Creating a blog to hit publish and confess my nuttiness

Dear friends,

It's been a busy two days as I prep for out of town company (always love using company as a good excuse to get tons of sh!@ done).  So here's a quick update in pics for tonight's blog....

Yesterday I hung up pictures in the new house - Yay!!  As Sammie said tonight, "It's starting to look like us!"

 

One of the walls in the living room :)

 

 This morning I did my yoga, listened to Deepok's 4th meditation about Love and did a quick doodle as part of my DCP....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was such a grump bear today even with this meditation - can't imagine what I would have been like without it!

Roots and Rock - Berkeley Lake Walk

  
This morning I had the chance to go on a nice long walk with a friend and I stopped to take a pic of this tree I love.

I spent the day cleaning and organizing (and the night too).  Gah - this is the time I get a little nutty - right before company comes and the smidge of perfectionism I have rears it's ugly, grumpy head.

After I dropped Alex off at her job this afternoon I ran over to Home Goods to look for a few things I needed - found this great rug for the back door :)  It was a lovely break and productive too!

I'm calling it a night - have lots more to do but I'm tired and I'm valuing self care over perfectionism.  I'd love to hear what you get a little nutty over if you're willing to share :)

Wrapping you around with infinite love and peace,

Christine

Creating a blog for you

Dear friends,

Wishing you clear blue skies,

Abundant life,

The magic of the moon

and the gentleness and strength of a feather.


Wrapping you around with infinite love and tenderness,

Christine

Creating a post for Jon

Dear friends,

I've been working on a poem today in tribute to a dear friend of my sister, Katie.  He was killed a year ago today cycling in Houston, TX.  

For Jon

I see the Sun shining through the trees

the light so needed in these darkened days.

I see the flower through the weeds

thankful for the gift it brings.

Today I am thinking of love

and loss.

How as humans the two go hand and hand

like a Ring around the Rosie spun out of control.

It’s all fun until someone gets hurt

my momma used to say.

It was fun - the screaming and laughing and playing,

innocent and unaware how things can change in a split second.

Today I am thinking of you

a friend so dear to those I love.

Gone in a moment, a lifetime too soon

like the Persieds raining down in the sky tonight,

A tribute for all the world to see

to your life, your brightness and your love.

 

Jonathan King Lennard
Dec 24, 1965 – Aug 12, 2013
Single, no kids
BS Aerospace Engineering, Texas, 1988
Part owner of Software company that does contract work for Shell Oil.
Musician (bass and guitar)
Walking encyclopedia of all things rock ‘n roll
Avid reader (a lot of science fiction, Asimov, etc)
Beer/Spirits/Coffee – no expense spared for the best.
Early on: skate, surf, kayak
Later: cycling and snowboarding

As a cyclist myself there are so many more things to say on this topic - so much awareness to bring.  I think I'll leave that for another post and today leave you with what another friend of his said in tribute, "This could be my last ride. Either make sure it isn’t, or make sure it’s worth it."

Wrapping you around with infinite love and healing,

Christine

Creating a blog about suicide

Dear friends,

I'm sure you've heard by now that Robin Williams committed suicide this morning.  I am so sad.  I was on facebook and had to stop to write this blog and take a deep breath.


One author I follow wrote that she was sad and angry.  I thought, "Angry? Who are you angry at, Robin?"  I hope not. I hope you are angry (justifiably so) at Mental Illness and the lack of awareness and understanding it has.

If Robin had died of a heart attack would you be angry?

Did you know that I started blogging in response to a friend's suicide?  Here is the first blog I ever wrote on March 16th, 2013 called Moms aren't supposed to.  I hope you get a chance to read it.  

Dead Poet's Society is one of my all time favorite movies so I'm throwing in this video to help us celebrate how great  an artist/actor Robin Williams was.  

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"



The following facts are taken from The The National Alliance for Mental Illness website and specifically their well researched and documented Mental Illness Fact Sheet.

Numbers of Americans Affected by Mental Illness
 
* One in four adults−approximately 61.5 million Americans−experiences mental illness in a given year. One in 17−about 13.6 million−live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder.

*Approximately 2.6 percent of American adults−6.1 million people−live with bipolar disorder.

* Approximately 6.7 percent of American adults−about 14.8 million people−live with major depression.



*Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. (more common than homicide) and the third leading cause of death for ages 15 to 24 years.22 More than 90 percent of those who die by suicide had one or more mental disorders.

*Although military members comprise less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, veterans represent 20 percent of suicides nationally. Each day, about 22 veterans die from suicide.


With these statistics you know someone who suffers from a mental illness.  I hope that we can all have compassion and more understanding as we walk in this world.  I believe in more funding for suicide prevention programs and especially for holistic, pro-active, mental health treatment.



The post that had me bawling from the internet tonight was this one:


 
Mental illness affects the sufferer and the people that love them.


Tonight, I say prayers for Robin William's (and my own) family, friends and fans and for all those that suffer (most in silence) with depression, bi-polar and all forms of mental illness.  Know that we are connected and you are loved.

Wrapping you around with infinite love, peace and healing,

Christine 

P.S.  NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE - No matter what problems you are dealing with, we want to help you find a reason to keep living. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7.

Creating a good day.

Dear friends,

Today has been a good day.

I love good days.  Sometimes they have incremental steps and sometimes they have leaps.  Today had both.

My friend Ruth and I - photo by Jennifer Denning

Terrific Play group - photo by +Hallelujah Truth 

This morning I had the opportunity to co-lead a 90 min Second Saturday Interplay with my friend +Hallelujah Truth.

We had a great time!  Played with some new and repeat friends :)

Atlanta Interplay meets every Second Saturday in the Mask Center in Little Five Points from 10-11:30am.

Ruth wrote a great blog about what we did today if you want to check it out here:  Second Saturday.

Here's one with +Hallelujah Truth - photo by Ann Connor

Afterwards Ruth and I took our honeys out to lunch to celebrate two momentous occasions - A year ago I met Ruth and Tony at the 2nd Sat. Interplay and exactly a year later she and I are in the Leader in Training program and co-leading a play group together.  (Usually our friend, +Jennifer Denning, leads second Sat. but she was unable to this month and asked us too - squeeeee!)

Celebrating success!

 On the way home Joe and I stopped at the Dekalb Farmer's Market.  LOVE that place but please remind me not to go on a Sat. afternoon (after it rained on Friday).  The place was packed!!!  We succeeded in buying tons of veggies and fruits for the week and headed home to hang out with the girls.

After a much needed catnap (to recover from senses overload at the market) I did a quick tidy on the house as Sammie prepped for a friend coming over.

Alex, 16, made a yummy yellow chicken curry dish for dinner that was delicious and we all enjoyed!

A storm rolled in this evening and we ended up out on the front porch watching the lightening, listening to the thunder and rain.  A delightfully relaxing ending to a full and fun day.  The teenager even came out a joined us for a bit - heaven to a mommy's heart.

Wrapping you around with infinite love and peace,

Christine

Candlelight on the porch :)

 

 

 

 

Creating Peace

Dear friends,

This week has been a doozie.  Between school starting, new schedules and lots of  turmoil in the world I've been doing a lot of processing.

"Peace" photo by Sammie Gautreaux (11)

This week Atlanta made national/international news with the treating of two Ebola patients.  I am in full support of them receiving treatment from the best facilities in the world and trust in Emory and the CDC especially since I have some dear friends who are brilliant that work there.  I do have to admit that it's a little disconcerting realizing that people I love are doing some dangerous, yet necessary, work.  I was doing a little research and realized how "pretty" the pictures of the virus were - it looked to me like a music note.  So this morning for my DCP I played with that and a quote I love from Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman to win the award in two different fields (physics and chemistry).

DCP - 8/8/14

This week we also dealt with local tragedy.  On Wednesday, a home on the other side of our new neighborhood was invaded and a dad was killed, and a mom and an 8 year old child injured. Here is an article for more info- Duluth Home Invasion.  It was shocking.  Duluth was just ranked one of the safest places to live Georgia and I know that to be true.  I also know so pretty crazy stuff goes on in our world in all walks of life and across all spectrums.  

Combine that with all that is happening on a global level in the Middle East, Hawaii and I get the feeling that the world is going crazy all around us. 

Dogwood blooms in the Spring

I've been seeking peace.

I seek peace through comforting routines.  This week I've been diligent about getting up before the sun to do a gentle yoga routine and meditate and pray.  I've also been doing my Daily Creative Practice, daily (ha - I know that sounds repetitive but hey sometimes it's a weekly creative practice).

I went over and hung out with my new neighbor and her precious three boys for a quick conversation filled with lots of legos and "look at what I did!"

I called several friends I hadn't talked to in a while, my sister and my parents and checked in to say, "I love you."

I consciously stopped to take deep breaths and give gratitude for the amazing life I have.

And I play.  I seek out opportunities to have fun in this crazy world.  Sammie, Joe and I played Munchkin last night, Alex and I played Bananagrams.  I do a little bit (and sometimes a lot) of Interplay everyday. I also seek out beauty wherever I go - for me that's art and flowers :)

One of my all time favorite photos from Amelia Island at Sunset

Today I'm participating in the Global Meditation for peace led by Deepak Chopra at noon my time.  I hope you will consider joining me - taking a moment to imagine peace and feel peace inside ourselves.  I do believe this makes a difference.

“If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.”

― Lao Tzu

Wrapping you around with infinite love and peace,

Christine  

P.s. A special shout out of thanks for the Peace Ritual that my friend Audrey Galex organized and my friend +Hallelujah Truth participated in yesterday.

 

Stones and rocks placed in a peace sign at the Atlanta Beltline entrance @ 10th & Monroe representing places of conflict in our communities and around the world. Ruth Schowalter holds her stones, before setting them on the Earth with a wish for peace.  Photo by Audrey Galex. 

Creating the first day of school

Dear friends,

Fresh school supplies...

Fun notes...

New outfits...

Completely organized one day of the school year...

Excitement about meeting new teachers...
 

Creating a great year!

And seeing old friends...

Anticipation... 

What does school mean to you?

Sammie with her bass

Wrapping you around with infinite love and the love of learning,

Christine

p.s. Hello my name is Christine and I'm addicted to school supplies.

Creating the last day of "summer"

Dear Friends,

Played Chicken Foot Dominoes this summer!

Tomorrow the kids in Gwinnett County, GA go back to school - Yes we go back at the beginning of August- Crazy I know!  

We always love it when we are getting out of school mid May when the weather is gorgeous and we are skipping about outside in Glee.  Now, not so much.

Cool bug on my front porch this morning

Today we ran a few last minute school supply errands, checked and double checked the list for the 12 yr old (she's an organized planner and we missed two things) and then headed to the lake to meet up with friends "one last time."

Sammie peeking around her new book bag!

 We're settling in for the night early tonight.  Lights are low, Sammie is practicing her bass, Alex is reading, Joe puttering and I'm about to hit publish so I can head off to dream land.

It's always bittersweet to see the summer time end.  I will enjoy getting back into my "regular" routines but I will miss the relaxed laid back days that only summer time can bring.

Wrapping you around with infinite love and summer breezes,

Christine

Berkeley Lake with friends