Cast All Your Votes for Dancing

I know the voice of depression

Still calls to you.

I know those habits that can ruin your life

Still send their invitations.

But you are with the Friend now

And look so much stronger.

You can stay that way

And even bloom!

Keep squeezing drops from the Sun

From your prayers and work and music

And from your companions' beautiful laughter.

Keep squeezing drops of the Sun

From the sacred hands and glance of your Beloved

And, my dear,

From the most insignificant movements

Of your own holy body.

Learn to recognize the counterfeit coins

That may buy you just a moment of pleasure,

But then drag you for days

Like a broken man

Behind a farting camel.

You are with the Friend now.

Learn what actions of yours delight Him,

What actions of yours bring freedom

And Love.

Whenever you say God's name, dear pilgrim,

My ears wish my head was missing

So they could finally kiss each other

And applaud all your nourishing wisdom!

O keep squeezing drops of the Sun

From your prayers and work and music

And from your campanions' beautiful laughter

And from the most insignificant movements

Of your own holy body.

Now, sweet one,

Be wise.

Cast all your votes for Dancing!

from I Heard God Laughing, Poems of Hope and Love, renderings of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky.  From the inside cover:  "Hafiz, whose given name was Shams-ud-din-Muhammad (c.1320-1389), is the most beloved poet of Persians.  He was born and lived in Shiraz, a beautiful garden city, where he became a famous spiritual teacher.  His Divan (collected poems) is a classic in the literature of Sufism and mystical verse.  The work of Hafiz became know to the West largely through the passion of Goethe.  His enthusiasm deeply affected Ralph Waldo Emerson, who then translated Hafiz in the nineteenth century."

While doing yoga in a palapa overlooking the ocean in Sayulita, less than a month ago, I had the honor and privilege of hearing this poem read to me by my yoga instructor.  It was a large group that morning and I was in a very delicate state of emotional unbalance.  I was questioning a lot of what was happening in my life, my relationships, and just feeling generally unsure, uncertain, and scared.  Upon hearing this poem I burst into tears and I found it difficult to stop or control my crying.  Something about this poem, in that moment, during those feelings and in that space hit me like a ton of bricks.  I felt both enlightened and heavy, at the same time.  I didn't care that a palapa full of strangers could see me visibly affected.  I just felt so grateful.  So grateful to have feelings, even though it felt like pain, and to know that I am on a spiraling path, being held by the Sacred Feminine, ever moving forward and back, in wholeness and yet seeking a great Whole.  Since that time I have wanted to share this poem with y'all.  I hope you find something in it that makes you feel brighter and full.  Something that gives you hope and food for thought, like it did for me.  Oceans of Love, Jennette

Aunt Leaf

Needing one, I invented her--

the great-great-aunt dark as hickory

called Shining-Leaf, or Drifting-Cloud

or The-Beauty-of-the-Night.

Dear aunt, I'd call into the leaves,

and she'd rise up, like an old log in a pool,

and whisper in a language only the two of us knew

the word that meant follow,

and we'd travel

cheerful as birds

out of the dusty town and into the trees

where she would change us both into something quicker--

two foxes with black feet,

two snakes green as ribbons,

two shimmering fish--

and all day we'd travel.

At day's end she'd leave me back at my door

with the rest of my family,

who were kind, but solid as wood

and rarely wandered.  While she,

old twist of feathers and birch bark,

would walk in circles wide as rain and then

float back

scattering the rags of twilight

on fluttering moth wings;

or she'd slouch from the barn like a gray opossum;

or she'd hang in the milky moonlight

burning like a medallion,

this bone dream,

this friend I had to have,

this old woman made of leaves.

from New and Selected Poems, Volume 1, by Mary Oliver, p. 196.  Thank you Sally, for sharing this poem with me 8 years ago.

Huichol Art and Alter

these are the Huichol Yarn Paintings i bought in Sayulita.  These dull photos do not do them justice as they are bright, vibrant and wonderful in person.  the Huichol are an indigenous ethnic group of western central Mexico.

"The Shaman are running together to dialogue about a giant serpent.  The largest they have ever seen.  They are singing to him and trying to learn from his power."

"These Shaman are gathered together in the sacred place of the Gods.  They come together singing and praying to hear the voices of the Gods.  To learn to live and know the teachings."

these yarn paintings are made from dreams and visions and there is nothing predrawn or illustrated.  they apply beeswax to a wood board or surface and just begin by pushing the yarn into the beeswax and creating designs.  it's amazing to watch, see and behold.

this is a Huichol beaded belt that is one of a kind.  i went to visit it every day for almost two weeks and then decided to spend my birthday money on it.  i LOVE it!  there was nothing else like this in town and i just adore the work, talent and time that went into it.  to me, it is amazing.  a million tiny seed beads.

this is a small painting by the same Huichol artist who made the belt.  i love the painting because although that is supposed to be a candle she is holding in one hand, i think it looks like a giant crystal, and when I finally bought the beaded belt, he gave me this painting too.

these are the beaded Huichol bracelets i got.  the Huichol religion consists of four principle deities, the trinity of corn, blue deer, and peyote, and the eagle.  all are represented in the bracelets above.  i am fascinated by Huichol myth, their traditional beliefs and and how they are resistant to change.  follow the link above to learn more.

and last but not least is the lovely alter i set up to hang on to a little bit of sunshine, beach, vacation and Sayulita, Mexico.  most of this is items we brought back and a lot of what you cant really see is the many many shells, beach glass, and broken but smooth tile pieces we collected on the beaches.  best beach collecting ever!

i miss you beach

i miss you warm ocean

i miss you whales

i miss you heat

i miss you sun

xoxo - jennette, sitting near a bright window, in smashing rubbish world headquarters :)



New Years Eve

in mexico there are no rules or safety measures around the use of explosives and fireworks!

the huge overhead ones were going off so close to the ground that the sparks fell on our heads

can you spot the fire dancer in the background? 

have you ever seen a three foot long sparkler?!  that's how they do it in mexico!

night boats

happy new year everyone!

xox

jennette



Silver Bag

i found this silver tote bag while i was thrifting last week.  i had been coveting this one:

from Fossil

which i still may have to get. probably not, but a girl can wish.

and to spice up the thrifted pleather tote, since its not nearly as cool as the real leather Fossil one, i thought to add this fabric as an outside pocket.

well this is the piece i remembered, eventually, anyhow.  the tote was begging for an outside pocket, since it had none, in or out, but i had to go through half of my pile of embroidered pieces to rediscover this piece of some kind of hooked or crewel work on silver!  perfect match.

so i lined the soon to be pocket with muslin and pinned it in place and sewed three sides and behold, a pocket!

personally i Love shiny, silvery, sparkly things, even if it looks like a bag an old lady in florida would use, it makes me smile.

off to the smashing rubbish studios,

ta ta,

jennette



December Finds

Some new Kilim pillows.

Another lovely carved shell dish that goes well with this one I scored awhile back:

This one, which I've had a few months now, is very old, has gold trim and is just lovely to me.  You cant see it here but the inner shell pink color contrasting with the muted gold trim patina is just so awesome!

More Dec. finds:  5 vintage arrows with various fletching and colors.  Love!

This gorgeous, full size, wool paisley shawl was scored for $16 at Apple Annies!  Yes, you read that right, $16!  Total score!

It is not in perfect condition but pretty darn close and if you know anything about these, you know what they are worth and how excited I must be!  My lovely Auntie Karen collects these but hers are all in PERFECT condition so I may end up making her something out of this one if I can bring myself to take scissors to it!  we shall see...

Sorry to be so late with some December 2010 finds but better late than never, i suppose.

xoxox

jennette, at smashing rubbish headquarters



Leaving Mexico Breakfast

this is a fake, well half fake, sad face about leaving Sayulita, in honor of our friends Eric and Karli, who have a sad-face photo of when they too, had to leave Sayulita.

we ate french toast but devoured it before a photo could capture it.

door to the wc

that fruit holder basket thing is made from one long palm branch!  amazing!

classic!

our view at breakfast

from inside the wc

note on the door inside the wc

the windows inside the wc.  bottles!

adios mexico.  you did me right.  i miss you.

xoxxo

jennette, at smashing rubbish world headquarters(!)