Changing Leaves

It all started with "suppression." I was thinking of how we suppress ourselves. 

We do it. Yes we do (arguing with myself). We are all capable of infinite improvement, yet we hang on to our old ideas like our life depends on them. Why don't we just let go?

Leaves fall away and brand new growth emerges. That could be us. We don't need to keep doing things the same old way. We don't need to keep the same habits. We are fully capable of change for the good of our own selves. 

"Progress is impossible without change, 

and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."

- George Bernard Shaw

Uncertainty forces us to either fear, or trust. Let's trust. Let's believe.

Here's wishing you all a safe and healthy holiday season, regardless of how different it is this year.

Love,

T

Vote

 Vote.

Period.

Love,

T

The Angel

The Angel in my room, the one that lights up, twinkles, and sends dancing patches of light around the walls every night has stopped.

I could take this as an ominous sign: The Angel has left, its light extinguished.

Then again, its absence of light can serve as an example of faith: We must believe even when our path is not lit. The Angel is clearly still there. Its lack of illumination only indicates that we must believe in what we can not see, have faith through the darkness.

Then there's the reality that I am just out of C batteries. As soon as I put the new ones in, it will light up again.

What's really real is that I can put C batteries on the grocery list, but that light will not go on until I actually put them in and flip the switch. It's on me.

Blessed week...

Love,
T

Harvest Time

I took him out to the farm to pick apples. He loved it so much he wanted to go back the next day.

It didn't hurt that there were tractors, a playground and a petting zoo involved.

Then I found this great song:

"Harvest Song"

and it occurred to me that we can't always see what's straight ahead of us,

but a slight change of perception could make all the difference.

#Believe #SayYeah - Amen!

Enjoy your Blessings! They're coming.

And Shana Tovah!

Love,
T

Healing...

Healing,

Love,

and Light

ALWAYS prevail.

ALWAYS.

#Believe

#CultivateIt

#StartInTheMirror

#BeTheLight

xo.
Namaste,
T

#WishMeLuck

Well THIS happened... SMH

And Zachary's music class was NOT cancelled - as opposed to the last time snow was expected but no snow came and everything was closed down anyway. I still have not recuperated from Easter. In fact, Zach and I are both sick. It was "just a little stuffy" but now I'm calling it "sick" - sick and tired. The snow came one day before our scheduled road trip, so we were forced to adjust our plans.

Time keeps marching right on regardless, so throughout the chaos I've been deep in thought over a "paragraph" I have to write. It will serve as my letter of introduction/intent for something very important to me. It has caused me to review the whole of my life and career to pick out some shining example that clearly demonstrates who I Am and why the letter's recipient should work with me. It's a daunting task (I'm NOT going to say "impossible").

How can you describe a lifetime's worth of hopes and dreams, accomplishments and aspirations in a "paragraph"??? I can only give it my best shot. I can not predict what one thing to say that will make others want to believe in me. I have no idea what magic phrase to include. I'll do my homework and speak with honesty and integrity. That's all I have to go on here.

Faith is going to have to take over. That is to say that I am exactly where I am supposed to be and I will get to exactly where I am supposed to go. I'll try my best, then trust. That's it. That's all I got.

Wish me luck! Wishing you all the best in all you do this week too...

(I was going to end the blog here.)

Funny. Things seemed to be out of place all week. Just now, I thought I had a serious problem and that I wouldn't be able to post on time because my charger refused to plug in. It turned out to be a tiny little screw stuck to the magnetic power connector, which was blocking the charger from plugging in completely. I found other things in odd places too...

Yep. I guess that's it. Trust that even when things seem out of place and off schedule, they are really just exactly as they should be. We are right where we belong. (Smile. I love when the Universe tells me stuff.)

A lovely week to us all... xoxo

Namaste,
T

Something to Believe In

Even BEFORE the Super Bowl, I was thinking of this...

Some game huh? Most people I know were rooting for the Falcons. After tasting victory, the loss seemed even more pronounced. There was much excitement, grumbling, gloating and disappointment. You saw it all if you were following along on social media. Then I came across several posts with another theme. They suggested looking from another angle, noticing a deeper meaning and learning something from the whole experience. They were talking about how it is possible to make a great comeback. The idea that we can win when everyone one else thinks we are losing is something we can apply to our own life situations. (Smile - I like that idea.)

There have been times this week when I have been overwhelmed with gratitude. Looking in on my sleeping family as I began writing this in the middle of the night was a classic example. Tears welled up as I truly felt as if I'd been granted every wish I'd ever hoped for - so Blessed. I wouldn't have guessed I'd be looking in on my newborn son at this time last year. I had given up on the idea.

I see the value in so many different kinds of posts  now. There's definitely a time for everything. A time for protests, a time for healing, a time for laughter, a time for sadness... I appreciate every turn of the wheel - every single thing (comfortable or not) that leads us ultimately to the next thing.

I love that people are finding balance. There are articles that educate, anger, or inspire. Then there are humorous posts with puppies and babies that make us all laugh and smile. Then there are football games and cheers. Then it's back to work.

I truly believe we're always being led to the good around every corner. We can't always see it or understand it, but everything in its own time - will come.

#Believe #BlessedBeTheJourney #Love

Namaste,
T

A Little Faith

I went to church twice last week. Once for a funeral, and once for Sunday mass.

Richard Joyner, or "Tricky" as we called him, was a good, kind man. He was a talented musician, singer, sound engineer, and friend. He was always helping others - he just lived his life that way. He helped me get my demo ready when I first moved to the NYC area, and he encouraged me greatly. He will always be remembered for his talent and kind heart.

The Buffalo News - Notice for Richard G. Joyner

The minister spoke about Tricky's character. She spoke about faith. The songs were beautiful, the memories shared by his family touching, the message inspirational. I can't possibly do the sermon justice here... but we were all reminded how truly special it is to be someone who likes to help others - as Tricky was. She talked about how we all leave this world eventually, when our sacred assignments here are complete, and how in times of sadness we need to keep praying. I thought that Tricky would probably want to comfort anyone who was sad, and that he wouldn't want us to stay that way. Of course there is a grieving process - especially for those experiencing the unexpected loss of someone close. Tricky would understand that. Of course he would do whatever he could to let his loved ones know that he is ok, and that he loves them dearly. Of course it's hard to believe that in your heart when you are hurting from the loss of his presence.

On Sunday, I went to mass. The message there was all about faith too. It was interesting how the two sermons echoed each other - even though they were different churches, different religions, with different stories and hundreds of miles away from each other. The priest told a story of a dog named Luna who was lost at sea and presumed dead after an extensive search. After five weeks, she turned up unharmed at a Naval base two miles from where she was last seen. Her owner was overjoyed, having not known all that time that she was alright. The fact that Luna was okay, even when she couldn't be seen, reminded me of how I felt at Tricky's service... that he was alright even though we could not see him.

"Lost at Sea..." npr.org

The priest also spoke of helping others. The church has a program to help feed needy families. We were reminded that some families are in desperate need. One family had told the priest that despite having recently lost their home, that they would be okay and did not need groceries delivered. The priest had them delivered them anyway and they called him in tears, overwhelmed with gratitude that the children had nutritious cereal to eat that week.

We don't always see the whole picture. We don't have to. We just need to try to hold on to our faith. When we feel it slipping, we can ask for help. We can lean on others. Eventually, we'll get to a place of gratitude. We will get there. Eventually, we can turn our minds toward the Blessings that we have - and help others as best we can.

Prayers for all those in need... be it need of comfort, of a friend, of a kind ear to just listen, and for those in need of basic necessities. Prayers of gratitude for all that we do have, and for the strength and will to help others however we can.

"Help Me Believe" - Kirk Franklin:

Namaste,
T

#Believe

There it was, Sunday evening and I had no idea what to blog about. It was almost midnight and time to go to bed. Then, as if right on cue, Joel Osteen came on TV.

He spoke of "due season" and how our time is coming for great Blessings. Things that seemed impossible will come to pass unexpectedly and suddenly. We need to have faith. We need to believe.

My eyes drifted to the piano where we had just put all of the Christmas presents we had received. Right in front was a little angel ornament given to us by Santa. It says "Believe." I thought it would be a good reminder that no matter what happens, or regardless of how any situation may appear on the surface, we should keep believing that everything is all working out for the best. I had just discussed the idea with Russ as we placed it on the piano lid, arranging it alongside all the wonderful things given to us by friends and family this year.

As Joel spoke words that sounded so familiar to us, Russ and I shared a smile. Then I got up, took a picture of the Angel ornament, and sat down at the computer to write this.

This year, I Believe we all have amazing Blessings in store. We can all have faith that good things are coming. We would do well to Believe.

A Blessed, Happy and Healthy New Year...

Namaste,
T

#Faith

"Faith is to believe what we do not see; 

the reward of this faith is to see what we believe."

- Saint Augustine

"Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, 

and receives the impossible."

- Corrie ten Boom

"We walk by faith, not by sight."

- 2 Corinthians 5:7

"Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be  extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!"

- The New York Sun, 1897

This week, I am keeping the faith...

Namaste,
T

Remember the Polka Dots...

Last week, I had the distinct privilege and honor of working with a group of awesome kids! (Tell you all about that project next month.)

At one point, I was sitting at a table coloring with a three-year-old little boy. He was showing me the car he drew and indicating which parts he wanted me to color in for him. There was a mass of dots right in the middle and I wasn't sure if he wanted me to color over them. I asked him what they were.

"Polka dots," he said, as if I should have known.
"Oh! I forgot about polka dots," was my reply.

As I heard the words come out of my mouth, I was stunned. How could I forget about polka dots!!!??? To the other adult in the room, I said, "How sad is that? I FORGOT about polka dots." She agreed that it was indeed pretty sad.

"I remember," said my little friend. He was telling me that it was ok. He had my back. He would remember the polka dots and all would be well.

I smiled. "Good job. Good job remembering the polka dots."

He might as well have been talking about magic or imaginary friends, superheroes, fairies, angels, Santa Claus, even God - or any of the wonderful things children believe in without hesitation. I certainly wouldn't want to forget about any of those, and I don't want to forget about polka dots either. How could polka dots have left my mind? I decided to blog about the polka dots, even though I had PLANNED on writing about "awareness."

I just had some housecleaning to do before sitting down to write today's blog. I pulled out the step stool to dust a shelf and noticed something...

HA! Polka dots! I was still thinking about it when I got in the shower...

HA again!

Then I started looking around deliberately. There was my little cosmetic bag...

The tab on the larger one that I keep shampoo in...

and how about the pattern on the side?

The handle on my old travel bag...

I remembered this dress...

The kitchen cabinet...

My coffee cup...

I had just gone to the grocery store...

Check out my seat cushion!

When you look around for them, you find them everywhere! (So I guess this blog IS about awareness after all.)

I suppose it's the same way with miracles, angels, positive energy, and even God. When you look around for them, you discover they were always right there. Sometimes, we just aren't paying attention. :)

I took these pics last week, before I was noticing the polka dots...

"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend."

- Robertson Davies

"All prosperity begins in the mind and is dependent only upon full use of the imagination."

- Ruth Ross

Here's wishing you a wonderful week filled with polka dots - and whatever else you're looking for.

Namaste,

T

"Calling All Angels..."

"I need a sign to let me know you're here..."

- Train

Saturday morning, I asked the Angels to show themselves to me. It was a simple prayer. I had been stressed out and wanted to feel a sense of peace and reassurance of faith. “Let me see you,” I asked of them. Shortly afterward, Russell and I drove to a Greek Orthodox Church to attend the funeral of a friend’s wife, who had succumbed to cancer.

During the service, I found myself saying the same prayer for the deceased that I had said for myself earlier, before I realized how unnecessary that was. There I was, asking that Angels show themselves to her and comfort her spirit, just as the priest was saying that the dearly departed was with her guardian Angel at that very moment. Of course! 

At the end of the service, the casket was guided down the aisle behind the priest, who walked backwards, singing prayers of Blessing and swinging incense before it. I imagined that the smoke rising from his vessel was actually Angels accompanying the dearly departed, guiding her way. As the fragrant cloud swirled and trailed off in the air, it looked as if those Angels were doing some kind of ceremonial dance with twirls, gracefully and joyously leading her back home.

Immediate family followed the casket down the aisle and I was jolted back to earth as I saw their expressions and felt a sense of loss. I could scarcely imagine what it must have been like for them. I realized that THEY were the ones who needed to see the Angels and be comforted. I silently repeated my prayer for them. They had lost their mother, wife, friend; and while we knew she was now at peace, she would also be dearly missed. They had written a beautiful remembrance of her that was read as part of the ceremony. It was a moving tribute for a very special woman whose kind spirit, generous nature, and manner of touching people's lives served as heartwarming inspiration for her closest loved ones and for all of us there. 

Driving home, I was startled as something swirled and twirled in the air before the car on the highway. It was a big feather! It lingered and danced in the air before us just like the smoke from the priest’s censer had done! I gasped aloud as my mind registered the significance. Russ noticed my reaction and momentarily interrupted his phone call to ask what had triggered it: “What? The feather?” 

He had seen it too! I had not just imagined that Angel feather!

(I’ve heard it said that feathers are signs from Angels - and I’m going to go ahead and believe it.)

Isn’t it funny how we find what we seek? I had said a prayer (or, as some might say, I had set an intention) and it was answered. I’m reminded that we can choose to see what we desire to see. We can see an Angel in a feather, in the smoke cloud of incense, in a child’s smile or in anything of beauty. Even in times of difficulty, we can choose to believe that Angels are hard at work; guiding us, challenging our limited thinking, or pushing us toward higher understanding and greater patience – or stronger faith. They can be anywhere – and EVERYWHERE we CHOOSE to see them. I wanted to see them and I did, simple as that.

This week, I hope we can set positive intentions (or prayers, or wishes, or however you want to word it) for ourselves and for all of our human family, and that we believe strongly enough in them – that we see them come true.

“Ask, and you shall receive. 

Search, and you will find. 

Knock, and the door will be opened for you.”

 – Matthew 7:7

Namaste,

T

It's Magic!

I started off my week at THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER!!!!  Does it get any better than that?  No.  No it does not.

To get there I had to walk through "Suess Landing."

GERTRUDE!!!  I haven't been in touch with Gertrude in a long time!  (I played her in a production of Suessical the Musical.)

Then, there I was at Hogwarts!

I drank Butterbeer...

and I made it through to platform 9 and 3/4 and rode the Hogwarts Express!!!

OMG!  OMG!  I went to Diagon Alley!

and Ollivanders!!!  Where A WAND CHOSE ME!  No kidding - it actually leapt off a shelf at me.

I could do magic right away...

IT WAS AWESOME!!!!

On the flight home (I had already booked the muggle transportation), I was looking for something to read and found this:

By the same author of "The Secret"

Click here for "The Magic" (the book's official website)

The gig on Saturday was definitely magical - and unique!  Two brides married each other and both looked positively radiant and utterly joyous!  We were reminded that love is love - plain and simple. The band had fun and so did the guests.  :)

Selfie with Tony Allen 

Selfie with Erich G

THEN... at church on Sunday, the lecturer spoke about Divine ideas and being childlike in our faith: about how we must be confident in our doing and believe in the results.  (Sounds kind of like magic to me!)

Hey - I'm noticing a kind of theme here...

OK!  So this week I'll carry the magic around with me and believe in it.  :)

Namaste

T

(Pilot's "Magic")

(Olivia Newton John's "Magic")

"Magic" 
(Olivia Newton John)

Come take my hand

You should know me

I've always been in your mind

You know I will be kind

I'll be guiding you

Building your dream

Has to start now

There's no other road to take

You won't make a mistake

I'll be guiding you

You have to believe we are magic

Nothin' can stand in our way

You have to believe we are magic

Don't let your aim ever stray

And if all your hopes survive

Your destiny will arrive

I'll bring all your dreams alive

For you

From where I stand

You are home free

The planets align so rare

There's promise in the air

And I'm guiding you

Through every turn I'll be near you

I'll come anytime you call

I'll catch you when you fall

I'll be guiding you

You have to believe we are magic

Nothin' can stand in our way

You have to believe we are magic

Don't let your aim ever stray

And if all your hopes survive

Your destiny will arrive

I'll bring all your dreams alive

For you