A Fortune in Dough

September 2nd, 2010

Footprints in Sand

Forgive it Forward: Follow Those Footprints

Sometimes it helps to follow in someone’s footsteps – even if only for a short while. For that reason, Ray and I have started this series; a virtual footprint forum for muses with stories, ideas and tips that we think worth sharing. We hope your ‘walk’ with them makes your day a little lighter and brighter –and that you leave with something that inspires you to forgive it forward, backward, upward and downward!

This story is being shared under the category of forgiveness as a reminder. In the flurry of day-to-day living, it is moments like these, shared between a young boy and his mother, that capture the heart and are worthy of our capacity for memory – not the ones that disappoint. And when someone we love loses their ability to remember, these are the ones that we hold for them as well as ourselves. Which is why we found “A Fortune in Dough” by Ray Harwell priceless. So, sit back and pour yourself a cup of coffee, or tea if you prefer, and travel back in time with us as we share a precious memory in the making.


GUEST MUSINGS BY: Ray Harwell, Agricultural Research Assistant

 “Tell me the story, Momma.” It had been a while since the last time I had asked and I knew that if I asked too often she would say no. She acted as though she hadn’t heard a word I had said. I stood behind her, over near the fireplace, watching as she prepared her work on the breakfast meal. I stuck a thumb in my mouth and contemplated whether or not she had, in fact, heard me. This was somewhat dangerous ground. One false move here and there would be no story this morning. Why, it may even be days if I pushed too hard. In a flurry of action she had turned on the stove eyes and the oven, gotten stuff out of the fridgedair and had made several trips to and from the sink. I had to act soon. Making my way around the table (it was an extremely large table where all members of the family had a designated seat) I saddled up close to her right side. She looked down at me and in those big beautiful brown eyes I could actually see the love pour out and down on me.

“Oh, not this morning!” she said turning once again to her work. “Your daddy will be in from the barn soon and I need to have things ready.” It was time for a bold move. Removing the thumb from my mouth and wiping it on my shirt, I started tugging on one of the many straight-backed chairs that surrounded that Read the rest of this entry »

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Dancing Fantasy

August 28th, 2010

Kamansa Korner Sky

Photo Courtesy Karla Zdroik

 

“How fortunate we are to make our life’s work centered on experiencing life with depth and creating a soulful response to it.” – Linda Saccoccio

 

Dancing Fantasy, a group from Germany, had a song that played on the radio a number of years ago, entitled Walk of Life.

Something about this song resonated so strongly with me that, whenever it played, I would find myself lost in a daydream that never failed to lift my spirit. I would see myself dancing alone in the center of a large circular clearing deep within a forest – happily twirling about like a leaf carried on a gentle breeze.

One day a question popped into my head. What would happen if I “invited” people I knew Read the rest of this entry »

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Find Your Spot With The Stars

August 16th, 2010
Astralessence Stars

We all yearn for that special place that allows us to grow and be our best self while feeling safe and nurtured. Whether that spot is found within our home, our community, our passion or calling, or someone’s heart. In this time of rapidly changing circumstances and events, finding that spot is not always an easy task. And for some it is currently an uphill climb. For that reason, this post is dedicated to finding your spot using a rather creative medium. Astrology!

Ray and I have invited Shellie Enteen back (you may remember her as one of the Forgive It Forward muses) to share with us her take on finding your spot with the stars. Whether you are relocating or simply recalibrating where you are, we hope her expert  musings will assist and inspire you. Enjoy!


Where on Earth?

Guest Musings by: Shellie Enteen of Astralessence

While many know that the positions of the Sun and planets on the birthday can tell about a person’s nature and even predict life events, not as many realize that the same birth chart holds important information about which locations on earth are the most favorable places for that individual to live.

A Total View

When considering relocation charts, the astrologer keeps the person’s strengths and weaknesses in mind and also their goals and desires. Planetary line charts are consulted first to see areas to be pursued and areas to be avoided (some planets bring more challenges and are best in the background where they can’t make too much mischief). Certain reasonable places in desirable areas are noted and then the birth chart itself is relocated for the location and examined for the total planetary picture. The choices begin to narrow down and several are described in detail, listing their strengths and weaknesses so the client can make their own Read the rest of this entry »

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Quoth the Raven “$20 more.”

August 5th, 2010

Footprints in Sand

Forgive it Forward: Follow Those Footprints

Sometimes it helps to follow in someone’s footsteps – even if only for a short while. For that reason, Ray and I have started this series; a virtual footprint forum for muses with stories, ideas and tips that we think worth sharing. We hope your ‘walk’ with them makes your day a little lighter and brighter –and that you leave with something that inspires you to forgive it forward, backward, upward and downward!

In this post, we invite you to follow Suzanne’s footprints as she shares a magical story about how far a $20 bill will travel!

 

GUEST MUSINGS BY: Suzanne Smith, Travel Consultant

Recently, my 14-year-old daughter and I went on a road trip. Mother-Daughter bonding time that I felt was needed. Even though there are only the two of us in this house, we spend a lot of our time living separate lives. What better way to force us to talk about more than “pick up your clothes” and “take me to the Mall” than a thousand mile road trip in the middle of summer during a 95+ heat wave!

We started our journey from Charlotte, NC to Baltimore, MD midday on a Thursday. I didn’t want to push my 13-year-old car too hard so we stopped at just about every rest area between Charlotte and our first night’s stop in Fredericksburg, VA. My daughter was irritated. “Do we need to stop at every rest area? You have already pe’ed twice!!” (Hey, I am old, what can I say? We kept stopping.) Six hours into the drive and fifteen miles from our exit I saw another rest area.

“No way”… “Yes way”… We pulled in.

After “resting” and emptying the “travel” trash, I started to get into the car and looked down. A nice crisp $20 bill was there on the pavement. I looked around. No one in sight. I went to the minivan next to me and peered in the Read the rest of this entry »

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Forgive That #!@&!#!? Why?

August 1st, 2010
Who is Homeless?

Photo – Courtesy of Casa Dresden


When Ray and I posted this article back in 2008, little did we know where THAT little forgiveness project would lead us. The concept of Forgive it Forward could not have been further from our minds! And yet, here we are with you. We are re-posting this to share how important it is to pay attention to those little nudges we get along the path … including those to forgive. You never know where they will lead or, in this case, WHEN they will take seed and lead.

 

This Year, International Forgiveness Day is August 8, 2010

This original article was posted: August 1, 2008

Sunday, August 3, 2008 is International Forgiveness Day. An article by Michael E. McCullough, entitled Vengeance 101 in the July/August issue of Spirituality & Health lists projects that can be implemented in the spirit of encouraging the world to be a more forgiving place. Those of you who know Ray and me know this is a big topic for us. Neither of us would be here today were it not for our willingness to forgive and our willingness to accept forgiveness. 

So, we cannot let this day go by without support. We are picking Project #4 on the list – with our own twist, of course. It states, “Promote a climate of apology and compensation in your family, neighborhood, congregation, or place of work.” We wish to promote a climate for consideration, contemplation, and conversation – if you care to join in – as to where our lives would be without the willingness to forgive and accept forgiveness. 

When we say forgiveness, we are not talking about the “pardoning” kind. (The kind that says, “You’ve done me wrong. You’ve hurt me bad. You’ve altered me. I will suffer with this pain forever but I will forgive you.”) Yes, pardoning is a starting point. But pardoning, at best, offers a compromised peace. A peace that teeters atop past offenses, stashed yet never forgotten. Throw a few more offenses on top of the pile and this version of forgiveness crumbles rapidly. Pardoning would never have gotten Ray and I around the block after our reconciliation. 

When we say forgiveness, we are talking about the kind that erases the “offense” forever; the kind that shifts our perception, converts the offense to a Read the rest of this entry »

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Metaphysical Malpractice (a.k.a. what did you do to deserve this?)

July 29th, 2010

Footprints in Sand

Forgive it Forward: Follow Those Footprints

Sometimes it helps to follow in someone’s footsteps – even if only for a short while. For that reason, Ray and I have started this series; a virtual footprint forum for muses with stories, ideas and tips that we think worth sharing. We hope your ‘walk’ with them makes your day a little lighter and brighter – and that you leave with something that inspires you to forgive it forward, backward, upward and downward!

In this post, we invite you to follow Michele’s footprints. (And we encourage you to pay close attention because, though she has a big heart, she has little feet that like to break out in dance.)

 

GUEST MUSINGS BY: Michele Sevacko, New Thought Minister

Note: If you always get what you desire … if you only attract “good” … then you might want to skip this post. (Or better still, contribute to this post!) 

If, like me, you’ve been involved in New Thought or Metaphysics for a while (even just a little while) or if you’ve explored the Law of Attraction, you may have heard the expression “what did you (or I) do to attract this?” 

I call this “Metaphysical Malpractice.” Often, all this question results in is feelings of guilt – ’cause if you’re attracting it, then you must’ve done something “wrong” or “bad.”  Right? 

Well, not really. There may be something that you could possibly do differently; but it’s not about making a judgment of bad, good, better, etc. That just takes you one Read the rest of this entry »

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Can You Find Your Spot? We Did.

July 19th, 2010

 

grocerychssc021

One of our spots turned out to be Charleston, SC.

 

 

Where Would You Like to Live? Findyourspot.com is a fun way to explore the possibilities!

Most of us have had at least one opportunity to move. Maybe to further a career or advance an education. Maybe to care for an aging parent. Or maybe just because a nudge from a small voice within said we are supposed to be someplace else doing something else. No matter where it comes from or why, when confronted with that opportunity, we all have to make the same decision. Where do we rest our heads?

A point on a map may tell us how to get there but beyond that, then what? That little point encompasses a lot of territory. But what does it define? If you live there already, it defines everything. If you do not, it defines nothing usable as a personal experience from which to make a decision.

We have a friend who was looking for her spot not long ago. She sent us this link for FindYourSpot. Being “gypsy-esque,” Ray and I have a happy little system of our own that has worked rather well – chuckle – but we decided to take the survey and see how FindYourSpot’s ideas compared to ours. Read the rest of this entry »

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Not Attending

July 9th, 2010

Pink on Blue

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Anon


Have you ever had an idea, a dream, or a creative inspiration that wouldn’t let go of you until you did something with it? If you have then you know what it’s like when the muse strikes and you are the match.

Whether your idea is for something that resides in uncharted territory or an ingeniously twisted reincarnation of an old theme, it doesn’t matter. Muses are relentless – and perhaps unforgiving. (Hmm. A topic for another post.)

But this post isn’t about hearing the call. It’s about after that. After you answered the call. Painted your heart out. Sang for your supper. Written your novel. Built your homeless shelter. Erected your church. Re-mortgaged your house. Maxed out your credit cards. And sacrificed your retirement fund.

It’s about what happens after you hang your shingle and send out invites for the concert, poetry reading, gallery showing, taste party, patent demonstration, animal adoption clinic or wellness workshop – and find yourself waiting for the world to show up. For the world to embrace this gift that you burned to share. Waiting with – God love ‘em – the usual suspects/supporters who always show up. (If you are not a creative-activist-entrepreneur who’s had this experience you might want to stop reading now while the rest of us wait.)

Okay, so where am I going with this? It is my belief that those who continue to invent and create when confronted with the ‘not attending’ know a lot about Read the rest of this entry »

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Seen through the eyes of a seven-color palette.

July 9th, 2010

Irene Rose Finished Portrait

Irene Rose.
Seen through the eyes of a seven-color palette.
Alizarin crimson and
ultramarine blue compete for starring roles
while bristle brushes encounter the terrain of a prepared canvas.
Piercing blue eyes of subject and artist
mother and son
struggle to make peace with 96 years
while filberts #4 and #6 solicit to capture a wordless truth.
Each application of paint renders layers of
Guilt. Innocence. 
Disappointment. Hope. 
Expectation. Acceptance.
Until the last piece of paint pronounces
Forgiveness
and
Irene Rose.
Seen.

 

Ray Squared“My preference, in doing portraits, is about the relationship I develop with the subject I paint. When I ask myself the RIGHT questions, they give me the answer. Uncovering that abstract story … emotion … beauty … THAT is the joy of creativity.” – Ray


When Ray told me that he wanted to try his hand at portraiture in oils, I was curious.

First Strokes

When he told me his mother would be his first subject, I was surprised. When he said he needed to start and complete the portrait before the summer was through – well, he had my full attention. (Oddly, she fell and broke her hip about a month after the piece was completed.)

 

 

A portrait can capture a likeness or an essence. 

Moving Along

What Ray captured in ‘Irene Rose’ is an essence not often seen in our day-to-day life with Irene – and that is what I love about this piece. He was able to rise above all the negative conditioning that often presents itself in this relationship with his 96-year-old mother to see and paint the woman without the fears that have driven her to drive others. (Anyone in a challenged relationship with a Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Art in the Making | 8 Comments »

Bilingual chick with a knack for creative stuff

July 5th, 2010

Lumiere

Title: Lumiere
 Muse: Juliette Mansour
 Gift Giveaway: 5×7 photo, matted for framing

 

Muse-Creations for Our Forgive it Forward Giveaway – Because forgiveness and creativity go hand-in-hand for us, Ray and I thought it would be fun to spice up our 35-day Forgive It Forward project with a focus on the arts. So, we sent a call out to the muses among us for a little assist and some inspiration.

Between June 14th and July 19th, we introduced artists, sculptors, potters, musicians – and more – who forgave it forward with us by donating a gift for a random drawing giveaway. 

Ray and I asked each muse to answer two questions and share with us a little bit about their creative process and passion. We hope they will inspire you. 


Juliette Mansour: Photographer & Web Wizard

Juliette MansourWere it not for this muse’s abilities and patient persistence, you would not be reading this blog. You also would not have a Forgive it Forward video to watch or a Facebook page to visit. And there definitely wouldn’t be any tweets, chirps or twitters coming from this part of the world.

Why? Simply put: I’m a “procrastinate until it is obsolete” technophobe when it comes to computers and the internet, Ray is a “just put a pastel or paintbrush in my hand” artist and Juliette is a saint. (Okay, maybe not a saint but certainly an angel for sharing her wings.)

I’ll never forget her first remarks when I asked her what she thought about Enlightened Ink’s new website back in 2006. After she said it was “nice” – yeah, THAT got my curiosity too – I asked her to be honest. (I mean, nice? Just NICE?)  Juliette likened our attempt at a website to “putting a poodle sweater on a Great Dane puppy.” (Cute at first but no potential for growth.) When I asked her to go on, I had an eerie sense that I was opening a Pandora’s box. The next thing I knew, our online presence was under construction!

This muse single-handedly poked, prodded, cajoled, coaxed and oftentimes tricked us into embracing the internet as a creative medium the same way we would a blank canvas and box of paints. She instinctively knew all the buttons to push and the frequency with which to push them. On her resume, Juliette says, “my day job can be captured in one headline: “Bilingual chick with a knack for creative stuff and with years of experience in web stuff helps overwhelmed, small biz clients find their voice.” We say that’s an understatement if ever we heard Read the rest of this entry »

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