relaxing here, before the party...

party? again??? why YES!!!

Bright and early tomorrow morning, you'll find me hanging out on de front porch over at Soul Aperture. In case you are unaware, Empress Christina is having her Birthday Blog Party and I will not miss this much anticipated event for anything in the world.

I, for one, will be getting there at the crack of dawn to secure my spot (you know, just in case hot men in firesuits show up using phrases like "filled to capacity" and such). As anxious as I am to get this party started, I promise that I won't ring her doorbell before 12:00 am GMT. So, grab your party gear and meet me there. I'll be the one wearing the brightly coloured sequin robe with the matching jewelled crown. lol.

*I'll also be announcing the winner of my handmade prayer flags before heading out tomorrow.

one love.

happy birthday, KATH...

as i was laying here in the sand

gazing at the sunlight kissing this flower

my mind slowly began to wander. (exhale).

i thought of friends,
old and new; near and far,
always there when i need them

and then i remembered someone said

that there's going to a party today

in celebration of her 50th birthday!

so now i'm heading over here to check it out.

i sure do love a summer party.

won't you please join me?

one love.

p.s. Happy Anniversary too, kath!

summer days + winner...

winner: my bonafide sistah KATH, one half of the soeurs du jour, has been randomly chosen to receive a handwritten letter from me in the post. Empress Christina will also send her a blank card from her shop, Soul Aperture Paper Goods. Congrats KATH! Nuff tanks Empress ;)

* * *

i often browse crafts stores

looking for the perfect beads

to adorn my handmade prayer flags.

i am absolutely convinced

that the prettiest ones

only show their true colours

under summer light.

today, i found them!

aren't summer days the best?

* * *

If you would like to receive one of my handmade prayer flags, please leave a comment here. The winner will be randomly selected on Friday, July 16, 2010.

have a conscious friday and a divine weekend.

one love, my friends.

building strong bridges + a gift for you...

yesterday was nothing less than amazing,

thanks to all of you who helped build the *bridge of love*

i am at a loss for words at all your loving kindness

but i had to at least say thank you!!!

I started out by giving a gift to my mother-in-law. Yes sir-ree bob. It felt good so I didn't stop there. I even got my hubby to join in so he gave a gift to my mother, who least expected it. Then I phoned a friend who made me laugh so hard when she answered the phone "WHAT?!?". She knew what I was up to - go figure. ;) So I had to move on to a less suspecting recipient. I started to make a scrap quilt for my friend BJ to hopefully bring her a little comfort - I should be finishing the quilt top today. (when life throws you scraps, make a quilt). This random act of kindness thing was quite addictive so I continued. I helped another friend write letters to close accounts of her recently deceased mother. Writing the words was too much for her to bear right now. I was happy to do it. We wrapped up the night by reading handwritten letters her mom had saved from the 1950's (sixty years ago - during the Korean War)! Such important milestones captured in words - marriage, pregnancy, birth, and good ole gossip. We laughed so deeply at how similar her mom's relationship with her BFF was to ours. It was a lovely moment.

It got me to thinking of you. Empress Christina of Soul Aperture always encourages us to preserve the art of penmanship by writing letters to one another. The 1950's letters I read last night were written in the most beautiful sea-foam green ink. I think I'll find a special ink pen to write one of you a little note.

If you'd like to receive a handwritten letter from me, please leave a comment here and I will randomly select a winner this Friday (July 9, 2010).

Empress Christina will also send the winner a blank card from her shop so they can write a sweet letter to someone else. (isn't she the sweetest?) one love.

a random act of kindness...

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

(Dalai Lama)

Today is the Dalai Lama's 75th birthday!

...and we are celebrating this blessed occasion by doing a random act of kindness. It can be absolutely anything of your choosing, because you know how we do things here in my necessary room - no rules. Just follow your heart and I am confident that it will lead you exactly where you need to be.

I am incredibly impressed with how many kindred spirits I have encountered here in blogland. When I enter this space, I feel interconnected. I don't really know how to explain it in words but somehow, you make the world seem smaller, more intimate, no matter where we are all physically located. I dig that ;)

Today, with love, we are collectively raising our hands to help another being in the universe. And walking hand-in-hand with love, one will always find kindness. I embrace loving-kindness with wide open arms. With so much suffering in the world, at times when I am feeling at a loss, I find my way back to centre by doing something, any thing, for someone else. The act of giving is such a powerful experience. It humbly reminds me that I am never alone and that there is always something I can do to make the world a better place, even if it's only one small act at a time.

I cannot thank you all enough for helping me build this *bridge of love* by doing a random act of kindness today. (and it's never too late to join us.) For those who have yet to decide on what they will do, I thought I'd mention a few ideas of contributions one can make:

~ ~ ~

*help sponsor a nun through the Tibetan Nun Project

*cook a meal for an ill loved one

*give a bouquet of flowers to a neighbour

*make a quilt for a friend's newborn baby

*donate a knitted blanket or hats to the preemie ward of a local hospital

*compliment a stranger, sincerely

*send someone a nice, handwritten letter

*leave a thank you card for your mail delivery person

*make a handmade card for someone you care for

*phone a friend or relative just to say "i love you"

*compile a writing set and give to someone in a nursing home

*deliver flowers to a sick child in the hospital

*send a card to someone abroad in the military

*donate a book you've already read to someone

*put a coin in an expired metre - save someone that ticket

*drop off a new board game to a childcare programme

*donate toiletries to a homeless shelter

*copy a favourite recipe and give it with someone

*donate some books to a local foster home or library

*send someone an anonymous gift

*send a letter your *gift of jewels* pen pal

*host a giveaway on your blog

*the possibilities are endless

(and don't forget to include our lovely children)

~ ~ ~

what will you do today?

I can't wait to greet all of you on the bridge of love.

***

(Note to self: Self, I know you are technologically-challenged (my friends are probably saying "that's not the only challenge" ;). Even though blogger is eating all the comments today, I will remain positive and happy. Not even blogger can stop us from building this bridge. Perhaps blogger needs a little loving-kindness).

celebrating life...

each moment,

every day.

~ ~ ~

Off to visit my dear friend BJ today. I so admire the way in which she has chosen to live each moment to the fullest, despite being diagnosed with terminal cancer. I can hardly wait to hold her. hug her. tell her how much i really love her. celebrate life and create some lasting memories, and simply enjoy the present moment.

p.s. once again, I'd like to thank all of BJ's angels for all that you do to enhance her quality of life...your kindness towards her, a complete stranger to you all, simply melts my heart, and hers. thank you!

...hmmmm. i think i know just the thing i'll do for my random act of kindness on July 6, 2010. after all, i said no rules. ;-)

wishing you a happy and safe holiday weekend. one love.

off to da beach...

(whispering) pssst...you can't tell anyone this secret. I'm supposed to be walking straight over to Darcel's house, along the Mahogany Way. But first, I'm going to make a little pit stop at the beach. While I'm there, I might as well check out the amazing sand sculptures. I'd be really thrilled if you would join me over here.

~ ~ ~

From the centre of my heart, I wanted to thank you all for joining me in building a bridge of love around the world by doing a random act of kindness on July 6th in honour of the Dalai Lama's 75th birthday. It's gonna be such fun. Remember, no rules! If you haven't already, please feel free to join us...

one love, my dear friends.

wishing you a Conscious Friday and a divine weekend.