Winter Clearance Sale

Hi Everyone! It's winter clearance time at Kasiablue! Many items are marked down up to 50%, so grab the deals while you can. In the upcoming weeks I will start to post some contests and special offers only available to my blogger friends...so stay tuned for the deals!

For my regular, non jewelry readers, I will continue to post my musings and insights here...they will just be intermingled with some great baubles and pics.

Here's just a sampling of my sale items available at http://www.kasiablue.etsy.com/ *~*~*~*~*~*~

Dauphine

on sale $175

Regular price $295

SOLD

The Empress

On sale $175

Regular price $325

SOLD

A Fine Romance II

On sale $49

Regular price $89

Mermaid Goddess

On sale $29

Regular price $49

SOLD

Rings of Love

On sale $49

Regular price $69

Hope

Mary, Mary had a little baby
Mmm, Mmm yeah
Pretty little baby
Mmm, Mmm yeah
Pretty little baby

Glory Be to the new born King

The stars were shining
Shining on the manger
Mmm, Mmm yeah
Shining on the Manger
Mmm, Mmm yeah
Welcoming a Stranger

Glory Be to the new born King

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There is reason for Hope in this world
Through our challenges and fears
We are strong and resillient
For we are lifted up and carried
In His hands
He was born to this world
One of sorrow and strife
To give us a reason

For Life

To Him, be all Blessing and Honor
For being our guide
To bring us to the glory of Heaven
To give us the meaning of Light
To travel through the darkness
To unite our spirits as one

We shall carry your torch
Your light burning bright
With tears in our eyes,
laughter in our mouths,
songs on our toungs
and Hope in our hearts.

My Christmas wishes:
I wish for you much happiness, laughter, health, growth, success and, most of all, love for the new year to come.
Please share the love that has been given to you.
Hug your children, your parents, your friends.
Smile at a stranger.
Help those who need it, and those who say they don't...for they need it the most.
Laugh at your shortcomings, not at others inabilities.
Love passionately, even for a short moment...it will stay with you forever.
Be kind.
Be humble.
Be strong.
Be loving.
Be all that you can be in the moment that you live in.
Each second is precious.

Merry Christmas
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The beginning verse is from The First Noel on Sarah McLaughlin's Wintersong Album. I just love that song. The picture is of my own ornament that was given to me by Fr. Lou Dolinic many moons ago. It is beautiful and special to my heart.

Words

So, what do you do when you hear "we found a small tumor in your brain. But, don't worry, most brain tumors are benign".

The Neurologist told me not to worry, that I might have had it for a long time. I might just live to be 99 and never have it grow any larger. I might never have to worry about it again, but we really need to do some more tests to make sure.

Ok, I won't worry.

Famous last words, don't you think?
I was expecting a diagnosis of a pinched nerve, a slipped disk. But a brain tumor? It could be something, it could be nothing. Now isn't that something? I'm only 36, with a lot of unfinshed business, dammit.

I think I need to re-evaluate my life, my priorities. I have always been of the notion that life is too short and that we have to live each day like it was our last and without regret. That is always easier said than done.
Now, I may not have a choice but to do that.

It could be something, it could be nothing.
Could you say a prayer for the "nothing" option? I think that I need all of the help that I can get :)

Sophie

This is my Sophie. The one who would wake me up at 2 in the morning because she could. The one that would pounce on our little boy kitty Cocoa and proclaim to all kittydom that she was the Queen of this castle (and all the rest of the world). She is the one that will watch nature programs on tv, tail wagging and jaw a chattering because she was going to get those pesky birds, dammit. The one that was a little piggy and definitely hogged the food, because she could.

Now, my little Sophie is sick. I noticed on Thanksgiving that she seemed just a little skinny. Skinny? Our little moose kitty? She had definitely thinned out through her back side. She decided to start sleeping in the bathrooms, next to the tub...maybe for coolness? Usually the loud mouth, she just looked at you with sad eyes when you called her name. Her breathing became labored. All in a few days.

The vet said, after a battery of very expensive tests, that she is severely anemic, with an enlarged heart, and would need a blood transfusion. The regimine of antibiotics, vitamins and steroids have started, giving her some of the energy that she needs to survive. Best case scenario, she'll be with us for a little while.

Isn't it funny how we become attached so quickly? We have had her and her partner in crime for a almost a year and a half now. But it seems like she's always just been there. Selfishly, I want her to stay forever. That beautiful face has captivated me beyond all reason.

Please, say a prayer for Sophie. If she can stay with us, please let what we are doing, be the magic that she needs. If it is her time to leave us, please make it as painless as possible.

*~*We love you Sophie *~*

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

Sophie Update...Our little puss is doing much better after the meds (although my husband's hands are a little worse for wear). She has totally responded to the course of treatment and has gone back to ruling the household :) Thank you all for your prayers and kind words xo

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

Some new Creations

Twilight

Winter Berries

The Snow Lay on the Ground

I have been struggling for some time now with taking the pictures that I want to take of my little gem creations. Time and time again, they were not perfect...somehow something was missing. The lighting was wrong, the backround not right, the angle just a little off.

Then, a few days ago, it happened. I put a piece of jewelry on the pedestal of my favorite lamp and voila, the birth of the right picture was born! All of my favorite designers on Etsy have great pictures...ones that I felt were out of my reach...until now. Many of them employ professional photgraphers who have every gadget and gizmo available to them, along with perfect lighting.

Whoever told me to put the necklace on the lamp...thank you. I am forever grateful.

See, contrary to popular belief, I do listen :)

Reflections ~ Part I

Things that make me say thanks...

~my lovely, smart and spirit filled children

~friends that love me in the good and the bad, laugh with me until our sides hurt and tears spill from our eyes

~loving touches from the one that I have chosen to be mine

~bountiful food, wine and the fact that (even though I do complain about it) my pants are a too snug for my liking

~success in my business and the ability to continue on the path to inner fulfillment and prosperity

~my freedom to be a woman, without subjugation and humiliation, because I am a giver of life

~the ability to feel my way through life, to be connected to my real being and soul

~laughter, even when you are so tired

~a roaring fire in the fireplace with the snow falling gently outside

~the Hope that all will be just as it needs to be and for the strength to perservere

~the realization that my gifts are special, and that I now am finding that I need to use them to bring love and a positive light into this world

And mostly I am thankful for all that has made me who I am today, for my purpose is being slowly unfolded before my eyes, like pages in a mystery novel that keep you hanging with each new word.

Thank you, Lord. I am beginning to see my way through the forest.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The photo is from a site that sells antique style postcards and cards. You can visit them at www.jantiques.com

Signs and a Rainbow Moon

I have never seen anything like it...a rainbow around the moon. It caught my attention as I was walking into my house tonight after Bell Choir practice (Yes, I am the head ding-a-ling, being the director and all...but hey, someone has to do it). Anyway...as you all know, I have been asking for angelic intervention to help me along the way and to give me some guidance (and hope). After a rough weekend that broke my heart, I desperately needed some sign...just an inkling of hope...to keep me going. To know that I was going to be ok.

So, tonight, I received my sign...a rainbow in the dark.

The gleam of all the colors as they reflected ont he thinly veiled, softly moving clouds is almost impossible to describe...it literally stopped me in my tracks.

Maybe the angels knew that even in the darkest of spaces there is light. That the miracle of a rainbow can light the way out of the abyss that is forged from years of of putting your expectations on the back burner, waiting for the validation within love and hope that have failed to come.

Thank you my angels. I now see that there is hope out there for me. That I am worthy of the love that I so yearn for. That there is light in my darkest moments.

The Goddess of Hope is smiling.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The pictures are my own vain attempt at capturing the miracle that was in the night sky. The one shaped like a heart was just my unsteady hand trying to find a way to get a great picture, but the message was there for me to see loud and clear.

Tears

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Even the Goddess of Hope cries

tho' she raises all others up

Her broken heart

from wishes unfulfilled

Who will save her from herself

and all that she dreams to be true?

The Stillness of Silence

In this silence I am still

waiting for the cacauphany

of life to disturb

my empty bliss

I am alone in her presence

my angel of solitude

as she spreads her wings

to envelop

my wind worn soul

Only she knows

how desperately

I have wanted

needed

serenity

for the stillness that she brings

the silence

that roars with peace

and quietude

has become my salvation

she has called me here

from my dreams

the realization

of All That Is and

All That Will Be



In this silence

I am still

grateful

peaceful

renewed with hope
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Autumn Angel" is an original Pencil drawing by an artist named Katherine Stockton. This poem is an ode to my recent trip to Vermont, where the silence and stillness could leave you breathless. Lucky for me, it was just what I needed :)

Surprise, Recognition and Gratitude

This past week I had three surprises...all in a row. The first came as being featured in an Etsy storque article. They picked my September (Summer's End) bracelet. The following day, my garnet blossom necklace was featured on the Vintaj supply blog. I thought to myself...WOW, 2 days in a row in 2 separate venues. Well, here comes number 3...I was featured on the front page of Etsy. If I had the ability to do cartwheels without 1. making a fool of myself and 2. inflicting bodily harm to myself and all around me, I would have been flipping non stop!


I have been questioning, for some time, if what I am doing is right. I have been asking God and the Angels to give me signs that I can recognize so that I know that I am on the right path. I have been asking them ...Am I wasting my time? Do people really love my stuff? How am I going to make this work? Can do this, and this alone as my livelyhood? Can I still help people by making pieces of jewelry that help to heal their body, mind and soul?


This week, they have given me the signs in the form of powerful recognition. I have had customers leave beautiful comments after receiving their goodies...and then buying some more from me. My friends have always been SO supportive...to them I am forever grateful and definitely beg their forgiveness when I am in a sullen mood when business is not going like I think it should. I am grateful for my signs...for the angelic interventions that help to put my racing heart at ease.


Here are the links to my signs:

http://vintaj.com/wpblog/?p=737

http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/etsy-statistics-september-still-sunny-2708/

http://www.etsy.com/get_convo_image.php?convo_id=10008130&image_id=5904614&image_type=full

Thank you, my angel friends...you are being heard loud and clear!

Illusions

Have I ever been

the reflection
of what you have wanted

Has your heart

skipped a beat

when it met my eyes

Do you feel that

I have been more

than just something

to pass the time

I have heard from

the lips of others

that I am not

what you have wanted

not your desire

not your dream

not your loves design

and I can't breathe

How has this happened,

that I have been

led astray

Wishful thinking

with stars in my eyes

perhaps

dazzled by my dreams

of the perfect life

I suppose

that you have secrets

wishes of someone

that will make you whole

Since I am not she

free me from my bondage

for the love that you

have left me to taste

is bittersweet

So I pray

from the deepness of my soul

for the answers I seek

for the clarity in love

so that I might know

that I am loved

how I should be

without pretense

or reservation

to be loved without

wearing a mask

so that I am not

just a figment

an illusion of your perfection

that I am not

I wish for my tears to stop

and for joy to come to me

and lift this veil

with the hand of someone

who wants me

as much as I want them

Fear Me Roar

Today there has been much talk. People in panic mode scurrying around trying to make sense of their loveless and unfulfilling lives. It would seem to many that the world is crashing down. So many changes, crises, hurtful people, hurtful words, murder...you name it. Things have definitely gone askew. The full moon, no doubt, just loved having its crafty little hand in there stirring the pot. I am sure that this has not helped matters in the least.

So why all this fear? What are we so afraid of? That things won't "go our way"? That , *gasp*, we might have to have a little self control and actually have to make choices that require restraint? What has all of this excess gotten us? We are spiritually poorer than we have ever been in history. People are consumed only by what makes them "feel good" and not about the things can make us truly happy. Gee, what will that face-lifted, tummy-tucked, botoxed princess do if she actually has to do the laundry, fire the maid and nanny, cancel the trip to see her pomeranian get a pedicure in Borneo, and possibly ...get ready...have to...I can't say it...do without?

Is that what we're really afraid of?

Not being able to satisfy what we want, when we want it?

Like the man who nearly ran over a lady in the grocery store because he actually had to walk back in the same direction that he had come from to get some fresh mozarella, shouting that it was F*ing ludicrous that he actually had to ...possibly...get this...get it himself?

Why are we allowing this selfishness?

The arrogance?

The inability to do things for oneself?

One word sums it up...fear.

Just what would happen if we were not the end all be all? Not number one for a change? If we didn't have the biggest house or the nicest car? Or were the most popular? Or the most Barbielicious (that refers to the aforementioned gal that has had so much work done that it even would make Barbie cry)? What if we had to be self sufficient?

Things are changing. And, we will have to adapt. We will have no choice.

Open your hearts to love and let all of the fear crap go. Be done with it! We're really suffering because of it!

There, I'm done...thanks for listening!

Enough

Today I have declared to the Universe that I have had enough...of everything. Enough stress, enough unrest, lack of direction, feelings of helplessness to change my life around. I have simply had enough. I know that it is the higher powers that be trying to show me that I have spent my energy on things that do not truly satisfy me for way too long. I know that it's giving me that "gentle" (not so much) push to make a decision of where I would like my life to go. I realize that I have been sustaining this existence on what other people want and expect of me.

Even with all of my realizations, and things that I think that I know...I am still stuck. Frustrated that I have not found my answer. Angry that I am not where I would like to be. Tired of giving, giving and giving some more. Stymied by the fact that I have let myself be brainwashed into thinking that the conventional way was the only way. Burdened by the responsibility of changing, but without the arrow to point my way, I stand still.

I would like for my time to be now. I have prepared the way. I have done my duty. I have been the good soldier. I have fought all the battles and survived the wars. The scars are evident to all who know my at a deeper level.

I am praying for the breakthrough.

Frevently, on my knees.

Hands folded, eyes uplifted.

It is my turn this time. No compromises.

I am through with those.

I have had enough.

I Have Traveled the Heavens to Find You

I have traveled eternity to find you

through the heavens and the stars

Wandering from galaxy to galaxy

only to catch a glimpse of your face

Have you no regard for one

who loves you so?

No endearment to the one

who would traverse heaven and hell

only to be with you

You beguile me with your laughter

as you glide away on a new adventure

far from home in a land unknown

Has this fulfilled your desires?

Take the ribbon from your hair

and unravel the strands of time

that pass between us

for I am weak in your absence

Shall I wander as this lost soul forever?

Look to me, in the night sky

lift your glorious face to me

cast your gaze on the one who loves you

I am here waiting for you

I have searched the heavens

through Andromeda and Pleiades

chatting only with Venus along the way

hoping for some sage advice

Will you wait for me

as I prepare your hearts desire?

Do not run any longer

for you are where you need to be



Do not turn away
for I love you

Stay with me
forever
my love
you are
home

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poem by Kasia, September 2008
The angel photo is a stock image that I found while looking up the Pleiades. Never forget that there are angles all around us lifting us up to the heavens when the world becomes too much to bear.

Apathy

I sit

alone

still

lightly breathing

uncaring

unwilling

to move

fixated

on nothing

winds

swirling

caressing

my skin

making

desires

unfulfilled

with promise

my heart

is full

of apathy

with you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read between the lines and you will find two things in one...

poem by Kasia August 2008

My Booty from Plundering

Seriously gorgeous kyanite briolettes!

Whiskey quartz huge focal briolettes. Anyone for a shot of Crown?

Incredible blue flash labradorite. I think that I held these for about an hour straight the other day!

The color palette.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I truly have to say that I have a problem. I'm admitting it! I don't understand it, but I could look and play with my gemstones all day long. Seriously! These pics are from my recent trip to a trade show for all us gemmy gals (and guys) that can't get enough of pretty little rocks. So, I'm sending out a little sneek peak at my fall/winter collection and...the inspiration for my catalog. There it is in writing...my catalog. Does that make me official?

I was reading my friend Gracie's blog tonight and something that she said really struck home. We are always looking for the answers, for someone to make the decision for us. To make things better, to choose our paths in life, to tell us what is right and what is wrong.

But, guess what?

We are the ultimate answer to everything that we are looking for.

We make the choices.

We put up the obstacles.

We are our own worst enemy.

We are the heroes.

We are everything that we want to be, and then some.

So stop listening to everyone else(including the voices in your head)...and be you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope that you love the trinkets as much as I do. Someone has to share my obsession with me, you know!

{Visit Gracie's blog for more words of wisdom, beautiful insights, inspiration and love. www.Evenstar-art.blogspot.com }

I've been away...

I feel that I have been away for so long. (I mean the "me" part...selfish, indulgent and lazy) Tending to everyone else's needs, whims, desires. Working, working, and then working again.

Our summer is almost past, but I have yet to feel the sun's warmest rays make me want to run for shelter. I am an outcast to the sunshine, a reveler in dreams that have made me want for sandy beaches, salty air and blue skies. How could I have let this time slip away? My mind is cluttered, and I am tired. Wasn't this supposed to be simpler? Ah, as I have come to gather in my ripe old age of "foot on the banana peel to 40", nothing is as simple as it seems...or as we would like it to be.

Even a staycation would be nice...to reclaim the better parts of me.

Anyone ready for a roadtrip?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The picture is that of some beautiful glads that are growing in my backyard...aren't they stunning?

Romance Dances with the Rain

I see her

standing there

she is beautiful

porcelain in color

eyes enchanting

whistful and lonely

she is waiting

to dance with the Rain

her partner

her love

ever enduring

graceful and limber

she floats

against the sky

twirling

she is happy now

this lady called

Romance

for she is

one

with

Rain

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

{This poem is dedicated to two lovely friends who have chosen to leave us for a higher place. May they dance forever, with the sun in their face and the wind at their feet}

Little Hands

Today we went blueberry picking, my little girls and I. We dragged Daddy and Grammy along with us too, of course, just for entertainment. For 2 (long) hours, we backbreakingly picked the bushes clean of all that we could find...a whole 25 pounds to be exact. And boy, are they delicious...a wee bit tart, but nothing that some sugar couldn't fix.

As I took the picture for this blog, I saw their little hands...and I saw my past...and my future. In their hands that worked so fervently today, I saw the life that I never had at their age. I saw how genetics picks and chooses traits at whim, making carbon copies that are only visible when you look for them. I saw my Mother's hands in the form of little replicas, and it made me wonder how different her life really was from ours, surviving war by being shipped from Poland to Siberia at the tender age of four. In their little hands I saw everything that I have ever wanted and needed in my life. In their hands I saw love.

Now, I have to say that at about 1 1/2 hours into picking they had had enough. Truthfully, I think I was right there with them, but the berries were just to nice to stop picking! "Momma, this is hard work, but the berries will taste so much better since we worked so hard to get them" my eight year old said , in the midst of her "that's enough for me" moment. At that point I said to myself, I'm doing this right, mistakes and all. My five year old, not to be outdone by her older sister, came trotting over and said "Mom, this is the best day ever!".

Now, how do you top that?

New Things

Navarra Necklace

Isla de Azul Necklace

Czarina Earrings

Adrienne Necklace

Czarina Necklace

Abundance

Abundance

is fleeting

shifting sands

pour

through

your fingertips

disperse

into

thin air

your labors

fruitless

to accommodate

wealth's

desires

work

to enslave

prosperity's

Abundance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poem written by Kasia July 2008
Photo is of the "Ghost Forest" in Sand Dunes National Park, source is unknown.

My first Press

I'm just so excited and wanted to share that I am the featured artist for the week on Buffalo Indie Market's blog! Wooo hooo!!!! Here's the link, click on it to read the article and learn a little more about handmade in Buffalo!

http://buffaloindie.blogspot.com/2008/07/kasia-blue-designs.html#links

Just Beautiful

Beauty surrounds us everywhere...

A day brightened by a childs laughter

A caress from a loving parent

A knowing look filled with promise from your lover

A double rainbow following a thunderstorm

A flower in bloom, filled with the subtlest color...like flushed cheeks after a passionate kiss

Look for the beauty in your life everyday, for from the smallest glimmer comes the greatest joy.

Creations

I have been so busy the last few weeks that I haven't had much time to write (my horoscope said that I would be busy, but they have been wrong before!). So, instead of writing I have decided to post some of my new creations. Hope that you like them :)

Deep Blue Ocean : made from the bluest gems and pearls...it looks like you have taken a dive to the deepest part of the ocean

Freshly Picked : these reminded me of the freshest blueberries...goes perfectly with beach glass and flowing skirts ;)

Lady Luxie (named after one of my favorite blogs...the colors just reminded me of her, beautiful and vibrant)

Inner Glow: for my Gal Pal Gracie, for she emanates such a beautiful glow (but sometimes doesn't know it!)

Sweetness : the colors of this are just so...well, sweet.

All Designs Copyright of Kasia Blue Deigns 2008

Dauphine

The Dauphine...named after Marie Antoinette. The colors were all her...very French. I normally don't share my jewelry on this blog, but this one I just had to show off! The pictures almost don't do it justice, it positively glows in person!

Design is copyright of KasiaBlue Designs 2008

Lover

Your lifeblood flows

you are tattered

wings bruised

spirit scattered

to the four winds

devislish thoughts

and deceiving minds

linger deliciously

on your lips

dripping wet

with your lovers

honey

release the demons

whose possession

is consuming

slay their

maleficence

with swords of flame

coddle your

wonton lover

with a glance

all knowing of

your power

he is weak

from your attention

his wings are

ravaged

success has come

look at

your reflection

in his misery

Sunrise

Will I live to see the sunrise

awake to your sweet face

the mornings first rays

casting warm shadows

where I kiss your mouth

Am I selfish to believe

that you are not a dream

an apparition still floating

above my consciousness

dancing in the sunrise

Do I take for granted

the warmth of your skin

pressed so closely to mine

your smell, so familiar

your breath one rhythm, in time

I ask not to open my eyes

for this dreamscape

is too divine

Just one more moment

before this bliss passes us by

I love you

in this light

in this moment

in this sunrise

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Poem written by Kasia, June 2008

Photograph is a print of an original painting by Lisa Eastman

The Day Has Come To Fly

The day has come to fly

to spread your wings

and glide through the skies

the wind on your back

to lift you higher

The day has come to dance

to begin your journey

of faith and hope

unburdened by past endeavors

free of all obstacles

The day has come to sing

to lift your voice

unto the heavens

like the sweetest songbird

singing its lovers song

The day has come to fly

back home to those who love you

where there is comfort

strength and joy

Outstretch your wings

the little one who has grown

into something so beautiful

you are the creation of love

Today

your day

has come

to fly

I wrote this poem for all of those who finally said goodbye to a place that their heart and souls called home. A place where life's celebrations, trials and sorrows were observed, exalted and ceremonialized. The doors were locked today, shut from all those that would call it their bridge to a higher place. For those of us who have chosen to believe that there is more in life will have one less place to raise their voices, play their instruments...to voice their intentions in a unified manner.

As the Church doors were locked, beautiful white doves were set free from their barriers...a symbol of God's enduring love. As our parishes merge, we as a spiritual group have chosen the symbol of a butterfly to signify our path of change and growth. For a butterfly starts out as a homely, hairy caterpillar which has to, of no free will, surround itself with a painful layer of protection until it can fulfill its true destiny.

We are very much like that butterfly...surrounded by pain, loss, problems, self doubt and fear. But, we cannot stop our road to destiny. We have to outstretch our wings, poke through every painful barrier until we can see the plan for our road ahead.

The day has come to fly.

Open your soul to the possibility of a new life.

For you are God's destiny.

Poem written by Kasia June 21, 2008. Photos are stock images.

Waiting

Am I waiting for you to walk in

to save me from the rain

that melts my torturous vanity

that drowns my soul to desparity

Am I waiting for you to take my heart

and dance away the night

it's skirts twirling in flames

like a master with his naive muse

Am I waiting to catch my breath

for I have run ardently from the past

terrorized by its demons and calamity

to be claimed time and again

from a weak heart

Am I waiting for you to make me whole

random pieces of the puzzle

that are force fit into a landscape

that I have come to know as my life

I am unknowing

I am broken

I am willing

I am open

I am waiting

Poem by kasia written June 2008

Rain

Rain has always been beautiful to me.

It's sound is soothing, it's substance nourishing and it's power cleansing.

Today, in efforts to keep my girlish figure, my Husband and I decided to take a bike ride. We're training for the Ride for Roswell...a thirty mile (or more if you're really wacky) ride that raises money to help find ways to cure cancer. (If your heart feels generous and your pocketbook allows, please give to http://www.rideforroswell.org/ My homepage is listed under Kathy Cummings).

So, since I have committed to the everyday agony of training, I suggested that we go for a ride. And, in all of the "torture" the sky had started to cloud over and we were innundated with huge drops of rain in no time! It was raining so hard that the both of us were literally soaked to the bone. All during this, my husband kept saying "We need to keep pace, we don't want the lightening to get us".

But all I could do was...smile.

I just kept on laughing to myself, thinking of how much I needed to have all the crap washed away. I had been asking for it for a long time...and here it was in the form a downpour on a Sunday afternoon. By the time we got home I was tired, so very wet, and so very clean.

And, I'll tell you something...if I'm supposed to meet my maker while (grudgingly) exercising to find a cure for an insidious disease, then I guess that God really has a warped sense of humor!

Fantasy Life

A few of us dreamers have been chatting for quite some time about living the "Fantasy Life"...and no, it's not that kind of fantasy (although I'm sure that there would be moments ;0 ). What I mean is living the life that would make us the most happy, fulfilled, finacially secure, and so on. We all have a great time joking about never having to clean again or having a pool/cabana boy (wouldn't that be nice~sigh), but then we get right back to our insanely jam packed lives of neccessity.

So, here's the question...what is your fantasy life? What would you like your life to be? Would you be rich or have just enough? Famous or a recluse? Travel or buy a farm? What would you be willing to give up to have this life (we all knew that there would be some price to pay for all this, now didin't we?)?

I want to hear from everyone who reads this blog (thank you small and loyal following)!

KasiaBlue's Fantasy Life:
~no alarm clocks...ever!
~I would be a wildly successful jewelry designer/artist/shopper (not neccessarily for clothes...like for real treasures) and be self employed with my friends as happy helpers to go along on my treasure hunts
~I would love to be independently wealthy...which I would have to be in order to make this all happen (Mega millions winner or bankrolled by a super rich sugar daddy (who is also super hot and thinks I'm the bomb) matters not to me)
~I would love to travel EVERYWHERE! My gypsy soul needs it desperately!
~my kids would be educated by the best teachers available and would not have the constraints put on them by society that are just plain stupid (that's another post)
~I would have a 3 month honeymoon in Italy, France and the Mediterranean, waking up in adifferent place whenever we felt like it. (wouldn't that be sssooooo nice?)
~I would love not to have someone else plague me with everyday issues that are so truly inconsequential when it comes down to what is really important in life (i.e. could you move that thing over 1.345 mm to the left ...oh no, no, maybe 2.873 mm to the right...yes that's it)
~I want to be madly in love with someone and they equally in love with me for the rest of my life (aahhhh...the romance)
~I would love to be more spiritual and in tune with nature, the world and beyond
~I would host really cool dinner parties for my friends at one of my many villas or retreats

But most of all...I would want my family to be happy, healthy, smart, funny, giving, compassionate, and loving.
And since it's a fantasy life...I'm not willing to give up anything! But, if it could become a reality I would give up my old ways of thinking, habits and constraints that I have put upon myself.

What is your fantasy?

Somewhere over the Rainbow

As I drove into work this morning, I was blessed to see a tiny snippit of a rainbow. It was very faint, almost a figment of my imagination it seemed...but, every time that I looked up, there it was. And, to send the message home just a little more, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" began to play in the backround (no joke ! The gals from Celtic Woman have such a great harmonized rendition on their new cd...a must listen if you like that kind of stuff).

So, what is the message that I was supposed to receive? Rainbows are usually good luck, I have been told ...don't worry Gracie, I bought the mega millions tickets :) They are said to symbolize new beginnings and and forward movement.

Ahhh...maybe at last I will start to become unstuck.

Maybe my Emerald City is just down the yellow brick road (hopefully not laden with wicked witches and flying monkeys...they always creeped me out).

Maybe I will see the path more clearly, with courage, some smarts and little bit of heart.

Maybe the twisters that have followed me around for the past lifetime will finally start to break apart...and the skies will clear.

Maybe I could get a pair of those ruby slippers...they were snazzy!

Maybe...just maybe, it is my turn to find my way home.

Photo is a stock image.