Heart Shaped Compass

Fear and Uncertainty.
An interwoven, paradoxal pair of emotions that travel together, testing the fortitude of all that they infiltrate. Emotions capable of bringing forth the deepest rooted constitutions in all of us.

They patiently await our protests as they build their architectural colliseums of doubt...a personal prison of our own design.  Daring our bravery, they offer up the opportunity to hone our intuition, our metal, our listening ears, our willingness to risk...
They offer the chance to examine and deconstruct the questions that tangle our steps.
A chance to forget what we were afraid of to begin with...
They spin a cobwebbed maze so tightly, that the desire of the heart is our only path to truth.
The dance with these two can either be a beautiful story of triumph, freedom, and celebration....or, it can simply become one of paralyzing regret that runs like a ticker tape behind closed eyelids...
displaying your choices and consequences on an endless reel of tears. 
For some the chasm to cross seems deeper and wider than they can handle and they teeter unmoving on the edge, until finally all that awaited them on the other side has withered under the weight of heartbreak.
Others build a bridge made of hope and faith, and follow a compass whose true north bleeds red with passion...and offer their heart to those whom cannot see.


May we all be blessed with the courage to leap, the strength to carry those whom cannot, and the wisdom to know when to walk away.

Cabin Makeover...so far :)

I'm taking a couple days off but in the meantime, enjoy the random photos of cabin transformation over the last 4 weeks. Some of the pics are self explanatory, others might prove challenging to decipher...feel free to ask for clarification on what you're looking at :)

Bloody knuckles, hairy legs, and cabin remodeling 101

I haven't shaved my legs in almost 4 weeks.  I've also worn the same pair of jeans.  It's true.  And I don't care. (I have shaved my armpits however, and maintained other grooming necessities just to clear up any concerns).  My days have been completely consumed by undertaking the task of turning this shabby chic little cabin into something a bit more cozy and warm.  Other than leaving the house to do some communtiy volunteering and Alpine Search and Rescue class, my days and nights are spent with a hammer, nails, my drill, drywall mud, paint, and wood of some sort.  (I do shower and change clothes for social occasions in which public interaction is inevitable...but I still don't shave my legs).  I'm almost curious as to how long leg hair really gets when left to run willy nilly. It's 10:20pm...I quit my tim the toolman routine early tonight.  A productive day was had, however.  So far, this month of chest pounding accomplishments has covered a range of skill sets.  Some of these talents I was aware I posessed, others were a pleasant surprise, like being able to use my head, shelves, and strategically placed cinder blocks to hold an 8' sheet of plywood to the beams in the ceiling....literally.  This could quite possibly be the source of my headache or the odd feeling of being shorter this evening.  Either way, using my noggin paid off.  Nothing is more true than the old adage "necessity is the mother of invention".  When you're a wee 63" from the ground, weilding power tools, and materials larger than yourself, creative problem solving rules the day.  I've got splinters, scabbed up knuckles, random cuts and bruises and paint that refuses to come off,  all as progress souvenirs.  Tomorrow my day begins again with my lucky jeans, my hoodie, a cup of tea, and trusy Pandora to jolt me into super hero action.  Before and after pics will be coming soon...to include the hairy legs ;)