My beautiful carnelian chunk (Carnie) - he sits on my desk to inspire creativity and gets a gentle rub when I need an extra boost ;-)
He's about 3.5 inches tall (if you're wondering...)
'There is this atmosphere of sacredness about your blog. Like entering a monastery from a busy sun-lit street' ~ Altijd-Lente
31 October 2014
Focus on Life Week 44: An ordinary photo...
... of the extraordinary everyday...
My beautiful carnelian chunk (Carnie) - he sits on my desk to inspire creativity and gets a gentle rub when I need an extra boost ;-)
My beautiful carnelian chunk (Carnie) - he sits on my desk to inspire creativity and gets a gentle rub when I need an extra boost ;-)
Paint Party Friday - Beginning the journey...
... of A Year and a Day... A wonderful course created by Angel Sullivan.
We began last Thursday (23 Oct), on the New Moon, but I've been dithering and battling with my inner critic all week - not daring to start my journal, in case I ruin it!!
I bought two of these beautiful books, handmade in Italy, to take me through the next 366 days. I decided to start in the brown-coloured one as it seems to represent Autumn/Winter, and the green one I'll start next year in Spring/Summer.
I have dedicated the journal to my mother's mother, whom I never knew. She died aged 32 from breast cancer when my mother was 10 years old. Her name was Florence Esther, which I didn't know until recently yet we called our own daughter Esther Florence(!)
There are 14 of us in the group, and I have written My Sisters' names so I can remember them each day as I journal...
We began last Thursday (23 Oct), on the New Moon, but I've been dithering and battling with my inner critic all week - not daring to start my journal, in case I ruin it!!
I bought two of these beautiful books, handmade in Italy, to take me through the next 366 days. I decided to start in the brown-coloured one as it seems to represent Autumn/Winter, and the green one I'll start next year in Spring/Summer.
I have dedicated the journal to my mother's mother, whom I never knew. She died aged 32 from breast cancer when my mother was 10 years old. Her name was Florence Esther, which I didn't know until recently yet we called our own daughter Esther Florence(!)
There are 14 of us in the group, and I have written My Sisters' names so I can remember them each day as I journal...
Sharing here although I realize there's no painting - yet :-)
27 October 2014
Word for the Week
My body hasn't adapted yet to the clock change at the weekend, so I'm a tad late...
Here's the card I pulled from my Rediscovery Pack today.
Ahhh, peace, perfect peace...
I'm first struck that it's the same colour background as last week's Word, Communication...
And I wonder, how much of our communication is peaceful? And I remember Rumi's wise words
So many of our interactions are all about being heard, who can shout the loudest, and are not about really communicating with each other, and so often not in a peaceful way.
Then, I turn to the painting on the wall beside me, which has been my mantra for the past 6 months...
... and I am reminded of the famous Rudyard Kipling poem... The word 'Peace' isn't mentioned per se, but I think Kipling is describing Inner Peace! The kind of Peace that isn't disturbed by anything that's going on around... that still centre of the vortex, the peace-filled calm amid the whirlwind of the world...
What do you think/feel when you see this Word? What does it mean to you?
Here's the card I pulled from my Rediscovery Pack today.
Ahhh, peace, perfect peace...
I'm first struck that it's the same colour background as last week's Word, Communication...
And I wonder, how much of our communication is peaceful? And I remember Rumi's wise words
So many of our interactions are all about being heard, who can shout the loudest, and are not about really communicating with each other, and so often not in a peaceful way.
Then, I turn to the painting on the wall beside me, which has been my mantra for the past 6 months...
... and I am reminded of the famous Rudyard Kipling poem... The word 'Peace' isn't mentioned per se, but I think Kipling is describing Inner Peace! The kind of Peace that isn't disturbed by anything that's going on around... that still centre of the vortex, the peace-filled calm amid the whirlwind of the world...
What do you think/feel when you see this Word? What does it mean to you?
24 October 2014
Focus on Life Week 43: Your favourite colour
I don't really have a favourite colour... depends on what mood I'm in...
I tend to enjoy whatever colours Mother Nature chooses to display on any given day.
I tend to enjoy whatever colours Mother Nature chooses to display on any given day.
Yes, it's my lovely bush from last week, but now in daylight ;-)
23 October 2014
New Moon Dreamboard - A new practice
I have thought about making a Dreamboard for the New Moon for several months now, and today I did just that :-)
It's a new scrapbook and this time it's A3, so a double spread is pretty darn BIG!!!
The extra impetus to start this new practice is the beginning of A Year and a Day - a wonderful course hosted by Angel Sullivan. Who knows what the next 366 days will hold, but I'm ready and I'm drawing on the New Reed Moon energies of harmony, clarity, and a deep sense of purpose and intention for the coming month.
Here's the full spread. I used lot of images from my tear-off quote-a-day calendar - there's a definite 'ready for action' vibe, I think :-)
Left-hand page
Top left: Work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed Vaclav Havel (Czech playwright)
Top right: You see things and you say Why? But I dream things that never were, and say Why not? George Bernard Shaw
I think you can read the other quotes (especially if you click on the image to enlarge).
I've added a wee feather and two fallen leaves - gifts on my doorstep this morning!
Right-hand page
Again, if you enlarge the image, you can read most things, but the wee heart sticker in the centre reads' 'Unlock your heart, unleash your potential'.
Below it I've written out a quote I found,
And bottom left is a page from an old We'Moon diary, which really spoke to me...
It's a new scrapbook and this time it's A3, so a double spread is pretty darn BIG!!!
The extra impetus to start this new practice is the beginning of A Year and a Day - a wonderful course hosted by Angel Sullivan. Who knows what the next 366 days will hold, but I'm ready and I'm drawing on the New Reed Moon energies of harmony, clarity, and a deep sense of purpose and intention for the coming month.
Here's the full spread. I used lot of images from my tear-off quote-a-day calendar - there's a definite 'ready for action' vibe, I think :-)
Top left: Work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed Vaclav Havel (Czech playwright)
Top right: You see things and you say Why? But I dream things that never were, and say Why not? George Bernard Shaw
I think you can read the other quotes (especially if you click on the image to enlarge).
I've added a wee feather and two fallen leaves - gifts on my doorstep this morning!
Again, if you enlarge the image, you can read most things, but the wee heart sticker in the centre reads' 'Unlock your heart, unleash your potential'.
Below it I've written out a quote I found,
What life can compare to this? Sitting quietly by the window, I watch the leaves fall and the flowers bloom, as the seasons come and go.
Hsueh-Tou (982--1052)
And bottom left is a page from an old We'Moon diary, which really spoke to me...
Leap of Faith
Standing before a fork
in the road
there is not a right answer
or truth cast in stone, there are
choices, plans and desire,
there is the heart of fire and
twist of fate,
there is the unveiling
of who you are and who you
are becoming.
This I have found after
bargaining with my hopes
and my destiny. There is only
a still quiet voice within
that tells me trust what you
know and then surrender,
leap of you must, let your wings
unfurl, let your angels play catch.
We drink dreams from a
sliver of moon.
Wendy L. Brown, 2007
It was especially the last phrase which summed up why I wanted to make this New Moon Dreamboard... I have always connected with the Full Moon, but I am only just beginning to recognize all Mama Luna's phases, and tap into the hidden potential of the New Moon...
As always, I'd be thrilled to read any responses/insights you have when you see my Dreamboard, so do share x
PS Wow, I've just realized this is my 250th post!!
Another reason to celebrate the wonder of the New Moon ;-)
22 October 2014
20 October 2014
Word for the Week
Wow, that week went quickly... I swear the days go by quicker as we wind down the year...
Today I pulled this Word from my Rediscovery Pack
Such a good Word! It's what we humans seek to do - and arguably, it's what has driven most of our evolution and invention!
This beautiful sky-blue colour sits perfectly with the throat chakra, and yes, we communicate a lot with our voices - grunting, speaking, singing...
But also, we communicate with our hands - signing, writing, making art...
And not forgetting all the body language communication that goes on - whether we're aware of it or not!
The long months after the stroke when I couldn't talk were dark days... and even now I often struggle to form the words I want, especially when I'm tired...
We communicate to connect, and when we can't for whatever reason, we become lonely and isolated. Hence the internet can be life-saver for some (it was for me!), and why I think wi-fi access and basic computer know-how are vital in today's world.
Forms of communication are changing and developing all the time, but the essentials stay the same - to meet and greet a fellow human being...
Today I pulled this Word from my Rediscovery Pack
Such a good Word! It's what we humans seek to do - and arguably, it's what has driven most of our evolution and invention!
This beautiful sky-blue colour sits perfectly with the throat chakra, and yes, we communicate a lot with our voices - grunting, speaking, singing...
But also, we communicate with our hands - signing, writing, making art...
And not forgetting all the body language communication that goes on - whether we're aware of it or not!
The long months after the stroke when I couldn't talk were dark days... and even now I often struggle to form the words I want, especially when I'm tired...
We communicate to connect, and when we can't for whatever reason, we become lonely and isolated. Hence the internet can be life-saver for some (it was for me!), and why I think wi-fi access and basic computer know-how are vital in today's world.
Forms of communication are changing and developing all the time, but the essentials stay the same - to meet and greet a fellow human being...
17 October 2014
Focus on Life Week 42: The colour of evening
I especially like the in-between times of the day - dawn and dusk - the light is softer, the world quieter, but it's a terrible light to try and take photos :-(
Here's my attempt at a Golden Hour shot...
I have a night-time option on my camera (a wee Lumix digital), but it did something weird with the colours... But I rather like it - my ordinary bush looks rather alien :-)
Here's my attempt at a Golden Hour shot...
I have a night-time option on my camera (a wee Lumix digital), but it did something weird with the colours... But I rather like it - my ordinary bush looks rather alien :-)
16 October 2014
Thursday Thoughts...
Exercising my Blossoming Power...
... and learning to embrace my lopsided-ness
wet hair + NO make-up + NO glasses = VERY vulnerable *gulp*
PS I need to remember the wisdom of yesterday's post!
PS I need to remember the wisdom of yesterday's post!
15 October 2014
13 October 2014
Word for the Week
Well, here's a thing - two Words came out of the Rediscovery Pack bag stuck together, back to back, like two sides of the same coin...
How cool is that??
And I have to say, even on this wet, grey Autumn day, I do sense within me a 'Blossoming Power'...
In 10 days' time, I begin this year-long journey with the very lovely Angel Sullivan and an online group of Soul Sisters (we've been getting to know each each on Facebook for the past few weeks).
It's a BIG commitment - in both time and money - but when I signed up back in July, I just knew it was what I needed to do. I have had a growing sense that I've been building up to this for the last couple of years - certainly since I became able to write/journal more competently with my left hand.
Daily journalling is how I've always worked through the STUFF whirling constantly around my head - it's what I was doing when the stroke hit 7 years ago (the pen falling from my hand mid-word is how I knew something was up!) And in the first years after the stroke, when I couldn't even read, let alone write, I was completely lost, I simply didn't know who/what I was...
Now, though, I sense within me this Blossoming Power of who I am, and who I am becoming... And it's incredibly exciting, and more than a tad scary...
But I just love that this potentially scary Power is actually Blossoming - unfolding like a flower, naturally, and in its own time. It's not exploding out - which I would find scary in the extreme! - but opening up gently, unfurling little by little...
And wow, that's the kind of Power I like, and what I actually want a piece of :-)
As always, I'd really appreciate hearing what you feel/see/respond to in these two amazing Words...
How cool is that??
And I have to say, even on this wet, grey Autumn day, I do sense within me a 'Blossoming Power'...
In 10 days' time, I begin this year-long journey with the very lovely Angel Sullivan and an online group of Soul Sisters (we've been getting to know each each on Facebook for the past few weeks).
It's a BIG commitment - in both time and money - but when I signed up back in July, I just knew it was what I needed to do. I have had a growing sense that I've been building up to this for the last couple of years - certainly since I became able to write/journal more competently with my left hand.
Daily journalling is how I've always worked through the STUFF whirling constantly around my head - it's what I was doing when the stroke hit 7 years ago (the pen falling from my hand mid-word is how I knew something was up!) And in the first years after the stroke, when I couldn't even read, let alone write, I was completely lost, I simply didn't know who/what I was...
Now, though, I sense within me this Blossoming Power of who I am, and who I am becoming... And it's incredibly exciting, and more than a tad scary...
But I just love that this potentially scary Power is actually Blossoming - unfolding like a flower, naturally, and in its own time. It's not exploding out - which I would find scary in the extreme! - but opening up gently, unfurling little by little...
And wow, that's the kind of Power I like, and what I actually want a piece of :-)
As always, I'd really appreciate hearing what you feel/see/respond to in these two amazing Words...
10 October 2014
Focus on Life Week 41: A punch of colour
It's been a yucky week in the UK weatherwise - high winds, heavy showers - so all I could manage was a shot of the postbox at the end of our street. But it is a punch of colour against the fading autumn leaves...
9 October 2014
Thursday Thoughts...
This greeted me this morning at 6am...
I tried to get a photo of the strong moon-shadow on the dining room floor, but sadly didn't manage it. But the brightness of the Full Ivy Moon was extraordinary!
I just love that when I go to bed, I see the moon from the front of the house, but by the time I awake the next morning, she's journeyed around and is shining over the garden at the back of the house.
Her celestial movement in the night is deeply reassuring, and as I gazed on her this morning I remembered sitting in the back of the car as a child, totally fascinated as she followed us home...
I never envisioned a man in the moon, or that it was made of cheese, but I did see the Moon as a benign, slightly shy figure, who sometimes hid in the big, black sky, but at other times shone brightly with a big open face silently announcing her radiant presence.
I tried to get a photo of the strong moon-shadow on the dining room floor, but sadly didn't manage it. But the brightness of the Full Ivy Moon was extraordinary!
I just love that when I go to bed, I see the moon from the front of the house, but by the time I awake the next morning, she's journeyed around and is shining over the garden at the back of the house.
Her celestial movement in the night is deeply reassuring, and as I gazed on her this morning I remembered sitting in the back of the car as a child, totally fascinated as she followed us home...
I never envisioned a man in the moon, or that it was made of cheese, but I did see the Moon as a benign, slightly shy figure, who sometimes hid in the big, black sky, but at other times shone brightly with a big open face silently announcing her radiant presence.
8 October 2014
October Full Moon Dreamboard
Ah, the Full Ivy Moon... it's all about releasing and letting go... something very close to my heart as our son left for university a couple of weeks ago!!
Left-hand page
Top left - I recently found some Halloween-themed backing papers in my stash, and this one of the full moon behind branches was just perfect!
To the right of that is a postcard of a Natasha Newton painting of a tree shedding its leaves, on which I've stuck 'Let Go'. I love her earthy palette and naive style, but can only afford postcards and stickers of her work...
Under the moon image is a postcard of a painting by Jess Purser. I don't know why this image leaped out at me, maybe I secretly want a crystal ball to see not only my future, but that of my kids, as they forge out on their life path...
I'm sure that was in my mind when I chose this 'Carve your own Path' image from my quote-a-day calender... And the typewriter wooden cut-out and the words 'Important' and 'Take Note' say it all... I am journalling each day through this 'letting go' process in preparation for this amazing e-course which starts on the New Moon on 23 October, the timing of which couldn't be better!
Right-hand page
Top left is a black and white photo from an old Toast catalogue, on which I'm written the Anais Nin quote:
It was printed on the back of the Greg Spalenka Warrior postcard (top right). I love the androgynous figure, as I see it presenting both me and our son...
Below these two images are works by Gillian Lee Smith, whose work I just adore. The little doll figure was on an old business card of hers, and the painting is from her current exhibition 'We all Cast Shadows' at the Heart Gallery. I have stuck on the quote 'Love will find a way' - no prizes for guessing why!!
Finally, on the bottom left is a postcard of a tree collage by Anna Mackellar, on which I've stuck a wee image of the Leaf Goddess by Nadine C. Butterfield 2003 from an old We'Moon diary. And finally is a lovely pine-cone illustration from my stash (no idea where it came from).
So there it is, my 'Letting Go' Ivy Full Moon Dreamboard. I have found it especially therapeutic this month, and I now feel ready to prepare for the New Moon and my own A Year and a Day adventures...
I know I'll revisit it whenever I miss Sam, but I'm so thrilled he's begun his new life as a student, that any sense of loss is balanced by a real sense of excitement for him. The Ivy Full Moon is all about holding on and letting go - and knowing when is the right time for each...
I'd love to know what you think when you see my Dreamboard - do share in the comments :-)
Left-hand page
Top left - I recently found some Halloween-themed backing papers in my stash, and this one of the full moon behind branches was just perfect!
To the right of that is a postcard of a Natasha Newton painting of a tree shedding its leaves, on which I've stuck 'Let Go'. I love her earthy palette and naive style, but can only afford postcards and stickers of her work...
Under the moon image is a postcard of a painting by Jess Purser. I don't know why this image leaped out at me, maybe I secretly want a crystal ball to see not only my future, but that of my kids, as they forge out on their life path...
I'm sure that was in my mind when I chose this 'Carve your own Path' image from my quote-a-day calender... And the typewriter wooden cut-out and the words 'Important' and 'Take Note' say it all... I am journalling each day through this 'letting go' process in preparation for this amazing e-course which starts on the New Moon on 23 October, the timing of which couldn't be better!
Right-hand page
Top left is a black and white photo from an old Toast catalogue, on which I'm written the Anais Nin quote:
Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage.
Below these two images are works by Gillian Lee Smith, whose work I just adore. The little doll figure was on an old business card of hers, and the painting is from her current exhibition 'We all Cast Shadows' at the Heart Gallery. I have stuck on the quote 'Love will find a way' - no prizes for guessing why!!
Finally, on the bottom left is a postcard of a tree collage by Anna Mackellar, on which I've stuck a wee image of the Leaf Goddess by Nadine C. Butterfield 2003 from an old We'Moon diary. And finally is a lovely pine-cone illustration from my stash (no idea where it came from).
So there it is, my 'Letting Go' Ivy Full Moon Dreamboard. I have found it especially therapeutic this month, and I now feel ready to prepare for the New Moon and my own A Year and a Day adventures...
I know I'll revisit it whenever I miss Sam, but I'm so thrilled he's begun his new life as a student, that any sense of loss is balanced by a real sense of excitement for him. The Ivy Full Moon is all about holding on and letting go - and knowing when is the right time for each...
I'd love to know what you think when you see my Dreamboard - do share in the comments :-)
6 October 2014
Word for the Week
Well, I've probably pulled THE 'biggest' Word out of the Rediscovery Pack today...
WOW! What can one say about this Word that hasn't already been said??
All I think of when I see this Word are these beautiful people...
WOW! What can one say about this Word that hasn't already been said??
All I think of when I see this Word are these beautiful people...
(l to r: Sam, Esther, my dad, Jon, my brother)
... and the one taking the photo, my hubby Nick...
These are my family, my Loved Ones :-)
But what of all the other people I love? My friends, near and far, ones I've known all my life, ones I've only met recently online?
What of beloved Molly-cat, and all the pets I've loved in my 50 years on this planet? What of the subjects I love - the books, the artists, the artworks? The foods, the places, the seasons...?
There is SO much that I love, how could I possibly list them all???
When I see the rich, deep pink background, I'm reminded of the other Words I've encountered with the same colour - Support, Hope, Opportunity - what a triumvirate on with the stand this week's Word!!
Truly, Love supports and gives us hope, and surely every day gives us the opportunity to experience Love - whether we're the giver or the receiver...
For me, to love and to be loved are THE richest, deepest Truths of Life. I would love(!) to know what you think/feel/experience when you see this BIG Word...
3 October 2014
Focus on Life Week 40: Colour photography
Another piece from the Yorkshire Sculpture Park - the perfect image for this week's prompt, methinks :-)
2 October 2014
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