Little Scraps of Magic

September's Musings

Just a few more journal pages from this past month to share...

I am sorry to see this little journal coming to an end, but at the same time, I can't resist working in it. I need to go find the seller on etsy, and see if I can't get another. The cover is made from a Whole Foods bag, but has been treated so that it's nearly indestructible. It's withstood tumbling around in my purse for several months now. Its size is perfect, and it's nearly filled with random bits from the art desk and bits of my life.

Memories of mom fill this page. She so loved cherries and for many years worked in a sewing factory. (The woman came from a sewing pattern envelope.) The rest of it? No particular reason; I just liked how it all came together. Sometimes I get so impatient, and out comes the stapler because I can't be bothered to weight images down to let the glue set. I just want to keep going.

As I dig through all my "stuff," I'm coming across the most amazing things, like these zetti legs. For awhile they were everywhere, and I suppose they're still around. I had great fun putting them together with the face and the image of the little guy trying to straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Sometimes, I just know how he feels!

I've done a few more pages since these, and I'll be sharing them soon. Today was filled with good learning and happy children. Busyness floated through the classrooms, and we're working hard on metacognition!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends!
 
 
 

Sunday Morning Sunshine and Journal Pages

Puttering around in the kitchen, brewing a cup of "Calm" tea for myself, I turned and caught a glimpse of this -

The earling morning light was streaming through the glassware resting on my dining room table, waiting for me to put it back on top of the hutch. I paused and rested my eyes on the light bouncing around and through all of these gorgeous objects, knowing God was sending me a gift of grace and beauty.

I played with light switches, turning them off and on, along with shots from different angles, tamping down frustration when I just couldn't catch the magic. I took this one with the dining room lights on, while the one above was taken with just natural light. The colors of the glassware are truer in this second shot, but I love the rosy light of the first.

I'm nearly finished with this little journal that I keep tucked in my purse. Since I create most pages either on the go or late at night/early morning, they end up being a bit simpler for the most part...not so layered, but fun none the less!

It's getting fat and sassy, don't you think?

It exudes energy and makes me smile.

I worked on this one yesterday, and it's probably one of the more complicated pages in this little book, mostly since I putzed around in the artroom while I did it, and I had access to all my "stuff." I'll share some others a bit later.

Have a wonderful Sunday. I am wishing you peace and some time to nurture yourself.
 
 
 
 
 
 

So Much to Do

 

So many worlds, so much to do

So little done, such things to be.

                                                                                  Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Welcome, fall! Welcome, October!

If we are alive, we cannnot escape loss; it's simply a part of our lives.

If you read yesterday's post, you know that I lost my mother to breast cancer.

It didn't have to be.

Mom had a heartattack, and then triple bypass surgery and a valve replacement 3 years before breast cancer invaded her body. She was utterly spent; recovery had been long and difficult. She found the lump, and like a small child, closed her eyes, pretending it wasn't there, hoping it would go away. She just couldn't deal with one more thing. It wasn't in her.

And when she finally acknowledged this monster inside her, it was far too late.

We missed her at Kara's wedding.

We missed her at Chris' wedding.

She will never hold Dominic.

She never saw my work published.

Oh, mom.

I understand why you hid, but, oh, how I wish you hadn't.

So, please, friends, take care of yourself. Get that mammogram.

Please. Please. Please.

You owe it to yourself, to children who will marry and have babies for you to hold.

You owe it to everyone who loves you.

The lovely Christina, over at "Soul Aperature" is going to post something pink every Thursday in October. I'm going to do my best to join her.

Oh, mom, it's too funny, isn't it? It's ironic to say the least.

Mom drove me nuts growing up. For some reason, known only to her, she decided to dress me in pink and Denise in blue. No amount of pleading on either of our parts could  convince her to let us change, even one time! 

As I grew up, I avoided everything and anything pink. I still own little of it.

And, here I am - posting pink.

Here's to you, mom! Are you grinning up there?