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...

we finally made it to the forest!

 

It's important for me to remember what happens for me when I go to the forest.  In some unexplainable way, I am home.

happy new year!

This New Year's Eve we had our first annual block party in our neighborhood.  It was in the circle in front our our house.  They set up tables and chairs, and everyone brought a dish to share.  Skylar made a tape of Beatles songs that we put on replay.  It was the perfect New Year's party to share with the kids.  No driving, low key, but very fun.  There were hats, noisemakers, AND, by far, the hit...fireworks!  We managed to light off many until a security guard made us stop, but we had fun while it lasted.  Our kids were the only youngsters, but luckily, our (mostly senior) neighbors love them.  We got to meet some neighbors we hadn't met before.  Next year we all decided we will Christmas carol together.