tell me...

do you ever feel more clear-minded
when you gaze upon a rising moon
as it moves through the clouds, glowing?

do you sense a connection to something bigger?

whether suffering or joyful,
lonely or hopeful - 

standing there,
we know that others
experience these same emotions.

your urge may be to pull back,
but stay with it.

and know it is your connection
to humanity.

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.

becoming conscious (again and again)

experimenting with transparent enamel over stamped metal

we cannot remain conscious of everything all the time.

beliefs & ideas do not sit like oil upon water -

they rise and fall,

often lying just below the surface.

and like the pebbles we see

through the clear waters of a stream,
by quieting the mind

we become aware of their existence.

then we have only to reach for them,

so that once again

they are ours

gently cupped in the palm of knowing.

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 - 

simplicity

'knowledge is learning something new every day.

wisdom is letting go of something every day.'

- zen proverb

this basket, sitting on my unironed cotton cloth in the dining room, is an island of stillness... of simplicity... monochromatic... inviting... i hold this ugandan basket in two hands & think of the woman who wove it... it feels good... 

i am so grateful to the women who have opened a fair trade shop locally... who allow us to touch these things ourselves, be drawn to them... this little basket had been calling to me... who wouldn't have welcomed such a treasure into their home?

'eyes of the world' can be found at 658 cookman avenue, asbury park, nj...

please support fair trade wherever you can... 

btw

'when we discover the truth is already in us,

we are all at once our original selves."

~ dogen

the beauty of repetition

while repetition can be tedious 
we all know that there is a time and place for it... 


it is in repeating an action (or thought) that it becomes familiar... 
in familiarity it becomes known... 


in being known it becomes understood... 
and once understood it can be refined... 

and all of a sudden, it feels almost effortless... 


a beautiful pay off for diligence... 


ommmmmm...

another step along the path

'keep yourself firmly centered inside here

and nothing will be able to shatter you.'

~ isan shinko (1740-1815)

this beautiful enso tattoo was received yesterday... and by one i deeply admire for his artistry and knowledge... his profound and generous spirit... i look at it and my heart swells... thank you tom... 

infinite moment

'the infinite is in the finite of every instant.'

~ zen proverb

an expansive way of thinking - filled with possibility... and responsibility to ourselves and others...

spectrolite (gemstone quality labradorite) is used to dispel negativity and provide clarity of thought... 

this necklace is being offered as the monday giveaway at the love my art jewelry site... follow this link to find out how you can make it your own...

the zen of earrings ~

'when you seek it

you cannot find it.'

~ zen proverb

truth...

i wanted to make a necklace because i needed to make a necklace... but it just wasn't there - the flow, the inspiration... but the little pile of earwires and resin paddles called to me... and i was actually able to get into a stop-start, mom kind of flow... 

here is what i found:

'to thine own self be true.

~ william shakespeare (hamlet)

with pearls for wisdom and amethyst to connect you to your higher spiritual self...

'the meeting of two eternities - the past and the future...

is precisely the present moment.'

~ henry david thoreau

be mindful of it, grown in it... with small gaspeite stones which are believed to bring spirituality to into every day life... 

love deeply, love daily

green pearls for the beauty and wisdom of adapting a loving attitude... soft fibers and pink petals to connect to nature, flowers, growth... 

'tenderness and kindness are not signs 

of weakness and despair

but manifestations of strength and resolution.'

~ kahlil gibran

fragile strength - opposites coming together in beauty... antiqued grey wire, soft fibers, translucent blue-grey iolite... delicate and not... practice loving kindess, show that caring exists... 

'yes mother. i can see you are flawed.

you have not hidden it.

that is your greatest gift to me.'

~ alice walker 

we keep wrapped up tightly, guarding ourselves... and not usually even sure against what... to open up, to present oneself honestly... to share with our children, our friends, our family our humanity... is a gift... unwrap yourself and share...