I will wake up to December!

It happens every year, yet I seem to always be amazed, that December arrives so quickly!
Holidays , family and friends... emotions run the gamot from highs to lows, and then again... as a roller coaster. The past traditions tug at our hearts, as we remember our relatives gone by...and the heart is also tugged a bit, as we think of all the family and friends we either will see, or will think of during this time of year.
There is always a corner of our minds that wish we could "see everyone, hug everyone, and all get along. There is also the little corner of our minds that realizes this is almost impossible. (I am seriously doubting the " perfect family" we always saw on tv, or read about in books!) If that family actually lives, please call me, as I would love to meet you!
Meanwhile, I won't be sitting by the phone. Rather, I think I shall make a few holiday decorations; I will send out a few cards, make a few small gifts... and enjoy a few holiday gatherings.
I will send a package out to www.anysoldier.com ... and hug a neighbor.

Warm toasty slippers, a glass of wine, and a game of cards.... and possibly a bit of peanut brittlein honor of my Dad, and ribbon candy to remember my Mom. Favorite holiday treats that they exchanged with each other, most every year! And travel to homes of cheer, will complete the holidays.

Our outdoor tree is lighting the sky tonight...Steve and I put the lights on this afternoon. The tree actually grew two feet this year, and it took an emormously tall ladder to reach the top! The star at the top is an antique star, we found on ebay! Love it!! We use old fashioned large bulb lights, the way Dad did. (We do need to put on more lights. The lights seem sparse, since the tree girth also grew two feet or more! We will be adding more this week sometime, if the weather allows.)
I am also making an old fashioned wreath... the kind Gramma made! A girlfriend and I went to the woods on her farm, and gathered theChristmas pine greens, just like we did when I was a little girl, of 7! That was 48 years ago! I still see the greens in burlap bags, sitting on my Gramma's kitchen floor.(That kitchen floor was blue and yellow sponge painted linoleum)... Gramma had me helping remove all the brown parts, and keep the beautiful greens.(Although it was more like play!) We wrapped black heavy thread around three stems of green, and added them to the coat hanger base... round and round, until all the circle was filled , on all sides! Next came the pinecones, and the berries... and Gramma's special red bow hung at the base, with two tails of wide ribbon cut just right on the ends!
I hadn't really thought of these memories until a friend asked me to help her gather her greens this year! Life works in circles! There is a reason we meet the people we meet, there is a wonderful magic to the seasons!

Getting "STUFF OUT"

There are days you just have "stuff" inside you, and it needs to come out.

Put on some old clothes, spread out a table covering to protect your surface from the "stuff"...

Gather materials for collage play... and have at it!!!
Cut, glue, paint, play with designs, textures, color!
The outcome of the creation is NOT what is important! ...

the PROCESS of actually Playing with the Materials is what IS important!

You will be amazed at the mood this process can put you into! Enjoy!!!

Storm Brewing...

Odd, how the weather will affect our lives. It is matter over mind, at it's best!

Sun will shine one day, and I will feel just great! The front moves in, clouds take over, and my head starts whirling negative thoughts like darts at a target.
The rain forecast creates shadows within my brain, and what was clear and shining just 24 hours ago becomes dark; a headache in the making.

I know this will pass, ... the rain will begin, and the earth, and my headache will be washed.

I am learning to cope with the weather. It is not possible to change some things.

A Few of the things I have learned in life... so far...

Have a very long way to go in life... ( I hope!) ...
In no particular order, a few things I have learned:


Life is generally good, sometimes GREAT, and it all balances out!

I am only in control of myself, no matter how much I would like to control others.

One of the best things to do each day, is smile on the outside... (since it helps the inside, when you do!

Sometimes disecting past problems just creates a bloody mess.

Moving toward peace and happiness is a positive thing. I am not sure if it is possible to actually find both at the same time, but the process of moving forward is a step in the right direction.

Doing one thing for someone else daily without being asked... feels right.

Consider all sides of a situation, and accept that everyone is not going to do the same.

Believe in yourself enough to accept that you are not always right. Believe in yourself enough to accept that sometimes you are right, but others are not necessarily wrong.

One of the best things you can do for yourself, and others...is to
"Enjoy the process of living!"

Playing marbles...

Have you ever played marbles?
Crashing colors, burst of energy, then the calm.
The marbles take their places, and wait for the next intruder...

This is my mind today, filled with marbles...