Creative Juices

Been getting the ole creative juices flowing. Mostly because I committed to take part in an upcoming Art Show in Parry Sound sometime in July/August as part of their "New & Emerging Artists Program". My friend Barb, who began watercolouring painting around 40 years of age, who is now a decade wiser and showing/selling her stuff regularly, has encouraged me to participate. "WHAT!?!??!?!" my inner critic screams, "YOU CAN'T do art!!!!" But as I'm learning...we have to ignore those nasty inner little voices. So I'll post something when it's done.

My good friend Jay showed up at the cottage this weekend, with an energy that was totally different from any I'd seen lately in him. It was really nice to see. He's decided to take better care of himself. And you could tell. So I asked what was different. He told me that he's joined his friend Andy, who's lost about 80 lbs, in making some different lifestyle choices for himself. I wanted to know more.

Jay very patiently walked me through the sorts of foods you could have; the supplements that he's taking (all store bought), some new food products that I had no idea existed and les voila...I tried black coffee tonight with a bit of Vanilla flavoured Splenda and TA DAH! I'm transformed into a black coffee drinker. For a bit of decadence, add Silk's soy coffee creamer and you have what tastes a LOT like a French Vanilla cappucino...and let's you feel like you're being ever so naughty.

The supplements are all things that I've been doing my own research about and dabbling in, and not quite getting the right combination. So...I'm giving it a go. I need to become physically smaller so that I can bend into those yoga poses that my flub is interfering with. NOT ok. I'll keep you posted. I have taken my physical measurements and am appalled at my size. Not because I'm mean to myself but because it's unhealthy. So, I'm hoping THIS will be the right combination, alongside exercise.

Exercise too...this is newish for me. I joined some other lovely ladies I know in doing "Boot Camp" workouts. I've been twice now and LOVED it. I'm pretty crap at it, but I love it. I just want to get stronger and better. Our wonderful instructor is just that...wonderful. Kim (mother of twins...AMAZING!) coaches us in lunges, squats, jumps, weight & strength training and some serious ab work. I'm hoping the addition of this, with my treadmill workouts will improve my physical state. So far so good. I'm down a pant size. I believe weight loss will occur if I just keep at this. Alongside some food adjustments and the addition of supplements.

I want to be strong.

Strong and creative...think that's a fair amount of personal growth in just a few weeks.

Here...this is an etching I did for my Mum & Auntie Pam's new kennels, they are opening in Winnipeg. Really proud of both of them, and their husbands, so just wanted to give them a small gift of love. There is a massive part of myself that wants to explain the piece and whether or not we can even call it a 'piece' but I'm refraining. For tonight, my inner critic can bugger off.

Namaste.