How`Bout That? – I’ve Been Tagged

/ still a dreamer / 2 Comments

Animal ArtworkHmmmm … blogger tag, eh? I’ve done this kind of thing via e-mail, but never via blog. Truth is, I don’t know a whole lot of people out there with blogs to tag! I have all I can do to keep up with my e-mail, my own web site and then add to my blog as much as possible. Being a part of the larger blog community – well, it has just eluded me. But I have a plan …

5 random things about me …

– Almost all the art in my home is animals – in my office alone I’m surrounded by wolves, horses, a carved duck, mice, a cat, brass duck book-ends, a bunny tea light holder, a cat, a pig, 2 small stuffed dogs and a few gargoyles for good measure. I’m in the best of company!

– I have been in love with animals since I was a small child, fearless and always excited about meeting new animals (or old friends). They were then, and continue to be, the subject matter of my writing, artwork and photography.

– I’m extremely grateful for the many wonderful and enlightened people who have guided me on my path.

– I miss cooking, baking and even just plain decorating the house and sewing. My Domestic Dolly has had to take a back seat to earning my own income and developing my creativity. But there was a time when hours in the kitchen was a peaceful commune with myself .. its own meditation with a yummy ending.

– I love snow. Everything looks so gorgeous when dusted or coated with new fallen snow – the almost eerie quiet after a snowfall when there’s not a footprint in sight. Or a deer drifts through with such stunning grace. Just don’t ask me to drive in it!

Now here’s where I get crafty – I’m linking back to Sheri, (I think I can do that), and Leeza – both are fellow writers – Sheri the organizer of our writing group and Leeza also an illustrator AND … someone who I suspect knows a whole lot of bloggers to keep this going – Brooke, who’s my friend’s daughter and another very talented writer. and that’s it!

How to play – tag 5 people after you’ve written 5 random things about yourself on your own blog by providing links at the bottom of the post Let your blogger friends know you’ve tagged them so they can keep the game going. Then it’s their turn. Go back to each person’s blog and see what they’ve written!

See? If I don’t write, someone will give me an excuse!

Birthday Sunset

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Sunset

Today as I began journaling I wrote the date and saw that it was November 28th — my Nana’s birthday.  My Nana passed away in 1972 at the ripe old age of 96.  She was born in London and came “across the pond” in her mid 20’s at the turn of the century. She was already a widow, and came to the United States by herself to start a new life.  How brave she must have been to leave all she knew and come to a new country alone.

Nana was always a big reader, and I remember that she read to me plenty when I was young, always in the green chair in the corner of the living room. I sat on her lap and she read me stories or my books about dogs, horses, birds, or elves and fairies.

I haven’t thought of her in awhile – she’s been gone now 35 years. She was quiet and refined in her British way, with a rather wealthy upbringing as I was told. Her lovely accent rubbed off on me, but I was forced to abandon it as I was ridiculed in grammar school as `talking funny’ by other kids. 

Nana couldn’t cook worth a lick. All I ever saw her cook was a pepper omelette or make a bologna sandwich. When my grandfather was alive and they were together, he did all the cooking. Thinking of her, remembering her, brought a smile to my face. I looked out the window and noticed how the trees are finally almost bare of leaves. From my office window I can see the Delaware again. I’m reading a great novel – Nana would have liked it, I think.

This evening I watched a gorgeous sunset and ran outside with my digital camera to capture it. I think she would have liked that, too. Happy Birthday, Nana.

See more photos on my web site. 

Trick or Treaters

/ still a dreamer

100 kids – that’s about how many we see on Halloween in 2 hours where I live. In the country, it’s impossible to trick or treat on 2-lane blacktops to farms, so kids get bussed-in to little towns like mine where it’s also friendly and safe.

Halloween FrenchieAfter you’ve finished answering the door to the many little goblins, princesses and bears, who sticks in your mind? This year, a 12-ish year old boy wore a good skeleton costume with different size cereal boxes affixed all over to his outfit – he was a cereal killer. That was pretty funny.

But who stands out every year and makes me curious is the child who comes and takes a small wrapped chocolate bar from my basket, hesitates, then quickly, almost surreptitiously, whisks another one away into their treat bag with a rather guilty face. I’ve seen one of these kids every year no matter where I’ve lived. Do you see that child, too?

It always makes me curious … do they like this candy so much and don’t get it very often? Are they just not getting enough in their life in some way? They could ask – kids that do, I always let take a second – but this child can’t ask, and needs to take. For some reason it just saddens me a bit – the other kids are having a big time, and this little one – a shy little girl this year – just looked at me real quick, then away, and took more. I wish I could spot her – or him – beforehand. I’d ask if they’d like another … and then they could feel good about being asked AND feel it was Ok to have more.

Like Bully Art? Check out the breeds I have artwork for.

Maybe more OMMM than OWWW …

/ still a dreamer

It’s really all a matter of words. And mood. So as charter members of OWWW, might we take a deep breath and turn those w’s into m’s and try for OMMM. A dear friend of mine has suggested chanting to get me out of that oww mood, among other things. To help me be calmer and to tune into the greater consciousness. I’m all for it.
Admittedly, chanting seems a bit strange to me. I’ve always sung to myself and frequently hummed, but actually chanting is something very new. Even though there may be no one around, it’s so different from anything I’ve done, that I feel like I’m sticking out in a crowd.
Chant-FrenchieGetting ourselves into a spiritual place is a much better thing than complaining about too much to do, although the latter is so easy. Clearing energy and just BEing – that is a challenge. It’s one I attempt to master every day, sometimes with great results, others less than stellar. But I admit, I do find the chanting somehow comforting.
The chant is one from Nchiren Buddhism … and has it’s own website … how to chant, how to pronounce the words and the meaning of the chant. Too long for a blog, but you can do a search easily enough. Here’s the chant: nam-myoho-renge-kyo. For when you want to choose the ommm instead of the owww.

Hmmmm .. could that little Frenchie be quietly chanting on her lilypad? Check out my Frenchies Apres Monet in cards or a print.

OWWW …

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That’s the name of the new organization. It’s one of those acronym kind of things, but instead of being impossible to figure out or pronounce, like GSTPA, I made it real easy – Owww! And fun to say! You can use caps or lower case or not. What does it stand for? Overworked Working Women of the World. You can even whine when you say it.

The best thing about it? No dues or fees, no waiting period, and you don’t even have to e-mail me! Or anyone. If you’re a woman, and let’s say American, (since that’s my greatest area of familiarity), and you’re up to your ass in alligators way too many days of the week working in one way or another … you’re already in! That’s the beauty of it. YOU are already a member! Congratulations!

Hey – if this catches on, I’ll make little membership cards that you can download off the website. (Hmmm – there’s an idea!) and soon I’ll be adding a logo, I think. If I can find the time in between all this work I have to do. And that’s the whole point of OWWW… we’re all working waaaayyy too much. If, au contraire, you feel you don’t have enough to do, I suggest you go to YouTube and enjoy. The rest of you … please just bask in the sisterhood of it all.

I’m tired. I don’t know a woman who isn’t tired! Between juggling work, commutes, trying to keep money coming in, taking care of the kids and/or pets, keeping your partner – if you have one – happy, shopping, cooking, banking, bill-paying, cleaning! I believe it was Lucy or maybe Charlie Brown who said it – AUGGHHHH! And don’t forget … somewhere in there, you want to be squeezing in the fulfillment of your dreams! Oh, yes!

Okay, so maybe I’m in an overwhelmed state of mind at the moment. If I’m out of it in a day or so, I’ll disband the organization. (which is impossible since so many members exist whether I call it an organization or not.) I’ll become an alumna. I’ll come visit. But meanwhile, there’s always the group’s motto – owwwww. And said quietly, please. We’re tired!

And, BTW, if you DO have a minute, check out some of the services and neat stuff I have on my website – I’ll be updating it again as soon as I have a minute. Promise.