There’s so much good in this book that I often have difficulty choosing what to write about each week.  Even though the chapters we’re covering this week recounted a dark and difficult time for Denny and his dog, I was so enthralled by the expression of Enzo’s deep wisdom for human affairs that I could not wait to turn to the next page.  Enzo’s account of Denny’s arrest, which was based on knowledge he gained from Law & Order and other TV shows, was humorous but might also raise the question as to what the real Denny might look like outside of Enzo’s admiring gaze.  The Denny that Enzo depicts is nearly flawless — a hero in nearly every respect.

The depths of Enzo’s devotion to Denny become very clear at the conclusion of chapter 36 when Enzo speaks only of “we,” as if he and Denny are an inseparable unit.

Do you think that Denny really fulfilled Enzo’s portrayal of him?

Do you find that your pets sense when you are going through a life challenge? 

If so, do you sense greater devotion from them during difficult times?

One of my favorite passages in this week’s reading is in chapter 34:  being alone is not the same as being lonely…loneliness…is something that exists only in the mind, not in the world, and, like a virus, is unable to survive without a willing host.  And, one of my favorite lines from the entire book:  That which is around me does not affect my mood; my mood affects that which is around me.  I realize this book is a work of fiction, but I still found myself wondering if Enzo spent at least some of his TV time watching Wayne Dyer on PBS.  There is a tremendous amount of life-wisdom in the pages of this book!

Please be sure to share your comments on these chapters, I always look forward to reading what you found in the story. Happy Reading!

Try this very simple but powerful exercise of writing a love letter to yourself.

Many of us tend to be critical of on our own selves. Give your self esteem a well deserved boost, reconnect with your inner self, and acknowledge all your great qualities. Treat yourself with the kindness, respect and support you would offer a good friend. You deserve it!

To start, find a place you won’t be disturbed, and sit down with a piece of paper and a pen. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and begin thinking of all the good and wonderful things about yourself. If any critical thoughts arise, you must push them aside, because there is no place for them in this letter.

Where to begin? Try answering some of these questions:
- What do you like most about yourself?
- What are you good at, what are some of your achievements?
- What do your friends like about you?
- What makes you happy? What do you dream of?

Make it gushy, make it sentimental, make it straightforward. Just make sure to remind yourself that you are wonderful regardless of any circumstance. You don’t have to wait for a special occasion like Valentine’s Day to write yourself a love letter, whenever you feel like you need a reminder of the goodness that is you, take the time to do it.

Now that you are done, put it in an envelope, seal it with a kiss, and mail it to yourself. When it arrives, be sure to set aside a moment to enjoy properly and cherish the loving words. You will have a treasure in your hands that you can open and read whenever you need reminding of how special and wonderful you are. The bonus: when we love and feel good about ourselves, others notice and love us more too!

February is almost here and we are welcoming the month with open arms. Why you ask? Because here at Glen Ivy we LOVE love and this month is filled with things that we’re sweet on.  Here are just a few things that we’re excited about for February:

• Valentine’s Day Contest- Have a memorable, romantic or funny Valentine’s Day experience? Then we want to hear from you! Submit your entry Tuesday, February 7 – Monday, February 14 on the Glen Ivy blog for a chance to win a spa day for two!
• Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup- We’ll be welcoming this fabulous line to the Hot Springs this month! Join us for the Jane Iredale launch party, Rose & Romance: Kissable Lips and Touchable Skin, February 11 & 17. You won’t want to miss out on experience Janie Iredale makeup, get color matched by our Skin Care Experts, win prizes, and take home some great gifts with your purchase.
• Rose Hydration Facial- We’re excited to introduce our newest facial that rehydrate your skin with the essence of custom distilled organic roses. This 50 minute treatment will leave your skin and mind feeling balanced, refreshed and renewed….a true indulgent rose experience! As if this facial couldn’t get any better, exclusive to this facial is an Opal Eye treatment and Moroccan Oil Scalp Treatment.
• The Art of Racing in the Rain- Selected for the winter edition of the Glen Ivy Book Club, we are loving this New York Time’s Best Seller.  What we’re the most excited about is that the author, Garth Stein, has stopped by to join in the conversation! Whether you are reading along with us or have already read it, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
• Love is in the Air- From our Massage for Two: Learn to do a Basic Couples Massage to Lunch & Learn with Spa Chef Bill: Romantic Dinner for Two, we have plenty of romantic things to do for the perfect date day with that someone special!

These may be our top five things we’re excited about but there are many  more Events and Activities and Specials happening in February that we can’t wait for and we hope to see you around the spa enjoying them right along with us!

What are you looking forward to most in February at Glen Ivy? Let us know here or on Facebook!

The chapters we’re discussing this week really captured the dark heaviness of Eve’s illness and the impact it was having on Denny, Enzo and Zoe.  I thought it was interesting that Enzo, like all of us, began questioning his ability to respond to the complex emotions that arise in these types of experiences.  In chapter 23 Enzo struggles to know what to do or how to react to a gravely ill Eve, “All I could do was move to her bedside and lie down before her like a rug.”  So many times in life I’ve been confronted with the emotional or physical pain of someone close to me, and all that there is to be done is to sit with them; words, actions, responses or any kind of “doing” somehow seem out of place.  While Enzo interpreted his conflicting feelings as meaning that he was perhaps not yet ready to be human, I thought that the emotions he expressed in these chapters were very human and exactly like what each of us experience in similar situations.  Even Enzo’s reaction to Eve’s death, although presented as a reversion to his animal-nature, was so human in so many ways.  “I couldn’t be human anymore and feel the pain that humans feel.”  I think that everyone has had at least one life experience in which they feel a thread of this – a pain so intense that an escape from it must be found – an adrenaline-filled, heart-pounding physical release is sometimes the only way to deal with the frenzied jumble of emotions that are swarming within.  Sometimes I wonder if the theme of this book is not so much how human Enzo and other animals can be, but that we may be much closer to our animalistic nature than we realize or care to admit.

What do you think?
As always, I look forward to reading your comments on these chapters and anything leading up to this point.

Welcome to the second discussion of our Winter Book Club.  This week’s reading opens with Enzo struggling to maintain control over the innate animal instincts for which he feels such disdain.  Upon finding himself locked in the house for three days without food or water, Enzo’s strategy for survival forces him to acknowledge his “genetic background;” his innate dog-nature that he normally strives to distance himself from.  While his animal instincts allow him to survive the ordeal, they also cause him to lose his humanity for a brief moment.  I saw the dancing zebra that destroyed Zoe’s toys as Enzo’s shadow side – his true animal nature.  Unable to embrace his darkness, Enzo convinced himself that the Zebra – itself a striped mixture of light and dark – caused the damage.  I thought it interesting that Enzo was not able to admit to himself that he would be capable of causing such destruction and pain.  In reading this section of the book, it’s initially easy to assign this incident as Enzo just being Enzo – a dog, no matter how evolved in his thoughts and perceptions of life.   However within a few pages we see Denny falling prey to his reactive, animalistic nature, just as Enzo did.  If we’re honest with ourselves, we have all done this at some time in our lives; we are all dancing zebras, moving between our stripes of light and dark.

While revealing his animal nature, these chapters also contain some of my favorite bits of Enzo’s wisdom and life philosophy:

Suppressing the symptom does nothing but force the true problem to express itself on a deeper level at some other time.  (p. 63)

…the poor driver crashes.  The average driver gives up.  The great drivers drive through the problem.  (p. 64)

It makes one realize that the physicality of our world is a boundary to us only if our will is weak… (p. 65)

But I am a racer at heart, and a racer will never let something that has already happened affect what is happening now.  (p. 74-75)

Know who is driving next to you.  Any problems that may occur have ultimately been caused by you, because you are responsible for where you are and what you are doing there.  (p. 91)

What are your thoughts? What made you think, what were the highlights for you in this part of the story?

I hope you’re enjoying this book as much as I am.  Please share what you found meaningful in these chapters, I look forward to hearing from you!

Take an in-depth look at the past, present and future of the Santa Ana Mountains, the last intact coastal ecosystem in Southern California.  Spend 3 days exploring the range in guided hikes, followed by evenings taking in Native American story telling, meal blessings, and panel discussions with local Native American Elders, living history presentations and discussions with the area’s most knowledgeable and experienced scientists and naturalists. For more information visit our Extended Programs and Retreats page.

Well fans, you did it again! You managed to make the 2012 Intentions into Actions Contest the best one yet! From spending more time with family to embarking on a mission to live a  healthier life, we received over 400 entries (double the amount from last year!) that were filled with inspiration, dedication and love.

With all of the amazing entries that were submitted by you, our wonderful fans, we couldn’t pick just three winners so guess what? We randomly selected TWELVE! Congratulations to our winners who each have won a pair of Glen Ivy admission passes!

Winners

Monica C.
Christina W.
Erin H.
Michele M.
Susan R.
Jessica B.
Sharolyn R.
Jeanette
Karla D.
Suzi S.
Donna S.
Cathy M.
*We’ll be contacting the winners to mail you your prize

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their 2012 intentions. We’d love to hear how your intentions are going throughout the year so make sure to follow Glen Ivy on Facebook to share and to see how others are doing. Whatever your intention may be, good luck from all of us here at Glen Ivy!

Learn the basics of Aromatherapy for cold and flu season.  Glen Ivy’s Master Herbalist and Aromatherapist will guide us through the basics of choosing and using the basic oils needed to provide support during the cold and flu season.

Lunch & Learn with Chef Bill

Tuesday, January 10
10:30 – 12:00 in Tiempo Lounge

Enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by renowned Executive Chef Bill Wavrin while learning the art of  making warm and wonderful soups from the Asian/Pacific Rim. Chef Bill teaches us how to look for the best ingredients to create impressive soup meals at home.

$55 includes lunch and class

Please call 888-GLEN IVY to make your reservation

As we said goodbye to 2011, we were fortunate enough to end the year with a day filled with sunshine and wonderful guests at both our Hot Springs and Brea locations. The first day of 2012 wasn’t any different as we welcomed the year with another beautiful day and fantastic guests. Meet a few important guests who helped us end 2011 on a good note and start off 2012 the same way:

Last Guests of 2011: John and Teresa Hull

John has been coming to Glen Ivy since 1984 (and estimates that he has visited the Hot Springs over 300 times!) and with a less hectic schedule, is even considering becoming a Club 1860 Member again for even more frequent visits.  By his side is was his favorite spa partner, his wife, Teresa who has been coming to the Hot Springs since 1990.

Along with getting massages, they enjoy the peaceful, tranquil environment and the friendly staff.  John could not stop raving about the Café, especially the BBQ chicken pizza. What keeps them coming back though is the opportunity the Hot Springs gives them for getting away for some relaxation.

So what does 2012 have in store for the Hulls? Both have the same resolution:  To eat better, be more active and to be spend more time at Glen Ivy.

First Guests of 2012: Don and Lorraine Riser

January 1, 2012 was a special day for Don an d Lorraine Riser. This was Don’s first visit to Glen Ivy. His wife Lorraine has visited the Spa in the past and decided to bring Don on a surprise visit (not a bad way to start off the year if you ask us!).

Having recently retired from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department, the trip was a surprise retirement celebration for Don. Lorraine woke up Don early in the morning stating that that had an appointment to get to (so much for retirement).

As they were driving up the road his first thoughts were a day at the golf course?  Then he realized he was on his way to the spa for a day of  to get started on the resolution that Lorraine had made for him this year:  to learn how to relax.  After spending 31 years of service with the Sheriffs department he has earned the right to relax.  Lorraine’s goal was that Glen Ivy is going to be the beginning of Don’s relaxation process and we couldn’t be happier to help him achieve his resolution.

Brea’s Last Guests of 2011: Erika & Florence Sheppard

Having received Glen Ivy gift cards during the holidays, Erika and Florence Sheppard decided to spend the last day of the year enjoying some of their favorite things: cold stone eye treatments and massages. Both have only visited the Brea location a few times but with their New Year’s resolution being “to exercise, be more present and eat better,” we have a feeling that they’ll be back to enjoy everything that Brea has to offer throughout the year.

Brea’s First Guest of 2012: Mary Koller

Mary Koller has visited Glen Ivy Day Day Spa Brea so many times that’s she has lost count. “I have been here so many times. You would have to look up my history!” As our very first guest of the new year, Mary explains that what keeps her coming back is the friendly staff and the incredibly relaxed feeling she experiences after her services.

Adding a little pampering to her New Year’s Day, she jumped at the chance to use her Glen Ivy gift card and joined us for a massage (in fact, her family knows how much she loves Glen Ivy that they often give her gift card for all occasions!). Like many of our guests, Mary’s 2012 resolution is to to loose weight and stress less and is already off to a great start!

Thank you to all of our guests who visited in 2011 and we look forward to seeing everyone throughout 2012!