Family Time...

Nick is back from his workshop, just overflowing with ideas and hugs from the girls who are used to Mom being away but rarely Dad. This was a great opportunity for him, some fun girl time for us, but now we need to spend some time regrouping as a family!

If my blogs get a bit sporadic or far and few between over the next week or so, know that the dragon is simply soaking up a bit of summer sunshine, flaming the weeds in her garden, wiggling her claws in grass or sand and trying to squeeze in a bit of relaxation and family time between the frantic illustrating and stitching. I also need to catch up on the sleep that I missed by not sleeping well while Nick was away.

The funny thing about spending time apart is that it makes you appreciate each other more when you get back together. I feel the same way when I am away from my kids for a bit too. Maybe we all need a little break from things sometimes to keep us from taking anything for granted!

Communities of Caring...

There is something magnificent and touching about us human beings when we are able to pull together as nations, communities or even as a race if disaster, tragedy or times of trial happen. I can still remember the incredible outpouring after the Tsunami disaster a year and a half ago, the way our whole town mobilized to help stranded passengers and planes after 9/11 and other times in my life when people put their own cares aside to help others in need.

Today was no where near as serious, but I still felt taken care of on so many levels! I had to have some minor but uncomfortable day surgery done after I taught at Weight Watchers this morning, so Nick’s Mum and Jerome took the girls for the whole morning since Nick is away at his seminar. Two of my friends called and offered to take the girls to the zoo or up for a play date if I was still feeling poorly in the afternoon and needed a nap. I actually slept for a bit at my mother-in-law’s after she’d made me some tea and toast while she and the girls watched a movie.

My own daughters were terrific. It is truly amazing to suddenly realize that your own children have grown up enough to be a help to you when you aren’t feeling well.... or at least try not to be too much of a bother!

I missed a call from my brother, but was able to chat with my sister and be reminded that some communities of caring can extend beyond miles and oceans to make me feel loved no matter what!

Friendships and bonds like that take work, however. It is something we must also try to model and be examples of. I have been part of that type of community for others recently and it felt very full circle to be on the receiving end of things today.

Once again, I am gently reminded that our lives are really not about how much stuff we are able to pile up and hoard in our lifetimes, but the many ways in which we reach out to others during our life’s journey and those connections that we make in our daily adventures. Besides... more stuff, just means more dusting!! I’d much rather stitch, draw or blog!!

Bouncy Dragon... Proud Dragon!

After sharing with all of you how annoying and frustrating self-doubt can be, I can honestly tell you that being able to push past that and work on, to great results, made this dragon very proud.

The house seems far quieter than usual with Nick off at another training seminar. The girls were wonderful helpers, but I had moments of wondering how on earth single parents ever manage to stay sane!!

We had a fun Canada Day weekend and a spectacular bunch of fireworks from Mother Nature last night for over an hour as a severe thunderstorm rolled through just after midnight. I spent much of it drawing when I had moments, refining a cross stitch design and even starting a little something I am hoping to be able to show off in Charlotte. Whenever I started to get bogged down or feel like procrastinating (I can be really good at that sometimes...), I just kept on working on the drawings.

Today, it paid off. I met with Nanny Kay this afternoon and not only did she LOVE the set of illustrations that I’d completed, we went through the next set of pencil drawings/ outline sketches and they got approved too!! Once this set is done, a full 2/3 rds of the project will be drawn and then we can move onto the scanning, photography and layout! YAY!

This time the dragon didn’t skip around the house in glee... I just sat there proudly wishing I had a tail to twitch! I wonder if dragons can purr???