Merry Merry...

To you, Beautiful Ones, we send our Love...
and a Santa Sack filled with JOY.

Wishing you all the warmth of friendship, family, food,
and a toasty fire.

Keep your heart filled with Gratitude.

Share your Light with all you meet.

Hold dear all the Creatures on our Planet.

SCATTER JOY!

Merry, merry, merriment ~

Camz & Sophie

The Magick of the Season....

For the past decade or so I have practiced the Art of Allowing. I have made it my daily intention...to stop being so small-minded about my Life...and allow the Universe to offer me what I am asking for. I believe that the Universe listens, just as I believe that the Critters listen. I have not yet "mastered" this Art of Allowing, nor have I mastered manifestation. This does not mean I do not believe. It merely means that I am still learning, remembering, allowing things to work as they do.

So often, at this time of year, we lean heavily on our respective beliefs to gather up the Joy that is a part of this season. I've long wondered why it is that we, Humans, only carry that Joy with us for "the season" and not all the year 'round. I still don't know the answer, but I do know that the Magick is as real as the snow that falls, the trees that sway, the Critters that show us their way, whether we are paying attention or not.

This morning, as I lay in bed with my Critter, cozy with my coffee and the smell of pine in the house, I felt this wash of love so large it made me shiver. I looked around my room, taking in the beautiful "things" that make it my home, and suddenly realized just how much progress I've made in this Art of Allowing. It struck me so intensely that, for a moment, I stopped breathing.

I saw the photo of The Colt, a gift from my new friend Ken Archer, and realized that I had been saying (aloud), "what I really want for Christmas is a horse of my very own". I did not say "a living horse", I said "a horse of my very own". Looking at The Colt, I realized my gift had been delivered! Without knowing it, this man, who had captured my Colt on film, gave me back my dream. Believe me when I tell you, this is a huge thing for me. HUGE.

{Aside: try to remember, when you are asking for something, to be quite clear on that "something". Sometimes it really is in the details. Not how you're going to have whatever it is, but clarity on what it is. Just imagine what might have been had I said "a living horse"!!!}

Then, I remembered a few conversations I'd had with one of my closest friends about the angst I feel when I'm going to be around a certain woman I know. I love her, to be sure, but there is a feeling of discomfort so big that it can make my whole body ache. (not to mention my stomach!) We'd been having these discussions about my own evolution in this relationship and how I might be able to make it through the holidays more joyfully and less anxiously. I paid her words great heed. I did a LOT of "quiet work", making sure to focus on what I wanted to feel instead of how I didn't want to feel. In essence, I made "light work" of it, rather than heart-heavy work. When I thought about the past few days, and how much I've enjoyed them, I realized, again, that my requests had been granted.

All around me I could sense a Magick so strong that if literally made me tingle. I had this large swelling in my chest that can only be described as Love. I had a keen Knowing that I've been manifesting all along; I just hadn't realized the ways in which I was. It was, for lack of a better word, MIND-BLOWING! {okay. that's two words. but you get what I mean!} So, lying there with my Pup, sipping my coffee, all a-swell with Love and Gratitude, I took it all in and said a few prayers of Thanks. I made a promise to keep allowing and trusting that all things come when (and how!) they are meant to come. There is Magick in the air.

And it ain't just about The Season.

P.S. If you are a lover of Nature and/or Critters, you MUST go see Mr.Archer's work. Really. You must. You can purchase prints and have your own dreams remembered.

Santa's Gift

Christmas day is nearly here. The house is decorated with festive lights and my special ornaments have been hung on Yosemite. For those of you who don't know...Yosemite is my Tree. He is actually 3 trees on one base. He looks just like those trees you'd find at Yosemite National Park. Hence the name. Yosemite stands all the year 'round. I am far too fond of Him to stow him away for 11 months of the year. Seems a waste of such beauty. If you didn't know it was an 'artificial' tree, you'd never know to look at Him. He is a beauty. Really! See?

Well, you can't really see how beautiful he is from this shot, what with all those presents blocking the view. This is a very tiny space. So He stands in the corner because that's the only place He fits. Such is way of the Dwellers of Tiny Spaces. I'm not complaining, mind you. The space may be tiny, but it's perfect for us, for now, for where we are in our evolution. Plus, it's super easy to keep clean.

But I digress.

As I was saying...the house is decorated and there are gifts waiting to be opened. There are people on this Planet who love me. And that, my friends, is a good thing. Because the thing about this time of year is ... it SCREAMS for friends and family. Whether it's tradition or conditioning is a discussion for another day (or not). All I know is, it is this very time of year when I feel the most Joy and the most yearning. You see, most everyone I love lives far away. Why I've continued to stay where I am is also a topic for another day (or not). The fact remains that I am here and they are there and sometimes that can be a bit overwhelming. 

Know where I'm goin' with this....?

I want to remind all of you, no matter where you are or how much money you do or don't have, or whether there is a "significant other" (oh, how I loathe that term), the reason for the season is to take some time to reflect on all the good there is in your world. If you happen to be a Christian, your reason for the season is likely different than mine. But we won't get into that either. I'm not here to discuss religious beliefs or familial politics. I'm here to remind you....

....that it matters not what you believe in or what your social/economic status is. What matters is that you can take said time to reflect, and be thankful for, all the many things that made your life what it is right now. All the things/people/events that brought you HERE. Here and now is what matters. And when we take time to reflect, even for just a little while, we are more able to grow that feeling of gratitude. And appreciation. And, yes, LOVE. I do believe that Jesus is a terrific ambassador for Love. And if it takes a story like the one most Christians believe in to remind us that we are here to love each other, then what's the harm in that? I only wish that more people carried that message past December 25th...and actually practiced that love all the year 'round.

Like my Yosemite. He never stops delivering the Joy that makes him who he is. And I never forget. Every morning, whether it's December or July, I wake up to that Tree standing next to my bed, and the puppy that bounces on me when she hears me stir, and a host of other magnificent Beings that show up, every day, to make my world as wonderful as it is. 

And so, my friends, no matter where you are on this Planet, no matter your beliefs. No matter what's going on in your world, please try to remember that you are loved. Every day. Not just on Christmas day. As near as I can tell, that is the gift that Santa brings. It is the gift of Hope. For all mankind. Hope is the greatest gift you can give anyone. 

Except, maybe, for one of those dandy Sting Ray bicycles with the banana seat and those dangly thingies hanging off the handles. 

Merry Christmas to YOU!

here's to YOU ~~~

Dear Magnificent YOU ~

It is with a heart full of love and gratitude I wish you the very best holiday season.
I pray you are surrounded by people who love you.
I pray you will enjoy much laughter and yummy food.
I pray you will carry joy in your heart always.
I pray you know peace...every day.
I pray you will always remember that your life is a magical adventure and you may do with it as you wish.
I pray you know how much you matter.
And
I pray you know how much I appreciate your presence on our lovely planet.

You ARE loved~

My heart~
Camille Olivia

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

All the many ways to give...

You don't need to have a lot of money. In fact, you don't need to have ANY money. The act of giving isn't about money at all. It's about sharing what you DO have, whether that be time or love or giggles or hugs. You can make a huge difference in someone's life, regardless of your financial situation.

Personally, I used to find it very annoying when I'd hear people say stuff like "It's not the money that matters." Because mostly I heard it from folks who had TONS of money. In my mind (and even out loud, sometimes) I'd think, "Yea. Easy for YOU to say. You don't have to fret over whether or not you can pay your freakin' rent and buy food." But I have come to learn that what those people were saying was true. Now that I've gotten over my resentments, I can see the truth in their words.

I remember a time, not very long ago, when I was more terrified than I'd ever been. I had no income, I was sick as could be, and Christmas was running up on me fast. I was literally penniless. It was the most horrible Christmas of my life. While all my loved ones lavished me in gifts and offerings, I had nothing to give. Or so I thought. I was so busy feeling sorry for myself that I forgot all the many things I DID have to give. It was my younger sister who reminded me. And she made it possible for me to get through that Christmas without shooting myself. NOT kidding.

I have been graced with many gifts. One of which is a beautiful (singing) voice. I also play guitar and have a knack for making people smile. Even though I had no money, I did have access to several food banks. Putting my pride aside was no easy task, I can tell ya. But I did anyway, and went to one of those food banks and got some cake mix, frosting, etc. Came home, made a bunch of cupcakes and went to a nearby nursing home. I had my guitar, my voice, and a pair of antlers that light up on my head. I went in and asked the nurse at the desk if I might play some music and share the cupcakes with those folks. Let me tell you, it was utterly life-changing. Many of the people who lived there had no family at all. They would have no visitors for the holidays. There would be no celebration for them, other than what the facility provided. There was one woman in particular who was in the deepest throws of dementia. She didn't know who she was or where she was, let alone that it was Christmas. Or so they told me. As it turns out, even people who are in such a state have moments of lucidity. The moment I put that cupcake in her hand, her eyes lit up. She asked me my name. She told me hers. The nurses gasped. Some of her friends clapped their hands in delight. And then...we all sang Christmas songs. That lovely old woman knew every word to every song. The more we sang, the more my heart swelled. To the point where I thought it would burst with all the love that was flyin' around that room.

So maybe you don't know how to play guitar or sing. Maybe you're not good at making cupcakes. But I'm absolutely certain that there is something that you can do to make the holidays brighter for someone else. If you're in a position to spend even just $10, you can go to any number of department stores (Target, Kmart, etc.) and buy a toy or stuffed animal for a child who might otherwise get nothing from Santa. Toys for Tots is a wonderful foundation run by the U.S. Marine Corp. They do spectacular work, gathering and dispersing the toys for children all over the country. It doesn't have to be much. Because even just one toy or pajamas or slippers or a blanket or food or anything else you can think of....will change a dismal day into a celebration. Go through your cupboards. Pull out all the canned goods that have been sitting there for a while. Canned goods have a very long shelf life. You never know who might need that can of beans you decided not to use. Or you can go to your local supermarket and fill up a bag to bring to your local homeless shelter. OR...you can donate a few hours of your time on Christmas day to help serve the homeless.

There are countless ways to give this holiday season. Be creative. Be open to ideas. But most of all...BE KIND. It matters. And so do YOU.

little reminders...

tis the season...for food and fun and family and friends. not that it shouldn't be 'the season' for those things year 'round...but for whatever reason, lots of folks don't do the year 'round thing. no matter. to each his own and all that jazz. i'm not here to tell you about how you "should" do anything. your life. your choices. i AM here, however, to light the lights that may have dimmed (or gone out completely) so that you may have more twinklings in your world. that's my job. it's why i write what i write. and so...

since the holidays are just 'round the corner and i know tons of folks who tend to get all stressed out this time of year, i thought it might be a good time to offer up some little reminders. just so you can enJOY yourself more and maybe even git rid of the stressful part once and for all.

whaddya think? you game?

well then, here are a few things that always keep me in the spirit of the season and really have worked for years. i'll be the first to admit that i truly am a kid at christmas time. and even though i'm not what folks label "christian", i do honor the winter holiday just like other folks do. truth be told, i DO believe in santa claus (oh. i'll bet that's a big surprise.) and i also happen to believe that the winter holidays are a terrific time to honor all things living. just because lots of those living things are having their seasonal nap doesn't mean we can't honor them. they're only sleeping, not dying. so we can celebrate their presence as they sleep. kinda like when new parents look at their sleeping babies after they themselves have not slept in days (or weeks?!). they gaze lovingly at their babes and sigh with deep love for the beauty before them. they can often be heard muttering soft words to those sleeping babies, telling them just how much they are loved. you know what i'm talking about. you've probably either done it or witnessed it yourself, right? okay then. kinda like that..only different.

moving on...

if you happen to be one of those freaks who actually shops year round, you're not likely to be nearly as stressed as those who don't. (i AM one of those freaks, so by the time Thanksgiving rolls around i usually only have one or two gifts left to find. what can i say? it's a way for me to carry the season all year long. AND it keeps me from having to deal with so many cranky pants when shopping season rolls 'round.) so if you have a ton of stuff to buy and you're thinking how awful the whole task is going to be, take a step back. before you do any of that, take some time with yourself and do the list thing. (why do you think santa checks twice?!). lists are a terrific way to minimize stress and maximize time. let's face it: nobody gets any extra minutes in a day. we ALL have 1440 of them so don't think you're getting cheated. those people who insist on cutting in front of you or dashing around like crazy loons are just being inconsiderate. there are plenty of those kinda folks but we don't have to let them ruin the party. here's how i do it:

first i make a list of all the stuff i might need to buy. gifts, cards, food, drink, paper, trinkets, decorations, etc. next i prioritize. what do i need first? what can wait? how much of what i need can i buy online? who am i inviting to the party? how soon do i need to get those invites out? i sit with my holiday music playing and a glass of wine by my side and put on my reindeer antlers (they even light up! so fun!!!) and get all my stuff in order.

next i tackle the cleaning part. now, being as how i'm a neat freak anyway, there's usually not much to do in that arena. it normally only takes me a couple of hours at most. once finished, i'm ready to roll. i'm a big fan of lights and decorations, so i make that task #2. but it's not a "task" at all. it's just fun to do. music playing and boxes spread out all over the place, i carefully choose what's going where and let the fun begin. gotta have my decor right before it really feels like the season. that's just me. i keep this really beautiful tree in my living room all year long. it's one of those that looks like a tree from Yosemite. it's got three separate trunks, with each tree a different height. they're all mounted on a round steel plate and the tallest tree reaches about 8 feet. it's the COOLEST tree ever. i change the ornaments with each season. so it's not really a "christmas tree". it's an "all the year long" tree. saves me from having to mess with the whole finding a tree thing and then the lights and all the rest. all i have to do is change the ornaments and i'm done. very cool indeed.

okay. so now the house is clean and the decorating is done and next comes the shopping for whatever gifts i haven't yet found. before i go out into the scary retail world, i ALWAYS have a glass of wine first (geez. i'm sounding like a little wino here, huh?) but really...a little sip or two isn't going to have me driving drunk and it IS going to calm my nerves enough to brave the crabby shoppers i may encounter. bless their pea-pickin' hearts. i always wear festive clothing and either my santa hat OR my antlers (i really do this. NOT kidding. makes me giggle from the moment i put them on all the way til i get back home. it's a HOOT.) once i'm all dressed and ready to roll, i pop in some festive music and toodle my way to whatever retailers i'm going to shop. i take my time. i sing. i smile a lot. (especially at the cranky pants. they need it the most!) i let people get in front of me in line. i let people move into my lane if they're needing to get over. i say 'happy holidays' to anyone who meets my eye. in short, i make it a big ol' party. and yes. it works. even those cranky pants can't help but smile back (sometimes it looks painful for them, but at least they're tryin', ya know?)

once i've got all my gifts purchased (no matter when I bought them), i have myself another party. i set a night aside just to wrap the gifts. i LOVE wrapping gifts. i get all into the whole creative thing and make a huge mess with papers and ribbons and glue guns and such and just have a blast making all those gifts look delicious. yep. fun stuff (for me, anyway). then they all go under the tree and i'm DONE.

so what's left? cards to mail out...that's pretty easy and doesn't really take all that long to do. i try to get them out right after Thanksgiving, but sometimes that doesn't happen. i've been known (in years past) to send them AFTER christmas. so what? when i was growing up, my mom said the holiday wasn't really over until after January 6th; that's what they called "little christmas" in my family. had something to do with some Italian tradition. let's skip that for now. it's not really relevant. the point is, it doesn't even matter if you don't send ANY cards. it's not about cards or gifts. it's about spending time with those you love. not everyone has the means to buy gifts or cards. and trust me when i say, i've been there too. it wasn't fun (for me) but it sure did teach me a lesson. being with those people i love most in the world is more important than anything else. this is even more acutely felt if you've lost a loved one. it's taken me almost 25 years to get over the fact that my parents won't be joining us. it still sucks. BUT it also makes me more appreciative of those who ARE still here. 'nuff said.

for all the rambling here, the point i've been attempting to impress is this:

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FUN!

all of Life is supposed to be fun, but for some reason we get all "adult" about stuff and it takes all the fun away. STOP DOING THAT! if you happen to be one of those who was blessed with many wonderful childhood memories, then call that stuff back up and live it again. if you were not, then MAKE YOUR OWN. you can do it. i promise it's not all that hard. AND if you get stuck, there are tons of movies that can help you get the feeling. besides the classics like "It's a Wonderful Life" or "White Christmas", there's one that really knocks my socks off. "The Santa Claus" with Tim Allen. just LOVE that movie. it always makes me grin like a cheshire and the feeling stays with me for a long time. anyway...

i'm sending you tons of cheer and arms-around-ya love. i'm hoping you will make your holiday season as fun and memorable as you've always wanted. and i hope santa is good to you.

p.s. don't forget the milk and cookies.

p.s.s. while i don't normally "plug" my own stuff, this is one exception. my book "Whispers~The Often Subtle Sometimes Rowdy Voice of Truth" is available at Amazon.com. It's only $11.95 and makes a great stocking stuffer. AND it's a really terrific little book! really!

happy holidays and all that jazz!

Wishing you all a MARVELISHEOUS CHRISTMAS...and all the other holidays you may be celebrating. Be safe, eat well, and spread the love! Til next time....

My love and hugs to YOU!

Camille Olivia