A quick catch up... and some MOVEMENT

It's been a few days, and busy ones to boot! I've joined the DDD group with full force, vim and vigor to put my baked goods into the oven and onto the shelf, and I'm integrating a few other wildly forceful challenges into this for ME too... like joining Tamara Laporte at her band of wildly talented artists who've joined her LIFEBOOK 2012 Class at Willowing Arts for a yearlong journey of self healing and massive artistry knowledge and all sorts of wild fun! Registration is still open, so if you haven't you should!

I also am keeping the commitment to myself to move outside my house every.single.day. Even if this means, sneaking from the front of the house, edging slowly through the hedges around the northern edge and then escaping into the woods (that's what the great dark forestry is there for right!?!) so the prying eyes of others cannot see. I did find a bit of courage on a morning this week and snapped a few shots of Joe & Charley while they scratch their heads against the myrtle trees or eat bamboo theBoy and his friend Noah had brought up while clearing a path a week ago. It was a brief trek to the southern side, but hopefully went unnoticed, as I did my utmost to be undetected and swift... I felt a bit spy like :) I don't like feeling of being trapped, whether that is physical or mental, it is a rather heavy and unnecessary burden that over Winter Solstice I set to burn free with quite a bit of other fears, frustrations and false obligations.

Weight is the thing women carry in (or on) various parts of their bodies... it should NOT be what we carry in our hearts or souls. I've been watching the words my fellow Goddesses' have been choosing to celebrate for their new year, Freedom, Story, Bravery, Boldness, Release, Abundance... oh the list is long and varied and **inspiring**. I've tossed and turned my mind backwards and forwards... then it occurred... forward! FORWARD!! Yes... movement... MOVEMENT.... that's it... Loosing Hesitations is about movement. My word for 2012.... MOVEMENT. There ya go folks... I'm off to bake some goodies, take some snaps, make some price-lists and then *poof* MOVE them to the coffee counter and then... maybe... to an etsy store near you .... weeeeeehoo

Oh... and with a bit of shake and shimmy I'll be paintin' faces and art journalling along the way, keeping my SouLodge ladies company with a more vocal presence for the first time in two seasons, because I think maybe I've been behaving more like a mouse than I should have... and it's time to stop that, I have things to offer, THEY have things to offer me and it's a beneficial circle for everyone who participates :) MOVEMENT towards participation!!

Gallery 37

52 Projects is a group I joined at the end of 2011 and one that will be at the forefront of keeping me busy and inspired this year... the prompt that is current is:

Capture 1 Moment in time from this day. The Gallery opened yesterday, yet I didn't find myself with camera or reason to leave the house... filled with the need to sit and clean a bit, the desire to release a bit of negative energy that has been surrounding our Charming Blue Farm House since the traditional New Year has began.

I took solace from the outside world and a bit even from indoors. I caught up on blog posts, found about 112 online courses I would love to dive into... I'm seriously considering adding a "WISHLIST" page tab... one just for the WISH Studios.... have you been there (I'm sure I'm the only one late to the game...)

The SQUAM workshops have opened up and Oh... I am.... speechless... and a bit needy... I want more time.... only two classes ??!! What?? And Flora my gosh, I want to take her class... I'm torn sooo torn??!! Can I PLEASEEE go to Italy??! Someone get me a passport! Sheesh-amia! (hehe...made myself giggle)

Here's another... I've wanted to take one of Andrea's courses for the last two years, I am working on follow through... I WILL take one of Andrea's courses *THIS* year!!!

I am fully registered for the next year to continue working my soul into a frenzy and fulfill me to the tip top of who I am. These women keep me grounded, they prepare a safe place to share thoughts, ideas, fears and the inspiration is over the top! The thoughtful love and courageous enthusiasm found here with Pixie and this tribe is beyond awesome!

OK... those are just a very small sampling of what I snooped around and drooled over yesterday... then I went to the Boy's basketball game (he's the scorekeeper since 6th graders can't officially play at his school)... theTeen, by way of being a Teen has "given" heh me her iTouch, and as such, I'm learning all about the instagr.am program.... sooooo here goes :)

TODAY... this is my moment... THIS is what stopped me... this said... HEY... here I am, you pass me all the time, yet you don't say hello... I'm here, I've lived here for a long time... I have a story to tell.

This is a beautiful barn, that I was told by two young men (age's withheld, but if I were to guess, I'd imagine... ehhhh 80ish...) was originally built and painted green in 1913, by one Silas J. Cooper. Mr. Cooper's widow still lives on the property, however, the two gentlemen I spoke with had been sent out to move a tractor and make sure 'the little missy wasn't snoopin' in the junk heap' ;) After I asked permission, they caught a good bit of laughter when I plopped to the the ground and proceeded to click away with the iTouch... of course, my camera was at home... I was on the way back from a Dr's appointment, ill prepared for the photo op ( I *will* STOP that bad behavior) ... They told me to come back anytime... Mrs. Cooper would be happy to fill me with stories and hot coffee and I do think I might do just that!

Today... was a great day.

Lessons & Objectives 2012 (Pt.1)

This year, this 2012... it has not started much like it ... much like "I" had intentions for it to begin. 


Lesson and Objective #1. I will learn (again and again) to release control....

Baby Girls grow into young women....


Lesson and Objective #2. I will learn (again and again.... and again) to breathe and release, for her happiness, is my.... ?success? This will be hard and will hurt and will ebb more than flow....

The world I live in has many things to teach me and while my days are long and I am always in a state of repair, I have stories to tell, things to learn, joys to celebrate and sorrows to sing....


Lesson and Objective #3. I am a mother, a creator, a teacher, a student and a risk taker. I survive, I thrive and I make mistakes. I will learn to accept me for me and I offer this self to the world, because it is time to come out of my hermit shell...

Aqua-esque

52 Photos, theme of the week... AQUA

I am branching out... pushing my boundaries (this means DOING more) and hitting my deadlines... with that, it also means that I'm learning to share :) woooo hoo... here are a few things that I rummaged about and found for the project this week...

What blue greens do you find if you look around? What stories might they tell?

 The Juniper Tree

 The Outer Banks... where Goddess Love abounds...

Pennsylvania Amish Farms... no link, but so much love....

First of April

Things have been fairly whirly windy typical lately so I'm trying my hand at this... the music isn't themed, just what I was listening to and thought you should too :)

Happy Birthday Megan :) Hope your day is filled with merriment and joy.

Off to the chore list, break is well over!

Weekend Additions

The previous week, and this weekend has been very event-filled...

There has been the addition of Buffy, who loves to eat.... and has to have her lighting changed twice daily...

Then, we adopted Chunk here... (which this is unfortunately, not his name... he is still nameless 10 days later...) with his cell mate Hazel Abigail, who is camera shy... they took us on a whirlwind spin through the vet office for three days in a row. Including sub-cue fluids and five different RX's .... umm... not what we really anticipated.... nor did the eight other cats, when they were banished from the house for an indeterminable time frame while the healing began. Sinusitis was an understatement. This is why I do so dislike shelter's and center adoptions.... but understand completely, why they are needed as we get ready to enter kitty season. Please people, if you don't spay/neuter GET YOUR HEAD CHECKED! I am serious, this is a life saving procedure! There are too many cats, dogs, turtles, snakes, frogs and innumerable other pets out there that are surrendered or abandoned.... and when left to their own devices, these cats/dogs just have babies like bunnies... and that's no joke fellas.

If these below are small-ish, click'em to see them big like... The Teen, and her guy friend, made one kick ass fence and gate combo for Joe & Charley, who were very appreciative and excited to be let out of man-cave where they were rushed to when it began to rain on our day party of outdoor projects... a common occurrence of late (the rain, not goats, in the man-cave)...

Girl, and the Boy were my brute muscles and dug up a boat load of agapantha's gone wild... we replaced these with a variety of perennials.... we did the same thing under the carport area, which was also inundated with aggies... there was MUCH love for those buggers here... YEARS of lovin.... we have relocated approximately 250 plants.

The non-pictured beauties include 3 salvia, 2 lavender, a rosemary, I am still in search of some specific sage varieties, and Girl is convinced we can find some wild wisteria rather than hit up the nursery... it is growing EVERYWHERE I look ... and it is gorgeous!!!!



And now.... it's time to sort and sow the herb garden....

Feed Meeeee

Charley & Joe

When we take Saturdays to work in our charmed forest, Charley and Joe reap the rewards with fresh foliage... today we brought out another large batch and the Boy worked to clear debris from our creek which is fuller since the rains and began to flow a bit once he pushed somethings from here to there.

We had only been in the house for a quick lunch break (20 minutes max!) Girl was keeping the laundry train moving and we are guessing that is when the mysterious Farmer neighbor arrived and plowed over the field!! I am so bloomin' excited I can barely stand it! If I weren't heading for a much needed feet in the water visit tomorrow, I would be knee deep in establishing beds! OH It's soooooo big! :)

ps... got tutu materials today too! wahhooo

Passions...

I joined the group over at Creative Every Day (see my cute little button over there on the right!) with the intent that every little jump-start to my day will help me find my way back to the paints and pictures... Technically, I think I should have worked on something yesterday, but I completely geeked out with the Girl on the computer all day gaming... it had been a long while and it was an enjoyable escape into the world of MMORPG... then we followed the evening up with some great bbq pork san'ichs that I made from roast we had earlier in the week, but ended up just a smidge too big for total consumption, and not really enough for full on 2nd meal. The sanich's were by all counts a hit, and I think perhaps I've discovered another tasty quick meal!

OK, back to the C.E.D. thingy and reason for my picture! :) Passion is the theme for February, although the rules are fairly loose for this challenge, I am excited about this word, as I am passionate about so very many things (no, this is NOT the same as opinionated! haha!!) Here on "the farm" I do have to remember not everyone shares my same joy of dirty finger nails and making things grow... What we do share is a strong desire to find our way as a family and carve our own paths as individuals. As we work together toward those individual paths, with love and patience (which sometimes is as hard to come by as time alone...) we are discovering that whatever the direction we go... we should always go with passion ...