Heart Connections...

So this was waiting for me when I got home on Sunday evening...

It came really quickly from CA, filled with beauty, kindness and love

from my friend lynne hoppe.

Every precious detail made me smile and sigh...

from the perfect white feather inside the card to the cloth wrapped treasures inside.

You see, lynne and I share a love for rocks, among many things of beauty in our world,

and she lovingly shared some of her gorgeous hand-painted creationswith me !

Also wrapped in this package was an incredibly smooth black stone...

A rare piece of obsidian,

that lynne had asked for just for me

and the Universe gifted us both with...

I looked up the properties of this special stone and found that

"Black Obsidian is protective and provides support during change. It repels negativity and

disperses unloving thoughts." It is also a stone associated with transformation

and with facing the Self full on.

So very appropriate to where I feel I am these days...

I absolutely marvel at the whole package

and the love and care that lynne put into this gift.

I have a heart connection with this incredible woman whom I have never seen in person,

yet have felt connected to in deep, soul-tingling ways.

It makes me feel truly blessed.

Big loving thanks to you, my friend lynne.

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

The landing from this last trip up North has been a bit bumpy.

I think I spread myself a little thin energy wise.

Today is the first day since I got home Sunday

that I feel a little more on top of things, which is good.

A day out in the sunshine with my friend Sonia (who drove all day so I didn't have to !)

helped me yesterday.

I feel the need to get things back into the flow today !

I have a package to finish filling that is heading down to Cali... ;)

I have to gather my felting and sewing stuff together for a special Art Friends Gathering weekend coming up...

The house needs a little TLC so that David is comfy while I head out again and so that my nest feels good when I return home...

And I need to get a paint brush in my hand asap to fight off the creating withdrawals !

Here's to a hump day filled with getting it done,

creatively !

Big Love to you, CReative Ones !

A Rocking Walk and A Full Cup...

Took a very fine walk on my favorite path around the pond yesterday.

The post that the incredible lynne hoppe did on Tuesday

inspired me to look at the trees in a new way as I walked.

They became homes for a few rock friends.

Like this "ask" rock that went to hang out in this woodpecker heaven

of a tree...

Or this "be bold" little guy

that now lives in this tree with incredible tenacity.

Or these three that became a little village on this perfect nob of bark...

It felt like I had had a conversation with the trees somehow...

And that was sweet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Murmur in the Trees to note,
Not loud enough for Wind;
A Star not far enough to seek,
Nor near enough to find;

From Part II - Nature, Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

________________________________________________________

This morning I read a wonderful post on my friend Corrine's blog (dos fishes)

that celebrated all the things in her life that she has to be happy about.

"Happiness Abbondanza"

the post was called.

Corrine inspired this journal page :

"Gratitude for a cup full up"

and she inspired me to remember all the wonderful things that fill my cup up to the brim.

I am truly blessed in so many ways.

Remembering ALL I have in this very moment makes the wants seem rather insignificant,

which is a good place to be, I think.

If today were your last,

would you feel like all that you have in this present moment

would be enough

to call it a life well-lived ?

For me,

today,

the answer

is

yes.

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

Off to celebrate my Mom's Birthday and Mother's Day in Montreal. Yes, that 5 hour drive is ahead of me again. A new audio book , super fine spring weather and the loving that awaits me on the other side make that feel a whole lot more tempting today.

Be back Monday ! Have a sweet Mother's Day weekend, Beautiful Ones !

Thankfulness Thursday - Mother Of Mine

Today is my Mom's 65th birthday.

Happy, happy Birthday, Beautiful Mommy !

I am thankful for you every day.

You are my best cheerleader, my guru-mom, my confidant, and my safe, safe harbor.

I marvel at how we have come to this incredible place of trust, love and honesty

after all the we have been through.

And I know that we have come here because you had the strength,

the wisdom and the faith to get us here.

You are a remarkable woman, Mother of Mine,

and you deserve every happiness, every bliss-filled moment and the abundant joyous loving

that this life has to offer us.

Thank you for all you have taught me.

I love you !

(And yes, I know I am blessed, Beautiful Ones !)

One Word Wednesday...

The word is :

TIARA...

Happy Hump Day, Sweet Friends !

We are all a part of it...

This beautiful song and lyric that was on

Kind Over Matter

today

and inspired this journal page :

And this beautiful rock found on the beach at Hampton on this fine

summer-like spring day

inspired these nice photos of its finder...

and

one of her treasures,

a silver hand found in Mexico.

Heart in hand...

I know

that

I am

part

of

something

beautiful.

Happy Tuesday, Beautiful Ones.

Simple Woman's Daybook for Monday, May 3, 2010

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... I see a cloudy day with temps. that feel like summer. Everything is in BLOOM !

I am thinking...that Monday isn't feeling too bad this week, especially after having such a nice full weekend.

I am thankful for... the fun, spontaneous adventure that Colleen and I had at the Butterfly Place in Westford, Mass. I felt like a kid, full of wonder at the beauty and colors that Nature has put into this wonderful symbol of transformation and creativity. Butterflies ROCK IT !!!

From the kitchen...half-caff coffee is doing it for me in the morning - just enough caffeine to wake me up but avoid the jitters as long as I stick to one big cup. Looking forward to Tacos a la Carbon (Cooking Light Recipe referred by my pal Sonia) - lime, chili powder, garlic and cilantro - what could be better !

I am wearing... a blue night shirt - posting then going to get dressed !

I am creating...some really exciting pieces for an art assignment for possible publication. Whether they get accepted or not (the last one didn't - but I am over that, really, I am... ;) ), I am in love with what came out and also how the process flowed. Very cool and loose - just like freed up creativity should be !

I am going... to package up some rocks today for delivery to Full Spectrum Wellness, the center where I take my meditation class. The Rock My World rocks will be in their entrance room in a lovely bowl for anyone who wants to enjoy the love and maybe even spread it on...

I am reading...and loving Diana Trout's Journal Spilling - Mixed Media Techniques for Free Expression. It is so colorful and the techniques and prompts are helping me recharge my art journaling and stay loose which I am really appreciating right now.

I am hoping... that the nice juju I am feeling on this Monday continues throughout the week...

I am hearing... the fan whirling in my window (it is 78 degrees here at 10:00 am !) and the sweet birds all around in the maple trees, enjoying the nesting day.

Around the house...white lilacs in full and delicious bloom, tulips huge and ending their show, nicely raked yards (David, you Rock !!!) and the green...

One of my favorite things...Derwent Inktense Pencils ! My new favorite tool. I cannot believe the color that is held withing these pencils and that fills the page with just a bit of water. Just gorgeous ! Found some at Michaels (they are out now!) one day and got to use the 50% off coupon. Not cheap but the best color since Golden I think ! And you can write over them in anything !

A few plans for the rest of the week: finishing up my art assignment, creating a giftie for my Mom's 65th birthday (her party is next Saturday in Montreal - I am beginning to think they should name the highway after me I travel it so much these days !), Meditation Monday, walks with the doggy and hopefully some sweet friend time thrown in there too.

Here are the pictures for thought I am sharing :

A few of the amazing creatures Colleen and I saw at the Butterfly Place

and managed to capture before Colleen's camera batteries died.

The trip was not planned at all that day and I, of course, didn't have my camera. We shared Colleen's which was fun. Next trip, and there will be a next trip asap, I will have my camera plus a back up battery ! What eye-candy !!!!

My latest journal page (click to enlarge) :

I had fun creating these doodle characters out of some roughly stenciled numbers.

"The Score" (purple face, great hair) reminded me of Mike Score, the lead singer of A Flock Of Seagulls.

Which then reminded me of this song and my oldest friend, Tracy and I, rocking our spiked hairdos and dancing and singing along with our teenage hearts full of teenage angst and longing...

Ahhh, the 80's!

Enjoy the flashback ! Happy Monday, Beautiful Ones !

Passing it On !

Connie at Dirty Foot Prints Studio said :

to pass this on today :

(orginal art work by Connie Hozvicka)

Happy Art-Making Sunday !