Mandala Monday

Okay, it's Tuesday, but I wanted to get this mandala posted for you to download, since I won't be able to post one next week. Happy coloring!

Cali-bound

The Workshop has been quiet this month. I think I have been resting up for Reiki Teacher training, which begins this Friday. Wow. Friday. Can you believe it? I have been looking forward to this journey for many months. Having never been to California, I imagine that I’ll feel like Dorothy in Oz. This isn’t a bad thing. We need to put ourselves in unfamiliar surroundings sometimes. It’s good for the Inner Artist. Good for the soul.

My trusty Canon G9 is ready to go. So is my beloved Lomo. With Jen’s encouragement and the assistance of a YouTube tutorial, I held my breath and loaded film in my Holga for the very first time, but have decided to leave her at home. Yeah, I know, I know, but it really boils down to a matter of space and time. I don’t want to be so busy taking photos of the experience that I miss the experience of the experience. Know what I mean? I learned my lesson in Arizona. Came home with some amazing photographs, but felt like I only saw it all through a lens. I never took the time to really let myself just be there. With that said, two cameras will be more than enough for this trip.

If free time allows, I may start posting the digital shots to Flickr while I’m away, so check here later this week: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juloftheday
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And, hey, before I go, I just want to apologize for the fact that I can't figure out why my feed doesn't seem to work ... at least per Feedburner. I know it's a pain in the butt to keep checking if I've updated. I do appreciate it, though. Very much. If you have any idea what the problem might be, please let me know.

Lomolovin'

My love affair with this magical camera started in 2003. Okay, well before, because of Dawn and her drool-worthy lomo images of Chicago. I contacted her, gushed effusively, and she really encouraged me to get one of my own and give it a whirl. So I did. And what a whirl it's been!

But something happened in 2005 and I suspect that something was my digital camera. The lomo was set aside for instant gratification. Only recently did I blow the dust off of my poor lomo and discover that it still had film in it. So I finished the roll and eagerly took it for developing. Had it really been almost four years? Looks that way. Pictures don't lie. But I'm trying to make amends. My lomo will go with me to San Francisco in April and we'll see what kind of magic we can make. With color film, though ... definitely color.

Love Thursday

Spring is almost here. The light is streaming through our living room windows at the ideal angle to illuminate the bonsai that begrudgingly weathered the winter. I crack open the window to let in the breeze. I sip my tea and watch both birds and squirrels busily building their nests. I bask. I, too, begrudgingly weathered the winter. I, too, feel illuminated.

Happy Love Thursday!

Mandala Monday

At long last, a fresh, free mandala is ready for you to download here.

As always, happy coloring!

Gone Public!

I've gone public on Twitter. It's taken me awhile to get the hang of it, but I think I might be on a roll.

Sorry for the long absence. Things going on behind the scenes. Now getting back into the swing of things.

[INSERT DEEP CLEANSING BREATH HERE.]

Gratwittertude

For better or worse, I am now on Twitter. It is a personal project in gratitude. I can't take credit for coming up with this idea. I know others have used it as a virtual gratitude journal in the not-too-distant past. I was intrigued. I'm certainly guilty of cruising through the business of most days without taking time to really think about what I'm grateful for in the moment. Maybe Twitter can help. A few keystrokes here. A keystrokes there.

I'll give it 40 days. Care to join me?

OOPS!
Just discovered that I have my Twitter account is set to private. This may not be such a bad thing, though. Please send me a request if you would like to follow me. I may eventually make my updates public, but for now I'm feeling a bit shy and awkward as I get the hang of this. I'd still love for you to tag along, if you are interested ... and if you are on Twitter, let me know so that I can follow you, too.

P.S.

Did you know that Karen offers a FREE desktop wallpaper every month? Her beautiful photography to savor on your computer for free! She's just as talented at the keyboard as she is behind the camera, by the way.

Sacred Life Sunday

This is my furry guru, Garrett.

He came into my life two years ago. His was a dual rescue. Rescue number one was as a kitten, from an abandoned shelter in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina. The volunteers had minutes to get as many cats as they could. Several were hastily stuffed into one carrier and Garrett's leg was broken in the process. He holds no grudge and bears no obvious damage. Rather that than to be left behind. From New Orleans, the very special volunteer who saved his life brought him to a very special no-kill shelter here in town. Two years after his arrival, we found him. Rescue number two complete.

For such a rough start, Garrett now lives the life of a king. He is a very big boy, weighing in at more than 20 pounds. And in his own big way, he has rescued me. I've learned from him that I have much to learn.

How to properly bask in the sun.

How to make naps a high priority.

How to eat with gusto.

How to put words to my needs.

How to cuddle like nobody's business.

How to stand my ground when confronted with something or someone bigger than me.

How to look at those around me with deep love and appreciation.

Is there anything more sacred than this? I don't think so.