Finding my way back to me...

For Junes challenge Lelly says:
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"Your challenge for June is to find your way back. No matter what's been keeping you from blogging, each week you are going to find one small hurdle to overcome. One item to cross off of your to-do list. One pile to declutter. One meal to prepare. One (or ten) pounds to lose.One thing each week that will bring you to your blog. Too vague? Don’t worry. I have parameters!!"
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Tuesday, June 9 ~meal-planning/preparations or other organized family time
Tuesday, June 16 ~bringing the indoors outdoors for summer
Tuesday, June 23 ~tackle a very unpleasant cleaning task
Tuesday, June 30 ~I feel better already!

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June 9th~ Meal planning/preparations or other organized family time...

I should have guarded it better, seeing as how it was such an important part of my life, my birthright if you will. Being born to artistic parents, it was only natural that a bit of their talent would rub off on me. Having creativity course through my veins has been both a blessing and a curse. A blessing when I’ve been able to come up with ideas like turning my living room into a fantasy land for my kids (the memories we made in this magical room will never be matched),

and a curse when my laundry piles up and my dishes sour while I tackle my latest and greatest grandiosely spectacular scheme.

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My children have loved me for it, my husband in spite of it, and I, well what can I say, it’s been my life’s breath. Because of this I should have treated it with care when we made our trek to live in the mountains. I know I packed it up, nothing was left in the old house, but for some reason when the contents of each box were put away, my creativity was nowhere to be found. It must have bounced out of the truck onto a lonely stretch of desert highway (where we might now find a pack of coyotes happily writing their memoirs while lounging in their newly decorated den).
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I’ve been a shell of myself without it and my family has suffered. I know this because of the reaction I got when I painted one wall of my new home red.

“Oh mom I’m so glad you painted. This house feels like Gilbert now. It’s like we’re finally home. I love this red wall.” They cheered. And that was just one wall, think of the joy I’d bring if I really got my groove on.
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They have suffered in other ways as well, mealtime for example. My family loves my cooking, but I’m afraid I’ve been a dud in that area too. Creative culinary love has not touched their plates for some time and I know they have missed it. Fortunately for them though, I have this crazy desire to become fabulous by my fortieth birthday (which is approaching quite quickly I might add) so I have used this summer as a time to start kickin’ it up in the kitchen.

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This month’s creative menu has come courtesy of The Pioneer Woman blog. The woman is a food genius and we have had the best time experiencing her tried and true, ultra yummy recipes. Learning from her has lit a spark under me. I have rediscovered the joy of dinner table smiles and I don’t ever want to loose that again.
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Life is such an amazing journey, and I know that if I continue forward I will find my creativity again. I’ll pick up a piece of it here and a snippet there as I walk along life’s path. And much of my success will be owed to you, my fellow bloggers. So if you ever worry that blogging might be nothing more than a big old time waster (I know I struggle with that) know that somewhere out there someone might be regenerating their life through yours, what a gift that is.

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P.S.

Jessica taught me how to add links (names only) to my posts. Thank you Jessica, I am so happy. See I told you bloggers were awesome.

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To read more SPTs or to join the fun by posting one of your own go HERE.