something in the air- herbal remedies and studies

So, it seems that everyone i know has been dealing with colds, coughs, and sore throats...our family has been dealing with all at various times. Last week alone I had a sore throat, and the kids seem to be dealing with allergies, daily...just when we get rid of one cold or cough...another comes along a few days later....

In the past, fear induced panic would send me right to the dr. or the pharmacy... We have a long history that I won't go into of this justified panic....

But this year, I'm trying to approach things differently...more naturally...holisticly...at least as much as is possible...and as a result I am in the process of feeding my lifetime desire to understand the medicinal uses, abilities of food,herbs, and spices, vitamins, and essential oils...This is just something I have always been interested in. And I am very excited to learn more, and to be able to help my family to the best of my ability with very simple home remedies.

So far, out of all of the things I have managed to put together, read about, study...here is what we have put to use this season...


1. Honey, Cinnamon, clove,Orange cough syrup
2.onion, garlic, rosemary,vinegar flu medicine
3. mint, ginger, chamomile, fennel tea...
4. licorice tea
5.orange juice
6.mint tea
7. eucalyptus oil
8. peppermint oil
9. lavender oil
10. epsom salts
11. magnesium
12.fermented foods: pickles, salsa, relish
13. yoga
14.tumeric
15. rosemary
16. garlic
17. chicken soup


And there is more...i'm just too wiped right now actually remember it all at this moment..

Open Studio Tour

Last weekend I dragged the hubs and the youngest to a small studio tour in Frisco. We have attended the White Rock lake Studio tour in the past, and thoroughly enjoyed it. So when I saw that Frisco was having one, I jumped at the chance to see studios that were a little closer to home.

Having said that, we only made it to two stops on the tour...not because we weren't impressed, but because, that was all it took for me to get my creative cup filled... I'm still inspired....

Our first stop was Gallery 8690.
This is a cool space. Out front we found a vintage VW van....swooning over this beautiful machine does not really explain my love....Latte colored exterior and white seats...a striped awning off the side with doors open  and outdoor lounge area....yes, I swooned just a little bit...

And THEN we went inside the actual gallery....

Inside, we found amazing vintage couches and chairs....the furniture alone is eye candy.... There was a royal Blue lounge that i can't erase from my mind...in fact i'm rearranging my furniture and choosing which pieces to discard just entertaining the idea of my decor because of that couch...

The next thing we noticed was the artwork...i wish i could remember the artist's name now...but it was everywhere, and the color made me want to bust out my own paints and just have fun...

Then i noticed the musical instruments, the stage, and how the furniture was lined up...Turns out this gallery is also a church....and all i can say to that is "wow"...

Music, Art,  and vintage furniture ...honestly, for me, that alone is my church...seriously... just being in that space is holy....

We left there when my heart just felt too overwhelmed with it all and i just needed the break of space in finding the next studio to reset and clear my own emotional space.

Our next and, turned out to be, last stop, was the private home studio of Misty Oliver Foster.

The first thing we noticed was the amazing tree in the front yard...(we're tree people...we rate trees by how awesome they would be to climb...hers is awesome...) The next thing is her cool garden and walkway. Paintings are displayed on the outside of her studio, brightly colored chairs, her great yard, and then, when you think you have seen it all....you go into the studio....

Her studio is a renovated garage with a screened in porch and an extended deck...inside it is nothing but pure inspiration... from her disco ball suspended and turning from a vintage record player, to her counter top where friends and other artists are hanging out...

In Misty's Studio I just wanted to sit down and hang out all afternoon. and just take in the creative air from her beautiful paintings, art journals, and drawings, to her wall of inspiration. Yeah, i could just park it there and not leave...And it doesn't hurt that Misty is just as warm and friendly as her studio...

Misty was awesome enough to also have two other artists' showing their work there as well. One of which, Carolyn M. Nelson, was working on one of her portraits as we took in all of the creativity surrounding us. I love her portraits...bright colors...large scale...zoomed in....love them...and can i just say she is cool as can be?


After this visit, i just needed time to process..that's my thang...i need time to think about what i have going on in my cabeza.... so we found a super cute local-owned restraunt, had some amazing barbacoa and lengua tacos, Orchata, and juevos rancheros, and processed....

Here it is, over a week later...and I am still buzzing from the inspiration....and wondering..."why don't we have something like that in my town?"

There are several artists, in my neighborhood ALONE....

And now my wheels are turning....

a month without a certain social media app on my phone

I took a social media app off my phone last month...

Why would I do that?

Because i'm tired...and it's really my own fault...

I was tired of reading updates like a zombie...while I certainly enjoy keeping up with dear friends...unfortunately I had allowed my news feed to be overwhelmed by so much more than that..

Last year during election season I went through and changed all of my settings so I would not have to be bombarded with all of the negative talk that, unfortunately, so many people were spewing out...I just couldn't look at it anymore...

So, I just moved anything negative out of sight...out of sight out of mind...
(but that's not REALLY true is it? out of sight isn't REALLY out of mind)

 So in the last year I upped my news feed to only carry motivational websites, or things that inspired me. I honestly get a lot of information from groups I have joined and have learned a great deal about autoimmune disease. For this, I am very grateful.(There is an upside!)

But somehow the negative still gets in. Especially when we allow it. So, I took another baby step. I took the app off my phone. The hope was that it just won't bombard me all day long. 24/7... Here is what happened, so far....

1. People disappeared...The first weird thing is that it wiped out half of my phone contacts. Which is fine. I didn't actually use them. But it also forced me to look at my contacts and make sure I actually knew whose phone number was whose. Some of my contacts where directly linked to this app. NOT SMART!...once a little embarrassing texting of "who is this?" and whatnot was taken care of...all was well in the world.

2. A real phone....Another thing this brought to my attention, is that once certain social media apps were off my phone...i didn't actually use my phone much at all...seriously....my phone, became an actual PHONE....GASP!...i know, weird huh?

3. My world became smaller... when I DO use my phone, it is only for keeping in touch with a very small group of people. (my very closest of friends and family, which is approximately 10, maybe 15 people...) which, call me crazy...is really all a person needs to keep in touch with 24/7...and even then, i'm not so sure...

4.Conversations became real again....the same thing happened when we stopped using cable....we, in fact haven't had cable t.v. in 6 years (?) the first thing i noticed is just how much people talk about the commercials or shows they watched. It became very clear jut how little people actually had real conversations about actual life and how much people escaped into their t.v.'s....once we no longer had cable, i realized that some people didn't know how to have a real conversation...it was very surreal...the same thing has happened again once i took social media off the phone. now, instead of talking about what show they watched or the commercial they enjoyed, people talk about what other people post...sometimes it is informative...and i do appreciate that aspect...but sometimes it is just another form of escapism...

5. I was able to think: being bombarded all the time with updates and such was just squelching my creativity and overwhelming my circuits. That's just how I am. I can only take in so much "stuff" and then i need time to process and sort and create....if i am in constant "input" mode i rarely am able to create which is "output" mode for me...


conclusion:

just like anything else...it's about balance, i suppose....we live in a time where social media is just what people use to communicate...but sometimes, we need to pull our head up from the screen, look around, get some fresh air, clear our minds, and breathe....

why i took a hiatus from art shows and sales

 So, I have gone through spells in the past where i just felt really out-of-it as far as making art. I suppose it was one of those existential moments or something.

But this time...it isn't...this time i'm taking a break from making art and participating in shows for a few concrete reasons...

1. Because I haven't been making the work i really want to make....In a way i sold out my soul...not because anyone made me feel like i had to...but because i felt like i had to...as in, i had to make work that was "salable, commercial" well at least compared to what i really have in my heart...i've spent a lot of time seeing what artists i admire are doing and seem to be doing to sell their work on a regular basis...so, i tried to do the same...the result, was mediocre work that i did not believe in at all...it wasn't sincere...it wasn't "me"...it was just stuff....it[wasn't awful stuff...it just wasn't sincere...and it wasn't me...

2.Going to art shows and sales is exhausting....physically, emotionally, spiritually...it involves heavy lifting, packing and unpacking, social interaction (which is exhausting by itself for an extreme introvert like myself) and is always a huge gamble....you may or may not have a good crowd who may or may not be buying and may or may not be interested in your work... it is a potshot at best...there seem to be artists who are great at this kind of thing. I admire their ability to shmooze customers, their salesmanship, their ability to do business...that isn't me...when i leave a show i need a week to get over it...it is physically like i got hit by the flu every single time...which affects not only me but my entire family...which makes it not worth my effort simply based on this alone...

3. Not a money maker: so, as i said, there are artists and artisans who are amazing at making moo-laa at art shows. There are a lot who have also confessed that for them, going to art shows is really just a way of advertising yourself and not about making money at all. I totally get that. I think it is a great way to look at it.  For a person like myself who does not want to talk all the time, or explain for the millionth time what a piece means...(yeah, i know that is a bad attitude...sorry, but it is true...) going to art shows has to be a money maker, otherwise it just isn't worth all of the effort....i came to the conclusion that the amount of stress+effort/energy going out+time consumed did NOT equal the non existent money coming in...in fact i was lucky to break even... i also figured out that i actually brought more money into the family coffers simply by being a substitute yoga teacher...and if you teach yoga...you know just how little that is and due to my limited amount of time i am available...it is even less than it could be...

So, these three things alone are why I took a break from participating in art shows...

I could share some of my stress inducing nightmare stories ,but i won't...the three reasons i listed are nightmares enough...

I have had several artist friends asking me when I will be "back".  I'm not sure. There are a few shows i'm looking at.  Maybe this month...maybe never. I really have no idea, right now.As ever, I'm still processing. It might change tomorrow. Who knows? I certainly don't.  I just going with the flow of life and seeing where I land right now...

processing the information and life

So it has been over  a month since I have even  attempted to get something on the blog. (however, not for lack of want to) I just do this....go through spells of needing to process...or maybe just spells of "life"....it's what I do...I'm obviously not trying to use my blog to make money...that is laughable. in the rules of social media and blogging I am certain I have lost the three readers I had...such is life...peace and blessings to all...(i can't say I blame them).

I have been trying to keep this blog going for a few years now, and to be honest, it has been a struggle...not because of blogging, but, simply because, despite trying to step it up a bit, it hasn't been fully authentic...it has not  been my real voice...I've been holding back...a LOT...and that has just been boring for me...probably for whomever has stumbled upon it as well...it has been some weird, cleaned up, combed hair, version of my writing, that quite honestly...bores the crap out of me...and we all know what it is like to go to work on something we do not enjoy...

Why would I do that?

Why does anyone hold back on who, what they really are?

I suppose for me, the reason to hold back has always been the same thing...protection...and.... fear..

Protection from what?
Fear of what?

What people i know may think...
What people i know may feel entitled to say....
Negative backlash...

You know...that stuff we all worry about...(and for those who don't, I truly envy you on so many levels)

Some people are better at handling that stuff....I openly admit I feel it...sometimes too much...
It is a blessing at times, and a curse at others....and sometimes I just have to go into protection mode to process it all...

That is what I have been doing for a while now...processing....I keep reading that this is a trait common in introverts...which I have known I was my entire life....I used to feel bad about needing time to decompress and process, because it wasn't convenient for others or others who did not need time to process did not understand this...now...I don't care...it is just part of who I am...and I love processing...

But back to the point....well,I suppose that is the point...I have spent this last month, mulling a few things over....

I haven't done any artwork...

I took everything out of my Etsy Shop...(the place where i was trying to sell artwork made from an unauthentic place)

I took certain social media apps off my phone.

I changed my social media settings so that I no longer saw all of the negative updates.

I limited my social media activity.

I upped my yoga practice.

I upped my REAL book reading...not virtual books...real books that I hold in my hands and keep by my bed in a tall stack....(seriously people, you need to read real books)

I upped the care of my spiritual side, indulging in classes, museums, and community with others who are on similar journeys ....

And as a result, I have come to realize that I'm just going through a cyclical phase....one that involves hiding my true nature....trying to be what others want me to be....or retreating when I feel negativity....which results in built up feelings of resentment and eventually explodes into some form of expression: usually artwork, writing, some sort of rebellious hair colour, etc.

Life is weird....people are weird...retreating and hiding our true nature is unhealthy, not only for our spirit but shows up in the physical as well...and one of the reasons I struggle with my autoimmune issues...which i have learned could possibly be the result of pinned up  expression....the closing of the throat chakra, and keeping everything inside.

Sometimes we just need a break.... a break from anything negative....or sometimes we just need to completely break up....in order to preserve our health and well-being....

I'm fortunate to have a spouse who completely supports and fully encourages and inspires me, emotionally, spiritually, and creatively. I realized the other day, on my way to a local Wellness Expo, that he encouraged me to go to, that I was the luckiest woman in the world. I mean, I knew this already....but was reminded of this as I was driving there, wishing he could go with me, not because I didn't want to go by myself, but because I just really like hanging out with him. He's just really awesome.

So, instead of making some weird, over rated declaration  that this blog will be: blah blah (insert declaration here).....I'm just going to go forward and see what happens...and attempt to not be fearful.

There are always going to be Debbie Downers, Nay-Sayers, and those who want to poke wholes in your thoughts, theories, or ideas.or simply burst your bubble and try to put you in your place...you know what I call those people..".jerks"....and "not my friend"...."people I will no longer associate with"...life is too short to endure negative people....no matter who they are....those who resonate with you will rise to the top...those who don't will fall away....this is my mantra....

Living in a state of fear is just not healthy.

Open spaces and 4 reasons it is good for our family

Maybe it is because we are older parents (both in our 40's)...Maybe it is because we both grew up in the countryside and miss having regular access to abundant open spaces to roam and play like we did in childhood...but from time to time, we simply need to get out of our neighborhood in the burbs, and get to some open spaces to simply be in nature, tall trees, bugs, unexpected sightings of wildlife....to simply breathe.... We are fortunate to have two three wildlife preserves within a few minutes of our home. One is privately operated, the other is maintained by our neighboring city. Both of which bring our family great joy and a sense of well being from simply walking the trails.

Being in nature important to us for the following reasons:

1. Our children learn to appreciate the world around them in spite of the over urbanization that is going on in our area. (something the rips at my soul)

2. Being in nature is good for the spirit. When the world just seems to weird...nothing is more centering that simply being in the presence of the peace and calm that open spaces, tall trees and all that dwell within it present.

3. Being in nature is good for my health. In dealing with my autoimmune condition, I find that grounding myself, being in the sun for at least 20 minutes, being away from the stress of normal life helps me to feel better.

4. Being in nature is inspiring. It never fails that a single trek into the woods can result in hundreds of photo ops for me. I am constantly amazed and dazzled by the intricacies that nature presents.

7 ways to lose Artists

In choosing which direction to go next with my art, I started thinking about what I have enjoyed the most and what really inhaled profusely.

I have been participating in art events and shows for years.( I won't bore you with that number) But, I have displayed my artwork at art festivals, school art shows, cultural centers, diners, college campus art galleries, parades, privately owned stores, coffee shops, etc...

I have taken breaks of time  spanning months to years...Yes, YEARS....

I have had some really GREAT experiences...

 I have had some pretty CRAPTASTIC ones as well...

On that note, as I am reviewing my own experiences with certain venues and deciding if I want to work with them again: I have made a few lists...which started out very tongue-in-cheek....of ways Producers, Curators, and Venue owners can get themselves black listed in the Art Karma world...I have also made a list of my best experiences which will follow later. Enjoy....


How to lose Artists in your venue or event:

1.Treat your artists like they are your minions. I know it is hard to believe....but artists are not there to serve you...They are there to show their work, and make money. Their goal is to support themselves with their work...not to serve you...If you have done your job properly, you will have artists who will naturally flow with your show. It won't be an issue. But, talking down to your artists, not good for your image or your Art Karma.

2. Expect artists to read your mind. I know that artists are really intuitive, for the most part. We are sensitive, feeling people, who pick up on the feelings of others fairly easily...on that note...if there is something you need, expect, or want from us...be straightforward and simply, calmly, and respectfully tell us...case closed... Expecting us to read your mind and do what we "think" you want isn't cool....get a clue.
Actually...you don't need to get a clue. I was just straightforward with you, the way we need you to be.

3. Hold your artists to rigid standards, but not yourself. If you do have certain expectations, rules, guidelines you need followed for your convenience...don't you dare do anything less than what you expect...As soon as an artist sees you coloring outside of the lines you are demanding they stay in...which btw...sucks...you have lost the respect of your artist...(this kinda goes for anything in life...parenting, teaching, spiritual leaders, government officials...people in general...)

4. Be really uptight. If you are walking around like you are about to bust a cork....um...yeah...don't expect much from your artists...we don't respond favorably to drill sergeants or dictators...look at history...

5. Be really not uptight. However, if you are so loose in the way you do things that anything goes...this could be an issue as well...we simply need you to give us guidelines, work with us...and be a leader who can make decisions if needed, without being a jerk.

6. Tell your artists you sunk all your money into their event and try to get them to contribute monetarily after the fact. Artists sink just as much, if not more into simply being present at your venue..and most of the time we don't even break even...so suck it up...you chose to do this event just like we did...be compassionate, stop whining, do what you gotta do...that's what we are doing simply by being there...some of us had to chose between food and gas to be at your event...

7. Forget that your artists are real people, with real lives outside of your event.` We have lives outside of your venue. In fact we have worked our regular lives around your venue...sometimes having to create backups for our backups...just to make sure our kids are picked up from school, or that dinner is served...expecting us to drop everything to make multiple trips to your venue is a hardship and unrealistic in this day and age...the age of technology and rulers...send measurements, pictures, and logistics via email...at the very least... most good venues and shows do this...

Drink your water...

Just like forgetting to eat breakfast....i often forget to drink water...

again...

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Again: if I knew, I wouldn't forget...RIGHT? (i'm just sayin')

Often, I am the one reminding my oldest to drink more water for his health...but i totally forget about myself.

The Hubs is an awesome source for reminding(cough, cough, nagging) me to drink some water...and I adore him for it! No, really..I do..I absolutely adore that man!

AIP: My Food list

Autoimmune Protocal diet.... yeah, good times..  what is it?

 In the simplest of terms it is like Paleo only more restrictive. 

Yeah... my husband came across it last year when he started Paleo.  I did it for a while and did well with it. But fell off the wagon...let's face it...bread is cheap...and sometimes the budget is thin...

But, now I'm going back to it. 

Hashi's kicks my butt.... often..... and desperate times call for desperate measures.

 
The thing that frustrates me the most is that there are so many websites and books telling you what you can't have and very few that tell you what you can. 

It gets very overwhelming to hear so many "no you can't do this" statements. 

I am totally ok with doing this. I am very committed.

I just don't want to hear what I can't have! 

I want to know what I can. ...And I will stick to it.

So far : here is my list of "cans"

Grassfed or wild caught meats.
Lettuces
Celery
Okra
Squash
Zuchini
Onions
Carrots
Avocados
Sweet potatoes
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Coconut milk and oil
Herbs
Teas
Fennel
Beets
Bell peppers
Green beans ( but no other legumes)
Asparagus
Garlic
Basil
Olive oil
Olives
Apples
Lemons
Limes
Sea salt

And so far that is all I know.  I'm sure there is more.  But this is enough

This is the list I work from......

Real food: quinoa, eggs , swiss chard

 My garden is filled with swiss chard. I can't seem to use the stuff fast enough. Fortunately we have a freezer and i can put it back for later. Though i must admit, we struggle to enjoy it, despite how good it is for us. So, i have finally found a few ways we seem to like it best. Here is just one...

In scrambled eggs...even my youngest loves it and east every bite on her plate, sometimes snagging some from mine as well.

as the eggs are cooking i simply add chopped swiss chard, garlic, and chopped sweet peppers...then after it is plated we add some cheese...nom nom nom

Autoimmune Disease: how i deal with it

I spent half my life not knowing why I felt bad or unhealthy...and then once I was told I had hypothyroid I spent ten years being either in denial or undertreated. 

It wasn't until I was pregnant with my youngest that the words "hashimoto's thyroiditis" were even spoken to me.(How is that even possible in this day and age of technology? I still don't know.)

 In the last two years it has been a roller coaster ride of facing the issue,  getting meds right,  researching what might help, and attempting to get to some form of "healthy." 

I am so fortunate that I have the love and support of my husband. It is in researching, joining support groups and forums, thinking about my own past, that i realize just how few people really have the support of someone who loves them when they are dealing with what so many of us refer to as our "invisible disease."

I can't say I am healed.

I can't say I feel awesome.

I'm not, and i don't.

But, here is what i do to try to feel better.

1. Exercise: I do yoga...for me yoga is one of the best things i have done for myself...

2. Meditate:

3. Rest:

4. Take my medicines:

5. Eat right:

6. Take vitamins:

7. Get outside as much as possible

8. Laugh as much as possible.

9. Hug as much as possible.

Urban gardening

One of the first things I knew I wanted to do when we made the move from the city to the burbs, from apartment living to a house with a yard ...was to have a garden. 

Gardening is in my soul. I can't say I have  a green thumb. But I can say that from my earliest memories, I have felt a connection with nature, plants, the sky, the trees around me. There is a holy presence in all of it. Growing things is on par with creating. And creating is, in my opinion, one of the closest acts we can get to a connection with Spirit.  

There are so many reasons to garden.

1. Growing your own food is inspiring.

2. Gardening is a great way to connect with your children. It is important for our kids to understand where their food comes from...especially before it is processed and turned into some weird product that doesn't even resemble real food anymore. 

3. Growing your own food, even if it is just herbs, is a beautiful experience. It is truly an amazing act of science, nature, and a miraculous events to witness a plant come from a tiny seed.

4. Gardening has a natural calming affect....trust me, if you feel like crap, just go walk through a garden, or in nature, and you will feel better.

We live in a time where most of our grocery isles are filled with items that aren't even "real" food....which is very sad...and i have to wonder, WHY?

I garden because I love gardening....but I also garden because it is imperative to me that my children grow up with this, if nothing else, in their memory banks, with the hope that as they grow up, they will also remember the importance of growing real food as well....

Graduation advice....after the fact

my yoga story: not a standard yoga teacher

So.....truth be told....I am always hesitant to tell people that I am a yoga teacher....

Why?

Couple of reasons...of course...

1. I don't "look" like a yoga teacher....

I don't "look" like what I think a yoga teacher should look like. I'm just not that stereotypical skinny girl with the long flowing hair,perfect skin, vegetarian/vegan diet, perfect tan, perfect teeth, also known as...a human pretzle....

2. I'm not one of those "rock star" yoga teachers...

you know what I mean....those teachers that walk into the room and can perform their own one man/woman circus act...kinda like Cirque du soleil...and your' all...WHOA..... yeah...not me...nope...

3. I don't really run with the "popular kids"....
yes, there is a "popular kids" pack in every single social situation you will ever find yourself in for the rest of you life....if there is one...and there is...you won't find me in it....not my thing...too much drama...and yes there is drama in yoga...




So when people find out I actually teach yoga...and trust me, i'm working out my own issues with actually using the word "teacher".....but especially if  they don't know me, I'm pretty sure that I kinda bust their brain up for a bit...some people actually have a physical reaction...you know...that whole double take thing...of "WTH!?" as if their brain just farted....and I kinda like rocking their world like that...

On the other hand,some people feel better about being in my class...because they can relate to me and I can relate to them...these are usually people with hip, knee, autoimmune, shoulder and back issues...they are usually afraid to try yoga because of various reason...but, then they see me...and they stick it out...

But,then there are those who give me the once-over, and for some reason think they need to come and either critique me and my class, or walk out...it happens...i have held my toungue very patiently when the critiques come....it is just best that way....


How do I handle this?

Well, I have come to understand that acceptance of myself is really what matters.

Judgement from others...in all reality, has nothing to do with me really...

Judging people is something people have to deal with within themselves...

Stereotypes...aren't real...they are just categories people pigeon-hole people or things in so they can wrap their brains around life...

I enjoy busting that mold...

So, if you ever take a class with me, (right now) you won't find me doing a million handstands or wild things...what you will find is a place where the intention of the practice is simply to help you find peace....that's it...I'm not trying to show off for you and show you just how twisty and bendy i can get....the class isn't about me at all...the class is purely about and for you...fighting your own demons...just like everyone else...including me...

Hashimoto s autoimmune

This was me about a month ago. 

The thing about Hashimoto's is you never know when it will hit.

 As I told a friend this week, I don't like to make a big deal about this stuff....I truly believe that we don't want to feed the fire of negativity and that staying focused on the positive is the way to go. But I have also come to the understanding that on those days when I am getting slammed with this autoimmune crap, it is simply best to be honest with people. Simply telling people, " I am not do....(insert whatever activity)....today because...(insert whatever it is throwing at you that day) and explain the facts" usually does the job. 

I have had several people email me in the last few weeks about their own struggles with this autoimmune issue. I don't have all, if any answers at all. I too am just figuring this stuff out. Years of ignoring my own physical needs and simply "pushing through" meant that I did very little research on this issue for myself., until now. And admittedly, now, I have found so much contradictory information out there that I am still sorting through it all as well.

  HOWEVER, the things I do know, and have been forced to learn, is the importance  of being kind to myself, doing what I can to get back to perfect health, and listening to my body when it is crashing.

 In the past I would push through, ignoring the signs and tell myself to get over it and take care of business....now, I have to force myself to rest. Resting has never been a luxury I felt I could afford. Now, it is a requirement. But, I still have to mentally "allow" myself to do it...

First official meal from the garden

Be Happy, Be Peace- painted rock tutorial

Inspiration Friday: East Texas

East Texas is where I grew up. I don't get to visit nearly enough. But, when I do, a walk in nature, or a drive down country roads, brings peace to my spirit.

My husband grew up in East Texas as well. (a few counties over) We both grew up walking the fields and woods and anytime we get a chance to visit, we enjoy this time in nature again. On our last visit, Hubs came upon the mimosa above and took me to see it. Mimosas remind me of my grandmother. She had a Mimosa tree in her yard that we kids claimed for our tree house and location for our tire swing.

Baby Pines are breaking through right now. The processes that take place for a tree to randomly decide to grow are nothing short of miracles. 

Barbwire...memories of crawling through fences, holding the wires apart with a foot and a hand...something every kid that grows up in the country understands...

This tree...all the changes it has weathered...

In the city this would be called compost....in the country, this is simply called life...leaves fall,things pile up, eventually, life happens again in its' own time...

My husband found one snake skeleton, and when we went on our walk together, I found another...neither had the skull...I love that my husband knows that I would not be freaked out by this...and that in fact, I would love this...

Paperbead: art as meditation

I'm a firm believer that creating is one of the closest paths to Spirit. I'm also a firm believer in the idea that art, and creating things, whether it is paintings, drawing, sewing, sculpting, cooking, or anything that involves a focused creative process....it is a meditation....Making paper beads is high up on that list for me.

Lately I have been making paper beads. This project falls under "one of those things I taught everyone else to do but never had time to do it myself"... and there are a LOT of those projects I hope to get to...p.s. if you are an art teacher, this is a cool project  to do with your kids. I always noticed a calm that would come over my students as they started the process of making the beads...their minds would quiet, their spirits would calm, and before they knew it, class was over and we had filled a bucket with beaded potential to use in future projects...(mostly altered books).

Making paper beads is simple.  

Supplies:

Magazine

scissors

glue

skewers

bags for storage

Inspiration friday

Starry Inspiration

 I was asked to donate a piece of artwork for a charity event in my hometown to support their art organization. The event's theme is Starry Starry Night. As a child Starry night was one of my favorite paintings before I even knew who created it or what it was about.  

I just knew that it was a work of amazing beauty. I was completely fascinated by the lines, the texture,and the movement. I would stare at it in the Childcraft Encyclopedia for ages.

 I was always intrigued with  Van Gogh's Sky... The curves as the the wind could be seen. There is comfort in the wind.

Swirls, Curving lines, have always brought a meditative comfort while drawing.

This is the piece I sent off this week. It is my hope that whoever, if anyone, purchases it, that is bring them peace, comfort...and as with all lotuses...a reminder to rise above...push through the muddy waters...face the sun....