A Tiny Silver Pen

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I would like to thank Mrs. Clark for letting me read ahead in the first grade, Mrs. Brady, who let me read aloud to Ivory, who didn't know how to read yet, to Mr. Wattenbarger, who taught me that nice penmanship just might grab your reader's attention before your words sank in, Mrs. Hardison, who taught me spelling DID count, Mrs. Sanford, who let me check out more than two books at a time in the library, Mrs. Pelster, who taught me that understanding and speaking another language is indeed a beautiful thing, Mrs. Myers, who taught me that solving for x is important and that I WILL use this again, Mr. Nelson for teaching me that while I may occasionally fall in the "sheep dip", I don't have to stay there and Mr. Eugene Wade who not only taught me to balance a checkbook, but that letting your personality shine in whatever you do is a fantastic thing!! I was the student, who, when given my reading book, would come home and read all of the stories the first week, devouring them, not able to wait until we got the them sometime later that year. I was the student, who, when I didn't understand a concept, would most likely shut down until the proverbial light bulb went off over my head and I could see the solution. And while my teachers were engaging and challenging me, the teachers I have to thank the most are my parents. My mom who would let me order books from the Weekly Reader, marking my choices on the little paper form and turning it in to my teacher. My dad who sat with me night after night at the kitchen table while I desperately waited for the light bulb called "Algebra" to come on. And thankfully, one day it did and I never looked back. My parents who would tell me I was ruining my eyes when reading from street light to street light on long car trips, but I didn't and my ares are just fine. My parents who took me to the library and patiently waited while I checked out a huge stack of books and took me back again and again. My parents who still buy me gift certificates to wonderful book stores for Christmas! So, in honor of the teachers at school and the teachers at home, thank you, you may not know if you are making a difference...but you are!!

Tiny Silver Message in a Bottle

What she said..."In life, there are going to be struggles and times when things just don't seem to go our way or make sense...there is a lesson somewhere in there for us, may not be apparent at the time...BUT, I have to think if you didn't get something that your heart desires SO MUCH, then maybe there is something BIGGER AND BETTER just waiting around the corner. The corner might be kind of far away, just know that God has BIG plans for your life...BIG PLANS....and this just might be part of it!
I am so very proud of you for being who you are...I love you in the good, the bad, the ugly and the wonderful...but I especially love you TO THE MOON AND BACK!! Things will fall back together!!"

Tiny Silver Swim Fins

My sister is the swimmer in the family. I do not like to put my face in the water. I like to swim like a puppy, head up, facing forward, nose out of range of the water.

A work out friend suggested a class called Finning. Back and forth in the pool, fins on your feet, hands on a kickboard, face out of the water. I figured even I could do this, probably wouldn't drown.

So, I go to the class in my bathing suit that fit last summer and the summer before, but not so well now. I get in and she showed me the basic strokes.

Soon I was gliding through the water like Flipper!! When the class started, the first laps, I was third in line...behind a leisurely finner. The second set of laps, I manuevered to the front and offered to be the guinea pig to learn the new stroke.

Out in front, I plowed through the water with all of the grace I could. Made it back to the starting point and turned for another lap, the other students behind me. I felt like I could do this for hours. It was a great workout, both cardio and strength training.

As a matter of fact, I liked it so much, I ordered my own fins and kickboard...and thankfully, still don't have to put my face in the water!

A Tiny Silver Phone

...or Learning to Laugh at Yourself!!

So, I carry two phones, actually wear them clipped at my waistband. Normally the ringers are turned off so they vibrate when they ring. Although my personal phone has hundreds of ring tones, makes it easy to assign ringtones so I know who is calling without even looking...

Anyway, tonight at the gym, I took off my jacket and folded it up nicely on the floor. I tucked my work phone in the pocket and went about my workout. Fast forward an hour, great workout, headed out the door. Reach in my pocket for my work phone to see if I had any messages that needed to be attended to...but wait...no phone in my pocket.
My personal phone was clipped at my waistband, but no work phone.

I went back upstairs, over to the area where I was working out, checked the floor, all around the machine...no phone!!

One of the girls I see there pretty often suggested calling the number. I am thinking that won't work because it only vibrates, and we will never hear it ring. But, I thought it was worth a shot...ring...ring...ring...

No phone ringing in sight...I crossed my arms in frustration...and felt something vibrating. I looked at the phone in my hand, but it wasn't ringing. I swung my other arm away from my body and back...my ARM was vibrating. I looked down and right there, on the inside of my arm was a zipper. Unzipping the zipper I realized that my phone was in the arm pocket...what kind of coat has an arm pocket?! And how did it eat my phone?!

So, we had a bit of a laugh...laughing at yourself is a good thing!!

A Tiny Silver Flamingo

I've said before that if you are my friend and you are going to write a book, I will read it. I will buy it and read it. I will buy it and read it and ask you to sign it. I will buy it and read it and ask you to sign it and tell my friends to read it.

...And I will be inspired by it to make a little piece of art.

Here's to a very creative New Year!!

A Tiny Silver Tree

Me: What do you want to do for your Christmas card picture this year?
Her: Don't you think I'm too old for a card photo? After all, I haven't really changed much in the past three years.
Me: Well, what should I do for a card?
Her: Make something special and only send out a few...
Me: Or...

Our card this year is a print of a mixed media piece of art I made after seeing a lovely video tutorial on the Scarlet Lime blog, using a canvas, paper, glue, paint, stamps, transfers, glitter, ink and love!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A Tiny Short Story

She walked past the doorway.
She glanced at the man standing there.
He turned his head.
It was him.
She hadn't seen him in years, but she knew those eyes.
She stopped short.
His eyes lingered on her face
and he broke into a big smile.
She whispered his name.
He crossed the floor and stood in front of her.
He said her name and reached for her hand, their fingers interlocking in an old familiar way.
He reached his other arm around her shoulders and drew her close.
His lips brushed her cheek gently and her eyes closed.
As she drew back, his eyes locked on hers.
She reached up and touched his face.
He leaned nearer, his eyes closed and his lips touched hers.
Her heart stopped beating and the world came down to this moment.
He said, you know, I loved you then and I love you now.
She opened her eyes and he smiled.

**Challenge: Write about what happened right before this picture was taken...