Disruption

Hi Everyone!

How is your February going so far? Let me start out by explaining that according to my personal seasonal algorithm, February has at least 90 days. It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s dark most of the month here which makes it drag on FOREVER. We are going to South Carolina this month to visit my daughter and her family. Hopefully they will have some warmth to enjoy while we are there.

So my well planned morning (see last week’s post on planning) went to poop. Today was going to be the first day I have had to myself in about a month and a half. I am on the extreme end of the introvert scale and while I love people, especially those I live with, I desperately need lots of alone time to function properly. That said, I had my quiet morning all planned out and was waiting impatiently to pack up my people and send them on their way.

And then…the bus didn’t stop for DN. Grrrrrrrrrrr. I have been taking children to school on cold winter mornings for the better part of 20 years. Since 1998 to be exact, with a few years off here and there, but not many. When DN came to live with us we were in a different county and she didn’t know anyone, so I took her to school and picked her up for the two years before we moved home. When we moved here I asked if she was ok to ride the bus and she was fine with it because she knew most of the people on the route. I did a secret happy dance!

Obviously there is a new bus driver. I know what new jobs are like and I tried very hard not to grumble too much and when I called the school to let them know, I tried not to let the irritation ooze through my voice too much. But can I just say that having to go out into 25 degree cold and drive to the school and into the school dropoff crazy (you parents who do this know EXACTLY what I mean) did not leave me in a zen mode this morning. It has taken most of the morning to work off the irritation of the disruption to my precious day of solitude. I know, I know, I should not let stuff like this get to me. Well, pooh. It does. I gave grace to the bus driver and I’m giving myself the grace to be human and irritated. By the time my people get home I should be calm again (hopefully).

Enough complaining. Onto other stuff. I got six paintings put up on Etsy this week. Four of them have sold. If anyone is interested in checking out what is left at the moment here is the link to my store. I have a few more to add and am working on more. The little sparrow painting in my blog picture is one that is left and he needs a new home.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BloomtownStudio

In my plans this week (ha, ha) are rearranging and painting (walls, not canvas) in my attic studio. About 1/3 is drywalled now. The anticipation of getting the room finished is more than I can stand. As soon as I can reasonably function up there the easel, sewing machine and supplies will be set up for me to get to work. I can’t even imagine the luxury of being able to find supplies without moving and opening numerous boxes. Hopefully next week I will have some updated photos to share.

Alright, now on to my day which includes cleaning out one side of the garage that has been storage since we moved and we need to put a vehicle in there. Hey, the fun around here never ends.

If you have had a disruption in you day, just know that you aren’t alone and we can take some deep breaths and shake that stuff off.

Faith, Hope, Love, Grace (lots of Grace today),

Christel

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Hasta La Vista 2020

Hi Everyone!

Well, we are there. Where I’m pretty sure most of us have been wanting to be since at least May. Kicking 2020 out the door! There are defining moments in history that shape each generation. Those dates in time that everyone has a story about. Good or bad they stay with us forever. 2020 will certainly be one of those historical times.

Yes, we would like for all the problems of 2020 to miraculously fix themselves today, on December 31st. Not gonna happen. I’m going to tell you my plans for 2021 and please feel free to share yours. We can all use some inspiration and good ideas going forward.

A couple of weeks something happened. Nothing earth shaking. Just suddenly this feeling of lightness and hope hit me. Pretty weird after all the stress and anxiety for the whole darn 2020. My brain / spirit seemed to say “Things are not going to be great any time soon, but you don’t have to dwell in the gloom. There is always good to be found, things to laugh about, fun to be had and joy to spread around.”

2020 was all about uncertainity and 2021 will still have some of that (every day has some of that), but we know more now. Covid is not miraculously going away, but we have people getting a vaccine, we know it isn’t going to wipe out the whole human race and treatments are improving. The economy is going to SUCK. Yeah, we aren’t going back to where we were, but we know to keep a close eye on our finances, the government, the banks, and opportunities. We know our countries are going to be in turmoil and people are going to be hurting. People act out when they are hurting and fearful.

Here is what else my spirit heard. “Have Faith that things will get better. Have Hope in the good that still lives. Love without ceasing. Give Grace to everyone and yourself. ” Hard to argue with any of that. So those are my words for 2021. Faith, Hope, Love, Grace. Gotta be better than the Gloom, Doom, Fear, Hate that dominated 2020.

I am moving forward with Faith. Now that the worst of the home repairs/remodel are done I can actually focus on painting something more than walls. Now that our old barn has been sturdied up and the horses have actual stalls, we can focus on finishing my attic studio. I have lots of creative plans that I have already started on and will share as we go along.

Alright, go celebrate the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021…in a socially distanced sort of way. Be safe out there.

Faith, Hope, Love, Grace

Christel

Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

Hi Everyone,

I am just popping in long enough to wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I’m not going to list all the holidays because you can be sure I will forget at least one. Love on someone near you that is struggling in any socially distanced way you can. If you are the one struggling, know that there are places for help. Please search them out and persist. There is light at the end of the troubles.

Whatever you celebrate do it with Faith, Hope, Love and Grace this year!

Christel

Photo by D A V I D S O N L U N A on Unsplash