Joyful living photographs with quotes

I've been putting some of my favorite pictures together with inspirational quotes from people I admire. It's part of the "Joyful Living" part of my commitment to you. At moments we feel our purpose so strongly that it is impossible to believe that a time may come when we can't connect directly to that intense knowing. I like having many reminders around me to help bring me back to my purpose, here. I hope that these images and words work to help you reconnect with your purpose, too. 
Blessings!

Back in the swing of things

Good day to you! I think I'm finally getting to the end of my unpleasantness... At least I'm ready to be at the end so I'm choosing to move on. :)

Which brings me to today! I feel so fresh and ready to take on the world, it feels like a MONDAY! (btw, it's Thursday, which is good, too!)

I'm going to try my darnedest to balance all the things I really want to do today. It will be a challenge! Considering I have 3 kids of my own here today and one bonus kid. And a wonderful sweetie who needs me, too. Here's my to-do list:

Laundry

vacuuming

running kids around

pick up Rachel's car from the shop

feed dogs

water plants

grocery shopping

meals

exercise

create template for new stained glass panel within old window frame

Try out Mother's Day gift hammock!!! 

Try out Mother's Day gift motorcycle!

Shop for our early Father's Day celebration this Sunday...

That's all I can think of right now, but you know stuff will be added. I feel very blessed to have such high-quality "problems" as too many people in my life who I love and want to take care of, art to create, a motorcycle to ride...  :)

I hope you implement today's Inspirational Image! I think it's one of the most important tasks any of us undertake!

Blessings,

Laura P.

a "Walk In Your Own Footsteps" Inspirational Image

Learning Lessons about Life

The last couple of weeks have been difficult to say the least. I've learned a lot about myself as well as some other people in my life. I learned that some people can be unspeakably awful when they feel their cause is just. And, I learned that when I am on the receiving end of unspeakable awfulness, it takes me a long time to process my feelings. I'm still processing. Peeling the onion and finding hurt, betrayal, and fear hiding under pain and anger. I guess I could paint something really dark to get the feelings out. But, I find that I go to art when I'm happy to celebrate life, not to commemorate misery. The final result of all this is that the person who tried to deceive me ultimately failed because I sought reliable counsel before falling for her ruse. 

So, the lesson learned is that I'm too trusting of people who I perceive as being authority figures. The sad thing is this woman has been awful to me before and I went along with her because she spoke kindly to me. I also suffer from the unfortunate desire to have relationships which are smooth in my life, even to my own detriment.

I choose to remain a kind and open person. I want to trust people in my life. Therefore, I will continue to seek sound counsel from people who I know love and honor me. And, NOT take action recommended by those who've shown clear disregard and disdain for me in the past. Part of me does not want to admit that their are real live evil people in this world. Especially people with blood relations to people I love. But, it's true. I get that now.

What I want to take away from this is GRATITUDE for the good people in my life and the ability to set firm boundaries which exclude the evil. 

I have not made a Inspirational Image in a while, but I'm glad to share this one with you today. I hope it reminds you that you are wholly ready to be fully YOU right now!

Blessings,

Laura P.

A "Walk In Your Own Footsteps" Inspirational Image

Just another day...

Today I'll be out in the glass studio for a bit getting samples ready for the June 9th class at Trezhers Gift Shop in Sacramento. Then, I'm off with my oldest son, Steven, to do some birthday shopping for the fair Jamie's 21st. Steven is also putting together a cowboy outfit for his annual trip to Columbia, CA with his best buddy's family over Memorial Day weekend. 

Okay, those are the fun and exciting parts of my day. Otherwise, I'll be doing laundry, cleaning house, and generally helping my sweetie out with any chores he needs done. Through all of this, I'll be following the advise in today's Inspirational Image. Because, losing my former hubby Joe suddenly this winter reminded me that we don't know how long we have with anyone. Time goes by very fast. Treasuring each day we have with the people we love, is vitally important to happiness. 

Blessings to you, today,

Laura P.

Treasure Every Moment of Your Life from Chapter 22, titled Present Moment Awareness

Inspirational Image for a Monday

Today's Inspirational Image is from Chapter 10 of my book, Walk In Your Own Footsteps. When we share loving, uplifting, and supportive news about our friends and family, we spread love. When we engage in gossip, we do just to opposite. Sometimes, it's helpful to evaluate what information we share and make sure it conveys the love we want to transmit with our words and actions.

Have a blessed week!!

Inspirational Image

Wrapping things up & making decisions

The last few months have felt like a crazy swirl of activity. I have so many projects in process that I am in danger of being strangled by all the loose ends. So, I'm gonna make a list (yeah, I know another list) and start finishing projects and wrapping things up. Starting with getting my book off to the publisher and including organizing my kid's bedrooms. Whew! The list seems daunting already. But, worth it. 

While on a walk a couple of weeks ago, I saw the sign I used for today's Inspirational Image. I laughed out loud because it contradicts itself within a couple of feet! It got me thinking of how so many of us have been taught to look outside ourselves for guidance. Often times, the people and institutions we trust to lead us are not very good at directing us and we really need to learn to make decisions for ourselves. Be it church, school, or other people in general, many of us allow others to direct our lives. Isn't it time to start making our own choices and live with the outcomes? Good or bad, they are the result of our own choices. 

Well, I guess that’s it for me today. I hope you have a wonderful day and make good choices for yourselves.

Blessings,

Laura P.

How was your weekend?.?.? Have a great week!

Happy Monday morning!

Working from home can sometimes mean I feel that I'm working all the time. Coming to my computer Monday morning to write this blog is my way of heading to the break-room to grab a cup of coffee and say, "Good Morning" to the rest of the workers here. I always enjoyed getting to work on Monday morning. I like the feel of a new week just starting. I have the same enthusiasm here at home, just no one to share it with.

I, personally, had a great weekend... Thanks for asking. My youngest son brought home a wonderful progress report and I was honored to have my work on display at a nice gallery called Little Relics in Mid-Town Sacramento so I went down and enjoyed the Second Saturday Art Walk.We had a wonderful write-up in Sacramento Press.com and I was quoted and photographed!  I enjoyed dinner with a new artist friend named Florence Skiadis who Susan also had on exhibit at her gallery Little Relics.

Sunday morning I woke up kinda disoriented. Do I work on art, clean house, hang out with my kids? I was all over the place and my emotional state reflected that. So, I headed to the garden to weed, dead head, and watch birds. Nothing like some fresh air and activity to make me feel better about life. Here are a couple of pictures I took of our iris beds yesterday.

close-up of iris I plan to paint

irises with daffodils and Japanese Maple

Because of my schedule, I often don't enjoy weekends "off." I'm often at home with my family, but I'm working on something or another for a deadline that's just a few days away. Another aspect of being a working artist is balancing work that I need to do for specific galleries or shows, and the ideas that are rattling around in my head and seeking artistic expression. One might think that painting little butterflies for a show is creative enough to quell the muse, but today it's not. Today, Dia de los Muertos images are nagging at me and that's what I want to create. Hopefully, some sketches and written plans for future projects will be quiet down that particular muse with a Spanish accent.

I hope that you find inspiration today to do the work you are tasked with this fine week. I know I'm ready to get to it. Got my coffee, said, "Good Morning" now I'm ready to work.

Here's the Inspirational Image for today.  I hope that in all the busy-work of your life today, you take a few moments for calm peaceful reflection. Sometimes, resting and relaxing can be very illusive during out action-packed days.

Blessings,
Laura P.

Walk In Your Own Footsteps Inspirational Image of the day

The Preview night last night was a blast!

Happy Friday!

Last night was the pre-view night at the Little Relics Gallery in Sacramento. It was a fun night filled with lots of happy people mingling in the cozy gallery as it stormed like crazy outside. Susan Rabinovitz  put on a really nice event, Thanks Susan!! My daughter, Rachel, came down to hang out with me and her friend Katy Coke also attended. The big event is the Second Saturday Mid-Town Art Walk which is tomorrow. I've been told that a lot of people come and am looking forward to that, too. I'll share photos next week. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Blessings, 

Laura P.

Rain, rain... oh go ahead. I didn't want to hand-water anyway

I don't know what it's like in your part of the world today, but it's raining like crazy here. We don't usually get this kind of constant rain. We get the "squall blows in and blows out an hour later variety," usually. Therefore, it affects everyday life here in a way that it doesn't when folks are used to it. I formerly lived in Texas. There, you just get up and go anyway... rain or shine. Life can't wait because it's raining or nothing would get done. But, in a climate where 20 minutes could mean a nice sunny drive, we tend to wait. Getting up this morning and getting the kids moving with the chorus of raindrops falling all around, and doing it with a positive attitude,  reminded me of so many other paradigm shifts I've experienced. The first thought, "Agh, it's raining cats and dogs, I want to stay in bed!" to "Oh, good. I don't have to worry about the plants in pots today" was a stretch. But, a positive attitude is essential to getting all the work I need to accomplish finished.

It doesn't matter if you call it a paradigm shift, or re-framing, changing your mind about something so that you feel better about it is a neat way to improve your outlook and your general approach to life. If you can't do this for yourself, it's great to find someone who can. I had a counselor who could help me flip my perception with just a few words. Now, I do it for others. You'll probably notice the people in your life who appear happy most of the time do this naturally.

Admittedly, it's a small thing... getting out of bed on a rainy day with a smile for my family, but when you learn the habit of finding good in most situations, your whole life feels better.

Blessings,
Laura

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Juggling priorities today

Like any working person in the world (that's everyone!) I'm finding myself juggling all the things that I feel I need to get done today. Trying not to focus on just the hard stuff... or just the fun stuff... The problem is, my list is too long. How do I prioritize EVERYTHING? So, I'm going to just do the things that I'll lay awake tonight thinking about if I don't do. And, I'm going to take my newest teenager to the go-card place to take his class so we can have his party on Friday!

Today's Inspirational Image is another picture from the beautiful Filoli Estate in Woodside, CA.

hmmm.... I'm starting to think that these Inspirational Images are more for me than anyone else! Whew, Present Moment Awareness. There's a whole chapter in the book about this topic. Eckhart Tolle  has written a bunch of books about this (brilliant stuff, by the way. I'm a huge fan!!) It should be easy, right. I mean if you're alive right now, then you're living right now. But, not true.  We worry about what we haven't done and fret over what we might not get done. So, is that what I'm doing? Probably. OK, I'll take a moment and breathe. Do a little meditation....    Then attack that list!

Blessings,
Laura P.

What's the opposite of Monday Morning Blues?

I don't know why, but I've always really liked Mondays. It's like a New Year's Day every week! Woo-hoo! Anything is possible, now. It's a whole new week, it's Monday again! This week, the kids are back at school and the house is quiet again giving me time to work. So, I'll be painting today. Also, I bought a new easy-up and I need to see how easy it goes up! It starts raining tomorrow, so today's the day.

Today's Inspirational Image is from the trip Jim and I took last week. I think the name is super funny! If you speak Spanish, pulgas means fleas! So, this beautiful structure is the "Fleas" water temple. But, it gave me a beautiful opportunity to share a thought for the day. Isn't the blue sky with the white wispy clouds beautiful?

I hope you have a happy and productive Monday!
Blessings,
Laura P.

Pulgas water temple, Woodside, CA

Home again...

Wow! It is so fun to get out of town and relax, and it's equally wonderful to get home, and get back to work. We had a great time just cruising along a short section of the Northern California Coast. We visited the Filoli Estate and I wholeheartedly recommend it if you like beatitude gigantic homes and well manicured gorgeous gardens. I'll be using a lot of the photos for future Inspirational Images as well as the new deck of cards I'm working on. The kitchen looked just like the set from Downton Abbey. We also stayed in Half Moon Bay and ate at a favorite restaurant there called the Princeton Seafood Company. I especially like this place because the food is very good, the service is friendly and conscientious, and the prices are reasonable.

I'll be sharing photos once I have a chance to sort and photoshop them. Till then, I hope you take the advice of today's Inspirational Image this weekend. Get out there, Wander... Wonder at the beauty of nature. 

Blessings,
Laura P.

Production mode.

I'm so excited that mom and I have been accepted at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival. But, it's only a month away, and since I've been blessed to have my current paintings placed in galleries, I'm very low on paintings on hand. Since it's a festival, and I LOVE to paint butterflies, I thought I'd paint up a few tiny works to sell at the festival. I've amassed a collection of 3x3 and 4x4 canvases and tiny easels and I've been painting butterflies and sunflowers like crazy. The funny thing is that each one is different so I fall in love with each project even though I'm surrounded by about 20 in different stages of completion. Creating art is such a blessings, now if my neck and shoulders could just relax, I'm sure I could get even more done!

Now that the sun is shining here, and I have happy work to do, I'm definitely in a "Rejoice" state of mind. I hope that you're enjoying your life and work today, too.

Blessings,
Laura P.

Delivering art in the rain, and happy to do it!

Today I'm headed to Little Relics in the Mid-Town section of Sacramento, California to deliver art for a show in April. Susan Rabinovitz, the owner of Little Relics, invited me to show my art in her gallery way back in September. She was planning an Earth Day related month and thought my work fit in nicely. Since that time, I've painted lots of critters so I think it'll be a perfect fit. Part of the fun of showing in mid-town is the opening night and then Second Saturday which is kind of a city-wide party. That's why I don't mind shlepping down there in the rain, it's worth it.

For today's Inspirational Image I used a photo that I took on one of Jim and my many trips to the coast. I love the color green that occurs along the cliff here. It makes me think of what the coasts along the British Isles might look like. And for the message, isn't it true? Every day we wake up offers us a brand new chance to live our best lives, to explore new options, to love and be loved... Rain or shine, sick or healthy, glad or grumpy, when we intentionally start fresh each day we have such amazing opportunities.

I truly hope you find today to be a wonderful new day to create the life of your dreams!

Blessings,
Laura P.

Blazing Trails

"Walk In Your Own Footsteps" has been a labor of love from the very start. I conceived of the book because I wanted to help a very special friend who was at a point in her life where she wanted some direction while consciously designing her life. She no longer wanted to bump along in life, she wanted to choose her direction and was looking for a book that would provide a framework for that. Since we looked and couldn't find one, I started the 9 year journey that led to the publishing of the book. It didn't make sense to go to a traditional publisher since I knew exactly what I wanted the book to be, how I wanted it to look, format and everything. I've been so blessed to hear from many people who have found the book helpful that I want to expand the reach so that more people can be helped.

As I continue to market my book, work on the next book, put together another deck of cards, maintain my website, and update my blog and facebook pages (whew!) I'm turning my attention toward traditional publishers. The one I've identified as the best fit for my book is HCI. They have a proven track record of success with books like mine. I'm open to other ideas, so if something springs to mind, please don't hesitate to drop me a line. I admire Louise Hay because she created her own platform and that's appealing to me. So if HCI doesn't pan out, I'll be working hard to help people all on my own.

Today's Inspirational Image is especially important to me because that's where I'm going today! Exploring new paths. Maybe not blazing my own, but going into unfamiliar territory none the less! 

A beautiful path in Santa Cruz on the way to the butterfly sanctuary

Friday is washday

Today I woke up with the desire to clean! Must be a spring thing. So, I've got the washer going and have been walking around the house picking things up from one room and putting them away in another. Funny how things end up all over! I guess that's what happens when you have two adults and three kids sharing a house.

Today's inspirational image is from the Santa Cruz area of Northern California. When I was going through my photos, I noticed the little plant that grew on the rocks in the shape of a heart! So cool, but you only notice it if you look.

I hope you find what you're looking for this weekend. I guess I should add that it's always a good idea to look for good. :)
Blessings,
Laura P.

Joy

Today I'm off to Mount Shasta to film my very first Television Interview. The host of Aday in Telos, Arthur Aday has invited me to do a segment on his show and I could not be more pleased. I'll be making the drive to Mount Shasta with my sweet girl (puppy dog) Gracie and we'll be staying with my mom in Dunsuir. While I'm away, my youngest son David will be performing in his first big musical production! So, this is a big week for the Pallatins! Jim is staying home to help David with the play and I'm sad to be missing the final presentation but I'll be catching the 1pm production with the kids at David's school, so that'll be fun!

With all the wonderful things happening in our lives right now, I couldn't think of a better image to share than this one. I took this photo on a trip with Jim to the coast a couple of years ago. It was taken in a seed company's test garden in Gilroy, CA. When I was looking through my images, this one popped out at me and I could think of nothing but... JOY!! I hope you are having a good time in your life today, too.
Blessings,
Laura P.

Rainbow's End

We finally got rain in our neck of the woods. Since I live in the Sierra Foothills in Northern California, much of the state relies upon our area seeing some real rain and snow, or there's not enough water to get us all through summer. So, rain here is a big deal.. as it is everywhere else. Rain is necessary for life. When we get too much, we feel we're being cheated out of sunshine, but when there's not enough... there's death. The rainbow is beautiful and has various meanings in different cultures. I love them and always look excitedly for them when it's been raining and I see rays of sunshine. I snapped this picture in the early spring of 2011. I have a plant out front that blooms the most amazing yellow flowers when most everything else still looks dead. It made the perfect compliment to this rainbow.

When I was putting together this inspirational image, "where is your rainbow's end?" was the first thought that popped into my head. What's your dream life? Where would you most like to go in life? What's your rainbow's end?

I hope you're having a wonderful day today and keep your ideal life in mind as you go through your day.
Blessings,
Laura P.

Walk In Your Own Footsteps Inspirational Photos with sayings

this is the pond at the Front Yard Nursery in El Dorado California

A view of the ferris wheel at dusk at the El Dorado County Fair

Maples turning color at Cameron Park Lake

I've been using my photography to create inspirational pictures to share with all my Walk In Your Own Footsteps friends. I've shared a few here but I've made so many more. So, here are a few. I hope you enjoy them. I've added a description of where each photo was taken because I always wonder this myself.

We just enjoyed some yummy corned beef and cabbage. Thank heaven my sweetie can cook it because my attempts were not good. I hope that you are enjoying your St. Pats! Blessings, Laura

Thoughts for the day

I've always loved taking pictures. And, since my goal with my book, Walk in Your Own Footsteps, is to help people improve the quality of their lives on a daily basis, I'm creating a new image with inspirational words every day. Yesterday's image was about balance. We are all looking for more of that in our lives. The 21st century is so full of wonderful opportunities to experience so much! Then, there's our fabulous time wasters which are so fun, but when we overindulge in them, we find that we are not as productive as we'd like to be. Finding balance of fun, work, joy, silliness, meditation, and so much more, is increasingly challenging but also more important than ever. 

 Today's message is from the chapter in my book called, "Grass growing time" in which I propose taking time to simply sit and relax. To let your mind drift and proverbially watch the grass grow. In an effort to bring balance to our lives, relaxing, hanging out, and just being instead of doing can help bring peace and clearer thoughts and actions. I hope you enjoy these and look forward to many more to come.