babies, children, life and love ~ day 3

i can hardly believe
already october

i can hardly believe
tomorrow will be
nineteen weeks


i can hardly believe
people's actions
choices

i can hardly believe
my strength
my courage
my hope
my light

i can hardly believe
my ability to laugh
to love
to cry
to pray

i can hardly believe
near ten months

i can hardly believe

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat
And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull
And if that cart and bull fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town."

                                              ~ traditional lullaby 

a little bit of art and some exciting plans

I am beginning to get very excited about my annual art retreat when I get to spend time by myself with an opportunity to be away from the typical demands of everyday life. I was very concerned, until a very few days ago, about the retreat. The cottage this normally occurred in had been sold last fall. We went in search of a light housekeeping unit in the same beach area. At first the prospects did not seem promising. Then we did find a place. It is tiny with very little table and counter space. But still it is a space. Still I can have my retreat. Still I can plan to do art, but only when I truly feel like doing art. Maybe for that week my art will be in my dreams and mindfulness. 

In the meantime I continue to sometimes straggle on and sometimes burst forth with energy and creativity beyond imagining. I have remembered how much I love my outdoor times and gardening. I have learned that when I am extremely frustrated, the choice to go cut down numerous small trees growing in our back garden, and pull up unwanted grass, can be a very good choice. Yes, my shoulders get a little sore and my blood sugars tend to do their usual bouncing but still a good choice.

Below are some very small marker portraits in a water colour paper journal from the past days, with water used to spread the colours.

 The following work in progress continues to offer a beginning with which to work. The very obvious misconstruance of the placement of the girl's head gives me pause to wonder, when I even realize how wrong it is. I think I have decided to not change it. I have come to realize I have placed it where it is probably for a reason. I had no perception for the longest time of what I had drawn. Even now, when I come back to it, I have forgotten about the placement of that smaller head. No longer will I forget. I will explain to you next time I post the picture, hopefully in final stages. I will try to describe my thoughts about it. I suspect the picture will raise its own meaning for you.

And finally to reassure* that I am still sometimes in that bright and cheery warm colours mode, here is part of a background I have been working on together with a book from a few years ago which has numerous quotations as well as my happiness for the day recordings. The background is on a map that came with the ledger book I have been altering for an art journal book. It is a phone exchange map for a part of our province. The map is perfect for providing background lines and words.
*my friends like Jeanne

Angel blessings my friends.

Remembering

The year is new. The week is new. The moment is new. Somehow I have lost track of much of the art I created in the past year, the past weeks, the past moments. Or perhaps I could say I lost track of how to share it with you.
Today I was remembering some of that art. I think I have convinced myself that I could move on to new thoughts and ideas. I have convinced myself that I do not have to try to catch up on all those thoughts left in my brain and not shared with you. The pictures however - they are timeless.

I will endeavour to spice my sharings with some of that art left forgotten. This particular young lady is from a canvas I was painting in July, or maybe it was early August. I introduce to you Angelina from "Fragility of Life".

Life goes on: I have chosen to share with you on this very windy day, when I must remember that wind is about spirit, some photos taken yesterday of Muenster Church. It had been called St. Peter's Cathedral until recent years. The church is situated about 10 km. from Humboldt, so is very near. The paintings of Berthold Imhoff were created in the cathedral in 1919. They have been restored a number of times since then. For more pictures of the cathedral visit this set.

Fathers remembered - the reason I said life goes on, is that yesterday brought the death of a third young father in our community within the past nine months. These fathers ranged in age from 34 years - 41 years. Two died of heart attacks. The other, an RCMP officer, died yesterday in a motor vehicle accident while returning home from his new detachment in northern Saskatchewan. I do not much feel like working with my journal quilt while my heart is aching, my soul is grieving.

Angels be with you.