Winter, Syria, Hot Chocolate, Muslims and Art Journaling

I thought I would mix things up a bit and try something new.  Time Magazine gives an interesting twist to the current news so I thought I would report on the news as I see it.  To start things off I really have a love for hot chocolate.  I went out to eat with my husband, Donny, in Petoskey and we tried to attend a writers' meeting which did not occur so I had hot chocolate since I don't make it a practice to drink caffeine.  Roast and Toast is a unique little coffee shop that also serves deli sandwiches, soups and such.  Neat place with coffee mugs embedded in the archway by the entrance to the shop.  It was well frequented.  People of all ages came into the establishment.  The hot chocolate was delicious.  Before we went to Roast and Toast, we visited another establishment called Mancinos in which Donny could partake in an Italian Grinder.  I made the promise that he could have pizza at least one time this week and he decided on a grinder.  I usually try to eat healthy foods, I know boring; but I decided to have a Gyro, it was yummy. 

We hear on the news, facebook and from people we meet everyday that winter is taking its toll on people.  I can be one of those people; but at the same time I like to play in the snow.  I am starting to wonder if we are going to see green again.  There is so much white, so much white.  It has been very cold too.  Colder than I ever remember it being for a long time.  When we see weather in the 20s we think it is a heat wave.  We, meaning Don and I, went snowshoeing yesterday.  We traveled around the campus at Boyne Mountain.  I wrote a chapter about the snowshoe priest, Baraga, who traveled hundreds of miles on snowshoes because he had to for his job.  We do have it made these days and will complain if we have to go out of our way to run errands.  Think of that poor man who traveled during the winter months across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and upper Wisconsin and Minnesota.  He must have been freezing when he settled down at night.  I read his biography and he thought he was going to be a meal for wolves on occasion.  It's probably best that we get out and enjoy the winter and try not to complain about it.  What is that going to do?  I do try to think of spring instead of complaining about the winter. 

I have been keeping informed about what is going on in Syria.  What a mess!!  People are leaving the country by the droves. At one point approximately 300 people were arriving in Lebanon to set up temporary housing, usually one room structures for entire families.  Horrible things have been occurring such as an elderly man being struck by a hatchet while trying to walk down a street in Damascus.  It's horrible and reminds me how lucky we are to not have to live that way. Many of the Syrians do not want to leave their country or want to return to Syria as soon as possible.  They have a love of their country.  Ashad has been running amuck for a while now.  One man and his followers deciding the fate of the rest of the country.  A friend of ours who lives in Syria and works in the U.S. would like the people who want to fight for their country back to be given guns so they can.  What do you think? 

I am participating in a Muslim series with the Pickford library.  I read the book Percepolis" (spelling) which was written like a comic book.  Interesting.  Let's see if I can recap this book and what I learned in a paragraph or two.  There was a lot mentioned about the veils the women were forced to wear.  The reason behind the veils was to hide the women's hair because hair was considered sexy and may cause men to rape women if they saw their hair.  That was even a stretch for me.  Things like the game of Chess, cards, and alcohol were prohibited.  I talked with Don and a friend of mine and they thought that Chess and cards were outlawed because it would cause them to be able to strategize.  That's what we came up with.  What do you think?  The main character's family had a basement and they would have to run to the basement when they heard bombing.  The time this story took place was around 1979 in Iran.  The book served as a way to gain an understanding about  the lives of Muslims. The family took in a girl another family could not afford and she became the family's maid.  Poor people were not allowed to learn how to read.  I guess illiterate people are easier to manaage.  The main character in the story who was telling the story became rebellious as a teenager and the family was afraid that the rulers would force her to get married so they could assininate her if she continued to be rebellious.  Virgins could not be executed.  She was sent to Austria to save her life.  The book ended that way.  Again reminded how lucky I am to live in this country.  This country is far from perfect but we are not hiding from bombs and do not have to wear veils for rediculous reasons. 

Art journaling has been a venture that has expanded my understanding of art and my own personal abilities.  I attend an art journaling group once a month and do things on my own at home.  I use colored pencils, water color paints, painting pens, junk mail, old magazines, paste, mod podge, gesso, and other interesting art supplies.  Because it something I am starting to become more interested in I am collecting more and more supplies.  The goal is to give your work depth and meaning.  I am learning how to layer my work and add sayings and beliefs to my work.  "Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back" by Babe Ruth.  I have been dealing with some people in my life that have been self-serving and down right mean at times.  I put how I am going to address these problems in my book such as gratitude, making better choices, etc.  I add pages about addressing humor. I love to delve in humor.  I have to, to protect my sanity.   Art journaling has been very therapeutic for me. 

After I sign off tonight from preparing this blog I am going to prepare a cup of tea. Watch something humorous on television and turn in.  I will cuddle up to my husband and tell him I love him.  Life is good.