giving thanks for all kinds of things!

Aaaahhh, a little catching up to do, and I got about half of this written, but something happened with the computer and it didn't get saved, so I begin again, with even more catching up.... But, I digress.  And work backwards.

Mon. 23 Jan.:  I give thanks for new friends.   I've been hearing about a 'this really cool chic' named Kristy through my friend Chloe for a few years now, and we recently connected both through Chloe and through the homeschool community.  She has three awesome kids too, and they came over today.  We enjoyed great interesting conversation, yummy snacks, and the kids got acquainted with one another.  Looking forward to more.

Sun. 22 Jan.:  I give thanks for working together.  Some high school friends came over today.  We are planning our class' first reunion - the 20th.  It's so interesting that here we are, having lived twenty years of life, coming together so that we can help others come together too.  And of course, Facebook and the internet make this so much easier.  :)  I'm thankful for that too. 

Sat. 21 Jan.:  I give thanks for cleanliness and order.  We spent a good portion of the day tending biz, and it's a much better vibe when the place is at least somewhat tidy and clean.  Atom and the kids played outside in the sunshine for quite awhile too, and the kids helped him stack some wood on the front porch.  I give thanks for fresh air and sunshine too.

Fri. 20 Jan.:  I give thanks for science.  Inquiry, reasoning, exploration, postulating, proving theories.  So satisfying for our minds that want to understand everything.
     Atom went to Brennan's for a little 'Zombie night'.   While he was gone, the kids and I did some drawing, and we read from a science book we have, simply titled Science by Time for Learning.  It's a great overview, and it's fun that Phoenix is getting old enough to participate in the conversation; we ask questions, guess answers, read a bit, look at the pictures, they interject, Adobe gives real-life examples, they laugh, get excited, and on to the next bit.

Thurs. 19 Jan.:  I give thanks for not having to pay for repairs when living in a rental.  We had some sorely needed maintenance work done around here today and yesterday, and times are a bit tight, so it's really great not to have to choose between 'just dealing with it' or dipping into savings to pay hundreds for a plumber and electrician.  

Wed. 18 Jan.:  I give thanks for running water.  I said before that 'I give thanks for (relatively) clean water to bathe in, cleanse with, and drink.'  I would love to have clean, pristine, pure, unpoisoned water running through my back yard.  If that were the case, I wouldn't even mind having to go outside to get it.  But, seeing as that is not the case, I sure am thankful for the modern convenience that brings water right to our taps, and hot at that!

Tues. 17 Jan.:  I give thanks for slow, cozy days.  We stayed in today.  Mostly.  The kids did go outside and play for a little bit, and I kept the fire going, but we mostly hung out and read, did some lessons, projects, some cleaning, some playing, Papa did the grocery shopping in the evening, we had dinner, watched a little something, and went to bed.

Mon. 16 Jan.:  I give thanks for creativity and daydreaming.  David, Kate, and Corriell came over for the afternoon.  I love them, some of my favorite people in the whole universe.
     Kate and David are good friends of ours who met independently of me.  I knew Kate from my Corcoran days - she was actually my pottery teacher there - wheel-throwing - when I was pregnant with Adobe (even though she's 2 years my junior ;), and although we were intrigued by each other, we didn't get to know each other well until after she and David became a couple a few years back. 
     Well, with them, they brought a Costa Rica fantasy.  It's not the first time I've had one.  It's been on & off for years, even though I've yet to go there.  But Kate and David, who have been there, are rekindling that fantasy, and honestly, I've never heard a bad thing about Costa Rica.
     What sounds really lovely is if we could do a year-long experiment, rent a large house together, our two families, for a relatively cheap price, put some feelers out, and see what happens.... Longer term, what would be ideal is if we could work in such a way to be able to spend chunks of time in both places.  Must verbalize the fantasies.
     And here's what the kids were up to while we fantasized.

the lovely Corriell

Phoe workin' his dough

Corriell's dough person

Adobe making a little crown

Phoe's dough head

Sun. 15 Jan.:  I give thanks for the bounty of nature.  We bought this mushroom growing kit - either from MOM's or Trader Joe's - and they are taking off, right on our kitchen rack.  It's a cool project.  They are easy to grow oyster mushrooms, and hopefully they'll be yummy.  The stuff in the box (which it grows out of) looks like some dense molded stuff with coffee grounds in it.  And the mushrooms coming out of there look beautiful.

Sat. 14 Jan.:  I give thanks for true love.  This one is a little long.

     You know how you've heard those stories of people meeting online, say through eHarmony or something like that, and they fall in love, and it's for real, they get married, and all that?!  I've got one to share.  My friend Laura met Matt through eHarmony, having joined on a fluke, and then carried on merely friendly conversation with him daily for a couple months as a romance slowly began to kindle, then over a few more months fanned to a full flame.  Now they have had two extended visits in person here, and they are getting married in the end of June!  Sounds a little crazy right?!  But guess what, it doesn't feel that way at all.  When you see the two of them together, it's like the most natural thing in the world.  And Laura has three kids who adore him who have also been corresponding regularly with him (thanks again to FB) and welcome him into their lives.  This evening, we spent the evening with Matt in the fold for the third time, laughed, told stories, had some serious notes, ate a delicious dinner, and toasted to a fabulous future for all.  Lovely story.
     Which reminds me of my own, totally different lovely story.  How I came to be with my true love, Atom.  I'll have to devote a whole future post to that one.

Fri. 13 Jan.:  I give thanks for healing.  We spent the evening at our good friend Chloe's house - the one who, as mentioned previously, has gone through a really difficult phase in her life and is continuing on into a new phase, thankfully with an amazing amount of strength, love, and support.  This was the most time, and the best time, we have had together in years.  There was healing energy in the house, for all.
     I love this woman and her children dearly.  We connected when I was going through a difficult period too, about 8 years ago, and we have been close ever since, even if months go by where we barely see or even talk to each other.  She held me up, literally, while I birthed my son Phoenix, and during that labor she was my main support other than Atom, and in addition to the midwife and birth assistant.
     It pains me so much when someone I love is suffering, and I am thankful it is true that 'This too shall pass'.  Sometimes we must remember that again, and again, and again.

Until next time....   

giving thanks for my mother, inspired cooking, and the arts

mom's cute webcam pic for her FB page

Tues., Jan. 10:  I give thanks for my mother.  She conceived me (with some help of course) and carried me in her womb, labored for 36 hours, and bears a scar where they finally decided to cut her open and remove me from her body.  Though I did not grow up with her (I was raised by my father from birth) we have always had a great relationship, one that has only grown deeper with time.  Those of you who know me well know the full story here - perhaps I will write it some time.  She is one of my best friends, one of the wisest women I know, and always a voice of reason in my life.

Wed., Jan. 11:  I give thanks for spontaneous inspiration in the kitchen.  Growing up, I think my dad may have cooked for us a total of 10 times, or maybe a few more, but I think at least half of those meals were hot dog sandwiches or franks and beans.  We ate out a lot of the time.  Sometimes, Eileen, my half-brother's mom who lived under us in the first-floor apartment of the house I grew up in, would cook dinner for me, but I didn't usually witness the process.

I did not grow up around anyone preparing meals.  The only memories I can really think of where I witnessed some major cooking was at my aunt's and granddad's on holidays, and that was some major cooking that went on for hours and hours, resulting in quite a feast, where you eat on and off all day.  Now, I'm a wife, and a mother of three, and there has definitely been a bit of a learning curve here.  I discovered in my adult years that I'm a pretty good 'intuitive' cook, meaning I keep healthy ingredients around and can usually hook up a good meal by throwing some of those ingredients together.  

However, cooking for yourself or one other person is one thing.  And, I've done alot of eating out in my adult years for sure, esp. since so many were spent leading a hustle 'n' bustle kinda life.  Now, I'm responsible for providing 3 meals a day for 3 other people (baby Din is still pretty exclusively on my milk) and myself.  This is no small feat.  Honestly, I'm usually wingin' it.  I'm not a recipe kinda gal.  Meal planning sounds nice, but it's not very realistic for me, given that I'm the type of person who often has difficulty planning beyond the next hour, except for really important things of course.  My main strategy is simply to keep good, healthy, yummy food around, and then see what comes together when it's time to eat.  (We don't have set meal times either.)

So what led to this post was a bit of spontaneous genius in the kitchen on Wednesday night.  At shortly after 7 pm, I thought, hmmm, what should we have for dinner?  I thawed some chicken in the nuker (in the basement - I resort to its' use in emergencies only ;), scrambled two eggs in coconut oil, added some frozen veggie fried rice to that, a few squirts of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, and threw the chicken in a separate pan with olive oil, drizzled with raw cider vinegar, added some Celtic sea salt and other spices, and then some fresh garlic.  Sounds good, but kinda a typical meal around here, and Atom and I have both been getting a bit 'bored' with food, so... I decided to put the rice on a corn tortilla, topped with the chicken, and then topped with a slice of cheese.  Popped into the toaster oven to melt the cheese, and voila!  Delicious.  Yummy yum.


Thurs., Jan. 12:  I give thanks for the arts, all kinds, for they have the ability to give voice to the heart, mind, and spirit, and release, inspire, feel understood, bring joy, and heal.  There has been a lot of grieving, reflecting, spontaneous weeping, and ruminating going on of late, off & on over the past few months.  (See a past post here and the FB page of a friend who left this world a few weeks ago here.)  It is making my thyroid ache.  As I said in that previous post, so much of the weeping and sorrow is not for my own grief, but for others' suffering.  I am an empath, and I think part of my purpose is to help transmute those very difficult emotions.  I just have to be careful not to let them get stuck in my body.

One of the things that helps me with that is listening to good music, and especially music that makes me want to sing.  So, yesterday I was listening to this really awesome album, 'Be OK' by Ingrid Michaelson.  Over and over.  It felt so good.  In fact, I think I'm gonna put it on repeat again, right now.  It's so awesome how sometimes just the right music comes on at just the right time, speaking to your life.  In this case, I felt like it was speaking more to my dear friend (who has just gone through the most difficult time of her life) than it was to me, but it helped, and I sang and sang, and sent her love all the while.

(As a sidenote, if you're suffering, or have ever felt suicidal:  Just don't get caught up listening to some sad music over and over while drinking copious amounts of alcohol when you're depressed.  That's a bad idea.  Switch it up.  Feel the misery, for a little while.  Then find something that gives you some shred of hope and happiness.  If you can't force yourself to stop wallowing, find a kid, yours or someone else's and hug them, play with them for 5 minutes.  That will make you feel better, at least for a little while.  Most kids have this great intuitive sense that tells them when you need a really good hug or a laugh.)

We hosted our co-op/tribe at our house yesterday.  I gave a lesson with a brief overview of the history of art from cave painting to the present, looking at the trends and styles that evolved over time, and the factors that influenced those trends.  And then, we painted.  Anything we wanted.  And it felt so good.  Here are ours.  The pics aren't great - I just took them on the webcam, but I'll share anyway.  

Phoe's painting: acrylic on cardboard.

Adobe's painting - her variation of Genevra DaBenci: acrylic on canvas

my painting - in progress still: acrylic on masonite

 My thanks for the arts is so infinite that I could write a whole book on it.  There will be more to come on the matter, I'm sure, but this post has been long enough already.  Visual and performing arts have pervaded my life for as long as I can remember.  My given name, Artis Mooney, aptly translates to 'wealth of art'.  Artis - Latin - 'of art'; Mooney - Gaelic - 'wealth'.

XO

giving thanks for my life, physical work, and lovely weather

Sat., Jan 7:  I give thanks for my life.  We went to a memorial service for a friend who chose to leave this world at the young age of 28.  The outpouring of love for this person was tremendous, and he left behind a family and huge crew of friends who will miss his presence so very much.  Life is such a gift, to be treasured, and though the road can be insufferable at times, we must always remember that others suffer too, that no matter how great our suffering, someone has it worse, and that 'this too shall pass'.  Count your blessings, and keep moving forward.

me & my sweeties in our backyard.  what you see is only a small fraction of the wood around here.  good exercise.  :) 

Sun., Jan 8:  I give thanks for physical work and a healthy body.  I stacked a ton of wood on the front porch today (all of which my darling husband first cut and stacked at the back and side of the house) - which was a good thing apparently, since we got snow yesterday.  I love work like this; it can be very meditative for me.  I am so happy to have a body that works well, with no major aches and pains, in cooperation with my mind and spirit.  During my last pregnancy I was so incredibly sore for a good number of months that I really understood how difficult it must be to live with chronic pain that never goes away.  At least I knew, or hoped, that mine would subside once this lovely little being finally emerged into the world.  I cannot imagine suffering like that with no end in sight.  I will offer the insight, however, that meditation helped me tremendously with the pain, on the days I had the wherewithal to make myself sit mindfully still for at least ten minutes. 

Mon., Jan 9:  I give thanks for the weather!  The snow was lovely, and it's nice to have a change of seasons, change of scenery, change of ambience, and yes, even a change of temperature.  It's so silly when we complain about the weather, and some people always seem to want it to be something other than what it is.  I love it all.  True, I'm a bit wimpy about the cold in wintertime, however, I have my awesome wood stove and that makes it so much more enjoyable.  I love keeping the fire burnin'.

extending into heavens

© artis mooney

This is a composite piece that began back in the 90s & has had its most recent incarnation last year as a gift for my husband Atom.  I made the drawing with him in mind when we were dating in our early twenties.  The poem was a separate stroke of inspiration, I believe when I still lived in New York, around the same time, created on an old typewriter.  At some point I combined them using a scanner & photoshop.  I performed the poem in Ireland as part of a show my friend Vivian conceived entitled "In Her Shoes".  Some parts of this were digitally painted, then this version was printed, and finished with watercolor & clear embossing fluid that is shiny and raised.  Enjoy.

why do it?

Why do I make art?  Why do I love photography so much?  What inspires me? 

This is a re-post on Inspiration from my photo site & blog that I wanted to share here...

My love affair with photography began when I was a child... with taking pictures of things that captured my eye or caught my breath - a ray of light, a shadow, an abandoned man-made object in a state of deterioration, anything in the process of decay, patterns in nature, textures, symbols of our mortality, metaphors for the passage of time, beautiful representations of life's wonder, and so on... When taking pictures of people, I always appreciated the beauty of the moment and enjoyed catching them just be-ing, doing whatever they were doing. I'd always cringe inside when I went to take a picture of someone and they'd stop, pose, & smile for the camera. It is the essence, not the facade, that interests me.

As an artist, my work deals loosely with the cycles of birth, life and death, which encompass human perceptions of time and space, ‘life story’, imagination, and consciousness of the world around us and the people with whom we interact. Every person lives a journey - some story that takes them from being born some time, some place, to dying some time, some place. In a sense, my work is an ongoing ingestion and digestion of everyday realities, of my experiences & memories - both recent & distant. It is the human experience and the wonder of the natural world that feeds my work more than anything else. As a fine artist, I express stories through visual metaphor. As a documentarian, it is the the moment, or collection of moments - seemingly frozen in time - which speaks volumes. It is my role to bear witness and express what I see through these eyes, in the form of beautiful photographic art.

I am all about bringing back keepsakes and family heirlooms. Especially in this digital age, when everyone has a point-&-shoot or a camera phone, I think printed photographs are really important. We all (myself included) have hundreds or even thousands of pictures that live in our computers, and we rarely see them other than as a flash on the screen from time to time. There is something to be said for an image that is tangible, right there in front of you, that you can linger upon, hold, & touch. I read recently that looking at photographs of loved ones can be a healing experience, especially if they are far away or no longer with you. No surprise there - how could a rush of love not be healing, even if it's mingled with pain? And even if it's someone you see every day - people change, all of us, and there is something really special about being able to remember someone just as they were at a certain moment in time. You see a photograph, and memories come flooding back.

As an artist, I share with you a bit of my story & the beauty I find in life. As a photographer, I help you tell your story. The way I see it, I don't capture the moment, I set it free, so that it can live on, for a lifetime, or more...

What makes you tick?  What inspires you?  What do you love about what you do?

meditation for sanity

ten minutes of stillness each day makes all the difference in the world.  to keep me from killing my family - just kidding :)     but really, life is stressful, especially when you're trying to balance so many roles and responsibilities.  now, generally speaking, i'm not an angry person, or one to just fly off the handle.  in fact, i have been told in the past that i have the patience of a saint.  but lately, it seems i've been losing my ground.  there has been a lot of yelling going on in the house.  this is hard to admit publicly, but i know most families probably have those moments.  it doesn't feel good.  when i can see myself from the outside, i think "whoa, who is that?!"  and i've heard myself saying way too often "aaaah, you guys are driving me crazy!"  the forces of evil are trying to infiltrate our (mostly) peaceful and lovely home.  we are all fire-y in this family.  i have been praying for help to use my fire to warm people, not hurt them.  so much of it lies in how you say something to someone.  this is very important to remember, whenever possible.  you can say the exact same thing two totally different ways, and it will be received quite differently depending on how it is delivered.

so, my routine has been to make a fire in the morning after atom leaves for work (i get up with him at 4:45 a.m.!) and meditate, sit quietly, whatever you wish to call it for a good ten minutes or so.  and i finish with a wish or two, or a few...  if i don't do it first thing, i try to make sure it happens fairly early in the day.  i haven't done this regularly for a few years now, sad to say.  i've been back at it for 3 weeks or so, and it really does make all the difference in the world.  when a stressful situation arises, i stay calm; even if the impulse arises in me to fly off the handle, i usually catch it before i blow.  and there is a difference in my way, my tone of voice, my body language.  i am the peacekeeper, the mediator.  i can help those around me to stay calm & see their way through conflict to resolve.  i love it.  i love my family.

have you had any experience with this?

not all doom & gloom + teleporting

just wanted to make clear that my posts will not be all doom & gloom since the last two posts were of the 'warning' type. but i do want to hip people to some info they may not be aware of. do what you will with it. many of the posts to come will be in the direction of affirmations, in other words, 'do this.....for a healthy life' rather than 'careful! don't do this!' i'm not an alarmist, and i believe it's important not to live a life of fear, and to constantly strive to shape words and thoughts in the affirmative rather than the negative. more on that another time...

a quick addition to this, just wanted to share an article my friend beth caporaletti had linked on her facebook page. pretty interesting: Scientists Teleport Matter More Than Three Feet.

i think i've got my own form of teleporting going on when i reach out and 'touch' someone, local or clear across the country, globe even. i've gotten really good at this. i like to call it 'psychic paging'. i'm thinking of someone, and next thing you know, they call, or write. the phone rings and i know it's them. or i'm thinking of them and try to contact them but miss them at that time. then later they say, 'that's so weird, i was thinking of you right around that moment you contacted me.' it happens so much it doesn't even surprise me anymore.