Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 17

After two weeks off, I'm getting back on track. I never really intended to post these things online. They are playing cards and so many times the writing has been hard to read in the photo.

"The world is a miracle and you forget time and time again your whole life. But if you remember more than you forget, you'll be fine." Brian Andreas

And would you look a' there, as big as Dallas, I've written "you're" when I intended to write "your." I hope that does not distract us from thinking about how often we do forget that the world is a miracle. I know many of us are having to work very hard at remembering more than we forget. 

Project Thoughful Thursday Week 16

"Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken wing bird that cannot fly." Langston Hughes

I'm late this week. I've been doing some of the lessons in the online class I'm taking. I've finished one lesson, and one angel, and I've started another one. In between that, I did another face in the style of the first lesson. Only this time I did it on a piece of watercolor paper.

She did end up telling me not to give up! I didn't have any alphabet stamps to stamp the words on so I wrote them on a thin piece of paper and used the gel medium to glue the paper to the board and then blended it in.

This is the one I did on watercolor paper. But this time around I had the better oil pastels than what I had on the previous project. I carefully measured so I could put her in a mat with an 8X10 opening, then I proceeded to make her hair go over my  measuring line. I decided I could just lower her where all her hair would show because it would matter if I cut some off her dress. I forgot about that when I glued the words on tonight. I may have to end up cropping some of her hair off at the top. I think I could have made the letters a bit smaller. Eventually I will break down and order me a set of alphabet stamps just like Kelly Rae Roberts has. LOL I wish I could hand letter them, but my hand is not steady enough anymore.

Also, I made the picture smaller so it would load faster. The words say, "singing lullabies of love and hope for the little ones." 

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 15

I've been chatting with a friend on Facebook. I said I was going to bed but here I am writing a blog post. For one thing, tomorrow is week 15 of Project Thoughtful Thursday. For the other thing, tomorrow will make five years that my son has been gone. He's been very much on my mind lately. I read about another friend on Facebook who also lost a son, and how he usually takes the day off. When I read that, I asked myself why I couldn't be smart enough to do that for myself.

I have people whose hearts will be with me all day tomorrow. People in my face to face world, and people in my online world. Because of so many horrible things happening lately, most everybody is familiar with the quote where Fred Rogers told him to look for the helpers in times of trouble. On a very individual and personal level, that's what I've learned to do during the harder times of my grief. I'm very grateful for the people who will be holding me in their hearts on this day.

How serendipitous that the card for week 15 would be this Anne Frank quote about all the beauty left around me. It's true, there is still so much beauty. We can get so distracted by the darkness and the sadness and the tragedy.

My angel I'm working on for the painting class is coming along. I have a list of supplies I will be ordering on Friday. Part of the work we are supposed to be doing is listening to the whispers, the words our angels might be wanting us to hear. I think I hear mine saying, "Do not give up."

I'm trying very hard not to. I hope you are too. We need to be here to share our gifts with a hurting world.

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 14

Another timely reminder, this one from dear old Albert Camus. Having the bendy heart still doesn't get us out of suffering, does it?

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 13

"Step Away Sometimes," another timely reminder! 

Step away from the dessert table.

Step away from the loudly opinionated relative who will want to ramble on about politics.

Step away from that questionable looking vegetable casserole.

Step away from the offer to bring some of it home with you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 12

Another one from my friend Ralph, "Do what you can, suffer when you must, love and grow as you are able."

Seems to me to be a very timely reminder, especially in times where there seems to be so much that isn't right that you don't know what to do.

Here's the other version, without the frame. 

Project Thoughful Thursday, Week 11

I really need to work on this in my home and in my life. 

I've made some progress but not nearly enough. 

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 10

A quote from the book "A River Runs Through It." I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and still want to see the movie.

I'm not sure why this quote touched me so, but it did.

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 9

I'm late! I went to Houston Thursday afternoon for checkups and didn't bring my laptop. I received good reports from the doctors I saw and I don't go back until January. And again in February. I suppose eventually it will get to where I see everyone in the same three month increments., rather than one doctor this month and another doctor the next month.

I don't usually worry too much about the cancer in between my appointments. But in the week before the time to go in, I tend to get a bit nervous. That usually manifests itself in me overeating or choosing not to pay much attention to my exercise routine. I woke up this morning and realized how relieved I am that everything went well and all the reports were good. Now I'm ready to live again! And hopefully I'll get back to my routines and to better watching what I eat.

Anyway, this week's reminder is, "I have what I need." Truly, I do. And had there been negative reports, I trust that I would have had what I needed then, too.

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 8

"I am precisely where I am supposed to be today."

Sometimes I'm not too sure about that.

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 7

I'm sorry I'm so late getting this posted, I knew yesterday was Wednesday, I know Thursday follows Wednesday, I just sort of somehow thought this was still Wednesday! I was thinking I'd write tonight about last week's prompt, and post this one tomorrow. Then I realized today is Thursday. O.o!

We all have different things we do when we are angry, or upset, or disappointed. My modus operandi is to turn on myself. I can be vicious toward me. I'm learning to catch myself when I start treating me in a way that I would not treat my worst enemy. I'm getting better at extending grace toward myself. When I forget, my friend Ralph is good at asking me to please be a little kinder to his friend. It's true that sometimes we can do things for our friends that we can't do for ourselves. But I'm also learning to be kinder to myself for own self.

I'm grateful for friends who help me to see the positive things about myself that I sometimes cannot see.

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 6

What do you think???

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 5

"Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless in facing them." 

Rabindranath Tagore

Well, maybe totally fearless is not exactly achievable, but neither is being totally sheltered from the dangers. I've often told people "You don't want me praying for you. I mostly ask for strength to make it through." So often, that's exactly what we get. And we make it though.

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week 4

Well, dang. Here is this weeks card, "Tenacious (yes, you)." It's certainly a reminder for me. I hope it will at least cause you to think a bit.

I have been tenaciously sticking with my 40 day art journal commitment. It's been a lot of fun. Here are a few of the ones I've done lately...

I got antsy and started adding paint to the background, along with distress ink, and Pan pastels.

I have a bunch of old photographs (and letters). I figure I should go ahead and use them, and stop holding onto to them like they are precious and irreplaceable. They aren't my relatives.

 It doesn't take much time to do these. They've been somewhat therapeutic for me to work on.

Project Thoughful Thursday, Week 3

I have to admit, when I first saved this quote, I thought I knew exactly what it meant. I even had examples from my own life. This morning, I am not so sure I understand. Still, this is our card for the third week of Project Thoughtful Thursday.

"Sometimes joy is wrapped

in other feelings."

"Stargardener"

AKA Teresa Robinson, 

Right Brain Planner™

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week Two

(Apparently it's my season to ramble. Forgive me. I'll find my way eventually.)

Whoo hoo! Two weeks! I have a streak going!

I have my stack of cards and I've decided I'm not going to judge any card I choose, and I'm always going to go with the first one I pick. Also, some will be less legible than others. This is one of the less legible ones.

It's a quote from Lucille Ball, "It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy."

I'm a bit of a weirdo. Many times I have to first figure what does not make me happy, and then move on from there. In my current planner I have a list of "Small Things I Enjoy Doing (Calming, Diversionary, Self-Care Things)." Sometimes I look at the list for ideas on something to do if I'm restless or in a negative spiral. Other times the list serves as a reminder that joy can be found in small things. It's an intentional way to save me from too much self-pity, among other things.

So, there's the thought. Do you know the things that make you happy? Maybe later in the week, I'll post a list of things that make me happy. Then again, maybe not.

One thing that makes me happy is taking photos with my phone and manipulating them with various apps. I also like going out with my big camera. It's been a while since I've done that.

My feet are always with me. I take photos of them quite often.

It feels like it's been a while since I've had my own words to put on a photo. I don't know why. Maybe the words will return eventually.

I did a kind of listening meditation this afternoon, naming (in my head) various sounds I heard--

the humming of the air conditioner

the clearing of a throat

my right ankle creaking as I walked

my left ankle answering my right ankle

someone coughed, loudly

paper shuffled

the noise of weight being shifted in a desk

And then I named (in my head) various textures in the room--

heavy denim

silky athletic shorts

cool tile floor

scratchy tweed of the carpet

the tight sheen of yoga pants with a little too much booty in them

smooth table tops

rough brick

wiry hair

prickly stubble of a beard

plain flannel

The words and phrases conjure up images. 

I don't know why the images are not conjuring up words.

 

 Maybe I just need to dig a little deeper.

Project Thoughtful Thursday, Week One

For any of you who thought you might like to play along with a weekly writing project, I think I have a plan on how I'm going to use the cards in my inspiration deck. I'm calling the project Thoughtful Thursday. I plan to pull a card from the deck on Thursday and post a picture of the card to my blog. I may write something about the card at that time or I may just post a photo of the card and let it go at that. The cards themselves are not works of art. They are just the vehicles that carry the reminders of things I want to remember, things I want to do and/or be (or aspire to). I may or may not come back and share my own writing about the card.

The project may evolve some through time. But I hope to follow through and honor this as a year long commitment. I'll create a tag for the project so the posts can all be easily found.

This morning I unceremoniously shuffled the deck and drew out this card; "You are loved."