I know now that what's most important in love are experiences with loved ones. And Ria gave me such great experiences. I'm so grateful.
r SAD to give you now. Enhanced by my further studies living in Washington State so close to Canada I can see it on a clear day.
Yesterday as I was entering the forest from my neighborhood Heart of Glass by Blondie started playing. I thought about the first time I was at a party with Debbie Harry.
I have learned a lot from teaching at and attending the virtual retreats these past two months and I wanted to share how I am preparing for it so I can get the most out of what is offered. Do what works for you so that you can get the most out of your virtual retreat experience!
But 2020 happened the way it did, all tours were called off and I was left wondering if maybe I could do an online Bachelorette party. That way, everyone can come, no one has to pay to travel or take out a whole weekend. A couple of hours, some good performances and connection time felt great to me!
I formally adopted a "mononym" in 2018, right around this season. I didn't even know that word at the time but I knew I had a deadline to decide what my name was going to be in the credits of my life's greatest work so far.
Staying home and social distancing was always about protecting other folks; wearing a mask helps others more than it helps you. Just because I'm vaccinated doesn't mean I can't still carry and incubate the Corona.
My blog is dusty and it’s been awhile. A friend of mine said in a throw away comment, “Blogging is dead,” and …
I'm feeling really nourished by all of the fun memories I made in my early adulthood really squeezing the marrow out of life. I think one of my greatest assets in that time was having so much fun!
“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”–James Baldwin
American democracy is getting it wrong. It represents corporations and highest bidders, ignores the will of the people.
I’ve been brewing my own ideas about a new form of government and I am going to dream out loud with y’all. These are my Federalist Papers and like they sung in the musical Hamilton, “Write day and night like you’re running out of time? Ev’ry day you fight, like you’re running out of time. Keep on fighting. In the meantime.”
Some of the best minds I know don’t have fancy degrees; they are free thinkers who have evaluated experience. But I am not some random on the internet with political opinions, I have a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a law degree, and I worked for the California State Attorney General.
I dual majored in Women and Gender studies with an emphasis on cultural representations of gender. I realized after that dual degree that culture was way more powerful than politics because it’s empowering individuals and not positional leadership. So I left a potential career in politics and am now a full time cultural creator.
I saw a video yesterday of two U.S. Senators on the floor of government telling one another to “stand your butt up” and fight. Last week the House voted to censure the only Palestinian American in congress over her remarks speaking up against the war.
Here’s the thing in the 1800s we didn’t have these tiny computers in our hands to film and didn’t have a social network to share it.
We still have an Electoral College after the Democrats twice in my years as a voting adult won a popular election but lost in the EC. And yet they haven’t changed it. The Republicans bullied the Democrats into not allowing Obama to fill a Supreme Court vacancy but the Dems rolled over and let lame duck Trmp appoint a Supreme Court justice, who ended up being in the crew to overturn Roe v. Wade.
I am done believing Democrats’ lies. I am ready for a new system entirely that represents actual human diversity. This government is a failure. Let’s learn from it and move on.
The two party system has become a distinction without difference. They simply rule through corruption on behalf of corporations not the people. I talk to strangers as a way to heal from my social anxiety and the thing folks on all political spectrums agree on is universal healthcare. (My fav way to talk to strangers at the gas pump is to ask if gas is any cheaper on their side.) Yet we don’t have it.
What we need to align on is our values and become values-based voters. (That’s what I do now, even though I don’t feel I have real choice at the polls. I long for Marianne Williamson to end up on the primary ballot by the time the election gets to me.)
There are 12 signs in the Zodiac that represent perfect balance when brought together. I think that’s what we should do as a country.
It’s time to get in the kitchen and rearrange some things.
I want a party centered around mental wellness for all Americans. I saw a study that more than 70% of Americans suffer from mental health challenges. That statistic along with other factors makes the majority of the citizens of the United States qualify as living in “third world” (developing) country conditions.
Convincing low wage workers that they should believe in the policies that benefit rich people is a delusion that I hope is lifting.
I’d like to see walk-in mental health clinics as prevalent as urgent care clinics. And universal healthcare so no one has to choose to suffer versus taking on medical debt they can’t get out of.
With twelve parties it’s at least slightly likely that constituents would feel listened to by their representatives. Human’s have a core need of being listened to.
We have to get money out of politics. We have to create a government that is by the people, for the people, and represents the way our information streams are now not how they were in 1787.
Imagine what could happen if nothing in government moved forward without consensus from seven of twelve segments of society? The coalitions that could forge to benefit everyone.
Imagine if our first president of the People’s Republic of the United States: By the People for the People was none other than Professor Angela Yvonne Davis? I bet there would be a party around prison abolition. We could focus on the support we need as a society that will address the root cause of crime.
All behavior is a result of unmet needs and our current government is not meeting the needs of our populace. Israel has universal healthcare but our tax dollars pay for their weapons.
I don’t propose to know what all the parties should be. If we were at Girl Scout Camp having this discussion I would begin by doing a “you can’t get this wrong” brainstorm session. We put all the ideas on the screen. Everyone would vote for their top 20 party issue ideas and we would keep whittling it down. As we are getting to the second round of whittling I would open up the floor to impassioned ideas of constituents.
We could do it, figure out 12 parties. Figure out how to run our government in a way that achieves true harmony, solidarity, and serves the needs of all Americans. Except the mean ones.
I’m not trying to sow dissent against the current government or administration. I’m trying to sow desire. I want each and every one of you to know the dreams and desires on your heart, however delusional they feel, are brewing in you for a reason. You are meant to bring them earthside.
Curious about this? Listen to my podcast episode (number 109) with Leah Garza on Questioning Reality.
Do you value my work? Please support my work! So many different ways!
Patreon.com/fkdp (you can follow for free and get updates and freebies from me!)
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bevin (safe and secure way to buy me a snack!)
Venmo: @bevinb
Cash App: $BevinBoss
Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1SJCL864DDKEH?ref_=wl_share
Tee shirts: https://genuinevalentine.com/collections/fat-kid-dance-party
Fatkiddanceparty.com/classes
Instagram: @fatkiddanceparty @bevinsparty
Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bevin (Search “Bevin” on Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts)
You Tube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/SelfCareParty
Email list: http://eepurl.com/dyX3db
Buy anything on Amazon using this link to go to their website and I make a 3% commission on anything you buy! Costs nothing extra to you and cuts into that “astronaut’s” profits just a lil bit. https://amzn.to/2PQ52A9
Threads, Tik Tok, Twitter: @bevinsparty
Facebook.com/bevinsparty
Like/subscribe/review/send a link to a friend! It all helps!
Six years ago if you’d asked me about attending weekly Sunday services I would have said, “Unlikely!” Now I got to two different church services on Sundays! Rest assured I only attend services where all seekers are welcomed and valued.
I was not raised in religion (my family was Catholic but mom didn’t want to put me in a thing where they taught that divorce and gay were sinful).
I am so grateful that of all the trauma experiences I’ve experienced religious trauma isn’t one of them! And beginning my spiritual journey at 31 I realized I didn’t need to be “religious” to have a conscious vibrant relationship with a loving higher power. Eventually I found myself appreciating a regular Sunday attendance with a congregation that aligned with my spiritual beliefs. It’s like filling up my gas tank so I can meet what is coming in the week ahead.
Nature is “my church” but I love attending church services that make me feel nourished by teaching and community.
I started attending Agape International Spiritual Center when I lived in Los Angeles. My first service was to see Marianne Williamson as the guest speaker in May 2019. (Linking a July 2023 service with Marianne that was very powerful.)
I kept going back weekly. They still meet a the Saban theater in Beverly Hills, just three blocks from where my beloved Grandmother lived when she was a real estate agent. (Please imagine an elegant 80s career woman Capricorn.) Every time I drove to services I saw multiple hawks. Early Sunday morning drives in Los Angeles are so peaceful.
I went to new member classes in July 2019 and have been attending weekly ever since. I switched to live stream when I moved up to the lesbian woods, but feel just as connected. I have found it an anchor during these uncertain times.
I love the way Rev Michael Bernard Beckwith speaks of a loving God, animating our breath. Not some man in the sky, not religiosity, focusing on the potential to express God through every person on the planet. He doesn’t ignore the things going on in the world around us, he helps us make sense of them from a higher perspective. “Governments wage war, people wage peace.”
There’s a world class choir, wildly various and talented musical guests, 90 minutes of bells and whistles. (Plus a pre-service meditation service.)
Agape meets three times on Sundays, all of them are “love streamed” on you tube and facebook. I typically attend the 11AM service. On really moving sermon days I’ll watch the repeat of the 9AM service.
Sunday Morning – Way of Meditation.
- 6:45am to 7:30am Meditation and Teaching
Sunday Morning – First Service
- 8:30am Meditation
- 9:00am Service
Sunday Morning – Second Service
- 11:00am Meditation
- 11:30am Service
11:00am service interpreted for the Deaf.
I love to rewatch church in the bathtub, since I like baths to be about me connecting to Spirit.
Last weekend’s service was a great example of a powerful service. These folks pray beautifully and do it towards peace and a beautiful world unfolding.
MORE CHURCH!
I go to two different churches every Sunday! The other service was because my friend Manduh kept inviting our whole Glowing Goddess Sisterhood. I tried it out and really enjoy it.
Camp Chesterfield online services (on Zoom) are a really fun and nourishing experience. Sundays 8:30AM -10AM Pacific.
The unique part of the service are the messages from loved ones that come through. Two mediums facilitate messages from the other side for the folks in attendance. Each taking about a 20 minute turn.
I’ve gotten messages from my Grandmother, friends, my dog Macy, my joy guide, other grandparents and more. I don’t always get a message but I learn a lot from other folks’ messages. If there’s an aspect of a spirit coming through that reminds me of someone I know I pay extra attention to those messages.
They begin with a guided meditation where you might spend 5-15 minutes traveling into a tree or walking in a field. (Not like Agape which is 20 minutes simply sitting in meditation together.)
Then there’s a sermon. They are the Indiana Society of Spiritualists so they are Jesus plus more. Here’s their Declaration of Principles!
Manduh makes it really easy to get to Zoom services because she posts the registration link to attend every Sunday morning on our Sisterhood Discord server. (I loooooove Discord for connecting with the communities that matter to me.)
If you are interested, look on the Camp Chesterfield website. I can usually find service registration link on the carousel on the landing page. They call it “Online Sunday Service” and it’s at 11:30AM EASTERN time so that’s what they say on their website.
Our sisterhood hangs out after services for “Coffee and Donuts in the Sanctuary.” It’s an hour for fellowship in our voice channel, which functions like a Zoom room on Discord (bring your own donuts).
It’s nice to have friends to process with after getting messages, and some of other other members join us after their in-person church services. It’s really sweet.
One time my neighbors randomly dropped off donuts to me while I was having coffee and donuts in the Sanctuary which felt very serendipitous!
If you’re scared of Discord I made a lil tutorial video!
Okay, if you go to any of these services tell me what you thought!
Please consider donating to help me keep offering this free blog resource!
Patreon.com/fkdp (you can follow for free and get updates and freebies from me!)
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bevin (safe and secure way to buy me a snack!)
Venmo: @bevinb
Cash App: $BevinBoss
Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1SJCL864DDKEH?ref_=wl_share
Tee shirts: https://genuinevalentine.com/collections/fat-kid-dance-party
Fatkiddanceparty.com/classes
Instagram: @fatkiddanceparty @bevinsparty
Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bevin (Search “Bevin” on Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts)
You Tube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/SelfCareParty
Email list: http://eepurl.com/dyX3db
Buy anything on Amazon using this link to go to their website and I make a 3% commission on anything you buy! Costs nothing extra to you and cuts into that “astronaut’s” profits just a lil bit. https://amzn.to/2PQ52A9
Threads, Tik Tok, Twitter: @bevinsparty
Facebook.com/bevinsparty
Like/subscribe/review/send a link to a friend! It all helps!
Recipe first, story later!
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Milkshake Dairy Free Gluten Free Sugar Free Keto
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp Canned pumpkin (or fresh pureed if you got it!)
- 1 whole frozen banana see how to in notes
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice or water if you don't have milk
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice more or less to taste
- 1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger more or less to taste or don't use it at all
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder I have a brand I prefer see notes
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth! Enjoy!
Notes
I am really obsessed with making milkshake drinks out of frozen bananas and so proud of myself about figuring out a good pumpkin pie flavor profile.
I’m a total nerd about my vanilla protein and I don’t know how this would taste with a gross protein powder so beware! Feel free to reach out for the link or book a free with purchase health coaching call with me! I’m a delight on Zoom!
Here’s a recipe for a Cozy Winter Ginger Beverage that’s also good for you! I live in the North Pole and it gets COLD for half the year. To cut down on heating costs and make my extremities feel warm I like having some ginger 2-3 times a day.
Check out the recipes tag for more recipes!
Do you find value in my blog? Please share the love and help me keep it going!
Patreon.com/fkdp (you can follow for free and get updates and freebies from me!)
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bevin (safe and secure way to buy me a snack!)
Venmo: @bevinb
Cash App: $BevinBoss
Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1SJCL864DDKEH?ref_=wl_share
Tee shirts: https://genuinevalentine.com/collections/fat-kid-dance-party
Fatkiddanceparty.com/classes
Instagram: @fatkiddanceparty @bevinsparty
Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bevin (Search “Bevin” on Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts)
You Tube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/SelfCareParty
Threads, Tik Tok, Twitter: @bevinsparty
Facebook.com/bevinsparty
Email list: http://eepurl.com/dyX3db
Buy anything on Amazon using this link to go to their website and I make a 3% commission on anything you buy! Costs nothing extra to you and cuts into that “astronaut’s” profits just a lil bit. https://amzn.to/2PQ52A9
Like/subscribe/review/send a link to a friend! It all helps!