking and would like to treat this issue with essential oils and/or herbs and foods. If that does not relieve her symptoms within a week, or if her symptoms get worse, she will take the Advil Cold/Sinus Caplets her doctor prescribed. She has already picked them up from the pharmacy.

Assessment and Impressions: Her symptoms are:

Occasional dizziness or lightheadedness
Intermittent sharp jabbing pain in the ear drum
A feeling of “heaviness” or “denseness” in the front of her ear
A slight aching in her throat and neck

Support Plan: The doctor said there is some inflammation but no infection. The simplest way to get fluid out of the ears is to swallow. This opens the Eustachian tubes and relieves some of the pressure inside the ear, allowing the fluid to drain out on its own. Yawning and swallowing can sometimes do the trick. My client has been doing this for the past week or so and while it has helped, she is now feeling the sharp jabbing pain in the ear drum and occasional lightheadedness – thus her trip to the doctor. We will concentrate on reducing the inflammation in her ear. Our next approach will be a two-part approach and will use apple cider vinegar, and a mixture of extra virgin olive oil mixed with essential oils of garlic and basil. My client will do this for three to five days.

1. Apple cider vinegar has microbial properties and has been known to help rid a clogged ear. She will do this two times per day – (morning and evening).

a) Tip head to the side
b) Put 3 drops in each ear
c) Wiggle the outer ear and the base of the ear to be sure it settles deep

d) Wait one minute then tip head to allow it to drain on a tissue.

2. Essential Oil of Garlic and Essential Oil of Basil mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Essential Oils of Garlic and Basil both have anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-bacterial properties and will help reduce swelling and fight any infection that may be trying to brew. She will use this three times per day – (morning, afternoon and evening), rubbing it behind the ear, down with side of the neck and in front of the ear. A little bit can be rubbed into the outer canal of the ear. The evening dose will be 3 drops on a cotton ball and the cotton ball inserted in the ear and left overnight.

Outcome: We will meet next Wednesday to evaluate the situation. If there is no improvement, she will take the Advil Cold/Sinus Caplets as prescribed by her doctor.

(The next Wednesday): Within 24 hours the shooting pains in her ear stopped and within 48 hours she could feel the inflammation had gone down. Her husband didn’t like the smell of the oil so she stopped using it at night and if she had to go out in public. She continued to use the oil morning and afternoon for a total of 10 days and did not use the Advil.

Master Blend (shake well before using):

2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

7 drops Essential Oil of Basil (Ocimum basilieum)

7 drops Essential Oil of Garlic (Allium sativum)

Disclaimer: This case study is not intended to take the place of a doctor’s care. If you think you have an ear infection consult your medical doctor as soon as possible.

Tuesday Tip! Bed and Bathroom Wall

04/09/2013 09:22:00

The Red Phoenix Feng Shui Tuesday Tip:

Beds: Bed and Bathroom Wall:

Do not place the head of your bed against a wall shared with a bathroom. Especially against the wall with the toilet, sink, or bathtub drains. It is believed that the drains suck your energy away, and you will always feel tired and drained.

If you have no choice but to place your bed on a bathroom wall, be sure you have a strong, solid headboard – this will give you protection and support, not only as you sleep but in your general life.

Another traditional cure for bed against bathroom wall is a mirror. This mirror can be on the bathroom side of the wall or the bedroom side of the wall. If you do not want to see a mirror on that wall, you can use a small 1-inch craft mirror and double stick tape. Place the mirror behind the toilet tank or sink with the reflective side shining toward the bedroom.

Another traditional cure for bed against bathroom wall is a mirror. This mirror can be on the bathroom side of the wall or the bedroom side of the wall. If you do not want to see a mirror on that wall, you can use a small 1-inch craft mirror and double stick tape. Place the mirror behind the headboard or low by the floor trim, with the reflective side shining toward the bedroom.

In essence, this “disappears” the bathroom and its negative draining energy.

If you want more information on Feng Shui or to schedule an appointment in your home, contact Dorine King at Dorine@TheRedPhoenixFengShui.com or call Dorine at 612-272-8425

It’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

04/08/2013 12:08:00

I’m trying to begin my new “retirement” life healthy. This has been a LONG time coming. Although I struggle with eating enough fruit, vegetables, and dairy, I’ve been following a healthy diet. I make it a point to eat yogurt and fruit for breakfast along with some whole grains and a few nuts -- porridge works the best and seems to satisfy me until lunch. We have a loose routine for dinners:

Meatless Monday
Taco Tuesday
Soup on Wednesday
Crockpot Thursday
Pizza on Friday
Seafood Saturday
Chicken on Sunday

This leaves me wide open for my particular choices and I can further plan for seasonal and holiday foods. For instance, the week of St. Patrick’s Day we had Irish Tacos made from corned beef – and they were really good! I noticed this week, that morel mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns are in the bins at the co-op – I love this time of year!

One of the more recent things I’ve challenged myself to is adding activity to my daily routine. I’m on a 6-week beginner plan and am hoping it becomes part of my daily life by the end of the 6-weeks. Today is day one and as I was out for a little 10 minute walk around the block ... I saw my first robin of the year! She/he was one of those fat, springtime robins that hop about on the ground and make us realize that spring is truly here! Many of my neighbors have boulevard gardens and interesting front yard gardens. We were planning to expand our front yard garden this year but I think our house fire last June, has slowed down those plans. We moved back into our home in February and still have plenty of clutter clearing to do. Anything that was in our attic is now in our garage and our goal by end of summer, is to have the garage cleared out. The front yard garden will be a bigger priority next year. In the meantime, I can walk around my neighborhood collecting ideas from my neighbors! They say that this 2013 Year of the Snake will be a year of preparing and planning. We will still move forward but not with as much force as last year’s Dragon. … But, I ramble on …

So, back to my walk… Not only did I see my first robin and gathered some ideas for my front yard garden, but I saw a fat bunny, a few squirrels scurrying about, and lots of little twitter birds. I walked at a nice brisk pace, breathed in the fresh spring air and felt just slightly winded as I walked the last leg up the hill from the corner to my house. It wasn’t too bad and I was not out of breath. This is a good thing since I am out of shape. The walk barely took me 10 minutes – I think I’ll go again this afternoon. Tomorrow is “Body Sculpting” – I have a 10-Minute Time Crunch Training video for that.

Today is Meatless Monday, Scott is stopping at the co-op to pick up morel mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns – I’ll sauté them for dinner along with our Smokey Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese dinner. It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Won't you be my neighbor? Find me on Facebook and "Like" my page!! Sign up at my website, mention you read the "It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" blog and I will send you a copy of my Smokey Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese recipe. Welcome neighbor!

Blessings,

Dorine

Welcome 2013!

01/02/2013 00:40:00

Today is day one of a 31-Day Blog Challenge. One of my business goals for 2013 is to post a blog at least once a week. This challenge gives me motivation to do this from day one of 2013. Happy New Year and welcome 2013!

Our first trip to Manhattan was in March of 2012, when my husband Scott and I celebrated our 25 Wedding anniversary. We had flowers delivered to our room, had our portraits taken, and renewed our vows on a rooftop overlooking Manhattan. I got to re-marry my best friend – Life doesn’t get better than that! Barbara Biziou performed the ceremony. We stayed on the Upper East Side in a Bed & Breakfast called The 1871 House. It was awesome. Manhattan holds a very special place in my heart. We loved it so much that a month later when I had an opportunity to come back to take a Tao Medicine Making Class via The Academy of Healing Nutrition, we jumped at the chance. We stayed in a hotel in Midtown and spent a lot of time exploring and walking around Manhattan. That is also a wonderful memory.

June of 2012, our personal lives were forever changed due to a house fire. Our life changed within minutes. The fire damage was mostly to my husband’s basement art studio, but the rest of the house was severely damaged by smoke. God and the Universe were watching over us. These last seven months have been surreal. We moved out of our home and have been living in a hotel ever since. My plans to retire from my corporate job did not change. I retired in October. Due to the stress of no longer living in her home, going to doggie day care, and general separation anxiety, my cocker spaniel Joie, died. That was a hard weekend, to watch her slip away but we were able to honor her life and be there with her at the end. She was a good dog, a good companion, and a good walking buddy. We buried her next to our cats in our back yard.

Because of this fire, my business plans were put on hold. They say there are five stages of grief; Anger, Denial, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. I am sure Scott and I have gone through all of them.

Denial: I don’t think I was in denial but I do think I was in shock for at least two or three months. It was hard to fathom that our house was so destroyed by smoke. We had never gone through anything like this before. We had no reference point. We had a hard time making some decisions. I do know that whenever a negative thought would come into my mind, I would immediately replace it with a good thought. I could have wallowed in the negativity and sadness of the situation but, purposefully chose not to. My mother kept telling me this was a tragedy. I kept saying it was not. If Scott or Joie had died in the fire, that would have been a tragedy. They didn’t and everything else is just stuff. Five more minutes, and they would have been dead – how could I not feel happy to be able to hold my husband’s hand and look into his eyes. How lucky and blessed I am.

Here is where I think the denial came in. I could not fill out the Lost Inventory Forms. I came up with tons of other things I needed to do. Granted, they were legitimate things, but they all took priority over filling out that list. I had just graduated from The American College of Healthcare Sciences, with my Aromatherapy Diploma in May and was still involved with my most current Masters Class with Wind & Water School of Feng Shui. I had two projects I needed to finish. They took forever, but I finished them, turned them in and graduated from that Master’s program. Two things completed – 50-million left to go!

Anger: I purposefully pushed the sadness and anger away. I did not want that in my life. Whenever an angry thought would come into my mind, I would immediately remind myself that my husband was OK and my dog had not died in the fire. The insurance company kept sending me emails requesting the Inventory List. Apparently, I had 60 days to complete it. Well, they told me my house would be re-built and ready to move back into within three to five months. I was still living in a hotel! They could wait for their damn list! As I filled out the inventory list, I could not understand how all my pots and pans were not salvageable but all the baking pans in the next cupboard were OK. It seemed like such a waste. All my crock pots were gone but the one I took to the hotel with us works just fine. It was so frustrating and I didn’t understand it.

Bargaining: Is this bargaining or just procrastinating? I needed to get my finances figured out and decide if I really did have enough to retire from my corporate job. That was an ongoing process. I don’t know what “enough” is but, we decided I needed to let the corporate job go and free my brain up so I could concentrate on the Feng Shui business. I hired a lawyer, a financial advisor, and made that decision, then filled out all the papers and finally retired on October 4, 2012. Our little dog died 2 days later. I was happy to have spent 15 years with my dog and happy I was able to be with her as she transitioned to the next world and cross over The Rainbow Bridge. Could anything more happen to us this year? Yes, but my husband was still at my side, so life is OK. We have to move onward and upward.

Depression: Life can be sad, but this is still not a tragedy. In a different life or at a different time, I may have become depressed. But having studied Feng Shui and going through three Feng Shui Master Programs, I know the Yin-Yang cycle is constantly changing. Even though things are dark and sometimes I feel lost, I know things will be better as time goes on. Besides, Scott is still at my side. I have to keep moving forward and concentrate on the good things of life. Next, I concentrated on my retirement party and the future. I had weekly bills to pay and lots of papers to deal with. Finally, I finished every little project I could think of that kept me from finishing that list. Five months had passed since the fire. I was finally able to deal with the loss and finally able to document the Lost Items List and send it on to the insurance adjuster. The list is 70 pages of single spaced lines of non-recoverable household items. They are figuring out their part and we are looking forward to receiving a check in the mail for the total loss. Devastating? Yes but, so many good things have come from this fire.

Acceptance: The house had been gutted and torn apart down to the studs -- basically, to the skeleton or bones of the house. It was sprayed and sealed and it no longer hurt our lungs to breath when we were in the house. A new relationship was being formed. We were able to imagine our home differently. We had a blank slate, so to speak. We asked the contractor if we could make some minor changes to our floor plan – opening up a wall, cutting a diagonal corner, changing a built in dresser into a linen closet, moving the boiler into the laundry room and opening up the basement art studio. He said yes to all our requests. I designed a new kitchen. The footprint is the same but the kitchen sure feels bigger! I’m looking forward to our first family celebration in our “new” home.

My local Feng Shui Community came together and helped us bless our house. What an awesome experience! What awesome people! We prepared for the Blessing and felt this was our opportunity to infuse our love, pride in each other, and hopes for our future into the walls and floors of our home. We painted the Bagua (an energetic map) onto the main floor of our home. We used the pattern of Tracing the Nine Stars, which is an ancient symbol of protection. We did the same thing on the floor of my home office and on the floor of the basement Art Studio. We hung a crystal on the middle 2-by-4 of our house to connect the Heaven and Earth energies. Scott had some stress related health issues so we attached a golden and red envelope to one of the 2-by-4’s in the center of our home. We painted the Tia-chi in the center.

We have a wounded dragon house. This means that all four corners have missing pieces. We had adjusted for this before the fire but the house is 99 years old and the energy had subsided. Now, this fire made this wounded dragon energy new and fresh. I could feel how my house was confused, scared, and hurting. After we painted the Bagua, made the Center enhancement and the Four-Corner adjustments, I could literally feel my house calming down. Things were going to be OK.

We have been very intentional in choosing what elements are going back into our home. We are being intentional in choosing color for the walls, the woodwork, the floors and countertops, etc… I have a Ceremonial Space Clearing Bell from Bali. I bring the bell to my house at least once a week and ring it throughout the space. I can feel my house giggle at the sound, and can hear it singing as I ring the bell. I light Palo Santo incense and sage each week. I bring the workmen donuts and cocoa or something else to show my appreciation for how helpful they have been and for their expertise and craftsmanship. We are hoping to move home before the end of January 2013.

Many people have told me they don’t know how they would have reacted to losing their home and things to a fire or smoke damage. I know a lot of things are coming back but honestly, this process has taught me that none of it is important. I will be OK if NONE of it comes back. I have learned to let it all go. Life will be OK and maybe it was time for a change anyway.

We had the opportunity to come back to Manhattan on New Year’s Eve 2012. We began 2012 planning our renewal of vows in Manhattan and ended 2012 together and happy in this magical city. How fitting. Today is January 1, 2013. I am in a city that I love, with a man that I love, planning to move back into my “new” 99 year old home that I love, and looking forward to a future doing the work that I love; Feng Shui, Aromatherapy, and Cooking for Health.

Health From the Inside - Out!

Blessings,

Dorine

UNLEASH THE DRAGON!

09/16/2012 20:28:00

OH WHAT A NIGHT!

I've been a little bit discombobulated and scattered lately -- lots of changes happening in my world. I think the biggest change is my house. We had a fire on June 23. At 11:30p I called my husband Scott, to see how his evening was going, he said he'd call me back -- he THOUGHT we had a fire.

I kept thinking, we have a fire? we have a fire? ... when he called me back, there were six fire engines at our house and he said that our life was forever changed. I asked where he and the dog were -- both safe and on the neighbor's lawn -- OK -- then it's OK -- it's OK -- he's OK -- our little dog is OK -- if they are OK, then it's OK -- it's OK, everything else is just stuff. I've been trying to hold that thought since June 23rd. It's OK. Everything else is just stuff. The kicker is that if he had not been expecting my call, his cell phone would have been in the basement along with everything else (his wallet, his shoes, his iPod, etc...). Neither of the neighbors we know the best were at home. Without that cell phone, our house would have burned to the ground. Thank God for cell phones!

What a crazy night. As he was standing on the neighbor's lawn, he told me he didn't want to go back into the house. He said it was different. Everything had changed. He said the house was changed for him and he didn't want to go back inside. Wow! I loved my house, but I was safe at work and wasn't the one there to watch as my home was being destroyed. I had recently taken a Feng Shui course offered by Carole Hyder, called "Conversations with Your Home" and as our house was smoldering I felt instant respect for what our home had to offer and that it had protected us for the past 15 years. Yes, something had changed but I felt a real connection to my home.

I thought my fiber cut would take all night, so we decided that after the fire fighters and commotion died down, he and the dog would come downtown to my office and we would figure out what to do. My co-worker kept telling me to go home-go home. No, I could not do anything at home and I was safe. Scott and the dog needed to come to me. When our kids were little, I always told them if they got lost to go to a corner or a street post, and just stand there. Just pick a spot and stay. We will find you. If you are wandering all about and we are looking for you, we can't find you -- stay put and we will find you. I went into that mode. We both knew where I was so I would stay put -- he would find me.

ON MY WAY HOME - I'M GOING HOME...

My fiber cut went slick and smooth and with no troubles or issues. We were finished before Scott left home. I called to say I was on my way home. As I drove up my street everything looked normal. I got to the front of my house and it looked just fine. Flowers lining the walk, Foo Dogs standing guard, wreath on the door -- everything looked normal. Whew! I thought. He's exaggerated the situation. If anything, Scott usually plays things down, but this time, he must have exaggerated. I continued driving around to the alley and pulled into the garage. As I opened the service door to enter my back yard, I was overwhelmed with the stench of smoke and molten plastics! OMG! What happened? My normally prim little backyard, was littered and trashed, it looked like a war zone! Scott and Joie (the dog) met me at the back door. I hugged Scott and asked what that strange buzzing popping noise was. He picked up a smoldering piece of molten something and said this was the docking station for his iPod. OMG!

He took me into the house. We were overpowered with the smell of smoke and burned melted plastics. (We think we live such organic lives but boy! Do we have plastic and chemicals interwoven into every aspect of life!) The smell was so strong that it burned our eyes, our nose, our throat and gave us instant headaches. I could feel it in my stomach. After just a few minutes in the house, we could feel the soot seeping into the pours of our skin.

YOU BETTER COME ON INTO MY KITCHEN

My kitchen was streaked with soot and smoke -- huge long "cobwebs" swayed here and there. If you touched anything, the soot clung to our fingers and hands. The dinning room and living room was streaked with soot. Big, thick, black streaks oozed out through the thermostat. The living room walls looked as though they had textured wall paper on them instead of paint. As we continued upstairs, the artwork in the stairwell was askew and I could see big, sooty hand prints on the white walls. The blinds on the window at the landing were ripped from their frame and left hanging and swaying. Soot streaks and "cobwebs" swaying everywhere. I felt like I was in the midst of devastation. It was like a life had been lived there and was now ripped away. It was surreal. Very surreal.

EARLY IN THE MORNING AND I AIN'T GOT NOTHING BUT THE BLUES

We packed some clothes and toiletries in a suitcase, the basket of dog food and went out to the garage. Neither of us could think, but finally we thought of the name of a hotel not too far from where we lived. I still had my cell phone so we called to see if they had room for us and our little dog. They did not but they gave us the name and number of a hotel who could accommodate us. We drove there, still not fully aware of what really happened. We smelled like smoke. The clerk gave us lots of extra washcloths and soap. Finally, clean and sort of feeling as normal as possible, we tried to go to sleep. Here we were, at 3am, homeless but together. I posted a private message on Facebook for just our four children, letting them know what happened, that we were OK and to please not call us -- we were going to try to get some sleep. We would call them in the morning. About 5 minutes later, our youngest daughter called. She is a bit of an intuitive. She said she woke up from a sound sleep, sat straight up and knew something happened. She went into her living room so she would not wake her husband, and decided since she was now wide awake, to check Facebook to see what was happening. Well, there she saw my private post from moments earlier. I went into the bathroom so Scott could sleep and told her what happened, that we were OK (including the dog) and could she please respond to the post to the others that she'd spoken with us and all was well? We would call them all in the morning. I went to bed and slept about 3-1/2 hours.

CAN'T YOU SEE I DON'T WANT TO CRY ON THIS SUNDAY MORNING?

Sunday morning we woke up still wondering how this could have happened. What really did happen? Scott left a candle unattended in the basement. Now, if you know my husband, you would not believe that statement. He is always so CAREFUL about fire. When our kids were growing up, if anyone even looked like they were thinking about lighting a candle, he would freak out. All four of our kids were shocked by this news. We decided my little blue slip on, water soaked slippers were not going to work for Scott, so we were off to Target. Target is not open that early in the morning. We stopped at an outdoor cafe for breakfast. We could have our little dog with us while we ate. Now, if any of you remember the end of June and beginning of July, 2012, it was HOT! We could not leave the dog in the car while we shopped. Scott told me what size tennis shoes to buy for him at Target and sat with the dog in the heat. I also bought laundry detergent and a gallon of vinegar. We went back to our house and had another look around, grabbed some more things and sat in the back yard to see if we could figure anything out.

FIRE IN THE BASEMENT

The sad thing about having this fire in the basement, is that the basement is Scott's studio space. He is an artist. His life's work was in that basement. Every sketchbook, every drawing, every painting, every journal. Everything. His life's work. He had some projects in progress and very little was backed up digitally. He began the process of recouping as much as he could from the basement. While he moved some things from the basement studio to the garage, I called and talked to all four of our kids. They all offered their homes to us -- we took Sabrina up on her offer for just one night, did our laundry, had a great dinner, played with our grandsons, enjoyed that we were alive, and found an Extended Stay Hotel that would take dogs. We called and left messages for the insurance company, I talked to my boss to let him know what was happening. When I talked to Emily again in Northern Minnesota, she told me Duluth was flooded and cars were falling into sink holes. Wow! What a weekend. We lost the inside of our home to fire, her river had risen over 5-feet.

UNLEASH THE DRAGON!

Easter Greetings!

04/08/2012 09:42:00

Easter fills us with hope, joy and warmth. It is a time to get together with friends, family and loved ones and celebrate this joyful time. Easter is my favorite holiday of the year! Today is Good Friday ... in past years, I would have been at a church service every night this week. This year, due to a very busy schedule and lots of homework and work-work, I will be happy to make the Sunrise 6am service on Easter Sunday.

Nevertheless, I am (for the first time in I think 4 years!) honored to be hosting a Traditional Easter Dinner for my family. Now, when it comes to me and "tradition," one never knows what tradition we will follow. Will it be the tradition of my youth? Will it be the Swedish Tradition of Easter filled with Easter Witches, Chickens and feathers on trees? Will it be an Irish Tradition of Easter with staying up all night roasting a leg of lamb on an outdoor grill (as one of my brothers does)? Will we honor my husband's heritage and do a Traditional Polish Easter of decorating hard boiled eggs with wax and food coloring and eating garlic, bread, honey and vatruska, and going to Kramarczuk's for the traditional Polish Easter foods? Or, will this be the year we learn another new tradition?

Easter shopping is one of my favorite things to do. This year, we did not to the traditional trek to Kramarczuk's Deli for the traditional Polish foods. However, I did find the Easter Lamb-shaped butter at Cub! Who would have thought Cub would have my lamb-butter! We bought a smoked bone-in ham, will have mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, a wonderful goat cheese and cracker appetizer, spring vegetable salad (thank you Emily!), a basket of fresh fruit (thank you Sabrina!), a pretty spring-time cake for dessert (thank you Kathleen!) and family photos (thank you Michael!).

My husband and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary a couple of weeks ago in New York. It was beautiful, wonderful, and magical, but.... we missed our children. Being this is a second marriage for both of us, our children were at our first wedding. So, Easter Sunday, we will be re-enacting our renewal of vows with our children and grandchildren present. This year our tradition theme is "I-am-blessed-to-have-a-beautiful-family-tradition." This means we will have a simple fun-filled day. We will re-enact our wedding vows, our son is a photographer and will take family photos, our daughter bought a small "wedding" cake, and we will have an Easter egg hunt for our grandsons.

There are many symbols that go with Easter. One of them is the egg. Eggs are a sign of hope and of resurrection. Jesus comes forth from the tomb, just as the chick breaks the shell of the egg at birth. Because of this special meaning, it is fitting that we bless and decorate our Easter Eggs with symbols of Easter. The Egg also represents Springtime; it represents fertility, and wholeness.

Barbara Biziou taught me that this year as we celebrate Easter, we should take a hardboiled egg, hold it in your hands, and really think about what new beginnings you want this year. This is a special time of year and we have the potential for miracles and grace. Think about what it is that you want to bring forth or birth now. Place that intention into the egg, and then symbolically, eat the egg, so you are embodying these choices and visions for the future. If you do not like eggs, then give it to the earth – bring it outside to a park, let the animals eat it. You do not ever want to throw it away. This is a time of new beginnings-- what are your visions for your future?

I'd like to share our Easter Blessing for our dinner and please, feel free to use it for your.

"May this home be a place of happiness and health, of contentment, generosity and love, a home of creativity and kindness. May those who visit and those who live here know only blessings and peace."

Blessings and Peace to all of you,

Dorine

My 2012 Water Dragon Home Office

02/25/2012 20:46:00

We are getting ready for our next remodel project -- my home office! We began discussing this project a few months ago. Keeping the big picture of what we need to accomplish before I "retire" from my current corporate job into working The Red Phoenix Feng Shui full time in mind, we moved our guest room furniture to our youngest, daughter's cabin in Culver Mn. A few weeks ago, we moved our bedroom into the guest bedroom. Today, we moved my office furniture to what used to be our bedroom. I am keeping in mind all the good Feng Shui for the office. My desk faces the door (my opportunities come through the front door), I have a free standing mirror positioned to see down the hallway (no surprises coming my way), I am on the side of the room with the full ceiling (no slanting ceiling to oppress me), the full book cases are across the room from me. The one with most of the books in it is behind the open door (no chatter coming from the books), the other book case is my vision wall. The lower shelves are filled with books and behind doors, the upper shelves are open and hold pieces of art and decorative items that I love. There are plants in front of both the East facing windows, one with pink flowers. It's a comfortable room and I think I will be happy and productive here. I also face North which is my Sheng Chi (Wealth). The room is in the Southeast Sector of my house, which is my Fu Wei (best overall), and the most East room which is my Yen Nien (Relationship). My desk chair is in the Tien Yi Sector of the room (my Health). I would say, this is a good spot for me.

I am still a student at The American College of Healthcare Sciences studying for my Diploma in Aromatherapy. I need a space to study. This room is bright and airy and is painted a soft minty green with white trim. When we were choosing the colors for this room we worked with a 5-Element palate. All five of the Elements are represented; Water (black aubusson carpet), Wood (the minty green walls and plants), Fire (a bit of pink in the white ceiling), Metal (white woodwork and white lace curtains), and Earth (the brown color of the furniture, and the 20mm yellow crystal hanging in the center of the room). This room spans the entire front of my second floor and holds the Northeast, East, and Southeast corners. In Black Hat Feng Shui, it holds the Knowledge, Career, and Helpful People areas of the second level of my house.

The 2012 Water Dragon Flying Star says that this year, the East holds the Wisdom Star. This is excellent for studying and for anyone in academics. I placed a Golden Pagoda on a piece of green wood in one of the East Windows. The pagoda represents knowledge, enlightenment and tranquility. This semester I am studying Chemistry and need all the knowledge, enlightenment and tranquility I can get! I am also placing four stocks of lucky bamboo in the Black Hat Partnership corner of my desk.

The Northeast holds the 2012 Happiness Star, which brings good fortune and excellent prospects for the future. To benefit our relationship and marriage (25 years in March!), I will place a Double Happiness Couplet on the Northeast wall. Scott is framing it for me today. My desk faces the door (North) and the Northeast corner of the room will always be in my peripheral vision - this means my relationship and marriage will always be in my vision while I am in this office - I like that!

This little Dragon Turtle is a legendary Chinese creature that combines two of the four Celestial Animals of Chinese mythology: with a body of a turtle and a dragon-like head. It is a positive ornament in Feng Shui symbolizing courage, determination, fertility, longevity, power, success, and support. The Dragon Headed Turtle with a baby on its back while standing on a pile of coins represents a new business venture with prospects. This resonated with me because as I graduate this spring, I will be spending more time working The Red Phoenix Feng Shui before I retire from my corporate job in October. The symbolic meanings of the animals are dragon (luck); tortoise (long life), baby tortoise (new beginnings, fertility or excellent descendants luck) and the Coins represent the Money that can be made. The dragon is said to be blowing good breathe to people and carrying Ru Yi which signifies power, high rank and doing everything well. Placing this dragon in the home is said to bring the occupants good luck, wealth and feeling of security. The Dragon Headed Turtle also protects a home from negative energies. I am placing this Dragon Turtle in two places in my office. One sits in the Northeast corner this year to benefit my marriage and relationship and one sits in the window behind my desk to signify support, longevity and prosperity for my new business.

The Southeast is the 2012 direction of the Grand Duke. My understanding is that we never want to tick off the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke symbolizes tragedies, sickness, losses, accidents, calamities, and obstacles to overcome. I want to negate his destructiveness, so we placed a small metal wind chime on our main level and I am also placing a Red Pi Xiu (facing Southeast) in my new home office. The Pi Xiu is an ancient Chinese mythological magical beast. He is regarded as an auspicious creature that possesses the divine power of drawing wealth from the five directions. Legend has it that the Pi Xiu is a fierce protector. He is known to banish evil and disease. This area is also the Black Hat Partnership area of the room, so is an important area for me. A table in that corner holds our wedding picture, another picture of the two of us (taken when Scott still had dark hair and before I used artificial methods to keep mine red), and a small vase of pink silk flowers Scott gave to me one year for an anniversary gift, along with a small lamp and a pink candle. The Pi Xiu sits behind one of the photos facing Southeast.

I am very excited about this coming year and the changes it will bring to me, my business and to my family. I hope some of the adjustments I am making in my home and in particular, in my home office will help you make some adjustments in your home. If you want personalized information on Feng Shui, a Feng Shui Appointment, or a Ming Gua Consultation, give me a call or send me an email.

Wishing you Good Feng Shui and Health From the Inside Out!

Dorine

612-825-8425

Dorine@TheRedPhoenixFengShui.com