Tales of the Titmouse

Topa Topa Mountain in Ojai, CA.
The Pink Moment
The brief moment when the sunset turns the mountain face a radiant pink.

Yesterday a long awaited gift arrived. It's a gift that spent 20 years (probably more than twenty) traveling through the heart, and mind, of a talented soul searching for just the right words, and message to send to its readers. The gift is a newly published book by my dear, long time friend, Pamela Barrett. "Tales of the Titmouse", One Woman's Journey Out of Darkness, you can find it on Amazon by clicking HERE.

I remember Pam reading excerpts over the phone to me in the late 80's, and being mesmerized by every word. I stood there with the phone cupped to my ear, and knew Pam was on her way to becoming a published author. Pam and I go way back to the early 70's. I used to work for her Dad as a waitress in his restaurant/coffee shop (I worked for him years later at another restaurant in Ojai, CA, named the Sand Dollar, where many of my friends in the band, The Country Z Men, went on to play with Jimmy Messina, and Clint Black). Pam helped him manage the coffee shop and played hostess with the mostest.

It's in this very same restaurant I met another dear friend, Penny (she's featured in the book) who later became my maid of honor at my wedding. Penny was my ultimate roll model for becoming a hippy, a true hippy. Her husband was an artist, and hanging out at her house was sheer bliss for me--an aspiring artist, musician and hippy-wanna-be-flower-child. I spent many hours curled up at Penny's feet in her plant shop gleaning life skills, and ideas of what to do with my life.

Sweet, sweet Ojai, CA, "The Valley of the Moon" as it is called by the Chumash Indians. Locals also refer to it as the "nest". Although the three of us no longer live there, Ojai will forever live in us. The pictures taken of me with my band Silver Rose were taken in front of a house both Pam and I lived in. Our lives have criss-crossed, and paralleled in so many ways, you'd have thought we planned it that way. We didn't. Perhaps it's because all three of us have a genuine hunger for spiritual matters, and long for our Higher Powers to lead us on a path of understanding, love and serenity.

Pam's story will remind you of how we are all searching for answers, for truth, for love, for acceptance, but especially for hope. If you need a gift of encouragement for someone you love, or yourself, please add "Tales of the Titmouse" to your list of must haves. You can find Pam at her blog, Sister Gilby Says.

Congratulations, Pam. I'm so very, very proud of you for making it to the finish line. You give all of us with stories to tell, and write, hope. Thank you~ Behind Pam is the painting, John Barrett, her artist husband did for the cover of the book. You should see the Christmas card he made me!!! These two make each other shine, and I am in awe of how their gifts came together in a such a perfect union.
I'm not going to give any details of what is inside the book except once you start reading it--you will not be able to put it down....

Creativity comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms. Our world needs creativity today so we can have a better world this time tomorrow

Thank you so much, Herrad. This is a cool award especially coming from you. My goal is to stop by Herrad's every day to see what beautiful pictures she posts, what wonderful food Richie is cooking for her, and to get my daily fix of gratefulness. I am so utterly grateful for you, Herrad. I'm thrilled you fly over to the Tree House to visit me. Thank you so much!

I'm often amazed that sometimes people think they are not creative simply because they cannot draw or paint. Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes. Our entire world depends on the creative process to even function.

Industrial Designers....make everything from pencils to toilet paper holders, cars, planes, and trains. The wheel chair and medical equipment Herrad so depends on, even her pasta maker is an example of industrial design.

Cooking is an art. We eat with our eyes. If it doesn't look good we probably won't put it in our mouths... Big time creativity!! Man oh man, that pasta looks so good that Richie made Herrad.. Wonder if they adopt???? Hmmmm.....

Every movie and television show has people writing the films, directing the films, people behind the cameras, people editing the film, adding layers of animations to make us believe we are on some strange planet or underwater... a lot of this is done on computers... Special effects (like make-up, latex, props, set design, and animatronics, robotics, etc...) Even a TV commercial depends on creative ideas, the script writers, etc. Inside an ad agency is a huge mix of creativity not pertaining to drawing sitting in desks being "creative" figuring out ways to sell us something. They prepare the models, their make-up, their fashion to pique our interest to watch the commercial so we'll buy their stuff....whoa a whole other area of design... clothing and accessories.

Photographers, graphic designers, game art designers, even surgeons use video games to practice on...so does the military, police, and other agencies that serve and protect. Speaking of animation... Wow what would the world be without Sponge Bob Squarepants??? Or the funny papers... or Superman? Or Wonder Woman?

Interactive media-web designers... you wouldn't be blogging without creativity all done on computers. No drawing required.

Interior Design, for homes, offices, hospitals, businesses, and creative people who stage what a store front will look like or the layout inside to store to promote more sales.

The person who mixes the music is just as creative as the one who performs it. Or the photographer who takes the cover photo... or the person who writes the songs... or sits behind the mic at the radio station playing the song for us to listen to as we drive.

Art is everything. Art is everywhere. You are sitting in it as you read or you're lying on it, a couch, a bed, a rug.... That roof over your head....that's creativity. Creativity is everywhere. Everyone has some form of creativity inside. If you are blogging....you are a creative person. No drawing required.

Sometimes we forget we are creative beings in so many ways..... We were created to create.

Here are a couple of creative people I'd like to pass the award on to.

Michelle at Enchanted Inspirations

Jonathan Dror

Laurie at Creating Pictures in my Mind

ReCreational Art

mysticdave Love his live music reviews. Go find the band Elephant Revival on his blog Fabulousness!!!!


Have fun exploring everyone. Thank you again, Herrad.

This time tomorrow--my favorite time to do things. A blog from a procrastinator...

Blogging.... didn't we used to call it journaling, keeping a diary? Writing secret stuff about ourselves in a secret place that we buried like cats bury poo so no one would find it, read it or see it?

I am a procrastinator. A perfectionist. Well there. I said it. Out loud. This is my blog about procrastination and perfectionism, and the life long battle I have had putting off until tomorrow what I should have, could have and needed to do today. This blog site will be a stretch. If anyone actually starts following me, I'll be held accountable and responsible. Shudder....

I'm just a girl (yes, I am still a girl, a 56 year old girl to be exact) seeking to figure out why I procrastinate and how in the hell can I fix it???? Now, it hasn't all been lost lists and never accomplishing anything--far from it. I've acquired some rather fetching accomplishments in my life. I just don't want to wake up tomorrow, out of time, or heaven forbid not wake up at all, and see all the wasted energy, brilliant ideas I had rotting on top of my grave. I know today will suddenly turn into this time tomorrow. I want to arrive there saying, "Wow! I did it! I actually finished this project that has been locked up inside my head! I lived my life in the fullest."

Now here is the kicker--the proverbial kick in the ass.

I'm recovering from PTSD from an auto accident. May 4, 2009 will be my one year anniversary. This is my journey of a near death experience, and a moment in time I saw every dream on my to-do list, hang in that moment forever--undone. I am going to live those dreams, give them flight, and maybe along the way as I blog my progress a few of you will be encouraged to do the same by the words (and deeds) I etch in time and space in a place called the internet.

I will list my 101 Things I Want To Do with my wonderful life, and will document the glorious joy of checking them off one by one. My goal is to keep adding another item to the list after I check something off. You will be my eyes and virtual cattle prod to keep me moving forward. Hey, no pushing and shoving--OK? Cheer me on! To the finish line!

I will post my list and post my projects in pictorial form from beginning to marvelous end.