Day 5- Be Unique

I quit.  I am sorry Patti, and anyone else who started the 101 questions game plan.  It sounded good, and got me going til I looked at the questions and they are all the same.  BOR-ING.  And let me tell you I don't do well with boredom.  In fact I say whenever possible if you can change course from boredom to excitement then by all means do so....That's what I am going to do.  I am changing course.

That's me turning right, and not sure where I am going.  But it's going to be more interesting then following all those guys going the other way...maybe I will miss them...maybe their way is best.  But I will never know if mine is, if I don't explore.  This is what life is all about.  Exploring.  Certainly with regards to art.  If I just follow everyone else's art I will never find my own.  I gotta keep exploring all different things to find my way.  So the topic for today is changing course.  Do you allow yourself to change course?  or do you stay safe following others?  It's a good question and sometimes I am one and sometimes I am another.  I change course when I feel it's good for me and I follow when I feel it's good for me.  It all depends on the situation.  Today I don't want to follow.  Today I blaze my own trail.  Ultimately life is all about choices, and I am grateful for this.  I choose change.  How about you?

Day 4 "What are you grateful for?"

There is a similarity to the topics for the 101 questions, and so as not to keep repeating the obvious I will expand upon other things then my family and my children.  These are a given.  I am very grateful for life.  To be alive.  To be healthy for sure.  I never take this gift for granted.  It's so precious.  It can change in an instant, as I have seen with many people I care about and I always count my blessings that so far I have been able to sustain good overall health.
I am in a hotel at the moment and it's 2 Am and I can't sleep.  I am not grateful for this.  I have issues with sleep and it's not easy for me.  This is something I have struggled with all my life.  I just have to accept it.  I decided to get up and write this post.  My family is sleeping, they are getting up at 6 am to go try and get in the movie "Maverick's" here in Santa Cruz.  We spontaneously came to Santa Cruz and we are at the new Fairfield Marriott on 41st Ave.  I am impressed with the hotel.  I am grateful for the Marriott and how my husband gets points so we can stay for free.  This saves us a lot of money and I am most grateful for that.
I am also most grateful for my facebook friends.  I get so much inspiration and support from so many talented women I wouldn't even know if it weren't for this.  I love how facebook connects us and is so easy and free.  Next week I will be meeting some of the art friends in person and this is so exciting.  I am going to my first art retreat called "Spark" in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I am grateful to be able to do this...

I am grateful to be able to afford to do things like this as a special treat, and I want to make it a yearly goal to do a art retreat.  This is important on many levels, mostly personal growth but also good for my business.  I get to meet other artists and make art, what could be better??  I can't believe this time next week I will be there.  Hopefully I will be sleeping, unlike now. haha.  I could go on and on about things I am grateful for but that's not the point.  The point is to share, to think of things that are important.  If you are reading this I hope you know I am grateful for you.  You took time to read my blog.  For that I am very grateful.  You could be doing a million other things...so lastly I will say I am grateful for my wacky spirit.  I am glad I don't mind expressing myself and that I feel free to just be me.  That's hard for many people and I am glad that comes easily for me.  The older I get the more free.  I can't imagine what  that looks like down the road.....probably something like this...

but then I am always drawn to the quirky, the ones who are colorful and fun.  Love to hear from you and if you are writing about the questions....thanks for reading my blog....off to try sleeping again....wish me luck.

Day 3 Topic "What are the achievements you are most proud of?"

My single biggest contribution towards making the world a better place is my children, Alex and Abby.

I mean just look at them.  They are so special.   I truly can't believe how good they are and how enjoyable it is to be their parent.  In the same breath I am just as proud of my sobriety and my marriage .  Both are things I work at, both need attention and commitment to flourish.  Both require discipline, patience, understanding, nurturing, love and time.

 I have done one for 20 years and the other for 10.  I have had good times and hard times but I have always stayed committed.  I am always amazed by this, that I have the stamina, the dedication that marriage takes.  I wouldn't have bet on me.  I come from a broken home, I am an alcoholic and I loathe routine.  It's funny really.  But I gotta say, I do like a challenge.  And marriage is always challenging so in this way I am never bored...

I am also proud of starting my own business, from scratch, one chair and antique collectible at a time.  My business plan was just a simple idea to make my space a store and a studio and see what happens.  It continues to unveil itself.  I started this blog completely ignorantly with 1 follower, and today I have 92.  I will be 2 years old in January 2012 and I am still such a beginner.  The hardest part is just like marriage, sobriety and kids-making through the tough times.  You keep at it anyway and then the tough times change and they become good again.

and then it's good you didn't bail, you just rode the wave and then got back up and surfed another one.  So that's my Day 3 Blog post.  I hope you liked it.  I would love to hear your achievements, and feedback.  It's sometimes lonely being the only one at the wheel, and if I feel like there are people with me then I am always eager to keep sailing....see you tomorrow for Day 4...

Day 2 "What are you passionate about?"

Today's topic is passion.  Juicy, delicious, passion....dripping with goodness, oozing with flavor and mouthwatering joy.  Here are some images of the things I'm passionate about....

My family

My business

dancing in Daisy

My husband

Silliness

The BEACH

Art

 Art friends

My truck Daisy

 laughing with friends

 shopping at the Alameda antique fair....and or any flea market

 leaping in my tutu

 St. Croix, USVI

 Buck Island

 Bass Lake

 Fork's Burgers

 Tutu's (of course)

 Cherries

 My sister Holly

finding treasure for the shop

 my daughters jumps

 my sobriety

friends

 ice cream

Tom Petty

and much much more.....It was easy to think of things I'm passionate about.  I could go on and on....I like this new endeavor we are on, I am happy you are joining in, if you want to jump in any time feel free.  Just get a notebook and start writing.  Extra credit if you make art and a cover.....see you all tomorrow!

How to live life to the fullest ...101 questions to ask yourself

Tonight my daughter Abby and I made journals to start our new program of inspirational "me" time.  This came about from this website,101-questions-to-ask-yourself
So Abby and I made journals from composition books, and drawing paper.  We covered the journals with drawing paper and went to the craft drawer to get something on the cover...we took some pictures of the stuff we used and all this took about an hour..

 glitter is fun

 stamps are nice

 letters for "Dear Abby"

 Abby's journal

 fun tape for the inside

 Abby's journal with ribbon

 good saying

my journal.....

Today's topic is "Who am I?" Kind of a big question to be sure.  But one we should all know the answer to....We wrote a page on this, and tomorrow we will do another topic...so if this sounds good, join us.  It's easy.  You might like it.  Who knows what will happen....I sure don't.  But I already like it.  It's quality time with my daughter, it's artsy fun and I might learn something new....yay.  It will also get me blogging again.  I admit I was getting burnt out.  I just couldn't get fired up about it.  This will keep me focused and on track.  I need that discipline.  Left to my own devices I can be rather lazy...confession time.  Ok, I thank you for reading and come on and join the adventure...I would love to hear from you...