Monday, June 2, 2014

This is What is for Now


"Spiritual practice is about transformation, but it's also, and more importantly, about working with what is." Angel Kyodo Williams

In Memory of Suzanne
I won Suzanne at an art fair, won a lesson on bookmaking, won a friend who taught and supported me me and challenged me to believe in myself as much as she believed in me. She called herself The Paper Queen, she could do anything with paper, and she called me Bookie. Once following surgery, she brought me a a carton of papers that over the next few years and up to today is the basis of books, paintings, bookmarks and cards. Her patience with folding origami designs and little bitty books is legendary. The best way I can remember her is to to believe I have as much creative juice as she was sure I have. Suzanne was a loner, a person most comfortable in her studio which was actually her entire living space. I need a lot of alone time, but I'm most comfortable in the community of friends who know me. We clicked from the beginning. I'd reached out and she let me in. I am grateful.

This morning I made shrine for her: books she taught me to make, a thank you card made with one of her paste papers, a small book she made of green tea bag wrappers for my birthday, and I lit a candle.

In this time of ebb and flow, of the transition between life and death, of moving into my summer life in the mountains, of coming up to a very significant birthday, I've decided to pull back even more on blogging. Right now, I don't feel I have much to say, and I need to go back to more personal writing exercises and dig into myself. I want to be more personal than I feel I can be going to a wider audience through Facebook and online sites, and I want to blog only when I feel motivated. If you don't get me in your email box and you want to follow me, sign up to receive me through email. If you would like to stop seeing me in your email box, let me know. I thought you could unsubscribe by a simple click at the bottom, maybe you can, but I'm not seeing that. Let me know and I can do it from my end.

Thank you for reading me and thank you for your comments which always mean a great deal to me.

Baruch ata adonai...help me to be gentle and sweet with myself. Help me to let go with grace and gratitude. Amen











8 comments:

  1. I will miss you on your blog. You know I love your wisdom and your prayers. I look forward to seeing more of you in my email. :)

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    1. Cassandra, please know how much I appreciate hearing from you and for the writing you do.

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  2. I've done this with 3 previous blogs. Sometimes you just "run out." You have very good reasons for your decision. May God bless you with more writing inspiration and may you have the eyes to recognize all of his provision to you.

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    1. Thank you so much. Please sign up on the subscribe to blog.

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  3. I look forward to your emails....so heartfelt, so spiritual. I admire your courage to step back and follow the leading of the Spirit. I want to receive your emails as they are always so timely and encouraging. God bless you.

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  4. From one Creative Nana to another, thank you. Please subscribe to the blog by signing up to receive it via email.

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  5. Hi Barbara,

    I am dealing with the ebb and flow of loss too so I totally understand where you are coming from in wanting to pull back while you find your footing.

    I always look forward to visiting you and smile when I see your posts at Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy.

    Many blessings and much peace and wisdom to you during this time of transition - and happy birthday to you as well!

    Create With Joy
    http://create-with-joy.com

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    1. I will be writing from time to time. I'm not sure I want to post outside of my email followers. I'd really like to create something more intimate. Please do sign up on my email list on the blog page. I am so happy to hear from you! This has been an interesting week. Thank you for being so supportive, for sticking with your site which has become quite massive and featuring me from time to time.

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