Wednesday, December 17, 2014

A Sad Day

This photo was taken at the Yori Cousin reunion at the club in 2013.  In the photo L-R are my some of my Yori cousins: Nicky, Sandy and Phil and then me. The photos on the chair are my Aunt Esther and my Dad. Both were planning to be there but died in June 2013 just prior to the reunion. The little boy is my 3rd cousin Nicholas.
 
My cousin Sandy shared this photo today because last night we lost our cousin Nicky. He is the first of our Yori cousins to leave this Earth. As I was looking at this photo I was reminded of how sweet Nicky was when my Dad died, sitting beside me at the funeral mass holding my hand.. Even after the funeral, he would call me from time to time or drop me a message on Facebook, inquiring about how I was doing. He was one of a kind, a sweet, caring person with a strong  love of family that was passed down to us by our grandparents and parents.
My Dad was next to the youngest of his family so many of my Yori cousins were a bit older than I was. When we were younger we of course spent time together at family functions but I didn't have the pleasure of hanging out with them. It makes me sad that I missed those times with Nicky and didn't get to know him better.
 
As I look at this photo I think of all the other Yori family on the other side, Grandmom, Grandpop, Uncle Vito and Aunt Esther, Uncle Goody and Aunt Lucy, Aunt Phil, Aunt Nat and Uncle Carmel, Mom and Dad and now Nicky. Well cousin, you are in good company. I can imagine the laughter and hugs that are being shared there on the other side. And as Sandy said, there's probably a card game going on too.
 
One day we will all be there together.

Friday, November 28, 2014

And it's off....

Thanksgiving is over. All that's left is the memories and left overs. For many, it's off to the malls early today for Black Friday. Most of my shopping is done. Sunday the tree will go up and the gifts that I've bought will be wrapped and under the tree. I can enjoy Advent and the real meaning of Christmas. Let's not loose sight of what the season is all about! Getting ready for Christmas is getting ready for the birth of Christ! Slow down a minute, take a breath and remember.




Available on Etsy-Click Here
Available on Etsy...click here.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Happy Veteran's Day

Available on Etsy
Today I reflect on those who served our country. From the Revolutionary War to present day wars in the Middle East.

I'm thinking of the sacrifices they made, risking their lives, being away from family and friends, living in uncomfortable conditions, missing the comforts of home and life in general.

It makes me thankful for those who have made those sacrifices so that we may have the lifestyle we have and freedoms we enjoy.

So, if you are reading this and you have served this country or are presently enlisted, or if you are a wife, child or parent of one who has or is serving, thank you for your service to this country and God Bless You.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Election Day Memories

I don't believe there are that many undecided voters. Most folks have an idea who to vote for in the major races. When I was a new voter my Dad would make me up a list of people to vote for when I said I didn't know who to vote for (that was before internet). Dad was always in the know because he worked on campaigns and belonged to the Democratic Club. Now it's so easy to go to places like Vote411.org to research people and positions.

This started as a facebook status and then I started thinking about all my crazy election day memories of childhood:
Signs in the yard....Brochures and buttons all over the house... My Dad campaigning for close family friend John Pica for City Council in Baltimore. Dad pulled a little merry-go round from the back of his truck which had large signs on it "Pica for City Council" and a speaker in which Dad would pipe out music or periodically say Pica for City Council. I loved driving around with Dad, listening to the music, watching as the other little kids would get on the merry-go round. As they were spinning around, Dad would be passing out the brochures and campaign buttons to all the Moms and Dads. I wish I'd saved all those buttons. This photo that I found online reminds me of them.

When I got old enough to vote, I said, "Dad I don't know what to register as." and he said "Democrat, they are for the working man." (He was very disappointed in later years when I switched to Republican).

And then there was the list I'd receive on voting day with all his top picks. The candidates would come to the club and Dad would size them all up making his notes.

He formed many long lasting friendships working for candidates. Til the day he died he was friends with 2 former local former state senators. This is the first election year since Mom and Dad died that they won't be here to vote. But something tells me Dad's making his list on the other side and whispering names in my ear.


Friday, October 3, 2014

A Celestial Moment In My Life


Yesterday was the Feast of the Guardian Angels. It seems there was one sitting on my shoulder. My friend Denise and I went to Bingo World. It's one of those really big bingo halls in Baltimore.  

First I won a special which meant $100! Then Denise won $50 on a regular bingo on the computer and then I won $50 on a regular bingo on the computer. I kept thinking I wonder if it was my guardian angel or perhaps my Mom (who passed a year ago) who helped them find my numbers.

At the end of the afternoon as I was thinking this again, the staff were cleaning up and playing around with the microphone. Two of them sang, "Playmate come down and play with me, climb up my apple tree...." I said to the lady beside us. "It must be my Mom who helped me with bingo. She was an avid bingo player and she always sang that song to me when I was a child."

She looked strangely at me and then I introduced myself and told her about my parents passing a year ago. She introduced herself. Her name was Yvonne. I said, "that's odd. That's what my mother wanted to name me before she was convinced to name me after my Dad.".  Yvonne said, "Your father's name is Joseph and in Hebrew it means to add."

Then she turned around and the back of her shirt had a design on the back....believe it or not it was WINGS.

It was like a moment out of the Twilight Zone for me. Thanks Mom for the bingo. Now I can buy more clothes for the grands. 

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Fall...not just leaves...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/110681019/porcelain-hanging-tile?ref=shop_home_active_18
Available on Etsy - Click Here
What a start to fall. It's not just leaves but rain falling. I could do without the rain. In my head I know
that we need the rain  but I'm not just feeling it.

All rain does for me is make my joints hurt and my hair frizzy.



It makes Luigi (my dog) cranky too.  All he wants to do is lay around and sleep. Not even shaking his favorite toy at him makes him want to play.

So I'm hoping tomorrow brings a warmer sunnier day so that me and Luigi can go out and play.

Friday, September 12, 2014

County Fair Fun

Every year I look forward to county fair. I enjoy the animals, exhibits and fair food. But since my grandson came along, it's been even more fun.  
Which way did he go?

Birdhouse Kit


He had a great time this year hamming it up. He got lots of ribbons for his entries, rode on the bull ride and the carnival rides and he even managed to get into a magic show.
Blueberry Jam with Honey & Cinnamon

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Back in the Painting Groove

I was having a bit of a painting slump. For a while I painted like a banshee, alcohol ink everywhere not doing and other mediums, I pushed everything aside even my first love china painting.  

Well I went to a friends house and got my mojo back so to speak. Finally using my new mini kiln that I bought in February at the china painting show/convention in Florida, I worked on some little pendants and ornaments.



The kiln worked great. It was much better than cranking up the big one for a few little things. This little kiln takes 50 minutes to fire and 3 hours to cool. The big one takes 3 hours to fire and all day or night to cool. I like that I can get  2 firings in a day if I ever get back to my usual painting rate.

Here is the first fire pen work of the little pendants. There were 2 more fires to go.

The bottom photo are the finished pendants and ornaments.

So glad I got them finished. I have 3 craft shows coming up that I need to work on. Maybe if you are local I'll see you at one of these.


1)  Chesterfield Community craft show on September 20th 12-4 (Mansion House Crossing Pool area in Chesterfiel,  Pasadena, MD)

2)  St. John Lutheran Church Craft Show (Maple Rd, Linthicum, MD) on the
Saturday, November 29th 9-2 pm.

3)  Glen Burnie High School Winter Craft Show (B&A Blvd, Glen Burnie MD) December 6th 9-2 pm.





Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Fun Friend and Fairies


Today was fun and adventurous. It started out as an antiquing trip with a friend. However when we got to the store it was closed. So we decided just to drive down Route 1 and see what we could find. We came across Benke's nursery. I had not been there in years and I remember that I needed for a fairy garden I want to make.

I got the plants and the container and then I saw the most beautiful little greenhouse. It reminded me of the Victorian conservatory and it was 50 percent off. I had to have it. So $150 later I have this beautiful fairy garden.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Life is Short....

Available on Etsy
....Eat Dessert First! So tonight my Grandson Mason is spending the night. I told him we could eat out any place he wanted to go. He decided on Olive Garden. "It has salads Granny Jo and I know you like salads."  So we went to Olive Garden. But before we got there we stopped by Wendy's for a yummy frosty.  After stuffing our faces with salad and bread sticks, he had a make your own pizza which looked more like a meat lover's pizza to me. Even the waitress said it looked awesome.

I got a shrimp pasta dish. It was good but it was a bit spicy. It didn't take long until we were both stuffed. The waitress was like, "you hardly ate anything." And then I told her well you know life is short, we ate dessert first.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Tea Time

Jeannie's Website

Available on Etsy
I have a friend, Jeannie, who owns Sandpiper Boutique 6142 Maddox Blvd, Chincoteague Island, VA. Jeannie is a long time friend. She invited me to put porcelain and my alcohol ink art prints in her shop.  Recently I was in Ocean City which isn't too far from there so I dropped by. Jeannie's family is from Taiwan and her brother processes and sells tea. As I was shopping, I noticed she had some of her brother's Jasmine Green Tea there. I bought a couple of tins of the loose tea. I love that tea. It's like drinking flower petals!   It's so yummy.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Fall Ya'll


Original Oil Painting on Canvas Available on Etsy
Yes indeed. The mornings are starting off with that little chill in the air. 

The crickets are chirping big time. I see waterfowl flying in formation, kids with backpacks and school buses on the road. 

Yep it's Fall Ya'll~

Thursday, August 7, 2014

The Setting Sun


Sunset is my favorite time of day. You never know how it will look or what colors you will find. Sometimes its a dusty pink or a dark blue or even a mix of the two for a beautiful shade of purple but the most spectacular is when it's that bright orange as in the photo I took in Key West. This photo was not digitally enhanced. That sunset was just like this....breathtakingly beautiful.


If you'd like a print or cards made of this photo you can find it on my website:  
http://joann-y-wheeler.artistwebsites.com/featured/sunset-in-the-keys-joann-y-wheeler.html

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Tea Anyone?

So I've had some pieces waiting to go on to Etsy for a little while now. Well last night I got the listing bug. Here's 2 of them related to tea.  They are also related in that they both have yellow roses. Yellow Roses were my Mom's favorite rose. She passed away 1 1/2 years ago. So here you go Mom...yellow roses...thinking of you today.

The one to the left is a miniature teapot box. Inside is a tiny porcelain yellow rose.

Here's the link to it:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/198538614/hand-painted-porcelain-mini-tea-pot?


The one to the right is a small teapot. It is useable as it will hold enough tea for one cup.
This is microwaveable. You could put it in the dishwasher but I think I would handwash it so the ends of the roses and the leaves don't get chipped.

Here's the link to the listing:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/198554664/hand-painted-porcelain-small-tea-pot?

Saturday, August 2, 2014

The Beach

It's almost time for the annual trip to the beach. I'm not a lay on the beach person, but I do love the beach walks and just watching the water go by. This watercolor the the nautilus shell was painted at the beach. I generally take some ACEO watercolor cards, brushes and paints with me. During the week when I get bored or just want to get away from my kids, their spouses and kids, I'll hide out somewhere and "Art".

This year by best friend and her husband are coming so I'm not sure how much painting I will get done because I certainly won't be bored. :)

If you are interested in a print of this watercolor it is available in my watercolor gallery on my website.

Time Flies!

I can't believe it's been 5 years that I have been studying iconography. Over the years, I have learned so much from my teacher Irena. She is a master iconographer who is from Russia. Her job in Russia was working for the Synod of Bishops restoring ancient icons. There's so much in her head, it amazes me sometimes. You would have thought after 5 years I would know everything she does but every so often she will say something or teach me something that is completely new to me. 

Iconography is not easy. It is so unlike any other form of painting I've ever done. I enjoy working on the icons because by the end of it, I feel like I know that Saint as well as any of my real friends as I study their image and talk them in silent prayer.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Mystery Solved


So picture this. A workman is sitting on the floor in front of the pellet stove in the family room.

The hubby was getting ready to leave for work and he said to me, "Hey is this coffee pot supposed to talk?"  I said, "HUH? NO." So he said, "Well it's talking." My grandson ran up to it and said, "Granny Jo it's talking". 

 I get up and go with the other 2 to the Kuerig and yes it was talking, however, it had President Obama's voice.  I couldn't make it out what he was saying.

My grandson says, "it's coming out of the wall". And now I'm thinking, is the Government now snooping on us through our appliances?

Now the workman turns around and he's watching us like a bad movie.
And here's 3 of us with our ears to the wall trying to hear what Mr. Obama is saying and where it's coming from.

It was on one side of the wall in the kitchen nearest the coffee pot but not on the other side of the wall in the family room. 

It sounded louder lower on the wall.  Then I thought maybe I can hear it better if I open the drawers below the coffee pot. First drawer, still muffled. Second drawer (bread drawer) a little louder but still muffled. Third drawer, a little clearer. Fourth drawer, he was talking about Iraq. I found him.
It was coming out of a transistor radio that belonged to my father who passed away one year tomorrow.

It was tuned into 680AM, a talk radio station that Dad frequently listened to.

I asked Glenn and Mason if they had opened that drawer. No, they both said. Dad was always a joker.  So I guess Dad was making sure I remember that tomorrow is the 1 year anniversary of his death. I remembered Dad. Love you and miss you. Thanks for the laugh.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Saving the Landfill

So I had this rusted up little truck hanging around the garage. Mason has long outgrown it. I hated to throw it away because it's so cute and a friend gave it to me.  So I decided to use it on the patio. It looks so darn cute with the beach bucket & plant in it. Can't take credit for it. I saw something similar, actually the plants were planted inside the bed of the truck but I decided to just use that old bucket too! Saving the landfill one toy at a time!

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Sacrifices

 ACEO available on Etsy
 ACEO Title: "Waiting for Daddy" 
Today as I knelt in church I couldn't help but think of all the Men and Women who have given their lives for
this country. May all them and all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in Peace.

My thoughts were automatically taken to those who currently serve or who have served this country and the sacrifices they make.  Not to mention their families, husbands, wives, children, mothers and fathers.  So my prayers of thanksgiving and protection are for those people as well.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day and remember it's not just about the cookout.

-------------------------
The watercolor ACEO pictured to the left is available on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/66688731/watercolor-aceo-original-wating-for?ref=shop_home_active_15

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Be Observant!

You never know where you will find art!  There's a new art movement called Art Abandonment. It's a global movement where art is left in various places for unsuspecting people.

I recently left art in the subway in Rome, Italy and in the airport in New York City.

My latest abandonment was in the local Walmart dressing room pictured here. It is an original ACEO card in alcohol ink on yupo paper.

The card inserted was printed from a template provided by the Art Abandonment group on Facebook. It reads It's Your Lucky Day! You've found free art.  It goes on to explain the concept and give the URL of the Facebook group and an email address where the recipient can reply.  Every now and then the group leader will do a mail call for group members. I'd say 90% of the drops do not receive a response but many of the ones who do respond are touching stories of how they found it and how it made their day. Some people keep them. Some people pass them along to friends or family with health or other issues.

Our Alcohol Ink Artists Group on Facebook encourages abandonment as well.  So pay attention when you are out and about. You might find a piece of art, a piece of jewelry, a craft item, or a card. You never know what it is but it will be tagged with some kind of note letting you know that it's your lucky day.

Joann Y Wheeler
http://inkcentricart.etsy.com

Friday, May 9, 2014

Painting Projects

Well my trip to Italy certainly left me with over 600 photos, many of which I'd like to paint one of these days....here's a few.





Monday, May 5, 2014

Inspiration

Ever have an art block? I have it all the time but once in a while I see something that just says to me, paint me, please. Now generally I'm Landscaped Challenged and I really struggle with it. I force myself to do them because how can you grow if you don't push yourself right?


Well my cousin T.J. and his wife Gayle have a vineyard, Winter Ranch, in Manhattan, Kansas and Gayle posted a photo of one of her morning spring walks. For some reason it spoke to me and I had to ink it. Here's her photo and my interpretation of it. It's in the process of being sealed with UV protectant so I matt and send it off to Gayle & T.J.

Joann Y Wheeler
http://inkcentricart.etsy.com

Monday, April 21, 2014

Spring Yet?

Okay I'm working on imagining Spring is here since Easter is now past. But when I look at the temperature outside and it reads 60 degrees, I'm not so sure! After that last cold snap my beautiful daffodils look a mess.  They are just all brown and dried up. It makes me so sad. I was thinking it was probably a good thing that I didn't buy plants the other day when I was out.

There is some hope though. My miniature lilac bush has some little buds peaking out from it.  I can't wait for it to bloom. It is so pungent that my neighbor can smell it next door. It has tiny flowers but they do their job!


Me and my garden angel are praying hard that spring will come soon. We miss the beautiful flowers and warm weather.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

On Holy Saturday, He Opens the Gates of Heaven

The crucifixion is over and Jesus is in the tomb.....as Catholics we believe that on Holy Saturday Christ descended into Hell to open the gates of Heaven to those gone before. Tomorrow he rises from the dead, Hallelujah 

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:  

632 The frequent New Testament affirmations that Jesus was "raised from the dead" presuppose that the crucified one sojourned in the realm of the dead prior to his resurrection.478 This was the first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ's descent into hell: that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead. But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there.479

633 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, "hell" - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.480 Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into "Abraham's bosom":481 "It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham's bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell."482 Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.483

634 "The gospel was preached even to the dead."484 The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfilment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.

635 Christ went down into the depths of death so that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."485 Jesus, "the Author of life", by dying destroyed "him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage."486 Henceforth the risen Christ holds "the keys of Death and Hades", so that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."487
Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him - He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . "I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead."488
636 By the expression "He descended into hell", the Apostles' Creed confesses that Jesus did really die and through his death for us conquered death and the devil "who has the power of death" (Heb 2:14).

637 In his human soul united to his divine person, the dead Christ went down to the realm of the dead. He opened heaven's gates for the just who had gone before him.

476 Eph 4:9-10.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Paint Party Friday

Art Abandonment Project......over 12,000 (including me) are part of the Art Abandonment Project on Facebook.

The idea is to abandon a piece of art somewhere with a note telling the person they just found free art that they can leave, take or pass along to someone else.  Then you get a photo of where you left it and put it up on Art Abandonment Group page on Facebook. There are a number of files in that group and some of them are tags to put with the art. I used one of their files and ran it off on yellow card stock.

My plan is to leave 2 glass pendants, a pair of domino earrings and 2 ACEO's (all alcohol ink items) some place in Italy the end of this month while I am there. The tags have an email address where the finder and send information or comments or whatever.

I cannot wait to do this in Rome. How much fun will it be?

For more information on Art Abandonment visit: Art Abandonment Group on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArtAbandonment/

Want to learn more about alcohol ink art join our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/alcoholinkartists/

For more really cool art, visit Paint Party Friday Blog at: 
http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/ 

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Agnus Dei

Today is Holy Thursday and tonight we Catholics commemorate the Lord's  Last Supper. The celebration of the first Eucharist in that upper room. Mass of the Last Supper is held after sundown.

 The priest washes the feet of 12 as Jesus washed the feet of the disciples.

This special Mass commemorates the institution of Holy Communion through Jesus's words "this is my body" and "this is my blood"  & direction to "do this in memory of me". At the end of Mass the hosts (which we believe is the consecrated Body of Christ) is removed from the tabernacle and carried in a procession to the lower church where it is placed in the other tabernacle.

After the procession the altar is stripped bare and bells of the church go silent until the "Gloria" at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.

Mass will not be held on Good Friday. The Communion for that day will come from these already consecrated hosts that were moved from the church on Holy Thursday. That day is reserved for Stations of the Cross at 3 pm, the hour Jesus died and for readings that account the Passion of Christ. It is very solemn.

Easter time is my favorite time of the church year. It's rich with symbolism and tradition. Tradition that my parents, grandparents, great grandparents.....my family all the way back to the early church, shared in. This tradition makes me what and who I am.

Tonight I will be joining my daughter at the Shrine of St. Anthony for the Mass of the Last Supper.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Agnus Dei, 

quitollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. 
Agnus Dei, 
quitollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. 
Agnus Dei, 
quitollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem.

Translation:
Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Art Abandonment

So a new movement is underway, Art Abandonment. I don't know how long it's been around. I recently heard about it in my Alcohol Ink Artist Group on Facebook but it seems it must have been around for a while because there is an Art Abandonment Group on Facebook with 12,290 members!
Yikes!

My AI group has an event scheduled to abandon some alcohol ink art. So I'm preparing to abandon some in Italy this month when I go.

I will take photos of where they are abandoned to share with both of my groups.

for more information on art abandonment join the Art Abandonment group on Facebook and for info on alcohol ink art join Alcohol Ink Artists group also on Facebook.



Saturday, April 12, 2014

Bury the Dead


 So today was the spring clean up for the Friends of St. Vincent Cemetery of which I am a member.  It is an abandoned cemetery that was filled with horrible desecrations to the point where the City of Baltimore asked the pastor to bulldoze the tombstones and cover them with 25 feet of fill dirt. Which he did. That was in the 70's and it's been left to grow over until we, the decedents and family of those who are interred there got wind of it and banded together for the benefit of the dead.

One third of the church records of who was buried there was lost. We split up and researched burial records for the surrounding churches and found over 3,000 people. I was lucky my father's brothers Angelo and Giovanni were already in the remaining church records. I say lucky because Angelo had a death certificate (he died at 6 weeks of age from influenza) but Giovanni either was still born or died immediately after birth and I have not been able to find his death records.

Some of the stones remain scattered about and I with the help of others cataloged (and translated the ones in Italian) to create a database of transcriptions and photographs.  

This year we were lucky to have the help of Patrick Nolan who chose our cemetery as his Eagle Scout project.Much of the invasive trees were removed by him, his father and other scouts. Today we piled the remains for mulching by a contractor.

Today was the first time we have had a prayer service. Odd isn't it. It's been years. It is a Catholic cemetery. Every time I go there I pray for the dead. It's become habit for me. But never have we had a formal service.

A local priest found us. His name is Fr. Dyer from St. Patrick & James Church in Baltimore.. He told the story about how one of his parishioners died without a grave and he was looking online to find some place to lay a person who had served the poor and given much of what he owned away. In that search he found us. He joined our Yahoo group and jumped in to work. He also lead a prayer service. He talked about the 7th Corporal Work Of Mercy, Bury the Dead and that if we don't care for the dead we will soon begin not to care for the living.

I have thought that many many times and the state of this cemetery were my baby uncles lay has bothered me which is the reason I am active and passionate about this group.

While removing the trees and dragging them into these huge piles, I saw some daffodils blooming in spots. I have never noticed them before and I've been there many times. It was if God or the dead were saying thank you for our efforts. It is a new day, a new season, a rejuvenation of this sacred space.

Rest in peace Giovanni and Angelo Iori....oh and Grandmom, I heard you talking to me and I know you are pleased. I feel you smiling down from Heaven. Yes, I am taking care of your babies. Were those flowers from you???? Just wondering.

"Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication:

If You, O Lord, mark iniquities,
Lord, who can stand?
But with You is forgiveness,
that You may be revered.

I trust in the Lord;
my soul trusts in His word.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.

More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the Lord.
For with the Lord is kindness,
and with Him is plenteous redemption;
And He will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities."

Psalm 130

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Paint Party Friday!

This week's Party Friday I am sharing a watercolor ACEO. I love this one. My grandson is an apple eater.....There has always got to be apples around for him. He's like his Dad, a green apple kind of guy but I prefer the juicy red ones like these! 


For more of my alcohol ink art visit Http://inkcentricart.etsy.com

For more really cool art, visit Paint Party Friday Blog at: 
http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

-------------------------------------
This ACEO is available on Etsy...here is the link: 
http://www.etsy.com/listing/66690526/watercolor-aceo-original-apples-sfa?ref=shop_home_active_11


A Day in the Past

Facebook reminded me that  8 years ago I was at the coliseum in Rome. The most amazing observation I made was that it was so quiet. People s...