12 Random Christmas things about me

I tagged myself for this one from Journey to Authenticity - completely ignoring rule number three. Here are the rules in case you were wondering:

The rules

1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas

2. Please refer to it as a "hoopla" and not the dreaded 'm'-word

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this "hoopla" circulating through the Blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

Here is my hoopla :

1. 2 packages were sent to us on December 6th from one set of relatives. One package arrived last Monday and the other one is missing? I'm thinking of proposing to this group of family that we celebrate Christmas in July because that is when we usually see each other in person and then no mailing would be involved. Another package we heard would be coming from another relative but we aren't clear if it was mailed on or before or after the 12th and it hasn't appeared yet either. It almost makes me want to wish everyone a "Happy Stressmas!"

2. Every year I say I'll get a real tree - but then every year I think I will be hosting some guests and yet they don't come. Next year might be the year I get a real tree for just me and my husband.

3. I usually have a little fake tree I put up. My little fake tree I'm fond of - it's been with me for almost a decade. It's not very tall but it is skinny and it allows the ornaments to hang and dangle under limbs instead of laying all weird on top of a cone shape. I wrote this "m" - I mean hoopla earlier today. And before publishing this -We put up the little tree!

4. It isn't that I'm a humbug. But last year I think I was in such shock over my Mom that I went through all the motions of Christmas - the tree and the cards. This year I miss her even more and all of it seems more challenging - especially writing the cards. This afternoon we put up the tree and I got out all the ornaments and burst into tears. Yet, I feel good tonight. Glad to have it look so festive in my house. Glad to see the gentle smile on my husband's face.

While we were putting up the tree it was snowing. At the height of the storm we saw a flash and heard SNOW THUNDER! I've never actually heard snow thunder. I've heard of it but not actually heard it with my own ears. How cool is that!

5. When I was a kid my Dad would go hunting. He'd come home with a tree from the N.M. woods. A least a few years of my childhood I remember he would come home with a second small tree for me to be put in the room we called the playroom.

6. I think as a kid I loved Christmas the most because my sister or brother or both would come home for a visit. Once I remember all three of my siblings came (my oldest brother was in the Air Force and didn't come home too often).

One of the more memorable visits was the year I was maybe 10 or 11 and my sister and brother both came. My sister handmade for me a stuffed horse - well it was half zebra. She also made my brother these crazy slippers. They looked like creature feet. I laughed so hard. Somewhere there are photos - but I don't think they are at my house right now. I just remember how fun it was to have my siblings there.

7. My mom loved See's blackwalnut candies. Oh, how I wish See's Candies still made them. Every Christmas my Dad would arrive home one day with a big box - it had to be at least 5 pounds if not more. My Mom and I would eat those candies until they were all gone in what was probably a very short amount of time. I crave them at this time of year.

8. About the only really traditional thing that I associate with Christmas is my Grandma Danielson's Cookies. We never decorated them. Just made them and ate a whole lot of them. This year I plan to make them and take some over to my sister's house. Those cookies have a process and the last step is stirring in all the flour - every time I get to that step and feel how much strength it takes to get those last few cups of flour mixed into the dough I think "Holy - MY Grandmother's must have had some arm muscles!"

Grandma Danielson (she is my great grandmother)

9. My husband and I open our gifts on Christmas Eve. I don't know why we started that tradition. As a kid we also opened our gifts on Christmas Eve. I hear rumor that it was my Dad's decision. He had German ancestry and now I learned at Journey to Authenticity that it is a German tradition - so maybe that is why- hmm?

10. I actually love Christmas. I love the decorations and the ornaments - you pull them out of storage and go oh yeah.....it's so nice to see them again. They become like friends you only get to see once a year. I love the lights and the candles. I love the music - (but not the stuff they play in the stores to put you in the mood to shop - ugh!). I've been listening to Pandora and making up Christmas mixes.

What I love about Christmas is this: It's the birth of LOVE. Under all the hoopla of it all - it's about LOVE. Isn't everything about love at the core.....but this is a season where we actually get to sense the magic and mystery and beauty of it.

11. My favorite Christmas album is John Denver and the Muppets.

12. A few weeks ago I went to visit Tales from the Labyrinth. A link there directed me to this site which I want to share with you all. I'm going to participate in the 12 Holy Nights of Inner Christmas.

stuff on my cats

Happy Thanksgiving

Gifts abundant

Here I am standing in front of my work at the reception last Friday. It was a very good birthday. I feel a new journey beginning for me. Though I miss my mom, and grief is there sometimes, I also recognize that a whole new path is opening up ahead for me. I don't know where it will take me exactly but I feel like I have found a whole new freedom and that I must share the gifts.

Speaking of gifts - Look the rainbows came!
I first noticed them on my birthday. We have a water prism. It hangs in a south facing window. When the sun moves low into the southern sky it shines through the water prism and the rainbows dance! We purchased this water prism from a Placitas artist couple last May and I've been waiting through the summer for the fall sun to find it.

More about sharing gifts. I sent Tinker a creative heart seed. I used the opportunity to also send Tinker a daily lump for 2006. I sent her this daily lump. It was inspired by one of her posts from that time period last year.

She wrote a wonderful heart story.... Go read it here.


I'm currently making more creative heart seeds. One may be coming to you soon! My plan is to send them out......okay now I must go get my hands into the clay.....have a great day....... may you find gifts abundant.

My Sacred Life

The past two days I've been unfocused. I've been avoiding having fun or enjoying my life. For that matter I haven't even gotten any chores or responsibilities accomplished. I've been swinging on the pendulum from feeling inspired and anything is possible to the other side which is feeling discouraged. Nothing much seems as possible and I feel as if I'm spinning my wheels. Okay, okay, I know this sounds so dramatic. I think I am just crashing after the fun of the Writer's Spa. I've had a bit of grief arise again too......and even though I usually don't go around announcing these things - durnit - I have PMS.
Ah well, I know enough at 38 years old that this too will pass......And that is why I like Carla's beautiful idea over at Zena Musings to do a project called My Sacred Life. Perhaps it is a way to balance out the pendulum swing a little bit and not feel as if I'm swinging so wildly. So, I don't know if I'll offer a picture every day but I will think and look and be present with my sacred life at least once each day and try to offer a photo and some words about it here as time allows. I am grateful for my life and sometimes one just has to get out camera and with it's help open their eyes to all there is to be grateful about.
My husband made me comfort food tonight to cheer me up and put a smile of my face. And he gave me the perfect image to begin my sacred life series. Tomorrow we celebrate our 4th anniversary. Happy Anniversary Sweetness!

Thanks Tinker!

Tinker gave me a little happy dance when I returned from the Writer's Spa. She sent me a Blogging Reflection Award! Thanks Tinker! All of Tinker's posts delight me. I also feel so much encouragement from Tinker if I could I'd send this award right back to her I would.

Dance over and visit Tinker if your are not already a regular fan.

So this is what I am to do next as I understand it:
"nominate 5 bloggers that are an encouragement, a source of love,
impact me in some way and who has provided a Godly example. In other
words, five cherished bloggers whom, when you reflect upon them, you are
filled with a sense of pride and joy"

I would pass along a nomination to Greenishlady because she and I started blogging about the same time and I'm always amazed by her lovely poetry and writing. I'm proud to have made a connection to this extraordinary writer. Since Tinker nominated her and I at the same time -I will direct you to Greenishlady's SoulFragments blog where she shows her wonderful soul collage cards. Sometimes I dream of going to Ireland and taking a soul collage workshop from Imelda.

I have not been keeping up in blog land. All the travel I've done this summer has really meant I've been unable to keep up my reading - so I may be renominating people - but I would next like to nominate Leah at Creative Everyday. She inspires me. Her encouragement to make art has always been a source of inspiration. Even before I ever became a blogger - Leah was encouraging me as a reader.

Annie gets the next nomination though I'm sure she's already been nominated. I just appreciate how absolutely nice, kind, and generous she is. I'm proud to know her through blogging and I'm so happy to see her blossoming lately.

Next I want to nominate Mahima because whenever I visit her blog her words and images cause me to reflect in unexpected ways. I always feel like creativity is possible and more inspired after I've visited Mahima's blog. I admit I'm not a regular visitor or commenter at her blog but lately, I just haven't been getting around to anywhere. Mahima is someone I'd like to make more of a connection with so I'm sending her this nomination.

Since it is 5 nominations I would like to finish out with a nomination to Be ... Dream ...Play. This lady is another blogger I have not left a lot of comments for - especially lately but every time I visit her blog I leave feeling refreshed by COLOR. If you want to feel inspired to play then go there.

I need a button on my sidebar that says blogging slow. I just feel like sometimes I cannot keep up, but that is okay. I love this process of blogging even when I cannot always get to everywhere and everything I'd like to touch upon I'm still happy to be a part of it. Grateful to play and dance and write and express with such creative women....

Back from the Writer's Spa

I have been back for a few days now and yes, I know of at least one person (thanks sis) who's been looking for a post. It was the most amazing - soul enriching - artist nourishing experience. I'm not exaggerating either. Every single woman there was a wonderful woman and I just know I've made some life long friends. I have also made some deeper connections with myself. I did some more grieving and I gave myself permission to just "be with what is."
The week has opened my eyes to my purpose. I feel a connection to this authentic place and a willingness to just show up. The details of where I am going are not as important as the importance of listening to one's heart say - go there that's a juicy spot and having the courage to stick with the juicy spots. Also trusting Divine Spirit.....

I had a chance to watch a flicker bird. A flicker is a kind of woodpecker. I actually had the opportunity all in the same day to watch 4 different flicker birds on the ground feeding on ants. Now these birds knew I was standing there, but they had found a juicy spot and they were not leaving it until they absolutely had to because I either moved in like a predator or they had been fully nourished. They taught me a lot about staying with the good stuff. Just because you have these vague things in the background (like fear of the blank page) doesn't mean you have to bolt away. Find the nourishment and AND allow yourself to receive the nourishment.

So, I returned home and gave myself the weekend to transition. I had such a lovely reunion with my husband. I avoided rush rush or cleaning too much or calling everyone I know. I didn't come here to post for a few days just to give myself time to settle in to the being home again after being on retreat.

On Saturday night we had these double rainbows appear to the East of our home. The one rainbow was the brightest rainbow I've ever seen as an adult. As a kid I remember some bright rainbows and I wonder if it's because as a kid your eyes are fresh. This rainbow we could see had a full arc - end to end. A double rainbow end to end. I feel blessed to have gone on this retreat and these photos - though taken at home sum up the Writer's spa experience. They express the joy and gratitude I feel not just toward Jennifer and Suzanne and the other women but toward myself too.

I learned:
Tears are okay
they freshen my seeing.
My heart is willing.
Divine Spirit lead the way.

This morning I practically ran into my studio and worked in the clay so as the days unfold I will be sharing more about that.......until then.......ask yourself what is next?
What is next? ......let your heart give you an answer.
See if it is possible to follow that impulse....and if all you feel you have the time for is a split second to follow that impulse.........then allow yourself.....give yourself permission to be nourished by that split second.

I know you've been looking for a new post.......

I hung a vase at the entrance to my studio -

Things I feel good about:
daffodils (gave some to my neighbors too)
new projects (working in the moment towards a future show and a retreat)
warmer days (and a new weather station to keep track of it all)
phone call from a friend who brightened my day

These little red things hold the juniper pollen and as they open the wind carries it around

Things that are more challenging:
allergies to the juniper/cedar pollen in abundance right now
not being able to go outside to clear my head because the pollen only congests it more
not being able to keep up on my own blog much less stay in touch with other bloggers
work on my Mom's estate that is STILL ONGOING

Life is good. I'm not really complaining but those are my current challenges. I've been keeping up with the meditation. It suddenly occurred to me one day that - holy wow - I'm putting in 3 and 1/2 hours of meditation time a week now. 15 minutes at the top of the day and at the bottom of the day really adds up. It may be a coincidence but I'm sleeping better - except when I don't due to allergies.

I know you all are probably sick of reading about meditation. I have to add just one more thing about it. Sometime after I started this new meditation routine I went to my book shelf to pull out Martha Beck's book The Joy Diet. I wanted to reread the first chapter menu item #1. It's an instruction to do nothing for 15 minutes a day. IMHO, it's one of the funniest, loosest (is that a word?) and wisest meditation instructions found in any book. First of all she doesn't call it meditation - it's doing nothing. And she offers lots of techniques that aren't what you'd traditionally think of for meditation. So if you have the chance to check out the book from the library, which is what I originally did before buying the book, do yourself the favor of reading the 17 pages of instruction to do nothing daily. It opens up a whole lot of possibilities to cultivate stillness on a regular basis.

One of my favorite shows on TV is Extreme Home Makeover - occassionally they miss the mark - like promoting a Robin Williams movie last year - ugh! Yet most of the time it's a show that makes me feel so grateful. I sit next to my husband and feel so grateful for him by my side and the home we live in. And take note that one day suddenly things can change and so I spend a good hour on Sunday night just saying thanks for what I do have right now. It's also an excellent way to clean out one's tear ducts. The woman on last nights show had lost her son in a car accident. At the road side where the accident happened she wanted a sign that says "Slow Down" She made such a poignant comment that it isn't just slow down in your car - but slow down in your life. Take the time to love the people around you because you never know when it will be your time to go. I guess that is why I like to meditate - it is a way to slow down in my life, take it in, love it, and say thanks. And hopefully, God willing I will then express all that out there and help others.

Thanks for all the comments - even though I may not always have a chance to respond specifically they always enrich my life and I want you all to know that!