Sunshine and Gratitude

Met one of my bestest friends for breakfast this morning.  It's been two months since we've seen each other.  Way too long.  We typically take a couple hours to catch up before we head our separate ways.  And I think we both feel more fulfilled when we part.  It's like that with good friends. 

I was almost moved to tears of gratitude this morning on my way to meet her. I looked up and saw a plane landing (I live near O'Hare International Airport) and its path crossed in front of the sun. It was a beautiful sight; one that I wasn't able to capture in a photo, but the image made me realize how blessed my life is.  Not sure what that has to do with a plane.  I just know that I was near tears.  I love this life. 



I captured this just shortly after seeing
the plane cross in front of it.

We had a family barbeque last weekend.  Most of my sibs and their families were there.  My sister-in-law's aunt also came and I just love this picture of Ava and my daughter talking to Auntie Josie. 

And then my absolute favorite human subjects when it comes to taking pictures are my three grandkids.  Such a happy bunch!

No fear in this little one! 
(I need to learn a lesson from her!)



Always one clown in the bunch! 
At 4 1/2 years old, he's chosen to take on that role!
(Maybe I should learn a lesson from this one, too!!)

 I've been reading a book authored by one of my blogging buddies.  Tracy Spaine over at My Thoughtful Spot wrote a book called Life through the Eyes of a Hurricane Doggie-Dog.  My favorite part is that each chapter ends with "I love this life."  Haven't finished the book yet, but I'm liking what I read so far. 

So that's a little bit of what was going on in my life this week.  Oh, and the new food thing...I tried two different dips.  Couldn't bring myself to try the avocado dip my son made (yeah, that's a visual thing about putting that color green in my mouth).  But of the dips I tried, I liked one, not the other.  Hey cut me some slack, people.  I'm trying!!  And I tried some German Potato Salad that my sister made and loved it.  Not too vinegary. 

Okay, that's all for now.  Hope your weekend has some sunshine in it!! And a little bit of cool weather.  And that you can wrap up this weekend by thinking, "I love this life."

Back in the Land of the Living

Well, I know I don't have a ton of readers who wonder if I fell off the earth, but those I do have have already pinged me about my whereabouts.  I can't believe a month flew by without me posting anything.  And to tell the truth, I haven't been to a whole lot of blogs lately.  This weekend will change that.  Time to catch up!!

So what have I been doing?  Well, last weekend was spent with my sister and her friend, scrapping at her friend, Jean's house.  We left Friday midday and it takes about 2 1/2 hours to cross the state to Elizabeth, which is just east of Galena.  No snow near Chicago when we left.  That changed big time during our trip. 

Long to short here: Driveway is long and steep, sister has front wheel drive vehicle, snow was very wet and huge flakes, we got stuck.  No boots, no traction on my gym shoes to allow me to get out and push.  We made some ruts.  Once we got into the house, there was no leaving for the weekend. (Not that there were any plans to...after all, it was a scrapping weekend.)


Not yet stuck, tracks heading up the driveway



Stuck...one of a few places

Friday night sunset was stunning.  I'm seeing it as reward for us getting the vehicle up to the garage.

 Saturday was a dreary day outside, so it allowed me to concentrate on getting some pages done.  Here's some that are complete:

And some that need a little work:



Yeah, first born girl always gets the photo package from Van Gogh!!
Sorry, Colleen!

 And then there's some I can't show you yet. 

Jean knows how to build a fire.  Another bonus!!

And Sunday, we were blessed with a most beautiful sunrise. 

And later that morning, a beautiful panoramic view of snow-covered farmland. 

Wow...this is the upside to trees losing their leaves.  You get a different view of the beauty of nature. 

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to visit my #2 grandson's school for a Pre-K School Sing.  After they sang, I went back to the classroom to meet his teacher and to enjoy all the things his classroom offers him.  I left with a very happy heart!!

Things have been pretty busy at work, and it looks like the next 2-3 months will be all that and more.  I am truly blessed to have a great boss and to work with a lot of great people.  And as we play musical chairs in my little work world, it should be interesting to see how things wash out. 

But my PG and I are heading out see Jeanne Robertson tonight.  I first found out about her through my Texas Sisters.  A former Miss Congeniality at the Miss America pageant.  Humor based on real life.  My kinda speaker!!  Here's a short youTube that shows you her stuff. 

I've been working on some mindfulness exercises offered by Lisa Wilson through her Wild Elephant Project over at LifeUnity.  I know I'm not alone in needing to be reminded to be mindful in everything I do.  And yes, it's difficult.  But just going thru her exercises is a great reminder. 

Okay, I've rambled on enough.  Time for me to put away all my scrapbook stuff from last weekend, visit some blogs, cut my PG's hair so he looks purty for tonight, and get some laundry folded and put away. 

I promise to work harder at getting a post in every few days.  

Inspired Canvas of Words

So, remember when I wrote about this beautiful canvas that Leanne made?  And how it inspired me? 

Well, I decided to try my hand at it.  Leslie at Words of Me Project suggested we do something creative each day for 14 days starting January 23rd.  So for the last week, I've been working on making a companion piece to my Truth canvas. 

Using Leanne's recipe, I started by adding paper scraps to a canvas and mod podging the whole thing. 




I wanted to put all three previous words on one canvas, so I needed to make my own removable letters.  I just took some flimsy cardstock letters from one of my paper pads and put Alene's Tack It Over and Over on the backs of the letters.

I added some butterflies (my fave) to give the canvas a little dimension. 

Then painted it white.  I think the layer of paint might have been a little thin, but I told myself from the start that once I made a decision, I was going to embrace it.  There are no mistakes.

Once the paint dried, I removed the letters and sanded some sections.

Outlined the letters, added some some more scraps and sanded some more.  Then found my K&Co. keys.  I actually had another piece of metal in mind, but I couldn't find it to save my soul.  And I really wanted to complete this project. 

This took nearly a week to complete.  I worked on it every night after work.  It's not nearly as beautiful as the one I received, and quite frankly, if Leanne does decide to sell these in her Etsy shop, I would definitely consider picking some up for some friends.  This took longer than I thought it would. 

Oh, and the scraps from the scraps?  I put them in my art journal. 

I'll figure out something for that some other day.   

Now what have you done to feed your creative soul??

Snippets of Thoughts and Catching Up

Yes, I know it's been a while since I posted, and even longer since I came up with my own thoughts.  I can't tell you how many partially started posts I have sitting in my dashboard, but none end up seeing the light of day due to my "perfectionism" getting in the way.

So here are some snippets of what I've been up to lately --

I'm back at work after taking six weeks off after my kidney surgery.  It's a madhouse there, but that's to be expected at this time of year.  Gotta get those kids registered for classes in the fall!!  I am forever indebted to my replacement for those six weeks.  I promise, LS, I'll make it up to you!!!!

During my time off I played with some art journaling and painting.  Don't have a lot of confidence in what I do.  Maybe I need to take one of those online classes that will teach me to let myself go!!

I've got some things planted in the garden.  It's not complete, but this spring weather has just not cooperated enough now that I'm feeling up to planting things.  But thanks to my PG's help in turning over the garden, it's gonna be a beauty this year!!!

Now if I can just keep this little guy away from some of these new plants.  FYI: Blood meal seems to work!! Just don't overuse it...it's high in nitrogen!

And just for my Texas Sisters, here's the cactus affectionately known as the HEW/HaneyBob cactus that gets pushed outdoors each summer.

As many of you may remember, my "word of the year" is SIMPLIFY.  I'm having a rough go of it so, sure enough, one day in my inbox comes and email with a note from the Universe via http://www.tut.com/ that gives me the simple words that will be my mantra.  This is paraphrased and it's what I wrote on my whiteboard:

Know what you want

and move toward it every day.

Pretty simple, right?  But isn't that how those who are most focused on their goals work?  And for some reason, it is a stress/anxiety reliever for me.  So that's my phrase of the day for the rest of this year!!

I'm heading to the Scrap Cellar this Saturday and I'm wiggle-butt excited about it.  Last time I was with the Scrap Chicks was the day before I found out about the kidney tumors, so we are in desperate need to get together. 

You may have noticed my new header.  It was decided that I needed a header that got me away from my computer and out into my garden.  My blog header creator extraordinaire, Scrap Chick, and BFF Leanne, over at From Chaos Comes Happiness, created this header with my PG doing his favorite yard thing.  (LOVE the smell of freshly mowed lawns, don't you??).  If you think your header needs a little personalization, Leanne's the one to contact!

At least for the next week or so, I'm soaking up the last few days of "voyeurism" while watching the not so little eaglets practice wing flapping at the Decorah eagles website.  They will probably fledge within a week and I can't tell you how grateful I am that I've had the opportunity to watch them grow from the time they were a couple weeks old.  What a fantastic project they've got going there! 

So that's what's happening in my little world.  I encourage you to stop by the links I've posted today.  There's some good stuff out there!!  And feel free to leave a comment (if Blogger will let you).  Would love to know you stopped by!!

Back in the Land of the Living

Okay, I'll agree that the title is a bit dramatic!  But it's been over three weeks since I posted.  And only now do I have enough energy to post again!  Due to some complications following my kidney surgery, I found myself back in the hospital for another five days.  But I'm home now.  Recovering slowly, but each day is better than the day before.   And isn't that what progress is all about??

So today, I'm committed to sit less, work more muscles, get my head back into the real world, and start feeling like my old self. 

Have you visited the Decorah Eagles' site?  I've watched these guys since shortly after they hatched and I'm amazed at how quickly they've grown.  They are starting to exercise their wings and it won't be long before they test drive 'em.  To think they used to be fuzzy little balls protected by mom and dad!

Have you ever given thought to past lives, whether our souls return for another go-round in this life?  Maybe it's to fix something that went wrong in a previous life, or whether it's to aid something or someone in this life.  I just like the idea of returning souls that help us to grow.  That's pretty much part of the the whole "angel" thing with me.  But on to my point.  From the time my #2 grandson was weeks old, I would tell my daughter that he was a bird in a past life.  He was always so calmed when he would watch the trees outside his bedroom window. 

During our trip to the Nature Center in January

On Mother's Day, during a very dramatic wood sliver removal from his foot (tears and wailing aplenty), he would interrupt the wailing when he spotted a bird.  "Waahhhhh, robin, waahhhhh, cardinal..."  Hysterical!!!!

Photography by Christine Buti

And just this week, Mommy and Daddy were wakened by "screeching" coming from Cormick's room.  Clearly a playful screech.  When they finally checked it out, they found that he had built an eagle's nest in his top bunk using one of his blankets, used some books (flaps opened up to simulate wings) to create his little eaglets, and was screeching for the other parent bird to bring food!  Yes, he learned this from the Decorah Eagle site.  The kid is all about birds!!

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

I've got a blessed life.  I know we all have our trials to deal with.  I think I do a pretty good job of getting thru those.  But those trials are nothing compared to the joy in my life.  Yes, it's good to be back!! 

A Gratitude Moment

I SO love daylight savings time.  I love that there's still sunlight when I get home from work.  I love watching the garden for signs.  Watching for the tulips to push their way thru the earth, looking for bits of sun. 



Tulip birth - 2009 Garden

I love that the crocuses show up in the middle of grass.  There's something about it that makes me giddy.

I love the idea of working with the earth to create that beauty. 

I love that there are some things that really need very little attention to get the job done.  They know what to do each year, and they do it. 

I love the colors of spring.  I love that they can be bold or pastel. 

Yep!  Filled with gratitude!  Life is Good!!

Taking Life's Side Trips

Don't you just love spontaneity??

In my two weeks off, I've been working at simplifying my life.  That means boxing up and bagging up all the things that really don't need to be in my home anymore.  And some of the toys and books I've "found" have been here since my oldest grandson was a toddler.  They'll have a better home elsewhere.  So some of them seemed appropriate for my daughter's home or for the daycare her kids attend. 

My intent on Sunday was to drop off these toys and books and get back home for more boxing and bagging.  What a wonderful surprise when my 3 year old grandson invited us to the River Trail Nature Center.  Although it was windy enough to be bitter outside, they do have an exhibit room and playroom.  We were able to play some games, sit in a fox's den, use my new camera to take some pictures of sparrows and woodpeckers and turtles, OH MY!! 

  

"This is a cardinal.  It's my favorite bird."



Cheating at fishing game.  (I'll get him next time!!)



Coming in for a landing.
Hope there's room at the feeder!





Turtles sunning themselves under the sun lamp.



That's a woodpecker hanging upside down. 




Who's watching who??
SIL says that sparrows are boring.
I think they've got some magnificent colors!!

 

In the Fox Den with another visitor.



Watching for deer and coyotes.



Today, Ali Edwards' post is "Long Live Spontaneous Adventures."  I happen to agree. 

Life is Good!!

My 2011 Word

As I mentioned yesterday, my 2010 word (Serenity) wasn't as successful as I'd hoped.  So I did some soul searching on why it was harder for me to embrace and I realized that my life has too much stuff in it. Call it disorganization, call it clutter, call it my past!  But it's time for change. It's time to declutter. It's time to SIMPLIFY.

sim pli fy  verb

a.-  to reduce to basic essentials

b.-  to diminish in scope or complexity

c.-   to make more intelligible; clarify

Yep, that's my word for 2011 - SIMPLIFY. What's so funny is that as I say the word, I experience an AHHHHH moment. Have you ever had one of those? Where just one word fills you with serenity and peace? Where you feel all sorts of gratitude?? Wait, what's this? A connection with ALL of my words??  Hmmmm.... interesting. Maybe that's the way it's suppose to work!

I started to approach my blog buddy/Scrap Cellar Chick Leanne to help me out with creating a visual for my word. Then it dawned on me (don't you just love/hate those "duh" moments?)...KISS! Keep It Simple, Superstar! (yeah, I know it's usually "stupid" and not "superstar" but I'm not about to call myself stupid!!).
And so, this is my first step into SIMPLIFY!  Can't get any simpler, right??

And here's my plan for 2011...There are so many people in this world who need things. And there are so many things in this place I call home that it's time I get the two of those situations to meet up. It's time for me to SIMPLIFY. And it's not just my home. It's my diet, my scrapbooking, my relationships. I don't believe we were put on this earth to lead complicated, cluttered lives. I believe we serve God best by simply being our uncomplicated, uncluttered, simplified selves.

Funny thing about these one little words -- once you pick the word (or it picks you) you start moving in that direction.  You start wanting it in your life.  Every day, all the time.  How cool is that?!!??

I'm headed over to Leanne's.  She's got a linky thing going for our words for 2011.  And, of course, a thank you to Ali Edwards on starting this revolution.

2010 Word of the Year Review

 Hard to believe it's been a year since I selected my Word of the Year.   Inspired by Ali Edwards, and nudged by my friend Leanne, I began this Word of the Year journey in 2009.  Ali E. says it like this: "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow...One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities." Tangible, intangible, feeling, thought, emotion.  It can be any of those.

 

Charm by Lisa Leonard Design

 My first word was Gratitude.  That word and the gift of a word charm from Leanne helped make it a gratitude-filled year.  What's nice is that this word had such an impact on my life, that I literally saw a shift in how I look at things, how I react to things.  HUGE impact!

Found at a little out of the
way place in Arkansas

My 2010 word is Serenity.  I had a much more difficult time searching for serenity in my life this year.  Mostly because I didn't focus on the word as I should have.  Oh, there were spurts.  And how wonderful those were.  But overall, not so successful with increasing the serenity in my life.  

So here we are, just a few steps away from entering 2011.  It seems like only a couple years ago that we went thru the Y2K craziness.  It's now time for me to choose my 2011 Word of the Year.  I've got it and will share it with you before we wrap up 2010.

So what will your One Little Word for 2011 be? 

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is, by far, the holiday I look forward to most.  Many of my brothers and sisters and their kids and grandkids all get together at my brother's home.  The weather usually cooperates by not being so cold that it goes right to your bones (although it's questionable this year!).  Preparing the meal is half the fun of getting together, since my brother's kitchen is big enough for most of us to hang out. 

It's just such a peaceful time!! 

I am so incredibly grateful for my family.  And when they say that the longest relationship you will ever have in your life is the one you have with your brothers and sisters, it makes me glad to know I have them.  Because no matter what, I know they're there for me. 

Be vocal with your gratitude.  Tell them all how much you appreciate them in your life.  And have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Are you a worrier?  Do you worry about how your kids are doing in school?  About your health?  About how you are going to pay the bills?  Oh, the list can go on and on, can't it?  So now that you've answered what it is you worry about, let me ask you this... How's that workin' for you??

"Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow."

I used to worry more when I was younger.  Not a lot, but more than I do now.  Most of the time, it had to do with me being a perfectionist.  I am always harder on myself than anyone else could or would ever be.  I finally learned to ask myself this question when I realized I was worrying about something: "If I died tomorrow, is this what they would put on your gravestone?"  Somehow, as morbid as it sounds, that put everything in perspective for me.  Think about that question.  I would love my epitaph to be something like this:  Mom, Grandma, Sister, Lover, Friend - She excelled in those roles, the most important in her life. 

The only thing worry does for me is to give me a better idea of what's important to me.  Worrying about my kids doesn't prove to them I love them.  But showing them I have confidence in their decisions does.  Worrying about my health doesn't change the issue.  Talking about, and doing, what I need to do to change it does.  I know what I'm saying can sound cavalier to some.  I think some people are hardwired to worry.  But if you really think about what you accomplish by worrying, you'll realize you can take away its power.  You'll no longer say, "I can't help it.  I worry."

So for all those worriers out there, I'm going to offer the wise words of Leo Buscaglia,

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow,
it only saps today of its joy."

What about you?  Do you worry? 

3 Words I Love

Leslie from Words of Me Project inspired her followers to join her in a 31 Day Challenge to write, create, be.  Her day 2 challenge was to choose three words that you love and create some word art with them.  My three words were Serenity, Gratitude and Dream. 
I decided to work just a little out of my comfort zone in creating the word art.  I used paints.  Not sure at all that I'm comfortable with them yet.  But this is the wall hanging I've completed. 

It will hang in my "Craft Cave" and serve as a reminder to me of what's really important.  Just saying these words can de-stress me.  So, what words de-stress you???