Warm....Like a Sweater

First day of Autumn. Hmmm...What does that mean to me?

Sweaters.

Nothing is as comfortable as a favorite sweater. It makes me feel...safe...warm....cozy...and I guess, loved. Just something about it makes me smile. My favorite sweater, thanks for being there. I needed you, I didn't want to be alone.

Angel in the Cemetery

As summer comes to an end, I reflect back over the year so far and the events the have brought me to where I am today.

My favorite high school teacher died, and I never made the time to say thank you.

I watched my daughter leave my side for a trip to Europe, and saw a glimpse of the woman she is becoming.

I cried, heart-broken, holding Carson tight, as the veterinarian struggled to find a vein to end my dog's life.

I made secret handshakes with my middle child, had the best Disney partner - ever!, and watched him confidently start high school.

I realized how thankful I am for my youngest child with all his charm, and his ability to make me laugh.

I watched my husband learn to find balance in work-life, and fulfill a dream by finding the boat.

I stood before a priest, confessing my sins.

I started walking many, many miles a day.

I stood in a cemetery, mesmerized by an angel statue.

Reconsidering Medium

In one form or another, I have been scrapbooking since I was a teenager. Probably even before that if you count all the paper and crayons I consumed as a child. Without a doubt, the need for me to create has always been a piece of the puzzle that makes me who I am.

This year, I started a journey to find.....me. I can never deny the creative part of me. To take it away would be taking away an integral part. The projects I have in my head will always be much more grandeur than anything I can create. But what I am learning, is I need to create for me in order to satisfy my creative spirit.

Throughout the years, I have expressed my creativity in many different forms. Scrapbooking. Sewing. Drawing. Writing. I think I have done it all. I have been successful enough with my scrapbooking endeavors to have been published in books and magazines. Creating objects and clothing out of a simple piece of fabric has brought me so much joy. Watching my children learn from my talents is the most satisfying feeling. Words have always brought me joy, either reading or writing. I tried my hand at writing a novel this year, but when my heart wasn't in it, I knew it was a creativity I wasn't ready to share, so it was best kept inside.

Since the kids are back in school, it is usually the time when I start scrapbooking again. Usually, September is the month where I walk in my studio, and the projects I have thought about over the summer months, get my attention again. This year is different. This is the year, I am realizing I need to create to satisfy my creative spirit, and I am finally confident enough to say I am reconsidering my medium.

I'll keep you posted.