Pieces for You

Hi,

My friend Amy Frost sent me an email recently with a wonderful question:
What would you do if you had a million dollars?
(Here's a song to listen to while you're thinking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXdFTh1yX2c)

Let me know what you'd do!

Below is most of the letter I sent to everyone in celebration and gratitude...

For the holidays, I created a huge collage (18” x 48”) called, “Pieces for You”. It’s a mixed-media piece with:

bits of cards (there may even be something from one YOU sent!), 

fabric (scraps from Bhutan), 

beads, 

photographs, 

canceled stamps (from a collection donated to me by Mollie Messimer), 

images from magazines, 

copies of old keys and other items, 

a poem, 

quotes and sayings, 

Washi tape 

and other odds- and-ends

All these I collected this past year, then topped with a sparkle Mod Podge (I LOVE sparkle!) to hold it all together. Can you tell where your piece fits in?

Use the card for:

a bookmark (do YOU still read books? I do!)

refrigerator art

inspiration for your next poem, short story or blog

artwork for your office (frame it!)

writing a note to someone else

** Tell me your idea...

The concept for this collage came as I was preparing for a few days of rest this holiday season. I’ve had a few adventures earlier this year, including trips to conferences in Alexandria, VA, and Denver, CO, as well as Atlanta, GA (for my niece, Magee's high school graduation) and Dublin, Ireland for a counseling institute I co-lead. It's been a rough past few months at my full-time job, but I submitted my letter of resignation in November -- effective at the end of my contract in the latter part of May this year. (Yay!)

In November, I opened a new counseling practice with two colleagues (www.MilitaryIntegrativeTherapies.com); it's really a continuation of what I've been doing since 2000, when I started my practice, only now I'm collaborating! AND, I finally figured out how to organize all the websites I have under my name! My new website is www.Suzan-Thompson.com. It's under construction right now, but will include the various aspects of services I offer.

I'll be blogging weekly on this site or at toolkit4transformation.blogspot.com, so check in now and again for what's new!

Here's a collage-photo of the whole collage I created:

The one complete poem in the collage (if you received it, let me know!) is called “Praying” by Mary Oliver:

It doesn’t have to be

the blue iris, it could be

weeds in a vacant lot or a few

small stones; just

pay attention, then patch

words together and don’t try

to make them elaborate,  this isn’t

a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which

another voice may speak.

So, with this letter, I’m sending patched words together from the collage – “Pieces for You” – that, as I was creating it, helped me remember my connections with friends and family.

Thanks for sharing yourself with me.

Yours in Magic, Wonder & Miracles,

Suzan

Waking Dream: A Miracle

The waking "dream" I had included a "visitation" by an angel (or, in Christian culture, it was Mary; Quan Yin, the embodiment of compassion in Buddhist)! 

Although I'm referring to it as a "dream", this ACTUALLY happened just a few days ago. I'm not much into "visitations" but it hit me as I was driving home that I had experienced something extraordinary.

Here's the "dream" (which is a real-life event):

     I'm driving to meet my colleague Ted for lunch and as I turn down a street, I see a car back right into another car which is parked on the street. The driver continues, without stopping. I honk my horn and grab a pen and paper to write down the license number because I see there's a dent in the car that was parked. The driver then turns her car around and pulls up behind the dented car. I'm still in mine, irritated and waiting to see what happens. 

     The driver pauses. I see she's an older woman. I roll down my window and say to her, "I saw you hit that car. You were just going to leave until I honked." She says to me, "I WAS turning around." I'm even more irritated, so I  just park my car, then return. 

     The driver is still sitting in her car when I walk back to the scene. She says she doesn't know what to do. I rattle off 3-4 steps in the process of reporting an accident (like I'm suddenly an expert -- I've had ONE in my entire life!). As I'm talking to her, another woman approaches (I have no idea where she came from!), crossing the street starting behind me, then ending just in front of me. She's a beautiful, African American woman, wearing a colorful scarf and long black coat, black skirt, top and shoes. She looks at me with compassion and says gently, "She's old. She doesn't know what to do. Help her. [And even more gently] You've started something, so finish it." She leaves and is gone in seconds. 

     I'm taken aback by her gentle tone and the contrast with my harsh attitude. I am able to shift into helping the driver briefly, then walk away.

     When I think about the incident later, after I've returned home, I realize, "Oh my God! I was visited by Mary!" I write about the event in my journal, starting with, "Dear Mary, I saw you today and I am overcome by tears of compassion...."

     It's moments like these I am deeply grateful for the guidance that just SHOWS UP when I'm least expecting it.

In Wonder,

Suzan

Unable to Sleep

I'm up late tonight (Sept. 11 & into early 12, 2013), unable to sleep.

So many thoughts swirling around in my head and feelings bubbling up. (Plus I drank coffee today -- even decaf has an effect on my system.)

One of the biggest ah-ha realizations today came when I was talking with a colleague. I heard myself say, "I've had enough of crazy. It's what I grew up in and I'm done with it." It hit me that I'm steeped in crazy-making -- actions of others around me -- and I've been having the same thoughts and feelings as I did when I was a kid.

This evening, I drew a card from my Toolkit for Transformation deck (go to www.HealTraumaFast.com for the most recent iteration): "Notice Your Own Process". No kidding!

(Completely unrelated to what I'm writing about... the "Spirit Box" I've created. Diggin' the concept.)

I'm asking for a miracle to shift what is going on. It certainly can be one that changes my perspective. I'd love for this miracle to change the dynamics of the situation I've been facing. I'll "settle" for a minor miracle -- and celebrate it with equal joy and wonder as if it were a major one -- that helps me shift my focus in my thinking.

Interesting... as I write the last paragraph, I notice my eyes are drooping and I could fall asleep. (Maybe a little avoidance?!?)

Mission accomplished: ready to go to sleep.

Zzzzzz,
Suzan

Two Weeks in Ireland: Post-Return Reflection

Overall, this was a great trip. I know I felt resentment in the weeks before going because I don't get paid for leading the program. It's not a vacation. It's work. Yet, I was able to get into somewhat of a vacation mode -- I was, after all, in Ireland!

The flight on Thursday leaving Dublin was delayed 2 hours. Someone was sick -- not a medical emergency from what I could tell -- so we sat on the tarmac for almost an hour before we could turn around and go back to a gate. Customs had to meet the person to clear them back into the country. Then, because we'd sat so long, the plane had to be refueled. Passengers seemed calm, though, taking it in stride.

The delay meant that I missed my 3pm connecting flight to Roanoke. Luckily, there was one at 5. I made it home by 11:30pm with enough time to get everything together for the ropes course program on Friday.

Shadow and Emma have stuck next to me everywhere I go in the house for the past 3 days. Every time I sit down, Shadow is on my lap. I know he was lonely and is happy to have us all back.

In checking ODU email today, there was a message from someone at Trinity regarding a complaint. I don't know yet what it is. I'm sure that it's never happened before, though, and I wonder what it is and who it was...

It's good to be home.
Suzan

Two Weeks in Ireland: Days 12 & 13 Endings

Is it really already two days later AND a day before I leave?

The days have been full of activity and we have one final event -- a group dinner -- tonight. Tomorrow, I'll be up at 5 to leave for the airport by 6am.

Here's a little catch-up on yesterday:

It was our day to visit various counseling-related sites around Dublin. One of the students, Jordan, and I went to Aftercare Research Counselling (Cancer Support) House. Except there are 2 houses and the one that thought we were visiting wasn't the one we actually visited! The two volunteers, Eithne and Dympna, who very graciously showed up around, were enthusiastic about the services and the programs offered.

Jordan and I arrived early (2pm for a 2:30 visit) and spoke to a woman who was waiting to attend a meditation and guided imagery class. It's taught by a fellow who is a reflexology practitioner -- one of the services that clients can access. We didn't have a chance to meet any of the counselors, but were told about some of the other services that clients can choose: acupuncture, EFT (as in the Emotional Freedom Techniques that I have been trained in!), meditation, stress management, group support and more. There's nowhere in the States that I know of that has this kind of space and these kinds of services.

I wish I had thought to take photos of the house. It's actually 2 victorian-era row houses. Beautiful spaces and lovely, warm decoration. It's clear that the organization has access to good funding.

Our 25-minute taxi ride cost 11 Euros. We took the train back for 3 Euros... Now I know how the train system works!

Once we returned to Trinity, I went in search of a paper store (www.daintreepaper.ie) that Ale (one of our guides) had told me about. It was a bit of a hike past most of the tourist area, but I first stumbled on an art supply store that's been in business for over 50 years (and there's dust in the shop to prove it!). I purchased a few pieces of colored paper as well as hand-made paper to finish the thank you cards I'd started.

I eventually found the paper store and found some awesome ON SALE items for collage work (which ended up in the cards above), but the most wonderful find was the "secret garden" Cake Cafe in the courtyard behind the paper store!

Today, after our closing activities with the students, Jill, her hubby Tony, and I went back to have tea (the cafe only serves breakfast, lunch & tea).

On the left, you can see bikes under what looks like a lean-to. Behind the bikes is a series of art pieces in panels by a Brazilian artist:

Materials include a stack of books, a multitude of keys, chipped china & pottery, CDs, piano keys, records, old coins, silverware, bottle and jar lids, and so many more things. It was a collage-artist's dream!

We ended the evening attending Riverdance at the Gaiety Theater. No photos, though. What an extraordinary show!

Students loved it. And it's one of my many "favorite" parts of this trip.

I was up late last night, in production mode, working on the thank you cards. I'm surprised that I'm not sleepy now...

Our group dinner tonight is at the Odessa Restaurant. Our guides, Ale and Seona, will have a fun quiz for everyone, then I'll come back to pack the remaining odds-and-ends for the trip home.

I'm ready to return. The coming semester is already calling to me to begin, even though it doesn't actually start until the 26th.

Mostly, I miss my critter tribe, Emma and Shadow, as well as my connections with friends.

Yours in Magic, Wonder and Miracles,
Suzan

Two Weeks in Ireland: Day 11 Presentations

Today was a stay-at-Trinity-and-listen-to-presentations kind of day. I started it with an overview of Complementary, Alternative & Integrative Therapies with a segue to "energy experiments" and an introduction to Emotional Freedom Techniques. I always have such a great time watching students begin to experience completely new ways of sensing and experiencing things.

My colleague, Ketta (Dr. Narketta Sparkman) presented on diversity, specifically the influence of pop culture on how we perceive the LGBT population. She compared how the US, Thailand and Ireland medial/pop culture present issues. I loved how she picked videos to help demonstrate her points. Plus, she used a really cool presentation software that I want to know more about!

Our 4 doctoral students (3 from ODU) presented as well. I enjoyed how they chose poetry and music to show the influence of oppression, substance abuse and other issues. Ireland has its fair share of poets, writers, musicians and story tellers, so it was particularly relevant for the institute participants.

Kristi, Gina & Paul in the background; Brett is at the front.

After all the presentations, I went to a bookstore, Hodges Figgis, close to Trinity with Jill, her husband Tony and Ketta. If we hadn't been so hungry, we'd have all stayed there for many hours! I was in search of books on Irish fairy tales and mythology. One book that our guide from yesterday recommended was actually on a bargain-basement sale shelf! And another one (This is How it Ends)  has a description on the back that starts, "Bruno, an American, has come to Ireland to search for his roots." I just HAD to buy the book!

The only pretty photo I have is my dessert from tonight. I had Shepard's Pie for dinner and I (of course) couldn't resist the chocolate fudge pie with ice cream and little heart-shaped cookies:

Yum!

So, what's the magic I noticed today? It was in the eyes and reactions of the students as we were doing the "energy experiments". I also asked them if they wanted to have an "energy activation" -- multidimensional healing -- and all of them were game. Even though they were able to activate each other, many came to me for the experience. One who I wouldn't have expected had the most profound experience, too.

Yay!

It's getting late. Tomorrow isn't as busy. Students visit sites and then we go to a River Dance show in the evening.

Fondly,
Suzan

Two Weeks in Ireland: Day 10 Boyne Valley

Hill of Tara     Lough Crew     Trim Castle

Today has to be my favorite day of this trip so far!

We had beautiful weather, with a cool breeze, extraordinary clouds, and gorgeous landscape.

Our first stop was Hill of Tara, with its thousands of years history, steeped in mystery from earlier ages and their rituals and myths. It truly is a magical place!

Photographs don't capture the grand, sweeping views. From this "hill", you can see several counties and the mountains that delineate Northern Ireland from the Republic.

From here, we wound around pastures and small towns to reach Lough (pronounced "low") Crew (http://www.meath.ie/Tourism/Heritage/HeritageSites/LoughcrewCairns/). This 5,000 year old site required a steep path to the top, where "cairns" -- enclosed, human-built caves -- were constructed at the top of the hill. No one really knows how or why it was built, but the precision of its structure is incredible.

My favorite quote from our guide Keith: "Mind your step. The grass can be a bit slippy."

More breath-taking views!

Even the panoramic photos don't do them justice... The was a lightness to the place and I feel rejuvenated from being outside, in nature.

We had lunch at a cafe, then made our way to Trim Castle. The roads were even more narrow, winding and lurching with potholes as well as the rise and fall of a road in the hills. I know several had to take Dramamine!

The castle was where the movie Braveheart was filmed. Built in the 1200's it still holds the splendor and impressiveness of the original structure.

Tomorrow we have presentations, starting with mine on Complementary, Alternative & Integrative Therapies. I've got some additions to make this evening.

Loving Ireland,
Suzan