Thursday, May 30, 2013

Just me...Journaling

sometimes I think about Spring
 beginning new and fresh every year
and a teacher's school year
and a new class every year
beginning
ending.
Life
beginning
ending
and how I am just passing through.
beginnings and
endings.
ends and new beginnings.

those soft white petals
blow away in the wind.

there are things I can't hold onto
because I just shouldn't.

~k

Monday, May 27, 2013

Journaling :: A Fun-Filled Weekend!



Lots of collage and stamping and writing.


It was a weekend of news, love, and travel, as
we went to an out-of-town wedding...


Best to you, friends!
Have a great new week!
 
~k

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Journaling and My Little Friend


Pastel background, and writing IT ALL OUT. Release.


And this is my Ellie. Love. I LOVE my Ellie.

Have I told you lately,
how much I LOVE my Ellie?
Unconditional love,
cuddling,
hiking,
and devotion.

'Haven't been around as much this past week,
but I thought of you.

I am off to the Farmer's Market for a little while,
for the new season,
to unwind
after a too-busy, too-crazy
week
that has left me exhausted.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

IT'S OFFICIAL!

My MOM went HOME today!!!  After 5 1/2 months of trying to be healthy and stronger again, mom is home. BIG DAY. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, love and hugs over these months. Your support for my mom and me made this possible. Big hugs back to you!

Mom, six days ago on Mother's Day!

Three generations: Me, Mom, and my daughter, Mia, in back!


LOVE,
Kath!

Lily of the Valley!

They're here and the scent is overwhelming.


They always amaze and thrill me, every spring.

They remind me of my Grama, too.
She had solid perfume with this scent.


Little tiny fun bells, with a scent that carries for acres.


Me and my laryngitis sat outside for an hour in the sun.


I found them a bit difficult to draw
but I had a great time.

Wishing you all a wonderful
sweetly scented
weekend!

~k

Friday, May 17, 2013

Gratitude :: Journaling


 Gratitude. A choice.

Background collage
TGIF friends!

~k

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Journaling




I was forced to stay home from work today.
Laryngitis.
I can't get a sound out of my vocal chords,
except for a whisper-squeak.

Even though I am somewhat of a quiet person,
I am a teacher and a lover of words,
so this isn't easy.

I'm getting teased.
And all I can do
is smile.

oh well.

~k

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Sketching Tulips

 Michael gave me a bunch of peach colored tulips
 for Mother's Day.


So I just had to sketch them
and then add a bit of the pretty color.

~k

Monday, May 13, 2013

Stretching a Bit...

 
There's something I need to get out of my head.
About two months ago, maybe three, my doctor
called me "hyper responsible".

'Don't know if this is more toward negative or positive (!)
but it bothers me.
Kind of a lot.

Today I felt the need to s t r e t c h
and maybe just scribble
and
not
be
quite
so
responsible.

Maybe.


And though my journal / notebook shelf
looks truly inviting to me right now,
I don't want to look back at my life
and feel I stayed the same,
I stayed on my Shelf,
or
was so darned responsible
that I didn't just let loose more.


I am trying to breathe more deeply
more slowly

and sing louder
laugh more
look ahead

let go of the things I worry about
~ that usually never
happen anyway.

And I've even stopped to smell the flowers along the way
and to close my eyes
and
just
  be...

I am learning to meditate again.

Much love,
~k

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Drawing...and Drawing

After devouring beauty and drawings
from Danny Gregory's book, Everyday Matters,
I quickly began The Creative License
My first assignment: Draw a chair,
 a mug,
a table (oops, sorry, I didn't want to),
and draw a person.

This was really, really fun!


I highly recommend Mr. Gregory's books...


 What took me so long to discover him?
 

I used to draw all the time
 when I was in high school. Hours everyday.
I need to find my old portfolio...somewhere in the rubble.

So, my next assignment includes drawing
every day.

I may move out of my art journal
and into
a Moleskein
sketchpad.

Oooooh.
I think I'm in love.

Always,
~k


Saturday, May 11, 2013

Beauty :: Journaling


I've been finding lately,
 that I do not seem to be writing 
and journaling as much as I used to.


Do you remember a couple of weeks ago, 
I told you that a close friend passed away?


Well, just a few days ago, I stumbled
 upon an old writing journal of mine...


...and in it was a four-page entry I had written
 about the day I met her. 
She was the mom of an old friend of mine.
 I was so struck by her. 
She was a second mom to me. 
But, I was surprised, as I read these words I'd written years ago,
by how much I had forgotten.
The details.
 My memory isn't as wonderful as I'd like,
but thank goodness I wrote...
and that I continue to write.


Everything happens for a reason.
I believe this.

I was meant to stumble upon these old four pages...
perhaps a message for Mother's day...
and as a reminder to me
to keep on writing.

Words.
Beauty.
memories.
Cherish.
Love.

Words.
Beauty.
Art.

Create.
Record.
Remember.
Feel.

~k

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Round and Round We Go...


Being a sensitive person can be a very good thing
when you are a teacher.


  Being a very sensitive person
can be very difficult
 and often painful...when you are a teacher.



Sometimes I think I need thicker skin.
Sometimes I just wish that everyone
would follow The Golden Rule.

Isn't it really all about Respect?
...

Around and around we go...

~k

Sunday, May 5, 2013

The Journey :: Journaling


 I had such a nice weekend, the best in a long time...
I got a lot done, but I also relaxed and played.

I spent all of Saturday afternoon with Mom.
 

Mom is preparing to go home at last,
 after 5 months of...trying.



Everything happens for a reason.
I think Mom has changed a lot.
I don't know if she realizes it yet
.
 I think I've learned more.

And I think that by being able to help Mom,
I got closer to her,
like I've always wanted.

It's been scary,
it's been hard,
but it was necessary
and some of it was really, really
good.

The Path.
Being aware of the Journey.

~k

PS. Thank you for your thoughts & prayers.
I will be sure to let you know when Mom goes Home!

Friday, May 3, 2013

Journaling


Got through one of my worst types of day
as an educator: the formal observation.
It's me.
I have such incredible
Anticipation Anxiety.

My lesson was 50 minutes long,
on Compare & Contrast...
and I think it went well,
and once I'm three minutes into it,
I am myself again
and go with the natural flow
of doing what I have always done...

Teach little children.

We described two fiction characters,
compared & contrasted them,
and drew conclusions to answer the Essential Question:

Are they more alike, or
more different?

They both turned out to be kind, 
responsible,
 respectful,
and caring to animals...

Even though they did different things
with different animals.

Such goodness.

Love,
~kath