Chances and choices

When we are removed from our everyday, when we are placed in situations that aren't typical, when we are forced to see ourselves differently than what we are accustomed to, we are offered valuable information. An opportunity to consider that there is so much more available to us than we allow ourselves to know. Consumed with our norm, our schedules, our responsibilities, our established roles, we can miss so much. Whether I remember or not, I am given chances everyday to stretch beyond my comfortable boundaries. They come and go so often, it's easy to mistake them for anything else but a gem hidden amongst ordinary pebbles

Going on the Teton's trip as a chaperone was a chance to step outside the roles of mother, wife, caretaker, homemaker, or whatever else I want to call myself. Though my son was on this trip, it was made clear that my role was as chaperone first, not mother, which of course required a conscious effort on my part:). It reminded me of my trip to Squam last year, a scary yet oh so worthy chance at seeing beneath and between the layers of self. The Teton trip helped me remember someone I once was in a different time. It helped me see the children I was chaperoning beyond their roles of student, son/daughter, and friend, enhancing their individualities, their personalities, each with their own hurdles and burdens to overcome. There, with the backdrop that only nature and earth can provide, we were exposed to the rawness and palpability of our spirits. With no familiar schedules, routines, or roles to hide behind, we found new dimensions in ourselves and in each other in those 5 days--dimensions that challenged, lifted, supported, split us apart and then brought us together again. We were changed whether we knew it or not, and we grew closer whether we wanted to or not.

And such are the gifts of chance and choice. I do believe dreams begin this way, when we open ourselves to things that we once deemed improbable, impossible, inconceivable, like hiking the AT trail or playing the banjo. Opportunities come and go, we just need to give ourselves permission to say "yes", "yes" to finding the glimmer that keeps the light of possibility in our eyes. With this, the promise of another gem awaits :)....

much love to you fellow adventurers...

xoxo

Outline

I don't need to see the details all the time. When I squint my eyes just enough, the features fade into hazy lines that color, not define. The big picture helps me remember what makes a day worth living, and with the right outline, everything else falls into place.

Eat well.
Move my body.
Breathe deeply.
Love.
Do something that brings happy.

Monday love...

xoxo

Squam Fall 2012

What can I say about Squam that you cannot already fathom. If you have ever wondered if you should go, if you have ever wondered if it's worth the commitment to save money, or plan ahead to spend the time...the answer I have for you is all the same, and it is a big, fat, glorious Y.E.S...

In the beginning, I felt as if I was set adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Not just any sea of uncertainty, but a sea speckled with a colorful bouquet of creative, bubbling and passionate individuals from all over the world (including Malaysia, Australia, and Puerto Rico)... Each of us, with our own stories to share, our own burdens to bear, our own dreams to tell, and our own hopes to hang on to, are all seeking the same thing--to expand and inhale the moments to their fullest capacity, like taking a deep and powerful breath before diving under water. It is in these moments when we are thoughtfully aware, effortlessly light, vulnerably open, and ever so gently stretching and growing.

In the end, for me, the sewing class, the photography class, and the writing workshop I took were only a smidgen of this experience. The classes were the springboard, and as lovely as they were, it's the personalities that filled those learning rooms, the dining hall, and the trails in between, that made those hours so memorable. It's the pieces that people openly gave of themselves, the intimate and late night conversations we shared as cabin mates and as strangers, and the unique contributions of every individual that made every passing minute worth savoring and remembering.

We are all teachers in our own way, offerers of our own triumphant experiences and revealers of our own despair. When we connect, we have a chance to evolve, and the seemingly impossible doesn't seem so improbable anymore.

I plan on going to Fall Squam 2013 and the planning begins now. I really hope to see you there.

Much love and thanks to Ashvina, Sara, Michelle G., Maggie, Meghan, Celina, CB, Karen S., Meegan, Wendy, Barbara, Jen K., Jen J., Cal, Ana, Alison, and Elizabeth, our most gracious hostess, and all the other Squammies that helped turn a massive and seemingly endless sea into an inviting and navigable pond...

xoxo

p.s: There are four different opportunities for Squam art workshops (avid knitters and crocheters checkout Spring Squam!) Get on the mailing list and start planning!!!

So much to tell you {teaser}

There is so much to tell you, and I will...

So until then, splendid Monday to you...

XO

Awake My Soul

It is days like these that I wonder where to begin...when so much has passed that to compress them into a little box and present them with ribbons seems an earnest yet still insufficient way to share. I have missed this space, but my days have been full, offering me enchanting views inside and out, views that keep me spellbound with the life that is mine

I am still not immune to the questions of relevance beyond mother or wife, and these hauntings are with  me wherever I go lately. I suppose I am not ready for the answers right now as they remain elusive and mysterious at best. Glimpses of opportunities that may lie ahead swirl around me like the aroma of fresh baked bread--inviting, warm, and bursting with unmistakable anticipation. The future is as bright as it is unsure, yet time has it's own rhythm that is untouchable to us all. This I do respect, despite the wanting of my human nature.

Meanwhile, inspiration is ripe for the picking because for this, there are no limitations...

This past Monday, I visited a local university and met with a graduate counselor for this school...funny thing is, all the reasons that I went to college over 20 years ago are nowhere near the same. And I recognize that this is a good thing. This time, I would go for the sheer joy and challenge of averting my eyes towards doors that I have been too afraid to open on my own. I would go back for the complete pleasure of being around other lovers of the written and read word. I would go to starve the vultures of self-criticism, and throw myself instead to the eagles of constructive criticism. I would do it all for personal growth, experience, and for the chance to come face to face with fear over and over again. But for now, timing and circumstance are still driving opportunity, so I will wait...at least until the signs are clearer, and until the ones I love are further upward on their own road....

This concert was a couple nights ago...sincerely one of the best concerts of my life. I am still soaring from this evening...

And a wonderful weekend to you all....

xoxo

ps. play the song and the video at the same time and you will get a glimpse of our absolute joy :).

Wings II

Umber....

More from Umber...

I have surrounded myself with subtle symbols, symbols that are there without heavy expectation, only footnotes that remind me that there are still things that I intend to do. Though I dare not assume anything about the future, I allow myself the sheer pleasure of floating.

My current area of inspiration. A work in progress, never perfect and always changing....hmmm, a familiar theme :)...

Happy Friday to you

XO

On my mind and in my days

I share glimpses of what's been on my mind and in my days here...I celebrate the tiny gifts that arrive in the mail, the joy of trying new wines, the brilliant colors that drift in and out my daily periphery, the rock formations (The Royal Arch hike--the longest and best one yet), the views that you must be tired of seeing and reading about by now, the latest book that arrived in the mail that's inspired me to take my polaroids to France with me, regardless of how heavy they are, and the vintage blue underwood beauty that was waiting for me in a local paper shop...she actually types in cursive...

France is just around the corner my friends. I cannot wait to share it with you.  I will pop in with pictures, maybe some words if there is time...

much love to you

xoxo

ps.  Would you like a postcard from France? Please email me your address to wwdblog at gmail by Monday, May 28th, and I will be sure to send one to you!!

pss.  I change the music in the sidebar every week so make sure you check it out, ya know...if you want to :)...

Images and you

F. footbagging with the locals

More images from Portland to share with you, this is only a fraction and I am out of time. Getting looks from Hubs saying it's time to go. We are leaving this morning and heading to Seattle where friends and more adventure awaits. Meanwhile, I know what I am missing with you and your amazing posts. I have been able to jump around a bit and find inspiration and joy, laughter and authenticity.  I am twitching from withdrawal from not being able to comment, share, and give thanks for your inspiration and honesty.  Not sure when I can catch up, but I will...

Anyway... the last photo is a wall sized ad from Levi's from their "Go Forth" campaign. The first time I saw this campaign (I hardly watch TV) was on lovely Petra's blog in this post. Thanks Petra. I am so inspired by this campaign, I just might go buy me a pair of Levi's.  No...I won't :).

If you haven't seen it, here it is. The words by the way, belong to Charles Bukowski's "The Laughing Heart". I love Charles Bukowski.
Enjoy...



go forth my friends and much love to you
miss you much
xx oo