Best Shot Monday

I call this:  Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.  Nothing like a little harmonica playing at 7 am to get your day going.  My cowgirl was performing her song du jour, the theme to the movie GhostBusters (okay, her rather loose interpretation upon the song.)  This has replaced Spiderman for the time being. The hubby is making sure to leave his imprint upon her.  What you cannot see or rather hear is her hilarious laughter as she first belched into the harmonica, then tooted while playing.

Yes, we are cultured folk over here.

What helped get you going today?

for all you dancers out there

I have to say, I am pretty overwhelmed by all the good wishes and blessings sent my way. Thank you all for peeking in and giving me a thumbs up. My humble little blog also has received a gift from a fairy godmother in blogdom ... did you notice the shiny, new banner? Thank you lovely Susannah for this unexpected gift! (And for taking pity upon my already-over-taxed technical skills.)

It has been a busy start to the weekend with family outing to the swimming pool at Grandmother's "Club" (sounds so Victorian), dinner and a long drive home. But I was thinking about all of us winding down from the whirlwind of Unravelling and wanted to share this little nugget of inspiration. An excerpt from a poem called Awake Awhile by the Persian poet, Hafiz.

Awake, my dear.
Be kind to your sleeping heart.
Take it out into the vast fields of Light
And let it breathe.

Say,
"Love,
Give me back my wings.
Lift me nearer."

Say to the sun and moon,
Say to our dear Friend,

"I will take You up now, Beloved,
On that wonderful Dance you promised!"

Be kind to your hearts ... they are very dear.

Up & Running!

Welcome! This blog has been fermenting in my brain for quite some time now and finally, I am taking the plunge. It is a bit daunting though to stare at this blank screen and wonder, "well, so what do you have to say?" I am reminded of Swami Kripalu's advice which is "ask yourself if what you have to say is an improvement upon silence." Gulp.

But I am putting this out here because there is very little silence in my head and I am needing to get some of the ideas - and some of the demons - out of my head. Whether a public airing is really necessary remains to be seen. I feel myself emerging from a long winter's hibernation and while it is officially Summer, I am entering a Springlike state of activity, growth and creativity. And I do not want to lose it. Or lose my way. So I am hoping this blog will be my trail of bread crumbs connecting the past to my future self. (Never mind the birds ate all the bread crumbs ... not sure what that means for me.)

I am finishing up an amazing online course "Unravelling" which has re-ignited my love for photography, journaling, and a whole host of various crafty activities from my past (collages, stamp carving). Part of my intention here is to share my process - not because I'm doing anything that amazing - but hopefully to spread some seeds of creativity and to glean some tips and ideas from others. Community is a real motivator for me. I hope my humble little blog will provide a space for sharing of ideas and not just about art making but also family, self, spirituality, and how to juggle it all gracefully and playfully.

Life is busy with all the to-do lists necessary for a small family, but I don't want to lose sight of the small joys scattered throughout the every day. On that note, I think I should end this rather sweeping introduction with a question for you (yeah, I ignored the header that reads "10 Tips for finding new blog topics" - maybe I ought to check all these tools out?) - Where are you finding joy today?