LOVE IS LETTING GO OF FEAR....

 ANGEL AUNTY

Six years ago yesterday I had the most moving experience of my entire life. I helped an angel cross back over to heaven. It was November 18, 2011 a bit before seven p.m. that my beloved late Aunty Helen crossed over. I remember it vividly. I remember it always. There were times in my life when I heard people say that someone they loved had experienced a beautiful death. I really didn’t know what they meant. It sounded kind of scary. But, what happened six years ago here in my home perfectly demonstrates what a peaceful and harmonious, perfect death actually is. And, I can assure you there is nothing to fear.

This blog was started and continues in the name of my late Aunty Helen. (Thus the name Ageless with Aunty). She was the epitome of selfless humility. She was a person so highly evolved she loved and forgave everyone even those who profoundly hurt her. She lived all her life caring for and giving to others EVERY DAY. She exemplifies what it means to be a bodhisattva. She was always happy and we had a wonderful life together (along with her husband my late Uncle D another genuine good soul). She lived fully and wisely and generously until her last breath.  After a brief but extremely serious illness it was the evening of November 18^th, a Friday around quarter till seven, this is what transpired….

There was music playing softy; a mix of chanting, Christmas hymns, lullabies and arias. The room was lit perfectly with purple (her favorite color) soy and cotton wick candles.  The lights of the Christmas tree shimmered magically and twinkled like angels. I had put up the tree early that year because I knew Aunty was preparing to pass. She was resting comfortably at home and she had told me I am ready. I was right by her side along with pictures of her family including her late husband, her late daughter, her deceased parents, her parted siblings, and her grandchildren and great grandchildren. When she started to move her mouth to say I love you I knew it was time. I embraced her and told her that she would soon be united with her husband, her daughter, her parents, her siblings all of whom she loved so dearly. I am at a loss for words to describe just how much she loved them; to the extreme degree you can love another. I kissed her, held her, and told her how much I love her and that I would miss her and that I would see her again. I said things that seemed to flow out of my mouth perfectly, so comforting, so full of truth; I know they were coming directly from the Holy Spirit. I was experiencing God, the angels, the Saints, my ancestors, and the greatest divine love one can know. This is a force so powerful, a feeling so strong, that I feel immense comfort when I think of it. I always will. I myself was elevated closer to heaven in those intensely magnified moments...

Aunty passed so peacefully, perfectly, and beautifully. Right before my eyes she eased into eternity. There is no other way to say it. That is exactly what happened. She passed exactly as she had lived, with beauty, grace, dignity and strength. And as if she were a saint (and she certainly was to many)

I anointed her hands, feet, and forehead with lavender oil. I sat by her side and prayed absorbing all the goodness and Love I was later told that she was transferring to me. I received so much it will sustain me forever with an abundance to share.

This exceptional and extraordinary woman is best part of who I am. I carry her with me eternally, along with my late Uncle D. Every single night for six years now I light a candle for Aunty and for him. And I get signs all the time that her spirit is all around and we remain and forever will be connected. The love we had was so strong that I honestly feel like she is still here. I know in many ways she still is.

 A little side note: Yesterday (the six year anniversary of her passing) I ended up in the emergency room. I am fine now. It was just a scare and probably some stress. But, I was in the exact same room (number 8 and her favorite number) that Aunty had been in when I had to take her to the ER once. When I realized it was the same room, I knew I would be okay. And I am…. Thank you Aunty for continually letting me know that you are looking out for me. Which reminds me….she had one eye open when she passed. And I knew for sure that meant only one thing…given our extraordinary unbreakable bond, SHE WOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR ME FOREVER. This is validated when I recall our little good-night ritual. Right after I helped tuck her in I would hold her hand and she would look directly at me. Right after I would say “I love you forever.” She would emphatically add “forever and ever and ever….” AMEN!

LITTLE WONDERS, BIG BIG LOVE!

A fairy-tale come to life...

We have all seen and heard the gushing, swooning, carrying on, and picture bragging that parents and grandparents do; and rightly so. I can only imagine what it would be like to be a proud parent or grandparent. However, since I don’t have children and won’t ever have any grandchildren I can only speak from my life experience AND I say, what about great Auntie’s?!  Most of you know that this blog was inspired by my own late great Aunty Helen whom I utterly adored (vast understatement) and we were inseparable in life and in death.  So, I know all about the LOVE of Aunties. My late Great Aunty gave me so much selfless and undying love that now I have so much to give myself and others.

I have a great niece and nephew that I simply adore and they are so beautiful they actually take my breath away. I really believe they could be in movies if their parents wanted them to. But, I am here today to just gush, and swoon, and show pictures just like any proud parent or grandparent would. I am a proud great Aunty.  And, just remember Great Auntie’s are just as loving and awestruck as grandparents.  And in this case maybe even more since I don’t’ have any children of my own and I  love these little buggers as much as I imagine I would love my own children if I had any.

They are just perfect little beings and full of love, wonder, and joy. It’s so wonderful to spend time in their world. All they know is love and happiness, Joy and Wonder. I can relate. I have long been told I am a kid at heart. And even the product I am about to unveil to the world is one for adults who are indeed kids at heart.

So, next time you hear someone say we are the proud grandparents…think for a moment about the millions of us who don’t have children but LOVE just as deeply and care just as much as the proud parents and grandparents. WE are all put on this earth to care for one another and helping with the children is like planting seeds that will prosper in abundance. There is no such thing as too much love.  

Avery Grace right

And I have so much love to give these two little darlings and all my family… (In part thanks to my own great Aunty)! Giving and sharing the love in my heart is what I do best in this world. Remember, we are all good at something.  Not to mention THE REASON FOR LIVING IS TO LEARN HOW TO LOVE!

My great niece and nephew like all my nieces and nephews are adored to the max LIKE ALL CHILDREN SHOULD BE. We are all Magical Miracles meant to love one another with all our hearts..... Keep opening your heart!

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK, THEY ARE THERE....

with Aunty's great grandson and my godson far right and his fiancee left

How memorable was your Memorial Day (kick off into summer) weekend….take a closer look. If you are anything like me perhaps it was even better than you think.

Mine started out quite startling and harsh and ended up full of blessings and joy. As I stood there this morning waiting for my water to boil to splash over my Nantucket Blend coffee I realized I had just had a superior weekend full of blessings. And the reason it is such a big deal to me is I am the type of person who always has ten million fantasies going on about everything. So, when I think of Memorial Day weekend, I imagine being on Cape Cod, or partaking in a big family cook-out with Jimmy Buffet music playing and all my relatives there. Of course it’s 80 degrees and sunny. Then I might feel bad if I don’t get to do something like that. But let’s face it, not everyone gets to have idyllic and perfect vacations with each holiday. And, when I think of everything I experienced this weekend, I may not have been strolling about Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard with my entire family (which has been a long-time summer dream of mine) but, I ended up feeling truly blessed.

My weekend went something like this. First of all I might add it was cloudy and cold most of the weekend here in New England. I spent Friday at Mass General Hospital with my boyfriend who is dealing with an extremely serious and complicated heart disease. The procedure he was having was rather surreal and given all the worry and anxiety surrounding it I almost collapsed. Needless to say standing in the hospital waiting room I couldn’t have been any further away from those Norman Rockwell-ish holiday fantasies in my head, but, then the blessings started to come. And this weekend they came in all shapes and sizes.

A dear friend who knew I would be at the hospital all day came by to comfort me while I waited. We sipped Tulsi Tea and meditated at a secret Zen room we discovered.  Later that day my boyfriend pulled through the tests and procedure okay. I went home to sleep. On Saturday still a bit shaky, out of the blue, while I was working an old acquaintance came into the shop and after only a brief chat she took off her angel necklace and gave it to me. She had no idea what I have been dealing with. She simply said, her name is Grace and she was meant for you!

After work that day a kind and generous friend who I might add was a special friend of Aunty's too had just returned from Italy came to my home bearing gifts including a gorgeous Christmas ornament from Venice and homemade tiramisu! She had taken cooking classes in Italy, scoured all the local Italian markets when she returned, and it was the best tiramisu I have had! Even my angel Grace was smiling. 

Later that night my boyfriend and I watched one of the best documentaries we have seen: Muscle Shoals. I highly recommend it. The music and the people in it were all amazing and I was really feeling good.  The main person in the story Rick Hall is a major inspiration. I think there needs to be a monument to him.

the Shoals

Sunday morning my neighbor and friend put a copy of the New York Times at my door.  What a treat. A while later as I sipped my Nantucket coffee I enjoyed an hour long phone conversation with my mother. We laughed over funny stories and people from our past and remembered with much affection some of our beloved and departed family members. It was on that note that I went outside to gather some flowers and brought them to place at Aunty and Uncle D’s grave. Something told me they were so glad to see me and I felt connected and loved!

Then, having accepted an earlier invitation I drove over to hear Auntys’ great grandson (a talented musician) play the drums at a local tavern. I ended up spending the day with my cousins (Aunty’s granddaughter and her kids, Aunty’s great grandchildren). There were hugs, and stories, music and burgers, and future plans made. My godson (Aunty’s great grandson) asked me to stop by and see his new nearby home for the second time. It was spectacular especially out back where he just put up this Moroccan tent with lights overlooking his big backyard. It may have been cold but my heart was thoroughly warmed by now.

Monday, Memorial Day, I caught up on some work (many of you know I have some magic up my sleeves having created a sublime new product and am on the brink of unveiling something out of this world fantastic)! And speaking of amazing, another delight this weekend a friend took me to lunch at Organic Café in Beverly, Mass. This organic and raw restaurant is so good I wish I could eat there every day. I could really feel every cell in my body smiling with each bite and thanking me. We dined on fancy arame noodles dressed in creamy sesame ginger sauce, sprouted buckwheat pizza, and washed it down with a mint matcha latte. And no kidding, it truly was delicious.

Later my boyfriend and I got invited to dinner by a dear friend we both admire. She is the epitome of an artist in every aspect of her life and cooks everything from scratch. There is never a crumb left. We took a rain check (something to look forward to now). But just knowing that someone you look up to this much cares enough to invite you to dinner and drop soup off at your door when you are going through tough times is a precious gift and blessing. 

After dinner at home we poured coconut oil over our organic popcorn and watched the film Whale Rider (a film I had first seen at the Nantucket Film Festival). That movie is utterly enchanting and so well done. I went to bed with a big smile. And when I woke up today, Tuesday morning, after the long holiday weekend, I realized that I was a lot closer to Nantucket and a perfect Memorial Day Weekend then at first thought. If you look closely at any holiday weekend whether you are vacationing or not, my guess is there are so many blessings right under your nose. And a wonderful thing about blessings is, the more you recognize them the more they come…..especially when you are particularly grateful!

Can you count how many blessings there are in my story? How many were sent by Aunty?

With love,

Renee, and that Angel on my shoulder, Aunty 

THE CONSCIOUS ENTREPRENEURS

Laura C. Cannon

Meet my new BFF! This is author and business coach Laura Cannon. She wrote the book

the Conscious Entrepreneur because she is just that.

I recently was invited to hear her speak at the Harvard I-lab in Cambridge Mass.

The moment she walked into the room she absolutely exuded uplifting positive energy.

At that time I didn't really know much about her but I learned pretty quickly (well it was Harvard). She is the real deal. She walks the talk and fully lives what she writes about.

In my humble opinion her book and practice is about evolving and transforming into our better more aware selves. Awareness is key at all times. Self-awareness will help in business as entrepreneurs, but, all across the board in life!

What made me float out of there was I instinctively related to everything she was saying. Turns out we are on the same wonderful path. That would explain why we instantly connected. It does work like that. Like attracts like. Open up your heart and mind and the pages of her book and see what you attract!

Ageless at Harvard

For the readers of Ageless I urge you all to pick up her book. She truly is an extraordinary person who knows what she is talking about. She was invited to speak at Harvard for a reason. And, now the readers of Ageless have privy to the same inspiring info.

www.lauraccannon.com

Connecting with our intuition and growing and blooming as a human from there, is what it's all about.

Her precious book helps me to see everything as a gift and an opportunity to grow and to step outside ourselves. There are no limitations... 

Thanks Laura. Thank you readers of Ageless...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGELESS AUNTY....

Happy Birthday to Aunty in Heaven……

Since you were born March 7th, 1924, you are 93 today! Your spirit soars higher than ever. I feel your love like never before. You are with me. Every evening before bed I light the Aunty Candle, and, have every single night for five years now since you crossed over to the heavens! I see you in all the hearts that form in my water drops, snowflakes, and even in my coffee grinds. You really want to tell me how much you love and miss me too. I know. You remain the single greatest blessing in my life! You and Uncle D send love to me from above and it helps to keep me going when things are tough. And, when things are bright and sunny, I feel your loving warmth always there.

AT the end of every journal entry, each and every night I write, I love you Aunty and Uncle D! You are right here, beside me always, but, I just can’t touch you. Yet, our hearts touch all the time and forever. For most of my life as far as I can remember everyone said “Renee and Aunty, or Aunty and Renee!” We were best pals. Thank you again for giving me your deepest love. I feel like the most loved person in the universe when I think of what we share. You are my inspiration, you are my angel, you are my best friend ever. I adore you and miss you, and pray that you are soaring though eternity with grace and beauty and joy….just like you did while on earth. You are the epitome of selfless humility.

 My dolly Aunty (with her trademark lipstick)

I am sure the angels you frolic with agree, you achieved the highest evolvement a human being can. Your heart was pure. You gave nothing but love to me, the rest of our family, and even to those you just met. In the words you always said to me, “I love you forever and ever and ever”….. I am indeed eternally grateful. I keep your beautiful pictures all around me. I hold your stuffed animals Suey, Sweetie, and Betty Boop. I whisper loving things to you always…..and best of all, you always give me some sign that you can hear me. And, even if you didn’t, I know you can. Thank you Aunty…and Thank God for YOU. You are eternally cherished. And thanks to you, so am I!

Aunty loved coffee so much, and I love her, 

I see her in my coffee

I MISS MY BLOG.....

And Aunty too

Hello all you Ageless with Aunty Readers. I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support and continued interest in Ageless with Aunty.  Your friendship means so much, and, I just love sharing stories, adventures, mishaps and mayhem, and, all my interesting and noteworthy finds with you.

But, I have to tell you, I miss the blog. I simply haven’t had as much time to write as I would like to. Now no worries, I am still honoring my commitment. I love keeping that Ageless with Aunty Spirit alive (most of you remember our Amazing and Wonderful late Aunty who inspired and still inspires this blog). She's featured in the first two photos here.

 I will keep writing as long as you keep reading. The only little glitch these days is time.  I have also fully committed to developing my product and all that entails. Think of it as preparing to go on Shark Tank. This is real life Shank Tank i.e. seeking an angel investor, and, it’s all a full time job! I am also a caregiver to someone who has helped me for a long time and now I am doing my best to help them. So, naturally there is only so much time in the day. Not to mention finding ways to simply keep a roof over my head while I carry on like a mad scientist with my creation.

I won't stop reaching for a star until I catch one

Yet, no matter how busy I am, I always miraculously make time somehow for a little fun. I have to have stuff to write about, don’t I? And, then I have to make sure I find the time to write it. I miss it myself when I don’t. People tell me they really like the blog. It’s been called “charming and upbeat.” And, let’s face it, we need more of that. 

So, thanks for staying tuned. I can undoubtedly promise you that there is a lot more EXCITEMENT TO COME. What I have up my sleeves (and very close to bringing to fruition this time) will truly inspire and uplift you. And, as a reader of Ageless with Aunty, you will be privy to all the news before anyone else. And, I can assure you, for any lapse of time I don’t write, it only means I am working very hard, and when I get back to the blog, it will be with something worthwhile. But, most important, I will always get back to the Blog!  I believe Aunty enjoys reading it from heaven. And, since she remains a major inspiration, I’m staying Ageless with Aunty! I hope you will too….

HAVE A HEALTHIER SUPER BOWL!

The one and only Tom "New England" Brady

Here is one of the best articles on eating healthier for the Super Bowl!

Let's face it.....we all want to be healthier and most of us watch the Super Bowl.

Thanks to EWG (the Environmental Working Group) they have put together some wonderful suggestions to enjoy the game in the healthiest way.....

http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2017/02/your-game-plan-healthier-super-bowl-sunday?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=SuperBowl&utm_medium=email

I am willing to bet that the gorgeous Mrs. Tom Brady is not eating donuts!

She's probably eating from the above list too.

Keep it here on Ageless with Aunty!

Mrs. Tom Brady

Pass the Kale please!!!

I think I'll steam some string beans during half-time...or better yet,

maybe I'll watch the game from the treadmill!!!

Thanks EWG 

http://www.ewg.org

and Thanks Tom and Gisele

For more on what Tom and Gisele are actually eating go to

http://www.self.com/story/what-is-tom-and-giseles-8020-raw-diet-about

WINTER WEDDING MAGIC....

It's snowing in New England today…and what’s a perfect thing to do in a winter storm;  well, why not go shopping for wedding dresses?! And, in this case, I went with Aunty’s great granddaughter, Jeana Renee. Jeana is my young cousin, but, feels more like a niece/daughter. She was named in part after me, and, after Aunty’s daughter Jeanie (Jeana Renee's late grandmother).  The bride-to-be, her mom, and I, remained warm and cozy knowing we had the blessings of our beloved angels, Aunty and her daughter Jeanie, from heaven. We know there is a heaven because there is no place else they could ever be! And, we've stayed connected!

At first, all I could think about was my how time flies! I remember standing with Aunty and Uncle D at Jeana’s Christening.  And, standing outside the church for her first holy communion….  

What a magical feeling trying on wedding dresses is. Jeana just couldn’t get enough and neither could we. She tried on mermaid gowns, A-line gowns, pink gowns, champagne colored, lacy, feather, frilly and more. Our heads were spinning. Here (below) is just one shot of a dress I asked her to try on. She had no idea I snapped this, but I thought it was fun. If you look really close you can even see the tattoo of her late Nana Jeanie’s name on her right side. I call it Angel on your shoulder...

Jeana tried on as many gowns as time allowed. These days crowded wedding salons have limits. With so many wedding visions dancing in our heads we'll be back!

Afterwards we were showered with snowflakes as we went to sip Chestnut Praline Latte’s at a nearby Starbucks. There is truly a lot that goes into planning a wedding and I am over the moon they have asked me to help. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT WEDDINGS! My own yet-to-be published book is about one, and I just have a true affinity for them.  I am already starting to put the soundtrack together for Jeana.  On my way home in the storm I pulled over because I heard a perfect song and had to write it down. It’s called Snowbound by Donald Fagan. I wish I could play it for you.  (try this link) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vht_XsBtzHQ 

Since Jeana plans to get married in December it's perfect!

Jeana here is an idea for you

Some of my readers have asked for more blog posts from me. I have been so busy building my own little magic company and Christmas time that I just haven’t had the time. And, I do apologize. Thank you so much for sticking with me here at Ageless with Aunty!  We are moving on up....

With my own magic brewing, and weddings in the air (my god son, Ryan, Aunty’s great grandson/Jeana Renee’s brother, is also getting married too), I will surely have more to share with you. And, since weddings are not only wonderful, romantic, and fabulous, they are indeed Ageless… 

~Cheers~