Time is something we never seem to have enough of and death is something that awaits us all. Both have been on my mind this morning. It is Sunday and my weekend is almost over and then it is back to work tomorrow and there was so much more I wanted to accomplish in my "two days off" but here it is, Sunday afternoon, and I'm just getting around to doing some of what should have already been done. I need more time!
Death is something I've had coming up in almost every single month of this year. Friends are passing on. Family and people I've admired are passing on. It makes me sit up and take note of my own mortality and wonder how much time I have to accomplish those things I feel I must? I need more time!
So, I grabbed a book from my library this morning, looking for some inspiration and noticed a page I'd bookmarked on another day that I can't remember. Wouldn't you know it is about time and death? (Expect a miracle and don't discount it!) I opened to Ovid's poem Metamorphoses: XV where he is talking of the teachings of Pythagoras:
"O mortals,
Dumb in cold fear of death, why do you tremble
At Stygian rivers, shadows, empty name,
The lying stock of poets, and the terrors
Of a false world? I tell you that your bodies
Can never suffer evil, whether fire
Consumes them, or the waste of time. Our souls
Are deathless; always, when they leave our bodies."
He goes on to say:
"All things are always changing,
But nothing dies. The spirit comes and goes,
...but always it keeps on living."
"Full sail, I voyage
Over the boundless ocean, and I tell you
Nothing is permanent in all the world.
All things are fluent; every image forms,
Wandering through change. Time is itself a river
In constant movement, and the hours flow by
Like water, wave on wave, pursued, pursuing
Forever fugitive, forever new.
That which has been, is not; that which was not,
Begins to be; motion and moment always
In process of renewal."
Did I mention this was written in 6 BC? It is an amazing poem and the book I picked up was "The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces" and I have had it since my college days and have referred to it now and again over the years. (English Literature class at San Diego City College)
So, the soul lives on and time is an illusion. Nothing new under the sun is there?
We had a nice storm blow through last night and today, my landscaper came and we did some cleaning up and everything looks good again. All the trees shook off their dead limbs and no one was hurt so it's all good! I sat in my car for a while this morning after taking a ride down Buford Dam Road which is really pretty ride through lots of green trees and I felt refreshed and rejuvenated when I got back so I just sat there, watching the trees dance as the wind blew through them.
Sunday, the beginning of a new. The end of the old. Time flows on and today, I expected a miracle and I was not disappointed. Today was awesome and the best is yet to come. And so it is!
Expect a miracle, my friends. You won't be disappointed.
Showing posts with label miracles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label miracles. Show all posts
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
There is always hope...
One of my favorite sayings is "Hope is the little bird who feels the sun and sings though the dawn be dark!" Holding to that hope has gotten me through some dark times and I was trying so hard to feel the sun and sing although my voice was cracking with the effort. The events of the past couple of months have really tested my faith and my ability to cling to that hope. I've felt like Rose from "Titanic," clinging to that piece of wood and realizing she has lost someone so close and dear to her heart and fearing she may not be rescued or even survive. But...she was and she lived on and so shall I!
I am always striving to live my life from a place of gratitude, faith in God and that "The Universe" will provide and part of the reason I try so hard is because I know that I am setting an example not only for my children but my friends who also face their dark times. I want to be a good example and live by doing and if I can help someone else then I am so joyful.
I had one of my darkest moments last week and an Angel came to my rescue and I realized that there have been many angels in my life and when I sat down to list them and to thank God for my many blessings, I realized that it wasn't as dark as it had seemed only moments ago. Nothing changed except my realization...my "feeling the sun and singing." Even in the midst of that dark moment, I was praying for the strength to accept that if what I wanted and needed to happen did NOT happen, then God certainly had something even better in store for me. I wasn't able to see it and when you're staring down a dark tunnel with no light at the end of it, it is hard to feel that sun and sing. Yet that is when we most need to sing the loudest because we need to hear our own voice singing.
I guess I've lived long enough to understand the meaning of living in the moment. I still want to have a plan, and I do. I have dreams and goals, even though I don't see the means to the end, I hang on to those dreams and goals. I understand that I have only THIS MINUTE, this RIGHT NOW and if I can just stay in it, keep doing the things that I know I need to do but staying in this minute, I can feel the sun. I can sing.
I accept the responsibility for my own life. I accept the responsibility for my own happiness. I also accept that I have made mistakes that have led me to place where I feel I am at the point of no return. That's when I have to remember that little bird and I remind myself to "Expect a Miracle." So many miracles have occurred in my life and the most recent one, totally unexpected, brought me to my knees. I could feel God upon me or maybe it was an angel wrapping her wings around me but I definitely felt something when I was "rescued" for a moment.
I am a strong person, a strong personality and I have a strong faith but I can't say that I never waver in any of things. Sometimes, it is OKAY to be rescued. It's like a rest or a pause and it is a leveling occurrence. Just like being on a teeter-totter it is important to be up as often as it is to be down because that's what makes it fun!
I have been very aggressive in my job search for the past two weeks. I had thought I was being aggressive before but I realize now that I was not pushing as hard as I could have and necessity being the mother of invention, I have been hard on it every day and am finally starting to see some benefits of my efforts. I expect that I will have the perfect job position for me within the next two weeks. I affirm it and so it is!
I have been in contact with a number of recruiters and what surprises me is that the level of professionalism exhibited and follow-up by many of them is much less than it was last time I worked with a recruiter. I think my age may be a factor but I have experience, health and a number of good "working" years left in me and there is hardly anything that I have not done as an Executive support person and as an Office Manager/Bookkeeper. I would hire me in a minute if I would looking for a support person. I have excellent customer service skills, I communicate well in writing and orally, I am dependable, trustworthy, discreet with confidential materials and I am loyal. Now what more could any employer want except that I be 10 or 20 years younger? I'd take the experience over the youth any day if I were in a hiring position, wouldn't you?
I will keep you up to date when that perfect job appears, as it will! I have interviews Wednesday and Thursday of this week and I've got several other irons in the fire so I know SOMETHING is going to happen for me soon because I can feel that sun and I am singing like a Lark!
Wishing you the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the song of a bird. Expect a miracle and don't discount it when it comes your way, because it will! It IS a great day to be alive and the best...is...yet...to...come!
I AM FEELING THE SUN AND SINGING, I AM!
Namaste
I am always striving to live my life from a place of gratitude, faith in God and that "The Universe" will provide and part of the reason I try so hard is because I know that I am setting an example not only for my children but my friends who also face their dark times. I want to be a good example and live by doing and if I can help someone else then I am so joyful.
I had one of my darkest moments last week and an Angel came to my rescue and I realized that there have been many angels in my life and when I sat down to list them and to thank God for my many blessings, I realized that it wasn't as dark as it had seemed only moments ago. Nothing changed except my realization...my "feeling the sun and singing." Even in the midst of that dark moment, I was praying for the strength to accept that if what I wanted and needed to happen did NOT happen, then God certainly had something even better in store for me. I wasn't able to see it and when you're staring down a dark tunnel with no light at the end of it, it is hard to feel that sun and sing. Yet that is when we most need to sing the loudest because we need to hear our own voice singing.
I guess I've lived long enough to understand the meaning of living in the moment. I still want to have a plan, and I do. I have dreams and goals, even though I don't see the means to the end, I hang on to those dreams and goals. I understand that I have only THIS MINUTE, this RIGHT NOW and if I can just stay in it, keep doing the things that I know I need to do but staying in this minute, I can feel the sun. I can sing.
I accept the responsibility for my own life. I accept the responsibility for my own happiness. I also accept that I have made mistakes that have led me to place where I feel I am at the point of no return. That's when I have to remember that little bird and I remind myself to "Expect a Miracle." So many miracles have occurred in my life and the most recent one, totally unexpected, brought me to my knees. I could feel God upon me or maybe it was an angel wrapping her wings around me but I definitely felt something when I was "rescued" for a moment.
I am a strong person, a strong personality and I have a strong faith but I can't say that I never waver in any of things. Sometimes, it is OKAY to be rescued. It's like a rest or a pause and it is a leveling occurrence. Just like being on a teeter-totter it is important to be up as often as it is to be down because that's what makes it fun!
I have been very aggressive in my job search for the past two weeks. I had thought I was being aggressive before but I realize now that I was not pushing as hard as I could have and necessity being the mother of invention, I have been hard on it every day and am finally starting to see some benefits of my efforts. I expect that I will have the perfect job position for me within the next two weeks. I affirm it and so it is!
I have been in contact with a number of recruiters and what surprises me is that the level of professionalism exhibited and follow-up by many of them is much less than it was last time I worked with a recruiter. I think my age may be a factor but I have experience, health and a number of good "working" years left in me and there is hardly anything that I have not done as an Executive support person and as an Office Manager/Bookkeeper. I would hire me in a minute if I would looking for a support person. I have excellent customer service skills, I communicate well in writing and orally, I am dependable, trustworthy, discreet with confidential materials and I am loyal. Now what more could any employer want except that I be 10 or 20 years younger? I'd take the experience over the youth any day if I were in a hiring position, wouldn't you?
I will keep you up to date when that perfect job appears, as it will! I have interviews Wednesday and Thursday of this week and I've got several other irons in the fire so I know SOMETHING is going to happen for me soon because I can feel that sun and I am singing like a Lark!
Wishing you the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the song of a bird. Expect a miracle and don't discount it when it comes your way, because it will! It IS a great day to be alive and the best...is...yet...to...come!
Namaste
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Joyful Journey ~ 01/17/2011
Two things were mirrored to me as a result of my blog yesterday.
(One)Someone who was once significant to my life apparently took the time to read my post and came back to Facebook to tell me "Bullsh**." At first, it made me angry and then, it just made me sad for him. I'll admit it bothered me. This morning, I picked up the book "In the Spirit" by Susan Taylor and on page 9 she says "We can't experience the love we crave when we are angry or holding grudges." I have spent way too much of my life being angry at this person for one reason or another and he's about the only one I know what can make my blood boil in what is an uncharacteristic manner for me. He's "got my button" which means he's mirroring a part of myself that I need to resolve.
Miss Taylor goes on to say "Expecting them to be who we want them to be, or to operate BEYOND THEIR LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING (my emphasis) is an exercise in frustration for us and is unfair to them. We'd best accept folks as they are, or let them grow on without us." I believe she is on to something there, especially the last part where she says to "let them grow on without us." I closed my eyes,went to my center and channeled pure love to this person. I surrounded him with love and light. I released any negativity towards him and lifted him up to God and with a prayer that all that happen to him be for his higher and better good and that he find his way and his joy in life. I found that any anger I had towards him was gone completely. His derogatory remark could only hurt me if I let it and I choose love over hurt. By sending love to him, I am, in essence, loving myself. I guess that's the next step for me. We can hear something over and over and over in a number of different ways. One day, it's just "clicks" and we hear what we are supposed to hear and THAT is when we are one step closer to realizing our own self. His words have no power over me unless I let them.
Miss Taylor wrote: "Under the influence of love, everything in your life gets better. Clouds begin to dissipate and your sense of inner freedom expands. You realize that you are free to love, free to be, free to create the good life you envision. And so your life becomes the joyful journey that God promises."
So even though that "Bullsh**" could have been destructive (as was intended) it became an opportunity for growth. I think we all have someone in our life who is always saying "bullsh**" to what's important to us. Someone who says "no, you can't" or "you'll never be able to..." That person has value. That person makes us GROW. Until we do, we'll get more of the same. Perhaps today I've realized the value of that person and I can truly get on with the joyful journey. I have to say, it was much easier this time. That's a good thing!
Secondly, a friend suggested that I was ...
Well, I got a "something special" as I was writing this post. My precious friend from my favorite place on EARTH...(Linda Mar)Pacifica, California called to chat. I'll have to get back to that second "mirror" train of thought tomorrow. I have spent my blogging time chatting with CN so it's on with my day and the joyful journey! I am lightened from my contact with my friend and thank GOD for her and our time together this morning.
The message from my morning work was very interesting because after thoroughly shuffling the cards and fanning them out, I drew two of the same cards I drew yesterday. I had to laugh and call it "God's magic trick!" The third card from the draw was in my deck "by mistake?" It was card with the address for the Ordo Templi Orientis in Austin and there was a message indicating that "at first sight one would suppose this arrangement to be arbitrary, but it is not." Pretty cool, wouldn't you agree? So anyhow, to make the above more undstandable to us "everyday" people, there are no accidents and the cards are synchonistic to the message I need to hear for this day. I believe it and so it is!
IT IS A GREAT DAY TO BE ALIVE...and the BEST is yet to come! Wishing you a joyful journey of your own today!
Namaste!
(One)Someone who was once significant to my life apparently took the time to read my post and came back to Facebook to tell me "Bullsh**." At first, it made me angry and then, it just made me sad for him. I'll admit it bothered me. This morning, I picked up the book "In the Spirit" by Susan Taylor and on page 9 she says "We can't experience the love we crave when we are angry or holding grudges." I have spent way too much of my life being angry at this person for one reason or another and he's about the only one I know what can make my blood boil in what is an uncharacteristic manner for me. He's "got my button" which means he's mirroring a part of myself that I need to resolve.
Miss Taylor goes on to say "Expecting them to be who we want them to be, or to operate BEYOND THEIR LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING (my emphasis) is an exercise in frustration for us and is unfair to them. We'd best accept folks as they are, or let them grow on without us." I believe she is on to something there, especially the last part where she says to "let them grow on without us." I closed my eyes,went to my center and channeled pure love to this person. I surrounded him with love and light. I released any negativity towards him and lifted him up to God and with a prayer that all that happen to him be for his higher and better good and that he find his way and his joy in life. I found that any anger I had towards him was gone completely. His derogatory remark could only hurt me if I let it and I choose love over hurt. By sending love to him, I am, in essence, loving myself. I guess that's the next step for me. We can hear something over and over and over in a number of different ways. One day, it's just "clicks" and we hear what we are supposed to hear and THAT is when we are one step closer to realizing our own self. His words have no power over me unless I let them.
Miss Taylor wrote: "Under the influence of love, everything in your life gets better. Clouds begin to dissipate and your sense of inner freedom expands. You realize that you are free to love, free to be, free to create the good life you envision. And so your life becomes the joyful journey that God promises."
So even though that "Bullsh**" could have been destructive (as was intended) it became an opportunity for growth. I think we all have someone in our life who is always saying "bullsh**" to what's important to us. Someone who says "no, you can't" or "you'll never be able to..." That person has value. That person makes us GROW. Until we do, we'll get more of the same. Perhaps today I've realized the value of that person and I can truly get on with the joyful journey. I have to say, it was much easier this time. That's a good thing!
Secondly, a friend suggested that I was ...
Well, I got a "something special" as I was writing this post. My precious friend from my favorite place on EARTH...(Linda Mar)Pacifica, California called to chat. I'll have to get back to that second "mirror" train of thought tomorrow. I have spent my blogging time chatting with CN so it's on with my day and the joyful journey! I am lightened from my contact with my friend and thank GOD for her and our time together this morning.
The message from my morning work was very interesting because after thoroughly shuffling the cards and fanning them out, I drew two of the same cards I drew yesterday. I had to laugh and call it "God's magic trick!" The third card from the draw was in my deck "by mistake?" It was card with the address for the Ordo Templi Orientis in Austin and there was a message indicating that "at first sight one would suppose this arrangement to be arbitrary, but it is not." Pretty cool, wouldn't you agree? So anyhow, to make the above more undstandable to us "everyday" people, there are no accidents and the cards are synchonistic to the message I need to hear for this day. I believe it and so it is!
IT IS A GREAT DAY TO BE ALIVE...and the BEST is yet to come! Wishing you a joyful journey of your own today!
Namaste!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Strength, Grace and Wisdom - December 1, 2010 - Morning Meditation
Acrylic on Canvas, 16"X20" - "Path to Higher Consciousness" - NOT FOR SALE! :-)
As suggested by Sarah Ban Breathnac in her wonderful 1995 book, "Simple Abundance" today I am praying for strength, grace and wisdom.
As I was writing in my journal at 3:00am this morning when I couldn't sleep it occurred to me that sometimes I feel as if I am living the "wrong" life or I am in a dream life awaiting to awaken to my "real" life. After pondering that train of thought for a while, I decided to try to get back to sleep by reading. I picked Sarah's book off the shelf and turned to December 1st which is entitled "Charmed Lives."
The Universe will always provide an answer to my questions and if I stay aware, I will realize the gift of guidance when it comes. The answer I received to "why is my life not what I want it to be" was that I need to focus on strength, grace and wisdom because those are the tools I need to live the life that I am given. I knew when I started to read the December 1st entry in Sarah's book that God was talking directly to ME! As Jeff Foxworthy loves to say, "here's your sign!"
I know I am responsible for my own happiness. I know I am am responsible for my own wellness. I know I am responsible for my life and all that is in it. When I accept that truth, I realize and accept that only I have the POWER to change my life if it's not exactly what I want it to. Right behind that realization came the "little voice that whispers in my soul's ear" remind me about GRATITUDE. When I hear that little voice, I am humbled and remember to be grateful for ALL I have in my life because I know it IS a "charmed" life in its own beautiful way and it is the right life for me and my path.
I pray for the strength to do what needs to be done; the wisdom to embrace my life and all that is in it; and the grace to be grateful for the abundance, love and health that I have in my own charmed life even when I don't feel I am living the "right" life or that the "dream" is not as I would like for it to be. There is ALWAYS tomorrow and I, like the little bird, feel the sun and sing although the dawn be dark. But TODAY, RIGHT NOW is what I have and with strength, grace and wisdom I will make the most of this day and greet it with a smile on my face and love in my heart.
I expect a miracle today and I will NOT discount it when it comes my way, as I know it will if I only open my eyes to see it and open my heart, mind and soul to receive it. EXPECT YOUR OWN MIRACLE TODAY and may you always have STRENGTH, GRACE AND WISDOM in your life.
Namaste!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
I can't believe it...
I wrote my blog and was about to post and somehow ended up closing out and losing it all because I didn't save it. It was a good one, too! So does that mean that I wasn't meant to share that information or that I am supposed to write about something else? Hmmmm...such things to ponder! I see signs in everything and feel there is meaning in everything that happens. Then I remember that the only meaning is the one I assign to it!
The whole and half-eaten pecans are hitting my back deck with such frequency this morning it sounds like drum beats before the band kicks in. I imagine there's a large group of squirrels sitting up on the branches, munching to their hearts content and then tossing the remainder onto the deck below. It does create some extra work for me to get out there and clean up behind them but I wouldn't trade the squirrels and the mess for the tree because I love that tree. It's an old tree and has been around since before I was born (so it really must be a very old tree). It provides shade for the house in the hot summer and helps keep my house cool. The green leaves soothe my soul and I enjoy looking at it and breathing the oxygen it gives to me. Soon, the leaves will fall and I'll have another mess to clean off the back deck. I imagine the tree is giving me it's gift before it goes to sleep for the winter and I accept that gift, sweep up the leaves and put them out back to compost for next year, as I do all the nuts I sweep up off the porch. Sometimes I feel annoyed at the extra work created and then I make myself remember these are nature's gifts to me. It's all a matter of perception, much like life is a matter of perception. The only meaning is the one I assign it!
I'm reading Richard Bach's "Running From Safety" and I am remembering what I had forgotten and what he remembered a long time before a lot of us. He's talking to a 12-year-old version of himself, trying to give him the secrets to "life" so that he's one step ahead of the game. What he's really doing is figuring out what he already knows and what we all know although we don't know we know it until that moment of understanding when we say "oh! I get it now!" Reading the book has helped me "know" and understand what I said before, the only meaning is the one I assign it and that applies to EVERYTHING in life. It's personal and it's SELFish.
Being SELFish is a learned skill. I don't mean selfish as in greedy or not considerate of others but I mean taking care of the self, loving the self, acknowledging the beauty of the SELF and loving the SELF. (Oh my gosh, a beautiful red cardinal is sitting right outside my window looking in at me. He's perched on the back of my slider and is only 2 feet from my face. How exciting and how absolutely beautiful to me. Well will you look at that...he's picking at one of the half eaten pecans. Who knew Cardinals liked pecans, too. Another reason to love that tree!)
I look to nature to understand life and what I know this morning is that life can be "messy" if we choose to see it that way or it can be abundant, nourishing, and with a little work (like sweeping the deck and composting for another day) greatly rewarding. So, what is the meaning of LIFE? The only meaning is the one I assign it.
Right now, I assign myself to get out there and sweep up all those gifts, move in to my day and accomplish as much as I can from the list I made for myself this morning. It's my "road map" of the day.
Today, I EXPECT A MIRACLE and I guess the Cardinal was one of many that will come my way today. Thank you God for the gift of seeing that beautiful little creature so close to my face (most things have to be close to my face for me to see them these days...the eyes are getting weary and thank you GOD for the person who created eyewear!). Wishing you a day filled with miracles, joy, peace, and everything that makes you happy.
Namaste!
The whole and half-eaten pecans are hitting my back deck with such frequency this morning it sounds like drum beats before the band kicks in. I imagine there's a large group of squirrels sitting up on the branches, munching to their hearts content and then tossing the remainder onto the deck below. It does create some extra work for me to get out there and clean up behind them but I wouldn't trade the squirrels and the mess for the tree because I love that tree. It's an old tree and has been around since before I was born (so it really must be a very old tree). It provides shade for the house in the hot summer and helps keep my house cool. The green leaves soothe my soul and I enjoy looking at it and breathing the oxygen it gives to me. Soon, the leaves will fall and I'll have another mess to clean off the back deck. I imagine the tree is giving me it's gift before it goes to sleep for the winter and I accept that gift, sweep up the leaves and put them out back to compost for next year, as I do all the nuts I sweep up off the porch. Sometimes I feel annoyed at the extra work created and then I make myself remember these are nature's gifts to me. It's all a matter of perception, much like life is a matter of perception. The only meaning is the one I assign it!
I'm reading Richard Bach's "Running From Safety" and I am remembering what I had forgotten and what he remembered a long time before a lot of us. He's talking to a 12-year-old version of himself, trying to give him the secrets to "life" so that he's one step ahead of the game. What he's really doing is figuring out what he already knows and what we all know although we don't know we know it until that moment of understanding when we say "oh! I get it now!" Reading the book has helped me "know" and understand what I said before, the only meaning is the one I assign it and that applies to EVERYTHING in life. It's personal and it's SELFish.
Being SELFish is a learned skill. I don't mean selfish as in greedy or not considerate of others but I mean taking care of the self, loving the self, acknowledging the beauty of the SELF and loving the SELF. (Oh my gosh, a beautiful red cardinal is sitting right outside my window looking in at me. He's perched on the back of my slider and is only 2 feet from my face. How exciting and how absolutely beautiful to me. Well will you look at that...he's picking at one of the half eaten pecans. Who knew Cardinals liked pecans, too. Another reason to love that tree!)
I look to nature to understand life and what I know this morning is that life can be "messy" if we choose to see it that way or it can be abundant, nourishing, and with a little work (like sweeping the deck and composting for another day) greatly rewarding. So, what is the meaning of LIFE? The only meaning is the one I assign it.
Right now, I assign myself to get out there and sweep up all those gifts, move in to my day and accomplish as much as I can from the list I made for myself this morning. It's my "road map" of the day.
Today, I EXPECT A MIRACLE and I guess the Cardinal was one of many that will come my way today. Thank you God for the gift of seeing that beautiful little creature so close to my face (most things have to be close to my face for me to see them these days...the eyes are getting weary and thank you GOD for the person who created eyewear!). Wishing you a day filled with miracles, joy, peace, and everything that makes you happy.
Namaste!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
My new job is stimulating and exciting and I'm still trying to get organized and learn what I'm supposed to be accomplishing. My greatest challenge right now is structuring my time so that I can accomplish all that I want to accomplish in my day, including "MY" time for the things that are important to me (like my blog, e-mail, journalling, working on the books I'm writing, staying in touch with family and friends and taking good care of my Wiz-man!). I don't have it down yet but I'm getting better. As it is, I have 3 more minutes to write and then I have to jump in the shower, walk Wiz and hit to door running. That's the way I like to hit the door...RUNNING. I'm learning to become more consistent and I have to write down my daily goals just to help me remember all that I need and want to do although I haven't yet reached a point where I get to tick off everything (I mean, that takes TIME, too).
Time is a concept but it's also a gift to each of us and something I just never seem to have enough of so I stop, take a few deep breaths, get into the MOMENT (instead of the moments that are to come), remember to smile and feel the air enter and leave my body and just give THANKS for the many, many blessings in my life and for the health and energy to do what I want and need to do. How do YOU structure your day to "maximize" it's potential? I'm always interested in knowing a better way and always looking for the better way. Even though time and minutes may be just a concept...I want to make the most of every SECOND of every DAY so that when it's all said and done...well, let's not talk about all said and done and let's just stay in this MOMENT...SEE, I AM LEARNING AS I GO!
So, to that end, carpe diem! It IS a great day to be alive in America and I am expecting a miracle (actually, more than one) today. I've already had a couple so I'm ahead of the game (is it a game?)...just a figure of speech but perhaps like a game...it's what we make of it!
Loving you all...
Namaste! (and now I AM off and running...and LOVING it!)
Time is a concept but it's also a gift to each of us and something I just never seem to have enough of so I stop, take a few deep breaths, get into the MOMENT (instead of the moments that are to come), remember to smile and feel the air enter and leave my body and just give THANKS for the many, many blessings in my life and for the health and energy to do what I want and need to do. How do YOU structure your day to "maximize" it's potential? I'm always interested in knowing a better way and always looking for the better way. Even though time and minutes may be just a concept...I want to make the most of every SECOND of every DAY so that when it's all said and done...well, let's not talk about all said and done and let's just stay in this MOMENT...SEE, I AM LEARNING AS I GO!
So, to that end, carpe diem! It IS a great day to be alive in America and I am expecting a miracle (actually, more than one) today. I've already had a couple so I'm ahead of the game (is it a game?)...just a figure of speech but perhaps like a game...it's what we make of it!
Loving you all...
Namaste! (and now I AM off and running...and LOVING it!)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009 - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
Remembering five wonderful fathers in my life this day! My own Dad, my ex-husband, my son and my two son-in-laws! God bless them!
Well, it's been a pretty exciting couple of weeks for me and I've been so busy I haven't had the time to sit down and blog and I've missed it! I am still an Artist in transition but the total transition will have to wait a few more years but in the mean time, I'll paint whenever I can and make my cards, angels and motivational moments as time permits but I have a new focus to take up a very large percentage of my time and I intend to give it my best effort.
After 7 months of unemployment I am "gainfully" employed once again and excited to be working full time again. I'm excited because this is, hopefully, my LAST project and I am delighted to be working with good people and I hope I will be a good influence and a good employee. I'll do my best, that's for sure.
Working will enable me to get a little more financially secure so that I can get the things I will need when I do art full time, which is retirement which is about 5-1/2 years from now. My goal now is to be able to save enough to do my rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon next year. There are adventures ahead for me and helping these good people attain their goals and vision will allow me to do the same for my own self. I feel like God had put me where I am and I am grateful for his goodness!
I'm still in the midst of my "Artist's Way" workshops and a lot of good is coming from the weekly meetings. I'm glad I've still got this going on for another 9 weeks because it will help me to keep myself focused on my art as well as my livlihood. What I have found is that I need to be more organized to accomplish all that I want to accomplish in a day.
I was called Thursday a week ago to come in for an interview, which I did. She called and I showed up! I didn't hear anything on Friday but on Monday, they called me back for another interview and before I left, they offered me the position and I was to start the NEXT MORNING! I didn't even have time to get my head wrapped around it before I dove in. Such is the way of my life. I didn't even think twice, I just say yes and then I praised God all the way home for bringing us together.
It was a bit of a crazy week for me and next week will be even crazier because I'm IT and the girl who I am replacing left on Friday so I've got to start getting things figured out for my own self next week. I will and I'm looking forward to the challenge.
There is no such thing as job security any more so I don't know if this job will last a week, a month, a year or the whole 5-1/2 years but I will take it one day at a time and do my best each day and if it goes the full 5-1/2 years, wonderful and if it doesn't then I know something else will come along but I will do everything within my power to help them be successful. I've worked for two "Entrepreneurs of the Year" and I've got a gut feeling that the man I'm working for now has that same potential. He's very smart and he has a vision AND he seems to be a good family man and that's important to me, too. My family is the most important part of my life so I enjoy working for someone who feels the same way.
I missed painting with my group of artists last week but I am not regretting no longer being able to paint with them. I am, instead, feeling very grateful for the time I had with them and will perhaps see them in the future in some other way. I want to stay in touch with my painting friends, for sure.
Things are pretty good in my life right now. I finally put the "RBJ" "thing" (I don't even know what to call it) to bed...that relationship is now buried and I have a big wreath on the mound that says "Thank you for my lessons learned." Am I looking for another relationship? Nahhh...not yet. I've so much to do right now and there's barely enough time to get through my day and I don't know where I'd fit a relationship in to my schedule. I'm fine without it. I know some people who can't seem to survive without having someone in their life in that capacity. Fortunately for me, I'm not one of those people. I do pretty well on my own and whenever I get lonely, I just grab my grandkids and go have some fun.
Saturday I picked up my 3 Alvarez angels and took them to see the new Ben Stiller movie, "Night at the Museum - Smithsonian" and we had a good time and some good laughs. We ended the evening at Dairy Queen and they walked out with "blizzards" and long spoons! I filled them with candy, popcorn, soda pop, hot dog, popcorn shrimp, french fries and ice cream! I'm a good MIMI! I don't go it often so what the heck. A little sugar never killed anyone, did it? I enjoyed listening to them laugh at the movie and my granddaughter's laugh makes me want to giggle myself! She's such a joy to me!
Well, much still to do but I did want to pop in and say hello and bring you up to date on what's going on with me. Every day, I expect a miracle and I'm never disappointed! Everymore I wake up and thank God for one more day!
I'm so grateful the drought is over and I'm watering as I write (sprinkler) because it was so hot today! This has been a wonderful (and long) Spring and the gardens have been a joy. I still have lots of lilies blooming and now the Glads have started blooming and I have some pink and red ones in a vase in the house. God is good.
It IS a great day to be alive in America! Look for, expect, your miracles, too...I'm sure there are many in store for you!
Sending love and light to all of my wonderful friends. I love you all so much!
Namaste!
This picture was taken on June 11th when I went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens with my dear friend, Sam. We had a blast and I love this found and this is one of the remaining Dale Chihuley's that remains at the Garden. I LOVE IT! It was a wonderful day and I felt blessed to be able to celebrate the birthday of a special friend in such a wonderful way!
Well, it's been a pretty exciting couple of weeks for me and I've been so busy I haven't had the time to sit down and blog and I've missed it! I am still an Artist in transition but the total transition will have to wait a few more years but in the mean time, I'll paint whenever I can and make my cards, angels and motivational moments as time permits but I have a new focus to take up a very large percentage of my time and I intend to give it my best effort.
After 7 months of unemployment I am "gainfully" employed once again and excited to be working full time again. I'm excited because this is, hopefully, my LAST project and I am delighted to be working with good people and I hope I will be a good influence and a good employee. I'll do my best, that's for sure.
Working will enable me to get a little more financially secure so that I can get the things I will need when I do art full time, which is retirement which is about 5-1/2 years from now. My goal now is to be able to save enough to do my rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon next year. There are adventures ahead for me and helping these good people attain their goals and vision will allow me to do the same for my own self. I feel like God had put me where I am and I am grateful for his goodness!
I'm still in the midst of my "Artist's Way" workshops and a lot of good is coming from the weekly meetings. I'm glad I've still got this going on for another 9 weeks because it will help me to keep myself focused on my art as well as my livlihood. What I have found is that I need to be more organized to accomplish all that I want to accomplish in a day.
I was called Thursday a week ago to come in for an interview, which I did. She called and I showed up! I didn't hear anything on Friday but on Monday, they called me back for another interview and before I left, they offered me the position and I was to start the NEXT MORNING! I didn't even have time to get my head wrapped around it before I dove in. Such is the way of my life. I didn't even think twice, I just say yes and then I praised God all the way home for bringing us together.
It was a bit of a crazy week for me and next week will be even crazier because I'm IT and the girl who I am replacing left on Friday so I've got to start getting things figured out for my own self next week. I will and I'm looking forward to the challenge.
There is no such thing as job security any more so I don't know if this job will last a week, a month, a year or the whole 5-1/2 years but I will take it one day at a time and do my best each day and if it goes the full 5-1/2 years, wonderful and if it doesn't then I know something else will come along but I will do everything within my power to help them be successful. I've worked for two "Entrepreneurs of the Year" and I've got a gut feeling that the man I'm working for now has that same potential. He's very smart and he has a vision AND he seems to be a good family man and that's important to me, too. My family is the most important part of my life so I enjoy working for someone who feels the same way.
I missed painting with my group of artists last week but I am not regretting no longer being able to paint with them. I am, instead, feeling very grateful for the time I had with them and will perhaps see them in the future in some other way. I want to stay in touch with my painting friends, for sure.
Things are pretty good in my life right now. I finally put the "RBJ" "thing" (I don't even know what to call it) to bed...that relationship is now buried and I have a big wreath on the mound that says "Thank you for my lessons learned." Am I looking for another relationship? Nahhh...not yet. I've so much to do right now and there's barely enough time to get through my day and I don't know where I'd fit a relationship in to my schedule. I'm fine without it. I know some people who can't seem to survive without having someone in their life in that capacity. Fortunately for me, I'm not one of those people. I do pretty well on my own and whenever I get lonely, I just grab my grandkids and go have some fun.
Saturday I picked up my 3 Alvarez angels and took them to see the new Ben Stiller movie, "Night at the Museum - Smithsonian" and we had a good time and some good laughs. We ended the evening at Dairy Queen and they walked out with "blizzards" and long spoons! I filled them with candy, popcorn, soda pop, hot dog, popcorn shrimp, french fries and ice cream! I'm a good MIMI! I don't go it often so what the heck. A little sugar never killed anyone, did it? I enjoyed listening to them laugh at the movie and my granddaughter's laugh makes me want to giggle myself! She's such a joy to me!
Well, much still to do but I did want to pop in and say hello and bring you up to date on what's going on with me. Every day, I expect a miracle and I'm never disappointed! Everymore I wake up and thank God for one more day!
I'm so grateful the drought is over and I'm watering as I write (sprinkler) because it was so hot today! This has been a wonderful (and long) Spring and the gardens have been a joy. I still have lots of lilies blooming and now the Glads have started blooming and I have some pink and red ones in a vase in the house. God is good.
It IS a great day to be alive in America! Look for, expect, your miracles, too...I'm sure there are many in store for you!
Sending love and light to all of my wonderful friends. I love you all so much!
Namaste!
This picture was taken on June 11th when I went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens with my dear friend, Sam. We had a blast and I love this found and this is one of the remaining Dale Chihuley's that remains at the Garden. I LOVE IT! It was a wonderful day and I felt blessed to be able to celebrate the birthday of a special friend in such a wonderful way!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Master Cleanse - Day 3 - Morning
Happy April 1st! April's showers bring May flowers and sure enough it's raining! Love it.
I woke up around 5:00am and did my "salt water flush" and then started on my morning meditations and learned exactly what I need as I go through my day today. Once that salt water flush started kicking in it was up and down so I've already had some exercise this morning. If you do this flush, be aware that you really need (1)to be close to a bathroom, very close and (2)buy extra soft tissue because you'll be using a lot of it. Those are two important facts that Stanley Burroughs forgot to mention in his book!
In about 15 minutes I leave to go paint with the ladies and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm definitely taking my easel today after my little back experience last week. I'm working with red, orange and yellow today. That's "hold on to my hat" painting although I don't have to wear a hat today because my hair looks and feels great! The painting is dying to get out of me and I keep seeing it in my head so I know exactly what it wants to be so I need to just let it flow out onto the canvas.
Wedding update: I've got some invitations out for the Bridal Shower which is after the christening on Saturday the 11st. I'm going to Loganville tonight to meet with the kids (since they didn't come here last night as I had hoped) so I can tie them down on some details and I can feel it's "all in order." It's just an illusion anyhow...order, that is but from all of the craziness will come a beautiful event. Staying in touch with the in-laws via e-mail and hoping for a beautiful experience for all involved!
Off and running now. It IS a great day to be alive, all is well in my world and I am expecting a miracle today. Sending love and light to YOU and a reminder to be on the lookout for your own miracles!
Much love...
Namaste!
I woke up around 5:00am and did my "salt water flush" and then started on my morning meditations and learned exactly what I need as I go through my day today. Once that salt water flush started kicking in it was up and down so I've already had some exercise this morning. If you do this flush, be aware that you really need (1)to be close to a bathroom, very close and (2)buy extra soft tissue because you'll be using a lot of it. Those are two important facts that Stanley Burroughs forgot to mention in his book!
In about 15 minutes I leave to go paint with the ladies and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm definitely taking my easel today after my little back experience last week. I'm working with red, orange and yellow today. That's "hold on to my hat" painting although I don't have to wear a hat today because my hair looks and feels great! The painting is dying to get out of me and I keep seeing it in my head so I know exactly what it wants to be so I need to just let it flow out onto the canvas.
Wedding update: I've got some invitations out for the Bridal Shower which is after the christening on Saturday the 11st. I'm going to Loganville tonight to meet with the kids (since they didn't come here last night as I had hoped) so I can tie them down on some details and I can feel it's "all in order." It's just an illusion anyhow...order, that is but from all of the craziness will come a beautiful event. Staying in touch with the in-laws via e-mail and hoping for a beautiful experience for all involved!
Off and running now. It IS a great day to be alive, all is well in my world and I am expecting a miracle today. Sending love and light to YOU and a reminder to be on the lookout for your own miracles!
Much love...
Namaste!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Master Cleanse - Day 2 - Morning
I've been up for a couple of hours and listened to a meditation to self-motivate for exericise ( which I want to do more of now!), did my morning meditations, sent out some e-mails around the wedding (18 days to go) and a bridal shower I'm having for my daughter the week before (yes, I know...it's very LATE to be planning a shower but everything seems to be AT THE LAST MINUTE and it's a challenge for me to maintain my peace around it but I'm doing okay so far.).
I feel a bit disassociated from this wedding because I haven't been as involved in the planning of it as I would like to have been but I have learned to step away when necessary. I don't have to control it all. I'm am just "letting it be" as they seem to be okay with the flow so I must step back and let it be, too. That's a hard thing for me as I like to plan an event from beginning to end with checklists and double-checking. That doesn't seem to be their way of doing things. I remind myself that this is THEIR wedding and if they need me, they'll ask. As a Mom of the Bride, I have to say I feel a little cheated though. Okay, so there...it's said and I guess it IS about me, after all!
Sometimes it's hard to know, with children, when to step back and let them do it on their own and when to step forward and take control. I've tried to raise independent, self-sufficient children and I guess I've accomplished that to the point where I'm not needed. So, wait...what AM I whining about? That's a good thing. So, I just release it all to the Universe knowing this event will occur, on the date and time it is planned and it will be beautiful and there will be plenty of food, plenty of decorations, plenty of everything needed to make it the beautiful, wondrous event it is meant to be. I release all my cares and worries BUT...I will still call every day to get an update or status of what's going on and if they need me, I'll be there in the wings to help them if they call. What more should a parent do?
So, that having been said, today is Day 2 of the fast. It's 8:48am and I haven't even gotten out of the bed although I've been busy working and writing from my favorite warm, comfy place. With a feather bed under me and an electric blanket on top, it feels as if this is my coccoon and I'm not yet ready to emerge this morning. I can hear the birds singing though so I suspect it's going to be a beautiful day today.
As soon as I finish writing, I'll get up, make the bed and go into the kitchen and have my 32-oz. of warm salt water (salt water flush) and then my first "lemonade" of the day. I am not hungry, at all and there are no signs of a headache this morning. My breathing seems a little better this morning, too. I am going to take a nice long walk today and enjoy being outside.
Tomorrow I paint with the ladies again and I'm excited to go. I'm going to work with red, orange and yellow tomorrow. I've decided to do a 7-painting series with each painting relating to a particular energy center in the body. I did the crown chakra (or 3rd eye) last week. I guess because that's one of my favorite energy centers and the color is indigo blue, another of my favorites. Red is the color of the root chakra and is our connection with the earth, the material. Red, orange and yellow are the lower (denser/more physical) energy centers. The connection (to everything) is the heart chakra which is located in the center of the body. It is associated with the color green, which is my favorite color. There are other colors around each chakra but those are the most prominent colors. Pink is sometimes associated with the heart and green is the color of creativity. Fun!
Time to move into the day and accomplish my goals. My affirmations for today are: (1)I set personal limits, honoring myself and saying no when it is appropriate for me. (2)I enjoy being with Jenny, full of thankfulness and joy. and (3)EVERY CHALLENGE WHICH ARISES HELP ME GROW. EVERY STORM STRENGTHENS MY ROOTS.
Yes, it's all good. My "Angel of the Sea" arrived at it's destination yesterday and was welcomed with open heart. I let the Light shine through me and it touched someone who most needed it. God is good!
Wishing you a joy filled day of love and light! Expect a miracle. I know I am and I'm never disappointed! God IS good! And so it is.
Namaste!
I feel a bit disassociated from this wedding because I haven't been as involved in the planning of it as I would like to have been but I have learned to step away when necessary. I don't have to control it all. I'm am just "letting it be" as they seem to be okay with the flow so I must step back and let it be, too. That's a hard thing for me as I like to plan an event from beginning to end with checklists and double-checking. That doesn't seem to be their way of doing things. I remind myself that this is THEIR wedding and if they need me, they'll ask. As a Mom of the Bride, I have to say I feel a little cheated though. Okay, so there...it's said and I guess it IS about me, after all!
Sometimes it's hard to know, with children, when to step back and let them do it on their own and when to step forward and take control. I've tried to raise independent, self-sufficient children and I guess I've accomplished that to the point where I'm not needed. So, wait...what AM I whining about? That's a good thing. So, I just release it all to the Universe knowing this event will occur, on the date and time it is planned and it will be beautiful and there will be plenty of food, plenty of decorations, plenty of everything needed to make it the beautiful, wondrous event it is meant to be. I release all my cares and worries BUT...I will still call every day to get an update or status of what's going on and if they need me, I'll be there in the wings to help them if they call. What more should a parent do?
So, that having been said, today is Day 2 of the fast. It's 8:48am and I haven't even gotten out of the bed although I've been busy working and writing from my favorite warm, comfy place. With a feather bed under me and an electric blanket on top, it feels as if this is my coccoon and I'm not yet ready to emerge this morning. I can hear the birds singing though so I suspect it's going to be a beautiful day today.
As soon as I finish writing, I'll get up, make the bed and go into the kitchen and have my 32-oz. of warm salt water (salt water flush) and then my first "lemonade" of the day. I am not hungry, at all and there are no signs of a headache this morning. My breathing seems a little better this morning, too. I am going to take a nice long walk today and enjoy being outside.
Tomorrow I paint with the ladies again and I'm excited to go. I'm going to work with red, orange and yellow tomorrow. I've decided to do a 7-painting series with each painting relating to a particular energy center in the body. I did the crown chakra (or 3rd eye) last week. I guess because that's one of my favorite energy centers and the color is indigo blue, another of my favorites. Red is the color of the root chakra and is our connection with the earth, the material. Red, orange and yellow are the lower (denser/more physical) energy centers. The connection (to everything) is the heart chakra which is located in the center of the body. It is associated with the color green, which is my favorite color. There are other colors around each chakra but those are the most prominent colors. Pink is sometimes associated with the heart and green is the color of creativity. Fun!
Time to move into the day and accomplish my goals. My affirmations for today are: (1)I set personal limits, honoring myself and saying no when it is appropriate for me. (2)I enjoy being with Jenny, full of thankfulness and joy. and (3)EVERY CHALLENGE WHICH ARISES HELP ME GROW. EVERY STORM STRENGTHENS MY ROOTS.
Yes, it's all good. My "Angel of the Sea" arrived at it's destination yesterday and was welcomed with open heart. I let the Light shine through me and it touched someone who most needed it. God is good!
Wishing you a joy filled day of love and light! Expect a miracle. I know I am and I'm never disappointed! God IS good! And so it is.
Namaste!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Painting with the Ladies
I made it to the group painting session at Anita's ArtsCool today and it was a total blast. I enjoyed meeting the other artists and watching their process as I was going through mine. Just getting out the door was an adventure and I went through the house like a mad woman getting my stuff together, leaving drawers open and items out that should have been put away but I was in a tear to leave and I had worked until past the "very last" moment before leaving. I always seem to believe a minute has more than 60 seconds or that an hour is longer than it really is because I am always "just a minute or two" late for EVERYTHING. Story of my life.
I got up at 5:00am and started my morning meditations and then my brother called so I talked to him for a while. Back to my morning meditations and when I finished around 8:00am, I came in and started working on my flyers again. I had made two, one for the Artist's Way workshop and another for the other three workshops I am planning. After doing some printing, I decided it would be more cost effective to put all of the workshops on one page instead of two so now it has to be redesigned again. I haven't done that yet. What I spent my time on, for the most part, was a redesign of the order form. I finished that up around 9:50am knowing it would only take me 5 minutes to get to Anita's ArtsCool from my house.
I started getting my stuff together. Pulled a painted canvas out from under the futon to overpaint since I don't have a blank one available. Then, into my drawers for the paints to take with me. I had to completely pull out the bottom drawer of the cabinet I keep my paints in because it's under my work table. I left that drawer laying out on the floor next to my work table. Next, which brushes should I take? Where to put it all? In a grocery bag...nah, too amateurish. Dug through the closet to find my trusty, roomy old black leather briefcase from my consulting days and was happy to find everything fit nicely. It was under a stack of other things that are now laying outside my closet door in a heap. Oh my gosh, forgot that I was planning on coloring my hair this morning while doing my morning meditations (trying to be a multi-tasker just didn't seem to work for me this morning) so I started looking for an appropriate hat to cover my sad-looking hair. On the top shelf of the bookcase I keep in my closet for extra folded clothes is where all my hats are located and wouldn't you know it...the one I wanted was on the bottom of all the other hats so there's also a pile of hats on the floor outside my closet. My room is now a collection of "piles" of "stuff" that needs to be put away.
By now, Wizzie knows something is going on and he's following me around like the puppy dog he is because he's wanting to take a walk but it's raining so I take him out to the front porch and put him on his tether to let him stay outside while I'm gone. He has water and a bed there and he'll be dry and comfortable and can go off the porch to relieve himself if needs to instead of peeing in my house because I was too busy to take him out for a walk as I should have and I wasn't looking forward to piles of stuff AND a wet mess to clean up when I got back home.
Next, I go looking for my IPOD as I love painting to music and find it where it should be, wonder of wonders and threw it in my bag. Then, I grab my stuff and out the door I go and I'm only 10 minutes late. By the time I got there, I was frazzled and 15 minutes late but no one had even started painting yet which was a good thing. Before I got out of the car, I took a moment to go into total relaxation and breathed deeply five times before opening the door and walking in with a big smile on my face and my black cap on my head so no one could see my hair with grey roots showing prominently, canvas under my arm and "professional-looking" briefcase in my other hand filled with paints, brushes, etc. I probably looked like it was something I did every day! No one knew I'd left a trail of destruction in my path just to get there.
Anita introduced me to all of the ladies, who were very friendly and then I found my spot and laid out some newspaper and put down my canvas on a flat surface. I pulled out my IPOD, strapped it on my arm and pressed MENU and nothing happened. So, the battery is dead which means NO MUSIC as usual and I had a brief moment of panic because it is the music infusing my soul that allows the connection between the "oneness" and my canvas. Oh well, I take that as a sign that I wasn't MEANT to listen to my IPOD so that leaves me the opportunity to communicate more with others as I paint. I believe it was Divine intervention that I not cut myself off from everyone else and pull from their energy instead and it worked out beautifullly. Thank you, God!
I SHOULD have used an easel because two hours of bending over the table to paint created a little problem for me that I felt AFTER I left at 1:30pm. I had so much fun there and did a couple more moments of deep breathing and closed my eyes and started letting the energy of the room, the people and the moment seep into my soul so I could create. There was nice background music playing which was a joy to me since my IPOD was dead. Now, all of the artists got busy. Some were using watercolors, some acrylics (like me), some were using oils and one lady was doing a painting on silk. It was a very interesting process and I could easily tell how beautiful it will be when finished.
The painting session was supposed to last from 10:00am-12:00pm but we painted until around 12:30pm and I think I was one of the first to start my cleaning up process so the time is flexible from what I can tell. Afterwards, there was a delightful critique session. One of the local artists who has a rather large following came to oversee the critique and she was set up in a director's chair directly in from of a large easel. We'd all put our work on one of the tables if we wanted a critique and another artist acted as facilitator and put each piece of art on the easel, one at a time in front of the "Director Artist" and then she offered her critique first before the floor was opened to anyone else who may have some suggestions regarding the piece on the easel. By now, there were about 15 artists in the room, all women. Lots of Yin energy in the room and it was lovely.
The critique portion lasted for about an hour and it was very exciting to me to be a part of it all. My painting was well received and it made me feel good to hear other artists say nice things about it and I received one very good suggestion which I will incorporate into my painting next week when I go again. I wasn't too emotionally attached to it and was open to any comments from anyone there as they all certainly know a lot more than I do about this process. I just PAINT for the love of being in "color" and "energy" and I was proud that a fairly good piece came out this morning in such a small amount of time.
I enjoyed myself immensely and was happy I finally got around to going to the sessions. Anita invited me months ago and today is the first day I went and I will go again and often. I look forward to getting to know the ladies better as time goes on and my finances permit me to participate. It was one of those times I couldn't think of anything I would want to be doing more. I want to manifest more opportunities like this for myself and believe the "Universe will provide." If I never went again, I would have such a wonderful memory tucked away inside of that I can pull on that now when I need a "happy thought." (I actually have a very large cache of these type of thoughts!) This was a very talented group of women and I was just happy to be there with them, creating right along with those who were so much better and much more experienced artists than me. I learned that everyone is a little insecure about their work and how it will be received, not just ME! It was an "eureka" moment, for sure.
Afterwards, the artists usually go to lunch together but I didn't want to participate today as I was feeling a bit unsettled about how I'd left everything at home. I stopped at the new Dillard's Bar-b-que and got a rib sandwich to bring home (thank you, Sister!) and eat in peaceful silence. As soon as I walked in I let my Wizzie into the house and he was so happy to see me that it warmed my heart. I swear I love that dog of mine as much as I love any other member of my family and he ALWAYS loves me no matter what I do (like not taking the time to give him a proper walk this morning). I often joke and say that if I knew "then" what I know "now" about having a pet, I'd have gotten a dog instead of getting married! Maybe it's not really a joke? Ah, but then I wouldn't have gotten the three wonderful children and six grandchildren that make my life full and rich.
I sat down at the table and ate my sandwich, giving Wiz the two rib bones which he enjoyed unabashedly. I was happy to share with him. As I was sitting there eating, I felt the stab of pain in my back and thought, uh-oh. Now I'm paying for bending over the table for over two hours while I was painting. Instead of cleaning up the piles and messes I left in my wake this morning, I took two Advil, turned my electric blanket to high, stripped down and crawled into bed thinking I'd have a little nap before tidying up my house. Just as I dozed off the phone rang. It was my daughter Jenny calling to schedule time for next week to talk about her wedding WHICH IS IN THREE WEEKS. I took that call and turned over to snuggle back down and just as I dozed off the phone rang again. It was my daughter-in-law in Denver calling to talk about the plans for the wedding WHICH IS IN THREE WEEKS. Plan? Hell, I don't know. I'm so out of the loop on the planning of this wedding it's like I'm hardly a part of it. That changes NOW! I hung up the phone from her and turned over to go to sleep but my mind was in gear thinking of what I need to do around the wedding.
I've scheduled the time with Jenny and Elliot for Tuesday night. We'll talk about menu's and decorations and logistics. I scheduled time to drive up to the mountains on Saturday to Elliot's Dad's place (a 2-hour drive) so I can see the "lay of the land" and talk to his folks about the "plan." they are getting married on his property which is called "the Briar Patch" and is a beautiful piece of land in the North Georgia mountains between Blue Ridge and Blairsville. We've got to have a "plan" and since I work best under pressure I know that by the end of the evening on Tuesday night, THE PLAN will be in place. I am not going to let myself get crazy around this as I want to enjoy and savor every moment of it as it's the last wedding I'll get to be a part of as a MOM. I still can't believe my baby is getting married nor has it sunk in that she's no longer my baby. My other two children I can relate to as adults but not my baby. I wanted to keep her under my wing for far longer than she was willing. Is it that way for all Mother's?
With my job situation being what it (or isn't) I haven't been able to participate in this wedding as much as I would have liked financially. I'll do what I can do which is help with THE PLAN. I'm grateful that her "other" family (and that's a story for another day) who has offered some financial assistance as it has really helped her make her wedding what she wants it to be. In the midst of all the wedding plans, they are also buying their first home together. What craziness all at once! Two of the most stressful things a person experiences in life and they are doing them both at the same time. Strong, young adults they are and I am impressed by them both. I guess that's one way to only have to be totally crazy once! Fortunately, Elliot's Dad is in a better position than Jen's parents (us) and he's helped them with the house. Her grandmother has helped her with a whopping gift that has helped in ways she doesn't even know and the beautiful dress has been paid for by "the other" Dad! It's all going to work out fine and I'm sure it will be a touching, beautiful, loving event enjoyed and remembered fondly by all of us and THE PLAN will work beautifully.
So, with all of that having been said. I'm leaving the mess, the grey streak in my head and taking two more Advil and going back to bed (turning off the ringer on the phone, too) and see if I can't wake up feeling refreshed and pain free so I can use my evening to pick up behind the Sabra that was in a tear to get out this morning and have one of the most fun times of her life! It was worth it.
Tomorrow night, I'm going to a lecture at the Fox Theatre by Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities" in Egypt. The lecture is entitled "Mysteries of Tutankhamun Revealed" and promises to be a wonderful evening. I've seen Dr. Hawass on several PBS and Discovery Channel programs and I am delighted to have an opportunity to see him speak in person. The "Treasures of Tutankhamun" exhibit is at the Atlanta Civic Center now and I viewed it and bought my tickets to see Dr. Hawass on the same day. I was a little disappointed in the exhibit only because it wasn't as extensive as the exhibit I was fortunate enough to see about 20 years ago when it was in San Francisco. They were running tours 24 hours a day and my husband and I had tickets for a week night at 1:30am and we were happy to have gotten them. It was an amazing experience and the exhibit included a lot more artifacts and jewelry than the current one in Atlanta.
Originally, Dr. Hawass' lecture was scheduled for the Atlanta Civic Center but because he had an emergency out of the country, it was rescheduled for a week later and changed to the Fox Theatre which delighted me as I love going to the Fox. It's a marvelous relic of days gone past, and an Atlanta landmark. Being there reminds me of one of my first memories of being in Atlanta and realizing it was a whole new world of wonder, far from the fishing village I moved from with a one-room library and no cultural activities AT ALL unless you include charter boat fishing as a cultural activity. We moved to Atlanta when I was 15 and my class took a field trip there to see an Opera (in Italian, no less). At that time, I was just a little hick from a very small town in Florida and Atlanta was a BIG city and the FOX was a cultural experience that opened my eyes to a whole new world. The Fox theatre is a magical place, built in the pre-crash 1920's and it's ornate and gloriously fabulous. I highly recommend seeing it if you're in Atlanta.
Every day is an adventure and something new and wonderful seems to happen for me every day. It's a wonderful world in which we live and there is so much to do and see if we only take the time. It's easy to get wrapped up and bogged down in life's "little messes." but I choose to keep my options open. I know that when I do my morning meditations AS I SHOULD then I can expect a miracle in my day and most days, many more than one miracle will occur for me. I expect a miracle and I'm never disappointed. Ask me about my sister coming by and sharing her love with me this morning in a way that was totally unexpected and totally appreciated. It started my day of miracles. And...it's not over yet! God is good!
I hope you are having a good day and looking for your own miracles. I have no doubt they are there for you. I'm sending a bubble love and light to all. A special bubble goes out to Anita's friend Rosemary who had surgery this morning and I'm lifting her up for a speedy recovery.
It IS a great day to be alive and all is well in my world.
Namaste!
I got up at 5:00am and started my morning meditations and then my brother called so I talked to him for a while. Back to my morning meditations and when I finished around 8:00am, I came in and started working on my flyers again. I had made two, one for the Artist's Way workshop and another for the other three workshops I am planning. After doing some printing, I decided it would be more cost effective to put all of the workshops on one page instead of two so now it has to be redesigned again. I haven't done that yet. What I spent my time on, for the most part, was a redesign of the order form. I finished that up around 9:50am knowing it would only take me 5 minutes to get to Anita's ArtsCool from my house.
I started getting my stuff together. Pulled a painted canvas out from under the futon to overpaint since I don't have a blank one available. Then, into my drawers for the paints to take with me. I had to completely pull out the bottom drawer of the cabinet I keep my paints in because it's under my work table. I left that drawer laying out on the floor next to my work table. Next, which brushes should I take? Where to put it all? In a grocery bag...nah, too amateurish. Dug through the closet to find my trusty, roomy old black leather briefcase from my consulting days and was happy to find everything fit nicely. It was under a stack of other things that are now laying outside my closet door in a heap. Oh my gosh, forgot that I was planning on coloring my hair this morning while doing my morning meditations (trying to be a multi-tasker just didn't seem to work for me this morning) so I started looking for an appropriate hat to cover my sad-looking hair. On the top shelf of the bookcase I keep in my closet for extra folded clothes is where all my hats are located and wouldn't you know it...the one I wanted was on the bottom of all the other hats so there's also a pile of hats on the floor outside my closet. My room is now a collection of "piles" of "stuff" that needs to be put away.
By now, Wizzie knows something is going on and he's following me around like the puppy dog he is because he's wanting to take a walk but it's raining so I take him out to the front porch and put him on his tether to let him stay outside while I'm gone. He has water and a bed there and he'll be dry and comfortable and can go off the porch to relieve himself if needs to instead of peeing in my house because I was too busy to take him out for a walk as I should have and I wasn't looking forward to piles of stuff AND a wet mess to clean up when I got back home.
Next, I go looking for my IPOD as I love painting to music and find it where it should be, wonder of wonders and threw it in my bag. Then, I grab my stuff and out the door I go and I'm only 10 minutes late. By the time I got there, I was frazzled and 15 minutes late but no one had even started painting yet which was a good thing. Before I got out of the car, I took a moment to go into total relaxation and breathed deeply five times before opening the door and walking in with a big smile on my face and my black cap on my head so no one could see my hair with grey roots showing prominently, canvas under my arm and "professional-looking" briefcase in my other hand filled with paints, brushes, etc. I probably looked like it was something I did every day! No one knew I'd left a trail of destruction in my path just to get there.
Anita introduced me to all of the ladies, who were very friendly and then I found my spot and laid out some newspaper and put down my canvas on a flat surface. I pulled out my IPOD, strapped it on my arm and pressed MENU and nothing happened. So, the battery is dead which means NO MUSIC as usual and I had a brief moment of panic because it is the music infusing my soul that allows the connection between the "oneness" and my canvas. Oh well, I take that as a sign that I wasn't MEANT to listen to my IPOD so that leaves me the opportunity to communicate more with others as I paint. I believe it was Divine intervention that I not cut myself off from everyone else and pull from their energy instead and it worked out beautifullly. Thank you, God!
I SHOULD have used an easel because two hours of bending over the table to paint created a little problem for me that I felt AFTER I left at 1:30pm. I had so much fun there and did a couple more moments of deep breathing and closed my eyes and started letting the energy of the room, the people and the moment seep into my soul so I could create. There was nice background music playing which was a joy to me since my IPOD was dead. Now, all of the artists got busy. Some were using watercolors, some acrylics (like me), some were using oils and one lady was doing a painting on silk. It was a very interesting process and I could easily tell how beautiful it will be when finished.
The painting session was supposed to last from 10:00am-12:00pm but we painted until around 12:30pm and I think I was one of the first to start my cleaning up process so the time is flexible from what I can tell. Afterwards, there was a delightful critique session. One of the local artists who has a rather large following came to oversee the critique and she was set up in a director's chair directly in from of a large easel. We'd all put our work on one of the tables if we wanted a critique and another artist acted as facilitator and put each piece of art on the easel, one at a time in front of the "Director Artist" and then she offered her critique first before the floor was opened to anyone else who may have some suggestions regarding the piece on the easel. By now, there were about 15 artists in the room, all women. Lots of Yin energy in the room and it was lovely.
The critique portion lasted for about an hour and it was very exciting to me to be a part of it all. My painting was well received and it made me feel good to hear other artists say nice things about it and I received one very good suggestion which I will incorporate into my painting next week when I go again. I wasn't too emotionally attached to it and was open to any comments from anyone there as they all certainly know a lot more than I do about this process. I just PAINT for the love of being in "color" and "energy" and I was proud that a fairly good piece came out this morning in such a small amount of time.
I enjoyed myself immensely and was happy I finally got around to going to the sessions. Anita invited me months ago and today is the first day I went and I will go again and often. I look forward to getting to know the ladies better as time goes on and my finances permit me to participate. It was one of those times I couldn't think of anything I would want to be doing more. I want to manifest more opportunities like this for myself and believe the "Universe will provide." If I never went again, I would have such a wonderful memory tucked away inside of that I can pull on that now when I need a "happy thought." (I actually have a very large cache of these type of thoughts!) This was a very talented group of women and I was just happy to be there with them, creating right along with those who were so much better and much more experienced artists than me. I learned that everyone is a little insecure about their work and how it will be received, not just ME! It was an "eureka" moment, for sure.
Afterwards, the artists usually go to lunch together but I didn't want to participate today as I was feeling a bit unsettled about how I'd left everything at home. I stopped at the new Dillard's Bar-b-que and got a rib sandwich to bring home (thank you, Sister!) and eat in peaceful silence. As soon as I walked in I let my Wizzie into the house and he was so happy to see me that it warmed my heart. I swear I love that dog of mine as much as I love any other member of my family and he ALWAYS loves me no matter what I do (like not taking the time to give him a proper walk this morning). I often joke and say that if I knew "then" what I know "now" about having a pet, I'd have gotten a dog instead of getting married! Maybe it's not really a joke? Ah, but then I wouldn't have gotten the three wonderful children and six grandchildren that make my life full and rich.
I sat down at the table and ate my sandwich, giving Wiz the two rib bones which he enjoyed unabashedly. I was happy to share with him. As I was sitting there eating, I felt the stab of pain in my back and thought, uh-oh. Now I'm paying for bending over the table for over two hours while I was painting. Instead of cleaning up the piles and messes I left in my wake this morning, I took two Advil, turned my electric blanket to high, stripped down and crawled into bed thinking I'd have a little nap before tidying up my house. Just as I dozed off the phone rang. It was my daughter Jenny calling to schedule time for next week to talk about her wedding WHICH IS IN THREE WEEKS. I took that call and turned over to snuggle back down and just as I dozed off the phone rang again. It was my daughter-in-law in Denver calling to talk about the plans for the wedding WHICH IS IN THREE WEEKS. Plan? Hell, I don't know. I'm so out of the loop on the planning of this wedding it's like I'm hardly a part of it. That changes NOW! I hung up the phone from her and turned over to go to sleep but my mind was in gear thinking of what I need to do around the wedding.
I've scheduled the time with Jenny and Elliot for Tuesday night. We'll talk about menu's and decorations and logistics. I scheduled time to drive up to the mountains on Saturday to Elliot's Dad's place (a 2-hour drive) so I can see the "lay of the land" and talk to his folks about the "plan." they are getting married on his property which is called "the Briar Patch" and is a beautiful piece of land in the North Georgia mountains between Blue Ridge and Blairsville. We've got to have a "plan" and since I work best under pressure I know that by the end of the evening on Tuesday night, THE PLAN will be in place. I am not going to let myself get crazy around this as I want to enjoy and savor every moment of it as it's the last wedding I'll get to be a part of as a MOM. I still can't believe my baby is getting married nor has it sunk in that she's no longer my baby. My other two children I can relate to as adults but not my baby. I wanted to keep her under my wing for far longer than she was willing. Is it that way for all Mother's?
With my job situation being what it (or isn't) I haven't been able to participate in this wedding as much as I would have liked financially. I'll do what I can do which is help with THE PLAN. I'm grateful that her "other" family (and that's a story for another day) who has offered some financial assistance as it has really helped her make her wedding what she wants it to be. In the midst of all the wedding plans, they are also buying their first home together. What craziness all at once! Two of the most stressful things a person experiences in life and they are doing them both at the same time. Strong, young adults they are and I am impressed by them both. I guess that's one way to only have to be totally crazy once! Fortunately, Elliot's Dad is in a better position than Jen's parents (us) and he's helped them with the house. Her grandmother has helped her with a whopping gift that has helped in ways she doesn't even know and the beautiful dress has been paid for by "the other" Dad! It's all going to work out fine and I'm sure it will be a touching, beautiful, loving event enjoyed and remembered fondly by all of us and THE PLAN will work beautifully.
So, with all of that having been said. I'm leaving the mess, the grey streak in my head and taking two more Advil and going back to bed (turning off the ringer on the phone, too) and see if I can't wake up feeling refreshed and pain free so I can use my evening to pick up behind the Sabra that was in a tear to get out this morning and have one of the most fun times of her life! It was worth it.
Tomorrow night, I'm going to a lecture at the Fox Theatre by Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities" in Egypt. The lecture is entitled "Mysteries of Tutankhamun Revealed" and promises to be a wonderful evening. I've seen Dr. Hawass on several PBS and Discovery Channel programs and I am delighted to have an opportunity to see him speak in person. The "Treasures of Tutankhamun" exhibit is at the Atlanta Civic Center now and I viewed it and bought my tickets to see Dr. Hawass on the same day. I was a little disappointed in the exhibit only because it wasn't as extensive as the exhibit I was fortunate enough to see about 20 years ago when it was in San Francisco. They were running tours 24 hours a day and my husband and I had tickets for a week night at 1:30am and we were happy to have gotten them. It was an amazing experience and the exhibit included a lot more artifacts and jewelry than the current one in Atlanta.
Originally, Dr. Hawass' lecture was scheduled for the Atlanta Civic Center but because he had an emergency out of the country, it was rescheduled for a week later and changed to the Fox Theatre which delighted me as I love going to the Fox. It's a marvelous relic of days gone past, and an Atlanta landmark. Being there reminds me of one of my first memories of being in Atlanta and realizing it was a whole new world of wonder, far from the fishing village I moved from with a one-room library and no cultural activities AT ALL unless you include charter boat fishing as a cultural activity. We moved to Atlanta when I was 15 and my class took a field trip there to see an Opera (in Italian, no less). At that time, I was just a little hick from a very small town in Florida and Atlanta was a BIG city and the FOX was a cultural experience that opened my eyes to a whole new world. The Fox theatre is a magical place, built in the pre-crash 1920's and it's ornate and gloriously fabulous. I highly recommend seeing it if you're in Atlanta.
Every day is an adventure and something new and wonderful seems to happen for me every day. It's a wonderful world in which we live and there is so much to do and see if we only take the time. It's easy to get wrapped up and bogged down in life's "little messes." but I choose to keep my options open. I know that when I do my morning meditations AS I SHOULD then I can expect a miracle in my day and most days, many more than one miracle will occur for me. I expect a miracle and I'm never disappointed. Ask me about my sister coming by and sharing her love with me this morning in a way that was totally unexpected and totally appreciated. It started my day of miracles. And...it's not over yet! God is good!
I hope you are having a good day and looking for your own miracles. I have no doubt they are there for you. I'm sending a bubble love and light to all. A special bubble goes out to Anita's friend Rosemary who had surgery this morning and I'm lifting her up for a speedy recovery.
It IS a great day to be alive and all is well in my world.
Namaste!
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