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A Weekend to Treasure!

9/28/2014

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It would be hard to imagine a more perfect weekend!!!! Carrie and her family came all the way from New Jersey - 8 of us altogether at my favorite restaurant in Towson,  Strapazza's, for the season's last Feet on the Street.  It was a wonderful evening of laughter, dancing and celebration - Happy Birthday Jill and Michael! What a gift to have all of you come to Towson and include me in your festivities!

Saturday was a delight - back at Strapazza's for lunch with Mycala and then off to the exquisite Court House Gardens. Sketched several times over the weekend and Zippy and Sparkiie took walks and had a Sunday afternoon date! And to add to the celebration, the Ravens and the Orioles both won today's games. 
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Wishes

9/24/2014

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UPDATE: I wrote this wish list for 2015 on 9-24-2014. Some of the dreams that came true are listed below - italicized to differentiate them from the one's that didn't. The year was so much more extraordinary than what I had planned. Please see my Gratitude list for how the year actually unfolded!
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One of the suggestions I gave my 'A More Creative You" class was to list their Wishes. The assignment prompted me to redo my own and add them as goals to add to my Rose tree. Some are silly, others most likely impossible, some simple and others more challenging. Two that were rather unexpected this year were my trip to Paris and purchasing a new home in the historical Lake Walker in Baltimore!

After losing my first list of wishes entirely, I'm grouping them in sections of 10.
Wishes that have come true are bolded and italicized!

I hope this will inspire you to make your own list!


Wish List for 2015 - I wish I could

  1. Continue to sing in the Renaissance chorus!
  2. Create a zodiac herb booklet
  3. Create an illustrated 100 page booklet on violets with legend, lore, recipes,
  4. Complete History of Jazz course
  5. Complete Baltimore History course
  6. Complete Parks and Rivers of Maryland course
  7. Complete Sing a Song course
  8. Continue daily journaling
  9. Complete my Intuitive Painting course
  10. Complete my Your Creative Spark course
  1. Create a series of greeting cards to send and to sell with information on symbolism
  2. Daisy - innocence
  3. Rosemary - remembrance
  4. Violets - protection against "wykked sperytis"
  5. Iris - faith, wisdom, valor and friendship
  6. Dogwood - wishes and protection
  7. Black eyed Susan - a heart full of smiles
  8. Roses - love
  9. Starfish - eternal love
  10. Pear - love (and lust?) hahahaha
  1. Complete my course on Gothic Cathedrals
  2. Be invited to Paris! Thank you Nancy!!!!!
  3. Went to Paris!
  4. Purchased ticket
  5. Reserved "the Nest"!
  6. Learned French
  7. Purchased travel books
  8. Planned wish list!
  9. Packed
  10. Went!!!
  1. Began house hunting!
  2. Checked credit score
  3. Found a mortgage broker
  4. Found a real estate agent - Eve! LOVE LOVE LOVE her!!!!!
  5. Began exploring communities in the Baltimore area
  6. Scheduled home tours
  7. Made plans with Mycala!!!
  8. Scheduled home inspection
  9. Scheduled settlement
  10. Moved into our new home!!!

  1. Flew to Paris via Iceland!
  2. Arrived at the Left Bank!
  3. Saw Notre Dame and the Rose Window at Sunset!
  4. Saw the Seine!
  5. Checked into our Nest!
  6. Saw the Eiffel Tour!
  7. Found Shakespeare and Company Book Store!
  8. Visited the Latin Quarter!
  9. Visited St. Severin Church
  10. Went on a Champagne Tour
  11. Visited the Cathedral in Rheims
  12. Visit the Louvre
  13. Toured the Orsay Museum
  14. Saw the Champs Elysses
  15. Visited the Georges Pompadeau Mall
  16. Toured Versailles
  17. Toured Giverney! Dream of a life time!!!!
  18. Saw Monet's murals at the Orangerie Museum
  19. Visited Montmartre
  20. Climbed to the top of Sacre Cour!


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The Autumn Equinox, New Moon and Mabon

9/23/2014

 
The advent of autumn simultaneously warms my heart and brings an onset of nostalgia. Throw in a new moon, and the day is ripe with new beginnings and new possibilities, reminiscent of my grandmother's reverence for the cycles of the moon. No, she didn't consult zodiac signs and horoscopes, but she farmed seventy-four acres in Indiana, and sowed, reaped and harvested with the moon in mind. 

She taught me to pay attention to the phases of the moon, to honor the cycles of nature and to consider the impact of their power. I am a believer. I've seen the cycles of the moon in action. When I volunteered in the prison, we  all took a deep breath and gathered our courage during the full moon. We knew it would bring different behaviors. This is not my imagination. Police departments and hospitals have long documented the increase in crime and emergency room admissions when the moon is full.

The new moon's power is more subtle and often considered less potent, but I'm not convinced. The force it holds for new beginning is a positive power to be revered. Maybe it is simply a matter of the gift of opportunity, of a new beginning. 

Each day is a miracle. Today I was reminded of this, as I am almost daily, by a friend reflecting on her weekend filled with concerns about a family member's health problems, and the the death of a dear friend in his seventies. Life is fragile. 

My dad died in his early 40s and from that time on, I've been aware of the value of each day. I know life can end as quickly as a star can fall from heaven. For awhile, it seemed I had a reprieve. Very few people in my life died for decades. And then the pendulum swung. The death of loved ones increased, and my appreciation for life increases simultaneously. 

Today's treasure is a new moon, the autumn equinox and the arrival of Libra. The air is crisp and cool, the moon is encouraging us to begin new endeavors, thought processes and leaps of faith and Libra brings balance, reflection and celebration. 

This is the first day Mabon, the harvest festival, in the northern hemisphere. It is a time to harvest and to reap what we sow. Mabon is a time of rest, reflection and assessment. This is a time to celebrate your successes, consider which projects and endeavors were beneficial, and which can be replaced and set aside. Be gentle with yourself as you review and assess. Nature is here to support and lift you up, encouraging and empowering you to be the very best you can be. There is magic in the air!
 

Friendship and Roses

9/19/2014

 
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Lisa and Shayla arrived today with roses -  a banner that is perfect for my Take the Rose Instead and Roses by the Sea Retreat, cupcakes too gorgeous to eat, and an exquisite note pad! 

They fill the room with love just by walking in! They have left to attend a conference with Oprah and will stop on the way back. I can hardly wait to hear about their experiences, reflections and insights!  

"A single rose can be my garden, a single friend, my world."     ~ Leo Bascaglia
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Firework Spectacular at Inner Harbor!

9/14/2014

 

Sunset on the Bay

9/13/2014

 

Blue Angels and the Orioles Game

9/13/2014

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The Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees played ten innings without scoring. I'm wondering if they were as distracted by the air show above Camden Yards as we were! It was a thrill to first hear the sonic booms and then see the arial acrobatics!  The Yankees finally scored in the 11th in inning, followed by the Orioles. The Orioles won the game, 2 to 1. 
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The Tall Ship Ballet!

9/11/2014

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The tall ships, sailing into Baltimore's Inner Harbor for the Star Spangled Banner Spectacular Festivities, was virtually a ballet!  The extent of the artistry was far beyond what I had anticipated. The detail on the ships was the exquisite! I had no idea it would be so creative, varied, intricate, or vibrant! There was a dog on the side of one of the ships that reminded me of Zippy!


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Star Spangled Celebrations!

9/10/2014

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Newcomer's of Northern Baltimore County Star Spangled Spectacular

Today the Newcomer's of Northern Baltimore County hosted a delightful luncheon in the private dining room of the Rusty Scupper that faces the harbor, giving us a perfect view of the visiting tall ships! But not all of the entertainment was outside!  Arlen St. John, who arranged the spectacular extravaganza, transformed into Mary Pickersgill before our eyes!  With the help of her delightful granddaughter, and a few simple props, "Mary transported us back in time to tell us her story and the challenges involved in creating the enormous Star Spangled Banner that inspired the song by Francis Scott Key. 

Mary Young was born on February 12, 1776 to another flag maker, her mother, Rebecca Young. She learned the craft which later gave her an economic base to support herself and later others. Mary married Pickersgill, but became a widow at the age of 29. She was able to support herself through her flag business and was commissioned to by Major George Armistead to make a flag for Fort McHenry. It was to be "so large that the British would have no difficulty seeing it from a distance." The flag was completed ahead of time, delivered to Fort McHenry where it inspired the song that eventually became the United States National Anthem, written Francis Scott Key during the Battle of Baltimore.

Mary Pickersgill bought the house she had been renting in in 1820. She contributed time and resources to supporting disadvantaged women who had been widowed, were unemployed or found themselves in need because of economic challenges. She founded a home for aging women, and later built an adjacent home for aging men.Over a century later the facility became the Pickersgill Retirement Community, located in Towson, Maryland. 

Her home, located at the northwest corner of Albemarie and East Pratt Streets in downtown Baltimore, is now officially known as the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House. Sincere thanks to Arlen and Newcomer's of Northern Baltimore County for bringing history alive and celebrating history in the making in beautiful Baltimore!

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Symbolism of Yantras

9/6/2014

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We're beginning our seventh week of the Artist Way + class. Part of the course is drawing mandalas daily after each journaling session. One of the participants mentioned the "yantra". When I was in India Swamiji had a huge yantra in his ashram. Memories! Anyway, it prompted me to revisit the yantra. I found this in Wikepedia. Being aware of the symbolism of the shapes will make constructing the mandalas more meaningful!  


Yantra
 (यन्त्र) is the Sanskrit word for a mystical diagram, especially diagrams or amulets supposed to possess occult powers in astrological or magicalbenefits in the Tantric traditions of the Indian religions. Traditionally such symbols are used in Eastern mysticism to balance the mind or focus it on spiritual concepts. The act of wearing, depicting, enacting and/or concentrating on a yantra is held to have spiritual or astrological or magical benefits in the Tantrictraditions of the Indian religions.

Shapes and patterns commonly employed in yantra include squares, triangles, circles and floral patterns but may also include more complex and detailed symbols, for instance:

  • The lotus flower typically represents chakras, with each petal representing a psychic propensity (or vritti) associated with that chakra;
  • A dot, or bindu, represents the starting point of creation or the infinite, unexpressed cosmos;
  • The shatkona (şaţkoņa) (Sanskrit name for a Hexagram) is composed of a balance between:
  • An upwards triangle which according to Tantra denotes energy, or more specifically action and service (seva). It may also denote spiritual aspiration, the element of fire, or Shiva. It is also said to represent the static substratum of the cosmos;[citation needed]
  • A downwards triangle which according to Tantra denotes spiritual knowledge. It may also denote the creative power of the cosmos, fecundity, the element of water, or Shakti;
  • A swastika represents good luck, welfare, prosperity or spiritual victory;
  • Bija mantras (usually represented as characters of Devanāgarī that correspond to the acoustic roots of a particular chakra or vritti).
Geometric element meanings:

  • Circle = Energy of the element water
  • Square = Energy of the element earth
  • Upward-facing Triangle = Energy of the element fire; energy
  • Downward-facing Triangle = Energy of the element water; knowledge
  • Diagonal line = Energy of the element air
  • Horizontal line = Energy of the element water
  • Vertical line = Energy of the element fire
  • Point = Energy of the element ether
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    Mikell is a writer, artist and professional treasure hunter, finding the greatest treasures in the wonderful people who enter her life!

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