#131 - The one where we resolve to have resolve

 Ok, well, it's only 2 months ago since my last confession...wait.  Wrong religion.

The 2023 Holiday Season is upon us.  So thankful we were able to venture to Boston to see the young one, for the big Thanksgiving (unless you're indigenous), and spent a lovely 2 weeks basking in the glow of his house, my grandkitties, his chosen family friends, and plans that an unfortunate stomach bug (by others in the extended family) upended a longer planned visit to them.  A short but delightful visit with my daughter from another mother and her loving husband. And the cherry on top:  seeing my baby's band do a live gig.  His music is so touching and visceral and I long for his success.

Now, a few days before the biggest "most wonderful time of the year" according to consumerism, back home with the older one here for a long visit, there will be lots of sports watching (GO NINERS), good food and drink, visits with friends, and loads of baked goods, which I've heartily enjoyed creating; particularly the artful sugar cookies using the little cookie cutters:

Still struggling to get through my screenwriting block, which needs to happen since my final script is due in May.  Not getting cast in a show I would have liked to do but frankly, I probably wouldn't have had time to do it.  Nearing the completion of a cycle of a collaborative collage project, which will be on display in the Bay Area from March through August. 

And on the horizon, 2024 and it's hopes and dreams and possibilities are looming large ahead of us, including overseas travel some still in the planning stages, and very soon: the medical procedure to internally window wash the dirt off my eye. by replacing the window. Fingers crossed for a good resolution to that one.

Oh, and it's That time of year.  After next Monday, we'll be bombarded by the "year in review" and lots of New Year's Resolution posts here and there. One of the writing prompts in my recent writing class was "Resolutions."  A part of what came to me was this:

Resolutions.  I’ve always despised that concept that once a year, we decide to change what we think we’re lacking in.  Now, I don’t do resolutions in that way.  I do vision boarding.  Resolve is an important thing to have a part of your internal reference tools, that’s for sure.  I think resolution must have the power of intention behind it, and the drive to move towards the change we want to be, or have, or become. 

I want to do all the things I want to do.  I have every intention to do so.  Does that mean I need to make a list to see that they happen?  Perhaps. And maybe 2024 will be the OFFICIAL YEAR OF THE VAULT.  We can surely resolve to make that a reality, can't we?

Happy end of the Winter Solstice and Happy New Year.  Just being realistic - don't think I'll post again this year...not unless I resolve to do so.

#130 - A post to be named later

Whew...been a minute, hasn't it?

Many milestones since the last time we were on this blog.  A phenomenal trip. Illness and recovery.  The passing of the high priestess of the family. Writing victories but not art entry victories.  A return to the stage.  And outside critters of all kinds.

Geez, how do we start?

Well, let's start at the beginning.  Trip of a lifetime in a way.  First, the UK and Edinburgh.  Dear old friend who was the most amazing hostess we could ask for.  Train travel to a magical place and a visit to see Nessie (nope, she didn't appear).  Then, Italy. It was otherworldly, stunningly beautiful, crowded, delicious, a dream come true.  Every picture in Venice was a painting.  Uffizi, Accademia with David (so much larger than I ever imagined), the Coliseum, the food, the trains, the raw beauty of the amalfi coast and ligurian Cinque Terre.  All of it was a breath of life.  Truly memories to cherish with our sons.

Then, back to reality. 

The youngest with a bit of a health scare that has settled.  The we'll never forget "their 'golden' sperm" video of my now late mother-in-law in her prime.  Being there as she passed.  Sitting shiva in a way with the 5 of us. Helping my (I've never called him my step) father-in-law try to cope with the loss of an almost 50 year partnership. Not getting accepted into an art competition.  Writing my first real screenplay. Then getting cast in a show that was close to the heart and virtually sold out the entire run.  The 2nd to the last day of the show being the horrific massacre in the middle east followed by the counter horrific massacre that continues to this day.  And the invasion of a raccoon that made us replace our cat door with an electronic one that still isn't quite working. And ongoing writing, art and travel upcoming. And just the last few days, a phenomenal experience of harvesting honey and watching the bees outside swarm to clean the frames.

Oh, and yes, a few sales of items from the Vault.  That's how this whole thing got started oh so many years ago.

Yup, it's been a minute alright...

Hopefully, to be continued more frequently? We can only try.

#129 - We do what we can

T minus 5 and counting…before we have liftoff!

In the meantime, we are doing all we can to be able to return home to a garden that is not full of 4 foot tall weeds.  That meant getting clever about how to suppress all the weeds in the pathways - the pathways that about 6 years ago, we have carved out and tamped down with decomposed granite.  They weren’t done exceptionally well, and well, grass and weeds have started to take over.  I mean, we did once upon a time have a grass backyard before we sheet mulched it into the garden (and pathways) it is today.

In any event, we came up with the best solution we could:  cardboard, layered with leaf mold (thank you for several years of that!), covered with wet newpaper, and followed up with about 1 inch of pathway mulch and another inch of cedar mulch.  It only cost about $100 and maybe 3 to 4 hours of our labor.  And that “deli” paper role I inherited from a friend came in handy when we ran out of spare old newspaper.  Now, we won’t come home to 4 foot tall weeds, except perhaps in some of the planting beds.  Hope to knock some of that out before we leave, and then perhaps we’ll come home to roses and flowers blooming.

It feels weird to not have tomatoes that I’ll buy from the Harvest garden sale this year.  Nor will I be planting anything edible until we return home.  At least there will be less to hand water by our wonderful housesitter this time.

Ok, back to it before the really hot weather hits.

#128 - Viewing differently

It's an interesting limbo to be in before a trip.  You're thinking about all the things you're going to do, and have to complete before you go. But as it gets closer, you start to think beyond the trip, to your return.  I've always called this phenomena travel projection - you project the trip before you go and then when your on the trip, you're projecting your return.

This trip, in particular, my goal is to be ever present in the moment. Not thinking about the before, or the what's to come, but being in the moment, that moment.  

Then there's the "advice" from others about what to bring, or not to bring. I'm working exceptionally hard on minimizing my travel items.  We are doing lots of movement and that means lots of schlepping.  I want to be able to be flexible and facile with handling my things (particularly that last stay where our place is up 3 flights of stairs).  And I want to feel good, and have energy and paint and enjoy my family and immerse myself in each location.

It's what I put on my vision board at the beginning of the year "the best way to visualize is to touch, hear and taste it."  Something to be cognizant of on our trip for sure.

#127 - Will it ever be Spring?

 So far, 2023 is all about the weather around here.  Or at least it was.  Rain every damn day in January, half of February and loads of March.  Finally, FINALLY, spring seems to be arriving.

I see it's been almost a month since my last post.  And shortly I'll be jetting across the pond for a long planned vacay and whirlwind tour around the UK and Italy.  Cannot wait.

When I return, writing will have to come center stage. I have to complete solid work by mid-next year.  It's not just a goal, it's a necessity or the thousands I've spent will go to waste.

Ok, if I could just get back into this daily writing habit.  Maybe I can target this as a travel journal?  Let's see how that one plays out.

#126 - Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow beats its petty pace filled with ART!

 I just can't seem to stop collaging.  Perhaps it's the one media that really speaks to me. One where I can combine words and ideas and I do tend to use lots of humor and/or sarcasm (that's a family trait for sure).

The more I do this, and take on all these many "challenges" on insta, the most I feel recognized.  Each time I get a mention or post or repost, particularly on a challenge, I feel I've made the "list."  It's an awesome experience.  Validation. Worth. 

Ok, I do have loads of other things i must conquer today, but I've managed to get 3 days ahead on my self-created challenge and that feels great.

Now to get to cleaning, pruning, shopping capped off with a social eve on the pool table.  Life sure is good and I'm so grateful for all of it.  Particularly for ART in my life.

#125 - the one that costs lots of money

Well, it's two days in a row!  I even opened up my NANOWRIMO Novel to see what I'd done and how much I had to go.  It's a start.

The skies are bright and blue with NO RAIN today.  A first in over a few weeks!!!

This is turning out to be a busy, busy week.  So, finally got the lowdown on what's been happening with my car.  Ch-ching - $2K. Then, CSAA sucks.  We have to scramble to replace some insurance before our trip.  Oh joy.

At least we managed to get some lingering travel arrangements in place.  And we are going soon and have some exciting options my friend put forth when we venture to the southern UK.  Getting excited!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled collaging.  For now.  Ebay is also calling on the other line (or it should be... ). It's time to wrap up those loose ends and release that which no longer holds meaning to me (right, vision board???). That means the approximately 10-15 boxes of fabric to begin with...Yes, let's start there.  

Vault spelunking to commence.  

#124 - Which today should be 3.14

Happy PI Day,

It's been a minute again (make that 2 months) since I jumped back down into the Vault.  Funny to see what I had hoped for, and what has transpired.

Let's see where we are:  

• Though we did sell the Le Creuset French Press, otherwise we have slacked on the ebay listings (I realize it really does take time to list and bicker).   May get back to that when we return from our Europe trip in 6 weeks!
  
  
• Spent the month of February participating in Februllage, a worldwide collage challenge.  Have become absolutely addicted to collaging and created my own March Madness challenge.  This will slow down as I need to get back into watercoloring for our trip.
  
  
• Finally cashed in my "C" card and got Covid late last month. Was lucky it was mild except for the debilitating back pain issues.  It only lasted about a week so I feel very, VERY lucky.  And now I should have some immunity for our trip.
  
  
• Signed up for classes at the junior college that are free for older adults (Yyes, I guess I do qualify in that regard now - yikes!).  And got a free transit card good through 2024!
  
  
• Received a partial 1500 Euro scholarship to a writers retreat for my screenplay.  Decided to take the plunge and commit to it (an expensive gamble, but one that I hope will reap benefits!).  It's not until July of 2024 so there's time to complete the script and the other one I have.
  
  
• Will need to start WRITING regularly again, and work on that screenplay.

Hence, my return here.

Still look at that completed vision board almost every day.  I see things happening that I put down there.  Can't wait to see the whole thing manifest itself.

Let's have another cup of coffee (or perhaps the first of the day!), and let's have another piece of PI.

#123 - <=== It's as easy as...

New year, new focus, new transformation.

Removing old habits, old patterns, old attachments.

This is all so easy to say, but can I really make it a reality?  Time will tell.

Tomorrow I begin a 7 day vision board workshop.  I've already been working on finding those things that empower me, that drive me, that I want to manifest in the coming year.  

Yesterday I actually began the long journey that begins with a single step:  I started to list items from the Vault for sale. Here's a few of them:

 

Already got an offer on one Auction item (will probably let that expire and hope the person makes the bid instead). I'm motivated as the current Vault space (most of it in what I've lovingly called "The Interior Pod") will be the future art studio I need.  I haven't outgrown the garage space, it's just that we need to liberate the pool table for its born function:  to play pool.

Let's see what happens.