Magic Beans 60 in 60

Yesterday, I mentioned how, at long last, I sat at my workbench and took inventory of how many gemstones and crystals I had collected for wire-wrapping. Honestly, I was stunned. Some of them have been in the queue since as far back as 2004. No kidding! Some crystals were procured locally ... others in Sedona ... a few others in Taos. It's time for all of them to be where and with whom they can work their magic in order to make room for a new inventory in 2012.

That said, I have committed to wire-wrapping my entire inventory -- all 60 stones -- in 60 days. Today is Day 1. By adopting one of these 60 pendants, you will help to send me to the Animal Reiki Source Reiki III class at the C.A.R.E. Foundation in Apopka, Florida, February 23-25, 2012. This is an exciting opportunity and I'm delighted that 25% of my tuition will be donated to support this wonderful exotic animal rescue and wildlife education facility.

So how does "60 in 60" work?

Everyday there will be a new pendant wrapped and a post on this blog with details about it. Consider it first dibs. If you are interested in making it yours, contact me via e-mail and we will work out the payment details between us. It's that easy. Want to make it even easier? "Like" the Magic Beans Workshop Facebook page and first-class shipping is free!

Be advised that, at some point, unclaimed pendants will be added to my Etsy store. And if the logistics can be arranged and enough unclaimed pendants warrant it, there may be an open house on the horizon for local folks. I will keep you posted if/as these next steps unfold.

Please spread the word to those who may be interested. The Day 1 pendant will be posting soon and it's a beauty!

Day 16,783: Coming Back Around

I was shocked after I blew away the layer of dust and cobwebs that had covered this blog. My last post was August 25th? Really? How is that possible?

It's possible because I've been focused on caring for our elderly greyhound, Fred, as he approaches the end of his journey. Caregiving not only takes your full attention, but it takes your whole heart too. All the while, my daughter has been settling into her senior year of high school, my husband has been traveling for work, and day-to-day life in general goes on. There just hasn't been much of me left over for words.

In perusing previous entries, the one thing I have noticed is the one thing that I have missed the most lately. The gratitude. It's time for me to come back around to a regular practice of it. Because it makes a difference. Because it matters. Maybe to me only. Maybe that's enough. When I check in here with you, I really check in with me. At the end of a long day (or night), when it feels like I've lost the last glimmer of perspective, it can be like pressing reset.

So today I am so grateful ...

That my husband is back home and eager to take his turn on sofa duty and Fred's night-time assistance, so that I can try to catch up on my sleep.

That I mustered the motivation to sit down at my workbench and assess my inventory of gemstones and crystals that await wrapping. (Sixty!) Never underestimate the profound impact of taking one small step.

That every single day affords us with multiple opportunities to start over, see things from a fresh angle, and open up to the help and support that is always at the ready.

Day 16,759: Bite-Sized Morsels

There is a lot to be learned from caregiving mode. Anything that I set out to accomplish these days needs to be in bite-sized morsels, started and finished quickly, or tolerant of being picked up and then put down again on a moment's notice. It has wrestled me into relaxing about my processes, both professional and personal. And it has coaxed me into greater playfulness in my sketchbook journal, with which I tend to be unnecessarily regimented under normal circumstances. I have an infatuation with the vibrant creaminess of water soluble crayons and worked on this drawing like a jigsaw puzzle throughout last weekend. I would step into it and then have to step away again, but it gave me joy to know it was in progress. Art therapy, indeed.

It's all about showing up, even momentarily, for the things that are meaningful to me. I may not be able to give everything my extended and undivided attention right now or in the foreseeable future, but a few minutes here and there does make a difference. I am exploring other ways to apply this flexible, bite-sized approach to all areas of my life and discovering that almost every task, project and goal can be broken down into micro-increments. So simple and yet color me astounded at this revelation.

What has necessity and/or life's changing tides taught YOU recently?

Day 16,758

(No Instagram filter here ... it's untouched except for cropping.)
Fred's caregiving continues. Yesterday, we had a home visit from an angel ... Tammy Wynn from Angel's Paws. She will assist us with keeping Fred comfortable and preparing for his transition at home, when the time comes. We can call her any time of day with questions, concerns or to come over as needed. Knowing this gives us tremendous peace of mind, so we can focus on loving on Fred and enjoying the remaining time that we have with him. His pain medication is helping a lot and there have been recent days when it seems like we have our boy back. But we are realistic about how this will play out and do not want him to suffer, so we are prepared (as we can be) to be ready when the time comes to let him go. In the meantime, we are living in this rather solemnly awkward in-between. Waves of sadness frequently catch me off-guard and start to sweep me away. I falter. I flail. But somehow gratitude always comes to the rescue and manages to keep me afloat.

As Fred grabbed a nap beside me, the morning sun came streaming through the living room window upon me at just the right angle to create this magic. For a few moments, I was annointed by the light. Through it I am reminded and assured that everything is going to be okay. Moment by moment. Hour by hour. Day by day.

Day 16,753 Gratitude

Every year, we setup three window boxes of impatiens on the brick ledge outside of our living room windows. They are sheltered by Grandmother Sycamore and bathed in the morning sun. Every year, at least one crafty spider sets up housekeeping and weaves her funnel between the window and the box. The flowers become a sticky trap to future snacks. This particular web is rather breathtaking in its resemblance to a tornado. Deadly beauty, indeed.

Day 16,751 Gratitude

Recent days have been spent gratefully caring for this sweet boy. We adopted Fred in July, 2001. He was smart enough to suck at racing, so he could come and live with us. He's 12 years old now and his body is wearing out. He is taking Rimadyl and Tramadol for pain and receiving Reiki from countless caring souls. It's day-by-day around here. We celebrate every two steps forward. We make peace with every one step back.

There is nothing like caregiving to bring you into the moment. You can't afford to be anywhere other than where you are, doing what needs to be done. But a sixth sense is also demanded, to know what needs to be known. It can be exhausting and worrisome if we let it. It can also exponentially expand our love and gratitude. There is no better opportunity to understand the deep meaning of the word grace than when we are in the thick of it.

Day 16,735 Gratitude

Things for which I am grateful today ...

Lillies that bloom annually, without fail, despite outright neglect.
Writing an entry in my sketchbook journal and letting that be okay.
Sabra Supremely Spicy hummus to which I am addicted.
A strong practice at yoga class tonight.
The arrival of August -- summer's fair warning.

We are on course to match if not break the standing record for consecutive days (17) in the 90s. The air is thick and the sunlight is searing. Squirrels and birds line up at our patio fountain for a drink and a dip. Cicada song can be heard loud and clear indoors. I will long for this scene in January. I bask in it while it lasts.