The Human Entropy Project (David OBrien)

Going out is the 'us against them', 'me against you' and 'death to the finish' I am advised. Coming in is 'many in one heart'. What will the Earth be like when we are in a cooperative, collaborative and mutually respectful phase? Some will fear and fight their way through this change. Life will no longer be able to support this conflict. Others, like myself, will feel right at home and say "finally", acknowledging a return to what was known at the beginning of the beginning. I may even spend a lot of time in disbelief- having been a participant dreamer, not unaware the whole time, in the dream time that hit me like a ton of bricks over and over and over again. Just the promise that this portion of suffering is being let up off the mat makes my lungs expand a tiny bit more. And so it is.

Sanctuary: What is it?

High Museum of Art in Atlanta (image thanks to Style Court)

I am thinking today, and on other days of late, about what makes for sanctuary. HGTV does a wonderful job plumbing the depths of our housing needs both structural and decorative, so I am not as much interested in the trappings of home as sanctuary when I am thinking about the word. And then, the spiritualists among us have long written, sung, meditated and prayed within their inner sanctuaries, so I am not sure if my interests are from this angle either. I may be thinking about our sense of individual sanctuary in all of our minutes within the day. The place that when cultivated can become our own unique touchstone, a combination of our inner world comingled with our outer world of home, work and family-- the intersection of emotion, spirit, cognitions with our outter existence-- sort of that sweet spot of groundedness that is so necessary as we navigate life in these times. I'll keep thinking about this and report what comes of it.

I love this fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics in Miami FL. It is bohemian and art deco and so very expressive. My observant husband tells me that if my choice was something simple/plain or highly decorated/complex that I go for the latter most of the time. And you know, he is right on the money. Good that he knows me. I remain fascinated by how what we wear and what objects we own are an expressive language all their own that tell the tale of who we are and at what point we are in life.

Being Heard

This art work is that of artist Shelly Klein from KStudio   and is on display through June 2011 at Quirk Studio in Richmond, VA.
I can't help but notice that we humans are so dependent on being heard. We simply do not exist without the feedback of others. Art through the ages communicates our emotions, our hopes, aspirations and accomplishments. It tells the Story of Us. We have so much to express and absolutely need others to hear us. The flip side is that we have to cultivate extraordinary listening abilities so we know what is being shared. And isn't listening done by so much more than our ears? The art of the witness is practiced many ways. Ahhhhh soooo.

The Energy Avenger

Only a very, very few people who know me would know that the image of the 'crystal brass knuckles' expressed in the photo above, with the fist adorned by a beautiful silver ring with crystals on top, should be tattooed on my chest or at very least, be worn by me daily on a t-shirt. I discovered a long time ago that the power of perception and insight fuelling action has a greater impact pound for cosmic square inch than any other form of worldly interaction or engagement. In other words, I'm a lover, not a fighter.  When I found this beauty designed by Debra Baxter on The Jealous Curator (see earlier post) I laughed out loud.

Good Blog Name: The Jealous Curator

I'm just doing a little plug for the Jealous Curator. I can't tell you how much outright jealousy I have had for all the magnificence that surrounds me relative to beauty in all its forms and those (both animate and inanimate) who can express it so wildly and loudly... so good for you, Jealous Curator, whoever you are. My sentiments EXACTLY.

Wallpaper. It was popular when I was growing up. Most of it in my southern home was some form of subtle stripes and little flowers. Not too exciting really. I'm still not a huge fan of it, but the best wallpaper usage I have ever personally seen was in my husband's parent's home years ago. This paper was wild and it worked-- selected in the late sixties or so, it was heavily patterned with a lot of color. My mother-in-law had it on her ceilings in some of the rooms. Now that is BOLD.

Wall paper just seems like a BIG commitment somehow. I guess it is not in my mutable nature to live with something so certain.

I found this lovely photo at
JuJu Papers

Dimensions & Life

Window at Anthropologie celebrates Earth Day

Recently I learned that scientists are now discovering that instead of a handful of dimensions, there are actually hundreds or thousands. It appears that the universe grows from within. The full expression of this concept is best expressed with mathematics and quantum physics the likes of which are lost on me as a whole. But I do like to consider the seen and unseen of life and my place in it. I love the idea that I am a portion of a thread in the great cushion of all life that supports me. Sort of relaxes me. You?

Mrs. Haymore's Butterfly Pin

Mrs. Haymore gave me a department store cloisonne butterfly pin when I graduated high school in the spring of 1984. One of the wings is chipped now but I still have it. Something about that butterfly reminded me that I was free to move on out into life not yet an adult but no longer a child. In Native American tradition the butterfly can represent the mind and the ability to transform and change. I guess I (and Mrs. Haymore) intuitively understood this. Many transformations later, I am on the move again. Have I (or any of us, for that matter)ever stopped? Nope.
lovelysweetwilliam lepetitfoyer onelittlebirdstudio leavesandfeathers all courtesy of beautycomma, thank you

Getting Down in the Thread

Think I will nosedive into the threads of life that weave into that which most interests me about living.

These silk and cotton Sonia Delauney textile designs 1152 & 186 are on display on loan to the Smithsonian in May 2011

These are prop stylings from Barb Fritz

Now, that is a goooooood job: Finding and arranging objects for the sheer purpose of expressing a viewpoint. I get so inspired by creativity and the infinite ways people express themselves and share their perspectives with others. To me, this type of expression is the best part of a life well lived. I read recently: 'Develop a view point and then focus, focus, focus on it' in order to develop it further. I think this is what people do who are the most successful in being uniquely themselves-- cultivating a specific identity, regardless of the topic.

Go Thru that Door Girl

There's a funky bathtub just to the right of that doorway, I just know it. And there is a window just high and fuzzy enough to let in good light and keep out peeping eyes. Yup. I can smell all the natural salt scrubs and soaps partially open and used laying around in there. Good space.

I'd stay in there for hours. I'd do my morning meditation in that bathroom.

Thanks Bloesem blog. I snagged this image from you because I loved it and your blog gives me inspiration on a regular basis.

I Gotta Bird Thing I Think

Inaluxe Bird Giclees

What is going on here? A few weeks ago as I approached an intersection I saw a roar of birds whoosh up from a field, their wings sparkling black in the winter sky. My heart flew up with them and then landed with a bang back in my chest. I was reminded in that instant that even beauty can be painful.

You can look at these birds and other gorgeous giclees on Etsy.