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.