Courage

Courage: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty (source)

My one little word always comes to me out of the blue at the end of the year or early in the new year.  You all know that I love Brave Girls Club.  Their homebase is in Idaho so I was lucky enough to go to a party that they had early in December.  While looking at some of Melody Ross' beautiful art work, my word for 2013 came to me.  Courage.

Do you choose a "One Little Word?"  I've been doing it for, I think, four years now.  I haven't ever formally taken the class.  I just choose a word and try to live my life that year according to that word.  Have you taken the class"  I'm thinking I might this year.  I'd love to hear your opinion.

The reason that Courage is such a good word for me is because of a long time goal that I haven't had the courage to start.  I'm not ready to tell the world about it yet but it is going to take an INSANE amount of courage to even start it.  I don't know how long it will take me to complete it.  Maybe even more than the year but I'm going to get a good start on it this year.  I'll tell you about it when I'm ready but just not yet.

After I had chosen my word, I found out that I have another challenge in front of me.  During my heart transplant surgery, I had a small stroke which left me with some cognitive and memory issues.  I have been having these problems for the last five years.  I have recently seen a doctor who referred me to a speech therapist that is going to teach me how to reroute my brain so that I can remember the things that I need to.  I start it right after the first of the year.


I'm very hopeful about this but the doctor has warned me that it is going to be hard and that it's going to take a lot of homework.  It's going to take "courage" to keep going when I don't want to or when it becomes difficult. I think a lot of journalling is going to help me along this journey.


I really think courage is a great word for me.  There are so many days when I wake up in pain from the meds I'm on or from a migraine.  I'm going to work to gain the courage to get off my recliner and get things done.  And if the pain is really too bad, there are things I can do while I'm resting.  I love embroidery and crochet and I would love to learn to knit.  I have so much yarn and so many embroidery projects I could be busy for years just doing these!

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So, you are probably thinking that I don't usually get this personal on my blog, well, and that I haven't really kept up with my blog lately.  This blog is going to take a new direction to reflect the different direction that my life has.

I don't do as much papercrafting as I used to do.  Actually, I haven't done hardly any for some time.  I want to get down to making more papercraft items, especially cards.  I want to start sending out those cards!!!  I hardly ever give out any of my cards.  Can you believe it!  That's one of my goals for this year.  Everyone knows that I make cards but no one ever gets a card from me.  They get my cards from my mom, but not from me!!!  That's going to change!

I went to my uncle's 80th birthday party this summer and my mom gave him a card that I had made.  When his  wife saw the card, she asked if I had made it and said how pretty it is.  Then and there I told myself I need to start giving out more of my cards.  I even went over to their home to deliver a Christmas card this year.  They recently moved from the country (a couple hours drive away) to my neighborhood!!!  I'm really enjoying having them closer.

I have been doing a lot of mixed media art.  I'm in the middle of one right now to reflect the way I feel about my "One Little Word."  I haven't shared hardly any of my artistic pursuits and that's going to change.  I'll share some of the older things and I'll be sharing some new things as well.  I've also done a few sketches but  I'm still learning those.  I've done a couple of faces that are ok but other objects just really don't work.  That just means more practice and more classes!!!

I also want to share a little more of my life.  I know some people don't like that so if you don't like it, you just don't have to read it, k?  You can enjoy my art and my craft and skip my life part.  I've always meant my blog to be about "my life, my art, my craft" as it says on the header.  Well, now it's going to be.  Maybe I'll put a recipe, or a picture of my garden or of my doggy.  Whatever is happening at the time.

I just want to share.  I want this blog to be a picture of my life!!!  I hope that you want to share it with me.  

Also, I LOVE comments so please leave me a comment.  If you do, I'll return the favor!

Blessings to all,
Christine