Monthly Archives: December 2014

Running in the Circles of Life

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Dear friends,
Our lives are often spent running in circles navigating around the circle of life.
Before 2015’s ball drops, let us stop our spinning wheels a moment and give thanks, hopes, dreams and thoughts for this new beginning.
Let a shiny twelve months of renewed resolutions ring true.
Let this set of 365 roll in with songs of peace, words of wisdom and acts of compassion.
Let a fresh solstice bring the gentle moon nearer to our souls.
Let this year open balled fists across the planet into clasping hands held on earth.
Let this latest revolution around the sun remind mankind –
we are but humble guardians in the circle of life.
Circles of Life

I wish for you a joyous New Year. Let 2015 be – Mr. Magoo said it best, “…more glorious than grand!”
And as the ball drops, let the dreams rise 🙂
AnnMarie
New Year's Ball Circles of Life art created yesterday playing with Christmas markers from giant husband. New Year’s Ball photo taken yesterday too. Originally a Disco Ball (found this terrific idea on internet/broken CDs glued to styrofoam orb – made this for delicate daughter’s strobe-light 2007 birthday party) will now double as a New Year’s Ball for party!  Thanks to the big son for playing pedestal. 🙂

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hear the Bells

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Dear Friends,
A Christmas song that remains near to my heart, like the satin chime of a throaty bell is the tune, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. The passionate words were written on December 25, 1864 by a master of American poetry, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Wadsworth’s prose were polished into a shimmering melody by John Baptiste Calkin in 1872.
Though Wadsworth penned this song beneath the onus of war, I like to imagine it represents worldwide peace arrived at nonviolently…
Christmas BellsI love playing “Bells,” on my piano (albeit badly). I don’t practice as much as a should. Hmm, is there a New Year’s Resolution ringing in my ears? 🙂
my pianoThank you. May you fall asleep to the sweet lullaby of magical bells…
Galeen’s Bell Song rendered a week ago after plinking the ivories awhile. I couldn’t get Rocky the Shepherd or Mojo the Dachshund to pose, so Snoopy signed on for a very reasonable rate. 🙂 

Earth’s Angel

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Dear Friends,
As glorious as this time of year can be for some, for others it can be quite sad and horrific. Dreaming of peace on earth is juvenile. Hoping that mankind can protect every child is naive. But asking each one of us to help someone in need – adult or child – in some small way is possible.

Earth AngelThank you. Dream like a child this night…
And never stop believing in dreams or hope…

Earth’s Angel created this afternoon.
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Of Giant Husbands and Little Trees

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Dear Friends,
The giant husband is in the ‘green’ business. He knows quite a bit about plants, trees and Latin roots. Every year he works six days a week then for six glorious weeks, beginning Christmas Eve, the nursery closes. He gets a well-earned rest though Rocky the Shepherd, and Mojo the Dachshund usually fail to read the memo.

A few months ago I wrote a story about the giant husband. If you’d oblige, I’d like to share an edited version of it again. Because as the saying goes, “Behind every married woman who blogs, is a giant husband.” –

Back in 2000, after giving birth to the big son son I had some complications. For five days and nights after the big son came into the world, I was hooked up to tubes, monitors and I believe there were a few pots and pans (this is where I lost my dinner preparation zest). I liken the experience to an exotic vacation minus fresh air, warm sun, bright sea or anything else pleasant. Each night when the hospital room grew dark (despite bells, whistles, alarms and flashing lights) there was the giant husband, ‘sleeping’ at the foot of my hospital bed atop two small chairs smooshed together.

Though the giant husband makes things around him appear smaller, he makes anyone around him feel grand. My Christmas gift every year is having him home for the holidays.
BP finalThank you. May you dream of someone who makes you feel grand…
Giant Husband, Delicate Daughter, Tiny Tree rendered today while listening to, It’s a Wonderful Life

A note: The other day I had the amazing fortune of talking to a selfless father and fellow blogger, Simon Tocclo of Liberian Me. The reason I bring this up here is when there are complications during birth, mothers (in the poorer areas of Africa) don’t survive. So when you dream, please dream of hope for those in need around the world…thank you.

 

If I Was Eight Again…

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Dear Friends,
I didn’t save my childhood Christmas lists, but for some reason my 1971 Santa letter has followed me ’round from house to house. Below is the Santa letter I penned at eight-years-old. I remember my mom giving us these adorable cards to write our Christmas wish lists on.
8 Year Old Xmas List - front( My penmanship was neatest at 8 years of age) –
8 Years Old Xmas-writtenI’ve read the list above many times since 1971 always thinking what if…
My 2014 Santa list (written by my eight-year-old, inner-child) would look like this-
2014 Xmas FrontMy 1971 Santa list, with a few 2014 inner-child edits-
8 Years Old Xmas 2014Thank you. May you dream of peace on earth and in every heart…
2014 Inner-child Christmas Card rendered today after shopping and before giving art lessons.

My 1971 Santa list resulted in a pink stuffed dog named Charlie, a small zither and no rabbit. Our German Shepherd would have eaten it. 🙂
I still smiled wide every Christmas…my parents made Christmas wonderful whether we got our list or not.

Of Peppermint Pigs and Promises

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16 years ago I learned about a 134-year-old tradition. The giant husband and I were dining with friends over the Christmas holiday when someone produced a small satchel. From the pouch fell a little hard candy, pink pig. It was explained that the candy pig was broken into sharable pieces for good luck in the new year. She told me breaking a Peppermint Pig was a longtime tradition. I was quite amazed that a Christmas enthusiast such as myself had never heard of a Peppermint Pig. The following year I learned about the Christmas Pickle…
Here’s a link to The New York Times article, if you’d like to read about the Peppermint Pig’s sweet history.
Peppermint PigsNow there’s another reason for this post. A few weeks back I promised a wonderful friend I’d show her how to draw a pig. So Deb, as promised, please see sketch below. It’s all about seeing the basic shapes and once you can see the shapes you will become a pig master 🙂
How to Pig

2 new poems published in the Avocet

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Turquoise Eyes

howling through the blackest part of night
damp nostrils inhales the moon
silver molding the shape of their song
turquoise eyes cry out for harmony
as voices peal across the earth
a universal language floating on the wind
beckoning to the deepest part of light
and to the humble sleeping spirit
of all living things

Fake Smells

behind these walls
annoying lights flicker
a singular flame 
 attempts escape
desk 
 tick tocks 
 tick tocks
white noise is suffocating
beneath night’s cape
foxes hunt
coyotes beckon
stars breathe
should go out and play
with the ‘rousing moonlight
where the autumn dogs
don’t give a damn
about work deadlines
or silly jar candles
laced with fake scents

Turquoise EyesPublished in, ‘Avocet Magazine,’ a marvelous print journal paying homage to nature and its beauty

wolf created a few years ago using prisma pencil and dabs of acrylic

The Magical Slumber

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Dear Friends,
A sleeping baby is magical. His flawless face bestows peace. His satin skin softens hearts. His bowed lips know only love…
Baby ElfThank you. May you sleep in the arms of sweet peace.
Baby Elf sketched in pencil last night and charcoal detailed today

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Crossing More Than Fingers

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Dear Friends,
Over the last few days, I’ve seen two excellent conscience-bearing movies. Into the Wild, directed by Sean Penn is based on a true story. It’s a convincing cinematic portrayal of a young college-educated man who forgoes the trappings of society and our manmade shackles. His search for a ‘purer’ existence ultimately brings him to Alaska where he must attempt survival. The other film, The Eleventh Hour, directed by Leonardo DiCaprio lays out mankind’s future if global warming isn’t taken seriously. Both films left me thinking about how I live my life. They left me pondering my children’s futures if we can’t reign in our want, and stop treating nature as a thing to be bartered and sold.

Yesterday my post included a silly Christmas tree. For reference I’d snapped a photo of the delicate daughter crossing her arms. While on a sub break today, I was perusing my photos and stopped at my daughter’s image. I drew her sweet face during lunch. I pray the bright future reflected in her caramel eyes, is the bright future she will have on a beautiful healthy planet…
Caroline Hands CrossedThank you. May you dream of pure air and crystal water.
Delicate Daughter sketched today. Little Miss Green Apple below done with Prisma pencils several months ago.

Miss Green Apple

Miss Green Apple

Faith Enough to Hug Rudolph

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Dear Friends,
“…Faith is believing when commonsense tells you not to…”
Rudolph Thank you. May you dream of flying on a reindeer…

Reindeer Hug inspired yesterday morning while watching, Miracle on 34th Street. The art turned out a bit differently than originally imagined. I was going to make the elf younger and chubby-cheeked, give her wavy curls and wrap her arms around Rudolph’s muzzle. I decided or rather my pencil did to go a different way. My pencil desired a more bizarre face. It said “let the Christmas hat’s white trim ‘act’ as hair and let Rudolph’s head have a clearer presence.” So pencil and hand skipped down a different candy cane path. Hope this was okay, I was only allowed one vote…
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