VOG ~ The Kingdom of Relationship ~ Week One

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

"At this point in our pilgrimage, we are about to begin the thrust to reach the summit. This means we must now evaluate our relationships with absolute clarity and choose as our continued companions only those whom we can really trust."

Let's read and do tasks in:

Equality
The Voluntary Victim
Where Does It Hurt?

[debb]

Free Bracelet patterns
they have a large library of video and technique instruction that can be as easy as you like...

[MARY]

Fiona: these 2 bead shops are near you I believe. Either one should have what you are looking for.

Sweet's Beads
7763-1/2 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.933.7922

Bead Boutique
8313 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
[phone]

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Oh kewl, Mary ... we'll turn Fio into a jewelry maker in no time :)

[Susan Hosken]

Great to see you doing the tasks Mary. I read the reading for this week but didn't feel like doing any of the tasks this time.I am hoping to do VOG in the future and can do the tasks I missed.
love from susan

[MARY]

foxy lady!

[MARY]

WHERE DOES IT HURT

TASK: COLLAGE--Toxic Creative Relationship. This is the last long-term relationship that I had. I so lost myself in that relationship. I was introduced to people as bi-polar (and no--I am not) because as all creative people do, I have moments of deep introspection where I am digesting and sorting through all the inspiration daily living provides. Non-creatives don't get it. Oh yes, and of course I was undisciplined and unfocused because when I would write I would lose all track of time and end up tired for work. Let's not forget over sensitive and childish because I felt things in all 6 senses and felt them deeply. Geeesh! In retrospect I am so glad it ended, although at the time it broke my heart. I found co-dependence anonymous once my grief allowed me to breathe again. That relationship was about as toxic as one could get!

TASK: Collage--Abundance
I'd already done this collage previously. All I needed to do was to add me in the middle of things. The bedroom set that I will have one day, the furniture of my dreams, money, security, a dog, gems..ohhh yessss...the abundant life. What I noted in here though was a lack of PEOPLE. Did you see that? Gave me pause for thought how I could do an abundance collage and not have people in it. I almost added some but decided to be true to where I am at the moment. I was sooooooooooo burned in the 'toxic' relationship that I'm downright skittish about having people back into my life.

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

You'll get there again, Mary ... you're chatting with us ...
Isn't it weird how we go into love relationships blind to the signals and just think things are gonna change because we love them. I'm sorry you had to deal with all that crap ... but am glad you came out of it believing in your SELF! Beautiful dog in your abundance collage, and I love the rich jewel tone color.

[MARY]

I want a doggie...I've always wanted a doggie. I got one dog and then my first marriage went down the tubes, then I got another dog and the second marriage went down the tubes...I think I may be settled enough for a pooch but I can't have one where I live now. For decades I've ached for a doggie. The thing is I like big dogs. Rhodesian Ridgeback would be my first choice. Now that's a DOG! Problem is it isn't practical for me. I don't have a yard. These guys need a yard!

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

What a handsome fellow, Mary. That's one of the reasons I love my place so much, it's perfect for dogs (we have two). The yard is very big and the lady I'm renting from lived here, before I moved in. She had a young lab, and she KNOWS what kind of damage dogs can do to a yard, and doesn't mind (her dog began pulling up all the underground drip sprinkling system she had installed ... my dogs are finishing the job!) The fence is only 4 feet in the back... both dogs have found themselves on the other side of it only once, and never again. We keep them inside when we're gone, and I suppose because they have each other to play with, neither one is too interested in straying off when we're home.

Tippy, the last dog we had in So Cal, no fence or wall could hold ... we had to put up an electrifying device on the fence, meant for cattle - the dog one didn't deter him! Both of us were gone all day and he got very spooked by loud noises, even low rumbling thunder drove him nuts to the point that all he could think of was escape. Thankfully, our landlords lived next door, and he would always go to their house looking for comfort, so they would keep him in their house until we got home. We finally solved it by getting a dog crate to keep him contained until we got home from work ... because if he was left inside and got spooked, he would tear apart the curtains, trying to escape from a window (which he also did once on July 4th) ... ah, the things we deal with for our furkids!

Well, since I'm going on about Tippy, I'll get down the pastel drawing I did of him and scan it :)

[MARY]

Barbara:
Tippy probably was happy in his crate. At first I thought crates were terrible until I researched them and found out that dogs do indeed feel very secure, safe and comfortable in a crate. I had a border collie once. We had a small back yard and he would dig and dig and dig and chew the tree roots. I thought about it and decided he was bored. I got like a bungee cord and a dog rope pull attached to the end. He loved to jump so I put it up where he had to jump to grab it. Then when he let go..boingy boingy BOINNNGGGG and he'd chase it. When I set that up for him he quit chewing tree roots. When I first got him he'd pee a little every time there was noise. I had 2 kids at the time and a huge house..it was noisy. So I'd yell his name real mean like (he'd pee) and call him and when he got to me I'd give him a doggie treat. It was only a couple of days before he associated noise with dog treats. If he was naughty I'd tsk at him and he'd hang his little head and look so sorrowful. Yeah..dogs are so cool.

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Perfect, Fio ... are these obsidian? They almost look like miracle beads the way they glow! Did you go to one of the bead stores Mary posted, or order them? Really classy looking!

[debb]

gold sheen obsidian... that is a beautiful stone no matter how it's served up & a good protector