Spring is Sprinin!

Cannot say its actually sprung yet but Spring is Sprinin!

This makes me soooo happy. I need to shake the winter cob webs out of my head and get my hands in the dirt. Thank you for the sunshine, Thank you for the tulips pushing up, Thank you for the birds who remind me that no matter whats going on in my little world life is an endless circle...it still moves along and never misses a beat.

All this reminds me to ask...

What can I give, Who can I serve, How can I add to the beauty in this world.

Happy sigh :)

Abundance- Ding!

Abundance unto you! lol

A little story about Abundance..... Well a few weeks back I came across a chime I wanted to hang in my living room. I found a place for it but that displaced another little bell. That bell looks much like the one shown here. So...because I had no place to stick the smaller bell I put a tack right in the door casing in the living room and hung the bell on it. Its right above your head when you walk through the main two rooms of the house.

Then, one day shortly after, that I was feeling frustrated with our financial situation and looked up and saw the bell. I gave it a brisk *swack* and said "Prosperity Already!". But- right then I had a realisation.....its not prosperity that I actually want....its ABUNDANCE!

Abundance of love, Abundance of connection, Abundance of community, Abundance of good health, Abundance of inspiration, Abundance of particular material items!!!!!!!!!!

So right then, I hit that bell and said "Abundance!" The bell was promptly named our "Abundance Bell"

Now every member of the family hits the bell as they pass under it and say "Abundance". We all say Abundance every day. We wish people Abundance and we live in gratitude.

So- is it working? Y-E-S!!!!! Oh God YES! We are rolling in Abundance! We have always been broke (raising 7 kids on a therapists income) and we've always maintained an attitude of Lack. "If only, we wish, we'll never, boo hoo" Now we have a family wide WE CAN AND WE WILL attitude! We are reaping all kinds of material benefits too......the universe has given us 3 amazing new cameras, a new mini van, a fancy new bike for Jody, free braces for Vayda just to name a few. These blessings are coming so regularly now that I am forgetting some of them.

Its been truly amazing.

Because I want everyone I know to enjoy an abundant life as well I have been making little beaded bells (not a thing like the one above) and giving them away to friends and even strangers I meet. If you want one please just let me know. Email me at fineartbycarrie@hotmail.com and we'll work it out.

Wishing you Abundance!

My nest is empty

I have been a parent since I was 21 yrs old. That's just shy of 18 yrs now. For the last 13 I have been mother/ step mother to 7 children. Things have shifted a lot over the last years and now its like this.....

A few years ago I had 7 children. It was all very loud and overwhelming most of the time but I did love the energy of the home. Then for years we had just 5. Just several months ago I still had 'just' 4 kids. Then in December my (bio) oldest left home to do service in California. She was 17 and now as I look at it, though I am so very proud of her, I was not ready to let her go. Then a month or so later my 19 yr old step son moved out. Hes been in my world since he was 6. Now my 16 yr old attends a school 40 min out of town so she is only home late in the evening and because shes a teen she spends every possible moment with her girl friends. And finally, just a month after that my baby hit puberty all at once.

All of these big changes took place over the last 3 months and all of the sudden I started falling apart. I have been soooo sad. Deeply sad.

Not depression sad but mourning sad :(

I feel lonely, bored, aimless. Its all rather awful feeling. I just spend a lot of time feeling the misery and crying. I have what is called "empty nest syndrome" I suppose. I feel all messed up. I feel like society says I should be happy to be 'done' with this phase of my life. Now I can head back to that career that's been waiting or travel or something. But, I don't see it that way at all. I didn't put my life on hold to raise my kids. Raising my kids, creating a home was/is my life.

I look back and try to figure out if my own mother went through this and I think I do remember it. I was about 13 and my step bro 12. We went to my grandmothers house and my mother tried to talk to her about it. My grandmother brushed her off and said "you just have empty nest- you'll get over it". I remember feeling hurt for her there in the kitchen. My grandmother had no mother and limited support so I suppose that was the best she could do....but it stunk.

So- I feel embarrassed because I feel like I am SUPPOSED to be excited to be done or happy to 'have my life back'. I think that many women look at other women and judge them for not wanting more than their children and husbands, homes and hobbies. I know I have received that judgement.

I am not sure were I am headed now. Just having Faith that it will all become apparent soon.

Consumed

So.... its been months since I have posted here. Where have I been? Well, if you follow my family blog.. http://roosterintheroaster.blogspot.com/ you know I spent the spring and summer trying to sell our house. Then we leased it instead and moved to Ithaca, NY. We then managed to move our family of five 3 times in 4 months landing right back in our original house (after the renters trashed it and vanished)! It was an adventure. Everyone said, "You poor things. That's sooo terrible." My husband and I didn't choose to make it terrible. It was indeed challenging but it was NOT terrible. Over all though I have been consumed by life.

Now I am back to post and I have lots to say. Thanks for checkin in :)