Fall Salmon Run is Here

Posted on October 22, 2012 by MaryALivingston

Saturday was a busy day along our little one and a half lane, country road. More people work at the hatchery than live on this road. When the local salmon festival occurs, thousands visit in the span of 6 hours.

Although the people arrive in force to view the salmon, their numbers don’t come close to the population of turkey vultures filling the sky. Like the people, the vultures also come for the salmon. The turkey vultures are drawn in with their keen sense of smell. This may also be why the visiting local tourists don’t linger for too long. If you think a spawning salmon looks gnarly, you should smell them.

The malodorous rot of spawning salmon surely does not evoke a sense of bliss.

Giving thanks today for the turkey vultures featured in Wings of Autumn post.

This illustration for a children’s book features Chinook salmon. The salmon begin dying and rotting once they leave the ocean. By the time they reach their spawning grounds they are in rough shape.

Becoming an Illustrator

Posted on October 17, 2012 by MaryALivingston

Interesting how one thing leads to another. I was asked to participate in liturgical environment planning. Just for a season. Nothing official or formal. I think part of the plan was for me to learn a bit more about the faith I had awakened to as an adult. A little backdoor catechesis perhaps. Not sure at what point I became a regular team member. I spent many years that followed as a part of the liturgical design team in our local parish.

Liturgical environment planning involves reading sacred scripture for the applicable period and designing the way the surrounding environment will look. The key to designing sacred space for worship is presenting an environment that supports and enriches the written word without adding to or detracting from it.

Using brainstorming notes from the liturgy team, and the colors designated for the season, I would bounce ideas around and watch faces for the tell tale sign of ah ha.

Sometimes using imagery, sometimes just color and shape, but always the surrounding area is designed to invite into the story. A successful design will awaken the listeners to the fullness of sacred word spoken. An unsuccessful one will leave them perplexed.

I realize now, this was the first time I illustrated. It was also the first time I publicly presented art other than photography. A seed planted long ago was nurtured.

I imagine the process is the same, regardless of your faith tradition. People have been illustrating the sacred since before it was written word.

Should you have the chance to participate in such an endeavor in your personal faith tradition, I encourage you to do so. You may find it to be enriching, rewarding and enlightening. You may even come a bit closer to bliss.

Form and color practice to present to the liturgy team for review. I sneaked into my husband’s watercolors, this was this was the second time using watercolors since I was a child. (I have since remedied that dry spell.)

The final piece. The background is painted with dyes on cotton muslin. The wheat is painted with dyes on felt. For the last 9 years it occasionally appears during the late summer/autumn ordinary season. 6’x9′

Wings of Autumn

Posted on October 9, 2012 by MaryALivingston

The signs of autumn are slowly appearing in the Battle Creek basin. Last week bid farewell the triple digit heat with a final day of 103F (39.4C) on Monday, October 1. This week opened with a high of 80F(26.6C). The temperature drop and shorter days nudge a color shift in the trees.

Kettles of turkey vultures fill the sky. Here along the creek we have vultures year round. They even nest in our backyard. This time of year their numbers increase in the sky as they circle higher and higher on thermals. Vultures gather here for a reason. The fall run of Chinook salmon is underway.

Reviled creatures, most people consider these carrion feeders gross and ugly. If you have ever smelled rotting salmon from the spawn, you may consider these turkey vultures the most beautiful of all. We welcome their presence to keep our little valley clean.

I appreciate these birds.

Turkey Vultures –
This is an illustration from a children’s book I am working on called “No Place for Ugly Birds.”

Taming the not so idle hands

Posted on October 2, 2012 by MaryALivingston

We have all had moments like this when working with a group of kids. One child is so full of energy that sitting still is impossible. Yes, impossible, and I do not say this lightly.

I watched this energetic child squirm, wiggle and twist. With hands that drummed, fidgeted and poked it seemed like we were in for a long night of religious education.

One quick glance from me garnered an, “Am I in trouble?” response.

The child seemed to be trying so hard to sit still, listen, and not interrupt the lessons or other pier participation.

“Am I in trouble?” the child queried again.

I slid a few sheets of paper under those fidgeting fingers along with some colored markers. “When I am easily distracted, it helps me to doodle. Give it a try.” My smile was met with a broad grin and my offer accepted.

An amazing peace fell over the room. Oh, the hands were still busy, writing each pier name on a paper airplane. Then a dove with an olive branch followed by three crosses on a hill.

The student was listening and exchanging in dialog all the while creating little masterpieces.

Religious education class is opened and closed with prayer. That evening, the doodles during class were placed in the center of the table as we all prayed together.

When trying to reach a kid, try art.

Posted on September 26, 2012 by MaryALivingston

An interesting post on finding beauty in the aftermath of wildfire.

THE FORESTER ARTIST

In the aftermath of a wildfire we are confronted with profound destruction that it leaves in it’s wake. Occasionally, afterwards there are strange and interesting forms that appear. This black oak tree was changed into an a new form. Once is was a beautiful green tree, now it stands like a statue in it’s monochrome setting.

The rock formation below was there all along, but the brush obscured the view and prevented access to it. The wildfire revealed it as if someone pulled a cover off of a sculpture.

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Granddaughter’s Note

Posted on September 22, 2012 by MaryALivingston

Grandchildren are purveyors of bliss. In my office, just below the window side of my desk, the backside of a dry-erase board is visible. The dry-erase board is facing the wall to protect it.

Okay, I know, I can take a picture of it, and I have taken a picture. The picture does preserve the memory. But a picture, though it may be worth a thousand words, can never take the place of my granddaughter’s note to her grandpa and me.

Grand Thing One wrote an wonderful “Rainbow Note” to Grandma and Grandpa. Fresh out of Kindergarten and on the way to first grade, here is Grand Thing One’s “Rainbow Note”

During a visit when Grand Thing One had just completed Kindergarten, she spontaneously wrote a note to us on the whiteboard from my office. She changed out color markers as she pleased, and the adorned the note with an illustration of herself with Grandma, Grandpa, and Tom Dog. (Tom Dog is her daddy’s dog.) The lovely note, exactly as written is in the picture. Here is how she read it to us:

“I Love Grandma and Grandpa. Your dogs are cute, I love them too. I love to read with you and they make me laugh. It is funny. I love to stay up with you, it makes me happy to stay up with you. When I see the sunshine it makes me sing about you. You fill my heart with love. I do not want to leave. I want to stay right here. I will not move. It was nice to see you but it was fun with you. Good-bye, I will see you soon. Good-bye, I love you, good-bye.”

A straight line from her house to ours is 1350 miles. She is in 2^nd grade now. I think I will send her some stationary, addressed envelopes and stamps. We Google Hangout often, and we call, but a nice note from little hands is a moment of bliss a grandma cannot resist.

As you see, I have a picture, but I do not, and never will, have the heart to erase her letter. So, all of you people out there in blog land, someone must know how to preserve this dry-erase message.

Is there a spray? Can the surface be laminated? Do I leave it as is and just pray nothing happens? Do I buy multiple dry-erase boards and experiment?

Your suggestions are welcome in this grandma’s desire to preserve bliss.

Her Papa’s Eyes

Posted on September 16, 2012 by MaryALivingston

Bella arrived for her visit on Friday. It is almost 3 months since her sire, Hawk, suddenly died. Bella’s litter was born shortly thereafter. She is almost 10 weeks old.

When I saw the litter, she caught my attention, she has her papa’s soulful eyes. The litter owner chose to keep her. I would have made the same choice. There is something very special about a puppy. Something very healing. A puppy oozes bliss.

When I had a bad day of bone pain, Hawk would lay at my side. It was easier to breath through the ache. I often wondered if he would be big enough the help steady me as the bone disorder destroyed my ability to walk.

Earlier this year when my old girl died at 16½ (very old for a retriever), he spent the better part of two weeks staying by my side. Neither of us knew at that time that death would separate us so soon.

These passing weeks I have been haunted by dreams of his sound as he struggled for breath. In the palm of my hand I can still feel the cessation of his heartbeat. There was nothing we could do to save him. We could only help him pass when the struggle became suffering.

There was a moment, when his gaze held mine and it was clear he knew he was dying. He worried about me to the end.

Our pets are not like children. They are not people. They hold a different place in our hearts, their own place. Some people may not understand what I mean, that’s okay.

So, today, as I see the similarities to Hawk in his daughter, I can’t help but have that ache tug at my heart. I am not ready for another puppy. The time will come, but not now.

Bella is just here for a visit, she goes home tomorrow night. As you can see, she has her papa’s soulful eyes.

Hawk at 7½ weeks on the left. Bella at almost 10 weeks on the right.

Grandma’s Morning Cup

Posted on September 12, 2012 by MaryALivingston

A child’s art is a moment of bliss that continues to give.

My favorite cup features art from our oldest granddaughter. She drew this little row of flowers when she was four. I need to make an updated cup, she is seven now. Perhaps the new one will include refrigerator masterpieces from her younger sister and brother.

For parents looking for something special for Grandma and Grandpa, consider art from grandchildren. Grandchild art can be featured on an everyday item, like my favorite cup, or simply framed or on the front of a card.

I often receive treasured showpieces from our grandchildren. The gift of art from little hands is a moment of bliss that continues to give.

9-11 Birthdays

Posted on September 11, 2012 by MaryALivingston

Tim brings me coffee every morning. Our morning time has developed a routine, we watch the news and like most great friends, our best conversations solve the ills of the world before we set about our day.

The day started as most others; Tim crossed the living room with a steaming cup of hot coffee. His eyes reflected his flirty smile.
As he began to speak, I noticed his distraction to the news feed.

“Happy birthd… the towers are on fire.”

We turned up the volume just as the second plane hit.
Everyone remembers where they were, what they were doing on September 11, 2001.

People are born everyday; odds are we all share our date of birth with an unpleasant event of some sort or another. For me, for my niece, and for countless others, 9-11 is our birthday.

Life is a balance. Good things and bad things happen everyday. I hope for those of us with a 9-11 birthday, that we strive for good, that we strive for balance.
As I give thanks for the blessings in my life, I offer prayers for those lost and those who still mourn.

May we all celebrate life and bring a little bliss into the lives we touch.

Repository of Bliss

Posted on September 8, 2012 by MaryALivingston

I was so excited 11 years ago to get our new stainless refrigerator. Until I plopped the first magnet up. Thankfully, one side still allows us to have an open gallery. Hint to refrigerator manufacturers, if you make a magnetic panel on the stainless front, sales to grandmas will increase.

The refrigerator has transformed our world. I am not talking about the obvious benefits of extending the life of fresh foods.
The rich sustenance provided by a refrigerator comes in the form of an art gallery.

I am always fascinated by this local gallery in homes. Grandparents, parents, extended family and friends – they all have one. Oh, yeah people post, pin, like, tweet, blog, and G+, but really their greatest treasures will be found in their personal gallery at home. If you want to know where their heart lies, look at the refrigerator, the obvious repository of the heart of bliss.