Sharing the Joy–What April Brought…

April 2014 was a busy month !

Full of beautiful people that I love

and experiences I will cherish always !

I made a girlfriend trip with my dear Linda to Saratoga Springs, NY,

where we saw, savored, stitched, spoke, listened and enjoyed.

I had a return visit from my sweet Jayden boy and his Momma !

He’s getting so big and strong ! Love those guys and miss having them close !

David and I traveled to Montreal for an Easter, Katie turns 6, we’re moving to Florida party, lovingly hosted by my sister, Natalie.

Lots of tears on my part, knowing I will be so far from my family soon.

But lots of joys too, as there always is when we spend time together as a family.

One of the best moments was watching Miss Katie ride her new big girl bike, a gift from us, without training wheels ! She is awesome !

Then David and I flew to Tampa, FL, for a whirlwind house hunting, meet and greet visit!

With the help of a great real estate agent, we saw a ton of houses but found the right transitional home for us!

It is a lovely, airy home with a screened in lanai and a perfect yard for Chica.

It backs onto conservation land and is close to Dave’s office and our favorite beaches !

Can’t wait to make it our home !

After the house hunting and meeting people at Dave’s new office was done, we had a little time to enjoy the perks of our new state.

Welcome to my new beach….

Heaven !!!

Today is May 1st.

If everything goes as planned, we will be moving in 6 weeks.

Wowza !

Still so much to do !

And it will all get done !

Somehow…

But as we go along,

I have promised myself some creative, rejuvenating time every day.

Otherwise, I will have nothing to give, and be one grumpy girl !

The studio will be the last room to pack,

and yesterday, I set up the space for some big canvas painting.

This work in progress is a 24 X 48” canvas that is a kind of commission for my friend Suzanne.

 

But the paint sloshing and meditative painting time

is

 all for me !

 

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

Happy May, Beautiful Ones !

May the sweet new beginnings be rich with joy for you !

 

(I am rejoining Meri for some joy sharing. Miss this blogging love !)

WIP Wednesday–Mapping some more…

Work in progress…

Three mini map doodle books to mark your way…

with a special travel pouch to be stitched.

Home from Montreal and Mont Tremblant.

Had a sweet vacay with David.

Had some sweet times with family. Adore my nieces and nephews !

Attended an appointment with the cardiologist with my Mom. She is doing super well and got the all clear to resume all of her normal activities. Yay !

Yoga in the pool starts today at my friend Patti’s house – pool is heated ! Phew !

Gathering supplies for eb’s Lake House Art Workshop next week – I will be den mother and magic maker’s assistant for the gathering.

Works in progress=good !

Happy Wednesday, Beautiful Ones !

Lovely new head gear…

Little Happy will keep my new tiara warm for me

while I head north for some much needed peep-visits.

 

Thanks so much to Lynne Suprock for sharing her skills with us yesterday to make the tiara. It was very fun and she is an awesome teacher ! It was also great to meet her daughter-in-law Joanna, and her 8 week old sweetie, Baby Benjamin. And thanks to my friend Patti for hosting so beautifully as always !

Have a wonderful Easter weekend, Beautiful Ones !

May the Spring be with us !

Share the Joy Thursday - Feeding the Soul

From this week’s joy list…

1. Snow on the bird feeder.

Okay, I am lying.

The snow does not bring me joy.

But the bird feeder does.

As does the knowledge that those cold little birdies will have some yummy seeds to eat when their whole world is frozen.

2. The morning after a bad headache when you open your eyes to no pain.

Heaven !!!

3. A bunch of bags with lots of fun goodies ready to go into the car for some Kimbo adventures with awesome peeps !!!

4. My sweet, sweet hubby who keeps the home fires burning bright while I head out for a bit. When I ask him if he minds that I go a lot, he replies “No ! Because you always come back.” Love him to bits.

5. Participating in the Chopra Center 21 Day Meditation Challenge. Today is day 4 and I can already feel changes in my being. I am loving the process so much !

6. This blog and my friends in Blogland. Knowing that there are dear hearts who hear me, see me, and acknowledge my own heart in this very special way with every post, fills me with joy and feelings of being connected. Good stuff !

I hope that the rest of your week is filled with simple and abundant joy, Beautiful Ones !

Visit Meri at Meri’s Musings for more Joy Sharing.

The Day after…

It would seem that elections give me headaches.

It must be all that line drawing, “I win, you lose” and battleground crap. I am so happy with the outcome, as I believe in Barack Obama. He is the only candidate that gives me any hope that we can ever get closer to living in that field that Rumi talks about.

I know it won’t happen in my life time, but there is always hope.

I have a horrible headache this morning and I have many things to accomplish today.

Tomorrow, I leave for a week long visit up north.

(Jessie on the right, with her mom, my sister, Natalie)

Number 1 is time with my niece Jessica, who is 21, and who really wanted to make a plan for some Aunt/Niece time when I saw her about a month ago. How could I refuse ??? So we are taking two days in a hotel in Mont Tremblant, to hang out and spend precious time together !!! We got a great deal on the hotel as it is kind of the dead season up there until the snow falls. I am so excited to be with that girl!

I will also see my mom, my two sisters and a friend or two, (there is never enough time to see everyone I would love to see !)

and then on Monday,

I head back down to VT to spend some time with e.b. !

It is bundle up time in VT in every sense of the word,

and I need to share some of that time with my amazing friend !

Off to pop some Advil and hope that this headache doesn’t slow me down too much.

Wishing you a happy Wednesday, Beautiful Ones !

Share the Joy Thursday–So Blessed !

From this week’s Joy List :

self-portraits with fuchsia scarf

hugs from friends named Kim

(and sleeping on a good friend’s couch ! thanks, Suzy !)

new momma smiles

first meetings

baby perfection

(smooches, Anderson, sweet baby boy !)

home, hospitality and cappuccino making skills that my sister Natalie shared

(and a great spaghetti dinner prepared by Dave, and shared with Nathan and Mommy)

breakfast out with a 21 year old niece Jessica that I love so much

(but who hates having her picture taken !)

and my own yellow house on Orange Street

where the seashell peonies bloom so beautifully,

and Love greets me at the door.

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

Phew !

A quick baby meeting trip up north and here we are Thursday already !

I had a really nice time though, and saw many loved ones in a short period of time.

Good for the heart !

The rest of this week and the beginning of next will be spent preparing for another up-coming art and soul adventure with my friend Colleen. Very excited !!!

More later.

Tease.

Happy Thursday, Beautiful Ones !

 

for more joy, visit Meri’s Musings today.

Rock Fairy Flight

Yep, the Rock Fairy is off her rocker this week !

(Some people may say that I am off my rocker most days !)

I am leaving behind the cozy front porch

and the nice tree lined views from the back deck,

as well as my newly planted little bit of color

to head way up north to Montreal.

It will be a whirlwind trip but I will get to hug and have a little time

with some very important peeps in my world.

I will have to focus on quality and not quantity, as so often happens when I head up there to visit. So many people I love and so little time !

That’s okay though. They are all so very worth it !

Plus I get to smooch on the newest member of my gang of peeps,

my friend Andrea’s baby son, Anderson who was born on May11th !

From the pictures I have seen on Facebook, I am in for a real baby-lovers treat !!!!

Be back Thursday to share the joy.

Have a great week, Beautiful Ones !

A whole lotta hugging going on…

Mom with new friend, Zay.

(she tried to change his name from Monsieur Zay to Bob, but it just didin’t stick !)

Thomas with visiting dog cousin of love, Logan.

Katie, Thomas and Logan Love.

Katie and the Old Tree of the Lake.

And that is just what I captured on my iPhone during my time up north last week.

Thankfully, I was involved in a lot of the hugging too, so no pics of that.

I needed the loving very much.

People who give love need to make sure that they soak it up a lot too.

(Art journal page created at Suzanne’s place during playtime. Photo printed on my new Pogo printer by Polaroid. Such fun for an art journal keeper!))

And since, at this point in my life, I know

that Love is the answer to every question for me,

I am going to make sure I keep that flow going…

Big hugs and lots of love to you, Beautiful Ones.

Happy Monday !