It's (not) beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

When I was a kid one of my favorite months was November. Not only because it was my birthday month, but because it was the month before my favorite (December), when the temperature dropped and the frost set into the ground making a great base for the first snow fall, the lakes would start to form a skim of ice and I knew it would only be a matter of weeks before we (us kids) would be out skating on the pond in our back yard.

I was thinking of how different winter was when I was a kid while hubby and I (mostly hubby) were putting up the holiday lights on the house. We were up bright and early this morning taking advantage of our unseasonably warm temperature today, decking the house with white lights, putting up swags and wreaths, cleaning up the yard, pulling weeds and raking leaves; my flower garden still has a few plants in bloom even after the first frost a couple of weeks ago. I even dug out the snow shovels that were stored in the back of the shed in anticipation of shoveling snow possibly in the next few weeks. I put the lawn mower to the back of the shed, but today felt like a great day to give the lawn one more cut... if only I had had the time.

The only thing reminding me that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas is the lights that decorate the houses in the neighborhood.

Rainy, Tired Morning

This morning I woke to the soft pitter-patter of rain hitting my window (5 days of rain = 1 blah Jack). I had the hardest time dragging my tired ass out of bed this morning... another night of crazy dreams. This kind of morning is meant to be spent in bed, covering my head with the blankets, listening to the swishing sound made by the cars passing my house. I eventually got up though; did not want to go back to dreaming.

My dream last night was about gruesome creatures chasing me though an unfamiliar dark city. I read somewhere once that chase dreams, often stem from feelings of anxiety in your walking life - you want to escape from someone or something. What you are suppose to do is stop, turn around and ask your pursuer why they are chasing you and they'll (the monsters of your dreams) give you an answer, but I can never remember to stop and ask what the hell they want. Then again... maybe it's best to not ask and just keep running.

Hope all my American friends had a wonderful Turkey Day filled with yummy treats and good company. Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend everyone!

Kokology - Skimming the Surface

Are you ready to play KOKOLOGY?

What is Kokology?

Tips: 
• Say the first thing that pops into your head 
• Don’t try to predict answers 
• Be honest with yourself 
• Be prepared 
• Keep an open mind
  

{pg. 66, Book 2} We humans excel at many things. However, floating isn't one of them. Sure, with a little practice and a lot of effort we might manage to keep our heads above water for a few laps in the swimming pool, but none of us would fare very well if dropped in the middle of the ocean without a life preserver. But, as always seems to be the case, human ingenuity has made up for the short-comings of the body and provided us with boats. And thanks to those seaworthy craft, now there is no spot on the surface of the world's waters that lies beyond our reach.

Imagine that you are a boat floating on the water. Which of the following describes you?
1. A raft of rough-hewn logs.
2. A sturdy rowboat.
3. A racing yacht.
4. A cruise ship.

You can leave a comment with your answers or keep them to yourself  - it's up to you.

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Answer the questions before you continue to scroll to reveal the key to "Skimming the Surface"

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Key to "Skimming the Surface"

Ships and boats are most at home when surrounded on all sides by nothing but water, unimpeded by obstructions or boundaries of any kind. Picturing yourself as a boat on the open sea conjured a similar image of life unfettered by restrictions or limits. The type of boat you saw yourself as is linked to the ways your prefer to spend those precious moments when your time is truly your own.

1. A raft of rough-hewn logs.
You spend your free time drifting from place to place and enjoying outdoor activities. Your interests range from intense sports like kayaking and rock climbing to relaxing pastimes like camping, fishing, and simply wandering about. The important common thread is a natural setting, and you might be just as happy to spend a day lying on your back in the grass, staring up at the clouds.

2. A sturdy rowboat.
Nothing relaxes you like working up a healthy sweat, and it shows in the ways you spend your days off. High-impact, low-impact, team sports, or solo, you love the way it feels to put your body through its paces.

3. A racing yacht.
What better way to spend a lazy summer afternoon than racing around at breakneck speed? Up-tempo recreations are your preferred mode of entertainment, whether they take the form of fast-paced sports, high-stakes gambling, or games requiring split-second timing.

4. A cruise ship.
Everyday life is exciting enough as it is, and slow-paced, cerebral activities are just what the doctor ordered when you have time to unwind. A game of chess or a crossword puzzle, a leisurely walk, a nice long book, perhaps a game of shuffleboard--these are the things that you look to when you while away the hours.

Contest Winner Announcement!

Congratulations to Amber from Mommy Mania who is the winner of My Birthday Give-Away!

Thank you to all for your birthday wishes and contest entries. I loved reading all of them!  Amber, I will be sending you a notification via e-mail so write back with your info, and I'll get your prize out to you.

Dark side of the moon - Dream

I was just over at Gal Friday's blog reading her latest post about a recent dream she had.  She inspired me to write down what I can remember from a freaky dream I had last night.

I believe dreams are our subconscious taking in information, small details that the conscious mind cannot comprehend and telling you through dreams.  What to you think?  Do you believe your dreams have a significant meaning?

Dark Side of The Moon

I am at a cross roads in the woods. A man approaches me from the path on my right, he is dressed in a long leather coat and leather motorcycle boots (his clothing reminds me of Neo from The Matrix).  His face is rough and weathered looking but familiar to me somehow... He reaches out, touches my arm and through telekinesis shows me:

It's night and I’m laying down on a grassy hill top with an old friend from high school. The sky is clear and filled with so many stars... more stars then I have ever seen in my life.  My friend and I are laying shoulder to shoulder gazing into the night sky, then he sits up quickly and runs to the far side of the hill and points down to the city below.  I get up and walk to where he is standing and see what he is point at... The city is in panic and chaos.  There are explosions, fires, car crashes, alarms going off.  I turn to say something to my friend but he is gone and I’m alone. My first thought is "my family",  I run down the hill and go into a building. Inside, I get in an elevator, push the first button "Basement".  The elevator music is "Brain Damage" by Pink Floyd:
"...The lunatic is in the hall
The lunatics are in my hall
The paper holds their folded faces to the floor
And every day the paper boy brings more..."
The elevator door slides open and I run out, down the hall to the door at the end of the hallway.  Through the door is a dark pathway leading into the forest.   I run through the door and down the path; it's dark and stormy and I stumble on  rocks and uprooted trees.  The path leads to a crossroads.  A man approaches me from the path to my left -- he is dressed in a white trench coat and white fedora... it's my old high school friend.  I ask him if he has seen my family, he reaches out, touches my arm and shows me the image of me standing on a hill top standing beside him looking down at the burning city.  Then through telekinesis says:

"if the dam breaks open many years too soon
And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forbodings too
They'll see you on the dark side of the moon."

Pretty creepy huh?

Kokology - On Your Birthday

Are you ready to play KOKOLOGY?

What is Kokology?

Tips: 
• Say the first thing that pops into your head 
• Don ’t try to predict answers 
• Be honest with yourself 
• Be prepared 
• Keep an open mind
  

{Pg.27, Book 1} Your Birthday is the one day a year when you're justified in expecting things to be just a little nicer than usual. Well wishes and congratulations, presents and cards, maybe even a party or romantic dinner for two.

It's your birthday today, and when you check your mailbox you see you've gotten a card from someone you would have never expected. who is the sender? You have also received a number of gifts from family & Friends. Of that group, who sent you the biggest package? (Give the names of people in your life when answering the quiz.)

You can leave a comment with your answers or keep them to yourself  - it's up to you.

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Answer the questions before you continue to scroll to reveal the key to "On Your Birthday"

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Key to On Your Birthday:

The responses you gave signify your true feelings about people in your life, feelings you might not even be aware of yourself. The person who unexpectedly sent you a cards is actually someone you would like to care more about you or give you more attention. In short, the person you named as the sender is someone you'be been hesitant to approach, or just a friend you haven't heard from in a while? Maybe it's time you made the first move toward bridging that gap.

On the surface, you might associate thebiggest package you received with good feelings about the sender. But from a psychological perspective, the person you named as the sender s someone whose affections you take for granted. This doesn't nessarily signify a lack of respect, but you definately feel confident of their feelings for you. Be careful not to get overconfident. What feels like security to you may look like plain selfishness to others.

Take KOKOLOGY with you
Copy and paste the code provided below.

<br /> Join me in a game of Kokology<br /> <a href="http://www.slightlyoff-center.com/search/label/Kokology"><img style="width: 160px; height: 96px;" src="http://i34.tinypic.com/2u8l2yr.png"/></a>

Birthday Week x 3

This week is what is referred to in our house as, "Birthday Week". My two girls and myself all have a birthday a day apart. My youngest daughter's birth date is the 19th, my oldest birth date is the 20th and mine is the 21st... how about that for a busy birthday week! Just imagine how hectic birthday week was when the girls were younger and wanted birthday parties... Now the girls are older, they just pick a day to celebrate our birthdays all together. This year we are celebrating our 17th, 22nd and *whisper* 42nd, with a brunch at our house on Sunday with our closest family members and friends - Can't wait!

In honor of our birthdays, I'm giving away one of my favourite gifts I like to get as well as give.  It's a little goodie package of my favourite bath products from Lush.  Also, who can enjoy a luxurious bath without some delicious smelling candles from Clair de Lune.

If you want a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me how you like to celebrate your birthday. All followers of Slightly Off-Center will get a second entry  (just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry).  I will randomly choose a winner one week from today on November 25th.  Good luck everyone and can't wait to read through all your comments!

(No global restrictions. Must be 18 years or older. Contest winner will be chosen using BuzzMyBlog Contest Winner Picker)

» Read the small print «

* Please make sure your blog profile has your email address enabled or leave your email (like ghettojack [at] gmail [dot] com) or blogs address in the comments or you can send me your email addie if you would prefer not to have it published.

* You must be 18 or older to enter.

* No global restrictions apply. If you have a mailing address you are eligible to enter.

* Winner will be contacted via email to get their address.

* Entering the contest grants permission to post your blog address, State/Provence/Territory of where you are from. If you don't have a blog, your first name and your State/Provence/Territory of where you are from will be posted.

* Winner will have 48 hours from the date the winner is announced on this blog (I will send the winner notification via email) to claim your prize by emailing me with your mailing address or I will have to choose another winner.

* Winner is chosen using the BuzzMyBlog Contest Winner Picker.

* I am not responsible for any lost or misdirected mail.

* By entering this contests you are agreeing to all of the above.

Contest is Closed

Kokology - The Labyrinth

Are you ready to play KOKOLOGY?

What is Kokology?

Tips: 
• Say the first thing that pops into your head 
• Don ’t try to predict answers 
• Be honest with yourself 
• Be prepared 
• Keep an open mind
  

{Pg. 135, Book 1} Remember the Kokology quiz "The Ride Of Your Life"? Well lets return once again to the amusement park to continue our exploration into the attractions of the unconscious mind. You're already familiar with some of the rides, like the dizzing excitement of the roller coaster. The house of horrors still lies waiting, but that's best left for couples to explore. How about a walk through the labyrinth instead?

You found your way through the giant maze and are standing at the exit. Which of these statements best describes how you feel?

1. "That was too easy. I was done in no time. What a piece of cake!"

2. "Well, it took a while to get through, but looking back, I guess it was really no big deal."

3. "Boy, was I lost! For a while there I thought I was never going to get out."

4. "I hooked up with a group of people inside and they showed me the way out. Otherwise I might still be in there."

My Answer: #3 - "Boy, was I lost!..."

You can leave a comment with your answers or keep them to yourself  - it's up to you.

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Answer the questions before you continue to scroll to reveal the key to "The Labyrinth"

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Key to The Labyrinth

The winding and circuitous paths of a maze represent the path you find for yourself in life, with all its false turns, backtracking, and dead ends. And adolescence is the time in life when it's easiest to feel lost and confused. Your experience in the labyrinth corresponds to the way you remember spending the years leading up to adulthood.

1. "That was too easy. I was done in no time. What a piece of cake!"

Although many people look back on their teenage years as a time of stress and confusion, for you it was nothing but fun. You weren't consumed with soul-searching or traumatized by peer pressure-actually the whole experience was like one big party. Of course, that may mean your true test in life still lies ahead.

2. "That was too easy. I was done in no time. What a piece of cake!"

Your school days were not easy for you, and it's more than likely you spent many a night worried over the same problems we all did-love, friendship, and the future. But that experience has helped forge you into the person you are, and the lessons you learned will sustain you through any difficult times to come.

3. ‘"Boy, was I lost! For a while there I thought I was never going to get out."

Although nearby everyone has rough year or two growing up, you took worrying about life to the extremes, dwelling on problems that exited only in your head and torturing yourself with second guesses and self-doubt. That may have added a certain amount of seriousness and depth to your character, but now it's time for you to loosen up and enjoy your life. You've earned it.

4. "I hooked up with a group of people inside and they showed me the way out. Otherwise I might still be in there."

The reason for the satisfaction you feel in life today lies with the friends you made and the relationships you formed during your youth. You had your worries like everyone else, but it seemed there was always someone for you to turn to when things got tough. Be grateful for the good luck you've had so far. Now it's your turn to return the favor and be there for others in need.

Take KOKOLOGY with you
Copy and paste the code provided below.

<br /> Join me in a game of Kokology<br /> <a href="http://www.slightlyoff-center.com/search/label/Kokology"><img style="width: 160px; height: 96px;" src="http://i34.tinypic.com/2u8l2yr.png"/></a>

A day to remember our fallen

Visit other Wordless Wednesday participants

Bonding Moments (craft night)

Saturday night bonding time with my two girls... lucky me!

This is what we made:

Instruction for DIY Coasters

Ps.  This was my oldest daughters idea.  She called on Friday night to ask if we could spend Saturday evening together making a craft.  love Love LOVE ♥

Snow Covered Friday

Look at what we woke up to this morning...

Happy Friday! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

Kokology - A Flash Of Red

Are you ready to play KOKOLOGY?

What is Kokology?

Tips: 
• Say the first thing that pops into your head 
• Don ’t try to predict answers 
• Be honest with yourself 
• Be prepared 
• Keep an open mind
  

{Pg. 158, Book2} From red as a rose to red as a beet, when we see red it affects us emotionally. Scientific experiments have shown that people asked to remain in a room with red walls become more passionate, aggressive, and easily aroused than people in rooms with muted backgrounds. Research has even shown that exposure to red can make the body temperature rise. Red may be at the low end of the spectrum of light, but it has power to move us like no other color.

Imagine three women, each of whom is fond of the color red and uses it to accent her appearance. The first of these women has her nails painted red, the second wears red lipstick, and the third has her hair colored the same shade. Now imagine their personalities and describe each one.

You can leave a comment with your answers or keep them to yourself  - it's up to you.

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Answer the questions before you continue to scroll to reveal the key to "Deep in the Mountains"

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Key to A Flash of Red

Although in some ways we all react similarly to the color red, there are also significant differences in our psychological responses. This is not simply a matter of taste or acculturation but seems to have roots that sink deeper into the mind. In the natural world, red is the universal sign of danger, a way for one animal to let potential foes and competitors know, "Careful, I bite and I'm poisonous." But this same shade is also powerfully seductive, and for animals attuned to the same sexual frequency, it can signal that the mating season has begun. In nature as in fashion, it's not the color itself; it's what you do with it.

The images you had of the three red-accented women reveal the kinds of women you view as friend and foe. This results in different interpretations, depending on whether the respondent is male or female.

Female respondents.

The woman with red nails is seen as a threat and represents the type of woman you can't imagine yourself ever getting along with. On the other hand, you feel a strange and compelling attraction to the woman with red lips. The woman with red hair is an image of the type of woman that you hope you will never become.

Male respondents.

The red-nailed woman is the kind of person you fear will use or make a fool of you, while the red-lipped woman is the type you can imagine yourself falling wildly in love with. The redheaded woman represents the type you can't see yourself being attracted to, no matter how physically beautiful she may be.

Take KOKOLOGY with you
Copy and paste the code provided below.

<br /> Join me in a game of Kokology<br /> <a href="http://www.slightlyoff-center.com/search/label/Kokology"><img style="width: 160px; height: 96px;" src="http://i34.tinypic.com/2u8l2yr.png"/></a>

No Thanks! I'll Wait

{Wordless Wednesday #53}

View other Wordless participants here

Honestly Larry...

thank you for finding my ramblings worthy of the "Honest Scrap" award.

You all know Larry, right?
Larry G writes the most amazing, inspirational posts over at his little corner of the cyberspace universe -Yesterday, Today, and Forever. If you haven't been for a visit, you simply must stop reading this post and head over right this minute - take your time, I'm not going anywhere.

So now that your back from your little visit with Larry, here are my "10 Honest Things" you might not know about me.

1. I agonize over decisions.
   
2. I swear way too much.
   
3. My greatest fear is being alone.
4. I hate winter but love when it snows.
5. The sound of bagpipes makes me cry.
6. I'm afraid of failing.
7. I crave a cig daily (smoke free over a year)
8. I have very vivid dreams, sometimes in technicolour sometimes all one colour.
9. I prefer an extra helping of mashed potatoes over dessert of any kind.
10. I have the best husband ever! (but I think I have mentioned this before)

Thank you Larry! xxoo

Rules for the Award:

• Say thank you and give a link to the presenter of the award
• Share “10 Honest Things” about yourself
• Present the award to 10 (give or take) other bloggers whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design or to those who have encouraged you
• Be sure to tell the 10 (give or take) bloggers chosen that you are giving them the Honest Scrap award and provide the guidelines for them

The nominees are:

the road goes ever ever on

WackyMummy

only a movie

Gal Friday

Inventing My Life

Tap, Tap, Tapping into Energy Meridians

Emotional Freedom Technique

Last week I was home with my sick teen who was laid  up in bed with the flu so I had plenty of time on my hands.  I have been doing some reading up on EFT for dealing with my recent panic and anxiety attacks (see here).

EFT is a series of tapping on certain points where the qi (energy) flows close to  the skins surface.  As you tap the acupuncture points with your fingers, you repeat a positive mantra:
"Even though I am feeling anxious/panic at this moment, I deeply love and accept myself".  "It's ok that I'm feeling panic about ________, I completely love and accept ALL OF ME anyway".
Then you are suppose to rate the level of anxiety/panic/pain you are feeling - 1-10.  You repeat these steps over and over, until your anxiety (or whatever is going on) level is low or gone.  It is said the tapping works by stimulating certain points (like acupuncture), as a result changing brain patterns by slowing the direction of electrical flow. The affirmation or the mantra,  releases the emotional "charge" that carries the negative feelings — did you understand any of that or did I totally confuse the hell out of you?  Here is a much better explanation of EFT.

So I practiced all week, tapping the pressure points and saying my mantra.  I didn't notice an immediate relief for an attack, however, I did feel more and more relaxed with every round of taps I completed.  Although, I don't know how I would apply this technique out in a public setting — tapping and repeating a mantra might make me look... well, somewhat "off-center" one might say.  Can't you just picture it?... standing in a lineup at the bank/theater/store, tapping various body parts, chanting  under my breath: "... I completely love and accept myself", "...deeply love myself".  Yup, a few crumpets short of a proper tea!

Some helpful EFT links:

• Here is a great blog post at iCiNG about how EFT worked for her.
• Emotional Freedom Technique on Wikipedia.
• World Center for EFT
• Emotional Freedom Techniques to relieve stress on SteadyHealth.com.

If anyone else knows of any good links involving EFT or if you have tried this technique, give me a shout.  I would love to hear if it worked for you or someone you know.