5.30.2011
5.28.2011
Guarding Angels
I was very fortunate while in high school to have a family take my sister and me in when my mother's world fell apart. Make no mistake, it was hell on her to leave us. She wasn't even friends with the family who took us in but being 15 and 17, respectively, she knew we wouldn't be helpless without her. Her youth was filled with hardship and living with my best friend, her preacher father and devoted mother could hardly compare. Mother had my younger brothers to care for and she was in a place where she was barely caring for herself. I was angry at my father at the time for bailing on his family but I stand, frankly, in gratitude now because I know the happiness my mother lives today, I see the success of my brothers while my sister and I experienced insight as to what a different kind of family dynamic could look like. I often speak of life coming full circle.
It's now my turn to take in my daughter's best friend. I expect nothing from the fragments of family she has just as that family, so many years ago, expected nothing of my family. In less than two years she'll be considered an adult entering the world with her life experiences. I ask myself, looking back, what did I lack in family before entering the home of my girlfriend. As I run a short mental list, I'm under the complete awareness that this wonderful girl coming into our lives has a much, much longer list. And as she explained to me the ins and outs of temporary custody, I couldn't help my sadness in thinking no child should ever be so versed in anything that feels so disconnected from Love. But I rethought that knowing it was Love that had taken us in, it is Love that takes her in.
I just want her to come to understand that real Love is never temporary.
5.25.2011
The Little Song...
...that's BIG on following me around almost daily:
~ The Universe is one great kindergarten for man. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. ~ O.S. Marden
~ The Universe is one great kindergarten for man. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. ~ O.S. Marden
5.24.2011
Right now you have more power than you realize -- more power to understand confusing situations, more power to influence people you've assumed are resistant to change, and more power to overcome your apparent disadvantages. In fact the only factor that could prevent you from accomplishing way more than what you thought possible is a lack of confidence. Please note, Virgo: I'm not urging you to cultivate a foolishly arrogant faith in your ego. Rather, I'm clueing you in to the fact that there are hidden forces at work you can call on to help you -- wisdom that has been dormant, love that has been neglected, and allies who have been mum.
You're got more strength and intelligence than you realize. For help in accessing those untapped inner resources, tune in to your EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE.
*
SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
In Frederick Buechner's book On the Road with the Archangel, the star is the archangel Raphael. This supernatural helper has a tough gig: gathering the prayers of human beings and delivering them to God. Here's how he describes the range of pleas he hears: "There are prayers of such power that you might say they carry me rather than the other way around. There are prayers so apologetic and shamefaced and half-hearted that they all but melt away in my grasp like sad little flakes of snow. Some prayers are very boring."
Compose a prayer that's so powerful and entertaining that it could thrill an archangel.
*
You're got more strength and intelligence than you realize. For help in accessing those untapped inner resources, tune in to your EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE.
*
SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
In Frederick Buechner's book On the Road with the Archangel, the star is the archangel Raphael. This supernatural helper has a tough gig: gathering the prayers of human beings and delivering them to God. Here's how he describes the range of pleas he hears: "There are prayers of such power that you might say they carry me rather than the other way around. There are prayers so apologetic and shamefaced and half-hearted that they all but melt away in my grasp like sad little flakes of snow. Some prayers are very boring."
Compose a prayer that's so powerful and entertaining that it could thrill an archangel.
*
5.22.2011
Smooth Sailing
“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.” ~ Anon
Someday, I'm going to buy a boat & pretend that I built it.
5.21.2011
Bless Us With Their Essence
Keep remembering: there is not only
one prize. And so, say to yourself
things such as, "You appeal to me in all of
these ways, and I am going to draw the
essence of you to me. I will use my visualization
of you to align my Energy, and
then I will trust that Law of Attraction
will bring me an exact replica of (the
essence of) that which I believe you are."
~ Abraham
My two middle daughters aren't very keen on this quote and for obvious reasons: They are each "in love" with a particular boy. I want my girls in happy relationships. So, I thought it wise that I introduce this concept sooner than later. I probably should have rethought that because, for awhile, they weren't speaking to me. They didn't like the idea that they could be 'making' someone up that wasn't the someone they were actually looking at. But it's a powerful thing to visualize anyone and watch the Powers-That-Be attract them into your world. Yes. Sometimes, as I am learning, "they" are the particular people who end up morphing into what resonates from you and sometimes new people step in to help it all make sense. This isn't just about romantic relationships, it's about the spectrum of love that flows between people. I'm thinking of this now because of having written about my best friend. Of course, I cannot have her back in flesh and blood but what if I were to call forth her essence. I've not met anyone who reminds me of her. I value all my friendships. They are each unique and important to me but there has been no one like her in my life, yet.
I'm blessed by another soul-sister who had a aunt that she adored. In ways, I remind my friend of her. I'm not sure there is any greater compliment than to be told, You are the essence of someone I dearly love making it completely impossible not to love you. It's humbling. I sincerely believe the love she has for her aunt was the force that invited me to enter her life. It's a testament to the interconnectedness of the Grand Intelligent Force and It's ability to weave all things perfectly together.
"Through each exposure to interacting with others,
you launch continuous rockets of desires of what
you prefer. And only when you are a Vibrational
Match to the culmination of those desires will
you allow your rendezvous with someone who
matches those intentions that you have gathered
along your physical trail."
~ Abraham
So, I've decided that I would love to have the essence of my old BFF in my life again. Very recently, there has been a dynamic shift in life plans...intentions coming into fruition...that over the next couple of years will guide life in a whole new direction. I'm living and loving in the moment creating a life void of expectation but wrapped in hopeful anticipation.
I cannot wait to introduce you to my friend.
You're going to love her essence. Trust me.
one prize. And so, say to yourself
things such as, "You appeal to me in all of
these ways, and I am going to draw the
essence of you to me. I will use my visualization
of you to align my Energy, and
then I will trust that Law of Attraction
will bring me an exact replica of (the
essence of) that which I believe you are."
~ Abraham
My two middle daughters aren't very keen on this quote and for obvious reasons: They are each "in love" with a particular boy. I want my girls in happy relationships. So, I thought it wise that I introduce this concept sooner than later. I probably should have rethought that because, for awhile, they weren't speaking to me. They didn't like the idea that they could be 'making' someone up that wasn't the someone they were actually looking at. But it's a powerful thing to visualize anyone and watch the Powers-That-Be attract them into your world. Yes. Sometimes, as I am learning, "they" are the particular people who end up morphing into what resonates from you and sometimes new people step in to help it all make sense. This isn't just about romantic relationships, it's about the spectrum of love that flows between people. I'm thinking of this now because of having written about my best friend. Of course, I cannot have her back in flesh and blood but what if I were to call forth her essence. I've not met anyone who reminds me of her. I value all my friendships. They are each unique and important to me but there has been no one like her in my life, yet.
I'm blessed by another soul-sister who had a aunt that she adored. In ways, I remind my friend of her. I'm not sure there is any greater compliment than to be told, You are the essence of someone I dearly love making it completely impossible not to love you. It's humbling. I sincerely believe the love she has for her aunt was the force that invited me to enter her life. It's a testament to the interconnectedness of the Grand Intelligent Force and It's ability to weave all things perfectly together.
"Through each exposure to interacting with others,
you launch continuous rockets of desires of what
you prefer. And only when you are a Vibrational
Match to the culmination of those desires will
you allow your rendezvous with someone who
matches those intentions that you have gathered
along your physical trail."
~ Abraham
So, I've decided that I would love to have the essence of my old BFF in my life again. Very recently, there has been a dynamic shift in life plans...intentions coming into fruition...that over the next couple of years will guide life in a whole new direction. I'm living and loving in the moment creating a life void of expectation but wrapped in hopeful anticipation.
I cannot wait to introduce you to my friend.
You're going to love her essence. Trust me.
5.19.2011
Touching Base
Dear Virgo,
"I don't know what I'm looking for," sings Brendan Benson in his bouncy pop song, "What I'm Looking For," "but I know that I just want to look some more." I suspect those words could come out of your mouth these days, Virgo. I worry that you've become so enamored with the endless quest that you've lost sight of what the object of the quest is. You almost seem to prefer the glamour of the restless runaround -- as painful as it sometimes is. That probably means you're at least somewhat out of touch with the evolution of your primal desires. Check back in with the raw, throbbing source, please.
Love,
Rob
Dear Rob,
Clearly you know I've been slackin' on the old affirmations. I'll work on that.
Love,
Andi
5.17.2011
Sign Of the Time
Wolf Brand Chillin'
I am not all surprised when I went searching for a picture to link to those three words above that I would be met with serendipity in the form of an obituary. When my best friend in college passed away she was 22. Before her death, she was simply, amazingly alive. Everything I wasn't, she was. Outgoing, the good kind of ridiculous, and in every breath so full of love and life. In meeting her, I met parts of myself. It was surreal to be standing next to her casket in utter silence. I felt all alone in the room until her mother came in and when she held me there was nothing in me capable of stopping the sadness. Nothing. I could not imagine her loss. I could not imagine mine but there it was swathed in silk and gold and peace.
Our very first conversation went a little lovingly like this:
Her: What are you looking at, Bitch?
Me: Nothing, Asshole.
My friend's laughter ensued. Apparently, I was not convincing. She made me say it again with conviction. I did and, frankly, it felt satisfying. We bonded. She was from Venezuela and had gone to military school in the Louisiana. She loved Mardi Gras and neatly folded towels. She was a notorious liar but in a good way. Mostly harmless and often a stream of consciousness that if you paid close enough attention you could easily follow and join in on. She found it hysterical that I was the local Miss __________. My family was poor and living in another state when I chose to enter and won a decent scholarship through a well know pageant organization. I was still on my tour-of-duty when we met. She was right, it was hysterical. Seriously, how many times can you sing to creepy old men in funny hats?*
Her: Lion's Club, again?
Me: Rotary.
One of her main goals in life, after meeting me, was to get me stoned. She wanted Miss Could You Sing That Again to sing some high notes. I reminded her I was an Alto and faithfully continued to engaged in goodness until the day came when I handed it all off to Mindy SomethingOrAnother.
Her: Let's celebrate! I made you brownies.
Me: OH! You shouldn't have!
Knowing how much I loved chocolate, my friend made me a big batch. How thoughtful of her, literally. They were so delicious. I couldn't get enough. And every time I told her that, I thought she was going to pee her pants. Then they were gone. Looking back, I recall only my own stream of consciousness flooding with bowls, spoons, pans and ripping labels off of Wolf Brand Chili cans. We were staying with a friend whose dad had recently divorced and was gone often to meet up with potential wives. He had left behind a stocked pantry, a set of car keys, a roll of cash...and a can opener. And so, we ate.
In spite of the shadiness of that night, my friend's heart was pure. Happiness was her modus operandi something very foreign to me at the time. I didn't laugh much and I worried often. As a seeming caregiver since birth, I had no context for someone like her, a free spirit moving through the world. I had never laughed so hard, so often than when I was in her presence. And I learned how to fold a towel with precision.
After her death, and what would later be reinforced by my grandmother's red balloons, I learned that it was alright to expect to be met with serendipity. So, not surprising, for months after her death, I began to see Wolf Brand Chili cans everywhere! Just a few examples:
In a cabinet at the hair salon amongst shampoos and conditioners.
In the back of an old flatbed truck pulling up next to me at a stoplight.
Sitting solo atop a pile of cans collected for a food drive.
In the library next to a loaf of bread (forgive me bread, if I missed your significance :)
But...
the strangest one was the best one...
In the days before cell phones and GPS (unfathomable, I know), I was lost on a lone Texas highway. I didn't have a map, honestly, it wouldn't have helped. I'm bad with directions. I was getting nervous because I was low on fuel, I had my little 18 month old with me and the sun was beginning to set. Feeling desperate, I asked for a sign. I got one about a mile up the road. Out in the middle of nowhere was a large Wolf Brand Chili sign. And this is what it said. Beneath it was a more rustic sign giving direction to a local diner serving the steamy stuff and a little petrol.
Like my friend, my days of Wolf Brand Chili have also been laid to rest but I know somewhere between this world and the next my friend continues to encourage me to be bold and feisty.
*Admittedly, not all of them were creepy nor did all of them wear hats but there is truth in the saying that one bad bean can spoil the stew...well, you know what I mean.
I am not all surprised when I went searching for a picture to link to those three words above that I would be met with serendipity in the form of an obituary. When my best friend in college passed away she was 22. Before her death, she was simply, amazingly alive. Everything I wasn't, she was. Outgoing, the good kind of ridiculous, and in every breath so full of love and life. In meeting her, I met parts of myself. It was surreal to be standing next to her casket in utter silence. I felt all alone in the room until her mother came in and when she held me there was nothing in me capable of stopping the sadness. Nothing. I could not imagine her loss. I could not imagine mine but there it was swathed in silk and gold and peace.
Our very first conversation went a little lovingly like this:
Her: What are you looking at, Bitch?
Me: Nothing, Asshole.
My friend's laughter ensued. Apparently, I was not convincing. She made me say it again with conviction. I did and, frankly, it felt satisfying. We bonded. She was from Venezuela and had gone to military school in the Louisiana. She loved Mardi Gras and neatly folded towels. She was a notorious liar but in a good way. Mostly harmless and often a stream of consciousness that if you paid close enough attention you could easily follow and join in on. She found it hysterical that I was the local Miss __________. My family was poor and living in another state when I chose to enter and won a decent scholarship through a well know pageant organization. I was still on my tour-of-duty when we met. She was right, it was hysterical. Seriously, how many times can you sing to creepy old men in funny hats?*
Her: Lion's Club, again?
Me: Rotary.
One of her main goals in life, after meeting me, was to get me stoned. She wanted Miss Could You Sing That Again to sing some high notes. I reminded her I was an Alto and faithfully continued to engaged in goodness until the day came when I handed it all off to Mindy SomethingOrAnother.
Her: Let's celebrate! I made you brownies.
Me: OH! You shouldn't have!
Knowing how much I loved chocolate, my friend made me a big batch. How thoughtful of her, literally. They were so delicious. I couldn't get enough. And every time I told her that, I thought she was going to pee her pants. Then they were gone. Looking back, I recall only my own stream of consciousness flooding with bowls, spoons, pans and ripping labels off of Wolf Brand Chili cans. We were staying with a friend whose dad had recently divorced and was gone often to meet up with potential wives. He had left behind a stocked pantry, a set of car keys, a roll of cash...and a can opener. And so, we ate.
In spite of the shadiness of that night, my friend's heart was pure. Happiness was her modus operandi something very foreign to me at the time. I didn't laugh much and I worried often. As a seeming caregiver since birth, I had no context for someone like her, a free spirit moving through the world. I had never laughed so hard, so often than when I was in her presence. And I learned how to fold a towel with precision.
After her death, and what would later be reinforced by my grandmother's red balloons, I learned that it was alright to expect to be met with serendipity. So, not surprising, for months after her death, I began to see Wolf Brand Chili cans everywhere! Just a few examples:
In a cabinet at the hair salon amongst shampoos and conditioners.
In the back of an old flatbed truck pulling up next to me at a stoplight.
Sitting solo atop a pile of cans collected for a food drive.
In the library next to a loaf of bread (forgive me bread, if I missed your significance :)
But...
the strangest one was the best one...
In the days before cell phones and GPS (unfathomable, I know), I was lost on a lone Texas highway. I didn't have a map, honestly, it wouldn't have helped. I'm bad with directions. I was getting nervous because I was low on fuel, I had my little 18 month old with me and the sun was beginning to set. Feeling desperate, I asked for a sign. I got one about a mile up the road. Out in the middle of nowhere was a large Wolf Brand Chili sign. And this is what it said. Beneath it was a more rustic sign giving direction to a local diner serving the steamy stuff and a little petrol.
Like my friend, my days of Wolf Brand Chili have also been laid to rest but I know somewhere between this world and the next my friend continues to encourage me to be bold and feisty.
*Admittedly, not all of them were creepy nor did all of them wear hats but there is truth in the saying that one bad bean can spoil the stew...well, you know what I mean.
5.13.2011
No Excuses
Tell everyone you know: "My happiness depends on me, so you're off the hook." And then demonstrate it. Be happy, no matter what they're doing. Practice feeling good, no matter what. And before you know it, you will not give anyone else responsibility for the way you feel—and then, you'll love them all. Because the only reason you don't love them, is because you're using them as your excuse to not feel good.
5.04.2011
Happy Birthday Audrey
What have you had to relinquish in the past ten months, Virgo? What were you forced to sacrifice or surrender? Whatever it is, I predict you will be compensated for it over the course of the next 12 months. And the process begins soon. It's not likely that the incoming blessing will bring an exact replacement for the dream that got away. Rather, you will be awakened to an unexpected new source of excitement, thereby dissolving the lingering sense of loss and liberating you to rise again. ~Vir-a-GoGo
May 17th wraps 10 months* of being what was so scandalously known back in the day as a divorcée! My friend actually used the word while we were chatting over tea and coffee one morning. We laughed when I came up with the idea of going as one circa 1960 for Halloween. By the time that Tricky Eve arrived my costume had ended up morphing into Audrey Hepburn w/Bini boots. Yes, one makes due though there is a part of me that thinks Holly would have gone lightly on me.
I have no expectations for the next 12 months. Frankly, I don't have any for the next 12 minutes but I have set some rather beautiful intentions for myself and for those I love. The last 10 months have brought significant changes. I have most definitely learned to surrender. Not in the sense above but rather taking surrendering as a means to nurture joy. Allowing any and all things that impede joy to be gifted to The Greater Power to be transform and returned to serve the higher good. That's true surrendering...and it takes practice. More than that it takes faith but I love Joseph Campbell's take on it:
I don't have to have faith, I have experience.
I so get him now. I was not forced to sacrifice but rather I chose to surrender. As a result, I have been witness to some powerful and loving transformations of everyone involved. That transformation is serving our collective higher good. It's a process. A journey. Dreams did not get away. Dreams were freed to grow.
* I stand corrected. I've been reminded that I'm off in my calculations. I've never professed to be good at numbers. Or relationships. Or blogging past my bedtime.
May 17th wraps 10 months* of being what was so scandalously known back in the day as a divorcée! My friend actually used the word while we were chatting over tea and coffee one morning. We laughed when I came up with the idea of going as one circa 1960 for Halloween. By the time that Tricky Eve arrived my costume had ended up morphing into Audrey Hepburn w/Bini boots. Yes, one makes due though there is a part of me that thinks Holly would have gone lightly on me.
I have no expectations for the next 12 months. Frankly, I don't have any for the next 12 minutes but I have set some rather beautiful intentions for myself and for those I love. The last 10 months have brought significant changes. I have most definitely learned to surrender. Not in the sense above but rather taking surrendering as a means to nurture joy. Allowing any and all things that impede joy to be gifted to The Greater Power to be transform and returned to serve the higher good. That's true surrendering...and it takes practice. More than that it takes faith but I love Joseph Campbell's take on it:
I don't have to have faith, I have experience.
I so get him now. I was not forced to sacrifice but rather I chose to surrender. As a result, I have been witness to some powerful and loving transformations of everyone involved. That transformation is serving our collective higher good. It's a process. A journey. Dreams did not get away. Dreams were freed to grow.
* I stand corrected. I've been reminded that I'm off in my calculations. I've never professed to be good at numbers. Or relationships. Or blogging past my bedtime.
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