In Good Time...

You may have noticed that things are a little quiet around here at the Queen of Arts blog. David has been off this week and we have been doing some stuff together. I have also been feeling very tired and a little under the weather. Nothing major, just a lack of oomph...

I have been reading your blogs and seeing all the great things that you all seem to be up to, but lacking the energy to comment in some cases. I am admiring the focus that so many of you have on creating goals and intentions for the new year. There are some incredible "word of the year" plans out there too.

But

I have to say

that I am just not there yet !

Funnily enough, I looked back to January 2009 to see the post I did for last year at this time and I saw that I was feeling a lot the same. I am definitely in such a better place than I was last year at this time emotionally, spiritually and mentally but the feeling that the world is going at a pace that doesn't work for me is often still there. I want to make some good and clear intentions for myself for the coming year, and yet I don't feel like this week to do it.

I am realizing that this pattern of listening to my own internal clock, and waiting to do things in Kim Time is a steady one and in the end, a good one. There is some pressure to conform to the pace being set by the world out there but mostly, there is a realization that doing things in my Time is the perfect way to do them, for me ! ;)

That being said, I have begun the work towards new intentions for the new year. As of last night, when I created the little journal page above, I have chosen a word to focus on for the year 2010.

The word is emerge.

e·merge (-mûrj)
intr.v. e·merged, e·merg·ing, e·merg·es
1. To rise from or as if from immersion: Sea mammals must emerge periodically to breathe.
2. To come forth from obscurity: new leaders who may emerge.
3. To become evident: The truth emerged at the inquest.
4. To come into existence.

I am still developing what the word will mean for me and I was glad to find the wonderful free download that Christine Kane posted on her blog called "Your Word of The Year Discovery Tool" (mentioned by quite of few of you wise women out there !) I plan on working with the word and the tools in the new year and seeing what comes...or what emerges...;)

This afternoon, my dear friend Darlene is coming down from Montreal with her 2 teenage sons and we will ring in the New Year with some games, a nice fondue dinner and some bubbly grape juice. David and I are excited to have them here in our cozy house. I will try and convince Dar to join me in the annual barefoot snow dance tomorrow morning ! I promise to show pictures of the two or us or just me !

I would like to leave with with this quote that my friend Patti Digh had on her Facebook last night and that rings so very true for me today, and wish you all an amazing 2010 filled with creative, bliss-filled moments !

Happy New Year and Big Love, Beautiful Ones !

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives, not looking for flaws, but for potential.

- Ellen Goodman

Ten years ago today...

Ten years ago today, David and I went on our first date. He traveled all the way from New Hampshire to Montreal to take me out.

(David and me - Fall 2006 added to an art journal page in 2008)

Nine years ago today, we got married. I traveled from Montreal in a U-Haul truck with my car on a trailer in the back and my black cat Georges doped up in the cab, all the way to New Hampshire to marry him...

(Dave and me - our wedding day - December 30, 2000)

(David and me - Fall 2009 - Hampton Beach, NH)

David and I, we have been going the distance since the very beginning of our relationship...

We have hit bumps in the road and seen them through together...

And we have provided a home for one each other's heart at the end of the day's journey...

After ten years together, we have learned that the road in front of us may not always be clear,

(Art journal page detail - February 2008)

But the One who we will be traveling that distance with always is...

I love you, My Sweet Man.

Happy Anniversary and here's to our safe and always love-filled travels...

Christmas Blessings !

David and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with this sweet family - John and Kate, Thomas and my sis Kristina.

Santa sure did do a good and very generous job at their house for all !

Thomas was excited about slippers and remote control cars that climb walls

and drive on ceilings...

while Kate's favorite "cadeau" or gift was the candy canes !

Hearts were filled with love and light...

and the simple sweet joy of being together.

And after a beautiful Christmas afternoon drive back down to Montreal from La Conception,

where we went from sunny snowy beauty...

to gorgeous grey on grey wonders..

we all joined some more wonderful members of the family at my other sister Natalie's house.

(Nat and Kristina)

For some more gift giving...

(Mom, Me, Natalie, Kristina, Uncle Nick)

Some cozy family time and laughter...

Some birthday cake for Christmas Baby Kristina.

(Kate dances !)

and of course some music and boogying, not to mention a roast beef dinner to die for !!! Thanks to Natalie and her Dave for hosting our Christmas Dinner Bash !

(By the way, Beatles RockBand is soooo fun for any family but especially a Beatles loving family like ours !)

We ended our trip up nother with a short but sweet brunch with my good friend Suzy and her man Pierre. Delicious food and great company.

Bellies full, my sweet hubby and I hit the road and had an easy, weather-free drive home ! Thank God for that too !

This was a really nice Christmas for me ! I feel really blessed to have such a great family of generous, open-hearted souls. My sisters and I are very different but we are all truly grateful for the closeness of our family and do our very best to keep that closeness preserved and cared for.

I know Christmas can be hard for many - it has been for me on occasion too. But I think that having expectations that are realistic and close to your heart make it possible to have a "perfect" holiday.

This year, my expectations were to be with the people I love, to show them love and to feel loved in return.

All of my expectations we met and surpassed !

That made for one perfect Christmas.

And I am feeling very grateful on this December 28th....

I hope you are too.

Big love, Beautiful Ones !

A Perfect Day In Late December...

So today has been pretty much perfect as days go and it is only 1:30 pm

I woke up really early - around 5:15 am.

I got up, made some coffee, and turned on the computer.

I made the rounds of some some amazing blogs

sharing stories and thoughts about the solstice and Christmas and art and stuff...

I wrote down some great quotes and things in my journal of all things good,

like the poem that my friend Kim, The Bodhi Chicklet, shared here.

I talked to my mom/guru friend on the phone about how great life is right in this moment.

I filled an order from my Etsy shop and wrote out some holiday cards.

I sang a carol or two and had a dance with my favorite dancing Yellow lab to this one.

I made some yummy and oh so easy Chocolate Graham Toffee Bark that will be gifts for some family members on David's side.

Then I went for a walk with Chica,

wearing my new down filled coat and super warm boots that my Mom gave me as my Christmas gift.

I chose them both from Land's End catalogue because of their warmth factor and Mommy is paying for them !

I was happy to have them today because it is about 28 degrees but really windy and cold outside, in spite of that gorgeous blue sky.

Cheeks and I went walking around Dorrs Pond, a park area nearby that has a really nice trail all around the pond - about a 30 minute walk in the winter.

The pond was mostly frozen except for at the two ends where it forms little waterfalls at the run-off.



The water is polluted, I think as it is in the middle of the city and sure smells bad in the summer time. But at this time of year, it sure is pretty to look at !

I saw angels wings in the one above. Do you ?



The Rock My World rocks would most likely get quickly lost in the snow on these paths right now but I wanted to leave a little Rock Fairy love behind anyway.

Pine cones were my medium of choice !



Chica approved, I think. Love that pretty doggie so !


So I came home from the walk with rosy cheeks but warm every where else. I am not saying that winter will ever be my favorite season, but if I can get out this way, soak up some Vitamin D now and again, and make the most of everyday, even if it is colder than my heart wishes it was,

then this winter thing may just turn out to get back into my good books again after all.




Check back with me in February to find out for sure !


And so, my lovelies, as I head off to do some wrapping or maybe some napping to end
this afternoon on this perfect day,

I have decided to take a blog break until after Christmas.


I may change my mind as I may miss you all too much

but for now I think I will concentrate on
making the most of these precious winter moments
and the coziness of the holidays for David and me and our family and friends.
I wish you all the sweetest of Christmas', filled with peaceful moments, big belly laughs and memory making times with those you love.

The season's blessings on all of us !

Big Love, beautiful Ones !

The Darkest Night...

Winter Solstice...

The shortest day of the year...

The longest night...

The longest darkness...

but also

the reversal of that darkening pattern...

Tomorrow the day will be just that little bit brighter...

for that little bit longer...

So on the Solstice,

it is time to celebrate the coming of the light...

"Winter Solstice also known as Yule, Christmas, and Saturnalia, occurs in mid December. It celebrates the birth of the new Solar year and the beginning of Winter. The Goddess manifests as the Great Mother and the God as the Sun Child. The God also appears as Santa Claus and Old Man Winter. Colors are Red, Green, and White. This is a festival of inner renewal.

Strengthen bonds with family and friends by visiting and/or exchanging gifts and greetings. Decorate your home with lights, greens, and holiday colors. Bless your home with a Yule wreath on your front door and sprigs of mistletoe inside. If you are part of a group, take up a collection of food and/or clothing at your Yule gathering and give what you collected to a social service agency to distribute to the needy. Place sunflower seeds outside for wild birds to feast upon. Greet the Sun at dawn on Solstice morning by ringing bells. Do magic for a more peaceful planet."

from the Circle Sanctuary - Celebrating the Seasons

I am going to celebrate the Winter Solstice consciously for the first time this year.

It makes sense to my heart.

This winter is different for me in many ways

.

The darkness has not been as harsh with me as it has in past.

In fact, I have often found it comforting

Like a coccoon...

Where I can begin a transformation...

My Solstice Celebration is going to include some of the following :

Lighting candles...

Creating a surround of love with things that mean a lot to my heart, like an alter of sorts,

(Included in my alter will be this fabulous gift I got in the mail

from my friend Linda who shared a Rock My World adventure with me at Squam -

a rock heart wrapped with a wire and with a beautiful train of goodies - I love this rock!!! )

Filling up the bird feader with those black sunflower seeds that the birdies around here love so much and getting some suet for the cardinals and jays...

Attending a special meditation class tonight with some other wonderful women, where the focus will be on inner renewal and the coming of the light...

I am bringing little "light" gifties, Rock Fairy style :)

And also, and most importantly for me right now, I am going to shine a light on My Self.

You know, the change has to happen from the inside.

I do a lot of talking about kindness and love and showing those precious things to my fellow woman/man kind...

And yet I still have a lot of work to do to learn to really shower my self with those life-giving gifts...

Time to walk the talk, I think...

So as I celebrate the slow but steady return of the light to our world,

I am going to celebrate the fact that I am loved and I deserve every kindness,

and that I am a child of light

and I am going to let my own flame burn pure...

Art journal page - December 21, 2009 -

"Let Your Own Flame Burn Pure"

Click to enlarge...

The Rock Fairy In Winter...

So the Rock Fairy faces some challenges in the winter in New Hampshire. First of all, the city where she lives doesn't plow sidewalks or paths through the parks nearby. That means that the usual placement of Rock My World rocks on park benches is on hiatus until Spring time, both because it is kind of slippery in the park and also because few people sit on benches in the winter so what would be the point...

She took a good walk the other day, kind of saying good-bye to her usual stomping grounds for the season...

As always, there were beautiful sights to see along the way...

What struck her the most on this walk was the gorgeous contrast of red

on the grey-blue of the day...

That contrast reminded the Rock Fairy of how sharply

a single, simple act of kindness can stick out

in a sea of ordinary, everyday apathy.

Like the couple in the restaurant that anonymously paid for the lunch of the people seated beside them in a diner and sparked a chain reaction that lasted for many hours,

or the family owned jewelry store that is leaving Christmas gifts of jewelry for people in random places around their town...

or, more importantly she thought, the little acts of kindness that don't cost a penny,

like taking the time to sincerely tell someone they have done a good job,

or looking a cashier in the eye and smiling when you say "Thank you !",

or completing some simple task for someone you know is overwhelmed,

or telling someone in your life that you truly appreciate them being in your world.

Like that bright red against the gray-blue, kindness can light up a space, and spark a change in how we treat each others, how we see each other...

As the Rock Fairy finished her final real rock leaving walk of the season, she took notice of the last rock she had put down on the park bench...

It was so fitting, of course, like many of the rock messages seem to be,

The final rock said...

While the rock leaving may slow down during the winter,

the opportunities for being kind never do !

The Rock Fairy was grateful for that timely reminder.

Aren't you ? ;)

Now, Go be Kind !!!

Mail Box Gifties for the Queen !

One of the best things about this time of year is how fun it can be to go and get the mail from the box each day. Instead of the usual bills and ads, there are often extra gifties and cards in there that make the day extra special.

Well, Monday was a Bonsai ! day in my mailbox ! Feast your eyes on the gifties all sent to little old me !!!!

The main box was from one Queen to another, from Kate at Queen of Creativity.

I was lucky enough to win her giveaway for her 100th post as the Queen a little while back and she sent me this incredible box full of collage goodies from her own stashes !

Look at the gorgeous face that she painted on the brown paper wrapping on the box! Believe me, I was very careful when removing it so I could save the beauty !

She added some other wonderful details to the package, all custom made with me in mind !

Love that !!!!

And inside was a ton of wonderful collage elements of all kinds ! Hand made papers, pages from old books, decorative napkins...

and some really really beautiful spray paint papers made by the Queen herself.

Thank you so very much, Kate, for all the wonderful pieces ! It made me so joyful to open the package and also to dream about where the magnificent stuff is going to go in my art making ! So much fun !

Along with Kate's gift in the mail was an envelope from WI from my dear blogpal, Beth.

A little while ago she presented some new wonderful creations that this incredibly talented lady has come up with on her blog- a series of gorgeous cards combining beautiful words and her own beautiful designs.

Well my sweet friend sent me a bundle of the cards that I just adore !

I can't wait to send them out as little bits of love to important people in my world. Thank you so very much, lovely Beth for sharing your sweet gifts with me !

And last but not least, I received a perfectly crazy, slight risque card from one of my blogpals who I am so enjoying getting to know better, Susan Sager Brown at Brokn Heart Art. I love Susan's irreverence and her open-heart and her hilarious sense of humor. Brings out the more edging side of this Queen which is fun. Plus she always has yummy eye candy on her blog every month !

Here is a little detail from her

card designed by her with that great edginess I so admire :

Imagine this image and some words about Ed's mistletoe and where he like to hang it ! ;)

Love it ! Thanks, Susan, for keeping me on your mailing list for Christmas giggles this year !

So it is Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 and I would like to take this chance to wish my sweet old friend Suzanne a happy birthday !!! She hit a big milestone today, and she has done it with some soul searching, with an eye towards living the rest of her life in some new and richer ways, and with a ton of humor which makes it all go down a little easier !!!

I love you Suzy, and happy, happy 50th Birthday !!!

This one is for you !

Happy Tuesday, Beautiful Ones ! I hope you find some gifties in your mail box today too !