Assorted Journal Pages

I was all tucked into bed, but unable to fall asleep as usual, so decided to scan in a few more journal pages to share. Two in the morning seems to be my "ideal" time to blog. I'm usually awake anyway so why not take a few moments to scan a few journal pages, write a paragraph or two and post? Maybe I've hit on my blogging routine at last. but I wouldn't count on it. I admit routine is not something I am good with! 


Today's Movie: Charlotte Gray   A WWII story about the French Resistance. Not bad, but not great either.
Today's reading: Town In a Blueberry Jam  A light, cozy mystery. takes place in coastal Maine, an area I'm quite familiar with. A fast, easy read to keep my mind off the pain.

Journal Page Jan. 10 2011

I have a serious addiction to books. My "library", which is essentially every nook & cranny in the house, had over 2500 books at last count. This page reflects my love for those delightful tomes, in all their many shapes & guises.

Journal Pages 5.7.10 and 5.8.10

I've been dreadfully neglectful of my blogging these past months. REAL LIFE decided it would interfere with the Virtual World in which I romp.  It happens to all of us from time to time. The things we must do get in the way of the things we want to do. 


However, no matter what twists and turns come at me the one thing I won't neglect is my art or my art journaling. For without those I would have no soul....


I'm trying to get back in the blogging groove so hopefully you'll all be hearing a lot more from me. Whether you want to or not!  


For your perusing pleasure, two recent journal pages. The first is on Censorship and how people try to censor me but just can't do it.  The second is on what I need in life to be happy. There's really very little I NEED.  Want and need are two very different things therefore, my needs are simple. My WANTS, well that's a different story....

Currently Reading: The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato 

(reviewing for Library Thing)

Currently Creating to: Stone Temple Pilots: Purple

Blog Love: 

Paris Daily Photo

The Altered Page

Kelly Kilmer (HI KELLY!!!!!!  HUGS!!!!)

April 3 & 4 Journal Pages

I'm finally getting around to scanning in my pages for the past week. Some weeks I do it daily and other weeks I let it slide until I have quite a few to do. Obviously, this is one of those letting it slide weeks!

I finished 'The Sixteen Pleasures' by Robert Hellenga What started out as a great book, full of unexpected wisdom turned into a rather muddled, convoluted story that dragged on too long. Pity as the first half of the book was above par.

It's dreary here, with high winds and biting cold. We even had a bit of a snow squall earlier. I'm getting tired of being cooped up in the house and long for warmer weather to be the norm!!!

April 4, 2009 Journal Page

I haven't been feeling very happy lately. This bothered me for a while. I kept thinking 'What is WRONG with me? Why can't I be happy????' This morning it came to me, like a slap upside the head from the Powers That Be. There is NOTHING wrong with not feeling happy every moment of every day. In fact, it would be even stranger if I, we, YOU, did all experience happiness like that. We're human beings and our emotional state is not static. Our emotions ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean. Sometimes the flow is gentle, caressing, like a kiss from a lover in our youths. Sometimes it is tumultuous, raging, like the waves during a hurricane. And that's OK.

In fact, it is more than OK. It's the way it suppose to be. Which makes me wonder: Why do so many people spend their lives trying to convince themselves and others how happy they are? How totally and absolutely wonderful their lives are with nothing getting in the way of their joyous overflowing of happiness????? I know a lot of people like this. They spend so much time talking about how great their lives are, how they have happiness beyond measure, etc. etc. but you know what? I'm not buying it. No one can be that totally happy at all times. No one's life is so great that they never have a moment of sadness or a moment where they wish things were slightly better. Unless of course they're on mood altering drugs and even then I don't think they'd be totally happy.

Right now I say to you: Admit that you are not always happy. Give yourself permission to be sad once in a while. I'm not talking depressive, taking over your life sadness. I'm talking sadness that comes to you once in a while. The cyclic kind that's caused by stress, illness, a rotten job, LIFE in general. It's OK to be unhappy. The unhappy moments in our lives show us what happiness truly is. It makes us step back and look for the blessings in our lives, no matter how small. It's a necessary emotion that we, as humans, need. If we didn't have that then we wouldn't be here. We'd have ascended to a higher plane of existence where happiness and perfect balance are the norm. In other words, we'd cease to be human and become a Higher Being. Angel, Spirit, Light-Bearer, whatever you want to call it or believe in. A fine goal to be sure, but right now, at this very moment, I prefer to be human. To jump into the Void of my sadness and see what happens. Embrace the emotion and learn from it. And by doing so, I know that happiness will return.

I'm reading 'The Sixteen Pleasures' by Robert Hellenga right now. I have to say it is totally captivating! I've only read 59 pages so far, but in those 59 pages there have been many Wow moments that have made me stop and think. I highly recommend picking up a copy, reading it slowly and taking the time to mull over what has been revealed. And don't let the description of the book fool you. It is far more than a novel dealing with art treasures that were almost lost in a flood. There's life wisdom there. Deep, raw, personal and zen-like wisdom that makes you want to roll the words around in your mouth, tasting them to their fullest.

Journal Pages March 4 & 5

Two of the pages I did for March 4 & 5. They're side by side in the journal, so the colors flow into each other, complementing each other and creating a larger whole.



What I'm reading for inspiration:
The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait (I've read through it countless times and it still captures me every time!)

Sticker City: Paper Graffiti Art (Street Graphics / Street Art)

Today's Movies:

The Red Violin (I've seen it about a dozen times and still it enthralls me)

Girl With a Pearl Earring (I read the book when it first came out & have always loved Vermeer, so thought I'd give the movie a shot.)

January 26 Journal Page

Just one today, so far and it was done very early this morning (about 1:00 AM in fact). If it had been much earlier I could've counted it for yesterday!

I received another batch of early reviewers books in the mail today. I adore being a book reviewer!!!! It's a great way to feed my addiction to books and helps me keep my writing skills in shape. Sometimes I miss being a columnist, but then I remember the pressure of deadlines and realize I'm much happier without dealing with that!

I added another item to my ArtFire store. I wanted to get some more photographed today but it hasn't happened yet. Today was focused on updating my library catalog and rearranging books, again! Tomorrow will have to be photography day.

More snow in the forecast, as if we don't have enough already. My sister, who moved to Florida last October, texts me her beach report almost every day. And now our folks are down there visiting her so I get a beach report from them too! I am so jealous.