"Create in me
a clean heart,
O God,
and renew
a right spirit
within me."

Psalm 51:10






We have entered into our Lenten Season. Yesterday I found myself sitting in church listening half-hearted to Father speak. I was there to receive my ashes and begin my own 40 day journey. The past few winter weeks seem to have tucked in so many days of sadness, and my heart just wasn't feeling uplifted, rather a part of me felt my journey had begun a long time ago!

The entire Mass I held a printed out worship booklet for use during Lent. I kept finding myself reading the front over and over...it was Psalm 51:10. The words "clean heart" and "renew spirit" just kept jumping at me. Lately I have found my inner soul to be dampened by so much sadness. A dear friend has recently found out she is on the front line of battle against Cancer...another friend recently lost her sister because she felt her life to be not worth any journey. I literally know of five beloved pets, the type we call "family" including one of my own, to die. So much news of heartache I read and see in the media each day just kept adding to my heavy weight. And cliche' it might be, but even the recent weather has been more of glum than of sunshine.

My creative side has been zapped with my lack of spirit. I have been trying to pull out color, to find that special inner peace in my designs. Last week I began mixing oranges and a bit of fuchsia, the result was a rather muted tangerine. I think it would be correct to say I was not feeling it!

I awoke this morning around 4:00 a.m. My brain kept quietly saying Psalm 51:10. I silently reviewed the past few weeks of sadness...the suffocaters of my spirit. I thought about how hard returning to the Church is for me since the loss of my Mother...how seeing my friend receive her first treatment of chemo this week refreshed those hidden dark feelings, how incredibly angry I get with myself when I internally think my life is not so great, then see a plea to reach out and help someone who would love to live in my shoes. Insomnia overcame me and I just kept searching within to figure out my plan to shake things off, to 'renew my spirit', to 'clean my heart'.

As the early morning sun began to peek through my blinds, a sight we have not seen much of this winter, I saw my color. The dim 'orange' danced around the corner of my blind as it tried to say hello. Like my own creation, (or concoction!) I could see flickers of pinks, yellows and vivid orange. I knew I had my inspiration...this color was meant for the heart...to be worn at the heart. I selected my softest silk and went for the camisole design. Regardless of the day, it will warm the spirit...you may decide to keep it virtually hidden with a mere peek of color...or go bold and say "Good Morning" to all, either way, in any light, you will catch a glimpse of the morning sunrise.

The purpose of Lent is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, Christian growth, penitence, conversion, and simplicity. Sometimes we must dig deeper though, as Father said yesterday, it is not always the giving up of that candy bar...but the strengthening of the spirit...the changing of the soul. I hope this Lenten Season gives all a 'clean heart' and a 'renewed spirit'.

"Love would never be a promise of a rose garden unless it is showered with light of faith, water of sincerity and air of passion." ~Author Unknown







Valentine’s Day is upon us. A day of love, or a day to express our love to that special person. I remember as a child we would anxiously await my dad getting home from work, then he would scoot us into his car, and away we would drive into town to “Dennis & Akers Drugstore”. We would wait in the car as he flew inside. Every year it was the same process, he would come back out, hand my brother and me a small heart shaped box of assorted chocolates and one large box to my mother. All three of us would be delighted! A simple joy, a simple token, yet those heart shaped boxes held a ton of love, respect and we knew it.

Throughout the years I have celebrated so many Valentine’s Days. I have had lavish gifts, dancing bears at my door, nice dinners out, and even once, in the seventh grade a small penciled noted on notebook paper that just said ‘Happy Valentine’s Day”. You know, looking back through the years, that small note is one of my most cherished. It was simple, but from a shy guy, it meant everything at the time.

I am not one who thinks Valentine’s Day is all about big expectations. I’m about the small gestures…those tiny pieces of the heart being tugged at. Let’s face it, anyone can take us out to a nice dinner, BUT, how about digging a bit deeper into the thinking…I love romantic dinners out, but hey, with the right setting, Mc Donald’s brought home can be romantic! We hear people advertise hot, bubble baths, and guys…for some of us, that with a few candles, great music….perfect! Honestly, it is the gesture , the thought, the creativity…

So…for all my guys that love reading my blog, I have a recipe to help make Valentines’ Day a bit more unique and special. Don’t fight long lines and waits at some noisy chain restaurant…stop by a quaint bistro style and get dinner to go, bring it home, light the fire, pop in something like Teddy Pendergrass, and eat by the fire tonight! Draw a wonderful bath, nice wine or cocktail, (perhaps a chocolate martini with peppermint)..then finish with handing her an original hand painted silk wrap….

I have been trying endlessly to capture a bit of romance this past week. I think I found it! I have feather-weight, butter soft silk that is cut in a generous 44” x 108”. The perfect size to wrap all around you! The perfect shawl for an evening out, veil for meditating, parero at the beach, or just tied around the bust for a summer top! In that luscious Red…it is a seductive hug….ladies, you will love it!


Valentine…….$90


***more can be found at:
www.deborahgall.com
www.meshboutique.com
www.seagrassspa.com

In honor of dad, I painted this velvet scarf in delicious shades of red. The perfect piece on a chilly, snowy, beautiful February day. I got my reinforcement as I drove home yesterday evening and saw not once, but twice a herd of deer feeding in fields with the sun setting low and hints of red glowing over them. The snowy fields, beautiful deer, muted red and gray sky….yes, February is a month of a rich red….a warm feeling.

“Red Velvet”…..$50

“There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself“….John Gregory Brown



Today is my dad’s Birthday!

Birthdays….special day for that special person. My mother used to tell me that she knew she loved my dad when she made him a Birthday cake the first year they were dating. She told me he looked like a small child when she presented it to him. Because of her I cannot remember a family Birthday without the “cake” being the main attraction.

I was leafing through old photos recently and came upon this picture of my dad’s Birthday back in 1997. Surrounded by his “girls”, (George-David wasn’t here yet), he was in his element! I had brought the girls their Valentine gift early, the infamous “Valentine Barbie”. The overall theme for so many of his early “Papaw” Birthdays….Barbies, hearts, the “best” movie ever playing over and over, “101 Dalmatians”, and of course, cake. As you can tell, the “girls” ruled!

The cake ritual was always the best though. After a wonderful dinner that mom would make, usually steak and potato, we rapidly cleared the table. The cake would be brought over. She always made his favorite cake, Red Velvet. Decorated with the help of the “girls”, candles would be stuck everywhere. Now the fun would begin… once lit, we would just sit back and watch! I think we would sing “Happy Birthday” at least a dozen times while each girl would try to blow out the candles!! Over and over again we would go through this ritual. Some years mom would even have two cakes….a ”child” one and a “dad” one!! Her last year to share his Birthday she had two cakes. The girls were a bit older, but George-David was the perfect age to enjoy this ritual. One cake held the “hunting scene” but the second one was adorned with a small train holding candles just for George-David. I am not sure who had more fun, the kids or dad! Even present time was fun…I truly do not think he actually opened his own gift by himself for about a ten year stretch! His grandchildren were always there ripping the paper away! I believe that was the actual gift in his eyes.

Yesterday, we gathered to celebrate his special day. The dinner was light-hearted and easy. I cheated terribly on his cake, store bought Red Velvet, but sometimes the ‘gathering’ means more than the details. Dad’s life has been a constant change, constant growth. His spirit and strength have never failed though. His grandchildren still enjoy visiting him, teasing him and hearing his stories. Today he is 72. Still hard headed, funny, stubborn, and would drop and do anything for anyone at a moment’s notice. His idea of a perfect Birthday…his family there to share it, perhaps that nice card and remembering years ago. That is my dad…

Happy Birthday Dad….I love you!