Tis the Season.....NOT!

The holiday season is here. For those who do not celebrate Christmas, it is the holiday season. For those of us who do, it is the Christmas season. However, today I refer to the Thanksgiving season, the weeks leading up to the day we give thanks for all we have and celebrate with turkey dinners.

To the retail outlets, it is already the holiday/Christmas season. The stores are already packed with trees, presents, and Christmas music. Geez, even one of our local radio stations is playing non-stop Christmas music through the end of the year. 2 WHOLE MONTHS of Christmas music! Overkill I say! But I digress...

Thanksgiving season begins the day after Halloween. Ghosts, Draculas, and scary decorations are replaced with autumn leaves, pictures of Pilgrims, and cornucopias filled with autumn harvests; representing the plentiful bounty we are fortunate enough to have. Some have more than others. The global recession has hit the wallets of many of us and we try to do the same, with less money to do it. Sometimes it requires a bit of creativity to make ends meet. In the end, we find a way to do it.

This Thanksgiving Day, I will be spending with my husband and my kids. I will be cooking a feast of turkey, dressing, potatoes, vegetables and a fine helping of pumpkin pie. Well, maybe pumpkin pie, as my daughter has recently developed a food allergy to something, but there will be dessert. I will not think about work. I will not worry about making ends meet. I will stay in the moment. The moment will be about giving thanks for all that we do have: a house to live in, food on the table, and, most importantly, a family that I love and who loves me back. This is the season that I am in. I hope that the Thanksgiving season lasts in my heart all year round. I want to remember all of the good everyday, the things I have and not the things I don't. Right now, I have all that is most important: love, food, and shelter.

Christmas will be right around the corner after that. The Christmas season begins when Santa Claus makes his way down the parade route at the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I will begin listening to some of the non-stop Christmas music myself, as I reflect on the meaning of the season. Right now, I reflect on the meaning of this season and all that I have to be grateful for in my life. That is the bright spot of my day!

Until Next Time....
Holly

LeBron: The Morning After

No surprise that I am sitting here lamenting Cleveland's loss of LeBron James to Miami. The mourning has begun. I hoped against hope that he would stay and bring the Cavs and this city a championship. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I wish LeBron the best of success in Miami. Right now, I think the people of Miami are the only ones who like him at the moment. By selfishly prolonging this announcement, the Cavs' opportunity to sign other free agents has come and gone. He was too cowardly to let management know his decision prior to his scheduled announcement on ESPN. As usual, LeBron's ego just wouldn't let him play nicely with others. We can now look forward to a season of rebuilding. Thanks LeBron.

There were other teams left standing at the altar with us, Chicago and New York most notably. He's ticked off most of the major cities in the Eastern Conference. I can hardly wait for his 1st road games in these cities. I can already hear the "boos".

Our economy will take a hit, but we'll survive. We always do. Resilience is a wonderful thing. LeBron's image and brand have taken a hit. That might be a bit more difficult to recover. Surely he will continue to rake in millions in endorsements, but the star who has shined so brightly for so long is looking a bit dim in the light of day.

The end of this saga has been the bright spot of my day. I'm ready to move on.

Until Next Time,
Holly

All Aboard the LeBron Rumor Mill Bandwagon

I can't believe I'm actually going to join in the circus. There are too many clowns to count in this media melee. Where will LeBron James play basketball next season?

Initially, my reaction was "who cares?" However, being a Clevelander, I find that I can no longer take the backseat. The attention "The Decision" is getting continues to blow my mind. LeBron does not have the answer to world peace, nor does he have a plan to end world hunger. He is deciding where he will play his games. That's what this media circus is promoting. Again I say, who cares?

Now I can say I care. While there has been a ridiculous number of hours spent on speculating where LeBron will play, much of the speculation is that he will be leaving Cleveland to go to "greener" pastures. Ching-ching. Not only that, but it's necessary for him to have an hour long special on ESPN to publicly slap Cleveland in the face as he walks away from the city that has supported him like no other. Like Cleveland sports fans haven't suffered enough the past 100 years. That's fine, LeBron. Pour some more salt in the gaping wound. We can take it.

The final decision will be announced less than 12 hours from now. I certainly hope that LeBron chooses to stay here, with the Cavs, where he belongs, with the best fans sports has to offer. Let us bask in the glow of the national media for a bit as he lists all of the great reasons he chose to stay in Cleveland. If LeBron leaves Cleveland, well, no sour grapes here, but it's a shame that his career here would end with such a public flogging on ESPN. No amount of sugar-coating would take the sting out for the fans here, and that would be his legacy in his hometown. Stay tuned.

Speaking my piece has been the bright spot of my day. LeBron staying in Cleveland would make this fan's day even brighter:)

Until Next Time....
Holly

Productive At Last

What a productive day. I've renewed items on Etsy, I've tweeted, and now I'm blogging. Oh, and I also changed sheets, did a load of laundry, and vacuumed. And the day is still so young.

I think I'm going to pop in a movie and make some jewelry. Feel creative today. That's why I've been running around like a nut trying to get stuff done. Besides, if I don't walk away from the computer, I'm likely to sit here all day. Last night I tweeted for only the 2nd time. (My son usually handles that). I can easily see myself becoming a
Tweet-a-holic. It's cyberspace instant gratification. Some chatting amongst themselves and others promoting their wares...there's always something going on. Best that I leave the Tweeting to him I think. He's not nearly as fascinated by it and can just drop in for a few minutes and walk away.

In my zeal to be productive yesterday, I also created a Treasury, fondly called "Headbanger's Ball". Feel free to check it out:

No matter what else is going on, music is still one of the best escapes there is. I found a really cool Metallica chair and a David Draiman (Disturbed) painting, both of which I loved. Probably because they are 2 of my fave bands. I figured why not promote other people's love of the same thing, and thus, the treasury was born.

Well, I guess my time here is up. Now it's time to ease myself away from cyberspace and back to the land of manual labor. Being productive has been the bright spot of my day.

Until Next Time.....
Holly

Much A-Blog About Nothing

Is there such a thing as a blogger's handbook? A how-to filled with topics when writer's block creeps in? All it would need is a running list: shoes, gardening, Lindsay Lohan arrest of the week, you get the idea. If you can write and think, then you can blog. Pretty simple. Not so simple if you don't know what you want to say, lol. Trust me, I can write for days about absolutely nothing. Other people do it every single day, in what I refer to as "Much A-Blog About Nothing" (not to be confused with "Much Ado About Nothing"). But interesting nothings.

It would be simple if the format was Monday = Weather Blog, Tuesday = Family Blog, Wednesday = Crafting Blog, and so on. But my daily life does not like schedules, and the universe would therefore conspire against me. Monday would be partly cloudy (not very exciting to write about), Tuesday my family would give me no good material (though they do every other day of the week:)) and Wednesday I'd be too busy crafting to take the time to write about it. Such is my life. How disappointed readers would be to tune in for Weather Mondays, only to read that my topic was not the cloudy day, but the fact that my cat bit my aching foot in her misguided effort to comfort me after a hard day.

So, be prepared. You have been warned. Here comes another blog about nothing. I'm sure that occasionally a "theme" will crop up, but for the most part, you'll probably get glimpses of me, my family (pets included), the creative process, and occasional nuggets of both information and minutiae. Who knows? Maybe those nuggets will come in handy if you appear on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire or Jeopardy:)

Blogging about nothing has been the bright spot of my day.

Until Next Time....
Holly

Colors of Life

I've taken 2 steps back but have come 2 1/2 steps forward. Used to be that it was 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Not anymore. A friend of mine always says "The faster I go, the behinder I get". Sometimes that seems so true and it used to be a mantra that spoke to me. It no longer applies. In this case, I'm looking at the proverbial cup being "half full", and I'm, therefore, no longer behind, but exactly where I need to be. My life journey continues to evolve.

Someone very dear to my family passed away two weeks ago. She was 38. While not completely unexpected, she had been ill, one is never prepared for such a thing. I have been just a coiled bundle of nerves and emotion for weeks, both before and after. I kept busy just so I wouldn't have to think too much. When I stopped running around like a nut, I was filled with sadness, so I'd run some more.

These past couple of days, the fog has begun to lift. I have begun to feel the sparkle in my life again. Yesterday, there was a happy occasion and I was all dressed up, a little less critical of myself than usual. I decided that the dress, hair, makeup were "just right for the occasion". A few hairs out of place was not such a big deal; the fit and color of the dress was "just fine". Today I sat down and finished some jewelry pieces that I had started. I'd been so distracted that I'd start something and leave it lay. Now they are complete and I feel like I've accomplished something. I've added a bit of color back into my world.

My world seemed to come to a standstill 2 weeks ago, but the rest of the world was still moving. I am now moving with it, in stride, no longer running. Each day brings a bit more sunshine into my heart. I can think again and allow my emotions to be whatever they are. It is OK. There is no right or wrong here. I am where I am supposed to be. No more black and white here. I have color; the blues of sadness in contrast to the reds of fire and life, the greens of peace and calm, and the yellows of warmth. I am red. I am full of life, passion, and spirit. Let the colors of your life be the bright spot of your day.

Until next time...
Holly

No Regrets

Geez, has it really been a month since I've blogged? Time sure flies.

I've been at my new job now for a month. The novelty hasn't worn off. That's a good thing:) I'm working harder than I ever did at a desk job. My feet hurt every day. I smile at my customers even if I feel like they are on my last nerve. Some nights I'm not home til after 10 pm, the day is gone. My commute is 30 minutes when it used to be 10. But, it is so worth it. I was afraid that regret would come creeping in since I quit my other job, but I can honestly say that I have no regrets. A little bit of peace has come into my brain and into my life because of the change. I am no longer consumed by work. When I come home, I am here for my family and my spirit is here too. They have noticed.

In addition to my "regular" job, I still do the jewelry making. I used to have specific days that I devoted to it. Not anymore. My schedule doesn't allow that. Now, it's whenever the mood strikes. When it does, I am a jewelry making machine. I'm inspired again because I'm more content. No pressure allowed here. Besides, spring is here and it has awakened new things; new styles, new colors, and more warmth.

This blog is not supposed to be "all about me", but it has helped me take a new direction that I may have otherwise not gone. I didn't expect that. I am, though, so grateful that I have taken what is probably a "road less traveled" and revel in the fact that I am now on a journey that has allowed me to find both peace and confidence.

Enjoying the view on the road less traveled is the bright spot of my day. I hope you are inspired to take a step or two on your road. Until next time..
Holly

Out With the Old

The subconscious is a wonderful thing. It doesn't just slap you upside the head and say "WTF are you doing?" It's much more subtle than that, more like leaving crumbs on a trail, in hopes that you will follow. I followed... and was surprised where it led me. I re-read some of the past postings on this blog and started seeing a common thread: while I found a bright spot in all my days, I had to look for it. Most of my days were the same; work, the rat race, not taking the time to really stop and relax. So, on this grand journey we call life, I did the most logical thing. I quit my job. Seriously. That wasn't my plan initially, but it came to a point where it was just necessary. I came to the realization that my job was like a vampire, sucking me dry. Even at night I couldn't let it go; the stress was with me 24/7... and it showed in every aspect of my life. A few think me a bit crazy, but this is about what I need in order to move forward. My brain plain and simply needs to rest. I have found myself a nice little job in retail (I still need to help support my family). I work with people I know and whose company I enjoy. It's an opportunity to meet and interact with all kinds of different people. In order to make change, I have to take risks. The payoff has been worth it to me, in ways that really matter. I choose to surround myself with people whose energy feeds me. I have the time to focus on making jewelry and spending quality time with my family, just enjoying the moments. Geez, I even spent my Saturday afternoon cleaning out my closet (and enjoying it), a symbolic way of de-clutterfying my life. Let the whisper of your subconscious mind be the bright spot of your day. Listen to what you hear... you may want to follow.

Until next time,
Holly