The Pot That Saved Me (well, maybe not quite that dramatic, but close)

Do you ever have those days?  One of those really bad days?  One where you wonder, "what's the point of it all?"  Like.....seriously.....is there even a point to what I am doing right here, right now, sloshing this paint around, rearranging and wiping down shelves.....etc.  I was in a bad mood the other day....nothing seemed to be going right, and it felt like a rather pointless day.  Yes, even the "happy dreaming bear lady" feels like that sometimes! 

Then, enters a painted pot that changed my outlook in the blink of an eye!!!!
Mackenzie, from the Prairiewoods Transition Center, and her baby boy, Vinnie (is that a kick ass name for a baby or what?!) delivered this pot last week.

This magnificent, fabulous, miraculous pot!!!

It was painted by my Art Rocks kids as a thank you for the art making time we had together in the studio!

Each student painted a little Dreaming Bear on the pot. 

Amazing!  And they are thanking me?  It really is the other way around.....and this fine piece of art was a good reminder for me that day.  These kids bring so much joy to my life and my heart.  They have no idea what a positive impact they have been in my life.  And what GREAT ENERGY they bring to my studio!  Woweee!  The place just vibrates when they are in there!  I'm so happy to have the opportunity to work with them again in the fall.  These guys/gals can do BIG things people!!!!

THANK YOU to them for reminding me that no matter the size of the gesture, what you do really counts.  There is a point.....one heart can touch many hearts....and so on and so forth.  Every thought, movement, and expression has a purpose...and can be part of something really big and good.

Thankful, grateful me.

Time with Katie!

What a fun afternoon!  I had the pleasure of spending it with my sweet niece, Katie, in the studio! 

We had some lunch, cupcakes for dessert, and then some valuable, irreplaceable creative time.

She is such a good egg.  So happy to know this sweet soul.

Happy Friday, everyone!!!

A List of Things to Give Up

The universe always sends us what we need.  This list of things to give up is so very wise.  Enjoy.

Quote on Awakening

Found this quote the other day....and loved it.  Enjoy!

"Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. The eternal makes you urgent. You are loath to let compromise or the threat of danger hold you back from striving toward the summit of fulfillment.”

                                   ― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom



Recently Reading....

Hi again!  I forgot to mention in my last post that while on vacation, I indulged in a little reading as well.  Three out of the four places we stayed in did NOT have TVs in them, and that was perfectly fine with us.  It made me shamefully aware of how often I absentmindedly turn the TV on for no good reason, clicking through all of the channels.....just for the noise.  And let's face it, there is very little GOOD TV out there.  Lack of TV on our trip really helped me to "settle."  It's good stuff, settling.

First I read "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave.  Absolutely wonderful!!  I found myself going back to certain passages and reading them again, because it was so beautifully done. 

Lovin' Man and I both read this one.....it's fascinating!  I believe Jon Ronson, the author, is also the author of "Men Who Stare at Goats."  Smart, witty, sometimes scary....but very interesting.

I've been finding myself in a bit of a creative "lull" lately, so I'm trying to stretch myself by looking into different concepts/exercises/etc to get the juices flowing again.  This is a fun, encouraging book....I have seem some grumbling here and there online about it, that it's sending the wrong message, but so far, I don't agree....it's about finding things...anything...that inspires you, and turning into something that is authentically you. 

Well, I've got some bookmarks that need inspiring messages, and some little fabric owls are calling my name to be stitched up....so I'm off!  Hope you are having a sunny day!



Getting Back Into the Routine....Maybe....

Oh this poor, neglected bloggity blog!  Hello friends!  I'm finally getting the "oomph" to get back on track with everything....sort of.  My hubby and I returned a couple of weeks ago from an amazing belated honeymoon, and right before we left, was the marion arts festival, the busiest day of the year for our store!  We had such a great time!  I was very good about taking photos with my phone, here are some of them.....

We flew into Portland, and headed north into Washington state, and stayed on Lake Quinault for a couple of days.  We hiked the Olympic National Rain Forest, and it was the most amazing place I've been! 

Very lush, and green, with moss growing everywhere.  And we were cursing Columbia, makers of our so-called "waterproof" jackets.  Whatevs.

This is the gorgeous Lake Quinault Lodge.

This is Lake Quinault.  LOVELY.

We drove south to Cannon Beach, OR and stayed a night...right on the ocean!

A dream come true for this flatlander!  I put my toes in the Pacific for the first time, officially.

(not bare toes....no, no....too cold for that!)

Then we drove back to Portland, where we stayed a few days.....our landing spot was the Kennedy School....an old school that has been renovated into THE coolest hotel EVER.  Stay there if you ever get a chance.  Above, is a picture of us enjoying artisan ice cream at Salt and Straw.  To die for...can you see we are happy??? 

Portland is a city you can feel comfortable wearing stripey knee socks!!  And I did!

The Japanese Gardens were heavenly....like a different world.

Our final evening was spent on the Columbia River Gorge with this breathtaking view.

This waterfall was right outside our hotel.

We absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed everything on this trip. 

Perhaps subconciously,  perhaps not, we intended to devour every morsel of this experience.

We ate lots of good food, met many kind people, saw nature's wonders all around us,

heard the ocean as we slept, and we laughed a lot.  A lot.  We napped when we wanted to, and we read a couple of books.  I feel so lucky to share it with my guy.

Things have been kind of funky since I've been back....I've really struggled to get back into the groove again.  It's true when they say that travelling changes you....it really does.  Looking back over the photos makes me relive all those memories/feelings/experiences all over again.  You are not the same person as you were before the trip....you are richer after them.  Grateful and happy.