Week 5 - 52Q "How do I feel today?"

How do I feel today? Hmmmmm...I woke
in a great mood...not sure why...but slowly
my mood shifted some.

Today I am feeling homesick...very, very homesick. I am from a very rural area in Pennsylvania....my family and many friends still live there. Moving to the "Big City" (aka the Boston area) was a major culture shock for a country girl...but you know what they say, "You can take the girl out of the country...". I have lived in Massachusetts for 15 years and 4 months. Other than the first dreadful year after I moved here, I have never been as homesick as I am right now. So, my tag for this week is about that....How do I feel today? Homesick. The back of the tag reads: Today I am feeling very homesick. I miss my family and old friends tremendously. I miss walking down old dird roads feeling my troubles and worries leaving my soul with every single step I take. I miss driving in mountains that I know like my own body. I miss the smells of home. The country air, the sweet fragerance of my hometown. I miss the old oak tree which stands in the farmer's field. I am homesick and I ache for home.

Art info: I used an extra-large manila tag and distressed it lightly with black ink and a "stratch" stamp. For the collage I used old sheet music, black paper and a lace sticker. The image is from ArtChix. Edged in black chalk.

Week 4 of 52Q Journaling Challenge

Ahhh........week 4 (can you believe I am still doing this at WEEK 4!....I am so proud of myself!)....and the phase we were asked to complete is..."When I look into my eye I see..." . Man, Emily, what were you thinking? Talk about Art Therapy! Can't I just keep going on NOT thinking about my feelings? (suppress, suppress, suppress)


Well, I can't....and this is good for me (I think). So...here is the tag for this week. Before I tell you about it, though, here is a little back story: Okay, as many of you know (and some of you don't), I am having problems with my 17-year-old son...not just basic mouthy-he-won't-listen-to-me problems but more like....on-a-first-name-basis-with-the-cops problems.


That said, anytime you look into a hurting mother's eyes it is never easy. Looking into your own hurting eyes is down right hard (and nearly impossible). So, my tag reflects that. It may be uncomfortable to read, but it is what I see...When I look into my eyes I see sorry, grief, fear, anger, resentment adn failure. When I look deeper, I also see compassion, forgiveness, hope, joy, hunger, life, beauty, religion, love, understanding, zest, lust and relief.

Art Details: I took an extra large manila tag and crumbled it all up and then flattened it with a brayer. Then, I painted the tag with green ink and over-stamped and distressed it with black and gold ink. I then sanded it with fine-grit sandpaper. I collaged using scraps from my messy desk, but the "eye" image is from an old song book. The butterfly is from a vintage book and the "K" is a real scrabble tile. I finished the edges with a gold krylon pen. Sealed the entire tag with sealer.