Tag-Archive for » creativity «
I sit on a tattered bench of green long gone.
I look out at this garden where for two weeks I belong.
Palms and ferns, flowers & more.
Stand and wave in the wind of no more.
My bags to the left, birds watch up above.
This is peace . . . a moment I love.
DISCOVER’s begun and we head home.
Amazed, in mercy I roam.
Poem by Dan Potter
I stand at the edge of one of the most majestic falls in the world.
The water roars down into a white abiss. The grass follows the water and guides it down it’s fall.
The mist creates a rainbow and rushes up to refresh my face.
I look across at rocky clifts which peak at red clay and decend into tall gree grass into the wonder of white.
A bird flies free above it all, no fear of falling. Just able to see what my eye cannot. Without limits it sails from Brazil to Argentina – no stops, no costs, no fear.
Stand as close to the edge as possible and sing “How Great thou Art”.
Art . . . It is all art and I am amazed again, then I walk away.
Not to leave, but to another and another again.
Butterflies ride upon my wrist, an iguana crosses my path, a family of “coo-wah-tea” go from bush to bush.
The rain comes and children dance, my clothes turn cold with the heavy mist.
It blinds the eye, but we could remain here for years and not take it all in.
What a wonderful world!
Today is a multitasking day. This morning started out with our United Hospice Servce team meeting (and this photo taken for advertising purposes).
Though I am not working for Hospice these 6 weeks during imagiNations, I still go to the weekly meetings on Thursday mornings, so I can keep up with all the changes that are made.
After the meeting, I joined Dan who was teaching creativity (magic tricks and interaction skills). I stepped in and helped everyone with their ideas of transforming their clothing (from our trip to the thrift stores last week).
They are all at the Jr/High School right now on lunch visits to the teens they have connections with and are mentoring. We meet back for lunch . . . then on to ConneXellence!
Today was SIMPLE communication day, and the day for the imagiNations 2nd talk. They all did very well, and improved from last week. They put a lot of effort into the talks that reflected them and what they find interesting! 
Lisa inspired us that we can dance by discovering our “3 M”s”: Motives, Music, & Moves. She had us all dancing free style & a hip hop she created.
Roland swept us off our feet with whistles, short Uruguayan light blue shorts, and enlarged wallet dress shirt and great smells . . . telling us we should play soccer because of the benefits.
Facundo let us know we could enjoy photography by taking the 3 pictures: 1. Picture of LOOK, 2. Picture of DOCUMENTATION, and 3. PICTURE OF MEMORIES.
Giovana gave the talk that WILL change the rhythm of me in this coming week. She informed us that we all have a “biological clock”, an internal clock called our “Circadian Rhythm”. This rhythm is regulated by daylight. Our nervous system takes the daylight, through our eyes, into our brain, to the pineal gland which secretes melatonin, the sleeping hormone. Basically, if we are able to adjust our EATING and EXERCISE to the natural rhythm of our body, we can enjoy an healthier lifestyle.
So the basics of this cycle (what our body is predisposed to do best) is:
* between the hours of noon and 8pm should be our time to eat (before or after that it should be only fruit or low carbohydrates. That is when we should let our bodies take in and digest food.
* from 8pm to 4am is the time for our bodies to extract the nutrients that we have eaten. It is the sleeping time.
* from 4am to noon is when the body is gathering wastes and preparing for removal. When our bodies are in the right rhythm, we will generally have elimination at the same time daily.
* between 4pm and 6pm is the best time for us to exercise. Our muscles are more flexible, our reaction time is quicker, our blood pressure is lower, and our strength is at it’s peak.
So, I have taken the challenge to try to adjust to the Circadian Rhythm of my body. Let’s see how it goes, Giovana, thanks for the challenge!
We took an imagiNations outing to Frankenmuth, MI today . . . yes it rained and was cold, but we could still have a short tour in Broner’s (the largest CHRISTmas store in the world), have our picnic under a shelter, take group photos in our new imagiNations artisTREE hoodies, and even have an hour to spare walking down the main street.
According to Lisa (our German girl) there isn’t too much like Germany that she saw until we got into the main part of town:) We did our “exibitions” in the car on the way, and on the way back learned about our “human” theme for the week with fire as our symbol: “I am human. I battle. I live connected to my conflicts.” Near home, Lisa gave us HUGE belly laughs as we helped her “choose” here theme for her Wednesday talk: You can dance! 
Red & White day of Homecoming Week is the biggest and best . . . We were up late last night gathering parts for the costume, trying them all, and rejecting many combinations that just weren’t right. Josiah & I had fun with scissors, trying to get the cuts in exact circles (sort of) and making little “snips” in the surrounding areas. The sock combinations and shorts to go with the main element of the slitted shirt came together nicely. Then the head . . . his favorite red afro wig was not to be found, too much loaning out and no returning. So new options were tried, ending with a knit scull cap, which was the perfect one to go with the socks.
This morning came, and the outfit pieces that were laid out for the night were jumped into. Breakfast was consumed, and the artist painting of the TARGET began. Josiah was cushioned with the sheep skin and blankets laid on the table. Josiah was laid out, so he could hold still. He said it is much better than sitting in a chair. Dan made the beginning outlines / design in white. I painted white “M”s for “Marlette” on his already red fingernails and they were laid to dry on his belly. Then together, we both painted the red (notice I am not in the photos because I am the photographer). I did the red outlines near the white, and Dan filled in the red.
Kyle Mero (dressing up as Leaf Ericson) arrived and put his touches on his Leaf / Viking outfit. Dan & Josiah designed and created his shirt last night for him. He arrived to announce that it is “awesome”. We learned that Christopher Columbus gets a day for his discovery of the USA, where it was actually Leaf Ericson long before who was the original discoverer. So Kyle (who looks much like a hippee today) was celebrating his day. No red on him . . . but that is OK Kyle is an original.
I had to jump out from behind the bush as the two of them were walking to school . . . neither of them could stop for a proper photo of the full outfits. The one here was taken of them walking backwards, so they could get to the school in time to strut their outfits!
As Dan & I stood in the kitchen looking out the window at them entering the High School . . . we commented, “one more homecoming week has come and gone”. Only 3 more of these to go. There probably isn’t any other parents more involved in the preparation for Homecoming as we are. We also love this week. It isn’t only Josiah the TARGET!
This week our theme for creative journaling is “I BELONG”. It is a part of the Creation Connection with
God :: Others :: Myself :: Nature
On Monday we sat out in Doris Huntoon’s woods and enjoyed God time there. I started this watercolor painting there as I enjoyed the details of God’s creation. I love the way everything is connected. Today I made the final connections to this piece of God’s art expressed in and through me. I added the pen & ink . . . my first time like this. Connecting the different shapes and textures. Thanks God for an awesome creation connection!
Today we are experiencing “conneXellence” interaction. Worship and Magic Tricks were experienced in the morning. Then later we went to the basement with the powerpoint visual to learn & discuss INTERACT. We are trying to discover the things that we can use to interact with people . . . who are we? We are on the search together.
The after lunch part of the day was spent with the 4 of them working out details for their church program at Grace Bible Church on Sunday morning!
Today in Spirit week is “Rock Star Day”. Here is my “Rock Star”. Be sure to notice the bright red tie and fadora hat with the read feather . . . Ooo Laa Laa!
Last night and this morning, I was pulling things out of the archives that might make Josiah look like a “real woman”. The outfit we came up with, I just might try on a date night out with Dan (with a few less bling bling accessories).
As I was painting his fingernails bright red last night, I noticed what a great shape his nails are.
This morning as I was putting on his “smokey eyes” make up and lipstick, his gorgeous features were quite nicely accented. Good he wasn’t a girl, I am glad for my boy.
He headed out early to school, so he could walk the halls in his outfit of the day. Today is bigger and better than the other days . . . what will come tomorrow and Friday? It will be fun.
I love to see Josiah go all out for it . . . totally, holding nothing back!
You go Schmoke!