The post Are You Open to Communicating? appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

Brisk, bold, fresh and enticing, I whisked out my sweaters, gloves, hot chocolate, thermal t-shirts, plaid wool jackets and any number of accessories I almost sold at a recent garage sale — imagining there would never be a need for cool clothing in L.A. ever again. I actually felt a chill in my apartment when I awoke this morning – curiously never imagining I would ever feel cold here—the non-air conditioned apartment that was so oppressively hot this summer –the fans working overtime to rarely cool even a square foot of air. At the property manager’s suggestion, I had the pilot light turned off in the fireplace and heater when I moved in this past February — so I would not be charged unnecessarily for an unused, invisible boiler just simmering and keeping company by itself –with no where to go and nothing purposeful to heat up.

“Falling back/Falling forward” through the last few months of 2015 (which seem to be trying to crawl towards another abrupt end at the swiftest pace possible), the sadness of another passing November day overwhelmed me. December 31st will mark the 5th anniversary of Ken’s passing. And, because of the recent loss of our 23 yr old beloved parrot Hightop last month, no longer would I enjoy searching for and purchasing the seasonal treats of fresh cranberries—a yearly, autumnal ritual Hightop would look forward to mowing down weekly until the holiday berry-season ended.

I would scout and grab a bag of newly displayed Ocean-Spray cranberries from the market as soon as they arrived on the shelves, excitedly come through the door and announce, “Look what I have for you….”, hurriedly wash them in a colander, dry them on several layers of paper towels — diligently covering them up and rolling them around until they had properly dried because Hightop did not like wet things under her feet)… and then excitedly offer them up as a “Fun-filled activity of distraction” for our beloved, feathered child. She loved to “mark them all” with a territorial beak-bite — as if to claim them all for herself…lest she encounter an intruder parrot who might remotely decide that some of her cranberries were to be shared up with an uninvited ghost of a guest. The ordered rows of cranberries resembled a cemetery of red crosses – or rows of red bowling balls or marbles ready to be steamrolled – little white insides, seeds and trappings unemotionally flung aside and discarded in less than 60 seconds. Game begun. Game over. What’s Next, Mom?

Coming home tonight to an empty apartment, no Diana Krall or Turner Classic Movies playing in the background—no bobbing friend to welcome me home to play and cuddle with has left me, with a winter cold – longing to sleep and be buried under the sheets with a good book and a hot brew of Gold Kili tea.

Fortunately, the other day I happened onto a fabulous book on tape which I have been gratefully enveloped by—Elizabeth Gilbert’s “The Signature of All Things”…a sumptuous tale of intrigue, botany, and magical language –read by the superb British actress, Juliet Stevenson.

Glued to seat of my car, hanging on to each audio chapter –page after page filled with stunning, descriptive writing –each CD ending with a page turner – a wondrous, moody winter tale that has filled me with happiness. A lingering distraction I will not want to end.

It’s been so long since I’ve been lost in a book (the library didn’t have the paperback so I opted for the audiobook) – and since I drive so much, it has been nice to have a respite from the beloved country songs of Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean I frequently listen and sing along to.

Most of the books I have been reading of late have been business/soul/feng-shui related…it is the rare treat to be swept away on a journey to a faraway time…filled with facts and happenstances that weave the reader back in time — leaving me in awe wondering just how many books she must have read to gather all the information she meticulously researched (or googled) and the facts she cleverly fastened into a jeweled treasure chest of wordsmithing – some true, some created out of her own superb imagination. The 3×5 index cards must have made an interesting scrapbook bulletin board of decorative, descriptive wallpaper.

Most of you know that Ken’s life was surrounded by books—he always had a book near him, to be transported by, to be comforted with. He ordered many books daily and had voluminous choices before he finished any number of ones he was currently absorbed by. After he lost his sight, it was difficult to adjust to being transported by a book on tape. Fascinated by history, however, today I feel he would have enjoyed listening to “The Signature of All Things”.

So, on this chilly, windy, Wednesday night—with dark clouds looming through crystal-clear skies….I am tucked away in my apartment to prepare for some new holiday shows before going to bed early…I am happily blessed knowing I will look forward to Thursday…when more will be revealed from the ‘Whitaker Family Saga’ and I will relish in the writing of the Divine Ms. Gilbert.

Thank you, Liz Gibert, for magically ushering in my winter (I feel there was no fall) with the coziness of a New England cottage —filled with a roaring fire, some hot tea and a good comfy blanket.

I’ve been getting signs to “slow down”…and nothing helps slow me down better than some fine writing and good pillows for propping myself up (literally and figuratively). It’s definitely harder to do this in a car than in my great, comfortable bed.

Major changes seem to be in the air — flanked and peppered by hot soup, reflective afternoons, assessments and intakes, creative musings and unidentified callings. Winds of change are moving the direction of my soul’s calling — and I am curiously waiting to see what will be revealed and selected for my future.

I always follow the signs. Life’s adventures are usually buried under your shoes and it’s nice to have the choice to decide to go right or to go left. Or to just stand still, look out and take stock. Or to remove your shoes and venture out with the bare souls of your feet and the openness of your soul’s being to breathe fresh air into your lungs and fill the aching in your being with possibility and new discoveries.

And that’s why I love sweater weather … turtleneck sweaters, corduroy pants, thick Thorlo socks & comfy boots, cashmere scarves, leather gloves, Tiger Baum, the smells of Christmas Tree cuttings, cinnamon, Epsom salts, massages, flannel sheets, freshly baked cookies and homemade soup.

These hug my soul and nurture the isolation that I feel in my life at the moment. I am looking forward to finding a seasoned Spirit Traveler to journey forward with. I will be looking for signs. Who knows what the wind will be blowing in my direction. Stay tuned….

The post Seasons of Change by Elisa Goodman appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

Seriously, don’t get me started.

I have always been the person who works on her taxes the night before the appt with the accountant. Why? Because I won’t remember how I got to the numbers if I put a lot of days in between. It seems like I arrive late to shows, have to set up in the wee hours of the morning, am exhausted, can’t seem leave the house in time (by that I mean I want to leave at 8am or 9am and can’t get out of house until 1 or 2pm). I my prep to clean my house for the pet sitter which entails, vacuuming, swiffering the floors and cleaning the bathroom, preparing food for the bird, changing the sheets, doing the laundry, cleaning up the ubiquitous piles of fabric and card-making materials occupy the dining room table and surrounding floor – all of which really takes a good 4 hours to leave the apartment in decent-enough shape for the guest and will return me to a clean house when I return. Also, I prepare my breakfast and lunch, get a latte & go to the bank. The car is always packed with stuff. I feel suffocated and boxed in with my own life. I feel I can only breathe at the beach.

I was recently at Costco and scanned the book table. I picked up the Feng Shui book by Mari Kondo which has sold 3 million copies about the magic of Tidying up. Her main point being only keep things that bring you Joy. Kind of like Tithing. To me, Tithing should only prompt giving to another person who inspires/moves you to action or brings you joy. Not just because you ”should” give someone money. I started reading it and started to purge. Get rid of stuff. The bags of things to shred. The bird paraphernalia I no longer need and want to take the to bird vet since Hightop died, the iPhone covers I have on ebay that have not sold, the furniture and crap in my mom’s garage that I would love to sell in a garage sale but haven’t been able to put together a weekend to do that because it has been so darn hot. The piles of paper that just won’t go away. The things on my desktop I am continually working on.

I want to be neat and tidy. I know that it feels calm to be in a house empty of piles. Whenever I’m stressed out I empty the trash for a quick pick-me-up. Order reigns. My ex-business partner Abra does not have piles in her house E-VER!  If she comes to your house she will start to clean out your drawers.
Someone’s sense of chaos is unbearable to her.

I need to purge and be open to giving things away. I wanted to sell them because I could use the money for shows and paying down debt. Should I just give them away? Will my generosity bring me something in return? Or should I never expect something in return? Do things that bring you joy without an expectation of getting something in return or “What’s in it for me? “ That’s what Wayne Dyer says.

Some of the things I have are valuable so I have been “holding out” to try to sell them. I see that by “Holding on to them”, my arms are too encumbered to receive anything. Will the universe bring that opportunity to me? Or should I take a tax deduction? Answers to the burning questions my mind continues to roll around all night an all day.

It feels like I have past life regressions. Or Past Life Regrets. Or Past Life remembrances. Moving forward with clarity, not chaos. Not doubting every decision as wrong, misguided or stupid. Embracing all the decisions I made and seeing them as PERFECT choices at the time. Chaos-corrected, perfectly orchestrated. Will that restore my regret of past –mistakes? Why can’t I just be content with every decision I ever made was “PERFECT” during the time it was made? I torture myself and there is nothing to be done to fix anything. REALLY? I know that totally but can’t help myself . Hard to be kind to yourself when you are second-guessing everything.

Will clarity reign? Stay tuned for the next episode of “Chaos or Clarity” –a Curmudgeon Conundrum. Until then….Wishing YOU a Perfectly, Purged Life.

The post Chaos or Clarity? by Elisa Goodman appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

• Say ‘Yes’ to Opportunities that inspire You!

• Saddle Up. Show Up. Or Shut Up.
  Either do it, drop it or stop talking about it.

• If you get an intuitive “hit” – you notice something, a voice says go ”right” when you always go “left”, follow the bird crumbs. Many times, “magic” is waiting. The times I have done that, I have created magical drawings out of those experiences –which would never have happened if I was not “present” to the opportunity.

• The days I don’t want to pack up my car, clean my house and drive the  (5) hours to get an out-of-town show are usually the shows I do well at. The energy and “resistance” I “feel” I now realize are “patterns”. It’s a fine line to delineate between “It’s a Sign” I shouldn’t go (when nothing is lining up and everything is falling apart….) and honoring the fact that I rarely cancel, but sometimes, it just feels like the adult thing to do versus: “I’m tired…but I know it will be great if I just get myself there.” Sometimes even Rain turns out to be a blessing. It is a constant mystery….Trying to listen to that “inner voice” and realize that my job is to bring my message of positivity and hope to people. If I don’t show up….someone who might really “need some inspiration” will not receive it. That gets me going.

• Everyone is on “their own path”. There is so much “noise” out there to follow someone else’s path because it seems they have “insider” information & are “doing it more correctly” than the one we are each on. Here’s the words of wisdom that came to me for a drawing I made in 2011 entitled: “Meg in ‘Someone Else’s Shoes’ ”:“Sometimes we wish we were in ‘Someone Else’s Shoes’
  & forget that they may be stinky, worn out or in need of a polish.
  Always be grateful to the shoes that House your Soul!”

• The trouble is, you think you have time. (Courtesy of Buddha)
  Well, if you want to refute that, just turn on the daily news. Remember that commuter train you thought was just going to take you to work? …Oh, well…it decided to derail today.
  Do as much as you can to get pleasure out of the little things. The walk on the beach, a bubble bath, the cuddle with your loved one, your pet, your inspiration, your muse…. even taking the trash out. As Sogyal Rinpoche wrote in
  “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” : (Paraphrasing)
  “From the minute we are born we are dying. Some people have timely deaths, some untimely. We never know which will be our path. Therefore, live as fully as possible so you don’t have regrets at the end.”

• British Astrologer, Jonathan Cainer – whether you believe in astrology or not, I find him to be a like a great comfy sweater – when I listen, it’s like getting advice from someone you trust, who doesn’t tell you what you want to hear—but tells you what you might “consider” — which always help to shift me to a place of understanding and gives me reassurance that my “path” is a good thing and when I get out of the way of “trying” to make it more difficult, there are ALWAYS great things around the corner. (www.jonathancainer.com)  In the end, does it really matter? We won’t be here….the only person we need to please is ourselves.

• Elizabeth Gilbert (“Eat, Pray, Love”)  is also another “go-to” sanity source for neat ideas and a“Pick Me Up” that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol!  Last Christmas on Facebook, Elizabeth Gilbert shared one of her “gratitude secrets.” She keeps a “Happiness Jar”. Every day she writes down something that makes her happy or an event that made her happy. On days when she is having a “down day” –she reaches into the jar and plucks out a piece of paper that reminds her of something that made her happy. That helps her “shift” from one mental space to another where she remembers to be “grateful”.

• Be easy on yourself. We are all trying to do our best on any given day.
  When the world is crumbing around me, I try to go for a walk by the ocean or grab a yoga class. Don’t be afraid to tell people “NO” – you just can’t do one more thing! Boundaries, people! Be your own boundary!
  If your circuits are overloaded, go back to doing something that makes you happy and that is for ‘YOU’ to help get you back on a more even keel.  For me, it is sitting on the floor with all of my stamps and fabrics and creating Art.

• Breathe.

If any of the above was helpful, please share and feel free to send me your “aha’s.   Have a great day!

Elisa Goodman is the Owner/Designer/Prolific Muse of Curmudgeon Cards, I’m Skewed! – Encouragement Art with a Twist & Perched on the Moon Designs.
Her company is dedicated to enhancing your life through Creative Expression, Impactful Communication & Inspired Art.

The post Dollops of Reflection for Reinvention after 50! appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

Tip #1 – Do not say “NO” to your Muse. Saying “NO” teaches your inspiration/creative juices to “shut down”. You never want to shut down the process on the 1st attempt. You may ultimately not use your 1st inspiration—but you will never get to your best inspiration if you crush it from the get-go.

That bit of advice I learned in 1979 from the legendary director, Bill Ball from American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. If Beethoven or Mozart stopped at their 1st group of composer notes and said, “That’s terrible”, they may have never gotten to Beethoven’s 5th or Mozart’s most famous composition.

Tip #2 – Always write down any thoughts, phrases, ideas, fragments when they come to you. You may never be able to recreate that “perfect” sentiment you thought of right before you drifted off to sleep, thinking you will remember it in the morning. Trust me, you won’t. Always keep a pen/pencil and notepad with you. That’s why the phrase, “it was inspired” is so deep!

Tip #3 – Ideas come “through you” to be birthed. I call them “Downloads from the Divine”. Be present enough to respect those moments. Not every moment of every day is a download of epic proportions –but sometimes, the messages that you receive are for your healing, a problem you wanted to solve in your business, your life’s purpose…and then, after you have “polished” them, be sure to share them with your friends and business contacts – as they might need the same inspiration too.

The way it comes through you may be “exactly” the way they can “hear it”. That is when you will have followers and customers to your business. Because for some reason, the way you communicate those “life messages” are very real for someone else. We are all looking for “answers” –and while the answers are out there—between all the daily “Noise” — certain people have selective hearing. If you resonate for them in just the right way, they will be following you for life! You have to interpret your life colorfully for You…and in doing that, you will be of service if you can share it with those who will intuitively hear you. Don’t worry about those who can’t hear you….they will hear someone else. And that’s totally fine!

Just keep saying “YES.” It will be worth it!

Trust me on this one.

Elisa Goodman is the Owner/Designer/Prolific Muse of Curmudgeon Cards, I’m Skewed! – Encouragement Art with a Twist & Perched on the Moon Designs.
Her company is dedicated to enhancing your life through Creative Expression, Impactful Communication & Inspired Art.

The post 3 Tips to Unleash Your Creativity appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.