Improvement

Near our house is an old prison.  It was in operation for decades but has since closed. down.  I guess I'm not really turned off by the idea that there was a prison nearby (like it would for some).  Maybe its because I thought that Alcatraz in San Francisco was so neat.  (Have you ever visited?  It's awesome and so worth seeing).  

Last week we walked down by the red brick prison buildings to see an old bridge.  The prisoners built the bridge at some point.  Looking at this bridge, I thought of all the good things that have come to the area because of the prison.  We have trails and green space but most importantly, we have the Workhouse which is prison buildings that have been converted into an arts center (where I do my glass).  I'm pretty sure I talk about it a lot, but the arts and creating are so core to who I am.  

 

 

So, out of something dilapidated (the prison), so much good came.

Ok, so what does this have to do with my life?  Well, I've been thinking about improvement lately.  I don't consider myself dilapidated or even in a negative place but I want to become better. 

I want to discover things that I love and then spend time (you know, all that free time I have with an 8 month old) developing them.  Here's what I've been thinking about lately:

Music

I sang in church last week.  It's been ages since I've sung in public and I loved it and realized how much I missed that.  I think I forgot how important music was in my life and I need to pick it back up.  The fun discovery from that is how much Leo enjoyed it too.  I think we have a budding musician on our hands. 

Discover things that I love:

This calls for stepping out of my box and trying new things.  I've been focused on things lately that I can't control and need to shift over to thinking about developing myself.  For example, I really enjoy web design but haven't really had the time to work on it.  I've felt like those skills are going away, so I checked a book out from the library to learn a new skill (javascript) and I'm really enjoying it. 

Homemaking:

I've never been really good at keeping a house.  I'd much rather be working on a project but a good environment makes everyone happier.  Organized spaces and time make me feel happy, just look at the pantry project.   I want to figure out have to have a beautiful and efficient home.

So many things to think about and to work on but it feels good.  I'm going to keep trying everyday to improve and I'll get there.