Dream With the Fishes

Sunday, January 8, 2012

A Murmuration

I just saw this for the first time over on Leah's blog and got goosebumps all over. It's incredible, magickal, and absolutely beautiful. Many of you have probably already seen it, but if you haven't yet, I highly recommend you take a gander! It made my day.

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

There's more about it here: The Startling Science of a Starling Murmuration

Thursday, January 5, 2012

La Befana

According to Italian folklore, La Befana delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5th). She is portrayed as an old woman wearing a black shawl and covered in soot. Like Santa, she comes down through the chimney to deliver her gifts. But, unlike Santa, her transport is a broomstick. And it is said that if one spots her they will receive a thump of her broomstick, as she does not wish to be seen.

La Befana is shown smiling and carrying a bag or sack filled with candy and/or gifts with which she fills the children of Italy's socks. If they've been good, that is. The one's who've been bad receive, instead, a lump of coal. Some say she even sweeps the floor before she leaves. This is probably true for those who leave her a cup of wine and a few morsels of the regional or local food.

Watch these adorable little old ladies from Tuscany singing a La Befana song:

La Befana may derive her name the Italian for Feast of Epiphany, or 'La Festa dell'Epifania', or from the mispronunciation of the Greek word, 'epifania'. There is some evidence suggesting that she is descended from the Sabine/Roman goddess named Strina (or Strenia), who presided over the new year's gifts, or 'Strenae", and from which her name is derived.

To read more about La Befana, and the various traditions and legends associated with her, here are some links to get you started:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Befana

http://goitaly.about.com/od/festivalsandevents/a/epiphany.htm

http://www.italytravelescape.com/befana.htm

http://www.abruzzo2000.com/abruzzo/traditions/christmas/befana.htm

http://www.provincia.ps.it/dd.pesaro1/lavori%20netd@ys/epiphany.htm

This one's in Italian:
http://curiosando708090.altervista.org/la-befana/

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

A head's up about the insane practices over at Paypal

This is disgusting and makes me sick to my stomach. Paypal forced a buyer to destroy a $2500 pre-WWII violin, rather than return it to the seller for a refund, because they deemed it counterfeit when the buyer disputed the label.

http://www.regretsy.com/2012/01/03/from-the-mailbag-27/

Now I'm really having second thoughts about ever accepting Paypal again for auctions and sales. Jesus, who knows how many other priceless works they had people destroy in order to get their money back. And what kind of person spends that kind of money on a violin and then willingly takes an axe to it - you've GOT TO see the photo of it all hacked up - so freaking sad! And how do we know there aren't people out there using this policy as a scam? Destroying a counterfeit they purposely have on hand for the occasion and then getting a refund while keeping the real thing?! I'd say SELLERS BEWARE!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Changes a'comin'

Capri - courtesy of MorBCN's Flickr Photostream

I got sidetracked again and fell away from posting for a bit. Life just got too much, and I tend to get tongue tied when that happens and can't gather my thoughts enough to compose decent blog posts. Ones that I don't end up going into a rant or tirade, or just bore you to death. So I clam up.

Pati Entre Arcades a Monells - courtesy of Montse Poch's Flickr Photostream

I haven't done any photographing in the longest so I decided to gather some images via Flickr. These are all in response to a search using the term "Rustic" in Creative Commons. Looking at them makes me very happy.

Boats in Fog - courtesy of Yooperann's Flickr Photostream

As for The Artist's Way Journey, I did not abandon the project or my fellow journey members! I did continue following through, as much as I could muster, up until midway through the next to last chapter. Then, with the holidays right up on top of us, and the end of the year coming up, I just dropped it to tend to last minute details.

Canopy Bed - courtesy of Photomatt28's Flickr Photostream

And, I must say, it was the best thing I did all year! I am so glad I participated and it brought about massive change! So much so that it took on a life of its own and I am right now in a place of transition, waiting until the dust from the ensuing whirlwind-of-changes settles.

Gold Hill Shaftesbury Dorset - courtesy of 2create's Flickr Photostream

I was truly hoping to have great news to share at this time. But not yet... not quite. And I really can't go into details until I have something solid in front of me, so forgive me for being vague. You know how I always say that as soon as I talk about something it seems to dissipate before my very eyes? Well, I am not taking any chances any more. If there's one thing that's been made crystal clear this past year it's that my gut instincts and intuition are pretty much always right. And besides that, there is the additional fact that there are people here - and I don't mean any of you, my dear blog buddies - that do not have my best interest at heart and I don't care to throw any pearls before swine.

Can you unlock her heart? - courtesy of Tibchris's Flickr Photostream

This brings me to another reason I've been away from the blog. When I began blogging I was very leery about sharing so openly on the internet for anyone to see. But, as time went on and I got to meeting so many like minded folks and being able to share and talk about things that I wasn't able to share with any one in my daily life, I opened up more and more. But it saddens me to state that, due to recent developments, I no longer feel so comfortable sharing openly and freely here on this blog. So, I'm contemplating starting a whole new blog and keeping it completely anonymous, as much as that's possible on the internet. I wouldn't lock it or make it members-only, but I would not attach my real name to it or any particulars by which I could be identified. This, of course, sucks. And I hate the thought of parting with "Dream with the Fishes" as a blog name. But I just don't know any other way to keep things as they are and block unwelcome visitors.

Somebody, Save Me - courtesy of ShaneRounce.com Design and Photography

This is all just a thought process, right now, and I definitely don't have time to work out the details just yet. If and when I do it, I would let you all know, here, and email all of my blog buddies and followers with my new blog address and ask anybody I've missed, who wants to continue following me, to please email me and I'll send you the address. In the meantime, I will continue to blog here at Dream with the Fishes, though in a more restrained capacity.

Blaise Rustic Cottage Newly Thatched - courtesy of Crabchick's Flickr Photostream

I do hope you're all doing well and I wish you the best for this new year. May you find fulfillment and joy, in one way after another, throughout the whole year!

Rustic Steps - courtesy of Floato's Flickr Photostream

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year and Welcome, 2012!

Recipe for a Happy New Year

"Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past - have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time.

"Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time. Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution. Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor."

- Anonymous

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Happy Daylight Savings Day and Chapter 9 Check-in

Courtesy of Elfleda's Flickr Photostream

Hope you made good use of that extra hour. I got some extra zzzzz's. Can't ever seem to get enough. Especially when a good dream is happening!

I had the most trouble yet sticking to Morning Pages and Affirmations. Missed doing both on 3 of the last 14 days, and skipped out on the Affirmations altogether on 7 of those days. Once again missed out on taking an Arist's Date throughout both weeks of the chapter, making it now, I think, 3 Chapters since my last one. I had been all set to take one yesterday but I ended up at work much, much later than expected, and there went the whole day. I realize I could have made the time for it at any time along the way, but I have been on a roll with the decluttering and I don't want to stop until it's done. I am on a mission to start the new year as unencumbered as possible by old stuff.

I did one of the Tasks - Number 3 - setting out my goals for the year, month, week. Although, I already screwed up the goal for the week, which was to take an artist's date to make up for all the lost ones of the past weeks. For the month of November, my goals include finishing my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project (which I finally just got started on this week, after having it for months), continuing with the decluttering, and working in some Feng Shui cures as the place gets more and more clutter-free.

For 2012, my list of goals include:

Getting back into doing my flower arrangements,
Getting back into making potpouris and other herbal concoctions,
To start writing again (poetry, short stories, etc.),
Getting into cooking,
Learning encaustic painting,
Getting into fantastic shape (This is thrown in every year. Maybe this year I'll actually do it.

I've also written down "Taking an acting class." I've been having this persistent urging to do something in the way of acting, which is really weird because it's not something I have ever had any interest in before. But the thought's been persisting to the point of nagging, so I threw it in there. Maybe I'll be surprised and find that I have a completely hitherto unsuspected talent. Or it'll be clear that there was good reason I was never interested in it before and I can definitively cross it off my list.

Also, this past week, I began thinking about what My word for 2012 is going to be and trying to get a clear feel for my overarching intention for the year. It's all still simmering but it's coming together and it seems to be growing out of this major letting go spree I've been having. I've been feeling like I just need to wipe the slate clean, in terms of my creative focus, and start on a whole new footing. By this I mean that I want to let go of all the ideas I've been hanging onto that were a product of past inspirations. I have notebooks-ful, and so many little pieces of paper, with these great ideas jotted down to be followed up on "when I have time." But their acumulation has become, like all the other clutter in my life, a big 'ol ball and chain tying me to the past. Inspiration needs to be followed up on while it's fresh, and all this hanging on the old is just clogging up the channel for any new and now stuff to come through. So, wiping the slate clean and freeing up the line for new inspiration to flow through. That's a big part of the main course on the menu for 2012!

Furthermore, I want to focus on really getting in touch with me, the real me, minus all the crap that I've taken on because of obligation or necessity or insecurity, etc. And so the decluttering continues on yet another level. I want to really get to know me and allow myself to say what I really want to say, do what I really want to do, dress how I really want to dress, be how I really want to be. You know, just be truly and authentically ME.

Now to squeeze all this into just the right word or short phrase for the year, before New Year's Day!