I often think about new life this time of year. After the storms of winter, the world softens and life begins again. A repeated process that brings so much joy to so many of us. It seems like people talk about living as if it is something that always has to be grand. You're not truly living until...fill in the blank. On a relaxing vacation, people tend to say, 'This is living'. But these sayings and ideas give us the false idea that if we are doing anything that might be mundane or less than thrilling, we must be doing the opposite of living. We must be boring, stuck, or lacking depth. In essence, we must be dying.

​Lately, my middle child has been asking me to tell her stories about 'when I was little'. I've also been reading a lot of travel books so I started telling her about my travel stories and showing her pictures - like this one...

I was on a backpacking trip in the Alps with one of my friends, the first long backpacking trip I had ever taken. Before the trip I had bought a new pair of hiking shoes but they weren't broken in yet so I thought - I'll just bring my Chacos. They would take up less room in my luggage and it was the middle of summer so I wasn't too worried.

"To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe."
Marilyn vos Savant

Observation has become a lost art. We are so busy with our lives, rushing here and there, hardly resting long enough to catch our breath let alone taking time to sit and observe anything that is going on around us. But years ago this wasn't the case in our society. Why is that? What has changed between then and now and how would being more observational about your surroundings help you in your daily life? And then - how would it improve your art?

The Gift of Choice.
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I've been reflecting on this subject lately especially after finishing the book, 'The Choice' by Edith Edger. This biography tells the story about her life, surviving the Holocaust, and then becoming a phycologist. Throughout her book she talks about the power of making choices - choosing to survive, choosing to forgive, choosing to live life with intention.

There are gifts all around us. What are the daily gifts in front of you that aren't physical objects? How does noticing these gifts enhance their beauty or your awareness of them?

Last year I created the 'Gift of Time' project where every month I focused on a different theme centered around a gift of present time. It was such a rewarding project to complete that I wanted to do something like this again in 2025.

Time is a Gift...

What does Joy mean to you? When I was thinking about Joy there were many thoughts that came to my mind.

Joy is a memory.
Joy is a present moment.
​Joy is something that can be shared but is not tangible.
Joy can be as simple as laughter.
Joy is something that warms your heart and fills your soul with a deep sense of happiness and peace.

​This is the theme for every November for most of us I'm sure. Some things are worth repeating year after year. There have been times in my life when I know I have not been as grateful as I should be or I realize I had something wonderful and didn't appreciate it in the moment. We all have these feelings at times, but this month I want to be more specific about what I'm grateful for and take a broader look at my daily blessings.

​October is a time to 'Give'. This seems like a better topic for November or December. However, as I looked back at how we often spend our October's I realized this has become a time when we often give because of our garden harvest.

​School starts for many around August and September. The seasons are changing, slowing down into winter so what better time to talk about 'Learning'?