GO to new page: CLICK HERE for all 2008 posts!!!!!

FOR THE CHARLEY BROWN-IEST IN ALL OF US If you don't get the title of this post...you will after you watch the first of the following three videos. If you choose to view them at all. Why on earth...with all of what is going on in the world at this time would I be posting of all things...THE VIDEOS BELOW?? Beyond the obvious, I mean. THEY are SEASONALLY CORRECT...and they certainly DO bring back sweet memories of childhood FOR MANY OF US... and OUR children's childhoods, which would be our EARLY PARENT-HOOD! But, there's more to it. The Winter Holidays have a strange effect on people.This season reveals itself for Each of us in a personal way. Things that one can over look all year long, all of sudden become very important at this time of year. Past events that at one time have had you emotionally strung out begin to run again on that video screen in your mind. Your old movies rewind...in your private little cinema. (So, it is not all about "soundtracks" of our lives..sometimes we need to "get the picture" too!) What I have always liked about the main character in this Christmasy film, is how honest he could be about what he was "feeling" in the moment. No matter what was expected of him, he could not play poker. And actually, in a world where we are asked constantly to "fit in", suck it up and deal with reality...coming to terms with one's true feelings is a bigger deal AND more of a reality than what we are seeing and hearing in the world around us. He is not in denial of anything. And yet..he is not trying to "prove anything" either. He is real. He, along with the rest of the "cast", show us that our perception is the key and that our inner lives, no matter what they look like is the only thing that truly BELONGS to us. And only when one can open that door to the "true heart" of who we are, can we then even begin to understand humanity. And the meaning of being here now. Generally, Loving-Kindness, Compassion and Good Will are the electrified symptoms of this season....no matter what religion you practice. (I am not going into commercialism and consumerism today. There is no room for that illusion in this article. ) It is about being at peace and Being at home. Christianity teaches us that the Light of the World/the SON is born. If we celebrate SOLSTICE, we are reminded that the LIGHT/SUN is returning. Personally I understand and accept those and any variation of that symbolism. Seems to me, it does not matter if one is Christian, Buddhist, Methodist, Lutheran...(the list goes on, but I will not)...the heart of the HOLIDAY season, is simply and only about our Human Spirit. That SPIRIT which resides in your incredibly perfect and unbelievably efficient human body. The Spirit that moves the heart and the mind of you, when you are feeling creative, joyful, sad, selfish, nostalgic, repentive, self-less or angry. Emotions, (one extreme to another), feelings, intuitions, dreams, degrees of awareness we all may feel, at any given moment... moves through us via SPIRIT. We are moved by Spirit. We are RE-mind-ed by Spirit of things we need to know at specific times. Things to be healed, shared or simply to look at in a new light. Our HOLY-DAYS "reminder" is what we need...to bring us back to our own inner light...within our human consciousness, in simple, earthly ways, that vary in their importance and appearance. Painful retrieval of emotions for a final healing; a mere memory revisiting us to remind us of where we have been in this life and how we got HERE. That Spirit is LIGHT. IT does not have to return to US. It IS us. Honestly, did I get ALL of that from the animated-block-head you may watch in the video? Well, let's just say it moved in me what I already knew. It was a reminder. And I ask you, where did he get IT from? His Creator... perhaps. Go on...at least watch the first one. It is only a few minutes long. And...the music...!

I would love to hear your comments and input regarding YOUR holidays. How is the Spirit moving you?

GOING HOME, COMING HOME , BIRTHDAY TRIVIA & further attempts at Narcissism

GOING HOME, COMING HOME , BIRTHDAY TRIVIA & further attempts at Narcissism

BIRTHDAY TRIVIA

I was born on Dec. 13, Santa Lucia Day. I knew that little fact at a very young age. I have been recently informed from my oldest sister that I was ALMOST named LUCY...but she .(THANKS JOANIE!) talked my mother out of it. I then, told her how our mother did tell me that an aunt of ours wanted me to be named "MERRY CHRISTMAS". Apparently I was supposed to be born even closer to the 25th. My Mother did not like that idea...but did embrace the energy of it with Christine Marie.

What's in a name? What's in a date?

It is all about energy, isn't it?

So anyway, through the years I have often thought about Santa Lucia. Being Italian, I often wondered how and why SWEDEN took her on so fervently. And as you know..the life stories of the saints are always strange, surely bit distorted and who knows what to believe.

Although, one thread of the story remains congruent...even though the details differ...Lucia lost her eyes. Apparently she had BEAUTIFUL eyes...and they were either plucked out by a rejected husband wanna-be...removed as part of her torture for being a Christian OR...she took them out herself...an act of martyrdom. Therefore...

she is often seen on Holy Cards and such standing with two eyeballs on a tray....

being the a patron SAINT of the blind (outer light-less, inner light?) as well as the saint for the HUNGRY of the world.

I do in fact feel something for LUCIA.

Since childhood I was fascinated with the idea that every year on my Birthday somewhere in Sweden and in Italy...some young girl would be chosen to walk through the town in a procession with a crown of candles (light) on her head. Real candles burning gently....carrying COFFEE of all things...(one of my favorite human delights as an adult) and sweet treats in the form of saffron or cardamom buns to neighbors. The 13th being the shortest day of the year...in the real OLD days....so we can see here the Christian beliefs intertwined with pagan tradition.. .the belief being that the shortest day or the Winter Solstice was December 21, when the LIGHT/SUN/SON returns to the world. .

Perhaps if we lived in a more ITALIAN neighborhood, where tradition such as this were followed religiously, (pardon the pun)...OR if we had been MORE involved with the CATHOLIC church...that we "silently" were members of...I could have been chosen at some point to be LUCIA!!!!!!!!

But, since I never had the opportunity to be a part of that December 13th procession as a kid...here is my Birthday gift to myself: Hey, it's NEVER TOO LATE, right?

HOME

I grew up in Chicago, lived there for...39 years. So, when my daughter and her family decided to move back there it was a perk to know I would see Chicago every time I visited them. Last week I spent 6 days in my "hometown".

As I walked up/down the streets of the Windy City, one very very windy day last week...I was impacted again with the alterations I have seen in my hometown during the last 15 years. Certainly some things seemed familiar....but they were out numbered by things that were very new...or at least "restructured, rebuilt, rehabbed" to almost just past the point of recognition. The fact that STREET names have not changed (too much) in the last years....saved me from getting totally disoriented in my HOME town!

The city's essence was as I remembered... busy, crowded, fast paced...a wonderful mixture of people, cultures...incredible architecture and of course the gorgeous lake front. A mixture of sadness and oppression with a sense of opportunity and elegance was felt. But then, in any big city.. I suppose that would be evident. I still felt at home. Yet... at the same time I had a twinge of feeling like a tourist.

That feeling prompted me to reminisce...of how it felt to move to Green Bay Wisconsin, from Chicago in 1994. I remember the Winters in Wisconsin. As cold and overwhelmingly snowy they were those 6 years I lived in Green Bay...the beauty of the land was breath taking. I had never experienced such bright, sunny winters. I, isolated, being snowed in on many occasions (!)...would gaze through frosty window glass at the sun reflecting off the pure white blanket of sparkling dust. It was uplifting and exhilarating. It was healing experience that changed my life forever. And...as comfortable as I felt there...(after the initial culture shock wore off) I continued to experience every excursion I took in the following 6 years as a SIGHT SEEING adventure! It was my home base...yet it was always new. Anyway...I returned from Chicago almost a week later....and stepping off the Greyhound and back in Bloomington....I realized two things:

How good it felt to be HOME.

And...that even after 7 years..I still feel like a tourist HERE.

And that's fine.I think I will just chalk it up to being "stranger in a strange land"....planetary speaking. It is all an adventure.

You know....some people really do not feel comfortable here on this earthly plane

at all. It is sometimes regarded as a "highly Spiritual" phenomenon, not being comfortable in one's skin. Some say they are happier when they "travel" or communicate in the other realms.

Frankly, I am uncomfortable with that idea. Certainly..it can/may be a transit point/temporary condition for many humans to feel that way. And many of us Lightworkers have experienced that and can understand the discomfort floating within the illusional chasm that exists...between the realms. Certainly as a child it felt that way. As I felt that I was "visiting"...this life and not knowing how yet...to merge all the realities that my Spirit contained.

But isn't it interesting that when communicating with THEM.."over there"...THEY often remind us to BE ourselves in our HUMAN-ness, over here?. So...if the "communication" is so desirable and comfy..then why are we all not listening to the lessons that are being communicated? Why would one rather travel and communicate with the other realms...and overlook the obvious that THEY themselves are communicating? To be HUMAN is an honor.

I could equate it to moving to a new country......and NEVER learning to speak that country's language. Yes, certainly we can communicate without verbiage...but that is not the point of this analogy. At least a sincere attempt at speaking a foreign language and learning the customs would signify a desire and respect for the culture and people who are your new neighbors. And in a "spiritual" sense...it would exemplify the WHOLEness...the oneness of all. Not speaking the Human Language leaves an empty hole that could otherwise be filled with the wonder and joy of being born into this time and place...for very specific reasons. Specific HUMAN reasons.

Why would we respect the SPIRIT in us...but not the reason that the/our "spirit"-"soul" ...had/has for manifesting in human form? HOME is where the heart is. Where is the heart actually located? Everywhere...

I enjoy the entire adventure.

Certainly, I COULD be uncomfortable. I have stories and stories and more stories...explaining the variety of experiences that could have lead me in that direction! And could I be more comfortable WITH Spirit? No, I could not.

Being a dimensional traveler...where I could have and at some crucial points actually made a decision whether I stayed THERE or returned to the earthly realm, I feel obliged and qualified to express these points. Still this IS my opinion..and opinions are exactly what they are:-) so bear with me. Men and women who carry on that expression of disillusionment with their humanness are illustrating much more than they think. It is not so much about being MORE comfortable with Spirit...but feeling displaced in the Human Realm.Therefore being uncomfortable with one's self, period. No it is more than just semantics.

But, embracing the perpetual perspective "I am more comfortable communicating with Spirit" seems like an excuse to not learn the HUMAN language and is an attempt at hiding the real fact that one does not want to be comfortable with or even respect the HUMAN that we are. If one trusts SPIRIT so much..then...trust that COMFORT and belonging and JOY in our Human experience IS possible. This excuse seems to me...a creative way of saying that one feels a bit ABOVE it all.....this mere human-ness. But if we would all understand, truly understand that the SPIRIT realm RESPECTS us as human brothers and sisters....perhaps the chasm would diminish.

And there is the ONEness. It is not so much about traveling at all...but merging the ALL that IS. And loving each and every pixel in that picture...the smaller Human picture that dissolves into the BIG picture One being not better than other. Only a point of focus.

That perspective helps I think...to diminish the Ego, and the arrogance out of that phenomenon.

And also is a testimony of my own ego....as I continue to exercise, on a daily basis the lesson of compassion for those who are still uncomfortable. And a testimony to my own arrogance...in regard to judging and labeling the phenomenon and those humans who are still finding discomfort in the JOY of the Oneness...beyond the words they use...but truly BEING able to FEEL it. Being it.

Another rambling that was! From Chicago to Multiple realms! But I AM learning to write more succinctly and after all.......I am only human. :-)

See you soon for my very SPECIAL Christmas update...but before you click off... I have been tagged again by my friend Laura at LITTLEORANGEKITCHEN! So...speaking of Narcissism...here are 7 more widely Unknown facts about myself. And this time I am tagging a friend/blogger, too! Please visit her site as well. Leila , YOU have been tagged! No pressure..if it's NOT fun forget it! 1. I would rather cook than eat. 2. I often get up during the night and walk through the house in the dark...ON PURPOSE. 3. I am intensely NOT a fan of Barbara Walters. 4. I am an obsessive tooth brusher. Just ask my dentist who told me that I have...WORN down by teeth. 5. I love anything that is...FIBER OPTIC. (like for instance my Fiber Optic mini Xmas tree that I am taking out of storage tonight) 6. I have trouble reading a book from front to back. ANY book! Often i read in sections/chapters...and then string it all together in my head. 7. I keep a box of CRAYOLA crayons handy...it is my AROMATHERAPY.

Thanks for the Anomalies, Resonance & Where is the new Art??

~~"THANK YOU", I say to Spirit..."for all the things I can see and understand. The things I see and do not understand & all the things I cannot see. Yet." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~RESONANCE "...with music defined as basically communication (speaking directly to the heart, feelings & intuition), it follows that a musician is someone who can use the vehicle of sound to say something, to present meaning through music, and evoke a response in the hearer. But what does he communicate? Where do these abstract concepts come from? They come from his true mystical experience. For the musician must also be a mystic." The Silent Encounter, p.164

Well, you may have already guessed that I LOVE music. ALL kinds of music. As a child, there was OFTEN a musical background while everyday, mundane things were taking place. It would have been classical, the Rat Pack, Jazz or the current pop music on the radio. (If you are wondering what/who the RAT PACK is/are...write me so I can respond with appropriate reprimanding :-) I clearly remember my father listening in awe to opera and calling my attention to the "beautiful voice"and explaining how it is not only talent but discipline to nurture a gift such as that. Then, perhaps later in the same day...he would be enjoying a song sung by Dean Martin as he sat in his easy chair while smoking a cigar. The variety of music in the house included pieces from famous ballets. My sister, who was a ballet dancer probably had some influence there. As I got older, I was the one who put the records on and listened to the ballets...and as a teenager my choice of music was eclectic. I listened to the "whoever" was popular at the time for teens. But the "expected" musical menu of a teen was peppered with all of what I had learned to appreciate as a child. And more. I had an interest in WORLD music...many years before it was called that. Soundtracks to ALL movies and plays...such a West Side Story and Sound of Music, My fair Lady. By the time I was 12, I had memorized every song form all three and had in mind a "Broadway" career. {Unfortunately, I missed that calling...only to become quite dramatic and a relentless HAM in many other ways. :-) } I was 16 when I discovered Antonio Carlos Jobim and it has been a love affair ever since. I felt the music carefully and listened to the lyrics..." poetry set to music"...with deep concentration. MUSIC has ALWAYS been an important part of my life. It has been a friend. And there's more. I am not sure at what point it began, but...there has always been music in my head. Almost as if I have been living in a Broadway Musical. You know, where the leading actress is just walking down the street like a normal person and then all of sudden, out of nowhere...music drifts in from somewhere...and she breaks into song? Well, no...I did not actually ever do that that. And well yes, during any conversation...if someone makes a statement that vaguely reminds me of a song...I will remark about it. But it does not necessarily spark my own personal off-Broadway production, on the spot:-) Back to the subject: The music in my head has not always been a popular melody or a musical piece that I could name. Sometimes it was just...a mysterious melody. So..I have had a SOUNDTRACK for my life...and it had been so natural...I never really "noticed" it, until... at some point in my early twenties, when I became curious and began researching what exactly music does for us on the mental, emotional AND physical level. And then...in my early thirties when my "gifts' started to accelerate, and the messages started to come more frequently and it became less easy to ever get away from them...the volume of the music got louder, too. Where did it come from? Did I really miss my calling to be a musician? In 1998 When my personal LIGHTBODY activations came about with full force...I did not only hear MUSIC. But began hearing tones and sounds that I could not describe. And then the "hearing" of music evolved, as well. I was not hearing with my ears. And the music was not just in my head. I was hearing with my whole body, my heart and my spirit. Since then..it is just an everyday occurrence, that music of mine. And...in recent years the messages from Spirit often come in song or melody when I least expect it. Sometimes, upon awakening...a lovely melody drifts in that I cannot name...but hear clearly. Sometimes and often they precede an event in my life that I do not expect. It could be the mood of the music, that determines the message...the style, the title or the instrument(s) I hear being played. One cold January morning..I woke with lovely, melancholy melody that was so beautiful...still half asleep...I said out loud, "What beautiful guitar music". They, (spirit in charge at the moment :-) ..quickly corrected me by gently saying..."No, it's a mandolin". And by the way...FYI..it was a precursor to something I did not expect. I do not have the answers as to WHY or HOW, in MANY ways music has been such an important part of my life. All I know is that it IS. And when only a few years ago... my guides told me that I was using a new "thread" of energy in the Healing Energy Work I was doing and that it was to be MY "signature" energy.... I was not reeeely surprised when they told me I was to call it...MUSIELight Just last year a good friend of mine decided it might be time for me to try to compose/ play some of that MUSIC IN MY HEAD. So now..I have a beautiful Electronic keyboard in my room. The magic sounds of many instruments at my finger tips. And yes, I have played...and strung together some of my inner melodies. They are "stored" in the Keyboard. Have not "recorded" any yet. I seem to have a block there! What's up with that? Well, maybe I am not supposed to "record" them for anyone else to hear but me. Or maybe...just like with music, it's all in the timing! So what does music do for you? And how does it play a part in your life? Or not? You may not have stories such as mine and it does not matter. Music speaks to us in unique ways for special reasons. If you are thinking."I just listen to music because I enjoy it, what's the big deal?" There is no BIG deal. But...in this time of self-evolving and truly knowing and BEING.. ourselves...it could be interesting and fun to know why the attraction to a particular piece of music, instrument or style exists and why it moves you. Here are titles to books I have found through the years that moved me, in regard to MUSIC. (the first one, I read in my early twenties!!! And..it is still today...on my bookshelf!)) ~THE SILENT ENCOUNTER, Reflections on Mysticism Virgina Hanson This book, out of print now...has chapters on The element of mysticism in Art, Music, Poetry and Creativity. And is actually a profound read on Mysticism in general. ~MUSIC; IT'S SECRET INFLUENCE THROUGHOUT THE AGES Cyril Scott This one speaks a lot on Classical music/composers and it's effect on us emotionally. "Heady" but simple. ~MUSIC: The keynote of Human Evolution Corrinne Heline This one: an "early" new ager. Speaks of many musical ideas from Indian music to music from ...LEMURIA! LAST BUT NOT LEAST... Remember OLIVER SACKS? Sure you do! "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat", among many other phenomenal writings. His book "AWAKENINGS" inspired the movie with the same name, that starred Robin Williams. His new book is called "MUSICOPHILIA"...and you can learn more about it and hear a excerpt if you click on this link. http://musicophilia.com/ I have not read it yet..but cannot wait to get a copy! The new book is about how music effects us on an emotional level and how the brain works with, hears and uses music. Did you know that the brain of a musician differs physically from that of a non-musical person? Did you know that some people, cannot HEAR music? I will not tell you more...if you want to know...you will check it out for yourself.

You might enjoy the following links as well. He seems to be a wonderful speaker as well as a writer.

SACHSVIDEOEXCERPTMUSIC&LIGHTENINGBOLT AMUSIA-Inabiltytohearmusic

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IS THERE ANY NEW ARTWORK YOU ASK? Go to: ParallelVisions to find out!!!

I AM updated! I hope you like all the changes I have made in the actual "creative structure" of the pages'. Please take time to listen to music...and feel the art on all pages. OK...well... excuse any typos, font problems...I guess it is a Halloween TRICK that the site is not letting me change styles and sizes as desired today! But not being the SITE's problem..please forgive me for any ramblings as well! You see.... I am really excited because I think I am going to take the challenge...what challenge? Well, look up at the side bar and check out: NaNoWrMo!!! But not until you are done reading here!!

The HeART of Communication

When I was little, I would run away in hysterics...when someone pointed a camera at me. And a video camera...would send me into complete shock.

For someone who has, all her life literally CRINGED at the thought of a "recorded photo-impression" of herself...I find it interesting...that recently I have felt the desire...the need actually, to incorporate a picture of myself...into some my art. Not in all of my art. But the art that is particularly personal, "therapeutic" or cathartic.

In those pieces you will see me..or a part of me...snugly placed, or pieced in..or blurred under or shadowing through . There is nothing actually ever "hidden" in the art I create. Just subtle...or soft-spoken in some.

Art is an idea in FORM. A "visual effect or product of a thought". I like layered art. Whether it is paint or paper or digital-magic. Complex combinations, collages of idea, imaginative montage. Not necessarily "complicated" though.

All you need to is listen. It will speak to you.

Sometimes, I think....that a simple piece of art..a flower or a house...is more complicated. Simple and flat....many things UNSAID...denied or incomplete. It makes me wonder..."what is NOT being said by the artist?" But that is MY nature and attitude in regard to how humans/I think, or express ourselves creatively. Not all artists create as emotional/creative expression...therapeutically! Sometimes Beauty is enough...and I hope you feel much of that here on my pages!

Pictures, creation, hidden...MASKS! Appropriate thought for this day! Being a day when masks are allowed, expected and even demanded! Like art..."costuming" ourselves can be very therapeutic. Another form of expression. Something to be worn to hide something that is less real than what we "costume" ourselves in.

Sometimes, I can see that at HALLOWEEN.

Subtle hints...of who we want to be...would rather be...or how we are really feeling.

You say you are not wearing a mask today? Anyday?

Well, maybe it's true.

After all, even I cannot play poker anymore :-)...so perhaps...becoming un-masked is more of a trend that I thought.

Well, I am not really sure what that rambling was all about! So do not let it deter you from reading on and looking at he rest of the pages. Lots of art..and interesting little tidbits await you!!

Oh yeah...

Trick or Treat!!!!

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Parallel-lellaraP Realities

That IS my expertise. Whether it is expressed in my ART, writing or simply breathing! But as some of you know it is VERY difficult to explain the reality/phenomenon. And so when I come across a writer/teacher that I feel has a real knack for expressing the inexpressible...I take notice! I had the pleasure of reading some of her work and have had a tiny bit of communication with her...only to find that we have some "parallels" in our shifts, too! Her article "Entering the Portal of Parallel Selves", really struck me. And guess what? She is also an artist. Pay her a visit. Deborah Robinson.

Instant Gratification, Creative Distraction OR Addiction?

Hey... turn off that Halloween music and Click on above player for accompanying music for this article :-)

It is all in the semantics...so I say: Whatever. Here is another peek into my sanctuary! I just had to include a picture of my new adventure.

Clove cigarettes have become VERY expensive. And..as to NOT limit my abundance, I am not going to say that "I cannot afford to buy them". But...upon principle..I am choosing to creatively enhance my smoking pleasure. And honestly, it is a very enjoyable and calming process. Listening to Santana or Jobim or perhaps Vivaldi, while I roll! Depends on what mood I am in, you know. I have even been known to listen to the BLUES. Hmmm, I wonder if they taste..according to the music I am playing at the time. I Will have take note next time. Certainly I could see the possibility of unconsciously adding MORE Clove to to the mixture if when am listening to Santana! Hey, you non-smokers...PLEEEEEEEEEZ do not write me about the evils of smoking. Then I would be forced to tell you how SMOKING actually saved MY life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VIBRATIONAL EFFICIENCY

Hey, what happened?

Yesterday (Tuesday) I was sitting in the park enjoying the warmth of a golden sun...on my face. Today, I woke up shivering! Oh yeah, it IS almost the middle of October isn't it? Well, this could be it...let's try to embrace the change of season. But whew, time does fly when you're having SUN! ! :-)

I had been under the impression that this Autumn/Winter may be warmer than usual...I may have to simply accept the fact that a partial Sunny Autumn...will help warm my Winter in any case.. Warm memories are at least permanent treasures of the heart. Oh well...all I can say now is.... Ce La Vie'. Time to take out the sweaters and move the socks from the back of the drawer to the front...for easy access. I will play my favorite "WARM" MUSIC (click on that, if you want an idea of what I call WARM !) ... And in lieu of having a fireplace..will light some candles in each room and certainly will be basking in the glow of the "Lightscreen" and perhaps...just perhaps...start writing one of those books that have been spinning around in MY head...for quite some time. Comfort at the Lightscreen

Speaking of writing...

There is much congruency in all the Ascension Writing that I have been keeping up with...All the popular writers have similar information. One interesting correspondence is in regard to "Creating Our Sanctuaries"...and if that means recreating where you reside...OR moving to a new location...it is all about what feels right. And of course, Vibrational Efficiency is surrounding ourselves with all things...people and even ideas (music, art, nature) ...that mirror to us who we are.

A peek into my sanctuary!

Although there is some layering here... What feels "right" is often based on the PAST...and who we have BEEN. And now...we are being encouraged to expand our realties..which includes our very human 3D comfort zones. So....again...as always as it is with these darn SHIFTS of consciousness...we continue to ask ourselves questions...deeply investigating where we are really coming from...in order to clarify "where we are going".

And the only way to do that, I think..is to KNOW who and where we are, right NOW. Honesty with oneself is the key, even if it is uncomfortable. For it is only a temporary discomfort that will lead to lasting peace.

That's all the pseudo wisdom you are getting from me this update!

There is new music, of course to listen to at PARALLEL VISIONS...while you peruse a couple of new works of ART on the same page...and I hope you do. Please...Don't forget to leave a comment! I was thrilled to see some the last time..and MANY of you responded to the update email with such wonderful words! But..if you comment right on the page...(see the "comment" link under each post)...then others can read them too.

OH! BUT WAIT!

I have been TAGGED! Yep, my good friend LAURA at My Little Orange Kitchen ( visit her fantastically creative, insightful and humorous BLOG) has invited me in a BLOG-like manner to Post "7 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT MYSELF". COULD I PASS UP AN INVITATION LIKE THIS, TO TALK ABOUT MYSELF, IN SUCH A REFLECTIVE AND HUMOROUS MANNER? I THINK NOT!!! :-)

Sounded like fun...so......HERE I GO!!

1. Anniversary! 7 years ago this November...I purchased my very first COMPUTER. On Thanksgiving eve...I made my first journey into the UNIVERSE, via the INTERNET. I had NO idea, I would ever care about anything computer related. I was simply "learning the ropes"...so I could write emails...and so I would speak the same language my son already was already fluent in! HA! We all know where THAT has led me!

2. MUSIC/ART/MUSIC/ART/MUSIC/ART is the brick and mortar that continually rebuilds, recreates MY sanctuary.

3. I LOVE WORDS. I love the sound of them..the tones and the meanings within the meanings. When I make up words...which I often do, I feel I am freeing them from their little cages.

Made-up Words

are little Birds...

enjoying their first flight.

4. When I was in 3rd grade...I started signing my school work papers "MARIA". I wanted to change my name based on the fact that I had just seen "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" on Broadway and The movie..."WEST SIDE STORY", and I KNEW I would be a perfect MARIA in either role.

I memorized all the lyrics and most of the scripts! Oh well...I missed my chance on Broadway & the Silver Screen......but maybe the MARIA role unfolded in a different way, huh? (By the way, my 3rd grade teacher was a GEM...and she let me use my fantasy name...until the principle found out. Thanks Ms. Jacqueline Schutlz for nurturing my creativity and my fantasy life!)

5. I only have... hmmm...one , what I would call actual, REAL regret about my life. But it's a dooozy. :-) :-(

6. I have two sisters. 20 and 15 years older than me. We did not get to reeeely know each other very well...during my childhood..being the age difference and living situations, etc. But now...we are catching up. And one way this is happening is through this BLOG! Again...Happy anniversary to me. :-)

(Hi Joanie...Hi Carol!!)

7. As much as I love to use my BRAIN...I admit that I still embrace the brilliance of the MYSTERY. I like the balance, I need them both. That is my true Sanctuary.

OK...enough about me...time to go listen and look: PARALLEL VISIONS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LONG TIME, NO BLOG....

Can you be-leaf it? It's Autumn!

You know when...

you meet someone on the street that you haven't seen for a long time and they ask you what you have been doing, "what's new"? And even though you HAVE been VERY busy, which in fact maybe one of the reasons you haven't seen this person in such a long time.... you can't quite grasp ...just one little thread to try to express to them what HAS been going on...and convince them that you really HAVE been very BUSY! This is how I feel while writing this BLOG. It has been so long. And so much has happened. And how do you catch up? Honestly, I don't know if I can write that much. But hopefully, with a word here and there...and through the creative expression of ART and music..you might, you JUST might get some insight. There is new ART and/or writing on every page.... And the music.. weeeell... my landlord stopped in today to fix some flooring in my kitchen as I was about to test some music. He asked...as it was silent when he arrived..."What, no music today?" (I am always playing something when he shows up...and he always seems to like what he hears.) Anyway..I told him he had great timing and played for him what I have attached to INTERMEZZO. Surprised, he said... "Hmmm, not your usual...this sounds like elevator music". Well....yeah...but only in Tuscany! Hey....there is a method to my music madness... More about that at a later date.:-) Please visit the MUSIELight page. Since I am no longer "HOSTING" on a regular basis...I wish to spend some time doing one on one sessions again. So please read about it and if it sounds like it could be beneficial for you to have a session...let me know!! By the way..I LOVE reading COMMENTS on the BLOG. PLEASE, feel free to leave a sign that you have been here! "THANKS" in advance...for reading, looking and listening. Planning on updating more often. CME

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some things I have (re?) learned this summer: :-) The shortest path between two points is to...listen. Boundaries are simply imaginary margins set on your "page" of life to contain in an orderly manner, what is being created . A bittersweet thought: Like, really does attract LIKE. Past and Future=NOW. They just have different "lenses" attached. To zoom in,... simply soften the focus. If you can't do IT, (anything) with passion... then stop doing it at all. Seemingly, (but not really) Contrasting Advise: If you are one single iridescent, glowing flower in a large field and you find that you have been targeted by a"stream of pesticide"... Just fold up your little petals...get close to the ground and... love your roots. Then...transplant yourself in a new field. Feeling "tapped out" has a whole new meaning to me, now. :-) WORDS are like stars. And last but not least...THIS SUMMER...I was finally shown the proper way to say "CHEEEEEZE!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Playing God...?

The other day I caught a glimpse of two children playing on the sidewalk. It was just an instant...almost like a flash- frame that I just happened to catch...as the bus I rode on, moved by quickly.

A memory was triggered...something from childhood I had not thought about in years.

When I was little, I used to observe ants. For hours I would watch as they crawled around in their private little world, sometimes carrying bits of grass or crumbs...or whatever other tiny things ants carry around with them. Most seeming much too large or heavy for one little ant to handle all by her/him self! This intrigued me so much. I wondered how they "knew" to build, to have their little meetings at the edge of the lawn..and whereto turn or take a detour.

Who gave them directions?

I would test them! Sometimes I would get a leaf...and place it right in front of them...blocking their path. Some of the tiny creatures would stop instantly, noticing that what was a clear path an instant before, was now blocked by an enormous obstacle. I would wait to see how long the ant/s would "access the situation", before they would decide how to continue. One might pause for just a brief moment..and then "decide" to simply walk around the obstacle. Another would wait and wait and wait...too long sometimes, for me to even wait to see what the little traveler would eventually do! Another..would climb over the obstacle...struggling...but eventually arriving at their destination anyway. At least I think they did.

Did they know that they were ants? And that there was strange beings living in another private world of their own, watching them?? Did they KNOW that it was a HAND of one of those strange beings that had placed the obstacle in their path? Did they care? Were they upset by this unexpected event slowing them down? Did anything matter to them at all? Did they believe in an ANT GOD? Was IT...US?

Or were they like robots...just mechanically moving through their lives...no thought, no "ideas" just existing in automatic pilot mode. But who turned the auto pilot on? And was that a bad thing...that they didn't actually think...but simply "knew, without thought" what to do next?

Yes, I really did wonder about these things when I was little.

Now, I wonder why, of all the childhood memories that could have been RE-viewed that day......why was it was this one..that pulled me in.

SMOKE & MIRRORS

So much for keeping my BLOGS simple and succinct!

Well...seems as though I may have found my niche here. Combining words, art and music...IS a passion. And...on the LIGHT-screen, too? Can it get any better? The following are several little ramblings that I just HAD to share with you. Life has been full of interesting little tidbits, just popping in from all sides lately. Can't complain...if it had not been so "interesting"...I would have had to THINK more about what to write!! But first... Speaking of words...here are some lovely words sent to me from Grace Chapman who was moved by the RANDOM ASCENSION article:

How Conscious Can We Become? 05/06/07 If consciousness is self-awareness, then self will always limit one. This self, though always expanding through experience, is limited by the interplay of sense perception and thought. If consciousness is pure Being, then consciousness is all encompassing and no-thing simultaneously. This Self/Being is incomparable and cannot be described in relative terms. Evolution is a movement from self-awareness to pure being, and its expression is all form, sound, taste, smell, touch, feeling and thought. As human beings we are a borderless moving medium flowing as one with/within a borderless moving medium; and the state of equilibrium, the integration of stillness in action/reception in giving, is present consciousness - Being. self is me a ripple in a boundless sea not part, not whole yet being trough and peak a fluid movement on the surface of eternal deep As being, we are limitless. As defined beings, we are limited by perspective.

Thank you Grace, for taking the time to share your thoughts. OK, here we go...........

~REAL-EYES~

I have experienced recently the gift of being a witness to true Unhappiness. It is a subtle thing you know...Unhappiness. It shows itself as fear and doubt. As distrust and blame. Cruelty and coldness. Control and manipulation. We all have our moments...of being not quite in the light-hearted space that we would like to be. Surely, we must feel our feelings. Life is not always EASY. This is why we are here, to EXPERIENCE and grow. But there are those...who cannot seem to lift them selves up and out of their self created chaos...not even for a moment. The density that lurks in their hearts has become their best friend. It seems as though they have covered their hearts with a thick fog and poured it into their minds, this odd, dense, smokey ethereal liquid... that dampens any hint of joy and dims any point of light that might try to permeate their familiar darkness. This might sound a bit dramatic......but there is a method to my drama! You noticed...I called this witnessing a GIFT. And truly it is. Surely, we are human and we feel human emotions... But ... ask yourself...how do you really feel? What is the basic emotion you feel, most of the time? What is your level of contentment? Trust? Happiness? Peace? How far off "center" does the "unexpected" in your life throw you? In watching closely those who simply cannot seem to take on a different perspective or even want to try...and do not appear to have the desire to look into their hearts and ask...WHY AM I SO MISERABLE....?( because certainly... all their Unhappiness must be the fault of the events and people around them), I cannot help but wonder...what horrible, dark human misconception has led them to this lie? This very sad lie. What have they NOT real-eyes-ed, yet? What is it about the FREEDOM of seeing TRUTH, that scares them so much. Does the light threaten them ...because they truly have become permanent residents in their self made heart of darkness on earth? And the flicker of some light of truth that may begin to enter their surroundings...to help heal...or to show them another way...doesn't only send them running away in the other direction..... but some would do all they can to squelch that light. Because you see, that LIGHT cannot be trusted, either. Yes, I know...this does sound dramatic...and perhaps judgemental, too. But...let me soften it all by telling you what I truly believe... Nothing is random. All is purposeful. A path is THE path, whether one knows it or not. And so....if NOTHING is random...(and I do believe that), and if ALL is purposeful, then THOSE who feel that deep discontent in their hearts are ON their path too...purposefully and completely IN their lessons. And if they never come out of the seeming darkness into the light...well then..their PATH is theirs to claim. And who am I to judge what is the RIGHT thing for them in their personal life experience? Am I saying that some humans are here to simply be miserable? Hmmmm. What kind of GIFT is that for them? I really do not have the answer to that...even if I may be tempted to teach, preach, help, heal. I do not know what their path is SUPPOSED to look like. All I know is THIS: I am gifted with new sight... in witnessing those who appear to be...the blind ones.

VANISHING ACT

In my opinion...one of the misconceptions of the Ascension teachings, is the idea that one is "waiting" to ascend. That we are simply preparing for the GRAND FINALE and in the meantime we need to do as much energy work, take as many workshops as possible, cleanse our "systems" continually, breathe only fresh air, drink the purist of water (certainly neither of which would be found in the city:-), and pray and meditate and tone and dowse ourselves with essential oils every day..and certainly...if we do good..really discipline ourselves in all these ways and more..........THEN we can ASCEND. LIFE is not good enough right now...and so...we have this higher dimensional carrot of light dangling in front of us... (what a visual)...just knowing that once we get that carrot, all of life will magically, dramatically change and it will then be "worth living". No more problems or pain. Some Ascension "seekers" seem to believe that some kind of 5th Dimensional Escape...is possible. That all we are doing right now in the moment is "preparing" for the big day. Much like the "Rapture" scenario that some Christian sects entertain. Or HEAVEN as the final resting place where one can finally be with GOD. That is if you are GOOD while you are on this earth. And even so...we are all sinners anyway..some would say. Some ASCENSION addicts, oooh, that sounds harsh. Oh well too late now...some ASCENSION addicts think that one can OVERRIDE the 3D...by pretending that the things we EXPERIENCE do not matter. That since it is all an ILLUSION anyway...all we have to do is DETACH from the IDEA that it matters at all. So what I would hope to shed light on in my own little way is to remind you that ASCENSION is HAPPENING. It is the light and the dark. It is the PAIN and the contentment. It is the experience of LIFE and how we perceive that experience in every MOMENT. Ascension is NOT about reaching a destination...like Going to HEAVEN. No, in fact it is bringing the truth of HEAVEN, the IDEA/ideal down to earth. DESCENSION is bringing the light into our awareness...here, right now. We are HUMANIZING THE LIGHT, remember? How can we do that if we are always waiting to LIFT OFF? :-) There is no MAGICAL remedy for the malady called LIFE on earth. And the Spiritual path is not meant to "take us away" or "out of life". More so...it provokes us into "diving deeply" (There's that phrase again, ) into what we are feeling, seeing and being addressed with...in our everyday, "mundane" lives. Ascension is about the illusion of MAGIC transforming into the MIRACULOUS. A Magician creates illusions to lead us to believe that something has changed. Well, it does have it's purpose. Even the teasing affect an illusionist has on our senses...changes our perception somewhat in regard to what is Real ...and what is not. And the mystery of how he/she does it...tweaks our curiosity and prompts us to "want to know more". We wonder about it, ask questions, try to "figure it out". We are fascinated with the Magicians illusions! Our illusions have their purpose, too. Time is an illusion. Space, too! Get the drift? But, when the idea of the Miraculous is introduced.....we are allowed to see all of the illusion...witness the incongruencies as well as the fascination and the mystery..AND...embrace it ALL as perfect. Not worrying so much of HOW it is done or why or how we can figure it out. Ascension writings tell us of how we are waking out of the dream...into a new reality. Now...even that reality is a dream in itself...as long as we reside on this earthly plane..we are dreamers of the dream within the dream called life. Where does it end? I do not think it does. But a new consciousness can emerge...when we even hold the IDEA that that we are dreamers of THE dream. Even thinking the possibility opens us up...expanding our awareness...so that we may experience the Miracle of life itself. Thought is real. That new consciousness that can emerge is the MIRACULOUS consciousness. The MIRACULOUS permanently shifts our perception so that we may LOVE the illusion as it is. The MIRACULOUS IS the shift, itself. Do we live an ILLUSION called life? Yes. We ARE illusions, intricately designed holograms...that are divinely imbued with the potential of becoming real. WE ARE illusions. We are MIRACLES. We just forgot. We are here, in this life, on this earth...in the grand illusion... so we can remember. All beautiful. All purposeful. All one and ALL NOW. He was right. BE HERE NOW.

I AM CONVINCED THAT THE PATH IS LINED WITH MIRRORS

Some things, you would never discover about yourself, unless you take some risks. The SPIRITUAL PATH is only "safe" in that we are continually guided. But not "safe" in the human distinction between what will or will not necessarily feel "good". Yes, there ARE signs along the way to direct us. Not force us IN to a specific direction...against our will. But signs as reminders......to pay attention, listen and perhaps...step forward, or backward, or sideways...in order to embrace the fullness of this life. Walking, running, gliding, sometimes "stumbling"...on a Spiritual Path, we learn about certain traditions, ritual, belief systems...and work very diligently to become the person we think, we are supposed to be. More enlightened. More compassionate. More successful. More SPIRITUAL. And so...along that path, that one might stumble or glide...after decades perhaps of running into some walls, tripping over rocks...crashing into mountains of obstacles... we learn of course, all of those seeming BLOCKS, detours or "accidental collisions" were part of the path...uniquely designed for us. Designed for ...each of us individually ...allowing every opportunity to discover... remember, our unique purpose/s in this life. ) When we finally understand that the path, the Journey is NOT about BECOMING...but remembering...WHO we ARE, right now in this moment.... We may then... have a revelation. We have been looking ahead. We have been looking behind us. Gaging our past and future...taking inventory of how much we have raised our lives, minds, hearts...spirits. Have you looked...along the way...to either side? Left, right...what lines the path? Look..... we have sometimes very unconsciously been shown our reflection...the clearest reflection of our deepest self...not in the obvious lessons, or the NEON signs, but in the eyes of those people we meet along that path. As they too...are the path itself. We are all connected in some way...words cannot really capture the vastness of our ONEship. So...look deeply into the eyes of one that that you meet along the way. One that may not be aware that you have been trying for so long to BECOME...or trying so hard to AVOID your truth!

The eyes of those who walk with you...the reflectors...you see, makes the path what it is. With out them...we would simply be walking around in circles...wondering when this journey will end.

Are these "human sign posts" randomly placed? No. They are strategically placed along your path, so when you are ready..the reflection you need to see, at that moment will be seen. If you look. If you dare. If you for one small moment in time...take a risk...let down your guard...and get a different perspective... What you see in that reflection may surprise you. It might sadden you. It might give you great joy. Watch your responses. Feel your energy as you look into the mirrors. IS that reflection familiar? Does that reflection remind you of something you cannot relate to? Does it remind you that there is something more than meets the eye? Either way...we will see clearly, what defines us in our reality. Even when those eyes are filled with Unhappiness... ...there YOU are.

in the eyes of another. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~