Favorite Things Friday!

It's Favorite Things Friday, Y'all!

Welcome to My Other Palette!

Glad you stopped by!


Appropriately!  A favorite thing!  My Granbaby girl, Keller!

Being the end of another year and resolutions looming for many,

I often simply reflect on the past year and celebrate it with joy and thanksgiving. 

Yes!  The good, the bad and the ugly. 

The struggles, the blessings, the differences and the shortcomings. 

These things ultimately make us who we are. 

Or I should say, how we react to these things makes us who we are. 

Be grateful to everyone and for everything. 

It's all crossed our path for a reason.  For reasons we may ever know.  

One of my favorite things to do is pull out my journal for the year passing and read.  

I often follow that reflection with a "Dear God" letter, pouring out my heart,

asking for his guidance and protection and grace and wisdom during the upcoming year. 

He hasn't failed me yet!  But, oh so many times I have failed Him.  I am a work in progress.
 I'm learning to exercise grace towards myself and be more forgiving of myself.

I am also an anal list maker so it would be un-natural for me not to make a list of some kind

of expectations for 2012!  Keeping it simple!  You'll notice a pattern! 

1.  Make my bed every single day

(self-discipline and good start to the morning)

2.  Take my supplements every single day

(self-discipline and keeps my insides functioning)

3.  Get some form of exercise every single day

(self-discipline and strength for getting thru each day)

Sure, there are tons of other things in my life that should probably be on that list,
but, these are the things I struggle with  daily .... others come naturally.

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While reflecting on past journals, I came across a post I copied from my mom's My Space page a few years back.  Mom passed away in 2009, less than a week after my first grandchild was born.

"I can't , for the life of me, understand myself. Why would I try to understand someone else? As I look back over my life I see so much wasted time. Time I could have used in much more useful ways. Ways that would encourage, enlighten or lift up someone else. Maybe just a word or a "God bless you" or an "I love you" would have helped. Too often (and I am guilty) we spend the majority of our time on trying to satisfy our own self wants. What can I get? What do I need? What would make me happy? And nine times out of ten when we get it, it doesn't change anything. We are still in that rut of misery. Still wanting and still searching. My prayer is "God, help me to see things differently than I have in the past. Help me to be what you want me to be. Material things that we struggle to acquire don't mean that much so why do we worry. You said in Your Word that the flowers do not toil and that you are mindful of our every need . Help me to totally put my faith in you and let the desires of my heart be to be more like you. Help me to encourage those I come in contact with, to pray for each and everyone that I meet, and to say, "I love you and God bless you” to all who cross my path. Let me be a vessel that your love pours from , a shoulder to cry on, or just a good listener for those who need someone to talk to. I may not be able to solve problems but I can point them to the problem solver. I may not be able to lift them, but I can show them one whose hand is always extended and has all the strength we need. One who will never fail you, and who will always be there for you through sickness, health, or financial crisis. One who never leaves your side. One who, if you will just stop, be still and quite, relax, you can feel His arms around you and hear His voice of assurance. I thank You for Your love for me and I ask that You help me to show this same type of love to others. Help me realize the real desires of my heart are not material but are spiritual. Something that I can really build a future on."

 

 

May God bless you in the coming year! 

May you be a blessing in the coming year!

'nuff said.

How Great Thou Art ..... indeed.

It's terribly difficult to admit your shortcomings and failures.  Over the last six to nine months, I've come to terms with too much on my plate and eliminated commitments, declined invitations, and dropped a good portion of the to-do list.  Ahhh.  Breathe.  Just breathe.

I have grieved over a serious shortcoming.  Perhaps more of a conviction.  Over the last year I have been advised by my doctors to have shoulder surgery, have a hysterectomy/begin HRT, consider pain management for my back, and a host of other suggestions.  I have made excuses, rescheduled, and justified my way around the issues .... to avoid the risks of invasive procedures. 

More than once I've been told by girlfriends "I take hormones because I'd rather live a quality life for a short period of time than live a long life miserably".   I've come to realize that my putting these things off isn't simply fear of complications or, the worst case scenario, not waking up from anesthesia.  It's a lack of trust.  A lack of trust. I'm pretty sure God sees thru my prayers when I tell Him 'Lord, I trust you to protect my family' and I trust you to keep us safe'.  I've come to realize that this particular prayer is fear based.  It used to bring me comfort, but of late I feel anxious.

I heard an old gospel hymn this morning.  How Great Thou Art.  I've trusted Him for years to lead to me to the most skilled, conscientious physicians to fix the ills of this earthly body.  Yet, I haven't trusted Him when it comes to my reaching the end of what I can do and allowing those physicians to do what needs to be done. 

Perhaps this fear is rooted deeply in my experience as a paralegal.  I was constantly involved in medical cases, research, records and trials.  Issues involving patient care.  Perhaps it's rooted in (seemingly) unanswered prayer.  I've prayed many, many times for healing of loved ones, only to see them leave this earth.  I've prayed for strength, come what may.  I've declared that 'My God doesn't take babies, nor is it His plan for His children to die at the hands of evil ... that free will happens,  good or bad and brings bad things along with the good in our life'. 

Last night a friend reminded me that we cannot understand these things and as long as we are here on earth we won't understand why bad things happen.  We don't see the big picture.  That's where faith comes in.  That's where trust comes in.  That's also where fear comes in.  The faith of my childhood is still my faith.  I suppose as we get older and experience more, we question more.  We fear more.

I know to some my fear of simple surgical procedures may seem silly.  Fear is fear.  Regardless.  These are small issues compared to what others are facing.  I know that.  There's always someone facing greater obstacles.  The point is my fear has shown me that my trust .... my faith .... has been more in favor of my own decisions, my own capabilities, and not in that of my Creator.  When I stop to 'consider all the world Thy hands have made' it does seem rather silly that I haven't been able to turn these things and their outcomes over to Him.  It really is trust issue.

And then there's the other side.  The side that doesn't want to inconvenience anyone with my recovery.  I so just need to get over myself.  That's another post entirely!

Put me on that prayer list of  yours, please. 

Isaiah 40:31 

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

"Life can be the greatest circus on earth.

As with amusement parks,

it's good to balance out the slower rides

with the wilder ones

and the Freak Shows with a quiet moment,

sitting on a bench, watching the world go by

... cotton candy and all. 

Remember, even the merriest of merry-go-rounds

can wind down to a sad stop

...  if not given respite."

Love Pearls (messages from a mother to her daughter)

Nancy Swan Drew

Fame can never be
a bedfellow to tranquility.

~ Montaigne

Reflective Blessings . . .

"Breathe in God.

Breathe out everything else."

- Ardith Goodwin

I've heard my friend, Ardith, say this many times.  This morning I actually tried to do it.  It happened quite unexpectedly.  I'm grateful for the Lamaze classes my husband and I took before the birth of our youngest daughter.  Those breathing exercises have gotten me thru quite a bit of physical pain the last few months, especially the last couple of weeks.  But this morning was different.  While focusing on breathing deeply, the phrase crossed my mind.  I found myself  breathing in gratitude for my blessings, for strength, for healing, and breathing out the pain, the fatigue, the weakness.  I found myself more determined to walk the path of discipline it will take to recover.  I found myself in tears.  There are few I share this struggle with.  To those, I say, thank you for your patience, your encouragement and your shoulder  when I occasionally reach pity party phases.  And, thank God for those little things.  Especially the positive, kind things others say that come back to the surface of your mind when you need them most.  I thank God for that still small voice of grace.  Life is good.  Giving it my all ... and then some ... one day at a time.  Be Blessed!

I couldn't have said it better !

The 10 Essential Rules for Slowing Down

and Enjoying Life More

1. Do Less.

2. Be Present

3. Disconnect

4. Focus on People

5. Appreciate Nature

6. Eat slower

7. Drive Slower

8. Find Pleasure in Anything

9. Single - task

10. Breathe

Click here to read more!

C A N C E R
Today's a good day to ground

 your fluctuating emotions, Cancer.

Step back from the drama you create

[for yourself] and evaluate your inner state.

Are you fooling yourself into thinking

 everything's okay when it really isn't

[or it's not okay when it really is]?

 Be honest with your highest truths

 and ground yourself back in reality.

Write down your thoughts.

[emphasis added]

Funny how quite often my horoscope is so in-tune with what's going on at the moment. I should preface to say it's not a 'grab the paper every morning and see how to plan my day' thing. It catches my eye on Facebook and frequently causes raised eyebrows which, perhaps is what's causing the wrinkled forhead.

I have been in a quandary about my art business.  Had to recently do some proverbial 'house cleaning' and eliminate a few gallery/art centers from my list of things to do.  It took me two years to realize taking on multiple locations to keep furnished with artwork, along with the outdoor events and bookkeeping (not to mention, uhm ... painting), was just too much on my plate.  I think I'm currently at a manageable place.  Now, I need to re-evaluate what I offer.  Perhaps drop a few print sizes and do some streamlining - especially for storage purposes. 

Another area of focus is cropping up as the start of hurricane season is only a few months away and it's time to take stock of supplies and flooding potential.  What does it hurt to have extra in your pantry to share with family, friends and neighbors?  On the heels of those thoughts are those forming when I watch the news these days about food shortages and oil prices and all those other 'doomsday' scenarios, which I've heard since I was old enough to ask daddy what "run for the hills" really meant! 

Whether it's business, health, financial matters, rebellious children, death, gas prices, the grocery receipt, another birthday .... : ) or what to wear to the Ball, I remember the calm my grandmother exuded and the scriptural prayer she always murmured throughout the day.  Come what may ...

“Be anxious for nothing,

but in everything

by prayer and supplication,

 with thanksgiving,

 let your requests

 be made known to God;

 and the peace of God,

 which surpasses

 all understanding,

will guard your hearts

 and minds through Christ Jesus.”

 (Philippians 4:6)



Breathe In. Breathe Out. Repeat as Necessary!

Help! I've misplaced my Super Woman cape .... again.

Deep into the throws of opening a new gallery downtown with my friends, my granbaby girl kicking her new found walking abilities into high gear, pulling off a multi-artist show ... and suddenly Christmas decorating and shopping are tossed into the mix. Lists and laundry and foot-soaks, Oh My!

I am determined not to let it get the best of me. After all, it's not like I didn't know it was on the calendar, right?! I ran into my neighbor at the grocery store this afternoon. He exclaimed, "I know you already have a head start ahead of the rest of us, as usual." Assumptions are so funny. I hung garland and a wreath on my front door Sunday after Thanksgiving. Inside, the boxes of decorations are all piled up along the dining room wall waiting to adorn mantels, tabletops and trees. Maybe if I toss a few lights on the year-round tree in the corner of the living room, my back-door neighbors will think the same thing. Problem is, my family will still be wondering when mom is gonna get around to it. Anybody out there in cyber space have a round tuit? I need a few dozen! I know! I know! Everybody is busy. This is MY world. Go type your own blog!

I wonder if I can buy round tuits wholesale?



NOTE: An elf with a halo showed up at my front door this morning and spent six hours, yes! Six! decorating my tree and wrapping gifts. Thank you! Thank you! Debbie you achieved hero status in my book today!!

My Peaceful Place(s)

Where do I relax? First, let me define what "relax" means in my vocabulary! Those moments come in brief increments! Kinda like vacations in our family which are the equivalent of weekends, 'cept for those week long excursions that come every five to ten years. I've learned to force myself to relax in small measures because I fatigue easily. Those brief moments can be refreshing too and I usually come away ready to tackle the next thing on the to-do list. Below are most of the "peaceful places" I claim my own.

First, the guest room chair. Here, I read (usually only a chapter at a time) while Keller naps. There's a peace I feel in that room that I don't feel anywhere else in my home. Perhaps it's because of the double wide book shelves (behind me as I take the picture) filled ... and overflowing ... with fiction, non-fiction, spiritual, gardening, art, etc. Perhaps it's because my sweet mother-in-laws spirit lingers there. I dunno. But it is my favorite peaceful reading spot. It's also where my grandbaby girl's crib and changing space is! Come to think of it during the roller coaster of emotions the week my mom was dieing and Keller's birth was taking place, running across town daily between two hospitals, holding both mom's hand and holding Keller were my total peace. God knew what He was doing. His timing is always perfect.

The spot below is in the corner of my living room. This is where I sit a couple of brief times a day with a cup of hot tea or coffee and take in the view of the main part of the house. I see the dining room, kitchen and foyer from here. I'm usually sitting there with my to-do list or looking thru the mail order catalogs, while Keller plays with her toys at my feet. It is my thinking chair!

Oh yeah! My studio work table! This would be my therapeutic space! My creative peaceful space .... well, most of the time it is. Especially those times when all the other ephemera has been put away and only the watercolor materials are out. Watercolors are the only medium that relaxes my mind and spirit. A lot of "Be still and know" moments happen at that table!

Don't you dare laugh! Yes, for the most part, Facebook is a peaceful place! I can catch up and visit, wish happy birthdays and laugh anytime I need a break! I don't even have to get dressed up for company!

Ok, this time you may giggle! You'll probably even gasp at the site! The rocking recliner landed at my request from the hunting camp after Keller came along. There is a large space between my living and dining rooms and there it sits. The ultimate comfort! We have two matching recliners in our bedroom and a smaller one in the living room on top of this one. But this one isn't noticed by most people ....... cause it is camouflage afterall!! I'm sure my husband would love to have it back at the camp but as long as Keller still scoots over to me and says "rocky baby gannah" it's gonna stay put! It is our peaceful place!

Recipe Share! Shortcuts abound this year in the Keller house! My Favorite cookie dough concoctions. You can add anything to cookie dough!! Come to think of it ... would it become home-made if you alter it? LOL!

Peppermint Cookies: scoop sugar cookie dough into small balls and dip top in crushed peppermint. Bake & cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.

Smoochies: Sprinkle the top of slice-n-bake sugar cookies with granulated sugar and place a Hershey Kiss into the middle of each slice.

M&M Cookies: Mix mini M&Ms into the sugar cookie dough!

Jolly Jumbles: Mix pecans and mini M&Ms into chocolate chip cookie dough.

Doubletrees: Mix walnuts, choc. chunks and 1 cup oatmeal into chocolate chip cookie dough.

PBC Chips: Combine peanut butter chips with chocolate chip cookie dough.

Oatmeal: Add dried cranberries and almonds or walnuts to oatmeal cookie dough.

The ideas are endless!!

Get a Grip!

That's exactly what I've been trying to do!

Get a grip on my art business. The details that is. Some days it's more of a desk job than a joy. Keeping up with everything from bookkeeping and inventory, to where my art is outsourced and scheduled event and show applications. It never ends. The only real peace is sitting in my studio with the radio on painting. Balance. I must find some balance!

Get a grip on my health. Dealing with this B12 issue is driving me nuts. And now the herniated disc in my neck causing numbness and pain while pressing on my spinal cord. Surgery is elective at the moment. Hoping to keep it that way. Pile on the other physical challenges and it makes for a less than joyful day. But it is quite amazing how my 14 month old granbaby girl can help me relax and chill!

Get a grip on my diet and supplements. This kinda goes hand-in-hand with the aforementioned issue. However, it's not about weight loss (though that could be a grand side effect) as much as general health. Trying to figure out the foods and/or environmental triggers that bring about an inflammatory or autoimmune reaction. Just some more junk!

Get a grip on my filing. Paperwork is a necessary evil, in my humble opinion. I throw away most of the junk mail. But, you see..... I am an artist. I have to keep a certain amount of stuff!! I just do. It's not just the art paraphernalia, but household files, garden journals, vet records, medical records, birthdays and other events, appointments, schedules. Ugh. I'm a procrastinating perfectionist. Does that tell you anything?

Get a grip on my garden. I miss being outside sticking a shovel in the ground, turning the earth. Pulling weeds is therapeutic! I love color! Unfortunately the last couple of seasons a variety of stuff has blown in on the wind and taken root all over our yard. Some other invader has killed the Knock-Out Roses and the Indian Hawthorne. The trees need trimming so sunlight can hit the grass and make it plush once again. The raised bed garden needs to be sterilized and boosted for a new crop. The last one was a bust. A total bust. We hired a guy to come pull weeds and trim for three days. He's a hard worker. Worth his pay! I just wanna get out there and do it again. Another good reason to get a grip on this nerve pain and disc problem.

Get a grip on my art. I don't wanna be put in a box by choosing one particular medium or subject matter. I like variety and various styles, including watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastel, collage and assemblage. There is so much out there I want to try. I have my strengths and my weaknesses. Some mediums are more stressful or challenging than others. I don't want to be known as a Jack of all Trades/Master of None, but I do love a challenge.

Get a grip on the clutter. There is now a table full of photographs which were boxed up from what we could salvage from the Katrina flood. I pulled them outta the closet a month ago. There they are ... still! I'm also a chronic collector of dishes. Pretty serving pieces, pots & pans and stemware. I'm a addict really! They are everywhere! And ... I collect art. All kinds of art. Problem is, I've put it here and there between three or four locations and there's nowhere else for it! And then there's that linen closet and the guest room closet and a good part of the garage. It never ends! Downsizing is sounding good right about now!

Get a grip on all these ideas in my head! But that would require a notebook and another file folder to keep up with. Not a bad idea considering tomorrow I won't remember the details if I don't write it down now! Where's that pen of mine?

Journal Entry 2007 (un-edited) Where has the time gone?

December 2007

Another year has nearly passed. A year-long, albeit sporadic, journey to figure out myself…again. I read a while back how we spend the first half of our lives trying to create heaven on earth, and the second half trying to define what heaven is supposed to be. By heaven, I mean life as we know it now. ~ Women tend to have an illusion that they can create perfection. Our canvas is our homes, our families, our jobs, our relationships, and whoa! throw in a celebration with food and decorations and we‘re like a party planner on steroids. We struggle to prove ourselves instead of improving ourselves. In doing so, we lose balance. ~ I’m trying to spend more time just being quiet. Sometimes just a silent drive. Sometimes just quietly observing. I’m learning that there is truly strength in silence. Life moves at such a pace. How can we hear that still, small voice with all the chatter going on around us? I’ve spent the last few months trying to get a hold on my physical and spiritual health. I’m thinking that calorie restriction, solitude and restoration of some relationships, and letting go of others, are the order of the new year. ~ Also, I want to grow as an artist. To develop my skill, perhaps test the waters and begin a marketing adventure to see if it will remain a hobby or become a business of sorts. Do I want a business? Hmmm. I suppose “fame” is what everyone wants to some extent. To be known for their craft or talent or their particular contribution to this life or simply their contribution to their circle or friends. I don’t want to lose the relaxing aspect of my painting by making it demanding. ~ I’d also like to research the scriptures I was raised on. There are a lot of questions in my mind that need to be quieted. I suppose these questions have risen from relationships with people of different faiths and we all seem to sincerely think we are right, the only way. I know the Bible is widely interpreted. I want to take the scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart. ~ I want there to be no doubt in the hearts of my family and friends that I love them. I abhor conflict, mood-swings, stress that causes you to fly-off the handle - the effect of which is usually someone‘s heart closes to your message. I want to be an instrument of peace and restoration. My wish is that others can forgive any part I played in the past that contributed to their current sadness. I use the word current because that’s what it is if the memory still haunts you. It may have happened back then but if it still pricks your heart and mind, it’s current. Perhaps I got caught up in the moment and encouraged you or discouraged you and should have simply been observant and prayerful. ~ I lost a piece of myself this past year, yet I am realizing her presence daily. ~ If it makes any sense, I have spent this year and will for years to come piecing together the pieces of myself, like a jigsaw puzzle. My desire for myself is to walk through the second half of life a whole person, a woman with no doubts. Breathing deeper. Thinking clearer. More effective. More creative. Silently observant. Peaceful. Healthy. Joyful. Aware.

Going through the process . . .

So ... last night was a low in the grief process. The unanswered questions and the things gone unsaid. The mother-daughter relationship is a complicated one. I know my mom loved me. I'm told I should get over the past and move on. I'm moving on. I'm over the past. It's just ... there are things I wanted to ask. Things I wanted to say. And I often felt she did too. Instead, I just sat by her bedside holding her hand. Perhaps that bridged the gap. But there were some really deep-seated issues between us. I'm not one to dwell on the issues to the point of being incapacitated or depressed or angry. But...they are there nonetheless. The memories just spring up. These are not remembrances of teenage angst, but mostly things that happened during my adult life.

I suppose we all want to be validated for our efforts and to be acknowledge when we've been wounded. I suppose mom reaching for my hand often while she was ill, well, perhaps that was her silent way of doing that.

I bought a journal last night and will start writing in it. Questions to my mom. I can't blog about something so very personal so I'll just spill my heart on the pages of that journal. I remembered yesterday that for years I've done that in another journal when I am troubled about deeper things. It's kind of a prayer journal. A questions to God, if you will. Funny how quite often before I get to the end of a particular writing, I have an answer. An epiphany of sorts. But at least I've settled it in my heart and mind.

I am a woman. I am a human being with emotions. You don't just get over it. It takes time. Oh, I've gotten over zillions of things. But some things rock your soul and take a different process than just putting it behind you. So journaling it is.

Mom, if you're looking over my shoulder, just know I loved you with everything I have. I forgave you for what I felt were hateful jabs, jealousy, partiality and alienations of affection. Those were my adult perceptions. I know you misinterpreted my independence as not needing you. I knew you loved me. I guess I just needed to know you liked me too. I know as a mother myself, no mother is perfect. My girls have taught me that. Just know that through all the pain there was still joy. And you are a large part of who I am today. Thank you, mom. I heard your voice on the answering machine yesterday. I miss you.

Footnote: Ironically, after I completed this post, I sat down briefly to watch CBS Sunday Morning. There was an interview with Patti Davis speaking candidly about her relationship with her mom, Nancy Reagan. She spoke of feeling exiled by her mom; the silence during her adult years, and the reconciliation. She and Nancy spoke of mother/daughter conflicts. She, however, was defiant. I simply pretended all was well for the sake of harmony within our family. Oh sure I exploded a couple of times....not with my mom or siblings. Just vented to my dear husband about complicated issues as he comforted the tears and very subtly told me to get over it! I accept that cause we are wired differently and I know I am the one, the only one, who can work through it.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

What a soggy mess! First day at the Festival of Flowers was wet, wet, wet. Thank goodness for the volunteers. They spread mulch all day in and in front of the tents. People were skipping my tent after they looked in and saw the three inches of water...."I'm not goin in there" is what I heard all morning! After arriving this morning and discovering an entire box of prints had filled with water, I just really needed to hear a lot of complaining! I even found myself actually apologizing for the water while I was removing tablecloths and easels and elevating everything. I had to bring all my original watercolors back home to dry out from the humidity. It all worked out for good though. We were all in the same boat. I met a lot of great people and received a lot of good feedback on my work. Had a few sales. Sketched a couple of pieces of nearby tents and flowers. Tomorrow I'm gonna have some help part of the day....not that it's gonna be busy cause of the torrential rains expected again. But if I get a break....maybe I can wander around and see what else is there. And I've just gotta try at least one of the gazillion flavors of TCBY in the booth behind me! And, I've gotta get to the Ace Hardware tent! They always have fabulous plants! Miracle of the day.....my feet stayed dry! Don't ask how....I dunno! Tired puppy! Goin to bed! Hope you all get a chance to come out to the festival between showers and visit! I'm sure Sunday we'll get slammed! Later!!

Justbeeninafunk...

I think I'm coming out of it though. Had a good laugh with Mike & Molly this afternoon while sharing Christmas gifts. Felt good. I needed it. They are good neighbors and friends too. What more could you ask for? We do have great neighbors and friends living nearby. Of course we all get busy living our lives but we know in a pinch we are there for each other. Either I dropped the ball or it bounced right past me this holiday. I missed seeing so many of you and I apologize for my part in not keeping in touch. I missed Christmas Eve Communion. My world has been hectic, expecially the last few months. I've spent an inordinant amount of time at the hospital sitting with my mom, and more recently also my aunt. Why does just sitting make you so tired? It's been physically and emotionally draining. It did cast a shadow over Christmas. But I'm shaking it off as hard as I can....I may have to see my chiropractor! It's December 28th. The Christmas decorations are in the garage. Really! The garage is a wreck. It can wait. My studio gets priority this week. Right behind getting my aunt busted out of the hospital and settled into re-hab. I have two more neighbor gifts to drop off and then I'm ready to greet the New Year with that bottle of Reisling Molly dropped off today! God Bless you all with a happy and prosperous and safe 2009!