thru my lens lightly

Inspired

While it's not unusual for me to change my my website banner...it's like redecorating my home.  I love to change the "look" to match my mood or the season...this time I've also changed the name. 

Inspired...

...that's my new blog name and the change has been brewing here for some time now.  "thru my lens lightly" was a good entry point for me as photography and digital scrapbooking were my main focus 3 years ago. For the last year or two it's just felt too limiting.  I still obviously love photography but my scope and interest has expanded beyond that.

It just feels right.

I wasn't able to keep this blog and change the address as it would have resulted in lost links to photographs etc., so I've created a new blog with a link from here.  This will be the last post on this particular site but this blog will remain here for awhile.  If you'd like to update your feeds to Inspired, the new URL is:

http://kateiredale.typepad.com/inspired/

I hope you'll visit my new home!

Mineral de Pozos

We spent the day on Monday, walking through the ruins of a once large and grand silver mining operation in the small town of Mineral de Pozos, about an hours drive east of San Miguel.  We were here several years ago but the energy of the place drew me back. 

Silver has been mined here from long before the Spanish arrived in Central America and in it's hey day, over 50,000 people lived and worked here.  When the Spanish came to Mexico and discovered it's wealth, they began shipping the silver back to Spain, through the port at Veracruz.  It's interesting to think of all the antique jewelry that's floating around Europe right now that may be made from Pozos silver!

While mining, the Spanish broke through to an underground river which was full of arsenic and resulted in the closure of the mine.  The French took over the rule of Mexico in the mid 1800's and when they arrived in Pozos and found the mine unworkable, they blew up and destroyed all the buildings.  The bullet holes are still visible in a large and once beautiful school that was modeled after European schools of the time.

The buildings above were the living quarters for the family who owned the mine called The Cinco Senores.  It too was once opulent with large rooms and beautiful courtyards.

The serenity and peace of this place is almost palpable.  The last time I was here, I was awed by the silence in the hills.  This time I felt it again but realized that it wasn't so much the silence but the sound of the gentle wind blowing through an otherwise silent landscape.  I don't think I've ever felt such an amazing sense of peace in a place...and this comes from a die hard ocean lover.

 

This is the original mine entrance.  Built in a pre-explosive era, it was mined completely by chisel and hammer.  Both men and women worked in this mine, carrying the ore out on their backs...men carrying 180 lb. sacks of ore and women, 125 lbs.  I was talked into going down into this tunnel to see an alter that had been placed there in the late 1600's and is still looked after today by the current caretakers. 

All I could think of was "Kate, you crazy lady!  This country is literally crawling with rattlesnakes and you're going down into this hole?"  Just to be on the safe side, I sent WW, (the Winged Wonder), in first!  My hero!

These are some of the family members who look after the historic mine site.  They also sell pieces of ore, crystals and geodes that they find on the site. Rock lover that I am, I'm happy to say that I'm packing a few choice crystals home in my suitcase.  I'll have to throw something away to make room for them, but most of the clothes I brought with me are so ratty from wearing them non stop for the last 2 months, that it will give me great pleasure to toss them when I leave!

This cute little guy wasn't going to be happy until he had shown us his goats!  We told the ladies that I'd be putting their picture on my website and that people from all around the world would know about them...they thought this was very cool so if you ever get to Pozos, tell them you saw their picture on the internet!

The town of Pozoz is growing once again.  Many North Americans have discovered this serene little town and it's recently come to the attention of some artists who prefer it to San Miguel. There are a couple of small, luxury boutique hotels here and we stopped for lunch at one of them.

This is the sink in the ladies bathroom of the hotel and was hand carved from stone by a well know Guanajuato carver!  Unique to say the least.

At an altitude of 8,000 ft., Mineral de Pozos is well off the beaten path so most visitors to San Miguel never make it there.  It's a haven for mountain bikers, photographers, artists and rock hounds as well as for those who want to experience some of Mexico's intriguing history.  There's really not a lot there but for some, that's what draws them.

I'd go just for the amazing sense of peace I felt...sitting on the rocks and listening to sound of the breeze drifting through the cactus and mesquite.  In the hills of Pozos it's easy to believe that all is right with the world.

Ancient Rituals

Last weekend the Jardin, or central square in San Miguel de Allende was filled with dancers from the local indigenous tribe... both in the streets and in front of the Parroquia, the town's main church. 

There were guitars made of armadillo shells and rattles made from large seed pods that were wrapped around the ankles.

The dancing went on from early in the morning until after sunset, right through the heat of mid day.

I was told that the dancing was part of a very old (Pre-Hispanic) ritual to determine if it is the right time for planting.  Although the dancing took place close to the entrance to the church, the symbols of the sun and the burning incense told a story of spiritual practices that have been closely tied to the worship of the earth and sun for millennia.

Inside the Parroquia, there is a figure of Christ made from corn.  In the "heart" of this figure has been placed several pieces of ancient spiritual artifacts, signifying that this is the heart of their spirituality.

I greatly admire the way these people have integrated their ceremonies and beliefs into their current spiritual life...and also that the church is tolerant and accepting of this.

As I stood listening to the steady beat of the drums and the shaking of rattles made with each step, I was touched to see such a meaningful example of tolerance and cooperation.  In a time when the media tells us of nothing but the fighting and anger that's caused by intolerance, I felt blessed to be a witness to this reaffirming ceremony.

San Miguel Rooftops

We bid a fond farewell to Jaltemba Bay with it's beautiful beaches, early Sunday morning, and made our way to San Miguel de Allende via Guadalajara.

the Guadalajara bus depot

We boarded the bus at 8 am and other than a 2 hour wait to transfer buses in Guadalajara, there we sat until 8 pm that night.  I was beginning to doubt my ability to stand up straight when we finally arrived in San Miguel but it's really a great way to travel in Mexico.

 

our street...Los Animales

We have a tiny (but cute) apartment in a residential area near the market.  It's handy for shopping as nearly everything and anything edible, can be found at or near the market.  We're slowing making the altitude adjustment...from sea level to 6500 feet...and from tropical humidity to bone dry desert air (8 % humidity!). Although the day time temperatures are similar to those on the coast, the night time temp's are much cooler...they're actually past cool and venturing into cold!!  The first night we were here it dropped to 5 degrees C, but I'm happy to say we're on a warming trend.  We're also adjusting from small, beach town life (and very nearly living in my bathing suit), to a cosmopolitan and very culturally oriented town/city.  

San Miguel is such a beautiful place with hidden courtyard gems behind every other doorway.  We've taken it slow for the first few days, reacquainting and reorienting ourselves, as it's been 4 years since we were last here. Although much of the Centro is still the same, there's been an explosion of restaurants and intriguing shops and gallery's, in fact ladies, this is shopping heaven!  Oh, how I wish I had a vehicle here with me to take more home...as it is, my suitcase is already bordering very closely on overweight!  (I'm sure I heard Bob mutter a few choice words under his breath as he carted my very heavy suitcase up 2 flights of a narrow, metal spiral staircase, when we first arrived at our apartment).

There's so much to see here...it's a photographers dream.  Every corner turned brings another sight worthy of a photograph.  I'd forgotten how much it reminds me of the picturesque towns of Italy and although I've not been to Spain, I'm sure there's even more similarity there.

We're enjoying our small rooftop patio and the views and vista's that it provides us of San Miguel and the surrounding hills.  It's also the only place I can get the internet to connect.  It's a challenge carrying the computer, sunglasses, and a cup of coffee up to the roof on a very, very narrow (1 ft wide) metal spiral staircase!  It's more like climbing a ladder than stairs and it's done very gingerly and very carefully. Lol!

The rooftops here are as varied as the population.  On our left is the "working" rooftop of a Mexican family, complete with workshop and laundry.

 

And on our right is a rooftop patio obviously meant for relaxing...however I've not seen anyone enjoying it so far.

Posting will likely continue to be sporadic as the internet continues to challenge me.  You'll know if you see another post that I'll have managed to scale the circular staircase without dropping the computer!

Flying Free

Banners decorating the streets in Las Varas, Nayarit, Mexico

I've been flying under the wire for the past two weeks...we were busy in a really good holiday-kind-of-way with family while they were here with us. Dad and Ona flew back to Canada several days ago, with hopes of the worst of winter being over and the best of spring, not far away. (I think spring is being as illusive in British Columbia as it is in the rest of Canada this year) It was also difficult to get a sustainable internet connection where we were staying, which made the decision to leave the computer unopened a lot easier.

We're coming to the realization that our stay in Guayabitos is rapidly coming to an end.  We still have another week here but it's gone shockingly fast.  Thankfully, we still have 3 more weeks in Mexico but the last two will be away from the beach, in the mountains at San Miguel de Allende.  At the beginning of my stay, I asked the question...'would a life time of this be heaven or would it drive me crazy".  Even then, I felt I could tolerate a lot of this easy living, but after 5 weeks, I now KNOW that I could slip into 'less doing and more being" very easily.  Maybe it's just my personality, or my age and stage in life, but I love the lack of structure and easy flow of life here!

And that lack of structure and easy flow looks like it's going to continue for awhile.  Last week we sold our home!  After 2 years of it being on and off the market, we are now home free!  When we arrive home around mid March we'll be packing and arranging storage for our belongings.

  

What's the next step?? 

We're really not sure just yet, but we think it involves even more travel...maybe a home on wheels for awhile...discovering new places and spaces.  Meeting new people.  Eventually we'd like to build a new home...something smallish and cozy. 

 

But not just yet.

 

When The Moon is in The Seventh House

 

Ok, I know I'm really dating myself, but as a product of the Hippy Dippy generation of the 60's, I loved the musical Hair.  I had a cassette tape of the "album" in 1969 and a brand new very, very modern cassette player.  I played the music over and over and knew almost every song by heart.  The Broadway play rocked the world with it's nudity, multi-racial cast, and it's open discussion of drugs and sexuality.   The flower power of the 60's was in full bloom! 

The anthem song of the musical "The Age of Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine" has the following phrase in it...

When the Moon is in the seventh house
and Jupiter aligns with Mars.
Then peace will guide the planets
and love will steer the stars.

Well guess what!  On Saturday the moon will be in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars!  I received the following email/Valentine today from Amber Wolfe who, along with her husband Syd, own the Phoenix Healing Centre in Longmont, Co.

On February 14, 2009 the moon will be in the 7th house. Jupiter will align with Mars. If the prediction in the song proves valid, this will mean...peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars.  This is a lot of astrology, but if you follow it, it is amazing and in-HEARTENING!

"In mid February a rare astrological concentration brings together a number of planets with the North Node (denoting higher purpose) in Aquarius that energizes and inspires the possibility for transcendental breakthrough in some perhaps seemingly intransigent situations.

At dawn on 14th February, the day dedicated to St. Valentine, the patron saint of Love, the Moon in Libra enters the seventh house of relationships. And Jupiter and Mars are aligned in Aquarius in the twelfth house of spiritual transformation; the Cosmos actually embodies this perfect alignment to support our collective manifestation of love and peace and dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

The details: The Aquarian chart of 14th February reveals an incredible concentration of cosmic influences blending with the energies of Aquarius. Expansive Jupiter and energetic Mars are aligned with higher purpose. The presence of Chiron, the wounded healer, offers us the opportunity to heal the schisms that have separated us for so long. Neptune emphasizes collective humanitarian movements and the co-creation of social justice. And the presence of the radiant Sun enlightens the entire alignment.
Mercury also in the twelfth house, allies with transformational Pluto to communicate and anchor the Shift throughout our global structures and institutions.
The Moon in Libra emphasizes the harmonious seventh house relationships. Venus in Aries in the first house energizes and empowers dynamic co-creativity.
And while Saturn, the great task master, in opposition to Uranus the unexpected awakener, is suggesting an ongoing confrontation as the dregs of the unsustainable old paradigms reluctantly give way to the untested hope of the new, their placements in Virgo and Pisces brings practical altruism and visionary inspiration to the transition."

At 7:25am on 14th February - and for the 18 minutes of the alignment, we invite you,in the universal heart, to add your own intention for love and peace and to co-create the dawning of the Age of Aquarius to that of the Cosmos, in whatever way feels appropriate for you.  You may choose to align with 7:25am (GMT) or 7:25am local time energizing a wave of intention that will surge around the Earth.   

Please feel free to circulate the invitation to birth the Age of Aquarius.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!  Dr Sid and Dr Amber Wolf

And Happy Valentine's Day from me too, as we walk into the Age of Aquarius! 

Hanging Out

I love the tropical flowers of Mexico...they're similar to those I've seen in Thailand and Hawaii, but I'm most familiar with them here.   I believe this lovely vine that I found cascading over the roof of a restaurant is called a Blue Sky Vine...but I may be wrong and if anyone can verify or correct me on this, I'd be most grateful.

We've been "hanging out" with my dad, my brother and his wife and an old family friend for the past week.  It's been fairly low key here as dad tires if we push it (heck, I tire if we push it!) but his stamina and determination at 93 is amazing.  We're combining an early morning at the La Penita market with breakfast tomorrow, whale watching on Friday and a trip to visit hot springs up in the mountains on Sunday...did I say low key???

Needless to say, time for anything creative is fairly limited right now but at the same time I'm also not feeling very creative.  I think I'll send a lot of my art supplies home with my friend Ona when she and dad leave next week.  I'm feeling much as I did last summer when I was integrating new energy, new thoughts and new processes into my life. 

It's an odd feeling...like things are settling into place...click, click, click.  Like coins dropping into an old fashioned coin sorter that feeds different sized coins into different slots.  Click, click, click. 

And there are times when I feel like I'm on the verge of grasping some amazing new concept or way of being...I can feel it, almost taste it...but then when I "try" to put a name to it or identify it, it slips away.  As soon as I attempt to grasp it, to hold it, it's gone...disintegrating into nothing.  Later,when I'm sitting quietly and looking out at the ocean or focusing on breathing, it's there again...the feeling that I'm totally safe, completely loved, and a part of something vast and overwhelmingly beautiful.  It's not a thought and it doesn't come from my mind .  It's just there...waiting for me to allow it in.  I want to reach out and grasp it, to capture it like a firefly...but it doesn't work that way.

I found this poem from the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tzu recently and the questions asked, have been lingering with me:

Can you marry your spirit and body to
the oneness and never depart from it?
Can you ride your breath until your entire
being is as supple as the body of an infant?
Can you cleanse your inner vision until you
see heaven in every direction?
Can you love people and govern them without
conniving and manipulating?
Can you bear heaven's children in all that
you do and are?
Can you give the wisdom of your heart precedence
over the learning of your head?

Yes, in a theoretical way...in the learning of my head...I know the way and the truth of this.  But this...what I've been experiencing, is different. 

This sits patiently waiting to be fully experienced by the wisdom of my heart. 

Rhythm's

I've slowly been slipping into a rhythm of delicious decadence...sleeping, eating, writing, walking, eating, swimming, writing, chatting, eating, reading, sleeping...and so it goes.  I can't decide whether a life of this would be sheer heaven or if ultimately, it would drive me crazy.  I'm leaning towards heaven.

 

I'm enjoying the daily walk into town via the beach.  It feels wonderful to be getting some exercise again but paddling through the water as I walk up the beach doesn't feel at all like exercise.  Hauling heavy bags of groceries home makes me feel even more virtuous and my margarita at happy hour goes down with hardly any guilt after that!

There's always lots to see and if I get thirsty on the way...

or hungry, like these guys...no problem!  These pelicans are always hungry and never give up hope that this vendor will toss them a fish.

There's even entertainment to be had!  These fellows really earn the money they make working on a hot beach.

In fact, everyone who works the beach, works hard...really hard.  They have my deepest admiration and if I could, I'd buy something from everyone, everyday.

Carrying my grocery bags home is a pretty insignificant effort compared to what these people do all day!

Breathe

 

The sun is a steady 28 C. (83 F.) degrees here every day with gentle, cooling breezes...absolutely perfect!

Last winter this was a busy and bustling little Mexican town and reservations were required a year in advance to ensure a room.  This year is a very different story.  It's much quieter, with rooms available almost everywhere.  The economy here is very dependent on North American tourism...especially retiree's...and there have been many cancellations this winter.  On our walks around town, there are "for sale" signs everywhere...another indication of a suffering economy. 

Our world is now so intricately intertwined and interconnected in so many ways and what happens "here", affects everyone over "there". It's almost as though we inhale and exhale as a planet now.

 

We're all feeling buffeted by the "winds of change" even though we realize that what we had, wasn't sustainable.  But how do we stay positive and hopeful when the media screams at us "it's only going to get worse!" ?  I'd like to share some words spoken recently by Pepper Lewis of The Peaceful Planet.

Look for good news, not in the day's headlines, but within yourself. Look for the good within you and put that to work for you, for everyone else, for the planet and for life itself. This tool is lifetimes old and will always serve you. Offer something good to others and to the world every day. To offer is to extend; it is a presentation or extension of quality. Even as large-scale events unfold, remember that life is lived in the smaller, more personal moments. You are more affected by the breath of a butterfly you have never met than by the heated breath of world debate. Breathe deeply. Breathe because there is life force in the breath and this same life force has the brilliance of a thousand suns.

I've been practicing daily deep breathing for over a month now and although there was a strong resistance to it to begin with, it's effect over the long term has been quite remarkable.  I feel stronger, healthier, more peaceful and balanced.  It seems so simple...too simple really...but it's very effective.  I breathe deeply for 1 full minute and because I had difficulty consistently integrating this into my daily routine, I now tell myself that I can't brush my teeth until I've finished "breathing".  Silly, but it works!  I inhale while stretching up over my head and exhale while bending over and sweeping my hands down to the ground.  My next step will be to begin doing this twice daily. Yoga and meditation are other ways to bring the breath more deeply into the body.

(and yes, there are people living in the home above.  What I love about this place is that although it's in ruins, it's situated on a beautiful estuary filled with egrets, pelicans and many other varieties of birds.  But the piece de resistance is the riot of flowers that blanket the top of the home!  It's as though nature herself is compensating for the lack of "structure" by covering it with a crown of stunningly beautiful blossoms.)

Heading Downstream

The idea of turning and flowing downstream with the current, has been something that I've thought a lot about over the last year.  The phrase...travel downstream...is one that's heard over and over in the Abraham Hicks material.  We've all had the experience of struggling to get something or be somewhere (even struggling to find a place of peace!) and no matter how much we huff, puff, push and pull...it just won't work.  Letting go of the struggle, relaxing into a state of allowing and trusting that something else...something even better...will come to us, allows us to "be" peace.

And of course having friends along on the journey is so important...helping us light our way and sometimes even holding the light for us when we can't do it ourselves.  My little friend the squirrel here, has his own wee lantern and is watching for rocks and other debris that may need to be steered around.  (This is my "playful" reminder in this piece that I spoke of in a previous post)   I've also added the observer...the solitary and silent crane.   There are so many people with whom we cross paths every day and although we don't overtly interact with them, on some level we touch each other's lives just by the act of observing.

I played with fairly strong light and dark contrast here which is something I don't normally do, but it was fun to try something different.  I haven't done a lot of digital work this year but now that I'm away from my studio I expect to do more.  It's a bit frustrating trying to connect to the wireless internet in the land of concrete and rebar but if it starts to take too long and I feel my frustration mounting, I pick of my book and start reading...I head downstream!  Mexico is the perfect place to practice going with the flow...manana!

A Peaceful Easy Feeling

 

The view from our patio looking east towards the mountains of Nyarit...where I'm sitting as I write

We've been in Mexico for four days now and we're just starting to unwind.  It's amazing how the body responds to warmth...the muscles relax and the brain get's very choosy about what it wants to engage with!  We're reading and snoozing and chatting with our neighbours.  All mindless and all wonderful.  A 15 minute walk into Rincon de Guayabitos or a 20 minute walk to La Penita to pick up the daily necessities, seems to take all our focus and energy for the day.

 

The view looking west to the pool

I haven't done anything creative yet and don't feel inspired to begin anything either.  I'm just "being" right now and that's what this time is all about for us.  The pace will pick up in a few weeks as my father, my brother and his wife, and an old friend, arrive for a family gathering.

Meanwhile....back to my nap.

A New Day Dawns

Paris rooftops at dawn, 2006

The world took a deep breath of hope and optimism today as all eyes turned to the inauguration in Washington.  President Obama has taken on a role of leadership...not just for America, but for the planet.

We watched the historic event from Mexico.  For a short time the pools were empty and the beaches deserted, as a young man stood before millions and took on the hopes and expectations of the world. 

The dawn of a new day, indeed!

Believe in Boldness

I often ask myself  "where do they get it from?"  Not from their mother, that's for sure!  Both of my daughters have ventured into entrepreneurial waters and have created their own business'. Kirsten, my oldest daughter, owns a very successful day spa...re:fresh skin and body and just last week, Meghan, opened a Cross Fit studio...Bold Moves Fitness.  Three years ago she started her business with an outdoor Boot Camp, utilizing  local parks and public spaces as her venues.  Last year she chose to focus solely on the Cross Fit method of training and began working out of a small fitness studio in her basement.  Quickly outgrowing that space and fueled by her passion to help others achieve their highest potential, Meghan took a huge leap of faith and followed her dream to open her own gym.  She recently said that she's done it all on a wing and a prayer and was supported hugely by her clients who encouraged her and believe in her potential.

Meghan had a unique experience a few years ago when she attended a conference in Vancouver called "Women of Worth", an event which encourages and celebrates every woman's potential.  One of the seminars she participated in was with a hypnotist who chose Meghan to assist him with his demonstration.  He hypnotized her to believe that she was incredibly strong..."as strong as steel" and then proceeded to have her lie with her head on one chair and her feet on the other.  To prove the power of our subconscious mind, he then stood on Meghan (the part that was suspended between the chairs) and she remained completely rigid!  She came away from that experience understanding that our potential is limitless and that everyday, in so many ways, we limit ourselves by our beliefs.  That experience was life changing for her and she now enthusiasticaly and passionately, helps others push beyond their own perceived mental and physical limits...as she herself has done by opening her gym! 

We have a lot to learn from our children!

Creating with Intent

I'm trying to get focused on packing but my suitcase is sitting on my bed....completely empty!  I've sorted out my art supplies and gathered my books together but I just can't get my head around packing my clothes.  I usually become more motivated as deadlines close in on me, so I'm anticipating that tomorrow I'll be very motivated to find all my summer clothes and throw them in the suitcase, as time is running out.

iHanna posted her annual "craft accomplishment report" on her blog today.  Every year, she photographs everything she makes and at the end of the year, posts the pictures...and it's an amazing amount of creativity!  She wrote the following at the end of her post and it got me thinking about my own creative "intent".

I was just wondering…

If you had, which you do have by the way, 365 days to do any art or craft, what would you spend your time doing? Would you craft love? Or create soft comfort? Learn a new skill? Stay still to smell the flowers? Or stripe wool into a sweaters that would warm you through the winter? String hearts? Embroider with gold? Reflecting, planning for the future, dreaming or doing something creative with your time?

I was just wondering… what would you do with your days? How will you spend this one precious life you’ve got?

I was thinking of my word for 2009...playful...and how I would love to make it a theme for at least some of my projects for this year....just as a reminder.  It wouldn't even have to be the major focus of a piece...I could tuck something playful in a corner somewhere or even have the word written somewhere...perhaps even in another language....just as a reminder.  I really like that idea.

Another creative idea that I want to pass along is Emily Falconbridge's Q52 project.  Emily is posting 52 questions during the year...one for each week...and creating a mini art journal challenge.  She's using manila tags and I just happen to have a drawer full of them so I thought I'd play along.  Digital designer Rhonna Ferrer, is playing along on her blog and making her mini journal in the format of artist trading cards.  Rhonna also has a tutorial for creating a beautifully personalized blog, if you're a Blogger subscriber...check it out!  (For us Typepadder's she's still researching it!)

(the alphabet soup generator above, can be found here.)

Art, Lists and Swiss Cheese

"1914"  mixed media collage...acrylic paint, paper.

the journaling reads:  Alex and Annie began their life together just as the world began falling apart.  They were married the same month that WW1 broke out in Europe and thus began their journey of 70 years together.  In 1924 they left their home in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and began a new life in a new land.  They were born in the era of horse and buggies in one century and lived to see a man land on the moon in the next.  Alex and Annie were couragous souls whose lives spanned almost a century.

Another "Memory" collage that I recently finished.  This is Annie and Alex...my maternal grandparents. The photograph was taken around the time they were married and the home in the background was where Alex grew up, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  He and Annie lived there for the first few years of their married lives while they cared for Alex's mother who was dying of breast cancer.  I'm currently working on another collage of my paternal grandparents.  I'm not sure what it is about these collages of my family that I love so much but I really enjoy working on them!

I'll soon be away from my paints and studio for awhile so I'm immersing myself in it as much as possible right now.  We're heading for warmth and sunshine soon (YES!) and access to my creative stash of supplies will be somewhat limited.  I'll be taking my computer and camera as well as a journal and my watercolour pencils and a few pens.  I plan to do more digital art as well as some writing and wrapping up a few book projects (Blurb) that have been on the back burner for awhile now. 

I've decided I need to start making lists again...I get so scattered and caught up in so many creative ideas that I jump from one thing to another and end up forgetting what I was working on last week or last month.  When I was working (for a living) I had a book that I wrote everything in.  My life was in that book!  At the end of each day I wrote what I needed to do for the next day, the next week and the next month.  That book kept me on track and focused. Without it...especially as I reached my 50's...I would have been lost.  Nobody tells you about that part of menopause...the decrease of estrogen, lack of sleep and depleted adrenals all conspire to make your brain feel like swiss cheese.  Everything just runs right on through it! 

I tell myself that I'm just focused on the bigger picture of life.  Details....who needs them!

Welcome to 2009!

The Awakening...mixed media collage (acrylic paint, paper, photograph (yes, that's me!), Caran d'Ache Neocolor painting crayons, watercolour pencil)

I finished this piece last month and the journaling reads:

"Just like the butterfly, I too will awaken in my own time" ...and many years later she did in fact awaken to find that life was not about struggle as she had thought, but about allowing and gently unfolding.

We chose to have a quiet New Year's Eve this year and it was just perfect.  It included the company of a good friend, a cheese fondue (I haven't had one of those for nigh on 18 years!) and an evening's worth of Inspector Rebus video's.  Some of you...especially if you live in the UK...may be familiar with author Ian Rankin's books and the BBC series of the same name.

And...after some deliberation, my word of intention for this year is "Playful".  Last year felt like a lot of hard work and although I really appreciate the end result, this year I intend to resurrect fun in my life.  I considered revisiting "Joy" but decided that "Playful" felt less esoteric and a lot more lighthearted and fun...and that's what I want. 

Happy, happy, happy New Year to all of my blogging friends.  You make life fun!

December Views - 31 - The Sun Sets on 2008

 

The last of the late afternoon light, overlooking James Island, with Orcas Island in the U.S. beyond.

It's hard to believe that 2008 has come and gone already.  Time is speeding up with each passing year...and it has nothing to do with age. (I'm in complete denial about this and that's where I'm staying)!

What was this year about for you?  Did you experience any opportunities of major (or even minor) growth?  Any rights of passage?  Crisis?  Incredible joys?  For me, this year has been like the Chinese proverb "May you live in interesting times" which, while purporting to be a blessing, is in fact a curse.  An interesting year it was but I choose to view it as a year of blessings rather than a curse for by December, that was the result.

It was't exactly the "Joy" filled year I had in mind when I picked my word for 2008.  It ended up as a time of preparation for the joy that has followed.  About a third of the way into the year, I realized I had bypassed an important building block to "Joy" and that was "Trust".  I've twisted into an untrusting pretzel of knots, worry and anxiety for most of my life, so letting go of this was huge for me.  Life changing in fact.  For years, I've walked around feeling as though I'd been punched in the solar plexus without being aware that what I was experiencing was constant anxiety.

I recently read the following about stress...

 "Wherever you find stress, you will find feelings of victimhood.  Anger at being forced beyond one's willingness is the essence of stress."  Doreen Virtue

The bluntness of this startled me at first but the more I thought about it, the more I felt the truth of it. 

Making the decision not to live with that any longer was huge, but it took a major event over which I realized I had no control, to take that step.  I've written before of just what I did do to help myself, but in short, I made it the priority in my life. The "Trust" is present now...a trust in myself and in the Universe...that everything will work out alright...no matter how it all turns out.

This piece was created last summer for a traveling journal group that I belong to.

"Joy" is a really, really great word but in retrospect "Trust" would have been the better choice for 2008.  I was trying to go directly from A to Z, without taking any of the steps in between but life has a way of self correcting!

And now we're on to 2009.  I've finally chosen my "one little word" for the year and I'll write more about that tomorrow!

December Views - 30 - Winter Apples

As the snow begins to melt we're finding all that was hidden for the past few weeks.  I like that about snow...that it gives the world a clean and shiny polish.  It's always bitter sweet when it melts and the dead and decaying leaves, or in this case...apples, are exposed. 

The tree they fell from produced a bumper crop last September and I felt a little sad that no one cared enough to make pots of apple sauce or a delicious apple crisp. Were the people who lived here elderly and not able to pick the fruit?  Were their lives just too busy to start cooking and jelly making?  Or were they simply too tired?  Maybe they didn't even notice them.

 

It's odd sometimes...the things you notice on walks and begin to wonder about.  Homes do that for me.  I wonder about the people who live in them...who are they?  Are they happy?  Is there sadness in their lives?  Are they lonely?   Do they sit around the dinner table together or alone in front of the TV?  Is there laughter within those walls or tears?  Does someone get tucked in at night?  Do they love and are they loved?

It's the neglected homes that make me want to hug them.

December Views - 29 - Dining al Fresco

I have to be honest and tell you that I stood inside the french doors to take this photograph, although the door was open.  Not even my big toe went outside!  To be fair, I was almost lying on the carpet to take this shot and I couldn't do that in the snow now, could I?

  

Well, maybe some would, but not I!

Enjoy more December Views here.

December Views - 28 - Snow Bound

The table is set and the candles lit.

Christmas dinner this year was at the winged wonder's brother's home (and that's a mouthful in itself!) on the mainland.  They live high in the hills where the snow fell.  And fell.  And fell.  We were snowed in, so we ate.  A lot.

We were royally spoiled!

Enjoy more December Views here.