The Aftermath

Sunny is over it!

And to all a good night!

Love, Linda

Trees

"The wonder is that

we can see these trees

and not wonder more."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Christmas!

When winter's frosty angel

Drifts music through the town

Down the sheltered corridors,

Crystal notes on stone,

May joy come to your silence

Magic on the wind,

A glorious flight of fantasy

To you, my Christmas friends.

Love, Linda

Winter Solstice

As the circle turns through the dark of the year,

like those before us, we yearn for the sun.

We wait for the days to lengthen, and burn fires

to light the darkness.

We let go of the old and reach for the new.

We discard the dark parts of ourselves and open to the light.

The sun will come back again.

Best of wishes to you and yours on this day.

Love, Linda

Dreaming of a Pink Christmas

The tree in my bedroom.

and wouldn't you know it, the middle string of lights is out . . .

Love, Linda

Remembering Cassie

Cassie was rescued by Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue. She lived her life in a puppy mill having puppies, and was terrified when she first came.

Sunny was her mentor dog and was adopted at the same time. Sunny helped her accept the new experiences of living in a loving environment.

Her crate was one of her safe spots.

She enjoyed riding in the car, crammed in behind Sunny.

Her other safe spot was in the upstairs fireplace, so it became hers.

Gradually, she lost her frightened look.

She never barked or played with toys.

She didn't care for belly rubs.

 It took 6 months for her to take a treat from my hand.

But finally she came to me for petting, and laid next to my chair.

She finally relaxed, and began to enjoy life.

And smile a little.

Love, Linda

Cassie

Cassie was ill over the weekend at at the vet this morning, she was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma and ruptured spleen. She passed away at 10:30 a.m.

Rest in peace, Cassie

Third Set from Ornament Swap

Here is my third and last set of ornaments from the swap hosted by Cassandra at  An Artful Adventure. This set is from Mercedes at All Things Pretty.
First, was this delightful card:

Isn't she great? Inside, there were three packages The first was this lovely, sparkling angel.

Then this soft heart -

And last this darling Christmas stocking -

and inside, a sparkly surprise! This little wand -

Thanks to all my partner swappers, and to Cassandra for hosting this lovely Ornament Swap.

Love, Linda

More Goodies from the Ornament Swap

I am participating in the 2011 Christmas Ornament Swap hosted by Cassandra at An Artful Adventure. I received my second set of beautiful ornaments from Erica at www.zunkychic.com.

First, this beauty accented with buttons, pearls and backed by a golden snowflake.

A dove in a gilded cage,

and a cone filled with pearled grapes and lace. Pretty!

Thanks Erica and Cassandra!

Love, Linda

Ornament Swap

I participated in a Christmas Ornament swap set up by Cassandra VanCuren at An Artful Adventure. click here My category was "French Inspired and elegant things" and my colors were ivory and white. I sent three ornaments each to 3 people and they are sending three to me (Kind of like a cookie exchange - I made nine ornaments and will end up with nine)


So far, I have received my first three from JoAnne at Vintage Dragonfly click here.

Aren't they cute?? A winter scene:

A tiny tree:

And a Christmas dove:

Can't wait to receive the rest!

Love, Linda

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!

to you and yours

Love, Linda

Marley D, Sunny Joy and Cassandra Jean

Something Different

Few people have heard of Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy or VAHT. Sarajane Williams, of Planet Harp here in Macungie, has pioneered a new modality which is being used for pain management, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, general relaxation, end of life and hospice care, and many other issues.


Described as a "musical massage," the client lies on a sound table, mat, or sits in a special chair where the sound of the live harp is amplified through the device. As the harpist plays, the vibrations induce a feeling of relaxation, pain reduction and decreased anxiety. About once a year, Sarajane conducts a training course for harpists who want to learn this modality and play for patients in a clinical setting. I am privileged to lecture on "Harps in the Clinical Setting" for this course, and cover topics such as hospital policies, charting, infection control and procedures, dealing with the medical staff, HIPPA, and interpreting monitor readings.

Here are some photos of the latest course, conducted a couple of weeks ago. Getting acquainted with wine and cheese on Friday night. The classes are very small, only 6 to 8 harpists. The practitioners come from all over the world. 

This lady came from Germany. Others in this class came from Canada, Montana, Oklahoma, Georgia - one was local - from Pennsylvania.

Sarajane discussing VAHT.

Hermes is the resident Golden Retriever. He manages to lie in front of whatever harp is playing to feel the vibrations in the floor.

 As you might guess, he is a very mellow guy.

A client receiving harp therapy.

On Sunday, actual "clients" from the community came to receive VAHT. This give the students a chance to practice their new skills and see the great results obtained from a short session of harp therapy. As you can imagine, I love to be a "client." My back pain responds well to VAHT.

It was a fun and informative weekend.

For more information, go to Planet Harp here.

Love, Linda 

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