Janus, is the door still open???

Janus- In his role as the Guardian of Exits and Entrances, Janus was also believed to represent beginnings. The explanation for this belief being that one must emerge through a door or gate in order to enter into a new place. Therefore, the Romans also considered Janus as the God of Beginnings and his name was an obvious choice for the first month of their year...a month referred to by the Ancient Romans as Ianuarius, which is not so far removed from the modern-day "January," taken from the Etruscan word jauna which means "door." Originally, however, Janus was honored on the first day of every month, in addition to being worshipped at the beginning of planting season and again at the harvest. Deference was also paid to him at the most important beginnings in the life of an individual...such as birth and marriage.

What a busy month.  We have been house hunting.   The idea of an empty basement has me wildly excited!  No!  We haven't even got to the offer part so this is is just wild speculation on my part.  The Rooster is more interested in pantry space.  lol

We also have a house guest.  So my skills at hand work haven't moved along much but my card holding has improved as has my game playing skills.   My mark making pens and my thread and needle have not had much chance to play.  Nice to have a 20 year old young fella bump us out of our rut.  But we were telling him there is one thing lacking since he arrived.  Sleep!!!  lol

 I joined a style challenge that had me delving in the depths of my closet and sharpened my previously non existent selfie skills.   This is my relaxing Sunday afternoon outfit.  I am not comfortable with wearing leggings in public.  But so nice at home!  Trying to look good sure takes lots of time.  I had to stop to shop for a couple of basics including this top.  :O
 

 The room I had picked to begin the whole house 'touch up and call it done'  project was the art room.  This is the final run through for our 'ready to move' purge.

I hadn't expected to do much but the seasonal sort of all the smaller bits for scrapbooking/planners turned out to be relatively easy and quick.   There isn't  a lot of room to do much but tidy and easy access is always good!  ;^)

Last page for the January set of planner pages.  I can't quite comprehend how the time has flown.
But I did notice that Janus is also available for the beginning of each new month.  phew!  I can start again with all my good intentions! 

A momentous day!

I have been having a great week!  Playing and working and crossing things off the list!

Wednesday's I join my friend Irmgard for some Fun, Food, and Fellowship.  We arrive early before she has to open her shop and shh, we hope for not too many customers when she does open.  ;^)

This week I introduced her to mono printing with the gelli plate.  Gosh, we had fun!  She is a believer!  lol 

My Memory Keeper is up to date!  I added bigger rings as it is an 18 month planner and my intention is to document our transition from the farm to where ever life takes us next year! 

 September was a busy month with lots of company and most of our kids came home for a visit.

So I started off running like crazy to get all my decorating projects finished.

Then there were photo opportunities galore so white space was sacrificed on the layouts.

 I did remember my photo sleeves so that helped somewhat.

 The third week was a road trip to see my sister and get her colouring!

 Then I managed to rest and regroup for the rest of the month because...

I was back on schedule for working/playing with my grand kiddies! Now I am totally up to date on everything in the planner and I am excited to continue documenting my memories.  Because...

The new book on Archetypes has totally set my creative spirit free!  Really. Among the foremost and primary traits; I am a storyteller.  Secondarily I am a creative which is a less stressful word for artist.  So I am a small 'a' artist but a capital 'S' storyteller.  Now instead of feeling guilty that I may be procrastinating instead of making ART when I work on the grand kiddies or my own planners,  I am liberated to embrace my storytelling muse and let her 'have at it'!!!   I'm kind of a narrative artist.   I cannot even find the words to express how very happy this makes me.  Momentous!!!

Next my basement is finally, completely, decluttered.  It is an old unfinished basement and flinging at least half the stuff from 40 years of living is indeed liberating!  whoo hoo!

Last but not least, readers will perhaps remember that one fine day the gov't came and condemned and took out our bridge access.  They gave us a quarter mile long drive way between field and ditch.  Not ideal.  Many promises and it has been a few years but today...  the promise to give us back a better access is happening!

The second culvert didn't behave as nicely as the first one and had to be hand guided.  Ah, Manitoba winds!  Oye, a third one and some dosey doeing in the parking lot!  Would you believe four?  This is happening as I am trying to wind up my post.  lol

Apparently there is still more 'daylight' to burn so if they can work, I guess I better get back at it myself.  I must go down to the fridge, open it and see if anything leaps out!   ha!
It has been a momentous day.  I wonder what next week will have in store because I will have to decide The Next Thing First! ;^)  I doubt that it will be watching men work!  ha!

Leaves are still turning!

We are breaking weather records with this very warm November.  True,  many leaves have fallen.

 But my Canadian Explorer rose has just unfurled four very red buds!!!  Nice for Remembrance Day!

The calendar flipped over amazingly quickly.  The new year will be upon us in no time and the pages of my story will continue to unfold. 

october's last week.

november's first week

 I lost a bit of ground with an early cold but I am back to flipping the leaves in both planner books.

I did manage to edit the last of my piles of mixed media papers and stickers.  Huge relief to have that ALL done!  I have finally embraced function as more at least as important as form so it isn't exactly pretty but it is user friendly but not too ugly.  ;^)

 The Rooster is happily stirring pots in the kitchen on his day off so I made some progress on getting August finished.  I am starting to get the hang of this.  Plastic photo sleeve for each month.  A coordinated bunch of papers or stickers.  And a plan that involves KIS!
Since these aren't exactly planners I should turn over a few ideas of what exactly to call my stack of memories.  hmm, The Memory Keeper!

I see!!!

The best investment in on line classes for 2016 has been Wanderlust 2016 from Everything Art.  I quickly realized I am not interested in the all the extras but I await with bated breath the weekly post and Friday morning I was hardly into the first 10 minutes of the video when I realized I needed to look at the orientation of my journal/planner pages differently.  And that wasn't even what the focus of week 28!  lol

I did know to limit my 'stuff' but somehow when things are as messy as they are at this moment...

While I am naturally inclined to asymmetrical and diagonal orientations, I have been fixated on the double page grid and its left to right linear orientation and grid.  I see that a bit of fixing is necessary.

Cute flower gone

Break up all that stenciling

Get the theme paper on all pages- somehow

The photo sleeve page breaks up things

Much better.  July is done.  Still too busy but my teeth are no longer clenched!

August is next

First page is setting the forward motion.  Here's hoping we don't have another run away cart!