"getting to know you day" from CaC:

1a. What is one thing about your body that you hate, deny, talk trash about?

I think I’d have to say that I hate my shoulders. Not only are they ALWAYS way up by my ears, resulting in almost chronic shoulder pain, but they are kind of big and bony. My dream would be for them to be relaxed and sitting softly at my side so that I hardly notice them there at all. I actually experienced this a couple of times about six or seven years ago after I’d visited our naturopathic Dr. for the first time and he’d done some quantum treatment for stress. I imagined it was something like heaven. I wish I could return to that state.

1b. What can you do to make friends with this part and show it a little love?

I obviously need to try to relax more often, probably get more sleep on a regular basis and remember to laugh more and smile more and breathe more deeply - not so shallowly. I need to worry less. I need to be more gentle with myself. I could try to use the word “could” more often instead of the word “should”. Thanks to my friend Carol for that advice.

2a. What is one thing about your home that doesn't feel good?

It doesn’t feel good that there is so much clutter, nearly everywhere. It is particularly bad in the basement. Much of the clutter is in relation to the fact that I am trying to play in the area of mixed media and haven’t quite discovered in which specific area I want to concentrate. The fact that all three of us are collectors of stuff, doesn’t really help either.

2b. What is one thing you can do to change that?

I have had spurts of energy and blocks of time in which I have been able to do some major purge and organization. I’ve had garage sales in which I have made quite a lot of money through the sales. I know I can do more organization but will probably wait until the spring (may be another six weeks, but it WILL arrive) when I am feeling stronger and more cheery. I have one room in the basement almost cleared and ready to set up a bit of a studio. Yes! I know I can do it. I also have a bright shower curtain, from a second hand store, to hang in front of the closet (with no doors), an old green cupboard, and a huge table to go in the room. I know it will happen.

3a. Is there a relationship that you have difficulty with?

Right now the relationship with our daughter continues to be difficult. She is a teenager and also has difficulties with social skills because of challenges she has. The school and others have been working with her regarding the social skills but she went into a much larger school this year when she started high school. They are not as familiar with her and the program is not as specialized as it had been. Some of the things she has most difficulty with are understanding her own non-verbal communications and her tone of voice. She tends to come across as super critical of me. My own sensitivity allows for me to feel easily hurt.

3b. What is something small you can do to either salvage it or come to terms with the way it is now?

Methods of coping and accepting are on going. I could try to remember she is a teenager and emotions can flare regardless. I could try to build my own self-esteem and take more lightly her criticisms. I could try to be more positive with her and provide even more compliments, while trying to ask her opinion more often. We could try to have more fun with each other and laugh more often.

4a. Is there something you are afraid to do, but would like to try it?

I am afraid to try selling my art, to open an “etsy’ shop, even though I would really like to.4b. What can you do to begin a plan to try it? I can put together pictures of the items I do have. I can determine how much postage would cost. I can try to establish a bit more of an inventory. It would probably also help to join carfac and communicate with someone there about pricing and study their website to learn more about on-line business. I could review etsy to learn more about prices of similar items.

The photo is of me and our daughter "Cat".