Friday, January 25, 2008

Blog? What blog?

I have been up to my bushy unplucked eyebrows in work this week with report cards due and many new ideas swimming around in my head from last week's CA Kindergarten conference... but I haven't the time for blogging or chatting or posting any of my great new photos.....

There's a 2000 square foot house full of STUFF (you could choose to say crap, junk, or lovely items I cannot bear to part with here) that needs to be packed and moved 3.1 miles across town. By Sunday.

Enough said.

Love, Nancy

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Whew!!

It's so hard to adjust to working again after being off. It was nice to be back with my cute K's though. Bad, bad week for working out, but today I'm a pound and a half lower than I was last week after working out every day for an hour and a half. I did cut my calorie intake somewhat... It just doesn't make any sense! Alas, a tummy tuck seems to be the only rational solution!

The daily art hasn't been happening either, but on the up side I have taken down almost all of the Christmas decorations. I have just the little gingerbread tree left to do, and it will be a piece of cake!

Today was a good day.... with 12 hours of sleep behind me, a good workout and the Packers winning their playoff game. We also went to a wedding reception for an old friend and his new wife. It was nice to chat with some people I haven't seen in 12 years or so. It was also nice to dress up and see Mark wearing slacks and a linen shirt. I really should get a picture before he changes.
Sorry for the random blathering... will try to be more witty or thought provoking tomorrow!

Love, Nancy

Monday, January 07, 2008

My fierce (but adorable) pup


Page 6 for my "What Matters" album... Mixed some old papers with new...used a couple of scraps... I keep them around, might as well look at them occasionally! Love, love, love this picture of Pepper. Could have it blown up to poster size for display in the living room! It really shows his funny little personality. Look at that attitude, that bulging chest, the glaring eyes... look at the 3 inch long legs splayed out like a duck, the mismatched eyes (one blue, one brown), the fur that grows in every color with no rhyme or reason.

On another note, I WELCOMED my class back to school today. It was a good day. We chatted as we cut snowflake after snowflake from coffee filters then we picked our favorites, colored them with markers, then stuck them in water to make a motley of blues, greens and purples. We talked about what Santa brought us... about the movies we saw. We made a chart about what we would do if it snowed. We made sticks of 5 cubes and talked about the "number sentences" they made then wrote them on the white board. We read "The Mitten". At recess 3 little girls huddled on my lap to keep warm from the icy wind while the rest of the class ran pell mell through the wet chips. At the end of the day while they played I called them over one by one and asked them to blend words. Almost all of them have mastered it. Yes, it was a good day.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

One little word

Last year I tried the "one little word" challenge from over on Ali Edward's blog. If you cannot remember, I chose "fullness". For some reason, the word lost it's meaning to me as the year went on, and I didn't get much out of it.... most likely because I didn't put much effort in!

This year I didn't expect to choose a word, but then inspiration struck... I sat and wrote trying to free my mind... you know, that stream of consciousness writing thing-y.... Here is my list:
simplify
clarify
listen
relax
gratitude
grace
forgiveness
presence
gathering
priorities
love

I wrote these words again and again on a piece of paper... waiting for the front runner to appear to me. When that didn't work, I moved to the computer thinking I'd look up quotes on "inspiration peak" until I felt that one was just right. While I was waiting for our ever so slow computer to get to "inspiration peak" my mind kept wheeling around and around and out of the abyss came the word "WELCOME". I pictured myself welcoming each day with open arms... welcoming 2008.... welcoming my family and friends into closer relationships.... welcoming Jesus into my heart yet again... welcoming challenges and discomfort and pain as an opportunity to grow. I did a search for quotes with this word in them and loved all 4 of them.... Hence, my new word for the year is "WELCOME". In celebration I made a cover for a journal of quotes and musings on my word of the year... it is my art for today.


In addition, here is one of the quotes. It is perfect.
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meaness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whomever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Jalal ad-Din Rumi

Beloved Persian Poet

Friday, January 04, 2008

My new ringtone

Follow your Heart


Another page for my "What Matters" book... Used new papers and rub ons I got at the scrap store today. I had a gift certificate from a sweet student and his parents! I actually used a silver pen and drew aborder around the picture... pretty wild for my non-doodling self. Also, on the bottom right of the picture is the word "you"... those square typewriter keys never scan well.

Am trying, no struggling, to feel more myself this week. I thought that this time off would supply me with energy, peace, sustenance. I thought I would create page after page... pack piles of boxes with rarely used items.... read novel after novel... work my body out until the fat poured off of it. Instead I have felt the same old lethargy, latent anger and anxiety as usual. Maybe it's moving from our beautiful house... maybe it's feeling financially trapped by our inability to sell that lovely, empty house sitting in the snow. Last night we had a horrible wind storm ripping through our area. I lay awake listening to the wind howling and wondering if the roof was going to blow off our house down in Sonora. And if it did, how long would it take for someone to notice? What would be the damage? Would the home owner's insurance cover it? Would the house sell better with a new roof? My brain was doing it's "hamster running on the exercise wheel" imitation. I got relatively little sleep.

I want to focus on "What Matters"... I NEED to focus on "What Matters."

Maybe tomorrow will be better.
Love, Nancy

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Adorable you


My art for today. Page was actually started at a scrapbooking workshop thing-y called CKU Masters 2005!! Has been sitting empty in album for all those months. It was sponsored by Rusty Pickle (a scrapping company for all you non-scrappers out there). We started with black patterned paper then added corrugated cardboard which we dry brushed with white paint. The fabric looking stuff around the buckle is actually paper. I really love the lacy ribbon on the tag and the teeny tiny staples. I added the pink ric-rac to the safety pin and the white heart ric-rac, heart charm, and the flower with a button center.... along with the cute pictures of Kyla from her 2nd birthday.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

What Matters

So while lurking around in blogland, I commited to "creating art everyday in January" Ack! What?! Am I crazy?! Already I have failed as the pomegranite martinis (as well as a BOTTLE of champage) left me unable to leave the comfort of my bed yesterday, but here it is, the 2nd, and I created a little smidgy piece of art... my type of art.
It is the title page for an album I have been thinking of making called "What Matters". I whipped out my ne'er used paints for the border around the quote and even used a stamp from a set of very expensive acrylics I bought months ago and was afraid of. My goal will be to make a page or two each day this month and have it finished by the time the month is over. As the album is only 20 pages in length, I am hoping I will finish it. Also, since it is 8x8 inches, it will be easy to scan the pages for posting here. Wish me luck!

Love, Nancy