change

Creative Change Happening in My Writing Cottage

Posted by Barbara Techel

Change isn’t always easy. But with change, if we allow ourselves to be with it, more often than not, new opportunities are able to flow with more ease into our lives. Recently, on my Facebook page, I shared a photo of a new chair I purchased for my writing cottage (photo below). Someone commented that something was missing. She was referring to Gidget.

The comment tugged at my heart. I replied that Gidget is still here as I feel her in my heart and I always will. But, yes, there are days I sure do miss the physical presence of that sweet little peanut. It’s five months today since she’s been gone. Since 2009 when my writing cottage was first built, for most of those years, a dachshund kept me company here in my cozy little room that sits off the corner of my deck.

Now I’m alone and I’m okay with that for now. Perhaps someday another dog will share this space with me. But for the time being, I’m content.

I’ve been enjoying making some changes in my writing cottage. Such as the decoupage piece I collaged with photos of birch trees and birds onto a long piece of plywood I painted gray (unsplash.com is a great site for copyright-free images). It hangs over the southeast window and here’s a close-up shot of it:

I was actually trying to find material to make a window covering that had a design of birch trees and birds and colors that would match my new chair. But I couldn’t find anything. Instead, I bought a solid color material I’ll make the window covering from and opted to make this art piece to capture what I was looking for in a material.

Over the summer the birds were such a comfort to me since Gidget has been gone. So I’m honoring that gift they gave me by incorporating them into my space. Plus the birch tree, known as the “Lady of the Woods” is my favorite tree. 

Earlier in spring, I put my over-sized floral wicker chair out on the curb and said: “free for the hauling.” It didn’t take long before it was gone. I enjoyed that chair, but I always had this niggle in my brain that it really was too big for this 10 x 12 space.

In Septemeber, I was gifted some money and took the opportunity to purchase this chair. It was worth the wait!

I realized that not only have greens and blues been inching their way into my home with the furniture we had bought last summer for our living room but now in my writing cottage, too. I’m loving it! They are such soothing and calming colors to me.

So small bits of change are happening around me. But change is good and when combined with sparking one’s creativity, well, it feels really good to be in this flow.

Wishing you a creative and cozy weekend!

XO,

Barbara

Living with Change

Posted by Barbara Techel

living with change

Last month while shopping at a local vintage and eclectic shop, I gave my credit card to the woman behind the counter to ring up my purchases.

I have the new chip card, so she inserted it into her machine. She commented that she wasn’t so sure about this new “chip thing” as it seems to take longer to go through and process.

I agreed at first thinking about those times I’m in a hurry. But then I changed my tune. I said, “Perhaps it’s a way of getting us to slow down more. So many of us always seem to be in a hurry. Maybe it’s a good thing.”

She smiled. “What a great way to look at it,” she said. “I like that.”

This morning I was reading a favorite blog and the writer, Jon, talked about climate change and how he is learning to live with it and understand it. Just like we are experiencing here, they have had a hot and humid summer. Though they have had much more rain making it feel quite tropical, while here we haven’t had much rain.

I realized at the beginning of the heat wave earlier this season how I’ve been fighting with, and not accepting how I feel in the heat, which I experienced last summer also. While I once loved it and couldn’t get enough of it, my body, and really, my hormones are a changin’, so it’s made it challenging for me to be in the heat for too long. And I was fighting it every step of the way.

But I don’t want to fight it anymore. I’m plumb tired of wishing for what was. So I’ve been moving into an acceptance of this which means doing things differently – like watering my new gardens early in the morning, or later in the evening. And moving slower when I have to be outside. And guess what happens when I open to this new way? I see a sky I’d never seen before, I hear sounds I’d not heard before, I hear more silence (especially in early morning), and the best part? My mind is more at rest, instead of being in a state of wishful thinking and constant battle of wanting it be like it used to.

When I find myself trying to revisit the “way it was” I silently repeat a favorite quote of mine by author Tasha Tudor, “I don’t believe in hurry.” This is a practice for me, and one I truly want more of in my life, but sometimes old habits are hard to break. And in a world where many believe in speed, I can sometimes find myself getting sucked in without realizing it.

And my Lab, Kylie is such a great example for me. She will be eleven in two months and moves slower these days too.  Years ago she loved to hang out in the driveway overlooking the neighborhood for hours on end. But these days she is more content doing her civic duty of making sure all is well in the neighborhood from the spot inside the front door with the air conditioning on. And I’ve not once heard her complain about what was and now is! She simply adjusted and accepted.

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But I’m thankful to be more open to how my mind works these days and the challenge of seeing things in a new way. And I also remind myself that I am a work in progress and to be gentle with myself. Be gentle.

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The Blessing of Storms and a Wonderful Message from Author, Judy Howard

Posted by Barbara Techel
The Blessing of Storms and a Wonderful Message from Author, Judy Howard
Image via Devianart

Storms make trees take deeper roots. -Dolly Parton

Isn’t this a great quote? If you think about it, it is so true. When we go through challenging times of change in our lives, it isn’t easy. We struggle against them. But more often than not we realize after the storm has passed how much stronger we are. We move into deeper awareness of what is important in life. We take greater pleasure in simple things. We root ourselves deeper into what we know is true.

It also reminds me of a video done by author, Judy Howard. I recently discovered her book after my mom told me about it. As you may recall from a previous post, I mentioned that John and I are converting his work van to a camper so we can travel with the dogs. And boy, oh, boy, we are having the time of our life planning this!

But I digress. Anyways, Judy is a widow who travels in a RV – all. by. herself. — well with the exception of a cat and the ghost, well, I’m not going to give that away as you’ll have to check it out for yourself. But I give her so much credit!  And I’m really enjoying her book, Coast to Coast with a Cat and a Ghost.  

Her writing is so descriptive that I’ve felt myself with her on this trip throughout the book so far and enjoying it so much.  But today I came across a video she did which reminded me of the quote above too – and how if we embrace change, we live a much more fulfilling life. So I wanted to share that with you too, today as I found it very uplifting.

The video is on Facebook, so I hope you will be able to view it via this link. Just click here.

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