The events of the last few days brings into our reality how one single act can change so many lives. I finally had to turn off the TV watching the sadness of this horrific act upon the innocents.  We must remember in our aching hearts that these children and teachers who died at the hands of evil are now being cradled in the arms of  angels. May we pray for those left behind that in some small way they will receive comfort from those who are caring for them right now. There are no words that can convey what they are going through right now. Yes, it turns our hearts upside down to even imagine if we were in their shoes. May there be peace on earth in this time of sorrow. Christmas is just around the corner and the joy surrounding this season and the birth of our Christ will be celebrated around the world. Within this celebration is to know that life does not end at death - we are carried by our guardian angels to a place where we know peace for evermore in the love of our Heavenly Father. Amen.

Who is the Gal and Why is She Here?

I want to introduce you to one of my inspirations, Julie Prichard. I showed you a photo last week of my new camera purchase and said it was recommended to me by none other than one of the artists I admire, Julie. However, I did not mention her name in that post.

How did I meet Julie? One of the reasons I started this blog in September 2008 was to participate in Michelle Ward's Street Team Crusades. The very first "crusade" I participated in -- ta da -- I had two comments: one from Michelle and the other from someone called "Lost Luggage." Huh? How can you be called "Lost Luggage" -- well I went to her blog and fell in love with her art work and her blog. I did not (and do not) journal like Julie. I did not paint like Julie. I did not create art like Julie. BUT, I so admired her for her encouragement of other artists out there that I kept following her on her blog. I don't think she has a clue what her comments left on my Crusade posts meant to me. Did I tell her? No. One time I posted a Crusade and thought I had sent Michelle Ward the link (I didn't) and the first comment I had a day later was from --- JULIE. How she found it, I don't have a clue unless she was cruisn' the web and reading my blog. I was so encouraged I kept posting.

Julie has now been published in a number of Stampington publications including Art Journaling and Artful Blogging. Did I tell you before, I love her work. You can read information about Julie on Lost Luggage here. Watching Julie grow over these past two years has been exciting for me. I know we all go through changes, some so subtle that we don't realize it. Julie has talked about her doubts along the way. She has persevered and has now come to this point in her life. She has ventured out doing professional photography, conducting online workshops, and selling her art work. She is a natural teacher and so easy to follow. I would recommend any of her workshops to anyone reading this right now.

I bought this art journal from her the minute it went online. I really like it and am saving it for something... not sure what but it is scrumptious! The bound paper inside to-die-for. She has thanked me in several emails over the year for "believing in her."

I think we all say things on other artist's blogs commenting on their post, their art work, their ventures and we don't know how much weight our words might carry. One word, one gesture, one hug (online or in person) -- we never know what these gestures might mean to another soul out there. This is my thank you note for Julie. I have watched you grow in two years and it has been amazing. Thank you for guiding me in selecting my camera and I hope to make you proud of my endeavors in that venture when it happens. I am going to take a photo 101 workshop at some point.

And, Julie, always remember, I do believe in you!

Life Lesson # 5 - Live It Up My little honeysuckles!

Thank you all for following me through my travels and stumbles among the honeysuckles memory bubbles. I don't know if I meant to get as personal as I did or not but doesn't matter now, does it? I questioned it at times but then, after talking with an artist friend in New Jersey, she convinced me that was the way we get to know each other and at times we have to take the risk to share personal stuff. And, I'm glad I did.

Each of you are very special to me in very different ways. Some of us have met, some of us have not, and some of us have known each other over our past life lines crossing each other in this time and perhaps another. We know each other, we feel, we emphasize, we sympathize, and we care, love, and soul-dance together and laugh.

No matter what life throws at you, grab it and run with it. I know many of us remember a song that was popular a number of years ago and I really do believe it says it all..... Dance my children, dance...

"I Hope You Dance"

by Lee Ann Womack

"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder.

You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger.

May you never take one single breath for granted.

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed.

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens.

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance.

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

I hope you dance

Hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance.

Never settle for the path of least resistance.

Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'.

Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin'.

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter.

When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider.

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance.
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. . . ."


And always remember, God danced the day you were born.....

Life Lessons # 4 - Life Altering Events

"When you come to the edge of all the light you have, and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, either there will be something solid for you to stand on, or you will fly." Patrick Overton

So now we have Life Altering Events -- This will post will not be as long as the other posts in the "Life Lessons" series this week. We all these buggers in our lives at various times. No way to get around them. They can be as far ranging as a death, an illness, or a birth. The "life-altering" part is up to each individual to define. The loss, by death or separation, of a loved one is always held very close to each of our hearts and souls. The way we deal with it is another matter. I will say, in all instances, the loss of a child ranks as the top loss, followed by spouse, mother, etc. Here are two of my life-altering events:

(1) The first traumatic one for me was the loss of my mother. Shortly after her death in October of 1998, I met a woman at a party whom I did not know. However, she ended up being the "messenger" and explained to me why the mother's loss was traumatic for the child. She stated that the mother is the giver, the nurturer, the one you always turn to. She explained the death of this parent would be more difficult than the father (he died in March of 2000). She was right. My mom was a registered nurse who retired at 65 and at 67 had a massive stroke. She lived five years in the nursing home and then died suddenly. This was the last photo taken of her with her sister (my Aunt Mary). Two of her siblings were visiting from California and it ended up that the only two people who had to fly in for the funeral was my brother and me. Hmmm, she always planned stuff out and maybe, in the grander scheme of things, did this one too.

Mother (on the left) and Aunt Mary is the photo that you see in the blog banner and one of my fav photos that I use all of the time.... Sisters forever.

2) My brother is maybe the only person I know who would show up with his camera in the ICU. I swear, there was a time, in that room, that I was really ready to jump out of that hospital bed and beam him with his camera. Hello, my hair is sticking straight up. This was taken two days after my open heart surgery to replace a bum aortic valve. OK, he was also the one who said, "don't go into the light" as they were wheeling me in for surgery. OK, baby bro... you were pushing it then because I was flirting with the male nurse and my brother is distracting me! Geez.....

OK, back to the post, this was a life-changing event. Prior to the surgery I was so tired I could barely climb to the third floor to get into my two-story condo. By the grace of God (and I mean that sincerely) I had started working out with a personal trainer on July 4, 2001 (and still have him to this day). This is one reason my heart was strong and was able to recover so quickly. The doctors didn't have a clue how I was able to even walk around with the valve as damaged as it was. Ahhh, it just wasn't my time. And I'm happy to report that I had so much energy after this surgery - wooooohooooo - I still thank God for my recovery and the blessing of energy that came with this event.

Yes, in the summer time you will usually find me on the tennis courts 5 days out of 7. It has been a blessing that little titanium valve. Following the recovery, I began to get into more artistic endeavors besides just scrapbooking that I was involved with. I started traveling and went to Germany, Paris, London, and Estonia. Life is short, enjoy it to the fullest. To end this ramble, I am borrowing a quote from a friend's post today on FaceBook (thank you Cindy, sorry I didn't ask before copying it here):

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, ...let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it." - Author Unknown.

Here's to you baby brother (whom I very proud of - but don't tell him...) My favorite song he wrote is God Knew Your Name. You can listen to it here.

In the Honeysuckles, Karma can be a Mean Muse

Found this definition on the web:

“Karma influences our current life in two ways. First, we carry karma as part of our life conditions, though not all of our conditions are karmic in origin. Karma is the part of our conditions that represents unfinished business and other residues from the past. Second, we create future karma continually with every thought and action.”

Karma can be a Mean Muse. I have discovered, boys and girls, when you are young, you don’t have a clue that Karma is lurking out there in the wilds of our lives. Nope-- not a clue. We are too busy growing up and maturing and growing up and maturing, over and over again. Looking back, every once in a while, I do cringe on past actions (and yes, even chuckle here and there). For a while, there was a popular saying, “No Regrets.” Well, you can’t let regrets cripple you.

You have to ask for forgiveness and move on. However, if we are lucky, we sometimes do have a chance to right the wrongs. My advice to you: relish the chance and run with it. It can be a cleansing…. Might not be the final results you want but remember, in my world, you can set Karma right.

When I was very young and in my sophomore year in junior college in Kansas, I met a boy. We had a wonderful romance, he asked me to marry him, but he also asked me to quit school and put him through school then I could go back to school. Hmmmmm. Even at that young age of 20 I kind of knew that wasn't the way to go. Off to college to finish my junior and senior year in Oklahoma. Engaged in different cities. It doesn't work boys and girls.

Distance does not make the heart grow fonder, it just makes communication (back in those days of the late 60s) much more difficult. Much more difficult to stay in touch. Much more difficult to talk things through. We were young. Maybe I should have quit school and maybe not. That is neither here nor there since I did the unthinkable and MAILED the engagement ring back to him. To say my mother “had a cow,” would be putting it mildly. Hmmmmm. I told her I insured it. OUCH. (Not the thing to say to Mama when she was having a cow...)

We still had contact off and on…. In the meantime he got married (lasted quite a while with a child), I got married (mine did not last long). But, if I say so myself, the production of the wedding was cool. The fall has always been my favorite time of year, and so it was - an October wedding it was......



And trust me, Karma had nothing to do with this mismatch! No way....I knew it when he almost had a stroke when he found out I had ordered a chocolate wedding cake with light very light might call it buff icing.... and flowers all over it.... What's the problem, Loren? Lighten up, guy. (Yes, these photos will be going into an altered book, trust me, with some great captions.)

Back to Michael..... Once in a while separated by years, a call would come in – I didn't know he was separated, he never told me that one. (He had called my mother to get my number and she told him, he was her favorite and she liked him the best… this comes back, remember this line.) He got remarried (found out later)…. And so the saga went. Seems Karma was not going to get her due payment at this rate.

But Karma lurked and knew I needed to repay the deed.

A number of years ago, out of the blue, an email showed up, “Your Mother Liked Me Best.” Yup, I knew who it was. To make the story shorter, we did get to exchange many emails rehashing the past, apologizing for actions, and becoming comfortable with each other again. We have met several times over the years.

I’m grateful I was able to say “I’m sorry” – what was the line in the movie, “Love is never having to say your sorry” …. Well not this time – I had to say it to satisfy Ms. Karma.

And boys and girls, remember this – once she is satisfied the journey becomes much easier and you don’t have to go back and relive the same situations trying to get different results with the same behavior. Karma can be a Mean Muse but she can also be satisfied and leave you in Peace. *wink* Stay warm and tomorrow we will discuss, “Life Altering Events.” My final advice today: 1) live with intention; 2) right the regrets; 3) take no prisoners; and 4) love the adventure. I'm off to watch the snow and wind mangle the honeysuckles. Brrrrrrrr.....

Life Lesson # 2 in the Breeze - Friends are Forever

Before we get to the topic boys and girls, we will first go over a few of the activities in the Breeze today. Enjoyed another free day off thanks for the snow with more headed in - they are now hedging on the amount of snowfall but it will continue through tomorrow. The concern is winds tomorrow and blowing snow coming down and snow already on the ground. Today I was able to get the first of the Tag Triptych. I am calling this creation "Blue Moon" and have been writing some of my own quotes for the piece since I can't find exactly what I want. All images are from PaperWhimsy. We will see.

Food run today ahead of the snow. I am convinced with so much snow our primal genes come out and we know what to do in the cold and snowy tundra... eat comfort foods. Potatoes, bread, ice cream, sour cream, you know what I mean?

How did those TWO little containers get in my freezer?

Just heard the Federal Government is closed again tomorrow - three days in a row. WOW. Nope, I don't work for the Feds but we close when they do - think I mentioned that before.

Oliver Update: He got a hand-me down sweater... Thank you Barbara, he showed up at my doorstop in the preppie sweater and was just a prancin' - just too cute. Glad you got to talk to him over the phone:

He is saying Hi to you Barbara....

Now on to the topic at hand, Friends Forever. We have all seen cute stuff sent around on our emails about friends and how much they mean to us and the essays make you feel warm and fuzzy, you know the drill. Take it from me, it is true, you have "friends" show up in your life at certain times and then disappear as suddenly as they dropped in. I call these friends angels-in-disguise. Although they may not know what they have done or when they did it, they are the ones that the angels are working through. We have all had them.

The Special Friends from Childhood: I have had one friend since junior high and we are still close today. These are the friends that never go away, they are always there and you can pick up the phone and start the conversation where you left off the year before. Betsy and me,

1977

2002




2003


2005

We were at the Louvre and the night before we were walking down the street toward the Eiffel Tower, chuckling, asking each other if we would or could have imagined while musing and sitting on our college beds, -- us walking together in our late 50s toward the Tower. No way, as we limped along!

Friends are Forever. Hold them close. Here is a special one and if I had a little girl, she would be it. She was there for me when I had to have heart surgery, she was there to help me recover from it, looking over me, taking care of my Cricket cat, yes, she was there. And we have been there for each other over the years. She threw me the most incredible 60th birthday with CupCakes for everyone at a crop we were at and then she got me a pink gorilla. What are Friends For, I ask you?

And finally, this sweet gal - I have watched her grow up since she was 20, had a baby girl, and we are also close. I have watched her daughter grow since she was a baby and I have witnessed what an incredible mother she has become:

Those are my two little girls - not by birth - but by fate. Once again, always remember the importance of the special ones in your life. They were put here for a reason. They are enhancements to your family. They are special. What are friends for? Hold them tight. Keep them safe. That's it for now, Boys and Girls. Tomorrow we will discuss Life Lesson # 3 - Karma is a Mean Muse. Nighty night....

Life Lesson # 1 - The Breeze is meditating..

No, boys and girls, I won't go all zen on you- nope, not just yet. First of all I have the day off on the this Monday due to our snow fall and everyone still digging out on all the side streets.

Second, I am getting ready to immerse myself in creating a tag triptych at PaperWhimsy and so will be a little busy later on......

And third, I have a birthday on Friday, February 12. I will be turning 63. Not a monumental birthday -- those happen with an ending of "0" or "5" -- but another year older and wiser? Not sure on "wiser," but I am going to share my life lessons with you this week. So fasten your seat belts, kiddos, and listen to a tale or two....

Today, Lesson # 1: All Girls Wanna Play Dress Up - No Matter What the Age

Age 5:

Age 10:

Age 19:

Age 37:

Age 57

Age 60

61:

and 62:
Always remember, boys and girls, no matter what your hair color is -- you wear the dress - it doesn't wear you! No matter how old you are, take control and go on a ride on a magic carpet. It will liberate your spirit and soul for your life journey. We all have to walk through it piled high and deeper so we might as well have fun. There will always be the good and the bad days. But, if you wake up breathing that can only mean one thing - you are still alive. Hmmmmm, or not, I was just watching Ghost Hunters and let me tell you.....

Nope - we won't go there -- Tomorrow's lesson -- Friends Forever..... back to creating and meditating.....