Well.  Talking about eliminating clutter.  I will NEVER forget taking wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow FULL and running over, to the dumpster and joyfully emptying it. 

It all started with the journals.  Thankfully, I was sitting on a real love conference call, with a journal in my lap (NOT an art journal, don't worry!), listening to people get loved, when the thought occurred to me.  If I didn't like reading about all my trials at that point, what made me think I'd EVER want to rehash the crap!??  I took a deep breath and shared on the call, that I was thinking about tossing them in the dumpster... one less thing to put into storage.  My dear friend and coach, Alex, laughed and shared my angst.  And the dumping began.  At one point I even broke the wheelbarrow with the load!  Journals, supplies, clothes, art books even!  Gasp!  There was so much that I knew if I'd never used until that day, I was never going to.  Done. Fini.  Over. 

Yes, I probably should have donated much of it, but I was tired and the pure joy in just heaving it could not be denied.  And, now, months later, I've only missed one thing.  Pretty darn cool.  Much less stuff is NOT a bad thing!  Simplicity.

I had a six foot tall cabinet I'd had made just for storing fabric.  I did give away the cabinet and probably half the fabric.  I saved only the pieces I just couldn't let go of, and they now dominate one corner of my living room, along with my sewing machine.  I'm actually making progress on my quilt and will hopefully get some other things made in the coming vacation days around the holidays.  I also gave away 2 desks, bookshelves, a t.v., and thankfully I don't even remember all of it!

We stayed with mum for 6 weeks, until it was just too heavy a weight to lift, then with a friend for 2-3 more.  Sleeping on the floor at 57 is not something anyone wants to do for too long.  Then, finally the time came and we found a sweet little duplex near my son's school.  He can walk right through the woods, and it's even a bit picturesque, with knock out roses under the front window, green shutters against the brick walls, with cedar shake soffits.  Small, and nothing like the farmhouse in the country, but quite livable, and much warmer, and closer in to town, but not too close! 

In the last week, I think I finally rested and recovered enough that I've begun to rise early and do my yoga.  I also began juicing last week.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Yum.  I have wanted to do this for a long time, but just wasn't ready.  I'm a firm believer in all things in their own time.  I'm feeling the juice healing my body as it cleans the toxicity from my stored fat.  That's leaving too, and I'm trying to believe that it's in its own time, but  I'm really wanting to push harder here.

And, a coworker saw paintbrushes I'd left on the breakroom table and now I'm doing a painting for her, of her beloved little puppy of 16 years.  I still have several outstanding paintings to finish, but I am doing a little as I go.  There just aren't enough hours in the day.  But there are more now that marching band season is over.  I did have a minute one day to photoshop this painting I finished years ago and was never wild about, I think it's an improvement.

Oh, and I almost forgot about my mural!  One of the things I love about blogging, is that I can see that I'm doing more than I might have allowed myself to believe!  My friend, Beth Hughes, moved her yoga teaching business into her very own space, and she's such a mover/shaker, she brought other like-minded healing arts professionals into the space with her, with lots of room for growth.  I met Beth when she walked into the chiropractic/massage offices where I worked several years ago.  I felt an instant kinship with her.  When I left the business, she moved in.  She loved the yoga lotus I'd painted on the wall there, and wanted one on her own wall.  I was all too happy to oblige.

I entertain the notion that one day, my Whole-Hearted Art will share in the same beautiful space in the old Broad Street building in my hometown, Rome, Georgia.  Beth and I share political views, worked closely on the Ron Paul campaign, and love YOGA! If you are in Rome, please check out her website (http://www.healingartscenterrome.com/thestudios.htm), or fb, for classes.  She's amazing.