POWERFUL FOLLOWERS

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Got to hurry...
sorry...
no time to talk much...

I heard that! 

Stop clapping!!!

Everybody seems to be joining Donna at 
Funky Junk this weekend...
all my buds, 
Lezlee, and Laurel
and...
well, lots more... 

I wanna go too, but I don't really do centerpieces... 

Let me see...hmmm...
should be something in all my
junky, junk, junk...

AHHA!

to the rescue!
I posted this there, but
I never posted it here...

got to hurry,
no time to talk much...

oh hush that clapping!!

This is a centerpiece I used 
through the holidays 
to decorate the huge mosaic table 
I made for my screened porch.
Turned an old light fixture globe upside down and used it as a bowl.


End of season photos, not the best, but all I have and...
I WANT TO PLAY TOO!!!



Now head over to Funky Junk and enjoy all the beautiful centerpieces...
they're letting me play too:-)

UH...if I don't talk too much?

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Using your ART eyes, 
what do you think 
this is?

A painting? 
The sky billowing above a field or prairie? 
Trees in the distance or...
a train making it's way across the landscape with smoke trailing over head. 
Maybe snow capped mountains with a low hanging sky. 

So whatcha think? 

Any ideas?

What is it about this shade of green?
It's so peaceful and comforting.

 Looks a bit like a tree...
those Cypress types 
that grace the landscapes in Greece.
 So is it coming to you now?

It's a hinge.
Another simply beautiful, simple thing.

Think me odd, but it takes my breath away.
For such a small and simple piece,
it holds so much history, 
and is such an amazing work of ART.
Sigh!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011


simply beautiful, simple things






 imagine...

all covered
in blankets of snow now...

simply beautiful, simple things






   

  photos taken along the way from Vermont to New York...summer of 2010

    simply beautiful, simple things


Tuesday, January 11, 2011

SNOW RAMBLINGS

There's a poem that ends with the line...
We do not become southern, we are born that way. 


Being born southern means 
you are not accustomed 
to snow, sleet and ice, 
or
driving in those conditions. 


Being born southern means that should it snow, 
everything pretty much shuts down, 
schools are closed
and 
every loaf of bread and gallon of milk 
are cleared from the grocery shelves. 


Being born southern means 
that if the weather guy even hints at snow,
you get giddy and excited, 
no matter your age.


Being born southern, 
or just being blessed to be in the south
means
that today you were honored to view 
one of God's most beautiful handy works.


These are photos from 
around my little part 
of the South today.
Out of school today, 
and tomorrow.
Snuggled inside 
with a beautiful fire, 
my two guys, 
and 
4 confused pets. 



 

All dressed in his tux and ready to play!

My Jared, 
a professional musician, 
was to play for Georgia's new Governor 
today during inauguration festivities. 

Due to the weather 
all events,
but the swearing in, 
were canceled for today. 
However, they have been rescheduled 
for next weekend. 

So he still has the honor of playing.

He did get to play at the 
Governor's Mansion in Atlanta yesterday, 
but they had to head home quickly 
to beat the icy weather.

I'm one iced in proud mama!

Everybody be safe and stay warm!

Vicki

I'm going to join Mary for Mosaic Monday...
scoot over for a visit...
lots of beautiful work! 


Oh, 
and while you are at it...
visit my crazy friend, 
Karen 
over at  
Karen has been real busy 
and went AWOL 
from blogging 
for a bit. 

She really is a friend of mine, 
we live in the same town, 
and have worked at the same school.

I just happened upon her blog one day...
I had no clue she had a blog...
it's wonderful.

Anyways, 
she has posted 
about a folk artist 
who lives in our neck of the woods. 
You might enjoy reading about 
Miz Thang.

Have you left yet?!!








Saturday, January 1, 2011

Balancing the New Year with My 100th Post in My Own Rambling Way...



It's the end of a year!
Time for many great and wonderful things
in the coming new year.
Of course, there will also be tears, sorrow, and heartbreak in this new year. 
There has to be a balance, a time and a season for everything.
However, the good, joyful and happy times will far out number the bad...
That's just the way God 
balances things, 
I think.



This is my 100th post.
I've thought on it for days.

Well, once I discovered it was on the horizon. 
What to post about?
What to do? 
Celebrate? 
Let it go by quietly? 
Or, just shout it from the roof tops?


Hmmm...I think I'll just write and see where it takes me.

Where to start, where to start...

 Why not the top of my blog?

 This is the quote so many have asked me about...
A few lines are in my header and I took the name of my blog from this poem.

 
Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson
I ramble a bit, and you know that, 
so jump ship now 
if you don't want to go along for the ride.

So here goes...  
A New Year is a time for reflection and thinking of things that have occurred and are to come. 
No rhyme or reason, just visits with old and new favorite photos and posts that brought me to 100.

 
I am an Outrageous Older Woman
(Am too...I have a bumper sticker from Maine to prove it)
I'm an OOW who loves her family, and friends, 
including all of you that I have met through this wonderful art of blogging, 
and I love expressing my thoughts to you.
 
May not be the highlight of your day, 
but it is one of mine.
I also adore my students,
my art teaching career 
and my junk art. 

 Ahhh...junk, what a wonderful thing.
Creating with it is even more wonderfuler.

I do love RUST, ya know?


Recycled adding machine spools I turned into beads for necklaces.



Being this OOW 
 is not at all what I always expected it to be. 
It's true that with this time of your life comes the loss of the people you love. 
So very hard, but it's something 
you expect and accept,
though not easily. 

This is from another post...it's a my memory jar for my daddy.
I didn't expect that both my parents and most of my aunts, uncles and 
some cousins would be gone by now. 
I didn't expect to sing at their funerals or have younger ones go before me. 


It's been so difficult to watch them fade away.
I also didn't expect to have richer relationships 
with those who are still here...
God handles that...
it's that balancing thing
He does...and a gift.

It's also a time when you start thinking of your own accomplishments, 
 and the imprint you've made on
your little corner of the world.


I've always heard with age comes wisdom. 
It's true, I am brilliant now!
Haha...not true, if you've never been wise 
then turning 50 ain't gonna do it for you. 
I'm six years past 50 now, and it still has not happened, so don't expect that...sigh. 

You do ignore the small stuff...you mellow.
That quite possibly makes you appear wiser. 
You know, no fretting over silly things and such. 
Not having hissy fits can make you look like you have it together, thus being wiser.

I really expected not to be wiser, 
I expected to lose some people, 
I even expected some of the aches and pains, and the sags.
Sent to me by a friend who's family took this while on vacation...wouldn't it be wonderful to see these beautiful ladies each day?
I did not expect the freedom, the appreciation for life and the joy in everyday little things that comes with being older.
Duncan enjoying the view of my garden through the bubbles.
Our trip to the sunflower field for my 56th birthday this year.
Stumbling on the ART MOOSE on one of our trips to Maine this past summer was one of the highlights of my year.
My Bill resting among the bubbles after a long day of yard work.

The just being comfortable with who I am,
 what I have and where I am going.
One of my favorite photos from Maine...so peaceful.


OK, so back to the 
Marianne Williamson 
poem...

I never expected to go back to school after 50,
 
but I did...

and during my masters program, 
I had a professor, 
who was, well...
lOoNy.

However, 
mY  FaVoRiTe  QuOtE  in a  FrAmE,  mY  FaVoRiTe  cOloR...a gift from one of my favorite friends.
this professor introduced me to this quote, 

and well 
there you go, 
another one of those balances  
of good and bad...
God always handles it.

This poem stuck with me 
and has helped me as 
I deal with the expected and unexpected things 
of becoming an OOW

and OK, 
let's just say it...
a bit off balanced...
God handles that kind too, I guess.

Now for one of my favorite parts of the poem;
end of a year, 
and the end of the poem...


And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson





So...
The Outrageous Older Woman, 
 Vicki, 
me,
the artteachergirl 
who rambles, 
has managed to create a blog with 100 posts.
  I am unexpectedly amazed.

  I hope that I have let a bit 
of my light
shine on you, 
and hopefully given you 
permission to 
shine, 
create, 
and 
soar 
in whatever you expect to do,
and I hope you find 
your unexpected!


  HAPPY, 
HAPPY
NEW YEAR!

May
2011
Bring 
you 
balance!
                                                         
This sunset was taken rolling down the highway, somewhere between NH and Vermont.