Friday, August 28, 2009

this week's art



















This is a short one, just some pics of two things I worked on this week... A mixed media piece for my living room and a book mark. I also painted a portrait of my daughter but you guys already saw that... So tired this week, I am glad it is over!!!

Have a good weekend!
beijos
allypye

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Dreams of Ballet

"Waiting Backstage"- by Ally Pye


Amongst many hopes and desires, a longing for dance remains constant in my heart. As a child dance was a big part of my life, and like so many things, it too got put aside and forgotten, overshadowed by everything else.
Every once in a while, I revisit that dream and wish that I hadn't given it up so quickly. I have no problem admitting that I regret quitting dance, and will not try to justify the decision just to make myself feel better. I loved it, I should have stayed-period.
Now that I am ready to enroll my own daughter in dance lessons, I am doing my best to keep in mind that this is her life, and that she may very well not want to pursue dance the way I did. I must admit that I am thrilled that this moment has finally arrived, so I celebrated it with a painting (above).
I wonder if others too, wish that they had another go at something they missed out in life... I imagine I am not alone in this, so is it that ridiculous to believe that I may get another shot at it? Maybe I can someday hear the sounds of my slippers brushing against the wood floors of a dance studio and hold the barre as I practice developes and plies...
Maybe?

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Keeping my head above water





Oh, my, it has been a long time since I posted, hasn't it? I miss doing it, blogging has a therapeutic effect on me. It's like my public diary, except it forces me to speak kindly, with care, and with love:)
Above are some little fall barrettes I put together this morning for my Bella Boo (the three year old). I needed to do something creative since the past few weeks have focused so heavily on writing for school, reading, working...I've had a great summer with my kids anyway, I think I did a good job focusing on work and homework two days a week, leaving the other days free to spend time just being with them and doing fun stuff.
School was very draining this summer, my multicultural counseling class had some pretty heavy reading requirements, and we also had to journal on every day of class. There is so much I didn't know, I learned so many horrifying things regarding minorities and their experience in the US; regardless of how much I try to do my share of volunteering, advocating, and educating myself concerning social justice issues, this in depth look into history was very eye opening.
I am being careful to guard my heart against bitterness and pessimism, and take the things I've learned as motivators to continue to do good;
I've been thinking about so many things lately, but motherhood styles have been on my mind a lot...What are we teaching our kids? What values are we leaving behind and how are they going to affect the adults they will become? More on this to come soon! For now, have a great summer day!!!
beijos
allypye

Monday, August 3, 2009

Searching for less and finding its enough...


Coming back from our camping trip yesterday, I thought about our family and how the six of us (myself, the hubby, our three children and the dog) are growing together stronger, happier and simpler.

When I think of Gandhi's "live simply so that others may simply live" quote, not only do I think about simplicity as benefiting the world globally and locally, but also about its influence in my own life, within my family.

I find myself approaching everything that way now, asking the same questions "what will make this easier, what will have the least impact, what will be more enriching?

We committed to bringing only the tent, two sets of clothing per person, a few beach toys plus some basic necessities (hygiene, blankets, firewood, flashlights) to the campsite- no hand-held games, cell phones or i-pods. (sounds easy? Try talking a pre-teen into it!!)

It was a great time! I learned things about every single one of my kids, about my husband, about my dog, and about myself that I would have never discovered had we not kept things to a minimum, having mostly only one another to rely on for food, shelter, and fun!Sure, simplicity takes planning and organization, otherwise you may find yourself forgetting to bring essentials and having to go buy supplies; But it is so worth it!

We managed to keep optimistic and relaxed even with the constant ingress of huge SUVs pulling even bigger RVs, equipped with tvs, stereos, cooking ware (we are talking smokers, fryers, portable microwaves, FIREWORKS, and much, much more)- No, camping DOES NOT mean the same thing to all humans!

I hope that more people are now seeking to have moments of true, undivided attention, interacting with their loved ones in nature and fostering appreciation for one another and for the beauty of our world.

As for us, we swam, we sang, rode bikes, built a fire and finally slept to the sound of rain drops "plop" and "plop" on the roof of our tent! Unplugged, Unwound, together.

Beijos to all!