Bite-sized Bliss – Take it!

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There’s a lesson in everything you live … if you look for it.

I do. And sharing these life lessons is part of how I hope to inspire.

As you read this short story below, reflect on what guidance it can offer you in your life right now.

Bite-Sized Bliss

While on solo-retreat in Witless Bay for a week in July, I knew that a necessary ingredient to nourishing my body, mind & spirit would be spending some quality time with my 2 best buddies.

Luckily, St. John’s is only a 25-minute drive away.

My hope was that Leslie & Kerri could come for a whole day’s adventure.

Leslie was available to come early and stay half a day. Kerri came a little later and had planned to stay the rest of the day until a family phone call changed her plans.

No worries.

Sometimes life offers you bite-sized bliss and not the whole cake.

Enjoy those short moments of love & beauty that fuel the soul. Focus on what you have, not what could have, would have or should have happened.

Bon Appétit

Our plan was to drive to the other side of Witless Bay (5 minutes away) to the Beaches Path trailhead.

By the time we got there, we only had 2 hours to hike before lunch.

As we started, we reminded ourselves that this was about quality, not quantity. “Success is in the journey, not the destination”.

The trail is 7 km and is told to take 2-3 hours one way (so 4-6 for me & my camera).

We had no destination. We had 2 hours to enjoy our exploration for as far as it took us. Leslie put her watch timer on for an hour so we’d know when to turn back.

As you’ll see in the video above, it was so gorgeous! So what if we didn’t have time to do more…

We definitely want to go back to do it with a car at each end. But on this day, we only had time to take a bite out of the whole trail, and enjoy all of its tastes and textures. What beauty!

So grateful for our friendship and nature’s offerings of the day, we had a healthy lunch together on the deck of my temporary home before saying goodbye.

Short and sweet!

After they left, I learned of an outdoor pool built out of the river, just 5 minutes the other way. What a nice surprise before a quiet afternoon / evening.

So even though I didn’t get a whole day with my friends as I envisioned, it all happened perfectly and as needed.

Yay!

Your turn – what would you like to experience this week? If you can’t make the full adventure happen, what bite-sized bliss can you invite in the essence of what you were envisioning?

Live in the feeling tone of what it is you want and know that in doing so, you’re inviting a lot more bites your way.

Have a blissful week, one bite at a time!

 

P.S. I’m taking time off blogging for a while. Have fun exploring my site at your leisure while I’m on holiday.

 

 

 

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How do you romance life?

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How do you romance life?

I’m not necessarily talking about romancing your partner. I’m single, so that’s not part of my external reality yet.

I’m referring to increasing what the Oxford Dictionary refers to “a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life”.

While I was on a rejuvenating retreat in Witless Bay in mid-July, the island of Newfoundland was experiencing an uncharacteristic heat wave. Part of why I was so thrilled that my intuition guided me here back in 2011 is that I don’t do so well in the heat.

I knew I wouldn’t be spending the whole day out in the scorching sun, but my soul was calling me to spend a few hours romancing life in nature that afternoon. So I drove to the end of the road to find the Mickeleens Path trailhead.

You won’t find many people hiking the East Coast Trail in a long flowy skirt. It’s not what you would call practical while making your way through brambles and bushes. But that’s exactly the mood I was in.

I remembered the feeling of hiking through the deep winter snow in Ottawa with 2 layers of long skirts over my ski pants. Back then, you’d hardly ever find me wearing pants. Nowadays, I rarely wear skirts.

So on this day, I delighted in the feeling of my long skirt blowing in the breeze while standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. 

I can still feel the freedom & romance of it just writing about it.

I only hiked for 1.5 hours in the creative bliss of picture & video taking – not the full trail. But it was just what I needed. And now I get to share the romance with you in the video above. Enjoy!

So how do you romance life?

Be it with your partner, others, or by yourself, how can you create opportunities for delight, mystery, excitement and a break in the routine of your every day life?

You deserve romance no matter what your relationship status is.

Enjoy!

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Embracing the Fog – embracing the mystery

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Oh how thrilling to watch the thick fog roll in to the St. John’s harbour during a 3-hour spontaneous solo photo-hike up Signal Hill the day after Summer Solstice.

As I explored the ever-changing landscape, I was reminded of some important aspects of intuitive living.

Embracing the Mystery – A story about fog

1. You Do Not Need to See the Full Picture

I love to think of my Higher Self & Team of Divine Helpers as up above the planet able to see our big picture while we’re down here often oblivious to what’s around the corner.

We may not see our destination or much of the route there, but we don’t need to. All we need to see is the stretch right in front of us as we head in the right direction.

I had no intention of heading out that morning. It was bright and sunny, but my task list was at the forefront of my mind.

When I got the inner call to head to Signal Hill, little did I know I would get to witness the dramatic rolling in of a thick fog that would soon blanket downtown.

I may not ever find out the extent of the reason I was guided to go out that day, but my joy was good reason enough.

I was happy to embrace the mystery of why I was guided to walk into the fog.

2. Trust You Will Be Shown the Way, One Inspired Step at a Time

Instead of sticking to the popular routes, I felt moved to start off on the backside of the mountain along some tiny trails I’d never been on before.

At one point, I got a bit scared that the path alongside the edge of the cliffs may become dangerous. After all, no one else was around to see / hear me if I fell.

Fear started to take a hold of me, but I was able to discern that it wasn’t an intuitive warning. It was just my inner chicken.

So I comforted her by saying -“Let’s go see where it leads. If it gets too difficult, you can always turn back. OK? Deal!”

I kept going and eventually, I just stopped and got a clear “no further!”. So I turned around thinking I’d have to retrace my steps.  But just behind me going uphill was a steep but manageable trail I hadn’t seen seconds before. 

With my walking stick, it was no problem.

Halfway up, I turned around to a spectacular view of the fog sweeping the Narrows beneath me. And soon after that, I joined up to the trail I was more familiar with, exclaiming a big “I did it! Yay!!!”

The trail wasn’t totally deserted, but the man standing on the boulder above made no sign of having heard me. lol

3. Intuition is an Invitation to Grow – Stretch those Comfort Zones

Having reached a beautiful vista from above the fog, I watched as two women were walking in my direction. One was a redhead with long curls.

“Oh how she would look great in my video looking out at the invisible ocean”. Newfoundland is very Irish and so redheads are quite common, especially in tourism videos.

I can be quite shy. But I remembered how happy I was that I’d finally found the guts to ask a woman in Dublin if I could photograph her plaid boots & red suitcase – one of my favourite photos from the trip. So once again, I found the courage to ask if she’d model for me. 

It turns out she wasn’t from here but a visitor from Ontario. She was delighted by the ask and as you’ll see, did a fabulous job of slowly turning to the left looking at the fog. Yay!

Guidance is useless if you don’t act on it. I felt the urge to ask and I’m so glad I did.

4. You May Not Know Why, But Act on Inspiration

I had some lovely connections during my hike. For a while I walked alongside an Australian living in Toronto. Later, I chatted with a couple from Quebec, sharing tourist tips.

Who knows if something I said had a positive impact on the rest of their time here.

We don’t always have to know.

Sometimes we’re asked to be a messenger. Sometimes, we’re asked to open to receive messages. 

I enjoyed approaching these encounters with curiosity and my usual enthusiasm about the beauty of this place.

If I can be a blessing in someone’s day, wonderful! I’ll always be grateful for the blessing that redhead was when she said “yes!”.

5. Love It Or Hate It – Your Choice

Some people had climbed or driven up Signal Hill hoping to get its famous view of the ocean.

It may have been sunny when they left downtown, but there was no water to be seen by the time I reached the top.

I found the fog absolutely stunning. And so did many others.

But I’m sure some were disappointed. 

We always have a choice about how we react to circumstances.

Part of intuitive living is trusting that there’s a reason for everything. It’s a lot easier than believing everything is working against you.

6. Follow Your Bliss – Your Emotional Guidance System Speaks

I’d woken up that morning with the intention to catch up on my blog. I had the topic but not the usual spark to share. I knew that wasn’t serving you or me.

That’s when I felt myself called to Signal Hill.

And oh what bliss! From beginning to end (including my Ethiopian lunch), I was bursting with joy – even or especially when I felt the fear and did it anyway!

That joy is a sure sign that I was on track, even if my day wasn’t going according to plan.

A few more hours of video editing later, I had this beauty & blog to share with you.

Hope you enjoyed them both.

 

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ArtsSmarts- Impressions of Newfoundland Expressions

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A Success Story

Opening the door to the colourful world of both intuitive painting and Newfoundland expressions at Beachy Cove Elementary School was a blessing on so many levels.

Facilitating students’ messy fun for the first 2 community layers was just the beginning.

Witnessing their individualized creative expression of a Newfoundland saying on the 3rd layer was both heart-opening and mind-blowing!

This is truly a success story:

  • 535 happy children got to express their creativity in a culturally symbolic intuitive painting over 5.5-weeks.
  • This resulted in the creation of a gorgeously illustrated treasury of Newfoundland & Labrador sayings available to all.
  • After over a year of pandemic restrictions, parents were finally allowed back into the school to be involved with their children.
  • As the project artist, I grew both professionally and personally (more on that below).

As you’ll see in the video, so many were involved in making this a success story. Thank you to all!

ArtsSmarts 2021-Beachy Cove Elementary School

The Project History

Laun Shoemaker, a Grade 4 French Immersion teacher at Beachy Cove Elementary School, approached me a few years back with the idea of making an illustrated book of Newfoundland & Labrador sayings with the whole school.

I came up with an intuitive painting process that had classes participate as a group on 2 layers of a community background before cutting that up to work on individual pieces. This collaborative foundation ensured that the whole class contributed to the success of each student. The technique for the 3rd layer was adjusted for each grade level –  Kindergarten to Grade 4.

Although the Newfoundland & Labrador Arts Council granted us the maximum allowance for this ArtsSmarts project, the pandemic put it on hold.

In the Fall of 2021, Lisa Cobb, the school’s Reading Specialist and new ArtsSmarts project Liaison, stepped in as Laun was now on sabbatical.

She and Carolyn Lethbridge, the associate director, spent time with the children of the lower grades to introduce the concept of Newfoundland expressions and symbolic representation.

Parents & grandparents were also asked to help their children choose expressions.

By the time they came to my sessions, their focus was on translating their expressions symbolically & visually.

The PDF Book

Creating the artwork was just the first part of this ambitious project.

Lisa & Laun  (while still on sabbatical) worked tirelessly on scanning the artwork and designing the book before the children got to take their paintings home.

“Impressions of Expressions: An Illustrated Guide to Popular Newfoundland Sayings” is now available for download here (492 MB).

This PDF is now a free resource honouring the rich language of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. Copies will be sent to places like The Centre For Newfoundland Studies at MUN, ArtsNL, and the Minister of Education.

A printed hardcover copy is archived in the Beachy Cove Resource Centre.

Open House Video

During my first days of teaching, I learned the school usually has an ArtsSmarts Open House at the end of the project to share the work with parents.

This year, however, that wasn’t a possibility due to the pandemic safety guidelines.

Instead, I  decided to play with another of my passions: videography.

So while the school team worked on the book, I worked on the video above.

All children featured in this video were photographed with permission from their parents/guardians.

Times have changed… Part of modern teaching, it seems, is taking photos for Twitter to keep the parents up to date on what’s happening at school. That served us well!

I may have been surprised at first to discover I could photograph most of the children. Once I got started, though, you couldn’t stop me. Fun!

This Open House video turned out to be a silver lining to the pandemic. Now, this project can be shared with a much wider audience. Enjoy!

Stretching the Comfort Zones

This was a huge project born from an ambitious vision. 

The further we got from the inspired grant proposal-writing phase, the more daunting it became for me.

Comfort zones are an interesting thing. They stretch, but they also shrink.

This ArtsSmarts project was definitely a stretch. After being a happy hermit at home or solo nature videographer for 2 years during the pandemic, my comfort zones around crowds had shrunk. A lot.

I knew better than to ignore a Spirit Call though. And this project was just that!

I may have lived on 3 continents and 5 provinces, but answering each Spirit Call was a stretch of my comfort zones.

When change comes from Guidance, however, it’s a whole lot easier to trust that the stretch is a good thing… for myself and / or the Greater Good.

I confess, the idea of teaching 535 kids intuitive painting for 5 weeks in a neighbouring town had become …. intimidating.

I’d been tempted to cancel the project a few times when it was postponed, and I was given the choice.

But my pendulum and this corner of my 2021 intuitive vision board  made it very clear that this project was meant to be… for the children and also for me!

So once again, I was asked by my Higher Self to feel the fear and do it anyway.

I even invested in my first car as the school was 30 minutes drive away, with no bus service. That in itself was a big stretch, and I’m not just talking financially. Not having a car had been part of my simple living choices. Now I was exploring freedom of a different kind.

Of course my organizational skills and background in both recreation and teaching helped.

Once the supplies were finally in hand, and I was given a classroom to set up (instead of the possible scenario of having to go from classroom to classroom due to pandemic guidelines) I breathed easier.

Still – what a stretch!

  • 24 classes (up to 27 students in a class) x 3 sessions each
  • switching back and forth between English & French
  • 24 large watercolour paper surfaces, 3 a day in 2 splash zones
  • over 400 painting tools divided in 3 kits for sanitization between groups
  • 14 colours of fluid & heavy body acrylic paints
  • 18 parent-volunteers, 26 teachers & interns, 2 teaching-learning assistants and student assistants
  • countless hours of shooting & editing B-roll, including constant weather-watching for drone opportunities outside of teaching hours. There aren’t a lot of windless sunny days in Portugal Cove St. Phillips!
  • and so much more

Elementary school teachers are definitely heroes! I got a taste of what it takes, but only for 5 weeks! 

What a difference from my 25 years of teaching English as a Second Language to university adults! There’s no assigning group-work if you need to go to the washroom – lol!

After the first week, my body no longer felt like a stranger. Being on my feet all day instead of working at the computer or painting table was big change.

After the first two weeks, I only got to school before the custodian on days I thought I could shoot a good time lapse of the sunrise.

Thank goodness for the amazing support of the school staff and all the parent volunteers. I couldn’t have done it without them!

On days with no volunteers, it was non-stop.

On days with more than one volunteer, I could step back to shoot a few clips during the session to create this video. My tripod was part of the team.

I’ll admit, having both my teaching and photographer hats on at the same time was a juggle. My paint-covered phone cases are the proof!

5.5 weeks later, I could hardly believe how smoothly & quickly it all went.

With hundreds of people and moving pieces, it’s truly amazing how it all came together!

I was so thankful I hadn’t given in to the fear or overwhelm.

My best self soon felt right at home organizing & enthusiastically leading this program.

Mostly, I’m so grateful I stretched those comfort zones for the children! 

Being part of a school community was a beautiful “from me to we” experience.

Who knows the extent of the gift this experience was for them. I trust, however, that it’s a gift that will keep on giving.

May this bit of truth-saying encourage you look at where fear is stopping you from trying something new – be it a project, workshop, hobby, trip or relationship. 

Ask your Higher Self what’s in the Highest Good.

Spirit Calls, as I call them, are always an intuitive invitation to grow. Your ego may want to keep you small by promoting the status quo, but that’s no way to emerge more fully into your True Self.

I have no regrets whatsoever for saying “Yes!” again and again to this project.

I would have regretted backing out though…

Special Moments

Passing by a line-up of kids waiting to leave the library:

“That’s the lets-get-messy-lady!”

When asked what they’d learned in our 3 classes together:

“If I talk to myself like I talk to my best friend, good ideas come into my head on how to fix things.”

” There are no mistakes.”

“I can put love into my work”.

“If you mix all the warm and cool colours when they’re wet, it makes mud! Let them dry!”

“I love to flick paint!”

When a child ran up to me after the class and gave me a big hug, looked up at me and said:

You’re my mommy’s favourite artist.

Want More?

  • To download your copy of the PDF “Impressions of Expressions: An Illustrated Guide to Popular Newfoundland Sayings”(492 MB), click here.
  • If you’d like to try intuitive painting for yourself or with a group, I offer you my free Guide to Intuitive Painting here.
  • To learn about upcoming events and new work, make sure to sign-up to my weekly  Art & Inspiration Moments . You’ll enjoy a free meditation download as my thank you for choosing to be on my list.
  • To view all my available intuitive paintings for sale (and other intuitive services), go here.
  • To order prints of my artwork in your choice of size & medium, go here.
  • To view my YouTube video playlists (NL Features, Guided meditations, Intuitive painting, Inspiration & fun, etc.), subscribe to my channel here.

Do you want to share your impressions of this project? Feel free to comment below! 

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Nature Break – Bellevue Beach Off-Season

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Do you need a bit of a nature break? Enjoy these 8 minutes at Bellevue Beach off-season with me.

This was my first overnight road trip in my first car, on the way back from my Woody Island retreat in mid-September.

I remember being shocked when I first moved to Newfoundland in 2011. Traveling at the end of September had been a challenge because much of the island had closed down for the winter.

But with the summery weather we’d been having, I wasn’t prepared to find not only accommodations and tourist attractions closed-down, but also restaurants in the Bellevue Beach area.

I called on my team of Divine Helpers to find me a place to sleep. And they did.

Note that I was only 1.5 hours from home, but determined to have a touristy adventure with Miss Ella (that’s my new-to-me 2007 Hyundai Elantra).

When I saw some cabins, I drove in, not realizing at first that this was one of the places I’d called the day before.

The place was deserted… almost.

Ivan, the owner, was up in the main house. After a bit of chatting and a call to his wife, he generously agreed to open up a cabin if I couldn’t find anything else in the village.

When all I found on my explorations was a bag of chips, I returned to take him up on his offer.

After emptying the cabin of deck furniture and turning the power back on, I was a happy camper with a view of the inland water and the long stretch of land I was soon going to explore.

Ivan told me that a few days before, that view was filled with campers.

I was happy for the natural views without crowds. 

He  even arranged with the owners for me to drive through the gate to spend a few hours on the beach at sunset. They’d spent the day clearing the grounds of picnic tables.

The next morning, I returned to walk the Vinland Trail for 3.5 hours in photographic bliss. By the time I got back, even the trail sign had been taken down.

I was in heaven: grounded, connected, surrounded by water and walking on all sorts of terrain from beach stones to sand to forest floors.

This was the kind of freedom I’d envisioned when I welcomed Miss Ella in my life.

I was originally motivated by an Artstmarts project I’m working on now, teaching intuitive painting to 535 elementary students every day for 5 weeks in a school 30 minutes away without bus service.

This first solo overnight road trip was a bonus! There are all kinds of freedoms – some when I didn’t have a car and different ones with. 

Hope you enjoyed this 8-minute nature break in Bellevue Beach with me.

Have a great week!

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Fill Your Cup in Body Mind & Spirit

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We all need to fill our cups to be able to truly be there for ourselves and others.

Running on empty is no fun and  just doesn’t work.

So, how do you fill your cup?

You may have your favourite ways to nourish your body through activity and a healthy diet. Your love of learning may nourish your mind. Sacred rituals, ceremony or deep connection with family and friends might nourish your Spirit.

It doesn’t matter if you have various ways of filling your cup on various levels, but if you’re low on time or simply want to experience the whole package of your magnificent being, look for opportunities to nourish all levels in one place at one time.

That’s what going to a well-organized retreat can do for you.

It always does for me, and co-facilitating at Lucy O’Driscoll’s recent “A Body Mind and Spirit Retreat” was no exception.

I’ve taught at many of Lucy’s retreats since I arrived on the island of Newfoundland back in 2011. Every time, even though I’m working, I come back feeling refreshed and on track.

What a joy to witness this group come together to prioritize their wellbeing in body, mind & spirit.

We learned, laughed, moved & fed our bodies, spent time in nature, and opened to yet another layer of spiritual emergence through being seeing, accepted and unconditionally loved.

Lucy has been organizing these retreats since 2000, twice a year, in different locations around the island of Newfoundland. 

Participants always get to choose between different workshops taught by different facilitators at each time slot. You can get an idea by looking at the links for the previous retreats on her website.

In her own words:

Lucy’s Body, Mind and Spirit Retreats helps you as a participant to Move Beyond Drama, create your own path and Make room for good energy.  We Relax and Release in a safe environment.  We learn to take care of our own needs.  Most of us are very, very good at taking care of others’ needs.  There is always laughter, awe inspiring moments and deep gratitude.  We have two retreats scheduled for 2022.  Woody Island September 11-13, and Max Simms Camp, Bishop Falls October 21-23.  Please join us for the magic.

Feel free to email Lucy  if you’d like to be put on the mailing list for the 2022 retreats.

Every year, there’s a silent auction and 50/50 draw to raise funds for scholarships if finances are an issue. And there’s always car-pooling available. This was my first year driving myself in my very first car! I went alone so I could wander an extra day afterwards.

The Woody Island Retreat Video

This was also my first time at Woody Island Resort (accessed from Garden Cove on the Burin Peninsula).

I was able to balance the giving & receiving, solo & group time, joyfully active and peacefully passive times. When I wasn’t teaching, I was preparing or participating.

My camera stayed in my bag most of the time, but when scoping the island for the best route for my Intuitive Walkabout workshop, I filled my heart with beauty and creative mind with photo-taking fun! I wasn’t planning on making a video, so focused on taking stills.

But on the last day, after rising early to capture the sunrise and then hopping on the boat for a boil up on another island, my inner child just couldn’t resist! Movie-making time!

Respecting our retreat’s photo guidelines, I had fun with hands and feet. You’ll see my friend Glenda coming off the boat, but she said it was OK.

As for the wonderful staff at Woody Island Resort, well, they were simply charming and very photo-cooperative.

Enjoy the 12:42-minute video at the top of this post for a taste of our Woody Island Resort Retreat.

How Will You Fill Your Cup?

When making your choices on how to fill your cup, ask yourself how you can meet all your needs in the time you have.

If you can do it all in one. Great! If not, which level of your being is hungrier for tender loving care.

You don’t have to dedicate a full weekend. You can benefit from 10-minute spirit-snacks, body-breaks and mind-boosters throughout your day!

You deserve it! So do those around you who will also benefit from your cup overflowing. 

 

P.S. If you’re in St. John’s, consider filling your cup at my Beauty at the Birch opening events Thursday, September 30th (1 night, 2 events) – get more information here.

If you’re not in St. John’s or unable to attend, there is also a 47-minute video premiere at 7pm NL Time (GMT-2:30; 5:30pm ET; 2:30pm PT) that includes a brief tour of the exhibition followed by a 37-minute “Mirror to Your True Self” visionary experience. It’s a way to use any one of my energy-infused paintings (online version or yours) as a way to connect to your intuition and Team of Divine Helpers. The video will remain on YouTube so you can experience it at your convenience.

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Camper Culture at Golden Arm Park – the movie

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I confess. When my friend Elaine and I arrived at Golden Arm Park on a quiet Thursday afternoon, we both figured I’d be driving back to town with her on Saturday after her Nia dance class.

We had an amazing canoe ride on the pond, a swim, and a walk around the camp. There were some nice photography opportunities, but I thought two days would be enough to cover it. 

The owners, Murray & Mickey Crocker, had invited me to share a cabin with my friend Elaine to come explore their park through my camera’s viewfinder. They’d offered me an extra two nights and the surety of some other ride home.

I didn’t think I’d need that.

But while chasing a good vantage point for a timelapse video of the setting sun, I met the Normans and Lynches. They pulled up a chair for me, and I learned all about the game of washers while my camera, on its tripod, did its job. These two couples are the best of friends and hurry to Green’s Harbour every weekend to spend time together.

As I sat listening, sharing, and watching both the game and the setting sun, I was starting to understand why my sister and cousin so loved their camper time in the same spots all season.

By the time I joined my friend Elaine and the visitors from the cabin next door at the Crocker campfire, I was hooked.

Between Murray’s velvet storytelling & singing voice and young Kate Morgan-MacFadyen’s gifts at the guitar, I’d found my angle for this movie.

No, it’s not just a 5-minute nature video like I thought it would be… It’s a 1-hour music-filled documentary all about RV camp lifestyle. It’s all about Camper Culture! It’s about community!

Of course there’s lots of gorgeous nature … I’m me after all!

But there’s so much more:

  • the family origin of this 29-year old RV park
  • Music & Friends performances by Herman Hoyles, Murray Crocker, Mildred Smith, Tony Randell and Chris Young
  • an interview with full-time seasonal residents Melanie Mason and Brian MacPhee in their Shangri-la garden with parents June & Gary Mason next door
  • Elaine Dunphy’s Nia & Ageless Grace classes
  • an interview with veteran & first year camper Judith Ann Mullaly
  • excursions to the Jimmy Rowe Walking Trail in Whiteway and to Dildo
  • the Shave for Jaxon story featuring the Forward and Donnan families
  • sweet moments with Claire Sade, the 1-year old dancer, Mickey Crocker & her grandchildren Jace & Ava March,  and Nachesta Griffin with her son Sam Sing
  • walks on the moss-covered park trail
  • early-morning blueberry picking
  • a cod-fishing excursion (my first in 11 years living in Newfoundland!)
  • early morning time with the bunnies while the whole camp slept
  • the first Cookhouse dance in 2 years because of COVID-19
  • a 2nd canoe ride with Mickey
  • and so much more!

I’m also so grateful for moments that didn’t make it in the movie:

  • conversation & meal times with my friend Elaine
  • the neighbour’s homemade ginger cake (turns out her best friend is the wife of the St. Bride’s lobster fisherman in a previous movie)
  • daily swims
  • time spent with my super hosts Mickey & Murray Crocker
  • being recognized by my friend Kerri’s mother-in-law from videos I’d created featuring both of us on walks or ceremonies
  • a comfortable bed & shower in Cabin #3
  • everyone’s smiles & collaboration
  • my ride to St. John’s with Murray and his mother, co-owner Nita Crocker, who were picking up a ping-pong table for the park
  • and again… so much more!

So if you haven’t watched it yet, enjoy the 1-hour movie “Camper Culture at Golden Arm Park” above (change your YouTube Settings to HD for better viewing) with all its music, laughter, tears, beauty and love.

It took me 48 hours to edit all the footage once I got back from my 4.5 days in Green’s Harbour. It’s so much fun when the creative sequencing becomes clear in my mind. I received intuitive guidance for that while swimming laps one morning. I was so excited to get home to get to work on it!

Videography is definitely a creative passion!

Thanks & blessings to all those who have contributed in so many ways!

 

P.S. And as for all my volunteer art video projects, I welcome donations in exchange for a movie credit or dedication in my next production. You can send any amount by Paypal (or e-transfer for Canadians) to [email protected]. Thank you!

P.P.S. Speaking of donations, if Jaxon’s story moved you, the Donnan family encourage donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. The $2,454 Cyril Forward raised at the park that day was given to the Donnan family to help them cover expenses in these challenging times.

P.P.P.S. If by the time you watch the movie there are commercials, my apologies. The copyright owners of the songs sung at Music & Friends have the right to earn revenue from ads for their songs. 

 

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Peacefully Drifting in St. Bride’s – The Movie

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Exploring a town alone on foot for 3 days is a great way to connect with the place and the people. That’s what my St. Bride’s experience was all about June 24-27.

Last year, I traveled to St. Bride’s with a friend, and we drove to all the neighbouring nature spots we could find. Our focus was communion with nature. (see previous post/movie)

This year, it was all about the people. What a friendly community!

I was a bit surprised when one man at the other end of town said: “You were out & about early this morning!“. They’d somehow seen me walking to the harbour in the fog at 4:30am to go lobster fishing with Danny Lundrigan.

But I became used to hearing “Now, you’re the one staying at Theresa’s ol’ place?” or “at the Conway house?”.

There were many Conway houses along the main road out of St. Bride’s to Cape St. Mary’s, but I knew they were referring to Theresa’s on the Cape, a new Airbnb listing under the management of People Place & Things who invited me to spend time in the community to make a 30 second airbnb & 3 minute community video for their promotional purposes.

The owners, Eugene (seen mowing lawn) and Marilyn (who gifted me homemade bread & bakeapple jam) Conway were one of many reason why my stay was so comfortable and successful. You’ll also delight in seeing their granddaughters MJ & Colleen grace your screen.

Take a deep breath and slow down as you enjoy the 30-minute contemplative video above. It was inspired by my heart’s desire to share the love & beauty of my peacefully drifting in St. Bride’s.

Let Christopher Lloyd Clarke’s gentle musical journey, “Adrift Volume 2”, help you dissolves analytical thinking to open your mind to deep relaxation.

And allow my photography & videography to transport you to a space within you, where you too can peacefully drift in St. Bride’s. 

Thank you to all the community members who said “yes” to appearing in my movie: Anthony Lundrigan, Arthur Young, Colleen & MJ Conway, Danny Lundrigan, Eugene Conway, Francis Norman, Francis & Kevin McGrath, and Mike Careen.

Thanks also to the unidentified man who drove by on his ATV and to all those whose homes, land, and investment into their community is reflected in the beauty honoured through my art. This movie is a credit to you all.

Enjoy!

P.S. If you’d like to financially contribute to my creating & sharing of these artistic videos, I gladly accept your donations by e-transfer (Canadians) or Paypal at [email protected]. Any amount is welcome in exchange for a credit (or dedication to a loved one) in my next feature presentation. Thank you!

 

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Pondering Peace – a Visual Contemplation at Middle Three Island Pond

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There’s nothing quite like life to remind us how important it is to reconnect to our inner peace.

There’s no greater gift than inner peace – for ourselves and others.

Awareness is the first key. How easily do you notice you’re off kilter?

Being able to shift back to your True Self state of inner peace is the next step.

Sometimes, awareness is the magic ingredient that triggers an instant shift into a more peaceful way of being.

From awareness comes acceptance. From acceptance comes a letting go of resistance to what is. Then comes a realignment with the truth. Being. Doing. Inner Peace.

Other times, however, that shift can take a whole lot longer and the slowness of the shift does nothing to improve your inner chaos. It just adds a layer of frustration at how human you’re being!

I arrived at this Airbnb photo job for my friend Gordon Martin of People Places & Things hours behind schedule and hungry.

I’d done well so far that morning choosing love over fear, but with a couple of hours of photography ahead before I could mess up the kitchen, my inner grumblings (physical, mental & emotional) took over. I was now hangry!

In that state, it was really hard to see the beauty around me, much less photograph it.

I was aware of my state. I even laughed at myself. I confessed to Gordon & my traveling companion Joanne that I was having an unusually hard time shifting back to peace. My emergency protein bar didn’t seem to make a difference.

My wise Observer Self fully realized what was happening. But my little human self was having an inner tantrum. Can you relate? 

Finally, after I’d photographed the indoors, eaten a nice warm bowl of curry veggie stew, and headed outdoors doused in bug spray – I could much more easily focus on the beauty.

And what beauty!

As I was brought back to bliss by Mother Nature’s invitation to honour her beauty with my camera, my friend Joanne Best came back in time for a canoe ride on the very still pond. 

The week before, we’d arranged to meet so she could pick up 8 paintings to bring back to Earth & Sky Gallery & Healing Centre in Twillingate for the tourist season. Perfect timing! I invited her to join me for the first of my 3 nights at this cabin on Middle Three Island Pond in Torbay, NL.

As you’ll see in the video, her birthday despacho fire ceremony was a highlight of my stay. She’d co-created this prayer bundle & offering the night before with shamanic practitioner, Regina Wright.

For the next 2.5 days & nights, I thoroughly enjoyed my inner and outer state of peace – witness to the ever-changing weather on the pond.

The fog and rain were as beautiful as the sunshine. The pure stillness was as much a blessing as the 60 km/hr ripples on the water.

Mother Nature was reminding me that if I could find beauty in all her states, I needed to do the same for myself.  I too, in both my human and spirit states am beautiful. 

My experience of the first few hours didn’t have to taint my whole experience. It simply was.

I acknowledged and expressed it. Then I shifted – eventually…

This is the human experience – all of it.

And as the soul quenching call of the loons brought me back to the moment with gratitude, I knew that the next time my inner grumblings got loud enough to notice, it would be easier to come back to the here and now and appreciate the process of transformation – this breath at a time.

Nature photography is part of my self-care regimen – a wonder-full transformational tool. What’s yours?

May it become easier and easier for you to realign with the loving beautiful being that you are. And may this 17-minute video “Pond(ering) Peace” add a layer of love & beauty to your day. Enjoy! If the video quality is poor, use the little gear wheel bottom right to change it to High Definition (1080 HD).

P.S. If you’d like to contribute to my creating & sharing of these artistic videos, I gladly accept your donations by e-transfer (Canadians) or Paypal at [email protected]. Any amount is welcome in exchange for a credit (or dedication to a loved one) in my next feature presentation. It all adds up! Thank you!

 

P.P.S. I’m slowing down for the summer, giving myself permission to publish a post every 2 weeks until September. May you too find ways to relax and listen to the callings of your inner peace. 

 

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New Day New Hope – A Practice in Patience

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May this artistic collaboration nourish your day with more than sunshine! May it somehow give you another glimpse at your own radiance and the difference your investment in your inner peace makes in the world.

Today is a new day. It offers new hope. What will you focus on today?

As a line in a song by Fearless Soul says,

“The grass is greener where I water it.”

So may this video also help remind you what part of your body, mind, spirit or relationships with others and the world needs watering.

Thank you to my friend Joan Dohey for coming out to play with me at 4am on the cliffs of Sugarloaf Trail, just above Quidi Vidi near downtown St. John’s.

Thank you also to Celtic harp musician Jacqueline Cook for generously offering her composition “The Reunion” to enhance the inspirational energy of this offering.

A Practice in Patience

What wears down your patience the fastest?

Technology does it for me. It’s my constant teacher in patience and stress-release. Can you relate?

The New Drone

Last year, as I was photographing the Airbnbs my friend Gordon Martin manages here in Newfoundland, he said in passing “You need a drone!”.

I didn’t think much of it, but it must have simmered in my subconscious.

At first, I thought these were huge machines that took up the whole trunk of a car.

Then, I found out from a drone pilot in an online business course I was taking that the small ones fit in the palm of your hand. And that if you have one under 250g, you don’t need a license or government registration.

So I bought the DJI Mavic Mini 2 as a Christmas gift to myself, just weeks after its release.

I hadn’t realized that you can’t fly it below freezing. So that definitely meant waiting a few months. But you also can’t fly it with winds above 35 km/hr. So my first practice run in an empty soccer field on this windy island had to wait until May 30th.

Then, on May 31, I took it up the cliffs with my cooperative and patient model Joan for some sunrise playtime.

Nerve-wracking! I sure hope drone flying becomes a little more relaxing & fun with practice.

I’d taken an online course and watched all the tutorials many times. I’d even gone out with Brad Wade of Asterix Drone Works to get a hands on demonstration and familiarization with his professional drone a few months back.

But this drone will definitely be a teacher in how to remain in my inner peace … even around flying technology  “under my control.” Yikes!

Video Editing – More Patience Needed

Can you believe it took 9 hours to create this 3:15-minute video? The first 6 hours were creative fun, The next 3 hours, however, pushed my techno-stress buttons while dealing with computer and iMovie glitches.

I’m still learning to create videos. There are bound to be issues.

True, banging my fist on the desk that one time wasn’t the most loving thing to do (for myself and the energy I put into the house & the video). But awareness is key. The next time I felt my patience wear out, I headed out into the backyard, removed my socks, and just stood in the grass breathing in the beauty.

I hadn’t expected to spend 9 hours at the computer after returning home at 7am from our sunrise playtime. So what?! Those hours weren’t a loss. They were an investment into this budding passion for videography.

And now I get to share it with you – and that nourishes my soul. I hope this video and post nourishes yours.

Be Patient With Yourself & Others

We’re all works in progress.

The day after my computer frustrations, I’m back into the pure joy of sharing the beauty of Newfoundland with you in the hopes that it provides 3 minutes and 15 seconds of joy, awe, and gratitude for how this planet nourishes our souls. Can you feel it?

Today is a new day. Every day is a new day – an opportunity to shed what no longer serves us (in my case memories of 3 hours of technical issues and fear that it will happen again next time) to truly be in the moment. 

New Day. New Hope.

Be patient with yourself, no matter what’s pushing your buttons. 

Know that every day, the sun rises – even if it’s behind the fog & clouds.

You are the expanse of the sky, not the weather that travels through it.

You’re amazing. This Earth is amazing.

There is hope in daily new beginnings – an invitation to see and be differently with yourself and others.

Today’s a new day. Be patient with yourself and others. We’re all learning to be the best version of ourselves. That’s an investment worth making.

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