Tarot Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Before I get around to drawing today's card, I find it fascinating that tonight there will be a convergence of Jupiter and Venus.  It is extra fascinating that they say a convergence such as this one has not occurred for 2000 years.  I don't know about you, but I'll be watching the skies tonight and for once, I'm hoping it isn't cloudy and doesn't storm!  Now,  on to the Tarot.

Today's card drawn is the Three of Wands.  The Three of Wands shows that your plans are now well underway and you are starting to consider even more opportunities to expand your current plans and solidify your future.  Everything is going well, progressing steadily and the way you would like them to go.

You may also encounter opportunities to expand your horizons, to study, or travel for business purposes.  There are opportunities to expand available to you right now, but you may not be aware of them.  It is important to look around, observe your surroundings and find those opportunities.  This is the time to think BIG and even look beyond your surroundings to find even bigger opportunities.

This card can also be about embracing change.  Think long-term and know that sometimes change is necessary to move forward and to move ahead.  This card shows that you are in a position of strength and you control what happens around you.

The water and the ship can depict travel in your future.  What a great card!  A card of opportunity!  In short, think big, make your future happen, and look for those big opportunities that are just waiting for you to recognize them.  Wonderful things are in store!

Monday Musings

Here we are.  Another summer Monday.  It's been a big week, not just personally, but nationally.

This week saw the legalization of same-gender marriage in all 50 states.  Personally, I am thrilled, and I've been perhaps too vocal about it on social media!  My various debates on the subject have led me to look into the Bible a little bit more.  Specifically, I've discovered "Young's Literal Translation" of the Bible.  It is the most literal translation available that I can find.  Looking at literal translations really changes the meanings of the verses that those opposed to same-gender marriage tend to use to support their own beliefs.  If it is something you want to know more about, I strongly recommend looking into this version.  You can find the translation as well as information about it online.

It is Bill Riley Talent Search season and we are really enjoying it!!  KD decided she would rather play her viola than sing this year, and she is doing a wonderful job with it!  I like seeing her happy with her performance.  Angelle qualified for the State Fair with her second place win at the Butler County Fair yesterday.  She really sang her heart out yesterday and the win was well deserved.

The talent search season is more about making friends and spending time with them than anything else.  Yes, of course it's fun to win, and we are thrilled Angelle will be performing at the State Fair (KD is already qualified, so will be as well), but it's the fun the girls have and the way they support their fellow talented competitors that really makes the experience satisfying for me!

My sister and her husband came to visit this weekend and we went to the Sturgis Falls parade.  It was a great parade complete with the Marine band, Army band, and Budweiser Clydesdales.  Afterwards we took a short road trip to Brandon, Iowa, to see Iowa's largest frying pan.  My sister and her husband did a video shoot to add to their "Hidden Treasures of Iowa" youtube series there, and we had fun standing in the frying pan.

Angelle's sixteenth birthday is coming up.  Born on the 4th of July, she always thought the fireworks were for her!  Then another Bill Riley show in Charles City on the 5th.  It's fun to be hitting the road doing these things.

I have a bit of homework to do as I am helping to write "Dream Within a Dream", the Black Hawk Children's Theatre concept piece on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.  We have a pretty good foundation right now, but I need to tweak and add a few things to my "Tell Tale Heart" scene.  I'm so excited about this project and am anxious to see the final product in performance in the Fall.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday.  I look forward to drawing a tarot card for Tarot Tuesday tomorrow.  Be good to each other!

Witchy Wednesday

WAGALABAGALA!!!  That's fun to say!   Today I am very excited to feature my favorite artist, Andy Van Schyndle.  My daughters and I go to the College Hill Arts Festival every year.  This year I didn't see Wagalabagala in the program and I was very depressed.  As we were looking at all the booths, suddenly Angelle said "Wagalabagala!!!".  He was there, after all.  Joy!!  Also, just for fun, today the girls and I tried saying "Wagalabagala blog" three times as fast as we could.  Try it!



First, here is the Wagalabagala card.  This also happens to be one of Angelle's favorite prints.  I don't own this one yet, but I admire it each and everytime I go to the Wagalabagala tent.  The information on the back of the card:
Phone:  920-562-6677
wagalabagala@yahoo.com
website:  www.wagalabagala.com
Facebook:  wagalabagala

 Here is the piece that started it all for me.  This is the very first print I bought from Andy Van Schyndle at Wagalabagala.  Love it.













 This is the second print I ever bought.  It went right along with the first one.  In this print, she married the skeleton.  The animals are bringing gifts.  Steak, anyone?
















I love these two playing chess in a graveyard.  Andy captures the whimsical nature of creepiness perfectly.  I really want to go join them in their game and just step inside the painting for awhile.  I'd probably like it even better if I knew how to play chess.  I do like walking through graveyards!  Especially at night!

And finally, here is the one I duplicated this year.  I believe it is called "Diabolical Windmill". I really like the Halloween theme of this one.  And you might notice, our skeleton/human couple is riding in the carriage.  As I was choosing it, I asked the girls a couple times and wondered to myself if I had already purchased this print.  As it turned out, I had.  We left town the next day so I didn't get to go back to the festival or I am sure Andy would have let me exchange it.  KD is thrilled with my mistake as she now owns her very own Wagalabagala print!  I will get another one next year, or why wait?  I can always order it from his website!

These are all photos of prints I currently own.  The photos don't do them justice.  There are many, many, more wonderfully creepy prints on the website and Facebook page.  Go check him out!!!

If you know me at all, you know I love all things Halloween. Halloween is a lifestyle, not a holiday. Have you seen my yard in October? I have a somewhat warped and twisted appreciation for the dark and creepy.  And of course, I have been rumored to be a witch.  Walking into the Wagalabagala tent at the festival is like walking into Halloween.  I always purchase a new print when I'm there, but I did learn this year that I'm going to have to write down which prints I already own before I go so I avoid duplicating (something which unfortunately happened this year, but as I said, KD is happy with my mistake because she now owns her own Wagalabagala print!).  At least I know that if I want something twice, I must really love it!

When I was purchasing my newest (duplicate) print, I mentioned to Andy that I someday wanted to own a coffee-house called "Witch's Brew", and decorate it with his artwork.  He seemed very interested in that idea and wondered out loud about the location of such a place.  Here in Cedar Falls, the college town?  How would it go over in his hometown?  I think I told him not to steal my idea, but if he can make it a reality, I take that back and say "go for it".  I don't know where or when I am able to make it a reality, but it is a wonderful dream.  As a reminder, here is the artwork KD developed on an ipad for the coffee-house sign:

I actually kind of like that it was done on a cracked ipad.  It looks like spider webs in the corner!!








I LOVE WAGALABAGALA ART!!!  Did you figure that out yet?  I couldn't wait to blog about it, and feel I should have blogged even more.  Maybe I'll feature him a second time in the future.  In the meantime, please go check out his facebook page and website.  It's fabulous stuff!!  Check back on Freaky Friday to see what adventures we've had this week!

Tarot Tuesday, June 23

Today's card drawn is the Six of Pentacles.  This card represents being in harmony with your money.  It's interesting that this card should come up today.  Just the other day, after tipping a waitress at a restaurant, my 11 year old, KD, (who has a great appreciation for money), said she probably would not tip waiters when she was grown because she wants to save her money. This was an interesting statement coming from her because she is very generous in nature.  However, she does like to "collect" money, and is going to be the saver in the family.  That's a good thing, don't get me wrong, but her comment prompted me to explain to her how money should be thought of as a flowing energy, coming in and also going out.  I told her that the more money you put out into the world (in good ways), the more will come back to you.

But I digress, back to the card meaning.  The amount of money that comes in and the amount that flows out are in balance, you are grateful for what you have without hoarding it, and you are happy to share with others in need.

In this card, you could either be the wealthy man, being generous with his wealth, or the beggars (hands at the bottom), gratefully receiving what the man has to offer.  If you are the wealthy man, the opportunity to give a short-term loan may come up in the future, and as long as it is a loan based on trust and which will not affect you negatively (you have enough money to do so), then this will turn out favorably.  If you are the beggars in the card (I hate saying beggars, more like someone who is on the receiving end of someone sharing their wealth), then accept what is being shared for you gratefully and with dignity.  If you are receiving a loan, be sure to honor it and pay it back according to your agreements.

I have always believed in random acts of kindness.  I am not the best at managing my money, but I can tell you that the best food for the soul is giving.  I love the "season of giving", advent and Christmas.  While I believe random acts of kindness should be practiced year-round, I make an extra effort during the season of advent.  I love going through the Starbucks drive-through and paying for the car behind me.  I usually leave a "pass it on" card when I do that, so the act of giving can continue.  This is a simple act of giving, but a very fun one!  My daughters and I have even randomly paid for someone's dinner when dining at a restaurant.

The Six of Pentacles reminds us to be grateful for what we have, not to yearn for more, and to be accepting of gifts from others.  It is just as important to be accepting of the gifts of others as it is to give the gifts.  Get out there and do a random act of kindness and be happy!

Monday Musings

What a week last week was!!  Camp Musicmania, with a fabulous performance, the College Hill Arts Festival, a small town festival in Lynnville and Bill Riley talent contest, Young Frankenstein, crows, ducks, squirrels and chipmunks!!  Oh my!!

First, Camp Musicmania.  I can't say enough about this camp or about Michelle Swanson and Cindi Mason, who organize it.  This was my fourth year of teaching singing to the older (grades 4-9) students in the camp, and each year I do it, I love it more.  It is wonderful that several of my own school students are able to attend thanks to the generosity of many who provide them with transportation, lunches, and scholarships.  The campers were wonderful.  Alex, my teaching assistant, was amazing!!  I was and am so proud of so many.  I can't wait to do it again next summer!

Angelle was an intern for Camp Musicmania.  She said that Camp Musicmania provided her with some clarity as she begins considering her future goals.  She loves music and she loves children.  We will see where that leads her.  She emerged from her week with Camp Musicmania a more confident and mature young woman.  I'm very proud of her.

And then KD!!  KD was in a group of campers with a boy with Downs Syndrome, and another (a student of mine) who is autistic.  They had been instructed that when partnering up, they could never say "no", and had to be accepting of whoever asked to partner with them.  I was told that KD was an excellent example of being accepting of all and that her acceptance spread to the others in her group.  She was described as being an "angel",  and I couldn't be prouder.  I love that my girls are musical, that they enjoy performing, that they work hard, but the thing that makes me the proudest is hearing that they are thoughtful and have big and caring hearts.  Well done, girls.

The College Hill Arts Festival on Friday evening after the final camp performance was a nice way to relax.  I found my favorite artist there, Andy Van Schyndle with "Wagalabagala", and will feature him on "Witchy Wednesday" on Wednesday.  So, more about him then.  I bought my annual work of pottery, a lovely green and black tea cup.  Angelle and KD each got a necklace, and KD bought something for both Angelle and I in the kids art tent.

On Saturday, we went to a Bill Riley talent contest in Lynnville, Iowa.  Angelle got 3rd place and her friend, Abby, got 2nd.   They both did a tremendous job.  Angelle was extremely confident and poised in her performance.  It's just going to get better as the summer goes on.  The next show is tomorrow!

Yesterday afternoon the girls and I took in our local community theatre production of "Young Frankenstein".  Our good friend, Kim, played the part of Igor.  What a wonderful, crazy, creatively funny production!!  I loved every minute.  KD didn't approve of a lot of the inappropriate scenes, but what she did approve of, she loved!

We have a group of ducks who visit our yard to eat what falls onto the ground under our bird feeder.  I love seeing them come up as the "babies" are now nearly fully grown, but still following their mama around.  I also have a pair of crows who know and now expect me to feed them.  I will put whatever leftovers we have along with unsalted peanuts in the shell at the edge of my yard and once I'm out of sight, they swoop down and get their meal.  In return, I've collected a few crow feathers.  I really do enjoy feeding the wildlife, including chipmunks and squirrels.  It's one of my favorite parts of summer!

Check back tomorrow for Tarot Tuesday as I am once again able to blog more regularly.  Have a marvelous Monday!

Freaky Friday, June 20

Wow what a week this has been!!  I LOVE Camp Musicmania week.  I love it so much, that I didn't even post a "Witchy Wednesday" post this week.  Seriously, I was having too much fun!

 
So, it's Friday already.  What's freaky?




This!  Tuesday night I met with some of my teacher friends to have a drink.
On my way home through the middle of town, I saw a fox.  I rolled down my window, pulled up
alongside him, and he looked at me very curiously.  I
fumbled for my phone, sure the fox would run away before
I could get a picture of it, but it sat down nicely and posed for me before deciding it had had enough.

This!  On Wednesday, my awesome teacher assistant took my daughters and me up into the UNI Campanile to watch her play the carillon.  Not only did we get to see her play, but she let me have a turn at it!!  So exciting.  If I could post the video here, I would, but it is on my FB page!  We also got to go way up in the tower to see the bells.  What an amazing experience.  I never ever thought I would get to play the carillon in the campanile.  KD and Angelle even got to play a little.

So, my week has been truly amazing.  I'm going to be sad for Musicmania to be over with, but I look forward to doing it again next summer!  And now I know when I hear the music coming from the Campanile that it is probably Alex and Tommy.  And maybe we will go up to hear them again sometime.

Tarot Tuesday, June 16

Today's card drawn is the Ace of Swords.

The Ace of Swords is a card of power and mental clarity.  This card can be drawn up by anyone of strong will, power, and determination.  How the power is used is up to the drawer.  You are able to use your will, power, mental clarity, and determination to aid the better good, but you could also use it for selfish pursuits.  Thus, the Ace of Swords is a double-edged sword.

Some project you are working on might be coming to fruition. It might be nearly completed and your mind is in an excellent state to do just that.  No obstacles will stand in your way because the Ace of Swords has the power to destroy them.  As you are completing your goal, ask yourself if the end result is one that is going to help others or just yourself.

This card also tells you to look for justice and equality.  Make sure you are treating everyone fairly and are balancing out the scales in your life.

You all may have noticed I didn't post a "Monday Musings" yesterday.  After two weeks of summer break, and quite frankly, sleeping in and not doing a whole lot, I started teaching singing at "Camp Musicmania" yesterday.  I love this camp and look forward to it every year.  Yesterday when we got home we were exhausted.  I also still needed to get some groceries, so I just never got around to blogging.  I will do my best to get a Witchy Wednesday post in tomorrow and a Freaky Friday post in on Friday!  Don't look for them until after 5:00, however!  Have a great evening!

Freaky Friday!!

TGIF!!  What's freaky?












This!  Yesterday the girls and I went to our first Bill Riley Talent Contest of the season.  It was 2 hours away in Keota, Iowa.  Angelle performed, sang beautifully, but did not place.  Two of our very good friends got 2nd and 3rd and we were so happy for them!  Angelle felt good about her performance and all was well.

We stopped on the way home to get food at a Casey's.  That put our timing off just enough that we hit the torrential rains on our way.  Traffic really slowed down, and for a short time we had pulled to the side along with a few other cars since it was so hard to see.  We started going again when all of a sudden, the traffic stopped completely.  For two hours.

Yep.  For two hours, this was my view:



We tried to do some things to pass the time.  We made a few funny videos.  We texted our friends.  We stuck our umbrellas out the van windows and held them opened over our mini-van, "Vanessa", as if we were protecting her from the rain.  I have to wonder what the cars behind us thought?

It turned out a semi had jack-knifed ahead of us and it closed the interstate completely for a little over two hours.  It was in the news this morning.  Had we not stopped for food, we might have missed out on our two hour "adventure".

Here is a video of Angelle having her own sing-along to pass the time:

What else is freaky?  This.  I love sitting outside and reading in the summer.  This mother duck has been bringing her babies up to eat under our bird feeder since they were tiny little hatchlings.  They are nearly grown already.  I loved the visit they paid me while I was sitting outside.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.  Check back on Monday for "Monday Musings".  "Monday Musings" will probably post later in the afternoon this week since I will be busy each day with Camp Musicmania!  But I promise to blog after I get home!

WITCHY WEDNESDAY!

Happy Witchy Wednesday!  Are you wearing black?

For today's post, I first have to thank my friend, Aimee, who earlier this week sent me a photo of skull and crossbone underwear she found at Younkers!!  I haven't bought them yet, but if the price is decent when I go, I probably will!  Very cute and I seldom think of wearing skull underwear!














I was thinking about shoes this morning, and so I googled "skull shoes".  A few things popped up, but I really liked what I saw from aliexpress.com.  There were a few different summer sandals with skulls on them with extremely reasonable prices.  Check them out!

Gladiator sandals.  Love these!


















Also available in white!

 Flip flops!  And jellies, no less.  Who doesn't love jelly flip flops for the beach?  Hmmm, next week I might have to look for skull swimsuits.














More flip flops!!  More delicate than the jellies, with tiny skulls along the straps.  Very cute!!

And now a change in topic.  My husband and I are celebrating our 26th wedding anniversary!  It has not always been easy and marriage is something you have to work at, but I wouldn't change any of it for anything in the world!   Happy Anniversary, John.  I love you!

TAROT TUESDAY 6-9-15

Today's card drawn is the Nine of Pentacles.

Again, another card for my fellow teachers who are currently enjoying summer vacation!

The Nine of Pentacles is all about enjoying the good life and the fruits of your labor.  This card shows that you have worked hard to get where you are and that this could be time to sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the luxuries that life has to offer.  It is okay to splurge or treat yourself, as long as it is not in excess, to celebrate and reward yourself for your accomplishments.

Pentacles refer to physical wealth, but the number 9 indicates being at a good place spiritually and intellectually as well.  This is a card of balance.  Your creative works are paying off and that is because you have put the work and talent into them.

Sometimes this card can turn up if you have not yet reached your goal, but are close to doing so.  If this is your case, you should stick to your program and continue working and sacrificing until you make that goal.  Your self-discipline and self-control will get you to where you want to be.

The Nine of Pentacles also suggests that you are in harmony with nature.  You have an appreciation for what the Earth is is providing in abundance around you.  You appreciate the beauty of nature and might enjoy gardening or some other hobby pertaining to nature.  You can harness this energy of nature to bring you more pleasure in your day to day life.  Even just spending your time going on picnics, bike rides, bird watching, or nature walks can bring you much happiness.

This morning I was sitting outside reading and a beautiful red-winged blackbird was sitting right above me.  I love their song.  So, as it went to our bird feeder, I snapped a photo of it.  With this card reading, it seems appropriate to share it.

Not the best or more exciting photo of the bird, but you can still see the beauty of nature on this fine summer morning.

Monday Musings

Happy Monday.  It is really starting to feel like summer now!  A week ago I went to school to finish up and today I'm home with nothing on the schedule.

This will be a week of carefree days, a couple of Bill Riley talent shows, and adventurous bike rides.  Then next week it's back to a regular schedule as the girls and I do our thing at Camp Musicmania.  This will be my 4th year of teaching singing at this camp and Angelle's 2nd year of interning.  KD will participate as a camper again.  We all love this camp and look forward to a busy week full of fun and music.

Saturday morning I got up and went to Prairie Lakes park to search for the Precieux Art Jewelers $1000 treasure.  I looked for a couple hours with my friend "Skully" (see photo), and found 5 goose feathers, but not the treasure.  I left to come home and get KD ready for her coder dojo, and just as I left, they gave bonus clues leading to someone finding the treasure.  So, I'm not $1000 richer, but my body sure appreciated the exercise and fresh air.

While I was hunting, a very nice lady took a photo of me with "Skully" and asked if it was okay for her to post it to the treasure hunt facebook page.  I agreed, and shortly afterwards a group of young people walked by me and I could hear them whispering "the one with the lucky stick on facebook, yeah, that's her".  I felt kind of famous!

Once again, the Cedar Valley Coder Dojo did not disappoint.  They had "finch robots" there this time for the ninjas to experience coding using Scratch.  KD and her ninja friend are pretty much pros at this sort of thing and I rarely really understand what they are doing.  It was fun to watch them figure it out and see their excitement when they succeeded in getting their robot to do what they wanted it to do.

Also, at this particular dojo meeting, KD was awarded her "white belt" for attending 5 meetings.  She is one of the first 3 ninjas to achieve this honor, and she was the only one there that day to receive her award.  She said she felt kind of proud.  I know I was certainly proud of her!

Here is KD showing off her white belt with the dojo leader.











Technology is amazing and it never ceases to amaze me what today's kids can do in that area.  It comes easy to them.  They are truly "wired" for it.

I am looking forward to hearing Angelle sing for our first Bill Riley talent contest of the season.  KD will be joining in later this month.  It's always a favorite part of my summer and I know we all enjoy the traveling to different county fairs and festivals.

Check back tomorrow for "Tarot Tuesday" and see what's in store for us all this week!

Freaky Friday, June 5, 2015

Hello!! It's Friday!  What's freaky?








This!  KD has a small strawberry patch.  I picked this one today.  It
just looks too perfect, so I'm calling it "freakishly perfect".











Speaking of strawberries, two nights ago was the full moon, and it
was, of course, the STRAWBERRY moon!  And it was beautiful.

This!  Turning on my phone and seeing this is freaky.  Thanks, KD!

 And speaking of KD, she designed a sign for my coffee-house of the future, which is kind of a dream of mine.  When? I don't know, perhaps when I retire?  She designed this on an i-pad, and I love it!  If and when I really do own this coffee-house, I will definitely use this sign.

This!  By far my favorite thing to do so far this summer is to ride bikes with KD on the many awesome trails in Cedar Falls.  This seems to be one of KD's favorite spots.  A natural log bench in a beautiful clearing.

Speaking of trails, this is freaky, too.  The Precieux Art Jewelers treasure hunt re-starts tomorrow and I can't wait!!!  If you weren't aware, they had to call off the big search for the $1,000 treasure because of the number of people on the railroad tracks.  Therefore, it is being hidden again in a new spot and is fair game for everyone!!!  Time to start watching the clues.  If you're not in on it, check the FB page for Precieux Art Jewelers and get in on the action.  I hope to see you out hunting!  (I'm the one with the skull walking stick)

Witchy Wednesday

I LOVE discovering new places and yesterday KD and I did just that.  My friend, Marie Camille, sent us a postcard inviting us to "Gallery 106" on Main Street in Cedar Falls, where she is now selling some of her hats.  Marie is a wonderful artist whom I have known for years and I am lucky enough to own some of her works.  So, KD and I went and found "Gallery 106".  Here I am in the "Marie" hat I purchased there!  What do you think?  Witchy?  Or bewitching?












 While there, we learned they were having a spa night there that evening.  KD thought that sounded like fun, so we signed up Angelle, KD and KD's friend, Karli for free Arbonne facials.  I love this place!  The food for spa night was fabulous and I enjoyed a nice glass of wine.  The girls enjoyed their facials and we were impressed by the Arbonne products.













Gallery 106 sells wonderful works of art by several fabulous artists.  The owner, Corrie Sink and
her daughter are very charming, friendly,
and helpful.  We will be taking several
trips back, I'm sure.  Today I am sharing
some of my favorites from the Gallery.
Enjoy the photos.


Of course, we originally went for the hats.  Marie's hats are beautiful.
Mine was $30.  They range from $18 to $50 and are well worth it.











Today I will begin helping the Black Hawk Children's Theatre write their Fall production of "Poe".  I love Edgar Allen Poe and can't wait to be a part of the project.  So imagine how thrilled I was to see this wonderful portrait at Gallery 106.















This one is called "Consciousness".  It was one of Angelle's
favorites.

There is beautiful, artsy clothing there.  I loved all of these.  Angelle is showing a top and pants set, the middle one is a beautiful blue off the shoulder top, and the bottom is a silk dress.  Absolutely gorgeous!!























There is so much gorgeous jewelry there,
I can't even begin to show you the various
pieces.  I am showing pictures of some of my
favorites.  I especially like the giant fly
necklace and the steam punk bracelet (bottom right
corner).  The fur piece is also a bracelet.
That quartz crystal on the necklace is huge, by the way.
The picture doesn't do it justice.

 If you have not found "Gallery 106" on Main Street in Cedar Falls yet, you HAVE to check it out.  It's close to Cup of Joe, so go check out the great art work, maybe buy a piece or two, then celebrate your purchase with a latte at the Cup.  And oh yeah, go like them on Facebook!!  There are many more great photos there.  https://www.facebook.com/Gallery106?fref=ts

By the way, if you want to see earlier blog posts from before I had to change the e mail address, that blog is www.waltzbrew.blogspot.com.  This one is www.crystalwaltzbrew.blogspot.com.  Same blog, just two different sites.