A noisy night in the ‘hood!

My ears are quite certain that many of my neighbors were thrilled with the weather which improved enough to make fireworks possible for the actual 4th of July.

I am somewhat less thrilled. It’s an old trauma kind of thing for me.

Instead, I’ve been claiming my Independence – my vision of the future – with paint! (Also, cleaning closets. Meaningful, but decidedly less fun!)

I won’t dump all my disappointments and fears and buckets of fury on you. Instead, I am inspired to share something I wrote several years ago. It’s not all sparkly and full of watermelon. Instead, it’s a promise. A claim of my hopes for the future… preferably starting (again) NOW! And I could really use your help!

You see, my right wrist and thumb hurt more than usual tonight and we’re going to have to go with basics in terms of design here. Imagine, please, all this with with a fun, kid-friendly font and the shadow of a tree behind the words. You can decide! Oh… imagine that every time you see the letter “o” it looks like a heart!

The Grandmothers’ Manifesta

We are the Grandmothers.

We are in charge of Hope. We are not done!

We are becoming dangerous old women.

We hold those we love under our danger like a

Tree of Life with bountiful branches.

We have spent our lives learning many things.

Some of those things were helpful.

Some of them were not.

We will KEEP living the empowering things.

We will say goodbye to the things

that were hurtful, so they are not passed on.

We matter more in this moment

than EVER before.

We are significant. We are capable.

We have influence in the lives

of those we love and in the world.

Using all our hope and wisdom,

we will share these things

with all the generations who come after us.

We are DREAMERS of dreams,

TELLERS of stories,

and MAKERS of images.

We see our littles as souls bright with wonder.

We are the Grandmothers and we welcome all those

who wish to be here.

Today, we choose to matter in the world.

It may be hard,

but we are in charge of Hope!

Sue Boardman ®

ps… if you have dreams, stories, images – even puppies or dance moves – you’re longing to share with the world, let’s talk! 45 min. My gift. I’ll bring my magic medicine basket with some cool new tools. You bring a cuppa, something to write on & with, a Red Thread if it’s handy, and a smidge of courage. We’ll name your next right thing and muse a bit about what it could look like to work together. Just click here and the calendar elves will find us some time. Hurry, though! The calendar is filling up! (In case you’re curious, my book-in-progress is something over 8,000 words in!)

This is me… being very, very brave!

Brave, as in showing up in my un-polished, imperfect, not at all finished state. In public! (Well, sort of in public. If you’re reading this it’s likely we’ve known each other for a bit.)

Let’s start with my #work-in-progress Wednesday offering. The one who has christened herself #I Am Legend and announced that she is me!

I suspect one of the things she and I have in common is a tendency toward vivid dreams and flashes of new inspiration! Even the kind that involve – you know – changes!!!

We also love inviting people on new adventures! People just like you!!! People who aren’t sure they have time. Or who aren’t convinced they’re artistic. Even people who’ve never painted anything but walls with rollers!!!

Here’s the thing… I spent some time today in a planning meeting for our upcoming adventures in the land called Red Madonna. It’s an ancient land – well, ancient as on-line paint offerings go! We’ve been planning for a while now, and it feels really timely and empowering. I’d even go so far – after about 7 years of experience journeying in this land – as to say healing!

I’m so hoping you’ll fix yourself a cuppa and just imagine in to the details that follow. And, there are choices!!! A mini-retreat on Friday, July 3. (Yep… this week!!!) Community. Conversation. Some watercolor play. And the chance to lay down some of what might be holding you back! (And it’s our gift to you!) 

***Come Home to the Waters: A Mini-Retreat to Connect With the Living Waters of Your Life. This adventure is offered by the Red Madonna team for each of us to touch into our sacred flow and experience a taste of our year-long Red Madonna 2026. It’s happening Friday July 3, 2026. Enroll in Come Home to the Waters Now!

Then, all the info on our year-long journey. We begin as August begins, so you’ll have time to get ready. Community. Creativity. Healing perspectives.

***Ready for the deep dive? Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters

I’ve spent a whole lot of years helping people find hope and healing. Nurse. Pastoral Counselor. Hypnotherapy. NLP. Teacher. Coach. I’ve got a Medicine Basket full of spiffy tools. And THIS is where I go to curl up, breathe deep, and let myself heal. Really!

All you need to do is label that kind of tingly, fluttery thing you’re feeling as excitement and click the links!

We’ll be thrilled to have you with us!

ps… here’s my #Mother Nature painting from our just completed Red Madonna adventure, just in case she’s more encouraging than the one above!!! (She’s already claimed her place in an up-coming book!) And I’m supposed to tell you that there will be water as we go along, too!

If you keep doin’ what you’ve been doin’…

You probably know the rest… you keep gettin’ what you got! There are lots of versions of this quote, and lots of attributions. I’m going with this version because I grew up in the South so I’m used to those missing g’s. And I’m fine with letting Henry Ford have the credit for the team.

And, yes… I’ve been watching a lot of news and most of what I got was anxious headaches! So, I decided to try something different! Joan Baez and The West Wing, for sure. Season 7, episode 17 was especially helpful today. A reminder that things can change, even when the journey feels scary.

I’ve also been getting increasingly intentional about what’s going on in our house. Too much adding. Not enough subtracting. And, if we’re being honest, not enough emotional energy these days. Much of that, I’m pretty sure, has to do with lots of the news.

So, when all the paintings started quoting Feng Shui books in my sleep and asking for new wall space, I decided to listen! So far, so good, if you don’t mind the sore muscles. I’ll keep you posted!

Also, a bit of a twist to my Solstice ritual of exploring cacao. A bit more stuff in the cup. A bit more intention in the sipping. Claiming the magic, you might say!

All this amidst lots of painting!

None of the new kids are feeling camera ready just yet. I am permitted to say that, all in all, it’s helping! Our friend, up top, is an old friend who’s determined to spread the light. Her name is Grandmother Moon.

Then there’s this more recent buddy, known as Empowering Venus… a Temple Painting, from 2024. She’s chosen her new real estate! Let’s just say she likes showers, too… Give yourself a sec to notice her hippo buddy, inspired by a real tree in my ‘hood! She wants you to know that hippo spirit animals are known for grounded strength, emotional depth, and fierce boundaries!

All I know for sure is that doors are opening within me and I’m staying on the path! One step at a time!!!

ps… huge thanks to the Legendary Husband who’s really patient and good at the hammering, and such.

pps… there’s still time to check out all the new things for the utterly amazing art journey known as #Red Madonna! It’s a whole lot like Feng Shui for the spirit! And, it’s a fabulous way to experience Venus-like qualities like love, beauty, desire, and the divine feminine! If you’re feeling the urge to connect, cooperate, and seek common ground, check out our our offerings, created with YOU in mind!

Ready for a deep dive? Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters

We even have a free way to dip your toes in – Come Home to the Waters: A Mini-Retreat to Connect With the Living Waters of Your Life. This adventure is offered by the Red Madonna team for each of us to touch into our sacred flow and experience a taste of our year-long Red Madonna 2026. It’s happening Friday July 3, 2026. Enroll in Come Home to the Waters Now!

My Name is Sue & I am a Perfectionist!

Well, not about everything… just about more things than I can manage these days! And, I’ve made a big decision… I’ve decided that the whole perfectionism thing doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Instead, I can choose!

Yep… when and where are my perfectionist tendencies actually helpful? And when might they (gasp!) be holding me back???

Here’s a mini- glimpse of the #wip painting, above. In case you missed this bit of news, Madam #Threshold announced recently that she is me! A self-portrait of sorts. We’re still working, she and I, and I keep noticing the “yeah, but” vibes!

Progress! Yeah, but… her eyebrows and lashes don’t match. (And, they don’t!) Here’s something else that’s true, though…

She’s going to have a whole lot of hair hanging in her face, soon. So I’m intentionally choosing to be okay with the mismatched eyebrows because they won’t show and nobody who gets it would care, anyway! This choice, by the way, gives my cranky right thumb, wrist, and shoulder lots more painting time for things that will show! More writing/typing time! Even more very soothing cacao cup holding time!

And, no… that’s not the way I first learned it!

In many ways, I grew up in Leave It to Beaver land! Suburbs. Stay at home mom. Dog buddies. Good teachers – except third grade! And the message I absorbed was that my being as close as possible to perfect helped Mom feel like she was doing it right.

There was also some very un-Leave It to Beaver stuff but we didn’t talk about that!

By the time my own son came along, Leave It to Beaver was pretty much out of the picture. Literally and figuratively! Those were really hard years and there were many days when I felt like we weren’t going to make it. But, we did!

I kept learning. Greek and Hebrew pretty much cured me of thinking academic perfection was possible, but the old shoulds and oughts remained.

One of the best things I’ve learned in the land of Intentional Creativity® is that layers are helpful! In fact, instead of just covering up mistakes, they make the eventual outcome feel deeper and richer! How totally cool is that???

For this moment, I am choosing to let my inner Perfectionist show up to vote, understanding that we can’t control outcomes, but we can make sure we get heard. (Well, mostly sure!) She also gets to absolutely forbid toxic crud in the garden. We are team pollinators, all the way! And, yes, I checked to be sure that got spelled right, which reminds me that my voice counts more around here than the auto-grammar police, even when I miss one now and then.

And, I’d love to hear what examples are bubbling in you as you read along! You can leave a comment, below. Or email me… suesvoice@gmail.com

We have had the magic all along! We just need to claim it and set it free!!! One way to do that is to check out our upcoming journey with #Red Madonna! I am so honored and thrilled to be among this amazing team of open-hearted, paint-spattered women asking huge questions!

New? Curious??? First, we have a free way to dip your toes in –  Come Home to the Waters: A Mini-Retreat to Connect With the Living Waters of Your Life. This adventure is offered by the Red Madonna team for each of us to touch into our sacred flow and experience a taste of our year-long Red Madonna 2026. It’s happening Friday July 3, 2026. Enroll in Come Home to the Waters Now!

Then, the deep dive! Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!!  https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters

ps… it is, indeed, entirely possible to do both!!! In fact, we’d be delighted!!!

pps… It’s me, Glinda. Sue wanted me to tell you that she got two new stories for our upcoming book done today. Stay tuned!!!

Honor Your Process!

Really!!! That was the exact message I received from the elves/universe at 4:44 am. I know that it was 4:44 am because my phone said so when I reached for it to type those word into the message gizmo.

There are a couple things I need to share about that. I like the number 444! The Angel number 444! Depending on one’s beliefs, it might carry different meanings. For me it symbolizes divine protection, stability, and reassurance.

If you’re guessing that this is among my more recent learnings, you are totally correct. We did not cover angel numbers in nursing school or seminary. Fortunately, we did cover always keep learning!

Back in the old days, when I was first serving as a pastor, there used to be a stack of index cards on the table next to the bed. And a pen. That was how I kept track of the messages which appeared in my sleep before cell phones. Notes for Wednesday’s bulletin. Especially an official title for whatever sermon was hatching. (I was the church secretary, too, back then!) On Saturday nights, volunteer key words for the sermon. Things that weren’t ready until they were. Usually 5 words. Then, back to dream-land and time for the connections between those words to become clear. (It worked!)

Here are the rest of the words from early this morning…

Solstice. Rainbow Hair. Cousin Angela (Juneteenth). Mother Nature – CC wall – purple & green.

In case you’re curious, they didn’t appear all at once. More like each thought making space for the next.

And, yes… this whole thing really is about honoring our processes, even now. Especially now!!!

How might you do that???

Really! How might you claim intentionally honoring your process? I’d love to hear!!! (You can leave me a comment, below!)

I even have a possibility for you to consider! A possibility awash with hope and sisterhood and newness! You see, it’s time for the journey known as Red Madonna to begin again! (Well, almost time!)

I spent most of Saturday communing with NASA moon phases, working on our calendar for Red Madonna 2026.

Ready for a deep dive? Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters

We even have a free way to dip your toes in – Come Home to the Waters: A Mini-Retreat to Connect With the Living Waters of Your Life. This adventure is offered by the Red Madonna team for each of us to touch into our sacred flow and experience a taste of our year-long Red Madonna 2026. It’s happening Friday July 3, 2026. Enroll in Come Home to the Waters Now!

Red Madonna has been part my of honoring my Sacred Journey since 2018. It’s gentle and welcoming and diverse. It opens new doors into my understanding and practice. I’m honored to be part of this team and so hope you’ll consider joining us. The world needs more of us on this path!!!

ps… the painting, above, is indeed my Red Madonna 2025 work, Mother Nature. She says she’s finished. We’ll see!

I really, really wish the tech-elves would quit changing things!!!

Yep… you probably have to squint quite a bit to make this out, so I’ll help. It’s under layers from my most recent #Apothecary painting, a couple moths ago. Truthfully, it isn’t done yet, as in it isn’t complete, but also it isn’t done teaching me.

Here are three of the VERY intentional words you probably can’t quite read in there, crossword puzzle style:

Courage. Hope. Determination.

And, yes, I’ve mentioned them before.

When I fired up my laptop tonight, this wasn’t exactly what I had in my mind but apparently the elves have been secretly “making things better” again, and it took me about 3 tries to get this post to start happening. (I want elves that follow directions!)

In any event, I am still learning… anyway! When the paintings whisper in my sleep, they are insistent!

So, my #Threshold painting work in progress has announced her name, insisted on background revisions, and whispered some of her favorite star glyphs for me to include. The really cool thing is that, as all that magic was happening, she also solved the structural challenge with my tweens & teens book in progress!!!

Frankly, she kinda blew my mind! (And she prefers to wait until she’s finished to make another appearance!)

Then, I did a new thing. Yesterday, I had a Zoom meeting with a dear friend who now lives in Egypt. It was so good to catch up! And, she did a mini-numerology reading for me! (Yet another thing we didn’t cover in nursing school or seminary!!!)

Here’s the thing that really grabbed me:

My core challenge – at least at this point in time – is a tendency to feel responsible for EVERYTHING and hand-cuffed by perfectionism…

Wow, does that hit home! And, I suspect I’m going to want to explore more.

For this moment, though, it’s cacao ceremony time. And getting ready for observing the solstice time. (Really!) You see, I spent lots of time watching Georgia run-off election returns last night and I’ve decided to be open to all the help I can get!

My #Threshold painting is totally onboard!!!

ps… my Wisdom Cards are ready to meet you! Just put 2 decks in your basket and get 20% off, automatically. They go really well with cacao and perhaps a smidge of ceremony!!! (Also, sign up for the Winged Ey Wisdom mailing list and get an extra 10% off your order!)

Old Adventure… New Perspective!

If you’re just joining us, welcome!!! Fix yourself a cuppa and pull up a comfy seat. We’re going on a journey… long ago, for me, and right now, I suspect, for most of us!

The journey in question involved a 40-foot sailboat, a rapidly building hurricane, and the Bermuda Triangle. Really! My Presbytery Young Adult buddy and I were doing the midnight watch… actually sailing the boat through the storm with no navigational equipment but a compass and the stern lights of our buddy boat.

Terrifying, for real! And I was a young single mom at the time, with a 6-year old waiting at home for me.

The question of the moment was Which Direction???

I realized, as I was dreaming along last night, that Which Direction??? is also my question in the context of this moment! Perhaps yours, as well…

As is often the case, paint had a lot to do with my musing!

On Friday, we Intentional Creativity® types began the 10 month adventure known as Stardust Initiation. Frankly, I have no clear idea of where we’re going. What I do know, from lots of past experience, is that things will get different inside me. Well, they’ve already begun, with a big batch of input from the news.

The question, in my dreams, boiled down to this:

Am I sailing toward myself or away from the chaos of this moment???

I’m going with toward myself. I just don’t have the strength or energy to try both directions at once!!!

I’m sailing toward living my Promise. Honoring my body and my path and those who walked it before me. And, yes, it feels like a huge #Threshold!

The work-in-progress we began with is a huge hint about the chaos!

What’s happening now is making meaning out of the chaos! You should know that there are many layers of paint going on here. Somebody keeps changing her mind!!! I’m listening to her voice, though… stay tuned!

ps… I’d gladly listen to YOUR voice, too, if you could use a bit of focus and strategy on your path! 45 min. My gift. We’ll name your vision, claim your next right thing, and muse together about how we might work together on making it real. Just click here and ask the calendar elves to hook us up. Then, gather your dream, a cuppa, something to write on & with, and a piece of Red Thread, if it’s handy. As Josh Lyman, my old buddy from The West Wing, reminded a wandering friend one day, “I’ve been down here before and I know the way out!”