high priestess

...it was all about the necklace. The necklace had been created for a high priestess and possessed magic and mystery which only a high priestess would understand...


excerpt from a short story written years ago which is now included in a series about our relationships to jewels

love

Love the whole world as a mother loves her only child.
- Buddha (563-483 B.C.)

fresa

con corona de cristal,

con arete de brillar,

la fresa caminaba las calles,

sin darse cuenta que era fresa

from "Conversations with Fruit" a series in progress

originally published in 2007

sculpture

My son holding one of my sculptures...
I am excited about my new pieces still in progress...yes, they are worth the wait!

where the two worlds touch

"You must ask for what you really want..." - RUMI

11.11.11

"People call me the painter of dancers, but I really wish to capture MOVEMENT ITSELF."

- Edgar Degas

...Degas and I danced in the winds of imagination and memory, painting wishes upon whispers...

powerful beyond measure

let the liberating light shine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

- Marianne Williamson (b. 1952)

a beacon of peace

Oh Enlightened Buddha

Fill me with your light today

Steer me away from the darkness of anger

Oh Enlightened Buddha

Help me be a beacon of peace today

With only love and light coming my way

Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi...


a prayer that came to me after my yoga practice

mujeres de nicaragua

generation of women, generation of daughters, generation of mothers

MUJERES, what is your hope for Nicaragua?
MUJERES, who do you hold in your heart?
MUJERES, where is your voice?

PHOTOGRAPH:  from an ongoing series, "MUJERES" featuring the women of Nicaragua

Nicaragua con dolor hoy te pinto

2003 Untitled mixed media on canvas



Con lagrimas te sueño

Con lagrimas te extraño

Con lagrimas te baño

Bautizada amada NICARAGUA


Con lagrimas te siento nacer de mi vientre

Con sangre y orgullo

Con grito de guerra y fuego del mar

NICARAGUA ….Con dolor hoy te pinto


for my noble Father and his Motherland
Julia Casimira Sacasa de Checa

art of living

She wears butterflies in her hair and sings old love songs never forgotten. She sports a vintage pair of Chuck Taylor All Stars and tries not to use a cane when walking. When I hug her, she smells of fresh roses and baby powder. Once upon a time, she loved to cook and occasionally shares secret recipes. She is one of the greatest artists I have ever met, teaching me about the Art of Living.

originally published in November 2007

Nicaragua: imports & exports 1962

2007 "GREENTAPE" photographic study














"At school Meg was tired and her eyelids sagged and her mind wandered. In social studies she was asked to name the principle imports and exports of Nicaragua, and though she had looked them up dutifully the evening before, now she could remember none of them. The teacher was sarcastic, the rest of the class laughed, and she flung herself down in her seat in a fury. “Who cares about the imports and exports of Nicaragua, anyhow?” she muttered."

© 1962 Madeleine L’Engle from her book “A Wrinkle In Time"

rains of gold dance down all around



 delicate leaves of gold hold tight to their mother's branches,


father wind whispers encouraging words:


LET GO      FLY       SURRENDER


it is time

rains of gold dance down

all around


FREEDOM     INDEPENDENCE     SURRENDER

let's go out

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
- Albert Camus (1913-1960)

spend the day outdoors

a dream of dreams

he slept with the ebony queen

she dreamed with the ancient pharaoh of peace

the young prince prayed all night

muertos o vivos - todos somos los mismos

los espíritus me andan siguiendo

he soñado con muertos

con lunas llenas

con playas plenas

con diamantes y esmeraldas



hoy

día de los muertos

celebro mi vida

y la tuya también



hoy

día de todos los santos

me visto de luna

canto diamantes

bailo esmeraldas


muertos o vivos - todos somos los mismos

great pumpkin

"Dear Great Pumpkin,
I am looking forward to your arrival on Halloween Night..."

from the 1966 "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"
by Charles Schulz

2010 PHOTOGRAPH: my son running through a great pumpkin patch

hidden meaning serving evolution

"Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.” - Deepak Chopra

rain

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain."

- Dolly Parton

49 years young

“…If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.  For life and death are one, even as the river and sea are one…For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?  And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?  Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.  And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.  And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”              – Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

remembering my cousin

patience passion persistence

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
- Harriet Tubman (approximately 1818–1913)

contemplating patience, passion and persistence...

birthing new beginnings

she is everywhere

volcano mother

birthing new beginnings
 
photograph is from a series I began back in 2002

your cloth


if a human being is as fragile as a single thread...

is humanity the cloth made of countless woven threads?

who are the threads in your life?

what texture is your cloth?

originally published in 2007

spiral

life is a spiral...and what a beautiful and exciting sprial it can be !

1999 details from ceramic self-portrait

my chest, an open window

"Don't worry about saving these songs!

And if one of our instruments breaks, it doesn't matter.

We have fallen into the place where everything is music.

The strumming and the flute notes rise into the atmosphere, and even if the whole world's harp should burn up, there will still be hidden instruments playing.

So the candle flickers and goes out.
We have a piece of flint, and a spark.

This singing art is sea foam.
The graceful movements come from a pearl
somewhere on the ocean floor.

Poems reach up like spindrift and the edge
of driftwood along the beach, wanting!

They derive from a slow and powerful root
that we can't see.

Stop the words now.

Open the window in the centre of your chest,

and let the spirits fly in and out."

-RUMI

I dreamed my chest was an open window...and I woke up thinking of this poem, wondering what spirits wish to fly in and out of me...

rebirth, healing & wisdom

a diamond inside a strawberry inside a mouth, study for sculpture
At the edge of the sea with my feet in the sand, fiery red treasures appeared.

The ancient coral traveled hundreds of meters from the depths of Mother's womb up to the surface to greet me. I gathered several large nuggets of the protective amulet, symbolic of rebirth, healing and wisdom.

excerpt from a 2007 dream, part of a collection of short stories soon to be published in print

what is on your altar?

a stone buddha head found in a new york flea market,

a river rock that spoke to me,

a strand of seeds from the sacred valley of the incas,

an ancient necklace my brother gave me,

what is on your altar?

you can do anything

"Every failure, obstacle or hardship is an opportunity in disguise. Success in many cases is failure turned inside out. The greatest pollution problem we face today is negativity. Eliminate the negative attitude and believe you can do anything. Replace 'if I can, I hope, maybe' - with - 'I can, I will, I must.' "

- Mary Kay (1918-2001)

I CAN
I WILL
I MUST
BELIEVE it...and it shall be so...

shift relationship with time through forgiveness

forgiveness keeps us young, forgiveness keeps us light, forgiveness keeps us in love with life

who do we need to forgive?
who needs to forgive us?

"The act of forgiveness is the act of returning to present time. And that's why when one has become a forgiving person, and has managed to let go of the past, what they've really done is they've shifted their relationship with time. Forgive and call back the energy wasted on past events."
- Carolyn Myss

divine mother goddess - ocean of compassion

"Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother."

- Oprah Winfrey

I believe there is a mother within every woman.

She is the divine mother goddess who is an ocean of compassion...

How can we mother ourselves today?

awake

universe breathed LIFE,

wind whispered CHANGE,

spirit signaled FREEDOM,

I sense it all...I am awake...

birthday girl

 "be grateful to have been given one more day, let alone one more year. remember to dance in your nightgown, sing in the shower, ride a bike, fly a kite, and take an occasional "wind bath" in your bare skin. give those you love big kisses, huge hugs, and the words "i love you" often and always. nurture your body rather than starve your soul with fad dieting. spend time with the old and the weary to better appreciate your life. on your birthday, call your mother and father wherever they are to thank them for all that they have done for you. watch the movie "life is beautiful" at least once a year. remember that you are not guaranteed tomorrow and that today is as good as it gets. thank god for every thing, every day, every moment." - from a cosmetic bag that a dear friend gave me years ago

renewal

"Teach this triple truth to all:

a generous heart,

kind speech,

and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity."

- Buddha

Humanity renewed...I believe it happens one person at a time, one thought at a time, one action at a time.

las lluvias de mi tierra me enseñaron lecciones

"Desde que era muy niño, saltaba de alegría,
cuando la fresca lluvia de los cielos caía.

Chorros de los tejados, vuestro rumor tenía
el divino silencio de la melancolía.

Los niños con las manos tapaban sus oídos,
y oyendo con asombro los profundos sonidos

del corazón que suena como si fuera el mar,
sentían un deseo supremo de llorar.

Y como por la lluvia, todo era interrumpido,
se bañaban las cosas en un color de olvido.

Y vagaban las mentes en un ocio divino,
muy propicio a los cuentos de Simbad el Marino.

Las lluvias de mi tierra me enseñaron lecciones... ...
con Alí Baba, pasan los cuarenta ladrones.

Y cantaban mis sueños en la noche lluviosa:
¡Lámpara de Aladino, lámpara milagrosa!

Y al caer de la lluvia, la criada más antigua
desgranaba sus cuentos en una forma ambigua.

Otro de los milagros que en la lluvia, yo canto,
es, que al caer sus linfas, se pone un nuevo manto

mi ciudad que al lavarse... ...yo pienso en una de esas
austeras e impecables ciudades holandesas:

Una ciudad lavada, sin polvo, nuevecita,
donde reza el aseo su plegaria bendita.

Como, “pulvère procul” se lee en los pergaminos
de un noble de otros tiempos, por todos los caminos,

Cuando pasan las lluvias, se alegra y se extasía,
lejos, lejos del polvo, la profunda alegría:

La de andar sin pecado, por silencios de amor,
como un dulce ojo de agua de inocente rumor.

Si se libra el camino, del polvo –su pecado-
se vuelve como el santo de Asís, enamorado

de todas las criaturas, de todas las criaturas,
y a todas les ofrece sus blancas aventuras.

Son todos los caminos como flor de aventura
para el dulce Quijote de la Triste Figura."

- Azarías H. Pallais (1884-1954)

traveler's prayer

"May it be Your will, Eternal One, My God and God of my ancestors, to lead me, to direct my steps, and to support me in peace. Lead me in life, tranquil and serene, until I arrive at where I am going. Deliver me from every enemy, ambush and hurt that I might encounter on the way and from all afflictions that visit and trouble the world. Bless the work of my hands. Let me receive divine grace and those loving acts of kindness and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all those I encounter. Listen to the voice of my appeal, for you are a God who responds to prayerful supplication. Praised are you, Lord, who responds to prayer."

- The Traveler’s Prayer

found amongst my journals this morning as I prepare for a trip...

con luna llena y sol fuerte

remembering my Papa-Coco on his birthday



nació un 12 de octubre

entre cielos azules

y mares morados



los pájaros cantaban

las mariposas bailaban


amado abuelo


con luna llena

y sol fuerte

hoy te pinto de celeste

full moon

what do you thirst for?


take in tonight's full moon and tell her your dreams.

"Thirst drove me down to the water where I drank the moon's reflection."
 - RUMI

blessing

Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.


Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.


Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.


Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go.


Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you.


~Pueblo Blessing ~

happy 71st

"Imagine all the people living for today...

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

and the world will be as one..."

-John Lennon (1940-1980)

Happy 71st Birthday!!!

she is a tree

whispers of her sensual song...mother nature...

PHOTOGRAPH: from an ongoing series I began years ago and which I am being encouraged to publish in print...

she who heals

what needs to be healed in your life?


who do you need to forgive?

who needs to forgive you?



"She Who Heals:

Mother, sing me a song

That will ease my pain,

Mend broken bones,

Bring wholeness again.



Catch my babies

When they are born,

Sing my death song,

Teach me how to mourn.



Show me the Medicine

Of the healing herbs,

The value of spirit,

The way I can serve.



Mother, heal my heart

So that I can see

The gifts of yours

That can live through me."

- Jamie Sams

healing truth

"Truth, that fair goddess who comes always with healing in her wings."

- Anne Shannon Monroe (1877-1942)

beautiful

"Beautiful is how a woman lives.  Beauty is in the mind, not the mirror...What do you want to do with your life?  That is beautiful..." - Frederic Fekkai

mystery & miracle

"The entire being of a woman is a secret which should be kept."
- Isak Dinesen (1885-1962)

We all have secrets.

Secret recipes...
Secret fantasies...
Secret talents...
Secret places...
Secret dreams and longings...

I constantly discover secret aspects of myself...it is part of the mystery and miracle of life...

beauty & dreams

As the music started, the sun began to blush while the wind continued to breathe. One by one, they slowly emerged from the depths of the earth. Moving with rhythms of nature, the goddesses created a sacred circle and danced in beauty and dreams.

originally published in 2007, from my journals

hunting

"You wander from room to room hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck!"
- RUMI

casimira on stage

I was in Seattle, at a party of actors - intellectual theatre performers. One blue-eyed professor recited RUMI to me and concluded that I was born to be on stage.

from my journals