How's That Metamorphosis Working Out? Kinda Slow...

Not long ago, I bought a Christmas ornament at a local thrift store - it cost 50 cents or something like that... I thought it was a cute little handcrafted piece and, after fixing a couple of things that were loose, I decided it needed to be radically altered into something more personal, so I changed the kitty's color to match my little black cat Nancy who passed away this past April.

Before transformation...

Although she's no longer here in the physical world, she's still with me in spirit. I miss you, Cat.

...and after - voila! Happy Holidays, sweet Nancy

Here's the back-side (the pads were pink)

The Path of Transformation

Technically speaking, the process of transformation occurs in three stages, according to the ageless wisdom. The terms used to describe these progressive stages of unfoldment are: transmutation, transformation, and transfiguration. Lifetimes are required to complete the metamorphosis that culminates at the stage of transfiguration, when the light of the Soul pours down upon the outer persona and changes it — permanently.
Those who have approached this stage on the Path depict the process as a harrowing one, portraying an experience that is light-years apart from popular notions of the spiritual path.  In advertisements for books, workshops and conferences, the quest is often portrayed as an exciting travel adventure that can be made luxuriously comfortable and pleasurable. “In actuality,” as we wrote in When the Soul Awakens, “the spiritual path is never pleasant or comfortable, though joy is surely among its ultimate rewards.” 
What makes the process painful is the “task” at its core: blending spirit and matter. To forge a state of unity out of this exteme polarity, that which is of a material nature must be purified and refined in order to fuse with that which is spiritual. The divine spark immersed in matter, the “unit of consciousness” that is a soul, incarnates repeatedly in a threefold form — or personality — to grow in and through material plane experience. As a result of untold lifetimes of experience, a mysterious spiritual alchemy occurs in which the lower self or persona (sometimes called the human soul) becomes vaguely aware of its higher counterpart — the higher Self (also called the spiritual soul, the soul on its own plane). When this awareness reaches a certain kindling point, awakening occurs. Not long thereafter, a seeker of light is born.
 
(Source: http://whenthesoulawakens.org )

Yet another concept for me to wrap my mind around! In a future posting, I'll share my musings about how I imagine Nancy's "transfiguration" process is going... anything's possible, I suppose!


 

No Calm After The Storm

Here's a great way to start the day: 

It's a wet and windy November morning. Put on a HAZMAT suit, show up at my house at 8:15 and start up both leaf-blowers and the giant riding mower and attempt to blow leaves around that are wet and sticking to the pavement, the ground and each other. Begin with the neighbors' property on either side, leaving us for last (so I can relax to the high-pitched whine of the machines), and make sure you create big, muddy ruts all over our wet, soggy lawn that will be there until next fall. The entire procedure (which in drier weather would only take 30-40 minutes or so) should take 1.75 hours, nearly three times longer than usual, shattering any kind of peaceful morning rituals - including sleep. 

Good Morning! Did I wake you? These leaves are more stubborn than usual...

The grass hasn't grown much since the Yard Monkeys were here a couple of weeks ago because it's been frozen, thawed, snowed on and clobbered by wind and rain... and it's now mid-November, so it won't grow much more until April. And it's windy, so why do we need our leaves blown around, when they will blow right back? It's not like they're ever bagged up and removed... Oh, and make sure you blow them all into the runoff stream next to us so it will become even more clogged than it is now, since no one ever cleans it out. I think I will have to buy a rake and do it myself.

I know they have a job to do, but enough already... See you next year!

Morning Has Its Highs and Lows

Last night I had trouble falling asleep - I finally came downstairs and drank some milk - but didn't actually get to sleep until after 4 am.

When the alarm started going off at 7 am, I kept pressing the "snooze" button - an hour-and-a-half later, I dragged myself downstairs and made some coffee. The sunlight streaming through the yellow leaves in the back of the yard filled the air with a warm, golden light. As I stood at the kitchen sink I looked out the window and, oh Oh OH what do I see but a young deer in my neighbor's yard walking towards our house!

As he came closer, I turned to go look for the camera, but realized my cell phone was in my pocket (it doubles as my alarm clock) so I quickly turned it on and got a quick shot through the window. He nibbled here and there, but finally chose to walk to the back where the trees are thicker and, as he stood back there making this decision, I took another quick photo through yet another window.

Just last night, my brother told me he saw a young black bear walking up the driveway as he was out on the front porch with a friend. Here are these magnificent creatures - how beautiful, how innocent, how brave and pure of heart to walk right into danger to delight our senses and to remind us that they are part of our lives just as we are a part of their wild world and we must find ways to share both.


But my serenity was shattered when, a few minutes later I heard the sound of TWO chain-saws. Yes, the dreaded "yard monkeys" were busily trimming the evergreen bushes underneath the front windows; this is before nine in the morning, but no matter. I loathe these people, although I know they are only doing what the landlord has asked them to do. For some reason, however, I wasn't as furious as I usually am when they pull this kind of stunt. Still...

The quiet reverie from my experience with nature had evaporated; The muscles in my forehead and eyebrows were knitted together as the noise droned on - there was no escaping it. Then, just as suddenly, they were gone. Quiet returned and I decided to reclaim some of my joy by having my coffee and writing this blog.

DEER:
Deer's medicine includes gentleness in word, thought and touch. The ability to listen, grace and appreciation for the beauty of balance. Understanding of what's necessary for survival, power of gratitude and giving, ability to sacrifice for the higher good, connection to the woodland goddess, alternative paths to a goal.

By observing the ways in which deer behave, it is possible to see what amazing qualities - or powers - they possess. From the deer we can learn that the gift of gentleness and caring can help us overcome and put aside many testing situations. Only love, both for ourselves and for others, helps us understand the true meaning of wholeness.

(Source:   http://www.shamanicjourney.com  )


And so, I learn to not judge others too harshly or be overruled by my strong emotions, thanks to a hungry, young deer walking through my yard on a chilly October morning.

Blue Moon, You Saw Me Standing Alone

"Blue" Moon - August 31, 2012

Without a dream in my heart, Without a love of my own... (not really)

You know, I hate seeing those emails and Facebook posts that shout out: 
"Once In A Blue Moon: You Won't See Another One For A Very Long Time, Years And Years, Maybe Even Centuries! Very Rare!"

Lady in the moon (artist unknown)

Well, it's all just hype: A full moon is called a blue moon (it isn't really "blue") when you get an extra one during the same month (as was the case this August) and it happens every two or three years - there was one in 2009, the last one was in 2011 and the next one will occur in July 2015. But I must admit, every full moon is fascinating and mysterious, and I took the top photo as it was rising over Long Island Sound on August 31, 2012. 

 FULL MOON

One night as Dick lay fast asleep,
     Into his drowsy eyes
A great still light began to creep
     From out the silent skies.
It was the lovely moon's, for when
     He raised his dreamy head,
Her surge of silver filled the pane
     And streamed across his bed.
So, for a while, each gazed at each -
     Dick and the solemn moon -
Till, climbing slowly on her way,
     She vanished, and was gone.

By Walter de la Mare

Civile Conversation
They make them believe,
according to the Proverbe,
that gloe wormes are lanterns,
and that the moon is made of greene cheese.

-Stefano Guazzo, 1574

Lovely Luna

Oh lovely moon, keep shining bright ~

Your soft white glow defies the night;

And when the Sun no longer hides,

Your light shifts to the other side;

And there you chase the shadows down

Until you fade and thin and frown;

'Till you come back to greet the Sun:

Your thankless work is never done.

tjbgoogins/2012

  

"Full Moon" and "Civile Conversation" courtesy of: 

http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonwords/moonpoems.htm

Sweet dreams...

Busy Butterflies

Earlier this summer, I noticed a plant coming up in a pot outside. I didn't recognize it until it started putting forth lovely purple blooms, and then I knew I was the proud owner of what's commonly known as a Butterfly Bush (genus Buddleja).

When the flowers first started to appear, the little greenish-yellow butterflies ignored it. Yesterday I could see that more than a dozen purple spires had erupted and thought: I should take a photo before they're all gone.

This morning I was rewarded with a glorious sight: At least fifteen Monarch butterflies had descended upon the heavy-laden volunteer, so I quickly went inside to grab the camera. Not only did I get several decent close-ups but shot a short video (albeit a shaky one) of my welcome visitors flitting from branch to branch.

Monarch butterflies gather for a big feast

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:


Buddleja, or Buddleia, but commonly known as the Butterfly Bush,^[4] is a genus of flowering plants. The generic name bestowed by Linnaeus posthumously honoured the Reverend Adam Buddle (1662–1715), a botanist and rector in Essex, England, at the suggestion of Dr William Houstoun. Houstoun sent the first plants to become known to science as buddleja (B. americana) to England from the Caribbean about 15 years after Buddle's death.

Classification

The genus Buddleja is now included in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae;^[5] it had earlier been classified in either the Loganiaceae or in a family of its own, the Buddlejaceae.

Welcome to the Buddleja Restaurant

Description

Of the approximately 100 species nearly all are shrubs , the largest reaching 30 m (98 ft). Both evergreen and deciduous species occur. The leaves are lanceolate in most species, and arranged in opposite pairs on the stems (alternate in one species, B. alternifolia); they range from 1–30 cm (0.39–12 in) long. The flowers are produced in dense panicles 10–50 cm (3.9–20 in) long; each individual flower is tubular, about 1 cm (0.39 in) long, with the corolla divided into four spreading lobes (petals), about 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) across. Flower colour varies widely, with white, pink, red, purple, orange or yellow flowers produced by different species and cultivars; they are rich in nectar and often strongly scented. The fruit is a small capsule about 1 cm (0.39 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) diameter, containing numerous small seeds; in a few species (previously classified in the separate genus Nicodemia) the capsule is soft and fleshy, forming a berry.

Table for one?

Distribution

The genus is endemic to four continents. Over 60 species are native throughout the warmer parts of the New World from the southern United States south to Chile, while many other species are found in the Old World, in Africa, and parts of Asia, but all are absent as natives from Europe and Australasia. The species are divided into three groups based on their floral type: those in the New World are mostly dioecious (occasionally hermaphrodite or trioecious), while those in the Old World are exclusively hermaphrodite with perfect flowers.

Cultivation and uses

As garden shrubs Buddlejas are essentially 20th-century plants, with the exception of B. globosa which was introduced to Britain from southern Chile in 1774 and disseminated from the nursery of Lee and Kennedy, Hammersmith.^[6] Several species are popular garden plants, the species are commonly known as 'butterfly bushes' owing to their attractiveness to butterflies, and have become staples of the modern butterfly garden; they are also attractive to bees and moths. Some species of South American Buddleja have evolved long red flowers to attract hummingbirds as exclusive pollinators.
The most popular cultivated species is Buddleja davidii from central China, named after the French naturalist Père Armand David. Other common garden species include the aforementioned B. globosa, grown for its strongly honey - scented orange globular inflorescences, and the weeping Buddleja alternifolia. Several interspecific hybrids have been made, notably B. 'Lochinch' (B. davidii × B. fallowiana) and B. × weyeriana (B. globosa × B. davidii), the latter the only known cross between a South American and an Asiatic species.
Some species commonly escape from the garden. B. davidii in particular is a great coloniser of dry open ground; in towns in the United Kingdom, it often self-sows on waste ground or old masonry, where it grows into a dense thicket, and it is listed as an invasive species in many areas. It is frequently seen beside railway lines, on derelict factory sites and, in the aftermath of the Second World War, on urban bomb sites. This earned it the popular nickname of 'the bombsite plant' among people of the war-time generation.
Popular garden cultivars include 'Royal Red' (reddish-purple flowers), 'Black Knight' (very dark purple), 'Sungold' (golden yellow), and 'Pink Delight' (pink). In recent years, much breeding work has been undertaken to create more compact buddlejas, most recently the production of dwarf varieties such as 'Blue Chip' (Lo & Behold™) and 'Buzz' which reach no more than 2–3 ft (0.61–0.91 m) tall, and are also seed sterile, an important consideration in the USA where B. davidii and its cultivars are banned from many states on account of their invasiveness.

May I bring you anything else?

Nomenclature

The botanic name has been the source of some confusion. By modern practice of botanical Latin, the spelling of a generic name made from 'Buddle' would be Buddleia, but Linnaeus in 1753 and 1754 spelled it Buddleja. The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature has gradually changed to incorporate stricter rules about orthographic variants, and as of the 2006 edition requires (article 60, particularly 60.5) that Linnaeus' spelling should be followed in this case.

Please call ahead to make a reservation

I won't subject you to the video in this post (mostly because I haven't figured out how to download video content, and also I'm so close to the camera you can hear me breathing). After all, I've already bored you with too much information about Buddleja. I only hope these frenetic freeloaders will come back tomorrow!

She Fought The Good Fight

After finding out last night on Facebook that our friends' mother had passed away yesterday morning, I couldn't relax and was still up, sitting at the computer, when my husband got home from work around midnight - I stayed up too late talking to him (2 am), then woke up at 5 am to relieve my bladder and it was just too hot for sleeping and my mind was too busy, so I got up at 6 am, took a cool shower, made iced coffee and turned on the blessed cool-air-making machine! I had taken some more jewelry photos yesterday morning, so after checking e-mail and Facebook again for updates I downloaded them, which I will share at the end. I'll have to rely on my Gemini energy to get me through the day!

Joan McIntosh - mother, grandmother, friend

                       

We Miss You, Dear Joan

My soul is full of whispered song; 

My blindness is my sight; 

The shadows that I feared so long 

Are all alive with light.
                ~ Alice Cary, "Dying Hymn"

Joan McIntosh was a wonderful, sweet, funny, good-natured lady. She raised four great kids (although one was taken from her too soon) and had just turned 80. We are fortunate to have known her and wish her a safe journey to the other side. She is missed by many and loved by all. 

Here are more photos of my most recent creative binge...

Two new wire-wrapped sea glass pendants

Four more pairs of earrings (well, three are new)

Close-up of these wood, glass and metal earrings

Life's Too Short for Regrets

To anyone who gets the "email alert" version of this blog (I must include myself), I apologize for the color choice of my font in my last posting - light yellow on white: quite impossible to read! I changed it, but it was too late for the alert.

My actual blog page, you may recall, is much darker (it's easier on my eyes than the glare of the usual white screen I have to look at, such as right now, typing this very paragraph) but, as Blogger has only recently fixed the email alert function (it never worked before), and, since I only have a handful of people who (I assume) regularly read my blog, I won't stress out over it too much; however, I will keep font colors in mind now that I know what's being sent to people's in-boxes! 

I'm not ready to dig myself a hole just yet...

Go out and enjoy Life!

Quotable Quotes (source: The Quote Garden) 

http://www.quotegarden.com/life.html



 All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.  ~Havelock Ellis

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.  ~Anton Chekhov

Today was good.  Today was fun.  Tomorrow is another one.  ~Dr. Seuss

 My formula for living is quite simple.  I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night.  In between, I occupy myself as best I can.  ~Cary Grant

  

(I used to have dreams about Cary Grant - in them, we were great friends and were always making each other laugh.)


Thanks for your interest! Have a great weekend!
 

Hot and Bothered: It's A Wrap

Yesterday, I made some jewelry upstairs, vacuumed downstairs and tried to stay cool (it was fairly warm - okay, it was too damn hot). Today was another scorcher (high 80s, nearly 90 inside before I turned on the wonderful dehumidifier a.k.a. air-cooling machine) but the sun was shining brightly, so I did some laundry and hung it out to dry and then decided to stop procrastinating and take photos of the aforementioned  jewelry in preparation for setting up my Etsy shop... yeah, well here's what happened:

I took the photos (sweating like a sumo wrestler), downloaded them onto my computer and then decided to take some more - outside, again sweating bullets (for the third or fourth time AFTER taking a nice, cool shower this morning) but discovered that I had forgotten to put the memory card back in the camera and, so, that last photo session was a total loss...sigh.

Happily, here are some of the ones that did get saved. Ta-da!

Sea glass pendants on rubber cords

(Click on any photo and you will see a larger image; all four photos should line up at the bottom of the viewing window and you can see them all in more detail.)

Rather rustic: Crystal and copper earrings

And, as an added bonus, something whimsical: A tiny chair made out of wire from a champagne bottle... so sweet! The wire is very thick and hard to bend, all the while trying to keep the tiny "seat" in place - not so easy, especially while sweating!

A cute little chair - for a doll house...

... or a fairy house?  I just need to make a few more!

I hope your day was productive and that you were able to enjoy the fruits of your labors, as I did. Now for some dinner (and maybe another shower!) 

Try A Little Wilderness

I am always so happy when my four-footed (and sometimes six- or eight-footed) neighbors stop by for a visit! This morning I've seen Chipmunk and Dragonfly, in addition to Crow, Wasp, Grackel, Butterfly and Wren.

A few days ago I happened to see Rabbit and was able to snap a few secret photos while she nibbled on grass and clover in my back yard.

Big Bunny decides where to hop next

Animal Totem excerpt courtesy of:

http://www.cathyginter.com

Rabbit: The rabbit totem is an instrument of magic and good luck. Her gifts are spontaneity, alacrity and agility. Likewise, her path guides us to go forward with positive anticipation, for rabbit brings success to all endeavors. Rabbit is also a symbol of reproduction and abundance. The lesson is to create joy and faithfulness within our friendships. Finally, rabbit teaches us to overcome our fears as we take a conscious leap into new territory.

 

Big Bunny enjoys a late afternoon feast

The other day I also saw Hummingbird (always a delight) and I see my own Cat(s) every day, of course!

Wait - don't leave, Big Bunny...

Whenever I see these wonderful creatures, I am reminded that we are all One and I am amazed at how adaptable a species can be, including our own. Although Rabbit's life is much harder than mine, we still have much in common as we hop from one location to another in search of safety and sustenance.

Playing With Glass

Tub Number One half full of sea glass treasure...

 I was recently gifted a large amount of sea glass by someone whose family has collected it for years.

Although I have been sharing it with friends and co-workers, there is still a lot left, so...

Tub Number Two is half full as well with more sea glass!

I'm trying to make as much sea glass jewelry as possible! 

Here are a few recent creations...

Brown sea glass pendant with copper wire and Czech glass choker

Clear sea glass pendant with Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearl on satin cord

Green sea glass pendant with Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearl on satin cord

Green sea glass earrings with freshwater pearl and glass beads

 As you can see, the sky's the limit - so enjoy these lazy, crazy summer days and look for these and other items on Etsy soon (yeah, I know - I've been saying that for a while now - but soon, I promise!)

Fireworks in the Rain

After being so hot at home all day long, it is now nearly 10 pm and we finally got some rain - it is 10 to 15 degrees cooler already! There was a few minutes of rain, a bit of thunder, a little lightning but far off... and I can still hear fireworks going off here and there - everyone seems to enjoy the noise (I, while understanding the patriotic need for noise on the country's birthday, actually loathe it - it is very annoying because I can't read, can't listen to music, can't relax - the pretty ones don't make as much noise as the, um, noisy ones that are created just for the sake of making noise)

Stormy weather...

But I am happy about getting the rain! I wish it would storm like crazy right now - but I'll take what I can get!

Yeah, Whatever

For whatever reason, Google's Blogger has changed the "comment" notation at the bottom of the post - now, instead of it reading "0 comments" it says "No comments" - so. whereas I used to feel sort of "eh" about no one commenting, now I can feel truly insignificant when I see no one has commented... again... for the millionth time.

Today isn't a great day - it's hot, the friend I had made plans to visit has cancelled on me, everyone else is off doing something with someone, my husband is working (the food service industry is alive and well) and it's ninety degrees and we have no air conditioning.

But I'm still soldiering on - things will be fine after a glass of wine (my back is still bothering me, but I refuse to let it get the upper hand).

Enjoy the fourth of July - Happy Birthday, America!

The ultimate "fireworks" display - a Space Shuttle launch (2008)

Twenty-Twelve's Sizzling Summer Solstice

Green Man, Rosslyn Chapel (Wikipedia)

Green Man, Rochester Cathedral, Kent, UK (Wikipedia)

 Today is a scorcher here in New England - hot and humid, yet green and glorious because we've been fortunate so far with a fair amount of rain and cool-ish temperatures - it's time for me to invoke the ancient power of the Green Man to encourage all my plants to grow like crazy!

 

Magnificent mugwort - such a wonderful "weed" - is growing wild again everywhere!

On this day, I'm content to putter around the house doing laundry, washing dishes, making jewelry, watering plants, trying to figure out a way to honor the Summer Solstice... perhaps pulling some weeds and planting some herbs would be an appropriate act of appreciation for abundance?

Enjoying the vividly vibrant colors of summer

Hmmm - so would sipping a wine spritzer with lots of ice... watching a favorite movie... making more jewelry... opening up my art journal and drawing a personal mandala to bring about abundance... oh, yeah, NOW we're talking! Enjoy today, the longest day of the year, and may you have pleasantly sweet dreams tonight, the shortest night of the year ~

My own personal Green Man

Made these amethyst & glass beauties this morning

Happy Summer Solstice!

 

 

There And Back Again

A strange effect from tracks reflected in the window

 I decided to take a train ride at the end of May and went home to Florida to visit my mother and brother - I stayed for 12 days and celebrated my 59th birthday there - I managed to see a few people I knew - relaxed and took lots of photos...

...here's a few of the things I saw - all aboard!

Giant palm tree through the window on the train

After arriving in Florida, the three of us had lunch beside the St. John's River

Sneaking up on one of the 9,000 alligators that live in Lake Jesup 

Looking out at Lake Jesup from Black Hammock Adventure Park

Another view of Lake Jesup that includes a huge bird's nest and a blue heron

The sun, like a giant blood orange, finished setting over Lake Jesup

Florida is a beautiful place, if you know where to look and you don't mind driving fifty miles there and back again...

http://www.theblackhammock.com/

(All photos: TJB Googins 2012 ~ HipstaMatic app on iPhone)

Fairy Garden & House: Phase Two

I went to the dollar store yesterday after work and there were all these little ceramic houses sitting on a shelf next to the check-out line - I've thought about buying them before, but I decided the time was now, so I got six of them (two or three different styles) and when I got home I created... THIS.

Two rubber frogs and a clear quartz crystal were added

A neglected flower pot that was sprouting some false carrot (otherwise known as Queen Anne's Lace) provided the place to build a little diorama featuring the ceramic house, some white stones for the front walk, tiny terra cotta flower pots I bought years ago (one has little clovers planted in it) and some other landscape features, including a quartz cluster, a golden rock that says "Believe" and some garden critters: two froggies and a flutter-bye.

Close-up of the little flowerpots and a boulder: "Believe."

It's so cute - the pot sits on a small pedestal right next to our front step. The ceramic houses are quite small - nothing like the ones I am hoping to make, which would be several inches high/wide/deep, perhaps even a foot or more - but they work very well for a "fairy garden in a pot" sort of thing, as would a small wooden birdhouse, I suppose.

Then there are the special touches: twig furniture, acorn dishes, whatever I can find to make the scene as "authentic" as possible.

I put up barriers to protect the fairy garden/cemetery from weed-whackers

I'm not sure why I am so caught up in this... I am just going to go with it and see what happens - perhaps I'll discover something important about myself... It's interesting, though, that there are two movies coming out that deal with the Snow White story ~ !

Illustration by Kate Greenaway (Dover clip art - free sample)

As for me, I still have children's books from my childhood and a few that I discovered as an adult: "The Hoogles and Alexander" (a wonderful story about a giant rabbit who takes two children to a magical world where they learn valuable lessons about life, love and friendship); several books of collected stories, nursery rhymes and fables, accompanied by wonderful old illustrations; the entire Harry Potter series; "The Spiderwick Field Guide of Magical Creatures"; "Eloise Goes to Paris"; "The Child's Book of Wonder"... and so on. 

Perhaps I need to go back in order to go forward!