Colored Pencils Galore

 Most of my coloring has been in books I got from Swap Shop (free) or bought at a Goodwill store while we were on vacation. I have been using some pencils I have had since pre-teen years when I did color-by-number pictures. When I did an Amazon order for Christmas gifts, I needed about $8 more to get free shipping. I ordered myself a coloring book which I put in the closet until Christmas Day. It is mostly scenes of lakes, ponds, mountains, plants. All I could see before I ordered was the front and back covers.

 As I was coloring a simple picture not from that book the other day, I thought it would be nice to have more pencils so I had more choices and could do gradations of color. Voila! An order to Amazon brought me 180 colored pencils in a set. They arrived this morning.

 

It is a good thing I am not doing color-by-number these days because these pencils are arranged by color, not number. (Each pencil does have a number, however.) I may eventually put them in order by number, but I am not sure there is any advantage to that except I might see something on the swatch chart that interests me and not know exactly where to find it.

I am going to do the swatch chart with one half of the box full pressure color and the other light pressure. 

The set came in a metal case. The reviews for this brand were pretty good. The pencils are for craft/hobby use not professional use, but a few people doing reviews said they are professional artists and this brand is better than most non-professional sets. 

I am going to try to complete the swatch chart this weekend because next week I will start working on my income tax returns. Probably not much coloring going on next week. I may need to color to de-stress after working on taxes. 

An Ollie's store just opened in Warsaw. When I shopped at the Fort Wayne store for books for the retirement library, I noticed they did have adult coloring books. Maybe ours will, too. No hurry for more coloring books though because I only do a few a month. With so many fun colors, I may even try to draw a few pictures. 

I Love/Like . . .

 About a decade ago, I did one of the exercises in The Right to Write by Julia Cameron to make a list of things that I loved. The idea was to regularly peruse it to relax me and put me in a positive mood for writing. I have not edited nor updated this list through the years, yet I find most of the items on the list still are things that lift my spirits and remind me of the good blessings in my life. 

Try making your own list. Mine is in a composition book where I made notes from the books I read about writing and did the suggested exercises. I am not doing much writing now, but I still re-read the list fairly often to boost my mood. It is not a comprehensive list. I could add colorful sunsets, sound of wind in pine trees, et cetera. Maybe someday I will make a second list. For now, I am content with what I have.

I am mostly a homebody with simple tastes. Your list might reflect an interest in fashion/jewelry or attending entertainment venues or participating in active sports like zip-lining which are not part of my list. How many items on your list overlap mine?

With the exception of the first 5 items, these are not listed in any order of priority, just randomly noted as they came to mind.

Jesus--being a child of God--my husband--my two sisters--my home (condo)--pools of lamplight--sunny warm autumn days with cool nights--creme brulee--order, neatness--rain on the roof as I am dry and sheltered inside--cozy sweater--Skecher shoes--folders of decorating pictures--a good bargain--photos on computer--chili with cornbread--sleeping in my own bed--reading favorite blogs--butternut squash soup--zucchini bread--Indiana/Michigan blueberries--Lindt dark chocolate truffle--Tex/Mex food--farmers' market small tomatoes and corn on cob--reading newspapers--embroidered clothes--restaurant meals (eating out)--changing color of leaves in fall--good fiction book--hot chocolate--CD of hymns or easy listening music--rocking/gliding motion--sitting on front porch--beachcombing--meeting needs in retirement library--gratitude journaling--smelling roses--bouquet of flowers--wildflowers--watching birds at feeder--lighted Christmas tree--Willow Tree nativity--eating some meals in the sunroom--singing in choir--chocolate--freedoms living in the U.S.--wooden items made by my husband--hug and a kiss--electric blanket in winter--mementos in miniature box--being solvent--wedding ring set--walking in the woods--mountains--Big Bear--Swarovski crystal bear--cross-stitch of blue and white jug with tulips--padded hangers--crisp apple--apple cider--warm shower--people being nice/kind--crossword puzzles--jigsaw puzzles--ice cream cone on vacation--melty chocolate chip cookies--dining room set--knitted dish cloths--air conditioning--TLC when I am sick.

How to Winter

 In 36 days, the vernal equinox occurs. That fact keeps me going through my northern Indiana winter. The next 4 days we will not even get to 20 degrees. A countdown to spring helps. 

However, Kari Leibowitz in her book How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days says that the attitude of looking on the bright side that winter will not last, soon be over, reinforces negative mindsets about winter. It means we are not living in the moment and focusing on what is wonderful about winter. Our mindsets influence what we notice and what we expect. If we have a positive mindset about winter, we will look for opportunities to enjoy winter.

We in the United States suffer from living in a culture that is out of sync with yearly rhythms of light and dark. This is not true of all cultures, and she tells us of places she has studied and visited where the mindset about winter is very different from ours. She lived for several months in Norway above the Arctic Circle where there was no sunrise and sunset as she experienced where she normally resides; but there were the Northern lights which inspired awe. There were warm affordable clothes which she availed herself of. Trails were cleared to make walking in nature easy. She admits that how one's town, state, country responds to weather and facilitates winter life can make it easier or harder to embrace the season. 

She has formally studied mindsets and their influences. She spends lots of time explaining mindsets. 

Her strategies to embrace winter are to appreciate what makes it special and different, to make it special with coziness, rituals, meaningful events, and to get outside. 

Winter is a time for rest. It asks us to fill our days with indoor diversions: baking, knitting, quilting, reading, listening to music, sitting by the fire, doing crafts and puzzles, playing games. Refining our ability to make our own joys during long nights or cold/wet weather, empowers us to find micro-moments of happiness in any season she says. Cultivate quiet contentment.

She describes cultures that have special rituals in winter. A major one is gathering around a fire. Some others are "polar plunges", Christmas festivities, star gazing, hygge.

She is seeking winter ambassadors who will instead of whining about winter will extoll its wonders. She did not convert me. I do some of the comforting cozy things she suggests, but I do not find pleasure in being outside in dark cold days. I do not appreciate winter limitations.

Amaryllis, Act Two

 One of my amaryllis bulbs had a second stem. It has finally opened. The flowers are smaller than the first stem's flowers, but it is a nice spot of color.

You can see it when it was a little sprout next to the larger stem.