Sometimes the best thing to do....

Is to do nothing at all.

One view of the backyard at my little retreat in Idaho..

 

 

I arrived there on August 31st, my birthday.  I spent almost the entire month of September there. Every morning I chose a different window to sit by and drink my coffee/tea/chai and gaze out at the garden. In the early evening, I wandered out to the deck or one of those weathered chairs and sat there, looking back towards the house. It is truly a retreat for me, and I enjoy being there so much, for a variety of reasons.   This is not to say that is all I did while there.  I ran around with family and spent time with my Mom. Saw the Aunts and Uncles.  Went to a football game with Hubby, went to several art fairs.  But my best times while there, have become just hanging out with Hubby at the house and relaxing, or even working in the yard.  I know it will feel different when we move there for good, but for now, I see it as a little escape from the real world and I relish it so much. September was truly vacation month for me.

When I get back to Austin, everything is so hectic, with a million things to do, and being pulled in so many directions.  I've been really busy since I got home and here we are the middle of October already.  I'm feeling stressed and overwhelmed so I'm trying to focus on taking care of myself instead of just slipping back into the rut I usually do.  Part of taking care of oneself is setting time aside to create, instead of planning to create when everything else is taken care of.  It never happens.  So that is where I am at, and where I will be for awhile, with my head down...trying once again to find some balance.  Maybe even some finished artwork.  Don't know why that is so difficult for me, but all I can do is continue to keep trying.

Farewell to September

How quickly time passes, regardless of whether you are having fun or not.  Slow days have been my September.  Being kind of lazy some days, whirling about other days.  A lot of sitting, thinking, watching, planning.  Oh yes, procrastination at it's finest!  I've been noticing the shadows, the way they change in September.  Finding it harder to wake up since it's darker longer in the morning.  Wandered downstairs the other morning and was struck by the light shining through the back door curtains. 

 

I've started gathering up things for Dia de los Muertos  coming up in awhile.  This link is to events from 2012. If you look closely you can see the skull hanging on the bakers rack to the right. It's a new one I just bought.  The local parade is being held this year on October 19th.  A bit early, as they usually don't have it until close to the actual days...November1st and 2nd.  At least, in years past, it was closer to the original date.  Not sure why they have moved the local celebrations earlier in the month, but have noticed the past few years it is earlier.  I am determined to finish a couple of the things I started last year and let fall by the wayside.  I seriously seem to have become the Queen of Unfinished Objects the past couple of years!  Not even going to try to analyze that, just attempt to make things right, at least in my own mind, for this coming month alone.