His Voice

 

I actually heard him before I saw him.  His voice is the very same that once whispered in my ear, the very same that laughed with mine, the very same that lied.

He didn't see me.  I made sure if that.  If we had made eye contact, I am not sure what would have happened and I just am not ready to find out.

I knew I would run into him eventually.  I knew he had moved back to our hometown and it isn't a very large place.  Hell, technically, we live on a freaking island.

It was eight years ago that we last spoke, but my ears could tell, it was him.  I took a peek to see and it was him but only fatter and his hair was growing in a ring instead of being bald.  I made sure that he wouldn't see me.  I had my mask on and my hair over my eyes.  I am still not prepared for a polite hello or even a nod.

A punch to the head maybe.....

It is amazing how just a simple sound can trigger such an emotion.  Everything flooded back into the forefront of my mind.  The memory of an immense hurt and feelings of inadequacy, such a powerful emotion to feel.

I've been through therapy and worked hard at getting my strength back.  I have learned that what happened was not due to anything that I had done.  Cheaters and liars do what they do because of their own demons and they take apart anyone in their wake.

That instant of hearing his voice, triggered that one instance of going back to the place before I got help, that one instance of feeling small and insignificant.  I felt that I wasn't enough once again.  It was a dark place that I really didn't want to encounter again.

Seriously though, there wasn't anything special about him.  He is an ordinary man, doing an ordinary job in a small town.  He isn't a prince or even important.  He just was him.

And yet, during our time, he was mine and I trusted everything.  I believe everything.  

But that was my side of the coin....

A different reality was happening on his side.

I will never truly understand why he was the way he was with me.  I never will.  I can't just ask him because he holds no truth.

Sometimes I wish that he would know my truth.  How I was left and how broken I was.  I wish he could know how much hurt his deceit had caused.  Perhaps it really doesn't matter now. 

It's been eight years.  Eight long years of trying to figure out how to trust again.  How to open up and show my heart.  How to let someone in.  Even now, I still don't know if I can fully do it.  My heart hurts in fear just typing it.

Not everyone is my ex.  <-- I need that on a card or something to remind myself.

It is still strange how his voice is what I heard first after so many years.  It caused me to stumble a little, but I am good now.

Back to the Begining

 

I always knew that I was going to move once my youngest was done with high school.  I was living in a town for 22 years and still felt like an outsider.  Not by anyone's fault.  It was just a town that was small and everyone knew everyone.  I just didn't fit in.

It also didn't help that I was divorced in this small town and my ex lived within walking distance.  He also married a nut job and frankly, I didn't like running in to her. (Yes, he married the nut job from this post.)

I wasn't exactly sure where I was going to go but I did know, I wasn't staying.

I took a trip out to Phoenix, AZ to visit my very dear friend.  I wanted to see if I could possibly call it home.  I booked my flight and in March I went.  This was at the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Toilet paper was in short supply and spring training for baseball was cancelled.  I was concerned that I might not be able to get home.  But then again, it would have made the moving decision easy.

I loved Arizona.  It is very beautiful and Scottsdale is so inspiring for a creative mind.  I thought that maybe I could live there.  But then I remembered....it gets hot.  I know, I know, its a dry heat.  I don't care.  When it is 120 degrees, it is still hot.  I'm not a huge fan of hot.

I came back to Wisconsin with fond memories that I will keep close.  I will go back again.

But I still was wondering where to go.

Katie was graduating soon and I wanted to move before it got to be close to winter.  I don't like moving in the winter.

I had thought about moving to Appleton or Green Bay.  I would still be close to my daughter.  My son recently moved to lower Michigan and he wouldn't be too far.  I looked at apartments and jobs but something just wasn't there.  I didn't feel like that was the right choice either.

I was joking with my sister and she said I could come live in her basement.  That would have been a good idea except I don't think her husband could put up with both of us.  Then our talk became more serious.

I decided to move home.

Home being Upper Michigan, Yooperland, Copper Country....

The more I planned, the more excited I got.  My friends and family were there.  I could easily find a job at Walmart until I figured out what I really wanted to do.

I set the plan in motion.

In September, I accepted a job with Walmart.  The Walmart where I first started in an empty building in 1994.  I then scheduled some apartment showings.

I saw one apartment and at my first steps in, my eyes teared up.  I kept apologizing to the landlord.  I felt that this was home.

That evening I joined my life long friends at their camp along the shores of Lake Superior.  I had only planned to stay for dinner as it had been a long day.  As I sat and watched the waves roll and chatted with my friends I truly felt as if I was home.  It was getting late and we were laughing about something so funny that we worried about our bladders, tears rolling down and holding stomachs, I overheard my friend's husband say "there is a lot of healing happening here".

How true that sounded.

After so many years of hurt feelings, failed relationships, heartbreak, trauma, hard work, raising kids as a single parent, I truly felt I was home.

It has been about three months that I've been back.  I've seen my sister more in the last four weeks than I have in the last four years.  I've hung out with friends and enjoyed the pleasure of deck drinking in November.  I've met new friends.  I've received many hugs and welcome homes.

It is so good to be back to the beginning.

Confessions of a Creative Mind

I have always been creative.

Ever since I was little I was always making something.  My mom saved Christmas cards and we used to cut out circles and put them together on contact paper to make placemats that we used during the holidays.

I would make Christmas ornaments out of anything.  My favorite was using colorful beads that reflected the lights of the tree,

I love arranging flowers.

I am so fascinated with color and how colors blend together or compliment each other.  I love color.  Love love love color.

I make bows and beaded jewelry, key chains, purse charms.  I've sent out handmade Christmas cards.

What got me started on my current addiction was butterflies in resin.  I had recently taken a trip to Phoenix, AZ and visited Butterfly Wonderland.  The gift shop had beautiful, colorful butterflies in resin for sale. So I purchased this butterfly:

I proceeded to try to put it in resin.  Note the key word "try".  I ended up setting the butterfly on fire and failed miserably.

So I went to YouTube to watch resin artists and how they do resin art work.  I decided that resin just isn't for me. One click led to another and I ended up watching Kanella Ciraco and was hooked.

Kanella Ciraco Art

She made it look so easy and I thought I would try it.  My first attempt was with metallic teal, copper and sky.

I love how it turned out.

So I tried another one with more colors.

I then found other artists on YouTube.  One used silicone in her paint and then swiped it with a paper towel.  I was in love.

Ann Osborne Art

Here is my first attempt:

I was amazed at how easy it is.  It is incredibly messy but sometimes you need to be messy to be creative.

Messy messy messy....

I find that when I am creative I am not as depressed as I can be.  During this uncertain time with the Covid-19 virus keeping us separate and in fear, I thought an outlet would help.

I can't even tell you how many paintings I have done within the last couple of weeks.  I do know that I have given away over $100 worth of completed works of art just because I want to share the beautiful colors with anyone who wanted one.

It just makes me happy.

So once I mastered the technique, I started trying new things to paint on.

It amazes me how much I enjoy creating.  I hope to continue growing as an artist and possibly do some bigger canvases.

Right now I only have my small kitchen table in my small apartment to work with but here's hoping to do big things in a small place.

Here are some examples of what I have done:

Phoenix, Arizona

Recently I was in Phoenix, Arizona.  I went to visit one of my very best friends on the planet.

I didn't know what to expect when I was there.  I did know that I needed to visit with my friend because life has been troublesome lately.  I have lost motivation and spark.  I haven't been creative in a while and I certainly was sick of the winter.

I have joked on occasion that I just want to pick up and move there without checking it out first.  Maybe I should have waited to visit in July or August as I have also claimed to not be a huge fan of hot weather.

Anyway, I had the best visit.  I loved Arcosanti's Windbells.  Loved it!  They are so very beautiful and so very touchable.  (I love to touch things.)  They are so unique and are made in the most architecturally interesting structure.  I could just feel the creativity flow.

The Desert Botanical Garden was another amazing thing to see.  So pretty and so peaceful even though it was raining off and on.  The views were spectacular and the Wild Rising Crackling Art from Milan just added pops of color everywhere.

We ate such good food and had many good drinks.  (Really really good drinks)  Ok, I wasn't a fan of the rattlesnake.

I even got to experience Butterfly Wonderland.  I just love butterflies.  I couldn't have been happier than to spend time with them flying around.  One even landed on me!

We did go to Art Walk in Scottsdale.  I do love to look at art.  It gets my creative juices flowing.  I felt like I could maybe someday be one of those people who can do what they love and share it with anyone and everyone.  I even got to meet Jim Sudal who is such an amazing human being.  I even bought one of his pieces to take home. 

The most epic part of the trip was to the Grand Canyon National Park.  Such a beautiful part of America.  I could appreciate anyone who traveled west in covered wagons and coming upon the Grand Canyon and wondering what in the hell they got themselves into.  I have so many photos it is hard to choose what to share.

I even got to see a very rare white bat at the Rock Springs Cafe.

It's such a wonder to travel to somewhere new and appreciate the beauty and the history.  I was in a huge city but it didn't feel very big at all.  I feel more creative now.  I want to work with new media and try some new projects.  I feel rejuvinated.

The one thing (person) I miss the most in Arizona is not all of the sights, smells and art.  It is my friend.  She has known me for about 35 years.  We are so very different and yet we just get each other.  I love her to death and I appreciate her and her husband for putting up with me.  I hope to return.

Some more photos.....

Me at the Desert Botanical Garden

A view from the street

They have an orange tree in their yard.

I am obsessed with all different kinds of light fixtures.

We went to pay respects to Waylon Jennings in Mesa, AZ.

Glass sculptures at Butterfly Wonderland.

Butterfly Wonderland also had some beautiful plants.

This cactus is hella old.

"It can take 10 years for a saguaro cactus to reach 1 inch in height. By 70 years of age, a saguaro cactus can reach 6 and a half feet tall, and will finally start to produce their first flowers. By 95-100 years in age, a saguaro cactus can reach a height of 15-16 feet, and could start to produce its first arm"

How to tell you're not in Wisconsin anymore.....

The city of Scottsdale lights it's streets.

See ya later alligator.....