It is Wednesday and Jamie Ridler asked, "How do you wish to bloom?"  An answer instantly popped into my head.  I wish to bloom creatively.  I want my life to become one big piece of art filled with lovely things.  I want to see the colors that surround me, hear the birds sing, and feel all the many textures there are to see in the world.  I want to draw, and paint, and write.  I want to listen to music and practice my yoga on a regular basis.  I want to open my arms to all that the world has to offer and to take it all in while at the same time I want to share my experience with others.  I want to live life to the fullest, laugh often, and be surrounded by family and friends.  That's how I want to bloom.

My writing assignment was to write briefly about something that I had decided to do that I was proud of.  At 50 I decided to learn to ski.  This is how I felt the first time I successfully completed a run.

As the world went rushing past her, she felt wonderful.  She could see her breathe in the cold air, feel the cold wind on her cheeks, and almost touch the trees as she went flying by.  It took three long winters to get to this moment.  Three years ago she had agreed to try to ski.  If wearing the right clothes made you a skiier, then she had earned the title the first time off the lift.  But clothes don't make a skiier.  Confidence in one's ability to maneuver down and around the hills make a skiier.  An appreciation for the beauty of the moment as one twists and turns through the snow makes a skiier.  The ability to stand up and not fall on one's face makes a skiier.  And today she had finally experienced all of these things.  Today she felt the cold air and it was exhilarating.  Today she took each twist and turn with confidence.  Today she overcame fear and gained a feeling of freedom.  Skiiing was fun, exhilariting, freeing, and so much more.  It took three long years to get to this moment but it was worth all the work and the very long wait.  Today for the first time she could proudly say she skiied!!

It's Friday and it's time to reflect on what made me happy this week.  Along with taking pictures, I decided to take my watercolor pencils back out this week.  I put them away for awhile since I was not getting the satisfaction out of using them that I usually do so I thought I might need a break.  This happens to me every so often and a break usually helps.  Both my art and writing teachers have always said not to get rid of your work and although I am always cleaning and throwing things out,  I followed their advice and I am so glad I did.  When I started looking through my paintings it was like looking at old friends - not perfect but definitely something worth pursuing.  It felt really good to start painting again.