The past is the beginning of the beginning and all that is and has been is but the twilight of the dawn.
H. G. Wells
Sometimes when I'm driving into work early, I'm blessed with a beautiful sunrise. It holds both beginnings and endings. During the last week I've begun interviews that will end one phase of career and begin another. It's frightening, but also exciting and full of possibilities.It entails leaving a salaried position and becoming a contractor. It will allow me more latitude to exercise my voice and creativity in helping others.
Big Sur is a fascinating place. It is one of the true power places in America.
Frederick Lenz
I woke up to the news this morning that Big Sur is burning. Big Sur is one of the spots I love most on earth. Every time I drive it, it seems as if all concerns fall away and any thing is possible. It is a place of extremes. When it is calm, it is magical. When there is a disaster such as this fire or last year's massive landslide, it reminds us that it cannot be tamed, only allowing us to travel and be there as it wills.
Joni Mitchell, "Get Togther (Big Sur Celebration):
Life is not what you expect: it is made up of the most unexpected twists and turns.
In an earlier post I indicated I had lost my English Springer Spaniel, Bella. She made it to 18, but within a matter of a few weeks after Christmas, she became worse, so I had to put her to sleep this past February. I knew that I would get another Springer, even before she passed. So I had started looking at getting a rescue again, but due to Covid there were none, so I made the decision to get a puppy (for the first and last time). I found someone who only breeds his 2 dogs for the love of it. And waited. He notified me that someone who wanted a pup had backed out, so did I want the pup, earlier then planned (I was waiting for his other dog to be bred) I. So as noted I will be getting a female pup sometime in the next month or so.
Something happened though in late October. A good elderly friend who was taking care of some cats that after her sister in law died (she had fed them and they were feral), asked me in September if I would take a kitten from the litter one of them had had. The reply was no as I was going to be gone for two weeks in October and then I was expecting a pup. Well, I got back from the wedding and was having coffee with my friend. She said, " I have something for you". She brought out a 3 month old kitten and put her on my lap. They had trapped the other kittens and taken them to be adopted, the black one had escaped with the mother. They finally trapped them both and got them spayed (I was surprised they did kittens that young). She begged me to take her, and due to all the wonderful things, my friend had done for me and what it meant to her, I now have a kitten. Meet LunaBelle. So I went from hoping for a rescue, expecting to get a pup and to an unexpected arrival. So much for all my plans
I have a feeling the next few months won't be boring.
“Come fairies, take me out of this dull world. For I would ride with you
upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.”
W.B. Yeats
One of the hardest things about the two years of Covid is not being able to get out as easily and to places like I normally would. Last October I drove up Rt. 1, up the coast, after attending my brother's wedding in Arizona and it was incredible. Now I hear the call of the Sierras. Whenever I go, it is like, to paraphrase Yeats, riding on the wind and dancing like a flame. It has been far too long and the world far too dull.
In the next weekend or two, I will answer that call.
Living with Covid-19 over the last two years, we have attempted every trend or possibility that can be discovered on YouTube, TicTok, Instagram etc. Zoom has become the socialization glue that holds us togetherand so on. I found myself sharing my sourdough starter as I had been doing it before the trend kicked off. My patients were constantly asking me for new ideas of what to do. And I found myself responding, "With this time what would you like to do?" So I ended up running a journaling club with them to work on insights about their life and paths that they would like to explore.
As the quote above indicates, we live in unsure times on so many fronts and it could either be paralyzing or full of possibilites. The path for me was and is possibilities. I explored some coaching paths, but for the most part, I dug deeper into things that I already was doing. I ended up taking some classes in Textile Art. The piece above was based on Phukari, a folk form of embroidery of the Punjab.
Covid-19 isn't heading out in the near future, so instead of cursing every day, I'm learning to ask, "What are the possibilities?"
Dare to reach your hand into darkness, to pull another hand into the light.
Norman B. Rice
This morning as I drove into work, I watched the moon head for setting and a full red sun rising. I couldn't help but ponder the cycle of light and dark. Although we cannot sometimes see purpose in the dark we need to be there for growth to occur. The problems that happen is when we spend to much time in one or the other, rather than find the balance between the two. In my work, I find two thing related to this: people get stuck in the dark or they want to be in the light exclusively and end up in addiction (which is its own form of darkness).
So if you run into someone in the aforementioned state if you can reach your hand, you might be amazed at what happens.
“There is nothing as sweet as a comeback, when you are down and out, about to lose, and out of time.”
Anne Lamott
After two years away (things happened and my blog disappeared), suddenly it was found and I've returned to my creative reflection home. So much has happened, Covid-19, losing Bella my English Springer Spaniel, friendships begun/friendships ended and family happenings. I'm still in healthcare but am beginning to work towards doing online tele-therapy and coaching. The weird silver lining that has occurred as a result of Covid-19 is a window opened up and they are desperately looking for qualified therapists.
Creatively, I've been trying to do more textile art, not as much photography which has been harder due to Covid-19, at least in the way I like to traditionally, but trying to find my way back there also. I picked up a whole new level of guitar playing and singing. As I had to isolate a good deal, being in healthcare, it got me through the worst of the lockdown. So the explorations continue, the most exciting thing is that new English Springer Spaniel pup will be coming my way in a little over a month or so.
