Day: November 8, 2016

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Possessing a Mithril Heart

I know it’s early to be out hunting for a Christmas ornament. However, I took a few minutes before lunch today, and did exactly that. Every year, I purchase a new heart-shaped ornament for my tree. 

The tradition was born 14 years ago, as I began the process of drawing all the fragmented pieces of my heart, all the bits of who I was, together into a whole. As I reclaimed pieces of my heart that I had given away, or locked away, I envisioned my heart knitted back together, strong, healthy, whole and full of light. I asked God to show me who I truly was. The soul name Mithril was given to me, through a series of repetitions and synchronicities. 


Mithril, an element from the fictional realm of Middle Earth, is strong, beautiful, protective, light…and silver in color. Most of my heart ornaments are silver, or made from clear glass, as a nod to mithril. Last year I departed from that trend by purchasing a set of four small hearts in pastel colors. 

Today, I was open to whatever drew me. 

I visited Michael’s, where I found last year’s heart ornaments, and then Hobby Lobby. Nothing. 

I ended up at Cracker Barrel for lunch, to dine on a vegetable plate. I had browsed through their country store the last time I was there, finding a selection of chunky wooden hearts painted white and red. Those did not draw me. As My granddaughter Aubrey would say, they “didn’t ring my bell”! They still didn’t, today. 

And then, thinking my heart ornament was not to be found at Cracker Barrel, I was walking away when I spied another possibility. Simple, and priced at $.99, the wooden heart ornament caught my attention. 


I felt drawn to its simplicity and its beauty. It was made of wood and definitely not silver or clear glass, and yet…this little ornament felt right. I purchased it. 

Tonight, I looked up the symbolism of wood. It is an earthy, solid element, representing Beauty, Strength, Wisdom, and Eternal Life. Those are characteristics that are significant to me. And I love the symbol painted on the heart. Trees draw me strongly as well. The tree has its roots grounded deep in the fertile earth, while its branches dance freely in the air. 

All those deeper meanings and symbols are very appropriate for a Mithril Heart. I love how I was guided to the perfect Christmas ornament. I have my 2016 heart. 

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Movie Review: Doctor Strange at the Warren Theater

Saturday evening I enjoyed such a treat, in the realm of movie going. I visited the Warren Theater in Broken Arrow, OK, for the first time, to view the long awaited movie, Doctor Strange. 


I’ve wanted to watch a movie in this new state of the art theater since it opened. Thanks to my niece Ashley, who purchased tickets a week early, I at last had the opportunity to see inside this classy place. 

I was accompanied on this adventure by Greg, Linda, Debbie and Ashley. Our tickets gained us admittance into the ultra luxurious Director’s Suite, an intimate Hollywood style viewing room with reclining seats and chair side service from an extensive menu. We arrived early, and checked out the Director’s Lounge while waiting for the suite doors to open.



I was impressed when I saw the suite! With seating for 40 guests, the theater had the feel of a private viewing room. The seats did indeed recline, with warmers that could be turned on, and had small table tops that swung in front of each chair for the ultimate comfort while watching the movie and dining. 

We ordered dinners and drinks and I snapped pics with delighted enthusism while we waited for our food to arrive and the movie to begin. I was so grateful that the Warren had vegan options on the menu! I had a veggie burger, tossing the toasted bun aside, a small garden salad, and a tall glass of cold water. 


Just after our food arrived, the lights dimmed and the movie began.  I’ve looked forward to seeing Doctor Strange all year. Comfy in my heated seat, legs stretched out, dining on a tasty veggie burger, I was ready! 


Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ojiofor, Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton and Mads Mikkelsen. This next installment in the Marvel Universe storyline was directed by Scott Derrickson and has a run time of 1 hour and 55 minutes. The adventure/fantasy carries a PG-13 rating, for intense action scenes. 

This story follows Dr. Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch), an extremely talented and egotistic neurosurgeon in the NYC area. After a horrific car accident severely damages the surgeon’s hands, and threatens his identity if he can no longer perform surgeries, Strange embarks on a journey that takes him far from New York and the reality he has accepted all of his life. 



The rest of the Doctor Strange characters are Christine (McAdams), Strange’s colleague and off and on girlfriend, Mordo (Ojiofor), one of the Masters at Kamar-Taj in Nepal, Wong (Wong), the Librarian…and so much more…at Kamar-Taj, The Ancient One (Swinton) and the villain of the story, Kaecilius (Mikkelsen). 

There are mysteries and mystics, transformations and time loops, metaphysical lessons and mind bending action scenes that caused one of my sisters and my niece to take dramamine so they could watch without getting too dizzy. 

I loved the dialogue within the film about surrender and being in the flow. It was so on target and spoke deeply to me. While the story contains some elements that may seem far beyond what we know as possible, many of the metaphysical components are very familiar to me. Movies like Doctor Strange expand my mind and awareness and encourage me to keep following my path and to keep growing. 



Doctor Strange was an amazing movie, highlighting the talents of one of my favorite actors…Benedict Cumberbatch. And I viewed the movie in an incredible theater, that just might have spoiled me for future theater excursions. I’m excited to watch this movie again…and I’m thinking the new Star Wars movie presents an excellent opportunity to return to the Warren.