Posts Tagged ‘gratitude’
Every Once in a Blue Moon
Mystical, magical, unusual. We leave 2009 with the spectacle of a Blue Moon. The rising of a moon twice in the same calendar month is a rare happening. I see it as an invitation to disregard convention and enter the realm of chance and possibility. For many of us New Year’s Eve is accompanied by gratitude, reflection, and resolution. Today I blend and stir the question, “Will 2010 be the year my dreams come true?”
December Blue Moon
High on my list of achievements in 2009 is the completion of my CD, “Honestly“. Not only is it a new genre, (singer/songwriter with a splash of folk and dab of country), it follows an intimate journey of my life over the past few years laid bare for the world to hear. The coming months will involve the exploitation – otherwise known as marketing – of my life, which is somewhat unnerving.
Susan Boyle took a huge chance when she stepped onto the stage of Britain’s Got Talent. I was among the millions of people who watched the YouTube segment of “I Dreamed a Dream” and was overwhelmed with the shear beauty of her performance. She had everything to loose, but when she shared her gift we took notice. Every once in a while it happens – someone finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Sometimes I get stuck inside construed boundaries and allow expectations I have for my life to get cemented under their walls. Standing still is not the answer. The mortar has not hardened. Not only can I rearrange the bricks, I can redesign the wall to include a new opening – a different vantage point. I know anything is possible, and sometimes all that is required is a shift in my attitude.
Today as I look forward to 2010 and beyond, I do so with hope. Tonight I will look to the sky, beyond the clouds, and count all the lucky stars that celebrate with me and this rare December moon.
Happy New Year.
How To Sing The Rainy Day Blues Away
Sunshine After Rain
It’s amazing how a sunny day can lift spirits and make a person feel alive! This summer has been perhaps the most rainy on record, and on more than one occasion, it has left me feeling as sluggish as a bog. I use bad weather as an excuse not to get out for walks and fresh air, and of course, these are probably the two things that would help shift a dull mood naturally. This year, having two days of sunshine in a row is great cause for celebration, and I can’t wait to get outside and soak up some much needed vitamin D.
Thankfully there are still many ways to be productive and find inspiration on ‘house-bound’ days. Last week I decided to put together a medley of songs with a rain theme – if I can’t control the weather, I might as well find a way to embrace it. There’s an massive list of rain related songs, and I found at least a dozon that I either already know or would like to learn. Here they are:
- I Love a Rainy Night – Eddie Rabbit
- I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
- Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain – The Cascades
- Have You Ever Seen the Rain – Credence Clear Water Revival
- Fire and Rain – James Taylor
- I’m a Believer – Monkies
- My Little Runaway – Del Shannon
- It Never Rains in California – Albert Hammond
- It’s Raining Again – Supertramp
- Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters
- In the Early Morning Rain – Gordon Lightfoot
- Here Comes the Rain Again – Eurythmics
An observation I’ve made about rain songs is that they also often make some reference to the sun! So most of the songs I’ve compiled could also be added to a “songs about sunshine” list. Eddie Rabbit sings, “Shadows wash all my cares away, I wake up to a sunny day”. “Rain won’t you tell her that I love her so, please ask the sun to set her heart aglow” is the plea made by the Cascades, and my favorite line from a very familiar standard, “I can see clearly now the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way”.
This rainy day activity proved to be beneficial in a number of ways. First, I got to learn a few new tunes. Finding the lyrics and chords for songs is so much easier with an internet connection, but it is still an excellent way to do some ear and voice training. Secondly, I got to pull out some old songs that I hadn’t played in quite a while. It always surprises me how quickly I am able to recall lyrics and chord progressions. Thirdly, it made me sing! Singing is a fantastic way to make yourself feel better. It produces ‘feel-good’ endorphins, increases oxygen levels and can even help tone body muscles! It’s almost impossible to sing and feel stressed out at the same time. Try it! You really can ’sing the blues away’!
What’s your favorite ‘rain’ song? Share it here!
Every Birthday is a Blessing!
Garden Flowers in June
If my mother was alive, she’d be seventy-three years old. She’s been gone eight years, and I still miss her. The first few years after her death, I would visit her grave site often. Somehow it gave me comfort though I never understood why. I knew she wasn’t there. Perhaps seeing her name spelled out on the granite stone helped me believe it was real.
Though my stops at the cemetery are less frequent these days, the visits I have with my Mom still happen regularly. I hear her voice encouraging me when I’m feeling uncertain – especially when I’m trying to learn something new. Just as she had said in past, “don’t underestimate yourself”, and “you can do it” still help me to believe in my abilities. As I get older I realize just how special it was to hear those words from her.
When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, it felt like our whole family got the disease too. The reality of her prognosis was devastating, but it also became an opportunity for all of us to savor the important things in life, like saying ‘thank you’ and ‘I love you’. Today I send out birthday wishes to the Universe, along with a song that I gave to my Mom years ago to try and say how I felt – and still feel. It’s a Natalie Merchant song called “Kind and Generous”. Listen Now on Grooveshark. Read the lyrics here.
Receive A Free Gift From Isabel Designs!
First of all, thank you for following our Blog. We appreciate your interest, but more importantly, we hope you find the blog interesting!
Isabel Designs was born in August 2008 when my sister Sue and I got together for a weekend of jewelry making and fun. We were inspired to continue creating beauty together in honour of our Mother, Marie Isabel, who died of ovarian cancer in 2001. See our creations here.
When we started Isabel’s blog we thought it would be an ideal place to share wisdom and insight passed along to us from our Mom, and also be a place for you to share stories too. As the plot thickened, so to speak, we realized that it had broader potential, so our blogging intention changed to “Reflect, Inform, Inspire”.
We need your help discerning whether we’re headed in the right direction with the blog. All you need to do is answer these five questions, and we’ll send you a free gift of appreciation! (of course it will be handmade by Isabel Designs!)
1) What kind of articles would you like to see more of:
a) mother’s wisdom
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c) on intentions and purposeful living
d) all of the above
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Gratitude – Then and Now
The bracelet my first boyfriend gave me after our first kiss, the keys to the car that declared my ‘roll down the window and crank up the music’ independence, and the love notes exchanged between me and my first true love, preserved in shoeboxes and Tim Horton cans, are evidence that I am a sentimental pack rat. I don’t apologize for hanging on to these things. They help me remember special moments in my life. They remind me that I was here.
Sunflower Angel
Up until recently, I still had the big green trunk that my Dad passed on to me when I was thirteen. It held precious things like ticket stubs from concerts and movies, letters from high school friends and sweethearts, and the high-heeled pink shoes that my sister made me wear to her wedding. I also stored college art projects and theology essays, the ones that got A’s, so I could remember those achievements. It held photo albums filled with the escapades of friends that still make me laugh out loud when I look at them. The trunk was ruined in a basement flood a few years back, so I had no choice but to part with it and the majority of its contents. One starry summer evening, when the flames were burning high in a backyard campfire, I put the trunk in the fire, and ceremoniously gave its ashes to the wind. It was a good lesson for me to ‘let go’ of some of these old things. Let’s face it – I’ll never wear those pink shoes again!
Today I received an email that filled me with a sense of hope and newness. Today I witnessed a great blue heron walking along the water’s edge, and felt the morning sun flood its light on my face. These were not yesterday’s memories. This is my now. I know all these things will be added to my storehouse of treasures, to be called forth again when I need them, or least expect them, but living in the moment, feeling them for the first time over and over again, is really where it’s at. I am here.
Purposeful Living – Two Special Teachers
Inspiration - Photo by N.Cotnam
I had an opportunity to view two fabulous DVD’s over the weekend. They were so helpful and inspirational that I thought I’d share the titles and links here on Isabel Design.
I’ve been familiar with Dr. Wayne Dyer’s work for many years, have seen him on PBS, and own a set of audio CD’s called “The Power of Intention”. Saturday night I gathered with a few friends to watch “The Shift”, where Dr. Dyer “explores the spiritual journey in the second half of life when we long to find the purpose that is our unique contribution to the world…(it) not only inspires, but also teaches us how to find the path to our spiritual purpose and therefore our greatest joy.”
The second DVD introduced me to a woman who’s been creating positive change in the world for years, Louise Hay, and her book and dvd entitled, “You can heal your life“. Hosted by Louise, the movie “offers not only an intimate look into her moving and inspirational life story, but also a special segment devoted to helping you apply Louise’s affirmations and groundbreaking wisdom to heal your own life and the challenges that you face today.”
I thoroughly enjoyed the message and recommend these DVDs to anyone who is looking for purpose in their life.
Lost and Found – A Stray Finds a Home
Angus Woody MacDoodle
I was walking in the woods yesterday, as I often do, when I heard a faint but familiar sound. I turned to see a tiny orange tabby emerge from a pile of wood rubble, and without hesitation it came towards me. I hardly had time to bend down before he was at my heels. An adorable kitten, six to eight weeks old, obviously socialized, looking a little worse for wear and all alone. He had some trauma to his tail and a dirty face, but other than that, looked healthy. I picked him up and carried him out of the bush. Knocked on doors of surrounding homes, but couldn’t find an owner.
It is appalling to me to think that people abandon pets, but it happens. This is not the first orphan kitten I’ve attended to. Families living in the country seem to be targets for unwanted cats and dogs, as if by some mysterious right it is our responsibility to care for discarded animals. I have certainly fed and cared for my share of strays over the years because of someone else’s neglect. It is not a burden I choose, yet I cannot disregard the living, breathing, hungry creature that wanders across my path.
So I named him Angus Woody MacDoodle. Thankfully I had a can of tuna in the cupboard, and though it took a bit of coaxing, he ate up the small bowl that I put out for him. Then I wrapped him up in a shirt and brought him to the local veterinary clinic where they kept him overnight (a portion of his tail had to be amputated). Today he will be delivered to his new home. One phone call to a friend was all it took. Angus will have a family after all.
At the end of the day, I’m feeling like a kitty hero – making the big resue, playing nursemate and adoption agent all at the same time. An act of compassion that took little effort but will yeild big results. I believe every moment we step outside of ourselves to serve another – animal or person, or even when we tend to the environment – we create goodness in the universe and expand the possibilities for love and respect in the world.
How do you feel about this? Share you comments with us now.
Happy May
As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. As I watch the day unfold with sunshine, I am trying to put the list of things I need to do in some type of priority. Of course there are the regulars that always seem to eat up my weekend like house cleaning, groceries and errands. But on this day, I hear the song of my perennials singing, “Ready or not, here I come!” The daffodils are blooming, the bleeding hearts are budding, and there is a new little friend whose name I can’t remember, a gift from my sister in law, blossoming little white flowers above spotted green leaves. The leaves that I neglected to rake last fall are now compacted on the lawn, and the stalks I left for ‘winter interest’ are now just looking dead as the new green plants are emerging underneath them. It sounds like a lot of work, and there is a part of me that wishes I could wrinkle my nose like Samantha from Bewitched and make my gardens perfect. However, once I’m out there, the feeling of nurturing my plants always brings on a sense of peace and satisfaction. So, I think my regular chores can wait. Gathering up my wheelbarrow, shovel, gloves and rake will inevitably bring about more satisfaction as I focus on my connection with Mother Earth.
Sing, Sing, Sing!
I can’t tell you how happy I am that the bulk of winter is behind us. Though it’s still rather chilly today, the sun is shining, the ice is melting, and there is very little snow left in the yard. This makes me happy. The other morning while I was lying in bed, I heard the familiar, yet uplifting chirps of sparrows and blackbirds; another reminder that the ‘changing of the seasons’ is upon us. Today I will find a moment to lift my face to the sun and offer gratitude that my soul too, feels the momentum of spring and feels like singing. I hope you feel it too.
Photoblog
