Okay, here's the set-up: Yesterday was my oldest sister's birthday, and I had that little rough painting to give her, and she only lives about 15 blocks away from Piano Girl's teacher, so I stopped by there this afternoon and put her gift on her front porch.
I had just got back in the car and buckled my seatbelt, when who should pull up but my nephew, S (until I come up with a cool blog nickname for him). He had just come from getting new brakes and tires on his old car (my soon-to-be new car), and had stopped by to see if his mom was home and could drive him to the car repair place to get his new car (his brother, C's car). She wasn't, but I was. So we followed him home where he dropped off his old car, got to have a tour of his house, and then dropped him off at the car repair place so he could get his new car. It was perfect timing and I was glad to see him and glad to be of service. And what happened next is what has had me smiling the entire evening.
As he was saying goodbye, he kissed me. Just like he always did when we said goodbye when he was a kid (We have always been a kissy family.). Such a small gesture, but so very special. You know how with some people, you can go for a long time without seeing them, but when you do, it is like you have only been apart a week? It has been like that with S, and I just feel so blessed to be a part of his life again. He is an amazing, inteligent young man, who is a joy to be around. It makes me happy just to be spending time with him. It is wonderful to share in his life, and have him be active in his cousins' lives again- my kids adore him, and he and the Boy have a great deal in common. I think S may be the mentor/friend we have been seeking for the Boy for so long.
I think there may be another benefit here too- the grief we all feel as we deal with C's death is still painfully real and constant, but I think (hope?) it will help to be coping with it together as a family. Being able to talk to S, and to hear how he is feeling has been so helpful with coping with my own feelings, and being supportive of his parents.
That's it. Thought I would share with you. Amazing how so small a thing can put an old auntie on cloud nine.
Ta Ta For Now
LB
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Another Thursday
Well, as usual, I wasn't in the studio as long as I would have liked yesterday, but I did get a bit of work done prepping substrates last night. I am working on a series of the little "rough" paintings to put in a soon-to-be-open etsy shop, I am trying to keep track of how much time I spend and how much money on supplies for each piece, but it is not easy! We shall see how much work I am able to get done on these this weekend. The Girl is having a birthday/slumber party Friday- 5 girls from 11 to 16 will descend on my studio space. We will make Valentines, and do a couple of art projects (guess I should be planning those, hmm?), and then head upstairs for food (pizza?) and a movie, and they will camp out in the living room. Then I will have to get up early, and take the boy to his tournament on Saturday. The girls will go home by noon, and I will head to the tournament to watch the Boy's rounds (usually don't start till 2 pm). Sunday will bring a trip to the East Side to visit Mama, and head to Unity if I am not too tired, and a friend wants to have coffee in the afternoon on Sunday. Man, to be honest, I am tired just thinking about it. I may decide to commune with God in my dreams Sunday morning.
I have been up since 4:30, getting the Dude off to the airport. It will be so nice when we have two cars (this weekend or early next week, I hope!), so I won't have to run him to the airport anymore! I am headed to the tub here, and then we will all be getting ready for our long Thursday.
I won't see the Boy all day- he has a basketball game to play at tonight, so will just stay at the high school, and get some of his school work done there, as well as practice his HI.
The Girl and I will be heading for all day piano lessons (only 2 weeks till the Simon Fizet competition!), and I am looking forward to my toddler time. Abe is getting so big, and so vocal. He talks the entire time we are together, except when I am reading- we read for several hours every Thursday. He himself is getting closer to reading, starting to make the connection that the words on the page (that he follows with his chubby little fingers) are connected to the letter sounds he is learning. He is an amazingly bright little fellow, reminding me so much of my own Boy, who began sounding out words and reading at this age.
Okay, off we go! Enjoy your day today.
LB
I have been up since 4:30, getting the Dude off to the airport. It will be so nice when we have two cars (this weekend or early next week, I hope!), so I won't have to run him to the airport anymore! I am headed to the tub here, and then we will all be getting ready for our long Thursday.
I won't see the Boy all day- he has a basketball game to play at tonight, so will just stay at the high school, and get some of his school work done there, as well as practice his HI.
The Girl and I will be heading for all day piano lessons (only 2 weeks till the Simon Fizet competition!), and I am looking forward to my toddler time. Abe is getting so big, and so vocal. He talks the entire time we are together, except when I am reading- we read for several hours every Thursday. He himself is getting closer to reading, starting to make the connection that the words on the page (that he follows with his chubby little fingers) are connected to the letter sounds he is learning. He is an amazingly bright little fellow, reminding me so much of my own Boy, who began sounding out words and reading at this age.
Okay, off we go! Enjoy your day today.
LB
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
UFOs
Here are a couple of finished projects- UFO no more! As usual, you can click to enlarge.
Here is a little 4 x 6 acrylic painting I did that I will be giving my sis for her birthday tomorrow. I used coarse pumice gel on gessoed canvas to give it the bumpy texture. I am hoping to do several more of these on gatorboard to put in the etsy shop. Sorry the photo is fuzzy.
And here are the last of my Christmas Thank you cards. I couldn't get the camera to not flash, so sorry about the glare. The last time I posted about these, I was still adding layers.
This abstract is still a UFO, but I wanted to post it anyhow. It is acrylic on canvas. I am now adding details. Working title: The Shape of Things. Have I told you how much I love my easel, sitting down here by the fire, and painting? It doesn't even matter that I have no idea what I am doing- it is relaxing and fun.
And this may not be exciting to you, but just looking at this photo makes me smile! This is a box of leftover gatorboard, from Crissy. In her family's business, they use a ton of gatorboard, and generate a lot of scraps, and in my art, I use a lot of substrate, but canvas is so pricey, and much of my work is experimental. So, if I can use their scraps, everyone is happy. "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" in action!
I now need to spend some time cutting these into smaller pieces, and applying gesso, coarse and fine pumice gels, and such to get these ready to use. Fun!
That is all for now- I have about another hour to work down here, so it is time to get off this thing, stuff the woodstove, crank the tunes, and get going!
TTFN
LB
Here is a little 4 x 6 acrylic painting I did that I will be giving my sis for her birthday tomorrow. I used coarse pumice gel on gessoed canvas to give it the bumpy texture. I am hoping to do several more of these on gatorboard to put in the etsy shop. Sorry the photo is fuzzy.
And here are the last of my Christmas Thank you cards. I couldn't get the camera to not flash, so sorry about the glare. The last time I posted about these, I was still adding layers.
This abstract is still a UFO, but I wanted to post it anyhow. It is acrylic on canvas. I am now adding details. Working title: The Shape of Things. Have I told you how much I love my easel, sitting down here by the fire, and painting? It doesn't even matter that I have no idea what I am doing- it is relaxing and fun.
And this may not be exciting to you, but just looking at this photo makes me smile! This is a box of leftover gatorboard, from Crissy. In her family's business, they use a ton of gatorboard, and generate a lot of scraps, and in my art, I use a lot of substrate, but canvas is so pricey, and much of my work is experimental. So, if I can use their scraps, everyone is happy. "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" in action!I now need to spend some time cutting these into smaller pieces, and applying gesso, coarse and fine pumice gels, and such to get these ready to use. Fun!
That is all for now- I have about another hour to work down here, so it is time to get off this thing, stuff the woodstove, crank the tunes, and get going!TTFN
LB
Tag! I'm it.
Chris over at Twilight and Sunrise tagged me for this Book Meme. Here is my task:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.
1. Okay, so I am down in the studio, and the nearest book to me is The New Creative Artist: A guide to Developing your Creative Spirit. By Nita Leland. Were you hoping for Dumas or Shakespeare? Come on, you had to know it would be an art book, lol!
2. The title on this page is Bend Reality by Changing the Rules, and is talking about creating abstractions in your art by using design to alter a literal image.
3. There are only 5 sentences total on this page, the rest being technical instructions, so I will work with what are here. The 2nd sentence is: "With every design change, the image moves further from the illusion of reality."
4. The next 3 sentences are: "The more altered the image, the more abstract the art. Eventually, it may become pure abstraction, revealing no apparent connection with the original subject. Intelligent use of design makes such a transformation work." Gosh I hope this isn't boring to you! But this is the stuff I read, and it was this or a book on acrylic techniques, and I think that would have bored you more.
5. Pick 5 folks, hmmm. Let's see how eclectic a list of folks I can come up with. The more diverse and unusual books and answers, the better! Okay.
How 'bout Mama P, Pamela (in the comments, no blog), Crissy @ Soliloquy, PattyMomBobJoanna @ WPMS, and WTMCassandra @ Lutradur & Lace Adventures. Honestly, I could think of 20 people to tag, so if you want to do this, I would love to see it. Just let me know you did it or put it in the comment section if you don't have a blog.
Okay, off to finish some UFOs. My oldest sister has a birthday tomorrow, I owe Amy a fabric post card, and I have some art that I can tidy up and photograph so I have some pieces with which to stock an Etsy shop of my very own.
And an update about the videos for up and coming talky blogs: I accidentally dropped and broke the Boy's camera when he left it laying somewhere it didn't belong, so we don't have any yet, but are working on it. Gotta get his camera repaired first.
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.
1. Okay, so I am down in the studio, and the nearest book to me is The New Creative Artist: A guide to Developing your Creative Spirit. By Nita Leland. Were you hoping for Dumas or Shakespeare? Come on, you had to know it would be an art book, lol!
2. The title on this page is Bend Reality by Changing the Rules, and is talking about creating abstractions in your art by using design to alter a literal image.
3. There are only 5 sentences total on this page, the rest being technical instructions, so I will work with what are here. The 2nd sentence is: "With every design change, the image moves further from the illusion of reality."
4. The next 3 sentences are: "The more altered the image, the more abstract the art. Eventually, it may become pure abstraction, revealing no apparent connection with the original subject. Intelligent use of design makes such a transformation work." Gosh I hope this isn't boring to you! But this is the stuff I read, and it was this or a book on acrylic techniques, and I think that would have bored you more.
5. Pick 5 folks, hmmm. Let's see how eclectic a list of folks I can come up with. The more diverse and unusual books and answers, the better! Okay.
How 'bout Mama P, Pamela (in the comments, no blog), Crissy @ Soliloquy, PattyMomBobJoanna @ WPMS, and WTMCassandra @ Lutradur & Lace Adventures. Honestly, I could think of 20 people to tag, so if you want to do this, I would love to see it. Just let me know you did it or put it in the comment section if you don't have a blog.
Okay, off to finish some UFOs. My oldest sister has a birthday tomorrow, I owe Amy a fabric post card, and I have some art that I can tidy up and photograph so I have some pieces with which to stock an Etsy shop of my very own.
And an update about the videos for up and coming talky blogs: I accidentally dropped and broke the Boy's camera when he left it laying somewhere it didn't belong, so we don't have any yet, but are working on it. Gotta get his camera repaired first.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Tidbit: Phooey on me
Aarrgghh. I am sorry, I keep making blog promises- art content, photos, birthday girl stories, the works, and then I don't deliver. Not that you want or need stories or excuses, but I am really struggling with several areas of real life right now, and am not giving myself the time I need to make art and blog. Darn me. I am not living into my possibilities. Phooey. Phooey I say. I don't need to struggle if I don't want to. I can surrender to my creativity, regardless of how stressed I am at the moment, right? And then I will be less stressed due to having released some creative energy into my world, right? Sigh.
I am an artist, not a wannabe artist. I need to be the actions behind the words.
TTFN,
LB
I am an artist, not a wannabe artist. I need to be the actions behind the words.
TTFN,
LB
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Tidbits: Being Grateful for Birthday Girls & Nephews
I am in such a great mood right now! I just spent a very enjoyable evening with my nephew (I will have to come up with a good nickname for him.) tonight. He took the Dude and me out to test drive his car that we are buying (Yay! Finally a car for me!!), and then I took him out for teriyaki. We visited and chatted, and it was wonderful. Very wonderful.
The other thing that is amazing is that I now am the proud mama of two teenagers! Piano Girl is now 13 years old! I will do a whole post about her tomorrow, but we had a really nice birthday with her yesterday. I am so amazed and proud of my kids. More wonders.
That is all for now, I am working hard at getting up and to bed early.
T.T.F.N.
L.B.
The other thing that is amazing is that I now am the proud mama of two teenagers! Piano Girl is now 13 years old! I will do a whole post about her tomorrow, but we had a really nice birthday with her yesterday. I am so amazed and proud of my kids. More wonders.
That is all for now, I am working hard at getting up and to bed early.
T.T.F.N.
L.B.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Mostly accurate
| Your Personality is Very Rare (INFP) |
 Your personality type is dreamy, romantic, elegant, and expressive. Only about 5% of all people have your personality, including 6% of all women and 4% of all men You are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving. |
Some may disagree with the introverted part, but I am much more so now than I have ever been.
LB
Friday, January 18, 2008
Tidbit: Cats
Just posting this here for my own sake- I know I won't get it on the calendar, and I won't remember the date next month when it is time to do it again (Which explains why the poor dears keep having to go two months instead of one for their flea stuff, sigh.). Let it be known that all three toddler-cats had their flea treatment today- two of them aren't speaking to me, but that's okay.
LB
LB
Talking about the Talky Blog
Well, The Fine Young Man wasn't able to get the video uploaded at his Computer Graphics class at the High School yesterday, but has promised me he will be able to today. So no talky yet.
I am feeling anxious about posting it. The way I felt when I put up my first photos on the blog. So many times, when I watch others' talkies, they badmouth the talky as they are filming it: This is boring, I don't have anything to tell you, etc. Well, I am determined not to do that-I think it really takes away from their videos. So, I will tell you my silly concerns now, and get them out of the way, so I will be free to create fun, enlivening, and encouraging talkies, without all the extraneous garbage.
My concerns (before I let them all go), from the voice in my head that I struggle with daily: I am worried about what all y'all will think- What if those of you who are artists will go, yeah, we knew that already? What if those of you who aren't artists could give a rip and think it's boring? Why am I doing this? People who film talkies have something to say, some knowledge to impart, etc. Who am I? A person who still has a hard time uttering the words "artist" and "I am" in the same sentence! Definitely on the learning curve. Hmm. What if they think I have no talent, or think I am fat, or stutter or say "umm" and "ya' know" too much? What will they think of my messy studio, or my cluttered, unfinished basement?
Okay, now we have heard my silly inner voice telling it's concerns. Let's hear from the creative, artist, inner vision me: I have a lot of invisible friends, with whom I would love to sit by the wood stove, share a Mike's, and create art together. I can't do that, but I can share my time in the studio with them this way. And if my journey as a newbie artist can help someone to decide to go for it in the creative area of their choice, then so much the better. I will totally be myself- stuttering, chubby, and forgetful, and know that the folks that watch these love me for who I am, and will enjoy spending time with me this way.
How about that? The Fine Young Man says he will text me as soon as he gets the video loaded, so I can work on it immediately. If all goes well, it will be up by late tonight. I am surrendering to my creativity, and will post it. Y'all be nice, now, okay? If you think it sucks, lie to me. Kidding. Kidding. Sorta.
TTFN,
LB
update ar 4:30 pm: The Boy is not able to do this at the school after all, so he and I are going to have to figure out how to upload these at home and get them up ourselves. Wish us luck!
I am feeling anxious about posting it. The way I felt when I put up my first photos on the blog. So many times, when I watch others' talkies, they badmouth the talky as they are filming it: This is boring, I don't have anything to tell you, etc. Well, I am determined not to do that-I think it really takes away from their videos. So, I will tell you my silly concerns now, and get them out of the way, so I will be free to create fun, enlivening, and encouraging talkies, without all the extraneous garbage.
My concerns (before I let them all go), from the voice in my head that I struggle with daily: I am worried about what all y'all will think- What if those of you who are artists will go, yeah, we knew that already? What if those of you who aren't artists could give a rip and think it's boring? Why am I doing this? People who film talkies have something to say, some knowledge to impart, etc. Who am I? A person who still has a hard time uttering the words "artist" and "I am" in the same sentence! Definitely on the learning curve. Hmm. What if they think I have no talent, or think I am fat, or stutter or say "umm" and "ya' know" too much? What will they think of my messy studio, or my cluttered, unfinished basement?
Okay, now we have heard my silly inner voice telling it's concerns. Let's hear from the creative, artist, inner vision me: I have a lot of invisible friends, with whom I would love to sit by the wood stove, share a Mike's, and create art together. I can't do that, but I can share my time in the studio with them this way. And if my journey as a newbie artist can help someone to decide to go for it in the creative area of their choice, then so much the better. I will totally be myself- stuttering, chubby, and forgetful, and know that the folks that watch these love me for who I am, and will enjoy spending time with me this way.
How about that? The Fine Young Man says he will text me as soon as he gets the video loaded, so I can work on it immediately. If all goes well, it will be up by late tonight. I am surrendering to my creativity, and will post it. Y'all be nice, now, okay? If you think it sucks, lie to me. Kidding. Kidding. Sorta.
TTFN,
LB
update ar 4:30 pm: The Boy is not able to do this at the school after all, so he and I are going to have to figure out how to upload these at home and get them up ourselves. Wish us luck!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Phooey. I goofed.
My son and I just spent the last hour filming a talky blog for you, using his new movie camera, and then I went and deleted it on accident. I will see if I can get him to help me film another one right now. But I am a bit disappointed. I guess the positive spin on it is that I will really have my "lines" down now for this fourth try!
Wish us luck! Hopefully I will have it up by Friday.
TTFN,
LB
Wish us luck! Hopefully I will have it up by Friday.
TTFN,
LB
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
More toddler fun, and a WIP.
Can you have such a thing as too many toddler photos? I thought not. This is my other fave toddler, the baby sister of Pony Girl. I don't have a blog nickname for her yet. Hmmm. Here she is, getting ready to "read to you".
Here she is again, telling me not to pull the kitty's tail. Love that toddler-speak. Her mama needed some last minute toddler care, so I lucked out, had a fantastic evening with her, and got a nice baby fix.
And here is my latest work in progress: Thank you cards. The kids' cards are all complete, and half of them went out in today's mail. I of course, am still working on mine. How many layers of paint is too many?!?!
That is all for now, hope it keeps you busy for a bit!LB
3/4's of our new white picket fence part 2
This is a great view to show you where the roses will go. See that bit of grass? This is the only grass left in the front yard, and it will soon be replaced by lovely roses. Aahhh. Won't that be nice?
Here is a shot of the front fence line. You can see that in this photo, the right side of the fence isn't up yet. It is almost all the way up now, only one more panel to go. The Dude has been traveling so much lately, he has to work on this is fits and starts, but I had to show you what wonderful work he has done so far.
Here is the driveway side. I am not sure if you can see parts of the treehouse if you enlarge this shot or not- let me know.
Just because I needed one more photo for this post, here is my icky front porch. One thing we want to do this year, is to frame it in, lose the window to the Girl's room, and build a coat closet on the end. The new front door will be just to the left of the post.
Ok, there you have it!LB
3/4's of our new white picket fence, part 1
This post is inspired by Dy's finished projects posts.
Last November (2006), a drunk driver crashed into our chain-link fence and drove through the Dude's cottage garden, luckily missing the house, and giving us an excuse to finally replace the old, icky chain-link with a white picket fence, that would match the house better, and be a better frame around the cottage garden.
This photo was taken in May. The tree to the left of the house is where the tree house is. See the area behind the dogwood, between the house and the garage? Hopefully, I will be showing you photos of a new patio there later this spring. But for now, back to the fence.
You can see where the chain-link ends, there in the middle of the yard.
Here are the Papa Dude, and Piano Girl, starting on the assembly of the fence panels. We used wooden posts, and plastic fence panels. The kids painted all the posts for us. Notice the roses lining the driveway- I will address them in a minute.
Here they have just discovered that the fence panels are NOT the length they say they are- there is too much space between the posts! But have no fear, PG, and the PD know what they are doing- this is just a hiccup in their plans........
I took this photo from the front porch. Look how nice this looks! And you can see that once the Dude moves the roses to the inside of the fence, we will have 4 extra feet of driveway. This will be so nice! As it is now, the driver has to step out onto wet, muddy grass. Icky.
Stay tuned for part two!
LB
Last November (2006), a drunk driver crashed into our chain-link fence and drove through the Dude's cottage garden, luckily missing the house, and giving us an excuse to finally replace the old, icky chain-link with a white picket fence, that would match the house better, and be a better frame around the cottage garden.
This photo was taken in May. The tree to the left of the house is where the tree house is. See the area behind the dogwood, between the house and the garage? Hopefully, I will be showing you photos of a new patio there later this spring. But for now, back to the fence.
You can see where the chain-link ends, there in the middle of the yard.
Here are the Papa Dude, and Piano Girl, starting on the assembly of the fence panels. We used wooden posts, and plastic fence panels. The kids painted all the posts for us. Notice the roses lining the driveway- I will address them in a minute.
Here they have just discovered that the fence panels are NOT the length they say they are- there is too much space between the posts! But have no fear, PG, and the PD know what they are doing- this is just a hiccup in their plans........
I took this photo from the front porch. Look how nice this looks! And you can see that once the Dude moves the roses to the inside of the fence, we will have 4 extra feet of driveway. This will be so nice! As it is now, the driver has to step out onto wet, muddy grass. Icky.
Stay tuned for part two!LB
Catching up on photos
I will try to catch up on photos a bit in the next few posts. It really has become a trial to post photos lately as it involves a very slow computer, my laptop, and a great deal of patience- so I know you will appreciate the effort! Feel free to click and enlarge.
Here are my Fine Young Man, aka the Boy, and Piano Girl, reading to Abe, my adorable borrowed toddler, just a few days before Christmas. I love that my teens adore him, and think it is a treat to be able to spend time with him!
Here is our lovely tree on Christmas morning. Looky looky at all those gifts! We were very spoiled this year, and it was lots of fun.
Here is Piano Girl, with another of our family friends, Pony Girl. Pony Girl came over several times in Nov. and Dec. to work in the studio with me- she did two oilstick paintings that she gave to her cousins for Christmas gifts. She is an excellent student, and is also becoming an amazing artist in her own right.
Here are the Boy and Girl, in early November, just as they were getting started on Christmas gifts this year. I love having them in the studio. We jam to tunes, and no one treats me like a "Mom", ya' know?
Here are my Fine Young Man, aka the Boy, and Piano Girl, reading to Abe, my adorable borrowed toddler, just a few days before Christmas. I love that my teens adore him, and think it is a treat to be able to spend time with him!
Here is our lovely tree on Christmas morning. Looky looky at all those gifts! We were very spoiled this year, and it was lots of fun.
Here is Piano Girl, with another of our family friends, Pony Girl. Pony Girl came over several times in Nov. and Dec. to work in the studio with me- she did two oilstick paintings that she gave to her cousins for Christmas gifts. She is an excellent student, and is also becoming an amazing artist in her own right.
Here are the Boy and Girl, in early November, just as they were getting started on Christmas gifts this year. I love having them in the studio. We jam to tunes, and no one treats me like a "Mom", ya' know?
LB and the Bad Feeling Fairy.
I was planning on blogging yesterday, but it just didn't come. It was one of those days.
I woke up at 4 am with such a feeling of impending doom- you know, where you just can feel it in your bones- something B. A. D. is going to happen, but you don't know exactly what or to whom. I have had this sixth sense my whole life, but it was hard to ignore, or identify today. And then to complicate matters, my Girly was flying home from a weekend visit with our dear friends, the G family. Mr. G. is a flight attendant (bless him) and makes sure the Girlies get to spend as much time together as possible. He flies up and back, and then up and back again, to deliver one girl or another so the two best friends can spend a few weekends a year together. I love him for this.
*But* I was locked up all morning, until my Girl was home. I guess we are all coping with my nephew's death fairly well, but one thing that has happened is that I have a very hard time surrendering my kids to other folks- putting their safety and well-being in the hands of another adult- the Boy rides home with someone from his weekly seminar, the Girl on the plane, etc. I called Dy twice yesterday, being reassured that this was a little silly, but normal under the circumstances, and did my best to let go.
I thought the feelings would let up once the Girl was home, but they didn't. Instead, the Boy and I had a stoopid ugly fight. It wasn't just a disagreement, or an argument, it became a fight. You know, the kind you can NEVER win with a teenager- you ask, they resist, you insist, they resist harder, you demand and persist, they resist, then rebel. It sucks. It really sucks. We were finally able to regroup, acknowledge how each of us were being that kept the fight going, the yucky impact of that behaviour on each and all of us, we apologized, and everything, but. But I even had a lovely phone conversation with the Traveling Dude, where he reaffirmed how close and loving our family is. But even after watching Ratatoulle with the Girl, I still couldn't pull it out. It was the whole dark cloud thing all over again.
And I seem to have woken up with it still hanging over my head. How do you regroup and reaffirm when you have had a bad day the day before? How do you successfully let it go?
Here is my plan: I journaled last night for the first time all year. (Again, not very successful yet with my goals.) I think I will journal again today, and see if anything left over from yesterday needs to bubble up and out, and then maybe I can create something amazing for this day.
I have made a healthy breakfast, I will move my body today, I will do laundry, and make art. It will all be okay. Hopefully even better than okay. Thanks for listening.
LB
I woke up at 4 am with such a feeling of impending doom- you know, where you just can feel it in your bones- something B. A. D. is going to happen, but you don't know exactly what or to whom. I have had this sixth sense my whole life, but it was hard to ignore, or identify today. And then to complicate matters, my Girly was flying home from a weekend visit with our dear friends, the G family. Mr. G. is a flight attendant (bless him) and makes sure the Girlies get to spend as much time together as possible. He flies up and back, and then up and back again, to deliver one girl or another so the two best friends can spend a few weekends a year together. I love him for this.
*But* I was locked up all morning, until my Girl was home. I guess we are all coping with my nephew's death fairly well, but one thing that has happened is that I have a very hard time surrendering my kids to other folks- putting their safety and well-being in the hands of another adult- the Boy rides home with someone from his weekly seminar, the Girl on the plane, etc. I called Dy twice yesterday, being reassured that this was a little silly, but normal under the circumstances, and did my best to let go.
I thought the feelings would let up once the Girl was home, but they didn't. Instead, the Boy and I had a stoopid ugly fight. It wasn't just a disagreement, or an argument, it became a fight. You know, the kind you can NEVER win with a teenager- you ask, they resist, you insist, they resist harder, you demand and persist, they resist, then rebel. It sucks. It really sucks. We were finally able to regroup, acknowledge how each of us were being that kept the fight going, the yucky impact of that behaviour on each and all of us, we apologized, and everything, but. But I even had a lovely phone conversation with the Traveling Dude, where he reaffirmed how close and loving our family is. But even after watching Ratatoulle with the Girl, I still couldn't pull it out. It was the whole dark cloud thing all over again.
And I seem to have woken up with it still hanging over my head. How do you regroup and reaffirm when you have had a bad day the day before? How do you successfully let it go?
Here is my plan: I journaled last night for the first time all year. (Again, not very successful yet with my goals.) I think I will journal again today, and see if anything left over from yesterday needs to bubble up and out, and then maybe I can create something amazing for this day.
I have made a healthy breakfast, I will move my body today, I will do laundry, and make art. It will all be okay. Hopefully even better than okay. Thanks for listening.
LB
Friday, January 11, 2008
Just a little update.
Hey all,
Thanks for the input on the Priveledge survey. I thought it was fun and interesting. Feel free to do this if you haven't already.
I meant to post last night, but I was so very tired. I got up at 5 yesterday, to take the Dude to the airport, and then hit the grocery store just as it opened. Got home, fed the kids, and kissed the Boy goodbye. The Girl and I headed for piano lessons and my toddler fix. Oh. My. Goodness! Has my little friend Abe grown in 3 weeks! He talks a mile a minute, and is doing that fun toddler thing where he speaks in third person, and ends his sentences with his name, as if you had spoken, and not him. "Do you want to play trains, Abe?" "Here is a cheerio, Abe." It has always cracked me up that toddlers do this.
We left early, so Abe's mama, TBPTONP (The Best Piano Teacher On The Planet), could nap with him today, stopped off and picked the Boy up from school, and then hit the feed store for chicken food, went to a curriculum store to pick up WASL prep materials (I don't wanna talk about it!), grabbed some dinner, and then picked the Dude up at the airport. By the time we got home, it was all I could do to take the kids down to the studio to work on their thank you cards some more. I was in bed by 8, and asleep before 9.
Today, I have to face the laundry mountain, help the Girl get packed for her weekend trip to visit the G family in CA, and try to put a futon frame together, which I am not looking forward to. I may skip that and head to the studio to work on my thank you cards.
That's about it for now- I still need to get some photos up. I know I procrastinate on this, but it isn't easy- I end up having to use two different computers, one that holds the photos, and is so SLOW, and my laptop to do the rest of the post. It takes patience and time.
T.T.F. N.
LB
Thanks for the input on the Priveledge survey. I thought it was fun and interesting. Feel free to do this if you haven't already.
I meant to post last night, but I was so very tired. I got up at 5 yesterday, to take the Dude to the airport, and then hit the grocery store just as it opened. Got home, fed the kids, and kissed the Boy goodbye. The Girl and I headed for piano lessons and my toddler fix. Oh. My. Goodness! Has my little friend Abe grown in 3 weeks! He talks a mile a minute, and is doing that fun toddler thing where he speaks in third person, and ends his sentences with his name, as if you had spoken, and not him. "Do you want to play trains, Abe?" "Here is a cheerio, Abe." It has always cracked me up that toddlers do this.
We left early, so Abe's mama, TBPTONP (The Best Piano Teacher On The Planet), could nap with him today, stopped off and picked the Boy up from school, and then hit the feed store for chicken food, went to a curriculum store to pick up WASL prep materials (I don't wanna talk about it!), grabbed some dinner, and then picked the Dude up at the airport. By the time we got home, it was all I could do to take the kids down to the studio to work on their thank you cards some more. I was in bed by 8, and asleep before 9.
Today, I have to face the laundry mountain, help the Girl get packed for her weekend trip to visit the G family in CA, and try to put a futon frame together, which I am not looking forward to. I may skip that and head to the studio to work on my thank you cards.
That's about it for now- I still need to get some photos up. I know I procrastinate on this, but it isn't easy- I end up having to use two different computers, one that holds the photos, and is so SLOW, and my laptop to do the rest of the post. It takes patience and time.
T.T.F. N.
LB
Rant: Identigene
(Please wait for a moment while I pull my soapbox out from under the bed, and get up on it. Okay, I am ready.)
You are not going to believe what I heard on the radio: An advertisement for this. No kidding. You can buy it at Rite-Aid. The Ad campaign just cracked me up in a very surreal uncomfortable way. I am a station flipper in the car, so this is where we came in: "My husband had doubts and was quite upset. We used the kit, sent in for the results, and 3 weeks later, my dh is satisfied and content, knowing our child is his." I kid you not. Does this not strike anyone else as just totally weird and strange? That a DNA kit would be marketed to the general public? And with a marketing/media campaign like this? Look how giddy the three women are, all sitting around the laptop, happy and congratulatory that their friend knows just who is her baby's daddy? Sheesh. If you know me in real life, you can ask me sometime about my little family's experience with DNA testing. But however you look at it, I think this says a great deal about our current societal values, morals, and maybe lack thereof.
(Ahem. Stepping off the soapbox, and skooching it back under the bed.)
T.T.F.N.
LB
You are not going to believe what I heard on the radio: An advertisement for this. No kidding. You can buy it at Rite-Aid. The Ad campaign just cracked me up in a very surreal uncomfortable way. I am a station flipper in the car, so this is where we came in: "My husband had doubts and was quite upset. We used the kit, sent in for the results, and 3 weeks later, my dh is satisfied and content, knowing our child is his." I kid you not. Does this not strike anyone else as just totally weird and strange? That a DNA kit would be marketed to the general public? And with a marketing/media campaign like this? Look how giddy the three women are, all sitting around the laptop, happy and congratulatory that their friend knows just who is her baby's daddy? Sheesh. If you know me in real life, you can ask me sometime about my little family's experience with DNA testing. But however you look at it, I think this says a great deal about our current societal values, morals, and maybe lack thereof.
(Ahem. Stepping off the soapbox, and skooching it back under the bed.)
T.T.F.N.
LB
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Priviledge
Priviledge
I got this from Zoo Full of Boys.
Bold the ones that are true for you.
The list is based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. The exercise developers ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.
If you post this in your blog, please leave a comment on this post. To participate in this blog game, copy and paste the above list into your blog, and bold the items that are true for you. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to post your responses in the comments.
Father went to college
Father finished college (I am guessing here. I am not certain whether he finished, and when he was in the Navy.)
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers (What do they mean here?)
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
Were read children’s books by a parent (Once or twice by my dad, and by older siblings)
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
Went to a private high school (I went to a private SDA school for grades 1 to 10, then public high for last two years.
Went to summer camp
Had a private tutor before you turned 18
Family vacations involved staying at hotels-I remember Disneyland twice.
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down
There was original art in your house when you were a child- my mother's.
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18
You and your family lived in a single family house- all 8 of us at one point.
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
You had your own room as a child Only after all older sibs moved out- I think I was 11 when I got my own room.
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
Had your own TV in your room in High School
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 - Disneyland
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up- nope, but my big sister did.
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family
Now to answer for my kids. Some answers are predcitions
Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor- one deceased uncle on their father's side was a college professor.
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers since we homeschool. ;)
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
Were read children’s books by a parent
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively-I hope so.
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs. Sigh. I am encouraging them to get great scholarships.
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
Went to a private high school
Went to summer camp
Had a private tutor before you turned 18
Family vacations involved staying at hotels- occasionally
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down
There was original art in your house when you were a child
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18- no, but they each have cell phone for safety.
You and your family lived in a single family house
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
You had your own room as a child- they do now, but shared before puberty hit.
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
Had your own TV in your room in High School
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family
Very interesting. I hope you take part in this. I found it interesting that there were no statements about being on welfare, or having experienced periods of job loss, etc.
LB
I got this from Zoo Full of Boys.
Bold the ones that are true for you.
The list is based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. The exercise developers ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.
If you post this in your blog, please leave a comment on this post. To participate in this blog game, copy and paste the above list into your blog, and bold the items that are true for you. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to post your responses in the comments.
Father went to college
Father finished college (I am guessing here. I am not certain whether he finished, and when he was in the Navy.)
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers (What do they mean here?)
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
Were read children’s books by a parent (Once or twice by my dad, and by older siblings)
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
Went to a private high school (I went to a private SDA school for grades 1 to 10, then public high for last two years.
Went to summer camp
Had a private tutor before you turned 18
Family vacations involved staying at hotels-I remember Disneyland twice.
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down
There was original art in your house when you were a child- my mother's.
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18
You and your family lived in a single family house- all 8 of us at one point.
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
You had your own room as a child Only after all older sibs moved out- I think I was 11 when I got my own room.
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
Had your own TV in your room in High School
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 - Disneyland
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up- nope, but my big sister did.
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family
Now to answer for my kids. Some answers are predcitions
Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor- one deceased uncle on their father's side was a college professor.
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers since we homeschool. ;)
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
Were read children’s books by a parent
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively-I hope so.
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs. Sigh. I am encouraging them to get great scholarships.
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
Went to a private high school
Went to summer camp
Had a private tutor before you turned 18
Family vacations involved staying at hotels- occasionally
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down
There was original art in your house when you were a child
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18- no, but they each have cell phone for safety.
You and your family lived in a single family house
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
You had your own room as a child- they do now, but shared before puberty hit.
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
Had your own TV in your room in High School
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family
Very interesting. I hope you take part in this. I found it interesting that there were no statements about being on welfare, or having experienced periods of job loss, etc.
LB
Tidbit: Goals
Okay. Here's the thing. We are a week into the new year, and so far, I have not been even working on my goals/intentions for the new year. I do not want to make myself wrong for this, I just want to be intentional. From this minute, with no worries about the past week.
So today I will move my body, I will spend some time on my normal household chores, and I will work on taking the Christmas decorations down and putting them away neatly. I will also work with each child to get a checklist created for the rest of their school week. If I have time (I will try to MAKE the time), I will head to the studio- I need to take photos of yesterday's mail goodies, and work on bases for thank you cards.
I will not make myself wrong if I do not get to all of these. I will just be intentional in my day.
How are you doing with your goals a week into the new year?
LB
Updated at 7:30 pm to say that I did get all the decorations sorted and put away- I even filled a brown paper sack with Christmas stuff to donate. We have washed, dried, and folded several loads of wash, swept the main floors, and the children are finishing up the dishes right now.
We didn't do much school at all, nor did we work on planning, sigh. Right now I am cranky and tired, but we will head down to the studio to try to get some thank you cards made.
LB
Updated at 10:30 to say that we did go down to the studio and had a delightful time together. The kids made some beautiful thank you post cards. I mostly supervised, but I did get some painting done on some post cards of my own- need to add more tomorrow, but it was a good start, and we had fun. Papa got home at 9, and we are all tucked into bed. I will check in tomorrow, hopefully with photos.
LB
So today I will move my body, I will spend some time on my normal household chores, and I will work on taking the Christmas decorations down and putting them away neatly. I will also work with each child to get a checklist created for the rest of their school week. If I have time (I will try to MAKE the time), I will head to the studio- I need to take photos of yesterday's mail goodies, and work on bases for thank you cards.
I will not make myself wrong if I do not get to all of these. I will just be intentional in my day.
How are you doing with your goals a week into the new year?
LB
Updated at 7:30 pm to say that I did get all the decorations sorted and put away- I even filled a brown paper sack with Christmas stuff to donate. We have washed, dried, and folded several loads of wash, swept the main floors, and the children are finishing up the dishes right now.
We didn't do much school at all, nor did we work on planning, sigh. Right now I am cranky and tired, but we will head down to the studio to try to get some thank you cards made.
LB
Updated at 10:30 to say that we did go down to the studio and had a delightful time together. The kids made some beautiful thank you post cards. I mostly supervised, but I did get some painting done on some post cards of my own- need to add more tomorrow, but it was a good start, and we had fun. Papa got home at 9, and we are all tucked into bed. I will check in tomorrow, hopefully with photos.
LB
Monday, January 07, 2008
Tidbits: Garden planning and mail
Can anyone recommend seed and/or old rose catalogs to me? The Dude and I want to drool over catalogs, plan new garden beds, and make actual garden plans this year. Maybe if we do it this way, I will actually get all the beds I have planted this year, in addition to creating a couple of new beds.
Today was a fabulous mail day. I received three fun packages. My camera battery is charging now, so hopefully some photos soon.
That is all for now, but at least I posted again before a week went by!
LB
Today was a fabulous mail day. I received three fun packages. My camera battery is charging now, so hopefully some photos soon.
That is all for now, but at least I posted again before a week went by!
LB
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Tidbits: Collage and book recommendation
Ok! So with that out of the way, let me tell you what I have been doing. First, I have been reading Acrylic Revolution by Nancy Reyner. I love this book, and plan to go all the way through it. So far, I have tried about 4 different techniques.They are still in process or drying, so I will take photos tomorrow.
I also bought a bunch of mediums and additives this week- Mark Golden should pay me, folks, my studio is starting to look like I am a spokesperson for Golden products. I don't mind- their acrylics are all very reliable and predictable- just what you would want them to be.
I also finished a collage that I have been working on (mostly in my head) for months. I made some of the papers, used some handmade papers I had purchased, and many of the papers are ones that I painted or created myself. I have been collecting frog images for months now, and am curious to hear what you think! (Yes, Pammy, you can click to enlarge.)
Okay, talk to you tomorrow.
LB
I also bought a bunch of mediums and additives this week- Mark Golden should pay me, folks, my studio is starting to look like I am a spokesperson for Golden products. I don't mind- their acrylics are all very reliable and predictable- just what you would want them to be.
I also finished a collage that I have been working on (mostly in my head) for months. I made some of the papers, used some handmade papers I had purchased, and many of the papers are ones that I painted or created myself. I have been collecting frog images for months now, and am curious to hear what you think! (Yes, Pammy, you can click to enlarge.)
Okay, talk to you tomorrow.
LB
Happy New Year!
Hey all! Hope your holidays were all very merry and bright. I hope you were able to be with family, and eat, eat, eat. I hope you were able to be creative, however that looks for you.
We had a fabulous time on Sunday with my older sister, her husband, and son. Everyone seemed very relaxed, the food was simple yet elegant, and I didn't tear up at all! I hope this is the first of many family gatherings this year.
As for myself and the new year, I have decided to forgo resolutions, or even goals this year. Instead, I have picked one word to focus on, and to remind me of all I can be this year. My word is "intentionality". I don't care if it is a real word, or not, but it works for me. I want to be very intentional in everything that I do- whether it is exercise, teaching, art, or chores.
Another inspiration to motivate you: In the last two weeks, I have heard many people use a particular phrase to sum up their thoughts and plans for this new year: "Create in 2008". This is my new motto, folks!
My invisible friend Tami relayed this link to her blog buddies, and it really spoke to me. We all have things we want to do, but don't. So- habits from actions this year, not resolutions.
New habits:
Action: Walk 30 minutes outside three days a week in morning
Benefit: Fresh air, sunshine, energy, and free time for creative thoughts
Action: Be aware and intentional about food, exercise, and sleep.
Benefit: Becoming at ease with taking care of ME.
Action: Art journaling daily.
Benefit: Creating a log of this year, practicing new techniques in a small format, "brain drain"
Action: write all birthdays into my agenda-book. Check dates at beginning of each month. Use new techniques learned in journaling to make birthday cards for loved ones.
Benefit: Master new skills, acknowledge loved ones, show off a bit.
Action: Spend 1 hour a day on house chores.
Benefit: No guilt for being in studio if laundry is done and floors swept. Also creates a warm, welcoming home without having to devote an entire week to getting it (and nothing else) done.
Action: Acknowledge my kids and Man daily. If you don't know it already, acknowledgment is a very powerful tool for family communication, especially with teens.
Benefit: Works better than coersion or force, establishes trust, makes it easier to smile and mean it.
This is all I have so far, but I reserve the right to add a couple more this week.
LB
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