Possibilities and Observations

I got a new white canvas for my birthday yesterday, and money for paint...oh, the possibilities. Nothing is quite as fun as taking something plain and white and putting something on it. Anything I feel like. Maybe I'll paint when I'm in a better mood this time so the thing comes out looking happy. A thought... I better start using smaller canvas. The only place I can hang my orphan art is in my bedroom where very few people will have to see it, so I guess I should start using smaller pieces or I'll run out of room. So excited just thinking about what it could turn into!

More possibilities... Susie is here this week, and aside from needing to accomplish a few minor tasks, we have a whole bunch of days to fill with whatever suits our fancy. Oh, how I miss the Rose Garden in Portland. And the Japanese Garden... And the beach... And the Washington Park Zoo...
I'm sure we could find something just as spiritually and whimsically stimulating here in Utah. I'll need to think on it.

I saw the most beautiful tree yesterday. It was just beginning to bloom with amazingly deep purple flowers! I almost drove my car into someone's yard while I craned my neck around to stare at it. I love spring. There should be no snow involved in spring, however, so I find myself feeling hostile towards the flakes falling from the sky this morning. When will the sun come to stay?

And a final observation - Cameron's birthday party was two days ago, and I can't decide if it was enlightening or disheartening to see the difference in some of the kids. There were some who were very concerned with being "cool", and contrastingly, some who had obviously been trained in the art of kindness and gave no thought to how their behavior might be perceived by their peers. So, as second graders, where does the desire to be "cool" come from? Who teaches these kids their teenage vocabulary? Who teaches them to flirt with skills beyond what I have seen in kids 8 years older than them? Who teaches them to look with disdain on children who are meek and don't bother with things like pop culture and clothing brands? But what I am more interested in, is how do the parents of those kind and humble children teach them to put others before themselves and to show charity in the simplest of acts, like complimenting someone on the gift they brought, or helping someone smaller than them pick up the popcorn they dropped? That's the kind of child I want to have.