It's Spring in my head...and underground

I decided that while I'm going nutso (see post below) I'd play on Photoshop. It's cold and bleak here today, so my thoughts turned to SPRING:

I feel better already! (I'm really loving the green today...)

And what the heck...while I was at it I decided to see what I could do for a blog in this theme...click here...

Anyhoo...then you go to here and vote on which design/name you think I should use for my Etsy shop (the poll is on the left hand side of the blog). I promise that, eventually, there will actually be things for SALE in one of the shops!!!

Seriously!!!

What to do? What to do???

So I'm making myself go nutso. Lille Hus or Karen Anne? Follow the discussion here and let me know what you think...

My day...

Today:

Sleep, sleep, sleep, coffee, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, coffee, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, fat, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, wine, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, fat, fat, fat, sugar, water, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar.

Sugar, fat, fat.

Water.

Sugar.

Sleep. Snore. Sleep. Dream of: sugar, sugar, sugar, fat, sugar, sugar, sugar.

Equating the physical body with "I," the body that is destined to grow old, wither, and die, always leads to suffering. To refrain from identifying with the body doesn't mean that you no longer care for it. If it is strong, beautiful, or vigorous, you can appreciate those attributes—while they last. You can also improve the body's condition through nutrition and exercise. If you don't equate the body with who you are, when beauty fades, vigor diminishes, or the body becomes incapacitated, this will not affect your sense of worth or identity in any way. In fact, as the body begins to weaken, the light of consciousness can shine more easily.
- from Oneness with All Life by Eckhart Tolle

My little light seems to be shining more, so I guess it's pretty obvious I'm getting weaker. But I'm gonna try putting on the lotion anyway...I mean, what the hell. I might as well be kind to "it" even if "it" isn't "me". (Confused yet??? Me, too.)

January seems to be the time when something in me wakes up again and I realize how out of touch with myself I've allowed myself to become as I've tended to all the holiday hoopla of the previous month.

I was thinking about this as I got ready this morning, chiding myself for not taking the time - mere moments - to put lotion on my parched arms and legs..."out of touch"...literally. Something in me just didn't want to be bothered and there I was: putting myself at the bottom of my to-do list. If I was even on it at all...

Could the simple act of putting lotion on be transformative?

I'll let you know. It's more of an experiment than a New Year's resolution, but for the next 30 days I will see if I can get back "in touch" with myself by putting lotion on.

Tiny steps.

I have a new friend who is 94. She'll turn 95 in early January.

She's a remarkable person, but recently lost her independence and it's really hard for her. As she said to me, "One minute I had my apartment and my car and the next minute I'm here..."

Driving home after our visit I was grateful for the periods in my life when I was infirmed and had to rely on others for help and accept their good will with grace. And I'm grateful for the times I've been able to take care of others when they were in need.

We need to know how to give help and how to accept it. We need to know how to be independent and how to accept that we can no longer be on our own. We need to figure out how to mourn the loss and move on.

The seasons change. So must we.

I was looking through some old pictures and came across this one of Jakie when he was a wee pup. Isn't it the dearest??? I just couldn't resist posting my little sweetie (who is now a BIG sweetie!)

Bad Mood Trifecta: Bush, Boredom, Bad Weather.

Blaaaaaaaaah-humbug.

(sorta like Bah-humbag but without the enthusiasm...)

It's snowing tonight.

Our home is snug and warm...all decorated...filled with the aroma of ginger and curry from the dinner I made. Tomorrow it will be even more fragrant when I make Indian Ratatouille for friends who are coming for dinner...cumin, cardamon, cinnamon, saffron...mmmm! I'm planning on making rich Pots De Creme for dessert...my mom's recipe.

Jake is asleep on the floor next to me and his tail is thump, thump, thumping the carpet. I wonder what he's dreaming of? Playing with his buddies at puppy daycare today? He's such a sweetie!

Emily's in San Francisco at the American Geophysics Association's annual gathering; she was selected to present her summer research with NASA at a poster session - her second year of presenting! She'll head home to Philly tomorrow. I miss her...

Meggie is doing such a great job getting all her applications to grad schools together and mailed - all while she's working and helping out around home. She is thorough and thoughtful. I know that once she is off and running she won't be home for extended periods. I will miss her already...

Next week I'll have my chickies in the nest again as we gather to celebrate Christmas.

I always sleep so much better with my chickies in the nest! (If I had a tail like Jake's I just know it would be thump, thump, thumping!)

Our home for the holidays!

It was in the high 5o's today and I was happy to be able to work outside without freezing. Tomorrow is supposed to be cold with freezing rain and ice - the perfect scenario for decorating the tree and doing all the inside trimmings! I think I may actually be getting in the mood for Christmas! Pretty soon it will look just like these pictures I took of the inside last year!

One can never have too many shops or blogs...

I decided that I wanted to use Lille Hus for my Etsy shop, and finally figured out how to accomplish that. Click here to see it!

And then, to chronicle the development of the shop and all the wonders that will be available there, I started a new blog: http://studioatlillehus.blogspot.com/

I could (and do!) spend hours, and hours, and HOURS on all this... it's so much fun!

Anyhoo - come on over and check it out - and let me know what you think so far!

While I'm doing all my other work today, I'll be thinking about the design for all the peripheral goodies like business cards and wrappings and the stuff I'll sell. Ka-ching!

A busy mind is a happy mind!!!

Christmas cards are printed, embellished and folded. Even the Christmas letter is written. All I need to do is stuff the envelopes and get them out! I offer, in gratitude for a productive day:

a winter haiku

red bird on white snow

fragrance of evergreen branch

soft breath of angels

And now I'm off to bed! Sweet dreams, all!!!

Three things I know for sure:

Clarity is healing.
Honesty is healing.
Time is healing.

Life is good and peace-full.

Down with a baaaaad cold, but did have a moment feeling well enough to discover a blog called 37 Days so I thought I'd share it.



Hope to be wheelin' around in the 'morrow. This is getting old REAL fast!


To health and feeling vibrant!

Karen Anne

Omigosh - I've been gone a while, huh? Busy with all sorts of stuff and a bit bored "hearing" what I think of writing...to the point of yawning. Oh well. I'll be appropriately inspired again when the time is right. Till then, check this out:

Couldn't we all use one of these? An Applause Machine! Available here in a variety of colors...Gotta love it!

I have a new favorite website, The Muse is In. I just love going to the home page to listen and play with all the little goodies that appear. The creator, Jill Badonsky, also wrote a book that I've ordered: The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard)

And her blog is equally wonderful!

And, yep, someday, when I have some spare moolah, I'd love to take her course on Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching. In the meantime, I might settle for becoming a certified Muse Group Leader. It would fit in well with the SoulCollage® workshops...

SO MUCH I WANNA DOOOOOO!!!

Last night when I went to bed around 1:30 a.m., as soon as I put my head on the pillow I heard a song stirring around in there...thought it was Peter Paul and Mary who sang it, but realized today it was actually Mama Cass Elliot. It seemed the perfect song with the perfect sentiment to fall asleep to after a perfectly PERFECT presidential election and speech by Barack Obama!

Do you remember "There's a New World Coming"?

Here are the lyrics:

There's a New World Coming
And it's just around the bend
There's a new world coming
This one's coming to an end
There's a new voice calling
You can hear it if you try
And it's growing stronger
With each day that passes by

There's a brand new morning
Rising clear and sweet and free
There's a new day dawning
That belongs to you and me
Yes a new world's coming
The one we've had visions of
Coming in peace, coming in joy, coming in love!

Like I said, perfect, huh?

I think PP&M must have done a version of it...but at any rate I'm feeling a need to listen to their music again. Seems a good time for them to make a comeback!!!

Maybe I'll get my guitar out again...

I never knew just how deep the feeling of gratitude could be.

But now I know and I feel like I can finally breathe again.

I feel hopeful in a way I haven't in a long time.

I feel safe.

Miracles happen - and we are that miracle tonight!

"All will be well, all will be well, all manner of things will be well..."

Amen!

My mantra this day before the election seems to be simply "ohpleaseohpleaseopleeeeease!" but I love what Joan Chittister has offered us:

GIVE US, O GOD, LEADERS...

Let us join in prayer for our country and for the world.

Prayer for Leadership

Give us, O God,
leaders whose hearts are large enough
to match the breadth of our own souls
and give us souls strong enough
to follow leaders of vision and wisdom.

In seeking a leader, let us seek
more than development for ourselves —
though development we hope for
more than security for our own land —
though security we need
more than satisfaction for our wants —
though many things we desire.

Give us the hearts to choose the leader
who will work with other leaders
to bring safety
to the whole world.

Give us leaders
who lead this nation to virtue
without seeking to impose our kind of virtue
on the virtue of others.

Give us a government
that provides for the advancement of this country
without taking resources from others to achieve it.

Give us insight enough ourselves
to choose as leaders those who can tell
strength from power,
growth from greed,
leadership from dominance,
and real greatness from the trappings of grandiosity.

We trust you, Great God,
to open our hearts to learn from those
to whom you speak in different tongues
and to respect the life and words
of those to whom you entrusted
the good of other parts of this globe.

We beg you, Great God,
give us the vision as a people
to know where global leadership truly lies,
to pursue it diligently,
to require it to protect human rights
for everyone everywhere.
We ask these things, Great God,
with minds open to your word
and hearts that trust in your eternal care.
Amen
— Joan Chittister, OSB

The little houses continue to be in my thoughts...they very much want to be seen and they want me to work with them again. So here's a quick example of what I've been doing with them lately:

Little House on the Praire

Hint: If you click on the "label" below it will bring up other drawings I've posted.