Checkin' In

You turn your back for one minute and another month passes. Hello Ms. March!

03/06/18, 6:15 p.m. backyard sunset by: Me

• I'm finding it hard to believe this June will mark ONE YEAR of my being at the store.
• Nothing more in life has been happening here. I haven't been to Italy, Greece, The Coastal Georgia Islands or any place else that's been on my bucket list forever. Often times I wonder if I'll ever get to any of those places.
• I feel like I live a very quiet life which is cool, but at times can be quite maddening. This lovely quote comforts me in some way:

"Solitude" by: Me

• On the reading front: "A Confident Heart" has become another one of my favorites. I love my faith, God and any good reading that makes me feel even more grateful in my gratitude walk
• "The Story of Arthur Truluv", because I love anything Elizabeth Berg writes
• "They Left Us Everything" because I love a good memoir and it kinda reminds me of what my sibs and I will have to face with mom...
• "Happier At Home" because who doesn't want their home to be simple, comfortable and full of love?
• "Living In Full Bloom" because I'm all in for books that share how to live in constant bloom; and
• "Daughters of Men" perhaps because I didn't have a father/daughter relationship in my life and I love reading about Black Women who do/did

On the art front: Paint chip butterflies on canvas board, hot glue on canvas board covered in foil and polished w/black shoe polish, my contribution to Valentine's Day (acrylic paint on canvas board), and "Loretta and Devine" (named after the amazing Loretta Devine), my first time with Orchids. Side note: "Loretta" is THRIVING: ALL the petals have since fallen off "Devine." 😭 Research says don't trip - she's not dead.

"Loretta"

"Devine"

 Until next time - from this quiet life.

Hello, Ms. New Year

Photo by: Me

Happy New Year to all out there!! They say the new year is the start to a clean slate, but truly - everyday is a clean slate if you think about it.

I haven't for the past couple of years made any resolutions. I just do whatever it is I'm going to do. Besides, I suck @ staying true when I 'resolve.'

However, here are some things that would nice if they would/could happen:

• We find a solution of what to do with mom as her dementia increases
• Mom will allow us to act on her behalf in her best interests
• I will continue to be able to stay in my home. With things shifting, sometime I get just a tad antsy but have to remember God telling me to "be still and know..."
• Carve out serious practice time for the guitar instead of letting it go so long that I have to keep repeating lesson #1
• I can make some type of road trips (or a flight would be even better) to take some new, fresh pictures
• Someone would look @ my FB Photo Bus. page and think, 'OH MY GEEZ, I JUST HAVE TO OWN AN ORIGINAL 😀
• I can get asked to shoot more weddings/parties and charge what I'm worth
• Perhaps at the prompting of Sister #2, create that Photo Book of my pix
• Hoping my creative spark returns. Everything I've touched lately turns out like shit in my eyes
• I can be more real and honest with myself
• I will make time to write here @ least once a week
• I will make time to plop my behind down onto the mat and do yoga again. I know some aches and pains I have sometime can be cured with a solid routine
• Find time to give more attention to my dogs. It's a lot of work taking care of two on your own when it was SUPPOSED to be a joint-project
• Stop spending so much time alone and forge real friendships. Introversy be damned
• May I stretch myself to grow in all ways positive and trust the process

Life is such a beautiful, crazy, mysterious, scary thing.

Photo by: me "Reflections of..."

Me and Keith Urban

Earlier this week, I bought a guitar from a co-worker. 🎸

It wasn't an impulse buy. It's been on the bucket list forever and the chance fell into my lap.

I've always wanted to learn to play. I figure 40+ years was long enough of a wait.

It's an expensive guitar, but she sold it to me for a song. No pun intended. 😀

It's a "Keith Urban" and came with a set of teaching CD's, case and a buncha cool stuff.

Last nite I practiced for an hour. It's hard work getting your fingers just right on the frets. MAJOR finger practicing is in order.

After an hour, I was frustrated but I know it'll take time.

It's not like I'm going on tour next week.

It felt so liberating to buy it on the spot. One of the perks of employment.

The Sig.Other wasn't impressed at all. I'm not sure if it was because I didn't mention it to him first or what, but whatever ails him is not my problem.

In the meanwhile, I'm working on becoming the next Nancy to Ann Wilson's "Heart" and banging out "Crazy For You."

A 'girl' guitar player.

Hellz yeah. 😎😎😎

Checking In

Come to my Window ~ Melissa Ethridge
(Photo by me)

I'm still being faithful to the 31 days of yoga with Adrienne. I find that when I feel out of sorts, etc., dropping down to the mat really does wonders. I look forward to it; the breathing & stretching into Asanas. Yoga is so not an easy thing. Using your body against your body is better than any weight at any gym. Also, the Yoga Journal Magazine has taken on a whole new meaning. Besides reading about it, I'm BEING about it.

As part of Grandbaby's Cakes Soul Food Movement, (I love her), I'm working on a vision board/ boards. I've been a collage maker for a long time, but never one with any 'direction'. I'm working on one for travel, dreams, and positivity. Manifesting my dreams, speaking them into existence. It took me about a week to figure out what my dreams are.

Picked up a few books at the library:

Pat Conroy's Lowcountry stories always capture me. I've dreamed forever of going there (vision board)

A friend recommended this to me years ago; just now getting around to it.

I'm a nature lover as well!!!

Who doesn't love a good 'rags to riches' story? Especially for a young African American girl.

And finally, who doesn't love a good, sad memoir?

Otherwise, I'm hanging in there. I have an offer to return to First Christian's Day Program for work, but I'm SO not feeling it. My brother says go where my spirit calls. My spirit obviously isn't calling me to it.

Namaste

"Live!!!"

And my official word for the upcoming New Year is:

"LIVE"

¹live :verb \ˈliv\:to exhibit vigor, gusto, or enthusiasm

Maybe in some way, this can tie in with my bucket list at: http://bucketlist.org/list/traceykinohio/. :-)

Do you have a word that will be your mantra in 2014?

The List inside the Bucket

Internet Image

I don't know why I've never attempted to create a bucket list. Maybe cause I never allow myself to dream too wildly, which is not good. That's what dreams are for, aren't they? Or I do not allow myself to dream anything that I know damn well I'll never do, but again - that's why they're called dreams.

So, today, I've decided to let myself go, climb out & dream. 10,000, 1,000, 500, 100 or even 50 seem overwhelming right now, so I'll start w/15 - a nice, small, number.

1. visit the coastal islands of Georgia
2. " " Sanibel Beach, Florida, & add to my shell collection
3. " " Italy
4. " " Greece
   
5. open a restaurant for the homeless; no money required
6. own a bookstore
7. own a big, old farmhouse w/wraparound porch
8. learn to ride a horse
9. own a nursery
10. photograph L.A. from the "Hollywood" sign
11. display my photographs at an art gallery
12. spend a week on an exotic, luxury island
13. wear a slinky, sexy dress w/spaghetti straps
14. attend a real "high end" occasion that will require said dress
15. rent a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains
    

Kind of a sad list, isn't? I mean, what's wild about these things? These are very normal, "do-able" things. I mean, you don't see anything uninhibited, like 'swim the Serengeti', or "bungy jump off the side of a cliff," you know? I think this list kinda shows how I limit myself and "keep safe' I am, even in my dreams.

Wonder when will I wake up & live my best life?




Sky picture by: me :-)