Springtime

Hello everyone!

Once again, it has been quite a while since I've posted. Lots of things have been going on. For one thing, the entire state of Connecticut has been buried in snow since January, and I think we are all a little restless and on edge at this point. I know I can't wait for Spring! I have not had any time for metalsmithing classes, but have been making some gemstone jewelry. My Etsy shop is nearing 100 sales (98!) and I would like to do something special to commemorate the milestone. (Any ideas?)

I'm halfway through my full-time program to become a massage therapist, and I am finally starting to feel excited about it... I have had moments where I wished I'd gone to grad school for something more academic, but ultimately what I want is to be a working artist. My hope is that massage therapy will allow me the freedom to do that; and actually, massage itself is a form of art. So I think I'm on the right path. Sometimes it's so hard to trust in myself that my decisions are the correct ones. In the past, I've done a lot of second-guessing and playing what my dad calls the 'What If' game. It's a frustrating way of thinking, and at its worst, you feel paralyzed by indecision and worry. I wouldn't say I've recovered from this entirely; but I have accepted that it's part of my personality. I just try to realize when it's starting to take over my life.

One of my favorite musical groups is the Wailin' Jennys. They have a song that captures the way I'm trying to view life these days. It's called, "Heaven When We're Home." Here are some of the lyrics:

'There's no such thing as perfect,
and if there is we'll find it when we're good and dead
Trust me I've been looking
but tonight I think I'll go and take a bath instead
And then maybe I'll walk a while
and feel the earth beneath me
They say if you stop looking
it doesn't matter if you find it
And who's to say that even if I did
it's what I'm really looking for

It's a long and rugged road
and we don't now where it's headed
But we know it's going to get us where we're going
And when we find what we're looking for
we'll drop these bags and search no more
'Cuz it's going to feel like heaven when we're home.'

If you want to hear the song, here's a link to it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcrazTJJtnw. (copy & paste the link into your browser). I've seen them in concert, and they are so inspiring, talented, genuine, and full of life.

I hope for a happy and productive start to the Spring for all of you. Thanks for reading! :)