The Wonders of an Artistic Mind

What does it mean to be artistic? Being able to express yourself? Seeing things that others don't? How does the painter go from a story in his head to the painting you and I see? Often we don't see the story, just a painting that we can't explain. Can other artists read the story in the painting, though? I think many can.

We went to an art show tonight that consisted mainly of paintings, poetry readings, and finished with an independent filmmaker's piece. Two paintings struck my interest. One was a three dimensional city scape that had layers peeled back to reveal it's dimension. The city was baron, but the texture gave it life. It turned out to be by our friend who had invited us to the show! Amazing. Then there were other colorful paintings of buildings, quite the opposite of our friend's art piece due to their vibrancy. I really wanted to come home with one of these! Oh, well...another time. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of her work in the future. Some of the artwork struck me as odd. It left me wondering what others saw when they looked at it. Really. Was there another world in those paintings that I was unaware of? The poetry is what stirred up these questions the most. We were able to hear several people speak, but I didn't "get" most of it. I listened very intently trying to decode some of the words, but I was left wondering. Just when I was convinced that the poem really had no meaning, it was over and BAM! The audience applauded and yelled and were obviously moved by the words that left me lost. Hmmm. The wonders of an artistic mind. I was thrilled when the second to last guy went up to perform his poetry. And what a performance it was! He spoke from his heart and his pauses and dramatic effects drew me in. When he got to his last poem, he informed us that he had just written it before he arrived. The audience chuckled. It was amazing! Full of contradiction. I could finally understand this poet!

I had a wonderful time enjoying the atmosphere. These people who all seemed to live mysterious, almost magical lives, quite different from my own. Or did they? Maybe all I could see was their painting. Maybe the others saw an entirely different story.

What's My Passion?

Our kids left over a week ago to spend time with family down in the Carolinas. I had all of these plans to get things done while they're gone, and so far, I've done pretty well sticking to the plan. One thing that has been very time consuming is becoming good at the coupon game. I have so much to share about what I've learned and the many resources I've come across in helping me start finding free money! However, that's not what's on my mind right now.

What's really been haunting me for the last few months (or maybe years is more accurate) is what I want to be when I grow up. I know I've touched on that, but it's really getting to me lately. I've never really be able to tell anyone what I'm passionate about (aside from my family, of course). Some say, "Do what you love." I say, "How do I know what that is?" It's extremely frustrating to be 35 and feel like you don't know yourself well enough to know "what you love". For me, it's not a good feeling.

The day that my husband and I left our kids with my mom and aunt, he drove me to the Detroit area to attend a Lavender Festival. He was less than thrilled about it, but he was such a good sport! I never have time to do things like that, and the kids would not have been for it. So, I talked him into taking me. It was wonderful! It was on a huge working farm, and it had lots of vendors. Some made lavender edibles, some made lavender home and personal care items, and some had other wares available. I ended up leaving with a handmade purse (as I have a slight addiction with bags! shhh!). They also had several workshops and speakers who explained things such as cooking with lavender, growing and harvesting lavender, and healthful uses of lavender. If I didn't get to experience but one thing while we were there, I wanted to hear the key-note speaker, Dr. Hill, talk about the healing properties of Lavender Essential Oil. He was a great speaker, made up of an amazing amount of knowledge, a great delivery, and a sense of humor, too. A terrible storm had blown over us while he was speaking, but we were under cover, and his crowd grew...turned out we had the best seats in the house! I wondered what the people seeking shelter thought about what they ended up learning quite by accident. Of course, I don't believe there are accidents when it comes to experiences like that.

Back in 2008, I met my wonderful friend Leah. She is quite the hippy at heart, and it shows through her life choices for herself and her family. I could go on and on about how she has changed my life, but that would take up well more than a post...I think I'd have to start an entirely separate blog just for that! *wink* Anyway, she opened my eyes to things like cloth diapering, baby wearing, and a whole new perspective on life in general. She proudly gave birth to her second son at home in the bathtub! She is incredible and has taught me so many things.

--Let me back up for a quick second. I was stationed out in Northern California for a few years, and that is what introduced me to organic foods, skin care, and how beautiful life really can be. The wharf in San Francisco is one of my favorite places. Being surrounded by people on scooters and bike instead of cars...so many thoughts are going through my head. It was just a beautiful place. I loved all of the natural aspects life had to offer there, but when I moved away, many of those aspects were left behind.--

Okay, so back to my time with Leah (sadly, the military moved us less than a year later). She was able to get in touch with the feelings I experienced while I lived in California. The more I got into the cloth diapering scene, the more I was exposed to natural living in general. What has interested me more than anything is the importance of nature itself. Essential oils come from plants. Lavender essential oil (EO) comes from the delicate flowers of the lavender plant. Shocking, I know! But there are so many things that these different oils can do. Some have healing properties, some are anti-fungal, some are anti-inflammatory, and some ward off pests such as flies and mosquitoes. These are just a tiny fraction of examples of what this one part of nature can do that DOESN'T REQUIRE CHEMICALS. I love all natural body lotions that can help to heal psoriasis. I love that there are substances from plants that can be turned into a salve that I can rub on sore areas caused by fibromyalgia. I don't like to pop pills to get myself out of pain. I like to know that what I put on and in my body is something that my body actually appreciates because we all come from nature...

So it comes down to this: What am I passionate about? Well, it certainly seems as though I have a passion for nature and what it can do for us. I have a desire to know more about such things and would love for it to be more than a "hobby". The words homeopathy and holistic come to mind, but I'm not even sure if they really apply. I haven't had much luck searching online about "careers" in such things. They seem to lead to massage and acupuncture. Not exactly what I'm thinking. So here I am. I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but I'm getting a better picture of what truly interests me. Now I just have to figure out where to go from here. For now, I do believe my pillow is calling...

Should I Stay, or Should I Go?

My husband thinks I'm cut out to be a teacher. I don't disagree; I'm just completely undecided. It's hard to believe I'm going to be 36 this year! (Shhh, don't tell anyone!) Serving in the military and then becoming a full time mom has decided the last decade or so, but what's in my future?

I'm one of those people who would just assume work from home than anything else. We've moved with the military three times in the last two years, so I'm just getting a handle on the house again. We have been working on a budget for several months. We just need to fine tune it a bit, and we'll be doing okay. A few friends have mentioned something called Financial Peace University that we want to check out. Some of its ideas sound a bit different than what we're used to, but we might give them a try. I've recently started diving into the world of coupon printing as well as clipping. I'm no expert, as I am a mere beginner, but I want to get better and start saving us some $$. I've never been one to pay attention to which stores are offering what bargains, what rewards come with credit cards, etc. Hmmm, pay for gas with the Discover and receive 5% cash back. Pay it off right away (as I always do) and that's a 5% coupon right there! I know, so many people have been taking advantage of these benefits for some time now...I'm a late bloomer.

Since our move to Michigan is our final move (fingers crossed), I've started a container garden with a few fruits and herbs. I'm loving "reaping what I sow". We are cutting down tremendously on convenience (throw away) items and replacing them with reusable ones. I'm a beginner sewer, and I'd love to do more. I'm branching out in the kitchen and trying to do more things homemade to avoid "meals in a box" and more processed items. My first big "out on a limb" attempt was making homemade pesto. What fun! It was yummy....

Next on the agenda is looking into a rain barrel and a composting system.

Did I mention that I'm also a newbie blogger?

Everything I have mentioned takes research, reading, Googling, planning, researching, and did I mention researching? It's hard to do when I have two very active and busy, busy children to keep up with. Using coupons and comparison shopping in a single store is almost impossible with them as it is! They've been gone for three days, and I've gotten so much done! How in the world do I tackle all of this and have a full time job? My husband is concerned about how I'll take care of our family if something should ever happen to him (says the 29 year old--well for 4 more days, anyway!). I don't know. So here I am back to my original question. Should I stay or should I go?

My Son

Where do I start about my son? He's a momma's boy, no doubt about it. He is full of surprises. He is always trying to make people laugh and has a wonderful sense of humor. He's got the cutest dimples and blonde hair and blue eyes to go along with them. We'll be in trouble when he gets older! He's already flirting with the older girls. He doesn't just make eyes at them, he will actually strike up a conversation with them and once he has their attention, he'll act completely silly and make them laugh. He is a wonder to watch; absolutely captivating.

As funny as he acts, he has a very sensitive side as well. His smiles will warm your heart, and his looks of disappointment can rip it to shreds. He's two and a half. His warmth and love is unconditional, and a hug and a kiss from him makes me feel complete. It's funny how much I realize this tonight. He and his big sister are at my sister's house with their four cousins. What a bunch the six of them are. They have the best time together. We moved to Michigan just so we could be closer to them. It's a joy to give them the opportunity to grow up together. Being military doesn't always allow for such a thing. So today was my first complete day without my son since the day he was conceived. He has spent the night with Aunt Stephanie once before, but we were there that afternoon and saw him the next day. This time I dropped them off yesterday, and I didn't get to talk to them until tonight. It was so great to hear my daughter's voice. I didn't dare get Shawn on the phone. I wasn't sure how that would go for either of us!

I was in the military when I had our daughter. She was in daycare at 7 weeks of age until I got out over a year later. Then I went to school, and she was home with me some, but she thrived around other kids. She is quite the social butterfly. We enrolled her in a fabulous Christian school when she was 2. We spent plenty of time together, but she also had a great outlet on her own. My son's life has been quite the opposite. Although he LOVES to play with kids of all ages, he's never been in a daycare situation. Sunday school is the closest thing he knows. I've been a full time mom since he was born. I have always heard moms say, "Oh, I just don't know what I'm going to do when he/she starts kindergarten! I'll be a wreck!" I secretly thought they were nuts! Tonight I got a glimpse at what those moms must have been talking about. I had a moment of weakness and cried for a bit, but this will make both of us stronger. Besides, he's at his aunt and uncle's house with people he adores. It's kind of nice that I miss them...It makes me realize how much they mean to me, and I can't wait to get my hugs and kisses when they get back!

My Daughter

A few days ago, my daughter walks into my office and says, "Are you going to be discussing anything disturbing? Whatever it is, I can handle it." She is referring to the fact that all afternoon I had been making stressful calls to our Realtor, mortgage company and bank regarding the sale of our rental property. I said I was on my last call, and it wouldn't be too bad. She was welcome to join me. She's 6, by the way. She is a very perceptive little girl, and I have to remind myself that she is, in fact, only 6. I try and limit her exposure to adult stresses; after all, she'll have plenty of time for that later. I always tell her it's my job to handle the big stuff. It's her job to have fun.