Boys and Girls a Lot Has Happened Since My Last Post.....

If you can make out the words in my journal you will see that I have taken on another position at the day job.  I was asked to help teach art and after a long and thought-out process, I said YES!  I'll still be managing the library but now I'll be doing it with glued up nails and possibly painted fingertips!  WOW!  How's that for a change?!!  The family is happy and excited and I'm well, full of ideas!!!

The five year-old Pilgrim below turned 29 last weekend!  I can't believe he was only in Kindergarten.

We celebrated my birthday on Thanksgiving and I know I have a whole lot to be thankful for.  This little tot was thankful she got to sit like a big girl at the dinner table in her bright pink high chair.  Here she's seated on her grandma's lap as the birthday song is being sung!

My life has been one artventure after another and for that, I'm truly thankful.  Hope you're all enjoying the left-overs of a long traditional holiday weekend.  I know I am.  

Wishin' and Hopin'

Awake is the New Sleep

I found a tiny square with the words "Awake is the New Sleep" in an old Indie/Rock Music magazine.  It fit with the way I've been feeling lately.  The recent time change has me feeling sleepy way too early and if I go to bed I find myself laying in bed super early with my eyes wide open.  Then I get up and find myself getting sleepy before I leave for work.  
This page was created as I was struggling with a decision which will bring a new change in my life.  It wasn't easy finding my answer but I'm sure I made the right choice.  I'll share it with you in my next post.
Hope your sleep patterns don't have you sleepwalking.  Night.     

Rubber, Baubles and Vets

Rubber.  It's a Good Thing.

 I'm very proud to say that when I went to the rubber stamp convention this past weekend,  I kept my rubber budget low and I was very much in control!  I'm getting better.  I even had enough money left over to treat my son, hubby and daughter-in-law to take-out fish and Baskin-Robbins ice cream!  YAY!  To have missed the convention because I "have too much stuff" would have been committing a rubber sin.  Really.  I mean, who am I kidding.  Who are WE kidding?  Those of us who find ourselves saying "I have too much...  I need to weed out stuff...I don't need another stamp....blah blah blah."  Nonsense!  There's no such thing as TOO MUCH RUBBER!!!  Now, that being said I hope to post some pages of my journal using these new stamps.  I've already stamped a page where there was a huge space begging for words.  Pat pat on my back for using my new found rubber.  HaHa!  
OOO, and I found some really cool beads.  Rubber conventions have it all.  Paper, rubber, ink, paint, beads, ephemera, magazines, books and lots of happy people.  I bought these baubles to make bracelet and earring sets for my sisters for Christmas.  Shhh, don't tell.
  

Can't let the day go by without giving all the U.S. Veterans a big shout out and high-five for their dedication to our country.  Daddy, you're one of the bravest soldiers I know.  To be a young man drafted and sent to a foreign land where you were greeted by bombs and bullets is something I know I could never endure.  When your legs got shot up and you were sent to Japan for surgery, recovery and rehab, you went back to the front lines without complaining.  Another thing I could never deal with.  BIG THANK YOU for being the best not only for the U.S. but for the four of us you raised.  Love you and big hugs.

Autumnal Uncertainties and Delights

What to Do?

The noodles in my brain have been getting too much exercise lately.  On Halloween I was asked to THINK about something.  Thankfully I was given reasonable time to make a decision.  I thought having time on my side would make it easier for me to decide my answer but I was wrong.  Sleep has been restless and it seemed that each free moment was spent trying to figure things out.  Can I?  Will I?  Maybe?  No.  Well.  Hmmm.  And so it went on like that for nine days.  Having time to make a decision is not for me.  I mean, this is BIG.  For me anyway.  I figured that one way to help me distract from my answer was to do some art journaling.  It helped.  But I only kept journaling about IT.  To be continued....

Guess who went to her second rubber stamp convention?  YES and you should have seen her face when her eyes fell upon a vendor demonstrating a technique with glitter!  Right then and there it became clear to me.  This child will be a glitter princess!  There was so much for her to see.  There were no dull moments.  I mean, look at her!

She did her best to not miss a thing but given her age a nap took priority.  It's good to know I have a normal grandchild.  sigh.  

Those of you who read my blog will have to wait to learn what the heck I'm talking about up above in this post.  In the meantime I'll continue to post pages from my journal regarding this "mystery."  In due time I'll reveal the details.  My kids don't even know.  Are the noodles in your brain working overtime?  Hurts a little, huh?

Political Artventures

Late Night Artventures

I was watching a commercial promoting a movie about America last night.  I loved the way the U.S. colors were splashed across the screen in no particular order.  I decided to make something similar in my journal and since election day was in the near future I chose to create a political statement.  
Today as I left work with sore feet and a tired body, going out to vote was not at the top of my list.  As I drove past the polling place I became very discouraged as I saw the line of people out on the sidewalk.  I drove around three times before I found a parking spot around the corner.  By the time I walked up to the building the line had moved inside.  I saw an elderly woman being helped to a seat because she was not in good health, I saw a young woman surrounded by 5 little girls waiting patiently in line and a very confused but ready to vote (probably for the first time) young adult.  Suddenly my feet didn't feel so sore anymore, my tiredness had lifted and it felt good to be there exercising my right to vote along with these very diverse and dedicated individuals.
So did you get out to make your vote count? 

    

Playtime

Playtime Journal Entry

I did a lot of playtime with my children.  I made "play-doh" for their little hands to mold the time away with, we made cookies, planted seeds in the garden and we even had a picnic in the backyard (on the floor of the concrete portion of the patio) but I never once got in the crib with either one of them!  
You can imagine my surprise and huge smile when my DIL e-mailed me pics of my son and granddaughter in her crib enjoying a little "Daddy and Me" time.  If you had told me 16 years ago that the boy who was good at giving his opinion when it was least appreciated or not even asked for would be climbing in the crib of his baby girl, I may have not been so hard on him.  But a momma's gotta do what she's gotta do when faced with the teen beast.  Well, maybe I should take a little credit for attempting to tame him.  I mean, look at him will ya.  He's playing with a baby and a lamb!  In a crib!  sigh.
  

Memories

80 What?  How?

My mom recently celebrated her 85th birthday.  Eighty-fifth.  As in eighty five.  Wow.  Talk about someone who has stood and watched changes all around her.  
Mom is the fourth child out of 13!  I say is because all 13 children are still living.  She was born and raised in Los Angeles in an area that is now surrounded by high-rise buildings and small warehouses.  It was probably because of her strict Catholic up-bringing that she would do the opposite with her own children.  Don't get me wrong.  We did not get off easily and we did get corrected, if you know what I mean.
During the 60s I remember her enjoying music and listening to Pop and Soul radio stations.  She thought she knew the lyrics to some of the popular songs but we didn't say anything, we just let her sing.  She loved songs like "I Can't Help Myself" by The Four Tops and "Baby Love" by The Supremes.  
When it came time to tell me about the birds and the bees, that's what it was called back then, my mom did not hesitate to answer my questions although I wished she had.
My sister and I were having lunch one afternoon when we heard some stomping sounds coming towards the kitchen.  It was our mother streaking through the kitchen.  Butt naked.  It was the "trend" back then.  We laughed so hard as she ran past us!!
My mother's hearing is now almost gone so she doesn't listen to music. Her leg gives her problems so streaking is a definite no-no.  But she still does not hesitate to answer any questions.  Although sometimes I wish she would.
Happy Birthday Mom....and many more.