i remember when rock was young...

...me and Susie had so much fun.

Took the kids to see Elton John and they were wowed.  And so were we.

camera repaired

Check.

I have been borrowing my daughter's.  It's such a relief to have a camera that works right.  My camera is a part of my voice.

corner view~blue...

...is my favorite color, although it makes me happy, not blue at all.  I love all the shades of this beautiful color.
To continue with corner view next week, please see Francesca.  She will be choosing topics and hosting in Jane's absence.  Thanks Francesca!  It has been fun hosting you all, and I will still be part of CV :) 

this seems like lifetimes ago

And luckily my son doesn't read my blog.  He would not appreciate the diapers shot.

But my husband is the sweetest.  I told him yesterday that I really want a high quality scanner that's pretty expensive so I can digitalize my millions of old photos and vintage photos and he spent all this time researching them.  And now he wants to get one for me as a belated Valentine's gift.  (remember the chicken soup day and that we didn't get to celebrate?)

The thought of this gift makes me giddy with delight especially if it works well and the quality of the scans will be good.

But it's hard for me sometimes to accept gifts and buy new things for myself.  Kind of a weird thing about me.

No, I'm gonna accept.  Thanks for helping me think this one through.  And beware, there will be many posts about days of yore!!!  Ha ha!

Happy weekend! 

corner view~valentine's day

On Valentine's Day where we live people tend to give flowers, candy, or cards to their beloved.  Children in schools exchange little cards as well, and often a piece of candy is added to the cards.

Last year we celebrated in our family with homemade cards and treats.  This year a couple of us were sick in bed...so I made chicken soup.  I have something for the kids, I will wait until they are better, they will be happily surprised. 

My husband had a special night planned, he was taking me for a beach picnic with turkey sandwiches and juice, and then to see a romantic comedy.  We'll just do it this weekend instead.

Sometimes love means flexibility.

Gary released his final music video.  This one is a love song entitled "That's What They Call a Life."

Next week's topic is blue.  If you have ideas feel free to leave them in the comment section.  Toodles!  

saturday

I have been very busy this week with the music business work.  But it is a lot of fun for me.

I keep thinking I will get to my writing...ha ha ha.

Today I took a morning walk and connected with an old friend on the cell phone, worked on marketing Gary's music, made impromptu lunch for impromptu guests, washed a bunch of dishes, did an recycled random object art project with Shawn and Annabel (left the mess on the floor, we will finish tomorrow), and watched part of Jerry Macguire.  I also read a blog and watched webinars of a woman in the kids entertainment biz.  Sky won a contest this week and has a free Skype session with her.  The kids occupied themselves all day.  The two youngest played together from morning til night, while Sky recorded music most of the day.  I did read to my boy at night, he sure does love that. 

I did this painting about ten years ago, in watercolor.  I especially enjoyed working with gold paint.  I met a woman last night whose children are grown now, men in their 30's.  She was visiting here on vacation and showed me her sketchbook filled with drawings and watercolor paintings, a hobby she has just begun exploring.  She was talking about how happy she is at this point in her life after raising her sons to have more time to do things she enjoys.

I do sometimes wish for more free time. But for now I am am enjoying life with our busy family in our often messy house!

corner view~my favorite actor

I love live theater and movies.  I love getting lost in a story.  I love the magic of cinema, and special effects, the way the sound track moves the story along, and the perfect choice of songs used at perfect moments.

An actor brings you into their art unlike any other creative form.  With painting, dance, poetry, literature while the artist's personality effects what they create, it is not directly about them.  Whereas with an actor, and often a singer, they are the medium.  And what they create with their gestures, their voice, glances, it can feel so personal.
    
My favorite actor?  I can't decide.  There are so many talented actors.  To name a few -- I admire Meryl Streep for her depth and poise, Jodi Foster for her beauty and intensity, Richard Gere, well for being Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger for her cool voice and her uniqueness, Michael Douglas for his pure brilliance, and there is something so cool about Kevin Bacon!

There are some amazing child actors as well.  Dakota Fanning. Abigail Breslin. Jaden Smith.  And Lili Reinhart, my daughter's friend.  Remember that name.  I think you will see her on the big screen someday.

Thanks, Skylar, for this idea.  Next week, the theme is Valentine's Day.  How is it celebrated in your country?  Do you have any personal traditions?

gifts from the earth

Gifts from our garden.  One of the joys of life.  Right now I am harvesting tulsi too.  I have about fifteen huge plants and they are in desperate need of pruning.  If I get my act together I will have some friends here to help me pluck the leaves.  It is time consuming, but once they are dried I send them to an organization that bags them, sells them as tea, and this money goes to charity.

Has anyone heard of, or had tulsi tea?  Tulsi has many medicinal properties...it is an incredible herb.  Read more about it here.  Hmmm, maybe I should do a tulsi tea giveaway!  I have some dried, am getting ready to ship it off.  I could save a bag for my blog friends.  Would anyone be interested? :)   

happy birthday annabel

Twelve.

This has been quite a year for you girl!  First year of middle school home school, acting lessons, learning to cook with mom, learning to compost (your favorite chore!), advancing in belts in Taekwondo, reading like crazy - especially Rick Riordan, getting your first computer, getting your braces off, starting your own blog, becoming a chess wiz, continuing as an artist, acting in a short video, singing solo in two concerts, taking up front yard basketball, making a demo reel, starting new collections (trading cards and gemstones), and making a best friend.

What a joy you are.  What a great sister you are to your siblings.  This one also wrote a post about you.  We love you so much.

corner view~evening sky

Does anyone see the fingernail moon?  I took that shot with my cell phone!  Where we are there are no shortage of gorgeous evening skies.  This series reminds me of a phrase from one of my daughter's songs, "God's painting in the sky."  Because how else could these be so beautiful?

Thanks to Wanderchow for this theme.  Next week's theme is my favorite actor, and speaking of this little songbird, it comes from Skylar.

we have a red belt in the house, look out

Annabel flies through the air to break a board.  We have this on video too.  I will post soon, once we get the proper cable to import it.  I have no idea how to do this, I rely on my kids.    

 One of the best benefits of martial arts, in my opinion.

Mr. Abe shows us how it's done.

Annabel tested for her red belt in Taekwondo a week ago.  She may be a tiny little thing, but she is fierce.  Sky was supposed to test too, but she sprained her ankle, so she helped me take photos.  Since the red belt is a high rank (two belts below the black belt), Annabel tested with the higher ranking belts, including some of her black belt instructors, like Mr. Abe above.  It was pretty exciting.  This was the same weekend as Swami was visiting, which I will share in photos soon.

who has time for blogging???

When I have three kiddos to take to town, a broken camera to fix (I just paid $150 to have it repaired, grrr), a birthday party to plan for next weekend, a complicated summer trip to plan, laundry to fold, a busy week to get ready for, and a car to bring in for repair my lovely husband just reminded me about!

Oy vay!

At least we have some cooler weather now.  I LOVE the clouds.
 
But it's all good.  Hope you are having a great weekend!

Signed, Mama duck

corner view~my favorite artist

"To be an artist is to believe in life." - Henry Moore

My favorite artist since my art school days is sculptor Henry Moore.  I hunted for a photo of me in front of one of his outdoor pieces, I think it was in Chicago,  but I can't find it to scan.  If I find it I will post about it later.

Those were the days, when going to an art museum was one of the most thrilling things I could do.

Just searching for these images above on the internet made me hungry to be an artist again.  What an honor to have your work displayed in public, for the masses to see and interact with.

In another life I was a metal sculptor.  Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had tried to make it as a starving artist.  :)

Someday I hope to make a difference with my art, my writing, something I create.  We shall see... Right now I am helping to sculpt my kids!  Well, as much as I can and should...

Next week the theme is "evening sky" and it comes from wanderchow.

chillin'

Hope you have a relaxing, happy weekend.  So far we are!

it's been a long week

With sprained ankles and an ER visit (all is well) I am behind on visiting your blogs.  But we are pretty much back to normal, still a hobbling girl...but she is coming to the homeless shelter with me tonight to cook and feed people.  It will be good for her to get out of the house.  We will get her a sitting down job.

By the way, the motivation behind this is an elderly man we know who recently moved to our town and he has devoted his life for the last twenty years to serving the poor.  He is getting a whole group of people motivated to do this.

Some of you have heard me talk a bit about our relationship with Swami and Amma.

Well Swami is visiting now and he is also coming to the shelter to cook with us.  He is a great cook, and a lot of fun, and also very peaceful and present.  Good example for me as I can get a bit scattered...I can't wait.

I am bringing Sky.  She'll sit with the elderly gent and pour the juice.

corner view~organic form

This took me back to my art school days.  I took this CV as an opportunity to give my girls an art lesson on form.  

Annabel and I walked around the neighborhood with our cameras, with fresh eyes, noticing organic form in many places.  Poor Sky is in bed with a sprained ankle.  But I explained the term to her and we researched it on the internet. 

Thanks Nadine for this idea.  Next week's theme is my favorite fine artist (painter, sculptor, etc.)

spring cleaning

Time for a new focus for me.  I have been working really hard at my new job with my family and their music since May.  I have done my work, I have put in a lot of time.  Now it's time for me to let those efforts simmer.  Meanwhile there's a house to clean!!!!!!

I am also beginning to help with a project with a group I am involved in -- once a month feeding the homeless in my community.  Last week we went to the shelter and also visited our community food bank.  I was shocked to find out that 10% of our population uses our local food bank!   The food bank is always in need of donations.  This Friday we are kicking off the feeding program.  We will be cooking for 50 - 100 people.  I am also helping implement a donation box at my kids' Taekwondo dojang.  The idea of helping our community is spreading quickly...that was effortless in fact.

The group I am part of is also planning a garage sale to raise money to feed the homeless.  It's a great excuse to clean house.  Boy does my place need decluttering!  I usually do a big overhaul once a year and last year I didn't.  I always have to wait until the weather is cool here because my house gets too hot otherwise.  So that only gives me about two months to pull off a full house cleanse.  Well, the time has come.  It feels so good! :)

I also want to thank my kids for being so patient when I was so busy working these past several months.  I can't imagine how moms work part or full time.  For me, it was so much to balance!

I guess that what we all to have do with our daily lives right?  Find balance of work, play, rest, rejuvenation, creative time, giving to others, etc.

Oh and this Sunday I am also helping to organize a retreat that I will get to be a part of.  Four hours of focusing on inner peace.  I can't wait!

corner view~winter

Winter

Ode to the days when the ground is bare
and brown
and covered with heaven's white.

The time is silent, still and long,
and darkness will come
before she can sing again.

Her lantern burns both day and night.
The hearth a dance of yellow and orange.
Outside her children run and play.
They do not fret for loss of light.
They do not mind the sleeping sun.
 
It is enough that their tiny hands
are warm inside the blue woolen mitts
that Grandma knit just last week.
It is enough that they can build a man of snow.
They are angels to her, like the ones they leave
on the meadow ground.

So rest your head, 
and restore your heart,
while the huddled beasts sleep
embraced in the night's sky.

Where, she pleads, is our light?
Remember and trust, its time will come.


- I wrote this today for a friend.  I haven't written a poem in a long time.  Thanks Gary, for the encouragement.

Welcome back everyone to corner view.  Happy 2011!  Next week's them is organic form and it comes from Nadine.   FYI organic form is an art term: organic form refers to three dimensional form that is irregular, using a combination of edges that are curved or angular, usually thought of as occurring in nature.  The opposite of geometric.  Think snow covered boulders to get you started...