Clipart.com Blog

So here we are. Another Friday is upon us. In the blink of an eye it arrived, despite how far away it seemed on Monday. On weekdays I live in a visual world, one comprised of technology, words and images. I sit before a computer, sharing thoughts and notions, ideas and stories. I spend time as well, attaching words to pictures in order for other people to find them more easily. For one whose scholastic strengths were in language above all else, it's a dream job. Yet, there is one element of the work week that relies less on what I see than on what I hear. As I sit to write each morning, I first pop in my earbuds and find a genre of music in which I feel I could lose myself that day.  With tunes cranked I can find a rhythm, uninterrupted by office chatter and ringing phones. It's to the audio that my focus turns on the weekend too.  Music streams through the house all day long after the first, and silently savoured, coffee on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Once th

One week from today, I am leaving on a jet plane. No big deal for many, but trust me here. I am seriously stepping outside my comfort zone. Several months ago, our daughter and her husband invited us to take a trip south with them after his Snowbird parents vacate their condo. We could relax and warm our way out of the last part of April in sunshine and sand. The plan was that our daughter would take their two babies by plane, while my husband and I would help our son-in-law drive his boat to Florida. This was going to give us a longer vacation besides allowing us to tour through other places on our way. The real reason I was accompanying the men though, had nothing to do with any of that or with my driving skills. The simple truth is I don't fly.  I've tried it and hated it.  The problem isn't a fear of flying exactly, but is more directly connected to claustrophobia and a great need to control the situations in which I place myself. I want my feet on the ground,

Things are going to get very nice soon. After a rather dismal spring thus far, the forecasts are showing a transition to seasonable weather is in the works.  We will finally be able to shed those winter coats and socks, in favour of lighter wear and open toes. Such a treat. However, as we close out the last week of April,  I will be heading out on a little vacation to even sunnier climes.  With the promise of temperatures finally heading into double digits here, I am going in search of an even swifter return to balmy breezes and welcoming warmth. It might seem a little late in the season to fly south, but it was the only option available. Our daughter and her husband invited us to come along with them on a trip to Marcos Island Resort in Florida. We will be staying at his parents' condo so our arrival was scheduled following their departure after a more traditional winter sojourn. When first presented with the late date I admit  I couldn't quite see the point. Now, ho

There's nothing like playtime with a preschooler to get the creative juices flowing. Yesterday, while my daughter took her baby boy to an appointment, I had the pleasure of the his big sister's company for the afternoon. After the two of us discussed some options for a few hours of entertainment, she excitedly told her mom that we were going to have a girls afternoon and watch her favourite movie. As it turned out this meant turning on the movie, and me listening to Missy's chatter. The best sound in the world. Following that special time we moved on to Lite-Brite and colouring for a bit before exhausting the planned activities. And this was where we decided to really get creative with some arts and crafts. Snipping colourful papers and photos from magazines into various shapes, then gluing them on to another page of brilliant hue, resulted in some interesting work.  I'm fairly certain neither of us will be pursing a career in the arts, but in terms of quality t