This, too, shall pass...

I love how this wonderful world of blogging happens...these random connections are so amazing and fun... I posted a comment over on Lisa's blog Curious Girl and danasparkle read that comment...she came to visit my blog (thank you, thank you, thank you) and saw fit to leave a comment under my post. Of course, I go visit her blog...(immensely enjoyable)

A few years ago I was introduced to the writings of Eckhart Tolle by someone whom I loved dearly, and still hold fondly in my heart. In Tolle's book, A New Earth, there is a story that I found (and still find) exceptionally profound ...that is what I posted in the comments on Lisa's blog...it goes like this:

According to an ancient story, there lived a king in some Eastern land who was continuously torn between happiness and despondency. The slightest thing would cause him great upset or provoke an intense reaction, and his happiness would quickly turn into disappointment and despair. A time came when the king finally got tired of himself and of life, and he began to seek a way out. He sent for a wise man who lived in his kingdom and who was reputed to be enlightened. When the wise man came, the king said to him, “I want to be like you. Can you give me something that will bring balance, serenity and wisdom into my life? I will pay any price that you ask.” The wise man said, “I may be able to help you. But the price is so great that your entire kingdom would not be sufficient payment for it. Therefore it will be a gift to you if you will honor it.” The king gave his assurance, and the wise man left. A few weeks later, he returned and handed the king an ornate box carved in jade. The king opened the box and found a simple gold ring inside. Some letters were inscribed on the ring. The inscription read: This, Too, Will Pass. “What is the meaning of this?” Asked the king. The wise man said, “Wear this ring always. Whatever happens, before you call it good or bad, touch this ring and read the inscription. That way you will always be at peace.”

I need a ring inscribed with those words...

As I look back over what I have lived so far, in that hindsight, retro sort of view that is so darned clear...I find that is one of the great truths of life. There really is an ebb and a flow to this journey...moments filled with wonder and awe, and moments filled with hurt and disappointment. There is great joy and great sorrow in life, and a whole lot of in between sort of things...those things are the curves in this path we walk called life. They are what teach us the lessons and make it such an interesting, and sometimes frustrating, experience.

danasparkle shared with me...it's great fun, and somehow reminds me of how life is a path filled with the twists and turns, and paths taken and paths intersected...so I thought I'd share it with you...

Number 15....

We are at the last doodle everyone...then, all you have to keep you coming back is my wit and wisdom, or the insane rants...you poor things... I promise, I'll spice it up from time to time with other bits of creativity given away...really...

Here's 15. You know, when I look at these doodlie things online they fascinate me. I scanned them and stuck the photos in "waiting" posts a week or so ago, and now as I revisit them, I see them with different eyes. It's nice to finish something and then stand back a bit and go..."Yeah, I do like that." I certainly hope you do as well...

Anyhoo...again this particular doodle is 5 x 7 inches, and has a space for your favorite short quote or auspicious date...you get to choose, and make it a piece truly your own.

Here are the hoops...keep them low to the ground as you jump through them, I don't want anyone hurt or stressing too much, buts a real damper on the day...

• You have to add a comment to this post. All comments added by 11:59 pm on Friday, April 2nd will be eligible. A comment will be randomly picked on Saturday, April 3rd, and that piece of art send to the person who left the comment chosen, after it is personalized, of course. You do not have to be a follower of the blog to win the doodle...but if you are a follower, you can add a second comment telling me that you are and have two entries (I do check to make sure you are though). The winner will be announced on the blog, and if you have a blog or a website, I'll add a link to that in the announcement...if you see your name drawn as a winner, all you have to do is send me an email with the address you want the item mailed to.

Now, let's see who wins this one...Random.org gives me a number...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2010-03-30 10:07:16 UTC

I go see what comment corresponds....and...

Sew Here We Are said...

So glad I found your site to be a follower! Have a Blessed weekend :-)

26 March, 2010

I do believe this is a second win....woo hoo...

Email me, let me know what personalization you'd like and an address....

By the way, cards should be rolling out next week...not in huge batches, but I'll see how well they are received and go with the flow...the Little One thinks I should do a series of wedding invitations using them...it's an interesting thought...what do you think?

Now, a couple of reminders...tomorrow is the last day of March, which means the comments for Erin and the huge bonus doodle will be closed at 11:59 pm. Details are on the left side of the blog...hustle yourselves on over there and get in on the chance...I am off to go to the real world for a bit...I'll report back on what I find there...

I've got a question...

Have y'all noticed the proliferation of blogs and writings about kindness? There can never be enough kindness in the world, that's a given. To satisfy my curiosity about how popular a topic kindness is, I did a Google search for "blogs about kindness". I got more than 38 MILLION sites.

There are some wonderfully well written blogs about kindness out there...and, some moderately well written blogs about kindness too. Many of them advocate random acts of kindness. Heaven knows, I believe in acts of kindness, even random ones...I've been known to commit a few of them myself.

But... I wonder, does downloading and printing a business size card that has a pop culture-ish "You're perfect just like you are" on it, then leaving it in some random place for a total stranger to find constitute an act of kindness? What if the person who finds it really sucks? There are more than a couple of people out there who do you know?

What about baking cookies for an elderly neighbor, then visiting for a bit when you deliver them? ...a neighborhood clean up, especially if it is not your neighborhood? ...volunteering? ...letting someone out in traffic? ...do you get kindness points when you don't give the finger to someone who cuts you off in traffic? How about when you keep your mouth shut when you really want to say something that you know will not be kind...do you get points for that? I think you should get double bonus points for that...

Just what does constitute an "act of kindness"?

I am of the generation were an act of kindness was something done with intention. It was born from a heartfelt desire to help another or brighten their day. Of course, I am also of the generation that rewarded children for achievement and not participation, believed in punishment when you did something wrong, and were far more picky about how we used the word love...but that's a whole 'nother post...

I wonder if we are starting to water down the concept of an act of kindness. Honestly, if I found a business size card that was downloaded and printed an left in the grocery that told me that I was "perfect" just as I am...I'd wonder...why? I mean, maybe if it were part of a bigger project that had some news coverage...you know..."leave a nice card for a stranger day" or something like that...but I'm not sure that I'd find a sentiment that had no meaning attached to me personally would be an act of kindness. Now...getting a hand written note from someone who appreciated something I did...definitely an act of kindness...one that never ceases to brighten my soul.

Do I expect too much? I might. Really, maybe I do. I mean, an "act of kindness" maybe should be anything...no matter how much effort or thought goes into it...Then again, maybe it is only the thought and effort that goes into it that makes it an act of kindness? What do you think?

I learn so very much from you guys; I value your opinions, thoughts and ideas...and I think a real discussion about how we define kindness may help all of us who strive to fill the world with it. So, if you would, Please do me the kindness of weighing in and letting me know what YOU think about acts of kindness...

Number 14...and a couple of winners....

I had so hoped that yesterday would be a day spent whiling away the hours in creative play...but even the best laid plans are often derailed, and a nasty migraine derailed mine. These things hit me sometimes with a force that has to be like a speeding car slamming into a stone wall...I see the "wall" looming at the last second and before I can do anything, I slam into it. So, in spite of the meds, I ended up lying on the couch, dozing off and on, most of the day, with a pillow over my head to block out the noise and the light. For once, I was sort of thankful for a grey and gloomy day.

At least the worst of it is gone today, I'll deal with the residual aching behind my eyes, and the soreness in my neck and shoulders...and I'll feel lucky that this is as bad as it will be (hopefully). I've had ones that last for days...and those are definitely NO fun...

Let's get a couple of fun things in though before I have to go to work today...

First...how about I visit Random.org again for a couple of numbers for the doodles up for grabs today? There are two, numbers 9 and 10...actually, there are a total of four doodles, they're little, so I paired them...it would be scary for them to travel on their own...






Doodle 9...consists of the colorful doodle you see at the beginning of this post, and this one...



And the comment that wins these is....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

8

Timestamp: 2010-03-29 09:35:01 UTC

And, if we go to the comments...Look...Eileen, the boat came in!!!

Eileen Bergen said...

Well, here I am again. One of these days maybe my boat will come in!

25 March, 2010

And, for Doodle 10...which consists of this pair...


And the winner is....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2010-03-29 09:40:05 UTC

And, comment number 6 is....

jinxxxygirl said...

Hey! Over here! Me! Me!

25 March, 2010

Email me ladies...let me know where you want them sent!





Now, on to number 14 ...for your pleasure, number 14 again has an open space for your own personalization. It's a 5 x 7 inch piece, and one of my favorites...so be sure you will give it a good home if you enter.

The rules are the same...

• You have to add a comment to this post. All comments added by 11:59 pm on Thursday, April 1st (at least I will get them all posted before April...) will be eligible. A comment will be randomly picked on Friday, April 2nd, and that piece of art send to the person who left the comment chosen, after it is personalized, of course. You do not have to be a follower of the blog to win the doodle...but if you are a follower, you can add a second comment telling me that you are and have two entries (I do check to make sure you are though). The winner will be announced on the blog, and if you have a blog or a website, I'll add a link to that in the announcement...if you see your name drawn as a winner, all you have to do is send me an email with the address you want the item mailed to.

Whew...that feels like a forever long, rambling on and on, sort of post....Tomorrow I'll be posting the last of the 15 doodles (I wonder if the visitor count will go down then?)...and then we'll get back to this thing called blogging...

It happened again...

I went over to Random.org to find the lucky number to win Doodle 12...and here's what I got:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

8

Timestamp: 2010-03-28 11:20:39 UTC

I go to the eighth comment...and....

A Creative Dream... said... One of these takes me anywhere from an hour (for an ATC sized one), a 4x6 takes me about 3 to 5, and the 8x10 size I did for Kellye took me about 22 hours. I don't often sit down and do one all at a single sitting though. I find that, like everything else I do, I start several at once and then just sort of work on whichever one wants attention....

It's me...again...funny how the same thing happened yesterday. Wonder if that's a sign that I really should make one or two for myself. People often ask me if my home is filled with my needlepoint, or my art...and, when I look around it, the answer is that there is surprisingly little of it. I'm not sure why, considering I like most of the things I do...something to delve into there I guess. Anyway, back to Random.org for another number...and I get...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

4

Timestamp: 2010-03-28 11:30:44 UTC

And the fourth comment turns out to be...

Calico Paint said...

I would love to have one of your doodles! I've been inspired to try these on my own, but mine are not even half as beautiful as yours.

She has a very interesting blog (click on her name before the comment to go visit) going that shows her own art journey. I always find things like that interesting, it's fun to see what we all have in common on this journey and what differences we all experience as well.

Email me (ACreativeDreamer@gmail.com) to let me know what, if any, personalization you'd like on it and I'll get the doodle out to you!


Don't forget, Erin will be leaving me this week to go to her new home. If you want it to be yours, just click on her photo to go to find out how...there are only 22 comments there, and at least a couple of them are not followers (the only requirement) so you have a great chance if you enter.

If all goes well, I'll have a project finished later that I'll be sharing with you...and a new doodle up for grabs...so off to work on it I go!

Saturday...again...

Well, here we are at Saturday again...and today, it's time to give away a doodle AND share the ArtsyBlogger links...you guys are so lucky, huh? (Warning, I am a bit rambling today...lots of words just keep tumbling out.)

First, let's get the doodle out of the way, 'cause I really want to share something with you before we get to the ArtsyBlogger links...so, with no further ado...(isn't it fun to be giving away number 11 before numbers 9 and 10???)...the winner, according to Random.org is....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

4

Timestamp: 2010-03-27 12:14:11 UTC

And that comment is by...ME!!!!! But that won't work...so let's hit the generator one more time...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

11

Timestamp: 2010-03-27 12:17:24 UTC

And look...number 11 is...(perfect...number 11 wins number 11...how bizarre is that?!?!?)

Cyndi L said...

I just love how you've leaving open spaces for quotes or notes on these doodles!

26 March, 2010

Woo hoo! Now, all you have to do is email me and let me know what personalization you want in that 3 inch empty middle, and this little piece of art will be winging its way through the post to your door...or, mailbox...

Now...on to the links...BUT, before we get there, I hope my blogging buddies will allow me a moment to brag about one of their children...I was making my usual rounds of the incredible bloggers that I know, and I ran across a post by Cyndi, (I promise, only a coincidence that she won, it must just be her day) over at Mixed Media Artist. Cyndi has a daughter named Dani, who, by happenstance I am sure, just happens to be a mixed media artist like her mother...and since Cyndi doesn't want to "risk of being too much of a proud mama" (Cydni's words, not mine", but I'm not Dani's mom, and I don't run that risk, so let me brag a bit about Dani...(and since I didn't ask permission from Dani before I am doing this...I hope I don't embarrass her too much) OH MY GOSH...this young woman has made the most INCREDIBLE set of wings...they are amazing...I cannot even describe how beautiful they look...AND they are articulated too...you just have to go see for yourself...you can find Dani's blog at Danielle Hurley and to really get the full impact, watch the short video clip she has on this post. Look around her blog while you are there, I think you will agree this is one very talented young woman. As someone who also loves all things winged...Dani, these are wonderful!

Ok, links....go visit, say hi...we do love it when people let us know what they like!

The Kid's Fun Review A trip to the Dollar Store yielded the supplies to make this fun Easter craft.

Cthulhu Crochet If you have a geek in your life, they will probably love this crocheted Cthulhu.

The Artful Crafter Have you seen Xyron’s Creatopia? Prepare to be amazed by the baby booties going through a Creatopia in the video!

Tottie Talks Crafts Noreen got all inspired by some links from the Artsy Bloggers group and has designed some adorable paper Springtime eggs. Here's the tutorial.

Beading Arts Does the beginning of spring lift your spirits? Cyndi has made a spring bracelet sponsored by Artbeads to celebrate this most wonderful of all seasons.

Oh, and don't forget...we have three more doodles left...they will be posted over the next couple of days...

Lucky number 13...

I'd love to say I am not superstitious, but I am...at least to some degree. While the number 13 doesn't really imply unlucky to me, I'm going to counter any unluckiness it may have for anyone else by calling it "Lucky number 13"...

Here's our doodle for today...it's 5 x 7 inches, and again, a blank space for you, the lucky winner, to decide what to fill with...want to remember an auspicious date in your life...how about a wedding, a graduation, a birth...maybe an anniversary? Or, have a favorite short quote that you love...a life motto?

• You have to add a comment to this post. All comments added by 11:59 pm on Monday, March 29th will be eligible. A comment will be randomly picked on Tuesday, March 30th, and that piece of art send to the person who left the comment chosen, after it is personalized, of course. You do not have to be a follower of the blog to win the doodle...but if you are a follower, you can add a second comment telling me that you are and have two entries (I do check to make sure you are though). The winner will be announced on the blog, and if you have a blog or a website, I'll add a link to that in the announcement...if you see your name drawn as a winner, all you have to do is send me an email with the address you want the item mailed to.

We have two more to go after this one...

A bonus doodle...

All of the doodles are finished and are waiting in their own little posts ready to be posted over the next few days...there are three more waiting in the wings... This process of creating the art and giving it away has been interesting and I truly appreciate EVERYONE who has played along...

Over the course of the month, while creating the smaller doodles, I've also been working on a larger piece, this one is 8" x 10"...and has taken about 23 hours to complete from the first pen stroke to the last. (The first photo is of the overall piece, the other photos in the post are details of sections of it.)

This piece, unlike the others that I may use in another way some day, will not be used to create any card, poster, shirt, or any other item. That makes it a singular piece of art, a one of a kind if you will...This is a "bonus" doodle to thank y'all for following...

If you would like this to be your very own piece of art...the rules are a smidgen different than the ones we have been playing with through the month...

As I said, it is a bonus piece to thank those who have followed...as in the followers of the blog. You are the constant readers who make this all worth the journey. Let's face it, I am not ALWAYS a brilliant hostess, there are times when I bitch and moan, not to mention whine a little bit...and yet, there you always are like a comforting blankie when I need you...you visit, you comment and you encourage me, and for all of that I am deeply, deeply grateful.

So, to qualify to be in the random drawing for this piece of art, you must be on the list of followers...those that are shown in the right column of the blog. This is the smidgen of difference because on any of the other doodle giveaways, including the three yet to come and those that are currently active, you do NOT have to follow.

Other than that, all you have to do is leave one comment. You have until 11:59 Eastern Daylight Savings Time (since that is my time zone) on Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 to leave that comment. On Thursday morning I'll hop over to random.org and have that random number generator pick a number. The corresponding comment will be the lucky recipient of this work. IF that person is not in the followers listing on the right of the blog, I will have that random generator choose another number. (Note the longer time to register...you have a shade





I hope you all have enjoyed the doodles as much as I have creating them...and I hope, when the items to come are offered you will support them as well...Many thanks to all...and good luck!

The voting is in...Doodles number 9 and 10...

Nine votes have been cast in the question of how to pair these four doodles should be paired. The results are...3 and a half for pairing by color or black and white....and 5 and a half as pairing one color and one black and white...blame the half points on this comment from KendaLee...

"I feel that they're nice paired by colour although Judy's point is a good one too. Either way, I love all your doodles but these round ones are definitely my faves - gorgeous!" I opted to give half a point to each column in the vote count since I hadn't added the option of round in the voting...

By the way, if you have not visited her blog, Dance of a Painted Lady...please do, it is absolutely brilliant, and I don't say that lightly. Her writing is illuminating and heartfelt, and the photos she posts are such a treat for the eyes...

Anyhoo...like I said, I'd go with the majority vote...so here they are (I'm going with Judy King's suggestion about how to group them):

Number 9...

And Number 10...

By now, y'all know how we do this...

• You have to add a comment to this post. All comments added by 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 28th will be eligible. Two comments will be randomly picked on Monday, March 29th, and that piece of art send to the person who left the comment chosen. You do not have to be a follower of the blog to win the doodle...but if you are a follower, you can add a second comment telling me that you are and have two entries. All winners will be announced on the blog, and if you have a blog or a website, I'll add a link to that in the announcement...if you see your name drawn as a winner, all you have to do is send me an email with the address you want the item mailed to. Again, since there are TWO giveaways on this post, let me add...if your comment is randomly chosen first, you will not be in the draw for the second set. (Just to give as many people a chance as possible.)

Number 12...

Woo hoo everyone, we are getting closer and closer to that Number 15...In the mean time...who wants this one?

Again I have left blank space that you may choose to add a quote to, or add something about an auspicious occasion...I think I may end up doing something like one of these for the niece and her betrothed getting married this summer, for some reason that is very appealing to me (although I don't know that she'd recognize the effort...). Or, you can choose to have nothing at all added...it's your doodle if you win! By the way, it's 5 x 7 inches...perfect to mat and insert into an 8" x 10" frame. (Remind me if I forget, I really need to have Kellye get a picture of what she did to hers to share with everyone...)

Anyway, if you want it, you know the hoops you have to jump through...

• You have to add a comment to this post. All comments added by 11:59 pm on Saturday, March 27th will be eligible. A comment will be randomly picked on Sunday, March 28th, and that piece of art send to the person who left the comment chosen, after it is personalized, of course. You do not have to be a follower of the blog to win the doodle...but if you are a follower, you can add a second comment telling me that you are and have two entries (I do check to make sure you are though). The winner will be announced on the blog, and if you have a blog or a website, I'll add a link to that in the announcement...if you see your name drawn as a winner, all you have to do is send me an email with the address you want the item mailed to.

And, don't forget, Erin will be leaving my house to go to live with someone new soon...be sure to check her out here.

Something important to share...

Last week I ran across a story online in written by Susan Kinzie in the Washington Post about a journey called A Year of Giving, 365 stories of personal giving...

From his blog:

About Year of Giving…

The Year of Giving started officially on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 3:30 pm. The concept is simple. I will give $10 to a different person every day for a year. I will write about the people who I intersect with as well as the truly altruistic experience that I am sure to have!

I recently lost my job at a nonprofit organization due to the economic climate so taking on this endeavor may not seem fiscally prudent. However, I think it is exactly these times that we must focus on helping others.

Reed, the guy who has chosen this journey lives in Washington D.C., and he admits that the $10.00 he gives away every day isn't going to change a life, but he says "I do believe, however, that the act of giving will hopefully inspire others to pursue the ideals that the French philosopher Auguste Comte envisioned when he coined the term “altruism.” Whether that comes in the form of someone who reads this blog and wants to embark on their own Year of Giving or someone who uses the $10 to help someone else out, the specific results are less important than the overall good that we can achieve together."

I like that...especially the part about the overall good we can achieve together.

Reed has declared June 15th as World Giving Day...He's got a post about it on his blog here. His goal for the day is to see how many people around the world he can get to give $10.00 to a stranger and then leave a comment on his blog about doing it.

I'm in....how about you?

Number 11...

Ok, readers are still voting on how to combine doodles Number 9 and 10, that will be determined on Wednesday afternoon, and then they will be up for grabs. In the mean time, here is Number 11...

Notice the empty space in the middle? The winner gets to choose the personalization...you can pick a short quote (note the short...there is not enough space for a long one)...OR, wouldn't this be a great way to celebrate a life event? How about a birth, or a wedding, an anniversary...whatever day is important to you...Or you can choose to have nothing at all...

The outside dimensions are 6 x 6 inches, the empty space is a 3" circle...So...you know how this goes...you want it, all you have to do is...

• You have to add a comment to this post. All comments added by 11:59 pm on Friday, March 26th will be eligible. A comment will be randomly picked on Saturday, March 27th, and that piece of art send to the person who left the comment chosen, after it is personalized, of course. You do not have to be a follower of the blog to win the doodle...but if you are a follower, you can add a second comment telling me that you are and have two entries (I do check to make sure you are though). The winner will be announced on the blog, and if you have a blog or a website, I'll add a link to that in the announcement...if you see your name drawn as a winner, all you have to do is send me an email with the address you want the item mailed to.

Tomorrow I'll be posting Number 12...

A rant born of frustration...

It's such a rant, that I am not even adding an image to "pretty it up"...it is my own last fling of a pity party, and then it is time to get off of my broad backside and figure this thing out...so please, be patient with me for the moment...

It's pretty obvious by now that I've been "hiding" behind my doodles rather than really blogging for the past few weeks. It has been a difficult time for me of late. I'm staring down 50, and, in my family, where my grandfather lived to 56 and my mother to 60, and my father developed Alzheimer's near 60....well, let's say it just doesn't look good for me genetically. And, here I am, at this junction in my life, and absolutely nothing as I expected it to be. Worse still, I cannot seem to find the key to unlock whatever door it is that allows me the opportunity to make it what it should be.

I am in an entry level job, with absolutely no possibility of moving up. Having spent 20 years of my life as a stay at home mother, I have no job skills. At least not according to the filters most companies put on their job postings. So when applying for positions, I don't even make it through those filters to the hiring committee. This is not my assessment, this is the assessment of those companies. I've asked.

Apparently, the years that I spent volunteering 40 hours a week in the schools of my children... learning every possible office skill, not to mention amazing diplomacy skills that could win over the coldest of nations... sitting on boards of non profits, raising money for the schools, filling in for the teachers, being a part of the governing council for those schools, sitting on district wide committees, and then running my own business for 7 years...ALL while juggling my own children and home while their father worked hours and hours of overtime...all of that counts for nothing. (Although, this could explain my insomnia...maybe it is more habit than anything, you don't have time to sleep when you do all of that.) At least not when job qualifications are in question...I dare the CEO of any company to pull all of that off...

When I finally chose to go into a "real" job rather than work for myself, because working for myself the hours were basically from sun up until sun up again, (and to be just plain blunt...I got tired of "the customer is ALWAYS right" really meaning that I was getting screwed)...it took 378 applications to actually get this job. (Again, apparently had something to do with those filters.) Now, don't get me wrong, I am glad I have one...but come on guys...I make less money than most of us did when we got out of high school, much less college....and, regardless of how hard I work, now loyal I am, or how much I increase efficiency and decrease costs....(and I have done both substantially, my bi-yearly reviews are very clear about that) there is no reward for me. The job description does not actually reflect the work that I do...but the powers that be will not review the job description because then it would require a pay increase for the position.

I'm facing that empty nest that is coming so very soon, and I will be forced to live with only myself. It's kinda tough, ok it is REALLY tough, to live with yourself as your only companion if you are NOT content with life. These years will REALLY suck if I can't make this all come together....and y'all, I really just don't want this portion of my life to suck, it may be short enough as it is.

So...now that I have ranted, I am turning to all of you beautiful, brilliant, wonderful people out there (who have my best interest at heart of course)...does anyone know where I find that damned key to unlock that door of possibilities? 'Cause I am sick of myself at this point, and I really do need to get off of this broad backside and make my life what it SHOULD be...

Ok, time to vote...

Let's get you all engaged here...These are the next four doodles up for grabs. They will be given away in pairs...the question is, do I group the two black and white as one pair, and the colored as a second pair, or do I group one black and white with one color?

You have until Wednesday afternoon to leave a comment, and I will go with the majority choice. Let me know what you think!

By the way...while these things look HUGE (or they did on my monitor as I just checked the post), they are 2.5" rounds...

Look...an award...

By not one, but two of my readers...Eileen of The Artful Crafter, and Judy of Mexico Insights. have bestowed upon me the Kreativ Blogger Award.

1. Post the image of the award...check, there it is.

2. Thank the person, or in this case, the persons, who gave it to me...check, I left comments on their blogs (or tried to, Blogger seems to be thwarting me at all turns...but let me thank them both again here, just in case...

3. Link to the person, or, again in this case, persons, who gave it to me...check, done in the very first paragraph.

4. Share a list of seven things about me that you probably don't know about me (but were dying to I am sure)....check, those are below...

5. Choose seven great bloggers to give the award to...this is the sticky part, I never know how bloggers feel about receiving awards...some love 'em, some hate 'em....so I am going to list the seven, and if they want to participate, great, if not...that is ok too...no pressure from me...

6. Share a link to their blogs...check, those fall right after the seven things you didn't know about me...

and...finally...

7. Leave a comment on their blog...will do as soon as I get this posted.

Now...on to the seven interesting things about me (IF I can find that many)...but I am sure you ALWAYS wanted to know...you just didn't realize you did...

• In 1997 I was asked to design and create an ornament for the White House Christmas Tree. The theme was "Santa's Workshop" and my ornament was titled "Delivery Day".

• I grew up on a farm where my father was always bringing in abandoned or hurt animals. We took in strays like a church takes in new converts. So when new dog showed up, I thought nothing of it, in spite of the fact that it wasn’t very comfortable around people. It took me several weeks to bribe…errr…win the trust of that dog. When my mother saw me in the yard with it one day, she was horrified…turns out the pretty dog I loved so much was a red fox. I was probably younger than 7 when this all transpired, but he and I were friends for a couple of seasons…I also had a pet raccoon that I bottle fed because her mother had been killed, and a crow (although I am suspicious that it was a mina bird) that someone had taught to mimic words. He flew in one summer and landed on my back as I was picking tomatoes from the garden…Billy was such a pretty boy…he loved telling you that too!

• I love ginger. Especially chocolate covered crystallized ginger…but I adore ginger in all of its forms…fresh, crystallized, pickled, in gingersnaps, in soda…you name it, I love it.

• I collect bees…not the real thing, I wish I could, but I am allergic to bee stings…but I love bees. I grow flowers that attract bees, I encourage them to be around my home, I can sit for hours watching them work. We seem to have an agreement, I am fascinated by them, and in return, they don’t sting me. (Strange, isn’t it, to have no fear of something that could kill me in 10 minutes?) The hard part to that is convincing people who are around me when they are not to swat at them.
  

• I believe in magic. Not the coin behind the ear kind of magic, but the real magic that exists all around us.

• I want to learn how to make wagashi... I'm not sure why, but I am fascinated with these Japanese delights...

• Wild violets are my favorite flower. They have always shown up for me, regardless of the season, when I have felt I needed guidance...could be one of the reasons I believe in magic.

Now...the seven blogs I give this award to, in no particular order...are...

Green Earth Originals....I love what Maria does on her blog, and when I just checked it, she has a photo of violets on there, it has to be fate...

Rekindle Me...and oh my goodness, I just checked her site, and Sharon has a cute bee item showing...see what I mean by magic???

And to Bonnie and Rachel at Inspire Wire (By TLC Inspirations)...those girls are always doing something fun and upliftng over there!

Sue over at The Magpie's Nest is always doing something cute and creative...her latest quilt creation is too cute...

Stella at Inspirations by Stella...Stella and I go way back, to my very earliest blog posts, and I always appreciate her encouragement...

Altered Bits...GREAT "altered bits" and a whole bunch of free stuff for anyone to download, not to mention tutorials.

Junker Jane...there is nothing to say other than I ADORE her dolls...a bit weird, a tad wacky...and amazingly full of personality!

Whew...that was a bunch of work...Thank you again ladies...and now I am off to try to comment on these blogs about this...right after I fold that load of laundry in the dryer!