back to forth

Renew thyself completely each day;

do it again, and again, and forever again.

    - Chinese inscription

On occasion, I revisit places I have been through pictures from my trips. Some in particular immediately take me back…

I stood before the door of the tomb at Abu Simbel, marveling at its enormity just about to cross the threshold when the guard urgently said with polite quiet excitement, “Miss, wait...turn around.” There across the lake sat a perfectly round orange in a cloudless sky sun so whisper still that it rendered me breathless, unable to move…

I walked out into the early morning light of Sorrento, the blue marble of the balcony cool on the soles of my bare feet. There across the sea was Mt. Vesuvius, rising majestic against a gorgeous sapphire sky with coral clouds, stopping me in mid-step to ponder the bold power of the beautiful volcano that created ghosts who whisper…

I positioned myself on the beach in Hollywood, morning after the storm waves crashing onto the shore, splashing up over my knees to dampen my hips and thighs. There across the ocean, the sun peeked over the clouds, slowly rose with a whisper that signaled the calm ahead as I stood rooted in the sand, marveling…

The similarity in the feeling of these photographs is hard for me to ignore -- being before a body of water soothes my mind, body, soul and spirit. I really can close my eyes and go back to experience the moment in the present then come forth to be fully in the now, renewed all over again.

Each time I see the pictures, a desire to see more of the world, capture people, places, and things begins to percolate; somewhere in my head, a globe is spinning so here's to travel in the happy new year and...

keep your peepers open!®

new to do

In the midst of the holiday swirl, I did begin work on some new collages inspired by 1) my promise to myself to create a piece before years end and 2) I was cited as a visionary artist and asked to participate in a group exhibition in mid 2013! The latter, an honor that has me giddy, along with two other invitations to participate in artistic-type collaborations, came as quite a surprise. Arriving one after the other a few days before the 25th, they are unexpected gifts that I figuratively put under the Christmas tree; I will continue unwrapping them and working on my “such a pleasure to do’s” well into the New Year so…

keep your peepers open!®

good cheer

may the season fill your heart with lasting hope,

your mind with harmonious peace,

your body with joyous renewal,

your soul with grounded energy and

your spirit with gloriously good cheer

…and so it shall be.

keep your peepers open!®

perhaps poinsettia

If you're not in the mood to all out decorate this season, poinsettias come in various shades, sizes and price and are a pop of festive energy that lasts well after the holidays are over. My favorite is the huge white flowering plant; it reminds me of an over-sized snowflake that can never melt! Plus great photographs of any color poinsettia can be used to create your own holiday cards or framed as gifts.

Having a poinsettia or two around the house provides fresh flowers for days, something I really like. They do seem to drink lots of water, resorting to a wilted droop position when they’re thirsty, so if you get one…

keep your peepers open!®

nostalgia

No matter how old I am, I still remember the thrill of getting up on Christmas morning particularly when I was very young and still believed in Santa. I loved our bigger than life tree smelling of pine decorated with many ornaments, fat primary colored lights, glimmering silver icicles, garland and long strands of tiny glass balls wrapped around it. My eyes always grew huge looking at all the presents underneath it for my siblings and me. The first year after I moved back to DC, I invited friends over to trim my first tree and thought for sure I’d repeat the gathering each year thereafter; so much for plans. My collection of ornaments purchased annually for who knows how long were boxed up the January after that Christmas and have remained on the shelf ever since though I do still decorate.

This past week, something began needling me and I don’t mean of the pine type though I was pining something awful. I was nostalgic, longing for that thrill from back when. I found myself wandering amongst  dozens of decorated holiday trees in stores, gazing at the many shiny ornaments nestled in baskets beneath them when I was supposed to be running errands and just had to have one...okay two...ornaments that is.

However, there was something more. I leisurely drove to a town just outside of DC to a little store hoping to find something that I left behind on a previous visit because wanting it felt silly at the time. I rushed into that store much like I hurried down the stairs before dawn on Christmas when I was a child. My face fell, I let out a heavy sigh -- the box of baby sock monkeys was not in the spot where I last saw it. Still hoping, I searched the entire place and there on a shelf close to the floor they were! I was five again and the melancholy lifted.

What are you longing for? Seek and you shall find as the saying goes so…

keep your peepers open!®

holiday high

At some point in life, you will look around and know that you have more than enough stuff. Many of my friends and I reached capacity a lifetime ago but we continued to buy all sorts of presents for each other when Christmas came around, even put together a list of "wants" to make it easier on the shopper.  I am happy to say that we finally headed in a different direction, i.e., down practical lane, about five years ago. Some didn't want gifts at all opting to just get together as a group to share a meal, others donated money to charities in the name of each friend, and gift certificates to favorite haunts were a welcome item. And so it was until the desire for more meaningful exchanges, to establish annual holiday traditions unique to the person (s) involved caused the creative juices to flow faster than eggnog! Last year was my first foray into doing something that I looked forward to repeating this season with one of my friends. Recently, I chatted with another gal pal; we quickly agreed that "high tea for the holidays" followed by a stroll through the downtown Christmas bazaar would be bliss on our list of gatherings we'd enjoy! The search was on for the best location -- the Willard Intercontinental did not disappoint.

Entering the lobby made me feel like I was stepping into a Christmas movie -- lights low with a glow that made everything a "roll camera" blur, exquisitely perfect decorations everywhere, a huge tree in the center of the room, packages underneath ready to be unwrapped...old world charm (sorry to sound so cliché but in this case it's the truth).

Tea is an event at the Willard, held in Peacock Alley, which is a few plush carpeted steps up from the lobby, its softly lit warm in both temperature and ambiance corridor oozing coziness for what seems like miles. Delightful aromas mingle with harp strings and pleasantries, an enticing combination that tucks you comfortably in your seat. Moet Champagne, if you like comes first, the pop of the cork signaling the beginning of a sumptuous afternoon.

An assortment of savory and sweet morsels wait to be devoured....

Tea flowed, its amber liquid aromatic, needing no sugar...

The entire experience felt like a big embrace and though the weather outside kept us from the bazaar, our spirits were far from damp. As we put on our wraps, enthusiastic congratulations on our choice affirmed that the Willard is home for our new holiday high!

This year, consider opening up your imagination to the possibilities that don't include opening just another package and...

keep your peepers open!®

okay, it's time

I was not ready for the holiday music, tinsel and trees that popped up well before the ghosts and goblins disappeared from front lawns. Pumpkins and turkeys all around the country barely had a chance to say goodbye to their season before Christmas showed up a month or so in advance. I won’t say what I think about people having to leave Thanksgiving with their families so others could shop a day earlier than frantic, frenzied Friday when so many lose their sense of dignified behavior. Don't get me wrong, I do love Christmas and I for one have remained mindful of those who continue to struggle with challenges not of their own doing. It feels right, particularly now to give to food drives, an adopted family and other causes that help our fellow human beings, to begin each day grateful to be awake, alive, aware, and able...and in my own bed. 

So my spirits were high yesterday as I selected a lush poinsettia, both creamy white and a marbled scarlet in the same pot, pulled down boxes of ornaments to do a little bit of decorating, hung a wreath of bright red berries on the door above the mat with three Christmas trees on it, spritzed the rooms with a forest of pine, and popped in the music that I do immensely enjoy...in DECEMBER! 

Be mindful of those in need as you indulge in the festivities of such a wondrous time of the year if indeed you do and…

keep your peepers open!®

holiday challenges

At some moment before the end of the year, I am going to sit down and create a piece of artwork with paper or paint or something that forces me to get from behind my computer screen. I have fallen so in love with photography that I don’t remember sitting down to the table at all this past year. I’m almost sure I did at the beginning of 2012, just can’t pin point the date and time right about now. Honestly, I had ever intention of making holiday cards by hand even put a reminder on my calendar. I did design some, had them printed, am very happy with them, just didn’t cut, paste, stroke, draw not one bit of the final product... well not this year (I actually did collage the picture I photographed for the card last December). Come to think of it, when I reminisce about all that occurred over the preceding 11 months and 5 days, such a whirlwind of events, emotions, and evolution come to mind…it’s a wonder I actually pinned myself down and got a card made so let me not be too hard on myself! But I am setting in motion a holiday challenge to produce a piece of artwork to share. Until that happens, I got creative with the same photo of a tree I made from pieces of paper I covered with splats of acrylics back in 1997.

Something’s coming folks…

keep your peepers open!®

sheer cheer

The last week of November, with a serious nod to the 30th, disturbed my Zen and no, I don’t fault the full moon because I am one who finds serenity in the luminosity of that circular orb of the night sky. So perhaps it was a hidden desire to shed the nagging itch of agitation that prompted me to perform a small act of kindness before I fell asleep. I do know that when I woke up on the first day of December, I was in good cheer. I welcomed the spirit of joy, allowing it to guide every thought and action of my day. Nothing disturbed my peace as I smiled and spoke kind words to every stranger I encountered, rolled down my window to help a homeless person, gave holiday tips to the women who keep me looking sassy throughout the year. I ran into one of my good friends as we both did a little pampering; her hug felt like my first big gift of the season. Though the day was long, filled with things to do, what kept me energized was the inner glow that came when I realized that my small act of kindness had had a positive impact on someone else’s life, made them and me smile as we easily reconnected, and released me from the long, self-imposed stranglehold of partial forgiveness.

Before I went to bed last night, I brought a little happy, happy, joy, joy to another person I know and not because we needed to make amends but just for the sheer delight of spreading good cheer. What a way to drift off during this most wonderful time of the year or quite frankly, anytime! So open your heart and…

keep your peepers open!®