Heartfelt

The Twaddle

Entertaining, Heartfelt /

This is the treatment for my latest fiction book called “The Twaddle.”

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    Jesica’s manager at the grocery store told her to go pick up Missy Graves at the metro-cities airport. The grocery store had offered to fly Miss Missy in on economy class. Not wanting to sniff the air of the hoi poloi, Miss Graves had chosen to fly on her own private jet. The humble-singer-turned-talented-snob had no idea her manager had booked her rising star self at a small grocery store in a tiny town. Granted, every single person in town was her biggest fan and had bought more of her CDs and downloads per square foot than any other tiny town in America. Maybe her manager was attempting to remind the young starlet of her humble roots. Or maybe her manager just wasn’t that great at her job. Everyone wants to be Jerry Maguire, but most never get a Cuba Gooding, Jr. as their famous client. Whatever the reason, Miss Missy was in for a big surprise. As Jesica was being directed by her boss, Miss Graves was sleeping on her ten-inch memory foam bed-in-the-air as her ship sailed another hour out from landing. 

No one in Tiny Town knew why the grocery store was having a Grand Re-opening. Word was that it had been bought out by a grocery conglomerate and would be totally turned on its head within the coming months. They knew Mister Billings, the current owner, was the richest man in town. However, his wealth was piddling compared to those who gambled daily on small-town America as if it were a lazy pastime, rather than peoples’ lives and livings they were betting on. Land, houses, and businesses throughout the state were being Hoovered up as if by a hungry anteater. Even if the next generation had jobs and the drive for the American dream, there were very few real estate opportunities for them in their tiny town they loved.

Jesica was happy to drive The Twaddle to pick up Miss Missy Graves at the airport. She wasn’t sure why the limo that Mister Billings had booked wasn’t doing it. Probably too many important people in the metro-cities, she reckoned, and not enough important cars to go around. Of course, she considered The Twaddle the very most important car one could have for shuttling important people. 

The Twaddle was known around town. It looked like a cross between a soldered together depressing grey prison transport bus but with white stripes and flames on the sides like a radically irreverent Mom’s minvan. It had been a steal at the car show in the metro-cities some years back. The car designer and the car company had come to realize there was no “irreverent mom slash prisoner” demographic to be found and had gladly sold it to a fiery Jesica. 

Jesica had promptly named her new car The Twaddle, because her English teacher in high school had told her that was the Latin word for beautiful. Tiny Town had only had a Latin class one semester. There were not enough brainiacs to support further teaching of it. The school and city required nuts and bolts learning if its kids were to get jobs one day. The English teacher who had taught that semester of Latin promptly left the area, looking for a more stimulating teaching environment in which to teach students incredibly inaccurate Latin. And perhaps English as well.

  Jesica used the Twaddle to Uber all over town. More often though, people would just wave her down from the side of the road and get a lift somewhere and pay her a few dollars. Inside was a super comfortable setup. The Twaddle seated eight. It had been designed to have a common table in the back, with six bucket seats around it. Presumably for kids to start their homework on the way home. Or else to have a place to shackle prisoners too. No one was quite sure why there were very sturdy bolts built into the frame of the transport vehicle.

Jesica took great pride in The Twaddle and loved it probably more than her fiance-boyfriend. But less than her cat.

Jimmy heard the store manager giving directions to Jesica. He decided he would be the one to pick up Miss Missy Graves. He was a handsome young fella and figured this was his chance to 1)woo her, 2)make her smitten, 3)marry him, and 4)make him rich. Those were rather big plans for someone from such a tiny town. 

Jimmy jumped in his souped-up truck and hauled out down the four-lane, headed for the highway. His tires were so large that he had installed an automatic fold-down stepping stool on the passenger side. He had gotten the ladder when the local firefighters sold off old equipment. Then he cut it down to size, and had done the installation himself. It was for the ladies to be able to amble easily into his truck. Sadly, there had not been any ladies yet; but he was hoping the unfolding step-up ladder would be the beginning of impressing Miss Graves. 

Jimmy remembered a line from reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X, that surely one of the men would’ve been a brilliant Wall Street guy if he had had the chance, but was instead a bookie and numbers runner. Jimmy thought of himself similarly. Given the chance, his welded, electronic, self-unfolding truck steps would’ve made him an asset in Silicon Valley, if only he’d had the chance to find a way out of Tiny Town.

Jimmy and Jesica are twins and they still live at home. Because there are not great jobs and not great housing choices to be had. Their Dad, who drives a small compact car, does not understand his children’s big ambitions and even bigger cars. But he supports them as much as he can nonetheless. He had even laid down a whole new concrete section of driveway, right up to the towering elm outside their house. 

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I hope you enjoyed this hilarious yet serious look inside “The Twaddle.”

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Such a simple concept, she thought…

Heartfelt, Life, Wellness /

When I chose the name Catch Healthy as the descriptor for my business, I thought it was quite obvious why. But every client that I’ve talked to has asked about it, so it was not obvious to other people. We hear the phrase ‘I am catching a cold.’ It means I have some symptoms coming on of a sickness, such as scratchy throat, cough, stuffy nose, among others. It also shows that we spread or “catch” sicknesses from other humans. I want people to “catch” healthy from each other. I want the words our of your mouth to be powerful instigators of great health residing in your body! Ideally the idea of “catching” healthy would apply to not only the immune system, but also to all the human body systems as well as spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and in our physical world and surroundings. There is a concept and newer science called epigenetics. This is the study that we have some control to change our DNA destiny. In the past it would seem a forgone conclusion that is my Mom had diabetes, I would probably also. It is ‘in my genes.’ There is a huge statistical likelihood that I will present with diabetes one day. I absolutely fight that. I fight it with my food and nutrient choices. And I fight it with a mental change, with meditation and with prayer. There are a lot of powerful forces available to us that are not always accessed. Two of those are self-education on the ability to heal and a change of mindset. These are what I mean by Catch Healthy. I want to be the teacher and the driver of helping people have a change of mindset. I want us to ‘catch’ health from each other.

Such a simple concept, she thought… Read More »

‘Cuppa

Coaching, Heartfelt, Life, Poetry, Wellness /
beverage, tea, breakfast

Making a cup of tea is similar to allowing the universe to blend into your being and activate healing. 

To make a basic cup of tea, a tea bag is steeped in hot water. But making an IDEAL cup of tea requires attention to detail combined with the intention to create something special. Using purified water heated to the perfect temperature, adding just the right amount of organic loose-leaf tea to a strainer, inhaling the aroma as the gentle water extracts all the goodness, adding a bit of cream or honey to sweeten…all of these things can elevate a basic cup of tea and turn it into something special. Watching it all unfold in a rich swirl of warmth is healing in and of itself.

When we live with intention, life can take on a greater depth and deeper sense of meaning. 

Healing with intention can be this way, too.

 In our day to day lives, there are often mindless rituals and things we simply “get through”. But by living with intention, we can create our ideal life, one that encourages healing in its embrace of warmth and earthiness and sweetness. It is a swirl and a dance that creates peace and a feeling not of merely settling, but of being-settled. ❤

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Soul Decluttering

Coaching, Entertaining, Heartfelt, Life, Wellness /
stones, stone, tower

I stopped by my friend’s house the other day. I agreed to come over and help her do a little decluttering. When I arrived she was outside on her balcony. It is a large, spacious balcony that directly overlooks pedestrians, cars, and all the activity in her neighborhood. When I joined her, I noticed she was making something. It was a scarecrow in the shape of a student sitting in a chair, raising their hand for the teacher to call on them.

Why an urban scarecrow? Well, we are right in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic and small businesses, countless services, and entire industries are being shut down. Schools are closed for the remainder of the school year. And for some reason known only to her, my friend felt called to create art – a homage to the students. I think it was meant to be a sort of encouragement for people. She already had the body, legs, and the desk set up. So I helped her to figure out what we could use to make arms and a head and make it appear life-like.

It turned out great and was wonderfully creative! (Surprisingly, the glue we used held in the 30 degree cold weather!) I am proud that I was able to collaborate with her. She had an image of what she wanted her project to look like, and I was able to support her, sharing my own creativity and using my background as an artist to help her to create the final piece.

This scarecrow project is a metaphor for what Guided Imagery is: You know how your life and health are now, and you have an image of what you would like your life and health to become. Guided Imagery is the bridge between the knowing and the wanting, it is the connection that brings the two together. Our brains are incredibly strong and decisive and can lead us in any given direction. Guided Imagery facilitates the movement of your thoughts and actions in the desired direction, rather than toward one of fear and/or stress. Guided Imagery fosters a sense of relaxation. As we work together, we engage your nervous system and your brain as I incorporate all of my years of healing to help you realize the IMAGE you have of yourself, enjoying the level of health you desire and the life that you deserve. Let’s work together towards your highest good! ❤

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We Don’t Do This Alone (Raccoon Gang)

Coaching, Entertaining, Heartfelt, Life /
raccoon, wildlife, tree

Several years ago, I had some raccoons making an apartment of my chimney. Fortunately for me, it is sealed off from inside the house, and non-functional as a fireplace. They had snuggled down from the roof to enjoy it because, as there was no chimney cap at the time, they had easy access. 

It was summer, so my upstairs windows were open. I was in bed one night when I heard my cat start yowling. I jumped up, ran over to the window and saw a raccoon clawing at the window screen. He was ready and willing to come inside and eat my cat’s food that was sitting nearby. 

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All of a sudden, this memory from long ago popped into my mind. One summer, back when I was in college, I worked on my Uncle’s farm. I earned $500 which I use to buy myself a fancy bicycle. I biked all around the area during my free time. And I often had country dogs chasing me, quite frighteningly nipping at my heels. I learned to carry a long metal pole and a loud, ferocious voice. Swinging that pole and shouting meaner and louder than those dogs let them know who was boss. They would run away. I had won.

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I assumed doing the same would work with this raccoon. Anyone who has dealt with racoons is already shaking their heads. But bear with me.

He seemed like a sweet little young guy. Surely it would bow to my gruff human superiority. I slammed the wood of the side of the open window with my bare palm and yelled “GIT!” – This is seemingly the universal yell of human hierarchy. 

The sweet little racoon stared back at me, wondering when I would leave already. So I slammed the window closed and yelled “GIT, I said!” even louder. Adding the “I said” was the frosting on the brownie, or so I thought. 

Nope. This made that raccoon hiss at me and flare up somewhat. Just like that, I closed and locked all my windows and spent a very hot, long summer inside hoping I wasn’t being stalked.

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As the temperatures soared and my fear started to quell, I created the “Raccoon Gang”. Membership was strictly for any of my friends who were badass and didn’t put up with trifling humans.  It became a funny theme among us. One year, in my Christmas stocking, I received these odd shaped goggles (see picture) from my older sister. She labeled them the ‘Official Raccoon Gang Mask.’   

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Wearing (or at least having in one’s possession) the Raccoon Gang Mask would eventually become a tradition. It would be passed around among my friends when they needed particular cheering up, or reminded of their “badassery”. The mask now sits in my office and serves as a reminder to me that with our bonds of friendship, our support systems, people we can call on and rely on no matter what, we are stronger together. That no one does it all alone. That we need each other to keep life moving in the right direction. 


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Hello world!

Coaching, Get Healthy!, Heartfelt, Life, Wellness /

Modern medicine is amazing, but sometimes we fail to acknowledge that it is a response to sickness, rather than an attempt to achieve wellness. It’s time to break through that brick wall of thought that tells us that all we need to get well are pills and scientific studies. Instead, we need an integrative approach that allows us to feed and nourish both our bodies and our souls.

Hi! I’m Sarah, the therapist behind Catch Healthy. Welcome to our corner of the internet. This is our place to connect.  Join me on this journey of healing through remote therapy, guided visualizations, and supportive services not limited by the traditional confines of time, space, and distance.

What if you could lighten the load of the burdens you carry in life? What if you could experience calm amongst the chaos? What if you could experience peace of mind and peace of heart?

“The Big Idea: Energy, by its nature, is able to be worked with and influenced over long distances.”

The underlying theme that has shaped my philosophy is this: Everything is made up of energy. Energy is all around us and can be accessed from near or far to influence healing on physical, emotional, energetic, and spiritual planes. Under the right circumstances, the physical, emotional, energetic, and spiritual bodies glide towards health. ALWAYS! My approach is to guide you and help facilitate the creation of circumstances that will support you on this journey toward health.

Just like you have studied your career and work all these years, this has been my study and career. 

How did I get started in this field? I got on this path seemingly by chance. My massage school had introduced me to these ideas through basic Eastern medical philosophies and Nuat Thai massage. Then, as a new Massage Therapist in Atlanta, I met Sabrina, a Reiki Master and wonderful healer, who would become my Reiki teacher. This was the turning point when I became trained in remote healing.

Throughout the years, I have continued to explore new techniques in both in-person and distance healing therapies. There are two modalities of energetic work that have made a significant impact; they are the Silva Method by Jose Silva, and Pranic Healing with Master Stephen Co. These are techniques I use on myself, my loved ones, and my clients. I have seen these techniques help time after time in my years as a Massage Therapist and Reiki Master.

Now, after holding thousands of in-person healing and therapeutic sessions, I am expanding my services to help those who can not come see me in person. What if you have never heard of these modalities or are not familiar with them? That’s ok. You don’t have to know what they are in order to benefit from them. All that is required of you is an open mind, some receptivity, and willingness to receive healing energy.

I am offering my expertise to you to help you achieve balance, hope, stillness of being, and calmness in turbulent times. I will access all the various elements I have studied daily for over twenty years and combine them to create a truly unique pathway to healing. The solution is in us all, waiting to be accessed. I am your guide to access that path.

Healing is innate, it is something we all have within us. Are you ready to take back your own health and harness self-healing? We have the power to re-claim our strength and our health. There is a whole unseen energetic and spiritual world out there waiting on us to recognize it. Is it time for you to focus on building your health?  

Let’s get started!

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