true

taken with K's camera

a handful of true things:

• this song. "Be still my love/ Open up your heart / Let the light shine in...Just be here now...On a clear day / I can see, see for a long way..."
• i found some treasures at the thrift store today. i look forward to wearing one of these magical finds tomorrow during my 10 a.m. interview (an interview for a part-time, potentially perfect, position!). i will be giving away the other thrift store treats in upcoming weeks.
• this afternoon i cleaned our living room (one of my roomie chores for the week) and dressed it up in multi-colored twinkle lights and holly foil/wire garland. i heart a festive and cozy home.
• tonight my roomie dears and i lit the menorah and said "yes!" to miracles unfolding in our lives.
• this morning i went to a worship service where there was talk about these things: love; mercy; waiting; rejoicing; "death is an open door" (oh how this moved me, the way the reverend spoke it, and how i thought about my bella and the door she traveled through and the door i traveled through...); and, "not worry[ing] about anything."

1, 2, 3 for tuesday

inspiring me today:

1. tuesday, twelve noon, tea date with trish. same day, same time, every week.
2. paper snowflakes adorning business and residential windows.
3. a new red coat and new black boots.

divine embrace

i affirm this.

this morning i am traveling to be with two of my very dearests for a long weekend.

i am planning to sprinkle affirmations (like the one above) along the way and back again.

to be with my very dearests, in their presence and home, is to be "held in a divine embrace."

we will be making the merriest kind of merry.

picking out a christmas tree, trimming the tree, decorating their house inside and out, listening to christmas carols, snuggling close and watching holiday movies...

it is our annual tradition.

scrumptious, cozy and festive.

this weekend i am wishing you, wherever you are, the feeling of being at home and the knowing that you are held.

dar inspiring

today's inspirations are all connected to dar. do you know dar? i inHERviewed her here.

today i bring you "dar inspiring":

1. dar's post on manifesting self-discipline. sister, i hear your lyric.
2. it seems i am participating in december views. my december views participation will include both image and word. dar, would you add me to the list o' participants?
3. i wanted to write a little something today about Lanterns: A Gathering of Stories. it is a 48 page love and wisdom book by Jennifer McGuiggan & friends. in Jennifer's words, "this book features essays, poems, and photography about friendship within creative community." and, guess what? i found out today that dar is one of the contributors! read more and order here.

going to art camp!

by this time tomorrow i will have arrived at SAW/Squam Art Workshops.

a journey a year + in the making...

i know this experience will be a heart-opening, wing-widening, soul-lifting & home-coming good time.

i will return here when i return.

may your days & nights be filled with color, ease, magic & love, love, love.

xo,

gem

off... from goose42 on Vimeo.

heart*soaring & soul*singing

inspired by this post by Jamie Ridler i made a list of things i value, things that are important to me, things of the heart soaring & soul singing variety.

1. Aligning with & living in partnership with the rhythms of the earth, nature, seasons & my being.
2. Being. Being with.
3. Process.
4. Magic.
5. Honoring & celebrating the daily, the ordinary extraordinary.
6. Creation. Creativity.
7. Beauty.
8. Tenderness, Kindness, Generosity.
9. Love.
10. Light.
11. Home.

no excuses

this mid-march weekend i...

• chose the winner of the blossoming give*away! to all who entered & shared what is blossoming in your journey, please know that i received in my heart each & every word. i am wildly inspired by each of you. now for the winner...the winner is: Michele!
  
• tucked myself into bed on friday night by 9:30 p.m. & enjoyed a bliss*full night of sleep.
• made home*made st. patrick's day cards for my momma & poppa.
• posted another "the goods" list.
• shared a day in the city with my momma. we ate french toast with bananas & nutella; a cheddar, bacon & apple scramble with sweet potato fries on the side; and, pizza from our favorite spot. we drank fresh squeezed orange juice & chai tea. we walked & walked & walked. we giggled & shared stories. we enjoyed seeing many members (the irish!) of our tribe wearing green & being merry. {my momma is 100% irish & she loves being irish & she gave this to her children - as well as her irish maiden name which is the middle name of her three chicks.} we had manicures & pedicures - my toes are a deep aqua & my fingers are a sparkly pink. we shopped & i bought this dress.
• packed up an overnight bag for sleeping across the river at my parents' home on saturday night.
• went for a walk with my momma & our fam's/my parents' doggie dear.
• knitted.
• watched an incredibly moving film, Taking Chance.
• voted.
• read a sweet & colorful piece of bella's writing, which my momma had found & hung on my parents' refrigerator door. the title of this piece is: "Who I Am." bella wrote about traveling the world, loving making people laugh, playing in the ocean... oh, i do hope & trust you have your very own kind of bella*love. i do. i do. i do. one thing i know is that we are all at the root/the source bella*like: full of light, love, laughter, generosity... how amazing is this?! lucky, lucky, lucky me & you & us.
• watched this video - discovered here.
• made corn bread muffins.
• looking forward to a nourishing sunday evening & night...
  

top ten "t" words

Le Sophie gave me the letter "t" & i chose my top ten favorite "t" words.

definitions found here.

01. talisman: something with magical powers; something that produces extraordinary results. here are a few of my somethings with magical powers - my owls (ollie, wynne & willem); my collection of rocks & stones; and, my statues of guan yin, st. francis of assisi & mary.

02. text: the words of something written. text - read & written words are a life saving grace in my life.

03. thanksgiving: the act of giving thanks. i practice offering my thanks - again & again & again. i am grateFULL for the whole of my life & creation.

04. thread: that which runs through the whole course of something, connecting successive parts. ministering & healing & loving & creating are some of the connective threads running through my life.

05. topography: detailed, precise description of a place or region. mostly i want to know this - what is the topography of my heart? of your heart?

06. touch: to come into or be in contact with. these are some of the things that touched me today - re-reading an e-mail from my roomie at SAW in september '09; exchanging e-mails with some of bella's college buds; receiving the sunshine; and, simply being in the presence of my beloved friend, t., during our weekly tea date.

07. tribe: a large family. i honor all members of my tribe - throughout this city, state, coast, country & continent; in the world; and, in the universe (including my angels & ancestors).

08. true: real, genuine, authentic. this is one of my ministry vows (a vow i wrote) - i vow to live truth-fully - which is to say, i vow to be true.

09. tweet: a chirping sound - as of a young or small bird. this word makes me smile. it reminds me of my poppa's nickname for me when i was a wee one - magpie. he called me magpie because of my chirping/tweeting. i still tweet.

10. twirl: to spin, whirl, revolve. i heart this word. it's the kind of word that consistently lifts me up & spins me around when i need spinning/shifting. it makes me think of freedom, fresh air, arms spread wide & face lifted toward the sun.

some other "t" words:

1. tender.
2. tiny.
3. tickle.
4. translucent.
5. twinkle.
6. treasure.
7. treat.
8. thrive.
9. tangerine.
10. taste.
11. terrace.
12. tea.
13. tree.
14. territory.
15. theme.
16. theology.
17. this.
18. through.
19. tradition.
20. thunder.
21. tide.
22. tidbit.
23. toast.
24. toy.
25. today.
26. trampoline.
27. trapeze.
28. travel.
29. turn.
30. triumph.
31. trove.
32. table.
33. thirty three.

this weekend: a string o' gratitude

a string o' inspiration on my wall

* new bathroom towels & cloths - hot pink, blue & white * a clean nest * jelly beans * wide open windows * wearing a fleece & leaving my hat, scarf & gloves at home * a 24 hour visit with a friend, dh, from college: talking at my "kitchen" table (this table is also the space where i do quite a bit of writing & art making); lunch at a new favorite restaurant; walking around the city; sitting in the park; people watching; delighting in the endless flow of reconnecting conversation; laughter; playing cards; vegetarian chinese for dinner; a sweet Lucy Kaplansky concert - i was touched by her spoken & sung words; preparing for a restful sleep in my twinkle lit nest; waking before dh, reading in my bed & appreciating the presence & the life & the breath of another; and, saying "goodbye" & "see you in june" with a thankful embrace * listening to Hallelujah & Let It Be * three loads of laundry laundered (involving 6 trips up & down 5 flights of stairs!) * a sunday afternoon & evening & night to treasure *

this february saturday & march sunday

i am saying: "goodbye & thank you!" to february & "hello & welcome!" to march.
*
february was a time of: registering for Squam Art Workshops (a dream come true!) & enjoying all kinds of Squam-y excitement (connecting with my Squam-y roomie & finding out about all of the inspiring beauties - near & far - attending in september!); havin' a snow day; attending an urban priestess event; sendin' out love notes & packages; seeing this movie; healing body & spirit work; honoring half-birthdays; confusion & stuck*ness & movement through (livin' my words o' 09: "bRAVe" & "this"); planning for upcoming adventures (a trip to boston in april!); spending time with beloveds - sippin' tea, chattin' on the phone, havin' lunch, sharin' dinner & visitin'; early to bed & early to rise; continuing to participate in The Portfolio Project (divin' into collaging & totally diggin' daily photos!); and, knitting my first hat - the completion of my first knitting project & beginner's knitting class.
*
this is (some of) what's in store for march: shining my light; a snow day tomorrow (?!); springing forward; a visit from a dear friend from college; seeing Lucy Kaplansky live; a weekend date with my momma; a visit from a beloved who lives in wyoming; the spring equinox; and, starting a book club.
*
on saturday i participated in a day of retreat entitled, "The Sanctuary Within: A Prayer of Presence." juicy & nourishing - like a great big glass o' fresh pineapple, mango & peach juice topped with dollops o' fresh air, fuzzy buds, ducks & a soccer ball! i shared this day with & in a spirited circle of women - wise, wise, wise women - women who shared with their whole (joyful, insightful, bandaged, bruised, broken open, shining & all) hearts - women who brought their loves, losses, illnesses, opportunities, victories, children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, parents, colleagues & partners into the circle. we sang. we moved. we listened. we ate. we drank. we blessed. we learned. we taught. i was touched by these words: "Fill me with happy songs..." & "Stir up your trust in the infinite goodness of God [Life, Source, Goddess...]."
*
on sunday morning i woke to snow on rooftops, tree branches & cars. from sunday night into monday morning 8 - 14 inches of snow could fall in my city. march - a trickster of a month!
*
to the gym, the grocery store & back home again on sunday mornin'. on sunday afternoon: payin' the bills; updatin' my blog; checkin' in with bloggie beauties; e-mailin'; makin' art; researchin'...
*
i am planning for my next inHERview! stay tuned. in the meantime - i invite you to read my inHERviews with Kirsten Michelle and jen gray here and here.
*
i am planning for my next gem parcel: an "in honor of the spring equinox (in the northern hemisphere)" give*away! stay tuned. this gem parcel will be full o' sunshine goodness!
*
i am wishing you a happy sunday & a shiny new month!

what i'm up to...

knitting every day.
preparing & sending out love mail.
out to lunch with friends, including two of bella's beloveds.
completed my latest volume of in tune tunes, made up of songs i collected-songs that spoke to me & for me-while journeying through recent days, weeks & months.
making & eating popcorn.
looking at the full moon.
having a snow day.
strengthening & healing my body. going to the gym & receiving bodywork.
scheduling phone dates with soul*sisters.
attended an urban priestess ritual.
planning a spring equinox ritual.
read one of the best posts ever.
dancing to this tune and this tune.
planning adventures for march & april: visits from friends; a trip to nyc; a trip to boston; and a spring equinox ritual.
looking forward to upcoming february festivities: a trip to virginia to visit two beloveds; a day of retreat; and tea, lunch & movie dates.
softening in the sunshine of warmer days.
daydreaming about the future i am creating.
put my Netflix account on hold. i may cancel it. we'll see. i'm leaning in the direction of canceling.
signed up for a free teleseminar with Christine Kane.
taking pictures every day. including this one:

some things

*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.

three thursday night goodies

1. 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.
2. Liz Elayne's video post.
3. two days in july: "a collaboration. two friends. born a day apart."

"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.

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.

today's good*ness

today:
*i captured images of places and things i have been wanting to photograph in my city. places and things very close to my home; including, the above message etched into the concrete, "LOVE YOURSELF". i had been feeling shy about hitting the streets with my camera in hand, snapping away. today i was still feeling a bit shy and i did it any way! i am looking forward to taking more photos.
*i woke before 4:30 a.m., after sleeping for 4 hours. i stayed in bed until after my alarm went off at 7:15 a.m. however, i am not sure how much sleeping happened between 4:30 a.m. and 7:15 a.m.
*i had a 9 a.m. healing appointment.
*at 10 a.m., after my session o' healin', i went to a nearby cafe. i ordered yogurt with fruit and granola and a pot of peach apricot tea. i chose to sit at a table by the window; the sun warmed my back.
*i enjoyed and i am grateful for this time off (with pay!), christmas eve - jan. 5th.
*while at the cafe i wrote pages and pages about 2008 and 2009 in my "notes" journal.
*in my "creating" notebook i wrote down a couple of exciting new ideas for my blog. stay tuned! more on this soon...very soon.
*i listened to Rosie Thomas' CD, When We Were Small.
*i told the whole truth when my colleague/friend asked me how my Christmas was.
*i used my sweet and new "Twirl & Twine" oven mitt from Anthropologie.
*i took deep breaths.
*i participated in a nearly 90 minute free tele*conference with Christine Kane: "The Unstoppable Power of Intention: 5 Keys to Creating New Outcomes in 2009."

what's your good*ness?

FA-la-LA-La-la

there was a lot of FA-la-LA-La-la-ing this weekend! i went to visit two of my beloveds, s & a. whenever i am with them it feels like home. it's the best.

we have a tradition each year of getting together during the first or second weekend of december at s & a's home to create & celebrate christmas together. we run christmas errands. we pick out s & a's tree, garland & front door wreath. we decorate the house (indoors & outdoors) & trim the tree while listening to holiday tunes & telling stories. after the trimming is done we sit in the candlelit & twinklelit room & acknowledge the beauty & abundance of what/who is in the room & in our lives. the feeling of this post-tree trimming space resembles the energy that seems to descend on our world when it snows. quiet awe, stillness & soft delight. it's holy space. yesterday, while trimming & decorating we received the gift of snowfall. lucky, lucky, lucky us!

this weekend we also: watched Muppet & Colbert christmas tales; laughed a lot; ate oodles of yummy home*made meals (thanks to s's culinary expertise!); ate at one of our favorite mexican restaurants; cuddled with the cats & the doggie dear; drank glasses of wine & cups of tea & coffee; snuggled under blankets; and, celebrated our very own christmas morning this a.m.

i came home this evening to my decorated nest with a heart full o' nourishing love & endless gratitude; a bag full o' s & a's leftover garland (with which i promptly adorned my nest...the cherry or STAR* on top of my decorated nest); and, my christmas morning treasures (including a most color*full & soft scarf & inspiring lil' somethings from lululemon athletica).

did you FA-la-LA-La-la this weekend?

tuesday night treasures

• i heart holiday music sung by Johnny Mathis. thank you Liz Elayne for sharing this link.
• do you know Susan Tuttle? she is magical. have a look. and, her new book has just been released! hip hip hooray! oh wait, there's more! she's having a contest to give away a copy of her book. more information here. like i said, magical.
• moved by this post by Shari and her reference to "a place inside..."
• craving silence.

"Silence" by Hafiz

A day of Silence
Can be a pilgrimage in itself.

A day of Silence
Can help you listen
To the Soul play
Its marvelous lute and drum.

Is not most talking
A crazed defense of a crumbling fort?

I thought we came here
To surrender in Silence,

To yield to Light and Happiness,

To Dance within
In celebration of Love's Victory!

on my mind

• a new month.
• a new work week.
• a new season; the holiday season.
• a major work event tomorrow afternoon.
• a lil' nest to clean & decorate.
• a heap o' dishes to wash.
• banana walnut bread to bake.
• reading Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper.
• holiday cards to write.
• putting together this year's advent/*joy calendar in honor of bella.
• paying bills & writing "donation"/"contribution" checks while holiday shows play in the background.
• planning a winter solstice event.
• presents to wrap for s. & a., who i will see in virginia this weekend for our annual holiday weekend celebration. we will drink wine; find the perfect christmas tree; trim this perfect tree; eat at one of my favorite restaurants; share breakfasts together; say, "good night, john boy. good night, elizabeth..." (just like they did on this show) before going to sleep each night; have our own "christmas morning"; and, sink into the cozy*ness.