Still Here.... Not Really Art Related However

Every so often I go on a blog break. Sometimes it is because I just need a break from the computer. Sometimes it's because I am having health issues. Most recently it was a death in our family that just broke our hearts. My brother's beautiful wife, Beth, passed away in August. It was, to quote another person touched by her, an epiphany, for many of us. Personally I have spent some time reevaluating my life. How I spend time daily. My blog. My art. The people I choose to have around me. I think that's probably normal when awful things happen with seemingly no rhyme or reason.Through all this I have learned to really appreciate the friends who are there when you need them. And my wonderful husband. Time is just too precious to waste a moment of it.
I had just started taking Melody Ross's Soul Restoration class and it seems to parallel many of the feelings I'm having. I'm still working on that class. I highly recommend it. I put a picture of the cover below.

I also started a photography class this week with Candace Stringham called "Oh Shoot" and boy, do I love that. The world seems to take on a new face through the eyes of a camera lense.
Here's my first class assignment. A picture from the everyday. Something you walk by without paying attention too. Oh and how to blur the background!

I can't wait to learn more and more about my camera.

So my blog has been neglected a bit but I really do enjoy it and will pick back up slowly. I was reading a fellow blogger's dilemma about posting things other than what the regular reader has come to expect. She has struggled a bit with taking her blog off course from it's original content and adding personal posts in the mix. And I can relate. I've always tried not to get too personal either. It can be hard to read about someone else's pain when you are expecting a piece of art or having a tough day yourself. Maybe time is limited and you don't want to read about non art related subjects. I can understand that. But what I've discovered is that most people can benefit from a kind or encouraging word. And I like my blogging friends and I always wonder what happened to someone when they have been posting or participating in a challenge or class and suddenly disappear so I am going to include some personal posts from now on as well as some photography....I'll just make sure my post titles reflect the content in case it's not the day you need to be reading about my latest interest or life interruptions. :) Nan