So, I started with this:
Cropped her down a bit...
Stirred up some photoshop elements magic, threw in a texture or two, and got this...
I'm going to print her out and focus on this quote; too much monkey brain going here. (Although, I have to credit the monkey brain; it's what woke me up at 3 am, leading to this.)
He causes gales of laughter, this Aussie of ours! Whether it's a doggy bagel crammed in his mouth, or his barreling through the house with a squeaky football, he loves to play. He can't catch a frisbee to save his life, but glories in the pursuit. I've got a lot to learn from this fellow.
This page, as so many, started out completely differently. It evolved ...layers of paper, paint, a slightly altered photo, some sanding, and so it went. Add some pens and some rubber stamping, and I bet it made you smile.
Today began with the two of us sitting in traffic and creeping toward our destination, arriving much later than normal. I scurried in only to find the black screen of death awaiting me. Luckily, my best new friend, Phil, came to fix it. Seems as if one piece of tech was not playing nicely with another. God bless Phil...he gets rid of the gremlins that lurk in my machine. From there, I scrounged to get some copy paper; it seems as if it's to be delivered tomorrow, which didn't help matters today.
Some scented shower gel, an iced chai, and looking at this silly face has cured what ails me.
Happy Tuesday!
You remember Fred, don't you? Or, if it's your first time here, I hope you'll go back to meet him. Apparently Fred makes quite a few folks smile. One person asked to see his wings. Another stated that she hoped to run across Fred again.
As part of a project for a Yahoo group, Fred agreed to help me pass out a bit of advice. I had to post this advice in a public place, photograph, and then leave it there.
Well, Fred and I put our heads together and agreed on a few things:
- We had to be VERY VERY CAREFUL where to leave this advice, 'cause you see the folks in the Washington, D.C. area, are mighty sensitive to abandoned packages and such. So, no Metro stations, public monuments, etc. Neither Fred nor I wished to find ourselves in the pokey. DH kindly pointed out that he didn't wish to lose his security clearance in the name of art.
- Fred and I also agreed that these folks around here need to lighten up a bit as they take themselves mighty seriously. So, a good bit of light heated fun should be highly encouraged.
- I found this bit of advice in this book by Patti Digh, and we deemed it "perfect!" Fred suggested that I attach his image to a jar of bubbles so that folks could put the advice into effect immediately. He even waived his modeling fees.
- DH agreed to transport Fred and I to a nearby public eatery early in the morning so we could complete our covert operation. A few folks milled about, but no one seemed to pay much attention to us. Within a few moments, we whispered, "Mission Accomplished!"
- Fred has really taken to this advice bit, so I'm thinking he'll show up here on a regular basis, ready to dispense his wit and wisdom. He pointed out that I really do need to honor our reader's request to see his wings, and so I shall!
Oh, and if you want your own Fred, he can be found at Ikea, for a very reasonable price!
Do you see him, my little friend? I didn't, at least not when I photographed this gorgeous color drenched flower.
No, I didn't see what was right in front of my face at the time, so focused was I on getting the shot.
I spotted him as I editied ...and edited...and edited...and edited some more.
And, I thought about him. He simply happened to be doing his thing, gathering some food, I think.
But, what struck me was this.
He couldn't really see where he happened to be headed....the end was not clearly in sight.
He trusted his instincts, some inner navigation, his own personal gps to get him where he needed to be.
I own one of those, too, but I rarely pay it any mind. I second guess myself. I find reasons to procrastinate.
I get lost in the "what ifs."
During Christmas break, I came across a poem, "Shake the Dust," and several lines of it grabbed my heart.
"So, shake the dust and take me with you...
grab the world by its clothespins and shake it out again and again and jump on top and take it for a spin and when you hop off shake it again for this is yours.
Mark my words worth it, make this not just another poem that I write, not just another poem like just another night that sits heavy above us all.
Walk into it, breathe it in, let it crash throught the halls of your arms at the millions of years of millions of poets coursing like blood pumping and pushing making you live, shaking the dust.
So when the world knocks at your front door, clutch the knob and open on up, running forward into its widespread greeting arms with your hands before you, fingertips trembling though they may be .
...................................Anis Mojgani
"Shake the dust." I kept hearing this phrase as I tried to settle on one word.
I dutifully waded through blogs. worksheets. and lists, all in an effort to settle on my one word for this year.
I tested a few possibilities...emerge, live, leap, and more. None sat on my tongue as well as "shake the dust."
It's okay to be scared, to be nervous..."fingertips trembling though they may be."
But, know what? This is my year to "shake the dust."
Find a patch of sunshine and sit in it.
Soak it up.
Just be.
Love,
Zeus
