I'm Still Here.....

I've heard from some of you....wondering where I've gone to.  I'm still here, just been a bit busy.  Christmas is just around the corner and sadly, I haven't yet done much in the way of shopping.  I plan to do this in the next 2 weeks with a battle plan of arriving at the mall EXACTLY when it opens and doing what I can in about an hour, then leaving.  It won't matter if I don't finish what I need to do, the plan is to get out before the rush of people arrive.  I figure if I do this 3 or 4 times, I will have escaped shopping with the crowds and the long lines.  Wish me luck!

Classes and teaching:   work chugs along....been teaching a lot and I'll have one more class before Christmas then I'll be putting away the ink and stamps till 2012. Gosh that sounds so far away....but it's in 3 weeks!   Sneak peeks of some cards below!

Friends:  Last tuesday night I got together with some fantastic ladies to do some stamping....with a mix of delicious food in the way of cake and cookies.   Here is a pic of my friend Liane and I taking a break from stamping (and sugar consumption).

It's been a busy past few days and I sometimes scold myself for taking on too much, driving myself at full speed, even when not necessary.  I still need to practice the art of being more present, so that life doesn't rush past without me noticing.  I like being busy and therein lies the problem.  So in 2012, I will try to be more relaxed than busy.  Normally we have two different modes in life. There’s the busy of our everyday lives, and then there’s the relaxed mode, which happens when we have some unstructured time: vacation, a day at the beach, a spa getaway, some time in the park with the kids.  I must try to get an even balance of these 2 modes: busy and relaxed.   I know that if I just learn to "feel" instead of "think", I will be more "present" in each and everything I do.  As I put more focus into physical sensations, I am able to enter relaxed mode as opposed to thinking mode.  Am I making sense? For example, If I'm  going for a run,  I will try to feel the wind rush past my face, the sun on my back. If I'm eating, I will try to taste every little nuance of the food, smell the food, feel the texture in my mouth, feel the movement of my hand going to my mouth.  In doing so, maybe I will learn to live more in the present than the future and turn busy-ness into being present, harriedness into enjoyment.

Life will be lived, instead of ignored.  Want to try it together?

Comments

[Tim]

Hi Eleanor

This sounds like a great plan. Something I should be trying as well! Cheers

[Susan]

Oh what a great idea! Feeeeeeel.