zena musings

Doggielove extravaganza: Save 30% on all candles & gift sets (4 days only)

Twenty years ago today, the love of my life Elliott -- aka Fuzzy Bear, Fred, Punkinhead Fred, Popo, Punk-ass Po, Ellinku, Blažková and DOG -- was born. The above photo was taken the day I brought him home. In honor of his birthday -- and Lucy's 10th birthday, which is tomorrow -- we're offering an unprecedented 30% OFF all candles & gift sets (misfits excluded) at zenamoon.com with coupon code BIRTHDAY10 now through 6/13/10.

About this New Moon in Gemini
Here's a chance to go beyond crazymaking spin and distractions to the Source of wisdom. It's a New Moon that spirals us into the void to straddle two worlds, just like Gemini's archetype, the Magician. You get to juggle it all yourself -- both external noise and the wisdom coming out of that mysterious void. Read the full article here.

Themes and related candles include:

• a candle for writing : If you've got creative blocks, try writing under a pen name.
• be bodacious : Question everything -- it's liberating!
• claim your power : Shake off tired old opinions you no longer believe in.
• dolphin : Diffuse a tense situation with humor.
• embrace your confusion : Let it be OK that you don't know.
• rest and wisdom : Give yourself some space to hear what's coming through your higher channels by cutting out distractions and resting if you need to.

Elliott in Bloom

A year ago I created a small memorial garden featuring a cutting from Elliott's clematis. This clematis was dubbed Elliott's because it's always in explosive full bloom glory on his birthday (June 10) and over the years I shot at least 12 or 13 of his birthday portraits sitting in front of it. You can see the clematis behind him on the left in his 15th birthday portrait below. My boy. Isn't he handsome?! He's also impatient to be done with the dang photo session so he can scarf down the pumpkin muffins the candles are stuck into. I always bake them specially for the honeys' birthdays.

Elliott passed in 2007 and I don't live in that house anymore, so last spring Bryon (my ex-husband) took a cutting from the clematis, rooted it and gave it to me. It didn't blossom at all last summer and I wasn't sure it'd survive our insanely long winter with record-smashing snowfall. I was overjoyed when I saw fresh greenery shooting from its base a few weeks ago!

I think about (and miss) Elliott every day, this morning even moreso because it's the first day of his birthday month. (June is also Lucy's birthday month -- hers is the 11th.) Today I was outside mowing and doing other yard work when I noticed... a FLOWER ON THE CLEMATIS! The very first flower on Elliott's clematis bloomed in Spokane on the first day of his birthday month!

Hurray Elliott! Hurray Mother Nature! And a great big thanks to God for today's gift in letting me know that my boy is still with me. :) :) :)

P.S. Just realized it's no coincidence I fixed Copper River salmon for dinner tonight. One of Elliott's many nicknames was Fuzzy Bear due to his resemblance to a grizzly bear, and many jokes abounded as to his looking like an open-mouthed grizzly fishing for salmon on the Copper River.

I definitely believe coincidences are one way God tickles us and maybe even shows off a little bit.

Elliott's Birthday

On this date 17 years ago, this little boy was born and became the love of my life. I took this photo the day I brought him home. He was 6 weeks old!

Today is the first June 10th since the 1980s -- the 80s! -- Elliott lives outside this beloved body. I love him and miss him with all my heart. There are no other words than this simple truth.

As painful as loss is, we are so lucky to love!