Artist Dates, Week 15 ~ Ebenezer Scrooge Week

My Artist Date's theme for this week was Ebenezer Scrooge.  Last Sunday I attended by myself the Fountain Hills community theater production of A Carol for Tiny Tim.  Their Youth Theater put on this production which presents this twist on Charles Dicken's classic holiday tale about the spirit of giving.  The play takes place 15 years after Ebenezer Scrooge changed his ways, and once-sweet Tiny Tim has grown into a spoiled and selfish young man.  The ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future return to work their magic this time around on Tiny Tim. It was a wonderful performance.  There were only five adults in the play, all the rest were kids.  Santa Claus came out at the end and everyone sang Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.  Then the kids were allowed to visit with Santa.  They had hot chocolate and cookies outside on the patio, plus fun games to play for the kids.   It was a very enjoyable afternoon.

On Christmas Eve my husband and I took my in-laws to see the very last production of A Christmas Carol at the Herberger Theater.  I bought these tickets in October when I first heard that the Actors Studio was going to end their 19-year run of the play.  What a GREAT show!  I am sorry to see it end.  All the actors came out to the lobby after the show and talked and took pictures with everyone.  My in-laws really appreciated us taking them to see this play.  I love giving gifts of experiences and entertainment rather than a store bought gift.  People always seem to remember a shared experience when you take them someplace, but often have amnesia when it comes to remembering what store bought gift you gave them last year.

Then I finished off my Ebeneser Scrooge week on Christmas night.  After returning from our friends house we sat down and watched one of my favorite Bill Murray movies, Scrooged.  Watching this film was a great way to end my Ebenezer Scrooge week.  :-)

No man can know where he is

going unless he knows exactly

where he has been and exactly how

he arrived at this present place.

MAYA ANGELOU

Artist Date, Week 14 ~ Ballet Week

This week of Artist Dates turned into another theme week centered around the Ballet.

On Tuesday I went to see Black Swan at Harkin's Camelview Theater.  This is one film I would have probably not have gone to see without all the Oscar buzz.  I really get into award season and love to watch all the award shows like the Golden Globes and the SAG awards too, besides the big show - the Oscars.

The film was good, and Natalie Portman really transformed herself into a believable ballerina.  But as a psychological thriller, I have to say I would much prefer the film Shutter Island to be getting all the award nominations instead.  I thought Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island was far more entertaining and thrilling than this one.  I even like the director, Darren Aronofsky's film The Wrestler much better than this also.  Just one chick's opinion.

I continued with the Ballet theme this week by attending on Thursday night the Harkin's Theater Ballet in Cinema showing of The Nutcracker.  This was not a live performance like the opera Carmen I saw in October.  This performance of The Nutcracker was taped from an earlier performance from the Royal Opera House in London.  I have not seen The Nutcracker in a very long time.  So it was a treat to see it again. 

Some people would probably argue that seeing a live performance is superior over seeing one in a theater.  There is something about the energy of seeing it live that can't be duplicated by seeing it on a movie screen.  I agree somewhat.  But unless you have some of the best seats in the house, then seeing it at a theater can actually be just as rewarding, if not better.  You can see every bead of sweat run down the dancers faces.  You can see the detail in their costumes, and you could even hear their feet hitting the floor even over the music.  The camera can zoom in on their faces for their expressions at pivotal moments.  Plus the camera can move in on their bodies while they perform some amazing dance poses and movements.  I admit I am not an Opera or Ballet buff, but people who attend these at the theater really want to see all versions of their favorite Operas and Ballets, and this allows them to see the European productions without getting on an airplane.

The eyes upturned to Heaven

are an act of creation.

VICTOR HUGO

Artist Date, Week 13 ~ Christmas Angel Week

First off, I am not Christian.  I was raised Catholic, but I could have told you by age seven that I was not a Christian.  Christianity was never my personal truth.  Christ Consciousness is my more of my personal truth, but that is another complete topic. 

Since my family is still Catholic, I do the dog and pony show every year.  I endure the Holidays with as much grace as I can stand.  Some years I exemplify more grace than other years. 

It was actually James Van Praagh who helped me see the holidays a little differently.  In an email he sent out many, many years ago he said, "This is one of my favorite seasons of the year.  As it says in the Hebrew tradition, it is the Season of Light.  It is a time to remember all the loved ones in your life who have made an impression in your heart.  With light, we illuminate the darkness and have clearer idea of where we are going.

We are each made of light and it seems throughout the year as we go about our daily lives we get caught up in the trials and tribulations of succeeding and forget about our light.  We leave little, if any time, to reconnect with that light, and when we do, we often realize how dim it is due to taking on fears and expectations of others.

So, my wish for each one of you and every member of your soul family is for you to take a few minutes throughout this holiday season and, once again, celebrate your light.  May your light shine on everyone's path you share.  May it open up their hearts and take away fears, limitations, expectations and disease while it regenerates and rejuvenates their spirit. 

Remember, every light bulb needs to be changed every now and then!"

Greetings to you all of Peace, Love and Light.
James Van Praagh

That one email gave me a whole new perspective on Christmas, and a way to find a way to celebrate it without feeling like a phony and a fraud.  I found a new meaning for the Holidays, and a new way to celebrate. I now choose to celebrate my own light, as well as everyone else's light.

This past week was spent putting up my three Christmas trees.  I have one in my family room, one in my dining room, and even a little angel tree in my living room.  I have an angel theme that runs throughout my house. Plus, my house is filled with light from candles I have everywhere.  I try to be creative by changing  things up every year by rearranging all my Christmas decorations.  I also change up my table settings for my Christmas Eve dinner.  By celebrating my creativity, I also celebrate my light.  

I also went to Paradise Valley Mall this past week just for the Salvation Army's Christmas Tree Angel program.  I try every year to participate in this program where you buy clothes and toys for a specific child who would not have otherwise gifts to open during the holidays.  I cannot ever forget how Oprah Winfrey said  how nuns brought her a doll for Christmas when she had no other presents from her family that year. She said that gift of that one doll helped change her life.  The gifts I purchased this week need not be life changing, but I only hope they bring a little light to a small child and their family. 

In Heaven an angel is nobody in particular.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

My Thoughts On Completing 12-Week Artist's Way Course



My Artist Dates

in

Pictures

Weeks 1 - 6

Today is the last day of my Artist's Way course. I started this course on Saturday, September 11th, and today is the last day in the 12-week course. First off, let me just say that I am so not done with this course. I am only just beginning, but more on that later.

This post is just about my thoughts on what I discovered for myself over the past 12-weeks. For starters, this course helps you open up and realize all synchronistic events in your life. Just how I found this course was a major synchronistic event in my life. Most people wait until a milestone marker in their life to make changes. Mostly it’s turning a certain age, be it 30, 40, 50, or 60 years of age. When we hit a milestone age we start to look back and forward and see what needs to be changed. For me I am just 48 years old, so no milestone age yet, but I just celebrated my 25th Wedding Anniversary on September 14th of this year. That date was my milestone marker.

The first 12-1/2 years of my marriage was spent living in the suburbs of Chicago. The first six years were focused on taking care of my parents. Once they both died I said to myself, now what is it that I love to do, and let’s make a career out of it. I come from a family of travelers, we love to travel. Even my mother was always trying to push me into the travel field in some way since our family loves to travel. Long story short…on Mother’s Day of all days a job in the travel business just landed in my lap. I spent the next 6-1/2 years working in a field that was meant for me. I had travel benefits and perks, and boy did we use them.

Next, it was not enough to just travel several weeks a year, now I wanted to live in a vacation destination. Long story short…synchronistic events got my husband’s family and us to move to glorious Arizona. Now I wake-up every day and feel I am always on vacation. The beauty of where I live still intoxicates me. My career this past 12 years has been working with hubby and his family in a business.  Now with the recent economic decline, business is not very good. With no business or work for me to do, I have more free time to do anything I wish. So back in August before my 25th Wedding Anniversary I was thinking…what is the next phase of my life going to look like?  What am I going to do next?  I was ready to reinvent myself once again.

Well I am on a lot of e-mails lists, and back in late August I received an e-mail from someone I never heard of inviting me to join his Autumn Series of webinars called Beyond Awakening. He had a link to his blog to introduce himself, so I clicked on and read it. Then he asked people who were interested in his webinar to introduce them selves in the comment section. Well, I read a few of the peoples comments, and one lady said she was looking forward to this webinar series, but she also was very busy doing The Artist’s Way course. A few comments down from that, another woman said she was doing The Artist’s Way course too. Well I just had to Google this and see what this course was all about.

So one e-mail opened, one blog read, a few comments noticed, and one Google search brought me here, and now I am just completing the 12-week Artist’s Way course. If you only knew just how many e-mails I delete without ever opening them, but this one I opened even though I did not know who it was from.  Just finding this course was a major synchronistic event in my life.  This course is exactly what I need at this phase of my life.  It has opened me up to new possibilities that I never even thought of before.

Julia Camerson says in her section about synchronicity, "Answered prayers are scary.  They imply responsibility.  You asked for it.  Now that you've got it, what are you going to do?"  Well, what I am going to do first is to keep going on with her courses.  I bought her book, The Complete Artist's Way, which contains her first book The Artist's Way, plus her two other books which are 12-week courses as well, Walking in this World, and Finding Water.  So tomorrow I shall start Walking in this World.  In this 12-week course you still continue to write your Morning Pages, go on weekly Artist Dates, and in this one you take weekly walks, either by yourself or with someone.  I pretty much walk or hike weekly anyway, especially now that it is below 100 degrees.

But more importantly I am not going to be one of those people who just takes courses, and never gets off their butt to make changes or reinvent them selves.  I asked for it, now I have to do something, and something I will do.  Without mentioning what exactly, I came up with a plan of action that I am going to pursue over the next couple of months.  This idea never even occurred to me before, but my doing this Artist's Way course, the idea just fell from the sky right to me. 

So over the next 12 weeks I will follow Walking in this World course, I will continue to write my Morning Pages, which by the way, I NEVER missed one morning of writing in the past 12-weeks.  I will go on an Artist Date with myself weekly.  This time I may just stick to once a week, and not 3, 4, or 5 times a week like I did with this past course.  I will walk or hike in the mountains once a week.  But more importantly I will follow my inner voice with my next phase in my life.  I will devote the time and energy to pursue the ideas I came up with.  I am starting on a new path, a journey to reinvent myself. 



My Artist Dates in Pictures
Weeks 7 -12

 

Until we accept the fact that life itself is

founded in mystery, we shall learn nothing.

HENRY MILLER

.



                                                                                         



Artist Date, Week Twelve ~ On Golden Pond at Desert Stages Theater

Today I went to the Desert Stages Theater in Scottsdale to see the play On Golden Pond.  My husband and I have seen other productions in this theater before, but I have not been there in quite of long time.  I sat next to a woman who was also from the northwest side of Chicago. We reminisced about going to many theatrical productions in downtown Chicago.  She told me how she would take her two daughters downtown to see plays and musicals.   My mother usually had subscription tickets to see  Broadway shows at one of Chicago's main theaters.  I guess I really took going to see a theater production for granted growing up in Chicago.

I feel so fortunate that there are so many community theaters in close proximity to my house.   The Desert Stages Theater where I saw On Golden Pond holds about 60 or so people.  There is not a bad seat in the theater, and it provides you with a very up-close and personal feel with the actors on stage.  All the actors in this stage production were absolutely outstanding and could have been in the film version of this stage play...they were that good.  All the actors were standing outside of the theater and we got to greet and meet each on of them as we exited the theater.  I will definitely be going back to more productions at this theater.

Oh, and I came home to find the Chicago Bears beat the Eagles.  Hubby was happy and so was I.   Another great Sunday for each of us.  :-)

Bill Kane as Norman Thayer 
Corene Heaps as Ethel Thayer
Courtesy of Wade Moran

The most beautiful thing we can

experience is the mysterious.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

Artist Date, Week Eleven ~ I Made My First Turkey

I am 48 years old and have never in my life ever made a turkey, and have never hosted a Thanksgiving holiday.  When we lived in Chicago, we always went to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving. Once we moved to Arizona, we went to my mother-in-laws, friends, neighbors, client's houses, and even a couple of times to the French restaurant Voltaire for Thanksgiving dinner. 

This year I volunteered to have Thanksgiving.  I thought it was time I tackled making a turkey.  For most people, making a turkey and all the other Thanksgiving dishes and desserts is no big deal, but I really do not like to cook or bake.  I know cooking/baking is a real creative outlet for many people, but not me.  I really want to like to cook, and I want to enjoy the experience, but I can't lie...I hate it. 

My turkey came out pretty well, and my family enjoyed it.  I did not overwhelm myself by baking too.  I did not want to get too carried away. :-)  I just picked up a few pies from the bakery at the grocery store and that is why I had time on Wednesday to go to the MIM for their Wednesday Morning Interlude concert.  At the concert I sat next to a nice woman and we talked turkeys and Thanksgiving dinner.  I told her how I was making my first ever turkey dinner, but had no plans on baking.  I've got better things to do with my time, like going to this concert I told her.  She laughed and said she wished that some of her friends and relatives wouldn't bake because their home made cakes and pies were not as good as the ones you get at Costco.  :-)

One tradition I love that my husband and I started doing on Thanksgiving morning was to go on a super long hike.  Since I was hosting Thanksgiving this year we skipped the hike, but we went today for an even extra long hike.  I came home from the hike and finished off the last of the delicious store bought pumpkin pie.  YUM!  It tasted even better to me since I did not waste anytime baking it myself.

I can scratch off making a turkey from my list of things I have not yet done.  Making a home-made pumpkin pie is still on the list, and it can stay on the list for all I care.  I would rather spend my time going to concerts to inspire me, or hiking to keep my body healthy and fit. 

To keep the body in good health is a duty...Otherwise

we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.

BUDDHA

  

Artist Date, Week Eleven ~ Wednesday Morning Interlude at MIM

Today was the last Wednesday Morning Interlude at the Musical Instrument Museum for the year.  I have gone to the last two Wednesday Morning Interludes and enjoyed them very much.  They start at 10:30am and it is a great way to start off your day...listening to beautiful music. 

I always meet the most interesting people at these concerts.  Today I met a couple in line who moved here from Russia.  Their daughter teaches music here in Phoenix, and they followed her to Arizona.  They informed me about all the free musical concerts, international films, and theater productions at Paradise Community College.  I came home and looked up the their website, and now I have another venue here in Arizona to explore.

I sat next to a woman who is a snow bird from Nebraska.  We talked turkeys and Thanksgiving dinner.  More on that subject tomorrow.

Walter Cosand

Todays concert featured ASU professor and Steinway Artist Walter Cosand who presented a peformance of works for the solo piano.  I was not as familar with some of the pieces he played, but it did not impair my enjoyment and appreciation for his great talent. The pieces he played definitely kept you awake and totally inspired. 

I took two years of piano lessons as a kid and hated every minute of it.  I now have a baby grand piano in my living room with a Piano Disc system attached to it so I can hear beautiful piano music anytime I wish.  A few years ago I tried to teach myself the piano again.  It was fun and it helped open up my right side of the brain a bit more.  I know I drove my husband crazy because the two songs I played over and over were the theme songs from Titanic and the Lion King. :-)

You are lost the instant you

know what the result will be.

JUAN GRIS

Artist Date, Week Eleven ~ Art Fest of Scottsdale and Pandora Showcase

Today I headed out once again for Old Town Scottsdale for a full day of activities.  I first made a quick stop at the Old Town Farmer's Market.  Unfortunatley the people selling the apple cobbler I wanted to buy were not there today.  I'll be back, just hope they are back too.

Next, I spent a few leisurely hours viewing all the artists at the ArtFest of Scottsdale. There are not as many artist at the Fall fair then there are at the Spring one. The crowds are not as big either. The Civic Center Mall in Scottsdale is a beautiful spot for any affair. I just love walking there with all the beautiful flowers, plants, trees, art sculptures and water fountains.




 
 

After spending time at the ArtFest I went to see the second Pandora Showcase which I enjoyed as much as the first one I saw last Saturday afternoon.  Today I sat next to one of the actresses from last week's showcase.  She said she was not a professional actress, but she should be.  I thought she was one of the best actresses from last week.  I am the most inspired when I meet people who do what they love to do for just the sake of channeling their creativity. They are just happy doing their art, whatever that may be, even if they are not getting paid for their talent.  These people always seem to be the brightest lights in any room. 

No amount of skillful invention can

replace the essential element of imagination.

EDWARD HOPPER

Artist Date, Week Ten ~ The Great Gatsby at Biltmore Fashion Park

Hubby and I went for the first time to the Biltmore Fashion Park for their Movies in the Park.  They show for free favorite classic old films under the stars on Friday night. People bring lawn chairs, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, pizza, popcorn, wine and other goodies and get comfortable on the lawn in front of the big screen in the park.  Since it was still reasonably not too cold outside, at least by Arizonian standards, we went this past Friday to see the feature film, The Great Gatsby.  I have seen this film only once before when it came out in theaters in 1974, but hubby never saw it. 

The Artist Way course has gotten me to do things that I have never done before, and once again this was a first for me to go watch a film under the stars in the cool autumn night.

The REAL reason I wanted to see it again was because I just heard recently that director Baz Luhrmann is remaking this classic film starring my all-time favorite actor Leonardo DiCaprio in the role of Jay Gatsby.  His best buddy, Tobey Maguire is suppose to play the role of the narrator, Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan is set to play Daisy Buchanan.

My husband just thought because I am doing this Artist Way course is why I had such a great desire to go see a movie at the Biltmore Fashion Park.  He was just happy I actually invited him to go along with me.  But at dinner before the film I told him how Leonardo was going to be part of the remake of this classic film.  He said, "Now this makes more sense to why you want to see this film."  After 30+ years together, he knows me all to well, and knows what makes me tick.  :-)

I enjoyed The Great Gatsby film very much once again. I am sure I will enjoy even more Baz Luhrmann's version of this classic novel.  It was Luhrmann's 1996 version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that brought my attention to the stellar talent of Leonardo DiCaprio, and I have been a fan of his ever since.  I think his casting of Leo, Tobey and Carey are perfect.  I can't wait to see who he casts in the other parts.

Film is my favorite art form.  There is nothing I like more than discussing films.  If I had a chance to pick the brains of people either living or dead, it would be people who are involved in making films, either writers, directors or actors.

What moves men of genious, or rather

what inspires their work, is not new ideas,

but their obsession with the idea that what has

already been said is still not enough.

EUGENE DELACROIX

Artist Date, Week Ten ~ Jane Seymour Discussion and Book Signing

I had no preplanned Artist Date set for today.  It was going to be a lazy Sunday for me, where I slept late, didn't shower, started reading a few books I picked up at the library this week, and maybe throw in a few loads of laundry.  Well my day was a whole lot better.  Last night while waiting for my dinner to finish cooking, I glanced over the newspaper and read Jane Seymour was going to be at the Barnes and Noble on 90th and Shea for a discussion and book signing.  I was not even aware she has written any books, but her new one is called Among Angels.

I am not very familiar with her acting roles.  I believe the only roles I have seen her in were in the films, Somewhere in Time, and Wedding Crashers.  I don't believe I have ever seen an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.  So at first I really didn't have any interest in going to see her on Sunday.  I do though like to collect angel stuff, in particular...angel books.  So the thought of going was a little intriguing.  But I told myself that I will let the universe guide me on what I should do tomorrow.  Just go with the flow and see what happens.  Well the flow started when the universe got me up at 7:30 am when I heard my husband drop and break something from the kitchen.  It turned out to be the glass coffee carafe from our coffee maker.  The coffee maker was really old and it did need replacing, and now that the carafe was shattered, I had no choice but to go out today and buy a new coffee maker.  Since I had to get dressed and go out anyway, I then decided I would stop by Barnes and Noble and catch Jane Seymour's discussion. 

Well I am so very happy that my husband broke the coffee carafe today, because her discussion was so entertaining.  She is absolutely delightful and has many great stories to tell.  I could have listened to her a lot longer.  She talked for a little over 30 minutes and she took as many questions from the audience as time would allow.  She talked about her earlier marital troubles, her near death experience, her friendships with Christopher Reeves and Johnny Cash, plus a whole lot of inspiring stories from her life.  I am sure if you are a huge fan of hers, like so many in the audience were, then you would know all this, but this was all new to me.  I bought two of her books, Among Angels, one for me, and one for my mother-in-law.  Jane personally signed everyone's books, and was very gracious and took pictures with anyone who asked.

She told us she was in town for a charity event on Saturday night which she is very involved in called Camp Soaring Eagle, where children with life threatening illnesses discover the healing power of laughter.  Another great charity.

I was on such a high after leaving the book store that I decided to go back to the Fountain Hills Festival of Arts to hear Esteban play again.  I stayed there for about two hours until he played his last song. I let the universe guide me today, and my day turned out perfect.  The laundry is still sitting there...who cares.  I can do a few loads tomorrow.  And if something better comes up tomorrow, then the laundry can wait once again.  I just love going with the flow. 

Only when he no longer knows what he

is doing does the painter do good things.

EDGAR DEGAS

Artist Date, Week Ten ~ Pandora Showcase

Arizona Women's Theater Company

presents

PANDORA

SHOWCASE

Jewels from the Pandora

Festival of Plays

Scottsdale Center for the

Performing Arts

Today was one of the MOST PERFECT Artist Date's I have done so far.  The yearly Pandora Festival in May is put on by the Arizona Women's Theatre Company which produces contemporary, provocative, thought provoking plays written by Arizona women.  The Pandora Showcase which I saw today, features a collection of seven different one-act or 10 minute plays from the last four Pandora Festivals.  Next weekend they will have another seven different plays in a second showcase.  The seven plays I saw today were funny, heart-warming, and also very thought provoking.  The sets were minimal, but the actors were all stellar.

I read about this Pandora Showcase in the newspaper, and once again, it would have not been something I would have attended, or even thought of attending if it were not for doing The Artist's Way course.  It was truly the most inspiring Artist Date I have been on during this course.  I am definitely planning on going to the 5th Annual Pandora Festival next May.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

Artist Date, Week Ten ~ Festival of Greece

After my seminar on eReaders at the library I went and spent a few hours at the Festival of Greece which was located just outside the library.  I had a delicious authenic Greek lunch with Greek beer and had some Loukoumade for dessert.  These are honey sweet fritters, fried, dipped in butter, and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.  YUM!  Being a sugar addict, I could of just had these for lunch.  There was an authenic Greek band and dancers.  Plus they had toddlers, grade school and high school kids dancing.  Watching the little kids who were five and six years old, was the most entertaining.  I brought some fried calamari home with me to share with my hubby for an appetizer.  Last weeks Hispanic and Latin Fest was all about the music.  This week's Greek fest was all about the food, food, food!

He who knows others is wise;

he who knows himself is enlightened.

LAO-TZU

Artist Date, Week Ten ~ eReader Revolution at Civic Center Library

I went to the Civic Center Library today for a workshop titled, eReader Revolution.  This workshop was to help you with the newest in e-readers and learn all about iPad, Nook, Kindle and all the other netbooks on the market these days.  I know eReaders are the way of the future, and I am all for anything that helps us eliminate cutting down trees for paper, but I still feel after today's lecture, we are still many years away from this new invention replacing books entirely.

It's a funny thing about life;

if you refuse to accept anything

but the best, you very often get it.

W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM

Artist Date, Week Nine ~ Fountain Hills Festival of Arts and Esteban Concert

Today I spent the entire afternoon by myself at the Fountain Hills Festival of Arts and Crafts.  I usually go to this fair every year and with a few friends.  They mostly race through the fair and just want to have a nice relaxing lunch at one the restaurants that face the fountain.  No one called me to go with them this year, and I have to admit I was very happy no one called.  I really enjoyed spending over four hours there all by myself.  Mainly because I really was looking forward to spending a lot of time browsing all the jewelry displays since I have taken a few courses on jewelry making.  I have a much better appreciation for all the great jewelry designers at the fair.  I could appreciate the detail in their work, and their low prices too.  It is almost impossible to make pieces like theirs for any less when you don't get a wholesale or quantity discount.  In fact, it would cost me almost double in some cases.  I have never realized just how many jewelry designers are at this fair.

The day could not have been nicer.  The air was cool and it was an extremely sunny day.  This fair is always very crowded, but at least it is stretched out over several blocks, so the crowds are manageable.   The town of Fountain Hills always does a great job when they put on an event.

The other reason I was happy to go by myself to the fair was because Esteban was playing, and I planned on listening to his music for a long time which may have not suited my friends.  My husband and I have been following him since we first saw him playing at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch in 1993.  We have seen him in concert numerous times. You can even see us in his DVD Esteban Live in Sedona, because we were sitting in the first row of this concert.  Esteban never disappoints, and he played some of my favorite songs.  Plus, he played a few songs from his new album which is a tribute to Johnny Cash and is singing on this new album too.  He has a great voice, and sounds a lot like Johnny Cash.  My favorite song he sang today of his was Ring of Fire.

Today is something I would have done regardless of the Artist's Way course.  I just feel that I appreciated the day, and being by myself more than usual, because of participating in this course.

Music is your own experience,

your thoughts, your wisdom. 

If you don't live it, it won't

come out your horn.

CHARLIE PARKER

Artist Date, Week Nine ~ Koala Exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo

Nothing, and I mean nothing, brings out my inner child more than Koala bears.  Okay, they are NOT bears, I know this, they are marsupials.  But since childhood I have always thought of them as bears.  I have loved Koalas since I was a very young girl.  In fact the only childhood toys I still have are my Koala bears that my mom bought me.  I have kept them in a box in my hall closet, but after seeing the Koalas yesterday at the Phoenix Zoo,  I pulled them out and took the below picture of them.  I have had most of these stuffed Koalas for over 40 years.

Ever since I heard the Phoenix Zoo was going to get two Koalas from the San Diego Zoo for six months, I knew I would go and spend a day seeing them.  I was just waiting for the weather to really cool off, and yesterday was the perfect day to spend at the zoo.  My husband and I arrived at the zoo in the morning and went straight to the Koala exhibit.  The two visiting Koalas are brother and sister.  Kobi is 4 years old, and his sister, Sooky is 2 years old.  When we arrived the two Koalas were sleeping with their heads buried in eucalyptus leaves.  Koalas sleep between 18 and 22 hours a day, so this was not a surprise.  The sign at the exhibit said they were going to be weighed at 1:30, so we decided we would return. We got back there about 1:20 for a good spot.  Their handler came out on time and woke up Sooky first and picked her up from her branch.  Sooky held on to her like she was her mother.  She put her on a scale to be weighed then put her back on a perch.  She then went over to Kobi's room and did the same.  Both Koalas seemed extremely happy to be held and did not make any fuss.  Once back on the perch they both stretched, yawned, scratched themselves a lot, and had some lunch.  They were also quite active, moving around from limb to limb.  We stayed there watching them for another 30 minutes.  I could have stayed a couple more hours.  They were that much fun too watch.  I know I will definitley make a return trip to see them before they go back to San Diego.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Brisbane, Australia - September 1988

I have had the great opportunity to actually hold a Koala myself.  In 1988, my father took me, my husband and sister to Australia for a family vacation.  I got to see Koalas in the wild, just sitting in eucalyptus trees outside of Melbourne.  When we were in Brisbane, Australia we went to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where you can hold a Koala and get your picture taken.

I have always kept the picture of me and the Koala, plus a picture of my husband and his Koala framed and prominently displayed in our house since our trip in 1988.  I now have the pictures in our office since I spend most of my time there. I just like to have pictures around that make me smile, and looking at our Koala pictures really puts a big silly grin on my face.   Koalas are just so darn cute!

Not only were the Koala great to see, but the whole zoo was fabulous.  I don't know if it was the cool weather, or what, but it seemed like the animals were more active than usually.  Even the giraffes were prancing and running around like I have never seen before.  All the animals seemed to be putting on a show for us.  The Phoenix Zoo is such a great place to visit, I really should get a membership.  No place can bring out my inner child more than a zoo, and put me in such a happy blissful state.

Man is not  free to refuse to do the

thing which gives him more pleasure

than any other conceivable action.

STENDHAL



Artist Date, Week Nine ~ The Haunting of Hill House

I am on a roll this weekend and had another great Artist Date with myself on Sunday.  I saw the play The Haunting of Hill House at the Fountain Hills Community Theater.  I have never attended any performance at this community theater, even though it is just about 10 minutes from where I live.  I saw the ad in the Arizona Republic and just decided to go see this production. I had just read a movie blog around Halloween that said the original 1963 film The Haunting, which is based on the 1959 book The Haunting of Hill House is Martin Scorsese favorite horror film.  I had never seen the original film, so I got a DVD copy of it at the library this week.  I am glad I did, because it made this wonderful community theater production that much more enjoyable.  I thought the casting in this little production was superb, and the acting was top-notch.  The theater was very small, seats around 125 people, so all seats are good seats.  The sets were great and even the special effects were outstanding.  I don't know how they did it, but when the haunted house was experiencing ghostly sounds, you could hear and feel vibrations coming from right under the floor underneath you.  I have been to small theaters before, like the Desert Stage Theater in Scottsdale, and once you get use to being so up close and intimate with the cast, it is hard to go to a huge theater for a performance.  The larger theaters lose something when you can't see every expression on the actor's face.  This theater is my new gem in the desert, and I will return many more times.

My hubby no longer has to go to Goldies Sport Cafe on Sundays to watch his beloved Chicago Bears.  His cousin just got Direct TV and invites him over to his house to watch the game.  Of course they just assume I will come over with my husband to watch the game too and be in their company.  It's nothing personal; I just need to do things that nurture my soul.  And watching football or any other sport just does not nurture my soul.  I would rather be doing something by myself like attending an afternoon play on Sunday, then be in a houseful of people doing something or watching something I have completely no interest in.  One thing that has always come easy for me is that I have never had a problem in saying, "No."

Life shrinks or expands in

proportion to one's courage.

ANAIS NIN

Artist Date, Week Nine ~ La Gran Fiesta

After spending the morning at the Celebrate Your Life conference, I went over to the La Gran Fiesta at the Civic Center Mall in Old Town Scottdale.  The La Gran Fiesta is a celebration of the Hispanic and Latin cultures which includes music, dance, arts, food and drink, and children activities.  I got there around 1:00pm and caught the last half hour of Mariachi Corazón Latino and Vista del Camino Ballet Folklorico. Next was Alicia-Monique Blanco, Miss Arizona 2009, who sang "God Bless America,"   Arizona Opera had their lead female singer for their next opera, Carmen, sing four songs.  Next we were entertained by a husband and wife salsa dancing performance.  They also taught audience members a few dance moves.  The final act I saw was the musical group The Samba Project.  The afternoon was simply lovely, and just the perfect temperatures for sitting outside.  Everyone around me was drinking margaritas.  My mouth was watering for one but since I came by myself, and had to drive home, I did not have one.  Okay, this is the one and only reason going by yourself to events can suck.  It is good going with someone who can be a designated driver. When I got home I still had some margarita mix in the fridge from a party I threw last spring.  It was a bit old, but I didn't care.  I made a couple of margaritas and sat out on the patio with my hubby discussing our day.

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

DUKE ELLINGTON AND IRVING MILLS

Artist Date, Week Nine ~ Celebrate Your Life Conference

I have been attending the Celebrate Your Life conferences since 2003, plus many individual events that Mishka Productions has put on over the years.  This year I did not attend the conference to hear all the top selling authors talk, but I did go over to the Marriott Desert Ridge Resort yesterday for a few hours to soak up the energy.  I have always loved going to this conference every year, mostly because of the energy of the people attending the conference.  I have met people from all over the world who have come in to attend.  I have always felt so fortunate because this conference is in my own backyard, yet people come in from all over the globe for this special get together.  I made a heartfeld decision not to attend the conference this year, but that did not stop me from going over there yesterday morning to spend a couple of hours there and soak up the good vibrations. 

When you attend the conference you really don't have a lot of time to spend lurking around and investigating all the vendors who are there.  You are in and out of workshops all day long, and when you get a break I usually head for a bathroom first, then I try to get myself outside in the fresh air and sunshine for awhile, or eat a meal.  So yesterday morning while the conference was in session and everyone was in a workshop I slipped in and spent time actually investigating all the vendors.

I first went over to The Southwest Institute of Healing Arts for a Toe Reading. A Toe Reading can show you if you are walking your destined soul path, or not. Okay, I really didn't need a toe reading to tell me this or not, I listen to my own higher self who pretty much directs my life, but the toe reader reassured me that I was definitely walking my destined path.  I have to admit that I have really nice looking feet for a 48 year old woman.  My toes are very straight and I don't have any pumps or lumps on my feet and both my feet are practically identical looking.

Next, I went over to the Chakra Life vendor who spent well over twenty minutes with me trying to clear my chakras of blocks.  This is done by smelling a different blend of aroma therapy for each chakra while holding a pendulum over a corresponding crystal.  Once the pendulum swings the way it is suppose to, then your chakra is open.  I have studied chakras, Kundalini yoga, and energy medicine a little, so I understand how it works.  But I also believe in The Biology of Belief where if you believe it will work, like a placebo pill, then it will work.  For instance, if you believe the spirit of your dead cat is the force helping you out, then it will work.  It has more to do with the TRUST vibration you are sending out to the universe, than the actual act.

All the years I have attended this conference, I have not spent even a minute investigating the vendors who are there, nor have I talked to them or even bought anything from them because of a time schedule I had to keep. This time, because I had no time constraints,  I actually had some very nice chats with each and every one of them.  I even bought a book from Alberto Villoldo, Courageous Dreaming: How Shamans Dream the World into Being.  I also bought an angel that says, "Dream Big."  When you awaken just enough to remember that you create your own reality, and this world is just an illusion or another dream you can  control, then all you like to read and have around you are constant reminders of that fact. 

My favorite line in a movie so far this year is from the film Inception, "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling."   That film is so deep on so many levels.  Writer/director Christopher Nolan’s Inception on us is to plant the seed that will expand our definition of reality, to open up our paradigms and rattle our cages so that we can begin to find the activation of real knowledge that is stored inside of us. That is where the data is and he is trying to awaken it in all of us. He is planting an idea that can transform the world and rewrite all the rules…he is taking us to higher dimensions of consciousness.  Here's hopping he succeeds.

Be really whole and all things will come to you.

LAO-TZU