Wordless Wednesday

For me… mixed media.. acrylic. original art, by dymoon for dymoon =^_^=

Stop Hesitating – Abandone la actitud reservada y vacilante –
When we travel, we pack up our suitcases with our destination in mind. When we are being moved because we are at a stage in life where we need more care than can be had if we stay on our own.
Packing to go away, I never know just what I’ll need, so I take some of this and two pairs of jeans, etc. Especially if we are to travel in our own vehicle, we can take more, “just in case”
But if someone else is packing for you, you find yourself watching, listening to the activity around you. I am the person packing, the person watching and listening was my Mother who will be 96 on May 1st. There was no hesitation on my part, I needed only to know what it was she wanted with her. BUT my Mother who has travelled the world, toured China, walked the cities of Greece, bought opals in Australia,always independent and full of curiosity to see where she would visit next, now knows her destination will be to a health care facility miles away from her home city. Temporary, never-the-less I know it is a trip she would rather not make, wanted very little.
My Mother has always been strong and stoic, whatever challenges the Universe sent her way, she dealt with it. She didn’t dwell on how, she simply did what was necessary to get what she wanted done.
Her attitude is.. bring it on, I’ll deal with it. She never hesitated to live her life, so while we her daughters, do our best to make it happen in a way that is best for her. I believe that the Universe will watch over her. The most important thing in life that she will need, won’t need to be packed, because God has blessed her with the Divine presence that lives within her.
PL Precept # 15 All is a Mirror
PL Precept # 3 God appears through One’s Self
PL Precept #19 Begin once you Perceive


Good morning everyone. For a little while now I have been playing with different media, doing some of this and some of that. This all started when I began doing handmade cards for our church (Church of Perfect Liberty) (institucion Religiosa perfecta libertad)
The first Precept (1 of 21) #1 Life is Art This is not about how you paint or draw, but rather how you use your creative expression to get through the day to day challenges of life. How you see the opportunities that come your way and in accepting them, being able to grow and channel new found energy into your daily life.
. I love life, I love being alive, and the sense of wonder I get from even what most could consider a mundane moment. Death is a by-product of life. It happens. When you lose someone who has been a part of your life, there is a sadness and a feeling of loss. However, if you have lived loving and cherishing the person, there are no regrets. You live forming honest interactions – always – some people you connect with instantly and with others.. it can take a long time, or… it just never happens.
Important here, is to be true to yourself, not someone else’s expectations, or how other’s want you to act or do something. This is a concept not everyone understands, or appreciates. Again, we all have to live with our SELVES… To do something we like means to follow one’s instincts and do and use whatever makes it happen.
The above picture is a card that I did for ME. Not to put in the collection of cards at the church for sale, but for ME. My wise little sister once said.. remember you are making cards to sell, that means you have to make cards that people will want and like. Not her exact wording, but you get the drift. She was right. Handmade cards or any other craft, where you put your personal time and energy into creating or making something is a balancing act.
The “Artisan” “Craft” person can spend hours even months making something creating a piece they love, yet find that putting a “retail” value on it, is very difficult. Many people simply do not want to pay for something that they feel they can get at a dollar store.. the fact that what they are getting in these places is manufactured and basically are made in the 1000s, doesn’t matter. -” To each his/her own”
Because we are a throw away society, what is IN now , may not be in a couple of months or years.. I digress…oh dear… bottom line… we will skip the rest of this for now.. I’m sure it will crop up again =^_^=
Back to the picture. I hadn’t picked up a paint brush in years. I mean yearS. When I did, I found that I didn’t want to put it down. I have been trying for a distressed look on the cards, using inks, pencils and markers… but never felt I got the results I really wanted. At times not even close.
I had my own idea, or image in my head, it just wasn’t happening with the tools I had.. BUT when I took brush in hand, and some inexpensive water colours I found on sale.. POP, SHZAMMMM, I loved what I was seeing. Best of all the cartoon characters that I discovered in a shop in Montreal, Scrapbook Centrale, made me smile.. It was a new line for me, PaperArtsy.. you can find more about them at http://www.paperartsy.co.uk
I am letting go of what I think other’s may want, and maintaining my own sense of wacky, wild and wonderful.. I got up this morning and tweaked the card some more. It is fun fun fun.
PL Precept # 2 To Live Is to Express One’s Self
Oyashikiri
Artist Loft 4 n1 brush – Michaels ** multi functional great value
Cardstock – watercolour 130 lb. Strathmore
Artist Loft – basic 24 colour pallet – Michaels
Prang – oval 16 DeSerres
Yasuyomo – mettalics (16) DeSerres

After a meeting at the church, a friend and I went out to lunch, after all Chinese New Year is happening, and the Mandarin on Hunt Club was having a special Chinese New Year Buffet, offering dim sum, and other special dishes. for the celebration. Having indulged ourselves in the many dishes, and the array of desserts offered, we headed back to the church so my friend could get her car.
A stop along the way, was for me a small bonanza of free books. Now that I’m happily working on recycling books, into my own personal versions of “junk journals” I picked out books by size and age. I was not interested in the content but rather the size .. quality of paper was also important but I was going to be using gesso or acrylic paints to change them anyway.
I was particularly drawn to this little 4x 6 book, it was nicely bound and had enough pages for me to get “junk” look to go with my other projects. I had no intention of doing any work on the books when I got home, I planned on just putting them aside for another day.
PL Precept #7 Everything exists in Relativity
PL Precept #15 All is a Mirror
When I got in, the little book fell to the floor, I bent down to retrieve it and saw handwriting in it. I glanced at the writing and realized that it was someone’s journal. The pages were highlighted, small pencil notations were on almost every second page. Someone had read and re read the book from cover to cover. In the back I saw that this particular book was one obtained at a conference on the theme of the book. There was a page with the 12 steps (12 step program) and a few other pages, with goals and objectives etc.
Needless to say, it was like looking into someone’s private, very private thoughts. The person had even identified the book, in case of loss, name and address labels were prominent on both back and front covers. The book was not current. I wondered how it had come to be in a pile of books being given away, left out as garbage at a thrift shop.

Without further thought, I found myself searching for papers, cuttings and colours to depersonalize the book, I removed the labels and then began to paint and glue.
Pl Precept # 19 Begin Once you Perceive
The transformation will not happen overnight, these journals take sometimes years to complete. IF EVER….. that is just the nature of the journals. Unless you are doing a particular theme for a give away, or to share .. They are ongoing projects, and become part of your “personal” inventory of treasures
When I told my friend about the find, she asked if the person had achieved their goal.. I didn’t have the answer, it would have meant that I would have had to read her/his thoughts and try to know his/her mind. Some artistic expressions are to share, others… are for one’s own pleasure.
There are printed pages of the book, that I will leave as is, there are thoughts in there that I can reflect on when I visit the journal from time to time. Like sharing with a friend.
I love sharing with a friend, and today I made a new one. how beautiful is that.
Oyashikiri

we begin with an idea…
PL Precept # 19 Begin Once you Perceive
PL Precept #17 Grasp what is most essential
In this case, my sister lovingly sought out and found this material and presented it to me. I loved it.. I wanted it to be something that would be used, and appreciated every day. I don’t get to see my sister every day, she lives in California, but I appreciate her every day. This pillow graces our bed, so every day, she is part of my daily life. A sister is a precious gift, I am lucky and have two =^_^=
PL Precept # 7 Everything Exists in Relativity
In PL we have a Thanksgiving service every month on the 21st. It is the most important service of the month, held at 7 pm. Members humbly express appreciation to God for all the blessings of the past month, and sincerely renew our determination to follow and practice the PL “Way”
Our 2017 Perfect Liberty Calendars are here and ready for those interested in obtaining one or having them for gifts to friends and family for the coming year. They are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and of course Japanese. A reminder if you need them mailed to you, there would be a cost for the shipping.
YOU are a blessing in my life
Oyashikiri
Have you been naughty, have you been nice, hear that a lot around this time of year. It is all about perspective isn’t it. When someone is being naughty in someone’s view, he/she could be being very nice and totally appreciated by someone else. Perspective.
We are all so different, so unique in our own ways. That is a gift from above. The ability to be different, so that each and every one of us is blessed in an ability to enjoy and appreciate the creative expressions of others.
The Red Blacks (Canadian Football League) brought the cup home to Ottawa yesterday, they won the Grey Cup.. It is a very big deal to football fans, a huge BIG deal. Congratulations to all you die-hard fans out there.. what an exhilarating over time period it had to have been.
For anyone wanting to view these dragons a their installation, this is the LM (landmark) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amra/17/238/22 the show is called, Alpha Auer: from here on there be dragons. when you arrive there is a note card explaining this wonderful exhibit. Yes it is in the virtual world, http://www.secondlife.com
I won’t spoil it for you, by sharing with you, the creator’s intro .. the curator and owner of the Split Screen Installation Space, is long time SL member Dividni Shostakovich
Thought I’d add a bit of warm and fuzzy. Have a super fantastic start to your week-end. Bring “happy” where ever you go.
PL Precept #11 always be with God
PL Precept # 14 World Peace is everything.
Oyashikiri

Yup.. shopping for supplies I will need for my February, and spring cards. Time to think ahead. On my list of places to go was a big art supply store in a major shopping mall. I did not get there early, so…………. I was there at a time when the parking lot was wall to wall vehicles and shoppers were in possibly every walking space in the halls between the stores.
This is only November. Imagine in the States where they still have Thanksgiving to go, before they are hit with the Xmas shopping frenzy. All around me I heard people talking about their lists, and how far they had gotten, and what was left to look for.

Penguins are big this year. I know the above is a Puffin, he’s a cutie, thought I’d give him some “press” =^_^= So many of the clothing stores, had some kind of sweater with a penguin on it. You will get to see a lot of them if you are out looking around. The other thing being marketed is the Ugly Sweater… These are new .. is the whole idea of the “ugly sweater” not to come up with a vintage one from days gone by??? Anybody?

Just so you know, this is what is coming, or so we are being told. In preparation for such an event, I have begun to stock up, for days of “nesting” Which brings me back to my card making. =^_^= How well are you prepared for the next couple of months. If you are in a climate with 4 seasons, and winter is ahead, do you have your snow tires yet? Are they on the car/truck?
While I made my way from one shopping location to another, via the highways, (stayed away from the downtown area, Santa was having his parade today) I mumbled to myself that it was time, I took week-ends off from going out and about. from now on, it will only get busier.
PL Precept # 17 Grasp what is most Essential
PL Precept # 19 Begin Once you Perceive
I got a lot done, and best of all, I had a lot of time when waiting at lights, and traffic slow downs to think about how much I will enjoy my extra hours of “nesting” once my chores are done.
PL Precept # 7 Everything exists in Relativity.
Oyashikiri

YOU are special..
YOU are loved
Share the smile

BerryHolm Poultry Farm started out as a small local business, and grew into one of Eastern Ontario’s top Independent egg producers, when at the time, young David Berry bought the business from his father, and renamed it Berry’s Egg Farm.
The man, David Berry passed away (90) in 2010, he was known for his kind heart, being gentle, loving and patient, It is said that he had the gift of making anyone he met feel valued. His legacy of strong values and principles were the core values he undertook in all he did throughout his life.
When I read his obit, I thought, what a wonderful man I would have liked to have met him. As a writer, we get to write and say a lot about the world around us. We meet a lot of people along the way and some we don’t actually meet, but their lives cross ours in a different way. Mr. Berry’s world crossed mine when I was drawn to the above building, and was drawn to capture it with my lens.
“His wit and humour endeared him to all who met him” Ottawa Citizen, April 19,2010
How will you be remembered? I tell myself, I will be gone, I won’t know, so does it matter?
Will I be like the building, left standing, my past speaking volumes, while “I” (ego) am silent.
PL Precept #2 To live is to Express One’s Self
PL Principle #3 I will live with a mind of appreciation towards others and things
Oyashikiri
Have joyous day!