Something to Think About...

I'm still trying to "wrap my head" around this one...but maybe that's the point...to not think with the head...

Never Surrender....

While driving the other day this song came on the radio; I cranked it higher than my eardrums were prepared for and then sang top of my voice...remembering how important this song was to me a few years ago ~ and how important it still is...and that "with a little perseverence you can get things done..."

Local Wisdom...

5" x 7" card "Make Every Minute Count" by Local Wisdom Cards

Once again, scrolling through the Showcase page on Etsy I discovered a wonderful vendor whose work just spoke to my heart, Local Wisdom Cards. Kathleen started this company with the help and encouragement of her son. Local Wisdom Cards shares quotes, everyday thoughts and possibilities and they do so with eclectic, whimsical and beautiful collages. I had a difficult time choosing just one card to feature here...there were so many that made me say "YES!"

5" x 7" card "Have a Life Less Ordinary" by Local Wisdom Cards

*please note that the photographs used here are the copyrighted property of Local Wisdom Cards and Kathleen Sawyer. Used here with the artist's permission.

...et voila..."Mug Cake"...

IT WORKS!!

I may have been a little skeptical, but it really does work...you CAN bake a cake in a mug, in a microwave!!


The photographs don't really do this justice...I had no baking cocoa (though I thought I did)...so true to my nature, I improvised...and used hot chocolate mix!! Hence, the "lighter brown colour". Betty Crocker I'm not...Martha has had a stroke....but hey, it gave a "chocolate" flavour and this was an "experiment"!!


Taste? Not bad!! I added a little ice cream and as the recipe indicates..it is rich. But a lot of fun...this would be a wonderful rainy/snowy afternoon fun activity with children; or something nice to do just for yourself any time.

At Face Value...

*8"x8" canvas by Robbie Jenkins

We're told "fairy tales" and "nursery rhymes" from a young age and we take those "tales" at face value. As far as we know or were told, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. I don't disbelieve this. He most likely did fall. But the possibility exists that he was pushed. Think about it. He represented the King, at a time of unrest. Did he simply "fall from power", or did he have a little help?

Much of life is like this...we are told a story, we read something in the newspaper, we "see" something with our own eyes and we draw a conclusion based on what we know -- without delving any deeper or asking questions. We accept what we are told. But what would happen when questions are asked, when we dig a little deeper to get to the other sides...not just the back and the front, but each side of a story? Wouldn't the perception change ever so slightly?

I love to scan through the Showcase pages on etsy every day. One day last week I came across Robbie Jenkins' work and burst out laughing at some of the quotes she has on her canvases. This one just made me happy with laughter.

And if you need proof that this possibility existed, they do say confession is good for the soul...

*8" x 8" canvas by Robbie Jenkins

All art work is by Robbie Jenkins and is copyrighted. Used here with the artists' permission. To see more of Robbie's work, check her etsy shop.

Making a Difference...

There are times when we read of trouble in the world and it seems as small as our tv screen or the newspaper we hold in our hands. We might think, "oh that's terrible" or "I wish I could help" and sometimes we can.

If you are interested in donating to the cause for the victims of the bushfires in Australia, there is an etsy shop that has been set up -- donations for items are being made by etsians from around the globe, with all proceeds from the sales going to the Australian Red Cross.

Anything you purchase will be sent to you with shipping costs paid by the vendor who dontated the item. Many of my friends and I have donated items to this cause (and I'm happy to say that what I have donated has been purchased). Please check the link provided and see if there is something that appeals to you -- and help this worthy cause. The shop will remain open until March 31, 2009.

Oz Bush Fire Appeal

Serendipity in a Mug...

Is it possible to bake a cake in a coffee mug -- in the microwave?!? We shall soon find out!

My friend Sharon at Mana Moon Studios sent me this most special surprise which I received the other day. First of all, I l.o.v.e. the mug! And then I looked into the mug and discovered a recipe for a small cake!! Could it happen? Will it work? I'm short the egg and the milk but with groceries on my agenda for the day I will give this a test run later today (I've already been nibbling the chocolate chips I'd purchased yesterday before I realized I was out of milk and eggs!).

Thanks Sharon! I'm looking forward to the possibility..and I'm not using the mug for my coffee until I've baked the cake!!

Blessings and Gratitude

There are times, when the road isn't straight and when the light isn't shining as it could be. At those times, it is easy to stumble, to fall or to just stand still and listen. You might hear an inner voice, you might hear the voice of someone calling to you, to see if you need help, if you need a hand to move from that darkness towards the light.

Possibilities exist in everything we do. Speaking up or calling out for help, even if we don't realize that's what we are doing. A tantrum, an outburst, notes of frustration are all cries for help. It's natural to do this when we feel overwhelmed or overloaded. Keeping silent won't move us forward out of that darkness. Speaking up offers others the opportunity and the possibility to be that blessing, to shine their own light and to offer up what they have inside themselves that needs to be shared, to be used and nurtured.

It becomes a give-give, win-win situation. I opened that possibility and I'm grateful to those who spoke up, who came forward and offered the balm and the comfort that was needed in that moment. Thank you never seems like "enough" in a situation like this. But it is felt. Deeply.

The Question

*photo originally uploaded to flickr by QueenZombie October 2006

As I look around, I realize:

this is not what I wanted to do
this is not how I wanted this to be
this is not working in any way that makes me feel like "me"
there is no direction, no goal, no purpose.

I thought at the outset that the purpose was clear

however
the execution is being done against the grain
and it's making what I see cloudy, foggy and unclear.

So the question arises:

why am I doing it at all?

Moon Dance

moondance by Shelley Szczucki Wiebe

photograph is copyrighted to Shelley Szczucki Wiebe and is not to be used without the artist's permission. Many thanks to Shelley for her permission to use this on everyday possibilities.

I don't believe I have ever danced by the light of the moon, or that I've done a "moon dance", and yet, Van Morrison paints a wonderful image with music and words...and so does Shelley Wiebe of The Charming Place. Her print of this wonderful woman dancing in the moonlight..and the joyful face of the "woman in the moon" make me believe that it could almost be possible to dance by the light of the moon or even dance on the moon...

To see more of Shelley's work and to learn more about Shelley the artist, you can check her blog here.

And rather than doing a "moon dance" this print makes me feel more like "dancing in the moonlight"...

When "Slide" Becomes "Pride"...

No matter your age, or your shoe size...whether you are young or young at heart...trying and striving...anything is possible. The joy a child feels at mastering a new task...the possibility to feel that joy as an adult when mastering a new task...or even making the decision to master a new task...a little humour and laughter with new lyrics to an old song...

As you begin to pay attention to your own stories and what they say about you, you will enter into the exciting process of becoming, as you should be, the author of your own life, the creator of your own possibilities.

~ Mandy Aftel ~

Hope and Possibility....

bebe fleur - by Beth Lamphier

The fabulous photography by Beth Lamphier of Le Jardin Girl which can be found on her etsy shop. To discover more of Beth's work, please visit her website. You can also find Beth at her blog. Many thanks to Beth for allowing me to share this beautiful photograph which fills me with hope, joy and endless possibility.

Note that Beth is having a sale in her etsy shop until February 20th.

Photograph is copyrighted and is not to be copied without the photographer's permission.

Today ... and Everyday...

*original artwork by Sherry Smyth ~ available at Bella Rennie

...Ordinary ♥ Miracle...

*fabulously beautiful music by Sarah McLachlan

Dancing Fools...

Lorri Lennox at ARTIVITY posted a vintage image of chorus girls and issued a challenge to see what people would do with it. The possibilities for adapting this image are as varied as the artists who take the challenge. The image appealed to me so I copied it, and created this card...a collage that flowered because of the Japanese proverb:


I added some vintage sheet music to parchment paper; added some ephemera to the case one of the women is kneeling on; a dunce cap with carnations and some carnations to the heads of two of the women. and a garland of carnations along the bottom. The card itself has been inked for an aged, vintage feel.

A little soft-shoe, some tap, ballet, jazz, salsa or hip hop - it's good for the soul..let your feet loose!

*the card was available for purchase in my etsy shop - many thanks es ♥

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

An unusual title...for an unusual book. Equally unusual is that it has been written by two women. When Mary Ann Shaffer's health prevented her from completing the book, her niece Annie Barrows lifted the pen and filled her aunt's shoes...seamlessly.

The story takes place post WWII between London and the isle of Guernsey and tells of life during and just after the German occupation of the island. The characters are real in every sense but fact and in the course of the 5 hours it took me to read this poetry (in one sitting), I felt the emotional highs and lows...I wept tears of joy and sorrow and I laughed along with them all.

I knew I was being taken to a wonderful place, when on page 11, the main character, Juliet Ashton expresses her feelings about reading in a letter to Mr. Dawsey Adams of Guernsey:

That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive -- all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.

She took the words right out of my mouth and I knew I had found a kindred spirit. I settled in for the night -- and the early hours of the next morning. I never once considered putting it aside until the next day. I was "there" with them all. It would have been like turning my back on them.

This is a story filled with possibilities, with choices, with courage, with love, and with humour...and I'm still not 100% convinced that these characters are not flesh and blood...

Of Course You Can Fly...

When I saw these postcards made by Stephanie at Sunshine and Ravioli (isn't that the most delightful shop name?), I not only "hearted" them as a favourite, I included them in a curated treasury for others to enjoy.


Dreams do have wings but they soar best when you move from dreaming to doing and make them reality.

With thanks to Stephanie for her permission to include her post cards in this post. This image is copyrighted to Sunshine and Ravioli and is not to be copied without the owner's permission.

To see more of Stephanie's work visit her etsy shop and her blog.

100 Years...More or Less...

I love this song...the piano, the lyrics are amazing....

Grab life by the lapels and don't let go...make each moment, each day worth everything you've got...and you've "got" more than you could ever imagine possible...

Make your memories and live them in the here in the now...

*this one's for my children

Pampering...

One of the pleasures I look forward to while travelling is staying at a good hotel. I love the luxury and sumptuousness of the high thread count of the linens...the crisp, luxurious feel of good, quality cotton sheets and the plump pillows.

While the men have gone off for their "guys weekend" of hockey I opted to remain at home to have my own "weekend". They are not staying at a 5 star hotel, they are staying at a motel/hotel where I can safely wager the sheets are not anywhere close to Egyptian quality.

So rather than be wistful at missing out on the "potential" for the quality experience, I see no reason why I cannot create my own pampering...the remaking of my bed with my own crisp linens, to luxuriate with a glass of wine (or two), a good book, some candles and my own freshly made bed. True, the maid didn't do it for me, I'll have to do it myself. But I love the possibility that imagining how it will feel leaves me with. And I'll continue to dream about the possibility of the next time I stay in a luxurious setting with someone else to do it for me.

*image from eldridgetextiles.com

Looking At Life Upside Down...

"She Believed That the World Looked Better Upside Down" - original artwork by Diane Duda of Duda Daze

Anything is possible...even how we choose to view the world...it's all about what you believe...

*photograph of the artist's work is from her etsy shop, Duda Daze. It is used here with her permission and is not to be reprinted. To purchase this beautiful work, please click on the link.

Artichokes

Intricate and interesting, slightly reminiscent of the hens and chickens plants in my mother's garden, that I would "peel" and "prepare" for my dolls as I played house. From a young age, I thought artichokes looked "weird". Not a "pretty" vegetable as vegetables go and there would never have been an occasion when my mother would have purchased one, never mind serve one that had been marinated in oil as an antipasto. I came from a home that survived on meat and potatoes, simple fare, nothing "exotic" or "daring". I taught myself about "exotic" and "daring" foods...the hens and chickens were only the beginning.

I enjoy dishes that are made with artichokes, especially a dip that is blended with asiago cheese. But until the other day, I had never purchased an artichoke. I saw them on the stall, suddenly realized that I liked how they looked and plopped 3 in my cart ... I now have several recipes and will experiment with discovering what I enjoy best about cooking with them. And even if I never cook with them, I'm just happy I bought them, and I'm enjoying how they look in my lovely white bowl.

I'm Already There...

...music, richly filled with possibilities...

(richie mcdonald/gary baker/frank myers)

He called her on the road
From a lonely cold hotel room
Just to hear her say I love you one more time
But when he heard the sound
Of the kids laughing in the background
He had to wipe away a tear from his eye
A little voice came on the phone
Said daddy when you coming home
He said the first thing that came to his mind

Im already there
Take a look around
Im the sunshine in your hair
Im the shadow on the ground
Im the whisper in the wind
Im your imaginary friend
And I know Im in your prayers
Oh Im already there

She got back on the phone
Said I really miss you darling
Dont worry about the kids theyll be alright
Wish I was in your arms
Lying right there beside you
But I know that Ill be in your dreams tonight
And Ill gently kiss your lips
Touch you with my fingertips
So turn out the light and close your eyes

Im already there
Dont make a sound
Im the beat in your heart
Im the moonlight shining down
Im the whisper in the wind
And Ill be there until the end
Can you feel the love that we share
Oh Im already there

We may be a thousand miles apart
But Ill be with you wherever you are

Im already there
Take a look around
Im the sunshine in your hair
Im the shadow on the ground
Im the whisper in the wind
And Ill be there until the end
Can you feel the love that we share
Oh Im already there

Quote ♥ Worthy

"Each of us has that right, that possibility, to invent ourselves daily. If a person does not invent herself, she will be invented. So, to be bodacious enough to invent ourselves is wise."

~ Maya Angelou ~

*image from my artwork at Bella ♥ Rennie

The Scent of Grace...

It comes in a bottle.
It's made by Philosophy (generally found at Sephora).
It has a philosophy.
It smells ♥ divine.