SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

i spy an empty canvas! (me!) ~tops

k, so           -when my purchase changed, i don't remember.  what i do remember, is for the longest time, i bought 5 gum in a pack, and the gum sticks were each individually wrapped in foil    -some with truth or dare messages

and, when i purchased the gum in foil wrappers, i always! tore the gum stick in half, and left the other half wrapped in foil for later..

and i chew a lot of gum

this ='d,  well, in my pants pockets, and my locker, and the trays in my cars, and at the bottom of my purse..     half gum pieces that got squished and would ultimately have to be thrown away

and on really hot days, the stick gum would become all...   too...   and i'd have to throw the whole pack away

no big deal

but eventually i found this eclipse gum in these wonderful containers, and it is not stick gum, it is, 

and they hold up in just about any temperature.    and, odd to me, but with stick gum, i'd tear them in half, but with the 'pieces' gum, i chew two at a time

and, but..    to find out the plastic wrap comes write off...   and the lid!  it can open three different ways!  small for one or two pieces..   larger for several, or to refill..     and/or the whole lid can be taken off

now..

for any mixed media artist..  "EMPTY CANVAS!!"   and, i've decorated several of these now.. i had originally intended to mosaic..    and have experimented here and there, decorating them with paint, stickers, paper, string...

but what is bringing me great joy write now..    "ROSES!"    and i watched a couple, how-to videos on youtube, and, then

some white, some red, some pink, an angled brush

and here is the thing about my roses, vs. the youtube teacher's roses

the teachers can replicate their roses..   that is, they can use the same strokes, in the same way..  and if you asked them to, they could make essentially the same rose, over and over..

i cannot.

i can't quite explain it, but..   i promise you this:  on the 11 recycled gum containers i have painted so far

no two roses are alike

it is the wildest thing.. even when i think i'm using the same stroke, doing the same thing..

some other unpredictable thing happens..

and i just kind of go with it...  

and they all resemble a rose somehow... but, 

well, "i love painting roses!"   and so this is what i will do until a different idea pulls stronger

and, on the top, i can personalize with a sticker or message..

and inside, some candy

i'm recycling, i'm creating, i'm gift-giving.   it is a win/win/win!

in Jesus name, amen.

P.S.   i recently watched susan cain on the power of introverts, a ted talk.   everything she says is true.

especially the part about   [i have to look up the word]    -ambiverts.

and i recalled, during my son's pre-school years, one of the teachers said to me

"jack does interact and play with the other kids, but he can also be by himself, and we are concerned..."

and write away, i was like..  "that's wonderful!   what are you concerned about!?"

and it did not bother me one ounce.

i kind of worry, i get concerned, when it's the other way around, and people have to have someone around AT ALL TIMES..  when they don't know how to be by themselves or enjoy down time; that doesnt seem healthy to me.

but, let's remember to remove judgement, and garden parent:   what are the individual, unique needs of the given child.   

you can look at a plant, tree, a flower and assess whether it is thriving..

so, i believe it is true for me, my daughter and my son

we are all ambiverts

and i agree with susan cain,  we get to enjoy the best of both worlds.
 

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 9:14 AM