Lessons from a Garden

Posted on April 30, 2012 by lynadawn

 

shrubs by my workshop door

As I was pruning some bushes by my workshop door, amazed at how tall and full they had grown in such a short amount of time, I had a flashback to my first adult experience of gardening.

Years ago, When I was a flight attendant, I met a man on one of my fllights who became one of my spiritual teachers. Even though he was retired from a fortune 500 company, Phillips had spent many years working with nature spirits and earth religions. I soon spent many quiet, peacefiul weekends at his private nature reserve on Van Couver Island.

A few mornings after arriving on one of my visits, Phillips asked me if I would enjoy spending time that night in his outside hot tub, underneath the winter stars. Thinking about how cold it would be getting out of it after, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this. So I didn’t give him an answer.

Later that day, Phillips called me out to a small fenced in garden that I hadn’t seen before.

photo by edboyden.org

He wanted me to help him weed this pitifully, overgrown -no sign of even one vegetable- plot of land.  As  we went about pulling out the weeds, he asked me very quietly and calmly why I was so rude to him earlier.

I could feel my feathers start to ruffle- “Me rude! I am NEVER rude”- I roared out! How dare he say that! As we continued to weed- me getting angrier by the minute, he gently asked me why I didn’t answer his question about using the hot tub.  This stopped me for a second and then I blurted out “well I didn’t know if I wanted to or not-does that make me rude?” I asked.

“Why didn’t you just tell me that?”  Phillips asked calmly.   “By not answering,  it was like you were ignoring me- like I don’t matter. Can you understand how that feels?”

And then I realized that in a very loving way, without judgement, Phillips was helping me to really see myself.  He was “weeding” me.

And he was so right- as innocent as my blunder might have been, I was dishonoring him–the way I felt I was dishonored as a child. Like I wasn’t important.

I apologized and grieved -looking inside at my  weeds as I continued to helped clean out  this garden.

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One week later, I flew back to his sanctuary and Phillips called me to see the garden. I couldn’t believe my eyes- never had I seen such gigantic, healthy vegetables. Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Lettuce- as full and tall as the shrubs I was pruning today.

photo by funpiz.blogspot.com

It was magical- and it showed me that if we take time to weed out the bad stuff in our lives, we can grow more vibrant and healthier then we’ve ever dreamed…

And I feel that I am well on my way…are you?

 

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Are we only as healthy as the love interest we attract?

Posted on March 30, 2012 by lynadawn

They say that you are only as healthy as the love interest you attract into your life. Looking back at my relationships- and where I was emotionally during each of them- I can see how this can be true. It seems that the more issues I had , the more of a mess “he” was.

My life has been about working on my “isms” and each  boyfriend has tended to be healthier than the last. I’ve reached a point where I feel really strong in who I am, and my mantra these last few years has been “to open my heart completely that I might be more compassionate .”

Well- my sweet poet and I are coming up to our 1 year mark, and he amazes me more and more every day. Last week he called to tell me about a little bird. Seems that the past few mornings as Michael tended the yard, this Robin Red Breast got closer and closer to him . Was it just curious? Trying to make a friend?

Yesterday  morning when I was at Michael’s, he came into the house to tell me that he had found the robin at their meeting spot- but the bird was laying on the ground not moving. As he gently reached down to it; Michael felt warmth, but no life in his little friend.

I followed Michael outside to the bench where he had placed the bird’s body to take pictures to remember him by. Then he went to his garden, shoveled out dirt to make a grave between the white lily plants and gently lay the dead bird in it. Then my sweet man said a few words of what the bird meant to him and wished his spirit well. After shoveling the dirt back to bury it, Michael got a flat rock as a tombstone, placed  some blue gems around it and an azalea bloom to make the grave complete.

As I watched Michael’s loving ritual, while he took time to honor the life of his little friend,  I suddenly realized that this  man that I have in my life is open-hearted and compassionate!

Is it really true that we are as healthy as the love partner we attract?

If so, I have come a very long way.

I do know that I can feel my heart opening more and more each day…..

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Annie Sloan does it again

Posted on February 19, 2012 by lynadawn

I’ve always loved painting furniture. It brings me back to a time of innocence- me at age 12, tired of my old hand- me- down wooden dresser, painting it outside on a hot summer day with the only 2 colors we had in the house- green and orange, both neon. It wasn’t the best paint job- I didn’t know about primer back then-

 

But I did it and I was proud of it.
So this week, as I was refinishing 6 dining room chairs for a client, I found myself thinking back to that summer day and realizing just how wonderful this new paint brand I was using is. With Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, no priming and no sanding is needed- and it sticks to just about everything!

Annie Sloan has been a faux finishing icon- having been on the leading edge of this industry with several books devoured by us artists in the trade- and she has once again brought us something new at a time when the down swing of the economy has affected so many. DIYers are chomping at the bit to create beautiful furniture of their own, and the professionals are looking for ways to cut costs to offer their clients better rates.

But what I love most about Annie and her chalk paint, is the opportunity she gives the faux finisher to “get off the wall” and be part of her team. Many of my co-horts are now opening boutique studios where they teach, sell ASCP  and paint furniture for their clients and unique pieces to sell to the public. Recently I visited 2 such studios-Laine Discepolli’s – Misselaineous in Cinncinnati and Debbie Dion Hayes- Faux Design Studio in Greensboro, NC. Both studios are warm and inviting with an artsy feel and after both visits I went back to my “workshop/paint storagebuilding” and started thinking :

“Ah- to be one of Annie’s girls- to belong to the amazing, growing network of stockists worldwide- that share ideas, support each other and get together with Annie each year—and to teach DIYers once again. You see, I started my faux finishing career teaching DIYers at established places like John Campbell Folk School and even wrote 2 Books for that genre–”Unfinished Furniture” and “Creative Wallpaper”.  It would be a hoot to teach them  with such a user friendly paint. And there will be more opportunities for growth as Annie introduces new product ideas.

So-I really did-  I thought of finding a town that hasn’t gotten the ASCP bug yet and jumping at the chance to become part of all this.

Annie, I was really tempted.

Then I realized that I would have to leave  the magical mountains of Asheville.

Need I say more?

I’d love to hear your stories of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint…www.anniesloan.com

 

 

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Soul Food- Gifting a Giver

Posted on January 28, 2012 by lynadawn

This month I have been juggling 2 faux finishing jobs. One is for a paying client, the other is a gift for a friend who has spent the last several years giving to others in a big way- creating a non-profit that offers Veterans holistic treatments free of charge.

Gayle grew up with the belief that”We must be a light to others. It takes only one candle to light a dark room. Yet from this one candle, a thousand more can be lit. A few may be extinguished, but they can always be relit.”

This is what her non profit Helios Warriors strives                                                 to do.
Although taking on this huge project has hurt her financially, the healing Gayle has witnessed in these veterans has kept her going.

“My whole life changed when I began doing this work. My father served in WWII and my brother in the Vietnam War. My experiences with the veterans at Helios Warriors have helped me to understand what my dad and brother went through.”

Some of the veterans who wanted to give back to this organization that has done so much for them, painted base coats on the wall along with me. I listened to their feedback when choosing colors and wall finishes to help me create a peaceful, healing atmosphere. And I have been blessed with hearing first hand some of their stories, which all have the common thread of “My life has been restored! I had all but given up before coming to Helios.”

People are surprised that I have taken on not just one room, but also the entry way and bathroom, and coordinated the painters and colors for the entire space. After all- it’s taking a lot of time that I could have given to paying jobs.

But you know what?
Giving back may not feed my body,
but it certainly feeds my soul.

Want to learn more about Helios Warriors?

www.helioswarriors.org.

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2012-the end of the world as we know it?

Posted on December 29, 2011 by lynadawn

Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve been hearing concerns about the year 2012-the end of the Mayan Calendar. Some believe it will be the end of the world–the armegedden, spaceships coming to take us or the  take over by the illuminati….

2012 is now upon us and I for one, can feel a big Shift is indeed taking place. But one that is not to be feared. A shift within our core—our hearts are waking up….

For example-Occupy Wallstreet. After years of grumbling about the government and big business causing the decline of the middle class in America, people are finally standing together to speak out. Now that the down spiral of the economy has left many homeless and struggling, it has also made us realize that we need to work together in community to pick up the pieces and make positive changes for the good of all.

More solopreneurs and small businesses are taking the socialpreneuership role. They want to give back and make a difference to the world. They are passionate about a cause and as their business grows, it makes available more resources to support the cause. Just today I came upon  www.virginunite.com. This is Richard Branson’s website where he talks about socialpreneurship and shows how we can be involved.

This week I went to a networking lunch. I’ve attended these before in previous years, but this time, there was a different energy. I soon realized that as each individual stood up to talk about their business, they took time to give testimonials about someone else’s business. And many of them are starting to talk about giving portions of their profits to causes they believe in.

So, I believe that 2012 will bring about major shifts in how we serve the world and each other. And each day I am thrilled to see more hearts open  to the possibilities ……

What are your thoughts?

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