I AM BACK NOW. PROBLEM SOLVED.

This is what I have been doing the past couple of days.  I drew, then carved my very first stamp.  It was so much fun.!!

I also did a magazine collage which is something I also really enjoy doing.

It says:  I question not if thrushes sing, If roses load the air; Beyond my heart I need not reach, When all is summer there.  John Vance Cheney.

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the  leaping greenly spirits of trees and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.  E.E. Cummings.

These are both from Victoria magazine.

Another is:  The soul is already clear about who we are and what we want:  it's the mind that gets in the way, the intellect.

I was asked by my Life Coach to write what my perfect life and day would be like.  I described a cottage by the ocean with woods nearby and an English country garden style garden.  A bit wild looking. I also described having a studio where I could have different stations for the different crafts and art that I do.  She pointed out to me that I have a lot of that already.  I live by the ocean and have a studio on a smaller scale.

So I expanded on what I already have.  My neighbour gave me a beautiful faerie so bought a birdbath that is shaped like a flower and bought some more flower to go on my patio.  The daughter of a neighbour that passed away earlier this year gave me a birdcage so I put some ivy in it.  My patio is a bit wild and looks like an English country garden now.

I have to put some moss on the pots int he bird cage.  They are cut off gallon milk jugs that I had to use because the bottom didn't come out of the birdcage so I had to have something that would squish up and go through the little door.

Next, I organized all my art supplies so I can pull out a box or two at time when I am doing a specific craft or art so it will be easy to take out and put away.  Then I made my desk twice as big so I have more space to work.  It used to drive me crazy that my desk was small and everything was on top of me while I was working.  It is working out well and I love having more space.

Sometimes we just have to make the best of what we have got and create the feeling we are looking for in our dreams.  It's not the thing we are searching for, it's the feeling that we think that thing will bring us.  this is the message in many of the life coaching books.  

So, that is a little of what I have been doing.  I will take a photo of my studio tomorrow.

FRUSTRATION

I have no idea how to do my blog now.  I don't see any option for downloading pictures and without that there is no point in blogging.  I will have to ask around, if you visit me and you know how to do this could you leave me a comment.

Thanks.

RETURN TO BLOGLAND

I have been missing from blog land since last November - the time sure does fly by quickly!  I have continued to have sessions with a Life Coach, although a different one than I started with.  The new woman I have is around my age and really GETS the issues that many of us have to deal with when we retire.  I will tell more about this tomorrow.

The way to post has all changed and I don't know how to download pictures now.  This is very strange.

This is my October calendar. I printed off 2 x 3 pictures and fitted them in. Some of them are of other people's art and sewing that I liked and some are of fabric that I liked. I have started another one for November as it is quite fun looking for things to take photos of. Some pictures of of my own sewing and crafts:
This is an art journal page that I did today. I have been re-reading Care Of The Soul by Thomas Moore and these are some quotes from his book:

SEE THE SACRED DIMENSIONS OF EVERY DAY.

IN ORDINARY LIFE CREATIVITY MEANS MAKING SOMETHING FOR THE SOUL OUT OF EVERY EXPERIENCE.

WE CAN ALL CREATE SACRED BOOKS AND BOXES - A VOLUME OF DREAMS, A HEARTFELT DIARY, A NOTEBOOK OF THOUGHTS, A PARTICULARLY MEANINGFUL ALBUM OF PHOTOGRAPHS - AND THUS IN A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT WAY CAN MAKE THE EVERYDAY SACRED. THIS KIND OF SPIRITUALITY, SO ORDINARY AND CLOSE TO HOME, IS ESPECIALLY NOURISHING TO THE SOUL.

This is how I wish to live my life.

A soulful, healthy meal:

Tomatoes, cucumber, orange pepper, walnuts, German butter cheese, brocconini cheese balls (it's the first time I've had these and they are pretty tasteless), basil leaves and sour cream for a dressing/dip. Very delicious (except for the brocconini!!!)

Rain on autumn leaves is so beautiful. That is the ocean in the background. It was evening and the lights had come on, you can see the reflection on the water, especially in the second one:

I have been working on my purses and my calendar which I will photograph tomorrow.

I am at a plateau with my weight loss and I am eating a little too much to lose right now but that

is okay. I only have six more pounds to lose to reach my goal. I will get back to it soon and shed those last few pounds.

My great granddaughter will be three on Friday. Time sure does fly!!

Amazon came to my door this evening. Yay!! New books! Hand Lettering by Marci Donley and DeAnn Singh and Raw Art Journaling by Quinn McDonald. So, you know what I will be doing this weekend. I want to do more art journaling but feel like my life is so boring, what is there to art journal about? I hope these books will help me to see my life differently and find interesting things to record.

I went to Michael's today and got a few more jewels for my handbags, it's always fun to go there.

Last night I got back to my calendar which I haven't touched all month so I decided to put a photograph for each day. I have a small Photosmart printer that prints two or four pictures to a 4 x 6 page so I printed a bunch off and stuck them on the page. I will take a photo when it is finished. I didn't complete August or September but will work on them and post when they are done. I chose zentangles and animals and it is just too much to do so I will make something easy

for November.

Have a great weekend.

Autumn is such a beautiful time of year. It was a sunny day today, we have had quite a few lately and it has kind of made up for the non-existent summer. I love the seeds in autumn, I snapped this thistle plant today:

I have been beavering away on my handbags and should have a couple finished soon to show.

On Thursday, I go for my third Life Coach appointment and am looking forward to it. I had to fill out a Wheel of Life, choosing the areas of my life that are the most important. I am certainly lacking in the relationship and fun/entertainment categories. I have lived in survival mode most of my life and don't really know how to have fun. I have never been on a real holiday or stayed in a really nice hotel. I wouldn't know how to balance out this area of my life. The only entertainment I have is going out with my DDs occasionally and my art.

It will be interesting to see what my Life Coach has to say.