a_natural_beauty | Entries tagged with stamps

I forgot to update you guys on the stamp show I went to last week on Friday with Mike. It was the third time I went to this show, a smaller show but still all the same to me I feel like it's a pretty decent size with maybe about a dozen booths/stalls. Usually the same people there selling their stamps so each time I feel I've gotten to know them a bit better and what they offer. This was Mike's first show where he started to buy his own stamps for his own collection and it was nice sorting through stamps with him.
I ended up buying more pages to put my smaller stamps on since I seem to be running out of those these days. And I bought some nice international ones that were new to my collection. I found a good amount of first day covers that caught my eye, so I came home with those also. I need a new album for my first day covers, I'm planning on getting one or two soon. My amount I planed on spending was $20 and I think I went over by a few dollars which isn't bad in all honestly.
Mike and I tried getting talked into joining a stamp group that meets once a month to talk about stamps and volunteer with future shows but in all honesty I don't have time. I know that sounds maybe a bit on the selfish side but I just can't. I know they want younger people to be involved more since it seems to be a rare hobby these days. If I lived closer I would consider it but I live an hour away and have my hands full with working 40 hours a week, my house & yard projects, writing and illustrating my comic, already being a volunteer with my library, helping with my family when they need it, sometimes having a social life and then finding time to enjoy my hobbies which I feel behind on as of lately. Maybe in the future... but for now I will still go to shows and enjoy collecting different countries and learning what I can.

Current Mood: good

Overall June was an alright month. Like always and as you guys know - this year is going by way too fast!

I got my yard sale done, making well over what I thought I would. Which was a good feeling. Yesterday I dropped off the stuff that didn't sell at my local Goodwill. And I will sell some of the books at half price books as well as take some and put them in those little free libraries I see scattered around. I don't think I want to ever do another yard sale if I can help it. It was a good experience, but one I just don't want to repeat if I can help it.

One annoyance about last month was I did get sick twice with my sinuses. Both to the point where I was throwing up phlegm and/or dry heaving. I'm hoping it doesn't happen again, but I think part of the issue is how drastic our weather has been changing from hot to cool.

I've been making good progress with reading. I think I will go back to reading some manga this month. I have some volumes of Nana, Fruits Basket and Bestars that I haven't read yet.

With my stamps I have finally started an album to share on Facebook for my stamp groups to look at that has all of my extras I want to trade. After I finish that I want to go through my albums and make a list of all the counties I have and how many stamps I have from each country. It's been great getting back into this fun and soothing hobby.

Gardening has been going good, too. I separated some of my lilac bushes on my hill and spread them out so they have more room to grow. Today I did a bit of weeding after work. Keeping up with my property and all that comes with it is still a tiring chore. I hate using that word, but some days I really don't have the energy to do everything.

I'm part of a library group at my public library. It's called "Friends of the public library". So far I've gone to two meetings. We are trying to figure out ways to get the community more engaged with going there, doing projects, ect. We are doing a fundraiser later this month to raise money. There will be baskets to raffle off and a few of us are donating baskets. I'm putting one together that has art supplies in it. It feels nice to be a part of something.

With my comic I have been getting back into the grove of things. This month I am going to make an account on Globalcomix and will share "Promised Memories". I'm a bit nervous, but with kind words from Matt I feel everything will work out.

Sapphire has been doing good. Yesterday I got her a betta buddy. A silly little betta fish toy that goes in her tank. She didn't care much at all about it.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Classical music

Gosh, where do I start with this month? It has been a bit of a chaotic natural month...But I got through it. First off, as you guys know - my parents health has been up and down. Having both of them in the hospital this month and a few days apart took a mental and physical toll on me. But now are both home and I'm happy for that. With both of them in their late 70's I take every day I can get with them as a blessing.

A-lot of things were set on the back burner due to what was going on with them, but that is okay. In all honestly I see that my readers of Promised Memories will wait and that's okay. At first it made me nervous - not posting for a week, but I have slowly been back at it.

I feel like the medication to help my depression and anxiety before and during my period has been working better now. I go back in July to talk to my doctor further about how I have been feeling. Currently I have been feeling less sad and depressed during this time of the month. I still felt a bit cranky a few weeks ago, but it didn't last as long or feel as deep as it has in the past, if that makes any sense. Like my feelings of being cranky were lighter and I got over my mood quicker. Now if only I could be on a pill that could make the physical pain all go away and make my periods only a day long! :-p

Everything for my yard/garage sale is all in a big pile and boxes in my art/plant room! I'm almost free of all these belongings I don't need! I've been exploring my house like a girl trying to find hidden Christmas presents! Trying to find treasures I don't want or need anymore!! It's been sort of fun... the other day I found about a dozen picture frames. Half of those are going!

I adopted some new indoor plants a few weeks ago. I haven't wrote much about my plants as of lately, but I plan on it soon. With all the names of them and whatnot. Over the last few years I have gotten more and more of a green thumb. Talking to them, loving them and just giving them what they need... it's a comforting feeling. I come from a family of plant lovers. A few weeks ago my older brother came over and dug a hole for my mom's one baby pine tree. And we all sat outside around it and visited for a bit. It was nice. A friend of mine (I met her through my mom actually!) gave me a lilac bush and I planted it in my yard yesterday.

After this yard/garage sale happens I want to rearrange my house some. I did this earlier this week with my room upstairs that I now use for my laptop and to work on my puzzle. It's been nice to have a space free of clutter.
I also plan on getting back to my stamps!
And starting to work on art more. I deeply miss painting. I bought an easel a few weeks ago at a yard sale and plan on using it. It's the perfect height for me! I haven't done much painting standing up, so that would be a nice experience.

Sapphire is doing well! She is such a lovely and smart little girl! She is always ready to eat and quick at getting it! I'm so grateful I was able to get her, it's been nice spending time with her and talking to her. Betta fish are truly underrated little guys.

This is a much longer post than I thought I would share. But I'm glad for it. I wanted to get on here earlier in the week, but the days kept escaping me. I'm going to try to spend more time on here in the future.

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: Beautiful Ghibli piano melodies

I'm not sure what to write about this week besides my review I will do tomorrow or Friday. But I felt like an update would be a good idea since I like to write about things other than those. At times they feel tiring.

This week has been going well overall. I took off a few days to take care of things around my house and yard. Also to see family and help my family. My mom is back from the hospital, she is doing better each day. In my yard I got some plants transplanted, pulled some weeds, got some things moved around in my garage, put my windchimes and little yard decorations out.
I got some of my plants transplanted to larger pots and rearranged some of them since I think they weren't getting the proper light. Also I went through a few more books and flower pots to sale during my garage sale.
I've drawn a bit more for my next chapter of Promised Memories, wrote the next chapter and did a New room of scrutiny page.
With sewing my old pants I repaired one pair. I plan on doing the other two soon, maybe I'll sewn a bit more tonight. It's soothing to sew again after so long.
I've been still reading away, I think that is my favorite pastime anymore. Two books currently, it's good to switch back and fourth if I'm not in the mood for one I can turn to the other.
This morning I worked on sorting stamps for one of two trades I needed to get back to. And it was also something soothing, too. I'd like to get back into working on stamps again.
Also I've been back into playing Paleo Pines, the dinosaur farming game! It's a nice, slow pace. And the graphics are beautiful and calming. It makes my heart happy.

I think that's about it for an update. But I've been doing good. And overall feeling well. May is mental health month, so with that in mind I have been trying to slow down and do things that keep me feeling good.

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Pandora - A fine frenzy station

So February was a pretty quick month! I feel like mostly what I got accomplished was reading. I got a bit more done on that puzzle I started back in October. Also I've been going through books and other items I plan on trying to sell in a garage sale later this year. Whatever I don't sell I plan on just donating, since I feel like I just have a-lot of stuff I don't have an interest for anymore. Which isn't bad, I've always believed we accumulate too many material possessions in a lifetime and I would like to learn how to live with less. I haven't been doing much with my stamps, but I am done sorting all of them. Which is an accomplishment. Next step is writing down all the countries I have and how many from each country (an example is 1 page, 2 pages and so on) so when it comes to trading in the future I can focus on places I have little or no stamps from. Also I want to take pictures to share on FB for others to see to know what I have to trade.
When it comes to art I am back caught up with Promised Memories, which is a good feeling. I do want to start doing fan art soon in the month of March and I want to try to do a quick water color painting maybe once a week to get my skills back up.
I'd like to start trying bird watching again now that I feel like I may have more time. Write down what I see, I started a notebook a few years ago when I did it.
And mainly this past month I was still getting used to my thyroid medication and figuring out my depression and anxiety and now my body is getting adjusted to a new medication. But I've been feeling more hopeful about my mental health.
I'm trying to think of more updates with my hobbies and such, but my mind is drawing a blank. But that's okay - here's to March and trying to get back into more art. I feel like that is where my life has been lacking.
I hope you guys have all been doing well and taking care of yourselves. Life is too short.

Current Mood: awake
Current Music: Pandora - A fine frenzy station

Hey, it feels like it's been awhile since I wrote any sort of update on my personal life... Things are going about the same they have been. Sill I am struggling with personal issues I cannot speak of, but I am getting through. My health I think has gotten better since I have been taking the medication for my thyroid. Lately I feel less tired and my weight has gone down (which is good) but it may have gone down also because my diet has gotten a tad better. I still take an occasional nap, but that may be out of guilty pleasure (sleeping is one of my favorite past times). Still I struggle with bouts of depression and if that isn't clearing up more by mid February when I go to my doctors again I think I will address that. After now being on a medication for the first time in my life and seeing/feeling the improvements I think I could handle another medication for depression if that would help me.

It's been hard to bring myself upstairs to work on my laptop and my puzzle. I'm not sure if it's this room (it was the room my last ex used while he lived here and there still feels like negative energy and vibes at times) or just because I don't pictorially like being in front of my laptop for long periods of time. So web comics I can only read from my laptop have been something I haven't been able to get to as much as I would like to. But I'm going to try to get better at this. Mind over matter or something like that is what they say, right?

One of my comforts has been working on my stamps. I've been sorting my international stamps in new binder albums to give more space in my current lighthouse albums. And I have so many from certain countries, so it's been refreshing to give them the space they need and not overcrowding a page. I'm grateful to have this hobby, it's been a solid in my life during the ups and downs of the last three years since I started it.
Also I've been reading more lately. So much so I've been trying to keep up with two books at a time. Two of the books had to do with birds and I think I may try to take up that hobby again soon.

Also I should note I have been able to work on my comic again, that's been fun. Last night I got the cover page for chapter 11 done and some other important pages for the comic started. Next step I want to do is find another platform to share Promised Memories on. Working on the worldbuilding and characters and story itself has been a nice distraction.

Alright, I feel that is a decent update on myself. In early 2024 I want to write a short entry on good books I read in 2023. Also I still plan on writing the reviews for Comic Fury web comics I have been reading, I do hope those help the authors. I feel like my writing has improved already by doing almost 20 of them now. This felt good to write.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: A fine frenzy radio station on Pandora