surrender

mjd - 2015 - plant skeletons

open to the stillness

between winter and spring,

though the earth 

beneath your feet 

is charged with eager life.

bear witness

to the skeletal remains

of those 

who have burst forth,

lived

weathered storms

and died.

bear witness 

to a seemingly

fragile nature

that is belied 

by great strength 

and 

great tenacity. 

this story

is like your own.

you stand.

between heaven

and earth

you are rooted

and soaring - 

in that balance

in that exquisite place

may you thrive. 

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lovely rustic holding vessels by the ever talented
marsha neal.

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capturing stillness

fragile strength talisman/be still - mjd 2014

at first

we seem to catch moments 

of stillness

the way we did 

fireflies

as children.

seeing their flashing light,

we would run carefully

up to them

trying to catch them 

ever so gently 

in cupped hands.

exciting and unique moments,

we feel like 

it must have been the place

or time

that brought it into being

for us.

and so we return 

to that place or time

to find it again. 

fragile strength talisman/be still - mjd 2014

awareness

trickles in 

as we contemplate

how to return to to this place

of tranquility.

we begin to notice 

that stillness 

is not about

external circumstances

or

perfect states of being,

nor 

are they required to be 

present first for 

stillness to exist.

as our moments accumulate,

they grow closer and closer

together.

in the gathering awareness,

we come to realize

that moments of quietude

are always within our grasp.

fragile strength talisman/be still - mjd 2014

we hold the key 

to make them manifest.

and with that knowledge, 

we walk in light. 

in stillness

woven leaf - mjd 2013

slow down,

stop what you are doing

and take a breath.

'sit down and be quiet.

you are drunk 

and this is the edge of the roof.'

 - rumi

the situation is dire

for those unwilling 

to do the work 

of practicing awareness.

distraction lurks 

in every corner

and sits in the middle 

of every room.

but is there really any other option?

the exhale

moments of stillness
(of calm
of peace
of deep exhale)
found in a quiet place
are not how we challenge ourselves
in our practice 
to be awake
mindful
present.

but they are, without question, incredibly precious.

shhhh...

the universe whispers...

and if you can eliminate some head static,
 ( inhale, exhale )

 what it wants you to know
 will wash over and through you...

in search of ...

'i lived in solitude in the country

and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life

stimulates the creative mind.'

~ albert einstein

... solitude

ahhh ~

' a happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, 

for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet 

that true joy dare live.'

as much as i love christmas, i really love the day after christmas... the quiet that seems to settle... i love being around family and friends, laughter, talking... but i get overstimulated... i can be a creature of solitude - in as solitude a way as a mom of 3 can be... on a day like today, i am happy to hear the kids chattering and helping each other... i am around, i give hugs and kisses, make food, but not talking if i don't need to... i crave quiet at times... that's why i love my walks so much... 


we have a storm again this weekend, but this time the snow has been washed away... in 2 days the temps have risen about 30 degrees - it's in the mid 40s and windy... i can hear the chimes outside and the patter of rain on the windows... it seems just right... took em to work on the boardwalk and the waves are churning... but inside, i am not... in fact it is today that i am ready to create gifts for the friends who will get gifts from me... i don't create jewelry well under pressure to begin with - especially not for people i know... for whom i have to feel what i am doing... i was lucky in that i was able to make my nieces their necklaces - because that exchange is done on christmas eve and i couldn't go empty handed to them... 

for both i used butterflies from nancy schindler at roundrabbit ... one child is very delicate and girly... the other is fiesty... 

so they are similar but not the same... i love butterflies - how they symbolize change and growth..

these free spirit earrings were fun to make... when i tied the cloth onto the back from the top i worried that it looked a bit superhero cape-ish ... but you know what? that's ok... because it's all about flying and soaring to your own heights... i got some incredibly beautiful floss/yarn/fiber from sassa lynne's etsy shop... i love the colours ~ 

today we are going to see 'avatar' ... i am pretty excited about it... although i would like to keep the really low-key vibe of the day going, the kids have been waiting to see this... it should be fun... yesterday we watched 'the jungle book' ... santa brought it on dvd and it brought back so many wonderful memories... 'princess and the frog' is on our list too... it is done in traditional 2D animation... is set in new orleans... and oprah has a role? sounds like a winner to me... 

thank you for your lovely holiday wishes and commiserations on feeling overwhelmed as well... the encouragement shared... a gift indeed...

on wisdom

'by three methods we may learn wisdom:

first, by reflection, which is noblest;

second, by imitation which is the easiest;

and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.'

~ confucius

i bought this beautiful message bead from diane hawkey... it has this incredible in-the-hand quality, like a worry stone - smooth and round... 

for becoming wise often requires travel down an arduous path... one must face the nuts and bolts of life - the challenges, the joys, the losses, the opportunities - hopefully resulting in growth along the way... hardware beads are from melanie at earthenwood studio... challenges presenting opportunities, doors closing so others can open... the nickel and copper links represent the harder aspects of life that are lined with beauty... 

there is also the quieter side of acquiring wisdom... 

'sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge

and lean over to watch the river 
slipping slowly away beneath you,

you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.'

~  winnie the pooh

'the invariable mark of wisdom 

is to see the miraculous in the common.'

~ ralph waldo emerson

mohair fiber in soft muted colors is wrapped around a copper bar... just above it is a copper disc that has been repeatedly stamped with the om and a lotus... from this hangs pearls - as in 'of wisdom', both taking time to develop and having high value despite coming in small or quiet packages...

'wisdom begins in wonder.'

~ socrates