Sunday, September 05, 2010

Intuitive Friends


There are certain people that come into our lives whom, I'm convinced, at first meeting already know us at the deepest, most personal level.
I am lucky to have encountered a few such friends already where some people wait a lifetime for just one. Your eyes and your heart must be wide open to notice them and let them in.
The friend I'm talking about today has just graced me with her presence for four unforgettable days. As a bonus she brought along her youngest son, Felix, A future Dalai Lama for sure. What an enlightened, delightful young man at the tender age of twelve.
Marianne has always been generous in heart and thoughtfulness. My mailbox has overflowed many times with cards and packages from her (and many other wonderful friends!) I'm very grateful.
The first night she arrived we sat in my studio sharing wine and she started handing me gold-wrapped gifts from a large bag. Oh my!!

  

These silk boxes hold something extraordinary because she had NO idea I was about to try a new art meduim brought to my attention by my most impressive artist friend and fellow Canadian, Neil Ornstein.
He was delighted when he stumbled upon this woman's wonderful etegami blog and shared the link with me. We both decided we must try this and agreed to exchange postcards one day. 
I went out and bought the sumi ink, the watercolor postcards and two basic sumi brushes.
No one at the art store knew what "special red" I was talking about and I had no idea how I was going to carve a signature stamp.
Here comes the magic part!


 

The longest silk box held three of the most beautiful sumi brushes with blue and white china handles. There is a dragon motif pot for holding the brushes, a blue and white bracelet with wonderful charms, a round blue and white pot that holds something, but what? And a little rectangle box, very curious.



I would have never, ever guessed in a million years that the round jar held that very special red or that the small rectangle box would be my very own hand-carved signature "Lolo" in both English and Chinese.
And remember, she had NO idea I was going to try etegami or that I was looking for these things. As I said, magic. Intuition. Knowing me as well as I know myself perhaps?
And last but not least is the blue spiral painting she did for me (up top) which now hangs in our bathroom (at her suggestion because it is sea-themed.) 
The circle of life, the knowing, the ebb and flow and the connection to everything.
Whew! Thank you Marianne, dear friend. I ask myself daily what I have done to have such special people enter my life.
You know who you are. My California girls, my blogging family, old friends who waited for me to come back home and new friends who have helped me feel safe. Thank you, all of you.
And thanks for hanging in for such a long post! 
But it was magical, no?
xoxo
Lolo 

21 comments:

  1. Synchronicity! When it happens life is great!

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  2. Just home from a long day at the Opera....but, I feel refreshed and happy as I read this post.... everything you said is TRUE. Marianne IS your sister....the two of you do share this psychic synchronicity.... and it is so beautiful to behold.

    I am looking forward to see what creations you come up with in this new art form.

    Beautiful gifts from a beautiful lady to another beautiful lady!

    Love to you, the adorable "SH" and Bliss....

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  3. So cool. so cool. so cool!!! Thanks for sharing this story.

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  4. Fantastic! Love your chinese bits and pieces! Marianne chose well, didn't she? I had a chop carved in Hong Kong (wonder if she had yours made in Stanley market too!) and have just had another chop made here - will be collecting it this week hopefully and will be interesting to see if my name has been interpretated with the same Chinese characters. You would love the little shop - it's full of fascinating chinese art and calligraphy paraphernalia- I got my little brush rest there!

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  5. Fantastic! Love your chinese bits and pieces! Marianne chose well, didn't she? I had a chop carved in Hong Kong (wonder if she had yours made in Stanley market too!) and have just had another chop made here - will be collecting it this week hopefully and will be interesting to see if my name has been interpretated with the same Chinese characters. You would love the little shop - it's full of fascinating chinese art and calligraphy paraphernalia- I got my little brush rest there!

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  6. WOW! This is amazing! But you know something?...I think Marianne is kind of magical herself! She just pays very close attention to individual people and is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever encountered (even from afar)!!! She has a really special connection with you, the universe says so!!! :)

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  7. wow did you and julie get marianne perfectly: attention to detail, a magical ability to see, loving friendship.

    and you. my dearest pumpkin pi.

    i find myself in such amazing company sometimes i'm not sure how it's all happened. :)

    i would give alot to be in that shop caroline mentioned in stanley market, and have a chop made. i have never heard of a chop before now want to know more.

    what a post, lo. what a friend, marianne. what a group, everyone. and she who is today refreshed and happy: that is the icing on the cake of gratitude!

    love love
    kj

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  8. Oh my gosh! magical yes, wonderful, generous, beautiful, I can't say enough.

    I love it all, the sharing and friendship, the intuition, and most of all the love.

    Lolo, now I am so excited to see what art you'll make out of all these pretty things. Maybe if it's not too much trouble you can show how their used?

    And i wanted to say also, the painting by Marianne is awesome. I love it. Love circles and all their meanings.

    xoxo,
    lori

    p.s. not a long post at all, just perfect. mine is l o n g (sorry again!)

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  9. Wow. I love this post and love the thought of you and your intuitive friends. Amazing that M. brought you just what you need to explore your new art form. You are both special, and Felix too.

    On a side note, I do not know the art form you mention, but about 6 years ago I took Chinese Brush Painting from a friend's neighbor. Very hard and not my thing, but we had the sumi brushes, the inks, red and black,and the teacher had a chop of her name. There are on-line places where you can order these things if the local shops don't have them. I did adore the rice papers to paint on.

    Have fun creating w/your magical gifts.

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  10. You have been mightly blessed. You are such a blessing yourself, it all comes back to you again and again. It is magical.

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  11. This is a lovely post - you're both so special. and synchronicity takes special people.

    have a lovely week OK?

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  12. Marianne must be very intuitive, since there are no co-incidences. What a lovely, magical post, lolo, Marianne's gift, both her watercolour and her sumi set are truly amazing!

    How wonderful you all were able to meet and have such a great time!

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  13. Wonderful! I do believe in magic and intuition and friends, all rolled into one. This is magic indeed. It made me teary eyed Lo, it really did. Beautiful and special, just like you. Can't wait to see what you create. xoxo

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  14. Dear Lo!
    What a sweet post to read , I am blushing here ;)
    You ask yourself what you have done........ how about being such a wonderful friend and person?! Do you have any idea how special you are?!
    And not only to people, you are a blessing to all animals on this planet as well. So whatever good is coming your way it is because you are such a giving person yourself.
    I was blessed to met you on the blogs and how magical it was to meet you in person! indescribable.
    Felix and I will never forget our stay with you.

    And indeed I didn't know what etegami was but I was so glad my presents for you were the right ones !
    I have received one of your first etegami postcards! YEAH!
    I will show soon on my blog... :)

    love
    ♥♥♥
    >M<

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  15. Oh and Caroline. I had two chops carved for my son at Stanley Market when I was there in February with Marja. On the same market Marja and I had a hand painted card made for Lolo.
    Later when my trip to Lo was planned I was sorry that I hadn't got one for Lo but I got a second change in Singapore where I had Lo's made in Chinatown. The brushes and pot I found in Shanghai on a later trip.

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  16. Your posts are never to long Lolo love them.
    Beaudor is with his boss to agilitytraining and I was on my way to iron a pile of shirts but the iron is dead.
    So glad ...now have time to visit you all much better than ironing.
    After reading your post got goosebumbs all over.....true MAGIC!
    Big hug,
    marja

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  17. So absolutely beautifully said Lolo. It gave me the chills to read this. I am speechless!! YOu both are fabulous friends so it is not surprising to hear of this. What treasures you have in these wonderful memories!

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  18. Wow, How amazing and wonderful. I have never heard of this kind of Art but look forward to seeing what you do with all this.

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  19. What treasure,,,what loot!

    I'd not heard of a chop either,,,but I am fascinated with this whole thing, and very eager to see what you create with it.
    Go,,,,,!

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  20. Oooooh sweet Lolo did you knew it before Me????
    You already made a Star from me by doing postcards(one of them is standing in Rotterdam in a restaurant),postlabels now they made a drawing of Me.
    Yesterday M. brought I had to jump allover her Love her to pieces(like you)well think I had to show of while her Germain was with her :))
    Big Kiss,
    Mister B.

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  21. Beautfiful images. I have bookmarked her blog a while back and love to visit there. thanks for the reminder.

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