Tag: Creativity

simply a moment | 7.15.25 …

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The interesting thing about digital blogging, note making/taking, etc : One never knows when opening a program, what one will find. My experience is this: I can count on the fact that a CHANGE has occurred when I open WordPress. Were I using the program on a daily basis, I’d probably be more appreciative BUT, since I don’t, it’s just an irritation.

Anyway, it’s the 15th of the month and time for my Simply A Moment post. It’s hotter than Hades in these parts ~ temp is currently 88 degrees Fahrenheit and presumably that’s today’s high! One must be thankful for Mother Nature’s small favors…

This morning, as I stood at the kitchen sink, waiting for my tea water to boil, I stared out the window and was delighted to see this picture:

The pink flowers of the Crepe Myrtle were perfect against the blue sky and white clouds…especially on another H-O-T July morning. I filled my electric kettle with water and turned it on to boil so that I could make tea and prepare to join the London Writers’ Salon 8 AM Writers’ Hour daily, Mon -Fri, session. Some mornings, I’ve drafted a blog post; this morning I didn’t. I instead wrote a To Do list, portions of which I’ll share:

OH! A rowdy opening to Writers’ Hour on this day! T’was fun! Slept well and am ready for another “fun-filled day of purging” and , and, etc. Hopefully I’ll purge first then settle in to tackle: and in no special order –

Junk Journal : Find Tags …

Daily Pages: More “pointillism” ?…

5 P Zoom …

Butterfly Embroidery – start a new hexagon …

Walk ~ maybe. Check forecast for PM possibility; Too hot! …

Paper Purge – a n’er ending process, ALL of MY OWN MAKING! A SUPER BAD HABIT I NEED TO BREAK! STARTING TODAY! And how many days have I said that?! And the HABIT IS: Writing stuff down on any/all available pieces of paper. Think I’ll see if I can find any tips on line! Yeah! …

BLOG POST ~ TODAY!

Read/Begin Abigail Thomas’ A Three Dog Life

A good start for another very hot summer day! Best spent in A/C. Stay Cool!

Oh,BTW: The birds hatched and moved on and now we can enter/leave the house in peace!

Cheers~

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Simply a Moment 12.15.24…

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~Simply A Moment ~ 15 December 2024~

“Onward!” Is how Gretchen Rubin encourages listeners to her podcast to embrace the current day’s and week’s journey! Today, I’ve been busy in my “Craft Studio” organizing and decluttering so I can spend the next 20+ days – til 5 January – wrapping up 2024 and settling into 2025. The bottom line is I just have too much stuff – for exercising my creative urges! And quiet as it’s kept, try as I may, I don’t seem to be making much headway towards getting rid of all this stuff nor am I being creative! Grrr!

Today, I did disconnect the printer I bought several years ago (during Covid). It – the printer – “eats” the paper and I’ve been advised by several different Staples staffers that it’s probably not worth the dollars to try to fix the problem and frankly, I just don’t have the energy to schlepp it into a store and, and, and… Since I also have an Epson PM-400 that prints both 4×6 and 5×7 photos plus mini collages, I think I can fulfill most printing needs.

Helen Colebrook, a British journal artist, creates and shares a monthly list of journal prompts – #journalwithpurposepatreonchallenge – I just looked at today’s : Finding Calm. Just what I need and I’m delighted to report that I do feel much calmer, now that I have begun to restore some order to my “stuff” and can see a few clear surfaces. Next up on the list is my sewing studio …I am in the midst of making a few holiday ornaments…and that basically requires that I sit my butt in seat at my sewing machine – which , quiet as it’s kept, is a “novel idea” for me. Covid and the loss of dear loved ones definitely took the wind out of my sails but I’m slowly reconnecting … with stitching . I guess I could say I’m “getting my mojo back.” Yep ! I think so and time will tell.

“Onward!”

Simply A Moment | 3.15.24

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My Christmas Cactus has a third bloom; it delights me so – and is a welcome symbol of a spectacular time of year.

Note to Self:

“I am writing this post in the DayONE journal app. Perhaps I can make this DayONE journal entry also the focus of my blog post – it’s the 15th of the month and on this date, each month I try to post to my blog*, this space that you are now reading. Also, every morning, 8 -9 AM, Mon-Fri, for the past two years and 15 or so days, I’ve been writing during Writers’ Hour, with people from all over the world, joined by Zoom and heralded by hosts and hostesses of the fantastic . Covering all the time zones in the world and offered M-F, four times daily, WH provides encouragement, companionship, camaraderie, celebration. The latter, for many people proudly share the advent of publication of their book or play… their writing!

How do I deal with uncertainty?

My aim is not to publish a book, persé; the closest format might be called a photobook tho’ my emphasis is on the words, not the photos.

Today’s DayONE prompt asks and my answer: …with uncertainty – pun intended. Life gets in the way of one’s plans. In my last entry, I shared that I was going to relocate this blog. I am still on that path though a wee bit behind. Determined it will happen; stay tuned!

Whatever. However. I have enough fodder that could/would constitute a goodly sized “book.” My aim is to create a new “publication date” so to speak. My assignment (to self): Get busy proofing the past two years accumulation of words and photos… To Get It Done! To take this habit and platform of focusing on writing nearly every morning that yields the results of my intentions and efforts.

I can do it!

WH is winding down; the music calling us back. I updated my journal entry. A word count is apparently a measure, barometer of progress and persistence. Today, I tallied 274 words. I think that’s a good start for my blog post for today and resumption of my aim to reestablish my goal to “make every day count.” I also added the hashtag #write24in24.

I love this quote’s photo background : sun rising over the mountains as a man climbs upwards on one. The word: CONFIDENCE in capital letters.

I think, wonder, if/that sometimes, perhaps many times, we are thwarted by our own lack of confidence in our abilities to create. I’m sure that relates to me and has all my life of 81 years and counting (hopefully).

To be continued. Stay tuned … and thank you for visiting and your support. Always welcomed and appreciated!

Cheers~

LSNED

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September. Today, being the first day of meteorological autumn – my very favorite time of the year – and an absolutely gorgeous day: warm temps with no humidity, bright sunlight and the Friday before 2023’s Monday Labor Day –

At least ten years ago, I joined Shimelle Laine and scrapbookers from around the world document something learned daily, during the 30 days of September. I decided to revive the practice and document what I learned each day this month. It’s always a good thing to pause and take stock of one’s learning …or lack thereof.

Today has been absolutely gorgeous: Sunshine, blue sky, temperatures in the mid 70s and low-to-no humidity ~ the perfect invitation for a walk to my favorite resting place: the Franciscan Monastery, about a 14 block walk – if I take a particular route (hold onto that thought: it’s a critical piece of today’s learning experience). I decided that I’d first walk to Zeke’s, the coffee shop about a mile from home for a pumpkin spiced latté. I learned that I was a few days ahead of their schedule – PSL not available til next week. C’est la vie; LSNED. I ordered a different concoction, a tad sweet but tasty. I drank most. LSNED!

I arrived at the Monastery tired, ready to sit for a spell. My walk turned out to be longer and farther than I anticipated – I’d taken a wrong turn that led me to a dead end street – so I had to back track my steps. As many times as I’d walked to the Monastery, I’d never started from the coffee shop. LSNED!

Once I arrived, I sat for a while, enjoying the fresh air; trees, reaching high to the sky; squirrels playing tag and butterflies, flying high. I might have stayed a tad longer but looked at my watch and realized I needed to start home. My lawn care service was scheduled to arrive shortly around 3 PM. I arrived home to find them busy cutting the grass.

Wonder what other new things I’ll learn this month. Are you planning to LSN this month?

Cheers~

PS. The class is no longer offered but there are plenty sites to visit if you want a broader view. Just search Shimelle and Learn Something New.

welcome july 2023 …

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It is no secret that July and August are the hottest, least desirable months of the year here in these parts – Washington DC – according to my body thermometer. And it is no secret that I am an autumn/fall September girl – have been for as long as I can remember, when I was 4 years old, just two months and 15 days shy of being five when I started kindergarten. I have very vivid memories of the dress I wore and the new shoes I wore on my first day of school…but, I’ll save sharing more ‘til September …

Today’s temperature has already reached it’s forecasted high: 87 degrees and the air quality is 117 – Unhealthy for sensitive groups. I have already taken my daily walk – just moments before it got too hot. On my walk, I noted the current crop of flowers’ color: various shades of purple. Different and nice…

Today, I start a journaling art class, taught by Brandi Kincaid and hosted on the Get Messy Art site. I haven’t looked at the first lesson yet but I’m thinking my purple/pink flowers are a refreshing focus color … and purple goes so well with yellow…Agree?

One of my goals this summer is to read more fiction titles. I’m just 38 pages to the end of No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister. The opening quote: “No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture.” ~ The Writings of Madame Swetchine, 1860 is quite apt for this book. If you read, I’d love to know your thoughts.

Cheers to a safe Fourth of July !

May

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I have had on my daily agenda for days running: publish blog post. That directive presupposes that one has, first of all, written a draft —- or at least made a list of topics I want to share… where are my notes? Can’t say I know! Probably because I’ve not written any…

Last week, in one of my daily de-stashing purges, I ran across the image of the little girl and her shadow in a Charles Schwab advertisement. She’s wearing yellow – my fave color; I was immediately, smitten. I found the background paper among my scrapbooking supplies and added the sticker words. I cut the butterfly from a table paper napkin; I attached it to the paper using a pop dot. And it sits on top my printer, in my direct view as I sit at my computer. And that just makes me happy!

Over the past week and days plus, I’ve spent hours going through my quilting stash and supplies – years accumulation of “someday maybe” projects that are never going to see the “finish line.” Sadly. Best laid plans…

But all is not lost. As I’ve reviewed and touched fabrics and leafed through books and patterns, I feel the stirrings of the desire to spend more time in my quilting space, with my quilting resources: fabrics; books; patterns; my imagination and creativity. And that, well that makes me just plain happier.

What’s making you happier these Spring days?

Cheers~

one little word | 3.28.23 …

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3.26, was Friendstitch Sunday … the six of us always, always look forward to these monthly gatherings, now in the 9th year. This past Sunday, we met at Michelle’s and were greeted with gorgeous spring flowers: daffodils and amaryllis. For Christmas 2019, I gave Michelle (and the others, each) a bulb… Michelle has the magic green thumb. We were delighted to see the amaryllis in full bloom. In addition to being treated to a spectacularly colorful array of flowers, we had an absolutely delicious meal. Yum! The memory of Sunday makes me happier…

My walks, most days, weather permitting, I am greeted by the constant display of signs of Spring: magnolia and cherry blossoms, daffodils, maple trees and forsythia bushes. Delightful.

For the past year, I’ve focused on s-l-o-w-l-y retelling my AmaZe – about me, A-Z – life story that I hope to publish as a memoir style photo album/book. My goal is to have completed this project close to June 1, 2023…If I meet this self imposed deadline, I’m confident I’ll be happier!

The star is a needlepoint I found as I’ve been weeding my stash of projects – a project long overdue but also one that has very tangible results. And this too, makes me happier.

You know, happier is a good place to be! What’s making you happier these days?

Cheers~

Attention!

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… Catching my own is more than a notion. A lot vies for mine, as evidenced by the “plethora” – a favorite Norman word – of notes, both sticky and un – that I write, on whatever’s available, usually with a pen. And, as I am prone to handwrite, know that I avail myself liberally. Quite.

I believe Habit was my word for 2019. A chosen word for any given year – and I’ve been choosing one since 2009, easily – doesn’t just disappear when the clock strikes 12:00 AM of the new year. The words become and stay a part of one, forming a “dictionary,” so to speak.

I began writing this post during Writers’ Hour last week – I had only typed 92+ words. Note to Self: remember I have Apple Notes on all my devices and can not only type but also write with the Apple pen and my voice, i.e., the microphone, which comes in handy when walking, too!

I think I want to embrace the “technology” just so I will a) break the habit of writing on assorted pieces of paper and b) have more time to spend exercising my creativity vs shuffling through random notes and thoughts and ideas and, and, and…

Doing so will, I am 100% certain, result in my being:

… less, disorganized, frazzled, overwhelmed, scatterbrained;

…more creative, experimental, fulfilled!

… Happier!

What’s one small thing you might do to make your life happier?

Cheers~

*Dostadning: https://www.dostadning.com/home

PS.
Photo taken on a walk earlier in the month of a left-over Holiday yard display.

Zibaldone|28 November 2022

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November brought 1- Congressional elections; 2 – spectacular color courtesy Mother Nature; 3 – old, new and many-paged books in my reading stack; 4- delightful morning walks, although for about ten days, the temps hovered in the low to mid 30s. 5- birthday celebration: floral bouquet for my 80th birthday trip around the sun and 6 – my great grand nephew, Elias’ 5th. AmaZing! 7 – The photo that shows a doll on my path caused me to think how sad it got lost. 8 – I was intrigued by the painter capturing the autumn scene in watercolors… 9 – I walked to the Franciscan Monastery Saturday and was delighted to see the Koi pond filled with fish.

I am also delighted with this quilt-let, approx 12” x 12.” I made it after my trip to Sisters OR in July. I call it “I Left My Heart in Sisters…” and am embarking on a new and exciting “slow stitching” program.

Stay tuned for December’s magic. And thanks for joining me on my journey.

Cheers~