Story of Now

I have had a new fascination with retro-looking birds lately. So, with this new fascination I decided I would design my own Photoshop bird brushes. I also have a bit of an obsession with quotes, if you hadn't already noticed :) Fascination with retro birds + obsession with quotes= new card designs Creating bird brushes led me to create some other brushes including: trees, flowers and text. Enjoy and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear your comments!!

I got two wonderful nominations for the Kindness moves Mountains contest. Both of these women sound extraordinary! Here is wishing that everyone has someone that is a blessing in their life. Please read the nomination stories and vote for your favorite. Poll is on the right side of the blog! Names have been substituted by just the first initial of their name. #1 I would love to nominate my dear friend and co-worker P. P is an inspiration to me. She has dedicated her life to helping others and worked tirelessly in the process. Whenever I need to get turned around P is always there to guide me and help me see things as they are. She and her husband raised two children who have now moved away from home and her daughter has children of her own. P is a volunteer through her church, for the school, and is also an advocate for social justice. She has taken trips with students to poverty stricken areas and helped those in need. She has also been a sponser for a special gentleman who recently ...

Ava was 7 months on the day we did these pictures. It had been a long day, and she was pretty tired but she did a great job! Here is just a few to show off her cuteness! To love, cuddle, play with, adore, that's what baby girls are for. Unknown

This poem truly touches my soul. I read it and felt peaceful. It brought images of my past into the present; things I have done, people I've known, emotions I've felt. _____________________________________________________________________ Kindness By Naomi Shihab Nye Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully saved, all this must go so you know how desolate the landscape can be between the regions of kindness. How you ride and ride thinking the bus will never stop, the passengers eating maize and chicken will stare out the window forever. Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness, you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho lies dead by the side of the road. You must see how this could be you, how he too was someone who journeyed through the night with plans and the simple breath that kept him alive. Before you know kindne...

A couple of weeks ago I got to be part of a great act of kindness; a renewing of an old picture and a reliving of memories. You see my Grandparents are a part of an old neighborhood. Years ago the neighbors would get together to celebrate many occasions, one of which was New Years. One of the guys from the neighborhood was a great illustrator and drew up a picture of "New Years 1962" and gave it to my Grandparents. This great illustration has been given a new life; taken from it's plastic bag, matted and framed and now hangs prominently in my Grandparents den. The idea to get it framed came from one of my brothers and then my dad took the idea and ran with it. To witness my Grandparents delight in this gift and to see them reliving the memories of yesteryear was so moving!! Here they are, 91 years old, married for 60+ years, and just recently in and out of the hospital for three months...and then before my eyes taken back 40 years. I will never forget the joy they emitted...