Living the Dream in 2014

As I sit here at my desk going through a stack of bills and mail that have accumulated for a week or so, I opened an advertisement for an art magazine subscription...

The title was “Living the Dream of an Artist’s Life” with a bucolic scene depicted on the cover.

I guess I don’t need that subscription, because I already am – in all it’s glory. But the reminder that it truly is a dream, I certainly appreciate.

You see the stack of mail accumulated because I and both my kids have been ‘under the weather’ – FAR under the weather. The Holiday germs hit hard here and we are still trying to recover. At times, especially with the pace over the Holidays, the life of an entrepreneur  artist mother with 2 young children can be dizzying. I have a schedule - and sickness can really get in the way.

Oh, and did I mention that the kids have been out of school since mid-December? Yes, family time is good, but working at home with kids is particularly challenging.  And my ‘vacation time’ (what is that, right?) does not coincide with the school schedule. So I have to be VERY creative and a bit of an insomniac to get all my work done. (Probably how these germs took hold in the first place!)

Anyway, as a thinker and a planner, I like to take time out at the start of the year and re-group. Reflect on what worked over the past year and plan for new ventures in the new year. Take a temperature check on the kids to be sure we’re all headed in the right direction, let out a big sigh and move forward. But the beginning of this year has been moving a lot slower, since I’m REALLY taking temperature checks!

But my recovery time has given me a good while to stew about the upcoming year. No, we don’t count how many paychecks are headed our way in 2014 and plan our budget accordingly. Self – employed means you look to the horizon of a new year,  determine a route, make your best plan, cross your fingers… and jump!

So this time of year has an added air of anticipation, hope and of course that quiet underlying sense of panic that we have grown to love after so many years of free fall artistic self-employment.

Somehow, we do manage to be part of a very small percentage of self-employed artist couples - with kids yet! even a smaller percentage – who are doing okay. Phew.

Good to be reminded I am “living the dream".

With gratitude….Happy 2014…Shirl

 When I’m old and dying, I plan to look back on my life and say

“Wow, that was an adventure,” not “Wow, I sure felt safe.”        

- Tom Preston-Werner

 

Our Yellowstone Zoo

- photos from our windows -

Luckily, while I was “livin’ the dream on the couch” I had my camera close by for shots out the window – barely even had to lift my head off the pillow…. I know, it REALLY IS like living the dream here….

Our first visitors of the New Year were beaver!

 New Year's morning as the sun came up we watched 3 beaver munching away at the edge of the Yellowstone River. I'm taking that as a sign and getting ready - it's going to be a busy year!

 

 

 

Eagles have been frequent visitors lately, but these are some of my best shots of late....

 

 

 

 

 

Wax wing flocks - always a beautiful sighting to behold.

This is a very small section of a large flock,

but I liked the composition with the one bird in flight.

 

 Once I get this stack of mail conquered, I’ll post the photos of John’s new sculpture. After all, with the rest of the family down and out, he had some time to sculpt in peace over the Holidays. I’ll post his latest soon.