Saturday, November 5, 2011
New Card Inspired by Occupy Wall Street..Protesting in Proxy
The card was inspired by the Occupy movement, but has a bit of "cattitude"..What if you wanted to go to the protest but wanted to go anonymously? Other than wear a Guy Fauks mask, what would you do? You would send someone in your place--if you could rouse him from his nap...
Thus, a favorite cat is wearing the mask and thinking about going to the protest...but you realize cats can think...and think..and think...fall asleep and think again. At any rate, it is in the works! The cat saw "V is for Vendetta" and is really getting into wearing the mask around the house...
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Proves you never know...
The card I mentioned yesterday was purchased yesterday by the person who gave it a heart. She also thanked me and said the card inspired her!
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." --Marcel Proust
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." --Marcel Proust
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
New Card for Any 12 Step Program...or Just to Say Sorry...
Saturday, September 10, 2011
A quote by Anne Morrow Lindbergh..
"It takes as much courage to have tried and failed as it does to have tried and succeeded."
We need to re-think the meaning of success as well. Basically, to be a success as a human being is to have lived your best possible life, meaning being the best possible human being you can be, given all of your gifts and unique challenges..
Too often we define success only in the marketplace...forgetting that "at the end of the day" what will count is our effect on other people and our relationships with them.
Effort put into love is never wasted, and successes are not always immediately visible. Patience...patience..
We need to re-think the meaning of success as well. Basically, to be a success as a human being is to have lived your best possible life, meaning being the best possible human being you can be, given all of your gifts and unique challenges..
Too often we define success only in the marketplace...forgetting that "at the end of the day" what will count is our effect on other people and our relationships with them.
Effort put into love is never wasted, and successes are not always immediately visible. Patience...patience..
Time To Revisit Gift From the Sea by A.M. Lindbergh
Taking out an older book to read it again was a good idea this time! The book, "Gift From the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh just seemed to jump off the shelf at me the other afternoon. It was too hot to sit outside to read so I just sat on my office chair with a cold drink and read it once again...
The author, who published the book in 1955, stresses how important it is for a woman to have time alone to find her center. She, like women today, found that women "spill themselves away", giving all they have to give to family, friends and community. So she decided to spend a couple of solitary weeks on an island, SIMPLIFY, and get to the center of who she was at that time.
As I read it, I felt I was there, on the island, connecting with the author's very soul. She says, " I believe that true identity is found in creative activity springing from within.It is found, paradoxically, when one loses oneself. One must lose one's life to find it. Woman can best befriend herself by losing herself in some kind of creative activity of her own. Here she will be able to refind her strength.."
She reminds us that we need to be alone, and quiet, to get to the core of who we are. We need to turn off all media, all distractions, and just "be" and "listen"...We need to "cut out distractions"...She says " One learns first of all in beach living the art of shedding; how little one can get along with, not how much..one needs less in the sun. But one needs less anyway, one finds suddenly.."
Please, dear reader, pick up this book and spend an afternoon digesting it. Eventhough it was written years ago, it is valid to tears for us today--now more than then, because of the overwhelming distractions of modern times! Read for yourself! If you don't buy a new book, get an older copy from a used book store.
The author, who published the book in 1955, stresses how important it is for a woman to have time alone to find her center. She, like women today, found that women "spill themselves away", giving all they have to give to family, friends and community. So she decided to spend a couple of solitary weeks on an island, SIMPLIFY, and get to the center of who she was at that time.
As I read it, I felt I was there, on the island, connecting with the author's very soul. She says, " I believe that true identity is found in creative activity springing from within.It is found, paradoxically, when one loses oneself. One must lose one's life to find it. Woman can best befriend herself by losing herself in some kind of creative activity of her own. Here she will be able to refind her strength.."
She reminds us that we need to be alone, and quiet, to get to the core of who we are. We need to turn off all media, all distractions, and just "be" and "listen"...We need to "cut out distractions"...She says " One learns first of all in beach living the art of shedding; how little one can get along with, not how much..one needs less in the sun. But one needs less anyway, one finds suddenly.."
Please, dear reader, pick up this book and spend an afternoon digesting it. Eventhough it was written years ago, it is valid to tears for us today--now more than then, because of the overwhelming distractions of modern times! Read for yourself! If you don't buy a new book, get an older copy from a used book store.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Approval and Acceptance...
"Do not look for approval
except
for the consciousness of doing your best."
_Bernard Baruch
Most of us look for acceptance and approval more than we look to the place where it should reside--within ourselves. Why is the other guy's opinion more valid than our own?
I watched the first couple of episodes about Fergie's struggle with herself and the acceptance and approval theme kept coming up. It was something most of us could relate to...royalty or not.
Others will not know we are insecure unless we tell them or show them. They are more worried about how we perceive them than about how they are perceiving us.
So...be as calm as possible. Speak your own truth from your core values and don't compromise who you are. And that is what people will feel and see...
except
for the consciousness of doing your best."
_Bernard Baruch
Most of us look for acceptance and approval more than we look to the place where it should reside--within ourselves. Why is the other guy's opinion more valid than our own?
I watched the first couple of episodes about Fergie's struggle with herself and the acceptance and approval theme kept coming up. It was something most of us could relate to...royalty or not.
Others will not know we are insecure unless we tell them or show them. They are more worried about how we perceive them than about how they are perceiving us.
So...be as calm as possible. Speak your own truth from your core values and don't compromise who you are. And that is what people will feel and see...
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tracks and those who follow your tracks...
"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave."~Native American proverb
Walking along the dirt road I see the tracks of other walkers. I notice the tracks of dogs beside a few.. Some tracks are large, others petite...All are walking for a reason: To exercise something--sometimes the brain, the body, the dog, the heart, and even the soul. Even tears have tracks--the ones they leave on the face and in the heart.
I wonder who left the tracks on the road and wonder about their owners. I wonder if they wonder about my own tracks...
There is one figure who follows me and who leaves no tracks. I will post a picture. She changes with the seasons. Sometimes she looks sporty, and sometimes she looks ominous. Sometimes she seems to be a muse for me, sometimes she chastises me. I hope she is not the grim reaper.....because I cannot stop for that!
Walking the road is giving me a perspective that is different than I had before. I believe it is making me more sensitive to nature, birds and animals, and to myself...
Walking along the dirt road I see the tracks of other walkers. I notice the tracks of dogs beside a few.. Some tracks are large, others petite...All are walking for a reason: To exercise something--sometimes the brain, the body, the dog, the heart, and even the soul. Even tears have tracks--the ones they leave on the face and in the heart.
I wonder who left the tracks on the road and wonder about their owners. I wonder if they wonder about my own tracks...
Walking the road is giving me a perspective that is different than I had before. I believe it is making me more sensitive to nature, birds and animals, and to myself...
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Blessing of Giving More Than Expected...
Sometimes I am asked why I am doing what I am doing - and especially since it has not been a money maker....
There is a part of my soul that yearns for expression and sharing. I created 6 milagro bracelets for a bride recently and went to very much extra work creating special cards for their presentation. I will share with you what she wrote to me:
" The items I received were so far beyond what I expected...I ordered the milagros for my bridesmaids and not only were they even more perfect in person, she made me beautiful cards to give my girls and even included a bracelet for me as a gift for my wedding. I was literally brought to tears when I opened my package."
For me this was well worth it on so many levels! No, I don't know this lady and likely never will. But to make someone happy like that and know that she connected with what I am trying to do gives me something money can't!
There is a quote I want to share:
"We are all God's instruments who do our little bit and pass by. I believe that the way in which an act of kindness is done is as important as the action itself." ~ Mother Teresa
I am no Mother Teresa by any stretch, but I have known, really known, the joy of giving more than expected. Sometimes it can seem thankless, but in that case it gives one a chance to remember why you are doing a thing - not for reward, but for the intrinsic blessing of it.
There is a part of my soul that yearns for expression and sharing. I created 6 milagro bracelets for a bride recently and went to very much extra work creating special cards for their presentation. I will share with you what she wrote to me:
" The items I received were so far beyond what I expected...I ordered the milagros for my bridesmaids and not only were they even more perfect in person, she made me beautiful cards to give my girls and even included a bracelet for me as a gift for my wedding. I was literally brought to tears when I opened my package."
For me this was well worth it on so many levels! No, I don't know this lady and likely never will. But to make someone happy like that and know that she connected with what I am trying to do gives me something money can't!
There is a quote I want to share:
"We are all God's instruments who do our little bit and pass by. I believe that the way in which an act of kindness is done is as important as the action itself." ~ Mother Teresa
I am no Mother Teresa by any stretch, but I have known, really known, the joy of giving more than expected. Sometimes it can seem thankless, but in that case it gives one a chance to remember why you are doing a thing - not for reward, but for the intrinsic blessing of it.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Some Words of Wisdom
"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." ~ William James
I have been thinking about this. My grandparents left behind stories and legends. My grandmother carefully documented my grandfather's stories and respectfully saved them over the years. He was not only a sculptor, he was actively involved with the community he lived in and with the Native Americans in his state. Both of my grandparents left a mark on me, eventhough my grandfather died when I was 6 months old. I have always felt like I knew him! He passed on to me his love of nature, he passed on his handmade swing (it is out of the family, but exists on the porch of the house he built so long ago)...I sat on that swing as a child and looked out into the yard and onto a large man-sized rock which was covered in roses and under which lay his ashes...On the cliffs visible from the house were sculptures of wild animals, and I would look at those as I fell asleep in summers on the screened-in porch.(After catching fireflies, of course!) He even had a bear as a pet--a bear named Cinnamon who stood taller than he. But that is a story for another day. My grandfather believed in being honest and had true character, a trait dominant in much of the family he left behind.
He was not wealthy, but at one point had quite a bit of land. He and my grandmother gave the land away long before the last survivor died. They just were not that interested in monetary gain. Somehow they got through their lives anyway! No 401K for them. Just the lillies of the field!
"Something that will outlast it"..Stories, legends, character, memories of a grandmother, widowed at 55, who spent time with grandchildren....She loved to play scrabble, checkers, crosswords. She loved to make chokecherry jam, cookies and cakes. She loved to take walks with me and we had hiking sticks. She loved lilacs. I loved her laugh. I loved the way she could comfort me just by being there and really hearing me...At her funeral my mother said, "She will be a hard act to follow." And indeed, she is a hard act to follow. I think of her almost daily and see myself becoming her in some good ways. I may never be as good a grandmother as she was, but I have my memories!
Henry James was right....and they left something that would outlast them!
I have been thinking about this. My grandparents left behind stories and legends. My grandmother carefully documented my grandfather's stories and respectfully saved them over the years. He was not only a sculptor, he was actively involved with the community he lived in and with the Native Americans in his state. Both of my grandparents left a mark on me, eventhough my grandfather died when I was 6 months old. I have always felt like I knew him! He passed on to me his love of nature, he passed on his handmade swing (it is out of the family, but exists on the porch of the house he built so long ago)...I sat on that swing as a child and looked out into the yard and onto a large man-sized rock which was covered in roses and under which lay his ashes...On the cliffs visible from the house were sculptures of wild animals, and I would look at those as I fell asleep in summers on the screened-in porch.(After catching fireflies, of course!) He even had a bear as a pet--a bear named Cinnamon who stood taller than he. But that is a story for another day. My grandfather believed in being honest and had true character, a trait dominant in much of the family he left behind.
He was not wealthy, but at one point had quite a bit of land. He and my grandmother gave the land away long before the last survivor died. They just were not that interested in monetary gain. Somehow they got through their lives anyway! No 401K for them. Just the lillies of the field!
"Something that will outlast it"..Stories, legends, character, memories of a grandmother, widowed at 55, who spent time with grandchildren....She loved to play scrabble, checkers, crosswords. She loved to make chokecherry jam, cookies and cakes. She loved to take walks with me and we had hiking sticks. She loved lilacs. I loved her laugh. I loved the way she could comfort me just by being there and really hearing me...At her funeral my mother said, "She will be a hard act to follow." And indeed, she is a hard act to follow. I think of her almost daily and see myself becoming her in some good ways. I may never be as good a grandmother as she was, but I have my memories!
Henry James was right....and they left something that would outlast them!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Quote...What Prayer Is by Gandhi
"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul..." Mahatma Gandhi
Something to think about as I wear my milagro bracelet today.
The miracle I receive may not come when I ask for it but when I truly am ready or need it...
It may come in another form...It may come when I least expect it...or by another name...
Life is a beautiful mystery that unfolds one minute, then one day at a time...
Remember, God's time is the right time...
Something to think about as I wear my milagro bracelet today.
The miracle I receive may not come when I ask for it but when I truly am ready or need it...
It may come in another form...It may come when I least expect it...or by another name...
Life is a beautiful mystery that unfolds one minute, then one day at a time...
Remember, God's time is the right time...
Saturday, June 11, 2011
A miracle for Connecting Borders and a Milagro Bracelet hard at work!
Yesterday ticket sales were not what they should have been for the High Maintenance Bitch fashion show in Seattle, proceeds going to Connecting Borders (non-profit) benefitting an orphanage in Peru.
I decided to wear my new Milagro bracelet in the hopes that they would sell enough tickets so there wouldn't be a loss. I said prayers, rubbed the little milagro and waited. No phone call about anything....
This morning I got a wonderful phone call from my daughter saying they SOLD OUT of tickets and that everyone had a wonderful time!!
I listed one of the bracelets on Etsy yesterday, too, before I knew.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/75742454/vintage-milagro-leather-bracelet-wire
I am including an Amazon link to the book where I got the idea...
I decided to wear my new Milagro bracelet in the hopes that they would sell enough tickets so there wouldn't be a loss. I said prayers, rubbed the little milagro and waited. No phone call about anything....
This morning I got a wonderful phone call from my daughter saying they SOLD OUT of tickets and that everyone had a wonderful time!!
I listed one of the bracelets on Etsy yesterday, too, before I knew.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/75742454/vintage-milagro-leather-bracelet-wire
I am including an Amazon link to the book where I got the idea...
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Read about the wonderful fashion show in Seattle for Connecting Borders!
Connecting Borders is a non-profit humanitarian group that is diligently helping orphans in Peru. The group is putting on a fashion show in SEATTLE, WA. friday, June 10, 2011. The models will each be "wearing" a real dog! If you live in the Seattle area, please plan to attend. Or if you can donate cool items for inclusion in bags for the VIPs (such as media) please donate...
http://www.connectingborders.org/
http://www.connectingborders.org/
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fate of Dogs ACEO greeting card for charity
There is a wonderful fashion show planned for this coming Friday, June 10, in Seattle. The charity is Connecting Borders which is a non-profit that benefits Peruvian orphans.
Anyway, the idea came up for me to create something for gift bags for media people and I jumped at the chance to help in some small way.
For the fashion show the models have to"wear" an actual dog in some way - imagine that! So my project had to feature dogs in some way, or at least that is what I decided to do.
Remember the old saying that people begin to look like their dogs? Or is it the other way around? I created an art card with that in mind, and made greeting cards with my collage. It was very time consuming as each card was hand-embellished and had a ribbon on top, etc.
I am going to try to show you a reprint of the card, sans ribbon!
Anyway, the idea came up for me to create something for gift bags for media people and I jumped at the chance to help in some small way.
For the fashion show the models have to"wear" an actual dog in some way - imagine that! So my project had to feature dogs in some way, or at least that is what I decided to do.
Remember the old saying that people begin to look like their dogs? Or is it the other way around? I created an art card with that in mind, and made greeting cards with my collage. It was very time consuming as each card was hand-embellished and had a ribbon on top, etc.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Quote by Katherine Hepburn..
"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased." - Katherine Hepburn
Yes, one person is pleased - You! Trying to please others sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't...Sometimes it is worth it and sometimes it is not. But being true to yourself and your own path makes one authentic. There has to be balance, though. We want to be liked and this is often the motive for pleasing others. When being liked is the motive, we are giving away our power..When the motive is unselfish and not based on our being liked, it is another matter entirely.
I always liked Katherine Hepburn. She had a unique personality and character. One of the best compliments I ever got was from an employer who said I reminded him of her! It still makes me happy to think of that...
Yes, one person is pleased - You! Trying to please others sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't...Sometimes it is worth it and sometimes it is not. But being true to yourself and your own path makes one authentic. There has to be balance, though. We want to be liked and this is often the motive for pleasing others. When being liked is the motive, we are giving away our power..When the motive is unselfish and not based on our being liked, it is another matter entirely.
I always liked Katherine Hepburn. She had a unique personality and character. One of the best compliments I ever got was from an employer who said I reminded him of her! It still makes me happy to think of that...
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Careful What You Wish For..
Before my walk yesterday I was thinking about the fact that I want some tiny feathers for a project. On the property I suddenly saw some tiny feathers cast in blue. I looked around and saw remnants of eggshells and some larger blue jay feathers. Obviously our falcons are the usual suspects. We love them, but there is a dark side to them. The falcons must eat, but what I saw was the site of a struggle and the ending of small bird lives. I guess it is just nature in action. However, it was not the way I wanted to get my feathers!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Nice quote and an encounter with a falcon
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." (Ghandi)
One change that I would like to see in the world is a real respect for the creatures of the world, and that people would feel more connected to them. Because of being more connected, they would stop destroying all of the natural habitats and polluting the water and air!
A falcon pair that lives in our area follows my husband and tries to communicate with him with vocalizations and raising and lowering of the foot...I was somewhat jealous of this, but my husband deserves the attention as he changes the water in the bird back every day and leaves them food, etc.
The other day, just after starting out on my walk, I saw a large winged shadow on the ground, looked up, and there was a falcon following me! It circled a few times, then landed in a nearby tree. He or she said "Ki, ki, ki" a few times and continued watching me. I replied, "Ki, ki, ki" to him or her, and told it that he or she is quite beautiful....I continued on my walk, but felt much joy knowing that new I may be accepted, too.
Sometimes we believe it is only important to be accepted by other humans. I believe it is also very special to be accepted by local wildlife. They were here first!
I hope you are well and happy today!
One change that I would like to see in the world is a real respect for the creatures of the world, and that people would feel more connected to them. Because of being more connected, they would stop destroying all of the natural habitats and polluting the water and air!
A falcon pair that lives in our area follows my husband and tries to communicate with him with vocalizations and raising and lowering of the foot...I was somewhat jealous of this, but my husband deserves the attention as he changes the water in the bird back every day and leaves them food, etc.
The other day, just after starting out on my walk, I saw a large winged shadow on the ground, looked up, and there was a falcon following me! It circled a few times, then landed in a nearby tree. He or she said "Ki, ki, ki" a few times and continued watching me. I replied, "Ki, ki, ki" to him or her, and told it that he or she is quite beautiful....I continued on my walk, but felt much joy knowing that new I may be accepted, too.
Sometimes we believe it is only important to be accepted by other humans. I believe it is also very special to be accepted by local wildlife. They were here first!
I hope you are well and happy today!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wonderful Treasury BNS! 25% off my items today and others have sales too!
Well, here I am again! On Etsy there is a wonderful treasury sale called a BNS. My items are 25% off until it closes. The code is : FIREFLY25 ...
See you ther:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dd5078182ca8eef3bc44228/open-soapsuds-bns-round-7-sales-76-today?page=4#comments
See you ther:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dd5078182ca8eef3bc44228/open-soapsuds-bns-round-7-sales-76-today?page=4#comments
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Wonderful Treasury BNS on ETSY--Go there! FREE SHIP FROM MY SHOP
Wonderful BNS on Etsy which has my shop as one of the featured shops. If you enter the code FREES during checkout you will get free shipping from my shop and other discounts from other sellers! This has been a wonderful experience for me and I will share the link now:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dce84e70eb48eef150dff9a/open-soapsuds-bns-round-4-sales-42-today?page=6#comments
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dce84e70eb48eef150dff9a/open-soapsuds-bns-round-4-sales-42-today?page=6#comments
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Fireflies are endangered!
fPlease go look at : http://www.firefly.org/ to get the whole story, but our beloved fireflies are disappearing!
These wonderful little beetles need help if they are to stay in the world. Please read about the things we can do to save them.
Firefly.org is a wonderful, informative site and worth your time. Children would enjoy it, too, and it answers many of the questions they have about fireflies.
...glow on!
These wonderful little beetles need help if they are to stay in the world. Please read about the things we can do to save them.
Firefly.org is a wonderful, informative site and worth your time. Children would enjoy it, too, and it answers many of the questions they have about fireflies.
...glow on!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
"Times are bad...
...children don't obey their parents and everyone is writing a book." (Cicero, 1st century Roman)
So apparently nothing has changed! Everyone has a book inside his heart, and many of them have indeed started to write a book. Even I have done this. Aside from my poems, I wrote a children's book about a white golliwog. Now, you have to understand that a golliwog is a black rag doll that was popular a hundred or more years ago, owing to books written about them.
Point is, the dolls are black and this golliwog was white and he wanted to be black because he thought that was better....or cooler...or something...I sent it out to several publishers years ago and was rejected. A rough copy sits under my desk in a manila envelope.
Then the other day I read an article about a woman who sent her book out 60 times before it was published and was ashamed I had only sent mine out a few times.
How easily we are discouraged! I should have tried harder! What did I have to lose but some postage..Why can't we accept that we may not be pathetic losers, but instead are perhaps ahead of our time?
So apparently nothing has changed! Everyone has a book inside his heart, and many of them have indeed started to write a book. Even I have done this. Aside from my poems, I wrote a children's book about a white golliwog. Now, you have to understand that a golliwog is a black rag doll that was popular a hundred or more years ago, owing to books written about them.
Point is, the dolls are black and this golliwog was white and he wanted to be black because he thought that was better....or cooler...or something...I sent it out to several publishers years ago and was rejected. A rough copy sits under my desk in a manila envelope.
Then the other day I read an article about a woman who sent her book out 60 times before it was published and was ashamed I had only sent mine out a few times.
How easily we are discouraged! I should have tried harder! What did I have to lose but some postage..Why can't we accept that we may not be pathetic losers, but instead are perhaps ahead of our time?
Monday, April 4, 2011
Young People Love My Firefly Necklaces...
It continues to happen: Young girls like my firefly necklaces. Today I noticed a 13 year old favorited several of my firefly vial necklaces on Etsy. It warms my heart because the young connect with what I am doing. Maybe one has to be young at heart to appreciate the spirit and love and magic that go into the firefly necklaces! The young girls and women relate to pure spirit and love...and to the earth and the beauty of the earth and the creatures in it.
So today is a wonderful day for me: To get that reassurance once again that I really am on the right track. I would love it if I could reach more of the demographic that loves my work, though. It seems elusive, but I will keep trying.
So today is a wonderful day for me: To get that reassurance once again that I really am on the right track. I would love it if I could reach more of the demographic that loves my work, though. It seems elusive, but I will keep trying.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Words of Wisdom
"Life is a paradise for those who love many things
with a
passion." Leo Buscaglia
This seems VERY TRUE. Sometimes you feel like a kid in a candy store; other times like a kid looking for a candy store that moved across town without your knowledge.
I have only been bored one time that I can recall. I was in a foreign city, visiting. There was nowhere to go for a walk and there WAS NOT ONE BOOK OR MAGAZINE IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE.
There is so very much to learn and to create and to do that I know I will not have scratched the surface of it if I live to be 100. And love- there is so much love to give and receive. The trick is to worry only about giving and then the receiving just flows on back to you...
Sure, life can get you down, but don't let it keep you down. There is always a way to pull yourself back up.
So I wish you well today, no matter who you are or where you are from....
with a
passion." Leo Buscaglia
This seems VERY TRUE. Sometimes you feel like a kid in a candy store; other times like a kid looking for a candy store that moved across town without your knowledge.
I have only been bored one time that I can recall. I was in a foreign city, visiting. There was nowhere to go for a walk and there WAS NOT ONE BOOK OR MAGAZINE IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE.
There is so very much to learn and to create and to do that I know I will not have scratched the surface of it if I live to be 100. And love- there is so much love to give and receive. The trick is to worry only about giving and then the receiving just flows on back to you...
Sure, life can get you down, but don't let it keep you down. There is always a way to pull yourself back up.
So I wish you well today, no matter who you are or where you are from....
Friday, April 1, 2011
What are you doing OUT there?
OK, I am new at this, but I was hoping for a few followers by now! Eventually I want to do give-aways and have comments, and the whole thing! Well not the whole thing, because techie I am not. At least I wanted to have some fun and for you to have some fun as well.
So....what are you doing OUT THERE? Come on in, comment and share!
Firefly
So....what are you doing OUT THERE? Come on in, comment and share!
Raven Feather...
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
In Memory of a Pixie named Larissa
Collected Poems
To One Who Might Have Borne a Message
Had I known that you were going
I would have given you messages for her,
Now two years dead,
Whom I shall always love.
As it is, should she entreat you how it goes with me,
You must reply: as well as with most, you fancy;
That I love easily, and pass the time.
And she will not know how all day long between
My life and me her shadow intervenes,
A thin young girl,
Wearing a white skirt and a purple sweater
And a narrow pale blue ribbon about her hair.
I used to say to her, "I love you
Because your face is such a pretty color,
No other reason."
But it was not true.
Oh, had I only known that you were going,
I could have given you messages for her!
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Dedicated to my daughter Larissa and doctor who may have borne a
message... Ten years missing her as of today.
To One Who Might Have Borne a MessageHad I known that you were going
I would have given you messages for her,
Now two years dead,
Whom I shall always love.
As it is, should she entreat you how it goes with me,
You must reply: as well as with most, you fancy;
That I love easily, and pass the time.
And she will not know how all day long between
My life and me her shadow intervenes,
A thin young girl,
Wearing a white skirt and a purple sweater
And a narrow pale blue ribbon about her hair.
I used to say to her, "I love you
Because your face is such a pretty color,
No other reason."
But it was not true.
Oh, had I only known that you were going,
I could have given you messages for her!
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Dedicated to my daughter Larissa and doctor who may have borne a
message... Ten years missing her as of today.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Let Go- Encaustic Collage Painting
Encaustic paint is made with beeswax and a resin and will last forever if cared for properly. The first wording on the piece is in wire letters ("Let Go"), and the wording on the little boy says: "fear, doubt, guilt, control." The moon and trees are from a photo I took of our tree when the moon was especially pretty.
By the way, the moon is supposed to be the largest ever at SUNSET TODAY!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
To Look Inside Yourself
To look inside yourself,
Stepping in cautiously,
And finding fewer problems
And more clarity than you thought:
That is the beginning.
To look inside yourself,
Sweeping the cobwebs away,
Terrified of the spiders you'd find,
Finding none, and finding that the cobwebs
Weren't real-
That is the beginning of freedom from fear.
To look inside yourself and find those you admire, trust
and love,
Are your special gurus,
And you had them all along -
That is the beginning of appreciation.
To look inside yourself
And find you are now doing
Many of the things you wanted to do before you die,
And you are changing what needs to be changed-
That is the beginning of self-knowledge.
To look inside yourself,
And find that you are not all that bad
And finally believing God will forgive your faults,
If you can forgive yourself,
That is the beginning of self-love:
AND THAT REALLY IS THE BEGINNING...
fireflygirl777
Stepping in cautiously,
And finding fewer problems
And more clarity than you thought:
That is the beginning.
To look inside yourself,
Sweeping the cobwebs away,
Terrified of the spiders you'd find,
Finding none, and finding that the cobwebs
Weren't real-
That is the beginning of freedom from fear.
To look inside yourself and find those you admire, trust
and love,
Are your special gurus,
And you had them all along -
That is the beginning of appreciation.
To look inside yourself
And find you are now doing
Many of the things you wanted to do before you die,
And you are changing what needs to be changed-
That is the beginning of self-knowledge.
To look inside yourself,
And find that you are not all that bad
And finally believing God will forgive your faults,
If you can forgive yourself,
That is the beginning of self-love:
AND THAT REALLY IS THE BEGINNING...
fireflygirl777
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Why is it so very difficult to let go?
Let Go
To 'let go' does not mean to stop caring;
it means I can't do it for someone else.
To 'let go' is not to cut myself off;
it is the realisation that
I must not control another.
To 'let go' is not to fix,
but to be supportive.
To 'let go' is not to be in the middle
arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to effect their own destinies.
To 'let go' is not to be protective,
it is to permit another to face reality.
To 'let go' is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.
To 'let go' is to fear less
and live more.
Author Unknown
To 'let go' does not mean to stop caring;
it means I can't do it for someone else.
To 'let go' is not to cut myself off;
it is the realisation that
I must not control another.
To 'let go' is not to fix,
but to be supportive.
To 'let go' is not to be in the middle
arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to effect their own destinies.
To 'let go' is not to be protective,
it is to permit another to face reality.
To 'let go' is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.
To 'let go' is to fear less
and live more.
Author Unknown
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Facing fears starts deep within
My quest for letting go of fear will be an ongoing one, however, this week's walks have helped me "let go" of some of it, at least for now. It is interesting how a 2 mile walk can change one's perspective. You notice little details that you would not were you driving. Thoughts alternate between a zen-like state and one with more clarity. Small changes in the road, drama of animals and birds, and the plight we all have just to stay alive. And another thing- no matter how little one will accomplish on any particular day, if you have been alone on that walk, you have done something really good for yourself.
It has been since January 2011 that I have been walking this way. Walking at work didn't count (one of the worst injustices of all time). And now, this week, having focused on letting go of fear, my fears of a lifetime have starting surfacing in dreams. It was not a bad dream, just a dream that showed the fears in their proper context of what they really are. In the dream I worked through each scenario from the past and was comforting others in the way that I had needed to be comforted. It was interesting...I feel lighter today, and not from walking.
When I can get a picture of the encaustic painting I did called "Let Go" I will post it. Letting go has to be the most difficult thing in life. It is our nature to hang on and the thought of letting go terrifies - how can we control it if we have let it go, out of our reach?
It has been since January 2011 that I have been walking this way. Walking at work didn't count (one of the worst injustices of all time). And now, this week, having focused on letting go of fear, my fears of a lifetime have starting surfacing in dreams. It was not a bad dream, just a dream that showed the fears in their proper context of what they really are. In the dream I worked through each scenario from the past and was comforting others in the way that I had needed to be comforted. It was interesting...I feel lighter today, and not from walking.
When I can get a picture of the encaustic painting I did called "Let Go" I will post it. Letting go has to be the most difficult thing in life. It is our nature to hang on and the thought of letting go terrifies - how can we control it if we have let it go, out of our reach?
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Update on Raven feathers and rebar..
The raven feathers, having been carefully placed in a ziplock bag and put on a table on the porch with a fairly heavy candle holder on it, went missing during the night. It is a matter of speculation as to whether a predator took them (i.e. hawk, bobcat, coyote,etc.) OR if raven brethren came to retrieve the remains after watching me gather them. I am sure I will be watching the ground for that bag of feathers for the rest of my life. So much for wearing a raven feather in my hat this summer! Life is strange and mysterious out here in the wilderness. I will update later ...
Update on the rebar tire threat: The blue rebar is still there, in the middle of the road, clearly visible to those on foot. I posted a sign about it on the corner where the road association has a bulletin board. We shall see if anyone pulls it out or cuts it off..I signed the notice "Fireflygirl777" so we shall see if anyone is curious enough to do a search and possibly even find this blog. (doubtful)..
Update on the rebar tire threat: The blue rebar is still there, in the middle of the road, clearly visible to those on foot. I posted a sign about it on the corner where the road association has a bulletin board. We shall see if anyone pulls it out or cuts it off..I signed the notice "Fireflygirl777" so we shall see if anyone is curious enough to do a search and possibly even find this blog. (doubtful)..
Friday, March 4, 2011
Ravens,rebar and fear..
I returned home and thought again about fear- I felt empathy for the raven's final fear and from the rebar that doing SOMETHING, ANYTHING to solve a problem can relieve fear and/or anxiety.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Release fear..release a firefly ...
Yesterday on my two mile walk I was focused on releasing fear. Since fear is captive and fireflies are captive, at least in the jar, I focused on that release.
I have always been caring for people ever since I was a child. Life gave me still more to care for, both professionally and personally. I always did the best I could, eventhough there were and are severe challenges. Fear of not doing enough for everyone in my life has taken up a larger part of my thought process that I have admitted. The person I have NOT taken the best care of is me. I hope that is about to change.
Caring for others- I didn't stop there! No! While I walk I carefully watch the dirt road to see if there are any sharp metal objects that could cause a flat tire. Invariably I find several a day and cast them to the side of the road to save my fellow travellers. Yesterday I found a piece of rebar that is embedded in the middle of the road with about two inches sticking out at an angle. This worries me. So I have a plan. I am going to paint the rebar red and hope someone with a crowbar will stop and take it out of the road. My walking stick did not work for this job.
When I retuned home I felt less fearful as I had made a plan. Making a plan, even a small plan, will help release the firefly of fear. Tomorrow I hope to pose a picture of the painted rebar. Or not. Depending...Either way, it is a start.
I have always been caring for people ever since I was a child. Life gave me still more to care for, both professionally and personally. I always did the best I could, eventhough there were and are severe challenges. Fear of not doing enough for everyone in my life has taken up a larger part of my thought process that I have admitted. The person I have NOT taken the best care of is me. I hope that is about to change.
Caring for others- I didn't stop there! No! While I walk I carefully watch the dirt road to see if there are any sharp metal objects that could cause a flat tire. Invariably I find several a day and cast them to the side of the road to save my fellow travellers. Yesterday I found a piece of rebar that is embedded in the middle of the road with about two inches sticking out at an angle. This worries me. So I have a plan. I am going to paint the rebar red and hope someone with a crowbar will stop and take it out of the road. My walking stick did not work for this job.
When I retuned home I felt less fearful as I had made a plan. Making a plan, even a small plan, will help release the firefly of fear. Tomorrow I hope to pose a picture of the painted rebar. Or not. Depending...Either way, it is a start.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Ancient Saying..
"She who sees deeply into
one thing sees all.
She who looks long into all things,
sees nothing.
--Ancient Vedic teaching circa 4000 BCE
Now that I got my banner up I expect and hope for a few followers. I will try to keep looking into one thing deeply, then.
one thing sees all.
She who looks long into all things,
sees nothing.
--Ancient Vedic teaching circa 4000 BCE
Now that I got my banner up I expect and hope for a few followers. I will try to keep looking into one thing deeply, then.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wow! I think I got my banner to show here!
"May you touch fireflies and stars, dance with fairies, and talk to the man in the moon. May you grow up with love and gracious hearts and people who care. Welcome to the world, little one. Its been waiting for you." Author unknown
May anyone who sees this blog be blessed, be healthy and prosperous!
May anyone who sees this blog be blessed, be healthy and prosperous!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
My new solar dryer rocks!
I am sure you will be intensely interested in my new solar dryer, the one that I got from Amazon and mentioned in a previous post. I know, I know, it seems old-fashioned, but this thing turns in the wind and leaves clothes soft and NO ELECTRICITY use on my bill for it! I pictured a bear I love who just lost her ability to sing, and some gorgeous roses I got for valentine's day!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
I know for sure why I keep creating items, particularly fireflies!
After having a rather difficult week I got the following feedback from a new Etsy customer:
I have been striving to release the fireflies in my soul and although it is difficult to keep on shining at times, this customer showed me why I keep carrying on! For a picture of the "Shine On" firefly, see earlier post or go to my Etsy shop. If anyone ever reads this post, I hope it encourages you! | triciq143 | 2.22.2011 |
Will this work? Trying to add from my Etsy shop...
I tried and believe now I have added my Etsy shop to the side bar. I didn't want a lot of blank whiteness on the right, though, so am trying to edit in some text. I am no techie, and it is sooo obvious! On preview I see there is still alot of "white noise"..I guess I will just take a nap, then!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Early morning musings..
So I looked around at other blogs for a few minutes and see quite a variety, I must say. The other day I saw one that included some very darkly sad comments about a little boy who it seems must have passed away. I quickly left as I felt I was eavesdropping. Others have tons of pictures of their children. I think, mostly, that people may not be that interested in other people's children, or what you ate for breakfast...as I posted on a photographer's blog, unless something quite unusual was eaten, or something frightfully funny happened while you were eating it! Having such attitudes is doubtless going to leave me alone here in this room, cat on lap, drinking cold coffee...Oh well, I like privacy anyway...A subject for another day. Meanwhile I want to go find my copy of Deepak Chopra's book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. I used to read a chapter a day and was getting amazingly creative!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Butterflies, ladybugs and dragonflies..
Friday, February 18, 2011
I thought you might like to see a "Go Green" captured fairy..
Yes, here it is- the picture of her- and now she is living somewhare in France! I wonder if she lives anywhere near Johnny Depp...hmmmm
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Firefly asks: Is there life after a medical career and what is a domestic goddess?
Fireflygirl777 has a plan. The plan includes a long road, a walking stick, a bottle of water and a cell phone. The cell phone is the only piece of technology allowed on this trek, and is for safety reasons only. The items are taken on a two mile walk each day. Stunned at being out of the job market, she calculates her options. Options are: Expand arts and crafts business on Etsy and try to sell through local shops, expand role as Domestic Goddess and redefine what that means and what it does not mean, and last but not least, try to "go green" or at least a little greener!
Dimly recalled were years of hanging out clothes on a clothesline- could almlost conjure up the smell of freshly washed clothes and linens. The internet was searched for a starting point for getting the world's BEST clothesline. The search seemed endless...then happened on Amazon and Breezedryer, a product produced back when...well, back far enough that most of you cannot remember..Having reviewed the item for what seemed like a month, finally it was ordered and installed. Fabulous is not a good enough word for it! Talk about cutting electricity costs! The item has been used in Australia, New Zealand and Europe for over 50 years.
Asked if my friends and neighbors would be jealous and responded,"If they are not, they SHOULD be!" It is a great starting point for going green. I will get some of my own pics on here soon to show you the little party I had with my bear and my new SOLAR DRYER.
Dimly recalled were years of hanging out clothes on a clothesline- could almlost conjure up the smell of freshly washed clothes and linens. The internet was searched for a starting point for getting the world's BEST clothesline. The search seemed endless...then happened on Amazon and Breezedryer, a product produced back when...well, back far enough that most of you cannot remember..Having reviewed the item for what seemed like a month, finally it was ordered and installed. Fabulous is not a good enough word for it! Talk about cutting electricity costs! The item has been used in Australia, New Zealand and Europe for over 50 years.
Asked if my friends and neighbors would be jealous and responded,"If they are not, they SHOULD be!" It is a great starting point for going green. I will get some of my own pics on here soon to show you the little party I had with my bear and my new SOLAR DRYER.
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