Tosca

Brilliant! The pace of Puccini's opera, Tosca, was at first, like reading Tolstoy. One must slow down and let the characters and story unfold, trusting the brilliance of the author, and finding that same rhythm within your own heart. At first difficult, but then the subtle nuances become observable and much more meaningful.

So it was with beautiful Floria Tosca, played by the best soprano voice I've heard in Phoenix in some time, Lisa Daltirus, not to mention her stage presence totally captivating the audience. My eyes rarely left her to take in the set or other actors when she was on stage. Her aria in Act II brought me to tears and that has only happened, for me, once before, at the end of Madame Butterfly.

It was a gorgeous evening in Phoenix, no sweaters or wraps needed. Bare arms abounded; honey, beautiful alabaster ones, ebony and caramel, smooth or toned. Sweetie and I critiqued the women's dresses like it was the Oscars.

I, unfortunately had to brave it out in black tennis shoes under a floor length, lovely pleated, black skirt. In my gusto to greet the spring last week I painted a large wall in a bedroom -- I was doing fine until I decided to move a large dresser for a second wall. I thought I was fine till I awoke Saturday morning. Oh heaven's! very painful. Standing was fine, sitting was sort of okay, moving from sitting to standing was not either. It is a long drive to Phoenix and there was two intermissions...enough said...you get the picture. Thus the tenny's under the dress rather than the heals. How self conscious one becomes of one's feet when they are not shod appropriately for such and event. I scaned the crowd looking for faces that were looking down at my feet, while I scrutinized every pair of sandaled, heeled, spiked, gorgeous and ugly footwear made for womankind. A lot of black -- I loved the risk takers, in red and lavendar. However the tragedy and beauty of Tosca (photos), full of twists, political intrigue, jealousy, and above all eternal love took my mind from everything.

Chapter12

Goal setting can feel like making a New Year’s resolution; you make the resolution and one month later where are you? The scale has become the enemy. The get fit program that was meticulously written out, complete with charts, is under a stack of books, the tenny’s are lost next to the cushy armchair you fell into and where you last took them off—exhausted after that whole tape of jumping up and down, towels are hanging on the treadmill and the yoga mat is still where you left it in the middle of the room – next to that singing bowl you had to have --. So it is that I came upon this Chapter, once again at odds with the author, discovering the Grand Finale was a plethora of questions and “To Do’ lists on me making “To Do lists.” I was worn out after reading it. Though, I like the idea of drawing up a personal creative mission.

When I went to Canyon Ranch a few years back. They had a way of motivating one. They had a couple of ideas I came away with that seems to work for me. Don’t set more than one goal a month and every day do two things toward that end, one before noon and one after. Okay this is doable.

Long lists work when I have a boatload of chores, running around work to do. Crossing things off on that list is a reward. I’m 48. I’ve done the charts, the long-term goal setting and the life coaching seven elements. Done with those. They only frustrate me. All the ideas in this Chapter are really great if you haven’t done them before. A nice review if you have.

I’ve actually thrown the word goal out of my vocabulary. I’m always working towards some objective (or resting), but sometimes I get side tracked. So, for me changing the word 'goal' to -get a little bit more organized- sends my brain the message: relax. Just a slight turn of the phrase refocuses my original intent, takes the pressure off, and inspires me to just go pick up the art room. Once there, moving about my things, stirs the creative pot. Just a wee bit more organized, and suddenly that put off phone call is being made. A wee bit more organized and the flier with your name and number sideways across the bottom to be torn off for Reiki treatments is up on the bulletin board at Starbucks. Who cares if you haven’t figured out exactly how your going to pull it off, but the second that flier is up I guarantee you’ll be changing the energetic vibration, and you’ll be up and running, without the list that you have expended all your energy on before you did anything concrete.

Trust me. You’ve had whatever ideas you want to do spinning around in your head for ages. You already have enough knowledge within yourself on how to move forward. Organize a little. Relax, smile & Do.

“For those who must follow the via creative, the creative path, I say: Go. Go right now, and as soon, and as often as you can. Keep going.” [pg 213 Clarissa Pinkola Estes]


love-n-light

Signs of Spring

Ocotillo -- a little spindly picture -- there bright orange ends seem to claw at the sky.
Hedgehog, this is my favorite. There are 3 more blooms and will open wide during the middle of the day. Breathtaking!
Elkhorn Cholla, fills & fills with golden orange blooms.
Chuparosa -- the hummingbirds like this one.
Brittlebush -- the first to bloom in Feb. The bright yellow blooms reminds me that our spring begins in Feb.
Returning home, after a bird, flower, chick discovery walk! 9:30 am, love the morning shadows.
Freedom! At last! I couldn't seem to get some unblurry shots with them fretting about. The two black ones in the back have a black and white peppering to them. They are our first batch from waaay back on Feb 6; the Black Sex Links. The white fluffy in the front lays teal eggs! She's been around awhile.
Here, the one surviving Black Orpington as a bit of attitude about flashes from the camera. The two Black Sex links are 4 weeks, and the new White Leghorns are two weeks old -- they are big!
The two Golden Buffs are a week older then the three Golden Sex Links. You can see were they are beginning to feather out.