Uphill idealist

Meet my new friend Shannon is an encaustic artist. That means she paints with bees wax and many other multi-media objects. I'd have to say that Shannon is a real-life art hero, as she continues to grow in her own skills and foster creative growth in others. Here is my favorite new piece from her series..."For all it's worth". This series expressed her desire to really understand truth, love, grace and beauty. Enjoy "Truth". For more looks at Shannon's art that is available for purchase, visit her Esty shop: http://www.etsy.com /shop.php?user_id=5250232 or check out her blog at: www.newbymedia.com/newbyartwordpress/

Outside my window I hear the sounds of a spade cutting into the ground, a lawn mower chops down the very over-grown grass of the abandoned house's yard. The mower quiets and I hear the voices of the men working up a sweat in the early summer sun. They laugh, they talk about life. They ask each other what they are doing manyana. Coma estas. Muy bien, e tu? Coma estas. Muy bien, e tu? Coma estas. Mu bien, e tu? How are you. Very good, and you? Even I can understand this with my rusty Spanish. I'm doing fine, thank you. A scythe chopping away at too tall grass, gives the tempo for this cheerful conversation, even in the midst of hard work. All this activity reminds me of that song, "Whistle while you work." Only these fellows even have whistling beat. I need to give gardening in Spanish a try. It sounds like life, like progress, like hope. Coma estas? Muy bien, e tu? T.Eastman 2009

I've made some serious efforts in the last several weeks to improve what I'm eating and avoiding the kettle chips (oh how I love them) and was wondering from if any fellow bloggers have to say concerning the puzzle of balance in cardio and weight training? There are so many schools of thought in how to approach this question, that the professionals quite honestly have me confused and perplexed. Since last April, I've been working on the cardio and have been able to achieve jogging 2-3 miles about three times a week. My motivation in adding the weigh training to my cardio (elliptical and jogging) is that I was told that by building muscle mass, I will burn more fat and actually be able to not have to spend so much time on cardio. My sample week of activity is something like this: M W F (2 to 3 of these days) - Jogging 2 miles or elliptical for 40 minutes. T TH - warm up on ellipitical 10-15 min. and 2-3 sets of 14 reps. upper and lower body weights work. Saturday I sometimes

Blessed with life and blessed with hope. Blessed with words spoken with promise, courage and love. Blessed with glimmers of light in the dark. Blessed with real life goodness that connects with the heart. Blessed with laughter, challenge and lark. Blessed with silliness, learning and spark. Blessed in the moments that catch me off guard. Blessed in the days that get difficult and hard. Blessing abounds in the days, minutes and hours that pass my present moments like warm summer showers. Blessing is here if only I look to see, hear and taste goodness that wants to be took. Blessing is waiting just around the bend if only I'd always see it and greet it like a friend. Blessing in light and blessing in dark, help me see blessings in all my life - not just part. T.L. Eastman 2009

Last Friday my husband Ian and I had the opportunity to have dinner with NK of NK Kreations . Nk developed a method of teaching times tables by combining it with rap style rhythm and rhyme. Here is a video of his oldest son, who inspired him to start this effort due to his difficulty in learning times table, performing the 8 times table with no trouble at all. Now maths is nothin' for him and many school children in the Birmingham area to master! NK will be performing at the James Prendergast Library in Jamestown NY at 7pm on Tuesday and Thursday evening. Come learn a new means of learning math facts - before you know it, it will be nothin' for you too!

Energy I'm really beginning to feel the transition into summer this weekend. It was my last week teaching art in one of my after school programs, next week I have one more lesson and all my extra classes will be wrapped up for the season. I've realized how much live and energy these groups have provided for me, and I hope I've done the same for them. There has been a sense of accomplishment with teaching these classes that was new to me. I'd plan the projects, get the supplies, teach the children how to work and create their projects, and be amazed at their ability and creativity. I'll miss them. This weekend, I was able to spend some well-needed time with my middle-schoolers at a one day camp event. We played games, sang songs, made tie dye shirts, and learned about how God is the living water that gives us true life. They were good words to hear in this transition week. School is wrapping up, church worship is moving to summer hours (love this!), and before I know