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This New Day

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

January Sunrise – Invitation of Hope – Wexford, PA 1/9/2020 – Jodi McKinney

This New Day.

Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day.
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Collected Poems and Translations

This new day is too dear!

Too dear to not be grateful.
Too dear to wallow in negative energy.
Too dear to not see the beauty.
Too dear to not be joyful and kind and loving.
Too dear to be hard on ourselves.

This new day is too dear to waste!

May you own this day…
and all your days…
as the invitation of hope it is.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Opening Up- Being True to Me

/ Jodi / 94 Comments

My everblooming yellow rose bush of friendship from bestie JRH – 08/19

Opening Up.

I need to open up about something.
I have recently been struggling with blogging on a regular basis.

I want to keep this space true to me.
I want to be positive and encouraging and inspiring
(even though we all have bad days – right?).

Many times the things I write about (like my recent post, “Confidence“),
are not only to inspire you, but they are because I need to tell myself.

I’m working on being confident.
I’m working on being fine with just who I am.
But those that know me best,
know I often struggle with that.

I want to be liked – well – really…
I want to be loved (LOL!) by everyone.

I know it is impossible,
but it is something I struggle with….
a people pleaser?
part of my DNA?
identified in personality assessments!
my crutch!

But I’m working on it.

Something about getting older
allows us to be truer to ourselves.
(One of the great perks!)

As a 56 year-old, post-menopausal woman – mother – grandmother…
I am basically invisible to most strangers.

That 20 or 30-something year-old girl that every once in a while
got a whistle or a honk or a drink offer…
or any of those silly things that made me feel validated as a woman…
is ancient history.

And I do kinda like it.
It let’s me be okay with being me.

The me I am in my heart and soul
and mind.

Don’t get me wrong – I still want to look and be my best
(and I wouldn’t mind a drink offer!),
but I know I will never be that “attractive” the world defines for women anymore…
(if I ever was!).

It is fun to wear clothes I wouldn’t have before
and experiment with things I was afraid to be judged on – like art and poetry.

But I digress…
Oh how I digress…  GAH!
Ramble Ramble…
Me being me!

The struggle I want to share with you today is that I am feeling obligated lately to post blog posts at least three times a week on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays like I have been.

When I started blogging almost five and a half years ago in May of 2014,
I blogged every single day.
I kept that up for the better part of five years!
I scheduled posts ahead even when on vacation,
and I obsessively replied to every comment
and followed back most of the bloggers that followed me.

Most of the time I enjoyed it.
I shared things about me.
I shared recipes I loved.
I shared art I created.
I shared photographs I took.
I shared thoughts and words I wrote.

I love(d) the interaction –
and to be honest – the affirmation.

I’ve learned a lot about myself through this process,
and I’ve met some amazing people, many of whom I consider friends.

But the job of blog posting is becoming a bit of a chore….
a bit of an obligation.
And I don’t want to do it that way!

I hate when I have to come up with something for a Tuesday or Sunday or Thursday,
when I feel like I have nothing, and I create something just to have something.

So here is the deal…
I’m not quitting.
I really don’t want to.

But I do want to post just when I want to.

It might be once a week sometimes.
It might be once a month sometimes.
It might be every day some weeks.

If I feel I have relevant material,
and/or if I WANT to post,
I’m going to.

Heck with stats, number of followers,
getting somehow “famous” or recognized or whatever
my original intention might have been.

Going forward, I’m doing this for me…
for the enjoyment I get from it –
not from what I hope to get back.

I hope you will stay with me.
I understand if you won’t.

I want to open myself up to any glorious opportunities
that I may be blessed with that come my way.
I am allowing myself space to grow and expand my horizons.

I will continue to cherish all the moments!
And I will share them when I desire
for those who desire to read about them.

Thanks for listening.
Thanks for being here!
It really does mean so very much to me!

Cheers & Hugs until next time,
Jodi

Lemon Love

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

Lemon Love.

When life gives you lemons,
paint them!

I don’t know why lemons get such a bad wrap.
(you know – the old, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”)

I guess because they are sour,
but there is so much to LOVE about them!

This year, they are all the rage in summer decor.
I even bought a few faux lemon trees to decorate with.

And then there are ALL the wonderful
things you can bake and make with them!

Give me Lemon Crinkle Cookies
or Fresh Strawberry Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.

Give me Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake
or Lemon Lavender Loaf.

I’ll take Lemon Butter Scallops
or Pan Seared Lemon and Garlic Mahi Mahi.

Give me Lemon Butter Chicken
or Lemon Garlic Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin.

I’ll take it with a crisp, lemony Chardonnay
or Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy!

But for today,
I’ll just paint lemons!

Bright, summery,
happy, sunshiny lemons!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS.  Don’t they look fun on these pillows?

And these bar stools?

And make cute cards?  🙂

(click on the photos for information on how to purchase any of these and many other fun, lemony items in our McKinneyX2Designs ETSY and Society6 shop!)

The Only Way

/ Jodi / 48 Comments

The Only Way.

The only way to fully embrace
Your life…

The only way to move forward
and see the beauty all around You…

is to have the strength
and the courage

and the wisdom
and the love for yourself

to let go of the things
and the people

you cannot
change

even when it goes against
what you think is “right.”

Let go of the guilt.
Let go of the burden.

Own your truth.
Own your dignity.
Own your worth.

When you do,
you will find peace.

You will discover You.
It’s the only way.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Lily the Llama

/ Jodi / 47 Comments

Lily the Llama.

Lily the lovely La La Llama
lived in a posh resort down south in the Bahamas.

There were not many llamas
that lived in the Bahamas.

But Lily, the queen of drama,
never did see the prob-llama.

She lounged in her pajamas
that were purple with polka-dottas,

and liked to sing sonatas
like Hakuna Matata.

With a floral headband she wore all the time-a
she quickly became part of the local fauna.

It sure was fun for a lovely llama
to live in the Bahamas.

It made a nice vacation for her Dad and for her Momma,
and even for her Grandpa and her beloved, silly Grandmomma.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Alex the Alligator

/ Jodi / 55 Comments

Alex the Alligator Watercolor – 11×14

Alex the Alligator.

In a swamp near the equator,
lived Alex the alligator.

Alex liked to jump and kick.
Doing fancy tricks
was part of his famous schtick.

Alex was often the very first pick
because he was so doggone slick
in the eyes and hearts of the alligator chicks.

For not many gators could be so quick
doing fancy acrobatics
and even arithmetic!

So if you ever find yourself near the equator
and see a slick jumping and kicking gator,
Say Hi to Alex…

Alex the Alligator.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  Alex the Alligator was made especially for a friend’s grandson, who loves Klaus the Mouse – my very first published illustrated children’s book.  Granpap asked if I could make an Alex the Alligator and a Liz the Lizard for his two special little grandies.  This is going to be a surprise for him.  I can’t wait to create Liz next.

 

 

 

Each New Day

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

Early Morning- Mars, PA – July, 2018

Each New Day.
(Early Morning Observations)

Each new day
is another opportunity to
continue building,
add another layer,
strengthen the foundation,
claim your space.

Each new day
is a gift to
live and grow
and simply be
the uniquely wonderful you
you were meant to be.

Shine in the light
of each new day.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Another Day

/ Jodi / 43 Comments

Starting a New Day in Mars, PA – June 29, 2018

Another Day.

Another sunrise.
Another beginning.

Another chance to smile
and make someone else smile.

Another chance to give
and also to receive.

Another chance to win,
but also learn to lose.

Another chance to change
something you didn’t do well yesterday.

Another chance to speak kindness
to someone who is lost.

Another chance to do something for the first time,
or maybe for the last.

Another chance to see and smell
and listen and taste and touch.

Another chance to hug
and say, “I love you.”

Another day.
Another chance to embrace the beauty of this life.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS – It is July 1st, which means World Watercolor Month begins today!  I haven’t had a chance this past week to do any watercolor painting, but sure plan to do some this month (and hopefully today!) to share.  Don’t forget you can support #WorldWatercolorMonth and The Dreaming Zebra Foundation by purchasing one of these Limited Edition WWM Souvenier Zippered Pouches with My “Terry’s” Yellow Canary Watercolor Design on it.  100%  of proceeds on this product goes to The Dreaming Zebra Foundation! These flat pouches vary from small to large and can be used for pretty much anything.  I’d like to give one of these away to one of my faithful followers and friends here at The Creative Life in Between.  If you’ve read this far and would like entered in the random drawing, which I’ll announce the winner of next Sunday, just add a comment saying “Enter Me in the Drawing!”  If you’d like to purchase one, simply click on the photo below.