Art Angel Anna

I have an art angel! Anna is the daughter of a women I dance with at NIA and a young artist,having already a portfolio of charming creative projects.

I have been sharing some of my "stash" of papers and stamps. I am so glad to have someone to pass on some of what I have collected. As any artist knows we are always collecting things that may become.....here are several things she has created and shared with me. The "thank you"card is wonderful. I am amazed that at her age she is overflowing with ideas and passion. She is most definitely someone that quite simply MUST create!

Lately life has kept me busy with events that seem to require the energy I have used in my art. Anna's gifts are reminders to me that creativity is a living thing that multiplies while dividing and sharing can remind me that I can be creative even when I am busy with LIFE.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK ANNA! You inspire me!

Foundations and Grace

Lori took time out of her busy life to come by and bring me a lovely card case with beautiful keys pictured. The key is of course a symbol and metaphor for the project that I was introduced to

through " Door to Grace" via "Sixpence Antiques". These picture are of the training event I was privileged to be a part of by sharing and selling my art. Everyone was so enthusiastic and welcoming.

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"Door to Grace" is building a home for girls who are rescued from the sex trafficking trade. They are training volunteers and bring together resources for the reclamation of these women's lives. I encourage anyone who stops by this sight to check them out and include them in your support[if possible] and say a prayer most definitely for their success.

This leads me to a subject which Lori and I discussed....BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION! As we talked she shared how their time has been spent doing just that for the charity and the home they plan to build. What really became clear is that anything we wish to accomplish...even my NIA (my dance/exercise) practice begins by building a strong stable base.Learning a new art technique or skill begins with a foundation. This is true with almost all skills and pleasures. So often I just want to be at the end....setting the strong base(foundation) of the skill I want, does take time...I am usually in a hurry. Great results begin with that strong foundation I want to bypass, alas a human trait does not always serve me in the best way. Yeah!!! Lori thank you for the soul lesson. Patience,strong bases, good foundations all blessings, skills and creative challenges start here...and for me that takes patience and courage!

Family Ties and Goodbyes

My Family*** I began to comment on face book about settling my aunt's estate...lo' I decided to blog and share some of my experiences. Some people may not have reached this stage of life....I have said goodbye to all of my immediate family[brothers too young] and now my aunt[my mother's sister]. Along

with being her medical representative, I had been helping her go through all the family pictures listing the names on the backs. This was months ago when she was still looking forward to her 90th birthday....boy how fast things come. Now I find myself going through those and more!!!

I am the only one who knows these people. Thank you mom for telling me our family's history...I am glad I cared enough to listen and thus am able to share the stories and "family gossip". These are bricks making up our family.

There were massive amounts of pictures many duplicates!!! More than enough to spread around to children and I hope grandchildren...the stories alas will not survive (I will not be writing them down).

My oldest child {that's you Jay} who loves history has become the KEEPER of surprising amounts of old newspapers and ephemera. Many of these are the letters my mom and dad sent to each other during the Second World War. Thank you sweetheart...for caring enough to store my past and "our " histories, in the hopes someone may come looking.

It was so hard to put the "over flow" in the estate sale boxes....I learned I can't keep it all and am committed to not having my children be left with piles and boxes to go through. As a dealer in ......well anything unique and old and funky, I have a lot!!!!!! I am promising to divest,clean out and hopefully leave you with memories and not so much stuff, when I go!!!

Wordy I know....TMI maybe but I have to go in and finish the job I promised and have started. The things she loved and saved and told me what to do with are dwindling but still not finished.

Good night dear Dolores. I think your wishes have been honored. Thank you for caring for Dad. Rest!!!!~~~~~