Posts from the ‘Personal’ Category

2014 Word of the Year

I have been thinking a lot about what my word for 2014 will be.  It is difficult to believe that 2014 is just a mere eleven days away.  This year’s word has been create.  It has been a great word for me this year.  I have been creating new work and taking more risks with my work.  I have undertaken a long-term photography project, which I hope to share more about next year.  However, it does not mean that fear has not been present while creating.  I think that most people encounter this when they are creating meaningful work.  Creativity and vulnerability go hand in hand.  I recently read a great quote by author, Elizabeth Gilbert, that sums up this sentiment very well — “I live a creative life, and you can’t be creative without being vulnerable.  I believe that Creativity and Fear are basically conjoined twins; they share all the same major organs, and cannot be separated, one from the other, without killing them both.  And you don’t want to murder Creativity just to destroy Fear!  Creativity cannot walk even one step forward except by marching side-by-side with its attached sibling of Fear.”   I believe that this sentiment is so true.

As 2014 approaches, I have been thinking about the word that I will choose to guide me through the next year.  Over the past several days, I have considered having open be my word.  I believe that we all have ‘blind spots’ — there is so much to learn and many things that we are unable to  see.  However, I think that if you have the intention to be open, you will therefore be more able to see the things that appear at the right moment, right when you need them most.  I believe this is how the Universe works.  It delivers to us right on time — although, sometimes, in unexpected ways!

Happy Friday!

Brain Test

Recently, my Mom sent me this link to determine if I am left-brained or right-brained.  Well, I took the test, and I am neither — I use both the right and left sides of my brain equally!

Check out the test and see what side of your brain is more dominate!

Happy Wednesday!

All We Have Is Now

We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living.  “We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on.  But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I often get caught up in the idea of tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year.  While it is comforting to make plans for the future and it is always important to dream, I never want to lose sight of the fact that all we are guaranteed is right now and, most importantly, not to miss the right now.   Our little Biscuit taught us about living in the present moment.

“When you fully embrace the gift that this moment has to offer, there is no more waiting, even if you envision in your mind has yet to manifest in physical form.” ~Unknown

In the spirit of the Holiday season, Biscuit is shown on the left and Victory is shown on the right, both wearing tartan antlers!

Victory’s First Thanksgiving!

I hope that you had a nice Thanksgiving!  Victory had a great Thanksgiving — her first Thanksgiving!  She really loved cuddling with everyone.  She seems to love being loved!  She is gaining more confidence each day!  She is beginning to come into her own!  Victory also loved her chicken that Doug made especially for her!  We learned that she likes cooked carrots as well!  Little Nick , my parents’ furry family member, came for a visit and he loved having turkey and chicken as well!  Nick situated himself around everyone in the hopes of getting as much human food as possible!

We think that Victory was more interested in Nick than Nick was into Victory!  Nick only truly loves one person — his Daddy!  Pictured below are Victory and Nick sporting their matching Christmas collars!  Nick, of course, was keeping an eye on his Daddy!  In honor of Victory, we put out some Christmas lights over the weekend — they look quite nice!

In the Holiday spirit, not all dogs are fortunate enough to have furever homes.  Please keep all dogs in your prayers especially as the weather gets colder.  A special dog prayer is shown below, which a friend recently shared with me.

Happy Thanksgiving from Victory!

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.”  ~W.T. Purkiser

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we are hosting our first Thanksgiving in our new home with family and friends!  Today is also our first Thanksgiving with our little Victory!   Doug prepared our turkey using rubs and a marinade injection!  He is also preparing a chicken for Victory! Victory loves chicken!  We are making some new recipes and we are also making some old favorite recipes!  I am lucky because Doug likes to bake and cook so he does all of our cooking and baking — however, today I am cooking!

Doug and I have so much to be thankful and grateful for each day.  We try to count our blessings everyday.  Our recent biggest blessing has been Victory, the newest edition to our family.  A photograph of our little Victory is below wearing her Thanksgiving bandana courtesy of Biscuit!  We know Biscuit is with us always.

Happy Thanksgiving!