Author Archive

Rejoice in this simple act as we celebrate National Literacy Day on Wed., Sept. 8. Whether it’s sitting down with a newspaper or magazine, picking up a novel or biography, checking out a cookbook, or just reading a map, we are constantly reading. Technology has invented a whole new methodology of writing, or should I say “spelling” to speed up the typing of text conversations.While there is some creativity involved in crafting this text speak, let’s concentrate on content right now. I encourage you to give your full attention to an entire article/chapter/section for your own gratification and reading pleasure. Care to join me in learning something new?

Is it time you signed up for a class and headed back to school? Just about everyone has that phrase on his or her mind these days. Perhaps you have someone going back to school. Perhaps you watch the TV ads of little ones climbing on the big yellow bus and wonder where has the time gone. Now is the time to think about finding a class for you. Take a class at the local college, Community Parks & Rec, your favorite craft/fabric/bead store, garden center, the YMCA, library, your place of worship, or even on-line. Yes, it’s back to school time, and you have the added benefit of designing your own area of study!

As we approach the last days of summer many of us find ourselves drawn to the back-to-school ads, whether we have students returning to the classroom or not. Now is a great time to stock up on pens, pencils, notebooks, glue sticks, even crayons and other art supplies. Assemble a stash of fresh pens and sharpened pencils ready and waiting for you when the whim to create beckons. I’m excited to peruse the aisles overflowing with abundance in search of just the right size notebook for a future embellished journal project, or a new pen in an exquisite shade of purple. What’s your favorite school supply?

Do you view life as one adventure after another? Simultaneous, sporadic, sequential, random, and intermittent adventures. Little adventures like discovering a new book or a coffee bar. Big adventures such as deciding to go back to school to finish your degree. Family adventures where we share a fabulous vacation. Additionally (and my personal favorite), individual adventures that could be a simple outing for a cup of tea, or a sensational life-affirming experience involving only YOU! August is American Adventures Month. A new movie is coming out this week of one woman’s year of individual adventures in Italy, India, and Bali. Of course, I’m referring to Elizabeth Gilbert’s beautiful book “Eat, Pray, Love.” That definitely qualifies as an adventure in grand proportions. At some point in the future, I can see myself embarking on such a journey. Right now, I’m content to share the experiences between the covers of Gilbert’s book. I am, however, enthusiastically pursuing creativity connections as my everyday adventures. Julia Cameron in “The Artists Way” refers to them as artist dates. Sarah Ban Breathnach in “Simple Abundance, A Daybook of Comfort and Joy” describes them as creative excursions. No matter what the title, the activity must be a solo expedition to explore a new venue, revisit a favorite haunt, or indulging in a pleasant interlude. These adventures can be anything from simple things like a walk on the beach/lake, visiting a beautiful garden, attending a matinee, all the way to signing up for a class, deciding to go on a weekend retreat, or even travelling to some exotic location. Perhaps it is a quick 15-minute break where I push myself away from the computer. Maybe it’s a weekend away where I take myself out of my familiar surroundings and retreat from the world. Or, my, creativity connection is a longer reprieve from my routine where I’m challenging myself on a solo sojourn. Each time, I come back to my life refreshed and ready to tackle life’s challenges.

Are you an Adventurer? Engage in the small ways and build to bigger ways you can nurture yourself. You’ll be amazed what you discover.

Visiting a vintage clothing store gives you the chance to try on more than just garments, but to imagine who you could be in those clothes. The great thing about fashion today is that you are in charge of deciding what’s the perfect fit for you and creating a fabulous look for YOU. It’s your choice according to your body type, style, color preference, occupation, and activity. The fashion magazines always carry glamorous back-to-school spreads this time of year featuring the latest hemline and neckline in hues, which sound good enough to eat like eggplant and cotton candy. I love looking at the layouts imaging myself in the different styles and various scenarios:  elegant and sophisticated, or whimsical and playful. What’s your story and style?

Did you know August is National Inventors Month? Did you know you are an inventor? When you tap into your creativity by doing things your way, you are inventing your own life! As unique individuals, each one of us holds the patent on our own destiny. While some become household names and are synonymous with classic chic such as Coco Chanel, the rest of the world must be content in the knowledge that “I’m the one, the only and original ME!” Why not take a few minutes today to write and reflect on what 2010 has shaped up so far, and what direction you’d like it to pursue. I’m in awe of all the wonderful things that have happened to me and can’t wait to see what the future holds. What about you?

August is Happiness Happens Month – are you alert to little shifts you make to embrace the happiness in your life? I’m extremely happy that I received a “peachy keen” report from my surgeon as I near the 9^th anniversary of my first breast cancer surgery. I’m happy and grateful! that I live where I have access to fresh food, clean drinking water and great health care. I’m happy when the phone rings and instead of a telemarketer I hear my Honey (husband) or my Sweetie Pie (daughter) on the phone. I’m happy to be looking forward to discover what another day will bring and writing about it. What about you?

Prescott Girls - can you tell we're sisters?

July is Family Reunion month, but we don’t have to wait for a special occasion to celebrate those cherished memories. Family photos are everywhere in my house. Boxes of prints and hundreds of slides reside in my drawers and closets. Now that I’ve graduated to digital, computer files populate my hard drive. Polished and posed for special events  – graduations, weddings, and baptisms family and friends return my gaze in my personal gallery along with lop sided grins and bunny ears at family gatherings. Candid moments and orchestrated tableaus tell the stories of my life. How wonderful to be able to revisit what was then with the perspective of who we are now. Happy travels…

I like to buy postcards when I travel, whether it’s other parts of the world, or just a mile away from my house! I choose postcards because of the photography (which I could never capture myself) and the emotion the postcard evokes in me. And don’t discount the fact that postcards have a very small writing area. This is a good thing for people who say they never know what to write. Just the fact that you take the time to write a couple of lines about the weather and the fun time you are having means a great deal to your recipient. If you are having a “staycation” close to home, a postcard is a very personal way to connect with family and friends. Go ahead; send a postcard showing off beautiful downtown Main Street USA. Let’s keep in touch…

Let Freedom Ring

July is all about freedom. From the obvious celebrating our country’s independence with 4^th of July festivities to the obscure Social Wellness observance and including the borderline ridiculous National Drive-Thru Day. It’s all about recognizing the beauty of our glorious options and opportunities to change. The freedom to stop and stick our toes in a stream, river, ocean, or under a sprinkler attached to the garden hose. The freedom to smile at our reflection in the mirror (which is all about Social Wellness) and to know we have the gumption to follow our dreams. The freedom to choose our Authentic Selves.

July comes smack dab in the middle of everything. The middle of the year and the middle of the summer. We’re at a tipping point for all sorts of options. Is it time to re-evaluate or goals? On the other hand, is it time to celebrate being alive and seize the opportunity to play when it presents itself.  

When the calendar page turns to July for children, if they bother to notice the calendar at all, it may mean summer camp, trips to the beach/lake/mountains, or days filled with sweet unstructured hours. As adults, July may mean mid-year reviews/quarterly reports to be completed before a long anticipated family vacation. The freedom to be a family united in their quest to navigate a new hiking trail and tell the best ghost story around the campfire.

Our family vacations were more like Sunday afternoon outings because farmers with animals always have morning and evening chores. We were fortunate enough to have a boat and live in the Midwest where there is lots of water for the boat. My childhood summer memories are full of fried chicken picnics, feeling the mud squishing between my toes, splashing in the shallow water, fighting with my brothers about whose turn it was with the inner tube, feeling the wind in my hair when Daddy “opened her up” and drove the boat fast when we went around the lake. I also remember the smell of Noxzema and suffering with red arms, backs, and legs after many of those outings.

If your July plans keep you close to home, there’s still plenty of creative ways you can claim the freedom to choose to be your Authentic Self. Take a tall glass of your favorite ice-cold summer drink and a blanket out to the back yard. Lie down and do some serious cloud watching. Your whole body is allowed the freedom to down shift and relax as you observe the white wisps consolidate into dogs, bunnies, flowers, faces, even dinosaurs. Now that you’re in the back yard, are you thinking about the garden you meant to plant? You can still go to the garden center and pick up all the elements necessary to plant a beautiful flowerpot in no time at all! Want to get away from it all for an afternoon? Escape into a movie with lavish landscapes and gorgeous costumes, or visit an exotic art exhibit. Try your hand at pottery painting at a do-it-yourself pottery shop. Discover the soaring experience of flying with an introductory flying lesson. Take a bike ride and feel like you are 10 years old again. Watch the sun go down and wait for the fireflies to come out. Pick up a brand new notebook, some magic markers, or colored pencils, find a shady spot and write about your favorite summer vacation. It doesn’t matter if it’s a vacation you’ve already experienced, or one you plan to someday. Write about it right now. Relive the experience, or anticipate the adventure. Let freedom ring…