#43 - Meet Patrick in 2009

Will become "This space intentionally left blank." for a sincere, interesting person to fill it, whom i will meet in 2009. For ALL of the sincere, interesting people I will meet in 2009. I will not, however, be meeting Patrick. The plan was to visit...this has been after years (yes, years!) of internet conversation, a few phone calls here and there, and, although there was some irregularity, the general building of a friendship with a possibility for a deeper relationship. Call me naieve and you would be correct. I am always imagining the best, fabricating details that project people onto larger than life pedestals. But the Universe always has my back, gently removing rose-colored glasses so that I may gaze upon reality. So, when I came upon the discrepancy in the details, I was not 100% surprised. What did surprise me was his decision to "plead the 5th", and to never speak of it in our subsequent conversations. So, i got tired of feeding the elephant...

#33 - Finish Bill Strickland Book

Done!! As of tonight!! I will admit that i took so long to read it, that i feel i need to go back and read the first half again...and i probably will one day. But, i did get a great deal of inspiration from the book and feel like i really would like to go there and check out his set up. His philosophy sounds a lot like mine, maybe i will do a more indepth write up or treat it like a research paper source and make some index cards. But he presents it in a way that sounds "too good to be true" sometimes, attributing it to not being afraid to dream big, and when a big dream goes askew, dream bigger!" I'm going to try it anyway. It was a good thing to be reading as I am trying to stoke the fires of my passion and get back in the "zone, flow, swing" whatever you want to call that place where passion thrives on overtime status!!

I'm spending some time visualizing what i think my ultimate goal/life's work is. Revisiting the Pixar/Piney Woods idea (The name will be Vandelea Studio and Sustainability Farm)rekindling, reshaping, reintroducing myself...and making the effort to hear my heart speak and guide me Divinely. Allowing patience!!

That's the motto of 2009 Patience and Passion!!

#55 Lose 10 Pounds (the first 10)

OK. The real is about to come out:

Calories in a Bottle of Table Wine
(5 Servings)
• Dry White (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay): 550 calories
• Off Dry (e.g. Reisling, Chenin Blanc): 590 calories
• Muscat: 650 calories
• Dry Red (e.g. Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon): 570 calories
• Red Bordeaux: 580 calories
• Red Burgundy: 600 calories
• Red Zinfindel: 570 calories

I can drink a bottle of wine by myself and have been doing so regularly for a minute!! No wonder I am not losing weight the way i would like! I am about to steer clear of the spirits man! Especially during the week. It's easy to say, "I'm going to go home and unwind with a glass or two of wine..." but, that leads to three glasses or more...these extra calories are a meal!! Not to mention the expense as I had called myself wanting to be somewhat of a connoisseur, I began to creep up into the $20/bottle category (not that price is the only thing that matters, but...Shotfire Shiraz? Yum!!) Anyway, facing up to the facts that my body not budget can support such a habit. I will enjoy it more if i save it for special occasions anyway! So, as a reminder, I am posting this, as well as pasting a copy in my journal.

Here's to skinny sobriety! Peace!!

#46 Have a Frida Kahlo themed self-portrait party

I read about this cool idea in the magazine Cloth Paper Scissors, July/August 2008 Issue and talked about it with my friend/boss and we decided to have one to celebrate Kwanzaa at her house on January 1st. The idea was to celebrate the artist by recreating a version of yourself in that artist's style. Could be Picasso, Matisse, Dali, whomever. Supply guests with plenty of craft items to support the themed artist, in Frida's case we had beads and magazines, made brightly colored tissue flowers, buttons and cardstock. One guest made herself as a "Stephanie-In-The-Box" her self popping out of a box laden with hopes, dreams, and inspiration on all four sides, another made herself the message in a bottle and represented all of the elements on the outside with scrolls of herself, her horoscope, and family mentors inside. There were abstract Gaia goddess collages, and even a collage featuring a red bra (as in brassiere!) holding all of the wishes for a prosperous tomorrow!

My Frida-Me is a Phoenix Guardian Angel, she is the one who holds all of my promises, doling them out as appropriate, gently keeping the reborn, new and improved, 2009 model me on track!!

#69 - Completing Senior Seminar

Pennies from Heaven!! Last night I was contemplating how i was going to pay for my Senior Seminar class, the last class to complete the BFA started in 1984, restarted in 2000...Money is tight right now, need I say that? And the class is $600 some odd dollars and I really did not know where it would come from. But I put it on my "Bucket List", registered anyway and the start date is Monday the 5th. Well, this morning i get a call from my bank saying i won their customer raffle for $800!! Just like that! The Divine gifted me with $800!! Now, i can pay for my class AND the advanced belly dance class that I want to take with Sanaa!! I don'think I have ever won anything in my life, not counting the huge stuffed cow I won at a carnival game (which was pretty amazing to me as well considering that up till then, i really had never won anything of note.)

It just leads me to reflect on the time I have taken to vision, collage, journal and otherwise pay attention to my souls requests. I have recently been receiving many, many messages about patience and surrender. My tarot card reading for 2009 started with the Temperance card, my horoscope indicated that Pluto is entering a 15 year cycle that will require patience and surrender, and it talked about how to channel this into a positive. The freedom that can come with surrender. I am giving myself over the the Universe's Divine will, I know that the things i write about or am driven to collect or make imagery of, are the soul's instructions coming to the surface.

All is in Divine Order!!

Namaste.