An elder sister of mine does a creative post for the Shade Clothing blog once a month (I think it's once a month?).  She's a very creative mind and is always coming up with different projects.  She once made me a bench for Christmas when I was in third or fourth grade.  That's how far back it goes.

So here's her February post for the Shade blog - I love it!  I think it's such a neat idea.  And I think all of you will love it too...just in time for Valentines Day!


The hand model *cough cough, wink wink* isn't too bad either...lol. 

p.s. - I'm getting ready to post the answers to the previous post - did anybody even do those exercises?

 

Visual Media Exercises

Okay folks - before you read one line further - get out a pen or two and four sheets of blank paper.

Yep.

Really - go get them.  I was pretty serious (said like Kip from ND).  Then come back.

.....

Okay.  Now we can continue.

Paper # 1.  Close your eyes and fantasize about a chasm.  Design a way of crossing that chasm, imagining that you have every means known (or unknown as yet) at your disposal.  Then open your eyes and draw your solution.

Paper # 2.  Fold a large piece of paper into quarters.  Silently draw in the first quarter a symbolic representation of "Where do I come from?"  After a few moments, draw a symbolic representation on the second quarter, "Where do I want to go?"  Next, draw a representation of "What is in my way?"  Finally draw one of "How am I going to overcome my obstacles?"
Look inside yourself and be very honest with each of these questions.  The results are always best when one is honest with oneself.

Paper #3.  Take a fantasy trip with closed eyes.  Walking along a country road with a fishing pole over your shoulder, you come upon a stream.  Cast the line into the water and, after a few moments, reel in what you have caught in your fantasy.  With your eyes open draw what you have caught.  Now write a story about the object at the end of the line (it doesn't have to be long).

Paper #4.  Create two animals on one piece of paper.  They don't have to look like anything you have ever seen.  Take about 10 minutes to do the drawing.  Describe the animals you have drawn.  Write down three adjectives that describe them.  Note the animals' expression.  Can you make up something that the animals might want to say to each other?  Can you write a free verse or fantasy about what the animals say or do?

Okay - now that you have filled all four sheet with the appropriate task - save these.  I will address each of these papers in my next blog so you can see why I asked you to do these exercises.  I did them myself and was pretty intrigued, which is why I am sharing them with you now.  SO - if you were too lazy or just didn't care to do the exercises, now is the time to go get your pen and four sheets of paper!



*For copyright purposes, etc - these exercises were outline by Eric Maisel, PhD

My FaVoRiTe THiNG iN THe WoRLD

My very favorite thing in the whole world is to meet and be with people.  I love it even more than gardens, even more than design, even more than the purple hippopotamus I'm going to have one day.

I love it even more than water basketball.

I met a new friend a few days ago.  She's a lawyer that lives downtown and served a mission in Kyoto, Japan for the LDS church.  We're getting together at her place next week after she gets back from DC.  We're having sushi and I get to meet her roommate - I have a feeling these two are going to be some great friends.  I think we'll all go to China together - or Europe.  Yeah - either one.

Just tonight I stopped by my old place to pick up a tax document.  Morgan, who is from South Korea, is living there now.  She's learning how to make violins.  Next Thursday we're going to meet up downtown for lunch. It's great!

Last week I also became better acquainted with Marie - a very cool lady indeed.  We're going to play a practical joke on a fellow friend this week.  It's gonna be hilarious.  It's going to create some good memories.

I just met a guy with the last name Moses.  How cool is that.  He laughs easily - those types of people are always good to have around as friends, especially when their humor is genuine.

I continue to have a growing relationship with my dear friend Gloria.  And even though we are 51 years apart - we have too much fun sitting in her front room chatting for hours, raking leaves together to fill 21+ bags full, going out to a long lunch, chatting in the driveway, laughing and gabbing for hours on the phone - and just smiling together.  I give her fresh flowers every time I pay rent and she gave me a book for my birthday which I will always treasure.

Memories are made by spending time together.  NOTHING replaces face to face time.  Nothing does - and nothing ever will.  It's when you do the normal everyday things together that you really get to know a person.  There is no replacement.  No phone call, no email, no text will ever replace being in someones presence.  The others are great yes, and I enjoy all methods of communication.  But there's something unique about face time because it's human time.  The human connection.   
Going to buy groceries - going driving just to listen to some tunes together, looking for a shirt or some cool tights, a walk in the park - checking out some event that even though it turned out lame, was still fun because you were with someone and a memory was created and a moment was experienced.  I would love it if someone called me and said "Hey, I'm going to wash my car - wanna come?"  Um... yes! 
That's when inside jokes are created, that's when you get to act like a goof and it's okay.  That's when people may have a chance to see your real, sincere - "this is really me" side.  The side of imperfections and mess-ups are what make people real and that's when I feel like I can really connect with someone - and when I let someone see all the dumb and silly things I do, then I feel more real around them.  And when they're still your friend even after getting to know you - that's a friend you keep and trust.  It can take some time, but it's time that's worth it.  So here's to face time.  May we all get a little more of it and value it when we do.

Three Cheers for January

January hasn't been such a horrible month.  Actually I have for the most part enjoyed it very much.  Which makes me think that February is not going to be so bad either!  Especially considering a southern desert getaway (you better watch your back Tre!) and a distant Vancouver to keep me entertained.  It's not that these months are supposed to be unfriendly - they're not.  It's just that sometimes I get a little stuck in these slow times and when there's no one to dig you out (and I'm finding that only you can really dig you out) - it does get a bit numbing and droney-like.  :I

I used to go to the gym 6 days a week - weights and running were a constant.  My day wasn't complete until I hit the building full of machines and motivated people.  Then I got really busy and my schedule was wacked, after that I forgot, then I think I got lazy - and then I became *gasp* ....unmotivated.

It's true.  And while my ideals stayed very motivated (as most of ours do, ahem), my body hasn't really been interested in what my ideals where saying.

So - to shake the numbness from me bones-me bones, my body has finally aligned with my ideals! (blessed stars above)

It's nice to be apart of the real-time, instead of ideal-time, motivated crowd again. 

And I am still fairly neat.

Three cheers for January.

I should start taking my old photos and scanning them to a digital format.

Me on the swing in Mantua.

 

Stephanie, Bethany, and Me - hanging out in the ditch in Mantua.

It's a start!