Carry on Tuesday sponsored by Keith The prompt today is " Arms of an angel" title of Sarah Mclachlan's song.
My friend's sixty year old step dad won the lottery in the spring. Last week he left to be in the arms of an angel after a short fight with stomach cancer. I've never met the man. Still I feel too sad for words. Sometimes life doesn't seem fair. I can't help but wonder how my friends young sons, who enjoyed this man as a grandfather figure, will cope. It seems the family finally got a break, only to be shot down by this sad news. I'm sure the lottery winner felt comfort knowing he left his family provided for. How's one to understand this complex aspect of life? Sure makes ya think....
Good Fortune
Comfy house ancient car outdated furniture I stop and stare worn out floors ratty blinds old white stove needs repair Eighties items invade the space Press board cupboards painted thrice Fridge freezer works on a whim mismatched washer a dryer squeaks I exhale and listen as my old place speaks a rhyme of home despite the kinks I know I'm the lucky one!
P.S we are in the process of correcting many flaws, upgrading, and sprucing things up!
I do love to have fun, but honestly I'm more of a home body than a traveler. There was a time I'd escape a chaotic household to anesthetize myself with adventure. I've always enjoyed festivals, dancing, a good laugh with fiends. I used to be the last to exit a good party, and first to dress in costume for a lantern festival or night on the town.
In the seventies I was a guest on a Navy ship, soon befriending all the top officers who encouraged me to join them in song, and the chef who taught me how to make scallop st. Jacques for five hundred. When my mom was dying a music therapist requested I harmonize with her for all the patients in palliative care. I've been a screamer in a haunted house, traveled with a school theater group that did Jesus Christ Super Star in another province, sang madrigals with small group of school teachers, but so far my very best adventure is a personal exploration of art.
Everyday is a new creative adventure, whether painting a picture of cartoon people I've never met, writing a guttural poem or pulling out digital characters that I swear started with the etchasketch I got for Christmas so many moons ago! Every single day is an exciting new quest of self discovery. I'm seriously oblivious to know where it will take me. It's a baffling unfulfilled obsession that I am in love with.
The characters I meet along the way, well they're a bonus! I often wonder if the faces are people I've studied on outings, or conjured up from imagination, or some other mysterious force. Doesn't matter how it occurs I just wish everyone could experience this same sense of satisfaction felt while creating.
Why not pick up a pencil, paint brush, or even a crayon and let it lead you to discover that untapped vessel inside of you? Don't worry what it looks like, start with some scribbles. What do you see in those scribbles? Do you love certain color combinations? What is your favorite shape. Just enjoy the process. You never know where it might take you.
In a million years I couldn't have imagined sharing one piece of my art with another living soul....seven years later here I am spreading my joy, with hope that it will be infectious!
I found these faces on my zoom browser but I have no idea where the canvas went, or whether I painted over them....kind of appropriate for this post, also a bit spooky for Halloween week. I think I'll hunt and see if I still have it, would be nice to finish!
When my mom was pregnant she prayed for children with good hair. Not surprising for a hairdresser having dealt with nasty limphair. While I was pregnant I hoped for a child with common sense. I actually wished for that over intellect.
Lately I keep hearing the quote “Common sense is not so common.” I’ve taken for granted my common sense. Unfortunately it doesn’t always factor into intelligence either. Growing up we had a highly intelligent neighbor completely void of common sense. Dad called her the dumbest smart person he’d ever met! In a very nonsexist way of course!
Her kids were out of control. She bragged to other neighbors if you wanted a house cleaner for twenty-five cents an hour; just hire me as a babysitter. Her house was always a chaotic mess, with ice-cream drips glued to the counters for weeks on end. I was helping out of the kindness of my heart, but she exploited me.
Recently, at forty eight my brother realized his childhood hood pal, (the same woman's son,) probably caused him to be held in contempt by many neighbors.When confronted the boy blamed my brother for his mothers large amount of missing coins. Ones he stole and spent on candy at the corner store. Never the type to steal, imagine the damage that followed my brother for years. Can't you just hear the woman informing all the neighbors what a little poop my bro was. Kind of like the woman who brags that her husband would never cheat while he's boinking every one in town! My mother would have thoroughly investigated before drawing a conclusion.
I feel pretty blessed to have common sense, thankfully my daughter does too!
For the template to carve my traditional Garfield Pumpkin go here!!
When my daughter was about ten she said “Mom I always take my purse with me, because knowing you we could head to North Van and end up in Chilliwack!” Meaning
I could head in one direction, but end up two hours away in the opposite direction once an idea strikes.
Last weekend, thirteen years later, I went to pick up dinner and get Pepper a slushy for her sore throat. My son in law jumps in the car with his PJ painting pants on. I’m perplexed because the day before he changed out of his stylish lulu lemon jogging pants, which look fabulous on him, into jeans for a short run to the hardware store. I asked him why he was wearing pajamas today but wouldn’t wear his lulu’s the other day. Not that I cared. He paused…. “Well it’s not unlike you to start at one store, then drive all the way out to Langley to look at something else” I had to chuckle. Funny how the kids see me, but he couldn’t have been more right.
When Pepper was little, money was abundant, gas was cheap, it would be nothing for me to take her on a green apple slushy hunt. Definitely an unconventional mom, I love it when she reminds me of our fun bonding memories. I’ll tell you, my quirky antics sure paid off!!
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