Gardening...
Window Shopping...
Foofing & Arranging Lovelies...
Discovering a Found Treasure... a HOPE CHEST... who doesn't want a chest full of Hope... but no, it didn't come Home with me, I left it for you... I've got Hope stored in many places of this ole' House!
Working on a Creation...
Okay, it's time to get 'real'... I always told you I would be authentic during this Journaling Journey... both for myself and for anyone else who happens to be along for the ride. *winks* Yep, you get ALL of me here... not just the cute and pretty stuff, though there's plenty of that too because I adore it... and I will always attempt to keep things upbeat because I enjoy positive energy and feel that it is very therapeutic, enriching and empowering. I find negative energy to be very draining and depressing and so I totally limit my exposure to it... and hence the topic for this particular Post.
You know what I've become a Master at? Distraction. Yep, I've become a Master Distractor of sorts, had to... Life circumstances made it a necessity... as my coping mechanism and to keep a semblance of sanity at times. *smiles* I'm a self-confessed control freak you see... I don't like being out of control and I don't like my World to feel like it's out of control... but sometimes things are very certainly out of your control and my Mantra in those things is ... deal with it. Deal with it as best you can and with as much Grace and good cheer as you can... for as long as you can. It's not a matter of IF you can in my book... I have always been certain that when things happen... if you don't deal with it, IT will deal with you. I would at least like to believe that I have a measure of control in the options of HOW I choose to deal with anything that is out of my immediate control. I'd rather deal with things in a positive and hopeful way than any other way, that's just how I roll... and it works for me. If it works, work it I always say...
I've found that this Land Of Blog can be a most helpful Beautiful distraction and means of 'release'. I love Beauty and regardless of circumstances I believe you can find Beauty if you choose to look for it. I've found a LOT of Beauty here in the Land Of Blog... and Beautiful Souls, many who are becoming cherished Friends... and it has also given me another form of Beautiful Artistic expression... to document what I find to be Beautiful, positive, near and dear to my Heart and personal aesthetic. So this has been a wonderful stress reliever for me... a welcome Distraction... among the host of others I occupy my mind or time with when I feel the need to. And in doing it daily I've developed a pleasant ritual... I like rituals... I'm a creature of habit and so are many of our Family members. That's not to say we don't like change or trying something new or exciting, we do... often... but we also keep some cherished rituals in our daily routine that we find to be enjoyable and comforting. Writing and Photography have always been two of those rituals for me... my long time BFF's have often received manuscript sized letters and virtual photo albums of shared images from me over the years... they're probably relieved that now I'm Blogging! *winks* Hunting for Found Treasures is another deeply satisfying Distraction for me... I love doing it... I can really lose myself in the process... even if I come up empty handed I've enjoyed the Thrill of the Hunt! Art is yet another distraction I've derived years of pleasure and satisfaction from... in the process of creativity I'm in the Zone and don't have to think about anything else... I go to the place of pure Bliss! And who doesn't like THAT place?! Bliss is in fact a very addictive place to be in... which is why seeking it becomes a different drug of choice for each person. My drug of choice to take my mind 'away', keep on track and moving forward or avoid an unpleasant feeling has often been The Distraction... whatever form that has taken.
Today I really needed a triple dose of Distraction and so I took it. I spent time in the Garden, sinking my hands in the Soil and being close to Nature is always Joyful. I went Window Shopping, not to buy anything, but just to see some new Beauty and Photograph some of it to share with you, do you like it? I read some decorating Books and Mags... foofed and arranged things around the House and I worked on a Creation for someone special. Yep, I was in major Distraction mode and so it was a very good day in spite of lingering issues that are uncomfortable at best and painful at worst. You see, it's almost time... four more days and The Man must leave for Alaska for 7 months of Seasonal Work and I know it's going to be tough being separated... doing the Single Parenting thing... holding down the Fort here at the ole' Homestead... physically, mentally and emotionally tough. I've done it before and I know that I can... but sometimes I don't want to very much. Have you ever had those things that you know you gotta do, but you don't necessarily wanna do? Sure you do, we all do. I've always been a bit of a Rebel... okay, I said I'd be 'real' right... so that's not quite accurate... I've always been a LOT of a Rebel. *LOL* So, I like to get my way... and sometimes I know that my way is not going to work or is not beneficial for the greater cause or isn't someone else's way... and I've got to rein myself in and deal with what isn't going my way. I hate that part. *winks* In a perfect World everything would be MY way you see... granted, that probably wouldn't be a perfect World for you or anyone else, but it would be for ME! *Smiles* In a perfect World I would never have to endure the difficult stuff of Life that I'd rather avoid or not have to deal with at all. The Man having to leave again being only a very small part of that equation in Mi Vida Loca. I was going to share the other parts... but I can't bring myself to... too personal and private I feel to share in this forum. Suffice to say that since some of it involves a precious grown Child and some of our precious G-Babies who live far, far away in another Country... it is tough... real tough... and for now there is nothing I can do about it except attempt to have a Peace about it and leave it all in the Lord's Hands, where it belongs and I can Trust completely even while hurting... and Distracting myself... because that's what I do to cope with what I cannot control... so it was definitely time for a Blog & Beauty Distraction... and I thank you for being a part of it...
And there is the other part... the part that always happens at just the right time... in the midst of Distracting myself and relying on myself... God intervenes in the most Divine and surprising ways... sometimes very subtle little ways, just so that I'll know He is there... watching and ensuring that I'm never pushed above measure and beyond strength... and always, always bringing me back to Center and putting everything in appropriate perspective. This was how He revealed the Beauty that is my Life today... with the Face of an Angel... and why everything I do and sacrifice makes it all worthwhile and so very precious, even during the daunting times... take a peek and I'll tell you the Story that goes with the visual...
Princess T had come Home from Head Start... she'd had a very difficult day The Man said... it was the "100 Man" Day today at School you see... where all the Special Men in the lives of the Children were invited to spend the day with them in Class... mostly Daddies...
Though for some it would be Grandpas or Uncles or Big Brothers... so The Man went, her "Honey"... to be part of the "100 Man" experience... and he said it was all a bit overwhelming for her and so she had a most difficult 'Special' day. She adored her 'Honey' being present, he is her favorite you know, they're like two peas in a pod... but she knows he's going away soon again for what seems like an eternity when you're five... and she didn't like all the Big People being there and she told me so when they got Home, it disrupted her routine & her focus... and well, so many of them were Dads... which perhaps subconsciously made hers conspicious by his absence I suppose... though she didn't say so...
So she set about Distracting herself... we do that so well this Crew... and she proudly showed me and read me the book she and 'Honey' had made in Class today... and is quite confident that we're all Artists of the highest magnitude *smiles*... and that now she would make her and I a Castle. So we got all the boxes out... and the Art and other Castle building Supplies... and she banished me from the Kingdom while she set about Castle building... with all her Heart, Talents and Imagination... with great Joy... the Joy of a Child, which cannot be compared to any other kind of Joy... it is just that pure and spontaneous...
And then there was Silence in the Kingdom... so I took a peek inside the room... the boxes... um I mean Castles were all closed up and the Princess was nowhere to be found... and then I heard it... the little snore come from one of the larger rooms of the Castle... and there it was my Friends, God's precious little Surprise Gift for me this Day at just the right time... the slumbering Face of an Angel... a tiny but mighty little Angel that sets about building magnificent Castles and Story Books when up against Life's challenges and adversity... and shares them with me with great Joy... and Peace enveloped my Spirit and thoughts... yes, it's good to be me... may it also be good to be YOU this fine day... Be Well...
Dawn... The Bohemian
"TRUE JOY IS UNTOUCHED BY CIRCUMSTANCE." - Unknown
I'm also anxiously awaiting the very first Photo Feature Friday over at A ROSY NOTE , where Tricia will be Hosting a Blog Party to showcase our new Photo taking and editing skills as we perfect them... of a photo we've taken recently and either left "As Is" or edited ... what fun that will be... this week I think I might enter this one when the Party starts of Orange Blossoms near our reclaimed Brick and Flagstone piles waiting for a Project:
