Yaay!!

Jon came out of surgery well, Doc said they think they got it all, he's being transferred ICU today. My SIL Lisa is finally breathing again. Thank you everyone for your prayers.

yaaay!!

Jon & Lisa

My brother in law and his wife. Today Jon went in for pretty serious surgery. Lisa's waiting, for an update. I'll just keep waiting and praying.

Oxymoron

As defined by UrbanDictionary.com-Two words that conflict with each other. Examples of an oxymoron:

Microsoft Works
United Nations
Political Correctness
Linux Complete
Artificial Reality
Rap Music

While striving to be the perfect Mom, wife, artist (Hey I can dream!) I discover that its the imperfections that make things perfect. For instance if I dont make mistakes in being a Mom, then how will my son ever know how to stop, breathe, assess necessary amends, forgive himself if necessary, grow stronger-smarter-etc, and move on? If I am perfect, then when he makes a mistake, having no model for recourse-he is going to see himself as failure. Not OK.

As far as a perfect artist (thats it's own oxymoron, isnt it?) If I dont make mistakes, then all the work will have a repetitive theme, with out trying something new, my muse gets bored (I picture a tinkerbell-ish creature sitting in a fern, yawning at me LOL) I get bored, and everyone else gets bored. And I get nowhere in my journey. I read somewhere that in Great Japanese art, it's the imperfections that make it beautiful. I think it makes it human, as in hand made, with love and attention.

Perfect wife? FOTFLMAO-Oh Please! I just cant see Martha Stewart wearing Fredericks of Hollywood.........I'm too short anyway, seriously- all I can do there is love him, and try not to be a bitch.

So I have decided to continue on my imperfect path. Perfect isnt it?

Manure- from Dr David Weiman

Happy Places

This is my son, practicing to fulfill his dream of saving the world. The picture was taken at Truro Cape Cod, a year or so ago, I just came across it looking for something else (sound like anyone else you know?) It's such a happy picture, and Truro is such a happy place for us.

I came upon the happiest web-place today. Allison Strines etsy shop. Yes I bought something. Yes it made me very happy. (Todays blog title links to her site.)

She does the most cheerful heartfilling uplifting work. I bought "She's cleverly disguised as a responsible adult" and "She is good enough right now" Even just the titles are enough to make your day. I hope she realizes how much she gives when people buy her work.

I think it's incredible that in these hard and sometimes scary times, there are people out there, whose paths we cross (fate, karma, kismet, destiny?) who are there at just the right time with just the right message for us. If only we listen, I try to, whenever I am fortunate enough to cross paths with someone like Allison.

My gratitude for today: my son kissed me good morning (like everyday), gave me a huge hug and smile when I left him at his school (like every day), I am at a job I like- working with good people, will have dinner with Mom, and repaint the face on one of her mermaids tonight, and go home to my warm inviting comfortable home to put my sweetheart to sleep with his lovies, then go to my Art Room and work on a bracelet I started over the weekend.

Ain't it great to be blessed? or as Evan says "boom boom, aint it great to be crazy?"

Nietzsche

My favorite quote of late is by Nietzsche "We have art so that we shall not die of reality" Isnt that great?

When I feel like I am 'dying of reality' aka the everyday wonderful craziness that is my life, the thing that heals me best is to create something, whether a new piece of jewelry, a sketch or a martian made out of old oatmeal boxes and pipe cleaners. I used to feel trapped by all the nuttiness, felt like I would never be 'allowed' to let any creativity back in. What I didnt know was that I was the one doing the 'not allowing'. The way I feel about life has changed dramatically since I took the step, realized I deserved it, and with the help of my family, created "the Art Room" in our house, a place devoted to creating, and perservering. I have had failures in there, many, but they are all steps in the process, and are all good. The simple act of entering the room has an effect on me, calming, empowering, recharging.

And yes other stuff in my life must wait, but who cares if I dont always get all the laundry done? As long as Evan has clean underwear and socks, it's all good.

My Etsy Store

I opened an Etsy store a few months ago, it's so exciting to see my work on the net. My husband took the pictures. I work in precious metal clay, sterling, copper and bronze sheet, sterling and fine silver wire, and just about anything else I can get my hands on. These pictures are just a couple of the pieces I posted.

I love working in my 'art room' as my almost 6 year old has dubbed it. My son will be asleep in his room across the hall, or so I think and everyonce in a while I'll hear "Mommy? are you still in the art room?" "yes baby" I'll say, then I hear a sleepy "thats good Mommy, I love you" "I Love you too, sweets" I say, and then with my filled up heart, I work on making something out of something else.

I love my life (yes even the braces)

The Art Room

I recently discovered jewelry. Making jewelry, string beads, forging, fusing, hammering, torching. Such forceful words that create such beauty. This is a bracelet I made from sterling silver wire, heavy links, with double jump rings to hold it together.

I love being in my art room. My terrific husband and I decided a year or so ago to turn the 'guest bedroom' into something that would actually get used. We dubbed it "The Art Room". I have a work bench, my (almost) six year old has his table, we both have our stashes of supplies, the only rule in the room is "dont give up". Pretty good rule.

My son has been the fuel for my creative fire. I had made a bunch of pieces, and was wearing them, getting compliments, always saying "thank you" never telling that I made the work. One day Ev decided to toot my horn for me, and when a woman in the grocery store asked about something I was wearing, he piped up "My mommy is a jewelry maker, you should get her to make you something" and he became my defacto marketing department.

What a great kid. I am so blessed

Today

Today, I am occupied with my braces, new braces, although at my age, it seems sort of silly to have done it, but I have wanted to do this since I was in my twenties (many many moons ago). My wonderful mother gave them to me as a gift. Maybe it's my age I am occupied with, I don't feel 50, don't seem to look it, certainly don't act it. I have a (almost) 6 year old son, who keeps showing me new reasons for gratitude everyday, I am sure he is part of that. Just seems oxy-moronishly vain to have gotten around to braces at 50. and yes, they hurt, but I am glad I did it. I think I am tired of waiting to do things for me. So although it hurts and is a pain in my ass (I have broken them already) I am really really glad I did it.

only 360 days +/- to go