RIP Ursula Le Guin and thank you!!!

'dress of bread ...' (2010) Portland, OR

“Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, 

it has to be made, like bread; 

remade all the time, made new.” 

Ursula K. Le Guin, 

October 21, 1929 - January 22, 2018

love, mom

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Go out beyond and I'll meet you there ...

Out Beyond Ideas

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,

there is a field. I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase each other

doesn't make any sense

Rumi

This poem has been banging around my head today, and even more so when I saw these blossoms ... I saw a meandering path beyond. 

And i've always been captivated by the idea of going beyond the ideas of wrong and right, beyond judgement and criticism. 

So today let us quiet those inner voices assessing all of our 'doings', and let us lay down be in the deep, lush green grass of just being! 

This is my religion! 

love, mom

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for the Autumnal Equinox

'two worlds ...' @2015 #fromthelandofdragons

Lines Written in the Days of Growing Darkness

Every year we have been
witness to it: how the
world descends

into a rich mash, in order that
it may resume.
And therefore
who would cry out

to the petals on the ground
to stay,
knowing as we must,
how the vivacity of what was is married

to the vitality of what will be?
I don’t say
it’s easy, but
what else will do

if the love one claims to have for the world
be true?

So let us go on, cheerfully enough,
this and every crisping day,

though the sun be swinging east,
and the ponds be cold and black,
and the sweets of the year be doomed.

– Mary Oliver



#thisismyreligion


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Today, find the peace of wild things ...

this is my religion ... 

hot rock dress, dover, ma ... july 2013

The Peace Of Wild Things
When despair grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry




More and more I turn to this poem and remind myself of its wisdom.  In fact last week I seemed the peace of wild things in the glorious mountains of  Vermont, where the wifi is bad and the peace is very good.
So remember girls, when life gets overwhelming and times seem dark, to go to nature!! (I tend to also make a dress, while out in nature, click here to read more about the creation of my 'hot rock dress ...' :)


love, mom


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day47: beware of being busy for busy's sake...

It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. 

The question is: what are we busy about?

Henry David Thoreau

Look around you, everyone is on their phones or looking at their phones, ALL the TIME! 

If everyone I see, with their heads buried in their smart phones or their computers, were really doing something important I believe our world would be greatly improved, 

because that is a lot of 'busyness' I see! 

But I think there is a disconnect between being busy and getting things done.  

In our society we tend to instill those who are so busy with unproven importance and worth.  Just because one says that they are so busy doesn't exactly mean that they are really getting things done.  Also just because one looks like they're busy and that they feel busy, 

doesn't mean they are accomplishing what they need to.  

There is 'busy' and then there is working, accomplishing, just getting things done.  Now you don't need to be 'working' and 'accomplishing' all the time, but you also don't need to be 'busy' all the time which I think we forget.  I feel that it has become the expected response to the question, 

'how are you?' 'busy!!!'

And again social media has thrown gasoline on this entire idea, by first giving people something to be 'busy' with; checking all the different social media sites, commenting, posting, etc.  And then there is posting about all the things that you are doing, making yourself look interesting and important.

But this was an issue before social media, maybe it is our puritan ethic again ... I am working harder than you, look at all the things I need to get done, I can't believe how many emails I need to answer ... 

I guess what I wish to say for today is to beware of the idea of being busy! You don't need to be burning the candles at both ends, all the time.  There will be times when you will need to pull an all-nighters, juggle a day full of commitments, perfect your multitasking skills, but be mindful about when you are just feeling anxious and busy because that is what everyone expects ... I am here to remind you that it is OK to not be busy just for 'busy's sake!! 

love, mom

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day37: do what's easy first ....

'lilith contemplates cutting the grass ...' ©2015

I think a simple rule of business is, if you do the things that are easier first, then you can actually make a lot of progress. 

Mark Zuckerberg

This might be a 'simple rule' of business but to me it could apply to many other aspects of life, 

not everything but a good number.

What a wonderful way to approach a problem, such as, a messy room, a challenging paper, a complicated application or a frustrating situation.  

Focus on the things that are easy, the parts that you understand, that way you get started.  And once you have started, you will have made progress on the issue and most likely realized that the task is easier than you had thought it was.

Also Mark Zucherberg has a pretty good track record in business so I'm betting this is good advice. love, mom

day34: time is short ...

Work is hard. Distractions are plentiful. 

And time is short. 

Adam Hochschild

simply this ... love, mom

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Today, lets celebrate the wonders of our unique selves ....

flowers taken by ©virginiafitzgerald 2016

A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. 

It just blooms.

Zen Shin

I feel that this idea is SO important to remember especially in this social media crazed world where all are privy to every detail of friends, foes and strangers' 'orchestrated' lives which can feed the green monster of comparison.  Here is a wonderful poster from artist  Emily McDowell that I fell in love with the minute I saw it!! 

Click here to see more of her work ... she has a wicked sense of humor!!!

http://emilymcdowell.com/collections/all

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May this dress bring us trust in the ebbs and flows of our journey ...

dressproject dress 3, wells beach, ME (2006) 

Never give up, 

for that is just the place and time 

that the tide will turn.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

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today, let us be mindful of our thoughts! XX

photo: ©virginiafitzgerald

We are what our thoughts have made us; 

so take care about what you think. 

Words are secondary. 

Thoughts live; they travel far. 

Swami Vivekananda

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Today remember, 'life is art!'

photo by virginiafitzgerald 2016

I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.

Helena Bonham Carter

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Let us all remember to breathe!!!

inhaling, exhaling, inhaling, exhaling.....

Focusing on the act of breathing clears the mind 

of all daily distractions and clears our energy 

enabling us to better connect with the Spirit within. 

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just a reminder that each day is a gift!!! XXX

photo by ©virginiafitzgerald 2016

"Begin at once to live, and count each separate 

day as a separate life." 

Seneca

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may this post bring you love and peace!!!

This quote/statement/sentiment came to me a few days ago as I raced from here to there, feeling the weight of my endless to-do list.  I recognize the wisdom in these words ... I know my need to pull in my oars.

This means for now I am going to reassess, I am going to practice saying no in order to say YES to the things that really matter.

So I might be a bit quieter on social media (this is my desire), wanting to get back to basics ... I miss my art blog & my website could be called a fossil as its info is so old!!  I hope to post more of my art blog, including these notes to self, hence this blog may be quiet for a spell.

But I am so grateful for your support and interest and companionship during these past years.  This blog means so much to me ... but I have spread myself too thin.  

I leave you for now with much love and peace!!! 

namaste

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today, relax and go with the flow ...

Everything is happening exactly as it's supposed to, 

with hidden blessings that you'll soon understand. 

Sometimes what appears to be a problem is actually 

an answered prayer in disguise .... author unknown 

happy sunday

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Today let us celebrate balance as we move from Summer into to Fall . . .

photo by virginiafitzgerald

"Life is a balance of holding on 

and letting go" Rumi

 today, wed. sept 23, we here in the northern hemisphere celebrate the autumnal equinox, the beginning of fall. Today, as it is with the Spring equinox, day and night are equal same amount of day light and darkness, signifying the move into a new season, the season of harvesting and hibernation. Below is a link to a beautifully written article by Kate Rose for Elephant Journal. She so eloquently walks us through the wonders and joys of the coming seasons. 

click here to read Kate Rose's article:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/09/autumnal-equinox-the-search-for-balance-reaping-what-weve-sown/

Happy Fall!! & peace!! XXXX

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today, let us be a tornado of happiness, gratitude and acceptance!!!! X

You don't have to move mountains. 

Simply fall in love with life. 

Be a tornado of happiness, 

gratitude and acceptance. 

You will change the world by 

just being a warm, kind-hearted human being. 

   Anita Krizzan‬

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Today, let our energy be peaceful ... happy friday!!!!

photo taken in vermont - #vermontlove

"Everything we do is infused with the energy with which we do it. 

If we're frantic, life will be frantic. 

If we're peaceful, life will be peaceful."

Marianne Williamson

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today, let us listen to our heart ....

(heart emoticon)

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Today, find wonder ...

always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.

e.b.white

This is one of my favorite quotes as I am a BIG fan of wonder!!! 

xxxx

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