Dear Friends,

I am a big fan of Mother Nature. As I mentioned in previous newsletters, I left the biggest city in America to live on some acreage in the Louisiana woods. It’s like a mini-peninsula that’s about 20 feet above a sandy-bottom creek, with towering trees, and a variety of flora and fauna. The only things I’ve planted are roses and gardenias; yet our house is surrounded with ferns, honeysuckle and other beautiful plants that have just popped up on their own. I’ve put pots of impatiens in window boxes outside our kitchen window, and thanks to the birds; impatiens are growing out of pea gravel on the ground below.

Not a day goes by that I don’t acknowledge and give thanks for my many blessings. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita spared St. Francisville and we are happy to be a haven for many of our friends who are suffering. Although we often joke and call it “Mayberry,” St. Francisville should be the “poster child” for true spirit of community. Many of the tourists who come here end up staying. I’m proud to call it home.

I’ve enjoyed sharing stories from my evacuee friends on my blog. However, I promised I’d keep the newsletters less personal and more informative. I originally wrote the first draft on the importance of surface preparation when it comes to painting. An important topic; so I’ll add it later to the “Painting Tips” page of the website. But a number of folks have been asking me for book recommendations and techniques on finding peace and calm within. Something we could all use during these chaotic times.

One of the greatest tonics comes from simply spending time in nature. I was inspired to leave New York after hearing a talk by Native American Indian Chief, Sun Bear (http://www.liteweb.org/wildfire/). He talked about how we were meant to live in harmony with nature and the importance of our connection to Mother Nature. We simply cannot live without her, and hopefully, more and more people will begin to realize we cannot continue to destroy our beautiful planet. Sun Bear has since passed away, but his books of inspiration and wisdom are still available through the web link above.

I’ve mentioned the Kryon books by Lee Carroll a number of times (kryon.com). There are now over ten books in many different languages that date back to 1989, when he first predicted the events we are now experiencing. I highly recommend starting with The Journey Home, a novel about a man named Michael Thomas who travels in a land of seven angels in seven houses. It’s filled with metaphors about living life. I also recommend the Kryon Cards, which is a 50 card deck containing profound wisdom from the books. With the metaphysical premise that “there are no accidents,” the very energy of your intention to learn and benefit from the message on a card will activate the energies that permit this very thing—one of the most basic premises of quantum physics. I find cards an excellent tool, because you don’t have to sit down for several hours to benefit. They can provide insight and wisdom within minutes.

Another set of cards I recommend is a 52-card deck by Sonia Choquette entitled Ask Your Guides (hayhouse.com). This deck with accompanying guidebook is designed to help you tap into your higher self and divine helpers through present and upcoming life events and challenges. Ask any question, draw a card, and be amazed at how uncanny the guidance you receive fits your situation!

One of the first metaphysical books I ever read, literally fell on my head in a bookstore, so I figured it was a sign and bought it: Agartha: A Journey to the Stars by Meredith Young Sowers is available at most bookstores and her website, stillpoint.org. This was the first book I read that explored color and sound healing techniques. Since then, I’ve discovered numerous articles and books stating that color and sound will become even more powerful healing modalities in the future. A lot of the color therapy information I shared in previous newsletters came from Meredith’s Angelic Messenger Cards which I also highly recommend. I can personally attest to personal healing with Meredith’s You Can Heal program which is based on the fact that all matter, our bodies included, is made up of energy or vibrations. You Can Heal uses particular tones or sounds that resonate with the healthy vibration of each chakra in the human energy system. These perfectly designed sounds actually change unhealthy vibrations into healthy ones, making healing happen at the deepest level... the energetic level.

Julia Rogers Hamrick, author of Recreating Eden, (recreating-eden.com) is also a proponent of using sound for centering, balancing, and lifting your vibrational frequency. She has written an instructive article called “Vocal Toning: Discover One of Your Power Tools” that you might be interested in checking out. When she was here for her weekend seminar in May, she used music as one of her tools for moving into joy. One of Julia’s favorite “joy songs” as she calls them is Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Fantasy.” My favorite music for de-stressing (my idea of joy) is by Canadian composer & musician Robert Coxon. I’ve practically worn out his Silent Path CD and his newest Prelude to Infinity is even better. Robert was so taken with Hemingbough here in St. Francisville he used his photo of the gazebo on the lake on the cover and named one of his songs “Hemingbough”. Robert’s CDs are available on amazon.com.

National TV & Design Expert Deborah Burnett teaches seminars to architects and designers on using color and light to create healing environments. She first telephoned me after seeing an article on my paints, asking me how I knew that full spectrum paints were healing. I explained that for me, it just made sense intuitively. However, she explained scientific reasons for this, and although I’ve taken notes during our conversations, I’m afraid it’s still so over my “right brain” I don’t dare try and repeat it! I knew Deborah was a kindred spirit when I read her invitation to explore her website (deborahburnett.com): “Please consider this site, and especially my Articles & Editorials section, your point of reference for inspiration and insight into the beauty that only you can create when your home and emotional self are in true balance with God and nature”.

One of my favorite new websites (whatsuponplanetearth.com) that is entirely about these new “earth changes” we have been experiencing, provides “Tools for Comfort” and “Energy Alerts” which explain the latest human and planetary evolutionary shifts. A tool Karen Bishop says is key is water. “It cleanses us, neutralizes us and has many other attributes yet to be discovered. Drink lots and lots of it, submerge yourself in it and move through it (preferably a pool) and program it through your intention to do what you desire. Exercise, water and letting go and trusting are the most essential supports.” Remember my spring 2004 newsletter on the consciousness of water and Dr. Masaru Emoto's book Messages from Water? Lee Carroll also says we will find healing properties within water and should look to the power of the ocean tides for a new energy source.

When I was visiting color expert Barbara Richardson and her team at ICI headquarters last summer, they showed me a color that was recently selected as THE color for 2006. We have since taken that color and made our full spectrum version, calling it “Chartreuse”. They said they are already looking at colors to consider for 2007 and are seriously considering a pale blue (which by the way looks great with Chartreuse). I immediately came back inspired, and created “Oasis and “Seaglass”.

Turquoise, a perfect mix of blue and green, is considered a new age color in that it inspires creative communication from the feeling side of our being. Learning how to think with our hearts and feel with our heads is one of the most important things we can try and do these days. You don’t have to paint an entire room to benefit from a color’s healing energy. Pay attention to your feelings and collect colors you are drawn to. Spend time meditating on them, breathing in their essence. A color’s energy is also absorbed through our skin, so if you want to shift your emotions, wear a color that promotes what you are trying to feel or encourage within yourself. Make a pillowcase out of your special color and let it nourish you as you sleep. Our Magical Gems palette was created with the hopes that the sample cards would be used as color therapy tools.

For more information on colors and the emotions and activities they enhance, check out our library of past newsletters listed below.

Until next time, stay safe, treat yourself well, and follow your heart.