I am popping in to say my first Hello for 2024.
It was my plan to tiptoe quietly into 2024 and to stay a little inconspicuous for the next while. Unfortunately, 2024 found me creeping across the threshold and grabbed me by my hair and flung me smack bang into the back of a massive Ford Ranger Raptor 4 x 4 truck to remind me to think again about being so sneaky.
Tongue in cheek aside, it is definitely not how I wanted to start my year, with my sweet mint-green Fiat 500 being written off. I have no words to express how I feel about this big set back. However, that being said, I have to take the good with the bad - I am alive with no broken bones, I had no passengers with me and no one else was hurt except me and my little love bug of a car. I am bruised, a little battered and every part of my body not happy with me right now but on the most part I am good. My heart feels a bit bruised to be honest, which is to be expected. My airbags deployed and gave me a swift upper cut to the nose, lip and chin and I can’t quite figure out what happened to my chest cavity, but laughing and coughing is no fun. Neither is touching my nose so doing my best not to cry.
Thank you to those who have been so kind and for the extra help the past few days, indeed humbling but I am doing my best along with being kind to myself around recovering.
Other than this and that, I am recovering from the burnout I experienced at the end of last year. I went radio silence after my auction as I was really taking the time to look after myself. I push so hard sometimes and I am recognising that I am not always that kind to myself. So many valuable lessons in there for me and I am listening.
My days are quiet and I am filling my time with some film work, lots of walking, some cold water swimming and lots and lots of yoga. I have been learning the quiet practice of Tai Chi called Swimming Dragon which moves slowly and deeply and it’s really helping me find my grounding again. I have been farming mushrooms at home and it’s felt like pure alchemy. I have also been enjoying all the beautiful blossoming trees and bursts of color everywhere the eye can see. Even though the heat has been awful and energy sapping, I do enjoy the visual beauty of this time of year. Autumn will be here soon enough, which is my preferred season of choice and film season will be over and it means I will be moving back into my studio fulltime. I have been stealing moments to paint but still going slowly but I can see some pieces forming in front of me and it does fill my love tank and have been doing some creative play dates with special friends, all very nurturing… oh and lots of coffee moments.
So for now, taking life one moment at a time, one breath at a time.
Wishing you the most beautiful year ahead and no more sneaking around this year but rather dancing into 2024 with no car and all and thank you for being patient with me to return to this space.
Much love, always… Jeanne-Marie
