Beauties of Unfurl (Vol. 2 of 2)

snapping shutters

lots of hats

lots of baubles

comfy jammies

hushed conversations

erupting laughter

photo shows

 products to purchase

 coffee brewing

sunshine after rain

cavorting dogs

cavorting people

beach walks

sandy boots

 

shared stories

cheerful shops

shiva nata

photo walk

self-portraits

group portraits

cartwheels

stunning sunsets

candles burning

sharing light

treasured gifts

presence of those absent

champagne and sundaes

hugs and tears

hearts unfurling

pretty amazing...

Beauties of Unfurl (Vol. 1 of 2)

nervous anticipation

arrival relief

friendly faces

joy of reconnecting

hugs and tears

clattering dishes

fragrant aromas

tasty morsels

free-flowing wine

heartfelt sharing

flying needles

(knitting & crochet)

powerful poetry

poignant silences

presence of those absent

(you know who you are!)

baby ellie in tow

chocolate!

.........

lingering darkness

early morning rain

umbrellas

constantly changing skies

constantly changing light

mouth-watering breakfast

cozy workroom

trading packets

sharing supplies

sharing secrets

rotating canvases

music and paint

silence of creating

layer upon layer

altered photos

amazing results

(to be continued....)

Funny Thing Happened

i hope you aren't too disappointed to see that this post does not contain any photos of my recent trip to the oregon coast.  i’m getting there.  i wanted to tell this story first and it is related.  i promise.

yesterday i had to spend nearly 6 hours in the Portland airport and another 3 getting back to san diego.  total 12 hours from doorstep to doorstep including driving.  boring, right?  well, yes, normally it would be.  except the strangest thing happened.

keep in mind i was fresh from being enveloped by the warmth of 13 beautiful, creative scarf sisters (yes, kelly, you too!)  and basking in the glory of so many moods of the pacific.  and another round of shiva nata practice.  oh, and i just happened to have my camera, laptop, journal and ipod with me.

let me tell you, it was a whole different experience.  i swear i was in some kind of zone.  everything i looked at seemed like a photo op.  i was writing down random thoughts that occurred to me.   i stayed completely calm when i found out my flight was delayed.  again.

then when we took off out of sacramento there was an incredible sunset on one side of the plane and the rising full moon on the other.  no one even seemed to notice.  but i was drinking it all in.  to the tune of ottmar liebert and james blunt.

reality is doing a pretty good job of hitting me in the face this morning, but i feel ready.  bring it on.  more to come…..

Off to Unfurl!!

tomorrow i embark on a pilgrimage of sorts…. returning to a place and an experience that had a strong and lasting impact on my life.  the bepresent unearth retreat was the first time i had actively sought out a group of creative women in an attempt to connect with and learn from them.  i had gone on solo retreats before and felt comfortable doing so, but this was different.  something about the factors that made up this particular retreat drew me in, however, and it was just too alluring to pass up.

yes, it was slightly intimidating going to an unfamiliar place, then living for four days with 24 women of all ages that i had never even met.  my little worries turned out to be so unfounded.

i had no idea of the power and energy that could be generated by a group of open, accepting and creative souls.  no, no idea at all.

no idea that i would finally start to see myself as a creative person.

or that others would see things in me that i did not know were there.

or that i would be starting down a path that i didn’t even know existed.

or that i would be staying in touch with my new friends over a year later on a daily basis.

or that i would feel so strongly about retreating that i would start sponsoring

 my own retreats.

or that everyone there would feel so strongly about the connections that we would be prompted to have a reunion called UNFURL!

 so off i go to manzanita, oregon, so super excited to see everyone again.  well, not everyone.  not everyone can make it this time around.   those who can’t will be dearly missed, but they will be with us in spirit and are still 100% part of the group.  can’t wait.

oh, and guess what – there are more bepresent retreats planned for the future. you can read about them here.

Tendrils

i am fully engulfed

 in this moment,

my heart sending out

tiny tendrils

reaching beyond the confines

of this familiar space

to that which is beyond

tendrils of love

of hope

of joy

when the tendrils reach your space

they will grab on

and encircle themselves

around your heart

enveloping you

in an unbreakable bond

(keep them going....)