Kathleen Botsford

Experimenting with Changing My Mind

Yes, I have officially bitten off more than I can chew.  In my zeal to plan a Holiday show for my jewelry and collage art, I forgot to take into consideration the 6 weekends we will be spending at Notre Dame this October and November.  And of course the preparations for Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us in no time at all.   Instead of making myself crazy with more things on my "to do" list, things I have complete control over, I suddenly realized I was the one with the magic wand.    It's MY show (or not)and it's MY blog and it's MY prerogative to change my mind.  I am taking a day or two to contemplate the next step of my experiment. 

I like that word..."experiment".  It sounds so scientific and purposeful.  Experiment.  Experimenting seems so spontaneous too.  If I don't like the way it is going or feeling, I can change it!  After all, I am the master of my own little corner of the blogosphere, aren't I?

Making Amends

I am adding a few more photos to my post from yesterday.   I had promised a blogging friend months ago to send these photos of one of my altars and the drawers my husband designed for my studio.  I have been negligent and I am sorry.  If I have over looked any other questions, please feel free to bring them to my attention.  I know I have had a few inquiries on where I do my SoulCollage workshops.  They are in the Chicago area.  I never remember to post them in the appropriate section on this blog.  I am in the midst of planning a weekly give away of some of my jewelry pieces.  Please stay tuned!

There is usually a plant in the pot under the table in the second photo.  I recently killed my Boston Fern and have not replaced it with the next victim as yet.  I will have ironed out the plans for my give aways in the next day or two.  I was planning a show but I think that may have to wait until spring with our football schedule.  A give away sounded like the perfect way to move some energy........more details to follow!

Fading Summer Days

This is the first autumn weekend I have had the luxury of staying at home.  Notre Dame is playing "away" and Stevie will not be dressing.  My husband is in LA and the house is nice and quiet.  Victoria is in her room studying for an AP Bio test and I have decided to break out the fall decorations.  But first, I wanted to take a few shots of the "summer" house before I pack her away for another year.

The first thing I notice when I look at these photos is that every room in my home is filled with the same things.  Family photos, books and art.  Some of the art is of a decidedly "religious" tone and some of the art appears to be secular when you first glance at it.  But even the "secular" art is sacred.  Paintings of nature and women adorn our walls with very few exceptions.  These are the images and symbols that make our home feel safe and holy.  A sanctuary to return to when the day is done.  A place for renewal and retreat.  I love surrounding myself and my family with objects that reflect the divine.  Little alters everywhere to remind us on a daily basis what is "real" and what is "illusion" in this fast moving world we live in. 

I have been visiting a few "decorating and life style" blogs lately and have been inspired to add a new album to my side bar.  Now if I can slow down long enough to figure that out......

Certified Tree Hugger

Ok.  Here it is.  I am a huge @#$%ing  TREE HUGGER.  I am not apologizing for that.  I talk to trees and if the truth be told, they talk back to me.  I can honestly say, trees are some of my most constant and supportive friends.  Suffice it to say, the sound of a chainsaw stops my heart cold and sends me into an automatic panic attack.  I have a difficult time steadying my breath and calming my heart rate, I can barely swallow and my eyes immediately tear up.  I awoke this morning to that dreaded, horrible, life-killing sound. 

I immediately grabbed the phone and called the president of our village.  7am is not TOO early for a call from a hysterical woman, is it?  Good.  I didn't think so either.  We had spoken earlier this summer regarding my neighbors plan to chop down 3 fabulously huge and ancient Cottonwood trees.  Seems it upsets him (the neighbor) when the trees shed their cotton for a couple weeks in the spring.  It gets in his screens.  Actually, where the trees are situated, much more of the fluff accumulates in MY screens. 

Anyway, there is a bill on the docket to protect "Heritage" trees and these trees fall into that category.  It will be voted on next week but to stop the annihilation of said trees, the president issued a moratorium.  He was not happy when he received my phone call and he rushed right over to save said trees and comfort the hysterical woman (me).  The trees were trimmed much too extensively and may possibly die as a result, giving said neighbor his original intent anyway.

I have spent my day trying desperately to avoid wishing much bad luck on said neighbor and all of his descendants for generations to come.  It has been a struggle.  Victoria thinks we should plant lots of Cottonwoods on our property and maybe the fluff will get in his windows too.  There is always an opportunity to practice taking the higher road.  Sigh.  Somedays I just get so tired of that darn climb.

 

Interior Explorations with Carl Jung

As I am preparing for a SoulCollage workshop on Thursday, I have immersed myself in the writings of Carl Jung.  Jung was a cutting edge scientific explorer of the interior life.   Jung believed a person's inner life merited not just attention, but deep exploration.  Jung thought of the psyche as  "inherently spiritual and fluid as an ocean that could be fished for enlightenment and healing." 

I too have been fascinated by the interior life for most of my years.  While I have spent a good deal of time investigating and getting to know myself and what makes me "tick", the last few years have spontaneously eased into a softer, more organic kind of exploration.  I began to keep "sacred journals" a few years ago and these journals have been the catalyst for deep catharsis and self-knowledge.   Jung kept a "sacred journal" also.  He called it "The Red Book".  Jung believed the soul speaks to us in images and symbols.  Jung's Red Book is filled with images and symbols gleened from deep within his psyche.  My journals are also filled with the images and symbols that speak to me, my personal and intimate dialogue with the Divine.   Jung's journal is set to be published next month and a captivating article recounting the long journey can be found in the New York Times.

"I should advise you to put it down as beautifully as you can - in some beautifully bound book - It will seem as if you were making the visions banal - but then you need to do that - then you are freed from the power of them....  Then when these things are in some precious book you can go to the book and turn over the pages and for you it will be your church - your cathedral - the silent places of your spirit where you will find renewal.  If anyone tells you that it is morbid or neurotic and you listen to them - then you will lose your soul - for in that book IS your soul."     *Carl Jung's advise to a client.

Yes, Carl Jung was a visionary.  His work continues to guide the interior explorer on the most treacherous,  yet greatly rewarding journey of their life.  The journey IS their life.

Camera Hog #63

Another football weekend under our belts.  It was a hectic game but we won.  It is kind of amazing to me but Stevie has had more national television time than some of the starters!  During the first game, the camera zoomed in on Stever as the team knelt in prayer.  (Of course I missed the entire episode as I had already descended into "the ugly cry".)   ESPN used that same footage again this weekend.  Saturday's game found Stevie in the "limelight" more than 4 times.  (I know because we keep getting the messages and text's.)  The camera followed him out of the tunnel at the beginning of the game.  He was next to the quarterback when he came off the field injured and they zoomed in on him again as the team sang the alma mater in front of the students during the post game celebration. 

That boy is a camera magnet!  His freshman year at Indiana he was at a ND game and he and some of his friends painted themselves all green and were acting like crazy college kids.  There was a NBC contest for ND commercials and footage of Stevie's almost naked green body was part of the winning commercial.  NBC played that commercial for a month of college football games and used Stevie's picture as their NBC Sports home page for at least two weeks.  That very same week Stevie magically made it into a nationally televised commercial for Indiana University.  Maybe he's just a big ham but he sure has the knack of being at the right (and extremely visible) place at the right time.  Stay tuned for further updates.  (I will try and find that partially clothed green picture if I can.)

Jewels on Display

Off for another weekend of college football.  I am getting ready for a workshop next week and working on collages for an exchange but I thought I would give you a sneak peek of the jewelry side of my work table.  I plan to get "real" photos of these and post them in my Jewelry section before my show.  I just realized I have no pictures of the pieces that are at the gallery that represents me.  My business skills need a little sprucing up.  (I can't even remember half of them!)  Shh!  Don't tell my husband.....

I am trying to work on a post of the first football game but the words are not coming.  Just the tears. 

GO IRISH!

Autumn Sunset

Beautiful sunset last evening.  The air is getting cool and crisp.  Of course we will have more warm, even hot days but autumn has begun her sensuously decadent disrobing dance.  Each season holds so many wonders.  The vibrant colors of fall leaves weaving a celebratory carpet as if in ecstatic anticipation of the Ice Queen's imminent entrance.  Each leaf happy to have had it's day and just as content to make room for the next cycle in our never ending circle of death and re-birth.   Living each day, each moment and letting go.  It is the way of all worlds, all species.  Sigh.  More opportunities for practice.  practice.  practice.

Tangled up in Blue (and Gold)

I have been trying to get my thoughts, my emotions AND photos from various cameras and people into some sort of order to write a post about last week's opening football game at Notre Dame.   I am still in a dither.  Here are some pictures totally out of sequence but I am off to a conference this weekend and I do not have the time to spend sorting them out.  I will also put my post on hold until next week.  I am continuing to sort myself out also.  

P.S.  How cute is this?  I found it in a book I pulled off the shelve this week.  My little boy has sure grown up.  There is no date but I can only imagine how long ago it was drawn.  Hmm....wasn't it yesterday???

Igniting September

September is heating up.  This weekend marks Notre Dame's first home game of the season.  The first game ever with our son, Stevie, on the team.  We are so very excited.  My husband Steve left early this morning.  Parents are allowed to attend Thursday afternoon practice and he will be the first in line.  Victoria and I leave tomorrow at 1 ish.   Hopefully Chicago's usual Friday afternoon traffic gridlock will start a tad late and we can sneak out of town and make it to the pep rally on time.  After the pep rally, a get acquainted party for families of players will round out the evening's activities.  As I mentioned, we are so very excited.

Alex, our oldest daughter is driving in early tomorrow morning on her own.  She has packed her car for her film adventure in New Orleans.  She and her father will leave first thing Sunday morning from South Bend for the two day ride down south.  WAY south!  She is looking forward to lots of new people and experiences.  How cool is it to be young and carefree?!

In between football games, parent nights at high school with Victoria and my usual list of activities, I am preparing for two Holiday jewelry shows and a couple of SoulCollage workshops.  I haven't had time to make any new collages this week so the one above is from the archives.  But I have been busy making lots of new jewelry with the ancient artifacts I have been collecting over the years and feeling the thrill of creating again.  I love that feeling.  I remember the first time I went to a "bead" show.  I almost passed out right then and there.  Billions and billions of beads.  Oh my!

September has always been the month that causes me to look forward and make plans.  This September is heating up with activities of every kind for myself and my family members.  Lots of fun and lots of work.  But most importantly, lots of opportunities to find our passions and the gifts that ignite our spirits.   How much fun is that?!  Wishing you all the inspiration and the grace to fire YOUR creative journey this September and every other month of the year.