Let the children play

My passion since the beginning of time has been ‘let the children play’ and ‘bringing play back into our adult lives’.  I didn’t know years ago that this passion would direct me to careers that incorporate this passion; that it would lead me to learning so much about mind/heart, left brain/right brain, soul/ego;  and in this process I would come to understand more fully the value that play has beyond just a leisure activity.  Accessing our creative playful side leads us to answers about our gifts, our true purpose, our best ways to move forward.    And I am happy to say that this weekend I honoured playing.  And Evalee?  Well, so far she only knows that play is her job.  I hope to help her stay that way.  (smile)

The blur in the photo? Yes, it’s flying cookie dough that hit the camera

There is an art to blogging… I’m going to ignore that and write about Evalee.

There are people who take ‘master blogging courses’ to develop the art of blogging.  I suspect that if I took the course I would fail. Not just because the formatting and fonts of this particular post have taken on a life of their own. 

I think one is supposed to stay focused on a theme of the blog – which in my case I could choose from many:
Creativity
Coaching and Empowerment
Movie and Book reviews
Travel
Daily life from the persective of a life coach, Nana, business person.
Babies
And of course I have a lot to say about playing in clay, painting, and art that I haven’t even begun to mention here.
 
It makes perfect sense to have one area of interest in a blog. Obviously the blog then attracts the people who also have that interest.

And here I have this haberdashery of posts that has the potential of annoying readers who really don’t want to know about travelling to Turkey and Greece, or could care less about my ongoing saga of the Christmas Tree. 

At least I started separate blogs about CFLs and about faeries.  After all, how many seemingly unrelated categories can one add to just one blog!

Not so sure what I ought to do about all this, but this post is about my grandaughter.  I probably ought to do an entirely separate blog about being a Nana… I know that little tidbits of joy, funny moments, and reflecting on the brilliance and beauty of this child, and the constant awe I have as a grandmother watching her grow and learn, may just be a bit much for others wanting to read about empowerment or creativity or quotes. And so, I’ve not written alot in this blog about Evalee.

BUT Evalee is staying with me for a few days and I’m having SUCH a good time!   She is 19 months old.  Yesterday when I attempted to get her down for a second nap (because we had an event to go to late that night.. Global Dance!  (Picture below)  She curled up beside me with a bottle (okay, it was a bribe), all snug as a bug.  I knew it wasn’t working and I laughed when she finished her bottle, sat up in bed and announced cheerfully, “Morning!”

She did fall asleep on the way to Global Dance, but I’m a smart Nana, I left early so we could drive around and she could nap.  And then she danced and danced to Bollywood and more, wearing tutu and sneakers as recommended by Auntie and Mommy.

Today, I drew a picture of ‘Evalee’ while we were playing with crayons.. saying, “Evalee’s head, smile, arms, tummy. etc”  then I put a sticker on the tummy.   Evalee wanted a sticker and she pulled up her shirt and put it on her tummy!!!!!!!   Incredible how the concepts connect, isn’t it?

It’s a shame the video I took  is too dark.. because really who wouldn’t want to watch a video of my grandaughter dancing?  Maybe next time.

Ps.
If becoming a grandmother was only a matter of choice,
I should advise every one of you straight away to become one.
There is no fun for old people like it!
~Hannah Whithall Smith~

It’s amazing how grandparents seem so young once you become one.
~Author Unknown~

Happy Revelly After: A whole new perspective on New Year’s Resolutions…

 Sharing how HAPPY I am that my most recent work(play!)book is doing the job it set out to do!  My passion and purpose in life includes helping others to find their best way to live life intentionally, purposefully, passionately, and yes, magically.  I know from my own life experience, as well as through being a coach, that the best way to ‘get there’ is to find the answers your way.  We are all so unique – our life experiences, the way we think, our perspectives.  A good book can inspire us, but often only briefly.  Discovering your answers, not mine.. not someone elses, is life changing.

The workbooks I have online are about finding your answers.  Honestly, the best way to discover these  is through individual coaching, ( a coach can watch for that sparkle in your eyes!) but when personal coaching is not currently an option for you.. these workbooks help. A lot.  Please check out the testimonials below.  And please have a look at the workbooks online.  If each of us took steps to live our life passion and purpose… well, can you imagine the new levels of wondrous our world could be?

 

Testimonials for “Happy Revelly After” 

“You Know you are an absolutely amazing women. Such simple thoughts that all of us look past. I had so much fun reading and doing your book its like a profound self discovery. Sometimes we get so caught up in “life” we forget about the more important things in Life and that is ourselves and what we are capable of. You have a way of writing things that make it fun and make it fun to reach in and rediscover our inner thoughts and emotions. Thank you for sending me your book and in a few months from now it will be a good one to pick up again as a reminder of what MY life is really about. Thank you lots of hugs to you. I cant wait for more books to come out I WILL be on the list of buying all of them. You going to make a boxed set???? Let me know.”

Nicole Kriwtschenko Victoria BC

 

“Wow.  All I can say is wow.
…as I read through the book, I did become aware of my way of thinking.  People do tend to look at resolutions as a set-up for a disaster.  I made one to give up junk food and I already fell off that wagon.  As I kept reading, you really stuck a chord within me and I began to cry.  You write with a lot of wit and humor and I did chuckle a few times but I began to have revelations about my own life…..

…I’m going to share your book with my husband and my mother-in-law and maybe, 4 or 5,000 other people who need a revelation.  Seriously, you opened my eyes to a lot of things I have been struggling with.  It’s not a “new year” thing.  It’s a “new me” thing.  I get to learn to focus on the good stuff I do and on the good person I am.   And I think that’s why this has really hit me so hard because I have been struggling with so much stuff lately.
I truly believe God sends angels at certain times in our lives and you came just at the right moment in mine.  I really enjoyed reading through the book and I believe it is a tool I will refer to from now on.  You can keep the ants though…lol.  I also felt the material was very readable and self-explanatory.  I think so many people will benefit from your wisdom.
Thank you again.  You really are a dynamite person”
Deb Berna, USA

 Of course, readers, you do know, don’t you.. I simply provide the tool. These women are the amazing ones who gave themselves permission to work through the book, watch for the sparkle in their own eyes, and revel in their discoveries.  Thank you Nicole and Deb for sharing!

 

To learn more www.musingsandmud.com/workbooks.html

 

What if and more: my favourite quotes

“What if you slept?
And what if, in your sleep, you dreamed?
And what if, in your dream, you went to heaven
and there plucked a strange and beautiful flower?
And what if, when you awoke,
you had the flower in your hand?
Ah, what then?”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge
(Philosopher,
Author: Rime of the Ancient Mariner
1772-1834)

 

Many people have asked me to share my collection of favourite quotes. I’ve created a page on my website with all…
You’re invited to exlpore:

www.musingsandmud.com/quotes.html

Apparently I don’t really need an oven.

I opened my oven to bake some squares.  I had, in the moments prior to opening the heated oven,  noticed that it was smelling quite nice in my kitchen.  Well, what to my wondering eyes did appear? A tiny loaf pan full of Stuffing – yes, from Christmas Day, I fear.  

It was okay though.  Just stuffing. Dried Bread crumbs. And now, equally dried peppers, onion, etc.  No mold.  Almost tempting enough to eat, but really,  isn’t that like 25 days ago? 

I cracked right up laughing. I have clearly not opened my oven for 25 days!

And while laughing about this, and doing whatever it is that I do to prevent me from being a good cook (except Christmas Dinners which all agree I do very well), I then burned the squares! 

I persevere though. Because tonight is movie night. And my friend and I agreed there’d be no sense me taking down all the Christmas decorations including the fake tree before then.  Tomorrow is now the scheduled day, but I”m certain I’ll think of something.  But I persevere because what would a movie night at Christmas time be without Christmas baking?   And if you notice awhile back, I blessed and ate all of that.    So onward to the Almond Crescents.

Creative juices are smlathered on the floor

Creative juices are smlathered on the floors.
They take the form of spilled coffee, slurried clay,  mud from outdoors.

They don’t count as such if you are just a slob,
But if creation is in process,  _________________________

note: go ahead fill in the blank. I ran out of a last line.. I’m going back to working on the clay, while proudly acknowledging that it is OKAY to leave the creative juices where they are even though people are coming to visit.

Meanwhile, the ongoing saga of defying gravity

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tree…. (See previous post for Part I of this story).  Scientific, quantum physic, fantastical, imaginative, creative, and /or ridiculous answers are welcome.

The icicles that defy gravity.

Below is a photo of icicles on a tree in my yard.   What happened?  I’m open to  scientific, quantum physic, dull, imaginative, ridiculous, and fantasy type of answers.  Go, have fun with this. 

AWE Manac Fuller Brush Man

An exercise from the Awe-Manac: a daily dose of Wonder by Jill Badonski . Today is the birthday of Mr. Fuller, founder of Fuller Brush. You might have to be as old as me to remember the Fuller Brush Man’s visits.  What did happen to those great brushes?  But here is my creative exercise.. unedited. I am modelling that poetry can be published, no matter how bad it is, because a blog is considered ‘published!”  How fun is that?  Actually, I am modelling that no matter what form it takes, giving yourself moments to access playful creativity is empowering, brave, and adds precious moments that can easily be appreciated in your day. 

AND this took me back to precious moments in childhood, to boot.

Fuller Brush Man,
             Suitcase in Hand,
Tips his hat to my Mother,
   And off runs my brother,
But I like the nail brush,
   I watch with a hush,
“It’s magic!” he said,
    or was that just in my head?
“Always new! Never falls apart. NEVER!
It will last forever and ever!”
Mom says ‘I’ll take it’, the room fills with laughter.
I know Brush and I will live Happily Ever After.

Mini Donuts and Cranberries – a creative connection

“Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected”

William Plomer 1903-1973

Oh my goodness, I’ve created Heaven!  Powdered mini-donuts with a big dob of my homemade cranberry sauce.

For those of you who think I don’t cook this may come as a surprise to you.. the homemade part and all.  I do cook. At Christmas. And I made an awfully big batch of cranberry sauce, which I froze in little packs.  It’s so good. I thaw it out, with intentions of dobbing it on poultry or something, but I just eat it the minute it thaws.

As I was emptying groceries (yes, I do do groceries, too)  I giggled at the mini donuts and thought, “If they ever make you organic, I’m in trouble. I’d buy you all the time! ”  Which must have led my thoughts to.. “How can I make these healthy for me?”  Which led to a dollop of cranberry sauce, which led to heaven in my mouth.

Soooo, what two concepts can you connect today that are normally disconnected?