Reiki Attunements and Lani's Passing

On March 31, 2016 I received my Reiki attunements from Lisa Powers.  I'd been wanting to study Reiki for years but only now acted on it.  Ever since Lani died, which I'll explain in a moment, things have been changing in my life.  I'm now studying things I've wanted to learn for years, and it feels great.

Every year on my birthday (and on hers and on Mother's Day) I called my birthmom, Lani.  I've only met her once, but we kept in touch through the mail and via phone calls.  This year, however, six days before my birthday Lani died.  She had gone into the hospital on Friday, February 19, with internal bleeding, and she had a small heart attack.  They were going to take her into exploratory surgery on Saturday to find out where she was bleeding from, but she wasn't stable enough for the procedure.  I found out when my sister, Christine, contacted me on Sunday.  I was waiting to hear back from her on Monday, but when she called it was with the worst news.  Lani had passed away on February 22.  

This woman who had been such a huge part of my life, even before I knew who she was, was gone.  But I don't feel sad.  I feel closer to her than ever.  Before, we were separated by geography.  Now, she is right here with me.  I can still see her smile and hear her laughter.  I love her, and I know she's watching over me.  And smiling.

  

Books Read - March 2016

Brown, Carolyn

• The Ladies’ Room *****

Fiction.  Trudy is attending her great-aunt Gert’s funeral, when a trip to the ladies’ room changes her life forever.  Off with the old and on to the new.

Connor, Kerri

• Ostara *****

Non-fiction.  Exploring the history, rituals, and new celebrations of Ostara.

Field, Greg

• Red Dirt White Bones *****

Fiction.  First in the Replacement Girl mystery series set in Hawai’i.  Detective Kai Akuna-Aki is having a rough time at work after the death of his partner.  He meets young and precocious Ka’ena Reynolds, who is looking for some stability in her life.  She wants to find out who killed her older sister, and Kai’s the person she turns to for help.  As his last case on the police force, Kai agrees to help her, putting his job and reputation on the line.

Kingsbury, Kate

• Death is in the Air ****

Fiction.  Lady Elizabeth Hartleigh is having her hair cut, ,when a German plane crash lands on the beach.  The young German pilot has managed to parachute to safety, but he is quickly surrounded by the townsfolk.  He manages to elude them and is thought to be hiding in the woods.  The next morning Elizabeth learns that a local land girl has been murdered, and the townsfolk believe the German pilot is the culprit.

Lawhead, Stephen

• Hood *****

Fiction.  A tale of Robin Hood as told in the guise of Bran ap Brychan, Prince of Elfael of Wales.  Bran’s father, the king, has been killed, and Bran is expected to pick up the reins of the realm and help save his people from the Ffreinc, who are slowly extending their reign over England.  They want Wales now, but with a warrant out for Bran, all he can think about is escape.  And then he meets Angharad, a mysterious woman who teaches him who he really is.

Maguire, Gregory

• After Alice **

Fiction.  Ada Boyce’s best and only friend is Alice Kingsleigh who had fallen down the rabbit hole.  Ada goes in search of her friend, only to find herself sliding down the same rabbit hole.  In the meantime, Alice’s sister Lydia is searching for Alice.  She teams up with Ada’s governess, Miss Armstrong, who is searching for Ada.

McNeal, Laura Lane

• Dollbaby ****

Fiction.  It’s 1964, and the south is in the midst of the Civil Rights movement.  A young girl by the name of Liberty Bell gets dropped off at her grandmother’s house in New Orleans.  A grandmother she’s never met but was raised to fear.  As her mother drives away, Ibby doesn’t realize it’s the last time she’ll ever see her mom.

Reilly, LeAnn Neal

• Grounding Magic ****

Fiction.  Second book in The Mermaid’s Pendant magical realism duo.  Tamarind, her husband John, and their daughter Sarah, have moved to Cheltham, MA for John’s new job with a start-up medical company.  When Tamarind sees John with his ex-girlfriend, Zöe, her fears for their marriage emerge, and their lives spiral out of control.

Spinella Laura

• Ghost Gifts ****

Fiction.  Aubrey has a special gift.  She can communicate with the dead.  Often the encounters go peacefully, but every now and then they turn evil.  When the remains of a long lost woman are revealed, Aubrey is assigned to assist the lead reporter.  A man has spent twenty years in prison for a crime that Aubrey isn’t positive he committed, and she uses her gift to solve the mystery.

Weir, Andy

• The Martian *****

Fiction.  Mark Watney is abandoned on Mars.  The rest of his crew assumed he is dead, but he is very much alive.  Alone.  Surviving off his skills in botany and mechanical engineering, he is determined to stay alive as long as possible.