Creating a Habit

I've just joined a group that I found in this blog. According to Leo, 10 minutes a day for 30 days is all it takes to start a new habit. I've decided that I would like to start organizing my horribly chaotic filing cabinet which has troubling me for years.

There are many other areas in my life that I could work on too, of course, but Leo suggests starting small, and focusing on only one thing.

So, here I go. I have made several half-hearted attempts in the past but I always give up because I'm not an organized person to begin with and I end up with way too many categories and then I can't decide where to put anything.

I think 10 minutes a day should be pretty doable. Maybe I'll try having just several broad categories and going from there. Wish me luck and let me know if you have any helpful ideas.

Keep Things Simple

Lately I've been finding myself getting sucked into the steadily increasing hype and madness of the holiday season. It's not just the shopping-- it's the meal planning and travel planning and decorating and housecleaning. Trying to get everyone in the family organized so that we will be able to spend a few hours together, enjoying each others' company.

And anytime you have a group of people getting together, especially for a meal, there's bound to be stress and tension, so the more prepared you are, the better (usually) the event will be. I always find myself running short on time the closer I get to Christmas, but somehow it always works out, even though I didn't get around to decorating the front hall or trying out that new stuffing recipe.

I find that keeping things simple works best for me. I don't try new recipes. I don't agonize over having a spotless home or doing all my Christmas baking from scratch. And I try to schedule in some 'me' time, although that's been difficult this year.

So far this year I've been doing alright. Could be better, of course. I would have liked to take some time to enjoy all that beautiful snow out there, maybe by doing some cross-country skiing, but that hasn't happened yet. I'd also like to do some Christmas baking, not a lot, maybe next week I'll be able to do that. And the crafts! I've always dreamed of making all sorts of wonderful Christmas crafts, but I always think of it too late. Maybe next year.

Welcome to the World

I'm a grandma again!! My second grandson, Jeremy Braden, was born this morning, about 1 week early, and is the cutest little thing ever!
There's something about a brand new baby that's so mesmerizing. I could have just stared at him for hours.

I think it's the helplessness and vulnerability of a newborn that I find so compelling. It makes me want to cry. To think that we, as adults, have so much responsibility in caring for and protecting these tiny creatures. Even if we're not related in any way, we still have an unspoken duty to ensure that no harm comes to any child.

Jeremy, I pray for God's blessing on you and your family. May you always feel loved and cared for, and as you grow, I hope that you will show love to those around you.

Respect

I've spent the last couple of days at a workshop for Hep C, which might not sound too exciting except that the people who organized it, CATIE, incorporated speakers and panelists from all walks of life. Hepatitis C is a preventable illness but is largely ignored and underfunded in this country because it mainly threatens marginalized people in our society--drug users, street people, people in prison. Anyone can contract Hep C of course, but treatment and prevention is especially difficult for these groups.

As a result I learned a lot, not only about this devastating illness, but also about human beings. I learned that people are all basically the same. We all want the same things--to be loved, to belong, to be accepted.

I learned that drug users are people too. The demons that some people live with are unimaginable to me, but that doesn't mean that I have any right to judge them. Each of us follows his own path and we rarely have a complete picture of the path that someone else is following.

We owe respect to our fellow human beings, if only because they are human beings. We need to accept others on the level they are at, not only on a level that we think is acceptable.

I am extremely grateful to the people who spoke at this workshop, who were brave enough to speak up and shed some light on a murky and difficult area.
As individuals we can make a difference.

Relax for Christmas

Ohhh!!! The Christmas rush is fast approaching. Despite my best efforts I seem to have gotten myself involved in too much. It all seemed doable at first. A concert to play in, an exam to study for and write, a graduation to attend in a city 7 hours away, and guests to entertain, all in the space of a few days! And we're not even close to Christmas yet!

So here I am, finally, starting to unwind. Everything's done. The concert was a huge success, the exam is written (I'm not sure how well written, but it's done). The graduation ceremony was wonderful; the travel part exhausting but worth it, and the guests have all gone home!
Aahhh . . . .

I would have liked to get some Christmas decorations up, but that can wait. Right now I just want to relax and do nothing. Oh, and the cards. I really need to get those cards out. . . .

It's so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life. There are so many worthwhile things to do and so many people making legitimate requests of your time and energy. It would be nice to do everything, but it's unrealistic. Sometimes we have to give ourselves permission to slack off. Especially at Christmastime, prioritizing is a must. Pick one or two things that are really important to you, such as decorating the house, baking cookies, sending out cards, or whatever. Then do those 2 things really well and don't worry too much about the rest.

Yes, it would be nice to be like Martha Stewart and do everything perfectly, but why do that to yourself? People will like you much more if you're imperfect. Nobody appreciates perfection but everyone appreciates that calm, relaxed person who doesn't get too worked up if the decorations are askew or the cookies are store-bought (gasp!)

Christmas is all about reflection -- taking the time to look within -- and about relationships -- connecting with family and with yourself. Make sure you take the time over the next few weeks to do just that.

Ancient Japanese Cemetary

I spent a few weeks in Japan earlier this year. I absolutely loved it. We spent some time up in the mountains at a Buddhist monastery. The sense of ancient stillness was magical.
We wandered among the temples and thousands of tombstones dating back to 500 BC and became completely oblivious to the concept of time. We were confused when it became dark because we thought we had only been there a short time, when in reality we had been there for hours, immersed the majesty of the place.
The trees were incredible! Huge, massive things that completely dwarfed the temples and the monuments. And the silence was indescribable. Kind of like that hushed serenity you feel when you step inside a very old, very big, very holy cathedral. I felt very much like I was in a church.
I want to go back someday.

Freedom and Gratitude

This is a picture I took last year while in Cuba. I don't know what type of bird it is, but the picture speaks to me of freedom. I love the look of the clouds and the soaring bird with outstretched wings. Someday I'd like to try painting that picture.

I played around with watercolours today. It was fun but when I tried to take a picture the colours came out weird and the focus was off. Here it is anyway.

I just want to take some time to thank Leah of Creative Every Day for her hard work, her enthusiasm and her encouragement to so many of us who took part in her Art Every Day Month campaign. I learned so much and made many new friends.

I also want to thank Serena of Serena P Lewis for drawing my name in her giveaway!! I won one of her beautiful paintings and I can't wait to hang it on my wall! Thank-you Serena!

I plan on continuing my Art Every Day habit. I've discovered that creating art is extremely relaxing and satisfying. I used to think that an artist was only successful when "good" art was produced. However, this month I've learned that creating any caliber of art means that the artist was successful. From reading other artist's blogs I've learned that sometimes "awful" painting sit for months until the artist one day sees something in it, makes a small change, and suddenly, voila! a masterpiece emerges.

I have many new ideas and techniques that I want to try. So stay tuned and thank-you everyone for all your kind comments and your great blogs that I love to read.