My Treasures!!!

This

This is a picture taken a while ago of two of my best friends and I!!! I absolutely love this picture! Oh my gosh....these two women are such treasures to me. I would do anything for them and I know, deep in my heart, that they would be there for me if ever I needed them. The support I receive from them is remarkable. It's difficult to even put into words how much they mean to me.

We began a weekly art group that has grown to six members. It has been a beautiful experience. The friendships that have developed are truly amazing. We support one another in not only our art endeavors....but also in life. There is something so powerful about women....six very different women....gathering and being committed to helping one another move toward positive growth. We often marvel at how we all found each other....calling our circle a total miracle. We are all very thankful. The group, The Tiaras, has been a huge blessing to me.

I know that this is a short post.....but some of them may just be like that. I feel strong tonight....safe and warm and full of love. Blessings!

The pickle hour!!!

Seems like a very strange title but, I couldn't sleep last night and instead of laying there listening to Richard breathing and snoozing away, I decided to get up and eat pickles. It's a strange behavior and I don't exactly know why....but I'm totally addicted to Clausen Dill Pickles. I eat up to six halves most nights. Now that's alot of pickles. It's not just pickles though.....I eat anything pickled or sour......saurkraut, pickled asparagus (Costco), pickled stringed beans, olives...the list goes on and on. I only do this at night, when it's dark. Richard worries about the salt and also about how all this affects my "sick" digestive system....but so far I don't think it's had any bad affects (I may be in denial here!!!). I don't think so anyway.

I'm disclosing this strange behavior, early on in my blogging career, not because it is so important but because the reason I couldn't sleep is important....phew!!!! I often find myself struggling with a very busy, frantic mind...where thoughts come and go, tumble over one another, stay for a while but usually lead to other thoughts....a swirling, twirling mass of color happening in my brain. I feel very alone when I get overwhelmed by all these thoughts and constantly struggle to just slow down, breathe and focus on just one thing.

This appears to be my own "spiritual hurdle" right now. It isn't horrible....but it is my current challenge. I'm working really hard to slow down and recognize the current moment, rather then fumbling, tumbling, rumbling toward the future or back into the past. To hold each moment fully and to experience the diviness if each single breath.....I believe that that is the key to my own inner peace.

As an artist (yes....I AM AN ARTIST!) my mind is always full of colors, images, textures. I'm always creating. As a smart woman in this fast paced world, I am always developing my to-do lists which include all aspects of my life. I have certain responsibilities and requirements that need to be attended to. Fitting it all in.....while being further challenged, at times, by health issues, can be a huge undertaking. However, I feel confident that it can be done with grace, breath and awareness so that moments don't slip away.

The sun is out today and it is beautiful as I look down upon the city of Bellingham. Even with minimum sleep I am feeling luscious and powerful. I am strong today and that feels awesome. How blessed I am to have arrived at day two of bloggness. It is going well.....I think!!! Be peaceful!!!!!

And it begins.....

And it begins....how exciting and how scary!!! It's interesting how those two feelings can be felt at the same time. If I had to choose one, it would be excitingly scary!!!

I'm taking a deep breath and focusing on what I am trying to create by starting a blog. My intent is to put my thoughts and my art out into the Universe. I know that it is important to my own growth, as a spiritual human-being, to send out the most positive energy possible. My basic belief is that my own creative vibration will join like vibration and that change, positive change, will occur. My part, even though teeny weeny when you think about the Universe, is integral to this collective, awesome time of change. It is time....it has been time...for me to let go and watch my own transformation as I introduce my creative soul to the world. I'm making it sound huge...but it is huge and VERY important.

I've been hiding. Sometimes I feel like it has been such a sad waste of time; however I suspect that the hiding may be more like an incubation, a tending and caring for that which is so important to me. I've always dreamnt of being an artist. My soul has yearned for that title. Had I known that it only took the strength to grab it's wholeness I would have stopped the hiding and come to this place sooner.

I believe that my art is important and I believe that it needs to be shared. I hope that you can be patient with me as I begin this blogging journey. I suspect that we will be creating magic along the way!