OOPS!!!

Short report...DSL was cut off yesterday afternoon...I was unable to post until this evening...I cannot get it to work in my new home as yet...so am borrowing someone elses...very low signal...

The van was loaded a left at 5:45 PM yesterday...the cleaning people came about 4:30...I went for an 80 minute hot stone massage at 6:30...it was delightful...just what I needed...thank you CHIP...

We got up this morning and Gwen did not show up to get the few pieces of furniture she wanted...my daughter, Casey, was coming to get some bookshelves and we had to haul the furniture and the trash (lots of trash) to the landfill...it was a big job...I had left too much stuff to go in the car so had to leave the dog, Maggie, with Casey along with a few cans of paint that I could not put on the truck or in the landfill...

We set off for Florida about 11:30AM...a little shaken and out of sorts with all the last minute changes and the extreme heat 97 degrees, hot and humid...

I started getting cramps all over my body about 1 hour in the journey...I got headachy and nauseated also...I was dehydrated from the packing and hauling...after two Power Aids - I call it blue juice - i started feeling a little better...

Arrived in Florida about 5:30 pm...Home by 6:30...then I unpacked several kitchen boxes...dishes, glassware, silverware, etc...the guys had places all the kitchen boxes actually in the kitchen...I couldn't open the cabinets to unpack...

Went to the ocean about 8:30...walked a little and sat and meditated for a while...I am home...

I will post the pictures to go with this tomorrow...my digital battery went dry and had to buy a disposable camera to document the trip...so I have to get them developed...I will continue tomorrow...for now I am tired and off to bed in my dream home...YIPPEE!!!!

Rebecca

Moving Day 11AM

The moving van arrived at 8AM and the team from Crown Moving & Storage have about one third of the things loaded...the entire crew is friendly and very professional... they protected the railings and the floors...so far I am relaxed...a little teary for some reason...

Moving Day - Vie/Life full of Surprises

la vie est pleine de surprises - life's full of surprises

My life this past two weeks has been full of surprises...some happy...some sad...all necessary.

Muse Possi Bille sees every day as an adventure of possibilities...and that is certainly today!!! The truck to carte my life will be here shortly...I vow to sit back and let them do their job...with minimal interference...I relinquish control...I breathe...I am at one with the world...

All right, I admit that recovering control freak/trust devoid me is just waiting for some problem to happen so I can solve it...I am at my best in chaotic situations where I can problem solve...I am an idea person...It is only after the storm passes that I fall apart... Not this time...

My son Chip bought me a spa package for Mother's Day...I am using it today...This afternoon I am going to be pampered...massaged...taken care of...

Today's aMUSEment - schedule a spa day...expect surprises!!!

U Be Creative Today!

ps...say a little prayer for me

The Palette of Your Life - Day 15

Yesterday's palette in my front yard...

We have been talking of dreams for many days now...I hope that you are well on your way to making that top five life dreams list for yourself...

Constance at Rochambeau shared this wonderful photo last Sunday....entitled Wanderlust - Adding Colors to the Palette of your Imagination! She showed friends Hank and Phillissia Rossi living their dreams as they journey to Pakistan and China, following the SILK ROAD.

Isn't he just grand??? He, in all his finery, is on a better rug than the ones I walk on...just too wonderful not to share...he certainly adds color to the palette of my imagination... i think he's smiling.?.?.?

So are you prepared to live your dreams?

Today's aMUSEment - paint your brightly-colored rendition of the camel's blanket...

U Be Creative Today!

Happy List - Day 14

Muse Perplexity is going through many changes today. Shaking with tears I asked God for help on June 14th...just twelve days ago...and he sent me a saint, an angel on earth Gwendolyn...she and her family have helped pack this big house while I lay in bed sick...

She lifted my final unresolved burden when she told me yesterday that she would take ALL the stuff that I had left in the basement...everything...the whole enchilada... This has been my biggest concern this week getting rid of a lifetime of decor and collectibles that I do not need any longer...packing in two weeks was rough...but eliminating and simplifying in two weeks, nearly impossible...

As she hugged me Monday she said, "I like to help good people," and I feel honored that I am included in that list...one of her sons went with the rental truck to help unload (and see the ocean for the first time)...he is a very bright 16 year-old man who loaded the truck with finesse unexpected of a teenager today...the rental van is safely in Florida and unloaded with minimal damage... first milestone accomplished...

So the packing is almost complete, most goodbyes have been said, and within a few days I will begin my journey south...home to Fernandina Beach.... What I know for sure today is that God ALWAYS sends me exactly what I need. I can be at peace knowing that...I am truly blessed...

I have no idea what the next few months will bring...I have a studio to manifest, two books to write, art to create, and thanks to give.... I will grow into my island village...bring a new energy to the relationships I value and make new ones....I will face new challenges...and I will attempt to stay open to all the possibilities that the universe presents along the way.

Lady Vivienne started a happy list here. I would like to start my list:

my faith in God
chip, matt, mike, casey - my children
Gwen and family
ripe red cherries from the tree
bubbles
painting
creating
writing
drawing
peanut butter
salt-water marshes of southeastern usa
the sea
sea shells
maggie & mr fuzzy pants
long walks on the beach ...
a bugatti (thanks Marita for reminding me)

I will be a little distant until Sunday because there are so many last minute details to finalize...I will miss visiting your blogs and being in touch...I ask, if you have a moment each day to send me through the universe your warm thoughts to strengthen me...I will hold you in my prayers...

Today's aMUSEment - start your happy list...

U Be Creative Today!

Four days and counting...

Dreams Really Do Come True...Day 13

"Occasionally in life there are moments which cannot be completely explained by words. Their meaning can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart." -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A magnificent performance of Somewhere Over the Rainbow by 6 year-old Connie...


When I hear this song I am thrown into a cacophony of emotions...enchanted...motivated...yearning...challenged...courageous...idealistic...liberated...I want to soar with the birds, have big dreams, create big dreams, and make them all come true...

My dear friends, today you are about to embark on a fabulous journey to become the person you've always wanted to be...and you do that every day whether you know it consciously or not...you begin your exciting journey to achieving your purpose and destiny...make your life a masterpiece.

Listen to the inaudible language of your heart...have a fantastic trip!

Today's aMUSEment - why oh why can't I???...

U Be Creative Today!

PS - Rental van is packed and will soon be on its way to Florida with my precious things...I will be finalizing the packing today...just odds and ends are left...off I go...

BIG WIG Exercise 3 - Day 12

Sometimes you just have to step out on that yellow brick road and do something new without knowing the outcome.

Beneficent is a deeply thoughtful muse who walks the yellow brick road often. She knows a BIG WIG when she has one and understands that it is not something she thought up; it seems to come from somewhere beyond thought. She understands you'll feel a jolt of yearning, as though your heart is straining toward its destiny. It's mind boggling. The very idea will seem impossible...almost.

That "almost" will tickle the edges of your consciousness, tempting you to believe that somehow, someway, your dream may fall just inside the realm of probability.

When A BIG WIG comes what do you do? Experts say that simply writing down goals greatly increases your chance of actually achieving them. Perhaps it's because the act of writing primes your brain to scan the environment, looking for opportunities that will take you toward your objectives. Many choices you make en route to realizing your BIG WIG will be so inconspicuous that you won't even notice them, but over time they'll add up to huge changes in direction.

Once you've written your WIG, the real work begins.

Today's aMUSEment - Helping it Happen: This BIG WIG-baiting exercise also involves time travel, but for this one you don't project yourself into the future. Instead, your future self comes back to visit you. Imagine meeting a wise, happy person who just happens to be your best self ten years from now. Ask this person for advice. If you're facing a problem, ask your mentor how she got through it ten years back. Ask her what mistakes you're making and how you might correct them. As with the previous exercise, you may initially get no answer. Nevertheless, your true self, that wise being who exists outside of time, has registered the questions. The answers will come.

by Martha Beck

U Be Creative Today!!

PS - Today we load a rental truck with precious things that I don't want movers handling and send it off to Florida...Gwen and family will help load...

BIG WIG Exercise 2 - Day 11

"If you can believe, all things are possible to those who believe." -Mark 9:23

Aprille is the achiever Muse who knows how to manifest her BIG WIGs. Achievers are great dreamers. They have total faith in themselves, and especially, in God. She truly believes God and life will ultimately ensure the outcome that's best for her, even when things look bleak, hope is fading and she seems to be stuck...

This is the second of three exercises designed to help you discover your must have dreams and get you on the road to achieving them...

Today's aMUSEment - Helping it Happen: Take a few quiet minutes, relax in a comfortable place, close your eyes, and imagine that the date has changed. It's the same day of the same month, but the year is 2012, 2017 or 2020. Figure out how old you are in the year you've chosen. How old is your best friend? Your children? Your spouse? Let yourself inhabit this time. Now, with your eyes still closed, describe your circumstances. Where are you? What are you wearing? What is the weather like? Now describe your life. What is most important to you on this date? What projects occupy you? Who hangs out with you? Try to simply observe rather than make things up. If no images appear, don't worry. Your BIG WIGs are still hiding, but you've called them and they are listening.

by Martha Beck

U Be Creative Today!

PS - Feeling a little better today...my daughter and family came yesterday and helped move some things into storage...friends are making trips to Florida this week with my most precious things, plants, etc. that can't go on the moving truck...today I need to pack my paintings and lamps...

BIG WIGs - Day 10

"And when you dream, dream big, as big as the ocean blue. Cause when you dream it might come true. When you dream, dream big..." Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband

Muse Gargantua knows how to dream big...she has set her sails toward the stars and is determined to get there. She understands Albert Einstein's comment that "People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."

Physics tells us that time can be stretched or compressed, and I have learned that our reality is sometimes veiled by our assumptions or self-imposed rules. If we are to achieve our Wildly Improbable Goals (WIGs) as Martha Beck calls them, we have to overcome these self-imposed limitations.

I have adapted Martha's to what I call BIG WIGs...your absolute must have life goals. Your goal in life may be to achieve your BIG WIGs. Certainly mine is...I am in the throes of one of my BIG WIGs as I write...I am moving to my beach house one week from today!!! How did that happen...it was a series of fortunate occurrences...spurred by my setting a life goal to live at the beach...

Once you set a BIG WIG, you must create conditions that will invite it into your life. You must befriend it, protect it, and nurture your own spirit. If you don't create these conditions, your self-imposed limitations can prevent it from happening...

Martha Beck says, "The knowledge of your destiny may stalk you for years, undetected except for occasional moments of longing or hope that glint like eyeshine in your darkest hours. Then, when you least expect it, a WIG will leap out of nowhere and overwhelm you in one breathtaking burst."

Today's aMUSEment - Helping it Happen: Once you've met the basic condition of self-care, there are several strategies you might use to lure your BIG WIGs out of hiding. Take a pencil in your dominant hand (right for right-handers, left for lefties) and write down a few pointed questions, such as "What are you feeling?" "What do you need?" and "What do you want?" As soon as you've finished writing a question, switch the pencil to your other hand and write whatever words bubble up. You may be surprised. When your problem-solving mind is fully engaged, trying to master the task of writing with the "wrong" hand, hidden aspects of the self often surface. I've seen people encounter full-fledged BIG WIGs in the shaky words written by their own non-dominant hand.

by Martha Beck is the author of Finding Your Own North Star . Record your WIGS in your online journal.

Paul Potts, a mobile phone salesman, had a BIG WIG. See as he sings his semi-final performance on Britain's Got Talent...


HE WON!!!! Mobile phone salesman turned opera singing sensation Paul Potts is planning to put the $234,000 he won on Britain's Got Talent towards a new smile. The 36-year-old, who is also planning to return to work this week says, "I'd like to deal with the teeth because I do feel very self-conscious about them," He continues, "It'd be nice to feel less self-conscious and to be able to smile with confidence.

Potts, who celebrated his win with a glass of champagne and two swigs of beer, hasn't handed in his notice at the mobile phone warehouse that he has worked at for the past two years. Julie, his wife, is back working at a call centre. But things may be looking up for the couple, who share a small, two-bedroom home in Port Talbot, a small industrial town in southern Wales.

Potts, who said his aim was to become the country's best opera singer, is set to sign a recording contact with Sony BMG. He is also due to begin work on his first album, has already secured his first professional gig with Welsh diva Katherine Jenkins, and will perform in front of the Queen.

U Be Creative Today!

Do It Afraid....Day 9

Please view the following clip before you read on...


Paul will be, from this day forward, my gold standard for the times I am afraid to put myself out there...I hope his story will inspire you to go for your dream...however far fetched and silly it may seem...however unreachable it may feel to be...however old or young you are...step into your light...do it afraid...

Today's aMUSEment - do it afraid...

Thanks to Lady Vivienne here for sharing this first...

U Be Creative Today!

PS-had a little relapse yesterday...spent last evening at doctors...she ordered me to bed today...all day...

You Have Always Had the Power - Day 8

The Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz were the most facinating part of the movie for me. They personify my favorite movie line of all time, "You have always had the power." That was the moral of the story, for me, anyway...You have always had the power...

I repeat these words to myself when I need to accomlish something big or overwhelming...I have always had the power within myself to do anything I dreamed...and dreaming I do...

Today I am putting on my ruby slippers, clicking my heels three times, and saying "There's no place like home." I, like Dorothy, have taken a little detour on my life's path and I desperatly want to return home to my little beach house and live hapily ever after...I will be grateful each day for being able to live one of my top five life goals...to own a beach house.

You read the saga of how I ended up in Georgia 15 months ago...here...but you didn't know how I achieved a life dream in 2001...When we moved to Atlanta in 1990, I promised my daughter that we would not move again until she graduated high school...we had moved from Myrtle Beach, SC to Atlanta to Clearwater, FL to Atlanta to Fairfax, VA to Charleston, SC...I stayed until my daughter graduated college in 2000. I began searching for a home near the beach because my businesses as a muralist, teacher, and magazine editor could move with me anywhere...I was looking in South Carolina, but it had become very expensive and I would not have been able to get within miles of the ocean. One of my students told me about Fernandina Beach, so I made an exploratory trip and fell in love...

It is a sleepy shrimping town on Amelia Island, north east of Jacksonville. It is America's second oldest city and home of the modern shrimping industry...The historic district has a 50 block area of Victorian Painted Ladies...but it was the beachfront that won my heart! Beach cottages line the beach unlike most east coast shorelines which are littered with high rise hotels and condos. My student was builing a home on the Plantation and when I visited her, I fell in love the minute she opened the front door...The pocket slidding doors (left) were open and it was open and airy...I literally heard music...I wanted this house...we made a deal on the spot...and the rest is history...

So I am finally super excited about going home...it has taken me time to sort through feelings of failure and a sense of loss to get to this place...but I am here, ready to be home, I can't wait...

Today's aMUSEment - What are your life dreams? Do you have a list? In 1995 I wrote a list of 5 things I want to do/accomplish before I die...I worked on it several months until I was sure about each item... Begin your list today...get a special notebook or page of your journal and write things when they come to you...after a few months, you should be able to write the top 5 list..Remember You Have ALWAYS had the Power.

Here is my dear friend Tammi putting up the old light fixture after removing one of my chandiliers last night...she drove 10 hours, then did 4 light fixtures for me...she was gone before I woke at 6 AM this morning...God bless you and God speed...

You can see the blueprint of the slippers here.
(Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History)

GTD - pre-pay bills, disperse unwanted items, rent u-haul

Happy Summer - U Be Creative Today!

Thoughts on Blogging - Day 7

Bettina is the muse of logistics...the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services, and related information from point of origin to point of consumption... she is critical to the success of the transition from Georgia to Florida...

MOVE UPDATE Yesterday started with me feeling better, so I tried to get my head together for logistical planning and scheduling of the next 10 days...with my brushes and art supplies packed, I am at a loss to entertain myself...so I pre-wrote several days of blog entries...that is probably a good thing because I will be extra busy until June 30th when the house is turned over to the new family...

GTD...dish mover - mail forwarding - take down chandeliers (thanks tammi)

My friend Constance at Rochambeau' asked yesterday, "what are your favorite things about blogging?" It started me thinking about how much has happened to me since I began this blog a mere 103 days ago...my life of March 31 is not the life I have today...here is my answer:

i love blogging because of the friendships i am forming...i started it as a venue to gently put my art out into the world and to create a community of creative souls...i have received so much more in return...an artist's life can be so solitary (at least mine is)...the connection i have found has brought me forth...the work and words of those i visit daily touch me, inspire me, challenge me, and make me a better citizen of our world...i can visit england, france, venice, the netherlands, spain, australia, and all corners of the u.s. every day...i am learning how people live and how alike we all are...i am blessed with feedback on my art and writing...and i am growing as a woman...my soul is nourished...my heart is expanding...

Today's aMUSEment -What is your blogging experience? Think back over the time you have been blogging...what part of it enhances your life...what part would you like to improve... Make some logistical plans...

U Be Creative Today!

The Girl in the Glass - Day 6

Can you look at the woman in your mirror and like, really like what you see? I am not speaking about beauty per se...but about what lies within. Those things you know about yourself that are not visible...your character, your values, your essence...

The Girl in the Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you queen for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that girl has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or spouse
Who's judgement upon you must pass;
The person whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the girl staring back from the glass.

She's the person to please, never mind all the rest,
For she's with you clear up to the end.
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the girl in the glass if your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on your back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you've cheated the girl in the glass.

paraphrased from The Guy in the Glass by Dale Wimbrow, (c)1934
first found here at Gypsy Purple

Avrille is my thoughtful muse. She has been with us before but fit so beautifully with this poem that I thought I would bring her back.

When your life and work aren't aligned with your core values, you may experience feelings of frustration, confusion, low self-esteem, burn out...

When you align your life with your core values it unleashes: Creativity and immense satisfaction and well-being.

When these things are released, your potential for outrageous success is maximized. You will love the girl in the glass...

Today's aMUSEment - Do you know what your core values are? Take a sheet of paper and make 2 columns. List the following words down the left side of the paper: Friendship, Location, Enjoyment, Loyalty, Family, Leadership, Personal Development, Security, Wisdom, Community, Wealth, Expert Status, Service, Personal Accomplishment, Prestige, Power, Independence, Integrity, Health, Creativity.

In Column 1 rank them by order of importance to you. In Column 2 rank them by order of how you actually act/work/live right now. Then compare the results...are your core values in line with how you are living today? This is a simple test to find if you are living your core values. More involved tests are available but, for now, we just want a quick comparison to start you thinking...

U Be Creative Today!

PS - I am feeling better today...still very weak and legs are aching...the move is progressing...i am searching for a way to sell some of my really valuable stuff...spent yesterday working out details of moving truck...today i will make lists, call utilities, unhook and rehook...so many details...i really want to paint...the packers packed my brushes...i still need to sort some personal stuff and pack some of my good china, glass, etc...

Head in the Direction...Day 5

Navi is the navigation Muse...she always knows where she is headed, the best way to get there, and just how long it will take. Yesterday I began to realize that I have absolutely no control over the direction of my life at the moment...and, I must admit, that I am just fine...

One day I was happily painting in my Georgia studio...then the universe jumped in and said, "let's mix this life up a little" as it proceeded to let me know where I am going next...with a bang! (no subtlety here)...three days later I was moving back to Florida...

I have been in a whirlwind for two weeks now (see previous posts)...yesterday I was able to take a breath and let buds of excitement about the move begin to creep into my soul...aaahhhhhh breathe, just relax........

I understand that everything will eventually come together...but that does not prevent me from being panicky and wound up tighter than a spring...visiting those dark corners of my mind where I can see an ocean of details looming like a giant wave ready to engulf me. If and when I get some clarity, I can jump on top of that wave and let it bring me in the direction I must head anyway...and enjoy the ride...it might be a wild ride, and I might have to hang on for dear life, but it is soon over and I can choose to jump on another and another and another...until the tide changes...and I am happily exhausted...

Choosing to ride the waves instead of letting the water overtake me, is making the most of what the universe has given me...like taking one step at a time in the direction of the dream...doing what I can manage...allowing others to do what I can't...and eventually all will be quiet and calm again...just like the sea...

Today's aMUSEment - Let's paint an ocean scene and place our current concerns on the waves, in the waves, or out to sea. Release them to the universe and let them head in the direction they must...

U Be Creative Today!

PS - I feel much better this morning and am only looking in the direction of my dreams...

PSS - am saddened by the sudden death of blogger Daisy Lupin...her last post on Poetry Fest was a poem entitled Rebecca [Who Slammed Doors For Fun And Perished Miserably] by Hilaire Belloc. She lived in rural England...She had several other blogs: Cats in the Kitchen, Flora in the Garden, Glitter Power Sisters Art Gallery, and Daisy Lupin Designs. Vists Cats to leave a comment for her children...

One Crowded Hour - Day 4

"One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name." -favorite fortune cookie prediction ever...


Gloria is the Muse of glorious life...she loves crowded hours...plans crowded hours...lives crowded hours... she is a mosaic of many pieces...if you dare, come along for the ride.........

Crowded might be a little understated for my life right now...it is crowded to the max...I have reframed my perception of it as glorious to the max...full of millions of mosaic-like moments that make it uniquely mine...

What a ride it was yesterday when my daughter Casey, her boyfriend Chris, and grand-dog Angelina came for a clean house 1-day experience...They arrived about 8PM Friday prepared to work...and work we did...

By 8:15 we were filling boxes of precious belongings from the shelves of the great room...box after box we filled until 11 when we decided to call it...I am still wobbly from a week's battle with a raging kidney infection....so packing comes between spells of bed rest...

We started early Saturday after a quick breakfast...off to the dungeon (basement) storage pit of stuff I intended to e-bay, still unopened boxes from the move here, clothing, furniture I intended to paint and sell, Christmas stuff (mine, my parents, etc)...you get the picture. Three rooms of stuff...not a pretty picture at all...

Angelina developed a passion for a bowling pin and gave us a much needed laugh break...

Casey and I were rapidly building overwhelm when Chris said, "Okay, I will get a box to hold squished wrapping paper we'll need to wrap other things... another for sell stuff and you can fill it..." So off we went...box after box was put in front of me...I unwrapped, made the decision...they carried it to the sell, give, or Goodwill table; the trash; or the keep pile...If I wanted to keep, I wrapped it back up...When a box was filled, it was taped, labeled and stacked...

We didn't stop until 2:30, when Casey and I were getting cranky...That means feeding time...so we went to a local Cajun cafe...on the way back we lucked onto a recycling center less than five minutes from the house...score....... We worked another 3 hours before we fell into exhaustion...


Left is the is sell, toss, Goodwill pile... Saturday morning

Right is the is sell, toss, Goodwill pile... this morning



Left two more rooms of storage...Saturday morning

The two rooms... this morning

What a difference a day makes...

Today's aMUSEment - Draw a quick self portrait and tear it into small pieces...glue it back together creating a mosaic...What can you clear from your life today. Do it now before you are forced to face a mountain of stuff. Enjoy the crowded hours of your life...

U Be Creative Today!

Life Lessons Continued

Muse Vietta is a teacher of life lessons. Even though I have been so very ill and trying to manage a move, the universe continues to teach me some valuable life lessons.



From a very meager creature
A butterfly becomes a teacher
Of love and beauty rarely told
When, at last, it's wings unfold.

Brilliant colors flutter by
When one travels to the sky
It truly is not quizable
It's just God's love made visible...
Rebecca E. Parons 1976

This is a story of love and beauty too rarely told...The first day of packing my studio, Gwen looked at me very wide-eyed and asked, "This house is worth over a quarter of a million dollars isn't it?" I immediately felt very humbled to be taught that, in the midst of all this struggle and illness, I am so very blessed...

When I was at the moving company getting packing supplies, a woman walks in and tells how in the past year she had breast cancer and a heart attack and has to move to her sisters. Again a lesson that, even though I have been through a lot this year, other people have had a much harder time...

Watching this beautiful family interact with one another is fascinating. Gwen's children are all teens to early 20's. A time when siblings can be very unkind to each other. This family worked beautifully together, helping each other, speaking kindly to each other...they play nice...I imagine how it would be, even now, to get my kids to work together with me...we certainly don't play very nice...The biggest lesson is learning what love made visible looks like...


This beautiful family has given me so much life education in two days. They have turned what I was dreading into a pleasant, warm detour on this moving journey... I was able to release control into the gentle hands of truly caring people... If everyone walked this earth as Gwen's family does, we would live in peaceful harmony... These are living saints...You can see the love on their faces after a long day of packing and cleaning...




...Yes, they even cleaned my house after they finished packing yesterday... Gwen said, "Sweetie there is no way I could leave you in this mess. We are going to clean."..and they proceeded to clean the entire house...they scrubbed, shined, mopped, swept, dusted, tweaked... I was blown away when I saw a 15 year-old boy cleaning the kitchen...beautifully...


Why do we need these teachers to show us what we already know or should know? Why do we learn lessons only to forget and have to learn again? Sometimes I don't stop to count all my blessings, just some of them... but I am grateful for the help of so many loving people.

Today's aMUSEment - Try to walk on this planet with more love in your spirit, not just your heart. Treat everyone as a beloved sister or brother.

U Be Creative Today!

Journeying Day Two

It's a rainy day in Georgia...My Studio is packed...here is what it looks like this morning... Day One of packing is behind me...It was kind of tough letting people, who really don't care about my stuff, be in charge of the packing...but I am feeling so ill that I have no choice...Five minutes out of bed and I am woosie and faint...so I must scurry back to lie down until the feeling passes...every part of my body aches..even my hair...

I am just focusing on getting better...I took two antibiotic pills last night...I figured it would either kill me or cure me...of course it did neither... trying to organize this event is escaping me right now...my daughter Casey is coming tonight for an ummmm intervention...to help me sort out what to keep and what to dispose of...she is ruthless...I am so thankful for this...I am not seeing clearly at the moment...I need to get rid of a multitude of stuff....

I am praying for strenght to get this done...feeling so sick in the midst of this is probably a good thing...I have to let go of control...this is very difficult for me...I have trust issues...

My friend and neighbor Terrie is coming up from Florida to help pack and take a load of books and cherished items that I don't want to go on a moving truck...Another friend Tammi is coming next week to help remove my chandileers... Those special friends from the world over who encourage me and pray for me and visit this blog leave joy in my heart...I am so blessed with so many friends...

Today's aMUSEment - Count your lessings...take a moment to tell your cherished friends how special they are to you...a handwritten note would be beautiful...

U Be Creative Today!!

PS... This is the Feast of Sacred Heart of Jesus a special devotion of mine...

Catholic devotions are prayer forms which are not part of the official public liturgy of the Church but are part of the popular spiritual practices of Catholics. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a pictorial symbol of Jesus's love for us. The image shows Our Lord's Divine Heart, pierced with a sword and surrounded with a crown of thorns. A cross, engulfed in flames, extends upward from the Heart while the Heart itself is aglow. The image represents the burning love of Christ for us, a love so infinite in its intensity that it led Our Lord to His Passion and Crucifixion. Jesus points out His Heart as if to say, "Contemplate this and know how very much I have loved you."

Stand in Your Light

Stand in Your Light...This is a beautiful thought and wonderful place to be. Click on the image above to view a wonderful short movie about Light.

Today I embark on a two week marathon packing and moving journey...I never thought that it would happen so soon...but the Georgia house has been sold and I will be lock-stock-and-barrel back in Florida by the end of this month... I have no earthly idea how this will happen, I just know it must...

I have to embrace the knowledge that everything happens in it's best time and for it's best purpose... I was hoping for a less frenzied pace to move and sort and sell what I don't need any longer...but it is not to be...

Thankfully, God has sent to me a wonderful soul, Gwendolyn, and her 3 daughters and 1 son who will pack up the house in the next 5 days... this is a BIG house, three stories... I will post progress photos...

I am promising myself to be calm and not get too emotional and let them do the work...usually I will throw myself into the midst and hurt my back and not be able to walk... I will not do that this time...

Come along for the journey... keep me in your thoughts...

The light at the marina Fernandina Beach, Florida

Today's aMUSEment - Click the link above and watch the Light Movie.

U Be Creative Today!!

More light...

Goody Two Shoes Sorority

Miss Goody Two Shoes is a member of a very elite sorority of Muses...she is childlike, innocent with a hint of mischief...a naïve optimist who always expects people to act decently, despite strong evidence to the contrary.

GTS was the small heroine in a very popular 1765 book designed to instill gratitude and humility in children called "The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes." A poor orphan girl named Margery Meanwell (aka Goody) only had one shoe. When someone gave her a pair of them, she was so thankful she scampered around town saying “Two shoes”. You can download the book here.

Although the phrase now refers to a self-righteous, smugly virtuous person, I prefer to believe that she is Pollyannaish and plays "The Glad Game"attempting to find something to be glad about in every situation.

As a card-carrying member of the Goody Two Shoes May as Well Do It 'Cause I Get Blamed for It Anyway Sorority, I was always in a fix!!! My natural inquisitiveness and naïve optimism landed me in hot water numerous times... I am sure many others join that sisterhood, with the likes of Lucy and Ethel as role models...

Today's aMUSEment - Let's practice robust optimism. Adopt a cheerfully optimistic attitude especially toward the motives of other people. Give everyone you meet the benefit of the doubt and find something to love in everything and everyone.

U Be Creative Today!

GTD...Geting Things Done

Gertrude (GTD for short) is the Muse for Getting Things Done. She is a no nonsense kind of person who makes lists, has a place for everything, and gets things checked off!! We need her at this moment to get us 1) free from an overabundance of stuff and 2) organized to move...

You probably have heard about Getting Things Done, a book by David Allen whose apt subtitle is “The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.” Many people swear by GTD to keep them organized and focused. Lots of geeks use it. But artists can use it to navigate our overloaded world too...

GTD rests on the principle that a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them somewhere. That way, the mind is freed from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done, and can concentrate on actually performing those tasks and have more time for creativity...

It is based on 43 folders, 1 for each month of the year (12 folders) and one for each day of the month (31 folders). These files can help you manage your paperwork and life by storing and sorting items you need to address on the day you need to address them. Surprisingly, I have used this system for years to stay organized with my work an home. And I have set many people on the road to organized with it... Now it has a name and a following called GTD...

So how does GTD work?
The summarized, bullet-point version:

• apply a "do it, delegate it, defer it, drop it" rule to get your in-box to empty
• reassess goals and stay focused in changing situations
• plan projects as well as get them unstuck
• overcome feelings of confusion, anxiety, and being overwhelmed
• feel fine about what you're not doing
• identify all the stuff in your life that isn’t in the right place (close all open loops)
• get rid of the stuff that isn’t yours or you don’t need right now
• create a right place that you trust and that supports your working style and values
• put your stuff in the right place, consistently
• do your stuff in a way that honors your time, your energy, and the context of any given moment
• do it daily

Simply, you make your stuff into doable items or things you can just get rid of. Everything you keep has a clear reason for being in your life at any given moment—both now and well into the future. This gives you an amazing kind of confidence that:

1. nothing gets lost, and
2. you always understand what’s on or off your plate

Also built-in to the system are an ongoing series of reviews, in which you periodically re-examine your now-organized stuff from to make sure your vertical focus (individual projects and their tasks) is working in concert with your horizontal focus (side to side scanning of all incoming channels for new stuff). It’s actually sort of fun and oddly satisfying.

Today's aMUSEment - Decide to devote 10 minutes today to reading about GTD. A good place to start is here. You can find 8 good podcasts about GTD here.

U Be Creative Today!

Thinking Blogger...

My dear Marita at Southern Valley has tagged me with

the Thinking Blogger Award....


I am quite tickled about this...and wish to share what aMUSEs me... of course you can see my daily favs at right...but these are new ones I have found that help make my day brighter...

1. Marie-Dom is here and her daily sketches thrill me...


2. Karen Cole is here and always has something to treat your senses...


3. Suzanna's Sketchbook is here and has a wide variety of subjects to delight me...


4. Kazzy is here and has many treasures to share...


5. Zen Habits is here and give you ways to live your life in harmony. Family Sunday, Simplifying Thursday, and Happiness Friday are a few of the reasons I visit...

The participation rules are simple:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Etsy ???!?!?!?! Mules in My LIfe

Etsy is the Muse of Stubborn Confusion...Someday I am going to figure out Etsy and open a shop...everything is so new to me in this blog, Etsy art world...I get overwhelmed with the possibilities...

It seems that almost everyone I admire and visit in this blog community has an Etsy shop or some online way to sell their artwork. I have tried to figure out Etsy but it seems very complicated with the commissions, percentages, taxes...Then how does one become organized enough to actually package and ship the art?

I will share a secret impediment, a troublesome and embarrassing state of affairs...I have difficulty in mailing. I know it sounds silly, but I can manage to get the stuff together and, sometimes, actually get it into an envelope, but putting the stamp on and getting it into the hands of the post office is a mysterious skill that often escapes me... I have never understood this obstacle...is it stubbornness, neglect, ADD, the inability to complete anything? Is it reluctance; unwillingness, an objection. Why do I seem to struggle with this seemingly innocuous task?

I can paint a mural on the outside of a baseball stadium, I can organize an black tie event for 500 people, I can speak before thousands of people, but I can't surmount the great mailing obstacle. The second part of the equation is even more unfathomable...I am still wary to place my credit card information on the Internet... (Remember I have trust issues) so PayPal is another place I have avoided like the plague...Thus, the conundrum...

How do I overcome the obscure self-imposed obstacles and open an Etsy shop with some way for my raving multitude of fans to actually purchase my art???

I once heard obstacles referred to as mules. Stubborn little notions you carry with you that become unmovable obstacles.What I know about these mules: Mules are stubborn - if you try to coax them to move, they ignore you and when you try to shove them out of the way, they plant their feet and refuse to budge. Mules will halt your progress -when you are moving full steam ahead, they somehow get in front of you and block or throw you off your path. Mules don’t go away -a deeply-entrenched one can keep you from ever achieving your goals.

However aware I am that the mules in life are temporary, I can still manage to magnify them out of proportion. So how do I fix this.... I'm thinking??!?!?

OK, here's the amazing, life-altering answer...When it comes down to it, the biggest mule in my life is Little Ole Me! Specifically, it is my thoughts about myself that create the mules in life that hold me back. WOW...that was like birthin' a baby!! Getting to know yourself intimately is an eye opening experience...

No matter how enlightened I think I am or how empowered I become, for some unknown reason, I can manage to find some subtle way to sabotage my progress... and, just when I think I am fixed, life has a way of putting more mules in my path that force me to go beyond the limiting boundaries I set.

Today's aMUSEment - What are the mules holding you back today? Do you say things like, “It will never work,” or "I don’t have any money or enough money,” or “No one will buy what I create”? Do you have a fear of the unknown that causes you to question and/or doubt yourself?

Today we are going to use these mules as a springboard to reach new heights and to experience new things. I will reveal "the secret"...OK it is my "the secret" but it helps me and it can help you too...

Mules in life are not real! This is profound stuff here so I will repeat it... Mules in life are not real! They are an illusion you created from your perceptions...You created them, you nurtured them, and you can find a way around them. I know what you're thinking, “Oh please Rebecca! I already know that!” If you know that, why are you in the same position you were months or years ago?

When a mule appears in your life you can:
1) abandon your goal. Rationalize that it is not really important to you anyway and you can simply give up...this is the easiest thing to do.

2) wait for the mule to go away. If you postpone or procrastinate when things get difficult you can cycle back to 1...

3) move the mule out of the way. This will frustrate you, drain all your positive energy, and lead you back to 1...Why?? Your objective is to achieve your dreams not move the mule.

4) go around the mule. Once you realize that the obstacle is really a mule and understand that a mule is stubborn, will halt your progress, and will never go away; you can accept that you have a mule and begin to look for another path to your goal...

Example of Some of My Mules: (read Connect the Dots...Of Your Life below for complete story) I was a well-know muralist with commissions throughout the world when I broke my back (MULE) in 1998. I was told I would never climb scaffolding/ladders again (MULE). I worked really hard to create a place for me in my industry and achieved that as a teacher, motivational speaker, author, columnist, editor.... Then, I hit the biggest, most stubborn MULE of my life when I was told I had an inoperable cyst on my spine... and I went home to die (MULE)...

Now I have given tremendous amounts of energy to moving that MULE and had just about abandoned my dreams...when I began repurposing my life goal to support myself with my small art...

Today I am energised about this new goal and I realize that the MULES turned out to be a blessing. One result is this blog and the friends I am making every day throughout the world... so finding the path around the MULE is taking me on a new journey and new journeys are always full of possibilities.

U Be Creative Today!

Fernandina Beach

I wish you all a joyous Sunday. I am having a little trouble uploading photos because I don't have Internet set up her as yet. I am on my way back to Georgia today. I will post more photos soon. Here is a little look at my favorite peaceful place...click on them to see full size...


This is a beach walk over the dunes...

This is a path to the beach through the sea oats...Sea oats protect the dunes from erosion and there is a BIG fine if you pick them...

Some gifts from the sea...

A vignette of the heart shells I gather and a shark's tooth at bottom...

Today's aMUSEment - Go out and discover your neighborhood...see what gifts you can find right where you are today...

U Be Creative Today!

Stand on My Own Two Feet

Those of you who know me, and hopefully my new friends, understand that I am deeply spiritual. My walk with God is as much a part of my being as is my art, thus two of my companies Sacred Art and Art as Prayer honor this part of me... So it should surprise none of you to hear that I talk to God often. And sometimes, if I am still and centered He speaks to me... Yesterday was such a day...

I was sitting on the beach asking/begging for guidance when I heard, "Rebecca I gave you two remarkably strong feet and you need to stand on them, both at the same time. You have been trying to balance on one or the other and, at times, stand on someone else's. Stand in your gift." He continued, "You need to trust in Me...you only trust yourself and, at times, not even that."

It was powerful... moving... absolutely true... I have been dealing with trust issues most of my life however in February, while on retreat, I came to know it was a block for me. I am being called into a deeper trust in God... and I am going kicking and screaming. First, I was shocked to realize that I didn't trust ANYONE, including God!! That took me by surprise. I was appalled... and determined to learn to trust God and myself.

I am doing better at stepping out with trust, this blog is part of trusting that I can put my work out there for you. A giant step for someone with trust issues... The one foot analogy made perfect sense to me. I have been standing on one foot, then another...then on my tippy toes, then relying on someone else's....but rarely do I stand on both of my feet at the same time. In those rare instances, I felt fully in my power... but I always reverted to the one foot method... and I know that it is not working for me or the others whose toes I tread on...

And that is where I am today...I have both feet on the ground...toes buried in sand the ocean washing over them....and I love the feeling...(could it have something to do with the sand/ocean?). I am implementing a life plan that includes supporting myself with my art again...

The blog, the Muses (faces), the new websites, the aMUSEments are all steps toward the goal. I took a giant step yesterday afternoon when I entered through the blue doors at right... Behind these doors will be my new studio before the end of the year...I am manifesting my destiny...

There are 7 artists who share the second floor. Each has their own studio space and they co-op sales duties, advertising, etc. I met two of the artists - Carol and Theresa. Both are beautiful women and talented artists. I will be one of them soon...standing squarely on my own two feet...

Today's aMUSEment - Photograph your two feet however you would like to see them. Send me a link and I will post them next Friday.

U Be Creative Today!

PS - I will post pictures of my island tomorow...I just bought a new digital camera today!!!

Get a Movin'

Baletta is the Muse of fluid movement. She is graceful. To see her move is to see poetry in action. We call on her when we feel a little clumsy or awkward or when we are frenzied, moving double/triple time.

I try to bring some form of movement into my every day... some days it works, some days it doesn't. Movement is a rich source of inspiration to me...for I can easily become one with the music. My body feels the music, experiences it with a deep connection. I become so lost to my conscious that ideas begin to appear.

I can get into that mystical space called the 'flow' quickly when I move with music. I am sure that the rhythmic movements of my body imitate my heartbeat and my biorhythms. The action always it brings me to the exact place I need to be for the moment... I love the way movement of any kind, especially dance, contributes to the flow of my art and my life... Are you this connected?

Today's aMUSEment - Turn on your radio, plop in a CD, play your favorite record and get moving... It does not matter if you are graceful, coordinated, off beat, or deeply connected...It just matters that you get moving. Set an alarm for 10 minutes and move to the beat. Sway or shimmy, beebop ot hip hop...it doesn't matter. You are moving just for you. Let the music bring you where it must. Don't try to over think it, just move... When 10 minutes are up, immediately take up your art. See if anything flows from you...

U Be Creative Today!

Dream Minder

Deirdre is the Dream Minding Muse. She will take your dreams into her heart, protect them carefully and make sure that you can reach them. No dream is too large or too small. You can tell her your secret desires and she will direct you toward reaching them.

This website is a wonderful gift to you. It is called Dream Minders. You can place a dream on file there and select a date, and you will be reminded of your dream on that date!!!

Each of us has come face to face with giving up on our dream at some point. You have read my detour into this place recently. But those who achieve their dream never give up when faced with obstacles or roadblocks. They trudge ahead day after day until they reach their destination.

Each of us can find within ourselves the tools to turn dreams into reality. I firmly believe if you can conceive it and you can believe it, you can achieve it. I am certain you have much more to accomplish in your life if you just dare to dream.

Today's aMUSEment - What is your dream? Have you ever really mapped out what your heart's desire is? Ask yourself what you would do if you knew you could not fail. First name the dream. Be very specific here. Write it down. This is important to see it in concrete form. Visualize yourself in the dream for several minutes. Really get into it, see the colors, small the smells, hear the sounds, etc. The clearer your vision, the more complete the exercise. Write it again. Add anything you may have overlooked. Then believe that you can achieve it. Say it out loud, I can ___________. Set a date that you want it completed. Write that down. Return to this often over the next few days until it is set in your heart and subconscious. Then wait for things to present themselves to help you achieve your dream.

U Be Creative Today!

I'm Home

Ebullīre (bulla for short) is the bubbly Muse overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, and excitement. She is truly high-spirited and zestfully enthusiastic...ebullient. We call on her when we have something to celebrate.

And celebrate we must...I am joyfully writing from the lanai of my beautiful Florida home. I can hear the waves breaking in the distance. I am at peace on this little island where I truly connect with my spirit and my center. I walked along the beach for about an hour this afternoon. Nature's bounty was overflowing with gifts...I found many heart-shaped shells, angel wings, and sharks teeth. And some bits that will embellish my faces soon...

I will share photos later today of my finds when I can figure out how to get them into my laptop...

When was the last time you felt joyously unrestrained? I was standing ankle-deep in the cool Atlantic Ocean giving thanks to God for bringing me home. I felt such a rush of emotions...buoyant, elated, excited, grateful, exhilarated, hopeful, exuberant, and peaceful. I am seemingly gushy tonight for I have returned home and will soon be all moved back, never to leave again... I am blessed!

Today's aMUSEment - What makes you joyfully unrestrained? Get comfortable and take your mind to the place or time that created this feeling in your heart. Spend some time with the feeling. Relax and let it flow through you. This is the feeling I want you to bring to your studio every time you enter. It will be the birth place of the fruits of your spirit...your art!

U Be Creative Today!

PS - My contract to continue as editor was signed today.

Red Headed Mama

Red is the Muse of adventure. She is up for anything. We go to her when we want to take giant step outside our box. And that we have done...

I have been experimenting again with the faces. I was trying to render quicker, more stylistic faces with more fluidity the last week or so. This is a little more cartoon style. I drew it very quickly. And I like her.

I am off to Amelia Island for a few days. I will post the beauty that abounds there.

Today's aMUSEment - Take your ten minutes today and make 2 or 3 quick sketches of faces. Use bold lines and swift movements. Don't erase anything. Have some fun.

U Be Creative Today!