Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Acceleration of Energy

The other day I picked up my phone to call my brother, Phillip, however my phone rang and it was him. We have one of those relationships... we can go weeks without talking and pick up right where we left off.  Those of you that really know us (like his wife, Deborah) are amused that we go into a zone of speaking in the "Phippo- CiCi language." If we are left alone for any amount of time we always end up speaking in the realm of spirituality and science. One minute we are talking about the Bible and the next minute we are talking about the effect words have on water molecules.

On this particular day I was saddened by the imbalance of mankind. Whether it be due to those who take advantage of kindhearted trusting people or the disenfranchised. Or the parents who neglect the responsibility of financial or moral support to their children, with not a thought of the lifelong effect it has on not only their children but their children's children. When I was younger I was positive that karma would catch up with these people. I also believed that if one lived a good life, good things would happen. But as I have gotten older I realized sometimes that just doesn't happen in this lifetime. There comes a time when one has to come to terms with the fact that sometimes life just isn't fair and it has been that way throughout the ages.


The Native Americans had their country taken, black people became slaves. Bankers continue to take people's homes, crooked investors take innocent client's life savings, greedy landlords raise rents unfairly, fathers don't pay child support forcing mothers and children to live in poverty and I don't even want to talk about how I feel about drug dealers. Then there are people who are simply unjustly judged simply due to their color or creed.

In Phillip's soothing calm tone he simply said to me "Vengeance is not ours." It was as if I had heard those words for the first time. In my mind's eye, I saw the face of Martin Luther King who fought for his rights and more importantly for the rights of others, fully knowing in his heart that he would never, in his lifetime, experience the wonderment of seeing someone that he fought for become the President of the United States. I got it. Vengeance is not ours. Faith is ours. Faith that one must hold close to our hearts while trusting our path.



I had lost faith on my life path. Over the next few days I started to feel that all the work I had been doing on myself had brought all of these changes on, sort of as the ultimate life test. But I felt that I had failed the test because when I left Austin November 5, what I was feeling was scared, alone, confused and betrayed due to an accumulation of life's events. The final straw was the landlord from hell. I had no idea the effect this man would have on my life. Two years ago I felt like I was on top of the world, I made a verbal agreement with him. He had a duplex right smack dab where I wanted to live in Central South Austin. I was excited to make my home and studio in 78704. I spent thousands of my own hard earned money to remodel his duplex. I carelessly signed a 15 page, 2 year lease without reading the contents because we had a verbal agreement that I would be there much longer and possibly buy it later. Then reality hit. He wasn't a nice man and he lived next door. I planned my days around when he was home as to not have a confrontation with him, as did everyone else in the cul-de-sac. As soon as my lease was up he refused to renew it, knowing that with all the expensive artistic improvements, he would be able to rent it for much more than I was paying.

I haven't written much on my blog since June because I was devastated on so many levels. The contents of my home but more importantly, my studio went into storage. Since then I felt sort of paralyzed, afraid that if I said or wrote anything it would just give what I was feeling power or I would be judged as a failure, or even worse, it would sound like I was complaining or blaming when in reality I have just been trying to make sense of it all.

As many of you know I moved to St Louis to live with my son, his wife and my 5 yr old grandson for a while. Then the other night my son Christian voiced his concern. I had always been the light house in his life, the force of positive energy that he could depend on. My light has not been shining.  As I lie curled up on the couch under a blanket, I was forced to put into words what I was feeling. All I could come up with was I felt like I had been knocked down so many times that I was having a hard time getting up. Feeling the need to just take a break from life, I stopped all my rituals of lighting a candles, praying and meditating. I stopped wishing on the first star in the sky at night, afraid to ask for anything because it felt as if everything I touched crumbled.

It didn't make sense. I had taken two art business classes from Kelly Rae Roberts, I was serious about taking my art business to the next level. I spent 2 years working day and night on myself and my art. I was doing art shows, selling art on Etsy, only to have it crumble when I lost my studio. Not only did I feel betrayed, but all of the betrayals of my life that I had not dealt with came to the surface. Sort of like the stories I hear about near death experiences, I had flashes of scenes in my life showing me how I could have handled situations in another manner as to not have been taken advantage of.



Through it all, those who believe in me, are still here. They took me in, helped me move and then move again and again, they took in my cat and my plants and gave me hope. They call me, email me and text me to make sure I am okay. I have realized that my achilles' heel is my home. Well, of course it is, I am a Taurus - Earth mother, homemaker. I have been devastated so many times due to the loss of my home and every time, it makes no sense. I now know that it is my life lesson and every time it happens I become less and less attached to material things. I have had this conversation with Phillip and gone so far as to relate it back to our Sephardic Jewish heritage.... but I am not going there, that is a whole other chapter in my blog.

Times are hard, not just for me but for everyone. Everyone is being faced with an acceleration of energy and now is the time to examine life long issues and make adjustments. We're in transition and in just a couple of days we will reach the point of alignment. On the Winter Solstice-Dec. 21, 2012, we're completing a 26,000 year cycle. This is huge. Our planet will align with the Great Central Sun, and the galactic center. Transmissions of unconditional, pure love will flow forth. Each of us will receive only to the extent we are capable of receiving.  A perfect way to participate is to just let our identities soften and be fluid. Allow yourself to receive all the experiences, the love, the support you need to reflect and be present to this change. It is as much a beginning as it is an end.
  
Trust your path. Do not compare yourself to anyone, just be you. Let yourself go at your pace-- just being you. Perfect and beautiful.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Happy Birthday Adriane

Happy 35th Birthday to my sweet Adriane Rose!


For some reason the video above doesn't show anymore so I am posting photos of Adriane's birthdays!







Monday, June 11, 2012

What Is An Artist?

Last year I was told that I am not an artist because I'm not a perfectionist. Months later I was told by the same person that I am just too sensitive because I was having vivid dreams that were coming true. Those two statements were on the opposite ends of the artistic spectrum and extremely hurtful,  however, they were probably two of the most helpful statements to my artistic career.

It helped me to understand the artistic soul. My artistic soul. I know now that just showing up and allowing the creative spirit to flow is of utmost importance and drawing outside the lines is extremely important. I know now, with all my heart, that artists are visionaries and we act out of faith.

I have often heard song writers say that sometimes that most powerful songs write them, they do not write the song. I believe this to be true. Sometimes I go to bed only to toss and turn until I get up and go in my studio and stay up all night painting. I wake up the next day to a piece of art that I could never produce on my own. It is in fact the creative spirit that I allow to move through me. It is a magical blessing.

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age; 
That blasts the roots of trees
~Dylan Thomas  
 
 


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The Transit of Venus

The Transit of Venus on June 5 and 6 2012 is a rare event, and kicks off BIG DRAMA of 2012. 

Venus Retrograde means that our love lives enter a fated period where we may relive past life experiences in order to sort out karmic issues. Old friends or lovers may reappear and there may be more difficulty in giving and receiving love and affection. Venus and Sun square Mars will create anger and resentment. For the meek.... you won’t be putting up with any more crap in any of your relationships. It is a time to become very familiar with the term love/hate.

Venus is usually peaceful and loving, but in Retrograde, Venus is seen as the goddess of war that makes us feel emotional, compulsion and jealousy. This dramatic change is now made very personal with the Moon on Pluto. The Moon also rules our past, and with Venus retrograde, some of us could be in for some intense encounters with old lovers and even current ones.

Neptune is on the fixed star Formalhaut and square the Moons Nodes would indicate some suspicions and mistrust. It may also mean that we reach a critical turning point with negative habits such as drugs, dishonesty and affairs. Moon with Pluto also suggests crunch time for negative habits and compulsions.  

The overall picture emerging is one of facing up to reality in our relationships. If you have been deceitful in some way, been playing around or have an addiction, then you will likely face a lot of hostility from your partner, family and close friends. If you are with someone whose addictions are putting a strain on your relationships, whether gambling, infidelity, drugs or porn, then you may reach a stage where you cannot let it go on. The great intensity, built up frustrations, resentment or anger, which has been poisoning any of your relationships, must now be released. It might get ugly. Sun and Venus square Mars causes conflict. Don't be afraid of the confrontation.

The people who will feel the transit of Venus the strongest, and probably find it most difficult will be  Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

May 31 My Mom's Birthday


I thank you Momma, daily for teaching me to have faith and courage to do and be anything in the face of adversity. I thank her for teaching me that my children are undeniably my greatest gift. But mostly, I thank her for teaching me to never take sh*t from anyone. I love you Momma
Mom came to live with us in Austin 4 months before she passed away. I spent as much time as possible documenting her life story and she enjoyed every minute of it even though when I would show up with my questions she would always say '¡Que Muchacha!" She really loved it because she was a story teller. She remembered dates and events better than anyone have every met.  After she passed away I realized there were so many more questions. This is an unfinished version of my mother's story. I learned after she passed away that Billy the Kid had in fact taught her Uncle Hilario to speak and write in English. Ha! Minor outlaw detail. I wish I had thought to do this with my father too. Anyway, I worked hard to document the information that would not be available when Momma passed away. My mom and dad had had grandchildren and great-grandchildren that are not YET featured in this slide show that they loved dearly..... I will get around to it someday and hope that all of you will help me retrieve those memories.


I posted this slide show on Facebook and realized I should have posted it here to preserve the heartfelt responses from some of those who loved her most.

Camille Said:
I can still smell her cooking, line dried laundry, moth balls, clean bathroom, night cream, sopapillas/tortillas and the smell of shag carpet meets furniture laquer from my favorite big blue van, cuz it meant we were going to the zoo!! right Adriane Ethridge? I mean Adrennnn!

Derek Said:
If Grandma could've lived a while longer, I think she really would've embraced and enjoyed the social conveniences of the modern age, sitting in her kitchen with her "lappatop" computer obsessively playing solitaire and gossiping on Facebook...however, don't friend her if your not prepared for retaliation for a comment you made she didn't agree with. She would've constantly gone over her data usage on her iphone due to hours upon hours a day texting and talking and facetiming with her friends. Missing you in the 21st century Mama Luke! Happy birthday!!

Adriane said:
I'm so glad that you did this... it's like my whole side of mom's family.. I can only hope that I can keep that far along to show Dylan... how neat!!!!!! hopefully it will pass down..... 


Monday, May 28, 2012

Just Breathe

Christina and Winker
Just getting home from a night out on the town with my friends Winker, Danny, René, Stuart, Hilary, Joy, Calvin and others. We went to Jax's and then to "The Mean Eyed Cat." It was a fun night of taking funny photos and even funnier jokes. Unfortunately, none of the good photos were with my camera. A great ending to a  much less stressful Memorial Day weekend than last year.

Where do I start with the craziness of  last year? I rented a van to take Tony and his band to Ruidoso, New Mexico to play at the Bottle House Cabins. That in itself was fun. I knew the owners, my brother, Phillip had performed their wedding years earlier.  As I stepped out of my house, locking the door it dawned on me that leaving Christian, his friend Stefan and Tony's cat, George, at my house was a less than desirable decision and with that thought, I slipped off of the front door step and fell on my shoulder. I just recently stopped physical therapy for the injury. I had a migraine all the way to New Mexico. Thank God for Steve who took care of me and drove simultaneously. By the time we got to Lincoln County, I was feeling better and enjoyed the whole Billy the Kid experience that Steve, Will and I had been looking forward to. I also loved listening to the wind blowing down the mountain, through the trees every evening. Probably my biggest feat of the trip was having the guys get in touch with their feminine side in the hot tub by telling each other one thing they loved about each other. What I didn't know was that back home, Christian was having a 5 day party at my house and after George sprayed all over my new bed and every rug in the house, he disappeared for about two weeks only to be found coming out of the closet to eat at night. My cat still gets nervous when she sees me leaving.

My Peace Rose Bush In Full Bloom!
In great contrast, this Memorial Day weekend was peaceful. I painted, worked in my garden and watched "In Love And War" It's a true story set in WWI. Ernest Hemingway fell in love with a nurse named Agnes. She later sent him a "Dear John Letter." In his unforgiveness, he used her as the basis for several characters in his novels, not always flattering to her. There are a couple of morals to this story. Don't break the heart of a writer, they will write about you and .... here is the important moral.... forgiveness is essential. Hemingway never forgave Agnes. He married 4 times and then committed suicide.

Mom & Dad's grave, Llano Cemetery, Amarillo
This time of year is always bitter sweet. May starts out great with my birthday on May 12, celebrating with all my other Taurus girlfriends, we have lots of parties, cards, cakes and presents. Then Gilbert's birthday is May 21.... but then comes May 26, my dad's birthday, May 27 my nephew Jeran passed away and just 3 short years before that on May 28 is Jeran's birthday. Then Memorial Day falls in there somewhere and then May 31 is my mom's birthday.

Felipe Montoya Fajardo WWII, Normandy, France
I spent more time this Memorial Day thinking about the memory of our war heros. My dad used to take me to the cemetery, wearing his American Legion hat but he never explained to me why we were there. Now I know. I honor him way more now than I did when I was 12.

I have always said that there is a Willie song for every event in my life. This time I have a Pearl Jam song that is on Willie's new CD "Heros" perfect for what I am feeling today. "Lucky to count on both hands, the ones I love."
Watch this video,
it will make you cry, in a good way!
  -->Just Breathe<--

Just Breathe

Yes, I understand that every life must end
uh-huh
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go
uh-huh
Oh I'm a lucky man,
to count on both hands the ones I love
Some folks just have one, yeah, others, they've got none
uh-huh
Stay with me...
Let's just breathe...

Practiced all my sins, never gonna let me win
uh-huh
Under everything, just another human being
uh-huh
I don't wanna hurt, there's so much in this world
to make me bleed

Stay with me
You're all I see...

Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see
No one knows this more than me
As I come clean...

I wonder everyday, as I look upon your face
uh-huh
Everything you gave
And nothing you would take
uh-huh
Nothing you would take
Everything you gave...

Did I say that I need you?
Oh, did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see
No one knows this more than me
And I come clean, ah...

Nothing you would take
Everything you gave
Love you til I die
Meet you on the other side...

Sunday, May 20, 2012

The Secret

The amazing synchronicities that take place in my life serve as constant reminders that we must always trust our path, everything happens just as it is meant to. I have an amazing story about "The Secret" that took place over an almost five year period and involves people in different areas of my life.

Almost five years ago, in March, I was ready for a change in my life. I put my lake house on the market, it sold to the first real estate agent that looked at it. I was trying to gracefully walk away from a job at the newspaper that I had for 15 years and still be able to pay my bills. Magically, they offered me a package and I was able to begin my dream life as a freelance artist. As if selling my house and quieting my 8-5 job weren't enough for bitter sweet endings, in May my relationship with Dan ended and my 12 year old cat, Layla died. As we do when we go through life changes, I was searching for answers to all of life's questions.

My garage apartment in Spicewood
Simultaneously, my friend George, who had rented my garage apartment for a couple of years was also going through life changes. We both picked up the book "The Secret," I saw the movie and I went so far as to get "The Secret" on CD and went to sleep listening to it every night. In October, I took a trip to  Hawaii and read it every day on the beach. I was bound and determined to call forth the highest good for my life when I returned home to Austin.

When I returned to Austin, I was staying with my sister, Nita for a short while. She and I had been at out friend Lana's southwest of Austin. It must have been November by this time. We ran into George entering the electric gate as we were leaving. He was ecstatic, he had magically gone from driving a truck to purchasing a Mercedes that he converted to bio-diesel, he had a new lap-top computer and a lap dog. I jokingly said to him "Now all you need is a lap dance George, what the heck happened?"  He reminded me that he had been reading "The Secret" and guess what, not long after that, he located a high school sweetheart on facebook and they got married!
Meanwhile back at the ranch, Lana had been urging me to stay away from musicians and "fish from another pond." This coming from the lady who is on the road with Willie 300 days a year. Of course she would say that! I argued that my most recent failed relationship was with research analyst at the University of Texas and I realized that MY pattern was to attract emotional unavailable men whether it be with a doctor, research analyst or musician. It was as if her warning had come from my mother and I took it as a dare to find a musician. She ended the conversation just as a mother would "Fine. date a musician, but only if he has his own band, owns a house and drives a nice car."

About a month later we were having a "Hormone Weekend" at Lana's and all the girls were spending the weekend at the ranch. We went to a party at my friend Pam's house. Lana went home early. Bored. Too many musicians I suppose. I stayed and Wahlah! like magic, that night I manifested exactly what I had envisioned. A musician who, like a gentleman, walked me to my car and kissed me good night. Wish granted! As I drove out 290 West to the ranch, with his business card in hand, I felt like a cat bringing home a mouse to show my girlfriends. On our first date he walked in my house and saw a painting I had been working on that day and with a surprised look on his face he said "I will be right back." He went to his car and got a copy of his CD. The painting I was working on looked exactly like the front of his CD cover.

For about a year I was totally amazed that "The Secret" had worked such magic in my life. Endless nights out on the town being wined and dined, listening to great music and dancing. Then reality started to sink in when on occasion we had dinner with married friends who talked of plans they were making together. Gardening, house repairs, vacations. I too had big plans swimming around in my head yet he would sit there never saying a word. It slowly started to sink in, I had been granted exactly what I had asked for, nothing more. A musician with his own band, a house and a car. He had no intention of settling down and was just along for the ride. Our relationship lasted exactly 4 years. I had one year of total ignorant bliss, two years of thinking I could change it and one more year knowing it would never change but still hoped I could live that way.  I had fallen for his well practiced facade. Yes, he had his own band but the band members change constantly because of his lack of loyalty. To anyone. He owns a house but it's not a home because he shares it with no one. Nights out on the town and brunch in the morning was all he had to offer.


George, Victoria and Christina
Now here is where the story gets interesting. This March I attended a birthday party at the ranch for Bella, Lana and her ex-husband George's grand daughter. George was feeling a little unsettled, his sister had passed away unexpectedly the night before and so he was thinking about what she could have done differently to avoid her depression. He reminded me of when we had run into each other at the gate at the ranch more than four years earlier and spoke of reading "The Secret" and he was so grateful that he had gotten exactly what he had asked for, including his wife, Vicki. And Vicki spoke of how grateful she was to find George because she had been in an off and on relationship since high school with a narcissist. "Well that really sucks!" I said "I read 'The Secret' and ended up with a narcissist. WTF? I realized I needed to go back and read the book again because obviously I missed something!" I came home that evening and looked through all my self-help books and couldn't find it and gave up and went to bed.

Michael, Kate, Christina, René and Carole
Two months went by, the second week in May Kate and I were celebrating our birthdays all week so we took a trip to  Fredericksburg with Carole, Rene and Kate's Aunt Michael. After a full day of shopping in all the expensive little boutiques and eating German food, René wanted to stop at the Goodwill on the way out of town. As we shopped she mentioned that the best Goodwill was close to her house on Brodie Lane but as she was out running errands a couple of weeks ago, she went to one in east Austin. She had gotten a really good deal on some books.

That night after we returned from Fredericksburg, René decided to read one of the books that she had purchased at the Goodwill, a copy of "The Secret." When she bought it she noticed a Joe Ely backstage pass on the inside front cover and thought how cool it was that the previous owner it liked the same music she did. When she opened the book in bed a boarding pass from Honolulu, Hawaii to Austin fell out. On the boarding pass she read "Christina Fajardo" and then a baggage claim pass fell out that said "Christina Fajardo." She yelled out "Oh My God!" Danny, with a toothbrush in his mouth comes around the corner and says "What's wrong?" She said "I have to call Christina!" It was 11 pm. She called me immediately. I was talking to Sarah Elizabeth on the phone and said "Something must be wrong, I will call you back, René is calling." When she told me, I was in shock I kept saying "But René, I don't even know how my copy of "The Secret" got to Goodwill. I never would have gotten rid of that book!" It wasn't until the next day when I told my sister, Nita the story and she suggested that I left it at Tony's and he took it to Goodwill. Well, doesn't that makes it that much more magical that my copy of "The Secret" found it's way back to me?

Listen To The Whispers "Luna Chick"
René is still reading the book so I rented the movie on iTunes yesterday. In case you have been living under a rock and haven't read "The Secret," here's the premise. The secret teaches the law of attraction. This law states that whatever we focus our attention on is attracted to us. Our thoughts and feelings create our reality. When we consciously direct our thoughts and feelings toward the positive goals we want to achieve, we send forth a message to the universal consciousness and attract the results we concentrate on. Thoughts become things. We are constantly emitting energy that attracts what we are, not what we want.

Really? WHY with all my self examination, reading every self help book on the market, watching Oprah every day, would I attract painfully, dysfunctional relationships? I know that most of the time we enter relationships for one reason and we usually end up learning something totally unexpected. I have to admit I did manifest exactly what I asked for, as shallow as that wish was. Silly me. I assumed that just because someone has their own band, a car and a house that they worked for it would know the value of team work and integrity. After all, I had worked hard to become a freelance artist and I worked hard to own all of the houses and cars that I have had in my 50 some odd years. Even Willie, my hero had been a pig farmer.

May 20 eclipse in Santa Rosa New Mexico
The New Moon and Solar Eclipse that are occurring today marks the beginning of a new cycle that can carry our desires and intentions into manifestation. Until now I was scared to ask because I was afraid of what I would manifest .... but here goes. I'll let ya know later how it all turns out!

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

May - My Favorite Time Of The Year!

Today Willie Nelson has a new CD being released
appropriately title
"Heroes."
Here's a video of
Micah, Lucas and Willie singing 
"Just Breathe"
Watch for a video
produced by Lana Nelson
and David Anderson
called 
A Horse He Called Music"
Click here to see Willie on Jimmy Fallon

I always look forward to May. My flowers are in full bloom, my birthday and Mother's Day are a double whammy of phone calls from children, grandchildren and siblings singing happy birthday and phone calls and e-cards from those who consider me their mother (don't ask me why I have children all over the world)  I love all my friends and family for always reminding me that I am always and forever surrounded by love.

I am pretty sure the party at Jax's last night was the last of the flurry of Taurus birthday parties, birthday cards, presents and chocolate cake and I promise not to do it again.... until next year. I didn't even eat cake last night because I had a sugar hang over from the night before.
May 5 Party at Jenna's - Liberty Hill Mary, Christina, Beth, Jenna and Sarah. This was actually Jimmie Dale Gilmore's party but it was a Taurus party none the less.
May 11 Trip to Fredericksburg with Kate, Kate's Aunt Michael, Rene and Carole

May 12 Birthday Girls Christina, Cash and Sherry Celebrating at Z Tejas


Sarah and Christina's Birthday Party at Sarah's on Mother's Day, May 13

Van with two birthday girls Christina and Kate
One of my very favorite birthday presents was from Dean, my friend, Martha's 12 year old son. He drew a portrait of me by candle light on the back porch at the ranch. As synchronicity works, Lana called right when he finished the drawing to wish me a happy birthday from New Jersey, so I sent her the brilliant drawing by her grandson, by text. Technology is a wonderful thing!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Tonight is the Scorpio/Taurus Super Full Moon



Tonight is a very powerful full moon known as a "Super Moon." The the moon will be 17,000 miles closer to the Earth than the average full moon therefore exerting a stronger pull than usual. I am going to guess that a lot of babies are going to be born tonight and if you aren't pregnant, this full moon will just be calling on you to give birth to the destiny seeded within you.

Get out your candles and affirmations, it's time for a powerful life-transforming Taurus/ Scorpio full moon ceremony and dang it, two of my most powerful Scorpio girlfriends are on tour and I can't find my Maypole. LOL  I can say for sure that there is an energetic opposition between Taurus and Scorpio that I have witnessed first hand. My birthday is May 12 and one of my best friends birthday is November 11, almost exactly across the astrological wheel from me. We, like any other Taurus/ Scorpio union, create amazing magic.

Even if you aren't a Taurus or Scorpio, this Taurus/Scorpio full moon is a time to let go of fears that keep us caught up in the delusion of our patriarchal society and look at the emotional traumas that keep us apart. It's time to band together with like-minded people. It’s time to question our values and beliefs about money, power, happiness and our connection to each other.

There are so many issues that come to the surface with this full moon in Scorpio /Taurus. Many of them have been highlighted in the past few months. Have you noticed you have made plans and for some reason when it’s time to actually manifest, your plans are defused? Are you angry and don’t know why? Do you want to change things and don’t know where to start? Have you lost the trust with yourself and with the world? Not to worry. This Scorpio Full Moon stresses truth. Scorpio rules what is hidden. All souls, structures and systems must recalibrate to a higher calling of truth. We are entering the Age of Truth, the Age of Empowerment.

Pluto, Scorpio’s ruling planet teaches us about power. How we use power. How we get power. How we own our power and how we give our power away. The Scorpio Full Moon is revealing the hidden motivations, hidden agendas and important truths about the misuse of power and our resources. We are changing from short-term, shortsighted gains to long-term, life-enhancing goals.

And here is the secret..... the power is with individuals coming together in teams.
Watch this video --->>     TEAM

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Yet Another Rally at the State Capitol

After the The Sunset Vally Art Show on Saturday we all headed
to the Seeing Red Rally
At the State Capitol
Held on the same day as other
There was a huge crowd on the steps of the Capitol

 
Kate, Nita, Carole, Dylan and Christina


Teaching my grandson that church and state are separate!
Carol, Dylan, Joy, Stephen, Carole, Kate and Nita

Then Nita, Dylan and I walked over to take a look at the Tejano Statue.

Wait Gramma, it says right here that this monument pays tribute to Spanish-Mexican heritage in Texas culture. Then why is the government still trying to kick them out? Just wondering.

The War On Women In 6 Simple Tweets From Sen. Barbara Boxer

From MoveOn.org

Monday, April 30, 2012

Sunset Valley Art Fest - April 28

Saturday was a perfect day for an art show at the Sunset Valley Art Fest. The fact that Sunset Valley is only about 2 miles from my home and the show was only 6 hours long made it even that much better.  I sometimes envy my musician friends that show up for a gig to play no more than 4 hours and only have to bring their musical instruments and at worse, a PA. Dylan and I surprise ourselves every time I have a show by being able to fit a tent, a table, an 8 panel display rack, 2 director's chairs, many paintings and jewelry into my Honda Accord. Amazing! Fortunately this Saturday, Nita showed up in her SUV and helped get it all back home. I only wish I would have gotten more photos of my art display, my weekend helper, Dylan and some of my other friends that came by.
Christina and Christy
There was great entertainment by the Gourds, Brave Combo and Bill Oliver. I love doing art shows. I create art to inspire others and when I sell my art online I don't really get the experience of the face to face interaction with the buyer. It is heartwarming to have people tell me they have been following my art for years and have the perfect place for the art they purchase for me or that they are buying it for. Dylan was so cute this weekend, ready with his sharpie for me to autograph art.

My newest fan is my great-neiece, Bianca. Here she is with her favorite painting and her new necklace.

The first customer of the morning

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Art Show and Women's Rally Saturday!


I am excited to announce that I am doing
my one and only art show this spring!
Saturday April 28
 Come and Purchase Cool Art
and
Hear to Great Music
Brave Combo
and
The Gourds
On the main stage
and...
Bill Oliver and Beth Galiger
On the Children's Stage

The Sunset Valley Art Fest
Toney Burger Center
9 am - 3 pm


After that I hope to go to the Seeing Red Rally
At the State Capitol
Held on the same day as other

It is clear that women have so much work to do
to protect and advance our full freedoms and rights
in every area of our lives
including the wide range of economic,
legal, safety and educational issues that affect women.
 


Sunday, April 22, 2012

420 In Austin Texas - Finally, a Statue of Willie!

It has been a week to remember! Friday, April 20 (4/20) at 4:20 was the unveiling of Willie Nelson's statue in front of the the Austin City Limits, Moody Theater on Willie Nelson Blvd! I read that there was a crowd of about 2,000 but in my mind, I was amongst small group of friends and family as Willie helped unveil the statue honoring him. For those of you who have been living under a rock, 420 has long been reserved to celebrate smoking pot. Organizers said they didn't intentionally choose April 20 for the event, but once they found out, they scheduled the unveiling at 4:20 p.m. as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Willie's advocacy for the legalization of pot.


The statue was created by Philadelphia sculptor, Clete Shields who said the leaning pose and heroic scale are intended to show Nelson's openness and whimsical side while honoring his tremendous influence on music and the city. He said  "We wanted to get a timeless Willie, an ageless Willie."

Friday was very surreal. To the world Willie is a 10-time Grammy Award winner who has sold more than 40 million copies of his 150 albums. The heartfelt congratulations from Kris Kristofferson expressed more of what Willie is to me and brought tears to my eyes. He said how proud he was of his friend and he couldn't have imagined the city honoring Willie during the early days of what became known as the Cosmic Cowboy movement in music. That is a time that so many of us hold close to our hearts. I was 18 and Willie's daughter, Lana was 20 when we became roommates. That year (1974) we drove Lana's Ford station wagon with our other roommate Mary, following Willie on his California tour. We thought he might need our support on the west coast only to find the crowds as large as they were in Texas. We celebrated Lana's 21st birthday at the famous Italian restaurant, Vanessi's in San Francisco with my sister, Nita who was living in Marin County, and the entire Willie Nelson band.

From the first time I saw Willie perform, I was always amazed at how he would make contact with everyone in the crowd starting with the front row. You could just feel the energy move all the way to the back of the crowd. To the drunkest in the crowd he would sing "Whiskey River" and end the show with "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." Everyone would leave feeling like we had just gone to church. In the 80s, during the first year of Farm-Aid,  Willie's secretary Jody Fischer, hired me to help with the overwhelming response from farmers and supporters at the recording studio.

Nita, Bianca, Cayce, Martha, Christina and Mario
Christina, Carole, Kate and Nita
Before the unveiling, a small group of friends and family met at Lambert's, a block away so we could walk together to the big event. My favorite conversation of the day .... 

Lana says to me, as we are walking on Willie Nelson Blvd in front of a store filled with Willie Nelson T-Shirts, towards the unveiling of the Willie Nelson statue... "So tell me something exciting going on in your life. " I said "Not much, just doing art, painting. And you?" Lana says "Not much. Just going to see an statue of my dad." 

We stopped in on the way and Lana bought Willie T-Shirts for some of the kids.
Dean and Mario

Then there was Lana's son Bryan who wore his own awesome T-Shirt that Willie and Annie had given him. It just seemed appropriate to wear to the unveiling of his grandfather's statue.



So here we are in 2012, our kids are grown and have their own kids. Willie was an inspiration to my parents who were older than him, my generation's inspiration, our hero and  became our kid's hero and now our grandkids. Earlier this week Willie had played in St Louis and Christian and Carrie took my grandson, Andrew to his first Willie concert. Last night was another wonderful opening night with Willie at "The Backyard." I had the privilege of going with Nita and my great  niece, Bianca to her first Willie concert. She was beyond excited and so in tuned with what Willie is about. It was awesome hanging with her. Then Nita took her on stage to get a better look at Willie.
Martha and avoided the stage rush and went to the green room where she found "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac.

Finally!  A statue of Willie in downtown Austin!
It is a glorious day!