Tag: Snap!

365 Snap Shots of Life : Day 111

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The Invitation

Ever since I said yes to my cross, my life was revolutionized. My cross has taken me places I’ve never been; tight, narrow, difficult places that can only be attained through my cross. I have seen great heights and been to the lowest  abyss and came back to surprise my enemies. They jeered, they taunted,” Where is this God of yours? You say He loves you and yet He abandons you, giving you up for dead. HA! HA! HA! What a pitiful God who squashes the ones He supposedly loves…”

And yet through all the flaming arrows and accusations I am able to stand, though it is not I who stands. It is through no strength of my own that I’m able to bear the weight of my cross. ” Pick up YOUR cross and follow me” is not a command, rather it’s His invitation. Many are called,  few respond.

I did this painting when I first visited Tucson AZ. It was spring and I was astounded to see such a colorful landscape…I fell in love with the desert back then. I hope everyone has a fantastic week-end!!

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 110

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I noticed something interesting. When I write my blog offline on my computer, I  flow better than if I just go on WORDPRESS and write it from there. I don’t know, do any of you fellow bloggers out there ever experience that?

Today I went and got rid of crap I have not used in forever. And by forever I mean more than 6 months to a year. A long time ago when I used to go to church a visiting preacher from South Africa was talking about storing up treasure in heaven. At the end of his lesson, he mentioned that he had a rule he lives by in order not to amass stuff. He said that if he looked around his closet and if he saw something he hadn’t worn in at least a year, he would donate it to charity. Well I adopted the same rule and I’ve done that since then.

My family knows, if I have not worn it, touched it or even looked at something in at least a year, it’s GONE in 60 seconds 😀 Ok, ok, I’m exaggerating there, but you get the point. I find it liberating. Anyway, this rule doesn’t apply to some things like books and family heirlooms. For everything else though, there’s the Goodwill!

So I leave you with this photo of the ocean taken when I went to Malibu…BREATHE!

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 109

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I was journaling earlier today and I did a little exercise called a gazillion questions day. I allowed myself to write down all the questions  swimming around in my head. Some I answered. Others, I had no answer for and I just left blank.There is something very freeing about writing down those questions even if you don’t have an answer or if the answer is something you don’t want to accept. At least it’s out of my head and I anchored it down on pen and paper. Or in my case, hammered them down with each strike of the keys on my key board. So now that I’ve told you what helps me clear my head, I feel a nap coming on :). Chao for now!

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 108

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Mojave Desert  Showers

I like the sound of rain,
it makes me feel like dancin’,
Sube y Baja (Up and down),
Pa’ riba pa’bajo (Side to side),
Cha-cha-cha!
Ooh yeah, the rain it makes me dance inside,
saturates my soul,
fills me with delight.
Agua santa, pura y ( Holy water, clean and pure),
Me llena de esperanza (I’m alive with hope),
Se me alegra el Corazon (My heart has found the cure).
The rain drops: Diamonds from heaven,
out in this desolation,
washes over and refreshes
lonely, lowly ,anguished souls.
Diamonds falling from the sky:
Psshh, psshh,psshh,
Sshhm sshh, sshh,
Trssh, trssh, trrrssh,
Music to my ears-
makes me feel like singin’,
songs of sheer delight.
The sound of rain,
moves me in thanksgivin’,
to the one who sent me diamonds from the sky.

Eva Santiago © 2002

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 107

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I took up painting during a time in my life when I needed a friend close by. We had moved out west and I had 4 kids under 10 years old. Painting became a trusted friend; I could turn to my paints and brushes at any hour of the day and they’d be there faithfully waiting for me to take a little road trip and see where the journey would take me. With paint and brushes I managed to brighten my spirit and uplift those of  people I gave my paintings to. I still paint now and then. Now, I’m busier with teaching and writing but I’ll never turn my back on painting-my still trusted friend.

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 106

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SWEET SPIRIT

I drew this horse for my daughter a while ago. She wanted to know if I could draw her a horse and I took out some butcher paper I had lying around the house. I wasn’t going to color it because I didn’t think she’d like it. Once she saw my finished sketch she squealed in delight and begged me to finish it. So I used Prismacolor pencils and markers. It’s now framed hanging in her bedroom. When your child believes in you more than you believe in yourself, that’s the BEST feeling in the world! Happy Sunday to all!!!

365 Snap shots of Life: Day 105

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FIESTA!

The flamenco dancer
her name was Penelope,
stepped up on the dance floor
and lost herself in ecstasy.
Her voluptuous body
covered in violet and magenta,
taffeta with silk organza.
Her feet in black heels.
Her hands clicking the castanets.
All the men there spinning their wheels.
Penelope’s chocolate tresses,
flowed in the wind in gentle caresses.
Penelope the flamenco warrior,
used her fan as her shield,
warding away male impetuous stares.
She arched her sensual body,
dainty hands wove intricate patterns
throwing away all of her cares.

Eva Santiago © 2012

 

365 Snap shots of Life: Day 104

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I discovered how much I enjoy painting when my kids were toddlers. One frigid winter afternoon in Georgia I took out some finger paint and construction paper and they spent the next few hours delving into the paint with such enthusiasm that after a little while I joined them. I did a little picture and I put it on the fridge next to theirs. When their dad came home from work that evening, he noticed mine right away and he was as surprised  as I was at how good it turned out. Ever since, I enjoy experimenting with different mediums. One day I am going to get the nerve up to use oil paints. So I leave you with this picture I did in water-color. Happy week-end everyone!

Lonesome Coyote

Tell me what you see lonesome coyote,

the moon is your lover,

bathes you gently with light,

you respond in a howl- haunting Don Quixote.

-Eva Santiago copyright 2012

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 103

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10 Things and then Some…

10 Things I have learned in 17 years of home schooling:

1. Children are children until they grow up so let them be kids for as long as they can get away with it. You are training them to BECOME adults. So don’t treat them as “little adults”; they’ll be there soon enough.

2. Nobody is perfect so don’t expect perfection from your kids. Instill in them a sense of excellence instead.

3. Practice what you preach. Kids see right through their superiors and if you’re phony they’ll call you out on it.

4. When your child does her best, accept it.
5. Don’t even think that you’re going to pretend that you know everything. We don’t and kids learn that soon enough.

6. Sometimes kids ask questions not because they want an answer, they want to see how much you know.

7. DO NOT lie, especially to kids, in the guise that you’re trying to protect them. As they get older, they’ll see right through the BS.

8. Kids are honest as long as you’re honest with them.

9. The home schooling journey tends to get lonely at times for both parents and children.

10. Now a days education is a big money-making business. It doesn’t take a lot of cash to give your children a good education.

 

This is just a VERY brief over view of some of the things I have learned in this amazing, challenging and at times frustrating journey. I had never stopped to think about it until now. If you were to ask me 25 years ago when I graduated from high school what I’d be doing 25 years later, this would have never popped into my head. I was headed to live out a completely self-absorbed life style and then what happened? Faith took over and led me here. I’m so glad I listened to her instead of following my way. My 25th class reunion is coming up this summer.  I dare say I’m pretty sure I’m not going to hear too many of my fellow classmates of the class of ‘87 saying they are in my profession. I’d probably get the usual bewildered looks that I’ve grown accustomed to over the years. But alas, I don’t see the point in going to a reunion where I hardly knew anyone back then and I’m certainly not going to know any of those people now. It’s time to celebrate my daughter’s accomplishment and that’s what I’m going to do this summer!!!

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 102

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RE-SPECT = LOOK AGAIN

It is a tough thing to face daily that a loved one is dying right before my eyes. He went from being a man with a spring in his step when I first met him. After more than 2 decades of knowing him, his steps are weighed down with the cares of life. When I first met him his honey colored eyes were alive with hope and now, they are opaque and the light in them significantly dimmed. When I first met him, he had a full hair of beautiful thick, wavy,soft hair. Now his scalp shows through in patches and it feels brittle to my fingertips. A long time ago he never stopped- always wound up tighter than a clock. Now, he needs naps just to stay alive it seems. And they’re not little cat naps; the kind that rejuvenate and nourish the soul. He naps and I fear he’ll one day not wake up at all. He said he wasn’t addicted when we first met. He said he could always quit. Now that she has taken him for good, I see him bound by her oppressive chains and all I can do is weep because there’s nothing else to do for someone who is  deep in the clutches and final stages of addiction.

My anger is gone. I used to be so upset at him for not taking care of himself. Now, I have a newfound respect. I’m looking again and I see a dying person who deserves to be treated with something he never ever received in his whole existence- Dignity.