blissmonger.com

photography by little man

Hamming it up in the doc's office. An hour and a half not totally wasted.

 

fall 2009

that still small voice is your sanity talkin'

I discovered yet another layer to the adage that that still small voice inside your head, it's your sanity talkin'. Many times over the last five or six days I've hit the sides of this pinball game called life that I'm in and sacheted off the bumpers, glad for the warning that the thoughts I was thinking were about to send me down to that end-of-the-game hole at the bottom if I wasn't going to pay attention. And frantically flayling with the flipper mechanisms at that point is just a waste of time. Much better to catch it in the early stages when the lights and buzzers are participating in your favor.

 

Me, taken with the help of the reflective sides of The Bean in Millennium Park in downtown Chi-town.

Cutie patootie on her way to get soaked at the spitting wall. Photos of that event later. Time to nap and recuperate from the drive.

self portrait

shiney and new

Met up with a friend who is starting a brand new chapter in her life in the most beautiful space, surrounding herself with what she wants in it. This has been a long time coming, and it's all manifesting so beautifully. Quite a sight to behold. Great inspiration here, on many levels.

i've got my eyes on you

renaissance fair I

200 pound pumpkin

me 2

 

this hair thing

Can I make it until July without parking myself in a salon chair and saying,"Please, just feather it and get these god-awful flaps out of my face." Cuz that's how it feels - I'm about to take flight, with wings.

long hair

I've been growing out my hair since October, and this is a self portrait taken just after visiting the salon for a resizing. I see how askew my glasses are on my face most of the time. Hmmmm....

new do redux

This product, I can handle.

new do

shedding old self

It feels like I'm shedding an old self these days. I'm not restless, just aware of something else coming into being, and the old self lying over there like dried up snake skin. Not useless, but beautiful in and of itself, for existing.

I have no idea what is on its way, and that is so cool. I've had my socks knocked off in the past by what I didn't know, and anticipating more of the universe's delecable ablitiy to give the perfect gift makes me almost giddy.

Bring it on, casting director.

hibernation

twins

halloween fun

new shoes

I don't know what it is about girls and their shoes.....

fields

beach

exhausting

The most exhausting thing you can do is to be inauthentic.

~Anne Morrow Lindberg

Someone recently asked me the question, "What do you want?" More than anything, I want to be authentic. The slings and arrows of existence are so much less harsh, so much less crippling, so much less debilitating when you come from the place of who you really are. Actually, the slings and arrows morph into rubber imitations of their former selves. We don't give them the power we once did, and they are laughable, amusing, rather than sucking one dry of vital energy from dodging them indefinitely.

For me to be authentic, daily life must include depth. Depth of experience, depth of relationship, depth of soul. Skimming across the top just doesn't cut it. Pretending that it cuts it is even worse. Now I feel the tug of Goddess Wild Woman on my arm saying," Cut these posers loose and let's get serious about having some fun!"

I just read a bit about her in Goddess in the Office: A Personal Energy Guide for the Spiritual Warrior at Work by Z. Budapest. "This all-important deity is bored to death with our modern jobs. She sleeps throughout the day on her bed, unruly, woolly, and needy. She demands attention, so we give her coffee and doughnuts and sweets of all kinds, which work on her for a while, but not for long. She wants to be touched, made love to, entertained, and instructed."

These days I feel her, reminding me to lay claim to what I've discovered lest I lapse back into the sleep of forgetfulness. Often now there are memories from my teens and twenties that float up out of nowhere, replaying the stories that were written one way because the Goddess wasn't around yet. Well, she was, but I just didn't hear her communication above the proverbial din.

I can fill in the gaps now, add the experience and the depth that was missing back then. Thank you Goddess for never ceasing your call.

Depth includes striking up conversation with perfect strangers, and they are perfect, every single one of them, in a store, at work, online, and enjoying the deliciousness when they play with me. It includes going deep with those I already know and love and resonating with the results on an even deeper level.

Depth means calling myself on not being honest with myself as soon as I realize what's happening.

Depth means telling my truth in spite of it possibly making someone else uncomfortable.

Depth means pushing the envelope on how I choose to live, making up new rules as I go along, charting new territory when the old ones don't fit me. It means changing my mind, because it's OK to change your mind.

Depth is in the house when my soul smiles.

marianne williamson

The first time I saw this pic of me, I immediately thought of this photo of Marianne Williamson. OK, maybe the resemblance isn't that striking, but the spirit is there.

self portrait

new glasses

Miu miu, not Armani. And no bifocals this time. How cool is that?

october

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora
"You are flying high right now, which may threaten others. But don't descend, because others will soon become inspired by your example."

Additional Message: "Your intentions have created an upward trend in your life. New opportunities are coming your way, and your inner and outer self radiates this positive growth. You may worry that others will be jealous of your current and forthcoming success, so you will be sensitive about discussing your achievements. You may also worry about the future, about where your new path is taking you. You may wish for a guarantee of future success."

"I am here to help you enjoy the present, and the process of your new venture. Trust that each moment is taking care of itself. God has always taken care of you, and He always will. Ask me to help you stay focused on the now, and to let go of the worry habit so that you can enjoy these gifts. Gratitude is essential right now . . . to keep your flight at a high altitude."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Athena
"It is safe for you to be powerful. You know how to be powerful in a loving way that benefits others as well as yourself."

Additional Message: "You have been afraid of your own power. You have worried that others would disapprove of you or leave you if you allowed your true power to shine. You have also been concerned that you might abuse your power and that your masculine energy would become unbalanced. I am here to help you reveal your power to yourself and others in a way that enhances your relationships, self-esteem, and life purpose."

"Your power comes from love, from God. You who are made in the image and likeness of your Creator have unlimited power within you right now. You aren't capable of abusing your power because your heart chakra has opened like a flower in bloom. Think of a person whom you admire, who is both powerful and balanced in their masculine and feminine energies. Such power is beautiful. It also amplifies your spiritual healing and psychic gifts. You are a strong and powerful lightworker, and God needs you to accept and reveal your power."

joanne's

red