Procrastifectionism

Who knew that Procrastifectionism was really a term?! A few days ago, OK it was probably a few weeks ago if you want to get technical, I was driving to work and had one those Aha moments. I realized that I do not write or post photos or create enough art because I want to show my perfected, finished pieces, not the works in progress, which sometimes never get posted because I still don't think they are good enough. So I came up with a word, that I though was original, Procrastifectionism, and it appears I am not alone in putting procrastination and perfectionism together. For me, the meaning is to procrastinate finishing or even starting something because you think it has to be perfect. I found this meaning listed on a few sites:

"Procrastifectionism (noun):  Delaying action out of the fear, either conscious or unconscious, of not performing to the unreasonably high

You can google it for yourself and read what they have to say, but it does seem to be a phenomenon shared by many. Here is what I found:

http://introtolettinggo.blogspot.com/2012/10/procrastifectionism.html

http://procrastifectionist.blogspot.com/2009/04/procrastifectionism.html

http://www.amandablesing.com/blog/?tag=procrastifectionism






So on this drive to work, I decided that this issue was no longer going to hold me back. I will write from the Heart and not the head, I will use whatever gadget I have at the time and I will edit quickly so I keep the flow of creativity going. Critique if you will, and enjoy my letting go and join me on the journey!

What have you been putting off ?? 

Notice the change in font size - I can't figure out how to change it !

St Patrick's Day scarf

in honor of St Patrick's Day, I made a scarf in my class on finger crochet. So simple and quick, it makes a beautiful light weight, open weave scarf for spring.

Dreams, freedom and motivation

Dogs dream, anyone with a dog in their life can attest to that fact, but do they dream about? Do they dream about eating better food and getting more exercise? Do they dream about sleeping on a more comfy bed or playing with new toys? Whatever they dream about, they use a non verbal language and the fine art of persuasion to communicate what is on their mind.

 There is the famous quote about having a dream and another that freedom isn't free. While our dreams may not be as earth moving as Martin Luther King, they can still have an affect on the lives of those around us.

My dream is to work from home, using my creativity and God given talents to enhance my life so that I can help my family and community. It sounds simple,  it is possible and it does come with a price. Simplifying the dream and the goal is taking a lot of work, in my head and on paper. Keeping the dream alive while listening to negative voices in my head and negative people in my life takes faith and preserverance. Talking about my dream with others takes courage. The real work then has to follow.

I have been reading and researching and listening , to figure out what is the driving force of my creativity and what is the message that I feel I need to share, and I think I've found it. Let's see if you can figure it out and help me put it into words.

What about you? What are your dreams? What would you like to change ? Who would you like to help?

Dear Blog

To blog or not to blog, that is usually the question in my head every morning. I have my best thoughts and conversations with myself as I am preparing for the day, yet seldom find the time to get them on paper or virtual reality journal.

Writing a blog is similar to keeping a diary as a kid, I always meant to record my days and thoughts, yet I was consistently unsuccessful in keeping a consistent habit of writing. Guilt always followed a lapse of more than a few days of entries, and then there was the question, "should I leave pages blank so I could go back and fill them in?" and finally realizing that a dated diary was definitely not for me.

Journaling seemed more appealing, no dates, free flowing and the ability to doodle as well. I have been more successful with an art journal, it is less stress inducing for me, yet again, I have not been as consistent as I would like. I have come to the conclusion that if I really want to do this, it must become a habit that I make time for everyday, like most things we want to do. So here I am making a public resolution to acheive this goal. Please follow along and keep me accountable, I have some inspirational, entertaining and educational stuff that I really need to get out of my head!

What are your thoughts about the whole diary/journal thing? Did you keep a diary as a young teen?

Bkuebirds

The state bird of New York is the Eastern Bluebird. My mother always wanted to se them inner yard, so this spring we are on a mission to coax them in. So far we have found that their favorite food is mealworms - yuck. I suppose if would get them to nest here I would go to that length but I a, also looking into other foods that they may like.

My project is to build a bluebird nesting box, from scratch. My father was a woodworker, and he has left me with a basement full of tools to use. I don't know how to use them all and I am determined to learn. I found a pattern on a bluebird website, so wish me luck. I will post my progress!

Www.northamericanblueburdsociety.org

A rolling stone gathers no - Moss?

     My mother and I disagree about moss. I love it. I think it is beautiful and there are so many varieties and it is pretty much free. I have used it to fill cracks in my walkways and grown it in pots and on pots and on stone walls. Mom hates moss. She can't stand it in the lawn, in the driveway in the walkway and not at all In her garden. So sadly, today I had to go out and pour baking soda on the garden to get rid of the moss. Baking soda is suppose to change the PH of the soil so that moss will no longer grow. As much as it would make Mom happy to see it go, I am secretly rooting for the moss. I think I may have to grow a garden where moss is welcome so she can see how beautiful and useful it can be.
      I suppose it could be worse, we could disagree about more important things. We do have a different priorities some days, and I think she obsesses about some things that really aren't that important, like weeds in the driveway and the fact that the grass circle in the driveway is not really a circle anymore....... but, all in all we agree more often than not. We have been able to communicate much better about life in general and we can talk about deeper and more intimate things than ever before. We talk about things that we never knew about each other and things we have been through that we never told each other and things we fear for the future. We laugh about most of it after we complain.
      Aside from moss, the topic of conversation today was the leaky shower which has been leaking off and on for a year. The drain has replaced twice now and it still leaks. We have determined that it is the hot wate , but we can't find the exact location of the leak. The shower has been dismantled for almost two weeks with no end in sight. Dads new idea is take the valve for the cold water apart and put it on the hot side to see its the fitting or the washers or somewhere else. He is actually contemplating taking apart the other shower to try those parts too. I suggested getting a new part from the hardware store rather than taking apart two showers and making extra work. The answer was " how do I know what part I need if I don't test the parts I have " ? Do all plumbers work like that ?!
      I am thankful that  Dad Is feeling well enough to tackle a small project. However, This could be a long week, my sister is coming in two days to stay for a week, 3 girls and one shower is
not good a good thing. Dad will be out numbered, he better figure it out fast or call for some help.

The Circle of Life ( or how to keep your sanity while caring for your 90 year old parents AND raising teenage boys)

I love posting things about nature and animals and crafts and things that make people think and laugh. The past  year has been quite an interesting journey for me. Many changes have come my way, some by choice, some by fate and some have been dropped in my path with no way around but to plow through and find a way.

By choice, I have been making some lifestyle and career  changes that feed my soul, are less stressful and more aesthetically appealing to me and I will share those details as they arise. By fate, I reconnected with old friends, made some new friends and rediscovered a path I have ignored for many years. Now for the big one, the one that's been dropped, becoming caregiver for my parents.

The circle of life for me is living part time with my parents, kind of like when I was in college, yet caring for them almost like they are my children but having to wear kid gloves because it's their house, they have opinions and are a bit set in their ways, and have their own way of doing things. It is also difficult for them to admit, sometimes, how much they need the help of others.

Everyday there is something that just makes me shake my head and walk away, with the dog, into the woods to think, literally. The peacefulness of nature is just about the only thing that is keeping me sane at this point and I feel compelled to share some of my daily happenings with someone, anyone, who will listen.