Blue jay day...

It's dry and cool-ish this morning out on the lanai. 

That meant morning meditation was headed outside today.

I even opened the slider a bit so my furry friends could join me. Pumpkin, the meditation cat, settled in right away! 

The blue jays, butterflies, dragonflies, bright blue sky and the gentle breezes helped me ignore the drone of the ac units near by.

All decked out in my new feather earrings I made for myself, I started the day off right. 

Headed in to the studio for awhile. Still being totally inspired by Tracy Verdugo's Paint Mojo e course. 

This butterfly flew into being yesterday after a mono printing exercise. 

Happy bluejay morning, 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 !

Share the Joy Thursday - Lanai Weather

It is only 70 degrees here this morning! And mostly dry! 

I had to move myself outside on to the lanai and take advantage of the weather.

I've got my journal, some bits of arty things I'm working on and my coffee cup.

And here I sit, comfortably outside in our outdoor space ! 

Chica is joining me for the sweet morning bird song. I think I like this Florida fall.

Have a joyful Thursday! 

For more joy sharing visit Meri at http://meriak.blogspot.com/ each Thursday. 

Preserving sunshine…

Last week I bought this glorious sunshiny bouquet of sunflowers to grace my home when my dear friends Linda and Mike came for a visit.

This morning, the sunflowers were droopy, dropping petals and looking kind of sad.

Kind of like me after a sleep-less night of worrying about some peeps I love.

While my coffee was brewing, I went to my art stuff stored in the garage,

and brought out my Microfleur Flower Press.

I gathered the some of the petals off of the wilting sunflowers and arranged them on the press for drying.

About 40 seconds in the microwave and I had these beautiful bright yellow petals preserved.

Sunshine captured for later use in a collage or art piece of some kind.

Maybe a mandala with some other leafy bits from the past?

All the pieces carefully, lovingly,  preserved in the pages of some old books ready to be given another chance to be part of the beauty ?

The sleepless night and the process of preserving these sunshine petals this morning made me revisit some lessons I am learning

again

for what seems like the billionth time.

Worrying doesn’t change the outcome.

Focusing on the negative only brings more negative to you.

And of course,

Love is the answer to every question.

Going to focus on how love applies today.

Starting with myself !

Happy Thursday, Beautiful Ones !

Morning…

Morning…

from me and the fur babies.

And a days work, day time shell gathering, and evening stitches.

Man, Life is sooooo good.

Happy Tuesday, Beautiful Ones.

 

Hosted by Susannah Conway

Tuesday's Light

I love this day already.

(Stained glass by my dad, Yves de Broin, brilliantly lit up by this September morning's sun)

Monday Morning Music and Musings…

Alexi Murdoch - 2006

This morning on Facebook, Patti Digh’s status read “Today I am practicing giving up my need to be right. What are you practicing today?”.

My response :

“I am practicing doing have-to's with a want-to attitude.”

That was what came to me in the moment but you know what ?

I lied !

I am actually practicing ignoring the have-to’s and doing the want to’s instead !!!

Hence two blissful hours of art journal painting instead of running Monday morning errands or even getting dressed.

I created the page above inspired my the Alexi Murdoch song that I love.

(Okay, mostly bliss – I got lost in not liking my piece for about half that time, but it turned around eventually!)

And know what else ?

I think I am really good at leaving the have-to’s aside…

Maybe even a little too good sometimes…

Maybe I need to practice something else ?

Hmmmm…

Okay, okay…

The have-to’s await…

Happy Monday, Marvelous Ones !

 

Good Morning…

 

Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who made the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety –
best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light –
good morning, good morning, good morning.
Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

 

Believe it or not, I woke up a little “miserable” and “crotchety”.

(Man, I hate it when that happens. But there is a lot in this world to be miserable and crotchety about if that where you want to go !)

But then I remembered that I have a choice.

I can wallow in the “ever-darkness” all day.

Or I can CHOOSE to “start the day in happiness, in kindness”.

Which would you choose ?

Big Love to you, Beautiful Ones !