from the January quiet

Pulling back from this space was an interesting break in January (er....most of February...)  I felt a certain shift where the impulse to post dwindled and the change has brought me to new horizons in creative practice.  Mainly that this writing will become more of a companion to my visual work, and less reflective of the outside world.

As for sharing about my family and our journey together they will be here as ever, since my world is tied in every aspect to each step they take.  Steps like registering from Kindergarten in the fall, stringing sentences together, drawing 3 or more masterpieces a day and leaving them in strategic places to be found by respective recipients.  Words are being figured out and written, as are numbers.  Conflicts arise between brothers with a bond so strong already that it warms the heart over and over each day.

Sometimes it takes years to register just how much choice we have over our time.  For me I've been able to see clearly in the last few months that I have to prioritize my goals in a concrete way.  What I tended to do for the last 5 years was lament and then waste time on things that were diversions more than enriching experiences.

As a mom my time is rarely dictated by myself alone, and yet I have started to align tasks for each day.  Thinking what needs to get done and what can wait.  Sometimes I make a list and cross it off, other times I keep a shorter list in my head.  This simple step has helped me especially on days when I'm overwhelmed by the amount to get done.

I've also been trying to take my own advice and focus on one thing until it is done.  I constantly remind a certain 5 year old to focus on the task at hand, get your coat on, clean these cars up, etc and then think of the next thing to do.  It is not easy for me since I have a "big picture" brain that jumps around constantly.  But   with that focus has come a comfort, something is accomplished however small.  Previously I was surrounded by projects in various stages of completion and two boys undoing most of what was done.

Live and learn they say...and in this case it is true.

From the January quiet much has surfaced.  A regular yoga routine and soon family hiking excursions.  Simultaneously this year I have decided to develop my art practice to a regular part of our family life, and already for next year I've decided that my spiritual practice (along with spirituality explorations for the boys) will find it's place in the rhythm as well.

Stamina is a word that February has brought forth.  How to increase it, how to maintain it, how to nurture it. Good food, exercise, outdoor time, family time.  As the pieces come together some parts of our old life do not fit and so are either removed or reshaped to fit the new mold.

This blog is like that for me.  Being remolded, finding a new place and tone.  And I think that is good.  Change is good.  Thanks for taking this journey and I plan to be here more frequently now that our new pace is settling down and my desire to share is finding it's new voice.