Denise, Sonoma, CA Canon Digital Rebel XSi
This photo is so endearing to me… my friend Denise, nervous before her wedding ceremony a few weeks ago. I love how her hands say it all…
No capes. Just courage.
Denise, Sonoma, CA Canon Digital Rebel XSi
This photo is so endearing to me… my friend Denise, nervous before her wedding ceremony a few weeks ago. I love how her hands say it all…
Ben the dragon, Berkeley, CA Canon Digital Rebel XSi
The dragon costume arrived today and Ben couldn’t be happier. He is asleep right now in the middle of the living room floor, his tail peeking out of his blanket.
For my thirtieth birthday, I went to see Monsters Inc…. It is still one of my all time favorite movies. This year, I might go see Where the Wild Things Are. These photos of Ben remind me of Max…
Taken with Iphone
Caterpillar Book Part Two from andrea scher on Vimeo.
The view from our beach house, Manzanita beach, Oregon, Canon Digital Rebel XSi
Just got back from the Oregon coast where I had the sweetest time ever at the Be Present Retreat. Imagine 24 women in the dreamiest house on the beach, connecting, discovering more of who they are, playing, making art, and laughing a lot. It was part slumber party, part workshop, part vacation, and the best kind of fun. I will never forget the ladies I met there and their beautiful stories.
Kelly Rae Roberts in her fabulous paint covered apron, Oregon, Canon Digital Rebel XSi
It was also my first time teaching since a year ago at Squam… and I was nervous about how it would go for me. (I had kind of a rough time with my first teaching experience) It’s amazing to see what a year of growth can do for your spirit, how I could literally feel in my body how much a year had rearranged me.
It’s a long story. One I might write someday, but this retreat was a kind of celebration for me. A celebration of how much I have grown this year, how far I have come in my soul work. It was a hard year, but one I am ultimately grateful for. (I was not at all grateful while it was happening, by the way) It was a year of going through the fire and then coming out the other side changed, stronger, and hopefully more beautiful for it. I think of a piece of clay in the kiln going through the fire and coming out the other side even more dazzling. Colors you didn’t even expect coming to the surface, the whole piece stronger and more beautiful, those lessons you learned now a part of you forever.
Thank goodness for blessings like these… when we do our soul work and it pays off. My reward this time around is a restful heart, a confident spirit, and more capacity to connect and experience joy. I am so grateful.
Can you remember a time when you went through the fire? What were the gifts on the other side for you?
Me, Tracey Clark, Grace, Chicago Blogher, photo by Sarah JiCanon Digital Rebel XSi
A Few Reasons Why I Haven’t Been Around Much Lately
1. I am giving my whole heart to Mondo Beyondo! and most of my writing and life force is over there. If you haven’t taken the course yet, it’s rockin people. We are having such a good time! and January registration just opened.
2. We’ve been recovering from swine flu. Yes, it happened to us. My entire family, including Ben. It is terrible and horrible and you probably want to get vaccinated for it. Tamiflu saved our ass.
3. I have been preparing for a most wonderful week away at Liz Lamoreux’s Be Present Retreat I will be teaching the first day of class and then thoroughly enjoying Kelly Rae and Liz’s class the following days. Can’t wait to be back on the Oregon coast!
4. I’ve been trying to use Twitter but I still don’t totally see the point.
5. Ben, Ben, and delicious Ben.
See you next week, everybody!
As I prepare for our first day of the October session of Mondo Beyondo, I am excitedly buzzing around my office and calling Jen Lemen every five minutes with new ideas and details.
The video above was a perfect pause in my day. I am a big fan of Amy Krouse Rosenthal and even got to meet her a couple of times this year. If you didn’t see the first Beckoning of Lovely video, I recommend you watch that one too!