For many years I taught stamping and scrap booking classes in the Magic Basement. When I started TGHR I hosted events. I had never really done a full day event where we were going to get down and get dirty, knowing it was more than likely going to be emotional.

I had a lot of the "I'm not worthy" thoughts so many of us have before embarking on anything of a decent sized magnitude. As a matter of full disclosure, I ate down my feelings about it - something I haven't done in nearly a year. Gah! Old habits suck, don't they?

And the day was, in my opinion, extraordinary.

We had some breakfast. We set some intentions. We got comfy with each other. We did some gentle moving.

I gave everyone a goodie bag which may have contained a journal that we referred to as a note pad, because journaling is work you know. There were lemon and lavender essential oil sample packets to help create an atmosphere of creativity and calm. There was a page to color - apparently I can't completely get away from my Stampin' Up! days.

We had a marvelous writing exercise. (I must credit the Creative Joy retreat I went on in 2012 to introducing me to the poem that was our starting off point.)

We started our vision boards.

(HINT: click on the pictures to see them bigger.)

After lunch we finished up our vision boards and really, they are gorgeous. They are a reflection of who we are and where we're hoping to be this season.

We ended the day with a guided meditation that had a little laughing going on (thanks Mama for that!) and wonder woman making an appearance.

Oh (!) and cookies and chocolate covered pretzels.

All in all, I am over the moon delighted and look forward to hosting more events here sooner rather than later.

Join us next time, won't you?

​xo

I have been remarkably silent these last few months. I have SO much I could write about, and yet I find myself retreating into myself and doing a whole lot of inner work so I don't explode in public.

I own a salon. A place of respite for many. This means I have to keep my emotions on the state of this country in check because I have been surprised by people I truly like day in and day out. I want to keep enjoying our clients whatever their political beliefs.

With that said, I know the clients who stand on the same side I do. We find each other, you know.

The same holds true for my friends and family members. I will not cut people I adore out of my life because of their vote. I WILL cut people out of my life for spewing bullshit, for hurting those I love, for hijacking my FB page, or for suddenly becoming a person I no longer recognize. But one vote cannot undo years and years of love. It's not the way I am wired.

It probably helps that I listened to millions of minutes of podcasts to stay sane during these times. Oh, and I remembered to keep breathing.

Last Saturday I watched (on FB at the salon) in true awe as women and men I know from ALL OVER THE GLOBE marched. I wept with each post. When CNN showed the crowds from city to city I couldn't keep my shit together. It was magnificent. My sister Jane went to NYC along with so many women I admire, and they all were MY voice. (Especially Jane flash mobbing "This Little Light of Mine" on the train!)

Bless them. ALL of them. And the ACLU. And every. single. person. doing something, anything to make people pay attention.

This morning I watched an episode of black-ish that impacted me deeply. In 22 minutes they conveyed every emotion I felt about this election powerfully and beautifully. Even if you have never watched this show I implore you to watch this. Click HERE to be inspired.

In order to make a small contribution to the betterment of the world, I quietly go about my life doing little acts to make my heart and head clear.

Creating the retreat for next week, a day of true inner vision, is one of those acts and it is dear to my heart. If this interests you, you can check out the details HERE. Feel free to pay at the door.

If next week is not good for you, I encourage you to join Kacey and Elizabeth at their event on Sunday, February 12 in Peekskill. Details for their event, Love - A Woman's Empowerment Workshop can be found HERE. 

My therapist and friend Cathy is hosting a weekend retreat, Your True Hearts Desires, March 10-12. Her retreats are life affirming and most excellent for the soul. Details for her retreat are HERE.

On Thursday, Carole King re-released her song, "One Small Voice" and made it free for a downloading. Read her letter to the world HERE.

Love has to win. Seriously.

​xo

​One small voice can change the world
But you’d better be strong

https://youtu.be/zaPYz-6Bji4

 If at first you don't succeed, you try again.

I was a little sad when I realized the weekend retreat wasn't going to happen.

And then while showering (where we ALL do our best thinking) I thought to myself, "I'll do an event at my house on the same weekend!"

It's a great space to host a day long retreat and I believe everyone who comes will feel the positive energy and vibes. (If you were ever here for stamping or other events, imagine that on steroids!)

So, without further ado I am inviting YOU to join me at TGHR, such as it is!

Date: Sunday, February 5
Time: 9:00 - 4:30
(breakfast will be served from 8:00 - 9:00, lunch is included)
Place: The Glass House Retreat
          Buchanan, NY 10511
(address will be provided upon payment)
Price: $60

Well, oh, it seems you're a lot like me
You dug yourself into places
You never thought you would be
But don't you fret, and don't you mind
The only constant is change
And you never know what you'll find

https://youtu.be/l0sQVIDOQRk

Last Saturday was the end of a very long week for me. I was tired and fried and had seen the evolution of more updos in a 24 hour period than I ever imagined I would.

The weather was crappy on and off all day. Damp. Dismal. Even the occasional downpour.

At the end of this very long week I was going to a walk along the Hudson River to celebrate the beginning of summer. The summer solstice, the day with the most light in it.

I was in no mood for it. I was tired. I was drained. I wanted to go home to jammies and a book and HGTV.

However, along with Kacey and Demitra, I knew I had to show up. I knew I had to put on my big girl pants, and rain poncho, and hat. So, off to the river I went.

We changed the time. We changed the meeting point. We were starting at 8:00. Nope, scratch that, we're starting at 7:00. We're meeting at the top. Nope, we're meeting at the bottom.

Yes, we did all that. Ultimately, those of us who were at the lower parking lot met up with those from the upper lot who walked down and met us. I got there at 7:00 and others staggered in a bit later. In total we had nine women who needed this walk.

It appears more than one of us had the same kind of week. There was exhaustion and frustration and pent up nerves.

And then we gathered. And we walked. And Kacey brought along candles in lanterns. And we chit chatted.

We got to the end of the paved walk where there is a magnificent sun dial and sculpture commemorating 9/11. There was zero rain.

Demitra, as is our tradition, blessed the evening. Kacey read something from "Sanya Says." We went around the circle, as is also now our tradition, and said a few things we were grateful for. Kacey and I had brought all of the intentions that had been written at our past events. We had been saving them to give them up to the universe for all these months.

There is power in having water, and women, and fire all gathered together for good. Add in the song below, and it was extraordinary.

This was a few days after Charleston and we vowed that collectively we would continue to spread love to the best of our abilities. Eight white women and one black women, holding hands, praying, and doing a tiny bit to help each other and the earth.

I brought sparklers and we lit the night with joy and laughter. When we cleaned everything up, we marveled at being in such a magnificent place, in the dark, ultimately feeling one million percent better than when we arrived.

As is now also one of our traditions, we walked the half mile or so back in silence. Each of us immersed in our own thoughts - for our own good and for the good of all around us.

It was now about 9:30 and we were energized and invigorated and hungry. So, off to the diner we went to continue sharing the love.

YOU would have loved it.

Our next event is next Tuesday, June 30.

Join us at Hudson House on Main Street in Cold Spring, NY from 6pm - 8pm. 

The unforgettable Rock and Roll Randy Patterson will lead a lively and interactive workshop where we will discuss the four distinct personality types. Which one are you? And how can you best get along with the others? 

$5 per person. Cash bar.

Please text Kacey at 914.323.8343 to RSVP.

We invite you to join us at any of our events. 

We have created a Facebook Page you are welcome to join, A Circle of Women. Between the three of us, all of our events are shared collectively on that page, our own FB pages as well as via email and this blog.

I hope to see you at an event soon!

xo

This is a glorious instrumental that will absolutely soothe your soul, calm your nerves and make you feel at ease.

https://youtu.be/BJMIQRfXfPY

On Sunday, April 19, Kacey, Demitra and I presented another of our one day retreats. This time our topic was JOY.

I love the community we are creating. The women come for a day of inspiration and love and boy, do they get that. You can come alone and leave with a new friend or two. There is power in that.

As is the tradition, Demitra led us in an opening prayer.

Amy Luke led us in remarkable chair yoga. Since I haven't been able to practice yoga since I fell, it was so lovely to move to her melodic prompts in a way that was easy. Savasana (the final pose) was very special and spiritual. I might have shed a tear... (of course I did!) That practice has stayed with me all week!

We had these signs hung up throughout the space. I promised everyone I would share them here.

My sister brought the room to a standing ovation after she shared the joy she gets from volunteering for Relay for Life.

She was mesmerizing, funny, emotional, knowledgeable, and 100% real. She has us all create a link for the "Chain of Hope" that will surround the Jack Devito field in Yorktown on Jane's birthday, June 12, this year.

If you would like to donate to Jane and her team, click HERE. Read her story on her page - it's fabulous!

Once again we enjoyed a delicious lunch from B&L Deli in Cold Spring. We truly can't get enough of their quinoa salad! It was nice to visit with the wonderful women who were in attendance, including two special birthday girls who chose to celebrate with us.

After lunch, Amy led us in a rousing "breath of joy!"

And then it was time for the incomparable Kacey. Each time Kacey speaks we fall under the spell of her words and her stories. This time we experienced a group Reiki circle that had energy moving throughout the room. 

We were then led on a marvelous meditation in the "Wish Room" - a space Kacey created just for the day.

I ended the day talking about how sometimes joy is hard. Because life is sometimes hard. So, take the time to appreciate when life is sometimes awesome. It takes the pressure off of having to appear joyful all the time.

We ended the day singing and dancing to an oldie but goodie with a giant circle of hugs.

As the week has passed by I know of two fun things happened. Amy drew two cards with a private client and this is what she drew:

I went for a pedicure on Tuesday.

My nail technician was named, Joy.

I hope the women who attended this event, actually, each of our events, leave fulfilled, inspired, happy, and feeling the after affects of so much love for days on end.

I know I certainly do.

xo

PS - Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 31. We have a very special day planned. Details to follow very soon!

This has been a particularly interesting winter. L-O-N-G. Right?!

Without glorifying "busy," which I have discussed here already any number of times, I have been busy. LIFE is busy even if it is mundane and seems like scenes from the movie Groundhog Day.

• Backstage work - check
  
• TGHR work - check
  
• OT - check
  
• Therapy - check
  
• Shyla - check
  
• Making dinner every so often - check
  
• Driving Bella hither and yon - check
  
• Visiting UVM with Bella for accepted student day - check
• Preparing for Bella to leave the nest - check
  
• Hanging with Peter for a little while last week - check
  
• Helping with a fundraiser to raiser heart health awareness for Westchester Medical Center - check
  
• Going to the spring high school musical Seussical - check
• Helping with the Senior Fashion Show - check
  

       (I now have 42 cell phone numbers...)

• Preparing for MY final LIVE - check
  
• Getting ready for a Cut-A-Thon at the salon on May 16 - check
  

And all the other stuff life is made of...

On March 22, Kacey (it's her birthday today), Demitra and I are hosting a SPRING themed workshop!

The details are HERE - check it out, RSVP, and let's make the magic of many women happen.

I have truly missed blogging. I am looking forward to the April blogging challenge I have signed up for so that I WILL blog every day. Join me, won't you?

This is a the synopsis of the event Kacey, Demitra and I put together this past Sunday.

Normally, I can whip out a blog post in an hour or so.
Normally, I can write without having to think.

But these past few days I have been sitting on a ray of sunshine and love.

Well.

Let me tell you.

It was all we hoped it would be and more.
(Get cozy)

As you all know, TGHR is my joy. I have been cultivating it, and keeping it going, all the while knowing someday I would be ready to do something truly fabulous with it.

The Health & Happiness Show is Kacey's joy. Her newest joy is Shine On, her Reiki studio.

Demitra is a gifted, spiritual astrologer and she shares her messages via inspirational talks and through her website. It is her joy.

So, imagine the three of us have a theme, "A New Year. A New Attitude."

Next, imagine that we are all busy women attempting to get through the holidays (The salon was buzzing!!) and we never talk about what we're doing except in very vague terms.

Probably, because like when we were in school, we might have been saving some of it for the last minute.

Now, if you've seen the salon (what? you haven't? - go check it out - I'll wait), you know it is a beautiful space. I had imagined setting it up in one manner and then when I worked on Saturday I knew it would never work. I was going to have the guests facing the front of the salon. BIG sun glare issue. So, I re-imagined it in my head and moved it all around. It was an excellent move.

At one point we had 36 amazing and beautiful and fantastic women in the space. It was sacred. It was humming. It. Was. Awesome.

Why?

Well, there we were, in a gorgeous, safe, sacred space sharing our stories. Talking about the life events that shaped us.

I opened the day - not the way the program said I would, because that would have been too predictable, but in a nice way.

We had over 30 women and ONE bathroom. HUGE shout out to NYSC for allowing us to use their restrooms so there wouldn't be a super long wait. That needed to be addressed.

I took attendance via raffle tickets - yes, we had prizes!

I knew Kacey was using a script. She's a radio host and an actress. I knew Demitra was using bullet points she keeps in her head. I knew I didn't want to miss certain points and after going back and forth a number of times about what to do!what to do!what to do! the script won.

I admitted to being a little intimidated because I was basically doing my version of a TED Talk, a MAG Talk if you will. Not with a teleprompter and a nice Power Point clicker in my hand (next year), but with a stack of paper, 18 point font double spaced. I was used to speaking off the cuff.

Both my sisters were in the room and some of my nearest and dearest friends. It is unnerving to tell your story when some people know the majority of it. You wonder if you have something worth saying.

My talk, "Are you there God? It's me, Maggie," began, "Today we are sharing our stories. The stories of who we are and how we got here. Our journey and the map that we took. My map is a twisting, turning, zig zag of left turns, right turns, wrong turns and U turns."

I will share that it is a powerful feeling to sense that the room gets you. When they laugh where I hoped they would. When they tear up when I thought they might. When they cried with me.

There was a sort of tense silence when I finished. Like all anyone wanted to do was breathe. So I added a short breathing exercise and then asked everyone to hug the person behind them, next to them, in front of them. THEN the tears fell and it was beautiful.

We took a little while to continue to hug each other no matter where we were, to get some water, coffee, tea and of course, wait on line for the restroom.

Kacey was up next. If you live in the Hudson Valley and listen to ANY of the stations owned by Pamal Broadcasting, you KNOW Kacey's voice. She is the voice in the morning on WHUD, 100.7 with Mike Bennett.

Kacey hosts her Sunday morning inspirational show, The Health & Happiness Show at 6:30am. I know, it seems early, BUT, it is always streaming on her website. You *must* check it out. I can think of more than a few people who would love her show before the holidays about angels.

In addition, Kacey has opened a Reiki studio in Cold Spring called Shine On. She is sharing her healing light, her warmth and her talents. Make an appointment.

Kacey is a walking, talking inspiration to those who know her and most certainly to those who follow her shows and get treated by her.

Kacey's talk was was entitled, “Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned From Being On The Radio.” It was her life lessons with music bits interspersed at all the right times.

HER sister was in the room. It was a family day.

I was riveted.

Smile. Yes, smile when you are on the radio - your listeners know when you are. I usually smile when I answer the phone. If you don't already, try it.

Say NO to good and YES to the best. No, Kacey didn't coin that phrase, but she learned to LIVE the phrase and my god, how important is that?

Be at one with nature. Appreciate the warmth of the rose light as the sun rises in the sky at oh-dark-thirty.

Get rid of ear worms - you know, the music that gets stuck in your head, by having something in your head that is a powerful reminder of your beauty and grace.

You CAN bring church to a salon with a 30 second clip of "How Great Thou Art." Have tissues nearby.

ASK. Ask and you will receive.

Have an exit plan. Know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em. (Those are my words, and of course, Kenny Rogers.)

Bullies CAN become your best friend.

You ARE Beautiful.

You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
Then people gonna treat you better
You're gonna find, yes, you will
That you're beautiful as you feel

As you can imagine, there were tears. Good, happy, wonderful tears.

It was time for lunch. I loved watching people interact with old and new friends. I loved chatting with all of these amazing women. I loved connecting on a level that was human, spiritual, funny and real.

After lunch it was Demitra's turn.

Demitra is SO very gifted. She is esoteric, and brilliant, and connects to you on a gut level.

Each morning, at 6:45, Kacey shares Demitra's horoscopes on WHUD. How's THAT for synchronicity?

Each day Demitra posts the day's horoscopes on her website, Heaven to Earth Astrology. In addition, Demitra hosts a new moon tele-seminar that is not to be missed. And don't worry if you can't be there at the air time. You will get a recording delivered right to your inbox.

Demitra started by having us join hands, say our names, close our eyes and reflect on what was being created by our willingness to BE on that Sunday.

Demitra shared her insight with us about what was happening in the celestial skies and how it affects us. How our birth sign joins with all the other planets at the second we are born, and where we are born, and how THAT will determine so much of our behavior.

I am organized, don't you know.

(If I took a picture of my basement RIGHT this second, that theory would go right out the window!)

FINE.

Here's the picture.

Your astrological chart is an amazing tool, and when Demitra explains it, there will be moments of SUCH clarity; true "Ah-Ha!" moments. I can't recommend this as part of your life journey enough. You can book an appointment with her via her website.

Then Demitra took us on a guided meditation to our future selves. Mine kicks ass, in such a good way.

It was time to breathe. Deeply and emotionally.

When Demitra was done I told everyone a little something.

We are all human. We are all in the same communities. And we can be judgy (not a real word...too bad, it works) of others. BUT, when we know their stories, when we've seen their soul through tears, when we have shared, and laughed, and broken bread together, that shit goes out the window. 

We see love at 10:00 at night in the A&P when we meet with our sweats on, no make up, and a sense of frustration that we are even out at that hour AT the stupid store.

WE SEE LOVE.

At no point before our event did the three of us discuss what we were going to say. That we ALL talked about the same topics in our own unique, special way is grace.

We left a very cleaned up salon. THANK YOU, thank you, thank you to one and all for your help. A HUGE shout out to Barbara, Theresa and Donna. You are so generous and helpful and I wouldn't have been as calm if you hadn't swooped in like catering angels and did your thing.

The three of us headed to the Croton Diner for something like three hours afterward. We were illuminating the diner from our own inner joy. What an ah-maze-ing day.

I came home and we immediately created a Facebook Group because we just needed to stay connected. It was THAT powerful.

This will be a monthly event. One month in Croton at the salon, until we outgrow it (we have figured out maximum capacity is 40) and the following month in Cold Spring at Kacey's Reiki studio. We may end up in NYC at some point with Demitra.

No, the three of us aren't always going to speak.

In that room were 33 other women with stories to inspire. In our lives there are 33 million people who can share. Contact us if YOU want to inspire. Please!

We will never be boring, I can promise that!

I will have a page each month with what's coming up next.

Put February 15 on your calendar for Cold Spring. Bad weather? Take the train up and cab it to the studio.

As for me, I am dreaming up the details and dates to FINALLY create TGHR's three day retreat.

I don't know if Kathy will keep me as her partner if I cook this up, I hope so. I was out just a few weeks last year...

I hope this gives you a sense of what it's like to be a part of a community brought together for the single purpose of sharing love. I hope you join us next time. We'd love to have you.

xo

PS - music today. The first time I ever heard this song I was driving in my car. I had no idea what he was saying. But by 2:40 I was weeping. I put it on repeat. For days. I almost prefer not knowing the lyrics. It is the pure emotion in his voice that beings me to my knees and allows me to rejoice in his great gift. The full lyrics are in the "more" section of the video.

And I'll sing and I'll sing
I'll meet you again someday
I know I will

http://youtu.be/XIQ-8POfCtg