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"Where better to care for the soul than in the details of our daily lives?....The soul has an absolute, unforgiving need for regular excursions into enchantment. It requires them like the body needs food and the mind needs thought... An enchanted world is one that speaks to the soul, to the mysterious depths of the heart and imagination where we find value, love and union with the world around us. As mystics of many religions have taught, that sense of rapturous union can give a sense of fulfillment that makes life purposeful and vibrant." ~ Thomas Moore.

Monday, June 16, 2014

About Life & The Beach Cottage Computer/Guest Room

*Hello Ladies of Bloglandia....


**Warning: long post and lots and lots of pics.....small pixels, but lots of them.....

I'm just going to express myself freely thank you very much, for those who read and understand.
This is a difficult one, I cannot seem to be cheerful and so I must be what I am right now, and such is how I will write.  Maybe all people want to hear is happy happy happy or good news all the time, but life is not always like that is it? and am I not to blog because I am not happy? I think all feelings should be shared, because true kindredness comes when things are not all good, especially when they are not all good.

I dont mind hearing of others pains and sorrows it doesn't scare me nor put me off, in fact it pierces my heart, and another opening has found a way to share my Heart Light out towards them.





Posting has become a lesser and lesser thing as life takes it turns, more like spins actually,  and I get slower and slower at recuperation. Joys are more cautious at coming out to play these days, more than before, more reticent than they used to be, but some elderly folks say this is the norm as one ages. I never believed it.  Until now.  However I don't believe its aging, its more of a Spiritual battle between light and dark. So there is a hint of who I am and what "I do" for a ''living" :-)
I just cant seem to get my head above water before another tidal wave comes in and I'm so tired, just so bone weary tired. And I cannot speak to another Spiritual Activist who doesn't say the same.

It is healthy and humane to share and release what ails you with other compassionate beings. Keeping it in is toxic. Faking ''all is well'' is a slippery slope into both deceit and delusion.


Blogging had slowly become a joy and then that became more and more sparse as life happened.  And I'm seeing so many people who used to find joys in  ''decor'' are also not finding these material thrills to be as long lasting as before.  They are silent now too. I wish I could hear from them more. And I am sad if they are silenced because people dont want to hear it. People are strange that way, talk talk talk when materialism is working for them but otherwise, silence. We heal by sharing, not hiding.
I don't want to get anyone down. However this IS my blog and I write what is happening with me honestly without trying to be this thing or that thing, I am merely my self, and it has been tough lately. And there is nothing that I admire and respect more than those who are fearless and encouraging in the face of others pains. This fearlessness is a Spiritual Integrity that comes from deep personal experience but mostly love in their own hearts for others.

There is one blogging lady Nicole of Cauldrons and Cupcakes who chronicles her journey of Herculean bravery in the face of her lyme disease, She writes of the enormous degrees of pain she endures with drug therapies etc, how she feels, the details of her mind, body and psychic conditions, what she can accomplish in a day or not accomplish, the way it feels to not be able to move at all. She is a marvel of inspiration to read from her almost every day!  Her strength bravery and heart just blows me away. She writes how she feels and gets so much support from her readers including me. I love all those people. I had hoped my blog would be like that.
It seems I have fallen into the ''beauty bloggers'' realm, if you don't post of cheerful thrift finds and the latest home beauty shot, there is not much going on. I am sad if my blog turned into that really, I never wanted it to, but I began to post on my home improvements here and it seems it slid insidiously into that realm where only home fashion is remarked upon. lolol.....has it come to that? really? Not on my blog. I will know who true spirits of the heart are by who responds, and who remains here.

Onwards to my humble on the penny transformations, with very little money and lots of thrift store blessings............this is why I share this so others can see you can make a very nice difference without spending lots of money, and keeping things simple. I hope something in here helps you.

I am finished with actual work in this room the past 2 weeks and now I can only do nothing and I really really like it....doing nothing that is.......the days fly by. The summer is here upon us and in South Florida it is the time to hide, not to be active, and going out needs preparation because the heat and humidity can literally take your breath away and if you're out there for too long it will take your energy away, for sure. I'm talking zonked, not merely a hot flash, but literally done in for the day.

I am also sad because none of my seeds for flowers or bulbs have come up and I planted alot......and though people tell me all the time Florida is just too hot and humid, I still try. It is sad really, as I became a florist because of my intense uncompromising need and love of flowers and nature and yet it is so cruel that we can only grow tropical ones and those beauties we find in nurseries have such a short life it depresses me.
I recently bought Queen Anne's Lace seeds as I've seen them growing like weeds, literally they are considered weeds up north, and growing on the sides of roads and highways, they'd be everywhere wild and beautiful and sometimes I'd stop the car and pick them. I cleverly kept cutters in the glove compartment just for these emergencies lolol. But even though they are weeds and grow in every kind of soil they haven't grown for me here. I will try again, and then again, until I can grow some Queen Annes Lace. I could never get over the beauty of that flower considered a weed, how such a perfectly beautiful snowy white lacy mandala could be referred to as a weed.....but ignorance runs deep.  These beauties are Living Snow Flakes in Lace! that is what they are....look at this!....
they are the Natures White Lace, the Queen of Delicacy.....



https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSppVjhJncY658WvrWuK9-QeZ2BtajW_NLWvENEkHcu-uGHIFZwrw

They are living Mandalas.......             https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR85jaHteFqu7K-KATlB7cNgPwFGC0YUlfZZYMQtjZy91j8tdb25A


 http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/imgapr05/Photo13.jpg



 Look at how the spaces in between each grain size floret flows in a perfectly spaced spiral.....
you may have to stand back and unfocus to see the perfection of the negative space.....

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShSdv0bRkcGaktAt0deV2BDpo617fo-AYYszJl4LXsaJWBjIXgVnuIN0LQGBX9m09jk2CyLLJ1cgXHqdbLHo64kElYXBgWzprCWzmvABMJvHVVoZ5Drcg4-0YLvlSsEOPxr6b2Ro3abGT/s640/7-17-queen-ann.jpg
              


They even come in pink.....

 http://www.dmcphoto.com/QueenAnnesLace4_B.jpg

 I want to cry to think how they grow like weeds all up north and I cannot grow them here, and lots of other flowers I cannot have anymore like lilacs and peonies, stock, and delphiniums, and so much else from up north. The flower shops here should be ashamed of what they carry here, literally a selection of maybe 5 flowers in different colors....thats it, everywhere.....mums, carnations, scentless roses, sunflowers and gladiolas. Not much more, entire flower shops everywhere here filled with only the same thing everyone else has. It is a far cry from when I was buying flowers every week directly from Holland for some pretty nifty custumers, and they say it is in bad taste to name drop but I did do flowers for Oprah and Madonna and other huge names who had homes here in South Florida....and Holland being the largest producers of wholesale flowers anywhere with the greatest varieties of everything, and we had the pick of Mother Nature's litter!  Literally anything I wanted I could buy. But before I was buying flowers, I used to live in New York where everything IS available and every other corner veggie store wanted to carry something different from their competitors. And if I wanted something exotic I only needed to get in the car and drive up north, and I'd have loads of flowers of all kinds. Well I'm done ranting. For now.

Anyway in this post, I want to talk about this middle room. It was the one I avoided and procrastinated with and that is not easy for me to do, but this one I did. I had boxes still there from when I'd buy my house with my beloved ex. Memories of that including things I'd bought for that house were in here in boxes safe from view and hidden behind a Japanese screen. I just couldn't face doing this one.....but things get done when forced to. This smallest of rooms was the most trouble and work.
Well the hand was forced and I did it. We found termites flying in here too and so the entire room had to be cleared so the wood floors could be exposed for treatment. What a nightmare. It is one thing to do things because you want to but to take a room apart because you have to is something else> I've beend not only psychologically terrorized by termites who were destroying the very floors and furniture which is my physical support!..... but emotionally unprepared to face handling items for a life of dreams that never happened.

But I'm ever so glad its done and I've even been having fun sleeping in this room, my own Bed and Breakfast Beach House Room  it seems to feel like to me since having had to abandon my own bedroom for a time until the termite mystery in that one was either solved or timed out of their season. Once this middle room was treated I've not seen anything so sleeping in here was fine.
Soon I am moving back into my bedroom, moving my bed back in which has been up in the hallway, and moving my bedding back in and I will sleep in there and pray with all my might I don't wake up to swarms of termites both flying and crawling ON MY BED even with a mosquito net, this is the part that freaked me out so often ...... I got rid of the wood bed frame I loved so much because of one single pinhole size hole where pellets had come out, sad!....., and replaced it with a metal one, still we found termites at night, swarming every night and we'd be doing termite patrol with a vacuum cleaner sucking them up. I got rid of the plywood I used as a mattress support and replaced it but it wasn't that either. I got on hands and knees and searched the floor for pin hole size holes with glasses, flashlight and magnifying glass and found one the size of the nails used to nail the wood down, imagine that, every nail hole was suspect for being the entry point for swarms of termites....but I found one, closed it up and I've only since seen a handful of termites in over a week, so I am feeling I may be able to breathe again because I have been creeped out to the point of sheer disgust and now even paranoia over this for 2 months now.

But this middle room is done and now I'm ready for guests again, but much more proud than I was before.
Here are lots of pics:

This is not quite a fair image as I'd already begun to remove things from my room into this one before this one got treated, but you can get a gist....huge desk John bought because he doesn't know how to buy furniture to scale of the room size, but it was used well. He had chosen a cantaloupe color for the walls and while a cozy color, I'm into white and light now.
' ' S T U F F ' '      is all in its place or gone now.



another corner.......




and the corner that had a Japanese screen to cover the ''dreamers'' contents but that had to go too.....and now the process of going through my previous life and plans which didn't work out, which turned into turmoil. I went through them all in one day, and had boxes of stuff for goodwill.
God bless those people for taking our ''stuff''.....some of it good stuff some not. I did give them some treasures which made them smile.



The entire room was cleared out including the closet, and the floors were all treated for termites with a natural treatment which we used for the entire house. I simply was not going to have all my vines and trees and plants killed with fumigation, so we went natural.... but at least we didn't have to leave the house and stay in hotels and remove foods etc, what a nightmare that would have been.

First....we recaulked the entire room.......I believe its absolutely hermetically sealed  now !!

I chose a beautiful color for the walls, "By The Sea" by Olympic, which is a pale aqua blue. with tints of pale green.  It is the best color because during the day it looks pale aqua and by night pale sea foam green!  My favorite colors of the sea. :D:D:D








I had shelving from my bedroom I never got rid of, and they came in handy in here. Painted white. We also already had brackets from IKEA.......IKEA was very helpful in this venture I have to say.



 In this picture you can see the bottom half of the new secretary desk from IKEA...... yes I have painted this particular knob silver and added a tassel lol......



Then the floors...oy!  John never took care of these floors when he moved in and this room was mostly used to store things, and he never treated it with polyurethane to finish the wood. It was very very dull. Sooo......I swept and swept, then mopped. Then we scrubbed it and mopped it then scrubbed it then mopped it again. Then I polished it by hand with pure coconut oil....I saw this done in Bali Indonesia, at one of the palaces I stayed at. The manager there showed me how they worked their beautiful woods there, they are masters! And they used coconut shreds and coconut oil for the most beautiful sheen I'd ever seen. I never forgot it. So I used coconut oil and polished it once and it soaked it up then I polished it again. It then blended with the rest of the wood floors of this house which have the original wood floors. This house is the first one built in this city, it is old.

Here you can see the half I began to polish and the half not polished......








 It IS a dramatic difference......
First polish done....I did it again and it had more sheen, nothing slippery or oily or anything, just beautiful dark sheen. It did give the floor some glide which it needed since I had to move furniture around and it glided nicely.....not dry and stuck and staticy, but nice and smooth......sigh.



Now the room comes together......

My new secretary desk is a much better use of this space,...taking up the wall space and not the floor.....I love this desk, it hides storage.....and I didn't have to paint it white! :D
It came with black knobs and I changed them out with crystal knobs I bought years ago. :D




I have to make a cover for the chair but for now I'm using lace or whatever will sit nicely.




 The old bookshelf I had outside to take to goodwill, but as I began to put things back, I found I needed some more shelving for storing particular things, soooooo.......
I had to bring in the bookshelf and.............. paint it white......


 and then because I wanted something prettier, I  kind of saw in my head ''flowers'' as a pattern  for these shelves, but I was not about to paint them, when I remembered I had some pretty shelving paper I also bought years ago along with those crystal knobs and thought I'd get good use from them and I did.....I couldn't believe how perfect the color was, with sea foam green, and pattern was....not flowers, but pretty enough......so I put shelving paper on the shelves.




 Another piece I needed was storage for all the fabrics I'd been collecting the past 2 years which were sitting on the loveseat in the living room covered up with a tablecloth.....


 I bought a ''box'' from the kitchen section in IKEA.....just the box 88" tall, was supposed to be 30" wide but we didn't realize they gave us the wrong size until we put it together!....another hiccup in the drama here, but I didn't want to take it apart and return it....but this one is 24" and 24" deep...... with 2 extra shelves which came as a pair. I put all my fabrics in there including all the crafts I decided to keep in a clever little storage thingy also from IKEA......so everything is put in its place. I simply must live with ''a place for everything and everything in its place''. My brain doesn't work otherwise.





and the rest of the room......

I keep a crochet and a length of tulle in the doorway, I abhor square corners anymore....fabrics breaks it up and softens it....nothing softens a room like fabrics and flowers......
I had a special damask bedspread I saved for ''my house'', one of those things in the boxes, but I decided to pull it out and use everything I love and get rid of everything I don't use.....it was an exercise in deep honesty and restraint.....but I did it. I put the damask on the bed.....
Also I had found at the thrift a set of a small wicker chair and table for $30.00....I got them and .............painted them white.
The ceiling fan was brown with an ugly light cover.....I painted the blades white, got a nice cover with etched glass from Lowes, very Victorian looking and a crystal pull chain.  John couldn't believe how it changed the look. It was the first thing to go in after being painted and he was in awe. lolol

There is a mix of things in this tiny room, lots of shabby deliciousness. I love the Victorian look with pale colors, reminiscent of the Beach in less populated days. I have a wool Persian rug I spotted on amazon at 77% reduced now for $60.00  but will have to wait until more funds come in, but it is very pretty and has blue in it.

 


This is the bookshelf painted and with shelving paper to hold my essential oils cabinet, CD player and a few other things. You can see the crystal knobs on the secretary from IKEA.

 


 


I used the shelving we put up on the walls to store my Himalayan Crystal Tea Light holders, which I adore, and to have a place for something new and whimsical......a Tea Set ! LOL
 I have a silver tray, creamer and sugar holder, and I bought the most delicious teas in beautiful floral or ''shabby'' tins from Home Goods....one is English Breakfast which I am addicted to right now, and the other is Earl Grey Tea. I wanted this room to cater to the graceful woman or guest and to be self sufficient, to give the feeling of being taken care of and independent at the same time. So a tea serving was the thing for me to do. I wanted an all white serving set but it wasn't happening easily. I happen to have a lovely silver Moroccan Tea Pot and at the thrift store a silver creamer and sugar set were on sale for $5.00 total.....they came home. I polished them up and they are beautiful. I think this cool room could use the bling of silver.....  :D
The basket was a Chinese birds nest basket I didn't want to get rid o,f I loved it. But it was a deep mohagony red wood, and didn't work here so I....wait for it...... :D ....painted it white. I got a tip that gloss paint works better for cleaning and I discovered it is true, so I painted all the ceiling fan blades, chair and table, etc in gloss.. which does clean much better! This Chinese basket now holds selections of other flavors of teas in the top half and tea linens in the bottom :D:D:D     happy dance .

 



I used my Rachel Ashwell bedding in here, just folded the duvet in half and slept on top of it with a heavy linen tablecloth with crocheted edges I love sleeping with as a blanket......

 


I love all the variety of textures in similar colors....




One thing I've never had is a bedside table. I had purchased a bunch of books by Victoria Magazine on amazon for a penny each and one of them was about bedrooms, and the cover transfixed me, I needed to have this in my new room.....





I searched on ebay for a bed-stand or night-table, and found a lovely one I could afford....
it is perfect! with a crystal knob already in place and already white! when it came in the box, it was the easiest thing to put together......all of life should be that easy. I also added the same shelving paper to the inside of the drawer. I keep my reading glasses in the drawer, some tea lights, a lighter, nail file and other small things I used to keep laying around...so nice to have them all away now yet so conveniently close!

 http://img5.sellersourcebook.com/users/106545/dsp_34353.jpg?1392691302


 



At the thrift I also found a white wicker magazine holder which I knew I'd need for my new routine of looking at only beautiful picture books before bed, reading nothing but glorious words of beauty and grace, serenity and how lovely life can be, how luxuriously tea and dinners are set, tables set for beauty comfort, love and romance, how to make beautiful gardens...all of it.

Beauty is my life and I want everything in my life to be Beautiful.
 









On the night stand at first I had a bowl I made from Xmas time believe it or not, but I love it so am  keeping it up....



Then I moved it to the old/new white bookcase.

Here I had the Tea Set Tray on a display stand until I set up the shelf properly.....love the silver!....roses in vase and gardenias floating in water created a nice scent at night. heavenly.




After finding the thrift store silver creamer and sugar holders, I set up the shelf with the Tea Servings....and then oh oh....I need to find a way to actually serve it......stay tuned......

but I replaced the tray with an antiqued mercury glass set  from Home Goods......... a tray, you can see here  holding a lavender opalescent candy dish and perfume bottles....
 




a soap dish   ..............I use for my earplugs and earrings etc.
But the bottom shelf got a tissue box holder and a small vase with a lid which WILL come in handy shortly, I simply love this set from Home Goods! Mercury Glass forever !



It turns out the ''wrong size'' box from IKEA was good because now I could fit the small wicker chair at the foot of the bed.....



and the window got lace curtains also from IKEA.....I told you they came in quite handy! lol




and the wicker table beneath it.  I get to use some of the thrift store linens in here alot. :D





















I wanted this whimsical Tea Serving Set to be useful and used so I went through in my mind, as a guest, how I would use the set.....so one would get the silver tray, add the tea pot, sugar and creamer and go to the kitchen to get hot water, add it to the teapot with tea, and come back in and......lay the tray where? the top of the nightstand was taken up, but......synchronistically I was looking for something else online, ebay again, and saw this, the answer to my needs and I ordered it and it also is from the same company as the nightstand and it is simply perfect and took 2 minutes flat to put it together, in fact there were only two parts, the tray and the legs..... sigh.......simplicity and beauty and function!




 The tray has working drawers, so I can put the tea linens in there :D    I love this set, both this serving tray and nightstand !











Today I cut some wild growing thing outside that has little purple flowers, and some white plumbago, I love them together in here, but then, I love all flowers :D
























 If you hung in this long, you deserve an award, you may have a chance as I'm giving away some beautiful gorgeous Christmas display ornaments which were used for an exclusive store for a Christmas display, some rare pieces......I simply don't use them anymore as they have memories, but they are beautiful and I'll be making a post later on this year about a giveaway for them.

Bless you and stay well, healthy and happy everyone!


 












23 comments:

  1. It is truly so dreamy now...the seafoam walls and all the white and layers and layers of lace. Sigh. Just simply beautiful. I bought those lace curtains from IKEA too and use them just about everywhere. I see them in the JDL magazines. I just bought the Victoria Classics Cottage Bliss magazine today...it is beautiful and I know you will like it if you can find it. Enjoy your shabby chic Beach Cottage room. xxo

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    1. oh do you really think so Kerrie? coming from you I am comforted. You've seen those curtains in JDL too?? wow, then I am glad I got them...such a nice thing. And yes I have been enjoying this room, I've used it as a guest myself and it works well. Even made tea and had it on the serving tray :D
      I will look into that magazine. Lately I am loving their books, have you gone to amazon to search them out? they are worth the penny plus shipping :D....
      blessings,
      lady

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  2. WOWOWOWOOWOW.I have been thinking of you as I have been making these same changes up in my loft bedroom. The changes have such a dramatic difference in how you sleep and live! Without the heavy feel of darker items and opening up spaces AND especially adding the element of flowing white netting, we both have ourselves a fairytale for a home.

    Dearest Lady, I have not forgotten your hunt for crystal! I have found some exquisite pieces that are quite delicate and costly....not sure if it's worth sending you the photos, but we are stocked full over here with antique shops! I will keep hunting for the right one price-wise and size!

    KEEP ON GOING! And those lacy flowers you share...what miracles of design! Namaste!

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    1. oh thank you Anita, for your comments. I feel it is such a humble space and not the kind of glamour I would like, but it will do for now. And yes, simply making a room over from scratch with its pristine cleanliness is enough to give a good feeling but when it looks the way you imagined with humble furnishings to remind one of Fairy Homeland lolol, it is nice.
      Dont worry about the candelabras, I will search for them slowly and find what I can on ebay as the funds come in. I will find another, and I thank you kindly for trying to help. :D
      blessings and hugs
      lady

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    2. I forgot to say I'm flattered you thought of me at all especially while doing up your own castle LOL...but please do send me pics of your own fairytale loft if you can...
      hugs
      lady

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  3. Honestly I loved this post because you show your human side. I have stopped reading most blogs in the last couple of years-they had gotten too sickly sweet for me while I blogged about my cancer journey. I think people need to use blogs to help others if they happen to have the gift to do so. I know for others its just fun too and thats fine, but no need for anybody to turn off when a blogger writes from the heart and in an authentic voice.
    I usually read your posts in email formate so don't comment. I think you are really talented at design.

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    1. Linda, thank you ever so much for this ! And I am sorry about the ''sickly sweetness'' you mention which I agree is indeed very sickly. And I'm sorry about your cancer journey too and that blogging didnt seem to produce satisfaction, if I understand you. I am unfollowing beauty blogs and searching out those who are blogging for companionship and a need for humane interaction.
      Yes, there seems to be a kind of avoidance of those who speak of the roughness of life, or those who are not happy, and who dont feel free enough to chronicle or write about their feelings etc. There are more unhappy people in this world than happy and on top of that they are stamped with a stigma of shame, not welcomed to speak up and out. This I find intolerable. Like a woman who has been violated and in her worst moment keeps silent so as not to upset anyone elses day! Imagine to feel you cannot express your pain and then shamed if you do on top of that! They suffer in silence and left to the fringes of society as usual and my heart goes to them the most.
      I love to comment on those blogs where there are few members or someone who is hurting, and have not many comments at all. I try to lift them up, be present for them and let them know someone is listening until they are done speaking.
      I like happy blogs as much as anyone but I prefer to be where there is a real need, not just what is fun.
      What matters most deeply is that people, especially women, in our modern times still need others to hear them out when they need it, not silenced because of unhappyness, which is often not only justified but necessary for correction.
      Often a good, present, conscious, empathic listener is all that is needed, not just well wishers, but another who uhas tangible experience, an EMPATHY which imparts a rich gift of deep touching.
      phew! that was a bit of a rant...thanks again Linda, and do please keep in touch if you feel so inclined.
      blessings, lady

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  4. Well, I am fine as far as cancer goes. It lead me to the practice of spiritual healing and I am in remission regardless. It was a part of a journey. I found that people wanted to control my voice at that time so I stopped blogging for awhile. I started up again cautiously-first a fiber arts blog then a general one and now I'm feeling less vulnerable-I am starting a dream journal blog. I just won't waste my time of most blogs so I don't have many readers. lol. I will check out your blog list to see if I can't find more good writers-I do miss it!

    It didn't read like a rant:) It resonated deeply actually. There are unhappy people who can change that. I hope they do. Then there are those who enjoy the state of unhappiness and want to share it. I just don't have the energy!

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    1. ''Resonating deeply''....now those are magical words to me ! :D and I am happy to hear of your journey of remission too. I live with a housemate man who had breast cancer but hes' fine now, but a close friend who also has it and refuses conventional treatment and is trying to heal herself. I find ''cancer'' to be a condition of a soul sick society, a disease of modern times and a by product of a disconnected humanity from our true nature, with great 'help' from the poisons madmen are continually putting in our air, foods and waters. A society who abuses their own people will be sick until it stops.

      But as far as going through my blog list for those who are good writers you wont find many only a few because I joined these blogs because when I decided to make this house I live in my ''home'' I needed lots of ideas for how to do this without much $, and many women do beautiful homes on a penny budget like me, so I followed them.

      The beautiful writers are few and if you want them please email me and I will refer you to them. Two of my favorite beautiful poets dropped away from blogger, they also ''resonated deeply'' with my own being, exposing their true selves and expressing the beauty of soul but it seems unfortunately, those who feel that most deeply write very little, are reclusive and usually under fire.

      I am lately feeling very ....whats the word.....''alone" ? not quite.....something like that with some anger because those who are closest to me are suffering so much they cannot engage in social activity at all, and I miss them terribly and wish I could do something more for them, so we can be closer and enjoy our kindred-ness. I feel terrible when my loved ones are silent during their pain, and I wish to be more helpful. Am feeling useless to them. Yesterday I heard from two of them at the same time only to find out what they are going through and my heart wrenches. They also happen to be in other countries.
      I live with someone who could not care less, is very self absorbed, and I have no family who ''resonate'' at all. So this explains some of my 'rant', and that those who Listen with Healing are so deluged with their own tragedies we are all overwhelmed into a silent coping.
      I do prefer to go through my stuff alone and then communicate but these last two months have been so monstrous it created a need for deep connecting and there has been none. I expose myself here but I don't care, it is the truth.

      Thank you for checking back here, and I hope to hear from you soon.

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  5. Dear and beautiful friend....
    I was wondering where you were... ;) I hear you. Been away from "techno land" as well. The full moon was stunning, but very powerful...it certainly kept me in an oppressed, withdrawn (yet meditative) state.
    I'm a firm believer that a blog is our personal space....to do with whatever we want! LOL
    Feelings, thoughts, shares...positive or not....it's our space...so I applaud you always for your honesty. And of course, I pray for your wellness, dearest Lady.
    You work SO hard. And them there are the issues of heat, noise, those insane bugs....aagh.
    You deserve peaceful bliss and gorgeousness!
    This BEAUTIFUL room seems to have been brought forth as if by magic....and the magic is you, dear enchantress. How I wish I could visit you. :) Always be YOU, special soul!
    Queen Anne's Lace....ooohhh soooo amazing! Living Mandala...I love that!
    I am sending you love, healing thoughts, beautiful energy, sparkly blessings....and lots of hugs....
    xoxoxoxo
    - Irina

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    1. I cannot believe I didn't respond to this! oh my god, please forgive me sweet Irina, I just haven't been myself lately....
      you are always so kind and I promised myself I'd always respond quickly but it seems things got away from me. I thank you for being here and commenting and reading, always. Thank you most kindly :-)
      warmest hugs.

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  6. Hello Lady,
    I have come here several times to respond to this latest post, but something always happens and I am dragged away. I don't like to be interrupted when I start writing. It seems my thoughts and feeling get lost and I cant connect to the same place again. I have spent much time reading through your older posting in hope of getting a feel for you and your life. You are not anything like other sites I have visited and I like the fact that when you are not happy and feel low, you say what exactly what is causing your sadness and disappointment. My general impression that you have lead a very interesting life and have so much knowledge to share with those that would listen. I think you are a very spiritual person, more than I could ever hope to be. This is ok as I have never been quite sure what that means in totality. I have my own type of belief system that is not part of any church or group. I have always found them to be sorely lacking in what maybe at one time was good intent but now has evolved a bunch of hypocritical nonsense but I think whatever brings you peace and hope is what should guide you.
    Sometimes I got the feeling you are suffering from illness and other times I felt you were so disappointed by life. You have a very bright spirit though and that keeps you going. You mention the house beautiful aspect of blogging and I agree it's not always about chalk paint and color schemes, but I think when you see inside a person's home you see inside them too. That is interesting to me. For example your living room. I don't know if what there is about it, the light or the energy, but it is luminous. Being in that room could heal a sad heart, it breathes peace and serenity. Or maybe your energy has been infused into the room...whatever the result is lovely.
    You see the beauty in the little things, like the Queen Anne's Lace. There is nothing like symmetry of nature.
    I wish you contentment, happiness and much joy.
    Sherry

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  7. Hello Lady, this is my first post because you mentioned how supported Nicole is with comments in response to her blogs about her amazing and often times painful journey. I love seeing your photos and have devoured your posts since discovering your blog. Your thrifty and beautiful decorating achievements have inspired me and I find looking at your treasures, so lovingly placed, to be a soothing pastime. I'm currently creating a meditation room using your principles of lace and spraying items in white, gold or silver and adding ivy or baby's breath so thank you. Sending only healing light your way. xox

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    1. Dear Mitch what a lovely and beautiful comment, I thank you so much for this and how you wrote in kind to my mention of Nicole's blog. Have you been there to hers? Is she not a living miracle?
      I am happy to be one to have captured your attention in such a positive way. I do hope you love your meditation room, it would be nice to see what you do with it....really :-) You simply can not go wrong with white, gold, silver, ivy and baby's breath for certain . blessings, lady

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    2. Dear Lady, I discovered you via Nicole's blog as I was drawn to a comment you made. The openness and generosity of your soul is evident in the words you share on your blog and although you have slowed down in your posts it is a treat for me to make a coffee and tune in monthly to catch up on your gardening and decorating exploits or to read words written from your heart. Yes, Nicole certainly is an amazing role model for those challenged by illness and I learn so much from her writing on a wide variety of topics not to mention her yummy recipes. Brightest blessings to you dear Lady until next time. Mitch

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    3. Mitch, again how nice to hear from you again and so soon. So its ironic you came here from Nicole's blog when I am in this post making reference to her, yes? lol.....but I do appreciate you commenting and saying these things. You may see why I am drawn to her blog too and to her commenters :-) Yes she writes on a wide variety of things.
      And thanks to Nicole,I am enjoying regularly a beautiful soup made from a stock recipe she gave. :D
      I am honored you set yourself up with a nice coffee to tune in to my blog, really!

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  8. Hello dear Serena.......I really do apologize for not stopping in more often to see you. Reading the first part of your post truly touched me and made me realize how many of us out here are just "putting one foot in front of the other" to navigate this thing called "life". Your makeovers are truly inspirational and to now that you do it on a "thrifty budget" is even more impressive.

    Thanks so very much for stopping by and saying hi.....we have been so very busy here just moving and getting sorted out that I really have not been blogging much as of late....and I have certainly missed you.

    xo

    Jo

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    1. Jo thank you for saying so....and glad to see you anytime you show up. :-)

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  9. I believe a blog to be something personal and if the blogger has something to say ...they should be able to share it. Blogs are so different today from when they first started and there are definitely topics that over-power others in popularity ...just how it is. I do hope you keep writing about the things that matter most to you and have added your blog to WhereWomenBlog.com. Hopefully it will be the start of something awesome for you.

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    1. Jan thank you so much for your comments, they are really refreshing. I don't see how anyone can honestly keep posting about only the materiality or things which are of the physical world while holding back, being reticent about things of the spirit, heart and soul which to me far surpass them in quality and virtue, even if the person is expressing some hurt or such, it is still more valuable to me in my opinion and I do hope more of these people enter my world. blessings to you!

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  10. Just found this blog post today, when I really need it. Been having some low times recently myself and only just now starting to look up. I love the idea of making your home into a fairyland and realizing that it is a true expression of the self. Thanks.

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    1. Thank YOU so much tilmar, and I appreciate your commenting very very much. I hope to keep up writing in my own way of my own life that some will find useful helpful or at the least endearing to them in some way. blessings!

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  11. Just wanted to come by and see how you are doing... hope everything is well with you my friend... the woods are missing you!

    Cielo

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Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated and responded to when possible.