If you listen carefully, you may be lucky and hear the cracks of the next door opening. Of course, you must be looking for the openings, the threads of light; the tiniest crack may be the one that opens and floods your world with light. Here’s to hope.
Break open the doors
As we close in on 2017 and with the dawn of 2018 is seems appropriate to think about what you are looking for, hoping for, working for, trying to manifest (whatever the words are that work for you) in the new dawn. I know I am looking down all the alleys, walkways, doorways and passages. We will see what I can find. Stay tuned. I would love to hear what you may be looking for behind your closed doors? ♥
It’s also the Winter solstice, so we can all jump for joy, the days are getting LONGER and BRIGHTER. Let’s take it as metaphor and have high personal hopes for a more brilliant 2018.
Like so many others: I have been thinking about the topic of BEING, being a human, what constitutes gratitude, gratitude verses happiness, what the nation is going through, what we as a people stand for, what I as a person want to stand for, what makes me proud and what brings emotions of happiness/sadness, elation or pain. Brain exhausting.
Like so many others: I am clear I have a lot to be grateful for. The glass is full-no matter if it is filled with air, water, emotions, or things, there IS something in there-the empty is if I let it be. I know all that. (I don’t always remember it, but I DO know it to be true.)
We are our thoughts, our actions in many ways define our beings. The world feels particularly chaotic these days, spinning at an uncontrolled speed. Those are two, what I would call, facts. I hope the collective ‘we’, and more personally I/myself, will always be searching, asking questions and concerned about the big picture. At times I am not clear of what I am searching for? Searching for the next human element of that day? Searching for answers? Searching even for the question at times! Searching for the next path. Searching for the next idea. Many of the questions never end, and I suppose that’s a good thing. Somedays it works out better than others. That’s just life.
Click to see a larger version. *
As we enter the week of Thanksgiving here in N. America, I circle back around to the first sentence of this post. I sit here thinking about what it means to “be”- to be a human, a family member, a co-worker, a friend, a blog writer, a woman with unsolved questions (like us all I assume.) A woman with many things I hope to be able to do/accomplish in the upcoming year(s.) However, right now I am simply a person who just wants to get through the next month of “holidays” without too much frenzy, muss and fuss, and try to experience the joy and wonder that is supposed to be around the next six weeks or so. In truth-not my favorite time of year-but time marches on, and once again, here we go prancing, dancing, and dining into “The Holidays!”
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It’s hard for me not to feel a bit powerless in the grand scheme of things these days. Indeed, the weather is beyond our control. The hurricanes/tornados have caused much destruction, and it will be a long time for those places to return to their ‘normal.’ Politics are creating havoc worldwide. There we may have a little bit of power-if we collectively speak out things can happen and we can make a difference. Grassroots has resurfaced with a vengeance (thank goodness), and many people are working very hard. Thanks to every one of them.
There are always personal changes that affect our days. Some are good and remind us of the kindness of strangers, and some are less so. We lose people whether it be to death, changes in our relationships or just shifts in our realities. These can be painful. We also get to add people, and that is a bonus, new people help to broaden our exposures and experiences. At times we change our minds, or those around us do-all require flexibility to bend, turn, ebb and flow. Little changes can add up and equal an enormous shift. Life can change on a dime, and we often don’t know what’s to come. The most active resource we regularly have is our own strength and the personal choice to keep on going. We have to believe in ourselves and that we can do ‘it’ (whatever ‘it’ may be.)
Fall is full of intentions-Fall clean ups, crisp air to breath, the stifling summer heat is all but gone (but so is what we frivolously call the carefree days of summer.) We just passed the fall equinox and solstice, where day and night were equal. Thursday night marks the closest full moon to the fall equinox.
Harvest Moon
According to National Geographic-“In the Northern Hemisphere, the harvest moon is the closest full moon to the fall equinox, which usually happens on or around September 22. That means the harvest moon usually occurs in September. But this year, the September full moon appeared on the 6th, separating it from the fall equinox by 16 days. The October 5 full moon arrives only 13 days after the fall equinox, making it the closer pairing…Over the course of a year, the moon pops above the horizon about 50 minutes later each day, on average.
But for several days in a row around the fall equinox, the moon rises only about 30 minutes later in the northern U.S. and just 10 to 20 minutes later in much of Canada and Europe. It sounds like a small shift, but it brings noticeably brighter nights: During this time, the full moon rises almost as soon as the sun sets, first appearing as a plump, orange-colored orb right around dusk.” http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/10/when-is-harvest-moon-october-space-science/
I repeat – During this time, the full moon rises almost as soon as the sun sets. In today’s world it feels like very little is equal. All the more reason to keep looking forward, try to shine, and believe in the power of yourself.
Always loved this song – rumored to be sung to me as a kid – maybe that’s part of the reason it resonates with me. Regardless….Ella Fitzgerald’s voice is beautiful in this YouTube piece. “One of these mornings you’re gonna rise up singing And you’ll spread your wings and you’ll take to the sky…”
The big questions are – ❓Are your wings spreading out… ❓Are you trying to fly… ❓Are you singing…
I’ve been thinking a lot of late about taking chances, i.e., spreading one’s wings. In chatting with friends, we often comment on how some people, particularly younger ones, are willing to just throw something up, whether it be on Social Media, in life, in business, or even just an idea. It’s pretty much an anything goes and let’s see what sticks attitude. As an “older” person I often feel like I have to know something about what’s going on before I do ‘X, Y or Z’ for BBB3 (Botanical Beauties and Beasties.) The curiosity is that in many other parts of my ‘creative life’ I seem to be able to throw the spaghetti up and see if it sticks. I even enjoy doing that. For instance, I have just started playing with acrylic paints. I know NOTHING about them, and for that matter, I know virtually nothing about painting. And yet, when it comes to this I only have smiles-I have no shame, little fear, and I just allow myself to play and paint knowing that ‘something’ will turn out on that small canvas lying in front of me. I am so sure of my fun play that I bought a package deal of 14 little blank canvases-Chutzpah!!! So there I am, having a grand time, mixing paints and mediums, using paint brushes, cotton sticks, whatever, with a minimal idea as to the outcome. I have only a vague concept if I am playing within the lines or the rules, and couldn’t care less. It’s exciting and fun to just be like a kid again-just DOING WHATEVER. Surprisingly the painting(s) are not too bad. One I like quite a lot (see below)- as do some of my friends.
So…why is it that sometimes a level of laze fare and ‘confidence’ exudes, while other times fear and one’s mind stop us? What it is that lets one throw caution to the wind and just try things out? I think it may have something to do with private verse public? What are your thoughts?
And with much hesitation – Izzy shares my first painting!
