Time Grew Wings...

The summer has gone by so quickly.  I've been reminded how much life can change in a single blink of an eye.  In late May, I lost a dear friend and colleague to a scuba diving accident.  The blow to my soul cannot be described.  I've tried.  All the clichés come to mind:  "She was doing what she loved"; "She went quickly"; etc.  She lived life fully and didn't dwell on the negative for long.  She inspired all she encountered. She'll be missed.

As life carried on around me, 7 weeks later I was laid off from my company after 24 years.  A huge blow but as I examined my feelings about it, not as big a blow as I thought it would be.  What does that mean for me now?  Well, I'm taking time to take a few deep breathes and meditate on my next steps.  I am certain that creating and teaching will be front and center in my world.  The path that will take is another thing though.  That is what I will be pondering in the next few weeks or months. 

As my friend would say, move through it, take a deep breath and be open to all options.  Deborah, I will! 

Stay tuned, as I will be sharing the journey, the creativity, and the stages of my next adventures.  

Travels and Inspiration

In late July, my husband and I visited Scotland for a week.  We did it in style, business class travel and rented a luxury apartment (VERY NICE). Yes, of course, we thoroughly enjoyed every minute.  Scotland is part of my history and genealogy, as both sides of the family come from Scotland.  Some not so recently i.e. before the US was a country and some in the late 1800's.  Oddly with hundreds of years since that migration and generations and such, my affinity for all things Scottish is ingrained.  To be perfectly honest anything English too.  I found myself spending time looking at things from a different viewpoint than before - more artistic.  I've always loved the work of Charles Rennie MacIntosh (architect, artist, risk taker).  The Glasgow School of Art was a great showcase of his work and inspiration.  And up a VERY STEEP hill, as was much of Scotland.  We got a workout for sure.  Our friends joined us for the weekend -- such fun and joy to spend time with them. So much inspiration and peace came from this trip.  You'll see...

Architectural detail at the Merchant Market in Glasgow

More incredible architectural detail at the Merchant Market in Glasgow

Loch Ness -- the clouds are so low!

Things you find while traveling

As I'm going through my photos from recent trips for work, I came across this one that I meant to post weeks ago.  I have to use it in my journal collage somewhere.  

"One must always be serious about hygiene."   I just love the graphics (Thailand). 

Travel Down Under -- Work not play

This is where I was last week...In my top three cities world wide!

And this is one of my favorite foods -- Moreton Bay Bugs -- a crustacean!  So fantastic!  Had them three times in 5 days!