The Double Entendre´

The phrase,"Your Spirit Rocks" can be taken a couple of ways . When the emphasis is on the first person singular, it means that it is addressing your Spirit, or personality as it were. When the emphasis is on the word "Rocks" it can mean two things... It can mean that you have some items in your possession that are called " Spirit Rocks."but it can also mean that Your Spirit literally Rocks! Which in today's vernacular, means that you have a very lively spirit! I love that interpretation. 

    When someone purchases the gift of a Spirit Rock, I like to thank them by saying, "Your Spirit Rocks!" to which many of them reply, " No, YOUR Spirit Rocks!" which I am grateful for the exchange.Over the years, so many collectors of these rocks, tell me how these items have contributed to their overall well being. Some say that they have them on the nightstand so that they can observe the glow when the lights are out. Others have them on the desk to hold down important papers. Others like to place them in the fish tank or outside in the garden where they will usually hold up because of the resin coating ( which, by the way, is non-toxic to fish when hardened ).

    Over the years, youngsters have taken to painting rocks themselves and hiding them in obscure places to later be discovered by hikers along the beach or in a forest. Sometimes, they will be planted in not-so-obvious places like behind a fence post, etc. Parents and adults have even taken to placing a sticker that reads on the backside " You found me!" now take a picture and post me on Facebook 😉. What a novel idea that is. Lastly, some people will even use the rock for a meditation object which will serve in grounding the individual so that they have some physical object to focus their attention on.

    When a rock is purchased, it is placed in a gift bag which usually includes a keychain UV blacklight which will highlight the colors when viewed in the pitch darkness.It will also activate the phosphors in the puff paint that is used to decorate the rock itself. Also included is an affirmation sheet which contains a few affirmations that when used frequently during meditation, are designed to bring about prosperity, joy and abundance. These were composed by Shakti Gawain in her popular book, "Creative Visualisation".

    Although I usually feature a "Rock of the Week" on this blog, today I've included and ornament, which symbolises the alternating power of the Sun and the Moon. I hope you like it. Perhaps next week I will feature another "Rock of the Week" and not just be content in showing you my other creations.

So Blessed...

     Living in Calistoga is like being in a summer camp year round. I really love it here, and never plan to leave. It kind of reminds me of that old 60's T.V. show, " Andy of Mayberry"  with Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knots,et al. One can get to know all the characters here by going to Cal Mart for groceries, and probably get to know half the town in less than a week.

    Calistoga used to be considered rather "Funky". A lot of the locals remember those days. Being at the north end of the Napa Valley, people coming up for the first time will have already visited many tourist spots travelling only as far as St. Helena on Hwy 29.

     Calistoga is now considered the Crown Jewel of the Napa Valley. Migrant farmworkers have lived here from the beginning, and the winery owners were usually living in St. Helena.That being said, for years people would mistakenly confuse the whole Napa Valley with the City of Napa. Back then, we Napakins (which includes everyone both up valley and down), were used to associating the area with what were three popular industries...Wine, Steel and Mental Health. Thanks in part to the State Hospital, and a hand full of Alcohol treatment centers.Kaiser Steel has since moved on. Some think of Napa Valley as a kind of Disneyland for adults. Others cringe at the thought.

    Having lived here now for over thirty years, I've witnessed the transformation of an iconic, small town "T.V. concept" grow to a sizeable population of people, longing for as a place they can return to; that treasures the past but refuses to live in it. Today, it's rather "Chi-chi", and sort of like a little Carmel,CA.

    We have the galleries,wine bars and Michelin- starred restaurants. Along with several upscale resorts with pools, spas, and of course the mud baths...which the locals call the "Calistoga Baptism". There is plenty to see and do, both inside and outside.

    The good news is that people are really friendly here, and the crime rate is near zilch. The bad news is that our main streets have become stomping grounds for the well-to-do,and the price points that goes with them. Hospitality and Tourism has superceded some of the other more rural industries like wine farming.

    That being said, we are all aware that there is always big changes afoot. Multiple renovations and new facililaties are popping up at a alarming rate. New additions to the high school, several new housing developments, repaved roads, a new power plant, a new entertainment center, more bed and breakfast domiciles, a vine trail for cyclists, and the list goes on. 

    Do we have the time and a reason to celebrate? You bet we do! Check out the recent free concert that happened at Pioneer Park this past week.

A great time was had by all, and in spite of everything going south these days, it's good to get away to a place like this.💖 God willing,  the fires will be kept at bay.

If it works, don't fix it

 Sometimes it is hard to leave well enough alone. All in the name of multi-tasking, what is truly complete, finished, or done ? It was undoubtely an artist who made the statement, "An artist is never satisfied".Was it Mick Jagger?

No, it wasn't Mick. He just couldn't get no satisfaction. Either way, letting go of that we cannot change has been a lifelong struggle. This is the main reason why I am taking a break and composing this blog. Besides, distraction will constantly convince me that there is still time for other tasks.

Today, going through my rock collection, I stopped to see which rocks could be "gussied" up to sell. What a dumb idea, but what the heck... let's do it.

Half way through I see the rocks that aren't exactly calling me to do anything with them anymore. Then there are the others that need to be put aside as sale items. I would rather have people take these rocks and offer a donation, if they wanted to offer one. Besides, I deplore having to keep track of my expenses and tax obligations.Sometimes I feel as though I am numerically dyslexic, and have trouble with simple addition. If i hadn't memorised the times tables from the back of a Pee Chee in sixth grade, I doubt that I would have ever made it to high school.

Thankfully, I had skills in other areas, and made use of them to the best of my ability. Today, I am seeking guidance and direction for the future of these creative pursuits. Everyone was born with a gift of some sort. Many have gifts that are undeveloped and don't discover them until later on in life. That being said, having something to offer that world, is what we bring to the world. It is not always the thing that we take from it. Talents and skills are often passed on from one generation to the next.

So, in conclusion, I am going to step away from the computer and begin another drawing which will be posted below when it is complete. 

So there.