Intentions for the new year

My art journals reflect intentions that I am setting for 2013. These pages remind me that I can find   happiness in spite of rather than when an event occurs.

May 2013 bring you prosperity (flourishing) in every area of your life.

Holiday Happenings

 

The Christmas holiday is a much anticipated event in our household.  It's not about the presents. It's about colorful, twinkling lights, happy music, and family gathering from afar. So, as I write this post on December 28th, I'm experiencing a bit of melancholiness. (Spell check informs me that there is no such word. Let it be known that I am creating this new adjective that expresses the post Christmas feelings many experience this time of year.) The season goes by so quickly....

Sorry, Grandma. I cannot resist the baubles.

Cutie pie

December birthday gift for Stephanie - re-purposed vintage suitcase

for my dad

Impressive gift wrap by husband, Matt

 

Stephanie meets Landon

A girl can never have too much tape

 

My newest friend, washi tape. It was love at first use - in my art, on envelopes and packages. It would likely adorn my body if it was socially acceptable.

 I LOVE ephemera of any kind. Here is a box prettied up with bits and scraps of beautiful what-not and sent to a friend.

 My affections are varied. Vintage wallpaper has also stolen my heart. Another box.

 

 This is a poor photo of a pillow made for mom for her birthday. 

 And, saving the best for last.... here is the office/computer room in our home before the makeover.

 Here is my new studio after Glynn installed wall shelving and I began the preliminary stage of organization.

If I had a picture of myself doing a happy dance, I'd post it here.

A bit of magic

source: sanctuairesoulssanctuary.com

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”  Ronald Dahl

I love the above mentioned quote and experienced a wee bit of such magic yesterday in a most unlikely place - Fred Meyer. 

I was one of what felt like 2,000 fellow grocery shoppers skillfully and patiently navigating my shopping cart through gridlocked aisle ways, working hard to keep my cool while surrounded by near palpable pre-holiday stress.

  source: www.cleanme.us

The aisle containing flour and sugar and other baking goods felt like I-5 in Friday rush hour traffic! Yet, in this chaos, surrounded by all this adult tension, two little boys discovered a bit of magic. 

A bag of flour lay split open on a shelf and a small pile of flour lay next to it. The small boys gently placed their hands in the flour, coating their palms, then clapped their hands together gleefully creating a cloud of white dust.

The smallest boy noticed me noticing him. Hurriedly he plunged his hands into the flour again, walked over to me, clapped his hands together and giggling said, "Poof! It's magic!" 

And it was magic for immediately this little boy's happy dance dispelled my impatience. His innocent delight in finding magic in pile of plain, white flour touched me in such a way that felt sacred. I was the lucky one for having witnessed such pure delight. 

I'm happy to report that because of this little boy's experience with magic, my eyes have been refocused to look for magic in unlikely places. (I found magic today while painting a room in my house, a task that I find most unpleasant.) After all, it's all about perception.....

Maid service

source: 123rf.com

A recent blog post from a young military wife living in Afghanistan got me to thinking. 

It's customary for the wives to hire a maid who stops by the house three times a week for an hour to 'straighten it up'. The writer eventually let her maid go because she felt too much 'American guilt' for hiring someone to do what she could easily do each day.

American guilt. Hmmmmm..... 

 

For the past five years, Hazel arrives at my house, twice monthly, to clean it. Although a housekeeper is a bit different than a maid, please know I feel NO GUILT WHATSOVER for her services! This is Hazel's livelihood. It pays her rent and puts food on her table. 

I work outside the home and choose not to spend one of my non work days cleaning my large home. I can afford Hazel's services an, in a very small way, I am contributing to the local economy.

Hiring a lawn service, a personal trainer, having one's oil changed at Jiffy Lube, hiring a painting contractor... the list of professionals who do our work for us is long.

Now, if only I had the wherewithal to hire a personal chef, I'd invite you all to dinner. 

artsy fartsy

The strength of a woman

 After witnessing the birth of my second grandson, Landon, I am awed.

Somewhere, buried deep in the psyche of a woman lies a caliber of strength earmarked specifically for motherhood purposes. It's the same strength that enables a mother to lift a car off her child in spite of needing help removing a lid from a jar earlier in the day. It's a feral strength and it takes your breath away.

Courtney utilized this feral strength last week while birthing Landon in a mere 7 hours. Once the bag of waters was broken and the contractions intensified, Courtney's demeanor shifted from chatty to determined. The room became quiet as the minutes between contractions were used for rest. This feral strength is what moved Landon into our world after 1.5 hours of pushing. This feral strength will allow Courtney to endure the demands of both a newborn and two year toddler in the coming weeks and months.

This strength will be shelved eventually, showing itself now and again when conditions require it. It's what we woman are made of.
 

Landon is sweet and pure and soft and loved immensely.

Welcome to life, little guy...

It's time

courtesy of brownfamilyadventures.blogspot.com

I look at the belly, stretched to no-more-capacity, its surface undulating with baby's movement like a grey whale surfacing for air. I cringe as I envision the tendons and connective tissues groaning in protest while supporting the baby for one more day and say, 'ENOUGH ALREADY'. 

I smile politely when the stranger approaches and lets loose with the inane comment of, "Wow. You're huge. You must be exhausted!"  'You think?' I want to say as I concentrate on NOT allowing my eyes to roll in their sockets with exaggerated motion, fearing this time they will become stuck in the 11 o'clock position.


My tongue feels flayed and swollen from continually biting it as different ones express their dismay that baby has not yet arrived.

And I'm just the grandma-to-be.

The good news is that baby Landon will be born - soon.

And in the meantime, Daughter-in-law, Courtney, deserves a standing ovation for her grace, patience and humor as she awaits the birth of her baby boy.

courtesy of underthehoneymoon.blogspot.com

yellow mellow fall

Saturday was the quintessential autumn day. Mild with a slight breeze. Falling leaves. Both sun and rain. Who cannot enjoy such a day?

Attempting to capture the beautiful hues of fall.

One last snapshot of beautiful flowers before rain, wind and frost erase their presence.

Otis, ever the faithful companion.

Unfold

Political ruminations

Until now, this present moment in which we are experiencing our separate realities, I have not been aware of how personal politics can be.

I have a friend whose daughter's life was changed the moment a drunk driver, heading the wrong way on a freeway, hit Sarah head-on. Because of her injuries, Sarah requires full time care. The implementation of the first phase of Obamacare last year guarantees quality health care for Sarah for the duration of her life. I know which presidential candidate this family will be voting for.

Another acquaintance of mine is gay who hopes to see equality for all regardless of sexual orientation. Concerned about the conservative mindset of a Republican presidential candidate, I know which presidential candidate this friend will not be voting for.

A tenant of mine who has been out of work for three years, losing her home in the process, is disheartened by the lack of 'change' that our current president promised in 2008. She has told me who she will vote for.

My concern centers around a stalled economy that is directly affecting my own business. 
 

Is is possible to ignore our own nearsightedness, a myopic view that blurs any issue other than the one affecting me? Is it possible to focus instead on the greater picture- that of equally important issues which need to be considered while casting a vote in the upcoming election?

I like to think so.

Shifting gears..... politics tie my stomach in knots.  Humor helps......

 courtesy of: visualnews.com

courtesy of: thesun.co.uk

50's style

I have been enjoying (and marveling) over the items for sale in this 1957 Montgomery Ward catalog.  Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs were present in my house during my growing up years. I remember sitting on the couch with sister, Debbie, while perusing the girls section saying, 'If you had to wear an outfit on this page, which would you choose?' And oh, happy day when the Christmas catalog arrived each winter!

 I love these dresses. Sadly, our culture has lost its feminine edge.

I suppose if I managed to squirm into one of these restrictive looking girdles, even I could sport a tiny waistline!I feel myself gasping for breath just thinking about it.

 The catalog features fabric for sale, luggage, tools and even siding for one's home. I miss leafing through a catalog. Somehow, internet shopping isn't quite the same.

 Summer finds me outside in the garden making art in my flower beds. Now that fall is here, I'll bring my art back inside. First step - restoring some sense of order to my messy studio space.  Newly acquired what-nots accumulated in a pile on my desk....

I created this page in my art journal with vintage wallpaper scraps - a new favorite because of the texture of the scraps.

 

I cringe to even say it but the holidays are approaching and I have gifts to make.  Focus, Susan, focus!