The Porch Postscript

We spent the last week traveling home.  This was more whirlwind duty trip than pleasure, but it's always good to see family and friends. I always over pack.  I need to work harder on packing less, way less. Drinks in the airport bar before departing is kind of a tradition. We ate at one of our old favorites when we made it to Fort Collins, CO.  Love the Charco Broiler. Could skip the peanut butter pie. I've always loved this statue that is outside the front door. Had our obligatory Taco Johns stop in Rawlins, WY. We saw more snow in Wyoming than we've seen in Alaska all winter. We drove on some slushy slick roads with some blowing snow. The sunrise at my Mom's house is always so stunning. Spent a bit of time sketching while we were gone. Journaling on the go. One of the bronze statues in our hometown. Second lunch. Second Taco John's meal.  Ate it in the car.  Don't judge. One more dink in the ho

If you ask my husband, he'll tell you that this is a thing that happens whenever I jump full speed into something, I'll do it to the point of burnout and then seek something else.  If you ask me, I'm still seeking something that is authentically mine. My latest obsession of creativity has been making cards, by the hundreds.  I've been an on again off again card maker since I was in high school.  Yes, I know.  I'm dating myself.  I've had another good run with this creative endeavor, and let's be clear, I'm not done with it.  I'm just on a little sabbatical. What am I doing while I'm on this little sabbatical?  I'm sketching, reading and breathing life back into my photography page, hate the word blog.  Anyway...moving on.  I'm still seeking something that takes my talents and desires in a creative direction that is authentically mine.  I assume this plagues many creatives.  I envy those with just one passionate, creative, endeavor b

Currently Reading: Title:   Art Before Breakfast Author:   Danny Gregory Type:   Creativity I haven't finished this book yet but wanted to share how it's helping me change some of my creative habits.  In the first few pages of this book, Gregory talks about how to add five, ten or even 15 minutes of creativity to any busy schedule. While I'm not interested in drawing my daily breakfast, as he suggests, I have taken up the habit of sketching nearly every day. Below are the first five days of sketching I've done so far.  I can say that if I gain nothing else from this book it has encouraged me to pick up my pencil and return to sketching. Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5:

We rang in the New Year in Hawaii. I had bronchitis for the first time in my life while on vacation. I spent some time working on my Copic marker coloring skills. We returned from our trip to this... Someone was glad to be home January 10th brought us down to -23 I created cards with the snowmen I colored on vacation. I bought a few new skeins of variegated thread for card stitching. January 21st the sunset from my office was beautiful. Love using fun postage to send out Happy Mail. These are for my February sending. Here's hoping that February is a little warmer.  

Welcome to 2019!  It's a New Year and I'm dusting off some of the things I used to love, this writing space being one of them.  I've set some new goals and am working on some new personal growth through journaling and photography this year.  I don't believe in resolutions, as they don't ever work out, for anyone that I know.  Goals are meetable and obtainable if set reasonably.  Resolutions always seem a bit lofty with no real plan for follow through. I was sick over Christmas, with bronchitis, while on vacation for two weeks in Hawaii.  The downtime gave me a lot of time to reflect on things and think about what I want for myself in the coming year.  The short answer, I want to be more inspired...in life and by life. Before we left on our trip I had already picked my word for 2019 - I want to grow my creative business Inked Inspirations  and I want to grow my creative habits.  I also want to build a life I love and am inspired by. I've started a C

Cabin Fever, the ailment from which I am currently suffering.  Winter has lasted way too long this year.  We didn't take our annual trip to Hawaii to break up the cold and darkness of the long Alaskan winters, for which I am truly in a state of regret.  We are still under about two feet of snow, probably more in select spots of our yard.  Yes.  The sun has returned, but that doesn't make the cold leave. I'm tired of going from the car to a building and back to the car and back to a building.  This routine is getting OLD!!!  I want to be outside, which yes if I bundle up I can be, but I HATE THE COLD.  I don't have any desire to be out in it, trudging through the snow, pretending I love winter.  Nope.  No Way.  Not at all.  I'm over it and ready for some summer!!! I've had a number of people say getting a "happy" light helps.  Maybe it does, but it's no substitute for sitting on the porch sipping iced tea and listening to the birds.  Yep, I ha

WARNING:  This could offend those that love living here. We've lived here just over six years.  Do I love it here?  Nope.  Will I ever?  Nope.  Let me clarify, I don't hate it here, but I'm not staying for life.  I know there are millions of people watching reality tv shows, itching to live the "Alaskan Dream", but let me tell you there is a HUGE difference between dreaming about living it and actually doing it. Since we've been here we've seen a lot of people move in and move out, less than a year later.  People up here tell stories about newcomers and those that can't hack it here.  There's the guy who sold his motorcycle because he heard there were no roads in the Interior.  There's the one about the couple who didn't realize it got so dark for so long here in the winter.  There's the wife that wouldn't move here because it's too far to do any "real" shopping.  And there's a zillion stories about the people

by Stacy Petersen (written 23 July 2008) From the street, Three steps climb a small hillside, To a yard that is still mowed. The frail driveway, Worn by weather and time, Guides the way, To a garage, Rundown with neglect. Yet there is no house, That a family would have shared. No path to a front door, That could have been.   Not even a foundation,  To reflect where the home stood. Where did it go, The house that isn't there? Lost to flames, Claimed by a bulldozer's angry rage, Or was it the victim of a dream gone awry?

What exactly does that look like?  I'll be honest, I don't know.  For now possibly just more posting here.  Perhaps writing something to submit somewhere later on.  Feasibly some more short essay-style pieces.  If I'm truly honest, I don't know how long this desire will last. I've craved and reveled in writing since I was young.  I wrote stories on my electric typewriter in Junior High.  Later in High School, I took both a short story and a poetry class, neither of which ended up being what I imagined they would be.  I've submitted a few pieces to short story contests, but that never went anywhere.  Looking back, I'm sure it was because I was writing high school quality work to send into a magazine with adults submitting a much higher level of work to the same competitions. Later in my adult life, when we lived in Missouri, I was part of a writing group for a very short amount of time.  Just as I was starting to get back into writing, I got a much-needed

I can hear my friend Amy calling me a rebel as I write this.  I really can't make myself do anything that  doesn't make my heart sing.  I made is 24 days into a 100-day project.  Let me just point out that I need to stop trying these things.  I NEVER complete any of them.  I didn't complete Inktober a couple of years ago.  I failed at the 30-day color challenge... and now this.  I must stop!  So here they are the last few shots that took us to day 24. Day 21 : Selfie, no makeup, and messy hair. Day 22 : Kitten paw. Day 23 : Lemon Kitty. Day 24 : Dinner.  Eating my stress with mac n cheese and fries with a glass of red wine. The End.

Let's get one thing out in the open, right up front.  I have four children.  No, I did not give birth to them.  No, they are not human.  They are children none the less. We currently have four girls, two dogs and two cats.  We talk to them like they are human and treat them better than some people treat children.  The sleep in our bed, they get on the couch, they make us crazy.  We buy them treats, toys and even clothing when needed.  I worry about them as if they are children when we leave them with a sitter for the weekend. Our youngest has bad manners and is headstrong.  She loves to "taste" everyone who comes to the door.  No biting, just a bit of doggie mouthing and gumming.  She gets very excited when people come and she loves to talk.  She's the Houdini of the group.  Can get out of most anything that she finds confining.  She loves treats, being free and sleeps on her back under our bed at night.  Hedy is a mixed breed rescue dog, part husky, chow and rott