Quiet Saturday Night

Painted this watercolor landscape last weekend as one of my assignments. I'm still really trying to get the hang of watercolors and mixing colors, there were parts of this that just didn't come out as dark as I wanted them to. But I have to admit I do like playing with them and it doesn't take long for a couple of hours to just fly by!

Spent the day on chores and errands and catching up on stuff. Had a great veggie pizza for supper and am now preparing to relax for the rest of the evening. The College Kid headed back on the bus this morning, and the High School Kid is out spending the evening with friends so the house has once again settled into quiet.

I found some instructions this week for making prayer ropes, so I might just grab some cord, sit down on the couch with the hubby and while he's watching TV, see if I can't figure out how to make the knots. Depending on how it goes, I may just give up real quick! :) * o

Quiet Saturday Night

Bits and Pieces of Things

Today's post will be brought to you in bullet form:

• Still suffering from "Bloggers Block". Keep feeling that I have nothing deep or meaningful to post, or that my posts are too short or whatever and so every time I sit down to blog something......I don't....hence the bullet list today :)

• Lent is looming. This, oddly enough, is a very busy time of year for us church folks. Which I always find an interesting paradox since we are supposed to give stuff up for Lent and I always end up taking on more...hhmmm...

• Spirituality and Practice has an e-course for Lent - "The Cry of the Prophet - Practicing Spirituality with Joan Chittister" - looking forward to that starting up this week and being the focus of my devotions during this time.

• If Lent is not your thing, the next few weeks can be a good time for thinking about what is going on in your life, creatively or otherwise. What are you saying "Yes" to and what are you saying "No" to? What is brewing within you? What do you long to express? Are there things you need to let go of? What wants to burst forth and rise up from you :)

• Looking forward to a chat this week with Trish Bruxvoort-Colligan from Spirations Institute. I'm being pulled more and more towards spiritual direction, especially as I find myself facilitating at retreats more often so I'm trying to find a program that will help me grow in that direction. This one looks promising, and I have my fingers crossed!

• Artella has a great deal on their new Mixed-Media Self-Portraits course - you can get the details at my creativity coaching blog here

• The College Boy is home for a week!!

And that's it - now I think I should go and play with some watercolors and try and get another assignment done! * o

Bits and Pieces of Things

For My Love

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

- e. e. cummings ~

(Complete Poems, 1904-1962)

* o

For My Love

Playing with Paint

I had a nice creative afternoon, working on some assignments for my art course. The watercolor flowers above are part of the lesson I was working on. I had the tunes playing, the paint flying and before I knew it it was supper time! The exact thing I needed after a busy and rough week. It feels good to be creating again. Now if I could just somehow find a way to make the weekends longer...... * o

Playing with Paint

Sacred Space

My altar * o

Sacred Space

Some Journal Pages - Part One

I've been focusing heavily this week on healing. I had surgery last week to remove some kidney stones and I've been taking the time to rest and recuperate. So I've had some moments to work on journal pages and thought I would share a few. Since I can't quite figure out how to line up pictures properly, I've broken them into three separate posts!

This month in Jen Louden's Comfort Cafe the theme is Self-Trust. This journal page was an art journal exercise around the theme. I started with writing words that represented what I didn't trust about myself. Then stamped and painted over the words. Then I found images and symbols that represented "self-trust" to me and did some writing over that. * o

Some Journal Pages - Part One

Some Journal Pages - Part Two

My intention word - "JOY". Reminding myself to stop and think, "what would JOY look like right now?" and "what could JOY bring to this moment?".

Brick archways are appearing a lot lately in my doodling. Open doors? Paths to new possibilities? * o

Some Journal Pages - Part Two

Some Journal Pages - Part Three

Another "self-trust" image - peace and serenity, confidence and knowing..... * o

Some Journal Pages - Part Three