ur happy place 11/3!

here we are already in november.yikes! how did that happen?..for me its time to put the veggie garden to bed, buy that lodge cast iron pot to simmer stews over the fire with, relish the coziness of holing up inside by the hearth. time for steaming mugs of lady grey tea, cinnamon coffee, and long looks at the moon shining down on the skeleton trees in the backyard. time to hunker in with friends and family, and with the creative muse...

it seems like from now until january 1st the days just zoom by in a holiday whirl. but today we step back and take a deep breath from all that lay ahead and instead focus on what's important right here, right now. let's talk gratitude for a spell. with november underway and thanksgiving just around the corner, let's take some time together to check in on our gratitude compass...

to help us with that , i'm thrilled to share with you a lovely, lovely, canadian aritist and creative superstar, danielle fraser who was kind enough to share a bit about how gratitude fits into her life with a little Q & A for today's post. i met danielle through flying lessons, e-course we both took with kelly rae roberts a few months back. danielle is flying high and listening close these days! she's taking risks and trusting her process..she is a girl i know u'll be glad to meet. here's a peek at how she describes herself:

(this from her blog)

danielle

Tucked away in Northern Canada, lives a woman who dreams of wearing a chartreuse cape with red polka dots where she spends many days and nights creating inside her petit Studio. With six months of snow covering the ground, she spends many days as a recluse allowing her imagination to run wild. When Spring finally arrives, she flies around in her cape, enjoying the deep greens and blue hues that cover the nearby forests and abundance of lakes.

and now here is danielle!

Here in the states we're celebrating our Thanksgiving on November 25th. Like your Canadian holiday just past on October 11th, its a time when we can take a moment to reflect on what we're grateful for. I love being able to talk grateful heart with you as we approach our celebration later this month, thanks so much for joining us here today!

Was there anything particularly meaningful for you as you celebrated thanksgiving this year?

This Thanksgiving was indeed a very special one. My partner Steve and my seven year old son Owen travelled to Manitoulin Island for our Thanksgiving dinner. It was so meaningful because we were all together. My mom and dad (they separated when I was seventeen), my mom’s partner Doran, my two younger brothers and our extended family. We spent the day soaking in the sunshine while enjoying the great outdoors. After our delicious meals we brought our bellies by the campfire and sipped wine while gazing at the stars above. It was lovely.

.On any given day what makes your heart grateful?

On any given day, I’m grateful for the choices I have made to practice a creative life. I was a school teacher for eight years and I was slowly dying inside, withering away. My creativity was being constricted like a bird with a broken wing. Creativity is not a hobby for me it is a way of life. Ever since making the decision to leave teaching and live this creative life, my heart and my soul have aligned. While I create by day in my studio my heart is whispering “thank-you” and my soul is signing... “You deserve this happiness. Believe this.”

Do you have any personal gratitude practices?

Before having Owen, I used to keep a gratitude journal. But, since becoming a Mama, I have to admit that this practice is no longer. Every night before Owen goes to sleep, while I tuck him in, we give thanks. He tells me what he is grateful for and I do the same. It is a daily practice that brings us back to what is important. I want Owen to learn that giving thanks is a beautiful way to pray. Sometimes he gives thanks for playing with his best friends, for his dad getting safely home from his trip, or for his new legos. Sometimes I give thanks for selling a painting, spending time with one of my bff’s, or my coffee that I so enjoy. Most of all, we give thanks for each other; Mama, Daddy, Owen and Frodo too (our Morkie). Through this practice I hope I am teaching my son that it all matters. The big and the small moments in our day are important and we should be grateful for all of them.

How do you bring your grateful heart into the world these days?

These days I am so grateful for the community of artists I have met through a shared passion, both online and in person. My life has become so enriched in the last nine months and I am extremely grateful for this. Blogging and sharing my creative journey since February 2010 has allowed me to open up and share the many layers of myself. I feel supported and loved. I have been humbled quite a few times by an email that was sent from a person who has been touched in some way by my words or my paintings. This has been so rewarding. I think this is what it’s all about. Peeling back the layers and unearthing our truths with honesty, vulnerability and love. Learning to accept kindness and LOVE from others... this is still something I struggle with and I am working on.

Where does gratitude fit in when life throws you a curve ball or you're met with challenges that seem bigger than life?

There are some things in life you learn the hard way. My family and I have recently overcome the most difficult chapter of our lives. Five years ago, my husband broke his back during a military jump instructor course, which left him paraplegic. While this accident has dramatically changed our lives, it has also transformed us and given us perspective. The common thread that has grounded me is my friends, my family and my creativity. All three are equal and necessary parts that have helped me overcome the heartbreak and the challenges I faced.

When you encounter very dark and frightening times, you are given the opportunity to shine in this darkness. I believe the people around you are also given this opportunity. What helped me get through this difficult period was focusing on what we did have, what we still had, not only on what was lost.

Do you have any words you'd like to leave us with about having a grateful heart?

Having a grateful heart is what anchors me in the present. It allows me to focus on what matters. Gratitude helps me to celebrate my journey, my successes, and my triumphs, no matter how small. Gratitude helps me to push past the imperfections, the loss, and the upsets, especially the big ones. Gratitude helps me view the world in a more loving and compassionate way and not only focus on the bad driver in front of me. I believe that having a grateful heart is a roadmap for having a happy life, no matter how many challenging curve balls come your way.

here's where you'll find danielle:

home: www.herpaintedword.com
shop: www.etsy.com/shop/herpaintedword
blog: www.lepetitstudio-woolf.blogspot.com

Where color and words collide...

thanks danielle, my heart feels wider just now:)

ur happy place haiku:

danielle says it best today

shine into the dark

like stars and comets we are

for now i'll leave u with a few shots from sunday and our visit to salem, mass for samhain/halloween..yeah i'm grateful for people like this, makes the world a very interesting place!

until next time...xx