Category: Contemplations

If you’ve been reading along for a while you know that Bill and I play a lot of an old game we call Furniture Yahtzee. I sketch. He moans. I’m solving problems. (At least in so far as possible in the moment.) He’s being supportive. On a relative scale, Cribbage has it’s advantages!

Here’s the thing. Bill and I live with three enormous dogs in an early 1960’s brick ranch with more than half of the house in the basement. The dogs and I aren’t so good at stairs. We also run at least three businesses out of this house, raw feed the dogs, and boil bones in a huge cauldron, often.

This was, apparently, not what the builder, in Leave it to Beaver time, was imagining.

Historically, our adventures have included moving the bookcases over here and the sewing table over there. Or moving the bed from this wall to that, depending on what Feng shui book I’d been reading at the time.

This weekend, we’re swapping the small third bedroom in the front of the house, which has most recently been our family room/my study with our comparatively large bedroom in the back. That means enough room for a queen sized bed and a couple of night tables (plus three dogs on a rug) in the front and an actually functional library in the back with room for writing, making art demo videos, lots of books, and massive rubber mats for the three enormous dogs.

We’ve done much of the work ahead of time. Well, enough of it to actually be able to move the furniture. The paintings are all off the walls so they don’t get bashed which is no biggie as most of them need to be re-hung anyway but it looks surprisingly bland in here right now.

Blessedly, we have strong friends coming to help!

Luther’s going to be a bit weirded out but will actually have more open space as soon as he gets used to it. We’ll put a lead on and do a tour just as soon as the big pieces are moved.

This is nothing if not a massive Intentional Creativity project!

What are we trying to accomplish?

What do we have to work with?

And do we care, anymore, what it’s “supposed to” look like?

No.

We care that a side effect of this game will be more room for our kids to visit. And a bit less stress. And, perhaps, even enough space to catch up with my Giddyup class!!!

I need one more rolling chair for painting, possibly one more shop class bookcase from my friends at Kudzu, and, I suspect, a couple more big rubber mats. I am nobly waiting to actually measure before I start shopping!

Oh, and did I mention that we need to be able to deal with soup and a Codex paint buddy by, you know, Monday???

Honestly, it’s exhausting.

And also oddly empowering.

Making what we need, mostly out of what we have.

For now, though, pulling sheets off the bed, crossing my fingers that the dog food is thawed, and being as ready as possible for our helpful friends to show up.

All the while, remembering my dear cousin, Chris, and all the family and friends gathering in Florida this afternoon to hug each other and tell the old stories.

If she were still with us today, she’d tell us to make the most of what we have while we can and live the lives we feel called to.

(Chris was good at Furniture Yahtzee, too!)

Oh, today I ordered a canvas to paint “our” farm. I’m hoping it will help tell the stories my girls and all the generations of grands and great grands and on and on need to hear. It’s the life I feel called to.

ps… the photo is the Observer from a 13-moon painting called Codex. (Give it a minute!) It is, essentially, me seeing me. What do you see when you see you?

 

 

 

 

When I was a kid, I remember my Mom and my Granny laughing themselves silly over the writings of Erma Bombeck. Erma was an American humorist, syndicated columnist, and author of 15 books.

She wrote about midwestern suburban home life from the mid 1960’s to the late 1990’s.

I lost track of Erma toward the end, perhaps because in the 1980’s and 1990’s there was nothing much in my life that resembled midwestern suburban housewives.

I do, however, come from a long line of women just like that and I speak the language. I get the jokes. I’ve even eaten lots of the recipes. There may even have been one for tuna-noodle casserole with crushed potato chips on top. (Sorry, Bill!)

Yesterday, as I sat with Luther and our dear Auntie Kate in the ophthalmology exam room of the “specialty” veterinarians, Erma came to mind.

We were chatting, Kate and I, about dogs we’ve loved and how much I appreciate that she and the gang at Jabula Dog Academy love my herd, too.

(Deep breaths, everybody… “Freddy,” as the old camp nurse saying goes, “is fine.” Or, in this case, Luther.)

I was pretty certain, though, as we waited, what the questions were about to be.

Kate observed that Luther was my heart dog and an article from Erma Bombeck popped into my mind.

(Academic that I am, I tried to look the exact quote up, but I’m Hearth Tending today, the girls just got home from Camp, there’s a Journeywoman meeting in about 15 minutes and a Codex buddy coming at 5:00. And I have to feed the beasties in the middle. So, for today, here’s what I remember, which is, in many ways, the real quote anyway.)

Erma wrote that somebody once asked her if she loved all her children the same.

Surprisingly, from a wonder mother with the good sense of humor, the answer was, “No.”

“The one I love the most,” she went on, “is the one who needs me the most in the moment.”

This may work the same way for grandchildren, too!

Let me say again, “Freddy is fine!” Luther, however, who is blind and had been missing his security sisters for about a day and a half, is going to need eye surgery. Relatively soon.

That means more strange places and more strange people and oddly missing sisters for a couple of days.

Which will kind of leave me solo seeing eye being. And Luther needing a little more love than usual.

You all are invited to join in! Bless his heart, he loves everybody!!!!

And please feel free to make dots!

While you’re making dots, a few for my teacher, business partner, and very dear friend, please. He had a heart attack and is recovering from procedures in the hospital.

As Wednesdays go, this has been a long one!

 

 

 

Hi everybody…  it’s me, Phoebe!

Mom asked if I’d like to blog today. I think she’s a little tired. There’s been a whole lot of stuff going on around here!

Yesterday was garden day. Our friend, Randy, came and made lots of noise but the pine cones and gum ball things are mostly gone which is good because they hurt my feet when I walk on them.

Mom was very excited about the stuff called asparagus which has miraculously appeared out front again.

Luther is a little confused. Mom had Randy cut down the holly bush out back (again!) because it has sharp, pointy leaves and sometimes Luther walks into it.

Well, pretty often, actually. Mom says that since you’re all really good friends it’s okay if I say that the bush was Luther’s favorite place to pee. It seems like he’s going to have to find a new favorite place but he’s really smart so I think it will be fine.

Sarah’s been chasing those tiny little dragons out on the deck. Mom keeps telling her they don’t taste good but she’s determined!

Today we all got a nice nap while Mom and Dad went to pick up some things called proofs from the place that can make one of Mom’s paintings into lots that look the same. Mom was so happy, she cried. And put the paintings where we couldn’t drool on them.

I’m so excited!!! Sarah and I are going to Camp Monday and Tuesday. (Please don’t tell Luther. He’s going to someplace called the eye doctor which doesn’t sound like quite as much fun to me.) The weather is supposed to be awesome and we get to do something called reviewing which I think means Mom really wants me to come when she calls me. Like right away.

We’ve been painting a lot and Mom says she needs space for something called making videos which kind of sounds like watching The West Wing but seems like it might take more stuff.

Here’s how I know that. Mom was talking to Dad on the phone the other night when he was in some far away place where it snows. Dad doesn’t like surprises much so, before he got home and found the sketches all over the place, she decided to mention gently that it was time for a bit of Furniture Yahtzee again.

I think Mom likes that game better than Dad does. Luther doesn’t like it much at all but Mom says this time she’s making more room for him to walk without things to bump into and more space for us all to hang out together. And more space for our girls to come and visit! That sounds like a great idea to me.

They’re also talking about ways to keep from drilling holes in the floor for the cable things that make the TV go. I know Mom thinks she doesn’t understand but I really, really have no idea what all that means. I do like it when the dog shows are on.

My Auntie Leisa got a new dog. We haven’t met him yet because he lives in North Carolina. He’s a rescue, just like we are. I think it’s good that there are folks who help dogs like us find homes with people who need us.

And we took some more styrofoam coolers to the people who make houses to keep kitties warm. I don’t know so much about kitties because they usually run when I’m close by but it seems like a good idea to me!

Right now, Mom says we’re going to run spell check real quick and then go to work on our painting. Apparently next week is going to be big on painting!

I’m pretty sleepy anyway. Dinner was good!

Mom and Luther and Sarah and I all hope you are paying attention to love, even in times when there isn’t enough. Dad hopes so, too, but he’s going back to the place where it snows. (And probably hoping all the furniture is moved before he gets home! Mom says not so much.)

We love you!!! Phoebe

 

Hi! It’s me Luther. I asked really politely and Mom said I could tell you the story she told me after she left us home alone today (!) and went away in the car.

First, I’m supposed to say that our blog might be a little later today than usual because Mom might need a nap and I haven’t learned how to type yet. The first thing I’m supposed to do is think of a picture. (This is a bit of a challenge for me since I can’t see. I think she’s trying to keep me busy during nap time!)

Instead of a picture, I think I thought of a feeling. The feeling I have when Mom and her friends are doing the thing called painting. I don’t really get it, except that the energy feels good and sometimes there’s dancing. (Nobody’s allowed to dance on me!)

This morning, instead of people coming to paint, Mom let us play outside longer than usual, which was great because it was chilly but not wet, while she did the thing called “getting ready” which usually means she’d rather we didn’t drool on her. We can always tell she’s going somewhere when she has shoes and lip gloss on at the same time!

Then she gave us extra treats and we got in our boxes. I’m okay with the box thing because Sarah is in there with me. She told us to guard the fort and left with a couple of the things called canvases.

We waited quite a while. Then our Auntie Barb came and took us for walks. It was later than usual, but it all worked out. The sun was shining, which was nice, but those things called gum balls were all over the road which I don’t like so much. They hurt my feet.

After we had another nap, Mom came home. She was so excited about what she learned. Apparently she left the two things called paintings to be scanned. I don’t know what that is but it sounds like it makes really pretty pictures.

Then Mom sat on the floor beside me and told me about how she got lost on the way to the place that makes prints. She said she was thinking about me a lot because even though she could see, she didn’t have any idea where she was going and she thought that must be a lot like how I feel.

Soon, I’m going back to see my friend, the eye doctor. Mom and my Auntie Karen think my left eye is worse than it was, which is kinda funny when I can’t see anyway, but they seem a little worried.

I’ll go. It’s hard to get in the car, but everybody is nice to me and they let Mom stay with me. Also, they don’t make me sit in the waiting room, which is pretty scary. And I get treats.

I think people should see Mom’s paintings because she works really hard and she and her friends are really trying to make a difference in the world. Mom says they help people be less scared and I’m really in favor of that!

For now, though, I think people should do what makes them feel brave. Trust me. Brave can be really hard. But it makes the world a better place. Now, if only we could figure out a way for me to get in the car more easily. It’s a puzzle. (But I’m brave!)

Oh, ps…. I know you’ve seen parts of this painting before but I wanted to be sure you knew the big blue guy in the corner is a mythical Newfoundland, like me! Oh, and we’re making soup!!!

 

 

 

Recently I received some wise advice from some awesome new friends working very hard to help artists of various sorts go “full-time” with their art by which I’m pretty sure they mean no more waiting tables unless you really love it.

The advice in question, as I understood it, had to do with the notion of establishing routines in life to make generous space and support for art. Not new advice, but well shared from folks who are walking the talk.

Somehow, though, my life just doesn’t seem to work that way.

I have, in a “normal” week, Monday-Wednesday-Friday days and Tuesday-Thursday days and then, of course, there are the weekends.

I have an extroverted Legendary Husband who lives in a random universe with a totally different time zone than mine, which is predictable only in that it is not. When he’s not traveling for business, he works mostly in the basement, wandering through the kitchen and studio now and then, wondering what I’m up to. He has not yet mastered the fine art of tip-toeing. He also loves me and fetches big canvases when called upon!

I work one on one with painting clients in my home studio, write, and hold workshops for Intentional Creativity students.

Bill and I are adoptive parents to three Newfoundland rescue dogs. That’s pushing 360# of dog, one of whom is blind and came from a severely traumatic background.

They’re great! They love their jobs as studio angels and the girls do a great job as security sisters for Luther.

They also need to go in and out the door, go for walks, and eat, you know, regularly. Grooming, while time-consuming, is an excellent aerobic workout. One of them, who shall remain nameless, enjoys barking at the traffic early in the morning and late at night which I tend to discourage by being very quiet.

Then there was the recent water in the basement episode which messed up more days worth of even perceived routine than you want to know about.

Oh, and then there are my generally manageable but sometimes challenging pain and mobility issues, and  a whole bunch of new learning things going on. And, maybe, more even than that.

It’s all good. (Well, almost.) But “routine”. Not so much.

So what do I do with this meant-to-be-helpful question?

Well, I made a nice cup of tea and reminded myself that it was just remotely possible that  I’m not doing it wrong. I’m just creating.

And then I started doodling. What looked rather like EKG tracings at first turned out to be a string of W’s. Eventually four of them. After a bit, I had a new list of essentials with no illusions that they’ll happen the same way every day. And, miraculously, a sense that I can live with them!

Water… Walking… Work (read that Art)… and Words.

I am a storyteller. A teacher. One who often doesn’t sleep for the stories rolling through my nighttime brain.

With my granddaughters, friends, clients, readers, collard greens in the front yard, and the soup in my bowl, it’s all stories. Even the images are stories, most of them in context.

The dogs are kind enough to listen, too, though I think they prefer paint music. And treats.

Here’s what I know for sure. Fighting my truly blessed life to make it routine isn’t going to work. The four W’s, on the other hand, feel hopeful. Helpful.

I am, indeed, grateful for the question. I’ll keep you posted!

 

 

 

 

 

Today, in the Christian tradition, is Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent. Historically, in many branches of the church, it has been seen as a time for penitence and deprivation. Of “giving things up.”

At the risk of being a radical, I prefer to think of Lent as a season of reflection and intentional gratitude. Of adding in, as it were, practices that help us focus on the gift of life.

I am observing this day in two ways. First, with inspiration from my dear paint sister, Ally Markotich and with the help of one of my long-term friends, we wrote out lists of things that were holding us back from experiencing our faith. Then, carefully, we tore up our lists and, with flames, offered them up for healing.

When the ashes had cooled (!) we added them to a bit of our paint and continued our art journeys of healing and growth.

All of this on a gorgeous, sunny day in Atlanta, filled with blessings. My paintings are coming along. The most recent batch of bone broth was excellent, and the studio angels (AKA Newfie Rescue herd) have been in a particularly helpful mood this week. So, here are a few more things I feel grateful for that you can enjoy with me or, depending on where you live, be inspired to go treasure hunting on your own.

My friends at Learning Strategies and Spring Forest Qigong are holding a week-long online fest of healing, beginning March 11th, that is totally free to you and appropriate for beginners. I’ve been studying Qigong, especially as it relates to healing, for several years now and it has become one of the go-to tools in my personal medicine basket. You may have read, just recently, about my froggy Qigong friends!

Here’s the link for the healing fest. Just click and sign up! https://www.learningstrategies.com/springforesthealingfest/event?aff=4620

Then, a book. A fantastic, mind-boggling book recommended by another of my wise paint sisters. Ann Lamott says: “Brilliant, meditative, and full of surprises, wisdom, and wonder.” When Women Were Birds… Fifty-Four Variations on Voice is filter shaking, magnificent and just the thing for Lent!

In the art department, I’ve discovered India inks! Flowy, gorgeous, transparent colors that add lots more choices to my paintings. And the ability to make tiny little lines. The first batch showed up yesterday. I’ve already figured out how to solve a background problem I was having with my current painting in the Heart of Gold series! The second batch just appeared, courtesy of the UPS guy who doesn’t ring the doorbell.

And another art celebration… one of my paint buddies is a pre-teen neighbor termed, by the powers that be, neuro-atypical. He’s an extremely bright young man with more than a few confidence challenges. And he wants to be an artist.

Yesterday, he finished his first painting. I showed him how to glaze the edges of his canvas and then explained that it was time to sign his work. He is, to say the least, sensitive about his handwriting, so I told him he could choose the front of his painting, any of the edges, or the back. And I offered him the choice of a marker or paint and a brush.

As I imagined he would, he chose the back. And then he chose paint and a brush which, in my opinion, is more of a challenge.

There it is. First and last names, along with the 2019. And, as my budding artist pointed out, “You can read it!”  This was a very big win!

And now for a bit of bodily sustenance… which, depending on how you feel about Lent, you might want to skip on Fridays.

My friends at Atlanta’s Pine Street Market have opened their second location, in partnership with Riverview Farms’ Full-Circle Farming! These folks are doing fabulous food that’s good for the planet! Check it out at www.chopshopatl.com  Be sure to tell Rusty and Tommy that Sue sent you!

It’s also spring sale time for my friends at Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They have everything from breads, meats, and cheeses, to pantry staples at great discounts through the end of March. My kids sent a gift certificate for my birthday. I decided a bit of a party was in order. If you do these sorts of things, I’d strongly suggest the aged, raw milk Essex Manchego cheese with a dark chocolate covered fig. Blessedly the figs come individually wrapped! Energy enough to paint some more and a good dose of gratitude.

Blessings!

 

 

 

Here’s a blast from the past… a Facebook memory from three years ago when I had just finished a project called the 30 day WriteYourselfAlive challenge. (Though history would suggest many things are just beginning.) This has been the third time through for me. As in the past, I wrote consistently, at least for me. I followed some of the prompts. I also chased some rabbits. And I listened to the voices of virtual friends who were essentially actual strangers. Except they weren’t.

I noticed something new this time. So many people struggling with the feeling of being “not enough.” It seems like mostly women but that’s a loose theory at best.

Where did we learn that?

Seriously, where did we learn to believe that we are not enough?

Was it family? Or teachers? Churches? TV? History?

More importantly, how do we un-believe it? And how do we help our little ones not to fall into the same trap?

If you’ve been reading my stuff for a while, you might have noticed that I’ve spent a lot of time in school. Somewhere along the line I met the theory that there are two primary motivations for all human behavior. One is fear. The other is love, passion, enthusiasm, or some variation on that theme. (Which pretty much works if you allow for the notion that anger is secondary to fear.)

I wonder if we made more choices out of our love, our passion, our enthusiasm, we might be less prone to not- enough- believing. (Let’s be clear….this is just me pondering.)

It feels true, somehow.

Not enough is a fear thing.

Let’s don’t do that so much! Let’s do love and passion and enthusiasm instead!!! Enthusiasm, by the way, is Greek for filled with g/God, which is pretty cool in whatever way you understand it.

I suspect I’ve been pondering all this for more than 30 days. And, I’m probably not done, hanging, as I do, with a system or two that, historically, might rather I feel not enough.

Today, though, I got out my invisible ink pen and wrote(!) on the inside of my left hand, where I can check it as often as I need to: love, passion, enthusiasm! My invisible ink pen writes in purple, for transformation. You can have one, too. I have lots!

As my Qigong guru would say, “Believe it; it works. Don’t believe it; it works!”

Here’s a link to one of my current endeavors to act out of love, passion, and enthusiasm. To be more enough…

https://fineartamerica.com/artists/sue+boardman

Scroll down a bit and send me a comment on some of yours! Together we encourage each other, and our kids!