Shadows

Stairs at Longwood Gardens at night

Summer Colors

Taken at Longwood Gardens.

Beginner Drawings

I'm going to go out on a limb here and post some of my early drawings.  These were both made after about a month of drawing and shading simple shapes and practicing basic exercises.  I still have a long way to go, but in the spirit of "ship something" (a la Seth Godin) and the inspiration of the Early to Rise challenge, I'm going to share these two drawings with the world.  They are by no means 'good' or perfect, but I am pleased with how they came out, and more importantly, how much I am learning.

 

Conversations among Introverts

I am not a very good conversationalist. (Shh, don't tell my friends - they might disagree!)  I grew up in a family that loves small talk and social gatherings. I am an introvert so I am not very talkative. Let me give you an example. At a recent cocktail party, I met another woman was also an introvert. Let's call her Lizzy.  Lizzy runs a nonprofit so I asked her if the organization was a 501(c)(3). That is a yes or no question. It didn't get very far. Since Lizzy seems to be an introvert she said something to the effect of 'yes it is'. So then I asked what was their primary source of fundraising. And Lizzy replied that it was an annual gala dinner.

And from there the conversation fizzled.  Not that I didn't try.  But it is hard to find ways of connecting with a total stranger. Unlike one of my children who never seems to meet a stranger, I do not instantly connect with very many people.  I am not adept at thinking of good conversation starters or open ended questions.  I don't think on my feet like some people.  I am better at listening.  I process things internally and not verbally.  My best mode of expression is probably writing, but even there I lean toward brevity. 

Fully Alive

I work with a wonderful group of colleagues.  Our newest team member regularly accomplishes the impossible, usually before lunch, and always with a positive attitude.  She is full of enthusiasm and ideas.  Another colleague made a remark to me recently about how she was doing things to grow personally - and she had taken up running and another hobby.  She had just run a 5k and felt great.

I was impressed and inspired by her desire to grow and stretch herself.  And it challenged me to get serious, to be intentional about some of the things I have been meaning to do.  So, I've taken up drawing.  I try to practice for 10-15 minutes per day most days.  I don't get to it every day, but I have consistently been working at it for about 5 weeks now and am pleased to see that I am learning and improving.  I also decided to get serious about exercise.  I found that I already had an app on my phone which had a program for beginning runners which alternates walking and running, gradually increasing the amount of time spent running.  It takes about 30-35 minutes and I have been doing it 3 times per week for the last four weeks.  It's still hard, and I'm not great at it - I'm pretty slow.  But I am going to keep at it.

My next challenge is a book I just ordered called The Early to Rise Experience.  It has 30 days of readings and inspirational messages.  The promo for the book states "Mornings are pregnant with ideas, wisdom and peace. They are an untapped source for a more productive, balanced and joyful life." Now I obviously know that I can get up earlier without reading a book!  And I am naturally a morning person, but we all need a little kick sometimes to remind us to do what we really want and not sleep in when we could be living life to the full!

It's exciting to see how all these proactive strategies are feeding my creative juices and making me more intentional, more thoughtful.  I am full of expectation and fully alive.

Heritage Academy

Heritage Academy ... home to my girls for their middle and high school years.  a solid Christian education. Heritage encouraged them to think, to study, to articulate, to combine faith and learning.  Heritage is unique: it is one of just a few "university model schools" in the country.  Students have classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; then are responsible for a heavy load of work at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

My girls were well prepared for college since they had learned how to work independently and diligently; they learned to take ownership of their assignments and their workload.  The staff and faculty at the school are fabulous and all work very hard to provide an exceptional experience for the students.  Electives, sports, mission trips, honor society, praise and worship, theatre ... you name it, you can find it at Heritage.

Here's a shout out to all the wonderful families at Heritage ... thank you for the privilege of being part of this great community seeking to raise up the next generation to love and serve God faithfully!

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, USA

This is for anyone who lives in Atlanta, who has ever lived in Atlanta, has visited Atlanta, ever plans to visit Atlanta, knows anyone who lives in Atlanta, knows anyone who has ever visited Atlanta or anyone who has ever heard of Atlanta, Georgia.

All directions start with, "Go down Peachtree" and include the phrase, "When you see the Waffle House." 

Peachtree Street has no beginning and no end and is not to be confused with Peachtree Circle, Peachtree Place, Peachtree Lane, Peachtree Road, Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree Run, Peachtree Trace, Peachtree Ave, Peachtree Commons, Peachtree Battle, Peachtree Corners, New Peachtree, Old Peachtree, West Peachtree, Peachtree-Dunwoody, or Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.

Atlantans only know their way to work and their way home. If you ask anyone for directions they will always send you down Peachtree.

Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola. That's all we drink here, so don't ask for any other soft drink unless Coca-Cola makes it. And even then it's still "Coke."

Gate One at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport is 32 miles away from the Main Concourse, so wear sneakers and pack a lunch.

It's impossible to go around a block and wind up on the street you started on. The Chamber of Commerce calls it a "scenic drive" and has posted signs to that effect, so that out-of-towners don't feel lost...they're just on a "scenic drive."

The 8:00am rush hour is from 6:30 to 10:30am. The 5:00pm rush hour is from 3:00 to 7:30pm. Friday's rush hour starts Thursday afternoon, and lasts through 2:00am Saturday.

"Sir" and "Ma'am" are used by the person speaking to you if there's a remote possibility that you're at least 30 minutes older than they are.

A native can only pronounce Ponce De Leon Avenue; so do not attempt the Spanish pronunciation. People will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you. (The Atlanta pronunciation is "pahnss duh LEE-on").

The falling of one rain drop causes all drivers to immediately forget all traffic rules; so will daylight saving time, a girl applying eye shadow in the next car, or a flat tire three lanes over.

If a single snowflake falls, the city is paralyzed for three days, and it's on all the channels as a news flash every 15 minutes for a month. All the grocery stores will be sold out of milk, bread, bottled water, toilet paper, and beer. If there is a remote chance of snow, and if it does snow, people will be on the corner selling "I survived the blizzard" t-shirts, not to mention the fact that all schools will close at the slightest possible chance of snow.

If you are standing on a corner and a MARTA Bus stops, you're expected to get on and go somewhere.

Construction on Peachtree Street is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment, especially when a water line is tapped and Atlanta's version of Old Faithful erupts.

Construction crews are not doing their jobs properly unless they close down all major streets during rush hour.

Atlantans are very proud of our racetrack, known as Road Atlanta. It winds throughout the city on the Interstates - hence it's name.

Actually, I-285, the loop that encircles Atlanta and has a posted speed limit of 55mph (but you have to maintain 80 mph just to keep from getting run over), is known to truckers as "The Watermelon 500."

Georgia 400 is our equivalent of the Autobahn. You will rarely see a semi-truck on GA 400, because even the truck drivers are intimidated by the oversized SUV-wielding housewives racing home after a grueling day at the salon or the tennis match to meet their children at the school bus coming home from the college prep preschool.

The last thing you want to do is give another driver the finger, unless your car is armored, your trigger finger is itchy and your AK-47 has a full clip.

The pollen count is off the national scale for unhealthy, which starts at 120! . Atlanta is usually in the 2,000 to 4,000 range. All roads, vehicles, houses, etc. are yellow from March 28th to July 15th. If you have any allergies you will die.

But other than that, it's a great place to live!

[Source unknown - found it on Facebook!]