sperlygirl

here’s to 2008…

 ok, so this photo speaks volumes of my life...although i was never one to hit a glam party on new year's eve --much prefer pj's and the count down on tv...but seriously, it's like 9pm - the champagne is open (just in case we don't make it til midnight), little buddy is fast asleep (even though every italian in our neighborhood is already testing out fireworks and have been since 7pm), and our champagne flutes now also include a sippy cup in the mix! welcome to my world - ahhh, but what a world it is - and i wouldn't trade it. so i raise my glass to you and wish you some sparkle in your 2008!! although i am not a fan of resolutions, i am one for lists..so here's my list of things i shall try in 2008.

- getting the hang of folding a fitted sheet so it's flat

- creating more art

- getting in the kitchen more to...gulp...cook? (but i don't have to like it!)

- savoring life's "inbetween" moments

- making time in a busy day to get still

buon anno…

 the gifts are all unwrapped, the cookies almost gone...the remnants of christmas now parts of photographs and holiday memories. we look now to ringing in the new year. we look to all the possibility in a fresh new beginning. now is the time to cast away the things in our life that did not serve us well this year and to write up a list of new things we'd like to try, learn or experience in 2008. and yes....learning italian is STILL on my list for learning in 2008! ;) wishing you and yours brave, bright new beginnings in 2008. may it be full of love, laughter, dreams, friendships, creativity, and the comforts of family. buon anno!

buon natale…

  even more this time of year....THIS is the light that i love. the "light" of anticipation, of hope, of wishes....the "light" of the promise of a new year just around the corner - and all the newness it holds in her hands. the "light" of possibility. in the evenings, i love to look at this little tree. i have always loved the scraggly ones the best -- always asked to take those home for fear no one else would and that would break my heart the most. so i look at this tree and she makes me smile -- with all her wonder and possibility that will unfold under her branches christmas morning. wishing you and yours a warm and safe holiday and the blessings of a healthy and promising 2008! buon natale...

sharing that spirit…

 ok...so don't be mad kt...but this pic makes me laugh and reminds me of what fun holiday shopping with your good girlfriend can do to your spirits! :)  so i just thought i'd share the love...

in a moment…

 i love the light fall in winter...it looks so rich and golden. and it shifts and changes in a moment -- mirroring that life lesson for me. this is the season to huddle your dearest ones near to you and appreciate them for who they are and what they bring to your life. i try to savor that moment...

figuring it all out…

 i was reading my friend misty's entry today -- and can soooo relate on so many levels. i think sometimes, for whatever reason, god knows my reasons have run the gamete -- we face that inner dialogue of "what do i want to be when i grow up". it's a tough one. and for me, well, i can start to look at what everyone else is doing with their lives and then start to really wonder about what the heck i am doing. in talking with my good friends, i take comfort in knowing i am not crazy or alone in feeling that way (but it doesn't make it any easier while in the moment, i must say). when i ask myself that question right now -- even though i totally love what i am doing at the moment -- my honest answer would always be something else. funny how that works.

 "Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country."~ Anais Nin

taaaa-daaaa…

 finally, tis complete...and into a gift box it will go! :)

finding the holiday spirit…

 this was a frustrating weekend of trying to get holiday gifts taken care of and mailed, long lines, impatient people,  and all the stresses that come with that. somewhere in all of that -- i became a real grump (it wasn't pretty). but i have to say thanks to a completely patient husband and a dear friend...kt - thanks for helping me finish a project and regain my sanity. for taking the time out and just "being there" and being a friend...you are a gem! :) here's to finding the holiday spirit amidst all the chaos of the season and life!!

i’ve been tagged…

 so my friend kt got tagged by melynn and well...here i am- stuggling to come up with 7 facts about myself that reveal some but not all of my total dorkiness!

1. a competitive figure skater for 8 years -- most of my childhood - one of my favorite scents still is the smell of an ice-rink at morning after the ice has been cleaned. to this day when i am nervous or anxious - i "skate" through my program in my head - every last detail of it.

2. one of the most magical moments in my life was in high school - senior year - school play...Steel Magnolias. from the try-outs to all the performances...it was pure magic. i played M'Lynn (Sally Field's role from the movie) and my dear friend Bran played Ousier (Shirley McClaine's role from the movie). our play was perfectly cast and the experience was one i will never forget. i truly was transformed...and Ouiser - "i still love you more than my luggage!"

3. on a high school video that i co-wrote and co-produced-- i got to direct jim fowler (the guy from wild kingdom who was always wrestling the animals and stuff). he was the nicest guy and i was (and am) in such awe of his lifelong dedication to animals and wildlife.

4. love chocolate don't like chocolate cake or ice-cream -- this one always drove my mom nuts!

5. have seen lots of great concerts over the years -- but tuck & patti have been top on the list. saw them when i was a teenager and once again 6 or 7 years ago.

6. i love (i mean LOVE) to sleep -- simply because i dream.

7. one of my favorite movies...amelie

holding on & letting go ~ the paradox…

 the prompt this week was a paradox...i thought long and hard over this. i pondered the definition - it was a tough one. but then i started to look at what is going on in my world right now. i am working through that paradox of holding on and letting go right now. this painting i was working on wasn't meant for IMT originally until i  had that "aha" moment and realized how it all was fitting together. the other day, i stopped by melynn's blog and read a quote she had posted there... it seemed to really fit with the changes that are on my horizon and the temptation i feel to hold on when the best solution is to let go.

"It makes no sense to resist quietude, yet we create distractions all the time because we fear the consequences of guidance. Paradoxically, we pray for stillness and seek it because we yearn to quiet our distractions. – Caroline Myss, "Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul"