Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Change is Hard


Change is hard for me. I've been thinking about this and wondering why and I think it's because my childhood was a whirlwind of constant change. I've mentioned before in previous posts that we moved around a lot. I remember I started first grade in Eloy, Arizona and halfway through I was moved to a school in Toltec, Arizona and the trend continued for almost my whole school history until I got to high school. 

It was hard, starting a new school, getting accustomed to new ways and teachers, making new friends only to come home and see the U-Haul truck in the driveway and know that it was time to move along. At times I hated it, especially when I saw that U-Haul and knew I had to hand my schoolbooks to someone else on the bus and ask them to tell my teacher that I wasn't coming back. But it made me a stronger person, a social and more outgoing person, at least it looked that way on the outside.

Now I see that maybe all those constant changes are what makes it so hard for me to see change. When my kids started school at the end of the year I would be sad because they would be changing teachers or starting in a different school and I would be dropping them off at new places. Then I would get used to having them home for summer break and I would get sad when they had to go back to school.

I've always gotten sad when I had to say goodbye to a car after buying a new one. I would remember all the adventures and fun I had with and in that car and would really almost be angry at the new car that didn't have my butt print in the seat, that didn't have ice cream stains and memories of car seats and sibling fights in it.

Now I'm facing another change, what some might term a "silly change". Across the hall from my office is the corporate office for Floyd's General Stores. I've worked in this building for almost 11 years and they have always been in the same building and because I talk to everyone I meet I have made friends with several of the ladies that work for Floyd's. 

Now Floyd's has sold their stores to a company out of Utah and their office in my building will be closed. Many of the employees moved to Utah to accept jobs there, but some of my favorite employees have chosen to go ahead and go into retirement. Regardless of where these people end up, they will be gone from my life and it makes me sad to see movers moving all their stuff out of the offices. The doors are open while the movers do their job and I can see empty desks and stuff just strewn about.

And I know the employees are excited to move on with their new lives and I doubt they will even give me a second thought or even come by to say goodbye...but I will miss them and I'm sad to see them go and I DON'T LIKE CHANGE!!! I also know I will probably make friends with the new tenants and someday have to say goodbye to them...I guess goodbye and change are inevitable in life.






Sunday, September 9, 2018

Art Journaling Update

I'm really looking forward to Autumn and cooler weather. It's been so hot that it's just taken the wind out of my sails when it comes to painting, but I'm happy that I've found an outlet in Art Journaling.

Here's a page I did today. I needed something bright and beautiful after my Dallas Cowboys lost to the Panthers. I'm hoping they do better in the rest of the season, but they did inspire some beautiful art work. C'mon Cowboys...turn into butterflies!


This is almost an art journal, even though it's a rock. Sometimes I miss Arizona and I was inspired by one of those kind of days to create something that reminded me of Arizona. Arizona's beautiful sunsets, there is nothing more beautiful!


Last weekend I did this one and it was so much fun! The background was from a sheet of script paper that I purchased at Hobby Lobby for $1.00. It was 12 x 12 inches so I still have some left. The flowers and leaves I drew and then painted on old book pages and then cut them out and pasted them on the page. Same with the birds and the branches.  This one took a while, but I didn't even notice the time, it flew by because I enjoyed doing this so much.


I did this one last weekend also, same technique, old book pages. I never thought of making art with old books, but I love it!



As soon as the weather changes and it gets cooler, I hope to get back to painting on canvas with acrylics, don't worry cousin Stella, your owls will be the first thing I do! I have the background done already.