Tuesday turmoils.....

or "life is what happens while you were making other plans" . I come from a long line of family "sayings" and added many more when I married Karl.

"if wishes were horses, beggars would ride"; "if ifs and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas"; "be careful what you pray for" (refering to patience only learned thru adversity). Some, such as "if your nose itches, Mrs. Pollock must be coming", I never understood.

These all come to mind on days like today. I'm working to regroup, refocus, and redefine my time for now thru the end of the year. Using an amusement park metaphor, my life right now is a super sized roller coaster.

The ups & downs of the ride since last I posted:

Up - I worked 2 days last week for my old company at the Texas Art Ed Conf. (attendance 1971) - good seeing old friends with assurances that 15 years as art consultant meant more than a modest income; good to see new teachers excited and committed to art in the face of daunting challenges.

Down - I am out of shape; standing on concrete for 2 days and schlepping 50 lb. boxes is NOT the kind of work I want to be doing again on any regular basis (there is an issue of "going back to employment", but I'm pushing that to the back burner now).

Up - Lu came up last week and Suzanne came Sunday. I am very ADD of late; often unfocused. I seem to work better beside someone, especially very creative and supportive friends. I hadn't visited with Suzanne in a long while so it was exciting to hear lots of great things in her life.

Down - Both Ashley and Elliott had close friends lose a parent this week.

Wake up call: Work on living the healthiest life possible. I spent yesterday morning at the Dr. getting antibiotic for an infection; niasin for cholesterol; and the news that the recent MRI shows more damage to right knee - it's fixable with minor surgery which I'll deal with "soon"

Up - I'm going to babysit with Karlie the week after Thanksgiving. It will be in Vail, adding a touch more fun (except for the flying part which everyone knows has become a hassle). No skiing but I love the views and will take crocheting & hand sewing for nap time.

Down - The time away from home means I won't have as much for the sale.

Up - I have a choice in how I use my time. Today, in addition to sewing, it's making soup and picking up for Studio group here tomorrow.

Yes, "Life is daily". I'm off to make the most of this one. The picture above is "Gut Reaction". I did it several years ago turning my homemade "body double" into a sculpture. It reminds me of how we make choices in life. It adds a touch of whimsy to my back yard - not to mention confusing some viewers.