52 Photos Project~what makes me laugh

Lambs make me laugh. 

For Bella!

Techni~Color Bloom

I am completely immersed in my Home Edition course,

to the unfortunate neglect of this space.

I am being changed in ways I cannot yet articulate,

but the changes are good and needful.

 Fresh.

Long overdue.

Right on time.

And through the navigation of this course

my soul is indeed finding its techni-color bloom.

KONY 2012. Watch this. Do something.

Firsts on the Second

March 2nd~

It began with the first sighting of a redwing blackbird for the year. The first robin came swooshing over the road in front of my car. Then, the first high-altitude Canada geese came soaring through, one ragged V at a time.

There is early movement in the bird nation. Things are looking up.

After work, the tank running low and the prices running high, warranted a stop at the Indian Reservation (the Rez). It's my usual stop with it's twenty-five-cents-cheaper-per-gallon appeal. I'm greeted with not one, but two calls of "darling" by the young attendant in a greasy grey hoodie. His dog, a chopped-tail boxer with tiger-like stripes runs from car to car extending greetings of his own. Forty should do it, thank you. And the pump starts spewing.

The man in the car on the other side of the spare island, window down like mine, looks at me and says hey do I know you? No, you don't. Why are you smiling? I like to smile. That's real nice. Hey, do you wanna make love to me? No, not today. (Still smiling.) With that, the pump clicks off and the greasy grey hoodie takes the cash through my window, calling me "honey" and waving good bye.

The forecast of firsts on the second says, it's going to be a good spring.

And So The Soul Does Bloom

I have worked on this little pocket of a dream every day since sometime in November. The process has been a joy and a saving grace. I have listened within, I have enlisted help. I have notebooks of long-hand writing and amateur videos packed with good-to-know things.  There is order and there is non-order, there is space for flow and serendipity. There are friends joining me~ some new, some not~ each bringing distinct wisdom to the collective whole, each on a journey to find the deeper meaning of home.

We will explore breath and posture, nourishment, color as a life-changing tool, the gift of flowers and floral design, alternative use for space in the home, poetry, small space and organic gardening, the wonders of top-shelf tea, cleansing the home with feng shui and the healing power of trees. We will share our secrets for balance of body, dwelling and earth. We will befriend and support our companions on this journey to home.

Please join us, if it interests you. There is so much to learn and to share. The journey begins online this Saturday, February 25th and continues through April 5th. An in-person gathering of Souls In Bloom will commence on March 24th in Buffalo, NY for any that can attend. 

Registration is open through February 24th.

For the full description go Here.

52 Photos Project~what i've been photographing

Botanicals and me~ washed in colors after dark.

Blue bonsai

Green glass

The Buffalo Botanical Gardens

For Bella

Of Tuning Forks and Souls In Bloom

I ask you, who doesn't need a brain balancing and relief from stress? Come join us for The Soul In Bloom~ Home Edition online course and retreat, and Janice Meier~ friend, homeopathic healer and magician with rainbow colored tuning forks~ will help improve the function of your brain while steeping you in the stunning sounds of tuning fork vibration. Janice will be center stage with her loaded apron and magical forks the morning of the retreat on Saturday, March 24th here in Buffalo, NY. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that Janice can right some serious wrongs with her knowledge and instinctual gifts for healing the body. And she has a passion for healing with sound.

If you've never had the privilege of being immersed in pure sound and feeling your cells vibrate anew, come join us. It will be an experience you won't forget.

The online course begins February 25th and runs through April 5th. The 1 day retreat, with Janice and her forks, David and his encyclopedic knowledge of organic gardening and tea tasting with Bellocq, is March 24th.

To learn more, go HERE.

To sign up for the course and the retreat,
 or just the course, go HERE.

You can register right up until Friday, February 24th at Noon, eastern time.

Questions? the soul in bloom at gmail dot com

52 Photos Project~red/heart

{Red velvet cupcake from my Mother.}

There is no such thing as the day after Valentine's Day for me.

Because the purpose of every day is to love.

Even if I am able to love just a little on some days,

it counts as a day well spent.

For Bella

she is a student of the body

{photos courtesy of christine}

This is Christine Claire Reed. She is a way-shower and a woman of courage. She is a student of the body. She is dancer and yogini. She is new entrepreneur. She is Blisschick and Girl On Fire. She is my friend.

Christine is very busy these days creating a haven of truth and bliss for the women of Erie, Pennsylvania. She has opened a studio for adoration of the mind and body in  the form of dance, movement and interpretive yoga. Yet, in her busy life, she is making time to join me in The Soul In Bloom~ Home Edition, both as an online instructor and a participant in the 1 day retreat in Buffalo, NY. Christine will be assisting those of us on this journey-to-home to be more mindful and aware of our bodies. She is going to teach us of posture and breath; 2 things we rarely give thought to, but greatly affect the quality of our days.

Come join us for 6 weeks beginning February 25th. Come learn from Christine's astute attention to the needs of the body. Come meet her at the retreat on March 24th. She'll be the one with wisdom in her eyes and a pink tutu around her hips.

To learn more, go HERE.

To register, go HERE. There are only 13 days left to sign up to join us on the journey to home!

of bluebirds and five dollars

You can't convince me it isn't great to live next door to the country. A brief jaunt beyond the limits of Mayberry and heart-stopping charm can be found on the side of the road.

Like handmade bluebird houses for five dollars. Seriously, five dollars. With pencil marks of the craftsman still visible for lining up the hinges of the front panel. It swings open, you see, for easy cleaning. Throw in the marketing genius of the hand-lettered sign and rusted radio flyer wagon for display, and you'll have me digging to the bottom of my purse for that five.

But the cup with the green lid and the good-sized rock inside? The cash register? I couldn't get it open to save my life. So, I had to dig out a little white bag from that same purse to put the five dollars in, and stuff the bag down into the wagon. I put the cup with the rock in it on top, for good measure. I hope when the wagon was pulled in for the night the bag was still there.

The bluebird house isn't even for me. I bought it for some one else. And if you think you need one, too, I'll be happy to drive back beyond the limits of town and pick up more heart-stopping charm.

I wonder, if they'd sell me the sign.

52 Photos Project~the love letter

When my Mother first began her cancer treatment

3 1/2 years ago, I wrote her a love letter.

She has carried a copy of this letter

in her purse every day since.

For Bella and her Valentine edition of

52 Photos Project~ the love letter.

I brought pink tulips, Beloved, to distract you. To ease the cold and tingles of the clear, poison drip. I brought them, Beloved, for myself as well. To stare at during moments when biting the side of my tongue would not be enough to stave off tears. I brought pink tulips to remind us of spring and rebirth and hope and love. To remind us that, amid the painful needle sticks, the beeping, the constant motion outside your cubicle, the full house of patients enduring their own poisonous drips, there is great beauty waiting to be embraced. Within and without.

Cancer is a funny thing, isn't it Beloved? What threatens to tear us apart is also the gorilla glue that makes our hearts inseparable. What makes a body weak gives strength not seen before. Cancer offers up courage and comedy. It reduces walls to rubble. It offers the soul redemption. Its dark pathway shimmers with opportunities for light. It's a funny thing. It's a blessing. Yes. A blessing.

3 weeks from now, Beloved, the tulips will be red. They, too, will remind us of strength and beauty within and without. 7 years and 3 weeks from now, the tulips I bring will be yellow. They will remind us of the light on the path, the love on the path that led us out of darkness.

of nourishment and the soul in bloom

the lovely Kasia Blue

We stat at my kitchen table, the lovely Kasia and me, and we chatted about food. Not about how much we love cheese (that conversation could last for days), but about what to eat and what not to. I am still in the process of figuring out how to eat for my overall betterment and Kasia has had answers for me when no one else I knew did. My better decisions with food have come from things she has taught me. Her medicinal chemist's brain and her way of getting to the point turned the tables for me last year. I make better choices (pay no attention to the chocolate cake in my fridge) and feel better because of them.

So, it was a needful choice that I asked Kasia to join me in my online course to help in honoring the body as our first home. Good food = a happier life, she says. And she's right. We made a video of our kitchen table chat and yet again, I learned more about making smart choices. The video is part of week 1 of the course.

This is why I am creating a course about honoring the home~ because, I, more than most need to find my way there. In the process of pulling the ideas and activities and the brilliant minds of my instructors together, I am learning volumes of what it is to be at peace with myself and settle into my home(s) at last. This evolving creation is among the greatest gifts I have given myself. 

I would be honored to share it with you. Come learn with me. Ask Kasia questions about the chemical reactions happening inside your body and understand how food is a sacred component of a happier life. Come meet her at the 1 day retreat. Come join the down-to-earth community forming for the 6 week journey to home.

What~ The Soul In Bloom~ home edition: online course and retreat.

When~ February 25th, 2012 through April 5th, 2012, with a 1 day retreat March 24th in Buffalo, NY.

Why~ To honor the 3 levels of HOME: body as1st home, dwelling as 2nd, earth as 3rd.

How much~ Only $65 for the online portion, and $95 if you'd like to join the retreat, as well.

To read all about it go HERE.

To sign up go HERE.

in its deepest essence

perhaps everything that frightens us is,

in its deepest essence, 

something helpless that wants our love.

rainer maria rilke

for debi

the colors of snow

it was only 6" at best.

a mere dusting in this winter without winter.

but it muffled the world and sparkled at my feet

and laid down the canvas for new life.

Spreading The Word and a FREE Magazine

Would you like one of my magazines for free? I will be happy to send you the issue of your choice in exchange for some help. I would like you to help me promote my online course and 1 day retreat. How, you ask? Simple. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising. Personal recommendations are king. I would ask you to share a photo and the link to my course 2x before February 20th. Either 1 blog post (should you have a blog!) and 1 Facebook shout out, or 2 shouts on Facebook. A few gushing words along with the links would be the bees knees.

Interested? Here's what to do.

1. Let me know on the comments that you would like to get your free copy. Email me at: thesoulinbloom@gmail.com with the issue of your choice and the address to send it to. After your 1st post, I will order your copy and have it sent. (Send another email with the link to your post/ Facebook page.)

2. If you're creating a blog post, capture the white window picture at the top of this post and use this link.

3. If you're creating a Facebook announcement, use the same link. The photo will automatically show up.

That's it!


And I'd be honored if you'd want to join the course. The more I work on it (it's become a daily obsession to map it out), the more peace comes into my soul. This offering is part of what I'm meant to do. (At last, she found her calling...)

For more information, click HERE.

To purchase a copy of my magazine, dirt cheap until February 14th, go HERE.


{Update: thank you to everyone who just went ahead and started posting to Facebook!}

of ruin, insanity and the quest for inner peace

There is light snow, at last. It is morning. The tea is hot, the raspberries are washed, the room is warm and lit. I read of rain forests being devoured in Peru; earthen floors raked bare and mercury dumped at will into Amazonian rivers, all for the sake of our world's insatiable appetite for gold. Peru, the article says, produces 165 tons of gold per year. That's incomprehensible destruction of leaf, insect, feather and fur.

I read, also, about the 50th anniversary edition of a land mark work of history~ The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by the American William Shirer. In 1960, it was the book that brought America out of its 15 year amnesia of the atrocities of WW2. It sought to chronicle the reasons (most of) the German nation united in a horrifying, frenzied mass movement of self-delusion and destruction.

But there is snow falling on pine trees just beyond my window. The heat clicks on and the cats are drowsy at my feet. If I gave away my gold jewelry would it help? Would it make a moment's impact if I vowed to acquire nothing new in karats? And the war. The one of the homeland of my mother; she born into it's start. Would knowing the details of its horrors, would understanding the hows and whys help me stand apart from the potential of a future loss of sanity by the masses? History tends to repeat itself, after all.

Or is it just best to live in the present, the storied and perfect "now", content in my small corner of the world? Is it just best to stay alert and go about the business of honoring my daily needs and the calls of my heart? It feels selfish. Yet, I know that the butterfly wing fluttered across the world eventually reaches my corner of it. The ruin of the rain forests affects me, as well. The war, certainly, gave trajectory to my life even before I  drew breath. So, in turn, will my quest for peace within myself and the actions I take to lead a life of meaning and compassion somehow, someway effect the forests and play a role in quelling extremist domination?

With snow falling on pine, in the warmth of the morning, I can only hope that the answer is yes.

52 Photos Project~ at rest

sleeping otters

trees at rest

mr. twinn. at rest. hopefully, at peace.

sheep. lounging. north sea dike.

once there was a bed

strewn with tulips just for me.

i napped among the stems and the petals.

For Bella and her 52 Photos Project

gardening in small spaces

 green cymbidium orchids

amaryllis waiting room

love me some texture and grit

begonias. mirror. me. david.

glass ceiling

some times, you know somebody for a long time. or at least, you think you know them. then one day, you and they allow a shift to happen, and you both open the door to new discovery about each other. you are equally amazed. and you jump up and down because the door you opened together was just what the other one needed. life is never the same. it is now better.

i had asked david not so long ago to help me with an online course i was scheming up. i knew he knew about plants. could he teach some basic gardening for the course? i am no gardener and i wanted to learn. i thought others might want to learn, as well. he said yes, because he's my friend. then he threw in the part where the legion of angels standing behind me were saying how important it is that i create this course and because we talk like this to each other, i knew it was right that he be part of the offering.

so, we met at the buffalo and erie county botanical gardens to make a video of his course contribution, gardening in small spaces. i loved it. what a sweet and small adventure. we were occasionally swarmed by people asking what we were doing. one man was fascinated by my little camera. and my god, did i learn alot. it turns out david doesn't know about plants, per se, he is instead a walking encyclopedia of plants and gardening. thankfully, i had already had the sense to ask him to be one of the featured presenters at the 1 day retreat that accompanies my course. he'll be spreading his wisdom on the wonders of organic gardening. since i know the least, i expect i'll be learning the most.

take my advice. if you have a friend you think you know, raise the stakes. dare to open doors you have not thought to open together before. share knowledge and ideas. go places. enhance each others lives. i promise you, you will be amazed.

my other advice? sign up for The Soul In Bloom~ Home edition. learn along with me how to be more at home yourself. and make a list of questions for david. your plants and pantry will thank you.

To find out more, click HERE. begins february 25th.

Owl Omens 2

stuffed great horned owl, Tift Nature Preserve, Buffalo, NY

snowy owl, copyright Jody Melanson

I'm waiting for my owl. I see owls everywhere; on place mats, greeting cards, sleepwear, statues. But in this rare season of irruption from the arctic fringes, I am waiting for the real thing. I am waiting for the snowy owl.

I drive by farms and fields, head swiveling side to side ( a likely danger on the roads), scanning the rooftops and telephone poles for a burst of white feathers. As yet, I have no glimpse of the prize. And I may not be graced with a sighting before the weather turns and the owls head back to the tundra.

I will wait and I will keep my heart open with expectant gratitude, for the snowy owl already lives inside me. As an omen, he is only good. He is the call for patience and waiting for beneficial things to come into view. He is not about wasting energy, but about carefully preparing the self, inside and out, for taking advantage of opportunity the moment it arrives. In the light and in the dark. 

Timing is everything, says the owl, as is well-honed skill. There is no need for intimidation or wasteful nervous bluster. Go about your business, but pay attention. Your time will most definitely arrive. When it comes, act. Act from strength and the courage of having quietly developed your offerings. Let your inner wisdom come forth and shift your life. Be who you must be.

**********************************

Five and half years ago, I wrote a blog post about owl omens. Every day since (every single day!) some one from around the world has searched for insight about their personal owl encounters and clicked on  this post. In the last 20 days alone, this post has been viewed 269 times. There seems to be no end to fascination with owls and sometimes fear of ill omens. I tell you, animal and bird sightings are never omens for ill or bad luck. Never. Nature is our ultimate teacher and healer and She in her wisdom sends willing messengers to get us to wake up and see the truth of our lives. Because we are so often asleep. The characteristics of the animal or bird we encounter are perfectly orchestrated to mirror a part of ourselves or our situations (self created). Their characteristics and behaviors and even positions are maps to get us back on track to living our lives out loud and unafraid. To being who we must be.

It's all good, if you allow it to be.

52 Photos Project~ color with emotion

Color is how I comfort myself

in my wardrobe and my decor.

(Are 23 scarves too many?)

 

Colorful animals, stuffed and live,

can lift a mood in an instant.

(You will find both kinds in my home.)

I can tell by the color I am attracted to,

  on any particular day, just what I need most

to feel more loved and balanced.

( I do not always act to fulfill these needs.

Some days are just like that.)

Week 2 of 

The Soul In Bloom~ Home Edition

*online course and 1 day retreat*

Embracing color  for comfort and change.

For Bella and her 52 Photos Project