Ursula Kay Vos's Blog, page 3
November 7, 2012
Up and Running!
I have heard, and been told that moving is one of life's biggest stresses, along with divorce and death... Wow! Many people move on an annual, or semi annual basis. Along that thought pattern I also began to analyze why it is that I move on an almost annual basis. I could think of only this; that I have been searching for somewhere I feel is home.
To me, home had always been my Great Grandmothers home. When she passed I was once again searching for somewhere that I would now begin to build that stability and that sense of 'home' for my children. There was always an initial excitement when I would move into a new home, however that excitement quickly waned with the rigors of moving and settling, figuring out the home was either too big, or too small, the cabinet space was too little and other mindlessness!
Moving this time, I wonder if my excitement, now in its second month, will waver... I'm really not sure. However I have found that my garden is a calming area for me, and that the chickens are a constant source of jovial laughter and excitement, for both me and my two dogs! I haven't had the 'too big' problem yet, and have found that the space is very comfortable! So, fingers crossed, "NO MORE MOVING" .
Being settled means so much more than unpacked, at least to me. It means that year after year, celebrations and hard times, there is a stability, a consistency that both myself and those I love can count on. I had this sense growing up, Grandmas house was always there. No matter how long you had been gone or how many miles you traveled, down good and 'bad' paths, you could always come home!
My Grandmother taught me well, and so I will leave you with this sentiment, one my Grandmother held to both in word and works;
'Home is where the heart is'.
UKVos 11/07/2012
September 13, 2012
Dancing In Your Socks!
As I think about what to write, each and every week, I
try to come up with something original; something that may have not already
been said. Well at least not the way I'm going to write it!
So as I turned up the music on my television, danced in
my pajamas, and celebrated another day yesterday, I decided! ‘Dancing In
Your Socks'! I do revisit this particular theme quite often.
Here's
why; it is important to enjoy those things in life that make you
smile! Be it for the moment, or for the day, maybe even for the rest of
the week, if it happened to be a truly unique and wonderful occurrence!
However at the end of your life, it is my strong belief that you will not find
yourself counting those moments in vain!
You may find that should you take that chance to
"let loose", to "be silly", and to kiss your lover in the
rain, that you will count yourself wealthy! Perhaps at the end of your
days, you may even smile upon those moments, and feel at rest.
Lost chances,
do not often give you a second chance!
‘Pursue, Persevere, and Promote’ your way of thinking!
So for today, give yourself a well-needed and often well-deserved
chance, a chance, which you may not have taken the last time around.
No matter the outcome, you will grow richer for the
experience!
~ Ursula~
Independence Day
This Fourth of July, as you
celebrate with friends and family, I ask you only this;
Remember!
Remember, what the Fourth of July stands for.
Remember, why, and how it is we are able to celebrate this holiday.
Remember, the sacrifices. Men and women, from recent memory to that
very first Independence Day, in 1776 when America gained a Constitution; and
with it American people gained freedom. Remember.
None of these victories our country has gained were
without sacrifice. There have always been people, citizens, demanding a
better tomorrow. America is what it is today because of its citizens
participation in our government!
So today, Remember! That while we, as Americans,
may have some work to do, we are free to do so, and we are Americans!
Happy Independence Day!
Ursula Kay Vos
Rock
Well, today is a bit more of a personal note...
It's been a busy past few days here, caring around the clock in
shifts for our new puppy, Rock. We had not had him a full week when we took him
into the vet for his second round of shots only to discover he already had parvovirus.
At only four and a half pounds the vet gave Rock little more than a ten percent
chance of surviving even that night! Saying almost certainly we should brace
and prepare as though he would either die, or we should humanely euthanize him
that moment.
Much to our surprise and delight, Rock shocked and showed his
will, his fighter’s spirit! He did not want to die, and I- I was not about to
kill my puppy. I couldn't! He showed me fight, so I too had to be brave. Armed
with a plethora of medication, IV drip bags and needles to keep him hydrated,
and things for his round the clock care, we set up a schedule of shifts. My
better half (my boyfriend of over a year) taking the night, and I would get the
days, and the meds.
Which brings us to day two. By the end of the second day, Rock
had shrunk nearly half a pound! On a large breed puppy that is already only
four and a half pounds, that's huge! Rock began to slip. We began to panic.
After a long visit at the vet hospital we determined he was in need of even
more IV fluids to keep him from dying of dehydration. Once we had figured out
the appropriate level, we saw Rock open his eyes for the first time in two
days!
Today is day four. Rock is on a liquid diet to re-introduce
food, and still receiving some IV fluids twice a day. He is almost done with
about half the medicine and shouldn't be as sleepy tomorrow! The four-pound pup
with a ten percent chance made it!
Persistence works.
My Privilege
A famous quote says if you do something you love for a
living, you'll never work a day in your life. The person who first
said this was Confucius.
As I think on this, and contemplate the quote, it
occurs to me; Confucius was not talking about lying about while being fed
grapes. Rather- the quote is more in reference to contentment. To
be content in ones life does not mean that you are stagnant, never working
or striving. It simply means that you are happy; a deep and firmly
planted seed of joy rests in your heart and soul.
Webster’s dictionary describes contentment as: the quality
or state of being contented (which is described as: feeling or
showing satisfaction with ones possessions, status, or situation).
That brings me back to today’s blog, and my topic: My
Privilege.
I am very privileged. Privileged that my life and its
journey has landed me in a path, and with tools that have and are allowing
me to write and be an artist for all of you. Even more- I am privileged
that any of you should read or happen upon any of these words.
To say that this knowledge humbles me, well that is an
understatement. After all, I am a small town girl, from an abusive background
who just started out doodling and writing in a journal as a survival tool.
Now I have the Privilege of doing those 'survival tools', I
had used for many years in a slightly different way, for a living.
So it is, my Privilege, to write, to draw, to paint, for
you-
Ursula Kay Vos
Chaotic Whimsy
I wonder how many will open this out of sheer curiosity!
The titles of many of my poems and writing are plays on
words and often offer a brief tease or glimpse into my world of words [image error]
I have always loved the art of words and their interplay;
and it is through these words that I have chosen to express myself throughout
my life. Today’s' title is no different!
Often times in the past when things 'got bad' I would get
going, in a very bad, sad direction, one that was often saturated in anger
and aggression. This path, as I am sure I have not been the only to
experience, is exhausting! The emotions that drive this path are, to me,
chaotic!!
More recently, since I made that conscious choice a few
years ago, I decided that the chaos, which did not appear overnight, wouldn't
go away overnight either. My choice now became in how I would deal with
it. 'Chaotic Whimsy' was borne! Of course I held no false beliefs
that I could simply wish anything away; but I knew I could have more energy if
I choose to breathe, take a walk; or simply take each situation as it was and
not make a mountain out of a mole hill!
Some of those "mole hills" were pretty big, and I
wondered at times if they weren't mountains after all, but I did force my feet
to take the two steps back I had promised to ME; take MY two breaths and then to:
RE- EVALUATE!!
Each and every time, I found that even though some of those
"mole hills" were kind of big; they weren't always there, and an
earthquake hadn't put 'em there. So I started to chip away, one small
step at a time.
You have to do it for you. No one else.
You have to owe it to yourself, and hold yourself to a
mirror, not have someone else holding the mirror of guilt to you.
In the end, every situation I have encountered has come down
to this: How bad did I want it?
Answer that and then take a walk, for you.
Take two breaths, slowly, for you.
Now TWO steps back.
Now look again and please see if what you saw before doesn't
look the same?
If it does: Repeat!
Nothing worth having is easy; and nothing easy is worth
having.
Hard work always pays in the end!
So with that I hope this finds all who will happen upon these word
better today then the last; and even better tomorrow~ as you will always,
always, be better and never held by your past!
Ursula Kay Vos
L8 AGN! (Life's License Plates ;)
Today the title
seems fitting, as I am L8 (Late) posting this blog!!
As I was sitting,
preparing to write this blog today, I was reflecting on my past. The
things that have molded me shaped me, the things that made me! And while
not all of them were pleasant experiences, the same outcome could not have been
achieved without the sour experiences, as they too play a role in my
personality today.
So I happened
upon a memory. A license plate my stepmother said she wanted at one
point. 'L8 AGN’ How fitting! As I sat back and remembered bits
and pieces of that day and the conversations surrounding; I also remember my
step-mother, which by all accounts is the only mother I knew and her one of a
kind sense of humor! She didn't always have it on display, but for us~
when we saw that sense of humor, heard her un-mistakable laugh- OH! It was
always a time of joy! For me I know that was the case anyway.
I cannot remember
my mother really ever laughing when my father was around though. As I pondered
her license plate more, I wonder if it is a reference to her timely nature? Or maybe
to her free spirit? My mother, the only one I have ever known, raised
me. She bore the wrath of my father, and his rage- and in my heart, I
know that woman, in spite of everything, has always loved her FOUR
children more than anything. I do count myself. My brother, my
sister, and me. We were the surviving children. We also have a
young sister, she went with the Lord and she is all of our Guardian
Angel. Though we all miss her terribly, none more so than our
Mother.
So as I reflected
today and over this past weekend, which happened to be my birthday; I thanked
God for my Mother- the Mother that choose to be my Mother. Not because I
was born to her. The Mother that wanted me, the Mother that choose me,
the Mother that Loves me, no matter what.
I Love you too
Mom, and I always will.
Love,
Your Daughter,
Because I chose
to be.
UKV
Meeting Everyone Saturday!
I have to admit, I almost didn’t make it across the
street! Who am I? I mean really!
Well after some strong prodding and a lot of thought, OK
about two minutes worth since I had made the commitment to be there last
Saturday, I did cross the final few feet of the parking lot and swallow a few
of the first of my nerves of the day.
I am not, nor will I ever claim to be anyone for a
pedestal. So as the realization sunk in that I was walking into a bookstore, to
an event to promote my own book, I began to feel like I had swallowed
butterflies all night Friday!
As I began to walk around the store, and introduce
myself, I began to see the very reason I love to write so much. For people, and
all of the things that make each of them so individually unique, and at the end
of the day I am an artist in all I do. For each and every person I approached a
different reaction. Some had a limited reaction, some were hesitant, and some
were more open. Still others were open and shared their lives through a small
part of their story with me. Each and every one of the people I met on Saturday
taught me something. For that I want to say THANK YOU!!
It was so very nice meeting all of you. I especially want
to thank Half Price Books for hosting the Meet and Greet, there was a great
turn out and they were amazing for offering to host the event!
Thank you to all who came out and supported me at the
Meet and Greet, and Thank you to Half Price Books for hosting the event!
I look forward to seeing you all again soon!
Ursula
August 27, 2012
Only Two More Weeks!!
For reading, for rating and reviewing my book. All of the support and feedback I have received so far has been encouraging!
Having said that, I do want to post an update to the free download status of 'Silent Tears of A Happy Girl'. The 10th of September will be the final day to download the book for free!
So, if you have not downloaded your copy yet, or know someone who you think may enjoy reading my book, I would like to encourage you to take advantage of the free download before the 10th of September when the book will once again be available for sale at its' regular price of $7.99!
You can purchase the eBook by secure check out at http://www.ursulakayvos.com in the book store using any major credit or debit card, or your paypal account! I have also made the book available through Barnes & Noble, the iTunes store, for your Nook, Kindle, eBookPie, Cabio, and Kobo; just to name a few!
Whew!
So please do take advantage of the free download option for the next TWO weeks, and if by chance you miss it, don't fret! I will still offer the book for sale at $7.99!
Again, thank you to those who have rated and reviewed! I would also like to thank all of those who are reading, and extend an invitation to you to rate, or review, (wink, wink) my book at your leisure!
Sincerely,
Ursula Kay Vos
