Upcycled Trunk

 

After my last post, which was a bit of a rant -

I figured I would get back to "art". :)

 

This is a piece which I recently completed.

A wonderful commission piece for a co-worker.

It is a box - a mini foot locker.

It measures about 18" square on all sides.

 

This client called me one day and said she had this box...

"it's kind of ugly", she said.

"I really don't want it in my house...but my grandfather gave it to me and I can't bear to part with it."

 

I agreed to see what I could do with it.

When she brought it to me, I was a little doubtful.

It is made of chipboard.

The outside of it had been covered with a heavy paper that was decorated with really lovely blue geese.

Can you say "1980s?" LOL

Not pretty.

Once finished it would be residing in her library room.

 

A good priming coat of black, some bright colors and design and...

it has been given a new lease on life.

A sun and moon and the admonishment to enjoy all that a good book has to offer.

 

And some day - if those lovely geese come back in style -

she can remove the paint and let them come back out to play...

or not.

 



Random Order

 

A few random thoughts on this Friday morning . . .

 

1. I'm going to be a Grandma again. Or "Nanna" as my grandson calls me. He is going to be a big brother! Yeah...So happy, proud and excited.

2. We are just about ready to close on the house I moved out of in December . . .I was beginning to think this was never going to happen. (Heavy sigh of relief).

3. I love clouds. I don't like gray skies - but I love the clouds we get in Oregon this time of year...So majestic and beautiful.

4. I am ready for Spring and color.

5. I love to laugh.

6. I have a lot of things I want to do . . .and sometimes I feel a sense of panic because I am so anxious to do them all....NOW

7. I still love to read some of my favorite children's stories. And I read them to myself.

8. I feel honored when I witness miracles.

9. I LOVE dragonflies and swallows.

10. I miss holding hands with someone special.

11. I don't like the judges on American Idol this year - it kind of ruined the show for me.

12. I love listening to live music.

13. I love to drink fresh juice in the morning.

14. It's never too late to try something for the first time.

15. I don't like to have my picture taken.

16. I don't like to be the center of attention.

17. I love spontaneous get-togethers.

18. I want to take a dance class.

19. I would prefer to see live theater over a movie.

20. I am grateful for my dog - who forces me to get outside, even when I don't want to.

21. I love pistachios.

22. I've discovered I actually like Country music - not all, but a lot of it.

23. Making new friends is scary . . .but fun.

24. I have learned how to ignite the pilot light on my gas fireplace, trouble shoot my garage door opener when it isn't working, and fix my garbage disposal when it gets clogged.

25. I have a love/hate relationship with the weekend.

26. Honey Nut Cheerios are really yummy.

27. I am not as organized as I would like to be but I am willing to accept this flaw.

28. I love hats - but I don't like wearing them. They make my head itch.

29. Dreams are Weird!

30. I get so frustrated when I have a day off and can sleep in but wake up earlier than I do during the week.

31. Why do people wait until they are far away to tell you how they feel?

32. Shrimp salad rolls with peanut sauce.  Enough said.

33. A good pillow should never be underestimated. Same goes for good pots and pans.

34. My kitchen knives really need to be sharpened!

35. 10:00 in the morning is NOT too early for good chocolate. 

Coming Out of the Dark . . .

It's Winter. . .

The darkness is beginning to lift slightly.

The days are trying to get a little longer.

The weather is going through a variety of personality changes which have included cold, blustery winds, freezing temperatures, thick, dense fog, sunshine and pounding rains.

 

The foggy mornings have been . . .beautiful.

I leave the house early in the morning, just as the morning light is beginning to creep up -

still a little hesitant.

It's as if the daylight is still trying to shake off it's evening slumber just like I am.

I leash up my trusty companion, Redford, and we trudge out to stretch our legs.

The last several mornings, I have been greeted by flocks of little birds flitting around the trees and singing their song.

I can see buds on the ends of the tree branches bulging with the hope of bursting out in the future.

The ground is beginning to swell in spots as bright green shoots are starting to push skyward.

The whole world looks as if it might explode.
 

And I am filled with hope and anticipation.

And as the fog clears, we are left with bright blue skies and a light that is unequalled during any other time of the year.

 

Once Christmas is past, I find the heaviness of the winter a little too much to bear.
The colorful lights of the Holiday come down and we are left with gray and darkness.
 

But when I see the little hints of what is to come . . .I feel a sense of lightness begin to creep in.

And I remind myself to relax and enjoy the coziness of the remaining winter months -

it won't last forever.

Spring is coming.

New life. New growth. New Light. New color. NEW.

And with these things in mind . . .

the morning fog begins to remind me of a blanket wrapped around the cold trees,

offering warmth until Spring returns and clothes the trees with their bright green foliage.

 

I have felt the same sensation building up in me lately.

The feelings of emerging from a very long winter.

 

When I was young, I had cousins who were living in Alaska.

They came for a visit.

It was early Spring and although the weather was ok in Oregon -

it was still cold.

We were wearing our coats and still dressing in our sweaters.

My Alaska cousins, having been raised in a much colder climate,

showed up and were wearing short sleeves and shorts.

They were outside continually.

They said it felt like summer to them.

Their version of "normal" was much different from mine.

 

For the last several years, I lived as if everything was fine.

Life was "normal".

I had adjusted to the way my life was -

I got up every morning and kept myself in motion.

I played the role of wife and mother, business owner, artist . . .etc., etc., etc.

Whatever was required at the moment.

When my husband lost his job and said he needed to find himself,

I moved through each day and picked up the extra duties as needed.

I adjusted my version of normal.

 

With the changes that have taken place in my world,

it is as if the cloak of winter is beginning to lift.

I am begining to see that I was not living . . .I was surviving.

I was existing . . .but not thriving.

I laughed. Sometimes.

I smiled. Sometimes.

I slept. Sometimes.

I created art and used color and shared words of hope.

But I wrote the words of hope to save myself.

Now I write them because I want to share the joy that I am feeling in myself.

I feel like the buds of the trees that I see on my walks -

bulging with a joy and hope and anticipation that is just waiting to explode.

 

The fog is lifting.

I am seeing what was and what is to come with a brighter light.

 

I have felt like I have been standing on a cliff but was too afraid to jump because I couldn't trust where I would land.

I couldn't see the bottom through the thick fog.

But now that the light is returning and the fog is lifting -

my view is brighter and I can see that there are wonderful things at the bottom of the cliff.

Things that make me laugh and smile.

Things that make me believe that my dreams are truly attainable.

Things that make me excited with anticipation.

I am no longer existing . . .I am living.

I now laugh . . .often.

I now smile . . .often.

I now sleep . . .often.

 

My own personal Spring is emerging and I welcome this change of season.

 

 

Let Your Flag Fly. . .

 

Ever since I was little, I have loved music.

I love to listen to music.

I love to go to concerts.

I love to sing.

I love to play music on the piano (I even played the organ when I was younger).

 

Music is a source of joy for me.

It is also the way I cope with stress, anxiety, sadness, and every other emotion I experience.

I use music to convey my feelings that I cannot find words for.

Many times, if a friend is struggling or I want to tell them something that I can't find words for - I will send them the link to a song.

I love music.

 

Music is a part of me.

Music is ALWAYS playing in my car and in my home.

I have smacked people's hands and scolded them for turning down my music.

Heaven forbid they should turn it off!!!

 

I budget the purchase of music into my monthly budget!

I love music.

 

When I was College age, I was living in a tourist town and working for a couple who owned a motel.

They set me up in a motorhome so I could have my own "space".

It was a great arrangement until they took away my electrical supply.

I still had lights and heat - but I lost my ability to play my music on my "boom box". (Remember those? LOL)

I sunk into a bit of a depression.

I was lost.

I had a hard time functioning and when I was alone in my space, I would experience an overwhelming sadness.

At that point in my life, I had a major "a-ha" moment as to how important music was in my life.

It was not a "like" . . . It was a requirement!

 

Fast forward to present day. ..

 

As you know, I have recently moved.

I am in a new neighborhood and am establishing new routines.

My daughter and I made a major decision when we set up our new place.

We opted to not put a television in our main living space.

We both have tv's in our rooms, and I do enjoy watching a movie in the evening every once in a while.

But we didn't want the energy of the tv dominating our living space.

We wanted that space for talking and relaxing.

And because of this . . .the first thing I do when I go into my kitchen/living space, is turn on music.

I've never thought anything about it. . .

until a friend had visited for a couple days at the beginning of the month.

My friend (who had never "stayed" with me before) commented that his favorite thing about being in my home was that the music is always on.

Hmmmm .... well, of course it is.

It's a requirement!

And not only is the music on - I am usually singing right along with it.

Rather loudly.

I am not shy about singing to my music in my home. (Sorry neighbors).

But singing loudly has snapped me out of melancholy moods, sad moments, and boosts my happiness quotient.

So why wouldn't I sing?

Music playing in my home is almost as much of a requirement as . . .electricity!

 

Recently I was out of town helping a friend move.

There were several of us who had gathered together for the weekend to lend a hand.

We were loading up my car with items to be donated.

My keys were in the ignition, the music was playing loudly, and the car doors were open.

Oh - and we were in a parking area where there was a lot of traffic.

A great song came up on the CD player - one of those songs that you just can't help moving to when you hear it.

I started dancing.

Then the person I was working with started dancing.

We had a dance party right in the middle of the parking lot with strangers looking on.

Some laughed. Some looked at us like we were "freaks".

 

I have a dog.

I no longer have a yard.

This means that I must, without fail, take my dog on a couple walks a day.

We have a couple very short walks - and two long walks.

And it is just me and him.

I am creating my new walking path.

And as always - music is a part of my walk.

I plug in my headphones, turn it up loud enough to block out the world and walk the dog.

And I always find myself singing . . .out loud.

In my old neighborhood, I walked in a school yard and was almost always alone.

So no one noticed my singing and dancing to the phantom music that only I could hear in my headphones.

 

But I walk in a neighborhood now. The other day, I was walking and singing - at full volume- and I looked up and saw a few of my new neighbors looking at me with strange looks.

I felt a bit like a "freak".

 

I made a comment about it on FaceBook and a friend told me to "Let your freak flag fly high!".

I love that statement.

And I love flying my freak flag . . .sometimes.

But usually, I am very shy about it.

Until recently. I am trying to not worry about what others think.

If it makes me happy . . .I need to do it!

 

But it got me to thinking. . .

We all come into this world with certain talents, abilities, passions and drives.

Some passions, talents and drives develop based on our environment, friends and the things we are exposed to.

I KNOW that I came into this world with a passion for the arts - especially music.

We may take lessons to develop those talents - we may explore and spend time on them every day.

We become proud of them.

And then . . .

we hide them.

Why???

We find ourselves feeling self-concious if we sing out loud at the top of our lungs while walking our dog.

We worry what the neighbors will think.

 

I wonder - I pay money to go see certain musicians play on a stage and feel honored and excited to be part of the audience.

But what would I think if I saw them singing out loud while walking down the street - especially if I didn't "know" who it was?

Would I recognize the talent and stop to enjoy?

Or would I think they were strange?

Would I honor the fact that they were "flying their freak flag?"

Or would I look away and try not to make eye contact?

 

What would the world be like if we felt more comfortable "flying our flag?"

I think - no, I believe - it would be a much better place . . .

we would hear more music, experience more dancing, engage in more laughter and see more color.

We would live in a world that was full of people who were passionate about performing the mundane tasks of everyday life because they could openly express themselves.

And because they could openly express themselves in a way that brought them joy,

it only stands to reason that we would all be happier.

And that cannot be a bad thing.

 

So here is my decision -

I am flying my flag . . .high and proud!

Or least I am going to try. .

I am going to do my best to let my passions for life be seen on a daily basis.

So if you happen to see a dark haired woman out walking her big, curly dog and singing at the top of her lungs - rather than looking at her like she is strange -

why don't you join in and sing with her?



BELIEVE. . .

First of all . . .may I just express my thrill.

Because of a readers comments, I tried doing this through Firefox and SUCCESS!

I was able to upload a photo. 

Whew! One less thing to stress over. LOL

The statement in this piece is near and dear to my heart.

A little walk down memory lane . . .

My dad was in sales for as long as I can remember.

He was self-employed for many of his working years.

Tried his hand at a few businesses - all related to his area of specialty, which was insurance and financial planning. 

Some of the businesses failed.- some didn't.

But he was a hard worker and tenacious.

And in the end - he was successful.

He took care of his family and his wife and still does to this day.

He instilled an incredibly strong work ethic in each of his children.

We all were expected to do chores with no allowance - or payback was a warm, wonderful home to grow up in and no lack of food to eat. 

He taught us that being a member of a family was a group effort and he would pay us the day that he got paid for his chores around the house.

He kept our yard beautiful.

We had a huge garden that fed us and my summers were spent canning with my parents.

He loved and still does love my mother with all of his heart. 

He taught us, his children, to follow our dreams.

He taught us that we had the power to learn and work at anything that we were passionate and to never give up on it.

I remember, being College age. I had been a musical theatre major.

I knew it was not the smartest option for College - but it was what I was passionate about. 

One day I decided to change. I was going to go into physical therapy. 

How's that for a total directional change.

I enrolled in science and medical classes - 

I was excited - but I stopped sleeping and starting having bad dreams.

He sat me down and told me to stop trying to be someone I wasn't meant to be. 

Follow your heart, he said.

I stopped pursuing physical therapy - and then the nightmares stopped and I began to feel better.

He is my hero.

Because of the line of work he was in, he was often involved in sales conferences and seminars.

I remember several times - from about age 12 on through high school,

that he would take me to these with him.

Why?

Because the nature of his work was sales - these conferences were often geared towards methods for making more money in the industry.

But the talks were not about knocking on more doors or being a salesman . . .

They were about using the power of positive thought to accomplish great things.

The power of positive thinking.

He told me he wanted me to be able to do whatever I wanted - and that understanding this concept was a key element to that.

Growing up - 

there have been many different approaches to this concept - 

but in the end, and in it's simplest form - 

it all comes down to this:

We are what we believe we are.

Think you are happy? . . .then you are.

Think you are miserable? . . .then you are.

Think you are strong and courageous? . . .then you are.

Think you are fabulous? . . .then you are.

I learned this concept at a very young age.

But I didn't begin really applying it until adulthood.

OK - moment of truth - 

I still struggle with this concept.

I struggle with it each and every day.

My own self-defeating gremlins and demons get in the way sometime.

But regardless of the struggle . . .I also know that it is true.

Believe what you are and what you want to do in this life.

Believe in the possibility.

Believe in the power of yourself.

This next week, my father is going in for a major surgery. 

He is 81.

I know that he will be ok - in fact, he will emerge better than he is.

But my heart is still hurting for him and my mom and, quite frankly, for myself.

And in his honor - I am going to believe that he will be more than fine - he will be amazing!

Thanks, Daddy. I love you and I appreciate the lessons that you shared with me.

 

UPcycled Table

I met Mary Jane over 2 years ago.

She came to one of my shows and picked up a few items.

She then called to have me help her with a project -

To redo an old chair that had been her mother's.

The idea was to cover the chair with images that reminded her of her mom as a tribute to her.

 

Several months ago,

she called again.

This time to do another chair - but for her sister.

The chair was just like the first one - it had come from the same set that had been their mothers.

We covered it with images that reminded her sister of her children.

 

Then came the table.

The table had been mom's as well.

However, it had been subjected to quite a bit of abuse and didn't look very nice.

The finish was peeling off.

There are a few cracks in the wood.

It had been left out on a porch and exposed to the elements a bit too long.

But it was moms and Mary Jane could not bear to see it tossed out with the trash.

 

So she brought it over.

She wanted it to have the look of the outdoors since it will eventually live in their mountain cabin.

Mountains, a river, fish, a cabin, ferns -

 all of the things that they love about their cabin were to be included on the table.

 

A little sanding.

A little priming.

A lot of color and . . .

Mary Jane's sad and unloved table has been given a new lease on life.

 

 

This little table is still a work in progress.

There is still some detailing left.

And of course - a good finish to protect it for years to come -

But I think I was able to capture the feel of the love and joy that they experience at their mountain retreat!

DANCE

When I was five, my mom put me in the car one day and told me she had a surprise for me.

We drove for a while - really just a short distance - but to me it felt like forever.

We arrived at an old school and went inside.

I was confused and nervous.

What were we doing?

We stood in a really, really long line.

And then it happened - she signed me up for ballet lessons.

We then went and bought tights, and leotards, lots of bobby pins and the best part of all . . .

ballet slippers.

I went to dance lessons and learned to plie, and releve'.

I learned about first position and all of the other positions.

To this day - over forty years later - I tend to turn my feet out when standing.

I learned about working at the barre.

We practiced during each class to a live piano player who spent her afternoons playing classical music for us to point and kick to.

And then in the winter - the best thing of all happened -

we got dressed up in our costumes, had our hair pulled back into a tight bun, had our faces smothered in thick make-up and performed our routine on a large stage in downtown Portland.

This was the same stage that the best theatrical performances were given on, and concerts and all the best talent in our City performed on.

And I got to do my simple ballet routine on it.

The lights were so bright and hot.

The audience applauded for us.

It was magical.

And I became instantly addicted to performing.

 

I continued dancing for years to come - all the way through college.

Besides ballet -

I experimented with jazz and tap.

I played around with ball room.

If it was performed to music - I tried it.

And as I grew - I discovered my love of theatre and my favorite thing of all was to perform in musical theatre.

There, I was able to satisfy my love of acting, music and dance.

There I found my bliss.

To this day - If I hear wonderful music, it is next to impossible not to move in some way.

 

But somewhere along the way -

I stopped dancing.

I had children.

The family came first.

Money was tight.

Time was short.

Patience were stretched.

I gained a few (ok maybe more than a few) pounds.

And I stopped dancing on stage . . . in public . . .even in front of my family.

The few times I danced, I confined myself to the safety of my own home when no one was around.

 

Recently - I watched a movie on dancers.

It was a documentary about young ballet dancers who are driven, and passionate and desperate to dance every minute of their lives.

I watched as they stretched and practiced.

I watched as they extended their legs.

They made it look so easy and fluid. Yet - having been a dancer, I understood the dedication and hard work involved. The ultimate athleticism.

I found myself longing for the bloodied toes and the aching muscles. Those things were almost like "badges of honor" to us dancers.

My heart and muscles almost ached for the feel of dance while I watched the movie.

And the feeling lingered for some time afterwards.

 

We all have that thing that makes us ache inside -

maybe for you it is music, or a sport, or writing or . . . .?

It was that thing that you loved to do more than anything else when you were young.

It's that thing that makes you feel restless when you ignore it.

It calls to you. It drives you.

 

Do you answer the call?

Do you still do it?

Do you still pursue that passion on a daily basis?

Why do we let these things go as we become adults?

Somewhere along the way, we become convinced that working on those passions is a sign of immaturity.

Or worse yet - it's a sign of being selfish.

 

Really? Being true to ourself and doing that which makes us the best that we can possibly be is selfish?

As I have grown and changed, I have developed new passions - my art and writing. These

 are passions equal to performing and music and dance.

Does that make me greedy to have more than one?

And if I have such strong desires for my art and writing - am I being greedy to want to pursue the old and forgotten ones?

Does that make me selfish? Or self-absorbed?

 

I am beginning to challenge that thought in my own life now.

I am wanting to reclaim those lost passions.

I want to DANCE!

 

Fearless Warrior?

 

 

"For the warrior, the experience of a sad and tender heart is what gives birth to fealessness. Conventionally, being fearless means that you are not afraid or that if someone hits you, you will hit him back. However, we are not talking about that street-fighter level of fearlessness.

Real fearlessness is the product of tenderness." Chogyam Trungpa

 

A short time ago, a friend gave me a book. . .

 a self-help book, which normally I would run away from.

I'm just being honest.

But this one is different.

It's written for a real person. By a real person.

It's full of wonderful life experiences and I have found myself sucked into it -

reading little bits every day and feeling uplifted, inspired and stronger.

In fact, it is full of little sticky notes where I have read passages that jump off the page at me.

 

The above passage jumped off the page at me today.

 

I have a another very good friend - who teaches martial arts.

He refers to this craft as being a "peaceful warrior".

 

Peaceful warrior.

 

Now normally, I would have heard that phrase and I wouldn't have given it any attention.

But the word "warrior" is not one that I think of or use in my daily communications.

It has a connotation of someone who is fierce and scary and who likes to fight.

Some like the street fighter that Trungpa refers to.

Someone who gets pleasure out of fighting.

 

Or it conjures up images of Melk Gibson in Braveheart.

And if you know me very well . . .you know that I have never watched that movie because, again -

the idea of a warrior makes me uncomfortable.

In fact - it scares me a little.

 

So why am I hearing this word so often lately.

Seriously - it seems like I keep hearing and seeing this word.

What I am supposed to learn from this?

 

Hmmmm -

Then today, I read the above quote in my book.

And there is that warrior word again.

And Chogyam Trungpa states that a true warrior is tender.

A true warrior has experienced sadness and has a tender heart.

 

And as my friend stated - a warrior is peaceful.

Wow!

OK - obviously, I meant to learn a lesson here.

 

 

I have expereienced a lot of sadness this last six months.

I feel like I have been in a battle every day.

 

I have also experienced a lot of joy.

Big, little and medium sized victories -

 

I like to think that I have a tender heart.

Heaven knows - if I am in your presence and you begin to weep over something that is weighing you down . . .

I can guarantee I will be sharing your tears with you.

I tend to be very empathetic to others.

And as I continue to emerge from the experiences I have had over the last year,

I find that anger is one of the few emotions that I am NOT feeling.

Oh don't get me wrong - I have moments of being upset . . .even mad.

But anger is not an emotion that is dominating me right now.

I'm not angry with my circumstances or my ex husband or the universe . . .

quite the opposite.

I am curious as to what I can learn and share from this experience.

I am filled with compassion for my ex husband for the struggles that he is going through.

Does that mean I am being a doormat and am willing to not hold him accountable for his actions?

NO.

But I am filled with compassion and empathy.

I am filled with tendernes.

Through this experience I am learning a deeper sense of compassion and tenderness . . .

and I am learning to be more compassionate and tender to . . .

wait for it . . .

-

to MYSELF.

 

Yup.

Me.

Myself.

I.

 

Oh boy - is that ever new for me!

Compassion and tenderness and empathy -

those are emotions you have for other people - not yourself? Right?

I mean - as a wife, a mother . . .a woman -

we have a tendency to put everyone elses needs before our own.

To not do that is selfish.

But how many of us keep doing that and then one day we wake up, look in the mirror and find that we are no longer in there?

We have lost ourselves.

I have looked back on all of the things that I removed from my life in order to be the perfect, selfless woman -

I gave up on friendships, interests and passions.

But those were all things that made me who I was.

So - I became lost.

 

It's almost a new year.

And I have never been one to spend a lot of time lamenting over resolutions.

I don't really see the point in looking at ways to improve myself based on a date on the calendar.

But this year is different.

And I have already been working on those resolutions.

And my number one resolution? -

to put myself first.

 

Not in a selfish way - but in a way that allows me to be a better person in order to give those around me what they need.

To allow myself to continue to grow a more tender heart.

And I can't emotionally do that without caring for myself first.

I will be more tender with myself.

I will forgive myself for my faults and take responsibility for them so that I can improve.

I will learn to say no to those things  and more importantly - those people -  that make me feel like less of a person - or who seperate me from my true purpose.

 

I am going to work on becoming FEARLESS.

 

And - here is where I am going to go out on a limb -

I am going to work to become a WARRIOR!

CHANGE

Change.

Does any word create such a wide range of emotions?

Excitement. Fear. Dread. Fear. Happiness. Fear.

Anticipation. Fear. Pressure. Fear. Joy . . .oh and don't forget FEAR!

 

Yet - how often do we avoid the change -

and often the wonderful rewards that come as a result of change?

 

Right now -

I am going through all kinds of change.

Some of it by my choice.

Some of it as a result of other's choices.

Most of it very exciting -

All of it scary.

 

But the main lesson I have learned from this is to be open to the change.

Overall - change can be very good.

 

Years ago, I remember learning that life is constantly in motion.

We are either moving forward or we are moving backwards -

we are never stagnant.

If we aren't changing and growing for the better . . .

well . . .we are going in the opposite direction.

 

And the only way I can find to make sure that I am going forward is to keep dreaming . . .

keep reaching. . .

keep changing.

 

Which, of course, then brings us back to the subject of fear.

 

Right now

my art business is going through a major change.

It will be good.

I feel confident that it will be great!

It started as a dream.

And the dream is beginning to become a reality.

But it is scary.

Because it has caused me to make some decisions to let go of things that I feel confident about.

Things that I am comfortable with.

 

But I am choosing to let go of the comfort and continue this journey forward.

 

Stay tuned - I promise to share details when I can.

But in the meantime - I will keep dreaming.

And envisioning where this journey of change will take me.



Dream big with god nothing is impossible

 

When I was a young girl,

I learned a song that I sang at church.

I don't remember much of it - but I do remember a line that said,

"And with God, Nothing is impossible."

 

I believed this, I think.

But at that age -

I just took life as it came and it all seemed good.

My goals were pretty basic -

graduate from school, have a date to the prom (and there is a good story with that), get to sleep in on Saturday mornings,

 

As an adult -

the desires are a little bigger.

But as I put this theory to the test -

I'm beginning to think that there is some truth here.

 

So I am going to keep dreaming BIG.

Because I have decided that little dreams don't really suit us.

 

So what are you dreaming about doing?

What big, giant, momentous things do you think about and want and desire?

 

Let's all make a pact to keep our dreams big  -

but more importantly - Let's choose to believe that we deserve them. . .

 

Just a little thought that helps me keep going these days.

I'm JUMPING

Multi-media painting on upcycled wood with upcycled frame
 

Life.

A crazy ride.

It's been a rollercoaster in my world lately.

Moving at the speed of light.

In fact, for my birthday this year -

my kids surprised me with a trip to a local amusement park.

A good portion of the day was spent riding roller coasters.

I took on that adventure with a sense of symbolism -

life is a rollercoaster - and one hell of a lot of fun!

 

And throughout this experience, I have had the chance to jump and jump high.

 

A few things that have happened. . .

 

I signed papers for my divorce. That was strange and disconcerting.

But deep down, I knew it was the right thing to do.

Full of every range of emotion possible.

 

I was able to participate in "the" show of the year.

This was a show I have wanted to participate in for over 6 years - but I was never brave enough to jury in for it.

This year - I took the leap.

I was accepted.

I participated this weekend.

And it was a tremendous success for me.

I was surrounded by some of the most talented women artists in the region.

I was humbled to be a part.

 

I have been working on a huge PO for one of my wholesale accounts.

The biggest ever.

I was brave and went in and talked to the buyer.

We expanded my line with their stores.

I conquered my gremlin on that one and it paid off.

 

I have reconnected with old friends.

Friends I haven't spoken with in almost 30 years.

And it feels good.

I have rekindled these relationships and wondered why they were neglected for so long.

It has felt like a warm homecoming.

These are people who knew me well and understand who I am, who I was, and what makes my soul leap.

We have shared laughs, tears, and many wonderful memories.

 

I have taken mini-vacations to replinish my soul and feed my inspiration.

I have listened to new music.

Looked at amazing art.

Read uplifting books.

 

I have gone into collaboration with a new business associate.

My work can now be found as a needlepoint patterns at

Kathy's Needlework Creations.

 

I have been putting new ideas out there and experiencing the joy of

reaping the rewards.

 

Now don't get me wrong -

the last four months have been full of a lot of sadness, frustration and a little anger as well.

There has been discouragement.

There has been a constant sense of being overwhelmed.

There has been fear . . .more fear than you can possibly imagine.

But friends and family keep stepping in and lightening the burden.

They have encouraged and lifted me up.

 

But I am here to say -

I have tested the theory.

I have jumped . . .

and I think I have seen a few wings sprouting back there.

Have you tried it yet?

Go on - jump.

And jump HIGH!