Tuesday's Grace Notes

Tuesday's Grace Notes

"I can't I can't...  oh yes you can!  Sometimes our setbacks teach us lessons more valuable than gold,  Teaching early morning voice lessons w/out an ounce of make up then brazenly heading to Publix for the first time in weeks due to illness and being told that my "face just glowed",  very sick in bed the next day to "pay" for it but sometimes when you have a chronic illness that's just part of the game....and worth every penny and wondering "can life get any better than this?

www.asbellarts.com

Thursday's Grace Notes

Thursday's Grace Notes

Enjoying food again,  waking up feeling strong and better so that so many people can stop worrying about me.. including myself, once I become stronger I can be stronger for others as well,,  the fact that all of my students and clients end up eventually being my friends,  opening my fridge and not hearing the song "Blinded by the light",happy crows and old dogs chasing squirrels,  fun is always there to be had, we just have to remember to plug into it  and  Praising God that it is February and you and I are hear to enjoy it.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Tuesday's Grace Notes

Tuesday's Grace Notes

God is not standing there with his arms across His chest expecting my next mistake,  no His arms are open wide to take me back in,  sometimes taking the easy way out IS the right way out,  remembering how it felt to enter my children's rooms in bare feet then discovering the army of plastic Lego's all over the floor, knowing that someday I would cherish this,  I have never been this sick living by myself before... and have never felt this loved,  and , well, listening to my doctors and greatly increasing my steroids tomorrow.  It should be a much better day.  I have a love/hate relationship with my many meds.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com



Monday's Grace Notes

Monday's Grace Notes

I now declare that I only have a bad chest cold,  Today I took a real long look at myself in the mirror. I have been sick for several weeks. Once I recognized who I was and the shock began to wear off, I took two hours to slightly recaim my "girly girl".  Is it too soon to say "celebrate the day"?  Waking up to a messy house that I can still live in, hey! who turned on the birdsong again?  I have not been able to ride my blessed power chair down to Publix in several weeks.  It's not about the groceries.  I am well taken care of,  it's the baking manager that offers me not a free cookie but wants to give me a $14.00 torte just to make me happy.  I blush, stammer, give thanks and roll to the produce section.  There the produce manager takes me aside and says "our God is not on our schedule but he wants me to tell you that you are not alone. They know nothing about me... many of you are also in the dark as it should be.  They know nothing.  But they have seen me become weaker.  People who are strangers to me come up and say "you don't know me but you are such an inspiration to me...  you rock!"  I don't deserve any of this but if God wants to give it to me then I will try to pass on my Grace Notes for one more day.

Okay now can I say it?

Celebrate the day?

Celebrate!

www.asbellarts.com

Acts Of Love

Acts Of Love

My daughter -in-LOVE took Friday off of work,  went to Winn-Dixie for me, then the library, then to me to get my coupons, then spent two hours at Publix. Why so long?  She carefully made sure that everything was low in salt, preservatives and a good deal even buying easy opening cans for my arthritis.  Once home  she put away my groceries "Martha Stuart Style".  She then scrubbed and cleaned and organized my kitchen and emptied the dishwasher.   All the while she acted like it was just a joy to spend time with me, not a burden.

She took care of me.

She really took care of me.

I didn't get to pick my daughter in law,  but God did.

Celebrate the day! 

Tuesday's Grace Notes

Singing on the mountaintops and in the valleys below, I may live in a house with moldy floors, duck taped carpets and broken windows but when I watch Extreme Home Makeover" I realize that I live in a palace,  iced coffee w/ chocolate protein powder,  seeing grocery shopping as a world of creative possibilities,  sharing my passion for art with my son Steve,  and my old dog going through his second childhood and being stuck in the terrible twos.  Too funny.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Sunday's Grace Notes

Sunday's Grace Notes

Overcoming my obstacles one day at a time,  having a vision of abundance, believing that one day I will own a wheelchair accessible vehicle,  a jar of tandoori sauce to play with,  making friends in the produce isle,  being fully engaged in life...  most of the time,  my new book "A Woman's Guide To Living Alone... 10 ways to survive grief and be happy" and my new obsession with curry.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com 

Monday's Grace Notes

Monday's Grace Notes

Happy New Year!

Sleeping 9 hrs!  Woo-hoo!,  a quick hot breakfast,  getting my act together (now is this act 1 or act 2?  And do I enter stage left or...),  my Bunn coffee maker is broken BUT it still works- just very v e r y slowly,  my new one woman show "Florida Horizons" at Perdue in downtown Jacksonville,  putting away the holidays and bringing back the calm,  watching Panda push his "now THAT was easy" Staples button and picking up after myself.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts

Friday's Grace Notes

Friday's Grace Notes

Taking a shower in the morning, a new supply of bottled water, "my joy is like a bubbling brook", watching TV w/ others, being responsible for my own potential, and being healthy enough to clean my own house.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Friday's Grace Notes

Tuesday's Grace Notes

Every day being a Friday!, reading outside until the failing light and singing crickets tell me it's time to go inside, cinnamon broomsticks, a grocery basket full of fresh produce, the new show "The Chew"... fun, having my own home to truly live in, every room being a 'living room' w/ fresh flowers, cuttings or plants, surrounding myself with beauty and my new 12 year old voice student... you should hear her sing "Pocahontas"!  Love my job.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarrts.com

Sunday's Grace Notes

Sunday's Grace Notes

Waiting on God so He can show me how strong I really am, be bopping down to CVS and Publix in my powered wheel chair, being overwhelmed by the love and support of my neighbors,fresh veggies; squash, asparagus, onions, mushrooms, garlic and rosemary to make a tortellini soup, playing guitar on the back patio on one of the most beautiful mornings of fall ever, and writing Grace Notes at 9:15 at night.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Thursday's Grace Notes

Thursday's Grace Notes

Driving to Publix to go grocery shopping using the electric cart... first time in three long months!  Woohoo!, my neighbor Megan helping me unload the car, :) my new recording of "Killing Me Softly" with guitar and voice, meeting my new 16 year old art student, (we are going to have fun), waking up in the very early morning light with drizzly rain to enjoy quiet time and Bible study (what a great way to start the day), my friend Ralph cutting back our huge oak tree and lots of groceries to cook, create and share with people.  I love to cook!

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com