beginnings

Sorry that this is out so late. It has been a hectic morning accompanied by a conference call that lasted a little longer than expected with great news coming out of it. It seems that many people look at new beginnings as a bad thing. I have to say that every time I am faced with a new beginning, I have to look at it as something good on the horizon. I hope that you find some inspiration in at lea

The camera my parents bought for my birthday arrived today. All that pent-up excitement unleashed itself and I ran around the house taking photos of the most mundane things. It's a bit difficult to take outfit photos without a tripod but I managed with a few impromptu props. Here's my best 'I'm-a-poser' pose (promise I won't be so self-indulgent next time!).Dress: thriftedBelt: thriftedTights: Jon

Catalog Review : Sensational Beginnings a catalog of toys and products for infants and toddlers that stimulate their senses while promoting interaction between parent and child. Many of their products are award winners and exclusives. And every product they sell is kid-tested for play value and adult-scrutinized for quality and safety. They look for lifestyle products that offer convenience and

This site has not really had a purpose since I created it some months ago. Well now it does have a purpose. The purpose is in the subtitle. Soon I will begin posting mainly about this purpose. I will still try to have a sermon of the week and posting quotes [...]

This site has not really had a purpose since I created it some months ago. Well now it does have a purpose. The purpose is in the subtitle. Soon I will begin posting mainly about this purpose. I will still try to have a sermon of the week and posting quotes [...]

Mother was finally able to purchase her first home in the city of Pomona in Los Angeles County which by the way is the most populous county in the United States of America with over 88 cities to boast.Living in Pomona was like a breath of fresh air for us. The air was cleaner, lower crime rate, nicer people. Quiet. We were so far away from the nightmare we called home on the corner of Gage and S.

The name aikido is formed by the combination of three characters in the Japanese language. Ai, which means joining; ki, which means spirit and do, which means way. These three words actually summarize the essence of aikido as a form of martial art— the joining of the spirit to find the way. It was only [...]

St. Mark Church also has a special place in my heart because it was the first church I ever attended 36 years ago ! And it is also here where I met both of my first girlfriends, Joyce and Kimberly when I was five. My brother’s best friend’s name was Craig Tillman who was the pastor’s son. Pastor Tillman was a very modest and dignified man. I always remembered him having a twitch on the l

This is the old neighborhood on Ward Ave. where I used to play. A few houses down on the left is my grandparent’s house, and this is where all of my fondest childhood memories began. An interesting point to make here is that this was an all black neighborhood when I was growing up and every black family was a homeowner. Just about everybody on the block knew each other; we had such a wonderf

Where it all began for me 36 years ago, in Detroit, Michigan, as a little boy was from these two intersecting streets, on the corner of Joy Rd. and Ward Ave.. Everything in this picture is exactly the way I remember it when I was about four or five years old. Everything in Detroit is made of concrete and bricks, and just about everybody was either working in the automotive or steel industry. To

By: Jason Petrina Acura is a line of automobiles produced by one of the largest automobile manufactures in the world, Honda. Honda, the second largest auto maker in Japan, was founded by a man named Soichiro Honda who began to work in an auto mechanics shop I Tokyo in 1922 at age fifteen. He learned the mechanics trade in full when Tokyo was devastated by an earthquake and he was one of the few me

Another little piece of scraps of writing from way back when. Who knows, maybe this will turn into a story… Honest stands on the street corner. To the left across the street a beaten down building with a tacky neon sign, “House of Thrills Adult Bookstore.” To the right the base line of a rock [...]

“Marriages are all happy; its having breakfast together that causes all the trouble.”Irish Proverb Mango Fruit Salad with Apricots, Melon, Cherries & basilIt's the month of May, & MANGO, the king of fruits, rules the roost here in India. As far as the eye can see, it's mangoes all the way. In the midst of this, Arundati @Escapades is hosting this month's Weekend Breakfast Blogging (WBB

No matter how much I try to simplify penny stock trading and relate it to the real world, many of you still don’t even understand the basic terminology. So, for you guys, I’ve created TIMterms, a glossary of commonly used concepts and terms. Be warned, unlike the rest of the stuffy narrow-minded finance world, it [...]

Here’s a new meme for all you bloggers out there. For all you non-bloggers, if you don’t know what a meme is, here’s your quick rundown: If you have a blog, great! Copy and paste the questions provided below, delete my answers and publish them on your blog along with the meme badge (banner) that links back to [...]

I have not realized that it will take me that long to get back to blogging. Things finally started to normalize, and I can actually sit and rest before bedtime. Tell you the truth, for me it was really nice break from the computer, however, at some point I started to miss my blogging. But sitting front of the computer for eight hours at work, and then at home it was not doing me any justice, I think I started to become a computer geek, a virtual friend (I don't mind that part) - yes the winter was too long, and I was being exhausted of posting ideas too.The spring finally arrived, it is really starting to be beautiful around here. We now have rain, clouds, sun, wind - everything what heart desires after long cold and snowy winter, and yes birds arrived too, as you can see above one of my n

It's official. I am a career woman! I started my new job yesterday and I have to say that being happy about going to work makes a world of difference.I was nervous at the beginning of the day, but slipped right into it. I was teamed up with a colleague who use to do my job and he showed me a lot. By the end of the day I was uploading to the wire all by myself!The programs that I've learned so far are relatively easy to use. The real challenge will come tomorrow when I have my Avid training. My confidence is way up though and I know that I can do this job and anything they ask me to.It's a different world for me now. I like going to work and it doesn't even really feel like work. The day flies by and before I know it, it's time to go home!I'm still, of course, in the honeymoon stage here, a

My friend Yixiang has pointed out this excellent documentary to me. It's on the iplayer until Thursday, but if you download it before then you can keep it for 30 days, although this only works if you run Windows.The documentary focuses on school life in China. There are 250 million children in China.Wu Yufel has made it into army, while Cheng Li Hui Mei is starting at Ping Min primary school. Li Yiying is at one of the country's top schools.Children can vote for class monitors, which is a very good idea. We see three students giving speeches to their class, reminding me of the Mayoral Elections in London.You can see the documentary here.

The founders of Allhiphop.com spoke to Remix magazine and gave some insight into the branding of their site at its infancy stage. What compelled them to create an all hip hop service, online... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The weather was nice yesterday so we all went for a walk; the baby in the stroller, my husband with his nifty new macro lens for his camera, and me with my large sketchbook.  I sketched a couple flowers and a couple trees and a bit of the budding of the trees with a basic graphite pencil while we were out.  Then, when we returned home I added colored details to some of my sketches and explored some variations on the themes, pulling the key points out of my memory.Trying to sketch the two different trees got very complicated.  All those branches going in front of and behind each other and providing fore-shortening challenges when they're coming straight at me.  It's easier when there are masses of leaves on them, but not nearly as interesting. 

In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards. - Mark Twain In 2003, the New Haven school system in Connecticut implemented a district-wide “wellness” program on all of its schools. Part of that program banned the buying or selling of candy on school grounds. On February 26, 2008, eighth grade [...]

I’ve finally arrived in Labuan, Sabah for my new job at ‘Schlumberger’. My flight was 9am this morning with my parents and SL seeing me off at KLIA. Leaving KL for a little place like Labuan was quite difficult because, well obviously KL is much bigger city, but most hard to leave behind was my friends, parents, and of course SL. Leaving behind my city lifestyle was hard too, as there will be no more fancy cafes, comfy cinemas or rockin’ clubs. There’s just better fishes in Labuan. That’s about it. Well, it was a risk I wanted to take because firstly, why not? I’m still young with no big commitments and if I don’t jump companies now, I may never get the chance later in my life. Secondly of course ‘Schlumberger’ gave me a good offer too hard to refuse so I had to take th

The first words you speak to an audience are known as your attention-getter and the purpose is just that: to make the audience sit up, take notice and think to themselves, “This is gonna be good!” To help you wow ‘em from the moment you first speak, one way you can begin your presentations is [...]

To help you wow ‘em from the moment you first speak, I’ve created a series of articles about various ways public speakers can begin their presentations. The first words you speak to an audience are known as your attention-getter and the purpose is just that: to make the audience sit up, take notice and [...]

The first words you speak to an audience are known as your attention-getter. The purpose of your attention-getter? You guessed it– to gain your audience’s attention. Your goal is to get the audience to sit up, take notice and think to themselves, “This is gonna be good!” Read on to learn [...]

The Beginnings of Auto InsuranceBy: Joe BellaIn the United States and in the United Kingdom, auto insurance is needed before you can get on the road, and it is easy to see why. Even a minor accident can rack up thousands of dollars in car repair costs and injury, and auto insurance ensures that these costs will be taken care of. Insurance is often seen as a calculated risk, but in many places at least auto insurance is required while many people tend to put down more money for full coverage.At its most basic form, something like auto insurance has existed since people started living and working cooperatively. When one person invests time and effort into a group, they are ensuring that the group will be there for them in the future. In this way, it can be seen that early human interaction h

Alizé Cornet was born on January 22nd 1990 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France. Alizé got her French certificate for High school with 2 years in advance. The team Lagardere and Sciences Po signed an agreement to permit Alize to follow courses at Sciences Po.In 2004, Alize played in first ITF events of career on ITF Circuit in France. In 2005, Alize made debute at Roland Garros, reaching 2nd round as Wild Card, she defeated Jidkova in 1st round, later lost to at that time World #3 seed Mauresmo. She countinued to play on ITF Circuit.In 2006, Alize debuted at Australian Open, as Wild Card she lost to Nakamura in 1st round in 3 sets. Later that year, she reached 2nd round at Roland Garros, again as Wild Card, she won against Ruano Pascual in 1st round, then lost to Garbin. 2006 is the year whe

I'm wondering how many people are thinking about the history of the Bra. The different purposes are absolutely amazing! 2000BC it started with a corset, open in the front to the waist and leaving the breast uncovered. 500 years later, the Greeks began wearing bra-resembling garments, shoving the breasts upward and exposed the naked breasts from their clothing. 450BC-285 AD the Greeks wore a bodice but the breasts still exposed. Wearing corsets was prohibited at the time so they used "the Apodesme" which was a small band of material wrapped around the breast, for one functional reason - to prevent the breasts from moving when walking. The roman adopted the Apodesme, but called it different. They named it either "Fascia" which prevented the growth of the breast, or "Mamillare" which w

This is how I spent the better part of my Saturday. Painting. All day long. Painting for the upcoming Saints and Sinners exhibit. I'm not even close to finishing this new painting. It needs many details. I was getting bored with painting sacred hearts and needed a change. I got it! When I'm able to sit and paint all day (without getting up and down outta my chair), that usually means I like what I'm painting. This one is no exception! The colors are so vibrant and saturated in person! As I'm painting, I was trying to come up with a title for it. I decided to take a break and pull out "The Devil" for some inspiration. After opening the first few pages, I think I now have a working title for this piece."Pleased to meet you, Hope you Guess my Name" Once this one is completed, framing will nee

Clearing some old photos out, I came across the one pictured below which was the first side stall I had built on a vehicle. In this case a Ford Cargo seven and a half tonner, which gave sterling service for about 6 years before finally expiring with a bang on its very last journey. A con rod came through the side of the engine on the A1 about 3 miles from our depot. At the time I had lost my mobile phone and had to walk a mile to the nearest call box to ask my Father in Law to tow me in. On the way back to the vehicle I stopped and picked up the offending con rod from out of the middle of the carriageway. I remember 2 incidents associated with this particular stall. The first was whilst I was in the middle of constructing it. At the time the stalls in the UK hadn't begun to take on the

To my brothers and sisters of the faith, created by Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I wish you blessings of a joyful New Year! As I review 2007, my husband and I are in complete agreement, it was a spectacular year of trial by fire, and in no way we will celebrate the end of a tumultuous year. Instead, we celebrate the growth it brought us as His children. Indeed our faith is MUCH MORE precious than gold, as it says in 1 Peter 1:7. The question we both discussed and entertained throughout the year was there a "mindset" or an "attitude" that we needed to acknowledge? At the year's end, it was clear to the both of us, by the Holy Spirit, that it was a simple trial of our faith."Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto

Tomorrow is the start of a new year...and I was recently told by someone into numerology that it is a “1" year; a year of new beginnings (2008...2+0+0+8 =10...1+0=1). This reminded me of a tradition I had heard about letting the prior year go and starting fresh. As if you put away a page and take out a fresh piece of paper to write upon. I would recommend this. We can still remember what had happened when really needed, so I am not saying forget everything...like a form of amnesia. What I recommend is letting go of the past and let it fall away, instead of resisting this natural movement and grasping onto it - trying to keep it in the moment (when you are). Let go of grudges, guilt, shame, etc. Let the past go, so it no longer affects the present. Turn over a new leaf, so to

This is a painting that I was requested to paint of two otters.  This is the beginnings of the fur texture being put into place with many fine, delicate strokes.  (…this is actually one of my favorite parts of a painting - the very beginning and seeing all of the textures begin to develop.)  I [...]

Crossover Prog-United Kingdom "The guitarist of YES plays the keyboards and the guitars here. The album is progressive rock with an acoustic predominance. You can hear here all the talent of HOWE on guitars, mandolin and banjo. There is a good balance between acoustic and electric guitars. His electric guitar can be rythmic and more on the solos too. Alan White and Bill Bruford play the

Ever been curious about the BJJ vernacular? What's the RNC called in Brazil? Another of the blogs I've stumbled across as a result of The Fightnetwork Podcast's blog contest is Words, Words, Words. This isn't strictly a BJJ blog, but the author is training in BJJ. He's posted an English to Portuguese dictionary, or at least started one. Definitely worth a look.

By: Philippe De TiegeIt is probably best to use the phrase golf as we know it when giving the gentlemen of Scotland credit for its invention, however, the origin of golf is open for discussion as to being Chinese, Dutch or Scottish. Scotland is widely recognized as the birthplace of golf. One of the keys to establishing an accurate history of the game is giving credit to the Scots for adding a most important ingredient the hole.This important item is one of the key changes in the object of the game. Early golfers near the seashore on the east coast of Scotland hit pebbles and stones, and eventually balls, in a manner similar to games played in Holland and other European countries. But the men of Scotland made a rabbit hole the destination. The modern game grew from these humble beginnings.The king of England has the dubious honor of having banned the game for a short time in the 15th century and also for making the first recorded purchase of custom made golf clubs. Acceptance of the ga

Arthur Golden’s 1997 book, Memoirs of a Geisha, and the 2005 movie it inspired, teased non-Asian women, making them curious about the beauty secrets and powerfully attractive qualities of geisha, of Japanese women, and perhaps of Asian women in general.Many Japanese-inspired fashion and beauty products were introduced immediately before the movie reached the theaters. Coach offered a Japanese silk-and-mink kimono hobo bag. Cole Haan featured stiletto boots covered in antique Japanese silk. Banana Republic launched a limited-edition holiday collection inspired by the movie’s wardrobe, including a silk floral kimono sash-tie top, a quilted geisha bag, an Asian-style tassel necklace, and a satin kimono dress. Facial and body creams featured cherry-blossom-themed packaging and the same image of the movie’s star, Zhang Ziyi, that graced billboards, newspaper ads, and even the cover of a special edition of the book.In late 2005 American women heard a lot about the Japanese geisha. Yet

By: Philippe De TiegeIt is probably best to use the phrase golf as we know it when giving the gentlemen of Scotland credit for its invention, however, the origin of golf is open for discussion as to being Chinese, Dutch or Scottish. Scotland is widely recognized as the birthplace of golf. One of the keys to establishing an accurate history of the game is giving credit to the Scots for adding a most important ingredient the hole.This important item is one of the key changes in the object of the game. Early golfers near the seashore on the east coast of Scotland hit pebbles and stones, and eventually balls, in a manner similar to games played in Holland and other European countries. But the men of Scotland made a rabbit hole the destination. The modern game grew from these humble beginnings.The king of England has the dubious honor of having banned the game for a short time in the 15th century and also for making the first recorded purchase of custom made golf clubs. Acceptance of the ga

good day everyone,first, let me tell you how i started. i was born a virgo. since i was in elementary i already dreamed of having a house. its a two bedroom house. i was born to a poor family. my father is a driver, my mother a housecook. both didn't finish high school. the combined earnings could barely support the family of five siblings. at that time, i'm not even daunted.to realize my dream, i started to think of how to earn money. our neighbor used to have a small piggery that could support 2-3 pigs. i accepted the job of feeding the pigs. i'll be collecting pig food or in our dialect "damug" and feeding the pigs twice a day. after the pigs are sold, our neighbor will give me a certain amount for my labor. if you think its small money, you're wrong. i did these routines up to my colle

That he stopped so we could take a photo is testimony to what a nice guy he is. After all, how many seventeen-year-olds good-naturedly indulge their parents in a "first-day-of-school" photo, however surreptitious?Yeah, not many.We didn't notice until just now that we caught him with his eyes closed.'sure hope he doesn't look like that in trig this afternoon.Celebrating Master M-mvThe regular season (3.03.2005)Last night... (6.29.2005)Guard (6.13.2006)Four Five questions answered (5.17.2007)From the archives: Mr. M-mv rose at 5 a.m. (7.21.2007)Untitled (7.26.2007)And, if you're interested, here are some thoughts on parenting and educating -- the journey from the starfish hands of a baby and toddler to the square jaw of a good young man and all of the smiles in between: It's that time again.Added a little laterWe're letting go of them from the moment they arrive, but today it felt a little all-at-once to me. A little "Wait! Stop! I want to get off!" A little like watching his back

Hello! My name is Clair Herrera, and I am going to be taking over the registration process for Sarah Flack. As you may know, Sarah is going to be moving away to New York, but Kindermusik will stay. It will change to Kindermusik by Clair Herrera, taught by Clair Herrera, Nicole Arias, and Sarah Beth Sobek. The new website is http://clairherrera.kindermusik.net , and you can find the fall schedule, a description of the classes and prices, and the registration form. If you have any questions, my e-mail address is kmbyclair@gmail.com. Please feel free to write me with any questions or comments you have for us. Thank you so much! Clair Herrera

I have no purpose here. That is the appeal. It is what draws me in and allows words to flow. There are no expectations, no hopes, no false sense of knowing who I am. I am in this spot at this time to do nothing specific - it is a beautiful thing.

Author: Denis FeeneyPaperback:: 386 pagesPublisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (June 2007)Language: EnglishISBN: 0520251199(R)The ancient Romans changed more than the map of the world when they conquered so much of it; they altered the way historical time itself is marked and understood. In this brilliant, erudite, and exhilarating book Denis Feeney investigates time and its contours as described by the ancient Romans, first as Rome positioned itself in relation to Greece and then as it exerted its influence as a major world power. Feeney welcomes the reader into a world where time was moveable and changeable and where simply ascertaining a date required a complex and often contentious cultural narrative. In a style that is lucid, fluent, and graceful, he investigates the pertinent systems, including the Roman calendar (which is still our calendar) and its near perfect method of capturing the progress of natural time; the annual rhythm of consular government; the plo

I guest blog at Absolute Arts on a semi-frequent basis. The subject of my August 9 has the same title as this post. If you go there and my blog is not up, please try again later. It is sometimes mid-morning before they get the latest contribution posted. If you have been reading the posts here the past few months, you know I have expressed concern over changes at ArtExpo New York that do not bode well for the industry. I know changes are inevitable and today more than ever Will Rogers' astute admonishment rings true:"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."Accepting change is one thing, being concerned the changes are causing harm to an industry is another. Right now, ArtExpo is planning its coming out party for Las Vegas. I am cautiously optimistic to know the show being held at the Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort on September 28 - 30, is sold out. That's a good thing. Now to bake that cake and eat it too, buyers have to be drawn to the show an

By Mike ShawThe Romans had little or no musical genius, and they were content to take their music, like every other artistic element of their national life, from the Greeks. The Greek was the child of nature, refined and educated through his own innate sense of beauty and fitness; The Roman was a barbarian civilised with the civilisation of the barrack-yard and the camp. So it's safe to say that the Romans music was just a rehashed version of the Greeks music.To the Greek, Art of any kind was something great and almost holy. To the Roman, Art of any kind was just for relaxation. Roman music is simply Greek music in a corrupted condition, absolutely no artistic value whatsoever.The only influence upon music by the Romans was in the development of wind instruments. A race of fighting men, the Romans regarded military music more seriously than any other branch of the art; essentially practical men, they could readily appreciate its usefulness ; and, in this respect, they remind one of th

By Mike ShawThe Romans had little or no musical genius, and they were content to take their music, like every other artistic element of their national life, from the Greeks. The Greek was the child of nature, refined and educated through his own innate sense of beauty and fitness; The Roman was a barbarian civilised with the civilisation of the barrack-yard and the camp. So it's safe to say that the Romans music was just a rehashed version of the Greeks music.To the Greek, Art of any kind was something great and almost holy. To the Roman, Art of any kind was just for relaxation. Roman music is simply Greek music in a corrupted condition, absolutely no artistic value whatsoever.The only influence upon music by the Romans was in the development of wind instruments. A race of fighting men, the Romans regarded military music more seriously than any other branch of the art; essentially practical men, they could readily appreciate its usefulness ; and, in this respect, they remind one of th

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from..T.S. EliotIs there a better way you could begin each day?Go to Mike Litman's media center to hear his Greatness Nation Morning Motivation Calls to start every day with an empowered mindset.

Remember way back in March when we discussed Rocket Racing? Sure you do. Well, pretend, will ya? Anyway, this past weekend some guy named Ernesto Viso gave us a sneak preview of what it might look like, if only for a few seconds. According to the video's poster, Viso suffered "a severe concussion and painful arm." Hey, the Wright Brothers weren't successful their first time out either.(Hat Tip: With Leather)

Today I have started several projects: glazing windows, sanding the future bedroom floor, tearing down more wallpaper in the living room. Before I could finish one window I ran out of glaze, sandpaper 80 did nothing to remove those black stains and lastly in the middle of peeling wallpaper I stopped because I so wasn’t into it…, I overheard some news though…Scientists have concluded that a deja vue is nothing more than an overlap of memories and could even indicate memory loss. Ha! I am also wondering what kind of hardwood floors we have. Does anybody know? Maybe Oak?

"Bosley's Nap" Preliminary Drawing11X14Oil on Canvas PanelClick on picture to EnlargeMy favorite subject, Bosley.This one will eventually end up on http://thepainteddog.blogspot.com, but while I am working on it I thought it would be fun to show how I start the process. There will be precious little left of my preliminary drawings because most of them were done under the actual painting. Occasionally I will do one on some other surface just to gauge the scale and composition, but usually I just dive right into the painting surface. I am using a watercolor pencil and it can be wiped off as I make corrections. I know other painters use charcoal, but this works better for me.When working with animals, I have to work from photos. I am not so quick that I can capture an animal that moves around about about every other second even when sleeping.What did I ever do without this camera! (yes, that is a rhetorical question.) I have a Canon Power Shot S3. It will do more than I will ever

I wasn't looking to buy a house. I was looking for a cottage or hut in the woods - a chata as the Czechs call them. I wasn't planning to do any work on it either. But I wasn't reckoning on the way a building can get its hooks into you in an instant or the way something deep inside of you responds to its call. So instead of a small undemanding hut I bought a large farmhouse in need of restoration.The house is of a type common in the area around Horice na Sumave. It is the house bit of an old courtyard farm. We also own a derelict, two-storey, balconied barn that runs off at right angles to the house. Both had belonged to an old lady, who had not had the money to make any major changes or improvements to them. When she died the farm was left to her children who used it as a holiday home and again had not the money (or inclination) to do anything with it. It was therefore in need of work, but had not been spoiled by do-it-yourself zealousness.So what attracted me? The sun pours in a

We had huge potential. I heard about Podcasting in some obscure tech magazine or forum or something, before Apple had even heard of it, and Adam Curry was the only one doing it. I already had a nice microphone an something to record with cause I liked audio. My wife and I were sharing our apartment with our good friend, Zach, in Wheaton, the last semester of our senior year of college. I was trying to sell Zach on the idea that we should be podcasting. He’s funny, smart, witty, and I can press record. Needless to say, in the spring of 2005 in didn’t happen. We could have been famous. Okay, maybe that was a pipe-dream and we never would have had even a couple minutes of fame. But we did stat podcasting. We jumped on the bandwagon in December of 2005 and did it mostly cause we wanted to. Zach and I were calling each other from different states, but it’s been fun to do. As you know, the podcast isn’t really running these days. We lost steam, but for those who are

So why am I sitting outside a cafe in Cesky Krumlov? What was it that brought me to this place? Well, I suppose there were lots of points at which this journey started. It was like a river - a multitude of sources all coming together. I don't suppose I can identify all of them. But over the next few posts, I' ll explore some of them.Here is the first - when I was a child I loved fairytales (podhadky in the Czech). I devoured every fairytale book in the library - the Green Fairy Book, the Blue, the Yellow. And I watched the wonderful dramatisations of fairytales that were so much part of British children's 60s tv. Well looking back they were probably pretty rubbish, but I loved them. They were usually badly dubbed and produced in what was then refered to as the Eastern Bloc, including Czechoslovakia. I have seen some more recently, here in the Czech Republic where I am told they are rerun regularly. The Czechs love fairytales, it is part of their pysche. Grown adults will talk with s

Fall Beginnings5x7, oils on canvas$120, varnished and framed, including shipping within the U.S., payable via Paypal. (Email me if interested.)This painting is varnished, framed with a lovely antiqued gold frame, and ready to hang on your wall or stand on a table with an easel back. All it needs is a spot on your wall, or the side table to a sofa!This is one of my favorite trees along the lakeshore here by my house. The trunk and branches have so many interesting twists and turns, and the foliage turns a bright gold in late fall. I've been meaning to get out there to paint it in winter. I guess I'd better hurry up and do that before all the snow is gone!

Every 9 days, a new Scavenger Hunt begins in the Artwork from Life forum on the Wetcavas website. Members sign up to host, and from January 20-28, it's my turn to play host and select the list items for the hunt. For those of you who would like to play along, the basic rules are: All items on the list must be sketched from life--not imagination nor photo references Each object you draw can count for only one item on the list, no matter how many shapes/parts/colors that object contains. This was agreed to by unanimous vote among the participants You may place multiple objects together in a painting, and may count those objects as separate list items, but no single object can count for more than one list item. All items posted must be numbered. Count them as you go. The first item you sketch and post will be #1 regardless of its place on the list. Do them in whatever order you wish, but count them in the order in which you sketch them, from 1 to 26. You can do as many or as

`The future is always beginning now.’ Mark Strand Creativity is about beginnings, not endings. It is the force that continues always to begin new concepts, new ideas, new hopes, new aspirations. When we start a new creative work it is about opening doors to a new part of ourselves and sharing this discovery with the world. To see creativity as finite is not about understanding the depth of the power that leads us to create. To stay in touch with your own creativity keeps you alive and flowing. Allows the doors to remain open in your life There is a beautiful old saying that says that where flowers grow there is hope. Creativity is like these flowers. Where there is creativity the doors are still open to life, to flow, to that beautiful mystery that surrounds us all. Creativity Inspiration Listening Creative Solutions Change

I've decided to begin making a series of art journals, which will each contain a collection of sketches, paintings in various mediums, art cards mounted inside, collage work, and some experimental pieces. I'll post pages as they are completed, and possibly put the journal up for sale when it is completed. I'll continue to do oil paintings too of course. I need a lot of variety in my life. *big grin* This Journal Number 1 is eight, 7.25x11.25" pages of Arches hot press, 100% 140 lb. rag watercolor paper. The image above is a cropped photograph of the first page/cover. I really like that square format. Perhaps I'll make the next journal a square. The full page is below. On the right side is the item list of the current "Scavenger Hunt" from the Artwork from Life forum on www.wetcanvas.com. Every 8 days, a new list is posted and participants draw or paint those objects from life (no photo references) that they find around their homes. I've been enjoying participating when I can

Beginnings Happy new year everyone! I dont really celebrate the beginning of a new year because for me, it is the time I review the happenings of my life and make the necessary changes that is required in the coming year. 2006 has been good but not great so I am determined to make 2007 beyond great! 2006 made me realize that no matter how different my friends and me think, we made the conscious effort to not be judgmental and too critical of each other. That is why after so long they are called friends even though some were just acquaintances initially. I always treasure your presence. Yesterday I was at the family gathering and something unpleasant happened. I shall not go into details because I do not want to spread the news of negativity but I am glad that I am not part of it. I was a bit sadden by the lack of maturity that was being displayed by all parties, but nevertheless, I believed that keeping quiet was the best I could do at that point of time. It is very sad when I

Current Mood: EsctaticWell it seems as though change is a recurring theme of my life lately, so why not for the blog as well? I've been toying with the idea of installing wordpress for some time, and with a recent financial windfall courtesy of a tax refund, I thought what the hell, go the [...]

Looking back on this past year has been humbling for me. So many wonderful things have happened. In my personal life, it couldn't have been better. My husband and I were remarried. Our family is complete again. Since we can't figure out which anniversary to celebrate we have decided we will celebrate both of them.We also saw the birth of our grandson. He is the most precious wonderful gift that we could have ever hoped for. We are blessed!There is the fact that my family has saw no deaths in this past year. When it happens there will be an avalanche I'm afraid. 7 of my Dad's 9 brothers and sisters are still alive, as are many of their spouses. The youngest is 82 and the oldest is 98. The fact they will all be celebrating a new year is pretty amazing. I first started this blog over 10 months ago. I had been lurking around for months, trying to decide if this was something I wanted to venture into. One day I just threw a post out there and ...nothing! It just laid there for a few

[paypal=Fall Beginnings, varnished and framed;120;0.00] 5x7, oils on canvas, framed! This painting is varnished, framed with a lovely antiqued gold frame, and ready to hang on your wall or stand on a table with an easel back. All it needs is a spot on your wall, or the side table to ...

journal by JIL Church Sun Valley Chapter, your friend Paul Darwynn's co-worker 8 in New Beginnings  Genesis is the book of beginnings in scripture. Here are several prophetic emphasis from it that are applicable for us today:   1. The anointing to create Creative and innovative ideas. God is going to release upon His people many ideas that will lead them to prosper spirit, soul, an