Memorial Joy & Remembrance

Our memorial weekend was was filled with delight and joy along with remembering those who gave their life in consciously serving their country. We have been blessed in my family to have those who served in the armed forces return from their duties safely and without injury. On the civilian side, the graves of family members who have passed were tidied up and new plantings added in their memory.

As mentioned above, my husband and I were ecstatic to have our granddaughter Ella and her parents visit from San Diego for the weekend. I cannot even express the JOY I felt in watching her walk, run, dance and totally charm her grandparents. She is such a happy child ( she has her moments and they are few in comparison). Acknowledgements go to her parents and my daughter-in-law's Aunt June who babysits for them during the day for the gentle and caring way they guide her and give her the freedom to explore in a safe environment.

Saturday night found us chillin' and enjoying the music of Chris Gregory , a local singer and songwriter, at Javalina's coffee house http://www.javalinas.com/. Ella was a captive audience for an hour and a quarter even with her bottle. Sunday brought my sister, Kate and husband, Dennis up for lunch and a round of golf.

On Monday,Memorial Day, we had an unexpected visitor to my backyard fountain- a bobcat! I had just lowered the sunshades on the porch so the photo is a little blurry. My small zen-like backyard attracts a multitude of birds including a nesting pair of quail with their eggs, hawks and various lizards. This is a first for the bobcat.

Bobcat drinking on left side of

fountain

My intention for the weekend was to create those one moment in time memories while enjoying, relaxing and connecting on a deeper heart level with family. By jove, it was created as I allowed the events to unfold!!

Great Joy & simplicity,

Colleen

http://www.consciouslivingconnection.com/
"to create what matters most"

Catch up!

I had a fantastic birthday with tons of cards and well wishes. Thanks to all who took the time to write. I hope you all had a fabulous Mother's Day for yourself, your mom or dear friend /relative who is like a mother to you.
The Wednesday after Mother's Day I got socked with a very nasty stomach flu bug or food poisoning- not sure which. I basically stayed in bed for 4 days emerging on the fifth day to stay up right for more than 30 minutes. Sometimes the body just needs to cleanse itself from the inside out to prepare for more energetic future activities. During that time, a bike that my husband ordered for me arrived. I've always loved to ride and haven't really ridden for a number of years. As soon as I purchase a helmet, I'll take "her" out for spin. This is all part of my renewed commitment to being health conscious.
It's interesting to me that during that time of confinement that I surrendered to my body's wishes to rest, sleep and be totally present in the moment. Emotionally, I was so grateful to be living in an environment with indoor plumbing ,hot running water and plugged into a way of communicating with the world outside my bedroom. I had some rigid lessons in being patient and honestly I handled it all fairly well until the 4th day when I became a little testy. Not eating solid food for 4 days can do that I guess.

So now I'm doing a bit up catch up but with a more relaxed attitude and a profound gratitude and respect for my physical body. I'm more tuned in to listening to what my body needs and in doing that I found I was more receptive to listening to the voice of my soul.
Ever the coach, I even posed a couple of inquiries for my self which I'll share and they were, " How can I meet myself where I am today?" "This is where I am; what do I need?".

Joy, Passion & Simplicity,
Colleen

Sometimes You Just Gotta Twirl

Here is the e-zine article that Barb is referring to: To receive
your complimentary subscription to Conscious Connection, sign up for the complimentary 5 day e-course on conscious communication at http://www.consciouslivingconnection.com and watch your positive interactions soar!

As a young girl, I loved visiting my grandparents who lived down the hill from our house. I would often just linger to play outside in their yard. On warm summer mornings, my joy would overflow and I would begin to twirl (spin) and twirl and twirl then drop down to lie on the earth scented grass. I could feel the earth rotate and spin under me all the way down to the core as I gazed up at the milky blue sky. The universe and I were one. The connection to the earth and sky was so intensely profound that even my young self “knew” that this experience was a touch of the divine. At times, it felt as if the past, the present and the yet to come all came together in that particular moment. Such was the joyous feeling of connection. Even as an adult, I still find myself choosing to spin as an expression of sheer joy, when I need to feel connected to the Universe or when I need to bring energy back to my self. I come full circle onto myself.

The expression of Joy can be quiet, loud, dramatic, and physical or however you choose to express it. And express it you must. The nature of Joy requires expression. Joy shared has a wonderful ripple effect which draws out more joy from yourself and others. In our society, there’s a tendency to be guarded about expressing joy-unless it’s a sporting event, graduation or special event. I present that each day is special and giving yourself permission to see and express joy opens you up to a deeper connection with the voice of your soul and in creating what matters most in your life.

How is your joy expressed? Fill in the blank: Sometimes I just gotta __________.

A sister Twirler! Yeah!

Good morning Colleen!Just read your letter and as always you've really touched me. Your thoughts on motherhood and peace beginning in the home are so true and challenging with older children!! Struggling here just this morning, but you're reminding me that it begins with myself... thank you!Also, just got through describing an experience to my boss and co-worker on Monday about myself as a young girl loving to twirl and twirl around until I grew dizzy and fell down. Then do it again :-) Pure Joy!! For me, the memory is strongest in our living room to the 8- track of Carly Simon's, "You're so vain" :-) Loved to sing and twirl to... "I had some dreams--- they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee and... " Thought it fabulous that she had dreams of clouds in her coffee:-) The point of my story was a discussion on music and how it can impact our experience and stay with us for years..I loved your story of connection with nature/divine with your twirling, which again has been a huge theme with me this week. Amazing! Been pondering, and discussing with my client's parents the major disconnect from nature/outdoor play to technology (TV/video games). Huge for these children who need all the movement (proprioception/vestibular/ and tactile input) for their nervous systems to be able to attend and learn!!And yes, getting away from nature where the divine is all around us!Anyway, just want to thank you for your newletter and refreshing insight you bring.Blessings and joy!!Barb

Off to the Races!

Saturday my husband (Duwayne) & I travelled down to Sonoita, AZ for their local horse races, to watch the Kentucky Derby and meet up with my sister, Kate and a group of her friends. Kate ( holding the white program) excels at gathering people together for fun and making ordinary events special. We had a wonderful time! The group was very generous in sharing the food they brought along. This is the 6th year of this social tradition for them. We all took turns making water runs and supporting the local economy. I made new friends and thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and banter that flowed in this group. All was good, upbeat and positive. I even bumped into several colleagues who were enjoying this sunny, slightly breezy day.

What ordinary event can you transform into something fun, silly or light hearted to create what matters?

P.S. My husband was the photographer.

P.S.S. Happy Cinco de Mayo

Court Update

There have been 2 other times in my life in which I was involved with a group of people that I‘ve never met before where there was instantaneous bonding. I can now add a third. I was privileged to serve on the jury of a federal case with 12 other individuals from all walks of life, all ages and backgrounds. Each person came into this service with an open mind and a desire to make the right decision based on facts presented or not and their intuition. All of our conversations up until the time when we could discuss the case were respectful, filled with compassionate curiosity, focused attention and a genuine heart felt interest. The good vibrations were in surround sound. We spent a lot of time waiting as legal issues that needed to be addressed without our presence were resolved. This bonhomie became very evident during our deliberations when there was an impasse. There were no angry words, tense postures only respectful consideration for each person’s perspective and a thoughtful discussion of the facts or lack of facts to assist in reaching a consensus. We knew and felt the weight of deciding the fate of 2 young men.
We felt the honor and privilege in living in a country where the legal system-imperfect as it is- states that a person is innocent until proven guilty. This principle is taken seriously by the court. It was interesting how we connected with the judge and appreciated her demeanor and warm presence in the courtroom. She invited us back to her chambers after the trail for a post trial conference or de-briefing and answered any questions that were still lingering and sought our thoughts and opinions about the process and court personnel. We were invited to be candid and we were with numerous positive observations and a frank discussion of those things that constituted a concern. It brought to light how even in a huge supposedly cold federal judicial system each person involved can contribute to creating a positive experience for others. They were empowered to create what matters with innovative and heart felt interactions. The personnel in this federal court are awarded the Creating What Matters award.