Gift yourself in life… July 6, 2015betinaj 4 Comments Recently my daughter, sister and I roamed the beautiful landscape of southern Utah. I love, love to explore our national parks and experience different landscapes across our country. We spent five days viewing the beauty of Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell…amazing beauty to see and photograph. I so love the red color of the soil in these areas, so different from home. The desert draws you in with its sculpted rock formations and amazing colors threaded through the landscape. Each day a different perspective of beauty carved out over years and years at the hands of mother nature. I think that is one of the miracles I see when I visit, it is not manmade but natural, natures best. Travel is a gift I cherish. It inspires my art and gives me time to unwind from the stressors of living in today’s world. I’m not complaining one bit about any of my life but giving myself the gift of filling my brain with beauty cannot be taken lightly. Sometimes I get stuck and need a new perspective. When I do get the chance to travel I try really hard not to buy into the souvenir trappings, all those little mugs, magnets, t-shirts, etc. My heart just is not into it but what I do seek is something that I can gift myself that will remind me of my memories of that trip. We stopped at this huge western shop full of souvenir gems as well as what I like to call the “real deal”. We all purchased Minnetoka moccasins…gosh it has been years since I owned a pair of these and look at that color! One of my favorite colors used in my art over and over…I’m going to treasure these moccasins for years. Don’t forget to gift yourself in life. The gift of splendor and beauty as you witness a sunset on the beach. Or, a hike in the mountains to a pristine lake surrounded by aspens in the fall. We all deserve to stop and rest our eyes on the beauty mother nature has provided. And if you find just the right gem, well, why not gift yourself that too…you deserve it, life is too short not to walk in comfortable turquoise moccasins!
Art by Betina Johnson 