Creativity

There are times when I wonder what kind of a life I'd have lived if I wasn't creative. Then I laugh because I know that's just not possible. And I am filled with joy.

I finally know what I'll be doing with the denim jacket that was given to me a few years ago. I wanted it to be really special since someone very special gave it to me. I wanted to show my Spirituality with the honor I feel it deserves. I wanted to include vibrant colors for the Life I feel. I wanted it to be beautiful. And now, I have decided to embroider several designs onto the front and back of this jacket. Yes, it will take longer than painting it, but I will be stitching a lot of gratitude and intention with each stitch. I can't wait to get started!

I split wood this past weekend. I know many people see that as a chore and a bother, but I truly enjoy it. There is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes from knowing that I can do that. That I can take these large pieces of wood and shape them into something useful. Granted, it's not really "survival" anymore, but it still feels good.

While pulverizing one piece (I didn't say I was great at splitting wood, only that I enjoy it), I chipped off a piece that will be perfect for mounting my orchid onto. I still need some wire & moss, but I know it's going to look pretty cool when I'm done with it.

Lately I've been thinking about my direction. Where have I been? Where am I hoping to go? Where am I now? There were a lot of good things about where I've been (along with some challenges) and I try to see it all as helping me to get to where I want to be. There are some paths that I long to take and, even though the future is pretty scary sometimes, I look forward to facing the stumbles. And, there are bright moments about where I am, even though I can't always see them. All in all, this life is a good one. Perhaps not entirely what I'd hoped for, or what my mother had hoped for, but good nonetheless. And I'm determined to keep making it better.

Fiery weekend

This weekend was full of firsts for me. I hadn't started out with that intention, but it happened that way on its own.

One stemmed from a joke about not eating something you don't know. Well, I had to look it up to see what it was and I was surprised and thrilled to discover that I just might enjoy Crepes Suzette. Kevin bravely let me use his kitchen (I say bravely because I've caught several things on fire by accident) for this dessert and even handed me the lighter. I will admit that I didn't get it to light the first time. I was pretty disappointed, but we heated up a little more of the liqueur and tried again. That time I was the camera person. When the flames caught I was startled (yes, I know I shouldn't have been) so the picture is a little off.

It was yummy! And, as we were tasting and savoring this wonderful bit of sweetness, ideas began flowing for altering the recipe. Pineapple juice, peach brandy, lady fingers... ah, the cooking muse awoke. When I get the flames right I just might throw a party or something.

There was a really cool storm that rolled through and I got my first shot of lightning!I was standing inside the doorway with the camera ready and waiting. Every time before I was too slow or too fast and caught just the bright sky, missing the actual bolts. This time I got it! I'm pretty thrilled by this and am looking forward to trying it again. Come on, weather, send me another storm!

I know, I know, there are a lot of pictures of lightning out there in the internet and other places, but I have been trying for a long time. Lately I've been playing with various settings on my camera as well and I'm looking forward to getting better at taking pictures. Next on my list is to try long exposure. This little camera has it and I'm hoping to have an evening of sitting outdoors, and playing around with it. Luckily, the summer won't last much longer and I can try this without getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and such.

-

When I go places special I collect a rock. Not always since I don't find one that is just right all the time. But I have two rocks that are special since they remind me of a great time. One was from a camping trip with my kids. We went to a place called Blue Rock in Ohio and we had a wonderfully relaxing and fun weekend. There was a rock at our site that was perfect for holding stuff and it called to me. It's been sitting here with me for a few years and I finally decided that it was time.

 

Tada! Now I have a candle holder. After finishing the one abaove I set to work on the rock that means even more to me. That one had a lot more quartz in it (both were sandstone) and was a lot more challenging to get through, and at one point I needed a little help.

The second rock reminds me of a special beginning. When the sun was warm and the future was full of sunshine and possibilities. It reminds me that, even in the times of rain and darkness, endurance and faith will get you through to the sunshine again. I'm not going to write much more about that one other than to say that it was placed on my altar and I smile every time I see it.

This weekend had me thinking of various times in my life. When a friendship was still new, when I still believed in fairy tale endings, when I was oblivious to the hurts that come with living, when my mom was still alive, when my children were still little, when... so many things. With those thoughts it occurred to me that I still have so much to do and so many dreams to reach for. I hope I always remember to live with the vitality and vivaciousness I felt this weekend.

Namasté.

New starts

It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, don't worry, the world is still turning and some great things have been happening in most areas of my life.

There are new business ideas bouncing around my head, new fitness goals running through my legs, new creative projects springing up in my fingertips, and so much more.

My picture today is the top of a pineapple that I had the pleasure of enjoying this weekend. I had the idea that I could try growing my own. I did try this once before, without success, but this time might be a lot better. What you see is a jar of air. From all that I've read, the base is supposed to dry out, then you root it in water. I'll be adding just a touch of rooting hormone to the water to help the roots along, then, when it reaches the right rootedness, I'll put it in a pretty pot. My hope is that it will produce fruit in about 3 years.

The summer schedule is underway and the days now begin at 4:30. This is when there is the most peace of the day, I think. It will be a little challenging balancing out the two work schedules along with my personal schedule. The work can overlap a lot (and does, of course) since neither job requires my full attention at all times. The personal schedule is a little more snug since I have a deadline and I have to shift it day to day around work. Still, I'm determined.

In the meantime, the house is quiet and I have more projects to start.

May you all have a blessed day.

Longer days

Oh, how the sunlight beckons me! And yet, the wind chills me in a way I didn't feel through the winter. Perhaps it is the tiredness from dream-filled nights. Perhaps I'm not drinking enough water. Who knows?

I sent a note to my Dad last week about my big change (some of you already know about it, others will know when it's finalized). He was interested in knowing how and why I came to that decision. I'm thinking I should type it out and send it to a few other people, if they ask.

~

I haven't written in a couple days mainly due to being tired. This morning, however (Friday) I woke knowing that I'd not dreamed. Or, at least, I don't remember them. I actually feel like I got enough sleep for a change, even though it was a short night. I hope tonight is the same.

I got a treadmill yesterday! Yes, I'm pretty excited about it. I've been riding the bike since December 1 and have been doing fairly well with it. Now, it's time to work the muscles a little differently. I know it will take a little getting used to, but I'm looking forward to using it a lot.

~

Oh! I have this fabulous idea! And I have an idea of how to make it work. But how will the colors look once they are knitted or crocheted? How will the items work? I think it's time to rally some crafting troops and see what happens. At best I'll get a few people to help me out with this. At worst, they will send me good thoughts and cheer me on. It's a winning situation all around.

(By the day's end I realized that I had troops aplenty! What a beautiful group of women!)

~

I'm so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open, but I want to get this out before I tell my loved ones good night.

I spent today mostly outdoors. The early afternoon was spent gathering dandelions (Kevin has a humongous yard, and a good portion of it is far from automobile exhaust and anything else detrimental to health). I am not sure what recipe I'll be trying out, but they will certainly get put to good use. After I filled up the bowl, I sat in the sun with Kevin's grandson, Demetrius. At one point he decided that I needed more flowers and began decorating my legs with them. What a cool kid.

Kevin was doing some yard work and called us over to see something. It was a toad! How cool it is to see such creatures right there in the yard. After I got a couple pictures and Demetrius looked at it, the toad tried to dig himself in even further.

Even though this was the first Easter I spent without any blood-related people, it was a great day.

~

Today I start dyeing with a new idea! I'm so very excited about this. My new equipment will finish arriving today (some of it came on Saturday) and I am ready to get started. I'm really looking forward to getting all the samples shipped out so that the projects can get started. This is so exciting!

I also am looking forward to a couple knitting ideas I have for a very special skein of yarn. Before I start that one, though, I will be finishing up a few other projects (socks & scarf).

This will be a great week!

Trying something new...

This week I'm going to try writing a little each day, then publish it on Monday. We;ll see how that works out.

Tuesday: My appointment was this morning and it turns out that my sugars are a little elevated, but not to the point of being out of control. The rest of the symptoms are most likely related to stress. How to combat it? Movement, for the most part. Brianna and I found a stationary bike at Goodwill for only $25. It's not fancy, but we can adjust the tension and it has a timer on it. Not bad. I only "rode" it for 15 minutes and knitted part of that time.

Wednesday: I finished a hat that I'll be sending off to Anthony -

Thursday: I started a new blog for my health called 6849 Miles. I'll be bicycling the length of Sam's and Frodo's journey to Mordor and back with a couple side trips tossed in. I'm doing this mainly to help keep myself motivated. I have too many wonderful things going on in my life to let myself be unhealthy.

Friday: After hearing from a couple members on Ravelry, I decided to start a new thread for our health. It will be smaller than the Gryffindor Gym and I'm hoping it will help us cheer each other on. A few others will be traveling along this trip as well. Not necessarily biking or walking, but they will be doing what needs to be done for themselves and that means a lot. I also began an interesting challenge from Silver Ravenwolf. Each day we get rid of at least one item. She does give "missions" and that will help keep the focus.

We also bought our Yule tree! This year we get a Douglas Fir instead of a Scotch Pine. It's a little smaller than the last couple years, but it looks so cute! And the needles aren't nearly as sharp.

Saturday: Kevin took me to dinner and a show! It was really cool to see It's a Wonderful Life on stage. True, this is a small-town venue, but it was really nice. That was the first time I'd been in the Sandusky State Theater and I liked the feel of the place. I'm hoping we can go again before long to see something else.

It was really nice getting dressed up and doing something different.

Sunday: Brianna and I decorated our tree. It still feels a little odd to know that Anthony will not be here, but I kept good cheer and Brianna was pretty happy with it all. The packages under there now look  a little funny, but that's only because Anthony had them sent to us and told us that we couldn't open them until Yule.

We might open them on the 17th, though, and that's mainly because of the work schedule.

More repairs

What an interesting week! I'm thinking about changing the way I write these entries, and I'll certainly get that figured out by tomorrow. Anyway...

Thanksgiving was very nice, even though we spent most of the afternoon tearing my dryer apart. Kevin tested all the parts inside and they were all strong. The only broken part was a blower fan. Not even duct tape could fix that one (and yes, we tried it).

After cleaning up  the mess, we looked up the part online and found it for sale. Since there is an appliance repair shop not far from me, it was good to get the price. Luckily, the shop was open on Friday. Now I can officially say that I've gone to a store on Black Friday. Crazy, huh? Anyway, I got the part and installed it myself.

Now the dryer may last another 10 years before another repair is needed.

Saturday was filled with baking, grating, making butter, and knitting. All in preparation of Sunday's feast, which included only 2 of Kevin's kids. I was a little bummed that one couldn't make it (the others are out of the state), since he usually has something witty to say about lots of things, but that's how it goes, I guess. It was a nice dinner, though and most of the conversation was lively.

Tomorrow is my appointment to discuss the lab results. I keep telling myself that I'm not really worried about it. I keep telling myself that I'm waking in the night from the wind, or rain, or a full bladder... deep in my heart I know better. I am afraid of what she will tell me. I'm afraid she's going to inform me that I'll be on medication for the rest of my life. It's hard to shake that feeling, even though I want to believe I'm stronger than that.

On the bright side... I finished Anthony's hat.

Slow week

This week was actually a "finish the stuff" kind of week. I was able to get the swap shawl finished (it's nearly dry so I'll get some pictures tomorrow), finished some personal writing, and finished a couple business things.

One thing that I started was 15 Days of Thankfulness. Essentially, each day there is a new prompt for what to focus on and you write about it. I think it's a good way to focus on things that you feel grateful for, while also reminding yourself that you have a lot of blessings.

This week was also about learning and growing. Some fears were set aside while others popped up. The biggest new one (I'm not posting about it until I find out for certain) is health related. I know that I will be placing a few calls tomorrow to see about laying my fears to rest. Until then, I will be positive.

So, even though I don't have a lot to "show" for this week, internally it has been really busy. May you all be blessed.

Laughter & tears

What a week this has been! I started my Nanowrimo writing on Tuesday and was amazed at how the memories just started flowing. I actually had to write some of them down because they were popping up in my mind so fast. Now I have a piece of paper filled with a couple words for each memory that will help me get them all typed up. I love doing this and am pretty sure it's something that will bring my Dad some joy.

I also spun a full bump of fiber (pictures in a bit), started a shawl for a friend, dyed another shawl of mine, moved my bedroom furniture around, helped with cleaning a dryer hose, blogged about anger (I usually don't do that), met my daughter's boyfriend, played in the leaves with a toddler and my Sweetie, and made refried beans for the first time. Ever.

The fiber is the the first installment of the PS... line of colors that Pacasha, of Younger Yarns, and I are dyeing together. She dyes the fiber and I dye the yarn. We both use the same dye (since we buy from the same suppliers) and colors, and last month was a hit! Since it was our first month, we both sent each other a package and I finished spinning mine just a couple days ago. I still need to set it, but that won't take long. It's so gorgeous! (And the spinning looks great, too.) Here's what it looked like halfway done -

The shawl is going to a wonderful woman who plays in the House Cup group on Ravelry. We're doing a secret swap, so I can't even say where she lives, but I know she's going to love it. The yarn is my own Sunrises in Nightshade, and I already know she likes the colors.

The shawl I dyed was made from the yarn my Dad sent me for Solstice a couple years ago, and that I wear quite a bit. Now, it's even more awesome because of the colors.

Moving my bedroom around was a great way of giving me a better view when I'm sitting at my desk. Now, I can really enjoy the natural daylight even while I'm working on shop updates, Nano writing, or just playing on Ravelry.  It's still a bit messy, but this is my new view -

I met the boy Brianna is "dating". I use the quotations simply because they haven't gone out on an actual date, but they call each other boyfriend/girlfriend. How do I feel about this? Well, the boy came in and gave me a firm handshake and introduced himself to me. That says something. I guess time will tell about the rest of it.

 Playing in the leaves on Sunday was wonderful. The toddler (I'll still need to ask his parents' permission about names and pictures) was hesitant at first, but after a couple minutes of seeing what I was doing, he jumped right in with kicking the leaves, tossing them around, wading through the pile and just having fun. Kevin joined in tossing the leaves in the air and kicking them all around (like he needs an excuse to have fun). It was really nice to be able to have a reason for making a mess of the leaf pile and fill the time with smiles and laughter.

I think that Sunday was one of the best I've had and it will certainly be one of my happy memories.

So, where does the "tears" portion of the title come from? Well, when my emotions run really high, they begin to overflow. Whether from anger, sorrow, joy, or Love, the tears will spill over. I'm not ashamed of this, it just is the way I am. This week has been filled with all of these emotions and more.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week and that you all find moments that will be memories for the rest of your life.

Blessed Samhain!

What a busy week this has been!

I attended a very small gathering for Small Business Peer Mentoring hosted by the creator/owner of Oasis Healing Arts. It was a very small group, but that gave us a lot more interaction than there might have been. I did learn a few things and I'm looking forward to learning more.

On the craft front, I finished a few small projects and reached 50% of a large project -

 

In the repair/fix-it department, I added hooks to my flyer and replaced the dryer belt. 

Tomorrow begins the Nanowrimo, which I will be participating in. I won't be writing a novel, instead I'll be writing about various memories I have of being a child. I don't have any grand dreams of being published, but it might be a nice story to share with my grandchildren someday.

For now, I will continue working on my knitting and relax for the rest of the day.

Project of the week...

The other night, the idea of a project each week was given to me and I have been thinking about it since then. I think it's a great idea and it doesn't even have to show only my crafty projects, but life projects as well. Such as seeing the whales off the coast of Maine (not my idea, but a cool one nonetheless). And the thought occurred to me about just adding this to the other blog, or keeping it separate. If I want this to show the things I've done in a year, or five, then it should be a new blog.

I think the most daunting part of this is the fear that I will have nothing to show at the end of this. But, since we never know where our roads lead, what would I gain by not trying at all.

Where to start? If I started projects from my birthday until now, I would include these:

Fiber spun into singles (spun on the wheel that Sally painted and my awesome friends made sure I received by my birthday) -

Then plied -

A scarf made for my dad -

Some fiber I dyed -

And split for fractal spinning -

Other crafty news: I finished another washcloth, am still learning how to do stranded colorwork with a little stretch to it, am working on the Evenstar shawl, and am planning to make a shawl for a crafty swap.

There are other things that have happened as well, but more challenging to actually show. Some of them are internal and who wants to see my insides, right?

One accomplishment recently was a detox. Scary word, isn't it? Well, this was a food de-tox. I went for over a week not having any type of dairy or grain. I don't have any allergies or anything like that, I just wanted to get my body cleaned out for the winter. Mainly, it was a way to help eliminate any odd cravings that I get sometimes. For example, there is nothing of nutritional value in a Whataburger. As nice as they are to enjoy, having an actual craving for one certainly doesn't point to a vitamin or mineral deficiency so, why the craving? Since there really isn't any answer, the detox was in order.

The first few days were pretty blah. I rested a lot, read books, knitted, and drank more water than I thought possible. I also enjoyed a ton of veggies. Most were raw, but some were cooked lightly. And I discovered that I won't be doing another detox once the sun starts to decline. Why? Because this is the time of year that I love hot, spicy, and filling foods. Not, cold, raw veggies. Anyway, it was a good experience, nonetheless.

I've also been doing more journaling and thinking. I have so many ideas running through my head on a regular basis and I'm really looking forward to figuring out ways to make them work. Some are pretty simple, like moving the furniture in my room. The most challenging parts of that are the fact that I don't have many outlets, nor do I have a really long data cable (my F8 key is broken on the netbook so I can no longer connect wirelessly). I'll get these things settled pretty soon and my room will be even more pleasing than it is right now.  Well, to be honest, at this moment there are things out of place since I didn't put them away when I got home yesterday.