Christmas In July

Christmas in July.  I've always thought was sort of funny.  I believe it was started by retailers to get folks thinking early.  When I worked in retail, I would do Christmas in July displays and get flack from customers for pushing Christmas on them.  For crafters and diy gifters, like myself, Christmas in July makes sense.  It is getting a head start. This year I felt like I wanted to do Christmas in July.  I'm here to announce that I have started my Christmas gift making.   In this, here's an odd puzzle.   How does one stay in the moment while planning for the future?  How do we stay present and not so focused on the future, so much so that all we can see in the future and how great we think it will be, while the present is neglected?  It is a mind twister.  On one hand we want to envision our future and take steps towards it.  While on the other hand, there is plenty o' stuff to deal with in the here and now.  Eventually, the future will be our here and now.   Anyone else, getting a headache trying to figure this one out?
In the movie Cool Hand Luke, Paul Newman's character says that he never made a plan in his life.  I've often heard it said that if you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit that target every time. Yikes!  This is complicated.
I like to think that one way to work through this puzzle is to view it like cooking a huge dinner. (Like a Christmas dinner)   There are things in the oven that are cooking away and don't need our attention right away (the future). There are pots on the back burners of the stove (future soon to be here) and there are pots on the front burners that need our attention.(the here and now).   Now we can't cook everything on the front burners all the time. We need those other burners and the oven to help us out.   As we move along and allow things to cook and develop in our lives, we sometimes move things around on our stove.  A smart cook checks on all the goings on the stove top and oven.   I think we can do that as well with our lives.  Like a great cooked meal, if we are smart and tend to the elements as needed, they will all come together and be wonderful.
So, as I'm working through Christmas in July, I'm in the moment working on a project and thinking about my relationship to the receiver of my gift, and when Christmas does roll around, I'll be able to enjoy that season, hopefully, with an ease and relaxed state of mind. For me, Christmas in July isn't just about getting a start on my gift making, I'm also using this mind set for other things in my life.  Working towards and bright and joyous future- not just at Christmas time but year around.
How will you use the ideas of Christmas in July to create a bright and joyous future for you right now.

Until next week...create to feel great!                          
41 projects complete 11 to go.

The project of the week...what else than painted Nutcrackers.  I stumbled upon these guys in a clearance bin.  I love Nutcrackers and have always wanted to paint one...now I have two!