Life is Meant to be Good!

During a TED Talk (which you can view by clicking on the highlighted link) Isabel Allende told stories about women who were brave and who had passion.  These women lived under unspeakable oppression and cruelty.  It made me very sad to hear their stories.  I began to feel afraid and perhaps ashamed for how easy my life really is.

But, then I realized that I came here in this time and in this place so that I could experience happiness, beauty and creativity.  I am not responsible for the experiences of others.  They have their own reasons for their experience. I can feel empathy for them but I don't have to surrender my joy for their sorrow.

Life is meant to be good.  More and more of us are choosing joy, peace and creativity.  As we do we liberate others by showing them what it looks like to enjoy life.  I pray we all revolutionize the world by experiencing joy every day and in every way.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” 
― Marianne Williamson, Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

"Butterfly Attraction"

8" X 10"

Oil pastels on canvas

Rainy days and mondays... Smh!

Lately I've developed a resistance with regard to the idea of getting up at six o'clock every morning, monday through friday.  The older I get the more freedom I crave.  This whole idea of having to get up, get out, and get something done is really wearing on me.  It would be so much nicer to wake up when my body moves me to wake up,  instead of having to jump up and hit the ground running.  Gee, I am so over it!

But, that is my life, for now.  I still have a child at home who has to get to school at a specific time.  I've pondered the idea of home schooling, but she is just to social to be stuck at home with me every day.  And, the reality is that she really loves school, which is a rare thing for a teenager these days.  So, for the next three years I'm stuck with living life in the fast lane.

A big challenge of motherhood is balancing responsibility with personal desire.  We are faced constantly with choices.  Do I let my daughter walk alone up a dark hill to the bus stop by herself every morning?  Or, do I get up and drive her to the bus stop where she meets up with three other friends from her school.  There is after all safety in numbers.  Am I being overly protective?  I think not.  Too many children come up missing in this country every day.  So, I believe that mine is a wise choice.

In this instance I have to make peace with where I am.  All too soon my nest will be empty as my daughter goes out into the world to make a life for herself.  So, I give myself a moment or two to whine and complain internally, and then I get up and get on with it.  I know that ultimately I am doing good work, and that I will be rewarded with a grownup woman who is happy, healthy and fulfilled in her life.

"Wild Hearts Run Free"

3" X 5"

Color Inks and Gel Pen 

on Paper

Take time to take care of yourself!

Being a mom is such a demanding job, and most moms are way too busy taking care of everyone else to take care of themselves.  I've come up with a plan for taking time to take care of me.  At the end of the day I make it a point to give myself an hour before bed to just take care of myself.  That usually, but not always means that I take a long soothing bath.Twenty minutes is long enough for me, but you can take the entire hour if that pleases you.

In the bath I use Dr. Teals lavender epsom salts and Bubble Bath.  The lavender fragrance is so soothing, making it easy for me to let go of the busyness of the day.  I can just lay back and soak away any aches and pains, along any drama that may have occurred.

After my bath I like to massage coconut oil into the heels of my feet, because they can get pretty dry and ugly.  I've found that coconut is great because it does double duty.  I also cook with it.  When I bring home a jar from the store, I will take several spoons full and put them into another jar, which I will keep in my bathroom.  I don't want to have any cross contamination going on.  Coconut oil is very light and soaks right into the skin without leaving a greasy residue.  Since the rest of my body doesn't tend to be overly dry I use it just on my feet and sometimes on my hands, only because I don't want to smell coconut all night.

After this little ritual, I slip into my most comfortable night clothes and crawl into bed with a good book.  Sometimes I will journal also, it just depends on my mood.  I never ever watch television.  As a matter of fact I don't even have one in my bedroom.  The bedroom should be as soothing and tranquil a space as you can create for yourself.  When I'm sitting in my bed I look around the room and there are many things that please my eyes, paintings, plants, and interesting small objects.  It should be the same for you.  You want to pamper yourself with beauty and peace.  After all, you can't take care of everyone else if you aren't at your best.  So, make time to take care of you.  It could make a big difference in how others treat you.

"Fertility Still Life"

Photography

Making Handmade Books

Bookmaking is more popular than ever in spite of the buzz from the digital world that people are buying fewer books.  Alisa Golden's book, Making Handmade Books:  100+ Bindings, Structure and Forms, is filled with inspiring ideas and techniques for creating one of a kind handmade books.  Following her techniques and advise you can create a beautiful work of art in an afternoon.  This book is filled with photographs of master books and statements by more than 40 established book artists. There is so much inspiration to be found in this and Alisa's other books.

Creating Handmade Books
Unique Handmade Books
Expressive Handmade Books

Happy Book Making!  I would love to see examples of your creations.  Just include a picture in your comments.  Thank you for checking out my blog.

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Happy Halloween!

So, it was Halloween night and my daughter, who is now thirteen years old, still wanted to go out trick or treating.  I must admit that I am at this point less than enthusiastic.  But, she really wanted to go.  I told her that she would have to create her own costume and make the arrangements for going out. 

She called her friends and arranged for one of the mothers to drive her home afterwards.  I am always amazed by her resourcefulness.  For the costume she has a knitted raccoon hat that she loves to wear.  With the hat perched neatly on her head she painted her face with black and white paint, and went out as a raccoon.  Very cute!

What I am learning from being a parent is that it isn't necessary that I solve all of her problems.  Given the opportunity to be creative we can all be quite inventive and resourceful.  I'm learning to let go, and let her figure things out for herself.  In the process I free myself up to do more of the things that I really want to do.

Silence as a Revolutionary Act

The following poem was written for my writing group and was inspired by a line from the poem "Famous" by Naomi Shihab Nye http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poem/177521 

"The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so." - Naomi Shihab Nye

Silence waits patiently to be heard,
while the loud voice clamors on
like a room full of pre-schoolers.
It must be hard being silent
waiting for the world to catch hold to the idea
that there might be tremendous gifts found in the stillness.
The loud voice
use to getting all the attention
hasn't figured out yet
that its days are numbered
and that just maybe we are all a bit weary from the noise
In our restlessness we could use a little peace
a few moments a day to sit in stillness
if not completely without thought
then to at least watch quietly as the thoughts float by
no judgment
no criticism
just a faint awareness
as if watching clouds
Oh how sweet the sound
peace and stillness
the restless wondering put to bed
finally
Fame is after all a fickle mistress
what was once in vogue must take a back seat
eventually
to the newest trend
Silence as a revolutionary act
silence as the older sister
to the loud voice
knows that everything must change
and the loud voice must grow up
and grow on
and find a peaceful way to co-exist
with her older sister
the other side of herself.

- Eleanor D. Gaston 10/23/2011

Wooden Box

Ever since I saw the movie "Nights in Rodanthe" I've wanted to make a wooden box. 

Well, here is my first attempt at wood working. 

I AM HOOKED!  I love it! 

For this box I used four types of wood, mahogany, oak, purple heart and poplar.  This project required major power tools.  Very intimidating!  However, with the help of my good friend Tony, I was able to overcome my fear and very carefully proceed.  The box measures 4 1/2" X 6 1/2" and is 3 1/4" deep. 

The bottom panel is poplar and the sides are oak.  Bottom and side panels were cut to size and glued together, using a standard wood glue.  The top panel was made by cutting strips of purple heart and poplar that measured 1" X  1/8".  Then we cut strips of oak that measured 1/4" by 1", and mahogany strips that measured 1" X 3/4".  These strips were glued together to create the pattern.  They were held together with a clamp until completely dried.  I chose to wait 24 hours for the drying time.  The top was then cut to fit snugly on the box.  

What a beautiful box in which to hold all my hopes and dreams, or loose change.  Whatever!