Tacos and Tiaras

I'm just being all-zen-and-shit

Divine Orchestration

Finding a Publisher

Beginnings, Divine Orchestration, Gratitude, In Media Res, Intuition, Leadership, Luceat Lux Vestra, Mindfulness, Reflection, Sacred Rebel

“Stay centered, strong, and determined. Remain steadfast in your sense of purpose, and don’t allow other influences to steer you off course. You can accomplish far more than you realize.”

– Radleigh Valentine, Fairy Tarot Cards Guidebook
Illustration by Howard David Johnson for Radleigh Valentine’s Fairy Tarot Cards. “Additional meanings of this card: Self-control. Victory! Celebrating what you have achieved. Accomplishing your dreams. Modes of transportation. Work-related travel.” (C) 2019 by Radleigh Valentine.

I wanted to drop a quick post so that I don’t leave you wondering, but I’ve reached another place to pivot on my path.

Today is Friday, 17 July 2020. Just looking at the calendar tells me, “It’s time!” I’m finally committed to and focused on writing my book. I’ve been a little bit slow to follow repeated guidance to let go of what no longer serves me or to look at things from a different perspective, but the blog piece is secondary. My book is primary.

I’m open to guidance from anyone’s personal experience with going from writer to author. I started exploring self publishing, but I feel like a publisher family is out there yet I haven’t found them… or they haven’t found me…

I’m reflecting on my personal timeline of events…

Five years ago, 18 July 2015, I received a text message from a very dear friend a few days before she died. “I just wanted to tell you I love you and how much laughter you put in my life.” Since then, I’ve looked at that with a quote attributed to Mark Twain in mind.

“The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.”

– The Apocryphal Twain

Regardless of whose words they are, the sentiment is true for me – that finding my purpose guided me to more choices and more actions so that I would arrive here. Now.

30 December 2018 I spoke about my mother at the funeral home, and yesterday I realized many pieces of it were topics that I’ve touched in the posts and pages of this blog. However the transcript resembles an outline for a book. Yes, I could have spoken even longer at my mother’s visitation. 😉

January 2019 my longtime friend, Val, Spiritual Warrior Soul Daughter, recommended The Power of Love: Connecting to the Oneness. James Van Praagh opened the door a little bit wider for me to explore the parts and pieces of my calling where I discovered Rebecca Campbell, Radleigh Valentine, and other members of the Hay House family. As much as they’ve contributed to my arrival here, I feel like I have a home that’s a better fit somewhere that I have yet to discover… or it has yet to find me. It was also through Val how I connected with Amanda, Feeling Herd Healing. Her readings and guidance are always “dead on balls accurate”. 😉

23 June 2019 I had an epiphany about my calling and purpose. I revisited it a few weeks ago in Stuck Again.

A year ago, just about this time last year, I submitted my letter of resignation at my corporate job. So much to say about this, but it’s in my book. 😉

Ten months ago, I started my new adventure of allowing intuition and divine guidance to help me along my path in fulfilling my purpose. I was definitely winging it and allowing things to unfold, which turned out to be a good thing because if I had a true plan in place, I would have had a lesson in adapting and being flexible because of my dad’s hospitalization and then the effects of coronavirus.

  • I started this blog/site with this page, Luceat Lux Vestra.
  • I added more pages: How This Blog Came to Be and Why Tacos and Tiaras.
  • In May 2020 I added one more page, Being All-Zen-and-Shit.
  • I even have merchandise on Zazzle although that piece has been of minimal focus for me, but it would be pretty cool to see people sporting their Tacos and Tiaras Tuesday gear! 🙂
  • I created a Tacos and Tiaras Facebook business page
  • And here is my favorite, the Tacos and Tiaras Tribe. The group has doubled in members since November, and I created it as a private group because I ask the members to make it a space where we keep things light and funny and take a break from things that have a tendency to weigh us down. I ask that we keep politics and religion out of the group because they often make it difficult for us to see the actual person beyond the label. I feel happy when I see the members not only interacting in the group but also grabbing humor to share on their own Facebook timelines. So much light and laughter. 🙂

Earlier this year around February and March, I wrote a few posts about exploring the life coach path. I felt alignment with a new group after Christie Bailey found her balance with the divine feminine energy, and besides connecting with Christie, I also met Evyn Larsen and Bonnie Crum. I have felt so happy not only because they’ve launched their coaching and helped others pursue their own callings but also because I more deeply recognized my calling to write.

My strongest influence came from Natalie Marquis in March when I met with her for a past life regression. The experience was enlightening and healing; however, our conversation before the session is what echoes when I’m feeling distracted or stuck. I was telling her about blogging and writing, and she held her hand beside her head almost like she was tickling the air and told me she was receiving a message from Spirit. They encouraged me to simply write everyday… just write and let it flow straight from my heart and soul…

Call me slow or stubborn, but I’ve only intermittently sat down and focused on writing this way. My blog posts that received more feedback flowed when I followed this guidance. And I turned to daily shotgun writing to fulfill my commitment to daily writing. It’s some journaling, some creative writing, and some “not quite a blog post or book” writing.

Once I started writing daily (like I used to for most of my life before I gave more attention to family and work), everything began to flow more easily. Not just my writing but my dreams… calling… purpose…

And there’s the magic… some of my more recent posts I’ve mentioned manifesting… I’ve found being all-zen-and-shit is more than feeling less anxious and more at peace. I bring myself to participate in life with more compassion, empathy, kindness, and love. I hope to help others find the same in their life. LOL, this just brought to mind Elf: “There’s room for everyone on the Nice List.” 😉

I’ll still write posts from time to time, most likely to get back to where I left off with my last post, MY Experience (Spork Part 2) or just to share updates about writing or my thoughts on anything going on in the world… The book comes first…

I feel confident about this next part of my journey. I received reassurance by way of comments from readers of my blog post. They felt inspired.

If you have recommendations for how to go about publishing my book, please feel free to leave a comment on this post or via email. Note: If you’re sending ads for workshops or your business, you’re welcome to send them to me, but I cannot promise to read them. I have no money to invest in your business, but I can give you lots of positive feedback on how great it sounds! 😀

I have so much gratitude for the people who constantly provide encouragement and support whether through friendship, business, or reading my posts here.

Special thank you to my spiritual tribe. The journey is full of love and abundant joy.

Thank you, ever-patient and always-listening St. Nikolaos and St. Michael the Archangel. I finally get it and will do my part. 🙂

Luceat lux vestra.

Beyond Buffett

Divine Orchestration, Friendship, Gratitude, Kindness, Love, Luceat Lux Vestra

“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”

– Jimmy Buffett, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
This little feather twirled down from the sky while I was chatting with my next door neighbor a little past noon today. From a distance, It looked like a little fairy descending to land softly on the grass, and as a breeze moved it back and forth, it resembled a dragonfly resting. For some, finding a feather is ordinary; for others like me, it’s magickal and spiritual and a very welcome message of affirmation.

Mizz Lady woke me up at 06:22 this morning, so I had to drag my sleepy ass out of bed and down the stairs to let her go outside. I went through the morning routine of pouring breakfast for her and MyKi and giving them a fresh bowl of water before I got a little more sleep on the couch.

I woke up to the chime of a Facebook messenger notification from my dear friend, Jeanie of Crystals by Jeanie: “omg, big news!!!! You won the giveaway on my page!!!!!!!!!” (Check out her page to see the May/June bundle that I won! And believe me or don’t believe me, but in May when she announced the bundle, I set an intention because when I saw this prize, it called to me. I wanted it more than just hoping to win.)

Jeanie and I met maybe a dozen years ago at a Jimmy Buffett concert tailgate. We are members of BuffettNews.com (BN) which has a forum that, among its many topics, facilitated gatherings of BN members at each of Jimmy’s concerts. I used to think some people were a bit judgy about meeting up with people you met on the internet, but seriously – these were groups of us. Safety in numbers! I mean, all these years later, people started getting in cars with strangers via Uber and Lyft. Y’know what I mean?

I have a whole Parrothead/Parrot Head “PHamily” and “PHriends”. We initially were drawn together by our common interest in Jimmy Buffett’s music, but over the years, the Buffett connection is almost forgotten. We are friends beyond Buffett, and some have even become family to me. I have the friends I’ve met once at a tailgate, the friends I looked forward to tailgating with at multiple shows over the years, and a lot of acquaintances who I’ve met through our mutual BN friends but have not met in person.

We never know who we will meet or who they will be in our lives.

When I met Jeanie, I did not have a spiritual life, but in the past couple of years as my journey was revealing more, I recognized her space in my spiritual tribe. I joke that she’s my dope peddler because I buy almost all of my crystals from her. Another dear friend in my spiritual tribe is a kindred spirit who I have yet to meet in person, but we became acquainted five years ago through another mutual BN friend who I had not spent time with in person, yet we were connected.

I know it’s been five years because 24 July 2015 is when Connie died. She was a light of kindness who made everyone feel special. Never met a stranger. I find myself feeling pretty blessed not only because of her friendship but also all the new friends I’ve made through her, including her niece and her son and so many more BN friends! She even trusted me to make sure her longtime friends enjoyed a tailgate where they knew no one else. I still feel pretty honored to have that role. 🙂

When she was diagnosed with cancer, many of us were part of giving back to her what she gave to all of us. The BN family stepped up to organize so much support (PHin Power) for Connie during her battle; my favorite is the video compilation of Love and Luck.

Oh, and one of the main organizers of this video and I met at a tailgate in 2008 and in it’s-a-small-world discoveries, she was the nurse at the school where my eldest brother was the chaplain.

We never know who we will meet or who we share as mutual connections. And while one reason, such as a common interest, may bring us together, we may not know who they are outside of that specific event.

I could count on Connie for a laugh – not just stupid or obvious humor but the “I know you can follow my train of thought” for other things that made us laugh. Other times, she was my confidant for some of the bits and pieces of my life for which I knew she could provide a listening ear and a little bit of guidance. She had already moved to hospice care when she sent me a text message that helped me realize part of my purpose – making others laugh. She started her message with “I just wanted you to know…” which still reminds me to always tell people how you feel. You just never know how much it will mean to them or how long and far they’ll carry it.

We never know how much simple acts or words of kindness will do for another person.

It’s hard to believe five years have gone so quickly, but I can smile because I was so lucky to be Connie’s friend and learn from her example. Her legacy. I miss her, but I feel comforted by her magic – her ability to sow love and kindness that continues after death. Connie gave me so much encouragement whenever I wanted to go for something, and now and then, I feel her presence in some of the moments when I’m trying to make a decision. “Life is short. And so are we.” Yep, encouragement and a height joke in one. 🙂

This morning I sent my fiance a text after Jeanie told me I won the May/June bundle of crystals. I had a little giggle when he sent me his congratulations and a YouTube link of the first song to come to mind.

As I listened to it, the lyrics felt like the words I’ve been needing lately. Coincidences do not exist, and my fiance probably still has no idea how much I love him for being the spiritual gift he is to me without even trying.

“Look over yonder
What do you see?
The sun is a’rising
Most definitely

A new day is coming, ooh, ooh
People are changing
Ain’t it beautiful, ooh, ooh
Crystal blue persuasion

Better get ready to see the light
Love, love is the answer, ooh, ooh
And that’s all right

So don’t you give up now, ooh, ooh
So easy to find
Just look to your soul
And open your mind

Crystal blue persuasion, mmm, mmm
It’s a new vibration
Crystal blue persuasion
Crystal, blue persuasion

Maybe tomorrow
When he looks down
On every green field, ooh, ooh
And every town
All of his children
And every nation
They’ll be peace and good brotherhood

Crystal blue persuasion, yeah
Crystal blue persuasion, aha
Crystal blue persuasion, aha
Crystal blue persuasion, aha”

– Eddie Morley Gray, Mike Vale, Tommy James, Crystal Blue Persuasion, Tommy James and the Shondells

I ran across Crystal Blue Persuasion in Songfacts(R); I get a kick out of reading these, especially if I am clueless about a song’s origins or its writers.

Sigh… Sometimes people and experiences are nothing more than what they are at a specific time, place, purpose, and so on, but in the bigger picture or the future that has yet to arrive, we may not know who will be a passing acquaintance or if our paths will cross again or who we may become to each other or what role we will have in each other’s lives. But when we let our light shine, we find each other and our place in the world.

And I repeat, we never know how much our kindness will mean to another person, so never pass up the opportunity to share kind deeds or kind words. Kindness breeds kindness.

Luceat lux vestra.