The Gypsy on Adventure

Lettering Art

Well, Diana, from Discovery of Witches didn't need fancy technology to find one! Giggle

Seriously this is pretty cool!

T.I.M.E. and other concerns of the day

This Summer has been rough...I read an email from ToniandKim.com today and this was near the end of it, and I thought it was thought provoking and needed today.

As humans, we are all a work in progress. Life right now is extremely complicated. There is no manual for it.

1. Examine your daily life right now. What brings you joy? How can you add a little bit more of that feeling into your day?
2. What is one thing that you can remove from your day that will make it even just 1% more enjoyable? (For me, it was Facebook!)
3. Put your hand on your heart and close your eyes. Breathe in and out, slowly, 5 times. Ask your heart: What part of you needs tenderness right now? What exactly does it need? What is one thing you can do to nurture it?

1. Ah, what brings me joy? That would be my partner! He is amazing and loving, and adores me. And looking out my window to see all the wild life at our home. And what brings me joy is feeding the birds. We both make sure that there is enough water for the foxes, rabbits, wild turkey's and deer that come through our yard every day. That brings us both such joy.

2. What is the one thing I can remove from my day? Several. Remove the Doom-scrolling, not listen to the news every single day, and minimize time on Facebook, literally shut the window of Facebook down so I don't get any notifications. 

3. What needs tenderness?  I need to exercise, and my choice of exercise is usually walking, in Covid isolation I stopped walking, and a month ago when all the wildfire smoke invaded our ridge, I stopped walking...so now I seriously have to fix this part of my life. Movement. 

I was listening to Jay Shetty today on Amanpour and Company, how to cultivate a monk mindset. How he was speaking today was simple, using the word TIME to remember what you need to do every day.

Thankfulness:  Not just journal about it, but follow through and tell someone that you are grateful for them in your life. Express it to a person. Share that thankfulness.

Inspiration/Insight:  Read something that you are learning from, or that favorite quote out of a book. For me recently it has been Mary Oliver poems, and Rumi.

Meditation:  Be present in the body and mind. Communicate with your body and mind at the same time, centering yourself.

Exercise:  Sex, Yoga, Dance, Tai Chi, Walk...bedrock of the practice is movement.

(Today I walked more than I have in weeks, so I am starting the journey again)

Practice my breathe. Breathe is with us from the moment we are born until the second we die. Breathe and our emotions are interconnected. When we have something good happen to us it takes our breathe away. When something bad is happening we stop breathing for a moment. Connect to your body and breathe, hand to heart and breathe in for 5 seconds.

Then Jay said to ask yourself every day, "Have I made Time?" 

So simple, right? Then you would think more of us would be doing this. Today I am starting my simple practice. I think this sounds profound and life opening. I think it will help me not to be so judge-y in my life and focus on the things that expand my life. In this anxiety ridden political climate smack dab in the middle of Covid isolation, civil unrest, and the passing of RBG is too much. I have to stop doom-scrolling...I have to let it flow through me like water and not let it all stick to me. I catch myself breathing shallow or holding my breathe. I need to work on this.

The beautiful Sphynx cat that we found on our property yesterday, update. We got up, and brought the cage into the kitchen, fed her again, talked to her, played with her. At 10:30 we went to our appointment at Mother Lode to see if she had a chip. No chip. I was getting worried...we were going to take her to Sammies no kill shelter 5 minutes but the owner saw our flyer and called WGB!!! The family two doors down from us, SO happy he contacted us!! And his little girl was happy to have Mousey back! So stinkin cute! I tried not to be judge-y when he told us they let her outside every day, since she could be a nice snack for those big turkey vultures or the coyotes, foxes and big cats we have around. I hope this scared them enough to keep her inside. Mousey is a sweet, sweet soul.

 

 

 

 

 

And the bad air quality came back today. I was SO joyful yesterday with blue skies nad no smoke smell. I feel a little more sad today, I cannot take days of the gloom again! But the injured Jay bird is still getting stronger, she lays down funny on my deck though. But she is so pretty. I have fallen in love with her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally took photos of my recent Hobonichi pages before I journal in them:

Have you read it?

Ok I finished Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter...hum...did not like the ending and I am not sure I will see the movie...there are a few GORY more than my taste (hahahaha) scenes! And the ending...anyone else....what are your views if you read it?

Were you as confused from the beginning of the book and how it ended???

What am I reading?

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter...because I want to see the movie I need to read the book...its a strange concept and its fun so far...AND Tim Burton bought the rights to bring it to the movies, so it might be a good movie IF it isn't too gory! Check out the write up.

 

New art desk

A co-worker left her personal desk and didn't want to take it, we used it for some time as our work space near the copy machine, but then they wanted to get rid of it! I took it! YEAH me! A new clean great space to create my altered books and collage work! One I won't pile crap on!

I cleaned all day yesterday (not that it helped) but enough to fit it in, and where it is I can look out into my garden...I like the space a lot...And I am already creating on it! Its been fun to work again! I just am squeeze a little by my cats cage and the desk but it works for me...until the rest of the room is finished! For now, I am not cleaning any more! Small changes...large benefits! I got rid of a lot of stuff yesterday! I feel better...not GREAT but when its all done I will feel good again!

First thing WGB said...don't put a lot on top of it so you can USE it! LOL I have to agree! No piling! NO dumping! Just working!

   

 

Just sad...

I am in charge of doing the graphics for retirements...and I always seem to get really sad working on them, part of me today was just so sad that our department is no longer a real family like it used to be...and I miss all my friends that made it so damn fun!

Looking through all the photos, just makes me miss my friends that had a sense of humor, and when we didn't have to worry about PC crap! I haven't REALLY laughed at work in a long time...

I am putting together a powerpoint this time, it feel weird not putting together a book...but I do what I am asked to do...

The old photos are just wild! Brought me to tears a couple of times today!

Healing Art Time

Today I just needed to start healing my soul...so I started the Covers for our UGRA Members Books...its a large project, and I have been collecting images to use and now I have painted 5 pages with watercolor and glitter and started to place the images for each person...its going to be a fun project and I hope to have it finished this year!  Then I can really start playing on the Rail again!

Here is a little peak on the process...I am still missing members photos...so I am winging it right now.

  

...pout...

I am still feeling like crap but the WGB made me get up take a shower and move around. I was starving so we went to lunch at Sizzler and then since I was up I figured we would go to Best Buy for a case for my iTouch, I am afraid of scratching it in my purse. I found one that has a cover to the front and bought that one! FINALLY they had the photo key chains I originally wanted! I picked some up!

But the WGB couldn't find what he was looking for so we went to the Apple store...and I walked across the street to Borders. I found a mole skin and a journal I wanted, and a healthy back book for $3 which he charged me full price until I figured it out...and he had to put the rest of the money back on my card!

All Ye Olde London-ers ~ tis Dickens time!

When Dee and I got out of the car the first things we saw were these two ladies dressed as pirates! They even had a pirate cove!!! I wanted the dresses bad, not to mention the hat! Sigh! The shoes! The corsets!

This annual tradition features hundreds of costumed players, colorful characters from literature and history, and winding lanes filled with shoppes, pubs, and delicious fare. Like no other event in the world, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair transforms 100,000 square feet of exhibition halls into a Victorian Christmas card come to life. This uniquely San Francisco tradition is the holiday party that generations of families have enjoyed for three decades. I remember going as a young child near the Wharf in SF and what a great time I had with my uncle Richard and my grandmother. It was a magical experience,  this time it brought it all back SO much fun! My eyes were wide and open the entire time I was there!

A time to visit the streets of Victorian London watching people in contemporary clothing of that era. Some of them are engaged in loud conversations regarding payment for a Christmas goose, or perhaps a solicitation of services rendered or maybe just a good humored verbal jousting.   I loved the men with signs that Gin was Sin! LOL So funny! Some are SO fun while they pull you into their shops! I indeed was warned to get my nose off the window of the hat shop and go in and try it on! Which I did! All the while a cast of characters walk by; Jacob Marley weighed down with chains, I told Dee that was going to be ME in the after life, Fezziwig jovial and boisterous,  an Artful Dodger with Fagen who looked like the movie character I swear!  zipping through the crowd, a group of drunk chimney sweeps creating havoc and flirting with me every where I went!

Dee and I both had our cards read...wow...I might talk about this experience later...brought up ancient father pain...VERY interesting at Jolie Stevens Tarot, when I said I didn't think it was the Father, she said yes it was, so I won't disagree, I will believe that we are layered like onions as she said, and peel another layer. It was a 3 card spread with following 2 more cards. She kept saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, its harsh" Grin...father pain usually is! snort Go figure I decided on relationships to talk about! rolling eyes!
 
I was just shocked it was that, I kept asking are you sure its not feminine? Any way, that is me in my fab new hat next to Jolie! I love it!
 
We ate in the food court, Dee had fish and chips and I went with the greek salad! It was YUMMY but I was starving and shaking! It was good to sit and eat! I tried my first buttered rum YUM and hot cider too!  I could not believe we got there at 10:30 and didn't leave until almost 5:30, and I don't know where the time went! It was a blast! If I had worn my red velvet dress with my purple scarf I would have fit right in! giggle

"It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour."
- A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

And the Birthday Events Continue!

It was a  beautiful day, perfect weather, not too hot, and not many people were at Santana Row in the morning when I got there. It was quiet and beautiful, I always feel like I am in Europe for the day! However, when I was getting ready I got nervous...It is higher end and I get a little anxiety about being judged, but then I thought I have to be me, relax and be comfortable...be IN your own skin and enjoy your day! So I did!  And so I just put on one of my gypsy tops and comfy pants.

A couple of my oldest friends (meaning I have known them for like 24 years) took me for a FANTABULOUS lunch at the Left Bank the French place in Santana Row, I love it! MI had me try a champaign with grand marnier and ohmygawd fantastic! NEW love! The waiter was GREAT, he was on the ball and they didn't mind that we sat a LONG time to talk and catch up. You know how bitter sweet life can be. Mona had lost her mom this year, and she has TONS of things that she bought and never used that she has to get rid of. She had garage sales but then thought of MI and I and what we like. She had perfect gifts for us. Stories of her mom and dad and a book she had made about their life for the Funeral.  The funny thing about her mom, her name was Juanita, my middle name, and she LOVED Halloween like I do...I got a watch with a spider web and spider that is the second hand passed down to me! LOL

These are moments that cement friendships. We know each other so well, and yet not at all. It is amazing. Gifts are great, but people and sharing our lives are much richer! I was also excited that MI finally got a new car...it is BEAUTIFUL and ORANGE!!!!