The Guest House: La Maison d'Hôtes. Rumi

For English it's up top: Pour le Français c'est en bas

Two cultures living in Harmony ;-)

I've been busy faffing around with some scribbles. It feels good to get the inks and paints over my fingers again after so many months off. My fingers are cold from typing at the keys of this keyboard, something that rarely happens when I hold a 'plume' - unless I'm outside braving the elements in some badly timed attempt to break out of these four walls. 

Autumn is settling in. Rich, pumpkin orange and deep, inky indigo evenings. Silver moons rise over the skylight in my roof... And influence the production line.

This human being is a guest house. 

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Rumi

 

Does wanting to steal your child's melting ice cream count as a dark thought?

Accepting that it is, and allowing it to exist with no guilt, will that clear me out for some new delight? The jury's still out on that on for me. 

My, my! I  feel like being flippant today so don't take me too seriously.

But by all means DO ENJOY your week - or month. It's getting harder for me to blog again at the moment. And I'm just letting that be a matter of course because I can't do otherwise without causing myself a lot of guilt and hassle.  I'm a bit over that right now. Must be the art of living happily in one's 40s!!. 

Of course, in the word of the immortal ARNIE  you can still count on one thing - eventually - 'I'll be back!'

Much love till next time. French to follow...

xx

Etre humain, c’est être une maison d'hôtes. 
Tous les matins arrive un nouvel invité. 

Une joie, une dépression, une méchanceté, 
une prise de conscience momentanée vient 
comme un visiteur inattendu. 

Accueillez les tous et prenez-en soin! 
Même s'ils sont une foule de chagrins, 
qui balaient violemment votre maison 
et la vident de tous ses meubles, 
traitez chaque invité honorablement. 
Peut-être vient-il faire de la place en vous
pour de nouveaux délices. 

La pensée sombre, la honte, la malice, 
rencontrez-les à la porte en riant, 
et invitez-les à entrer. 

Soyez reconnaissants pour tous ceux qui viennent, 
parce que chacun a été envoyé 
comme un guide de l’au-delà.

Ca y est - j'ai recommencé mes gribouillages. Quel aubaine après des mois sans en faire. C'est une véritable joie de reprendre ma plume. L'arrivée de l'automne a une grande influence sur les couleurs que j'utilise, bien que l'orange et l'indigo sont de toutes façons mes teintes préférées de toujours.

Pour fêter le retour des potimarrons et autres délices orangées dont je raffole, je vous offre le texte ci-dessus du poète Soufi, 'Rumi,' calligraphié en anglais pour une commande récente. 

Optimiste née, il m'est difficile d'accueillir les pensées noires dans ma maison. Bien que j'avoue avoir voulu piquer le dessert de mes enfants de temps en temps... Ca compte comme pensée sombre et honteuse? ;-) 

En tout cas, c'est vrai et authentique ;-) Bloguer n'est pas mon point fort en ce moment. Duuuhhh! Trop de choses à faire et pas assez de temps comme d'habitude. Alors, jusqu'à notre prochain rencontre qui pourrait aussi bien être dans deux jours ou deux semaines ou même deux mois!

Go Well sweet friends.

Love

Dropping the sparkly things. Keeping the sparkle. V.O. Non sous titré

 Hey there possums,

I’ve missed a couple of blog posts due to sparkly holidays in Paris, partially up inside the Eiffel Tower at midnight on my eldest daughter’s 13th birthday. But that’s another story...

Scintillating as she is, it’s a satisfying contrast to sit outside with a cool beer at home and write to you.

Here in the Toulouse countryside life has chilled down a bit even though on the calendar it’s not technically Autumn. I love the way that nature doesn’t give a fig (all puns intended) about the calendar. She just does her thing - flowing along like the ‘girl in the green skirt,’ as my friend Simone used to say - never regretting what she leaves behind and resolutely moving on into the future. Happy as the proverbial lark.

That got me pondering whether I couldn’t do with a little of Nature’s wisdom for myself.

Over the last few months I’ve taken the ‘Great Decluttering from Hell’ to new heights; randomly getting rid of STUFF with reckless abandon and revelling in a keen sense of achievement at each permanent removal from the general vicinity of the house. YEAH!

What hit me during the process is that I definitely don’t like to admit to being attached to things, even sentimentally. I especially don’t like admitting this to myself ;)  

Several house moves, including changes in country and hemisphere, a house fire, and a ‘philosophy’ of detachment have forced led me to let go of most things really easily.

Ahem. Or so I thought.

So WHY in heaven’s name have I been holding on to no less than EIGHT chandeliers and 10 pairs of sparkly sconces for so long ? They have been gradually working on their dust robes in my garage for three years. No. Four. Yoiks!

 Seriously, was I ever really going to need EIGHT chandeliers for any future cocoon? You couldn’t exactly call our spacious farm house a château now, even allowing for a little Marseillais exagération!

Then Bang! it hit me (again) just how comforting and irritating it was to have them perched in the rafters taking space.

Sacré bleu!! Do you realise how much ‘possibility’ EIGHT chandeliers and 10 pairs of sparkly wall lights can represent? How much safety ? A back up plan ! If my new venture doesn’t work out… then maybe I could go back to the old one… I wouldn’t have to be, gulp, a FAILURE  if it went kaput. I could sneakily move back to my past life…without anyone, least of all myself ;), noticing.

Do I want to ?

NO !

So last week I mercilessly sorted through my ‘past life’ and said firm tatas gentle farewells to my ‘stuff.’ I whispered tenderly to my chandeliers, old papers, antique glass bottles, sconces etc etc ad infinitum, that I couldn't use them any more but that someone else would. Someone who was looking for just that special object at a bargain price to sparkle up their home, or tickle their ‘inspiration’ bone. 

Dammit ! Ouch! I loved those sparkles and those old papers... Maybe... NO!

I explained to a slightly daunted, very grabby part of me that it’s ok to let go of ‘unfinished projects’ if the right time for that project has definitely past. Not easy to admit that one either.  I need whip away the symbolic safety net in order to jump both feet into my new venture. What ever I don’t let go of, holds me back.

Y’ know, sort of like if Nature decided that the trees should grow new leaves next year yet keep all the old, dead, brown ones from this Autumn. I mean, how much sense does THAT make ?

So last Sunday I bit the bullet. The sparkly things had to go. Beaker packed the car up chokker block with my stuff and I trundled off to join a friend at a huge vide-grenier (car boot sale/flea market) for the ‘Great Letting Go.’

Eureka ! It worked. Sold all of my chandeliers but one that I’m keeping for Lulu Labonne, my amazingly talented, artist cousin who has mastered the fine art of nailing Jelly to walls, cooked for the stars and helps film lions in the Mara when the fridge is empty. Maybe she’ll add some sparkle to a Masai tent with it.

Anne, my calligraphy mentor, and I made a fabulously festive day of it,  with wine and very non diet, exceptionally yummy munchies.  Damn great way to celebrate the new season and  all that incoming space I say :).

So now that I've cleared out, I'm wishing you a spacious and truly sparkly week too. 

Love,

Ange
PS. Have some scribbles to do for a wedding present this week. Will show the results in my next post. If the Mess Monsters get over all their ills that is...

Comment virer le Bling sans perdre l'étincelle.VF non soutitré

Si je vous ai manqué, (et j'espère que je vous ai manqué ;-) c’est parce que j’étais entrain de faire un séjour prolongé à Paris pour voir la magnifique Tour Eiffel étinceler  à minuit. 

Après tout ce *sparkle,* quel bonheur d’être de retour chez moi, dans mon petit coin de paradis campagnard, assise au soleil devant une bière pour vous écrire.

Ici à Toulouse la vie s’est rafraîchie, même si ce n’est pas encore techniquement l’automne.  J’adore comment la Nature n’en a rien à faire du calendrier.  Elle continue sur son petit chemin sans aucun regret pour ce qu’elle laisse derrière, avançant tranquillement vers l’avenir.

Peut-être pourrais-je devenir un peu plus comme Dame Nature ?

Ma fois j'essaye en ce moment. Depuis quelques mois je poursuis mon ‘Grand Nettoyage de Printemps d’Enfer.’  Ce qui se résume largement au fait de vider entièrement la maison me débarrasser d’autant de choses que possible dont je suis convaincue que je ne m’en servirai plus. Lourde tache!

Autrement dit : de tout le STUFF qui m’encombre depuis "des lustres" de mes jobs antérieures.

PAF ! Dehors STUFF ! Et puis. ZEN. Ahhhhh le vide.

Je n’aime VRAIMENT PAS admettre que je suis attachée aux choses, surtout à moi même.

Plusieurs déménagements, un changement d’hémisphère, un incendie et une philosophie de détachement bien ancrée m’ont permis de lâcher les ‘choses’ très facilement.

Tu Parles ! Voilà  une belle histoire que je me racontais !!

Si c'est le cas alors POURQUOI, pour l’amour du Ciel, j’ai gardé pas moins que HUIT lustres à pampille et 10 pairs d’appliques depuis que j’ai arrêté de travailler dans la déco!? Depuis quand ai-je besoin d’autant de pampilles sur les plafonds et murs de ma maison ? Je vous rappelle que je n’habite pas un château ;-)

Puis PAF (encore) ! Je me suis rendue compte que c’était assez rassurant de les voir tous les jours là haut à ramasser la poussière sur les chevrons du garage. Oh dear :(

Non mais sérieusement, vous rendez vous compte des POSSIBILITES que représentent Huit lustres et 10 paires d’appliques ? Je vous assure, c’est ENORME. 

Surtout quand on démarre une nouvelle entreprise car ça représente surtout, en douce, sans rien dire, surtout pas à moi même… un bon plan B si jamais mon nouveau projet ne marche pas. Gloups !

Ai-je envie de retourner vers le passé?

NON !

Alors la semaine dernière j’ai viré mes vies antérieures en disant un ferme Au Revoir à ‘mon Stuff.’ J’ai murmuré doucement à mes lustres, vieux papiers et vielles bouteilles etc, que quelqu’un allait les faire scintiller, mais que ce ne serait plus moi. Quelqu’un avec des doigts de fée qui cherche un peu de *sparkle* (j'adore ce mot) pour illuminer sa maison.

Pour  faire ça déjà il fallait d'abord que je me permette de lâcher un projet afin de pouvoir en commencer un autre, plus grand et plus valorisant.

C’était dur ça. M’accorder la permission de ne pas finir ce que j’ai commencé et avancer sur autre chose.

Pour plein de raisons. Mais surtout parce que  ça me fait peur de lâcher cette sécurité symbolique afin de me lancer corps et âme dans un projet qui a du cœur - mon coeur.  Ce que je ne lâche pas ne fait que m’empêcher d’avancer. Peut-être. Ca ne le rend pas facile à faire quand même!  

Pourtant je le sais: ne pas s’affranchir du passé n’a pas de sens. C’est un peu comme si la Nature voulait conserver toutes les feuilles mortes sur ses arbres tout en s’acharnant à faire de nouvelles pousses vertes. Pas possible.  Y a plus de place !

C’était dimanche dernier que j’ai enfin fait mes adieux. Je me suis trimballée au vide grenier local  avec tout mon Sparkly Stuff pour m’en débarrasser une bonne fois pour toutes. Succès. Plus qu'un lustre qui reste pour Lulu, ma cousine artiste qui cuisine super bien et filme des Lions dans le Mara quand elle n'a rien dans le frigo. Peut-être elle en aurait besoin pour illuminer une tente Masai...

Anne et moi en avons fait une journée festive avec du foie gras maison et un bon petit rosé de Provence. Tant qu’à faire – autant joindre l’utile à l’agréable n’est ce pas ?

Bonne semaine Possums. Je dois calligraphier des cadeaux cette semaine alors j’aurai quelque gribouilles à vous montrer à notre prochain rencontre.

Ange

PS. Vraiment, j'adooooooooooooore le mot *sparkle* et vous souhaite donc une semaine pleine de scintillements :)

Curieux et de plus en plus curieux! 10 minutes pour créer n'importe quoi!

Coucou possums.

Je voulais traduire tout ce que je venais d'écrire dans mon dernier message en Anglais pour vous faire le même message en Français. Vraiment. C'était mon intention. Et ça l'est toujours. Mais il s'avère que je ne suis pas très efficace dans les traductions le soir tard et les 12 cloches de minuit viennent de sonner. FORT! Vous ne les avez pas entendues?

Y a plus personne la haut dans ma tête. Demain, par contre, mes possums, demain est un AUTRE JOUR! Même si c'est techniquement aujourd'hui déjà. Donc je vous promets que dès ma petite course à pied de 2 heures sera finie, je serai à vous. Idées claires, motivée et pleine d'énergie :)

Alors ce soir je vous laisse avec une petite marionnette. Cette marionnette fait partie de mon projet 'Le MEGA nettoyage de printemps d'enfer' qui m'octroie pas mal de mon temps en ce moment.

Ce n'est pas sensé être une oeuvre d'art. DUH!! Ca se voit non? Ce n'est pas plus qu'une simple marionnette: fait en 10 mts de bric et de broc parmi ce qui se cachait dans les tiroirs de mon atelier et dont je devrais me débarrasser.  Mais je ne peux pas :(

(La tête est plutôt rigolote non?)

Alors j'ai triché! Je suis très rusée quand il s'agit de me permettre de créer, et ne pas jeter des objets. Les pieds faisaient parti d'un vieux piano. Les bras de vieux tubes de gouaches scolaires.

Je me suis lancée un défi qui consiste à utiliser tout ce que j'ai, sous peine de m'en débarrasser d'ici 3 mois. Il y a un double défi en ce que j'ai limité le temps de création pour chaque pièce à 10 mts en forme de mini projet. Il paraît que cela aura pour effet d'encourager et stimuler plus de créativité dans mes idées. On documentera mon progrès ensemble :)

Bonne nuit les petits

Curiouser and curiouser. A secret play date and interview with Maryann Devine

(Rappel pour les Frenchophones: Pour le Français, ça vient! ça vient! Ce sera un plus tard ce soir après que j'ai fini de traduire l'interview avec Maryann Devine)

Last Thursday evening I finally allowed my Curiosity to get the better of me.

Often my Curiosity nags at me like one of my mess monsters negotiating for a turn on the iPod. It pulls first gently, then more insistently at my mind. Ok - my mess monsters don't really do anything gently, they just full on nag. But I liked the image...

Unfortunately often, far too often, I ignore it. At the first spark of Curiosity a Pirate takes over my mind, brandishing the 'Curiosity killed the cat' cutlass and menacing threats like 'Are you crazy? Remember what happened to Pandora!!' Sometimes though, he's just really parental and boring, guiltifying me with, 'Stop being childish and get your project done (or you'll walk the plank). You have a deadline y'know.

So I switch back into 'grown up' mode and let Curiosity melt into a distant wave on the horizon of  my mind as I struggle with writing the content to my Project (with a capital P, because it's big and amazing). Sigh.

I've been pussy-footing around about signing up for some online classes for the last month.  They sounded like delicious fun and full of curiosity - absolutely no sign of dead cats or a panic stricken Pandora. Without fail, however, each time I'd go for the 'buy' button, I'd be Pirated. Yup! My inner Pirate would rear his ugly head, asking me if I was Serious, if this was Serious, if I didn't have more conventional, more business-school ways of advancing on my Project with a capital P.

Luckily, Last Thursday was different. I escaped past my dozing Pirate, bit the bullet and signed up for an amazing class called 'The secret play date' organised by the motivational and very lovely Maryann Devine.

For most of the hour I scribbled words (you know me) that evoked qualities I'd like for my business onto a huuuuge piece of Kraft paper. The others worked on their own projects.

Anyway - I sooo loved the class that I just had to interview Maryann and find out how she'd come up with such a brilliant idea. (Secretly wishing of course that I could come up with equally as brilliant an idea for inspiring you all. Maybe soon... in the mean time - try play dating!)

Without further ado... meet Maryann and take a peek into a true Kindergarten Mind and the world of the secret play date.

Moi: Maryann, what is the concept behind your business and blog 'Kindergarten mind?' 

Maryann: Kindergarten mind is the state of being open and curious. It's a mindset that assumes creativity is the norm.
In that kindergarten state of mind, you go ahead and paint or noodle on an instrument or invent a new twist on hopscotch -- it never occurs to you that you can't. You never question your own creativity or ability.
In my imaginary kindergarten, your desk is optional. When your body needs to move, you get up and dance. When you're sleepy, napping is the logical and acceptable next step.
You can play on your own or gather up your friends.
It's a safe space, but also stimulating -- spaces that are soothing and spaces that are raucous.

Moi: Did you just 'give up your day job' on a whim and a light bulb moment or did you develop the concept over time? 

Maryann: Kindergarten Mind emerged slowly. In 2006, I left my position as director of marketing and public relations for an opera training program to do similar work as a consultant.
But my work kept evolving. I went from PR strategizing for arts clients to teaching their staff to use social media to helping artists get their amazing work noticed and now, enabling people to discover their own creativity, strengths, and resources.

Moi: Do you have a vision for the future? 

Maryann: My wide-angle view of the future is a world where we all tap into our creativity as easily as we call on our linear thinking skills. A world where we all see clearly that the answers are inside us, rather than outside, in expert hands.
I believe that *everyone* has a deep well of creativity, no matter what people may have told them, no matter what they do for a living.
We are *all* creative, and the more we bring that creativity into play, the richer our lives become. Yes, creativity makes you better at your job, but more importantly, it makes for a deeply satisfying life.
As for the future of my business, I prefer to let it unfold organically. Six years ago, when I struck out on my own, I had no inkling that I'd be teaching people around the world to look inside and tap into the creative genius we all hold, and I'm delighted.

Moi: That's very much my vision for education on a global scale too. Where did the idea of 'secret play dates' come from? Tell us more about the spark behind the idea and how you have developed it. 

Maryann: Secret Play Date is like a lovely braid woven from different converging threads. 

In 2010, I found myself with the urge to make things. You see, I spent many years pursuing a career as an artist, but I intentionally gave it up and hadn't made anything with my hands in at least ten years. 

Another thread was the fact that artists often dislike marketing their work, and dealing with the business end of the field. I wondered, what if they could do it using techniques and materials that they loved, instead of word-processing programs and spreadsheets?
And then, why limit that to artists? Wouldn't all those business-y tasks be more fun with crayons and markers? 

So I started experimenting with the idea and sharing it on my blog. Then I invited people to join me, and the Society of the Secret Play Date was born, a virtual clubhouse where we could hang out, play with our projects, and cheer each other on. 

What I didn't expect was that Secret Play-Dating could be the catalyst for so many realizations and break-throughs for each of us. We are so disconnected from creativity and play in our lives that it truly seems like magic.

Moi:  Can play dating help people who don't consider themselves creative? 

Maryann: Yes, yes, yes! It's my *mission* to help people see that they *are* creative, that we all are. 

Play-Dating can open people's eyes to their own creative potential. And Play-Dating helps you flex your creative muscles, so to speak. The more you engage your creativity, the more it becomes available to you, whenever you need it.

Moi: What's your favourite technique for getting out of a creative rut (or any rut for that matter)? 

Maryann: The thing that works best for me is switching things up. For instance, if I'm having a hard time writing for the blog, putting pressure on myself is only going to make things worse. 

So I'll temporarily switch out of writing and start drawing -- have a Play Date. Or switch from trying to write a blog post to writing out some kind of day-dream. Or go for a walk. Or do Dance of Shiva.
Once I stop trying to force the writing (or whatever), it starts to flow again.

Moi: Has play dating helped you personally? 

Maryann: Oh, yes. Enormously. I paint and draw now, with a joy and absorption that I haven't felt for many years.
I write more easily and frequently. I have these huge mental leaps forward in the internal issues that (of course) effect my business and my life. In the last two years, my work has evolved so rapidly.
When you see that you can introduce curiosity and play into your life and work, it changes everything.

Moi: As a small business owner, what does your daily routine look like? Do you have one? Are there any special rituals you follow? 

Maryann: The primary rule that I observe is that mornings are off-limits to meetings, appointments, and errands. I do my best creative work in the mornings, so I work to preserve that time for myself.

Moi: You speak of Shiva Nata? What is that exactly and how do you use it in your work?  

Maryann: Shiva Nata, or Dance of Shiva, is a body-mind practice that turns you into an epiphany machine! If Google it and find videos of people practicing Shiva Nata, you'll see moves that remind you of martial arts.

You learn patterns of movement, in Shiva Nata, and then completely un-learn them. New neural pathways are formed. You start to see your own patterns and how to take them apart and create new from old. 

My husband once said, when I was trying to describe it, that it was like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time -- yes, except a bazillion times harder!
And that's what makes it so effective. 

I'm certified to teach Dance of Shiva by the #2 world expert, Havi Brooks. But rather than teach it on its own, I plan to super-charge my classes and workshops with it.  

Maryann, you are one of the most interesting and inspiring people I have ever met. The the secret play date did wonders in getting rid of that Pesky Pirate too. I owe you one ;-) Hey possums, anyone wanna come play dating with me?

 Hopefully I've tempted you to join in so here's some extra info on Maryann and her contact details:

Personal awesome-illuminator and perspective-shifter Maryann Devine creates the ideal conditions for discovery, and safe spaces for growing your creative genius. You can find her at kindergartenmind.com and @maryanndevine on twitter.

Out of the blue: un peu de Franglais SVP

Alert! Alert! Attention!! Everybodyyyyyyyyyy

I have an EXTREMEMENT IMPORTANT announcement to make. 

This blog is now fully bilingual :)

I also have a few big 'MERCIs' to say but you'll have to read right to the bottom for those.

Enfin on est bilingue, MAIS pour le Français, rassurez vous, c'est  un peu plus bas. En fait. PFFF Mon DIEU! J'ai écrit un tome!!  C'est juste un peu plus loin EN DESSOUS DE L'ANGLAIS. Promis :)

Anglais:

Honestly possums, I realised today that myself and I have been having a coherency problem together. Just doesn't make sense, does it ;-). Only last night I heard myself saying that I was SHOCKED that the local international school was churning out brilliant young minds that hardly spoke a word of French. While it's true that technically French isn't exactly the most 'necessary' language in the world to learn for anyone other than those living here...

THAT'S JUST THE POINT! 

 Off the topic but...Did you know that creating something while you're trying to think about a major issue is a great way of getting some space around it?

When you live in a 'foreign' country, you have the most amazing opportunity to understand another culture, the whys and wherefores of its cultural quirks even though some may still frustrate you IMMENSELY, bridge a few gaps and rev up some ultra useful neural connections during the whole mental gymnastics routine of trying to think in two languages at once. But these kids come out still practically speaking only English. :( Sad. Sigh. Sad. Missed opportunity. Bleuch.

 Did you know that some whales sleep vertically. I found that out recently. Out of the blue ;-)

That got me thinking about my own blog. Fact: I express myself a zillion times better in English than in French. SO??? Is that any reason not to try? I got a comment on my last post from a lovely French calligrapher who struggled to read through everything in English but who was so encouraging about me starting back again. How nice. How Humbling. 

Gloups!

 Major reality check on that one! Hello! Aaaaaange! Exactly WHERE do you LIVE? Hmmmm. So I've decided it's time to at least partially grow up, become a bit more coherent and give myself yet another challenge. Not start a completely bilingual school, that finishes at 3.30pm at the latest, has after school sport and theatre groups, and includes a more zany approach to teaching every possible subject than the current, cramp in the hand style. NOT... YET! OMG NO! that's for a couple more years down the track. 

Whales, even hand made, painted up, scrappy ones don't worry much about the dark. But I do when I can barely see anything other than the words I'm typing and only because the screen is backlit. Pity because the what-feels-like-a-sea-wind is par.tic.u.lar.ly gorgeous. So bear with me while  I drag my wee Mac back inside. Goodbye outside pink table cloth. Hello inside pink table cloth :)

I quite simply am going to brave the rampant inner critic, the monsters in my head, not to mention any rebel Gremlins racing round up there and try my hand at writing all my posts in both languages. This will probably be unintentionally funny in French. It's also likely to mean that I'm going to have to shorten them.

OH BUGGER! 

Just when I was on a roll ;-) 

Coherency. 

My word for the day

Ode to where I live.

Out of love for the country that has adopted me

Time to be fully who I am, where I am.

Erm. A scruffy looking rainbow fish ;-) Pardon the photo. The family took off with my big camera and I'm not iPhone compatible yet.

Next week I'm going to be interviewing this amazingly interesting woman who holds secret play dates for grown ups so they can destuckify themselves when they have an ultra personal and slightly miffing project - or not- to work on. Like me.

 I've signed up for one next week. Will let you know what it's like with the interview. 

AND I SAID THERE WOULD BE THANKYOUS so MILLE MERCIS to all of you lovely possums who commented on last week's post. I was really chuffed :) Touched even. WoW! I've written back to you if you want to check that out. Putting a bit more stuff on my Facebook page recently too so pop by and 'Fancy' it (as my Pirate English speak calls it) so we can chat a bit more often.

*

Much love

*****************

FRANCAIS!!

Coucou. S'il te plaît, faut pas rire. Je vais me mettre à écrire mes postes en Français et en Anglais. Pourquoi? Parce que je viens d'apprendre, juste l'autre jour, que l'école 'internationale' près de chez moi ne sort PAS des enfants bilingues. SHOCKING! En fait, il y en a plein qui parlent à peine le Français à la sortie. Je trouve ça triste. Une opportunité manquée pour comprendre plus profondément une autre culture, même si tout n'est pas facile à comprendre, et n'en parlons pas d'ô combien ça stimule des neurones d'essayer de penser en deux langues à la fois. Je te parle en connaissance de cause ;-) Voilà. Alors je me suis dit:

 "Ange, tu habites en France, pratiquement tous tes amis sont Français et tu adores le pays qui t'a adoptée. ALORS POURQUOI T'OBSTINER à n'écrire qu'en Anglais?" "Bonne question", je me suis répondue... "Mais j'ai peur. Peur de faire trop de fautes. Peur de ne pas savoir m'exprimer convenablement et surtout PEUR de me faire mal comprendre car j'ai un sens d'humour bien 'Australien' qui n'est pas toujours facile à traduire. J'aime pas offenser. Pourtant, j'adore faire rire." Et partager ... 

Savais-tu que de créer quelque chose, n'importe quoi, avec ce que tu as sous la main pendant que tu réfléchis sur un sujet qui te tient à coeur, ça stimule des solutions intéressantes et créatives aussi? Ca décontracte et permet une autre façon d'aborder un sujet qui coince.

Donc, avant de me lancer dans l'ENORME PROJET de monter une école entièrement bilingue avec des heures adaptées aux enfants et des moyens d'enseignement bien plus créatifs que ce qui existent aujourd'hui, je vais commencer par faire un tout petit pas.  Je vais te demander d'être patient(e) avec moi. De me pardonner mes fautes d'orthographe et mes tournures de phrases maladroites. Tu vois, quand on maîtrise une langue, et on adore communiquer, nos 'monstres intérieurs,' nos gremlins ( ces pensées négatives qui nous empêchent d'avancer sur un projet quelconque parce c'est 'en dehors du cadre de nos compétences habituelles) commencent à s'agiter et d'essayer de nous convaincre par tous les moyens de NE PAS PRENDRE LE RISQUE. What ever that is! EUCHHH - plutôt mourir que d'avoir HONTE. Gloups!

***

J'ai décidé de ne pas les écouter. 

J'ai envie d'essayer. 

J'ai envie de profiter du fait que j'ai de la chance d'habiter dans un super pays avec des amis que j'adore et de les inclure dans mes pensées de tous les jours que j'exprime par mon blog. Et j'ai envie aussi de m'exprimer dans ma langue natale parce que, tout compte fait, j'ai toujours adoré écrire en anglais depuis que je suis toute petite. 

*

Alors? T'es avec moi? On prend la route bilingue? 

Ca va faire des articles assez longues. Mais tu peux sauter la partie en Anglais et aller directement à la Case Départ, à la partie en Français. Nous allons parler de plein de choses. 

L'art. L'art de se surpasser. L'art d'avancer et l'art de calligraphier des mots qui nous élèvent le moral :) 

L'art de bidouiller des objets rien que pour se changer des idées et ne pas se prendre au sérieux tout le temps.

L'art de se lacher et de se permettre la possibilité d'une bonne surprise!

Je voulais remercier Coeur Canelle, une calligraphe qui m'a fait la grande surprise la semaine dernière d'avoir lu le blog et laissé un commentaire si gentil, même si elle n'étais pas sure d'avoir tout compris en Anglais. LA! LA! C'était la honte!! En deux langues dès aujourd'hui Cannelle, maladroitement peut-être, mais en deux langues. C'est promis. Et qui sait? Peut-être que je finirai par t'amuser un peu. Te 'chatouiller l'humérus l'humourus' comme on le dit en Anglais. Espérons :)

***

La semaine prochaine je vais interviewer une femme qui m'inspire beaucoup parce qu'elle organise des rdv secret 'jeu d'enfant' pour grande personnes!! L'idée me botte beaucoup! Si tout se passe bien, j'aurai ressorti mes plumes et pinceaux aussi. Entretemps je suis sur Facebook si tu veux passer faire coucou.

Mmm - profitez du beau temps qui nous envahi en ce moment. L'été bat son plein.

Love

Finding Freedom

Six months is a flipping long time to go without posting but I needed a break. I know, I should've warned you, let you down gently and maybe apologized a bit. But I didn't feel like it. It wasn't exactly running away from you or hiding, or even being petulant. It was more of a gentle taking back of my own space and time. And it happened naturally, almost without me realizing it. (Damn spell check keeps changing all my 's'ses to zeds and I don't recognize the new look of Blogger at ALL! They snuck that one in while I was away ;-)

The last six months have been spent SE.RI.OUS.LY sorting through the clutter and losing the extra weight. Literally. Like a whirlwind I've been emptying out every nook and cranny of objects that take up as much space in my mind as they do in my home and studio. OUT! OUT! I don't need you any more. Object, you are no longer a reflection of who I am now. You were once dear to me. And yes - I could make you into something ever so amazing. But your 'potential' fogs my mind and diverts me from the BIG MISSION I have chosen to sink my teeth into. Yes dear object, let's just say you would be better suited to some other Pinterest craft fanatic, and we must part ways.

Goodbye chandeliers with crystals. If we are destined to fall in love again, I trust our paths will meet at a local brocante some time in the future. Eternal optimist that I am ;-) Farewell drawers full of craft supplies that my mess monsters have shown absolutely no interest in. Ever. For They are not Me. I have to remember and respect that. Craft supplies, you will have a lovely time in another child's home being lovingly scrunched up, stamped on and scribbled over. Good bye vintage boxes that I don't want to fill up for the sake of it. Au revoir thousands of shiny bits and pieces that glitteringly consume too much space, in my head...

Talk about the outer life needing to be a reflection of the inner life!

And now, given so much fabulously Spacious Space, Euphoric Emptiness,  Clinching Clarity there is room for me to create. Once again. Oh Gloooorious Gleeful ME :)

Just between you and me, it's also a tad helpful that the mess monsters have disappeared for a couple of weeks and my 'space' is now handsomely accompanied by a generous SILENCE!

Anyhoo (as Kasey would say), I'm back. Happy to be back. Ready to be back. Itching to write.
Dearest Itch - I MISSED YOU! Thank goodness you've returned :)

I know it always was, but I claim this now as my space. Basically I'm just going to spill out anything that comes from my heart, as if I was talking to myself, or one of my best friends. YOU may take from it what you wish. Pray that with all this space, my sense of humour will come back too... It used to be wicked but got a little self conscious here in France due to cultural differences. We shall have to coax it out again, n'est ce pas? A wicked sense of humour is really quite essential and fun to have around. Life's a drag with out it.

 As ever, a big, uncluttered, spacious dose of love to you all

Ange

Tick Tock Tempus Fugit

Hello possums, it appears that there's been a distinct case of 'Let's do the Time Warp Again' as I check my watch and realise it's been ten whole days since I posted. Once more … GROAN!! Heavens NO! No indeed! Appearances can be deceiving though can't they? I mean, never judge a book by it's cover, n'est ce pas!

Au contraire! The key word over the last ten days has rather been: Effectiveness! Since I watched this video on Youtube. Remember? I mentioned it on my last post but omitted the link.


This talk is over an hour long but it's saved me time ever since. Grab a cuppa and settle in. It's definitely valid for anyone who wants to cut straight to the essential in their daily life.

Effectiveness has indeed been right up there on the agenda at La Rivière since I last popped in Possums. As I said before, you can recognise my exceptional effectiveness by my DISTINCT LACK OF POSTS. Fabulous isn't it. Previously the said distinct lack of posts was due to me being utterly disorganised and not finding time to go near my MAC for fear of falling into it and never coming out. Recently this has all changed for the better! Eh oui mes amis.

What's the difference, you may ask? Other than me feeling a whole load better about what is visibly the same result? The difference is: Discipline. Iron will. Resolve. And a distinct refusal to have a glass of wine on week nights! At least as long as I can physically continue ;-)

Seriously though. Sort of.  This most infrequent blog posting is entirely due to my newly organised and prioritised 'TO DO' list that has somehow relegated blogging down to the back end of the bus just behind:

1. Finishing the brochures for my upcoming workshops which are due to start mid March 
2. Planning the count down for our move to a new house end April (including some renovating), 
3. Honing my CV for the job of Minister for Education, 
4. Finishing some new pieces for a small local exhibition (yipee - a few photos coming soon) 
5. Implementing new homeschooling techniques,
6. Regular sport and meditation routine, 
7. Planning scrumptious, well balanced weekly menus and…. 
8. A few hours of Sleep per week to make everything bright and shiny.  

Ahh the poor blog. But live on it shall, admittedly hobbling along for a bit.  Not long, then it will be relegated to its previous status and more. I'll be harping on again before you know it! A slightly different slant. More colour. More cheer. More life!

So what do you think of the video? Motivational stuff n'est ce pas? It was even recommended to me by my wonderful friend Kovida, a buddhist nun of 20 years! Which just goes to show that effective time management and inner peace go hand in hand.

And you? What's important to YOU now?

Blessings till next time


Ange

PS if you want to get a concrete idea of how you spend your time, compared to how you IMAGINE you spend your time, click on this link and get stuck in. You may be surprised at the result.

Trust in yourself

At the moment I'm a little lost for words …

A rare occurrence, I assure you, so make the most of it ;-)

(My father used to say I could talk under water with a mouth full of marbles)

It appears that some of the fog clouding my decisions has melted away with the last of the snow. To continue homeschooling or not to continue homeschooling. To blog or not to blog. Which end of my art project to get off the ground first and how much extra sleep deprivation I will  need to pull it all together. Whether or not housework should be counted as an issue in all that...

Trust in yourself

Apologies for the bad scan. I haven't had time to download photos of any new pieces. Scanning's quicker. 

Trying to cut corners

A special friend dropped in for 10 days just when I was looking for direction.

Some early morning meditation by a log fire.

A few sessions watching 'time management' videos on YouTube

Some 'concentric circles' practice for (re)defining clear objectives

AND EVERYTHING WILL FALL INTO PLACE

Trust in your Self. 

And everything will fall into place

Acrylic, Ink and an interesting piece of metal as a makeshift tool.

I won't be back for another couple of weeks.

There is much work to be done :)

Blessings to one and all

Staying Creative

Hello possums.

Found these pearls of wisdom 'here.'
And how delighted was I to see some things I do already: shopping lists, to do lists, weekly menu lists, homeschooling ideas lists, art ideas lists, places to visit lists, grateful for.. lists, ways to improve myself lists … and don't get me started on 'pinterest ideas' PULEEEESE!
Thinking of keeping a list journal to keep track of just how much I do get done over a week, month, year… Lifetime. Might help me in trying not to be 'someone else's perfect.'


29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

And you? How do you stay creative?
Love

If you can't beat 'em???

Back on track. Desperately searching for ways to motivate the messmonsters to a) Concentrate on acquiring minimal literacy and numeracy skills when the temptation of the freshly fallen snow lies tantalisingly on the other side of the window pane… and b) Arise on the cold February mornings that there is no snow when I have a hard enough time doing so myself!

Source: bitsotruth.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Flirting with the idea of putting them back in school regardless of what I said HERE.

Nah! I RESOLUTELY REFUSE TO GIVE UP. 

Tomorrow a science lesson in certain laws of physics, using the slope beneath the house, makeshift sleds and varying weights (read: more or less children on one sled) may be in order. I shall record the results from a warmer perch in a sunny corner of an upstairs bedroom as I work on my own project. I may just win that war yet ;-)

Almost, but not quite.

The race for sanity in this household is still in full swing. I have been flirting with notions of chucking in the towel and abandoning the blog forever…

Source: Uploaded by user via buddhagirl69 on Pinterest

Naaaah. Not gonna!! Think I'll use the towel to stifle the little voice instead ;-)
Hope life's peachy for you all
Much love
xxx