Sunday, August 31, 2014

MEMORIES, SIGHTS AND INSIGHTS FROM THE PAST THREE DAYS

I have been pretty busy balancing out my life with what needs to get done and some fun in between.  I can say that after this past week with the help of my friends, some adventures in Art, real life flashes into the past, wonderful and unexpected family time with multiple members of my family and having time to focus on my Art homework as well has gotten my head back together.

This week has taken me back to a time and place of which encompassed most of my summers for a large majority of my life excluding the past 15 years or so.  During an excursion North to the farm to get the farm fresh milk one right turn took me over the hill, around the corner, over the causeway and back, back, back in time walking on the dock, swimming across the lake to the Island, watching the sunsets over the water ~ the sailboats on a windy day.

Croquet, blueberries, phlox, hot dogs roasted on the grill to perfection by my Uncle Earl, getting thrown off the dock by any of our Uncles, hiding under the dock and searching out the white rocks at the island, family and fun.  The sun shined and everyone laughed and played and smiled and all was well in the world.

An unexpected drive by our family's cottage on the lake ~ my great grandparents both long gone, along with my own grandparents.  My Uncle recently acquired our treasure on the lake.  The spirits of many of our dearly departed can be felt everywhere.

It was very grounding in so many ways.  It made me both younger and older at the same time.  Time which passes and you only notice how much it has passed as you recount the moments of your life.  I am blessed to have so many more of my moments filled with happy memories ~ scattered as they may be over the course of my many years on the planet.

On Wednesday I got a confirmation  call from my granddaughter about sleeping over on Friday with an affirmative!!!  I was happy since I already shopped for our visit in anticipation. I told her of my visit to the cottage and my drive by her house and she animatedly spoke to me about her thoughts on the dock and I saw another connection we share, I could tell the cottage already held her as well with lifetime memories and she is only 7.

I have been a busy, busy girl indeed.  I do tire easy still but I am happy to report that my realignment with my shrink caused by my meltdown which really cleared the field allowing me to change my perspective and all of the events following have really (most all) been positive.

What you choose to focus on really does influence your life.  You know my granddaughter always gives me an extra boost and I had a few ideas and Thomas was home.  Thomas is a highlight in Ains's life indeed!  I am just a fixture when he is around.

Thursday night was spent in North Adams enjoying the sights and sounds of the Downtown Art Event which they have on Third Thursdays.  I enjoy the atmosphere and the people who I know and run into along the way.

My company was excellent.  My friends I traveled with and I ran into a couple more friends and we made a good group.  We pretty much kept together and we saw some good work and I got to talk to a few artists I have never seen before and saw some really cool printing presses and huge paper cutters which could cut through a phone book!

It was a beautiful evening despite feeling cooler in the afternoon and all in all it was full of more fun memories since I only have a month to have fun before I am down for god knows how long from this surgery.  I am thankful that the fall is coming in a way.


SIGHTS OF THE NIGHT








 RUDD GALLERY























I had everything done to my satisfaction for my visit Friday and was ready for my girls arrival.  Tom was home and after my son and his wife left he was busy playing and hanging out with Ainsley.  I was thankful for the help since I was running on 70%.

We baked cookies together with me lining up the supplies and each of us helping in the preparation of the cookie dough.  It was a wonderful way to spend a Friday evening.  Thomas played endlessly with her and school beginning and getting up early for school, at a later bedtime than normal, and after enticing Uncle Thomas out of his blanket (since it feels cold, but is warm and fluffy ~ a trait which is important to my girl), within 5 minutes she was out like a light and within 15 more minutes Tom and I were downstairs watching t.v. and taking a much needed breather!

I did not last long however and was soon waking up on the couch, knowing that I would be up early for Gramma duty I headed off to bed.  I was glad that I did when 8 a.m. rolled around.  I opened up my eyes to the cutest face lying on the pillow ~ the most content and relaxed smiling face of a happy kid ~ ready to go!

My brain quickly ascertained that we needed a few more minutes so I closed my eyes and said " One sec kiddo".  The snooze button rang "It's 8:12 Gramma".  Eyes open I responded by planting my feet firmly on the floor an assessing their ability.

Caffeine was in order first and foremost so I set the microwave to work and rolled a smoke while it was brewing.  I went out on the deck and lit my smoke and realized how warm it was.  We spent most of the morning outside.

It was a lovely morning waking up with the sunshining and drawing pictures with my girl, chatting away.
I was given a drawing assignment with a soft brown lead pencil done on a paper bag.  I was so proud to have an idea of what I wanted to draw ~ unusual for me since I never see what I want to draw in advance. My vision and what popped out onto the page were two different visions so over the course of two days I have found a different subject.

I have drawn, over drawn, began over, thought to myself ~ it is a lesson on texture and then wondered if both sides were the same, experimented with the tool of the lesson and drew a random picture while visiting with friends from my head.

I am thinking the lesson isn't in the picture I draw, rather the understanding of the use of the material I am using (paper, etc.) and using my medium with the paper and making the two work together.  I am sort of getting it.  Sometimes I get the understanding more from seeing and doing the process than from the words.

Ainsley chose to work in crayons and I went between my homework and coloured pencils to shake it up a little.  We took a break and after watering the garden we were eating fresh veggies out of the garden for breakfast.  Life does not get better than that!

My heart is full of such wonderful and regular life experiences such as this.  It is what I choose to focus on instead of the negativity in the world.  I choose a different path, although sometimes there are trials along the way,  they have always led me to a lesson and personal growth by their occurrence.  Some are easier to learn than others.  It is helpful to have the wonderful memories to use as a tool during those more trying times.

Orleans Dave randomly stopped in to update his new phone and we got into a very involved conversation among other topics which led to a book to read and an addition of a stop to the library along with the bank and the smoke shop before meeting my son later in the day.

The library did not have the book that he told me about which was The Celestine Prophecy so I had to settle on The Tenth Insight which I have barely had 5 minutes to gander but what I have read was captivating and intriguing.

On my way to the bank my plans got changed and my date with my son got moved up to immediate.  I got picked up at the bank and got a ride to do the rest of my chores and spent the next six hours hanging out in a nice relaxed atmosphere.  It was like a spa day without the spa!

It is so extremely late as I am writing this, 2:25 a.m.  I felt compelled to write.  You can blame the babbling on the late hour if it doesn't flow or make sense ~ I just know that if I don't write when the urge strikes the moment will pass and so will my documentation.

I am planning on sleeping in.  If I am lucky I will be able to.  I know that I feel like I could sleep for a week, my eyelids are drooping and I don't even think my eyes are halfway open I will be mimicking my granddaughter from last night I do believe!





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