Snowbound in North Carolina

 

I live in the Piedmont of North Carolina where the winters are usually very mild. Rarely do we get any measurable snow... and when it does snow, it doesn't hang around very long. To be honest, I'm really OK with that! I prefer to enjoy our occasional brief snowfalls from inside my warm house while sipping a cup of hot tea!

But this past week we had a winter storm that brought two inches of sleet and ice, along with several days of  arctic air which made it impossible for the ice to melt. To make it even more challenging, a second snowstorm added between 6 and 8 inches of fresh snow on top of the ice. Here in the South, we're just not equipped to handle the winter weather... so in the end, most of North Carolina came to an abrupt standstill.

 So, what did I do during our unexpected snow days?...

• I listened to music that was brand new to me and so uplifting! (Praise by Genevieve Linkowski)
• I tried a new casserole recipe (Kidney-Friendly Dump Meal - it was a winner!)
• I made silly Valentines for Cards For Kindness
• I read the fourth book in a mystery series (Mailbox Mysteries by Melanie Lageschulte - Who done it?!)
• I enjoyed watching the birds at our bird feeders (mostly blue birds, gold finches, snowbirds, cardinals and a huge flock of robins)
• I spent time drawing just for the fun of it!
• And I gave thanks to God for my loving husband who worked so hard shoveling snow, for power in the snowstorm, for plenty of food to eat, and for the warm, safe home we share together.

Light In My Darkness

 

It has been a very long time since I've written in my blog... over two years, in fact. Life has been filled with family illness and the homecoming of my sweet Dad. Now my Mom is declining rapidly. I'm trying my best to care for her well, while my heart is grieving. It is the circle of life... We are only given so many days on this earth, and then we return to the Lord, which is a blessing! But this ending of life!... It is so very very hard! I need God's grace to make it through each moment of every single day.

I've written before that I struggle with depression... and during this difficult time, it's been hard to find my way out of the darkness at times. My physician has changed my medications, and that has greatly helped me cope on this journey I've found myself on. I am truly grateful to be feeling so much better!

And painting has helped soothe my soul. I don't claim to be a terrific artist... but somehow in putting pencil to paper and then paint on canvas, peace and joy have come into my heart. This winter, as the afternoon sun has been shining in the windows of my studio, I've experienced a calm, quiet place of healing and comfort as I've painted and listened to soft, soothing music. My studio has felt like a sanctuary... and art making has felt like communion with God.

Thank you Lord, that you meet me right where I am... even when I'm in the darkness. You come to me and comfort me. You shine Your light on me and fill me with joy and gladness! I am so very grateful!!

Snowbound in Carolina

"Winter Friends"

Late last week, we had a winter storm blow through my home state of North Carolina. It's not so unusual for us to get a really good snow sometime during the wintertime... but I think this storm surprised even the meteorologists with the amount of snow it left behind! We had about six inches of snow... but with ice on the roads and our house perched on a hill, we were snowbound for several days 'til the temperatures rose.

So, while I was inside, enjoying the snowy view out my window and giving thanks for a warm house and a full fridge, I spent some very happy hours in my studio, creating this happy snowman! I did some experimenting with 'floating color' (read here... lots of trial & error!) to give the snowman and cardinal a bit of shading and depth. This is a growing edge for me. I had watched some YouTube videos that made the floating technique look so easy... but I'm going to need to keep practicing, that's for sure! 

I hope that"Winter Friends" brightens your day today!  :)

Keeping Christmas Simple At Our House...

We're keeping things simple this year at our house for Christmas...

A large green wreath with a big red bow welcomes visitors to our home. The artificial tree we bought years ago when Ben & Jesse were little has been 'fluffed' and decorated with lights & shiny Christmas balls & years of accumulated ornaments.... Makes me smile every time I walk by! 'Handprint ornaments' we made in Jesse's kindergarten class are hanging in the kitchen windows above the sink. And the 'folk art' nativity scene I love has a place of honor on the piano in the dining room. Last of all, a gorgeous pointsetta I bought at the grocery store sits in the middle of our dining room table. Instead of the pre-holiday frenzy I often dread, in our home,

All is calm, All is bright.

2016 has been a very challenging year for me (more on that another time...). But as it closes, I'm grateful for the growth and the lessons the year has held for me. God is indeed faithful and kind and good.

Wishing You A 

Very Blessed Christmas

And A

Happy New Year!! 

In The Neighborhood...

I've just started walking 30 minutes first thing in the morning... and, in order to encourage myself to keep at it each day, I'm taking iPhone pics of beautiful & interesting things I see in the neighborhood while I walk.

I saw these purple coneflowers today & thought they were lovely, planted against a simple white picket fence background... Made me smile! :)

Spring Has Sprung!

It always seems to happen this way... temps are in the 40's, I'm wearing my turtlenecks, fuzzy socks & fleece... and overnight SPRING suddenly appears! It teases at first with a crocus or two in my neighbor's front yard... and then unveils itself with drama & flair.

This year the cherry trees that line the streets in our neighborhood were truly spectacular! And now the dogwood trees are beginning to blossom... and yes, the azaleas are not very far behind. So far, I've watched out my kitchen window as a mama starling built her nest... and I was entertained by a squirrel very carefully filling a notch in the big oak tree to make her cozy nest. All the baby leaves are unfolding, making the whole world green again.

NEW LIFE!!... Just when it seems that winter will never end, along comes HOPE, and the whole world sighs in relief.

Thank you so much Lord!... for the gift of beauty, for the promise of hope, for new life that springs up when we least expect it. We can see You in all You have made... The whole world is praising You!!

Welcome Home Winnie!

Four years ago this month, Winnie, a gentle black lab, came to live at our house... The moment I saw her, I totally fell in love.  :)

My husband Joe & I don't know much about Winnie's story... If only she could tell us! She came to us through the Lab Rescue of North Carolina, found by a caring stranger somewhere near a beach in eastern Carolina. She had recently had a litter of puppies, though we have no idea what happened to them. All we know is that Winnie was very sick with heartworm disease when she was found and she needed lots of love & care.

The kind folks at the Lab Rescue named her Winnie... and my husband decided she'd been through enough... she shouldn't have to get used to a brand new name too. So 'Winnie' it was.

When we first adopted Winnie, the lab rescue guessed she was somewhere between two and three years old. But after our family vet needed to x-ray her, we discovered that our young dog was actually a whole lot older (which helped explain her very laid back personality).

Winnie's the first dog we've adopted since my sons have grown up... and she's been the perfect companion for me. Nothing makes her happier than a walk around the neighborhood, her chewy 'Kong' & her favorite toy duck (now looking a lot worse for wear!). She follows the sun around our house & is content just to 'be' with me... my super sweet studio buddy!  :)  Without a doubt, Winnie helps make our house a home!

The doodle above was drawn on a 4x6 index card, just for fun, using a black Micron pen, Copic markers, Prismacolor markers & Prismacolor pencils.  :)

And Suddenly It Was Spring!

Background Photo © Studiobarcelona | Dreamstime.com

Last time I updated this blog, it was January & I was setting some goals for myself for the New Year... and here it is April! How did THAT happen???... Apparently, I should have added a goal to blog more regularly too!

Counting My Blessings

"Cozy Winter Home"

We had an unexpected early taste of Winter here in North Carolina, as the temps dipped down in the twenties overnight... No snow yet, but it sure has been cold enough for snow! First dog walk of the season, I bundled up in my scarf & hat & my winter coat, with a scarf I'd knit wrapped almost up to my nose.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

"Boy, I'm not ready for Wintertime yet!... I really don't like being cold!... Wasn't Halloween just a few days ago???" that little voice in my head begins to whine & complain...

And then I remember (something I'm prone to forget if I'm not very careful)...  

This is a very good day to count my blessings!

So, today I'm thankful for...

• A warm house on a chilly day
• A hot cup of Chai tea in my favorite mug
• The space heater that's warming my toes-ies
• The fleece blanket my sons gave me for Christmas... I'm cozier because of their love for me
• A sunny 'Carolina Blue' sky with not a cloud in sight 
• The sound of my dog snoozing right next to me while I type
• A brand new book I can hardly wait to read
• ... And a wide-open day to enjoy being creative!  :) 

Lord, I have so very much to be thankful for!... Please teach me to notice and count the big & small blessings in my everyday life... good gifts you have given to me!

So Very Thankful!

As so many of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To be honest, until recently that didn't have much meaning for me. At 57 years old, I had been blessed with good health & I was looking forward to enjoying middle age with my sweet husband, Joe. But all that suddenly changed for me...

The morning after my 'routine mammogram,' I got the phone call no woman ever wants to receive... "We want you to come back for a second screening. The radiologist found a problem on your X-ray."

So began several weeks of not knowing & waiting & trying not to think the worst. My husband & I prayed. We asked our family & friends for prayer. We believe the Lord wants us to bring our needs & our hearts before Him... and at the same time we believe, for better or for worse, God is in control.

I ended up needing to have a biopsy... and truthfully, I was afraid to go through that process almost as much as I feared learning about the test results. But the nurse & doctor who cared for me could not have been more compassionate. They listened to me & talked me through the entire procedure. I felt like I was treated as a person who mattered & not just another nameless patient... They helped put my heart at ease.

My story has a very HAPPY ending!... though now I know I could easily have received very different news.

And so today I am THANKFUL!...  Thankful for the love & support of my husband. Thankful for the prayerfulness of family & friends. Thankful for compassionate caregivers. And yes, thankful for the very good news I received... I don't take the gift of good health for granted any more.

Thank you Lord for caring for me in the midst of uncertainty & fear. Thank you for being my strength, my comfort, my rock. Thank you for your compassion & mercy on me. Please help me to remember that, no matter what I may face in this life, I can ALWAYS trust in You.

Finding Creative New Ideas Every Day

 "Backyard Gardeners"

So, where do new art ideas come from anyhow?... Well, everywhere really. I'm finding even life's ordinary everyday moments can inspire fun & creative ideas for art!  :)

On an average spring or summer Saturday morning around our house (after blueberry pancakes & coffee with my husband Joe!), it's time for Joe to head out into the yard. He puts on his straw gardening hat & I know he's about to be in his "Happy Place." I can almost see him start to relax as he mows the grass & pulls the weeds & moves plants from one location to another more suitable home. Watching him from our kitchen window, I feel like I'm watching him "paint" his own very beautiful picture.

Of course, our Lab, Winnie, is sure to make it known that she wants to be out in the yard with Joe too! She lies by the basement door & whimpers (loudly!) 'til Joe has finally finished mowing the grass. Then it's time for her to head out into the backyard & "supervise" the gardening. I'm convinced this is the highlight of Winnie's entire week!  ;)

A simple, every week scene at our house... Who'da thought that something so normal could inspire anything creative???

A little side-note here... Winnie is a black lab, so I cheated when I colored her brown! I'm still figuring out how to work with areas of black in art & not have them look like a great big black hole!  :)

Happy to be a Mom Of Boys :)

"No Girlz Allowed"

Somehow, it's May already!... and the neighborhood is starting to fill up with the sights & sounds I remember so well from my two sons' growing-up-days! I love seeing little boys out riding their bikes on the sidewalk... kids with dirty knees playing "trucks" in the front yard... hearing the sounds of skateboards down the street as "the big boys" practice their jumping skills. Pretty soon there will be kiddie pools & sprinklers & squirt gun fights... kids catching fireflies after dark... and best of all, the sounds of children laughing & playing!

I have to admit... I have a BIG soft spot in my heart for little boys! Our house was full of them!... our two sons with their whole gang of little buddies... playing legos by the hour on rainy days, eating drippy popsicles on the front porch when the weather was hot, making forts & playing with flashlights... a constant noisy parade of little guys in search of snacks & bandaids for scraped knees... and sometimes hugs & kisses too!...  

I loved every minute of it!! 

Sometimes now it's hard to believe that those "little boy days" went by so quickly!... I remember wondering back then (on my more "challenging" days!) if time had stood still! Now I know that I was especially blessed to be home with our boys & be there for all their growing-up minutes!... 

Such a gift from God to me!... and I am so very thankful!

Thank you so much, Lord, for the wonderful gift of being a mom of boys! Thanks for the good days & the not-so-good days of growing up together as a family. What a JOY & a PRIVILEGE to have been there to nurture them along!... Please help me to treasure these memories & to encourage them on as they continue to grow.