Reflections - Third Sunday in Lent

1. More time with friends = sometimes happier, sometimes lonelier.
2. Fashion icons are helpful when putting new outfits together.
3. Rainy weddings are not fun if you're the musician.
4. I miss my music during Lent (Pandora) and Netflix, but...Facebook continues to be at the bottom of my list. I'm ok with that.
5. Teasing still hurts, no matter who it is.

Second Sunday in Lent - Reflection

1. Still didn't miss much on Facebook. Beginning to think I can just slowly step away and check it just once a week after Lent. That way, I can keep up with important stuff, but I also have limits to how much time I spend on there.

2. Started doing "The Closing of the Day" individual devotional in the Book of Common Prayer. I like it, but I like the typical Evening Prayer (Rite 1) better.

3. I love memorizing Scripture in The Message.

4. I am MUCH more productive at the moment - I think it's a mixture of not being online a lot, having materials to create, and having time to create (also the weather). I feel good so I get more done. I've knitted two hats and a teddy bear sweater, I've cross-stitched (finished it today), worked on my novel, drawn 3 drawings, am working on 2 paintings, and I'm practicing music more regularly.

5. I gave up meat on Fridays for Lent (except for fish) and I might continue that practice...I'm becoming much more vegetarian/pescatarian in my tastes as I get older.

First Sunday in Lent - Reflection

1. I've had much more face-to-face time with people this week. I adore it.

2. Healing relationships is much easier than keeping a grudge. Thankful to God for a husband who speaks the truth gently and for Bible verses that help me remember that 'Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life, and is characterized by getting along with others.' (The Message - James 3:17a)

3. I like giving up something for Lent - Jesus gave up so much for me to have salvation, and my giving up something I enjoy is a faraway echo of His sacrifice. (Lent is probably my favorite season)

4. Seriously contemplating shutting down my facebook account(s). People can include my e-mail in messages and...not having been on there for days, I see I haven't missed much. The thought of giving it up permanently is quite freeing.

5. I really, really want an Anglican rosary so I can say the rosary prayers I found - a Celtic one, and the Julian of Norwich prayer.

Carless

So, we've dropped off the car at Byron's and it looks like it is the radiator. It's less expensive than some things, and with savings and wedding money, we'll be able to pay for almost all of it ourselves - which is amazing. Stu's mom will help us a little bit and hopefully we'll have the car back by the end of the week.

So, my nights are being spent at home this week (which I'm quietly happy about - so much to do!). I'll be doing loads of laundry, washing dishes, cleaning out the closet, practicing cello and harp, and painting, painting, painting while I try to come up with an outline for my ScriptFrenzy project and continue working on my design for Runaway Runway and my new outline for Violet's Monster: Volume I.

WHEW.

I'm going to take it slow - today will be spent washing dishes, practicing cello, and painting.

Tomorrow I'll be doing laundry, practicing harp, and painting...and then it's on to the closet and more painting and writing.

This week is going to FLY by.

Right now, however, I'm going to make lunch, sit down and watch an episode or two of something, and then move on to the dishes.

I don't know why I spent this entire post talking about housework.

I've been domesticated! AHHHHHH!!!!! ;)

A domestic artist...there's a first (?!?!?!). Not really. Vermeer was the first.

Commission

Well, I started sketching today for Uncle Leon's commissioned drawings and...I TOTALLY SUCK at drawing real-looking horses from scratch. I know how to get the commissioned stuff done - I need tracing paper, transfer/graphite paper, but it wasn't at Hobby Lobby so...I guess I'll work on getting the pictures I want for references and printing them out while I wait for another trip to Hobby Lobby. I'm pretty confident in my paintings, and I've decided on a theme...and if I keep sketching horses, I'll get better.

My goal is to get tracing paper after the car's fixed and trace the four horse models I'm using. Then, I'll transfer them to paper/canvas and THEN I can start filling in the details. I can go ahead and start work on the paintings this week - doing the backgrounds.

My them is "Gaits".

I'm doing four pictures (2 drawings, 2 paintings), one for each gait a horse has - the walk, trot, canter, and gallop. I have pictures for the walk and trot...and I think I found a picture for gallop. Cantering won't be too difficult.

So, goals for this week:

1. Paint the background on the paintings using acrylic paints.
2. Find four pictures for my models and get them printed.

Next week I shall buy the transfer/graphite paper. Then it's on to the drawings.

In other news, we finally have a couch (cream sectional!), and our living room looks like half a living room and half a studio/office. Quite nice, actually.

Now if only I could get my act together and start plotting the scenes for Violet's Monster: Volume I.

J.R.R. Tolkien is Correct

It's amazing what a night with friends can do to lift the spirits.

(Also, potato soup with sausage and gouda cheese is helpful)

Looking forward to spending more time with more friends tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday.

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Also, if anyone wants to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. II at the $2 theater with me, LET ME KNOW. It is brilliant.

Something ______________ This Way Comes

I have a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. My heart is hammering and I feel like something is happening.

Either I thought about things until I got sick, or something bad is happening somewhere and I don't know it yet.

Gonna go with the first one.

I get creeped out when I feel like this.

Songs of the Month

A little happier tone this month, for a lot of reasons.

Here they are:

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine - Switchfoot
Hang On - Smash Mouth (especially the lyric, "You'll never make everybody's day")
Then The Morning Comes - Smash Mouth

These can all be found on YouTube (just click on the song title.

Have a lovely first day of March, everyone! Columbia celebrated by having a tornado watch - heavy rain, wind, and some evacuations. Also fallen tree branches.