CASIMIRA

CASIMIRA
HERstory through ART
With words and images, I am telling my story.

Through art, I am remembering HERstory...

I've been blogging daily since 2007.

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Updated Daily: January 2007 - February 2020

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Tuesday, December 31

mad lover of the dance: 2013

What a mad love affair I've had with this year! 2013 swept me off my feet into various dances, each of which led to profound lessons about life, love, forgiveness and healing. 

I am grateful for all of the blessings, including some that may still be in disguise...

I release 2013 with love as I open my mind, body and soul to the New Year...



Monday, December 30

still kissing me in dreams, in thoughts


"Nothing can shatter this love. For even if you took another into your arms, the truth is, my sweetheart, you would still be kissing me." - HAFIZ


Sunday, December 29

with each breath

balance...how do you achieve balance ?

"The concept of balance defines our Universe. The cosmos, our planet, the seasons, water, fire, and earth are all in perfect balance." - Dr. Wayne Dyer


Saturday, December 28

messages from the universe

Are we awake to the subtle signs and messages the Universe continuously sends us? I stopped believing in coincidence decades ago...





Friday, December 27

into the peace

"Out of the strain of the Doing,
Into the peace of the Done."
- Julia Louise Woodruff 

can we be at peace without doing?

Thursday, December 26

do you ever feel this way?

- 2009 photograph -
standing at the doorway -

wanting to step in -

trembling out of fear or delight or both...


Wednesday, December 25

Merry Christmas

the REAL santa
"It came without ribbons!

It came without tags!

It came without packages, boxes or bags!...

...Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" - Dr. Seuss


Tuesday, December 24

divine sacredness dances within

- a corner of my home with one of my latest mixed media on canvas paintings -
how do you taste sacredness?

when do you sense the divine?

"Oh soul, you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less, why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul." - RUMI

divine sacredness dances within each of us




Monday, December 23

my wish list

a feather
-
a stone
-

a crystal
-
a kiss
-
a poem
-
a photograph
-
a drawing
-
a whisper
-
a smile
-
a prayer
-
a seashell
-
a moment
-
a breath
-
a memory

"Remember this December,
That love weighs more than gold!"
- Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

A piece of paper with LOVE scribbled on it is more valuable than any other gift, even gold.

A relaxed and peaceful state of being is more appreciated than a tired, stressed out state.

Take a nap instead of wrapping those last gifts...

Sip a cup of tea and contemplate the true meaning of the season...



Sunday, December 22

remembering His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda

Sri Gurudev playing with me, circa 1973-1974
His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda was born on December 22nd in 1914.  I celebrate beloved Gurudev, today and always...OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti...


Saturday, December 21

Mother Night births The Sun - Winter Solstice

"Circle round, and I'll tell you a story about when the sun was born again...

It was the middle of winter, and the sun had grown very old.  All year long the sun had worked very hard, rising and setting day after day.  All year long the sun had fed everybody on earth, shining and shining, giving energy to the trees and the flowers and the grasses so they could grow and feed the animals and birds and insects and people...

Night felt sorry for the sun.

"Come to my arms and rest, child." she said. "After all, I am your mother.  You were born out of darkness, billions of years ago, and you will return to me when all things end.  Let me cradle you now, as I shelter every galaxy and star in the universe."

So Night wrapped her great arms around the sun, and the night was very long indeed...

Every time a child said thank you, the sun began to feel a little warmer, a little brighter.  Wrapped safely in the arms of Night, the sun grew younger and younger...For in the long night the sun had rested well and grown young from the songs and the thanks of the children, young as a brand-new baby, born out of Night once more.

"The sun has returned!  The sun is reborn!" the people cried.  And they danced and sang to celebrate the birth of a new day..." - STARHAWK


Friday, December 20

staying centered

- a dear resident from the nursing home in Granada wears one of my solid sterling silver sculptures -
"I have the ability to stay poised and centered regardless of what goes before me.

The heavy is the root of the light.
The still is the master of unrest.

Realizing this, the successful person is poised and centered in the midst of all activities; although surrounded by opulence, he is not swayed.  

Why should the lord of the country flit about like a fool?  If you let yourself be blown to and fro, you lose touch with your root.  To be restless is to lose one's self-mastery. " - Dr. Wayne Dyer


I have the ability to stay poised and centered regardless of what goes before me...that is my mantra for the next few days...

As I sense others' anxiety and nervous energy, I concentrate on my breath...



Thursday, December 19

in my element

- mixed media from a series -
I dreamed with blue waters and blue skies.  Enormous waves crashed into each other and flooded the plaza.  I was delighted.  I noticed others running away, afraid of the tsunami waters.  I felt excited and powerful, like a mermaid coming home, completely in my element...

from my dreams last night

Wednesday, December 18

Paris in December


dreaming of Paris...

what place in the world speaks to your soul?

there are many places I wish to travel to...



Tuesday, December 17

many women in me

- mixed media on paper -
"I take pleasure in my transformations.
I look quiet and consistent,
but few know how many women there are in me."
- Anais Nin


the little girl full of wonder

the adolescent ready to rebel

the shy young woman waiting patiently

the lover free of any inhibition

the silent and committed wife

the nurturing mother giver of life

the storyteller

the dancing warrior of light

the high priestess

the healer

the shaman

the goddess

the channel

the alchemist

the crone

the artist


from my journals



Monday, December 16

projections

- 2012 mixed media from series -
"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."
- Carl Jung (1875-1961)

constantly working with projections
constantly working on my self
welcoming the lessons
welcoming the teachers
welcoming the mirrors
always with gratitude and humility

Sunday, December 15

secrets of the soul

- 2013 mixed media on paper -
"There is nothing else in that little temple except deep silence, revealing to the living the secrets of the goddess and speaking wordlessly of past generations and the evolution of religions.  Such a sight carries the poet to a world far away from the one in which he dwells and convinces the philosopher that men were born religious; they felt a need for that which they could not see and drew symbols, the meaning of which divulged their hidden secrets and their desires in life and death.

...We met secretly in the old temple, remembering the old days, discussing our present, fearing our future, and gradually bringing out the hidden secrets in the depths of our hearts and complaining to each other of our misery and suffering, trying to console ourselves with imaginary hopes and sorrowful dreams.  Every now and then we would become calm and wipe our tears and start smiling, forgetting everything except Love; we embraced each other until our hearts melted..." - Kahlil Gibran

secrets...
secrets of love, secrets of the soul...



Saturday, December 14

suppressing any desires for attention

- mixed media detail from one of my journals -
Should you want to contain something,
you must deliberately let it expand.
Should you want to weaken something,
you must deliberately let it grow strong.
Should you want to eliminate something,
you must deliberately allow it to flourish.
Should you want to take something away,
you must deliberately grant it access.

The lesson here is called
the wisdom of obscurity.

The gentle outlasts the strong.

The obscure outlasts the obvious.

Fish cannot leave deep waters, and a country's weapons should not be displayed.

I seek out obscurity by suppressing any desires for attention or recognition.

- Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Dr. Wayne Dyer

from my early morning yoga and meditation this morning


Friday, December 13

poetry of kisses

- 2013 watercolor from 1000 Kisses Deep series -
"Every place where His mouth touched my body a poem came out.  And there is not one speck of me He did not kiss..." - HAFIZ

Thursday, December 12

y que ponte los zapatos de tacón y taconea

- 2007 mixed media -
"Es por culpa de una hembra
que me estoy volviendo loco.
No puedo vivir sin ella,
pero con ella tampoco.


Y si de este mal de amores
yo me fuera pa' la tumba,
a mi no me mandeis flores,
que como dice esta rumba:


Quise cortar la flor
mas tierna del rosal,
pensando que de amor
no me podria pinchar,
y mientras me pinchaba
me 
enseñó una cosa
que una rosa es una rosa es una rosa...

Y cuando abri la mano
y la deje caer
rompieron a sangrar
las llagas en mi piel
y con sus petalos
me las curo mimosa
que una rosa es una rosa es una rosa...


Pero cuanto mas me cura,
al ratito mas me escuece,
porque amar es el empiece
de la palabra amargura.


Una mentira y un credo
por cada espina del tallo
que injertandose en los dedos
una rosa es un rosario..."

- J.M. Cano

amanecí muy Española...olé...
y que ponte los zapatos de tacón y taconea...

I woke up with this song in my mind...
Spanish dreams perhaps...


Wednesday, December 11

goodbye my lover goodbye my friend

- 2007 sketch from my journals -

"Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you if you'd only care.
You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.
I've kissed your lips and held your hand.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
I am a dreamer and when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.
And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.
I've watched you sleeping for a while.
I'd be the father of your child.
I'd spend a lifetime with you.
I know your fears and you know mine.
We've had our doubts but now we're fine,
And I love you, I swear that's true.
I cannot live without you.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
And I still hold your hand in mine.
In mine when I'm asleep.
And I will bare my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow..."

- Sacha Skarbek, sung by James Blunt 



Tuesday, December 10

seven ceviche dancers in the snow

- 2007 mixed media study -

Seven ventured out in the midst of ice and snow.

They laughed and ate ceviche,

waiting for the dancers to appear from behind red velvet curtains.


a true story from my 2007 journals

Monday, December 9

you would still be kissing me

- 2013 mixed media on canvas -
"Nothing can shatter this love.

For even if you took another

into your arms,

the truth is,

my sweetheart,

you would

still be kissing me." 

- my beloved HAFIZ (who else?)



Sunday, December 8

my lips next to your cheek

- 2013 watercolor from the series titled "A Thousand Kisses Deep" -
"I saw you last night at the gathering,

but could not take you openly in my arms,

so I put my lips next to your cheek,

pretending to talk privately." - RUMI




Saturday, December 7

¿Quién causa tanta alegría?

2007 mixed media featuring the interior of León's cathedral
Who causes so much happiness?

This is the cry of millions of Nicaraguans during the December 7th “La Griteria” (The Shouting) celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. An elaborate altar is set up with fresh flowers, lights, candles and more. Celebrants gather to sing prayerful hymns to Mother Mary. After the singing, massive amounts of food are distributed. Everything from oranges with colorful little flags, candies made of condensed milk and coconut, tamales wrapped in dark green plantain leaves and a sweet pink drink made of corn. The tradition began somewhere between the 18th–19th century in the majestic colonial city of León, Nicaragua.

I have always seen “La Purisima” (The Purest) as a fascinating pagan-like ritual, one of my favorite parts of growing up Catholic. As a child, I believed we were honoring all the mothers, all the women and not just a statue of a pretty fair-skinned lady dressed in blue draping gowns. Even more so today, I like to believe the songs, the prayers and food honor and celebrate the goddess in every woman...

originally published in 2007

goddess mother everywhere
more than ever
we need you

Friday, December 6

soul searching

- 2013 mixed media on paper -
"Essence is emptiness.
Everything else, accidental.

Emptiness brings peace to your loving.
Everything else, disease.

In this world of trickery
emptiness is what your soul wants." - RUMI

what the soul wants...

what does my soul want?

what does your soul want?





Thursday, December 5

I will never be with you, but we shared a moment

- mixed media from a series -
"My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure.
She smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
But I won't lose no sleep on that,
'Cause I've got a plan.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

Yes, she caught my eye,
As we walked on by.
She could see from my face that I was,
Flying high.
And I don't think that I'll see her again,
But we shared a moment that will last 'til the end.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face,
When she thought up that I should be with you.
But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you." - James Blunt



Wednesday, December 4

I am a work in progress

- 2013 mixed media on canvas from a series exploring painting as poetry and meditation -
"Life is a constant and patient teacher.  Lessons come to us and return to us for our greater mastery.  As we acknowledge and appreciate our gains, we minimize our losses.  Focusing on our strengths, our weaknesses slip away as we build on on bedrock of right action.  All lives are a mixture of gain and loss.  As I choose to acknowledge the negative while focusing on the positive, I acquire a steadfast foothold of reality.  Allowing for improvement while not expecting perfection, I am a work in progress.  By embracing a willingness to learn as well as an attention to lessons learned already, I find myself both healthy and humble.  I am right-sized and right-minded.  A resilient optimism holds away.

Today, I choose to practice alert attention to the lessons life is teaching.  I consciously strive to see my options and choose wisely.  I avoid the pitfalls of the past.  I act decisively yet with discretion.  I am a student of life." - J. Cameron


message from today's early morning yoga and meditation




Tuesday, December 3

surrender to wonder

- 2013 mixed media from series -

“She wasn't doing a thing that I could see, except standing there, leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.”

- J.D. Salinger


holding the universe together...
each of us plays a role in holding the universe together...
through each breath, thought, word...
remember to see beyond your eyes...
see with all of your senses and trust...
simply surrender to wonder...

from my early morning yoga and meditation this morning



Monday, December 2

zen motherhood


sit quietly doing nothing,

spring comes and the grass grows by itself.

- ZEN proverb

Maternal instinct is that protective wild lioness, unafraid to use claws and jaws...unafraid to risk life and strength for her child.

However, sometimes the best protection is allowing our children to learn on their own. Empower them to distinguish danger and yet be unafraid. Show them by example how to get up and stand after a fall.

from my journals


Sunday, December 1

transforming energy

- limited edition mixed media photographic print -
- a luxurious notecard most suitable for framing -

"I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues."
- Duke Ellington

you are invited to visit and shop online CASIMIRA GALLERY


Saturday, November 30

lovers in each other all along

“The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They are in each other all along.” – RUMI

he kissed me (my first kiss)
19 years ago
today

he married me
11 years ago
today

his kiss still makes me blush...


Friday, November 29

a whispery sensation

- do you trust your gut?  I do... -
"Learning to trust your instincts, using your intuitive sense of what's best for you, is paramount for any lasting success. I've trusted the still, small voice of intuition my entire life. And the only time I've made mistakes is when I didn't listen. 

It's really more of a feeling than a voice—a whispery sensation that pulsates just beneath the surface of your being. All animals have it. We're the only creatures that deny and ignore it. 

How many times have you gone against your gut, only to find yourself at odds with the natural flow of things? We all get caught up in the business of doing, and sometimes lose our place in the flow. But the more we can tune in to our intuition, the better off we are. I believe it's how God speaks to us. 

For all the major moves in my life—to Baltimore, to Chicago, to own my show, and to end it—I've trusted my instincts. I take in all the information I can gather. I listen to proposals, ideas, and advice. Then I go with my gut, what my heart feels most strongly. 

And I often tell friends: When you don't know what to do, do nothing. Get quiet so you can hear the still, small voice—your inner GPS guiding you to true North. " - OPRAH




Thursday, November 28

thanksgiving recipe

- my son in the wonderful woods -
5 pounds of gratitude

2 cups of forgiveness

4 cups of laughter

spice with a tablespoon of mischief and a pinch of mystery

add wonder to taste

mix well and serve with dance, joy and light


wishing each of you a blessed holiday


originally posted a couple of years ago


Wednesday, November 27

matriarchal muse

- my beloved grandmother -
Madre Mía

Santa María

Luz de Cada Día

Santa Mujer

Madre María

Musa Matriarcal
hoy te sueño
hoy te siento
a mi lado, siempre amando...

celebrating the birth of my Matriarchal Muse


Tuesday, November 26

let go and move on

- "Don't Miss Out on the World" - 2013 limited edition mixed media on paper -
"Your past is over!

By bonding to your past, you not only ensure that you'll be immobilized today, but you prevent yourself from healing...

In a universe that's an intelligent system with a divine creative force supporting it, there simply can be no accidents.  As tough as it is to acknowledge, you had to go through what you went through in order to get to where you are today, and the evidence is that you did.  Every spiritual advance that you will make in your life will very likely be preceded by some kind of fall or seeming disaster.  Those dark times, accidents, illnesses, abuses, and broken dreams were ALL IN ORDER...

Practice living in the moment, and REFUSE to allow any thoughts based on your past to define you.  Stop and take notice of all that's in your immediate space - the people, creatures, vegetation, cloud formations, building designs, everything.  Stay in the present by meditating and getting closer to the ultimate now...God.

Your past history and all of your hurts are no longer here in your physical reality.  Don't allow them to be here in your mind, muddying your present moments.  Your life is like a play with several acts.  Some of the characters who enter have short roles to play, others, much larger.  Some are villains and others are good guys.  But all of them are NECESSARY, otherwise they wouldn't be in the play.  Embrace them all, and move on to the next act."
- Dr. Wayne Dyer

from a chapter in a lovely little book that found me this morning after yoga and meditation


Monday, November 25

Frida as oracle

- signature CASIMIRA mixed media card -
"What secret are you looking for?

Life will soon reveal it to you."

- Frida Kahlo



Sunday, November 24

domingo de poesía desnuda

- mixed media from journals -
" Te doy mi alma desnuda,
como estatua a la cual ningún cendal escuda.

Desnuda con el puro impudor
de un fruto, de una estrella o una flor;
de todas esas cosas que tienen la infinita
serenidad de Eva antes de ser maldita.

De todas esas cosas,
frutos, astros y rosas,
que no sienten vergüenza del sexo sin celajes
y a quienes nadie osara fabricarles ropajes.

Sin velos, como el cuerpo de una diosa serena
¡que tuviera una intensa blancura de azucena!

Desnuda, y toda abierta de par en par
¡por el ansia del amar! "

- Juana de Ibarbourou (1892 – 1929)



Saturday, November 23

feeling blessed, feeling grateful


my son constantly reminds me to play...

to be in the moment...

to taste the sacredness...

to witness the wonder...

to share the laughter...




photographs: circa 2009, Nicaragua



Friday, November 22

remembering the Kennedy Family

- 2013 mixed media on paper -

"Now, I think that I should have known that he was magic all along. I did know it - but I should have guessed that it would be too much to ask to grow old with and see our children grow up together. So now, he is a legend when he would have preferred to be a man."
- Jacqueline Kennedy



50 years ago today, she became a widow...


A widow at age 34, with two small children...ages 5 and almost 3...


This young mother was still recovering from the loss of her infant son only weeks earlier...


Grieving with dignity and courage in front of the entire world...




Thursday, November 21

el camino del chaman

- mixed media from my journals -
I was in a strangely wonderful land where giant boulders erupted from blue oceans. He appeared wearing a red mantel over his shoulders and carrying an ancient walking stick. The Shaman smiled and asked me to show him the way...to show him "el camino"....

excerpt from a dream, circa 2010