As difficult as the past weeks were... I could not find it within my heart to give up the ship entirely on Santa and the much anticipated rituals that this blessed season offers us all. I was unable to complete the final project leering at me from my easel. It will get done... but somehow it seemed more appropriate to fulfill the promises I had made to mySelf... and to Allie.
I have decided to keep this post short n' sweet and to celebrate my blessings... both here on earth... and beyond the rainbow. I trust that each of you will understand and know that you too are included among the myriad of blessings that the Universe has brought into my life.
A very dear artist friend and I have reconnected after her decision to not visit her blog site.... citing somewhat similar reasons that included her deep loss and grappling with grief. Like myself, her husband was the crucible of her very purpose on earth and Being. They were childless and filled that space with a deep and abiding kindredship that few earthlings are blessed to discover during our too short existences.
Though my loss surrounds the loss of a kindred spirit... who just happened to be a girl child, those losses equate to a very similar destructive occurrence. We both know that the only way to recovery is to walk the path... on our own terms and to seek out new meaning and purpose. Our departed ones.... expected us to!
So... I continue my painting journey using my art and my words to reach out to people that I care about. And to connect with those I meet along my own camino to support their journey. I would urge my friend to do the same. We shall talk again soon and share what we each can offer to realize the promises we made.
The Universe has presented some very meaningful sources whose art... though different than my own... does unite us in a spirit of common purpose. Let us continue to maintain our "Circle of Creatorship." May it sustain each of us as individuals and as a group.
Happy New Year to ALL my Painting Friends...
And rich blessings of good Health... Happiness and Joy!
In closing out today's post, I offer the words of a very dominant force in my own artistic and personal growth. They leaped off the page and into my heart from a novel that I am currently reading. Strange how the Universe works... when we listen. Thank you in combination...to Louise Penny and Leonard Cohen
"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There's a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in."
From Anthem - Leonard Cohen
"Beyond wordiness." Simply... "Choose Love."
Laughter soothes the soul. Remember that... when Darkness falls upon you! It permits the Light to enter in!
Forever Young and stored safely within my heart. Never to be forgotten!!
"When we lose someone we love, we must learn not to live without them... But to live with what they left behind."
Thank you Suzanne... you have twice captured the very essence of our dear Allie's innocence... curiosity... immense sense of imagination and her abiding love of Nature and the Arts
A never empty cup...full of Sweet Memories
May the New Year bring you joy, comfort, and calming love all around you, Bruce. Happy New Year and a most productive 2019! (I know just the Louise Penny book you are reading - that author has made me fall in love with that imaginative little village.)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Friend Rhonda! Thank you for your ever-uplifting presence on my blog. I always look forward to our "back'n forth chats.
ReplyDeleteLouise Penny has injected new energy and soul into my tired life. She also has reintroduced me to the very area that I explored... painted and exhibited in for so many years earlier in my career. The places are real in her beautifully descriptive presentation. Though "Three Pines" in her series is a creation of sorts... I can assure you that it is rea... alive and well... in most parts of the Charlevoix region of Quebec. So much so that I went out and purchased croissants to make me feel present at her bistro there. How effective can art or writing become when it transports and captures your imagination so!
In your own unique way... RH achieves the same effect for those of us who "understand" and are tuned into your oeuvre.
I wish you rich blessings of good painting... good Health and Joy in your life Rhonda.
Happy New Year my dear friend... to you and Sweetie!
Warmest regards,
Bruce
Oh, now you make me want to travel there, Bruce, to see the little villages that are real - but perhaps a croissant will have to do for now (she does mention food a lot, too and it sounds wonderful!).
ReplyDeleteHi Bruce,
ReplyDeleteCounting your blessings is the right thing to do, I'm sure. I believe that Buddhists say that we should be contented in the moment, and in contentment we will find true happiness.
I hope you continue to heal physically and spiritually, and find contentment in 2019.
Happy New Year,
Keith
Dear Friend Rhonda... Louise's gift transported me back in time... and unlocked memories that had laid dormant for too long. Her description is smack dead on. It was unbelievably cathartic to retrace my steps throughout the very same landscapes and to see them again just as vividly through her powers of description... as I did with my own senses (and taste buds). HA HA
ReplyDeleteTo know that your imaginative powers are in concert with another artist. You would be Clara in a sense... given your joie de vivre and humble manner. Magical indeed ... hat one can find oneself and others in one's journey portrayed in a book written by a peer that we admire so!
Stay tuned dear Rhonda... let me offer you armchair travel back through my own vision of Louise's "Three Pines".
Stay tuned...
A New Year's gift from "Me" ... to "You" and Louise... kindred spirits!
Bonnes annees and rich blessings Rhonda!
Warmest regards,
Bruce
Dear Friend Keith... Thank you for your timely visit and your uplifting words of wisdom.
ReplyDeleteThis Christmas season has been especially trying for Deb and I and the entire Sherman cn in particular. We have weathered the storm... and are ready to move on. We are going to be making significant changes in our life... it is necessary and impending... sooner than later.
Stay tuned..
Hoping that all of the medical visits that we have endured over the holiday provide some insight and solutions to our physical challenges that piled up in November through December.
Our genuine best wishes and gratitude for your many contributions to our journeys here.
Blessings of good health and Joy to You and yours Keith.
Happy New Year!!
Warmest regards
Bruce and Deb