Monday, March 28

FLIPPING OUT OVER A BED!

Just hours ago, I was in awe of the Universal (God) Support, when we choose to consciously move through life. I’ve seen this many times in my personal life and I witnessed it again, first hand yesterday. One of my daughters had made the decision to give herself 3 years to become an NBA Basketball referee. In doing that, she needed to liquidate everything, freeing herself up to move (stationing herself once again on the West Coast and work when the opportunities arise.

I arrived back from Ireland while she was still away on an assignment and began to sort and organize for the sale and move when she returned. I picked her up Saturday evening from the airport and by Sunday evening, everything was gone! 2 horses, a dog and everything that I hadn’t hoarded for myself to take to AZ where I will be housesitting a vacant home until it sells. The few pieces of silverware and dishes that she owned (from when I liquidated in Northern Calif, and she had brought to Chicago, I thought should now be drug to AZ. So as I prepared for the sale, (which only a few people came to by the way), I made a neat little pile, which grew bigger and bigger, in the garage. As I look back, certainly there were a FEW things that had to go, her clothes and shoes:), I had several boxes of writing, a few spiritual items, pillows of course, the lovely down comforters...well, you get the picture. I began my scarcity thinking once again! What! you don’t think AZ has things for furnishing houses? Give me a break! Yeah, but.....My daughter was in a place of purging, a place I know very well, but....I’m moving into a place now.......I NEED! I continued to plead my case.

The very end of the day, her year old foam mattress bed was still left and I had thought that we certainly should take the bed! After all the mattress rolls up...(into about an 8 foot ball!), but the bed unbolts and can be transported very easily! Some young man came at the end of the sale and we sold the bed for $300....what in the heck is wrong with me! I WANTED the bed! I could have left all of the piddly crap and brought the bed! These two young guys made it look so easy, rolling up the mattress, taking the bed apart . But it’s not! It’s heavy and bulky!

For the next two days, every morning I would wake up, beating myself up about this stupid bed! I’ll spare you (and myself) the ugly details!)

I get irritated with myself that I can trust so fully one minute and the next, I don’t think there are enough beds to go around!

2 recent trusting examples: Before I left for Ireland, I said that I felt like i would be ready to have a place to ground for a bit and a call came to me, asking if I wanted to house sit a beautiful home in AZ. OK!!!! (Which told me I was staying in AZ for a bit.) My daughter set the intention that she wanted $5,000 for her horses and tack, she got it, plus everything sold ( or was given away) in one day, (telling her she was being fully supported to move forward with her NBA dream.)

It’s now Wednesday, we’re in Kansas City, making our way west, and I’m beginning to start trusting again....whatever I need will show up....Well that is for a this very second anyway! .......Cheers!

Saturday, March 26

BACK IN THE USA

I just arrived back from my Vision Questing Tour in Switzerland/Ireland. While there are many fun and positive things that came from my experience away, there were as many learning opportunities, aka, panty twists:-) as well!

But for now, I’ll just share a few highlights from a recent conversation that I had with a friend. I was asked, what stood out most in my mind from my recent travels. (Some I have already shared.) Driving for 2 weeks on ‘the other’ side of the street is always a bit tricky to begin with, however, my last trip from Kerry to Dublin, I felt like a pro, having learned to navigate the roundabouts once again. Coming back to the states, is always a bit of a challenge, driving on ‘the other side’ of the road again! It takes a conscious effort on my part.

I met a woman on the plane, who had never volunteered at the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, except for this year, and she got me a ‘job’ for the day that was remarkable. I could have been given a myriad of tasks and yet, I had the duty of walking dignitaries to their seats in the Grand Stand, walking right down the middle of the parade route where over 500,000 people awaited the beginning of the parade. (I pretended they had all come to see me:-)!)

I met a man on the plane from Switzerland, when he reached into his pocket and handed me his fountain pen when i was given a customs form to fill out. He said if I made it back to Dublin to give him a call and he would take me to lunch. I did make it back to Dublin and it took a lot of courage to call him. He picked me up at my hotel, had called ahead to a lovely restaurant, to see if they were open and made reservations. We began with a pint, starter, lunch, cocktail, dessert, all taking about 3 hours. We had a lovely conversation and then he dropped me to my next place by the sea for the evening. It was a great way to experience how I wish to be treated.

I drove for 1 week around the island with my friend and we experienced seaweed baths in Sligo, toured the Guinness Storehouse, toured the Bushmills Whiskey factory,saw the Great Causeway, drove through the Burren and saw some amazing countryside. My favorite memory was at the beginning of our trip when we saw a herd of sheep climbing a hill with a sheep dog nearby. Upon closer observation, there was a farmer carrying a 50 lb sack of feed on his back, they were following him. There were many baby lambs by the end of our trip lying in the fields while their moms were eating.

Even though we were in ‘Northern Ireland,’ a place people from the south are not crazy about going to, everyone was lovely to us. I later learned the history of the dispute between two areas.

I spent a few days in Dingle, with a major geo-temple, Shamanic Astrologer. We created ceremony around the equinox, for healing and peace for the world. We drove to the Burren and had an incredible hike in a very sacred space. It appeared to me to be the dessert of Ireland.

I spent several days with another friend and his family, finishing some organization from a previous house remodel and a couple of nights in very old castle like accommodations.

I flew back to Chicago with 4 seats all to myself. I had simply asked as I checked in, if there were any seats available with no one sitting next to them. The attendant said, yes, if I wanted to sit in the middle rows. She gave me an isle seat and blocked the one next to me. I didn’t know this was possible and so I’m sharing this information with you. I am currently in freezing Chicago helping to move one of my daughters back to the west coast.

Thanks for sharing my trip with me. it was fun to be away and it’s good to be home.

Wednesday, March 23

ST PATRICK’S DAY - DUBLIN, IRELAND 2011

For some reason, the pictures I’m trying to upload here in Ireland aren’t working, so you’ll have to take my word for it...St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin was amazing, exhausting, and FUN!

It was while I was on the plane to Ireland, that I realized that I would be in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day. Near the end of the flight, I began speaking to the lady sitting in my row, only to find out that for the first time in her life, she was volunteering for the parade. “I want to do that!” I exclaimed. It took a bit of organization for me to get myself sorted in order to be in Dublin on the day of festivities and everyone that I knew here in Ireland was, "staying home!” I have to admit that attending parades etc. where I live isn’t that interesting to me either...however...it’s 2011 and I’m in Ireland! Party TIme! (If your name is a derivative of Patrick, you could get into the Guinness Party for free!)

Now, I had not seen, nor spoken to this lady I had met on the plane, since the day I met her. However trusting things would open up, I took the train to Dublin, (certainly panty twisting was involved), spent the night in a hotel and the next morning was trying to figure out what I was going to do next. I ended up on a bus to Maynooth, where my friend is a professor, knowing that he was in England. Not having any idea why I was going there except that it was 8 in the morning and it was familiar, my backpack, suitcase and I climbed on the bus and headed for the college. I hopped off the bus and made my way to the reception area of the college and asked if they would mind my luggage. I walked to town, had a sandwich, a cup of tea and began feeling like a victim, waiting for someone to call and rescue me!

The anxiety of the unknown that happens for me periodically on my vision quests began to arise and so I asked myself, “What do you want to do, where do you want to go?” I knew instantly, “I want to see the Leprechaun Museum in Dublin!” So I marched myself back to the college, retrieved my things and hopped back on the bus, heading for Dublin. It was on the bus ride back into Dublin that I received a text, “I have a job for you at the parade, you can stay with me.” (Another, letting go, before things open up.)

I spent the day in Dublin by myself, after dropping off my luggage at the hotel I had previously stayed at. It was 8PM before I was able to connect with my new friend. I found my way to the volunteer center for the parade and helped with the Shamrock pins, where I met my friend. The next AM, bright and early we took a taxi into the city and we worked the area for the dignitaries of the parade. We were escalator supervisors:) and then walked them to the grand stand for the parade viewing. I found myself walking down the middle of the parade route with the final group, including a Boxing Champion and well known TV personality. I then watched the entire parade from the area next to the grand stands. Later on the TV, I could see the politicians and well known people who were very gracious towards me.

It was really an amazing experience, simply because I had volunteered. Now granted, I could have served in any capacity, but someone was watching out for me. While I never plan to attend another St. Patrick’s Day Parade, while walking down the parade route with 550,000 people cheering was quite an experience.

I knew from my last visit with my shaman that this trip was going to be like getting a PHD from the School of Life, in Transition and I saw walking down the middle of the parade route as my support system, on all levels, cheering....you’re doing great! !

Wednesday, March 9

ROAD TRIP AROUND THE ISLAND

When I arrived to my friend’s in Killarney, south west Ireland, a destination of travelers, I was surprised to find out that he had taken one day off of work! “We can’t drive around the island in a day!” I complained. “I thought you meant Castle Island, just down the road, he laughed.” “Not a tal” as they say in Ireland. After a tad of persuading, he rented a car and after our first initial laughing and a quick drive around town, only driving on the ‘foot path’ once or twice, we set out for a week on the road. The first day we went to Co. Clare, (were there are some reports that my family is from this area) to the Cliffs of Moher. St Brigid has a Holy Grotto there. I found out that St. Brigid’s feast day is on Feb. 1, my birthday, and she is the female patron St. of Ireland. My birth name Patricia, derived from Patrick, the male Saint. We continued on to see some people in Galway, spent the night and headed out North once again. We took a round about way to get to Knock, where apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been seen. This is the off time of year for visitors in Ireland, so no one was there. We walked the grounds, surprised that two of my patron Saints were revered there as well, St. Therese, the Little Flower and St. Michael. We attended at 3PM Mass and then went to the Holy Water fonts. We turned around and saw the site of the apparitions where there was a Mass being held for a Philippine tour group. We walked over and stood inside the back of the church. When the Mass was complete, my friend said, “Jesus, he’s a Bishop,” as he put his little beanie on top of his head. I had been praying where to leave one of my books and I had said, if he was accessible after Mass, I was going to give on to him. He was, and most gracious about receiving it. He asked for my email address to contact me later. As I left. I had chills up the back of my neck. I left a second one at the religious book store for their review. I continue to stand in awe of how things get orchestrated. I came to Ireland for my book to go to Rome and the Philippines. The energy of Everybody Wants to go to Heaven....is now in Peru, Switzerland, Jamaica, Hawaii, Ireland, Rome and now the Philippines! Amazing....Last night while staying in Sligo, I read in a magazine about seaweed sea baths, good for many things, but dry skin, (my friend) and thyroid (me), so we’re heading off to the beach to check it out. I tried to put in some pictures, they wouldn’t take.....so maybe next time. Tomorrow to Northern Ireland to view Scotland....if I don’t return, you’ll know where to look!

Friday, March 4

WHY GO ON A VISION QUEST

You may ask yourself, why does she go...when it's not so easy. We'll, I guess for me, the opportunity comes and I have the courage to say yes.
Vision Questing is full of adventure and surprises, however, there are as many, if not more parts of being in the unkown, trusting, being taken out of your comfort zone, having to think in a new way and paying attention to who God puts in your path. I have been on this Vision Quest track for awhile. My first trip to Swiss and Ireland happened in 2005. I am more confident and secure, knowing that I'm being watched over every minute, even when it doesn't feel like it.In fact, my Irish professor friend just emailed to see if I needed help getting to Killarney when I arrive back to Ireland. I was happy to report that this time, instead of crying in his office, I was taking the bus to the train and even making a connection. Now guaranteed, it is NOT going to be that easy, coyote medinine (the trickster) is always along to keep things intersting.
On these vision quest journeys, while it would be easier for me to stay in one place, it is not the longing of my heart. Everyone is not called to be a gypsy. In fact, I'll be growing a few shallow roots when I return to the states. I had set in my intentions to have a lovely place to live and work when I return from this trip and this is what they...God, the Universe...The Powers that Be...sent me. I have the great pleasure to be house sitting for a beautiful home in Tubac, AZ. You can see it online, www.judimonday.com, it's under Tubac, $600,000. You're invited to come for a visit, relax,vision quest. See ya in Ireland....

vision questing kill me now.....

Vision Questing, unlike vacationing, is well, Forrest Gump said it the best, 'is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get'.When I arrived to Swiss, I realized the plug adapters I brought were incomplete...who would have thought, that me, someone who I would say is electronic illiterate, could be having withdrawls...Taking everything in stride as being in 'Divine Order', I simply took it as what the intent was....retreat....but give me a break....the 7 hr time difference, left me many evenings unable to sleep, all magazines, etc. are in French, dang, I should have paid more attention in French class in jr. high. On my first night here, after I had realized that I was in this alone...I looked over and saw the light on my computer flashing...I jumped out of bed and opened it up...by golly I was going to use it up, until it shut down....google....emails....quick...answer as many as you can before the power shuts off....you're on reserve battery, the light flashes...I feel like I'm in Apollo 13, 'powering down the limb', my heart beats faster, a week with no communication...I hit the send button....the screen goes blank....off tomorrow to ireland