Vacation

My friends,

I will not be posting for about a week, but I will be back and posting by the first of April.  Meantime, don't forget this blog.  I will return!

  (And I will prolly be checking up on other blogs from time to time)

The End of the Tunnel

Art Card.  embossed w/colored inks

For a long time now, I have felt as if there is no hope, financially.  However, I have just finished my taxes and the government & I are finally even.  Plus, I have paid off all but one credit card and I will be dealing with that this week.  I own my home outright as well as my car. (car is old, but reliable). 

Which means I am now out of debt!  Unbelievable.  At Last.

Relief!

I will now take a few minutes to rest on my laurels.

Good Stuff.

Cut Paper Art Card

Once, many thousands of years ago when I was young, There was a little girl who lived very near me.  She was bright and beautiful, caring and fun to be around.  Her mother and I were good friends.  As time went by, we grew closer until one day, the Mother asked if I would be the girl's Godmother. 

Would I!?  Of course I would.  We had the ceremony and she did indeed become my Godchild.

Years went by.  She grew up and I moved away.  We lost touch with one another, but I still held her in my heart.

But today, she found me on an Internet social network.  I looked at her pictures and she is even more beautiful than ever.  We got to chat for a few minutes, even.

So I am very happy.  Very Blessed.

Sunset

Despite all the horrid things that are going on in the world, I feel quite optimistic somehow.  I think it is because I watched the sunset, and the colors touched my heart.

Random Thoughts

Today I performed a wedding.  The day was slightly overcast, not too warm, not too cold.  The families of both parties were warm and happy about the marriage.  The couple was handsome and simply glowed with happiness.  The very air seemed to shimmer.  The ceremony was lovely and I have high hopes for this Union.  I can see them together for a very long time.

Weddings always bring out the philosopher in me.  This wedding even more than most, due in part to fact that it may be my last.  I look back over my career as a minister.  I can only hope I did more good than harm.  Some of the churches I served were difficult, some were easy.  All still hold a warm place in my heart and in every single congregation, there are folks who still live in my heart.  I have been blessed.

I would have made a lot more money had I stayed in my previous career, but oh, I would not have been nearly as happy with my life.  But there is a lot of uncertainty.  In many ways, preachers are a lot like teachers: you sow seeds and hope for the best.  But you never truly know what the crop will be.  You will never know the results of your life-work.

I have performed many weddings in my time, and with each one, I hope and pray for the couple, that they will grow together, that they will learn from one another, that they will be good for each other. 

I often wonder about the vagaries of love.  What is love, anyway?  Sometimes I think love takes more courage than is humanly possible.  Life gives us such hard times and relationships often suffer.  Does that mean that love is only for the very strong?  Cannot weak people also love?  Is the love of a weak person somehow worth less?  Will it last a shorter time, unable to brave ill-fortune, or can the weak be made stronger because of love?

 Is love something that used to last a lifetime but seldom seems to last these days, or are our expectations simply more unrealistic now? 

And there are so many other kinds of love than just the romantic.  We often forget about them when we speak of love.

Love.  Is it a verb or a noun?  I say it is both.  It calls for action, yet sometimes, just sometimes, it stays far away and hidden.  I think of the mothers that have given up their children for adoption.  Never think they do not love their children.  Often it is the best they can do for their offspring, even though it leaves their very souls torn and bleeding.  That is a quiet love, a brave love.

I think of parents whose children are autistic or who never develop.  Those parents sometimes manage to stay together through love.  And sometimes not.  But even when the parents cannot stay together, it does not mean that they do not love.

I think of life-long friendships that weather the worst of times.  I think of soldiers in every nation, that truly want to serve their country, even to the extent of laying down their lives. 

And I think of the animal who trusts their human and whose trust is honored and respected. 

 I don’t know very much about love.  As a minister, as a human being, I have seen love in many places and in many forms.   I often see it, but I cannot define it.

I don’t know all the answers.  Heck, I don’t even know all the questions.

Sometimes I think that is why we are here, to learn as much as we can about love.

 

Reality?

Reality is the leading cause of stress for those who are in touch with it.   by Lily Tomlin

Butterfly Wings

The Zendala above is based on a template by Jo in NZ.  Thanks for her generosity.  But that is not unusual in the Zentangle World.  So many folks freely share info and tangles.  And they are highly supportive and non-judgemental. 

I have found this supportive community elsewhere.  It is also very common with Polymer Clayers.  they too, share their secrets and want folks to succeed. 

Thank heavens for the Internet that links us all together.  I delight in looking at all the artwork shared on the 'net.  I love getting to know people  and linking personalities to art styles.

Thank to all those of you who visit here.  You encourage and inspire me.  I hope sometimes I do the same for you.

Japan

This Morning, I awoke to the dreadful news from Japan.  My heart cries out for them.
Pray for them.

A Good Morning

Today I woke up to one of the most beautiful days I can ever remember.  It is coolish but not too cool and there is a mist over the land.  The birds are sleepily chirping themselves awake and the sun is shyly beginning to warm up the trees.

We have a visitor staying with us.  His name is Joey and he is a scant 15 pounds of canine love and squirms.  His excitement at the world can be tiring, but he is still a joy to wake up with.  My cats do not appreciate him as much as they could, but then, they are not afraid of him either.  And most of my dogs love having another playmate (Murray can be a bit grumpy with the puppy).

Prescott got shut into the spare bedroom last night and was quite glad to get out this morning.  She is still in the kitten-exploring-the-world stage, so it is not uncommon for her to get lost somewhere, but when she gets out, she is so very affectionate!  She spent a good bit of time purring and nuzzling my chin as I typed this.  She reminds me that I am loved and I am honored by that.

For the most part, it is a peaceable kingdom this morning in our humble home.  Later today, I have a couple of friends coming over to do Art with me. 

Life can be Good.

Impossibilities

Most things we think are impossible in life, are because we have never tried them. 
     -- from   100 Quotes to make you think

I wonder if I think that is true?

Context

Regular followers will have seen this Zendala before, but I added the 'frames' to it and it looks all different to me now.  The framing sorta adds context, if you will.

I guess the moral of this is that in context, things look different than when they stand alone.  Actions, philosophies, politics and people -- all need context.

Be Yourself

" Be yourself.  All the other roles are taken"

I don't remember who said it.  Maybe I did.  But whoever did, they were right.  I might like to add, Be Yourself Wherever you are at Today.

That's not a lesson I have learned easily.  In fact, I still have to re-learn it at regular intervals.  I keep on thinking that I should be able to do all the things I used to do.  Unfortunately, that is not reality.  I keep on thinking I should be unrelentingly cheerful.  While I am a bit of a Pollyanna,  I am certainly NOT cheerful all the time, I do get down.
I have these expectations of myself, these 'should's.  Maybe someday I will be strong enough to put them down for good.  Meanwhile, I am trying to be strong enough to put down my 'should's, just for a moment, just for now.

Awake

                                                                         'Soft Focus'
                                                                           3" by 3"

Wake up and stop falling prey to the conditioning of the media and society around you.  It is only those people who are awake that live in a state of constant amazement.
- from    100 quotes to make you Think

Comet?

"Free Advice is the kind that costs you nothing -- unless you act on it."

- from     100 Quote to make you Think

Poster from my Coloring Book

8 1/2 by 11

 "More gold has been mined from the thoughts of men than has been taken from the earth.  So dust off the cobwebs and use all those great ideas that you have!"

                   - from   "100 Quotes to make you think"

Marbled egg

This is a real chicken's egg, covered with polymer clay.  I loved doing clayed eggs.   This one is an example of  translucent mixed with color, giving the impression of multiple layers. Most of my other eggs are a little more controlled.   Sadly, my hands can no longer do the sanding.    Sigh.

Sea Shells

Tiny Mask

                                                       This mask is approx 2" by 1 1/2"