Hello my sweet little peas,
How are your precious hearts? Mine is full. Full of such wonderment and love. The new clean slate of 2010 has been very good to me. I've spent it curled up in front of many a cozy fires with David and the girls, each wonderful day/night snuggled up watching movies as a family.
Between Christmas and New Year's it was fun hanging out (mostly in our jammies), with the Christmas tree still up as we relaxed and totally unplugged from the rest of the world. I love seeing the girls play into all their new toys and munching on all the yummy sweets leftover from our holiday parties. It's really the only time of year when I let the house (and myself!) go to this degree...and I really don't mind seeing the girls hula hoop in the living room or stepping over a gazillion pillows and blankets from the comfy pallets they made the night before.
When I haven't been busy nesting in our home, I've been practicing my spins at various roller rinks around the city, having yummy dinners with family and friends, and doing my best to carve out time to reflect/write about the past year.
I can't tell you how good it feels to actually be sitting still enough to bring you up to speed on the last few weeks/months via this blog!
Over the past few months, I've done a lot of soul-searching, digging, dreaming, and releasing. As is my tradition for every New Year's Eve...I participated in a burning bowl ceremony at Unity Church that was as beautiful as it was healing. Each participant is asked to write down on a piece of paper all that they wish to surrender to GOD. My tiny paper that I threw into the fire had so little empty space left on it that I couldn't squeeze another word on it if I tried!
Most of you know that 2009 was a very challenging year for me personally. I had some less than fun stuff to deal with, and some pretty important lessons to learn. I'm happy to say, that I'm still standing. In a really bold, brave, and warrioress-kind-of-way....I am standing. Standing really tall. I walked through the fire (as so many of you also have) and I've earned a few more stripes to add to my ever-growing collection of intense human experiences that I may someday choose to share.
2009 was a big one for me. For most of us, really. It's funny because looking back, I now realize that in January of '09...I did a releasement ceremony in my backyard. I wanted to move into the New Year, with a clear heart and head and so I had the idea to hold a balloon releasement ceremony in the back yard with the girls. We got some balloons from Central Market, sat in the backyard and with a Sharpie marker, and wrote everything that we hoped to let go of on our colorful balloons. We watched our fears, doubts, and negative feelings slip into the vast blue sky as our balloons floated off between the trees. It felt very surreal to give voice to all the worries that I'm so often guilty of keeping inside.
Little did I know at the time, that the universe would give me many, many opportunities to practice, explore, and experience EVERYTHING THAT I WROTE ON THAT BALLOON!!! Like they say, "Be careful what you wish for!!! :-) It was only a few short weeks later when the universe gave me exactly what I had intended for myself.
A few moons later, when the Spring flowers were beginning to bloom, I would release more balloons into the endless sky. This time it would be in honor of my late Grandmother who left her earthly body on Easter and transitioned back into Spirit on that sacred April afternoon. This time, we wrote her sweet love notes, and wrapped them with ribbons attached to the balloons and let them go standing in the driveway of my sisters home. This is where I saw my father cry. We all cried. We laughed. We sang. We danced. We celebrated her long and brilliant life.
Driving home after her funeral, and our releasement ceremony, I saw the most amazing orange sky. It was a sunset that I will never forget......no matter how long my own life may be.
Spring ended with the usual dance recitals, end of school year pool parties, girl-scout camp-outs, and quick trips to the lake.
Before I knew it, Summer started with a beautiful trip to Paris, was filled with weddings and love-filled celebrations, and ended with an amazing time swimming with the dolphins on the Emerald coast of Florida. In between my trips, I spent the weeks designing, decorating, and creating my dream art/dance studio. I was sooooo thrilled to have it complete and to once again have a sacred space where I can retreat to get down and dirty with my ever-growing collection of stamps,paints,ink, and beads.
Early fall is where it seems that I stopped writing/blogging frequently. I scooted off to Seattle to sip hot coffee and hear some really good music. While I was there I saw Pearl Jam and Colbie Calliet. Once we returned, it was time for Halloween. We hosted yet another one of our annual *Picone Parties* and had almost the entire neighborhood in our home. With the campfire flickering in the backyard, and our family and friends filling the house, we partied and played......all dressed up into the wee hours of the night.
Along came November, which brought a very special trip to Phoenix for the *Celebrate Your Life* Conference and soon after, my magical 33rd birthday. A milestone that truthfully, I didn't know if I would ever reach. I spent the day being grateful for the chance to have yet another year to participate in this thing called "life" and ate lots of yummy crave cupcakes. Way toooooooooooo many cupcakes!
Only three days later, David's 40th rolled around. I planned a surprise party for him, and the girls and I gifted him with his very first "Big-boy watch". One that is definitely a keeper, and that I hope he will treasure and wear forever. After spending the day with the kids, he and I snuck away for a dinner party that I had secretly arranged with friends. It was a huge night spent with loads of laugher, MORE crave cupcakes, and sweet posters of him as a little boy hanging from the walls of a very hip and lively restaurant. He was really touched, and very appreciative for such a celebration...especially since it had been such a stressful year for the two of us.
The very next day, Thanksgiving landed in our laps and we jetted off for an elegant holiday dinner with his family. Just after the Thanksgiving feast, we celebrated two more special occasions. Within only 10 days of one another, with have 4 birthdays in our Sagittarius saturated family! Just after mine & David's comes...sweet little Ava's and my mom's. I was blessed to deliver my youngest daughter on my mom's birthday, just a little over six years ago. It always makes for a really fun and festive time of year, but is usually when my blog/writing begins to suffer and I find myself with less and less time to create.
During December, I kept busy doing appointments, studying a Course in Miracles, attended some fun Christmas parties, skated a ton, drank lots of hot chocolate with the girls, and prepared for a huge gathering to be held at our house on Christmas Eve.
The year ended with over 70 of our dearest family and friends joining us to fill our hearts with the brightest of Christmas cheer. I had so much fun cooking, decorating, hanging lights, shopping, baking, and creating a true HOME for the holidays.
I felt really proud to have pulled off entertaining for such a large crowd, without the luxury of having any hired help. (Note to self: next time...I might consider it! lol) In all fairness, I must give due credit to the other hostess-with-the-mostess, my mom...because without her, none of it would have been so amazing. She & I tackled the never-ending list of things to do, together and it was really quite painless. As it should be!
We enjoyed having all of our loved ones gathered near, and laughed, sang, and danced until our last *guests* left at 3:00 am on Christmas Eve. Once the house was quite and still, Santa came down the chimney for a visit and left a few goodies for the Picone girls'. The stockings overflowed with candy, girly pink lip-gloss, slinky's, and toys.
With only a few hours of sleep, the girls called from their cell phones to awaken me bright and early. As I answered the phone, I heard, in their most excited voices, "Mommy...please hurry...we want to go downstairs!" Their bedrooms are in a different wing of the house, and so being the clever little clowns they are, they didn't want to spoil the surprise by running down the stairs and over to our room and seeing the Santa gifts without me being ready with camera in hand.
I just LOVE hearing the squeals, giggles, and squeaks that come from happy little girls!! I especially love capturing them on video and film so that one day, when my babies have grown, and flown from the nest...I will be able to revisit and re-live these most precious days.
My mom and step-father James, had spent the night, too so we all gathered in the morning sun to see the girls delight in claiming their Santa goods. Soon after, my brother arrived to join our Christmas morning party. With sleepy eyes, and messy-bed hair, we all melted into the couch and prepared for the remainder of the gift giving tradition.
After an impromptu hula-hooping contest complete with christmas hip-hop music in the background, we feasted on home-made biscuits and made our traditional migas. Later in the day, we left for BB's (aka David's mom) house and spent a beautiful evening enjoying the company of even more of our beloved family.
It was a magical, sweet, and perfect day. It was most beautiful because this year, I held the true appreciation and awareness that in any second it could all be gone.
And so, it is with a very grateful heart, that I look back at 2009 and say...Au Revoir!
Bisous bisous,
PS.....I think you might enjoy this delight~full letter from a very sweet & precious soul. These words ring true for each and every one of you.....
Hi cutie,
How are you doing? It’s very grey outside & 45 degrees. (That’s 7 to you & me.) I am distracting myself by looking at extremely overpriced dresses. You know how we do.
Anyway, I just wanted to write & tell you how amazing you are… in lieu of a Christmas card. ‘Cause “Happy Holidays” doesn’t sum up everything I have to tell you.
Okay, I know that sounds soppy, & this letter is not supposed to be a goop-fest, but it’s true & I wanted to remind you. Especially because I know you’re stressed out right now. So this is a, “Hello, you’re wonderful!” wake-up call.
I’m really proud of how far you’ve come this year. No year is perfect… I know 2009 has been difficult. It was hard on me too. We all had some crushing lows & our fair amount of anguish, but despite all that, I think you’ve done really well. Remember the start of the year, & how unsure you were about everything? This year has had so many moments of sickening instability but you have shown yourself to be a big glittering diamond every time. Every time!
Look at everything you’ve done! You have changed so many things about your life for the better. You’ve adopted new & more empowering attitudes, cut negative people from your life & achieved heaps.
Honestly, when you think about how you felt this time last year, & contrast that to how your life looks today, you’ll realise how well you’ve done. It has been magnificent to watch. You are so much stronger than you think you are. 2009 has been testament to that.
I’m glad you didn’t let people get you down this year. I know that sometimes people said or did things which shook your confidence & made you feel like you were walking a wobbly tight-rope, but I think you overcame it SO well. You haven’t let it shake your confidence in humankind & that is really beautiful.
My favourite thing about you is that you are living life YOUR way & doing the best you can. Your story is your own. You don’t allow other people to persuade you to give up your dreams. You have a shining vision for the future & you’re making little steps there every day. You don’t allow people who “don’t understand” to get you down, you just leave them behind in your glorious wake. You have faith that they’ll catch up when the time is right. It is so awesome & delicious.
I think that when you are doing important things, the universe will throw challenges at you to see how serious you are. If you give up, it obviously didn’t mean that much to you. The universe will give your dream to someone else. But you haven’t given up. You keep forging ahead. You are so lionhearted & full of love & hope.
Brave love warrior. Dream architect. Infatuation queen. Disco menace. Psychedelic ghoul. Bunnyhead genius. You are all these things & so much more.
You are such an inspiration to me & everyone around you! We are so glad you are here. You make us really happy.
I love you so much. Stay golden!
Love letters & feather headdresses, 
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