Life in the Real World!

Can you spell D-E-N-T-I-S-T???

Fortunately, I can. And I have a good one to call!

It started slowly, late last week, the discomfort in the right side of my mouth. Kinda lower jaw. With some interference by an upper tooth that seemed to be taking up more space than usual.

And it grew, as these things have a tendency to do.

So, Tuesday – very early – an appointment with the new guy in my recently retired, much appreciated, dentist’s office.

Before I bring you up to speed, I should probably mention that I’m not the world’s optimal dental patient.

I’m allergic to everything and have a super-sensitive gag reflex. The new guy – bless him – was very supportive. And, after a bit of studying the x-rays, dispatched me to an oral surgeon. (Joy, rapture, and bliss… not!)

Let’s just say that there has been a whole lot of electronic form filing to do! And calendar juggling. And pondering of Filters! Really!!!

We’ll begin with naming the all-important context. One word… Tooth!!!

I know… there’s still news happening. And painting to do. And that pot of bone broth, ready for the freezer. And a book hatching in my dreams.

Then there’s Stephen Covey whispering, as he has a tendency to do, his really helpful strategy for determining what’s next. It goes kinda like this…

Any given thing on my list, or yours, or the world’s, is two of these four things…

Urgent – Important – Not Urgent – Not Important

You, clever soul, have already realized that Not Urgent – Not Important things don’t make it to the top of the list very often.

The pain, however, rapidly climbed to Urgent – Important!

At least on my list! Then came explaining it to the people with the schedules…

Which brought up another Filter for me. The deep, old, familiar kind that sounds like… brave girls don’t complain. Followed rapidly by… don’t nag!

Blessedly, there are some other Filters inside. Memories of major allergies to pain meds and antibiotics. My allergies. And the fact that the epi-pen bit really isn’t much fun.

Oh! And the fact that nothing about Christmas with the kids gets better if I’m in lots of pain and can’t eat what the the girls love to cook.

And, then, the one that surprised me…

What I need matters!

Not more than what others need. And not less!!!

What really, really matters, though, is that I can model this for my girls!

So, I told my story, several times, and explained why dealing with all this as soon as possible would be really helpful. (Determined, I think, is the best way to say it.)

By the time you read this, there will be an actual plan. And, I suspect, more calendar issues to juggle. And, logistics. And, frankly, I’m not imagining I’m going to enjoy the next steps too much.

Here’s the thing, though… dental issues aren’t fun. Especially the sneaky kind. But coping with adventures like this just goes better when we can do it from a position of aligned intention and voice!

There’s another Filter that’s feeling handy about now… An edited one!!! My Mom believed, on some deep level, that the way to stay safe was to do everything the way Granny did. Including the massive holiday dinner with the very same menu, every time. It was delicious!

What Granny really wanted, though, was for us to all feel loved and safe.

And the way for me to do that, in this context is to deal with this health issue as soon as possible, even if that does mean two days before Thanksgiving… which it does! I’m quite sure Granny is fine with that. And that helps!

Dental insurance helps a whole lot, too… which feels like a huge reminder in our world just now.

In this moment, I’m curious…

What might things be like for you if you added this story to your Medicine Basket, just in case it came in handy??? What doors might open??? I really want to know! Leave a comment, below, or email me. Be brave!!! suesvoice@gmail.com

Oh! The art, above, is my digital teddy bear, if you will, for this adventure! In my heart, at least, the very brave figure, who may well represent some of my Cathar ancestors, was kind enough to volunteer!

ps… curious about the Filters! thing??? I can help! Here are some possibilities…

pps… just for you! My favorite recipe for Key Lime Pie… with a gluten-free nut crust variation! It’s really good… even if it’s not on the Filter list of the way we’ve always done it!

ppps… the print-on-demand elves are making woobies! Here’s Daphne with hers, under the painting which inspired it. And, here’s more info!

When tears are teachers!

On Saturday morning, for the first time since the time change, I actually slept! This was good news for a number of reasons 😉

Then, I fixed myself a cuppa (organic ginger tea) flipped on the news and started weeding my email.

Then, I cried.

President Biden, clearly moved, laying the wreath at Arlington Cemetery. Commander-in-Chief. And father of a soldier whose life was cut short in the aftermath of his service.

The bugler blowing Taps.

A flashback moment for me. Oddly, summer camp! Jean, our loving “commander-in-chief” blowing Taps each evening for lights out.

All is well… safely rest.

And it was, in that small bit of the world, back then.

Some nights, when I had a Jr. Counselor to help mind the campers, I would walk with Jean, through the dark forest, in the moonlight. We marveled together at the night creatures and made plans for the morning.

In many ways, God was nigh.

Then, I was transported back to this day and time, as the Marine Corp band played The Star Spangled Banner.

The auditory-digital processor inside me wasn’t quite so sure enough of us are still invested in the land of the free.

What I do know is that if we actually want to be the land of the free, instead of a bunch of people singing about the way we’re convinced we’ve always done it, we need to get serious!

Time out for deep breaths while I soothe the voice inside me doing 47 choruses of Nice girls don’t talk about…

Somebody has to!

About that time, The Legendary Husband returned home with a car full of paintings. My paintings. The ones you see above. And I cried.

Frankly, I was surprised to realize how much I’d missed them while they’d been off being scanned. Not just in general, but these. Now.

So… time out to start another load of laundry and make another cuppa.

You see, my next right thing involved watching the newest Black Madonna video in an Intentional Creativity® space where I hang out.

I spent an hour with the amazing Anasuya Isaacs, wandering through history and creation stories via the lens of the ever-emerging MA.

Then, the light bulb!

Anasuya shared a quote with us…

“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.” – Toni Morrison.

And I cried some more, realizing that I hadn’t just missed my paintings because they’re mine. I missed them because they are me, helping our world to heal, in part by claiming my power to make new. To help heal ME!

Eventually, Sunday morning came along, as it does.

More tea. More laundry. And a good dose of MSNBC!

Sadly, there was more to the story at Arlington on Saturday. We now know that the lives of 5 soldiers were lost in a training mission on Friday.

And, it seems that a GOP House rep, whose name I didn’t catch and can’t find, was musing on the whole budget crisis bit. His comment…

I don’t think the Lord Jesus, himself, could govern us in this moment!

I disagree!!!

The way I read the Book, I suspect that Easa/Yeshua/Jesus would tip over a bunch of tables and throw the money-changers out of the temple we refer to as the House of Representatives… in order to make a point about what we should be trying to accomplish!

Now, you don’t have to agree with that. You can toss it aside as a retired preacher having a Sunday morning flashback, if you like. It’s okay!

Here’s what I am hoping you’ll do…

Help this world heal, now, by being your best, most visionary, creative self! And putting it out there!

ps… shopping to do??? There are great new things at FierceArtWithHeart! Start on this page for one of my very favs and leave yourself time to wander….

pps… feeling stuck getting your “it” out there? I can help! Check out these options and email me if you have questions! suesvoice@gmail.com

ppps… oh! I promised recipes!!! Here’s a great place to start… make a batch and use it to make dressing or gravy or help soothe your frazzled soul. (The pot’s on now at our house! It smells like heaven!!!)

On the one hand…

There are actual stock pots whispering in my head! Really, really big ones!

Having more or less survived election day, my Muse seems to have moved on to the upcoming American holiday which involves the Legendary Husband’s favorite food.

Yep! Turkey!

Which, at least around here, involves a whole lot more stuff like wild rice and homemade bone broth and a surprising number of onions.

And that, dear friends, involves shopping! Which involves really specific list-making skills!

Question number one is: Who are we feeding? At least that’s question number one if your family – like ours – has widely varying notions of the food thing.

Here’s the place we all agree… as clean and local and sustainable as possible!

This, in case you’re curious, fits in the strategy section of the Filters! world view.

And it’s tied – at least for me – to the belief that says, Our choices – yours and mine – matter!!!

Which seems both blatantly obvious and considerably optimistic on this, the day after the day when a whole lot of folks, in the same USA where the whole traditional Thanksgiving thing was born/invented, did the thing called voting!

On the other hand…

There’s the thing called vested interest!

Power FOR – vs Power OVER.

Sustainable Local Farms – vs -Big AG

Real History – vs – Book Bans

Human Rights – vs – The Religious Right

And, somehow, in the midst of it all, the elusive notion of GRATITUDE!

It’s hard these days. I hear you!

It’s also something of a learned strategy. And we can all start right where we are!

Like this…

I’m thankful for stock pots and local farmers and Intentional Creativity® and a new book hatching and a partner who loves me, and for finding my calling in the notion of Fiercely Compassionate Grandmother.

I’m thankful for learning that spirituality is much deeper, wider, and stronger than doctrine.

I’m thankful for voting as an expression of hope.

I’m thankful for you… on your path!

And I’m thankful for prayer dots. Today, lots and lots of dots for Chesed. Steadfast Love. Dots for Mark and for Kim and for actual servant leaders and for the enormous gift of the feminine and masculine partnership in our Divine Creator, who entrusted us with the ability to learn and grow.

May it be so.

For now, while I’m still sorting recipes, I’m filling the medicine box known as our pantry with sustainably raised wild rice, fresh bay leaves, organic onions, and organic, really, really dark chocolate! (We’re not huge fans of the pumpkin pie thing…)

Also some staple items to share. (If you’re similarly inclined, remember hand-crank can openers!)

The freezer’s already full of the stuff that goes in the stock pot! And, yes, we bought it all from folks I’m glad to hug!

Why???

Because I have 2 granddaughters trying very hard to grow up in this world… and it needs a whole lot of help!

ps… Curious??? Let’s talk! 45 min. My gift. Your dreams. And some Red Thread, if it’s handy!

pps… a painting can be a woven blanket! Coming soon to FierceArtWithHeart! For this moment, more things to help you warm up! (And look really cool!)

2 (Two words) !!

On Friday, The Legendary Husband and I early-voted.

I’m hobbling a bit more than usual and the early voting site is a whole lot more accessible than our regular one. Also, faster!

There were more philosophical things on the ballot than there were candidate contests.

Things like education and equality and supporting the elderly.

And, I have 2 granddaughters growing up in this world!

It was an eye-opening experience.

Everybody there was intentionally supportive. Not just of the grey-haired grammy with the rolling walker gizmo nicknamed Sarah.

The poll workers and all the other voters were genuinely thrilled to see us. And we were thrilled to see them. All of us, with our different skin colors and traditions and experiences, doing – you know – America!

Kindly.

Which, I suspect you’ll agree, is quite the contrast to the news!

I’m also still getting myself back together after Tuesday’s encounter with trauma triggers and sleeping is hard. Grandmother Moon, however, is on the job!

Her first whispered message kind of confused me.

Jesus wept.

My immediate response – feel free to laugh! – was, The Waltons!

Really! The old tv series.

Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains, during the Depression. A Sunday School event which involved memorizing Bible verses.

One of the little kids was struggling. The oldest sister came up with a strategy.

Jesus wept! She went on to explain that it was the shortest verse in the Bible.

John 11:35 to be exact. (And, yes… how short depends on your translation of choice!)

Lazarus of Bethany was dead. For four days. Mary and Martha were heart broken. Jesus wept with them. Out of compassion, I imagine.

Then… consciousness shift! And, I heard…

Even Donald!

This time it wasn’t Grandmother Moon whispering in my ear. Or John. It was, in fact, Joan Baez.

Another witness for the compassionate Jesus. The justice-proclaiming Jesus.

Which sounds quite different than the references to Jesus you may be hearing about from House Republicans with microphones these days.

I wrote these latest two words on an index card a year or so ago, and tucked it into the box where my essential oils rest, next to the magic chair. A borrowed prayer, if you will, on the days when swearing comes more naturally.

These days, I know more about that story in John’s gospel. The details don’t matter so much as the radical truth that there was more to learn!

That what I absorbed in some not entirely conscious state during my young teen years with Youth Group and The Waltons was no where near all of the story.

There seems to be quite the epidemic of that kind of blind absorbing going on these days.

Or, maybe, it’s actually just intentional vested interest!

And, if you’re at all like me, it probably feels really hard to juggle.

So… I invited my imaginary friend, Joan! (Even if you already know this one, it just might help a bit!)

New songs of resistance, if you will!

I’m going with this story! And, as I mentioned, I voted!

ps… the art is a second adventure with an Intentional Creativity® journey called StarSong. There’s more painting to do and, I suspect, some leggings to follow!

pps… your voice matters! Tuesday!!!

ppps… stay tuned! Volunteer Thanksgiving recipes coming soon!

I kinda miss Charley Brown!

Somewhere in the basement, there’s a set of metal yard decorations… the Peanuts gang doing the Halloween thing.

Go ahead! You can see them in your heart!

Frankly, this particular season feels more complicated than usual, just now.

Construction next door made inviting trick-or-treaters seem unwise. Blessings to the dear neighbor who adopted and distributed our candy while we hid in the studio with all the front lights out!

Then there’s the whole Samhain tradition which I’m just beginning to grasp.

There are also other reasons that life feels more complex this year. Learning new things often causes that to happen!

First, though, a brief trip down memory lane for some filter shifting!

Somewhere in the mid 1990’s, I was taking an on-campus course just down the road, at Columbia Theological Seminary. I think I needed to be there! And one of the big advantages was Dr. Walter Brueggemann, preaching in chapel. On All Saints’ Day.

Mind you, saints are not a huge topic of conversation in the land of Reformed Theology. (At least they weren’t, back then…) Walter was not deterred!

What struck me so much about what he said was this:

The Saints are the ones who believe for us, even on days when we can’t quite believe for ourselves!

I am blessed to have a growing family of those folks!

And, I hear those words of Uncle Walter’s – rattling in my heart – differently now than I used to. You see, now I know more.

I know of two great aunts, Mary Ayers Neil and Alice Ayers… sisters, hanged as witches in Salem on the same day in 1692. Or, to paraphrase something I saw on Facebook recently, hanged as women who couldn’t be controlled by the limitations of their culture.

Then there are the stories I’ve learned about my 49th and 47th great grandmothers, Itta and Begga, likely connected to the Beguines, who were honored as Saints… women who used their relative education and resources to help other women be less controlled by arranged marriages and the inheritance laws of the 6th and 7th centuries in Europe.

This is Grammy Begga…

And five or so centuries farther back, the two Jewish grandfathers named Hezekiah, and their wives… grandmothers whose names I am still hoping to find.

Long-gone ancestors trying to live as whole people in a context where that was unthinkable.

In this moment, knowing deep in my being that some of those who believe for us on the days we can’t quite manage it ourselves literally live on in my cells and in my granddaughters, helps somehow.

And I’ll take all of that I can get just now!

You see, I’m feeling pretty vulnerable in this moment and I don’t especially enjoy it!

It is, however, another chance to add some contemporary Saints to my list!

Beth and Laura and Janice and Jenna… my physical therapy tribe. When parking lot dysfunction met lost met big trauma trigger, they rallied around me and believed when I couldn’t quite. Huge bows and thanks!!!

And you know what’s even better than that???

Because I asked for and received support, I made it home and, after a nap, was able to believe for a couple of other wise women with bumps in their days.

When you get right down to it, that’s a pretty great use of a day!

Which just might be what Walter — who is a fan of very large hope — had in mind…

ps… I am fortunate to be learning stories of some of my actual saints. A big part of the reason that’s been possible is that some of my ancestors had the resources and education to actually write the stories down and protect them. If, perhaps, you don’t know so many of your stories, I’m happy to lend you mine until you know more. Better yet… paint some for yourself! (They really work!) Like Grandmother Moon, at the top, who believes in me enough to whisper wisdom in my ear while I sleep! Her other name, just in case you’re curious, is Asherah… the Mother Goddess of many ancient traditions, including my own.

pps… not sure you’re an artist, yet? Or need a Saint in a hurry? Meet She Takes Her Place Among the Ancestors! She’s a great way to start your collection, on archival poster paper, or even a mug! And, browse around… there’s a whole lot of believing for you going on at FierceArtWithHeart! (And great gifts!)

ppps… oh! I’m also supposed to tell you that the same lovely lady, below, is a book cover! A book full, by the way, of lots of empowering stories… Turning Points, if you will. (Check it out!)

One step re-frame!

Nope… no pocket watches required.

We are going to talk about hypnosis, though.

Not the kind for getting power over people. There’s way too much of that going on!

Instead, let’s explore the kind for helping others access and use their power. For good.

I have lots of experience born in years of using Ericksonian hypnotherapy with clients ready for change.

One of those “clients” was me, especially in my knee surgery days.

I won’t torment you with all the details. Let’s just say that it’s possible to use hypnosis to need less medication and heal more quickly with medical procedures.

Personally, I like the trauma healing and and unsticking stuck stuff parts even better.

One of my favorite techniques is called re-framing.

There are 12 step re-frames and 6 step re-frames and – as you’ve no doubt guessed – even one step re-frames. I like the one step ones best!

And, just between us, it only seems like one step!

There’s context, of course. (There’s always context!) Anything from two people sitting together in a therapy space with a story between them, to a church full of people on a Sunday morning, to a sign in a front yard.

And the space happens in time. In news. In the history of relationships and beliefs.

It’s a lot like dancing, really.

Then, BOOM! Or, SHIFT!, if you prefer. Like tossing a ball glowing with different possibility into the space.

Sometimes, frankly, it just falls flat.

Sometimes, though, it works. As my teacher used to say:

One step reframe with a big gold bow!

And that, dear reader, is really big fun!

A client with the sudden recognition that they have a new choice in an old pattern.

Half the people in the sanctuary wiping tears at the wonder of a 4 year old, neurodivergent, speech challenged boy VOLUNTEERING to sing a solo.

Things which change hearts and minds and, often, leave intelligent humans gasping Duh! in massive wonder.

Like this one from the Rev. Mark Sandlin that’s floating around on Facebook…

When your “spirituality” denies someone’s humanity, it isn’t spirituality. It’s hatred wrapped up in religiosity.

Here’s the thing… my sharing that here, or posting it on Facebook, won’t reach everybody. It will reach a whole lot more people than if I don’t try!

What’s in your medicine basket which might work that way for someone, in this moment?

Something meant to help and heal, rather than shame and blame?

It is, indeed, going to take a whole lot of us.

This, dear friend, is my re-frame beyond all re-frames…

I have 2 granddaughters growing up in this world!

And, a word about the art…

The top photo represents my intention to use my voice for Fierce Compassion. (You’re just going to have trust me on this. It’s not supposed to be obvious, though chakra colors might help a bit!)

This one is still wet.

And, yes… it’s a pomegranate. Well, it’s on its way to being one. The paint is still wet! Maybe, when I get a bit farther along, I’ll tell you why Grandmother Moon insisted on including it. In this moment, let’s go with a reminder that the journey is called Origins.

ps… many thanks to the kind reader who let me know that Wednesday’s link for those of you who want to know more about finding that place where you are called didn’t work. It does now! Click to learn more!

At the risk of being redundant…

Wait! There’s cool new stuff in the midst of the familiar bit. And I’m about to be really brave!

Turns out the more news I watch, the more paint I need to stay present. And – well – useful.

When you add the news to some new places I’m wandering, my brain starts weaving things together.

And I start doing scary things.

Being a plan-ahead sort, I started getting scared about today last night. And I took my anxiety to the canvas.

You’re going to have to use your imagination for this next bit…

There are tech elves afoot in the world who believe that the painting you see at the top of this blog post needs to be horizontal to work. (Clearly, they are not artists!)

The actual painting is meant to be vertically oriented but the canvas is so big I can’t reach it all when it’s upright on the easel.

So, I painted sideways… just like you’re seeing it!

The essence of a heart. The anatomical kind, not the Valentine’s Day kind. Part of it composed of fingerprint dots.

Why?

Well, on one level, it’s homework.

On a deeper level, it’s a reminder of a story that helped me learn who I am!

And that reminder opens the door to what matters to me.

And that brings us to the scary bit, today.

First, you’ll need to know that I’m not a huge fan of cameras.

Oh, I’m good at pushing the buttons. I just don’t like them pointed at me.

Which makes this a bit of a miracle…

You see, I did about an hour worth of live, online interview today. And I was the one answering the questions. Gulp!

I could have declined, graciously.

Except that I have 2 granddaughters trying very hard to grow up in this world and the news suggests that the growing up is likely to get harder even than it’s been.

So, I sat down for a chat with a whole bunch of my Intentional Creativity® sisters about ways we could all get closer to what Frederick Buechner described as the place where our deepest longing and the world’s deep need meet.

A big part of that journey is learning enough about how human perception works so that it can become a tool in our medicine baskets instead of something we just trip over in the dark.

And, yes… we’re talking about Filters!

Just contemplate for a moment the difference between the tea bag which lets you drink tea without choking on leaves and the old Southern notion of some folks who are filtering the world through a cast iron skillet! (I’m just sayin’!)

If you’re curious and you’re an Intentional Creativity® sister, ask me. Or Milagros. Or Sumaiyah. Red Thread Cafe, Musea app, etc.

If you know me from other places, Click here for a whole new way to see!

It’s going to take a lot of us, on Fred’s path to the place where our deepest longing and the world’s deep need meet.

For me, at this moment… the canvas is calling for more dots!!!

ps… Leggings!!! Stock up for holidays. Sizes from children’s 2T to women’s 6X. And, just choose 2 pair to save! Click FierceArtWithHeart and enter code BUY 2 – SAVE $8 at checkout. (There are also new ways to spread out the payment!)

Sue Boardman, Certified Intentional Creativity®
Color of Woman Teacher & Coach