Dinner and The Artist's Date

One of the things I encourage the women in my groups to do every week is to schedule an "Artist's" date into their day timers. At first they balk at the word "Artist" but, I quickly remind them that being creative encompasses many things; even solving a problem can be a creative event. I try to include an artist's date into every day, and it usually includes something where I get my hands into ink or paint, or play with paper. However, yesterday I decided to incorporate my creativity into bringing a meal to the table.

I was wrestling with what to cook as it was my turn (each member of my family has a few days in which they are accountable for the night's supper), and I was totally uninspired. Having only 2 days a week to cook is fabulous, however, you really feel like you want to do a good job, especially when the others have done the same. I had an hour to get it together, and I was feeling a little anxiety as my mind was focused on the arrival of the women coming for their group meeting.

Luckily, I became mindful of my stress creeping up on me, and I slowed myself down. I needed to turn this crazy feeling into something more manageable and even positive. I decided that I would make this an artist's date. I turned the TV. off and threw on a cd; Tony Bennett, a classic. I grabbed the latest 'Best Health' magazine and started leafing through the recipe section, and found what I was looking for. The music wasn't loud enough; I cranked it up and started chopping, stirring and sautéing. I knew that I had hit my happy spot when I started to sing with Mr. Bennett and forgot the upcoming arrival of my ladies. I worked diligently and cleaned up after each prep. The results were beautiful scallops resting in a homemade bed of guacamole, accompanied by rice, kale chips, raw carrots and cilantro.

My creative yearning was satisfied along with my tummy, and my stress level had gone from about 6 to 0......ah, the magic of creativity. Thank you to Julia Cameron of ‘The Artist’s Way’ for introducing me to the splendid experience of the “Artist’s Date”.

Bounce Back!! How to be Resilient

Check out the February issue of the Arthritis Today magazine, page 66 on Resilience and how I took the positive route to managing disease and pain

Proud Golf Mama

http://detroittitans.com/sports/2012/1/8/MGOLF_0108125953.aspx?path=mgolf

The Ice Queen Inside My Head

It is an icy day here in Kingston, Ontario. I woke before my alarm clock to the tapping of rain on my bedroom window. Knowing that freezing rain was in the forecast for the early morning, I tiptoed out to the front door to check what was going on beyond the cozyness of my home. The front step was coated with a shiny layer of transparency, and as I picked up the newspaper bag lying in front of me, it crackled when the ice broke off and fell to the ground. Winter had suddenly arrived, and with great gusto as can only happen here in Canada.



Buses are not running, and my early morning fitness class was cancelled; good call! I hear cars moving slowly down the street and the scraping of a car.  I think how crazy the man who lives across the street is for taking the risky drive to work. And yet, I am waiting for the radio announcement indicating that the college where I teach this afternoon will be closing. I am not making a phone call to let them know that I have decided not to risk my life by driving an hour (normally 20 minutes) in life threatening conditions but rather, I wait by the radio hoping that someone has the common sense to lock the college doors and tell everyone to stay home, safe and sound.

It is that little voice again, wanting me to conform, “If everyone else gets in their car, so should you”; “Why do you think you’re more important when everyone else is making the effort to be there for the students”. And then the strange feeling in my stomach as my husband tells me that I should not drive in this weather, but I contemplating getting in my car. I feel unreasonable, and yet, there is a pull inside of me that wants me to do what everyone else is doing.



It is that incessant Inner Critic, forever chirping in my mind, making my back tight, my tummy icky and the hairs on my neck tingle. It diminishes my intuition and takes control of my senses, and I feel angry that I am letting it pull me over to its side. The man across the street has finished scraping and loads his small children, backpacks and all, into his van; he’s on his way to their daycare and then to work. I say a small prayer for them. There is the eerie sound of an ambulance and the kitchen lights flicker. This brings back memories of the treacherous ice storm over a decade ago; all messages from my intuition to stay put and inside today.

It is then that I make the decision to wait until noon before calling work; maybe the ice will shift to snow, and that will be a much more manageable drive for me. Yes, I am procrastinating and justifying my being enveloped into the vortex of what I call my “dark side”; today she is the Ice Queen of Inner Critics, tomorrow she'll be someone else. Amazing, how we can twist our mind around doing what we know we shouldn’t, and ignore the part of our mind that knows what is right for us. I sit here looking out at the ice covered branches in my backyard, and hope that Mother Nature will shift so that I won’t need to be the only one with common sense today. I am hoping that others will throw their Inner Critic Queen out on the icy step, shut the door and sit in front of a nice fire with a great book today.

Drive safe, sweeties xoxo

Talk of Life Column ~ The Kingston Whig Standard ~ click below

Make the Life-Long Resolution of Authenticity

Card Making and Talented Friends

I love making cards, and I do so on a regular basis.  They are crafty and do not meet any professional standards at all.  They serve a purpose as they fill my creative needs and they allow me  to send some homemade love to my family and friends.  However, I have a few friends who have taken the art of card making to amazing and marketable levels.  Although the process provides much joy to the artist, I know that it takes effort to put aside the time needed to pull out

the paper, paint and glitter in order to create such masterpieces.

These cards captured my heart as soon as I opened the envelope flap.  A truly inspiring card will make you smile the moment you see it for the first time, and these did just that for me.  

Enjoy the inspirations that were sent to me this season! xoxo

 

"Jake in a Sweater"

by Jane Tohill

Vancouver, B.C.

"Dear Ones"

by Jocelyn Hession

http://www.zendollworkshop.com/

"Snow Flake"

by Alison Pinkerton

"The Power of Authenticity"

"The most important gift we can give ourselves is the commitment to living our authentic life.  To be true to ourselves, however, is not an easy task.  We must break free of the seductions of society and live life on our own terms, under our own values and aligned with our original dreams.  We must tap our hidden selves; explore the deep-seated, unseen hopes, desires, srengths and weaknesses that make us who we are.   We have to understand where we have been and know where we are going.  Every decision we make, every step we take, must be informed by our commitment to living a life that is true and honest and authentic to ourselves and ourselves alone.  And as we proceed, we are certain to experience fortune well beyond our highest imagination".

~ Excerpt from "The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma

I wish you all the Resolution of Authenticity as you move into 2012 ~ much love, diana xoxo



Not So Gentle Reminders

Just when you think you have it all together and then big awakenings appear out of nowhere; the kind that spin your head around and bring you back to reality really fast. It all started 4 months ago when I started feeling incredibly healthy. I woke up every morning without any stiffness in my fingers or toes, and I had energy like I haven’t had in years. I felt like a normal healthy human being without any health problems. It was like I was 30 years old again, and ready to do the world by noon.

I tried not to think about it and just enjoy this welcoming feeling of good health, but thoughts of wondering if I was in remission kept seeping through; was it really possible? Rather than set myself up for the chance that I was just having a good couple of weeks, I decided to go with it and do whatever felt good and talk to my rheumatologist during my 6 month check up this December. It is amazing how the mind and great medication can play tricks on you when things are going well. I joined a morning fitness group and started running a little bit. I pulled out my ski machine and incorporated it into my cardio workouts. Every day, I woke up a little earlier and stayed up a little later. I was mindful about certain physical limitations but, I found out soon enough that I was not mindful enough.

After 3 months of gradually increasing my running mileage and adding more time on the ski machine, along with, less sleep and more work, I hit the proverbial wall of injury. An acute Achilles tendon pull has left me icing and stretching my ankle and a calf muscle knot that refuses to release. I am still able to use my recumbent bike and work on my strength training with limited exercises at home for the time being but, I am finding it difficult succumbing to the slowing down of activity. To add icing to the cake, I managed to burn my arm on a lamp whose shade broke and fell off while I was trying to rush getting ready for a holiday event 4 days ago. The result is a third degree burn which is on the verge of infection due to my immune suppression. And so goes the incessant regression to patterns of long ago!

My rheumatologist visit came and went with a stern message that running would never be on my agenda again, and that, “yes, you are in a medicated remission, but take heed that the medication is the key ingredient of this feeling of wellness.” I was advised that I should go back to a balanced style of living and to be grateful that I am able to manage my disease as well as I do. It is a not so gentle reminder that when things are going well, we may just want to sit in the joy of it, rather than seek something better or more than what we are given. There are always two paths to take when empowerment comes our way; one is to use it to seek more gain which often takes us to a place of need and greed, and the other is to be thankful for an unexpected gift and to savour what it has to offer.

Our Feeling of Family

When I was a child, Sunday mornings were sacred. Not necessarily in a religious sense, although there was that as well, but sacred in a way that we celebrated the experience of a peaceful morning. We did go to 9 a.m. mass every week, and it was mandatory and never questioned. At that time, I didn’t appreciate that hour sitting in the church or listening to the priest’s sermon. I sat on the hard wooden pew trying to concentrate on what was being said as my mother encouraged me to “listen to the message”; my mind raced on thoughts of anything but. My little body felt like there was a ping pong ball being paddled from one end of it to the other as I tried to “sit still” like my sisters did.

I remember looking over at my father as he sat quiet, stoic, with his hands folded one on top of the other and his eyes closed. I wondered why he was allowed to sleep while I had to listen to the man in the robe. I challenged my mother on this one time, and she told me that my father was not sleeping, but that he found having his eyes closed allowed him to listen better; she never did mention whether or not the snoring helped his listening skills as well. I did my best as the minutes ticked away because my reward was stopping at the local “Mister Donut” on the way home for those amazing Long Johns with whipped cream.

Once home, we all sat in the living room in our Sunday best and engaged in reading the newspaper or a good book while we discussed current events and intricate plots while savouring our dessert. Having already sat for most of the morning and needing to burn off some energy, the sugar intake took over and prompted me to yearn for a change of stimulation. My mother took my cue of endless shifting on the couch, and gathered the 5 albums we owned and placed them on the stereo turn table. The dynamics in the room quickly shifted as my mother and I listened and sang to Dean Martin, Doris Day, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. My father and sisters were amazingly focused as they continued to read and disregarded the background music.  I often wondered why they so opposed having fun. I was always astounded at how long they could hold out and ignore us.

After singing through Dean and Doris, I was usually ready to move my body. We owned a foot ottoman that served me well as a small stage and a wooden pill crusher (brought over from Indonesia long ago by my father) as a microphone. Bobby Darin’s “Artificial Flowers” was my favourite as it had an upbeat tempo and it made me feel joyful (it wasn’t until later in life that I realized how sad the story that he sang was). As I sit here, I envision a young girl dancing and singing with abandon. She has no cares, and she is living in the moment; so care free and so happy; so filled with joy.

Yesterday, I sat working at my computer which faces our sitting room, and I saw my daughter and her dad reading the paper and drinking coffee together. I was filled with memories of this piece of my childhood, and I reflected on how traditions, rituals, and our nature are, unconsciously, passed down through the generations. It wasn’t long before my daughter’s need do move prompted her dad to put Michael Jackson on the ipod dock. I closed my computer, and my husband put his newspaper aside. I could feel my body wanting to move to the music, and I went with it. There was that familiar feeling of joy again.

We didn’t go to mass that morning, and we didn’t eat any donuts, but we all started the day with our own unique family rituals; our own "feel-goods". Our feeling of belonging, our feeling of comfort, our feeling of joy; that is what I know is our feeling of family.

Click here to listen to "Artificial Flowers" by Bobby Darin

Create, Experience and Enjoy

I have been struggling with the “shoulds” of my life for a very long time. I used to find them and, what came with them, extremely frustrating because they usually presented themselves during times in my life that, by our cultural standards, “should” have been joyful times. The days and weeks before a Birthday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas would be filled with anxiety and trepidation. I yearned for feelings of excitement but, blocked them out as I was bombarded with the heaviness of how others expected me to celebrate each event. Any time I became brave enough to voice how I or my family wanted to move through a holiday, I was challenged on how it “should” be done. I usually ended up feeling guilty, defensive or shameful for suggesting a different way, and then succumbing to someone else’s way to keep the peace.

I now understand where these feelings came from as my needs and wants were not respected. We are living in a time when each of us has a voice that needs to be heard and considered. Paired with compromise and compassion, all of our needs and wants can be met. Expectations can be mind benders when combined with our inner critic. We have an intuitive vision of how we would like something, an event or celebration, to transpire, and then thoughts of what others expect pop up, and we allow these thoughts to squash what we envisioned.

Our intuitive dreams are reflections of our creative, true selves, and we need to take responsibility for bringing them to fruition. If we listen to our inner critic, and only consider what others' want, we are abandoning ourselves. And the question then arises, “Am I not as deserving of my dreams as the other people in my life are?” That uncomfortable feeling that you have when you continually provide others with what they want, and continually sacrifice your own longings, is not sacrifice; it is Authentic betrayal.

You are deserving of creating your own traditions and relishing in celebrating all that comes with them. Create, experience and enjoy!!!!!

Talk of Life ~ Kingston Whig Standard, December 3, 2012

Recovering From Busy

"Busy, Busy, Busy"

We come from a culture of acute “busy-ness.” Everywhere I go, I hear the word “busy”. It is the response to “How are you?”...”I’m busy!” It is the excuse for not calling someone back or not ever calling at all ....”I’m busy!” It is what people say when they fail to follow through on something they promised they would do.....”I’m soooo busy!” Saying that you’re busy has become the norm, an accepted reason for not connecting with those we love.

Being busy has become a state of mind, an addictive drug that takes over from the moment you wake up until you lay back down on your pillow at night. Even in the dead of night, it calls to you as lists upon lists fly around in your head keeping you from falling asleep. Therapists encourage people to keep a pen and paper by their bedside so that they can write their lists down instead of having them endlessly swirl around in their mind. Great idea but, how “busy” have we become when we can’t shut it all down and lay in peace?

Some use the act of being busy as a form of fitting in to some kind of “busy” club. Hearing the term “I’m busy” seems to trigger the need to be busy and want to brag about it. “Everybody is busy so, I should be too.” Of course, this is all a matter of perception and, when we go to this side of the thought process, we are deep into the ego. And, the cycle begins. “I’m busy!”......ego arrives......”Oh, I know. I have been so busy too”.....ego grows....”Well, I have been working day and night; so busy”.....ego heightens.....”I hear you, the kids are in 5 activities, and my husband never helps out”.......ego intensifies......”Ours too!! Well, I need to get going, soooo busy!” Great camaraderie builds as keeping score of “busy-ness” is completed.

Then there are those who become offended by the term “I’m busy”. I am one of the offended. I try not to let it affect me but, I too, have an ego, and have trouble suppressing it from time to time. I interpret the phrase “I’m busy” as rude, somewhat demeaning and very sad. Rude, because the busy person is basically telling me that all their “busy-ness” is more important than spending time with me. Demeaning, because continuously telling me that you are “busy” seems to create a thought that you are somehow better than I am because you are so busy. Of course, this is my problem, my perception, my ego but, then there is the sadness....

I am sad that we are all so busy. The truth is that it is a choice that we all make, “To be or, not to be”....busy. I am selfish. I don’t want everyone I know to be that busy; so busy that they don’t have time to stop and have a coffee and chat; so busy that they don’t have time to send a Christmas card or bake one batch of sugar cookies; so busy that they can’t stop by for a holiday drink. I am an old soul who wants the good ole days back again. I want visions of sugar plums dancing in my head at night instead of long lists of what I need to do the next day, the next month and the next year. I want us all to move through each day with as much ease as possible. I want our lists to have a few fun things on them. And, when I ask someone how they are, I want them to tell me how absolutely amazing they are. But, I understand, we're all busy.....

Find more on "Recovery from Busy" in this Saturday's "Talk of Life" column in the Life Section

Sublime

As I sit at my little desk and glance out the window at the snow on the trees, I am filled with a sense of wonder that I haven’t been able to see the beauty in its arrival for many years. The want and the need to run away from it has been so prevalent that my pattern was to look at it with disgust and count the days until spring arrived. This has all changed as I shift into a completely different mindset that includes maintaining Kingston, Ontario as my home base and, perhaps spending some time down south during the colder season. For now, the plan is to nestle in to a smaller home here and focus on all of my creative endeavours.

Combining my leadership work with writing and art is the direction that I am drawn to. Lately, I have met and am inspired by so many exciting and authentic individuals who have been brave enough to jump into the world of mixing work and creative expression. They seem to do it with much ease and I feel that I am most comfortable in this space as well.  When I heard about Kaye-Lee Patony's (artist & psychotherapist) workshop, "Sublime; reclaining our innocent adolescent girl" I dove in head first.  We spent the day engaged in insightful exercises which included working from our heads and our hearts. 

This collage is an expression of “who” I am right now in this moment. I have created many vision boards that represent the direction I would like to take in the future, but never have I been asked to create a board that represents my present being, right now, as I am today. It was tough, mind provoking and it required hours of my time. I was unable to finish the collage at the workshop 2 weeks ago. I needed to take it home and walk by it several times a day before I could even sit in front of it again.

I took the task of communicating my current self through the use of images quite seriously. It was daunting and haunting me. I became annoyed a few times as I passed by and looked at what I had already glued down....stuck and unable to pull off of the board and replace with something more “positive”. I wasn’t sure what the significance of the woman running away from the little devils represented or why I thought that this resembled anything in particular about me.



Then yesterday I realized that the picture was extraordinarily accurate and extremely positive as I am determined to leave my inner critic behind me. The fact that this woman seems to be running with incredible speed to create as much distance between her and these gremlins is a true reflection of where I am right now, this very moment.

This exercise has been yet another tool provided to me in my pursuit of mindfulness. I see that just because I was focusing on the now, doesn’t mean that it can’t be part of my future. Staying awake to the signs, the gifts, opportunities and possibilities that present themselves is what it is all about. Grabbing on to them when they appear and absorbing what they are telling me will move me in the right direction, from today to tomorrow. Sometimes, there is no need to think about what is going to happen if I can live within what is happening when it occurs. Running away from the devils of the past has become an easier task as I am able to feel them when they approach and then respond. They are a part of my past, my present and they will always be with me but, I will keep them at a distance from now on.



Liebster Blog Award

I was extremely honoured to be nominated for the Liebster Blog award by  my lovely friend, Tracy Olan of Beautiful Day Photography.  Tracy is an authentic creative soul, and I so admire her determination to live her truth.  I had never heard of this award before
Tracy introduced it to me so,

 in the event that you haven't either,
here is how it works......

The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The award is designed to recognize worthy, lesser known blogs and to help expose their work.

The rules for the Liebster Award are:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. Reveal your top five picks {with less than 200 readers} and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love too!

Given my belief to always, always give back, following are my 5 nominations for the Liebster Blog award:

I follow these blogs daily!!  xoxo

1. Tracy Olan of "Beautiful Day To....."  Beautiful Day To.....
2. Jocelyn Hession of "Zendoll" Zendoll
3. Danielle Hession of "danny & dani" Danny & Dani
4. Ola of "Styles by Ola" Ola
5. Tammy Vigue of "Sit Still - Enlighten Up" Sit Still - Enlighten Up

The Beginning of Something Great

Last night brought an extraordinary experience my way. I have been working tirelessly to introduce a teen women’s mindfulness series to the city of Kingston. My intuition told me to offer this program to the various high schools as an extracurricular activity; much like the sports activities are implemented. I was optimistic that the schools would be as excited as I was about the offering of such a program to young women in our community. The cost was a mere $10 per student for 2 hours of self awareness and inner work; a gift of knowing oneself. In the attached proposal documents that I emailed to each principal I indicated that I had received, with gratitude, $600 of scholarship donations from local entrepreneurs, for students who could not afford this program. Much to my dismay, I was told by each principal that they did not have any time to dedicate to this endeavour. Some principals did not even reply to my email proposal; I am assuming that, they too, are busy.

I was not willing to give up, and as a result and with the encouragement of the participants of my women’s groups, I opted to run the program from my private business space. Last night was the first gathering of the participants of the Teen Authentic Leadership™ Certificate Program. The young women were hesitant at first but, within 10 minutes were chatting and sharing their feelings and thoughts without the worry of being judged or criticized. They were practicing Authenticity without even realizing it and all because they felt they were in a safe and trusting environment.

The Conversation™ was scheduled to run for 1.5 hours and we ran incredibly late as the participants did not want it to end. They were learning things about themselves that they were unaware of. The excitement of the awakening of possibility was obvious, and they told me that they did not want the night to end.

This is perhaps the most success that I have ever experienced. The vision that I had 2 years ago has come to fruition; women as young as 16 years of age realizing “who” they are and recognizing what brings them joy. How much better can this be? Each of these women has committed to participating in the full series of 10 Conversations™ beginning in January, and each of them is eager to spread the work. They are now part of the Authenticity Revolution inspired by Tana Heminsley of Authentic Leadership Global™. Bit by bit we are moving toward mindfulness and consciously practicing our true nature.

These young ladies are both remarkable and courageous. I applaud them for thinking of themselves and for knowing that there is something better out there. When I said “good night” to each of them and watched them walk out the door, I heard one of them announce, “That was amazing”. The others agreed and the hairs on the back of my head tingled; I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the evening. This is the beginning of much greatness. xoxo

Talk of Life

click on link below for....

 "A New Perspective On Leadership"

http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3359517

The Knowing

When you meet that certain someone, you can see it in his eyes,

There’s a stirring in your stomach and the prickle in your thighs.

You meet and hold, then move on past, but linger just a bit.

Then “the knowing” that he noticed that you may be a good fit.

There’s a place among the crowd, an empty chair beside his spot,

There’s a feeling of comfort, this is the place where you were brought.

His breath, his smile, his presence, it’s surprisingly so strong.

It’s “the knowing” that he wants the same, that this cannot be wrong.

A chat, a joke, an awkward laugh and a casual good bye,

Sitting there reflecting on what you felt; a longing and a sigh.

Then gone before I turn around, he leaves and throws a wave.

Then “the knowing” that I read it right, the look that he just gave.

The weeks of waiting brought a call, a meeting and a drive,

A belonging being side by side, a soul mate sense arrived.

It led along the water with much talk of things of trust,

“The knowing” that this was the start; the end was not discussed.

Many years of birthdays, raising children, work and all that fun,

I knew that we would be together; I knew he was the one.

Much has followed since a sunny day that hot July.

“The knowing” happened instantly, while there, just him and I.

I sometimes wonder who I’d be if that day had never come,

Would I have known this feeling that is passed on to only some?

Would I have known this joy, this bond and strong camaraderie?

Would “the knowing” still be there if he had walked right beyond me?

We celebrate his day, today; the day that he was born,

He asks for nothing in return; his course is walked and worn.

This man who likes all simple things; a walk upon the green,

“The knowing” of much kindness, love and nothing unforeseen.

Life is very simple; it’s our love, his girl and boy,

Their steps toward becoming whole, and finding love and joy.

The future as we move into this next chapter of our hearts,

“The knowing” that our love will hold us, and we’ll never be apart.

So, Happy Birthday Baby, you deserve all that comes your way,

We are so blessed to have each other to wake up to every day.

I love you to the moon and back; I’ve said it all before,

But “the knowing” that I’ll say it when you wake and sleep and even just once more.

~ Diana xoxo

Recovery to the Un-Busy

I am laying here in bed surrendering to a horrible flu bug, but not being able to leave my computer lid down. With my head propped up on pillows and Kleenex piling up beside me, I am thinking that the least I can get done is a blog post. As I type, I know, yet still wonder how we get caught in that crazy pattern of needing to get something done. It is like a drug addiction; if we aren’t busy checking something off a list, our body begins to show signs of withdrawal. The tapping of the foot, the lack of focus, and small bursts of impatient conversation are all signs of the need to get something, anything done.

The addiction to “busy” is a symptom of measuring our value according to our “doing”. In other words, how much we accomplish indicates how much we are worth. The mere processing of that statement makes one think, “how absurd; who would go through life believing that”. Sadly, most of us do fall into this without even realizing it. We slowly move into society’s expectation of achieving and perception of success without blinking an eye. The slow and steady societal pressure wins the race.

But small subtle messages appear along the way, and the finish line doesn't look that appealing any more. The feeling of missing “something” in life, and the yearning for calm is your mindfulness speaking to you. It is telling you that it is alright to slow things down and think about what really matters to you without worrying about what the “norm” is. I’m betting that if you were really honest with yourself, very few of the items on your list really need to get done today or tomorrow. Some of them may not ever really need to get done at all. Think of all the time you would have to do other things that reflect who you are and what you want.

Someone in full busy recovery will not just cut back on the “to do” list, but will erase it in its entirety and slowly replace the items with only those that they “want” to do. They will regress at times because lifelong patterns can never dissolve completely; they are embedded in that spot at the back of our heads like a sort of societal branding. Being aware of them is all we need to continue on our path of the un-busy. And with that comes, oh so many, surprises along the way.  And so, I press the "publish post" icon, and feel a sense of peace that I got that done today!!!!

"The Simplicity of the Path Ahead"

I decided to take the day off of all things called "work" yesterday as I felt something going on inside of me (flu appeared late last night), and just play!  As a result, I went out into the beauty of the day and walked and "clicked".  I didn't think this pic would turn out to be anything as I layed on the ground to get but, it turned out to be one of my favourites ~ the shadows with a bit of sunlight and the brown leaves scattered between the green grass gives me the feeling of balance during the transition from summer to fall.....

Enjoy the stillness of the day!! xoxo

Photography and Apple Sauce

This photo has inspired me to make homemade apple sauce. As I stirred the pot full of goodness, I had visions of me as a child sitting at our kitchen table colouring while my mother made her October batch of “appelmouse”. The combination of apple and cinnamon created a wafting aroma throughout the house, and I could feel the warmth of the smooth mixture over my tongue without having eaten it yet. My mother was, and still is, a cook of immense talent. She has ebbed and flow through the changing eating patterns of our society, moving from the Dutch traditions of meatballs and gravy, deep fried croquets and chicken simmered in copious amounts of butter, to a healthier style of fish and chicken accompanied by a variety of vegetables and grains. She is a progressive cook who enjoys her food, including the preparation thereof.

Fall presents a yearning for us to get into the kitchen. It is the time of harvest and preparation for winter. Traditionally this is when we cook and jar and set aside food that will sustain us through the cold months ahead. This “feeling” is not so much a need anymore as our advanced society has provided most of us with a large food supply just a short car ride away. However, centuries of having to survive has created an innate want to get busy in the kitchen to produce wholesome nourishment for our families. It has become an experience that we want to enjoy, rather than a job that needs to be done. Our “free-flow” way of thinking takes over and lets our mind wander into whatever thoughts come our way.

Sitting now at my computer as my apple sauce simmers on the stove, I am thinking of the 19th day photography challenge that has popped up in my inbox. The e-course that I signed up for has presented me with a completely different way of thinking about food. I have always enjoyed food and have taken an incredible amount of time to understand the value of it from all angles. But, this course has motivated me to “see” food in a different light; I have developed a new appreciation for how our meal gets to our table and who brings it to us. Seeing food through the lens, and then anticipating what it will look like once downloaded on the computer is exciting and rejuvenating. The biggest revelation is how this positive attention to food has inspired me to put more effort into the creation of our meals. Making space in my day to think about colour, texture and presentation has lead to healthier, more appetizing dinners for my family.

The bonus is that Tracy’s e-course has taught me a few more photography tricks that I never would have thought of mastering. This black and white production with a tint of red is created from the MultiImpression computer program that I use. Who would have thought that, when you take the time to push a few buttons and play, exciting creations magically appear!!!!

Creativity inspires us!!

A Leader's Perspective

I look at the lone red leaf amongst it's family, and see a leader in a pack. Not only is she the first to change colour but, she stands tall and proud among the rest as if to say, "come and change with me!"

Lead on my friends!!!!