It's okay to cry.....................

By the time the Lord made mothers, he was into the sixth day working overtime. An Angel appeared and said "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"

And the Lord answered and said, "Have you read the spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic; have 200 movable parts, all replaceable; run on black coffee and leftovers; have a lap that can hold three children at one time and that disappears when she stands up; have a kiss that can cure anything from a scrape knee to a broken heart; and have six pairs of hands."

The Angel was astounded at the requirements for this one. "Six pairs of hands! No Way!" said the Angel.

The Lord replied, Oh, it's not the hands that are the problem. It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers must have!"

"And that's on the standard model?" the Angel asked. The Lord nodded in agreement, "Yep, one pair of eyes are to see through the closed door as she asks her children what they are doing even though she already knows. Another pair in the back of her head, are to see what she needs to know even though no one thinks she can. And the third pair are here in the front of her head. They are for looking at an errant child and saying that she understands and loves him or her without even saying a single word."

The Angel tried to stop the Lord. "This is too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."

"But I can't!" The Lord protested, "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick and can feed a family of six on a pound of hamburger and can get a nine year old to stand in the shower."

The Angel moved closer and touched the woman, "But you have made her so soft, Lord."

"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?" Asked the angel.

The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason, and negotiate."

The Angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak with this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."

"That's not a leak." the Lord objected. "That's a tear!"

"What's the tear for?" the Angel asked.

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her disappointment, her pain, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."

The Angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything for this one. You even created the tear!"

The Lord looked at the Angel and smiled and said, "I'm afraid you are wrong again, my friend. I created the woman, but she created the tear!" 
Author Erma Bombeck

Montreal image - taken near the Olympic Stadium by yours truly

It's all too much - what with everything that's going on in the world right now - between Gaza - and Syria and the Ukraine - and Iraq - and Africa - even Ferguson - not to mention I'm still hurting over Robin William's death ( is that normal ? oh well if it's not, then I'm not - because it really did affect me )  and now I'm unbearably heartbroken hearing about Jim Foley - and I mean unbearably as in sick to my stomach.
I get overwhelmed from time to time - and right now I'm feeling a little like I did when Sandy Hook happened ( that post is HERE - warning - I swore in that post )
Sometimes they need to flow.

And flow they do.
Some days it's an unbearable burden all of this worldwide heartache - so much so that it seems ludicrous to bombard you with John and I's silly conversations - or a plank wall - in the midst of all of it.
Today I'm a crybaby - tomorrow the laughter will return - hopefully - that's just the way I roll.
Erma said it's OKAY to cry - and she pretty much hit the nail on the head with everything she wrote - so I'm going to listen to her on this one.

I'm sorry to be such a downer - but some days are meant for tears and a little bit of silence.
This would be one of them for me.
Amen.................

Have a good Friday..............and a wonderful weekend
( I'll announce the winner of the below giveaway on Sunday ) 
If you haven't left a comment you can't be picked ♥

Much love,

AN ODE ...( and a hutch makeover )

THIS PIECE INSPIRED ME TO CREATE SOMETHING FOR A LITTLE GIRL

HAVE NO IDEA WHY - BUT AS YOU KNOW FURNITURE SPEAKS TO ME

AND MAN OH MAN THIS ONE NEVER STOPPED TALKING

AN ODE TO A NEW BORN GIRL

You will walk through forests - swim in oceans - and - hopefully
sleep in a desert at least once
You'll learn to feel one with nature

You will also wander through busy streets
and marvel at what can be created by men and women
You will be surrounded by love
but learn how to sit in solitude
to gaze at the stars

I will fill your world with enough calm
that when the chaos seeps in you will have a place to go
to remember that life is not always like that
That somewhere deep inside - peace realms supreme - you only have to look within.
I'll teach you to believe in magic - with fairies and rainbows - so that you never try to peer too closely
and dissect magical moments when you see them.  We all need a little of that - you are mine.

I will dry enough of your tears
to teach you how to dry your own
I will hold you close to my body when you need it
and gently - ever so gently push you away when you need that too

I will teach you to crawl
And walk
And run
And yes I will even do my best
to teach you to fly

I will fill your world with music
and show you how to dance with reckless abandon
So that you will still feel the rhythm in your heart
when your world goes silent from time to time
I will teach you to explore
to open doors - even when they appear to be locked

but I will also teach you that not all mysteries are meant to be solved
and not all doors are meant to be opened

I will teach you to surround yourself with flowers as often as possible
I will teach you how to accept them gratefully when presented as gifts
by lovingly accepting the dandelions you hand pick for me
but I'll also teach you  how to know when to buy them for yourself.
I hope you gift yourself often.
I will teach you to speak
so that you may express yourself with eloquence
And then I will teach you to read so that you know
the written word is just as important as the spoken one
I'll use real books - made out of paper and bindings so that
you learn to appreciate the smell - and the feel of the words
jumping off a page.
I will teach you how to draw that you may recognize art
and I'll hang them on the fridge so that you long to explore
art galleries when you can.

I will teach you how to sing so that you know from
an early age that it doesn't matter if you can't carry a tune
as long you hear music in your heart

I will teach you that although it's beautiful to find a soul mate - it's also important
to fill your soul with things that bring you joy and heartache -
A healthy soul is filled to the brim with both.
The heartache brings depth and teaches you compassion and empathy
The joy evens it out.  I will try to teach you how to keep the scales
balanced on that one - it's tricky - but it can be done.

I will teach you about second chances - and second glances
and not judging by the outside
I will show you how to recognize that most people and some things are worth saving
and how hard work and a dream and motivation can move mountains

I will teach you - that no matter what society says
beauty does NOT come from the outside -
Like an orange you have to peel away the skin to find real substance.
The outer part can be used for zest - great for decoration but in the end
it's only zest - and the part that gets discarded.
I will teach you how to peel oranges.

In a time when the Sun has become the enemy
I will teach you not to hate it too much
I will  teach you how to hold your face up to the sky
in sunshine AND when the heaven's open up .
Both can be harmful - both are essential  and filled with beauty.
I hope you learn moderaton by my teaching you to bring your umbrella with you accordingly
because I'll also teach you to forget it from time to time.

I will forgive you
over and over and over and over again
so that you know the art of forgiveness
and learn to forgive others - including me when mistakes are made
( and they will be made - over and over and over and over again )
I'll also teach you to say I'm Sorry by saying them myself when I
make those mistakes.

I will teach you that it's ok to cry by allowing you to see my tears
and allowing you to wipe them dry so that you always know you have healing powers.
and that a gentle hand given when needed can save a life.

I will teach you how to ask for help by asking for yours
I will ask when I don't really need it - so that as I get older
you will give it freely when I do need it from time to time.
I'll say " no " more often than you'll like
because it's important - it's really really important to learn
when to say that too.

I'll teach you how to laugh from the belly - because those are the
laughs that are most contagious - the sound of light tittering never
gets a room going.

I will teach you to love all creatures - great and small
by living amongst them
And that we are closest to our maker when we are kind to them.

I will feed you while teaching you
how to feed yourself
I will praise you while teaching you how to praise yourself
But mostly I'll just love you

while hoping it teaches you to love yourself....................
I'll probably tell you I love you at least once a day for the rest of my life.
You do not have to reciprocate on that one.

and if at the end I've done my job with any degree of success

you will know when to crawl
when to walk
when to run
when to fly
when to nurture
when to cry
when to embrace
when to heal
when to pull away
when to come back
when to apologize
when to forgive
when to dance in the rain
and most importantly when to stop at a little florist along the road
and buy yourself a bouquet of your favorite flowers............
just because you know you're worth it.

And that you will look upon this imperfect world as a privilege to be a part of.
As you've graced my life - so you will grace many many other's while walking upon it.
It's a glorious place made all the more so because of your entry.
I don't - can't know where your path will lead you - I can only pray that I'll have given you
the tools to make it a happy one.
You will spend the rest of your life learning - with every single day that passes you will
learn something new - and by 10 years old you will probably know more than your Mother.
And the magical part?
Well through all of this journey - this miraculous heart stopping wonderful journey - you will be
teaching me far more than I could ever presume to teach you - I know that.
Eventually you will too.

The day will come when you'll realize I'm not that smart - or clever - or pretty or talented and that my
chicken is always just a little too dry.
My super powers will fall by the way side - hopefully I'll have taught you not to gloat when that day arrives.

But first I'll teach you how to sleep through the night.
Your Mom
xxx
____________________________________________________________________________

Paints used for this transformation
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint - Pure White and Antoinette
The Parisian themed banner was a treasured gift from my friend Susan at Butterfly & Bungalow
Words used for this post ?
Don't ask -  menopausal moment - which makes me overly sentimental................it's go on meds or write you'll have to indulge me on this one.

Not quite sure how the heck it even happened - furniture usually inspires me to paint - not to write odes.
Especially when my little girls are now in their 30's !!!
Have a wonderful Thursday everyone -
Go transform something !  Or write an ODE lol

AND thanks so much Hometalk for the twitter mention !!!

Before & After: See the incredible transformation of this hutch by @simplyvintagous: http://t.co/AiB8nc3uNr pic.twitter.com/QVYHUzrWgc
— Hometalk.com (@Hometalk) August 22, 2014

And don't forget to leave a comment HERE for a chance to win this package - winner will be announced on Sunday !!!
Willow Tree - " grateful " figurine - Annie Sloan reed diffuser - hard cover book - Paris in Color

Much love,

Time to party with these fabulous Hostesses !!!
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Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson            From my Front Porch to Yours                 Ivy & Elephants
Glitter, Glue & Paint                       Simple Nature Decor                                The Shabby Nest
Today's Creative Blog                            Be Different Act Normal                          The Dedicated House
The DIY Dreamer                                  The 36th Avenue                                     Remodelaholic
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