Luminous (radiant) Lumen (light)!
* Debra Basham writes about Luminosity:
No Matter how long the room has been dark
an hour or a million years,
The moment the lamp of awareness is lit the entire room becomes luminous.
You are that luminosity.
You are that clear light.
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Time passes, and we view each new moment through the moments we have already lived. Painful moments, joyful, busy moments, leisure moments. As a passenger on a train ride, we are watching the landscape out the window. We see the fields and the towns. We hear the call of the owl and watch the autumn leaves fall. Through it all, we are more than what we see or say or feel or know.
Today the sun was shining, then it wasn't
Today it was snowing and blowing, and the roads were coated with ice.
Then they weren't.
Tonight the moon was big and bright, and now it isn't.
While everything outer waxes and wanes, you are that unchanging luminosity.
You are that clear light.
Tonight I am thankful.
Tomorrow I will recall today....
** Today Margie Kivel writes:
"....I am blessed to have each of you in my life. We are all truly unique in our way of being, and from that place of uniqueness, when we come together with love and joy, the magic happens. You all continue to amaze me with your gifts, the subtle nuances of your individual perspectives of the world and how you express that vision, and your willingness to share with one another who it is you truly are. Thank You!"
*** If I were a wise one
I would do my part
What can I give you? Give my heart....
Related Posts:
The Giving Tree, Nov 2013
Being is Believing Dec 2013
Resources:
* Rev. Debra Basham, CHTP, NLP, HTt, Rmt, Imagine Healing info page
http://dbasham.blogspot.com
Post and pictures reprinted with permission from blog post Luminosity, Dec 17, 2013, Yellow Brick Road: Your Path to Heart and Health.
**Rev. Margie Kivel, poet, author, posted on Facebook Dec 27, 2013, reprinted with permission.
*** Julie Andrews sings In the Bleak Midwinter as I write. Words based on lyrics.
Photos:
Debra Basham
Bubble Lights I remember those!
Sunset at Sunnyside
Snow and Light
Dahlis Roy
Faint Light Through Lace Curtains
Time It Was....
When the children were little many years ago, we decided we would have a complete Traditional Christmas, with presents for everyone, a great dinner, a tree with all the trimmings. I knit red stockings for each child and both of us with a snowflake design plus names. We searched for gifts and stuffed stockings.
Everything was wrapped and under the tree. On Christmas Morning we opened all the presents, passing them out one or two at a time. Everyone was laughing and having a great festive time. That is, everyone except our young golden cat, Zar. He knew we were having a special feast, but he could also see there was nothing for him under the tree. He was left out. He sulked. I quickly found something to give Zar, and he perked up immediately. He also adopted an empty unwrapped cardboard box as his own and spread out in it, breaking down its flimsy sides. He purred with contentment.
CAT-IN-A-BOX
I contrast, our silver collie,Sky. waved his plumy tail and joined right in the celebrations, gifts or not. Collies are like that.
The next year we did much better. I knit stockings for Sky and Zar. We hung these up with the family stockings. The pets' stockings were also stuffed with gifts especially for them. They loved it! Zar didn't need any encouragement to unwrap his own gift. He tore the package to shreds and soon had his catnip mouse! Our animal friends are now part of our Family Christmas.
Years later we got a toy hedgehog for our five cat Christmas. Sasha, Sancat, and Mrs. Harris vanished as Tom, big and grey, tore open the paper, grabbed and shook the hedgehog. It squeaked! Chessie, the Matriarch, came over, swatted Tom, then took a turn, "Here's how its done!" Later, dark tabby, leopard-like Sasha unwrapped her gift of a fluffy jingle ball and chased it all around. The cats enjoyed their play station, a large packing box with holes cut in it. We later found Sasha had gathered all her catnip mice from under various beds and stashed them in the play station! Sasha, our Warrior Princess, most enjoyed watching intense scenes of Jedi Knights fighting with light sabers.
This year, we have toys on wands for our cats, increasing their ability to jump and run. Mrs. Harris always hisses! Recently, I bought a golden wooden bowl for my art room. Mrs. Harris said, "Mine," and climbed right in. And so it goes, Mrs. Harris chose her special gift, matching her golden coat!
CAT-IN-A-BOWL
The Golden Time is Here.
Related Posts:
Key Words: Cats, Dogs
What Kind of Animal Are You? (Jan 2011)
Out of Box Experience (Aug 2011)
The Giving Tree (Nov 2013)
Being Is Believing, and I Held A Photograph (Dec 2013)
Then as Now, I reach out to touch an animal friend.
Resources:
The Christmas Day Kitten and Moses the Kitten, stories by James Herriot, D.V.M.
Albert Payson Terhune, "True Fiction" stories about his Sunnybank Collies, Lad A Dog, Gray Dawn and more.
Sunnybank. The Home of Albert Payson Terhune, a Christmas Card
This post based on Those Were the Days, Collected Memories from Remembrance Writing Class, Lincoln Township Public Library, Stevensville, MI, 2005
Luminosity blog post by Debra Basham, Dec 17, 2013, Inspiration for You
http://dbasham.blogspot.com
Yellow Brick Road, Your Path to Heart and Health
Photos:
Rob and Zar
Cat-in-a-Box, I held the Zar in a Box photo in my hands recently, but then it slipped away to be discovered later! Sancat stands in for Zar.
Cat-in-A-Bowl Mrs. Harris curls up and owns her prize.
Healing Touch, "I held a photograph...."
Sunnybank at Christmas, a photo a Collie friend gave me years ago. Collies romp and play in the snow on the large Estate grounds and lake in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, USA, home of Albert Payson Terhune, author and journalist. You Tube selections show Sunnybank Collies at home.
Some years ago I opened a letter from my cousin. Inside were several photographs of my parents and me! One I had never seen, my mother five years before I was born!
I thought back to Connie's world then before "me" their only child. I heard again my mother talking to me about their Fox Terrier, Cubby. I want a dog!
Time Stood Still
Recently I had a conversation with my friend, Dolores. "Well, it just isn't Thanksgiving and Christmas without your Holiday Cranberry Salad! It's a requirement!" I had taken the salad to a Christmas Lunch several years ago, a girls' day out.
Long ago, my mother also told me the story of Holiday Cranberry Salad. "The recipe appeared in the Augusta, Georgia [USA] newspaper the Christmas after you were born. I've made it ever since!" We made it for every celebration, so pretty and cheerful, a pop of color with the feast.
As I grew older, I helped make the salad. My very favorite part was chopping the fresh walnuts, and eating plenty in the process. I love the combination of cheese and walnuts and was sure to have some cottage cheese as I chopped along. The finished chilled salad enticed me to eat more of the ingredients that rose to the top: walnuts, celery, and chopped apples and less of the cranberry layer. I always play with my food, and still do, taking ingredients apart such as eating the buttercream icing and leaving the cake.
After I married and had children of our own, we continued the tradition. My family now helped chop the walnuts and make the salad!
Holiday Cranberry Salad
Dissolve 1 small package of raspberry Jello with 1 cup boiling water
Add a can (8 oz) of cranberry sauce. We use Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce. Stir and mix well.
Stir in
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 chopped walnuts
Peel and chop an apple and add. We use a ripe Macintosh Apple.
Stir and Chill
A couple of weeks ago, my husband handed me this photograph....Where did it come from? I haven't seen this one in years! I love the memories and feel my hands again on the sturdy cold grey stonework mantel and fireplace, the stonecutter's art. I love rocks and minerals, connectiion with the Earth. I love the ledge where my horses and dog statues paraded, waiting for me to draw and paint them, teaching me how to develop 3-D shaded believable art work.
As I write, the same horse and dog models, silent companions, salute me again from inside the glass design of my mother's china cupboard. I love taking them out to play and placing them around.
Rewind~Fast Forward
Many years later, I can touch our brick living room wall and feel the ochre sandstone grains with my hands. I have many ledges now where paintings appear and change with the mood and seasons of the heart-mind.
* "....Time it was, and what a time it was, it was
A time of innocence,
A time of confidences
Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph,
Preserve [Y]our Memories...."
Related Posts
Out of Box Experience, (Aug 2011), Running With Horses (Mar 2012), The Immediate Rabbit (July 2012), New Year's Resolution?(Jan 2013), and
Being Is Believing (Dec 2013)
Music Resources:
* Song of the Day: Simon and Garfunkel: Bookends, Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
Christmas in Vienna, Music Cd from The Vienna Boys' Choir I still love the Cd format, I love holding music in my hands and seeing the picture cover, "Time it Was"
Memories:
Marilu Henner, actress and author, Total Memory Makeover, anticipate, experience, index, and recall your memories
Tai Chi Exercise
Tai Chi helps your memory and all areas of your life, a mind-body exercise.
Dr. Paul Lam, Tai Chi for Health Worldwide, You Tube free lesson, Tai Chi for Beginners
Photos by Robert G. Diess, M.D. my father
Connie and Cubby
Dahlis at Christmas
Robert Longpaws
"Give yourself permission to enjoy the freedom of playfulness," Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way.
Over a path of several years, cats came into Emilie's life.
One invited himself in when his owners left town, Oliver.
King Oliver
Another came into the yard and caused disturbance with Oliver. Now Extra Orange has mellowed a bit. He is proud of his good looks and charm, posing for the camera with a Hollywood cattitude.
Extra Orange
At 7 months rascal, Robert Longpaws, was next. Longpaws hid under the couch while Oliver swatted at the long white paws reaching out. Once Robcat leaped into the air and landed on purpose on Oliver's back.
Oliver's mood lifted and his playfulness increased with the introduction of an energetic youngster.
"Become like a young kitten," Jou, Tsung Hwa
Observing a animals is a study of relationships, the ebb and flow of group dynamics, personalities, and power plays can be humorous or need watchful observance.
A pet is a good friend.
Pets of all kinds teach compassion, empathy, play, and much more while balancing action and rest, a giving and receiving of spirit. We can recognize ourselves in the lessons and love taught by animals.
Being is Believing~
Related Posts:
Stars and Snow, Spirit of Phoebe
What Kind of Animal are You?
Escape Artists
Mrs. Harris is a Sand Cat
Welcoming Mrs. Harris
The Little Chessie that Could
Intuitive Teachers
Fully Present
Catch the Wind
Thermodynamics Self Taught
Resources:
Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way and other books help unlock creativity
Jou, Tsung Hwa, The Tao of Taijiquan, and The Tao of Meditation from a mathematician and Tai Chi expert.
Images:
Photos by Emilie:
Robert Longpaws
Oliver in Sunlight
Extra Orange How did he get his name? "He's an extra cat, and he's orange."
Heirloom Lace with Rainbow Light
Skipping through the TV someone talked about having a Thanksgiving Tree, small potted tree that could later be transplanted outside, a living gift giving back to the Earth.
Notes of thanks from family members can be crayoned or penned and tied to the tree with colorful ribbons. The family can talk about things they are grateful for this year. A gathering of memories is present as generations connect and communicate.
You are helping build and enhance your own memory bank by consciously anticipating, fully present experiencing, and then recollecting about the event. This helps index your memories with clarity for later stories or family history you may want to write, tell, or record.
Acquisition, storage, and retrieval of your memory index is unique for all of us, just like our customized computers, photos, and phones!
A short (or long) gratitude log is helpful, keeping you positive and recording your memories for future reflection. It will be different everyday! I tried it!
The Thanksgiving Tree can morph into Christmas by displaying colorful lights, small knit items, cards, photos of family and pets, heirloom articles and more
"Three Deep Breaths and a Smile," Rudi Tanzi, Ph.D.
"Trust the Growing Tree~"
"I have just shared your blog with my family members and invited them to do this practice on Christmas Day instead of the usual gift giving where we often have no idea whether what we're buying will be of value to the other. With this little sharing of what we have to be grateful for with each other, I can see Christmas Day filled with greater connection, love, gratitude, and harmony."
* Michelle Graham, Professional Training and Coaching
Related Posts:
Giving Thanks Opens the Heavens (Nov 2010), Thanks-Giving (Nov 2011), and Thanks~Beyond Expectations (Nov 2012)
Resources:
* Michelle Graham, Inspirational Coach for Professionals with a Passion, Brisbane area, Australia.
Marilu Henner, actress, author, book Total Memory Makeover, improve your memory
Deepak Chopra, M.D., and Rudi Tanzi, Ph.D, Super Brain, develop your strengths.
Seated Meditation 21 Day Challenges, with Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra. Various Topics, online or purchase. Current series, Desire and Destiny, includes online journal with reflection questions and gratitude section.
Tai Chi
Physical meditation exercise, enhances health and memory by improving range of motion, better balance, strength, stamina, and mood.
Paul Lam, M.D., Tai Chi for Health
Yang Jwing-Ming, Ph.D, Yang Style expert
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Photos
Heirloom lace with Rainbow Light photo by Dahlis
Oak Seedling, photo by Paul
* Eye on the Sky
What is weather?
What isn't
Sun and Flowers or Grey and Chilly, how does this effect our energy and mood?
Our refrigerator is sensitive to heat and humidity, just like us!
I write random notes in a blog draft and fill in the blanks later....
Later:
And then there was Nov 17 when midwest storm pictures on TV, FaceBook, and online news stunned the daylights out of me.
You see, years ago we lived near today's hardest hit areas of Peoria and Pekin. Most of Washington, Illinois~flattened. We knew the streets, the trees, and friends near and far. In nearby Bloomington, central Illinois, I learned Tai Chi and later was promoted to teaching....
Early and often warning helped us and others be watchful. We knew storms were brewing on Saturday and prepared for Sunday in advance. I bailed out on cooking and freezing extra food. On Sunday morning, a grey sky took a turn to yellow-green. The grass lit up with a bright neon hue. Unusual colors can be a signal to watch the skies. A quick small storm crackled by with a few sharp lightning bolts. Drum beats of thunder brought our cats to the door and into their safe warm home.
Remembering
Sunday I also thought back through the years to Iowa, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. I remembered huddling in the hall of our Iowa house. Our tri-level had no basement. We gathered our three young children plus Zar the cat and Sky the Collie. We nervously waited as we listened to the battery operated radio to keep us posted.
I remembered Illinois, when Paul and I sat on the old wooded steps to our basement while Chessie, the cat, wandered about on the cement. "It's just south of us..." the radio crackled.
Another time in Illinois, we dropped off Chessie for boarding. A quick tornadic storm blew in. * "Suddenly the sky was a mix of turquoise and mud. Horizontal sheets of rain beat down. Sirens blared." We made it home safely only to find the power out and would be all night and longer. "We packed suitcases by flashlight and sweltered in the searing heat and humidity" before heading south.
"The next day dawned clear and bright." Our trip was momentous, I would meet and work with Jou, Tsung Hwa, Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming, and the Yang Family, Tai Chi experts, in seminars held in Winchester, Virginia at A Taste of China. Connecting with others helped me be more inspired and be a better teacher.
When I was a child, my parents in western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh cautioned to me "put sturdy shoes on and get a coat ready" no matter what the season. The coat or blanket can be used as head protection. "Gather a few items in case we have to leave the house (or can leave the house.)" Tornadoes were not the usual weather for our area, but we listened and watched when the storms were very strong with high damaging winds and large hail.
Then I took breathing space, a few hours off to eat lunch and watch Mark Nepo, a poet, interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.
"We are all students of the long silence," Mark Nepo
As the line of storms coming across Lake Michigan approached us thickened glared red on the radar, I packed a few (very few) items in a small purse in case we had to go to a shelter later if need be. I put on my shoes and gathered the coats. One time our radar indicated a direct hit for us. I remember thinking that as the warm air from the Grand Mere sand dunes rises, it may disperse the full storm hit and push storm cells north or south. Without hurrying, I put glassware in safer places clearing counter and dresser tops. I felt calm, centered, and as prepared as possible
White Rain
The winds picked up. As we looked out our back patio window, sheets (some horizontal) of white rain slashed the Earth. The green grass became a muted mint hue with white lace design. There was no hail or ice. It was 68+ degrees today in November near Lake Michigan. Visibility was practically zero.
"Nature plays no favorites"
"It's not often you have a blizzard (12-17" snow Nov 12) and a tornado warning in the same week!" Rob added.
The storm, traveling at 60-70 mph whooshed by in minutes. Gone! It skipped over us, but thousands were without power and housing.
We saw black clouds re-forming to our East. Over Cassopolis, Michigan I saw a mushroom cloud hovering near a band of cream colored clouds on the horizon. I didn't see it touch down, but later found out thousands lost power and a possible tornado had struck Cassopolis.
Surprise! Then bright sun came out for a sunset show of lights and colors shimmering over my paintings and igniting my personal copy of Claude Monet's Autumn on the Seine. In studying and copying this painting, following Monet's techniques, I learned how his play of vibrating light and color patches really work! As the setting sun filtered over the painting, tree branches dancing in the wind created a play of movment, like shimmering water and colorful leaves, nature in action. The layer of sunlight was like a transparency placed over the painting itself, somewhat like Walt Disney's multiplane camera for his classic cartoons. The sunlit effect created depth and movement united, living art!
I practiced Tai Chi while watching the cosmic dance of sun and shadows on paint! I am grateful for these moments~every moment.
"Every Life Has Value," Rob
Related Posts:
Unplugged~Letting Go Again (Jan 2012), Lavender Blue, (June 2012), Off the Grid (Oct 2012), and Aftermath Nov 2012
Resources:
Mark Nepo, author and poet, book 7,000 Ways to Listen, interview with Oprah Winfrey on OWN TV and Online, Nov 17, 2013
* Quotes from Silver Butterfly Create A Vision, a Tai Chi Journey with a Mystic Twist, free E-book by Dahlis
Music:
Eric Satie, composer, pianist from Normandy provided a quiet calm.
Cat's Purr by Chet Day Cd, purring cat and nature sounds are relaxing.
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Images
Eye on the Sky, crayon sketch from memory of Internet news photo, view from I-55 Gardner Road, northern Illinois, south of Chicago. How many times have I looked out the passenger window to my right and seen this same stark view minus the tornado? Electric power lines dot the left. You can feel the vast expanse of "Midwest" here.
Tiger Lily Bloom in Crystal Vase,
photo
Photo Collage of Monet's Original of Autumn on the Seine.
Today~
Knitting~joy and memories
Needles and Yarn~I hear the familiar click like a hand-held metronome of yarn slipping effortlessly through needles. The moving sound is comforting and brings familiarity and calming, a seated meditation.
Recently a friend Mary Anne invited me to go with her to a free Beginning Knitting Group at the local library. I was eager to attend since I had not touched yarn and needles for the past 20 years at least. Would I even remember how to cast on and enjoy the quiet rhythm of the stitches?
To prepare, I bought a ball of 100% cotton Suger and Cream Yarn in denim blue figuring the cotton might have less chemical reactions on sensitive skin than a worsted or wool blend. I pulled out a bright gold pair of #9 needles, a large size, for easy access and tucked them into my to go bag. I resisted looking up "how to" instructions in my knitting books or glancing at You Tube's knitting tutorials.
I will enter the group with a clean slate. I will remain quiet, listen to others, and joyfully absorb the fully present Now.
The evening of the meeting, we got there on time but there were 30 people already there knitting away! Were we late? No! Knitters came early! There were four teachers to help us if needed. There were some empty seats with yarn balls and needles already at the places. We chose our seats.
I took the needles out of their Sugar and Cream skein and guess what? The cast on was already done!
I eagerly picked up my yarn and began to knit right away, carefully throwing the yarn with the right hand over the needle "American Style" my Mom had taught me. Mary Anne knit in the European Continental Style her Grandma from Germany had taught her! Both hands are more closely centered in Continental Knitting, and the yarn is not thrown so far. Some say the Continental Style, unlike the American Style, actually helps to relieve extra pressure on the right hand and shoulder created by repetitive motions.
As I sat in silence, I "re-lived" learning to knit:
That was a slow process! What a snail I was juggling the two bright pink needles and figuring out how to knit loosely enough to let the yarn slip easily through my fingers. My uneven unruly stitches were forged as tough as cast iron! My Mom helped by "loosening up" my tightly woven stitches. She picked up the many dropped stitches and replaced them on the needles. Then she knit a couple of relaxed even rows rows so I could "begin again."
I was angry and flustered by the tedious event of learning to knit when painting and drawing were so effortless. Why did I persist? I am not sure. Now I can feel the benefits of left and right brain connections forming by knitting. Gradually the stitches came easier and I learned cast on, knit, purl, and bind off. I still have these bright pink metal needles in my collection! I love picking them up and "remembering."
My Mom added, "With these four techniques, you can knit anything you want!"
Take Home Gift
At the end of the evening, we received the yarn and needles we had used in Knitting Group to take with us! What a great unexpected treat!
Someone added, "I have a spinning wheel, and I spin at bedtime. It is so relaxing after my day at work."
Knitting is relaxing and creative at the same time, a blend of harmony (Yin: color and yarn type in right brain) and ececuted design (Yang: mathematical structure and precision in left brain).
* "Make Time for Yarn Everyday."
What would you like to revisit from your past activities that you might like to "try again." Or, try something new!
TODAY AGAIN~
Related Posts
Knitting Stories: A Stitch in Time (Feb 2012), Call to Colors and Find A Voice (Mar 2012)
Fully Present (May 2012), Already Done (June 2012) and Time and Pace (0ct 2013).
Resources:
* Knitting Daily TV and online, "Make Time for Yarn Everyday."
Begin Again music and lyrics by Taylor Swift from the Red album.
Lincoln Township Public Library in Stevensville, Michigan USA provides a variety of activities for learning and enjoyment online and in person.
Marilu Henner, actress and author, book Total Memory Makeover. Help for acquiring, storing, and retrieving your memories. Picking up yarn and needles unleashed fresh inspiration as well as a treasure of stored memories.
Featured Yarn and Needles
Sugar 'N Cream by Lily, Worsted 4-ply, 100% USA grown Cotton
http://www.sugarncream.com
http://www.clover-usa.com
Takumi Velvet Knitting Needles
"Go Green! Knit Green! The Takumi Velvet Knitting Needles are eco friendly with no petrochemicals to harm the environment [or sensitive skin]. Knit faster with the velvety smooth finish...."
Blog, newsletter, projects and more
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Photo by Dahlis:
Begin Again, Yarn and Needles
Roy's Law:
"All flat surfaces will soon fill up with stuff which expands to fill the space available."
"This law is a result of Newton's Law of Gravity and the Second Law of Thermodynamics which states that disorder in the universe is always increasing so that all flat surfaces will have things landing on them."
"Roy's second law is that one person alone cannot pill a cat."
Dahlis' Law:
"All flat surfaces will soon fill up with cats."
Science and Humor Are One~
Sancat Meditates, Stillness and Purring
Resources:
Brian Cox Particle Physicist
Cats Purr Cd by Chet Day
Lucy, Chet's Cat, contributes purring plus musical sounds and nature tones. Binaural beats promote relaxation and healing. Cat's purr at 50 Hz promotes bone growth, and at 120 Hz stimulates tendon repair. Domestic Cats purr in a range of 40-135 Hz.
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Photo
Sancat Meditating by Dahlis
"The Cat is a Tai Chi Master," Jou Tsing Hwa, mathematician, author, and Tai Chi master.
This one is resting!
* Spider Webs at Sunrise
I'm getting a title and writing it down: Hear and Now.
Next I picture scenes from Walt Disney's Fantasia, musical pictures in (gasp) hand drawn and painted cartoons. I "see" scenes of ancient Greek myths (Pastoral Symphony by Beethoven's 6th) and the dinosaur age (Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky). I pause and "watch" a dinosaur scene in my imagination as the frequencies change. Suddenly, everyone, big and small, pauses and raise heads to listen. The Thunder Lizard is coming as lightening flashes! I sense the reptilian intuition of watchful waiting and decision making.
I picture my cats, intuitive creatures, signalling with eyes, posture, gestures and voice that an unfamiliar cat is in their yard. ** The animal is Fully Present at all times.
I type:
Electronic Blueprint
Sacred Frequencies:
Sacred Destinations
Meditation Music, guided or toned, mantra and more.
I let this rest in draft form.
Calling with restful intent "suddenly" over a short span of days, I receive a program to watch:
*** Resounding Earth, frequencies from many cultures created with bells, Tibetan bowls, and much more into a musical composition, a harmony and balance in 4 parts.
Pigments of Joy
Sacred Rainbow and Beyond
I ponder the wonder and harmony of light, color and music in a cosmic blend.
I receive:
The Color of Music
**** Then I remember (in the middle of the night) the book by Daniel Tammet, Born on a Blue Day.
"I was born on a Wednesday and Wednesdays are always Blue."
The next day My daughter calls and tells me excitedly about attending a reading of Beowulf and meeting Benjamin Bagby. He is also an expert in musical modes and has a harp tuned to the Pythagorean 5th, "the true 5th."
Later I open LinkedIn and read:
+ The Sonic Mysticism of Hindu Mythology by Jayanta Choudhury. Raga means "color." "Color the mind in various shades of emotions." The path to higher consciousness is musical.
"Explore your core consciousness," Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Electronic Blueprint
Creative Artists
Related Posts
* Building Blocks, Time and Pace and Wander and Ponder, Oct 2013
** Fully Present (Aug 2011)
Color (Y)our World (Feb 2011)
Tonal Vision, The Power of Music and Frequencies in Our Lives, (Jan 2011)
Lavender Blue and Already Done (June 2012)
Sacred Destinations (Sept 2012)
Resources:
*** Resounding Earth by Augusta Reed Thomas, composer, North Western University, Chicago, Illinois USA
Third Coast Percussion, Musical Group in Chicago performs Resounding Earth.
Resounding Earth documentary about the making of the piece aired on PBS (USA) on Oct 25, 3013. I am reminded of John Cage's musical work and play.
**** Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet, "a high functioning Aspergers and an extraordinary Mind."
+ The Sonic Mysticsim of Hindu Mythology by Jayanta Choudhury, Ph.D., mathematician and physicist posted by Dr. Glen Hepker author of A Glimpse of Heaven, the Philosophy of True Health. Dr. Hepker is also a counselor/wellness coach, instructor of Tai Chi and wellness arts. Blog Post Oct 14, 2013, on Glen Hepker's Wordpress.com Blog.
Chants of India Ravi Shankar, music Cd produced by George Harrison
Deepak Chopra, "Open your mind with Silent Meditation."
LinkedIn is a Professional Business Network worldwide. Articles, Research, Special Interest Groups such as Creative Designers and Writers fuel sharing and discussion.
Fantasia by Walt Disney (1940), full length feature film: "Music and Art are One."
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author and Tai Chi Instructor
Images:
Spider Webs at Sunrise appear to be floating on the grass, photo by Dahlis, see post Time and Pace Oct 2013.
Pigments of Joy, contributed photo by Debra Basham, CHTP, NLP, HTt, RMT, Debra's Blog
http://dbasham.blogspot.com
http://imaginehealing.info
Creative Artists in New Zealand, 2013 photo by Paul Lam, M.D. in Whangarei, NZ in an artists' co-op. Enhance your creativity and total well being with Tai Chi, an integrative exercise.
http://www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org
Improve Your Life and Health with Tai Chi for Health. Free online newsletter, Articles, Research, Music for Practice, more on You Tube, free lesson, Tai Chi for Beginners.
Snail Pace
Slow Down? Speed UP? (mostly speed up)
Dr. Hallowell is stopping to study a painting in a museum instead of rushing on quickly. "My wife helps me to linger."
I look out the window on a charcoal grey morning.
Spider webs in foggy grass appear.
"They're always there, but we just don't see them" Rob adds.
"Look at that!" I point out:
"See those single threads of spider silk lacing between those nearby trees!" Sun through fog, a realm of visual possibilities usually not seen: unveiled!
Sunburst Awakening
Purple fog on white fence in the haze of sunrise. Photo cannot capture its color and mood.
Later:
Crane Hunched in a pond surrounded by Ruddy Ducks and their young. He surveyed us by turning his head sideways then turned the other side of his head to view us with "both eyes." Were we moving toward him? Were we standing still? Were we predators?
Then:
Tai Chi slow down~breathe relax. Meditate and medicate while exercising! Feel connection of mind-body-spirit as one in harmony and balance.
"You spend most of your life running after things, doing things. You forget that being comes before doing. Those who remember this secret make an effort to 'be' and discover that when they stop and observe, life helps and brings whatever is needed," Barbara Brotsky, Author
"We want it yesterday!"
"Everything is Yesterday....," Debra Basham
Daily seated meditation is helping me to calm, slow down, focus, create, and catch the moment with joy and appreciation. The brain rests in silence. I feel more aware. Intuition is sharpening.
I see scattered scribbled notes: Meditate: "to imagine." "Thought and pictures flow, write and create from the flow."
"Eye in the Heart"~pictures inner: "On the screen inside your mind. watching the action."
Green Light Writing!
Exercise: Write 5 min, set a timer. Write/Type free of thinking, spelling, or grammar. Choose a topic or let it come to you. Let Go~Let Grow, freedom from rules.
Resist re-reading or correcting in digital or on paper.
NOW! Shred or permanently delete your writing.
** "Even though you know what you know, I know that I'm ready to leave...."
Quit after 5 minutes of writing and proceed with confidence that you have expressed yourself and your innermost thoughts and feelings "by you for you!" You have also let it go.
* "Delete your need to understand," Joy's Way, A Map for Your Transformational Journey by W. Brugh Joy, M.D.
Related Posts: Color (Y)our World with Tai Chi (Feb 2011), Universe Shadows of Cranes, Achieve Goals by Paul Lam, M.D. (March 2011), Grow Green (April 2011), Double Vision, two cranes are better than one (Sept 2011) Lavender Blue and Already Done (June 2012), In The Fog (Feb 2013), Forgetting (is more important than remembering) by Paul Lam, M.D. (May 2013)
Resources:
Edward Hallowell, M.D, Answers to Distraction, book to help adults with ADD/ADHD.
Barbra Brotsky, author, workshops
*Joy's Way, A Map for Your Transformational Journey by W. Brugh Joy, M.D.
Marilu Henner actress and author, book Total Memory Makeover: Anticipate, Experience, Recall.
Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey present 21 Day Meditation Challenges, various topics, online and Cd.
Paul Lam, M.D., Tai Chi for Health, DVD, You Tube, articles, research. Tai Chi exercises developed by Medical Doctors and Tai Chi experts to help you. Learn to relax while exercising and increase strength, rage of motion, better mood, mental concentration and much more.
Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way, The Writing Life and more
** Song of the Day: She Said, She Said (Lennon-McCartney) sung by the Beatles from Revolver Album
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor.
Images by Dahlis
Snail Pace, who will "win?" Ink brush snails capture the journey
Green Light, photo sun on green table
Rainbow Flying, photo prism of sunlight
* "The endless deserts are crystals of sand. The mountain ranges are a string of beads"
A Firm Foundation
I am fascinated with medieval architecture ever since I can remember.
*** Recently I experienced a 21 day free online meditation, Miraculous Relationships. In silent time of daily segments, I received many images of painted and written material including scrolls of ancient Asian type writing from various cultures as well as symbols carved onto stones or in caves. After the sessions, I jotted images and noted impressions in a journal.
One of the pictures stood out. "Paint Me Now!"
An image had slowly developed out of clouds of light and fog. I felt and saw a cold clear blueness. **** "I can still feel the clear mountain air, the crisp chill it brought."
This inner eye picture slowly developed into a sky-sea-stone event. It came in (downloaded) starting with sky melting into sea. The image came in section by section instead of a completed fully formed picture. Next I perceived a steep rooftop forming followed by stone outcroppings which were the building's foundations. I felt a sculpture (angel?) forming standing on a pediment.
After meditation, I penciled in a drawing-sketch of the building I had "seen." I started with a small piece of paper. The lines grew right off the paper, so I taped a second paper onto the first as a zagged stair step drew itself out to the lower right.
The colors were very clear now as I penciled in "blue sea" etc as hue indicators of what I would paint. The stones were ancient and perhaps crumbling. Colors of the stones were blued through the veil of crisp cold air. I could breathe in the scene.
Painting day came in on a crisp clear blue early autumn morning. The color and energy of the air matched the vision I had. I put the painting flat on the table and closed the drapes most of the way to receive the bluest muted light. I opened the doors and windows. First I brushed in the blue sky fading to ocean then took some tan stokes and blocked in the building, gradually adding slashes of blue and grey giving a bit of depth. Next I started up the blue area above the building. It felt like sea yet the sky appeared. I stepped back, there were misty mountains visible along with the clouds and fog. I ran out of the clear blue mist of paint I had mixed. I quit!
After a few weeks, the oil paint layer had dried thoroughly. Then I carved in the roof and stones, sharpened the shadows and added the sculpture I felt was there at the roof line. The zagged steps begged me to straighten them as in the sketch, but they painted themselves crooked. Why?
As the painting progressed, I cut the sharp shadows and rough hewn stones into the paint with a small chisel brush and palette knife.
Why was I seeing images of scenes and buildings?
"....silent meditation permits the mind's eye to go beyond its limitations and experience your core consciousness," Deepak Chopra (Facebook Oct 5, 2013).
Detail and Mystery
Random Notes:
Stone-Sea-Sky~
Dwelling-Ruin on a cliff (painting) Meditation, clear air, breathe it.
Smell the oil paint! Like walnuts roasting!
Viewpoint like a gull-eagle soaring effortlessly overhead.
Ongoing Discovery:
Several days ago, I opened a book about Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy. A huge color spread greeted my eye. My heart quickened. I was drawn to a small simple building several hundred feet below Mont-Saint Michel. The small structure was near the sea built on a bed of steep rocks. "That's it! That's what I'm painting!"
I recognized the structure instantly, even though it was viewed from the side instead of from above. The color in this photo displayed iron oxide stained rocks, the building's stones were light tan instead of grey in bright sun and shadow.
I flipped quickly through the pictures, one by one, and SAW a photo of what I was painting, colors and all! How can that be? I know I leafed through this book at least 10 years ago and "saw" this blue view but did not consciously recall it until now.
I looked at the blue photo for a couple of seconds, then closed the book and put it back on the shelf. Yes, the zagged ancient steps are crooked, built around their natural granite rock foundation. I smiled to notice changes "I" had made.
"Don't Touch It," I perceived a silent voice.
The building is St. Aubert's Chapel. In 708 A.D. The Monk Aubert had a vision from St. Michael, the Archangel, who instructed him to build a church on the mountain above the chapel.
Mont-Saint-Michel was born of vision and wonder.
** "The Archangel Loved Heights!" Henry Adams
Stillness ~ Vision ~ Spontaneity ~ Creativity
The Stonecutter's Art
Related Posts:
Tonal Vision (the Power of Music) and Angels 101 (Jan 2011), Encounters With Michael, A Different Light, Painting Mont-Saint-Michel (Feb 2011), Grow Green, help your brain grow new neurons (April 2011), Healing Hearts (May 2011), Running Wild in the Universe (poem), July 2011, Lavender Blue (June 2012), Sacred Destination (Sept 2012), Angels in the Architecture and Electric Handshake (June 2013)
Resources:
* Quote from illustrator, author, filmmaker, Peter Sis, Conference of the Birds. "For as long as I can remember, I have loved to draw pictures of flying, freedom and birds."
http://www.petersis.com
** Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres by Henry Adams. Explore sacred sights with the author including St. Michael's Mountain in Normandy.
http://www.fullbooks.com Thousands of free full text online books available including Mont-St-Michel and Chartres.
*** Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey team up to present 21 Day Meditation Challenges, various topics.
**** Silver Butterfly, Create A Vision, Awaken Your Creative Spirit, free E-book by Dahlis Roy
Le Mont Saint-Michel, book by Jean-Paul Benoit, photographs by Jean-Paul Gisserot (1994 edition). This book written in French. I almost gave it away three times recently, but something held me back.
Wiki, Mont-Saint Michel, St. Aubert's Chapel
Visit The Cloisters, New York City, USA.
http://dbasham.blogspot.com Debra Basham's Blog: Yellow Brick Road, Your Path to Heart and Health
Song of the Day: All I've Got To Do (Lennon/McCartney) from the UK album With the Beatles. It was 50 years ago in mid October when John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote I Want To Hold Your Hand, "and the rest is history!"
Total Memory Makeover, Book by Marilu Henner, actress. How does memory work? Steps to improve, store and retrieve your memories.
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Photos by Dahlis
I left these photos as taken, free of enhancement or cropping.
Ancient Times, school sculpture by Rob
Pencil Sketch Ancient Building: what is it?
Start of Painting the meditative image
Completed Painting, Sky-Sea-Stones, Impression of St. Aubert's Chapel
Sculpture (Angel?) Who is it? Colors and Canvas Vibrate
Blue Light on Jagged Steps. Imagination is Fun. The dark "cave" to the left presents three animal images: I see a black wolf cub in cartoon form (40's style) with round head and large eyes. There is a black bear cub tilting his cocked head upward (part of the wolf image). At the bottom of the cave, a cougar lies crouched, head and shoulders. To the right of the cave and before the steps, I see a Cheetah head and shoulders, head cocked. What do you see?
The Stonecutter's Art, Zen Walkway, photo contributed by Debra Basham
