It's Been a Minute....

It's been a minute...or more like 3,568,380 of them.

A lot has happened since then, as I'm certain you can well imagine.  Much like my herb plants, I have withered and bloomed many times in the past few years.  Today, I find I am keenly aware that we become who we are more by what we experience than by what we do.  I hope you will forgive my absence and join me as I, once again, learn to practice off the mat the awareness, humility, and forgiveness I continue to experience on the mat.

Today, I spent part of my afternoon peeling 24 cloves of garlic.  It was a great way to get out some aggression, for sure, but it took a bit of both effort and time.  In the end, my fingers were sticky, my cutting board was a bit of a mess and my eyes were stinging, only to yield a small handful of garlic.  A lot of work for a very small result.  But baking 24 cloves of garlic, mixed with some herbs and olive oil, creates the most amazing, fragrant and delish condiment.  It keeps in the fridge for a few weeks, and a couple of cloves or a bit of the oil completely changes the complexity of a dish.  A lot of work, a small result...in the end, something amazing.

The past 3,568,380 minutes have felt a lot like peeling garlic - a lot of work for a small result.  But life has given me oil and herbs when I needed them and allowed me to become something more than I was 3,568,380 minutes ago.

I hope you will forgive my absence.  I will be updating the look and feel of yoganoodles in the coming weeks to better reflect who I am today.  I hope you will check in often and look forward to sharing a cup of coffee and some perspective on life off the mat.

Jana

Yummy...

Some things truly are sweeter the second time around...I picked up this book a few years back and enjoyed every word.  Recently, I was going through my stash of books and magazines in preparation for a book fair fundraising event and I found my copy (along with some old Nancy Drew mysteries).  I pulled it out for our 17 year-old son, who has been studying teachings on the subject of "tolerance'' (he is getting a lot of practice since he started his first job!).  What began as a quick flip through turned into a full re-read and I'm finding it to be just as delicious as I remembered!

So, since I'm still healing from my runner's injury and seem to have extra time in my weekends (I miss my yoga students terribly!), I've sliced up a piece of yummy chocolate cake and snuggled down, book in hand.

Check it out and enjoy a little weekend Zen...and don't forget the chocolate cake (there's a recipe in the back of the book)!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Chocolate-Cake-Sutra-ebook/dp/B000N0WTGA

Bits and Pieces...

I'm quite certain that you are probably much like me.  I ramble through my day to day from one project to another before waking up one Sunday morning to realize that it is already March and spring is truly around the cornner (and creeping up in my herb garden).  I'm afraid I've been a bit guilty of too much planning and not enough pausing.  Anyway, here we are with long sunny days at our finger tips and I must say I am yearning for an afternoon outside with my sketch book and a cup of tea.

As always, life at the farmhouse is busy but it's more process than progress, I'm afraid.  We still have renovation projects pending and I think I'm going to have to spend some serious time this spring reclaiming my flower beds.  With April around the corner, our tandem bicycle is itching for some time on the road...and my running shoes have already gotten a lot of attention as my husband and I have been training for our first half-marathon.   That doesn't leave a lot of time for creative thinking!

I'm beginning to feel the weary effects of too much time away from my studio.  I think I realized that this morning.  A dear yoga student gave me the most beautiful card this week and I decided to add it to my inspiration wall.  (I use the wall beside the window in my studio to display notes, sketches, pictures, and other beautiful things.)  I stood there admiring the many unqiue images layered together and I immediately felt a little hollow having missed my time with ink and paint.  Not that I haven't thought about things I would like to do...something new for my Esty shop, some intersting shelves for the bathroom, a gift for a sweet couple planning their wedding this fall...a prayerful  note to a special friend.

So, since my time is a little thin these days, I have to make sure that all of the other little bits and pieces feed my creative spirit.  Creativity really is a lifestyle...cooking a meal, creating a new playlist for my yoga class, rearranging the pantry, carrying a cute umbrella, appreciating the art in a collection of bottle caps...these little things have fed my creative spirit this winter,  along with picking funky socks to wear on my weekly long run (anything to make the miles a little more fun).  Nothing complex, I know, but collectively, these small things keep my creative mind happily humming along.

I'll keep you posted on my creative progress.  Until then, please take a moment and visit my Etsy Favorites to see the creative spirit at work in the studios of other indie artists and collectors.

Happy almost spring, everyone!