Colorful Art
Lifts the Spirit

Blog

An Artist's Journey

Thanksgiving / Gratitude

by Kasia ( Kasia's Fiber Art Studio )

November 21, 2017

Dear Ones -

It's been a remarkable five months since I last wrote to you. After all of the challenges and highlights of this relocation to Sun City Carolina Lakes, I am happy to report that today I am flying high and free!

We have so many blessings for which to be truly grateful. Our health is first and foremost. We are grateful that our bodies held up under the stresses and physical strain of this move. Some days we clung to each other for strength. Other days, it seemed better to go our separate ways and learn to handle our emotions in our own way. Our relationship has grown through this process and seems fresh and new after 47 years of marriage.

Turning our world on end. Completely changing EVERYTHING, has been quite an adventure!
I won't tell a lie. It proved to be a lot of work to combine two households into one space. It was overwhelming at times. However, now as I look back, I realize how very blessed we are to have it all behind us. We are happy to be able to call this house our HOME SWEET HOME.

Having two households to maintain and keep organized took more energy than I knew at the time. I realize now that I had been feeling very displaced and confused by not knowing where my things were. I'm not sure how the rich and famous do it. I simply NEED to be able to put my hands on my things. It feeds my creativity to be organized.

We did do a considerable amount of purging during this process. I found it very therapeutic to LET GO of the past and am learning to live in the moment. If you know me well, you know that I have been the saver of keepsakes. I had boxes full of mementos of my children's childhoods. Then I saved some toys and things from our grandchildren. Most all of that has found new homes.

I learned a little trick to 'Let it All Go'. Items that held a happy memory were photographed and filed on my PC in an album called 'My Favorite Things' before they were given away. If they couldn't be repurposed, other items that had outlived their original use were also purged. If I didn't LOVE IT or use it, it was purged. The benefit to all of this purging is that now, everywhere I look, I see something that really warms my heart. It has been a very uplifting and freeing experience.

We are learning to live with the change of seasons again. Leaving the cold winters of Wisconsin in favor of the warmth of Florida, we had acclimated to the tropical climate. Now, in the Carolinas, along with the beautiful colors of fall, we are experiencing the colder temps again. Some days it is a challenge to navigate the temperature swings of nearly 40 degrees in a 24 hour period. But the beauty around us, the lifestyle, the neighborhood, the inner growth has all been worth it!

We miss seeing you, Dear One, and all of our extended family and longtime golfing friends, but the growth that comes from stepping out of our comfort zones is priceless. Our retirement is truly an adventure. We have managed a couple of weekends away in our RV. Exploring the Smokey Mountains and the surrounding area. We have many more places on our bucket list to explore as time permits.

You may be pleased to know that my Circle Door Studio has been set up in a room with a view. I now have it organized enough to pursue my creativity once again. I have been working on a couple of holiday projects and have started a list of ideas/works for 2018. I'll keep you posted as they progress.

For now, I am grateful for you in my life. I think of you often and cherish the times that we have spent together. I look forward to the day when our paths will cross again. In the meantime, we will have this connection, for which I am grateful. Whenever you would like to reach out, comment here, or email me privately and I will be happy to respond.

On Thanksgiving Day, as you count your blessings, I hope that you will think of me as I will be thinking of you. Until next time -

To you and yours, I send my love,

Kasia