Colors

My memory of art college was spending every Saturday buying what my son needed for his next week’s projects.
 “More colored pencils?” I asked; “You have at least a hundred by now.”
 “But I don’t have these,” he replied.
“Haven’t you learned to blend colors yet?” I asked… as I paid.

 Months later while we were traveling to Grand Rapids to spend a relaxing weekend, my son asked me to count the number of greens I saw. It was lovely spring day, my favorite season; and I wasn’t on-call for two whole days. So I smiled and began counting, but within a few minutes I lost track of whether that was a new green or not. The Creator of the Universe had painted the waking of nature with myriads of greens in all its shades, tints, and hues.

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts;” wrote Marcus Aurelius.

And this mother told her son, “You can have as many colored pencils as you’d like.”

Today, my son is a successful graphic designer and I am a colorist a.k.a., a color-er. I started with a set of colored pencils and an adult coloring book to pass the time and to keep from being bored.

 Soon I added gel pens…








                                                     then a cart to hold all of them.

 I never seem to have just the right shade. Sound familiar?

I love the flow of ink on the paper and seeing the combination of multiple shades of a color group form a flower. I’ve graduated from a 12 per box to 120 and still want more choices.

 The transition from threads and yarns to ink actually came first. The colors I use for my needlework add dimension and texture. My grandson called it threading (drawing with thread) when he was a toddler. 

Coloring does pass the time for this homebound woman. As a bonus, I have discovered bright colors becoming bridges to happy memories and problem-solving becomes easier while coloring. Best of all, coloring connects me to the author of all colors.

 I am thankful we earthlings were given eyes with “some of the most complex structures in all of nature. The human eye can take in a million simultaneous impressions and can tell the difference between eight million different colours.” (@http://www.eyesite.co.uk/news/humans-vs-animals-who-has-better-vision/)

 Jürgen Moltmann wrote, “Our disappointments, our loneliness and our defeats do not separate us from him (God); they draw us more deeply into communion with him.”It is when I’m coloring that I understand that the best.

 And it is through the eyes of others I see what my walls hide from me: [As I run each day] “ I learn to notice perfect strangers who go out of their way to share a smile; I pay attention to dogs grinning as they walk their owners; and my eyes are drawn, again and again, to nature waking up.” ~ Ryan J. Pemberton

The World Through My Window, Part 2

My apartment is one of 82 within two three-story buildings attached by a breezeway. And it has been a busy week outside of my window: painters, window washers, and landscapers. All are coordinated/supervised by our maintenance man.

Good maintenance men are hard to find. We have one of the best! Kudos to you, Josh!

In addition, electricians came as part of the city's preventive maintenance program to work on the huge electrical unit across from my window. Add the usual comings and goings: Dial-a-Ride mini-buses, a cable man, a worker adding a ramp to the garden shed, the Norco oxygen man, the Schwann man, garbage trucks, mailman, first responders and male visitors. That equals a lot of men! Lots of young men!

For this 73-year-old gramma, it's been a delight!

Join me as I tip my "hard hat" 

in appreciation for the men who keep things running and looking good.

Selah ~

Connie

[Sewer construction continues but is no longer in my window's view.]

Book #8

The Pilgrim’s Progress

Paul Bunyon was arrested for preaching the gospel without permission and spent 12 ½ years in prison. During those years (beginning in 1660), he wrote a number of works, the best of which was the allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, which became a classic and touched the lives of billions of people.

An allegory is a story, poem or pictures that can be interpreted to reveal hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory of a spiritual journey. [Synonyms include parable, analogy, metaphor, and symbol.]

I am reading the 1834 abridged edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress along with Steven James’ Quest for Celestia: A Reimaging of The Pilgrim’s Progress (2006).

Both are intended to reach a new generation.

I will be writing the book reviews later, but first I want to share a story of an unusual consequence related to reading the unabridged book.

Remember the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bed Day? Well, I think I’ll call my story…

Alex, the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Boy

Everyone that knew Alex would agree whose qualities and dreaded it when he showed up.

Unlike the Herdmans*, the worst kids in the history of the world who lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids; Alex caused havoc by being uncooperative, loud and rude. He had no respect for grown-ups, no friends and didn’t care. At least that’s what he said.

Selah ~

Connie

* Character's from the book The Very Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.

Pity Party P.S.

Pitiful Pearl

 

Illustrator William Steig was the creator of Pitiful Pearl. 

In the 1950s, Pitiful Pearl left the page and became a popular doll.

        For as long as I can remember, I associated her with this song from the 1940s:

I'M A LONELY LITTLE PETUNIA IN AN ONION PATCH 

Of all the saddest words 

That I have ever heard 

The saddest is the story 

Told me by a bird 

He had spent about an hour 

Chatting with a flower 

and here ís the tale the flower told

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch, 

an onion patch, an onion patch 

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch 

and all I do is cry all day 

Boo hoo, boo hoo.

Listen at :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p4u7ZcOWnA

I relate to poor Pearl for in the last year or so I have had quite a few lonely, boo hoo days. 

Since I have been dealing with multiple health issues, those days have increased. 

Chronic illness can take the stuffin' right out of you: little or no energy, no stamina, 

fatigue and whatever symptoms are causing your limitations, including pain.

I came up with a way that helps me get out of the onion patch. It allows me to be that

lovely petunia, who is able to say, "Be gone, Pitiful Pearl!"

The next post I'll share my Pity Party Bashers

Selah-

Connie

.

RETURNING...

Yeah! I have returned with a new computer-- used, but with the hope it will last awhile. In addition, during my time offline, I have had a life-style change.

Briefly, I went into heart failure resulting in my doctor's orders, "Just rest for the next two weeks." Actually, activities of necessity were all I could tolerate. Resting was easy at first. Movies and sleep filled my days. Then boredom set in. In spite of no energy, I had to be doing something.

[Here's where you ask, "How bored were you?"]

I set to cleaning out my  four drawer filing cabinet. Now that is really BORED. In the process... done very slowly... I alphabetized my writing, sorted it into completed and "still workin' on it." I started a box for donations and one for disposal. 

It took weeks to accomplish it, but I felt better having completed a project. Meanwhile, after the expected 2-3 weeks of rest, I had not improved leading to wearing a heart monitor for the 30 days of June.

[The results are back and I am now waiting for an appointment with the cardiologist.]

I have been reflecting on the value of the weeks of downtime I have experienced. Was there a purpose for my idleness? 

I believe that God never wastes any moments of our lives. Thus I began pondering over the last 3 months. I will be sharing my thoughts in future posts. 

Tomorrow, I will start with fatigue, one of the major symptoms for those with both acute and chronic illnesses.

I am glad to be back! Welcome to new and old readers!