Revisiting my favorite shop

The book club met up again at Divas so that involved another step over the threshold into my favorite antiques and collectibles shop. Crow Trading Company usually leaves me a little lighter in the pocket after I visit, but somehow that didn't happen today. I did find a Civil War print, all nicely framed and the owner very nicely dropped $6 off the $28 asking price. I showed it to Don and he suggested thinking about it. Well, two days later I'm thinking about it and I think if is still there NEXT Friday, I will just have to get it for him.

In the meanwhile, I wandered around discovering new items and fell in love with this sideboard. Don't look at the center of the picture too closely. It's a bit cockeyed since it's actually two pictures blended into one. The match up was a bit short of perfect. No mater though; I'm sure you get the idea.

If I could have, I would have brought this cross home with me. But at $138.00, I knew it would find a home somewhere else. However . . . the beauty of inspiration is that you can take something that appeals to you and reinvent it to make it your own. The possibilities of remaking this into my own are . . . well . . . endless and I have the simple pleasure of knowing that I don't have to spend a penny to recreate this. I already have an abundance of the materials I will need in my possession.

What I Dream

I dream a lot. Daydream actually. My daydreams are often much more interesting than life around me. I find that I am dreaming more now than ever. Retirement is approaching. I dream of a life at rest and calm; filled with beauty, wonder, a sense of freedom, a firm knowledge that I can do what I want, when I want, as quickly or slowly as I want.

Selfish? I think not. After a life of care taking in one form or another, I now feel that I am coming into my own time. Care taking may come to me again and I certainly would not refuse it, but unlike the refusals I have given to myself all my life, now is MY time. I will never turn my back on this time, MY time, again. Care taking will share the MY time when need be, but it will never take over again.

Here are a few of things I might do - Red = complete; Pink italic = in progress; Blue italic = things I've accomplished under Pink italic.

Make books of poetry
Paint photos
Finish my kitchen - Making progress
Learn how to promote selling my creative work
Read more (if that's even possible - I read so much now)
Crochet - Free form piece is now in progress
Bead a scarf
Do more scarf beading
Visit with friends
Visit with God more
Learn to successfully and completely read a recipe and COOK it right
Walk
Take a cooking class
Felt wool and make a purse
Find St. Benoit Yogurt
Take pictures
Explore close to home
Have a backyard aviary
Travel the Northern Coast
Visited Mendocino
Sew Point Arena Lightstation
Garden
Make a fairy room from a book
Take one of Ulla's classes at the Castle in Berkeley
Make paperdolls
and MORE

So here I am at my new blog. This is my spot that will be all about my dreams. This is the place where I will refresh and refocus and learn to embrace life. This is the place where I will visit ONLY when I have something to put on a page. This is where I learn what is truly MY time.