Today Is The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life - Charles Dederich

That just about sums up how I feel this morning!  Day One of Big Dreams Small Wonders and I'm feeling really fired up!  Isn't it a great feeling, when you give yourself permission to do something, make the time and then actually do it?  As you are all probably tired of hearing I have this craft fair coming up and I set myself the goal of producing two bags per day until Easter.  As usual there are days when I procrastinate and I don't meet this target, then I give myself a hard time, which usually results in getting even less done the next day because I decide the answer is to give myself a break (literally) and not be so hard on myself!  Good technique eh?  Tried and Tested!
However I won a place on this course, and that to me is a HUGE opportunity and not one to be wasted.  so this morning I got up at 6 am with Lovely Man (he went off to work at 6.30) and allowed myself until 8 am to check in with BDSW, do the coursework and blog.  I now have fifteen minutes left and I have completed what I set out to do.  Oh and how good does that feel?  Blimmin' Great!
So here are my notes for Week One, Day One.  Setting the scene as it were and my overall intentions.

Four years ago I had a dream to emigrate from the UK to Canada. I wanted to live in a small community way out of the city and most importantly I wanted to write that book I’d always wanted to write, to follow my passion for art and craft and to be able to make enough money that I wouldn’t have to work for someone else five days a week.  I’m half way there in that I got to Canada, to the small community way up in Northern Ontario.  Now it is time to bring the second half of the dream to fruition and that is where I am struggling.  Partly due to lack of confidence and fear, I find that I am putting things off, being half hearted and generally being ‘fluffy’!

By joining this course I hope to be able to share my fears, gain insight and support from others and also to offer support and encouragement to others based on my experiences thus far.  By the end of the six weeks I would like to feel as determined, confident and focused as I did when it all started four years ago.

I expect from myself commitment first and foremost, to schedule in time everyday to check in and work through the course, and to banish any avoidance ‘techniques’ that I am so skilled at practicing!  From myself and from everyone, kindness and honesty.

My overall intention throughout the course is to believe in myself again and to at least give my dream my very best shot whilst I have this chance.

So there we are!  I have put it out there!  It is in the Universe, and in Blogland, so no going back now!
And so now I have ten minutes left to hop over to Facebook and check in with my FB friends before showering and then it's off to my trusty sewing machine.  When the allotted two bags are complete I will pamper myself with the treat of preparing the front and back cover of my journal for this course and set up a little corner where I can sit quietly and meditate each day, a practice that I used to uphold but has sadly fallen by the wayside of late!  Have a great day everyone... and follow your dreams wherever they take you today!

The wonders of Skype

I have to say the next best thing since getting the internet back is actually being able to use skype.  Now I have been able to show off our new house to the children and to my friends.  Somehow I think it helps when people can actually see where you are.  I know it has probably seemed that we have been very chilled about the whole moving thing.  Perhaps at times we have given the impression that we aren't missing anyone.  That, of course, is not the case.  Yes we miss our kids, parents, family, friends but we know exactly where they are.  We can picture them safe at home, with other people around them.  They, on the other hand, had no sense of where we are, what our home looked like - their second home too if only for holidays.  But home nevertheless.  Now, hopefully, we will all feel a little more connected.


So what's the update?  Well we now have four chipmunks visiting.  Obviously word is out that there are now a couple of softies living at No. 75 with an endless supply of peanuts and that if you do a few cute tricks they'll give them away!  I have given up waiting for my art supplies to arrive and have enrolled on a Journal challenge with nothing more than an A4 sketch pad and some dreadful lead pencils I got from the cheap shop.


We have painted the bedroom and put the new bed in.  Also painted half the basement and in the process of putting a wood floor down to make a family room.  Next is my workshop - also in the basement.  Hopefully when all our stuff arrives I can actually get on and produce something that will earn me some money!  In the meantime I guess I'll just enjoy the extended holiday!

Indian Summer

Indian Summer
Originally uploaded by Rona Gregory

Recently I purchased a small inexpensive note book from a well known supermarket because I was drawn to colours which reminded me of my holiday in Goa. This, together with a half price offer on felt in my local craft shop, spurred me into making the paisley motif on the right. Then I just got a bit carried away resulting in a set of three. Luckily I had three spare canvas who's sizes lent themselves to the project and this is the result.

mosaic

mosaic
Originally uploaded by Rona Gregory

First time mosaic! Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. We needed to block off a window in the front porch but, with the best will in the world, we were never going to match either the render or the colour of the outside wall. So I had to think of a way to do it and this was the result! A rather large house number plaque! Still, if we get a short sighted postman it may come in handy!

Autumn Riverbank

Autumn Riverbank
Originally uploaded by Rona Gregory

Finished my third canvas!  Autumn River Bank.  Inspired by the colours used in  a wall hanging in Birdham Village Hall I got the idea for this piece.  The original, by an unknown artist, featured water and pear shapes which somehow worked for fabric but not for paint.  The colours reminded me of autumn leaves and so this is the result!

kiss of inspiration

kiss of inspiration
Originally uploaded by Rona Gregory

At last I got round to finishing this piece. I am actually quite pleased with it, unusually for me! I am, on the whole very self critical, but tonight I thought I would treat myself with the same praise and encouragement one would show a good friend!

Welcome to my new Blog!

Life’s simple pleasures is a blog that is focussed on just that. I get a great deal of enjoyment just exploring and experiencing everything life has to offer. From a few minutes at sunrise when the light is so perfect to a whole hour of soothing piano music playing softly whilst I’m baking. My second source of pleasure is recording and sharing those moments with others.

I created this blog, with the help of a dear friend, in an attempt to share these pleasures with a wider audience in the hope of spreading a little joy. I hope that you find something here that you will enjoy. If you find something that helps lighten your load, solves a problem or simply makes you laugh out loud then it has all been worthwhile.

My thanks to Lorrie, who got this blog up and running for me.