Mar26

Ode To Max

Posted on 03/26/2012 by an artsy chick

We lost a dear friend this week, our magnificent cat Max. It was a difficult situation because Emma and I were out of town enjoying time with her precious Godmother. Terry unfortunately had to face this terrible situation by himself.

When I checked in on Thursday, Terry sounded sullen and concerned. He said Max looked very ill and he was headed to the vet. Not being there to hold Max was heart breaking. Max has always been considered Emma’s cat…her “soul mate”. She picked him out of a zillion cats at a local shelter eight years ago. He talked to her then, and did so everyday after. He was a proud cat, we considered him “King of the Jungle”. He was dignified, loving, hated the vacuum, loved to be scratched, would bow and butt heads with you, had a gurgly growl, and was loved endlessly by the three of us.

After blood work and x-rays, the vet determined that Max was poisoned, probably by antifreeze. We aren’t sure where and how he ingested this, we don’t have antifreeze in or around our home. Our driveway is dry, no leaky cars. We think he might have found some in a neighbor’s driveway.

We had to put Max down, an excruciating decision for all three of us. Emma cried her eyes out and felt guilty for not being there. In some ways maybe it was a strange blessing that we weren’t. Sometimes the universe has a way of protecting us from deep pain. Terry of course handled things in his usual graceful way, which brought a deep sense of peace to both Emma and me.

God Bless Max, I’m positive he’s currently sporting a huge set of sparkly wings.

Mar21

A Second Website!

Posted on 03/21/2012 by an artsy chick

A Second Website!

Hey friends! When you have time check out my second website “The Blissful Toad“. Why the name?…..I don’t know, I just happen to love things that ribbit! You’ll find lots of fun new stuff including jewelry, frogs, yoga cards, and soulful messages that will make your tender heart sing! la la la la la! Take a peek, have fun, and remember how much you are loved! Muwah!

Mar20

Something To Think About

Posted on 03/20/2012 by an artsy chick

Something To Think About

I get lots of e-mail from different Parkinson Disease organizations each week, and in all honesty I usually skim through it. Today I received a particular message that caught my eye. I enjoyed it so much I decided to post it on my blog. Take some time to watch the video at the end….it’s worth it.

Dr. Rodger’s message was directed toward PD warriors…however, I truly believe each of us are warriors of some kind. Our battles may be different, but none the less we all have personal challenges. The doc’s wise words made me stop and think….gosh, I like when people do that. Here goes:

Change the Channel

It is safe to say that anyone who confronts neurological symptoms – whether they have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease or not – focuses a great deal of attention on what is happening with their body. Thoughts center around questions like:

▪ What in the world is happening to me?

▪ What will happen to me tomorrow?

▪ Will I have to live with these symptoms for the rest of my life?

▪ What do I do now?

▪ What is causing this to happen to me?

▪ Why is everything I read on the internet so depressing?

▪ Why me?

Of course – this is a short list of thoughts, but you will likely identify with one or more that are familiar. Such thoughts are inevitable under the circumstances.

Now, if these questions and thoughts dominate your attention, the potential for healing is significantly diminished. When the focus is on depressing thoughts and even more depressing expectations about the future, your life force is functioning on a near empty tank.

Everyone knows that people who are positive are healthier, live longer and manifest their fondest dreams. But when neurological symptoms are smacking you in the face, how in the world can you maintain a positive attitude that asserts all will be right in the end? Many people tell me that it irritates them to be around positive, upbeat people because they have little reason to be sad and depressed. They are so healthy!

I fully admit that nothing I have said so far is news to anyone who experiences the neurological symptoms associated with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. There is good reason to be depressed and to cycle through negative thoughts over and over like a hamster spins a wheel in their cage.

What seems to help people the most in their journey back to health is to focus on what they want to manifest in their life.

▪ What have you always wanted to do in your life?

▪ What have you always wanted to become?

▪ What have you always wanted to manifest?

▪ What have you always wanted to create?

When symptoms flare up, people with symptoms of Parkinson’s lose out on the excitement of searching for answers to such questions. Eventually, even asking the questions is silenced.

Why? The false expectation is formulated that it will be physically impossible to manifest your dreams because of physical limitations that will never be resolved. This terribly flawed conclusion about the future winds up being a self fulfilling prophecy.

OK. So much for talking about the obvious. How do any of us change the channel of our thoughts from one of despair and depression to the channel of opportunity and excitement about the future? One way (among others) is to experience examples of people who set their sights on manifesting their dreams, despite having confronted significant physical hardships themselves.

It helps to hear these stories. You can emphasize with their situations because you have been there yourself. It helps to hear stories of people who confronted debilitating physical handicaps that focused their energies on manifesting their dreams.

The link below takes you to an 8 minute video that tells the story of a young man who has the dream of becoming a professional singer. He does not have Parkinson’s disease, but he is challenged physically.

I invite you to click on the link below to watch the video. It will take 8 minutes of your time right now. And yes, it will help you begin to change your own, familiar channel of despair, frustration and despondency to the channel of hope, opportunity and manifestation. Get set to manifest your own dreams as you watch one young man who has done just that.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/W86jlvrG54o?rel=0

Mar19

A Quaint Town

Posted on 03/19/2012 by an artsy chick

A Quaint Town

Livermore is a charming town located 40 minutes west of our place. The charming downtown area is the perfect place to stroll and click your camera. A couple of weeks ago we had lunch at one of Livermore’s outdoor cafes, and luckily I had my Canon in the car. I took a few pics of some local sights…here goes~

Lots of arches and potted plants.

A local artist painted all those ugly metal utility boxes...so much more fun now!

I love the variety of wall murals.

I love the colors in this piece.

Livermore is known for it's yearly rodeo.

Keep meaning to buy some of these for my garden. Looks like they belong in Mr. McGregor's garden.

This joint smelled like heaven!

Another utility box tricked out.

Nothing like seeing our beautiful flag blowing against a clear blue sky. sigh...

Love this! The center of the daisy was painted on the top of the box.

All the stores have colorful creepers greeting customers.

I'm a water sign...maybe that's why I love fountains so much!

Fun guitar huh?!

An artsy expression.

Good mileage on these babies.

Drooled when I walked past the ice cream parlor.

This was my favorite box...love the colors.

Interesting brass lantern.

Sweet wall design.

The queen of planters!

Livermore is also known for its gorgeous bike paths.

Wish Santa would bring me one of these. varoom! varoom!

Girl's night out.

Mar15

Heat Hallucinations

Posted on 03/15/2012 by an artsy chick

Heat Hallucinations

I’ve gone to Bikrim Yoga class every day for the past three weeks. It’s sort of a love/hate relationship. As I stand in a 105 degree room, struggling to “lock” my knee parallel to the floor…I wonder what in the hell I’m doing in there. At the same time I feel challenged, renewed, and extremely focused as I sweat gallons. The thing I like about it, is how it empties my mind of everything. It has a way of bringing me straight into the moment. It forces me to dig within and find my grit. When I do find it, it surprises the hell out of you.

I’ve also noticed that everyday is a different experience. My body seems to remember what I did the day before, and surprisingly I can do a bit more. The teachers’ repetitive words begin to plant seeds of strength and connectedness in my heart. I normally hate crowded rooms, but in Bikrim the more the merrier. More people, means more energy. It’s as if we are working as a whole in a non-competitive way. There’s an unusual beauty that rings through the room as everyone breathes deeply together. A life force seems to whirl around the heat. No, I do not smoke anything organic before class!

Since starting yoga I’ve been able to lower my Parkinson’s drugs. My body has been calmer and more mobile. Today was the first day I felt fatigued and shaky. In fact my right hand is currently struggling as I type this. I reluctantly upped my dose this morning. PD patient’s tend to over think their disease and dream of finding the “cure”. This is when I remind myself to let go and practice my new tool…pranayama. This breathing technique calms the body and mind. “Breathe is the cord that ties the soul to the body.”

There are times during the 90 minute class when we relax in the savasana position. This is a relaxing posture intended to rejuvenate body, mind and spirit. You lie flat on your back with your eyes open. As I lie there looking up at the ceiling I begin to search for interesting designs on the Spackle ceiling. I naturally do this with tile floors, tree bark, clouds, etc. Last night I perched in a different part of the room and the ceiling was really “talking” to me! I tried to remember all the images I saw, but only remembered a few….here they are. Namaste my friends. (the light in me bows to the light in you)

Mar13

Grow A Painting

Posted on 03/13/2012 by an artsy chick

Grow A Painting

I just finished this painting for a sweet little girl who loves to dance. I titled it “A Dancer’s Heart”. Watch the little lady grow into a colorful ballerina.

Mar12

I Caught A Nap

Posted on 03/12/2012 by an artsy chick

I Caught A Nap

Last weekend was one of those lazy let’s do nothing kind of weekends. We spent four hours stretched out on the sofa watching last season’s HBO series, “The Game of Thrones.” Terry has already seen it, and he’s waiting for Season 2 to start. I told him I’m am going to watch it when it starts up again, and he suggested I watch it from the beginning so the story line will make sense. I’m totally hooked now. It does has it’s share of gore, however the story lines are so interesting and the characters well developed. The best part are the sets and the locales…totally amazing. This season they shoot in Croatia, Ireland, and Iceland. I also love to look at the costumes, they really don’t cut any corners. You might want to check it out on HBO.

After being coach potatoes all morning we decided to get some fresh air and go fishing. We live near the delta so it’s just a hop skip and a jump to get to the water. He grabbed his fishing gear, I packed a lunch, and we headed towards the harbor.

We found a quiet little spot and settled in. The air felt clean and fresh, and a slight breeze was gently blowing. Definitely my favorite kind of weather. Terry didn’t catch a fish, but I did catch a nap.

An occasional boat would pass by and create ripples in the water.

Birdies on a wire.

I made my own nest.

I like this sign at the bait store.

A good read about staying in the now.

I'm always looking for weird treasures, this one cracked me up.

Spied a lot of bottle caps too.

Love this shot. Call it "The Perfect Cast".

Watching the time roll away.

Quack, Quack...or is it Honk, Honk?

Not sure what these are, but they're pretty!

I'm convinced these are wild wolf prints. Terry is convinced they are paw prints from an old fishing hound.

The outdoor "boo boo blanket".

Terry said my laces might scare the fish away. Such a boy.

His make-shift work space. Glad he wasn't cleaning fish back there!

Zzzzzzzzzzz.............

Mar7

Rah, Rah, Rah!

Posted on 03/07/2012 by an artsy chick

Rah, Rah, Rah!

My daughter, Emma Rose, is a mixture of girly girl and cowgirl. I admire her for being able to tap into both feminine and masculine sides of her personality. She can tack up a horse in five minutes flat, and also spend hours ogling the latest fashions on the internet. One of her high school loves has been cheer-leading. She enjoys the dance aspect of it the most. She also enjoys the stunt portion. She is a “base”, which means she helps catch the itty bitty brave soul that flies through the air.

Cheer-leading has had its share of drama, which is almost impossible to avoid. Having a group of teenage girls work hand in hand over endless hours is bound to bring out a bit of snarkiness at times. However, it truly was a great experience for Emma. It taught her the meaning of teamwork, while tapping into her physical and mental strength.

Emma will be graduating from high school in May, and cheer-leading just wrapped up. Last weekend was the end of the year cheer banquet which was held at a local country club. The girls were recognized for their achievements and given awards for a variety of things. It was fun evening filled with giggles, screams, and chatter.

P.S. For those of you wondering how yoga went with Emma last night here goes: We arrived 15 minutes early to sign her up. She looked big-eyed when we walked into the studio itself (the 105 degree temps shocked her). The instructor placed her near the back wall with the other newbies. I could see her glancing at the scantily clad men in the room and her eyes grew even bigger…I wanted to giggle…I refrained. As we began to stretch and bend and breath and SWEAT…..her engine slowed down. I warned her that consuming a bag of hot Cheetos before class might not be such a good idea…so much for motherly advice. She got through the 90 minutes class, however she had to lie down through parts of it due to dizziness and nausea. We got home, ate two bites of dinner, and fell asleep at 8:00 p.m. I was shocked this morning when she said, “Hey Mom, want to go back to yoga tonight?” So to my surprise, we are headed back to class again tonight…maybe it was the men in Speedos? She’ll kill me if she reads this!

Mar6

Hot…Hot…Hot!

Posted on 03/06/2012 by an artsy chick

Hot…Hot…Hot!

I’m officially addicted to something I thought I wouldn’t like….Bikrim Yoga. A dear friend of mine has been a practicing yogini for quite some time and has gently encouraged me to try Bikrim for many years now. I think the thing that made me shy away from this form of yoga, is the hot room the classes are taught in. I wasn’t sure if I could handle the 105 degree temp. and 40% humidity. I was wrong….I love it! The warm room allows the body to become more pliable, which lessons the risk of injury. I’ve never been a fan of sweating, but I really dig the feeling now…and man, let me tell you……you sweat! You have to be very hydrated before you enter the classroom, and continue to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.

Why 105 degrees you ask?
The heat flushes away the waste products, the toxins of all the glands and organs of your body. It provides a natural irrigation of the body through the circulatory system, with the help of the respiratory system. It brings nourishment to every cell of your body so that each one can perform its function and keep your body healthy. When you sweat, impurities are flushed out of the body through the skin.

The class runs 90 minutes long and consists of 26 postures or asanas. The class also includes 2 breathing exercises which really energize both body and mind. Since starting the classes I’ve been able to cut my Parkinson’s meds in half. My body feels much calmer and relaxed. I’ve lost five pounds and feel more balanced and grounded than I have in a long time. One Bikrim class can actually burn anywhere between 500 to 1500 calories. Pretty cool huh?!

I’ve gone everyday, and my daughter is going to join me for the first time this afternoon. I’m hoping she loves it as much as I do….I’ll let you know how it goes!

Here a few watercolors I recently painted…thought they might make you smile.

Feb29

Bethany Reservoir

Posted on 02/29/2012 by an artsy chick

Bethany Reservoir

Terry and I recently bought a bike rack and we decided to test it out the other day. We carefully attached it to the back of our 4-Runner, and hooked up the bikes. As we headed out for adventure, I glanced out the side window. I suddenly felt bad for my beloved beach cruiser bicycle,”Petal”. Poor girl looked rather vulnerable wobbling in the cold air.

We ended up at a pretty spot called Bethany reservoir, which is located about 30 minutes from the house. A very nice path went around the entire lake which was ideal for riding. As I cheerfully took off, I unexpectedly had my first real crash. I tried to squeeze through two metal poles, and ended up hitting the left one. I landed flat on my back, and Terry had to lift my bike off my lower body. It must have not hurt very much, because I started to crack up. Luckily the only thing bruised was my ego.