Day 300 May 31, 2011

Well, well, well.  Day 300.  Who would have thought?  Certainly not me.  Having arrived at day 300 I can now heartily recommend that making such a commitment, to both practice yoga asana and participate in an art practice every day for one year is worthwhile.  Does this make you laugh?  It almost made me laugh out loud as I wrote that sentence with the "worthwhile" comment.  Of course this is a good thing to do, you might say.

Well, it's not for everyone.  I guess the point for me is to create a new pattern in my life that includes yoga and art in a big way.  This year long task is helping me do that.

Sometimes we just have to tell ourselves what we need.  Our friends and loved ones help us too.  Like Denise, who suggested to me to do the yoga asana practice for a year, and my other friend Charlotte who told me not to forget about art!

I wish you all well, on day 300.

Day 299 May 30, 2011

grow v. verb   1.  to increase naturally..... 2. to expand.... 3. to develop and reach maturity  4. to be capable of growth, thrive, flourish.... 5. to develop by a gradual process..... 6. to come into existence.... 7. cultivate

grow - sounds a bit like learning yoga, sounds a bit like making art, doesn't it?

Day 298 May 29, 2011

Nourish
Celebrate
Ponder
Laugh
Sink
Drift
Cleanse
Look
Evaluate
Pause
Renew
Touch
Accept

Day 297 May 28, 2011

Focus

Breathe

Trust

Move

Ascend

Act

See

Listen

Touch

Expand

Rest

Watch

Concentrate

Consider

Stretch

Descend

Activate

Relax

Balance

Do

Visualize

Contemplate

Compare

Experiment

Redo

Internalize

Contract

Embrace

Soften

Lengthen

Welcome

Release

Day 296 May 27, 2011

Tomorrow morning David, Denise and I will travel all the way to the city of Halifax for the Saturday morning classes.  Yes, my dear friend from California is home for a bit.  Three hours of yoga asana will make our morning complete.  Then lunch, a bit of shopping and back home to the country.  Country living, it is beautiful in many ways.  There are also challenges, like when a mother raccoon decides to use your home as its home, with a few raccoon babies thrown into the bargain too.

Or the black flies, now they are no one's favourite part of country living.  The smell of manure has been wafting through my neighbourhood for the last two days.  The farmers are making good use of their time by enriching the pastures across from my home with this strong smelling natural fertilizer.

There is always something that needs fixing too when you live in the country on your own property.  But with all the issues of country living come the perks, like watching the hostas unfold right before your eyes. I wish that you too will have the joy of watching something beautiful unfold right in front of you today.

Day 295 May 26, 2011

Enjoy the curves in your life.  There is no sense in trying to straighten out what naturally follows a curve.

"Accept yourself, just the way you are.  Accept everything else, just the way it is."  from Savasana meditation.

Day 294 May 25, 2011

Ring of Kerry, Ireland    photo by Jim S.

How do you start to find the path, your path in this life?  You can begin by noticing what you love doing, where you feel comfortable.  Where you can focus to such an extent that you might even forget to eat lunch one day because you are so entranced, so intent on doing what you're doing you forget to eat.  Then suddenly you look up from your focus and realize a lot of time has passed and you must be hungry.  In this way you almost get lost, only in that you lose track of time, once you find your path.

Day 293 May 24, 2011

acrylic paint on white sculpture clay

Where do you get your inspiration?  Your support when times get tough?  Or your personal cheerleaders when what you really need is a lot of encouragement?

From nature?  From the fast beat of a large city?  From music?  From sporting events?  From a hard run?  From your pet?  From spending time as a volunteer?  From your family or your best friend?

We all get inspired in our own ways.  I personally love that song, "Lean on Me."  Do you know it?

Day 292 May 23, 2011

porcelain slab built and thrown bottles with glaze

Day 291 May 22, 2011

stoneware tiles

Thank goodness for friends.  They make us feel appreciated.

  "I always feel better after I've talked to you", that's what a friend told me today.  That made my day!  Sometimes I feel like I am a cranky brat who needs everything perfect.  When things don't feel perfect then I get cranky.   These feelings don't last long, but they certainly feel real.

Spoken like a needy "it's all about me" kind of person, I do go over the top sometimes and neglect to think of others and their needs.  But today, after a lunch time filled with moments of reflection like "good grief, what have I done now..." kind of feelings associated with my family's wedding fever season and how I'm making a nuisance of myself over details, I had this refreshing phone call from my dear friend Denise in California and she made me feel fabulous.   I cheered her up by reminding her of what a wonderful, well meaning person she is.  She just needed some words of encouragement.

I need to tell my family the same things, how wonderful they all are.  Wedding fever or not, which can make any family a bit crazy it seems, my family is the BEST.  We help each other so much.   I can count on my family when I really need them.  It's like I said at the start.  Thank goodness for friends and family.  They make us feel appreciated.  


Tell someone today how much they mean to you; it will make you feel wonderful.