my expansive, adventure-full 2009

dearest 2009,

on this last day of you, i honor thee.

the whole of expansive, adventure-full you.

this year of my being bRAVe in this.

this year of learning how to powerfully navigate the feeling of being "stuck" and strengthening my keeping-the-energy-flowing muscle.

you were this and more ~

the deep, pitch black darkness before the dawn;

The Portfolio Project;

herbal remedies;

watching, witnessing and allowing;

late winter visits from old friends ushering me into the dawn, the spring, renewal;

a trip to new england in april where an unseen future was unfolding and my nose was pierced, a baptism;

receiving a spirited invitation to consider moving north during my flight home from new england;

discerning and choosing to leap north;

a journey to honor bella and scatter some of her dust;

completing my five and a half years of work in the city of brotherly and sisterly love and saying goodbye to my work family;

new live music loves: Rose Cousins and Anais Mitchell;

free teleconference calls with Christine Kane;

mentoring an interfaith seminary student;

bags and bags full of goods to goodwill;

the movement of things in and out of storage;

finding my new home with two roomie dears;

the Mondo Beyondo e-course and local community;

clarifying my core values: voice, vitality, heart vision, gentleness and spaciousness;

Squam Art Workshops: finding my fire*side beauties, meeting some of my exquisite bloggie beauties and making art in the woods;

knitting again;

maintaining a daily morning practice;

weekly tea dates with Trish;

weekly meet-ups (mostly on sundays) with K., a fire*side beauty;

finding a place of worship;

becoming part of a women's spirituality/wisdom group;

an annual columbus day weekend heart*fest gathering in portland, maine;

my first roller derby;

solstice and equinox ceremonies;

building my practice;

being in process;

honoring my rhythm;

inHERviews;

asking for and receiving support in my leaping, adventuring and daily living, learning;

new and inspiring work to assist with generating income while building my practice;

an annual making merry, making christmas weekend with my bff and her partner;

Skype dates with ab, another fire*side beauty;

being big;

a harvest meal;

December Views 2009;

hosting christmas in my new new england home; and,

ending with tonight's full, blue moon.

with the biggest love and greatest thanks,

gem

dearest M

dearest ,

thank you, thank you, thank you for our visit.

we share the same name & this dear sister, as you know, is only the beginning of what we share.

when we met in the late 90s (hee-hee!) at that campground close to mount hood we/our spirits knew instantly - we go together like peanut butter & jelly - hand in hand. this meeting of sisters - long, long before the (recent) years when you said, "my life is like a Lifetime movie." and i thought, "my life is a bit like a Hallmark movie."

nearly 12 years continues to grow into visions of sitting beside one another - arms linked - when we are in our 90s.

when close to each other we spend most of our time with our arms linked together; being oh so silly; laughing, laughing, laughing; taking care of one another; snugglin' & huggin'; spilling truth after truth after truth; talking into tomorrow; and, enjoying chocolate, wine, coffee & tea treats.

this visit i rose & lightened in your presence. i claimed what's been blooming in my heart & life - ease; joy, joy, joy; healing & being in my body; being ready & available to find my partner & create home/life with another; singin' & swingin'; and, letting go of unnecessary weight & darkness. our visit came at the perfect, divine time - the spring equinox.

thank you for sharing these (additional) high*lights: asking me to officiate your & A's commitment ceremony next summer; meeting & spending the afternoon with Mohammed; making two batches of your home*made & love*made guacamole - one for our visit & one for me to enjoy after you caught your plane back to wyoming; crossing paths with two of my city sisters; reading the newspaper while sippin' cups o' coffee & tea; people watching; cooking together; and, listening to live music - her music & his music & his voice.

i love you, M.

always,
gem