MOOOOOOOO

Somehow communing with all of the animals at the fair last night connects me to spirit.
It makes me feel lighter......and I needed that.....I have been stressing out about stuff that really in the big scheme of life doesn't really matter!!
Hope you like the quote below!!!
Have a great day!!!
Namaste,
Michele


"I need to recover a rhythm in my heart that moves my body first and my mind second, that allows my soul to catch up with me. I need to take a sacred pause, as if I were a sun-warmed rock in the center of a rushing river. "

– Dawna Markova,
from I Will Not Die an Unlived Life

Love

This is a picture that Mark made out of some of the rocks we found at Arlene's place in Ashtabula. Macy found the heart.........and
Mark found the "L" and the "o" almost side by side and that sent us on a search to find a "v" and an "e"........hope you enjoy the picture....we put it on our back porch.....and hope you enjoy the quote below.
Namaste,
Michele


Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible, it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could. --Barbara DeAngelis

your gift

Here is one of those tiles that touched my heart in Ohio City.
They are art tiles by area kids.
hope you like the quote below.
love,
Michele



"The gift you offer another person is just your being."
-Ram Dass

Come see Millie!!!!

Here are some pictures taken by Diana Fellhoelter from the rehearsal (without wigs and makeup.)
looks fun!!!!!!
why don't you come!!!!!!



CAMEO's sixth-annual large scale summer musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie features a regional cast of talented dancers and singers performing this amazing show on the Main Stage of the Spectacular Medina Performing Arts Center!

Starring Trishah Scalera as Millie Dillmount, Morgan Weishar as Jimmy Smith, David Brinker as Trevor Graydon, and Maggie Gedeon as Miss Dorothy this show will delight audiences of all ages!

Professional scenic, costume and lighting designs all will compliment this amazing cast and orchestra!

Don't miss out!

Performances Are: July 25, 26, 31, Aug 1, 2 at 7:30 PM
July 27, Aug 3 at 2:00 PM

Tickets are $12 pre-sale and $15 at the door. General admission. Tickets available at Buehler's Stores or online at www.cameo-medina.org .

Production Staff:
Director: Bill Hoffman
Music Director: Sheila Ludwig
Choreographer: Jessica Franklin
Production Manager/Light Design: Michael Sferro
Sound/Light Design: Ed Schmuhl
Production Stage Manager: Dane Urban
Assistant Music Director: Tom Bonezzi
Scenic Design: Dale Seeds
Costume Design: Ella Burnett
Company Stage Manager: Colin McCord
Administration Manager: Terry Spetrino
Technical Director: Jim Carrick
Rigging Manager: James Welch
Prop Coordinator: Alicia Hoisington
Wardrobe Manager: Mary Smeltz
Projections: Mike Crute
House Manager: Nancy Ulmer

Principle Cast:
Millie Dillmount: Trishah Scalera
Jimmy Smith: Morgan Weishar
Miss Dorothy Brown: Maggie Gedeon
Mr. Trevor Graydon: David Brinker
Mrs. Meers: Peggy Gibbons
Ching Ho: Vince Orlandi
Bun Foo: Rosy Hong
Muzzy Van Hossmere: Elizabeth Hargrove
Miss Flannery: Carey Knox

Priscilla Girls:
Ruth: Rachel Spetrino
Gloria: Andrea Leach
Alice: Hannah Richardson
Rita: Kimmaree Horvath
Cora: Mary Ann Domzalski
Lucille: Ariel Petrella

Ensemble:
Dorothy Parker - Alex Williamson
Pearl Lady - Jennifer Semock
Mathilde (Muzzy's Maid) - Katie Sprang
Daphne, Zelda Fitzgerald - Kari Rea
Ethel Peas - Elizabeth "Bizz" Fisher
Guest 1 - Whitney Yoder
Guest 2 - Taylor Williamson
Guest 3 - Mira Kuhar
The Letch, Muzzy Boy - Edward Haller
George Gershwin, Muzzy Boy, Prisoner - Josh Ludwig
Rodney, Muzzy Boy, Prisoner - Ethan Starkey
Mugger, Ira Gershwin, Muzzy Boy - Connor Stout
Policeman, Dexter, F. Scott Fitzgerald - Zack Pytel
Kenneth (Butler) - Jake Ulmer

*Ensemble also consists of Moderns, File Clerks, Speed Tappists, Stenogs, Speakeasy Denizens, Cafe Society Patrons

Bigger thrills???

That is Macy and Marko on the left end there.....screaming on this big swing!
– Top Thrill Dragster. Reaching a stratospheric 420 feet tall and topping out at an unheard of speed of 120 mph, this new steel screamer helped Cedar Point reclaim the title of owning the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the universe.


I got some free tickets for Cedar Point from my employer, The Cleveland Clinic.
so my parents, Macy and Marko and I went.
We had a lot of fun. I had not been there in over 2o years and either had my parents......Marko had never been there.
The roller coasters that were "the biggest and best" when I was in highschool are now the calm and "babyish" rollercoasters. The new ones have much more speed, height and depth.
My back hurts from all the newer and bigger ones!!!
I was thinking that we Americans have such weird habits.....just the things we do to get a thrill and how our thrills becoming more expansive and bigger and more dangerous.
so hope you enjoy the pictures and the quote.
love,
Michele


"A [true] man is one who sits and rises among others, sleeps and eats, and interacts with others in the bazaar, buying and selling, who mixes with people, yet for one moment is not forgetful of God in his heart."

Muhammad Ibn Munawwar

Lake Erie!!!!

marko and dusty running on the beach



















We spent the day at my friend Arlene's house yesterday.
She lives on Lake Erie.
such a beautiful day and a beautiful friend.
hope you enjoy the pictures and the quote below!!
love,
Michele





It is better to see God in everything than to try and figure it out.

-Neem Karoli Baba

Water

so many things we take for granted.
I think water is one of them.
I drew the above picture at the dog days of summer while we were waiting for our dinner to come.
I read somewhere about blessing the water.....I think it was in "The Hidden Messages in Water."
How the water is changed by our positive thoughts and words.
I try to remember to do that.
have a great day.
Namaste,
Michele



"To understand water is to understand the cosmos, the marvels of nature, and life itself. "
Masaru Emoto in "The Hidden Messages in Water"

Being here now

Mira's headshot for the Modern Millie musical which opens next week!



One of Ron Roth's favorite quotes that comes to mind is, "Would I rather be happy or would I rather be right?" We all can fight our way through life, but does it really make us happy? I can tell you first hand that by taking time out of our busy schedules and just BEING PRESENT will bring renewed health to the body and soul.
-Pau Funnfsinn

how we respond

Air Marko



"This reminds me of a wonderful proverb: It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

We all have to face challenges in our lives at one point or another. It's how we respond to these challenges and make the choices that lead to happiness that really matters--how we choose to see the light beyond the darkness."
-Paul Funfsinn

A Divine Invitation

I took this picture in Ohio City.
There is a park there with all this beautiful artwork on tiles by kids.
hope you like the poem below!!
Michele




A Divine Invitation

You have been invited to meet
The Friend

No one can resist a Divine Invitation.
That narrows down all our choices
To just two:

We can come to God
Dressed for Dancing,

Or

Be carried on a stretcher
To God's Ward.

-Hafiz, translation by Daniel Ladinsky

Dark Star Orchestra

Hello!!
Below is the setlist for Dark Star Orchestra at Kent State University.
We had a lot of fun....and guess what!!.....I got to meet Kevin from the band!!
He is the Phil Lesh in the group (the base player)
He was really nice. He said traveling is hard on him...he misses his family in Chicago.
He said all he has left are his sister and mom now and would like to be able to see them more.
Anyway.....have a grateful day!!!
love,
Michele



7/14/08 Kent Stage Acoustic Show
Original Setlist Second Set w/ Lisa

Deep Elem
Race Is On
FOTD
Cassidy
To Lay Me Down
Monkey & Engineer
Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie
On The Road Again
Bird Song >
Ripple >
Drums >
Oh Boy

Silver Threads
USBlues
Let Me Sing Your Blues Away
BTWind
Dire Wolf
WRSuite >
Let It Grow >
Catfish John >
NFA >
So Many Roads

2nd That Emotion

Life is how you choose to react to it.

Macy and her friends on our lake.

Last week was really rough at work.

We had to have a police officer monitoring the unit for like a week straight related to all the hostile situations.
I really feel bad for the kids sometimes.
Anyway, the police officer said this quote below and I loved it.
I hope you do too!!!
Love,
Michele

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it."

Dog days of summer

above is Henry the Bassett Hound.
Here is a link to his youtube video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NlKywiULyCY
you might have to cut and paste it

Mark, Paul, Scooter,me, Dusty and Marko

This is Jack and he is up for adoption.
I want to adopt Jack!!! Isn't he cute??
if you would like to adopt him go to this website
www.love-a-stray.petfinder.com



Above are some pictures from the dog days of summer at
Great Lakes Brewing Company.
I hope you enjoy them.....and I hope you enjoy the quote.
Love,
Michele



My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.
--Author Unknown

friends are like potatoes

dusty is going out to dinner!

Dog Days of Summer	July 13, 2008

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
2:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Great Lakes Brewing Company is one of the few restaurants in Cleveland that is dog friendly! GLBC will open on Sunday, July 13, 2008 at 2:00 PM to accommodate well behaved pooches and their owners. We've got an exciting lineup of activities scheduled, including:

* Love-A-Stray from Avon Lake - adoptable dogs!
* Geauga Humane Society Rescue Village - adoptable dogs!
* Middleburg Heights Animal Foundation - adoptable dogs!
* Studio Dog Face - dog portraits
* Dog & Owner Look-Alike Contest
* Dog Treats from Grateful Dog Bakery
* Paws and Relax My Pet Massage LLC
* Dog Psychic Agnes Thomas
* Doggie Menu!
* Doggie Merchandise Including Bandanas and 100% Eco-Friendly Dog Bowls

Dog Days has been a HUGE hit the past three years, so don't wait to the last minute to visit (reservations will not be accepted for this day; first come, first serve)! Please note: all dogs must be on leashes. Any dog that misbehaves will be asked to leave. Rain Date: Sunday, July 20th. We'll see you and your pooches on July 13th!

Prayer

Mira took this picture in our back yard last week.

PRAYER

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

a few 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.

Mary Oliver

Have Fun!!

Macy getting ready to jump in our lake.


"Take heart, truth and happiness will get you in the end.
You can't lose in this game.
Have Fun.
It goes on too long to be taken seriously all the time."
by John & Lyn St. Clair Thomas
Eyes of the Beholder

softening the heart

Mira jumping into our lake.




"Once again we face a paradox, for it appears that softening your heart
and gently tending its wounds _will protect you from evil. Building a
fortress and defending yourself behind it will only make you more
vulnerable. Healing your own heart is the single _most powerful thing you
can do to change the world. Your own transformation will enable you to
withdraw _so completely from evil that you contribute to it by not one
word, one thought, or one breath."
-Deepak Chopra,
The Deeper Wound Recovering the Soul from Fear and
Suffering*

Patience

The word for me today is patience.
above is a picture of a bumper sticker that this guy had on his Vanagon at Findley State Park.
I thought it was a beautiful bumper sticker and such a beautiful word.

I have been journaling again. ever since I gave my friend Steve (a nurse that I work with)
my Artist's Way book to borrow, I have been thinking about that book and how it worked in my life.
There were two major ideas that I took from that book on how to open and let my creative juices flow. One is waking up and journaling 3 notebook pages of handwritten entries daily
and taking myself on an artist date once a week...doing something that I have always wanted to do by myself....just little things like walking through a pawn shop or trying a new hiking trail.

so I have started journaling again. somehow it does make me feel more free.
I guess I get all that junk that is floating around my head out of the way and can focus on the really important things in life....things like letting go of trying to control things that I can't control anyway, trusting the universe and just trying to love what is.

I am learning to breath deeper again....to let go more.
I am reminded that there is nothing that I really need to know right now.
There is nothing that I need to really have or own right now.
I am starting to let things flow more and be in the moment.
noticing more and not needing to grasp it...to control it or to even wish that is could be different.
so today my posting is part of a poem by Mary Oliver:

Sometimes
4.

Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

------------------------ from Red Bird by Mary Oliver