Ethereal.
Everything changes
when you allow yourself
to be you.
Not the you
everyone
thinks you should be.
Not the you
you think
everyone wants you to be.
But when
you allow yourself
to be you…
You embody
the light
that is you
through the fog
that is
the world.
Be the light
that is you
to the world.
When you are real
you become
Ethereal.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Girlfriend Camp Visit to Lily Dale.
This past weekend, a group of girls and I went on our annual “girlfriend camp vacation.”
We’ve gone to various places over the past few years including a beach week at Ocean Isle and having various “camp staycations” at each other’s homes.
One of my BFF’s (who I affectionately named Bubby about 20 years ago when Hubby and I met her and her Hubby on an airplane heading to the same cruise) and I created Girlfriend Camp (or GFC as we have coined it) quite a few years ago for just the two of us to get together. We would meet up a couple times a year at one or the other’s house or at a destination in between since we live about two hours apart.
Since then, GFC has expanded to some of her friends and some of my friends at different times. We are now all friends and share a very special GFC bond!
This year, Bubby wanted to visit Lily Dale, NY as part of our vacation. I had never heard of it, but am always up for an adventure and new experiences.
And that it was!
Lily Dale is a small community located in southwestern New York. It has a population of 275, but welcomes approximately 22,000 visitors each year. The purpose of Lily Dale is to further the science, philosophy, and religion of Spiritualism.
It is a place of pilgrimage for many Spiritualists and others interested in Spiritualism, the paranormal, and New Age topics. Many medium and Spiritualist healers reside in Lily Dale.
I can’t say that I’ve been convinced to believe that Mediums can communicate with spirits (even though a Medium provided me with the name and spelling of my recently-passed brother), but what I can say is that it is a lovely and loving place.
No matter who we encountered during our visit to Lily Dale – whether they be other guests or Lily Dale residents, every person was kind and loving. There is a true sense of peace in this little place on earth.
There are small trails through the woods to walk – one of which is a “Fairy Trail…”
where lovely little fairy houses and communities are on display,
and room is made for fairies (and visitors) to dance with nature.
Gathering places have been created….
for people to gather, pray, meditate,
and possibly connect with the spirits of their loved ones.
Healing services are held, and ribbons of healing and prayer are tied on a prayer tree in chains to offer continuous remembrances for loved ones. Guests are offered the opportunity to write a prayer intention or a name on a ribbon. By the end of each summer, hundreds of ribbons are tied to the prayer tree and sing gently in the breeze. At the end of each summer, healers gather in prayer and respectfully take the ribbons from the tree. They are brought to the closing ceremony, where a final blessing is said over the ribbons for healing and for the world.
Here we are in Lily Dale. Full of love. Full of life. Feeling the peace. Open to the experience.
And the next day……. in true GFC fashion – we spent the day visiting winerys and breweries and celebrating life and freedom and peace and friendship.
Cheers to girlfriends! Cheers to friendship! Cheers to kindness! Cheers to acceptance! Cheers to open minds! Cheers to peace! Cheers to love!
And finally,
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Goldfinch and Grosbeak at the feeder – Mars, PA – June, 2017
Sometimes
I wonder
how you put up
with me.
Then I remember,
oh I put up with you.
So we’re even.
Author unknown
Lovingly dedicated to a guy I call “Merv.”
He calls me “Gert.”
I put up with him.
He puts up with me.
Let’s do it until eternity. ❤
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Crooked Creek, Ford City, PA – June, 2017
How do you say “Thank You”
for sunshine or health…
for clear days or gentle rains…
for happiness, joy or love?
You say it by sharing
what you have.
You say it by making
the world a better place in which to live.
-Thomas D. Willhite
How do YOU say “Thank You?”
I say it by trying to share something small every day
in this tiny little platform that is mine
to give to the world
a little bit of happiness…
a little bit of joy…
a little bit of love.
My “Thank You” might be
a photograph,
or a painting,
or a craft or DIY idea.
It might be a favorite cherished
or newly discovered recipe.
It might be a verse
or a quote or a story.
But it is my “Thank You”
for sunshine and health…
for clear days and gentle rains…
for happiness, joy, and love.
It is my gift.
It is my little life.
It is my creative journey…
at life in between.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
I received one of the most precious gifts yesterday from my BFF, Jill…. this darling little clutch purse for the wedding.
What is so special about it is what is on the inside.
From the outside, it is absolutely gorgeous!
But when I opened it up, I burst into tears.
The lining is made from a photo of hubby and me with our soon-to-be-groom son (taken at our oldest son’s wedding from 3 1/2 years ago!)
Isn’t this such a beautiful gift? What a wonderful idea for brides, bridesmaids, mothers of brides and grooms! Such a unique and personal gift. Jill ordered it from AngeeW’s ETSY shop.
And clever, beautiful, kind Jill, wrote this beautiful note.
I don’t know how I hit the lottery on most amazing BFF and friends, but I am so grateful! And what a wonderful reminder to all of us that it IS indeed what’s on the inside that counts.
Especially as we grow older and all the “lovely” saggy, wrinkly, things begin to happen we need not discuss, it is especially important to remember who we are on the inside.
No matter our age, gender, ethnicity, physical appearance – we all have the ability to exude a bright, loving aura. Have you ever noticed how a person who is maybe just average looking but has a bright, positive, happy, loving disposition seems so much more beautiful? And sometimes people who are especially physically attractive, but not kind people can become unattractive?
I love how Jill expresses it…. she sees a person’s “aura!”
Let’s make a focused effort this week (and always) to look for a person’s aura – and remember that it is what’s on the inside that counts.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Baby C Watercolor 030117 8×10 140 lb Saunders
I had fun a couple evenings this week playing in my new Art Studio painting one of my favorite subjects.
Wonder what she will think of these one day? Laugh? Cry?
Hopefully there will be more, and they will be sweet memories to her of a grandma that adored her – right from the start.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Why do I feel the most sad
when it is the brightest most beautiful day?
Some time has passed and life goes on,
but why does my heart not feel better?
Why does the sound that I used to love
of the trains blowing their horns in the distance and echoing through the hills
haunt me so much
that I sometimes want to scream “Shut Up!”
Why do the melodious wind chimes
that sing in the breeze
make me so sad and sometimes mad
that I had to put them away for a while.
Why did you have to take your life
on the day we used to celebrate
the life of another so dear to us
whose life was also ended too soon?
Why – on a most beautiful day in February – the month of your birth,
when it should be cold and snowy and blustery,
did I sit in the sunshine… in bare feet… and short sleeves…
and mourn this beautiful gift you were missing that I know you would have loved?
Why did we often let long periods of time pass
when we didn’t see each other or talk
when I knew you were there and that you loved me,
and I know you knew I loved you too?
But now you are gone,
and now I think of you every day,
and I miss you every day…
and I wish things could be different.
With love always from your sister,
Jodi
Friends – I usually try to keep my blog upbeat and encouraging, but I really felt the need to share that even in the best of days and times and all the blessings in life, there are still times of grief and sadness. We can’t ignore it. Grief is something we all must face when we love. When we love someone and lose them, it hurts deeply. But it is still worth it to love and bear the hurt, for what would life be like without the love? To grieve means you have loved. And to love and lose is far greater than to have never loved at all.
I also want to thank a dear friend, who somehow always seems to know the right time and right thing to say. This dear friend – out of the blue and from far away – sent me a text telling me he was thinking of me and my brother when he heard a song, and he thought I should listen to it as it could be my brother’s parting song. If you care to listen, this is the song he recommended to me: “Go Rest High On That Mountain“
Who has more fun than Grandmas?
Playing dress up
with tutus and bows
and lipstick kisses
in the morning.
Trips to the grocery store
in the afternoon
being caught singing in the aisles
about cucumbers and strawberries and tomatoes and cream.
And in between…
there’s dancing and bouncing
and tickling and giggling
and cuddling and snuggling.
Nobody has more fun
than Grandmas!
(at least not this one) ❤
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Love & Valentine’s Day
When I was a young girl
and dreamed about love,
it was dreamy and romantic
and dizzying and sweep-away, fairy tale-like.
Now that I’m not such a young girl,
but a woman who has loved
and who has also been loved
for many more years than not…
I know that love
is not just a feeling.
It is an action… It is a verb.
It is a choice, and it is a decision.
It is giving just as much as receiving.
It is safe, and it is secure.
It is not always dreamy and romantic and dizzying,
but it is so much more.
So from the once 16-year old girl
who fell for that 20-year old boy,
I’m so thankful for your love,
and I love you more now than then.
Happy 38th Valentine’s Day!
May we have that many more.
Love,
Me
This past weekend, a gang of our bestie couple friends got together to celebrate love and friendship.
My McHendy “sister,’ Jill, and I collaborated to plan what we called “Valentine’s Couple Camp.”
Those of you that have been hanging around here at TheCreativeLifeinBetween for a while might remember our first Couple Camp Weekend Retreat that I posted about here.
Unfortunately, we missed a year… I guess weddings, babies, life… got us too involved. But when Jill called a couple weeks ago and said we should do another Couples Camp for Valentine’s Day, I was all in and offered to host at our home.
And so we did.
Bubby and Glenn were assigned appetizers, and boy did they rock the theme! Check out all the ways you can make food into hearts!
I created a special “Love Potion” cocktail to toast the beginning of our time together. I mixed 1/3 Grand Marnier Signature Collection No. 2 Raspberry Peach with 2/3 champagne and garnished with a fresh red raspberry. Yum!
Jill is our illustrious “camp” activities director. After a silly group photo,
Jill and I sent the rest of the gang to the bar, while we laid out the all the materials for everyone to create their own “Love Shack” out of chocolate graham crackers and candy (a Valentine gingerbread house of sorts). Everyone was given a flag to name their Love Shack and 20 pennies to distribute into shot glasses after everyone finished and presented their masterpieces to vote on the best.
We had some serious creativity going on. Check it out!
Hubby made his into “Camp Happy Beginning” reminiscent of the early days of love and not having much but feeling like everything is a rainbow …. or something like that… if you can imagine…
Mary made hers into “Mary’s Cozy Cottage” decorated with a comfy couch and chairs and a big colorful outdoor patio…
I was much busier laughing and taking pictures under the guise of “hosting” to focus too much on mine, but came up with this pretty lame “McKinney Love Shack.”
Bubby lovingly created the “McKinney B&B.”
and her Glenn created “Glen’s Gang Bang Getaway.” No explanation here. You can use your own imagination.
Jim cracked us up with his creation. Simple, but with a funny and politically-inspired statement. His “American” themed love shack had three characters involved… “I’m a Russian” on his way to the love shack, “Himalyan” in the love shack, and “He’s a Finnish” leaving the love shack…
Jill’s was a fabulous “Jill’s Sweet Shack” with a candy paved lane.
But Todd stole the show with his outhouse-themed love shack complete with cut out crescent moon doors.
We assigned Mary the entree knowing she would make all of our tummies happy, and she did not disappoint! In fact, we were so into her amazing stuffed shells, meatballs and spare ribs in homemade Italian sauce, I forgot to photograph it! Thankfully, she left a few for us to enjoy for dinner the next day, so I took a quick photo of our leftovers. Which, by the way, tasted just as magnificent! Thanks Mar!
I made a simple salad and sliced up some fresh bread to accompany Mary’s entree,
and we gave another toast to friendship!
I had fun preparing for our guests by tidying up the guest rooms,
including a quick convert of the nursery with an air mattress bed,
and placing heart-shaped Dove Red Velvet Chocolates on pillows.
I set the table with red plates and chocolate heart treats…
and even little heart shaped spoons!
Aren’t they adorable!
I was assigned dessert, so a chocolating I went. You already know about my chocolate-dipped wafer cookies and Ultimate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies which I had out, but I also made a bouquet of chocolate-dipped strawberries,
and the most amazing and simple No Bake Chocolate Ganache Cookie Crust Tart I saw on another blog.
I’ll share this recipe soon. It is seriously amazing and uses only a couple simple ingredients!
We talked the guys into playing Couples Scattegories and had fun staying up late drinking and talking until later than any of us ever stay up.
Hubby made omelets to order the next morning after we all awoke… later than we usually get up.
What a joy to have such wonderful friends to share time and our home with!
And quoting Jill from last time, I once again share:
“I recommend that all of our friends coordinate a Couple’s Camp weekend. Great fun. Lots of laughter. Many life stories shared. And the realization that life long friends and connections are priceless! So go make some memories!”
Thanks for the memories dear friends!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 