Believe it!

Today is See It Say It Saturday on the ZNE BLOGZ. ZNE celebrates the mixed media artist, and all artists of every genre are welcome. That love and acceptance is what I love about ZNE.



This is my first effort at a digital scrap book page. I continue to struggle to figure out Photo Shop Elements. So I did this one on Print Master. And it is pretty simple. But I think minimal is sometimes good.



The ZNE Design Team picked the SISIS art selections back in February. We were each assigned several weeks throughout the year. The wonderful work shown here, of birds and a bird house was created by Fran Burras. This piece was selected by Kat Tarra. Kat was caught unawares with out her art supplies while out of town and I stepped in and covered for her week.



I was thinking a lot about these birds and their bird house and how one of the birds is bringing elements to the other bird for nest building, they are obviously building this nest together. No doubt, building a special place where their baby birds will be loved and nurtured. It makes me think of my father,(and my mother) on several levels. First Dad was an avid bird watcher, complete with binoculars, bird books, bird houses, bird feeders. He loved them. I remember once as a little kid, there was a sickly pigeon in our yard. Dad knew he couldn't help it, but he coaxed it into the garage, thinking in the morning it would be dead. I know he was thinking that the bird could die peacefully, and not be eaten by the neighborhood cats or dogs. In the morning, he went out to the garage, opened the door, and the bird hopped out of the garage and flew away. It said a lot to me about how to treat others. Do what you can to help, relieve suffering where you can, be kind, always. It was how my dad lived. Do what you can with the gifts that you have and be kind always.


I think....I know... that my dad loved us, and did all he could to create a home filled with abundant love, where we would be safe against all the evils of the world. I found another picture with this one today. We're at a lake, I'm about 3 or 4 years old. I probably wanted to stand on that wall. You can see my dad holding on to me for dear life. He is not going to let me fall!

But back to the top of the page. There is the photo showing my father's ultimate love, something I believed in everyday. I know my mom took the photo, only a mom could take that photo...in that way. She probably took the May 1957 photo, too.



















My folks both passed away in 2006, about 10 weeks apart. They were in their 80s, lived full and happy lives. They had what they needed. How do you ever let their deaths go. I had them thru all of my growing up years and until I was 53. I have friends who lost parents when they were still in elementary school and when they were in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. They were all too soon. Some days, I still can't let go of the grief . I know that is normal. I am always reminded of their gifts to me. I always will be reminded. I try to celebrate their lives every day.

The morning of my father's death, he watched the sun come up, my brother and I were with him, there was a female cardinal at the bird feeder outside the window of his hospice/nursing home room. I know it was my mom saying "Come on , Joe, let's fly away home."















So Fran's work here of the sunny day, of mom and dad building
a home filled with love...something that is to be believed against the whole world....makes me think of my family and their love for me. Thanks Fran for the gentle reminder of love, home and family.