Friend... Such a simple word for one of the greatest necessities of life.
Each person is given the gift of time on this earth...
to live… to learn… to love…
and to leave a legacy.
There's a certain wisdom, a deep sensitivity and an indescribable capacity to love that a woman acquires at the moment she becomes someone's mother.
In honor of Mother’s Day this month, I want to introduce you to one pretty amazing lady – my mom, Ruth. At age 93, she is in relatively good health, living in an assisted living apartment close by our home. While her short-term memory is not very good these days, something she never forgets are the names of our big white dogs, Mojo and Moxie. We take them to visit her on the rare days that they are clean enough! Ruth takes a lot of pride in remembering the names of those dogs…especially since she can’t recall the names of her fellow residents, even the ones she dines with 3 times a day.
Mojo and Moxie greet Ruth
Mojo givin’ a little lovin’
But, in spite of her failing memory, you will never find my mother in a bad mood. She makes the best of everything. Always. While Ruth was never artistic (one of her favorite sayings is “I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler”), I have to credit her with instilling positive thinking in me…the kind of thinking that I believe influences the art and writing I do. I’m not sure if that joy-filled content comes from something that I feel – or if it’s something I need to feel more of… either way, I have to credit Mom for drumming it into me.
Some of her “Momisms” :
- “there is no such thing as an ugly person”
- “hate is a horrible word”
- “I like anyone who wears a smile”
- “It is more important to be nice than it is to be important”
Having grown up during the depression, Mom has always been frugal and selfless. While these qualities are admirable, she unfortunately has a hard time indulging herself, even in healthy ways, always preferring to do without. This kind of upbringing caused a few issues for me in later years, since I so want to indulge sometimes without feeling bad about it.
I’d like to share an excerpt with you from my Scatter Joy book from the chapter called “Letting Joy Overcome Guilt”.
My mother has had a fulfilling and comfortable, if simple life, and she has definitely done more than her share of scattering joy. I just wish she could have learned that it’s not just okay to be good to yourself, that it’s more than okay. It’s actually good for you!
Shortly after my divorce when I was on my own with my two young kids, my mother stopped by to give me a hand as she (thankfully) often did. I had just returned from the grocery store and finished putting away the food when she came in through the back door to the kitchen. I was arranging the cut flowers I had just bought, placing them in a vase for the kitchen table. I could tell that she was troubled.
When I asked her what was wrong, she confronted me about the flowers, asking me if some new admirer had sent them (of which she would definitely have disapproved!). After all, the divorce was so very difficult for my parents to accept, and my dating so soon when I had two little kids depending on me would have been too much for my mother to handle. I thought I was off the hook when I replied, “No, I bought them for myself!” My mother looked absolutely stunned. Obviously she never bought herself flowers (how wasteful, frivolous, and self-indulgent!), and she couldn’t quite fathom that I had done so for myself—especially when I should be “in mourning” over my divorce and focused on my children.
Now, I love and admire my mother very much, and I will never come close to her good works and almost sainthood status, but I’ve become quite comfortable being my own best friend and not feeling guilty about treating myself well.
These days I try to buy myself flowers every week. Doing so brings me such joy! And when I buy flowers for myself, I often pick up a bouquet for my mother to brighten her assisted-living apartment. I think she might just enjoy those flowers as much as I enjoy giving them!
Wishing all moms the very happiest Mother’s Day. I hope you all get some flowers! (and if you don’t, it’s OK to buy some for yourself!)
This week I was honored to be a guest at West Chester University's President's Dinner. President Greg Weisenstein and his wife, Sandra were the charming hosts of a beautiful dinner held in the impressive Autograph Library at the University.
WCU is where I received my bachelor's degree in elementary education. While at West Chester, art was my minor field of study, and my love for all things creative was ignited there, thanks to some great professors! One of my favorites was my ceramics teacher, John Baker, who is now "Dr. Baker" - the chairman of WCU's Art Department.
Before the dinner, John invited us to attend the WCU Alumni Exhibition in Mitchell Hall. Exhibiting alumni included Igor Roussanoff, Drew Jordan, Jim Podziomek, Elena Mascherino amd Jimmer Breen. The variety of work was impressive, and I especially loved the large portrait paintings done by Elena and Jimmer.
Thanks, WCU, for a wonderful journey back in time and an inspiring jolt of what is yet to be.
Here I am with "Dr. Baker" in the Mitchell Hall gallery
Portrait painter Jimmer Breen with his oil painting entitled "Dude"
Portraits by Elena Mascherino (collage using magazine paper!)
and Jimmer Breen (oil).
Ceramic word mural in Mitchell Hall
When you feel like you've lost your center, you must make the time... and then take the time to find it again.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
We hope you have some great plans to celebrate the day with your loved ones. In the spirit of Valentine's Day we are offering you a free download of a variety of Valentine's Day sticker art. Help us Scatter Joy and post these stickers wherever you please! Snap a picture of your sticker and send it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will post it on our Facebook page. Just head over to our Free Joy tab and download Kathy's artwork!
The sticker sheet is formatted to fit the Avery #8395 Label (2 1/3 x 3 3/8). You can find these labels at most office supply stores like Walmart, Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max.
How are you planning on celebrating Valentine's Day?
"A forever kind of love is one that accepts, forgives, understands and encourages. It is kind and caring. It is unconditional."
Hope lives around every corner, behind every cloud, inside every failure. Believe in hope. Look for it and you'll find it when you need it most.
"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it." ~Johann von Goethe
Hi everyone! Below are three ways we at Kathy Davis Studios hope to Scatter Joy in the New Year. Do you have any Scatter Joy tips? Comment below and let us know how you hope to Scatter Joy to those around you in the New Year.
· Knit a hat or scarf for a homeless person this winter.
· Leave a stuffed animal or toy for a child in a hospital.
· Send a Thank You card to someone who's helped you when you really needed it.
"Follow your heart, listen to your inner voice, go where your spirit guides you." (Click here to view this Dose of Inspiration on Flickr)
Head on over to our Kathy Davis Studios Zazzle site to pick up Kathy's new Spread Sunshine stamp!
It's almost 2011 friends! Has anyone thought about their New Year’s resolution?
I'm always so touched by year-end reviews on TV ... especially the "Hail and Farewell" segments that feature well known (and sometimes lesser known) people who have left our world over the past year. These people have touched the lives of so many through their art, their discoveries, their celebrity, their gestures of humanity and through their life's work.
Of course, it is impossible to recognize the great numbers of people who have passed on and left the world a better place...the soldiers who have given their lives, the doctors who have saved lives, the entertainers and writers who have helped us to laugh, cry or be inspired...and the nameless "everyman" who has donated hours of time to help others in need. All deserve our heartfelt thanks.
I urge us all to be inspired by these lives as we take stock of our own. How are we living our precious days? Are we making a difference? Do we spend more time complaining than celebrating...by avoiding rather than facing...by wasting the gifts we are meant to share?
Are YOU living a life you love? Are you making choices each day that are right for you? Are you listening to your heart? Are you living your best life?
Sure, not everyday can be a celebration and not everyone of us can be a Mother Teresa. Sure, there are things we'd rather not do that can't be avoided...but are you paying attention to the simple joys in your life? Are you taking a moment to make someone else feel important?
If we all listen to our inner voice, open our hearts to others, and feel gratitude for all that is going RIGHT.....each one of our days can be a gift to us.
May 2011 be FILLED with those kinds of days for you! Happy New Year!
All My Best,
While touring through Spain in the summer of 2009, my husband and I marveled at the wonderfully diverse countryside and culture in Barcelona, Sevilla and Madrid...but nothing captured me the quite way the glorious graffiti did!
I have always loved hand-lettering, calligraphy and expressive painting, so seeing the explosions of color and self-expression scattered on storefronts and signs throughout Spain thrilled me! For the most part, this is not a destructive type of graffiti, but, rather street art that gave the old cities a vibrancy and pulse that speaks to... and from... the people.
Not limited to paint, some of the art was adorned by stencils, collage and stickers. I started to become familiar with the artists, each who left their distinctive markings across the towns.
A fiend with my iPhone camera, I walked many miles capturing as much eye candy as I could! Maybe I overdid it a little when I ended up in a wheelchair after getting a foot infection...but still I kept clicking away. I had become addicted to Spain's street art!
I hope you enjoy these small slideshows from my prized collection!
a time of joy
a prayer for Peace
the gift of hope
and a heart full of Love
With every wish for a Happy Holiday
May peace prevail in our world. May hope abide in our hearts.
