Leaps

What?  How could two months have gone by without a post?  Surely cyberspace lost the 60 posts in between, the ones I thought I'd posted.  Surely they didn't NOT leap from my brain to the page?! 


This is leap year and aside from the extra day this year, there are many things different in my life.  We have had a mild winter - my ideal winter, since I live in a climate with winter.  Not much snow, not much below zero batterings on my skin, no school closings, no "stock up now" moments.  


I am feeling more liberated in my ability to say "no", a lifelong lesson for me.  Ok, I've only taken baby steps, but those are steps I haven't taken before.  I am also learning to say "ok and thank you", when people offer me help.  This has also been a lifelong struggle for me.  (Ok, you say, you struggle to say yes, and you struggle to say no........what???!!!).  The struggle is all in the timing.  With the help of my adorable and wonderful house cleaner, I am also getting more organized.  Dorota just says, "let me do it and make your life easier".  Bless her soul and her thoughtfulness and generosity of time.  Kelly continues to make my life easier in ways I never imagined.  She is always thinking of me, and there to do the little things (and big things) that make me smile and never cease to please.  Like bagging up untold amounts of "stuff" from my garbage cans and taking them to the street, like offering to pick things up from the store, like inviting me to dinner (and enduring the disruption with bedtime for the kids that ensues when Nana is over).  Scott continues to be our primo chef, turning out unbelievably healthy meals, full of bursting flavor and love, making my life oh-so-easier, because I don't have to cook on those nights.  I have learned to accept help around the house from Phil, who continuously tries to make my life easier, in the little time he has between shifts.


So leaps, yes, I've been making them and am better for it.  Now if I can make the leap to serious writer......yep, that is coming, I feel it, I know it.....Stay tuned, great things are about to happen!

Packages

The beginning of a significant year means many things. It is the perennial blank canvas that we all have at the beginning of a new year. It is the recognition that my new year can start at any time, and move forward 365 days and conclude. But most importantly, it means that significance can change every day. Focus can change, life can be adapted, creativity can go where it darn well pleases, thank you very much. I saw two of my dear sister friends this weekend, each of who has their own creative spark (all of my friends are talented). I also took a trip to Iowa for a quick overnight stay at Phil's home in Iowa. My friend Marie observed yesterday that we are at the best places of our lives, we can follow our bliss, follow our hearts and enjoy the ride. I tend to agree. Seeing my son and his creative energy on Friday, time with friends and my love, seeing my daughter and her husband and family later today.....yes, this is my bliss. Adding pursuit of my creativity makes a significant package. So while I sit in this little country house in Iowa, waiting for my love to awaken from his slumber, I am able to formulate my creative plans for this year and write the first chapter of my significance for 2012. Life is great. Stay tuned, great things are happening all around me!

Significance

That is my word for 2012. I will strive for significance in all that I do, in all that I share, and all that I observe. Stay tuned for more info on this topic. Great things happening all around me!

New Year..........New Opportunities!

I am energized by the new year and all of the opportunities there are for me this year.  I attended a Patti Digh launch party (www.37days.com) tonight and have not been able to sleep........just energized with inspiration, ideas, opportunities.  Yep, there is that word again.  Opportunity........mine to create, mine to bring to fruition, mine to claim as completed and significant (yes, Patti, I did listen.........I am striving for significance this year rather than success).  I love the ring of significance.  Because in the end, that's what it's all about, did I make an impact?  What will I be remembered for?  2012........Opportunities.....stay tuned, great things are happening all around (and by) me this year!

Mistakes

Just returned from a fabulous vacation, where I nurtured my inner spirit.  The trip was laden with mistakes, but the great thing is that those mistakes just turned into great new opportunities for fun.

Our first night in Monterey found us at a hotel that I booked by mistake.  I thought I'd booked us into a hotel we'd stayed at in June that was affordable and perfect for us.  Instead, I booked us into a hotel by the same name, in a less desirable location of Monterey (yes, even Monterey has "less desirable" locations!).  Our first clue?  Might have been the adult book store and theatrically dressed ladies of the night standing outside, just two doors down from our hotel.  Hmmmmmm.  Phil, the eternal optimist who sees the glass nearly full every day of his life, said, "well, look at it this way, we are in the theatre district".

We stayed in the room one night, but not the four nights we'd booked.  How liberating to decide that we didn't need to stay there just because we'd already booked it.  This mistake led to a night in Santa Cruz, a location that we hadn't even planned in advance.  But the freedom to decide to put the pin on the map and stay where we wanted was fun.  We also spent two other nights in another lovely hotel in Monterey - great location, wonderful people and perfect for what we needed.

Lots of other mistakes on the trip led to fun adventures.  A few years ago, I might have deliberated more about the downfall of my mistakes.  Now I see them as golden opportunities to change my life for the better.  I should have realized this long ago, as I've always felt I've become stronger from my mistakes and learned lessons.  Life is about learning and changing, about reinventing ourselves.  It's about the joy of what's not planned.  

Mistakes, yep, bring them on!  I love my life, which is full of mistakes, but richer for the experiences I've had.

Stay tuned, lots of great things are happening all around me!

It's Not About the Toothpaste

Many years ago, when I was much younger, with no gray hair and biological rather than bionic knees, I remember an Oprah show, where she'd brought in a marriage counselor to work with a couple who were at the end of their road together (or so they thought).  


I don't actually remember what miracle Oprah's guests experienced with her (as I am sure they did, since Oprah is the biggest miracle  worker), but one conversation has stayed with me since viewing that show.  As they were arguing over petty things, I remember Oprah interrupting them to say, "you know, it's not about the toothpaste.......just because you are arguing that he leaves the cap off and he doesn't like that you don't squeeze from the bottom, doesn't mean this is about the toothpaste."


Oprah's point was, we tend to focus on the little things that we think we can control, and in the process walk right by, or ignore the things that are the true problem.  And that is a lesson we can all keep with us.  Why spend our precious time  on earth focusing on the little stuff?  Unless that is, the little stuff I focus on will be the smell of lavender in my drawers, the smell of pumpkin candles in the autumn, the wonderful way that my dogs greet me every morning, like I am the best thing since a bacon flavored chewy treat.  And not to mention the over the top greeting I get from Makenna Claire and Rylan every time I see them (all that is missing there is the paparazzi following me around, as they convince me I am some kind of rock star) .  Or listening to some soft jazz or new age music............or, well, I digress.


Little things that are positive are good to embrace and savor.  Little things that take our focus away from important things, on the other hand, are not worth our time.  I've found through my new journey to my creative future that when I look at the last few years, I've let some little things get in the way of my art, my sewing, my beading.......and just plain me.  As I create new possibilities for my future, I will be more conscious and will not be distracted by the noise that gets in the way of my real mission in life (at least this stage of it).


Wow, can you feel the energy?  I can!  Stay tuned, great things are happening all around me.

Monkeys and Mondays

I haven't posted in a few days, but that doesn't mean I haven't been creating.  I came up with the next concept for Makenna's book and need to get busy on both her book and Rylan's.  


Rylan's books are way behind, as I've already written two books for Makenna and none for Rylan.  So my watercolors will be coming with me on vacation this weekend, and hope to get some quiet time to get the books started, and hopefully completed by Christmas.


Makenna's new book will focus on sprinkles, a favorite of both her mommy and her.  And will tie in the fictional character of Pokey Patty, who resides right now in concept between Sweet Pea and me.  Once Patty is created on paper, though, that will change.  So I am contemplating how she can become a favorite of Makenna's, and perhaps even have her own series of books.  


I spent last Friday night getting monkeys off my back.  I did my 2010 taxes, which was hanging over my head because I opted to file an extension in April.  Instead of waiting until the last possible minute (they are due today), I decided to tackle what I had left to do and get it done, to free my weekend.  Since I was already up late, I also decided to tackle my corporate expense system, which always knots me up.  Having rid myself of two areas of procrastination, I went to bed thinking that I had the whole weekend to have fun.


Saturday was fun, running errands and having a sleepover with Sweet Pea.  We also measured an Annie costume, so I could alter it down to her size.  What fun.  Getting out the sewing machine, and working on both her costume and Rylan's made me realize all over again how much I enjoy sewing.  Loved it!


Yesterday we went to cheer on Kelly as she did a 10k race in the very wet rain. She didn't let slippery streets or rain in her eyes get in the way of her training goals, and completed it in 1 hour, 3 minutes (woo hoo!!!).  She is an inspiration to everyone and especially me.  I finished both of the costumes (yeah! long before the midnight hour right before Halloween), and later Phil and I took the little ones for a ride to the lake, where Makenna proceeded to reel in her first fish.  Such fun times!


So reflecting today what my plans are for work and other things, I realized that because I tackled my monkeys on Friday, I had a great weekend, took time for me, enjoyed my family and time with Phil, and didn't work much.  And that makes for a happier Monday.  Yeah!  Bring it on, this week will be great (ending with a departure on Friday for vacation).


Stay tuned, great things happening all around me!