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Showing posts from December, 2008

a letter to 2008

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Thank you to dancingmermaid for the idea for this post. Dear 2008: I'd like to say thank you, first & foremost, for seeing me through. The fact that I am still here and ready to dive into another year is certainly deserving of my appreciation. Looking back at all you have thrown my way, I'd have to say it's been quite a mix. Ups & downs sometimes by the minute, but I always ended up learning something new about myself. The lessons were sometimes dissapointing, but always valuable and necessary indeed. And I think that's one of the most important things I'm going to take from you, 2008. The lesson of learning. I have a habit of missing the process when I'm in it, always looking at the end result and thinking ahead & not seeing what's right in front of me. You taught me to live more in the moment and to appreciate what's in front of me, pleasant or not. There is something to be found in every moment, no matter how small, and I'm planning t

Why painted pink mountains?

I thought for a long time about starting a blog, and had a ridiculously hard time coming up with a name for it. I shelved the idea for a while, figuring that one day, a name would come to me, and it might not be perfect, but it would fit and I'd know it. I have a fairly long commute. The first 15-20 minutes are all back roads. Beautiful, scenic back roads that wind over orchards and around farmland and through woods. About two miles into it, I come to the top of a hill. Upon cresting that hill, a breathtaking scene comes into view. Orchards to the right, fields to the left, hills & valleys as far as I can see that swim all along the horizon. Every season paints a different story. Overcast days in the crisp fall air are my favorite with the fog laying in blankets over the land, allowing the tall pine trees to peek out over top. One morning, late autumn, the sun was rising brightly as I topped that hill. Everywhere I looked, it's light beamed down on the mountains f

A little creative bug

I'm an artist at heart. While photography and writing seems to top the list, I'm constantly looking at things wondering what I can do with them. I hate throwing things away (even if I'm recycling them) and am always looking for a way to reuse things. I recently became a tiny bit obsessed with old jars, bleeding art tissue and glitter. And acrylics. I've always loved making beaded jewelry and would love to experiment with fine metals too. And now it seems I have a strong desire to learn how to knit. I've always toyed with the idea of making my own clothing, and even though I'm fairly skilled at sewing the holes in my socks I'm not too sure how well I would do with a sewing machine, or knitting needles for that matter. But something about the colors, the feel of the yarn, the repetitiveness of the act of knitting and the satisfaction of wearing something I've made myself; it's all very appealing to me. I think all of this pretty much screams at

holidays & healing

This was the first year I've ever hosted a meal on my own. I procrastinated & waited til Wednesday night to buy the Turkey, and pretty much all the food I needed. But it was a lovely shopping trip with my best friend Sarah there to enjoy with me and had I been prepared I would not have had quite as much fun as I did shopping with her. And she didn't even buy any shoes! I must add that I recently ended a vegetarian lifestyle that lasted almost 3 years. I'm still not eating a lot of meat, but I find it interesting that I choose to start eating meat again & then subject myself to shoving my arms into a raw dead bird. But it all went well. I got the turkey in all by myself (with a few repeating phone calls to clarify that "no I don't see any bag of anything in this turkey). Everyone ate & enjoyed it. Unfortunately, colds abound. I hit the couch Thursday night after cleaning up & didn't move til Monday morning. I wouldn't call it a cold a