Friday, March 31, 2023

Spring Rhyme

 For the Sunday song and rhyme Outlawz challenge this poem was selected;

I was quite surprised to see Robins mentioned in the rhyme as we usually associate them with Christmas cards, but as with all birds they are active in the spring and I decided to use that as my inspiration. The line says Robins come so reminded me of the saying "Robins appear when loved ones are near"

The card is created with Sizzix thinlits Robin and Creative Expressions Entwined Hearts dies, the heart is cut in green pearl card with another heart behind with leaves on, then a background of printed hearts mounted on a pearl green card. The wording is written with Cricut Joy. A pretty card for a sympathy card or to send on an anniversary of death.

Thursday, March 30, 2023

New Year Resolutions pt8 Family & friends

 At the beginning of each year many of us think this will be the year we make changes and get more out off life and become happy. In reality, not much changes and by the end of the year we feel bad for not having achieved anything that feels worthwhile.

Apparently the top 10 New Year resolutions are ;

  1. Exercise more
  2. Lose weight
  3. Get organized
  4. Learn a new skill or hobby 
  5. Live life to the fullest
  6. Save more money / spend less money
  7. Quit smoking
  8. Spend more time with family and friends
  9. Travel more
  10. Read more

I would like to do most these too, except for losing weight and quitting smoking, they are all big things, but we believe that they will make us more happy. Many people will have already given up, or like me won’t even have started yet as life gets in the way and most of the things we want are too vague and we feel overwhelmed by it or just realise it is not realistic. Then of course we get annoyed and feel like we have failed.

I have decided to write a post about each resolution, I would love to say I will do one a day, but know that is far beyond me, one a week would take us to the end of March!! So will just have to see how it goes and how much I ramble on or get distracted by other things, I am way behind even the once a week schedule, so much for resolutions! Well it’s nearly April and here I am still talking about New Year, is it me that’s slow or the year that is fast!!

No 8. Spend more time with family and friends

As I went to start this post I got an email saying that my Friends and Family railcard has expired, I can’t get another as Emily is too old for a child fare. I can get a disabled persons railcard, but I don’t have a valid award letter as PIP still under review from last April. Ah well won’t be going on ay trips any time soon.

I am always beating myself up about this and feel that I am a rubbish friend and family member.

I always feel that we should see family more, but as they all live 40 miles away it’s not just pop in for a cuppa and usually means we have to be away from home overnight to fit everyone in and not feel like we are dashing in and out and not actually seeing anyone. I try to be in touch as much as I can, but not being able to use the phone makes it hard when others don’t like/use messengers. Everyone seems to into video chats now, I can’t hear a thing on them it sounds just awful. Trying to organise meet ups is so hard to get everyone available at the same time and the getting ready and travelling is hard work, I always forget half my stuff, then have to go to shops to get something or manage without or borrow of someone and it makes me feel so stupid. It’s usually due to trying to pack stuff whilst thinking about what else needs doing or remembering or whilst someone else is asking me stuff.

Visiting is hard work as you are trying to take in so much information from people and away from home. I have to sacrifice rests as I don’t want to be ignorant and waste the usually short time that we have and trying to sort out what we are doing with who. Last time we visited I ended up spending half the time in bed as I was very unwell and then lost several days when we got home. I am usually the one who tries to make arrangements, but it’s like trying to herd cats! Then just when you think you are sorted someone puts a spanner in the works and it’s back to square one.

At the moment Emily has so many school commitments with exam preparation, that everything else has ground to a halt and we have to be a daily, including weekends, taxi service and even when not at school she can’t be out too long as there is so much to do. The exams aren’t taking into account that they missed best part of two years school and expect them to be up to standard and if not to fit two years work into a few weeks. School are cramming in as many extra sessions as they can, but not really listening to what the students need to learn so it’s often a waste of time and very frustrating. Thankfully it’s not long now and then we will be able to catch up with people again.

Totally irrelevant as we don’t have any babies in the family now, but love this!!!

We don’t really have close friends, you know the type you do everything with and you go out and have fun with. I don’t know how much of that is because of me being ill and having limited contact with people and how much is my difficulty with interacting with people.  I never feel like I quite fit. A Third Bliss blog says;

“It’s normal to feel like you don’t belong from time to time and you don’t really fit in.

Maybe you’re around people who are sort of like you, maybe talk like you, even act like you, but some part of yourself still doesn’t quite fit in with them.

And when you’re surrounded by people who seem to know everything – and who seem to know all the answers – it can be hard not to feel like an outsider.

But let me tell you something: You are not alone. There are thousands of people out there just like you who feel like they don’t belong either.

And guess what? That’s okay! It’s actually quite normal.  Everyone has a unique perspective on things and no one person is alike.  If we were all the same then the world would be a far less interesting place.

Nevertheless, when you don’t belong, you’re never quite sure where you stand.

You look around and it seems like everyone else has their own group and they all seem to get along so well and you wish you could share the same camaraderie.

Feeling like you don’t belong anywhere can make you question your place in the world and eat at your self-confidence.”

The article sites the following reason for feeling that way;

Your characteristics & traits don’t fit in – We all feel like we don’t belong sometimes. We may feel like we don’t fit in, that we’re not good enough, or that we don’t fit the mould of what a person is supposed to be like”. Yep
You have a disability” “Disabilities such as physical disabilities or mental disabilities can make it difficult for you to navigate in the world and can make you feel like you don’t belong” .Yep
You’re a cynical person” sometimes
You don’t fit the “standard“”
You have trouble getting along with others” “You may have a hard time feeling a sense of belonging because you find it difficult to relate to other people.  You think that they are too judgmental and critical of your beliefs, values, and actions.  Or that they just don’t seem to understand where you’re coming from and why you act the way you do.” Yep
You have trouble getting along with others” “You have difficulty making genuine connections with others because you’re scared of getting hurt or rejected.” Yep
You are in your head too much“. “One of the reasons why you lack a sense of belonging is the tendency to overthink or self-monitor. When you are inside your head too much, you are not in the present moment. You are either thinking about what happened in the past or worrying about what will happen in the future”. “One of the reasons why you lack a sense of belonging is the tendency to overthink or self-monitor.  When you are inside your head too much, you are not in the present moment. You are either thinking about what happened in the past or worrying about what will happen in the future”. Yep
“You are awkward, quiet, and shy” “You are afraid of speaking your mind because you often feel awkward, quiet, or shy around other people.  You feel like an outsider in every group or social setting, even with your closest friends”. Yep
You lack self-confidence“. “You lack confidence in yourself, which is why you feel unsure and you constantly doubt yourself.  There could be many reasons why you lack self-confidence or self-esteem”. Yep

The blog article summarises the feelings much better than I could myself and can be seen in full at Third Bliss if you can cope with all the adds

Most of the people I know now are online and many of them I have never met face to face,  and even then I don't really feel like I belong, even with like minded people.

How do you define a friend? “a person you know well and like, and who is not usually a member of your family” (OED). These days we talk about friends in a much more general way as people you have on your social media are called friends, many of these people you may not even know that well.

This has just popped up on my Facebook

I’d love to have a close friend to do things together and spend time together, but it would be hard work and often expensive too. I have friends who I talk to, but feel guilty if I haven’t been in touch with them, but then realise I am almost always the one who makes contact, I am beginning to realise that it’s not my fault at all and maybe I am not cut out for close friends. The influence of TV programmes and social media posts makes us feel we are missing out, but often life is not that rosy at all.

I often feel that my closest friend is my cat, but then she is family anyway. She is often the one who knows when I need company or comfort and she snuggles up with me when I am on my own and follows me around to see what I am doing. In return, nothing is without strings, I house her, feed her, play with her, attend to her at 3am and accept/dispose of her gifts!

So what can I do? I don’t have the energy to go out and find friends and have been let down and messed about so many times perhaps I am better by myself. Would be lovely to feel this way though and would love Pooh to be my friend;

Us Two

Wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
“Where are you going today?” says Pooh:
“Well, that’s very odd ‘cos I was too.
Let’s go together,” says Pooh, says he.
“Let’s go together,” says Pooh.

“What’s twice eleven?” I said to Pooh.
(“Twice what?” said Pooh to Me.)
“I think it ought to be twenty-two.”
“Just what I think myself,” said Pooh.
“It wasn’t an easy sum to do,
But that’s what it is,” said Pooh, said he.
“That’s what it is,” said Pooh.

“Let’s look for dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“Yes, let’s,” said Pooh to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few-
“Yes, those are dragons all right,” said Pooh.
“As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.
That’s what they are,” said Pooh, said he.
“That’s what they are,” said Pooh.

“Let’s frighten the dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“That’s right,” said Pooh to Me.
“I’m not afraid,” I said to Pooh,
And I held his paw and I shouted “Shoo!
Silly old dragons!”- and off they flew.

“I wasn’t afraid,” said Pooh, said he,
“I’m never afraid with you.”

So wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
“What would I do?” I said to Pooh,
“If it wasn’t for you,” and Pooh said: “True,
It isn’t much fun for One, but Two,
Can stick together, says Pooh, says he. “That’s how it is,” says Pooh

This popped up on my Facebook too, definitely never happens to me!

Thursday, March 23, 2023

No card challenge

 A challenge not to make a card, I had lots of ideas, but pulling this one together seemed to fail at every step! Either what I tried didn’t work or I didn’t have the materials I wanted so this is a bit if a disappointment, but meets the challenge of Outlawz No Cards theme music makes the world go round.

Photographing was very difficult due to the reflectiveness of the Cd’s, but does show how they would catch the light when hung. Originally I wanted to stitch a design onto the Cd’s, but drilling the holes was hard and then some of them cracked and then needle would not pass through the holes. I chose Cd’s because they are round and they are music, and the notes and treble clef for music. The notes and clef are made from black sticky gems, the smaller notes are confetti. I sandwiched ribbon between the 2 cd’s and stuck them together to create a hanging. In the end quite a simple creation that anyone could make with old Cd’s.

Friday, March 17, 2023

New years resolutions p7 Quit

 At the beginning of each year many of us think this will be the year we make changes and get more out off life and become happy. In reality, not much changes and by the end of the year we feel bad for not having achieved anything that feels worthwhile.

Apparently the top 10 New Year resolutions are ;

  1. Exercise more
  2. Lose weight
  3. Get organized
  4. Learn a new skill or hobby 
  5. Live life to the fullest
  6. Save more money / spend less money
  7. Quit smoking
  8. Spend more time with family and friends
  9. Travel more
  10. Read more

I would like to do most these too, except for losing weight and quitting smoking, they are all big things, but we believe that they will make us more happy. Many people will have already given up, or like me won’t even have started yet as life gets in the way and most of the things we want are too vague and we feel overwhelmed by it or just realise it is not realistic. Then of course we get annoyed and feel like we have failed.

I have decided to write a post about each resolution, I would love to say I will do one a day, but know that is far beyond me, one a week would take us to the end of March!! So will just have to see how it goes and how much I ramble on or get distracted by other things, I am way behind even the once a week schedule, so much for resolutions!

No.7 Quit Smoking

Well this is one I don’t need to do as I have never smoked, so that’s easy enough.

I seem to have spent all my life quitting things mainly due to health problems, so i don’t want to have to give up anything and want to focus on things I can do and trying not to let things get the better of me and having to give them up. I actually just found this on Google Quitting and giving up may seem the same but they’re not. They are two different forms of letting go. “Quitting is our decision to let go or pull the plug on something that is not serving its intended purpose. Giving up is when we hand our decision to a voice that tells us we should stop”.

Many of us are familiar with this verse

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low but the debts are high,

And you want to smile but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many failures turn about

When we might have won had we stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out –

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

You can never tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

So now it’s time for me to quit this blog for today and and go and do something that I need to do.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

New Year Resolutions Pt 6 Save more, spend less

 At the beginning of each year many of us think this will be the year we make changes and get more out off life and become happy. In reality, not much changes and by the end of the year we feel bad for not having achieved anything that feels worthwhile.

Apparently the top 10 New Year resolutions are ;

  1. Exercise more
  2. Lose weight
  3. Get organized
  4. Learn a new skill or hobby 
  5. Live life to the fullest
  6. Save more money / spend less money
  7. Quit smoking
  8. Spend more time with family and friends
  9. Travel more
  10. Read more

I would like to do most these too, except for losing weight and quitting smoking, they are all big things, but we believe that they will make us more happy. Many people will have already given up, or like me won’t even have started yet as life gets in the way and most of the things we want are too vague and we feel overwhelmed by it or just realise it is not realistic. Then of course we get annoyed and feel like we have failed.

I have decided to write a post about each resolution, I would love to say I will do one a day, but know that is far beyond me, one a week would take us to the end of March!! So will just have to see how it goes and how much I ramble on or get distracted by other things, I am way behind even the once a week schedule, so much for resolutions!

No.6 Save More/Spend Less

Well we certainly haven't been saving or spending less recently with having a new kitchen, it's an expensive business, but pretty much finished now and most things have been bought. Frustratingly is that we wanted to get it done several years ago, but we couldn't find anyone who wanted to do it and then Covid hit, so it is costing a big chunk more than it would have done, but that's the way things go. Now it is almost finished it is a much better workspace and very bright, so a much nicer kitchen to work in, especially after 4 weeks of cooking everything in the microwave or air fryer in the dining room! Today we are having our first roast dinner in over a month and at my daughter request mashed potatoes as hob was only connected yesterday and we haven't been able to boil anything till now. There are a few bits to finish off and splashbacks to fit in the next week or so and then the final payment to fitters. It does feel a bit like paying out for a new kitchen and equipment and then having to live on baked beans as it cost so much!! There were a few unexpected expenses like the freezer in the garage getting unplugged and losing all our gluten free frozen food and discovering we need more shelves than we ordered and storage boxes that fit in the cupboards!

On the flip side we haven't had time to look at buying other things and haven't made any impulsive buys. I haven't bought any craft items, that's not to say I haven't looked, but haven't being tempted. P.S Have ended up buying some white card. Emily Annoyingly my 9 month old Cricut Joy stopped working, luckily it was still under warranty so a replacement was sent, but the replacement has gone missing, tracking shows it as delivered and signed for by me!! There is also a picture of the delivery that shows it in an outside storage box that isn't ours and we have no idea where it is. I posted the picture on Facebook to ask if anyone recognised it and had my parcel, but as is the way with Facebook I just got loads of smart comments and no help. The delivery company told us to ring back tomorrow and the sender hasn't got back to us! To use Cricut you have to pay a subscription to use the design space so I am still paying that, but not able to use it, so rather frustrating and there were thing I wanted to make so have had to change plans as I have no idea if or when the problem will get sorted. How do you prove that you don't have something that is sent to you and who takes the financial hit? P.S I finally got it, it had been delivered to someone along the street despite clearly having my name and address on it.

February is an expensive month is our house with 2 birthdays to celebrate and valentines day. Thankfully it quietens down a bit now.

Emily is having extra lessons after school in the run up to GCSE's and there is not a school bus for them. we were picking her up, but now the weather is getting a bit better, well maybe and it is lighter we asked her to catch service bus and then we would pick her up from there or she can walk. We buy her bus ticket monthly so were paying her bus fare and then using petrol as well to pick her up which seemed a bit daft with financial and environmental cost to it, we also wanted her to be a bit more independent as she will be going to college next year and will have to get around by bus. Last night she went for the bus and waited nearly half an hour for the bus which runs every 15 mins, I ended up going to collect her and as I arrived there were 2 buses arriving at the stop over 40 mins since she had arrived for bus. The school is closed tomorrow except to GCSE pupils so we will have to take and collect her, it's lucky my husband works from home and works longer hours than he used to work in office so he is able to collect her most of the time unless he is in meetings.

We have bought a tumble drier which I said I wouldn't use a lot as they are expensive to run, but have used it a lot in last couple of weeks as there was so much washing to get done and the weather has been awful and we had very little space to hang washing to dry. It's great being able to wash and dry so easily, but will have to keep an eye on the costs. We now have heating in the kitchen which we didn't have before so hopefully it will get easier to dry the hung up washing once the hanging rail is in place.

We have replaced most of the kitchen appliances, the others were old and well used but still in working order. we couldn't sell them, but did get rid of them for free with freecycle so at least some people have benefitted and will save some money for them. We shopped around for new ones getting best price we could find so had them from all over the place.

Prices have gone up so much recently, but even before that I was always shocked at the price of food and eating out. I think part of it is not having my own income and basing prices on what they used to be when I worked and did food shopping. Gluten free food is very expensive. Thankfully we don't eat out a lot, but have done a bit more whilst having kitchen done. It feels a bit like we have spent so much getting kitchen done that now we will have to live on baked beans so don't need a new kitchen. Hopefully we will get a bit more adventurous with cooking as it's so much easier to work in the kitchen now.

I saw an online course I likes the sound of yesterday. I probably wouldn't have been able to do it physically or cognitively, but it sounded great, until I saw the price, over £4,000 plus other expenses, so that was that. As I am not able to work it's probably pointless for me to have another qualification, but I do find myself looking at things and wishing I could do them. Can I now say i have saved £4,000?!

The cost of being ill/disabled is so high, obviously equipment is not cheap, I had to buy a new wheelchair a few weeks ago as mine was dangerous. I have hearing aids which are very expensive and will probably need replacing soon. But other less visible costs are only having one income and one person paying all the tax (we would be much better off if we both had lower paid jobs or even both worked part time), needing to go by car everywhere instead of being able to walk or use public transport, being at home all the time so using gas and electric and wear and tear on the house due to constant use, having a restricted diet and specialised food being a lot more than ordinary food and no cheap alternatives, having to pay people to help with every day tasks. On the flip side we don't go out a lot, but when we do it is expensive. Having a blue badge means that parking is mostly free, but not always and we have got caught out before and cost us a parking ticket. We need to have a car that is large enough for a wheelchair so an estate, which we may not have otherwise. When I lost my Motability car we had to find a way of financing another car which boiled down to buying a second hand car or having a lease car. Rob's boss told him about a scheme for NHS employees which works in a very similar way to Motability and was the cheapest way for us to get a lease car. Our lease ran out in October, but our next car is delayed, despite ordering it a year ago we are probably still looking at another six months before we have it. We have been able to extend the lease on the one we have, but still paying the same for a car that is now over 3 years old so it's not as good value at the moment, but probably still cheaper than any other way of funding a car. Emily will be able to drive next year, but won't be allowed to drive the lease car so need to think again about a car then. The new car is a plug in hybrid and as most of our journeys are short we will probably be able to run most of the time on electric. Our electricity usage will go up of course, but should still work out cheaper than petrol and most of the charging can be done at home rather than public pay chargers. The electric range is about 42.2 miles, our longest journey normally is to family 42.4 miles away!! It may not be as cheap as it would have been when we decided to buy it, but should hopefully save a bit and it is better for the environment.

Well I have rambled on for days here so how can I spend less/save more? Mainly I think by shopping around for things and finding best price, this doesn't really work for supermarket shopping as by the time you have driven round several shops to get best prices you will have spent the savings in petrol. Not looking at things we don't need and not being tempted by offers on things we don't need. Making use of the craft stuff I have rather than buying more, except for essential base materials. trying a bit harder to sell items I have made, but I am so slow at making them and so much effort is needed to sell them, it's not really worth it. I share them on Facebook and sometimes get some interest, things that don't sell I use myself or give to charity. Be sensible about using appliances that are expensive to run. We got an air fryer when we had no kitchen and it is much cheaper to run than the oven so we will use that more than the oven, especially when cooking small amounts.

Monday, March 13, 2023

Love is in the Air 3

 













Card for Outlawz no stamp challenge with Love is in the Air theme.

This was created using Gemini Create a Card die A Place to Remember, it is cut in pale pink patterned paper and mounted on bright pink glitter card. The background is brighter and sparklier than it appears.

A great card for Anniversary, Wedding, Engagement or Valentines.

Available to buy, message me jane@craftyjanes.co.uk

Love is in the Air 2

 

Card for Outlawz no stamp challenge with Love is in the Air theme.

This was created using Gemini Create a Card die A Place to Remember, it is cut in black card and mounted on white card with oink and red hearts card.

A great card for Anniversary, Wedding, Engagement or Valentines.

Available to buy, message me jane@craftyjanes.co.uk 

Love is in the Air

 love is in the air, hot air balloon, hearts

Entry for Outlawz No stamp challenge. Created using Tattered Lace Love is in the Air as theme is Love is in the Air so thought of this die straight away. Heart behind is from X cut folk bird hearts die and embossed with Gemini Hearts emboss folder that came with my Gemini die cutting and Embossing machine, mounted on blue paper and a white card.

I couldn't decided what colours to use, so went for my own wedding colours in the end. Would look very striking in black and red and shades of pink too. Great for wedding, anniversary, valentines.

Available to buy, message me jane@craftyjanes.co.uk 

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Love Birds

Created for Outlawz March progressive challenge. The image we had to use is a digital stamp called Love Birds from Sheep Ski Designs, I discovered they are based in Leeds. I left the image largely uncoloured then cut it with Creative Expressions Papercuts Entwined heart die, I used card with flowers and leaves for outer layer, then a pink paper and a pink card, finished off with Happy Anniversary peel off and a few fabric flowers. A lovely simple image that could be used for Anniversary, Valentines, Wedding or New Baby.



Tuesday, March 07, 2023

New Year resolutions pt5 Full Life



At the beginning of each year many of us think this will be the year we make changes and get more out off life and become happy. In reality, not much changes and by the end of the year we feel bad for not having achieved anything that feels worthwhile.

Apparently the top 10 New Year resolutions are ;

  1. Exercise more
  2. Lose weight
  3. Get organized
  4. Learn a new skill or hobby 
  5. Live life to the fullest
  6. Save more money / spend less money
  7. Quit smoking
  8. Spend more time with family and friends
  9. Travel more
  10. Read more

I would like to do most these too, except for losing weight and quitting smoking, they are all big things, but we believe that they will make us more happy. Many people will have already given up, or like me won’t even have started yet as life gets in the way and most of the things we want are too vague and we feel overwhelmed by it or just realise it is not realistic. Then of course we get annoyed and feel like we have failed.

I have decided to write a post about each resolution, I would love to say I will do one a day, but know that is far beyond me, one a week would take us to the end of March!! So will just have to see how it goes and how much I ramble on or get distracted by other things, I am way behind even the once a week schedule, so much for resolutions!

No.5 Live life to the fullest

So how do you live life to the full, well to start it depends on what you think a full life is, I came across several different definitions;

"If you say that someone lives life to the full, you mean that they try to gain a lot from life by being always busy and trying new activities." Collins Dictionary

"to enjoy doing a lot of different things" (Longman Dictionary)

"One should live a very full life, without fear of possible future consequences." (Your dictionary)

An article by Holly Darton in Thought Catalogue concludes "Living life to the fullest can mean different things to everyone: jumping off cliffs, riding 100 mph down a country road, making endless memories with friends and families, reaching your goals, seeing the world. But I truly believe the concept has common ground for everyone. We all want to live this one life the best way we can. To come to the end of it and truly say “I lived.”" (Darton 2017)

How many times do we hear "Live each day as if it is your last" ?

What if you feel you are only living half a life? What if you have a busy day today, then tomorrow and several others days you can't do much at all? What if you spend all your money and then have nothing left to live on?

Do we have to work hard and play hard to be happy and fulfilled? Is it about being busy all the time and only resting when it is bed time?

Is it about pushing yourself and always doing the most you possibly can? What if you can't push yourself or some days you can push a bit, then other days you can't? Does that mean you are not trying hard enough? Does it mean you have given up and don't want anything from life?

Does living life to the full mean we have to be constantly busy? For many it does, for others they may feel that they get enough pleasure from a more relaxed existence and they see small things as big achievements so don't feel they are always chasing something better.

In the UK 1,689 people die per day and 1,855 are born (https://worldpopulationreview.com/). The current population is 67,661,155 so for the majority of people it is not their last day and for those that it is their last day, most will not be in a fit state to live life to full.

Having said all this there is nothing wrong with living in the moment and finding joy and pleasure in things. It's good to try new things and have plans for events to look forward to. Most of us book a holiday each year as something to look forward to and enjoy, I think we have this one a bit messed up as holidays are very stressful and rarely what we expect them to be, but we still go back for more , hoping this will be the one.

To be living life and enjoying life does it have to be something big? There is much pleasure to be had in little things too and often in unexpected things. If we are constantly busy and striving to do the most we can we miss the little pleasures.

We are all inclined to fill every minute and end up playing mindless games on our phones, or scrolling through social media and miss out on what is happening around us.. On social media we watch other people's lives play out and often feel jealous that they have a better life than us, yet we feel that need to know what is going on. We could be spending the time doing something for ourselves instead. We get caught up in others arguments and opinions which often make us angry and again we could use that time for ourselves. When we are doing something for ourselves we end up spending half the time sharing it with others instead of enjoying it for ourselves and concentrating on the people we are with. If we create something we feel the need to share it, which is great when people tell you it's good, but if people ignore it or criticise it then we feel bad, but keep going back for more. As someone who tries to make a bit of money from my creations I find it is spoiled by having to get decent photos and sharing on multiple social media outlets, but how else are people aware? It's the way we all live. For some people this can work really well and they are just in the right place at the right time and gain leagues of followers. If you are like me hardly anyone sees them or show an interest which again zaps the pleasure of having created something.

So what will today bring? Assuming that the odds are in my favour and it is not my last day?! We are hoping that there will be some more work done on our new kitchen and it will begin to look more like the finished article, with a big step tomorrow as the worktops are fitted and we can finally start using the cupboard and cooking in the kitchen, instead of make do in the dining room. I need to take some pictures on the card I made yesterday, sadly only one as several didn't work out as planned. I have some other card ideas to be working with. Then later my daughter has a dental appointment, she is very anxious so I need some energy to support her. So not living my life to the full, but having plenty to do and some of which will hopefully be pleasurable other bits not so. I think if I was to try and live a day as if it was my last I would end up spending most of it trying to decide what I wanted to do and then debating if it was the right thing to do so in the end probably wasting most of the day!!



Sunday, March 05, 2023

Irish Blessing

 The Outlawz Sunday Song and Rhyme for March 5th to March 18th is an Irish Blessing

As soon as I saw it said sun and rain, I thought rainbows. My design uses and drawn sun, rain cloud and rainbow created in my Cricut Joy and the rainbow lettering also done on the Joy. The background looks a bit like a wind effect and is Adoarble Scorable Honey Meadow. The font for the lettering is called sunshine and uses Cricut Joy pens, wording reads “It takes sunshine and rain to make a rainbow. There would be no rainbows without sunshine and rain.” which is attributed to Roy T Bennet.