Paying It Forward

About a year ago, one of my friends, who was also a coworker, passed away. She was a very dear, sweet, open person, and her death affected all of us. Last year on her birthday, in her honor, the owner and many of the employees, went out into the community to do good "Deeds For Diane," which is what we started calling it. I was at home with the baby, and not able to participate. However, this year I was able to.

The boss giving a resident a hand massage

The therapists, the owner (who is also a therapist), another receptionist and myself, all went to an assisted living retirement home. I brought Elie with me, and she walked about, making people smile. The folks at the home just loved her! The therapists gave free massages to anyone who wanted one. All of this was on their own time and no one was paid for it.

We handed out bags of quarters for bingo, and mints. It was quite a hit with the folks there! 

Clover enjoying the day & her work

Some of the people didn't want massages, but they stopped by to visit with Elie, asking me questions about (him) her. Even though she was in a dress, many of the residents didn't think she was a girl, ha ha! Not that we cared. One sweet lady, Dotty, had Alzheimers and asked me the same questions over and over, but Elie really liked her. It could be because she had a fuzzy little monkey on her walker! Dotty LOVED her massage, too, and wanted to take Doug home with her, ha ha! He's the guy massaging Dotty's shoulders and back in the first photo.

Many of the residents just came by to see what was going on, and to chat with Elie, who was eating her goldfish crackers and sitting on my lap. She basically was glued to me the entire time, but ventured out a little bit once she got more comfortable. Her effect on the residents was amazing. They would see her and approach her, with huge smiles on their faces... she responded, too! She was very interested in them, as well! She would yoyo between me and the residents, though not getting TOO close to them. She's pretty wary still, of anyone not in her immediate family. It was just really cute to see her bringing them so much happiness.

I fully enjoyed being part of this awesome day of helping others for our friend, Diane. It also really helped us. Doing something for others, without expecting anything in return, really brings a wonderful light into your soul... and is a huge, unexpected reward.

Ever Since I Returned from Vacation...

I have NOT been too creative. I've made a few little terrariums, and I've baked and cooked, but not much else. I desperately WANT to do more creative things, but find myself very distracted.... work has a way of doing that to me. Even a fun, relatively easy job can take away creative impulses when you come home tired. {sigh}

Blooming mums out back

Photography has been my only real creative outlet. Without it, I'd be artistically lost. I've always enjoyed photography.... since I was old enough to handle a camera without dropping it. (Okay, I've only recently gotten to that point, ha ha!) Back when photos were taken with film, be it 35 mm, 110 or 220... hey, remember those disk cameras? I had one of those, too. My old cameras would get light leaks in them, and the film would turn out crazy colors from the early exposure it got before it was developed.... much like a lot of the filters out today for digital photography. Kind of funny! "We" went digital to get away from the varying effects of film and to know that we got the best photo that we could, increasing pixels per square inch for better and better resolution, and then we create filters to give us that old camera effect.... funny.

Dishes

I always enjoyed the process of seeing through the lens. It's become second nature to me. When I frame a shot, I am doing one of two things: either 1) going for a journalistic, real life approach to capture what's happening in a moment, or 2) going for an artistic view of what I see so that it touches that artistic part of me. I'm not always successful, of course. I'm always in the process of learning to edit my photography. Composition is becoming more and more important. I still think, "Oh, that's pretty, I want to capture that," without really thinking beyond my initial response to color, form or subject. It takes self-control to stop and really look at what I'm seeing to see if I can get a good angle on the subject before snapping away. With digital photography, it doesn't really matter how many shots you take, does it? With film you had to be more careful because it was more costly. Even when I was developing and printing my own photos, I had to pay for the film and paper, and it wasn't cheap. (Boy was it smelly, though! Whew! I was in the chemistry up to my wrists sometimes, and didn't wear gloves. Tsk tsk!) 


I'm hoping to find my way back into my sketch books and back into the inks and paints. It's been a while... It was before I left for California, actually, when I last painted anything. I know I'm only off course a little. I'm looking forward to some time off soon.... the boss is trying to hire some more help, so I can get weekends off, possibly. That would be excellent! At least I'll have time to blog now and again, which also makes me happy!

A Party in Castro Valley's Coolest Home

My dear friend, Lenore, threw a little party for me so that I could get together with some friends on my whirlwind trip to California. Understanding the lack of time I could spend with individuals on this short trip, she opened her home to me. She fed and watered all my peeps and we had a wonderful time hanging out and catching up! It was a nice, low pressure way to see everyone.


What I wanted to actually blog about is her amazing home! I love it so much, and wanted to share a few photos of it with you.

Okay, beautiful, right? I mean, I've known her for about 15 years, and her home is ever-changing, but always full of grace and beauty. It's very well thought-out, if you know what I mean? It helps that she has access to amazing antiques and art, being a part-time antiques dealer, as is her hubby, Charles. He also is a creative genius. Check out his newest creations... Steampunk lamps! They are so cool...

This one is my favorite! Sorry the pic isn't great.

He sells them in their antiques shop in Petaluma, CA. If you're interested in purchasing one, I can get you the info to contact them. They don't have a website, but if you're ever in that area, let me know. Also, in the "West Wing," Lenore has collected artist's painting palettes from Paris. They're so rich and full of creative life... you can see them a bit in the photo of the dummy head.

Expandable breasts!

Charles keeps lots of Steampunk inspiration around him... that dress-maker's dummy is the best! The waist, bosom, and other areas expand and contract to size! Like something Tim Burton might have used on a creature of his... it's still in working order, too, after Charles fixed her up.

Above are two pictures I took of Lenore's Curiosity Cabinet... a Victorian invention to exhibit interesting things as they explored the New World of Nature with a scientific eye. Her cabinet is full of lovely bits of nature that even I have never seen before! True curiosities! My own cabinet of curiosities also stores my art supplies, etc, so it's not as lovely as hers. Though one day... one day!


I also wanted to share Lenore's granddaughter, Bella's, bedroom. It's lovely. I wish my photos did it justice. We were happy to meet her last weekend.... she's a sweet and creative girl. Just beautiful! Although only eight years old, she has the aura of an old soul. She is a precious girl.

And last, but not least, I got to see my best friend, E, and her son (my Godson) Max. He's now 13 years old, and as tall as me... documented by this photograph. It was a special treat to spend time with them! (I've missed my time with my BFF!!)

E and K taking pics of Max and I

Max used to fit in the crook of my arm like an over-sized (though not by much!) burrito. It makes me sad and also amazed at how fast children grow. His voice has changed, too.... deeper now, more manly. So strange! 


I had such an amazing time at Lenore's. She's one of my dearest friends... true sisters of the soul. She and I have so much in common and can spend hours chatting about all kinds of things. She is a constant inspiration to me, too. I've missed her! I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse into her home. She's an inspiration! 

On Gardening

I recently visited a whole lot of gardening blogs, and was reminded of my love of gardening. When I lived in California, it was one of my favorite pastimes. I'd get home from work and go straight into my garden in the back (if it was still light out) and I'd pull weeds, make discoveries, trim and deadhead. It was my calm space. I always had so much to look forward to every season back in my secret garden. 


I want to share some photos with you of my garden, though it's no longer mine.

I brought lots of potted plants with me from the rental house I lived in before, so the back deck immediately had some color and life. 

This hundred-year-old wisteria was one of the reasons I wanted to buy this house. It's just one of the reasons that I was drawn to this house. I loved the large backyard, all the light the house got inside, and the fact that I was about five miles from work! (Though it could take me up to 20 minutes to get there... drawbacks of living in a Bay Area city!)

 Yes, I was able to keep a plumeria plant, too. I had to winter it inside, but that wasn't a big deal. I loved that plant! I tried to take some with me, but it didn't survive the super-heated summer driving. I had to get it from California to Pennsylvania in my Mini. It wasn't happy, and did NOT survive.

Fence art hiding behind the foliage

I had a lot of help with my garden... when I first moved in, my good friend, Lenore, took me plant shopping at a huge Japanese plant nursery nearby. She purchased many of my trees & shrubs that I have in the garden! So generous, and she helped me figure out the placement for everything, too.

Quince blossoms

Every season in my backyard had something blooming... that was part of her suggestion, too. We went to the nurseries at the different times of year to see what was blooming and thriving. That helped to get me a year-round garden I could always enjoy.

Flowering maple, I think

The yard came with a plum tree, an avocado tree, an orange tree and the wisteria. Everything else was planted afterwards. There were some volunteers, as well, including several fig trees, a wild rose, and the neighbor's trumpet vine.

I had my friend, Jed, build the pergola... love it!

I planted a wisteria at one corner of the pergola, a Carolina Jessamine at another corner, and the bittersweet vine kind of overtook it from a pot I had it planted in. That was a crazy vine that I should've kept in check! 

Love the dark flowers on this shrub. Forget the name... silver (something)

I loved to wander around in my own garden... it was a real sensory experience. Both visually and olfactorily! You'd smell the wisteria at the back door, walk towards the back and smell the sweet tea rose, then the orange blossoms on the orange tree, then the honeysuckle along the garage, and then back to the wisteria, where there were also some freesias in pots along the deck. I planted to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and people! I even had dragonflies back there, probably due to the lady bugs... Poor ladies!

A copper wind chime I made

I enjoyed adorning my garden with lights and wind chimes. You can tell it's summer from this photo above... not as much in bloom. The shoe-button spirea at the bottom middle/right has lost it's little white flowers. 

Another volunteer: chamomile

I encourage rampant misbehavior of my plants. I loved when the plants would grow out of bounds and encroach on other areas... the way they shared space was often inspiring to me. I loved when the spring would bring surprise bulbs, too, that I had forgotten that I'd planted. Someday I'll have another garden, I know. It will take time, as they must to be truly inspiring. I have patience. I can wait. Meanwhile, I will continue with my little terrariums and potted gardens. And I'm happy to enjoy the gardens that all of you share with me in the Blogosphere. Thank you!

Creative Shlump

Is everyone having a good summer? Staying cool? Or if you're "down under" are you keeping warm and toasty?

It's been strange, this first full summer in Bethlehem. I love the heat, really, as long as I don't have to DO anything in it. I adore the fireflies. I loved going to the ball games, where it was so hot, yet it rained a bit, too... that one Iron Pigs game it actually got rained out! It's just so different from what I'm used to. In California, every evening it cools off. You can open your windows to the outside, and let the heat from the day escape, and be replaced by cool air. Here, not so much. I'm not keen on sitting in front of the computer when it's hot out because my room, though I have an AC unit, it doesn't really ever feel too cool these days.


I'm creatively stifled, too. Is it the heat? I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that my studio has become a nightmare again, and I can't get into anything without first cleaning the space up. I've started and stopped this project about three times... I WANT to clean. I DON'T want to clean. The bottom line is that I have no where to put my stuff, and that makes organizing rather difficult. I'm moving one pile of stuff to another area, and that never makes things look neater.


I haven't been Pinning on Pinterest. I haven't been in the Blogosphere too much. I haven't even been taking a lot of photos. My Diana hangs from her strap on the doorknob in my room. 


Honestly, I need some creative electrocution or something. A shot in the arm, and poke in my brain, you know. Nothing has been inspiring me, really. We haven't had a truly good storm in ages, to clear the heat & humidity from the air. I think that would help. I haven't even worked in my art journal! Or my sketchbook! Not since Mexico, anyway. 


I'm asking for your help, friends. Any ideas to get my creativity flowing again? I'd love some fresh input here. I'd appreciate it. 


xox

Letterpress Block Wallhanging

DIY: letterpress block wallhanging

I found this on Pinterest, and love it! Letterpress blocks are cool to begin with, and displaying them on the wall is just such a cool way to decorate. I've also seen them as trim over doors.... which I also love. Anything to do with books, printing, etc, that can be used as decoration is awesome.

Here's what I did on the wall of my living room... it's a letterpress tray, which I found at a local second-hand store. We actually bought two of them, but the other one is in another room and is slated to be made into the top of a coffee table, once we find a way to make the base! A slab of 3/8" glass with polished edges on top, and voila! A lovely little table!

I prefer to keep small knick knacks all in one place, where it's easy to change them out, and they're not scattered all over the place. Some of these things in the drawer are Ks things, and some are mine. They aren't the most amazing display, but it's definitely a very personal collection of ours. The keys are from his grammy, the land snail shell is from my sister, and there are various little statuettes that belonged to each of us when we were children. So this display makes us happy!

Memory Tugs

I was reading Cannelle et Vanille's recent post, which had lovely photos of fresh picked peas, and I had a sudden flashback. (Whizzing backwards MANY years to Westminster, MA, when I was seven years old....) It was in the heat of summer after school was over, and I was visiting my grandparents for a month or so. My grandmother and I were sitting on their big back porch, which overlooked the 80+ acres of woods behind their home, which they owned. There was a bowl in my lap, a bowl in my grandma's, and a bowl between us. We were shelling peas for dinner, and chatting. Every now and then, I'd eat some fresh peas, loving the greenness and crunch of their flavor, knowing they'd be softer and buttery after my grandma cooked them. I wish I had a photo of this moment, but it's definitely etched in my mind, and pops up every time I see or think of freshly shelled peas.


I do have this other photo of us out blueberry picking in the woods. This was a bit later in the summer, and was another favorite thing to do...

That's my grandma Sigrid, and that's me with my blueberry bucket tied to my waist. (My grandpa's doing.) I love my grandma so much, you just don't know. I miss her terribly all the time. She was a singular soul, and had a way of making everything better when they weren't, and for making a little girl feel special when she thought she wasn't. I was lucky to know her for the first part of my life. I will always love and miss her to the bottom of my soul. 


She taught me many things... to appreciate nature, to cook and bake, to be creative in different ways than what I knew. She inspired me to make jewelry and to garden. She introduced me to the idea of accepting people for just the way they are. When I was a child, I aspired to be like her, and always thought of her as an angel in disguise. (I'm totally serious!) As an adult, I now understand that she really was an angel in disguise, and she watches over me all the time now. I'm a very lucky girl.

Heart Wanderings...

I only just stumbled upon Pia Jane Bijkerk's blog today. I know. I'm sure that a lot of you have already been reading her blog, have her books, or maybe know her styling already. What can I say? I'm just now discovering her and her talent... I saw her via ESTEMAG, via decor8... and I am just blown away.

All images above from Pia Jane Bijkerk

To answer her question, where would your heart take you if it wandered away?... Mine has taken me to Pennsylvania. It has taken me to Paris and to Italy, before, but it ended up here in Bethlehem.

View from our apartment in Paris

The canal in Venice

Woods near Bethlehem

Have you ever followed your heart? Where has your heart taken you?




(Last three photos by me.)

My Letter to the Universe

Dear Universe,


I know you're busy, but hear me out. My name is Shari. If you've been paying attention, you'd know that I was going along all status quo for most of my life (I'm not saying how long, because if you're paying attention, you already know!) until last year. Before last year, I didn't live the life that I'd imagined for myself. I was hiding in comfort and wearing a mask. 


Last year I decided to throw all caution to the wind, and I made big changes to my life that I was afraid to make. I made them anyway, and as you know, change is difficult. Also, change can hurt on a basic level. Still, I took a deep breath, wiped the sweat off my brow, the tears from my face, and I left my career. I left my friends and family, and the familiarity of my home state. I packed up very few things, along with my two cats, and I went to the other side of the continent.


I want you to know that I've been listening to you. That's why I left and faced my fears. You told me that life is full of risks, and that if you don't risk anything then you can't gain anything either. You told me that there are billions of amazing things out there, and that I haven't seen one millionth of them. You asked me to open my eyes, my heart, and my mind, and I did that. My heart is wide open and for the first time in a long time, it beats a different tune. 


My heart feels like it's ten times bigger than it was before I moved. I've had to stretch every part of myself during these difficult, changing months. Transformations were never easy, and I don't think they're supposed to be. Caterpillars to butterflies.... Teenager to adult.... Life to the after-life.... but there's always a reward, it seems to me. Whatever the transformation is, the energy unleashed by it is magic.

Photo by A. Tortorich

That fear that you built into my system to keep me from pain, well it worked sometimes. Other times I don't think it did, but that's okay. I'm learning when to pay attention. I've learned to let go of the fear that stops me from living life fully, and I've learned to pay attention to the fear when I'm driving and it's dark and rainy out. There's a big difference, I see that now. The difference between living and hiding, or living and dying, or living and thriving.


So, Universe, I want to thank you. I took your advice, and my life is FULL. My heart is full. My soul feels rejuvenated, and my spirit feels reborn. I think I'm through with most of the pain of transformation, but if not, that's okay! I know that on the other side of it, I will understand the reasons and I will come out better than before! You've taught me to find my strength and how to use it. You've shown me the beauty around me and how to open my eyes and my soul to it. THANK YOU. 


Love,

Shari