Straight From The Heart

I was visiting my dear Cupcake Man and discovered that this friend had reached right down onto one of the soft quiet beaches shoring the deep oceans of my heart and discovered a lovely sea shell that he plucked up, put in his pocket and took back to his own shore.

He proudly displayed it by way of publishing it and there I discovered it, recognizing it right away but never  having seen it before. That familiar shell brought forth a sea spray of salt water from my heart to my eyes and the waves inside me swelled with a powerful current.

Here is the treasure he has taken from the dark and placed prominently in the light...

"Overboard I fell, overlong we dwelled. I was lifted up in the arms of that strong one, lifted up into his cape, too tired to thank the man, I spent a month harvesting his grapes. When he let me play with his children, when he let me sit at his table, I gained a position, small bit of dignity in the household a go to child when a salesperson dropped in from town. "Please sir sit down and let me pour you green tea." Please sir, I would think to myself, can you tell me what happens in town? I was thirteen and heard of the glass fountains in the main square, covered with lights in spring evenings." ~ Cupcake Man

It is his creation and it is my truth.

Isn't it surreal when we find ourselves in each other by mere whim or chance? Perhaps it isn't chance at all, perhaps it is not serendipity perhaps it is because we are all made of the same elements of everything in the universe and sometimes those elements rediscover grains of themselves when circumstance brings them near one another again & again.

Thank you, Cupcake Man, how very sweet this is.

Dear Daydream,

Dear Daydream,

They are hiring for a photographer and photo editor at a baby and mom business called Zulily - which I just love, based in Seattle. So, today I quit my job and hopped on a plane and flew to Seattle. Zulily hired me on the spot at twice the salary I was making before. I found a wonderful little apartment facing the bay, just a block from Pikes public market where I can go every day to buy an armload of fresh flowers, Starbucks coffee from the original Starbucks while seeing the street musicians outside and enjoy lunch at that little Irish pub that's tucked in the alley or that cozy seafood restaurant hidden in the market that looks over the water.  I can visit all the fun shops in the area and zip around on the train, go to practice for Wyld Stallyns, play outdoor chess and stand atop the highest needle in the world.
My new coworkers are amazing people who inspire me and are incredible to be around. My photography has never been better and things are simple and good. Having the ocean at my doorstep and the mountains right behind me in my back pocket does wonders for my soul...

....love, the Serendipitous Daydreamer

Happy Birthday Viaggiatore!

Viaggiatore is 4 years old today! Happy Birthday my beautiful muse! We've traveled so far; over the world, through days and weeks and years, made many friends and discoveries and had countless wonderful experiences.

I'd never trade a moment of it! I am so looking forward to all of our days to come; each one special and  precious.

Happy Birthday Viaggiatore!

From Viaggiatore~ The Lion of Lyon Tail, "...Viaggiatore was once a single thought... just one idea. Long ago, a good Samaritan selflessly saved the life of another human, with no thought for his own safety. The Lord was so pleased at this act of love, that he offered the Samaritan a wish... anything he wanted. The Samaritan said he wished only to continue to do good, everywhere he went, without ever knowing it. The Lord granted this wish, and then decided that it was such a good idea, it ought to be everywhere, for everyone.
He created Viaggiatore as a thought... it is him, in those moments of kindness when we do not know the good we do for others, he is a passing idea... a traveling thought that steps gently within us, and then moves on. As Viaggiatore passed throughout the world touching others, he walked away with remnants of each step touching him, and these remnants created a tangible body for him. The beauty of a world in unity incarnate in the skin of a lion. (Viaggiatore said) ".....I am made of the places that I have passed through, like any of us, it is the good and the bad that make me who I am and I cannot discard those things in my life that weren't good, any more than you can. It gives me character anyway, don't you think?"

*If you haven't yet met Viaggiatore (and you should, he's fascinating!) you can find out all about him here:

Viaggiatore~ The Lion of Lyon Tail
Viaggiatore~ Lion hide & Jungle Flight
Viaggiatore~ Sahara Sand & the Mediterranean Sea

Zombie Apocalypse Plan ~ Centers For Disease Control & Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created a Zombie Apocalypse Plan. It's fairly well thought out and presented. It's important to be prepared for just about anything. Zombie Apocalypse preparedness is just another step in ensuring the safety and survival of the living in the event that the Mayans were off on their calendar and the Zombies rise to eat all of our brains.
If nothing else, it is a good laugh, and laughter is the best medicine. Thank you, CDC, for looking out for the well being of all, in many ways.

Dreams In The Deep

Federico Fellini (a man with a brilliant mind, in my opinion), said... “You exist only in what you do.”

I thought about that this week... especially this week, having just come away from Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK is my most loved hero). I always steep my heart and mind in unfathomable depths of philosophy, integrity, morality, goals, dreams, love and values of character during this week more than many others in the year.  It is my own personal mental and spiritual epiphany; thank you kindly for your indulgence!

So... Federico...

"You exist only in what you do."

At first glance, I thought... why yes! Yes, of course that's true. I smiled at his thought. Then I thought of Martin.  One of the most incredible things about Dr.King was that he not only existed prominently in what he did... but he most assuredly existed, famously even, in what he did not do.  Non violence.  Not accepting the world as it was, but working peacefully to change it into what it ought to be; the better place that it could be.

Then I realized that both ideas are correct.  Really, it's a glass half full or half empty sort of thing.  In effect, when an action is not taken, it could be viewed as action by inaction... could it not?

My mind goes to a dear friend of mine who is oftimes quiet and thoughtful in most circumstances, taking everything in silently, processing, and only occasionally offering a response.  I have seen so many people attempt to affect this friend's opinion, thought and action, by means of sugar & honey, by salty tears & heartfelt pleading, by anger & rage, and by so many countless other means that very rarely bring an end to their solicitor. Nearly always, these trials effect not much more than a nod at best, and when it truly matters, there is no reaction left ungiven, but more often than not... most of the waves that sweep in to that shore are left to retract back out to sea without so much as a whisper. 

This inaction is another example of existing in what is not done... which is the same, I think, as existing in what is done, from another point of view. 

...and you? What do you think?

The Rhyme of the Dream-Maker Man

The Rhyme of the Dream-Maker Man

Down near the end of a wandering lane,

That runs 'round the cares of a day,

Where Conscience and Memory meet and explain

Their quaint little quarrels away.

A mist air-castle sits back in the dusk
where brownies and hobgoblins dwell
And this is the home
Of a busy old gnome
who is making up dream-things to sell,
My dear,

The daintiest dreams to sell.

He makes golden dreams of wicked men's sighs.
He weaves on the thread of a hope
The airiest fancies of pretty brown eyes,
And patterns his work with a trope.

The breath of a rose and the blush of a wish
Boiled down to the ghost of a bliss,
He wraps in a smile
Every once in a while
And calls it the dream of a kiss,
Dear heart,
The dream of an unborn kiss.

Last night when I walked thro` the portals of sleep
And came to the weird little den,
I looked in the place where the elf-man should keep
A dream that I buy now and then.

`Tis only the sweet happy dream of a day-
Yet one that I wish may come true-
But I learned from the elf
That you'd been there yourself
And he'd given my dear dream to you,
Sweetheart,
He'd given our dream to you.

~William Allen White

That's The Buzz

There are companies who manufacture caffeinated water.  I used to buy a couple called H20 Zip and Aquajava.  It seemed a sort of oxymoron incarnate to me, because caffeine dehydrates a body.

I was just wondering... what would happen if someone made coffee with caffeinated water...

Dear, Dear Diary

Dear, Dear Diary,

Let's do this today, because we need to do this today.  Let's come up with 5 Things What Are Good, as our Dearest Jon used to do. 

1. Trying BIG new things which necessitate one jumping feet first into the OMIGOSH-I-HAVEN'T-EVER-NEVER-THOUGHT-I-COULD-DIDN'T-THINK-I-EVER-WOULD-BUT-I'M-GONNA-DO-IT-ANYWAY-OMIGOSH pool.  It's deep in here, and I like it.

2. Very grateful for dear friends & family who are always there to support, love, encourage and believe in me. I cannot imagine where I would be without you. 

 

3. Stash White Christmas White Tea.  O.M.G.  This is my new favorite tea of the season. I don't like peppermint, but I LOVE this tea.  YUM.  If you could put a snowy Christmas morning in a mug and drink it, this is what it would taste like.

4. The last truly warm day of fall on a Monday, following a weekend that could have been stolen out of late June... right before the first snow of the fall.

5. Seeing each new day as an opportunity to grow.

Dear, Dear Diary

Dear, Dear Diary,

You know I do some of my best thinking in the shower, where there is no distraction, only the sound and feel of hot water and steam.  Nothing there but soft light and the water, washing the world away, washing all of the little parasitic thoughts that constantly consume my mind, down my back in rivulets.  'I need to get the oil changed in the car, I need to call this friend, I need to go visit that friend, I wonder if I'll have time to clean out the closet in the guest bedroom this weekend, I hope my brother is doing well... and his kids... I better call, must get a birthday card and paper towels, and on... and on...

And there they go... sliding down the drain, and my mind clears and it almost feels like it's spreading, growing, right outside of my head, and I can hear and think from the inside out, instead of thinking about all the information coming in - I am able to focus on information going out.

This morning I breathed in the steam, let the world go away and started wondering about reality.

I think we are all in our own little reality, and all of our realities have overlapping areas where we share a cohesive reality; that realm where we can communicate and understand each other, for the most part.  There is no normal and I think, no definite reality - because where is that bar set? Who could set it? Who could say 'this is reality and that is not' because they're looking at it from their own perspective, from their own mind, lifestyle and their own reality. 

Albert Einstein had a fascinating reality.  A different reality.  Nikola Tesla.  Leonardo da Vinci.  Marilyn Monroe. Stephen King. That guy on the sidewalk with the guitar and the hat filled with loose change and a dollar bill.  The little girl sitting in that desk at the school, staring out the window and finding herself somewhere completely separate from the shared reality of her desk in her classroom. The pastor of the church down the street. The woman who is beaten by an angry man nearly every day. The single parent struggling to raise children on their own. The performer who spends their life on Broadway under a spotlight. The politician...

I wondered how far realities stretch... there are some people who are so far gone from our shared reality that they are labeled insane; unfit for society.  What a different world is their reality! How far do they all go; our realities... and how much are really shared? Is there more of one than there is of the other... our own individual realities and our shared realities? If we are in one more often than we are in the other, how does it shape our lives? Is it easy for most people to keep that line between the two, drawn - to keep them separated? Do they blend and mesh for everyone?

How much do we have control over, and how much can we change? What about what we can't see and those things that aren't tangible?

I know I could change a lot of my shared reality; and I could change quite a bit of my own individual reality... what I think, what I believe, what I say, how I live, what I do, what dreams I allow myself to indulge in, and what I refuse to accept in my life. 

Every single one of those actions and indeed, even every inaction, has that ripple effect that changes our lives and the lives of those around us (and then in turn the lives around them... so many degrees of separation later), and really impresses the significance of the incomprehensibly dynamic world of controlled chaos that we live in. 

...and that's about when the hot water ran out.

Holding On To The Real Thing

A friend of mine recently got a Kindle for her birthday.  She was very excited and reports that it is one of the best things she's ever gotten.  I was surprised, as she's an avid reader, and I expected that she would miss reading real books. 

She said she thought she'd miss them, too, miss turning the pages... but she's found that she doesn't, and is thrilled with her new electric book.

I am of another opinion.

I love to lose myself in every aspect of a real book.  The introduction; I love the look of the book; it draws me in closer, and I examine if from all sides.  The first touch; texture is enormously important... the feel of it underneath my fingers; sometimes course, sometimes gently worn, and the pages! Oh... the pages, some thick, and when I'm lucky, roughly hewn around the edges, or thin... like a parchment, delicate as a flower petal.  Open it up and examine the inside; the style of the font and layout of the words that splay across the pages, like the skeleton of the body held in my hands, about to be fleshed out with the story that all of the words create.  Breathing it in... the smell of a book is paramount; it tells age, care, quality... a whole other story altogether.  

Familiarity attained, I find a comfortable cozy place to curl up and lose myself in the story between the covers.  As on any journey, the first few steps are taken as there is yet another introduction, and the first few pages are turned, but before long, I am one with the characters, and hand in hand, we head out into their world, to share every experience until the last page has been turned and we take our leave of each other with the closing of the book, and the end of the story. 

I somehow cannot find this experience with Kindle. I know it's great to have the convenience (is there anywhere you could take a Kindle that you couldn't take a book? The only power resource needed for a book is the imagination and a functioning brain...) and I know that we are progressing forward technologically.  But what of libraries, whose hallowed halls I hold in a reverence on par with that of any giant old cathedral? I do not expect retrograde motion... I know that Kindle is here to stay, and it's a good option for some people.  But I suspect that it will be all the rage for a while, and then, in time to come, something nostalgic and sweet will happen...

I think it will be the same thing that happened with cd's and records.  Records made a comeback.  There's nothing like listening to an old album, with the soft rustling scratch that accompanies the songs as the needle winds it's way around and around from the outside in.  Many friends have smiled with fond sentiment when I put an old Beatles album on and we listen to the way it used to be.  

So too, will be the way of books, perhaps, in years to come.  Friends will slide them off of my shelves and open them with a reminiscent gaze, gently touching the pages, turning them slowly, and thinking how wonderful it was, once upon a time, to explore endless worlds in this way.  

It's The Great Pumpkin!

Mid October a few years ago, I found myself feeling inspired and crafty and standing in the aisle at the supermarket, paging through a holiday magazine looking at those fancy schmancy pumpkins that are carved into amazing Jack O'Lanterns.

I decided that it didn't look that difficult and that I ought to make one. The timing was good, a couple of weeks before Halloween. It would last, I thought. This couldn't be that difficult, I was certain.

I bought a good size pumpkin, parked myself on a large towel on the garage floor on a sunny afternoon with the garage door open and the radio on and went to work. Cleaned it out, carved the lid, and then prepared to make my image.

I pulled out a Peanuts color book and found a great image of Snoopy that would be perfect on a pumpkin.  Snoopy is requisite Halloween subject matter, considering The Great Pumpkin.  I taped it to the pumpkin, took a toothpick and poked dots all along the lines that needed to be carved out; sort of a 'carve along the dotted line' idea.  Dotting done, I removed the color book page and set to work with my special pumpkin carving knife.

At first, things seemed to be going well and I was fairly pleased with the results... but then I overestimated the carve and tried to fix it with extra toothpicks pushed into the inside side of the pumpkin and superglue.  A word to the wise... superglue does not work on pumpkins.  It does, however, work very well on fingers, paper towels, cloth towels and plastic carving knives.  

In the end, I was relegated to carving my usual simple Jack O'Lantern face into a new pumpkin. 

I'll leave the fancy carving to the pros!
  

Have a Happy Halloween!

 

One for Viaggiatore



 

A Snoopy for me

 



Choose An Identity

I was leaving a comment on a friend's blog yesterday, when I paused for a moment to look at the phrase, 'Choose an identity' under the comment box.  I could use my blog pseudonym, OpenID, a name/url or be annonymous.  Choose an identity.  Decide who it is that I wish to portray myself as to the world at large.  It made me smile and wonder about all the identities I would choose, if given the opportunity to do so.

I would choose to be so many people.

A secret spy with no identity at all; 00Charlie's Angels

A right hand to Martin Luther King Jr., marching alongside him

An adventuring archaeologist (ala Lara Croft)

A nameless member of the Peace Corps serving 3rd world countries

An ingenious inventor in a secret lab, creating brilliant wonders that would change the future of the world for the better (ala Tesla, Einstein, Franklin, Edison, DaVinci)

An elementary school teacher

A professional dancer (ballet/ballroom)

Sherlock Holmes

A student of DaVinci; while he was living

A race car driver

An Air Force fighter pilot

A painter who lives by the sea and sells my art on the docks, and/or in Paris, in Montmartre, selling paintings on the sidewalk

A photojournalist who travels the world and creates images of humanity and culture, printed in Natl Geo, Life and Time, whose photos give the world a reason to change the way we all live

A novelist who has the luxury of writing for a living; while living all over the world

...oh the list could go on for a while. 

Who would you be, if you could choose an identity?

Wordless Wednesday

Introspective Reflecting

I stayed up until 5:30 this morning, engrossed in fiction that had my rapt attention, and then I forced myself to take a nap before I got up to go to work.  I don't normally stay up that late (or, rather, early)... but it does happen from time to time.  There is a domino effect that follows, of course.  I'm tired, I give less than a stellar effort in my work throughout the day, my interactions with people are subdued and they receive less than my best, and I've heard that we never actually catch up on the sleep we lose, although I've tried!

I've not reached a point in my life that I've been seeking to get to for a long time.  One of balance.  One where everything actually works the way it's supposed to.  Sometimes I imagine a mirror image of myself, living a parallel life just the other side of some translucent barrier I can almost see and touch (thanks Hollywood for the air/water/energy force field filmy see-through image in my brain).  It's the same me, living my life, but living it the way I always wish I could.

I see the Scarlett who gets out of bed early every morning, goes to the gym every day, gets everything done on time, always says the right thing, always does the right thing, the one whose morals and integrity are always intact, the one who remembers everyone's birthday and sends the right cards and gifts, the one who keeps the spotlessly clean home, the one who finishes everything she starts, the one who is unfailingly reliable, the one who does it right, all the time, every time, the way that I mean to and just can't seem to do.  Sometimes I imagine her looking through that otherworld barrier at me, as I do her, and we regard each other.

She wonders at my life of chaos and passion and rushing about, at my spontaneity, at my self indulgence and all the extremities that are a constant in my life; everything as far as I can take it all the time, and over the edge more often than should happen.  I wonder at her perfection, at her stability and constancy, at her ability.

We are both at a loss, because each of us has qualities that the other would need for a truly full and perfect life.  We both have strength, dedication, and drive.  We are both passionate about what we do, but because we are not one person, because there is no combination of our lives, we are each leading a life that is unbalanced.  How I wish, almost daily, that she and I were one person.  I wonder how different my life would be if we were one person... my pseudo other me and I.  For now I will just keep seeking the balance between us... that place where we'd be if we were ever really able to meet and change everything.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

From Hogwarts to America: Welcome To Avistrum

It seems that almost everyone knows this young man and his friends...




The story of Harry Potter enthralled readers around the world. Then, the movies came out and the fascination with his world and story knew no bounds!

What a great escape! Wouldn't it be incredible to go to school HERE:

Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to step into the story and be able to be part of it?

Unfortunately, we can't all live close enough to Hogwarts Academy to attend.

Fortunately... there were some witches and wizards who created a sister academy to Hogwarts, right here in America.

Welcome to Avistrum Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Avistrum began humbly (as all things do); it started as a fan table at a convention in Denver.

It has since grown to epic proportions.

What Avistrum really is:

Avistrum is a very dedicated non-profit interactive theatre group that has created a way for people of almost every age to use their imagination and step into the world of Harry Potter to play for a bit. It begins with the Avistrum website. This is a forum where the school exists online and where one can create a student and interact with professors and other students within the school, online, and follow various storylines.

...but then the magic happens!

What Avistrum becomes at showtime!:

Twice a year, the school materializes for real and the whole thing comes to life. There are 4 houses; replicated after Hogwarts in the same colors you knew from those stories. Parador (Gryffindor), Enigmus (Ravenclaw), Lobostro (Hufflepuff) and Colubrae (Slytherin). Each of the 4 houses has a House Ghost and a Head of House. There are several Professors, a nurse, a groundskeeper & keeper of keys, a Quidditch Coach for the 4 house Quidditch teams, a librarian, 4 house prefects, 2 Head Boys, there is a Deputy Headmistress, and of course, the Headmaster of Avistrum Academy.

The spring show at Starfest in April, is a small sampling of what is to come in the fall. There are classes to attend, crafts to make, all the staff is on hand, faces can be painted and photo ops are taken on the Quidditch pitch with real Quidditch equipment. This is also where the Tri-Wizard Tournament is held every year for claim to the coveted cup!

It is a glimpse into the real deal that comes 6 months later...

The school semester is held at MileHiCon (lasting one weekend in October) and Opening Ceremony begins on Friday night with a sorting ceremony, and all the new students are sorted. There are always many returning students who flock to the opening ceremonies as there is always a new part of the actively running storyline that happens in real time in real life for the students to be part of... and it unfolds!

All weekend there are classes, some of which have been: Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Charms, Divination, History of Magic, Muggle Studies, Defense Against the Dark Arts and in the last couple of semesters; Dueling (which is enormously popular). During the weekend and during the classes, the students learn valuable lessons - while simultaneously the Villain(s) are skulking around the school causing trouble and making mayhem of all sorts... but the students are wary!

Moments of (scripted) drama that are played out by the faculty and staff, keep the students participating in the ongoing and unknown story - until (after the final Quidditch match on Sunday) the Villain tries to do their dastardly deed and is foiled and defeated by the students! Everything they've learned all weekend is something that enables them to win the battle!

The current storyline has actually been put into video with quiet a bit of excitement coming this weekend at Starfest when some unprecedented secrets will be uncovered and chaos will ensue!

Headmaster Dowling is defending Professor Kraven Bloodthorne in a trial before the Wizengamot (wizard judges) who are charging him with several crimes that he does not remember committing. Students will be able to watch this trial live on the Wizarding News Network (TV) in between classes this weekend. Their classes will focus on proving Professor Bloodthorne innocent.

In this video, we see Professor Kraven Bloodthorne, who has been locked up in Alcatraz Wizards Prison, being interrogated by Wizarding Senator Oswald Kensington; who is no stranger to the halls of Avistrum Academy. Kensington has caused all kinds of trouble at the school. Headmaster Dowling comes to rescue Professor Bloodthorne just in time... the trial this weekend will definitely be something to watch!

It is an incredibly fun way for children (and their adults) to pretend and use their imaginations. It is an opportunity for new friends to be made, for old friends to play together, for some to escape into a world they would rather be in and for others to expand their skills at acting.

In a few days, Viaggiatore and I will give you a photo sampling of the staff, students, classes and some of the exciting drama that has unfolded over the last few years. It's been quite an adventure, and the truly exciting depths of the Tales of Avistrum are yet to unfold!

Sailing Ships

'A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why ships are built.'



Ships are built to sail out into the wide open world, into possibility, into the unknown and whatever that might bring. We have a fleet of ships, in our lives. Some of them we keep docked at the pier, never trusting enough to let them go where they might, and some ships are sent off into the wide open world, to see what the journey might bring.

What a wonderful metaphor for life. What an apropos metaphor for living, indeed. Do you have balance in your life? Some of your fleet of ships kept at home, some let out into the Bay of Certainty and a few of the strong sturdy vessels that you have faith in are sent into the Sea of Possibility...

Do you allow for stormy tempestuous seas? Do you keep going with a weather eye on the horizon? When your journey becomes treacherous, do you turn back or ride the waves as they are crashing around you, until you've reached calm waters again?

There is always the chance that your ship will sink... but what wonders and experiences would you miss if you never left the safety of your shore?

In venturing out beyond our safe boundaries, we discover, we adventure, we learn and we grow. It is not always pleasant, but that makes the smooth sailing all the more wonderful, and it makes the voyage well worth it.

What an opportunity to be able to go, to have the ability to set the sails and explore what we do not yet know. What a treasure in that chance alone. Life is much too short not to try, not to seize the day... carpe' diem indeed. Take from every moment what can be gotten, more than you expect, and give that back tenfold without ceasing. Live it to its fullest, without limits; for we only create for ourselves most of the limits we have.

Viaggiatore and I wish you calm seas, sunny days, clear sparkling nights, and more adventure than you can ever imagine, with a gentle tide to bring you home at time's end.

The Esprit de Corps of Muses

It is Viaggiatore's 2nd birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIAGGIATORE!!

My goodness, has it been two years already? My how time flies.

Two years ago, Seamus offered up 48 lions for adoption; an act that made both the adopter and the lion, members of The Shameless Lions Writing Circle. So began a journey of friendship, writing and travel for Viaggiatore and I.

Viaggiatore is my muse, my inspiration, and always my delight. He has never failed to bring a genuinely happy smile to my face every time I see him. We have written quite a bit, traveled so many places and met several wonderful friends. Time is continually improving our bond, moment by moment.

He is, to me, the 10th Muse.

There were nine, originally, according to ancient Greek mythology. He's in the good company of these ladies:

Calliope: she is the muse of epic poetry, her emblem is the writing tablet.

Clio: is the muse of history, and her emblem is the scroll.

Erato: who is the muse of lyric poetry, symbolized by the cithara.

Euterpe: the muse of music (which is also the etymology of that word), and whose emblem is the aulos.

Melpomene: the muse of tragedy; she carries the tragic mask.

Polyhymnia: the muse of choral poetry, whose symbol is the veil.

Terpsichore: she is the muse of dance, and her emblem is the lyre.

Thalia: the muse of comedy who carries the comic mask.

Urania: the muse of astronomy, whose emblems are the globe and compass (she is our favorite of the nine, of course).