Holiday Greetings

An unusual Christmas Eve this is for me. The Mister and I are comfortably sitting at home enjoying a rather quiet evening. 'Tis unusual , I must say.

I decided that I needed to change our Christmas routine. It has been hectic and fraught with anxiety as only this season can offer. So we decided to forego our 300 mile trek ( in 24 hours , and four stops)and make it a mellow Christmas this year. We actually casually walked out the door today to pick up a couple of forgotten things this afternoon.( Usually we would have been arriving at our first destination ). We were not running crazy and even I didn't notice the frantic shoppers in the market. The only downside to the change is that I won't see my son on Christmas Eve or Christmas day.

This is a first. We've always been lucky enough to be together for this holiday. So my heart stings a little. I miss his Christmas cheer. I miss his reading of a Cajun Christmas. I'll see him in a few days, and we'll celebrate then . But this evening, I feel a little empty hole in my heart.

The flip side of this change is that I'm feeling calmer than I EVER have felt at Christmas time. Aside from a mini meltdown round about week 2 of December madness, I've felt pretty well. And that says soooooo much ! So in the bigger picture, I guess that it was a decent decision . This WAS ,afterall, the reason I decided to make the change.

So from the quiet of my heart and home I wish you all some peace and happiness for Christmas. I hope that you find that the New Year brings you to a place of strength and wondrous new perspectives. Merry Christmas.

Cyth

Winter Solstice

The Solstice has arrived. And much as I am not thrilled with Winter, or should I say the duration of it, I have to admit that transitional times like solstices and equinoxes, the changing of day at midnight, the awareness of one breath to the next, captivate me. It's like being nowhere. You are neither here nor are you there. That split second of transitioning leaves me kind of empty.

It is not an empty that drives me to fill up the space ; there is no grasping , no fear, no loneliness
like in other kinds of empty. Rather it is simply a moment in which anything is possible. I feel no need to rush into the next breath, or the next moment, event or action. I know it will come. And if I have been aware enough of that transition , maybe when that moment arrives it will provide me with what my heart not only desires, but what it needs. But it does take mindfulness.

With busy days filled with family, friends, work and commitments , it is often easy to miss those small windows of transition, that time to focus on the here and now ( not what was ,nor what will be ) but right in between. With Christmas whirling around us ( whether we celebrate it or not, we can't help but get caught up in the frenzy ) it is so very easy to lose our focus, lose our way even. It is so easy for this to happen to me in all the hubbub. My moods swing with the shortened days, my mind scrambles to remember everyone on my shopping lists and time seems to vanish like a magician's hare.

But every once in a while I take a peek at what is quietly happening around me. And it holds me in awe , perhaps only for a few seconds, sometimes much longer. And so it was for me today. As the sun was setting , in a day that otherwise was quite cloudy, the sky just above out tree line turned a warm , mellow shade of peach. I could do nothing else but grab my camera and try to perserve that moment that arrested my attention and helped me refocus. Not very much later (as the sun seems to now dip from the sky very quickly ) I was again halted in my activity to view this beautiful crescent moon.

How lucky I have been today that I had the opportunity , no two opportunities, to stop and reflect. For those brief moments, when day was transitioning into night, I was gently bouyed between here and there........ a few moments when anything was possible.

I wish you a few moments , before or during or after, your holiday celebrations when you can pause , refocus, and expect that anything is possible for you.

Cyth

Karma & the Geography of Bliss

It's very interesting sometimes the way in which the Universe wishes to speak to us. And sometimes it is perplexing in what it is trying to have us understand. Such is the case of this week's trip back from caring for the "kinderlings".

For the past 3 or 4 years I've been listening to books on CD as I make the 2 hour trek down to the kids and again home from there. We're lucky that we've been able to get downloadable books through a state library system. (It makes my trip oh so much more bearable, sometimes even pleasant.) The one I've begun to listen to this week is Eric Weiner's, The Geography of Bliss. A self-proclaimed "grump" , he travelled the world to find the happiest places, and then ,wrote the book. And so I found myself travelling home from my 2 days with the kids listening to his tale of researching happiness in Bhutan, a country whose leader is invested in his country's Gross National Happiness. He interviews a man, one sought out by many for his ability to heal ills not otherwise healed, whose name is ( and forgive the spelling---I'm listening to , not reading, the story) Karma Aura. I almost laughed aloud to myself in the car as I was hurtling northward. The name seemed so blatantly fictional that it struck me funny, but also believable because of its blatancy.

As I was pondering the humor of this I took notice of a car that passed me. The license plate that pulled up, and almost paused right there in my line of sight , as if hovering there to be sure that I saw it, read ..........are you ready for this?........ GDKRMA.........."good karma". It felt like a bop in the head, as if some supreme being were trying to make sure that I was paying attention. Okay. Okay. I'm paying attention . But I sure would like a hint as to what I'm suppose to be doing with this information. Is my karma in some kind of jeopardy? Am I on the right road ?( figuratively speaking--- I WAS on the right road home). I'll ask one tiny favor.....please fill in the blanks.

I guess that I would consider this a synchronicity. If you've read my earlier blogs , you will note that I've had similar experiences . And as before, it seems so coincidental that there has to be meaning to it. ( I know , not everyone will accept that , but I do . ) I just can't, however,fathom what it means . Perhaps in time , it will become apparent. In the meantime, I'll mind my P's & Q's so as to not to mess up my karma.


Namaste.

Cyth

Shop's Closed, The Work Begins Anew

Well the shop has been closed and buttoned up for about a month now. Resigned as I was that the "season" is short , much like our growing season , I'm feeling a kind of ease that I did not feel May- Oct ( the months that the shop was open). Oh , don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the summer selling season. But it was more "structured" than I've been used to since retirement. And I really wasn't able to do the kind of painting that I love.

Typically I like to spend time with a piece of furniture, get a feel for what it needs and what kind of a reborn life it would like to take on. Crazy sounding? Perhaps. But it is the way I like to work------if I may be so bold as to compare myself with Michelangelo who was inspired to sculpt by how the marble spoke to him. ----Once I got working in the shop there wasn't enough time to spend in thinking too much about each piece. Pretty much, I had to get it painted to get it into the shop to fill the void made by the last sale; and do it quickly. Not that I'm complaining about that. Oh , surely not. But it did develop a mindset that left little room for contemplation. Now that I haven't those constraints upon me, it's taking me a little time to reset the approach. But I'm getting there and happily so.

This is my just-finished piece. Simple , but I think , oh so elegant. I wish that the camera could have caught the color better than it has. It's a dreamy purply-gray that is so soothing and still intriguing as it is neither this color nor that color. It is sublimely caught between the two. The piece was meant to be a bit different. But as soon as I was half done with it , I knew that the pendants on the underside needed to be silver. Then , of course , I needed to add a wee bit more silver , so I chose the turnings midway on the legs and crossbar.

Once that was complete, I thought ,"maybe a bit more silver". So I sampled a bit on the beveled edge of the foot. Immediately I could see that that was wrong, wrong. It meant , of course repainting that surface , but since there wasn't but a slice of it , that was quickly remedied. The Mister was called in for an opinion ( Oh I do feel sorry for him sometimes. I request his opinion , but if he gives me the wrong answer, it is quickly discounted. Fortunately he knows me well enough , and loves me well enough , not to take this to heart. ) He agreed. It was done. Now on to companion pieces........what fun.

This little candlelabra was found in a delicious state of rust. But I needed it for mood in a room in the shop last summer and so was painted black with a purple top coat. All I needed today was to add a spritz of silver over the previous paint so that some deep purple and a wee bit of black speckles through the silver. I now have plans for some of those chandelier crystal drops that I was given. But that will be for viewing later on.

Can't wait to see the whole vignette, but wait I must , for the other piece(s) have not been even decided upon. I.......think I have a ........chair ( a sweet little thing ) but that's all I'm telling right now. I will post again when it's all pulled together.

All for tonight. Sweet dreams, Cyth

October Glory

Today was the day we set for taking Ma out for her promised Birthday drive. Many years ago , she and I were wandering backroads and got lost-just a little lost. When we discovered roughly where we were it was getting late and the road was getting rural--really rural. So we turned around and determined that we would find that rooad again some day. A few months ago, while shopping the "antiques" shops I found a book. It tells the tale of of a single woman as she waled that road , 9 miles through the notch in the mountains. AHHHHH. What a great birthday gift !!! That and the promise of a ride ( Ma doesn't walk 9 miles anymore, though she'd truly have loved to today ) through the notch.Yes rained cats and dogs , and I gotta tell ya that I was a wee bit nervous that it would rain out the plans. But the day broke with beautiful golden sun. The leaves in these parts have turned that brassy- gold color with splashes of yellow -green and the beginnings of russet ( I do believe that it is the oaks that lends that color. ) The sky was unbelievably blue with an occasional cloud tinged with a barely-there purple belly. We couldn't be any luckier. Yes, the road had significant wash out in some areas, but we managed to get around - or through. Oh the day couldn't have been better if e'd ordered it up.

A Day at the Museum

A day much anticipated , both by me and my grandson. It was a birthday adventure. And what could be more fun than some time spent with dinosaurs and other cool stuff? Especially if you've just turned 5.

This is one of my all time favorite museums. I was treated to this museum as a kid on a school trip and I've been sure to bring my own son, nephew, granddaughter,grandson and classes of school kids when I was living in my past life as an art teacher. What a treasure.... the Harvard Museum of Natural Historyhttp://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/. My favorite spot has always been the glass flowers http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/on_exhibit.html , but not so much for a five year old boy. But I've got to tell you they are UNBELIEVABLE ! ( Created in Germany and shipped over here by ship in the 1900's. And they are ALL glass. To look at them one can hardly believe it ! ).

But the 5 year old monkey DID enjoy so very many other treasures. His favorite ...the kronosaurus.

I've got to admit that it is pretty impressive - a water creature. But for comparison's sake , you need only take a short walk down a hall to find whale bones with balleen intact .

Some of the other favorites..... walking sticks and leaf bugs , of course.

Can you see what a treasure this place is? We do not enjoy the varieties of bugs such as these in my part of the world and I would heartily laugh if someone were to describe them to me. It would seem like a phenomenal joke to me. But to be able to see so many wonders in the world not available easily to us is a treasure.

We wondered further into the museum to behold great jewels.....well actually just rocks. Ah , but SUCH rocks. Some are jewels. My little friend truly enjoyed these almost as much as the dinosaurs. And serendipitously, or should I say synchronistically, the first glass case he stopped at and was delighted by was the one containing the rhodochrosite. I say this because the Mister just returned from a business trip from Argentina, whose national gem is none other than the rhodochrosite. If you like the color pink, this is the stone for you.

And how about this specimen? Looks like it has grown out of a frozen tundra.

There is so much more to show and tell !!! I think that I'll just wait for another time to continue my little guided tour. But if you get the opportunity , if you're in the Boston /Cambridge area be sure to take a little time to explore for yourself. I guarantee it will be worth your time.

Wishing you an adventurous day, Cyth

The Universe Sings

Oh I've been so intrigued since reading on the Resurrection Fern blog http://resurrectionfern.typepad.com/ about singing yeast cells. I loved learning that energy from the cells is emitted and could be technologically made audible to our human ears. Such an ethereal sound it was, as though singing through the cosmos, or like lyrical underwater musings. I was truly as delighted as a young child discovering the first hidden Easter egg. Just think of all the yeast cells , or any old cells, out there singing their life, singing the joy of being. ( Oh, what about the yeast cells within our bodies. Do our bodies muffle the sound? Can they communicate through our bodies to cells in the "free world" ? What about the other cells in our body? Do they all sing a different tune depending on their function? Oh..... the questions ! )

Initially I felt saddened that we couldn't hear their songs with just our own auditory equipment. But as I continued to imagine all the possible kinds of songs sung by all the infinite life manifestations, I realized that we would be bombarded with noise. ( I guess we really are already. ) Our physical limitations would of necessity shut out a great deal of sound. It is , therefore, to our human benefit that we cannot hear all the conversations that are trilling even in this one moment. And probably a good lesson in understanding that we can't always hear what is right "in front of our eyes" ( so to speak ).

A friend , and the previous shop owner, offered to do a short presentation at the shop about lavender ( pictures above-her display in the shop ), it's uses, history, myth, lore and lure. She sells her wondeful products in the shop ( ooo so soothing ). What a wonderful idea , thought I. Together we planned and plotted and advertised. She made yummy lemon-lavender cookies. I made lemonade and picked great and small bunches of flowers, creamy white and green, for bouquets to highlight the lavender display.

Anticipation rose, excitement heightened, but , alas, the day was not kind to us.It was one of the hottest and sunniest days we had all summer ( a summer of considerable rain and quite cool !! ). Patrons must have been out swimming and boating and cooling their tootsies in wet beach sand, as our soothing , cooling lavender event did not attract but a few. Blessedly, there were enthusiasts, which made it rewarding. We had a number of people throughout the day, a few taking advantage of the lavender sale. But I couldn't help notice how little notice most visitors paid to the bouquets and even the cookies ( though I must say that when invited to try them their attention focused sharply then ).

It's a sad commentary to express my opinion that many people today are so little concerned with the details of a place or event, or sometimes each other. Sooooo much delight,and sometimes even insight, can be experienced by the subtle nuances of a situation. And yet it passes by the board for so many.

After a few moments of discussion with my friend and a little reflection, it consoled me some to realize, that like the singing yeast cells, sometimes we just can not hear what is right in front of us.

A Peek around the Shop

A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

A little bit of FUN.

A little old and a little new.

Whimsy and more.

Be back another time to share a wee bit more. Cyth

Success

Well it seems to me today that it would be a wise move on my part to redefine success for myself. I guess that I have decided to take "success" out of the big leagues and look for smaller and more attainable successes. This , for instance, I shall consider a success.

Number one , I actually achieved success in linking to the Internet from The Shop. I can't even begin to tell you how frustrated I have been trying to get this, my new laptop,to access the Internet from here in the shop. Never mind me. Let me tell ya, the Mr. has been in a handful of times and the curse words from him , who never curses, were numerous and vehement. We even managed to lock up the computer in an effort to set it loose in cyber space. Then a friend a renter of my little shop space, came by in an effort to try her laptop in this endeavor. Somehow we managed to disable her homepage. She too , left muttering , shall I say, impolite words. But before we screwed up the homepage she tripped on a small revelation and suggested that I try. Lo and behold, today I find myself linked to the great beyond. ( No , not a glimpse of Heaven- just a corner of the Internet. ) Success Number One !

Number Two, I could actually upload ( download ?)--- somehow get my photo to manifest on the blog. Couldn't do it from home as you know if you read my lament in the last post. So , now I'm thinking that MAYBE I can figure out why I can't do it from the home computer. Ain't I a genius ? (Before answering that , let me remind you that I only had a glimmer of an idea about what to do. It hasn't been tested out yet. But if you still want to consider me a genius , I will accept that graciously. ) So pictures I can now give you. Yay. Success Number Two.

I realize that these are regarded by most as just minor obstacles , perhaps even laughable. To a technologically challenged individual, myself for instance, these are MOUNTAINS. And I managed to scale these mountains with a little help from my friends, and that my friends, is worthy of a pat on the back. And I'm thinking that my arms are long enough to give myself that pat.

We live in a harsh world, many opportunities to be shown our failures. We (or perhaps I should speak only for myself --- I ) I find it only too simple to find my failings and then beat myself up about it. I expect a heck of a lot more from myself than I would another , and true to the expectation , I usually find myself lacking. I think that I will redouble my efforts to see the success I achieve and perhaps even celebrate them , just a wee bit.

Today, I'm feeling bouyed. Two successes in succession. A pat on the back for me and a photo for you. ( Hope to get more on tomorrow )

A big hooray for all of you that achieved even one small success today, Cyth

Another Frustration

Perhaps I can get a little advice. I just posted an incomplete post because I could not get my images to come up. I've been trying sporadically for the past 4 weeks and have failed to get the images added to the text. I guess it is fair to say that I'm a little frustrated !

Betwixt & Between

I know , I know. It's been a long while. Guilty as charged. Just can't quite pul myself together to blog. Have run up against a psychological wall. Though I would like to be chatting about something....well, anything , I just can't manage at the moment. Have lost the little momentum that I had. I will try to pull out of this. In the meantime some pictures from the shop. I know Iknow. I was going to blog about the shop too and I haven't. I hope for now that these photos will do.

Madison Boulder

Oh what a pleasant afternoon I spent with the Mister. We had no rain. yay. It's been about the third day with no rain ( Not counting last night. We got a wee bit but it was over by morn ). The Mister and I decided to head out this afternoon to find a little shop we'd heard about that was going out of business and there were big reductions. But as usual , I managed to bungle the directions and so we had a little adventure for ourselves. And lo and behold we found ourselves in the Madison Boulder Natural Area, a tract of land bequeathed to the state of New Hampshire in 1946.

The boulder is quite amazing. It is believed to have been moved by the last glacier that cut it's way through the state. There is some speculation as to where it had been moved from. The research differs as to where it might have been moved from. Some believe it to have been moved about 4 miles from a nearby mountain . Others contend that its makeup is more like that of a mountain further away , 24 miles away. Which ever is the case, it is truly amazing to speculate at moving that 5000 ton ( TONS ! ) rock. It is referred to as a "erratic" and is 83 feet in length , 23' feet high , and 37 feet in width . It is burrowed 10-12 feet into the earth. Ah ! The power of glaciers ! PHENOMENAL !

As one approaches the boulder , it size is the first thing that strikes you. It goes straight up , so is very intimidating. Sadly, the next thing you notice is the sprayed graffiti on the lower right side of it. It disheartened me at first glance to see Allison's name emblazoned on that massive natural beauty. But it lead me to speculate about our need to master forces that seem indomitable. We are still very much like our pre-historic fore fathers(mothers). I guess that we have a need to state in a bold way that we are here , and that we count for something. Unlike our predecessors, that spray paint mark won't last but a few seasons in that exposed New Hampshire climate ;unlike the cave drawings and markings throughout the world which still exist today.

As I was thinking this , I turned around the pointed head of the boulder to the back and wouldn't you know , beautifully spray painted on the backside was a nearly true-to-life silhouettte of a horse, diminutive compared to the size of the boulder.

This image was beautiful and very much more in keeping with the tradition of the cave drawings, more sophisticated perhaps , but in spirit with the them. It put a smile on my face . And can a girl ask for more?

I wish you all a good night.

Cyth

By the Light of the Moon

Ah. You might have thought thatI was just a one moon kind of girl. Not so. Though I haven't written about it in a "blue moon" , I have still heard the call of the moon, felt the draw. It's just that it's been so darned rainy, cloudy, gloomy & wet. We haven't seen the full moon in months. BUT , this month the clouds broke just enough . And WHAT an interesting phenomenon. Hovering just above the cresting moon, what seems to be an all-seeing eye!

But wait, what's that I hear? In the distance , muffled by the low ground fog, I hear the cry of a ....wolf? No, it sounds like a cry of a lost soul , a little hysterical, a little mournful ........pleading? Searching. It has a pull, even as it fills me with foreboding. ( The full moon too is like that , seductive & fascinating with dark promises.) I'm drawn to search out the origin of that cry, perhaps to soothe the pained soul , but when I look skyward again, the eye , whose eye? sends me scampering back toward the door. I find myself torn , frozen to one spot, unable to continue forward, unwilling to turn back. I stand and watch & wait.

While in my silent arrest , the eye above seems to send out a thin silver cord connecting to me , to my inner eye. For a brief moment , I neither fear , nor am I drawn to move. I feel a calm settle over me. I understand that the call I hear is not for me. Nature has her own ways of communicating , ways that we are not usually privy to. And it has been by a small crack in the fiber of the universe that I could , for just a brief moment, hear the distant whispering of one of Earth's other realms.

I hope that you enjoyed this month's full moon as well.

Cyth

Independence Day

Happy Fourth of July from small town N.H. !

The big parade passed right by the shop this morning. Lots of red , white and blue and high spirits. The sun shone brilliantly, with just enough of a breeze to keep it feeling comfortable. (That in itself was enough to cheer about after the 30 something days of rain we've had.) A good number of patriotic floats and cars, costumes, banners and music.

But I'd like to know what antique boats and bad Elvis impersonators on bicycles have to do with an Independence Day parade. For that matter , there were a number of construction vehicles, and one mobile dog washing van as well. Yes, I understand that it is the American Way to take every opportunity to advertise oneself. But doesn't it belittle the meaning of a Fourth of July parade & celebration? Just a wee bit maybe? I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, so to speak, but I just bristle at the commercialism. I know, this isn't the time perhaps to rant , it's just that....................

Anyway, true to form for this Spring/Summer ,not too long after the parade broke up, the sky grew ominous, the wind picked up and before you could say "Aunti Em " the heavens opened up with a crash of thunder and buckets of rain soaked us yet again. Perhaps it was a fitting display and prelude to tonight's fireworks ; for the sky is again clear and blue , and I do believe the fireworks will go off.

I'm off to join a few friends in offering a salute to our hard fought and maintained Independence. I wish you all good cheer on this July fourth.

Frank Lloyd Wright & Synchronicity

Well , it's happened again. This time it's Frank Lloyd Wright.

I've been reading the book Loving Frank for the past couple of weeks. Many years ago, - more years than I will admit- I'd read a bit about Wright's work for a paper I needed to write. It was his theories, inspirations, etc. If I'd gleaned anything about the man's private life, I'd long ago forgotten. So Loving Frank has been interesting because it tells about the man from the perspective of his lover.

Reading this book has piqued my interest in Frank Lloyd Wright all over again. Tonight I sat down to the computer with the intention of "googling" F.L.W. to see what I might learn. Well, go figure. Before I could even begin to type in his name, staring me in the face WAS his name. There on Yahoo news was a piece on none other than Mr. Wright (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090619/stage_nm/us_lloydwright;_ylt=AqCJahUAFvh7bQy0xvx9i36CfNdF)

Excited, yes I was, that the man came to me, but curious and amazed that it appeared as if by magic.

As I sit here now and think about this , I recall another occurrence that happened over the last 2 days. Now I want to preface this by saying that it is not within my usual oeuvre to being talking about the Underground Railroad. But a cute kid of preteen age has begun dropping by the shop for a friendly chat ( and the candy I have out at the shop ) , and brought up the subject yesterday. We had a lively little talk about it and he was on his merry way ( his mom owns the shop next door ). Today I had a woman in the shop , and for what reason I do not recall, didn't we find ourselves in a discussion about the same subject? Indeed we did. Now , how weird is that?

Yes, I know. These seem like small inconsequential matters. Coincidental, some might say. I've come to doubt that. I think that I've come to believe that there is no such thing as coincidence. There just seems to be too much coincidence for that to be a satisfactory answer . I can't offer you an explanation for it right now , but I'm still searching ( aren't we all ?).

If you'd like more "coincidental" , and some quite compelling , stories try Trish & Rob MacGregor's blog named Synchronicity ( http://www.ofscarabs.blogspot.com/ ) . They are working on a book that should be quite interesting. In the meantime I'd love to hear from you about your experiences with synchronicity.

Wishing you an evening full of MAGIC,

Cyth

Hidden Dreams

Again I'm going to be quick tonight - 2 days with the grandkids and the trek back home has got me pooped out again. No matter , soon I'll be all cozy on my side of the bed on my way to LaLaLand.

Speaking of LaLaLand, I had a strange occurrence the other night. Well, technically it was the other morning , early. I arise early most everyday, except Sundays. That way I can get in my exercise and meditation before the day has its way with me. And it is the best part of the day, early morning. the birds sing so sweetly and the noise of the day isn't trying to sing over their sweet voices. I'm more alert, slow, but alert in the early morning hours. My emotions are gentle and my being more open than in any other part of the day. OOOOOO but this is not what I set out to tell. So sorry to get sidetracked - perhaps next time I will wax poetic about the the early morning.

So , back to my little tale coming out of LaLaLand . The alarm had just gone off, so up I clambered from my mountain of blankets , shaking off what I thought was the end of a dream that the alarm had cut off. It was not a remarkable dream. At least I did not remember it beyond the time it took me to get my feet to the floor, so truly it must not have been significant. What was significant was the thought, which came simultaneously with the vanishing of the unremarkable dream, that UNDERNEATH that dream there had been another. This other dream seemed very significant , though I haven't yet determined why or what it means to me, only that I was able to glimpse it because the other dream had been vanquished by the sound of the alarm clock. I only remember seeing , in the wake of the vanishing dream , gears, wooden gears. And I recall thinking that the gears were part of a dream that lay underneath the other one.

I at once began to wonder if we dream in layers. I wondered if each layer told a more complete story of just one dream, or were they separate unto themselves, telling their own stories, telling my story in parallel time. And I wondered how many more layers there might be. And if we dream in multiple layers, how do we access them.

I wonder if anyone else has experienced that sense of multi-layered dreams. And if so , what do you make of it? Is it a regular occurrence? It is not for me. Not yet anyway. Would love to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience.

As for me right now, I think I will prepare myself for a good night's rest, dreams or no, and be ready to face a new day. I wish you a good night, Cyth

What? Leonard Cohen AGAIN?

This is going to be short and sweet....or short but perplexing , depending on how you look at it. For any of you who may have read an earlier post , you may remember my Leonard Cohen "sightings". I found a blog, rather it found me, that is devoted to synchronicities , a category to which I now believe these sightings can be placed. Here's the thing.... after that time period of a few weeks, it seemed as though "synchronicities" had stopped manifesting to me. That is, until the other night. I was reading , okay, I was trying to stay awake by propping my eyelids open and gazing at pictures in a magazine, a home decor magazine, I do believe, and what do you know? Right. There was Leonard Cohen AGAIN. ( I'm once again pondering the potential meaning of all this attention around L. Cohen ). And since then , I've experienced other incidents of synchronicity. Go figure.

What I would like to know now is where does "it" go when it not happening? Or is it that synchronicity happens all the time but we are not focused on it? HMMMMMMM.

I'd be curious to know what others of you think about it.

My eyes are in need of propping again , so I wish you a good night.

Cyth

`

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

I'm back. I'd like to say that I was on a really relaxing, cool vacation. But I can not say that. I can say that I feel like I've been swimming real hard to get to the other side. The shop opened. YAY ! As I told you before I had some very special people helping me get it done, including my 80 yr old MOM , who put her special touch on the outdoor plantings ( all in pots, as it is a rental space ). Whew. Some undertaking ! And since then I'm just trying to keep my head screwed on right.

I've found myself wavering between faith that this endeavor will yield satisfactory rewards and I'm not talking necessarily monetary, though that would be exceedingly well accepted , and biting my nails that I'll fall flat on my face. I would never have dreamed that I would undertake such a move, but here I am smack in the middle of it. And BUSY. If I'm not minding the shop , then I'm caring for the kinderlings( my heart's song ), or I'm painting more "orphaned " furniture to put into the shop, and hauling it there , arranging it, rearranging it. Ah, the house is a mess , but the shop sure has been fussed over .

So tonight, after another gloomy , rainy day, I found myself feeling just as gloomy ( rainy weather can do that to me -- light therapy helps , but the lamp was stored away----might just have to dig it out if tomorrow is a repeat ), and fretful about the wisdom of this endeavor. I was thinking that I would just like to go to bed and pull the covers over my head. The Mister however, just peeked around the corner to tell me that our local PBS station was featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Well, I gotta tell ya, nothing can break a gloom like the music of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, especially when the Mister decides to boogie around the room for a bit. THAT put a smile on my face. I'm feeling sooooooooo much better.

So with a gladder heart, I wish you a great evening, Cyth.

ReOpening

Last Year's photo

Oh my. I've been absent so very long. Or so it seems. Business, busy-ness I'd rather say, can mutate time phenomenonally. I've been ever so wrapped up in preparing for the Shop opening , painting, and placing ads, and making lists (checking them twice, thrice---or just trying to relocate the blasted things) , talking with the previous owner and friend, scheduling the opening of the space , then the opening of the shop, gathering necessities for organizing..........whew. I'm out of breath just writing this out. And I've sorely neglected others things ; the vacuuming, Spring cleaning ( LOL ), preparing the garden..... ooooo so many things that will just have to wait and be patient. We'll be winding down soon, I THINK.

Tomorrow is the BIG moving day. We can get back into the rental space that is the shop, aptly named Out of the Blue. (It came to me so named and ,truly, the name fit the means in which the opportunity was presented to me.) And I have to say that I am so fortunate to have friends around me willing to help with the big , mean , nasty stuff - the heavy moving, the cleaning , in general, the grunt work. I thank them a thousand times.

I think that I will scoot now. Just when I thought that my mind was clear , I find that I've got reminders of this to do , and that to do and my focus is scattered. I'll be back soon. And I'll bring photos to show you.

Our Spring weather here has been glorious. I hope yours has been as delightful and you're taking full advantage of Spring's blossoming.

Time Flies

I've finally found my way back. Unfortunately I haven't got much time so this is likely to be quick. And why haven't I got the time? Simply, I'm inundated with "stuff" to do to get the shop ready for opening on May 9. It's an exciting time , but being a "newbie" I'm torn between doing this or doing that and everything seems to take more time than anticipated.

Time. An interesting exploration.

We always assume that Time is a constant. We mark our lives by the rising and setting of the sun , the changes in the seasons, mealtimes, birthdays, holidays. We set our schedules and ferociously cling to the hours & minutes , which we know by the watches we wear or the clocks on the walls. But Time is really an inconstant companion. Right now, I am scurrying to work out details of the shop's opening, paint more furniture to fill the shop, and on and on, in addition to everyday chores and commitments; like all of us engaged in living. But my watch , my calendar is playing tricks on me again.

I have been attending to many of these same activities for the shop since the New Year. I'd awaken in the mornings and pace myself. In January, my routine seemingly had a steady and rhythmic cadence. February I was still marching along,and actually thinking that progress was unfolding as it was meant to, so I wasn't paying too much attention; a nice, gentle floating through. March, and the madness started. Early on I began to have slight grumblings of tension, but unidentified it remain until we hit the Ides Of March. By mid/late March my days , though longer by daylight hours, actually were not long enough, or the hours were passing more quickly. By the beginning of April my hours & days were DEFINITELY passing with greater speed and urgency. And now , with just a month to go, the speed at which I'm traveling is frightening. I tell myself that the clocks tick the same as they were in January, the days still have but 24 hours, and the weeks still consist of 7 days,but I know that Time is passing more swiftly. My experience is that I'm approaching the start line with increasing speed.

When I berate myself for the contradictions in my thinking, I am reminded of a wonderful program from 30 years ago. It was a Boston based television show, New Heaven New Earth, hosted by Hubert Jessup. I believe that he was a graduate of divinity school and explored many spiritual themes in the show. ( I also believe that he was one of the first to interview the Dalai Lama in the US ). He also explored many other " New Age" subjects. And I distinctly recall an interview with a gentleman ( I have a vague recollection that he was a physicist----but that was many moons ago , and I may not be real sharp about that memory ) who was talking about Time. In trying to to offer a small sample of the mutable character of Time , they suggested that one need try only a quick experiment. Close your eyes, and keep them closed a number of seconds - a minute. Open your eyes and look at your watch. I should have prefaced this by saying that the watch should be in a position to easily view it upon opening your eyes. Extraneous movement tends invalidate the experiment. On your second try , close your eyes , and actively engage in relaxing behavior, breathe slowly and deeply, clear the mind of thoughts , worries , concerns, curiousities. Keep them closed until you feel yourself in a relaxed state. Open your eyes and look at your watch again. This time, if you've achieved a sufficiently relaxed mindset, you may actually notice that the second hand on your watch has momentarily hovered , then proceeds to move around the face of the watch. Yes. I had a hard time with that at the time, but was able to produce the same effect myself. It was as if Time had halted for a split second. Try it. If nothing else you will have achieved relaxation for a few splendid moments today.

Well if I thought that I could take the time to sit in relaxed meditation every now and again with the purpose of increasing the amount of TIME I had , I would do it. But I guess I'm caught up in the hurrying to complete my to-do lists, and ironically in so doing my time is speeding up. What an interesting predicament.

Well I must be off now ; my to-do list beckons.

Blessings on your day, and may you take the time for a moment's respite , Cyth

Mudluscious

My daffies in the rain

e.e. cummings

in just-

in Just-

spring when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame baloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer

old baloonman whistles

far and wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's

spring

and
the

goat-footed

baloonMan whistles

far

and

wee

It rained today ; hard pouring, drenching rain ; soft, barely- there misty rain : cold , dank, muddy rain. And it's Spring.

Yeeee Haaaaa ! I say, Yee Haaa.

I'll take the rain. It isn't white , and it doesn't stick, and it doesn't have to be shoveled. I'll take it, I will.

Many people grumble around these parts about "mud season". But I gotta tell ya, I love it. Like the e.e. cummings poem above , I think it is "mudluscious". Luscious, because I can smell the newly thawed earth. My eyes feast on the rich brown soil . My memory takes me back to childhood, when mud could be turned into imaginary pies , or hurtling missiles when my brother got under my skin.

There is so much potential in the rich , warm, wet earth. Before I can even see them, I can almost feel , from the bottoms of feet to the top of my head and every sensory nerve in between, the ground giving way to new life. The wood hyacinth, the crocuses, the daffies all rise through the mud to salute the new season. And like them , I too ,rise up out of my late winter funk to hail the the world all "mudluscious" and "puddle-wonderful".

And as for e.e. cummings , HE knew how to express the exuberance and light and joy of early Spring , with words so yummy & descriptive .

Wishing you a new week filled with wonder and awe--- a dancing, hop-scotching , jump-roping, whistling kind of luscious week.

Cyth

"Stream" of Consciousness

Well I'm happy to say that it is a BEAUTIFUL morning out today !!! It's COLD, but beautiful. The sun is shining brightly and the birds are singing their Springtime tunes. I can definitely live with it. I think a little walk is in order. But before I go I just want to tell you a little about my latest experiences. I stated in my blog title, ...an magical exploration . I'm not sure that this qualifies for magic ( but I'm also not sure that it doesn't ) but I'd definitely put it in the CURIOSITY category , or for those of you believers, the SYNCHRONICITY category.

I'm bold enough to state that I am convinced that I am caught in a stream, a psychic stream, you might say, a synchronous stream, perhaps. And I'm becoming more and more and more convinced that there really are no such things as coincidences. Or if there are it is MIGHTY coincidental that I'm having a recurring pattern ( I guess that is a bit redundant ) of coincidental events ; small though they may be, it continues to happen.

You may recall a while back I wrote about the strange "coincident" of the "Leonard Cohen " subject; that within a week's time , from out of the blue, there were 3 incidents of his being brought to my attention. And I had not heard about him in many years. Well, I had one respondent to that post ( who was actually the 3rd in the chain ) who writes a SYNCHRONICITY blog (if you're interested check here ). And I've been following his blog ever since my little "coincident". In trying to explain to friend , who is equally interested in strange phenomenon, I was explaining to her that Leonard Cohen was a "big name" "back in the day". That in addition to him , Lawrence Ferlinghetti was also a " biggie" in the poetry world. So , I thought, ended that bit of synchronicity. Wrong. As I said , I've been following the blog about Synchronicity . Just 2 days ago , or somewhere in that time frame, I was reading another tale in their blog, quite separate in subject from my own. It was more accurately an intertwined tale , as I guess all synchronous events must be, and lo and behold, one of the featured personalities of the tale was none other than Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Now I just find this rather curious that those two poets have come to my attention in a repeated fashion of events. I have a hard time believing that it is mere coincidence.

I'm not stopping here , however. I TOLD youthat I was sure that I've been swooped into a stream, a stream of interrelated events. So, to continue my saga; last week I was busy painting my furniture in preparation for my shop opening in May. Mindless tasks are wonderful for flights of fantasy, imaginings, ruminations, ponderings - all manner of free flight of the mind. And so I began wondering , in much the same way the Cohen subject burst upon my consciousness, about a TV interior design personality that I used to watch and enjoy, but who I believed was no longer on TV. I had very much enjoyed her approach to design and liked the presentation of the show itself. And that was about the sum total of what I'd thought about that subject. A few days later , while thumbing through one of my "home & garden" magazines, I decided to read through a particular article. Usually I pour over the pictures but selectively read an article. I'd decided to read this article and there appeared , on the surface, to be no particular draw to this article. Well, as it turned out , the featured house had been decorated by the niece of the owner. Though only mentioned the one time , the niece turned out to be the very designer that I'd been pondering about those couple days earlier. Coincidence? You decide. At any rate, after an Internet search, I found the designer , and found that she does indeed still have a TV show--different station, same designer.

I doubt very much that I would have done the Internet search if I had not seen her mentioned in the magazine article. As I said, she had entered my mind and ,SEEMINGLY, just as quickly left it. It seems to me , however, my thoughts had been caught up into the flow of consciousness, and taken to where it wanted to go. I FOUND what I had been searching for.

I'm finding it rather curious that I similar incidents keep happening. I find it curious because these are not "big" events , and I don't really understand, especially in the Cohen/Ferlinghetti incidents what it is suppose to mean to me. Though I did find the designer that I was interested in , the poet "thing" seems not to have meaning , no conclusion. AM I to look for meaning in it?Are they just more clues to something larger? If there is no meaning to it , then why did it happen at all? So very many questions !

Well, I'll leave you with that for now. I'm off to get some lunch for the Mr. & me. I wish you a wonderful, magical day.

Cyth

A Woman of a Certain Age

Ah. Dance weekend is coming up fairly soon. Can't wait to get my dancing shoes on. It'll be a few weeks,but that will give me some time to 1. limber up and 2. find me a pretty frock to wear.
I'll be needing that time for both those endeavors. We haven't been dancing in a really long time. Not sure my the legs will hold for the 4-5 lessons scheduled into the week-end, most of them for Saturday, never mind the dance the night before and the evening of ! Whew , I'm tired just thinking about it. I think I'll put a little music on now and again, and give that handsome dude I married a little swing around the living room. Just to remind HIM of what we're heading into.
Now , the dress. That's another ball of wax. What to wear? Why I think that might be one of the oldest questions in history. Hell, I do believe that even Eve bemoaned the fashion options way back when in the Garden. The story has it that she settled for a fig leaf. But I'm looking for something with a bit more coverage and durability. So I went online , being the lazy shopper that I am.
We've been told that the Saturday night dance is "dressy/formal". Oh boy. Options? That's been tough. I'm finding that they don't really design for a woman of a "certain age" ( a quote from my YOUNG physician---I just want to know WHEN I became a woman of a "certain age". I'm wondering if somehow I fell asleep and missed something. ) They design for the young or those lucky enough to be built like the young. And sister, that ain't me. Even when I WAS young and not a "woman of a certain age".
I found interesting little numbers that were strapless, body hugging, thigh tickling, slit to there, corseted, back baring-even belly button baring ( oh so nice to show off that adorable little belly button ring ) . I found long halter dresses with nice slimming lines that also featured retro pop designs like big ole targets strategically placed at the HIP? Yeah right. I found a cute short dress that covered quite a bit despite it being slightly above the knee . Okay, it MIGHT have caught my attention except that it was the color of a spring daffodil. I'm thinking that should I wear that I'd look like the whole FIELD of spring daffodils.
I'm looking for a style that will flatter the figure of a woman of a certain age. One must consider that one of a certain age will likely be wearing undergarments-well at least this woman will be. Once those garments are in place I then require that the next layer is one that can "accentuate the positive" . I really don't want to share with others what happens when the pantyhose collides with this winter's "insulation". It's just NOT a pretty sight. And I need a color that will enhance my skin color--- winter, pasty white. So I'm guessing that this season's "new" cream color is not going to be a good choice for me.
I think folks , that the HUNT is on. I'm pretty sure that there may be a dress out there for me. But I'm thinking it will take nothing less than an all out effort on the scale of finding Osama bin Laden. Wish me luck.

Cyth

Beside Myself

Well this is going to be a quick as my battery is running low at the moment. Actually it would be more accurate to say that SOMETHING is draining my energy this late afternoon and evening , and I don't quite know how to explain it.

I have gone through this many times in the past and it has never made sense ( but what else is new? ). Symptoms : brain fog , psychic itch , loss of appetite,a restlessness but also a wish to just go to sleep and sleep it off ( no , I don't drink ) , and a heightened sense that something is happening to someone . I don't know who and I don't know what ; I just feel that SOMETHING is definitely going on right outside my reach. It's almost like I am beside myself; you know, here but really somewhere else. Though I've experienced this numbers of times in the past , it's been quite a long time since last it happened. And for the record I am only aware of one time in which something actually was happening to someone ( I'll tell you that story another time), and that time I DID know the who and the what.

So tonight , I'm making myself crazy, or rather trying to quell the crazy feeling .

I'll be back again soon . Maybe then I can talk and make some sense. Maybe I'll have an explanation for this, or a story to tell. Then again , maybe not. Life is like that, ya know. I wonder if it has ANYTHING to do with Leonard Cohen???? Or maybe YOU ?

Wishing you a wonderful evening, Cyth

Synchronicity & a Boost from the Universe

I just have to write about this. It's a small matter , but it speaks to me. And I wonder what it is saying. Whatever it is really trying to say to me I don't know , I can tell ya that it helped lift my spirit a bit today (more snow and it's weighing on me heavily today ).... just because there seems to be a cosmic stream out there that is determined to snatch me into it and and show me the interconnectedness of even small things.

It all started while I reading the recent blog, A Fanciful Twist . Well , actually it started sometime within the past week and was "refreshed", shall I say , by reading her blog. Sometime in this past week, for what reason I have no idea, I began thinking about Leonard Cohen. He was a big name, a poet, back when , just about at the time of my "coming of age". It was an exciting time of self-learning & boundary experimentation, and a very active socio-political climate. And the unexpected and impromptu memory of Leonard Cohen brought back memories of that time. But I know not how or why that spark had been kindled. And I let it go.

Back to Vanessa's blog , today a delightful taste of gentle mystery. Woven into her tale was mention of, none other, than Leonard Cohen. I was astounded. Aside from the little flight of memory this past week , I have not heard much, if anything, about the poet in I don't know how many years. I mean YEARS. What a curious event that she would inject mention of him in her blog , is what I thought to myself. Too, I was thinking that perhaps she was referring to a different Leonard Cohen. So I followed the link in her blog. Sure enough , it was he. Hmmmmm. What am I to make of this? Why has his name popped up twice within a week? I didn't spend too much time thinking about it because it was still unrelated to anything except my memory, and that was unrelated to anything else --seemingly no significance to my current affairs. I went about my merry way.

I visited another blog that I enjoy and through one of the comments on her page , I followed the path back out of curiosity about the commenter. And man, didn't he also reference Leonard Cohen in his writing? Indeed he did. That is twice in one day , and three times inside of a week. Well , I tell ya, it kind of stopped me in my tracks.

Now I ponder IF there is meaning to this. As far as I can tell, it still has no significance to my life. As far as I can tell. Now I do believe that the universe DOES have ways to make a person sit up and listen. And it might not necessarily be what we are typically conditioned to listened to. Sometimes, like dreams, it's a kind of code, expressive but elusive. Maybe that's the case this time too. Or maybe , it's just a coincidence. I rather am intrigued by the code theory, so I guess I'll keep my antennae up for more communications. I WILL keep you updated if this little mystery of mine ( or my own making ) develops.

Have a magical evening,

Cyth

Color Me Happy

Geez. It's been a while since I posted. Been busy, busy busy. I've begun in earnest to paint some of the millions of mismatched pieces of orphaned furniture we have stashed here , there and.....where else did I stash stuff? Oh yea,-Ma graciously took some of my orphans.---

I'm soooo lucky. My Ma and the Mr. 's Mom both have taken in the overflow. O YES. Overflow. Add all that to the inventory that came with the purchase of the shop. That is still at the previous owner's storage space. I haven't done an official inventory, but I can tell you that it is not just overflowing, it's overwhelming . But I think it is fair to say that I'm happily overwhelmed.

Happily overwhelmed because I LOVE paint ! Just love it. All those luscious colors. (I can't get enough paint chips ; those delectable color swatches that suggest all manner of renovation/renewal . And their names. I wouldn't mind having the job of naming all those paints. What FUN. But I digress. ) Just a little paint and a girl can change her space or mood, inject attitude, lighten & brighten or, darken & introduce a little mystery. Possibilities are yours for the imagining.

As I've mentioned before, I find myself responding to change of season through color. Just a very few weeks ago, I was all enthused about the Whites, the Winter whites. And since I'd begun the painting, that's what I painted with.--will post a photo of a sweet little cabinet just as soon as I get it "finished" off. These past couple of weeks I've begun to catch tiny glimmers of Spring ( though we are predominantly surrounded by snow still , AND there are predictions that there will be even more this week-end ----- ARGH ) ; the song of the birds, the slightly swelling buds on some trees, a bare touch of warmth in the air. And with that and the yearning it induces, I've found myself leaning toward the pastels ( my latest piece is a valet chair, now completely painted in pink- a nice chalky pink. But I'm not quite through with it. I've come to believe that "she" is begging for a flirty little skirt. And to complete the ensemble, , a strappy little belt. Oh yes! Just in time for the Easter Parade. )

Do you too crave change of color with the change of season? What are your colors? Are you a Spring? Summer? Winter? Autumn? Maybe you are a color chameleon? And what , if anything, does it say about you? I'm always drawn to turquoise & purple. Blues run a close second. Too, I will sometimes gravitate toward coral,burnt orange. And for wardrobe , I have quite a bit of black ; such a wonderful base on to which the other colors can pop.

If you're curious as to the psychology of color, associations and symbolism try http://www.sensationalcolor.com/content/category/5/43/144/.

Have a colorful week-end, Cyth

Oh Woe --More Snow

Oh YES. More snow today. More winter white for as far as the eye can see.

The 3+ weeks of reprieve was wonderful. We even had a little snow melt. There was a vague , tiny to be sure,hint of Spring. I heard , then saw, robins in the yard. ( I've been told that they've been around all Winter this year --global warming? ) but to hear their sweet trill was as though Spring had snuck up and tickled me from behind. And I heard the phoebe calling. First I thought some crazy bird had been a little too anxious for Spring ( like me ) and had made his appearance too soon. But no, there were at least 2 of them ; one would call ,the other in the distance would answer. Ahhh , I thought to myself, YES, Spring is coming !!!

Ahhhh. I was so wrong, for here we are today with the white falling all around us, shrouding driveways, branches, bird feeders, clotheslines, sheds, rooves, garden decorations that were just beginning to appear again. All is white again.

Three and a half + weeks ago I was reveling in the tide of white, carrying on about the varying hues and tints of this "poor man's fertilizer". I was planning an interior scheme for a small corner of the shop, to be decked in white, of those same varying whites/off-whites. To that end , I've been furiously painting some chairs, cabinets, & small accessories in alabaster, "teacup"white ( a slightly pinkish white) , and white white. And I've relished it.

In my head that little corner is to be a cool, refreshing oasis of tranquility amid the summer heat of the non-air conditioned barn the shop is housed in, and the exuberance of the other vividly painted furniture.

Well I've gotta tell ya, right now I'm just not needing that cool, icy oasis. All I need to do is look out the window and shivers run down my spine.

Oh yes, I do think I'm "skating" on thin ice right now. My heart AND my mind are searching for the signs that tell of warmth and renewal.

In years past , I would start popping little seeds into those peat pots in my effort to hurry Spring along. The window sills would be lined, filled in every last inch, with seedlings. And though they were a joyful sight , it was a l-o-n-g time before I could put them out. In the meantime, I drove myself crazy trying to water them and not the windowsill and floor, streaking the wall as it cascaded down. They needed to be transplanted into larger pots that would not fit on the sills.And I had no room to give them the light they needed. Oh woe.

I've stopped planting seeds in February, though I do, indeed must , stop at every seed package display I can find. Their small envelopes are appealing in so many ways. They hold out the promise of things to come. A little package, a little price tag and the promise of new life, warmth and beauty. I am especially drawn to the packages that have hand painted images. And at this time of year, I find that in particular I am riveted to the the softly colored ones.

I find myself yearning for the soft , gentle colors of a new Spring, the pale tones that whisper promises of new life---the muted pansies, Easter eggs, soft chicks, new grass, budding leaves. I'm ready ( oh so ready ) to shed the icy whites of Winter , but not yet ready for the vibrant , full, deep colors of the hot weather. And the seed packets offer me this too. And I can fill my eye with a large bouquet of flowers to carry home with me.


Have yourself a wonderful day. Fill it with dreams of things to come-inspiration to carry you through the last days of this stubborn Winter. Warm wishes, Cyth