art therapy

i remember today how good it feels to just lose myself in a project. to get utterly and totally consumed in the creative process, so that even the worst day is bearable. i got a call first thing this morning from my stepson stevan in iraq. he'd been injured. a bomb was detonated under his vehicle and he was hit in the face by shrapnel. thank God it only required a few stitches and a few days off. i think the psychological damage, though, is irreparable. i felt so helpless talking to him on the phone. he wanted his dad but he'd already left for work. he must have said 3 times "i just need to talk to dad". after we hung up i squeezed the kids as hard as i could. then i took refuge in my craft room. this is what i did: it's called "right before my eyes". journaling reads: pop quiz time. quick...when did your younger, extemely timid daughter become so brave? where were you when she conquered her fear of heights? when did she grow up? the only answer can be: it happened a teeney, tiny bit at a time, right before my eyes. whew. thank goodness. because for a minute there i thought i'd blinked." i like it. it felt good to work on something for myself, no rules, no deadline, no limitations. just for me. i'm happy.
did this one last night: "goodbye 2nd grade, hello summer. maggie & her class had so much fun on field day, celebrating the end of their second grade year. even though they'll miss each other, everyone can't wait for the end of the year & the beginning of summer. maggie, jozie & austin june '05" that's auto pinstriping tape down the right side. :) fun stuff. and yep, that's MY handwriting. whew, that felt good. ;) btw, you can click on the layouts to view them bigger.