GirlontheMoon

Things are Going Swimmingly!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:24:00 +0000

Hello all! This is a MoonGirl update!

I hate that I am going on these long breaks without writing, but things are happening so fast and I am actually blogging on two other sites...so I apologize that this one tends to go to the way-side.

Deek & Long continues to grow creatively, we have now teamed up with a bass player and a drummer from the band formerly known as "Hip Trigger". These guys are quite talented and together we ROCK! There has been a little controversy about what to NAME the band, because Andy wants to continue with Deek & Long, so's not to confuse the venues or the fans, but the new band members would like to be recognized and come up with a group name of sorts. I get that. Last night, (to lighten the mood) I blurted out, "Deek & The Longfellows!" No one really laughed...hahaha.

Anyway...I know we will come up with something everyone can live with.

We did make an offer on that house and we are in escrow. We had a little trouble with the loan paperwork which resulted in Andy firing his friend...that was a little unnerving. However, as far as I know we do have an FHA loan in process and we are closing escrow on November 20. If that happens as planned we will probably move the week of Thanksgiving...aiy yai! I had originally planned to rent my condo out to my girlfriend, but she found another place and moved there instead...so I have been searching for a renter. I know I will find someone who is realible and will take care of my home. It is all very exciting and a little nerve-wracking. There is a lot to do. Luckily, Andy and I work well together, we have a very compatible relationship.

Life is crazy! If you are interested in reading my other blogs about our plans for the new property, or about healing steps for an empowered life here are the links:
http://dilongranch.blogspot.com/
http://empoweredlife4u.blogspot.com/

6 Week Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Hi! Did you miss me? :)

Life has been go, go, go for quite awhile and I have not sat down to focus on a good blog post. Even now, I am not quite sure what to write about.

I guess what I would like to say is that many of my life-long dreams are manifesting before my eyes. It is almost like a flood, a tsunami of wishful thinking come to reality. I have found a wonderful man to spend my life with, he is kind, strong, (yet gentle), funny, talented, smart and naive...he not only loves me, but he loves my children and treats them as if they were his own. This is the most magical thing that has ever happened to me. I just adore this man.

With Andy's help, I have also realized my dream of staying home with my kids, I work at home promoting the band and I also have a few other creative projects in the works...some of them are too young to discuss at this time (yet to be actualized)!

Homeschooling is finally going well. Dante is feeling more confident, and is actually PASSING his courses this year. Julian has decided he is ready to go back to public school, which is fine by me...he is a very social kid and needs to be with others.

Andy and I also have a very active social life. This was something I always wanted when I was younger, but I never had the confidence to enjoy...we have friends. We get together and drink wine, play music, have dinner parties do backyard camp-outs...its very fun. Many of these people are friends of Andy's who have accepted me with open arms, but Andy has said that since he met me he has found many new friends in the Murrieta area and he just loves going out and networking as a couple.

I guess I should mention that 2 weeks ago Andy proposed to me. He had a ring designed for me (to my specifications) and included my kids in the proposal process. It was so sweet, I had to cry. The kids were totally into it, they were so excited afterwards they were bouncing off the walls. We have not quite decided on a date because...

We are also buying a house. Well, that's not a "for sure" but we have been looking for a few months and I think we found the property we are interested in. The house is not that big, its 2500 sq ft...a little bigger than my condo, and it sits on top of a hill with a breath-taking panoramic view in all directions. It is 4.5 acres, some fruit trees, gigantic boulders...and plenty of room to grow. We can pretty much do anything we want on this property. Andy is talking about putting an offer on it today, which is VERY exciting! At first I was very scared, I hemmed and hawed...and then I saw how excited Andy was about the whole thing. We both have very big dreams and we follow through on them. This property is exactly the kind of place where we could manifest these dreams.

ANYWAY...if we follow through and buy this house, we might be moving in before the end of the year and then we could plan our wedding. He had originally talked about Feb 14, but if we buy this house that might be a little soon. So, perhaps Spring would be best. Spring wedding. I like the way that sounds. :)

OK, I am off to dream. Loves to all, have a fabulous day!

I Am Done Bagging on Myself

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:20:00 +0000

Every week is an adventure. This is probably the most active and exciting time of my life. I am learning about myself, my downfalls, my strengths and weaknesses and I want to thank my blog readers for putting up with me during all this. For a few years I have been bragging on how I have healed so many issues and was helping others heal too...then it came to my attention that I still had a long way to go. Its all good though. I should not be so hard on myself. I have had the opportunity to see some frightening things over the past few weeks (months, years), and I realize that I am doing a pretty good job with my life. When it is time for me to leave this planet, I can look back and be proud of all the things I have accomplished.

Onward and upward. More positive blog posts in the near future!

Me and My Big Mouth

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Another one of my many flaws is that I have a very big mouth. In most social situations I am quiet and reserved, almost shy...but this is for a very good reason. When I start talking, I say ALL THE WRONG things. A few weekends ago I did it again, I said something I should not have said to one of my boyfriend's friends, and it started a wave of controversy. I had no idea I had done anything wrong until yesterday morning when Andy says to me, "we have to talk about something kind of serious." He told me what I had done, and I felt about 2 inches tall. I totally did not mean to cause trouble...I remember what I said and I said it because I was nervous and flustered. Once I explained it to him, he understood...because he is a sweet and understanding guy...but I still felt terrible the rest of the day. In fact, I am still feeling bad about it. It just goes to show that the subconscious is always lurking. I will probably never be free of the child who lives in my mouth and in the dark crevices of my psyche, but I have new insight that my conscious self is the more powerful of the two.

This experience also showed me what an amazing man Andy is. He is not afraid to talk to me about things that are uncomfortable, he does not use guilt or anger or passive aggresive behaviors to sidestep issues, he hits them straight on so we can get them out of the way. I really need to learn from this. I have a very hard time being direct. I am also going to learn to control my mouth and speak with a more conscientious voice.

Apology/Forgiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:35:00 +0000

The past few weeks have been eye opening for me. I have come to realize what a judgmental and egotistical person I have been despite my claims that I am open-minded and forgiving. This revelation came to me after I wrote that last post about The Bucket List.

I did not mean to put down those who write a bucket list. It just really bugs me when people say they want to do this or that before they die. This is a personal thing. I personally do not like to think about death or dwell upon it, let alone make plans for all the things I need to do before I meet my death. My dad died when I was young, and my first husband died before he turned 40...so I am acutely aware of my fragility as a human being. So, I put those thoughts and feelings in my back pocket. I make goals for myself and make a conscious effort to better myself at all times. Its not because I might die tomorrow, but its because I want to experience lots of stuff while I am here and feel comfortable in my body and be at peace with my soul. I am finally at a place in my life where I am not pining away for true love, a mansion, millions of dollars. I have this feeling that I have finally "arrived". I am the person I have always wanted to be, now I work on perfecting the flaws that remain...such as being judgmental.

Another thing that happened is that I started connecting with all my friends in High School on Facebook. I finally found my best friend David who I have been searching for for years. He sent me a personal message one day and told me that I had written him a letter years ago that was hurtful and he never forgot it. I do not even remember writing this letter. Sadly, I know I probably DID write it because I knew at the time I was extremely jealous of him for being intelligent and witty...he was the type of person who could do anything he wanted to do and succeed. He was always so confident and sure of himself, I was self absorbed, shy and needy. When I got accepted in a performing arts school, I know my ego exploded...I really thought I was the shit...and I was going to show EVERYONE, especially David, how successful I was going to be. Fast forward 25 years later...I never became a rich and famous actress, instead I struggled emotionally, financially and spiritually. I am finally in a happy place after all this time, and I realize how foolish, angry and jealous I really was of all the people who adored me. It is a bittersweet feeling to be reunited with my old friends. They are all wonderful people and they have accomplished so much in their lives. It is amazing.

Facebook has brought to my attention how many amazing people I have encountered in my life and what roles they have played throughout the years. I love them all dearly, and I am grateful for this opportunity to heal.

Bucket List

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:47:00 +0000

There is a lot of talk going around the networking sites and blogs about The Bucket List. I, for one, am pretty proud of myself...when I want to do something I pretty much set my mind to it and I do it. Of course I have some long term goals, but I still work toward them all the time...its not on a list somewhere in my dresser drawer.

Don't get me wrong, I am not snubbing those who have a Bucket List...in fact, my dreams and aspirations probably aren't as grand as others...for example, I have no dreams of jumping out of an airplane or taking an African safari. My dreams are mostly about peace and healing and being a strong/confident person.

One place I would like to go is to Peru to see Machu Pichu...that would be pretty cool. I have a feeling it would be a magical and mysterious experience.

Anyway, my current goal is to be a diligent partner for the love of my life, Andy Long. I want to make our home comfortable and loving, clean and prosperous. I am ready to learn a new craft, besides singing. I am ready to learn graphic design and promote our music and help other bands get some exposure as well. I think I can run a pretty successful business doing this from home while I homeschool my kids. I am starting right now by offering to help a few people who have been very generous to me the past two years by promoting their businesses, this will give me some experience and exposure in the promotions department and help build some momentum.

I am really excited about doing this because I can actually SEE myself doing it, I can be of ASSISTANCE to others. This feels like my niche, a way of using all of my talents and grow as a person. It will help me build confidence and a professional demeanor. Did I mention I am really excited?

Anyway, my Bucket List would look something like this:

-Be a good wife
-Be a good mother
-Build a loving and peaceful home
-Help others to heal and reach their goals
-Become a great singer in a band
-Build a business promoting my band, other local bands and businesses
-Learn Graphic Design
-Go to Machu Pichu

Dreams That Foretell My Future

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:13:00 +0000

I have been known throughout my life to have dreams that tell me what is going to happen in the future. I don't really call them psychic dreams, although most of them feel that way. I never quite know when or how these dreams are going to manifest into reality, and some of them are symbolic and not very specific as to what the ACTUAL EVENT will be. If you look back in my posts to about a year ago, you will see where I blogged about the tornado dream. Two tornadoes came and threatened my family, they destroyed everything around our property, but we were untouched and not hurt. In fact one tornado took me to another state, and I called my son to see if he was okay and he said "business is GREAT!" This dream was not very specific, but it gave me consolation that no matter what terrible things happen, my family and I will be fine and we will prosper. This dream came true. I have been working a few jobs, I met Andy and fell in love, we built the band project, I am learning to promote myself and BUSINESS IS GREAT. It was a nice touch how the dream tornado took me to a different state, because as it turns out, I am not in a place in my life that I never thought I would be. I am in love, going to be married soon and I am a housewife, a rockstar and working at home selling my band. Its awesome.

This is not the dream I am here to blog about, however.

About 13 years ago I was in a very bad place. My husband was very ill, we lost our house, we were drowning in debt, and our life was literally a living hell. I could not see the future. We lived each day in darkness, moment by moment. My stress level was so high I had constant headaches, backaches, stomach aches...it was horrible. One night, however, I had a very vivid dream that I lived in a tiny, cluttered house, but when I opened a door to what I thought was a closet, I saw before me a gigantic mansion with hundreds and hundreds of rooms. Everywhere I explored I found more rooms, it was my palace. The mansion was empty, and I was told that I could decorate it however I wanted. This was exciting news. When I woke up, I knew this was a message and insight to my future, but I did not know how it was going to come true. I had nothing, not even energy to get through each day...my sadness was beyond anything I could ever explain. I was not only destitute, I was hopeless.

Over the next few years, several things transpired. My husband died, I paid off my debt, I got a better job, I dated, I re-married and soon afterward I got divorced. My health was much better, and I had some money, but I still did not know how my dream was going to transpire. I often had similar dreams, where I lived in an apartment that expanded into many rooms, and I loved when those dreams came to me, because they let me know I was on the right track. I wrote, I sang, I did everything I could to be creative, but nothing actually manifested. I experienced frustration in relationships and my financial situation...I was spinning my wheels at my computer and starting to go back into debt. One day I decided to sit on my patio every morning and meditate. I am sort of an impatient person so meditating is difficult for me. I would spend about 10 minutes out there listening to birds and drinking in the cool morning air, it was great! Little by little I started receiving messages. First of all, my girlfriend told me to movemy fountain from the back yard to the front entrance of my condo. I did this, and within a week I had a job and started making money. When the fountain got dirty, the money stopped coming...so I would clean it and a new job came my way. Then I got another message to ask for a partner. I looked to heaven, and I said, "I am ready to receive help." That's when I wrote the ad to start a band and I posted in on Craigslist. Andy Long answered my ad and my life changed instantly. I now have a partner. I have never had a partner before. Andy is my partner in music, in parenting, in love...he supports me in everything I do and all that I represent, and I support him in the same way. Even though I have been married before and had several relationships...I realize that I have never had a partner before. It is a glorious feeling. I now fel that I have entered my empty palace, the spiritual mansion in my dream that I am now ready to decorate. The band is taking off, I get to write about it, sing, perform, and I will soon be taking graphics design classes so I can help promote other bands. It is a limitless opportunity to be creative and lucrative. I am so excited I can only begin to express...

Selling Me

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Wed, 27 May 2009 05:03:00 +0000

Well, it has happened. I have put myself to work selling "Deek & Long" and today I booked 5 gigs for the summer. To say the least, I am stoked. I made some calls, I sent some e-mails and by 4:30 this afternoon I booked 5 gigs.

Diligence is something I am learning and applying to my life. Sometimes its hard. Sometimes I just want to go on Facebook and play Farm Town all day, but there is now a little voice in my head that says "be diligent, so many people are depending on you!" and I get back to work.

I am walking now. I have never been a person who excercises on purpose, now I do. I take my vitamins, I drink water, I work and promote my band...I love it.

I'll write more later, its been a long day...

MoonGirl out.

Surrender

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:19:00 +0000

The most misunderstood concept in the Universe is "Faith". It has taken me years and tons of research and prayer to understand what faith is. Several of my studies brought up the word "surrender", which is also easily misunderstood. Surrender can help you understand faith, it is a stepping stone. Once I learned about surrender, faith came right into play. After faith comes manifestation.

So let's talk about Surrender. To most people that means to "give up", and yes that is in fact the literal translation, but consider a deeper, more powerful meaning (or empowering). Hear me out. What if surrender means to "let go"? or to "lay down arms"? When we do not have faith, we struggle, we fight, we are angry, we try to control, we grip tightly to what we have for fear we will lose it. If we can stop resisting and surrender to faith, we actually level the playing field and the very thing you were so worried about becomes a non-issue. Do you think you could actually love and give thanks for the thing that worries you the most? The truth is, the fear you have actually renders you powerless. If you bless it and LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS, you will indeed regain your empowerment over the situation and see the bigger picture.

Here is my example of surrender. For two years I wanted desperately to work at home. I did not want to go back to a 9 to 5 job, I did not want to punch a clock, I did not want to leave my children. I tried so many work at home programs and in the process I went into debt, had my credit card number stolen several times and I spiraled into fear that I would lose my home. Finally, I surrendered. I told God I understood that there as something to learn here and I would take a job if that is what was needed to get me back on track. I did get a few temp jobs over the following 8 months, they paid the bills and the jobs were actually SO SIMPLE that I was able to focus my mind on future projects. During these 8 months, my son was forced to be more self-motivating and independent. He learned some pretty valuable lessons during this time, (they were painful lessons too)...but necessary. During this time I also found a musician who I was able to work with, we fell in love, and will probably be married in the near future. All of this happened in 8 months, and it happened because I surrendered. I stopped fearing what would happen if I took a job, and I let it happen.

Another thing I fear and resist is being a salesperson. I am not good at it. This is now a work in progress, but I am surrendering to the fact that I am the person who has to promote my band. I must now learn diligence, patience, communication, confidence and stamina. Its not easy for me, I am used to being a worker bee and not a motivator. Its a very different way to live your life.

What do you fear? Take a good look at it. Don't say "it doesn't matter", because IT DOES matter. Whatever you fear will chase you. If you turn and face it, I bet you $10 it will disappear.

May 30 Marks My Third Year of Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:43:00 +0000

Its almost here. My third Anniversary of freedom. I have been studying healing, struggling with grief, anger and sadness since 1993, nearly 16 years...but I never truly understood what I was trying to accomplish until New Years 2006. Well, that was the turning point anyways.

A few days after new years I got a call from a friend of mine that I hadn't seen for a long time, I thought I had totally lost contact with him. Long story short, this friend helped me open my eyes to a very bad situation I was living in. The man I was married to was abusing my kids, taking drugs and hiding some pretty serious ghosts in his closet. I had turned a blind eye to all of this because I just wanted to be married and be normal. Nothing about my life had ever been normal, people were always dying, getting sick, and suffering, and I was always a failure in all that I tried to accomplish. When this man wanted to marry me, I was thrilled...I just wanted to be NORMAL. I equated normal with happy...thats how messed up in the head I was.

That Spring, I spent my days and nights dreaming about the life I really wanted. I wanted to heal. I wanted to sing. I wanted to be free, and be a great mother to my kids. I wanted to work at home and homeschool...real grass-roots kind of stuff. On May 30, 2006...I walked out, I took very little. I bought a new car and rented an apartment for me, my kids and my cat. It was scary. I filed for divorce, enrolled my kids in homeschooling and started a MLM business. After the divorce, I bought a condo and quit the MLM because it was sucking my finances dry. I started writing for a living, and it went well for a few months and then totally dried up. I also followed my aspirations of singing in a band, but nothing was panning out.

But what about the healing part? Well, for one, I was happy to be single. HAPPY! Wow, what a concept! I loved living alone, no one telling me what to do or how to live my life. I took vitamins and ate better food, drank water, walked...I allowed myself to cry and get mad...and I wrote. Writing was VERY healing for me. I experimented with manifestation, and practiced with small goals and worked up to bigger ones. Ultimately, I wanted to make money working at home, but there was a big part of me that felt it was never going to happen. So, it didn't. I fell further and further into debt and it was looking more and more like I might also lose my house. I was scared. This whole process went on for a little over two years. In my time of healing, I also assisted others in healing. I have written about these special wonderful people many times...Liz, Wendy and Mark and a few others as well. They are all still my friends, and they have all come a very long way and succeeded in accomplishing many goals.

But what about MoonGirl? I ended up taking on some pretty boring, temp jobs...but I was working and making some money. Trying to put a band together was not working out, but one day Dante's piano teacher sparked something in me...she wanted to work as a duet and play at local venues. I turned her down because we did not have the same taste in music, but I got motivated once again to start a band. I went home and wrote an ad to put on Craigslist. I wrote the ad not from a place of desperation, but from a place of empowerment. I can't remember exactly what the ad said, but it got many responses, because it sounded professional and motivating.

This is how I met Andy. Andy is the man who changed my life. Andy took my song list and made it a reality. We couldn't find band members, so he built the music himself on his computer. We became fast friends and then more...we fell in love. I never EVER knew I could fall in love like that. He loves my kids, he loves my ideas, we talk and we laugh. We plan, we build, we do things together and its fun. Its amazing.

It took me nearly three years, but I did it. My dreams are coming true. I am working at home, homeschooling, singing in a band...but the icing on the cake is that I also found love.

So, I'm here to say, it can be done. There are days when you think, "I am never going to get there. It is never going to happen." But I am here to tell you that if you stay focused, keep working and open your eyes and ears for the signs along the way that will help you out, you will get there. Start small, and build from there.

Moving Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:26:00 +0000

This is an amazing life. Over the past few months I have lost my drive to blog. Well, that, and I have had no time...I am sure that has a lot to do with it. Yesterday I was relieved from my temp job at Walz, I think my subconscious sabotaged it to tell you the truth...but I know there are a million and one BETTER ways to make money.

Today I must learn to move forward. Work with my strong suits instead of worrying about what happened in the past. This has always been my faltering point, but I am aware of that now and it is now time to learn to move forward.

Last year I realized it was time to ask for help and accept a partner into my life to assist me in accomplishing my goals. In December, I fell in love with Andy. He is the best man I have ever known. We make a really great team, and together we are a force to be reckoned with. I am blessed to have him in my life, he sees me for who I am and he supports me emotionally and spiritually. I can move forward now, I can be who I want to be. I can stop looking for stupid crappy jobs like pushing a button for 8 hours and just be me. Wow. What a concept!

So what does moving forward mean? How do I do this? Who am I ready to be? The door of opportunity just swung wide open, and all I have to do is step inside...

I am ready to be a work at home Mom who is married to the best man in the world. I work promoting the band, educating my kids and keeping us all healthy and happy. I walk daily, we eat good healthy food, the house is clean, I find venues and promote our band and learn new music. Life is good. I have plenty to do and it is very rewarding. This I can do. It is time to move forward. Opportunity just said, "Come In!"

Achievements and Milestones

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:08:00 +0000

In August 2007 I began a quest on the internet. I started a blog, I joined social sites and other posting venues and I met two amazing people. Their names are Wendy and Liz. Wendy is a stay at home mom, she homeschools her little boy, she blogs and has several on-line businesses. Liz works out of the home full-time, but she also ran an advice website and wrote some amazing blogs about her life. All three of us were searching. We were looking for our bliss, we were trying to heal, we were struggling financially...it was almost magical how we found each other on the internet and how we have remained such good friends even though we live thousands of miles apart and have never met in person.

In December 2008, something weird happened. Liz found a business opportunity that would pay us all a lot of money and we could all work from home. Long story short, I drove to Phoenix to check it out and it was a total bust. It shook me pretty hard, I thought I had finally found the thing I was looking for but it was an illusion. For about 2 weeks it felt like my whole world had crashed. It was Christmas, I had no money, I couldn't make my house payment. Liz felt terrible, she was probably worried that I was mad at her, but I wasn't. She was trying to help me build my dream, she is an amazing friend...unselfish and unyielding.

The funny thing is, this fiasco was the turning point for all of us. Life took us in three different directions. I fell in love. I found a partner who loves music as much as I do and he helped me put together a band project that is everything I ever wanted. He is the kindest man in the world. He is strong and talented, stable and caring...I could come up with a million adjectives, simply put, he ROCKS my world. A few weeks ago I sent an e-mail to both Liz and Wendy asking "what's up?" and they both wrote back to me telling me how great their lives were...they were both happy and thriving...a year ago they would not have written an e-mail like that. It was like they were two completely different people, and yet they were still the two amazing and brilliant women I have always known.

There is a moral to this story. Healing happens. Love happens. Success happens. You do get better, but you have to WANT to get better. You have to be READY to heal. When you heal, you find out who your real friends are. You might be surprised, but the people who are not your friends will drop out of your life. This is a good thing. You find truth when you seek it.

Wendy & Liz, I love you. I am so happy and proud for both of you.

MoonGirl out.

Layers of the Onion

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:49:00 +0000

If you have done any kind of personal development work with me, you have probably heard my analogy that healing is like peeling away layers of an onion. Some layers are very thin and others are thick. My healing process has been very much like peeling layers of an onion. There always seems to be another layer, it is a never ending process.

This weekend we performed our second gig. This time the venue was a bar/club scene with young kids (very drunk kids), girls dancing with girls, bar fights...the whole nine yards. It was a a little intimidating to say the least, especially since the bar scene was never my thing. Dave Barrios played bass for us, and thanks to him, he took control of the mic and all I had to do was sing. I felt myself feeling very self-conscious...I put on a good show, but afterward (and into the next day) I was feeling small and unworthy. I even started to doubt my wonderful new boyfriend who is nothing but kind to me...I was doubting my worthiness of his love, it all started creeping back. The good news is, I was CONSCIOUS of my SUB-CONSCIOUS. I could see exactly what was happening. I just kept taking deep breaths throughout the day and soothing that little child inside of me. By the end of the day, the unworthiness fell away and I was MoonGirl again. Andy looked at me with his sweet, beaming eyes and all was right in the Universe again.

I wonder how I am going to overcome this hump...if I will ever truly be a strong frontman for this band project. I love the singing and performing part, but put a mic in front of me to SPEAK to a crowd and I am flustered. Its weird how I am like that. In my head I can see myself doing it, I can imagine myself schmoozing the crowd and introducing the next song...but when I get onstage I just can't do it. I always wonder how David Byrne did it, he was not a real social guy, but he was a showman, and he was the frontman for his band.

So, this is what I have to work on. Hmmm.

I Shot For The Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Writing has totally taken a backseat for awhile. Everything I have always wanted in life has landed on my plate. I am extremely grateful, these amazing gifts are keeping me tremendously busy and challenged. It almost seems as though I have forgotten how to write, since most of my writing came from desires. Now I have achieved many of these things and I am simply basking in the warmth and happiness of it all.

No, I did not hit the lottery...but my music is finally taking form. I found someone who believes in me and wants to work with me on this amazing project. Besides that I have found someone who is ready to build a relationship, get to know my kids, participate in life's adventures and love me with a warmth I have never experienced before. In a million years I could never have written or asked for anything so glorious. The Universe has exceeded my expectations, I am literally in a state of ecstasy.

How does this happen? How does one achieve their dreams and experience the glory of accomplishment and happiness? My first answer is to be happy with yourself. Get to know you. This is something I have written about many times, but it is surely the first step. Have you ever seen the movie, "Runaway Bride"? Julia Roberts plays a woman who literally runs from the prospect of marriage...she doesn't understand it herself; she meets a nice man, they get to know one another, he asks her to marry him and she bolts right before the ceremony. Richard Gere is a reporter who comes to her and asks her, "how do you like your eggs?" Julia's character is perplexed...what does he mean, 'how do I like my eggs'??? Later in the movie we discover Julia never took the time to get to know herself before dating these men who wanted to marry her. She adopted their beliefs and their likes and dislikes...never believing in herself. Later she finds out 'how she likes her eggs' and she ends up with Richard Gere (of course!) This is sort of what happened to me. I had to take the time (painstaking time) to discover what it was I really wanted in life. When I finally decided I wanted to be a rockstar, I placed an ad on Craigslist stating EXACTLY what I was looking for. Andy will tell you, THAT is what made him contact me. The ad. I was determined. I was strong. I was ready to work.

I wish I had more energy to write. I am now working during the week and rehearsing on the weekends, also making sure I spend time with my kids and my new guy. I have so much, and it is WONDERFUL. Blogging has been my life for two years, now I have so many other things going on, it is difficult to keep this up. I do want to get my message out, however, and I will make time to put my word in here when I can.

MoonGirl the Rockstar, OUT.

Sometimes People Leave

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:38:00 +0000

In each person's life there are patterns. Look for the patterns in your life and you will start to see that there are life lessons to be learned in those patterns.

One of my patterns is that people often leave. I have experienced a lot of death in my life, and I have also have had very close friends who just decide it is time to walk away. This has been very hurtful and damaging to me in the past, but I am learning now how to just let go and send those people on their way with my blessing. This has not been easy for me.

It is true that people come into your life for a reason. Sometimes we meet a person who we think is the love of our life or our BFF and the relationship ends abruptly or without explanation. What do you do then? I have spent YEARS of my life dissecting these "why's" and I have come to realize, it is simply not worth it. What a waste of time. Sometimes people leave. Period. Our job is to love them anyway and move on with our lives. There are only 6 trillion other people on this planet you can meet. My downfall in the past has always been my thought pattern of "oh woe is me, I'll never find another person like so-and-so" and I would lament the loss for years and years, often re-living the pain and putting myself through torture wondering what went wrong. Then when I would meet someone new, I would often wonder, "how long until this one leaves?..." and I would never fully enjoy the relationship and the pattern would start all over again.

So STOP IT.

Sometimes people leave. Sometimes I leave. It happens. We all grow, we all expand, we all venture out, and we all die. There are no guarantees, and it is ok to grieve a loss for a period of time, but we are all meant to move on and go forward with our lives.

I am not trying to be harsh. I know there are circumstances where death and abandonment are horrible experiences. I cannot lay a blanket judgement on all of mankind because I do understand that separation is a sad thing. But of late I have found that many of my friends are pulling away from me, friends who said they would be there for me forever, no matter what. Guess what? They were wrong, but thats okay. I love them no matter where they go or what they do. You don't have to be by my side for me to love you. You don't have to love me back in order for me to love you. I have spent a period of sadness over this loss, but I will move on and my love for you will not change. In truth, I have not lost at all, because your spirit still exists and you will always have a piece of me with you even though you have walked away from me.

Thank you for being an important part of my life, I'm sorry you feel it is time to move on, but I understand and I will be okay.

Become A Loyal MoonGirl Fan!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:24:00 +0000

You can be a loyal fan of Project GirlontheMoon. E-mail a picture of yourself to me, along with your city, state and a short quote about the MoonGirl. Your picture will go on our MySpace Music page in a special photo album. This will help promote our band and show prospective venues that we have loyal listeners.

Send your pic to: Imaginaryrockstar@hotmail.com

Thanks!

How To Be A Rockstar 101, Lesson 1

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:31:00 +0000

This will begin my series on how to be a rockstar. Hang with me, I am flying by the seat of my pants here...

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

The first and possibly hardest step is to believe in yourself. I have been blogging for about 2 years now about personal development; yours, mine and ours. That's right personal development is about everyone, not just me and not just you. We ALL need to hop on board the PD train. Why? Because life has a way of taking its toll. The GOAL of your SOUL is to be better because of those things...not to let them beat you down.

I have been to the worst of worse places. Hell. You probably have too. We all have a personal hell. HOWEVER, we always have 2 choices. We can choose to be angry, resentful, bitter, depressed, consumed, destructive and depleted...OR...we can choose to get creative, rebuild, heal, forgive, let go, move on, stand up, love and regenerate.

Making the second choice is really, really, really hard work. In fact, it is often difficult to know where to start. It took me years to find the starting place. My heart was all over the map, smashed to smithereens, and I was literally finding little pieces of me all over the place. It took me about two years to pick them all up, and I still find little bits every once in awhile. Thats why I like God, He never forgets the little piece of you that got stuck under the refrigerator. Someway, somehow...He will show you what happened to that little piece.

So back to lesson 1. Where do you start? How do you take the first step to being a rockstar? Well, get a note pad and start writing things down. Take a writing utensil and just start writing...it doesn't matter about what. If you are mad, right about being mad. Tell that notepad what you want, and how your life should look. Sometimes its a good idea to take a long walk, and then sit down and just let your pen flow and write anything that comes out. Do this for a few days or a few weeks, until your pen gets tired. Until you have no more words to let out. When you are ready to be more constructive in your writing, then start making lists under these labels:

Health
Wealth
Realtionships
Creativity/Inner Child
Helpful People
Spirituality/Knowledge
Family
Fame
Career

Write your goals under these lists. Start with long term goals and think backwards. For example start with 7 years from now, what will your ideal health be like? Then 5 years, then 3, then 6 months from now. You will find that you will find a starting place by accepting what your long term goals are.

This can be a difficult process. Most people do not like to write. It is even more difficult to come to terms with your subconscious. If you need help, feel free to contact me. I am constantly revisiting this process. In fact, I will do it with you side-by-side.

Here is my e-mail addy. If you need assistance, please feel free to contact me.
imaginaryrockstar@hotmail.com

This Shit is Bananas - B-A-N-A-N-A-S

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:21:00 +0000

All hail Gwen Stafani, Goddess of sexy platinum blonde female vocalists. I've been listening to her music this week to find songs to add to our playlist and I bow to her greatness. Being a sexpot is NOT easy. She rocks it hard. "This shit is BANANAS!" lmao

Christmas is almost here and I've gotten my present from the Universe. I received a partner. I now have someone who listens to my ideas, can have normal (constructive) conversations, has an ego but knows when to leave it on the doorstep and allow creativity to flow. This guy, Andy Long, is the BOMB. He is now my closest friend, business partner and so much more.

Andy built a whole set of backup tracks (bass, drums, keyboards and vocals) in a WEEK. Some of our songs won't require back-ups, some are simple and straight-forward and others are pretty complex. He is ever patient and just keeps plugging away. Now we are starting set 2 and my job is to start putting together a press package. (Hmmm, wonder if I can find samples on the internet?)

Anyway, I am loving life right now. Bringing in some money would be excellent!

Networking

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:17:00 +0000

In my journey I have discovered networking. Personally I despise that word because to me it triggers flashbacks of my MLM fiascos and online marketing of cheesey websites. But networking is a valid tool in your daily life no matter who you are or what you do. Networking is making friends. Being sincere, shaking hands, asking questions, getting involved, listening, communicating and being grateful. In my younger years I was NOT a good networker. Mostly because I had no self-esteem. I did not think I had anything to offer. What I labeled as "shy" was actually an inability to present myself as a useful member of society.

In Feng Shui, one of the seven components of wholeness is "helpful people". Every relationship you have contributes to your life in some way, even if it is just a grocery store clerk or bank teller. Of course it is difficult to actually consider these "relationships" but if you pull back and see the broader vision you start realizing that we all need each other, we all bring something to the table, each person offers an opportunity to learn/grow/help/bring joy/fill-in-the-blank.

So let me tie this up so it makes sense. Networking = Helpful People = Opportunity

Take the time to give thanks for all the people in your life. Bless each one, even the ones who make you angry or disappoint you. As an experiment, give thanks for those challenging people, and see what happens.

Some relationships fail. (in our mind's eye) Some opportunities fall through. Do not let these facts sway you from the truth. We are all one. We need each other. Salesmen need customers. Doctors need patients. Teachers need students. Rockstars need an audience.

Taking Things Personally

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:38:00 +0000

This has been a bad week. Not just for me, but for a lot of people. I won't go into a lot of detail here about my situation, but the point I'd like to make is that when bad things happen I tend to take them very personally. I'd like to get over that hump. This time around I really beat myself up. I felt stupid and foolish. I let someone use me and spit me out, they didn't even care about my feelings or what vulnerable position they put me in. I just kept kicking myself over and over, how could I allow that to happen after all the work I have done to heal and get smarter and better? I felt a sickness inside because I was so angry. I don't get angry with people, I get angry with myself. Which is worse?

You know why I was angry? Because I followed my dream of something I wanted really bad...so bad I could taste it, and it failed. I was literally on a high the entire month of November because everything I ever wanted was coming true, like a Cinderella story. In December most of it fell apart. Its like I have this thing inside me that won't allow my goals to manifest. Is that right? Is my subconscious still sabotaging me? If so, that really sucks!

Anyway, long story short, I still have some wonderful and amazing people in my life. People who care what happens to me, despite the assholes who don't. I guess there will always be someone who tries to bring you down, so I better get used to that and stop beating myself up. I want to thank Andy, Darrel, Megan and Rita for being there for me the past few days and offering me a shoulder and strength when I needed it. Oh, and my Mom too, thanks Mom.

Runaway Train

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:31:00 +0000

When life was a real struggle for me a few years ago and I was trying desperately to heal the old wounds, a very good friend of mine said something to me that has stuck over the years.

"Lisa, it's hard to stop a runaway train."

Well, I love metaphors. So, ever since then I started having a little more patience with myself. I surely did not want my runaway train to crash and burn...so I slowed it down little by little, using each experience that came into my path and opportunity to heal. This took YEARS, mind you. It seemed like an excruciatingly long process, and to this day there are moments when I see my train start to pick up speed in the wrong direction. It happens.

Each person's process is different. For me, I had to drop out of life for awhile. Hide away. Find my space and reinvent Lisa. I went to the moon. That experience was like starting over with a clean slate. It was just me and my kids, no man, no job, no pressing engagements. I had time to write, I had time to dream, I had time to sing and make friends. It was great for awhile, but of course life doesn't let you live on the moon for long. Once I had established some healing, it was time to go out into the world again and use my new skills. The train had slowed, came to a stop and was now moving in a more positive direction.

When the train starts moving in the right direction amazing things start happening. Challenges become an opportunity instead of a heartache. Anger is melted away and is replaced by warmth. Fear sits in the back seat, and although it does try to drive from time to time, faith is one who sits behind the wheel. I have stopped taking things so personally and accept the imperfection in everyone. Let me tell you, its a load off.

Did I come down from the moon? No. I am still the GirlontheMoon, but now the moon is much more colorful, it zips around the Universe and visits the stars, visitors are welcome, dreams are recycled and goals are achieved. It can be done. Slow your train, show it a new direction.

I'm the GirlontheMoon
Because its all about me
and who I want to be...

The Band

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:19:00 +0000

It's official. GirlontheMoon is a band.

Yesterday was our first rehearsal with all four components, drums, guitar, bass and vocals. We rocked 10 songs. TEN songs on our first rehearsal. (happy face here). I know, I'm such a girl. We met on Wednesday last week to discuss the song list, and ended up jamming in my kitchen with accoustics and Jeff banging wooden spoons on my tile countertop. It was GREAT! I made a suggestion (actually a plea) asking the guys to listen to one of my favorite songs. It's practically an unknown lost song of The Pretenders called "I'm a Mother". Chrissy Hinds wails and pants in this song while the guitars play low and dirty...it is...ummm...exciting! After I played it for them they all said, "Let's do it!" I was stoked! Well, they weren't kidding. When I showed up Saturday, they were ready to play my favorite song. I fumbled through it the first time, but by the second round I was wailing and panting just like Chrissy Hinds. Andy took the ball and ran, playing an extended guitar solo that would have brought the house down (if we had one). I almost cried...hahaha, but I didn't!

I didn't know that making a dream come true would actually taste so SWEET. But it is certainly, DELICIOUS!

Thanks Andy, Jeff and Bruce for working so hard to put GirlontheMoon on the map.

My First Gig

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:56:00 +0000

Follow your hunches.

That's my advice.

There was a point where I had to break away from the karaoke bar and start getting myself seen the world of working musicians. I was so scared, I didn't think I was good enough, or that I was ready. I didn't know what would happen once I got there, but the voice kept telling me to go out and check out some local open mic nights. One day on Craigslist there was an ad for open mic and Wahoo's Fish Taco Grill...I sent an e-mail for more information and that is when I met Robert Rankin Walker. He is a gorgeous (married) man who works locally as a musician and books bands in local winery venues. Bands like The Motels...uh ya. I ended up meeting Robert a few days later at The Guitar Center, he played one of my songs for me and I sang pretty well for being nervous. Then I insisted on singing to my pre-recorded music CD's and I made an ASS of myself. I forgot words and totally flubbed my performance. I was humiliated...totally went home with my tail between my legs, I could not WAIT to get out of there. Robert was sweet, he never mentioned it, and he added me on MySpace as a friend. What happened after that is a freakin miracle.

I met another amazing musician named Wayne Cameron. Wayne plays many instruments, sings, and is another extremely handsome man. (pant) Besides that, Wayne became my friend on MySpace, he worked up some of my songs and played for me at another open mic the following week. AT THAT OPEN MIC, I met another musician, Jeff Gaylor who plays drums. Jeff visited my MySpace page and added me as a friend, he asked if he could get involved with my next band project and bring along his bass player, Bruce. Within a week I was meeting Jeff and Bruce at Andy's place (Andy is my guitar player who also found me on Craigslist) and I now have all the components of a band, INCLUDING rehearsal space and all the equipment. No shit. Our first rehearsal is Saturday.

However, this is not the only GOOD NEWS. The best news is, that Robert asked me to sit in on his gig at It's A Grind Coffee House this Saturday and accompany me on a few songs. This is NOT an open mic. This is a GIG. YEP! ME. MOONGIRL singing at a gig. Can you say...ROCKSTAR!!!!

Follow your hunches. This is my advice.

Rockstar and Supermom

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 02:59:00 +0000

I am 42. I know I know, its a little too late to start a singing career. Guess what else? I am a Mom to two wonderfully creative, imaginative and delightful boys. Another strike against me? Well, maybe. But guess what. I don't give a flying fuck.

15 years ago, I was 27 years old. I was working in the theater, I was married, I was making money and having fun with my life. My husband and I decided to have a family, I gave up my career and my dreams to pursue something else...I wanted to be a mom. This was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because I created two of the most amazing people on the planet...Dante and Julian. It was a curse because I gave up the thing I loved to do the most, work on stage. This is what life is about, the Bitter and the Sweet. Yin and Yang. Give and Take. Ebb and Flow. You cannot have one without the other. I have a very dear friend who often blogs about the "seasons" of life, and these were my seasons. I was in the limelight, I was in the labor room, I was in the kitchen, and now...I am back in the limelight. Dig? If not, read on.

I received counseling for years from a friend of mine who is clairvoyant. She is not a freak, she is extremely gifted. She helped me through some extremely tough times in my life. My husband had leukemia and we were destitute for years. My friend worked very hard to get me through those times. When my husband died, she was still there beside me, helping me sift through the grief and pain. One day she had a vision about me. She said, "there are two Lisa's, they are completely opposite from one another, and yet they are both you." at the time I kind of knew what she was talking about, but now I TOTALLY understand. I am a Rockstar and a Supermom.
I don't care if I am 42 and putting together a rock band. I know in my heart that the music is there and it is calling me. I don't care if it has never been done, I am going to work until I am up there gigging, recording and making money. My sons are going to learn something very different than what I was taught as a child. Follow your dream and don't ever forget what it is.

Not to go off on a tangent, but if you ever get a chance to see the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness" get it. It holds an amazing message. Of course I hope I never have to sleep in a train station bathroom with my children while I build my dream, but the movie provides and incredible lesson. "DON'T EVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM." Check it out yo.

Who is in the Driver's Seat?

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Di Clemente) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:54:00 +0000

We all have an ego. Yup, its a fact. Your Ego is also known as your subconscious self. Typically your subconscious self is a child, or child-like. Your SC is grumpy, doubtful, selfish, self-centered, pouting, degrading and a control freak.

We all have a Higher Consciousness too. The Higher Consciousness is connected to the all-knowing. It speaks in a quiet voice, almost a whisper. Higher Consciousness is kind of like the wind, it can blow you this direction or that direction with gentle guidance. Your Higher Consciousness knows you for your true self, the self you were born into this world to be. Your HC is patient, gentle, loving, healthful and nourishing.

Your physical body is a vehicle. It drives all over town. It drives down the path of your life. Take a look at your vehicle and the road it is on. How would you describe it? Take a moment and write down a few words to describe your physical body and your life. Then look at the first two paragraphs of this post. Who is driving your vehicle, SC or HC?

I have found in my journey that I cannot get rid of SC. She is always there, nagging me, sometimes so loudly I just want to scream at her. I used to think that as long as SC was nagging me I would never succeed. I would never establish any true goals, I would never get to Superstar status. She was always right there telling me I wasn't good enough, I wasn't smart enough or pretty enough...nag, nag, nag. I studied all the books I could find about connecting to HC and no matter how hard I tried, I always heard SC telling me I was never going to accomplish anything.

So, SC is here to stay. I cannot shake her...BUT...she doesn't have to drive my vehicle. I realize SC is a child, and I treat her as such. I give her little games to play, just as if she were three years old. SC loves to be distracted by shiny things, toys, building blocks and puzzles. It makes her think she is doing something important. She still chatters, she still nags...but she is in the BACKSEAT of my vehicle, she is NOT driving. (imagine for a moment if you put a three year old child in the driver's seat of your brand new Porsche...ummm, yikes!)

Now...while SC is busy with her blocks, guess what HC is doing? HC is driving. HC zooms into the future and sees what the possibilities are. It sees who I really want to be. It sees happiness and properity, and when I let HC see the future, it starts paving the road backwards to my present. My HC knows not only how to drive, it also knows how to TELEPORT.

I hear TWO voices now. I hear SC saying, "this is useless, I am so mad that I am in this slump, how am I ever going to get anywhere when the economy is so bad, this is all somebody else's fault, I can never forgive so and so..." Fine. But what is that tug I feel in my gut, what is that other voice saying? It sounds like it is saying "Come over here, I have something INCREDIBLE to show you. You know that lady you met last week? She can totally help you get to that place you've been wanting to go to. Remember the words to that song that keeps playing over and over in your head? That song is trying to tell you something! Why don't you go to the shopping mall tonight and meet your friends at the coffee shop..."

Try this experiment. Quiet the first voice. Follow the second voice. Here are some "busy" things you can give your SC to do, and while SC is busy...let HC soar in the clouds and visit the future.

Take a drive and listen to music
run errands
paint your nails
clean your garage or a closet or a messy room in your house
build a fountain (e-mail me at imaginaryrockstar@hotmail.com and I will tell you how)
play a game
watch a movie
vacuum
exercise
get into your job
sing
cut out coupons
google stuff on the internet or spend some time on E-Bay, Craigslist or YouTube

This sounds like I am telling you to do something mundane, but really you will be multi-tasking. When SC's voice gets really loud, you must allow HC to tell yourself exactly the opposite. See HC pat SC on the head like a toddler and send it back to its busy task. Ask HC, "what is it you want me to see?" and allow yourself to see it. Daydream while you are keeping busy. Feel which way the wind is blowing, smile, breathe and listen. Take the car keys away from the child and let HC drive your vehicle.