Bluebird #7

In October a friend of mine gave up the good fight against a 17 year addiction to drugs and alcohol. He got sick and tired of being sick and tired and took his life. It was a shock. It was tragic. It was very very sad. It rocked my world and shook up my belief system and caused me to reexamine it.

In a weird way his passing has given me hope and a new perspective on what I believe. It has strengthened my belief in a forgiving God and the idea of a Divine Plan. My compassion has grown for people who struggle to get clean & sober. My friend showed me how my life touches the lives of people around me because I saw how he had touched people’s lives at his memorial service.

His mother is a very dear friend of mine. She needs a daily dose of hope. So Bluebird #7 will ride in her car next to her picture of the Dalai Lama.

Bluebird #6

Today was a bit challenging for me. There was a list of items on my To-Do List looming in my head that needed to be addressed. The kind of things you wish would go away… your bill was late now there’s an extra fee… insufficient funds notices to clear up… so sorry you didn’t get the job we hired someone else… Yay! Life is in session!

Where’s the hope!? Where did I put that darn hope? I could have sworn I put it right next to my keys… is it in my purse? Maybe I left it in the car. Oh! There it is hiding under a bushel of fear!

That fear can sneak in quick without you even knowing it. It’s outside in the driveway doing push-ups just waiting to wrestle me to the ground. Some people say fear stands for: False Evidence Appearing Real. I think that is true. I get myself all wound up over things that are not as big as I think they are or are not even happening.

The late bill… was their mistake. I paid it on time. The insufficient funds were because I linked the on-line Bill Pay to the wrong account. They refunded one of the two fees. The job - I didn’t get it but the right one will come along. And right now right now everything is okay. December rent paid. My health is good. There’s food in the fridge. I’m going to meet up with my knitting club tonight with one of my sunshiney friends and Noodle is curled up on the ottoman next to me! Yay! Life is in session!

There is another saying: You can’t give away something that you haven’t got. So I decided to put Bluebird #6 on top of my roof to remind me that Hope lives here with me all the time.

Bluebird #5

This is quite a challenge I set for myself… everyday write about hope. Mmmm so today… hope. Okay I’m going to talk about music.

I think most people will agree that music is inspirational and can bring hope to our day. Most of the time we are listening to recorded music on the radio, iPod, CD, whatever but it’s not live. That works but being in the presence of live music is a whole different realm of experience.

If you haven’t been to a live performance lately I suggest you go to one sooner than later. What ever the type of music you enjoy: jazz, folk, blues, opera – just go hear it live. Even better, if you play an instrument or sing – take the time & do that. I believe that there is something in the vibration of live music and live singing that lifts the spirit. Really more precisely I believe it to be the channeling of the Divine Spirit and it elevates us.

I have the privilege of working with singers and musicians of different types in my line of work. This is one of the blessings of my job- I get to hear live music a lot. It brings so much hope & inspiration to me. I even love opera. You have to hear it live to truly appreciate it, honest.

My first opera was Faust which I worked on the costumes. Being involved in the whole process: rehearsals, designer run-throughs, dress rehearsals and standing backstage watching the performances were an amazing experience. It gave me a comprehensive understanding of the discipline.

In the finale of Faust, the chorus sang off stage like a choir of angels. I was standing near them and the vibration of their voices was unbelievable. I almost levitated… or cried I was so moved.

Another stand out moment for me was working at the Santa Barbara Bowl on a Labor Day a few years ago. I got called in to do wardrobe for Earth Wind & Fire. Okay one of my ALL time favorite bands: Earth Wind & Fire. I couldn’t believe it. Basically once I was done ironing clothes which I finished them in 45 minutes, I got to sit backstage and watch the entire show.

I sang all the songs. I danced. It was so much fun I could barely stand it. At the end of their set the crowd jumped up and applauded. Standing Ovation. The energy from the audience was so intense that it was intoxicating. Live music, I’m telling you, nuttin’ like it.

Now to smaller music, folk music, acoustic music… but no less inspirational and moving! Earlier this year I had the opportunity to work with a group of young musicians on a project at the Rubicon Theater called ”Lonesome Traveler”. They sang music composed by old time folkies. Those old timeless tunes were wonderful. But it gets better, several of the musicians write & perform their own music. The Rubicon had a couple of nights at Zoey’s where they got to sing some of their own music.

Tonight two of these talented musicians will be playing at Zoey’s again, one of the best places for live music in Ventura. B. Willing & Justine Bennett will be playing together.
So today Bluebird #5 has landed at Zoey’s where live music inspires and B. Willing & Justine will lift our hearts and our spirits with their beautiful voices.

(And if you can't make it tonight, play your favorite tunes and sing! )

Related links:
Zoey’s http://zoeyscafe.com/
Faust http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzNtGRazOss
Earth Wind & Fire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwc0AW67CmA
Lonesome Traveler http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9-7bcNNPc4 &
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=oG9d83oga78

Bluebird #4

Every morning I wake with Noodle, my cat curled up next to me. She has been with me for 11 years now. She was my transition cat. Some of you have known me long enough to know I had a previous cat, Livingston aka Stoney, aka Piggly-Wiggly, aka Wiggy aka The Mighty Wig. He was a marmalade tabby with green eyes and lived for 20 years.

When he was about 17-18 years old I started to worry about when he would pass on and leave me. He would be sleeping, a lot as older cats do, and I would think he wasn’t breathing so I would poke him to see if he was dead. He wasn’t and would roll over and go back to sleep. A friend gave Noodle to me when she was a wee little tike. Her name at the time was Sooty… her name has morphed to Noodle (another story).

Back to Wig- Well Wig lived another 2 years. He became playful again and they would groom each other & sleep together on the chair or bed. It was really wonderful to watch. Finally it was Wiggy’s time and he passed on.

So Ms. Noodle has been my solo feline companion for 9 years. She is a very good friend. She sticks by me through thick & thin. She follows me around the house. Sits close by while I work- which she is doing right now. Even when I let her out in the morning to sniff around she only goes out for a short time and she’s right back checking up on me. Some would call this co-dependent. I call it true blue.

Noodle gives me a lot of hope. She keeps me going and helps me adjust my attitude. And so did Wig. I have been blessed with 2 very good kitties.

So today Bluebird #4 landed in front of Cats Cradle Rescue on 4160 Market Street in tribute to our well loved pets. I wanted to bring some hope to these little animals that need homes. Animals have a very important role in our world. They contribute love, hope & joy to our planet.

Cats Cradle is an all volunteer non-profit organization that rescues unwanted & abandoned cats. They have a thrift store on site to help support their cause. I stepped inside to see the cats. It was fun playing with the little kittens. I could tell that all the cats were well taken care of & loved by the staff. http://www.catscradlerescue.org/

Bluebird #3

When I woke up this morning I wasn’t feeling hopeful. I knew the day would come that I wouldn’t be feelin’ it and I would have to work through it. Thankfully I had a full day so I couldn’t pull the covers over my head.

My regular work has gone dormant during the month of December. All the theater companies I work for aren’t doing anything this month. So I have been looking… and looking. I knew December was going to be like this so I have been doing my due diligence for awhile. For the last couple of weeks I spread my search a bit wider and haven’t found anything yet. Thus the reason my hope was waning today.

It’s okay. I know it will be okay. Everything always seems to work out for the best. I have been here before. I do have a little income coming in from pet-sitting and odd jobs. This doesn’t mean I sit on my doorstep and wait to win the lottery (I think you have to buy a ticket to win... just sayin'). I have to get into action. Not to be confused with making things happen or forcing things to happen.

Getting into action means I actively look around and pay attention to the landscape around me and follow my intuition. Do the next indicated action. It gets the Universe lubed. It lets the Universe know I am ready. I am ready for the endless possibilities that could come my way.

So I have been of service to others around me. (That is keeping me busy I’ll tell you!) And this guerrilla project has been keeping me busy too. Where will I put the next bluebird? I let intuition guide me.

Today I placed Bluebird #3 in the community garden on the corner of Chestnut & Poli Street. This corner has been an empty lot since I moved to Ventura 7 years ago until recently. I drive past this corner several times a day and I have watched the once empty corner get tilled, raised beds built, fertilized & planted. Now there is a beautiful vegetable garden. (The funny thing is that the cement peace sign was just laying there in the garden. It made the perfect pedestal for the bluebird.)

It’s exactly what we do with our lives. They can be beautiful gardens of friends, family & activity if we plant the seeds and take care of the plants. My job search is not for nothing. For every action I take: email, conversation, person I help, bluebird I place, moves me forward. This project is helping me as much as it is helping others.

Now it’s coming to the end of the day and I have hope again. The possibilities are endless.

Bluebird #2

Day Two in the guerrilla art world. Deciding where to put these little birdies is an interesting process. More interesting is what to say about it.

Where does Hope live today? It’s hard to be hopeful day in day out, things are happening all the time. Doing this project is helping me stay in hope. It’s helping me to see the positive in people, places & things. It is getting me to sustain a hopeful outlook.

I am grateful I have good health and don’t have to deal with chronic pain or some ailment. There are people in my live who do have to deal with such things. Most of the time they have a good attitude and I forget that they are dealing with physical issues. Other times the discomfort wears on them and I wonder what the hell?! Then I remember how hard it must be to keep motivated & positive.

I know three people in the hospital right now for different reasons but they are laid up none the less. So today I placed Bluebird #2 outside the Emergency Room at Community Memorial Hospital. Seeing a bluebird just before entering the hospital could give a feeling of hope to someone in crisis.

Bluebird of Hope

For the month of December, I have started a guerrilla art project called Bluebirds of Hope. Each day I will place a ceramic Bluebird of Hope somewhere in our town of Ventura, photograph it and then document here. The first one is already out there waiting to be found. I have made each bird so they are all unique & signed. HOPE is embossed down their backs and the date is carved on the perch.

If you find one you can have it or you can leave it for others to enjoy. You can add your own token of hope to sit with the bluebird because hope is contagious. I also invite you to comment on my Facebook page if you have a Bluebird sighting.

So why am I doing this…

Here we are December 2011. There is high unemployment. The stock market has tanked a couple of times to the point where people lost big chunks of their retirement. Foreclosures on homes are frightful with people getting pushed out of their homes. The banks taking bailout money, the US congress misbehaving in an even bigger way. Our financial mismanagement is having rippling effects across the world. Some would say we are going to hell in a hand-basket. AND it’s Christmas time. I have a lot of time on my hands without any theater jobs this month and I want to be part of the solution.

Despite all of this negativity swirling around I have seen a glimmer of light. I have heard several times in different news reports that people who think outside of the box, entrepreneurs & the like are the ones succeeding right now. This is the time when great ideas can be sparked because of necessity. Well that gave me a little bit of hope. And with a little bit of hope, people can be inspired & things can happen.

I was discussing the idea of doing a Guerrilla Art project with another artist. I wanted to put my artwork out into the community as an inspiration. No strings attached: just a gift to the world. I wanted it to be positive, temporary and I wanted it to be a thing that someone could take home if they wanted it.

The idea that art has an important place in our society and can lift the collective consciousness was my goal. I believe now is the time for some uplifting. Finally I thought of something that clicked: Bluebirds of Happiness.

Based on the myth of the Bluebirds of Happiness I decided to use this icon as the image for this series of work. Indigenous peoples around the world for thousands of years recognize the bluebird as a symbol of happiness, hope, prosperity, good luck. This symbol seemed like the perfect mascot to our current affairs in this country but also for the planet.

So today I placed my first Bluebird. I went down to Surfers Point to find a place. There has been a lot of work done along the bike path. I was very impressed with the improvements. As I was walking along I saw a rock sculpture area, you know how people stack rocks into a tower. I always like those. Next to the towers of river rocks was a labyrinth. A labyrinth is a circular path that you can walk to the center and back as a form of meditation. So I walked it and left my first Bluebird at the center rock. It seemed like the perfect place for him.

Tomorrow is another day, for another bluebird and another blog.