Positive thoughts creating joyful conditions...
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 2:26PM The sunset was extra gorgeous on New Year's Eve so I'm sharing a photo of the sun setting on 2011—an extraordinarily good year. For the sun rising on 2012, click the photo tab and River Walk—Winter.
The best things in life are not things.
Saturday, December 24, 2011 at 7:20AM 
We had a beautiful evening, on the 21st, to celebrate the Winter Solstice at a 900 year old Solstice marker at the Aztec Ruins which is about 20 minutes from my house. Mother Nature wore her nicest clothes and the deer gave us an additional show. See photo tab and click on thumbnails for full photos.
GB Cornucopia, an archeoastronomer and Park Ranger from Chaco Canyon, led the way to the marker and gave a talk on patterns and connections to nature, and ceremony to celebrate those connections. He followed sunset with a talk (indoors, thankfully, as it had gotten very cold), about the scientific/historical patterns found in Chaco Canyon and other archeoastrology sites in the world. Planning for Summer Solstice in Chaco Canyon which is close to us as well.
The Earth offered her exhale into her inhale - and there was Stillness for a moment. ~ Olga Rasmussen
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 8:49AM This is the first year in a long while that I've really gotten into the spirit, put up a tree, decorated, had fun with the secrets that Santa insists on keeping. I've dropped expectations. What I receive isn't really important, it's who I've been able to be connect with, the fun I've had in making and choosing gifts.
A couple of great examples that have happened that are also in keeping with the holiday spirit:
I broke one of my grandmother's ruby glasses and I was devastated. The last one I broke, my sister sweetly replaced for me and I didn't have the heart to tell her I'd broken another one. I've treasured them for years, and I insist on using them everyday, not saving them for some special occasions because every moment is special occasion. So I went hunting online and found an antique store in Texas synchronistically called RUBY LANE. I ordered a set of them at a remarkably low price - both water tumblers and juice glasses. Couldn't find my PayPal info so sent a personal check. Amazing note back from the owner - he wasn't waiting for my check to clear, and he was sending a couple of additional glasses at no charge. WOW. How sweet was that? They arrived last night and are in beautiful condition.
My sweet, feisty granddaughter Allyson, trimmed my tree and hung decorations from my doorknobs for me (I hung my mother's tatted snowflakes in the windows). She has since cleaned out her closets and donated a ton of old clothes to Child Haven (an amazing child care system connected to CASA) here in Farmington. She's also set up a Christmas Around the World Facebook virtual event for anyone to attend, anywhere in the world. She rocks the spirit!
What examples can you comment on? Would love to hear more really wonderful stories!
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 10:39AM Happy Hollydays to All. Haven't seen much holly here - lots of scrub and Russian sage and bare trees in my new neighborhood in New Mexico Four Corners area. Lots of ART and SPIRIT however. Here are the things I am most grateful for that happened in this jam-packed year (not in order of importance):
LOVE. So much LOVE. Everything happened easily and effortlessly this year - as requested. Thank you Universe!
HOME: My cozy, adorable cottage with a yard and space for a garden. My first snow - see the dusting of it at right. I love having my feet on the ground again. Traded off a dishwasher for a washer & dryer (my new meditation is washing dishes). I just noticed my only laundry loads are red / white / blue / black. EEK—what a boring wardrobe—must do something about that. Photo tab at top of page takes you to additional views of my cottage and the local river walk - my new church.
FAMILY: I'm now 5 min. from my son and his family - which is far enough and close enough. He's grown into a really fine man / husband / father. Proud of him. In his serious moments, he is the spitting image of my cousin Phil—am I the only one who sees it?
In August, Ryan, Amanda, and Allyson jumped on a plane to CA and packed and drove a UHaul full of my belongings to NM — astounding. They made the move easy for me. Bearable. Doable. Giant GRATITUDE.
Granddaughters are a JOY. Mine are smart, musical, creative and fun. Oh, and beautiful, too, inside and out (most days)! They helped me unload the UHaul: Shannon stayed and organized my closet and made my bed, Ally unboxed my kitchen and put it away—help they offered of their own accord! These crazy, fun, chiclets' each have a personal page on this blog - click tabs at top of this page.
Siblings: Got to spend time with every one of them this year!!! Thanks Jim and Lisa for a restful haven and the Ford Museum, Bob & Starr for putting up the moving crew (love your remodel), and Becky - my IT-go-to person, there for me on a weekly basis!
FRIENDS: A new BFF, Pam, my granddaughters' maternal grandmother, has invited me into an incredibly active art community. Michele helped me pack for this move and made it...dare I say, FUN. My Albuquerque tribe — Lana, Linda, Deb. Thea has just commissioned a collage. Carley and I walked TorC together. Paula. They know what I need and they supply it without my asking. Tuned in.
Precious DOWNTIME: to heal and focus on wholeness and well-being instead of being caught up in the corporate tick/tock world, though it served me well. Loved it while I was there, as all those friends who are still there understand — driven by the addiction to excellence.
TECHNOLOGY: Thanks to my sister Becky's genius with genealogy / technology, our long lost family was found and we've visited with Aunt Bounce, Cousin Eric, & Cousin Mary. So grateful. No words to describe having a hole in your heart fill up with love.
Skype easily allows my global friend & family connections to stay intact and face-to-face in real time (free still). Digital applications impact on art. The internet allows one infinite creative possiblities - this blog, for instance, which has lain dormant for far too long. Thanks to Facebook, I found two very dear friends and reconnected: Mary and Brenda - I love you and hope to see you soon.
SPIRIT: Conscious activation. Motivation. Energy. Awareness. Presence. Prescience.
LOVE. IS. ALL. Be the holy. BLESSINGS EVERYONE.
Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 4:14PM I've been purging. Spring cleaning. While I was taking a break, I found Eric Whitacre (composer, conductor) and have to share.