The Dreaming Child

Boldly colored mixed media with text, photo and George Eliot quote

“Keep learning” is advice mentioned regularly, and good advice it is. From simple things like taking a new route on the way to or from work, cook a new dish, or listen to different music. To more involved ones like learn a new language, take a course, or tackle a new skill. Any one of them can shakes up the cemented pathways in your brain and open up all sorts of new and potentially amazing possibilities. Which then lead to more! The best part is that it is all up to you to take that first step and try something new. It doesn’t have to be grand and expensive, it can be as simple as a daily walk through a different neighborhood and grow from there. Start today, engage a friend or two, write it down and tape that first intention to your mirror. Just give it a go!

Rise & Shine

Bold colors and book pages with rise and shine text

The first day of a new year always feels a bit odd to me, a day suspended at the starting line and gathering the energy to leap into the race. Everything about the upcoming year is as yet open and unsullied. Like a blank sketchbook or journal, anything is possible and available. May your year start off with meaning and joy and grow from there!

Fill your life

Fill your life with sunshine and your heart with love quote on bright paint and layered paper background

Here we are, at the very final hours of the year. 2021 will soon be behind us. We will enter the new year with 365 days of unknowns to be dealt with. Throughout the year there will be all the usual ups and downs, plus delights and sorrows which will catch us off guard. I wish all of you a year filled with more ups and delights, and lots of laughter and success to offset the downs and sorrows. Happy New Year!

On this eve

Sheet music with blue and silver accents and printed text from O
Little Town of Bethlehem

Here we are, Christmas Eve of 2021. Another odd holiday for many of us. I am grateful to have the day off to do whatever I want, or nothing at all. Usually I am at work having a quiet day that moves slowly along. But this year we all decided to take the day and make the holiday weekend a bit longer. This year has required that sort of flexibility of thought, to change directions and try new courses of action. To gives ourselves, and others, the chance to aim for something better or at least recoup where they are at. It has been a rough 20 months, many would say past few years, and as we move into a new year I am hopeful that there will be progress on inclusiveness and equality as we do. May you all have a wonderful Christmas Day.

Thrive

Bold colored mixed media with “thrive” text

December; short days, cold nights, and snow. It can feel hard to thrive. But you can, change it to; crisp air, bright stars and winter birds, giving yourself a different place to see it from. And in that place you might feel you can easily thrive. I find I have to mix things up a bit when late fall arrives. Activities done later in the day in summer I shift to late morning so the early dark doesn’t creep up on me mid task. I spend more time reading in the evening when the desire to be inside makes snuggling up with a good book appealing. I mull over and write poems in the evening too, when my mind seems open to the word play. December can be a time of unexpected, unusual growth, and end of the year time to grow before the new one starts.

Moments

Mixed media with bird and text

The holiday weekend is drawing to a close, most of us will return to our regular work week schedules in a day or so. For some the holiday stretch has been busy with family, for others with work, and some have had a quiet holiday. The moments that make up these days are unique, I prefer a more sedate way of celebrating, big crowds and lots of cooking aren’t my thing. I like to split my day up between a hike, some studio time, family time and a good meal. My friend likes a house bursting at the seams with 4 generations laughing and talking. Another makes a full turkey meal for just the 2 of them ensuring plenty of leftovers to enjoy. The common thread between all of those scenarios is that we each are fortunate enough to have enough, and can choose to celebrate in our own way. As we all know life is made up of moments; good, bad, funny, frightening, joyous and grief filled. Regardless, these moments come and go as they weave themself into our life. I hope all of you were able to have plenty of moments filled with laughter and joy this past week, and more will follow.