creative faery

Heavenly Angel Returning and Blessings

A beautiful angel, one of my kindergarteners went home to her Heavenly Father this week.  It was a tragic accident.  One which left the tiny community I teach in devastated.  It was a weird accident.  Their family was driving near a cliff near their house when a 250 pound rock landed only on her side of the car, killing her instantly.  Her family is really having a difficult time because this young girl was a lot like my little sunshine, happy and bright all the time.  The picture slides they showed of her made the whole church crumble because it's a great loss of joy to our community.  Her sister is the one I'm most worried about because they were so very close and she was sitting next to her.  I know how close my daughters are and how tragic that would be if they were separated.  I can't imagine what this is doing to her.  God must of really needed a bright spirit in heaven.  I know she's dancing there because you could always find her dancing.  Her magnificent spirit will be sorely missed.

Some blessings for this week have been our bright sunny days and finally the feeling of summer.  It's awesome!   I breathe sunshine and feel like myself again.  The flowers are blooming all around so beautifully.  (pictures later)

I'm learning a lot in school and stretching myself so much.  I never knew one subject, art, could make me smile and cry at the same time.  I also never knew it would be so crazy difficult!!!!   Where I hope I'm blessed in the future is really getting proportions and how to balance something...and maybe get a little swifter on coming up with ideas for these abstract projects.  It's challenging when you don't even know or understand what these projects are about...but they're fun, and I'm growing in ways I didn't think were possible.

So hey, here's to ART in ALL its glory!  AND here's to YOU in having a great week.

Happy Mother's Day

Good Morning!  And happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful, beautiful moms out there!  You are generous and giving and nurturing not only to your own children, but the children of the world, and you are valued.  I remember many women in my life who filled in the space of mom because my mom was absent.  I don't know where I would be today without these amazing women in my life.  You never know when something you do, even a small act, is revered and treasured by another.  I can't tell you how many acts of kindness have been given to me...and though I try to acknowledge these gifts when I can, there are many times I am unable to give thanks in a proper way, and I whisper them to the Universe in hopes they will be carried to the intended.  May your day be blessed!

I have come up for air!  My drawing class has ended, which makes me sad and happy at the same time.  I feel a great load lifted, and a normally crazy last few weeks of school somehow doesn't seem as crazy as these past few months, so I'm actually feeling lighter!  I'm sad because this class was a gift to me and to my art.  I learned things I never thought I could learn, and I can do things I never that I could...though not as good as most in the class, I feel a great sense of accomplishment for being diligent and following through.  It's very difficult to continue on when you know you are one of the worst in the class.  (It's not a harsh judgement; you should see the way these people draw!)  I have to keep reminding myself to compare myself with only myself, even though the teacher is comparing me with everyone else.   I shall have to post a picture of my favorite drawing.  It's my first portrait!  We had to smush our face on the copier and make a funny face.  It was one of the most fun projects!  I did pretty good, though I need to be more careful about transitions of value...but it was fun, and I learned a lot, and it looks like a person!  It even looks like a squishy me!  ha-ha...

 

Have a wondermous, blessed day everyone!

Sunday Blessings

Whenever I feel overwhelmed or that life is kicking my butt, I have to remember what blessings I have and how far I've come since I was a child...  It is nearing the end of my school year, and I have so much to do, and not near enough energy or time to complete it all.  I must be still and calm and remember that all is well...what needs to be done will be done, and the rest will have to wait...My topmost priority is to love, love, love my students and nurture them and enjoy them for the small time I have left.  The best thing about this new school is that I get to see most of these kids for another 6 years!  The last school only allowed me to see them in 1st grade, and then they moved to another school.  I am blessed.

I miss my writing, especially poetry...it's poetry month, and I haven't written a single poem!  I've assisted my students with theirs, but alas, my well seems dry.  It will come.  The summertime brings many great opportunities, usually when I'm in the middle of my art.

Yesterday was my birthday, and my husband bought us both a pedicure.  He's never had one in his life!  However, the best part was that we got two whole hours with this really nice girl, relaxing and calming while we got pampered...then, I went to my writing meetings...it was exciting...I bet you think that's weird to enjoy a meeting?  These are the ONLY ones I look forward to because we have a fellowship of writers who get together and decide where we are going next with the BSU project.  It's a time of sharing and learning about each other's lives (something we don't get to do during a school year) and bounce ideas off each other.  I enjoy the comraderie and the creativity...I'd enjoy it more if we had a regular writing group where we wrote together and shared it like we did when we started the project...It will come.  I have faith!  Then my daughter came over with her friends and we joked and played around....all my family called, and I felt loved...Went to bed with a smile on my face!

It's a beautiful day outside, so we're going for a walk.  We haven't had this kind of sunshine and warmth in awhile.  Time to soak some vitamin "D," and yes, I'll wear my sunscreen.

Have a wondermous week my friends!  And may you be blessed in all the ways you deserve.  Don't forget, YOU ROCK!

Happy Easter

Today is a beautiful sunny day in Idaho, and I'm sooooooooooo excited!  Our kids are coming over for Easter dinner and a special egg hunt.   Now, talk about untraditional...when I asked them what they wanted for dinner, ham or turkey, they said "pizza!"  Normally, I wouldn't consider it because I LOVE mashed potatoes, but my girls have been ever faithful in staying away from pizza for lent...that's 40 days...and for a kid, well, that's forever!  So we're having pizza. (Maybe I'll still make mashed potatoes for me.)

And last year, we started a tradition of putting money in the Easter eggs since our girls are adults now and it seems everyone is on a tight budget.  It was really fun!  Sometimes it's just quarters and candy, but we slip some token dollars and a couple of fives to entice some interest.  (The girls get their own eggs with a special amount just for them and then there are a LOT extra ones)...I'm reminded of what my daugthers' faces looked like hunting for treasures when they were little....They have a few friends coming over too...it sounds like a bribe, and maybe in a small way it is...but people want to come over and we have a good time doing it too.  AND it creates a nice family tradition...something our future grandkids will look forward to coming to when they get older...  It's also a fun way to give my kids a little extra spending money without it looking like a handout. 

May each and every one of you enjoy the warmth and beauty of the day and of family and of the blessings of forgiveness and hope we receive on this special day.  I can't wait to visit you!

(p.s. I'll add pictures later today...)  :)

Why I Teach

Today I was handed the most beautiful gift ever.  One of the shyest girls in my class, one I hardly hear from at all, handed me a beautifully wrapped gift in Happy Birthday paper.  No, it's not my birthday, and the whole class looked on wondering what could possibly be in the wrapping.  I opened the card and read a note from the mom that said her daughter really wanted to give me a present and had first chosen to give me her stuffed unicorn, something she "treasures" so much that she sleeps with it every night.  I got a big lump in my throat...but she told her daughter I probably wouldn't have room for this and thought maybe they could give me a different gift.  The girl chose some Girl Scouts cookies (her favorite kind) and wanted to be sure I had breakfast in the morning, so she also gave me a pack of PopTarts.  Her face BEAMED as she handed me her gift, and I was reduced to a one inch size with a heart of 50 women...how beautiful this was...and how appreciated. 

I teach because someone in this world values what is given to them, even if it's a hello in the morning or a kind word or a silly song.  I teach because even when I don't know it, I'm making a difference.  I must always remember to use this gift to nurture, support and love these beautiful children.

I am so blessed!

Sunday Blessings - The beautiful Blogging World

I was thinking about blessings today...and how lucky I am to be in the blogging world...it's a "safe" place where I can communicate with people, across boundaries of religion, race, political views, age, gender...I have people I talk with all over the world, and what I get to embrace is their humaness...their likeness...not their differences, and I feel warm and happy inside...because there is a way to peace.  There is a path through words and non-violence.  There is a way to acknowledge and accept people.  IN the end, there IS more that BINDS US than divides us.

I am grateful for you, the reader, who writes thoughtful notes, who don't judge me, who listen to the things I say, and even though you don't believe in the same manner, you still acknowledge my view and try to understand.  You, the writer, write passionately about the things you care about and the things that piss you off and about the things that bring you peace and comfort.  You give us tips on what's working for you so that we may try and find our own path.  Maybe your tools work, and maybe they do not, but you still put it out there.  What courage you have!

And so, on another blessed Sunday, I acknowledge you and all that you are, and I say, Bless you on your adventures today and "Peace be with you."

You Make My Day - Celebrating Beautiful People

My dear friend, Mich at Rainbow Dreams, gave me an award called "You Make my day."  I feel honored by this because it feels as if the things I'm writing, one word at a time, can change the world in a positive way.  My goal and committment is to promote "peace," (which sounds like something a pageant girl would say), to lift and support women, and lift and support the humaness of all of us.

I am asked to pass this award on to 10 people who inspire me.  Here are some women who do this for me daily (and a couple have received many kinds of awards for the same kind of thing, but it doesn't mean they can't get it again!)  Each woman satisfies a different part of me, each is creative in their own way, some with their art, some with their poetic words or stories, some with documenting their daily lives and the human spirit and some who nourish the soul.

Jane at Painted House - She is one of the most real people I know!  You can hear her straight from the heart, and her honesty rings true in your eyes the moment you hear her.  I feel a comraderie because I've been in her shoes, and I love that she gives a voice to women.

Helene - If you want passion, here is a woman with enough for all of us!    She is creative, fun, supportive, artistic, and passionate in all she does.  There are not enough posts to fill how authentic her heart is.  Most of all, she supports fellow women bloggers and takes time to get to know people.  Though Mich already gave her the award, I want to take time to give it to her again.

Valaine - This woman creates beauty in all she does.  I especially enjoy her artwork and photographs.  I truly believe she could make a stink bug look absolutely marvelous!   If you've had a particularly rough day and need to find a little something special in the world to lift you up, you definitely must visit this Silent Dreamer.

Melba is an amazing woman who has created a virtual network of the most amazing, creative artists all around the world!  Her dream is coming true one goal at a time.

Rob Kistner - of Writer's Island - has built a site for the people who loved Poetry Thursday so much.  You know it's not easy building communities; yet, faithfully, each week he posts a prompt and people write stories and poetry and post.  The other good news, is that he's quite a creative person too.  Check out his own poetry & images here.   He gets double the vote!

Marisa - Is an inspiring artist who has followed her dream despite all odds.  You can buy her cute little friends in paintings or prints.  She also has an inspiring podcast you can listen to.

Leonie - celebrates women world-wide through songs and her travels. 

Gautami - This young woman is a truly talented poet who writes poetry that is human and eye-opening.  She challenges me intellectual and spiritually to lead a better life to remember human kind in all of it's aspects.  She is the kind of poet I aspire to be like one day (however, one must write poetry more often to become poetic now, shouldn't they - I better get on it.)

Jessica - What I love about Jessica is she intellectually challenges me to think about writing and about poetry and what I deem is good or bad about writing...she gives ideas for great reads so that I am always thinking and growing.

And last, but not least, I would like to send a badge back to Mich as she nourishes our souls weekly with her teachings of the chakras and angel cards.

Peace be with You

Happy Blessed Sunday to you and Peace be with you.  One of my friends signs her e-mails with "Peace be with You."  And EVERY time I read those words or speak those words a calm washes over me.  The essence of words can make a change...can make a difference. 

Last night my husband's work had a "winter" party as Christmas time people were too busy, but they still wanted a time to gather. (They are committed to socializing together -that's another story.)  And so we had a dinner and games to win prizes.  One of the games was Craps, a game I have often been afraid of and no desire to learn.  But what made the difference was that we were playing together...the dealer was on "our" side and explained the rules and taught us wise bets, and we worked for the common good of the group.   Even in games, especially those kinds of games, there is a rule not to speak the number "seven" in the air because it would bring bad luck.  There is also a spot on the table where you can bet against the roller, but no one does because it would bring bad Karma.   And so, here we were, cheering on the roller, and the feelings were of comraderie.   And the only words spoke were words of cheer, words of joy and friendship.

My point is that these are simple "Laws of Attraction" that we deserve to follow everyday.  If words and thoughts have the meaning we give them, we attract them in our lives.  When I was single, I really noticed the kind of people I had in my life, and I gaged my happiness.  If I was feeling depressed or sad, I made simple changes to bring the goodness back into my life.  Sometimes it was merely a change of attitude, sometimes it was positive words spoken under my breath or even out loud, sometimes it was a change of attitude with a friend or less time with someone who was negative.  I even WROTE FOR CHANGE.  Everything I wrote in my journal came true.

There is power in words.  There is power in thoughts...and so my mantra for today is PEACE.  One person at a time we can speak it...one person at a time we can LIVE it.  One person at a time can CREATE the peaceful world we wish to be in.

  My sister did this photo...Click on it...You won't regret it.

Thanksgiving and Sunday Blessings

This is a blessed day of celebration and a giving of thanks. 

My holiday was a beautiful blessing of rest, reunion, remembrance, and riches.  I feel like the richest woman around!  I got to spend the entire weekend with my Kelci girl and the rest of my family.  When we met her at the train station she ran screaming "mom!" and jumped on me!  She is taller than me and came at me full force; I was surprised I withstood the train coming at me...  She rode up with a friend from Portland to Pasco on a train.  It sounded fun to me.

Our first day was just relaxing and eating turkey.  My mother-in-law is a retired home ec teacher whose specialty is cooking.   She loves the planning and the cooking and taking care of people.  We never wanted for anything.  It was perfect.  The only sad thing was that it's usually mountains of people at the table, and it was a small gathering of our immediate family, except my dear Kendra who had to work the holiday because it's a new job at a toy store, and of course, black  Friday....I missed her in the celebration, but it was still very nice.  This was the first year for the "new" generation to start coming to "great grandpa's" house.   What a spoiled child Kaden is!  He was such a sweetheart and loved by all.  I'll definitely have to download some pictures.

The next day we went to Leavenworth, Washington.  It is a town that has a German-like feel and it's the best place to spend just before Christmas.  Usually, there is an open market with fennel cakes and artists' goods, but this year they didn't have it.  There's a Kris Kringl shop that is full of the best santas and ornaments to decorate for the holidays; there's apple cider and the best sausages at a makeshift stand with an open fire; it's a festive holiday air.  And yesterday we just did some family shopping for our Christmas ornaments for the 12 days of Christmas.  (I can't wait to tell you about our most wonderful holiday tradition!)   We drooled over dishwashers that actually clean dishes instead of throwing more food on...and we enjoyed everyone's fun nature.  Our family has the BEST sense of humor!  I even texted my daughter's almost boyfriend and teased him a little.  He didn't know who I was, and it was fun.  All in all, a great holiday!  I'm ready to hit work again with a renewed energy and holiday spirit.  It was diffiicult to put my daughter back on the plane.  My husband said he thinks it's because I have such a hard time with goodbyes.  So many people have left me in my life, and I'm unsure if they'll come back.  I know that just by how my daughter greeted me and left me, that she will come back. I've built a good life and given her the wings to soar...and those wings will bring her to me.  I'm so proud of the life she has created!  I think she will be successful and yes, blessed like me!

To all of you, my wonderful dear friends, I hope that you had days filled with love and blessings and a renewed peace.  God bless you!

Hodgepodge

I've had many blessings this week, and I thought I'd name a few here.  I'll probably add to the list all day as I have much to catch up on.  This week is my crazy week at school.  I have conferences until late, and then I go to school!  I'm a very crazy girl!! (but then you knew that.)  I'm excited about my new printmaking project, but I don't know when I'll get a chance to finish it as it has to be done by Thanksgiving, and I'm packed with school things.  I'm grateful for this art as it gives me an avenue for creating and being myself and feeling good about not always hammering my life away...

First, I wanted to show you the fabulous necklace my dear friend Jane, at Painted House 52, made.  I LOVE IT!  It is a dragonfly...one of my favorite winged creatures.  I sooo believe that wings represent freedom.  She also sent me a lovely coaster from her new line.  What I especially love about it, and she didn't know, but the universe did, was that it's of a bird.  If you saw my previous post, you would know that I had a tragic accident with a bird a couple of days ago...and yes Bohemian, she is free! Thank you Jane for being you and for the gifts you make.  You are a true reminder of being your contribution to the world.  I'm so glad you're in mine!   So, people, go buy some things from her...you won't be disappointed.  Your neck will be filled with graceful beauty.

My best news and what I feel so good about Sacred Sunday is that my daughter is coming for Thanksgiving in Yakima.  It's a two hour train trip for her, and she's going with a friend (I like that a lot).  At first she didn't want to come because her sister wasn't going to be there, and she didn't want to be the only "kid."  So, I guess this will be the first year all the grown ups will be there, including her...she's 18!  We shall love her and spoil her and have so much fun!  The best part of the whole weekend there in Yakima is that we get to rest...truly rest...my mother-in-law (retired homemaking teacher) shall cook for us all week!  You wouldn't believe the great planning she goes through...It's her favorite time of the year...and I'm sure that as much as she loves having all the family around, she will be pooped when we leave.  I think there's about a dozen of us or more!

I'm a happy girl...have a wonderful Sunday.  I'll be back in a little while to post those pics and maybe add some more.  I do have to get some words in for National Writing month.

Sacred Life Sunday - Soul Sisters

Usually, on Sundays, it's my time to reflect on my blessings for the week...or sometimes I do Sunday Scribblings...Sunday Scribblings was about jobs, and I didn't really feel like writing about that, though I have a very blessed job.  Instead, I went to my good blogging sister's house, Bohemian Mom and found Sacred Life Sunday.  I like that title and enjoy exploring my spiritual side and discovering new, beautiful things in my world.  So, on this gorgeous, bright, blessed Sunday, I find myself in gratitude once more. If I could capture how I feel right now, I'd find a special way to get a photo of all my blogging sisters and create one big crowd of all their smiles to put on my computer and one in my wallet.  That sounds like a great PhotoShop idea huh?  That could be fun...I'll have to put that down for future exploration.

The reason I'd create this photo is that I feel so very fortunate to have met such caring, soulful women, who give from their hearts on a daily basis to make the world a better place.  I'm sure God smiles down often at these wonderful souls who nurture the children and the kitties (dear Helene) and the hungry and the poor...who appreciate the beauty in the world and give credence to even the smallest creature.  I am proud to know each and every one of you and feel my heart grow with each new meeting of a new soul sister.  Thank you for accepting me just as I am, and thank you for caring daily for all the world...I am a better person for having met you.