the dance.

light found . el dorado cabin, squam . september 17, 2009

it is a dance

the light, the shadows

it is a choice

where to stand, where to live

and certain days

when i find the quiet

when someone holds the space

i twirl inside the gift of truth

i twirl inside the gift of light

*****

being in class with jen lee, well, it was kinda like this

yes

and you, you who might be reading this, 

you who might be wishing for someone to hold the space while you share your truth,

i suggest this little piece of the storycatcher who is jen lee

yes

because it might just be the friend (the space) you are seeking

(how do i know that it might be what you need? well, because a little class called truth & consequences that took place in a cabin on a lake in new hampshire has changed my life. yes. changed my life.)

a school for goddesses

the dear soul who is goddess leonie has started something that sounds simply fantastic: a goddess school. i think that e-courses are so valuable to us as we try to find our way in this world and seek community in this little box that sits in front of us. and bringing these e-courses together in a school environment just seems delightful. leonie's gentle, wise spirit and beautiful laughter are just some of the reasons why she inspires me as a guide and teacher. here is a bit more about the goddess school in leonie's words:

The Goddess School is an online space for you to discover the wise, joyful, creative Goddess in you. It combines goddess e-courses with private online circles for goddesses to share about their journey, connect with each other, be inspired and supported by goddess guides.

Term 1 of the Goddess School begins September 28. There are two e-courses you can choose from this term:

The Creative Goddess e-course: six weeks to explore creativity as a place for spirituality, joy and a way to discover the wise, beautiful, shining Goddess in you!

The Making Space for your Goddess to Shine e-course: six weeks to create a home that inspires and nourishes you through divine decluttering & magical space clearing!

Each e-course comes with ebooks, projects, videos and meditations, as well as access to the private goddess circle for the course :)

Find out more information and enrol by visiting Goddess Guidebook (http://www.goddessguidebook.com/courses) or checking out the Goddess School headquarters at http://goddessschool.ning.com

and if you are reading this, you are quite lucky as leonie has generously given a gift of the "healing rains meditation." sigh. this is so good. you can download it here.

a community. a school. yes. i can just see you with your newly sharpened pencils, stacked notebooks, and happy folders all ready for your first day of school. perfect. just perfect.

your light.

because when it all comes down to it, this is what it really is all about.

(squam light)

postcard from new hampshire

 (front)

(back)

i carry all i need to know.

postcard from new hampshire

{front}

a laying on the ground looking up at the patriarchs of this forest as they reach their green, feathered limbs toward the four corners of this earth.

{back}

i stand tall (tall) and walk through the trees; gratitude whispers with each step. i feel the inhale move the space around my heart until i find the calm again. i pause and realize, with each moment, i breathe in their laughter. (i breathe it in.) with each inhalation, the space around my heart fills. then, with my mind quiet, i notice as each exhale slips through to slough off the past. i pause to watch it drip and puddle before it soaks into the ground.

(yes.)

inhale. exhale.

this is how i find my way.

five (really) good things {the connection edition}

 

vanilla latte . la panier, seattle. september 2009

saying yes when a friend says, "can we meet at that french bakery by the market again?" and then saying yes to a chocolate croissant + coffee for lunch and then finding your way to staying in the same spot because the conversation is so good that you find yourself saying yes to another croissant and staying longer still. (thank you.)

talking it out with the people who get you. whatever "it" might be on any given day...finding your way to a deeper understanding of them, of you, of your friendship, of where each of you are in this world. of finding your way through truth and love. yes. i am blessed.

making a date to listen to prairie home companion. even though jon and i each have piles of things to do today, this is something we can do while working and staying connected in the same space, listening and enjoying together.

listening to the sewing machine whirl as i create something just for me. hearing the whispers of the women who came before me who brought me to this place, to this moment on my path. nodding as i remember the gifts. yes. knowing something good this way comes.

correspondere: the new collaboration between my dear friend jen goff and me. so often on the phone we have lamented that we wish we lived closer to one another. we thought that a collaborative project might be another way to stay connected, and through the conversation, the idea of collaborative blog came up. and we wound our way to the idea of writing letters...and we are inviting you to come along... and you?

what are five really good things in your world?

i dare you to name them.

(right now.)

i come to the water

When Jon and I visited Manzanita this spring, I spent some time on the beach by myself and decided to simply film myself walking on the sand toward the ocean (inspired by Jen Gray's walking videos). While I was walking, Jon was taking photos from the deck of the house we were visiting, unbeknownst to me. I didn't know if I would use this footage, but as I was slowly walking toward the waves, I began to think about how coming to the water and breathing in the air invites me to feel grounded. And, it also invites me to feel a closeness with my grandmother. My family and I have spent a lot of time at the ocean, and I feel them surround me, the best of our times together fill me up, when I hear the waves crashing and feel sand underneath my feet.

As I stood staring at the sparkle atop the water, I thought about how even in the shadows of grief, of deeply missing my grandmother, there is light. I feel that light within, and when at the water, I am reminded of this truth. Then I remembered a poem I had written about why I come to the water, and the idea for this video was born.

do not forget.

photos from exercises in maddie's bones of a poet class (loving it)

Tonight, I want to again share a prayer in the form of a quote from a wise man from my favorite show:

“This guy’s walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you. Can you help me out?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, ‘Father, I’m down in this hole can you help me out?’ The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, ‘Hey, Joe, it’s me can you help me out?’ And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.’ The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out.’”

- John Spencer as Leo McGarry on The West Wing (Season 2, Episode 10)

May all people who feel as though they are in a hole realize they are not alone.

You are not alone.