Whooohoooo- Day 2

A Challenge Can Be Reassuring
Well, here I am again. There is something reassuring about knowing that I have set this time aside each day. It takes away some of the wonder about what I should do when I get home after work. Should I clean, should I watch tv, should I stop at the store on the way home? 
NO! I am going home to take care of the dogs, have a small, but healthy dinner and I am going to allow myself the pleasure of focusing on learning how to do "blog" things and to enjoy the creativity of working with my photography and publishing software.  And writing, I really do love writing. Then somewhere during the evening I will spend time with my husband and daughter.
Now, sooner or later, I will have to do some cleaning, laundry, holiday shopping, and all the other things that make my house a home. And I am ok with that. For now, I am grateful that somehow my evening is less chaotic with this blog and business time specfically set aside to focus on the 21 Day Challenge.

Less Reassuring
Earlier tonight I spent time on the online blog class. I confess I am still overwhelmed with the notion of setting up a self-hosted blog. I am not quite there, yet. I have to wonder if a hands on class is what I need. I have no real technical background to glean from.  Perserverence will have to be the word for this part of blogging.

Other Progress Today
I figured I would be working on my photography and stationary more over the next 21 days and now there is no doubt. A dear friend has just put in an order for some holiday gifts. I am so excited! I am thrilled to be able to create something for a friend and I am thankful that now I can't put it aside, which I might be inclined to do if there was no one waiting for it.

I spent time during the day looking at other blogs again. There are so many wonderfully creative people out there. I feel slightly intimidated and also hopeful. I know that I cannot be them, nor should I be. I see that there are so many different styles and I will find my own. (especially if I can figure out how to self-host and design blogs or at least find someone who can see my vision).

And Tomorrow
Tomorrow I begin to work on designing my friend's gifts, continue reading and/or class, and remain open to my next step.

Part of composing a great picture in photography

is by focusing on your subject

and

eliminating the clutter in the scene.

It's not just what you get in the shot,

it's also what you keep out of it.

~ ~ ~

Part of composing a well lived life

is by focusing on what is important to you

and

eliminating the clutter.

It's not just what you keep in your life,

it's also what you keep out.
~ ~ ~
I am taking a little time to visit wild places.

To just "BE" and marvel at the wonder of life and nature.

Somehow, when I return from such places,

I am more whole, less cluttered.

better enabled to live well
and

focus on what is important

to create the picture of my life

that is consistant with my vision for it.

It's all part of my creative proces.

~ ~ ~

How do you focus on what is important?

How do you keep the clutter out-

or de-clutter if clutter has crept in?

I'm Expanding



Cup of the Day

 I am now a member of the Whole Living Daily Challenge Community at http://www.wholeliving.com/ and have added a few blog posts there.  I have also applied there to begin two new groups; In Between for those of us who are at the in-between stage of life where we care for and support those both younger and older in our family group, and 50+ and Counting for those of us who are 50 years young, and beyond, who want to stay active and enjoy life. Both groups are awaiting approval and I'll keep you posted.

Although I have not created a whole new blog and these do not directly fit into my business plan, I do feel this fits into my overall life goals. I will continue to add blog posts and if the groups are approved, I will spend some time with those as well. And in reality, since life is not, or should not be, compartmentalized, I guess this really does fit into my business plan. Not only am I writing more and expanding my reach, I am also seeking to find ways to stay balanced and healthy so that I can work my business and enjoy all aspects of my life. So it fits.

Hey, there is that 'balance' word again. No, I don't mean balanced as in all things being equal and even, but rather balanced as in giving attention, at some regular interval, to all things that are important. I still like the visual example of juggling where you are working with many different balls, and you focus on just one at a time.  To me it is like being in the moment. There are many aspects (juggling balls) to my life, and I can not pay attention to all of them at the same time and do any of them well. Remember the plate balancing acts? Well, I used to be the person who was struggling to keep all the plates balanced at the same time and running back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and .....well you get the idea. No more of that. It is exhausting, and for me, not a healthy way to live.

So I am doing something everyday, expanding my reach (adding another juggling ball), adding another blog post here; and today I will be reading other people's blogs, working on choosing my first photo gift/stationary designs, and doing other photography related things.

Momentum is a beautiful thing and I feel mine picking up again.

Catching Up-or Picking up the Pieces

                                            

It is a cold, blustery day here in the Midwest. I got a call early this morning that the offices where I work are out of power and I don't have to come in until 10:00am.  It was nice to get a little more sleep and to now sit with coffee in hand, watching the autumn colors blow outside my window.

It has been awhile since I have looked at, much less written, on my blog.  And although I won't write much right now, I just wanted to let my readers know I am still here. Since my father's passing earlier this month, I have been spent time with memories, getting caught up at home, at work and helping my mom catch up, too. With this brief, but most welcome gift of time,  I thought I would take a few minutes to do a little catch up inventory for blog and business. 

A few things fell by the wayside over the last month and hold some lessons learned. Even though most of these are directly connected to my dad's illness over the past year and the sad events of October, I believe that some of these hold lessons that would be true, regardless.  I take on too much too fast.  A recipe for disaster. And because a lesson learned is really not helpful unless there is a plan for applying the lesson, I will include my plan, too.  And I am stopping at three.

-I totally forgot about and "flunked" my two online courses for photography and online writing.  I flunked them only because I did not finish them by the deadline.  Two online courses were too much with everything else I was trying to do, not to mention working a fulltime job.
Lesson learned; don't be so eager that it becomes too much and nothing gets done.
So, I will take them again.  This time, I will just take one at a time.  My deadline; hmmm, not sure with holidays approaching, but will have signed up by year's end.

-All my plans to get designs into an online store stopped, as did creating more designs
Lesson learned; I don't need a full line of product to begin and to open an online presence. I just need to begin with a few good choices and get the account/store created.
Choose four designs, then open a Cafepress shop by year's end with photo gifts and stationary.

I stopped doing something everyday.  That's ok, the lesson here is sometimes there are more important things in life.
No regrets, I was where I needed to be. Begin again, today. Do Something Everyday!

Now, to be fair, I have done something over the past few weeks. I was very pleased and honored to have created my dad's memorial service program. I worked hard with my new software to get it just right and learned a lot about the Serif PlusX4. The heart that went into this project will be a good standard to hold the rest of my work to.

And so today begins a new day.

Do Something Every Day

Do Something Every Day.  This is my new mantra for learning how to blog, and other things.

On today's 'to do list' was to add a site counter and to learn how to add pictures.  Site counter completed, I moved on to the picture.  As you can see from the picture of the beautiful Swallowtail butterflies on the Joe Pye, I was successful.  These are both Tiger Swallowtail butterflies. According to my field guide, the darker one is a female.  I took the picture, and many others, the other evening in my backyard.  Every now and then they would take to the sky in a beautiful swirling dance, then return to the Joe Pye. It was quite an unexpected gift as I had just by chance looked out my kitchen window.  Not one to let the moment pass, I grabbed my camera and headed out the door.

I am also planning on adding a list of favorites and links.  And I may get rid of the quotes, like the quotes, not the ads.  However, I do plan to link up to Amazon and a few other things like that.  I mention this because one of the first links I am going to put in is an online site for online classes.  I have recently taken two classes and plan to take others.  I took a grammar 101 in preparation for putting my writing where someone might actually see it.  And I took a digital photography primer.  I have been using a digital SLR for a few years, but I wanted to get a feel for how the online classes work and also to review some of the basics. I liked the classes and will be taking more. So, I'll try to get the website into a sidebar. 

On another note, I drove into work early this morning in a light layer of fog that covered the hills down to the river near where I work.  I noticed geese gathering in the fields already, also flocks of blackbirds.  Could it be they are already preparing for southerly migrations?  Thinking of them brings to mind the transitions I am working through, or toward.  But, I am keeping this post short tonight as I have already spent considerable time on the computer trying to figure out the site counter thing.   I had my morning coffee at work today and am about to go spend some time with my family.