What an exciting few weeks this has been for me. First my West Coast cruise which I mentioned in my earlier post, then my daughter and I flew to Phoenix, rented a car and drove to Precott, via Wickenburg, and stayed a couple of nights in Prescott. We drove all over and took a few mini hikes. One around Goldwater Lake and another through the granite rocks. We wanted to rent a kayak on Watson Lake but it was closed until the weekend. so, we went to Jerome then Sedona for a few days. love the red rocks. We did a few small hikes and watched the moon rise over cathedral rock. Awesome.

After a few days at home I was off to Samish Island for painting with about 30 of my very good friends. What fun and such an inspiration for painting when all that energy is in one big room! The staff at the camp were so kind and fed us like royalty. We all painted and were very inspired and accomplished so much. What a treasure to have so many friends with the same interest and artistic energies. Friends and family bring us so much love and fill our lives with sunshine. Speaking of sunshine, I think summer is here and I am loving the sun. Time to haul out my deck furniture and get my hanging flower baskets now that I am home to take care of them. Have a wonderful day!

I am happiest when I am traveling, sometimes in my comfort zone and other times definitely out of my comfort zone. I just returned from a trip that was totally in my comfort zone and no challenge but just plain fun! I went on a westcoast cruise from Ensenada to San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Astoria Oregon, Victoria BC and ending in Seattle.

Being from California I have been through all these places many times but was nice to visit them by ship. Did the usual touristy things and went up in the clock tower at Santa Barbara. Nice view from the top. Visited the redwoods at Muir Woods although it made me a bit homesick for the redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains where I was raised. I also visited Sausalito which I love. It was a fun trip.

My next adventure which I am planning hopefully kayaking, a bit of hiking and of course exploring in Arizona. Maybe next year a trip to Japan with an adventure tour company and only a few people. Life is good and I want to enjoy it all. I am going to Jump Out of My Comfort Zone and Go For It!

Sometimes it seems I have too much spare time. Other times there is not a spare minute. The next few weeks are going to be like that. I have over committed myself but that is good too as it keeps me very busy and energized.

Between getting paintings ready for art shows, family birthdays, painting and sketching outdoors, yard work needs doing and many other things going on. Also, I have volunteered to be with babies and small children and help out. I am looking forward to that. I have been given so much in this life and now it is time to give back. Doing something without expecting something back is such a good feeling. I really like the “pay it forward” that is going around. If we all did good in even a very small way our world would be in such better shape.

Just as in example of doing things in a small way: when I am in a store and someone just lets clothes fall on the floor I pick them up and put them on a hanger. Or in the bathroom, clean up after yourself or others and pick paper up off the floor. Such a small thing to do. But it we don’t we could be buried in garbage. On the bus I see young healthy people sitting in the handicapped/senior area and they don’t give their seat up to older citizens that have difficulty walking. Just be kind in small ways. Kindness will fill you with love. Have a great day.

What a great day yesterday with a good dose of sunshine. I have had a complete attitude adjustment. Full of energy yesterday, got a lot accomplished and hope to do more today. Life is good,full of adventure and choices. Will I go forward towards a new full life or will I dwell on the past full of what should have happened and didn’t while feeling a tremendous sense of loss? I think I will choose to go forward with a new sense of purpose. You cannot change the past or wrong choices you think you made. Maybe they weren’t wrong choices but just part of the overall learning experience. We can only learn from what we feel are our mistakes. Just go with what is and let a life full of joyful experiences unfold and happen as they are intended. Enjoy the sunshine in your life!

I see sunshine as I look out my window! Yeah, I am ecstatic! Life is good and I will have renewed energy today. Does sun affect you this way also? Everything looks better when it is sunny. I am ready to accomplish great things today and definitely need to step out of my comfort zone. It is time to start the many neglected projects that waited for a sunny day. We can accomplish anything if we just trust our instincts and go for it! Then after accomplishing a few needed projects I plan to sit on my deck later and just bask in the sunshine. Life is good and what we make it. It is our choice. I choose to be happy no matter what happens. Enjoy the sun!

Sometimes here in the Northwest it feels like there is no end to the rain. I, like many other people, seem to find it difficult to stay positive and happy in these dreary days. However, better to keep busy and try to stay positive rather than the opposite which is depression. I refuse to give into depression so turn to projects that need doing or outings with friends. Those are two great ways to get back on track.

Of course, the very best lift is when the sun comes back which is what is supposed to happen next week. All of a sudden I will have so much energy, all of my projects will go into high speed and life will be filled with sunshine again. People born in the Northwest seem to be quite content with all this rain. I, as a California transplant, miss the sunshine. On the other hand we could not have all this natural beauty and green lushness without the rain. So, there is a reason for everything and for every season. I will smile, put the fireplace on, grab a good book and just enjoy the day! Life is good. Today I will stay in my comfort zone and rest for tomorrow when I “Jump Out Of My Comfort Zone and Go For It! Have a wonderful day!

As the years go by we seem to gather a lot of things. I have been thinking a lot about this. I went to a class on downsizing and it was quite interesting. Now I am able to sort through my things easier. First, how often do we use it or even look at it? Do we really need several sets of different items? What about that gift someone gave you and you don’t like? You don’t want to hurt their feelings by throwing it out. But, would they ever know? Recycle things you don’t use by giving them to people that could use them. There are so many places where you could donate items and give to those in need. I just finished throwing out many boxes of travel photos that I never look at. Now with the computer we can scan the good ones. I threw out a lot of photos that had a telephone pole in front or ones that were blurry. What a great sense of accomplishment. Feels like a big load off my back and makes me eager to continue in other parts of my house. Most of us have so much more than we ever need. It is so much easier to clean the house with less stuff to sort through or trip over. They are just things. Happiness can come from giving to others that can use the items you no longer use or need. Happiness comes in sharing and giving. Have a wonderful day and keep the good thoughts.

Where is the sun? I am sitting in front of my fireplace on this cold, wet day. Easter Sunday was gorgeous and sunny and I thought summer was here. Unfortunately mother nature decided we needed more winter. We do have to remember that all this rain is watering the flowers so the will soon be beautiful. Just like our lives. Sometimes there are gloomy days and we feel hopeless but sunny days do manage to come back. We just need to take one step at a time. Life always is full of ups and downs. I am considering moving to a warmer climate but that is a big decision with all my family living up north. They can always come visit. There are always solutions to any problems. Sometimes things are out of our comfort zone but it strengthens us to accomplish new projects or try new things. It is up to each of us to make our lives beautiful and fulfilling.

Do you ever have days when you plan to do a lot of work on the computer and there is no Internet access? Well. I had a day like that yesterday. All ready to get my bills paid and out of the way and no access. This also happened to me a week or so ago. I called the Internet provider then and they tried all sorts of things. Finally after a couple of hours it was fixed. So, yesterday it happened again. They tried every fix and nothing worked. Finally at 9:30 p.m. I said I haves had it I give up. They said they wanted to try one more thing. I said no, we can finish tomorrow and I was told they cannot fix it without me at my computer. OK, we will finish tomorrow, good night! So, a miracle happened. This morning I have my internet back without calling my provider. I have always believed in miracles. Now I truly believe in miracles!!!!!

Sometimes we just need to step back, take a deep breath and let things happen. Let the universe or God come to your aid. Everything always does manage to work out no matter how impossible it seems at times. We just need to have patience. So, cnow I will happily get on with my day and know life is good and all is well. Enjoy your day to the fullest.

Do you have days when there are too many decisions to make? Today is one of those days. The sun is shining and making it difficult to concentrate on paper work and inside projects. So many things need to be accomplished, but here I am thinking it might be nice to get out and be in the sun for awhile. Since we don’t get a lot of sun in the northwest it is calling me very strongly today. This is probably the reason for my short blog today. Sometimes in our lives we need to seize the moment and just enjoy it. The work will always be there and when it does become a necessity it somehow still manages to get done. So my advice today is go for it! I will and will get back to you all another day. It is nice to have new friends reading my blog. I enjoy your comments. So, everyone have a special day for yourself and treat yourself good. If we are good to ourselves and happy we will also be good to other people and make them happy. So, go spread the joy and happiness of this wonderful day.