Sunday when our local family got together to celebrate my birthday we gathered around the dining room table for a bit of collage.
When our grand-daughters were younger and schedules were less hectic, we used to do Sunday Art-ins. Its a fun way to have all ages around the table - together - making things. We have not done that in a long, long, long time. As kids got older their calendars filled - more time at school, games and sports and all of us adults in the family seem to have fuller schedules too. I have missed those slow times. So, when Jim said what did I want to do for my birthday I said, "let's have an evening of Art and Strawberries."
I made up individual baggies of collage scraps - a mix of colored papers, cards, stamps, pictures, bits of this and that.
All you need for this is collage "fixin's" - papers, glue sticks, scissors and willing hands.
We started with dessert and cards. Strawberries turned into a mix of berries: blue berries, raspberries and strawberries over angel food cake - with sorbet on the side. How simple is that? Jim had told everyody _"cards only" - and they brought delightful Birthday cards
and circumvented the "no gifts" by including "gift" cards for some of my favorites - iTunes, Starbucks and Images, my favorite hair salon. Very green - no packing to toss and no "things" to add to our life space.
Everyone fell right in with the "program." Little talking as each one laid out their goodies and figured out how to solve the problem - turn scraps into "art."
But, you know, even in the quiet there is closeness, the closeness of just "being together." No tv in the background, no iPods dishing separate playlists, no text-messaging. Just being there - being with each other and - - with yourself, as you glue scraps of paper on a card.
It was precious time - a special gift for my birthday.
When our grand-daughters were younger and schedules were less hectic, we used to do Sunday Art-ins. Its a fun way to have all ages around the table - together - making things. We have not done that in a long, long, long time. As kids got older their calendars filled - more time at school, games and sports and all of us adults in the family seem to have fuller schedules too. I have missed those slow times. So, when Jim said what did I want to do for my birthday I said, "let's have an evening of Art and Strawberries."
I made up individual baggies of collage scraps - a mix of colored papers, cards, stamps, pictures, bits of this and that.
All you need for this is collage "fixin's" - papers, glue sticks, scissors and willing hands.
We started with dessert and cards. Strawberries turned into a mix of berries: blue berries, raspberries and strawberries over angel food cake - with sorbet on the side. How simple is that? Jim had told everyody _"cards only" - and they brought delightful Birthday cards
and circumvented the "no gifts" by including "gift" cards for some of my favorites - iTunes, Starbucks and Images, my favorite hair salon. Very green - no packing to toss and no "things" to add to our life space.
Everyone fell right in with the "program." Little talking as each one laid out their goodies and figured out how to solve the problem - turn scraps into "art."
But, you know, even in the quiet there is closeness, the closeness of just "being together." No tv in the background, no iPods dishing separate playlists, no text-messaging. Just being there - being with each other and - - with yourself, as you glue scraps of paper on a card.
It was precious time - a special gift for my birthday.
1 comment:
I can't believe I missed your birthday! Happy birthday dear friend. It sounds like you had a lovely day.
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