Monday, October 26, 2009

Hello again!

Wow, I have really fallen off the blogging wagon! My mind has obviously been elsewhere for the last couple months, which has been a really good thing. I think I'm ready to get back into the blogging world now that My world is a lot more stable.

During my break, I did make a little bag/tote one day. The craft bug has been biting me pretty hard lately. Deciding what to do can be a challenge. Here's how the bag turned out:



I used fabric I had on hand for the bag and to line the support piece inside, and I used fabric I had pieced together previously for the strap. Not my favorite color scheme, but I just needed to make something.


Here's the inside. I cut out a piece of cardboard and covered it with fabric using a glue gun. Totally brought me back to my teenage years when I covered a lot of notebooks with batting and fabric and made all sorts of pretty notebooks. Perhaps that is when my love/infatuation with notebooks and binders began...


And here is the bottom of the bag. I used a plastic bag from Z Gallerie as the template, and it turned out pretty good. I think I'll use this bag to hold my current embroidery projects and embroidery supplies.



I also stitched a Jack-O-Lantern face on a fabric pumpkin that I stitched years and years ago and finally put stuffing in a few weeks ago. I still need to find a cute twig to put in as the stem, then pull and seal it shut. I unfortunately stitched the face too low, but it's cute to look at, anyway. (I'll try to remember to take a picture!)


My crafty efforts lately correspond with a quote I recently heard:


Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.

~Deanna Spillman


So, I'll take my imperfect crafts over no crafts at all. :)

Friday, August 14, 2009

Heart and Zen

Keep your heart clear and transparent
And you will never be bound.
A single disturbed thought, though,
Creates ten thousand distractions.
Let myriad things captivate you
And you'll go further and further astray.
How painful to see people
All wrapped up in themselves.


- Ryokan



A LOT has happened in the last 5 days. A LOT. I haven't taken the time to blog about it, because it's going to take a lot of thought, accountability, and time. :) Just know that things are 100% better, and I'm excited about the future.

Anticipation is great, huh???!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Faith

"Faith implies a certain trust, even a reliance, upon the word of our Creator. If you should have doubting thoughts, remember the counsel given by President Stephen L. Richards, a former counselor in the First Presidency, who declared: “Just say to those skeptical, disturbing, rebellious thoughts, ‘I propose to stay with my faith, with the faith of my people. I know that happiness and contentment are there and I forbid you, agnostic, doubting thoughts, to destroy the house of my faith. I acknowledge that I do not understand the processes of creation, but I accept the fact of it. I grant that I cannot explain the miracles of the Bible, and I do not attempt to do so, but I accept God’s word. I wasn’t with Joseph, but I believe him. My faith did not come to me through science and I will not permit science to destroy it."

--President Thomas S. Monson, "Great Expectations", CES Fireside January 2009

Sunday, August 9, 2009

When is it time?

I'll tell you when...

When I find phone records with 71 text messages in 24 hours between two people after they spent an entire day together, and I was not one of those people.

When they continue to text nearly every single day thereafter.

When long conversations are had...but not with me.

When all I'm good for is sex, cleaning, sex, paying the bills and figuring out finances, and sex.







When it's over.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Random Thoughts from the Zoo: It's Friday!

Super Cute Apron Giveaway!!!

Hey, just wanted to share this giveaway with you all...Random Thoughts from the Zoo is giving away a super cute black and white damask apron she made. Check it out and enter, will ya?!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The Lovers


I don't know if I posted about my friend, Jillian, reading my Tarot cards, but I want to write down some of my thoughts from the reading.

It was on July 3rd, two days before Patrick initiated the conversation about the future of our marriage. I was working a double at work that day, and I was so excited for my break between shifts. As I was getting ready to wander for a couple hours, Jillian, a hostess at the restaurant, asked me if I would like her to read my cards during our break. I figured, why not? I'll read my horoscope once in a while for kicks. I have nothing to lose, and I might hear something comforting or insightful. And, it'll be fun and a first for me.

So, we went over to Barnes & Noble, sat at a table at the cafe, and went to town.

It would take too long to describe the layout she uses, every card that was drawn, the story about each card, and the meaning, as well as how it relates to my life, but let me tell you, it was FREAKING AMAZING. (The first card was The Lovers.) Even Jillian, who has done this a LOT, was completely blown away by how direct and applicable all of the cards were to the question I had, which was: What do I do about my marriage?

Here are some of the highlights:
  • My inner balance is off and I need to restore it.
  • I need to be kind to myself.
  • I need to control my anxiety.
  • A quiet retreat, sanctuary, or strategic withdrawal, where I can be alone with my thoughts will be very beneficial to me right now.
  • I need to quit faking "calm" and show my true feelings.
  • Nature is important to me. (the best place for me to find sanctuary)
  • The relationship I want is characterized by mutual affinity and union, clear, true, supportive, comforting, with room for passions to grow. There is potential for this in my existing relationship.
  • I should not re-enter social activities until satisfied that I have resumed contact with a personal value system.
  • I need to withdraw from all distractions.
  • I need to stand up for myself.
  • Basically, the outcome is up to me, and I need to do what is necessary so I can have a clear mind and make a confident decision.
That same day I wrote down some Action Items for myself:
  • Go visit Ken & Paula (my in-laws).
  • Find my sanctuary in the wilderness near here.
  • Follow through with a quiet, intentional withdrawal from all distractions. (NOT in the house - I have to be intentional with having purposeful introspection time.)
  • Be clear and logical and explain what I want to Patrick.
While I'm not religious about Tarot cards, horoscopes, etc., I do think that sometimes we hear a needed message through a unique medium.

I keep forgetting to focus on the good things I got out of this experience. I still haven't retreated to the wilderness, though I have spent hours in the back yard, reading and watching the wind breathe through the blades of grass.

I keep spending too much time with other people, and not with my own intentional thoughts. I really need to stop doing this. I want to wake up each day, have a plan and a goal, and work productively toward being a better person that day.

So, that's my first experience with tarot cards. Not too shabby. :)

30 in 30

I decided today that I should make a list of 30 important things that I would like to do in my 30th year. I turned 30 on July 14th. So, rather than feeling old, I choose to feel like life is just beginning. I am on the cusp of self-discovery and loving it. :)

The list is up to 18 things right now. It's actually a little bit difficult to come up with 30 things off the top of my head! The list is on the bottom of the sidebar on the right side of my blog. It will stay there for the year. As I work on these things and accomplish them, I will blog about it.

Now, what should I do first???

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

This probably won't make sense to you...


I feel so angry right now. I'm supposed to get in touch with my emotions and really allow myself to feel. Well, I don't know what to do with anger. It wants to turn into tears, but I just want to let it burn in my heart for a few. Why am I so angry? I know the "why," but I don't know why I decided to let the emotion come out of it. Self preservation?

Things I would like to say, but I'm too scared or feel like it's not very nice of me:
You can rationalize the hell out of your choices, but when it comes down to it, we are all filthy.
You are no better than any person out there. At all.
Talk to me that way again, and this journey will turn into a one-way ticket to hell.
Don't come back.

I miss my numb self that would just blow this off.



At the same time, I don't miss her at all.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Changes

I got this in an email today and thought it was pretty funny:

I dialed a number and got the following recording:


"I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes."



I wish I had the balls to put that on my voicemail. :)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Your best face

Today my mom, aunt, and my aunt's grandson came up to Salt Lake City to eat lunch at the restaurant where I work. Previously this weekend, my mom mentioned that she would like to see the new place. I planned on cleaning up yesterday, but ended up not doing much in the way of tidying the house. This morning she called, and I invited everyone to come in when they arrived.


Well, did you get a chance to clean the house?

Not really, but we're all family. I've seen you all at your worst, so it's not a big deal.

Do you really want us to come in if it's not clean?

It's not that messy. No one will get cooties coming in here. What's the big deal?

Well...okay...


Now I would LOVE to say that I couldn't care less what my house looks like, and I treat all people the same. However, that is simply not true. Typically I would spend some time sprucing up the place, even if just straightening cushions, vacuuming the floor, and lighting a candle. When it comes to family, though, I just don't feel like I have to put on a show. At least I shouldn't feel pressured to put on a show. I am who I am. And in light of recent life circumstances, I've cut way back on my obsessive compulsive cleaning habits. While this may be uncomfortable for some people who have their expectations about how I should behave (especially the husband), I'm not a freaking nanny.

When it comes to my house, what you see is what you get. This is my face.

This reminded me of a recent conversation I had, as well as my experience with a handful of people I know. When someone is taking your picture, do you prefer to have a certain side of your body or face photographed? A certain angle? A certain pose?

Why are we so preoccupied with putting on our best face for everyone?...protecting that which makes us feel vulnerable, below-average, and inadequate?

Do we all have a million different personalities and faces? That change with every circumstance or situation in which we find ourselves?

Is it possible to have one face and to feel completely secure about who you are?


I would like to get there.