24 Apr
Other Musings
Dreama’s Survival Recipes (includes photos to paint and dancing…!)
Honestly—I didn’t know what to write today. But I knew I wanted to be with you, check-in, see how you are getting along.
Hemingway said to write hard and clear about what hurts.
I say it does help to journal about the times we are finding ourselves in.
What our truth is, what is hard and what hurts.
Today, I want to tell you what I’ve been up to in this new place we have all arrived to.
Maybe you’ll see yourself and/or maybe you’ll find some inspiration.
MY SURVIVAL RECIPES
WATCHING. Seinfeld reruns, Austin Powers and anything that makes me laugh out loud.
STEERING CLEAR. Avoiding the news and negative input as much as possible.
COOKING PASTA. I am concerned that none of my jeans will fit when I finally become mobile again.
WINE. A glass of Chianti from Tuscany helps carry my mind to good times in Italy.
WATCHING. 3 new bird families that have built their nests near my back porch.
DANCING. My lovable Dreamettes (that’s you!) helped me create a REALLY great playlist—see below.
VIRTUAL MEETUPS. Catching up with family and friends
PAINTING. Watercolors and oils. I’ve added a couple photos for you to use for instant inspiration—see below.
WALKING. In my neighborhood and visits to a local public garden.
DRIVING. Riding through beautiful horse country at the end of most days.
HELPING. I’ve sent flowers, reached out to solo friends, created some ideas to help friends in Italy and France.
BATH. Taking more bubble baths than usual (sometimes 2 a day when I’m feeling the stress)
REMEMBERING. To be understanding with myself. These are unusual times.
RESTING. When I’m tired.
FORGIVING. Myself (and others) for ‘Covid-Crazy’ moments. You know, when the silliest of things can set you off! So important to remember what is going on and how it’s impacting each of us.
GRATITUDE. I try to do this upon awakening. It helps tremendously to focus the mind on good things.
READING. The good stuff ALWAYS helps.
QUIETNESS. I use the Calm App that plays ocean sounds. The ocean is restorative.
I guess what I’m saying, both to you and to myself, is that these times are both unusual and stressful.
Acknowledging it is essential. It helps us realize the importance of extending extra kindness and understanding to ourselves and others.
Just wanted to reach out and let you know you are on my mind and wishing you and yours an abundance of health, peace and beautiful days to come.
And one final thought from Mark Twain:
Give every day the chance to be the most beautiful day of your life.
Let’s do this!!
Leave a comment below and share your favorite survival (wink, wink) tip !
Click Here to open my Spotify I Feel Better When I’m Dancing Playlist
Click on the photos below to download and paint.
Lilacs from the Dream.Love.Paint cottage in a vintage Ball jar!
Spring bouquet from here in Paris….Kentucky!
‘Tulip Love’ by Dreama , Original Oil on Museum Quality Panel
Love the painting!….and…..give Primitivo from Puglia a try (higher alcohol content, the better…nothing below 14%…16% is good…..goes up to 18%!!
Thanks Jerry! And I will have to see if I can A) find it stateside or B) fly to Italy to find it 😉 !
Dreama, I love all your recipes to lighten the moments in our day to day life in this crazy time. Your paintings and journaling have brighten up my days through this! Im so glad I am able to be here with this course and wonderful people in it.
virtual hugs!
Thank you Dreams for these beautiful tips! I would add spending time with my kitties and leaving a “surprise Starbucks drink” on a friend’s porch… blame it on the coffee fairy.
I have enjoyed having my son home from college for company. And Wednesday evening my daughter comes over for dinner. I also love my watercolor painting.
I love your survival recipes! I think I may try some of them after I’ve been gardening all day, A visit to Tuscany with a glass of wine and eating pasta while watching horses run wild past my gate, and my own survival tip, eat tiramisu! while listening to Calm!
Thank you Dreama!
Thanks for the lovely recipes! I must say, I share a lot of them!! I will simply add time outdoors, feeding the birds who see me, then flock to the feeders. Reading inspirational material, music too. And Jimmy Fallon at home show! Lol.my pawsome furbabes, Of course, texting my kids. Xo, the number one joy!
Add this to your restful remedy list——in these spring evenings my cows and their new babies come up to the house pasture to graze or snooze in the lush new green grass. Driving my ATV cart, ,with a glass of something cold,in hand ,I drive out among them and park,,trying to match mama to baby. .It iis so beautiful and serene
that I forget the angst of the current isolation…
The older calves run bucking past the newer ones, under mama. It is so peaceful….
Your words are always uplifting. Thank you!!
I am an essential employee, working 32 hours weekly. To de stress, I read your blogs😁. Watch something funny , listen to great music, pray ( a lot) and do lots of DIYs around the house. Stay well my friend!
Thank you. Love these photos& painting!
That is one of my fav playlists!
🌵💗🌵
Diane pittard
Thank you for the inspiration. I have been soooo lazy. Just wanting to go to bed and pull the covers over my head.
Thank you, Dreama, these are hard times and especially on the days I am having to deal with my digestive issues (eating brings on the pain) and thinking about the surgery ahead. I have been making masks for my families and neighborhood friends. It’s fun, using fabrics I had stashed from the days of back when I was doing cloth figures. Also drawing in my journal and inking but hesitating when it comes to the watercolor. Got to start soon; have all the supplies. You are insiring; so appreciate this flow membership.
I am painting , sewing on quilt projects, writing notes and painting cards for people, reading and taking walks in the woods. I try to phone someone each day . And I try to take joy in tiny things!!
Thanks for writing. I am working my way through British mysteries on Acorn and Britbox.
Hey! Thanks for the list of songs!
I may try to work on some “dancing”. Yesterday we (my hubby and I) went back to our doctor’s with the results of our blood work. Well, I knew I need to loose weight, but now I had the news that now I have high cholesterol and high blood sugar…
The doc sent me to a nutritionist and told me to cut all carbs and sugar (even fruit!).
I almost asked him if I was supposed to cut them with a knife or a pair of scissors…
Oh! My favorite survival thing is working on crafts – specially decorating boxes and trinkets! Time flies when you are having fun!
Thank you for checking on us, it is so kind. I have been staying in bed a lil longer, to pray for all my friends and Dreamettes. Night is for family. Trying to paint, when I take my husband to therapy 3 days a week I get in the back seat and watercolors. I call my self the back seat painter now. My win is almost getting a watercolor finished, today’s the day.
Dreama, I still listen to the play list you gave us in the Dream Love Paint class, so I really wanted this dancing one, but it won’t load? Is it just me or is the link not working? Can you please try again or email it to me?
Loving this letter -I am doing all of the above, without the bubble bath and including making homemade sourdough bread!
Love
Sharon
Hi Sharon! The link is working (just checked it) so maybe an extra slow load time? Everyone is streaming these days so maybe wifi is just super busy! Or you might try to open it in a different browser. Glad you are safe and baking bread!! Love you 🙂
I am not able to download the pictures to paint.
Hi Kathy–on the photo, just right click on desk top or tap if on mobile and follow your options to save!
Thank you Dreama. I am still a bit computer challenged. I always forget about the right click. I need all the help I can get!!! LOL.
Thank you for the check-in…I enjoyed your survival tips during this COVID crisis! I adore your paintings and cannot wait for the time when I am able to sign up to take courses with you! Please be patient with me….
Loved this post! Thank you for the good advise. It’s always good to read these practices over and over again. Also, love the photos!
Love this, Dreama….and needed it too ! Just reading it made me feel calmer. One of my survival tips is…….Late in the afternoon, I sit on the patio with my 2 sweet kitties and a glass of wine. Just sit and take in my beautiful flowers that are blooming and listen to the birds singing their song of spring.
Nothing more soothing than the colors and sounds of nature. Top it off later with a hot bath ! 🙂
That’s a perfect recipe Charlotte! Love it 🙂
Thanks for sharing your feelings and the beautiful pictures. How beautiful Paris, Kentucky is this time of year especially. I love the Kentucky blue grass. I miss my abundance of flowers and am so inspired to take pictures of flowers instead of paint them, but I haven’t found a way to grow them here without the deer eating them! lol. I love my wildlife though, and I see many types of critters where we live. God has been so good to us.
These are uncertain times but I have learned to rest in them. I finally figured out to have peace is to be totally absorbed in my Saviour. If I can trust Him to keep me out of hell then I can trust Him to take care of me here.
In His Word He leaves me truth and understanding and as long as I feed on that I can rest in Him. And yes, stay away from the news. I have been checking out Dr. Shiva online who is encouraging people do the right things. God created us an amazing machine and our bodies are meant to fight, it just depends on how we nourish it. I have been enjoying more fruit and vegetables to boost my immuity and taking my vitamin C. My life really hasn’t changed much through all of this because I usually stay at home unless I’m at chuch, or at work, or at the store. I’m thankful to still be working in an essential job and God is providing all my needs. I love taking walk too and pictures on my walks which I share with Alysa, while she is away from home in Florida. In our state and town we are being allowed to assemble on the church parking lot. Many people stay in the vehicles and some sit in chairs outside on pretty days. It has been different but still wonderful. Seeing these events lets me realize that this world will someday come to naught but heaven will be grand with my Saviour!
Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
Psalm 56:3-4 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise His word, In God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
Praying for you and Ron and your adult (kids) lol
Thank you for your encouragement and good suggestions for managing our mental health during this trying time. My daily routine begins with coffee/breakfast, watching a program or two on HGTV, making my bed, getting dressed, and some house chores for an hour or so before I sit down to participate in a drawing class. I have a large garden and this is the time of year when I have to be out there weeding, prepping the drip irrigation system, and just drinking in the smell and colors of the spring bloom. Ah, that alone makes me feel normal. Between the garden and art ( watercolor, oils), I feel very lucky to have these two delicious activities to take my mind off of COVID-19. Thank you once again for your joyful encouragement. God Bless you.
I LOVE your dance list. I’m hoping to get my daughter and grandchildren and their friends to have a dance party with me. But even if I can’t, I’ll be dancing to the songs on your list.
Also, I’ve just started “painting” with water based markers again. I have multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) which makes it very hard to find materials that I can work with. At some point I got bored and discouraged with my limitations. Now I’m ready to try again. Thanks for all the things you share!
Best, Patrecia
I’m so glad you didn’t give up and that you’ve found something that works for you! Creating is so good for us…Keep creating and for now, keep dancing!!
Dreama, I love getting messages and your travels, you are such an inspiration to me, and the saying you relate make my heart warm. When I get up each morning I try to thank God for another day, and to make it special in these times. Thank you for your friendship. Diane Lenamon
Diane–you are so precious. Thank you for your friendship and always for such kind and loving words you send my way. So, so appreciated!
One of my favorite things to do lately (besides painting) is study French with Duo Lingo, which is very reasonably priced and which has tiny bite sized lessons that are fun. I am now speaking short sentences in francais!
Dear Dreama, just a thank you for sharing your art and thoughts and the beautiful trips you take. You are a breath of fresh air and I so appreciate everything you share with us!
Christine
Thoroughly enjoying your emails and posts during this time! I tuned into your Dance Playlist on Spotify during a watercolor session and had a hard time painting because I was dancing around my studio! Loved it!
today’s letter was really beautiful, we all need this so much, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Is this on FB? It would be wonderful to share
It means a lot to me to be able to do so Carol–we are all feeling the crunch so I am so glad this was good for you! I did share it to my FB page and just so you know, each post I have here on my site has a place (below where you can leave a comment) that allows you to share to Facebook too 🙂
You about made me cry with your kindness! And the Mark Twain quote was very touching! Thank you Dreama! You are a special gift to my life!
Follow along on my social accounts for behind the scenes peeks, inspiration, tips, stories & more.
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest