My bowl~

This is the final thing I made in my pottery class~
Made on the wheel and painted by me.
I love how it turned out!

Color Me Mine...

I love Color Me Mine~
I had not been there in years, but fell in love again last week ~ I went there with some women for a girls night out.
I made this plate for my sister.

Winter blues...

Summer toes...

The special memories...

Sometimes when it is quiet and I am alone, I look back through photos of my mom~
She was such a special person.
A few years ago for my nephews birthday she suggested we go to Liberty Park and spend some time together ~ Here are just a few photos from that day.
Not only was she the best Mother in the world but also the best Grandmother.
I miss her as much today as I did the very first day without her...


My sister and my nephew...

My brother in law and nephew...

when life gets you down...

embrace music...
I have fallen in love with Alexi Murdoch over the past year~ His voice and words have made me find peace and comfort over the past 17 months...and they continue to every day...

The talent that lies within....

I am blessed with amazing people in my life~ This sketch is by one of my best friends of a summer coffee gathering at the neighborhood coffee shop of 5 of us~ He took cell phone photos of each of us and wanted to somehow create a sketch of all of us together so he took a birds eye view and this is the amazing creation.
What ended up being so special to me is that I realized that it is the view that my mom would have watching over us... And that truly made it even more incredible.

Dear Winter...

Aside from the gloomy look you have had lately and the freezing temperatures which make it hard to be outside and aside from falling on ice about 4 steps out of my front door on my way to run this morning....
This is another BIG reason I dislike you....
BIG CRASHING SOUND....

I want to write...

I want to write...
I want to write...
I think one of the things that has helped me the most over the past year has been writing...Processing through thoughts and ideas. I do not always get answers to my questions but it seems to help put the pen to paper and write. I feel better about everything when I am putting my thoughts and words on paper.
It started with one simple gift...

...and continued from journal to journal. I have filled nearly 3 this year. The most in my entire life!
There are great books out there to encourage writing...
Have you found any? I would love more suggestions!
Here are a few good ones that I have found!
The Artists Way was my moms book~

This is my wish for you...

smiles when sadness intrudes,
comfort on difficult days,
rainbows to follow the clouds,
laughter to kiss your lips,
sunsets to warm your heart,
hugs when spirits sad,
beauty for your eyes to see,
friendships to brighten your being,
faith so that you can believe,
confidence or when you doubt,
patience to accept the truth,
courage to know yourself,
love to complete your life.
(Anonymous)

Another amazing gift from one of my best friends~ I think she is trying to encourage me to keep going....I'm trying!

Dear Sunshine....

I miss you....

Just saw this movie.....

I LOVED IT....
I'm not even a big country music lover but this movie was really amazing. I loved it and I even loved all of the music.
I am still thinking about it.

I feel....

So many things right now....But I want to be happy and positive and light~
I got this incredible shirt from one of my best friends for Christmas and I hope this is what I can live by and share with others...
This is a new day and a new year...
and I choose to Hope!
And to Believe...
And to Inspire...
And to Dream...
And to Love...
and to be Strong!

Because my words are lacking inspiration....

I will share some words of others~
I love the beauty of the words on these journals
and the amazing things from their website...
Live Inspired...
I gave this one to a wonderful friend and she's been writing in it already~ That makes me so happy!

She decided to free herself, dance into the wind, create a new language. And birds fluttered around her, writing “yes” in the sky.


“Once you get over the fear, then it’s a cinch,” she said. And then she leaped into a mountainous and unexplored region of her heart.

A hole in me....

I came across this book last year on Christmas Eve~ I read it somehow through the tears that filled my eyes~ I got one for myself shortly after.
What I have come to understand over the past 16 months is that "a hole" does not even come close to describing the amount of loss that my heart feels.
I have tried to find the best way to put it into words when you are talking to someone about how hard things are~ and the best thing that I have come up with is that the void is the size of the Grand Canyon inside of you. I have continually tried to fill the void over the past 16 months. With projects, and exercise and book groups and people and activities, all of which are amazing things that have helped me so much.
But nothing can fill the void that is left in my heart~
I thought I was so strong and doing so great but life has proven me wrong.
I stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon looking in ~ feeling myself as a woman who has lost her way. Time is proving harder not easier as promised. Life continues anyways~
but sometimes I just feel like screaming...HELP....HELP....What am I suppose to do to find myself again? I know I have just been having a harder couple of days... weeks... months... and I hope that I can find my way to peace inside my self again, but today is a day of sorrow and lost hope...


Tomorrow is a new day...

First time snowshoeing!

Today started out as one of those days that I really wondered if I could make it out of bed at all. Life sometimes proves more difficult than I can handle~
But I got a text from my friend asking if I wanted to go snowshoeing~ It was something I have wanted to try for a while now to see if it could be something I enjoyed enough to help me get through the Winter. I jumped at the chance! I knew I had to.
~ I loved it!
I can't wait to go again. We went for about 2 1/2 hours. It felt great.
I only took a few photos from my iphone ~
Here they are.

Treasures....

Thanks to goodreads.com I have some amazing book recommendations and reviews from my beautiful mom~
About a week and a half ago I started "The Samurai's Garden" recommended by my mom~

Rena's review...

"Gail Tsukiyama is a wonderful writer. All of her books that I have read, "Women of the Silk", "Samurai's Garden",and "Dreaming Water" are exceptional. I look forward to reading more of her books."

My review...

"What a beautiful book. It is such a wonderful story. I love the way it is written ~ I love the scenery that she describes and makes you feel as though you are right there. I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read more of her books."
Reading late last night, I came across this and I simply loved the message that it gave.
"Fortunately-or unfortunately-we human beings have much longer lives. And that makes for many more complications. But in the end, Stephan-san, you can only look back, hoping that everything that happens in your life is for a purpose. Whether you see Keiko-san or not anymore wont take away from your having known her. If she is important, she will stay with you."