I’ve always enjoyed playing with color and textures.  As a child, I loved to knit and crochet, and would even sew basic outfits for my Barbie doll.  She had a gorgeous face, and even though her hair was no longer pretty and glossy (I’ve never had a brand new Barbie doll), she was still the prettiest doll I’d ever known.  She had the heavy eyeliner on her top eyelid, so I’m thinking she was a rather old doll, maybe even from the 50’s.

As I got older, I tried various mediums, but conventional art wasn’t something I was really able to get a hang of.  For example; I was useless with a paintbrush, but much better with paper machet.  Bottom line is I’ve always been rather creative, and I easily lose myself in it.  To this day, I still get very excited when I start a new project.

Let me explain why I’ve written this post; When I first came to the USA in ‘93 I really had an urge to sell handcrafted thingies.  I made fridge magnets from all kinds of things and sold them in the restaurant that my then in-laws owned.  When my ex-husband and I moved from the Keys to St Augustine in ‘96 I really had an urge to sell stuff at the flea market.  None of it panned out, but looking back at what I was trying to do subconsciously in those days is EXACTLY what has manifested for me more than a decade later.

Did some subconscious part of me know that selling my art would be the pinnacle of my dreams?  Did some subconscious part of me try to get the ball rolling too soon?  Yes, I believe so.

So, finally here I am, selling my handcrafted beaded jewelry, with much success, at the Riverside Arts Market.  Hubby and I did several Art shows prior to the Arts market opening, and almost all of them required us to travel hours back and forth. Sometimes we’d leave at 4am just to get to our destination in time to set up.  I think it was a test somehow to see how determined we were to make it all work.

We have a fun booth at the market, and we attract a lot of people, many of whom buy our products.  Often people will say that our booth has a very good vibe.  I love to hear that and I’m loving my new life. I feel so thrilled when people can relate to my work, and when it brings a big happy smile to their faces. It’s such a joy, and I’m elated.

Anyway, I really feel as though I’ve opened an entirely new book, not just turned a new leaf.  Things are very different to just a few weeks ago, and this is why I’ve retired our beloved Share and Learn forum, and also why I no longer have any interest in an online life.  I’ve met many amazing and remarkable people online, and you’ve all been an incredible part of my life, and for that I love and thank you, but the Gypsy wind is calling, and I must follow. So, as Tin(menace), I bid you all farewell.  Be happy

Here’s an article about the Arts Market on opening day:

The peanut brittle didn’t stand a chance.

Swarms of legume-loving locals picked apart Becky Hall’s booth during Saturday’s grand opening of the Riverside Arts Market beneath the Fuller Warren Bridge.

Hall, who owns Becky’s Brittle on San Jose Boulevard with her son, Will, had about 140 bags of brittle and other assorted sweets when the market opened at 10 a.m. Her stock was tapped out a little more than an hour later.

“I don’t know if it’s because of the great spot we have, but it was a much bigger turnout than we expected,” she said. “We’ll bring more next time. All we can do now is pack up and take a walk around.”

Turnout tops expectations

The story repeated itself for most of the food vendors. Supplies couldn’t keep up with the demands of the massive first-day crowds. While Hall was selling the last brittle of the day, vendors at the fresh-produce market were unloading their final heads of lettuce.

Doug Coleman, market chairman, said he and his staff anticipated a turnout of 5,000.

They weren’t even close.

Coleman said he took a walk around the market with city officials during peak hours. They estimated there were about 10,000 crammed under the bridge at one time. The full day total was about four times that number, he said.

“We were wildly hoping for 15,000, but this turnout just thrashes all our predictions,” he said. “The weather is good, the music is great and everyone is enjoying themselves. Having a few more than expected is the best problem I can think of.”

A yearlong endeavor

The market, which was 16 years in the making, will be filled with the scents of fresh food and sounds of live tunes each Saturday until December. Market staffers estimated the year’s turnout would be about 100,000; now, Coleman said, a revision is necessary after the first day shattered expectations.

Market Director Tony Allegretti, who helped create the popular downtown Art Walk, said this is just Phase 1 of the market.

If infrastructure demands are met, he sees the event expanding beyond the bounds of the bridge to the adjoining Riverwalk and as far west as Riverside Park.

‘Sooner, rather than later’

“I’m blown away looking at this crowd,” Allegretti said. “All our vendors - food and art alike - are doing great business. If it stays this awesome, we’ll be looking at Phase 2 of the Riverside Arts Market sooner, rather than later.”

But not everyone was as enthusiastic about the bustling crowds.

Justin Nimmons stood close to his grandfather’s side while they navigated the market. The pair stopped at a drum circle, so they could listen to the rhythm being created by percussionists of all ages. Edward Halmon said his 2-year-old grandson loves music, but he seemed frightened by all the noise and movement.

When a man with a homemade egg shaker started creeping his way, Justin cowered behind his grandfather’s pant leg.

“He’s having a great time at the market, but the drum circle might have been too much for him.”

LINK

Our booth at the market:

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” - Albert Einstein

When I used to work for the bank, they had this “ATTITUDE = ALTITUDE” banner pinned up on an empty wall.  It was huge and you couldn’t miss seeing it every day.  I often gave it some thought, and couldn’t find any reason not to agree with it.

This past Saturday we participated in a mock set-up for the Arts Market, which also gave us a chance to meet our neighbors and to chat with fellow vendors.  I am thrilled and excited about the Arts Market, and since this is not our first rodeo, we know more or less how outdoor markets work.  There are veterans at this game, and I’m always eager to learn from others, and for the most part people are friendly and offer all kinds of helpful tips.

Anyway, I have to say that I was a bit surprised to meet a couple of artists that thought they were doing the city favor by gracing the market with their presence.  I’ve never actually come across any pompous people at any of the outdoor markets we’ve attended, so this was definitely a first for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love people with colorful personalities that are dramatic and entertaining.  I love that, but that’s not what I’m talking about.  I’m talking about apparently deep rooted self-importance.  I have to say I’m not a big fan of all that, so I’ll just ignore it and get on with enjoying the Arts Market for its potential, and hopefully help it grow into something really special and spectacular.

We are charter members, and I’m committed to turning it into something spectacular.  Something positive in this Freemasonic city known as Jacksonville, Fl.

Photos from our booth location. The body of water you see in the background is the St Johns River.

I mean here in this dimension…? Why did you come?

Did you come to guide and help?  Did you come to learn and grow?

Are you fully vested in the here and now; guiding, helping, learning and growing?

Are you caught up in the things that are part of this dimension only?  Do you believe these things to be the ultimate truth?  Or do you recognize them as relevant to this dimension only?  Do you believe them to be relevant outside of this dimension? Why? How do you know?

All these things have value, and hold gems that grant us higher understanding, but they are not the ultimate truth, are they?  Don’t get caught up in the red herrings of “new age” belief systems, religions or rituals as though they are the apex of knowledge and truth, because to do so is the same as being a subject of the local Catholic parish.

Do you believe that your reason for being here is to guide and help? Do you see this as who you are, or do you see it as your role in this dimension? What kind of guide are you?

Or do you see yourself as something more?  A god above others, perhaps?

Do you believe that you’ve come to learn and grow?  Are you getting any of it, or do you stubbornly resist?  Maybe you’re playing hooky through regular escapism?

This entire Earth trip, is exactly that; a trip.  It’s a ride.  A journey, and it’s relevant only here.   May I suggest that if you think it’s more than that, you’re caught up in the fluff of “New Age” religion.

This post is in honor of my father.  Dad was my primary nurturer in my early years, and really if, I’m going to be honest, he was my only nurturer as a child (in the true sense).  I mean, yes, there were others involved in my upbringing, but I don’t recall any real gentle love and sincere interest.  I know everyone was doing the best they could; I totally get that and I appreciate all their efforts too.

This post is about the gift of imagination - a place where anything is possible.

When I was a child, my Dad encouraged my imagination.  He recognized the importance of believing that anything was possible.  I remember finding insect wings in the yard, only to have my Dad inform me that they were Faerie wings, and not plain ol’ insect wings - he was encouraging me to see beyond what my eyes saw.  Dad would even pull candy from my ears…it was magic!  He appealed to that side of me, and I fully and totally believed all of it.  I believed that anything was possible, because, c’mon now, Dad once pulled a pineapple out of my ear!  So, seriously…anything was possible in my mind.

Artist: Pétra Werlé

So, I was wired, from a young age, to see potential where apparently there was none.  I remember often willing something to manifest, and was always sorely disappointed because it never did.  I once wished for a Unicorn.  I WILLED it to magically appear right there in front of me.  I believed that if I tried hard enough, I’d be able to fly (like Peter Pan).  I’d focus real hard and wish for all sorts of things, but truly, even the simplest request was never granted.  But, you know, I never stopped believing that manifesting these things was fully possible, even though I’d never actually experienced the “impossible”.   Even so, thanks to my Dad, I knew differently.

But now, many years later, things have changed.  Requests manifest almost instantly, and it’s such a great confirmation of something I’ve known all my life.  I don’t even have to focus really hard…not like when I was a child; I’d sit with my eyes squeezed shut and my fists clenched tight - willing things to happen (or not to happen).  But now, all I have to do is shift my consciousness ever so slightly, and there it is.  Small little miracles, but I’ll take them.

So, have I now manifested a Unicorn in this dimension?  No, why would I?  I’m responsible and I don’t abuse the energies.  I prefer to focus on more important things.  I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.  I know what’s possible, and I take only what I need.  I’m fully committed to learning the lessons intended for me right here in this dimension - that’s what I came for.  Constantly trying to escape to another dimension is a waste of my opportunities right here.  Using manifestation techniques is something available to everyone, and is truly not a big special magical trick at all.   For me, manifesting things or situations is something I use sparingly because I don’t want to interfere with what was meant to be.  I don’t want to repeat lessons because the original lesson was somehow interrupted.  I use the manifestation techniques only on small things that make life a little easier for a moment.

We’ve just received news that we’ve been accepted into the brand new Arts Market due to open April 4th. We’re so happy and proud.

When: Every Saturday, starting April 4th, 2009, from 10am to 4pm.
Where: Riverside Avenue at Interstate-95 (under the Fuller Warren bridge), Jacksonville, Fl.

“wh1te5hadow: Shankapottomus… Shank — to badly hit the ball such that it goes horribly in the wrong direction. -apottomus is a play off of the animal name hippopottomus — a large slow moving water dwelling creature of the african plains. Putting the two together, the baby has made up a word seemingly indicating that this creature (old man)….”

….that this old man hits the ball sideways and into the water all the time….

During my ten month sabbatical, I did very little that I didn’t want to do.  I truly rested, unwound, shed unnecessary baggage and I feel so much better because of it.  So renewed.  When I compare myself to who I was before May 2008, to who I am now, it’s quite a difference.  I had so many things I wanted to achieve during my time off.  I wanted to paint my house, for example, but you know…I didn’t get any of those things done.  I was simply rebooting.  I turned myself off - I left only minimum functionability on, and then let nature do the rest.

So, here I am ten months later, stronger than ever, and the reboot has updated some of my 3D functions, like my “firewall” and “virus protection.”  My firewall is stronger than before and all the missing plaster and bricks have been replaced with new much stronger parts.  Access denied, unless you know the “password”

The virus protection is working well too, I’ve noticed.  All the malevolent energies/viruses, disguised or packaged as benign entities, are not finding any open doors through which to get under my skin.  A new and improved me…and the viruses are obsolete, ie: they mean nothing anymore and they have no function in my life.

So, I’m so grateful to the Universe for giving me the much needed time off.  Thank you to those of you, especially my amazing husband, that supported my decision to reboot.   During my time off, I released a lot of frustration and hangups.  I resisted the drama that so many are addicted to, and it’s amazing when you block/resist/push back drama, it moves on and finds a vibrational frequency that feels safe and inviting, and that’s where it makes its new home.  The result has been wonderful tranquility here at home.  I don’t even have TV anymore, we canceled our cable subscription.  Any programs I want to watch, I watch via the internet and the rest of the time the TV is off.  No more artificial drama either.  I loved what Barbara Marciniak said several months ago about this;

For most people, the news is not immediate or happening directly in their experience of reality, yet many of them readily accept the news as having more significance and validity than their own personal experiences. The media has dulled human senses and narrowed down choices through capturing the collective attention and controlling spontaneity. “Tell-a-vision”, or television does indeed tell you a vision; the media provides images that stimulate people to unwittingly drive themselves into electronically designed probable futures.

Wishing you all happy travels and safety on your path. Everyone deserves happiness and peace, and my sincere wish is that everyone finds it.

Yes, it’s true.  Your thoughts do create your reality.  For those that haven’t explored this technique, I highly recommend you be cognizant of your thoughts, play around with it a bit and watch the results unfold.  If you’re too lazy to do that, then simply lie back and think about your general state of mind, and then consider your general level of happiness.  Do you see a connection?  You should, unless you’re completely incompetent or stubborn.

What are you trying to manifest for the future?  I don’t mean just for yourself because, c’mon now, this isn’t just about you or I, it’s about everyone and everything…and if you DO think this is just about you, then you’re narcissistic and probably need some help.

So, what is your hope for the future?  Are you trying to manifest something like this?

Happiness for everyone? A beautiful world filled with color and laughter…with peace and happiness? It sure sounds nice and I would love a world like that.

Ok, so let me ask you, how do you manifest something like this;

…when your state of mind is like this;

How does this;

…manifest this;

????????

It doesn’t.

The only way to bring about a tranquil state of mind, and manifest a beautiful world, is to actually think it into being, and you cannot create beautiful things with anger, frustration, hate or ugliness.

So, let’s work on being happy. Let’s work on releasing the vibrational frequencies that keep us angry, frustrated, hateful and ugly, because it’s impossible to manifest something beautiful when we’re not beautiful on the inside.