Delightful Diversions

 The mama's collection of Friends Retreat is in TWO WEEKS!    I have lots to do!  One look at my To Do List(s) shows me that I better be making good use of my time.  WooHOO!

Hospitality is a treat for me.  It's my thing.  I love having people to my home,  Preparing for events like this gives me that adrenalin high that runners are so fond of talking about.  For instance, yesterday was, Get A Toehold in the Messiness that is My Garden.  Normally, the job of maintenance would keep me dragging my feet, getting sidetracked with anything rather than focusing on the task.  But with the excitement of The RETREAT, I jumped in with all senses on Go.  I rearranged limestone,(?!) weeded, watered, swept, weed whacked and repotted with a glee that was kinda scary.  I stood back, evaluated, moved some more limestone and wiped more sweat.  And I LOVED it!  Nothing like having company over to get those pesky tasks finished.  The best carrot dangling ever.  In fact, I would go so far to say, that if you want to get a big project (kitchen update), tedious maintenance, (weeding, garage cleaning) or merely the mundane (the big bathroom clean) accomplished, have a passel of people over to your home!  Guaranteed to get it done!  Or least a really good dent into it.  Another thing that works is to have a baby; I got so much done when I knew that some tiny little human being was coming to my home to stay.  The day I delivered Eldest/Admin, I cleaned baseboards, picture frames and the staircases.  Thoroughly.  But I at nearly 57, I am not going to use that particular carrot anymore. :D

All that, was a particular long bunny trail to tell you about my bi monthly Art Gathering. I would call it a class, but I don't think our Facilitator, Writer Friend Joyce, would like that.  She doesn't fancy herself an artist, though you could of fooled me. She just wants those interested in honing their skills to gather together and  encourage one other.  Two weeks ago, we worked on pencil sketches and this week, we attempted watercolor.  Though some of us have experience in some sort of paint medium, watercolors were new to most of us.  I tried to make sure that the some of my To Do list for the day was finished before I left for the extravagant two hours on Friday afternoon.

  I guiltily left my home and all it's screaming undone chores and slunked off to the church across the street from my home where we gather.  It took awhile to shake off the responsibility whirring in my mind, but stroke by stroke, as the colors unfolded and I started to relax, the delight in tapping into another unexplored medium, thrilled my spirit and neutralized my busy brain.

What fun it is to explore a new art form, as primitive as it is.  What fun to play in paint and share with others as you test your creative limits....Interesting how we were all looking at the same picture and all our approaches were different.

The two hours zoomed, I left more relaxed than anticipated, more encouraged than I should have been and full of ideas that came from clearing out the cobs for two simple hours.

Amazing.

 I came home, waited for my version to dry, then properly placed it on my refrigerator, where it belongs...

What will neutralize your brain today?