Quote of The Day

Thursday, May 04, 2017

Accomplishments

Sisters Morning Coffee Happy Tiler peeps
It was a thrill  when we bought  beautiful new  bedroom
furniture several decades ago.It was loved for years.
 Then one day, all of a sudden, it became outdated. 
A bit  of an eyesore but still useful. So we  kept  it!  
Dusted it, fed the wood oil to preserve the sheen.
Each year that passes is a reminder of how fast
 the aging process is. Until eventually you
  detach from it!
Chelsea always has something wise to say but needs her morning coffee first!
People suggested I should dispense of the suite two decades 
ago when I divorced. Part of me thought he might take it,
being the lover of wood that he was. The huge heavy set 
 wouldn't work where he was living.  I couldn't really
 afford to replace it with anything decent! So I sufficed.
Naomi needs her morning coffee before she starts her creative regime
There is a great satisfaction in salvaging something old to make it
 new again! As I admire my kids painting  my fourty year old wood 
furniture I'm reminded how much joy and sense of accomplishment 
I felt when I invested   time to repaint seasoned furniture to 
match the decor of the moment!
Painted bedside tables with glass knobs. Too embarrassed to show you the ugly before photos...
Every single time you accomplish something by amending
a situation or item  it brings you a deep feeling of
 satisfaction. Even if it's just making small  changes 
to your surrounding by taking a step towards improvement!
It's like  an awakening.
Stinky is a bit of a dork but has super nice friends
 So many times parents aren't willing to let children 
try new things for  fear they'll make a mess or wreck 
something. Others give their children free range to 
make mistakes, and eventually find that sense
of accomplishment on their own!
Amy is even more liberal than her friends know
From the age of three I stood on a chair cooking beside my mother.
 I was baking alone at eight, and making pies and perogys by 
thirteen!! I sewed and crocheted very early too!! Even though
  I felt self-conscious in my very mature body, my self confidence
  could be measured in my ability to do things and connect 
intimately with people!
Midge is a very compassionate person
Praise wasn't common when  I was a child. 
Parents and authorities focused more on 
corrections.  So you flailed on your own, figuring
out how to relate to the world and fit in! 
Harvey is a strange dude who wears vintage shorts and works out!
I raised my child differently. She was praised for natural
abilities and good choices! Some criticize millennial's 
being praised for  good choices rather than accomplishments.
   Even when I enticed Cupcake, she had no interest
  to cook beside me! Instead she found her footing
  in her own time. She's now an amazing intuitive cook,
who takes more risks than I ever did! She also finds
comfort in baking or cooking when stressed!
Gwen is quite an unnecessary  worrier
Cupcake wasn't forced to do anything. Somehow she learned 
what she lived and found her own natural skills too!
 She emulated my work ethic, my cooking, my generosity, 
my love of family. She loves to sew like I used to, she loved to paint 
up furniture just like I did, and she loves to budget wisely much
 like I always did. However she amped it up by couponing.
Party girls
As I watch my daughter I see a mirror of myself. A person I never
quite appreciated enough when I was young.  I was always trying
 to do more, to be more, and do better!!  As I watch her
 I realize I was enough all along.
Harriet hasn't a clue how to fix her hair so she just brushes it and goes on her way!
In fact I was better than enough. It was a gift that I could cook 
well and efficiently.  It was a gift that I could budget extremely 
well, remember prices, eke out great deals while being a
Jane of all trades! It was a gift that I had patience and
 understanding for my child! Not everyone does!!
Roger is quite aware that he's an oddball  and embraces it!
Why is it that we realize these things late in life? Why do we not 
appreciate how slim and pretty we are in our youth... 
 Youth IS beautiful!
These odd balls are friends albeit quite different they get each other!
There is such a great sense of accomplishment in knowing 
your gifts. In enjoying your achievements even if they're small!
I've watched Beardo bloom into this amazing man with each
  large or small triumph and discovered new skill.
Penny loves mornings, coffee in hand making a to do list!

My daughter is a homebody. Even more than I was when
 I was young! In fact she's more similar to my mom that way! 
All four generations of women have been very independent
 souls despite their dedication to homemaking skills.
Haley has really bad OCD and tends to match everything
I'm so glad my daughter has always found  satisfaction
 in her home life. Not everyone appreciates being home, fixing
 up old things, making new things and just being. Some folks 
are adventure addicts, thrill seekers  on a completely different 
path. Some people are always on the treadmill of  life 
chasing god knows what, for no good reason, never
 completely satisfied!
Sunday Best
Some can't be alone with their thoughts or even hear
 their own intuition in the quiet of the day! Some sadly
 never feel the peace of their creative spirit, or joy of a
 their accomplishments! Some never find their true 
calling....how sad is that?
Melva doesn't always wear appropriate clothes for the occasion
So, if you're still one to underestimate your gifts, 
stop now!  We all have different things we're really 
good at... altogether it makes for a pretty interesting
and diverse world we live in! Appreciate who you are 
and the gifts you were blessed with and revel in the 
joy of that!!

What are your special gifts that you 
have never properly given credence to?

33 comments:

Lynn Cohen said...

The joy of your art leaps off the page in it's colorful and whimsical forms. I love all these people. They must be manifests of your souls, of which you have many. I'm not sure how that works, but I think it's right. As for the saving of old furniture and making it new again, making it fit into your current life, well, that just fits too. It's practical. And once he was gone, practical trumped negative memories I am sure. I'm not sure I'd call what I do that gives me joy "gifts", but many things do. I love gardening, creating a visual/physical space filled with flowers and trees, growing my own food; I love drawing and filling sketchbooks. I love making things for other people, like I'm doing currently, quilts for all of my grandchildren (shush, it's a surprise). I'm lucky I could learn to do all of these things and get better at them by practicing. I plan to continue practicing all the days of my life. I now wish you another creative week and a happy PPF.

Valerie-Jael said...

Lots of fun art again, and love the transformation of those little cupboards. Happy PPF, hugs, Valerie

peggy gatto said...

You have such a talent for creating such special images, love your friends!!!

Clare Lloyd said...

Your cupboards looks fab and great art as always

Sue (this n that) said...

I enjoyed reading your insights on life, always interesting.
Lovely ladies, each one with their own personalities and cute quirks. So colourful and always in fun clothes. I can relate to Melva ;D) Happy PPF!

Gillena Cox said...

Luv your peeps, for some reason Harvey and his shorts made me giggle

Have a nice PPF

much love...

John said...

Your artwork is wonderful and I agree with your thoughts. It's only now that I have found the freedom to be who I was all along. When I was younger I got the standard message, get a job, settle down etc. I done all those things to please other people. It took me years to realize the person 'they' wanted me to be was not happy. I give my daughter all the room she wants to explore her creativity. I think she is a much happier child because of that.

Christine said...

Lovely colourful art as always, good that you repurposed your furniture. My special gifts...hmm...it's hard to know yourself.

Andrea @ From The Sol said...

I wonder if your friends come to your blog and see themselves in your pictures ... I see myself at times and I have to chuckle and wonder if I am so obvious that someone can paint a picture of what I think :) Your are wise ... I won't say beyond your years because I don't know your years, but clearly you have learned from life's lessons and have much to show for it. Like you I had to get to a ripe old age before I began to appreciate who I was. I was blessed with a family that instilled values (sometimes through correction, but more often through encouragement) and I still live by them. For years I admired my mother and all of her many talents until one day I realized, I am my mother. Maybe my talents are not so natural or well honed, but the good stuff is there. I can finally feel proud of myself because I finally know who I am. Life is a hoot ... then the politics get into the picture and start tearing apart everything I believe in and I see another side of myself. I will be spending much of my time resisting for at least the next four years, ugh! As always, Giggles, you bring a smile to my face ... and that is a gift.

Andrea @ From the Sol

carol l mckenna said...

Love your art people ~ they are delightful and so glad you painted your furniture ~ dazzling with the glass knobs ~ Very creative post and artwork ~ thanks,

Happy Day to you ~ ^_^

Susan said...

Your peeps are gorgeous this week. And visiting your site is always thought provoking. Happy PPF

denthe said...

Quite a few coffee addicts in between your characters today ;-) I love making something out of old discarded things. Renovating old furniture is a favorite of mine. I would've loved to see the before pictures of your bedside tables :-) It's interesting what you're saying about not appreciating our own gifts. What I notice as I grow older is how I never truly appreciated some special gifts of people that are gone. And how much I regret not realizing it before it was too late to tell them ...

JFM said...

Wonderfully happy art and so colorful that it cheers me just to look at them :)
Enjoy being you and embrace life!
Great recycle and use of the furniture, too!!!

Özge Başağaç said...

Oh my, this post really stopped me in my tracks. For some reason we can not simply accept that we are enough, in fact more than enough. Especially for women it is harder. But as i grow older i care less about what other people think.I guess i used to think being an independent woman meant work-work-work all the time.(I am an architect) But the reality is i find so much comfort in being a homebody.My grandmom was a seamstress. My mom was skilled in sewing, too. In my teen years i felt sewing was outdated and stayed clear of it. It was after i became 35 that i wanted to try sewing and i was hooked.Though i am an architect i always feared painting furniture or hacking it, too. I am almost 40 now and i have this feeling "what if i try". This mindset gave me much more freedom to try and fail gloriously :) And from time to time i succeed, too. I just remind myself skills may be learned, i just have to practice. The journey matters not the end. Have a great weekend.

Faye said...

I enjoyed your post, Sherrie. I have a friend who has said the same things that you wrote about. I am trying to enjoy the gift I have for making cards and doing paintings. It's hard not to compare what I do with some of the fine watercolorists who show their works here at PPF (and come up short!).

As for furniture, I am still living with furniture I bought in the '70s. I see no reason to change. I still like it, even if it is not what young people would choose.

Viola said...

I admire you in beeing so open about yourself. And I love your drawings and paintings! Your stories are full of reflections. And interesting to read. Why do we see things from another view when older.. They say age gives wisdom, and I believe that. We come to understand more. and less self-sufficient maybe.. I'm glad you have such a good relationship with your daughter ♡

DVArtist said...

Love these people this week. I can relate to all of them in some way. First is the coffee it is a must have for me. LOL I am the oldest of a large family so at a very young age I was taking care of babies, cooking and sewing. I loved to sew and design my own clothes, however, I was teased horribly by kids in school because I did make my own clothes. We were considered poor and so I thought making clothes was not a good thing. Not until I had my own kids and made all of their clothes. At that time is was the "cool" thing. So I said all in answer to your question. BTW I love the bedside tables.

Robin said...

What a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing so much. We can all learn from each other and it's nice to be asked such great questions to make us think! I realized my gifts early, having to rely on everything being on my own at 15 years old. Thank goodness I had enough smarts to make it through life without too many tragic mistakes. Yes, we all have gifts and I love the end tables that you upcycled into looking brand new and fresh! Great job, great post! Hugz, Rasz

artbyjune said...

I loved your interesting post! Beautiful repainted cupboards! Lovely little people drawings. As we get older, we start to appreciate our accomplishments.

sheila 77 said...

Hello Giggles. Some people prefer old things and other people can't get rid of old things fast enough (old equalling more than a year old). I love old things (old being not recently purchased (in the last decades or so, haha!)), old clothes, old furniture, but I have friends who change their furniture and clothes at a dizzying speed. Isn't it interesting how people are so different. Do other people still darn socks, I wonder, very nice and cherished hand-knitted socks.
Your characters are tremendous, all so different but making a superb set.
Stinky must be good to know if he has nice friends.
Good for Melva! - keep going, Melva.
Harriet's hair looks great, and what a pretty frock. I suspect she takes more time getting her hair right than she is letting on.
Poor Gwen, I used to know someone like that, she would also take in other peoples worries and worry about them.
Your ladies have fabulous frocks. I especially like Chelsea's pink and green one, with matching cup and shoes.
They all have such individual personalities.
Have a great week, Giggles.

froebelsternchen said...

An AMAZING post Sherrie! You are so so right and I see myself eye to eye on many points.
Wonderful art characters - this all fits your text so perfectly -
You crack me up with your amazing art and imagination.
This furniture looks fabulous as well!
I know what you feel- we renovate a nearly 80 year old house since six years.
We try to use what is on hand.. hubby needed 8 months to make all the doors here wonderful looking - much more time than buying new ones - but it is now original and that is beautiful and makes us more than happy!
There are so many poor people out there, you are right- they just need new things and only the best is good enough for theme... but in their hearts and souls I guess they are often just very poor!
Happy weekend and new week ahead to you!
oxo Susi

Tracy said...

So true! We homeschooled our daughter, and she is independent and content in who she is. She knows her gifts and knows herself well enough to say 'no' to the stuff that just isn't 'her'. I wish I had known at that age the stuff I have learned about myself in the last ten years.

Liplatus said...

Wonderful paintings!
Personal characters, everyone is an individual.
Greetings

Courtney said...

Wow! So much fun artwork! Love what you do. I have plans to paint some old furniture this summer...hoping it turns out as well as yours did. It really looks fantastic.

Hope you have a great week. :)

Lisabella Russo said...

Your art is charming and the furniture looks wonderful. You have given your daughter so many gifts of you!

Jean said...

So cool!

Laney said...

So true what you said about amending a situation bringing satisfaction! I really love doing things like that. I love to find a deal or make something work. Great art as always! Happy PPF - late!

NatureFootstep said...

you are creating a family and friends with your art giving them names. It is a great idea and I love it!

SLScheibe said...

I always love your fun, little people. Such cute backstories. This week I think Harvey is my fave. Those shorts! I can remember when short shorts were the thing! Super refinishing job on your cabinets. They look beautiful :)

Anonymous said...

I agree with your wise thoughts and your art goes along perfectly with them.

Giggles said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Giggles said...

Sorry Kristin...some how this great comment got deleted when I had no wifi. Thank you so much for stopping by! So good to see you!!

Kristin has left a new comment on your post "Accomplishments":

I've missed your posts so much - I must remember how important your words are in my life - thank you. You are SUCH an inspiration, and cupcake is a beautiful person. See how well you did? ;) You bring appreciation to everything you do and say, which is quite a gift for us all.
Thank you too for your sweet, sweet comment about my videos. I try so hard to do exactly everything you complimented me on, thank you for saying so, you make my day! xoxo

Goldfish Diaries said...

Just stopped by for a peek on my way to bed, but I see now that I shall have to revisit to get to know all of your peeps!! So adorable. The furniture looks so fresh and pretty and looking forward to seeing more of the paint, and the completed look! Some very wise words also....you are amazing!

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