*listening to: "Thirty Things I Believe" (part of the This I Believe project) by Tarak McLain, a seven year old boy (thank you, C!); Ane Brun (thank you, Susannah!); Jen Lee's podcasts; and, jen gray's morning songs.
*delighting in: And the Pursuit of Happiness: The Inauguration. At Last. by Maira Kalman (thank you, again, C!).
*resonating with me: this post by Christine Mason Miller and this post by Andrea Scher.
*reading: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; Journal of a Solitude; and this free e-book, The Complete Guide to Vision Boards, by Christine Kane.
*learning: to knit.
*cooking: this roasted sweet potatoes with red onions...recipe; this brussel sprouts recipe; the "Basic Cornbread" recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook; and Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo.
*grounding me: honoring and celebrating the ordinary; moving and acting with intention; taking photos; going to the gym; resting; and, sharing a cup of tea, a sushi lunch and phone conversations with friends.
*guiding me: answering the questions "what makes my heart sing?" and "what do i need right now?" and "what is the most life-affirming/authentic/true choice/option for me right now?"
*following: my intuition.
*inspiring me: 1. my first inHERview with Kirsten Michelle. 2. a brave beauty, a dear sister in maine, speaking her truth when it was the very hardest thing to do. her truth telling awakens these questions in me: where do i/must i speak the truth? where have i been avoiding saying what is for me (causing me to suffer)? her truth telling reminds me: the truth does/will set me free (and others), enliven me (and others), inspire me (and others).
*looking forward to: a trip to virginia in two weeks to visit two beloveds; Squam Art Workshops; and, a House Concert tonight.
*preparing: a thank you letter to january 2009 and a hello letter to february 2009.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
inHERview: Kirsten Michelle
as promised, here is my first inHERview with Kirsten Michelle. i invite you to get yourself a cup of tea, snuggle in and get cozy. prepare yourself to be warmed by the gentle fire of Kirsten's passion, touched by her spirited ways and nourished by her loveliness.
Who are you?
I am returning to this first question, having answered all the rest. Just as unsure of how to answer it as I was when I initially passed it over, which in and of itself probably reveals a great deal. If you ask me what I do, I'll answer that I am a homeschooling momma, but I am many things to many people and have spent a great deal of my life defining who I am based on those relationships. So, I suppose the answer is that I'm not entirely sure. That I am a woman on a journey to learn all that I can about myself. A woman with gifts to share and a hope that I will use them wisely.
Where can we find you?
These days I seem to be spending a great deal of time inside my head...but occasionally you'll find me peeking out: here and here and here.
What is your motto for living? Or, what's on the bumper sticker of your life?
The banner of Jen Lemen's blog just flashed before me, with her gentle words ~ "Hold your heart in all tenderness. Something healing this way comes." On another day, I imagine it might be something completely different.
How do you spend your days?
My days are spent in the company of my logical thinking boy and my dreamy, brown~eyed girl. Together we learn and play and grow. I, teaching them about life. They, teaching me about living.
How do you spend your nights?
Evenings are a time for quiet reflection. A chance to regroup before a new day of adventuring begins.
How do you spend your weekends?
Surrounded by family and friends, enjoying the simple pleasures of good company, good food & good music. They are an opportunity to reconnect at the end of a busy week and prepare for the one that lies ahead.
How do you define your tribe?
I am truly blessed to be a part of an amazing community of extraordinary women who remind me constantly, that I do not journey alone. That I am held, at all times, through periods of both darkness and light. They are my inspiration...offering their guidance, sharing their wisdom, nurturing me with their love.
What makes your heart sing?
My husband's hand in mine. My son's music. My daughter's eyes. Tea for two.
What do you care about?
So. many. things. So very many things, that sometimes it's unbearably overwhelming. Where I invest most of my energy I suppose, is in making choices that protect our planet, our children and their future.
What inspires you?
Photographs, stories, art and music from around the world. Individuals and organizations who champion hope.
Where and/or when do you feel most at home?
In the company of those who love me, simply as I am.
What is one question (in your life/journey) you are currently answering?
With SO MANY ways in which I could begin to make a difference, how shall I spend my finite energy?
What dream are you dreaming right now?
I'm dreaming of a tiny little photography studio of my very own...and of the promise of spring flowers nestled beneath the snow.
If you were to "tell the world just one thing" (as Jewel sings) what would that "one thing" be?
This song is a favorite of mine...I love the words and sentiment, beginning to end. There is such comfort in Jewel's words, "it would be that we're all OK," that I'm not sure I can really think of anything I need to believe more. We are living in a time of crisis and chaos, but hope is contagious and we are all connected...each to the other. Pass it on ;-)
Who are you?
I am returning to this first question, having answered all the rest. Just as unsure of how to answer it as I was when I initially passed it over, which in and of itself probably reveals a great deal. If you ask me what I do, I'll answer that I am a homeschooling momma, but I am many things to many people and have spent a great deal of my life defining who I am based on those relationships. So, I suppose the answer is that I'm not entirely sure. That I am a woman on a journey to learn all that I can about myself. A woman with gifts to share and a hope that I will use them wisely.
Where can we find you?
These days I seem to be spending a great deal of time inside my head...but occasionally you'll find me peeking out: here and here and here.
What is your motto for living? Or, what's on the bumper sticker of your life?
The banner of Jen Lemen's blog just flashed before me, with her gentle words ~ "Hold your heart in all tenderness. Something healing this way comes." On another day, I imagine it might be something completely different.
How do you spend your days?
My days are spent in the company of my logical thinking boy and my dreamy, brown~eyed girl. Together we learn and play and grow. I, teaching them about life. They, teaching me about living.
How do you spend your nights?
Evenings are a time for quiet reflection. A chance to regroup before a new day of adventuring begins.
How do you spend your weekends?
Surrounded by family and friends, enjoying the simple pleasures of good company, good food & good music. They are an opportunity to reconnect at the end of a busy week and prepare for the one that lies ahead.
How do you define your tribe?
I am truly blessed to be a part of an amazing community of extraordinary women who remind me constantly, that I do not journey alone. That I am held, at all times, through periods of both darkness and light. They are my inspiration...offering their guidance, sharing their wisdom, nurturing me with their love.
What makes your heart sing?
My husband's hand in mine. My son's music. My daughter's eyes. Tea for two.
What do you care about?
So. many. things. So very many things, that sometimes it's unbearably overwhelming. Where I invest most of my energy I suppose, is in making choices that protect our planet, our children and their future.
What inspires you?
Photographs, stories, art and music from around the world. Individuals and organizations who champion hope.
Where and/or when do you feel most at home?
In the company of those who love me, simply as I am.
What is one question (in your life/journey) you are currently answering?
With SO MANY ways in which I could begin to make a difference, how shall I spend my finite energy?
What dream are you dreaming right now?
I'm dreaming of a tiny little photography studio of my very own...and of the promise of spring flowers nestled beneath the snow.
If you were to "tell the world just one thing" (as Jewel sings) what would that "one thing" be?
This song is a favorite of mine...I love the words and sentiment, beginning to end. There is such comfort in Jewel's words, "it would be that we're all OK," that I'm not sure I can really think of anything I need to believe more. We are living in a time of crisis and chaos, but hope is contagious and we are all connected...each to the other. Pass it on ;-)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
the inHERview project
i would like to introduce you to a new & exciting project on my blog: the inHERview project. approximately once a month i will be interviewing (or, inHERviewing) a special woman and posting my questions (e.g., "What makes your heart sing?", "What inspires you?" and "What dream are you dreaming right now?") and her responses here.
my first inHERview is with the wise, talented and simply lovely Kirsten Michelle. i have always experienced Kirsten's voice (in her writing on her blog, her photography and our e-mail exchanges) as welcoming, thoughtFULL, playFULL and generous. i look forward to posting Kirsten's inHERview here in upcoming days! stay tuned...
Saturday, January 24, 2009
going by instinct & being brave
this morning as i prepare for an important meeting (in which i will be sharing my deepest dreams and greatest visions about the kind of work i want to do in the world, the work i am creating) my prayer is that i embody the gentle and certain movement of this water:
"There are no rules you can follow. You have to go by instinct..and you have to be brave."
-from How to Make an American Quilt
"There are no rules you can follow. You have to go by instinct..and you have to be brave."
-from How to Make an American Quilt
Thursday, January 22, 2009
three thursday night goodies
- this interview with Barack & Michelle Obama. "All my life, I have been stitching together a family, through stories or memories or friends or ideas..." (the words of Barack Obama). read on: here.
- Liz Elayne's video post.
- two days in july: "a collaboration. two friends. born a day apart."
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
"In today's sharp sparkle..."
Obama 2009 Inaugural Poem: "Praise Song for the Day" by Elizabeth Alexander
Praise song for the day.
Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others’ eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, “Take out your pencils. Begin.”
We encounter each other in words, Words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; Words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, “I need to see what’s on the other side; I know there’s something better down the road.”
We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.
Some live by “Love thy neighbor as thy self.”
Others by "first do no harm," or "take no more than you need."
What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.
In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light.
Praise song for the day.
Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others’ eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, “Take out your pencils. Begin.”
We encounter each other in words, Words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; Words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, “I need to see what’s on the other side; I know there’s something better down the road.”
We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.
Some live by “Love thy neighbor as thy self.”
Others by "first do no harm," or "take no more than you need."
What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.
In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light.
Monday, January 19, 2009
the lines around a heart
do you see the heart in the image above?the lines
around a heart
can be drawn
and
joined
by
cracks,
formed
by
cracks.
true,
yes?
this beauty revealed itself to me while i walked to the gym in the quiet, early morning two sundays ago.
what beauty is revealing itself to you today?
*
today,
like so many,
i am thinking about
Martin Luther King, Jr.
his words.
his courage
in sharing
his dream.
declaring
his dream.
the necessity
of
giving voice
to
his dream,
this dream,
my dream,
our dream.
giving birth,
certainly,
to this:
life.
the one
we are
bit
by
hopeful
and
precious
bit
waking to
and
co-creating
and
living.
what dream are you declaring and sharing?
what dream are you waking to? co-creating? living?
*
"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
*
i wish us the vision to see the cracks forming a perfect whole.
i wish us the courage to dream, wake, speak, create and live.
i wish us love's release, harmony and illumination.
Monday, January 12, 2009
thank you & the winner of the gem parcel
dear beauties,
thank you & you & you & you & Ann & on & on & on...for your generous love offerings in response to my request & in response to your knowing about today & this date & my heartache. all of it makes such a difference. thank you, thank you, thank you.
xo,
gem
**
now for the winner of the first gem parcel of 2009: the divine Kirsten Michelle!
here is how i chose the winner...i wrote each name on a slip of paper and drew a heart next to each name. i folded up each slip of paper. i put all of these slips of paper in my very special "Tribe" hat. i stood in the center of my nest and shook and shook and shook this hat. i waited for the right moment to choose a name while the slips of paper danced in my hat. [the dancin' was fun and went on for quite some time.] then i discovered how the chosen name would be chosen! the first slip of paper to dance out of the hat would be the winner. and, so it is. you, dear Kirsten.
thank you all for playing and for sharing your hopes/words/intentions for 2009. i look forward to the next gem parcel give*away!
thank you & you & you & you & Ann & on & on & on...for your generous love offerings in response to my request & in response to your knowing about today & this date & my heartache. all of it makes such a difference. thank you, thank you, thank you.
xo,
gem
**
now for the winner of the first gem parcel of 2009: the divine Kirsten Michelle!
here is how i chose the winner...i wrote each name on a slip of paper and drew a heart next to each name. i folded up each slip of paper. i put all of these slips of paper in my very special "Tribe" hat. i stood in the center of my nest and shook and shook and shook this hat. i waited for the right moment to choose a name while the slips of paper danced in my hat. [the dancin' was fun and went on for quite some time.] then i discovered how the chosen name would be chosen! the first slip of paper to dance out of the hat would be the winner. and, so it is. you, dear Kirsten.
thank you all for playing and for sharing your hopes/words/intentions for 2009. i look forward to the next gem parcel give*away!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
request
dear ones,
would you say a lil' prayer, make a lil' wish, send a lil' love to me?
as i settle into this night and draw closer to tomorrow i am feeling such sadness rising. tomorrow is the anniversary of the day i last saw bella alive in her physical body. three years ago. at the airport. sending her off on great adventures (the one we knew about: studying abroad in Africa & the one we didn't know about then: her passage out of her physical life). the adventure continues...
i am certain your lil' prayer, wish, love will make a huge difference. and, i would be so, so, so very grateful.
xo,
gem
would you say a lil' prayer, make a lil' wish, send a lil' love to me?
as i settle into this night and draw closer to tomorrow i am feeling such sadness rising. tomorrow is the anniversary of the day i last saw bella alive in her physical body. three years ago. at the airport. sending her off on great adventures (the one we knew about: studying abroad in Africa & the one we didn't know about then: her passage out of her physical life). the adventure continues...
i am certain your lil' prayer, wish, love will make a huge difference. and, i would be so, so, so very grateful.
xo,
gem
Saturday, January 10, 2009
this full moon night
i spent hours chanting
(Kirtan)
and
communing with others
this late afternoon
into the evening.
after our sacred singing
we shared a potluck
in a perfectly lit
and
warmed room.
lentils.
sweet potatoes.
edamame.
chocolate cake.
i stood by the window
and
looked out.
delighting in
the twinkle lights
covering trees,
softly
illuminating
the
(finally)
falling
snow.
i spent time
conversing
with
a soul*friend's partner.
grateful to have
deepened
our connection
through created
and
shared
open*ness,
warmth
and
safety.
inspired
by his
truth*fullness.
we saw
one
another
tonight.
his face,
luminous
and
wide,
a full moon
in a clear sky.
and,
i
was
bRAVe.
i did not
turn away
from his
beauty;
that is,
i did not
turn away
from my
beauty.
(Kirtan)
and
communing with others
this late afternoon
into the evening.
after our sacred singing
we shared a potluck
in a perfectly lit
and
warmed room.
lentils.
sweet potatoes.
edamame.
chocolate cake.
i stood by the window
and
looked out.
delighting in
the twinkle lights
covering trees,
softly
illuminating
the
(finally)
falling
snow.
i spent time
conversing
with
a soul*friend's partner.
grateful to have
deepened
our connection
through created
and
shared
open*ness,
warmth
and
safety.
inspired
by his
truth*fullness.
we saw
one
another
tonight.
his face,
luminous
and
wide,
a full moon
in a clear sky.
and,
i
was
bRAVe.
i did not
turn away
from his
beauty;
that is,
i did not
turn away
from my
beauty.
this morning
i woke after a rest-full night sleep.
a night of
uninterrupted,
unbroken
sleep.
grateful.
as i turned toward my big window
i hoped to see
through
this lens
snow
falling.
expectant.
my hope for snow was wider than usual, i realized.
this greater hope
due to the cancellation of today's special day of retreat.
canceled because of this talk of snow.
this snow talk.
no snow falling.
had it snowed and stopped?
or,
paused?
i scanned the rooftops first.
no snow there.
snow on the ground?
no.
will it snow?
i don't know.
there may be rain.
still,
this morning
i am moving in the quiet,
soft
and
graceful ways
snow
invites me,
calls me.
crawling back into bed for a bit longer.
turning up the heat.
rolling out my yoga mat.
raising my arms.
welcoming this day
as it
is,
as it
unfolds.
yes.
retreating once more to my bed.
this time
sitting
cross legged
facing the window
and
reading aloud
the beginning pages
(and pages)
of
John O'Donohue's book,
To Bless the Space Between Us.
these are
my morning prayers.
from "Matins":
"In the name of Silence
Womb of the Word,
In the name of Stillness
Home of Belonging,
In the name of the Solitude
Of the Soul and the Earth.
I arise today."
from "A Morning Offering":
"May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more."
from "For A New Beginning"
[yasmine, i thought of you & your word, unfurl, when i read these words...]:
"Though your destination is not year clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire."
wishing radiant you* a gently courageous day...
**
a reminder: leave a comment here to enter to win a give*away, an extra*special gem parcel.
a night of
uninterrupted,
unbroken
sleep.
grateful.
as i turned toward my big window
i hoped to see
through
this lens
snow
falling.
expectant.
my hope for snow was wider than usual, i realized.
this greater hope
due to the cancellation of today's special day of retreat.
canceled because of this talk of snow.
this snow talk.
no snow falling.
had it snowed and stopped?
or,
paused?
i scanned the rooftops first.
no snow there.
snow on the ground?
no.
will it snow?
i don't know.
there may be rain.
still,
this morning
i am moving in the quiet,
soft
and
graceful ways
snow
invites me,
calls me.
crawling back into bed for a bit longer.
turning up the heat.
rolling out my yoga mat.
raising my arms.
welcoming this day
as it
is,
as it
unfolds.
yes.
retreating once more to my bed.
this time
sitting
cross legged
facing the window
and
reading aloud
the beginning pages
(and pages)
of
John O'Donohue's book,
To Bless the Space Between Us.
these are
my morning prayers.
from "Matins":
"In the name of Silence
Womb of the Word,
In the name of Stillness
Home of Belonging,
In the name of the Solitude
Of the Soul and the Earth.
I arise today."
from "A Morning Offering":
"May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more."
from "For A New Beginning"
[yasmine, i thought of you & your word, unfurl, when i read these words...]:
"Though your destination is not year clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire."
wishing radiant you* a gently courageous day...
**
a reminder: leave a comment here to enter to win a give*away, an extra*special gem parcel.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
a collection of inspiring bits
inspiring me:
*building a soul*tribe. read more here.
*the first image in this post. thinking about journaling in this way: collecting things, laying them out and photographing them.
*the Little House that Love Built. imagine finishing this house for Esteria, "a genocide survivor, mother of orphans and all around source of light and hope"! donate here.
*this blog. wander on over to the wonder...
*this blog; a space with oodles of good*ness.
*registering for this.
*participating in The Portfolio Project. i've been clarifying my game. choosing this: writing daily; taking photos daily; and, creating 6 collages (minimum) in 12 weeks.
a reminder:
*leave a comment here to enter to win a give*away, an extra*special gem parcel.
*building a soul*tribe. read more here.
*the first image in this post. thinking about journaling in this way: collecting things, laying them out and photographing them.
*the Little House that Love Built. imagine finishing this house for Esteria, "a genocide survivor, mother of orphans and all around source of light and hope"! donate here.
*this blog. wander on over to the wonder...
*this blog; a space with oodles of good*ness.
*registering for this.
*participating in The Portfolio Project. i've been clarifying my game. choosing this: writing daily; taking photos daily; and, creating 6 collages (minimum) in 12 weeks.
a reminder:
*leave a comment here to enter to win a give*away, an extra*special gem parcel.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
welcome/well*come 2009
welcome/well*come friends! it's 2009. hip hip hooray! i have much to share and there is a treasure offering (a give*away!) at the end of this post. read on...
**
this is the color of this beginning, this new year, my 2009. this color has been showing up in oodles of places/spaces in my lil' world lately...
**
the animal companioning me: owl. at the beginning of this (owl) exploration i am claiming this symbolism of the owl: wisdom, mystery, truth, patience, divination, solitude, change/transition, learning, intelligence, mysticism, protection, wealth. the owl is the totem of clairvoyants and mystics.
**
i am embracing: the New Love angel card i chose (and chose me!) on sunday at this women's gathering.
**
as for my words and phrase to guide and inspire me in 2009...i began the journey of discerning my word for 2009 weeks ago. i made notes of words that spoke to me, including: pioneer, kindness, abundance, clarity, YES, live, create, blossom, bloom, astonishing, flow and intention.
slowly one word began to take root. the word "this." this, as in, this is what is right now, this is my life and Just This. this is the word i've been chanting as i claim/reclaim my ground/core truth/power/full*ness moment by moment.
quietly and ever so gently another word emerged to stand beside this: "bRAVe." bRAVe (for me) contains the element of activism and this inspires me. in being bRAVe i claim: i am sourcing action and shift. i intend to be bRAVe in 2009. bRAVer than i've ever been before.
and, most recently, this and bRAVe took each others' hands and invited me to hold this phrase when necessary: bRAVe in this. bRAVe in this. bRaVe in this.
**
now for the treasure offering. in this new year, throughout the year, i will be offering some extra*special give*aways. perhaps 9 as it is 2009? we'll see...
each give*away will be a unique gem parcel pieced together by yours truly and sent to one special someone. each gem parcel will contain marvelous jewels & scrumptious treats, sweet blessings & inspiring creations. why you ask? i heart mail good*ness & enjoy sharing goodies & i welcome the opportunity to connect with you in new ways in the new year.
to win this gem parcel all you need to do is leave me a lil' comment with one (or, more!) of your hopes/words/intentions for 2009 on this post by january 12, 2009 at 9:09 p.m. EST. oke-dokies?!
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