Don't Laugh

Yes, it's true. That is a Topsy Turvey planter, the kind you see on TV, and yes, 3 Heirloom Tomatoes plants were my Mothers Day gift, oh and 1 umbrella to fit the table on our front deck.
Now I can eat breakfast outside with the umbrella. Actually, I can have my expresso outside too. No hat needed with the umbrella. Yeah!
We planted the other two plants in separate pots and this morning I noticed 3 little tomatoes growing!!!
I like growing tomatoes on the deck because no scary tomato bugs can get to them!

May is a busy month for me with Mothers Day and at the end of the month our Anniversary.

I am so excited because this year I get a new camera! My old Canon eos was stolen from our truck :-(
I have waited 6 months for my Canon G11. Next time I post a picture of the tomatoes I will be able to take a good close up.

I am so grateful to cross it of the "items needed" list.

Peace, Love and Joy this month for you.

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day
Thank the Goddess today that it isn't raining and Morgan and I can go on a bike ride. Well that is if I am strong enough to lift our bikes off the garage ceiling and get them down to the floor.
I am looking out the window and giving thanks for the pine tree and green grass and the blue sky. I am giving thanks for the awesome and wonderful circle house (earth) we live on.
I am grateful for the fruit trees, vegetable plants, nut trees, animals, insects (even spiders except when one is on the shower ceiling when I am showering) rivers, bays, and oceans. The geysers and volcanoes too. Even the things I can't remember right now but I am sure to remember once I post this :(
Being about the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) here is an earth fact:
Never underestimate the importance of recycling: if every newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year. Unfortunately only 27% of all American newspapers are recycled.
Love, joy, peace, patience-Gaelen

HAPPY EASTER

Happy Easter! This is Morgan's drawing of spring.
I have just a few minutes to finish this blog as we have 50 chairs to pick up for our spiritual center, I have to cook a ham for the Easter potluck, put together hats for our youth and family group, go to the market, take a shower. My To Do List today feels like it is never ending. I did vacuum the top of our refrigerator as a spring cleaning thing this morning though.
I was trying to remember Easter with my family and I guess we didn't do anything for Easter. I do remember all of us getting into the car to go to my grandmothers when I was 5 or 6. I also remember I got plastic golf clubs. I kinda remember getting new dresses that we would get dolled up in. I suppose I could ask Colleen and Carrie what they remember about Easter. Now that my parents have passed I guess I could make it up. I think I will tell Morgan that Easter was a lot of fun, filled with good food, spending special time with family and friends, feeling grateful for the energy of the winter melting away with the new growth of life. I am sure that is what my Easter will be about this year. I hope yours is too!
Blessings

Erin Go Bragh

Ireland Forever! I am mostly Irish and I do really like St. Patricks Day. I was raised Catholic and yes, it is a day of wearing green but a shamrock works too. Although green is my least favorite color to wear, I usually wear a lime green jacket.
Now that Morgan is in the 1st grade I have tried to distinguish what is actually alive and not a made up story. So anyway I really haven't mentioned rainbows, pots of gold and Leprechaun's. This year in class there was an assignment to make a Leprechaun trap. Not much into that myself I did let Morgan use a whole roll of tape to construct her own. I even made green pancakes that morning. I was proud that Morgan even ate one. My friend e-mailed me, "I would eat those too, syrup makes everything taste good. " Which is actually true. I put maple syrup on everything, and did eat the green pancakes and they were just like a not green pancakes, yet I usually eat buckwheat pancakes that are mostly brown-ish. It is nice to have spring arriving though having spring alergies is problematic. Happy Spring :)

MORGAN'S PEACE POLE HEART

Happy semi-belated Valentines Day!

This is not only a story of Love, but a story of Hearts Desire and wishes being full filled.

Last year Morgan's class made a peace pole. The heart tile that Morgan made was soul centered for me. Desiring it really wasn't an impulse. I could see Morgan's love in that heart. Her beautiful creativity. The Divine power of Love that sets you free.

I so desired that peace pole! and I almost purchased it, yet I remembered there were other things that I actually desired and needed. At the auction it sky rocked over $1,000.00 and I choose to let it go. After the auction one of the people working on the peace pole let me know that the heart above is the first one she made. They couldn't use it because of the way the Spackle was attached. She had to make a second one which they attached to the pole. So my soul centered desire, my wish was given to me. The Universe is a magnificent place.

Morgan's heart tile now sits on our bathroom counter. I am so grateful. It constantly reminds me of Love energy that is ever present. The Love that heals and sets you free.

Valentines Day is a reminder that Love is Life itself. I often sing this Buddhist prayer to myself.

May you be filled with Loving Kindness.

May you be well.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

May you be happy.

Blessings, Gaelen

Turning 45

What is turning 45? I am not exactly sure.

I do remember when I was 25ish I found my first gray hair. I pulled it out of my scalp, taped it to a black piece of paper and gave it to my sister saying,

"You gave this to me."

Now that I have a whole lot of gray hairs, who can I blame? I guess there is no one to blame.

Is that why so many people dye their hair? Would it help me if I didn't see my gray hair?

Living in Marin with oh so many green people, I don't see too many people with a lot of gray hair.

Are most of the "Don't polish your nails" people and "Bring you own shopping bags to the grocery store" people dyeing their hair with toxin free hair dye?

As it is written on the back of my business card "Thinking makes it so" I guess I should start there.

Is getting older a scary thing? Well yes, to me it sort of is. Does this have anything to do with gray hair? Actually, not really. Is about change? Realizing that daily I change?

I suppose it is. I guess it does boil down to "Thinking make it so."

A received an e-mail from a friend that said, "Time flies, but luckily our kids get older and we keep feeling the same age." Remembering that I am 40ish helps.

Turning 7

Morgan turned 7 and it was so much fun! I don't know what is more surprising that she's 7 or I'm seven years older.

2010 Predictions from ... Beyond.

I really love the positive energy of this message but I like it best with the sound turned down so I can read it.

2010 intention

Yes, I did write more but these words are the essence of it. Please be sure to set your intentions.

happy holidays love the coopers

Turkey With a Little Help

Its me holding the Turkey roasting pan. That is my friend Jo who stood in as a mother figure.

Jo really helped me as I have to say I had no idea how to cook a 22lbs. turkey. Other than putting the turkey in the over I think it was the last time I touched the pan. Jo grabbed the turkey and got it all ready to put in the roaster. I just watched her. Oh, I did hand her the string to tie it all up. I took a small nap while it cooked and Mark basted it every 20 minutes. At least that was the first hour. He quickly realized how fast 20 minutes goes by so he changed to every 30 minutes. I would have helped him baste it but there was no way I could lift the turkey across the oven. I got to be the "time to baste the turkey person" Morgan watched the dog show and parade.

We had 16 people over from our spiritual community. Each person brought a side dish so I suppose it was a Thanksgiving potluck. The turkey was great and it was a whole lot easier to just cook the turkey and make some stuffing than cook all of the side dishes too.

Everyone was gone at 6:00 to see a movie. Mark, Morgan and I just relaxed and watched something on Disney. Something about a mouse whose name I can't spell.

Usually I call my Aunt in Boston and some friends. I even send out a Happy Thanksgiving e-mail. I think the 22lbs. turkey and 16 people at my house spooked me. I didn't do any of those things. Oh yeah, I took some extra strength Tylenol. Even my 75 year old Aunt sent an e-mail on Thanksgiving. I don't think her son even helped her. Carrie sent me a text message. Colleen and I spoke on the phone. I guess it was a "just talk with your sisters" kinda Thanksgiving.

So this is your, "I Hope Your Thanksgiving Was Love Filled." e-mail.

YES THATS THE DOG PJ'S I MADE

Well, I really wanted to post a YOUTUBE video of me but I am running out of time to do so. I have a name for my studio, STUDIO G. I am even going to have a script sort of, thank you to my sister for suggesting that I need one. :)

Anyway this is a picture of Morgan making cupcakes and wearing the PJ's of dogs that I made for her. Baking in the winter is a ton of fun and Morgan loves it. Though I would have to say I do more of the clean up than she does. Autumn is a great time to retreat to quieter indoor pursuits relaxing, reading, listening to music, knitting, singing. Going to bed early. Drinking tea. Remembering to let go of worry and fear and to replace it with the knowing that all is well. Have a TV dinner without watching TV. The best thing for me lately is not watching any TV. Ok I do watch FoodNetwork but no news. I find myself feeling better by not trying to have any judgements so the less I watch what I don't like makes me feel better. Morgan just came over to me in the office and said to me, "Do know what NBT means?" "I said no I don't know what that means." "Morgan said it means NEXT BIG THING" Wow I love that. So what is your next big thing?

I skipped the month of September so I could have a blog break. Relax. Live in joy.

I know I am not the only one who has been extremely busy as I hear the same thing from a lot of people. It sure is time to press the pause button on the fast forward of my life.

I have been so grateful for everything I have lately. A friend of mine commented on how she doesn't like to be away from her Apple computer and I would have to say that is true for me too. As I work on this blog I am listening to the radio on iTunes on my laptop. So I guess my NBT is to continue to be grateful.

life with gaelen 8/3/09

well i sure do hope this works!

I am on YouTube :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PjchT5ikVs

Yes, now that you are at my blog I am asking that you click on the above link and see my video blog. This is just a trial until I can figure out what else I can do. It will only take a few minutes.

It's Me Live

DON'T HURT A SPIDER

Yes, I've heard stories about people who don't kill animals, don't kill humans, don't kill themselves but to speak the truth I have killed spiders. I am not for killing anyone or anything, yet I have killed spiders. I hook up the hose to the vacuum and suck them up. Before I play executioner I say, meet your maker. I started to feel bad about killing spiders so I asked Mark to kill them for me. Myself being just so afraid of creepy, crawly spiders I did not see the need to have them hang around the house. When I heard Morgan say she was afraid of a spider on the ceiling I new that my fear of spiders was what had sunk into Morgan.

In an attempt to be kind to spiders I put on house cleaning gloves and would have Morgan open the back door and then I would take the dust pan and chase the spider onto it and run out the back door and set the spider onto the deck. We would then celebrate how we were the hero's that saved a spider. I remembered that our house spiders don't really live that long and aren't always around the house although when I walked around the house to take today's out of focus picture I did see a few. Now that I've tried to make friends with house spiders I am not as scared of them as I use to be. I just leave them alone and they stay away from me.

In thinking about war today and the many people being killed across the globe, why is it we choose to not to be kind and loving? Why not choose peace? I have chosen to make peace with spiders and it feels great. Why not choose peace today?

The Future is here NOW

Well, I changed the type face thinking if I could see it better it might help me to think of something to write about but as I am typing this I am putting a CD in iTunes so I can sync it with my iTouch. 

The iTouch is great. I remember in 1983 when I would listen to music with a hand held Sony CD player. If I wanted to hear it on the radio I would hook it up by inserting a cassette into the radio. It was large but worked. 

Now 23 years later not only can you put music on the iTouch. Not just one CD but all of your CD's and all of your phone numbers, your calendar, photos, check the weather, look at todays stock market, check your e-mail, see what time it is, check out the web, look at travel maps, watch YouTube and my favorite listen to Podcasts. 

By the way it is so small. You can put it in your pocket. 

The future is here NOW and it is great.

Yes, I do believe that right now there is plenty to be grateful about. 

My heart has been opened to compassion. I don't watch the news but people I know have lost their job, people I know have lost their home, people I know have lost their hope. I have sympathy and concern for others misfortunes yet I know that everything encountered has a valuable lesson. 

Once long ago I was released from a job that I really enjoyed. I was scared and hurt. I was confused. I was living in a dark night of the soul. 

I listened to my intuition and acted on it and began to follow my heart. I began to release my resistance to losing my job. The more I let go of my unhappiness the more room I had to fill myself back up with happiness. 

Learning how to deal with healing myself in difficult times was indeed a large lesson and I am I am so grateful for it. 

I remind myself that God is in this experience and only greater good can come from it and I rest in that Truth.   

As Emerson says "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen."

I am watching deers outside of my window and getting distracted, which is where I don't want to be.
So far in 2009 I have been distracted, hopeful, busy sewing Morgan an Easter dress (look at above picture), knitting a red scarf, (I will post a picture when I am done working on the scarf) and poking around on Facebook.
Yes, I was doing Internet poking around. While checking things out I came across a family picture where one member of the family was crying and it looked like no one noticed. 

I thought, what would I do if someone was crying? 

Then I thought, what would I like if I was crying? 

Understanding, Love, a Hug, Kindness, Forgiveness.
So while thinking about this I learned that forgiveness is a great thing to think about but a difficult thing to do. 

I focused on forgiving people who I felt slighted by.

I focused on opening my heart for safe passage of hurt feelings. 

I realized the more I opened my heart the better I felt. 

The more I remembered, "The God who caused the question to be asked is the God who has the answer" (Doris Jones) 

Gradually, I felt better and didn't feel like I was riding an elephant. (Morgan's drawing)

I do Love the way all things work out if you have patience and trust. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wow it's 2009. Time sure is moving rapidly. Of all the things I would like to write about this month, I figure I should start with the inaugural address.
"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord." (if you would like to read the inaugural address visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/)
Yes, I cried during most of the address. Yes, I printed it up and offered it as reading material for parents at Morgan's 6th birthday while their children did gymnastics. Yes, I am more than excited to have Barack Obama as the president of the United States of America. Yes, I am crying now even thinking about it.
As Emerson says "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." It is with confidence that I know where ever my travels lead I have chosen hope.

Its Christmas again? That was a very fast 365 days.

Yes, that's me, Mark and Santa. I didn't ask Santa for anything. Well I did think of asking for Peace in the world, only I know that each person on the planet has the choice to be at peace. A choice to bring a sense of peace to our lives and the lives of others. Peace is something you can catch. Sort of like catching a cold. When others have it you can get it too. When I am peaceful Mark and Morgan are peaceful. I look forward to the world being at peace. Inspiring others toward peace-full-ness brings me peace-full-ness.
This year for Christmas I am giving invisible gifts. Love from my heart, a gentle smile to strangers, peace in my actions, joy in my voice, hugs for everyone and remembering that Spirit lives inside of me.
Blessings to everyone in other spiritual teachings. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Taoism