Need i say less?

Need i say less?

You are the Sky...

"You are the Sky. Everything else is just the weather."

...  Pema Chodron  ...

Siesta Key Beach - Mar. 31, 2013

Enough with the Personal Civil War

Deepak Jain

Much energy is wasted in fighting with oneself; in rejecting, in condemning. Much energy is wasted. If you start accepting yourself, you become a reservoir of energy because then the conflict ceases; then there is no civil war; then you are one piece. Much energy is preserved, and that overflowing energy is creativity.
A person who is in conflict with himself can never be creative. He is destructive, he is destroying himself, and through himself he will destroy others also. All his relationships will be poisoned. The most basic and the most fundamental commandment is to love oneself. I don’t say only accept, because that word is not enough — you can accept and you may not love. You may accept, because what can be done? — you are in a deep helplessness, but that is not acceptance.
Unless you accept yourself as a blessing, unless you accept and welcome yourself, unless you accept yourself in deep gratitude, unless you love yourself, you will never become an overflowing energy. Then the energy can flow in song, in dance, in painting. A thousand and one ways of creativity can be found; or it can simply flow in deep silence. And whomsoever comes in contact with that deep silence will be transformed and will hear for the first time the music which is celestial. So not only accept, but accept with deep gratitude.

Be thankful that God has made you you, and not anybody else. Everybody has a unique function to fulfill, that’s why he exists. And when I say everybody, I mean everybody. A Judas is as much needed as a Jesus. Without Judas, Jesus will be poorer; something will be missing in the story. So Jesus has to be thankful to Judas also. Not only accept yourself, but accept everybody else as he is. God knows better.

 

...~!~ Osho ~!~...

 

 

 

How my Creativity "Rolls"!

Lavender Corduroy Zafu 

New Wunderkind Brain Mind Altering Drug

Ha! Gotcha!...it's not new at all. It's been around forever. 

Well, not quite! But still. You get the point. To read the entire article...

 "The 'New' Benefits Of Mindfulness: Improved Memory, Focus, And GRE Scores"

.forbes.com/ 

~~~

Mindfulness + Meditation.

I don't care who you are - that's a (free) mind altering cocktail, right there!

You don't need no stinkin' insurance plan to afford that...

And, no picketing to "Lord, help us Free the Hemp!" either.

Get some Inner Peace, would ya'? :-)

Jute Placemats to Shabby Chic Purses Conversion

Shabby Chic Bridesmaids Zipper Purses

Halfway through a project like this is when I usually

 remember to take pictures of the original items,

 which no longer exist intact, of course! Sound familiar?

Safari Print Burlap with Vintage Lace Zipper Purse

Purse interior was the placemat backing.

Vintage Lace trim - Thrift store/Rummage sale find!

Buttons formerly adorned a Linen Dress

The lace is new but Vintage, with delightful signs of aging. 

I love burlap. It has a wonderful earthy smell!

~~~

Two of these 6 zipper cases are heading out the door for Colorado in tomorrow's mail. 

The remaining four are available at ArlingtonStSRQ

What is Suspended Coffee?

This following story will warm you better than a coffee on a cold winter day.
snopes.com says it's a TRUE story! 

"We enter a little coffeehouse with a friend of mine and give our order. While we're approaching our table two people come in and they go to the counter -

'Five coffees, please. Two of them for us and three suspended' They pay for their order, take the two and leave. I ask my friend:

'What are those 'suspended' coffees ? ''Wait for it and you will see

Some more people enter. Two girls ask for one coffee each, pay and go. The next order was for seven coffees and it was made by three lawyers - three for them and four 'suspended'. While I still wonder what's the deal with those 'suspended' coffees I enjoy the sunny weather and the beautiful view towards the square in front of the café. Suddenly a man dressed in shabby clothes who looks like a beggar comes in through the door and kindly asks

'Do you have a suspended coffee ?'

It's simple - people pay in advance for a coffee meant for someone who can not afford a warm beverage. The tradition with the suspended coffees started in Naples, but it has spread all over the world and in some places you can order not only a suspended coffee, but also a sandwich or a whole meal." 

 

 Dion Schwulst

Mooji, the man after my own heart

Mooji

"I don’t want to teach anybody anything.
With regards to Truth, I don’t believe in teaching anything too much.
Learning may happen spontaneously, but it is not our intention.
I only point out that thing which is missed time and again due to paying too much attention to the mind play.
Can you teach Truth?
No. I don’t think so. One may only discover or recognize it.
Some teaching is necessary up to a certain stage and for some time, but I stress that pointing out rather than learning is more direct for the advanced stage of seeking as the immutable Truth is already here.
Often it is the mind itself that wants to keep learning and learning and learning. However, this obsession with learning can be a kind of avoidance to discovering what is true, immediate and obvious.
Once Truth is recognized, it remains only to deepen the attention there. Avoid knocking from door to door for the old snake of ego still has a few tricks left up its sleeve and doubt is one of its favorite tricks.
Once recognized, hold onto and be one with awareness."

~ Mooji

Rishikesh, India, 20th of March 2013

~~~

Sit a bit, every day....

Spring Bouquet - Repurposed Linen

 

 

 Natural Linen Rayon Blend with Wildflowers

zafus available at 

ZafuChi on etsy 

Love of Linens

When we were young my grandmother told us how they used to make clothing and household items with Linen fabric. They used flax that they grew, and processed. The two natural dyes that I remember her talking about were poke berries for purple, and walnut hulls for brown. It took me a quite a number of years to develop a love and respect for linens.

Rayon is something that I for years mistook for a synthetic fabric. I was delighted to discover otherwise!

Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fiber. Because it is produced from naturally occurring polymers, it is neither a truly synthetic fiber nor a natural fiber; it is a semi-synthetic^[1] or artificial^[2] fiber. Rayon is known by the names viscose rayon and art silk in the textile industry. It usually has a high luster quality giving it a bright sheen. For more about Rayon see my source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayon

 Zafu made with Repurposed Linen/Rayon

Subtle Beauty in Tan with Mauve Flowers

Tiny Zipper Coin Purse

Tiny Scraps Make Tiny Purses!

Introducing Ruby Roxy and other Sewing Projects

Some of the sewing I've been up to lately...

Kermit the Frog Zipper Cases - Wholesale Lot of 25
etsy link 

Teeny Coin Case - Repurposed Linen/Rayon Dress

Wholesale Lot of Seven Assort. Sizes

"Ruby Roxy" Rocks!

Ruby Roxy is a mannekin I found at a thrift store this week. I was quite pleased with my mannekin until my neighbor made a comment about my male mannekin. Du'uh! Of course it was. I just had not given that any thought. Well! I decided then and there that my male mannekin was going to have a sex change procedure. That was yesterday. I thought I would end up going shopping for a bra, after taking some measurements. As I was falling asleep last evening I clearly saw the image of  how to use the padded upper part of a dress (that I had purchased for the skirt) to fashion a halter top. And that is what happened this morning. With a bit of crumpled up gift wrap tissue to boost the cup size, my mannekin is now a "she-mannekin". I "felt her up" a couple times today...I mean, I love when ingenuity comes to the rescue! As for the name...the dress label is Ruby Rox!

Be Like a Child in Your Mother's Arms

"Be like a child in the arms of the mother.
Already something is taking care of you – your needs, your affairs. 

Everything is being taken care of.
Don't listen to what the world says.
They are going to have to become a baby like you also.
Everything is opening up spontaneously for you.
Don't say: What's next?
Let it be a surprise.
A tree doesn't wonder or plan where it should grow the next leaf

 or when to put out the next fruit. No, its entire life is just an unfolding
You be the tree of life that is just unfolding."
~ Mooji

Rishikesh, India, 13th of March 2013

(Mooji's facebook page link)

As Sunflowers Follow the Sun

...so do we all seek and follow the Sunshine of  Spirit...eventually.

Cheerful Sunflowers Zafu - Side View

Top View- USA made; with Repurposed Fabric

Solid Yellow Twill Zafu- Repurposed Fabric

Scent of Flowers

"The scent of flowers is their gift to you." (W-156:4:3)

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©2013 Foundation for Inner Peace | PO Box 598 | Mill Valley, CA | 94942-0598

A Walk in Arlington Park

Muscovy Duck

 These are not pretty ducks like the Wood Ducks that also inhabit the area around the park...imo. They have been known to become aggressive and attack people during mating season...male overpopulation contributing to the problem.

Beautiful Reflection on Still Waters

Bridge over Quiet Waters

The "Mothering Trees" at the Playground area of the Park

The energy here is very calming and soothing. The trees seem to me like a group of sheltering mothers.

Perspective by Mark Nepo

If peace comes from seeing the whole,
then misery stems from a loss of perspective.

We begin so aware and grateful. The sun somehow hangs there in the sky. 

The little bird sings. The miracle of life just happens. 

Then we stub our toe, and in that moment of pain, 

the whole world is reduced to our poor little toe. 

Now, for a day or two, it is difficult to walk. 

With every step, we are reminded of our poor little toe.

Our vigilance becomes: Which defines our day - the pinch 

we feel in walking on a bruised toe, or the miracle still happening?

It is the giving over to smallness that opens us to misery. 

In truth, we begin taking nothing for granted, grateful that we have enough to eat, 

that we are well enough to eat. But somehow, through the living of our days, 

our focus narrows like a camera that shutters down, 

cropping out the horizon, and one day we’re miffed at a diner because the eggs 

are runny or the hash isn’t seasoned just the way we like.

When we narrow our focus, the problem seems everything. 

We forget when we were lonely, dreaming of a partner. 

We forget first beholding the beauty of another. 

We forget the comfort of first being seen and held and heard. 

When our view shuts down, we’re up in the night 

annoyed by the way our lover pulls the covers 

or leaves the dishes in the sink without soaking them first.

In actuality, misery is a moment of suffering 

allowed to become everything. So, when feeling miserable, 

we must look wider than what hurts. 

When feeling a splinter, we must, while trying to remove it, 

remember there is a body that is not splinter, 

and a spirit that is not splinter, and a world that is not splinter.
 

~ Mark Nepo

shared on facebook by
♥ Rivers in the Ocean

Quietly, Sit a Bit Every Day

 

 

ZafuChi on etsy.com 

Born to Thrift

It's official. I'm a die-hard junker, and a born thrifter.

 

Recent curbside find "Freckled" Chest of Drawers

 

Pfalzgraff was another curbside find

Road Atlas drawer  lining - yard sale freebie!

Placemat & Coasters made from Repurposed Tablecloth

I found this stand on the curb also....somewhere. Discovered it is used to display British pastries, etc.. That lead to looking for recipes, and then to making Lavender Scones. The dishes on the lower shelves contain  rose petals (collected from the bush in the front yard) that are drying for Rose Sachets. I like that the plates don't match each other, or anything in fact...so un-British, I'm sure.

Composting in Outdoor Bath Tubs

The two women who live in the main house adjacent to my apartment have lived here for more than  a decade. There is a fiberglass bath tub outside my south window where they have been throwing their kitchen refuse for several years. On hot days, and when they dump several days worth of stuff at once it smells bad throughout my entire apartment. Last week I notified them that I prefer that the tub be moved elsewhere by the time really hot weather arrives. DA,  the older woman is in her 80's, and she can't help. Circe, is about my age and is flat out busy with craft fairs on weekends, and on week days busy with production. They told me they cannot take care of it any time soon. This response was actually not unanticipated. But, all of  a sudden, this problem became more acute this week. I had my first Sarasota buyer for one of my zafus, and they came to pick it up at my studio. 

At any rate, I received permission to find another home for the compost. Since it really was not my responsibility to begin with, it occurred to me that the easiest thing would be to have some other interested party come, dig it out and take it. So, I  placed an ad on craigslist. No takers so far - no surprise there. I mentioned there were red ants and possibly snakes to contend with. Guess that didn't help! Then I remembered a friend who does yard work/gardening who has a degree in some aspect of the gardening business. Called him...he's sortof interested, but stalling. Says he'll call this afternoon. Oh, I believe it, but I am also prepared for the fact that he just might keep stalling. I think he wants to be paid to remove it. This morning after meditating for about 30 minutes I felt invigorated and inspired enough to get my work shoes, long pants, shovel,  buckets and tubs. For fortification, I grabbed a few Chocolate Mint patties on my way out the door. Emptied the damn thing myself in a half an hour. Ahhh! Good clean air to breathe throughout the apartment...sweet!

Kitchen refuse in the Bath tub

Compost in Tubs and Buckets - ready to go!

 It seems that composting in bath tubs requires more than just dumping stuff in there. Any feedback based on experience is welcome!

So far, my one response from the craigslist ad hasn't been...ah well, shall we say... ahem... too interested in the compost itself.

"Why don’t you just dig numerous holes throughout your yard and bury the compost.  Obviously you aren’t doing the GARDEN thing."

Mom, Are we There Yet?

~~~OSHO~~~

Deepak Jain

Enlightenment is finding that there is nothing to find. 

Enlightenment is to come to know that there is nowhere to go. 

Enlightenment is the understanding that this is all, that this is perfect, that this is it. 

Enlightenment is not an achievement, it is an understanding 

that there is nothing to achieve, nowhere to go. 

You are already there - you have never been away. 

You cannot be away from there. God has never been missed. 

Maybe you have forgotten, that's all. 

Maybe you have fallen asleep, that's all.

Maybe you have gotten lost in many, many dreams, that's all -- but you are there. 

God is your very being. 

So the first thing is, don't think about enlightenment as a goal, it is not. 

It is not a goal; it is not something that you can desire. 

And if you desire it you will not get it. 

In desiring a thousand and one things, by and by 

you come to understand that all desire is futile. 

Each desire lands you in frustration; 

each desire again and again throws you into a ditch. 

This has been happening for millions of years but again you start hoping, 

 again you start thinking that this new desire that is arising, sprouting in you, 

will maybe lead you to paradise.

That this will give you what you have longed for, that it will fulfill you. 

Again and again hope arises. 

Enlightenment is when all hope disappears.

 Enlightenment is disappearance of hope.

 ~osho~

Vase with Sprig of Lemongrass - Light and Shadows

A Womans Perfume

Woman will have to remember her strength, which is being so in tune with God 

that that will reflect purely in her life, and bless everybody/thing in life around her.

Man does not have this God connection yet...most don't, although now some do.

Woman should be like a beautiful rose whose perfume (God's Love) is so strong
that nothing could go against God's Will in her presence.

Louis Philippe Rose

One Dirty Cat and One Pretty Zafu

Lucky is a pure white cat, with the pink nose and paws, etc. He came to me as a kitten. 

When he found me on the road his tail was injured. 

I tried to help heal it for him, but we did end up docking it. 

The vet left a stub, which Lucky can use very expressively! I'm grateful for that. 

This photo is what he looks like after he's been outside and found a sunny 

and sandy spot to roll around. He's happy; and I don't care about the floors.

A Very Dirty Lucky

And here is the latest Zafu in a beautiful Blue Linen blend fabric...think Spring!

Times Two

The Gentle Barn and a Miniature Cow named Buddha

To see the story/blog post about the miniature cow named Buddha see:

the Gentle Barn Blog:

The Gentle Barn

(facebook post)

Emergency rescue: This filly was born in South Carolina with a limb deformity that should have been addressed when she was a newborn, but instead she was left to hobble along in pain for a year. The local vet recommended to put her down, but we believe everyone deserves a chance, so instead we found a vet in Kentucky who specializes in this type of surgery in yearlings. 

 We are going to transport her to Kentucky to have surgery so she can run and play, pain free for the first time in her life. Please help us, we cannot do this without you, any donation amount is greatly appreciated! https://www.gentlebarn.org/donate.php