I'm Over It

It is snowing.
Again.
For the third time
in three weeks.

I am researching cheap flights to Mexico.
Heck - we have miles - we could just fly for free.

Maybe when we get back this will have all melted.

Probably not.
I have to come back before MARCH!

In other news . . .

I finally got over my "artists block" with the painting I am doing . . .
Who would have guessed that wandering into Paper Talk to get invites for Aly's "baby shower" would help me over the hump . . . but it is amazing what a new pack of the most perfect black and white polka-dotted tissue paper . . . mixed with a funny conversation with a self-proclaimed co-dependant gay man . . . will do for a girl! I am grateful.

I have been thinking about goals for this next year . . . still have not figured that all out yet. But certainly am realizing that my life is really different than it was a year and a half ago and I have a lot of room to play with my creativity - but with that freedom comes the flip side . . . a lack of structure and expectation. So, I must figure out a groove with finding my own set of goals and structure.

Life is good.
Now, if I could just remember that!!!!

I was listening to "Cecilia" this morning and chuckled as I remembered that it was not that long ago that I realized that Paul Simon was the Simon of Simon & Garfunkle. Funny.

I am also really enjoying Regina Spektor (especially On the Radio) . . . and the Grey's Anatomy Season One Soundtrack . . . especially the last 5 or 6 songs.

I have been talking to Kelly Jackson a lot lately . . . three times in one week - lucky girl am I! Grateful for her too . . . so that makes tissue paper, a gay wedding planner, and Kelly on my gratitude list so far . . .

And herb. I am grateful for herb. He has been playing out of the box with me lately . . . and I appreciate that a lot! We went sledding! So much fun. I have not been sledding in about 7 years! And then, for New Years, we stayed in an made homemade sausage. Yep. That's right. We are trying out new family traditions . . . that are just ours. We really are liking this one! It is just quirky and funny and odd enough . . . But then we had people over the next day for football, lounging and sausage . . . so, really, that helped normalize it a bit. Next year, Sausage Fest 2007! Herb is already thinking about T-shirt designs . . . get excited!

All right . . . back to my canvas.

Today . . .

* scrap book new pictures from anniversary trip to the mountains
* pick up "brother's bbq" for herb's football watching pleasure
* paint guest room
* clean bathroom
* eat some guacamole

Beauty

WOW! I have felt so inspired and fired up since I gave my talk about beauty and body image last weekend. Then I posted most of it here because I was so excited about it! Then I thought more and more about my long time goal of having an article or even a book published. And then I thought more about what I wrote about beauty and body image. And how I might like to use some of that in my pursuit of publication.

So, for now, I am taking it off of the World Wide Web. Just seems like a good idea. I would hate for somebody to like it, "borrow" it, publish it before I do, and then all of a sudden I am talking to Katie Couric's replacement on the Today Show about why on earth I published somebody else's work. (I do realize, of course that that girl from Harvard most likely did use somebody else's work. But wouldn't it be weird if I was accused of plagiarizing my own plagiarizer? Note to self: learn how to spell plagiarize before trying to get published). If you have any questions about what I wrote, let me know. It is an important topic and I feel very excited about women learning where their true beauty and value come from! We can chat. Otherwise, it is going into a safe place for now.

The good news is, I feel inspired to take writing off of my "someday" list and put it on the "today" list. I am going to do it. I am going to work on the essay I published here and see what it turns into. I have a magazine in mind that I might send it to for review. Special thanks to my friend Kelly who inspires me by keeping her five year goals on her fridge. I have mine up now (to my husban's chagrin, i am sure because he hates things hanging on fridges!) I have already crossed one thing off!
Here I go!