Life has been crazy here lately to say the least. I was very grateful on Thursday for a day off from taxi duty, even though I did have to work. My girls are wonderful, but the additional driving, not so much. I knew it would be busy when I signed up, so I will just try to make the most of it. Having not been a “sports Mom” before, I wasn’t prepared for the insanity, er, dedication the coaches have for these sports.
I took advantage of my “free night” Thursday to dust off my watercolors and to do a little more practice. I found a YouTube tutorial and gathered some leaves from outside for additional inspiration. I was fairly happy with the results, but adding some quotes later really finished them off very nicely!
Taking some time for myself to be creative is essential for me. I admire very much those folks who can be on the run all the time and daresay even enjoy it. 😉 I am not cut from that cloth, however, and am already eagerly anticipating the holiday breaks, although something tells me those crazy coaches might not think these kiddos need holidays from practice. 😅
Since my weekends are still mostly free, I slept in until almost 9 and then got up and made monster cookies. 🍪. Because I like them too much, I only allow myself to make them once or twice a year. There is something almost therapeutic, though, mixing the ingredients, scooping the dough onto the cookie sheet, baking them and moving them from the sheet to the cooling rack. Even though I know they won’t be here very long, there is a great feeling of satisfaction seeing the finished products.
So what I learned from this week is that I need to find moments of downtime to rest and recharge so I am ready for the business of daily life. 😅
Do you need downtime too or are you one who loves a packed schedule? I’d love to hear. ❤ Thanks for reading and may your life be just the right mix of activity and downtime for you! 😊🧡😊
picturingpositive 
Beautiful paintings! Glad you had some quiet time to yourself. The cookies look delicious. I’m getting ready to start baking for the holidays. I only bake once a year because I eat everything I bake 😂 My schedule is always packed so I make sure to schedule time for me to create. Helps me to keep my sanity. Have a wonderful weekend 💖
Thank you Maria! 😊 I love all of your work. I am glad you take time for yourself because you make beautiful creations. ❤ I 100% agree about the baking. It is hard to resist those special goodies. 😅 I hope your weekend is wonderful as well. 😊
Quiet time is important for mental health. Sometimes, I think we have too much quiet time here, but I am OK with that. Stay well Beth. Allan
Thank you Allan! I definitely need my quiet time. The last year I had an abundance, maybe even an overabundance of it, so that might be why all the running is a bit overwhelming. 😉 I just have to remember that, as with everything, this too shall pass. In the meantime, I will cherish the quiet moments when I get them. 😊 Take care and thank you for the nice comment! 😊
Love these paintings and those cookies look delicious 😋
Thank you so much! ❤ It was nice to take time for painting again 😊 The cookies were yummy and thankfully are almost gone. 😉
Well I slow down whenever I feel the need to be creative. I wish that in the autumnless climate of South Florida, I actually saw fall leaves like your painting in any form.
I absolutely agree that putting time limits on creative endeavors does not improve the quality of the results. 😉 I look forward to having a little more free time again one of these days! 😄 I do love the changing colors of Fall, but would love Florida weather during the cold winters!! 🥶 😄
You and millions of other tourists feel the same about Florida in winter.
Me time is really important. I write, draw or just watch Japanese cartoons to de-stress from the busyness of work. And my daughter keeps me company. Glad to have found this site, though a bit late.
Thank you so much for visiting and for leaving such a nice, thoughtful comment. 😊 It is definitely good for the soul to take some time for ourselves. I’m very glad you have some great outlets! 😁