Journal prompt #4

Today's prompt is a gratitude list. Often in our busy, lives we forget about the small things that we're grateful for like a nice cuppa or a phone call with Grandma.  So today I want us to all reflect on those seemingly small things that we are and should be grateful for.

Who do you love most in this world? What can you not live without? What would you rather not live without?  What is the reason you wake up in the morning? Where do you most love to go? What charities are you grateful for?  What in life do you overlook, that you are truly grateful for / should be grateful for? What character traits do you have that you are grateful for ?

My List:
1. Being clean from self-harm
2. My mom and dad
3. My family
4. My friends
5. The five senses
6. Sharpies
7. Post it notes
8. My home
9. Therapists
10. Therapy
11. The arts
12. My artistic abilitiy
13. Recovery
14. Books
15. Cemeteries
16. Beaches
17. Awesome tv shows
18. Planners
19. My eyes
20. My kindnesss
21. To write love on her arms
22. Books about recovery
23. This blog
24. My kindle
25. Calenders
26. My ipod
27. My computer
28. All the crap I've been through
29. Cloths
30. Makeup
31. Organization
32. The zoo
33. The science center
34. The sunshine
35.  Psychology
36. My personality
37. Crafts
38. Van Gogh
39. Hats
40. Writing
41. Phones
42. Hot tea
43. Phone calls with family
44. Good health
45. Ballet
46. Coffee
47. Comicbooks
48. Photography
49. Flowers
50. The leaves changing in the fall
51. My pets
52. Quilts
53. Warm weather
54. My car
55. The ability to drive
56. Phone calls with friends
57. My goats
58. Sleep
59. Helplines
60. Facebook

Five lovely Quotes about art

As many of you know I love art, lists and quotes, so I decided to combine all of those things into one epic post!

1. "If you hear a voice within you saying, 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced."  - Vincent Van Gogh


2. "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life." - Oscar Wilde

3. "If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it." - Anais Nin


4. “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” -  Pablo Picasso

5. "The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." - Aristotle 

Challenge to beat soul destoryers

Often in the midst of defeating our soul destroyers whatever they might be for you and everyday life we can "forget" to do fun things.  So I'm challenging you to do something fun preferably with a friend or family member.  I want you to write or type a list of fun things to do it it can be as long or as short as you like.  Then cut out the  items from your list and put them in paint dripped mason jars or some other fun container.

 My list:

Throw a ball with the dog

Make cookies for the elderly or neighbours

Go for a walk around the neighbourhood

Call my baby cousins

Go to the mall

Go to a festival or another special event

Play a game with friends or family members

Go to a movie

Go to a sporting event at my college

Go to a play

Go to one of the museums in D.C.

Go to the national  zoo

Walk around Old Town

Go to Pentagon City

Go to one of the many places I book marked on yelp

Take Grace to the dog park.

Buy and then read comic books (the best  item on this list if I'm honest )

Friday Wishlist

1. Alice in wonderland dress

This brilliant dress is from my favorite book/movies! It's also beautiful!

2. Dr. martens 1460 dai boot

I think that I'm in love with these boots!










3.Pleather hair bow

I absolutely love hair bows right now and this one is huge pretty vinyl and fuschia!!!!!!! AKA Amazing!

4. The Essential Max Brooks

I've been wanting to read these books for a while now.  















5.Octopus anchor dress

This dress is just flat out awesome!

My Story Part One

Introduction to my story

Lately I've been feeling like I'm failing you, my readers, on some level and today I realized that it isn't a lack of posts, but a lack of fulfilling the original purpose of this blog and a lack of writing without fear.

                       

First things first, not fulfilling the entire purpose of this blog.  I wanted to talk about my mental illness in the most non-triggering, appropriate way possible. I wanted my story of severe anxiety, an addiction to self- harm, an unspecified mood disorder (most likely being bipolar, but that isn't an official diagnosis) and PTSD, to show people that not only is it possible to overcome these things, but that you can show others hope.  You can share your story without being ridiculed. You can overcome any mental illness with help. You CAN overcome mental illness. That is what I wanted people to get from this blog. 

I have however allowed fear to overcome this portion of my mission for this blog and for that I am sincerely sorry. I'm not gonna make a giant difference, but I can make a small difference and if one person gains an ounce of hope from the way I present my story and from the things I have learned, then my mission is complete.  

What is this fear, you may be asking yourself . This is a fear of something I try to fight, of something I despise from the very core of my being.  The stigma and misunderstanding of these things.  But I realize that by not writing about these things, that in not sharing educational links with you guys, etc, that I too am feeding the stigma surrounding mental illness and self-injury. This realization greatly saddens me. I honestly feel that I have failed, but I also feel great amounts of hope, because I am going to start talking about this every other week in a series. To not only tell my story, but to help educate you all. 

I realize that some people might not like that. That I can lose readership, that I may even be ridiculed, but I honestly can handle those things. I also know that when potential employers are doing background checks that this blog might show up and I may not get a job because of my mental illness, but that is still far less important than standing up and doing something I know I should be doing.

To kick off my educational thing for mental illness and self-injury *

http://twloha.com/learn . This has information on depression, suicide,

self-injury, addiction, and eating disorders. If you're interested in learning more they have excellent educational links. If you are in need of help for any of these things or are having urges to do any of these things, please search their website, they can help you get help.  If you are contemplating suicide call a help line or 911 immediately. 

*Please note not everyone with a mental illness self-injures and not everyone who self-injures has a mental illness. 

Coping Skills A to Z Part One

Here is an A to Z list of coping skills. This is something I had to do in therapy once and it was actually pretty helpful, but I lost the list, so I thought I'd do it again and share it with you guys. This can be good even if you're just bored or having a hard time with something else; it doesn't have to be depression, anxiety, self harm, etc. 

Alphabetize: This might seem silly, but I find that this is not only calming, but that during dark times when I feel like doing nothing and I feel worthless that this gives me something productive to do and gives me a sense of worth, so sort through and alphabetize those books,movies,etc.

Bake: I love to bake when I'm having a normal mood or an elevated mood. It takes some doing to make myself bake when depressed, but it really lifts my spirits, especially if I can give away the baked goods to someone else. Again this is something that gives me a sense of self confidence and self worth.

Call a helpline: There are loads of them in every country for everything one would need a help line for; you just need to google for the specific type you're looking for (this itself can be a coping skill). I'll list some here; I suggest you write these in your journal. National Hopeline Network 1.800.SUICIDE (784-2433), National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  1.800.273.TALK (273-8255) For hearing and speech impaired with TTY equipment  ::  1.800.799.4TTY (779-4889) Español  ::  1.888.628.9454, National Child Abuse Hotline  ::  1.800.4.A.CHILD (422-4453), National Domestic Violence Hotline  ::  1.800.799.SAFE (799-7233), Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)  ::  1.800.656.HOPE (656-4673), and kuto 1.888.644.KUTO (5886).

Drink a cup of hot tea. 

Eat a well rounded meal. This only works at meal times, but it's often a temptation to not eat or to eat junk when we are very depressed, manic, or hypomanic, anxious, etc., so eating a well rounded meal is actually a very good coping skill.

Flower gardens: I personally love flower gardens and find them very therapeutic. Take photos of a flower garden, walk around one, or plant one.

Go somewhere. If you are self-injuring or have depression, you know they are isolating diseases. One of the the best ways to combat this is to go out to the zoo, park, museum, etc. Try to avoid shopping and spending more than about $20 while very emotional. Or if you really want to spend money, consult a trusted person or take them with you. 

Have a nice chat with a friend or family member.  These relationships tend to suffer when in the throws of anxiety, depression, self-injury, maina; even just normal life. 

Next tuesday's post will be I-Z! Let me know if any of these work for you. 

Fall goals list

Happy fall!
1.camp out in the back yard .
2.lose ten pounds
3.get back into the habit of exercising
4.read three books for leisure
5.share my story on the blog
6. Start volunteering or working at an old folks place
7.Bake cookies for a widow
8.Have a bonfire
9.get back into the habit of horseback riding
Do you have a goals list? What is on it? What is your favourite goal?

Journal prompt 3

Hello my lovelies,

I'm so sorry for not writing anything last weekend, but I was ill. I'm feeling much better now. So today's journal prompt is actually a few letter prompts. I was reading a lovely encouraging book called "101 Distractions from Depression, Self-harm (and other soul destroyers)," where she presented the idea of writing a letter to someone you're angry with and not sending it. This gave me the idea of the following prompts:

1.Write a letter to your best friend, a cousin, or a sibling. Why is this person important to you? What have you learned from this person over the years? What character traits do you admire in this person? What has this person done that you are most proud of? Why do you respect this person?

2.Write a letter to your mother. What is your favorite childhood memory with her? What is the biggest lesson you learned from her?  What was your favorite thing to do with her? What is your favorite thing to do with her now? What was a sacrifice she made for you?  What did this sacrifice mean to you then and what does it mean now?  What character traits does she have that you admire/ would like to obtain?

Of course you do not have to send these out, you can journal these,  tell them to the person verbally, or just spend time reflecting on the memories. Please give me feedback. Tell me about the person you thought of, a memory, etc. Have a lovely day.

Summer Goals List

Original list:

1. Blog twice a week

2. Portfolios- I would really love to put together an art portfolio  as well as a portfolio for my shop to show potential customers.

  

3. Camp out- I've been wanting to camp out on our farm since we moved here, but haven't done it yet.

4. Train for a 5k- I want to train for an Out of Darkness 5K.

5. Read 4 books (at different times) - I didn't reach my spring goal for reading so, I want to finish that as well as this one.

6. Redo a thrift store dresser -  I really want to start fixing up and painting furniture to sell. 

7. Get good at knitting- I have learned how to knit and I would really like to knit something pretty.

8. Sew more- I would really like to make some cool dresses.

9. Get a second job - I would  really like to be making more money by fall, so I can set it aside for the future.

10. Make an inspiration notebook - I've been meaning to make one of these for a while, so I'm pretty excited about this.

New list:

1. Blog twice a week

  

2. Camp out- I've been wanting to camp out on our farm since we moved here, but haven't done it yet.

3. Train for a 5k- I want to train for an Out of Darkness 5K.

4. read 4 books (at different times) - I didn't reach my spring goal for reading so, I want to finish that as well as this one. 

5.Get good at knitting- I have learned how to knit and I would really like to knit something pretty.

6. Get a second job - I would  really like to be making more money by fall, so I can set it aside for the future.

7. Make an inspiration notebook - I've been meaning to make one of these for a while, so I'm pretty excited about this.

8.Bake more.

9.Photograph my daily life more.

Journal Prompt 2

For today's prompt I wanted to give y'all some questions about growing up to answer.

1.What was your favorite childhood toy? Why? How did you feel when playing with it ? what is your favorite memory with it?

2.What was your first car? Do you have a favorite trip you drove it on?  Did you adore it or tolerate it?  What colour was it? What was the place you drove it to most? Was it neat and clean or messy and dirty?

3. What was your favorite childhood book?  what was it about? When was the last time you read it?
How did you feel when you read it? What was the overall tone of the book? What was the genre?

4. What was your favorite childhood tv show or movie?  What was the genre?  How did you feel when you watched it?  Was there a snack you ate when you were watching it?

Journal Prompt One

Lately, I've been journaling again, something I haven't done in quite a while. As I was journaling today, I decided to come up with some prompts for, not only myself, but also to inspire you guys to write. I will be doing a prompt each Sunday.  Feel free to share your writings  or thoughts on the prompt with me in the comments or on facebook.

Prompt One: What are your core beliefs? List and define these beliefs about your responsibilities, spirituality,etc.  How do these beliefs affect your everyday life?  Are they part of what makes you tick?  Why are they important to you?  What formed them?  Ask yourself these, and any other, questions you come up with. Remember, this is about you and what you believe, you are writing this stuff out for yourself and no one else.

Change

Wow, my life is changing so much, so very fast.  I only have one more class left that's just for high school, which is American history. The rest of the classes I take will be for high school and college credits. This semester I am taking math and psychology at the college and American history at home for high school/home school credit.

I've gotten a job as a lifeguard/swim instructor at the YMCA, I don't have a start date yet but I should find out about that this Monday or Tuesday.

Another huge change has been my mood. I've had a normal/happy mood for about three weeks now, I've even felt like baking and cooking.

The only drawback with some of these changes is less time to blog, so I'll probably only post on Friday or Saturday for a while.

Keep coming back to read more about my ever changing life! 

Ramblings

Hello everyone, I missed being able to write this week, although I had a ton of fun at camp!

I don't think that I've ever had a post like this before, but I really feel like just talking with you guys, so that's what I'm gonna do!  I'm in a superior mood lately, as in walking about with a huge smile and just being happy, it's wonderful. The only drawback is that I've been too busy to blog, though I plan to get into a regular schedule this week and blogging is definitely a part of a regular schedule for me.

I've been trying to lose a few pounds in a healthy way, so I think I'm gonna share that experience with you guys. So far I've been tracking my food intake, trying to eat less carbs, and drinking more water. I'm restarting my gym membership this Monday.

Last Wednesday,  I took my Compass test and made a high enough score on the English portion that I am taking the Photography class that I want to take. I am also taking a remedial math. My classes start on the 19th of this month.

I'm planning to start reading World War Z tomorrow if I can finish  reading Alice in Deadland today. I'm on a complete zombie kick right now, I'm watching a lot of the Walking Dead and reading zombie books.


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Life Recently

Hello Lovelies,

First off,  I'm terribly sorry for my extended absence, I honestly have no real excuse for it.

What I'm Watching: Alphas I just finished season one and I'm halfway through season two. Supernatural season 8. Merlin season one.

What I'm Reading: Alice in Deadland and a plethora of of Batman, Batgirl, and Doctor Who graphic novels.

What I'm Photographing: I've discovered a new cemetery that I'm  planning to have a picnic at and photograph again in the near future. The county fair I spent the entire week last week photographing.

Recovery: I'm pleased to report that I'm finally on good sleep schedule after many years of struggling with a poor sleep schedule.

what I'm Listening To: August Burns Red's Home album.

Things I'm Looking Forward to: I'm incredibly excited for school to start I have some catch up work to do then I'll be starting my junior year of high school and in a few weeks I'll be a part time college student as well.  I'm definitely most excited for my photography class.  My trip to camp next week.

Things Making me Smile: My dog cuddling with me. photos. painted nails. new jeans. doctor who. 

Today I Realized

I recently won third place for this in the county fair I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

Today I Realized

Today I realized that I have to learn how to live,

Today I realized that this is okay with me,

For better to learn how to live at 16,

Than to live in the darkness of drugs, alcohol, depression, or self injury.

Today I realized I’m not just a number or another statistic,

Today I realized I am human.

Today I realized that honesty is better,

Today I realized words will hurt me,

Today I realized that is not okay.

Today I realized that my past will define my future,

But will NEVER condemn it.

Today I realized that pain is really just a blessing in disguise,

Today I learned that today I realized.

By Lauren Joyner

Organizational Stuff

Organizing is by far one of my favorite things to do, so I thought it would be fun to share some project links and some links for epic organization apps/websites.

Epic sites and apps:
Springpad:  This is an amazing site for lists, to write reviews for things, compile your favorite photos etc.  My Springpad is ljoyner97.

Catch: Is a great place to keep lists and ideas, it is easy to use and a very well organized app/website.

Goodreads: Is a fabulous way to organize and keep track of what books you have read and what books you want to read. I am in love with this site!  My goodreads: Batgirl.

Awesome project: cornflower blue studio: diy rotating goal list


Sorry for the short post guys, I honestly thought I had more to write on the subject.

LIfe Recently

Wow, the past few weeks have been insane!  First off, I was in the hospital for four days last week for a medication adjustment. This week, I had food poisoning on Monday, then was in a minor car accident on Tuesday! That's why I haven't posted much the last four weeks or so.  Leading up to my medication change, I didn't feel much like writing.  I am very happy to report that my medication is now correct (woo!!!!!).

Several people have been asking for my Facebook and better ways to follow this blog.  I am on Bloglovin and that's probably the best way to follow me. Facebook is another excellent way to keep up with this blog, but also with how I am doing.  I would encourage you to friend me on Facebook and follow me on Bloglovin.  Now for the fun bit!

What I am Reading: Alice in Deadland, this is a lovely version of Alice in wonderland with zombies! Not only does this amazing book have zombies, but it has zombies that do a lot more than a normal zombie would. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes zombies and/or political books.

What I am Watching:  BBC's Waking the Dead is about a cold case team. 

What I'm Listening to: Van Halen's 1984 album. Mariana's Trench by August Burns Red. 

Things Making me Smile: Summertime weather, houseplants, and makeup. 

16 Before 17

I've been wanting to make one of these lists since I turned 16 in April and well it's July and I've finally gotten to it!  I'm  super excited to start working on this list. I'm most excited about number two. I've already been doing this and it's super fun. As well as an excellent way to become more comfortable with being alone, it just makes you enjoy your own company.

1) Enjoy having my licence and take advantage of that as much as possible.

2) Date myself; take myself on as many dates as possible.

3) Go electronics free for 48 hours.

4) Get a job making more money.

5) Write a kind loving letter to myself to read in 5 years on my birthday.

6) Pull a FUN all nighter, and sleep all day the next day.

7) Eat an entire dozen glazed doughnuts.

8) Save $500 dollars.

9) Attempt to make sushi.

10) Go to Six Flags.

11) Do water aerobics with the older folks at the Y.

12) Go to a concert.

13) Play kid's board games all afternoon.

14) Have a marathon of kid's movies.

15) Learn how to grill a pizza.

16) Run a 5K.

Spring Goal Review

Well I have completed most of my goals and the ones I have not completed, I still intend to complete asap. Some of these (the art class one) are prime examples of don't make many goals that require more than $20 and gas (that's just my rule, anyone can make it more or less than twenty dollars). The other goals went uncompleted due to laziness and lack of time.

Read 8 Books:  I completed this goal! I read Affirmation Poetry, Frankenstein and several other awesome books!

Plant my Flower garden: I kind of completed this goal. I didn't plant as many flowers as normal nor did I plant my flowers from seed, but I did plant flowers, so goal halfway completed. 

Press Some Flowers: This has been 100% successful goal!  I pressed about a dozen flowers.

Start a Scrap Book: I have without a doubt completed this goal! I've filled nearly an entire scrapbook with pictures, poems, quotes, and mementos. 

Take an Art Class: This is a goal I hope to complete this winter, since I was not able to take one during the spring.

Start a Blog: Well I have clearly managed this and I seem to be starting to gain a decently sized audience.

Finish getting my Driving Hours: I completed this goal with extra hours and successfully got my licence!

Volunteer at the Animal Shelter: I have done volunteer work, but not at the animal shelter, though I plan to drop my application off there this week. 

Go to Five Local Places I've Never Been To: I successfully did this, if you include places I haven't been to in forever, but sadly, I didn't legitimately complete this one .

P.S. I haven't posted yet this week, because I had a lot going on healthwise. 

Summer Goals List

I can't believe it is already summer. Here's a list of my summer goals.

1. Blog twice a week

2. Portfolios- I would really love to put together an art portfolio  as well as a portfolio for my shop to show potential customers.

  

3. Camp out- I've been wanting to camp out on our farm since we moved here, but haven't done it yet.

4. Train for a 5k- I want to train for an Out of Darkness 5K.

5. Read 4 books (at different times) - I didn't reach my spring goal for reading so, I want to finish that as well as this one.

6. Redo a thrift store dresser -  I really want to start fixing up and painting furniture to sell. 

7. Get good at knitting- I have learned how to knit and I would really like to knit something pretty.

8. Sew more- I would really like to make some cool dresses.

9. Get a second job - I would  really like to be making more money by fall, so I can set it aside for the future.

10. Make an inspiration notebook - I've been meaning to make one of these for a while, so I'm pretty excited about this.

Featured product of the week

This is the first of a new weekly installment.  I will be selecting an item from my etsy shop and selling it on here at a reduced price. These coasters can be found on my etsy shop here and  here. I can also do this with any .pdf file you send me, just tell me  you want to order a set of 4. To receive the special price of $14.90, message me on Facebook .

June Photo an Hour

 6:00 a.m. Eating outside and enjoying the flowers.

 7:00 a.m. Enjoying kitten yawns.

 8:00 a.m. Planning out my week.

 9:00 a.m. Taking a walk to wake up after doing math.

 10:00 a.m. Kitten cuteness and literature.

 11:00 a.m. Cleaned desk - ready to tackle more school work.

 12:00 p.m. Dusting some trinkets and antiques.

 1:00 p.m. Leaving to run some errands.

 2:00 p.m.  Enjoying my car bouquet.

 4:30 p.m. Picking up some flowers.

5:00 p.m. Buying pretty flowers.

6:00 p.m. Enjoying my newly planted flowers.

7:00 p.m. I read and then went to bed.

Self-Help Links

In this link post, I have concentrated on some awesome self-help links:

http://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/mildmoderate/entry.asp
Get Self Help This is the self-help printout mother load!

Center for Clinical Interventions - This website has great workbooks for everything from managing bipolar disorder to stopping procrastination in it's tracks.


Positive Coping With Health Conditions - Is a self-care manual authored by scientist-practitioners with expertise in issues relating to coping with health conditions. This manual is designed for individuals who deal with health conditions, including patients, physicians, psychologists, nurses, rehabilitation professionals, and researchers. (description from site)     

Learning Commons- Lots of helpful articles, podcasts and printables for students.


Dbsalliance - The depression and bipolar support alliance has lots of helpful information and printables.

Hey guys I just wanted to let you know that this week has been insane for me but I am now back on the blogging bandwagon!!!!!!!

May in my Rearveiw

With longer days, a day in May seems like a month, but the month itself seems like a week, but I have my thoughts together, so here we go.

Favorite photo of the month: This was taken in Maeystown, IL.

Events That Stand Out to Me:  Flooding and tornadoes in St. Louis, MO as well as those  in Oklahoma earlier in the month.

Iron Man 3 came out in theaters!

On a personal note, I got a job!!!

Favorite Links I Discovered/Rediscovered:

Ifred - This is a pretty brilliant website. It has very helpful links and they do a lot to kill sigma related to depression. They also have a great list of help lines and online help support.

imalive - This is an internet emergency support line, all of their volunteers are trained. I think there is a small fee, but completely worth it if you need the help. You can also make a donation to help pay for the volunteers training.

dogshaming  - This website is always hilarious! For those that don't know what it is, people post pictures of their dogs with a sign that says what the dog did, example: destroyed the bathroom.

beautyschoolsdirectory - This website has videos to help those going into cosmetology with helpful tips, scholarship information, and directories to help find schools in your area.

maybelline - They and most makeup companies have great easy to follow tutorials. I now have a new makeup routine thanks to combining several of these tutorials.

My Favorite Read of the Month: Animal Farm - this was by far my favorite book I read this month. I had to read it for school, although it has been on my list for quite a while. The storyline was entertaining and fascinating from a political aspect.

What I Watched: Way more Supernatural than one person should watch in a month. Psych - I actually finished the season of something on time for once.  Doctor Who - as usual I watched a ton of Doctor Who, both new episodes and old ones.

8:00 am: Blog planning. First thing in the morning is my favorite time of the day to plan and write, because I feel refreshed and serene.

 9:00 am  Laying out photos and trying to keep the kitten off the board I was using.

 10:00 am About to have yummy banana bread for breakfast while doing the debate portion of history class.

 11:00 am Writing letters to some good friends, while listening to Of Plymouth Plantation on librivox.org.

 12:00 pm Eating lunch and organizing my close,t while still listening to Of Plymouth Plantation.

 1:00 pm Enjoying my wall of pictures.

 2:00 pm leaving for the gym,it was actually warm enough to wear flip-flops on the way there.

 5:00 pm Grace coming to greet me when I arrived home from the gym.

 6:00 pm Reading one of my favorite blogs loveelycia.

7:00 pm Doing a bit of math.

I then watched some tv and went to bed around 9 pm .

My thoughts on life

I've really been thinking about how in our society, we tend to always have something distracting us.  I know I definitely struggle with that. So I have been brainstorming ways to help me stay more present in my thoughts. 

My favorite idea is to have a TV/music free day, or more than one day.  I am planning on doing this tomorrow and blogging about it on Saturday.  I  realized that I needed to do this on Tuesday when I realized that I haven't been actively in my own thoughts in a while and that it is killing my creativity. So, I really want to craft without telly or music. I think it will be very beneficial for me to do that. I also think I will start sitting with my thoughts for an hour or so a day at least for a while and when I am in the car.

This will also give a nice respite from constantly doing something. My life lately has been more about completing tasks in someways than about being happy, and that is NO way to live life. To me life is first about being happy, second about making others happy, and then everything else.

Photo Essay

Photo Essay: These pictures are from Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. This has quickly become my favorite cemetery to photography. There is something there that just takes hold of your soul and makes you fall in love with the people buried there, the land, the river that runs by, and every other aspect of this place. A feeling runs over you-- one of absolute peace and serenity.