lisamitchell

on Saturday afternoons, when I was 7...

One day, when I was 7, I went over to my uncle's house. He was going to baby-sit me. I thought he was cool, cuz he was my mom's younger brother (her other 3 brothers were older, and all had really serious voices and I never got their jokes). He played really good piano and sang (I always remember it being "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney, or "The Lime in the Coconut"), and he carved things in wood. And had the cover of a Bette Midler album painted on his bedroom wall. And had a round waterbed covered with white fake fur. Like I said, Cooooool.

So I don't recall much about how I spent that particular afternoon, but what I do remember was gravitating over to his record collection in the living room, and flipping through the albums. And all of a sudden he said, "Do you like stories with songs in them?" "...sure", I replied. "Would you like to listen to this one?" as he pulled out an album with the image of a crocheted profile of a boy, wearing a pointed cap on it, titled "The Point", Harry Nilsson" above it. It looked harmless enough. "Okay..."

So he put the album on and I laid down on the floor on my stomach, with the album cover opened up like a book in front of me, and began to listen. I followed along with the lyrics of each song, and listened to the story from beginning to end. Or I should say "from side A to side B", cuz you had to flip the album over in the middle of the story. Old school, remember?

When my mom came to pick me up, my uncle came over with the album, held it out to me and asked if I would like to take the record home. "You mean, like to keep?!?!" I said, not believing my ears..."Sure, go ahead, take it home with you." he replied. I was completely impressed. No adult had ever given me an album before. And it wasn't a kids one...! It was new. That was a very special gesture in my books. 

Harry Nilsson's "The Point" was listened to over and over again throughout my childhood, and shared with my siblings as each of them reached the age where they would appreciate it (or before that!), and with many friends, as the years went by. The songs are permanently engraved into my childhood memory, and in my heart. When I hear Nilsson's voice begin narrating the album, it swoops me up and carries me back in time to the living room in my old house, to that little girl, laying on the shag run in front of an open album cover, entranced in the story of Oblio and his dog, Arrow and their adventures in the "Land of Point"...

The film version here, from 1971, isn't what's on the album, as the video is narrated by Ringo Starr--however the songs are the same. "Think About Your Troubles" remains one of my favourites. And bits and pieces of the The Point have stayed stuck in my world as I grew up...the play on words (my favourite line is at the end, when someone from the crowd shouts, "he's got a point there!", or the Rock Man when he says, "Hey, Baby, wasshappnin', you boys look a little shook up! You been messing with the bees!?). And of course the the story itself: Nilsson's genious, both in musical talent and as a writer and storyteller...

I don't own the album or a record player anymore. But still, every once and awhile I stumble upon it and give it a listen.  To go back, for a little while, to that living room floor...and to that little girl.  
I hope you enjoy it... :)

a little update and some new workshops

Hidey hoe! Comment ça va? I hope all is well in your orbit. Things are tickety-boo around here...busy, but managing to keep myself at an arm's length from getting stressed by any of it. Except today I guess I have to admit--because I was, by 10 o'clock in the morning, dealing with 1) workers on our rooftop hosing water at high pressure to try and determine the source location for the various incessant leaks we've had in our ceiling since 2004 (which have been repaired only 3 times), 2) addressing the kitten pee left by our lovely new pets on our aupair's bed...in other words, looking up on the Internet recipes for "how to clean cat pee out of mattress and sheets" and brewing up a concoction of "hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and hand soap" to clean as instructed...AND 3) walking around with plastic bag atop my head, as part of my head de-liceing ritual. How's that for an entertaining start to your day!?! Holy Rumoli! ANYHOO...Fortunately for me, the afternoon was "less eventful" :)

I've some new workshops coming up over the next two weeks: On October 30th, I'll be teaching an "Altered Photo and Images" techniques workshop at "Scrap, Paper, Tisora" LSS in Vilafranca del Penedés (near Barcelona), and then the weekend of 5-7 November, teaching for the third year in a row at Barcelona's annual Craft and Hobby and Fine Arts trade fair, "Creativa". (Creativa began in Belgium in 1998 and currently is held annually in a circuit of 16 cities throughout the southern regions of Europe.
This year, Spain is participating with its recently held in Valladolid fair (1-3 Octobre), the upcoming Barcelona fair, and then a third and final edition in the city of Zaragoza, in 2011 (25-27 February).

I will be teaching two new workshops at the Fair--I'm looking foward to those, as we will be learning how to work with a product that isn't very well-known in Spain: the Ranger Melting Pot, and some great techniques using melted bees wax and Ranger UTEE to create a hangable Christmas-themed project!
I will also be teaching a techniques workshop that focuses on a variety of products from the Ranger Distress line. Fun, fun, fun!! If you're at the fair, please do come by the Scrap House stand and say hi! Information on the workshops is posted here, on my Spanish blog. 

I also would like to share, or more correctly shall I say "introduce" you to someone I have just discovered via Youtube. I saw this video the other day and it just left a huge smile on my face and made me have a little think. And I like people who inspire me that way. As such, I always like to pass that on. You might have already heard of him (as things sometimes take a little bit longer to reach me over here in Spain). His name is Sean Stephenson. And here's one of his videos. I hope you enjoy it :)

Have a good one! And I agree with him: life is s'posed to be fun--it's too short to be so serious...So go get your groove on and get SILLY!

A focus on Gratitude...

So I was planning on a new blog post to coincide with the arrival of the New Year, but as you can see, that didn't happen! It's just been a steady flow of stuff to do, and somehow updating my blog gets pushed to the back of the line, and then just gets lost in the blurr...Arrggggh...hopeless!

But enough is enough, here I am...finally...back again!

So how ya doin'? Everything okay? I hope the new year, if anything, has brought a feeling of renewed hope to you in your life. A new year, which can mean a new start. A new chance to live the life you want...to be the best YOU you can be. And an opportunity for all of us to make things better.

And with these thoughts in mind, I think a good place to start is by trying to make a point each day to pause, and think about what's good in my life. Being grateful for everything and everyone that I have in my orbit...

So I think I'll "catch two pigeons with one bean", as they say in Italy, and update you on our end-of-the-year holidays activities while at the same time reflecting a bit on the things that I am grateful for in my life. How's that sound?

Okay, then. Here goes:

just before my birthday in December, I discovered that a new restaurant, "Tandoor2" had opened in our area, and they deliver! I'm such a happy camper!! Of course, we are now on a first name basis!

 having lots of fun making noise with my bombo drum in the Batukada (street percussion) group.

baking and decorating things that make the house smell good

watching my little girl on stage, "acting" for the very first time

proud momma with video camera :)

special evenings with my favourite tribe of Mommas

spending my birthday in the company of friends, both little and big

(we're decorating mini-christmas trees--ice-cream cones + icing)

I think they turned out pretty cute, eh?!

about to make a wish :) (btw: it was a pijama party-supper. I don't normally dress like that!)

and my wish came true...I have everything I need to be happy.    

6 kidlets, asleep in one living room ;)

 
Boxing Day breakfast (FYI: now you know what I look like when I wake up in the morning)

bon appetit!

with Maple Syrup, brought all the way from Canada ;)

all dressed up on Christmas Day...

 
Santa brought us a new board game, "Malefiz", from Germany, and a couple other ones too, so we've started to really enjoy having those "old-fashioned evenings", hanging out together and playing them as a family.

we had fun making this snowflake garland one afternoon, while Daddy had a nap ;)

  
I was adamant on getting a decent family photo of us this year. We clean up pretty nice, don't you think? :D

Well, that's about it for my holiday photos.  Oh, almost forgot: we have a brand-new nephew, Oliver, born on the 30th of December:

I took these of him the day after he was born.

Nothing like seeing the eyes of a newborn to remind me of how precious life is, of how much good there is in the world, and everything there is in it to be grateful for.

And on that note...Cheers to you and yours!...may this year 2010 bring you everything you need to make your dreams come true! bye for now :)

Lettuce and onions...

Hey, howz it goin'? It's been  a few days. Gettin' busy around here. 

December is always a "full tilt" month, ain't it? I mean, once fall arrives, you're trucking along..."chino chano" as they say here in Spain. And October comes and goes, November cruises by...
Then all of a sudden you are in December and everything speeds up! Christmas concert rehersals, work suppers, group get-togethers, and all sorts of other surprises, not to mention "Xmas present manifestation". It's all in 5th gear!!

Christmas here in Barcelona is always a bit odd for me, mostly cuz there's not a whole lot that says to me "hey, it's WINTER". It's sort of by inference, you know? There's no snow, and everything else that goes with snow (all the good parts, and frustrating parts, and force majeure parts) are missing from the picture. So it's kind of always, well...weird for me. Like "pretending" it's Christmas.

However, I'm feeling a little more cheery now that we have our tree up and the house decorated:

  

Annie made herself an advent calendar, which I think totally rocks:

And of course is getting excited about the eventual arrival of presents from Santa:

I think her work has a certain Dr. Seuss air, don't you agree? Not bad for an almost-five year old!! :B 

 And I suppose that sunsets like this compensate for the lack of wintery temperatures:

And so does growing lettuce and onions in December outside on our terraza:

...It's never the December I grew up knowing, and never quite feels like Christmas when it comes. 
But I sure can't complain, cuz life is pretty good, no matter how you look at it: snow or no snow.

    ....Wouldn't you agree? :D   

Pinch me if I'm dreaming...

So perhaps you have already seen these clips on Facebook or Youtube, but I hadn't watched them yet.
And considering in 1979 I was a mere 10 years old, I don't have much memory of this having occurred. But seeing it now, it just blows my mind. I know they say "history repeats itself", but this is, well...pathetic...given that I think we ought to have learned something the first time round. Don't you agree?

I just have this funny feeling that years into the future, people will look back on these events and have a good roll on the floor, laughing at some of the things we did:

"60 Minutes' Mike Wallace confronts government scientists about the Swine Flu vaccine of 1976."

Who does she think she is?

I haven't had the opportunity yet to see this film, however I felt such a great sense of...I guess the word would be relief while watching the trailer ("wow! that's just how I feel!")
and was moved as I listened to these women voice their struggle, with many of the same issues and feelings I experience every single day.
This film is so deserving of all the word-of-mouth, recognition and kudos possible.

On behalf of all of the artists, struggling to be mothers, 

and mothers, struggling to be artists...

I thank you, Pamela Tanner Boll, for making this film.

Watch it. This film is IMPORTANT.

"In a half-changed world, women often feel they need to choose: mothering or working? Your children's well-being or your own? Responsibility or self-expression? "Who does she think she is?", a documentary by Academy Award winning filmmaker Pamela Tanner Boll, features five fierce women who refuse to choose. Through their lives, we explore some of the most problematic intersections of our time: mothering and creativity, partnering and independence, economics and art. Along the way, the film invites us to consider both ancient legacies of women worshipped as cultural muses and more modern times where most people can't even name a handful of female artists. In the end, the diverse women in the film demonstrate that our creativity and our caregiving are not mutually exculsive, but deeply connected. In fact, their co-existance might just be the key to finishing the job."

http://www.whodoesshethinksheis.net/ 

*****

Wouldn't it be cool to HOST a "Who does she think she is?" House Party!! 

"Gotten together with your girlfriends lately? When did you last do something—JUST FOR YOU? GATHER SOME FRIENDS, Watch the movie over Sunday brunch and really start a conversation. 

Use the House Party Kit invitations, watch the move, browse through the Companion Guide, pass around the discussion starter cards and… ENJOY YOURSELVES!"

http://www.whodoesshethinksheis.net/house-party-kit/

If I were living in an English-speaking part of the world, I would definitely host a house party screening of this film. I encourage anyone who has the means, to do so. This film carries a message that is such a big part of my heart, one that deserves to be heard (and felt) by as many people possible. 

Think of it as a legacy to our own daughters; WHAT IF we could raise them in a world where--come the day they should choose to have babies of their own--this kind of struggle would be a part of days-gone by, of "out-dated thinking", of how the world used to be...???

That is my most sincere wish for her. 

That she will never have to choose one over the other. Cuz she will have all the means...and the support...and the freedom to do it all...to her heart's desire.

Holy Holidays, Batman!

Well, here we are and it’s been over a months since I’ve posted. Can you believe that?!?

I’ve been hankerin’ to put together an update for days now, as I don’t like my blog getting so darn dusty. However, the time factor has been a bit tricky since we got back from holidays, what with the unpacking and the piles of laundry and shrapnel to deal with…and subsequent tidying up from that epic process! And the readjustment to an 8-hour time difference and just the general heat and humidity and day-to-day-ness (Daddy was already back at work before us gals came home)…

And of course I had to carry out a complete overhaul cleaning of the entire apartment!! (Doesn’t that happen to you when you get back from holidays?!?). Yep, you heard it right: I spent the entire first week cleaning…!! It’s that feeling of being disconnected from your house when you get back, like nothing is yours…and I just looked around and saw so much clutter and really needed to lighten the load just a wee bit! Feels much better now! :)

And of course, the day-to-day routines with my 4.5 year old, of: what to do all day, of who can we visit (her cousins and playmates are all away at the moment), and who has a pool...or waiting for later in the day to head to the beach. And me trying to avoid having to make meals…HAR HAR! (well, it’s summer holidays, right?).

Another factor was my needing to include visuals in whatever new post I create. And THAT meant going though and selecting photos from the thousands taken over the course of a month in Canada. And tweaking them (inevitable!) so they look all purdy!

So finally, last night, I put the mermaid to bed, said goodnight to Mr. Right...rolled up my invisible sleeves, cracked open the corresponding folder and whipped up an appropriate potpourri of visuals, which I share for your viewing titillation here below:

Our holidays in Canada (part 1…I am sure there will be more!).

I hope you enjoy it!

We spent a month (2 weeks of which was without Daddy as he had to come back to work after 12 days off, so as to save the rest of his holidays for the Fiesta Mayor in his hometown at the end of this month) in my hometown of Lumsden, Saskatchewan (Canada) in order to (among other priorities) attend the wedding of my 2nd youngest brother.

It had been a full 2 years since we had been back to my hometown, so you can imagine the excitement from both sides of the family equation! Annie was very pumped to see her Grandpa and Grandma and Auntie Kiera once again. And me, just plain ecstatic to be back home, back on the prairies, back to my roots, back with “my peeps”!

This gift of this trip for me was a great deal of renewal on many levels: the obvious presence of my immediate and now new political family, as well as cousins, aunts/uncles, dear friends and neighbours…and of course, bestest buddies! But it was also time with a few others with whom I hadn’t spend much time with in past visits...these unexpected meetings also rejuvenated and inspired me in many ways.

Thank you to Everyone, both Family and Friends...who made time for us while we were back!!

I carry you all in my heart-pocket.

Also important was the chance to spend time with the little ones (some of whom I hadn’t even met yet!) of relatives and friends and folks around my home-town. This was particularly important for me, as Annie really had the opportunity this time to experience what it feels like to be Canadian (i.e. Canada Day at the Burlocks!! ;). And I am so grateful that things came together for her to experience that!

So...much to be thankful for. And yes, I was homesick for it all after I got back. It’s hard to leave so much big sky...and that prairie breeze...and my gosh! a land so GREEN (from all the spring rain this year)! And all the people and things dear to my heart (and stomach!).

But I bring it all back with me (in the form of thousands of photos!!). This trip gave me a great amount of peace of mind and heart, much love and joy felt and shared…renewed friendships...inspiration, wonder…

And what with a whole TON of books from Chapters, and even more crap from a trip to Michael’s!!...I’m a happy camper!!

Life is good. And I am darn grateful for that.

I hope these summer months have brought you lots of sunshine (both external and internal), good times, rest and relaxation...Time to enjoy friends and family, and a few wonderful, unexpected suprises!

ps. I'll be updating the information on the Workshops with Nathalie Kalbach (there are still spaces open!) and a couple of new workshop events coming up for October!

 ...Talk to you soon!

Murphy's Law...and brain surgery

So I don't know if it's planetary alignment, or just Murphy's Law, but last week my computer went kaput.
And I am thanking my lucky stars I have a computer technology genius for a husband, otherwise I would be way upstream in a particularly foul-smelling creek right now.
But as you can imagine, it's put a bit of a straight-jacket on my online activities over the last few days...
...just when I have some Very Important Stuff to announce!

Hopefully I'll have a chance to post it tomorrow.
Meanwhile, my daughter has her big ballet stage debut tomorrow, with her end of the year Ballet Festival.
Big-time excitement at our house!
(more soon!)

Feelin' hot, hot, hot...!

Man, it's HOT around here!
It's been hot for the last 3 weeks or so.
Every morning we wake up to a blue sky, hardly a cloud in sight and by 10 am when I take Annie to school, it's already 25ºC outside.
Makes me wonder what it's going to be like by the time we are in August!!

But it's been a good weekend. Last night we had a picnik supper, consisting of "make your own pizzas" (mine was anchovy, artichoke, capers and blue cheese, Annie's was her traditional "cheese and black olives", Cisco's was his traditional...meat whatever ;)
...and we watched--for the second time this weekend--"Arthur and the Minimoy". What a great film that is. We'd seen it before but I think Annie was younger and didn't enjoy it as much. If you have kids and haven't seen it, it's well worth the watch. And even if you haven't got kids...your inner child would have a blast.
Truly enjoyable!
Here's a link. And you'll recognize several of the voices, I am sure!

Today has been a hang out at home day. Cooked a nice meal for lunch (the bigger meal of the day in Spain)...Annie's two cousins came over to play in the paddling pool on our deck. They had an absolute blast, and were wet for a good 3 hours. Good way to keep cool. Cisco was even in the pool with the 3 of them at one point!
The girls were rolling around like mermaids.
Which reminds me, I wanted to share one of Annie's drawings, on her favourite topic. She's become quite the expert on drawing them, very systematically.
And when she plays dolls (or barbies, which are mostly mermaids anyways!) she usually plays out the stories of Ariel, or Alina...

Pretty good rendition for a 4 year old, eh?

Cracks me up...and makes me smile.
So here's to believing in mermaids...and fairies...and princesses...

And enjoy your Sunday!

Whoop, whoop, whoop!

Wow! I don't know about you, but my week has just blasted by!
Busy as bees around here. Which is a good thing, I guess, cuz it doesn't leave you with much time left for complaining!! ;)
I'm looking forward to the weekend, hoping to conclude a couple of projects (the Circle Journal pages, for one! and get those suckers mailed off to all their international destinations)...as well as have a bit of fun with the two other most important people in my life (besides myself ;)
Here's a few photos I took last weekend in the park near where we live. It's a great space, with lots of tall trees. Great for finding a spot of grass to run around on (which, surprising to some of you out there, is a luxury in this country). And picnics with extended family, which is what we happened to be doing.

Hope you have a good one, whereever you may be! And like the last one says, take some time out for the little things in your life.

Cheers!

ps. EDIT:

I had a commission to do an altered wooden gift box this week.

I think it turned out quite nicely :)

(click here to see more photos)