I found this during a beach walk and had to snap a pic. Love changes everything and every thing, that’s true.
Love Memo
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Category Archives: My Enchanted Life
Gentle Affirmations For Anxious Thoughts
Right now, Earth is a very stressful place for children. They inhabit a world with almost normalized school shootings, active shooter drills, distracted parents, and a lack of calm, positive structure.
Their calendars are filled with sports, after school activities, and playdates — and I wonder why every child seems to have a backpack full of fidgets?
Do you know what fidgets are? Fidget toys provide tactile stimulation supposed to help improve focus, increase attention span, and reduce anxiety or stress. These tools aid in self-regulation, providing a calming effect for children and adults.
How about simplifying our lives so that children aren’t so anxious and stressed out?
In my opinion, contributing to most of the stress initiated when mainstream internet seemed to take over our lives in the mid 1990s. It happened slowly, like a dripping faucet, until we actually can’t survive without it. Do you recall the AOL dial-up sound and how it tied up the home phone? Crazy. Kids have no idea.
Listen:
We can’t even make a doctor’s appointment or pay a bill without being connected along with yet another stupid password to forget. Every single business has a website. Do you know anyone who doesn’t have the internet and a smart phone? Do you freak out when there’s an outage? Have you ever tried to go completely off grid?
Our grandchildren were born into a world that’s ruled by WiFi and social media and it’s changed childhood completely — and in my opinion, not for the better.
Children seem incredibly anxious and focus-less. They don’t really play or socialize like they used to, they’re way too sophisticated, and I think that’s a tragedy. Don’t even get me started on the dangers of video games like the highly addictive Roblox, which I believe should be banned everywhere and forever.
The internet exposes children to severe psychological dangers, including social media addiction, which can rewire the brain’s reward centers. Excessive use significantly increases risks of depression and anxiety, sleep deprivation, body dysmorphia, and exposure to cyberbullying or online predators.
We don’t even read newspapers; we get all of our information from the internet, whether it’s true or not, whether it’s been properly researched or investigated — or not, and a blog like this is just another manifestation of our dependence on fiber optics and invisible radio waves.
I don’t really have a viable solution, or one that acknowledges the benefits of the internet while limiting how much time it consumes from our daily lives, but here are some helpful affirmations for anxious kids (and for grownups, too)…
P.S. Rant over, time to disconnect from the internet and spend some time in the garden.
Bliss
If only you knew what bliss I find in being nothing.
Words attributed to Rumi
Photo by Enchanted Seashells
May’s Blue Moon
The Blue Moon arrives tonight in its full glory, bringing the rarest and most magical moon of the year. This is the second full moon we’ve had in May, and that’s pretty special, too.
This is a time linked to wishes, turning points, meaningful communication, reconnections, and dreams moving closer to reality. Something that has felt distant may suddenly feel possible again.
Over the next day or so, we may notice unexpected messages, chance encounters, powerful synchronicities, and moments that seem perfectly timed.
Conversations can open doors, answers can arrive when least expected, and opportunities may appear from surprising places.
The energy of this Blue Moon is about movement, momentum, and bringing something we have hoped for one step closer.
There are many ways to recognize the powerful energies of a full moon, like charging crystals and water, writing letters, and meditating, but I think that these potent spiritual forces are present if we simply open our hearts.
from empaths, old souls, and introverts
art from world of love hearts
Unexpected Magic
“But once in a while the odd thing happens,
Once in a while the dream comes true,
And the whole pattern of life is altered,
Once in a while the moon turns blue.”
W.H. Auden
Photos from Pinterest
Disturbing Dreamland
After not being able to recall my dreams for a while, this one was so unsettling, I can remember most of the details. I don’t know what part of my brain decided to spew these strange thoughts…
The first image is of me in a hotel room with two cats. One was all black and the other was more fluffy and furry like a Maine Coon. There was a balcony with a sliding glass door which I kept closed and locked. I can’t explain why I was traveling and had made the poor decision to bring the cats with me — NOT something I’d do in real life. The cats were chipped but weren’t wearing collars or ID tags, also something I’d never do. My kitties always had stylish collars.
Maybe it’s the right time to explain that I don’t have any cats at the present time which makes this an even more bizarre dream scenario.
I felt extremely worried about them getting out of the room and getting lost. I have a distinct memory of feeling a lot of anxiety.
I don’t even like hotels because I think they’re inherently unsanitary and the impermanence of temporary lodging where hoards of strangers have been is unsettling. I love my homespace. (There’s really no place like home.)
I’d much rather camp or even sleep in a car than stay in a hotel, even a five-star one.
Funnily enough, even my dreamstate knew that!
After one night, I checked out of the hotel, carrying both of the cats in my arms, along with pulling my suitcase. I don’t know why I didn’t have cat carriers because that would have obviously made it all so much easier, right? I remember being so afraid that I’d drop one of them and they’d run off. The fear was palpable.
The next part of the dream took place at a camp site which I believe was in Yosemite. Someone had kindly set up a red tent along with a litter box. However, I was quite distraught, consumed with keeping the cats safely IN the tent so they wouldn’t run away. The thought of them lost in the woods was intensely disturbing.
In a state of wake/asleep, I thought to myself, who brings cats to places that they aren’t familiar with? The cats wanted to escape, pawing at the the tent stakes, and I was becoming overwhelmed.
I wasn’t having any fun, that’s for sure.
I don’t know what happened after that. There was no resolution to my dilemma because I woke up.
My entire morning was tainted with agitation, apprehension, and dread — not a calm and peaceful way to start the day, so I decided to research what that kind of dream might mean.
Now that I think about it, the fact that I made myself wake up BEFORE the kitties got out of the tent was the best possible outcome, because I couldn’t forgive myself (awake or asleep) if they got lost and I failed to protect them.
Here’s a few thoughts:
Two Cats: In dreams, pairs often represent duality or a decision you are currently weighing. Cats typically symbolize independence, intuition, or personal freedom.
Hotels represent temporary situations, transience, or being “away from home.” It suggests your subconscious is trying to process a situation that feels foreign, unstable, or out of your usual routine.
Feeling Overwhelmed: Too many cats in a contained space points to sensory overload. You may be juggling too many responsibilities or dealing with conflicting demands from others.
Campsite: Dreaming of multiple cats getting lost at a campsite typically reflects underlying anxieties about a loss of control or feelings of vulnerability. Because campsites represent unstructured environments and cats symbolize independence and intuition, this dream points to wandering emotions that are difficult to corral.
Getting Lost: Losing a pet in a dream often mirrors waking-life fears of abandonment, a lack of trust, or a feeling that you have lost control over certain aspects of your ilife.
All I know is that I hope I don’t have that dream again, and because I can’t seem to help myself, this dream made me think about Leon Russell’s song, Out In The Woods, about being lost in actual woods as well as the feeling of being lost in life.
When Leon wanted to learn the Zulu translation for being “lost in the woods”, he was told that there isn’t one because the Zulu don’t get lost in the woods.
At about the seven-minute mark , Leon explains the story behind the the chorus: “Doda koo panga-ma, doda koo kala, Doda koo panga-oo, kala shatini.”
https://youtu.be/b7IYrFkYyJA?si=gY44_a3kn_11ls2d
Learn And Love
You will learn by reading,
But you will understand with LOVE.
— Shams Tabrizi
Image from Pinterest
It’s Always “Time For Love” AND All Roads Still Lead to Leon Russell
Crazy random connection time…I read something on Facebook about Oak Park High School where I briefly attended before moving to California.
The post shared information about a former classmate who became a famous singer/songwriter; Marcy Levy/Marcella Detroit.
Because I’m obsessed and have a one-track-mind, I messaged her and asked if she had ever known Leon Russell because I knew he spent a lot of time in Detroit around the early ’70s.
Her response blew me away! Not only did she know Leon, she toured with him before going on tour with Eric Clapton and co-wrote some of Clapton’s songs, including my favorite, “Lay Down Sally.”
ERIC CLAPTON, OMG.
I’m not at all embarrassed to tell you that I asked her if Leon’s eyes were as amazing as everyone has reported, and her exact quote was, “Oh yes his eyes were incredible.” I have so many more questions. So many. I can be SO annoying.
As a teenager, Marcy had posters of Russell on her walls. She later achieved her goal of singing with him, joining his touring band as a featured female vocalist for the Stop All That Jazz album (which also featured The Gap Band).
Leon Russell wrote the song “Time for Love” for her. The two developed a personal and professional connection in the early 1970s, during which time they dated for approximately nine months.
Detroit has reflected on their relationship in interviews, noting that Russell was a childhood idol. She viewed him as an incredibly gifted songwriter, musician, and arranger. She specifically recalled him creating an amazing live arrangement of “Unchained Melody” for her to sing on tour.
We’re fortunate to see Marcy as a background singer with Ann Bell on the Midnight Special with Leon, too. It’s an amazing video:
One more brick in the path that leads to Leon. One more step.
Another mind blowing fact I learned is that one of Marcy Levy’s earliest gigs was opening for David Bowie! DAVID BOWIE!!!
She was also a member of the ground breaking award winning band “Shakespear’s Sister”. Their song “Stay” is the longest running number one hit for a female band in UK history remaining at number ONE for eight weeks, and Marcy recently appeared on THE MASKED SINGER UK. https://marcelladetroit.com/
At the time, I would have had no idea there was such talent lurking at OPHS. I certainly never accomplished anything that rises to Marcy’s level. Sigh. #failure
Another Happy Solar Return!
Something to think about on the day of my birth, in addition to yummy cake and prezzies!
Listen up
Then just pipe down
Speak up
but don’t speak too loud
Don’t be dull
but don’t be wild
Be fun
but don’t act a child
Age gracefully
but don’t look old
Know your mind
but do as you’re told
Embrace your curves
but don’t get fat
Love yourself
but not like that
Know your worth
but not too much
Else they might feel
inadequate
Wear make-up,
look natural though
Stand your ground
but don’t say no
Choose the right path
but for who?
Right for them
or right for you?
Right for who
they’d rather see
Or right for
who you’d rather be?
Listen up
I’ll tell you this
This life of yours
is yours to live
Becky Hemsley 2023
Excerpted from: What the Wild Replied
Ancestral Acting: Josephine Victor
When I told my mom I wanted to become a famous actress, she said it was in my blood and shared a story about my grand-aunt, Josephine Victor, who WAS a well known performer, often in productions at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway.
Josephine Victor (born Josephina Gunczler/Ginzler; June 28, 1885 – 1963) was a Hungarian-born American stage actress and director active on Broadway from 1905 to 1939.
Her father was a Hungarian vintner. The Ginzler family originated from the Tokay wine region, where viticulture played a central role in local economy and culture during the late 19th century.
Josephine had several siblings, including a half-brother, my grandfather, Rabbi Arthur Ginzler.
Known for her versatile performances in dramatic roles, Victor appeared in many Broadway productions, frequently as part of original casts in plays by prominent playwrights such as John Galsworthy and Elmer Rice.
Her career highlights include leading roles like Zabette de Chauvalons in Martinique (1920), for which she received praise for delivering a powerful and tender performance in the play’s pivotal second-act scene, and Chloe in Galsworthy’s The Skin Game (1920).
Later, she transitioned into directing, helming the Broadway production of Doctor X in 1931, and continued acting in sophisticated dramas such as Judgment Day (1934) as Lydia Kuman and Wise Tomorrow (1937) as Diana Ebury.
She also ventured into vaudeville, debuting at New York City’s Palace Theatre in 1921 in the one-act play Juliet and Romeo by Harry Wagstaff Gribble, where she co-headlined alongside Adele Rowland.
Victor’s personal life intersected with the theater world through her marriage to Francis E. Reid, a theatrical publicist and drama critic.
Victor’s combined directing and playwriting output, though limited in major productions, bridged her acting with creative authorship, fostering narratives that amplified immigrant voices and familial tensions in early 20th-century drama. Her works contributed to the era’s exploration of social undercurrents, paving subtle paths for women in theatre leadership during a male-dominated field
Widowed after Reid’s death in 1933, Victor’s contributions to American theater spanned acting and directing, cementing her legacy as a multifaceted figure in the era’s stage scene.
In her post-retirement years, Victor maintained a low public profile.
It’s interesting to observe that one sibling became a rabbi and another became an actress, as they are very different and also very similar careers, if you stop and think about it. Performing is performing, whether it’s for an audience or a congregation.
She died in 1963, and I’m not sure that my mom ever met her, but wish I had so I could have asked her when she got the acting bug and maybe I could have picked up a few helpful acting tips from her, as I didn’t really win many auditions or perform regularly, so I gave up that dream…
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 