She Knows

A few years past while on one of my many junk collecting trips, I found a statue that I just couldn't live without. There she sat like the keeper of a secret, all knowing but tight-lipped. She appeared to be a goddess from another land with her royal headress and suggestive attire. I thought how beautiful she would look in my garden of lillies and roses. She was perfect and she was mine. Shortly after arriving home from my trip I placed her in the front garden for all to see. She held a tiny pot that begged for something, but what? I decided to leave her there with an empty pot until I could decide what the perfect filler would be. A few days past and I visited the garden to pick some fresh blooms. It was then that I discovered that someone else had decided the filler for the goddess pot. It was so curious to me that somebody would feel the need to complete my statue. It must have been the seductive way she sat there with that all-knowing look on her face. Someone had felt compelled to toss a few coins in her pot. Just as if she were a fountain worthy of granting their wish.

Time passed and the coin stash grew. Although I tried to catch the culprit, they remained annonymous to me. As winter approached I brought her up onto the porch so that the frost would not settle in and break her regal shape. Thoughout the winter her stash remained the same, leading me to believe the coin contributer must have been a passer-by. One spring day my son was leaving for school and realized that he needed some spare change for his morning cola. He reached into her pot and scooped up a few coins and went on his way. That night his life would take an ugly turn. While on his way to a friends bonfire party he was involved in a near fatal car crash. This left him with a broken back, collasped lung, concussion and many other less serious injuries. After a lenghty stay in the hospital he returned home. On his pass through the porch and into the front door he remembered that morning and the change he snatched from the goddess pot.

It wasn't long and this story became well known to most everyone that entered our home. As you can imagine the pot soon began to over flow with loot. Although tempting no one ever dared to take even a single solitary coin ever again. When our house was for sale even our realitor and some house lookers contributed to her stash.

Today she sits in the office on an asian trunk with that look still on her face. She has a secret, kept deep within her stone figure. It is so obvious to all that-she knows!

The Witch in my Closet

At last I found her, the one, the conspirator of all things amiss. She has been cluttering up my life for so long. Keeping things askew. Locking up all of my lost treasures and keeping them hidden from me. She peers at me with those piercing eyes holding a death stare. Her long matted hair clings to her face like a doll left out in the rain. Her craggy face looks so old that it could burst open and crumble to the floor like ashen dust. Where did she come from and how long has she been there? This must be the reason I have been afraid to open the closet door. It wasn't because I knew that when I opened the door it was quite possible something would fall and hit me on the head, rendering me unconscious for the rest of the afternoon, or that I would have to face the fact that every time I finished with something that I wasn't sure what to do with, I chucked it in the closet. No, I am quite sure that it was the witch. For it is she that is to blame for my unorganized ways. She kept me frightened and unable to deal with all things unsettling in my life. I now must face her, removing objects from the closet one by one until I reach her at the back of the closet. What's that? Do I hear her evil laugh trying to taunt me back out into the light. I must be strong and organization will prevail. Slowly I work removing one object at a time. I tell myself that she is just a lonely creature trying to cling to the hope that her evilness will keep others under her wicked spell. Yes, I am quite certain now that it is her who has kept me down for so long and locked my soul in the closet with the other misfit items. I continue to work very cautiously, always keeping one eye on the witch. I began to realize that I am not afraid and that I too can have things kept neatly in their place.

Okay, so I had a little fun with my imagination while cleaning out the closet today. Sometimes I do think clutter in our house is a sign of clutter in our life. Getting rid of excess baggage in the closet may also help us to rid ourselves of unwanted feelings in our life. Perhaps this little imaginary story has deeper meaning in my life? Yes, the witch really is that ugly! I haven't yet decided what I should do with her. Got any ideas?

Movie Minute

I was browsing through recent movie reviews today. it looks like the movie "Juno" is a great snip it of real-life situations. Which is just the kind of movie I find most appealing. The acting looks suburb. There seems to be a lot of wit, hopefully not too much, dealing with such a serious topic. I think it will be very moving and entertaining but I have to worry about whether it sends the right message to it's teenage audience on how devastating teenage pregnancy really is. I hope it pro trays the problem with the seriousness it deserves. Aside from all that it looks like a it has all the makings of great girls night-out movie. "Juno" received great reviews but then so did it's sound track and I checked that out, eh, I hope they are more on track with the movie. Check out the reviews at www.rottentomatoes.com/m/juno/ What kind of name is JUNO anyway? Cute but different.

The Creative Process

I have decided to work on a project series which will include decorative boxes to hold favorite things. This would be like pictures, beach glass/pottery, cards, love notes, etc. I have completed one metal box with decorative paper and trimmings. I think I will complete 3 and then turn my efforts to a new project. The next thing I would like to work on is a shadow box with trinkets or found objects in plaster. Vintage jewelry, frozen charlottes, and beach pottery come to mind. At least this is the plan so far. Well you know how things go; plans change and thoughts are sometimes fleeting.

Weekend Quote

I can't change the direction of the wind,

but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

-Jimmy Dean

I Feel Good

At last, I am free of the upper respiratory flu that I have been plagued with for the last 5 days. I can't remember the last time I was sick like that. This bug picked up my gusto, flew it out the window and buried it in the nearest landfill. Yes, it was that ugly. But I am on the mend now.
I am searching for a fresh inspiration for a new project to start on. Hopefully I will find it on the face of baby- Izzie while I baby-sit tomorrow. I should rest up 'cause I will need all of my energy just to lug the little tike around. It's hard to be inspired in January when all you see is cold snow and grey skies.
Oh no as I am talking about getting myself inspired my hubby is listening to some self help guru about becoming debt-free and he is cutting up the credit cards. I better go stop him or all my fun will be gone. I hope they aren't handing out any cool-aide.

Friday Quote of the Day

"Change the changeable,
accept the unchangeable,
and remove yourself from the unacceptable
-Dennis Waitley

Forward From Here

Well I got my last paycheck in the mail today. I quess that's it then. I am still waiting for my 167 hours of PTO money but no more pay days. At least until I find something new. I'm not sure what I am looking for and I am a little apprehensive after everything I have been through. It is amazing to me at what lengths some people will go to just to get rid of someone they don't like. Yes, I did walk away from my job under my own free-Will but there comes a point where your health and sanity become much more important than winning. We hear a lot today about bullying in our schools but not so much about it in the work place. From what I have read it is most often women and they are usually in a management or supervisory position. I am not sure if it is the power that makes these women go over the top or if it is just a common personality trait of women at the top. Which ever it is, it definitely is not pretty.

I like to look at everything in life as a learning experience and I definitely learned a lot. I have always been a little naive. I just assume that people will be honest and loyal. Now I know there are a lot of really great people out there and just a few bad apples. I just need to learn how to spot 'em and pick 'em. I hope I will go into the next job a little wiser. Life lessons are an important part of growing up but they don't end there. We are forever learning and adapting to new situations. That's what make life a challenge worth tackling.

Quote of the Day

"Sometimes the mind, for reasons we don't necessarily understand, just decides to go to the store for a quart of milk"

-Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

The girls of the BBB

Here they are; Jan, Janelle, Paula, Jamie, Pam and Me

Forget the Oprah Show, I told you girls that I would make you famous.

Girls Night

Family is essential and the most important thing but friends are priceless. Friday I spent several hours with my former work buddies hooping it up at a local bar/restaurant. It was great fun and sad at the same time. We said our goodbyes and then vowed to get together again soon. Great plan but usually doesn't happen. Faced with this situation years ago when my middle child graduated and my friends were his friend's moms, I decided to make sure that we stayed in contact. This is how the "Black Bag Bitches" were born. BBB's for short. Yes I know the name, who would want to be called Black Bag Bitches? Well, this was purely by accident. We couldn't come up with a name that fit. But one of the husbands starting referring to us as the BBB's because we always passed on a black bag to the next hostess with all the contact info and girl's night ideas. So you know where the black bag part came from as for the bitches, well I think he meant it in an endearing way. Don't you? Oh well, the name is beside the point we have a great time together. Sometimes we just get together, do a little wine tasting and complain. Other times we indulge in a craft project. We have gone on big shopping trips, girls weekend at the cottage and sometimes we just eat. Whatever we do it is a great way to spend a monday night and very therapeutic. I would love to start an artsy group, to share projects with. Maybe I'll work on that with all of my spare "Breathing Room" previous blog.
Has anyone out there joined a friend group? What do you do? Is anyone out there? I don't think anyone can find my blog, help!

Breathing Room

AHHHH, it is so nice to finally feel like I can breath. The weight of my heavy stress has lessened tremendously. I still think about the reasons that I left my job on and off all day, but I don't have that feeling of impending doom spill over me. As I said in my first post...
("change is good, right?") I will eventually get around to writing about my reasons for leaving my job.
Today I feel as though I own my life again. I am a person with my own thoughts and free will. Sometimes I think we forget about free will. We get so wrapped up into what we are supposed to feel and we forget who we really are. There isn't really a lot of room for free spirits in this world today. How does this happen, what really shapes who we become and what is a normal life or the American Dream? Is it the media, or is there some big conspiracy plot to keep us down and make us become working robots, no matter what the conditions, just to squeeze out every bit labor they can out of us so that the privileged can lead the life of their dreams? I know I sound just a little crazy and it is much simpler to explain than that. I guess we can blame ourselves and the lust or greed for more. The days of simple just aren't enough anymore. Life, liberty and a designer handbag is more like it.
That's okay because for now I will just take life simple, clean out my closets, and if I want to just breath.....

Here are a few of my favorite things;

I will post my favorite things from time to time. I love the beach. Caught these 2 little beach bums going for a dip. Here are my 2 sleeping beauties. Little Nadia and Baby Izzy

Change is good, right?

I believe that sometimes making a change means giving up something good, for something great. I recently gave up a job after 8 years. The money was good and no I don't have any prospects. Am I crazy? Maybe, after all I do live in Michigan the most economically depressed state in the mid-west. I did have my reasons for leaving but I will get to that in a later post.