summer of welcome.

as we've begun leaning into the summer with backyard gatherings, pennant banners, seedlings breaking through soil, and lazy pool afternoons, i've been thinking about this summer and all that it holds in store. 

a baby girl to come.  welcoming friends.  receiving meals.  opening our home to family for weeks at a time.  thus, i declare this summer the SUMMER OF WELCOME.  

i was telling a dearie a few weeks ago that as my belly expands, i find myself moving more inward.  i realize that much of the time, i share my inward thoughts here, a space for glimpses of my pondering and glimpses into brief images of our life.  

sometimes the thoughts and images are messy, but most of the time, i hope that they're beautiful - clean, messy, colorful, with a touch of truth.  what you see is never the full story.  we never really see each other's story in full.  there's so much to our stories.  yet in the pages of our history and the between spaces, we see enough and experience enough to find connection and hope.  truth and trust.  we see that we. are. not. alone. and that at times we. are. in. this. together. 

so, tribe of revartmom, gathering space for those who want to glimpse into my life and the life of our garden, the work of my hands, be welcomed.  know my own words in this space will ebb and flow. 

as i move into a new phase of carrying the baby girl within, i move through 34 weeks of full on activity, now to a space of ease.  after a little scare the end of the week, i'm now on modified bed rest.  

what to do?  write.  update the etsy shop.  get the website updated and uploaded.  paint.  pray.  read. listen.  sew.  

i'll be able to venture to the studio, but must work seated.  i'll be able to finish up logo projects from anywhere.  i'll hand stitch the quilt for the hospital in NC.  there's much to do, and much not to do.  i'll create an ease and flow to my day that will be good and just enough. 

so many lessons abound.  summer of welcome.  welcoming ease.  welcoming a slower, steady pace.  welcoming breating space.  

what do you welcome these days?  

{{this}} moment. here. now.

what a week! spring break with my boy, which has been really good. life. making plans for new projects and artwork and stoles to create. piecing together my life-work-motherhood-ministry quilt in slow, meaningful ways. carving space for quiet. space for organizing. space for weeding.

listening to the voice within telling me when to speak up and when to keep silent. what is mine to carry and what is not mine to carry. listening to wisdom whisper when to take risks ((and sometimes being the bold she-creature that says YES!)).

thinking of folks who are suffering or witnessing others suffer. a mama whose heart needs to be with her newborn only to be in the hospital healing from trauma. a father watching it all, whose heart is holding so much just as his hands hold his newborn daughter. thinking of a sweet, sweet one who lost her mama last week to cancer. my heart breaks for these two. oh, what a week.

laughter and tears. witnessing beauty and pain. being taken for who i am, and completely mis-understood and mis-interpreted. it's all in the bowl, my dears. it's all in life's bowl.

through it all: thankful. hopeful. aiming to be brave and kind. aiming to show myself and others kindness, modeling it for my sweet boy. soon to model kindness and love and truth and life to my dear girl.

thankful. hopeful. aiming to be brave and kind. aiming to show myself and others kindness. known and unknown, leaning into both spaces.

embracing life as it is in this moment. in the stillness. in the silliness. in the joy and bravery of it all. hoping. waiting. participating.

hello, lovely you. may your evening and your day be ever so filled with love. filled with thanks. filled with hope. xo.

being still.

this week.

being still.
creating space between the coming and going.
finding time to listen. to sip. to be.

being still.
within.
knowing that i'm mother to a dear boy who is learning.
traveling with boys to and fro.

this week.

a blur.
moments.
stillness.

amidst busy.

xo.

my creative tribe.

whew.

some of us in the tribe talk about being energized these days.  some of us look to be in a daze, moving from place to place.  we squeeze in every bit of togetherness we can in those quick morning and afternoon school routines.  we grab hold of that embrace and allow it to soak in, deep.

we look into each other's eyes and see the fatigue.  we see the busy working for ourselves and others look as we smile. that tired, i know you got this, smile.  that, oh, i love you, smile.  that, i see you and you are beautiful as you are, smile.

so much of the pace is our own making.  and so we're off!  running. skipping. jumping. sitting. dashing. shopping. cooking.  cleaning. gardening. showering.

no complaints.
grateful.
present.

loving.

sitting in the studio checking off some of the get-it-done list.  breathing in the space between projects to mark this moment.  ever so present to this moment.

watching the rain fall.  and it feels good.  the semi-dark and the light.

my creative tribe and i will gather in this space and in other spaces of our lives.  we're looking forward to sharing that goodness of being good for eachother.  being good to eachother.  being present as we are.  welcoming the soul.

colors of my day: 8.31.2012.

{{this}} moment.

in {{this}} moment i am: sitting.  sharing.  loving with an open heart.
feeling the need to rest. to nest. and to nurture.

in {{this}} moment i am celebrating: listening to my inner workings after a good, tough, powerful time with my therapist today.  oh, the work of the soul!
a fantastic, yet brief conversation with a kindred soul following a time of silence carved in my day.

in {{this}} moment i am looking forward to: good time at home.  quiet.  the smell of clean floors and sinks thanks to mrs. meyers and my two hands.  an early evening in with a good, good book.

in {{this}} moment i am present: to my heart.  to my body.  to my mind.  to my belly.  to my need for rest.

in {{this}} next moment: i will rise. stretch. clean. cook. delight. create. love. nurture. read. rest.

xo.

reflections in {this} moment: the path.

rooting myself in this spot.  

taking root. loving.  

sharing stories.  living well.  

seeking my wholeness.  

sharing my light.  

standing in the light of my truth. 

centered. 

finding my wholeness.

whole.  

delighting in life.  

loving well. 

sending cards. handwritten with love. 

making art.  embracing color. 

enjoying.  

swinging. listening. 

seeking creative space.  

creating space.

seeking the sacred.  

graced. 

humble. 

true.

telling truth.

naming. sharing from the source.

blessed.  

receiving the friends who love. 

sending love.  

blessing others. 

grateful.  so, so grateful.

{this} moment.

in {this} moment, i am :: 

uploading photos. 

present, using my senses. 

savoring the last few sips from this afternoon cuppa tea.  i'll enjoy a few minutes of late night creating this evening.  cheers to you & yours! 

the power of thoughts. the power of words.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. —Lao-Tze


my dear soul friend jayme posted this on facebook today.  i love what thoughts can be sparked through FB posts that bring life and add meaning to the day. 


i'll tell you something.  my thoughts are running wild these days.  i am filled to the brim with ideas for the book i'm getting together.  i've been distancing myself from reading as much online while i write, which is a good practice for me.  sometimes i find others using my words and that can be flattering, but these days it really pulls me into some dark spaces where my thoughts aren't pretty.  yet, i choose to shift my thoughts into a positive direction: that a shared language is a sign that i am moving in the right direction with the creative spirit, moving into my truth and wholeness.  


often i shift my thoughts to the present, to the positive, to what brings life.  when i am centered, i am present and i am amazed by what takes shape in and around me. 


rather than become overwhelmed by the fearful thoughts, i release them.  believe it or not, i am afraid of what success looks like.  when things aren't a struggle, when life flows seamlessly, one step in front of another (even when the steps are difficult or sad), i think the ball will drop.  why is life good?  well, it is, even when it's not.  life's full of mystery.  life's full of adventure. life is life. 


i watch my words.  i watch my habits. i'm carefeul about how i live and how i speak.  yet, there are thoughts that have been invading my mind for years that i do not give the space to really grow.  i push them to the side and forget that the wisdom that lives within me has a space and needs to speak.  slowly but surely i've been sensing this well of wisdom rising within me.  right now i'm shaking off some of the dust from my shoes and moving forward.  many of those thoughts are ready for sorting.  


i'm writing.  i'm dreaming. i'm settling into my center and moving from that space.  i can sense the shift that's taking place.  there's a natural shift coming through my routine, my energy, my relationships, my horomones, my desires. 


i'm present.  i'm letting it be.  i'm surrendering.  


more and more i believe i'm on the path. my path.  i'm finding my way.  i'm making my way.  i'm moving forward, living into my call to mother, to minister, to create.  i'm reaching toward my destiny. 


and


i'm silent sometimes.  
i'm full of words other times.  


more and more i turn to the natural world around me for peace, for space.  i pick up my stitching and create.  so, i'm going to do something i've not done. 


i'm asking a few of you to light a candle for me.  you'll know who you are. 


i'm asking for prayers, good wishes, encouragement, and love.  i'm asking for you to be among those in my tribe who believe in what each of us can achieve.  i'm asking for you to root for me, grounding me in work ahead.  i know writing a book is no small task.  my inner critic, my wise elder, my light of truth are each ready for attention.  


i'll lean into my path and move ahead.  i'll share my journey as i do in glimpses, always telling the truth.  always sharing where i am in {this} moment, knowing that is a glimpse into the story.  i'm not afraid of shedding light on the reality of this journey.  

{this} moment.

in the studio. 

writing. 

waiting. 

listening. 

loving. 

sending. 

accepting.

releasing. 

receiving. 

living.

noticing.

noting.

listing. 

loving. 

waiting.

watching. 

writing. 

sending. 

loving. 

receiving. 

living.

readying. 

taping. 

paiting.

sipping.

sitting. 

planning. 

hatching.

ahh... i'm hatching into a new moment. into a new being. i have been finding those hatched eggshells for weeks.  some birthed baby birds while others crashed, cracked, and the unborn spilled on the cracks.  sometimes i feel both happening at once: a creative life force within that's becoming in the process to be birthed while other times it crashes, cracks, and the unborn spills on the cracks.

tears come.

there is so much i hope for in each moment, but i receive the moment as it is.  i do the best i can and i move on. only i can say when my best is good enough.  only i can stand here knowing what i know.  only i can live and love in the way i am called. {this} day. {this} moment.

we each live into our creative calling in the ways that belong to us.  in {this} moment i am occupying my suzanne-sized space. loving my suzanne-sized colors. writing my suzanne-sized phrases. knowing i am who i am.

image play + {this} moment.

i'm playing with a new app called diptic in these two images.

of course, you see two of the five images are in both compilations.

having a moment of creative fun between caring for my boy who has had a bit of a tough cold this week. thankful his little body is getting the rest it needs and will rejoin his school buddies tomorrow. i'm also thankful for the flexibility to move beween the spaces of the studio and home as needed. i love what i am doing and how life is moving.

these days i continue to live creatively in the way i move through the day and in each moment. i continue to put pen to paper, to create art, to envision and brainstorm new ideas. i am gaining more support and recognition of my art+spirit groups and retreats. soon i'll actively seek scheduling for 2012.

there is a lot that takes place in the between spaces of bereavement group facilitation, meal planning & preparation, baking, creating art, and spending time in our cozy home with my loves. i am working on new websites for myself and the sacred groves created in my art+spirit and retreat work. i am writing and seeking new avenues to be published. i am working toward the 2011 feast festival that will take place on april 15, 2011 in richmond, va. oh, there's more.

sometimes i think you'll intuit what's taking shape in my suzanne-sized-space, but how would that be possible? there maybe hints in photography or through stories. truly, sometimes i need to remind myself to be explicit. tell the story. you're living the life, now share it, too.

some parts of life are mine alone. while i blog for myself and for you, i live for me. i take myself to tea and seek glimpses of the sacred in each day. i practice being present in the moment, opening my eyes wide to life before me. i aim to listen and to listen well. i do what i am able, breathin in and breathing out.

i give myself breathing room. and i am so, so thankful. while this doesn't catch you up, it's a glimpse of {this} moment. my centering practices keep me in check and the rhythms of life stir within me. i can feel the need for more warm outdoor time to work in the soil. i sense the need to gather women together, to laugh, to toast, and to stitch a quilt i must complete.

my, oh, my. much is bubbling within. i feel like dancing. my yoga will be my dance tonight. may you find room to breathe, to dream, and to dance under the stars tonight or in your {this} moment. peace. delight.

a gentle reminder today:

i give myself permission not to be perfect.

life stories: inner wisdom

i trust my inner wisdom. i do not always listen. i trust my own voice. i do not always use it. i trust my heart. i share love. i trust my gut instincts. i do not always take risks. i believe in the power of goodness and kindness, knowing they are not always easily shared but in sharing them make life so much better. i believe in naming what is. naming what is not. naming without labeling. i believe in sharing myself as i am, in whatever form that is. i believe in the space and beauty of silence. the silence of not speaking. the silence of knowing. the silence of being known. i believe that we are called to certain spaces, faces, and tasks. i believe in giving of one's self freely. i believe in loving.

in the space of this moment, this day i create a manifesto for myself. i create it to name what is within my thoughts this moment, this day.

you may know that i love to analyze. i love self-awareness. i love balancing and centering practices in each day. i love to be me. in being me, i can over-analyze, become too focused on my own life experiences, and find myself annoyed when i think too hard about how my language influences others. so i stop, take a deep breath, and move on. i look into my own breath for the source of life. it's my breath that runs through this body, that connects with my spirit. i release breath into the space that surrounds me.

because i believe that the energy within us moves beyond ourselves to the space around us and has the potential to impact others, i practice mindfulness. i set aside the head space and plant my feet in the earth, rooting myself to the present moment. i am successful. sometimes i make mud pies with the earth and tears that pour from my spirit. other times i am watering the soil so that i can grow. yet, sometimes i am in a space of needing to quiet myself from the inside and rest.

i am where i am meant to be in this moment. i allow my thoughts to circle before me. i write what i am inspired to write. i move into my day with full awareness and gratitude. i move into february knowing there are tasks before me that will bring joy and awareness. i move into the month with plans and tasks. i am called to create. i am called to share. i am called to use my voice. may we each listen to inner wisdom, to the spaces of quiet and to our own voice.

where are you called today? does inner wisdom speak in this moment?

*wish full artist retreat* giveaway

for so long i've enjoyed reading the wish studio. i'll look forward to catching up on so much goodness over the winter months, including blogs whose posts fill my cup as i sip something hot, enjoying their goodness and wisdom.

the wish studio is offering a very special giveaway for a chance of one of three packages of goodness, including the THIS MOMENT e-course. i highly recommend you go on over, post a comment, and spread the word.

you can also register for mindy's THIS MOMENT e-course beginning in january 2011 for a $25 special until the 25th of December. i've registered. you should, too!

life stories: {this moment.}

this moment i am sitting on my resting bones. i am reflecting. i am living. i breathe into my lungs the breath of life and i give thanks. i am able to stop and picture what must happen throughout this day to move me into the spaces of promises made, hopes fulfilled, and reaching closer to a few dream stars. i am to move into spaces of sacred stories, filled with the goodness of women who are committed to be present to themselves and to one another. i move into spaces of mothering ways: getting a sweet boy ready for another day as "excellent jo star student" as he likes to be called this week.

i recognize the goodness that surrounds in the between spaces. between life and death. between understanding and cluelessness. between grocery lists and whole foods prepared. between handmade gift plans and the fabric that tops them. between the moments of sweeping the floors.

i am filled with a knowledge of the goodness i bring into this world and the spaces that i am to share that goodness. i know that the work of my hands brings delight, storytelling, and meaning to others. i am not afraid of that knowledge or sharing it here.

today i find space to sit still and be. today i make room to produce quickly, to check off the to-do's, and create a little space to sit in sadness and light a candle as a grandfather has passed from life to death to life.

this moment i find healing. this moment i find space. this moment i am a woman with a purpose, a calling. this moment i pursue that calling and create spaces for healing and presence in sacred storytelling for myself and others.

where are you this moment? sit. be. find your center. know you are loved. keep that in your pocket and pull it out when you need it most. i will, too.

life stories: {this moment} if nothing else

if i can do nothing else than be present to wonder,

if i can do nothing else than honor the food from the farm,

if i can do nothing else than thank the ones who loves me well,

if i can do nothing else than love those whom i treasure,

if i can do nothing else than attune my focus to this moment,

if i can do nothing else than to simply be,

i can be well.