Flower Power Mandala

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Palm Trees and the Beach Mandala

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Pink Flower Garden Mandala

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Wordless Wednesday - Stained Glass Heart Mandala

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Thankful Tuesday

Today I am grateful for:

1.  Responsibility and right to vote

2.  Surprise mail from a new friend

3.  End of bi-yearly reporting 

4.  Good night's rest

5.  New-to-me book, The Alchemist

6.  Feeling better each day (from an upper respiratory virus)

7.  Mandala cheering section  :)

8.  Proud realization of how far I've come in a difficult relationship

9.  Surrounded by quietly calm angel companions

10. Delicious chocolate frosty (my favorite!)

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Zentangle Color Wheel Mandala

Still playing away!  

:)

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Joy, Being on Time, and Mandala Making

Last month I signed up for  I Choose Authentic Joy, the most recent "healing wave" e-course by Kristin Noelle.  While I knew, because of some other commitments, that I would probably fall behind in the course, I have so enjoyed her e-courses and really wanted to take this one "live," if at all possible.  Sure enough, as time went by, even with it being only 11 days, I found myself getting farther and farther behind and, even tho I expected it, I felt sad about it.  

While I've dabbled a bit before, this is the first time I've given myself permission to fully take the time I needed to catch up in an e-course, including posting to our class's private Facebook group.  It's been interesting to notice that, as I've been allowing myself to take this wave slowly and at my own pace, I'm finding the thoughts arising in me and that I'm sharing in our group seem to flow right into the next day's lesson that I haven't read or watched yet.

When I acknowledge and step past the shame gremlin of "being so far behind" and make space to simply allow what's naturally arising to bubble up (I want to work thru this e-course!), I'm feeling a warmth of being "on time" and it's so good in a calming, tender way. Affirming, too.... ah, so maybe I'm not so behind in my life and/or whatever areas are pulling on me, like listening well to my wise soul. Maybe there's still Hope.

There's a verse in the Bible that a wise one brought to my attention years ago about the "groaning" of being human. We aren't all that we can and could be yet and so a part of us groans at the knowledge of that awareness. I was so grateful for my friend reminding me that this *is* a part of our natural experience of being human, too. And what a gift to allow ourselves to simply to be with it, and more fully, honestly, with ourselves, too.  This gentle tending feels sacred to me.

Each of our lessons has a video and in the one for day 8, Kristin talks about how we don't have to know (and get lost in) the big picture of it all. We can simply listen to what our soul is longing for and make a small move towards that. And when I do? It is so very sweet.

Smiling softly because I'm also behind in another e-course I took in June.  It's one on mandalas that I am really, *really* drawn to. Out of the 30 lessons, I've worked my way thru the first 4 of them. Grinning now because I was working on my 39th mandala since June 1 yesterday evening. I am going to *town* on this and loving it so much. And it's so nice to know that, there, too, I am welcomed to go at my own pace. Somehow I knew I'd love mandala making and I so do!  So, for now, opening my notebook to a fresh page and, surrounded by my markers and colored pencils, just beginning is enough. Because it's so important to me I know that, eventually, I will get back to the lessons. And maybe, just maybe, I will find myself just as on time there, too.

In the meantime, it's been *such* an amazing affirmation of how the wisdom really does arise (still) as I simply show up to the page.  As I pull out my compass and draw my initial circle, I never know how one of my mandalas will turn out which has been quite fun because there have been some lovely, Lovely surprises.

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Moon and Star Mandala

Not only do I really love this one...

the way the star is shining

while gently held...

I love the play on the name.

My Grandma had a set of 

Moon and Stars

salt and pepper shakers

that hold a lot of warm memories for me.

I'm also tickled by how well the 

orange and blues 

compliment one another.

I'm *so* enjoying Mandala making!

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Spanish Skirt Mandala

This one reminds me of a

beautiful, full Spanish skirt.

Makes me feel happy inside, too,

thinking of all of the dancing and twirling

that's done in one of them.

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Cheerful Checkerboard Mandala

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Stained Glass Star Mandala

Born and raised on the Texas prairie, 

I came to love all of the millions of stars

in the vast night sky.

When we go back for a visit, 

I always make a point to look up 

and greet my star sisters.

Sometimes I feel a bit like a Prairie Star myself.

This mandala honors my cherished stories.

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Thankful Tuesday

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Savoring remembrance of a quietly intentional ritual.

2.  Internal calm, even in the midst of external fluster.

3.  Clarity and professionalism in my writing.

4.  Unexpected, wonderfully delightful surprise in my mailbox.

5.  A whimsical move "towards" that didn't mushroom into more than I could handle.

6.  Summer tree frogs (and hubby snores) lullabies.

7.  Happy accident of Stained Glass Mandalas.

8.  Balm of a picked-up house.

9.  Simple supper of yummy leftovers

10. Continued kind connection with a co-worker, many days after I first reached out for help.

11. Late night check-in in the safe shelter of a wise friend's objectivity, honesty, and presence.

12. Being loved and held in the midst of feeling triggered.

13. Relaxed enough to allow sleepiness to arise.

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Purple and Gold

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Happy Birthday Grandma!

Thinking fondly of my Grandma on her birthday today and remembering her oh-so-delicious homemade pizza! Smiling because I have fond memories of one time in particular that I spent the night with her. We got up early the next morning, shopped for ingredients, and then she and I spent the day making her yummy pizza. The rest of our family came over that evening to enjoy the feast!

She enjoyed making stuffed animals from fake fur fabric for her grandkids and they weren't your regular run-of-the-mill animals.  She made me a couple of penguins! They slept with me every night as a child. She later made a patchwork pillow for me from some of the scraps and I still sleep with it every night. Smiling softly because it (and her love) still supports my left leg, which needs a little extra help at night, just right.

This picture is of Grandma and all of her grandkids ~ so far! ~ on the afternoon of Grandpa's funeral.  He died suddenly 35 years ago on August 1, 1979.  I so treasure how happy she looks in this one, surrounded by us and our love.

I posted this photo on Facebook and was delighted how my aunt, sibs and cousins added comments, filling in memories and adding pieces.  As I read, it reminded me of one of the patchwork quilts Grandma made for all of her grandkids, too.  

Smiling softly, remembering how when a story was told that happened before one of my little sisters were born and they, quite naturally, would ask, "where was I?" Moma would tenderly smile and say, "you were in God's pocket!" It was so lovely to be able to share that as well on my FB "thread" today, assuring those grandkids who weren't around just yet, this is their history, too. It just happened at a time when they were in God's pocket.

Have a wonderful day, Grandma! I love you!

(Moma, too!)
 

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Stained Glass Mandala

This one was a *very* happy accident!

I'm grinning because this is my 30th mandala since June 1! I have really been going to town and enjoying playing with this process even more than I expected I might. I've still only done the first four of our e-course lessons and continue to rest in the comfort that I will get to the others when I'm ready. I so appreciate knowing that the container of our class's private Facebook group will be there when that time comes.

What's also happening is I realize I'm finding my voice again (<-- tears are close when I write that). For all of my life I have *always* processed thru writing regularly, journaling in particular. For a variety of reasons, some I know, some I don't, I just haven't been writing much for a very long while now, probably close to a year.

It's my sense that my mandala practice is helping me to re-connect to and re"member" my heart in a new, meaningful, and very welcomed way. I am so grateful (and relieved) to be coming back home.

Ah, Hope (my word for the year), *there* you are!

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Quilted Flower Mandala #2

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Indian Blanket Mandala

Between the colors, textures, and pattern,

this one fondly reminds me 

of a beautiful woolen Indian Blanket.

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Throw Back Thursday

Me, 40 years ago, summer of 1974.

I was 12 

and had made 

my red, white, and blue 

halter dress, scarf, and 

matching shorts underneath

the split skirt.

Seems it was my 4-H dress review

sewing project that year.

It was also the only year

I was in band, 

learning to play the flute.

Smiling softly because I love that Moma

thought to capture both of these

important details about me

and where I was at that time in my life.

(In the next few years,

things would *so* change

both for me

and my family!)

I am standing to the left of 

the front of our family home and 

the house has since been moved.

When we go back for a visit, 

it's amazing to me, 

quite *stunning* at times,

to see how the farmland now looks like 

a home, 

and a family, 

were never there.

(But we were.)

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Wordless Wednesday - Butterfly Mandala

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Thankful Tuesday

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Cheerful gerber daisy in a work bouquet

2.  Precious memories made with our girlies last Friday

3.  Soft smiles that *still* arise from the genuine love and warm hugs 

4.  Bravely risking speaking my piece yesterday, even as I shook all the way thru

5.  Surprising example of how to quietly, peace-filledly move on (in the unexpected 

     example of someone who I needed to unhook from)

6.  Slightly salted, roasted almond butter

7.  Soothing tree frog summer lullabies

8.  Clean laundry, folded and put away to boot!

9.  Noticing the pockets of kindness while in the midst of harshness

10. Intentional gift to myself of time and space to review a meaningful e-course on Joy

11. Lovely hangout shared with a friend

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Texas Wagon Wheel Mandala

In honor of my 

Texas roots

and raisin'. . .

. . . and in remembrance

of a very special,

quietly private ritual.

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Dax and Aunt Deb Mandala

So we were watching a Star Wars movie, 

his choice.

I got tickled because as soon as I pulled out

my compass and started my first circle,

his interest was sparked.  

He came right over to see what I was doing.

He wanted to know if he could try,

and, of course, I said, "sure!"

We worked in our circles together.

Between us (and looks back at the movie :) ),

this is what we came up with.

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Steering by Heart

I made this one several days ago.  

It started with a heart stencil.

Then as I was finishing it, 

it looked like a captain's wheel.

And that's when I knew the name of it:

"Steering by Heart."

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Wordless Wednesday - Dreamcatcher

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Thankful Tuesday

Today I am thankful for:

1.  How very much I am enjoying creating mandalas!

2.  Making them has been a welcomed, unexpected and gentle reminder of 

     how guidance really does come . . . 

     (when allowed the time, room and space)

3.  That I can go back to bed and rest on a morning I was up way too early

4.  Awareness that I still have some boundary work to do with a co-worker.  

     (If I wasn't aware, all I would be feeling is frustration and Hope-less)

5.  A new realization of one of my "tells" that I need to set a boundary.

6.  The lovely anticipation of an upcoming hangout with a friend.

7.  Updating my phone this morning and it all went just fine.

8.  Cup corner has now turned into marker, colored pencils, and compass corner.  :)

9.  Delightful discovery of the singing sister duo, Lennon and Maisy 

10. The quiet of dawn.

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