Getting ducks and rocks in a row…

Little Happy and I are enjoying the first week back to a normal routine around here.

I am trying stay present (my word of the year for 2013)

and at the same time, get my ducks in a row,

by getting back into the practice of going for walks, doing meditation, and making plans with friends.

All of  which really help my mental and physical well being in the hard winter months.

I am so happy that my creative energy is still high.

I have been happily stitching up little bag homes for my Rock Beings, using my own hand dyed wool bits and a lovely rainbow of embroidery floss.

Like the rocks, the wool seems to let me know what design it wants.

I am so loving process and the end results !

Some of the Rock Beings

and their sweet little stitched homes

are now available in my Etsy shop

in case you fall in love like I have,

and want some Rock Being magic of your own.

I hope your own start to 2013 is gentle and easy, Beautiful Ones !

Big Love !

Try Something Tuesday – Take a Walk !

I have been attending Monday Meditation class at Full Spectrum Wellness for over three years now.

I have to honestly say that there are very few beneficial practices that I have adopted that I have been so dedicated to and been able to really stick to.

There is something about being in a group of people who are all present and wanting to live in the moment for an entire hour that feels so very, very good to my Soul.

My wonderful instructor and friend, Deb, sets a casual tone in the class.

Move if you need to, breathe however your body works best, sit on the floor with a back jack or on a chair.  The most important thing is to have compassion for yourself and know that there is no such thing as a wrong way to meditate. That you are taking this precious time for yourself (and the world) is the key.

Occasionally, Deb switches things up. Last night we were a small group, only 4 participants. Upon request, Deb began our evening with a walking meditation.

For about 15 minutes, we all walked in a large circle around the room, slowly, mindfully, paying great attention to our feet and our stride, and all of the sensations this activity brought with it.

While I have done this meditation before, last night something totally clicked in me. I really reached a beautiful state of relaxation and came fully present in my body. Man, did it feel good !

And when we sat down to continue the rest of our meditation, I was so comfortable and centered that I really got to experience some deep and powerful present moment thought.

Last night was the best night of meditation that I have ever experienced. And I really believe that preparing my body with the walking meditation was the key.

Walking meditation doesn’t have to take place in a class or indoors. It is an activity that anyone who can walk can do and can be practiced anywhere in our day to day lives.

I found this great link to instructions on how to begin a walking meditation instruction, from a site called WildMind.org. It is Buddhist in nature but completely non-religious. Not only does the author explain what some of the benefits of this practice are, but it is also all about adapting the walking meditation to your own needs. 

So it’s Try Something Tuesday, Beautiful Ones.

Are you ready to walk this way ?  

See you on the trail !

Today’s Post is brought to you by the Letter B !

So did anyone notice that I did a “Try Something Tuesday” post on Monday ?

My always very observant hubby did.

I only realized it at around 7:00pm when he mentioned it to me.

We had a good laugh about that !

I had gone the whole day without noticing !!!

I am such a weirdo sometimes !

 

I have to say that though I was encouraging all of you to try something new yesterday, I was also struggling with staying away from an icky place.

Savoring my mango for breakfast was one of the steps I was taking to Be in the present moment and get the f**k out of my head!

It helped a bit but what worked way better was

my  unexpected “Be” Day with Colleen !

My beautiful bestie dressed in blue and I walked to the babbling brook in the woods behind her house.

The sky was the same blue as Colleen’s t-shirt!

We sat on a big boulder and blabbed a bit as the bugs buzzed and the brook bubbled.

Then we walked on and were given a beautiful gift !

Behold ! A big fat beaver walking across a log bridge over the brook !!!

(The beaver walking by was so breathtaking that neither one of us stopped to get a photo,

but you can image him walking on that horizontal log in this pic taken after he was gone.)

We giggled and shared our bountiful excitement, giving one another a big bear hug right there in the woods !

Then as we ended our walk, we were blessed with this baby !

There, on the dirt road, a brand new butterfly !

I had to move in a bit to get this amazing portrait of this bold and beautiful being!

A Tiger Swallowtail basking in the sun on this brand new day.

 

Colleen and I noticed all the “B”s that were popping into our day.

We decided to keep it going by heading the the “Brick House” for lunch,

a local greasy spoon, drive-up place, famous for its burgers.

We decided to be BAD !

Colleen had a burger, I had 2 burpers (hotdogs) and we shared some yummy fries !

A big old hug in the Brick House parking lot ended out time together and I have to say,

my “Be” Day  with my Colleen-y pretty much banished the ickies from my brain !

Love you, Girl Friend !

 

be…………………………….Be

Oh, ya.

Taking time to make art is another way that I try and banish the ickies!

Here’s what’s been popping up lately…

A 6X6” canvas, paint and collage bits.

I was just trying to let whatever wanted to come spill out.

Not sure it is finished or if I like it, though I do like the expression in my butterfly queen.

This bit of writing in actually a piece of my Dad’s handwriting.

I found a whole bunch of his journal pages in a box in the basement last weekend.

This was all that was written on a sheet of loose leaf paper.

I cut it up and glued it here.

Feels powerful somehow…

“The story continues.”

A page in my Strathmore Visual Journal book.

I asked the Universe to give me a day without self-criticism and self-inflicted hurt.

The Angel said “It’s all yours, Baby !”

I’m gonna take it !!!

 

be………………………………Be

 

Phew, that was a long post !

Well, if you are still with me,

I am sending out big waves of love and light today,

and working on giving myself plenty of the same !

Happy TUESDAY, Beautiful Ones !

With the Wind to my Back…

David and I woke up to a very rainy day on Cape Cod.

We talked about how many times we get bad weather on our vacations.

Too many !

Oh well, I had to brave the elements anyway.

The waves and rocks and bits were calling.

The beach was deserted.

Maybe that’s because it was pouring rain, 40 degrees and very very windy.

Ah, but I had the whole beach to myself !

Walking down the beach wasn’t so bad. The wind was to my back.

 

I walked down to the rocks I could see in the distance.

And left some rocks of my own…

Then, with my backside soaked, I decided to turn around and head back.

With my face in the wind.

With rain like little darts on my cheeks.

I walked fast.

Not quite as pleasant.

But hell, I could manage a smile anyway. Kinda…

After all,

I am just so happy to BE here !

Happy Tuesday, Beautiful Ones !

 

(and if you haven’t commented on my 700th Post Giveaway, you still have lots of time ! Check it out here.)

Walking in Orange…

PMS sucks.

I think that’s what it is.

Or maybe it is the planetary alignment ?

Whatever the cause, I felt very sucky when I woke up today.

That just happens some days.

The day was seemingly following my mood as a few things happened as the day got underway that were kind of sucky too.

In an effort to change the pattern of suckiness, I went for a walk with Chica.

It is gorgeous out today ! Sunny, very windy, but warm, and the colors of Fall are absolutely spectacular !

Here are a few views from my walk...

Our neighbors, Kim and Dave (how funny is that ?!), who live two doors down have lovely porch décor.

Look up ! That orange against the blue sky is so pretty.

I know that Chica wishes I would listen to this rock but being on leash is a must in the city !

Not sure what these berries on this prickly bush are called, but their persimmon red/orange color really caught my eye.

This shot is of a pile of broken glass, really thick stuff. I don’t know what it belonged to but I thought it was cool looking.

Some more orange. A scared looking skeleton, swinging in the wind.

Here is a shot of a Rock Fairy classic - putting a rock atop the fire hydrant.

Orange again…

I snapped a couple of pics of the “okay” rock.

I like this one too – with two pairs of feet…

Speaking of feet…

Fall would not be complete without walking through the leaves, listening to the swooshing, crunchiness. I even love the smell of the decay…

I picked up a Gingko leaf to bring home. Their shape and the fact that they are a symbol of strength, hope and peace made me pause and want to bring some of that home with me this morning.

For this pic, I paired it with the last rock in my pocket.

A message for the rest of my day, perhaps ?

“Go with strength, hope and peace.”

Nice one…

So while I still feel kind of sucky,

and while there may be things about this day that will continue to suck,

tonight when I go to bed and look back on the day,

there will be sweet moments of strength, peace and hope to focus on,

in spite of the suckiness.

I hope you have an un-sucky Monday, Beautiful Ones.

Go with strength, hope, peace and Big Love!

Semi-Wordless Wednesday–The Eyes Have It

A trio for the day…

pic 1 – a Rock My World Rock left for the finding yesterday

pic 2 – An eye I found while walking yesterday (see Chica’s head behind the tree ?)

pic 3 – “Looking for love” – an oldie but a goodie art journal page from 2009

What are the eyes telling you to look out for today ?

Happy Wednesday, Beautiful Ones !

I am here.

The Rock Fairy went for an early morning walk around the neighborhood today..

She got to see some pretty things as she strolled with her sweet yellow lab sidekick…

who was thrilled that the Rock Fairy was getting her butt off the rock painting throne and getting moving a bit!

She left some of her wares in some harder to find places…

for the trees, squirrels and crows to enjoy.

When she saw this design left by a graffiti artist on the steps of the lovely park,

she decided to leave her own mark, only in a much less permanent way…

But in the end, the message left behind was really one and the same…

I hope you will Be where you are today, Beautiful Ones,

and take the time to see some pretty things.

Happy Saturday !