Sunday, April 29, 2012

Color a Ladybug for good luck!







If a Ladybug lands on you and then 
flies away on its own it is good luck.


Print out this cute little Ladybug and 
let your creative coloring begin!
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/73184518/Ladybug.pdf

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Know anyone having a baby?

Hi Donna C. here with the baby invitation I created with the polka dot theme background.
Not bad if I do say so myself.

Poems Complete...Time for Prose!

Hi, this is Susan. Just a quick update on the progress of the BHI book. The draft of poems is complete and filed away. Every so often I'll pull them and maybe make a revision or two. The next section of the book to be worked on is all prose, general topics about the islands overall. I have about six topics complete and another six to go. I've pulled some research and can begin writing in earnest tonight. My goal is to have this section complete by May 15th. Until next time...

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Oh....what a cute baby

Hi Donna C. here. I started working on some baby announcement cards. Still tweaking here and there but I'm feeling pretty good about how they are coming along. I have twin boy and twin girl announcement cards too. I am going to work up some Baby Shower cards working with the polka dot theme. I think they will be cute and I love cute!




Saturday, April 7, 2012

Yay, è Sabato!

Hello. This is Susan. I just realized that I neglect to give my name when I write a post! Duh-h-h!! Anyway, it's Saturday and I am just a tad bit behind my schedule on the Boston Harbor book...but with only one poem left to write, I'm feeling good. I have no doubt I'll catch up. And the conversational Italian is going very well. I can't wait for Margie to get further into her CDs so that we can converse...and see if we really understand each other!! That will be so much fun! The 3rd goal I'm chasing down is to run a half-marathon at the end of May. I run a little and last summer I did my first 10K...I was so nervous at the starting line...I didn't want to look foolish...but I did okay and finished in 2nd place (Yay!!) in a bracket with 2 people (still Yay!!). I've been really good with my training schedule and only had one hiccup when I went on a weekend ski trip. My goal is to complete the half-marathon before they take down the finish line and there is nothing there but me, alone, with ticker tape swirling around my feet... a soft wind blowing in from the Atlantic...and the camera reverse zooming away from me, all alone, on Main Street in Hyannis. Hey, Margie, I needed to run 4 miles today...and ran toward your place. Do you know your driveway is exactly 2 miles from my own front door? I said 'good morning' but I doubt if you heard me. However if you sensed the presence of one of your gumbas panting and gasping for air on the sidewalk in front of your driveway...Hello! It was me! 

Hey, all my sister JOS-ites, where are you? I want to hear about how you're doing? 

Until next time...



Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Woven labels have arrived

Hi, Donna here. Donna Capozzi Design woven labels have arrived. Once I become familiar with my sewing machine again, these labels will look cute sewn inside the make-up bags I plan on sewing with my fabric designs. Also hope to sell the bags at local Craft Shows along with Peggie Strachan who is one of The Journey of Seven ladies. Check out her beautiful photography at www.strachanphotography.com


I purchased the labels at www.stadriemblems.com.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

It's never too late to find your path . . .

Well - I'm in.  Hi, my name is Margery Long and I'm so jazzed about being a part of this wonderful group of women.  They are a group of friends who are also a group of mentors, advisors, confidantes and people who will laugh with me - but know when to laugh at me (in a good way).  I have had hopes and dreams throughout my life, but now I am enjoying this process of actually mapping out some of these goals and discovering a tangible process for realizing some of the things I want to accomplish in life (thanks SOB - you're the bomb!).  Some may think that it's a little late to have this "aha" moment, but I've always been a bit of a "late bloomer." I now know it's never too late - and here in my mid-fifties I'm stepping out to a new beginning.

One of my initial goals is to start developing my Reiki practice and one day I hope to be a full-time, dedicated Reiki practitioner.  Reiki is an amazing energy healing method that has helped me enormously and I hope to share it with and extend it to others on behalf of the Divine. I currently hold a Level Two Reiki certification and in 2013 plan to receive my Third Degree/Master Level Reiki certification.

Another goal I hope to accomplish this year (2012) is to participate in the Jimmy Fund Walk on September 9, 2012.  This goal is two-fold:  First, I will get the opportunity to be part of an important fundraiser to help in the fight against cancer - especially in children.  Second, I have always wanted to walk the Boston Marathon route - 26.2 miles.  As this route is one of the Jimmy Fund Walk routes, I'll be able to accomplish both goals in one day - and know that I'm helping others on the way.  I will begin training shortly.

Learning Italian is also on the list . . . I'll write more about that another day.  A couple of us are on this track as part of the group has a trip to Italy planned for 2014.

So, Ciao for now!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Come si dice in Italiano?

Last night I wrote a blog about one of my current projects, a book on the Boston Harbor Islands. Tonight I wanted to write a few words on another project, learning conversational Italian. 

Greek Tavern
There are a couple of reasons I embarked on this wonderful learning experience; I just wish I could put my finger on the first one. I find such satisfaction in mastering even just a few phrases in another language...and I don't know exactly why. It fascinates me. I self-studied German for a couple of years...but without folks to converse with (and no trips to Germany in sight) it didn't stick. I went to Greece last year and for the trip I learned some basic Greek and was on a real 'high' when I was actually understood. I was understood so well in fact that shopkeepers began rattling off whole conversations before I could tell them I was American and knew only some phrases and numbers in Greek. 

I took up Italian (which I must admit I am retaining much better than the German or Greek) because some of us 'Fab' women are planning a trip to Italy! We were supposed to go in 2013 but I kind of messed that up. After some soul-searching (and a very expensive car repair bill) I realized I needed to get my finances in order a bit more before traveling abroad. I am so grateful the other 'fab' women talked it over and are pushing the trip off to 2014! I can still go with them...and we'll have more time to save for it! (Thanks my wonderful Journey of Seven friends!) I have lots of time to study Italian and am planning a trip into the North End this winter to try it out...a nice Italian dinner with JOS! 

For now...Buona Notte!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Poetry: High School Musings or Serious Writing?

Hi. My name is Susan and I am finally getting around to writing my first blog. My passions are writing poetry and photography (along with a keen interest in area history). 

When some people find out that you 'write poetry' you can almost hear them chuckling inside. Poetry is often associated with the heartsick school girl writing about the boy who doesn't know she exists; the painful reflections of unrequited love. Sometimes silly, sometimes whiny, sometimes misunderstood... but never taken seriously. I was one of those high school girls making rhyme in the back of my geometry notebook. I still have a few pieces of evidence. And, yes, they were silly,  a little too sweet, sometimes sad and often whining...but they served a purpose; a creative outlet for dealing with life. 

I never stopped writing poems but today my poetic topics are a little more 'grown-up'. I had resisted telling folks I wrote poetry because I thought I wouldn't be taken seriously, especially in my corporate job. I finally realized that I had to be true to who I am...and what my passions are. Writing poetry is a creative outlet, a means of expressing myself that is far from 'flighty'. I take my writing very seriously and will struggle for days and even weeks to find the words which express my thoughts. 

Any misconceptions about poetry writing need to be kicked to the curb! I just completed a book, "30 Poems In 30 Days" which I hope is a good start. My next project on the Boston Harbor Islands will contain original poetry along with photographs and historical prose. I believe this will differentiate my book from all the others now in the market as well as to get more people to read, and enjoy, the poetic verse. 

Until next time...
-s