simplicity

Many years ago while passing thru Sedona we stopped in Flagstaff for lunch. I walked past a gallery there and my heart and soul dragged my body into a little shop. Thus, a new relationship started. Louis Buchetto entered my life there. Though we have only seen each other a few times his art lives on in my life and in my kitchen and in a number of my friends and family's homes. His message too lives on... Simplicity. My life is very complicated, I have many opinions and a huge network of family and friends. Those who know me, know I am constantly working on a new project. My taste in music ranges from Nightwish to Gordon Lightfoot with a myriad of artists in between. Visual art is the same for me, my taste runs the gamut. I have attention deficit disorder but I like to refer to it as mega vision order. I have a need to see it all. I quickly glean many wonders in nature, in art, music and philosophy, so my mind skips around a lot. My office is not tidy, not because I am lazy or disorganized but because the minute I begin to sort thru papers, one will catch my attention and I will set off in a new direction with a new quest. My thoughts are kind of 'catch me if you can'. But I am ok with me. Simplicity is always a comfort to me. A short explanation, a profound wisdom in 7 words or less, an uncomplicated theme and a straight forward relationship minus the drama. Prayer and Spirit are the same. I speak my need in faith and simply expect. All the bells and whistles just kind of confuse me.
Simplicity, what a wonderful quest for a part time collector of everything interesting. Simplicity, what a gift to a complex part-time chaos sculpture. Thank you to all you KISS advocates, (keep it simple stupid), I appreciate you!

Beauty

With the Arts Eureka Fall Art Show only a few weeks away, I have had art and beauty on my mind. Several years ago, I had a dream. Seamus, Sir Charles and JTH bringing music simply for the pure purpose of creating beauty from the inside out. As most of my dreams go, I am a 'sky's the limit' girl. I found the image by Cynthia De' Robbins at the Art Show and decided this spoke of my vision of beauty. Serene, placid, lightness within darkness and looking upward to the source of beauty. Great! We worked out the art arrangement. Now the music! My three "Mystical Warriors" began to create incredible music. Since Seamus was only here for a short time from Ireland, we knew it would take awhile. We did the incredible photo shoot and planned for an awesome tour of the music. A dream was in the making. All was on track. Then suddenly the current went wild and the tide rose. My sweet Sir Charles Hammer, my friend, confidant, troubadour, trickster, master hugger got very ill and died. How can life be so cruel? I was crushed... not the first time and certainly not the last. Through it all we managed to finish our project. Not as the combined "Warriors" but with compositions from each person. It was not what I dreamed, but it was still "Beauty Music". And if life seems to be raging against you now, it may not be what you dreamed, but remember it is still beautiful. Sir Charles, you have added so much to the beauty in my life....Thank You!

Hands

We were challenged this weekend to look at our hands. I began to think about what miraculous tools God has given us. With hands music is created, babies are brought into the world and gardens are planted. With hands we are able to take love and deliver it to a needy soul. Also with hands we are able to take up a gun in war, abuse a spouse, pick up a bottle of booze. With hands we are able to take destruction into the world.
Disease is passed by hands and cured with hands. What a picture of free will and personal choice. I have used my hands to heal and to harm. As my hands grow older, they do much more healing and much less harming. That is the beauty of aging. Bring on wrinkles and age spots if it means that I will reach out with hands of understanding and forgiveness. I've never had manicured hands soft and silky. Mine have been hands in the kitchen. Burned and scared many times. Those burns are my most precious legacy. Too bad we are not born with wisdom. We have to live a life time to gain some. Hands reveal our story. From the first hand we touch to the last, life is about giving and receiving. Hands to build or to destroy, we decide.

Another door, another layer

After just coming off a retreat weekend I have the feeling that I have stepped thru another door. Of course there are many behind me and many ahead of me, but today I stand in this place. At this moment of great successes and great failures of laughter and tears, I find myself alone. And although I know I am never truly alone I am embracing this feeling of autonomy. I have many choices, however they are mine alone to make. I may choose to forgive or to hold tight to my blessed resentments. I may choose to let you in or wisely keep you out. Love is not for the timid. Love is not for the selfish. Love will tear you up, it is the lions den. But without it you are not fully alive, so choose. I may even choose not to choose as I sip my morning coffee and contemplate a day of television and fructose sugar... it is up to me and I am so grateful for that!

Irish dreams again

Today, I miss Ireland. I would like to just leave all these papers on my desk, my to do lists, my disappointments and ignorant expectations and just fly away. I don't even need to pack a bag because I know a St. Vincent DePaul shop in Wicklow Town that would take care of my wardrobe needs. Perhaps I would not even leave a forwarding address, just become a part of the land a misguided three leaf clover. Since I feel like Ireland must be the closest place to heaven I could just make a hop skip and a jump and be in my forever home. But meanwhile, to have my feet on Irish soil and to look into the eyes of Irish hearts, that is my fantasy get away today. To walk away from this computer and my cell phone and to wake up to brown bread and jam with a hot cup of coffee every morning. Maybe I could even write my thoughts on a piece of paper, and talk to a friend face to face.....oh that would be glory.

Wonderful

I had many things to do today... A huge to do list. I had to cast them all aside because there is something way more important than me or the things I think I must do. Today 33 men will be rescued, returned to there love ones. They will be truly born again. As I watched the oldest and wisest man drop to his knees, I was immediately transformed into the arms of a loving and gracious Creator God. For all the war and hatred and darkness in the world, here was piercing light! I so wished I could do something, so in thanksgiving I created 34 prayer ties to hang at the Medicine Wheel Garden. One tie for each life and one for the giver of life. I will go and hang them and pray when I am done writing this blog. I know that each of us lives in some way in that seemingly hopeless darkness, but all around us are angels we do not see and a meriad of helpers and supporters wanting to lift us into the light. We just must wait, pray, trust and humbly be lifted. Today, people all across the globe have formed a Circle of Nations Global Community, rejoicing in the miracles we are seeing in Chile. Today we are all brothers and sisters, life is as it should be, this is peace, this is faith, this is possible! Love!!

drops of dew

We are all just drops of dew before the morning sun
we are simply nurturing spirits looking for a little fun
I am not better, nor wiser or more important than you
I am simply a tiny water droplet, a refreshing drop of dew
and together we water and comfort the dry and thirsty earth
giving our gifts and dreams in hopes of loves rebirth
And as the warmth of noon day and sun gives off its sweet light
then slowly we each give up our flesh and return to the silent night
next day the others take our place and feed the new born blades
and soon the time of their lives like ours will simply fade
good by to war and hatred, good by to ego too
hello to little water drops and hope of morning dew!