THE PROMISE OF SPRING

After over 2 inches of rain over the weekend, I went out with my camera today and found the promise of Spring.

I heard on the weather station today that the eastern United States is in for lots of snow with possibly heavy accumulations in the Chicago area and they say more snow than that area has seen in the last decade. It looks as if your Spring will be a bit more delayed than here in the Sierra Nevada Foothills but under all that snow there is a promise. Keep it in your heart.

TODAY IN LOVE AND LIGHT

Today, I meditated. For hours!

I was situated on a flat table, wedge behind my knees, no pillow under my head, with Gamma scanner right over my face, so close I could feel the warmth emanating off of it as it scanned every inch of my body. First: head and neck. Then head to toes. And what did I do? I laid there, quiet, not moving a muscle with arms velcroed to my side so that they, too, would not move. And I meditated. And I meditated. And I meditated.

I visualized white light coming through me and exiting. I visualized white light surrounding me. I talked to my guides, my friends, my prayer companions. I listened to them too. I could feel everyone with me all at once. And I waited. I waited for over an hour and finally heard: all clear!

In "Eat, Pray, Love" Elizabeth Gilbert talks about rituals. She says: "We do spiritual ceremonies as human beings in order to create a safe resting place for our most complicated feelings of joy or trauma, so that we don't have to have those feelings around with us forever, weighing us down." (page 187) I agree. In times when we feel the most helpless it is helpful to have a way to find peace with what is happening to us. This is what I found today in this meditation. Peace.

She also says that "...if your culture or tradition doesn't have the specific ritual your're craving, then you are absolutely permitted to make up a ceremony of your own devising, fixing your own broken-down emotional systems with all the do-it-yourself resourcefulness..." I say, whatever works.

It is so wonderful to be in touch with something outside myself that I know is working toward the good in me. My friend Katherine says: "Every cell of your being is Divine perfection." How right you are, Katherine. Katherine was there with me today as was Lynnie, Karen, Melanie, my sister, my mother, Arlene, Bill. my prayer community...all those that I needed to draw strength from. They were praying with me and for me. And I know how powerful prayer can be.

As Elizabeth Gilbert says on page 209: "I sit in silent wonder. I am not actively praying. I have become a prayer."

TODAY

I WAKE TO FILTERED HAZE OF BLUE.

SUN HAS NOT JOINED ME BUT WAITS BEHIND TREES.

TAKE WARM BATH,

SOAK,

DRESS.

WALK QUIETLY DOWNSTAIRS.

EAT OATMEAL WITH BANANAS AND PEARS,

(NO MILK--JUST HONEY).

DRIVE TOWARD FOG BANK.

PARK IN MULTI-LEVEL STRUCTURE.

CHECK IN.

WAIT IN ROOM WITH FLESH-COLORED WALL.

ONE PAINTING ON WALL BY JOSEPH BELLACERA

"HILLSIDE #6-1999".

6: MY LUCKY NUMBER.

TODAY,

ALONE IN WAITING ROOM,

I THINK "WHO ARE THOSE THAT CARE ABOUT ME".

UNEXPECTED EMAILS FROM FRIENDS

(NOT LONG-TIME FRIENDS WHOM YOU'D THINK WOULD CARE

BUT NEW FRIENDS WHO DO CARE.

DISTANCE DOESN'T MATTER

ONLY LOVE AND LIGHT.

BOLSTERED BY THOUGHTS OF GENTLE SPIRIT,

DIVINE GUIDANCE,

THE GOOD.

LEAVING THOUGHTS OF DESPAIR AND REJECTION BEHIND TO FLOAT

AWAY WITH BREEZE IN HILLSIDE #6.

FUNNY THAT WHEN YOU REALLY NEED SOMEONE,

YOU KNOW IF THEY MATTER.

MATTER--

ANTI-MATTER.

RADIOACTIVITY COLLIDES,

DESTROYS,

CLEANSES.

THE ESSENCE OF LIGHT INSIDE.

TOMORROW

LINCOLN (CALIFORNIA)

These are some bricks that I saw in a back alley-way in Lincoln, California. Lincoln is where Gladding-McBean pottery was made. Perhaps some of you are familiar with some of their better-known items such as Franciscan ware. Gladding-McBean started in the 1890's. They were the first to produce clay roof tiles on the Pacific Coast. The quarry still exists but has since been purchased by another company.

Since 1996 Gladding-McBean has hosted a photographic workshop. The proceeds help to support the programs of Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation which hosts Feats of Clay, an annual exhibition in pottery.

This is a photo from another alley-way in Lincoln; little odds and ends assembled together to form this person's own "work of art". You just never know what you will run into on the back roads. That's one reason why I like to keep my camera always with me. The times that I forget it are the times that I am sorry because something presents itself. There are always "photo ops" around every corner.

WORKS OF ART

NIGHT SHOT AT GALLERY IN AUBURN

CLOSE-UP

THE MOST AMAZING ART OF ALL---DUE DATE MAY 2011

TWO WOLVES

Yesterday, my pastor Karen Schindler, gave a great talk based on a book entitled: "Buddha's Brain, the practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom" by Rick Hanson, Ph.D. and Richard Mendius, MD., New Harbringer Publications, Inc., Canada.

She spoke of the fact that there are two wolves in each of us; the wolf of love and the wolf of hate. She related a Cherokee legend where the grandson asks his grandfather: "Which will survive?" and the grandfather replies with the answer: "The one that wins is the one that you feed".

On this Monday we are celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. and all that he stood for. It is good to reflect on his messages (and there were many). Despite the fact that Martin Luther King Jr. had to die, he has left a legacy that speaks to the truth within us and the life he lead truly demonstrated that he fed the wolf of love.

Pastor Karen listed some ways in which we can feed the wolf of love for yourself. They are:

• Increase empathy with yourself and others
• Increase your comfort level being close to others
• Increase compassion for self, others and the world
• Assert yourself
• Use effective communication
• Be kind

And additionally she listed these ways to "feed the wolf of love" in a bigger way:

• Join a group that helps people
• Join a group that helps the earth
• Support the above groups with your treasure
• Use your talent (write, debate, talk) to help people and the world

My feeling is that I have a few of the above bulleted items that I need to work on but there are definitely some of them that I am in a good position with. Don't you think that by just becoming aware of these issues, reading other's blogs, and writing my own we are in compliance with some of these? It seems that the bloggers that I follow are "there". I hope that we all join hands and feed the wolf of love.

GOOD FENCES...

MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS

I saw this fence while driving around one day. I wish I knew the story behind it. There are a few different areas that make it look as if it must have a story to tell. The line from Robert Frost's poem makes it seem as though fences between neighbors are a good thing. In some respects I must agree but in others it can also create a wall and not just a fence.

Speaking metaphorically, I think that putting up "walls" or "fences" alienates those around us and doesn't allow communication to happen freely. Occasionally, we must erect a wall or a fence to protect us from what might harm us but are they always necessary? Maybe the height of the fence has something to do with the outcome. Make the fence accessible; make it only high enough that someone can scale it if they need to. And if you're lucky, you neighbor will put up a fence that gives you something to think about; something to contemplate; Many times an obstacle is put up in front of us but we always have the choice in how we deal with it. Life is full of choices, isn't it! I'm just now starting to see that I can choose to look through the cracks of the fence, I can jump over it, I can pull up a ladder to it and scoot myself over it if I choose. It doesn't have to be an obstacle; it can be an opportunity.

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS BAD

Recently, I was browsing through the December issue of "House and Home" (one of my favorite things to do on a rainy day) and saw an article beginning on page 114 titled: "Christmas Classic". The picture below is from page 117 of that article. This photo reminded me so much of a posting by Tess Kincaid over at Willow Manor. (You can see her post here and you will see what I mean). Her post was titled: "Do what you can". So I did!

In particular, I am speaking about the hutch in this photo that is painted black. Black being one of my favorite colors (the other favorite is red), this article (and the fond memory of what Tess had done with her hutch) made me run over to my local Home Depot and purchase a gallon of black paint. This is what I did with that black paint:

And this! Some people would probably think it was a crime to paint over wood but when I spoke to my daughters about the possibility of me doing this they said: "You've had that hutch for years. Go for it. After all, it's just paint." So, for no more than $30 I got an entirely different updated look. So, I say "Celebrate!" just like the cover of "House and Home's" December issue states so boldly in lime green text. What have you got to lose? After all "It's only paint!".

GERMAN ROOTS

Recently, I was lucky to be in contact with a distant relative on my paternal side. Let me introduce you to Gerhard Buthmann and his son, Philip. They live in Ditzingen, which is a suburban village close to Stuttgart. Gerhard (Gerry) has sent me so many wonderful items including a CD with family genealogy, photographs of his family and family members, and a wonderful 2011 calendar that has photos of many places that he has traveled and some pictures of our common roots. The photo below is of Lilli Buthmann and Oktavia Hennig. Oktavia is Gerhard's cousin so I think that she would be either my second or third cousin. Gerhard and I are about the same age. I have only corresponded with Gerhard and Lilli via email and Facebook but I do hope to meet them in person some day. They are standing in front of the Nordkirchen Castle, which is the hometown of the Buthmann farm.
This is the front of the Buthmann farm that dates back to 1745. I think it is incredible that I am now able to see where my relatives came from. It looks like such a beautiful place with all the brick and such a beautiful front door.

This is the rear part of the Buthmann's farmhouse. Such a beautiful building. Some day I hope to visit Gerhard and his family in Germany. He has sent an invitation to B and me. He says that we are welcome any time we come and because he is a pensioner he will have plenty of time for us. I think that this will definitely be on our bucket list. Thanks Gerhard for the invitation. You just might see us in the near future! What history awaits us!

LATE CHRISTMAS PHOTOS

Because things were so hectic around here and our Christmas was actually not celebrated until New Year's Day, I am late in sharing these photos with you but didn't want to miss the opportunity. Here is Rudy up on the top of the chair, in all his Christmas glory. What an incredible dog he has turned out to be. We sure have luck when it comes to picking out good dogs. Actually, we just seem to have good luck. When our twins were young, people used to comment on how well-behaved and quiet they were. You know...they have ALWAYS been good girls. I can honestly say they never gave us anything to worry about ever and they always made good choices. They never smoked, they never drank alcohol, they actually never really partied during high school or college. They were always honest and open with us and shared everything. Really! I know...hard to believe but it is absolutely true. So, it would follow that we would have good animals too. And we do!

Here's what we woke up to on "our" Christmas. Nothing like a dusting of white to get everyone up early and really excited about opening packages and stockings.

And, nothing like slipping your boots on over your pajamas, putting on a pair of gloves, and rolling snowballs. Dad and Uncle Joel: you had better watch out! Natalie has excellent aim!

And here's the tree, all lit up and waiting for the presents to be passed out. The tree had been up so long some of the lights at the bottom just finally gave up waiting! But, the presents remained unopened and just bursting to be untied and ripped to shreds.

And inside one of MY packages was this incredible hand-made bag. This bag was commissioned by my friend Judy especially for me by Bernice Jones (sorry if I spelled your name wrong Bernice!) Bernice is the wife of one of the teachers at Judy's school and she takes old wool from coats and jackets and makes bags. Since crows are an on-going theme in my life, Judy knew that I just had to have one on a bag. Everything is hand-stitched and just so soft and comfortable. This package made me so excited when I opened it. Again, black and red...two of my favorite colors... make an appearance. Life is good! Thanks Judy, for all your thoughtfulness. I feel so honored to use this bag and I hope that Bernice knows just how much I love it and appreciate her hard work.

IT'S A NEW DAY--IT'S A NEW YEAR

It has been a while since I have posted. Things kind of got away from me last week with the fact that we were celebrating our "Christmas" with our kids on New Year's Day. It gave me an extra week to get things completed and wrapped though! I say: prolong Christmas for as long as you can.

This bird, above, was a gift to me from my girls. Earlier in the year they asked me to give them a list of things that I wanted for Christmas but I told them: "You know me really well. I'm sure whatever you decide to give to me I will love". And boy! Did I LOVE this gift! I got so excited when I opened it I even got a little sweaty. I hesitate to blame it on anything like hormones because I am sure it was due to the excitement I felt when I lifted this wonderful crow out of the box.
They purchased this piece from a lady on ETSY named Sylvia Anderson. You can go to ETSY and search for her there or she also has a blog at SylviaAnderson.blogspot.com This kind of gift is right up my alley. First of all, it is unique. Second, it has an image of a crow, which I dearly love. And third, it helps promote the art of other wonderful artists. Artists struggle most of the time and especially when times are tough and money is hard. So, the fact that my girls helped out another artist with this purchase thrills me. It is also my two favorite colors: red and black!

Here are the wonderful feet of the crow, perched on an old croquet ball and you can see that he has picked up a shiny object along the way. In the photo prior to this one you can see that he has watch elements in his mouth. It is my interpretation that he is carrying time away with him.

On his back there is a silver beetle, which for me speaks to my love of bugs and the job I worked at last summer (trapping bugs for the county). His wings are so incredible...formed out of old paper that has been formed into accordion-shapes and mounted in the place of real wings. The words "judicate" (on one side) and "let in" (on the other side) seem to speak volumes to me. These words are a reminder to me not to judge others and to let things in to my life. I am a firm believer that there are no accidents in life. These words and their meaning were sent to me on the wings of this bird; a lesson...a message just for me.

"Let in" held in place with the remnants of a watch face...another message, as I perceive it, to let things happen in their own time and to not worry about time. I think that it is just a random assignment that someone has decided we need, to make sense of things. Justin Evans has a blog called Utah Poet. You can find it on my sidebar or here and he wrote a posting here where he describes time as this: "Time was invented to explain the phenomenon of aging, of the sun rising and falling, of someone dying before another person, of memory and nostalgia." Go read his stuff. He makes a lot of sense.

"Judicate" "Judicator" "Judicative" on the other side.

So, even though Christmas came at a different "time" than usual for me, it turned out to be one of the most memorable ones that I can remember in a long time. The kids came over on New Year's Eve and spent the night with us. We woke to a blanket of white snow all over the ground the next morning. What a way to start out the New Year: a fresh, new clean layer covering everything from the year before. We opened presents after having a really nice breakfast that was prepared leisurely, without a time constraints. See: there's that word again: time! It does crop up a lot doesn't it.

I have seen different people's posts today regarding what the new year holds for them. Some people have talked about New Year's Resolutions. Some have picked out words for the new year. Last year I chose the word: grace. I think that I handled the year gracefully and that I learned to slow down and accept things as they were meant to be. This year, I feel the need to choose the word: Listen. I am starting to see that the world is sending me messages. I am becoming more and more aware of the fact that if I am open and accessible to them and acknowledge them as they arrive, I can really grow spiritually. This piece of art, with its message, is proof enough for me.

I attended a Burning Bowl Ceremony on New Year's Eve. It was so powerful! You arrive and are given a piece of paper that says: I release, I let go, I relinquish...You write down everything from the year before that you are willing to let go of and then you place it in the "burning bowl" and watch all your worries burn up into the universe. And then you proceed indoors and "wash your hands" of them all in a bowl of warm water. Then, you are instructed to write "Your Intentions for 2011". You place these intentions into a sealed envelope, address it to yourself, and then around Thanksgiving of 2011 you receive it in the mail. I can tell you from my own personal experience that approximately 80% of last year's "intentions" came to fruition. And I would say that the remaining 20% are works in progress. This has been such a powerful experience for me. I am happy that I have found this outlet.

I wish nothing but the best for all my followers (and those people who read this but are not followers). Life is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the journey each day to the fullest. And I'll see you on the other side some day! We'll be "time travelers" together. CROW will guide us along the way.