All is well “around here”. Mama’s still “with us”. It will be 2 years August 1st (I do believe). Will check this out. We manage each day – day by day – sometimes I use the 15-minute timer to tick off the minutes and to keep me focused.

I’ve been writing (again). This time it’s about my father’s history. I’ve found his writings (some of them) in his old briefcase which is falling apart at the seams – truly splitting apart. It’s been interesting “digging”. He put his thoughts in writing  on legal-sized yellow paper as he was pondering various matters that concerned him.The paper now is aged and darker in color.

I swim in the morning and drink Aria Women’s Protein Drink for breakfast. I continue acupuncture treatments on Thursday mornings. Having a social life through Meetup.com has made life more enjoyable – going out to many interesting places to eat and attending various art, music and theater events. I’m an organizer of three groups – Tea Toads, The Cincinnati Brunch Club and Art, Music & Theater Meetup. I also continue to go to the studio on Wednesday evenings or attend art events on Wednesday evenings at The Cincinnati Art Museum.

Creating some art “along the way gives me some time to relax and step back from “caregiving duties”. My paintings are abstract and are quickly produced. I sell some of them now for $20 “off the wall” at our art walks.

OK. Enough for today’s “catch-up” post.

Onward!

Karen

Hooray! We did it! We opened  the studio for the Oct. Art Walk @ Essex Studios. Many pople stopped by to enjoy our art work, good food and company. Penny Deer’s beautiful display of handmade soaps were a bit hit! Penny will be at our next two openings, too. Candice Teasely and Susan Deyo were “on board” to help set up, hang up and set out all that is required for a special show. Speaking of “show” … Moe is always a big hit – with her bright, colors and personality plus. Wanda, Candice’s mom, helps out, too…and she enjoys art!

Meeting new artists up and down “our hall” was fun. Jeff Smith’s photos are exquisite… I bought two. Then the lady who made the tiny Fairies and other whimsical figures caught my pocket book “off guard”.   Mainifest Gallery is a major and important addition to Essex Studios. Candice and I want to sign up for some of their drawing opportunities. Tree lovers – woods people who revel at the magtnificence of trees will love Robert Mullenix’s work. View his work at http://rwmullenix.blogspot.com/

Several people showed interest in classes with Karen on Wednesday evenings – $15.00 “Pay as you go” -for a 2 hr. session. Penny is considering teaching classes on making soap molds. Susan teaches Pencil Drawing. If you have any interest in classes, please call Karen @ 513-600-8063.

Today our bricks go on  the  auction block – to raise money and awareness for Women’s Breast Cancer.  See the bricks: www.breastcancerbricks.org

One more note: This Wednesday evening i’m attending the Cincinnati Independents food event @ Newport Aquarium for a Food Tasting. Magnificent!

Also, visit www.meetup.com for information about many fun groups. You’ll find my Brunch Club and Tea Toads there. 

OJNWARD!  Karen Kelly “As Always”

The wind is howling outside the cottage. Mama is eating a bowl of tomato soup, Vinta crackers with a special pate’ from Kroger’s.

I just fed the birds (again) on the porch ledge. The suet feeder is empty which puts the “hanging” birds into “squat position” on the porch in order to get some bird seed, too. Cardinals, chickadees, Mourning Doves, sparrows, nuthatches and many others stop by to feed.

A wild wind is bringing in winter. I’m not going into Essex Studio tonight and sit there waiting for someone to stroll through. My students and I just hung our December Show at Paula’s Internet Cafe’ and Deli at Findlay Market on Wednesday and Thursday evening. That’s enough art for me (for us) this week!

I just want to cozy down under the blue blanket on the couch and watch Friday’s TV fare. Mama and I watch the McLaughlin Report most Friday evenings. I like seeing what Tony Blakely is wearing! Politics aside, it’s an interesting discussion (in our opinion…speaking for Mama, too).

I think we have what we need in food and supplies. If the electric goes out, we’ll use flash lights and cover up with more blankets. We’re ready, but I don’t think I know who will be doing our snow-plowing yet. (Need to check that out “pronto”).

My interest is in finishing the 2006 Christmas Card…putting in a message. The painting is done and it scanned out nicely. Enjoyed creating  tent cards and post cards for the art show. Mama’s been sending out a lot of cards to family and friends.

Better get those stamped and out to the mail!

Onward! 

TRY THIS: Be a caregiver and try to set aside time to create! This is my current “challenge to creativity”. As Edgar Gibson says, “Argue for your limitations and you will get them!” I’m arguing for them right now, today. 

“When will I write”, I ask. “When will I do it?” I read the “Do It” books and have all sorts of “nudge notes” stuck here and there to “get the job done”.

 Setting aside time for doing my writing for “Karens-Studio.com” is “on my To Do list”. However, more pressing tasks push their way into my consciousness and move me to action. I thought with the time change I would use the morning hours more productively. I did get up much earlier, around 5 a.m. and began my “Regular Morning Routine” - the “up and ready” shower, teeth, make-up, dress part of the routine. Then it’s a stand-up breakfast of a protein milk shake, clean out the blender and wipe the sink (thanks to Flylady.net for this one).

Morning care for Mama Lois isn’t that difficult. I load up the ice bucket with ice cubes before I leave the “main house” to go down the outside breezeway, down some steps into the “cottage” which now serves as Mama’s new home, not her real home “her Katrina” all gone except for selling the house and unloading the basement, etc.

 It is a cottage – pool house, formerly my late husband’s office and mine, too. It had been a small apartment for the former owner’s daughter and her husband and also an office for the former owner after his daughter moved on. So, now it is a cottage for Mama and me, but I still have my office!

Mama’s bedside table holds a lot of “necessities” for her daily care. She routinely sorts and organizes these items for her convenience. I remove and replace the plastic mug with a handle and the blue glass that holds the swab for cleaning her mouth. I take her false teeth which are soaking in a small, round cup to the bathroom sink and scrub them. I replace the wash rag which is folded in a plastic basket for her to wipe her face and hands.

She empties the trash basket (a small plastic bin) lined with a tall kitchen garbage bag and ties it neatly. She is able to reach with her “reacher” to bring it to her bed to tie it up. This is an example of how she participates in the process of caregiving and also provides an opportunity to be responsible for herself and to share in her own care. 

 There is much more that goes into the morning routine and that I shall describe later.

 For the moment, I’m thinking of Matisse. I’m thinking of Mama and me working on the art lessons which I will be posting soon. The first set is ready and we’re working on the next set. These lessons are designed for the Adult Beginner and Mama is “testing” them out.

 Creativity comes into play each day as I pick out the colors for her small lap tray. It is a tray that may have been a wedding present to me and my first husband many years ago. It is teak? It is definitely Danish, thin and light and sturdy. It is perfect and easy to handle. I like choosing different cloth napkins from her collection and mine, too. The paper napkin goes under the pretty dishes – all coodinating colors.

The day has come and gone. We’ll watch “Wife Swap” tonight. I’ve done the dishes (by hand) which is a simple pleasure because there are so few dishes to wash. I like the smell of the soap from Trader Joe’s. It is Lavender. Even it’s color is Lavender. I am grateful for this beautiful day of color and another opportunity to share it with Mama and of course, Molly Dog who will get further coverage in another section of this blog.

Onward!

For me, creativity is “being”. To be or not to be… to be creative, to be a creator, to be creating. It’s a way of reaching inside to one’s soul or essence to find new ways of “doing”. Some may call it problem-solving. To live is to create, and vice versa – to create is to live.

Take any task at hand and it can be approached creatively. Doing the dishes by hand can be a creative task, from start to finish. Every aspect of this task can be creative -by choosing the brand, color and fragrance of the cleansing agent (liquid soap), choosing a specific type of sponge, cloth or brush for rubbing the dishes clean, choosing the temperature of the water, the dish towel – color, texture, absorbency, etc.

How the dishes are stacked or put into the water, rinsed and set on a rack to air dry – again making choices, being creative about the process – which items are chosen to be washed first or left to soak? Choosing is key, being creative is the process.

If we think about what we are doing as we are doing the task, we can move into a state of being creative, being aware of creating. Some may call it “being in the now”…or having a “Zen moment”. I think it is a state of awareness. I like OSHO’s books on Awareness and Creativity. His teachings cut deep into the “Essence of Living”.

Anything we do can be approached creatively. Creative thinking may be called “being inspired to do something differently”. It’s a “given” because each of us actually will approach tasks creatively if we choose to do so. However, there is a challenge to creative thinking… in being told that there is only “one way” of doing something. That may be OK for numb-mindedness, but even sitting in a small cell, dark and alone can be done creatively.

Try thinking about drawing without having any materials available. Mentally take a pencil and draw anything you choose. Mentally draw on the walls and celing and why not, draw on the floors? Mentally, choose different colors for your surroundings. And, while you are at it , mentally decorate the entire space. The word that comes to mind is IMAGINE. Create a door, create a new world. That’s being creative, that’s choosing creativity.

Creativity and independent thinking go “hand in hand”. They are soul-mates of the mind. Creativity is a driving force of life, of human nature. To be alive is to be creative. When creativity is lost, so is the soul…so is the desire for living…numbness sets in, one “gives up”.

Sometimes it takes guts to be creative. However, it’s worth the effort to tap into “the source”. Life will be more interesting and full-filling. You begin to feel you have something you can do that is uniquely you. This feeling is energizing and propels you onto trying more new ways of doing, more new ways of seeing.

So, first thing to do today – is to be CREATIVE!

Onward!

Welcome to Karen’s Studio!