open

mjd - 2015 - open - sterling ring

realizing that the thing to be most feared

is lacking the courage 

to remain open in heart and mind.

practicing non-judgment and big love

only brings light to the world.

why contribute to the darkness?

mjd - 2015 - open - sterling ring

the world is in need

mjd. 2015 present moment offering bowl

our world is in need

(always)

of peace

of love

& kindness.

while it may be beyond 

our abilities

to stop acts of evil and violence,

we need not participate in

promote

or empower them. 

in each moment

you have a choice

(we all do).

you choose your thoughts

your words

your actions.

learn to know yourself.

be vigilant.

use your moments

to nurture the world

and its inhabitants.

we create the climate

of our planet. 

on practice, quiet and intention

sitting with the last light - mjd 2013

i had the great good fortune to hear thich nhat hanh speak in manhattan today.

it was calm

and beautiful,

encouraging 

and thought provoking.

one concept sitting deeply with me

is his discussion on

compassionate listening

and loving speech. 

can we listen

openly

and without interruption

while someone speaks to us 

of their suffering?

especially when it has been at our own hand?

can you wait 3 or 4 days 

(as he suggests)

to clarify any misperceptions?

as a person who cringes

at any sign of conflict,

i feel a strong need 

to resolve things

talk them out

explain myself

when my world gets disharmonious.

i get right speech.

i will bite right through my tongue 

over saying something that will wound someone. 

that's the truth - 

because i know how words

can carve into your heart

and not be resolved by

'i'm sorry.'

this practice will be good

for me and my kids. 

bumpy ride expected - 

but at least it will be

in the name of kindness

understanding 

and love. 

in celebration of light

these bits had been sitting on my bench - 
the 'be still's have been incorporated into work and found new homes... 

in this time of sadness,
let us shine light - 

kindness requires an active way of being - 

instead of just zoning out and being reactive, 

you must be present and aware of how you are interacting with others.

in honor of the solstice 

and love

and sharing,

i would like to offer these to you.

you will get both pairs - 

one for you 

and one to pass along.

just leave a comment here and make sure i have a way to contact you!

i will select a winner on new year's day -

on ahimsa

exercise kindness 

or at least do no harm... 

as we are all connected,

connected,

connected... 

a week later

found on my walk -

the fragile strength of a bee's wing

the oak tree hidden inside of an acorn
the return to earth promised by rusted street sweeper's bristles


prevailing thought on life and after hurricane irene: grateful

saturday afternoon emily and i went to the boardwalk to check the building sea, view the preparations...

the winds blew, rains soaked, flooding occurred, tornadoes appeared... for us, power outages, flooding, fallen trees... lucky... water in my basement - grateful... i was so sorry to learn about the damage done in new england... how so many didn't (why would they?) have flood insurance... and so i hope that fema helps them... 

a view of the ocean side of the bridge at the inlet where the river i live on enters... the apartments across the street are 2 and 3 stories high... i believe this was taken by the bridge tender... 

thinking on kindness...

'it is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned 

with the human problem all one's life

and find at the end

that one has no more to offer by way of advice

than 'try to be a little kinder'.

~ aldous huxley

feeling the long exhale of autumn... the acorns are falling, the trees are indicating the approach of their imminent show, nights are cooling... 

what do you want to be when you grow up?

throughout my life, i have always seen this question as being multi-faceted... professionally, i wanted to be a scientist and an artist... 

but more importantly, i have wanted to be a peaceful person... to be a part of the Solution and not a part of the Problem...

em and i got our first tattoos this week... (nick says it's easy to figure out which one is me - 'your finger has all of the wrinkles'... thanks, boo!)

this peaceful warrior has been unknowingly arming herself with talismans this year... words and gemstones that empower and protect... these types of things have an energy that works both ways i realized... while they serve to offer protection, once i feel empowered i am able to reach out from a right state of mind... not just to get centered on the inside (because there are times when i just want to close in on myself), but to let it flow outward actively... this tiny little reminder of what i want to be is a visible thing now - i see it when i work, when i eat, when i brush my teeth, while i hold the steering wheel... 

the devastating events in tucson and around the world are a constant reminder that while we cannot control the thoughts or actions of others - we are in complete control of our own... 

'if you can, help others;

if you cannot do that, at least do no harm.'

~ dalai lama

i love what emily chose - the trident... held by poseidon (or neptune), god of the sea...  she is a lover of mythology as well and connects to the stories that have helped humans understand their condition since their time on earth began...

'tattoos are forever' i was reminded... isn't that wonderful?... so is my commitment to practicing kindness, compassion and understanding... 

i will be picking the giveaway winners on lmaj soon... 

and lynn at art bead scene wrote a very touching post this morning -

non-attachment, gratitude, and quest for authenticity

'feeling gratitude and not expressing it

is like wrapping a present and not giving it.'

~ william arthur ward

hamsa hand urban milagro

pilar isabel pollock sent this beautiful milagro to me... so hard to know where to start - her thoughtfulness? my admiration of her talent? the fact that this means so much to me? she even used the words 'love' and 'nascent' (my word for the year) on the ribbons... pilar works magic with fibers (and she creates digital art as well) - i encourage you to stop by her blog and her etsy and art fire shops... this is why i restrain myself from taking out my mom's sewing machine, i fear i would become obsessed... this beautiful hamsa hangs in my work area... thank you so very much, pilar... 

i had a show at the boardwalk yesterday - and the weather was beautiful... lots of people - and thanks to judy, a good amount of sales... you see, judy shared information about propay, a service that allows one to accept credit cards with your cell phone! most people do not bring pocketbooks, checkbooks or much cash to the beach... they are simply not going to leave that sitting on a towel or in a bag while they go down to the water... but plastic? they have that... and this time i was able to accept it... those that couldn't decide which 'one' would sometimes buy both... nice! oh, and thank you very very much!


and thank you to those who reach out even though i have pretty much been m.i.a... i think i am on my way back... your kindness is appreciated... 


i am fully aware of the importance of non-attachment... question: what would you do if you couldn't find your camera... like, ANYWHERE? would you accept that you shouldn't be upset because it is in your best interest not to be attached to it? or would you be stressed out because you couldn't take any pictures? i am vascillating between the two - probably doesn't hurt that i had given em a camera for graduation - how fortuitous!

'your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.

don't be trapped by dogma - which is living 

with the results of other people's thinking.

don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.

and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

they somehow already know what you truly want to become.

everything else is secondary.'

~steve jobs

more sneak peeks::

i think i need that steve job's quote tattooed on my inner arm... the past couple of weeks i had to have music on in the background to work - something i seriously never do... i like quiet... but i was finding dave matthews to be calming and necessary... today maybe i can work without background noise... we'll see... 

visual diary

'painting is just another way of keeping a diary.'

~ picasso

i would take it a bit further for myself and say 'creating'... 

this week i have longed for respite into a world of elevating dreams, swirling colours... 

i had to concede to time after taking many pictures of this and not being wholly satisfied with my ability to capture the painterliness of the enamel (i now completely feel the name of barbara lewis' business)... not quite sure what i will do for etsy!

textural, aged, light... shakespeare's words float in the resin and are set off against layers of different colored enamels... 

'survivor' is defined in the 1877 dictionary that i used as 'one who outlives another'...  almost 130 yrs. later, our definition has greatly expanded... one can survive a natural disaster, a serious disease, a damaging relationship... i chose the colors of beige and red to allude to the root chakra... i think that often 'survivor' speaks to our self - the very core of who we are here and now... the root chakra acts as a grounding force - it empowers by allowing us to connect to the earth's energies... the faux shibuichi is rough - as trials can be...  

'remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness.

every act creates a ripple with no logical end.'

~ scott adams

a copper ball representing your act... set within the depths of resin... a three dimensional ring, allowing you to gaze upon the potential you carry within... 

ripples

'remember there's no such thing as 

a small act of kindness.

every act creates a ripple

with no logical end.'

- scott adams

this necklace was created with a set of beads from pinocean in gemstone colors... i chose to accent them with sodalite, apatite, lapis & labradorite... there are different kinds of rings & circles in the design which hopefully creates a nice flow... 3 metals in antiqued finishes... 

the companion earrings in apatite with deep blue glass... i like these kind of shots to show how mika's glass really glows from within... meant to be edgy - as comfortably worn with jeans & a tee shirt as dressier garb...

you smile or hold the door or say thank you to someone, and maybe they do it for someone else...  and so on, and so on...