Dream

Dream, originally uploaded by artbyheather.

I have been accused of being a dreamer...an optimist...a pollyana...even an...airhead. If my brilliant mind is occupied with fabulous ideas and potential creations and my creative solutions to the world's problems, how can I possibly stay focused on the topic at hand 100% of the time? Hmmmm? Answer me that! Without people like me...like us (you with me?)...the world would lack color...spontanaeity (did I spell that right?)...and FUN! I'm all about fun. To a fault. You'll never wonder if Martha Stewart lives in my house, no sir. My house is clean...but messy. I do not have time to do it all. I really would prefer to have staff following me around picking up after me but since I do not have hired staff, I do the best I can. Brilliance is messy. That's my mantra. No, I don't really think I'm brilliant, but here we are, back to the title of this ATC...dream! That's what I do!

The Stuff of the Old Days...

Vintage Label - free to use!, originally uploaded by artbyheather.

What is this exactly!? Does it actually have anything to do with sheep? I suppose I could google it but I'm not THAT curious. I just bought a bunch of these old labels...with the purpose of selling them in my etsy supplies shop. I am having a hard time parting with ephemera. I think I am so enamored with the simpler things of the past that when I find something cool, I just want to hang on.
I've never been a hoarder...I've always been a thrower-awayer. To a fault. With regrets. I have one little box of goodies from my childhood. One. I think back, however, and wish I had kept some of my favorite clothes, some books, some little trinkets that I remember and can't find anywhere to repurchase. Dumb stuff, really, which is why I probably threw it out in the first place. I didn't have a grasp of the sentimentality...I was too immature to feel the feelings attached to it and wanted to grow up and move on...so a few little items hit the trash and I never looked back...until recently. I'm in my 40's...at the age when grandparents are passing on...and I'm revisiting fond memories. Wishing I had that toy or that outfit if only just to SEE it again! Recently I bought some clickers at Goodwill. Remember those? You just squeeze them and they make a clicking sound. I've seen novelty ones shaped like frogs or ducks but never the plain rectangle-shaped ones of my childhood...and there they were! I snatched them up so fast! I clicked them and brought them home and showed my kids. Then I told them the story of how my siblings and I used to play "bike cars" - we'd ride our bikes on the trails by our house and when we'd make a turn, we'd click the clickers to sound like a blinker. OH it was so fun...we felt so grown up! Turning my blinker on isn't nearly as fun now that I'm an adult!
So...I will part with this label...I will, I will, I will. It has no sentimental meaning for me. I will divy up my stash of labels and list them...probably this week.

Jake

Senior Picture, originally uploaded by artbyheather.

I almost lost this boy yesterday. He was in a very bad car accident. By the grace of God, he not only survived, but walked (ok, limped) away with minor injuries. It's amazing how fragile life is. How in a split second it can be snuffed out. How the things that seemed so important to us moments before are just fluff in the grand scheme of things. I don't know what I'd do without this boy. He brings so much joy...laughter...fun...and yes, aggravation at times...to my life. I'm thankful for the aggravation...thankful for the crap that goes along with dealing with an accident...thankful that I'm dealing with insurance companies, hospital bills, wrecking companies...thankful that I'm not dealing with funeral arrangements and coroner's reports... Aggravation and trial make up life. Life is good. As long as my kids are driving me crazy, we're fully alive. It's tough having teenagers...quasi-adults...it's also a joy. If it wasn't a struggle to grow up and help a child grow up, it wouldn't be much of a life. So...today I'm thanking God that my son is alive and struggling. Alive to work through the muck of an accident...alive to teach me the lessons of life...and appreciating the little things...the tough things...the everyday things. Today I'm just simply thankful.

My first ATC/ACEO - The Adventurer

The Adventurer, originally uploaded by artbyheather.

That's what I am too...an adventurer. This is my very first ATC/ACEO. I quite happy with it! I have had a couple of requests to trade it so maybe I'll make a couple just like it and trade! I can't let go of him, though...he's my first. I am attached. I rather like this little form of art. I am going to experiment with inchies too...Yay! My brain is expanding bit by bit...

This is pretty typical

This is pretty typical, originally uploaded by artbyheather.

My kids are weird. No joke. I'm glad, though...they're fun...they're funky...they're a lot like me. They're slightly odd because they feel comfortable being themselves. I wasn't that comfortable in my skin at that age...it took me many years of trial and error to realize that it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks I should be like...I just gotta be me. Funny...now that I don't worry about what everyone else thinks, it's quite apparent that they never did...think that is...mostly people just make snap judgements about people and move on. They don't dwell on us. Sometimes we think they do, but they don't. Mind you, there are the random jerks that take great pleasure in picking people apart, but honestly, who cares what they think anyway, right?
Anyway, that's the way I've raised my kids. Be yourselves...don't worry about what other people think...people who judge, do it to make themselves feel better somehow...to ease their own insecurities.
All this from a goofy picture. I think too much sometimes!

Soldering...

OH MY! I have fallen in love...with soldering! How can I possibly do this? How can I add one more thing to my list of artistic vices that I love? How? There aren't enough hours in the day for what I do now. And now I'm adding soldering? I still have clothes to fold on my "laundry couch"! I can't take up soldering! My yard still screams to be cleaned up for fall...I don't have time to solder! My craft corner is a mess (I like to think it's in creative transition)...if I solder, something will catch fire! oh gee... ah well... I'll just have to give up laundry completely! I was never very good at it anyhow! :o)

Cross-Country Season

My two oldest kids (17-year-old twins) are in XC (cross-country). I have to say...XC has been the most incredible, challenging, satisfying, FUN sport for my kids. They discovered it when they joined track their freshman year of high school and fell into the distance running group. The kids were absolutely fun and phenominal...I have talked to other kids and parents from other schools and it seems to echo throughout the running sports...the kids are dedicated, disciplined and generally a blast to be around. My kids team has been like a family throughout their high school years. They seek each other out at school...sit together at lunch...have unity nights almost every weekend and before every meet...double, triple date...group together to go to dances...you name it!
Well...for the last 2 years, my daughter has been the star of the girls team. She's gone to State each year and is just a really great runner...not trying to boast, just telling a story! My son, on the other hand, has struggled. He's always enjoyed running, but he's been growing...approximately 14 inches in about a year and a half...and that has caused incredible pain in his knees, his hips, his ankles...well, you can imagine! All the while, he's been watching his twin sister excelling...really being a star athlete while he sits out or struggles to finish races! What has his attitude been like, you ask? Well, he cheers the loudest for her at the meets, encourages her, and is generally verrrry happy for her! Yes, he has his moments when she's overly excited and he gets sick of hearing about it, but for a guy to be so supportive of his sister in a sport he participates but doesn't get to excell in - well, that's just unbelievable.
So...we think he's done growing (6'1 1/2" should just about do it, don't you think?) and I've been praying that he'll have a good season for his senior year. He's a good runner...he has had the potential, but his body just hasn't been able to cooperate with his ability! Well, he had his first race the other day and he was 11th out of 45 junior/senior guys!!!!! He came in right after one of our fastest guys...stayed right with him the whole race! I was FLOORED!!! He was so happy and that taste of personal victory was so incredible for him!!! So, I'm excited for him and his final season of XC. Praying that he stays healthy and that he can do what he is able to...show what he can do...what he's been trying to do for the last 2 years.
That's all I want for my kids... for them to be able to do what they can...the BEST of their abilities...and be proud of their accomplishments!