Daydreams

Recipe for success.

Just finished kissing my god son goodbye on his way off to college - bittersweet for sure. His mom died of breast cancer in May 2000--he was just 6 years old at the time and his sister (my god daughter) was 10. His mom was my best friend, a friendship that began in our mid-twenties, a once-in-a-lifetime soul sister who I miss every day. So grateful for having had her in my life. Seeing her kids is like getting her back for an hour or two---their smiles and personalities are so much her it's like she's right there in the room...

It's hard to stay in touch across the miles (they live in NJ and their dad is remarried), but worth the effort. I pray I'm holding up my end of the "god parent" deal, and giving them the love, support, and guidance that  will keep them healthy, happy, and on the path to what ever makes them happy. 

They stayed overnight with us on their way from NJ to the college drop-off, and I tried this recipe last night (back to my summer manifesto). It was a huge success, so give it a try.

Now that the house is quiet, I'm off to the basement studio to create - it's been months (truly) since  I've focused on just making something, anything...a little retreat this fall is inspiring me,  along with participating in The Chickadee studio session --the spree casts alone are worth the price of admission!

Summer Reads.

It's not often that I sit and read fiction, or non-fiction either for that matter. I go deep into my own world when I'm reading a book and basically ignore the basic (and sometimes drama-filled) needs of my family. Once an avid reader (with a much longer subway ride commute to work), now I set aside the time only when traveling (car or plane) or on vacation. So the last two weekends we've taken the 3-hour car ride to a family home at the Maryland beaches. And then sat on the beach for two days, feet tickled by incoming waves. And I've devoured two fabulous books...

The Language of Flowers - started Saturday on the beach, finished Sunday on the beach. FABULOUS! Can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this book. It has flowers, relationships, love, fear, disappointment, and one perspective (through the eyes of the main character) of the foster care system in our country. Warning: I needed tissues for a couple of sections.

Three Cups of Tea - yes, I know this one has been out for, like forever. It's been sitting on my night stand for a couple of years (at least). But I just never felt like I really wanted to read it.  Two weeks ago when I was looking for a book to take for our first of two weekends at the beach I looked at it again and figured I'd give it a try. I'm still thinking about it two weeks after I finished reading it. Again, I give this one a FABULOUS rating - sometimes I had to look back on previous pages to remember who the author was referringto, which leader of which village, etc. Started Saturday on the beach, finished Monday night after work. I'll never think about Pakistan, Afganistan, and the people of those regions the same again. Very eye opening and very thought provoking...just shows you what one person can accomplish with passion, drive, and a boatload of courage.

What are you reading now? And do your reading habits change with the season?

 

365 Days.

A year from now you'll wish you'd started today.

 

Sweet & Sour.

Manifesto: Try one new recipe a week.

This one for sweet and sour meatballs was a huge hit at our house. I initialy googled recipes for chicken meatballs, but never found one that was fairly easy with ingredients that I liked. So I followed this recipe but used ground chicken instead of ground beef---they were delicious!

Make again? Yes.

 

(photo courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

Summer Manifesto.

1. Try one new recipe a week

2. Finish my "Desire Map"; post my desire words on the bathroom mirror!

3. Try one new salad combination a week

4. Watch the sunrise and sunset on the beach

5. Knit a scrap yarn shawl

6. Send mail art

7. Have an artist date downtown, just me and my camera

8. Have High Tea with a friend

9. Stay in my pjs all day; watch movies OnDemand

10. Stretch my body every day

Back.

Wow. Almost two years since I wrote a post. Too much life and living to even begin to catch up on. But one truth to share: I need to rethink how I show up every day, waiting to "get creative". I've made some new creative soul connections, and it feels great. No, better than great, it feels RIGHT. Instead of pushing, prodding...wishing for a creative tribe to call my own, a wise new friend said somthing about starting small and letting it grow naturally. And just like that, the light bulb went off.

Thank you A, for helping me see that it's not as complicated (and difficult) as I had convinced myself it was. It's just showing up, sharing, it what ever way feels right. By text, by phone, by IG, or simply by saying "yes, we're in this together".

A tribe with some near and some far. They've all got my back.

 

Change is in the air

I feel it. I know it.

Something is right around the corner.

Knocking, knocking, trying to get in.

I'm trying to stay open, and balance between letting go and being an active participant in what ever the universe has in store.

And yet I also know that for change to come in, I need to open the door. Face the fear.

 

Knowing that the change will need nurturing, a safe home to rest its wings.

Searching. Breathing. Staying present.

Here I am. Come inside.

 

Accessory Obsessed.

OK, I'm finally ready to admit that I'm totally obsessed with scarves. Not the winter-coat and mittens kind of scarves, but the "this is the best accessory every created" scarves. Making use of a rainy day to clean out some drawers and closets. And...organize the scarf drawer...gathering accesory goodies to prepare for my second "Accessories Swap" girls day. Haven't heard of it? More to come when I have photos to share.

In the meantime, just know that most days my scarf obsession competes with my bracelet obsession.  And know that one of my favorite sayings is "Accessories always fit!", which those of you who have a closet full of variously sized clothing will understand. Now off to sort, sift, and judge...which ones stay, which ones go. No room for them all. What do you collect?

Weekend of Self-Care...well almost

In my mind my weekend was going to be all amout my spiritual, emotional, and physical self-care. And I had plans for experiences in all three. My intentions were all good, well-planned, and lists written. The boys were heading out for a golf weekend. While I wasn't going to be totally alone (daughter home from college for the weekend), it WAS going to be MY weekend to inject a little life into my spiritual and emotional self, do what I want, eat what I want, and finally finish a couple of projects that had been started and worked on for many months.

All good plans have a little "wrench" just waiting to test your intentions. Mine was planning too many things to do in the small 48-hour period of my self-care weekend. You'd think I would know by now that I tend to "smoosh" too many things into a set period of time, only to be disappointed that I only had the chance to experience 1, 2 or (lord help me even 3) things I intended on doing.

Besides taking care of the college student who is on crutches for 4 more weeks, bringing her all meals, doing her laundry and trying to be her best helper ever (UGH!), there were the typical weekend tasks/chores that I simply could not put aside (hadn't planned THAT well).

So, I did finish off one knitting project that was sitting just waiting for the final touches for many, many months. It's a warm-ish wrap with buttons and fringe. After looking at it with fresh eyes I couldn't remember why I tucked it away for finishing later. It was really almost done...must be my creative A.D.D., which is a little voice in my head that encourages me to explore new creative ideas while I'm still working on the one in front of me. I always get the best ideas for new projects while working on others. It was many, many years before I realized that's just the way my brain works and I'm not going to do a thing to change it. Because, honestly, the creative energy flows when I'm working on a project, so who am I to complain that there are 4 or 5 in line right behind that one that got the message to "take a number" and we'll get to you as soon as we can:).

BTW, I'm enrolled in Andrea Sher's 6-week online Superhero Photo course which started just last week. A little gift to myself since I didn't attend Squam this fall. It started last week, but there's still time to enroll! I've already learned fabulous tips for capturing the world and it's only the beginning of week 2~

 

Food for thought...

. ..how to "find time" for all the goodness. Great reminders. Sometimes difficult to put into play.

Working hard this week to drape myself in all that is Squam through these posts and photos, and digging deep to get inspired even though I wasn't there.

What have you done lately to "find time"?