Happy Summer!

No doubt. Summer's here. Rain is not. I began my watering tasks this week, for the flowers, birds and other critters. I am very frugal with water. You won't find a sprinkler in my yard, although I would like to run through one!

With my time in the garden increasing, my time inside is down, and with it, tangling time. I still tangle every day, after realizing how important it is for my mental wellness. I've almost filled my journal that I made for June travels.

Featuring a variation of the Bekk tangle

The colors of morning on the porch

Featuring the new tangle Haeckel, kind of

I made some new background paper with distress inks in cool colors for my Meals on Wheels cards. I hated to waste the tiny scraps, so I put them to good use in journal.

With LaMar tangle

Pia

Scarabou

Overcoming overwhelm

Did you know that our brains are programmed to always see the negative so that we are prepared for the worst case scenario?!? I learned this not too long ago, and have appreciated how that fact helps me to overcome anxiety and overwhelm. I can accept the feeling of overwhelm, look at it with understanding, appreciate that I am safe and out of danger, and move on with ease and peace. This feeling of safety helps me take time for creating.

I have continued to find joy in the #SummerFraganic 2022 prompts and my Lindy's Gang pigments.

Day 8, with Yumemi

Day 9, with Pokeroot

 

Day 10, with Dewd

Day 12, with Bronx Cheer (I missed Day 11!)

WingsSwirl, a new pattern from 7F5RStudio

I wish you peace and calm.

Mental "Well"ness Month

Zentangle is proposing a series of short videos for the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. They are available on YouTube and involve using the tangle "Well".  I've enjoyed the first two.

Week 1

 

Week 2

I've been on the road a bit lately, and just enjoying getting out of my bubble for the first time since the pandemic started. Lar and I ventured out as far east as Interstate 40 would take us this past weekend, to the Atlantic ocean. We both experienced awe and wonder at seeing the waves "breathe" after a five-year absence. Sunday night, the moon treated us to a spectacular full lunar eclipse, with an extraordinary orange super moon. (So serendipitous, as we didn't plan this. In our wooded neighborhood, it would have been impossible to experience.) The sun never settles for second best, and we marveled at the colorful sunsets over the Intracoastal Waterway and the sunrises over the ocean. It was all a lovely reminder of how important it is for our mental and physical well-being to give ourselves time to rest, to wonder, to experience awe.

With my road trips, the #SummerFraganic2022 prompts have helped me to continue tangling with fewer supplies, time, space. (I pull random tiles out of my pre-dyed tile stash and throw them in my tiny kit.)

Day 5, with Ginilli

Day 6, with Chainging

Day 7, with Marasu

Please give yourself time to care for your mental health, in whatever way you can. We live in difficult times, and need to pile good experiences on our plate! If we're depleted, we can't look out for each other!