Blog Action Day 2013 Give kids a Voice

 Today is Blog Action Day and the theme this years is Human Rights!

Although there are many crimes against human rights I need to share

one that is always closest to my heart!

Falling in the Cracks

Little witnesses

Children of divorce
have suffered
the mistakes of adults
fallen in the cracks
of despair

as grownups
bully their
way out of
discontentment

Left out of the equation
as judges and parents
dispute what's best.
"Resilient!" they say
"Children are resilient!"

Excuses are made,
hearts disregarded

Mental and 
physical security

 often in peril
they fall through 

the cracks!

  Adults play the pretend game
Pretend new mom or dad
pretend new siblings

aunts and grandmas

Pretend NEW family
for the moment, 
  until it ends...... again
where kids fall
into the cracks

New unions,
new births,
Older Kids
covertly despised,
abused mentally,
some physically
or sexually.
Eventually ousted
they slide into
the cracks

Caught  amongst
mental illness
substance abuse
untaught the

basic functions
to stand on their own
Children venture out
alone, craving
care, affection
stability and respect
Instead
many  are

prey to human traficking

prostitution, more abuse

and addiction

Falling permanently 

into the cracks!

 People wonder
why
it's such
a "ME"
generation
when Children
are bombarded
with unstable
poor examples
where no one
truly understands
their only

sense of
survival
 is " I"

Children deserve a voice....their own story should be heard by an unbiased trusted party! They need emotional support to learn how to set boundaries, protect themselves

and thrive after the devastation of divorce. Especially divorce born of abuse, addiction, and mental illness!  Songs are written with lyrics blamed as an influence on our society. Instead we need to ask, what can we learn from art and  lyrics created by a society of Children falling through the cracks! 

Every Child deserves to grow up feeling safe!

Many aren't!

It's their human right!

Give Kids a Voice!!!  

This is my contribution to Paint Party Friday this week!

What Human Rights issue resonates most with you?

Shoes and More Life Questions

We all live such incredibly unique lifestyles.

What kind of environment do you need to strive?

Do you like an action packed home, 

or a relaxed one?

First and foremost I need Peace...probably why I have a metal peace sign hanging from my car mirror and  in  few discreet spots in my home. I have ornaments for my Christmas tree and a revered piece of blingy jewelry shaped into a peace sign.   If you've ever lived in a home that was fraught with arguments, and grumpy frustrated over worked people craving a cocktail then you will understand the exhale factor when life is filled with peace, compassion and laughter!!

 What is your most comfortable situation to 

develop your talent in?

You won't find me creating in a plein air group. I just don't enjoy painting with others present, even though it can be so much fun! I have yet to produce anything I was satisfied with. I tend to need complete alone time in the quiet of night with the lull of television (mostly informative shows) or music in the background.

There has never been a more accurate quote to describe how I found true happiness. I love creating things.  It's what got me through loads of grief, my childhood, and divorce! It fills me up to produce something useful, meaningful or fun! Years ago it was sewing, painting furniture, changing decor and cooking,  now it's art and writing.

 What are your goals and dreams?

The most surprising thing about life is discovering who you really 

are late in life, then realizing  you still have dreams worth pursuing! 

Dreams different than you ever could have imagined

when you were young!!

What is something you changed your mind 

about that took you by surprise?

I have prided myself on changing my mind many many times over the years!
That's why I like to surround myself with people who are strong in their convictions with often differing opinions. It introducing me to different perspectives!

I had tunnel vision about men and often lumped them all in the same category. My wonderful son-in-law has really helped me to realize there are amazing, kind, special men out there who are so undervalued!! Thanks buddy for changing my mind!

 What was the biggest sudden change

 that threw you into the worst pain of your life?

I have been through so much loss in my life, but an unexpected rift in two very important relationships several years ago are what produced drastic changes for the better!!
So sometimes, after the pain comes great reward!

 What is one of the most memorable 

lessons you have learned?

I have learned that I am stronger than I thought and that faith and courage can get you through the toughest situations! No matter how hard life gets, and trust me there can be really rough spots, there will always be better times, better situations, and better people to help you through it all!!

I had a struggle with sage and sepia
 for this weeks Summer of color.
We just have no chemistry. 
Plus they're always hanging out with 
my nemesis's  beige, taupe and brown,
who seems to loiter  in kitchens and powder rooms!!
 I find them boring wall flowers! Not in  a good way either! 
They haven't much to say, and no sense of whimsy.
In fact they look rather dull beside all the other colors.  
They seem grubby too. As though my favorite green 
decided to roll  around in dirt then   thought it 
wise to  change his name to sage!   
  I can't be sure, but I suspect they don't even 

 wear deodorant! Just sayin...

"They're no my favorites"...( said with an Austin Powers accent)

All kidding aside...hope you all have a great weekend!

   This is my contribution to Paint Party Friday, SOC, and Icad where you can find many talented artists!!

I've Changed my Mind

My original Collage Sally enhanced with Acrylics

This  collage  was required for Lisa Wrights e-course I'm taking! It's not too late to join in either!!!  It's really opening up my creative spectrum!! 

Thanks Lisa, I'm loving it!!

Collage was  much like Stew,,,which I can say is probably the one North American food I truly hate  and will NEVER like, no matter how wonderfully you cook it!! Although there is no hope for stew, collage has  turned out to be a terrific  recipe for exploration in creativity which I am really enjoying. Once I get past all the little cut up bits hiding in corners I may do a few more on my own!!!

 

It's been especially fun since  I figured out I could take my collage to  Photobucket and do some amazing colorful  digital edits on it!!! 

 

Turning Sally  into all kinds of special!! 

She is now a girl of many different colors!!

 

 I have loved color for as long as I can remember!

I have never understood why people love

white and beige so much when color is at their finger tips!!

It makes my eyes dance and my heart soar!! Color feeds my soul!! 

The second purple one is my favorite! How about you which one do you like best??

Paint Party Friday #29

It's paint party Friday again!  I look forward to it every week, traveling around to all the fascinating blogs to see what everyone is working on is so much fun!

 Here's an older painting I plan on reworking... the males face needs some work.I don't care for his nose, eyes, or skin tone... the whole thing needs more work!

This week I've had a few lunches with different friends. One friend I see annually, but there was a time we were besties. Family obligations pulled us apart, but the love's still there! We make sure to meet around our birthdays.But for the first time in twenty five years the time got away on us!! Funny how no matter how much time goes by we take up where we left off. We chatted for four hours and I had such a loving feeling for my friend when we parted!  I even  had a few tears too, for all the memories we shared in our twenties and thirties, and how fleeting life is. We worked hard, laughed hard and played hard too! We shared many secrets and no matter how little we see each other the love is still there! I had my camera out but some how it didn't seem appropriate to take a photo! Wish I did though. 

Check out this HUGE transformation. I've carted my grandfathers table around to three different homes  for the past thirty five years and never painted it. Mostly it had a cloth over top of it or it was in a garage! Recently I decided it needed new life instead of being a dust collector. See how ugly it was!!!

 

Before The ugly side table

  I had  silver knobs laying around the house and threw them on after it was painted.  Then Dear Daughter came home with these awesome rose knobs that were the perfect match. What a difference they made. Then she went back and bought me enough for my bedroom suite. So that will soon be on the agenda to revamp. Also thirty five years old and in much need of sprucing up!

Which do you prefer, the rose knobs or the silver ones! Be honest I won't be offended!

Sunday Scribblings " Odd night in emergency!"

  Sunday Scribblings prompt this week is "woods"

Dear Daughter paranoid of germs arms herself with lysol wipes for her trek to emergency! Lysoling all the chair arms while I parked. Only a few people ahead of us, when a middle aged man dressed in outdated short shorts hobbles in with a sore on his leg. DD automatically thinks flesh eating disease. The  leg is really swollen.  He plops himself on a chair close by. We chat. It's a puncture wound from a rose bush. Both DD and Son in law offer up a band-aid from their bags. I lecture him on the dangers of  an open sore! Later his sweet wife informs me she has warned him continuously but he won't listen. It was his mother that forced him to come to the hospital. Soon DD,  stupid guy and his wife are shuffled into the next room.  I have the waiting  room to myself.

A pony tailed, extra large, confident woman  struts through the automatic door garbed in uniform, plunks her cooler down in a small room at the desk.  I thought she was a paramedic, oddly wearing half leather gloves with bare fingers. I was intrigued with  her confidence at such girth. Later I noticed she had a bit of a beard. I brushed it off as a possible hormone problem. I've noticed it  on women of her size before.

I’m a very large woman too, but shaped  quite different than her. Hmmm…I pondered it more when a  loud obnoxious  kid escorted by a police officer interrupted my peace. Bleeding from the  head he was wondering  aloud if he could leave. The gentle officer advised him not to, but said he was free to do as he pleased!   The bold eighteen year old repeatedly complained that  two hours was too long to wait. Cocky one moment,  yet vulnerable when asking if he really needed to stay. Clearly he was inebriated!  Switching to a young punk once he realized it might not be wise to leave. Demanding like a spoiled two year old that  he should get immediate care  because  he’s bleeding to death. Pointing to me, and another couple  waiting for a family member, suggesting we probably only had a cough anyway!   It was quite laughable

He'd been in a brawl, but told the officer he fell. We could hear him informing friends on his cell while urinating in the washroom. Exiting with blood stained hands he  managed to touched everything in sight!  Later dear daughter heard him yelling repeated drunkin yahoo's  followed by crying as they  stitched up his nasty gash!

More people trickled in. I  popped out for a coffee and food since neither son inlaw nor I had any dinner. It was nearing midnight with no idea  when we’d get  her results.  I sipped coffee in the quiet of my car,  tunes streaming in the  background.  Son in law joined  me to quickly eat his chicken club. I asked  if he thought the large pony tailed person walking to  their  1970’s   boat sized gas guzzler  was a male or female. He thought female, figuring  a male that big would shuffle along with less confidence. The vintage car owner drove past us in a very masculine manner.  Hmmm…more doubt...

Son in law left to join dear daughter. I stayed behind avoiding hoopla of the  emergency room. Thirty minutes later, the very large entity in a crispy white shirt and black  uniform pants  assertively walked towards my car. I thought he left? It was strange. I jarred my window. He mentioned I’d been sitting there a while. His voice seemed surprisingly  masculine, but then again mine does on occasion too! My eyes curiously searched for breasts, they were there, sort of, or was it just fat?  He told me every Friday he washes his car inside and out and noticed there were finger prints on the window as though someone was trying to break in. " Didn't I see you drive away?" I asked.

Apparently he had to checked another parking lot. That's when I realized he must be security. I assured him I never saw anyone trying to break in….thinking, besides, who would? He left me still perplexed…male or female?  I’ve concluded he’s socially inept male who plays too many dragons and dungeons. I’ll never know for sure. Later that night I saw him having a smoke….we left at just after 2 A.M. slept a few hours and came back for dear daughters ultra sound and CT scan but what an odd night!

The feared appendicitis turned out to be a ruptured cyst on her ovary. Thankfully she is out of the woods, and it should clear up in a week. I'm so grateful to be a Canadian with free health care! Even if there are  punk kids who sometimes abuse the system and stupid men who won't wear  band-aids!

Sunday Scribblings " Befuddled"

Sunday Scribblings prompt for this week is  "Befuddled"

My week was brim full of anxiety. Dear daughters father moves to Mexico. His drive down there had her fraught with worry. His unnecessary problems needing to be rectified at this end escalated her stress. As much as I choose not to let it affect me, her feelings about it do!  I thought my twenty five years with this man was enough. But NO, fifteen years after divorce I'm still drawn into the drama! To top things off I have been carrying around  anger that has me befuddled.  Surprisingly it's not about his mini messes. I'm actually praying he arrives safely to alleviate dear daughters worry.  I'm angry about certain injustices, not my own. Anger is out of character for me. Maybe my anger is a good thing, I'm in the process of figuring that out! I feel shameful about carrying so much ire, thankfully I have a friend who was kind enough to listen and share some sage insight!

 

 Lately I've been

Laden with problems
None, which I own
Rock heavy issues
Cemented in stone
Difficult to remedy
Difficult to bemoan
Ire builds like a
Cautionary bomb
As I ponder love
In  it’s death
How the haunting
Hangs  on


Coffee with a friend
Purging for peace
These befuddled
Emotions
play at my feet
Question after question
Whirl in my brain
 Ire now sedated

a new path to ordain

 lessening the tension, 

absolving  the shame

Sunday Scribbling "Always a Never"

A doodle done in an art journal Feb 8th

Sunday Scribbling prompt this week is "Raw"

 My daughter's in crisis, there is nothing I can do, she is raw! Her father is moving to another country. She feels at a complete loss. Knowing she may not see him for a long time, if ever. Because divorce is complicated, and step parents can be very difficult to take.

Often a stoic girl she describes herself as an egg, with a fragile shell, completely soft inside. There has been little regard for her feelings during the process of him moving away. As much as the man doesn't fit the criteria to be my friend, I want him safe and sound for my daughter. So I pray for his safety and happiness. Even though almost everything he does irks me to the core! I wished he'd been a more of  hands on dad. But he had no example and didn't know how. He is a sad man who's missed out on a genuinely amazing child. Sidney Poitier says, " The measure of a man is how he provides for his children" There is not much more I can say. Except I am so sad for my daughter, and my deceased mother who also went through the same. I am so sorry for the ugliness in her life that was no fault of her own. There is no way to rectify any of this....it's just plain awful.

Always a never

A child of divorce

Continuously pounded

By what will never be

Nibbling at crumbs of

Family past

Grappling for resolve

Where there is none

Hanging by a string

Of need

Knowing it will

Swing back and forth

Until it breaks

Dropping them

Into a puddle of dismay

Muddied by mistakes

Not their own

Weighted

By a heavy brick

Of longing,

Misunderstanding,

and deceit

Waiting for atonement

That will never come

Satisfaction that can never be

They stand alone

In a mire of pain

With no comfort

Desperate to move

Forward

Whole!

Sunday Scribblings "No Fix"

Sunday Scribblings this week is "Safe"
Although the word is void, that need to feel safe is present.
No Fix



To Witness the upheaval of yesterday

Tomorrow and days to come

Is difficult to endure

Her dad is leaving the country

Moving out of daily phone call

Range

Technically crippled,

void of typing skills

Emails will be sparse

Communication rare

Abandonment feelings rampant

As he moves in and out of fatherhood

Emotionally detached

Unaware it’s affects

Her body deceives her

As she worries away the pounds

Having lost at least two sizes

Stomach pain is constant

Acid reflux refusing to abstain

She fears the ramifications of

Food and drink

Life is scary for her

The insurance policy of a parent

Only two cities away

Is expiring

Each phone call

is a predictable surprise

No words can comfort her

No one can fix her angst

Nor buy or manifest

An amiable solution

The move is getting closer

Yesterday a sty appeared

Inside her eye

Just like he used to get

Frustrated her body continues

to betray her

Just as his love has

Marimekko fabrics

Photo clip from google images

Does this awesome marimekko fabric inspire you? It certainly does me.

For more patterns check here. I love the beautiful variety of vibrant pattern and color!

Bra for a Cause 2011

Bra for a Cause 2009 " Mountains of Courage"

Boy oh boy I am on a time crunch to find a bustier so I can get this years bra done by the Feb 1st deadline for the 2011 "Bras for a Cause" I found one like new last time. I was honoured yet very surprised when I clicked on the "Bra for a Cause" site this year to see my bra, out of many, used as the thumbnail photo for their 2011 campaign! I am on the hunt today, lets hope it doesn’t start snowing until after I get back! We had a dusting yesterday evening! I hope I don’t have to settle for a regular bra! Kind of have my heart set on a bustier again!

Merry Christmas

May peace be the star of your holiday.
 And  Beauty your road to solace

 
May the magic of Christmas make you Believe

 

In the possibilities of a New Dream!

May  childlike wonder fill your spirit

And the love of family and friends warm your heart

May  your holiday be better than you expect!

and filled to the brim with love, joy, hope and peace!

Caged

Caged

I see industrious

lonely married ladies

Hiding behind a

Veil of adventure

Pretending to be happy

Kowtowing

To a mans quirky whims

Nurturing their maternal

Instincts by

Overcompensating

For lost intimacy

With children, parents

And friends

I see benevolent

Women physically

Exhausted

Still buzzing

Perfecting

Birthdays,

Christmas, and Easter

Weighted by a myriad

Of pretty treasures

clutching habitual

Contentment

Of fiscal freedom

Resigned

To the confines

Of their own

construction

Pardon?

Last night, as a family, we were running around excited about buying a wedding gift for my daughters ex boss. She's an independent business owner in her mid forties and this is her first marriage. A minimalist, with no gift registry her list was pretty simple. Costco happened to have the best choices. So we loaded up then headed to the dollar store for some wedding bags. I waited in the car at the front door knowing they didn’t need three of us picking out bags and bows. Aparently I was wrong because the kids kept poking their heads out the door to get my artist approval anyway. Seriously I am the worst gift wrapper on the planet now that I paint. Used to be my thing to make everything pretty, now I throw it in the most accessible bag and go! Better yet, get my daughter to wrap everything!!! She likes it!



While in the Dollar store, the cashier,( an older woman, grey short hair, I’d say late fifties, but she really looks even older than that  with jeans from the nineties, white Velcro runners, and dowdy sweatshirt) says to Bryan, (after they both  popped  their heads out the door to speak to me too many times,) “You should have bought this stuff a month ago! “


“ Excuse me….she said WHAT? Are you kidding me. This woman who has no one in the store, is lecturing the one sale she might have about when to buy gift wrap….Bryan responded,” You don’t even know, it’s been hectic lately.” Which really is an understatement.


If she only knew we have a huge Rubbermaid box full of wrapping paper and bags, and cards. None of which will fit these huge gifts….silly woman! She’s just lucky she didn’t say it to my daughter….oh my…..I wouldn’t have wanted to be there after Pepper had a go at her for being rude!  Pepper is ALL about giving and getting exemplary customer service!


How about you? What did you do the last time a store clerk was rude to you?

Sunday Scribblings " Waiting"

Sunday Scribblings prompt this week is "Wait"

Lately my life has been less about me more about others. I’m not complaining, I owe the goodwill bank big time. For the last Ten years I’ve needed others more than I care to admit. The last two week there’s been loads of waiting in the mix. Still I managed to steal moments of solace on my own. However on the tired days, which are many, I can be found gazing into space. A vulnerable time when negative thoughts sneak in the back door and beat me up a little, and quirky queries follow behind! That’s when I know I need good rest, healthy food, vitamins and time alone to replenish my positive energy.

A Question I’ve been pondering,

Who do you think embraces aging better,

Men or women?

Thinking Thins

Spread too thin

Amongst friends

Family,

life and health

Spread to think

Of words blurted

Deeds done

Hope hampered

Spread thins

On life’s canvas

Quietly awaiting

A new image

Sorry that poem was a bit odd, but I'm in a weird headspace of late.

 

Waiting

I discovered the joy

Of unlocked

wireless internet

Chai tea in hand

Playing scrabble online

Alone in the sun

A sense of peace

And power

Filled me with warmth

The wait disippated

while reading blogs

I  realized

Sometimes we can be nudged

 into finding solace

In stolen moments

Outside our usual zone

where modified inspiration

Can rejuvenate our tone!

Painted Shoes

I've sadly neglected my blog, never sure where to jump in again. So I'm sharing a pair of black leather wedge style sandals I revamped. I am very redundant in my shoe wear of late. I need to feel steady on my feet with my bad knee. Plus I find wedgies more comfortable...not the bum floss wedge of course,  the wedge  shoe.  In person the shoes are shinier with the purple a denser shade.This is my way of putting the old me into my same old, same old shoes!

I first gessoed the shoes, then painted them with acrylic

paint. I let them dry overnight and put three coats of water

based varnish on them!

  I sketched on the gessoed shoe with sharpy pen,

but deviated from the original plan as the painting progressed!

 

Now Happytiler has happy feet!

Ps....my toes go to the end when I'm standing.....just sayin!

Oh and my quilted  summer jacket sort of matches too.....

Since we painted our living room gypsy pink, I have missed my fushia

walls, and find myself gravitating to that color to wear instead!