With the state of the world these days, it’s easy to get bogged down in worries of finances, of the future, of our families. This is just a little reminder to listen to the wise words of the late Bob Marley and remember that every little thing is gonna be ok.
Here are a few pictures of some of the “simple things” in my life that have brought a smile to my face through the years:
It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
A picture I have hanging in my office, purchased from a very talented artist in New Orleans, that helps me to keep things in perspective.The shed is SO close to completion!! I already have my birdseed and critter food stored out there so it is easy to get the feeders filled up in the mornings! Watching the birds and bunnies and squirrels is one of the simple pleasures that I dearly love ❤️
I hope you find some time today to just take a breath and to know that every little thing is going to be ok!
The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.
Bernard Williams
Pasque FlowerAmazing progress on the shed!My tulips are at the height of their glory!
I love the above quote. I think it is true that Spring gives hope with the new growth, renewal of outdoor activities and longer, warmer days. Every day after work I can walk around my yard and see new buds poking out and new flowers blooming. I was excited yesterday to see the lovely little pasque flower, the South Dakota state flower, blooming. My work in the flowerbed last fall planting tulip bulbs has rewarded me with beautiful tulip blooms. The shed is looking so wonderful! Perhaps the warmer weather this weekend will help further progress to be made.
With some shingles and the side door (and a coat of white paint on the door….my job), the shed will be complete!!
Thinking of spring inspired the following little zentangle/drawing:
In spring, the dead trees, roots, and animals come to life again exactly as they were, thus providing hundreds of thousands of examples, specimens, and proofs of the supreme resurrection.
Sometimes, I find myself in a blue mood. In the past, I have tried to “turn that frown upside down” and to push aside those introspective, not so positive thoughts. One thing my therapy sessions helped me with is learning that ALL feelings need to be felt and validated.
I have learned that sitting with those feelings and sometimes even letting myself ruminate on the “worst possible outcome” is not a bad idea. Asking “What would I do if…?” about the worst scenario imaginable can let my brain run wild over all potential possibilities and get those worries out of my head and maybe down on paper in my journal.
Eventually, I always remind myself that no matter what challenging situations I have encountered in the past, I somehow made it through them. I recall the saying that this too shall pass, both good and bad. A year from now, or two or three or four as the case may be, whatever I am struggling with at the moment will be a distant memory.
Taking this approach helps me to appreciate the happy moments and to muddle through the challenging ones knowing that neither will last forever. ❤️
I drew these a couple weeks ago, thinking I had a long time before Easter was here. Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass made me wonder where the weeks have gone. It reminds me of a quote from Gretchen Rubin in her wonderful book, The Happiness Project, “The days are long but the years are short.”
The school year will be coming to an end soon. Mara already has her flight home booked and leaves one day after her high school graduation. It does seem that the year has flown by!
Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.
Janine di Giovanni
In spring, the dead trees, roots, and animals come to life again exactly as they were, thus providing hundreds of thousands of examples, specimens, and proofs of the supreme resurrection.
Said Nursi
Wishing you all a Happy Easter and a beautiful spring. Hopefully the winter weather will soon be a distant memory. 💕🐇💕
Exactly a year ago today (3/30/2021) my divorce was finalized. It was a day for me to breathe a sigh of relief. After dealing with the ex-husband’s silent treatments, threats and offers to try again if I was willing to meet certain conditions, I was beyond ready to be done. His moods could shift just like the flip of a switch and I never knew which side of my ex-husband I might be dealing with.
After going through all that, I knew that I needed to do some work on myself before I entertained the thought of being with anyone again. I was broken and I knew I needed to heal and to learn to be ok with myself and to set boundries for any future relationships. At that time, one year seemed like a perfectly reasonable amount of time to give myself before embarking on any dating adventures.
I was still holding on to some slim hope that maybe my now ex-husband would decide that he missed me and that he might be willing to give us another chance. Maybe counseling could help, I thought. After all, the last time we saw each other in April, he said he would probably always love me and we kissed. I remember telling him that if he could figure out what was going on in his head and give us another chance, I didn’t plan to start dating until March 30, 2022.
I finished therapy in June and had my therapist’s blessing to try my hand at a date here and there. I activated accounts on Zoosk and Match.com Although I did go out on one date and a few activities as friends, I think the hope for a possible reconciliation was still there. Once I discovered that there had been another woman in the picture, I found it MUCH easier to let that hope die. I felt so stupid and so gullible, but at least I finally had an explanation for the erratic behavior.
Fast forward to August of last year. I had exchange students arriving in the middle of the month and decided that one last date before the schedule got crazy might be fun. I was a bit apprehensive as I walked through the Olive Garden parking lot, and when I saw my date on the bench out front, I thought….”Nice! He is cuter than his profile pic.” I was a bit sad when our lunch date was ending, so when we made plans for a movie that evening, it was very cool! We ended up seeing quite a bit of each other in the days that followed and a sweet kiss after a walk through the park made me want to see even more of him. ❤️
We enjoyed a short walk on the beach during our last morning in Miami.
We have been together for seven months now and took our first trip together last week. I can’t answer for him, but I know I really enjoyed having time away from responsibilities and time to just enjoy each other’s company. I think we complement each other very well. I love it when he holds my hand when we’re walking and when he calls me “hon” or “dear”. He is incredibly talented at fixing and building things. He is currently working on building a shed for me and I am in awe of how he knows exactly what to do without even looking at any plans. He has it clear in his head what it should look like and he just goes from there and creates it!
A memento of our trip. 💕
I tend to overthink and to look far into the future. Right now, though, I am telling my brain to trust my heart and to enjoy the present moment. ❤️ I don’t need to know exactly how the story turns out to make the very most of this wonderful new chapter! ❤️
I am what is mine. Personality is the original personal property.
Norman O. Brown
Last week I took one of the free online Myers Briggs personality tests. I got the result INFJ (The Counselor). I went down the Pinterest rabbit hole after that, finding one post after another that “so perfectly” described me. I retook it today and while I got INFJ once again, I also had “VERY GOOD MATCH” with ISFJ and “GOOD MATCH” with INFP
Is this an absolutely accurate science? No, but I found the descriptions to be fairly on point with my own characteristics. I like the following website because it gives the personality type as well as a brief explanation of the results.
65% Introverted, 35% Extroverted (Engergized by time alone v. Energized by time with others)
47% Sensing, 53% Intuition (Facts/Details v. Creative, Interpretive)
28% Thinking, 72% Feeling (Head v. Heart)
45% Perceiving, 55% Judging (Relaxed, spontaneous v. Orderly, scheduled)
Copied from Pinterest…..a playground for information about personality types! If you feel so inclined, follow me here: https://pin.it/4lnq2pYI love to create little works of art to share with the special people in my life.
I LOVE attending live theater performances and listening to the Soundtracks or Cast recordings. This is my “My Favorite Broadway” playlist, one of many playlists on Spotify!I certainly fit the INFJ hobbies profile….. art, photographs, gardening (and photographs of my gardens!)
If any of you are so inclined and love finding out more about what makes us tick, I suggest taking the test and seeing if you think the results are accurate for you. I would love to hear your thoughts!
This post mightwill show what a strange duck I am. This little zentangle is posted on my bedroom mirror and every time I see it, I am reminded of my own mortality and of the fact that I need to make the most of the time I have here because I never know what day might be my last.
I have learned that everything in life is fleeting. Beautiful flowers in the spring and summer wilt and die. Beloved pets cross the rainbow bridge. People we love die or disappear from our lives.
As dreary and depressing as this seems, the lesson I glean from it is to make the most of the happy moments we are given. We should enjoy and appreciate the people in our lives while they are with us. As Elpheba sings in “As Long As You’re Mine” from Wicked (one of my all time favorite musicals), “And if it turns out, it’s over too fast, I’ll make every last moment last”.
I do tend to overanalyze sometimes and to worry about the future. What if this happens? What if that happens? I am trying to be better at living in the moment and enjoying the happy times and not wondering what will happen tomorrow. To paraphrase the brilliant author, worrying about tomorrow’s sorrow only robs today of its joy. Here’s the actual quote:
Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.
Leo Buscaglia
Another zentangle I see every day that reminds me to make the most of every opportunity
Life is too short to worry about anything. You had better enjoy it because the next day promises nothing.
Eric Davis
When the difficult and sad times do arrive, I think it helps to have memories of happier times to help us remember that life is a balance of good and bad. I believe that one day, when I breathe my last , I will be reunited with all my friends and family members who have gone before. Those people live on in the memories they made, and I, too, hope to someday live on through happy memories I make with all those I love and care about. So, to sum it up, make the most of every day and take nothing for granted.
Today is a remarkable day in terms of numbers, 2/22/22. It is a palindrome as are several days this week. Not only that, as I have learned, repeating numbers are often referred to as “angel numbers.”
I know, many might find it ridiculous, but to those, I say, why not be open to messages from our angels in whatever form they might come? While I have never been lucky enough to have direct communication from my guardian angel, I know that I am watched over and protected. I grew up saying the “guardian angel prayer” at night and still say it.
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here.
Ever this night be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide.
Amen
To those who are like me and believe in signs and messages, here is some information I found that tells us what messages are to be gleaned from repeating numbers:
111 – May signal the start of something new in your life. Also a reminder that what you focus on, you manifest, so keep your thoughts positive!
222 – A sign that everything is working for you and that you are on the right path. You just need to keep the faith.
333 – A message that your angels are always with you. A sign that you need to trust your intuition and to let go of past regrets and failure. Move on with God’s light guiding your way.
444 – Your angels are around you right now, supporting you and encouraging you. They want you to achieve the goals you are working towards. Tune in to receive the intuitive nudges and guidance that they send you.
555 – Huge changes are unfolding, or are about to unfold. This is a message to release the past and what no longer serves you. It is a sign that you are going to change your life for the better and to become more aligned with your truest self.
666 – A sign of love and devotion. Listen to what your heart is telling you. Be more open and open-minded about relationships. Let go of fear and bad habits and positive things will start happening.
777 – A call from your angels to trust them and to use the blessings and gifts that God has given you. By using these gifts to improve other people’s lives, your life will improve as well.
888 – A reminder that life always moves in cycles and that you are entering a cycle of prosperity and abundance. This number is a powerful symbol of financial manifestation, but also a reminder that because life is cyclical, retaining a sense of balance is important.
999 – A message that one life cycle is going to be over because it is time for new beginnings. A sign to release control of something so that there is space for something new .
Thank you to my angels for watching over me, keeping me safe and nudging me in the direction of serving God and my fellow human beings! ❤😇❤
To me, Valentine’s Day is not merely limited to a lover but speaks of universal love.
Dimple Kapadia
As I was working on these little valentines last night, I was anticipating who I could share them with. I like to think that my little creations bring happiness to the receivers and I love hearing that confirmed by the recipients. If they bring a smile to the face of the person receiving them or even seeing them, it is incredibly satisfying.
I love the above quote because I think it is true that Valentine’s Day is for everyone who is special to us. Of course I hope to celebrate the day with my sweetheart, but I think it is also important to make this a day that we honor the friends and family members that we love as well. Honestly, I think it is good to celebrate those we care about all year long, so I enjoy making little reminders that I care throughout the year. Holidays of any kind are a great reminder to share with the people we care about how much they mean to us.
So to all my friends and family, my sweetheart and my lovely fellow bloggers, I hope every day is worth celebrating and that includes the fun holidays like Valentine’s Day! 💕
I think that Valentine’s Day is only as good as you want it to be. You know, I don’t think it should be anything fancy, nothing crazy. As long as you’re spending time with that person that’s special, I think that’s a great Valentine’s Day.
If you are lonely when you’re alone, you’re in bad company.
Jean-Paul Sartre
Last night I threw myself a little pity party. Sometimes I need to get out of my own head, I think. I tend to overthink things and my mind was in overdrive last night. Why, I asked myself, am I spending Saturday night all alone? My mind quickly stepped in to answer me….. because nobody cares about you. I wallowed in that for a little bit and then decided I needed to get off that thought track before I started a nosedive into “negativity land”.
There are so many things I enjoy doing alone, and if I can’t be happy alone, I won’t be good company for anybody else.
My message to myself…rethink alone time! ❤
I ended up working on some little watercolors, taking a bath and catching up on (almost all) the latest episodes of “And Just Like That”. It surely wasn’t the terrible tragedy I initially made it out to be.
Some watercolor practice helped to pull me out of my funk. 😊
This morning I started thinking of all the things I enjoy doing and made a mental list of them. I am beyond capable of finding fun things to do even when I am by myself. Here’s what I came up with:
Play with my watercolors
Watch an episode of a show I enjoy
Read a book
Work on a puzzle
Feed the birds and squirrels
Write a letter to a friend
Work on my sweepstakes
Journal
Write a blog post
Take a nap
Make cookies
Do some laundry (not as fun 😉)
Go shopping
Play with my puppy
I have to remember my Dad’s favorite saying, “Life is What You Make It.” I will make today a better day! 😊
I don’t think you should try to be anything you’re not. If you’re not smiling all the time or always happy – I don’t think it matters. If you’re having a bad day, show you’re having a bad day. Don’t try to put up something that’s fake.
Elle Fanning
I’m not having a BAD day, but just feeling a bit blah. 😐 I think it is the weather. January is often pretty gloomy. Staying at the office for lunch doesn’t help, but I have to do a bit of running later this afternoon. I definitely am looking forward to warmer, longer days and a few less obligations! I think it’s okay to have days that aren’t the cheeriest. Today’s high temp is only 14 degrees. Brrrr! I will let myself be a “gloomy gus” today and will hopefully be back to feeling a bit more chipper tomorrow!
Wednesday Addams and I both have our “meh” days!
You just have to be authentic. You can’t fake a smile. You have to do what you actually enjoy.
A new watercolor creation that captures my current mood. ❤
One year ago today, I could not have foreseen the events that would unfold. Exactly a year ago today, I tested positive for Covid, was dealing with mind games and threats from my narcissist ex and was feeling defeated, dejected and so alone. A month later, with the help of a wonderful therapist, I was able to begin to see what a toxic relationship I had been in and that being alone was so much better than that. I found the core of who I am and the confidence to make it on my own if I needed to.
The months that followed found me doing a lot of work in the new/old house and in the yard. Weekly therapy sessions were incredibly helpful. When I commit to something, I give it my all and therapy was no different. I journaled my little heart out and was upfront and honest. I came to realize that though I have my faults, like everyone, I did not deserve to be treated the way I had been.
I regained the self-confidence that had been worn down in the course of that relationship. I was comfortable in my own skin again and was given the green light from my therapist to spread my wings and to get back to living again. ❤
The thought of being in another relationship was scary, and I set my goal far into the future. I decided that I would start dating again when my divorce had been final for a year….March 30, 2022. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans. 😉💕😉
Along the way, I found joy in my friends and family, in my yard. and in my drawing and newly obtained skill of watercolor painting. Finding happiness in my own pursuits is what I believe allowed me to be open to the relationship that I found and am building with my new sweetheart.
Thinking of all the wonderful, kind people in my life inspired this zentangle. ❤😊❤
Gone is the anxiety that plagued me in my previous relationship. I no longer have to feel like I am walking on eggshells and to feel like I will never be good enough. With my new beau, I am relaxed and comfortable. The thought of seeing him makes me happy, not anxious, and I never feel like he will judge me and find me lacking. He is incredibly thoughtful and kind.
I enjoyed trying this new technique with my watercolors. I really like the results! 💙
I think the purpose of this post is to give hope to anyone out there feeling hopeless and alone. There is light at the end of the tunnel. A year ago, I felt mired in sadness and hopelessness. Today I feel hopeful and happy. I am excited to see what the future brings. I did the work to be happy with myself and along the way I found a special someone 💕
What a difference a year makes! ❤ I am wishing all of you joy and happiness in the year ahead of us. 💕😊💕.
The camera gave me an incredible freedom. It gave me the ability to parade through the world and look at people and things very, very closely. Carrie Mae Weems
picturingpositive 