Unique Photo Frame

I recently had the idea to make a photo frame for a fellow dog-lover.  She's fun, artsy, and quite ecclectic, so I wanted to make the frame unusual, and interesting in and of itself.  I decided on one of my favorite medias - collage.  I went through my collection of books that I regularly purchase at used book stores for projects, and chose a great bunch of dog illustrations -one, you will see, was painted by one of the Masters! -  along with some quotes.  Also, the frame I chose was a unique shape, giving it more character.  In working with odd shapes while collaging, I use my VERY sharp scissors to finish off those ends.  For the areas that I didn't collage, I used Distress Ink in a couple of shades of brown.  The end result - a fun frame that my friend loved.  And, a project that I enjoyed doing.

Staying Creative During Down-times

For the past several days, I've been really very sick.  My flu test came out positive, but I have been sick for too long to take anti-virals.  I also was diagnosed with pneumonia.  And that combination is wreaking havoc on my asthma.  So, I'm pretty much confined to my bed right now, and that is REALLY cramping my style, as what I want to do is have time to work on more creative projects.  I do have some great books to read, but my idle hands are making me nuts!  It can be very frustrating, and, if you're not careful, even depressing.  Therefore, I came up with some things I can do, without overdoing it, and prolonging my illness.  And, give me a positive attitude, which I firmly believe speeds up the healing progress.  I have my idea notebook here next to me, and as I come up with the many things I want to make, instead of getting frustrated, I write them down, and draw out some rough sketches.  Part of my daily routine is a long walk, which I can't do right now.  And that walk is essential to me - it keeps me grounded, and is such a feast for my eyes, as I look around and appreciate the beauty of nature, then coming home with more ideas.  So, I pulled out my scrapbooks that contain pictures of the many beautiful places we have vacationed at.  Particularly, I'm looking at the ones I especially loved, close my eyes, and do a form of meditation - feeling the breeze, smelling the clean air, the trees, noticing the several shades of blue in the ocean, etc.  And, wouldn't you know it, my idea book is filling up with even more ideas!!!!!!  And instead of being frustrated, I'm enjoying reliving some wonderful experiences from my past, while using the same memories to incorporate happiness- while I'm stuck here sick- into my present moment!  So, the next time you're outside, or on vacation, STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS! And photograph them too.  Because you never know when these memories will bring you further joy......

Pictured:  San Juan Islands, The Dry Tortugas, Marin County Headlands, Lost Lake w/ view of Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier (twice) and a beach on Longboat Key

Remembering Those We've Loved Part 2

"I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.  Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains, --- but the best is lost.
The answers quick & keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love,
They are gone. They have gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.
Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned."
-Edna St.Vincent Millay

This poem touches me deeply, as it speaks for me by so accurately conveying my emotions when a loved one passes.  In this case, it expressed my feelings about the death of my paternal Grandmother on Sept. 22, 2009 at the age of 93, who thankfully lived long enough to spend several years as Great-Grandmother to my boys as well.

My Grandmother lived a full, and quite fascinating life. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I was unaware of the surprising unusual life and experiences she had, only seeing her as my kind and gentle white-haired Grandmother who moved rather slowly due to horrendous arthritis in her knees.  It wasn't until I reached young adulthood that stories of her accomplishments, and even escapades reached my ears.  And what a surprise (and delight) that was!  It can sometimes be so easy to forget that our elderly relatives that you've loved have in fact lived a very full life before you even entered the picture!  So, GATHER THOSE STORIES!  Because they often will surprise and amuse you, make you laugh, and give you a much deeper understanding of the person who you often just thought of as merely your sweet and oftentimes sedentary relative.  You will find that the knowledge of what had happened throughout their lifetime will not only be amazingly interesting, but also a source of comfort when your loved one passes away.  Such was the case with my Grandmother.  To me, as a child, she was always quiet, a great cook, and a woman of wonderful hugs and endless compassion.  She always sat in "her" chair, and I never really stopped to consider her doing anything but. And I NEVER even considered that she had lived anywhere but Chicago.  And then, going through my selfish teenage years, I never really considered how it felt for her as she watched each and every one of her friends pass away, and then her three brothers, and my Grandfather.  She had become the last of her family and friends - her generation - to remain.  She also took care of my Aunt - her only daughter - during her unsuccessful fight against breast cancer, and so ended up outliving one of her two children as well.  She endured the worse thing a parent can live through - burying  a child - yet she mourned privately, keeping her pain to herself.  It was much to my surprise when I found out that my Grandmother was in fact born in Pennsylvania, the youngest daughter in a family that had 3 boys!  And a father who worked, and died, in the coal mines when she was only 5.  This forced my Great-Grandmother to pull her family in close, and to make them a true unit, in order to survive back in those days.

The young family then had to move on to Ohio, as they needed to live where there was work.  It was there that my Grandmother's mother met a man who quickly swept her off her feet, and they were happy.  But it soon became obvious that this man was simply looking forward to having a "housekeeper" of sorts, and the love between them fizzled.  After ending that marriage, the family then moved to Chicago, as always following work.  It was during this time that my Grandma met a very close, and adventurous High School friend, and they hatched a scheme to run away.  Now, remember, this was the 1920s, and two middle class girls packing their best in suitcases and leaving their homes was front page news - literally!  After spending one night in a hotel, and finding their faces plastered on the pages of the local newspaper, the young"rebels" chose to return to their not-so-shabby homes.  In Chicago, my Grandmother's mother worked at a restaurant near DePaul, where she met the love of her life - a man only known to them as 'BIG SHOT" - he was a man who managed professional boxers and was totally enamored with my Great-Grandma and her childrem.  At first, my Grandmother was resistant to the marriage, but she eventually grew to love him deeply.  As my Grandma and her brothers became adults, her mother and Big Shot moved on to a ranch in Texas.  My Grandma began nursing school, and was assigned to tutor a drafting student named Russell who was "struggling" in math.  In fact, he wasn't struggling at all, using the time to get to know her, and then fell in love with her.  Before she was able to receive her degree, they married, and she had my father, Terry, to be followed two years later by Peggy.  During this time, my Grandfather ran a business out of their home.  My Grandmother functioned as housewife, mother, office manager, customer service rep, and manager of foreign accounts.  All employees worked out of their home, and every single day they received a delicious home-cooked lunch from her.  Once, while feeling unappreciated in her many roles, she left, going back again to a hotel.  My Grandfather could not be away from her for even one night, and came and charmed her back.  Eventually my Grandmother's mother was widowed, and she came to live in the basement apartment of their home.  My Grandmother was so very close to her, and when she passed, it was a terrible blow.  At one point in time her brother lived there as well, and my Grandmother was his caretaker also.  My father eventually married, but his sister, Peggy never did.  She also lived in the basement apartment in Chicago for many years.  She did eventually move out, and adopted a young girl.  Unfortunately after that, she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, so my Grandmother left her home in Chicago to take care of her daughter Peggy, and to raise Peggy's adopted daughter as well.  These were very trying times for her - as she had found herself spending her "golden years" caring for her dying daughter, while doing her absolute best to raise Peggy's adopted daughter at the same time.  Yet, she never complained.  In going over her full and unique life, I realized that there was SO much more to her than just being "Grandma".  She played a mean game of scrabble, and could kick anyone's butt at ping pong.  And these many facets needed to be celebrated in her honor as part of her funeral service.  And so I lovingly put together a memory book about her, showcasing some of the most important pictures of her.   And in doing so, I was able to even laugh at times, though I was also mourning her passage - thinking of a full life well lived.

Remembering Those We've Loved Part 1

An unfortunate part of life involves saying goodbye to those we love, and who pass along.  I've found that creating a unique memoir to those we've loved and lost to be a comforting way to honor the special place they held in our lives.  And, also, to give the opportunity to DISPLAY those memories instead of just packing those feelings away in a box.  For those of you who know me, I am quite a dog lover.  I volunteered with animal rescue for many many years, and every dog I have owned has been a rescue in need of love and rehabilitation.  My first rescue love was Bear, a rottweiler/shepherd mix, who had been rejected by her owners at the age of 6 months, due to her large size and rambunctious behavior.  Bear and I had our work cut out for us, as she was quite headstrong, and weighed in at about 70 pounds, even at such a young age.  However, we stuck through it, loyal to each other, and the rewards were tremendous.  When my children were babies, she kept a close eye on them, much like the dog character "Nana" in "Peter Pan".  She faithfully patrolled our house, alerting us to anything suspicious, and when my husband began traveling overnight on a regular basis, she would actually stay awake all night, and patrol the downstairs, going from window to window, and door to door, giving my young boys and I a sense of safety.  She was our Guardian Angel.  Over the years, she developed arthritis, but still remained vigilant, though at the same time very friendly to those we welcomed in to our house.  As she limped along, she taught us that every day of life is a joy, and we all have our jobs to do, pain and physical limitations notwithstanding.  In December of 2009, she became very clingy, which was unusual for her.  She had always been a "Momma's girl", but this was different - she would make eye contact, and almost seem to convey the message to me that her time was near.  For two nights, I slept on the floor with her, and she was delighted to have my undivided attention, as she didn't have to compete with the other dogs for my affections.  She almost seemed to pop back to her normal self.  But on December 20, 2009, she crossed the Rainbow Bridge, naturally, here in our home.  She hadn't been showing any signs of major disease, but that morning, she just laid down, and made that intense eye contact with me again.  I laid her down on my favorite blanket, and laid with her until she passed.  I couldn't have asked for a more peaceful, comfortable journey for her.  Because she had been such a wonderful, beloved part of the family, I was not simply satisfied with just having her pictures - dating from puppyhood on - shut in a scrapbook.  So, I made a photo collage, choosing pictures that represented different phases of her life, and her place in our family.  It now hangs in a 12 x 12  frame in our home for all to see.    Not only was the making of this frame a tribute to a wonderful pet, it was also an incredible way for me to sort through my grief, and to CELEBRATE her life.