Happy Holidays everyone...and see you soon!

I want to wish you all a joyous, love-filled, healthy holiday season and New Year. You have all been a huge part of my world, this past year. I had re-surfaced with this blog and it has been a great outlet for creativity and
self-expression. Your feedback has always been supportive and loving. I love this community and how we back each other up and share, and I have met so many kindred-spirits. That is what blogging is all about. It is a wonderfully supportive place to be. Thank you all!  ~ I wrote this and more originally knowing that I was planning on taking a break between Xmas and New Year's. I want to spend time with my kids while they are on winter break and want to recharge, renew and otherwise work on special projects, gearing up for the new year...then ...life happensI had prepared this post early this morning and it took me all day to get it posted, as my children have caught a stomach virus and have been ill for hours now. I am praying I am able to escape it as Moms can't get sick when needing to take care of their kids.  f i n g e r s    c r o s s e d ...

I had hoped to make my rounds to all of your blogs and return emails but it seems I may not be able to before the holiday. Please know I send you the very best of wishes for a perfect holiday! 

Merry Christmas! ~ Happy New Year!
much love & peace

~ 

See you soon!

image source: see you soon by rick blackwell

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year all...see you soon!

I want to wish you all a joyous, love-filled, healthy holiday season and New Year. You have all been a huge part of my world, this past year. I had re-surfaced with this blog and it has been a great outlet for creativity and
self-expression. Your feedback has always been supportive and loving. I love this community and how we back each other up and share, and I have met so many kindred-spirits. That is what blogging is all about. It is a wonderfully supportive place to be. Thank you all!  ~ I wrote this and more originally knowing that I was planning on taking a break between Xmas and New Year's. I want to spend time with my kids while they are on winter break and want to recharge, renew and otherwise work on special projects, gearing up for the new year...then ...life happensI had prepared this post early this morning and it took me all day to get it posted, as my children have caught a stomach virus and have been ill for hours now. I am praying I am able to escape it as Moms can't get sick when needing to take care of their kids.  f i n g e r s   c r o s s e d ...

I had hoped to make my rounds to all of your blogs and return emails but it seems I may not be able to before the holiday. Please know I send you the very best of wishes for a perfect holiday! 

Merry Christmas! ~ Happy New Year!
much love & peace

~ 

See you soon!

image source: see you soon by rick blackwell

all I want for Christmas...

Truthfully, all I ever wished for Xmas aside from love, health, comfort and world peace for all,  is
A R T  S U P P L I E S ...yes, true I can buy these anytime for myself and I do, but
truth be told, I have always made it easy for loved ones to know this is the easiest and best
choice of gift for me. Do they take this advise? ha, almost never. Also funny, I have thought about past relationships and the man always stresses over what to get
his woman (this woman)  for the holidays...skip the diamonds, I want art supplies! I'm  not kidding!

diamonds are wonderful, gorgeous, but not practical and a new easel,
paints, shelving, canvas, cubbies, paint brushes...are always practical for the Artist.

ART SUPPLIES rule and ARE diamonds to me!

all in truth and all in fun~and BOOKS also make that list...:)or build me a dream 'studio' and you'll never have to get me another gift, ever! :)

and not so practical but definitely necessary to my happiness is my Old World Santa Collection ~
photo Christmas 2008...this year they remain in their storage trunk. Ooo, and this isn't even all of them. And, I know Christmas should be all about giving but do tell ~ what is your favourite gift to receive? 

 

Happy Christmas...
Gelukkige Kerstmis
Glückliches Weihnachten
Noël heureux
Feliz Navidad
Natale felice
Natal feliz

image source: painting of artists studio by unknown artist
photo by Calli 2008

i dream a dream...

we all have a dream or dreams. one ofmine is to be able to ice skate
like a graceful, flowing, lovely, athletic ~ figure skater. i want for that ease of
movement. i want to feel the cool air on my face as i twirl in
enormous circle eights; designed by my skates and felt with my heart.
i have not skated since i was young and
want to so badly. I used to rollerblade and loved it but
injuries have made that a current thing of the past. i cross-country
ski'd and fell on my ass more times than i can count, but i had a damn good time trying.
and it should be of no surprise when i say that figure skating
is one of my favourite events in the Olympics. love to watch
the fluid movement of these ice dancers! much like ballet, so free flowing
and beautiful. just amazing! sometimes, so beautiful, it can reduce me to tears.

i suppose i think of this, when i hear,
Joni Mitchell's ~ 'River' ...a song i listen to often.

as noted by my sidebar ;)

Its meaning sad and melancholy, about losing a lover, but i love the song, music and lyrics. what's not to love,  it's soulful and sung by Joni Mitchell or even Sarah Mclachlan, just beautiful. a song that has always tugged at my
Christmastime heartstrings. and the image of ice skating
just takes me to another place and time when life was simpler, innocent or so i imagine.
eras past where skating was a loved and treasured pastime. a place for a promising date.
a time when families did something 'together'... it just stirs up so many emotions
and feelings. God, how i love this time of year. a time of endings and yet a time of
new beginnings.

Happy Christmas, all...with love

~ Gelukkige Kerstmis ~ Glückliches Weihnachten ~ 

 Noël heureux ~ Feliz Navidad ~ Natale felice ~ Natal feliz

image source: photo 1: tumblr++recklesslyming
photo 2: cestnouveautumblr
photo 3: not-long-now+-15-days

monastery of soul ...

cloistered in semi-darknessa monastery of soul greyness cold, alone
writhing in wait for days to once again
advance the light
as the deficit defeats the senses
stymies the voice,
inhibits the muse,
ensures dormancy

the need to restore compells inner action
to renew
invigorate the senses
there is no wish to wait for Springthough this rest is fiercely determinedwhile it seemingly inflicts with no remorse
quietlysecretlysomething seeps inmaking provisionsto enhance strengthto garner power
for times to come
...in love
...in hope...in uprooting an inert existence

a quickening
a  pulse
palpitations indicating
the wake up call to  LIVE LIFE
and yet
life has forced this breathing space
this adjournment in part, a design on the future?
stirring devotion from deep within
to make love, make life, make sense of all this -- all this that came before NOW

a respite
before the reckoning
a relinquishing of control
 a forcing of hands a leveling of spirit
waist deep

a cleansing

a purifying to gain
a readying for ...wisdom brought forthvia a Master Plan to cultivate
the ESSENCE of LIFE

© 2009
image source: 11_12_2008 iris_brosch

this you are...this you were...

you entered my life at a time
when things were just beginning to move...
stagnant times were had
then suddenly just before you arrived
my soul started to sway, dance, flutter

I knew of your arrival before
you stepped into my world
the veil pulled back
in recognition of youin recognition of me
life was sometimes sad, oppressive
yet I released myself
from that sadness
oppression
some of it
pulled back violently
a veil that could not withstand the test of time.

I'd spent so much time making headway
into a happier place
a happier timeyears
then you came
i smiled
i knew i was in for something tangible
beautiful
loving
mutual

your vibe,
aura,
soul
was felt,
noticedlong before I laid eyes on you.

i,  backed into a corner
for quite sometime
knew that was not the place for me*(nobody puts Baby in the corner! :)  
i have let my creative self-shineeven more
with your aid
because you've given
and given much to inspire,
  youbrought joy

all these things
that make up who we are
who i am
who you are

these are good things
these are great things
these are beautiful and we are so lucky
to have our friendship
our love
our bond
it is a bond
a bond
that is glued together
with light and love and peace
and a creative melding

such similarity between us
we knew of from the start
we loved that from the start
we love it still...

i love how we grow into
something more
more substantial
each day
each new way

i love you my friend! I do!

©2009*had to put that in  -for Patrick Swayze  (RIP)**written for a friend some time ago...
image source: Friends_Forever_by_vizionsphotography

A NEW WIP and lots of XMAS Photos...please go see!  G A R A H S T A H

WIP and Christmas my way...

I've been busy the last few days with this WIP and readying for Christmas .

 It's freezing cold here and the winds, well, they'll
blow you away if you let them. I usually love the wind but the wind chill, is
beyond chilly! ;(...but I do love a soft flowing snowfall, the 'magical' kind
like in the classic "It's a Wonderful Life"...I bask in the comfort and warmth
of my home, but I do wish I had a fireplace (one day).
One of the most favourite things we like to do and it has become quite a
tradition, is to watch "Little Women" the Winona Ryder/Christian Bale version.
I just love this movie. We usually watch it the night before Thanksgiving
but this year it turned into a karaoke fest!  I think I must have lived a past life during the early 19th century ;). I love the mere mention of 'Transcendentalism' that is in the movie (sorry ~ I digress)...This is a holiday
film that just puts me in the mood for Christmas. I'm sure it's not a movie for everyone, especially the guys, but you never know.  This was also my favourite novel when I was a kid.
~
There is a story behind each & every ornament on our tree, but that would take too long to tell. But they were either made by my kids, chosen or gifted with great care and love. Sadly, I have so many, some remain in a box as there is just not enough room on this tree. So here are a few pics.  In my old place, 12 foot trees were the norm, but now
my ceilings are lower so 7 1/2 it is...

enjoy~

I haven't even unpacked my Old World Santa collection yet, but it is something I have been collecting for years and treasure! Maybe, I can dig up and old photo or two.

WIP  ~ 16 x 20
mixed media on canvas ~  untitled as yet

I hope all of your holiday preparations are going nicely. I hope this season is eventful in only the best of ways  and exhibit the true season of giving and sharing. This is what means the most to me...Noel