Raige Creations

As has been the common popular birthday present for me, this year again I got new running shoes. Yes, I have gone on about new running shoes before.... here .....and here ....to share just a couple.... I am doing more walking instead of running these days, as my legs keep hurting when I tried to run lately, probably from my worn out shoes. So, that is the reason this year I was absolutely thrilled with these new shoes. They hug my heels so nicely and offer some great support for my overpronation and thus will help my sketchy knees and achy legs. My awesome new shoes My double excitement that we could find these shoes on island, where I could try them on and see that they fit nicely. I won't mention the price I had to pay for this convenience, as it was my birthday and I reasoned it was okay to overpay for such wonderful convenience and totally enjoy the instant gratification of getting these shoes. No more waiting for a 'mule' to bring them down to me after ordering...

Yes, we did it. We got  a pup. Or should I say toddler. He is a doggy toddler. We named him Biko. He is a rescue doggy, and it has been quite the journey so far. I keep reminding myself of The 3's - 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months .  It has proven to be true and helpful to remember the stages. We are approaching the 3 months soon, so of course I had to do a Music Monday with the inspiration song, even though I mentioned on FB that because he chewed my laptop charger, a sock of mine, a bra of mine, hubby's earbuds, my running shoes, and now countless toy ducks in less than 10 minutes, he didn't deserve mention. But here I am, dedicating a blog to the loving and quite gentle, though energetic, coconut loving, Boxer-Pit-Something else mix, Biko. Named after a Youtube music listening session and going through a long list of names. We thought Biko was a good fit. He is a rescue, and was abused, and had a skin irritation. We took him in when others just couldn't. Biko roll...

We had a nice break. Took a vacation and ended up in Durham, NC. We splurged and stayed at a great hotel, 21c Museum Hotel Durham . Found an art fair unexpectedly and just wandered and enjoyed. I love being a bit spontaneous like that. And coming across a great performance by the Silver Drummer Girl . A really great art fair. A really great trip. Some very enjoyable time with family. A nightmare of a trip back, but glad we went. The nightmare is a long story that I may never tell, but let's just say I started feeling like the character Victor Nevorski in a good movie, The Terminal . We were stuck in the airport for more than 12 hours, wandering and waiting. I lost hubby for a good hour and a half. He doesn't have a cell phone, so you can imagine how hard it is to find someone in a sea of people with a pesky security department separating you most of the time as it turned out. But, we did make the best of it after all and decided more breaks are a necessity. Bu...

Motivation. It is hard, yo. Especially to get out the door, and drive to have a swimming workout. from teespring.com It is not uncommon for me to have major motivational problems to do this. Especially when my coach (hubby) says he is not up for going with me. I sit and battle with myself that I really SHOULD go, but don't want to ~ it takes so much preparation to go. Both physically and mentally. These help, a little gift I got myself - I LOVE these goggles. He usually says, after I whine about the struggle to him, ' Just go if you're gonna go !'  His way of motivating. Gee, thanks coach . I guess it is somewhat effective. I have this struggle nearly every time I plan to go for a swim workout, so I often go to Pinterest for motivation, as one does. Usually, it works: his words in my head and reading all the motivational things I find.  This made me think about the whole process that makes it so hard to do. To get ready: put in contacts. put on sui...

The commute. Some days it just wears you down. The stop, then go, then slam on brakes because the guy in the next lane suddenly has to be in your lane, right in front of you. The longing looks at the lane next to you who seems to be going by rather fast, maybe 10 miles and hour, while your lane is going so slow the speed does not register. And the realization you cannot sneak in front of one of those cars zooming by you in the next lane because your car is so long, it won't fit snugly in the space that exists before the next car moves up. You would need to get the drivers attention and make sure they stop to let you in, which doesn't make you an appreciated driver. And with one of the only 2 on the island like it, your car is memorable. No need to make enemies on the road.  The stress of the drive just beats you down some days. Then when you finally reach your destination, and dread the parking. Where I am, the parking sucks. No other way to explain it. Spaces too smal...

It's been a while. I keep wanting to get a Music Monday done. I keep picking songs, even have a Two for Tuesday picked. But when it came to writing, I was at a loss. Nothing to give. Yes, I have written about having nothing to write about. A f ew times , and then some more . It is every writers problem, at one time or another. So I will save those songs when I feel the reason I picked them in the first place. But this song I heard, and I just felt like writing. I was avoiding the Debate last Wednesday, actually. Hubby wanted to 'witness history' or something like that. Me? Nope. I honestly have such a strong dislike for Trump, that listening to him at all gets me in such an annoyed and angry state it takes me a long time to recover from. I haven't uttered much about the election or the candidates for this reason. It is best for me to just put headphones on and listen to some good music and stay in my happy place. Anyway, to drown out the blathering on TV, I put ...

Take this as literal, as in actually digging in the dirt and sand. The song relates to, as says Gabriel, "During this period I discovered the most unbelievable phenomena within myself, characteristics which I value for myself, but also characteristics with which I would rather not be confronted, like unlimited rage, or merciless hatred." But no such rage or hatred was involved in this digging. Only curiosity and awe at the finds. This led to research, a digging of sorts, for information on practices long changed and nearly lost. The site was next door to a cemetery, and after the earth and sand was greatly moved for a new development, these things were near the surface! Very interesting finds, and the mind does want the stories that go along with such things. Thankfully, hubby is a pro researcher, having the interest and curiosity to search and search until every possible thing is found out, every possible theory, scenario, etc. At times, it is tough to keep...

Source: fashionablepins.com I am actually a bit tired of the new at the moment.  EVERYTHING has been new, again and again and again.  Another new bed to sleep in, new kitchen to get used to, new foods to try, a new (old) car, new roads to learn, new people to meet, new internet codes to set up, new phones to hook up, packing a suitcase again. I am so ready to settle in and have some things get old again. I am ready for my space to become familiar. I long to be able to wake up in the middle of the night and know where I am!  (Still takes me a minute or two to figure it out) Building the new is exhausting. But...totally worth it. Source: Raige Creations

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Into the wild.... I heard this song while on a walk/run. It is such an inspirational song to me, I love the whistling, and the strength of her voice, and the lyrics........ Somebody left the gate open You know we got lost on the way Come save us a runaway train Gone insane How do we how do we not fade How do we how do we how do we not fade away How do we how do we oooh Into the wild How are we living living living Into the wild How are we living living living Are we lost on the way? I say only if the gate is closed. With the gate open, we are living. source The gate is opening for us...and I myself am quite looking forward to be on a runaway train, gone insane! {also metaphorically} Am I more scared than not....not this time! It is about time we got up, out of this rut, ask that important question - how are we living - and take off down that path we need to go.... Into the wild.... Wooohoooh!  Woohooahoo Heeeyyy Heeey Is...

Photo courtesy of Buttercup (my daughter) Raige Creations A photo from many weeks ago. It was a cloudy, rainy day. My daughter and I were going in to check on our booth at the antique mall . She was snapping pictures for an art class project. When we saw this, we were kinda speechless. All I could say was, 'Look at all those tiny birds on the wire!' So original. I could say that I was the one driving, and therefore could not give the attention necessary. But my daughter couldn't think of anything either.   So I leave it to you to caption, comment, say what you think. Give us a new way to look at this photo.  What is YOUR perspective on a photo like this?  Give us a new way to see it.

Standing outside at 7:30 am, in my bathrobe, taking pictures of the sky. (it had beautiful pinks and sweeping clouds) Spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast. (trying to make use of the leftovers from the fridge instead of throwing them away) Get More: Ozzy Osbourne , Crazy Train , Music , More Music Videos Yes, it might be one of those kinds of days. source: Andrea via Pinterest At the very least, it will be interesting.  For a Monday, CRAZY might be the only way to handle it, a nice change from the unproductive, lazy, blah weekend I just experienced.  How do you get past an unproductive spell?

It was time.  I was ready.  Time for change, time for a more focused direction, and I am ready to introduce... Not a different direction really. It is one I have been going for a while now.  As I was growing my other businesses, I was wishing more and more that I could write, share my motivations and insights that I have learned along the way.  Well, the time has come, and my opportunities are changing to allow me to give a more serious effort to writing, blogging, and creating in many different ways.  So I have focused this blog, and my facebook and google pages, to be the Thoughts of Raige; views of life, motivation, and creation. Basically what I have been doing all along, I just didn't realize that the look of my blog had been outdated for quite some time. I will still be selling my creations, as Raige Creations (on Artfire and Zibbet , plus Vintage Rage on Zibbet ), sharing my motivations, getting through life's highs and lows...

I Try. I try to be fashionable usually, be cool and roll with the punches, but what comes out is mostly soccer mom, middle age comfort clothes. Today, when hubby complained that it is a 'Macy Gray Day', (because he is freezing cold - story below) and I have a short sleeve shirt on with no jacket, I sometimes have to roll my eyes and silently mumble to myself. (By the way, it was in 65 degrees out when he said this. That is cold to him, a Caribbean Guy stuck in the middle of the US.)   At least it brings back a great memory of why we call cool days Macy Gray Days.  Macy Gray in a rockin' jacket. Why do we call it Macy Gray Days?  Because of this rocking funky cool jacket Macy Gray is wearing in this picture.  Sounds crazy, so here is the story. When we lived in the Caribbean, we once made a trip to Miami in January. We didn't bring any cold weather clothes, after all we were going to be in Miami where it is usually in the neighborhood of 80 degrees fahren...