Wacky Time Zones!

Oh Lord! This holiday schedule has me all over the place, every where except where I am suppose to be. We had the merriest Christmas and are looking forward to a wonderful new year. I'm feeling much better though not walking without crutches yet.

This time of year always has me thinking about what I did well, what I want to do more of or better, and what I really didn't succeed at even remotely. This year, I seem to be looking back a little further and I'm noticing that I have failed far more than I have succeeded. I can hear you all now, "No way!" Well, to some degree it all depends on your perspective... looking at my family and marriage, I am wildly successful. Looking at my professional life and trying to figure out why I can't seem to find my "thing," you know, the thing that you love and the money will come... yeah, that thing! I am creative and entrepreneurial so it stands to reason that working for someone else may not be the best fit for me. That's fine and even the way I like it, but by the same token, I would like to find the creative endeavor that allows me to be me and make a respectable living. With 2012 just around the corner, I am embarking on doing what I love to do - continue going to school and honing my photography skills. My RiverLights Originals have several public showings coming and and I plan to also try my hand at portraits. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I am working hard to focus on what is good and all that I have to be grateful for. It's an effort everyday to accept all that is good and not focus too hard on that which I am not accomplishing. I don't know that I will ever be able to simply be content with what I have - no matter how good. It seems a large part of the cloth I'm cut from is to work for something more, something that challenges and educates me - even if I never obtain that which I am seeking.


Our gloves are still patent pending and I'm not sure the patent will issue. I am studying and learning how to work my way through the patent woozle-doozle and minimally buy some more time. I intend to sell like the Dickens for the next few months to see if I can get sales for the 2012-2013 season to the next level while continuing to secure that elusive and so expensive US Patent. We have a licensing deal waiting to be signed if we actually do get our patent issued. Yes, I am looking for a New Year miracle. Some people believe they come true.


With all that said, I hope you had the best Christmas ever and are looking forward to a bright new year. I would love it if you would jot me a note and let me know how you are. Lots of love and luck coming your way, from me to you! Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

The last 10 days have been somewhat of a blur. This surgery has been as hard as the first one, which should come as no surprise since the first one was really hard, too. I told my doctor when he advised I take this route (ACL reconstruction w/additional procedure to remove arthritis from my knee cap) that I was loathe to do this again because it was so painful. He assured me that the process of ACL reconstructions has been streamlined and are not as painful as they were in the past. While that may be true, he failed to mention that the Oates procedure (the knee cap thing) is also incredibly painful! I decided to go ahead with the surgery hoping that it will eliminate the need for a full knee replacement in the future. In any case, I'm moving slowly and doing far less than I thought I would be by now. I know, I know, you all are making a point to tell me that slowing down is not a bad thing and while I agree with you, a dead stop is not good either.

Dave is going like crazy taking care of things I need, getting ready for Christmas, and working. It's hard letting go of things that are part of your holiday traditions but there is just so much that can happen in a day. I baked and did all my shopping before I had surgery so short of addressing Christmas cards and wrapping a few presents, my holiday tasks are done. I would have liked to baked more cookies to deliver to our neighbors and I'm missing some of the social festivities as I just can't be out and about right now. It is what it is. What about you, are you ready?

On a really fun note,I made my debut as an artist last week. My RiverLights Originals artwork is on display at Tango Frozen Yogurt in downtown Auburn. I haven't been able to go in and see it for myself yet, but I am tickled pink that my artwork is actually on public display. I printed note cards and sold out almost immediately (my first customer was someone who does not even know me - she bought all 3 sets the retailer had!) and I have seven 2012 calendars still available. You can see the images in the calendar at Facebook.com/RiverLightsOriginals

Merry Christmas friends, I feel so grateful that you are in my life even if it is a Christmas card once a year, a weekly e-mail exchange or something more frequent. I hope you have a Christmas that is exactly as you want it to be, and if not, I wish you the ability to accept peacefully what it is and move on. With love, Kathy

Monday Motivator...sort of.

Hi friends,

My knee surgery went well but the recovery has been slow. I know it's only been 4 days, but I thought for sure I would be up for writing a little weekly email... not so much. Tonight I'm writing this before bed because when I don't send my Monday Motivator it weighs on me, like that thing that needs doing, know what I mean? So off to bed I go hoping tomorrow will put me 'round the corner and on the upswing! Merry Christmas and I'll have something cheerier next week. Sweet dreams, Kathy

Cookie Factory!

The cookie factory is open! Yes, I completely forgot to write my Monday Motivator because I was up to my candy eyeballs in butter, flour, sugar, and sparkly sugars in every color o the rainbow! I have all of my shopping done (except for one thing I ordered and have to pick up), presents wrapped, and I'm almost done with cookies and candy. I know what you are thinking, WOW! She's Super Woman in the organization department!, not so much, I can't find a gift I bought for my sister just two weeks ago! I am ahead of the game this year because I am having knee surgery on Friday and it's going to be a bigger deal with some grafting an plugging (it's all so technical!). Anything I want to do that requires me to stand and be moving with my hands and feet needs to be done before Friday. With all that said, what are you doing to celebrate the holidays? Do you decorate your house with more than a tree? Our tree this year is a Whooville tree, the trunk is literally curved with the tip-top and bottom of the trunk lining up while the body of the tree curves to the left. It's full and beautiful, 11 feet tall, and has character.


I'm sad that this is my last week of school for the semester. I love being a student and being immersed in a group of younger people and even a few my own age and older. It's a nice infusion of current culture and what a younger generation is thinking and honestly, I'm impressed. So many of these twenty-somethings that appear to be non-conforming, really care about our country, their future, and they are amazingly informed. I have many Russian immigrants in my classes as well, and more of the same,incredibly grateful to be in America, being or in the process of becoming Americans, and in some cases, they are more versed on American/world politics that those of us born and raised here. All in all, it's a blast! I am completely grateful that I have the opportunity to be back in school getting an education, it's just plain fun.


I hope you are all on track to have the happiest holiday season ever, filled with love and laughter of good friends. I will let you know next Monday how it all went and I expect I will have a good idea of my bounce-back time. Have a great week and lots of love!