Tuesday, January 15, 2013

mish mash

i am still struggling to get decent interesting posts up regularly here... i find i take the coolest photos on my phone and then i post the most god awful crappy ones here on the blog. here goes with a few favorites from a recent phone download...



IMG_1894



IMG_5397

lots of cloud photos to inspire me to get back to painting

IMG_5524


IMG_5392


IMG_5366

new car love

IMG_5300

kitty love

IMG_5353

milestones

IMG_3865

embracing tweendom

IMG_3878

miss maggie

IMG_2825

getting the backyard in shape for some major plant redo and finding a way to paint again in my own personal outside studio

IMG_2826

black bamboo... best choice ever

IMG_5333

fathers and daughters... love! gotta get to school, working on our garden club...it's coming along s l o w l y... cheers!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

whirlwind new year

For the first time in a long time, i didnt take on extra work over the holidays and just hung out and took it slow...
IMG_1421

spent time up at the cabin, didn't spend every minute trying to clean up and fix this or that, just hung out

Photo-3

gazing at snowflakes

Photo-4

watching the snow fall and pondering this past year. 2012 was a year i carefully created and with intent to accomplish many personal goals. it was important financially (no more child support and a refinanced house) so we weren't struggling to make ends meet the way the past few years have been. i took some risks to put the italy trip together and it came off without a hitch, truly a trip of a lifetime on so many levels. i worked less and checked more things off the "to do" list. i made it to the gym more regularly and could feel the benefit of regular exercise for the first time in many years (still have a long way to go on that but it's a start). i cut back on all my volunteering and put more energy into my family. i finally took the plunge and bought a new car, something a little reckless that has energized me in ways i haven't felt in years. i studied and passed the first of a two part test i need to be credentialed in a new specialty for my career. something i had put off since i was pregnant with emily, 13 years ago!

i find myself thinking about how every morning my mom would ask me as a kid, "what's on your agenda today? what are your plans? what are you looking forward to?" and i remember no matter what i had going on, i would think about the one or two good things i had to look forward to. something fun was on the horizon even if there was school or work or whatever too, there was a tv show i had waited all week for or dinner at my grandparents or a letter coming in the mail from a friend or a new book to read. i have always been a hard worker but my secret is to have a focus, something amazing to distract me while i muscle through the hard stuff. so for 2013? well, we'll just have to see!