Sign, Sign Everywhere a Sign

Do you believe in earthly life after death in any form? If you had asked me that question 10 years ago, I would have said no.

After my mom passed away in November 2000, I started getting strange signs. I'm not going to go into them here because -- well, for those who don't believe, I think you have to experience it yourself to understand it and believe it. I know I certainly did. I'm one of the most cynical people I know of, and if I read someone else talking about what I've experienced, I'd surely think they were daft. So I'm not about to go talking about it.

However, Michele Ward's GPP Street Team's topic for Crusade 35 is called "Signs." She asks us to "show and tell the story of a sign or symbol that represents or reminds you of a loved one." I cannot resist saying that one of the ways my mom communicated with me after passing was by having the song "Lying Eyes" by the Eagles playing everywhere I went for many months. At first I thought, "could it be?" Then I thought, "God it really IS." And after a while, I just started saying, "Hi mama." (By the way, that particular song was the catalyst not because I'm a liar --I hope-- but because in high school I was quite the Eagles fan and I clearly remember her in my room saying, "Treesa, when I hear this band I think of you."

She'd never said that about any band before or since, and so when I suddenly started hearing the Eagles performing Lyin' Eyes on P.A. systems in nearly every store and restaurant and on what felt like every radio station I turned on -- 25+ years or more after they'd recorded the song -- I knew it was her sign, her way of reaching out and telling me she was there and looking out for me. Here is my GPP Street Team Show and Tell digital collage. Hi mama.

Did you ever get a sign like that - one that you're willing to talk about?

A Kindred Spirit

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You, too? Thought I was the only one.’”

Isn't it wonderful to find someone who shares the same interests as you? I remember an activity in high school - writing a want ad for the perfect friend. He or she would be this and this and that. At that time I thought it would be wonderful to find someone with all the same interests: Will love to read and to write poetry and prose, but must also love "partying" and being with friends. Music totally important and if you don't like Yes and Genesis you probably won't like me. (Yes, I was a child of the 70's.) In those days it seemed easy to find someone who was just like me because we were all conforming to the same ideals--even trying to be non-conformists was part of teenage pack behavior.

These days, I'm happy to have lots of acquaintances, and I'm always surprised when I come across someone and think, "You too? I thought I was the only one!" Today I discovered that Bea at Dog-in-the-Hole Studio likes an artist named Hundertwasser, someone whose work I also admire. I haven't yet met anyone else who likes his work, so that was a happy moment for me. (I'm creating a series of chipboard houses based on Hundertwasser's style.)

Of course, our deepest friendships -- the people with whom we share our most private thoughts, joys and sorrows -- are the constants in our lives that keep us whole and give us joy. But don't minimize the power of those surprising moments of serendipity, those instances where we see some connection to another and think, "You too? I thought I was the only one!" You might be looking at a kindred spirit.

What is it that lets you know someone may become more than just another acquaintance?

Over the Top Award

A very special e-friend, Lisa, gave me this award and I'm honored to received it and having fun doing the survey with it. :-)

So this award comes with rules: I need to pass this award on to others (and you know my sharing comes in threes) post on their blog to let them know I left this award, and then I need to answer a list of questions in ONE word. I am sharing this award with Brandie, Holli and Lizzi because they all like to do surveys and they have awesome blogs. So here we go:

1. Where is your cell phone?… charger
2. Your hair?… Blond
3. Your mother?… gone
4. Your father?… gone
5. Your favorite food?… pasta
6. Your dream last night?… none
7. Your favorite drink?… cappuccino
8. Your dream/goal?… enjoy
9. What room are you in?… living
10. Your hobby?… Art
11. Your fear?… Loss
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
13. Where were you last night?… movies
14. Something that you aren’t?… tall
15. Muffins?… Blueberry
16. Wish list item?… Camera
17. Where did you grow up?… New Jersey
18. Last thing you did?… slept
19. What are you wearing?… bathrobe
20. Your TV?… Off
21. Your Pets?… cats
22. Friends?… loyal
23. Your life?… incredible
24. Your mood?… grateful
25. Missing Someone?… no
26. Vehicle?…subway
27. Something you're not wearing?… shoes
28. Your favorite store?…craft
29. Your favorite colour?… Blue
30. When was the last time you laughed?…today
31. Last time you cried?… month
32. Your best friend?… me
33. One place that I go to over and over?… wyoming
34. Facebook?… sure
35. Favorite place to eat?…Gordon Ramsay's

Now I get to pass this on to some other bloggers that inspire me with their words and work.

We Are What We Do

Do Some Small Actions -

What would you ask someone to do to change the world? That question started a movement one I immediately liked and understood because the heart of it is so similar to my “Just one Step” philosophy. You might not be able to change the entire world, but you can do some personal action to change your part of it. And lots of those small actions are the steps that amount to a seismic shift.

One very obvious action idea that was shared in the original survey was to decline plastic bags at the store. I’ve noticed merchants here in Manhattan are starting to ask, “Would you like a bag?” rather than automatically providing one. That’s new. I have a very thin cotton bag that folds up to almost nothing that I keep in my purse. It’s tiny and light and takes up no more room than a cell phone, but I dig it out when I’m at a store and am happy to say, “No bag, please.”

Some kid-tested ideas from the We Are What We Do site: teaching granny to text. Let me add that if any senior in your family can’t use your computer, you’re doing them a great disservice and depriving them of an entire world. Don’t let them say they can’t do it. Get them on there, email them daily, show them how to connect with their grandkids on facebook or by email. It’s life-changing. My dad emailed until the day he died at 89 and it was one of his greatest pleasures to chat with his children and grandchildren daily. It kept him relevant in their lives despite not living close to them.

Other ideas from kids: Walk your Dads. Talk to old people, they know great stuff you don't. Talk to young people, they know great stuff you don't. Spend time with someone from a different generation.

The website is has plans to do things in collaboration with Google, like digging out old photos and collecting them on Google Maps.

If you are planning to live in this world for longer than a day or two more, I highly recommend working with We Are What We Do to renovate your section of it.

http://www.WeareWhatWeDoOrg

Up, Up and Away

I made this following a prompt by Casper in the Art Journaling group at On The Wing. The background is a torn map, highlighted with oil pastels, and the balloon is Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Watersoluble crayons (I just love the way they layer), with letters printed on white paper and glued on top. The basket is distress ink that's been sprayed with water for a neat effect. I love the reminder to Enjoy the Process of Life!!

Blog award

I'm honored.

I received a best blog award from Elizabeth Golden at The Last Door Down the Hall.

Elizabeth's blog is such an inspiration for me, and I encourage you to hop on over there to see her work. You are in for a treat!

Anyone who knows me knows I bestow any given awards in three's (just like wishes in fairy tales) and so I choose these three to share with you today: (drumroll please.)

Life According to Lizzie is a very cool blog by my friend Lizzie. You'll see. She also has a photography blog which will blow you away.

Lit and Life is, incredibly, all about books. I don't know how Lisa reads all these books; maybe she's a speed reader or something -- but somehow she covers a LOT of territory and shares lots of book info. You have to see it to believe it. And finally

Promptly Inspired is an art and poetry book by my friend Ellie. She's such a creative person that if wonderful ideas could take a physical form they would flow out of the top of her head like pasta from Strega Nona's pasta pot, and soon the entire town would be full of pasta and everyone would be full. So go visit her blog.

There you have it. And all because Elizabeth honored me with an award. xo

Artist's Journals and Sketchbooks

I'm working on chapter 1 of Lynne Perella's book, Artist's Journals and Sketchbooks. The first thing I did was to create a journal to put all my future work into, a project I was also doing for my Taking Flight group at On The Wing. (Multitasking is a wonderful thing!) These are the materials and the journal itself.

The next thing I did was "Working with Photocopies," part of Lynne's Chapter 1. Here are six different things you can do with a photocopy:








I'm having lots of fun with this book and learning many different techniques along the way. The nicest thing with this most recent lesson is that I used a picture of my maternal grandmother, my grandma Teresa, and combined her image in some ways that were especially meaningful to me. For example, in picture 3, the handwriting you can see (a little) in the background is that of my maternal grandmother (Flora), written in a letter in 1950. So in a way, I have both my grandmas with me in that one image. In picture 7, the "halo" on grandma Teresa's head is actually one of the new keys from the Tiffany collection. I'm happy to be able to give my Italian immigrant grandma a Tiffany key! Can you see the cement steps in the background of picture 2? My sister - 9 years older than I, has clear memories of playing on those steps - but I wasn't even born by the time they moved from that house. In working on these pictures I felt closer to knowing this grandma (whom I never met) than I'd ever felt before. It was definitely a win for me. :-)