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I’ve had several people ask me whatever happened to the young lady we invited to live in our home.   First I have to say that this experience brought me the greatest joy (in the beginning) and also the greatest sorrow. 

There are children in the world who grow up with so much pain and who experience so much crisis and dysfunction in their little lives, that they never recover.  And no matter what someone does to try to reach them and love them, it is seemingly impossible for them to overcome the nuturing and love they missed out on as a child.

Foster parenting isn’t for wimps.   And I am not a wimp, believe me, but the task of caring for a 16-year-old who has so much hurt and anger inside was the biggest challenge of my life.   The situation here at home became so difficult that it was hurting me more than it was helping her.  It was bordering on dangerous.    It was a heart wrenching decision that I had to make but K is now in a residential facility and will likely never come back here to live.   I keep telling myself this is what is best for her and for us but “giving up” on a child goes against everything I’ve always believed in.  It hurts.  Deeply.  But things simply could not continue down the path they were going.   I’ve had to step back and give some distance between K and I.   I need time to heal and she needs to see that there are consequences for behaving so abusively toward another person.   My husband is keeping in contact with her, giving her the love and support she desperately needs.   Maybe in time, I’ll be able to have contact with her again.  I truly do love her.  I just can’t help her right now. 

I so wish the story had a happy ending.  Sometimes life isn’t the fairy tale I think it is.  In fact, it rarely come out like a fairy tale.   We just have to accept it for what it is and learn from it.

The List

I’m sure by now, we’ve all seen the Bucket List. Do you have your own list of “things to do before it’s too late?”

Here’s a list I found at Nicki Jackson’s blog. I hope you’ll play along!

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to – leave in plain font

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to disneyland/world
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the mona lisa in france
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michelangelo’s david in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited africa – my big dream!
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistene chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theatre
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies.
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood
65. gone sky diving
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a cheque
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in london
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible- in progress
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the alamo in person.
96. swum in the great salt lake.
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

Copy and paste into your blog with your own answers. Be sure and leave a comment with a link to your blog!

January Art Journal

One of my intentions for 2009 is to make art a part of my every day life – whether painting or art journaling or jotting down ideas or sketches.   Could even be something like shopping for new art supplies or finding a new online artist to learn from. 

In order to get off to a grand start, I’m following along with Milliande’s art journal prompts for January.  Here are my first two pages.  You can see more detail of you check out my Art Journal – January tab.  

The new year is looming!

I am SO excited about the new year. I have so many plans swimming around in my head.  No resolutions – that usually entails giving up something and that is NOT in my plans!  No, my goal is to add MORE ART to my life.   I want to open my own shop, probably on ArtFire.  I have several pieces I’m going to be making prints of and will hopefully be adding new things a couple of times a month.  My older daughter and I have a couple of altered/assemblage projects we’re working on to add to the shop and then my younger daughter is starting to make jewelry to sell.  I’m really excited about all the possibilities!

In the meantime, I’m going to be participating in my first ever ATC swap.   The theme is “Under the Sea.”   Come check it out and join in!