No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on October 13, 2016

It is also National Train Your Brain and English Language Day.

A quote attributed to RFK: Only those to dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.

We hear that failure is part of success. You can’t success unless you fail. Which isn’t quite true however I think that the bigger point is that you tried at all.

Peter is a successful writer in many people’s eyes. He was rejected numerous times before he made his first sale. But he kept going rather than throwing in the towel.

I hide one of my first puppets from the world. I have it to remind me where I began and how far I have come. And I have to say that in the past couple of years I have honed my abilities even more. I have a box of failure that consists of puppet pieces gone horribly wrong. I learned from those and went on to the next puppet.

Failure is part of life, it is what we do when we fail that determines if we keep going or give up. Giving up is not a bad thing either. You can realize that something that you though you were totally passionate about and wanted to do all the time, is not all that and a bag of chips. You are allowed to change your mind about things.

Fail has become an insult on the Internet. The phrase “you fail at life” comes to mind or “you fail at _______________” being that you are not worthy of what you want to achieve. I find that sad. Everyone is worthy. Some people are just better at some things than other people are.

I have learned over time what my strengths and weaknesses are. I know what I have done in my life to overcome various set-backs and failures. I think I deal with it better now than I did in my 20s. When I can honestly say that I did try and I tried my best, I feel no guilt in failing but rather the challenge of how I will succeed next time. That was hard fought for knowledge.

So fail and figure out from that how you are going to succeed next time. You may not remember how you learned to walk, but I assure you there was a lot of falling involved before it became rote.

I am grateful for my failures that have led to my successes.

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Posted By Kathleen David on October 12, 2016

May all who are observing this day have an easy fast.

I learned years ago not to say “Happy Yom Kippur” because it’s not that kind of holiday. It is a day for reflection and atonement. On Rosh Hashanah God inscribes each person’s fate in the book of life but the deal is not done until Yom Kipper where it is sealed in the book. The days between the two are the period in which a Jew tries to amend their behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs that they have done to others and to God in the past year. For the Catholics in the group, think of it as confession on steroids.

Caroline is home from school today. We have several things that we need to do today to get the house back in order. I am also thinking about getting the Halloween decorations out. We’ll see what we can do.

We are down to the Dodgers and Nationals in terms of playoffs. We know that the Cubs will be meeting one or the other. The AL title is Cleveland vs. Toronto.

The Jets and Giants are making this an easy season to not watch football. However the Falcons are making it interesting again. I do find it interesting that it was the NFL that was the first sports franchise to kick a player to the curb over domestic abuse which is a step in the right direction. Now this player is going to become an MMA fighter according to reports.

We are coming up to the beginning of the NBA season. Going to be interesting to see how this year shapes up for certain teams with all the player movement between the teams.

I cannot express how much better my mouth feels with all my teeth in place. I am not cutting up my lip and my mouth doesn’t feel weird. I went to get the temp placed back into my mouth because I had an appointment Friday to get the permanent replacement in. When I got there, I was informed that my tooth had come in from the lab so we could go ahead, put it in, and this nightmare will be done. I feel for everyone who have to deal with bad teeth and can’t have a dentist take care of the problem.

My knee is much better today compared to Saturday where I didn’t think I could take another step. It almost feels normal. That puts me in a much better mood.

Drawlloween is moving along. Today’s prompt is “I’ve got a hunchback” and I am still mulling over what I am going to do.

I am grateful for a full set of teeth.

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Posted By Kathleen David on October 11, 2016

It went pretty well. I drew each day but forgot to post one day due to it being a very busy day.

Not as happy with this week as I was with last week but I will continue to move forward.

Pictures behind the cut because there are eight of them.

I am grateful I have kept up with this

(more…)

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Posted By Kathleen David on October 10, 2016

And considering the number of times I have talked about Mental Health, I really should chime in.
This year’s theme is Psychological First Aid. The World Health Organization states that PFA involves humane, supportive and practical help to fellow human beings suffering serious crisis events. I read through the field guide trying to sort out what they were trying to say. They are talking about things like the aftermath in all the places that Hurricane Matthew where the people need help with the trauma that happened to them bit mentally and physically. Refugees coming out of a War zone would be another example.
There needs to be follow-up after the initial help and they state that but they are focusing on the immediate need.
I have taken a couple of weeks off from web blogging. I had a good run this year of at least putting something up each day. But a couple of things happened to me and to my loved ones that put me mentally in a bad place. I could tell that I was going down a path that I have trod before and the results have never been good.
So I took a break and let myself take a breath. I got some projects further along. I went to NYCC and had a good time. I broke my front tooth and today my temporary tooth fell out while I was brushing my teeth. My knee took a leap backwards but it snapped back pretty quick. Today it is a dull ache but nothing like the end of Saturday. I held Orson for the first time. I lived my life the good and the bad,

I might be back or I might take some more time for me. I am not quite sure about that.

I will post my artwork for the past week for Drawlloween tomorrow.

But I will take the time I need to get myself back in balance.

I am grateful for tools that help me help me.

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Posted By Kathleen David on October 4, 2016

So this year I am attempting the Drawlloween Challenge which is a series of prompts about Halloween that you then take a draw what comes to mind. The reason I am doing it is to encourage others to give drawing a try. I know that my abilities are limited. But if I can do it, so can you. That’s why I participate.

(For the VI: The is a calendar of prompts. I will put each prompt under the drawing.)

Day One: Return from the Dead

(for the VI: This is a gravestone that says Drawlloween 2016 Day One Return from the Dead, in front is a coffee cup being held up by two skeleton hands. On the cup is written D. Mise)

Day Two: Carnival Creeps

(for the VI: On the left side it says going down the page Drawlloween 2016 and on the right Day 2 Carnival Creeps. In the middle is a black and white drawing of three men dressed up a plague doctors. The one on the right is facing forward. The one in the middle is looking left and the one of the left is looking right.)

Day Three: Tentacles

(for the VI: The top of the drawing is a submarine. The bottom is a series of tentacles reaching for the submarine.)

I am grateful for something that encourages me to draw.

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