Living the Dream

November 19, 2011

This season Kathie, at Two Frog Home, is doing a series of interviews called The Fall of Excuses. I love that play on words - fall for autumn and also "getting rid of the excuses standing in our way" as we work towards accomplishing our goals and dreams.

Kathie asked me to participate and last week my interview was featured. Kathie's questions were about life dreams. What dream I'm trying to accomplish, how I manage my time and stay committed, how to get out of ruts, and any words of advice I might have for other people wanting to live a life without excuses. 

I love those kind of questions. You'll have to click over to read my answers.

I've been thinking a lot about that interview this week as I struggle with being sick, nourishing my family back to health while unpacking and organizing the chalet.

The unpacking and organizing in itself is a monumental task. We are living in half the space we used to in Maine, Damien informs me it's less than half the space.Where is all this stuff going to go? (Hint: it's not all staying)

Of course, while I attend to these important and urgent mothering and homemaking tasks my writing (one of my dreams) waits and sits... again. Not completely. I'm writing this right? But I just don't have the physical and creative energy right now for my usual writing schedule (thank goodness for gracious editors that send kind e-mails reminding that your post is due today and then give extensions because you forgot). 

We're in transition, big time, with the added challenge of being sick. And I know priorities shift during these times. But it still bums me out because I've gained a lot of momentum in my creative discipline. I've been making steady progress in my writing goals since I stopped waiting for the stars to align.

And now I need to focus my energies elsewhere for a short period of time.

I was feeling kind of sorry for myself about this when I was reminded by these words I shared in Kathie's interview, "...I’m fairly content to be patient and wait for my writing dreams to unfold when I see so much else that we’ve dreamed and hoped for coming into being." 

Yes, my writing is somewhat interrupted right now. But we're actually living our big picture dream. Creating the life we want to live as a family.

Right here, right now is a place we've wanted to be for years. And I don't mean this chalet as such, though we love it. This current reality - a home in the woods (but close to town), Damien at home, freedom to pursue our dreams and adventure, sharing our days and experiences together - is what we've wanted for years. 

When this reality was only a dream it did not include the mess of boxes (when are dreams messy?) or round two of purging. Or having a house of sickies while trying to attend to all those boxes. But I realize these are all an important part of this adventure. And I'm living it.

So for now I will take comfort in Donald Miller's words. 

People who live good stories are too busy to write about them.

PS. I have not captured the beauty in my life this week with photography. There have been many beautiful moments - watching the sunrise each morning over the trees, the snow that's gently falling in the valley out my window (as I type), the afternoon sun through the big windows (illuminating piles of mess). But my cameras have sat mostly still. I'm just not in that space right now.

It will come though because life is beautiful and I can't wait till I feel healthy enough again to celebrate that with my art. So for today's post you get the real deal, what I have been looking at for the past week.

progress!

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