May 2021 – Page 2

Not Your Typical Saturday!

Posted on May 9, 2021by sue boardman

You know how, every now and then, there’s a day that feels like you need all of you – all the many parts of you – working together to pull it off?

Saturday was kind of like that. Including the little hints around the edges that maybe, just maybe, I needed a few more parts of me than have become fully conscious yet.

It started with more than the optimal amount of joint and muscle pain. That led to half a tube of Arnica gel and some time in the magic chair with all the angles just so. Predictably, I fell asleep, with Leonard Cohen serenading me from YouTube.

I woke suddenly to the raucous sounds of horns honking and cars racing down the (in)famous, big road behind our house. I will admit to being more than a bit cranky about the whole thing. And then I figured it out.

Saturday was the designated National John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Day of Action. And I live on the edge of the late Congressman’s district. In Atlanta. And the noise was honoring in action.

So, crankiness aside long enough to notice that I didn’t hurt quite so much as before, I decided to work some more on the painting I’m doing that includes Congressman Lewis’s face.

It’s an adventure. I’ve painted LOTS of faces but this is the first one I’ve attempted that is supposed to look like somebody recognizable. You know, not imaginary!

Then it was time for another of my teachers… Sam Bennett. A get together for some integration after last week’s journey into what the expert refers to as Peaceful Pricing.

I, predictably, was integrating several things at once.

What to offer next that would benefit from Peaceful Pricing.
New options for actual Grammy Camp® … possibly in N.C.
Some slightly hazy, but stunning, connections between the way-back machine known as world history and the news of this moment.
And a quote Sam often shares, I think from Seth Godin, that goes a lot like this, “People like us do things like…”

Trust me. They do all go together. Explanation to follow…

All of this was capped off by a Zoom meeting called Gifts from the Black Madonna in the Time of Covid & BLM which involved the Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox and some very talented musician/theologians.

By that point, I was just covered in chills and wiping away tears, certain that the questions rolling around in my head do go together and they will, eventually, point to a path.

Here’s what I am certain of…

I have two granddaughters growing up in this world.

For now, there are people to add to my painting with John Lewis. (It’s important to note that he’s not done yet… and neither am I!)

And a moment to wish Bill a very happy anniversary tomorrow! (We’re going to wait just a bit longer before venturing out to the Iberian Pig. Which, as I think of it, really isn’t too far from everything else going on in this post!)

ps… whoever you are and however this day feels for you, you are loved.

Art Journey Contemplations Food Garden Grandmothers Phoebe and Luther

Giving Thanks!

Posted on May 5, 2021by sue boardman

After three days of hail storms and tornadoes in the area and trees down over wide parts of town, I am blessed to be able to say that the house didn’t fall on us and the trees didn’t fall on the house. (Read that new roof and solar panels!)

Today is grey and gloomy, with an in-between feeling about it. Like waiting for whatever is next.

The beasties are anxious.

Malicious elves somehow climbed into my laptop and made all my favorite bookmarks disappear. (This is NOT a happy event!)

What I had planted in the garden looks pretty beat up.

Bill went to the Farmers Market with 10 things on his list and came home with two. This is a statement about existential weirdness in the neighborhood, not about Bill!

Blessedly, the space in our house formerly known as the breakfast room which now most resembles an appliance showroom, has two freezers in it!

Thus, our menu for this evening… thawed stuff on a bun with real tomatoes!

My calendar is running over with tech-y things inclined to make me want to hide.

The atmospheric pressure is still out of wack because of the weather which makes the things that hurt, hurt more than usual.

Here’s the weird thing… It’s all good!

Today I got to tell the person who’s been my best friend since the first day of seventh grade, “Happy Birthday!” despite a previous adventure with a very nasty brain aneurysm.

My Soul Expression Breakthrough group is doing amazing work as we round the bend to the future.

Gloria, my Intentional Creativity/Seminary intern, has finished her last class before graduation! (Details to follow…)

My painting of John Lewis has told me what comes next!

And, odd as this may seem, I have words for what I do!

Are you ready?

(Am I?)

Here goes…

You know how we get stuck sometimes and all the stories and tips and rules we’ve learned don’t help us to see what’s next?

Well, that’s what I do! I help women, many of them grandmothers, use the creativity deep in their souls to nurture the lives they long for! ®

There will be lots of examples, and opportunities to join in, coming soon. And I’m here if you have questions.

For this moment, the beasties are hungry and there’s only one answer to that. Sardines!

ps… Oh, and blessings for you and yours… from the early days of a Legend painting.

pps… If you haven’t joined the blog mailing list yet, and are curious about what’s coming, now would be a great time! Just click that annoying thing that usually drives you nuts while you’re reading and join the family!

Contemplations

It’s My Turn!

Posted on May 2, 2021by sue boardman

Hi! It’s me, Phoebe. Mom’s been busy in class all weekend and she said I could blog. I wanted to have dinner first, but apparently, “It’s not time,” so here we go.

Luther and I have new nicknames. We are now called the Pollen Mobility Executives! Pollen is the green stuff that’s everywhere when we go out. Also those little fuzzy brown things, I think.

It has something to do with trees and flowers growing. It’s possible Mom is just making that up to feel better about how good we are at moving it from outside to in.

Dad is in charge of dinner tonight. He’s good at it. Except I’m pretty sure Mom taught him to put a little extra food in Luther’s bowl like she does. (I know because it takes him longer to eat than it does me!)

I’m not sure what Mom’s class friends are talking about. Mom seems to be liking it, though a couple of times she’s cried like she does when she talks about how important our girls are to her and to something called the future of the world. I’m not so sure what future means but it sounds pretty important.

Now, if you’ve been hanging around a while, you know Mom really likes those little things she calls index cards. They don’t smell good but she writes on them anyway.

Today one of those index cards fell out of a book Mom had to get Dad to find on the bookshelf, which usually means she hasn’t opened it for a while. She read it to us:

No one had ever asked what it felt like to be me. Once I told the truth about that, I felt free.

Abilene, from The Help

I’m not too sure who Abilene is but, before I lived here, some people who didn’t understand what I needed chained me to a fence. It was really hot and I didn’t have any food or water.

Mom says that a lot of those people who yell on TV are really arguing about who gets to tell the truth about what it feels like to be them.

It seems like it would be easier for people because they can talk, but maybe that’s not the only problem.

Here’s what I know… Mom seems to like the people who think that it matters what everyone feels a whole lot better than she likes the ones who think only some of the people matter.

I think she’s right. I like feeling like I matter. And it’s about to be dinner time, which is a very good way to matter.

ps…by this time next week, we’re going to have something called a store, right here where I’m blogging. I’m supposed to say that you’re invited! That must mean that you matter, too!