tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39934176324061537412024-03-13T01:59:13.896-07:00SharonunlimitedHandmade jewelry findings and my crafty journey-Sharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-70284809898467352412015-08-21T13:57:00.002-07:002015-09-06T19:56:49.217-07:00How I Got Stung<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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When
I brought my first batch of honey bees home–the buzzing box headed for
my backyard on a warm night in May–I was skeptical that my new
hobby made any sense. Would my bees starve? Would they get sick?
Would they annoy my neighbors?</div>
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Luckily, and by this point, I
had been working part time for a bee removal company for a couple
months, so I was somewhat seasoned by the job. And upon joining a local
beekeepers club, I discovered both bees and urban beekeepers were
multiplying in Prescott and the quad-city area. I also learned bees
in a small backyard, such as mine, amongst the houses, schools and
churches, have just as good a chance as anywhere else to thrive.
Neighborhood trees, my giant Pyracantha bush, the neighbor's Russian
Sage and any overgrown yards provide enough nectar and pollen–not
to just sustain my bees throughout this summer season–but to score
me some of their surplus honey!<br />
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My
closest neighbors hardly noticed how busy the hive situated only 60
feet from their house became,
even after I added a honey super (where the bees but the honey
as opposed to eggs). In fact, they welcomed my bees when I
first told them about it. They were only reminded again of my hive
with a gift of bee goodness (honey) I gave them across the fence on
Tuesday.</div>
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Jumping
back to my bee removal job, I get asked a lot: “How did I decide to
do this type of work?” Truth be told, there was no “Eureka!”
moment, but I believe the Universe must have been dropping seeds here
and there, starting with a home exchange I did in Sweden last fall
2014. My friends there were beekeepers, foodies and artists, and
owned an art gallery called <i>Honey Gallery</i> in Bromma, Stockholms Lan. The apartment I lived in
was next to allotment gardens, which I strolled through most days to
appreciate the precious undiscovered glory that is life: birds, bees, moths, butterflies, flowers, apple trees, wild deer and the people that nurtured it.</div>
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Another invisible seed was dropped early 2015 while visiting
the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension office armed with a
couple gardening questions. They gave me a local beekeepers and
master gardener's business card and said to call them. So I called
Cliff, and he and his wife, Nancy, invited me to their property in
Prescott Valley for a show-n-tell. I cannot remember now how the
conversation went, but Cliff and I got into bee suits and headed out
to the yard where all the hive boxes where buzzing and see how
comfortable I was handling frames full of bees, honeycomb and honey.
I was comfortable, and so I had to know more...</div>
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Things
started to really change when I found myself casually interviewing
for a job with Cliff's company, Last Shadow Apiary, in his kitchen
that I had no plans for. But life as it so happens, has a funny way
of sometimes bringing the right path to you even if you are too
oblivious to head down it on your own. After apprenticing on four bee removal calls
end of February/March, it was in April that I signed a contract with
Cliff and started getting calls to remove and relocate bee swarms and
hives from water boxes on my own. I travel all around
Prescott, and the quad-city area, performing this noble service. I have my own bee
suit and all the necessary equipment needed to capture/remove the
bees kept in the back of my car. I can feel the spirits of
generations of bees emanating a loud buzz as I drive down the road
and turn them over to Cliff's. He keeps as
many batches of bees as possible and puts them into vertical stacking
hive boxes in his bee yard and then re-queens them so they are less
aggressive (long story short).
<br />
<br />
I had never understood just
how interesting bees were, but through Cliff's generosity and sharing
his life-long knowledge of bees that I learned the ins and outs of
keeping a bee hive, honey bee anatomy, procuring a new queen and how
to handle her, and the most exciting part to me at this stage:
harvesting the honey.
What
I revel in most now is located under a native Juniper tree in dappled
light in my own backyard: the opportunity I have took for myself to
have my own hive of honey bees for real! I wanted more than just an
occasional purchase of agave nectar I was using for my
various baking projects; I deeply desired the real deal with all it's
fantastic nutrients from live cultures: the pollen, bee bread, honey
in the wax, and the raw honey itself. Luckily, it has all been
successful, as I continue to feel at ease working outdoors, being connected to
the natural world in this special way and having a real sense of home in Prescott. Bees are such
magical creatures that they do so much for us and ask for so little in
return.
<br />
<br />
Looking
ahead at 2016, I <i>might</i> expand my home apiary to 2 hives and
<i>maybe</i> start to offer
hive setup and management for other people too: restaurants, animal
sanctuaries, urban farms, ranches and even a bee yard on the
Prescott-Yavapai Indian reservation—why not? While putting a
“maybe” and an “I might” in front of this last sentence, I
find myself evolving as I go along trying to decide what works best
in the context of my lifestyle and for the bees. It is also my hope
that after you've read this (and maybe other parts of my blog) that
you'll grow confident in your own wild and crazy plans like I did! Love, Sharon</div>
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Sharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-64418922518710555872015-05-11T21:25:00.000-07:002015-05-12T16:40:33.609-07:00I Hope You Don't Mind<span style="font-family: inherit;">"It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money, but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live. / If I was a sculptor, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you. / And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple, but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My MP3 player has a fairly eclectic mix of songs. Sometimes I want to be revved up, sometimes I want to be taken back in time, and sometimes I want to hear my feelings summed up by a great lyricist. "Your Song" by Elton John fulfills a favorite "song duty" of mine, and it is beautiful. This song is just so genuine and sweet. In a very simple, honest and raw way, the person singing confesses that they may not have everything to offer, but they want to extend the best they possibly can.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This song makes me think of the immeasurable things in life and how they are a clear and effective representation of what I like to create, in being the gift I give that I think I might be lacking if I were the gift myself. I am for you. You know who you are. Love, Sharon</span>Sharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-69219695305982856822015-03-26T22:00:00.000-07:002015-03-26T22:02:40.925-07:00Once || my try at writing poetry<strong>Once</strong><br />
Once the warm flow of horses<br />
Dried up under the locked mind<br />
that held me from them<br />
changed by friskiness, played<br />
havoc on my senses,<br />
flamed, re-flamed me where I made<br />
my architecture of bedrock in the<br />
naked light.<br />
<br />
Then beyond the conscious mind all<br />
was at ease.<br />
Cotton batting stopped up the fence line<br />
where a horse neighs of delight, comforting,<br />
had kicked holes through.<br />
A late summer I could never know<br />
traveled the cut-up road with<br />
an evil called loose rock.<br />
It was so pure, though dusty<br />
from nowhere its crumbles flying.<br />
<br />
Beyond the mind all was resting.<br />
I bowed in my lonely ritual.<br />
<br />
26 March~~Love SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-73771437453333086022015-03-11T15:43:00.002-07:002015-03-11T19:56:56.046-07:00A Very Special Interview: Horse-hearted Woman Diane Olsen<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diane and Stormy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today I am so excited to be sharing with you an interview with certified personal life coach, "horse-hearted woman" and artist, <a href="http://www.dianeolsen.org/" target="_blank">Diane Olsen</a>. It was amazing to learn how much she's accomplished in her life by continuously following her horsemanship path and sending a message of inspiration to all women. She is known for her unique ability to reveal a horse's unique spiritual and emotional presence through her exquisite commissioned horse portraits, and in working with clients through her horse-facilitated personal life coaching practice.<br />
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<b>What do you do and how long have you been doing it?</b> I have been an artist for over 25 years and have been creating something my whole life. I've owned horses for 11 years (Stormy is my second horse, a very special horse that has brought a lot of positive change to my own life), and have been a trained personal life coach for 4 years. I consider the kind of coaching I do a unique art form within itself, where I guide my clients to experience deeper personal discovery, spiritual growth, healing and creative expression. Coaching can be with or without the presence of a horse, with or without art,whatever is the client's preference. I also coach clients on the phone. In the last year, I have developed two very fun, meaningful, and rewarding coaching and painting workshops that combine horses with personal and creative expression through painting.<br />
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<b>Who inspired you/who are your mentors?</b> It all started with Linda Kohanov, who writes and teaches from a human-evolution perspective and is the author of several books I adore, including The Tao of Equus. I attended a workshop with Linda in 2003 and was greatly moved by the experience and potential of the horse/ human connection. More recently came Kathy Pike, with whom I did my coaching training. Another beautiful person who influenced me greatly because of his wise and gently insistence on "softness" when being with and working with horses is Mark Rashid from Colorado.<br />
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<b>What previous life or work experience applies to what you do now?</b> I guess it is no surprise that everything I have lived and learned so far in my life has brought me to this meaningful and rewarding work, so it’s been wonderful to have it all come together this way. My personal spiritual life has expanded and grown, too. Over the last ten years, my horse has taught me how to truly love myself and to know that I, and we, all matter greatly in the bigger picture of meaning and Spirit.<br />
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<b>You mentioned the term non-predatory so do you think we (humans) are naturally predators?</b> Me: I am fascinated by the psychology of animals, especially horses, and you spoke about us (humans) moving away from the predator-oriented world we now live in toward a more non-predatory orientation, and how this allows not only for us to have a better way to understand the horse, but also for horses to fulfill a greater spiritual purpose with humans.<br />
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<b>Can you please expand a little more?</b> Sure. This whole non-predatory idea is at the heart of what I do and what I myself am patiently striving to become. We as humans are predators and have been since the fall of man as described in the Bible. We changed from being non-predatory to killing our way through life for food, emotional release, and justice. Horses are prey animals, which means they do not kill other animals for these reasons, but rather can get eaten by animal predators such a mountain lion, and used by humans in a variety of dominating ways. Many women resonate with this understanding and that is why they are often so quickly drawn to horses. Both predators and prey live in a world of relationships. To be non-predatory is to consciously choose to act in non-predatory ways even though as a species, we are predators. To do this, to make this choice, changes us gradually from the inside out, and can change the world into a much more cooperative, peaceful, and loving place.<br />
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<b>What are the most rewarding aspects of your work?</b> Helping others feel heard by gently examining and exploring the aspects of their lives they want to change. Also to help others feel inspired, see and experience greater dimensions in life and their relationships through being coached in the presence of horses. I believe in the beautiful spirit of horses, their requirement for honesty to survive, and their innate abilities to "read" our thoughts and feelings, to clearly sense their environment and elements in nature, making them amazing companions and vehicles for our advancement as human beings.<br />
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<b>Would you like to share anything else for others reading my blog, wishing to make a transition and follow their dreams?</b> Our lives are all about the choices we make. As a coach, I encourage your readers to listen to that still small voice inside them that wants to show them their deepest desires, purpose, and dreams. And then I encourage them to choose to seek out someone who can help them find their own pathway to make those things real and to come true, to find a better way to be and enjoy life. As an artist, I encourage your readers to see creative expression as a blessed avenue of choice and discovery that awaits each one on their own unique journey.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I hope you enjoyed reading Diane's interview and learning about all the layers that make her so real and spiritually-rounded. There is no doubt something magical about her, and I can't wait to meet Stormy some day soon. Additionally, she has written a life coaching workbook and and art handbook, and leads coaching and painting weekend workshops for small groups. The Heart2Horse workshop emphasizes coaching with horses, and Heart2Art workshop focuses on painting. She has Heart2Horse and Heart2Artworkshops coming up this year in May and June in the mountains near San Diego, as well as upcoming workshops planned for the spring and summer in Prescott. Her greatest wish is for her clients to open their hearts to do the things that will bring long-lasting, positive change to their lives that they may deeply desire. Diane moved with her horse, Stormy, to Prescott last fall, a place she had felt drawn to for some time. Her coaching website is: <a href="http://www.dianeolsen.org/">http://www.dianeolsen.org</a>.<br />
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Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-26362763468122029022015-02-27T14:27:00.001-07:002015-03-01T19:27:29.370-07:00Happiness is Resting on Water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I noticed that I've been resisting to post because I have been waiting for that extra special something to take the main stage in my life. (Although going to college for a semester has put me "on stage.") On the other hand, there is this curious lightness of being in the air and a lack of eventfulness that is quite nice, actually. So I began to wonder… Why do I always harp so much about my search and desire for the inner calm, but when it actually comes my way, I easily dismiss it as unimportant or feel a little too plain within myself?
The answer was in looking back on my pictures from Eden the other day. And right now it really feels as if I have been suspended by a calm and floating bliss: happiness is resting on water.<br />
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The reason I chose the image above is because it illustrates what I see from this state of "happy resting." From here I see my life as a beautiful collection of small compartments filled with seeds, gardens, trees, food, water, animals, rocks and soil. Some of these containers are filled with prettier parts, some have had more time to germinate, and some are more colorful than others. From this point of quietude though, I'm not choosing one thing to focus on. Instead, all these living boxes only prevail to form a big picture with a "You are Here" sign that places me on a trail-side map sign with random veins and arteries coming in.<br />
<br />
Sure there are things that still need attention and work (piles of homework). Besides, we always feel the need to push forward no matter what, don’t we? If I could begin to tell you how that anticipation has burned and consumed me in the past few months and years.
But not now. Now I am just sitting in this pool of tranquility, while all this other stuff remains out there to be solved, fixed and taken care of. Yet, I am content going on walks, taking the time to bake, watering the seedlings, loving my 2 hens, Luna and Night, eating mashed sweet potato yams and reading a magazine not pertaining to my classes.
Not much indeed is happening. But somehow this mellowness warms me like the the floating sun on a winter-ish Friday. It rests on water, and it is enough. Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-65740540888949814182015-01-20T15:06:00.002-07:002015-03-11T15:29:17.219-07:00Year of the Goat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The <em>History of the Holy Goat Ranch</em> recorded an anecdote involving their three female goats: Miss Brown, Prissy and Dot. Miss Brown had mistaken Dot's high heel shoes for her own, and so Dot gave the shoes to her. Later when Miss Brown found her shoes out in the dump pile, and decided to give Dot's shoes back to her, but she would not accept the returned shoes.<br />
<br />
A similar event occurred one and a half years prior between Prissy and Miss Brown. Prissy took Miss Brown's shoes sitting by the stanchion by mistake. Miss Brown smiled saying, "Are they yours?" and gave the shoes to her. Soon Prissy found the shoes she had lost and gave Miss Brown's shoes back, feeling bad because they looked rather worn-out. Miss Brown asked if they weren't really hers, then smiled while she scraped the edge of the souls with her knife and a brightness of gold shone through clearly, and then took the shoes back.<br />
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These are trivial matters amongst goats and for us people too, however, the question arises: Is it better for us to act as Miss Brown or Dot?<br />
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Well, I hope you like my story. Lots of symbolism can be pulled out, with my favorite one being that in a society based on capital, other peoples' motives are not always well understood. And without amicability, we are marooned, and all the goats know it. Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-14537034737710478092014-12-31T12:08:00.001-07:002014-12-31T12:56:53.550-07:002014 Year in ReviewGreetings from Prescott, Arizona, where snow is falling as 2014 comes to a close...<br />
<br />
2014 included one of my biggest and most anticipated travel goals: I went on a double home exchange to Denmark and then Sweden. There were a few things I lost during the year, but what I gained was way more valuable: a state of deeper happiness, a more savvy adaptability, new friends that instilled and returned to me the interconnectedness of our humanity (imperfect or messy as they were), some killer dinner parties, playtime and celebration with ranch horses out in pasture, practical experience at an equine facility/horse ranch, time with canine pal, Otis, soaking at Eden Hot Springs, and lots of Real Love encounters = being a better steward of this lifestyle.<br />
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I am going into the new year living life a little slower than I have for the past several years. I'm shifting my extra time towards homesteading in my backyard and classes at the local college, while I continue to sell beautiful things online. I'm finding myself more content with what I have, learning to sit with loneliness and not run from all of the feelings that come and then go. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that I do the best when I let my heart be broken for the world around me to see and focus on all the good I have. Gratitude and hope are the "drugs" that get me through.<br />
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I have also learned that the value other people communicate to me does not have to speak louder than the value I find in myself. This has been work, but it's so worth it. It'll keep being worth it. If you've been following my blog, then you've seen my recent posts of the events mentioned above. Just me, saying thanks for being a part of it and I hope to thank you in person over the next couple weeks. With much Love, Sharon
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Sharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-48685718366031803162014-12-15T10:17:00.002-07:002014-12-15T10:20:17.146-07:00Clean Up as You GoThis is a new principle that I have been working on and is grounded in the three permaculture ethics. It is so rich and real that it inspired my post today! I've been doing a giant clean up around my house and in the yard and preparing to have friends over around the holidays. I'm caring for things in such a way that the clutter does not build up again as quickly. Also, I'm preparing the ground for a future, small-scale, high-yield garden in the spring. The balancing force to this is that a clear space will inspire people to use it and fill it with love and life...one day soon.<br />
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Another inspiration has been my two new, young hens. As strange as this sounds, they remind me to emotionally clean up as I go. This means I'm dealing with the stuff that comes up when relating to others in the moment, not leaving it for later when it has gone stale or festered. This energy is so powerful. It can make people uncomfortable, but it is there to enlarge our lives I believe. I no longer want to baby anything that does not want to seize its chance at life or to be available and connectable in my life.<br />
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Getting back to permaculture, I think it's only fair to leave a place at least as beautiful as how you found it. Who knows how many generations are going to walk in my back yard after I have left it, right? For example, it is my goal to no longer take other peoples' time by leaving a pile of work for them after I leave the dinner table. My foods scraps will either be fed to their animals or put in the compost and my dishes will be done after the meal. And if I had my own gold mine (metaphorically I do), the tailings would be left stable on a re-vegetated, open field.<br />
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When you clean up as you go, you can always manage it. It never becomes overwhelming. It is truly a pleasure to work and live in a cleared space. Happy Holidays with Love, Sharon
Sharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-89708596337591858102014-12-03T15:12:00.002-07:002014-12-03T15:19:10.267-07:00UntitledWith the Christmas season upon us, I begin both anticipating and dreading the eve and day of. The lead-up parties: El Gato's party, Taj & gifts with the ladies and Holiday music @ Yavapai, are going to be exciting, yes! In either case, the anxiety I feel as these approach later in the week have far less to do with the festivities themselves as it does with the people who will actually be attending them. I'm holding my breath to push through another holiday season as best as I can. Because no matter how "spiritual" or world-travelled I think I may be, or how much Real Love I have, there's something about Christmas that reduces me.<br />
<br />
I am not spelling this out because something needs to be fixed. While I have tons of friends and family in my life that "love me like crazy," no one is exactly like me or in the same shoes on Christmas day. I feel like I'm cracked from hitting the sides too hard with my spoon and anger or chipped from being dropped to go run towards a loved one in need. I am uniquely my own. The holiday kind of turns this unique and celebrated aspect around and I'm stubborn in shifting my perspective, wishing to not see the beauty of these "flaws."
<br /><br />
Your "story" is likely very different from mine. But perhaps it offers something useful to people reading this who are on the brink of changing their own lives. Fundamental to all our stories is that our Christmas's are imagined before they come into being. I hope you image something beautiful coming forth in yours, with no one forcing you to feel anything if you don't want to. If we make the best of this time acting on the rise to our reaction, perhaps history will call it the start of a renaissance.
<br /><br />
The amazing thing about December is that no matter how many festivities you're set up to attend, it’s designed so that, regardless of the combination the people always go together — chips, cracks and all things we've yet to learn to make ourselves. Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-77982950733127793182014-11-22T17:36:00.000-07:002014-11-23T15:29:42.193-07:00Still hereI have been a bit absent from the blog lately — both in terms of actual blog posts but also in terms of really "being" in the blog posts. One of the reasons has been lack of time due to reconnecting with friends that I missed over the last 3 months, but I have to admit that I've also found it hard to be inspired in terms of creating content.<br />
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November is not my favorite month of the year. Days are getting shorter and although I did very much welcome fall and the end of summer, I can't seem to get used to the early darkness and chillier weather in the evenings here in Prescott.<br />
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For now here is a pic from my friend's ranch the other night when the light was still there and winter time hadn't set in yet.<br />
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Enjoy your weekend!<br />
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<br />Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-9430154961121759622014-11-04T07:19:00.001-07:002014-11-04T07:30:22.511-07:00InfinityYesterday a dear friend told me his dog, Otis, went hunting and never came back. Surprisingly, I handled the news with calmness and the first thing I said was, "can we call for him now?" It was sad, thinking he was so suddenly and rudely snatched away from our lives and there was no calling him back. I wonder if Otis is in Heaven. Death is still such a weird thing for me to comprehend.<br />
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Here is Otis enjoying life:<br />
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So long: now you soar with a lighter, stronger soul. I love you little guy for opening my heart to infinity and to cry.<br />
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p.s. I also wrote about Otis here: <a href="http://sharonunlimited.blogspot.com/2014/03/still-winter.html">http://sharonunlimited.blogspot.com/2014/03/still-winter.html</a>Sharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-48781765460899774862014-11-01T23:05:00.001-07:002014-11-02T08:25:04.058-07:00ForwardI handed over the keys (actually left them secured in Lotta's box) early November 1st, with one last look, I stepped out of the apartment door for the last time, walked down the path for the last last time and looked back down Ulvsundavägen for the last time. Home exchanging has been such a process for me. Both literally and figuratively. Ironically, it feels like I'm leaving and forgetting all these parts of me (where I'd make trips back and forth to clear it all out and erase all traces) and being able to in less than an hour, pack up and go forward. What feels like a myth will take many days of processing: it's almost like something that never was, but will always be happening.<br />
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The apartment saw me live, fade, and come back to life again.<br />
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And even though there was never a person to "come home to" in this apartment, I celebrated everything and everyone I love in this space in one way or another. Even if was just writing their name on a piece of paper or sending them a secret wish for Real Love right before I fell asleep at bedtime.<br />
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And even though the apartment was not mine or decorated with my taste, some things about it exuded my personality, by accident. For example, there were flaws in the apartment.<br />
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I walked out that door, slightly wistful, but also so relieved. I am ready to put my energy somewhere else now. I'm so excited to get to start a new chapter in Prescott hopefully working with horses in my favorite southwest setting that is a traditional ranch. Or I am thinking of homesteading by turning my entire property into a functional gardening space.<br />
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Life is not what I thought it would be. But it's hard and good. Bitter and sweet. And I'm not looking back. I'm not going that way :-)<br />
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Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-86902031947795503332014-10-29T02:23:00.000-07:002014-10-29T10:32:07.424-07:00Wrapping it up soonPeople often ask: how has the home exchange been, or in other words, what has it done for me? I have to note (apologizing for sounding somewhat morbid about it) that it has been kind of like a near death experience. As if I didn't love simple things enough already, the Universe was making sure I LOVE them in life more than ever. Every minute is a second chance. My future self can't /could not image this years ago so I had to sort of die first. Photo collage to follow...<br />
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Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-57299488038827492512014-10-24T10:19:00.003-07:002014-10-24T10:21:16.771-07:00Black and White | Glimpses from SwedenI hope you have enjoyed your week. Here are 4 pics I would like to share, as I've been experimenting with making good black and whites lately. See you next week!<br />
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Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-67153302454129130732014-10-21T02:11:00.004-07:002014-10-21T02:16:50.326-07:00Flowers in Cyanotype Blues | SwedenAs fall and winter are coming closer and yesterday was a prime example, I popped into the Swedish Museum of Photography, also known as Fotografiska. These 5 photo manipulations were inspired from this visit and a very special love in my heart for the color blue, from cyan to cobalt to everything in between. All of these images were captured at some point while I was "roaming the earth." And besides, it's easier to be a Swede when your own soul is blue too...<br />
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Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-11423163916981038252014-10-13T10:31:00.000-07:002014-10-13T23:36:16.298-07:00Feeling French | StockholmFyra Knop (translation = four knots) is a crêperie that lies on Svartensgatan and is only one side street way from the other restaurants and cafes on Götgatan Street. I chose this place because it felt both cozy and romantic, and open starting at 17 right when I happened to walk by! I imagine coming here again when I want to eat galettes/crêpes and drink a bottle of wine with a loved one or out on a date.<br />
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Here I am trying to choose between several savory crêpes or a dessert crepe. They all sound equally good; why does it have to be so hard to choose! I decided to try a "stripped" variety with just a little sugar. I also ordered, and it came perfectly made, a cappuccino. There was also cidre brut and champagne available to order.
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The atmosphere is very cozy and relaxed with old rustic furniture and lots of young people rolling in right around 17 filling the place up very quickly (the locals know).
However, this brings up a downside that it is rather small : I noticed the waitress/hostess had a book of bookings where people had called in ahead for a table.<br />
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<i>Wishing you all a most wonderful start to your week...</i> Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-37071804948441931692014-10-12T05:58:00.002-07:002014-10-12T06:14:23.175-07:00Lily Pads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since discovering the Diana-photo-inspired look, my end of the month posts are bound to feature more photos than words from me. There are so many images to chase… I was feeling giddy when, thankfully, in a moment of downtime this weekend, I reconnected with an exquisite quote from one of my favorite authors. “My coming of faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lily pads, round and green those places summoned and held me while I grew. Each prepared me to the next leaf on which I would land, and this way I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear. When I look back at these early resting places — I can see how flimsy and indirect a path they made. Yet each step brought me closer to the verdant pad of faith in which somehow I afloat today.” ::Anne Lamott::<br />
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I have observed that in my life, despite the rush and angst to make things happen, I've never been able to suddenly leap either. My path has actually been quite wobbly and accidental. It is good to recognize though, that no matter how many steps I took and in which direction I went, these steps sure led me to extraordinary places. So, whatever the future may bring, here is a unique end of the month opportunity: Let’s just rest in our accomplishments and be held by their support as we approach the end of another phase and, soon, end of the year.<br />
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Here are my personal “lily pads” I want to share with you:<br />
First is the successfulness of this home exchange I am on. I feel both humbled and honored to be accepted into these beautiful countries (Denmark and Sweden) and these strangers' homes without having met in person before, to experience a place in their precious homes and also in the neighborhoods (Thank you Michael, Madeleine and Lars). It all sounds so easy, however, new friends didn't come "included" with either exchange location, and so I worked very hard at building a temporary life that included people. It has made me more friendly and outgoing, eager to meet and befriend new people and seek out as many opportunities as possible. Whether this meant small things such as going for picnics, asking a neighbor to come out for lunch with me, or finding and eating at different cafés, kayaking or taking bike trips across the city. These all represented the kinds of things I always wanted to do in Prescott, Az, but never got around to right before I left.<br />
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Finally, to complete the home exchange with even more joy, I will be going to Estonia by boat for a quick 24-hour trip with 2 other friends (1 seat still left in the cabin!) Love, Sharon :DSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-33085682736739283132014-10-09T21:44:00.000-07:002014-10-12T02:40:27.128-07:00New Fascination: The Diana CamerasOver the weekend, I was in Södermalm, the more relaxed-trendy-creative neighborhood south of Stockholm, and naturally wondered into a second-hand store. The place seemed very popular and had a lot of gorgeous things in the windows. Not needing anymore clothes, I walked back to the hodge-podge area thinking of kitschy souvenirs where my eyes slipped over to a Diana F+ More True Tales & Short Stories hardback book in a cute size. Oddly there were 2 copies. I took the one for 40 krona and was happily reading and learning about little plastic, highly collectible, historical (late 60s), old-school, analog (means it needs 35mm film) cameras and the style of photos they produce. Not sure of how the name <i>Diana</i> for these toy-plastic cameras first came about; the first camera was the Diana, then the Diana+, the DianaF+, and there are the many variations that are replicas of the Diana that have since been brought to the market.<br />
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I also learned a new word: <b>lomography</b>. Lomography is defined as is a photographic image style, an analog camera movement and a community facilitated by The Lomographic Society International.<br />
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It is not true our photo-sharing culture these days has digitally rebirthed a similar style via Instagram, whereby a filter transforms the look-? Once you see photos from these cameras, you will see what I'm talking about... Although I've not had a chance to dig through opinions and forums, I speculate a slight difference is the concentration placed on capturing the moment and telling a story rather than fiddling with a bunch of knobs, lens changes and settings. And so be it simple and instant, like the cell phone cameras most of us are using nowadays, I feel locked in the limits of mine, sort of like a pin-hole and/or with light leaks, for what a phone camera can do and work my way artistically around that.<br />
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Most forefrontedly, here is my take on this beautiful, blurry-soft, dreamy-toned world that Diana cameras are known for utilizing my 2-year old LG Smart phone. Photo editing has been done deliberately using mainly the Photo Filters and Lighting Effects (sometimes I add Blur and sometimes Noise) in Photoshop CS2, version 9.0.<br />
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And there you are. And here I stand—with my heart wide open to sharing with you my visions. Thank you for being here on my journey this month and always....Xo, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-32527830623945443322014-10-02T05:28:00.000-07:002014-10-02T13:47:03.232-07:00This week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My life abroad is pretty relaxed right now, and the fun has been gaining a nice momentum with the new friends I recently made. However, sometimes I slip back to my life in Arizona and just inquired about renting a cottage at my friend's ranch when I return home in November. This may seem a little exaggerated, but my stomach is literally aching from enthusiasm. As you have already know, I dream and write about horses like a young girl and I'm a huge natural horsemanship fan, and so this is an opportunity to grow myself further in a free-spirited lifestyle. Keep your fingers crossed for me that her and I can work something out...<br />
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Back to Stockholm: I had fika with Anna. Fika is both a Swedish verb and noun that basically implies "drinking coffee" usually accompanied by something sweet. Walking down the middle of Drottninggatan on a slope we decided to try Kafé Esaisa (would have been easy to miss). And it was one of those hallelujah moments! The guy making the coffee put so much effort and love into our cups. My latté looked fantastic, it tasted fantastic and I fell in love with the place. They also had a nice selection of sweets, which I tried a cannelet, a very tiny French pastry with a tender sponge-like dough center and a dark<wbr></wbr>, thick caramelized crust! and a soft boiled egg. Patrons at the outside tables had light lunches that looked like they are made with the same love.<br />
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Anna went on an errand and I continued to walk around window shopping, then finally stopping in at a Myrorna, a chain of second hand stores with clothes, dishes, housewares, you name it. Down the street, I met another gal in a design shop that her and her husband owned, and we chatted for about an hour (Swedes are so friendly) before having lunch at The Grand India, which is a great place for vegetarians, vegans and even meat eaters. The place smelled unbelievably good and that sold me. I had a simple, economic Cesar salad which had large pieces of curry chicken and the best dressing. Before getting back on the metro for home, I went to an up-scale gourmet market, Cajsa Warg, where I bought some carefully selected groceries, which included tonkabönor,(a forbidden vanilla bean) and muskotblomma (orange dried flower blooms from nutmeg), both are for the raw spa treats I'm been making in my kitchen.<br />
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Backing up a little bit: This past weekend I went to an event called, Konst Ringen, which consisted of artists and craftsmen on exhibition around the Mälaren Islands, an area which stretches to the west and slightly south of Bromma. I picked up a brochure that had a little map in it showing 21 different artist locations, all with ties to the islands. I only made it by bike to two of the stops which had cermanics (Raku), silver smithing & beaded jewelry and at the last one more Raku along with gorgeous knitted accessories. Then on Tuesday I went back by bike to the "royal" island Lovö to visit Drottningholms Palace and Kina Palace with more of a focus on the building details and wonderful box ivy gardens and took a good handful of pictures.<br />
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Sweet dreams, everyone, as the time follows I hope a beam of sun in the right location relaxes you too. <br />
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Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-51699635176579270402014-09-25T13:33:00.003-07:002014-09-25T13:39:22.195-07:00Café Gråmunken | Stockholm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite cafés in Stockholm is called Café Gråmunken. It is a traditional coffee shop, occupying two small floors in a building from medieval times. It is located on Gamla Stan (Old Town), Stockholms län, one of my favorite places.<br />
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What makes this place special is the old, dark stone vault on the lower floor. Gråmunken, which means "the Grey Monk," was what the Cistercian and Franciscan monks were commonly known as. I wish I was able to get a few pictures of this vault, but it was closed off at the time.<br />
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This café would be especially nice on a chilly fall/winter day or evening, when all you want to do is cozy up indoors and enjoy a hot coffee drink, take a break and write postcards or poetry. It has also has a special ambiance that is a darkness of lightness, if that makes sense.
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I almost refused to write a post about something as typical as coffee today, but I wanted an excuse to share some more artsy photos around Stockholm. Oh, and to tell you the lattés here are good and strong, just like the Swedes and I like them.<br />
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Have a beautiful Thursday! Love, Sharon
Sharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-31222201120835657252014-09-23T00:56:00.001-07:002014-09-23T01:32:53.241-07:00Best Travel Advice Received | 30 Days of Indie Travel, Day 30In responding to the best advice received while traveling, my mind went immediately to Elizabeth Gilbert's world-famous book, <em><strong>Eat, Pray, Love</strong></em>. Although I was not traveling at the time I read it, it satisfied my wanderlust and was a good long, juicy story. Through the art of story-telling from the female perspective, she explored basic, life-changing lessons, ones that I could apply to myself even when my marriage was at a high point, I still wanted to eat, pray and love a lot more. What I love most about Elizabeth's "advice" was that it inspired me to get up and do my best with who I am and with what I have each day. To be a pioneer of continuing on.<br />
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My second best travel advice comes from another author, Tim Ferriss, and he says: <strong>“Do what excites you.”</strong> Sometimes it is helpful to write things down that make me happy and that are good life policies. After a while I have a pretty clear picture of who I am, flaws and all, and what fulfills me. Having a travel wish list is helpful as well.<br />
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I'll end this post with these "pieces" of my travels to date (in and around the Stockholm area). This also wraps up the Indie 30 Days of Travel project. But it is never goodbye ;-)<br />
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Happy trails xoxo, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-24769918370340713622014-09-19T11:38:00.003-07:002014-09-19T23:24:47.247-07:00Duck Wisdom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When a regal duck greeted me with enthusiasm at the beach today, I got the sense she was there to remind me of two opposing characteristics I naturally have: predator and prey. Our time together reminded me of the biblical prediction that the lion shall lie down beside the lamb in paradise, whereby symbolically, I am the lion. She was so comfortable with spending her "duck time" with me, preening herself, bobbing around, snacking on the mossy morsels, and even napping along side of me. Our hour of harmony was paradise.<br />
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Ducks do have the hearts of lions though... What I mean is that they seem to move steadfastly towards their goal; for example, when a little, black ferret appeared, she sprang, turned and bolted in the water. This keeps awake in me the wisdom of all enlightened beings, which is their ability to harmonize with people and with nature itself. And when it's appropriate to own a lion's heart, I will keep the courage to fully feel and have the willingness to act, to protect myself and others that I love. What a nice, symbolic reminder today about the balance of these elements. Thank you for being so beautiful. Love, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-29991393186604484612014-09-18T00:41:00.000-07:002014-09-18T01:10:43.164-07:00Kanaanbadet (beach)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Love & much sunshine, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-74897149032772030982014-09-14T13:21:00.000-07:002014-09-14T13:28:12.211-07:00I Protest Perfection | 30 Days of Indie Travel, Day 26In response to the Indie 30 Day Travel Project, Day 26 The Perfect Trip, I would like to protest perfection!<br />
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Perfect is a heavy word to me, and there really is no perfection (unless you are counting the moment we are in right now); there is only what works for each of us on a very personal level over time. One cannot travel like I do or do the work I did previously, be on this amazing home exchange for 3 months, and be perfect. So do I have the need or desire to fantasize what the perfect trip would be like, smiling at an image that is free of flaws and mishaps, never a miscommunication, no getting lost or back tracking, always able to buy something? No, I really don't.<br />
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Forgive me Indie Travel / Bootsnall folks. I really do enjoy being a part of this exercise and community, but in the end perfection crushes our soul, kills adventure, causes us to skirt our individually, and makes us think we are in control. I surrender to life in the moment I am living right now, which is unpredictable and splendidly as imperfect as it may be. I no longer want to be perfect at shielding my vulnerability, and I don't even know what that looks like and I don't have to have it all so figured out. With love & respect, SharonSharonunlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15040086905111069647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993417632406153741.post-51266160638404679092014-09-12T00:57:00.001-07:002014-09-12T06:31:30.231-07:00Centralbadet | StockholmSomething to know about me is that I am a big fan of bathhouses (and therefore bathing socially), the study of therapeutic bathing and medicinal hot springs. After doing little research online to find an affordable place in Stockholm that was not a spa (too expensive and beauty-treatment focused) and also not a Thai massage parlor, I found Centralbadet.<br />
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What speaks for Centralbadet is that it is steeped in tradition with grand buildings (dating back to 1904), a romantic garden-like courtyard, and that it is so spacious inside. I, personally, can relax better in an "open window to nature."<br />
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The swimming pool is the high point of this bathhouse, composed in Art Nouveau undulating shapes and designed by the now blissfully asleep architect, Wilhelm Klemming. There are plenty of relaxation/silence areas, 2 large hot tubs, an icy cold water pool, 3 sauna rooms, a steam bath room, cool air bath, showers everywhere, and other areas to lounge around in, such as a rooftop terrace (unfortunately that was closed during my visit).<br />
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There was also a little café inside, serving coffee, raw food, organic "spa" food and other light snacks. I didn't try anything, but what I saw looked great. On the upper level was a bar and hair salon, as well as more treatment rooms.<br />
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Despite reading online that to some it is "a very pale imitation of the originals on the continent," I enjoyed it very much, and for me, this is the bathhouse of all bathhouses! I am planning to go back again especially on a weekday evening instead of an afternoon, and relax there up until bedtime. Come bathe away...Love, Sharon<br />
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