marvelous monday

sounds like something sark would write. if you say "it's monday" that just sounds so boring, but if you say "it's marvelous monday" now there is some excitement!

and why is it SO marvelous? I was pleasantly surprised by my mom the other day. she was very excited about her painting. painting? I thought they convinced her to help paint some walls in the the new "courage center". never in a million years would I have thought that MY mom - my MOM - MY MOM would be painting in the art room.

she released the brakes on her walker and full speed ahead took me to the art therapy studio in the hospital. I knew about the room. I had heard about the room. I had seen some of the art work from the room. even thought about volunteering in the room, but NEVER thought I would be in the room with my mom. or that my mom would be showing me a piece of her art.

she said she painted a dog. oh he is lovely she said. wait till you see him. I am making him for you she said. I struggled to hold back the tears that were coming. I had yet to see the dog and the mere thought of her painting a dog for me was so touching. we entered the room and of course it is an artist's dream world. paint everywhere, projects underway and even paintings on the ceilings, inspirational quotes on the walls. It was breathtaking and then I watched her as she wheeled her walker over to the corner where all the ceramics lay. some half painted, some complete and drying and then she picked him up. the dog. my dog. the piece that she painted for ME. her face lit up as she explained to me what she used and how she painted it and how the nurse helped her with the color choices. oh my it was a beautiful sight to see my mother's face. what a moment. a beautiful unexpected moment. I took a quick picture of her piece. she said it was not finished, but that's okay I like to capture the process.

and so today on this morning my mom headed back into the art room to work on her piece. my mom - painting? how marvelous!

best wishes kate & dustin!

and the wrecking continues...

wreck this journal in the shower

not too much wrecking going on this week. crazy week that started out with mom returning from her overnight trip home. she was a rock star! dad loved having her home and we loved seeing them both smile.

wrap something with this page

monday was spent at a different hospital because he woke up, stretched and went into a-fib. super! spent the whole day waiting while test after test was done. while we waited for the test results we both became quite agitated at the doctor who seemed to be eating way too many tim bits! IN FRONT OF US! whadya think we had after we left the hospital?

trace the things in your bag or pocket 

tuesday back at the hospital so that he could have a holter attached to him for 24 hours. I worked him like a dog. nothing made that thing ding. NOTHING! went for my weekly shot afterwards.  yay!

cover this page with white things

wednesday back to the hospital to return the holter and then off to have me tossed around by a prince.

scribble wildy using only borrowed pens and document where they are borrowed from

and so here we are at the end of a crazy busy week.  I pretty much wrecked on the fly and where ever I was I had my journal with me and did some wrecking.  out of town for some up time!

spread kindness...

some days I visit mom and I see that other patients have no visitors. no one comes to see them. they listen as mom and I chat. they ask if I am her daughter. they watch as I do her hair. they tell me how beautiful the flowers are that I brought her. all they want is to be heard. to be seen.

our family is like the welcome wagon of ward 3d. we share our treats, our flowers and even take other patients with us when we are going to the cafeteria for lunch. they wave hi to us when they see us coming and see ya later as we are leaving.

make a stranger smile today! you could be the one and only thing that makes their day. how wonderful is that?

find peace...

cuba february 2009

looking through my photos and reminiscing about calm days. days when all I had to do was get to the beach. my toes in the sand and the sunshine on my face. I miss the peace.

I am strong.  I will get through today and when tomorrow arrives on my doorstep I will get up and again my goal will be to make it to the end of the day. and as the sun goes down I dream about the day when the peace will return.  and it will.

I told him today that I was oh so tired of it all. that I really was ready for it to be over. that I am sure that one more thing would send me over the edge. that I am not sure that I can make it. 

he responded "it could be worse". I looked at him through the tears and I could feel the anger rising in my belly. "how?" I said. "it could always be worse" he said. and with that he held me.

I know it is true. IT could always be worse. I feel sorrow for those who have it worse. I look into their eyes and I want to take away that sadness. and emptiness.  I am not alone.

I am learning.  I will continue to grow. each day I notice something in me changing. whether it is letting go of a worry.  taking time to rest.  making time to run or be still in my practice.  I am trying. in the midst of all this, this - what can I call it? THIS will not kill me. THIS will make me stronger. I have weathered worse storms. haven't I?

and when THIS storm is over I will wait for the tears to dry and the peace to return...

and it will.

"find peace" may 2009

GOventures...

a couple of artists I admire (elise & kal) are doing a one week art challenge. a different phrase will be posted every day this week and then each one of them will interpret it through art in their own style. they have invited everyone to play along if they would like and so here I go with monday's - dizzy and green:

this is my take on it and I was also inspired by dan's girl who rode up on a scooter. seriously?

I used claudine hellmuth studio product line which is like butter! great coverage & dries quick & you can extend it with glazing fluid if you need to. I also like the fact that I can mix more colors with her fantastic color mixing video!

so there ya have it - three amazing artists and one beautiful girl on a scooter inspired me to get a little messy on a sunday night!

ciao!

my FIRST ever movie so "be kind"!

thoughts on "wrecking" or what have I observed so far:

take the journal with you (thanks jamie!). use a different color pen, everyday. have fun with it. people will stare and wonder. use it and abuse it. have no fear. refrain from going in order of page layout. let it go.

so this book is called "wreck this journal", right? so it took a bit to get going and then I started. and then I stopped. and then I started to USE it. then I thought about how I was using it and what I was gluing into it. is this really "wrecking" or is this "art".

or have I just figured out what all of you knew from the beginning. that this is meant to be a vessel for capturing the everyday, ordinary, sometimes messy, beautiful and tragic, scribbles and giggles of our lives. wow! thank you keri smith and thank you jamie!

ciao!