Raige Creations

 It has been raining since I got up this morning. It is almost lunchtime.  Though I could have slept in today, I didn't. I am taking vacation. Happy that it is raining today. Otherwise I probably would be running errands and busy busy. Instead, I pulled out all the tee shirts that I have to make a quilt for my youngest. I finally have a working sewing machine, and the time to just sit and think about how I want the quilt to look. I am just sitting and brainstorming.  The sound of the rain on the roof, some S. Pellegrino (fancy water I treat myself to, it's the little things sometimes. Fizzy water it a guilty pleasure for  me.) . Ahhhhhh.  So I will continue to brainstorm, while it is storming. I may cut some tee shirts, may play with placement. I have been trying to do some thinking, some regrouping, some work at balancing life, work, self. Heavy thinking. It has been perfect weather for this. I may have some tea this afternoon. And if the sun comes out, well th...

 It had been raining for days and days.... Not that I was complaining. I love rainy days. And I don't mean a little rain and then back to normal sun. I mean grey, cool, rainy days. Whole days of clouds and rain. Days where you can just settle in and chill under a blanket.  Sadly I had to drive in and home from work during most of these days. Forgetting my rain coat, many a trip from car to building and back. But I didn't mind, a bit refreshing actually. And there is a beauty in rainy days.  Rainy View in Traffic And going in to work gave me some break from the news . Today I can breathe a little easier though, knowing some dignity can be restored to the world. I try not to bring my political views in to my public postings, but dang am I glad to be rid of the current POTUS. That's all I have to say about that.  From NOAA National Hurricane Center From  NOAA National Hurricane Center Saturday brought some heavy winds, and loads of rain, from TS Eta . We weren't ex...

This song brings back memories of Easter and church for me. It was played many Easters at our church when I was growing up. My father was the organ player, and I loved to hear him play this in practice at home, and then again at church. When I heard it playing Cat Sevens version on the radio, I loved it. A church song playing on the radio - how cool. I was then, and still am, a Cat Stevens fan . I was a kid then, I thought AM radio was cool. I still do actually - it WAS cool back in the 70's. Whatever it takes to bring the idea to the masses that we should give thanks. It was said by the editor of the hymnal it was first published in (In 1931) that:  " there was need for a hymn to give thanks for each day ." There IS a need to give thanks each day. A habit I have been trying to keep up with. So give thanks, even though it is Monday. Give thanks that we have..... beautiful music , sunshine , rainfall , wind , chocolate (I am sure you all have...

Wow. I haven't really had a lazy weekend like this one in ages. The weather took a turn, and we have had stormy and chilly weather. Not like the East Cost of the US chilly, but darn chilly for a tropical island. And it has really sapped the motivation. You would think I would be all - "It is perfect wogging weather! I am so getting out there to wog!!"  But nope. Nothing. I glance at the shoes, that is it. I guess it is good to just be lazy some weekends. And when it is rainy and gray and cool, it is quite nice to stay cuddled up on the couch under a blanket.  I even relaxed enough to have this dream, a dream that I remember, and had a content hopeful feeling to it!  It was a running dream. I have them somtimes, particularly when I haven't been running or wogging. So the dream goes: I go for a run. And I am running down some street or up some hill, breathing  heavy and everything. Feels Like I am really running, except I always feel great and fast in my drea...

Not much more to say about it really. As we all feel different about a good rainy afternoon turned night downpour. But tonight, the last night of my vacation, I couldn't have asked for a better day. It is the perfect day to be home, a rainy day. Found on Pinterest I didn't really accomplish all I wanted. But I did make chili, been simmering alllllll day. And I made some marinated conch, actually a time consuming dish only that it takes great care and time to cut up the tough conch. I all did this before lunch, and then have been enjoying intermitten naps with the smell of chocolate chip cookies my friend made this afternoon. Imagine this: dinner simmering, delish appetizer to snack on all day, rain and naps to smells of chocolate chip cookies. Sounds like a dream day, right? Something we would ache for on most days. Honestly, this was a totally unplanned chain of events that has made this the day we all promise to have every now and then. And that is what makes it all ...

Thank goodness the rain waited until this morning to come. But cleaning up the leftover moving sale stuff was a bit miserable this morning. Cold, windy, wet. source It is said that in this song, Creedence Clearwater Revival use a metaphor of the rain to speak about seemingly endless times of confusion and misery. That is how I feel after 3 long days of the sale, and weeks of preparation for the sale, and now at least another couple days dealing with the leftovers from the sale.  Seemingly endless times of confusion (what to keep, what to donate, what to try to sell) , and misery (the weather, being outside in cold temps, wind, and rain all weekend, and dealing with 'customers' who want something for nothing, and then a discount on top of that, and when we did not give in to their demands, they left not buying anything!!), and then today the rainy wind while we cleaned up the leftovers just added to it. So, I wonder, who'll stop the rain? When will I be able...

After 2 full days of rain, it was good to have the sky not weeping, and to get out for a run! BUT...as I walked up the hill to begin my run, I noticed a neighborhood family of dogs out for a walk. Now if you don't know, our puppy is afraid of other dogs, and this particular duo of dogs is a bit aggressive. I also was not in the mood to deal with the pulling of leashes, and the necessary pleasantries it would take to get by this gentleman and his two excitable dogs. So what did I do? I turned down the side street I usually avoid. Why do I avoid it? It is one long, sloping and fairly steep hill. Going down is no problem, but up...well I have never been able to run up the entire hill. After seeing the dogs, and not wanting to have to pass them, I decided today was HILL DAY. Today I would do it! On a Monday no less. All the while thinking... WHO LET THE DOGS OUT!?! woof woof woof woof........ I wish I could tell you I ran up the entire hill. I didn't. I almost made it...

I should have known today was going to be a tough day when a sink full of dirty dishes and smelly garbage greeted my in the kitchen, and then the kids missed the bus. I hadn't even noticed the grey and gloomy skies until I was driving the kids to school.    But, I still got my running gear on, and headed out for my run because of a picture I snapped yesterday. It is of my favorite flower, and just the thought of seeing it today was enough to get me out there.    It is so beautiful there, surrounded by weeds, old leaves, and brush. It is a splash of color on a not so colorful hill, right next to the sidewalk. Even though I didn't want to run, I thought the site of this would be worth getting out there, plus the added bonus that I didn't skip a day.   It was sprinkling just a bit, and keeping in mind what a friend of mine posted the other day - "You're doing well! don't let the rain scare you > Running in the rain is great. " Besides it was j...

That is it. Sometimes, just sunshine is enough to make the day great. Add to that 3 days of 2 + miles each day now, and life is pretty good. I thank the return of sunshine for this. Sunshine makes it glow! Yes, simply the sun. Even tho it's January, and the cold has set in, the sun was enough. I don't mind the cold, as long as the sun is out. Seeing what it did to this sculpture, I knew the sun has a profound affect on everyone.  I see people milling about downtown, find that visitors are in fact in Asheville enjoying the mountains in the winter.  They come out when the sun does, walk slower, look around more, bask in the sun basically. Ominous in the grey rain. The sun brings brilliant light, uplifts the mood, and gives a nice golden glow to things we see every day and have blended in with the background.  It had rained for 4 days straight, almost non stop. I gladly took 2 of those days to enjoy the cloudy greyness, but by the 4th day I was more than ready...

I lost it. I lost motivation. Well, I lost motivation for running, and blogging.  I still seem to get up and go open the shop, but that is all I can seem to accomplish these days. It has been 3 weeks since I blogged! And 5 days since I have suited up and got out the door to run OR walk!!  Rainy view from work. Today, I think I remember where I stashed that motivation. It was buried under mental exhaustion and stress, and hiding from the almost non-stop rain. It is still raining, but I am pulling out my motivation to begin to dust it off and use it again.  Sometimes it takes other peoples words to get me motivated. And other people's ideas. H ere are some that helped me dust off my motivation and at least stretch today. They worked so well for me here I am, I am even blogging, and I really hope to get out there and run tomorrow. These words do relate to running, but really you can apply these to every day, simple living. (All are from Favorite Run .) --Quit o...

Enjoying my coffee this morning, checking in on the computer and preparing for my normal routine of running, showering, getting in as many chores as I can before going to work, I was just about finished with my one cup and heard a heavy rain falling. No hesitation today - not running in this downpour. Okay, that doesn't look like a downpour, but it is enough to convince me not to run today.  Besides, there is the laundry.....and dishes....... Got plenty to do anyways. And I should probably cook dinner tonight so gotta figure out what to take out of the freezer to cook. At lease our tiny tree is getting a good watering before we bring it in to decorate. Yes, this is our tree this year. My youngest started growing this about 5 years ago, and we decided this year to save the money and not buy a tree, but to use this one. Charlie Brown , eat your heart out.

Driving the kids to school last week (when they missed the bus...again....) I was shocked and amused to see this on Main Street right here in little ole' Weaverville . Yarn bombing ! Then I wondered if I should have been in on it! I sort of felt left out!! But really, I wouldn't have had the time, energy, much less skill to be part of this wacky tradition that pops up every now and then. At least I can enjoy it. It really is spectacular to think all this time and effort goes into letting the general public get a kick out of what is covered in yarn. And to think about what they heck it is over the rails of the Library? Wacky. Today the only thing left was the bench cover. No Teddy bear, no garbage can cover, nothing left of the rest of it, just the bench cover. And it had just poured rain for the last 3 or 4 hours, so it was soaking wet.  This left me wondering what happens to yarn bombed things over time. Do people take the yarn, and if so who? Do people steal i...

I understand that it's not Monday, and that it is not November either. But in an effort to get the first two posts of NaBloWriMo in before I get further behind, I am posting this very special song. November Rain , by Guns N' Roses , came out in June 1992, just over 20 years ago. It was that summer, that my life took a turn I wasn't expecting. It was that summer, and during this song, that I knew I was going on the best adventure ever. I met hubby that summer, and he introduced me to this song. We listened to it alone, in a dark room, and it was then (or thereabouts) that I knew  that he was someone I always wanted to be with. We just celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary, but really celebrated being together for 20 years. So I could not think about way back then without thinking of this song. A beautiful song with a sweeping orchestral background that leaves quite an impression, especially in a dark room with just two people in it.  I...

I am! I am hardcore! Ok, maybe not to the runners, marathoners, tri-athletes.  But I am hardcore - and so are you if you think about it. For me, it hit me as I was walking in the rain last week. I know I have bragged about walking in the rain before , but that was nothing compared to the rain last week. It had been raining all the night before, all morning, and there were rivers of water running down the street and large puddles everywhere. The rain wasn't a drizzle, it was steadily raining. My clothes, after walking in the rain. But I went for a walk anyways. The old me would have stayed in and missed a day of walking. But the hardcore me got my hoodie and my old walking shoes (didn't want to get my new ones wet and dirty), and headed out to get wet walking. The bottoms of my pants were so wet when I got back, I took my clothes off and left them on the steps. And I couldn't see because my glasses had drops all over them and were fogging up. ( Yes, I took the pi...

You know it's Spring when.... ~Spiders take over. Not just two webs...... But a whole field of them You know it's Spring when..... ~Doves are f.........oopps..."getting to know each other" - right outside your kitchen window "How YOU doin'?" ahem "Do you think they saw us??" You know it's Spring when..... ~It has been raining non-stop for 18 hours now,  (you know, April showers bring May flowers ) but you can still leave the windows open for fresh air.  The rain is good, it gives me hope for my very first tomato plant. The ground will be nice and moist for when I plant her, and this year we can have fresh, home grown tomatoes.  We haven't enjoyed homegrown tomatoes since we moved here. My MIL, Bridget , kept us supplied in previous years, so we really missed them last year after we moved. My first tomato plant, soaking up the rain this morning.  I have never grown tomatoes before, and s...