Randomness

You know how you have those 'ah-ha' moments in the damnedest places at the craziest times? I was sitting at my kitchen table, this morning, and realized 2 things:

1. I've always got a bazillion things going at once so that nothing gets my full attention at any one time
2. I spend more time cooking for my dogs than myself

Yes. Its true. Not sure what that means. The good news is, it won't last more than a few seconds in my head before I move onto something else, so no need to ponder. (Just joking -- those of you who have ever read anything know that I'm a ponderer extraordinaire! I ponder and ponder and ruminate and pick-apart and dissect and analyze -- well, you get the point.)

My bazillion things this morning included:
-making food for my dogs (the 2 large dogs eat a combination of chicken livers and gizzards, brown rice, and green beans; the small dog eats a combination of chicken dark meat, oatmeal, and green peas) -- so I had 2 huge pots on my stove going at once: 1 cooking chicken dark meat on the bone that I'll pick in a while and put back in the pot after adding the oats and beans to cook in it; 1 cooking ground rice and minced green beans which will need the chopped gizzards and livers added after cooking....I blew up my immersion blender, yesterday, so all chopping is to be done by hand...bleck!
-writing my morning pages (this is a form of 'stream of thought' writing that I got after doing Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way" program, based on her book of the same name. Get it! Its great!)
-checking Facebook and responding to the notifications on my personal page, as well as two group pages that I run and one more that I participate in
-updating my cell phone applications (no, this doesn't take much effort other than a few clicks, but it was happening)
-texting three friends about plans for the week/weekend
-drinking coffee
-checking my Ebay items listed for sale
-purchasing organic beeswax from my favorite seller of it on Ebay
-reviewing the shipping info on a dress I ordered on Ebay from India
-looking at my stats on my new Etsy store and pondering what I could do to increase traffic
-inviting people to Etsy to try to get free listings for both of us if I thought they might be interested
-posting Etsy updates to Facebook for possibly increased traffic
-brainstorming new products for Etsy listings after looking at the list I generated, yesterday, of the potential ideas -- reassessing those ideas
-planning my class for this evening at work in order to best maintain student engagement, covering the material necessary, and using the time efficiently
-making a list of things to do for the day (read my news on Twitter, check Pinterest, update my blogs, etc.)
-started to check Twitter, but thought better of it for the moment (added it to my list of things to do)
.....
I could go on, but you get the point (and, have likely lost interest by now)...
.....
And, I make dog food for my lovies at least twice a week. Its nice when I can make both kinds at once, so that its only two days a week. Sometimes, it ends up being more like four days because of the way it runs out. Due to current financial issues, I always make extra and freeze it -- just in case there's a week where I don't have the money to buy the supplies. In the past, it wouldn't have occurred to me to put away for a rainy day...funny how age impacts that little factor.

At any rate, the greater thought was this:

Am I really living the mindfulness approach that I believe is the best for me?
Do I really want to let go of my ability to multi-task and utilize my multi-linear thinking? (I have to admit, I'm a little proud of these.)
How will I know unless...

GASP

I actually try it.

Dreadful! Gasp! Gasp! Do I really want to commit to that?

But, the short answer is, of course, YES. How will I know if the mindful approach will improve my life unless I give it the full attempt. I think that I used to actually live that way. I'm not sure how the clutter invaded my head, again, but it most certainly has. And, the streams of thoughts are going a million miles a second, again.

I guess I need a tune-up. So, bear with me if I don't respond right away. I'll be actually trying to do one thing at a time for a while. When I'm fully engaged in something, it must improve the results. Right?

well, I'll let you know....

 

Etsy!

Ok, I've opened an Etsy shop. I finally jumped. Wish me luck.

Yes, yes, there are only 10 items in it, right now, but I'll be working on adding some more.

The Witch's Way

Fluid

My life is fluid -- malleable, transforming, evolving.
It will never become stagnant, even if I wish it.
There can only be movement, as every thing in nature sways in a constant dance of symbiosis.
There are no coincidence.
Instead, there is synchronicity.
No accidents happen -- opportunities arise.

Art in process is alive -- breathing, dancing, changing.
It will never become stagnant, even if we wish it.
There can be only movement, as every thing sways in constant dance.
There are no coincidences.
Only, synchronicity.
No accidents.
Only opportunity.

We change just as we live...one breath at a time...one instant at a time...one awe at a time.

 

Continued -- Glam and Glory

I've continued working on the bags. I've done nearly a dozen in some cute Halloween fabric I've found, thinking they'd be cute for trick or treat bags for kids. (Excuse the mess of my sewing room floor. LOL)


I've also done a few capes and ponchos. This cape is by far the glammiest (is that a word, well, whatever). Its glorious pink satin on one side and gold stretch velvet on the other. VERY shiny.

I'm hoping everything does well at the festival this weekend! Wish me luck. Wrote this little ditty in response to a question for a free spot in an online art journaling class that I covet, but can't afford, so I thought I'd share it here:

There once was a creature named Cloudy.
People sometimes described her as dowdy.
She was quite curvy and round.
With lovely black hair, unbound.
Her eyes were green ice.
Her cheeks were right nice.
She wore dresses and smocks to the ground.
Breathy singing was always her sound.
Most people didn't think twice,
And certainly never thrice,
When Cloudy came into town,
In colors reminiscent of clowns.
But Cloudy was special, you see.
She lived with her soul wild and free.
She wandered and danced,
Chanted, sang, and romanced,
Under the moon, by the sea.
Her partner sometimes only the tree.
And, as she aged well,
Her story to tell,
Her soul lived wild and free.
And, Cloudy, is who I will be....MLW

Thou Art Goddess

I've lately realized that:

I want to draw and paint faces in a way that feels beautiful to me.

I want to feel my heart open and free and wild.

I want to be passionate. Passion is something so special and powerful. And, when combined with love, there's no greater force.

I want to be that wave of energy so that I can waken that spirit in others. 

Bags

I know its been 14 forevers since I've posted anything...sheer laziness. But, I was so inspired by my trip to the Outdoor Art Show, today, that I felt compelled to do some catching up.



Most recently, I've been working on some bags to vend at an upcoming festival the end of this month. The one above is Brown moleskin outside and blue flannel camo on the inside. It is fully lined, has tie-straps (to be adjustable) and can be used reversible. I'm considering selling for $15 each.

This one is also brown moleskin exterior with cotton car print interior. Also reversible. Also $15.

I'm working on some cotton/cotton and cotton/knit ones as well that will be $10 each.

Also making a few different reversible capes (some with hoods, some without). Pics coming soon!

Hatred

 

 

I hated people who couldn't handle their liquor, until I became one in the late stages of my own alcoholism.

I hated people who were weak, until I became one in my own loss of control.

I hated women who didn't parent with love, until I became one in my own empty life.

 

I hated people who were bound by the conventions of society, until I became one in my own fearful desire to hide myself.

 

I hated people who were intentionally cruel, until I became one in the throes of my own pain.

 

I hated people who had power, until I became one who abused it.

 

In the end, I hated so deeply that I couldn't see...

 that the person I hated the most...

 lived inside of me...

 to the detriment of my soul.

 

 

Today, I chase different things...

I seek hope and to be hopeful.

I seek serenity and to be serene.

 

I seek silence in order to listen.

I seek strength in order to lend it.

I seek connection, that I may be connected.

 

I seek the brushing of my soul against that of another's.

Blessed be.