star stuff

mjd 2014 - fragile strength talisman/wonder

in the 1970s, dr. carl sagan opened our minds to the fact that we are star stuff.

now, building upon the legacy of 'cosmos', dr. neil degrasse tyson explains how we are stardust and connected to all of the molecules and all of the atoms in the universe, including the ones that make up you.

this should take your breath away,

give your life a feeling of humbling magnitude,

you are gifted with being alive - 

right here, right now. 

and none of us knows for how long,

we are created equal in that respect. 

be mindful of wishing for the day to be over,

for thinking the weekend will bring you more joy.

joy is an attitude. 
(but when you do feel like that, and we all do at times,
just find something in those moments for which you are grateful.)

be aware of the love that is ever present,

that is available to us all.

the birds sing for us,

the sun shines and rain falls - 

breathe it in

smile

accept

give thanks,

then give something back.

the 'how' is your choice,

but the possibilities are endless. 

detail - reference to the fibonacci spiral 

it gets no better than that.

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don't forget about the giveaway - details are here.

zen in the details

i am a big picture person who lives for details... 

maybe people won't notice the patterning beneath the patina... 


but i do... 

or that extra time was spent finding the perfect spot on a railroad tie to get a certain pattern... or that i fused the sterling... 

these are my buttons... 

when i was preparing to teach woven bracelets at the teen arts festival i realized i could make my own buttons (but didn't for the workshops when i learned how many kids would be in them)... 

i love being able to go from big to small... 

and to just make something for its own sake,

not worry about a finished jewelry piece... 

to put all of my attention into small work... 

i must be growing up, 

it's so often becoming meditation anymore...

the big picture is the details

and details are the big picture... 

like einstein finding constants between atoms and the cosmos,

it's all one - 

'strange is our situation here upon earth.  each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why,  yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose.  from the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of others... for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy.  many times a day, i realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly i must exert myself to give in return as much as i have received.'

- albert einstein