Helping Haiti

Part of my day, almost every day, is spent reading the new posts of my favorite blogs. When I was reading the newest post over at Ornamental about helping Haiti, I saw a link to another blog that was new to me -- Confessions of a Pioneer Woman -- who is also doing something to help Haiti. Here is the link to the Pioneer Woman blog posting "giveaway of a different kind". She is giving away $500 to two commenter's favorite Haiti relief organization. She is also donating 10 cents for everyone who leaves a comment. That is really starting to add up. My comment was #15,999 and there were a lot already after me by the time I found mine. What I find really amazing is that the post was put up today! I think I read that there was a third donation thing going there too that involved the top three charities mentioned. So, run, don't walk on over there and help out.

Now, back to the help for Haiti from Ornamental. Nina Bagley is a wonderful jewelry artist. She's made a beautiful necklace that she has up for auction through tomorrow night (Friday) at midnight. The proceeds plus $100 of her own money will go to Doctors without Borders/Haiti. I would dearly love to someday own a piece of Nina's jewelry. And with Richard just getting a new job yesterday, I am really tempted to bid on it. I do know that it will go higher than I could possibly afford at this time though. So, I may just decide which organization I'd like to donate to the relief effort on my own and go that way.

I hope you'll take the time to check out both of these efforts. If you know of any others, please leave a comment with a link. I'd love to know about them. Whatever you do, do something. We are all connected. It's what makes the world go round. Caring and love.

Art Every Day Month -- Day 26

I was reading the Ornamental blog yesterday. I'm telling you, Nina Bagley is a treasure. She mentioned the I Am poem as a school exercise in one of her older posts. I long to write at least a little poetry for myself. I'm not overly comfortable with poem writing, so I decided to do the exercise. Here is my art for today, at least so far.

I Am on Thanksgiving 2009

Today, I am grateful and a little sad
I wonder if my son feels the same way
I hear the laughter of my grandchildren, if I think really hard
I see their smiling faces in my mind's eye
I want to give them all a big bear hug
I am grateful and a little sad today
I pretend that talking to my grandchildren is enough
I feel so proud of my son's military service, but I miss him
I touch the photos of him and his children sometimes as if I am caressing their faces
I worry that we don't really know each other anymore
I cry if I let myself believe that
I am grateful and a little sad today
I understand that we see each other as often as we can
I say all that is within me when we talk on the phone
I dream of a time when we'll be able to live close to each other
I try to make it seem as if we do now, even though we don't live any where near
I hope that it's enough
I am grateful and a little sad today

Art Every Day Month -- Day 25

This is my favorite photo that I have ever taken. It was taken, I think in 1983, late summer. I'm thinking it was August or September. The photo is of my father and my son. My son turned 3 in early September of that year. My father was building the log house that my husband and I now live in. Our son lived in it too, for many years, until he married and went into the Air Force at the age of 18.

My son thought my father hung the moon! Oh, how he loved that man. Dad passed away on December 1st, 1995. It's so hard to believe that it's been almost 14 years since that day.

The day this photo was taken, dad was building this house. My husband helped him on the western wall of the house, up high standing on scaffolding. I carved the date into one of the logs on the NE corner of the house, which happens to be the laundry room wall. My son was playing in the dirt with his little Hot Wheel cars and running all over under the trees trying to have fun and keep cool in the hot Texas weather. Dad and my son took a break at some point to have a little visit. I still can't believe I had a camera with me that day. That I captured this wonderful photograph, that says so much about my son and father and their relationship, is to me a small miracle. It is a treasure. So much so that my dear sister-in-law Charmaine recently painted a portrait of it. I picked it up from her a couple of days ago. After much debate, I think we've finally figured out where to hang it. I'll take a photo of it hanging in a day or so and post it, so that you can see how talented she is.

I guess it's not fair to claim this photo as my art for today. Really, that was not my intention. I have been racking my brain all day, between choirs and errands, to think of quotes for the quilt I want to do. I've also read several older posts on a favorite blog, ornamental. Ornamental is definitely an artist date you can take for yourself right in your own home. That's what I did for my art today. I checked out a beautiful, inspirational blog that feeds my soul and creativity and I found great phrases for my quote quilts.