Summer has totally arrived. We've had daytime temperatures in the 90's, refreshing evening thundershowers, and warm...often muggy...nights. Summer in the South is a time of backyard barbecues, ice-cold watermelon slices, home-made ice cream, and tall glasses of iced-tea, Co-Cola, or Mint Juleps if you prefer. It's a time for lazing around on the porch and reading a good book. But sometimes the best books for summer reading are books with no words. Or few words, as is the case of "The Beach - a Celebration of Life" from Sweetwater Press. A recent jaunt to the mall bookstore netted this jewel.
Along the lines of a coffee table book, its smaller size belies the treasure found between its covers...over two hundred pages of photos of the best beaches from all over the world. From Belize to Big Sur, photos of wide expanses of turquoise water and pounding surf are interspersed with crisp close-ups of shells, gulls, and a few choice words reflecting the beauty and serenity of being at the beach. Truly a delight for armchair travelers or anyone dreaming of that perfect vacation. Lay down the romance novels and thrillers, delight your eyes and let your imagination soar with "The Beach".
Note: As I continue to move along on my journey and explore new directions for myself and Rambling and Writing, the blog, it's content and layout are subject to change. Please bear with me as we go through this process. I value my readers and appreciate your visits and comments. Every blog has its fans...I'm truly grateful for mine. So, thanks, guys...a bunch!
Enjoy the weekend,
StellaD
from Sweetwater Press
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Momentum
May is certainly flying by, and it's been an interesting one. Weather-wise it's been alternately hot and cold, rainy, sunny, stormy. As we round the corner into June, the heat is on in more ways that one. I feel like I'm on a racehorse coming down the home stretch and I'm banking on momentum to carry me across the finish line. Like any good jockey, I'm keeping one eye on the prize and the other on my surroundings. Of course, I'm not in competition with anyone, but sometimes I feel like I'm competing against myself and often against Time. You know that feeling, I'm sure!
Lately I've been on a wildly creative streak which has sparked the forward motion. In my last post, I mentioned that I would take any action necessary to achieve my goals. One of the action plans I made was to make better use of spare time. This is not the easiest plan to stick to, but I've been working at it with satisfying results. For instance, I have an hour for lunch. As I usually brown-bag my lunch, I go outside to sit and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. It's very relaxing and keeps me from feeling 'shut in.' With so much extra time after I munch out, I decided to start working on my book during this time. So, after a leisurely meal, I take out pen and paper and write a few paragraphs for the book. Not to say this is easy...so many times I'm sitting there with pen in hand, waiting for the words to come. That old blank sheet of paper just stares back at me, unblinking, and totally unhelpful. But the point is that I make the attempt and succeed more often than fail at getting something written. This gives me a big boost of confidence, and a sense of having accomplished something. It keeps the momentum going, keeps moving me forward.
This feeling of movement, of being caught up in the current and going with the flow, spills over into other areas of my life. With this creativity streak going, I've started working on my living space to make it more conducive to both relaxing and creating, signed up to take lessons from a local artist whose gallery I've been visiting, and bought some wood to build a much needed coffee table for inside, and a table for the back porch. When you get this kind of momentum going, it's easy to take on too much, and the creativity feeds upon itself. The more you create, the more ideas you have for other projects. Like a rain-swollen river, the creative momentum just keeps pushing you along. And like the racehorse, the exhilaration of running ahead of the pack, heading down that home stretch, keeps you focused on your goals.
Summer is a great time to turn up creativity and start a new project (or tackle and old one). It's time to get out and about. It's time to....
Catch the Momentum! Get Creative!
StellaD
Lately I've been on a wildly creative streak which has sparked the forward motion. In my last post, I mentioned that I would take any action necessary to achieve my goals. One of the action plans I made was to make better use of spare time. This is not the easiest plan to stick to, but I've been working at it with satisfying results. For instance, I have an hour for lunch. As I usually brown-bag my lunch, I go outside to sit and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. It's very relaxing and keeps me from feeling 'shut in.' With so much extra time after I munch out, I decided to start working on my book during this time. So, after a leisurely meal, I take out pen and paper and write a few paragraphs for the book. Not to say this is easy...so many times I'm sitting there with pen in hand, waiting for the words to come. That old blank sheet of paper just stares back at me, unblinking, and totally unhelpful. But the point is that I make the attempt and succeed more often than fail at getting something written. This gives me a big boost of confidence, and a sense of having accomplished something. It keeps the momentum going, keeps moving me forward.
This feeling of movement, of being caught up in the current and going with the flow, spills over into other areas of my life. With this creativity streak going, I've started working on my living space to make it more conducive to both relaxing and creating, signed up to take lessons from a local artist whose gallery I've been visiting, and bought some wood to build a much needed coffee table for inside, and a table for the back porch. When you get this kind of momentum going, it's easy to take on too much, and the creativity feeds upon itself. The more you create, the more ideas you have for other projects. Like a rain-swollen river, the creative momentum just keeps pushing you along. And like the racehorse, the exhilaration of running ahead of the pack, heading down that home stretch, keeps you focused on your goals.
Summer is a great time to turn up creativity and start a new project (or tackle and old one). It's time to get out and about. It's time to....
Catch the Momentum! Get Creative!
StellaD
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Spring Reflecting
Since my last post, I've found a job. I'm working for a small operation that creates old antique finishes on antique replica furniture. Very interesting and totally different from the usual run of manufacturing jobs. No wrench-twiddling here. Now I'm swinging a paint brush instead. The downside...it's a day job and I am not a morning person. My new boss is determined to change my night-owl status. Hmmm...wish him luck. I love working evenings, especially in the warmer months. There is nothing like sitting outside late at night, gazing at the moon and listening to the night sounds. The heat and noise of the day disappear in the inky darkness; the air is softer and the stars twinkle brightly. This I miss, plus having my mornings to do as I please. But I can't complain, and shouldn't. That I'm still not making a living doing what I love is my own fault. When one doesn't apply oneself, one shouldn't expect extraordinary results. Am I right?
It's not that I haven't set goals, because I have. It's not that I don't know what I really want to do, because I do. It's the fact that I haven't aptly applied myself toward reaching my goals. And that is the most important part of achieving any kind of success in your life, from relationships to job promotions, to freeing yourself from the job-world altogether. No matter what you want to do, be a published writer, fine artist, or company CEO, you must apply yourself to find success. Changing your thinking is only a small step. Write down your goals, then break them down into steps you can take daily, weekly, or monthly...and do them, one by one. Study the habits of successful people in your chosen field, learn whatever you need to know, and apply this knowledge to your own path. Contact someone you admire who is doing what you want to do. I'm shy when talking to people, but I've found that those whom I've had the courage to contact have been extremely gracious about answering my questions, whether by email or face-to-face.
I've learned quite a bit in the last few months, having been laid off and now back to the grind. I've learned that I like freedom, especially the freedom to structure my day however I choose. And I like to take my days slow and easy...this is the South, you know. Why do we need to rush? And that is what I want for myself. While I'm sending positive feelings about these things into the universe, setting up my vision board so that I can stay focused on my goals, I'll also be doing whatever I need to do to move myself in the direction of those goals. One step at a time.
End of lecture! Wishing everyone a wonderful week! Spring is here!
Get Creative!
StellaD
It's not that I haven't set goals, because I have. It's not that I don't know what I really want to do, because I do. It's the fact that I haven't aptly applied myself toward reaching my goals. And that is the most important part of achieving any kind of success in your life, from relationships to job promotions, to freeing yourself from the job-world altogether. No matter what you want to do, be a published writer, fine artist, or company CEO, you must apply yourself to find success. Changing your thinking is only a small step. Write down your goals, then break them down into steps you can take daily, weekly, or monthly...and do them, one by one. Study the habits of successful people in your chosen field, learn whatever you need to know, and apply this knowledge to your own path. Contact someone you admire who is doing what you want to do. I'm shy when talking to people, but I've found that those whom I've had the courage to contact have been extremely gracious about answering my questions, whether by email or face-to-face.
I've learned quite a bit in the last few months, having been laid off and now back to the grind. I've learned that I like freedom, especially the freedom to structure my day however I choose. And I like to take my days slow and easy...this is the South, you know. Why do we need to rush? And that is what I want for myself. While I'm sending positive feelings about these things into the universe, setting up my vision board so that I can stay focused on my goals, I'll also be doing whatever I need to do to move myself in the direction of those goals. One step at a time.
End of lecture! Wishing everyone a wonderful week! Spring is here!
Get Creative!
StellaD
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