Good Morning…

 

Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who made the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety –
best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light –
good morning, good morning, good morning.
Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

 

Believe it or not, I woke up a little “miserable” and “crotchety”.

(Man, I hate it when that happens. But there is a lot in this world to be miserable and crotchety about if that where you want to go !)

But then I remembered that I have a choice.

I can wallow in the “ever-darkness” all day.

Or I can CHOOSE to “start the day in happiness, in kindness”.

Which would you choose ?

Big Love to you, Beautiful Ones !

For Today – Monday, August 30th, 2010

 

You can go here to read some more Daybook Entries.

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...the morning light has such a fall feeling even though it will be in the 90’s today. Darker in the studio..until the leaves fall off the big maples.

I am thinking… that I will do my best not to complain today – I do a lot of complaining and I think I need a rest from it.

I am thankful for...the paint smears on my hands, my “it’s all good” coffee cup with polka dots, my dog sleeping on the floor behind me and this precious day.

From the kitchen...not a heck of a lot. I need to get some groceries.

I am wearing...my turquoise cotton nightshirt and glasses.

I am creating...art journal pages in a 16 page journal I made on luscious Fabriano Artistico watercolor according to Teesha Moore’s video instructions. Man, is it gorgeous paper! It loves paint and ink !!!

I am going...to go for a good walk with the pooch when this post is done.

I am reading...beachy trashy romance novels for total escapism and fantasy.

I am hoping. Period.

I am hearing...the wind rustling the big maple tree outside my studio windows and further out, the Monday morning noise of the city.

Around the house...laundry to fold, groceries to buy, bed to be made, animals napping.

One of my favorite things...the cards I made for Se’lah’s Gift of Jewels giveaway – I am going to add them to the Etsy shop today.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Meditation Monday tonight, a haircut (need one badly !), creating in the studio and a possible trip to Montreal for Labor Day (tba)

Here are some pictures I am sharing…

Head Gear for the beach yesterday.

The waves were a little scary big at Hampton Beach – storms must be brewing out at sea…

I actually got knocked over and bounced around by the wicked undertow – luckily there are no photos of that or of my badly bruised pride and legs.

 

This morning’s page in my art journal…

“ memories flood in...
regrets tug in one direction...
joys tug in another...
how do you hold a lifetime in your hands?
and what do you do now?
maybe you do the only thing that
ever really mattered -
you love.
you offer love.
you give love.
you receive love.
you breathe love.
you live love.
you love. ”
~terri st. cloud

Bone Sigh Arts sends me wonderful words like these every morning in my inbox. These ones inspired the page and I hope will continue to inspire the day…

I hope you have a super LOVING Monday, Beautiful Ones.

What is right with you is the starting point…

Thursday afternoon tea with arty friends Colleen and Terry on the back deck.

David said he could hear my laughter from inside and it made him happy to hear me laugh with my friends. He is such a sweetie.

Friday evening, my lovely pal Sonia and I went to the movies to see “Eat, Pray, Love”

(Photo from Columbia Pictures)

He is in it. Ah, hem…

(Sorry, David. You are the man for me forever. Javier is just a little eye-candy…okay a lot of eye-candy.)  

(Photo from Columbia Pictures)

Oh, and Julie Roberts was in it too. ;) Liked the movie. Fun, fluffy, “search for one’s self, but find hunky man along the way too” stuff but I do think it is awesome that movies about self-discovery and “being in the moment” are being made. A lot better than one more shoot ‘em up or “the world is coming to an end” movie for me, anyway…

Saturday, I spent a few hours on the back deck under the umbrella while David did yard work.

Our gardens and lawns look so lush and lovely thanks to the Man.

I was working on making this :

turn into this :

I used many of the suggestions that you lovely readers gave me for the 400th Post giveaway to fill the rocks. The added bit of inspiration made the rock painting flow and I filled two whole trays of lovely Rock My World Rocks in no time !

I have a few orders to fill – one for 100 rocks for my lovely meditation teacher Deb, at Full Spectrum Wellness. I just love seeing the trays of the rocks all painted. It makes me think “abundance” every time !

And today, this will be me : 

or maybe this :

My honey and I are going to the beach in Hampton today. It is supposed to hit 92 degrees and I can’t miss a beach day like that so late in the season. It may well be the last one.

I will soak up some rays (through the sunscreen, of course), read some trashy beach book, walk in the surf, holding hands with the man I love, and BE in the moment on that sandy beach as much as I possibly can.

Life is good, Lovely Ones. So good.

I will send Big Love, prayers and wishes to you on the ocean breezes…

Haiku My Heart - Flight

(art journal page from 2007)

Your wings just grew in.

Life has cleared you for take-off.

Fly, Gorgeous Girl, fly.

Jessie, High School Prom, June 2008

I don’t always gush about my niece Jessica on the blog, though I adore her, think she is brilliant and beautiful, funny and capable of anything she sets her mind to. Jessie is a private person and doesn’t really like me to put her photos out on the internet very much.

But I am making an exception today because I found out yesterday that my gorgeous 19 year old niece is striking out on an adventure. She has made the plan, arranged the details and even decided to leave a really nice guy behind because she knows it is her time to fly.

I am so proud of her I could burst.

And Jess’s courage and strength has inspired me to blow the dust off my own beautiful wings and spread them a bit wider, and maybe think about my own flight plan a little more…

Putting love and wind beneath your wings and praying for clear skies for your flight, My Beautiful Girl.

I love you.

(for more haiku my heart beauty go here. )

Loons by the Lake and I Heart ART !

 

Lake Clair

Cottage at Lake Clair

Two Loons in the rain

One Loon in the rain

Two Loons in the sun

Two Loons by the light of the Moon.

Lake Clair Arty Shot – Fairy Land Mushroom

One Happy Loon.

Thank you so much to the Bodhi Chicklet, my dear friend Kim, who shared her lovely bit of paradise with we two Loons. It was a wonderful gift !

********************************************************

You know a spot like the Cottage at Lake Clair is going to inspire some cool art…

Here is a three page spread I did  while on vacation there in a new-ish journal I made with my friend Colleen a while back, using Teesha Moore’s amazing 16 Page Journal Video from YouTube.

Time to just go for it, gorgeous surroundings, gorgeous paper, gorgeous Golden Fluid Acrylics, lovely bits of painted papers, my favorite art toys and a big dose of The Queen of Arts’ imagination and here we have this :

The Road to Find Out – Three Page Art Journal Spread - August 2010      

(Kim – notice the Top Toss inspiration here ? ;) )

The quote on this page was found on Patti Digh’s post on the 37 Days blog. It reads :

"To stay with that shakiness—to stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feeling of hopelessness and wanting to get revenge—that is the path of true awakening. Sticking with that uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path." Pema Chodron

I am more inspired by these words than I can say. Reading them on Patti’s blog was an ah-ha moment for me, big time. I am still absorbing them into my understanding of what is true in this life.

Can I just say how much I LOVE being an Artist ? Man, oh man, it is such a gift to have a medium to express all kinds of things that I have inside ! I am truly grateful to have found this way to spill my soul out into the world.

***********************

Well, I guess this post could have been two separate ones but I do have a bit of catching up to do after being away for over a week. My landing back at home was a little bumpy, which seems to be my M.O. after spending such good times surrounded by many of my favorite peeps and then finding myself back in the studio alone. I feel like I am finally  bouncing back today.

It is rainy, dark and raw outside in NH this morning. Perfect for settling back into the studio, cleaning up some piles, visiting some favorite Blogland pals, packaging up some goodies that need to get out in the mail yesterday, and getting back in touch with that Cool Chick of an Artist Self that I love so dearly.

Life is good, Beautiful Ones. I am off to “relax in the midst of some chaos”.

Happy Wednesday !

Giveaway Winners !!!

Hey there, Beautiful Ones !

I am still in Montreal but the beautiful Mommy and I wrote down, cut up and placed in a crystal bowl all of the 52 names of my 400th Post Giveaway.

Then I reached in and pulled out the 4 winners' names.

The winners of the Queen of Arts 400th post giveaway are :

1. Dawn from Art of Humungous Proportions:

"My suggestion for one of your sweet pebbles would be "Bless Others".

2. Arlene from Artdeme :

"I send a suggestion to you to Rock My World...
"Look up". That is always where my help comes from. "

3. Elena from My Quest
"I suppose if I found a rock right now that would speak to me the most it would say: FLY, LEAP, OPEN THE DOOR".

4. Kim, the Bodhi Chicklet :

"I'm going to enter this because you can't! Now I just may have a chance! Big Love back at 'ya." - referring to how lucky I have been in some recent giveaways to have won - your turn KimmyPoo!!

And there you have it. Congrats to these four great ladies !

I will collect the winner's address (three Canadian Chickies and the winner's were chosen here in my Homeland - funny !) and mail them off their Queen of Arts Goodies !

Thanks so much to all of you who wrote me such great comments and made such awesome suggestions for the Rock My World rocks. I was very inspired to get using some new, juicy words and phrases on my little treasures !

I am driving home again tomorrow.

See you in Blogland soon, Beautiful Ones and have a great weekend.

Big Love !

Thankfulness Thursday from Montreal...

Today is Thursday, August 19.

WHAT?????????

I really can't believe this is where we are already but there you go.

We gotta BE where we are, right ?

Well, I am in Montreal right now, lucky to be staying at my sweet friend Suzanne's house while she is away visiting some other Quebec wonders.

David headed home to NH with Chica yesterday.

We had a lovely time at Kim's cottage up North though the weather was a mixed bag. Spending time with my man in such a beautiful environment was a real treat !

Lots of reading, napping, dog swimming, a little Queenly swimming and basically just absorbing the lovely nature of the Laurentians. (I will share a couple of photos when I get back home to my own computer !) We got a little time with the beautiful Kim and her wonderful son, Riley as well as a rainy but cozy visit from my sister Kristina, her hubby John and the kiddos, Thomas and Katie. You know I was loving that !

Today, I am having lunch with Andrea and Darlene, close and wonderful friends that I don't see in the flesh often but keep in close contact with anyway. Girls do lunch...

Then supper tonight with the Bodhi Chicket herself and my Mom.

I am thrilled that these two lovely ladies with their big hearts are going to meet. They live about 15 minutes from each other and I would so love to know that they could hang and be friends up here in the hometown.

So as you can see, I have so very many things to be thankful for - I have been surrounded by love and beauty for an entire week, and it just keeps going...

Speaking of beauty that just keeps going, do you know that Se'lah's Gift of Jewels project starts tomorrow ? Sharing and offering love - what could be better ? You may still be able to join in...go check it out !

And last but not least, tomorrow is the day that I will announce the 4 winners of my own 400th Post Giveaway ! Leave me a comment on the original post if you haven't already and you could be the lucky winner of some juicy Queen of Art's prizes ! Yay !

That's the scoop for now, Beautiful Ones !

Missing Blogland but oh so glad to be soaking it all up here in the real world...

Big Love !

Haiku My Heart Friday - Perseid

(image from keen observers)

A meteor hit

Suddenly knocking me down

Luckily I bounce.

 

**********************************

I am a little early with my haiku this week as I am leaving again. I will be spending a nice long weekend with David and Chica up at my friend Kim’s cottage in Quebec, an hour or so north of Montreal. We hope to be able to catch some the the August Perseid meteor showers while we are there in the country away from city lights.

David will be home after the weekend and I will extend my stay to spend some time with my Mom who is still recovering from her broken leg (a few more weeks of no weight bearing!!! –healing prayers welcome !), as well as to see a few of my favorite Montreal Chickies and Family.

I am bringing my art journal goodie bag with me and I hope to get a few pages done up North. Feeling itchy again…

Anyone who would like to sign up for my 400th Post Giveaway, you have until next Friday,  the 20th, to do so !

I probably won’t post while I am away but I may check in on you, Beautiful Ones. Have a great weekend !

Big Love !

Wish Casting Wednesday –Where do you wish to send some LOVE ?

 

I wish to send some love to the part of me that thinks I am not good enough, that I have done it “all wrong”, that it is too late to dream…

because deep inside I know that  

Wish Casting Wednesday is hosted by the inspiring Jamie Ridler. Check it out and spread some loving wishes.

Semi-Wordless Wednesday – A Walk by Dorrs Pond

On thing I just love about living in New Hampshire is that I can go just five minutes from home and find this:

How about a little Monet by Mailhot…

At the bulletin board, I leave some treasures.

One I found on the walk, and  one I brought along…

How come the photographs I love best of myself are always taken by me ?

I look so much like my Dad here…

Final messages for my Walking Friends…

Happy Wednesday, Beautiful Ones !

(If you haven’t already, please enter my 400th post Celebration giveaway here !)

Monday Day Book and a 400th Post Giveaway !

FOR TODAY, Monday, August 9th, 2010

Outside my window...the glorious canopy of maple trees, shading the yard from the white hazy sunlight of the morning.

I am thinking...that I can’t believe it is August 9th when it feels like it should be July 9th!!!

I am thankful for...all the wonderful people I am blessed to have in my life, to learn from, to lean on, to support, to feel loved by, to give my best loving to, and to celebrate the good with.

From the kitchen...cooked quinoa for the first time and used it where I would have used rice in a veg/rice/chicken sausage recipe I make. (Kind of Mexican flavors, served with a dollop of low fat sour cream – we call it “mishmash”).  I found it very bland on its own but it soaks up the spice really well and has a nice texture. Nice to add something so healthy to the repertoire.

I am wearing...my soft, light, turquoise indian cotton night shirt and flipflops

I am creating...some journal pages, a plan for a giveaway (it’s coming below !!!!) and the space for some $$$ to come my way in part-time job that feels good to my Soul (too much to ask you think ? I am hoping not !)

I am going...on a walk with the doggie this morning before the big, humid heat of the day moves in again.

I am reading...”The Friday Night Knitting Club” by Kate Jacobs – I got the book second hand while at the beach a last week. It is okay…I much preferred the latest Alice Hoffman book, “The Story Sisters”, which was intriguing and had that bit of magic that Hoffman always delivers !

I am hoping...that I find lots of ways to stay present today, stop thinking too much and find ways to just BE.

I am hearing...the whirring of the fan and the heat bugs even though it is only 8:37 am.

Around the house...the sheets were freshly put on the bed last night, the garbage is empty and at the curb and it feels like a Monday.

One of my favorite things...the 5 old books I bought at the Londonderry Flea Market on Sat. that are perfect for cutting up for collage but that don’t smell even remotely of mildew ! The seller said they were her uncle’s old school books from the 50’s and they has been stored in the attic ! Nice and dry…

A few plans for the rest of the week: Meditation Monday today, Arty Pool Party tomorrow afternoon, a long weekend trip to Montreal and then up North for David and me on Friday. Should be a good one !

Here are some pictures for thought I am sharing...

 

(Art Journal page – August 2010 – click to enlarge)

And to celebrate that you are here now and that I have been here, in this exact place for

400 posts !!!!!,

I have decided to do a sweet giveaway !

Leave me a comment on this post with a word or short phrase that you would love to see on a Rock My World rock

  and you will be entered to win the one of 4 gift packages from the Queen of Arts herself !

Each gift package will include :

1. A little bag of 13 Rock My World Rocks so you can join the adventure and spread the love.

2. A set of 4 Original Artwork Note Cards (you can let me know if you have a favorite piece of mine that you would like to have on a note card in your comment and I will do my best to accommodate).

3. Three little one by one inch hand carved rubber stamps with a Queen of Arts Studio design on them to play in your journals with

and finally I will add in some bits of ephemera such as old dictionary pages, images or bits and bobs that will be lovely added to a collage or journal page.

400 posts so 4 packages to win!

I will randomly choose a winner on August 19th so that gives you 10 days to participate!

(don’t forget to add your Rock My World rock suggestion to your comment !)

******************

Did you think about how much writing and connecting and art and life goes into 400 Posts on a Blog ????

Amazing, isn’t it ?

It feels like a great documentation of some wonderful bits of my life.

My mark on the planet in some ways.

I am truly grateful for the blogging experience and to all the great Souls that share it with me !

Let’s celebrate it, Beautiful Ones !

Big Love !