Instruction from Jowo Je Atisha

One time the glorious Lama Atisha was asked by his disciples, “What is the highest teaching of the path?” 

Lama Atisha replied:
 
“The highest skill is the realization of selflessness.
 
The highest nobility is subduing your own mind.
 
The highest excellence is having a mind that seeks to help others.
 
The highest precept is continual mindfulness.
 
The highest remedy is understanding the essencelessness of all things.
 
The highest activity is not to conform to worldly concerns.
 
The highest accomplishment is the reduction and transmutation of the passions.
 
The highest giving is found in non-attachment.
 
The highest moral practice is a peaceful mind.
 
The highest patience is humility.
 
The highest effort is to abandon attachment to activities.
 
The highest meditation is the mind without pretension.
 
The highest wisdom is not to grasp anything as it appears.”

Ormiston House in Veranda Magazine

Well, it's turning out to be a big week for us.  We just found out that the Ormiston house has made the front cover of Veranda Magazine in Poland.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with Paul and Hayley on their beautiful home and am overjoyed by this wonderful article.  The morning of the photo shoot I gathered lots of flowers and foliage from my garden at home and arranged them at the house.  My favourite arrangement was the one I did on their dining table in a collection of Hayley's mismatched antique jugs and vases.

Thanks again must go to Catherine Shields and Simon Kenny for their continued interest in my work and their beautiful coverage of these lovely family homes I have had the pleasure of working in.

If you would like to see more images of Paul & Hayley's house head over to Content's website HERE...

Gumdale House in AWW

Back in 2007, I was very excited when Sharnel & Perry Dollar asked me to help them with the interior of their new family home.  The latest issue of Australian Womans Weekly magazine features their alluring home.  It was lovely to look at the images and remember all the work which went into making it the special place that it is today.

Sharnel was a wonderful client to work with as she was very open to everything I suggested and recommended.  Catherine Shields & Simon Kenny's story certainly captures the ambience of the Dollar's beautiful family home.

Goose Girl & Foxy's London Day Out

We decided to go into London this week and since Goose Girl and Foxy had a bit of cabin fever they begged us to take them with us. So off we all went on a little day adventure.

After lunch, our first stop was the Natural History Museum. We haven't been to the gardens since the Summer and decided to check on the ducks and see what the bees were up to in their tree hideout. Unfortunately, the garden does not open until April. Foxy was especially disappointed about this, as he wanted to run around the meadow.

"Don't worry", we said, "we will bring you back when it opens!" Even though it was closed, they still wanted their picture taken by the fence. After, snapping some photos of them and peering through the gate to see if we saw anything interesting moving about, we headed off to the V&A to see Mat Collishaw's "Magic Lantern". The idea being that of "moths to a flame". With the aide of a zoetrope they appear to be flying around the cupola of the V&A. They will be flittering around for the next month or so from dusk till dawn.

There was a model of it, set up in the gardens, so you can see what it looks like any time of day. After watching it spin a few times we sat by the fountain for a few moments, and decided to head off to the Renaissance galleries. I had the chance to see some fantastic architectural pieces, I had not seen before, the V&A never ceases to amaze me!

We headed up to the Theatre area and had the opportunity to watch conservators working on a hanging tapestry that was going on loan to an exhibition. It was beautiful to watch them work. We stayed till dusk to see the real lantern light up, but it was very hard to see, no matter how far back we were from the museum.  After a day of trooping around, a much needed dinner was in order, so off to one of our favorite haunts we went: Wahaca!

Dinner, as always was divine. Goose Girl & Foxy were very tired from the day and said they didn't even want to come out of my purse for dessert. Although, Foxy said the toasted sunflower seeds on my vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce, smelled delicious (he licked the salt off my fingers later). Goose Girl, was much more interested in Mr. Michie's churros with a chocolate sauce to dip them in, she decided she would sneak out after all, for a little nibble. She was too quick for us to get her picture though!

We all headed home exhausted, but very happy after having spent a wonderful day together!

Morning & Evening

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here is my morning...



....
and then my evening...



everything in between was cold wind.

xoxoxo

Art-O-Mat

When I was in College, they installed one of these in our Art Department. It was there on a trial basis to see if something like this would work! Well, we all loved it! What is it? It is a refurbished cigarette machine that sells art instead of cigarettes. I adored the fact that in keeping with the style the design was still very much the "old cigarette case" look, that very 1960's-esque edge to it.

I don't know if they have changed this part or not, but we had to use a special "token" to get the art out. You handed in your money to the Art office and received a chip that you would use to collect your chosen piece.

You really had no idea what was going to be in the boxes. The images used to "describe" it, was either just the Artist's name or a very brief line, like, "man in a box". You didn't know what was going to pop out and that was half the fun. There was all sorts of things from mini oil paintings, to a book of photographs that told a story, to miniature statues, sometimes it was just typed text that had been pasted down and decorated.

I love the idea of "Art for the Masses", and I mean this in the best possible sense. Not mass produced cheap art, but the Andy Warhol idea of mass production, in the sense that you were creating 20 or 30 of the same thing and quite possibly something to never be created again, but for $5, everyone had a chance to own a little piece of Art. It made it accessible and Art should be accessible. (I know I stray here a bit, in that Andy Warhol was mass producing to make a point about Art, but I think you get my point as well.)

I have the very lovely Sherry to thank for tweeting out this pic to me, it made me smile!

If you don't already follow this gal through twitter, you certainly should, she is a sweetheart! Thanks for sending me this image, Sherry!

(Image Copyright: MerrieSherrie "Art dispensing vintage cigarette machine, Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas")

To learn more about Art-o-mat, click here

Quotation from Arnold Toynbee, Writing in the 1930s

"When historians look back at the 20th century, they won't have much interest in things like communism or capitalism: those will be ripples in the great historical picture. What will really be significant is the impact of Buddhism as it enters the West, because Buddhism has transformed every culture as it has entered, and Buddhism has been transformed by its entry into that culture." 

 – Arnold Toynbee, Historian

A Secret Admirer And My 5QF

The weekend is almost here, and I've been a good girl, and stuck to my diet all week!  Go me!  And please, someone, CHEER ME ON!!!  I need it!



Well guess what special little something happened to ME today! 



Dakota had a dental appointment today, and because of the insurance, we have to drive over an hour to his dentist. 



After the appointment, I came out to my car to find a piece of paper stuffed into the door.  Uh-oh.  Did I park in a no-parking spot? 



I opened up the paper to find this:



An ADMIRER???  Of little ol' me??? 



As my memory began to work, I recognized the writing.  It went along with a phone call I got just shortly ago, telling me that "he" needed to go to the same little city I was in, over an hour away from home.  The writing looked familiar because it's the same writing that's been on many cards over the past 18 years.



My baby made my afternoon! ♥

NOW!  On to the Five Question Friday!





1. Can you drive a stick shift?  I sure can!  My first car was a stick shift!  I have some great memories of that little car, and I do mean LITTLE!  It was about as big a refrigerator box-it was a 1979 Ford Fiesta. 

Have you read about the first time I drove it to church after learning to drive a stick shift?



2. What are two foods you just can't eat?  Squid and octopus.  Yes, I'm serious-they serve them sometimes at the Chinese restaurants.  Once, Elissa, Dan and I were at the Chinese restaurant, and Dan got one of each, along with some shrimp (I eat shrimp-LOVE the stuff!).  I don't remember the whole scenario, but while eating, Dan decided to play with his food, and the next thing we knew, the squid and octopus were having a fight.  And one of them says to shrimp on the plate, "You stay out of this, you little shrimp!".



Yeah, if my walls could talk.....





3. Do you buy Girl Scout Cookies? What is your favorite kind?  I love Girl Scout cookies.  I'd like it to go on record that this is a very unfair question for a woman who is working hard at sticking to her diet!  I nearly began salivating just THINKING about them!  But anyway, I think I like them all!  But the butter ones are probably my favorite. (Sorry, it's been a while.)





4. How do you pamper yourself?  Hmm....to be truthful, probably by taking naps regularly!  My kiddos are old enough that I can just go on upstairs and climb into my wonderful bed with my soft, micro-fiber heating blanket, along with my memory foam pillow.  I feel spoiled just talking about it!





5. What is your nickname and how did you get it?  My dad gave me a nickname, and I don't know when it wore off-maybe when I got to be nearly as tall as him.  It was Midget.  He is the only one who called me that.  My other nickname that was used by everyone else was Josie.  My name isn't Josephine, it's Josanne (I've been asked).  Growing up, I was called Josie regularly.  I decided I no longer wanted to be called Josie, but Josanne, and today, very few people still call me by my nickname.  I don't mind those who do-I know it's not done out of spite or anything.



I hope you all have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by! 

A Must Read

As Summer Fades...

As Summer draws to an end here in Australia we are heading away down to the beach for a few days to enjoy what remains of this warm balmy weather.  I hope you have a great weekend wherever you are, whatever you do...

xx

Anna

PS - My heart goes out to all of those in Christchurch who have been affected by the terrible earthquake.  What is happenning in this world of ours?xx

images via madison magazine

Your Light May Go Out

from the www.AshidaKim.com website of Zen Koans: 

A student of Tendai, a philosophical school of Buddhism, came to the Zen abode of Gasan as a pupil. When he was departing a few years later, Gasan warned him: "Studying the truth speculatively is useful as a way of collecting preaching material. But remember that unless you meditate constantly your light of truth may go out."

Random Acts of Kindness

http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

NY Cushions

For a bit of fun we picked up some I love NY tote bags when we were in NYC a few weeks ago to make into cushions for the shop.  We selected a few different fabrics to put onto the backs of them.  We only have 3 left...we should have bought more!

Just Me and Cows...

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I don't really understand cows... but i think they understand me.



xoxoox

The Big Girl Club Hates Me

Well, it's day three since I announced and began my departure from the Big Girl's club, and guess what?  They HATE me for it!  All along, treating me like their friend until I wanted to leave! 



How do I know this?



Because of the daily 15 minutes in the TORTURE CHAMBER that I've been going thru!



Oh, cutting out the junk food hasn't been so hard as of yet, but that piece of machinery in the basement called an eliptical is the real clencher!  I HATE it!



I hate it as much as I did when I joined the Y-which, to my shame, I only went like, twice....I think....



Fifteen llloooooonnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg minutes of torture, and if that wasn't bad enough, my legs feel like jello when I'm done.



I am TOTALLY telling on myself!  I don't believe in humiliating your kids in your blogs, but if you want to humiliate yourself, I guess that's ok, and actually, send me a link if you do so that my misery can enjoy the company, and I won't feel so bad!  =D



Well, off I go to finish cleaning out my cupboards for my 7 X 3 Jump Start Challenge, and another grueling torture chamber session before heading to church this evening.



Ugh....

Dramatic Dances

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Growing up me and my cousins, sister, friends would do the most silly dramatic dances. I even made my barbies do it, if their arm couldn't bend that way, then i'd force it till it broke off. :)
Even in my early 20's living in NYC, our favorite way to entertain each other at home was through various arts (drawing, playing music) - the one burned into memory is our ridiculous modern interpretive dances (depeche mode, leotards, flashlights!).
This is what people did before electricity... they told stories, they played music, they danced and enjoyed the free show. Their body was everything they needed, not the thing they lugged around.
*
Here are some dances I did to my new favorite singer.... no way could i do her songs justice since, well... they are not typical dance songs.



xoxoxoxo

Apple Tea Cake

Whilst I'm not a wonderful cook like others in my family, I don't mind cooking a lovely old fashioned cake every now and then.  One of my favourite cakes to cook is actually a lemon and coconut cake which is an old Woman's Weekly recipe.  However, I think my family may be a little bit 'over' my lemon cake so tonight I went in search of something new to cook.  I didn't have to search very far as I found a recipe I am going to try in the latest Real Living magazine.  My family and I are all heading away down to my cousin's beach house this weekend so I might just try my hand at this recipe tomorrow night.  I figure that if I post about it then maybe I will actually do it!!


PS.  Thank you all so much for the super kind comments you left me in my last post about my grandmother...Considering your interest in her, I might post more about her in the future.

Love Hearts

Yesterday admist all my dusting, mopping, pantry tearing apart and vacuuming (with my new hoover), there was a knock on my racing green door and a Valentine's package was placed into my arms.

It was filled with all kinds of wonderful surprises and too many of them! Including the love hearts above. When one is presented with such a gorgeous Valentine's surprise, you know it is time to take a cleaning break, tear into that package and just enjoy all that delicious candy before you. A girl's gotta keep her cleaning strength up, you know!

And, most importantly as you munch away on candy while going through all your surprises, you can't forgot the "Love Heart Eating Rules", you have to read what your heart says before eating it, Mr. Michie forgot that part yesterday, but I reminded him!

Thanks Mom, Dad & Maisy, you as always, are too generous! ♥

Religious Tolerance

http://www.religioustolerance.org/
http://www.patheos.com/ 

Spring Sounds! Chicken Funnies & Frogs!

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It finally warmed up here, a little tricky break from the winter... and it's got everyone going. The chickens are bocking, the rooster is crowing, the frogs in my pond suddenly appeared and started chirping in the middle of the night.

I found a random egg in JuJu's hay that one of the chickens laid, so i picked it up and put it under my old hen Skinny Minny - and she got this look of suprise as though she had laid the egg herself and began to announce it to all...
that's when the noise party got started!

This makes me laugh... makes me happy...



xooxxo

Folk Art Cockerel, House and Flowers - a new papercut

I thought I'd show you the very beginnings of my newest papercut.  As is usual for me, I can't really tell whether I'm going to like it yet, but I will persist and see how it turns out.  I'm a little worried that the cockerel looks nicer as a drawing than it will as a papercut.  I need to finish the bird to be sure.  

Here are the images from the reverse and correct sides.

I Love Her

This is my grandmother.  Her name is Ellie and this is what she was wearing when she came to visit me today at Black & Spiro.  She is one of the most stylish women I have ever met and I am so proud to call her my grandmother.  She has done so much for me in my life and I love her so much.

Vacuum Woes

Well, I now know why the men who were doing some work in the cottage before Christmas, decided to take our vacuum bag out of the vacuum cleaner with them when they went: they had BROKEN it!

We came home from work the day they finished and began to start putting the house back in order, only to realize the vacuum wouldn't work; we then discovered, that they had removed the bag and taken it with them. We have tried to find replacement bags, with no luck and we borrowed a vacuum off and on from a neighbour to get us by. But, my friends, I am embarrassed to tell you this, my house hasn't seen a vacuum go over its floors in over a month.

I keep a clean house, so this has been driving me nuts! This past weekend we went shopping and after hitting one of the local markets, I finally found my vacuum bags.  I woke up yesterday morning, put on my best June Cleaver apron and pearls and decided to get to work! Mr. Michie put the bag in for me and plugged me in, so I could go, go, go.

As soon as we turned it on, there was a poof, a lot of smoke, a lot of dust and a high pitched squealing noise; we couldn't even see each other through the haze in the kitchen.  So, we turned it off and ran to open the front door to get some fresh air in, looked at each other and then just had to laugh, because it was either that or cry! So, that is why they took the bag with them when they finished, they realized that they had broken it and there was no way for us to know until we were able to find replacement bags.

So, I shook out my apron, dusted off my pearls and turned to the internet. Thank goodness for Amazon! A new BAGLESS vacuum cleaner is now on its way to my little cottage and I will have a sparkling home once more!

Why I Am Not Enlightened

A man approaches a Zen Master and asks to be shown the path to enlightenment. The Master replies, "Okay, follow me," stands up, and walks the man to a nearby river and into the water. Without warning, the Master forces the man's head under the water and holds it there as he struggles violently for his life, until he is nearly dead. At last the Master pulls the man up, gasping for air, and says, "When you want to be enlightened as badly as you wanted to take your next breath just now, come back and see me.

(copied from the wonderful blog:

http://www.realitysandwich.com/why_i_am_not_enlightened)

I'm Leaving the Big Girl's Club

When I was little, I wanted to be big-didn't we all?



Well, now I'm a big girl, and with a WHOLE different meaning, I want to be little again!



I had Elissa take some pics earlier, and some of the ones I like real well need cut OFF from the shoulder UP!



So!  Farewell, Big Girl club!  It's time to get serious about this!  Unfortunately, you can't just leave this club-you have to do the opposite of  what you do to join other clubs.  You have to work your way out of it, instead of working your way up the ladder like you would somewhere else.



Fortunately tho, if I take a picture from up above, I don't look too "big girl" ish!  Picture in point:

Unfortunately, I can't walk around with my chin up everywhere I go, lest people think I'm snooty!  So the only alternative is.....sigh.....to get rid of the excess.



Speaking of the major task in front of me, did you all know I have a blog for doing fun (so to speak) challenges?  If you stop by, you can join in if you like!  The new challenges start today, and they are for 21 days-7 challenges for 3 days each, in 5 different categories.  I'd be thrilled if you would stop by! 



http://www.jointhechallenge.blogspot.com/



As for my newest task, stay tuned for updates.....

Earthlings-The Documentary

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7584730387826688635#
For those who would like to be informed and educated about the actual situation of much of the planet's animal life, please watch, and imagine how it would feel...

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTlrSYbCbHE

Towards a Global Ethic

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma/globalethic.html 

Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration

"Parliament of the World's Religions Drafted initially by Dr. Hans Kung, in cooperation with CPWR staff and  Trustees and experts drawing on many of the world's religious and spiritual traditions, Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration identifies four essential affirmations as shared priniciples essential to a global ethic. Affirming respect for all life, economic justice and solidarity, tolerance and truthfulness, and equal rights and partnership between men and women, the document elaborated eloquently on the significance of each value for our modern world. Endorsed at the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, USA, Towards a Global Ethic urges all men and women of good will to join in the commitment to these vital shared principles. Used throughout the world by universities, religious and spiritual communities and interfaith organizations, Towards a Global Ethic has emerged as one of the most significant building blocks in the continuing process of creating global ethical understanding and consensus."

 

Black & Spiro Today

Today we changed our front window display.  It was a little overdue I must admit.  The fresh blue, white, pink and yellow in the windows is nice for a change.  Our Max range of furniture is now available in a console table which we have placed into this display in yellow.  The nice thing about this furniture we are making is that it can be made in any colour and it only takes a few weeks to have it manufactured and delivered.

Isn't it hot today!!  I can't wait to go for a swim when I get home this afternoon...