Casting Off!

Photo a Day
Last day in Holland,
on journey home,
after our holiday in France 2005

Alice came to the fork in the road.
"Which road do I take?" she asked.
"Where do you want to go?" responded the Cheshire cat.
"I don't know," Alice answered.
"Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Ability is what you're capable of.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.
- Lou Holtz

The only limits are, as always, those of vision.
- James Broughton

Vision without action is a daydream.
Action without vision is a nightmare.
- Japanese Proverb

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.
- Unknown


I have been thinking,
and I can tell you exactly when it was!
It was when we were travelling home in the torrential rain on Sunday.

I had my eyes focussed on the road ahead.
Because of my crash helmet's visor I have a limited view.
I could not look directly upwards, that would be a physical impossibility whilst travelling at a speed of 30 mph + (wink!)

I could make out where we were heading.
The sky was changing and really we had no control of the outcome.

We were heading for the sunshine and avoiding the grey clouds,
but the road was an unknown one.

LIFE IS A BIT LIKE THAT, DON'T YOU THINK?

We tend to focus towards what we expect to be positive and avoid negative.
But like on a journey when we are following a road we really do not know what the actual journey will be like.
When we LOOK BACK we are often amazed at what incredible situations we have hauled ourselves through.
If we KNEW what the situations were going to be, we probably would not have set out at all.
On Sunday when Jon and I returned home we were DRENCHED!
Yet, we had had a FANTASTIC time together and what made it most special was because we had travelled together, through the horrendous weather.
We could SHARE the joy of dry clothes and SHARE the feeling of wet rain dripping down our boots.
The JOURNEY had been fun
and memorable!



Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
- Will Rogers


Today I heard some news which will mean a new direction for my business.
I want to share it with you because I want to take you with me on my journey.

Why?

Because I want to SHARE....

Imagine climbing Mount Everest alone...
what do you do when you reach the top?
Stick the flag in!

Imagine climbing Mount Everest as a group...
what do you do when you reach the top?
Exactly!

The new direction.....
As an artist I work on commissions.
It is rather like a problem solving process.
The client would say what they wanted and I have to interpret the brief.

I was asked to depict a man's life in an artistic form, as a memorial,
a living memorial as it would be known.

I painted a scene from his favourite spot here on the North York Moors.
The family were thrilled with it and local Funeral Directors endorsed it's potential in an ever increasing environmentally aware market.
Eventually, through research and development I came across
the Natural Death Centre

I have had many conversations with the Director,
Mike Jarvis who again endorses my work.
When the next edition of the book is published I will be listed as a Memorial Artist.

One of the biggest Environmental Events here in UK
is the BIG GREEN GATHERING

A dear friend of mine, Brigit Strawbridge
is launching her exciting new campaign!

As some of you are aware I am a moderator over on Brigit's Forum
in fact I have my very own tearoom!
Well, at the Big Green Gathering there is going to be.....
Mrs Nesbitt's Tearoom!
Yes, my name in lights!
Brigit is having the tearoom to cater for the volunteers who are helping with the event!
What a wonderful opportunity to bring attention to my memorial art.

I have been asked by Brigit to prepare some information on Environmental Issues and the alternative funeral and memorial choices available.

So.............watch this space!