A Look Back

 A look back on this day in 2012. I was participating in the National November Journal  Month (create a journal page each day for the month of November) and posting the journal page I had created the day before, 2. November. Little did I know that a year later both my parents would join these family and friends that passed through the veil.

2. November

Halloween, Samhain, All Souls, Day of the Dead are all festivals that honor those that have passed on.

Do Not Stand Over My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand over my grave and weep

I am not there. I do not sleep

I am a thousand winds that blow

I am the diamond glints on snow

I am the sunlight on ripened grain

I am the gentle autumn rain

When you waken in the morning's hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight

I am the soft stars that shine at night

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there. I did not die

Sparkling watercolors, F. W. Acrylic black ink, Nikko G nib.

Prayer for a Snowstorm

 

Since the East Coast is getting blasted with a Nor'Easter today I thought a previous journal page would be apropos. From a journal page from NaNoJouMo - Day 7 originally posted on Saturday, 10. November 2012

"Dear God,

If it must snow, can it snow chocolate instead?"

Behind

too far behind on NaNoJouMo to catch up. Ended up spending my time jumping through legal hoops and negotiating red tape mazes. Happily, the second to the last hurdle was cleared yesterday. One more hurdle to get over, and then I'll sprint to the finish as fast as my chubby, little legs will churn.

As to NaNo, at least no one will die because I didn't finish. I made the rules, and I can break them.

If you're participating in NaNoJouMo as an author or artist, will you complete your project before the deadline?

NaNoJouMo - Day 11

For Armistice/Veteran's Day, In Flanders Field by John McCrae. The small white crosses between the poppies didn't show up in the scan )-:

F.W. acrylic black, Gillote 1068A, Prismacolor pencils, Pigma Pen, Sharpie Marker

NaNoJouMo - 9

Still catching up. Friday, my mother was to receive some news that would have upset her. Thankfully, she was not having one of her aware days so a mushroom cloud didn't blossom over Wellesley.

Gouache, acrylic, cotton ball, Ziller Grass Green ink, Nikko G nib

NaNoJouMo - Day 8

A quote from The Doctor Who episode Vincent and the Doctor

" It seems to me there's so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see. I believe, if you look hard, there are more wonders in the universe than you could ever dream."

I decided to try a technique found at Angelia's Art Journals 
You color with crayons or oil pastels. Then paint over the entire image with black artist acrylic. When the paint is thoroughly dry, scrape the paint with a craft knife. The crayon will resist the paint, and the paint will scrape off fairly easily. Where crayon didn't hit the paper, the paint will adhere.

I remembered doing this technique in grammar school, only the nun who taught art mixed black tempera paint with liquid laundry starch. We were supposed to color a design with our crayons and when we scraped the paint off, our design would look like a stained glass window.  I seem to recall I drew a whole bunch of mermaids.

Water soluble oil pastels, Liquitex Soft Body Ivory Black, Ziller Midnight Blue ink, Brause 3/4 mm. nib

NaNoJouMo - Day 7

Playing catch up, a page to celebrate the Nor'Easter. Mixed media collage. I did a similar page last year for a mixed media class recycling your own artwork. I even used the paper towels I used to blot soupy spots on the previous journal pages.  I'm happier with this incarnation.

"Dear God, If it must snow, can it snow chocolate instead?"

NaNoJouMo - Day 6

A day or two late and a dollar short. What else is new?

For Election Day.

Amendment XV

Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.

Section 1

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

Section 2

The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation

Amendment XIX

Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August 18, 1920.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

F. W. Acrylic Black ink, Gillotte 1068A nib, gouache, gesso, embellishments on Arches Text Wove.

NaNoJouMo - Day 5

Remember, remember the fifth of November. No, not for Guy Fawkes' Day. It's my maternal grandmother's birthday. She's the only grandparent I knew. She was born in 1895 and left her native Italy at the age of 16. Actually, she was shipped off because her parents didn't approve of the young man who was coming around to see her.

She was the perfect grandma. She was a good sport and put up with our childish antics. She loved The Three Stooges and let us watch them even though my mother wouldn't let us watch them when we were home. More noted for the macaroni and goodies from her kitchen, she passed down a lullaby  a mixture of Italian and English to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Anyone who has taken care of a cranky, sleepy baby would understand the lullaby  The caretaker bribes the baby with "When your daddy comes home, he will bring you candy. Go to sleep, baby."

Gouache, Dr. PH. Martin, 18K Gold ink, Dr. P.H. Martin Silver ink, Ziller Midnight Blue ink, Nikko G nib

NanoJouMo - Day 4

4. November 2012 - Time Change

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but, actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey...stuff." - Tenth Doctor, from The Doctor Who episode Blink

Gouache, Dr. P.H. Martin 18K gold, Dr. P.H. Martin Silver, Ziller Midnight Blue ink, Nikko G nib.

NaNoJouMo - Day 3

Day of the Dead.  Lyrics from The Gift by Paul Williams

Sweet angel of life
You give us time
for touching and learning
eyes for pictures and tears
Moments and years
Your pages are turning
And love, love is your song
Love is your star
Your strength and your calling
sweet angel of life this is your gift

F.W acrylic black ink, Arches Text Wove, Nikko G nib, Black Sharpie marker and Prismacolor pencils on Canson Vellum

NaNoJouMo - Day 1 Completed

1. November 2012 - All Saints Day

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord, deliver us.

The little prayer should also include short-leggedy beasties, too.

F. W. Acrylic black ink, Derwent Inktense Pencils, Prismacolor Watercolor, Pencils, Pigma Pen, Nikko G nib, Arches Text Wove

NaNoJouMo - Day 1

Today begins 30 days of working in a journal. There are no rules except those I impose on myself. The goal is to work each day in the journal, not necessarily completing a page. I've written some prompts in a notebook and am ready to start.

Today's prompt is All Saints Day. Check back later to see the first page.

What are you working on today?

For All Saints Day, St. Michael, the Archangel.  To be colored to resemble stained glass.

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord, deliver us.

Tomorrow: All Souls Day

Prep

Last year during the month of November, I participated in NaNoJouMo, National Nonstop Journal Month. The idea borrowed from NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, is to journal each day during the month.  I'm planning on doing that again.

 Instead of using a commercial journal, I made a journal following instructions from Teesha Moore's 16 page journal made from one sheet of paper. I used two sheets of Arches Text Wove to form two signatures to form the book. Text Wove folds easily takes ink and paint well. I'll bind the book afterwards as I think it will be easier to work in before it's bound. Also, I think I'll use a different binding technique than the one that Teesha Moore uses.

There are no rules to participating, other than to work in the journal each day. If you want to play and don't know where to start, Dawn DeVries Sokol will be posting prompts each day to spark your creativity. You don't need to make your own journal. You don't need a fancy journal. You can use a composition notebook, scrap paper, loose leaf paper, old phone books, or new ones. Use a pencil, pen or makers, or paint up a storm. Up to you. Snag Dawn's badge for your blog to help spread the word.

Will you be participating in NaNoJouMo or NaNoWriMo?

NaNoJouMo - 30

30 days hath September, April, June, and November. The End. The last journal entry for the NaNoJouMo. The month sure went by fast. There were days that I didn't think I'd haven anything to journal about. Days where I didn't think I would have time to journal, and so played catch up. But it's done. Now to work on the cover, the title page, and the colophon.

Rather sad to see the end of this month. It's been unusually and blissfully warm. I've been able to spend days and nights in the sun room. Soon it will be time to close the room up, but that's another today. Today, it's still warm enough to work in the room.

Did you finish your November goals?

NaNoJouMo - 29

Procaftinate. Verb transitive. To put off making gifts until the last minute.  Do you procraftinate?

NaNoJouMo - 28

I love point and click shopping and not just on CyberMonday. No crowds, no hassles, no trolling for parking spaces. I can leisurely browse with a cup of tea in hand. And I don't have to wait days in the check out line.

I pointed and clicked through my holiday shopping and am almost done. Do you enjoy the excitement of the crowds while you do your shopping? Are you finished?

NaNoJouMo - 27

Himself is not a fussy eater (with the exception he won't eat cauliflower), and he only requests special dishes twice a year. Corned beef for St. Patrick's Day and turkey soup aka bone yard soup as it's made with the carcass after Thanksgiving.

Upside of making bone yard soup is I won't have to cook this week. Downside is eating gallons and gallons of turkey soup which is the leftovers of the leftovers.

What do you do with your turkey leftovers?

NaNoJouMo - 26

We've spent the past two days at my folks' house doing yard work. Himself cut up two huge branches that fell during the Halloween snow storm. We raked and bagged the leaves. The lot is only a quarter acre lot but it rakes like the back forty! And I am one hurting puppy!. At least there's better living through chemistry.

What did you do this long weekend?

NaNoJouMo - 25

We had yard work to do at my folks' house. A bit of a late start and a bunch of errands, we ended up working until mid-afternoon. Hungry, tired and a lot left to do, we decided to grab lunch. "Where do you want to go to lunch?" he said. I'm not too fussy about dining out. I figure I'm out. No matter where we go I won't have to do the cooking. I don't like to do a drive thru. But today, the day after Thanksgiving, my answer was, "Any place where I don't have to have turkey."

I'm not a huge fan of turkey. Once a year is more than enough for me, and I don't particularly care for leftovers. We decided we'd go to Friendly's, a local sandwich shop. On the way, we were passing by a Five Guys Burgers and Fries. It was after 3pm, and we were both starving. Also wondering what the traffic would be like as we would have to go past the mall to get to Friendly's, and we altered our plan.

Have you ever eaten a Five Guys burger? It's a real hamburger. It's not pressed meat, and it's round to fit the bun. (The square meat makes me nervous.) One of my guilty pleasures is a heart attack on a bun (aka a bacon cheeseburger) Yeah, stop nagging me about the cheese thing. American cheese isn't real cheese, and it's cooked. Besides, there's enough stuff to mask the texture and taste of the cheese. At Five Guys, you can also have your choice of a zillion toppings, the usual players like lettuce and tomato, but also jalapeno pepper for the adventurous. And as many as you want, no extra charge. Refills on soft drinks are free, too.

Not only do you get a real hamburger, but you get french fries made with real potatoes. If you doubt the authenticity of the potatoes, you only have to look at the 50 pound bags of potatoes stacked as you enter the restaurant. And are they generous? Ja, sure, you betcha, as my Minnesota friends say. For the small size, the server over fills a medium soft drink cup and then dumps the fries in a brown paper bag to absorb the grease. There were enough fries for both of us to share with plenty to bring home as leftovers.

Do you like Thanksgiving leftovers?