My End of the Year Post!

The Christmas Season is

fast approaching.

Less than a week to go and I'm still

scampering to finish it all!

The tree is decorated,

most of the presents are wrapped,

the Christmas cards were mailed

and yet I feel so unfinished!
Let's not even mention
NO holiday baking yet!

The holiday season can zap us of

all positive energies if we allow it to.

I'm afraid I got in that rut a few days back.

The quiet time disappeared,
the list kept growing longer and

there was always 

"one more thing to do"

I am a creature of habit,
a fault of mine I know ...

I need my quiet time,

my creative time

and 

my weaving time!
Boy do I crave an afternoon nap!

I don't like the feeling of being

out of sorts.
I feel unsettled when life keeps doing life,
and I can barely keep up,
especially with a holiday
right around the corner!!!!!

I was able to complete my holiday ornament,
it is a keepsake reminder of our 
OBX Thanksgiving vacation this year.
I spun the flax,
wove the small tapestry,
I mounted it to a small piece of driftwood I found along the beach,
and finished it off with a keepsake shell,
I look forward to pulling it out every year in the future,
a sweet reminder of time with my precious family,
all under one roof!

So I am slowing myself down, 

enjoying this last week before the holiday

flies into our home!

I can't wait to share the holiday

with family,

and this year we have a new name

under the tree,

our Zoey will turn 7 months old on

Christmas Eve!

So there is another stocking on the mantle,

and more presents under the tree!

Zentangle® has been my creative choice lately,

it is portable, calming and reminds me

to slow down and breathe,

during a most busy time of year.

I am especially proud of this little

3T tile, full of Paradox tangles.

As I was finishing the very last space,

I decided to leave it blank

and entitle it

"Because Life is Unfinished"

What do you think?

I look forward to 2018

and sharing more Zentangle classes

with others.

I'm working on a day long retreat soon!

Not sure of any details yet, but it looks promising!

I am excited to warp my empty Mirrix Tapestry Loom
with a Tapestry Diary Project,
it will be a form of weaving discipline for me.
Weaving a small section of something,
each and every day in 2018!
I will be re-visiting my online weaving courses
with the amazing Rebecca Mezoff,
and deepening my weaving practice. 

So for now I am taking a break on the blog,

2018 promises to be new and refreshing

as I enter my Eighth Blog Year!

I love sharing what creative

moments are happening in my life!

Till then,

Happiest of Holidays

to you and your family!

Embrace the warmth and love of family,

reach out to long lost friends,

take care of your own self

and contemplate the true

spiritual meaning of the 

Christmas Holiday,

(hint ... it's not about the presents under the tree!)

Love to you all,

you have my heart

Donna Lee

A Season of Gratitude

(Created by my daughter n law Lauren)

I've just returned from a wonderful stay in the

Outer Banks of North Carolina

with my family

for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

How fun it is to all be under the same roof,

loving each other, playing, laughing,

sharing and exploring together.

Many of you know, I have four precious grandchildren,

Annabelle 4

Grayson 3

Dylan 2

Zoey 6 months

So needless to say, our lives are filled right now!

Getting away from our normal routines

allows us to re-focus on what is important.

Letting go of junk in our minds and hearts,

can be a freeing experience.

I had gotten to a burn out stage

before I arrived at our cottage

and needed renewal for sure!

Every time I walk by the sea,

listen to the waves 

and breathe in deep breaths of sea air,

I am renewed beyond any measure.

So today the thoughts pour out,

of all the things I am thankful for . . .

My family and their health

Our love and precious times together

For moments I will continue to treasure

For the time to slow my body down

For naps in the hammock

Delicious shrimp tacos at my favorite Bad Bean

Bookstores and watching our kids pick out books to take home

Walks on the beach with our whole crew,

Time to create my own art

Reconnection with an artistic friend,

Hallmark Christmas movies in the cottage

Time to hold my Jimmy's hand along the beach

For hugs from my mother n law

and watching her play with her

great grand babies

The smell of a 20 pound turkey roasting in the cottage

Our Thanksgiving meal together

For words spoken of admiration towards each other

Two nights alone in the quiet,

The gift of every day

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures,

I can't share all the ones I took,

it would make the this post way too long!

You can always click on my Instagram and see more

 (We tried for that last family portrait)

 Jimmy and his Josie

 Josie and Nollie

 Sweet Cousin Love

My Wynn Girls

 Every night we enjoyed a sunset view

 Heather always searching for that perfect shot

I will never grow tired of this view

 Dad and his boys

 Tried for that Mommy and Sons selfie

So glad Mom came to be with us

 Time out for some Zentangle® at the Whalehead Club

 Another try at our family pic

 Love this one! Sunset at the beach

 After baths and pj's ... story time with Grand mommy

 A little art time while parents were packing up

 Saying goodbye to the kids was the hardest

Last morning of quiet and meditation before leaving

Always be happy and grateful for the moments in your life,

treasure every day and the times spent with

family and friends.

Know who you are and what you stand for,

don't let the busy season swallow you whole,

take time to breathe and enjoy it all.

Donna Lee

Journaled Thoughts . . .

I am a Journaler ... how I love this tender and safe place

I am a Writer ... recording my thoughts and dreams

I am a Poet ... sharing my words with others

I am a Seeker ... always searching for growth and deeper understanding

I am a Dreamer ... thinking of "What If's"

Writing comes so naturally to me,

it's as natural as breathing.
I love to go back through my journals
and re-read my thoughts from time to time.
It says a lot about me and where I was
in that moment in time.
Words are powerful
Words are sincere

Here's my most recent journal entry,

writing about what I love so very much . . .

Tapestry Weaving
happy to share my heartfelt words with you!

I am a Weaver

I am a Dreamer

Seeking quiet amidst the storms

My Spirit is Meditative

I am calmed and soothed

With each thread that is passed

Over, Under and Over again

Seeking deeper into a state of contentment

Weaving, Creating, 

I'm found in the Moment

As always I wish you peace and love,
strength during those tough times,
faith to get you through,
friendships that are everlasting,
and creative moments
to allow your heart to soar!

Donna Lee

I wish you ...

Fall is truly here

and all of the colors of nature

are in their finest display.

I hope you are enjoying this time of year,

cause I sure am!

Fall is always a time of year

where I slow myself down a bit,

sip that cup of hot tea a little longer,

read some good books,

breathe in fresh air,

rock in my rocking chairs in the evening,

pay attention to the sounds of nature around me.

I love this time of year so much.

I look around at all the nature around me,

and it astounds me to see Nature's palette

of colors.

Here in Virginia Beach,

the leaves are just beginning to turn colors,

and fall to the ground.

I try, but I can't paint, color, or come close

to the beauty I see right now!

So I have gathered a few of my favorite

photos I've taken lately,

and give them to you as a gift,

as a reminder to slow down,

don't miss the beauty of the season!

Just remember you are Worthy of great things!

You are important each and everyday!

Happiness is yours for the taking!

You are special!

So today, this 26th of October 2017

I wish you:

Peace

Love

Understanding

Contentment

Security

Joy

Love for yourself and others

Creativity

Fulfillment

Rest for your soul

Happiness

and

all good things to come

your way!

I also wish my sister n law Lori

a wonderful happy birthday,

for this is her special day!

Love always,

Donna Lee (and Josie girl)

Sometimes . . .

Sometimes . . .

I just want to shut myself off from the world

Stay in my pajamas ... all the day long

Take a nap in the middle of the afternoon

Not talk to anyone for hours and hours

Read a scrumptious book from cover to cover

Stitch for hours uninterrupted

and watch what unfolds on the linen piece

Sit at my beloved Tapestry Loom

and weave and weave and weave

while watching the image come alive

onto the warp

Sometimes I just don't want to think

Sometimes all I want is to just sit 

quietly alone

Breathing in all the thoughts

that pass me by

(For they are all life nuggets of knowledge)

Trying to absorb life as it touches me

Sitting quietly in prayer and meditation

listening to what God has in store for me

Sometimes life is just moving

too quickly

It is hard to grasp all that is thrown at me

I'm trying to get this life thing right

I want to never turn on the television

and hear all the heart breaking 

turn of events.

I turn the ringer off my phone ...

just to grab a moment of quiet

for social media can drown me 

only if I allow it to

Sometimes I want to take long walks

in the outdoors,

breathing in the beauty that surrounds me;

forgetting the "stuff" that is furiously chasing me.

It feels good to be outdoors

for nature is God's true gift to us all

it is where I truly slow down

to pause and listen.

Nature is free and a gift to us all

Sometimes seems like a heavy word 

at times

then at other times it is the 

gift of hope and possibility

How are you feeling today?

Do you take the time to slow down,

to listen to your heart soul

and what it is saying to you?

Sometimes I wish we could meet face to face

and share a cup of hot tea together,

sharing our thoughts and desires

with one another.

Feel free to leave them here in the

comments if you like,

I'll be here.

Donna Lee

Weaving Is . . . . . . .

A New Woven Beginning

I was recently asked by a friend,

"How do you find time to do all that you do?"

I honestly answered her by saying,

"I find the time to do what fulfills me!"

Whether it is spending time with my family,

my FOUR grandchildren, working as an Optician,

Tapestry weaving, creating my art or journal writing, finding time to be

with friends or just taking care of home, hubby and puppy.

Life is extremely full these days.

I certainly am leaving the TV off as much as possible,

and try not to get distracted by social media.

Listening to good music is a must!

Honestly, that is a very hard question for me,

and I have thought about it a lot lately!

Time is a precious thing, and I don't 

want to waste a minute of it.

When I look at statements I have made to describe myself

on my Instagram, Facebook or Twitter

it usually says ...  "Finding moments to be creative,

each and every day!"

I truly believe that I do that!

I entitled this blog post "Weaving Is ..."

because outside of family love and commitment,

Weaving is the one thing that calls to me,

over and over again.

Sometimes it is the one thing I want to spend time on

the most, yet I get to spend the least amount of time on!!!!

(does that make sense?)

So I ask my own self, Why is that?

My "Weaving as Meditation" piece

As I was creating this woven piece just for

the sheer joy of weaving,

I spent time thinking about my life directions.

With each row I wove in affirmations,

it was such a beautiful experience!

With every fiber that was woven in,

I reminded myself what was important to me.
Now that sweet little weaving
hangs in my studio, among the happy lights,
attached to a most magical twig I brought home from Squam last year!
(I knew I would do something special with that twig one day!)

My own weaving journey has been long,

but with no direction.

(I have shared my story in the past)

It wasn't until I sold my Leclerc floor loom

and found this treasure of a Tapestry Loom,

that I truly found my Weaving Self.

I had come full circle 34 years later,

after being introduced to Tapestry for the first time.

Tapestry weaving has taught me the gentle

art of patience and quiet "What if" thinking.

My time spent at the loom

is always a gift.

Felicity Grace aka "My Gracie"

So if I were asked "What Weaving Is"

I would answer this way . . .

My creative way of life

A favorite pass time of mine

A learning tool

Comfort to my soul

A sweet friendship

Fellowship with like minded artists

Calming

An amazing way to spend your time

Gives you permission to just be

Here are just a few pictures

of my own weaving journey ...

If you ever want to join me,

I am sure I could lead you in the

right direction

to your own weaving path!

Blessings to you this week,

find time to be good to yourself,

and be quiet whenever possible.

Soak in the beauty around you!

Donna Lee