Inspired Canvas of Words

So, remember when I wrote about this beautiful canvas that Leanne made?  And how it inspired me? 

Well, I decided to try my hand at it.  Leslie at Words of Me Project suggested we do something creative each day for 14 days starting January 23rd.  So for the last week, I've been working on making a companion piece to my Truth canvas. 

Using Leanne's recipe, I started by adding paper scraps to a canvas and mod podging the whole thing. 




I wanted to put all three previous words on one canvas, so I needed to make my own removable letters.  I just took some flimsy cardstock letters from one of my paper pads and put Alene's Tack It Over and Over on the backs of the letters.

I added some butterflies (my fave) to give the canvas a little dimension. 

Then painted it white.  I think the layer of paint might have been a little thin, but I told myself from the start that once I made a decision, I was going to embrace it.  There are no mistakes.

Once the paint dried, I removed the letters and sanded some sections.

Outlined the letters, added some some more scraps and sanded some more.  Then found my K&Co. keys.  I actually had another piece of metal in mind, but I couldn't find it to save my soul.  And I really wanted to complete this project. 

This took nearly a week to complete.  I worked on it every night after work.  It's not nearly as beautiful as the one I received, and quite frankly, if Leanne does decide to sell these in her Etsy shop, I would definitely consider picking some up for some friends.  This took longer than I thought it would. 

Oh, and the scraps from the scraps?  I put them in my art journal. 

I'll figure out something for that some other day.   

Now what have you done to feed your creative soul??

I Danced With My Dad Last Night


Last night, I danced with Dad.  It was a short dance, and I'm not entirely sure I remember the tune.  It was a lovely dance, where I did not attempt to lead (bad habit I have) and Dad took me in his arms and lead me around the dance floor as if we'd been partners in Dancing with the Stars all season.  When we were done, he asked me if I liked to dance to songs like the one that played.  I told him I did.  Afterward, we sat on a couch and he asked if I would make a "cover for a wedding dress" for Sue.  Not sure who he was referring to, but I figured I'd find out if I just let him talk.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  I woke up. 

My Dad passed away in 1975.  But every once in a while, I get a visit in my dreams.  This was the first time we've danced during his dream visits.  I woke up feeling refreshed, a bit melancholy, but at peace.  Ah...there's that serenity I was looking for!!

Do you ever have vivid dreams about someone who's passed?  Do you ever wonder whether it's a spirit visit to tell you all's well or whether it's a need that you have to talk to that person that brings them to your dreams?  I can say that visits from my Dad almost always leave me feeling calmer about my world.  So I choose to think that my guardian angel realizes my need for reassurance and shows up just when I need him.  What could be better than that?!? 

I'm thinking I'm going to have a great day today.  I'm going to get a lot done.  Now if I can just figure out why I woke up with "United We Stand" by Brotherhood of Man playing in my head!!!

Saying Goodbye

A very dear friend lost her mother this week.  Well, to be honest, she lost her mother little by little over the last few years.  Her mother suffered from Alzheimer's. 

But as I learned over at Bossy Betty's yesterday, it's now time to celebrate life.  And Fleming wouldn't want it any other way. 

Auntie Flemmie loved crossword puzzles.  She enjoyed playing scrabble.  She loved Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy.  She shared a recipe with me and it's the reason I make a pretty decent pasta sauce.  It was her home that welcomed us during her family parties.  It was her most beautiful smile that just made me feel all was okay in our world.  Not that age matters, but she was 92.

This was the prayer that was on the back of her prayer card:

One gift, above all others

God gives us to treasure

One that knows no time and place

And one gold cannot measure.

The precious, poignant, tender gift

Of Memory...that will keep

Our dear ones ever in our hearts

Although God gives them sleep.

It brings back long remembered things

A song, a word, a smile

And our world's a better place

-- because

We had them for a while!

(Author unknown)

Rest in Peace, Flem.  Thinking of you fills me with serenity.  I pray the same for your kids and grandkids.

My 2011 Word

As I mentioned yesterday, my 2010 word (Serenity) wasn't as successful as I'd hoped.  So I did some soul searching on why it was harder for me to embrace and I realized that my life has too much stuff in it. Call it disorganization, call it clutter, call it my past!  But it's time for change. It's time to declutter. It's time to SIMPLIFY.

sim pli fy  verb

a.-  to reduce to basic essentials

b.-  to diminish in scope or complexity

c.-   to make more intelligible; clarify

Yep, that's my word for 2011 - SIMPLIFY. What's so funny is that as I say the word, I experience an AHHHHH moment. Have you ever had one of those? Where just one word fills you with serenity and peace? Where you feel all sorts of gratitude?? Wait, what's this? A connection with ALL of my words??  Hmmmm.... interesting. Maybe that's the way it's suppose to work!

I started to approach my blog buddy/Scrap Cellar Chick Leanne to help me out with creating a visual for my word. Then it dawned on me (don't you just love/hate those "duh" moments?)...KISS! Keep It Simple, Superstar! (yeah, I know it's usually "stupid" and not "superstar" but I'm not about to call myself stupid!!).
And so, this is my first step into SIMPLIFY!  Can't get any simpler, right??

And here's my plan for 2011...There are so many people in this world who need things. And there are so many things in this place I call home that it's time I get the two of those situations to meet up. It's time for me to SIMPLIFY. And it's not just my home. It's my diet, my scrapbooking, my relationships. I don't believe we were put on this earth to lead complicated, cluttered lives. I believe we serve God best by simply being our uncomplicated, uncluttered, simplified selves.

Funny thing about these one little words -- once you pick the word (or it picks you) you start moving in that direction.  You start wanting it in your life.  Every day, all the time.  How cool is that?!!??

I'm headed over to Leanne's.  She's got a linky thing going for our words for 2011.  And, of course, a thank you to Ali Edwards on starting this revolution.

2010 Word of the Year Review

 Hard to believe it's been a year since I selected my Word of the Year.   Inspired by Ali Edwards, and nudged by my friend Leanne, I began this Word of the Year journey in 2009.  Ali E. says it like this: "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow...One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities." Tangible, intangible, feeling, thought, emotion.  It can be any of those.

 

Charm by Lisa Leonard Design

 My first word was Gratitude.  That word and the gift of a word charm from Leanne helped make it a gratitude-filled year.  What's nice is that this word had such an impact on my life, that I literally saw a shift in how I look at things, how I react to things.  HUGE impact!

Found at a little out of the
way place in Arkansas

My 2010 word is Serenity.  I had a much more difficult time searching for serenity in my life this year.  Mostly because I didn't focus on the word as I should have.  Oh, there were spurts.  And how wonderful those were.  But overall, not so successful with increasing the serenity in my life.  

So here we are, just a few steps away from entering 2011.  It seems like only a couple years ago that we went thru the Y2K craziness.  It's now time for me to choose my 2011 Word of the Year.  I've got it and will share it with you before we wrap up 2010.

So what will your One Little Word for 2011 be? 

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Are you a worrier?  Do you worry about how your kids are doing in school?  About your health?  About how you are going to pay the bills?  Oh, the list can go on and on, can't it?  So now that you've answered what it is you worry about, let me ask you this... How's that workin' for you??

"Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow."

I used to worry more when I was younger.  Not a lot, but more than I do now.  Most of the time, it had to do with me being a perfectionist.  I am always harder on myself than anyone else could or would ever be.  I finally learned to ask myself this question when I realized I was worrying about something: "If I died tomorrow, is this what they would put on your gravestone?"  Somehow, as morbid as it sounds, that put everything in perspective for me.  Think about that question.  I would love my epitaph to be something like this:  Mom, Grandma, Sister, Lover, Friend - She excelled in those roles, the most important in her life. 

The only thing worry does for me is to give me a better idea of what's important to me.  Worrying about my kids doesn't prove to them I love them.  But showing them I have confidence in their decisions does.  Worrying about my health doesn't change the issue.  Talking about, and doing, what I need to do to change it does.  I know what I'm saying can sound cavalier to some.  I think some people are hardwired to worry.  But if you really think about what you accomplish by worrying, you'll realize you can take away its power.  You'll no longer say, "I can't help it.  I worry."

So for all those worriers out there, I'm going to offer the wise words of Leo Buscaglia,

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow,
it only saps today of its joy."

What about you?  Do you worry? 

3 Words I Love

Leslie from Words of Me Project inspired her followers to join her in a 31 Day Challenge to write, create, be.  Her day 2 challenge was to choose three words that you love and create some word art with them.  My three words were Serenity, Gratitude and Dream. 
I decided to work just a little out of my comfort zone in creating the word art.  I used paints.  Not sure at all that I'm comfortable with them yet.  But this is the wall hanging I've completed. 

It will hang in my "Craft Cave" and serve as a reminder to me of what's really important.  Just saying these words can de-stress me.  So, what words de-stress you???

Practicing Gratitude

Hello again!!  Yes it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted.  I've been a little busy at work, trying to get our high schoolers registered and started!!  It's taken almost six months, but after having interaction with nearly 1700 families (with at least a third of them waiting til the week before school to register) they are in school and things have finally slowed down a bit. 

This time away has made me think about all the things I've missed when my main focus has been my job.  This morning, I had an opportunity to enjoy a video that Brene Brown has on her blog.  Brene has done research on authenticity, shame and vulnerability.  It's an interesting 17 minute video that explains why so many of us have difficulty being authentic in our lives.  Also interesting is that Leslie from Words of Me Project has chosen "authentic" as her one word for this weekend.

One of the things Brene mentions in her video is how to become authentic by practicing gratitude.  I've been a little lax in that area lately.  So I'm glad to have taken a little time this weekend to sit and ponder about the things that really ring my chimes, float my boat, give me flight...you get it!

Things like this little girl vocalizing so loudly as she laid on the floor and watched her mommy on the phone, that I was unable to hear what my daughter was saying,

and like this little guy deciding that life is moving too fast to take the time to call me "Grandma" so he now calls me "Gram" (after all, we are talking about saving the time it takes to speak another syllable),

and this not so little guy who is starting 7th grade with his new school supplies that I've happily shopped for each year (this is a joy for me...I don't want to give up the school supply shopping)

and these two who have made me realize that, in spite of what may have been mistakes in raising them, have given me such joy and pride in being able to say I am their mother,

and this man who has truly been my rock and who after watching "Juno" last night and hearing the dad say "Look, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person is still going to think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with." says "That's right" (hmmm...)

and brothers and sisters, their spouses, kids and their spouses, and grandkids (26 in all) who have a most special place in my heart and who can't be shown here because a) I don't have an "All In The Family" picture of them and b) I don't have their permission to post their pics,

and last but certainly not least, a very electic group of friends who, when I am at my worst, always see my best!!!

It is for these and so much more, I am grateful.  My life is incredibly blessed.  And when I remember to express my gratitude, to feel how truly blessed I am, I find serenity.  I guess you could say my cup runneth over!!

One of the challenges from the 31 Days Challenge at Words of Me Project was to come up with a list of 50 things I value.  Well, listed above are just a few.  I'll share more with you in the coming days.  In the meantime, please feel free to share with me what you value in your life.

Thanks for stopping back, and thanks for hanging in there with me!!

I'm Still Here!!

It's been nearly a week since I've posted!  I'm so sorry!!  It's state testing week in Illinois, so it seems all my energy goes to ramping up for it!!  Haven't worked on photography, haven't worked on scrapbooking or cards, haven't posted anything on my blog! 
BUT, I have had time to read some other blogs, as I fall asleep at my computer at 6 p.m.!!   There are some incredibly talented bloggers out there!  Check out some of my links on the right.  And there's more that I've found that I'll need to add!!
My son-in-law posted this picture on Facebook, so I felt compelled to grab it and share it with you. 

No doubt Cormick is telling Ava that he loves her!  This is an everyday occurrence with this little guy.  He just adores his little sister and is just so kind and gentle with her.  And it looks like she's enjoying the attention.  She's starting to really smile at things!  Y'know... I get goosebumps when I look at my grandkids!!  I'm just embraced in serenity when I look at them!!
I've got a long list of photos I need to take for my Picture Spring class at BPS.  Good thing I'm not being marked down for having late homework!!  I'll have to take advantage of what looks like will be a beautiful day to take some pictures after work, in order to catch up with my homework.  I'll be sure to post some of the nicer ones here!!  Have a great Tuesday! 

Serenity All Around

I tend to lean toward nature to look for my serenity.  It's always been that way.  A garden just gives me that "Ahhhhhhh" feeling.  But this weekend, I was lucky enough to watch Amanda Hein, photog extraordinaire, at work.  And as she worked, I was in the background taking photos of the process. 

When I got home and uploaded the pics I took, it was apparent that it's not just a garden that brings serenity into my life.  I get the same "Ahhhhhhh" feeling when I look at this picture of my daughter and grandson.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Amanda saw in her lens. 

Gettin' Real!!!

I just spent part of my Saturday cleaning out my closet.  Packing up clothes that no longer fit me.  I wish I could say they were too big!!  But talk about REALITY!!  I must say it was a slap in the face for me to go thru and pack all these clothes up, talking to myself the entire time. 

You see, five years ago, I made it my mission to watch what I eat and exercise every day.  My good friend, Murph, who lived in New York at the time, would call me every morning as she was out walking as part of HER workout.  I'd be on the treadmill and we would chat for 30 minutes or so and before I knew it, my walking was done and I was running up to get ready for work.  It was awesome!!  By the time my daughter got married in June, I was lookin' goooooood!! 

Then life got a little complicated.  And since I eat when I'm happy, eat when I'm stressed, eat when I'm sad, (well, let's just say I use food to get me thru the trials & tribulations we all experience), the results are pretty easy to predict!.  And that wouldn't be so bad, but when you add to the equation the inability to get those walks in, it just compounds everything.  As a result, I put the weight back on and had to get a new wardrobe.  But my closet cleaning venture on Saturday has allowed me to give myself a talkin' to!!!! 

And my REALITY is that I care enough about myself to not allow this to continue.  I really do like me.  And I really want to live a very long life, enjoying every little blessing that comes my way.  And to do that, I must get back into shape.  Because the next time I clean out clothes from the closet, it will be to make room for the newer, smaller clothes that I'll be wearing!!!  So, I'm on a mission.  And the mission starts on the treadmill.  I'll keep you posted, my dear friends.  Who knows...maybe that walk each day will inspire me in ways I hadn't imagined!  I do know it will help me find more serenity in my life!
And if you're feeling the same way I am, just leave me a comment and let me know what your plans are!!

Catchin' Up!

I know it's been way too long since I've posted.  As my good friend and fellow blogger mentioned in this post, I too am multi-creatively challenged.  When one aspect of my creativity is in full force, the others seem to take a back seat. 

So let me catch you up on some of the items for posts that I started but never finished. 

• Recently, we received news that an incredibly passionate former high school English teacher had passed away after a valiant fight against pancreatic cancer.  When I heard of his passing, I reflected on my interactions with him since both my kids had him for English, plus he was the girls' gymnastics coach for a couple of the years that my daughter was on the team.  And I realize he was a good man, who would do the right thing and wanted nothing more than for his students to learn the wonderful world of literature and writing.  He truly was an inspiration to the students and teachers of East Leyden and will be missed.
• On the way to my -- wait for it -- Ahhhhhhh! Scrap Day at the Cellar, I was behind a vehicle with a tire attached to the back door.  I was so inspired, I had to take a picture of it.  Yes, I did what you are probably thinking...I propped the camera on my dash and as I drove, I snapped pics.  But honestly, look at this picture...doesn't it look like a happy face (see the eyes, nose and smile) with arms and legs, even two ears???  Okay, call me crazy.  But it put me in a jolly mood for my ride to New Lenox. 
• Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Day.  I've always been fascinated by the man.  There was a time when I thought that he was only speaking to "his people".  Then I took the time to look at his "I have a dream" speech.  (To be honest, as I type this I am emotional).  This was an incredibly amazing man.  One line in his speech that doesn't get as much play time is "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."  Think about that.  Content of Character.  Isn't that what good parenting is all about??  Making sure we raise our kids with integrity, compassion, sensibility.  Content of character. I think if today's politicians spent more time working on their own content of character, our nation would be in better shape.  MLK photo courtesy of eis.rbbcsc.k12.in.us
• On Tuesday, the love of my life if going in for rotator cuff surgery.  He's my rock; always by my side through the many surgeries I've gone through since I've known him.  He's such a healthy guy that this is a new experience for us.  Please keep him and his speedy recovery in your prayers.
• Some food for thought - The reason that some of your thoughts haven't yet become things is because other thoughts of yours have. 
• Haven't done a whole lot with searching for serenity this week.  But I do have this constant reminder sitting on a bookshelf looking right at me!!  Picked it up on a side trip we took when we went to Branson, MO in 2003.  I just love it!

It's going to be important this week, for me to look for the serenity in my life.  Sometimes it's in simple words.  The word RAINBOW offers that.  Same with ANGEL,  So what words instill serenity in YOUR life?

A Decade in Review

I was chatting with my girlfriend on Sunday, talking about the crazy medical issues that have hit our families in the last two weeks.  We both mentioned that, due to the rocky start, we either want 2010 to be over or maybe just start February now...fresh start. 

It made me think about all the things that have happened in my life during the "aughts".  To wrap it up in a neat little package, let's just say that I come out of this decade with bones repaired, bones removed,

a bachelor's degree

a couple new family members

(my son-in-law

and my #2 grandson),

the opportunity to call myself a two-time cancer survivor,

additional nieces and nephews by way of marriage,

   

 a job lost,

a job gained,

weight lost, weight gained, much more serenity than I had going into the decade and gratitude for each and every day of my life.  All in all, a good decade.  Of course, I choose to focus on the positive.  Focusing on the negative only accentuates the negative.  To what end, I ask??  I'm 10 years older than I was at the beginning of that decade.  That's 10 years more of experience and wisdom.  I'll take it!!!

I really do have a good life.  Looking forward to seeing how good it gets in February!! 

My 2010 Word

My word for 2010 came to me about a month ago. It's funny how when you decide on the word, you actually see/hear it often. You "own" your word. You actually say to yourself, "Hey, that's my word" when you hear or see it.

My word is SERENITY.

se-REN-i-ty

1. The state or quality of being serene, unruffled, tranquil.

2. Clearness, brightness.

So, what is it about SERENITY that makes it my word, you ask. Okay, so maybe you didn't ask, but as long as you're still reading, I'm assuming you're a little curious.

In 2008, I was involved with a mindfulness program as part of my wellness journey after breast cancer.  One of the things we learned in the program was meditation.  Although it wasn't an easy thing to learn (and I certainly haven't mastered it), I persisted and learned that there is an amazingly tranquil feeling you get when you meditate.  You can feel so rested without having slept.  I crave that tranquility in my life right now. 

I want to handle things in my life without getting flustered.  I know I'm better at that than I was a few years ago, but I want more of that.  I want to walk through my somewhat organized home and feel the tranquility.  I want to feel the goodness all around me and I know when you come from serenity, it's much easier to do.  I want to find the serenity in photography.  I know I've made a start, but I want more of it.  I want to feel the strength you feel when you are tranquil.

I thought about whether I wanted to have the word PEACE for my 2010 word (which is what my blog buddy Leanne had as her word of the year in 2008).  But SERENITY speaks to me as "peace within" if that makes any sense.  And I firmly believe that when you work on the peace within, you actuate peace all around. 

I have two dear friends who are also posting their Word for the Year today.  Please visit Leanne's blog and Cindi's blog for their words and what their thoughts are behind their choice.  And as I mentioned in yesterday's post, the original idea came from Ali Edwards.  You can read about her words here. 

I challenge you to come up with your word for the new year.  Make it something that inspires you.  Make it something that nags you, nudges you, tickles you.  Make it something that fills you with passion.  Just know that something as simple as a single word can have a huge impact on your life. 

What's the Word, Hummingbird???

2010 is fast approaching and as many of us do, we reflect on:

• where the heck did the year go?? (yes, Virginia, it does speed up as you get older)
• what did I accomplish this year (besides getting up in the morning and making a cup of tea)?
• did I make it a good year?
• what are my goals (a.k.a. resolutions) for the coming year?

Adding to that, might I humbly suggest you consider finding your word for 2010?

Early in my blogging career (y'like that??), I posted my thoughts about my 2009 word (which came about through my friend, Leanne).  She got the idea of the word for the year from a blog post by Ali Edwards (a.k.a. scrapbooker extraordinaire). Ali says, "a single word can be a powerful thing. It can be a ripple in a pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow." Take a minute to think about that statement alone. Have you ever heard a word, a single word that has an immediate effect on you? Either good or bad?? If so, you understand the power of a single word. I say, why not let the power of a single word work to your advantage? Why not let that single word have the power to focus you on what's most important to you in 2010?

This, my dear friends, is not an impossible mission. This, my dear friends, can actually have a cleansing effect.

So your mission, should you decide to accept it, would be to think of words that express what you want in or out of your life in 2010. But before you decide on THE word, sit on it for a day or two. As Ali says, "let it percolate a bit". Even if the words that pop into your head make no sense at the moment, don't toss them out right away. Write them down and ask yourself what they might mean to you. (You gotta give your subconsciousness some play time, y'know!!)

Need more inspiration? Visit Ali's blog post that lists links to all her previous Word of the Year posts.

My word??? I'll let you know tomorrow!  I've been blabbering on too much already.  Until then...enjoy your brainstorming.