I Don't Want To Go On The Cart

Nothing challenges my up beat frame of mind more than when one of my kitties is not feeling their best.
My dear sweet little MickeyGrrrl, who will turn 17 in October, has been having a bit of struggle as of late.
She had a treatable UTI, with that came two rounds of medications.  Her legs and back are slowing down and are a bit painful. With this condition comes a weekly shot in the shoulder.  Her kidneys are showing signs of needing a bit of  support, so I'm now giving her sub Q fluids once a week or as needed.  She also takes thyroid and blood pressure pills.  A true little old Queen.  I'm happy to report, that all of these efforts and more are showing signs of her being very happy and very comfortable.  Aging gracefully. Enjoying her sleeping spots, her hummingbirds, her food, Gus and me.  Still.  I hit a wall about all this stuff this week.  I was talking to a good friend in a effort to frame a context around all that I'm doing for her.  My negative mind went to...well, she'll just die anyway.  This is just prolonging it.  Well, negative mind you get to shut up.  Yes. she is in the winding down part of her life.  Aren't we all really just dying?  So, we might as well live it up!
My friend reminded me of the scene from Monty Python's Holy Grail.  The scene where they are throwing bodies in cart.  One of the people they are trying to throw in the cart says, "I don't want to go on the cart.  I feel fine.  I'm happy!"  She told me to stop trying to throw MickeyGrrl in the cart.   She's right.
I'll go one further, with trying to throw MickeyGrrrl on the cart, I was throwing myself in there as well. I was starting to give up on things.  On life.  Both of us have far too many days filled with everyone and everything we love to get on that cart.  Because we feel fine. We are happy!  It is a good thing to remember.  Now when I get in that place.  I just remember..."I don't want to go on the cart.  I feel fine.  I'm happy!"  Also look at MickeyGrrrl and can almost hear her say..."I feel fine. I'm happy!"
Life is so good.

Are you throwing someone or yourself on the cart? (Yes, I know in the movie this character gets bonked on the head, and tossed in the cart.  It is Monty Python after all.)

Until next week...create to feel great!
39 projects complete! 13 to go!

This week...I made cooling neck wraps for myself and my P2C team.  These were a piece of cake to make.
Strip of fabric (gold glitter cotton...thank you). Make a tube and fill the tube with 1/2 teaspoon of polymer crystals (floral dept. JoAnns or Michaels).   Close up the tube.  Soak in water.  The crystals expand and hold water and have a cooling effect.  These can also be frozen for an added cooling effect.  Now we'll be stylin' and cool all around as we head down the road.  27 days to relay day.  More P2C crafts to come in the following weeks.  And yes...I'm doing my walking training. Thank you for asking.

But I Don't Want To

"Nothing is impossible with a willing heart." John Heywood

Since last August, I've been walking in an effort to train for a local walking relay called Portland To Coast. Come this August 24th and 25th I will be on a team of 12 in two vans taking turns walking legs to the Oregon Coast.  We will arrive at Seaside to a huge party celebration.  I will be walking about 11.87 miles.
I decided to do this as a way to keep me motivated and working out.  Once again, the value of having a vision or goal in mind or the brass ring to go after has hit home.  I think without something like this, I get lazy and to be real honest sitting on the porch or watching TV is way easier.  I think if I could figure out a way to stay in shape and be healthy by doing those two things, I'd much rather go that route.
So, how do I stay motivated?  I keep focused on what I say I want.  And not in a blah boring way, but in a way that is fun, alive and vibrant. Well, and because it's me...colorful and creative.
The last two weeks, my training has slowed a bit, because I tweaked my lower back.  At other times in my life this would have been the finisher.  The show stopper.  Because I have this colorful fun vision of hitting this walking goal, I'm doing what I can to reach it while healing this injury.  A friend of mine said that I now have an athlete's mind set going for me.  Cool.  And yet there are still time when I just don't wanna to walk.  I just don't want to train.  I just don't want to eat well.  I just don't want to.
In those times I go back to my strong vision of what I want to accomplish.  For me the vision has to engage all my senses. I really have to feel it inside and out. That connection is what propels me.  I guess that is what some folks call passion.  Or a willing heart.
I use this idea to create visions for everything I want in my life. It can't be a should've could've would've for me cause that's a vision killer.  I allow me to connect to my inner self and find out what I need to do and want for the best of me.  For there I get colorful and creativity and start coloring in the entire picture.
Yeah, I love sitting.  I love sitting on my porch and I love TV.  But there is much more in life.  I find that discovering the much more to life, some days, it is just a walk a way.

Until next week...create to feel great!

38 projects complete! 14 to go!      

This week...I tried my hand at making a visor.  This one I will wear at the Mt. Tabor 5K Doggie Dash.
This is the fourth year I've done this event.  I love to wear a hat, but they can be hot.  So, I thought about a large brim visor.   For my P2C team mates I will be making the traditional ball cap visor in gold lame.
And in the weeks to come...more P2C crafts as I prepare for "The Mother Of All Relays"! Stay in tuned. (I really do watch way tooo much TV)

Not As It Seems

I went back to the Loaded Brush.  The paint studio that lets you drink while learning how to paint. (Side Bar- Portland folks...it really is a great evening. You don't have to know how to draw or paint. It is freeing and creative.  Go!  Tell Aaron, DeeDee from the creativity blog sent you!)
So, back at the Loaded Brush...
We painted our version of Van Gough's Sunflowers.  I went in to the class fearing I wouldn't know how to do this or how we would do this.  Aaron is such a good and easy teacher, I decided to just trust the process and have fun.  All was going well, I liked what I was painting. We came to the petals. Aaron instructed us in a 3 step process.  The process involved globbing paint on the canvas.  My mind went to how is this going to make petals.  They look like globs of paint.  All I could see were the globs of paint.  I didn't see petals.  I felt like the painting was ruined.  I just kept telling myself, that it was a fun evening.   The next morning the painting had dried.  I had a night's sleep.  I walked by the painting and I saw Sunflowers!  I actually like the painting.  I didn't see the globs of paint. I saw petals.
Out of something so messy came this cool look.  I thought I knew how petals should be painted. I learned a new way.  An unusual way.
After that evening of fun and painting, I got to thinking what else am I looking at one way and maybe there could be another way to approach it?  Could I make petals out of globs of paint somewhere else in my life?
That painting shifte how I view and approach things.  It was a really great evening!

Are you seeing blobs and globs or are the blobs and globs in your life really lovely pedals on you flowers?

Until next week...create (some blobs and globs) to feel great.

37 projects complete! 15 to go!

And here's the painting!  

Allowing All That's Allowed And More

One of my good friends was recently invited to attend an amazing play writing workshop in Italy, this August.  Getting the funds together would mean a true act of faith and courage. My friend is amazing and very couragous.  He set out his intention to go to this workshop.  He told everyone, we all celebrated, send good thoughts and what we could.  The gift of airfare came his way, he told me he almost said no, it was too much.  But it was what he wanted and needed to get to his goal.  My friend later told me that he knew if he turned down any part of this wonderful gift, the rest of the funds he needed wouldn't come his way.  Why? Because we have to allow what we need and desire to enter our life.  No questions. No thoughts of I'm not worthy or this is too much or I don't deserve this.  We have to allow the energy, love, good thoughts to flow.
That's what my friend did.  He's going to Italy in August to the workshop.  For my lovely friend, it is a great honor and will help him become an even stronger play wright. I so happy for him and amazed.
I think we often ask the universe for things and or situations  and then we stand with our arms folded and closed hands.  I'm discovering the trick is to ask clearly and to stand with my heart, hands and arms wide open. Unquestioning. For however long it takes. No trying to shape what we think how it should go. No closing down.  No looking back or around.  That is the trick to allowing the good stuff to flow to you.  It seems easy, but it is not.  I always want to question.  I always stop the flow.
I thank my friend for this example.  It will stick with me and help me allow all that is allowed and more to come into my life!

Until next week...create to feel great!
36 projects complete. 16 to go!

This week's project was a thirft store find for a buck!  A Tim Allen The ToolMan wood working project complete in the box.  I wanted to make a clock for my new writing room.  And this fun kit appeared.

With me...purple polka dots are the way to go!  The clock works!  Guess I better get to painting and decorating my writing room.  Hum....I sense another project coming on!