A little slice of Sunday.

The little family of three set out for a little change of scenery today. Instead of our usual habits we perform on Sundays, we took out the newly aquired set of golf clubs and set out for the driving range. It's funny because I was just talking to someone about how boring golf is and how uninteresting I find it and here I am with a golf club in hand, slicing and dicing. It was fun to try something new but I believe I still feel the exact same way about golf as I did before this morning. Sorry. The kid really seemed to like it though.

After the driving range, we stumbled upon a new restaurant called the "Farm House Cafe." Who wouldn't be instantly drawn to a restaurant with these ducks all lined up on the outside? The food was fab indeed.

Have to say, my Sunday turned out to be a nice one. How about yours?

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful to have the opportunity to serve.

Saturday's Gratitude

I am reading this at the moment. It is a book I have been completely surprised by. I never would have picked this up at the bookstore, I really don't like to read about running. I detest reading about running actually. I don't want to hear about the strategies or the "best" gear or the do's and don'ts about it. I'd rather just get out there and have my feet hit the pavement, my face feel the breeze and my lungs gasp for their own air. The rhythm you feel when you get into your groove is really nothing you can experience when you read about running. So, a very long winded way of saying this little treasure of a book has been a really delightful surprise. I absolutely love the author's writing style and am finding myself drawn to this book. It was a gift and I am ever so grateful. I highly recommend it!

I am also very grateful for my sister to be home. Finally! Whoo-hoo!

Eeek!

This made me smile last night when I was on my rep's website, www.studiovoltaire.com. It is rather invigorating to see a whole collection of artwork all in one place, and these are some paintings I have made over the past few months. They are stashed in corners and behind doors in my studio at the moment, until I decide what to do with them, that is where they will remain. But for now, they have life on this website.

There is some good news from the Surtex show and I wish so badly I could share it with you. I have to keep quiet for now until the contracts are signed and the deals are concrete. Let's hope it all happens soon. We all could use a little good news around here.

Just sayin'.

Just got back from the hospital where my sister was SUPPOSED to be leaving. Upon her check out, her right arm developed swelling and her vein in her neck became enlarged. She is now staying another night for more tests to determine if she has deepveinthrombonedesentithisanthraxia. Or something similar to that. The long medical terms somehow do not stick around very long in my brain. Whatever. The point is, she has to stay yet another night and this could be a whole slew of other problems. I just have one question to ask. Is this family EVER going to get a break?

If I wasn't so dog gone tired, I'd set myself up with a nice frosted glass bottle of clear liquid that has a name that starts with Grey and ends with Goose. Then I'd wrestle up a whole smattering of swear words to top it off. If I wasn't so very tired that is.

I don't mean to complain. Really. I don't. I am just dumbfounded with how complex and delicate the human body is, and truly amazed at how quickly something can go wrong. Very wrong. We really are quite fragile, yet we trump through life as though we are invincible. You know, I'm just sayin'...

There's truth in them there words.

Things I know for certain.

The one thing I have discovered throughout my forty two years of living is that the only thing one can count on is change. Life is constantly changing and just when you think you have it all figured out, BOOM, you are smack in the middle of change. Small things change and maybe are the most surprising... little teeth fall out for bigger ones, freckles appear that were not there before and some people are suddenly so nice when they were once indifferent towards you. But one thing is certain, you can always count on change. So, always be prepared for the unexpected my friends.

Little update on my sister for those of you who know the gritty details of our lives right now:
She is getting out of the hospital today. Yes, she was back in for a few days due to complications of her cancer. It wasn't looking very good for a while but like I mentioned above about life and surprises, things have changed. She is regaining her strength and the fight is on. Miracles happen every single day and she is going to be one of them. I know it. I feel it. I'm praying for it.

My illustration for today is a black and white pattern I could see gracing some nice classy wrapping paper or a tote bag or a coffee mug. My thoughts were on Hawaii when I was making this pattern. I know, it's hard to see the influence but the arrangement of the elements are sort of hawaiian quilt like.

I really love black and white patterns. Don't you? They seem so strong and confident.

Friday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for the nest of really great friends in my life.

Those shoes were made for walkin...

I am thinking about shoes at the moment. Not shiny, sparkly or high maintenance shoes, just simple everyday shoes. How I wish I had time to go shoe shopping.

OK. Something is going on with the universe. Everyone I know has something strange, bizarre or uncomfortable they are experiencing at the moment. All at the same time. I think there is a time of change upon us. A time for growth and expansion. This quote below was on my home page today. Coincidental? I think not. It's a message and I am listening.

"Painful as this time is, you will one day see the reason for it. Not cruel testing but tender preparation for the wonderful work you are to do."

How many shoes are in your closet?

Thursday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for friends who bring flowers to those in hospitals. You are greatly appreciated! : )

Hello there, I've missed you.

Life has a funny way of distracting us with big events and disheartening elements. Just when one thinks they are on top of the world, the bubble bursts. Well today, I claimed back some happiness. This stack of canvases and large container of gesso are waiting patiently for me to pick myself up off the floor and get busy. Paint. That's where it's at for me. Hello there, I've missed you!

What waits for you today?

Tuesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a nice surprise lunch with my very dear friend Barron at one of my favorite restaurants. Thanks for that B!

Wednesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for the ability to be of help to my sister. Oh, and a nice long walk with my new weights sure was nice too!

IF_Cracked

The tea set was old and cracked but in Eleanor's mind, afternoon tea with dad was exquisite.

Fightin' like a Girl.

A dear friend wanted to share this video... it's quite appropriate for our circumstances at the moment. Thanks Lisa P!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Stars twinkle because we look at them through the atmosphere. They are so far away that when the atmosphere wiggles, it makes stars look sparkly.

Did you have a sparkly night?

Monday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a nice lunch with a college friend from the past.

Birthday goodness.

Happy Birthday Delaney, ya big ol' TEN YEAR old! A little key lime birthday goodness is coming your way!

Saturday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a really nice long deep sleep.

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful my sister came home from the hospital today! Hooray!!

The Church Experiment #20

Ooooooo! Church #20 post on churchexperiment.blogspot.com is so good! If you'd like a 2 minute read of something very interesting, go visit here. I wish I had thought of this idea, I find it fascinating.

Pink and gold is nice.

Peonies dancing on gold. Another pattern for another crazy quagmire of a day. When life hands out lemons, I make repeating patterns. (I have always wanted to us the word quagmire in a sentence!)

What do you do with your lemons?

Friday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful to be seeing "No Doubt" with friends this evening.

Where is the love?

This morning, after dropping off the kid at school, I went to the nearby Starbucks to prepare myself for a funeral I would be attending in an hour. As I approached the glass front double doors, a woman in front of me stopped and turned to the right and exclaimed "I love you, best of luck!" to a homeless person. It stopped me right in my tracks. Who in their right mind yells out proclaimations of love to strangers? I know I sure don't. In fact I don't even feel that kind of love to many strangers, let alone say it out loud. Then I stopped to think, maybe that is what it is all about. Sharing love. Exclaiming love to someone who may have not heard that in a very long time. Professing love to complete strangers. Could I do that? 

Hmmm. I really don't think so. I don't even say "I love you" that freely to the ones I hold dear so it would be a real stretch for me to fake it everywhere I go. Maybe for me, I could practice the love internally. When someone cuts me off in traffic I could practice love silently. When a really lame, insensitive nurse is rough with my sister I could send her some love instead of shooting eye daggers at her back. When a person working in a retail store is rude I could allow the imperfectness of that person to just slide on by with a loving chaser. I think that is a good place to start. For me anyway.

How about you? Do you show love freely?

Thursday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a nice visit over coffee with friends.

Cake is a good thing.

We've got a birthday coming up this Sunday! Let's bring out the birthday cake!

Wednesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for the ability to try to bring comfort to someone in need.

Choices.

Yup, I'm listening.

Tuesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a nice long conversation today about everything except my current circumstances.

Forgive to grow.

Oh my, I just had to step away from my computer for a full 24 hours. Just completely closed it down and shut it off for one whole day and evening. Sorry.

This message has been showing up every single day for a while now and I finally realized I should start paying attention again to the subtle messages that so graciously appear. Maybe posting it will inspire some else, along with myself, to take the bold step towards forgiveness. Forgiving someone from the past who hurt you, forgiving a family member or forgiving yourself. Which ever it may be for you and me, there is power in forgiveness and I am grateful for the reminder.

Do you ever turn off the computer so you can turn on to your life?

Quick update on my sister for those of you who have been asking... she is doing much better and out of the ICU! Hopefully she will be coming home later this week. She looks fantastic and could start a new trend with hospital gowns! : )

Sunday's gratitude:

I am grateful for some well needed alone time.

Monday's Gratitude:

I am very grateful for a nice long walk in the glorious spring day.

Walking in a straight line.

No need to say more.


On another note...My niece was a shining star today!




Saturday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for being able to witness my niece's ballet performance.

What the?

This week has been a comedy of errors. Usually everyone has one of those weeks and you find your jaw has made contact with the ground because you are just in awe of the amount of crap thrown at you. Usually you can take it. You put on your baseball glove and find yourself diving for the ground balls, jumping for the fly balls and running for the stray balls. Why do we try so hard to catch all these balls? In hopes that we'll find the "three strikes you're out" rule applies or maybe it's so we can sling some of the crap back where it came from. I don't know, but I like the analogy of baseball.

My sister is in the hospital. She is in ICU and has been since Mother's Day. Can't go into the details, that is for another blog, but with all the juggling in our schedules, I have inherited my two lovely nieces for big chunks at a time. So now I know what it is like to have three kids. On Thursday, I had just finished lunch with one niece and got the call from school to come and pick up the other one because she has lice. Lice. What the? I collect all three of them and we proceed to do the laundry sorting and the treatments. OMG. Never knew how bad getting lice could be. Luckily I didn't get them and my son didn't get them but we went through the treatments anyway as sort of a precautionary measure and a "Hey, we're in this together" support. I've come to the conclusion that I am in awe of families with many kids (more than three.) That is a new kind of parenting I most likely will never encounter personally but I wish so badly I had the type of personality that could. However, it's not in me. 

So, the way the week has gone, I was in the mood to throw something. Not a big fit but something tangible that would crash against a wall and smash into bits. Eggs. Eggs are the weapon of choice tonight. My little family of three is off to throw eggs in the woods. (Well, wild brush under an overpass somewhere deep in the heart of San Diego just in case anyone from law enforcement is reading this.) 

Thursday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for some time alone with my niece.

Friday's Gratitude:

I am grateful for a long walk today.

Illustration Friday_Parade

52 churches.

I have been following this blog, churchexperiment.blogspot.com, for a little while now. Not everyday, but just here and there I pop in and read about Steve's experiences with different churches. It's fascinating, his ability to write about his sequential visits to the various houses of worship are truly, and I mean truly an enjoyable read. Not only is he very funny and eloquent with his words, he is able to spin a very human response to every visit, and that is really refreshing. I particularly enjoyed #19 and #17. Take a gander, you will not be disappointed.

I particularly liked this reference to the Benjamin Button movie (which I really did not like at all when I watched the DVD so I missed this portion.)

Literally, as I typed that last sentence, I am watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and these words were just spoken by Benjamin:

"For what it's worth, it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit; stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same; there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

Nice.

Wednesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a really great group of friends from the past.

Weekend Highlights and other penumbra.

Looking back over this past Mother's Day weekend, with all the hoop-la and mis-haps, we did have some fun highlights. These are a few of them, they make me smile.

This is an in house flyer idea I worked on today. It's about all I had time and energy for, but I'm back on track and feeling creative again. Whoo-hoo!

I want to write more about some basically crappy things that have been happening lately but they all belong to other people so I must get permission first. I fully believe talking about real life and hard times is not only interesting but theraputic. Some may beg to differ so though so I will honor the silence for now. I must say however that if I never heard the word "cancer" again for the rest of my life, it would be a very well lived life.

Are you open about difficult chapters in your life, or are you a closed book?

Tuesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for Grammie's suggestion to walk the dog and kids down to the corner market for fresh evening air and a delicious treat. Way to go Grammie!

Chaotic calm.

Patterning elements keep showing up here. Maybe because there is continuity among the chaos with repeating patterns. We've had a death in the family, another family member rushed to the hospital twice and other various calamities that seem so trivial snuggled right up next to the big stuff. Crazy week and weekend. I find the comfort in my illustrated patterns though, so I keep bringing them out.

What do you find comfort in when your world is turned upside down?

Monday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for really competent and sympathetic doctors.

Happy Mother's Day

Sorry to have checked out for a few days. I'm back though and wishing you all health and joy. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

I'm behind on my gratitude...

Friday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for the silver linings in ALL situations.

Saturday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for food poisoning. (I KNOW, WEIRD!) Although it will bring you to your knees, it makes you aware of how quickly your body can heal and how great if feels to feel good.

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am grateful for my mother. Oh, and rice crispy treats, warm fuzzy dog fur and the smell of bookstores.

Flightly Fliers.

Another pattern. Orderly yet loose. I like pink and brown.

I apologize for not having more to say, there has been a lot of family issues going on. Too many to believe possible for one whole week. So, I think I'll keep to myself tonight.

How do you handle stressful situations? Do you run and hide or storm in with the troops?

Thursday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for some really, really great over the top delightful news about some licensing work. Can't share right now but oh it's good. I am so grateful for that.

Patterns.

A pattern that is tight and busy yet quite orderly.

Wednesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for living in lovely San Diego. It was perfectly perfect outside today.

What Would You Say?

What would you say if you were told your family pet ran away from the home it was sheltered at while you were on vacation? Then several hours later you found the mutilated body on the side of the highway, heading towards home?

What would you say if the following month your father told you he had terminal cancer?

What would you say if two months later you gave birth to your first born child by C-section? Then when released four days later, you drove straight to your parent's home to watch your father slowly die while you care for the brand new life you had just brought into this world while trying to recover from abdominal surgery?

What would you say if you were told six months later you had cancer yourself? Then you have an operation that removed organs that would have given you any chance of having another child and presented other health related issues? 

What would you say if a few months later you were laid off from your job? A job you loved and held with high esteem.

What would you say to the people who were close to you but held you at a distance because they didn't understand or know what to say?

Would you say "I've had enough, it's all I can take?" You might. But a few years later when your mother goes through two cancers of her own and your identical twin sister is told she has cancer, you see you have the strength to not only be a caregiver but a cheerleader and a giver of self. You find you have the grace to hold your own small family tight while trying to hold the pieces of your mother and sibling's shattered lives. You find that in your broken dreams and rocky terrain you've come across the most precious gift, the ability to move away from self and out to others. You have learned how to serve. You find that all of this surprises you, this strength and caring from all of these experiences placed upon your path . . . and you find you can take a lot more. 

A lot more.

Visions of sweets...

Wish I could have this right now...

or this...

or this...

These are lovely confections by Carrie's Cakes. I just randomly found them while doing a search for some packaging and I couldn't take my eyes off the delicate lovliness.

Tuesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a nice long coffee and gab with a long lost friend. 

Love. Love. Love.

It's what makes the world go round. Right?

Monday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for the feeling of accomplishment on completing a large stack of work.

Dots, candy and Valentine love in May?

Never thought this weekend would end although we have had some lovely spring weather lately, this is one of my favorite times of the year. So much work is on my plate at the moment but my thoughts keep drifting off to lists of things to fix around the house, opening windows to let in a cool breeze and catching some rays of sunshine. This is a little sample of some patterns I have been playing with. As you can see, one always needs to think ahead.

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for some lovely little people to be around today. Little voices and tinkly laughs always make me smile. 

Saturday Highlights.

My little leaguer is an all star pitcher! We're getting to the point in the season where the team members get to pitch for the last two innings. That my friends is where the game  s l o w s  w a y  d o w n. Don't get me wrong, it still fun and very cute and really exciting for the kids but never knew that time could actually stop and continue on in slow motion.

A little pattern in multi colors never hurt anybody. In fact in can only enhance your mood!

A quote to ponder for a nice quiet book reading weekend: 

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them."- Mark Twain 

Saturday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a very nice evening out with neighbors at a brand new restaurant. Spur of the moment outings are always very nice, especially when a babysitter is involved!

Greasy Grimey Gopher Guts.

The boy and I were headed out for a Little League pizza gathering and much to our surprise, we found a small present left for us on the driveway. From the cat. At first look, the creature looked peaceful and small and sort of cute. Upon the second look, I realized the creature was not so cute and the lower portion of it's small body was missing. This means the creature was really not so small at one time and now is dead right next to my car. By the driver door. Where I would surely find it. I am sure it was left in love by the cat but it was tossed with shear disgust. And to think we were supposed to eat after that. Not happenin'.

Flowers, birds and trees.

Artwork for little girls is so much fun. We don't get to see very much of that in our house with myself and two animals being the only females so given the opportunity to paint for a girly girl, I jump! Today I painted flowers and trees and birds and butterflys all in shades of pink, blue, green and yellow. I am still smiling.

Friday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for some very kind words about some work I had done recently. It is nice when someone appreciates a gift from the heart.