recuerda mi corazon

remembering

in our tradition, people die three deaths. the first death is when our bodies cease to function; when our hearts no longer beat of their own accord.

when our gaze no longer has a depth or weight, when the space we occupy slowly loses its meaning.

the second death comes when the body is lowered into the ground, returned to mother earth, out of sight.

the third death, the most definitive death, is when there is no one left alive to remember us.

victor landa

 

 
  

stephanie and susanna

are hosting

dia de bloglandia

a

special bloglandia

way

of remembering

 

 

 

  

 

there are moments,

simple moments in life that burn into our hearts

with an intensity that feeds our souls.

as each altar was lovingly arranged,

as the artists arrived to fill the walls with their

tributes and passions

with them came their stories

songs

remembrances.

until it was all we could do to sit

silent

on hallowed ground.

dia de los muertos

time to light candles on

precious altars

and turn our intension and attention

to those we love.

please please please

visit each of these artists

who with the work of their hearts and hands are

fashioning a future

for so many deserving children.

Oaxacan Streetchildren Grassroots

Shrine Auction

March 1- March 7

Allegra

Chenoa

Christine Alvarado

Armani

Meri Arnett-Kremian

Elizabeth Bunsen

Carmen

Clauidia Congleton

Dawn Elliott

Adriana Esqueda

Nikki Ghilain

Susanna Gordon

Stephanie Hilvitz

Shoshanah Jennings

Lisa JonesMoore

Carol Knieff-Wishnek

Maija Lepore

Elissa Lerma

Leighanna Light

Monica Magness

Yoli Manzon

Erin Mc Millen

Michael McMillen

Lynne McCormick Bridges

Katherine McCullen

LK Moonwood

Kathy Cano-Murillo

Chaska Peacock

Leau Phillips

Paula Scott

Pamela Sweet

Tami

Deb Taylor

Yvonne Villareal-Torres

Brenda Wampler

Rachel Whetzel

Stephanie Wright

Laurie Beth Zuckerman

serving up a slice of dia de los muertos

silver forks

for

her ribs, my darling.

 sturdy

 hold the weight of the world

hips

fashioned from

a

pie server

wings

beautiful

and

certain

wings

no wall flower here

no faint of heart.

in

life

and after

serving, serving

A L W A Y S

serving

 

as the days lead us so quickly into Fall and the golden light speaks of marigolds and candles i want to reach out. far beyond the ink black sky that sits above each one of us in a galaxy of endless stars and mystery.

i want to reach past gravity and deadlines, all the demands of any given day and just be.... with you.

before our hands release the aromas of comfort food to steam the kitchens of our souls. before we gather flowers, cherished pictures of those that have filled our lives, before we light the candles...and copal incense lingers in our prayers. before someone we love picks up a guitar and strums the one song that will cut straight to a heart full of remembering.

i just want to be with you....in quiet solitude,  in a heartfelt pause, just to catch our breath.   just to simply be...and recognize our place in the mystery of it all. treasure all those who have graced our lives with their own courage and verve.

to affirm the promise to live life fully, straight from our hearts, loudly and with great unending passion, one full day at a time.

hola mi amors!!!

 

oh no, mi amors, i have not accomplished an i-am-so-in-love-with-my-camera-destiny, but i do have something that puts stars in my eyes and enhances my passion red lips to share.

mike jennings is offering a gift to support each shrine maker. as you know this year we are trying a new approach to posting our shrines. each artist will access a program called Wordpress, a "state-of-the- art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards and usability."  (yes, lots of hand holding tech support offered when the time comes)

first...( slowly and with sensual fluidity) allow me to present

Micheal Jennings

Mike Jennings is a digital collage artist and instructor based in California's Bay Area. He teaches workshops to mixed-media artists around the Bay Area and at art retreats in the Western United States. He has worked for Adobe Systems for ten years. He also co-owns Hannah Grey Curiosities & Drygoodswith his wife Shoshanah Jennings.

His gift to the Shriners? A personal copy of his insightful article, Scanning and Photographing Your Art. So as you finish your offering just shoot me an email and I will send you a copy, complements of Mike.

Then together...we will confront the learning curve of Wordpress and begin posting pages in our Shrine Gallery, every entry a mission of hope.

heaven in art

Allegra

Chenoa

Christine Alvarado

Armani

Meri Arnett-Kremian

Elizabeth Bunsen

Carmen

Clauidia Congleton

Dawn Elliott

Adriana Esqueda

Nikki Ghilain

Susanna Gordon

Stephanie Hilvitz

Shoshanah Jennings

Lisa JonesMoore

Carol Knieff-Wishnek

Maija Lepore

Elissa Lerma

Leighanna Light

Monica Magness

Yoli Manzon

Erin Mc Millen

Michael McMillen

Lynne McCormick Bridges

Katherine McCullen

LK Moonwood

Kathy Cano-Murillo

Chaska Peacock

Leau Phillips

Paula Scott

Pamela Sweet

Tami

Deb Taylor

Yvonne Villareal-Torres

Brenda Wampler

Stephanie Wright

Laurie Beth Zuckerman

preparations

 

 
  

  

 

preparations are ramping up at the local papier mache taller,

in san miguel de allende. more and more calaveras are slipping

into the usual mix of mermaids, brightly coloured rattles and toys.

time for knowing hands to fashion the icons of the season...

skeletons, and more skeletons!

click on this link

to visit

dia de bloglandia

and sign on to join an amazing not to be missed celebration!

surrender

today

the light

rained like gold.

there was nothing to do but surrender.

no where to be but outside

drinking in the last

song of summer

 
amid all things simple and true 

 the hours of day

beaded me into her tapestry.

 
i thought about so many

hopes, dreams, possibilities

as i moved silently among the brazen copper and gold

 spotted tiny poppies that will lay deep roots,

prepared a new bed of strawberries,

cast a million new seeds of possibilities

 
to

dream

a long winter

into

spring.

now that the sun has slipped behind the mountains

i have come inside to talk with you,

hands smelling of lavender, dill, rosemary, and sage.

earth under my finger nails.

 fire in my heart.

 

realizing

the gift of possibilities

in the lives of so many deserving children

need the same full seasons of dreaming and creating.

if you have only desired the gift of more time to

shrine

you can now surrender

all hesitation.

shrine auction will come with the Spring

leaving us all autumn and winter

to join these angels

who have said

yes