Day 4 - the August Break

I drive by this old church several times a week.  Yesterday, I decided to pull in and take some pictures.  I've wanted to do that many times but I guess I needed the extra push of the August Break to make me actually do it!

I often dream of buying this old church and converting it into a house.  I love the idea of living in a place that was meant to be something else.  Of course there would be way too much work on this particular church.  But maybe someday I will find one that is the perfect project for me...a girl can dream.

On a side note, this church is also where my father and stepmother got married 23 years ago (and boy was it hot)!

Cleaning House - it begins - and a giveaway or two

Today is August 1st, the beginning of the August Break, the start of a new month...so I thought I'd start my project of getting rid of stuff, which will now be known as Cleaning House (I know so original). As I looked inside this closet....

I got a bit overwhelmed.  Where do I begin?  It really scared me so I decided to start a little smaller.

I'm not sure why I have so much jewelry since I tend to wear the same things all the time.   I went through all of it and came up with several pieces that I know I will never wear and will be the first things that I will give away.  I'm flying by the seat of my pants here so if you are interested in any of these items, leave a comment and unless more than one person wants something, it will be yours.  If by chance more than one person wants a certain item, I will do a random selection.

This is just the beginning...more to come...

the August Break begins

As I was sitting inside yesterday trying to figure out what I would photograph for Day 1 of the August Break, my hummingbird came by for a visit (yes, I call him my hummingbird).

When I moved from the house in the woods where I had lots of hummingbird visitors, I thought there is no way I'd get one to visit my 3rd floor apartment.  But a few months ago I decided to put out a feeder in hopes that 'if you build it, they will come.'  A few weeks ago I happened to look up the instant a hummingbird landed at the feeder.  I was so very excited, I sat and waited for him to return.  He never did that day but has several times since.  So yesterday when I saw him, I ran to get my camera and waited, actually stalked is more like it.  He visited several times but was always so fast that these are the only photos I was able to get.

Stuff

I've always loved the George Carlin bit about stuff.  The meaning of life is finding a place to put our stuff.  That's the only reason we need a house, to put our stuff.  Sometimes we need a bigger house because we have more stuff.  And we might need to put some of our stuff in storage.  We have to lock up our house to protect our stuff...so we can go out and get more stuff.*

Lately as I look around my 2-bedroom apartment, I see too much STUFF!  Even though I have moved 3 times in the last 5 years and have donated or tossed more stuff than I can remember, I still have too much.  I currently have two big bags of clothes ready for Goodwill and know I have more to add to the pile.  I am trying to grasp how I could accumulate so much.  Instead of focusing on how it all got here (although I'm sure we could have a great conversation about why we accumulate so much stuff), I am determined to pare it down.

I've always been pretty good about getting rid of a piece of clothing when I buy something new but now it needs to go further.  There are things that will be hard to let go because they are pieces of art or were given as a gift or were passed down from family members who are no longer here.  So I'm trying to figure out the best way to pass these items on to someone else.  Clothes are easy, books are easy...but the other stuff, I'd love to give to someone I know who will appreciate and love them (it) as much as I have.

There are some things that can be sold on craigslist or ebay, but there a few things that need to go to a good home that I know.  So, any ideas?  Should I post a picture of one thing a week and see who really wants/needs it?  I'm open to suggestions.

And if there is anyone else who feels the need to purge their STUFF....maybe we could start a support group!

~~~~~~~~~

Quick footnote:  I purchased 2, not 1, but 2 aprons on Etsy yesterday.  Guess I have to get rid of something else!  Will I never learn?!

*paraphrased from George Carlin's Stuff routine.

the August Break

If you don't know Susannah Conway, you really should.  She is an amazing photographer, a wonderful teacher of the Unravelling e-course, she's writing a book, working on more e-courses and oh yea, she's got a smashing British accent!  She has organized a fun photography project for August, the August Break. Check it out here or click on the link on right side of this page.  I'll be playing so if you want something fun to do, join in too!

Life is good today

This weekend involved a lot of time in the car and lots of quality time with a very dear friend.  We always have a great time together and this weekend was no different.  After a drive from DC to Richmond that took twice as long as it should have, we were lucky enough to head out on a boat for the afternoon.  It was one of THE most enjoyable days and I appreciated every minute of it.

I really took my own advice of being present to heart.  Yes it is easy to be present when you are sitting on a boat or floating in the water.   It would also have been just as easy to think of all the things I should have been doing, like all of the blog posts I've got in the works.  But for today, I can only manage a few pictures from the lake.  In the words of Zac Brown Band (who we saw on Friday)...Life is good today, life is good today!

Crazy Ideas

Lately I've been having a lot of 'crazy' ideas!  When I tell people about them, I get the same reaction, that's not so crazy.

Here's the BIG crazy idea.  Drive across country, stopping in many cities & towns along the way, then staying in CA for a month or two...you know to see if maybe I'd like to stay there longer.  I do get the question, would you do this alone?, and the answer, at the moment, is yes.  That may change as I get closer to planning this big adventure but I'm prepared to go the whole trip solo.    So what do you think?  Totally crazy or just a little bit crazy?

I was speaking to a dear friend the other day and as we were talking about life, I asked what would be her dream job.  Her first response was its a crazy idea.  In reality it really wasn't but it got my got me thinking about all these supposedly 'crazy' ideas.  Why do we think they are so crazy?  Maybe its because its not what we're 'supposed' to do.  I mean really by this age, I'm supposed to be happily married with 2 kids, a dog, a nice house and a steady 'normal' job...right?  HA!  But who set the rules, who decided what we're 'supposed' to do?  And why do we want to do what everyone else is doing anyway?

Until recently, I thought I should have it all figured out by now.  I should know what I want to do with my life.  I should be in the career I want to be in for the rest of my working life.  I should own a house.  I should, I should, I should.  But why can't I change jobs, careers, whatever, every couple of years?  Why can't I move whenever I want?  I CAN.

That's the thing, we all have choices in life, and I've made choices to get me where I am right now.  So I can choose to pursue those crazy ideas.  Yes, I know I don't have the responsibility of children or a house (which I sold at the right time) and I do have money in the bank.  But those are all things I have, or don't have, based on choices I made, no one else.  I know I have been blessed in my life but I've also made various choices that have gotten me here.

Maybe I'm being naive, or too much of dreamer, when I think that we can all pursue our crazy ideas but I think we can.  The only thing really stopping us is Fear.  Yes I've had moments of 'what the hell am I thinking' and I'm sure I will have more of those.  But if we let that fear stop us from doing those things that we really want to do, those 'crazy' ideas, are we really living?

Compassion

When I heard that that the Dalai Lama was going to be in New York, I knew that I had to be there.  I bought tickets not knowing if anyone else would want to join me but I was going no matter what.

Hearing the Dalai Lama speak was one of the things on My Life List (that I'm working on inspired by the lovely Stacy).  He lived up to my expectations.

His message was about having compassion and a compassionate heart.  It seems so simple, be compassionate to everyone because we are all human beings.

Its easy to be compassionate to those who are kind to us or who we know are going through a rough patch.  But have you ever tried to be compassionate to the person who is tailgating you; or the sales person who is rude to you at the grocery store; or how about the person who hit your car in the parking lot and didn't leave a note.  What about those people?  According to the Dalai Lama we should be compassionate to all other human beings...even if we don't think they deserve it?  These people are the ones who need our compassion the most...maybe they are rude or seem like they don't care about other people because no one has ever shown them any kind of compassion.

Its not always easy but what if we are kinder, show compassion, to those who are not so nice to us.  Would it pay forward?  Would that person then show compassion to someone else?  I think we should give it a try, don't you?  Try to be kind to one person who you don't think 'deserves' it....see what happens.

Embracing Monday

Its Monday already....really??  I'm having a hard time letting go of the relaxing weekend.  I know I must live in the present and let it go.  SO...My challenge for today will be to embrace Monday.

What is your challenge for today?

Favorite Things

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is to head to the farmer's market.  While there I always try to buy fresh flowers.  They always brighten up my space!

I think we should always have fresh flowers around, don't you?

Being Present

At the beginning of every yoga class, we set an intention.  My intention is always to stay present during my practice.  I try, try, try to stay on the mat and not let my mind wander.  And always, at some point during my practice it happens, my mind wanders...to something that happened earlier in the day, what i'm going to have for dinner, what i need to do after class...you get the idea.

It is work to stay present.  And if I have a hard time doing it for 2 hours on the mat then staying in the moment the other 22 hours in the day...well that's almost impossible...at least it is for me.

I don't know about you, but I have to work to stay in the present.  I have to stop my mind from wandering, from thinking too far into the future and bring myself back to the here and now.  I want to be able to be fully present at all times and enjoy each moment for what it is because really we are only guaranteed this moment.

I don't want to put off until tomorrow what I could do today.  I've done that...I've put things off because it wasn't the perfect time, but I'm not willing to do that anymore.  Whether its age or life experiences or loss that has brought me to this realization, I'm not sure.  I do know that I am living more fully in the present these days and hopefully, soon, it will be easier to do so.

Why is it so hard to stay in the present moment?  Why is it easier to put things off until the ever elusive 'perfect' time.  Is there really such a thing?

I have a feeling this is not the last time I will write about this subject...see already looking ahead and not staying 'in the moment'!

Happy

"There comes a time in life when you walk away from all the pointless drama and people who create it, and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus on the good. Life is too short to be anything but happy."

Fearless

This is my 2-year old cousin who as you may be able to see is wearing a cast on his left leg.  All day he hobbled around on that cast without a care in the world.  He would get up on the diving board and jump into the pool (with a little help from his mom) and get back out and do it all over again.  He was absolutely fearless.  That cast was not going to keep him from playing with the other kids, getting in the pool and having fun!

He was my teacher that day.  There was no fear of falling down, no fear of wondering what everyone else will think, no fear of just jumping right in!

I don't know about you but I could use a little more of that in my life.  No fear...just jump right in and do it!  Oh, and the other thing is to take the time to play!  As 'adults' we forget what its like to play, have fun and just let that fear go.

Spending time with a 2-year old reminded me what its like to be fearless.  It takes work to let fear go, but if we let fear control our lives, we'd never take a chance, never try something new, and may be missing out on so many wonderful things.

I know it is so much easier said than done, but just give it a shot.  What's one thing you're afraid to do?  It could something as simple as trying a new dance class or picking up a paint brush or maybe its just putting on a red tutu!  Can you let your fear go?  Baby steps...it doesn't have to be some big major change.  Give it a shot...you can do it.

Squam Art Workshop Journal

If you've wondered what all the fuss is about Squam Art Workshops, now you can see for yourself in the new journal created by some amazing photographers and artists.

"We understand that not everyone can travel to us, so we are bringing the magic to you!

There is a lovely spirit of connection and collaboration that has emerged from the gatherings at Squam Art Workshops.  However, the journal is not about the workshops themselves.  Rather, it is an exploration of the journeys we take, how we can find friendship in the most unexpected places, and the restorative power of natural beauty-- but above all, it is about what happens when you honor your creativity.

The journal is filled with spectacular imagery from beloved photographers including Denise Andrade, Jen Gray, Susannah Conway, Jeanine Caron, and Béatrice Peltre, among many others. You can look forward to 120 pages of terrific essays and wide ranging conversations about navigating the ups and downs of life with humor, grace, or when all else fails, retail therapy.  There's a pop quiz, a kicky craft project, home tours, and so much more including an actual journal within the book itself.

Our hope for this 8" x 8" volume is that it will easily tuck into your bag and accompany you everywhere... on the subway, in the cab, on the train, in the airport, on holiday, etc.  We hope it fills your day with inspiration, fresh perspective and belly laughs.  We trust you're going to like it very much as we created it just for you."

Hydrangeas

A little beauty for this Sunday morning.

Hydrangeas are a difficult flower to grow but when they do, they are just so beautiful.  My favorite flower!

I'm going to attempt to share photos every Sunday morning...you see the word 'attempt'...so if I miss a Sunday, please don't hold it against me.  Enjoy!