Pepita, the fuzzy kitty is sitting near my feet. She is wondering when her bedtime will be honored. Soon, little one, soon. Today I drew a tarot card from my newest deck, The Spacious Tarot; it was the Guardian of Pentacles (aka the Mother or Queen of Pentacles). I asked myself, how can I be of service today? How can I lead with my heart in a giving and patient, loving and grounded way? My day answered my questions. I tended to the health needs of two dearies and now I will be going to bed soon feeling grateful for the lesson and opportunity to be of service to those for whom I care deeply.

Dedication: The Muse – tonight she called me to draw a picture of my version of the Mother of Pentacles. She turned out to be a flower moon heart goddess. How appropriate.

Quote: Today, I first truly felt the cold and am happy for it. There is something magical in that first bone shiver. The quote I found today speaks to both the cold outside and the fire inside.

“In the midst of Winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus

Song: Goodnight Irene – Tonight I only sang a snippet of this song Tonight’s Facebook TuesDay video series post, but I love it so much. My grandfather and I sing this song together sometimes and since I am in sleepy mode, it feels appropriate. Goodnight Irene – Leadbelly

Dear Humans, I hope everyone has a warm coat and a warm place to sleep tonight and for the wintery months to come. Consider donating a few of your coats and blankets to the homeless shelter. Consider donating to SAFE – Southern Alamance Family Empowerment – our local food resource for hungry families in my hometown.

Today I met with my Al-Anon sponsor; we are working on step 4 (fearless moral inventory) and I am answering questions about myself. Some of them include, “Are you trustworthy? Do you practice patience? How do you treat the elderly and children?” Some of these things I’ve never considered before. 12-step work is priceless. I greatly appreciate the mirrors and reflections that arise to show me about myself when working this program.

#selfawareness for #traumasurvivors

Tomorrow, I head back into school to teach and then I head into the studio. Mark and I are going to make a projected schedule for the upcoming weeks and I hope we can have a finish date in sight! I can’t wait to share these songs with you all. I’m considering releasing 3 of the songs as a pre-release so people can have a taste! So excited!

This Friday, I have a show with Tim Smith at a place in Chapel Hill called “Special Treats” – its from 6-10 on Weaver Dairy Rd. We’re switching off sets: Tim at 6, me at 7, Tim at 8, then me again at 9 – we’ll be ending the last set together – so if you want the finale, come at 8! Looking forward to playing – this is the LAST SHOW I am playing before the album is finished. There is simply not enough time in the day to teach, mentor interns, do grassroots organizing, record an album AND play/rehearse for performances. I must be patient with myself and honor my limits and need for retreat and recharge. Enough with that future talk! Right now, I’m going to bed to snuggle with Pepita, the softest kitty in the world. Love yall, hope to see ya this Friday at Special Treats in Chapel Hill!

ALM