Growing

I know a lot of you guys are familiar with the fairly-new-to-me practice of choosing one word to guide our new year rather than making a list of New Year's resolutions.  Last year, my word was "peace".  While I didn't achieve perfect peace, I did come to realize this, which I continue to practice:

"Grow" is my word for 2013.  This word holds meaning for several reasons.  The first is based on 2 Peter 3:18, "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and forever. Amen."  I want to spend this year studying God's word intentionally, making a place for it in my daily life, setting aside time specifically for that purpose and keeping it sacred.  Although the flu bug has already put me behind schedule, I'm using an amazing community of women called #shereadstruth to help guide my studies. They have a wonderful system of emailed devotions, guided Bible studies and social networking through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  It's really been great to meet several of these ladies already. I'm anxious to catch up and then spend every day with our Lord.  It kind of makes me cry just thinking about it.  Yea!!!!

Secondarily, this is the year that I plan to really start growing my business. LeissnerArt has been on a virtual hiatus during the 2012-2013 school year so that we can do senior parent things--last basketball season, graduation, help prepare for college, etc.  By June, that will be all done and my son will be starting his new life as a young adult.  What that will look like for LeissnerArt, I'm not sure yet.  But some changes have already been implemented.

I'm making new art.  Because of the flu, I didn't get to get these scanned and listed.  But I'll be working on that as soon as I can.  I'm anxious for you to see.

I upgraded my studio space.  Three plastic tables from Sam's have replaced my tiny desk and yard furniture.  Now my work surface is huge!  I have a designated painting/crafting space; an office space for blogging, record keeping and perhaps printing; and a surface for packing and shipping.  I'm so excited to have so much work space and so much organization!

Who wouldn't be inspired sitting right here?  :::pinches self:::

But wait!  There's more!!  Just kidding. That's all I got right now.  I'm planning to make to some business goals for the last six months of year.  I'm hopeful I'll have some things to share soon.  For the time being, just hanging out in my space and continuing to make art that makes me happy to make and happy to look at is success for me.  Having you guys here to share it is a huge bonus!

And now the giveaway!  To help me keep my word and my goals in mind every day for the year, I bought this beautiful bracelet from Brandy Klaers at Bound With the Word:

And to help one of you keep your word in mind, I bought one for you too!!  Your word doesn't have to be scripture. It can be just a word, a phrase, some other quote or saying that encompasses the message you want to speak to you this year.  You can have whatever you want on the bracelet if you win and you can choose any background you like.

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You can get entries for the random drawing in the following ways (Please make sure I can contact you.  I'll give you a shout out here and on my Facebook page, so if you aren't a liker there, please give it a click, too.  I've had some people miss out on giveaways they won because I couldn't reach them.) :

1.  If you leave a comment here on the blog telling me what your word for the year is, you get one entry.

2.  Share my blog post with your friends on Facebook and leave another comment saying you did that and you get another entry.

3.  Follow me on Instagram (LeissnerArt) and help keep me accountable to #shereadstruth.  Leave a comment here letting me know you followed and that'll also be an entry. :)

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That's it. Easy peasy.  I'll use a randomizer to select the winning comment on Saturday, January 12, and will announce the winner sometime that evening.  Oh! I can't wait to see what inspiring words you've chosen!  I really do love wearing my bracelet, I'm so happy to share Brandy's art with one of you.

Thank you, friends, for hanging with me on the blog.  You are blessings to me.

May the good Lord bless you this year with whatever your heart desires, in His name.

<3 Lori

Please continue the blog hop and read what my friends have chosen to guide their new year.  Click here to continue the hop.  Fly Tribe Blog Hop

Happy Flu Year

I don't think I've ever had a more inauspicious start to the new year than this one.  The morning of New Year's Eve, I started feeling not so good.  By Tuesday morning, I was flat on my back with aches and chills and fever and the whole Happy Flu Year bling bag. 

It's now Friday evening and, after hoarking down half a Sam's club sized bottle of Nyquil plus a whole box of Dayquil and using a box and a half of tissues, I think I might be coming out of it.  My advice after all that is this:

1.  Get a flu shot in October. (period) (end of sentence)(I'm not kidding)(do not pass go do not collect $200)

2.  Have a ready stock of super soft tissues and over the counter cold/flu medicine at all times but especially during flu season.  All tissues begin to feel like 40 grit sandpaper after enough blowing, so start as soft as possible.

3.  Don't visit the ER or any drug store/pharmacy during flu season.  There are germs there. Lots of them.

4.  Make sure when you pass out from flu symptoms (assuming you either didn't complete #1 or you didn't get the full benefit of #1), make sure there are people around you are are willing and able to take care of you.  The flu is no joke.  You'll need someone to bring you water to keep you hydrated and lip balm for your parched lips and to help you pour the Nyquil from those big heavy bottles.

Now that I'm feeling a little more sunny side up, I might actually be able to accept that it's 2013.  My friends from Flying Lessons are doing our 2nd Annual One Word Blog Hop in a few days. I'm having a coolio GIVEAWAY, so make sure you check back on Monday for details!

Until then, may the good Lord bless you with good health.  If you get not-so-good health, may He bless you with soft tissues, soft pj's, and soft pillows until good health returns.

<3 Lori

Sentimentally Ornamental

For the first time in many years, we managed this year to get our Christmas tree up during the Thanksgiving break.  Last year, I think I kind of boycotted Christmas.  Our tree is 9 ft tall and weighs at least 87654 pounds.  Wrestling its three sections downstairs by myself then trudging back upstairs to get the ornaments out of the oven-like attic, then decorating it myself isn't my idea of a good time When I asked the family to help, they were less than enthusiastic.  So, last year, we had a 3 ft tree that weighs about 3 pounds and comes in a box that fits under the guest bed.  It worked out just fine.  This year, everyone was more amenable to getting the big tree down and set up. (We've decided to ditch the ginormous tree when the trees go on sale.)

 Tree is bigger than it appears.

I actually do love decorating the tree.  I like an eclectic tree full of ornaments that have been collected from travels, family and friends.  Those partial to satinized matching balls and color coordinated ribbons would hate my tree.  I love seeing all kinds of colors, all kinds of shapes, mismatched and homemade and full of memories.

In this post, I'm going to share a few of my favorites.

My kiddos

The essential AOL CD ornaments

Love the Heartwood Creek by Jim Shore

My sister-in-law  makes beautiful ornaments for the family every year. This is one of my favorites.

From a fun trip to Lake Tahoe many years ago and a heart one of the kids made after 9/11.

Inherited from my husband's sweet grandfather, Baba.  We used to visit him every Sunday afternoon and eat snacks and play cards and laugh and laugh.  I miss that silly old man.

 One of my daughter's angel ornaments we've been collecting for her for years.

I got this adorable fellow from my friend Kathy May at Kathy May Designs.  She's in the midst of reworking her website.  Love Love Love her stuff.

I even made an ornament this year.

As I was walking through JC Penney today, I took a look at their ornaments and made a commitment in my head.  From now on, I'm going to make every effort to buy handmade ornaments as our family ornament and our travel ornament.  There are too many great artists and artisans hand making great ornaments to waste my money on any more Made in China things.  

Here are some of my arty friends who have some ornaments available for purchase. There are many, many others, as well.  Buy handmade this Christmas.

Flutter Before You on Etsy has these adorable little "Captured Fairies" ornaments. There are several to choose from:

Jill at Jill's Dream has some really cute little mini canvas ornaments in her shop.  I'm loving that little pink and turquoise bedecked snowman:

Melanie at Sunshine Girl Designs has so many cute ornaments.  She had mini canvases, as well as hand sculpted ornaments.  I love this one:

Please visit these shops or search in "handmade" for "ornaments" on Etsy.  Made by hand. Made in America.  Perfect!

My friend Kim at 3 Wishes Studio posted an awesome giveaway  on her facebook page on Monday.  She'll be your secret Santa for someone who you think could use a special treat this season.  All you do is leave a comment on that post or send her a message that you have someone in mind.  On December 14, she'll pick winners and contact them for the name and mailing address of their nominee.  She has great art.  Go like her page and let her know if you'd like her to spread some Christmas cheer secretly on your behalf.  Here's a sample of her beautiful fused glass:

Now that I've been wandering around the Christmas aisle at Etsy, I'm going to have to get our family ornaments, too!!  Yea!

May the good Lord bless you today with light weight trees, cooperative helpers and sweet memories to flood your Christmas season with love.

<3 Lori

PS: If you are an artist who has Christmas ornaments available for sale, feel free to add your links in the comments.  It'll go in the spam folder, but I'll check them and publish them as soon as possible.

I Was Wrong

When I was in high school, there was a certain mother who I thought was a little too involved in her kids' lives and a little too enthusiastic in her support of their activities.  She was at every single thing her kids ever did (including the 5 year high school reunion, which I still think was weird. I haven't been back, so I don't know if she was at the 10 or 20).  I never saw her dressed in anything except the school colors. She was a substitute teacher, so it's not like I only saw her at football games. She drove a Cadillac that was also in the school colors.  She was a self-imposed, if not self-proclaimed, matronly school mascot.  At the time, I thought it was too much.

Fast forward twenty-five years.  I've mentioned here before that I'm a basketball mom.  My two kids play other sports, too, and have other interests, but basketball is our family's favorite.  I played in high school.  I know the rules.  I can see where the ball is. It's indoors where you don't bake in the summer and freeze in the winter. What's not to like?

 I do love basketball and my two #23's.

 

A few years ago, I was inspired to buy these to show my support for my team and my self-proclaimed and self-imposed "super fan" status:

Last week, I got these to add to my collection:

The other day on the way to town, I saw a really cool looking two-toned Camaro.  I thought to myself, "That would be awesome in red and blue."  It was then that I knew that I have made the conversion to complete sports mom whackadoo.

At least these colors are nice, and I look good in red.  So, Mrs. Black and Gold Cadillac, I apologize. I was wrong.

Until next time, friends, may the good Lord give you teams to cheer and fans to cheer you.

<3 Lori

Don't Walk In Fear

Not long ago, mostly for grins, I went strolling around the internetland looking for boots.  I am neither a  cowhand nor a barrel racer, neither a pioneer woman nor a prairie flower, neither a cowgirl nor a two-stepper. The truth is that I don't even get out much, except to the porch, which I've talked about here ad nauseum, but here's another pic in case you forgot.

In spite of all the stuff I'm not, I have noticed a trend among the truly arty types of wearing crazy cute boots.  Melody Ross from Brave Girls' Club wears them.  Kelly Rae Roberts wears them.  I might need some, too, I thought.  So, I did a little search for boots. You should know that when you search for something on the internet, as soon as you find it and spend any time at all looking at it, it starts to follow you around every where you go saying, "Buy me! Don't you wanted to buy me?  It seemed like you might want to buy me."  

These are the boots that have been following me around the internet :::prepare to swoon:::

I love these boots.  They are the boots that the brave girl in me wears.  That girl who doesn't know that she's really not a girl anymore.  The one who doesn't care that she's probably too old to wear crazy cool boots.  The one who lets her hair go white and doesn't care what people think.   I've had them in the cart more than once, which I'm sure is why they are stalking me.  The bad news is that they are also crazy expensive.

I've worked pretty much all my life starting with babysitting when I was twelve, lawn mowing, cashiering at my parents' convenience store, working the counter at Dairy Queen, and all manner of other tasks as described in my very first post here on the blog.  I've also been pretty poor. When I was in college at Texas A&M in College Station (where it's really hot and humid), we didn't have any air conditioning because my sister and I couldn't afford to get it fixed after the fire ants ate the wiring. My big splurge on payday was a cheeseburger meal at McDonald's.  When we first got married, we started out broke.  It's been a long haul from there.  Because of all that, the worldly part of me says, "I deserve those boots!!!" 

I've been saving my Christmas money for something especially special and extravagant.

However, those crazy boots cost more than some people in the world (in Malawi and Liberia, for example) make in a WHOLE YEAR!  Earlier this week, I read this post on David and Kalina Raboin's blog, http://myraboins.blogspot.com/. The Raboins and their four little kids moved last summer far from their middle class home in Arkansas to Costa Rica to make a difference there and to plant a church.  Kalina's stories about bugs,Velveeta deprivation,  electric bills,  and little legs walking to church are riveting.  That particular post is about the extreme need she sees there every day from her new neighbors, how hard they work and how little they have.  I did a little research.  According to Worldbank.org, the average annual income in Costa Rica is $7,776.  She reminded me how blessed we are and how much is required of us. (Luke 12:48)

They are doing amazing things there.

Things like this!!

"What hindereth me to be baptized?"

I believe we all have a calling, a purpose on this Earth.  Some of us are called to far away lands to evangelize.  Some of us are called to adopt orphans. And some of us are called to live where we live, make a difference where we are when we can, and work in regular jobs to help support them.  So, I'm going to break my "especially special and extravagant" stash out of its not-very-secret hiding place and be fearless with it.  Not to get some fancy boots that I'll only wear a few times, but to put it to work doing some good. Please pray about how you might help.

Until next time, I thank the good Lord for my friends here, ask Him to bless the Raboins in their work, and ask you also not to walk in fear, but to be bold with your gifts, whatever they are and whereever they take you.

<3 Lori

P.S.  I'm really going to do art again soon. 

P.P.S.  I'm going to turn comments off on this post. I didn't write this for any kind of recognition or praise. I posted it because they have a need that I wanted to show I believe in enough to "put my money where my mouth is", as they say.  Please read their story.  Any tiny bit would be greatly appreciated.  To donate, use the paypal button on the right side of their page.

Walmart--A Poem and a Warning

I went to Walmart today after work.  I thought it was early enough that I wouldn't suffer the usual mine fields that accompany a trip to Walmart.  I was wrong.  Last time I was there, some crazy person with very bad parking skills and a very large truck parked so close to my door that I couldn't get in the driver's side.  I'm too old and too a-few-other-things to easily vault the center console in my SUV.  I was not very happy.  And for some reason, they have decided that 80 degrees is a comfortable temperature for the place.  I stand in the meat aisle as an intermission just to keep from hurting someone or bursting into flames in the last 30% of the store. 

So while I was getting the stuff the family can't live through the weekend without, I entertained myself by writing a poem.  

Dear Walmart

Oh Walmart, Walmart,

How I hate thee!!

You irritate, torment

And frustrate me.

Your people are mean.

Your parking stinks.

Customer service is bad.

That’s what everyone thinks.

Your “guests” are so snarly!

But it only seems fair,

Because nobody ever

Wants to go there.

By the time I get out,

I just want to cry.

I sit in my car, bang my head

And ask, “WHYYYYYYY!!!???”

No offense to nice hardworking

Folks you employ.

I’m sure their mean coworkers

Give them no joy.

I wish I could find

A new place to shop

That has as much stuff

In one single stop.

But I’m giving you warning

That until I do

I’ll go on despising

And rhyming ‘bout you.

Fix it! I mean it!

Straighten up your act!

Because one day we might not

Ever come back.

Somehow, at the end of the trip, I felt so much better than usual. Perhaps I'll write a poem every time I go there.

May the good Lord bless you today with great customer service, fresh produce, well-stocked pantries and peaceful shopping experiences

<3 Lori

Getting Real

I haven't mentioned this for awhile, so some of you might not know or might not remember that I have two teenagers at home.  A while back, I was sitting at a group lunch with my coworkers talking with my boss about kids these days.  She said that the most challenging ages were 13 for girls and 17 for boys.  "Yippee", I thought, "I have one of each." 

Standing, as I often am, on the brink of losing my mind, it's been a really, really, really (REALLY!!!) challenging year or so.  People don't tell you that.  If you believe everything you read on Facebook, you'd think the world (or at least this part of West Texas) is populated with perfect kids and their perfect parents. (Note to self: Unfriend all those people.)

Being checked out by the dolphins in Hawaii this summer.

 

Today's poetic post is for all the imperfect parents and their equally imperfect progeny.

 

Teenagers



Teenager, teenager,

Smart as a whip

You can’t wait ‘til it’s time

For you to jump ship.

 

To take hold of your destiny;

Make your own way;

Be your own person;

Seize your own day.

But take it from me

Being grown up is hard.

It’s more than a valid

State ID card.

 

Along with your freedom

You pay bills and get bosses.

You get to pay taxes

And count stock market losses.

One day, you may have

a teenager, too.

And there’ll be no one dumber

Or more backward than you.

 

Then maybe you’ll come over

And give me a hug.

And tell me you’re grateful.

And I’ll try not to be smug.

 

For I once was also

A smarty pants teen

Who thought that my parents

Were nothing but mean.

Now I will stop,

So I don’t start to bug.

I need to go give

Your grandma a hug.

 

May the good Lord bless us today with infinite patience and infinite peace and may we share those things with all the people in our lives.

 

<3  Lori