My Ideal Day....
I wake early and quietly in my big luxurious bed. My lover is either up and gone, or still sleeping (he does
not snore or hog the bed sheets). The cats ignore me and the dog gets up and stretches and comes over to have his ears scratched. He and I head outside where we can hear the waves and early morning birds. If the light is particularly good I take my camera and take photographs for about an hour, otherwise I head off to my daybreak movement and mediation class. I return home and check on the horses, being in their presence quiets and awes me.
When I come back into the house the kids are up and getting themselves fed and out the door to school. Even with 4-5 people moving about the morning is fairly quiet. I sit down to my own big breakfast, during which I might check my email, letters or read a little. Our housekeeper/personal assistant has made their usual excellent cappuccino and while we drink our coffee (with a small piece of very dark chocolate) we go over the day ahead and review our weekly and long term tasks and goals. After setting my priorities for the day I head to work about 8-830am. I work in a large space with a very dynamic creative artist group, where we collaborate, teach, learn and produce with each other. We are well paid and do intense, demanding, but ultimately inspiring work. Our work is ethically, socially and environmentally responsible. The organic coffee house and cafe next door displays local artwork and usually supplies us with delicious and healthy lunches. Sometime we lunch together as a group and brainstorm a project, other times lunch is eaten while we work. Work usually ends around 2 or 3pm, at which point I head home for an afternoon horse ride or walk on the beach with the dog. Afternoons are spent in my personal studio where I am completely free creatively. I have had several successful art shows and made enough money that I can create what I want and explore where I want. My studio is spacious, light filled and organized, but with enough creative clutter that it doesn't seem sterile. A few days a week I have an art student or two work with me. I've also been know to take an art class or go on a photography adventure during my studio time depending what interests me at the time. My studio has the latest and greatest computer and camera equipment. I work in numerous mediums including digital. I have a spot in a local gallery (and the coffee house) that displays my work and I have an online shop I sell from as well.
The kids come and go depending on their schedules. About 4 evenings a week I do a Martial Arts class with some or all of them. We're also involved in the local theatre. Dinner is sometimes casual with everyone feeding themselves as they go in and out with various activities, and sometimes its a big family dinner. We take turns cooking and cleaning, and usually once a week our housekeeper (who we could
not do without) makes something wonderful, they, of course, join us at meals. Anybody is welcome to stay for dinner and often we have a few friends over to eat with us. The food in our home is local, organic and if it's meat, humanly raised and slaughtered.
Evenings at home are generally quiet, with people reading, writing, walking the dog along the beach, or settling the horses in for the night. Sometimes, usually weekends, we may watch a video together on our enormous comfy couch. Several times a month we volunteer at a local shelter or organic farm. I travel a couple of times during the year for my photography and writing. We have two family vacations each year that we all attend and look forward to. We have been known to bring the odd extra person along with us.
My bedside table is pilled with books and I generally read for an hour or so before going to sleep in that great big luxurious bed, if we have the windows open, we can listen to the waves as we go to sleep.
