Category: Art

Details, details

watercolor by A.

Earlier this month, I set up my visiting teaching appointments but forgot to prepare the message. I did a quick skim of the magazine article I was to share and ran to the first appointment and taught a lovely lesson about women being guardians of the health of our families. We discussed ways we could help our families improve their emotional and physical health. I walked away feeling pretty good about the appointment.

But when I got home and set down the magazine on the counter, I finally noticed that the message was entitled, “Guardians of the HEARTH” (not health)! I was embarrassed and had a healthy laugh at myself. Apparently I need to be more involved in the details. Skimming isn’t adequate when it comes to important things. Some activities require deep, concerted, and detailed effort. And good job to those of you who saw my mistake before you read the second paragraph. Way to go, visiting teacher supreme!

I decided to read a book by Charles Dickins last week because he is a master of details. Each description is so rich and essential. I can’t skim through Dickins. It was a good exercise in focus. I also enjoy how he can moralize about the shady characters with sarcasm and characterize the good with idealism.

So hooray for effort in visiting teaching, flawed as it may be. And hooray for my first watercolor in years. And hooray for people such as Charles Dickins whose detailed efforts show me that I can navigate through experiences with humor and idealism.

In what areas of your life do you choose to be gentle in your self evaluations, while still maintaining an ideal for yourself? Tell me, dear reader. I am curious to hear your thoughts.

Order

Salt Lake Temple
Oakland Temple

When I’m thinking hard about something, I’ll set out to do menial tasks. I’ll clean out a drawer or fold laundry, organize a closet or throw things away. Really big problems are best sorted with a paint roller in my hand. After some challenges this week (certainly nothing horrific!), I spent two evenings creating temples from the chaos of my thoughts and little bags of chipped tile.

I can’t say that it helped. My problems are still here, but I have two cute little temples to grout and frame so it’s not all bad.

A few snapshots of an unforgettable evening

 


Surrounded by friends, we watched Paige’s dance studio perform The Nutcracker this weekend. I decided that it’s better to watch her when I’m not looking through a camera, so I don’t have many photos, and I have no photos of three of her numbers. I lived the experience instead of trying to preserve it and share it, because ballet is very emotional and best enjoyed live.

 

 

We loved the snowflakes.

Paige closed the first act with this pose and snow falling all around her. The show could have ended there because it was so beautiful.

Richard and Daniel were on the technical crew this year. Daniel manned the spotlight and Richard filmed the performance.

Sarah and Bryan were able to come. It’s nice to have family to cheer you on.

Displaying Kids’ Art

Timothy and Mark decided that they wanted to decorate their room. We pulled out some old curtain rods and rings with clips and created an adaptable artwork display.

I bought this 3-tiered frames for a dollar about 7 years ago. The pictures are about 2 1/2 inches square. The above pictures are by Mark.

Timothy likes to color plants.

We spent no money and re-purposed everything. It was a good time.

Here’s to doing new things

This number was part of a ballet recital 7 months ago. We were a little surprised that this was one of the numbers that Paige worked on in her “ballet team” class. I guess her teacher figured that her ballerinas needed some jazz, hip hop, marching band, and cheer leading technique.

Fall break

Paige and I spent the day at Youth Conference on Saturday. Here’s a video of the service project we did in the morning. We cleaned up the community garden at the park behind our church. Paige is interviewed in the film but she wants people to know that she didn’t take that long of a pause when she was talking.

httpv://youtu.be/0nuxvy0JA0Q

At Church yesterday, Daniel was ordained a Deacon. The little boys practiced giving their talks for the Primary program. Richard, Paige, and I went to a handful of meetings before church. I taught in Young Women. We got home from church around 7:00. Paige made dinner. I collapsed on the bed in my dress and awoke this morning at 6:30. Somebody put the kids to bed but it wasn’t me.

It’s fall break for the public schools this week. I’m going to watch the rye grass grow and the hummingbirds visit our feeder in the backyard. We are taking a vacation from school and I’ll be preparing assignments and reading ahead in the textbooks.