Many Thanks

to Mitzi Miles-Kubota for her post http://mitzimileskubota.blogspot.com/2009/08/grams-lessons-lead-to-this-video.html. It is my inspiration for my blog today. This is the next to the last weekend I will be here in Flagstaff, and I want to really "use it up". I want to hike and bike and go outdoors and enjoy this cooler weather before I head back to the valley. My time here has been wonderful, enchanting, positive, productive, friendly, lively, happy, lonely, full, quiet, loud, and full of lessons-one being frugality but not stinginess.
The difference between the two is this; frugality means to use what you have wisely- namely time, talent, money, love, and when the need to replenish arises, you are willing to add more and use that without hesitation. Being stingy comes from a place of lack, being afraid to use what you have because you think no more is coming.
Everything you do, everything you give is given back to you many times over. What you send out is what is returned, be it positive or negative. You attract what you give, and if something is unsavory, it mirrors something in your own heart which you don't like or need to work on. If you are stingy with your gifts, the lack is reflected back at you and the emptiness remains that way.
On the other hand, that which is freely given always comes back! It might return to you in a different form, but the spirit of the gift remains the same.
Please, practice frugality if you must, but give freely and without reservation. And, give some things to that most important person, yourself.

Where there's smoke

there's fire, and that has been the case today. A wildfire about 12 miles SE of Flagstaff has darkened the skies and littered ash here today. Makes you really appreciate being able to breathe, as the air was very smoky today.
We really should pay better attention. Bob and I decided to hike in Thorpe Park today, there is a trail near Lowell Observatory. Good thing we didn't take Jewly with us, she would not have made it halfway. I almost didn't, either. Note to self, if the air smells like smoke, it's probably not a good idea to hike. It feels like my lungs are on fire tonight, and my eyes burn, too. This is a lesson in how quickly the environment can change, and how fragile it really is.
One of the many reasons I am up north this summer is so that I can breathe, the air in Phoenix is very smoggy. This fire caught and spread quickly, and the beautiful pine air has been replaced by smoke. The winds will hopefully clear the air by tomorrow, but I was reading that the precipitation is about half of what it normally is. That makes for a very dry forest and easy kindling. Prime for small fires to turn into larger ones.
Maybe it's a metaphor for life. Tend to the smaller fires before they turn into the giant blazes. Make amends for small hurts before they become large wounds. Take care of the little annoyances before they become big problems. The list can go on, but you get the picture. Love a little and it spreads beyond your reach. And that is the way it's supposed to be.

Thursday is Music Night

at Heritage Square, and I had the good fortune to attend tonight, despite a little rain and chill in the air (actually, I was hoping to save the goosebumps for my return to Phoenix). The performers were Chuck Cheesman and Matthew Henry Hall, and the music was a mix of acoustic, folk and blues.
Both of these talented musicians write and perform much of their own music, and it is worth the time to listen and enjoy. Chuck Cheesman has a beautiful voice, and the poetic lyrics to several of his selections brought sentimental tears to my eyes.
Matthew Henry Hall was a little more "bluesy" tonight, and engaged the crowd with his humorous lyrics, syncopated rhythms and nonsense songs. Though some of the music was designed for children, adults enjoyed it as well.
I sat and listened to the music and watched the crowd. It is a comfortable place to be, on the outside, both figuratively and literally. It's good to watch people interact and play. A little boy near me was trying to "play the guitar" on a yardstick, he must have been about 2, and he was really into the music. It reminded me of the time when one of my children tried to "play the keyboard" on a large diaper box. Those images stay with me, for me to bring out time to time. Good memories.

Triple Ramble!

My ideas for this blog were totally different today, but due to a memory nudge from Kim Miles, and another one from her cousin Mitzi, I have two different ideas to share.

Kim posted pictures of her visit to Hearst Castle on her blog http://kimmiles-takingthelongwayhome.blogspot.com/, and there were pictures of the pools there. The photos reminded me of the best dream I have ever had, and I wanted to share it with you.

This dream happened over 20 years ago when I was going through a very difficult time in my life. In the dream, my good friend Jim called me up and said "Hey Deb, I met a guy who has a job for you. He wants you to build a staircase-to heaven!" I said, "Do you know the guys name?" Jim answered "Yeah, I think it's God." I said "OK", and got to work building a staircase out of papier-mache which was the medium I was working in at the time. When I got to to top, there was the most beautiful, serene pool I have ever seen. To this day, whenever I think of that dream, and I do remember it vividly, I am happy and at peace. I think that every once in a while, we do get a glimpse of the divine to keep us going, in tough times and in good.

The second thought I have is regarding an idea from Mitzi Miles-Kubota. She has a theory about "Trickle-up" economics. I have placed a link to her short YouTube video here, it's short and to the point, and I think makes a good argument. Baisically she says that it might be a good idea for us to lower our prices just a bit so that regular folk can afford to buy something from us or use our service (whatever business you are in). If people lower their prices just a bit, more people could afford to make even small purchases which will help boost the economy. Sounds good to me, watch the video and see what she says. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzqk_8mks68.

Ok, one last point. My friend Carla from Black Mountain Jewelry Company has written an article for Soft-Flex about how important it is that we, as artists, support other artist when doing shows or gallery hopping or surfing the net. It's expensive to be in this business, but more importantly, it's important to appreciate other artists work so that they may continue to do that which they love also. The article can be found here http://www.softflexcompany.com/spotlightarticle_Aug09.html

Well enough for my soapbox today. I do want to share the Rock People I met today. See if you can see their faces as I did.

Another First Friday

in Flagstaff, and will probably be my last for awhile. I will be leaving at the end of August, so won't be around for the September fling, but my-oh-my, what fun it was today. Of course, I know the first Friday in Phoenix was also great, I hear there was body painting on Grand Avenue. Will have to check my sources to find out the details.
Here in Flagstaff there were also some fun things happening. George at Fire on the Mountain Hot Glass Studio was doing live glass-blowing demonstrations. He is always entertaining when showing how to blow glass, and tonight was no exception. George is a truly talented glassblower who makes a difficult art form appear easy.
There was also a fashion show held in the street, preceded by a great little duo from Tucson called Ryanwood. The two entertaining young men are comfortable in front of a crowd, and make you feel as if they are singing just for you, and having a great time doing it. The fashion show after featured a gown made from Cardinals footballs jerseys. "Interesting", and I'll leave it at that!
Galleries were all open, featuring some new and some established artists, and most locations offered refreshments, an added bonus. Heritage Square was the scene of more music and the feature of the evening, "KungFu Panda". I think most of the locals were out and about tonight.
I know that there is a strong sense of community in this town. Many folks here know each other, and the evening was full of greetings for both people and the many pets that are welcome here. As much as I would like to say that I felt I belonged, I can't honestly claim that. I think community is forged over a longer period of time than just 6 weeks. I have made acquaintance with some people, and given time, am sure friendships will be formed. I was content tonight to watch the people interact with one another, and am confident that someday I too will be a full-fledged member of this wonderful little community.