Showing posts with label PonchoMeg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PonchoMeg. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

A 2014 Modern Bohemian Lifestyle in Review and What 2015 May Bring to this Hippie Bohemian Free-Spirit


2014 was an interesting year. As it usually goes with me... it was not quite as I expected. But much good came out of 2014. Just a few of the amazing things that happened included me getting ordained twice over, getting in the best shape of my life thus far, working on another movie, performing at the Renegade Theatre Festival, performing solo at an amazing charity event (Tori Saves Christmas) and of course, starting The PonchoMeg Program to help people with their health and fitness goals, promote meditation, peace and love, positive thinking therapy, and dancing free, and provide helpful products as well as resources for fitness, healthy eating, alternative medicines, holistic medicines, green living, and much more!

 Want even more good news? Well, I've got it! My 2nd nephew was born in 2014 and I got to meet him in person not long after he was born even though he lives super far away from me, so that is amazing. I flew on a plane for the first time in over fifteen years and spent great time with my family in Washington state.

What else? Well, my mom and I enjoyed our annual summer vacation and spent a few days in Grand Rapids. I met a lovely homeless man outside the Amway Grand Hotel one night while on that trip, and I cherish the conversation we had as we smoked cigs together with the night lights of the city sparkling around us.  I also went to Grand Rapids for ArtPrize with my Mom and Dad. I love seeing all the amazing art and reading what the artists have to say each year. Seeing a city so alive with creative energy is also a great feeling in itself. Glorious. I met a guy working for Greenpeace whilst wandering around from exhibit to exhibit who was super excited to know that I already contribute donations and time each year to the cause! It felt good to receive his praise, not gonna lie!

I had some decent success online with my writing (until a bunch of websites fell through on promises or got shut down or merged with other companies, that is...), I had some good modeling work and got a lot done on some scripts I'm writing. I joined in two world meditations for peace and had some amazing experiences doing so, some of which involve visions of a blooming purple lotus and love energy entering and leaving my body. Intense, right? It was spiritually freeing and amazing!!! What else, what else...


Well, for Halloween, I was Amy Pond. It was actually a last minute decision on the morning of Halloween, but it was so much fun. And though most people didn't guess who I was right away (Now, if I'd had a Doctor...) when I told them, they were like, "Wow! Yeah! You look like her!" Maybe it's just the red hair and the amazing sense of style and awesomeness that both Amy Pond and I seem to possess. Anyway, it was great. I went party hopping this year and ended my night watching a few friends play in a band at a bar I sometimes frequent with a few other friends and a few more drinks. It was a blast.

 But before Halloween, much happened. (After too, to think of it, as my sister visited for the holiday season with her family and there were of course holidays...) But it just seems like a lot of changes happened before Halloween. Maybe I should go back to the beginning.

Or Tarantino it, and skip all around so that you have to piece together my crazy bohemian year. Somehow.

Did I mention that I had a few poetry readings? I should have worn my awesome hat I got at the Civil War Muster in Jackson, MI.

 
That's the one!! I love it!  I absolutely love big hats, and I started to get a bunch in 2014 and plan to get bunches more in 2015. Big hats and big hair are two major loves of mine! 

Speaking of loves... As anyone who reads my blog, or follows me online, or knows me knows - I love music. I love singing, writing songs and lyrics, playing instruments (like trombone, piano, ukulele, tambourine, etc.), performing on stage, all of it!  Back in 2011, I was lucky enough to become a member of the band The Sunset Club. We broke up after only roughly 2 years, but in 2014, we came back together for a reunion show and a hopeful comeback. It was awesome, at first. I love these guys, and playing with them can be a lot of fun because they can ROCK! But there is more to being a great band than having fun and rocking hard on stage. So unfortunately for us, the reunion show was the last thing that The Sunset Club did before we broke apart again. I am very grateful for the time we did have, for the music we made, for the crowds we connected with, and for the lessons we learned though. 





But even before The Sunset Club had its turmoil, my family had some.
My Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and early on in 2014 had surgery. It was a hard time for all of us, especially as in my immediate family, there is only Mom and the two of us kids and my sister is far, far away. So it was just Mom and me. I was up at the hospital every day, I brought Dad toys and crosswords and scratch tickets to pass the time. When he got out, I helped him and my Mom with a lot. Luckily, I had the time to do it, having been recently fired from a daycare job because of my chronic illness (yeah, pretty illegal, I know... but if you knew the situation, you would know that their asses were covered and there was nothing I could do. So I chose gratitude. Losing that job gave me time I needed to help my family.)

But the problems didn't stop with the cancer.  I won't go into details because it is not my place to announce the details of my family's troubles to the world online. But I will just say, that I felt very tested by life in 2014.  I learned a lot from all the tests though; about my own resilience and strength, about real love and respect, about finding positivity and light in even the darkest of nights, and about being truly grateful for the good, and the bad, and all the in between...

On that note, let's leave 2014 in the past and look to the year we are currently in : 2015!

It's crazy that it is 2015 already, right? I still remember everybody freaking out about Y2K like it was yesterday. Sometimes, I swear it's still the 90's.

But at the same time, a lot has changed since then, and I often feel as though I have lived several different lifetimes in the span of just under twenty years. How does that work??

Anyway... 2015!! (Focus Meagan, focus...)



Already 2015 is going pretty well for me (even with some awful chronic pain and chronic illness issues). I have gotten a lot of writing done, I am working on trying to get a movie I wrote made, AND I started a Kitsy Lane jewelry boutique (which I had been meaning to do through most of 2014.)





If you sign up as a customer, you can be notified of amazing discounts and deals. Pretty groovy, huh?

If you want to open your own boutique for FREE, I would love to have you on my team this year! Follow this link to OPEN YOUR OWN JEWELRY BOUTIQUE for FREE!

I hope to do a lot more music, art, writing, acting, modeling, and volunteering this year. I also hope to spend even more time helping others with fitness, health, and spirituality goals. I want to learn as much as I can and deepen my spirituality through meditation, and I want to spend more time with friends, family, and other loved ones as well. 

I'm off to a really good start on that last one!! I already inspired a friend of mine to have a viewing party for The Backstreet Boys documentary! And YEAH, I went! It was awesome hanging with gals I've been pals with since middle school (or even earlier with some of them!!) and the kids of those who were parents. Plus, watching BSB is always good. I have also been talking on the phone and Skyping with my nephews out in Washington much more often, as well as spending good time with my Dad and Mom. My whole family even got together for a Skype party for my youngest nephew's first Birthday. Technology is amazing...

You know what else is amazing? Well, who I suppose... 
Nuno Bettencourt, that's who! I love him, and I got to see him LIVE with my Love, Will and a few of our close guy friends at Firekeepers Casino in Battle Creek, MI with his band Extreme. It was so fantastic. We sang along to "More than Words" and it was seriously magical. What an amazing experience. 

And 2015 just got started!!! 

So what else does 2015 have in store for me though? I don't know...
 And that's okay. 
I am off to meditate and enjoy this beautiful life in this beautiful year. 
2015 - I love you! Let's rock this!


Peace and Love to ALL!!
Meagan

Monday, October 22, 2012

Living (and Losing) in the Crazy Bohemian Life


Once again, it has been a long while since I've been on the blog to update you all on this crazy, bohemian life of mine. But I had to get back here; I had to get back to all my online work...
In the past few weeks I have received several emails, youtube messages, etc. from people all over the world who want to talk with me about my online writing, living the bohemian life, & how they can embrace a lifestyle & attitude like mine as their own. It's made me realize again just how important my online work is to me... I want to help people. I want to show that being a hippie, bohemian, free-spirit can be a positive thing. I want to spread peace & love to the world. And, on the selfish end, I want people to know me, see me, share in my love of art & music & creativity & innovation, & truly know me. Even if I am a stranger, I want the world to know my heart.

So here I am...

Why have I been away so long? Well, to be honest, I have let the demands of the "real world" take control of my life. Working two "real" jobs in addition to my writing & music, working 17-20 hours some days, & just basically working, working, working. This is not entirely a bad thing, as I have been building a brighter future financially, but it is a bad thing in the sense that I have not had as much time for my creative endeavors. But that is about to change, because if I keep my creative side restricted for too long I'll self-destruct in some way. I know this about myself.


So I am going to limit how much I work at my "real" jobs & focus more time on the following:

1. Finishing my Sci-Fi novel, "Alpha 7"
2. Finishing & publishing my second poetry book, "The Chaos that is Living"
3. Recording some music!!!
4. Writing more lists for List My Five
5. Updating the blogs
6. Writing more lenses on Squidoo
7. Helping others
8. Creating art

Not that I don't get satisfaction from my "real" jobs. They're good jobs. The first is as a line server at Qdoba. It's pretty awesome. I get to work with the public (which I love), I get to work with food (which I also love), & I get to work with some amazing people (who I definitely love.) The second is as a nanny. I work with two sweet little ones; teaching, playing, disciplining, inspiring, comforting... it is a true joy to me.  (I also still model, teach, & do extra work for movies & tv shows, just not as regularly.)

But "real" jobs cause me problems because I am not in full control of my destiny in a "real" job. How I do, how much I make, how far I advance, how I'm treated, & how much I am allowed to rock the boat are all determined by other people; higher ups, corporate big wigs, people in the right cliques... it frustrates me to no end. I NEED FREEDOM!

Maybe someday I will have all the freedom I need & I won't have to work "real" jobs anymore. That's the dream anyway...

 Before I go, I do want to share some sad news with you.

My sweet parakeet, Gumby, died recently. It was very sudden - he showed no signs of injury or illness.  He simply died, rather surprisingly, when I was gone at one of my jobs one day.

Gumby was a good bird. He  liked to sing with people, talk to birds outside, play birdie basketball & bowling, look at himself in mirrors, & fall asleep in shoes. He didn't bite, didn't scratch, & only made a fuss if you took him away from something he was enjoying. His favorite foods were millet, fresh lettuce, & honey treats. I called him my Gumby Goo & I loved him very much. I miss him a lot. So does Will. I think even the cats miss him. Ava & Zaneeta used to sit & watch Gumby, hang out with him, & occasionally get jealous of him if I paid him too much attention to him in front of them.  But they never hurt him; they never even tried to. And now, they look up at where his cage once sat with a strange cat version of sadness, disappointment, & confusion in their eyes... Sad.


We gave Gumby a funeral service of sorts out at my mom & dad's house & buried him next to my sweet Mya kitty & our doggies from when I was growing up, so at least we had some closure, & at least Gumby Goo has some great company.

But it is still so strange to be in our house & not hear Gumby's sweet songs drifting through the rooms...

I will be back soon. Very soon.
Peace & Love,
Meagan

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide 2011

It's that time of year again! The holidays are upon us it's time for us to do a little hippie, bohemian, free-spirit shopping. Whether you are the hippie, bohemian, or free-spirit or the people you buy for are, this guide can help you find all the best gifts for the holidays. You can even do a lot of your shopping directly from this blog! So sit back, relax, & enjoy as I present you with the Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide 2011.

BOHEMIAN HIPPIE GIFT GUIDE 2011

Gift Ideas

Books, Movies, Art, and Music
Ukulele
Leg Warmers
Lava Lamps
Glow in the Dark Stars
Pay for a friend or family member's recycling services for a year
Gift cards
Ponchos
Posters, and wall decals
Incense
Pipes, water pieces, vaporizers, one-hitters, grinders, and other "tobacco" paraphernalia
Tickets to a play, musical, art show, concert, festival, etc.
Door beads
Bean bag chairs
A variety of teas and/or coffees
Anything with peace signs on it



Homemade DIY Gift Ideas

Blankets, towels, scarves, purses, socks, hats, sweaters, slippers, etc. (crochet or knit)
Candles
Soaps, scrubs, body washes, lip balms, perfumes, etc.
Gift baskets
Artwork
An original song
Baked goods (sugar cookies, fruitcake, breads, etc.)
and so much more! Be creative!

Great Websites to Shop On

Helpful Resources


Charitable Giving Ideas


It's always a nice idea to give in your own name too. Perhaps you can donate to a local food bank, homeless shelter, or animal rescue this year. You can always donate to your favorite charities as well, during the holiday season and all year round.


I hope that this guide will help you out this holiday season, and I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful season of giving and sharing. Remember, it's not about the tangible gifts you can hold in your hand, but about the gifts of love you share between humanity, family, and friends.
Happy Holidays!

Peace and Love,
Meagan

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Wow...it's been awhile

Hello friends. Wow... it has been a LONG time since I updated the blog. This is probably for many reasons, some of which include just being super busy living, the fact that my blog was semi-hacked for a bit, & the fact that we have had issues with keeping our internet over the past few months. But I am here now, so I will give you an idea of what life has been like.

Well, back at the beginning of the summer I made an interesting choice to quit my job (with no back-up plan, really) because I was unhappy with the amount of work as compared to compensation, the wear & tear on my car, & the dishonesty that I had to endure (& be a part of) while I was there.  Maybe it wasn't the smartest choice just to pick up & quit, but it is what it is.

So to make ends meet, I donated plasma often, sold a lot of my stuff, taught music lessons, & began modeling for art classes at Michigan State University & for local photographers.  I also took my 403B money from when I was teaching & used it to pay lots of bills. But... I was (& still am) pretty broke anyway.

But even though I had no money & no prospects, I lived a happy existence.  I was in "Annie" at Riverwalk Theatre (as Bonnie Boylan, Cecille the French Maid, a homeless person in Hooverville, & an NYC resident), I made a lot of new friends, & I even entangled myself in a bit of a backstage chemistry with a charming & handsome 37 year old. I also went on an amazing getaway with my mom to The Homestead Resort in northern Michigan. We climbed Sleeping Bear Dunes, got massages at Spa Amira, had an elegant dinner at the fancy dancy restaurant at the resort (where I was charmed by a handsome waiter who looked kinda like Robert Downing Jr.) & visited the Amber Elk Ranch, where we got to feed Elk as we road on a wagon through their habitats. It was awesome.



In addition to all that fun & intrigue, I also became an official member of the band The Sunset Club. So I started gigging with them more & being more involved in the song writing process. (I even got to be on the radio with them for an interview & two live songs. AWESOME!) I also started working on my songs with Will (which we will be recording soon. I'll keep ya posted.)

(The Sunset Club after our radio interview/live set)

So the summer went by nicely, with "Annie" & the trip & The Sunset Club & just getting to hang out with all my new friends at parties, concerts, & incredibly fun (& occasionally wicked) bar nights. But when "Annie" came to a close, the weather began to change, & the 403B money ran out, I started to get a little depressed. It didn't help that Will & I were having problems either...

So what did I do? I broke things off with Will (with the condition that we could still date to try to work things out in the future), I did more modeling, taught more music lessons, & I got a new job as a nanny to two amazing kids!

That kind of gets us up to speed.  I am still working as a nanny, still teaching lessons, & still modeling. I am also taking more responsibility in The Sunset Club & gearing up to audition for another show at Riverwalk. So I am pretty happy, & grateful that I have what I do.  But I am a bohemian... so I simply crave more.


What more could I want you ask? Well... a job that pays better would be nice. Benefits would be nice (especially dental insurance as I need to get pretty much all my teeth capped.) I could really use a different place to live with fewer people coming in & out all the time. (Don't get me wrong... I love having people over. But sometimes it ends up feeling more like a hostel, a cheap motel, or some kind of "magnet house" for all the other poor hippies & it's just too much to handle.) I would also like to do more acting, singing, & modeling & of course finish my book!! I also want a garden someday soon... & a dog, & hopefully in the next few years, a baby. That's right, I said it. A baby. My sister & my best friend are both pregnant right now, so I know I have a bit of baby fever, but honestly I never imagined having my first kid past 30 anyway, & I'm getting close & it's making me worry that I won't ever be stable enough financially & romantically to have kids. So I'm thinking about it a lot.

I'm sure there's more.  But this is getting pretty long winded as it is.

I hope you feel a little more up to date on my crazy Bohemian lifestyle. Come back soon; I promise not too wait as long to write again.

Peace & Love,
Meagan

Monday, November 29, 2010

PonchoMeg's Thanksgiving Weekend of Greatness

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday (if you are in a place where you celebrate Thanksgiving that is... otherwise, I hope you just had a wonderful weekend).  My weekend was pretty stellar.

It all started on Wednesday for me actually, as I had to prepare my very own gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner to take to my mom and dad's house.  My mom bought me groceries so that I would be able to make it all, and I am so grateful for that.  So yes, Wednesday, I started cooking.  I made the GF spinach and artichoke dip and GF bread.  It was fun, and... a success!

On Thursday morning, I got up early, made half of my bread into gluten-free stuffing, stuffed my GF turkey (there is meat with gluten in it, believe it or not),  and got my turkey in the oven.  While it cooked, I did laundry, watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the dog show, did some writing, and reflected back on Thanksgivings from my past.  It was awesome!

Scene It? SquabbleFinally, once everything was cooked and ready, I hauled it out to my parents' house and got to have a nice, family dinner with my mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and Kiki (my parents neurotic but lovable calico cat).  We also watched home movies and played Scene-it Squabble (girls won!).  It was a great time.

Friday was fairly uneventful, but I did get to see my former roommate, A. (who I miss constantly) so that was cool.  Oh and I faxed my stuff back to the unemployment office again.  (Hopefully this time everything is clear and I can get paid.)

Saturday, we celebrated my dad's birthday early (his actual birthday is today) by taking him to see "Megamind" (WAY good movie, btw) and eating dinner at Outback Steakhouse . Why Outback?  Well, originally, we were going to go to Applebee's, but they don't have a gluten-free menu.  Outback does, and has great food all around.  Plus, my dad got a free Birthday sundae (and no singing or clapping, which, as someone who used to work in the food service industry, he finds to be embarrassing and degrading) so that was good.  After that, I got to hang out with my friend Chin and a few other friends and we watched The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard.  It is a WAY funny movie!  If you haven't seen it yet, check it out.

Days Gone ByeThat leads to Sunday.  Sunday was another awesome day. Will's parents took us to see the Children's Ballet Theatre production of "The Nutcracker".  And with that, the Christmas season officially started for me.  It was awesome.  Sunday night we hung out with some friends and watched "The Walking Dead," which, if you aren't familiar with it, is an amazing show on AMC.  I am so into it, but there's only one episode left in the season I think!  Ahh!! What will I do!?!?

Then this morning, I had an interview. An interview!!  Oh, I am so excited.  It's been awhile since I've had an interview, so that was amazing.  Not only that, but the place is awesome!  If I get the job, I will be teaching but without having to constantly fight for my job or for validation like I've had to do in the past as a music educator.  Wow... that would be so awesome...


Pilot [HD]Anyway, now I am home, ready to work on some writing (even if I get this job, I'll still be doing my writing).  But I also have to prepare for my second interview tomorrow. (That's right, they want me to come in for a second interview! Ahhh!!! :) haha)  Also on the agenda for tomorrow... watching myself on Detroit 1-8-7!  Yes, that's right: the episode that I was a part of is airing tomorrow at 10:00 pm (Eastern/Standard time) on ABC!  I am SOOOO excited!  If you watch Detroit 1-8-7, look for me and my car.  My car is a maroon/wine colored Saturn Ion that should be in some shots and I am wearing a goldish-brown dress coat over skinny jeans and a printed shirt.  Good luck spotting me! haha

Well, I think that's about it.  But before I go, I'll leave you with a few new websites to check out:








Here's to a good week. :)
Peace and Love,
Meagan

Friday, November 19, 2010

Peace & Love & Follow Friday

Hello all.  Well, it's been a pretty interesting week.  I'm learning the ropes of being poor and realizing how many things I took for granted the few times I have had money as an adult.  This is good, because one day, when I do actually have money again, I will know how to make it stretch AND I will be more grateful for all of the things that I will get to do that I can't do now (like... going to the movies or being able to buy craft supplies or going to P.F. Chang's or being able to buy things with cash instead of pennies...)  So yeah... it's definitely a good learning experience.


So what's been happening.  Well, I have been doing a LOT of writing.  Not a lot of sleeping.  And I've been hanging out with friends, cuddling with Ava Boo Boo, and just living my crazy Bohemian life. :)

And the Westboro Baptist Church came to town.  But not in great numbers.  Apparently, there were only about 3 of them outside of East Lansing High School yesterday. (I decided not to go so as not to give them any fuel for their fire.  I really do just want peace and love.)
In any case, the students showed them that we didn't need any hate coming from them in our community by doing their own peaceful counter-protest.  Read more about it here: NBC News Article on WBC in East Lansing


Anyway, on to today.  Well, today is Friday, and as some of you might know, Friday is "follow friday" on Twitter.  So, I, like many others, having been finding new people to follow today and promoting people to follow as well.  In my "follow friday" adventures, I found a lot of interesting websites to check out.  Here's what I came across:

Located in Ohio.  Seems like a neat place.  Plus, I gotta represent for anything "Great Lakes." haha

I get excited whenever I come across people trying to promote peace.  

I'm a follower!  I can't wait to read more.  It seems like there's a lot of stuff here to help people & the world.

One Life. One Planet. Live Deeply.  
I am definitely interested in knowing more...

I will definitely be spending more time on this site too.  Check it out if you want peace.

Clothing for people who love peace and love.

I know nothing about this site yet, but I like the idea of a record company promoting peace.  So yeah... I'll have to look into it more...

Heroes working for peace.  Awesome.

He appeals to me because he believes in sharing creativity, thoughts, and ideas on the web.

If you're looking for a new book, here's an author I came across today.

Musician / Geek / Thinker / Blogger

And these next two are not new finds, but two sites I just think you should check out. :)

Google offers helpful tools to communicate with people all over the world; even if they speak a different language.

My brand new website.  All about PonchoMeg: The Modern Bohemian on the web & in life.

And I really don't know what else to write about.  So I will leave you with all that for now.  Now, if you have any great sites about peace, love, creativity, giving, writing, hippies, bohemians, etc. that you like, please share them in the comments so I can check them out too. :)

Peace and Love,
Meagan


Monday, February 1, 2010

A San Francisco Reaction to the Westboro Baptist Church: AKA: A Creative Response to Hate

For those of you who are unaware of the Westboro Baptist Church, read about them on Wikipedia here.  Or you can look at their website, but I refuse to link to it.
Or you can just listen to my biased take on the WBC.  I think that they are giving a bad name to the Christian community because so much of what they do is about hate, not love and forgiveness as our man Jesus taught us. Plus, they simply walk all over public decency with their demonstrations.  Protesting at funerals and using words of hate and holding signs that say some of the most horrible, ignorant things (I have actual experience with this.  If you have not, count yourself lucky).
Recently though, the WBC turned up in San Francisco to do some protesting, not at funerals or anything, but at very public places including by the Golden Gate Bridge, outside a performance for Fiddler on the Roof, and at the San Francisco Bay Twitter Headquarters.  But what they were greeted by was not a mob of angry people, sick of them and their constant spewing of hate, but instead, by a group of people with a joke on their lips (and in their hands), love in their heart, and creativity on their side.  Hate, meet your protest challenger: Humor.
Please, read San Francisco's Answer to the Westboro Baptist Church by Ed Hunsinger to see more.
And please, whatever religion you practice, whatever group you may join, whether you are in the mainstream, the counterculture, or somewhere in between... try to remember that not everyone thinks like you. And that's OKAY!  And even if you want to try to change opinions... don't do it with hate.  I wish the people of WBC could remember that.
Peace and Love,
Meagan