Wednesday, August 28, 2013

"I Have a Dream" - The Golden Anniversary.


 
 "I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.  It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream. 
 
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:  We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.



Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Mamihlapinatapai.

This word has been whirling and twirling in My mind and on the tip of my tongue since I discovered it a little over 24 hours ago.  It is Perfect.  It is Perfectly expressive of That Look with That Person

Mamihlapinatapai (mah-mee-lah-pin-yah-tah-pie) is a noun, derived from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego.  It is said to be one of the most difficult words to translate.  These are just a few other's definitions of the word:

"a look shared by two people, each wishing that the other will offer something that they both desire but are unwilling to suggest or offer themselves."

"it is a look across the table when two people are sharing an unspoke but private moment.  When each knows the other understands and is in agreement with what is being expressed.  An expressive and meaningful silence."

"a look shared by two people, each wishing that the other would initiate something they both desire but which neither wants to begin."

"a mutual, silent gaze between two people who mean to engage in something pertaining to strong emotions, but they are reluctant to start."

Sigh.  It is a Perfect Word...Other Fabulous Words & Their Meanings.

When The Full Moon Rises.

 
 
The Blue Moon in Aquarius is Tonight...A Full Moon Beaming with Creative Energy & Magic...
 
 

Friday, August 2, 2013

One Love.

Yesterday, August 1st, 2013 was an Amazing Historic Day in Minnesota History.
At midnight, Minnesota became the 13th state to legalize same-sex marriage...and I could not be more proud to be a Minnesotan!


The lovely Margaret Miles and Cathy ten Broeke (joined by their 5 year old son, Louie) were wed by Minneapolis Mayor R.T.Rybak just after midnight at Minneapolis City Hall. 


Moments before the clock struck midnight, The Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus serenaded all who had come to rejoice in the Minneapolis Freedom to Marry Celebration.

Jeff Isaacson and Al Girand just after they married, shortly after midnight August 1, 2013.

To quote Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' heartfelt One Love:
"and a certificate on paper isn't going to solve it all, but it's a damn good place to start"

I Believe in Love.  I Believe in Freedom.
And I Believe it is a Right to Marry the Person Your Heart Loves.
It is not a privilege; it is a basic Human Right.
And I look forward to the day when EVERYONE - no matter what state or country they may call Home, but EVERYONE is able to be United Peacefully in Love.


Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
Aristotle

 
All Images Sourced from Minnesota Public Radio

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

"Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better".


 
Today would have been Ginger Roger’s 102nd Birthday.
I have Always thought she was so lovely and Astonishingly Talented.
This quote pretty much sums up her Greatness – to which I wanted to honor her for on the anniversary of her birth. 

Did you know that no films have been made about Ginger Rogers because Fred Astaire stipulated in his will that no film representations of him were ever to be made? 

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Fremont Solstice Blast From The Past.



Fremont Summer Solstice Parade is today in Seattle!

This is snap is from My Favorite Solstice (so far) in 2008 of Mara of Joyful Life and Me just after the parade ended.  This photo gives me so much Joy & brings in floods of oh-so-lovely & Amazing memories from that day!

Happy Fremont Summer Solstice to All My Loved Ones in Seattle today and You & Yours!!!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Summer Solstice In Seattle.

The Summer Solstice is this Friday My Friends! 
The longest day of the year – the one we have been waiting for! 
It is one of My single Favorite days of the year for so many reasons, but one in particular is because of Fremont Summer Solstice.

Summer Solstice is an institution in Seattle and it is celebrated every year with a parade and festival in the Fremont neighborhood.  The Energy is electric, the streets are decorated with bright and bold colors and everyone is invited to this Pagan rooted gathering!  Families, Friends, Young and Old - People from all walks of life gather Together in celebration of Welcoming Summer. 

 
Each and every year the parade is kicked off with The Ride of the Naked Bike Riders. 
This seems to shock so many people who are not familiar with Fremont Solstice, but Trust Me it is Ahhh-Mazing!  Most of the riders paint their bodies and have themes or designs to their “ensemble” and there are Always those one or two individuals who just go stark naked and perhaps wear a mask…or not.  The bravery and self-confidence these riders have has Always, Always impressed Me.  And if I had an official bucket list, I would definitely put riding naked in the Fremont Solstice parade on it!


This year will mark my second Solstice away from Seattle and I miss it so, but I will be having My own Solstice Celebration and Ritual on Friday – perhaps even naked.  Just to feel the sun and breeze on My bare skin and because being naked in Nature is a part of communing with The Universe.  And Nature and The Universe are two of the hearts at the center of My world.


Monday, June 17, 2013

What They Said.

Let someone love you just the way you are – as flawed as you might be, as unattractive as you sometimes feel, and as unaccomplished as you think you are. To believe that you must hide all the parts of you that are broken, out of fear that someone else is incapable of loving what is less than perfect, is to believe that sunlight is incapable of entering a broken window and illuminating a dark room.
 :: Marc Hack ::



 

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The Love Of A Father.



“There are many different kinds of bravery. There’s the bravery of thinking of others before one’s self. Now, your father has never brandished a sword nor fired a pistol, thank heavens. But he has made many sacrifices for his family, and put away many dreams.”

“Where did he put them?”

“He put them in a drawer. And sometimes, late at night, we take them out and admire them. But it gets harder and harder to close the drawer… He does. And that is why he is brave.”


{Conversation between Mrs. Darling and Michael, from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie}

Friday, June 14, 2013

Tyler Knott Gregson.



I couldn't agree more...
It's what makes Us ache and fills Us up.

Tyler Knott's Words are My Favorite.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Anne With An E.

As a young girl, there were two people I held on pedestals above everyone else. 

Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden was the first. 
The second and my True Kindred Spirit was Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables.
 
 
I wanted to be Anne’s Dear Friend & Kindred Spirit more than anything.

I loved her dreamer quality.  I loved her raw uniqueness.  She said what she meant and meant what she said.  She was dramatic and emotional, loud and full of gumption.  She was smart and self-taught (overall).  She had red hair and green eyes, which I ached for in my youth.  And she was a Writer.  To Me, Anne was perfect.
 
 
June marks the 105th Year Anniversary of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved novel being published.  During that time it has sold more than 50 million copies as has been translated into over 20 languages.  Not bad for a book about a red headed orphan girl, eh?
 

And who can resist Gilbert Blythe?

I first came to know and Love Anne from Canada’s Kevin Sullivan Company’s production Anne of Green Gables.  Megan Follows is the face I will Always, Always associate Miss Shirley with.  I simply adored watching her, along with he fellow cast mates, tell the stories of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea.  It was watching the VHS tapes at a young age (four tapes total – 2 for each volume of story!) that I became familiar with Anne’s story and wanted more.  And so, I dove head first into the volumes of words L.M. wrote for Me, and for all of Us to consume and savor – Eight flavorful novels between 1908 – 1939! 

I plan on revisiting these Favorite films of mine next week when I have a bit of free time.  The first two novels are also on my list of Summer Re-Reads. 

Is there a particular character from a book or a movie that You feel a Sublime Connection to?

 
All Images are Property of Sullivan Company.

Notes From The Universe.


Today The Universe gave me a wonderful reminder:
 
Do you know how to give folks what they most, most, most want from you, Cass, without even asking them what it is?
In all regards, just be yourself.
That's what they were after when they manifested you into their lives.
Whoa!
The Universe

Don’t You simply Adore that thought?

They Manifested You into Their Lives...
 
Think about that! 
You were Wished for…You are Wanted and Loved and Admired and are Beloved. 
And it is because You are You! 
Hold that wonderful morsel of thought with You as You go through Your day.
 
Do You want Your own Notes From The Universe?
Find Them Here.
 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Inside. Outside.



Today, after a tumultuous run-in with a certain Family member of mine, I took a breather outside and inhaled deeply and blew out all of the negative Energy I had taken on during our “conversation”.   This person has the ability to push My buttons more than almost anyone I know.  When we’re good, we’re really good, and when we are not – it is horrid. 

During My breather – I sat on the steps, beside the house and heard a buzzing near Me, although it did not sound like a usual insect flying about freely.  I turned My attention towards a nearby window, spotting the insect caught between the actual window pane and the storm window.  How it arrived there, I do not know, but in that Moment I felt oh-so-Connected to that little bug. 

For nearly two years, I have been in very much the same predicament.  Caught in the space between the inside of what currently is, and the outside of where I would very much like to be. 

When My Magical Son and I left Our Home in Seattle, and journeyed East to The Land of 10,000 Lakes to Be closer to Family in the Summer of 2011, a new Adventure seemed to Be forming for Us…nearly two years later, everything seems to still be at a standstill and more often than not, I question the decision to move back in the first place.  Yes, We are closer to Family, but everything He and I revealed in in Seattle is all but a distant memory. 

Our everyday life has become a jig-saw of trying to fit in here, trying not to step on other people’s toes, trying to keep our options and emotions to Just Us as to not upset anyone else.  For the most part, He has greatly succeeded in this “game” of back and forth, but not I.  I Feel things too deeply, I don’t Believe in keeping thoughts and emotions bottled up, and so, after long stretches of doing this – something small will trigger Me and I burst like a helium balloon suspended in the air, bumping along the smooth ceiling, until it strikes a sharp corner and BOOM!  I’ve lost it.

On days like today, I replay the Fabulous, Enchanting memories of Our life, basking in the Seattle Splendor.  Sure, not every Moment, or even every day was Perfect, but it was Ours.  Here, with so many other people roaming about, the sense of Magic and Splendor has vanished, washed away by others’ Energies and the grind of sharing daily lives Together.  Back in Seattle, although He and I were only two individual Beings walking in a sea of many, I still felt like We were special, like We were indeed living Our lives Perfectly as We wished to in Our own time and space.  If We wanted to have a carpet picnic for dinner, We did.  If We wanted to share a pizza and movie in Our living room on a Friday night, We did.  If We wanted to walk around in Our pajamas after a long day, We did.  Life seems limited here and not just because We share living space.  It seems limited because while there is Love around Us there is not as much Understanding and Magic and Acceptance as We both require for the nourishment of Our Best Selves.

And so, after many looooong conversations with My Son, We have both come to the same conclusion:  While We both have Deep Love & Gratitude for the Family We have here in Minnesota, this is not the place where Our Hearts reside. 

During Our 10 day getaway to Seattle in March of this year, He said to Me, and to Our Dear Friend who was with Us that day, “I Feel like I Belong here.  I Feel like people Understand Me here.”  That pretty much sums up how Both of Us Feel.

I Felt the same way after less than a month of moving to Minnesota, and nearly two years later the ache has not dissipated, in fact it has grown.   All of the guilt that I carry within Me for #1 Uprooting Us from Our True Home in the first place #2 Going back on a decision once it has been carried out (and lots of moo-la spent on so-called decision) and #3 Feeling like We are abandoning the rest of the Family because We call somewhere other than here Home.  The guilt is mine to overcome and Release and in time as I make My way through the two year anniversary of Our move, I am sure I will.  After all, the Family got along perfectly well and fine for the seven years We were not here or nearby, and when We return Home to Seattle once more, life will carry on for them as it Always has.  As for The Son and I – We will reestablish Our Lives in The Pacific Northwest, creating a New Home and Existence there, different from the one We left behind as We have grown and changed quite a bit in the (will Be) Three Years since saying good-bye.  Although, We never truly said good-bye, did We?

And so, after I collected Myself and My Emotions on the steps beside the house, I made My way inside, to the window where that little insect was trapped and opened the screen and storm window and Released Her into the outside open air where She belongs.  

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Words You Remember.

"Marin, under the streetlight, dancing by herself, is singing the same song somewhere. I know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life."  - Sandra Cisneros

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Spring Skies.


Spring has finally come to Minnesota.  Overnight it seems.  We're weeks behind schedule, especially after the two freak April and May snow falls we had...but She is finally here!  The buds on the plants are unfurling, the birds have arrived and the air has shifted.  Even the Sky's colors are different than they were.

I am so grateful Spring is here, even with the official start of Summer only a few short weeks away, I am soaking it all in, reveling in every moment, knowing it will pass so quickly into hot and humid days.  For now though, all is new, the air is fresh and Nature is a-glow.  And after an extra long and hard Winter - nothing is better than this!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Anything Can Happen.


In Simple Sacred Moments of Deep Stillness, The Universe hears Your Desires, Your Prayers, Your Wishes & Dreams.  What You Desire Radiates such an Energy that The Universe responds in Perfect Harmony.  Perhaps it isn't today, or tomorrow, next week or even next May - the point is:  Keep The Faith long enough and Boldly enough and Your Divine Desire Will Find You.

So Think Big!  Feel Big!  Love Freely & Endlessly!

What is Your Heart saying?  What is stirring in Your Mind?  What does Your Perfect Tuesday look like?  Your Free Time on a Saturday afternoon?  How do You wish to spend Your time?  Who do You wish to have by Your side?  How will You Serve Your Passions?  Craft the Life You Desire.  Map it out...Create it from scratch from Your Own Vision.  No one else's Please.  Trust in Your Own Self, Spirit and Heart, for They will not lead You astray if You Truly Listen when they speak to You.

If Anything is possible, if Any Desire can be fulfilled -  How would You Live Your Life?

Monday, May 6, 2013

New Look. New Mojo.


Last Sunday, April 28th - I celebrated My 28th Year on this planet!

You see, I have this thing with numbers.  It's funny - it's very seemingly random, but they are all sentimental numbers to Me.  More on that some other time! 

And so, on the 27th of April I had my childhood Best Friend, who also happens to be a talented stylist & Kindred Spirit, sheered 15 inches off My locks!  15 inches donated to Children With Hair Loss.  A Truly Heart Warming Non-Profit I found to donate My hair to.  Why this particular organization You may ask?  Why not Locks of LoveWigs For Kids or the other Amazing organizations out there?  One simple reason:  Children With Hair Loss allowed me to donate processed or dyed hair.  I do color My hair several times a year and truly relish in the experience of the actual process and the waves of Divine Feminine Energy that seems to Radiate off of One.  Perhaps I should Honor My Divine Feminine Self and make the effort to be more diligent about it a little more Self-Love. 

It took Jen more than a few snips to get through the pony tail.  (She Knows Me So well) and asked, "Should We be quiet?"  I laughed, peering through My hand covering My face, giggling and bursting out:  Yes!  But after a few moments My giggles got the best of Me and I started to talk.  Finally the final snip was gone and she handed me the pony tail of 15 inches of Life and Stories and Memories and Time off My Locks.  Immediately I felt Free.  Lighter.  More Me somehow.  I felt absolutely how I had intended to feel in the days and weeks leading up to this Shift.  

Months before I had put it off time and time again.  My face wasn't thin enough.  I was going to wait for it to grow a little bit longer.  Remember My weird thing with numbers?  Yeah, I had to wait until it was the 11th of November.  The 12th of December.  The 21st of December.  New Year.  My Golden Birthday.  Voila!  

The original plan was to dread My hair.  I have Always, Always wanted to have dreadlocks.  It's just this Fairy, Boho, Pacific Northwest version of Myself I want to live out and perhaps someday I will, perhaps that is what I will grow My hair out for this time around?  Hmmm...But then, on August 30th, 2010 My Uncle passed away and left Us here on Earth after battling cancer.  It was devastating and I still work though the grief and emotions and Memories constantly.  He was My first real Heartbreak from death.  My prior experience consisted of My Great-Grandparents, who had All Lived Full Lives.  My Uncle was 48 and it was all  too soon.  And so - after He passed, it became:  Okay, I am going to grow out My hair even longer and donate it on the Anniversary of His Passing.  But when the time came, it seemed too morbid.  His Birthday was just around the corner at the end of the year - yes, I would cut it then in Celebration of His Life.  When the date rolled around this time, I just couldn't let it go because somehow it meant that the act of cutting My hair would be tied directly to Him and the thought of it invoked such raw emotions still, I just couldn't do it.  No, this would have to be for Me - My Golden Year.

I have looked forward to My Golden Birthday, My 28th Year since I can remember.  It is a Sacred number and date to Me.  It has Always represented Me transcending into a Truer Time in My Life.
And so, I set the date for the eve of My 28th Birthday, and snip, snip, snip!  I actually went through with it.  Somehow I was ready this time around.  Ready to let go and step over into the Light of My True Self.  I'm not saying that getting a bob gave Me this permission, I am saying that it simply allowed Me to Physically mark in time letting go with Love and moving forward with a Glow.  It has allowed this for Me and I question what took Me so very long to do it.  I carry a stage of "buyer's remorse" for many things - but this, I have never once thought, Oh Goddess!  What did I do?  I miss My hair!  I am Smitten with My New Look, cowlick on the right side of My head and all!

My Favorite part of all of this is that not only was I able to shed a few layers and let go, but someone else will benefit from me letting go, and in that I am sending Light & Love to My Uncle and His Memory.  The Circle of it all brings Me such a deep Peace and Joy and I give deep Gratitude for My Life and for My 28th year here on Earth.  
  

Friday, April 26, 2013

Joy In The Everyday.


Even when life doesn't seem to be going especially as planned - certainly not as desired - there is still Joy to be found everyday.

Today I received my 27th (yes, count them - 27!) rejection letter from the 27th company I have interviewed at.  Which is incredibly difficult to stomach, but I'm not giving up hope!

But You know what also happened today?  It was the first day here in Minnesota of actual Spring-like weather!  The seven inches of snow we were gifted with on Tuesday is all but gone and today the thermometer has nearly reached 70 degrees!  The sky is blue without a cloud to be seen, birds are singing their little hearts out, buds are forming on the trees and the sun has graced us with her presence!  Friends from college connected online today, reminiscing about fabulous times and memories dear that are nearly ten years gone by.  And I received a Happy Birthday package from my Best Friend in Seattle!

Even with all of the stresses, the challenges of keeping everything together and my wits about me; holding out hope for the perfect job found and obtained - even with the weight of life pressing firmly on my shoulders - You know what?  Today has been bursting with Joy!  And it's not over yet!

Monday, April 22, 2013


"I am in Love with the Green Earth."  - Charles Lamb

Happy Earth Day to You, Yours & Our Mother!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Be Here Now.



We spend so much time doubting our own Cosmic Perfection.  We feel we are not good enough, skinny enough, pretty or smart enough, our bank account isn’t full enough.  We don’t have the right job that makes our heart sing or partner or house, but there is Always that voice that says, “One day, one day I will be have it all and I will be happy then.” 

The point is to be happy Here And Now in what is, in what we have.  To feel the glow in the Magic that is Here And Now because Now is all we have and all we will truly ever have.  We can plan for the Future, we can envision how we want it to look and be and feel, but in the end it is just that, the Future and if we spend all of our time aching for that to be, we will miss out on the Moment of Here And Now.  And let’s face it, even when we have life planned out to a tee, when we have all the details lined up and organized and say, “Yes, this is how I want it to be.  This is perfect!” inevitably Life happens and we are humbled by Life’s energy to shift our destinies into what is supposed to be instead of what we wish it to be.

While it is truly a positive thing to have goals and aspirations and visions of how we would like the future moments of our lives to look, because that is what gives us fuel to continue going through our mundane days.  Still we must keep in mind that just as the skies change from bursting blue streaked with sunlight to inky tones sprinkled with handfuls of glittering stars and glowing enveloping moonlight, life will Always change and it will Always ebb and flow and so must we.

Be Here Now.  Find happiness in the moments of Now, even if they aren’t perfect, even if they aren’t exactly how You had dreamed they would be, for they are still Magical just as You are Cosmically Perfect and whole.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Just As You Are.

Sometimes we all just need a little nudge...a little loving push, whether from a friend, family member or a complete stranger to move forward, to live our journey as we are meant to.  There are times when it is difficult for us to see our own light, for us to see the path before us - even when it is so obvious to those around us.

How we see ourselves is skewed - a funhouse mirror shrinking and stretching us, yet others see us in a luminous light that is completely our own.  If we could only root for ourselves as others do for us.  If we could only look upon ourselves with the same eyes others do, we would look in the mirror and see our true sparkling Magical selves as The Universe created us to be.