Thursday Thirteen

Journal Page

Thursday Thirteen Random thoughts

1 Life sure has it's ups and downs. The people you love most seem to have so much power over us!

2 Stupid woman in Starbucks today, plugged in the cord to her wireless computer right across the customers path to the counter! Lucky no one tripped. First man who walked by accidentally ripped the cord out of the socket with his foot! She was oblivious to anyone else but herself.

3 Where the hell is common sense????  Not common lately!

4 Why are people so RUDE with their cell phones, playing games, texting, posting to facebook while in a room full of people all chatting together??

 

5 Why do people think it's okay to talk on a cell phone for a long period of time when they're in your company? Next time I'm going to bluntly tell them I find it offensive!!

6 I wonder how much the property taxes and heating bill are on the 2.4 million dollar lottery home!

7 How the heck do you dust the 10 ft rafters of the lottery home?

8  Damn the show "Shameless" with William  H Macy is addictive!

9 I have been wanting to see "For Colored Girls" since it came out. I have waited long enough. This weekend I'm renting it from Shaw on demand! Having a movie date by myself!!!

10 I am jonsing to create, but hesitate to spread all my supplies around the family room making a big mess again!

11  I loved the movie with Graffiti artist Banksy  called "Exit through the gift shop" but it's not for everyone. 

12 I am so grateful for the beautiful yellow an apple green flowers my daughter bought for International Woman's day Tuesday!

13 Darn it, I need to write down my blog ideas before they float into the abyss!! Here today and gone tomorrow! I must remedy that! 

Gypsy Goddess Fiftieth

Our friend Artist Violette hosted a wonderful art party at the magic cottage Friday evening. We all brought appetizers, wine, and gifts for Gypsy goddesses 50th birthday celebration! What a blast we had!

Ahead of time each goddess individualized a pocket for an apron. Then Dream goddess and I attached the pockets with a backing and added trim. Gypsy goddess was overjoyed with her new treasured apron!

Violette hand painted the Gypsy soul in a heart,

 and I  painted the gnome and cupcakes!

Gypsy goddess has an affinity to gnomes, 

and has  always created fun cakes and cupcakes!

Here I captured Gypsy's pure bliss! Overwhelmed with joy

over the apron. She's an old fashioned girl

who honors anything creative or homemade!

Here are some of our creation done in the Creative Juice Studio.

after wonderful instruction from Violette!

We topped it off with a colorful cake I made in honor of gypsy! Note the striped candles. Gypsy loves to wear whimsical striped socks under dresses, so I thought they were fitting!  It was fun and I'm satisfied Gypsy goddess felt truly loved after this celebration!

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 Scribbling Prompt this week is "Fire"

Friday morning I scooted right, off a side street, into traffic. Behind me a young, refined looking Asian woman flipped me the bird. Continued to do so for several blocks. Afraid I’d not seen her  she popped her red car into the next lane. Unrelenting, now parallel to my driver side,  I caught her middle finger flailing.  Pointing at me. Disrupting my peripheral vision. With more determination than before! I feared she might clip the car ahead of her!  She wouldn't be ignored, she needed some kind of reaction or verification that I'd seen her. I felt a fire in me.   For a second I reverted back to my twenty year old self. With my head forward, eyes on the road, I quickly flashed my finger back at her.  She continued to dance her middle finger vehemently with ire, one upping me, making sure I saw her! Then she stepped on the gas and sped ahead out of sight.

Oh, I am not one bit proud of my reaction. Nowadays I’m more likely to give someone the two finger peace sign,  a positive thumbs up, or thank-you wave acknowledging a nice deed.  I shrunk to her level. I’m not proud. It’s no longer the seventies. It’s risky business responding or initiating disdain in this manner. However I felt a bit bullied by this young woman! I don’t take chances with my new car. I’m pretty defensive and like to think I'm a courteous driver. I had  safely merged into the lane. There was lots of room! My daughter affirmed I’d done nothing wrong. Believe me she is the first to point out any of my mistakes!! Not too long after we got our flowers at the produce stand we heard a siren barreling down the same street. I wondered if the angry young woman caused an accident somewhere up the road!

The next day, I drove  to  Costco with my daughter.  Not a parking spot to be found on the  busy Saturday. I wasn’t feeling my best.   I didn’t have the energy to walk from the  parameter of several  acre parking lot, plus do a Costco Shop! So I stopped at the door,  suggesting daughter   start the shopping while I searched for  a reasonable parking spot.  I saw a car approaching behind me, so I asked daughter  to get out quickly. Not wanting  to hold anyone up!  Daughter jumped out of the car, opened the back door to get the reusable bags. In my rear view mirror I could see the woman in an SUV behind me swearing banging her fist on the steering wheel and waving for us to hurry! Daughter  saw her too. We weren’t dawdling, but daughter was annoyed that she was so impatient. Instead of waiting the  woman lurched her SUV around my car  yelling obscenities at me as she passed. I ignored it this time! Both daughter and I were glad there was no  child crossing in front of my car when Mrs. Grumpy pants, so consumed in anger zoomed by!  What is wrong with people??? Where have manners gone? It was literally seconds we were stopped.

Scares me how hostile and belligerent people can be behind the wheel. Is it cell phone withdrawal? Clearly there are people driving around mentally ill, exhausted, angry, and drug addicted,  some even have weapons. None of which we can control. One should never  let the fire of their youth grab hold of reason like I did with the  first woman. Wished I’d flashed her a peace sign instead…. I sincerely  doubt it would have helped though!

Sunday Scribblings Surprises

Sunday scribblings this week is " In a thousand Years"

She's turning fifty. Not in a thousand
years would I have imagined she hates surprises. But she does, and her hubby has been warned....." No surprises!" 

Hard to believe the woman who bakes every friend and neighbor a surprise birthday cake, shows up at each event with some unique idea or gift that makes life more fun doesn't want  a fuss made for her birthday! 

She's not alone. Dear daughter   and Oprah don’t like surprises either. It makes them  nervous with worry.

Yet I often surprised dear daughter  when she was young.  A special outing or event, a new outfit or toy, a favorite food always brought a smile to her face! I prided myself on filling her  life with  joy! It was my pleasure. It's hard to forget the squeals of  glee when dear daughter discovered a trampoline in the backyard ! I can still see her little eight year old body bobbing up and down in utter bliss.

Ugly divorce with hostile surprises,  distressing birthdays coupled with   disappointing announcements put her in a terrible funk.  Substandard Christmases, excluded from kid friendly family events, a Disneyland holiday, and extra curricular activities is the catalyst to her aversion to surprises. Vinegar on the wound, knowing step siblings enjoyed all these financial perks while she was left out!

I was emotionally jerked around by surprises last week. Crying one moment over a personal family issue,  out  of my  realm of  understanding or control. Meeting with a friend was a lovely diversion, finding a few bottles of my favorite  discontinued  perfume somehow elated me, lifting the gloom.   As though out of the dark an angel appeared to divert my distress.  When I fell back into  worry  I click on an email to find a welcome humorous diversion evoking a laugh out loud! Not sure I like surprises myself, however I accept them as a part of life!

As an adult dear daughter has been shook up numerous times by worrisome erratic situations. There is always no resolve and nothing seems to balance out these unexpected emotional bombs dropped on her! It has made her very uncomfortable with unpredictable behavior. I’m sure many children of divorce, ones with unpredictable alcoholic or mentally ill parents also hate to be surprised.

Personally I’d never want someone to surprise me by redecorating my environment without my input, or  show up unannounced to stay for a holiday. It's nasty being surprised by a large  unexpected bill in the mail too.   I’d not want a celebrity to knock on my door with cameras either. I have to admit, thoughtful  well intended, noninvasive sweet surprises make me happy! I really appreciate them,  pretty sure dear daughter does too.   How about you??? What is your best surprise and do you like them?

Quarter of a Century Old today!

I’m wise, but she’s wiser

I’m strong, but she’s stronger

I’m frugal, but she has me beat there too

Twenty five years ago today

After a difficult labor of

Hemorrhaging, internal stitching

Pain beyond imagining

She was born

Each second after that

Was bliss, as I held her

The most contented mother

On the planet.

Not one day of regret

She filled a lifetime void,

taught me true love

  then grew up to be my best friend

She radiates loyalty, hope, and

Compassion

Generously she thinks of others

Always responsible and sensible

She follows her heart and intuition

And she cooks now too,

as though it is her true calling.

As she walks through the footsteps of life

Dragging bags of her parents dysfunction

She grasps on to her sensible nature,

gentle husband, sense of gratitude

And copes with panache

Each day I have learned something new

From that precious treasure

I call my daughter!

Happy Birthday Darling

You are a one of a kind

I love you beyond words

I hope you know that!

Bras for A Cause 2011 " Mountains of Courage in Bloom"

"Mountains of Courage

in Bloom"

This Bustier is dedicated to my dear friend

Helen Cheng

 Done in Acrylics then varnished
The form of this bustier was not quite as nice as
the first one I did, making it slightly more difficult to paint !

Today I am donating this completed bustier to "Bras for A Cause" along with one hundred dollars. The  money my daughter has saved us on sundries through extreme couponing the  past four months  affords  me the opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause in honour of my friend. 

   
Two years ago right about the time I was donating my first bustier " Mountains of Courage" in honor of a mutual friend, Helen was diagnosed! January 4th was Helens second birthday since her diagnoses and treatments! I'm excited to say she looks healthy with a full head of  curly hair! Seems like all those   home perms are finally permanent! I'm pretty sure she's crossing her fingers that they are anyway!

Helen is such a terrific person always full of glee with an ability to recall minute details and dates like no other! We met twenty years ago when our daughters were in kindergarten! We've had so many laughs over the years  and lots of great chatter! I am so proud of my pal, her courage and tenacity to fight through such tough times always with a smile and  winning sense of humor! Love you Helen, you're one of a kind! Happy Birthday!!! Wishing you many more my friend!