Nevermind

I came across this poem a few days ago. Enjoy!

Never Mind
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Whatever your work and whatever its worth,

No matter how strong or clever,

Some one will sneer if you pause to hear,

And scoff at your best endeavour.


For the target art has a broad expanse,

And wherever you chance to hit it,

Though close be your aim to the bull's-eye fame,

There are those who will never admit it.
Though the house applauds while the artist plays,

And a smiling world adores him,

Somebody is there with an ennuied air

To say that the acting bores him.


For the tower of art has a lofty spire,

With many a stair and landing,

And those who climb seem small oft-time

To one at the bottom standing.

So work along in your chosen niche

With a steady purpose to nerve you;

Let nothing men say who pass your way

Relax your courage or swerve you.

The idle will flock by the Temple of Art

For just the pleasure of gazing;

But climb to the top and do not stop,

Though they may not all be praising.

-------

I love the message. I particularly appreciate the line, "For the tower of art has a lofty spire,

With many a stair and landing". We do our best to reach our highest potential, but this line shows that there plateaus along the way. When we reach a pause for any period of time it can be easy to look around and say, "what the hell am I doing way up here!" and start to doubt ourselves. Sometimes people or situations can be discouraging, but we must carry on with confidence. How do you avoid/fight off those who attempt to disrupt your art and keep climbing higher?

I tend to immerse myself in the chaos of creating a collage and/or head to the nearest thrift store. Sorting through chaos helps jolt my brain into action and come up with new and exciting ideas.

Treasure Find Tuesday: Helen Marie

"It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things."

— Lemony Snicket

I am blogging while drinking Red Rose black tea. This is the tea I grew up drinking during tea parties with my grandma. In May, my grandma passed away peacefully five days after my last visit. I needed to take a pause from blogging in order to spare you my unfiltered emotions. I hope that you are still eager to hear more as I am eager to share!

Todays treasure is a salute to Helen Marie. You will undoubtedly learn more about her as this blog goes on. Not only was she quite a character, I wouldn't be at all who I am today if she hadn't shared so much of her love with me.

She read me many poems as a child, but this one was our favorite. I even looked it up on my i phone and read it to her on my last visit. Please enjoy.

The Sugar-Plum Tree

By: Eugene Field

AVE you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree?

'T is a marvel of great renown!

It blooms on the shore of the Lollipop sea

In the garden of Shut-Eye Town;

The fruit that it bears is so wondrously sweet

(As those who have tasted it say)

That good little children have only to eat

Of that fruit to be happy next day.

When you 've got to the tree, you would have a hard time

To capture the fruit which I sing;

The tree is so tall that no person could climb

To the boughs where the sugar-plums swing!

But up in that tree sits a chocolate cat,

And a gingerbread dog prowls below--

And this is the way you contrive to get at

Those sugar-plums tempting you so:

You say but the word to that gingerbread dog

And he barks with such terrible zest

That the chocolate cat is at once all agog,

As her swelling proportions attest.

And the chocolate cat goes cavorting around

From this leafy limb unto that,

And the sugar-plums tumble, of course, to the ground--

Hurrah for that chocolate cat!

There are marshmallows, gumdrops, and peppermint canes,

With stripings of scarlet or gold,

And you carry away of the treasure that rains

As much as your apron can hold!

So come, little child, cuddle closer to me

In your dainty white nightcap and gown,

And I 'll rock you away to that Sugar-Plum Tree

In the garden of Shut-Eye Town.

Our First Christmas

Chris and I decided to celebrate our Christmas in Ohio a week early so that when we return from visiting family we will already have things cleaned up. Also, we really wanted to be able to share the spirit of Christmas just the two of us.

We chose Saturday morning to be our mini Christmas because it snowed ALL Friday night! Not only did we get to wake up to a white Christmas we also fell asleep between a roaring fire and beautiful tree. Bliss. Bliss. Bliss.

Winter Poem:

Ev-er-y winter we scamper about, gather wood, wrap presents, sing carols out loud

We open up boxes, bring in a tree

decorate cookies, drink coco, snuggle clo-se-ly

Pine in the air filling our lungs, fire in the place toasting our buns

Throughout all the world there is no place to be, that is as quite as special as near stocking and tree

-rm

A Wife

I am currently sitting at our new kitchen table listening to the thunder rumble outside as i ponder what to do today. This phrase keeps repeating in my mind: So this is my new life - this is being a wife. haha.

We have been in our apartment for a week now and Chris started work yesterday. Today is my second day on my own. It is so odd to be without limitations - what the heck am I going to do!? We still need some furniture, but what with the giant flash of lightening that just lit the room and without Chris' opinion - i don't really see that happening today.

Perhaps

perhaps I will paint a wall

do some laundry down the hall

wash the dishes in the sink

make sure the apartment doesn't stink

Unpack the closet (It's a walk in !)

take a spin in the gym

watch the ducks and take things in

perhaps I will do it all

or perhaps I'll do nothing at all