Starry Starry Night, sort of~

A Happy Thanksgiving to You All~!

It's The Simple Things That Bring A Smile

A Perfectly Superb Day In The Park

Fun created right in the palm of the hand.

Living In The Eye of The Storm, Approaching The Jewish High Holiday Season 5773

Living In The Eye of The Storm

Isaac son of sacrifice

an angel showed the way

appointed ram for Avaraham's hand

the father's son was saved

when one believes it's personal

so honest with ones self

if this we know, no argument

believing is our health

the storm of minds, the storms of earth

it's real to those who see

though eyes do tire of the light

the minds eye view does heed-

I've known so many little things

I've also known some small

and in this life that's given me

will never know it all

and so I say to me and you

this storm of Isaac named

it brings on wind, and rain, and gloom

of this the sun rays say

believe we will in what was taught

but most in what we've learned

we know what's deep, the winds do speak

the calmness is what's heard

and though I take such baby steps

alight upon the course

will stand as best a person can

an eye within the storm

~

Have been thinking of the communities & individuals that have been in the path of Hurricane Issac. We wish you all safety and healing from this & all life's storms.

~amen~

And so completes today's posting of the Peace Garden's~ Poetry A Muse In Motion, project.

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

My Forest Speaks

Good Day Peace Garden "peeps", it's so nice to be back.~

Yesterday my husband & I traveled into the neck of the woods were our son's fam* lives. Our grandson was turning a decade yesterday & we wanted to be sure that we were there in person on his special day to celebrate once again his entry into the world. So without fanfare this Nana & Poppy took our grandson out in the afternoon for some old fashioned ice cream & a right-on hole in one miniature golf game. It was a lot of fun, & we really did enjoy our little threesome! That evening we joined the rest of our son's fam* consisting of him, our lovely daughter-in-law, 8 year old granddaughter, & the newly decade old birthday boy for an Aussie dinner at the Outback. The very same restaurant where the birthday boy's dad worked when he was attending college.

It was of course the first phase of birthday season for him, for next will come our grandson's friends party, & later on in September the big extended family party. My son Tyler & I were seated next to one another last night during dinner & he said, "You know mom, I've noticed there hasn't been a lot of activity on the blog lately." "That's true I replied", as I've had some very heavy serious issues that he of course has known all about. "The ongoing situation has been pretty much zapping a lot of my creative energy, plus I don't want to put anything out there that is negative, as it's been a very hard time." Tyler went on to sort of tweak me stating, "Oh you just want to share only the good things, & not be honest about sharing some of the negative things in your life.."

I thought of course what it was he said during dinner, as later that night I was on the phone with my dear friend Marge, & expressed to her some of what came from Tyler's & my conversation. She & I were in agreement of not wanting to put anything out there that could be deemed negative. Late this morning during one of our many power outages, I continued to think about all of this & decided that if I were to put pencil to paper once again, & perhaps write a poem that could honestly express what it is I've been feeling regarding a situation that has been ongoing now since the very end of 2011, then perhaps through this process I would be able to continue to make some sense as we human beings have a tendency to want to make sense out of the chaos of our own lives, that perhaps I would be able to be courageous enough to share what it is, that's brought me to this point. So here goes, it's a bit lengthy, but says what needs to be said, it is as honest & true as I know how to be, & really does speak for it's self.

After some in depth musings it's title took on it's own voice, & of which it titled it's self~

My Forest Speaks

We have been through this some-what before

of what it is, is what~

a thin existence of an act

a veil, a life, a that

you of a former grandeur time

gray crack upon your floor

such discontented roles we've played

yours glamorous and bold

and I made meek yet strong beneath

a hand that swung to hurt

they say the wiring's all been done

your system what a curse

now grows a tree from family times

uprooted and unhinged

it's untruths permeate the soil

yet toil is what we did

for I for you, and you for me

an illness grew so strong

magnificent in shapes and hues

and rages of your storms

you have it still, upheaval days

though less your impact stings

my love that you have given life

what great despair within

as generations follow since

the wounds are carried deep

I weep no more, I do weep some

as family sagas meet

upon the roads of varied turns

of this way and of that

it's fostered hurts divisions deep

so fragile in each crack

can't tell where it will lead us to

my path it leads towards hope

with prayerful thoughts forgiveness be

it is a mindful scope

can't say I'd choose this way again

if I had known the traps

but after all, when illness strikes it leaves a body flat

no matter what, I've no regrets

to do what's best for you

and will take care to live my life

respect the golden rule

my family has exceptions

our tree it suffered rot

from so far was abandonment

and violence from that lot

and now these times are grayer

some do, some don't, do care

but I will do my best for you

our hearts know will be there

will never be the victim

of powers you deemed great

and if some others copied you

that is a choice they make

instead I've chosen kindness straight

though times misunderstood

am only human, person one

your tree does still confuse

but that is of an illness of which not all can see

afflictions deep

at times roots weep

grow forth a life that's sweet.

~

Yes it's been a long time coming, the continuation from my forest of thoughts, but all in all no matter what an individual has experienced with each & every breath we do have choice, & today my choice was to write a poem, & to share.

And so completes today's ongoing process of living a life, & the ongoing project of~

Poetry A Muse In Motion.

Open Spaces Sacred Places

‎"The creation of a thousand forests is one acorn."– Ralph Waldo Emerson

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

August A Slo-o-ow Down Time Here In The Garden

I'm really not a summertime gal, so for me to say August is a slow time in the garden, is a truth. Though I did mulch & mulch three truck loads that is, nonetheless nothing to speak of for new plantings, as it was far too hot for a venture like that. The mulching as told was slow & steady, with insects galore to put off any urbanite of which I no longer am. I did have to apply some skin so soft, off bug repellent, & don a jungle-like hat with a net. My assemblage sculpture Rosie ll morphed into a Transistor Sister keeping my portable radio in good tune due to her metal colander head. All in all it was a productive month, & by the time our family gathered last weekend the Peace Garden down on our slope looked well kept, & interesting with it's more complete theme of Swords Into Plowshares positioned to capture the imagination.

This Peace Gardening month of August was topped off with a most special & beautiful gift only yesterday from our cousins in Dallas, as they sent to me something quite unique, a Peace Key which now resides in the garden as a valued reminder to the gateway to the mind, of what truly unlocks our potential for peace. It does & always has come from within.

The following poem is dedicated to our cousins,

Burt & Missy Finger

of

PDNB

A most interesting, thought provoking Photography Gallery in Dallas, Texas.

{we*so*love*you}

the key to peace

is

peace

~

And so concludes today's Peace Garden entry, & with that we forever, & a dream~ wish you & all the world peacefulness in thoughts, & deeds.

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Friendship Intertwined With Universal Thought~

The first two photos are of an ongoing work entitled~

Friendship Intertwined With Universal Thought

This mixed media piece was inspired by the recent passing of a very special person in our Town of Pomfret, Ct.

Mary Patenaude

Mary was a true one of a kind, as her name so suited her. She was always friendly, kind & generous of heart. She passed away less than a week ago on 8/19/12 in a tragic boating accident off the coast of Long Island Sound.

I couldn't say that we were friends of the kind of friendship that most of us consider a friend to be, yet she was far more than an acquaintance, as I had only just spoken to her on the phone about six weeks ago or so in regards to inquiring about some of the details of our town's upcoming Tricentennial event, as Mary was very involved in so very much of what makes our little neck of the woods so very special.

As I was painting two nights ago & was doing my splattering experimental thing, & then adding my mother-in-law's broken depression glass tea cup, I thought of Mary...

of what a sweet, & lovely person I have always known her to be. It will take some time for the hearts to heal of those she was very close to, of whom we an entire town offer our prayerful thoughts of love & healing. I too shall miss her, as for me she represented patience & compassion, with her gift giving of her time of kindly indulgence whenever I would make the point of stopping at her local business that specialized in quality wines of the world, & even the more local wines sought after for one of my family's special religous holidays.

I will be reminded of my thoughts of Mary as I continue to layer the above collage, & truly that's one of the main ingredients of what a life can be about, ~

our universal intertwining with one another,

please help us God.

~amen~

Am finally working once again in my own studio in the woods. The space is really quite a mess, & hopefully before it gets too cold I'll have it all sorted out so the area will once again be a soothing retreat of creativity. I'll pick away at it of course, & get it all sorted out. Until then will also doodle a bit, with fiber, paint & board & dig deep as the boxes are piled high with stuff upon stuff, of which I do realise not all of it is useful or worth saving.

So for the meantime would like to leave you with a few pics of what's been in the works..

Have a good end of August one & all & will remain prayerfully hopeful to return again with another posting from the garden.

Here's wishing one & all true peace,

of what makes peace.

~amen again, amen~

~

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Swords Into Plowshares An Ancient Concept Living & Breathing

Here it is just about late summer. August does remind us of that so very well. The gardens that I've presently been tending here on good ole terra firma have always paralleled my own inner life. Isn't that true for us all? There's a lot of beauty & color here along the way yet also a per mingling of over growth such as the briers, prickers & weeds. For me it has always been a reminder of that inner balance with nature, my nature~

What to keep? What to remove? How much energy do I have? Where do I want to invest it?

And last, but not least, how to ask for help?

This Personhood we all live is by nature subject to the ups, downs & upheavals of life's storms. It is inevitable as we see it in nature all the time. We too are an element of her & therefore will continue to experience upheavals throughout a lifetime. How it will turn out for us is a matter of the decisions we make, & how we choose to color them with our perspectives.

I too as any human being take it one step at a time, one forward, & also a step or two back, & forward again trying to allow myself the freedom of non contaminating thoughts, which is an immense effort. Our work is set out for us on each & every path. For without compassion the concept of world peace will remain just that a good idea. But good ideas have been known to flourish & bloom, & one garden at a time is a fulfilling start. As we work on ourselves to be as Gandhi said, "the change we want to see in the world", we are doing what it is we are intended to do with our own lives.

The first two photos were taken earlier this summer during our visit to the-

National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.

of which our son so lovingly arranged for us.

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Dalai Lama~

"Developing concern for others, thinking of them as part of us, brings self-confidence, reduces our sense of suspicion and mistrust, and enables us to develop a calm mind."

Farewell Tooth Fairy Farewell

There she is right above as she played a farewell tune~

****

And it's all plain in black, white,

with shades of gray.

When a simple snack needs it's time & place,

not time for popping just yet...

It has often occurred to me that it's when the adrenalin flows ever so rapidly, things get done.

Like driving out of town into the city, with proper directions. I can do it quite well & the anxiety dissipates, replaced with a focus & force so accurate is my sense of purpose.

This occurred only yesterday yes it was time to face the music, dental time. Chomp, chomp, chomp as these incisors were no longer as effective as they once were. Still this one was attached though cracked down deep into the root. Never trust a a batch of whole grains, & I also need to add, sift it yourself first, & be aware~ tiny pebbles!

Like so many of my generation our dental experiences back then had been rather poor-to-nil. Mine was on the rather atrocious side, nil might have been better. After begging my parents for a visit to see the dentist my mantra being, All my friends are going. An appointment was made. This proved classically horrid as the man who was my parents dentist of whom my mother often told her friends, "Dr. Pots has a light hand I never mind going." To this day am not about to figure that one out other than to say, How in the world does one have a light hand with a pick & a drill? The sound effects you guessed it, the booming reverberating tones of highs & lows, in an office atmosphere of strong toxic smells, & glaring lights. I saw Dr. Pots only once. I could have made myself return to endure more, but even to my then 15 year old thinking, when you're about to go on an explore deep into a mine the numbing agent of choice could be a bit more substantial than a Cherry Flavored Q-Tip. Needless to say this unsavory encounter with Dr. Pots has colored my dental experiences evermore.

I fast forward to now, & what has been an ongoing dental saga over the years of having had the per usual last rites to a tooth root canals, have had 2 only 1 took. Caps, crowns, & presently my 3rd emergency tooth extraction. Time flies, but I am a much more relaxed & accepting dental patient, & due to my husband's encouragement for the past several years have been seeing his dentist twice a year except for the various emergencies that continue to pop up. And here I am wow on the other side of yet another one getting used to the Tooth Fairy's rejection of my real property~ location location! This time it's an incisor midway to the back. With ice, & proper care this abyss will find it's way to close & to heal.

Am decades now since my past encounter with Dr. Pots, but will always remember his light hands. Not. These notches that some of us wear on our dental belts in life,- the molars, bicuspids, & incisors, when they hurt, they hurt & when they're all in good working order all I can think to say for today is~ Yes the movies sound great, & some popcorn too, but gotta hold the butter. Too many cals. Now let me think... which side is it ok to chew on..?

Ok I need to remain patient am still in healing mode, how's by you.... ? Hoping aok.

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

For The Love of Bikes

Above are some of the bicycle images I love to accumulate. Bikes in all sorts of colors & shapes are true kenetic art. I never tire of a good day of cycling or a good view from where I perch. Yes we do take a spill from time to time, a bit too much sand, slippery or wet, but nonetheless it's always a good feeling to get back up on the bike & log on those endless miles...

***************

& what we have right here is one of the views of where yesterday's picnic was, what a happening event that all was, as the people & the views~ truly awesome!

We attended a picnic for the members & the families of the cycling group my husband's a member of. It was a lovely way to end the week & a good way to enter into a new one. I myself am a casual rider, this group of cyclists my husband's a member with are extremely devoted riders & log on hundreds to thousands of miles every year.

It's been an excellent opportunity for him to ride with a level of athletes of whom he enjoys the challenge & the comaradity.

Cycling for me remains a wonderful freeing experience, & no matter which level we do it at it's all good. Yes very good indeed!

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Jazz, Chaos & Who Do We Think We Are...

Last night my husband & I attended a performance of the David Liebman Group at the Center for the Arts, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Ct. My husband is the musical aficionado as he's been a natural guitarist since his boyhood days. I'm pretty much a listener & appreciator of all music, though jazz does take a bit of an open mind sometimes to delve into for me. We certainly enjoyed this quartet immensely, though some numbers of course resonated more soothing than others. When experiencing jazz know that you will often times be kept on the edge of your seat, as the energy is palpable & often raw. It was an excellent concert, & one the things I so enjoyed doing was watching the faces of the performers, especially the quartet's leader David Liebman who had a deep look of concentration & satisfaction of what he was doing for his life work.

The concert last night got me to thinking, jazz does do that make one think, & then awakening this morning to a lead in news story, thus more thoughts~

Who are we, & what the h^#* are we doing anyway?

There's no true way to even begin to answer this one, as we're all evolving, a work in progress.

Human beings are complex creatures, & I certainly have no hesitation in acknowledging that. I do think our only moments of pure perfection were at the time of our births, & then due to the hand of humankind, a lot truly was pretty much out of the hands of that baby who grew up decades ago to be molded upon by the others, & the human being like any organism knew instinctively only to survive & function as best as they could. For better & for worse...

We see this all the time on the news, in our neighborhoods, in our own families & the world. No one really wants to sit down & hear the long heavy details of what has become of that sweet baby in the nursery decades ago, by the hands that did the molding, unless of course it's become a news item, or one is a specialist in these matters. What often times happens quite serendipitously is when that baby in the nursery grew up & made it out of the controlling realm of the kingdom of who's perhaps toxic hands did the molding, but had enough protection for survival then much of those ancient toxic experiences can be directed & channeled into something positive. Thus the arts.

One of the very first thoughts I have when learning of a rather horrific incident that has been wrought on the innocent by the hands of another, I often wonder what molding & toxic exposure was done to the perpetrator. The bio of course of the individual who chose to be a Corella Develle, or a Darth Vader type. Gardens, gardens, gardens of life! Some are most beautiful, as the garbage & debris are recycled in a most positive & useful way to compost down to essential valuable nutrients. I do believe the pained & tortured souls of many of the artistic types we so love, have whittled, & refined themselves down. They have created an exercise of having surviving their exposures in the kingdoms of the Corellas or Darths in their lives & are doing what it is they need to do in order to survive. It is plain & simple an enduring need to live, endure, & produce when they can. We are all in this together, & can't change or control the past, but we can control the grip it has on us, to not let it drown or disable. To make art not war, is what motivates the artistic soul, for not only is it personal, but a matter of our mutual survival as a specie & a citizen of our world, our pure blue marble the third planet from our sun.

The David Liebman Group closed their performance with two numbers, one was Lonely Woman & the other Turn Around. After listening to Turn Around the prenounced thought of it all being controlled chaos came to mind. Below is a link to the Dave Liebman Group with one of their performances in Paris. I couldn't find his version of Turn Around to share, but I'm sure it's out there, as I think it's a Miles Davis composition of whom he played with so many decades ago.

Feel free to give this link a try last click it did work, enjoy*~

http://youtu.be/8jhNY_Q2yX8

Gray Skies & Peaceful Thoughts

From where I was standing this afternoon it seemed as if I were witnessing an additional storm of the century for what came down the first 10-15 minutes or so was hail, yes hail in July! After my late morning ride of traveling the countryside to find my way to my new hair dresser Megan, I surprisingly arrived on time, as her salon is a bit way off the beaten path. It seems as it really doesn't matter if I'm on time or not, as Megan keeps to her own beat, & when she's done with one person, she's then 100% with you. Not really any sooner. I find this to be a-ok as I've been pretty much on my own schedule these past few years anyway so it all suits me well. It's worth it to have my hair done by an individual who is well versed in dealing with the kind of hair I have- coarse & curly, & who has a positive attitude when working with it.

Before going to Megan, I had been going to Julie for several years. Julie is way way out of town. Megan's only out of town with one way. Both gals do an excellent job with my ongoing hair project, but due to my mother's condition which escalated at the end of 2011 & since she continues to live way~way~way beyond my town at the other end of the state, to do all the traveling especially to make it on time for the regularly scheduled appointments for her treatments & such, I needed desperately to rein in some of my excessive travels, & to find a way to lessen the miles & the directions I choose to trek.

I was at a mini pause at the time today's photos were taken, which caused me to stop, look & listen. Yes it was a day with it's good share of chaos, but that was good, for it always forces me to stop, look, & listen to what's going on on the inside of what truly is,~ the heart of the matter.

An Update From The Artist's Studio~

I would like you to meet our friend & teacher~

Laureen Hylka

http://www.laureenhw.com/Laureen-Hylka-Painting-Gallery.html

My friend S* & I met Laureen about a year ago at our friend Sharon's booth of handmade retro classical aprons at the Martha's Herbary Craft Fair,

Pomfret, Ct.

We've been enjoying our weekly art classes, they are quite mind expanding especially when we delve into the new possibilities that the art of oil painting presents, each & every time.

Laureen's recent collection of work are about to be dispersed to the various galleries. Bittersweet for S* & I as we will miss these pieces, but know all too well that they will be going off to grace the homes & collections of the various art lovers who have discovered this jewel of a talent, & most fortunately they'll be enjoying these works by Laureen

for many years to come.

Because Laureen's studio is so very uplifting & accepting of all styles & levels of artistic development, I can honestly say it's been a true blessing to attend these classes with no expectations other than to play a bit, & to explore what it is the paints have in store for me each & every time.

Below is my first work of the day which was somewhat inspired by the energy of the upcoming Olympics. After this painting was done I said to myself, yes this captures those thoughts~

Team USA

*

~Going For The Gold~

Our friend S* completed this charming still life today. Her eye & talent are finely in sic with how she goes about capturing the nature of what she has in mind. Her dad also was a talented artist, & she seems to have inherited his natural gift~

The painting below is a new technique that Laureen encouraged me to try, & I must say that doing art is one of my most favorite things to do in order to remind myself to be experimental, & to not be afraid to take some risks...

This work is part of my~

Universe Series~

A last view of some of our favorite art, all to be framed & packed up in a few days & to be going, going

well you know what I mean....

It was a really good weekend, spent a lot of time mulching at the main Peace Garden in between the hot blasts during our heat wave here. My husband is way into cycling, & in between each of us doing our thing we were able to go out with some good friends Saturday night to see the new Spiderman movie. All four of us gave it thumbs up, so if you get a chance put it on the top of your list for an awesomely fun time!

My friend S* & I were able to make it to our art class today. It's always an exhilarating process learning to be one with the colors letting this ongoing experience of working with oils take us up, up & away~ !

From The Charles River Back to The Garden

It has come to my attention that some of us, we'll all have to figure out our own particular reasons as to the why, some of us nonetheless have been hardwired to tolerate some aspects of what is toxic. Sort of like sitting upon a toxic waste dump, a Love Canal & not truly realizing it until we've removed ourselves from it. For some we know it has been tragically too late, & for the others surving, & living a life with the accumulated ill effects, it is just that, a real day-to-day, survival-mode.

Once we see it all more clearly, take in our lives without the blinders or the masks, we may at times have moments of pain, still it is worth it, & oh so very much! As long as we can we shall do so, walk the path to clarity & peace. Individuals who realve in causing pain in others are truly not oblivious of what they are doing it's just that they have gotten themselves into this sort of loop, & just don't want to give it up. It's a sad thing all way around with that for the very people who are sometimes the most pained by loneliness keep refusing to learn the golden rule. By refusing to treat others as they themselves would like to be treated, the loneliness that they are experiencing becomes multiplied due to what they are choosing to cast upon others. Kindness & empathy can be taught to very young children, but unfortunately many of the children who have not received this valuable lesson even into their elder years, when they grow up, & walk among us & when there are repeated meetings & encounters of a mean spirited nature, the healthy natural reaction can at times be of the others is an avoidance due to a deeply rooted aversion. Thus this can grow in sections of life's garden.

My garden is no exception, but with a little creativity, texture & color all fifty-nine* shades of gray can, & do find a way to sparkle.. , & of this too I am so very thankful,~ !

*************************

Would like to thank my FB friend R.B. for sharing his knowledge of the fifty-nine shades of gray. Thanks~ R.B.

Have Thought It Over

Yesterday was a busy one as had been expected so here we are now back at the ranch so to speak. For today's photos am including some items which captured my imagination as we we strolling about. My mother who's medical appointment was scheduled to take some four hours or so by her medical team provided my husband & I a window of time to get out there & walk a bit. Our days of driving back & forth into New Haven can be hours of sitting, of which we've experienced if we don't mix it up can have some unhealthy consequences on this end. Thus we've learned.

The streets of New Haven were lovely yesterday, it's a city of interesting architecture yet a bit edgy in corners. We enjoyed the sunshine, but mostly the shade as the city does magnify the heat of the day from all the pavement & sidewalks. It was a nice surprise to spot some unusual paints too at the local artist's supply shop, that along with some really cool bookstores & cafes we were all set to make lemonade out of a day that due to some elements of a portrait could have been all lemons.

Compassion & kindness are always the key, no matter the mindset of another, & practice does make better. Never perfect, here on earth, we're only human.

So went a day.