Tuesdays with my Blog

Here I sit, all sweaty after a (mostly) jog / walk around my area, drinking my refreshing Thai coconut from a straw ... and totally eager to get back to blogging! Before my jog, I already invested a chunk of time blogging on my Curious Challenges blog, about the assignment on LIGHT.

I know others don't get the need-to-blog thing ... I dig it so much, I buy magazines on it, like Artful Blogging.

But my supply of magazines (and books) don't end there ... More than my fair share of reading materials on various subjects, are strategically placed about so I don't have to go far to have something to read, look at, learn, or be inspired about. They are my constant companions :)

Mmmm ... I just scraped out the gelatinous meat from the coconut, so laden with nutrients; there's simply no treat quite like it ... to me, it's ambrosia :) ... Well maybe next to chocolate, lol ;P

Speaking of treat, it was a treat to discover the new CD I got with songs from an artist I never heard of rocks! I only heard one of her songs on Pandora and decided to buy her album ... I love every song on it, and have listened to nothing else while in my car ... (Listen, and you too will love :) Her name is Courtney Jaye and the album is Traveling Light.

On Saturday, we went to the Secret Woods park ... It was the first time I've ever been, and I felt at home among the flying jewels of butterflies, bees and dragonflies.

Below is a pic of my bee, expertly captured for me. The azurite-colored darling kept greeting and facing me at eye level ... I didn't realize how wondrous it's facial features were before then. I was so tickled by the encounter and it's beauty, I placed an order to have it captured exactly how I perceived it (face-to-face). Moments later, I get what I didn't believe was possible: the shot I asked for. :)

That night, we met other local photographers at Deerfield Beach to capture shots of the Strawberry Moon. Since the skies were overcast, the moon was only visible a short time. I forgot the piece that attaches the camera to the tripod, so I couldn't get any shots of it. So in keeping with making this Saturday creative, I "creatively" imposed my own full moon taken earlier in the year (... although, I'm bummed I can't find the picture I previously posted of it, nor the correlating poetry. It must not have transferred over from my prior blog for whatever reason).

Anyway, my evening needed smoothing out, and being creative with the image also allowed me to recreate it into one more ideal. :)

Look at the time already ... G'night !

Hum dee dum .. ♫

After hitting "New Post," I jotted down a few random thoughts ... not really committing to blogging about anything in particular other than the results from Creative Saturday ...  And although this post initially held more, I culled lots to keep it short and sweet ;P

Plus, I'm distracted ... thinking about how this time would best be served catching up with everyone ... like my BFF, Kym and discerning what may be going on with her ... and catching up with other friends and family I haven't been able to connect with.  Modes of communication that worked once before, simply don't for me now, and it doesn't make me happy ... If only we could have selective telepathy to keep in touch ... 

This past Creative Saturday, Laura and I worked on digital art tutorials.  Her work on her pin-up is coming along beautifully, and it's getting more exciting, now that colors are being introduced.  Come see.

My tutorial was turning a picture into a pastel painting.  It was from Photoshop Creative magazine issue 54, page 56.  I was not inspired to work on it much more after Laura left; I just did a couple of touch ups and then cropped it.  The original picture I worked with (at the bottom) was taken while on horseback in New Hampshire.  I think they both have their own kind of charm ... =)

Bits of Thoughts and words I've stumbled across:

"One day at a time -- this is enough.  Live in the present and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering." ~ Ida Scott Taylor

"You don't need to know or prove anything. Just to be, to take a risk and enjoy your life is all that matters. Say no when you want to say no, and yes when you want to say yes. You have the right to be you."

"... laughter dancing in your eyes."

"... plume himself of his wisdom."

" ... Faith is the light that illuminates your pathway.  Without faith, the future looks very frightening.  That's why it's essential for you to take whatever steps are necessary to keep your mind and heart filled with faith ..."

Ok, this is all I have time and energy for at the moment; what little energy I possess must now be expended on dishes and laundry before night's end ... Adieu! ♥

Thank Heavens for Art and Each Other

This past Creative Saturday, Laura and I worked on traditional art. While I sat fully engrossed in my Fairy drawing, Laura was a flurry of artistry in motion. She began painting in watercolor from a sketch she drew of shuttered windows, delicately embellished with streams of laundry ... The next thing I knew, there was a commotion of sounds and peripheral activity as she looked about for proper materials to start her next project. Once she settled down, I was able to make out she was now working on an acrylic painting. Within moments, a sunflower was sketched out and happy shades of blue and yellow lit up the room.

Here's a picture of her starting her acrylic painting of the sunflower:

And this shows my progression of my Fairy sketch:

After eating at my favorite place, Toojay's, we went to the bookstore in search of the new blogging magazine. We didn't find it, but we did find stuff of interest, as we always do. I was beguiled into buying a novel in their discount section. The prose in it is hilariously proper and old English. For instance, on the first page I read: "It was a marvel to him that Miss Wychwood was able to endure her bibble-babble, for she wasn't short of a sheet, not by any means she wasn't!" I will so have to borrow a phrase or two on occasion to stir things up, lol. I love that era -- a time of propriety ... a time of such subtlety that you really had to read between the lines to get the message. I also love how virtue was everything back then.

Although I wanted to include more in today's entry, it's already approaching a late hour. Tonight, I was able to take the time to process the pics to include here, exercise, and finish up and fold laundry while watching the season finale of Buffy. Tears were so streaming down my face as Buffy had to sacrifice herself so her sister could live, but before she did so, she told her sister: "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. Live for me ... !" ... and then she flung herself into the big bad and died ... I guess ya' had to be there ;), lol.

It's so easy to get bogged down by the quotidian ... by the unpleasant trappings of the world ... thank Heavens we have art and each other to hold on to ...

On that note, I'm going to live as I finish off my chocolate biscotti ... ☺

Good night! ♥

On Turning 44

On June 6, I turned the glorious age of 44.  I decided to preface this post with 11 things I've come to realize at this milestone age (At first I had a list of 10, but then I added one more for good measure ☺) :

I've realized:

1. I will snore lightly when tired.

2. Drawing is within my reach.

3. Reading the fine print no longer feels fine.

4. I still have an unyielding desire to play hopscotch.

5. It took 44 years to find a doll that looks like me.

6. That a quick way to build my self esteem is to stop needing approval.

7. That when I approach EVERY moment like it counts, happiness and satisfaction are natural by-products

8. Feelings of nostalgia have become more prominent.

9. A part of me dies when I am unable to be creative.

10. Experience breeds wisdom, but is hollow without application.

11. 44 is a master number.

On my birthday weekend, I was spoiled rotten with VIP treatment and the most perfect gifts. I ate with abandon, as Laura treated me to all of my favorite foods, including veggie wraps and a huge, gourmet dark, chocolate turtle sold at this quaint chocolate shop, where Laura and the salesperson had much to share in the way of her travels to his home country. This was the shop we found my (to us, infamous) "Lita doll" that Laura insisted on getting me!

She and I went to Marco Island with no preconceived ideas of what we'd do or see. The beaches and the sea welcomed us as honored guests, sharing their respective hospitalities of bay, seaweed, breezy winds, sand and surf. We also got the privilege of interacting with its inhabitants, including the fiddler crabs and sea snails.

As we first approached one of the trails called Tigertail, we got to witness the fleeting interaction of 2 osprey as one tried to steal a catfish from the other. It was at that point our cameras really started clicking away.

I've posted a couple of pics from that day of which I'll post more, once I have time to process them. One is of the bay, which comprised of 6 shots I stitched together. The other is of Laura doing what she does best: bringing joy to all who surround her with her exuberance:

As has become customary, we ultimately found ourselves at Barnes & Noble. It was there we came across a book that inspired a new enterprise consisting of 58 assignments that explains how to be an explorer of the world, which is exactly what the book is entitled. We will each post our assignment results in our respective blogs. Mine will go into a blog I created solely for that purpose where "Lita doll" was put in the header, lol.  It's found here.

Sunday morning, I was greeted by the most creative birthday message ever when I opened my Flickr account and saw this:

Later, when he came to see me, I was expecting to see nothing but his cheery face. I was greeted with not only his cheery face, but also with an armful of beautifully and creatively wrapped gifts, all streaming with my favorite color, which was so unnecessary, after his most treasured message in a bottle, and considering I already received gifts a week earlier!

Throughout the weekend, I also received birthday wishes telephonically and via text, as well as monetary gifts from loved ones. Although birthdays have lost it's allure for me after turning 21, it's still a great excuse to be treated as a queen for the day, lol

Unfortunately time has run short, and I must now take leave to prepare for Monday morning ... My next entry will include prose about this past Creative Saturday. Until then .... Adios! ☺

Feeling loquacious

The highlights from the past week include spending a cherished 3-day weekend with my Honey, seeing Bri and having a fun, get-together with friends met through photography.

We drove up to Orlando Friday night to stay at a hotel. Our palate and tummies were taken care of until we arrived at our destination.

I loved our hotel! The king-sized bed was so comfortable and the view was an ahhh kind of relaxing. We overlooked water, a tree, and a well-manicured yard … at night, we got to enjoy cooler, night air with the full moon peaking over backlit clouds.

Before bedtime, he gave me my birthday gifts early, knowing my birthday weekend would be spent with Laura. He so knows how to spoil :)!

When we awoke, we sat on our balcony on the patio chairs, enjoying our crisp, red delicious apples as we took in the newness of the day and each other. Afterward, we headed to Trenton to see Bri.

Once my not-so-accurate GPS got us nearby, I started to get nervous after so long of a stretch of not seeing him, and also for arriving for the first time minus his father.

I found a table outside, far enough from smokers, and anxiously awaited his smiling face. When he appeared, the smile I anticipated was missing. My late arrival put him on edge. He worried I wouldn’t make it on time to see him. Once he calmed, I still sensed something was awry and discovered it had to do with the final breakup between his father and I. He was blaming himself. Although I had been vague for so long, it felt appropriate to finally fill in details to ease his mind from thinking his incarceration was a factor. Although he saw my point, he more cheerfully said he still partly blames himself. I felt better that he was lighter about it, but heavier about the extent of the disclosure.

We then met up with L, who graciously took us in for the weekend, as well as another photographer, at this restaurant that had the best calamari. After finishing our dinners, we chased that down with dessert from a place that makes homemade ice cream.

The next morning, we went to Payne’s Prairie and trekked around in search of the much-sought-after bison. It wasn’t until the end of the day we finally got to see them and a few, stray wild horses. Although we would’ve preferred to see them close up, it was still quite the experience to see them out in the wild.

After:

• a long walk in the heat,
• enduring our respective aches and pains,
• warmly clothed to avoid the sting of yellow flies,
• having my first touch of sunburn for the year,

we treated ourselves to Cold Stone Ice Cream, and yum, was it a treat!

When we returned to L’s place, and sat, engrossed in conversation while the rain came down. I was treated to TLC on my painful neck and shoulders.

The following morning, L and I chatted. She has this way about her ... to where you could easily listen to her talk all day. That's a good thing, considering her livelihood will soon be teaching again. She makes these amazing fabric dolls that sells for around $1,500. I instantly thought of how Laura could appreciate them since she has an avid appreciation of them. Anyway, L is quite a special, creative and warm-hearted person, and I am all the better for simply knowing her.

As it is now after 10 pm, I realize I will not have time to add corresponding pics, so I will leave my posting pictureless and upload an addendum of pics once I’ve had a chance to process them.

>sigh< No doubt, I’ve left out much, but must now take leave to answer E-mails then head to bed ...