Diversion

I have been exceedingly negligent at keeping up with this blog lately. That is because I have been exceedingly focused on getting a long overdue task accomplished. I had given myself a week ... maybe two, to get it done, but I appear to have misjudged the time.

I am trying desperately this year to stick to one thing, and only one thing, until it is finished. You can't begin to imagine how much of a challenge that is for me.


I am known for my ability to be easily distracted. A sideways glance at something shiny can get me off on an entire new tangent, never to return to what I was initially doing.

That is why my annual GOAL list is the same, year after year after year. In fact I found my list from 1994 a couple weeks ago & sure enough, 7 of 10 items were exactly the same, word for word. With glowing intentions, I start them each year but never, ever finish them. I am determined that I am changing that in '10.

That's not to say though, that I can't still be diverted. I am still always, always ready to stop for a cup of tea with a friend. Or a visit with my children or grandbabes. Or the invitation to Adventure.

In the midst of my work last week, I got an email from a friend that there was still a space available at a retreat that I've attended in New York for a number of years. It's dear to my heart as I was instrumental in starting it as the 'International Creativity Retreat' seven years ago. I gathered the Canadian part of it & off we'd go to a wonderful retreat center in the Finger Lakes region. I don't have that involvement any longer, but I still know many of ladies, and love to go and enjoy their company and the beautiful surroundings.

Circumstances were not allowing that this year, but as sometimes happens, plans change. When the invitation came, I hesitated only for the briefest second at 6 hour drive all by myself & the fact that I was abandoning the Task at Hand. Off I headed to NY, and I'm sure glad that I did. I finished a couple projects, including my crazy quilted latptop bag that I started a year ago. I learned lots of cool new techniques I enjoyed the positive, happy energy of creative women. I loved having the chance to spend some time with dear & precious friends who I don't get to see near enough. And sure enough ... the work was waiting for me when I returned, and that's where I've been ever since.

The Winner Is...

Well, that sure was a fun ride on the Magic Carpet. Over eleven hundred blogs to visit. Of course, I didn't get a chance to get to them all, but I intend to start right from the top of the list and make sure I visit each and every one.

What I especially enjoyed about it, besides the incredible creativity that's evident on all of the blogs, is the total joy & enthusiasm of all the all participants and visitors.

The randomly generated number for my draw for the ipod case is #97:

NICKS

I LOVE ...

Thinking about all the things I touch my heart on this International Day of Love ...

I love... the man who has been the center of my life for 38 years

... the four wonderful people who I was blessed to give birth to

... the three little souls that came through them & the two more that are on the way

... the men that my girls have chosen

... my sister, my brothers in law, their children - how wonderful it is to have an extended family

... all the rest of my family - aunt, cousins - the whole kit 'n caboodle

... my wonderful awesome circle of friends

... my 'fingertip' friends - the world that I have come to know through the wonders of technology.

Besides all the people in my world - past, present and to come - these are but a few of the things that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, as they pop into my mind ...

a candlelight bath

clean sheets

hands

eyes

a good book

Baileys

Road Trips

Newfoundland

making new friends

visiting old friends

trees

the sea

donkeys

dogs

creating something

holding a newborn babe

crazy quilts

autumn

spring

summer

winter

kindness

colour

music

journals

humour

old pictures

cozy blankets

a meal someone else has made

hugs

listening to books

a clean house

lavender

hearing the voices of those I love

autumn leaves

blossoms

cuddling with my grandbabes

children

spray paint

vintage jewelry

Sunday mornings

candlelight

sunsets

softness

a smiling face

and on and on and on....

I hope that everyone is surrounded by things & people that light the candle of love in their hearts - today & always.

One World One Heart Giveaway

The Blog World is a wonderful, fascinating, inspiring and entertaining place. You could be be busy for hours discovering new sites and new friends. It's the ultimate treasure hunt. It's like having the most awesome thousands-of-incredible-pages magazine, with the added bonus that you can make a personal connection with the authors/artists.

The creativity and ingenuity of some folks is amazing. Take this Whimsical Bohemian gal, Lisa Swifka, who started this blog giveaway event. Instead of me going into all the details, click on this: 'One World One Heart'. There are over a thousand blogs participating - you just have to visit them and leave a comment to be eligible for what they're giving away.

I love to get involved and make new friends, so here is my random draw giveaway - a needle felted case for your ipod or mp3 player - or if you don't have one of those, perhaps your cell phone or credit cards or a ..... All you have to do is leave a comment here - simple as that. All the blogs will be drawing on February 15th.

Life is Not a Drive Thru

I just love going on road trips with women. We can not only take detours, we might even change agendas. We can stop anywhere & often, and linger as long as we want. Heck, we can even ask for directions.

My dear hubby on the other hand, well bless his heart, he is getting better with age, but he still is not up to par with my girlfriends. If I were to even whisper ‘Look’ to the gals, we are instantly stopped, turned – whatever it takes, with an enthusiastic and adrenalin pumped ‘What did you see?!!’ With DH, I can be shouting ‘WHOA! WHOOOA!!’ for a mile & he’ll slowly come to …’What? Did you say something? You wanted to stop? Oh. Well, we’re past it now.’

On our first visit to Newfoundland in 2003 we drove three and a half hours to see a single mini iceberg, believing that it was our only chance to view one as we would likely never be back. Well of course, since then we have seen a multitude of glorious icebergs & I do have the odd photo.

One evening, with a van full of people, we drove by an iceberg that I will admit that I had been by a dozen times, and in fact had taken numerous shots of it. He replied to my request to stop with “Don’t you have enough iceberg pictures?’ I said ‘It’s not just any iceberg - there are a lot of factors: the position, the shape, the colour, the lighting - I'm very particular now ... I don't stop for every iceberg.'

He begrudgingly pulled over & everyone waited while I snapped away and then we carried on.

A bit down the road, he stopped the van, got out and proceeded to go to someone’s front lawn and roll on it. Literally – laid down and rolled on it. We were all dumbfounded at the sight. When he got in & we asked him what exactly he was doing, he said “Well, I like lawns & some just call me to come and roll on them. Not just ANY lawn though – it has to be the right size & the right grade & the right type of grass. I’m particular about the lawns that I want to roll on.”

My girlfriends on the other hand – there is never a hesitation, never a judgment, a comment, an eye roll or an air of impatience. ‘STOP!’ means an added bonus to the adventure. A ‘TURN AROUND’ is even better.

On our journey to our retreat, Pauline, our sharp eyed driver spotted a great white Snowy Owl sitting on the top of a hydro pole. Some of us missed it.

‘Well let’s just turn around and see it!’ was the chorus. Since we were in convoy, we had to tell the gals behind us why we were suddenly doing a U-turn. Of course, they were right with us.

My camera ever handy, I captured it on behalf of all the journeyers. We rejoiced and congratulated ourselves for a good ‘score’. It will be mentioned with fondness often over the years. It really doesn’t take all that much to delight, amuse and entertain us.

There are so many cool things between Here and There. To make deposits into your memory bank & build up a rich account, you gotta Stop. Life is not a drive thru.