A gentle touch. A warm embrace. A reassuring squeeze. Our hands can express love on so many levels. Words are not necessarily needed when you have a hand to hold or a cheek to caress. Hug your spouse. Pet your dog. Shake your neighbor’s hand. Reach out and show some love today!
“Love”–Graphite and Colored Pencil
I was a Brownie and Girl Scout in the 1960s and 70s. I have fond memories of the troop meetings, the crafts, earning badges, and going camping. While I could remember the Girl Scout finger sign, I couldn’t recall the Girl Scout Law. After a search on Google, I found it had been revised from my days in scouting, but the basic idea remains the same:
I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
If everyone lived by these simple, sound, strong words, the world would be a much happier place.
“The Girl Scout Law”–Watercolor and Ink Pen
My life runs according to lists. There are lists on my calendar, lists on my note pad, and lists on post-its all over the house. If I write it down, I will do it—eventually. If a task has to rely on my memory for completion, chances are good that it simply won’t happen. For months now, I’ve been thinking that I should volunteer at the assisted living facility in my community. My plan is to offer a watercolor pencil workshop so I can teach the residents to use art as a vehicle to find peace and passion. I knew I would need to stop by the facility, fill out an application, and talk with the Activities Director. I didn’t put that visit on a list, so I never went. Yesterday, I went back to my dusty mental filing cabinet and transferred that thought to a post-it. The next thing I knew, I was in my car and on my way. I picked up an application, and today, the number one task on my list is to return that application. This teacher is ready to get back in the classroom. I’ve written it down, so I’m bound to make it happen.
“Apples for the Teacher”–Colored Pencil
While fetch is a popular game with most dogs, only one of my Bostons likes to play. The other two lounge lazily on the deck chairs while I throw the tennis ball for Lucy. She’ll play until her pads bleed if I let her. It is her passion. When my husband is home, she will take turns dropping the ball at his feet, then mine, as if she’s trying to include both of us in her favorite game. I guess we raised her right.
“Fetch”–Graphite and Watercolor
I am incredibly envious of my dogs’ masterful ability to sleep. They sleep the majority of the day, drifting in and out of slumber. They can sleep through just about anything, other than the sound of the treat jar opening. And when they do wake, it takes mere seconds for them to slip back into a dream. I, on the other hand, wake at the slightest sound—my husband’s breathing, the house settling, the air conditioner kicking on—and it takes a miracle for me to resume my sleep. I toss and turn, think, over-think, worry, and catastrophize. I’ve tried OTC sleep aids, natural sleep aids, and odd Southern remedies, but nothing really works. I usually spend the next day in a sleep-deprived fog. Actually, I think I might be in one now. Maybe it’s time for a well-earned nap.
“Sleep”–Graphite and Colored Pencil–From my Sketchbook
As a female, I can completely identify with sugar, spice, and everything nice. I have never been a ‘sporty’ girl. I was the kid who was always chosen last for a team in PE class. In all fairness, I was never actually ‘chosen’– it was more like I was put there by default. I was a timid child who would rather hide from the ball than try to catch it or hit it. I didn’t like playing sports, discussing sports, or watching sports. In high school, I was a member of the marching band, and that required attendance at all of our football games. When I was in college, my well-meaning friends and roommates literally dragged me to every single home game. I would have been quite content to sit in my apartment and read a book, but they insisted I sit in a crowded stadium watching a game I didn’t like and didn’t understand. That being said, I do find myself rooting for my alma mater, the Florida State Seminoles, during football season. And while I have absolutely no interest in going to a game or watching one on TV, I can’t help but smile and even cheer a little when I open the morning paper to find that Florida State has won a game. Maybe there’s a little ‘sporty’ in me after all. Go Noles!
“We’re Number One!”–Watercolor, Ink Pen, and OPI Nail Lacquer
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