Read this book!

So I'm recommending a book to read. It's "A Discovery of Witches," by Deborah Harkness. I know that some of you know that I devoured all of the Twilight series books. Guilty. These types of books are my guilty pleasures. Those of you who know me well also know that I read literature and nonfiction books of substance as well. So I'm not apologizing for falling for this book about an Oxford history professor and reluctant witch, Diana Bishop, who falls in love with a vampire.

Note in a stroke of genius, Harkness makes Diana a Bishop, which means she's related to Bridget Bishop, who was a witch in the Salem Witch Trials. This gives her witch lineage a boost, and it gives her a certain cache among other witches, as well.

The book that draws Diana and Peter, the 1500-year old vampire, together is a bewitched alchemical manuscript from the 1500s. Diana is able to access it, but she returns it to the library, as she doesn't want to use her powers. She tries to access it again, but it doesn't work. But then they discover that the book is just a piece of the puzzle, which involves Diana and the future.

Honestly, I'm ready for the next book to come out. The book left you hanging, and we know that another book will follow. And for those of you still scoffing at my book, even NPR liked it. So there!

www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/02/09/133618903/the-surprising-charms-of-a-discovery-of-witches

If you give it a read, let me know what you think!

Should I or shouldn't I?

The question is whether it's too early to feature my blog on facebook. I think I'm committed to regular updates, but as you can tell last year that wasn't really the case.

This year is different. Yesterday for lunch Carrie and I went skiing. It was a bluebird day. Check out this photo.

What a beautiful day. And getting outside was such a great way to be reminded of why I live here in a place where gas is outrageously expensive.

Last night I went to Bikram's Yoga. It was HOT. It is only my second time back at Hot Yoga, and I'm still getting adjusted to it again. The mantra, "drink lots of water", certainly applies.

What I'm finally realizing and embracing is that making changes in your life takes time, dedication, and it has be a constant endeavor. When you backslide and make choices that aren't in line with what you're trying to accomplish--you can't give up. Instead you have to dust yourself off and acknowledge what happened and do better next time. For me the all or nothing tack just doesn't work in the longterm.

Happy spring, to a time of renewal and growth.

What do I want to say?

What do I want to say today? I want to write about what I'm grateful for in my life. I am so grateful for my family and my friends. They sustain me through thick and thin. They stand by me no matter what.

I am also grateful to live in such a beautiful place. Today the sun came out after yesterday's snow storm. For lunch, Carrie and I are heading for the slopes to enjoy the 17 inches of new powder. I admit though I'm more than ready for spring I can enjoy the snow for a bit longer. Enjoy what the day brings instead of wishing your life away.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to write and create, as it feeds my soul. Each time I write, take photos, or now paint I feel a connection to the universe. I am grateful for what I have in my life, which is a lot.

Hello Monday

Woke up to snow today. It is a bit dreary. Can you tell I'm ready for spring? I had a good weekend, and I've almost completed my art. I actually did a painting, which is a first for me. It feels good to try something different, though photography and writing are still my first loves. My photos didn't seem to embrace the theme, "Our History is Our Strength". I'm not sure my painting does that either, but it's an abstract version.

I spent the weekend chilling out and cleaning. The reason: I was out of town the last three weekends, and things had gotten a bit out of control. I just needed the weekend to catch up on things and devote time to being creative. I also met Mari for lunch on Sunday, and I went to Mary Anne's baby shower. It was fun to celebrate the little one, and catch up with MA and her crew.

Today it's back to work. Why does the weekend go by so quickly? Happy Monday to all.

Starting Again

I just read a blog about someone who took a year off to hike, travel, and write. (www.momonvacation.blogspot.com) It was inspiring to read about someone taking the "jump" as she described it. It sounds like a wonderful idea. It's not something that I can do completely right now, but I can take a small leap.

This weekend I'm working on my art project for my Women's History Art Show. Carrie and I are co-curating the show of 12 artists. I'm going out on a limb this time, because instead of photos and words I'm going to work on a painting. It could turn out a disaster, and I'll be back to photos, but I want to take this small leap to give it a try. I want to move past my fear of not embracing myself as an artist.

The other thing I want to commit to is writing in this blog at least once per week. That will be a challenge, but I'm going to put it in my calendar. The iphone might be able to prompt me to follow through. I started a new journal this year, and this blog is the next step. Once I start following through, then I plan to send out a note to gather some readers. One step at a time.

In the meantime, what small leap will you take in your life? It's time!

Fridays so far

So far my Fridays have been filled with taking care of me, which is why I haven't blogged. This week I'm about to launch a new blog called Dragonfly Creative Consulting for Nonprofits. In this blog I will blog weekly about leading and working in nonprofits in today's reality. As this is my chosen field, I want to put some thoughts to paper about how to help nonprofits excel. This will complement the work that I will do with clients. My speciality is in using the collaborative alignment model, which was developed by my mentor Bob Vanourek.
This is part of my commitment to the best life to learning and growing as an individual. We all have the opportunity to learn something new each day, and it is up to each of us to take that opportunity and make it happen. What did you learn that was new recently?

One small step for me

So I didn't walk on the moon, however, this step for me is sort of like moonwalking. I officially started a new schedule of four, 10-hour days, which means that Friday is my day, more time for me day. I will do my best to blog on Fridays, about this journey to find more balance.

Technology had taken over our lives. It's evidenced by the fact I just checked my gmail on my iPhone, then I got out my computer, and now I'm writing a post in blog. (Also, I did a quick check of my work email. There was one email from one of my staff members). So it's not just me with boundary issues.

Thank goodness. I thought I was the only one. And no I'm not tweeting or using hootsuite to manage all of my social media activities. I have been told I should be doing this, but frankly, this blog and two email accounts that I can't keep up with is enough for now.

Meanwhile on Friday I'll check back in on how my experiment is going. See you then!