Monthly Archives: December 2014

Keep the children warm

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10885036_908225329189840_7047266042889049965_n“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.”
― Rumi

These little girls will be able to stay warm in the bitter cold winter of Afghanistan. They will also be able to learn skills that will help their future. You can help them and over three hundred more children by logging on to this website and donating what you can. After you donate, please help by sharing this: www.igg.me/at/Afghanistan

Ring in the New Year by thinking positive, doing positive deeds and helping others. We only have sixteen days left to impact the lives of over 500 underprivileged children in Afghanistan with the Winter program.

There are already 200 little Afghan girls registered in the program. Each one of YOU can make a difference by donating.

Log onto www.igg.me/at/Afghanistan and give what you can.

Thoughtful gifts just for you

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8391ca005059cb24320fe83ae7a4e797 I love the holiday season. Perhaps it’s all the lovely lights and decorations that are everywhere. Maybe it’s the festive music, the hustle and bustle, or maybe it’s just getting together with loved ones. It’s all really very enjoyable to me.

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68af0252d1d8449b4f1f89acbfa47da5It seems like we are all running around getting our last minute gifts for the special people in our lives. I must admit, I love getting gifts. I appreciate things of beauty, luxury items, amazing trips. They are all really appealing to me but they don’t fulfill me. They add to my life. My relationships bring me happiness. When I get a gift that’s thoughtful by someone I love it means the world to me.

I think very hard when I buy a gift for someone I care  about. Recently I bought a little leather rocking chair for my nephew. It’s not something I would necessarily buy, I would much prefer to get him a chair that has some sort of sweet little stuffed animal concept to it. I bought the little leather rocking chair instead because that’s what brother had been talking about since his baby was born.

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Making my brother happy is a gift in itself.232323232fp533;8_nu=3285_359_557_WSNRCG=3238_8_34793_nu0mrj

Last weekend he took my daughter out to brunch, just the two of them. It was really the first time he had spent alone time with her since he got married almost three years ago. That bit of time with her was such a beautiful gift. To give her his unconditional attention made her feel loved and special. The relationship that they have is a gift more special to her than anything one can buy. I know she will grow up and cherish that relationship.

It’s always been important to me to love and to be loved. Relationships have such value to us all. How we treat one another, how we listen to each other’s needs, the time we make to spend with one another, what we do to respond to each other makes or breaks our relationships. Having positive, loving relationships enhances our lives.

Sometimes relationships end, no matter how much we try. All we can do is to communicate our needs. If it’s met with a response that addresses our needs then that’s a relationship of value. If it is ignored, it’s no longer a relationship that adds value to our lives and we have to move on. It’s a sad occurrence but it’s a part of life.

Nevertheless, the most beautiful gifts we have are our relationships with our families and our friends. While you run about looking for that perfect gift, remember to give to your relationships. Give the gift of time, a smile, a kind word, a helping hand, a call just to say I’m hello, a shoulder to cry on. Those are the kinds of gifts that really matter. If you are out buying a certain gift for your loved one, make it a thoughtful one.

I hope you cherish and enjoy your gifts.

 

The Spirit of Giving

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8d198c11ef3455d0684ccca9a4bf6f7cIt’s a wonderful time of the year, filled with family, friends and holiday cheer. All of us are busy running around shopping for gifts for our loved ones. We love to see the excitement on our children’s faces as they open up their gifts. It’s also a great time to teach them to give to others. I always speak to my daughter about how fortunate she is whenever she complains about something frivolous. Being an Afghan-American, I constantly speak to her about the children of Afghanistan and how much they are suffering. They would give anything to live in a comfortable house, have something to eat every day and be loved and taken care of.1917471_102814043077603_6419137_n

 

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Recently I told her about my friend David Mason and how he lives every day of his life giving to the children of Afghanistan. I met David almost twelve years ago when I took a trip to Afghanistan. He had left his career as a dancer in Denmark just a year before I met him and began the Afghan Educational Circus for children. Thirteen years later he is still living there. His circus, performs live shows for millions of children all over the war torn country. His performers get a sense of accomplishment and at the same time help put smiles on the faces of children that have grown used to death, destruction and poverty. His theatre pieces range from teaching good hygiene to landmine awareness to peace education.

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The MMCC (Mobile Mini Circus for Children) are trying to organize a winter program for over 500 underprivileged children this January and February in Kabul and Bamyan.

1917471_102069309818743_5494221_nFor those two months, the children will be safe from the cold and bitterness of the winter. They’ll learn English, computers and different artistic, social and life skills. That’s something that they then can take back to their families and communities.

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If everyone who reads this blog makes a small donation toward the winter program we can make a significant impact to over 500 children in Afghanistan. Every year many children freeze to death in the country.

Internally displaced Afghan children pose for a photo as they stand in the snow outside their shelter at a refugee camp in Kabul

Log on to this website and give what you can to raise money for this very worthy cause. Not many of us can be like my friend David. He is a very special kind of human being. Every single one of us can make a difference.

Get into the giving spirit and help a child in need. Just log onto www.igg.me/at/Afghanistan and give what you can.

https://www.indiegogo.com/project/cheerful-snowman/embedded

For more information on David Mason’s Mobile Mini Circus for Children, just log onto www.AfghanMMCC.org

Your children will learn to be compassionate and giving human beings by following your lead. They mirror us in every way.

Happy Holidays to us all. I’ll use a quote from Wayne Dyer, a man I admire and am lucky enough to have met several times. “We need to see that we are a collective, thinking of ourselves as separate from others, we lose the power of our Source and diminish the whole of humanity.”

Turmeric, it’s not just any spice.

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Abstract image of Indian tumeric powder from vegetable market. Turmeric is a spice used to add color and flavor to your meal and it has some amazing healing powers. Both the Chinese and Indians use it as medicine. It’s used to treat everything from liver problems, depression, bursitis, inflammation and stiffness related to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. It’s also used as a cleansing agent and a digestive aid in India. There’s not always much research to back up all it’s alleged benefits. Here’s what we know about the seasoning.

Several recent studies show that it HAS anti-inflammatory properties and that it modifies immune system responses. A study done about eight years ago showed turmeric was more effective at preventing joint inflammation than reducing joint inflammation.

A clinical trial found that a turmeric supplement called Meriva provided long-term improvement in pain and function in a hundred patients with knee osteoarthritis.  On the flip side, high doses of it can act as a blood thinner.

Some Great Ways to take Turmeric

  • Turmeric root can be eaten plain. Just wash it,  peel the skin off and you can eat it raw or eat it in your salad.
  • The powder can also be added to your salad dressing use it in your soup, make it a creamy dip by mixing it with dried onion, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
  • You can use fresh turmeric root with other fresh fruits and vegetables and make it a delicious and healthy smoothie.
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Turmeric used for cosmetic purposes

  •  Turmeric is effective in treating acne because of its antiseptic and antibacterial properties.
  • Turmeric face mask helps to clear acne scars and inflammation.
  • Mix turmeric powder and sandalwood powder and lemon juice. Apply it on your face for 10 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water. For acne scars, apply a mixture of turmeric and plain water on the marks for 15 minutes. For oily skin mix 1 ½ tablespoons of sandalwood powder and a pinch of ground turmeric with 3 tablespoons of orange juice and leave it on your face for 10 to 15 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.
  • For dry skin combine 1 egg white, 2 drops of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, rose water and a pinch of turmeric. Apply it to your face, neck, elbow, knees and let it dry. Wash it off with warm water.
  • You can use turmeric to heal your cracked heels. Apply 3 spoons of turmeric with a few drops of coconut oil on your heels for 10 to 15 minutes before taking a bath. If you do it regularly it will help soften your heels..
  • Turmeric with milk also treats skin conditions like poison ivy, eczema and soriasis.
  • Mix turmeric and olive oil and apply it on your scalp for 15 minutes before taking a shower to treat dandruff and other scalp issues like dermatitis, eczema that can lead to itchy, flaky skin, inflammation and thinning hair.

You can buy Turmeric powder or fresh organic turmeric root.The powder should be kept in tightly sealed container and stored in a cool dry. Fresh turmeric should be placed in the refrigerator.