Public Domain Vintage Photo – Anita Opper – Zen to Zany
Filed under Attitude, Favorite Quotes, Grin for the Day
Recharge your Mind via Cathy Ruggiero
I love this – both the picture and the suggestion.
I have found lately that learning new things makes me feel empowered. And I LOVE that feeling! :0)
Sticking your neck out, trying something outside your usual bailiwick, widens your world, including new possibilities. And when you’ve added a new skill to your toolbox, you’re also adding confidence. And THAT makes you want to reach out more…
Start the cycle. TODAY. You’ll find yourself smiling, brimming over with happiness!
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude, Challenges, Changes, Encouragement
Recharge Your Mind Via Cathy Ruggiero
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, Favorite Quotes
1000+ Funny Quotes on Pinterest
Many of the most wonderful memories I have are of things I did spontaneously. Sometimes I was even reluctant, with my first reaction being, ‘no.’ I like to plan – to know what’s happening in advance – to prepare – and even to be proactive. So it really goes against the grain to throw caution to the wind and just DO IT.
I see this as something I need to work on, since I realize I would have missed out on some truly great things. Now I push myself to get outside my comfort zone – albeit rarely and slowly. My world expands and I wonder WHY I didn’t try this before. Even if I decide I never want to do THAT again, at least I tried it.
I’ve seen many of my friend’s worlds get smaller and smaller. They become more and more cautious. They go out less. They try nothing new. It seems they prefer to live in their own little world in the past. Memories are wonderful, but I hurt for them, and I hurt for my tendency to think about doing the same. We need to be creating NEW memories.
I am challenging myself to do something I haven’t tried before every once in a while. I started doing yoga for the first time a few months ago. Now I regret that I haven’t been doing it for years. It has added a richness to my life – added goals I didn’t have before – challenges me to work at getting better every day.
I love this sign –
Lisa Bearnes Richey
Having tried yoga when I was intimidated and seeing how MUCH t it is helping me, it encourages me to reach out to other things I don’t want to miss. I hope that you are getting outside your comfort zone – even slowly – to renew your lease on life, too.
Walt Disney via GrowingBolder.com via Cathy Ruggiero
Filed under Attitude, Favorite Quotes
KnowledgeOverflow
Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity – we left the house before 10am and didn’t return until after 5pm. We were doing regular errands and then a bunch of add-ons that weren’t planned. My day was gone before it started!
Today we have Lunch Bunch with our long-time friends, a trip to the post office and then NOTHING!
I’m going to spend the afternoon and evening catching up on all the stuff I didn’t get to do yesterday, resting, or both.
HOORAY!
Filed under Attitude
Indulgy.com
Happiness is living so long that you no longer live for the weekends, trying to cram wonderful things into the too-swiftly-passing time that seems over almost as soon as it starts.
I feel a bit guilty now that, having lived this way most of my life, the tables have flipped!
I still enjoy weekends, but they also mean that I have to wait until Monday to be able to make calls to businesses, make appointments, and other things that require the work week.
I used to be frustrated with businesses because they opened after I went to work and closed before I finished work, and weren’t open on Saturdays or Sundays. I found the businesses that were open late, or open on the weekends, giving them all my business to make up for all the places that might as well not exist, as far as I was concerned. I also tended to resent people who DIDN’T have to cram everything into the weekend cluttering up the stores and businesses when they COULD have been there during the work week…
My husband is upset with weekends because the stock market isn’t open. Most deliveries don’t happen on the weekends. Lots of places where you need to speak to a person are closed until Monday.
I’m happy now that I’m free to schedule much of my time as I want, only having to work around scheduled appointments. I now make a point of handling my issues either before lunch or after lunch, rather than AT the lunch hour when working people are trying to dash around getting needed things done so that they can rush back to work. I try to avoid shopping on weekends – except for WalMart, which is always open and always busy.
I kind of miss planning for the weekends as I used to, living for a day off or maybe even more than one day off together! I rarely took vacations, since my work just sat there accumulating for when I got back. Now that I have my own website, I work all hours of the day and night, checking for and filling orders, answering emails, putting new things up, talking to people who would like to list their work with me, etc. I work harder now than I did before, never really being off, but loving it, nonetheless.
‘Monday is coming’ means different things to each of us, depending on our state in life.
Filed under Attitude
Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero
I think my husband’s MIND is magical. Here’s an example –
I told you we bought a used riding mower this week. The seller helped us get it into the back of the truck. My husband said, “Here, hold this,” while he got the strap with a built-in ratchet to work to tie the mower to the truck securely. (The back of the truck was open since the mower more than filled the truck bed.)
We got it home and then tried to figure out how to get the mower OUT of the truck without hurting it, or causing one or both of us grievous harm. I was really anxious about the situation. My husband should have married a combination weight lifter/football player/basketball player to be of adequate help to him on things like this. I’m simply not tall enough or burly enough to be of much help.
I had been up the night before, having bad dreams about getting the mower out of the truck. I dreamed that it was MY job to place the metal tracks so that my husband could back the mower down to the ground from the back of the truck. In my dream, I suddenly realized the tracks were misplaced. My husband tried to back the mower onto the tracks, ending up on the ground UNDER the mower, bleeding profusely, with me trying to figure out how to get the mower OFF of him and him to an emergency room. (I may be admitting to you that I’m mental, since I find myself in this type of situation often and my imagination goes wild each time.)
In actuality, we placed the tracks in the proper place. My husband got chocks (the plastic things that you put against your tires to keep them from rolling when you’re jacking up your vehicle.) We then put the mower in neutral and ‘walked’ it down out of the truck, 6 inches at a time on one wheel at a time to be held securely by the chocks, until the mower was down far enough we could let it roll the rest of the way.
The best ideas I could come up with on my own were –
My husband always has to – in effect – do all things like this by himself. I’m a willing helper, but you can see we’re not exactly on the same wave length on if things are possible at all, and how we should do them. I also am a regular old lady who doesn’t have a lot of strength. Each time he thinks things out, coming up with several ways we can do whatever it is we need to do. He says we also could have rigged a rope to let the mower down slowly.
Thank goodness I’m affiliated with a person who has such clear thinking and general smarts! It’s ‘magical’ to me.
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude, Bright Ideas
Yourellipticals.com
I’m STILL trying to come up with an exercise regimen with which I can stick. Yesterday and today I started out with a session on the elliptical trainer. Yesterday I pooped out at 16 minutes. Today I did better, doing 30 minutes.
I was doing yoga 3 days a week, the elliptical twice a week, and one day each of upper and lower body strength exercises. I discovered I was blowing it off mid week for some reason, and didn’t feel as well as I did when I did a session of yoga each day.
boredboard.com
So I’m going to try doing a session of the elliptical trainer in the morning and yoga in the afternoon. I’ll also try to work in the strength exercises if I’m feeling sassy.
My weight and inches loss remains a challenge. My husband and I are using lots of excuses to eat things we shouldn’t. (Last night it was fried rice from Lin’s House. ) I told him that I was really having trouble staying on my diet and that we can’t celebrate “National Pickle Week” every night.
I had stopped using MyFitnessPal for some reason, and I started it up again yesterday. I left my motivation in one of the piles around the house, but I AM finding it, bit by bit. Once I get my act together – firmly shutting my mouth after I enjoy my orange dream bar after dinner – I hope to again enjoy weight and inches loss. Fingers crossed!!!!!
taolife.com
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude, Challenges, Changes, DIET!, exercise
My husband built a set of targets called, “Falling Plates” beside the shop, in front of a big pile of slag and our raised bed garden.
Here’s a close-up of the targets. They’re metal ‘plates’ with counterweights on a long bar. When you hit a plate, it falls over. When you’ve shot them all, you stop and go set them up again.
He’s been bugging me to go shoot for several weeks now. Today I said, “Okay,” mainly to shut him up. I KNOW it’s important that, if I need to shoot somebody, I can actually hit him – significantly – not just teeing him off.
I started out pretty badly. I managed to load half the magazine before somehow pinching a part of the palm of my hand. The first time I shot, I was high. I again learned that with this gun, I should aim low. I then shot about half the plates with the magazine of bullets.
The second time I hit three of the four plates. I managed to fill half of each of the two magazines. My husband took pity on me and finished filling them up.
The last time I shot, I killed all four plates with two bullets left in the first magazine. My husband pronounced me ‘healed.’ He shot the rest of the first magazine and all of the second. He aimed high at first, too, but quickly corrected.
I should practice more, but I really don’t enjoy shooting. I anticipate the loudness of the shot and feel that it takes forever for me to finally shoot once I start squeezing the trigger.
I do feel better that I was hitting the plates regularly when we stopped for the day.
If you’re a bad guy trying to get me, watch out!!!!
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude, Challenges
Grin – Pinterest
I love Photoshop. I don’t know how to use it, but I appreciate the people who are clever enough to create photos like this. (I tried to make out the watermark on this one, but can see only about half of it. )
It’s 61 degrees here and sunshine-y today. I have many things on my to-do list today. I’m thinking of doing the ‘have-to’s’ and then giving myself some time up in my art room today.
________
It’s now about two hours later than when I started this post. We’ve now eaten breakfast, done basic chores, grocery shopped, and now have a spaghetti squash in the oven. (I’m saving the seeds, hoping that I can plant some for the garden.)
I truly cannot believe it’s February. It’s still sunny, and now is 69 degrees F. We have the front and back doors open, plus the window open in the office, so we can bring the outside in.
Do something fun today!
Filed under Amazing Animals, Attitude
Kajomyot Krunkitsatien
There Was An Owl
“There was an owl
who lived in an oak.
The more he heard,
the less he spoke;
the less he spoke,
the more he heard-
We all should be
like that wise old bird.” ~ Unknown
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
Rachel Naomi Remen via Lisa Bearnes Richey
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, Family, Friendship
David Clinton via David McCunellon
Hahahahahahahahah! :0)
Filed under Attitude, Grin for the Day
Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero
Happiness comes from deep inside you. It’s a feeling that is almost a “skill” in that the more you practice making yourself happy, the easier it gets.
In the beginning you might have to work at looking around and seeing all the good that surrounds you, recognizing how very lucky you are to be enjoying another day, how wonderful it is to be surrounded by interesting people, how terrific it is to have more exciting things you want to do than you have the time or energy to do them, how special it is to have someone you love.
As with anything else, no practice is ever perfect. If you work at it every day, you’ll get better and better.
Filed under Attitude, Challenges, Encouragement
I saw this photo by Humor League posted on Facebook this morning. I shared it there, but wanted to be sure you saw it, too. I’m still laughing from time to time as I think of it again. :0)
Humor League
Filed under Attitude, Grin for the Day
funnypicture.org
I told you last week that for some unknown reason, I can eat a week’s worth of carbs and calories after dinner. Part of the reason is that we’re staying up late. My husband has trouble sleeping. We used to go to bed and read until we were sleepy. He read that he would sleep better if we quit doing that, so we’re downstairs until we’re sleepy now – leaving about 5 hours or so after dinner when we’re close to the kitchen.
Yesterday I put my foot down hard – telling myself I was finished gorging myself and would look forward to my orange dream bar after dinner and THAT WAS IT! Last night was the first night in ages I’ve actually done it. My scale even noticed the difference. So – I’m starting day TWO of acting like an adult on my eating.
Since I’ve been shoving everything in the house into my mouth, my weight and measurements have fluctuated. I’m determined to get back on track, eating low carb and as little sugar as possible. I’m trying to stay under 40 carbs of carbohydrates per day and under 1200 calories. AND I’m trying to exercise regularly. To date I’ve lost 34 lbs and 19″.
I’m doing better on my exercising than my eating. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been doing yoga three days a week, the elliptical twice a week, and upper and lower body strength exercises. My poor old body has had sore muscles to show for my efforts, but I’m feeling better overall, and I feel that I’m working my body from head to toe, in different ways so my body doesn’t get used to anything.
Now that I’m finally on track on my after dinner eating, I’m hopeful I can continue to report actual progress to you.
taolife.com
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude, Challenges, Changes, DIET!, exercise
Katie Kacvinsky via hangoutwithoutfreakingout via Desiree Angelique Hackett
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
Yesterday I started painting my newest order for stationery and note cards in my newly cleaned and organized art room. What a pleasure! I finished the package of deckled edge floral stationery last night and I’ll start the package of note cards today. I’ll share some photos when I’m finished.
I have to tell you I love my life. I don’t know how I ever found the time to work full-time, as I did for some 45 years. Then I changed to working from home, continuing to do medical transcription I used to do at an office in Fort Smith. I also started my website, Creative Artworks, in 2000.
I still run my website, which has about 25 other artists right now. I love writing this blog, trying not to bury you alive in pictures I’ve found, thoughts I’ve had, and more each day. I love working in my art room on orders or ideas for new things, plus working in our shop with my husband, creating metal yard critters out of scrap metal, cutting new mailbox decorations out on our CNC setup with computer-guided torch, creating stained glass pieces and mosaics. I’m brimming with ideas for a new mosaic project, a new technique for working with gourds, a glass etching, and ideas for a new theme for Christmas cards and wooden ornaments.
My raised bed square foot garden is always in my thoughts. As soon as I finish a few more things, I’ll get out my master ‘map’ of my six 4’x4′ raised beds and figure out what I’d like to try to grow for our veggie garden in the spring, as well as where to put them in the garden. I’ll start some spinach seeds inside, since I have real trouble finding spinach plants.
A gift that keeps on giving is our brick planter beds all around the house, brimming with flowers. We’re trying to add more perennials each year, since we ARE getting older, as well as planting our favorite annuals each year.
I started practicing yoga – the old ladies’ version called “Gentle Yoga” by Sixty & Me. I’m still surprised that it is so helpful in controlling pain and promoting flexibility and better balance. I’ve bought a 2nd DVD from them, called, “Gentle Yoga Flows” which combines what is taught in the first DVD set and guides you through four different practices that leave me feeling looser and much more relaxed.
I have more books than I can read and feel rich for it. I love learning new skills. Between the Internet, YouTube demonstrations, and books (either physical or on my Kindle) I can learn things as fast as this old brain can absorb them. What a luxury!
My husband’s and my health are improving, thanks to our low carb lifestyle and a newer emphasize on avoiding as much sugar as we can. We’re both feeling better for it. (The latest new thing is Cashew Milk, thanks to my sister-in-law, Mary Lou’s, recommendation.) It has 25 calories and 0 grams of sugar per serving. He says it doesn’t taste watery and likes the more creamy taste. My husband is wonderful about encouraging my efforts to cook new recipes, not griping if the recipe is just not for us, and very complimentary if I find one he likes. This makes it ALMOST fun to cook!
The days, weeks, months, and years whiz past our heads. We truly enjoy getting in as much fun as possible each day.
So – today picture me up in my art room, dancing to favorite CDs while painting note cards…
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
Giggle Juice via Vickie Eisenlohr
We’re really dry here in Arkansas, so I’m delighted that we’re having several days in a row of nice rain.
I also freely admit I’m grateful we didn’t have ice this time and we’ve only had one snow so far this winter (knock on wood).
I’m using the time when it’s nicer to be inside to TRY to get better organized. (I know – you’ve heard this before….)
For example, I spent some time upstairs in my art room yesterday afternoon. I was planning to get started on some ideas I have for some new Christmas cards and some painted wooden ornaments. The room is in SUCH a mess that I spent much of the time trying to get things put away, find the things I was looking for, etc.
I DID clear off a work table. I set it up as a ‘learn to draw better’ station, with the new, gorgeous suitcase of all kinds of pencils my husband gave me for Christmas. (It has drawing pencils of lots of gradations, colored pencils, prisma color pencils, pastel pencils, charcoal and more.) I found my Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book I’ve had for years which has lessons that will help me see things with the more creative side of my brain, helping me reproduce what I’m seeing in a more satisfying fashion. (At least I HOPE so anything is up from here. :0) ) The last time I tackled the book I made several templates suggested in the book to help me focus on a particular thing. I found those, as well. All is set up for when I can make the time. I hope to get through all the lessons this year.
Most of the rest of the room is awful. I’ll spend some time today setting things to rights – at least so my drafting table is clean and I finish finding what I was looking for yesterday. The biggest problem is that I have a lot of fun stuff up there. As I try to put things away, I get distracted by what I find, making me want to stop cleaning and play…
I’ll try to do Practice 3 this afternoon of my new “Gentle Yoga Flows” DVD by Sixty & Me, and tonight we’re going bowling with three good friends.
Beautiful morning, afternoon in my art room and stretching to yoga, bowling and ice cream with friends this evening. It doesn’t get much better than this!
I hope that YOU are having a wonderful day, too.
Filed under Attitude, Challenges, Changes, Housekeeping - Maintenance, I'm a slob
HandsOnAsWeGrow.com
I’ve decided that this afternoon is a perfect time for me to have some fun.
I thought of some ideas for new Christmas cards and Christmas ornaments. The ideas have been driving me nuts, rattling around in my head, particularly when I’m trying to get some sleep.
I’m going to take this nice Sunday afternoon to go up to my art room and play – to at least get a start on seeing if I can bring my ideas to paper and wood.
I hope that YOU have some fun ideas on how you’ll spend this glorious day. Have some fun!
Filed under Attitude, Bright Ideas, Childlike Fun, Lewis Art, opportunities
Love Your Life via Stephanie Youmans Wilson
Filed under Attitude, Bright Ideas, Challenges, Childlike Fun, Encouragement
Bajiroo.com
Since I’m being honest with you, I’ll admit that I’ve been intimidated ever since I received my new yoga DVD in the mail. That’s dumb, but there it is. No one is telling me that I can’t just simply use the “Gentle Yoga” DVD set for the rest of my life. The same people who created it, though, are offering a follow-up, taking the practices to a new level.
I guess that’s what intimidated me – the idea of ‘taking it to a new level.’ The DVD has been sitting in the pile on the table by my chair in the living room since it arrived, 3 or 4 days ago. Not only have I not tried it, I hadn’t done the other practices that I knew I could do!
I was frozen in limbo.
Today I decided I would play it and just LOOK at it – kind of like steeling yourself to watch a snake wriggle across the room. Then – talking to myself – I decided I would get my stuff set up, just in CASE it wasn’t too hard for me to try.
I’ve just finished “Practice 1” (of the four on the DVD). It was wonderful.
I should have known that the instructor, Cat Kabira, would guide me carefully through the poses, giving clear directions and reassuring me that if I tried to do the poses, I would get the same benefits as if I could actually fold myself into a paper airplane. This first practice was a series of wonderful stretches that hit the high spots, head to toe, along with the relaxation time at the end. I now am looking forward to doing Practice 2 tomorrow.
With the 2 DVD set of “Gentle Yoga” and the new DVD containing 4 practice flows, I have a total of 5 ‘flow’ practices and then 7 practices designed to target different parts of the body.
I’m gradually loosening up. I realize that I’ve spent many years getting stiffer and less flexible, and that I won’t correct the problem overnight. This wonderful instructor makes sure to remind you that as long as you’re trying to do each pose, you’ll get the same benefit as if you could actually touch your toes, or bend yourself into a pretzel shape. :0)
I’m learning to listen to my body, breathe into any tight, sore, or stiff areas, and I’m learning to relax. I’m FEELING much more. I realize what areas need work. I’m recognizing that I’m improving gradually!
I now heartily recommend the “Gentle Yoga Flows” DVD by Sixty & Me as a great follow-up to the “Gentle Yoga” DVD.
Filed under Attitude, Challenges, Changes, Encouragement, exercise
Reddit via GrowingBolder.com
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude, Childlike Fun, Encouragement
creativeartworksblog 