The Chameleon Concept
Ramblings of a {woman} {wife} {mother} {friend} on an expedition to find, understand and love her authentic self
Sunday, August 25, 2013
The Blessing of Defeat
Friday, August 2, 2013
My Story is on My Skin
I have freckles that appear on my skin when I am out in the sun. This is who I am; because my mother has the same skin, so did my grandmother and I can only image her mother did as well. My story is on my skin. I am a culmination of all these women. I am the result of their years of joy and heartache and I share their story; on my skin.
I have a bumpy pale scar on my left knee and a twist of skin on my right wrist; all war wounds from a youth well played. When I am a shrivelled up old woman I will still have physical proof that I rode my bike down the gargantuan gravel hill and made it...most of the way. I will still have proof that the wind whipped through my hair and sun shone on my back. I will be able to tell a small child that it is, in fact, a bad idea to stand on the back of someone’s skis when they are headed downhill. This was a lesson I learned at Smuggler’s Notch Vermont on a high school ski trip, that my wrist now reminds me daily. I don’t recall it hurting all that much when it happened but the scar remains as my skin tells my story.
My ring finger on my left hand has a light tan line, regardless of the time of year. We couldn’t afford an engagement ring when we got married so I used my grandmother's and wore a silver band purchased at a Highland Games in Fergus, Ontario. Only 10 years later as we renewed our vows did I get my own wedding set. It never mattered what rings were on my finger, it left the same mark. My heart has known all along that I was his regardless of how much we had and what we could afford; my skin tells that story as well. My whole being is married to him and we share a new story each and every day.
I had smooth skin all over my abdomen 11 years ago; but after that my skin; and my story would be forever changed. Christmas Eve of 2002 I held my little baby in my arms for the first time and through bleary exhaustion and fading pain I knew I was a new creature. I was a mother. My soul knew it but my skin would tell that story for the rest of my life. My badge of honour for the hours spent labouring a child I would die for to her first breath of life.
My skin story is so much a part of me I couldn’t be without it. I wear it every day and though some days I think I am falling apart; my story keeps me together. There will be many more scars and marks my story will share with my skin before the day I will just be a story. I choose to love each and everyone because they are mine, they are me.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
But I Did
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Thank you for Being a Friend
Saturday, July 27, 2013
A Cacophony of Joy
Friday, July 26, 2013
Refining My Brokenness
Friday, October 23, 2009
I Have a blog? Ooh! I should update it!!!
I just got the new digital scrapbooking program from Stampin' Up-My Digital Studio and could hardly stand waiting to try it out.
It is so unbelievably easy to use as well as filled with a ton of options. Needless to say I am very happy with it. These are the first few pages I have pumped out.
Loving the freedom to try stuff with no mess, waste or concerns...love it!
TFL
Cat
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The things we do for friends...especially the good ones
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Sneak Peak...
AUGUST
JULY
Hope everyone likes the projects...and for some crazy reason if you are not one of the stamping group and you happen along my blog and would like details on any of the projects feel free to leave a comment...If you are part of the group remember what your mom taught you..."If you don't have some thing nice to say..." JUST KIDDING!
Thanks for looking!
P.S. Not in quite so far over my head these days...it has been a nice change :) Thanks a ton to all my awesome friends...had a great BBQ on Friday and I'm grateful to be at a place in life where I can laugh at the losers on 'Dating in the Dark'! ;)
Cheers All!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
in over my head
Ahem, my name is Catherine and I am in over my head...
There I said it...
I hate saying it. I hate knowing it even more. but there it is folks, I am in over my head. From bills to kids, messes to 'should do's', I am in over my head. I want to have it all together, and I am the first to recognize some days I do, but not today (or this week for that matter). As women we flaunt our ability to do it all. Picture the mother stirring a pot on the stove, talking on the phone while holding a baby in her arms and if she could juggle for a circus she would. That is the ideal we are all expected to live up to, or I suppose I expect myself to live up to. I have a busy schedule, and three kids but somehow when the laundry is undone I am ashamed of myself. So ashamed in fact that in paralyses me into inaction. I want to breeze through life like we are all trying to do but this week I am stuck. Stuck by work, commitments, kids, LAUNDRY(!!!) and so on.
I think the hardest part this week is that I want so desperately to be a good mom, not just good but the best that I can be... and I feel like I am missing something. This is based on the frustrations my husband and I are currently facing with our two oldest little darlings.
Does anyone out there have any feedback on what makes your day work? Anyone got a clue about how to keep the motherhood/wife hood/womanhood show on the road? I don't know maybe this is really only about me and my challenging week, but it seems like in the dark corners of all of our conversations there is a secret acknowledgement that none of this is as easy as we thought it would be when the husbands were members of a boy band we dreamt about and the babies were dolls that ended up being left out in the rain.
I am open to any and all suggestions, ideas, critiques or thoughts...PLEASE HELP!!!