Sweetness in the Threshold

Greetings!

Can you feel a tinge of autumn in the morning air? The tippy top leaves of the maple tree outside my house are beginning to show a bit of red. My garden, once bursting with color and fruit, begins a gentle exhale into the shift. The starlings are gathering in the huge oak tree behind my neighbor's house. As August wanes, summer’s morning light mellows into a softer glow through the east windows of my living room. Autumn beckons.

There is a sweetness in this threshold — a time to gather up memories, to honor what has been ripened and lived, and to ready myself for the inward pull of autumn. The Earth teaches me that endings are not abrupt but graceful turnings, each season blending into the next with its own rhythm of release and renewal. I feel a wave of melancholy wash over me. How many more summers will I live to enjoy this beauty? How can I honor what is here now?

I want to pause with reverence before rushing ahead. Creating a ritual to mark summer’s close helps me do that. Today I will spend some quiet time journaling or speaking aloud the moments of summer that touched me most deeply — creating art in the community of kindred spirits, camping at Mt. Adams, hearing my two teenage grandchildren talk about how much they enjoyed reading my book, and watching the Bushtits arrive at the suet feeder like a swarm of little gray fuzzy bees. I will write these on small slips of paper and tuck them under a stone outside as an offering of thanks for a joyful summer. 

Here is a lovely autumn harvest poem for you.

The Chosen

 by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

You hear how this one is dull, she said,

as she knocked on the melon.

I rapped the green skin and nodded.

Now, she said, try this one.

I knocked and heard the brightness.

Vibrant, she said. Vibrant, I agreed.

She picked it up and handed the melon

to me. This one, she said. Choose this one.

Tonight, I imagine some great hand

coming to knock on my chest, rapping

just above my heart, testing me

to see if I am one worth choosing.

I’m surprised by the prayer that arrives.

Choose us all, please, choose us all.

May your last days of summer invite you to pause and notice all the good things in your life. 💕

Contemplatively yours,

GG

Art and SoulCollage^® Gatherings at GG's Down to Earth Studio

NEW: Oracle Cards are here!



Solo Passage: Oracle of the Sacred Path

I am delighted to announce that my oracle cards are ready to order!

Birthed from the rhythms of the Earth and the shapers of the unseen, and graced with GG’s original artwork and photography, this 65-card oracle deck is a companion for wilderness questers, threshold walkers, and seekers of truth.

Each card holds a question — a doorway to a theme, an archetype, or a symbol meant to speak directly to your soul. These are not answers, but invitations into themes that will guide you into deeper relationship with your inner wilderness and the living Earth. The wisdom is not in the cards alone — it’s in your willingness to listen.

You can order your Solo Passage Oracle deck on GG's website here.

NEW: Monthly Saturday SoulCollage^® Offering

Friday SoulCollage^® Gatherings at GG's Down to Earth Studio

240 Bush Street S., Salem, OR

GG's cell: 503.990.0278

Kim Buller and I will once again be teaming up to offer a series of SoulCollage® gatherings for the fall season. And the good news is that we have added a once-a-month Saturday gathering, too.

Give yourself the gifts of creativity and community. Please join us for a potentially life-changing experience in the safety of the Down to Earth Studio and in the company of kindred spirits.

Fall sessions are now open for registration. Email GG to be added to the lists.

Friday morning sessions: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Friday afternoon sessions: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Saturday morning sessions 9:30 am to 1:00 pm.

September Theme: “The Great Turning” – As the wheel of the year turns toward autumn, what inner fruits are ready for harvest? What needs to be released as the light wanes?

Friday morning (9-12) Sep 19th – Kim facilitates

Friday afternoon (1-4) Sept 19th – GG facilitates – Session has 2 openings.

Saturday morning (9:30 – 1) Sept 20th – Kim facilitates

October Theme: “Meeting the Shadow” – As the veil thins, what parts of yourself are lingering in mystery and asking to come out of the shadows and be integrated?

Friday morning (9-12) Oct 17th – GG facilitates

Friday afternoon (1-4) Oct 17th – Kim facilitates – Session is FULL.

Saturday morning (9:30 – 1) Oct 18th – GG facilitates

November Theme: “The Silence Between the Seasons” – As the world quiets and prepares for winter, what are you deeply grateful for, and what is it time to release into the stillness?

Friday morning (9-12) Nov 21st – Kim facilitates

Friday afternoon (1-4) Nov 21st – GG facilitates – Session is FULL.

Saturday morning (9:30 – 1) Nov 22nd – Kim facilitates

December Theme: “The Light Within the Dark” – In the darkest time of the year, what light is guiding you as you step into the unknown?

Friday morning (9-12) Dec 19th – GG facilitates

Friday afternoon (1-4) Dec 19th – Kim facilitates – Session has one opening.

Saturday morning (9:30 – 1) Dec 20th – GG facilitates

Sliding scale fee for SoulCollage sessions is $30 to $50. You can pay by Zelle (glendaanne@msn.com), Venmo (Glenda-Goodrich), Paypal (glendaanne@msn.com). or mail a check to GG at 240 Bush Street S., Salem, OR 97302.

New policy: You will need to pay in advance to reserve your spot. Thank you!

Cancellation policy: Full refund 7 or more days in advance, or if I can fill your spot.

Email GG  to reserve your spot at any of these gatherings, or to get on the waiting list for sessions that are full.

Solo Passage Book Awards and Placements

Readers' Favorite Honorable Mention Award in Non-Fiction Inspirational

Next Generation Indie Books Award Finalist in Memoir

Bookfest First Place

Award Winner in Body, Mind, and Spirit

Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention Award in General Nonfiction

Firebird Book Award Winner First Place in Inspiration

First Place in Mind/Body/Spirit

First Place in Nature

First Place in Self-Help/Motivational

Reader reviews of my book make a huge difference!

I would so appreciate it if you would leave a rating and maybe a few comments. You can leave a review on Amazon here. Thank you!

Best Book Awards: Finalist in Nonfiction: Inspirational

Foreword Indies Book Silver Medal Award Winner in Body, Mind, and Spirit

Global Book Award Finalist in Self-Help, Personal Transformation

NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite 

in the category of Nature.

CIBA Hearten Book Awards

Semi-finalist in Inspiring and Uplifting Non-fiction.

Special Opportunities

Are you curious about what it means to work with the Art Doula? Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation to see if art mentoring can take you to the next level in your creative life.

Here's a comment from recent client:

"I love how you think . . . and how you put questions to me. It's like there's gold at the bottom of the bucket and you are stirring the pot!"