For the next 50 Days….

So in 50 days from now,

I will be 50.

50!!!!

How the hell did that happen ?

So quickly ?

Ok, I am a little freaked out about it.

Even though all my over 50 year old friends

(how did my friends become over 50 years old ???)

have told me that 50 is great, liberating, inspiring, the new 40, etc…

It still freaks me out that I am entering this new decade.

I’m working on accepting it and recognizing it is a thing to celebrate.

I also felt that I should think of a special way to ring in this new time in my life.

So in the spirit of focusing on what I want to see more of in my world,

I have decided to dedicate the next

50 days

to

50 Acts of Love, Compassion and Connection.

I have gathered a mental list of some things I want to do, and I have a new little gratitude journal all ready to record the acts.

Some will be small gestures, like leaving a Rock My World rock for someone to find.

Others may be a little more elaborate and push some of my boundaries and fears.

(More on those later in the 50 days…)

I will also try and record some of them here and share what happens when I make this intention.

I have a feeling that the circles of love, compassion and connection will ripple out beautifully !

I’m excited to see what comes my way as a result !

For my first conscious act of Love, Compassion and Connection,

I was inspired by my scheduled haircut today.

My hairdresser, Genesis, is a sweet heart and always makes me feel special and cared for when I visit her. She is an amazing artist with hair. She recently moved into a small apartment of her very own down by the bay. We spoke about her love for candles at my last visit so I made this little arty bundle of love and thanks for her:

Some clean burning beeswax candles, some special rocks, a string of white twinkle lights,

all tucked into a cool cigar box with a pretty fabric nest.

  A homemade card on some cool rusted paper

with a love message inside.

packaged up and

 

tied with a bow for my friend !

Can’t wait to see her smile !

 

I’m excited to share this 50 day journey with you, Beautiful Ones. If you have a suggestion for an act of Love, Compassion and Connection, please send it to me or leave it in a comment. And if you are inspired to join in the fun with committing acts of LC&C along with me, that would totally thrill me !!! Please share your stories with me. That would be a an awesome gift to receive !!!

Big love to you !

Round here…

Round here…

we meditate like this.

 

Round here…

pages get filled with inner wisdom

bubbling up to the surface as we play.

Learning to love it all.

 

Happy Wednesday, Beautiful Ones !

This day is savable.

Hard to believe that the holidays have come and gone.

The visit to Montreal and my peeps was awesome !

And so was the visit with my friend Suzanne,

who came and spent a fun New year’s week with us.

Now she’s gone home,

David’s gone back to work

and I need to re-find a routine that makes me fill fulfilled and like I am living towards my purpose.

Big ambitions, huh ?

Well, I started off small, which always works better for me.

I have pretty much given up coffee in the morning in favor of protein shakes (gluten, dairy, sugar free vanilla veggie protein powder with fresh fruit, spinach, water and ice in the blender).

They are super yummy, and keep me full and energized until lunch most days.

I have also re-committed to a meditation practice each morning.

I tend to have pretty lousy self discipline, but so far this new morning routine is really comfortable.

Pumpkin likes to join me at meditation time and perches herself on the arm of my chair.

Sweet Cat vibes add to the goodness.

The next addition will be some more physical exercise. Walking and/or a bike ride on my new bike that Santa Dave got me for Christmas.

My 7 speed cruiser in retro lilac ! Cute and comfortable.

Won’t be in any triathalons on it but good for getting this butt moving !

 

Another important piece to reviving my self-loving routine

is to bring back the ART !!!

Worked on a little 6X6” canvas today.

Acrylic paint and collage.

I was flipping through an old dictionary looking for a title and

the word

SAVABLE

popped out.

“Capable of being saved.”

Hmmm.

I think we all are.

I hope we all are.

I’m planning some fun arty days with some East Coast Florida friends soon. I really need that art tribe to make me feel complete.

I hope your new year, new month, new week, new day

routines are off to a good start, Beautiful Ones.

Big love to you !

Haiku My Heart–I go to the Sea

I go to the sea.

Sky, sand, sun, cloud, wave, bird, air.

I return to me.

 

I return to the beauty of a few carefully chosen words and the bright hearts that share them at Haiku My Heart.

Morning Selfie

I took this self first thing in the morning.

I usually reach for my phone first thing.

I check the time,

check how many emails I have,

and then who the emails are from.

One email today was from Susannah

reminding me that today’s August Break prompt was

selfie.

I don’t quite know why but the pictures I take of myself are always the pictures I love best.

Maybe it is a trust thing.

All I know is that the me I see in selfies

is the me I see

inside.

This is me.

Morning Kimbo,

with spiky bedhead, sun-kissed skin, and

shiny brown eyes,

filled with love.

Happy Friday, Beautiful Ones.

 

Hosted by Susannah Conway

‘Round here on this first Monday in January…

Outside my window, it is pouring rain, foggy, and extremely wet. It is also 53 degrees. Strange stuff ! Tonight the temps will drop by 40 degrees and tomorrow is supposed to be frigid. And an icy world, I think, when all this wet freezes over.

I am officially entering hibernation mode …

I am thinking about little things I can do to help my body cope with this hibernation mode. I am not making huge resolutions that I know I won’t keep but thinking about little steps first.

I am going start each day with a mug of warm water and lemons, after having read this article recommended by my cousin. I have been disliking the effects of coffee for a while now, and had switched to decaf. Now the idea of the benefits as well as the warm, soothing nature of this beverage appeals !

I am thankful for our new and growing relationship with our niece Amanda and her little boy, Jayden.

Being a Great Aunt is fabulous !

I get to enjoy all the squishy, yummy, loving parts of having a new baby in the family, as well as giving his Momma a bit of a well-deserved break which I know she appreciated very much.

From the kitchen, oatmeal with thawed out frozen raspberries and some maple syrup is for breakie.

I am wearing black leggings, a denim tunic, a turquoise scarf, and my turquoise Croc fur lined clogs.

Oh, and a terrible case of bed head.

I am reading/listening to The Mists of Avalon by Marion-Zimmer-Bradley. Slowly! It is over 50 Hours of 3 unabridged audiobooks that I purchased from Audible. Fits perfectly with this misty, foggy, hibernating day !

I am creating a special heart for a special person who is collecting art hearts from friends.

My sweet felted and embroidered number will be in the mail asap !

I am hearing  rain falling on the back deck and Chica snoring on the daybed.

Around the house things are tidy and quiet, as we reclaimed our house yesterday after our lovely guests, Suzanne and the crazy puppy, Patine left to make their way home. It was a great and very fun visit ! It is also quiet since my sweet hubby went back to work at the office for the first time since before Christmas.

I am hoping that all my friends who are working through this crazy weather remain safe and warm and cozy.

A few plans for the week...continue the clean up in the studio here and there, help out our niece Amanda with some Jayden sitting, and getting myself back to painting in the studio ! My fingers are itching for paint !!!!

Happy Monday, Beautiful Ones !

Perfectly Blessed !

This photo is in response to Patti Digh’s post on 3X3X365 yesterday.

“We find happiness where we can. And that is everywhere.”

The Universe sent me this smile gift in the form of a food face last night.

Do you notice little gifts from the Universe?

Like food faces,

heart rocks,

or maybe a tune that the dishwasher brings into your head for you to hum along with ?

(Yes, I do need to get out more. Some of my Blogland friends do too! You know who you are !)

Sometimes,

they are harder to see

than the bright shiny gifts that friends give us.

 

Like this glorious print that arrived in the mail yesterday from my loving friend, Sherry.

The piece is by artist and wise woman, Julia Fehrenbacher

and goes along with this incredible post she wrote last week on the Painted Path.

At a time when I have been struggling with loving myself just as I am, right in this moment,

and making each day feel of value to my life,

Julia’s words are like a friend reaching out in the darkness.

Just like my friend Sherry does!

Thank you to both of you for making me feel seen, and loved,

and most of all,

thank you for inspiring me to see and love my blessedly imperfect self !

 

Blessedly imperfect perhaps, but perfectly blessed, that’s for sure !

 

***************

We are bracing for some kind of icky storm here. A crazy mix of rain and snow and ice and all the crap this time of year can throw at us.

I am off to get a haircut and do a little shopping today,

and then buckle down to some Thanksgiving prep. here at home tomorrow.

Be safe, and be thankful, Beautiful Ones !

Big Love !

Haiku May Heart–Filling up

Fill the inside up

With joy, love and gratitude.

I need to start from there.

****************

Working really hard here to keep my insides filled with the good stuff.

This darkening season is always a challenge for me.

I have picked up my gratitude journal and placed it by the bed, so the last thing I do at night is write a few things I am grateful for that day.

I have re-dedicated myself to my meditation practice, with the help of Deepak Chopra and Oprah’s Desire and Destiny 21 Day Meditation.

Next steps include bundling myself up and getting outside everyday for some daylight, even as my body cringes at the idea of the cold right now.

And also working with cutting back on comfort foods and sugar and putting nourishing stuff inside this one vehicle I have to get me through life.

I think the one thing I really, really have to work on is having self-compassion.

Even if I was to do everything in my power to help myself with my seasonal depression symptoms, (in other words, be perfect ! ),

there will always be days when the dark over takes the light.

After about 30 years of this, I know that to be true for me.

I need to learn to give myself compassion on those days, especially.

And keep looking towards the light.

Fill your insides up with the good stuff, Beautiful Ones !

Happy Friday!

For more haiku beauty and a loving community of haiku writers,

visit recuerda mi corazon every Friday.