Second Life is where to be!

I know 2020 changed all of our lives in so many ways. From wearing masks and isolating to learning and working virtually. 

One thing that has not changed is Second Life. It is still here and better than ever. Many people from the past logged back on to see if we are still here and yes we are. 

If you are thinking of logging into Second Life here is a great place to start. The Retreat and the Retreat Gallery. I created some new art inspired by Covid. No worries you will be safe here and no mask is really required unless you want to wear one.

I do want to let you know that my heart goes out to all people who were affected by Covid. Know that you are not alone, we are all in this together and together we can overcome even the worst of things. This may take a little time, but in the meantime let's get together and explore the wonderful virtual world of Second Life. Anything is possible here.

I truly believe that being in Second Life has helped me as a teacher to adjust so much faster to the virtual teaching approach than if I never had that experience. I am thankful for that because Google Classroom and the hundreds of zoom meetings do not feel as bad anymore.

Whenever I am asked to provide some of my art in a zoom meeting I always share pictures I took in Second Life and people never have anything bad to say. In fact what I do hear is: Oh this is so beautiful, it looks so realistic, it is amazing. And you know what, they are right. 

Come see me today in Second Life at the Retreat and the Gallery and if you want to dance and hear music, just go down to the Basement Club, there are daily sets with DJs M-F starting at 6PM (PST).

The Golden Hour!

I hope by now everybody has arrived in the new year and is ready to face all the challenges that are ahead of us.

So I was in the middle of this dream and then I woke up and the world changed almost overnight. People started to come out of their homes ( a little bigger than they were before they were isolated ) and smiled and they started to hug again. Children played outside and went to school. Restaurants were open and men took women on dates and after to the movies to watch "The end of the world". It was all surreal and just like that I woke up and realized it is 2021 and not much has changed. People still hate as always and now even more so.

“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.“
Most haters are stuck in a poisonous mental prison of jealousy and self-doubt that blinds them to their own potentiality. It is really best not to give them too much attention, it would be as foolish as walking over a cliff and have someone pull you down. I imagine people hang on to their hate so stubbornly because if they let go they may actually have to deal with life. Let us make 2021 better and stronger and leave the hate behind. Let go of it!!!

In order to read from the past, you have to open your eyes and look and not hide behind the blindfold that was put on you. How will you know you are in the right place if you are blind?

“Once in a golden hour, I cast to earth a seed. Up there came a flower, the people said, a weed.“
Alfred Tennyson

There is so much more to discover in your life so get ready and open your heart to love and everything that goes with it. Although we may have to isolate ourselves we still can be in Second Life where it is safe. You can hug there and masks are not required. Just think of the shopping events and how close people stand together? (almost on top of each other) That is all good here.

I am working on a new project for my gallery at the Retreat, so be ready it should be all done in a week or so. 

In the meantime have an open mind and open eyes and send those with a hateful heart back into 2020.

Happy New Year!!!

 

I found the motherload for the new year right here in Second Life.

What is new for 2021?

I do hope the new year brings lots of exciting adventures to you. I like to learn a new skill and hopefully this time I will actually complete it. Maybe make some more Second Life Videos or since this was a tip of a "friend" use Second Life as a teaching tool for my classroom. Who knows, it may be fun.

I like the fact that our New Year's Eve Party was celebrated in the realm of close friends. It was calm and quiet just like in Real Life and there is nothing wrong with that. You don't always have to have gigantic parties.

Avoiding stress is probably one of the main focuses for 2021 because there was so much of the negative in 2020. I still feel extremely lucky to have friends that I really cherish in second life that I also call friends in real life. Who would have known that logging in on a daily basis would produce a long-lasting friendship? 

I don't want to make a bunch of resolutions that will fail in the first month. You know the ones that you set and you know you will never do. Instead, I like to use my time in Second Life in a more productive way. Maybe create more, take more pictures, meet more people whatever it will be I want it to lift my spirit and in the long run help others find their laughter and joy.

Happy New Year!!!

Luck of the Germans!

Penguins symbolize dreams, adaptability, dual-natures, closeness, family, and spirituality.

I hear many people already saying Happy New Year and the new year is not quite here. In Germany, it is considered bad luck to wish Happy Birthday or Happy New Year before the day actually has arrived. We say " Guten Rustch ins Neue Jahr", which means have a good slide into the new year.

In Japan, the peacock is linked with a Buddhist divinity.
It carries the values of kindness, goodness, love, care

The Good Luck Pig or Glücksschwein comes in a marzipan form in Germany and is considered to bring good luck and usually you see many of these piggy treats during the time before the new year. 

The ladybug is a Christian symbol of luck. In German, it's called Marienkäfer. Ladybugs can have up to seven black spots on their red wings and in German-speaking countries (well, many western countries) the number 7 is considered lucky. To this day many Germans believe you’re in luck when a ladybug lands on you!  You will find them made out of chocolate or attached to the lucky new year pig.

We consider it good luck to see a chimney sweep (der Schornsteinfeger). And you’re even luckier if you get to turn one of the silver buttons on his black uniform – which is why plenty of German chimney sweeps are missing buttons that have got torn off in the process.

However, you celebrate the upcoming new year and the symbols that create good luck I do with a perfect slide into the new year...make it a smooth one.

Fireworks: Noisemaking and fireworks on New Year's Eve (Silvester)
are believed to have originated in ancient times when noise and fire
were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck.

May the Ox kick the Rat out of sight

Wishing for a better year!!!

The year 2020 really made no sense at all. I mean think about it, what happened? From doing our daily business, we now have been locked up since March. That is 9 months. I once heard you can't milk a donkey if you don't have a bucket. That was kinda like 2020.

As the year of the rat comes to an end we can only hope that the new year of the ox will bring us some well-deserved prosperity. 2020 was the year of the Rat. According to Chinese astrology, people in their zodiac year are believed to offend Tai Sui, the God of Age, and incur his curse. It is believed to bring nothing but bad luck. We know that was true, not only did a virus infected the entire planet, we also stayed home away from family and friends.

If we go by that the year of the Metal Ox brings career advancement, success in business, prosperity, and wellness for all zodiac signs. The Ox year of 2021 is under the influence of the metal element, just like the Year of the Rat 2020. This year predicts new career opportunities, so don't let anxiety or negative thinking affect you.

Don't give up on your dreams.

Here are some wishes friends from the Basement Club wished for:

1. Medea Frostbite: Happy holiday from medea! I hope 2021 doesn't suck as much :-)
2. Anjelikka Resident: Let us all be united and create peace for all people!
Happy Holiday...Stay Safe
3. Ohtra Resident: Merry Christmas and a Happy New year 2021. May it be better than the last.
4. CaseyCruz Resident: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I resolve to be quieter in 2021!
5. americanheroxoxo Resident: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
6. dandidlion Resident: Merry Christmas Holiday to Basement Club and Anjelikka! My home away from home
7. Alicia Czukor: Happy Holidays!
8. Electralaura Resident: Happy Holidays and all the best for 2021. What an awful year only kept sane by you wonderful people and the fun we have had. I hope for many more fun times and happiness in 2021. Hugs, Laura
9. Grumbachr Graymark: In an extraordinary year, I’ve been grateful for the extraordinary friendships made here at the Basement.…. thank you. And cheers to new beginnings!

Join us!!!

It is great to have second life to come together during this year...it was a blessing full of laughter, hope, friendships, and the experiences of how we cope.

Do you love music or need friends why not join our Auditory Refugees Discord group.

Just click the below button and join or on the link above. There should be something for everybody, you never have to worry about being alone. 

Merry Christmas, Mom!

May you shine like the brightest star on this Christmas Night.
 
Santa, do you know where heaven is?
Maybe your reindeer know the way.

For I have a special present
I need delivered on Christmas day.

For Christmas is a time for sharing
With those, we hold so dear.
Please take this gift, with all my love
For an angel who's no longer here.

It's wrapped up in all our memories
We once shared from the past.
The ribbons and bows are all our dreams.
Inside there's a broken heart.

It's such a special parcel.
Please Santa, don't delay.
I would love it to be in heaven
In time for Christmas day.

The Belvedere Hotel

The Belvedere Hotel was built in 1882 and was a popular attraction for the adventure-minded for many decades. Some say the road to the hotel is the scariest they’ve ever driven with steep cliff drop-offs on every corner. This once-thriving hotel where even Pope John XXIII was said to be a frequent visitor is now closed until further notice.

Lucky for us here in Second Life, you can now own your very own Belvedere Hotel and you can find it at the Collabor88 Event made by MilkMotion. You can go and view a demo there or look at the Flickr page for more information. It is absolutely stunning and if you never been in the alps you will feel that you are there. 

It is rather uncanny, isn’t it? A hotel built where? Up in the sky in the back of beyond. Truthfully, no one really knows for sure how and why it was built. What’s well established is that it was built right after the mountain pass was completed, probably as a lounge for people who wished to escape and enjoy the silence, or attend one of the many lavish parties held inside. So this might answer the question as to why it was built. Or maybe it was meant to be a resting place for the mountain workers, but, in no time, the charming location and what it offers in terms of isolation and excellence inspired the elite to climb the scenic road.

Located in one of the snowiest regions in Switzerland, the Furka Pass, connecting the cantons of Uri and Valais in the country’s south-central region, is considered to be one of the “most iconic, exhilarating, and exciting drives” through the Swiss Alps. When I was a child we went to this real glacier in the alps. Although we never stayed in the hotel or ate in the restaurant, I remember it was breathtakingly beautiful. Finding this here in Second life brought back a little piece of childhood to me. Thank you to the builder Marie Lauridsen who created this.