A timetable for DREAMS

Some days I feel like I am living in a state of panic -

Time is slipping away.

If I haven't made it to my "goal" by a certain day, a certain date, a certain age - then it will be too late.

Am I the only one that feels that way?

This statement really hit home for me for just that reason.

I have to remind myself that there are soooooo many things that I want to accomplish in this life.

So many things I want to try.

So many adventures I want to go on.

So many different ways I see my life playing out.

For example - some days I see myself living on a large piece of property with an enormous garden, chickens, maybe a cow and some goats and within the same week I prefer the idea of a high-ceiling artists loft in the middle of the city with everything in walking distance.

Could you get any more opposite?

I want to get some of my art work licensed; I want to increase the availability of it in stores and catalogs.

I want to see my Etsy site take flight!

I want to sky dive; hang glide, paraglide - anything that involves flight.

I want to scuba dive - I've done it once and I can't wait for more opportunities.

I can't even begin to list all of the places I want to see in the world - but a few of the top sites are Belize, Italy and Bali.

I want to learn a foreign language - preferably Spanish.

I want to take classes in cooking, art, calligraphy, life drawing. . .

I want to own a cottage somewhere that I can escape to on the weekends and paint. It could be in the mountains, on the coast -I'm not picky. Just somewhere "away".

I want to sing in a choir.

I want to sing with a band.

I want to perform on stage in a musical -something I haven't done for over 20 years.

I want to live in a foreign country for a year.

I want to learn how to make artisan breads.

I want to go on a silent retreat and spend my days in prayer and meditation.

I want to live fully every second of my life.

It makes me overwhelmed thinking about it- partly with anticipation and partly with sadness - because I know that I will not be able to accomplish everything on the list.

But the reality is this -

they don't all have to be done at the same time or right away.

Life is a journey.

The process itself is part of the adventure.

And as long as I am always moving forward, then I am on the right track.

As long as I am dreaming and longing for new adventures, I know that I am alive.



JOY!

When was the last time you felt pure, unadultered, real joy . . .

Is "NA" word?

A new mirror celebrating the seasons . . .

So another week has passed and we are beginning to have a few more glimpses that there is hope that the gray and dreary days of winter are leaving.

After a long week of work, I was grateful to face the weekend head on!

I spent my weekend painting in the studio and catching up on household chores.

Really - how can things get so out of control in just 5 days???

But it sure feels good when the cobwebs have been evicted from the tops of the ceilings.

I worked on several items in the studio as I continue to build the inventory.

And then came the errand running and things went downhill from there.

After our son moved out and opened up a room in the house, my husband laid claim and has been preparing to take it over. A fresh coat of paint, some general repairs and he is ready to take over.

A desk is needed - because not only will he be using this as an office/music studio/mancave - but he will be using the space to make prints and other general production work for the business that need to be done in a clean environment.

We scanned some desks on Craigslist - but they were too deep. He wanted a longer and narrower work surface.

So we talked and measured and thought and decided to create a custom work space with 2-drawer file cabinets and an old door.

Where to find a unique, inexpensive old door?

At our local rebuilding center.

So it was time for a field trip - after all, we could go to the rebuilding center, stop by some thrift shops to look for file cabinets and then wrap things up with a trip to the nursery to buy a few plants for a totally seperate project.

What could be better?

So off we went . . .

We drove across town to the rebuilding center only to find out that there was a biking event that had closed off the streets and there was no parking anywhere. We are in Portland, afterall. Strike 1.

We stopped at three thrift stores - nothing! Strike 2.

We drove to GoodWill - it was on the way.

They were closed (long story). Strike 3.

OK - last attempt to redeem this trip - the nursery.

We drove to the nursery, pulled in the driveway and watched them lock the gates.

A total bust of a trip.

We went home - maybe dinner and an outdoor fire around the fire pit would make up for the waste of the afternoon . . .but alas, Mother Nature mocked me and it started to rain! 

Seriously????

OK - not to be discouraged - I made dinner and after, my son and husband and I played a game of Scrabble.

Not on the computer or on my phone -

but at the table with a real board and real wooden tiles!

I made a wonderful play that utilitized touching tiles and created a secondary word . . .and it was on a double word score.  The word???. . .

"na".

My son challenged me.

Although Merriam didn't agree - the other online dictionaries said it was legitimate.

I even wasted a move on my "Words With Friends" game on my phone to make the point that I could use it.

And so . . .due to the little 2-letter word "na" my evening was properly redeemed. Because quick frankly . . .

I kicked both of their butts!!!

And if you don't think "na" is a legal Scrabble word - just remember, everyone is entitled to their opinion. And the utter demise of my entire weekend was dependent on that word.

So - "na" IS a word!

How bout you? Good weekend? What was the high point for you?

Aaaah . . .Vacation!

I took a week off of my day job.

How wonderful that was.

It really is true - we need to take time to decompress, refocus, and reboot.

I mean - even our computers need to be shut off once in a while to clear out the hiccups (yes - that is a technical term :)

I found myself thinking about things like Facebook and this blog - and I didn't feel the need to get on the computer. I pretty much "checked out and unplugged."

Although I still worked hard all last week, it was a change of routine.

We had our sale at the Coast and I drank in the sun, the salt air and the sound of the ocean.

I worked in my yard and planted flowers and cleaned up our outdoor living area.

We ran errands and bought raw materials to rebuild our inventory.

I grocery shopped.

I visited with friends and family.

I went shopping . . .for me.

I went out to lunch . . .and dinner.

I went to the art store and drooled over all things creative.

My husband and I went for drives in our little Mustang and felt the wind blow through our hair.

I sat in the backyard hammock and listened to the birds and the windchimes.

I finally got the shelves in studio hung.

And I painted.

Oh how good that felt.

I finished up projects that were "almost" done. 

Like this chair . . .it's been waiting to be finished for . . .I forget how long.

And this painting that has been waiting for a frame since October . . .

And a few new projects were created - like this large mirror. . .

Yeah - it was a good week.

It makes facing a Monday that much easier. . .

So now that I have caught my breath, it's time to roll up my sleeves and get busy. The summer show season starts in less than a month!

Stay posted for dates and locations.

And keep an eye out for new prints with new themes.

What are you up to?