This weeks assignment for enCouraging bliss from Christine http://www.blisschick.net/ is Return to Your Garden of Eden.

It is warm, a little humid, NO mosquitoes or wind.

Starting from my toes (that are painted perfectly) nestled in a pair of favorite "flips" (pink sparkles of course) attached to my slightly tanned legs, that are are hidden, unless I'm standing behind the sun. In which case you would see their silhouette under my light cotton, white, "flowy" skirt. I am wearing a matching tank top and my hair is pulled back in a loose bun on top of my head. All I feel on my face is the sun and a smile. I feel beautiful.

It is morning. I walk on my path, collecting the dew from the grass. My sheepdogs and pussycats meander behind me, looking for a place to nap. There are tall trees along my path that whisper wisdom to me. I pet their bark in thanks. I feel their energy. Happy.

I come to my place. A comfy green wicker chair with colorful cotton cushions to sink into. It sits behind a large wood table that is piled high with any supply needed. This is where I create. This is where I dream. I don't mind if family or friends visit me here. We dream and create together, in the sunshine, listening to the trees. Bliss.

Watercolour Class

Lovely. That's how I would describe my day yesterday.
My Dad and my Grandma (who I would like to mention is 93) talked me into taking a watercolour class with them. As much as I relish the time spent with the two of them, there were a few hurdles to overcome. Firstly, I am terrified of any art class since my first attempt (she told me my painting was WRONG, and I never returned). Second, any art class that involves "real" artistic talent freaks me out. Especially since my grandma is an incredible oil painter and my dad is an amazing charcoal sketcher, then there is me, never one for the landscape realism type art, I don't even consider myself an artist of any kind! And lastly, watercolour. Seriously, all the cards were stacked against me.
But I enjoyed myself! The artist putting on the class Sylvia Russell, a local artist (sing Manitoba praises) and a real gentle soul. I instantly was comfortable with her. She never once stood behind me and "instructed". I loved this. I was free to play, I especially like to "splatter", and just have fun. I was there to spend time creating with my family. Three generations, as my dad announced proudly to the full class, creating together. I found it so interesting how different our techniques were (or lack of in my case) but how all our work turned out beautifully.
My theory is it's because it all came from love. Love of time spent together. I forget how old my grandma is. She is still so spry, lives on her own, walks everywhere and is very involved with her community church. Keeping busy, as she says is the most important thing at her age. I take yesterday afternoon as a gift. I also will relish in the lesson. I will make more time for afternoons like this as life is short, well not in grandma's case, but I want to know when the time comes for her that I have no regrets in lost time. This is why I moved back home. To spend time with my family and create beautiful memories together. I wish you beautiful memories today.

Why do I suck so bad at housekeeping?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superjunk/

I have no idea why I am the worst housekeeper in the world. I have no idea why I do not have a care about the dust bunnies rolling by me or that my bathroom is messy with stuff everywhere. I am so envious of those people that have neat and tidy houses! The only time my house is "sort" of like that is when we know people are coming over...especially my parents. But even for those times I half-ass do it. It is an illusion. You know, throwing "stuff" in closets, spare bedrooms, where ever I KNOW they won't go! I so desperately want to care. I am so ready to change!
I keep thinking how lovely it would be to have a neat and tidy and clean house. I have the image in my head, this is why I really think I can do it! But then the overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start kicks in. I get frustrated. Discouraged. And my house remains the same!
Why, does it seem, I am the only one with all this clutter? Am I going to be one of those women in their 70's that have stacks of newspapers and 14 cats? I fear this may happen! At least my wonderful husband is excellent at organization. He organizes my art area. It makes me crazy! Is this a condition I should speak to my doctor about? Perhaps someone could shed some light on why I have to have every single thing I own out on display for the world to see. Why is it so hard to put the toothpaste IN the drawer? Why do I have to keep it on the counter? Do I have a fear of drawers and cupboards? Am I afraid if it is put away I won't find it ever again? Like socks in the dryer?
What has sparked this craziness this morning...my dad is coming over for coffee at 10AM!
What am I doing? Writing this INSTEAD of pushing the vacuum around or placing the stuff in cupboards and drawers.
Wow, I think I am crazy! I wonder if all my friends are doing Saturday morning cleaning as I write this? If so...any tips or encouragement would be helpful!
Here I go...I'm going to do my best to make some sparkles!

Three overplayed songs I love anyway

Fergielicious by Fergie

I feel like I have a whole Broadway musical chorigraphed. I enjoy sharing MY interpretation to this song with friends that have had a couple of cocktails.

Roxanne by The Police

I cannot help pretending I am holding a microphone and BELTING out this song with my boyfriend Sting!

Shutup by The Black Eyed Peas

Life as a 6 year old Coco.

What was life like when I was 6 years old?

Waking up early (I've always been an early riser) wearing my favorite baby doll pajama's, I would go outside (still in my pj's) and sit under my best friends bedroom window until she would wake up (she was a late sleeper) or until my mom called me for breakfast. Amazing how trusting parents were back then? A six year old would probably not be allowed to roam their neighborhoods a) in their pj's, b) by themselves.

My best friend and I would play with barbies for hours. Making up their little barbie lives as we went, we even sometimes would discuss a plot ahead of time and make-believe our way to the intended outcome. Such wonderful imaginations!

I remember loving dance class. I can still remember the steps for the final recital; polka-step, polka-step, step..toe, step..toe....so funny! I also remember screaming my head off come recital night because they wanted to draw freckles on my face, I felt I had enough already. So I was the only one without the "painted" on kind for the dance.

I remember sitting on my Great-Grandfather's lap (I lovingly called him Bumpa...even when I was 16) and we would read together for hours. He would test my spelling. He thought I was the smartest little girl in the whole world. And I was, because Bumpa said so..."for the love of Pete", one of his famous sayings. If I was so smart, I would have figured out by now who "Pete" was.

I loved exploring my Bumpa's house. Old pictures, boxes of dusty old fashioned clothes, making house in the big, under-the-stairs closet, swinging on the wood swing tied to the enormous Crab Apple tree in the back yard.

I was always a performer. Singing; always with a make shift microphone, and usually a blanket on my head? I think Cher was pretty popular, perhaps I wanted that hair? I also would make-up elaborate plays, that I would teach my cousins for hours and then put on the show for the family after dinner. I remember being too excited to eat, then usually mad, because my cousins and brother didn't do the play right!

The picture above, shows the general idea of my favorite outfit when I was 6. It was a green Winnie the Pooh, jumper dress. It had big pockets and I would have worn it everyday if my mom had allowed it. My best friend had the EXACT same one...in red. Oh, how I loved that dress! Then tragedy came. My mom washed it and discovered she could not get out a mystery sticky substance that had welded the polyester pocket shut and stained the front of the dress. I had put my half chewed gum in my pocket to be enjoyed at a later time and I guess I forgot about it. I was devastated. My mom was furious.

My mother will tell you I was always "slobby". The toes on my shoes were always scuffed. I always was half tucked in and wrinkled (this seems like a wee fib considering the popularity of polyester back then) dirt on some part of me and she claims that no matter how tight she tied my pig tails, they would be lopsided and messy by the time I got home from anywhere. Truthfully, I think this is still true today. I have never been one of those polished, put together women. I think that is what makes me...ME. Not sure it's the exact legacy I would like to have, but it is what it is!

I need to tap more into that 6 year old child. She was so self confident, a little bossy, just so sure of herself. I am none of those things now. Interesting.

Snow? Just what we need!

What a difference a day makes! We are in the middle of a snow storm. Our "lake" in the front yard has frozen over and the roads look like they have been polished to a perfect ice skating rink! I just got word that Ottawa is 11 degrees C today. Why did we move back home? I'm starting to go stir crazy, I've been house bound for 2 days and I cannot even muster up some creative thoughts for art today. I think the gray weather is starting to suck me in! HELP! I hope I wake up tomorrow and this is all a dream/nightmare. But I fear it is not! So I will try to make the most of it. Maybe I will have a nice hot bath, put on my favorite pj's, and create a place where it IS spring.
Yup...good idea.

Spring + Manitoba = Flood

This is the view from our front window. Normally you wouldn't have to canoe to the park! They are saying that this flooding will be comparable to the 1997 "Flood of the Century" which was the last spring that Grant and I were living here! So it would seem that the Red River just waits until the Anderson's are in the vicinity, then SPLOOOSH! I had forgotten about the constant speculation of the size of the crest by the media. I do believe that Manitoban's and North Dakotan's do have the right to get nervous, we don't have a great track record in the flood department.

I think we will be just fine in Niverville, but it looks like I won't be able to get to work during the peak. Wow, that "sucks"! hee hee

I just hope that all the farm animals will be safe. I found that most difficult to handle last flood!

I will send all positive energy and it should be alright for all! Here's to not being able to get to work and having all days to draw and paint and play with the furkids!

An Environmental Hurdle

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. Spring is finally here!
All her winter planning to become more environmentally conscious is about to be put to action!
She gets her bicycle. It was purchased from a yard sale (of course! No new, manufactured items for Coco!). This bike has been cleaned (with vinegar) and repainted (with low-toxin paint) a flashy red! Not everything "green" has to be green! She thought, that was just showing off! A basket, that once held geraniums (a gift from a friend) was tied to the handle bars. It will NOW hold her beloved pussycat, who, Coco is positive, will love to ride on the bicycle too! She puts on her helmet (made from recycled plastic) and her goggles, which she found in the bottom of her closet. These were from the days she dreamed of being a downhill skier, not a realistic dream considering her home was on the prairies and practicing was difficult given the terrain.
She is all set! She grabs Lucy-cat and places her in the basket and starts to peddle through her town. She smiles and waves at all the town folk, who are coming out of their church service on the glorious Sunday afternoon.
She peddles...and peddles...and peddles some more. While she is peddling she starts thinking. How great a feeling this is to be kind to the environment. The horses in their pastures seem to smile and thank her for being so awesome as she peddles by them. The birds in the trees are singing, just to her for being so awesome. She is so proud of herself.
Coco thinks she will make it to work for Monday morning on time. She starts to ponder that perhaps living in the country and working elsewhere is a difficult hurdle on her path to environmental awesomeness.
Perhaps a career change is just what the environment ordered.

Winter Go Away!

I was e-mailed this today...how appropriate to how I'm feeling. It is -40C today...I must remind myself that this is March, not January! I made it to work only to get a migraine about an hour in. I feel like I'm going crazy! I really need to figure out why I am getting so many headaches, then fix it! Then I look at the art challenge this week and it's "SMILE"...good grief, you have got to be kidding! So I've taken some meds to get rid of my ache and I hear it is supposed to go up to +5C by the weekend, so maybe...just maybe I can try to create something for "smile"!
I started a little piece for my grandma for St Patrick's Day. I hope it turns out!
I also have been struggling with how to affix my ribbon to my wooden birds for my Three Little Birds...so it's not finished yet. I went to use my glue gun, only to discover that my glue sticks are too big for my gun! Wow, not much has gone super great so far this week!
I will survive. I will get better. It will warm up.
It always does!

My Blue & Yellow creation!

Well...here it is...

My blue and yellow combo!

The picture doesn't show how the entire page is yellow and the happy, little blue birds are a wee fuzzy...I have no idea how other people get there pictures so clear??? Maybe it is time to invest in a scanner?

Anyway, I decided to do it in my art journal. I have anxiety about committing to a large art piece, on canvas or board. It's like the pressure is so entirely overwhelming for it to be PERFECT that in most cases I become completely blocked and cannot even start! When I "play" in my art journal, I feel more free.

Does this make sense? I sometimes do not make sense!

Well, I enjoyed the creativity prompt a lot! Can hardly wait until next Tuesday to find out what the next one is!!! http://artygirlzchallengeblog.blogspot.com/

I am working on a small piece, inspired by a song, by Corrine Bailey Rae.

ahem...Coco starts to sing...

"Three little birds sat on my window, and they told me I don't need to worry."

I just love that song, it helped me through a tough choice that had to be made a while back, over a year ago already...how time flies...no pun intended.

Anyway, I will post my piece as soon as it is ready...which might be a while, since it isn't in my art journal, which means the whole struggle with perfection. And for crying out loud, how does anyone KNOW when a piece is FINISHED??? Someday I want to just know when a piece of my art is done. Completed. Nothing else could possibly make it any better. This is a huge goal!

I can do it...I can do it!

Time to get going!

Holy Cow...I just really need spring to come already!

I have been feeling really tired and the migranes are coming more frequently, I still am wondering if this is due to my work environment, but I can not change that...right now. It's my "fake job" and someday my real job will present itself!

I have really tried to motivate myself to:

a) Eat more healthfully

b) Excersise (walk the poor sheepies and Yoga)

Is this what every person has a goals?

I just do NOT want to go back to Ottawa for Kimmy's wedding in July looking all pale and unhealthy and chubby! I want my husband to look at me and say "That is MY sexy wife!" and most of all, I (with a capital and bold I) want to feel sexy, healthy and glowing!

I have decided that trying to live creatively HAS to include being healthy and feeling GREAT! I just feel I will accomplish more this way!

ps. Someday I WILL address the smoking...not today...baby steps!

I am going to work on my Arty Girlz Challange now and will post when done!

This week it is a blue and yellow colour combo....hmmmmm what will it be? SUPER FUN!!!