“Treat the Living Well”
Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops, and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well. –Jennifer M. Granholm
In Memoriam…
Month: May 2017
Sucker Punched by a Postcard
I rarely receive a postcard I don’t like. In fact, I enjoy receiving postcards that share a little about the history of a place. In spite of my appreciation for history and culture, there are historical and cultural postcards I would not be too excited about receiving–those that valorize racism, sexism, homophobia, and anything that is psychologically or emotionally harmful or that glorify horrific parts of a nation’s past.
I’ll admit it. The sender is one of my favorite postcard pals and I love receiving mail from her, but I raised my eyebrows at the sepia postcard from the “Old West Collectors Series” I received a few days ago–Buffalo Bill Cody.
William F. Cody/Buffalo Bill Cody, 1846-1917
Then, I read the description:
Hunter, scout, indian [sic] fighter; Buffalo Bill romanticized the West in his Wild West Show that toured through the Eastern U.S. and Europe. This photo of the colorful character was taken in El Paso in 1915 by Feldman Studio.
Are you kidding me? Indian fighter?! This postcard felt like a sucker punch. I mentioned this to my hubby–a history buff–and he responded, “That’s not who he really was.” I’ve paid very little attention to anything having to do with the “wild west,” since most of what I’ve seen in the long ago past of my childhood only perpetuated stereotypes about minorities and women in this country.
But this was worth exploring. Maybe, I was too hasty.
My search led me to a PBS biography and Corrie N. Cody’s Travel Blog, part of the Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country’s website for tourists. The post separated the man from the myth and I found that the values of the real life person may have very little to do with the values of the “image” or character.
Here are three of the “Top 10 Things You Don’t Know About Buffalo Bill”:
- Known as a fearless Indian fighter, Cody respected — and advocated for the rights of — American Indians and once said, “Every Indian outbreak that I have ever known has resulted from broken promises and broken treaties by the government.”
- Cody was an ardent supporter of women’s rights and insisted on equal pay for all members of his traveling shows, regardless of gender. “What we want to do is give women even more liberty than they have,” he said. “Let them do any kind of work they see fit, and if they do it as well as men, give them the same pay.”
- Cody’s family was Quaker and opposed slavery. When Cody was a young child, the family moved from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Territory, a hotbed of conflict between slavery advocates and abolitionists. While giving an antislavery speech at a local trading post, Cody’s father Isaac was stabbed twice by an angry man in the crowd.
Although I still have some reservations, I’m happy to find that Buffalo Bill is not everything I thought he was. I can find some reasons to appreciate the postcard after all.
You can find out more about Buffalo Bill Cody by following any of the links above.
Have you been duped by television and legend? Are there some history makers out there you’ve ignored because you thought they were less than positive? Do tell!
Freedom Quilt Patterns | Farewell, Mrs. Crarey
(Log Cabin)
School ends in a few days and Mrs. Crarey, my favorite second grade teacher, is retiring. I’m sad for all the children who will miss the opportunity of learning under such an amazing person, but I’m happy for her. She’s earned her retirement and she will certainly make deep impressions wherever she goes.
Mrs. Crarey is simply awesome. Even with a classroom full of many different personalities and learning styles, she has a way of dealing with her students as individuals and stimulating their intellectual curiosity. I love her not only because she is awesome but because she just loves my son, and even today–three years after he finished second grade–she is a friend of his heart.
I will always be grateful for the way she kept his curiosity piqued and gave him more challenging work when he surpassed benchmarks. She used his love for reading, robots, science, animals, Star Wars, and mystery to keep him engaged. That meant a lot to this mom who was uncomfortable in a newish environment with a kid who was pining for home (New Orleans) and still adjusting to a school day structure and approach to teaching and learning that were very different from the Montessori curriculum of his previous experience.
When I blogged about the fifth grade African masks a few months ago, I mentioned there was so much more art to see–much more than I can cover in a couple of blog posts. But in honor of Mrs. Crarey’s retirement and the tremendous gift she has been to the school, this post focuses on her group’s art fair exhibit.
Mrs. Crarey approaches art purposefully. She typically has her students complete art projects that connect to a lesson. When my son was in her class, the students drew and learned about owls, West African-style dwellings, jewelry, and women’s attire, geckos, dinosaurs, which I blogged about three and a half years ago, Dr. Seuss, and so much more. I’m going to miss taking a walk down to her classroom and taking a peek at her students’ masterpieces.
In addition to other art pieces, the class created quilt blocks. After reading Bettye Stroud’s The Patchwork Quilt: A Quilt Map to Freedom, reading about the Underground Railroad, viewing and studying maps of the “slave states” and “free states,” students selected a quilt pattern to draw and color.
“Freedom Quilt”
According to some studies, the quilts played an important role in helping enslaved persons make their way to freedom. Each quilt piece held significant meaning and provided directions and warnings. Although there have been verbal statements from descendants of enslaved persons regarding the quilt code, there has been no physical proof.
Take a look at the children’s quilt pieces [click an image for a closer look]:
(Log Cabin)
Addy (North Star)
Alfonzo (Log Cabin)
Aniyah (Bow Ties)
Azariah (Monkey Wrench)
Bailey (Bow Ties)
Blake (Drunkard’s Path)
Brendun (Monkey Wrench)
Brooke (Flying Geese)
Ferron (Monkey Wrench)
Jayden (North Star)
Jadon (Log Cabin)
Jeremiah (Drunkard’s Path)
Kara (Log Cabin)
Kayli (Crossroads)
Kendra (Drunkard’s Path)
London (Bow Ties)
Makayla (Log Cabin)
Mekhai (Log Cabin)
Michael (North Star)
Richard (Log Cabin)
Sara (Crossroads)
(Log Cabin)
Follow the link to find out what each of the patterns mean: Freedom Quilt Codes.
Farewell, Mrs. Crarey…We’re not sure how we’ll survive the coming years without running into you for our quick chats, but we wish you well on your journey. Thank you for the fond memories, for your generous spirit, and your heart of gold.
Much love…XOXOX
Mrs. Crarey and My Little One, December 2013
A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, and touches a heart.
Up on the Roof in France with “The Drifters”
On the roof, it’s peaceful as can be
And there the world below don’t bother me.
I’ve been singing The Drifter’s 1962 major hit, “Up on the Roof” for weeks now. I can’t get it out of my head! Why this random singing of a song that was written before I was born? The culprit is this postcard sent to me for a Liberate Your Art side swap:
“Rooftop in Apremont-sur-Allier” by Louise Mamet
The rooftop photo was captured by my blog pal Louise of Drops of Everything. Louise has such a unique perspective. I always enjoy her postcards and her blog.
This particular photo features the rooftop of an old home in the “adorable village” of Apremont-sur-Allier in France. I am really interested in architecture–I especially enjoy studying the similarities of architecture in different areas of the world–so this was the perfect selection for me.
Louise sent her postcard in an envelope and included a splendid postcard advertising an exhibit at the Grand Pressigny–La Femme dans la Préhistoire [Women in Prehistory]–a subject right up my alley. Now, I just have to figure out how to get to France by the end of November. 😉
La Femme dans la Préhistoire
She also included one of her business cards which is so perfect I can’t resist sharing it here.
Photo by Louise Mamet
You can find more of Louise’s photography on her blog: Drops of Everything and on Facebook.
Louise prefers postcards in envelopes, so when I sent a postcard to her I included a postcard reproduction of artist/illustrator/graphic novelist Eric Drooker’s “On the Roof” to prolong our visual conversation.
“On the Roof” by Eric Drooker
Up on the roof, up on a roof
Everything is alright, everything is alright
I didn’t realize when I sent the photo that I’d be introducing Louise to a new artist, so that was a bonus. And your bonus–the perfect song to end the week. Take a listen.
Maybe, you’ll be singing “Up on the Roof” too!
Dreaming Art: Liberate Your Art Side Swaps
As in years past, I did a little side-swapping after the Liberate Your Art blog hop. April and May are pretty crazy-busy around here, so I don’t check my post office box as frequently as I should. When I finally checked, there was a mailbox full of postcards waiting and I jumped for joy when I saw the collection of art.
Here’s a quick look at nine of the ten postcards.
The first postcard came from my faithful postcard pal, Christine B. I met Christine via LYA 2016, but our friendship has grown via Love Notes, which she introduced to me last spring.
“Thistles,” photo by Christine B.
Christine captured this photo in England. She writes that the thistles remind her of “spires” and provides the etymology of the word: Spires–Derived from Old English, spir, meaning a sprout, shoot or a stalk of grass.
Lisa C. sent a great big “howdy” from Texas with her “Dream” photo:
She shot this image as a storm was coming in and later “photoshopped” the tree into the photograph. I love cloud formations and the unique shapes they make.
You can find more of Lisa’s nature photography on her blog, Chasing the Sun.
I’ve swapped with Sherry H. for the past few rounds of LYA. She sent her mixed media “mountain bird” with greetings from Amook Island (Alaska):
Mixed media art by Sherry H., Amook Island Creations
She printed a simple but inspiring message on back:
Conceive. Believe. Achieve.
Sheila D., with whom I’ve also swapped almost every year I participated in LYA, sent a beautiful watercolor of blues, greens, and purples–a field of purple wildflowers (yay!):
“Wildflowers,” Watercolor by Sheila D.
Sheila encourages, “Keep sharing your art with the world!” You can see more of Sheila’s watercolors on her blog: Sheila’s Corner Studio.
Suzette R. sent a textured yellow rose:
“In the Thicket of Things,” Photo by Suzette R.
She shared a quote:
Surely a star danced in Heaven on the day you were born. –Flavia
An interaction with Suzette a few months ago led to the creation of Karle’s Wings. [Thanks, Suzette!]. You can find out more about Suzette and take a look at more of her beautiful photos on her blog, Notes from the Road.
Pat M. of Serendipity shared a gorgeous mixed media magnolia on canvas.
“Magnolia,” mixed media by Pat M.
This piece began as a photo to which Pat added paper for texture and then oil painted. This is definitely a technique I will try this summer. She also shares a quote:
To be an artist is to believe in life. –Henry Moore
My “neighbor,” Patsy (PJ) from Tennessee, shared an interesting painting:
“Painting in a Book,” by Pasty L. (PJ)
The painting was completed in an altered photography book using acrylic paint and oil pastels. The colors come from the original photos on the page.
Janice D. creates beautiful and inspiring mixed media pieces, some of which have a prominent place on one of my inspiration walls. She shared her “Dreamer.”
“Dreamer” by Janice D.
And writes:
Never let it be said that to DREAM is a waste of one’s time, for DREAMS are our realities waiting. In DREAMS we plant the seeds of our future.
Finally, Christine sent a second card–a sweet reproduction of one of her fabric cards. I shared an original fabric card in an earlier post.
“Fabric Hearts,” reproduction of a handmade fabric card made by Christine B.
Christine sent the card with a wish that it will “fill [me] with love.” This card is one of my favorites–I have a thing for hearts, like I have a thing for purple and sunflowers–so it’s headed for an inspiration wall.
I have one more postcard to share, but I’m saving that one for another day–maybe, tomorrow.
For now…thanks ladies, for the beautiful artwork that brightens my journals, my walls, and my days.
If you missed the postcards I received through the regular swap, you can find them here: Experiment, Create, Play, and Liberate.
Ciao!
Purple Reign: Loving the Purple Journal
I have often wondered what happens to the photographs I send into the world. Diane (aka Midteacher), one of my photog pals in the A Thousand Words group on swap-bot, takes the guess work out of it for the photos I send to her. She often lets me know that she has included or plans to include my photos in her various art or mixed media journals. When I sent her this year’s “love post,” she shared that it was going to be added to her Purple Journal. Yes, her purple journal!
Alistair posing with the purple journal page featuring my 2017 “love post.” Photo by Diane (Midteacher)
Take a look at detail!
Close-up of the “love post” in Diane’s Purple Journal–Photo by Diane (Midteacher)
View the full post here: Playing in the Purple Journal.
I’m delighted that Diane found a beautiful use for the photo, but I’m sharing her post because she shares how she transformed the simple photo into a beautiful journal page. [She’s even running a contest for naming her purple journal. Help her name her journal and you could be the winner of a purple 8×10 mixed media piece].
I’ve always been intrigued and inspired by Diane’s work. My seeing how she crafted this page gives me the creative courage to give mixed media work a try.
You can see more of Diane’s work on her blog, A Focused Journey: Finding a Focus on the Other Side of Fifty, or you can check out some of my earlier posts which feature her photos:
- Purple Pansy
- Abandoned
- Autumn Happy Mail
- Happy Heart Mail
- Playing with Black and White: Flowers
- Red, White, and Blue: Not a Political Statement
I’ll be sharing more of Diane’s work within the next week or two. Until then, enjoy the reign of purple!
Choose Kindness.
I thought I was at the end of my “kindness rope” earlier today. Then, a postcard arrived that helped me hold on a bit tighter.
PeggyO sent the card below for a Literary Wisdom Postcard swap, a series I host for the “All Things Book-Related” group on swap-bot.
Purple Crocuses and Kindness
Let’s take a moment to squeal because…well…purple crocus flowers! [Thanks, Christine]
The quote does not directly relate to my situation, but it reminded me to continue being who I am. A kind person. Even when I’ve had enough. Even when I am saying “no.”
What do you do when your kindness is taken for granted? When you have been overly kind, generous, gracious, but it’s not enough? When those on the receiving end are less than kind and seem insatiable, wanting more and more and more of your kindness?
I hope you choose kindness.
Note: The quote, though ascribed to Mark Twain, did not originate with him. Find out more here: Quote Investigator.
Following Wasps and Finding Hearts
I was sitting in my backyard an hour ago, clearing the clutter of the day from my mind, trying to feel human again–talking to God, listening for His voice, affirming His promise of peace.
As I was lost in thought, a wasp flew by and I absent-mindedly followed its path to a log I found interesting enough to photograph. As I poised to take the shot, the wasp changed its course and led me to this beautiful gift.
“Found Heart”
A found heart! The second one for the day!
My day started with a found heart my penfriend Christine posted on Instagram this morning.
Christine’s “Found Heart”
The hearts are reminders that no matter how utterly mired in the muck of life we find ourselves, love is the fundamental principle, the basis from which we should operate and the truth we must walk in. It is the thing we must cling to in the face of all the stuff tossed our way. It is what keeps us okay–sane and whole.
In the crazy rush of doing and getting it is easy to forget love, so I wish to remind you as I must remind myself from time to time: You are indeed loved. Be sure to take some time each day to bask in this knowledge and let it fill you to overflowing.
Hugs and hearts…
Love, Lines, and Angles: Finding Beauty in Ordinary Places
My friend Cy doesn’t consider herself a photographer; however, she has a knack for evoking strong feelings with the ordinary things she photographs with her phone camera. She always remarks that she’s learning a lot about photography from me, but I am learning so much from her.
I’ve been attempting to “train” my eye to see things differently and find art in ordinary things. So, while my camera and I have been having a wonderful time watching spring unfold, I’ve also been making a point of photographing some of the mundane things I encounter in my everyday life, things to which I usually pay little attention.
A couple of weeks ago I focused on lines. They were everywhere–in my office, in the air, on the ground, on my student’s back. Even though my camera was often mere inches away, I captured the photos below with my iPhone because usually the ordinary is most striking when I’m not expecting it and when I’m not attempting to “force” it.
I noticed the power lines on my walk down the driveway to the mailbox one afternoon. I was struck by the awe and power they represent–power to give life and to take it.
Power and Respect.
The dandelion was beneath them, hoping for some attention, before all the “wishes” blew away.
“Dande-Lines”
A sleek bike was resting in the hallway mere feet away from my (work) office. It was a gift waiting for me to return from a brief walk on campus. The lines on the floor were not to be ignored either.
“Circles, Lines, and Angles”
The table, chair, and railing lines caught my eye while I was having lunch with a friend, reminding me of all the ways we work to stay connected. The empty chair (for me) represented a friend who could not join us for lunch that day.
“Lines of Communication.”
Finally, my student’s thought-provoking tattoo. The words “reflect God’s love” are written in Arabic with the sun and rays providing the visual message. There’s an intriguing story that goes along with this tattoo, but the lines–the rays–grabbed my attention.
“Reflect God’s Love”
There’s simply so much beauty in the ordinary. Sometimes, it takes adjusting one’s angle or purview just a little, but it’s there. Always.
Have you found beauty in the everyday things that meet your eyes?
Pics and Posts 