Shedding skins............

As I was reading India Flint's comment a few days ago about shedding skins...........I thought about a concept Julie Morganstern came up with in her book SHED Your Stuff, change your Life....... ,

SHED as an acronym..........

S = Separate the treasures

H = Heave the trash

E = Embrace your identity

D = Drive yourself forward.....

What a help to revisit this as I drive myself forward..............


And then there is the acronym for the word SPACE..........which Julie came up with too......

S = Separate

P = Purge

A = Assign

C = Containerize

E = Evaluate


Now what is FREE an acronym for?

Perhaps...... Fearlessly Realizing Eternal Evolution

Any more?

Besides packing and moving........

These are the things I'm thinking about today..........

A place I visited several years ago...........The Monastery of Christ in the Desert.......

And this link......sent to me from my friend Roz who knows me so well........Sisters on the Fly........

and now I'm thinking about a silent retreat............re-Treat.............and packing my waders.......

And just when I thought an Airstream might be in my future.........perhaps it will be a

Tear Drop.........






photo from here......

Marcella.........

Today I did something I've been meaning to do for a long time...........

That is to give this..........

Print I made........in 1999......time flies

(it is a collagraph,  using a technique I developed.......at least I think I did........

printed with water soluble oil paint instead of etching ink.........)










to my friend and model for the piece...........

Marcella...........

Marcella is a very beautiful special person and quite a renown life drawing model in the Detroit area.....

I am so fortunate to know her and count her as my friend.

As we visited today......I learned once again.......she has been modeling for Detroit area artists for over 50 years......



Can you imagine?

She told me, although she did not write it down yet......that when she dies.........she wants all of the pieces she has of her.........displayed at the funeral home.  Isn't that a nice idea?  To know that if that happens................ she will have this piece in her collection........makes me very happy.  I hope I'm there to see that show!.........not that it will be any time soon!

Check lists..........

My 'Sis' was visiting this weekend and told me how she learned it was important to make 'lists'.......check lists.......and how she learned the more complex a task........the more complex, no.... 'detailed', the list must be.  That is how my memory serves me on this.  And I was listening!  Because I am a big fan of 'the list'. Note: please go here for how important lists are.........especially when one is in the business of caring for lives........as she is.......and he is.......

And being a big fan of 'the list'.......I even thought to save some lists I've made in my life because they were so detailed and attended to...........I must say.......I've gotten a lot done that way.......

However, I recall recently.... I learned.....or re-remembered..... that we don't really need lists.  That if we are doing what our heart center desires........what our soul requires........all that we really need to get done is done.........the 'lists' are for the 'shoulds' of our lives..........what we think we 'should' do.........

So in this task.......of moving.........since no one gave me a 'reason to stay'.....I can still hear the music.......

I am moving forward in a most unusual way, for me at least.........I think of something to do......and I do it......no ruminating.   No judging.  I just do it.  In the flow.........

1) Call Uncle Joe about health insurance - check

2) Drop off nice leather jacket and Tizio lamp to Vi for gift and safekeeping - check

3) Notify friends of my plans - ongoing check

4) Secure storage space for what I can't think of departing with - check

5) Ask Annie to help with my studio purge and pack up - check

6) Call my eye doctor to see when my next far off appointment is - check

7) Look at stuff in my studio and think of folks who might want it and act on it in the moment - check

8) Take gallon of paint primer and Floitral to Mick who might need it, surely I won't - check

and on and on......

So really ......everything I'm doing now is when I think of it.  No second guessing.  Just trusting.  That it is the right thing.  And oddly for me........most of it is gifting.....giving away stuff I love and things I have made.......

Now.......this is not easy......this trusting thing......trust me......it feels like a leap.  

And I can't tell anyone how to get here.  To this place of leaping.  I wish I could..........but really it doesn't matter.......

Because most of my friends, when I tell them what I'm doing...........say they could never do it.

Building momentum............

As I begin the dauntless task of packing.........

Read Give Me One Reason lyrics here

ox

Reality check..........

Wow.......I just realized it was 6 months ago, November 18th that I arrived home from my epic trip down under........It was a spur of the moment,  just say 'yes' journey......that lasted over two months.

I started this blog..........to document that journey.......and a time that seemed to be a turning point in my life.

A year ago, last spring, I finalized my plans to put my house on the market........ and the ensuing months were filled with the stress of that and moving to a smaller place. The  journey to OZ offered an escape from all of that activity.  And a glimpse of a life I want to live........filled with adventure, travel and art.......

Arriving home in November was a let down, as one can imagine.  I came home to my new digs with boxes still to unpack.....and memories of a trip filled with magical synchronicities.......  The reality was that I was in the same place as I had been before my trip.......and my move......just a few blocks west.......in the same town.......doing the same things, minus all the back breaking work it takes to maintain a large aging home.......gave me time on my hands to think.........which resulted in a lot of reflection.......

And what I mainly reflected on was that my life was not feeling very expansive.  And it was not evolving......I was learning for sure.....new things and new concepts.........and I was gaining an amazing support group of friends in all the areas of my interests.........artistic and spiritual..........

But still I was not happy.  And as I looked at that flow chart on Happiness I posted some weeks ago.........and then read the words..........."To live is to change, to live well is to change often" in a book that was recently placed in my hands........ Living An Authentic Life, by Thomas E. Legere, Ph.D......

I made my decision. To move. To change. At least for a while.........

It turns out the leases are expiring on my studio and my townhouse at the same time, the end of June.......and since I am not really happy with either..........I mean they are fine.......but I'm looking for better than that now..........

I have decided not to renew them.  So my plan is to pack up my things.......put them in storage.......and head...........

West..........









To the High Desert of New Mexico........

To be continued............

On making things............

On Friday.........with many other things on my plate......I was compelled to make

these earrings............





They are made of copper, liquid enamel and sterling silver....


and they happened like magic.......as though my fingers were guided by another force........




Creativity is a funny thing........after a long drought.......feeling overwhelmed by life..........not creating much........I am suddenly bursting with creative energy.........this is happening as I contemplate a move which will surely create some more distraction........

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A few of my favorite things..........

A while ago Donna Watson wrote a nice blog about 'self awareness' and invited us to ponder our 'favorite things'..........

and these are a few of mine..........(helpful to note as I ponder my purge)

My Basics......

and this

awful photo from the backside.....Oh...I see more of my favorite's, is there an aging Bernina and Helen's Chair....and flat files........ooooooooo  what's in there?

there are really more stories.....to the pretty pictures......

I AM SOOOOO............HAPPY!!!!!......................

Today I met the loveliest young woman named Sheri.............


and guess what?


SHE BOUGHT MY PRESS!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to my good friend, and talented printmaker Celeste Roe who teaches at our local art center, and who also put out 'the good word' to her students.........turning this tale very quickly into 'happily ever after'......

I am so happy because my press is going to a very very good home and I feel as though a raft has been lifted from my back.........which reminds me of this Buddhist Proverb......

The Great Crossing

The Buddha said: "A man beginning a long journey sees ahead a vast body of water. There is neither boat nor bridge. To escape the dangers of his present location, he constructs a raft of grass and branches. When he reaches the other side he realizes how useful the raft was and wonders if he should hoist it on his back and carry it with him forever. Now if he did this, would he be wise? Or, having crossed to safety, should he place the raft in a high dry location for someone else to use? This is the way I have taught the dharma, the doctrine - for crossing, not for keeping. Cast aside every proper state of mind, oh monks - much less wrong ones - and remember well to leave the raft behind!"