Gratitude Tuesday: Anam Wholistic Winter Solstice Event

Photograph by Becky Ellacott.

Today I would like to express my gratitude for the event that was put on by my wonderful friend, Lucinda, on December 21, 2012, at the Bowness Community Hall. It was a beautiful night, full of storytelling, singing, chanting, drumming, dancing, laughing, playing and painting! The event raised $6000 for two charities: Mindfulness Without Borders and an organization offering a therapeutic arts program run by the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

During the night, I painted on a canvas which was later given to one lucky raffle ticket winner. I also had a table with my magnets, cards, pins, and paintings for sale. I met so many wonderful people that night, had lots of great chats about painting and creating, and especially enjoyed the company of the children (I was located near the children’s areas!)

Lucinda is planning an even larger event for June; I’m looking forward to it!

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for:

1. My friend Eden asked me out for coffee (I’m meeting him after this). It is so rare these days that I am asked out by friends (I usually do the asking), that I am truly honoured, and looking forward to getting to know him better!

2. This comment by Connie on yesterday’s blog post:

“Just so you know, I had never heard of you or seen your art until I saw a preview of the “Journal It” book on another artist’s website I follow. I bought the whole book just so I would have your pages. And I have been following your blog ever since with great interest. Congratulations on publication in the book. It’s a huge accomplishment, and you should take great pride in it.”

I am so touched. Thank you, Connie.

Lori-Ann also posted a wonderful comment:

“Bel, your work is so lively and vibrant and filled with glorious cheer! It has evolved with a calm maturity and brings me joy when I see it. (Even when I don’t comment.) I’m sorry for your moment of not-so-good. I find it hard to move past negative too. I think it’s important to acknowledge it, and let it be a jumping point back to all that is good and right (on a good day. . . ). AND you are in a book!!”

Really, I loved all the comments yesterday, so thank you, everybody.

3. My family is safe and well.

What are you grateful for today?

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for:

• the support I get from my back, my legs, my feet
• being in good enough shape (I’m referring mainly to my back here) to dance for 7 days straight
• having the opportunity to dance for 7 days straight (I am grateful to my mother-in-law for picking up the kids and making dinner, and for having the financial means to make this happen)
• allowing myself to become fully present during dance
• from yesterday, the qualities I discovered I have within myself: stillness, fun, groundedness, rest, growth, connectedness, playfulness, flexibility, and curiosity.
• intimate connections on the dance floor
• touch

Gratitude Tuesday

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Gratitude Tuesday, but it seems appropriate, given that our Thanksgiving weekend has just passed. We spent the weekend in NYC, so we missed out on turkey dinner, but we had lots of other great stuff to make up for that.

I’m grateful for:

Spending the weekend with my husband, my kids, my brother, my sister-in-law, my nephew, and my father.

Riding on the back of a pedicab after seeing “Nice Work if you can get it” with Matthew Broderick!

Great food!

Grimaldi’s pizza in Brooklyn: worth the wait.

Visiting with people we miss.

Breakfast at Sarabeth’s.

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for:

Time spent with friends, especially while eating yummy food.
.

Beautiful landscapes.

Knowing the kids had a great first day at their camp today – especially my son, since he was nervous about going for a whole day. He said it was “awesome”!

Sold paintings (thanks Ma!)!

Gratitude Tuesday

Today, I am grateful for:

• Movement, and exercise. I love how I can go from feeling awful to feeling great, just by moving.
• Hearing my daughter say, “Mom, I’m so glad you are my mom.”
• Warm weather, finally.
• No schedules.

What are you grateful for?

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for:

• Getting some painting done this morning (a big accomplishment with a 6-year old painting in the same room! We actually painted together for 1 1/2 hours, with very little talking! I’m amazed.)
  

  part of a work in progress!

• Colour! The more I paint, the more I appreciate colour. Just check out the secondary colours from my cooking last night!

• Financial wellness

• A long phone call with my online friend Denice – one day, we shall meet!

• My daily dose of Sammy – photo and video updates of my adorable, brand-new nephew!
• Feeling closer to my brother, now that we are both parents. My respect and love for him is growing every time I see him with his son (he has a SON!! WOW! I’m still blown away by this).

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for people like Lori Portka. It is people like this who make the world a better place to be.

Lori is an artist who I “met” online – I can’t remember how exactly, but I follow her on Twitter and keep up with her blog. She has been working on an amazing project for quite a while now called, “A Hundred Thank-Yous: a gratitude project by Lori Portka”. She has painted 100 paintings for 100 people in her life. After an exhibit of the paintings, she is going to give them away to the people they were made for. Isn’t that seriously amazing?

A HUNDRED PAINTINGS.

To give away.

That just blows me away. I can’t quite imagine how this project has affected her, but I’m sure it has, and deeply. In her television interview (finally, some “good” news!), she said it changed her as an artist. What an amazing thing to do. I wish I could be there to see the exhibit! I would love to take on something like this… someday!

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for:

• My brother Nathan visiting us this past weekend. We played board games, went dancing, he went for a bike ride with the kids, we ate sushi, we listened to music – a great weekend. My only complaint: too short!

Feel the love!

• A stress-free clothes shopping experience with all three kids. Decisions were made promptly, and there was no fighting. Can’t ask for much more than that!
• Painting! I am so thrilled that every time I start painting, I have so much fun. This is still such a new experience for me (the fun, I mean!), and I’m loving it. Nathan painted with me, too!

First layer of the painting! Loving it already.

 

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for:

• Spending the weekend with my Dad. My Dad visits often, and we always have fun. This time we played “Bang” and my Dad was the dealer.


My hubby (lookin’ good in a suit) with my Dad!

• 3 more sleeps until my brother is here for a visit! Can’t wait.
• That we feel all that we do, and we aren’t like the people in “The Giver” by Lois Lowry (which I am reading right now – great book, by the way).