Music Man and I are spending a lot less time together now as our lives take us in different directions. We're both working a lot more hours as we settle into our jobs and he's transitioning back to his home in Durango, CO. It's been an amazing 9 months but, to be honest, I don't know where we're going from here. We did spend a lovely evening at Ten Thousand Waves last Tuesday. It gave both of us a chance to unwind a bit.

I finally took this painting off the easel and declared it "finished".

I may go back to it one day, but for now it's time to move on to a new piece. The art galleries here in Santa Fe have new shows up for Memorial Day weekend. So as I wandered the galleries on Canyon Road and around the Plaza Friday evening, I saw work that made me want to immediately run home and start painting. I'm also feeling the need to start weaving again.

It's a beautiful weekend here in Santa Fe if you can ignore the smoke blowing into the city from the wildfires burning around us. I spent Saturday on Canyon Road checking out more art, then down on the Plaza checking out the Santa Fe Society of Artists' show and the Cathedral Park Arts and Crafts Fair. Found a beautiful pair of labradorite earrings by Sallyjane Bolle. Then it was down to Namaste on Water Street for a few new clothes for summer. Yes, I'm getting in touch with my inner hippie. Namaste reminds me a bit of Shambhala Tibet which was one of my favorite places to shop for clothes and jewelry on Newbury Street in Boston. Unfortunately they closed around 2005, a victim of the ever-increasing commercial rents on Newbury Street.

Cleaning out the walk-in closet in my bedroom was Saturday afternoon's project. Parachhute pants? Yes, I have a pair. Peg-legged denim overalls? Yes, I have a pair of those also. Black leather micro-mini? You betcha! What's even more frightening than the fact that I actually own these items is that they've been travelling all over the country with me since 1990. How I missed them when I did the last 2 major purges is beyond me. Apparently the corporate suits I was so intent on getting rid of distracted me. Or maybe it was a bout of nostalgia that made me hang on to them. Who knows what was going through my mind then. 

Don't forget to mark your calendars. The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is July 13-15, 2012 up on Museum Hill. The schedule of events for International Folk Art Week is available here. It really is an amazing experience and will change how you view the world.

April was all about celebrating... Music Man's birthday, his landing his dream job a few months ago, and the end of his quiet winter here in Santa Fe. First we spent a wonderful weekend at the Parq Central Hotel in Albuquerque. Then we celebrated his birthday at Geronimo Restaurant on Canyon Road. And finally, we spent last weekend at Ojo Caliente. It was the perfect weekend... warm enough to spend the day lounging about in the private tub on our patio and cool enough at night to spend the evening in front of a roaring fire. Sunday we drove up to the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

May is going to continue to be even crazier for both of us. This is Music Man's last month in Santa Fe before he moves back to Durango, CO. So between travelling for work, he's also packing and preparing to move. And yes, before you ask, I'm incredibly sad he's leaving.

May is bringing another big change to my life. Effective May 1st, I've returned to Delphi Technology as their Vice President of Marketing. I've been consulting for them since last October so it made sense to return as a full-time employee. The company is kicking off a number of really exciting initiatives so I'm very excited about the challenges ahead of me. I returned to Delphi just in time to jump on a plane and attend the annual customer group meeting last week that was held in Lake Tahoe. This was my first visit to Lake Tahoe and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. This was the view from my hotel room.

Even though I'm returning to Delphi, I'll continue to build Gypsy Wolf Marketing and work with my private clients.

There are a number of things in my life I need to get back on track this month. Belly dance and yoga were pushed aside when I was getting my new tattoo back in March. The tattoo ended up being much bigger and more elaborate than I expected. The work was done by Guido Baldini at 4 Star Tattoo here in Santa Fe.

Then I was down for a couple of weeks in April with a really nasty flu. So next week is going to be all about geting back on schedule with diet and exercise.

And I can't even remember the last time I was in my studio to do anything creative. I started a new painting a couple of months ago but there just hasn't been enough time to get in there and work on it lately. And to be honest, I'm not feeling that creative at the moment. I guess that's to be expected with everything else that's going on.

I'm celebrating spring with some new plants to bring some life to the apartment. Loving this dish garden I assembled this morning.

If you are feeling stuck in your life and are ready for change,
take time to declare to the Universe that you are ready.

There comes a point in most of our lives when we feel ready to experience a change we've had trouble carrying out. Maybe we've been stuck in a home, a relationship, job, or a town that hasn't felt right for a long time, but we've been unable to shift our circumstances in the direction we want to go. At times like this, it can help to declare to the universe that we are ready for a change. Think of it as informing a helpful friend that you need her assistance to move to the next level in your life. If the time is right, the universe will respond with opportunities and offers designed to help you create the change you wish to see.

You can begin the process of making your declaration by getting clear within yourself about what exactly you want to change. Whenever we ask anyone for help, they can assist us that much better if we are specific. The universe also appreciates our clarity and has an easier time answering a direct communication than a vague yearning. When you are clear on what you want, write your declaration on a piece of paper and place it on your altar, if you have one. If you don't you can also place it under your pillow or in a box on your nightstand. Set aside a period of time every day to be silent with your wishes for change, repeating your declaration like a mantra. This lets the universe know that you are ready for change and will be receptive to its efforts.

Feel free to continue to refine and redefine your declaration, and remember to be open to the many different ways in which the change you seek might come to be. Remember also to be active in your own efforts, taking opportunities that come your way, watching for signs, and always taking responsibility for your intentions. If things don't happen quickly, try not to be discouraged; it might take time to free up energy that has been blocked and possibly serving a purpose beyond what we can understand. If you continue your conversation with the universe, declaring yourself clearly and openly, you cannot help but experience the magic of changing and being changed. - Daily Om

Here we are closing in on the end of Q1 and I've made more progress on my 2012 goals than I expected. There's still 1 week left in March so I may actually clear my "to do" list completely. There are still days when I'm constantly busy but arrive at the end of the day with absolutely no idea where the time has gone and what I've done. But I think one of the biggest culprits is spending far too much time in meetings. Maybe all I need to do is shake up my schedule and daily routine a bit.

Putting time management issues aside...

It's Spring and the weather is gorgeous here in Santa Fe right now so more afternoons of working at the Teahouse up on Canyon Road are definitely in my immediate future. This is the perfect time of year to get out and about before the tourists descend on the city for the summer season.

My last session to finish my new tattoo, a Tibetan dragon wrapped around a lotus, is scheduled for next Friday. Once it's finished, I'll be able to get back on track with yoga and belly dance. This tattoo seems to have taken on a life of its own and has taken much longer to complete than I expected.

Life continues to shift as I watch someone close to me follow his dreams and start off on new adventures. But not to be left behind, I'm venturing out in new directions of my own. One of those new directions is more focus on getting my artwork out into the world. You can now find me on TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List, New Mexico Creates, and I finally opened my Etsy shop. As far as studio work goes, I'm experimenting with polymer clay right now with an eye to integrating it into my needleweavings and mixed media / collage pieces. I'm also putting together several workshop proposals for 2013.

Gypsy Wolf Marketing continues to evolve so it's time to start thinking about where I go next in terms of working with Christine Kane. My Gold Mastermind group ends in July so the next logical step would be to apply for her Platinum Mastermind program. As you know from previous posts, I'm a huge admirer of Christine as a mentor and of everything she's accomplished. The content she's delivered in the Gold Mastermind has been invaluable in getting a business off the ground. That being said though, there are 1 or 2 concerns I need to have addressed before investing the time and money in the Platinum Mastermind program.

Stay tuned for pictures of the new tattoo!

When we continually live our life with a safety net it creates a barrier to our freedom.

As we create the life of our dreamss, we often reach a crossroads where the choices seem to involve the risk of facing the unknown versus the safety and comfort of all that we have come to trust. We may feel like a tightrope walker, carefully teetering along the narrow path to our goals, sometimes feeling that we are doing so without a net. Knowing we have some backup may help us work up the courage to take those first steps, until we are secure in knowing that we have the skills to work without one. But when we live our lives from a place of balance and trust in the universe, we may not see our source of support, but we can know that it is there.

If we refuse to act only if we can see the safety net, we may be allowing the net to become a trap as it creates a barrier between us and the freedom to pursue our goals. Change is inherent in life, so even what we have learned to trust can surprise us at any moment. Remove fear from the equation and then, without even wondering what is going on below, we can devote our full attention to the dream that awaits us.

We attract support into our lives when we are willing to make those first tentative steps, trusting that the universe will provide exactly what we need. In that process we can decide that whatever comes from our actions is only for our highest and best experience of growth. It may come in the form of a soft landing, an unexpected rescue or an eye-opening experience gleaned only from the process of falling. So rather than allowing our lives to be dictated by fear of the unknown, or trying to avoid falling, we can appreciate that sometimes we experience life fully when we are willing to trust and fall. And in doing so, we may just find that we have the wings to fly.

When we believe that there is a reason for everything, we are stepping out with the safety net of the universe, and we know we will make the best from whatever comes our way. - Daily Om

The Truths Within
Value Your Own Wisdom

Your very own inner wisdom should be valued more than any other
and will always guide you in the direction you need to travel.

Throughout our lives, we will encounter individuals who presume to know what is best for us. The insights they offer cannot compare, however, with the powers of awareness and discernment that already exists within us. From birth we are blessed with wisdom that cannot be learned or unlearned. It exists whether or not we acknowledge it because it is a gift given to us by a loving universe before we chose to experience existence on the earthly plane. Yet for all its permanence, it is vital that we value and honor this incredible element of the self. It is when we do not use our inborn wisdom that we begin to doubt our personal truths and are driven to outside sources of information because we are afraid. What we know to be true in our hearts is invariably true, and we discover how intensely beautiful and useful self-trust can be when we recognize the power of our wisdom.

Inner wisdom is not subject to the influences of the outside world, which means that it will never demand that we surrender our free will or counsel us to act in opposition to our values. We benefit from this inspiration when we open ourselves to it, letting go of the false notion that we are less qualified than others to determine our fate. The wisdom inside of us is the source of our discernment and our ability to identify blessings in disguise. When we are unsure of who to trust, how to respond, or what we require, the answers lie in our inner wisdom. It knows where we are going and understands where we are coming from. Taking this into account though it is not a product of experience but rather a piece of our connection to the universal mind.

In the whole of your existence, no force you will ever encounter will contribute as much to your ability to do what you need to do and be who you want to be as your natural wisdom. Through it, you reveal your growing consciousness to the greater source and discover the true extent of your strength. If you heed this wisdom with conviction and confidence, the patterns, people, and fears that held you back will be dismantled, paving the way for you to fulfill your truest potential. - Daily OM

"In this practical guide to enlightened living, Chogyam Trungpa offers an inspiring vision for our time, based on the figure of the sacred warrior. In ancient times, the warrior learned to master the challenges of life, both on and off the battlefield. He acquired a sense of personal freedom and power -- not through violence or aggression, but through gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge. The Japanese samurai, the warrior-kings of Tibet, the knights of medieval Europe, and the warriors of the Native American tribes are a few examples of this universal tradition of wisdom.

With this book the warrior's path is opened to contemporary men and women in search of self-mastery and greater fulfillment. Interpreting the warrior's journey in modern terms, Trungpa discusses such skills as synchronizing mind and body, overcoming habitual behaviors, relaxing within discipline, facing the world with openess and fearlessness, and finding the sacred dimension of everyday life. Above all, Trungpa shows that in discovering the basic goodness of human life, the warrior learns to radiate that goodness out into the world for the peace and sanity of others.

The Shambhala teachings -- named for a legendary Himalayan kingdom where prosperity and happiness reign -- thus point to the potential for enlightened conduct that exists within every human being. "The basic wisdom of Shambhala," Trungpa writes, "is that in this world, as it is, we can find a good and meaningful human life that will also serve others.  That is our true richness."

Music Man and I celebrated early by going to see the Princess Bride at the Lensic last night. I had never seen the movie and it's one that Music Man has fond memories of so he wanted to share the experience with me. Simple pleasures and shared experiences... in my world that makes for the perfect Valentine's Day.

"Crazy Wisdom" is described by Chogyam Trungpa as an innocent state of mind that has the quality of early morning -- fresh, sparkling, and completely awake. Drawing on the life of Padmasambhava -- the Indian teacher who brought Buddhism to Tibet -- he illustrates the principle of crazy wisdom as the starting point for an exciting spiritual practice journey. From this profound point of view, spiritual practice does not provide comfortable answers to pain or confusion. On the contrary, painful emotions can be appreciated as a challenging opportunity for new discovery. In particular, the author discusses meditation as a practical way to uncover one's own innate wisdom in the midst of everyday life.

If we don't change what isn't working in our lives,
we will continually have the same day over and over again.

We have all had the experience of realizing that something in our lives is not working. This knowledge can come as a sudden realization or a nagging feeling of doubt that grows stronger, waking us up to the fact that something needs to change. Some people have a tendency to act rashly and make sweeping changes before even understanding what the problem is. Other people fear change, so they live with the uncomfortable awareness that something needs to shift but won't do anything about it. Between these two extreme responses lies a middle way that can help us powerfully and gracefully change what isn't working in our lives.

The first step is remembering that your life is made up of parts that belong to an interconnected whole. Changing one thing can change everything. Because of this, small changes often have a big effect. Sometimes much bigger changes are necessary, but the only way to know for sure is to take the time to really understand the problem. Examine your life as an entirety -- your work,  your relationships, where you live -- and determine what specifically is not functioning the way you would like. Once you have figured out the problem, write it down on a piece of paper. The next step is to figure out the adjustment you would like to make and how you can go about making this change. If you are unhappy with your relationship because you spend too much or not enough time with your partner, you may want to discuss this problem with them and come up with a compromise. On the other hand, if you realize your relationship is not working to such a degree that it needs to end, begin working through that process. Writing down the truth can be a powerful catalyst for change.

The key to making changes that work is to accept the necessity of change as part of life. As we change, we may find it necessary to fine-tune our relationships, work, and living situations. Our lives are living, breathing entities that reflect our dynamic selves. - Daily Om