that's mrs. mediocrity to you

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AugustMoon2013:

If you had one wish – guaranteed to be fulfilled by the end of 2013 – what would it be?

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That you, yes you, the one who says I just want something to be real, would go and sit beneath an ancient tree until you weep with the joy of your own insignificance. Yes, the joy of it.

That you, yes you, the one who says I’m afraid of being unaware of absence, would go outside on the darkest of nights to look for the moon (which won’t be there) and instead get a glimpse of the Pleiades, which can only be seen from the corner of your eye.

And you, the one who says I want to be authentic, look at your hands, right now, any now, and hold them up to the light, any light. If you cannot see through them, then you are as authentic as anyone has ever been.

And you, yes you, the one who says I am lost. Look into your heart. There are flowers growing there, right now.

Bloom.

Wonder.

Wander.

Breathe.

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Wish.

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This post is part of AugustMoon2013. You can find out more about the project here.

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AugustMoon2013:

Have you accomplished your goals for the year?
What do you need to prioritize to end the year on a high note?

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New growth becomes old growth.

Seeds are set and spread,
leaves and petals are discarded.

Old growth makes room for new growth.

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This post is part of AugustMoon2013. You can find out more about the project here.

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AugustMoon2013:

Where have the highlights and low points been for you so far in 2013?
Where are you now? How would you like your year to end?

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Zeniths and nadirs. Two fabulous words.

This year, I’ve come to think of these things not as peaks and valleys, high and lows, good and bad, but as opposites on the same circle.

The circle of life.

Two words that can wave to each other across the ocean of existence. Two words that can swim towards each other and meet in the middle for perfect balance, mellow medium.

Two words that can only make sense by the existence of the other.

And the truth is, most of life happens somewhere in the middle. We hang out there most often, treading water, staying afloat.

Most days we slip off center, just a little. Some days we go off the deep end, other days we make it to the shallows and regain a little footing.

And then some days, we make it all the way to the horizon. But regardless of which side we end up on, those extremes only exist on the edges. And you can only hang out there for just so long. And then you need to swim again.

Life says so.

And I find this comforting.

At 50, I’m learning new things about life. It doesn’t run like a line on a graph, where standing on a peak doesn’t allow you to see into the valley. It runs full circle, it’s all connected, we’re all connected, and even when you do end up somewhere out there on one of those far edges, you can always see the other side on the horizon.

Just keep paddling.

Soak it up.

Drink it in.

Get your feet wet again and again.

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Diving into life.

That’s how I’d like my year to end.

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This post is part of AugustMoon2013. You can find out more about the project here.

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AugustMoon2013:

If you didn’t choose a guiding word, what word sums up your year so far?

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I didn’t choose a word this year. I waited, instead, to see if a word would choose me.

There have been a few that walked right up to me, looked me up and down, asked if I wanted to try them on for size.

“Magic.” “Small things.” “Permission.”

I liked them all, and the fit was pretty good, but then this month, acceptance walked up, gave me a big hug, and wrapped herself around my shoulders.

Settled in for a nice long chat.

And just like that, I had my word.

Acceptance.

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She and Susan and I have been spending lots of time together, out in the garden beneath a perfect gypsy sky. And don’t tell her I said this, but Susan is such a show off this year.

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This post is part of AugustMoon2013. You can find out more about the project here.

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AugustMoon2013:

Count the blessings you’ve had to be grateful for this year.

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Blessings. This is one thing I’m good at counting.

A while ago I saw a movie called
Happythankyoumoreplease
(with no spaces, just like that)

And while it wasn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen (though it wasn’t awful, either), I fell in love with this phrase and the idea behind it.

The idea behind it went something like this… “Happythankyoumoreplease,” is a way of looking at both the good and the bad and asking for more. “Don’t just say thank you, say ‘more, please.’”

And it fit right into to what I said the other day about waking up every morning and just being glad to be here, alive, for another day.

Another day to get the chance to say a funny little phrase: Happythankyoumoreplease.

So, count my blessings?

You bet I do.

I have a wonderful family, fabulous friends, a roof over my head, pets that I love, tea to drink every morning, books to read, chocolate, a very messy garden filled with life and lesson, good health, and also, you: the lovely people I’ve met through this blog who come here to actually read the words that never seem to stop pouring from my fingers.

Is my life perfect? Not by a long shot. That roof over my head has a leak in it, making a living as an artist is a constant struggle, and blah, blah, blah, I could make another whole list in this vein, just as long as the first one.

But I’m not going to.

I’m going to just say Happythankyoumoreplease and focus on the first list.

The good one.

The one that keeps me going when the second one tries to stand in my way.

Life is a rich tapestry of good and bad, light and dark, ugly and beautiful, joy and sadness.

And I am in love with all of it.

All of it.

That’s how many blessings I have.

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This post is part of AugustMoon2013. You can find out more about the project here.

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AugustMoon2013:

How do you intend to transition into the new season?

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Autumn is my favorite season.

These days, it’s also an extremely busy one,
with three large jewelry shows in addition
to my full-time job.

Any day I get to sit in my garden for
a few moments and feel the sun on my face
will be a good one.

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This post is part of AugustMoon2013. You can find out more about the project here.

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AugustMoon2013:

How have you treated yourself this year? Have you kept your intentions?

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I’m not very good at intentions. I’m not a planner, and while this gets me in trouble every so often, mostly, it works out okay.

I suppose it’s because I believe things happen the way they are supposed to. You know, the best laid plans and all…

Looking back at my posts from early this year, there were a couple of things that jumped out at me. The year of ordinary magic just sort of happened, and then, well… it didn’t. I mean, I wanted it to, but you can’t force magic now, can you? But there’s still time, and I’m still looking. Because, as I said then: “There is wonder all around us. But sometimes, we forget to remember to look.”

And then, I was miserable for much of the winter. In a new way for me, I don’t ever remember being miserable simply because of the season, or the weather. But I was. Pfft. I’m not one for looking back all that much either, and I don’t really want to go there again. Chalk it up to “perhaps it’s because I’m getting older” and that’s all I have to say about that.

And then, after winter, I got busy. With work. Really, really busy. Which was (is) a good thing. Sometime in April, as I was coming out of my misery, I wrote the quote above, probably as a facebook status. Probably in response to the daily barrage of “this is the path you should take” on social media that I veer away from every day.

How have I treated myself? The same way as always. I get up every morning glad to be here, happy to be alive. And I truly mean that. It’s not that I’m all giddy and happy every morning (if you saw me before I’ve had my tea you would be raising your eyebrows at the very thought), it’s just that I appreciate the fact that I have another day to travel through.

Without a map.

Because, you know, maps are for planners and I’m not a planner. And so, I draw my own. Every single day. Does it make my life more complicated than it needs to be? Perhaps.

But the truth is, I like being just a little bit lost most of the time. I like walking through the woods rather than on a path, any path, even the one less traveled by.

There’s so much more more to see when you wander amongst the trees.

Yes. The best, most beautiful parts.

This post is part of AugustMoon2013. You can find out more about the project here.