Beautiful Teenager

I had an amazing afternoon with a former parishioner.  She has moved to our city because of her husband's job.  We were able to spend a couple hours catching up on people from my former community -- deaths, births, divorces, illnesses, events. 

When you spend seven-and-a-half years in one church, you develop a lot of close relationships.  When you arrive, children are toddlers.  When you leave, they're in elementary school.    The changes are pretty incredible and it's so exciting to be along for the ride.

As we were sitting in the kitchen, the oldest girl arrived home off the school bus.  She's in grade eight this year, moving up to high school next year.  Although I'd seen her briefly on Thanksgiving Sunday, today I was able to see a tall, gorgeous 14-year-old who is still shy, like she was when she was four, but whose blue eyes shine like her brunette hair. 

For sojourners like me, who float in and out of people's lives, I see glimpses of beauty in all kinds of people at many different stages of life.  Every stage is important.  Teenage-hood, however, is very special and should never be discounted as just "something we need to get through."  It's beauty speaks to all the bristling potential that is ready to arise and find it's voice.  And that's precious, oh so precious.

Advent Unfinished

For my art journal, I found an old crappy binder and transformed it.  I painted the binder, and then used spackle to cover up some problems and then stenciled advent on the front so that there is a 3D effect.  This is still unfinished.

 This is my opening page.  I have to make the writing a bit clearer. 

 When I think of advent I think of the cosmos, the "advent" of all creation.  I am trying to reflect that in these two pages.

 This is a good example of an unfinished page.  I put a layer of paint on the bottom and then wrote the word "wait" repeatedly.  I am going to add more layers.

These two pages are on watercolour paper and they are only the base layer of paint.  I wanted to show a lot of unfinished pages so that I can show you the progression. 

Advent Art Journal

How did I get from May to December without posting?  I'm as surprised as you BUT I'll tell you what's been happening.  My son was married on May 17.  He and his wife graduated on June 21.  They moved to Toronto on August 2, with help from my husband and I.  My twins sons moved out of our house on August 1, with our help.  On Sept. 4, we had a second celebration of Nathan and Melissa's wedding.  On Sept. 5, we had a 25th wedding anniversary, double 50th birthday party.  On Oct. 9, my niece was married in Ottawa, with all my family coming again.  On Nov. 13, my mother had an 80th birthday party.  And now...I'm looking forward to a family gathering on Dec. 31, to celebrate my mom and dad's 60th wedding anniversary.

Okay, enough personal stuff...you get the drift.

During advent, I've been working on an art journal.  It includes a lot of playing with colour, texture and shape.  It's really my first thoughts about what advent means.  When I'm closer to being finished, I'll post some photographs.  I love art journalling because it's about making art for myself. It's not for sale, and I'm not trying to please anyone.  In art journalling, I get to experiment with paint, stencilling, and all kinds of techniques.  If I make a mistake or I don't like it -- so what!  In how many aspects of our lives can we say the same? 

I'm really working on what I feel and think about advent.  I know on one level that I just love it.  It helps me to get ready for thinking about God-with-us.  What does that mean?  Yet, the whole idea of God's presence feels me with such peace, awe, wonder, excitement.  Moderns ask, "Is it really real?"  Post-moderns ask, "What is real?"  I think I'm caught somewhere between the two. 

I love the story of a baby being born in a manger -- outside the norm but a survivor...tough and determined parents.  With all the Christmas fripperies, we need to get ready for the deep meaning, to really have a moment of gratefulness and thankfulness.  That's what I seek and I know it's hard to have a genuine experience and not just a feeling of nostalgia for what was.

So I'd like to share my journal with you.  It will be coming soon.