Girl Day Out

Meeting the wonderful Ann-a-man for lunch at Olive Garden today. Trip to Michaels involved to obtain more art supplies [matte gel medium]. Also, have 40% off coupon that I will use to purchase the large sticker making machine-y-thingy [don't know what it is called, so I'll have to post a picture here later].

Friday's Child

Child abuse ain't pretty.

Mixed Media - gesso on both sides of 140 lb. watercolor paper; multi-painted background with splattered water to remove paint layers; wording stamped with gesso over purple background. "Friday" stamped with ink; female magazine image used as stencil twice on left & right of original; the original image altered; more painting, scratching, journaling; word cut outs used and adhered with gel medium. Edges lined with oil crayon and smeared. Fine tip sharpie for details. Sprayed with Matte finishing spray.

"Softly Spoken" Workshop

My first online workshop taken at

http://adonlineworkshops.ning.com.

This is one of many I made, but the only one that I like. I am currently redoing one piece and hoping I will like and post the finished product here!

Altered Diva Online "Landscape" Workshop

My 2nd workshop at this wonderful site: http://adonlineworkshops.ning.com/

The suggested canvas size was HUGE - and being intimidated and not wanting to -in my mind - ruin a wonderfully large canvas, I downsized, and felt uninhibited. Medium used is old scrapbook papers, book papers, acrylics, and charcol. I may like the process enough to now make the larger size!

My Heart Leaves Home

I completed several canvases following the tutorial in Somerset Home, by Amber Oaks on Page 93.

2 canvas = 4" x 4"

1 canvas = 6" x 8"

1 canvas = 11" x 14 " [not shown]

Amber's art moved me and I identified with her broken heart she had at the time she created her "City of Hearts".

My "broken heart" feeling was more I saw and felt my son leaving home for college in Hawaii. His heart & soul fly away from home toward his own live path. . . .

I see him fly over cities and other lands.

The art not shown has 3 flying hearts each one representing an important soul in my life that has passed on.

Missing Dad on Memorial Day, 2009

Lt. Col. John F. Padula, Jr.

January 8th 1933 - December 21st, 1976

Dad was born in Chicago, Illinois, the 2nd son of John F. Padula, Sr. & Rose Pedote Padula. He was the first person in his family to graduate from college. His father had a 3rd grade education and his mother completed 6th grade. Dad's early dreams included professional baseball or perhaps the priesthood, until he met Carolyn Nancy Boucher on the train traveling to college.

Dad served in the Marines and then went to work for pharmaceutical company, Pfizer Inc. He missed the life of a soldier and joined the Army retiring after 18 years of service as a Disabled Vietnam Veteran. Dad served two tours in Vietnam. He requested the 2nd tour of duty.

He was Chief of Personal Services with the First Division in Vietnam [ The Big Red One ]. Dad was awarded two Air Medals and the Commendation Ribbon and the 5-Cluster Bronze Star. He attended the Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas and served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington.

My father loved to fish & boat on Lake Marion at Santee where he purchased our vacation home. He bred bulldogs and showed and owned several champions. Dad was a fierce competitor on the hand ball and racquet ball courts, and in life. He loved the horse track and placed many a winning bet. He'd study those race sheets for hours. There wasn't anything he couldn't fix - he seemed to know it all - electrical, mechanical, building, etc. He made painting the house, cleaning the boat, and yard work a family activity. He had a "green thumb" - my garden's harvest doesn't come close to what his yielded. Dad was a lover of photography and home movies. He took pictures all the time, everywhere we went and even around the house.

He demanded only the best from himself and his troops; i.e., children. None of us were perfect, but that didn't stop him from attempting to make us all perfect. Being surrounded by his loud noisy family eating home cooked Italian food was his greatest joy, second only to fishing. He never passed up a party & hosted plenty himself. Dad loved to cook and made Italian sausage so hot when you ate it you'd sweat and tears would drip from your eyes.

He loved his wife and children and bestowed nicknames on all of us. I saw my father cry only twice in his lifetime. One, when his Uncle Phillip passed away. Two, the day my little brother, Michael, was born.

I believe if my father were still alive . . . . .

He'd be all over the WWW and FaceBook posting a million pictures & videos of his grandchildren. He loved "new" technology - we were the first family on the block to have the silver Christmas tree with the color wheel; the first people I knew to own the "new" video game "Pong". He'd most likely have an ipod, flat screen TVs, digital cameras, the iPhone, a wii, and every new techie gadget that came out as soon as it was available.

His grandchildren would all have learned to cook, fish, bet the horses, and water ski under his direction. Each grandchild would have been given a bulldog puppy. He'd be the one to give them their first alcoholic drink, probably at Christmas dinner, "just a sip for a toast". I imagine he would have the grandkids for a couple of weeks each summer at "Papa's Santee Summer Camp" - no parents of these children allowed. He'd tell his grandchildren how horrible and naughty his children were.

John, Tony, Marguerite, myself, and Michael would all have reached perfection in Dad's eyes for the simple fact that we each reproduced giving him exceptional grandchildren. He would tolerate us, his children, and openly love and bestow affection on his grandchildren in a way he never could with his own children.

I often envision Dad organizing the painting of the outside of each of our homes - "we don't hire people to do that!" . . . Supervising moving day as each of his children moved into larger homes. Dad would never have missed a grandchild's kindergarten graduation, b-day party, ball game, race, talent show, award banquet, high school or college graduation. He'd be in the front row, tripod set up and camera flash going off so much it was annoying! And after said event he'd have a full Italian meal prepared and ready to eat.

This Memorial Day long weekend, would be another Papa Padula tradition spent in Santee with the grands [ok, possibly their parents would be invited ] water skiing, tubing, eating fried catfish and whatever else was caught that day. The day would end with an obscene amount of money spent on fireworks & eating too much homemade peach ice cream. Dad loved South Carolina peach season and any kind of homemade ice cream - everyone gets a turn to crank it!

Next big shindig - all the troops would be commanded to embark on a trip to Pelion, SC for the 4th of July Peach Festival!

I believe if only my father were still alive . . . . .

The Tea Room in Sumter, South Carolina

The Tea Room

I love this place!! Such a femine, lady like dining spot, with a huge tea list! Love the raspberry tea.

Fine china, cloth napkins, old silver, tons of vintage items and pictures; roses on the table.

They deliver your check in a vintage ladies evening bag & you place your credit card inside. When they bring you the sales slip to sign, it is on a antique silver tray.

Poinsettia

I recieved this poinsettia last Christmas, 2008. It has been on my sun porch all year growing new green leaves. And look what has happenend = = = > it has bloomed!! Yes, a little late for Christmas but still pretty remarkable I think! In the past Iread about how to get last year's poinsettia to bloom again, and it always involves months of complete darkness and lack of water. I've thrown a tad of water on this once a week and occasionally have sprayed some green algea plant food on it when spraying my other house plants. Don't know what worked, or didn't work, but I am pleased. I can't wait to see if the bloom grows bigger!

::Hungry for my son::

I've got to type this as fast as I can before I go eat my entire box of NS food!!!!!!!!!

My son is in college . . . he use to be 2 hours away and he would come home every 3-4 months for a weekend visit. This semester he transfered to the University of Hawaii - we are in South Carolina. Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, he cannot simply come home for a weekend. I am really really missing him today. I have a strong desire to buy the largest bag of M&Ms and nestle on the couch and eat them all. Yes, I know that eating crap is not going to bring my son home, it is going to make me feel like crap afterwards too.

I need support from other moms with children that are far, far away! Believe me, I would rather have him in Hawaii then with a shaved head fighting in Iraq. Those mother's amaze me how they continue to move through their daily life day after day after day.

I have a box for my son to take to the post office this afternoon. I am mailing him his valentine card & gift: Quicksilver Board shorts, madras cargo shorts, Tshirts, micro popcorn, trail mix, etc. My husband and I plan to go to Hawaii in November and that is so far away. I would love nothing more than to surprise my son with one-third of his mom gone for good - - the fat part.

My son does call about once a week, and sends the occasional text msg, and we communicate on facebook. I write him an ongoing letter and send upbeat, happy news. The last thing I want is for him to know how much his moving leaves a hole in my heart.

After going to the post office, I have to go to the grocery store for dog food - Poor Lucky Dog is completely out of food. On second thought, it would be better for me at this point in time to stay out of the grocery store, so instead I will pay more and go to the pet speciality store instead!!

Thanks for reading this far . . . typing has kept my hands buys!!! All comments are welcome and will be greatley appreciated!!