Gratitude

It isn't always easy to come by it. Rolling out of bed around 6:30am without pushing any "snooze" alarms, usually means it is time to get going.Generally, asking the higher power to "Take charge" is a good practice even before the feet hit the ground. After a shower and that first cup of Joe, it's time to be reminding myself that it's going to be a GREAT DAY! 

The Farmer's Markets have been pretty good the past couple of weeks.Some folks are getting some gifts for the holidays after they have arrived in Calistoga for the annual Tractor parade. It's rumored to be one of the best attended small town seasonal parades in the nation! Quite an honor for sure.

On a sad note, one of our favorite vendors has passed. Sia ( The gentleman that sells the woven baskets from Africa) took a fall and did not recover. Your kind thoughts and prayers go with him.His partner and co-worker should still be at the Sebastopol Market to the best of our knowlege. Our condolences go out to his wonderful family and friends.Hopefully, she will be returning to the Calistoga market as well.

Today, I am truly grateful for all the people of our community.

People here in Calistoga really do care about their neighbors. At least this has been my experience and hope that it will continue to be for years to come. Below are this week's Rock(s) of the Week.

*Being that everyone of my neighbors are going full throttle with their own decorations, I've decided to be a little modest with my mini tree and stacked rock Christmas tree. Enjoy!

Hibernation

    Over the years, Hallmark™ holidays have been milestones that have marked many seasonal episodes and memorable events of our past.Especially in this country. For better or worse, businesses have scaled up as the advent of the next holiday approaches. As a youngster, the anticipation of each of these days brings with it an overarching sense of dread.Today, it is consumerism and how we roll with it. I think that it is okay to take another tack this year, by not buying what we don't need, or guilt-tripping ourselves into buying stuff for others ( that they don't need ). I am encouraging people to watch the documentary called "BUY" on Netflix™. It has changed my outlook on the state of our economy and the planet as a whole. God only knows what the next year will bring.

    The rains have arrived and it seems that summer has ended and winter has begun. What, dare say, has happened to fall and spring? This past week, a horrendous storm visited the North Bay and I got to stay inside all week... painting, drawing, cooking, eating and generally getting a case of cabin fever.

    Today we got a respite and the sun peeked out for a bit.It's nice to get outside and breathe in the petrichoric environment. There, you have a new word to add to your vocabulary ( sorry for the presumptusness ).Multi-tasking and distracting myself does not help if you are trying to squeeze glow-in-the-dark paint that behaves like Elmer's glue onto a rock. Nuff said. Wait! Soup is boiling over on the stove. See what I mean. Something tells me that we are not alone on this one.

Below is this week's "Rock of the Week"

Comprehending Serenity

 Spending a lot of time on the computer lately. Mostly by choice, and some by circumstance. It used to be that when you said you were spending time on the computer it meant that you were involved with editing a novel or working out some mathematical formula. 

Needless to say, I'm sitting on my butt wasting precious time that could be spent doing other things, like... uh, painting rocks for instance 😆 Nevertheless, it is what I do ( like Donald Fagen sings about ). 

    Last week, I was out at the beach collecting some rocks to paint when I looked around and noticed that no one was on the beach. Slowly I looked around, and aside from the waves crashing on the shore I noticed three ducks floating in the creek that runs through a trough before you arrive on the rocky part of the beach. Sitting down for awhile, I again looked back at the creek and suddenly noticed that the three ducks were ten feet away from me and walking right towards me.

    Not making a move, they were all quacking jibberish as they came right up to me. I had no food to give them and told them so. They didn't seem to mind and one even plopped themselves down. Naturally , I struck up a conversation with them and noticed how absolutely stunning their feathers were. These mallards had shiny rainbows reflecting off their wings which they seemed quite proud of displaying. I would have taken a picture with my IPhone but the thought came to me, " Why do I need proof of this?" and let the idea go. Besides, it was nice just enjoying thier company.When the Alpha duck started quacking loudly, I turned and noticed that there were three women arriving on the beach. They looked at me curiously from across the beach as they continued walking by me and my new friends. Not wanting to draw too much attention, I simply asked, "Do you have any cookies I could give to these ducks?" They said, "No, but we have an apple". I let it go at that and figured that the ducks would probably approach them when they settled on a place to sit down. They did.

    I got up and began to walk away (on my own) to the far end of the beach which was only about 100 yards long. Eventually I noticed that one of the women began to follow me. It was a little bit disconcerting, but I didn't think too much about it. Suddenly, she got fairly close and spoke, "Chris, is that you?" Surprised, I saw that it was my friend, Mary from the Calistoga Cares food distribution where I volunteer. "Wow, what are you doing out here?" I exclaimed . " We just decided to go to the coast today, and this is where we ended up ! Apparently,  this was a rather synchronous event because this was her first time there. She was just as bamboozled as I was, but after a short chat we just chalked it up to fate. 

    All three women were about my age, not that it mattered, but it got me to thinking... am I being stalked? Don't flatter yourself, Christopher. You are just another buffalo in the herd.

Below is this week's Rock of the Week...

Such a treat

Saturday began in the state of frustration, fear and anxiety. For starters, I hadn't paid my vendor's fee from the week before, and was certain that I had, until it was discovered that I didn't . When I drove back home to look for the reciept, it wasn't there where I usually put it, on top of my calendar. 

This is part of getting old i am told, and shouldn't be concerned.(Mispacing things, rather than losing them outright, is how I hold the idea)

Not that I use them that often, but my favorite pair of scissors were not where I usually want to find them. Arrrrggghh! This dropping out of the present moment has me in a quandry. People tell me frequently that i am not alone, and that I am in pretty good condition for a guy who is in his seventies.When I'm distracting myself, I'm not in the moment. I'm reherasing for some future event and multi-tasking in preparation for it. As for the scissors...

So far, they haven't returned.

This, after PRAYER and retracing all my steps, and letting the hope of finding them NOW go... Nothing, so much as the reliance placed on short term memory or my Higher Power has brought this item back. Scissors aren't the only things that the devil has snatched from the hands of those who mistake their wants for thier needs.This must be the case.

Attachment to things of the earth.

Letting go of the impatience and anxiety this dilema produces is a process. This, I imagine is the pithy suggestion of advice when offered by someone who seemingly has all thier sh*t together. It still has one wondering... Does professional help look like an option at this point? Perhaps. 

Let's see if the Lion's mane in the morning coffee, will help untap a region of the brain where not a trick will be missed.

Below is this week's Rock of the Week.

Happy Halloween Ya'll !

The Spinner

    Occasionally a rock will appear that seems perfectly round. The thing about these flat, smooth and round rocks is that they almost look like they were fashioned from some machine, rather than having been tumbled in the surf. You almost develop an eye for these rocks, and they will appear on the beach when you least expect it.

      Sometimes, it can be said that if you are meant to have a rock, it will choose you. Like other natural forms, they've been around a long time.You may be able to find them in river beds, but it is not as likely.There are many types of rocks to choose. Basalt absorbs acrylic paint very nicely.

     After bringing one home, find a glass bobble ( like the glass beads they fill vases with in garden supply shops ) and glue it to the middle of the rock in order to evenly locate it's center of gravity. The purpose of this is to make a spinner rock. Incidentally, after the industrial strength glue dries, you are stuck with how the rock will perform. Spinning it from the top takes a little practice, but it can go for a long time if you have the bobble centered.

     Much like a dreidel except there are no Hebrew symbols or sides to this spinning top. Then, after testing it out on a hard, flat surface (a plate is good because it usually won't spin off the edge ) it's time to decorate it.

    Using fluorescent colors, place dots around the outside perimeter of the circle and work your way into the center of the rock, using different colors. A UV light will bring these colors to life.

    Some UV flash lights have a strobe feature which makes viewing the spinning rock quite hypnotic.Watch the short video below and you will see how mesmerizing it can be.

Always experimenting

     It's always something. Today I have a few rocks decopauged and looking pretty spiffy. The only problem I've discovered with these pictures that I adhere to the rock, is that the printer ink isn't archival, and so it's hard to keep the colours intact. Archival spray hasn't worked, and it's been frustrating. Exploring whether or not Epson™ has archival tank ink for my printer is the next step.We shall see. Meanwhile, I recommend keeping these finished pieces out of the direct sunlight.

    The other component that has been added aside from the different coatings used in the past, is a transparent film covering that adds a holographic "bling" element to the picture. Below you may notice some colorful sparkles that appear on top of the Unicorn rock. After this film is added, the entire rock is clear- coated in resin.

 When the UV light sets the resin, it will make the whole item waterproof. People know too that the rock can be placed outside or even in a fish tank without harming the fish.

How it all began...

 The story began when I headed out to the coast to do some thinking after I left my job. Again, I was looking for guidance and direction from my Higher Spirit, because I did not know where or what to do next with my life.

Russian Gulch is an area just north of Jenner, CA.I parked my old Ford in a small,not-so-obvious turnout off the coast road and began hiking through the underbrush towards the ocean which I could hear in the distance. After walking approximately one quarter of a mile,you reach a clearing and inlet where a small stream of water will block your entrance to the beach when the tide comes in. Some people will throw logs and branches to make a bridge to the beach, but It probably is just as easy to roll your pants up and take your shoes off to wade closer to the shoreline. The surf crashes hard on this private little beach that is enclosed both on the north and south sides. It is only about one hundred yards in length.

Most of the rocks here are smooth and plentiful, as the tides have pounded over them for centuries.I picked one up and thought about how life washes over each one of us... smoothing our rough edges.I noticed how good it felt in my hand, and how it helped me center my thoughts.At once, I felt at peace and knew instinctively that everything was going to be okay no matter what direction I chose to take. Late in the afternoon, I stuck a few of these rocks in my pocket and headed back to my car.The ride home was exhilarating as my mind entertained pleasant memories of times spent near the Russian River area in summer's past.The warm days and balmy evenings playing miniature golf and going to teen dances are the stuff of youthful dreams.

Later when I arrived home, I emptied my pockets and began to paint one of the rocks with some metallic paints I had around. Once it dried, It looked really beautiful and so I took other colors and started to decorate it. The acrylic paint adhered very nicely to the surface of the rock and it occurred to me that a small amount of glitter may embellish it nicely. Lastly, I had some glow-in-the dark paint and began adding small dabs to see how well that took to the rock. It worked beautifully.

Turning the lights off, it looked like the rock's own spirit was emanating from inside as I held a flashlight to the white, glowing paint.Gradually the glow would fade and re-emerge depending on how long I held it under the light. Lastly, I sprayed a varnish on the outside to coat and protect all the layers of paint and glitter.Now I really had something to behold !

I began giving these away to friends and acquaintances as personal gifts, that they could keep or pass on as they wished. Naturally,they contain only the good fortune and power you want to give it, as it is held in your hand.It is not known where it's journey will end. Perhaps at Russian Gulch, where it was initially found.All I know is that it gives me a lot of joy to decorate them and pass them along.

Below is this week's 'Rock of the Week"...

As I sit here...

 I'm not painting rocks.However, I haven't given up on it yet.Two were painted and finished with a nice coat of resin today. Even though the glow-in-the dark feature was a revelation in the beginning, it too gets old after awhile. Today's rock is of an lake scene with mountains in the background and a small beachfront at the bottom. Both sides are painted, one for day and one for night ( or at least sunset). Sometimes, to draw right on the rock itself is helpful so as to not discover something ill-intended somewhere towards the finish of the piece. Drawing and painting on surfaces besides rocks is a direction that is currently more appealing to me. However, the rock biz continues because i need to to it to stay ahead of the monthly bills.

Today, it has been hot inside and it can be added that the laundry is done, so things are copacetic.This weekend is a two market adventure that I always look forward to. Have a great weekend everyone. Stay safe!

Don't take Gratitude for Granted

  Sometimes I will be relaxing on the couch in complete gratitude for my life today. Nothing has to change in order for things to be just the way they are. If it's troubling or emotional, gratitude for being able to feel these feelings is essential. 

 What is God trying to tell me? What is the positive lesson here? Let's start by focusing on gratitude and the lesson it has to offer. In other words, not to take this state of being for granted. Gratitude is a gift from God.

Having gratitude is not about it being the right frame of mind at a specific time. We can change our minds at any moment.

So, how can I be grateful when all around their is nothing but darkness and pain. Our perspective can change. I would like to believe that there is a purpose for having patience and tolerance, even when it is seemingly impossible to accept this, let alone practice this. 

Life does suck ! 

Perhaps our real experience deep within is that we are in a state of ecstacy, and that we are supressing it to a level that is comfortable for us!

Lastly, Nothing is really beyond our own experience of what is happening in the moment. The future is about to reveal itself... as you read this.

Below is this week's "Rock of the Week". These two are pictures of the same pendant...

Under the glow

 in Daylight