The Long Dark Stand By Time of This Blog

The time has come to say good-bye! To begin the long slow walk of laying Living Abundantly to rest.

May we have a moment of silence please.
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Wakizashi and I will be upgrading Flaming Renaissance to the next version of WordPress (hopefully this weekend) and then we will begin to transfer posts from here to there. Eventually, this poor, sad, blog (which used to be glorious) will be striped down to almost nothing and there will be nothing left for you to come back and visit.

We grieve with you.

But don’t worry. Old blogs don’t die, they simply go into Stand By mode until another blog comes along and takes up their place.

Happily for Living Abundantly there’s already another blog out there, so, if you’ve been wondering why I haven’t been posting over here it’s because I’m posting on Flaming Renaissance – regularly even (if you can imagine such a thing).

So, if you have any links pointing here, or if you subscribe to this feed, I’d appreciate it if you made a few adjustments and started pointing to Flaming Renaissance instead.

The conversation hasn’t died, it’s just taken ona new look – so come on over, I can’t wait to see you there!

p.s. There will be no more NEW posts here, just click on Flaming Renaissance to see what I’m talking about now!

 

The Road Ahead of Me

A prayerful thought as we begin a new year…

My Lord God, I have no idea where I’m going. I do not see the road ahead of me, I cannot know where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing… And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
– Thomas Merton

 

A Quote for Yesterday’s Post

After writing yesterday’s long complaint I came across this quote and thought it was the perfect compliment to the topic.  It’s how I try to choose to live my life.

Little progress can be made merely attempting to repress what is evil; our great hope lies in developing what is good.

– Calvin Coolidge

Smart man that Coolidge.

 

The Tao of Watercolor

By: Jeanna Carbonetti
Check it Out

I didn’t plan to read this book.  I, in fact, had a strict policy with myself: No more library
books until I read the books I already have on my shelf - or at least some of them.  I don’t
even remember what I was doing at the library.  Dropping books off? I decided I’d just glance
at the painting and drawing books.  Just browse. That’s how I ended up with this book.
I simply couldn’t resist.

Despite the fact that I paint in a realistic style I’m obsessively drawn to free form instruction
(the other book I really enjoyed was Watercolor Painting Outside the Lines by Linda Kemp).
I’m still working on developing my style and I really love the feeling of  loose images that move in and out of a realistic picture - or at least
of what happens when you let watercolor mix and mingle on the page without trying
to restrain it.  So, I suppose you can understand why I couldn’t resist this book.

I read the book in two sittings, practically devoured it.  I don’t want to take it back yet; I want the opportunity to try a few of the techniques and exercises.  But the book was so intriguing beyond simple, practical application.  I’m not a Taoist (say D-owist not T-owist) by any means but it did give me the impetus to clarify a lot of my thoughts.  It gave me something to meditate (chew) on.

Carbonetti does offer a little bit of painting instruction.  Each chapter has one technique
(ruffling, soft blends, etc) but that’s not the focus of the work.  She’s really writing about
creativity, about life.  One of the first things she talks about in the book is the two different
kinds of students she’s noticed in her paint classes (which are also the two stages she’s seen
her artistic self pass through): The student who loves to play, explore, and be spontaneous,
but never settles down to the discipline of finising or tightening up the work for fear of
supressing the sheer joy of it and the student who has great technique and discipline, but
can’t seem to loosen up and just let the work flow out of a need to get it ”right”.  Carbonetti
says she herself has recently found a third stage - a place of balance between the two
mindsets - and that’s why she’s written the book.  It’s a guide to walk between play and
discipline.  (Now you see why I like it so much.  I know the value of the lesson of balance.)

In the end though it really wasn’t my painting this book challanged - it was my mind, my
life.  Or maybe, how I approach my painting!  Hmm…  I’m still working that out.  Either way,
fascinating read.  She has another book out now:   The Zen of Creative Painting – I’m going to have to see is my library carries it.  But not right now, first I have to actually read a few of the books off my own shelves.  That’s ok, it’s something to look forward to.

 

My “I Want” List

A few months ago I made a list of things I want.  I did searches on the internet and downloaded images to reflect the things on my list.   I have all these images upstairs waiting

for me to make my final ”I Want” list - a board with all the images placed where I can see it.

I know, it just sounds so wrong to all us proper Christian women.  You just don’t make lists of things you want.  I mean how selfish can you be?

Well, I guess I can be selfish enough to make a list of all the things I really would like to have throughout my life.

My list is relatively simple.  Travel, Moleskine notebooks, to publish a book, a Mac computer.  Jeff made his list before I made mine, and on his list was a car for me (isn’t he sweet).  Within a week or two I began the process of buying my new little car.  Not only did everything run smoothly and easily - but it hardly even affected our family budget.  Unbelievable, a gorgeous new car just slid into my lap.

Yesterday, I was having problems with my PC (don’t we all); Wakizashi called me and

suggested  that maybe we should use the extra bit of money we have right now to buy a Mini Mac.  What?

He was supposed to pick it up tonight but the store didn’t have what he was looking  for in stock.  That’s ok, turns out I can take one more image out of my “I Want” pile, within a week or so I’ll have my Mac computer.

What’s on your ”I Want” list?

 

On Categories

Just a brief note to let you know I’ m making changes to my categories.  I was so inspired by Graceful Journey’s categories that I’ve decided to steal her idea and list my categories as an aspect of who I am.  Thanks Cynthia!