Live in vivid color, outloud & shout.

Once upon a time, before kids, I painted watercolors. I bought, soaked, stapled, taped and stretched individual sheets of Arches onto a maple board. I painted one image at a time, with loose, juicy washes and frisket for masking and always a liberal dose of salt (it pulls the wet pigment from the paper and leaves wonderful white sparkles.) I loved it and thought I would make my living as a watercolor artist. Now, as I said, this was all before kids and finding a "real job" and life interferred. 16 years later, I haven't painted since. This makes me sad, because I love watercolor. Love it's fluidity and UN-crispness and unpredictability and glowing, translucent colors. By way of Donna Downey's blog, I was led to Kal Barteski, who's blog in glorious color and spirit reminded me that I. love. watercolor. Why did I let it drift away? Shame on me for letting 16 years go by without even noticing that I hadn't painted a thing. So last night I drug out my old tacklebox/watercolor box and unearthed a box of Staedtler watercolor crayons. Can't find my palette or brushes, so made do with these. (And I don't mean "made do" as an unfair/negative term, as they are a fantastic, fun, expressive medium all their own. Just meant it was "all I could find" at the moment.) What happened is 16 years of "it's been too long" and "i don't know what I'm doing" popped into my head and I froze. I sounded like my 8 year old when she's bored, "but what should I draaawwwwwwww...?" So I resorted to "the pear" that, thanks to Donna and Kal, seems to be a VERY popular fruit/subject lately, LOL. Love how it came out though, and more importantly, love how it made me feel. Think I'll be heading to the craft store for some fresh new watercolors and brushes!

I said you could do WHAT at 16?

I don't know exactly what happened, but this girl just walked out the door on her first, official, date. She liked this boy, but he was a senior (she is a sophomore) and we kinda' said things that may have led her to believe she couldn't date a senior (maybe saying "no, you can't date seniors" had something to do with it??) Today she says "I had an interesting conversation with Dad last night. He asked if I had a boyfriend and I said no, but that I liked someone. He said 'well, have you asked him out?' and I said no, he's a senior. And he said 'yea, so?' And I said, well, Mom says I can't date a senior, he's 2 years older than me. And he says 'I was EIGHT years older than her...'." So, of course I reply with "well, yea, but we were adults then, that's different. Age isn't so important then." To which she replies "you were NINETEEN when you started dating Dad." Um, yea, but that was different... LOL. So I say "well, not that it matters anyway, it's not like he knows you like him, or he likes you, or he asked you out or anything." And this is where it all changed. "Yes, he did, today!" Oh. Great. So then I point out there is only 2 weeks of school left and then she will be gone for most of the summer at her Dad's and 'the boy' will be going to college in the Fall, etc. And she looks right at me and says "it's JUST a date Mom." It was at this point that I remembered telling her for years that she couldn't date till she was 16, which, of course, she IS. Damn, I forgot that part. Um, OK, I guess you can go on an official date (thinking I still had a week or so to adjust to the idea.) Half an hour later, she texts me "can I go to Starbucks with M?" (sadly, we're lazy enough that if she is upstairs and I am down, many of our conversations occur in text messages, emails or cell phone calls.) I gulped the big gulp (no, literally a big gulp. ya know from 7-11) and said y-e-s. 20 minutes (and THREE complete changes of jeans and t-shirt) later, she was out the door. O.M.G. DJ is watching the baseball game (go Mariner's!) and every few minutes he just shakes his head and says something along the lines of "I didn't have any time to adjust to this." LOL. (In case you got lost earlier, "Dad" and "DJ" are 2 different people. "Dad" is her Dad, who lives in Seattle, and was my first husband. DJ is my husband and her step-dad. He has been her step-dad since she was 5 years old, and he is as shot-gun ready as any biological Dad, LOL.)

In other news, this LO was one of the 6 winners at the OneLittleWord blog. So cool! Their next challenge is: STOP. Ooh, another good one! Play along!

Oh, and I forgot to mention, Carsey's middle school was evacuated and all activities canceled today right as school was getting over because a gun was found on school properties. Is it weird that my knee-jerk reaction is to pull them out of school and move to a cement shelter in, like, the middle of Montana?

And soccer too.

We have (middle school) soccer starting, so thought I'd give it a little love too. Can't be all volleyball! Carsey's team won their first game today, 2-1. I actually got sunburned sitting outside from 4-6, 'course that's not too hard on the underside-of-a-beached-whale white skin that I have. That sun felt soooo good. Love spring and the start of summer (before it hits the 1 zillion degree weather that Wenatchee is known for).

Volleyball

Wow, such great competition this weekend. Our girls thrived, stepped up and played so well. SO proud of them! They tied for 5th place out of 40 teams and that is something because they played great teams. Sitting there watching them made me think how much has changed, how far we, as women, have come. And how far we have to go.

Away, away

Off to watch these girls play in the Emerald City Classic tournament at the University of Washington in Seattle. Should be 3 days of tough competition that they thrive on. I rented this baby for the next 6 weeks so hope to get some great action shots. Should be fun! Back on Tuesday. Have a great weekend, long or otherwise, depending where in the world you are!

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