D H A R M A  P L A C E

Blog Archive Page

Originally my idea for Dharma Place was a site that I could update daily. But life had other plans and with all the many projects and adventures that have become such a part of my daily life, I have not been able to update this site as much as I had hoped. So I created this blog to bring you along with me as I enjoy the scenery along the detours.

As you follow and become part of my dreams come true, may you know that it is also possible for you and your dreams. Using perseverance, going with the flow and enjoying the detours along the way, we can all find our own Dharma Places!

With much love and light. Enjoy! ~ Jeannine

Ah! What a time it has been. Just when I think I will have a breather to update the blog, this site, my life, something else comes and takes my attention. So I decided to just sit down and type a little about what is all going on.

This time has brought about great changes for me. Not in the physical sense of change that I am used to, but changes in perspective that have me looking at life and all the complexities in new and varied form.

Our beloved Lake is now being threatened by big foreign companies trying to put federally subsidized wind farms on it for hundreds of miles all in the name of protecting the environment. This will not only ruin my view of infinity that feeds my soul and frees my mind, but will kill many migratory birds, destroy the delicate balance of fish in this tender ecosystem and encourage the growth of the invasive species who threaten to overtake our wondrous waters.

This idea has stirred deep emotions and feelings of loss for me, loss of my pure, clean water and open view, loss of the one safe place in this world that I thought would always be there for me, loss of the idea of control over my environment, my dreams, my world and loss of the old sense of self that would have gone up in arms, dropped my life and put everything into fighting this injustice.

But, I am no longer that girl who was once so activist. I am now a mature, much more quiet self who loves and treasures her serenity, her Zen, her peace and quiet. And the few conversations I have gotten into with this subject have resulted in poor, bad feelings on both sides. That is not something I want to add to the world.

So, I have spent many a day and night pondering what to do about all this change. And I have discovered that my new answers for life have to do with going with the flow, with adjusting my dreams to life, with leaving the big questions and answers up to a higher power, a universe that flows and moves to its own rhythms, that I do not need to be responsible for the world. That is new to me. That is different. That is fresh and unnerving, for if that is how I feel, then what do I do now?

After going through many grieving emotions, my amazing hubby and I decided to take the positive approach. When you fight fire with fire, you simply get a bigger fire. To fight fire, douse it with water. So we are currently working (on weekends!) to put together a wonderful site featuring beautiful pictures of the lake we love so much with positive words to keep the light and love fresh and clear in dealing with this issue. www.openwateronline.org

And in the meantime, and to distract myself, I have spent the last few months putting together my next full book of poetry, entitled VISIONS. VISIONS had been put together years ago and submitted a few times to various contests and publishers, with no avail. So I took it back and now have added a few finishing touches to make it complete and ready to be released to the world.

In VISIONS, there are some great insightful poems that will lead you on a journey of deep thinking, poems I still read in wonder and awe at the wisdom that spills from the phrases and small moments. I do believe that those here who read this blog will get the most out of this book and the words that live therein. www.jeannineproulx.com

There are also, as in all my books, many poems dedicated to people who have touched my life and filled with love and appreciation. As much as I have always longed to live the life of monk or hermit, I am indeed a Libra Zebra and my relationships to me are like my water, necessary for life.

As you may have noticed, the look of this blog has changed and there is now an archive page that will hopefully help this page load faster. ;) I am trying to do a few things to simplify and try to make it easier for all.

I do hope that this blog post finds you well and that as you deal with whatever changes you are experiencing in life that you know you are not alone. We are all in this together!

With love and light. ~Jeannine

Oh!! And check me out!! I will be on featured on Michael Beckwith's (from the Secret) Agape Church's Youth and Family tele-seminar with Cosmikids Judy Julin on Thursday May 18th.

To sign up go to www.agapelive.com the week of the tele-seminar and click on Calendar link and go to the Free Youth and Family tele-seminar. You can find the phone number there, or sign up to get an email to listen online. I will post the actual direct link later.

See you there!

Ah.. what a journey it has been, and so it continues. I have spent many a moment thinking I needed to update this blog, as so much has happened in the last month and a half it has my head spinning. The Melodies is onto another adventure, on hold for present, as the pitch I had planned needs tweaking. Seems I could not get off easy with this one and skate my way into Hollywood. I really needed and need to do the research and spend the time to do this right. So, off I go to get another self-taught online degree, this time in the art of children's television.

In the meantime I decided to brush the dust off my next book of poetry, VISIONS, that has patiently waited over five years to come to life and publish it right. I have spent the last month in the throws of formatting, compiling and organizing the poems into an amazing book of words that remind me of how powerful my gift to listen and write really is. At the heart of all I am, at the core of my being, I am a poet first and foremost. It is the way I look at life, the way I process life, the way I handle all that life throws my way. I use no form or structure. I just write. And in doing so, I've found that I have a voice, a rhythm that is all my own.

And while I am discovering that which is my own, I have also had information brought to light about my beautiful Lake Michigan I love so much that has me devastated in complete powerless confusion. It seems in the name of environmentalism, jobs and with the major help of federal funds, a foreign company has put it's eyes on building gigantic wind farms on Lake Michigan. One of the greatest reasons we love the lake so much is because of the horizon, the Feng Shui of infinity, of feeling like you live on the edge of the world, the sunsets that go from one side of the world to the other. On clear nights, the curvature of the earth and causes a meteorological event that allows us to see across the Lake and see the lights of Milwaukee! I was able to get photos with my little camera and my minute knowledge of how to take night photos! It was amazing. I wanted to run and punch the people who wanted to take that from me! But I know better.

So I took a deep breath and thought of fire principle. You don't fight fire with fire, you fight fire with water. Water! Open, clear, beautiful water! The vision that I wanted to hold positive, clear in its consciousness and its simplicity. And there Open Water was born. Jeff and I are now the proud pregnant parents of a new idea,  a new foundation, a website that holds the vision of preserving and honoring the natural resources and beauty of Lake Michigan. I will make sure to send you all a birth announcement!

How ironic that the name of my book to be is VISIONS, and Open Water is the vision that I am holding for my lake.

My dreams continue. Life continues. Not enough time to do all that I am called to do, but I'm giving it my best shot.

May your dreams continue to drive you to see the positive, clear and open vision for your life.

With love and gratitude!

Namaste' ~Jeannine

After a very busy Holiday season, I am now snuggled into my winter hibernation period. I have been spending long hours watching the ice waves hit the snow capped mounds outside my window while working on finishing up The Melodies project. It is in it's final stages of completion before it leaves the nest and flies out to LA to try to find the one heart that will truly understand it, care for it and raise it up to be the fullest and finest it can be.

I do feel like an elephant, two years of pregnancy with this project. It has lived and breathed within me, keeping me up at night, always with me, even as I tried to go about living life, celebrating holidays, burying loved ones and doing the work I do. It has been there, growing the whole time.

The writing life is like that. I once read a quote, forgive me for not remembering the author, that writing is 90% dreaming and 10% what you put on paper.

As we speak, I have tons of other projects dreaming within me, those who have been waiting for so long to be born, they have gathered dust. Others that are like little souls waiting in the wings for their time to appear on the screen. Some stare at me in little post-it notes on my corkboard, entitled "SOON" and "LATER". All are my creative babies, all are my works of love. All will come out through me and onto the paper, into a computer program, sent across internet wires, shared with close friends and loved ones who will oh and ah at the "sonograms", the glimpses of these projects in all their various stages. And at the time that is ready for them, all will be born, released into this world, set free to go do what they do and go live their own lives, in other people's homes and other people's hearts.

I say the words come through me. I am just a muse, a vessel, a mother to the works that come into this world through me. And I am very focused on accepting and realizing that this work, like motherhood, takes an enormous amount of time, time spent alone caring for and tending to these "babies" of mine.

I do not have my own human children this lifetime. My books are my babies, I say. And as I write this, I am mixed with emotions realizing after this big baby, The Melodies, is free from me, the others that shall come will now have to be let go too, out into the world. There is excitement and joy and yet I do feel the loss. How similar to motherhood it really is!

May the children that you give birth to and release into this world, be it human children, projects of love, families of others or dreams that you tend, be greeted with joy, gentleness, strength, respect and kindness as they flap their wings to fly from your nest into the great beyond.

With love and light ~Jeannine

This past month has been an emotional roller coaster for me. My grandfather, although ailing in health for the past few years, reached a turning point and suddenly decided it was time to go, and crossed over less than a week later. It didn't feel like it was should have felt like a sudden death, but it was. He was a very private man and had not shared much of his wishes with most of his family. It was over a month of being caught in highly sensitive female Libra mode dealing with family, and to be honest, it has exhausted me!

In the meantime, such wonderful things have begun to happen. The Body Center has allowed me a physical place to meet with other like minded people. We had an absolutely wonderful first Guided Meditation Group and I've had some amazing reconnections with people I've known for many, many years.

And through it all, the beautiful young souls of my family have been there, bringing smiles and joy through the chaos. Showing me the beauty of the snow that has fallen, and the laughter through the tears.

I woke up today thinking I was behind. Thinking that now I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps and carry on, be an adult and force all the things that have been put on the back burner while life has happened to the front. Thinking I needed to push forward and feeling so overwhelmed by all of my perfectionist creative expectations of me. Books still staring at me to be published, The Melodies waiting to be revealed, and an energy alert from someone else telling me that now was the time to bring all to life!

The problem was, I don't have much life left in me! My man and I joke, "It's been a rough week, a rough year, a rough period. Naw... a rough life!" And it's true. I am SUPER Highly Sensitive. I take in a thousand times more than the average non-sensitive. I have expectations that exceed what this body and this world can give me. I can see the whole picture, the big picture, the all I can be idea.. and I expect myself to live up to it!

But, life isn't like that. Life is so daily!

And as I took a minute to process all that has happened recently, I realized I am caught in the same web of lies that I have lived on for so long. That "this" is not enough. Life, right here, right now, is not enough. I am not enough, as I am right now. This house, this being, this career, this me, is not enough. I must push forward to be more, do more!

That's a bunch of B.S.!! All that thinking does it take me out of this moment, out of this place of being, right here, right now. It leads to a duality that doesn't match. The me that I am and the me I want to be. They can't live together in this now. Only me, as I am, can live in this now.

And that is enough.

I think I need to stop reading all the New Age stuff. It's become a bit more like the carrot in front of the horse. The 2012 idea of all things becoming perfect and whole and then we will be filled with joy and instantly manifest and heaven on earth and all of that. I've used this idea to hold onto like a string from the moon, swinging me through the last few years. Soon it will all be okay. Soon it will be good. Soon all of this pain and uncomfortableness will disappear. Soon I will find my peace on earth.

Soon? Why wait? All I needed this morning was this awareness. Why wait? NOW is where all this happens.

There is no perfect anything! Life is messy. Life is filled with glorious tumultuous turbulent times of pain filled days and tears and depression and icky feelings. Life is filled with joyous moments and spontaneous laughter. Life can be boring and tedious. Life is right here, right now. No one is perfect. Family is messy. Friends are neurotic and busy. Work is annoying at times. And as a creative, highly sensitive being, the frustration of never having enough time to do all I want to do will never end! I hope it will never end, because that means I have so many beautiful ideas that time cannot fill them all. And that's okay! It is okay if all my ideas never come to life. That is life! It isn't big enough to fill all of me? That's okay! That is not perfect. That is life.

And when I have that moment of clarity, suddenly everything I've been through in my life, all the struggles to get here, all the messy parts, all the imperfections, all the stories of relationships and jobs and projects and life? All of it makes sense. All of it falls into a perfect puzzle picture. All of it feels right and I? I am enough.

I am enough in this moment of in-between. I am enough in this moment of snow and ice. I am enough in this mess of an office filled with more projects than my life has time to complete. I am enough, sitting here, processing on my blog where people who need to hear what I have to say will read what they need to hear. I am enough.

And that? That feels like perfect. That feels like heaven on earth. That feels like glorious, beautiful wholeness. That is acceptance. And acceptance is the key, the key to unlock the door to peace within.

It is time I live more in the now and less the when. I think I will start today.

With the holiday expectations and all the family and all the energy swirls around us, my hope is for you to find that moment of peace today. Perhaps we could put it on a cookie and send it out as gifts.

I'll add that to my project list.

Love you much! Wish love for you more.

Namaste' ~Jeannine

It has been a very busy fall and I have been fortunate enough to find a wonderful new home to hold my classes for kids and their families!

The Body Center in Holland, MI on Riley and Butternut Road is an amazing spa that has many services to balance your mind, body and spirit, including:

• Colon Hydrotherapy
• Massage Therapy
• Body Talk Therapy
• Body Rolling Therapy
• Spiritual Support Groups
• Body Cleansing
• Ion Cleansing
• Quarterly Cleansing

Along with an open storefront for Yoga, Pilates, Body Rolling, Meditation and other classes, along with guest speakers!

Check it out at www.thebodycenter.us

The store owner Marcella Clark lights up the sky with her energy and has brought much joy into my life. I do hope that you can join us for the fun things to come!

I will be holding a Monthly Guided Meditation Group, using my Guided Meditations written originally for Children of the New Earth Magazine, as well as a Family Fun Night for families with kids 7 and up, and a Musical Movement class for children 2 to 6 years old!

I will also be available for Intuitive Reiki Reading Sessions one on one on a limited basis.

Please contact me at jeannine_nicole_proulx@yahoo.com for more information, go to the Reiki page for info. or schedule an appointment through

The Body Center at (616) 834-2596.

I look forward to reconnecting with you in the physical realm!

May the dreams that light your heart come quickly your way.

Much love ~Jeannine

The Monthly Guided Meditation Group

Nov. 19 ~ Clearing in the Valley

Dec. 10 ~ Dream in the Meadow of Light

Jan. 14 ~ Let Your Light Shine

From: 7-8:30pm

Cost: $15 suggested cost

Ages: 8 and up

~~~

The Family Fun Night

Friday Nov. 20, 2009

Topic: Finding Gratitude in Each Other

From: 7-8:30pm

Ages 7 and up, with parent. Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Guardians welcome!

$15 for family of 4

$20 for 4 or more

*voluntary donation for supplies

~~~

Children’s Musical Movement Class

Saturday January 16, 2009

From: 2:30- 3:30pm

Ages: 2-6 years old, with one parent/guardian.

$5 per child

*voluntary donation for supplies

January Topic: Abba-licious Self-Esteem

~~~

To register go to:

www.thebodycenter.us 

or call The Body Center at (616) 834-2596

Check out my guest appearance on

Souls Journey Internet radio!
 

Balancing Heaven and Earth Show

                                  ~ with Denise Iwaniw

Check out the amazing Souls Journey Radio!

 www.soulsjourneyradio.com

Click here to listen to the hour long audio program!

This fall has brought an early freeze, lots of rain and the gales of November wind that usually gets me ready for settling into the hibernation of winter. It's an odd feeling, knowing what the date is, but feeling like it's a month ahead!

I think there is much of that going on in my life right now. I feel like I am behind on a ton of things. The Melodies demo is in it's final editing stages, but I haven't even begun doing the companion pieces to go with it, that I had planned to have finished by now. I have over 40 Guided Meditations begging me to record them and put them on CD so that others can use their wisdom. I have 5 books of writings, from poetry to meditational moments, to children's books, to oracle cards that are sitting, all written ready for me to publish.

And yet, all the messages I am getting right now say that I am right on time.

I keep forgetting that the timeline I have in my mind for what I want my life to look like may not be what is right for this time, the world, or even for me! I forget that there is work to be done before I can present that which I want to present. I forget that I need to be present in the moment and do what is facing me in the moment, that taking care of myself and my family takes time and that one of the greatest mysteries of life is time management. Time management that is not about taking control and forcing things to happen, it's about taking small steps and going with the flow of life.

As I prepare to be a guest on Soul's Journey Radio and have meetings this week to find a new home for my classes for kids and their families, I am reminded that I must also let things happen in their own time, their own way. It's time to go with the flow once again, and trust the waves to help me find my way home.

May the passions that you hold dear to your heart lead you to the place and time that is best for all!

With love ~Jeannine

The Balancing Heaven and Earth Show!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009

 8pm EST

with Denise Iwaniw

~ ~ ~

on Soul's Journey Radio!www.soulsjourneyradio.com

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

Join me at

Soul's Journey's  social networking site

at:

 www.soulsjourney.net

As things change in this rapidly moving time, it is difficult to keep up with all that is going on!

A few weeks ago, I was notified that the wonderful, cutting edge magazine, Children of the New Earth online edition, the home of my now four year old monthly Guided Meditation Column, is changing too.

As of August, Children of the New Earth Magazine, online edition, will no longer be posting new information. It's time has come to an end as a current paid for magazine.

But with all endings come new beginnings. Children of the New Earth's collections of wonderful articles on children and parenting, that are still very valid and needed today, will now be available free for all!! Process of how this will work is still in the works, but this is a very smart way to keep the magazine alive.

My Guided Meditations, as you might know, are timeless and can be used over and over again with different insights every time. So, feel free to peruse the Children of the New Earth site and find that which you need to hear at this time! (Even if you don't have kids, it's still got many articles that speak to the sensitive kid in us all.)

As things end, so new opportunities arrive. On October 14th I will be a guest on Denise Iwaniw's new internet radio show Balancing Heaven and Earth on Soul's Journey Radio! Check it out at www.soulsjourneyradio.com

I will be co-interviewed with Andy Tomko, The Recovering Bully. (see www.youbigbully.com) Should be a great show! Hope to hear you there!

With fall also brings my move back to the lake I love so much. I look forward to getting back to a more scheduled schedule and the opportunities and newness to come!

May all things bright and beautiful come your way.

With love ~Jeannine

Check it out!

Sunday at 11am and 6pm Pacfic time

The Inspired Parenting Radio Show, hosted by Sandie Sedgbeer on World Puja Radio at  www.worldpuja.org

and

the brand new Children of the New Earth radio show! The Children of the New Earth Show will be translated into the written word and syndicated worldwide.

"This new show on The World Puja Network will captivate our grown-up audience for many reasons, perhaps the main one being to support us — the adults — in waking up completely under the careful guidance of "The Children of The New Earth."
 
If you have a child or know of a young person who is eloquent, opinionated and just yearning for a chance to air their views, please E-mail marketing@worldpuja.org

attn: Lisa Sterling "

info. from www.worldpuja.org/children.php

~~~

Make sure to go see the sites for the

Balancing Heaven and Earth Show!
Wednesday. 8pm EST

with Denise Iwaniw

on Soul's Journey Radio!www.soulsjourneyradio.com

and

 Soul's Journey networking site at www.soulsjourney.net

July and August have been a whirlwind of the usual family reunion parties, vacations and days at the beach... along with the filming of The Melodies demo with the help of the boys at Iconic Productions. Thanks David and Tyler!

The Melodies demo is to showcase the highlights of The Melodies life lessons and songs for preschoolers. It will be used as part of a pitch that I will be giving this fall or winter to the television executives in LA!

Filming was fun and easy, due to a ton of prep work on my part and the great help and equipment of Dave and Tyler. They had a great set up with the high tech cameras, a green screen and even a teleprompter! Gotta love technology!

I added the "cartoonish-ness" with pink AND blue hair! Ah, I do so love being a cartoon!

Now we move onto the less fun part, the details of editing, the cutting, pasting and writing of a companion book for the pitch, getting recommendations and then the wait for the pitch to come!

As I've said before, this project is taking me for the ride, so I will just keep moving forward one step at a time wherever it takes me. My passion for the lessons the songs teach and the music itself will lead me on.

May you find the passion that keeps you moving one step at a time! And may your summer find you warm and well.

Much love ~Jeannine

The Green Screen!

And, yes,  those lights are hot!

Thanks to Iconic Productions! 

iconicproductions.tv

David Fix and Tyler Bedgood

The pink and blue hair girl!   

It has taken me over two months to post a new guided meditation and finish the new blog update, seen below. What a summer!

As we move into the hottest months of the year, things are heating up with The Melodies as well. We start filming the demo for Melody's Moments, the new TV shot pitch that has my LA entertainment lawyer all in an tizzy. (working with Proulx's will do that to a person!)

The Melodies started as a CD, then a book and school program, and now it's turned into a full blown Disney idea for a preschool TV show. And through it all, so many people have stuck with me and encouraged me and kept it going, even without a finished product! Hard to think all that has happened in only been a year and a half! But, that's the world of creativity, seems slow until you look at all the work that has been done in such a short period of time!

My time with The Melodies at this phase is almost over. It is time it goes to it's new world, it's new place. And as I finish up the details, I am already looking forward to all the new songs half written that wake me in the middle of the night and the books that are poking their heads out of shelves, waking up ready for new life.

The process continues.

May your life purpose find you and fill you with the satisfaction and joy of a life well loved and well lived!

Much love ~Jeannine

Filming is fun!

Walking through the hidden pathways to find the treasures buried within.

Where will this journey of life take me next?

Although I am super busy, I still need my creative outlet, reaching out to you through my my inspirational essays and updates that so many have loved over the years.

But, doing it via email or the website is too official and time consuming for my perfectionist self. So I was looking for a new way to share my inspirations.  Blogspot to the rescue!  Man, I love technology!

Simply go to: www.dharmaplaceblog.blogspot.com to check out my new Dharma Inspirations!

Much love and continued well being. ~Jeannine

Dharma Inspirations now on blogspot!

Check it out at:

www.dharmaplaceblog.blogspot.com

Whew! ~ What a busy few months it has been!

Since the last time I posted, I have moved to our summer place (to live the life of our dreams in this moment we move twice a year!), gone to LA for almost two weeks, re-worked The Melodies concept into a TV show pitch, had my computer upgraded, (which added much memory for photos, but now won't let download the ones I have on my camera!), spring has come and summer is almost half-way through.

I am dealing with the speed of life as most people are, trying to keep my footing while wondering what is going on! Dreaming my dreams and wondering when they are going to come to reality and living through each day as best as I can.

Icons in our entertainment world have left for the other side in the last few weeks, giving us all pause and summer has brought many weather surprises and big moving changes for many of us.

It has been quite the time of change, and with it all, I think the most important thing I've witnessed is people trying to keep their footing while all this movement is going on. It's more than enough just to keep up with the changes going on, much less keep up pace, and yet the feeling that we are still standing still, that the changes we really want aren't yet here is prevalent too. All of that is correct. All of that is our present reality.

I have had the honor to start a Shamanic course that is about raising my energy while keeping me grounded. I think that is what this time is about. We have much preparation work to do for the dreams we dream to come true. There is much to do in this sitting still time, many days working to better ourselves, deal with our past hurts and fears, and facing our shadow selves before we can walk fully into the land of our dreams.

Many of my family members are getting ready for big moves. I see them doing what I do twice a year, making the lists, getting the boxes ready, changing the focus of living here to living there. It's very un-grounding and can be very stressful. But, for me, it has always offered me a chance to take a good look at my life, see what it is I am carrying around, physically and metaphorically. I get to take a look and decide, do I want to carry this with me to my new life? Is this what I need right to deal with right now, or can I put it in a box and deal with it later? The more I move, the less I'm holding onto, the less I'm buying for someday, the more I'm living in today. And believe me, when you are the one carrying the boxes up and down the stairs twice a year, it gets easier to give stuff away!

I am right now going through the art supplies I have held with me for years and years thinking someday I'll use them again, so long in fact that the paints are no longer liquid! But there are treasures too, treasures that I have had the pleasure to share with friends and children who will honor them and love them just as much as I do.

And when the time comes for me to focus on my art again, I know that these things will come to me too. It's all a giant circle, a growing space, just like children, we must cast aside the old clothing and toys that no longer fit and get ready for the new things to come. I believe right now we are in the process of going through all the things we hold onto for someday, and letting go of those that no longer fit into our lives today.

Life is a journey, there is no actual destination point that we arrive at with a big sigh of "yeah!"... but the little moves, the little changes, the little and not so little challenges we meet and face on the way are big destination points, markers along the highway of life, perhaps leading us all home.

May you know that wherever life takes you, that you are supported and loved every step of the way!

With love and light.

~Jeannine

 PS> So that I can write a bit easier, and maybe more often, I will now be posting my Dharma Inspirations on blogspot.com! I can access it from any computer, anywhere! Ah, the love I have for the internet, true freedom!

Check me out next time at www.dharmaplaceblog.blogspot.com

UHaul, we haul!

I drive the truck!

Time to go through the boxes of life...

What worlds await you?

Blog Spot allows for a moving around lifestyle!

I came back from last month's trip to LA with a whole new vision for my life and the life of The Melodies. It is amazing how things happen.

 I went out to LA to write songs with my brother John last March with the idea of The Melodies as a program that I would slowly develop and share with the world. But, a year later, this project has gotten bigger than me and after close scrutiny and some really good questions from some really experienced people, I realized it might be time now to let The Melodies go into the hands of a bigger publishing company who can take them to the next level where they belong.

So now, instead of retyping the book and dealing with a bunch of reformatting, I am going through the intense process of condensing and reforming The Melodies into what it needs to be. And as I am doing it, I am realizing that this is what it needed all along!

I got caught up in the creativity mania, filled with a desire to do The Melodies in a time frame I wanted, in a way I wanted. But, as it is with all creative projects, they have a life of their own, they need explore and dance and grow in their own way. Just like a child reaching out to experience the world, they stretch and learn and grow.. and then like a child they come back home to tell me all about it!

I think life is becoming more and more like this. It is a time of spring, of new beginnings, renewal, introspection and growth. All the things we thought we had so clearly defined, what we wanted in life, in a home, in a family, in a job or relationship. It's all changing. It's all growing and reaching and stretching the bounds of what we thought was possible. And it is rather scary to be stretching our wings to new and greater heights. It can be unnerving to be standing on the top of a mountain, only to realize it's a hill and the mountain we are to climb is much, much bigger! It's an intense process and one that is burning out many, many people..

But, if we can go with the flow and adjust what we thought we were creating and let go of our small dreams to allow for more, then we will have greater support than we ever thought possible! There are miracles waiting to be had, there are dreams that are coming true, there is a new world ready and able to greet us if we are willing to hike up the new mountain that has appeared before us.

For me, that means cutting out and condensing a large portion of the book I just finished writing. It means simplifying and getting rid of that which is just pretty for the eyes, but lacking in substance. It means changing my view of what I thought I was creating, into what I need to be creating. It means focusing on what the children need and not what their I think the adults need. It means listening and remembering the messages I've gotten for all these many years, that I need to go big and jump off the cliff to reach the bottom of my next mountain.

I only hope there is a chair lift to the top of that mountain.. because once I'm up there, I want to enjoy the fun of skiing down! And then find a new mountain to climb. :)

Here's to all the dreams we have, may they grow in the manner and way they need to, with us holding on for the ride!

Much love and light! Enjoy a few pics of my time in La-la land, California style.

Namaste' ~Jeannine

The mountain I'm climbing is taller than I thought, but much, much easier to climb!

I had a great day out to the Agape Church with Sandie Sedgbeer, my editor in chief of Children of the New Earth, Inspired Parenting and Planet Lightworker and the creator of Cosmikids, Judy Julin.

Sandie and I, my supporter.

(No flash in church.)

Judy, my inspiration...

at The Bodhi Tree Bookstore...

Meeting Penny Peirce, author of a great new book that goes beyond The Secret, entitled  Frequency.

And there it is! The Hollywood sign, as seen from Hollywood. Quite the place, quite the experience. Glad I went.

Glad to be home!

Ah, a new month, a new beginning in so many new ways: transitions in my family's lives, new awakenings with friends' lives and a new beginning to The Melodies Family Guidebook, which now has to be re-typed from scratch.

Yes, I was in the final stages with this book, I could see the finish line, there were just a few formatting snags, page numbers and blank pages printing where they were not supposed to be. Nothing major. I would deal with it later, I thought. Well, later finally arrived. And after a very long weekend of looking and re-looking, learning and re-learning, it became very clear to me that the best thing to do would be to start over and re-type the whole thing. (Yeah, even cutting and pasting messes up the whole document!)

Good thing is, the book is written. The fonts are in, the pictures all done, the wonderful ideas safe and sound. Bad thing is, I am taking off to California for what was to be a relaxing vacation. Now it looks like my laptop and my work is coming with me!

All in all, it's a doable solution. It can be done, it will just take another month or two to do. This project is no longer in the time frame that I want it to be in, it is in its own time frame. It has its own plans that I know nothing about and I have to simply trust that when the time is right, it will be done and I will be ready to reveal it to the world. But, just like a baby in pregnancy, it isn't born until it is ready and not a minute before.

I see that with so many people in the world today. Things are happening when it is right for them to happen. Dreams that we have had for decades are now suddenly coming true. Awakenings that were possible for lifetimes are now happening in divine right order.

It is not by our timelines, forced, planned logical ways that these miracles happen. It is in their own time and in their own ways. We are simply the vehicle by which they appear.

That is the crutch of the creative life. It is not ruled by me or my vision or my deadline. It resides in a bigger, more complex, more amazing plan than I could ever dream up. I am just along for the ride.

Thanks for coming with me!

Much love as you face your new beginnings in this time of almost spring.

With love. Namaste' ~Jeannine

The Creative Process meets formatting. A tale of keystrokes.

My laptop and I go flying!

LA here we come!

Ah, the creative process... so easy to think up in my mind, so hard to organize once on paper.

After completing the 140 and some pages of the book in rough draft form, the first editing has begun. With my trusted proverbial red pen, I went to work last week scratching here and circling there. All seemed to be going well, but the words of my co-editor, a trusted friend, rang in my head.

"When I read a book, I want it to be, um,,, not so long." And as hard as it was to hear, I knew she was right.

My focus with this book is to take the truly complicated ideas that are indeed life changing for children and their families, and put it into quick and easy phrases and exercises. I am aware of the time crunch of the busy parent and I want to make sure that everything in this Family Edition of The Melodies, Meditation Edition, is as concise as possible.

So I put down the red pen, picked up my laptop and began to cut out a 1/3 of the book.

It would seem to be painful, but I am a crafty girl. I've done enough art to know that the scraps that end up on the floor can be put away and used for other projects. So I will store away those ideas from this project and bring them up again when I am doing the School version of The Melodies, Meditation Edition.

And in the meantime, as I am cutting and pasting and slicing and dicing this beautiful book, tightening it into a well crafted program, easy to follow and fun to read, my busy little ADD brain is already writing songs for the next edition of The Melodies, for Art.

The creative process continues! Thanks for coming on journey with me!

Much love.

Namaste' ~Jeannine

It is not the blank page that scares me. It is the page filled with ink and a red pen, waiting to rip it to shreds that keeps me up at night.

The virtual world does not have a trash can, it has only has a recycle bin, nothing is ever truly gone? Or is it?

Cutting and pasting for the children! This is my art.

I am reminded of my own words above, "Using perseverance, going with the flow and enjoying the detours along the way..." as I sit here, trying to figure out another new computer program to design the covers of The Melodies CD and Family Book.

This whole process has been one giant learning curve for me. Between my first experience recording an album last summer, to writing a full 140 page book this fall, to the details of designing the layout of the book, to now working on the artwork for the covers, all of this is new to me. All of this is a long, drawn out process. And for one who loves her instant gratification, the idea that speedy computers make it take longer is a farce! :)

As I go on, one detour after another, working on going with the flow and persevering I am continually amazed at how close the finish line looks. I can still see it so clearly how this will all come together. I can still see the point of it all, the children's faces as they walk around the house singing, the mothers and fathers with a bit more calm in the family, finding their own dreams and gratitude in the ideas presented. The finish line I see, the dream of what can be, this I think is what keeps me going on.

It has been said that when you start writing a book, you should know where it will end.

The characters will take you on a journey, they will surprise you with twists and turns, the settings may change a bit and at the end the conclusion may not be what you had originally planned. But, before you begin, you should have a vision, an idea of where it will end.

As our world is facing new beginnings and working on creating a new story, I think it is befitting that I am in that position of hoping, of dreaming and of continuing to work on the nitty gritty details that make the whole thing come together so well at the end.

May you find the happy ending in your life that keeps you moving on through all the detours life brings our way.

With love ~Jeannine

Instant Gratification leaves Instantly

The Melodies

Coming to Life!

Enjoying the scenery along the detours.

I came home from work last night to find a wonderful gift in my mailbox, the first rough, rough, rough draft of The Melodies book. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning!

The edits are not done, the fonts are all different sizes, the page numbers a mess and the cover a temporary blue with no logo. But, the book. The book is sitting there on my laptop, all 140 pages of it, ready to be devoured by my artistic self, ready to go from something good to something great. The book is in actual physical form and I am loving it! :)

I think this may be the most important step for me in the creating process, at the point where I am almost ready for final print, but feel so far away from the finish line. Having the ability to just print one book, one little book for me to hold and look at and know I am making progress is crucial for me to keep on. It lets me see in the physical that which is still mostly in my mind! 

I think that's important for all my dreams, and for all dreamers. I have a small poster sitting on my desk. On it, I wrote my dream life out in colored markers with bright print. All of my goals and ideas for life, there for me to see, everyday right next to my computer. It's a wonderful too that helps to keep me focused.

Life can get so busy with just the business of life! Eating, sleeping, working to make money for mortgages and rent and family and friends and before you know it, life has lived you and not the other way around.

I need my writing because it is that dream life part of me that has to be expressed. The Melodies is one amazing project, but even as it comes along nicely, I have already started a few other books! They will not see the light of day, or become a rough, rough draft for years to come, but today, today they are being created for me. Today they are my dream. Today they are helping me to stay focused on what I need to focus on, my own creativity.

And when I can keep that focus, when I can create daily, the wonders of this world arrive at my doorstep in the most marvelous of ways, encouraging me to keep going on.

I wish for everyone of you, a dream that keeps you going on, a vision of what life means for you, what inspires and delights your heart and makes your days a little more like Christmas morning everyday.

With love ~ Jeannine

Reaching for the Sky!

 Rainbow in the Clouds

The work        continues

As I settle into the snow bound lake area I call home, I am working hard on finishing The Melodies companion book to the CDs that are now in their completed stage.

I am so excited about what is being created, the ideas that flow as I focus on the intent of this project and the feeling of the opportunities that are to come from this experience, that it is difficult for me to stay here, in the moment, getting the work done!

I want to scream from the mountain top how wonderful this is, to talk and to tell, but I know that this is not the time yet. This is the time to be quiet and to get 'er done!

So, I will Just Do It and keep Just Doing It until it is done and then I will be able to do the really fun part, which is share it with all of you!

Here's to the works we all have in progress and the joy they bring to our daily lives.

With love ~Jeannine

Frozen Flakes

And into the realms of the stories that live in her mind, she flies with the birds, sings with the flowers and lives in the land of love.

JUST DO IT!

As we enter a new time in our world's history, it is amazing to look at where I have come this past year myself. The Melodies project was just an idea in March of this year. Within six months it has become the main focus of my life and become more a part of my daily thinking than any creative project I've ever done.

This week I got a good handle on where the book is going and how it wants to be written. I am its slave at this point and I feel the pain whenever I go to do something else. The book calls me, bugs me, gnaws at the confines of my mind.

This fall I have been nesting and settling into our new home, doing the routine tasks of housework and shopping. I have spend wonderful days with family and friends, but the book keeps calling and I can no longer ignore it's plea.

So this will be my last week of this year for lunches and family get together, extra days spending afternoons reading other people's books. It is time I dive in again to a project that will take me away from all that, into a focus that is so intense sometimes I lose myself in it all.

Perhaps that is the mystery of the creative life. This is my first year of devoting myself so entirely to a project this size. I normally write quick poems, hour long meditations and short blogs like this.

But, the rewards, the satisfaction of committing fully to such an idea to be completed in such a short amount of time (most books take a year or two to complete) may possibly be worth it all.

Guess we'll wait and see, won't we? :)

Thanks for coming along with me on this journey and for your patience with my limited work and social life. The future calls for great things and I am devoted to the task!

With love ~Jeannine

May all of us find the courage to say "No" to ordinary and "Yes" to extraordinary.

Time to focus, and focus on time!

The written word.

A joy, a delight, an editing war of red pens fighting for space on the page with blue.

As we enter this seemingly chaotic time where all things seem to be up in the air and falling down, the perspective of eternal balance of nature brings me right back to center.

After staying inside, working on my computer, arranging the house, doing bunches of busywork and watching the news on TV for weeks and weeks now, I decided I needed to get outside. So yesterday I went for a walk.

It wasn't supposed to be a long walk. I had talked myself into going up our long drive to get the mail. But, once I was outside I wanted more. The leaves are so colorful this week, the air is cool and refreshing, the sun was shining and life was good.

It surprised me, even though I know this happens every time, but just one simple 45 minute walk changed my whole day. The trees were not waiting to see what the market did before they changed color. The sun wasn't hiding it's shine for another day. The sun was rising, the trees were changing, the birds were singing and the wind blew by, totally unaffected by the fear of humanity.

By the time I got home, I was energized. I had momentum. I had inspiration. I came into the house invigorated and ready to write.

It wasn't so amazing how refreshed I got from one little tiny walk, it was how long it took for me to convince myself to get out of the house and go do it!

I think the world right now is in that state of being pulled inside the house, waiting and watching to see what happens next, mixed with fear and hope and uneasiness. With all that's going on, there's a surrealness about the events in life and the possibility of what is to come, no matter what your beliefs.

For me, it all changed when I got out on that walk. Life was normal again. Life was simple. All things were on time as they as should be. No fear, no worry, no stress. Nature simply is.

I like that. I must do it again, soon. As soon as I can get a computer that will walk with me? Let's hope it's sooner than that! :)

Much love ~Jeannine

Fall days are here again.

Let's remember to honor them...

By going outside to learn from the day and then bringing the outside in!

I thought today's blog entry was best expressed in a poem I wrote as the Test Copies were on their way to the wonderful families who have taken the time to let The Melodies become part of their lives.

The Melodies. A Poem.

I was holding my breath     waiting to see

if this was going to be     what I dreamt it could be.

And there indeed     the dream arrived

all dolled up,     Jeannine-ne style.

How amazing to me!     How amazing to be!

That this dream     this gift     should happen to me!

It just fell in my lap     love at first sight

and I nurtured it,     cared for it 

fought with my might

to keep it safe and protected     sheltered from harm.

Nestled it’s lain in     the crook of my arms.

For months and a day     I’ve carried this weight

loved it and left it,     I’ve cherished to date

all the nuances, details     a thousand and one

times I have heard, oh those     dear songs get sung!

And knowing full well     that my time now

comes near     to let it go, fly with

other children, oh dear!

What a joy, what a treat!     What a bitter sweet

surprise.     What a delight it will

be to see the laughter     in their eyes

when they get what I get,     when they talk with me,

sing and dance too!     Oh, a party it will be,

me, The Melodies     and You!                  ~JP

A BIG Thank You to all the test families for their participation in the formation of The Melodies!

Much love ~ Jeannine

The gift of The Melodies

The Jeannine-ne Doll

Layer up on layer, what lies inside?

Here comes the fun!

Party Time!

The Melodies rock!

The test CDs have been mailed, complete with questionnaire. The feedback has been coming back positive and all seems right on its way to setting The Melodies up for success.

Then why do I feel so overwhelmed?

Because I took a break off for life.

It seems the artist's way is a path, not a destination. I have completed the CD. It feels like I should be celebrating, but no, I feel strangely empty. The same feeling happened when I finished by first book of poetry. It was like post partum depression, and indeed it was. I had just given birth to a creation that came from inside me, that was then revealed to the world as this whole other creature.

I know many mothers and stay at home dads feel this way right about now with the kids going back to school. It feels like this should be a celebration, this is what you've been waiting for all summer long. But the empty nest syndrome can feel like just that, empty. When suddenly there is all this empty space where once utter intense life reigned, it can take a bit to get used to.

But, used to it we do, by throwing ourselves into the next project, the next phase of life, the next creation to come.

For some, that means more children. For me, that means another book. I shall continue the work on The Family Book starting Monday and know that it will, once again, occupy all my time.

For now, I am just trying to enjoy the view as I reach each stage of the journey.

May all of us know that with each stage comes joy and loss. Life is about balancing both and knowing this too shall pass.

With love ~ Jeannine

Here comes the Creativity Stork!

School Times,   New Times.

A new chapter has begun.

The CD mixing is in the works, the book is in layout mode and I am in full works moving onto the next stage of The Melodies, the fun stuff: testing!

I have listened to these songs over and over and over again, and I am still loving them,, so it's quite possible you will too! :)

If you have children from ages 2 to 6 or 7 and would like to be a test family, sign up today!

To be a test family, all you will need to do is fill out a questionnaire before and after listening to The Melodies for Meditation CD and send it in.

You will then get a FREE copy of the Family Package including Family Book, CD with songs and instructional tracks and CD with songs alone! That's two CDs and a book! And, you will get this all before anyone else does!

There are a limited number of spots, so sign up soon! You will be ready in time for school to learn how to relax. Yes! It is possible! :)

If this sounds like fun to you, please let me know by email at   jeannine_nicole_proulx@yahoo.com or jeannine@dharmaplace.net

and we will get you signed up today!

Ready to have some fun! Here we go!

Namaste' ~Jeannine

Meditation can be fun!

Let The Melodies show you how!

www.melodies4kids.com

Yeah!!! The practice paid off and the CD recording is finally done!! 

The Melodies is now in the very capable hands of Andy at Audio Bay Studios for mixing. Yeah!!!

Here are a few pics from the last week of recording, re-recording and oh, yeah, recording over the re-recording! :) Gotta love technology.

My youngest, yet tallest, brother Dave helped be my producer, support man and harmony master to help the songs blend better and to add that extra something special. His work and talent were that extra something that is making this CD absolutely fabulous, if I do say so myself! :)

To be completely honest, John, David and my voice blend so well sometimes we can't even tell who is singing! That's talent! ..or heredity,, no, couldn't be,, that's talent! :)

Dave was even brave enough to record his kids at another location to add that last missing ingredient this children's CD needed,, kids!

For most of my life I thought the music talent in the family was left to everyone else, but me. But, here I am, being pushed beyond my limits of what I thought I could do, to do something so amazing that even I am blown away by the magnitude of it all.

The songs not only sound incredible musically thanks to John, Dave and the recording Genius of Paul and Andy,, but the lessons of being grateful, loving ourselves and one another are coming through loud and clear! In such a fun and smoothly synced up way!

I am beyond pleased and I hope you will be too! Final mixing is in the works for a few weeks now. (who knew this stuff took so long and so much work? :) I didn't!)

I am off to work on Logo design and writing the Family book while Jeff, my partner in Spinner Arts Publications, LLC and in life is working his web talents to get our website parent and child ready.

Are you ready? Yes? Here we go! (You'll get the joke once you hear the CD ;)

Thanks for keeping on keeping on with me on this journey! Here's to us all having the perseverance and patience to make our dreams come true!

With love and light. ~Jeannine

David the Harmony Hottie.

Love you much!

Closing my eyes to focus on the music. Amazing how well that works!

Andy the Mixing Master hard at work.

To check him out go to www.AudioBay1.com

This rainbow appeared the second day of recording at the place I was meeting my dad for dinner. What an amazing sign!

Here's to letting all our lights shine!

I am in the throws of severe practice right now. This will be the first time on The Melodies CD that I have ever recorded myself singing and it has brought up a lot of fears and insecurities that I thought I had buried long ago. ;) Ah, but that which is buried longs to be found and when the waves of life crash over the sand, it reveals the truths we all hate to face. So, today, I am facing mine.

With gentle nudging from my life and business partner, my hubby Jeff, I am reminded often the solution is to "practice".

At first I balked at this. I had much to figure out with the songs and the three part harmonies with my brothers and that was too much to comprehend at the time. But, now that I am in the middle of it all, repeating the same song over and over again, hearing the same three lines over and over again, I think he might be right. (Don't tell him I said so. ;)

Practicing is making me not only more comfortable with the songs, but with my own voice and how I sound over a microphone. When you sing into a mic to record, your voice sounds as other people hear you, not as you hear yourself like you normally would when you speak.

I am getting to know myself, this new singing part of me that I buried at 12 or 13 years old when trauma on stage created a rift in my musical self.

And as I get to know me, I get to know these songs and what they want to sound like, what they have to say and how they want to be portrayed.

And I have to say, it is a beautiful experience.

So, although I feel like I want to share these songs and this project with the world yesterday, I am truly grateful I have been given a chance to get to spend some time with them myself. It's just me and my voice and my songs. I am learning to enjoy the process.

Here's to the next few weeks to come!

Thanks for going along with me on the journey.

Much love. ~ Jeannine

Watch out for the life waves!

I sound Microphone Funny!

Me, writing music?

Who would have thought?

I read a great page in my new favorite book, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, this week. It said, and I paraphrase, "Any project you take on will take twice as long as you think it does and cost twice as much money."

I am at that stage with The Melodies.

It is a partial curse more than a gift sometimes to have the creative mind that can see the whole project put together in completion, in my head in minutes.

But, in this space time it takes real time, forever long time it feels like sometime for the pieces to come together to create the beautiful painting I can see so clearly in my mind's eye.

I am learning to let go of control over so much. I am learning to let go of perfectionism. I am learning to let go of my need to know the outcome before it happens.

And I am working on manifesting smooth sailing as I jump out of the safety of my figurative airplane, not knowing if the chute will indeed open again this time.

I can see it so clearly, a beautiful CD, a coloring book and activities, a family manual all wrapped up in a clear carrying case so the kids can use it to keep their crayons in as they walk around singing the songs, learning how to be nice to not only others, but to love themselves as well.

I can see the children at night in their beds, upset from something that frighten them and the song comes to mind, "I am loved. I am loved." and they know that they indeed are.

I can see it so clearly. I can feel it so deeply!

Can you?

Thanks for all your support! May we be able to manifest for the children all the dreams we hold dear in our hearts.

Here's to climbing the mountains ahead and enjoying the view from the top.

Much love ~Jeannine

Life is so Linear!

"I see in my mind's eye."

~Eagle Eyes Bunny Heart~

May I remember to look around and enjoy the view on the climb as well!

Things are moving right along with The Melodies project. The website has a home holding page www.melodies4kids.com, the coloring book has an artist working on creation, the logo designs have another artist working on creations and the date is set for my recording in Michigan.

The support has been tremendous!

Thank you to everyone who is pitching in and taking the time to give their talents and creative joy to this project. I am eternally grateful!

May your summer months be filled with sunshine and healing light!

Namaste' ~ Jeannine

Keep watching at

www.melodies4kids.com

to see what exciting things are unfolding next!

June 17, 2008

I just got back from my third trip to LA this year. My brother John, a jazz musician who lives and works full time as a musician in LA, and I have been writing songs for children. I gave John a little melody and a set of lyrics and he made them into magical music!

Entitled The Melodies for Meditation, these fun songs for preschoolers bring school readiness (123's and abc's), life readiness (self-esteem, emotional IQ, manners, etc.) and meditation techniques to help children and their care givers learn how to love themselves, each other and the world around them in a way that is positive, reaffirming and relaxing.

Here are a few pictures of John and I at the recording studio.. gotta love LA, the guy who is playing bass works on the Simpsons show! John plays tennis with him as well as gigging. Ah, the life. :)

The Melodies will have two separate packages, one for families and one for school and daycare programs.

Each program will have with it the musical CD, instruction booklet and activities for the kids.

We are looking for families and school programs to be testing sites for The Melodies.

If you are interested, please email me at jeannine_nicole_proulx@yahoo.com or at jeannine@dharmaplace.net

Stay tuned for more information to come!

Much love and light ~ Jeannine

PS> John is an amazing jazz musician. To check him out go to www.johnproulx.com

John and Jeannine Proulx

John recording  

The Band

Jeannine at the mic!