It's been a long time since I've made an entry in this blog - have been too busy dreaming and posting dreams in my other one to bother with the "real life", so here's my attempt to catch up a bit here.

I've been busy here too, doing this and that, but mostly I've been trying to survive the heat and humidity of summer.  This is not a good time for me - summer never is - so now, at the end of August, I am eagerly awaiting the return of fall.

The Wheel of the Year turns...

Three major additions have been made to my life that I would like to brag about a little:

1.  After more years than most of you have been alive, I have finally began an exercise program.  It took some doing, because the longer I avoided, the harder it was for me to start.  But thanks to a community centre that's just a couple of blocks away, and a wonderful new neighbour who was all excited to start there, I signed up for water aerobic classes. 

Wow!  What a difference this has already made in my life!! I learned to swim when I was a child, and was actually very good at it; but for maybe a half-dozen times in the pool in all these years, there was no contact with water at all.  This course has us doing full blown aerobic exercises non-stop for a full hour (twice a week), so not only am I getting my cardio, I am being kind on my joints!!  So that started me practicing my strokes as well.  It may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but being able to do a width of front crawl and one width on my back is an amazing feat for me in just four sessions.  I can feel myself building the strength and stamina and have no doubt that before long, I'll be doing laps!

So, being encouraged by this small success, I have decided to sign up for a yoga class in September.  I have never done yoga in my life, so this should be an interesting experience indeed!

Yeay for this 67 year old grandma!!!

2.  And speaking of classes, I have also enrolled in a virtual "university" that specializes in spiritual studies.  I have already completed a course on dreams and dream interpretations, and have enrolled in my next one - one that will plumb the depths of my childhood and will help me write an autobiography to leave as a legacy of my life.  Very excited about starting that one.

3.  And finally, yet another forey into conquering fear and self doubt, I have become involved in doing art!  Now mind you, I am no artist by any stretch of imagination, at least not when it comes to drawing and painting, but that's not the point.  The point is for me to enjoy myself; the point is for me to explore what I am from deep inside myself and bring it to a visual reference.  My dreams are far too detailed to just have them as words, so I have begun to render them in drawings.

Let me give you an example of how these connections were all made by a recent inspiration I had and posted elsewhere:

 

Let's call it The Red Tent through Dreams and Art...

One thing leads to another, like a small snowball rolling down the hill. And that's how it was when two factors crossed paths. And something new is born.

Lately, I've been experimenting with dreams and art. Now, I'm no artist by any stretch of the imagination (remember that when you look at the piece - lol), but that's not the important thing. What's important is using colours on a blank sheet of paper to express emotions and instinct that dreams may leave with you upon awakening. It also takes me back to a childhood - and I lose myself in the process. That's factor 1.

Thus it was that I found a group of artists here on Facebook that urge art for art's sake. "Do a mandala", came the directive. Okay. That's factor 2.

So, yesterday (Saturday) afternoon during my nap, I had this dream:

The Ruby Ring

There is a wicker shelving unit in the bathroom, and on it is a small enamil box. I sense it holds some bath salts. I see a glint of red on top of the box and notice a beautiful ring. I reach for it, but it's wedged between the box and the shelf, and it takes me a minute or two to wedge it out. All this time I'm seeing my hands as though through a lense of a camera.

The ring is a circle of rubies in a silver setting. I marvel at seeing it, because I know that I do not possess such a piece. Of course I try it on, and find that it fits perfectly on my index finger of my right hand.

As I drift to wakefulness a thought drifts through my mind that this is a representation of the Red Tent and the connectiveness of all women.

****

I decided to do my mandala on this dream, and while I was working on it, I also got this chant echoing in my mind, which I incorporated into the painting. :

Ring of Power, Ring of Might

Bless the women with your Light.

Ring of Power, ruby red,

Bind us as our flow is shed.

Ring of Power, without end

I reach my hand to you, Sister-Friend!
****

Somewhere in this time I have also done a wedding, and visited some family out of town, battled some not so pleasant health issues, and have decided to start sewing costumes again. 

But all those are stories for another time!  So until then...