Journey Out of Pink

Some days you just need to hear, "Well done!" or "Way to go!" A little praise goes a long way, but when there's no one around to say it, what do you do? If you don't take matters into your own hands, that pat on the back may never come, believe me, I know.  Today, I worked hard. It's amazing what a good cup of coffee will do for you. I had a long list of projects and by golly, I was going to accomplish as many of them as I could, so I started with number one and began to work my way down.  Number one took some time. I'd been reorganizing my art studio/craft/sewing room for days. I'd removed all the clutter and had started to move things back in but quickly became overwhelmed. There was so much stuff! Persevering for the next two hours, I was able to scratch number one off the list.  On to number two. This one would only take a few minutes. I'd made a note to email some friends, write some long overdue notes, and complete an article I'd be...

I got out of bed and instantly started doing things around the house. While working, I turned on the Keurig to have a nice cup of coffee. Our old Keurig had died several months ago, and we'd replaced it with the newest one available. The new one has nice selections for various cup sizes and is preprogrammed to dispense that perfect amount of water according to the cup size selected, or so I thought. Usually it does, but not today. Today I selected a medium cup of coffee and got an extra-large. The excess coffee ran all over the counter and floor. I was not happy! Today was Friday, but it felt like Monday! Next, I went in to clean out the shower, one of my most hated jobs of all time. You'd think a shower would stay clean since it's always being filled with water and soap, but no. The shower floor gets dirty! So I pulled out the tub and shower cleanser hubby had picked up at the local grocer for me and got busy. I followed the directions on the can. You were supposed to spra...

Salvador tucking the carpet under the baseboard It's amazing how something so little can be so aggravating. As a typical type A personality, I like things to be perfect, or at least as close to it as possible. So after 8 years of living in our current home, as things began to look "not so perfect" any more, I had to do something about it.  First came the settling cracks. I was told they were typical of a new build. As the home began to settle onto its foundation, tiny cracks would appear at stress points. No problem! I'd been trained in mudding and taping sheetrock way back in 2011 as I prepared to go on a mission trip to Alaska. I knew I could fix those little cracks with no problem, and I did.  Next came little nicks and dings on the walls from moving furniture about. Along with those came tiny fingerprints from happy grandchildren. Again, no problem. I could patch and I could paint. Those little fixes were a breeze.  But when I started noticing lines and ridges in ...

Jason Kimes' "The Least Amount of Space" This weekend, while visiting Tennessee for my grandson's wedding, we happened upon a unique park filled with architectural sculptures. As we wandered through this huge outdoor exhibit, we were amazed at the craftmanship. There were several sculptures that caught my eye, but one in particular, Jason Kime's "The Least Amount of Space."  The sculpture was amazing and made of thousands of iron rods. As I walked around the piece experiencing it, I felt myself remembering a time when I hunkered down and huddled beneath the scrutinizing glare of the world.  When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, in 2014, I found myself withdrawing from the world. Once very self-assured and confident, I was all of a sudden insecure and fearful. I had no idea what my future held. I wasn't ready to die.  Without friends or family to consult, I retreated into myself. There, I found solace. Though I never dared trust in my own strength ...