PAINTINGS AND HISTORY

These two things are on my mind today.

First ... I have two rather large paintings to get done for somebody. One of them already has a small mock-up done enough so that I'm relatively sure what course to take for the bigger piece. The other one has only a vision in my mind, a written description of sorts, and a very large very blank prepped surface staring me in the face. It's two yards of what has turned out to be an amazingly versatile fabric, incredibly lightweight with a sort of linen weave. Which is sort of beside the point as it now has a coat of white paint on it, waiting for the next coat of paint, and the next, and the next and the next as the painting gets 'built' from distance to foreground.

The thing is that I have to try to get what I can envision, what I can describe, to translate into something that can be literally seen by the eyes of someone else.

Here's the description:

"I close my eyes and see a soft but powerful skyscape - like you see if you look at the 'other side' of a really vibrant sunrise or sunset (i.e. the west-looking view of a brilliant sunrise), seeing it from sitting just inside the edge of an aspen stand and looking out.over a shadowed and sort of indistinct valley filled with morning fog - with the aspen kind of veering out  and spilling down the sides of the slopes from where I sit, their pale green spring dresses against the darker evergreens, and in the far distance the peaks catching that magical golden pale pink lavender refracted from the sunrise to the east of them, not directly behind them or in front of them. And that big wide open sky itself changing by the second in all those colors with varying degrees of intensity and softness ... It would be kind of like sitting on the side of Squaw Mountain at the edge of Victor early on a spring morning, only more impressionistic? Not sure how to explain what I 'see' and don't know that I can 'make it real' but I can try. IF I can catch that fog, the different lights and darknesses of it, there are our greys; dark bare earth tones and stones in browns with orange where a bit of sunlight pops it out against a burnt umber, so there are our pops of orange and gold. Going impressionistic, that teal makes for great shadows and also highlights, and upper sky (pale) and lower sky (darker) that's right behind those far peaks, with the sunrise colors between, as it can be toned down or given a lighter note. There's a gold, almost a shimmer but not quite, to the morning spring greens - I think it's probably because the dew catches bits of sunlight. So the tone I'm feeling is soft and dreamy but I'm also sitting on and seeing some real hard rocks at the same time. Not sure how that translates LOL"

Let it be a challenge to me.

The good news on that front is that as I stare back at the big blank rectangle of white that's staring me in the face, the image in my mind begins to imprint itself onto that blank space - so although it's 'not really there' yet I can see that it might very well actually 'get there'. I just have to give it the 'incubation' time it needs to settle itself into details.

Meanwhile ...

The history part of what's on my mind has to do with our Characters rather abruptly up and deciding that no they are not going to wait around in Europe/UK while I finish writing RICIMER, and then the Sass Books, and then the Caileen Books, but are heading with Aine OUT of there right NOW.

It's the year 1600 and they're not putting it off any longer. Period end of that discussion in no uncertain terms. It's time and they're going, which means you and I are going with them.

Whatever has been going on over there has been building for decades, if not centuries, already and our folk have apparently come to the conclusion that they're not going to stick around to see what comes next. This particular branch of the now-widely-scattered family has been centered in Branxton, inland from Berwick on Tweed and Lindisfarne, for a very long time while other branches are all over the place. The Border Troubles have been on their doorstep for quite a while, which is no doubt a contributing factor; but the sense is that there's something else behind their sudden decision, something that threatens either the Circles of Dunnottar or their commitment to serving the Holy Trinity - or both.

A refresher:

The Circles of Dunnottar are Faith, Family, Friends, Freedom, Future -

The Song of the Holy Trinity includes the following Voices (concepts)
Choice
Spiral of Creation, Life, Death, Eternity
Peace
Faith
Healing
Future
Love
Unity

Now I've had a general sort of idea about what's what in England, Scotland, France, Spain in the 1500s so am not overly shocked. I've known for a long time that our folk would be leaving - but this unexpected urgency has me wondering.

Doing my homework regarding any of the times our fictional family carries us to is kind of a given. I've been focusing on what our Characters will find when they get to America in preparation for their arrival here. Then it dawned on me ... generalities aside, whatever spurred them into an immediate exit has to be addressed. Our folk are going to want to talk about it. I can hardly write dialogue for a topic I only have a sort of general idea of.

So.

Something Happened in the 1500s over there that has got our Characters feeling so - hemmed in? threatened? - that they're leaving an area that has been home to this branch of the family for more than a thousand years.

It is the tail end of the reign of Elizabeth the First; her father Henry VIII was of course before her but between the two of them had come Edward the short-lived, and Mary known to history as Bloody Mary, another relatively short-lived reign. And then there's the 'other Mary' - Queen of Scotland (and, briefly, France).

Some of our Characters are old enough to have lived through much of it, and our folk of course know full well the recent history of their own time and place (which I do not - yet -  their memories and educations far surpass mine). I have homework to do.

Henry VIII's discord with the pope in the 1500s has exacerbated what has already long been a delicate balancing act on the part of our folk. Embracing the Son as an equal part of the Holy Trinity a millennia and a half ago put targets on their backs. When Rome took over what then became known as Christianity, they refused to relinquish either their own personal Freedom of Choice or the Mother as an equal to the Son and the Father - so they were the 'wrong kind' of Christian. They weren't going to agree with the politicization, weaponization, and militarization of their Faith, which is all about Peace. The irony of having to fight for Peace has not escaped them.

At any rate, the 1500s ushered in the Reformation, which might have been good news for our folk IF they'd been willing (or able) to agree to half of their population still being - *minimized* is an inadequate word but it kind of works - which wasn't exactly a viable option for them. Henry VIII's Church of England was just as demanding and demeaning as Rome's was. Knox up in Scotland was no better. Luther and Calvin likewise. Despite the growing diversity in Christianity, our folk still had no place to fit themselves into - and everyone else damned them for it. The Quakers weren't on the scene yet, but the folks who would become Quakers had always been there. Some, like our particular folk, left before George Fox had even been born.

So there's that. Tied into the differences in political/religious views were the various monarchs of the time. I would likely be even more taken aback at the intolerance of that time if our own time hadn't proven itself just as intolerant - different in some ways but the principle is the same.

Be that as it may, it's time to do a mock-up of that big painting as the gist of how to make it 'real' has been maturing while I've been focusing on something else!

Give Yourself Permission To Laugh

Alex Jones gets a White House Press Pass.
He sits next to Jim Acosta.

The only American not laughing might be
Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

You don't have to like or approve of either Jones or Acosta (many don't) but you can still laugh.

Mexico In Crisis

[LINK] ->-> Mexico is in crisis ... 

Mexico has asked for humanitarian aid from the world's nations because about 10,000 Central American citizens are within her borders with or without permission, mostly without if I'm reading this right. Apparently about half that number are currently encamped near the US border, in Tijuana, with more on their way there or to other areas of the US border.

While many of us likely sympathize with Mexico's plight, and with the plight of the individuals whose presence is the issue at hand, still the irony could not be much greater.

You see, Mexico hasn't kept her own citizens at home.

Up to 20,000,000 of them are residing illegally in the United States of America. Twenty million is a sight more than ten thousand, and they have been receiving 'humanitarian aid' on the dime of Americans for quite a while now.

The Nations of Europe have their hands full with their own crisis. Most would probably simply raise an eyebrow at Mexico's request for aid as they battle to protect and preserve their own borders.

Entanglement - Infinity Past; Infinity Present; Infinity Future - Immutable

Here's a LINK that might make you smile.

Apparently the concept of entanglement goes a very long way back ... say to ... creation perhaps?

Here's a paragraph from the article:

"If quantum entanglement is valid, then a pair of entangled particles can exist billions of light-years apart from one another and actions affecting the properties of one particle will affect the properties of the other particle. Albert Einstein described this correlation between particles as "spooky action at a distance." Last year, physicists from MIT, the University of Vienna and other institutions provided strong evidence for quantum entanglement, and now, this same team of scientists has gone even further to confirm quantum entanglement."

Infinity past, infinity present, infinity future.

We've mentioned entanglement before; this takes us just a bit further down that road.

The idea that everything is, was, will be connected is not by any means 'new'. Even so, that the smart people among us are in the process of scientifically affirming the idea ... it's a fascinating journey methinks.

The acknowledging, the acceptance, of the concept changes a person's entire perspective.

Me, I'm no mathematician, no scientist, but ... well ... I can pretty easily grasp the ramifications of what this research path could lead to.

Scientific it undoubtedly is, but there are esoteric elements to it that I think we instinctively recognize ... which may seem an odd sort of statement.

The definition of 'esoteric' is :

a. intended for or understood by only a chosen few, as an inner group of disciples or initiates
said of ideas, literature, etc.

b. beyond the understanding or knowledge of most people; abstruse

That would imply that hardly anybody could understand it - so how does that fit with all of us instinctively recognizing something?

Well, we mostly aren't going to be able cognitively explain - our smart people are working their way toward that - but if ever you've stood beneath the stars brilliant in a night sky, or watched a sunrise or sunset, or felt the power of the surf and tides or at any time felt 'something' that made you know that you're a part of it all ... I'd say that's your instinctive response to that Something.

I don't particularly need a whole lot of scientific research to 'prove' what the cells of my body already know, what my spirit already acknowledges - but it kind of does bring that third part of my own personal 'trinity', my mind - cognition - into balance with the others.

I AM a part of it all.

So are you.

Infinity past, infinity present, infinity future.

Immutably bound.

We don't have to be able to explain it in order to know it.

Energy-Flipping

There's this thing about energy.

It's got a whole explanation behind it but for the moment we're just going to go with what is actually a pretty simple  concept.

Say you've got a bunch of bad energy coming from inside, or from anywhere for that matter.

It's Energy - and you can use it instead of feeling like it's gonna drown you or otherwise keep you from what you want to be, which probably is NOT feeling like negative energy is swamping you.

So you flip it.

Your body, mind, and soul are inextricably linked. You are one organism so all of your parts (body, mind, spirit) are in the same place at the same time, right? You might not be able to change what's going on in the world around you - but you CAN take your own parts and use them to help each other.

If you're feeling blue, or cranky, or whatever, and would rather feel happy, or in a good mood instead ...

Here's the 'simple' part.

Your body affects the other parts as much as they affect your body, so use it.

Use your body.

Behavior (the use of your body) is a product, if you will, of what's going on inside of you.

The reverse is also true.

Believe me on this one because it's been put to some severe tests by my own self.

When you feel like boo-hooing, sing instead.

When you feel like cutting loose and hollering, find something good to talk about instead.

When you feel like sitting on the couch and lazing the day away, get up and do something active.

What you WANT to be doing instead of what you Feel Like Doing At The Moment is just as much an option for you at any given time, so pick that option instead of the negative one.

Hard to do?

Yep.

But really hard only at the beginning. It gets easier and you'll get really good at it before you even realize.

That having been said, it does take some will-power and might not always work as quick as you want it to. Don't you quit. Keep trying ... unless you want to wallow in negativity, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

When you're using your body to sing, or dance, or take a walk, or do something (anything) productive and fun, it has the effect of re-setting your mind and your soul to go along with it.

Whether Energy comes across as Negative or Positive, it is STILL ENERGY and you can most certainly take that Negative and flip it into Positive.

The quickest and 'easiest' way is to use your body.

Physically 'acting out' behaviors that belong to what you want to 'be' or to 'feel' actually do have more of an impact than a person would think.

You'll feel as though you're 'being fake' but really you're behaving in anticipation of what you will soon be, and there will be times you might notice the transition between 'faking it' and 'making it happen'. It's all part of the same thing, all part of You.

Which isn't to say that whatever was making you blue, or cranky, or whatever doesn't need to be dealt with - it's just a lot easier to do that if you tackle it from a position of strength - and flipping negative to positive, on purpose and by using your own body, mind, and spirit in positive ways to make it happen reminds you pretty powerfully that you DO have the strength to deal with what you need to deal with.

Just sayin'.

You've got more to you than you might think.


The photo? CERN banged two tiny bits of matter together and got a picture of the Energy produced when they collided and their Energy spiraled out to take whatever form was next for it as it was done being those particles. This is the top view. The side view looks like an hourglass.

That's beauty, the Energy of our world.

If those two tiny particles contained the Energy caught in that photo, imagine how much Energy our bodies contain.

Quit underestimating yourself.

You've got everything you need right there in your own self - body, mind, spirit - so what's keeping you from using it?

Nothing. 

Find your Balance.

Love Yourself - because until you do you won't know how to love anyone else.

UFFDA

UFFDA!

That's all I'm gonna say.

USA USA #WalkAway USA USA

Today there are Americans participating in a march. They are the #WalkAway folk and the #WalkWith folk, those who could manage to get there.

I doubt you'd find a more unexpected mix anywhere on the planet. *Unexpected* only if you haven't visited the #WalkAway Campaign facebook page or the #WalkAway website, that is.

If you have, you'll not be shocked to find such a confusing collage of companions walking side by side, talking with enthusiastic animation, and focusing on what's important to them.

That would be America, my friend.

I've watched this movement grow - and grow - and grow ...

The phenomenon seems impossible.

In the posts and videos shared by #WalkAway members is an almost unbelievable array of differences. Every story is different. Every story is important.

The differences are part of the introductions, and they matter.

They are different because they are the stories of more than 200,000 Americans (with some friends from around the world thrown in). They are important and they matter because every one of them is an American story, or a heartfelt message of support, encouragement (and sometimes envy) from elsewhere in our world.

You've heard me refer to the tapestry that is the United States of America, and to the symphony of the USA.

#WalkAway Campaign, should you choose to visit the sites, will show you exactly the beauty of all those different threads weaving themselves into that fantastic tapestry. #WalkAway will let you hear the awesome symphony that is the collective Voice of America singing in harmony.

I cannot begin to explain it, nor to adequately describe it. You have to see it, hear it, feel it for yourself.

With things being the way they are out there in our nation, and around the world, I do not blame you in the least if you doubt any such thing is possible. It's not exactly what we've come to expect, is it? It's not the typical fare to be found on social media these days, or in the mainstream media, or Anywhere.

What's this!?!

Love?
Support?
Acceptance?
Celebration?
Encouragement?
Laughter?
Joy?
Freedom?
Conversations?
Friendship?
Patriotism?
Manners?
Understanding?

WHAT!

NO!

*laughing*

WHAT?

As a matter of fact, YES!

No.

Mm-hmm. Go look.

Don't wanna.

Sure you do.

No.

Okay.

If you want to see a fine example of an America behaving the way America is designed to behave, go look.

You'll see the rich colors and textures of that tapestry; you'll hear the clear tones of all the instruments and voices of that American symphony.

See, the thing is ... IMO ... it's not about politics, not really deep down.

It's about Freedom.

And it's about all that stuff on that list up there.

To get to that stuff, you have to be willing to go there and get it, and to share in the making of it.

That's the beauty of Freedom - you get to choose.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/10/a-millennial-activist-leads-disaffected-democrats-out-of-the-wilderness/

^^^That's^^^ a link to an article, just one of many, about Brandon Straka, the guy who got #WalkAway going. I'm posting it because at the end it makes a significant point.

Here's a quote:

"What is most important here (to me) is that voters turn away from the dangerous rhetoric and tactics of the Left, not so much that they run into the arms of the Republican party."

You see, it's that Freedom thing. At the moment, voters do seem to be taking a step back from what's been so very much affecting so very many of us in not-good ways.

Republicans really need to take note here. 

Sauce goose, sauce gander.

Me, I'm an Independent so I watch and I listen.

This is not about President Trump, people. He's one man (perfect for the job he has to do at this time) but he will not be with us always. None of us will be with us always, for that matter. It is not about political parties in particular, anyhow.

It is about Freedom.

It is about FREEDOM.

The American People are vastly different from one another, but in one thing I think we are all alike. 

It's about FREEDOM.

Let us down any more and rue the day.

For the moment it's in our best interests to vote red. 

Prove us right.

Because you can be walked away from too.

That's how it works.