Rolling the Dice is Paradise

A Busy day and Erica's house. Today we finished clearing out mom's room, moved Erica into the spare bedroom, moved me in to Erica's old room. Erica will be getting a roommate shortly. And I will be bringing home all kinds of pottery, fabric and what-nots.  It is hard to let go of EVERYTHING. As it is 95% of her stuff is gone. We still have to got through some old letters and photos.


Around noon, I visited mom and she was sleeping deeply. The kind with the super shallow breaths. Her eyes half open and her mouth all the way open. But after an hour of that she woke up and we visited a bit. She was in some pain and got a bit of morphine.  We did have a few nice moments, but she tires quickly. Just a regular day up in Paradise. I did find out how the town of Paradise got its name. It was originally a boom gold rush digging town and then quickly turned into a gambling town. And so it was coined. "Pair-o'-dice"  The mayor, who had lofty hopes for the town, thought it best for everyone's sake to change the name to Paradise.

SOM 2015

Something I know

Something I know

A bird flies
with familar
certainty,
a confidence,
natural and
inherent...
not because
it is born
with      wings,
but because she
learns
how to use them.

The Sounds of Life

I stare at the page,
lost in noises
of water
and wind
and evening mist
    forming.
I realize    at     this   moment
that the sounds of life
are all around me,
and although
I have nothing
to say about them
     the empty lines
describe.   it  all
           beautifully.

On the Road.

Been on the road for the past two days. It was a lovely drive from Tacoma to Chico. Lots of hills as well as several large mountain passes.

Alice

Alice

I'm lucky because
I was able to
paddle
alongside you,
if only
for
part of the way.

How do I find presence? Live in the numerator as much as possible.

How do I get present?

Every situation can be seen from two perspectives. The numerator comes from presence and the denominator is more our human condition. Focusing on the mindful top side allows for greater presence and a happier life. 

% Authenticity =	Courage to say what I feel     Fear of not being liked
%  Clarity =	Celebrating the Mystery Living in Misery
% Good Orderly Direction =	What we do with our lives    What happens to us
% Growth =	Expand    Contract
% Happiness =	Gratitude Gratification
% Humility =	Honoring the Sacred In Horror of the scary
% Integrity =	Keep my promises        Don’t keep my promises
% Perspective =	Depth    Shallow
% Power =	Responsibility Reactivity
% Spaciousness =	Acceptance Resistance
% Serenity =	Wanting what I can change Wanting what I can not change
% Spiritual =	Mindfulness    Egoism

By Sandra Moreano

Drawing Puddles of Tears as I think of my mom.

Pour Toi - Thoughts with my Mom

 

The top left reminds me of a time with my mom
We were flying to Chico in a small plane.(top left)
We both gazed out the window and saw the moon aglow( top right)
and then felt great love for each other ( bottom left)
And today I still dream about this ( bottom right)
 

No Road

Tired arms

Mark Helprin In Sunlight and in Shadow

“Souls, like rays of light, exist in perfect, parallel equality, always. But for when infinitely short a time they pass through the rough and delaying mechanism of life, they separate and disentangle, encountering different obstacles, traveling at different rates, like light refracted by the friction of things in its path. Emerging on the other side, they run together once more, in perfection. For the short and difficult span when confounded by matter and time they are made unequal, they try to bind together as they always were and eventually will be. The impulse to do so is called love. The extend to which they exceed is called justice. And the energy lost in the effort is called sacrifice. On the infinite scale of things, this life is to a spark what a spark is to all the time man can imagine, but still, like a sudden rapids or bend in the river, it is that to which the eye of God may be drawn from time to time out of interest in happenstance.”
― Mark Helprin, In Sunlight and in Shadow



This quote above describes my feelings today as my mom begins her travels to a back of perfect light and love. She is sleeping about 20 hours a day now but is peaceful.  It is hard to do any painting right now. Maybe soon

I'm her in this town.

 

I'm here in this town

I was raised to try harder than I want,
and to accept
getting buried in someone else's treasure.

I'm just alright but the moon's awkward light,
asked me to promise
to bear this sort of burden.

When I look to the stars
to see which one is ours,
   I barely, just barely
   trust the answer.

So I'll do what I can
to share this great land 
and to take out all the hills and distractions.

Though I know that I'm one
and I know she is too,
I've made a promise to always support her.

I'll catch her when she falls,
I'll wrap her when she's cold,
and I'll breathe on my own
when I'm able.

I'm here in this town, on somewhat familiar ground
giving the gift that I know
I was called to.

So pass me the light and I'll point it just right   
to    the    places
that need a little brilliance.

When night falls

Tuesday

Grace Wins, in the end. Grace Wins

There are days

You are amazing

 

You are amazing, 

and I hope

that even if 

I'm the only one

who tells 

you,

you believe it.

We Still Dream Your Dream

Valentine's Day Cards Available

These are sample cards that I created for my etsy web site. If you would like any cards feel free to head over to my site or just pay pal me 3 dollars and I will mail them with an envelope directly to your house. I have created a tab on this site for just that purpose.

In any case these were great fun to make. I used gelli prints and Courtney provided the words. She is my secret valentine this year!

My friend Laura sent me this text and so I had to send her back a card to match.

I love our adventures

Markers, watercolor and pencil

Time to buy some Valetines Day Cards

 

Visit my etsy site to buy your cards today! 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/artandwords2015 

Winter wanders in

winter wanders in with
intuition and grace
she knows she only has a little while
to linger in this place

by Courtney Hands

Art by Sandra Moreano

forgiveness

forgiveness

for me,

forgiveness is a black crow

who visits every morning

      though i (try to)

         ignore him

i wonder

how the hell he doesn't

give up,

and one day just not show

but

i'm grateful he keeps

coming

because even though

i'm not ready

today

i know i

     soon will be

words by Courtney Hanes

I've Decided

I've decided
I'm
going to sit here
on the shore
of this lake
until things seem
less murky
and I
feel more safe.

by Courtney Hanes

A Tribute to You

 A Tribute to You

The day we
packed up the kids
and our lunches and our tie-dyed eggs
and drove through you,
was the day small things started to change.

As we entered your sacred space,
you embraced us, and whispered that we were safe.
My heart raced, and then slowed,
switching between fierce ebbs and
apprehensive flows.

Your aroma is permanently
carved in my heart, and I can still smell
the shawl of acceptance you wrapped around
me, knowing how hard
I was trying to
breathe while my children played among
the Joshua Trees.

My bones thank you.

It was there under the Cirrus clouds
that I lay down on you,
and became
simply
a woman in love

with a man.

I don't know how, but you knew
that I hadn't
really let him inside for at least
half a decade.

I needed to be among the rocks,
and the curves of you to begin again
to speak
a language so long ignored
it was gathering cobwebs and dusted specks.

We, in our own traps, were stuck.

That day, we stopped spinning and
surrendered
to being tangled up in you
and
your soothing, mud-less breeze
of fault lines and ego dreams,
and we let go.

We trusted that you'd bring us home

That was eight months ago,
and to this day,
we are still closing our eyes,
and pinching our skin
with appreciation,

ever so gently,
always gently.

his dream

his dream

knowing his dream
is to wake
beside her
she follows him
where he goes

Fallbrook Lane

Fallbrook Lane
There is only one house on Fallbrook Lane.
In it lives a little man and his Great Dane.
They have tea and biscuits every morning at six.
And then cold cuts and soda pop while they watch Netflix.
The man is not lonely, for he likes it this way.
They have a routine each and every day.
They drive to town on Wednesdays to get supplies.
They drive to the beach on Saturday to let salt air touch their eyes.
Everything is simple with the cottage and the man.
Some think he's melancholy with no one to hold his hand.
He doesn't think so until one day he agrees.
He rises at eight instead six and fixes black eyed peas.
His big dog is perplexed but happy at the change.
He thinks perhaps they will walk to another lane.
They do and that is where they meet Ms. Susie Frees.
She never ever gardens on Thursdays before three.
But today something tells her to go get things done.
So out she ventures with her Poodle named Everyone.
Everyone and Susie greet the man and Dane.
Then they leave the gardening and visit Fallbrook Lane.

These Clouds

A Prayer for Lynn Pelton from GGM and for all of Salone.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ and gather with friends and loved ones, please take a moment to remember those living in West Africa suffering through this Ebola crisis and those helping to fight it.  I have only been here about 3 weeks and I am tired.  The Nationals, Doctors without Borders and others have been fighting it for as long as 6 months. 

Progress is being made but no end is yet in sight.  Prayer and more people on the ground joining the fight is the only way this will end. Lynn Pelton, GGM

http://greatestgoalministries.org

 

It's okay for just one day

I want to give you something

 

Art by Sandra Moreano, Words by Courtney Hanes

I want to give you something

That's white and red

But if you take it.

You have to promise

You won't laugh

or start to run

but instead you'll stick it in a little vase

and show everyone.

A Song for the Winter Solstice

 

A Song for the Winter Solstice

You are the wild horse
I ride carefree on Sundays

You are a canvas for the words
I decorate with green moss
and blue savage moons

You are my secret sun
hiding behind
the shortest days
and longest nights

You are not afraid
to scatter your seeds
on the breast of a robin
to make memories

You are my sanctuary
of hungry wheat and
longing warm
underbellies of home

written by Courtney Hanes

Art on Words: Human with Courtney Hanes

Art and Words : I Grow

I grow

I grow because
sunshine
smiles on me
and my roots mix with rain

Art by Sandra Moreano   Words by Courtney Hanes

Art and Words ALL

Art by Sandra Moreano ------ Words by Courtney Hanes


All

All most of us
want
is to be
from a place
we're proud
of

Another Sunday

  Art by Sandra Moreano     Words by Courtney Hanes

Art and Words II - Capsized! Art by Courtney Hanes, Words by Sandra Moreano

Courtney's Poems with my Gelli Prints

 

I just got back from a writer's retreat and met and amazing poet. We have joined forces with her poetry on placed on my art work. I hope you as thrilled as I am!  More to come!

Seedlings

I am headed for a seedlings workshop with Katherine Boutry in December. So I got all inspired and drew my first seedling.

Dreaming Watery Landscapes

Sister Joan Chittister, OSB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rROCOMzqW3M#t=1174

This is a great lecture about The existence of God. A little long but some wonderful points are made. Like this quote

First God created man and then Man created God.

Fast and Slow

Give us this day

Learned a little about my Dogwood trees that grow on the front lawn. So beautiful

Painting Gourds with Roxane.

Celebrating the fall with Water Colors