Yikes the truth is out... This Time Tomorrow's been busted by the tabloid pawpawrazzi.....

It appears I have a blog helper here at the Tree House. Or perhaps tis' I who am the helper, personal assistant, co-author, get to "tag" along behind the real star of the show, etc....


Actually we are just getting ready to post some new paintings....

Stay tuned....

Flashbacks of yesterday, full moons today, this time tomorrow I'll be okay...

I didn't post anything yesterday. I wasn't sure I wanted to talk about an experience I had Saturday night. Most of you who have been following me for awhile now know I just celebrated the one year anniversary of a moment I can never forget. It's a vivid moment like these shots of the moon I took tonight.

Sometimes memories will shine down on one's heart and create a ripple effect just like the reflection of the moon on the water. You may not see a full moon if it's hidden behind clouds. But once the moon slips out from behind the cloud cover there's no denying it's presence.

PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) is kind of like that. It's like having a wound that no one can see until various reasons or situations, some of which make no sense at all, cause it to start bleeding. I had a sudden, severe bout 0f PTSD Saturday night driving home from a really great evening. Suddenly the memories, the reflections, images, sights and sounds of the auto accident I'd been in over a year ago crashed into me again. Suddenly, and with no mercy. As suddenly as the car that hit us---the thoughts were back---triggered by some young guys driving erratically. The sounds of their speeding motorcycles, and cars zooming past our car felt like a thousand shards of glass piercing my body.

I was instantly reduced to a sobbing, terrified hostage to my thoughts, my memories, and my worst fears. I couldn't breathe, my throat closed up, my pulse and heart rate increased dramatically. I felt caged; I felt trapped. One hand instinctively reached to cover my eyes, and moved as quickly to cover my mouth to hold back a scream. That scream got stuck in my throat like a jagged rock. In my other hand I held a beautiful mason jar full of flowers I just been given by two beautiful sister's at one of the art galleries we just come from.



Bleeding Hearts, Queen Anne's Lace, and some other fairy garden varieties with perfume spilling out of them like heavenly scented clouds. I gripped the bottom of the Mason jar so hard I'm surprised I didn't break it. My hand ached from the imprints the jar left on it.

In an instant a wonderful evening was tweaked by an unwelcome flashback. I'd not had one that severe for awhile. It crushed my previous notion I was out of the woods, and finally free from panic-anxiety attacks. I was blind-sided...unexpectedly just like the car accident.

I'll need to smell these lovely flowers a little more intently. Gaze at the moon for hidden messages of hope, and encouragement. Write about my fears out in the open to give them less room to breed inside my heart. Blog about it to my dear blog friends... Vent, and humbly ask for a couple of "Go get em' Lille!!" "You can do it" You're not a big baby. Moments like these will become less and less..."

For more understanding about PTSD, I suggest you read Rain at "Mountain Mamma" or Owen at Magic Lantern Showen . These two people have helped me tremendously to gain insights to recovery, "am I normal???" questions or is it normal if this... or this.... or that happens... I receive hope, and insight from them just by visiting their blogs. Thank you, Rain, and Owen.

If you are newer to my blog, read more about why I started the blog or about the accident listed in the labels....

And thank you dear friends who faithfully come by the tree house to visit. I love how you all make charming, encouraging and down-right funny comments on my blog.... Thank you~~

Once in a blue moon you'll find this waiting for you on another day called this time tomorrow

By the light of the silvery moon.....

Full moon rising this time tomorrow

It will soon be dark at the Tree House. It's a full moon weekend. I'd like to try to get some shots of the moon if the clouds cooperate to give it a chance to smile in the spotlight. From my bed, and from a large portion of my windows, I watch the moon crawl across the heavens each month like it's waltzing with the stars. The shimmery glow on the water is mesmerizing, and calming.

My goal for almost a year has been to kayak at night during a full moon. I'm not brave enough to take my camera out on the lake but I am brave enough to take my hiney all white and shiny out there to see what it looks like on the water. I'm talking about the glow of the moonlight on the water... But ~~no pun intended~~ is it any coincidence they refer to one showing their hineys as "mooning" someone?

And here you thought I was waxing poetic in this post....

I'm not the same person I was a moment ago or the person I'll be this time tomorrow

Are they people, aliens or unique droplets of time?

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 has some sweet stuff to show you

Looky what I received from Sunflower Ranch!!!!

Thank you very much, Sunflower Ranch!!!

Please give Sunflower Ranch a visit. She has a really cool "Writer's Challenge" she posts on Fridays. I found the challenge fun, and worthy. Oh yeah......

These are the rules in accepting this award:

Deliver this award to eight people (or as many-few as you'd enjoy giving it to or have time to) bloggers who then must choose and deliver the award to eight more (or as many-few as you'd like to) and include the following text into the award.

• "These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."

OK peeps... go see what these awesome peeps have to say, show and share about.....

Some Sweet Stuff.....

1. Jase at fool-stop
   
2. Owen
3. Joanne May
   
4. LouLou
5. Red Rain Photography
6. *SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio
7. Magdalena
8. lovelyprism

Catching up here today and working toward this time tomorrow...

I'll be back later with a few awards to hand out. Thank you Sunflower Ranch and Herrad!!! I had a few probs with thunderstorms knocking me offline... I'm trying to get caught up now that I have better online access. :-)

The sky cracked with light and sound!!! Opie Taylor hid under the bed. My butt was sticking out like a nice target trying to get under the bed with him..... Shush now. I live in a tree house for heaven's sake. My nest touches the sky. Lightning and thunder are much much bigger wayyyyy up here....

In the meantime.... here's looking at YOU!

At the Zoo

In the jungle the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight....

sometimes he makes funny faces, too.


But he is regal, proud and a powerful example of what a king should look like.

Dr. Doo-Lille visits the zoo and "this time tomorrow"

Hmmmm, Michelle, "Lady Bug" was at the zoo, too. (wink wink....)

And Herrad, was, too. Superman and I took her to the zoo with us. :-)

It's all happening at the zoo or wherever YOU are today on this gorgeous day.... Get out and play a little bit or a LOT... Eat a carrot, smile with food in your mouth, shake off rude people, shake your tail feathers, stick your tongue out at life and make a raspberry. Enjoy every second of just being YOU. See ya back here this time tomorrow.

Jammin' this time tomorrow

These jellies are jammin'.... I took this shot of these incredible jelly fish at our local zoo today.... I mean yesterday.... now this will post tomorrow. I mean today.... never mind.... my brain is jelly.

More pix of the zoo adventure tomorrow.... ummm, I mean today... My brain is toast...

Jelly with that toast???? No, thanks... just want my jammies.

Niters... '-)

Squirrels are special yesterday, today and this time tomorrow

I have squirrels, lots of squirrels, that live around me here at the tree house. I wholeheartedly enjoy watching them. I feed them in the winter. Last year, late summer, I almost got to observe a bunch of babies grow up after a mother squirrel gave birth in a planter that hangs off the side of my deck. She nested, and I got to watch her gathering leaves to pad her future home. Sadly, she moved on right after she gave birth. The tree house was too noisy for the nursery I guess.

So now I just take pictures of squirrels passing by, and enjoy their antics as the agile acrobats of the tree world. Below is a picture of a little squirrel that comes to visit my kitty, Opie Taylor. I do mean visit. They eyeball each other through the windows, and this little guy imitates the way Opie hangs out on the overstuffed arms of my couch. Look for yourself....



These two are not the only squirrels I've had pop into my life. I've enjoyed meeting another squirrel, the Squirrel Queen. SQ, as we call her, is one of my friends and follower's of my blog. SQ is a photographer, and that's what drew me to her. Her work is awesome. Her friendship has been awesome. Many of you already know her, but for those of you who do not, you should introduce yourselves to her.

Yesterday she popped in to tell me she had awarded me with "One Very Lovely Blog Award". WOW. I'm a pretty new blogger in the blog world. This award means a lot to me. Just having all of you pop in like you do to read is an award in itself. And the cool thing about awards in the blog world, I'm learning, is that one pass the award along to others after receiving it. Sah-weet!!!!


The rules for sharing this award are different than other awards because instead of just passing it on to just anyone, you are supposed to pass it on to NEW to YOU blogs you've just become familiar with, which is very, very cool! Here are the rules for this Very Lovely award:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. You can also make a comment about the person who gave the award to you by asking your readers to stop by their blog, pay them a visit, leave a comment, or even 'follow' their blog if they feel led to.

2) Pass the award on to other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Contact these bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. Just go to their site and leave a comment to one of their posts telling them you have an award for them and to please come by your blog to get it. Just a little note: You pick the number of blogs to pass the award to, just give it to those you have recently discovered.

A second note, I am not passing this award along as much as I am giving you, my followers, a list of blogs to check out and hopefully follow. I know some of those I have selected may prefer not to participate in this little exercise and that is fine, no problem. Please visit these blogs and if you leave a comment maybe say Lille Diane sent you.

Here are some new peeps I've discovered blogging...

Rain, from Mountain Mamma is quite an inspiration to me. Her story is one of courage, guts and passion to climb back up the mountain of life. And she makes me laugh... Rain and I are going kayaking together some day soon.

MzzLily, has also inspired me. She writes from her heart, and understands my blog reading fetish. I'm happy I'm not the only one hooked on reading about all of you.... She's writing her first book, too.

Herrad, precious, Herrad. I've never experienced anyone who makes me want to live every day with passion as much as Herrad does. She's probably recieved this award 299 times. Let me be the 300th. Stroll with her down the streets of Amsterdam. Send her a hug from me when you stop in to visit her, please.

Snowbrush, has more than enough good stuff to fill several books. When he writes it's like you are sitting on a veranda in the south listening to a master story teller. Snow is my friend. He's honest with me, and we all need a dose of honesty to keep us real--to keep us on our toes.

Tina, at "Yes, that's my child screaming...." need I say more?? She's taking life in stride and has time left over to display her amazing talent with her passion, "twinklescrapbooks". That's amazing right there....

Sharon's Paws Create, is an illustrator and artist. If you enjoy someone who can paint and draw animals and has a joyful spirit, she's got both.

Michelle "Lady Bug", says, "I am not afraid to speak my mind here. Let's face it, everyone has something to say but not everyone is strong enough to actually say it out loud and keeping things bottled up inside is not healthy." I couldn't have said it better.

The song that's playing is for all of you reading. You are special. Thanks for writing the things I love to read, posting the pictures I love to look at, and helping me stay focused to heal. I look forward to discovering more wonderful people in blog land.

Happy trails of discovery everyone...

Today's dreams will eventually become new treasures this time tomorrow...

Last night we celebrated Dylan's Birthday here at the Tree House. Personally, I believe birthdays should be celebrated for an entire month otherwise they wouldn't call it your "Birth Month".... I'm also the girl who believes you should always eat 2 cookies. One for each hand or one for each thigh. It's all about finding the perfect balance in life....

We topped off the evening by starting Dylan's first Dream Board or Vision Board... whatever you choose to call it--it's all about visualizing. I'll show you the process, and how we're designing her new DB (with her permission) as it takes shape. I'm also designing a new one for me, too. It was awesome to watch Dylan playing in the studio, hand-picking which colorful pieces of papers and "pretties" she wanted to adhere to her DB. Had she not had an early flight to Annapolis, I know she would have stayed all night designing her DB.

Below is my current Dream Board. Right now I don't have any material things posted on it. It's more about visualizing how I feel about me, the inner me. Healing, and the love, hope, peace, and joy I want for myself, and other people in my life. These are the things that are important for my personal healing. I'll add some "things", some "stuff", some "fluff" later I'd like to have that are more 3 dimensional; Like what kind of auto I'd like to have, which starlet's skinny butt I wanna have, or pictures of a lakeside home with attached cottage that will be my permanent studio, and which starlet's skinny butt I wanna have.... Ohhhh, wait.... I already wrote that... Maybe I should post it twice on my DB... one wish for each butt cheek to balance the two cookie philosophy I have.....

Top of my Dream Board

I look back on my DB I made almost a year ago. (June 2008) It took me a while to tackle (or allow, believe and RECEIVE) some of the things I put on here. I didn't realize how many things are being birthed right now or have already come to fruition until I really stopped to look at it today.

• Better breathing (I quit smoking December 14, 2008)
• I'm writing my book, writing a blog, and finished writing my 101 list. Some call it a bucket list....
• I'm painting.... not just starting paintings BUT finishing them... Big wow here!!!
  

Creamy white filling.... the Middle of my Dream Board

This is the part of my DB that makes me a wee bit weepy.

• "I have the strength to get things done...." a year ago I was paralyzed with fears, weak in every part of my body, in my mind. I'm still working on the mind part.... (OK who chuckled???) Driving is still my biggest challenge but I'm working on it.
  
• "I get another chance to live it up..." I added to the original...
  
• My Dreams are in full bloom...." I'm still working on this one physically. I have a hard time sleeping, and still need meds. I hate the "needing" meds part. Part of PTSD is not being able to sleep. But I am working on it... Sometimes I feel so guilty that I have to take a medication to sleep. I've tried herbals but for now they are just not strong enough.
  
• This also depicts wanting to live my dreams---not just dream about them. HUGE!!! HUGE!!!! HUGE step forward for me!!!

And finally..... the bottom of my Dream Board

See the mailing package on the right? (above the four-leaf clover) That's the envelope a beautiful necklace I ordered from Healing Stones, in New Zealand, came in. I ordered it for Sonja, my fabulous massage therapist (who BTW is working hard to get my muscles back into shape, and break up the scar tissue I developed after the accident) I want to travel to Australia and New Zealand... Who wants a postcard from me from one of those countries????