Friday Fill-Ins

a fun friday thing i found today on ***sparkletopia*** (a link listed under "Ongoing Creative Projects" on the left side of the page...):



here are my friday fill-ins:

1. a visit to the lake with s & a; a trip to portland, maine; going to t's concert; wearing cozy layers o' clothing; autumn evening walks (taking notice of candles in windows and the scent of burning firewood in the air); eating slices of pumpkin pie; and, drinking cups of hot and delicious beverages (tea, chai and hot cocoa with whipped cream) are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.

2. Sometimes I forget to be tender and spacious with me.

3. [nothing is showing up for me here in the way of a response so i will pass on this one...] and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!

4. When I'm down, I remember that it all shifts/changes; I remind myself to ride this wave as I am; and, I ask, "What am I learning here, in this down?"

5. in a space of gratitude is where you'll find me most often.

6. A rainy day is good for time "in" and "off"...resting in my nest, snuggled under a soft blanket, maybe reading a yummy book or watching a sweet movie.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a quiet, nourishing and creative night at home/in my little nest; tomorrow my plans include a bit o' work in the a.m. and a tea date at a new spot with t; and, Sunday I want to go to an early a.m. kundalini yoga class (unless my body says, "dear gem, you must rest rather than rise this early a.m...") and enjoy a shopping date with my momma!

and, today's grat*nours:
*a quote found here. "The details make life holy. If you want a little happiness in life don’t forget to look at the little things. It is a poet’s work to see the incidental, pluck it, place an appropriate silence around both sides and see the profound in what passes for a passing moment. It is an artist’s job to as much discover art as create it. Prayer is a way of making the common profound by pausing, tying knots around a moment, turning our life into a string of pearls." -Noah Ben Shea
*a soul*connecting, listening*full, deep & intimate two hour phone conversation with my dearest friend, d, this evening.
*the gift of my co-workers. two of them celebrated birth*days this week. i honor their play*fullness, kind*ness, commitment and wisdom.
*chookooloonks and 3191 a year of evenings. check 'em out!

happy weekend to all and to all a sweet night...

aUtuMn inTentIoNs

these are my autumn intentions:
*live in aligned partnership with autumn and her energies. allow for her winds, her crisp*ness (invigorating and sparkly), her releasing (of leaves), her transformation, her harvest, her astonishing beauty...
*be at home & create home (in my mind, heart, body, nest and work)
*be & create cozy
*be gentle & gentler still with me
*make art
*bake
*light candles
*build my spiritual direction/spiritual guidance practice
*build creative community
*drink cups of tea
*eat slices of pumpkin pie
*practice yoga
*pray
*worship
*nourish my body (monthly massage appointments), mind (delicious & inspiring reading; art viewing; dvd watching...) and spirit (listening for god's whispers and for the feel of her hand in my hand or on my back, gently guiding)
*take walks
*rest, ground, heal
*bake
*VOTE!
*celebrate the extraordinary ordinary: the simplicity of a falling leaf; the unexpectedly good happening; the washing of dishes
*make & have dates with friends: tea dates; lunch dates; dinner dates; creative dates; phone dates
*travel to the lake and to portland, maine

what are your autumn intentions?

today's grat*nour: a poem, discovered here.

Instructions

Give up the world; give up self; finally, give up God.
Find god in rhododendrons and rocks,
passers-by, your cat.
Pare your beliefs, your absolutes.
Make it simple; make it clean.
No carry-on luggage allowed.
Examine all you have
with a loving and critical eye, then
throw away some more.
Repeat. Repeat.
Keep this and only this:
what your heart beats loudly for
what feels heavy and full in your gut.
There will only be one or two
things you will keep,
and they will fit lightly
in your pocket.

-Sheri Hostetler, A Cappella: Mennonite Voices in Poetry

gratitudes & nourishments

gratitude (noun): a feeling of thank*fullness and appreciation

nourishment (noun): something that strengthens, builds up, sustains

i've been thinking a lot about these two words: gratitude and nourishment. i am asking: for what am i grateful? in this moment, right now, this now, what is there to be grateful for?

as i (continue to) heal and create and discover life*affirming and soul*satisfying ways to provide nourishment and receive nourishment, i ask: what am i truly, deeply hungry for? what nourishes me wholly? what is the most nourishing choice i can make in this moment?

during this season of autumn i will be posting gratitudes & nourishments when i post. recently, i came up with another name, a nickname of sorts, for gratitudes & nourishments: grat*nours. sometimes i may refer to gratitudes & nourishments as grat*nours. you know, for fun, like nicknames!

for today, here are my gratitudes & nourishments, my grat*nours:
*remembering: embracing and being embraced by a friend, a seminary classmate, on friday afternoon. we hadn't seen each other since graduation, three months ago. after releasing our embrace to refocus our attention on the tasks at hand (both of us were involved in a project in nyc on friday), he turned and walked away. then, he turned and walked back towards me. his intention was crystal clear. he looked directly at me, embraced me again and said, "i love you." then he pulled back to look at me again and said, "you know this, right? i love you. i have told you this, haven't i? i love you."
*remembering: early friday morning while walking to the train station to catch my first of two trains to nyc, i smelled autumn. on friday afternoon, while taking a break in central park, i sat on a bench and i felt autumn on my skin. delicious.
*this post. this is what it's all about. lighting the path for each other by simply being who we are divinely created to be.
*and, this post. practical, help*full and juicy tips for "bottling the magic"! that is, the magic that is known, touched and tasted after a fly*ing high/mountain*top experience (e.g., after an inspiring workshop, a sweet reunion with one(s) you love or a soul*full retreat). bonus: kelly rae speaks of this, too. you can link to kelly rae's post by going over to my "word" list on the left. click on "life after life changing experiences."
*these words...
"The night
walked down the sky
with
the moon
in her hand."
-Frederic Lawrence Knowles
...discovered here.
*considering all of the feathers that i've noticed recently as "evidence of angels" thanks to judy wise. see this post.
*bits/words and pieces/images of fall found here at Be...Dream...Play...

on the eve of autumn: Sacred Life Sunday

today is the last of day summer and here is what my , what i also name "worship", looks like today:

*watching this. jen gray rocks. i laughed hard and cried just as hard while watching this beauty. here's another link to "Say Hey" by Michael Franti.
*relaxing in bed for hours this a.m. watching season 4 episodes of Gilmore Girls. eating a small fruit salad made with raspberries, apple chunks, banana slices and a sprinkle o' cinnamon.
*tending to my little nest after returning home late last night from a shift*full, whirl*wind time, 32.5 hours, in nyc. dishes. dusting. unpacking. making a grocery list. opening mail.
*thinking about this post from a superhero and how relevant it was when i read it a few days ago and how i lived my own version of this while in nyc. Andrea's post wrapped itself around me like a blanket on friday night - saturday morning, offering comfort, connection, security.
*a long late morning/early afternoon walk in the sun in my home city. stopping to purchase one of my favorite treats, a made with goodness and care chocolate chip scone from a natural foods market. also purchasing some butternut squash soup to warm and eat in the upcoming autumn days. i love, love, love autumn. if i had to name a season that primarily represents me and my way of being in the world it would be this season. from my auburn hair to my love of pumpkin pie to my commitment to living a life where others feel refreshed, nourished, warmed and cozy in my presence and in the world (which is how autumn makes me feel).
*making brunch. a mushroom, green onion and spinach omelet with sweet potato slices sauteed in a little bit of olive oil.
*listening to this golden song by Jill Scott. one of the many songs i've discovered while participating in yoga classes in my yoga studio of choice.

and, you? what does your worship look like today?

follow the links...

Alive (a Swirly Girl/Christine Mason Miller post)...
girls who rock (a Dancing Mermaid slide show)...
October Project (i recommend listening to "Return to Me")...

a wee bit o' wednesday wonder for you.

Sacred Life Sunday

today, i am called to participate in this:



find out more about Sacred Life Sunday here.

here is my offering, a collection...

*wISdom

"Somewhere, there is something incredible waiting to be known."
-Carl Sagan

*woRD

talisman. i happened upon this word two times in two different contexts in less than two hours time this a.m. here is a way that i understand/experience this word: something producing magical and miraculous effects.

*worSHIp

waking after a rest*full night sleep. thank*full. a beauty*full 9 a.m. kundalini yoga class.

*wOndEr

holding a little bowl filled with fresh strawberry slices and apple chunks sprinkled with cinnamon. tasting my first meal of the day.

*witNeSsinG

my attachments (e.g., how i want something(s) to unfold); what i am holding onto/trying to control/suffocating (e.g., what will happen an hour from now, tonight, tomorrow, next month...).

*wElcoMiNg

Full Moon in Pisces: Harvest Moon, Monday, September 15, 2008, 5:13 a.m. EDT. read more here.

can you imagine that?

this blessing by Guru Singh touches me. it begins with: "We cannot control the wind..."

and, deeply moving is a song entitled, "I Am", sung by Guru Singh & Seal & Friends. i heard it (again) in my morning yoga class. tears formed. i came home and purchased this song on iTunes. here are pieces of the lyrics: "i am who i am and that is that...i am who i am and thank god i am...i am who you are; look at that. you are who i am; can you imagine that?...joy to the world, peace on the earth. god bless the children, how we love them..."

yes, yes, yes! bless you, bless me, bless the joy, bless the world, bless the peace, bless the earth and bless, bless, bless the children...

plans/intentions for the weekend

go with the flow...listen...live "in tune"...live in joy...be light...be connected...decompress...allow...practice presence...honor me, my life, where i am on the path...rest with Source/Spirit, snuggled up in Source's/Spirit's arms...dream...read...lounge...yoga class...farmer's market...family dinner at my parents...be at home...create...let go/release my tight hold...surrender...

and you?

list o' loves

for fun, a meme from bluePoppy!

Song you love: Falling Slowly

Word you love: whisper

Academic subject you love: the subject of life, living. i love being a student of life, living.

Hobby you love: writing

Type of baked good you love: chocolate chip scones from a local natural food store; pumpkin pie; and, pineapple cheese pie (yes, "pie" not "cake"; it's traditionally my birth*day dessert) from a local bakery

Type of sky you love: the one i see each morning when i wake to another day in my little nest. brilliant. a blessing.

Beverage you love: water

Vacation you love: in the forest, beneath the trees and/or at the water's edge

Restaurant you love: the fabulous Indian restaurant in my city where darling deb and i shared a (my) birth*day weekend meal

Way of getting around that you love: walking

Person you love: bella

Room in your home (or ideal home) you love: my studio/creation space; a screened porch

Movie you love: Waitress

Book you love: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

City you love: i loved traveling in England when i studied abroad...London, Bath, Oxford...in this moment, this is what comes to mind.

Future plan you love: marriage/partnership and creating family & community/a village

Form of communication you love: holding hands

Junk food you love: jelly beans (in particular, the tiny bean kind that were sold in a little store in my hometown; a little store that is sadly no longer there...) or soft Twizzlers (strawberry twists)

Christian the Lion

i imagine re*unioning with bella in some way, at some time, and it looking and feeling a lot like this:

bloggie thoughts

yes, it's been a long while, several moons, since i've posted. i was being quiet, listening for where i was being called. it's not that i was being called away from here; it is that i was not being called here, to this place/my bloggie residence. now, i feel a pull towards re-entering the bloggie world. in particular, i am experiencing a yearning to cultivate (creative) community in this way (and in other ways): on the web, via blogging.

i have many questions about this. beginning with the most basic: is this where i'm being called to direct (at least some of) my energy (amount unknown)? is this the space? or, is it time for the creation of a new space? instead of dancing with these questions in the silence and solo, i am coming here on this blue sky sunday afternoon and putting this piece of me out there, beyond me, as a way of releasing it and allowing it to unfurl, fly, perhaps ground (or, not), as it will, as it is intended.

so, here i am. hello, again.

much of what has been happening in my little spirit-heart-mind-body space is (along with healing and grieving) preparing for birth/midwiving/waiting/creating. it is an exciting time. a time of new, beginning...

whatever unfolds here or beyond, look for shades of new.