Dragon Dresser

This is my first attempt at painting furniture.
Max and Sam helped me, using Sam's specifications.

Weekend Frolics

This past weekend was a wonderful mix of friends, food, and music. A most enjoyable and relaxing weekend!

First, Nate was in town for a workshop, so we got together and tried a new place. New place for me, but been open for a long time. Five Seasons Brewery. It's close to here, and I was in the mood for a cool one. When we arrived, there was a 45 minute wait for a table, so we sidled up to the bar and found two seats right in the corner. Score! The beer was wonderful, dark, nutty, slightly bittersweet, and filling. The food was exceptional for bar food. They have "small plates", so i tried the mixed olives, then a beet salad (with cheese and small greens), and then some calamari with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. Nate had the fish and chips (trout and homemade French fries). Everything was fabulous.

Saturday was Sam's birthday party. I drove three of his friends up to QZar so they could play laser tag and then brought everyone home. That was an experience - and although somewhat stressful, it was easy to get through.

Saturday night was another enjoyable repass with my friend, Joanna. We tried another restaurant that i had been wanted to try for awhile, Rice in Roswell. It was lovely. Again, when we arrived (early), they asked if we had reservations, and no, we did not. We were able to procure a table on the porch, however, and enjoyed an elegant tai iced tea while we waited for our meal. The first course we shared was a shrimp dish with red onion and fresh ginger. Yummy. Then, our main dishes, which were also good.

Later, we had been invited to listen to some music at a coffee house. The coffee house unceremoniously closed and the venue was moved to Joanna's friend's home. It was lovely. There was a nice group of people who came, a lot of food and drink, and really wonderful music. The first band played a lot of Celtic music - with a bit of a bite. The second band was more classic rock. It was really wonderful, relaxing, and unique. We were on a very large screened in porch and there was a large pond outside. During breaks we walked down and listened to the bull frogs. Very cool.

Sunday, a road trip to Dahlonaga proved to be another great culinary adventure. Although we were looking for properties, we didn't have much luck finding what we were looking for. The Welcome Information Center didn't have a map large enough to show us the roads leading away from the center of town, and we were confused by the road signs. Also, motorcycles abounded - apparently very popular area with the curvey mountainous roads. We stopped at the Crimson Moon Cafe for a late lunch, which was very nice. Also, there was an "open mic" afternoon, and various artists were invited to bring their instruments and play. Again, a wonderful mix of music - mostly bluegrass-ish this time.

All in all, a very welcome weekend. Now, it's back to work.

School's In Session

Well, today is the first day of school for Max & Sam. Yikes. Early rising now...to catch the bus a bit after 7 a.m.

Back to routine for me too, as i head off to work - back to the everyday routine instead of what the summer allowed me.

I am working on several projects right now, and it has given me a new burst of energy. Of course, some of my older projects are beckoning me to finish them, too. Although sometimes it seems like there isn't time for everything, I seem to be finding more energy and time to do the things i enjoy. That's a good thing.

Projects around the house abound, the jewelry business, the cherag studies, the new furniture painting projects and exercise compete for time, but somehow all create a balance.

Right now, the angst is caused by not knowing. This is something i am getting used to - and i have decided it has become a matter of faith. Usually i know my course. Now, however, there is a sense of floating and preparing. Preparing for what is the angst-creator. Usually i feel or understand the goal (long term), but now, it is shrouded and all i can do it watch it unfold each moment.

The Sovereign Soul

My friend, Phillip Gowins, is a newly published author. Although he lives in Yonkers, NY, he has agreed to come to Atlanta to visit and conduct a workshop and booksigning.

If any of you avid readers and/or spirituality hounds are looking for something interesting to do to extend your awareness, you might want to check out these events:

Phillip will be conducting a free interactive lecture and booksigning at the Phoenix & Dragon bookstore on Friday, September 8. He will also be conducting a one-day workshop in Marietta the following day, Saturday, September 9. The following is a flyer that we are using to promote the event.

If you just want to order the book, you can do so through Amazon.com.


THE SOVEREIGN SOUL

A WORKSHOP WITH PHILLIP GOWINS

“Every soul is born a king; it is only afterwards that he becomes a slave.”
Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan


You are a Sovereign, a King or a Queen, because that is the nature of your perfect soul. The stress and clutter of modern life create tensions and impressions--psychic build-up--that can hide the being of light and joy that you really are.

It doesn't have to be that way.

This workshop is a kind of spiritual house-cleaning. In it, we shed some of the masking clutter to uncover the Sovereign within each one of us. We meditate, visualize, converse, and act as witnesses for one another. We may also sing, chant, or even dance. The basic principles of Sufism, expressed for the Western mind by Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan and further described by his son and successor, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, will help us journey into our own depths to discover and get to know the Sovereign within.

Phillip Gowins, workshop facilitator, is has been a Sufi Representative and Teacher for over 20 years. A long-time student of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, He is the co-founder of the Inner Voice Sufi Center in Yonkers, New York. His new book, The Sovereign Soul, is the second volume of Paradigm Press's Newton Series exploring ancient wisdom in the modern world.

Phillip will be at the Phoenix and Dragon bookstore on Friday evening, September 8, 2006, to give a free lecture and to sign his book, The Sovereign Soul.

On Saturday, September 9, this one-day workshop is being offered from 10 am-4 pm at Labyrinth Centre, 1216 Franklin Rd., Marietta, GA 30067. The cost of the workshop is $50. An evening of Zikr and other Sufi practices will be held Saturday evening from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at Labyrinth Centre for $10.

Please contact Molly Wender at 404-256-1853 or mollyywender@bellsouth.net for information or to reserve your space at the workshop and/or Zikr.

Failure and Success

Everyone is faced with both failure and success in this world. In order to find peace, it is important for me to examine each opportunity to learn from each and glean whatever lesson I would - so that perhaps i could learn whatever it is I need to learn, and perhaps new lessons can arise.

This past weekend, I took a road trip with my friend, Joanna. We went out on Saturday morning and picked a general destination of a town about 45 miles outside of Atlanta. We went real estate hunting. We've been talking about moving to the mountains for at least a year, and the time to take some action happened upon us.

Although I knew the time would come to move, it has been very hard for me to look at it as just a move or an opportunity. To me, yesterday, it seems like a failure. Starting to clean out my house brings up memories of the past which I had packed away. Now, reviewing and creating piles of give-aways and throw-aways is forcing me to face the emotions of the past. Keeping a balanced emotional state was impossible.

Perhaps the symbolism and actual action of cleaning and clearing out the linen closet and chest yesterday helped me understand and witness the emotions that I had packed away for a future time that the universe deemed more appropriate. The feelings of a failed marriage loomed over everything. The marriage ended more than seven years ago. The fact that I am making the decision to move is based on many factors, one of which is the inability - or perceived failure - of being able to take care of the house & yard physically and financially on my own. I guess, perhaps, that I thought that someone else would enter the picture to provide the balance of what we needed to keep the house, and repair my sense of failure at marriage. Of course, there is a choice - of getting a better paying fulltime job, but that doesn't solve the other issues surrounding the decision to move, which aren't focused on failure, but on creating what I would consider a less hurried life for me and the children.

So, after an emotionally trying weekend that I am looking back on, I am focusing on the other reasons for moving. I hope that I am learning the lessons that these failures have brought into my awareness. With that behind me, hopefully the joy and excitement of new adventures will propel me onward.