Politics, Religion and Art

Did I scare you away with that that title?  Here's the art:

Here's the religion:
When I picked "horizon" as my word of the year, I made a list of a variety of different horizons I wanted to explore this year, and one of them was my religion/faith. I've enjoyed using art journaling to help me in this exploration, and I realize that I am a faith-filled person who believes deeply in many aspects of my Catholic faith, but I have a lot of trouble with many of the actions of the Church as an institution.  I haven't resolved what, if anything to do about that, but it is an important insight for me.

Here's the politics:
This week, a federal court in California found that California's Proposition 8 which banned same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.  It was a wondrous and surprising opinion, especially because it was written by a conservative judge who had brought several prominent law suits against gay rights groups before he was appointed to the bench.  When faced with the evidence, he just had to conclude that such a ban discriminated against gay men and lesbian women in a way that violated the U.S. Constitution because there was no justification for it other than prejudice and hate. I was shocked and really pleased with the decision.  I've run this photograph on my blog before but I just couldn't resist running it again - in celebration of the decision.  On the other hand, I was saddened and not surprised that my Church, a big proponent of Proposition 8, will be fighting the decision.  Sigh.  I just don't get it.
Okay, off my soapbox now.  Tomorrow, back to pretty pictures! And, there will even be the start of a week-long contest with a fun prize or two!

Remember to Pamper Yourself (art journal page)

I got a facial and a pedicure the other day, and it made me feel like a million bucks!  When was the last time your pampered yourself? Go ahead; I'm sure you deserve it.

Let the Sun Shine In!

I am not ready for summer to be over yet!!! Are you? In hopes of prolonging that summer time feeling, I made this card in response to the Gingersnap Creations "sunshine" prompt. It uses a tinted vintage fragment I made earlier this week.  That's my mom on the left, with some of her girlfriends from nursing school, sometime in the 1940's in Galveston, Texas.  
On to the waning of summer, we have about three weeks left before the kids go back to school.  This week is the last week for Jr. Lifeguards for Clara and work for Henry.  Next week, we'll spend a few days at Lake Tahoe and then there's a week to get ready for back-to-school.  Sigh.  I don't want it to end. . . 
Things I'll remember from this summer:
*World Cup Fever
*Henry's All Star baseball team making an unexpected run at the state championship
*Clara going to Jr. Guards, in charge this year of packing her own lunch and supplies and even occasionally riding her bike
*Having my brother and his family visit, making the 4th of July more fun and festive
*Clara visiting my family for two weeks - learning to sew, do laundry and cook with my sister; visiting Six Flags and the beach and shopping at several different malls with my brother's family
*Teaching twice a week for seven weeks - hard, but hopefully worth it in the long run
*Henry going to his first "job" and learning to drive
Things still to do:
*Have a relaxing vacation at Lake Tahoe
*Make appointments for the doctor and dentist for the kids
*Finish summer reading
*Get new carpets, redo Clara's room and work on fixing up the backyard (hmmm. . . not sure there's any hope on getting this one done before school starts! LOL!)
How will you remember this summer? And what's still left to do?

What's your favorite creative holiday?

My favorite creative holiday is definitely Halloween, especially if you toss Dias de los Muertos in with it.  I love making cards and other decorations for these holidays.  So, when I was looking at the current Stampotique challenge (which has a very nice sketch) and perusing my Stampotique stamps, I decided to make my first Halloween card for the year! The orange is inked grungepaper and the bat is inked grungeboard covered with rock candy. Do you have a favorite holiday to create for?


I also wanted to get some input on a class I'm considering for October called "Stump Maria - Halloween Edition."  Prior to class, I would ask students to suggest art supplies that they purchased but didn't know what to do with, and I would come up with Halloween themed pieces of artwork incorporating these supplies.  Anyone who comes up with a suggestion that I end up using will get a $5.00 discount on the class.  Anyone who comes up with a supply suggestion that I can't figure out how to use (i.e. who "stumps" me) will be able to take the class for free.  Does this sound like a fun class that you would want to take?  Any suggestions for refinements?

An inky grungey bookmark for some good reads

This week's Compendium of Curiosities Challenge at Studio L3 features inked grunge.  I used several shades of yellow and orange ink for the background and then added some red, so I could submit it for the Gingersnap Creations "red, orange and yellow" color challenge this month.  The bookmark is made with grunge paper, so it's very flexible, but also sturdy.
The bookmark will go into my current book - The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson, the second book in the Millennium Trilogy.  Have you read any of the Larsson books?  I found The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo pretty disturbing, but I decided to continue with the books because everybody says they keep getting better.  I also watched the "Dragon Tattoo" movie over the weekend, so I'm ready to get started on "Played with Fire."
How's your summer reading going? 
I just finished "Heart in the Right Place," a memoir by Carolyn Jourdon, about a rural country medical practice in Eastern Tennessee.  It was well written and very pleasant.  It was the first book I read on my ipad!  Do you have an ipad or kindle?  If so, what do you think of it?  I found it pretty easy to use and will definitely purchase more books on it.  I don't think I'll give up regular books though, otherwise I'll have no need for bookmarks.
Earlier this summer, I read Breath by Tim Winton, a fast and interesting read, especially if you like surfing.  The ending was a bit rushed and a little weird, but I'd still recommend it. I've started and put down (for now) Empire Falls and The Other Boleyn Girl.  My "to be read" pile now only includes "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Page.  Finally, I feel like I'm reading "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The House on Mango Street" and "The Kite Runner" because DS Henry is reading them for his Advanced English class, and I help supervise his summer assignments.  I'd love to hear what others are reading!

Tinted Vision Fragments

After a week long road trip - first to Sacramento for baseball and then a quick business trip to Detroit, I'm looking forward to getting back to some artwork! First stop, Studio L3's Weekly Compendium of Curiosities Challenge featuring tinted vision fragments.  These were easy and so much fun.  I wanted to make a few little thank-you gifts for my family and decided these simple charms made with family heritage pictures would do the trick.  I also have plans to turn the large oval one into a card, which you'll no doubt see later this week.
As always, thanks for the challenge Linda!

There is no joy in Mudville (well, maybe just a little)

Well, the ride is over for my son's Little League team.  They lost tonight and were eliminated from the state tournament.  It was sad, but they left with their heads held high as the third best team  in Northern California.  As we drove home, my son said, "I guess that's the end of Little League for me."  He's been playing since he was five, and I hadn't thought of this moment as the end of Little League.  It was such a bittersweet thing to stay, and it caught me off-guard.  We agreed this was a great way to end his career - third in the state and having gone farther than any other team in Half Moon Bay Little League history.  As we drove through the darkness, we reminisced about some of his favorite little league teams over the last ten years and counted up his accomplishments (two league championships; two All Star District Championships; one All Star Section Championship).  We remembered some of the great trips we've taken together and the time he hit a game winning RBI and was carried off the field when he was seven or eight.  After five days on the road and four baseball games, I think my favorite memory will be this - the two of us in the car, hurtling down Highway 80 on the way home, talking about this important chapter in his life. And hearing the happiness in his voice.  Happy because his life has included all these moments. And knowing that I helped make that happen.  And I felt joy, rather that sadness, because I thought, "This is my kid, and I love him so much."  Isn't that what being a parent is all about?