left overs

We had a lots of folks bring us dinner, baby gifts and flowers after we had Max. I love how babies bring out the loving, generous spirit in friends.

As my Mum usually is here to help us when I have a baby I have always said I don't need meals brought. But this time I didn't say no and am oh so glad I didn't. It was so good to not have to think about what was for dinner, good to not cook, and best of all good to eat something different. We were brought the loveliest of meals, and each one fed us for 2 days and some lunches! Thank you to my friends.

It has been lovely too having flowers about the house. I rarely get flowers for our house, but as Max's flowers are dying and we have been combining the healthy ones into one vase, I am missing the blooms in the kitchen, on the dining table, by my computer.

But there is nothing as lovely as a dying flower.

Makes me think of the movie Great Expectations.

Emily Dickenson - I am alive - I guess

I am alive - I guess

I am alive -- I guess --
The Branches on my Hand
Are full of Morning Glory --
And at my finger's end --

The Carmine -- tingles warm --
And if I hold a Glass
Across my Mouth -- it blurs it --
Physician's -- proof of Breath --

I am alive -- because
I am not in a Room --
The Parlor -- Commonly -- it is --
So Visitors may come --

And lean -- and view it sidewise --
And add "How cold -- it grew" --
And "Was it conscious -- when it stepped
In Immortality?"

I am alive -- because
I do not own a House --
Entitled to myself -- precise --
And fitting no one else --

And marked my Girlhood's name --
So Visitors may know
Which Door is mine -- and not mistake --
And try another Key --

How good -- to be alive!
How infinite -- to be
Alive -- two-fold -- The Birth I had --
And this -- besides, in -- Thee!

By Emily Dickenson



It is so good to be alive. Today as the weather in Texas finally feels like it should, cool and sunny, just in time for Thanksgiving next week. I am typing (one handed) with a sweet warm person, blanket wrapped, in my lap. It is good to be alive.

I am looking for poems that are all about birth and motherhood. I am telling you, they are hard to find. If anyone knows of any, please send me a link. Or if you have written one yourself, would you share? I want to read poetic visions of this most beautiful state of being.

Here is one I wrote for Max:


November Baby

bundled against this new cold
more a reminder of the place from which he came
wrapped these past months
an early gift

he breathes without me now
he thinks behind that rapid eye movement
his body a portal for a life untold
footfalls to be filmed
pre-whispers written

here I am again in love with the
necessary curling of limbs
the soft skull
it’s delicate hollow unfilled,
unfocused eyes,
mind not yet made up
on whether he likes the cold
his mother’s cradle, brown blankets
blue soother, bassinet, bouncy seat

the stroller waiting outside
to take him to new places
to the gate at the end of the drive.

Echo - Week 3 - Abundance

Collaboration is one of my favorite things. I need to have deadlines and accountability to pull myself out of the busyness of every day life and create. Shannon and I have been working together on various art projects pretty much since I met her 3 years ago. It is lovely to have that regular art friend contact to talk to and be encouraged and inspired by.

This 'Echo' collaboration was authored by Susan Tuttle and Chrysti Hydeck.

Shannon and I both come up with some images for the theme. I send her some which she pairs with her photos. She in turn sends me some images and I pair them with my own. So we each have an interpretation on the theme to post on our blogs. Here is Shannon's 'abundance' collaboration.

Over Christmas Shannon and I will be working on a couple of photo book collaborations that we will be sharing with the world in 2010, all on the theme of motherhood and art. I may be a little early in announcing that, but having the fire of accountability is like being plugged into an electric socket! We will get it done. We will :)

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I have an article featured over on Scrapbooking.com, on the theme of getting some creative stuff done over the busy holiday season! Go check it out.

Lily and I love watching the editor Jami's fun craft how to videos. Go to scrapbooking.com and scroll down to the 'Product Demo' section. There are usually 2 a month, we like to curl up on the sofa and watch them on my laptop. We always feel inspired to make something after that!

Back to making

Firstly, I wanted to say 'Welcome' to the new folks who signed up to follow this blog.

Remember, if you sign up (see the follow this blog tab on the right) you will be automatically signed up for my Dec-March weekly blog giveaway. I am cleaning house and giving away things I have made in appreciation to those who are with me on this artful journey. Check out my post about it to learn a little more!

Secondly, I have added comments to my blog as I have had a number of queries about how to comment. I appreciate you wanting to say hello. I usually get comments at Facebook as my blog post automatically appear on FB as a note, but not everyone is on FB, so please feel free to leave me a note here! I love to hear positive things :)

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I took a card making workshop at my friend Nicole's house this morning. Nicole, a Stampin' Up consultant has everything laid out and cut ready to put together. Sometime is it nice to do something with your hands as you chat to friends and glue without thinking too much. Oh, and eat yummy food. Nicole had a lovely lunch prepared for us. Being a nursing mom I was first to dig in to quiche, muffins and fresh fruit. An unexpected delight. Thanks Nicole!


Now I have some handmade Christmas cards ready to go, in a year I had not planned to send cards!

And of course Max was there with me. He was perfectly well behaved. He was awake and then asleep and then awake. It slowed me down, but I was happy to be out on our first trip together, so no worries.



I have been working on my own card creations this week too. I have some stamps by Jenny Doh. They are adorable. Here are some of the cards I have made to send off to Stampington in my capacity as an Artist On Call. I have a few more in the works too.

The beginning of a relationship

Laura holding her brother.

Oh the sweetness of new.

I need to enjoy this while it is happening.

Children and the opera

My husband is taking the kids to the Opera on Friday night. Lohengrin. It is a tale of love and envy and sorrow. We have the book, we have the DVD, now they get to see the real life production. My kids love to watch opera, why? 1) because their daddy loves it, shares it with them and is enthusiastic about it 2) because we have children's story books with the opera stories, so they are familiar with the stories and 3) because it is loud and large and has great costumes.

We follow a similar pattern for all kinds of subjects - providing the opportunities for as much as we can while enthusiastically supporting all their interests. As a result my kids interest are wide, they don't know it is uncool to be interested both in sports and art, to be a jock and an indie.

They love poetry, art, reading, travel, juggling, time with family, church, their friends, music, gymnastics, karate, drawing, running wild in the forest, swimming, biking, going to the theater, singing, building houses on the porch, math, science, crafts, movies.... Of course, each of my children are drawn to slightly different things, Matthew to juggling more so than Lily; Lily to drawing more so than Laura; Laura to the opera and jazz music more so than Annie; Annie to storytelling more so than Matthew and so on. We recognize that and nudge them gently in the direction that seems to resonate with them most.

Like most parents I know today we spend hours talking about the kids, their personalities, interests, future. We are completely invested in who they are and are becoming.

I so wish I could go back in time and be like my kids. I remember being so bored as a child, with little interest in anything. My parents believed the schools would teach me about life and somehow magically I would find my path.

Eventually I did, I am here, a mother who does collage art and some photography and writing, but how I wish I could have found this path earlier. I am determined to be the adult version of my kids, I continually search for enthusiastic models for my life experience. I have written my book, hoping that it will be a model for someone, a young mother who wants to find the time to do art. If I can help one person find the path for them then all this work will be worth it.

In preparation for the Opera, Lily made her own illustrative book of Lohengrin. I used my new 'Bind It All' machine to bind her book.

Little feet

On holding my fifth baby

Zutter 'Bind it all' (and new baby shots too)

Recently I sent some loose journal pages to Stampington & Co. and they bound them together with this machine - Bind it all by Zutter to make a finished journal. The journal is featured in the Autumn 2009 copy of Somerset Memories.



I was so enamored with this tool that I bought one myself. My mind boggles with the possibilities - binding photos, my kids stories and art, gifts of journals, storybooks I write for my kids.

I made one book before I had Max, I got round to binding it yesterday. I was amazed at how easy it is to use. I just followed the directions of this Stampington Video:



Here is how my book turned out:




I used the Bind it all Machine, the 6x6 canvas board covers and the Antique Brass O-wires 3/4 inch set. You can get all these supplies at Stampington & Co.

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I can't help it, my camera eye is itching. Max is so sweet and my kids are so in love with their brother. He is constantly pawed and held and loved. I can't help but try to capture these moments.

Cherishing these days

I had forgotten how small, how helpless newborns are.

How much they sleep and nurse.

How much sleep I need.

How mother and child fit together so perfectly.

Max has brought all this back to me.

He has brought me back to a time of immobility in a busy world.

I know this time of tiny is so fleeting, so precious. I am soaking it up, thinking about who he will be and how complete and perfect life is right now.

Oh how good God is and His creation! *Sigh*

At the hospital

It is all worth it.

Into the world

11/02/09 5:09pm
8.5 lbs, 20 1/4 long

We'll call him Max.

Echo - Week 2 - Decorate #2

Theme: Decorate

Collaborator
Shannon Mucha

Collaboration #1

Theme Authors:
Susan Tuttle
Chrysti Hydeck

Play today

So I have made it this far, Max's actual due date! I feel great, like someone has given me a shot of adrenalin. Good thing as we are having a Reformation Festival at our house today. It is the 4th year it has run and a highlight of our year. As I type folks are setting up activity and craft booths, and an art show which runs all day and features the art of both kids and adults from our small, but artsy church. Later in the day will be a music concert by the pond featuring the original music of some of our songwriters. Most everyone wears Medieval costumes and eats lots of sausage on a stick and candy.

The sun is shining, my kids are excited, I have on my costume, I am going out to play.

Some images from last years festival (note, the third photo down is my friend Trudy from Sewing with Trudy)

Echo - Week 2 - Decorate #1

New collaboration theme 'Decorate'. This is Shannon Mucha and my first version. More to come!

Here are this project's originator's collaborations: Susan Tuttle & Chrysti Hydeck.

A mother's love

A few week ago I was doing everything - keeping house, homeschooling, listening to the girls constant chatter, going to the grocery store, the library, gymnastics, keeping up with my art and blog. I was beginning to get very tired.

Then Mum arrived. Sigh. She just fits in to our family so seemlessly. The kids adore her. She knows them so well. She has patience with them, but doesn't take any misbehavior. She makes sure they are washed, dressed, hairs brushed and ready for the day. She spends time with each of my kids. Every morning she goes walking or cycling with Lily, every evening she watches juggling videos with Matthew and every night she shares a bed with Laura who hates to be alone and is so much happier to be in the big red bedroom with her beloved granny.

And then there is Annie - Annie is a chatter box. I was having a hard time schooling the others with her constant (very cute, but distracting) talking. She wanted to do school too but being 3 1/2 she needs my one on one attention. I simply was not able to give it to her. Well, if having my mother here couldn't get any better, it did - she is schooling Annie for me. They take her pre-school books to the dining table (far away from us) every morning and afternoon. Annie is beside herself, and being such a good student. She is learning tons from the one-on-one attention. So she will be that much further on when Mum leaves in January.


Then there is the help she gives me - she does the dishes and has taken over the laundry and the trips to Kroger for food. It is like having 2 of me to do everything. But even more - she has helped me prepare for the baby. She washed all Max's clothes, the bassinet and play pen. She is as into nesting as I am!

Today she took Lily to gym and the little ones to the library. Then, as all good granny's do, she took them to Chick Fil A. Where was I? On the couch resting, working on the computer! Ah the life.

What a role model I have? My mother is a selfless servant. She loves with her hands and time and loyalty. It is priceless.

What does she get in return?

Lots of love.

More waiting!

No baby today.

Smoke

I didn't plan it, but Laura arrived into the schoolroom with incense sticks from my craft table! (One more reason I like to homeschooling - my kids get to enjoy incense candles in school). I was having a really hard time getting my camera to focus on the smoke with such a dark house, honestly we have NO natural light in my house, so often I have to use to 1600 ISO, ahhh! but when I caught these two shots I knew that didn't matter. They may be grainy and so unprintable, but oh am I pleased I have them.

If things couldn't get better - Laura watched the smoke for a long time, swaying and waving her arms in an echo of the dancing smoke and finally said "I wish I was smoke, then I could move like that". How lovely to see something mundane through the eyes of a child.



And top it off, here is a poem by Henry David Thoreau 1817 - 1862:

Smoke

Light-winged Smoke, Icarian bird,
Melting thy pinions in thy upward flight,
Lark without song, and messenger of dawn
Circling above the hamlets as they nest;
Or else, departing dream, and shadowy form
Of midnight vision, gathering up thy skirts;
By night star-veiling, and by day
Darkening the light and blotting out the sun;
Go thou my incense upward from this hearth,
And ask the gods to pardon this clear flame.


Henry David Thoreau

Adventure

This week is an adventure for the Cole family. Tomorrow it is my husband's birthday and may well be Max's too! If not tomorrow, then Wednesday would be fine as it is my Mother's and my Father's birthday! Or maybe it will be next week....

Thank you to those who have signed up to 'follow' this blog! I appreciate each of you. I will stop by your blog to say hi :)