orange...

red

ocre

rust

bronze

orange

yellow

morning light
warm my heart

illuminate me
while i last.

*for more on orange, please visit lens.us.together

Inspirational Monday: misty morning...

waves curling continuously,
skipping across the once jagged rocks
whose curves are now smoothed
by her ever-flowing movement

others dance to the sandy shore,

synchronized. still dainty

playing the most soothing song

then slide back into oblivion

seagulls go parasailing
gliding through the misty air
hovering. balancing. floating on
the wind beneath their wings

the sun peeks over the horizon
come closer, she beckons
i sail out to meet her
yet she remains elusive

oh what a misty morning.

*Inspirational Monday is hosted by vchelle over at Operation You.

Conscious Friday: Rocky Dawuni...

*Rocky Dawuni: Jah Be For Us


*Rocky Dawuni: Jerusalem


*Rocky Dawuni in Ghana Slave Dungeon


Have a Conscious Friday and a divine weekend.

will you speak up?...

out of focus...

his distinct irish brogue,
boyishly playful nature.

his ever-giving spirit and
non-compromising love for mankind.

his dedication to eradicate poverty
just because.

oooh, the tenderness in his voice
brings me right back in focus.

i love you BONO.

*for more, visit lens.us.together

Inspirational Monday: refresh your spirit...

relax and let go

breathe and release

calm and relaxed

relax now

peace


*Inspirational Monday is hosted by vchelle, Operation You

stuck in the middle...

at this very moment, SMOKE (tony stewart) is to my north.
at this very moment, BONO (U2) is to my south.
i, my friends, am stuck in the middle,
wedged between two unbelievably hot men.
and that is why i am overstimulated.

Go SMOKE! The NASCAR chase championship begins.

(in a very soft whisper: see you tomorrow night BONO)

Shhhh. don't tell either of them.

One Love.

spreading the love...

I received the most precious card from Shannon of recovery from a life not lived, thanking me for creating the "Gift of Jewels" project. Her card was handmade with love. It really touched my heart. Thank you Shannon!

I do sincerely hope that all participants will be equally touched when they receive their 'gift of jewels' in the mail. It has been so exciting to hear how much you've enjoyed participating in this project. I know many 'gift of jewels' are still in transit, however, should you not received yours by September 30th, please let me know via email at necessaryroom@gmail.com. No worries. Every participant WILL receive a 'gift of jewels' because there is nothing like receiving some snail mail filled with love.

*PAY IT FORWARD: Christina at Soul Aperture is currently hosting another fun project where she'll be giving away 5 (five) 'pay it forward' gifts. For details and your chance to enter, please click here.

One Love.

who i see (sooc)...

grandparents day 2009. my daughter pays her 95 year old great-grandmother a visit. she brings her very own groovy girl doll. grandma doesn't want to accept it...she doesn't want to take away the child's doll. but my daughter insists. so grandma accepts. as usual, grandma exclaims, "it's not a doll. it's a pretty little girl" and gives her pretty little groovy girl a most welcoming hug.















grandma takes a moment to stop and smell the flowers my daughter hand picked for her from the garden.













time will not erase the child inside. grandma tries on her bottle cap ring. here comes the bride.













grandma is happy. she is not forgotten. she tells hubby that our daughter is the only grandchild who gives her gran-gran anything. celebrating great-grandmothers.

the end.

*for more, please visit lens.us.together.

Conscious Friday: for U2...

*Bono & Alicia Keys: Don't Give Up...


*Bono in Playing for Change: War/No More Trouble


*U2: Moment of Surrender


hey, what can I say?
3 more days and Bono and I will be together.
forgive me for indulging just a little bit early.

*Have a Conscious Friday and a divine weekend...

an apache blessing...

Just when I thought my day couldn't get any better...

I received an apache blessing in the form of this mug in the post, courtesy of the beautiful Empress Christina from Soul Aperture. Instantly, I imagined snorkeling in the warm turquoise waters of Caribbean Sea. Coral reefs and angel fish surrounding me. Ooooh, the tropics. Yeah, she took me there. Home. I needed that.

So, what's a girl to do? Well, this Caribbean Queen quickly rustled up a cup of bush tea, topped off with a special, loving sprinkle of old town spiced sugar. And let's not forget to grab some "bun and cheese" to make this 'back-home' experience complete.

a most humble, thank you Christina. i love you!

happy, happy tears...

Inspirational Monday: 'gift of jewels' received...

I received my gift of jewels in the post!!! I came home after an otherwise fabulous day. Didn't think it could get any better. But there it was. A handwritten envelope. I jumped up and down, anxiously waiting to get inside to rip it open.

A purple envelope that simply said Se'lah rested inside. It held the most beautious handmade card decorated with a matryoshka nesting doll theme...friends was the word that immediately came to mind as I noticed how they were leaning on each other so lovingly.

But that wasn't all. There was another envelope with a specially stamped moleskine for my bloggy thoughts when I'm out and about.

Aren't they beea-u-tiful? I treasure them both, from the very bottom of my heart.

Thanks a million, Julochka. You are a most precious jewel.

One Love.

*Inspirational Monday is hosted by vchelle of Operation You.

Conscious Friday: thinking of you...

today, many will celebrate the lives of those lost in the unforgettable human slaughter on September 11, 2001. that moment will be forever etched in my mind as long as live. my thoughts and prayers go out those who have been touched by that man-made disaster. i hope that one day, a day not so very far away, peace and love will reign supreme throughout the world.

still, in many parts of this earth, on this very day, countless humans are being slaughtered with reckless abandon and are subject to unthinkable acts of cruelty and slavery. i pray for them too.

*The Itals: Peace and Love

"gift of jewels" FINALE...

our "gift of jewels" have been sprinkled all over the world and it's now time for us to celebrate the beginning of a new year with love in our hearts and joy in our homes. many thanks to all those who participated in this modified pen-pal project. it has been quite a rewarding and exciting experience which would not have been possible without each and every one of you. hope you all enjoyed and will join in again next time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR pen-pals!!!

to be continued...

Read about the "GIFT OF JEWELS" project...

Here is a list of blog posts and specific links discussing the "gift of jewels" project:

se'lah, necessary room

christina, soul aperture

margie, souers du jour

kath, souers du jour

tracy, pink purl

pixiedust, stories i can tell

suvarna, raptinlight

gayle, planetmfiles

darcel, the mahogany way

darcel, authentically you

jacqui, living in a corridor

julochka, moments of perfect clarity

lala, my castle in spain

anali, anali's first amendment

*don't see yours? please email me the link at necessaryroom@gmail.com

One Love.

my "gift of jewels"...

guess what?

at this very moment, my "gift of jewels" is on its way to my randomly selected intended recipient. and i'm imagining the adventurous journey...

is it tucked in a bin in a town post office, or in the back of a big truck on the highway?

did the truck driver pull over to sleep, or is he or she going to drive straight through?

is it on a plane amongst the clouds and stars, or is it going through customs?

Oh, i imagine and imagine...

*did you get yours? please don't forget to stop in here and share your experience.

"gift of jewels" reminder...

Just a quick reminder that all "gift of jewels" should be postmarked no later than this Friday, September 11, 2009. Of course, we understand that life sometimes present unexpected challenges, so just roll with it. absolutely no pressure. feel free to buy a card if you don't have time to make one. but above all, let's have fun!

*did you get yours? can't wait to hear all about your experience. one love.

abandoned...

abandoned. that void you feel deep inside when you lose a loved one. can't touch, hug or kiss. anymore. can't feel the warmth of their loving embrace. anymore. simply gone. and it's even more evident around the holidays.

*for the fallen. gone but not forgotten.

*for more interpretations of "abandoned", hop on over to lens.us.together.

Inspirational Monday: where i live...

win or lose. red sox nation baby!
it's that time of year again when
spirits are amp'd up with eager
anticipation that the home team
will be in the october playoffs.

but for me, it's countdown to the
beginning of the NASCAR chase
championship series. oh yeah,
smoke will be in town shortly.
waiting, watching paint dry.

oh wait, lest i forget so soon
BONO is not too far behind
on U2's 360 tour. exhaling.
we'll be in the same room.
breathe, se'lah, breathe.

*for more, won't you come with me to lens.us.together

*Inspirational Monday is hosted by vchelle over at Operation You.

Conscious Friday: survivors...

i was there for her when she was diagnosed
i cried in secret, but i prayed and prayed.

i was there when she had her surgery
removing her organs in the fight of her life

i was there when she went through radiation
hoping and praying that she would be okay

i was there when she got the "all clear"
and we joyfully accepted the new *normal*

but as fate would have it
you have returned. i continue to pray.

*Please pray for my friend BJ who continues to survive.

Have a Conscious Friday and a divine weekend!

*Damian Marley: We're Gonna Make It


*Bob Marley and The Wailers: Survivors

water...

as the stream trickled between her fingers
i asked my daughter
why do you like water so much?
this is what she said:

water is smooth, and soft
it is in our blood
it is in the rivers and ocean
it is almost everything
it is in all of us
it is in our hearts.

true story.