Celebrating Each Step...looking back on September 2010

Hello lovely blog readers...happy Autumn!

Firstly, thank you to all of you who have commented my "You Catch My Tears" mosaic, both on blog / Facebook and in person. The piece is very close to the heart and to know that it struck a chord in others has meant a lot to me. Sorry for being so quiet here for over a week (the longest gap in my blogging since I restarted in June 2009!). There's been lots of good stuff happening which has brought with it necessary extra workload. The stress of trying to get everything done had me hyperventilating last weekend (not helped by the fact that I got ill) but I can gladly report that I am now remembering to breathe!

Some of you are familiar with this monthly "Celebrating" post. But for those to whom it is new, this space is an antidote to rushing and diving headlong into the next thing on the to do list. It is an attempt to momentarily slow down the speedy pace of life so that we can look back and celebrate what we have actually achieved rather than be forever focused on what there is still to do. Very apt for me at the moment, so I am going to take my own advice, look back on September and do some acknowledging and celebrating, right now!  Glad you can join me ;)  

Here's my list of what I got done and got through in the last month and I invite you to look back on September and make your own list. If you want, you can put your list in the comments section or (if you run a blog) write your own "Celebrating" post and pop the link at the end of this post so that others can hop over and celebrate with you too!

So, in September 2010...

• I finished a piece of art I am very proud of, called "You Catch My Tears..." (go back one post and you can see it and read about it)

•  I finally fulfilled a creative dream of making mosaic jewellery - and have already sold two pieces!

• I have done lots of hard thinking and planning for a total restructure of my web site and blog and have commissioned web designers (watch this space!)

• I have had a children's mosaic tutorial published in Disney's Family Fun magazine in the States- currently on the newsstands - yay!

 

•  In partnership with a local refugee group, Star KKF, we successfully secured a grant to fund a series of mosaic workshops for young people to make a mosaic patchwork on the theme of hope. The mosaic will be featured in my forthcoming exhibition in December. Our workshops start next week, which I am really looking forward to.

• I am participating in my first ever Artists Open House - today was the first day and it was great! I loved meeting many local people, explaining my work and feel very chuffed to have sold pieces.  If you are local, do pop by (3rd, 9th and 10th October). Map and details here.

• On a family note, my sweet little girl started "big school" . She settled in almost immediately and is very much enjoying it. What a big transition for us all...I am very proud of her (and of her little brother who has had to adjust to the change)

 

•  We are now a family of six, with the arrival of our little rescue kittens, PomPom and Rosie! Now they are here, I realise how much I have missed having cats in the house. They are gorgeous, have made themselves right at home and the kids love them so much.

 

Lastly, I know the above list can read like a lot (and it is - I do feel good that I have achieved all this), but its not always like this. I know that its not just what we achieve but how we are in the process. I still struggle with being ok in the midst of the stress. At times I feel I manage and at other  times I really don't think I care for myself well enough. Its a huge challenge to me. Stroking the new cats helps a lot!

How about you? What do you want to mark or celebrate from the last month? And how have you been in the process?