Girls Day

Im not sure if Ive mentioned it on here but I have a 21 almost 22 year old daughter. She and I have alot in common.( She is alot like her father tho'.) She is in college and working, running her own household. They only live about 3 mi down the road and I love that. Fridays were delegated as "our day" quite awhile ago and she and I both look forward to them. I find myself counting the days until Friday often in life, not for the same reasons as everyone else tho'. I know that no matter what I will see "my girl" on Friday. Sometimes we go out and find something to do and other times we just watch a movie, a show we missed during the week or we will pull out a craft, a sewing project or something weve been knitting on and just knit together. Lately she has been Tutoring my son for an hour and then we are free with the rest of the day.

I mentioned that I will be teaching Art in the Juvenile detention boys camp next week. I ended up spending money on art supplies to make sure everything was "just so". SO the money I was going to use to purchase some books with ideas and techniques was spent on Sumi-e painting supplies. It freaks me out a bit because I have painted this way and learned the brush strokes but to TEACH them to teenage boys..... I just want to have it down pat. "A" got the idea for us to look it up at the University Library. We found some great books on their website and drove over to check them out. We got there and the most important book was nowhere to be found. They will put out a search. But it wont help me. I looked around at Hobby Lobby but theirs was out of my budget since Ive already spent so much on other stuff. Very Frustrating. I will spend time looking on the internet, hoping to find what I need out there on the World Wide Web.......

We grabbed a bite to eat and enjoyed the out and about time together. I was able to check out books that were totally unrelated. I inhaled one that I had seen on the Art bookshelves a long time ago and wanted. "Watercolor. A New Beginning. A holistic approach to painting"by Ann K. Lindsay. I hope that I can set down with this book and actually work through step by step- one little baby step at a time until I work past some serious issues I have had with my creativity and artistic abilities. I know what they are and if I couldve let go last night I wouldve sobbed at some of the words I read. There are other people that deal with this too?! I will have to MAKE myself get those expensive sheets of watercolor paper out and tear them into smaller sheets like she tells us to. (Pg 16 she even said, "Yes. use the expensive stuff. Forget what your art teacher and (fill in the blank) told you about Wasting things. Using the expensive stuff is not wasting the supplies! Unconsciously we heard " Dont use materials unless you can produce something 'worthwhile' (read good) with them- and good the first time! Heaven forbid dont use it up!" SO much for creative exploration! What we need to hear is, "use up your materials!" It's okay, This is about respecting and appreciating your materials, not wasting them. ) Just killed me! I need to remember this when I am working with the boys next week! Have a good time! This is to enjoy and have fun! So many people in my life have been so upset because I want to start over again with little ones. "I thought once your children were grown you could use your time to paint and get into your art again." I will not tell you what was in my head. Being an artist is something I run from. Really put the running shoes on and take off..... see that dust up ahead!!!
This shall be interesting. ;)



I am excited because a homeschool friend from Way back when has scheduled with someone she knows for us to tour a special school in Pensacola for students that need extra help. "A" is going to school to be a special ed / elementary ed teacher. This will be right up her alley. She has been put in a pretty difficult classroom for her practicum. (student teaching) The students have severe setbacks in their lives and there are many dynamics that are making education nearly impossible. The teachers are very burned out and many of these dynamics are out of their control. I wish I could discuss them but I cant. Let just say that with us in the position we are in, adopting a little one with different abilities, it breaks my heart. Next Friday "A" and I get to go have a different kind of day out and I cant wait! (yes I get to go too!)



Last Friday we got to go play in the snow. The men people joined us but that was okay! There was no way we wouldve even had a quarter of the fun without them with us! Im getting the pics posted. They are great. My 16 year old said ," Man I love my family." on the way home. "A"replied, "Yeah Me too." Honey to my heart......


I will give to a little adoption tidbit. The orphanage director was in town and met with "P" and I and actually asked the social worker to write a letter with Gs medicals attached asking them to grandfather our case into her agencies old accreditation. So we are still praying for a miracle. The council usually meets the last Thur of the month. I know she asked for those papers to be hand delivered to the three agencies that oversee the adoption process in Ecuador. Maybe.... just maybe.