a drop in the bucket

I almost didn't write this, it has been a year since I was here last. The year flew by!
          
I only have x amount of time to do any writing and the last year has been focused on illustrated letters to loved ones and working my way through daily morning pages in the system designed by Julia Cameron, called The Artist's Way  http://www.amazon.com/The-Artists-Way-Julia-Cameron/dp/1585421464     

My mornings are generally rushed so it's not a pleasant flow with the morning pages. The point is to empty your head of all the extraneous mish mash thoughts first thing in the morning so your creativity can take a deep clear breath and start fanning the flames of inspiration to your now cleared, receptive mind. That's the theory.

I have journalled in the evening for years, but that's all thoughts about what happened after the fact. The morning pages, on the other hand, aim to help you start your day with a fairly clean slate so you can make your best of it. I feel that it's worth pursuing, so I'm still trying.



Today our family celebrated Mother's Day by meeting for a brunch at a favorite local restaurant. The kids were scrubbed and on their best behavior, and we had lively discussion about the performance of everyone's baseball teams, fishing from the bank versus fishing from a boat, lawnmowers, bacon, and lots of other details of life. I loved every minute of it. My boys are SO busy with their kids, it makes our time sitting down to share a meal that much more precious to me. My own mother is long gone, except in my heart. I planted some of her favorite flowers in my garden to honor her. She is sorely missed and lovingly remembered every single day. So yes, my Mother's Day has been a happy one.

Made a recent change in employment when I decided I had fought the monster one hour commute long enough. It has been so good for me to switch gears, meet new people and start learning new things. Like Jimmy Buffett, I see my professional life as a kind of Swiss Army knife, with all sorts of different blades / skills rolled into one. I can wrap meat, prepare and display produce, collect tolls at the toll booth, run a photo shoot for a catalog, print and mail 15,000 newsletters, press check spec sheets at 3 a.m., tell a parent that their child has been suspended from college and offer them comfort, or teach someone how to use that new software that is the whizbang newest thing to come along. You want an oil painting to donate to your favorite cause for a silent auction? No problem, I can whip it up for you. And if you need a morale booster, I will set up an event with entertainment and the tastiest catering you can imagine!

Mostly though, I just want to be out in the world, making a positive difference, one day at a time.

Thanks for stopping by. Tell me what you've been up to!