It is complete "my bowl of stones"

Funny how simple things make me so happy...diamond rings, fancy race cars with convertible tops, vacation in far off places?  Nope not for this girl...I've always been about the simple things. So I'm celebrating at the kitchen table with my bowl of stones.  The center ones are a few smoothies gathered while up in Door county this past October. And I wanted a special bowl for them and I purchased this from Earl Heinz a pottery out of Warrenville...

So I pick one stone that was turned over this morning and I get.. "I am more then my body"  well this is so right up path...I've always had a body image issue. (get the tissues)  Food has always been a form of comfort, a way to solve my worldly and every day problems.  And this morning it came to me, while filling my cup with coffee, my perception of what foods are good are all skewed. Chocolates, cream cheese cakes, fries, chips, bread and butter and any sugar at the time of need to get through what ever I needed to get through...Well I'm not going to go in to the woman food body image thing to much longer as we all deal with it as we need to or not...me I'm at the age now where the body at mid day decides to hold water and then I get a hot flash and feel a bit disorientated and what to run and hide...Then anxiety steps up a notch and I'm looking for the sugar...trying hard to keep the mind, body, spiritual thing in balance is what I'm working towards and not feed into the sugar and comfort foods as a God of coping...which just makes it all worse... (You can purchase stones like this at Queen of Arts Studio-queenofartsStudio.etsy.com) Yes I'm sure you can make them yourself but I like to support other artist now and then... 

So now that this little stone has opened a door this morning what is new?  The woods again that's what's new.  I've been filling myself with the woods. I spent a good hour and a half each day the past two walking with my poles up and down the path.  The tracks from the animals are so great to see.  I was out there none to early and I was the first to walk the trail and seen evidence of the coyotes. And love seeing the field mice as the leave a center line (tail mark) between the back foot prints.  I spotted their trail of many that lead across the path and by the big tree and carry on for sometime...Must feel like many mice miles to them.. I like to see the mounds from the ones making tunnels too, (could be the Voles)   I saw a few raccoon tracks also..I was taught that the animals conserve the energy by using the same trails so they don't have to waste it cutting a new path... and with the way the snow as been that would use up a lot of energy.  The birds too, are busy...the nuthatches are tapping away at that bark on the trees, I thought it was the woodpeckers but when I caught up to the sound I find out it's not...I even hear a good group of Blue Jays and the Cardinals up high.   The forest rangers have cleared more so you can see areas that you hadn't before...When spring comes it will be all full of new growth, instead of buck thorn and honeysuckle bushes that just take over.   On Friday I saw 7 younger deer and a few adults..hard times for them...but we have a thaw coming and I'm sure it will leave some gaps for the earth to be revealed and few tasty tidbits..

So I'm regrouped and ready for a new week...which today will be spent in the studio packing up and getting ready for the two classes I have and the workshop on Saturday...Still in the works but all ready with supplies to go..I'm excited to share and watch others make art!..Can this be my purpose in life? if it is so be it I'm having a grand time with it all and so grateful I can...

Peace to all, inside, outside and all around today..
Good thoughts for family, friends, and those that are struggling.