An Old Bowling Ball Gets A New Life

No matter where I put this 16 lb. bowling ball, it rolled around and around until one day I decided it just had to go. This was the remaining bowling ball my son left behind when he moved out last year. The others ended up being sold for a pittance at a garage sale. But how does one get rid of a perfectly good bowling ball without feeling guilty about it? As the trend for "going green" continues to emerge, as it should, I am conscious of doing my part to keep things like old bowling balls out of landfills. There just had to be a way to turn this ball into something useful and I was determined to find it.

I've been a stained glass artist for many years. Being a lover of any glass art, I'd always been interested in mosaics and had been wanting to learn that craft, so one afternoon at my glass supply shop, I had purchased a book on mosaics. The book had ideas I'd never thought of; and inside was the solution I'd been searching for...using an old bowling ball as a work of mosaic art.

The gazing ball in the photo, once my son's old bowling ball, has been given a new identity as it graces the front of our home, nestled between the bushes next to the front porch. The birds love it, in fact, one of them perched on top of it today. I had always heard that birds are attracted to shiny objects, and this supports that theory.

Ironically, now both my husband and I are searching rummage and garage sales for old bowling balls. (Now I wish I'd kept the ones my son left behind!) Yesterday we hit a half dozen yard and garage sales and collected 6 more bowling balls. We filled the holes, and the balls are now ready to be transformed. I can hardly wait to start the next one! I'm thinking all mirrors. The birds will adore it and it will sparkle like a sun in its own solar system, bringing light and beauty to its surroundings instead of adding to the overflowing landfills.

Stay tuned as we breathe new life into the six new balls...

Have a Little Faith

This little flower is appropriately symbolic for my life as an entrepreneur. After leaving a "secure" job over a year ago, I struggled for months with back pain, depression, chronic fatigue and insecurity; with my life, with my future, and with myself.

Making the decision to leave my job was tough. I knew that once I walked out the door I'd never go back and would finally have the freedom to choose the direction my life would go. But to where?

Initially, after leaving my job, I had gotten a catchy business name to become a professional organizer, only to realize that physically it would not be possible. Of course, I could have hired people, but I'd have had to charge a lot more than this current market would allow, so I dropped that idea.

After two back surgeries, I'm limited, physically, in what I can do. This includes sitting, even for a half hour at a time, without some kind of back pain. The inability to sit limits my ability to work in and out of the office. It was one of the main reasons I chose to leave my desk job of 21 years. Like I said, it was tough, but the best decision for me.

As a rule, I tend to look too far into the future, which causes me unnecessary worry and grief over events that have not, or may not, happen. It's important to "plan" ahead, but don't look too far ahead because inevitably the future will change your plans. I've always cringed at the common interview question "Where do you want to be in five years?" I mean, really, how does anyone know what the near future, let alone distant future, will bring?

Logically, of course, I know why an interviewer asks that question. They want to see if you know how to plan, have goals. However, on a gut level, I've always felt that question is not only irrelevant, but unfair, as today's job market is anything but stable. Chances are the person who interviews you for a job won't be there next month. Five years? Give me a break.

I've tried many things in my life, some have failed miserably and others have been highly successful only to eventually fall through the cracks, opposite of the flower which inspired this blog. My most successful endeavors in life were ones in which I have been creative. Therefore, in order to be successful in my life, my career of choice must involve creativity.

My passions have always been writing and photography. Having the internet at my disposal to write until my heart's content in too many blog sources to count, as well as being able to post a million photos if I so choose, certainly fulfills both of my needs.

The esoteric creativity of combined writing and photography is awesome, but not without flaws. Creativity by its nature doesn't necessarily guarantee monetary success. In order to make a living, we have to sell a product, whether it is our creativity in a neat package, or a physical product we use to enrich our lives. It's difficult to work at something and sell it too and hiring someone to sell for you isn't always an option if you have no money to pay them.

That's where faith comes in. Faith is the invisible bridge that holds us up when we feel like falling down. Faith is what carries us through when our world seems to crumble around us; people let us down, prices continue to rise, incomes plummet, more people lose their jobs. It's easy to lose faith in what you once believed in.

Sometimes life boils down to faith. Faith that we CAN and will survive, no matter what life throws at us. Faith that we CAN make our dreams a reality and recover what we've lost. After all, if faith is gone, what's left?

Priceless Moments

My love of photography began with my first camera, a Bell & Howell instamatic, which I received as a graduation gift in 1972. Over the years, I've owned many cameras; instant point-and-shoot, 35mm, even disposable. I've always been told I have "a good eye" for taking photos. Well, no doubt as I absolutely love photography. You could say it's one of my many artistic obsessions.

My experience with digital photography began six years ago when I bought my first digital camera, an Olympus with 4 megapixels. My digital photographic skills have grown, blossomed, you could say, and I soon realized that my skills had outgrown the Olympus's features. It was time to look for a new camera.

After researching, I decided on a 10 megapixel Canon which has the bells and whistles my Olympus could only dream about (sorry Olympus!) I'm continuously amazed at the many features my new camera has. Within minutes I'm able to post an entire afternoon's worth of photos online to share with family and friends. Amazing. Powerful. Fun!

Living in the 21st century, we've come to expect and demand things that give us pleasure while saving us time and money. If you love photography and gadgetry as much as I do, chances are you also love the ease at which a digital camera freezes the moment and shows it to you, immediately! Magical, exciting, powerful, the digital camera allows us to use photography at its full potential; and not sacrificing the integrity of the craft, but enhancing it.

Being a parent of two children and two grandchildren, I value, more than ever, capturing the special moments of their lives. Photographs immortalize the moment. When we give someone a photograph, we give them a legacy that would otherwise be lost. Digital photography makes it faster, easier than ever before to capture and share those important moments.

Life in the 21st century seems to move at warp speed. Everyone is so busy they hardly remember what they ate for dinner yesterday. Too much activity, too little time. Therefore, it's vital we take time and share those special moments. Likely we won't get a second chance. Time is continuous; it carries on long after we're gone. Our lives are finite. Memories fade.

Photos allow us to capture the moment, and share those moments we hold closest in our hearts.

And that is truly priceless.

Enjoying a Cool Summer

This has indeed been a cool summer. With an average daytime temperature of 75 degrees, it's exactly the perfect summer for me. I know many people prefer much warmer weather, but personally, I love this cooler weather. I love the low humidity and the cool nights. I especially love not having to use the air conditioner, not once, this season! And that's a HUGE savings in electricity.

Of course, I could do without the wind. It's hard to take a good photo or attempt to do anything involving paper outdoors. Because of the strong wind, we've had to keep our patio umbrellas down more than up this summer. I don't want to replace the umbrellas every summer.

Today we took the kids to Memorial Park. Mackenzee enjoyed the slide and loved climbing all over the other park structures designed for kids only. Hunter enjoyed watching his sister, but of course, he loves everything she does. The noiser, the better. Got to enjoy that while we can, because knowing kids, it won't last.

Yeah, it's been a cool summer so far, but August could still blast us with the heat and humidity more common this this time of year. Me, I'm enjoying the cool summer because I can function better when sweat isn't pouring into my face. But that's just me.

Serenity Arrives

I've been busy the past couple months since my last blog entry. I finally got our birdhouse website up and running, although any web designer worth his salts knows that a website is never really done. It's an evolving, changing, moving, living force that grows and takes on its own personality.

I must admit, I wasn't sure I could get into this "web design" thing. In fact, I was convinced I'd simply NEVER get it. When my brother first handed me an HTML book, I sat down and opened the first page and began to read. The more I read, the more confused I became. I finally put the book down, completely frustrated and depressed. I thought to myself, "If this is the stuff I need to learn to be a web designer, I may as well sign up to become a rocket scientist. It was THAT intimidating.

Well, somewhere along the line my German stubborn-ness kicked in and I became even more determined to not only learn this stuff, but conquer it and make my own mark, albeit a small one on the world wide web. It was that determination and drive that pushed me past my "normal" limits, into the vast world HTML.

Michelle guided me through it, then gently pushed me off the cliff. It was up to me to either land on the ground in a heap or try out my web wings and fly. I chose to fly....a nice metaphor for the Serenity Birdhouses.

Admittedly, I have much to learn and it's a process, much like the website, but at least I have a better concept of how everything ties together (and it does), than I did when I started. It may take me a while to get there, but get there I will...much like the tortoise, slowly, surely, and one web page at a time.

An Artist's Perspective

While attending college, one of my favorite instructors told me I had a "passion" for art. She had also said she had seen many students come and go throughout her career and felt that I was one of those students who really connected with their work. I was flattered, but more so, surprised because I simply couldn't imagine an artist not being connected to their work.

I tend to see artistic beauty ordinary things in ways that only an artist can and luckily, a pretty fertile imagination. The other day while Jim and I had lunch at Olga's, I noticed something that surely escaped nearby patrons as they munched on their curly fries. While looking out the four-paned window, I noticed a tree just outside the building. Most people would only see a window, or maybe not even notice it at all. What I saw was a framed piece of art: the four window panes framed the tree just beyond it, creating a still life. I've seen similar such photographs in table-top black and white art books.

It's highly rewarding and at the same time frustrating to be an artist. The constant inspiration can be exhausting. I've recently rediscovered my love of painting, only this time using acrylic instead of oil paint. It's relaxing and easy to lose track of time when I paint. It’s the same thing with writing...once I get inside the head of one of my characters, it’s hard to return to myself. But whether I'm writing the great American Novel, painting a daisy, or cutting glass for a mosaic project, I thrive on creativity. Whenever I connect with my creative self, I simply breathe easier.

Become aware of your world and you'll see not only the beauty surrounding you, you'll also find what's not obvious at first, such as the tree framed by the window that I saw at Olga's. Watch how the setting summer sun creates long, hard shadows and builds intensity just before dusk.

As a child, when asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" my answer was simple: an artist. And judging by my interests and passions, I'd say I fulfilled my dream.

Family & Fun Photos to Share

I hope you enjoy this slide show!

I Need a 48 Hour Day

I've read that if you feel as though you never have enough hours in a day is a symptom of stress. Beyond the fact that I am stressed out because every waking minute is occupied with thoughts of finding work, I feel I simply don't have enough hours in a day to accomplish everything I've decided I need to accomplish.

Since I admittedly have never been a morning person, by the time I actually become efficient with my day, it's after 11:00 a.m. Since being unemployed, I've developed a routine of sleeping in, watching "The Doctors" at 10:00, channel surfing between it and Martha Stewart (who seems to indeed have at least a 48 hour day because of everything she seems to accomplish).

I love my morning routine, in fact, have labeled it my "happy hour" from the days I worked, and on my vacation or sick days would indulge in watching Martha Stewart, who is either my nemesis or idol depending on the mood I'm in.

Maybe it would benefit me to join the ranks of the "rise and shine" early people who have been linked to becoming wealthy along with already being wise, but I just can't bring myself to becoming a morning person. I feel it's wrong to fight your body's natural rhythm of waking and sleeping. I have always functioned better in the later afternoon and evening. It's when I'm the most focused and creative.

I've never been wealthy, but would welcome the opportunity to find out what it feels like, just once, sometime before I die. Plus, I have had enough life experience to know I'm not unwise, and also know I have not yet reached my full potential or fulfilled my life purpose.

Chances are pretty good that I will never be a morning person, nor will I enjoy getting up four hours earlier than I am accustomed to arising, but I also I realize that it may become necessary if I were to land a job. I also firmly believe that if one enjoys what they're doing and have a real purpose in life, incidentals like getting up early become insignificant compared to the stress created by not having an income.

Knowing that I'm not a morning person, I usually become productive in the later afternoon. I also acknowledge that even if I got up at the crack of dawn, I'd probably still go to sleep at the end of the day feeling as though I'd left many things unaccomplished. Therefore I've decided in order to get it all done, I need a 48 hour work day!

Realistically, it's simply not possible for me to acquire more hours in a day unless I sacrificed sleep, something I physically and mentally cannot do. Therefore it becomes necessary to stay focused without getting burned out, accomplish as much as I humanly can and try not to stress out about it at the end of the day.