MOMI YAYA

I've been doing a little cleaning out of my closets in my townhouse this past week and getting rid of a lot of stuff. I had loads of supplies left over from my photography business that I no longer wanted. Lots of fine art prints of the area here - all matted and in sleeves. Took some over to the museum and they said they didn't have much room for my large prints but would take some of my smaller ones. So now I still have many prints and supplies in the closet that I will keep... I don't know why.

In my efforts to get rid of stuff I am making a dent but some stuff I just can't let go. I found a small chest that contains all of my old "Fortune Telling" cards, crystals, etc. that I used to have a lot of fun with my friends. I didn't tell fortunes but I did read cards purely for entertainment and amusement.

Way back in my twenties, when my friends and I would go to the French Quarter in New Orleans and have our cards read, I enjoyed the experience. Eventually I tried my hand at it and was surprised at how easy it was to interpret the cards. The deck of 52 cards have a set meaning and can be interpreted by anyone with some practice. Here in the bayous of south Louisiana it’s an acceptable form of entertainment to most. However, some keep their visits to the card reader a secret as to avoid any ridicule from those who don’t approve.

I have no special talents or skills in divination. I am not psychic, clairvoyant, or a medium. I merely enjoy the interaction between me and the person inquiring as I lay out my cards. The cards do the work. I merely read what they have to say. It doesn't come from any supernatural power and I can not see into the future or the past. The cards have a story to tell on each layout. I merely relay that story to the person inquiring.

My Magical Chest contains the Tarot cards, regular playing cards, Gypsy cards, Chinese cards, Native American cards, a pendulum, a crystal wand, and gem stones. Also in the chest is a pouch of silver dimes. It is tradition for the quirant to pay for a reading in silver. So I asked that they pick a dime out of the bag and put in next to me on the table.

When reading the cards, I asked the guirant to express how they were feeling about everything I was telling them. This expression of feelings always led to a great therapeutic session. I wanted my clients to participate in the reading and not just be an observer.

In addition to sharing and explaining their cards, I also acted as a counselor to my clients by discussing and offering - what "I" would do - type of advice about their problems. I wanted my clients to exercise their own willpower, never telling them what to do but what I would do and encouraging them to work out their problems by listening to their own inner voice. When asked for advice I told them, "Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't."

When I read cards back in the 1990s, I acted more like a counselor than a card reader. Having had many years of coursework in Psychology and over 25 years of experience in counseling, I utilized my skills in these areas while reading the cards. In a sense, I provided a free counseling session that would have cost them over $100 in the real world but was free with me.

I had so much fun with these items years ago and the interaction it provided for me and my friends. When I started my Tutoring business in my home in 2003, I remember putting it all away and thinking that I should throw them out. It's funny how we change our thinking due to "what people might say." Today, I don't give a damn about what people think of me and my hobbies.

So... I'm keeping the Magic Chest - and I may even be persuaded to give a reading again. Yes... Momi YaYa is alive and well.

HIPPY DECOR

When I brought my coach home last September I was not exactly in love with it.  It had the lay out I wanted but the decor sucked... if you know what I mean.  My idea of color does not include brown, tan, taupe, beige, or any other shade of what I call "non-colors."  I am into bright, bold, primary colors that I refer to as a Caribbean Style... reds, oranges, blues, yellows and especially turquoise.  So I set out to cover that horrible brown with a soft shade of blue with splashes of my other favorite colors thrown in.

Then I decided my coach needed a name and a theme.  I had recently purchased a new wardrobe to begin my new adventure.  These clothes were meant to help in my transformation.  I've always loved the bohemian look so that's what I bought.  Lots of clothes purchased from Gypsy Boho websites.  That's it.  That's the name of my coach.  Now for a theme.  Well, of course it should be "hippy" and that is what it is.  After all, I can relate to that... being a child of the 60s and all.

My coach is small, only 26 feet, but I have found ways to reflect my theme even in such a small space.  Here are some of the things I have used to decorate.

The very first thing I put up in the coach.  Peace symbols on the freezer door.

These are peace plaques I put on my cabinets in the bedroom.

This is a wooden peace symbol that I decorated and painted and hung in the bathroom.

I put transparent peel and stick stickers on the overhead cabinets over the sofa and some on the wall as well.

I found a neat way to fill a space where a VHS player used to be.  Flowers and beautiful feathered birds in an orange bowl.

The last time I was at the French Market in New Orleans I found this beautiful Mardi Gras mask.  It has some of the colors of my coach so I just had to have it.  It hangs in the kitchen.

I found this lighted neon clock at WalMart and hung it next to the entrance.  Also hung some colorful Mardi Gras necklaces and a wind chime on a key rack.

From my rear view mirror I hung my Native American beaded Power Bundle that I made many years ago.  It's traveled with me for a long time while I was biking and riding with the local HOGS.  Also hanging is a Cajun doll made by a friend for luck and protection, which faces the road ahead.

On the outside of the coach I put some vinyl decals on the back storage compartment doors.

So far, that is the extent of my Hippy and Free Spirit Decor.  I'm sure I'll be adding more things in the future.

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One thing I liked about my coach's design was the overhead cab.  I had planned that it would be the space for my two cats and their stuff.  Well, that worked out well, however, I feel the need to have more head room for me in the cab so I took out the portion of the bed over the driver's seat and now I can stand up without hitting my head.  It adds so much open area that it almost feels like I have added several feet to my coach.

There is still lots of room for their cat food and water bowl on the left side.

And their litter box on the right side and carrier in the center.

It's hard to tell in this photo but there is much more available space in the cab for standing.

I found this great storage bag at WalMart.  It hangs under the TV and behind the swivel chair.  Great for holding my pens and pads and small electronics.  Also a place for my Native American rattle that used to be on my Harley. 

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Last week I came up with an idea for a practical use for the wooden RV plaques I make. 

I will get fellow campers I meet to autograph the plaque.  The front and back of the plaque can be used for signatures and it will be a great way to remember the people I meet along the way in my travels.  When this one is completely written on, I will fill up the next and so on.  Then when I no longer am able to travel I will hang these out on my back porch and enjoy looking at them and remembering.

That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

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I CALL IT BLISS

1. I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.

2. I don’t do mornings, weekends, holidays or summers. Those are my personal times to chill. That’s retirement!

3. Retirement, when every day is Saturday!

4. The question isn't at what age I want to retire, it's at what income.

5. Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the beach on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.

6. If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles.

7. Yes, I am thoroughly enjoying retirement! The best part is observing my neighbors drive off to work in the morning knowing that their day will be filled with jerks, brainless and endless meetings, and more jerks.

8. The way I see it, you will have attained true freedom in this world when you can get up in the morning when you want to get up; go to sleep when you want to go to sleep; and in the interval, work and play at the things you want to work and play - all at your own pace. The great news is that retirement allows you the opportunity to attain this freedom.

9. There is a whole new kind of life ahead, full of experiences just waiting to happen. Some call it "retirement." I call it bliss.

10. I’m retired now... so don’t ask me to do a dammed thing!