Bee Sweet Like Honey

Hi everyone,

I took some time this afternoon to explore and reflect on what is happening in the world around us. I couldn't help but look at the beautiful wild iris in the middle of my woods, and admire their beauty.

We've had so much rain this year. At times we didn't see sunshine for days. Though we grew tired of it, to look at my surroundings now, I realized it was exactly what was needed to yield these beautiful native flowers all along my little creek. A reminder that what we all looked at as an inconvenience and a nuisance a couple of months ago has ended up coloring the landscape with such beauty. We don't quite know yet what will come of this time that we are in, but we have to hold on to the hope that beautiful things will bloom when this time passes.

Even the thistle, though it has thorns, still brings a rustic beauty to the landscape. For me, it was nature's way of underscoring the fact that even when life brings thorns into our lives, if we give it time, life can bloom in the middle of it all. What can you see blooming in your own life at this time?

The highlight of my afternoon excursion had to be seeing the bee in the  blackberry blossoms. I started working on a new website last fall, that I will be launching this spring called "the Jubilee Bee". I love bees because they remind me of my own life. Like the bee, that should not be able to fly, I have survived trials and tribulations that I should not have. Not a day goes by that I do not acknowledge how very blessed that I am. I have purchased some bee stock images as I have gone through this new creative process, but seeing the perfect shot, and being able to capture it brought me so much joy.

I think it is important for us to remember in this time of uncertainty that some things in life may have thorns or may sting, but in the middle of it all, we can find beauty. We can bloom. Yes, a lot of things may rain down us before we bloom, but all storms pass. Life always comes back to the surface. Beauty can always be found from ashes.

As a gently reminder as I close this evening, and words that my Mimi use to tell us, "You get more bees with honey than you do vinegar." So when others start getting on your nerves, which is common in times like these, think of this last photo, and try your best to bee sweet like honey!

Sending you a long distance hug,

Jen

Waiting on Santa in the Summer

 Hi everyone!

As I welcome in this beautiful evening I can't help but reflect on how drastically my life has changed in the past year. 

Years ago I dreamed of having a cottage in my little woods where I could create. Months ago I wrote about it, thinking it would take years to come to fruition and then out of the blue, God had a change of plans. What I thought would take years only took a couple of months.

It was a gently reminder of His perfect timing because my vision, while beautiful, so paled in comparison to what He actually had in store for me.

Isn't it funny how that happens? Isn't it funny how no matter how many trials He brings us through, no matter how many God winks & modern day miracles we see Him perform in our lives, if we aren't careful we find ourselves clinging to our mustard seed and loosing heart when it comes to the promises that are so close to our heart.

So what do we do when that happens? Well since I am in the middle of this journey what I have chosen to do is surround myself with 3 of THE most precious friends a girl could ask for. 

And music - music just makes everything better!! Hey, my neighbor's haven't complained about me serenading them yet!!

I don't know what is more beautiful, watching the stars come out one by one or watching the light bugs begin their evening dance one little light at a time.  Yes, at times I have to remind myself or my friends gently remind me, that if God can make the stars, if He can give a tiny bug the ability to light up the sky, then God has not forgotten about the desires of my heart.  

Sometimes I just have to slow down, take a deep breath, look around at the incredible blessings He has right in front of me and trust Him with the rest.

If He could help me turn what was once a plain little building into my own little magical retreat, just think about what He may have in store for me next??!!  It’s like waiting for Santa in the middle of the summer!!!  Until next time...

Soup on a Sunny Day

Hi everyone!

Over the past several days, though life has had me slow down a bit to deal with this cold, I have found that the result has been a wave of new material for my books.  It is exciting, yet a tad bit overwhelming at times.  

I have come to the conclusion that often times writers aren’t born, life just makes us that way.  

Literally during some of the most unpleasant times in my life I have had friends like Sarah Bernard tell me, “WAIT, WAIT – like I know what you are going through is really horrible, but I can only think about your books.  YOU HAVE TO WRITE THIS DOWN!!  I’m sorry, but when I talk to you I just always think of how you need to put this into your books.  Your life is like this tragic comedy, but you have to write it down because no matter what you go through, you always come out okay.”  

Yes, there have been times when we have laughed through the tears and the pain that I have reminded her, “BELIEVE me – I WILL NOT FORGET THESE DETAILS!”

 

So I guess not only do I now have a creative tribe of friends, but I also have an incredible group of friends that have become by surrogate family tribe as well.  My friend Kathy has been rock and has walked with me through one of the scariest times in my life.  Yet we filled notebook after notebook with the tails of this unfortunate adventure, because some things are so unbelievable I just can’t make them up.  My Cajun friend Kim has spent many years on this journey with me and she knows me better than almost anyone.  The list could go on and on and I don’t want to leave anyone out, but that really isn’t my point tonight.

As I made tortellini soup, a favorite at my house when we aren’t feeling well, I couldn’t help but think of how much our lives are like the things we cook.  Sometimes we have to put things that might not seem appetizing at first into our recipes, but when we are done we have created a culinary master piece.

Aren’t our lives like that too?  Sometimes we have to go through times that may seem wonderful at first, yet turn into a disaster, or unpleasant at first - may be hot to the touch, or cold in terms of how we are treated, but isn’t it this combination of hot and cold, sour and sweet, that in the end can lead to the most delectable of creations that becomes out life?

Yes, sometimes life has us slow down a bit so that we can celebrate the aroma of what is around us and what we have been given.  So we can tell what needs to be added to our life and what we need to take away, so that in the end, like food, we feel, warm, comforted, and loved.

Until tomorrow…. 

Creative Chaos

Hi everyone!

Yes, at 1:20 AM I should soooo be asleep since I have so much to accomplish in a few hours, but this is what happens when a doctor gives you 2 shots at 3 PM to try and help you get well.  I had said earlier on Facebook that I knew this would mean lots of writing for me and wow has that been the truth.

As I sat here trying to fall asleep, without much success, I couldn’t help but think of all of my different projects.  Creatives are often known for taking on too much and finishing very little.  On more than one occasion I have had people ask me how I juggle the many hats that I wear and I think I have found the answer.

I have always been a multitasker, hey I was an Army wife for 18 years – I was taught this from the moment I stepped of the plane in Germany.  You hear me say over and over how blessed I am, but I have an amazing career that lets me teach young adults how they CAN come to like and even LOVE computers because we can use them to make incredible things and literally change the world.  I have a friend that for 14 years has laughed and said, “Do you still love your job?”  And I can honestly tell her yes.  There aren’t many people that can do this.

So over the weekend I embroidered; today I was writing; and tonight I posted a picture of my Garden Glitter.  How do I decide what I want to do?  How do I get it done? 

In July we celebrate Independence Day and for me July 2015 was not only a real life Independence Day, but it also marked a time in my life when God opened doors for me I never thought I would have the chance to walk through again.  It was literally like the butterfly finally getting free from the cocoon and being told, it’s all yours - go for it – it’s time. 

So I did, I swam with the Sharks and went back to school.  I wrote research and chapters for my books at a feverish pace.  And then the funniest thing happen, then I started to see pieces of the puzzle of my life that I only dreamed of in my writings take shape.  The girl/The woman who had been told her whole life she had a bad habit of not finishing things was doing it with every ounce of her being.  I dreamed, planned, and brought to fruition THE Curiosity Cottage that had always been in my heart, but now was a place I could show the world.  One by one, person by person, and detail by detail God let it all fall into place – in a way that I had only dreamed of.  But once again it so beautifully illustrated that His timing is ALWAYS better than ours and when He is behind it the results are truly breath taking.

So now what, how do I keep this constructive creative journey going since my life is now free from chaos?  Well it starts by first becoming comfortable enough with me, finally after 50 years, that I realize I love to do things and explore – after all from the very beginning I have said Curiosity Cottage was “a place to explore my curiosity of life” – and if I am not comfortable exploring the world in my own little space, then how could I possible do this anywhere else?  Yes it is time to simplify and get rid of things that I don’t need.  That will come over the next several months.  With each new step; with each new accomplishment; and each time that I try out these new wings, I will get there.

I have come to the conclusion that it is okay if I embroidery sometimes, and write sometimes.  There is nothing wrong with making Garden Glitter in the spring so people can put it in their gardens, but lamps in the summer out of tea pots when people don’t want to go outside.  It’s OK to learn new things and go on new adventures. 

In other words, there is no right or wrong way to be a creative.  We don’t have to pick one certain craft, hobby, or passion and do that forever.  For me personally I would die of boredom. 

When our community started Maker Mornings with Todd Henry as the first speaker, I don’t think anyone fully realized the impact that this was going to have.  Just yesterday someone in our Maker Morning Tribe commented on how we are not competing with each other.  Instead, our creative energy is actually having a snowball effect.  I was being an accidental creative before I ever heard about the book.  I wanted to die empty before anyone every told me I should.  And I was combing art with technology before I ever knew that LSU was turning this into a whole degree program.  I just thought I was out in left field, never knowing there was actually a tribe out there doing this same thing.

Being a creative can often be a lonely life.  Often times some of the people closest to us just don’t get us.  If we aren’t careful they can inadvertently crush out spirit.  But having a group of like minded creatives – well I think there are a lot more butterflies in Central Louisiana finding their way out of their cocoons than any of us could even imagine just yet!

Until tomorrow or later today…

What's Your Word??

Hi everyone!

This is one Valentine's Day that I couldn't wait to get here!!!  Not because I have any earth shattering news or new love in my life, but because this holiday just seems to totally embody the whole essence of my little cottage.

For years I dreamed of her; for months I wrote of her; and then the pieces of the puzzle all fell into place YEARS sooner than I ever dreamed possible.

As I went about writing my favorite bible verses on the studs of her walls I felt such peace. I wanted this to be a place where when I create I am just wrapped in God's Word.  After I got the tin ceiling home, I also learned that it was approximately 100 years old and came out of a friend's great-grandfather's barn. If that tin could talk, oh the stories it could share with me as I write my own.

So in the middle of the entire process of finishing off the inside I took a break one night to watch Eat, Pray, Love for probably the 20th time.  Hey, what can I say, I love chick flicks!!  However, in the movie they ask Liz what word would she use to represent herself - not what she did for a living, but word embodied her as a person.

For weeks I had been gathering things to go inside my cottage and one of the elements included three little signs that had the saying my kids told me related to love.  I have always collected hearts an signs that say love over the years too. After watch that movie though it hit me - my word is LOVE.

This isn't just romantic love, it's the love I feel toward my children & friends; toward my colleagues & my students;  toward the things I create & the gifts I give to other people.

No, my life has not been easy, but NO matter what is thrown at me, I ALWAYS have LOVE.

So why some singles despise Valentine's Day, I embrace her, cherish her, and use the day to create things of love that I can share with the world.

Until tomorrow...

When You Wish Upon A Star

Hi everyone!
Tonight, as I went outside to write several things came to mind.  Sometimes it isn't that we find ourselves at the wrong place on life's journey - it's more a matter of changing our perspective. 

For example, at first I put my new Adirondack chairs facing my cottage, which was fine because I love how my little porch turned out, but when I turned them around to face the creek & woods - WOW!!! The majestic magnolias and delicate pines are just breath taking. 

As the patio lights start to twinkle, as I wait for the stars so we can dance, I notice all the pine cones beginning to dance with the trees in the crisp wind. Sometimes we are so busy waiting to wish upon a shooting star we miss other beautiful things that are often hidden from the night sky. 

For example, tonight as I sat on my little deck waiting for the stars to make their appearance, for the first time in my life I actually got to witness watching as the squirrels made their way to their nest before dark. There is a time at dusk when we no longer see the pine cones or squirrels, when we can listen to the wind serenade us as it moves through the trees, but when we have to look to the heavens and trust that the stars will appear. 

It's in these times, the times that seems to last forever, though really it is just a moment in the big scheme of things, that we have to trust. I wear a mustard seed pendent so that in times when I find the waiting tough I have something to hold on to. 

But if we hold on to the mustard seed, if we let ourselves relax and breath, if we savor every minute of both daylight & dark, both the good & bad times, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS - slowly but surely the stars will appear. One by one, minute by minute, they appear. We are NEVER too old to wish upon a star or two, to sing a song or two, and embrace the night - forever thanking God for this very moment in time.

In order to see these things, in order to appreciate these things, we have to stop from the whirlwind of life in which we often find ourselves. I have been told that I don't know how to pace myself...guilty as charged I am afraid. Queen of Multitasking, and one of those people who tends to do their best work under pressure. I also have a bad habit of working until I crash, though I have to say I am getting better at pacing myself and paying attention when my body screams at me, but WOW it is so hard to be a creative and stop sometimes. 

And I know if you are a creative you completely get this - the struggle is real!! My little cottage is helping me with this. Even my friends that helped me bring this to fruition all remarked at how peaceful my little corner of the world is - they got it too!!! 

They could see and feel my vision and I have to tell you, as a creative there is NO greater feeling on this earth then to have people GET the vision that you have held in your heart for years.

Yes it is a bit nippy out, but hey, that is why there are blankets. The night is too beautiful to miss a thing & who knows, maybe, just maybe I'll see a shooting star.


Until tomorrow...

It's the Little Things

Hi everyone!

I have had a very busy day working with kids from the community - turning them into little makers.  Their enthusiasm and their hunger to learn to become computer programmers is just such a blessing.

We coded, we laughed, we sang.  Yes, our little group of boys and girls...and their teacher had a ball singing Adele's Hello.  Yes, we will sing tomorrow as we code.  Creating and learning should be fun!!  You should LOVE what you do.

What a morning spent with these kids reminded me of once more is that it is the little things in life that are the biggest blessings.

This may be children or pets or wild flowers...you name it - but for me, it also means my little Curiosity Cottage.

For me, my little cottage facing my woods is the greatest creative accomplishment that I have ever envisioned and then brought into being.  It is my place to enjoy quiet time, watch the stars as I listen to great music, and write what I feel is being laid upon my heart.  

I have enjoyed the outdoors and going to the woods since I was a little girl.  I am just blessed enough to have my own little corner of the world in the woods.

So tonight I don't have a lot that I want to say in words.  Instead I want to give you a little glimpse into my greatest pride and joy...next to my kids.

A window to my world if you will.

Until tomorrow...