and the awesome crescent moon… lookin’ like the cheshire cat smile!!!
🙂
p.s. i love how you can see the outline of the moon, too!
both venus and jupiter will be visible through the end of february! so, make sure to look up! ❤
and don’t forget to get out in nature! it’s so healing!!!
i took some pretty pictures of the moon a while back and never got around to posting them. since we recently experienced a full moon, i thought i would share some of those images here with you.
also – my favourite quote :
“to be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing its best to make you something else, is to fight the hardest battle you are going to fight… never stop fighting.” – ee cummings
i drove down to columbia, south carolina to watch the total solar eclipse yesterday… and i’m so glad i made the trek! admittedly, i did not do as much preparing as i would’ve normally done… particularly because it kind of came together last minute. originally i had wanted to go to greenville, sc – which is where i was born {and supposedly where the highest totality and visibility would be}, but it all worked out rather nicely and i’m thankful to have been where i was… especially because it was also my mama’s birthday yesterday.
i didn’t have time to make a pinhole camera, which i really wanted to do, but of course i had a camera. if you follow me on instagram, i hope you saw the story… it was fun to create.
it was important to me not to get too caught up in taking fotos, because i truly wanted to enjoy the moment {two minutes, 36 seconds to be exact} 🙂
i shot these images with a 50mm lense… which, of course, isn’t ideal for something so far away… but i kind of liked showing the sky and having the tiny sun and moon fill up a tiny amount of space. i didn’t have a special filter, so i simply put my eclipse glasses over my lense. i thought about using my zoom lense, but like i said, i was more concerned with being there to truly witness the moment… it’s a hard balance sometimes, as someone who loves to take pictures… but i have been challenging myself to “capture the moment with my mind,” from time to time. this was one of those moments.
i took a few pictures of the crowd as well, but i wasn’t super thrilled with most of them. i think i was just too caught up in the experience to really take very many fotos… and i’m okay with that.
it was a truly incredible event and the sky was perfectly clear for the duration of {almost} totality. the crowd was wonderful, the vibe was awesome, the beer was delicious {i drank a special ‘black ipa’ aptly named, “blackout”.} i feel very fortunate to have been where i was during the eclipse. we reached totality around 2:30 p.m. in columbia, south carolina. the temperature dropped, the moon inched in front of the sun, making it as dark as night… the crowd went wild, people screamed and hugged and kissed… it’s kind of hard to truly describe how marvelous it was to see it all happen. the energy felt very intense to me… and as someone who has always admired and been in awe of the stars, it was a lot to take in… something for the history books, indeed.
i’m still buzzing from it all ❤
hey gang, happy summer!
i hope you are enjoying the season, wherever you may be reading this.
here in colorado, it has been very hot… like in the high 90s and even 100 degrees! yesterday, to officially kick off summer, i walked to my local pool for a dip. it was the perfect way to welcome in the new season!
another fun thing i did to celebrate summer and the solstice, was make this beautiful solstice summer tea… or as i named it, “prosperi-tea” … cuz i’m cute and nerdy like that. plus, it sounded super magical.
the idea came from an online source that suggested putting various herbs and flowers in a pitcher and sitting it out in the sun during the day of solstice. here’s what i put in mine :
fresh lettuce leaves, pea shoots, roses, lilies, strawberries, succulent, snapdragon, various flower petals, mint, and tons of sage.
all of the ingredients came from my local community garden… the pea shoots and lettuce came from my plot! 😀
here is the finished product :
someone said to me, “it looks like perfume!” which made me giggle. in a way, it IS like perfume in that it is made from beautiful summer flowers! 🙂
this lovely “prosperi-tea” was so easy to make and it was delicious, too! it was light and soft and refreshing. i also love the colour it developed! i put a lot of love into this tea as well, which i believe makes a big difference! 😉 ❤
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what did you do to ring in summer?
it’s that time again!
you walk into the other room and suddenly completely forget why you went in there…
that’s right – it’s MERCURY RETROGRADE!
mercury will be taking his backward journey in the sign of scoprio/libra from october 4th through october 25th. as always, MR periods offer a chance for a “do-over” in some areas of our lives. sometimes people from the past resurface or we get a chance to look at something from a different perspective, and perhaps make a different or more clear decision about it. MR gets a bad rap, but it can really offer a second-chance in a way, we just have to be open. mercury retrograde just wants us to consider things from ALL SIDES, and to make decisions from a more introspective mentality. sometimes we need to see things form a different angle, and that sheds light onto a subject in a way we perhaps hadn’t noticed before. conversely, sometimes MR periods cast “shadows” on matters… afterall, mercury himself is the epitome of duality – having both equal parts dark and light. sometimes the key is to trust the saying, “if one door closes, another one will open.” the key is also to go within, and trust your intuition a little more.
some of the other key things to remember during mercury retrograde are as follows…
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try not to sign any major documents… and if you must, go over all the paperwork with a fine-tooth comb, as they say, and make sure to “dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s” – MR periods tend to cause our minds to easily overlook small but important details, so it is usually advised that one does not do something like say – purchase a home or sign divorce papers – and the like, during this time.
allow for extra time during travel… or try not to do too much of it in general – MR periods tend to slow down travel/transportation overall but by allowing for extra time, frustration can be easily avoided. i always suggest leaving the house an extra 10-15 minutes early on your way to work, just in case.
do your best not to make any major decisions… mercury is the ultimate trickster. it’s important to use this time to “incubate” your thoughts… pay attention to how they may change or how you may suddenly see something in a whole new way. MR periods have potential to cause confusion, so it is advised to let your thoughts simmer rather than act on them right away.
triple check your work… in going along with “crossing all your t’s” and such {which is kind of a weird thing to say in this modern keyboard-driven technological world we live in}, MR periods beg for us to make sure to pay attention to the details. it’s easy to forget something that may seem like a habit to you. so just do your best to take a few extra moments to make sure you shut the garage door, replied to that important email, or sent a text to the right person 😐
be conscious of your words and any miscommunication… it’s one of the biggest downfalls of MR periods. sometimes you may just NOT hear someone right, or sometimes you may struggle to find the proper words to express yourself, or sometimes you may misunderstand what a person said – or vice versa. just slow down, go easy, and remember that it will pass. and try not to hold a grudge against someone if there in fact is some miscommunication… you can always talk it out after the 25th 🙂
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of course, if you are a natal mercury retrograde soul like myself, you always have the green light for any of the things listed above. it’s not to say that these periods don’t effect us in these categories, it’s just that we have a different way of interacting with the energies, since we live it on a daily basis.
mercury will be traveling through scoprio and libra during these 3 weeks. some areas of our lives in which MR may have an effect are – divorce, sex, death, rebirth, finances {scorpio} and relationships, partners, clients, fairness, equality {libra}.
if you want to read more of my rants about mercury retrograde events, you can click HERE.
and i hope you backed up your important stuff recently… just sayin’
have fun! ❤
hey gang, how’s your mercury retrograde treating you?
mercury retrograding in cancer teaches us this…
we are almost half way through the cycle… and now mercury has left the sign of cancer and entered his home sign of gemini…
so what does this mean? — well, the last week or so may have presented you with issues to deal with, revisit, resolve, etc. in the following themes : home, roommates, intuition, nostalgia, mother/mother figure, childhood, emotions, security needs… these are some key themes of the sign of cancer. perhaps you made the decision to move or make renovations in your home? perhaps a past project came up that needed tweaking or you had an “epiphany” regarding something from your past. you may have learned to trust your intuition more, or to learn to come to terms with some emotions you are feeling… MR in cancer offers an opportunity to revisit, rework, and release in these areas of our lives… and with the full moon energy last week, this period has had amplified energy to support it, as well…
now mercury is continuing his backward travel through the sign of gemini – which is where his “home” is. for the next couple weeks we can expect to see our thoughts shift into the themes that gemini represents. these include talks, short trips, local activities, brothers/sisters, electronics, vehicles, writing, the internet, and anything else that involves connecting or communicating. mercury LONGS to connect, and when he is in the sign of gemini, he has the most success in doing so. however, since he is retrograding in this sign, we can expect to see our thoughts become more introspective. we may want to get other people’s advice or opinions on the current relevant matters in our lives. we may revisit a writing project or rework a trip we had planned. any vehicle or electronic issues may arise to be addressed {sorry, that IS one of the bummers about this period – i hope you backed up your computer recently!} and/or we may find people from the past showing up again to rework, reclaim, or revise a situation. there is great opportunity during MR periods… it’s like taking a mulligan 😉
mercury retrograde periods get a bad rap – but i believe it’s because we don’t generally UNDERSTAND what they are for… and we don’t properly harness the energy presented during these times, so many of us are left feeling frustrated and wondering what happened. which is ironic because that is precisely what mercury retrograde longs to be – UNDERSTOOD! i can’t tell you how many times a day i catch myself thinking or saying “i just wish {that person} understood how i felt.” you may catch yourself using some of my catchphrases lately – like, “did that make sense?” or “i just want to explain it so you can understand…” or “that came out the wrong way, let me rephrase that…” or “wait, i didn’t mean to say that…”
astrology doesn’t MAKE stuff happen… it can’t cause events. but time and time again i find validity in the movements and study of the planets and their behaviour. being natal mercury retrograde, i have a unique and tremendously accurate understanding of how this planet’s movements effect our lives in a major way. perception is EVERYTHING in life – and it can be to our benefit or to our detriment. this has been my biggest lesson during this current MR period. i guess it all goes back to being true to who you are. we are not all the same – we are very uniquely different. but i believe that the ways in which we are the same can bring us together and allow us to be ourselves, as individuals… if we could just simply change the way we look at things – at life.
every puzzle piece has importance, significance, and relevance – we just don’t and CAN’T all have the same design, function, or purpose – we must each bring our own individual strengths to the group, the collective, the puzzle itself. and we should never try force a puzzle piece to change its shape… we simply can’t. and besides, then it wouldn’t fit in the puzzle, anyway – you dig?!
thank you for reading, and for your support – it means the world to me! and please let me know any thoughts you have or feelings you wish to share… i love hearing from you! and don’t forget, i also am available for hire to conduct natal astrology interpretations.
mercury went retrograde in cancer today… for three weeks we can expect to see our thoughts become more reflective and introspective. a few of the key themes will be home, renovations, real estate, roommates, moves, security needs, childhood, intuition, emotions, mother/mother figure, and creativity.
as you may recall from my previous rants, mercury was the messenger god in greek mythology… he “presides” over the following themes in our lives : communication, travel, electronics, writing, thought-processes, transportation, and the like. he longs to communicate and relate. he was the figure responsible for communicating messages to the “mortals” from the “gods” – what a job, huh?! try communicating with a bunch of people who don’t “speak your language” … it can be quite challenging.
this time, mercury is retrograding in the sign of cancer. and cancer is ruled by the moon, by our emotions. cancer represents things like our security, home, family, and intuition. what makes this particular mercury retrograde interesting is that the moon will be housed in it’s ruling sign, cancer, during this transition, as well… that means a WHOLE LOT OF ENERGY under one roof! my advice is to expect the unexpected. trust your gut – listen to that voice inside that speaks softly to you; it’s nudging you one way or another… and sometimes we have to surrender and let go of what we feel is “safe,” in order to open up to a whole new world…
as i’ve mentioned, i was born with natal mercury retrograde in my astrological chart. these time periods {occurring about 3-4 times a year for approximately 3-4 weeks at a time} tend to make me feel extra good. for one, i feel more like my “authentic self” and less like i’m trying so hard. i feel more articulate, open, and creative. this is particularly true this morning.
i have had a weird couple of weeks over here and this morning i woke up feeling different… and i welcome good change.
now – to see where this energy takes me…
❤
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by the way, i am available for hire as an astrologer. i specialize in conducting accurate birth chart interpretation and would love to help you on your way to understanding YOU a little better… 🙂
email me if you are interested!
hey friends. how was your weekend? i took a long one, and spent some time in denver visiting a few loved ones. my goodness was it a rich weekend. i am so blessed to have some truly amazing people in my life. they are generous and giving and never turn their back on me. i am blessed to have such loving friends!
i had every intent to write “mercury monday” as promised yesterday, but i just ran out of time. i start a new job today and had to tie up loose ends in other ways and just get mentally prepared for the day. i’ll be working in glorious aspen… it is going to be a great season!
so here we are, in the final week of mercury retrograde. how have you been feeling over the last couple of weeks? personally, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster. i mean, i know i mentioned that mercury retrograde periods are when i feel most alive and articulate, and that is very true and still applies {hence the reason i have started journaling more and even started writing a book, finally!} – however, that doesn’t mean i am immune entirely to the energies that come along with it. Continue reading
hey ya’ll. happy monday – did you have a nice weekend? i had a foto shoot saturday, but relaxed all day sunday… did a little work around the tiny home, and organized some things that needed organized – that always feels great, doesn’t it?!
i promised i would write about mercury retrograde for the duration of its journey… and although i’m tired and not feeling as “wordy” as i did last week – well, i’m a woman of my word – so here we go.
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last week i went on and on about how awesome it was that i discovered my mercury retrograde and how i can utilize the energies that come about when it takes a backward journey. thank you so much for reading a little about me! a whole week has now passed and i still feel a little more “normal” than normal, but i also have noticed that my overall ability to just let go of things has come with more ease…
it’s amazing how much “stuff” we carry with us – ideals adopted from our families or social groups, our schooling, our peers, and our every day interactions with things even like the internet, phones, and public places. often times, this may leave us feeling confused and wondering “who we are” or “where we belong” – because for so long we’ve just done what was expected of us, or followed the masses. all the while, those adopted patterns, beliefs, or behaviors, may not actually resonate with who we are as individuals. i’m working very diligently on changing my own personal paradigms, so that i may walk about this earth with more comfort, confidence, and grace… and ultimately, more love… for myself, and for others. sometimes this means changing behaviors or habits within, in order to aid in revealing the most authentic version of myself. Continue reading
hey gang.
i decided to write a little today. it’s been a long time since i’ve written down my thoughts and it is such a good outlet for me… i always say i’m “better in print than in person” and that is very true. i find i am much better at expressing myself when i write. i often get “tongue-tied” or have major trouble articulating what it is i need to say.
this truth does bend occasionally… about 4 times out of the year… for about 3 weeks at a time.
why this change?!
the planet mercury, that’s why.
{foto courtesy wikipedia}
Continue reading
missing new york and hair long-enough to pull in a ponytail…
i’ll get there soon… it’s growing sort of fast{ish}… okay not really at all. and i hate to blame it on colorado but i do… my hair always behaves funny here and it’s nothing like my east-coast hair…
whatever… sigh.
and on that note, have a great weekend! mercury is retrograde, in case you didn’t know… there is lots of information out there for those of you interested in reading more… just do a search. and be patient as you may encounter delays as per the very essence of MR. even as i typed this blog, my keyboard kept freezing up. and my music was skipping… haha.
one day i’ll talk about how i was born under MR. it’s rare, as am i… and usually i can articulate myself a little more effectively when mercury is slowing down for those few weeks every 4 months…
aaannnyway, enjoy the weekend!! 🙂
a blue moon occurs when there are TWO full moons in one month. we had a full moon on august 1st – {uhm, only the most emotional full moon i’ve been through to date} – and now this evening, we will have another full moon. it will technically be full in the wee hours of the night, but it ought to be quite the display in the big sky. last night after i watered the garden, i looked up and saw it. i ran in to grab my camera, got distracted by my cute cat, only to come back to see that the moon was hiding behind some clouds. some COOL clouds!
i work late tonight, so i probably won’t have time to take photos of the full moon, but i thought i’d share these images from last night – as i precariously stood on a patio chair, nervously gripping my neighbour’s fence in hopes of not falling or shaking too much. shooting at 1600 ISO is NOT my favourite thing ever. but, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get some good shots… Continue reading
nothing says summer to me quite like watermelon. when in its seasonal prime – flavourful, juicy, fresh, delicious watermelon.
whole foods market had a one day sale – 2/$5 on these organic beauties. and i bought four. this is my last one, and i’m eating it today to celebrate summer! i bought a little melon baller, which i think is just so fun for precisely this reason 🙂 — and – way easier!! Continue reading
food & foto 