How About Original Art for Christmas?

 More new mini canvases pictured with the easels!

 Close-up of minis - one displayed on an easel.

 We like the Cross, the Snowy Christmas Tree, and the Sea Turtle.

 10" x 20" original on stretched canvas. This is a new theme too!

10" x 20" original on stretched canvas.

 

New theme - new color palette - and already SOLD!

Contact me at benwaddell@bellsouth.net for details.

More Mini Canvases!

Here's a look at the first batch of this year's miniature canvases that I've turned out so far. Sorry they are a tad blurry - I missed my chance to capture these in daylight. Look for a few more photos tomorrow either here or on Facebook! Also you can click on each of the photos to get a closer look.

Once again they are $5 each but if you purchase five you can pick out a 6th one for free! I also have some miniature easels that you can display these on. Those are also $5 each. I'll have a picture of those tomorrow as well. E-mail me at benwaddell@bellsouth.net to order or for more information.

A Week of Thankfulness - The Blessing

This Thanksgiving holiday with its blessings so grand 
Should serve to remind us of the joys at hand 
The friendships we treasure, our families dear
 The love we've been given and shared, year to year 
The food at our tables, where many have none 
The dawn of each morning beneath the bright sun 
The dreams that we carry; the warmth in our hearts
That bring us together when we are apart.

 

The walks by the lakeshore as stars light the sky 
The joys in the children who quickly pass by 
The stillness of nature, the comforts of home 
Each blessing the greatest that could ever be known 
The warm, pleasured scents from the kitchen, delight
 Arousing the senses near the firelight 
The wondrous decor of the season to come
Good tidings, best wishes for everyone.

 

The freedom we hold, so to live peacefully 
The soldiers who serve us, so diligently 
The air that we breathe, the flowers we grow 
The brightness of spring, the coldness of snow
 Our sons and daughters, our husbands and wives 
And the furry creatures who capture our lives – 
All are blessings we’re given to cherish, always
Yet, especially so on Thanksgiving Day.

 

Celebrate this time for the beauty abound 
Be thankful for all of the blessings you've found 
For in the end, blessed you will truly be –
A soul filled with love, peace and harmony
 Happy Thanksgiving, my friends; I am blessed, indeed
 I am thankful for the love you have shared, selflessly
 May each road that you travel be paved with a smile
Have a wonderful holiday....enjoyed in style!     

                              

© 2003 - Jill Eisnaugle’s Poetry Collection

A Week of Thankfulness - Day 2

Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter.  In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express.  ~Joseph Addison


The father of a daughter is nothing but a high-class hostage.  A father turns a stony face to his sons, berates them, shakes his antlers, paws the ground, snorts, runs them off into the underbrush, but when his daughter puts her arm over his shoulder and says, "Daddy, I need to ask you something," he is a pat of butter in a hot frying pan.  ~Garrison Keillor


With Ben so ill this past Sunday evening, Joan and I decided she would keep him at home while Jessie and I attended my family's Thanksgiving dinner. I make a lot of jokes about my in-laws, in particular the way each holiday meal has to revolve around my father-in-law like celestial  cranberry sauce would a big fat stuffed turkey sun. In reality I've found these events an opportunity for my family and more precisely, Jessie, to respect the traditions of her elders and hopefully one day, following suit, will create her own family customs that provide grounding and foundation for her own children. This was the case for my side of the family as well...until recent years.

What is left from my generation is a deeply fractured handful of leftovers. All of my grandparents are deceased. So is my father. Both of my brothers' families live 6 and 10 hours away respectively. What was an annual gathering of thankfulness has now become an occasional convention on dysfunctionality. In fact this was the first gathering of my local kin in two years. The core of "This House Divided" is basically my incredibly narrow-minded and bigoted Uncle William along with his daughter-in-law whose life is perfect in every way (she will be glad to remind you quite often). Some of you have probably wondered from time to time where I received my passionate liberal education in regards to politics and religion. That would be my mom. The combination of the three can be quite toxic.

So why am I telling you this in a blog post that from the outset looks like an ode to my daughter? Two years ago a family "thanksgiving" hosted by my mother concluded with phrases and threats along the lines of "you are no longer welcome in this house" - "don't worry, I will never step foot in this house again." It was a rather uncomfortable and ugly conclusion to what should have been a time of joyful reflection.

Late Sunday afternoon, once we decided Ben wasn't going, I told Jessie that she didn't have to go either knowing the images of that previous reunion was seared into her memory. "No Dad, I want to go with you...for you and Me-Ma." I couldn't have been more thrilled had she said, "Dad, I won't go on a date until you tell me to."

The night was rather uncomfortable and sure enough my racist uncle made an unsuccessful attempt over dinner to stir the pot by telling a rather crude joke about our President (within earshot of both of my middle-school aged 2nd cousins and Jessie). Although my mom didn't ignore it, she let him know how inappropriate it was.

Jessie and I took the earliest opportunity to leave - oh how I enjoyed the ride home! We held hands while I listened for the most part. We laughed and howled over some of the idiocy that had transpired the previous two hours. I couldn't help but think back to just a few years ago when I walked her home from school almost every day. For a few moments she was once again my little girl! Even though she has matured in so many ways within these middle school years, some things haven't. Particularly her ability to wrap her Dad's heart around her finger.

Honestly I have worried about my girl from time to time. I've worried about how much of her childhood has been stolen from her because of Ben's genetic disorder. It has been quite obvious to her family that she has matured mentally way beyond her years - something not uncommon for the siblings of exceptional children. I worry that she's missed so many opportunities to be a little girl that she will feel remorseful about it. And I worry that as her father, I'm not giving her enough daddy/daughter time because of so much daddy/Ben time.

I do know this: my Jessie absolutely adores her little brother and that her little brother feels the same. That just leaves me a pat of butter in a hot frying pan.


PS: for my Mom - I so admire you for standing up to William again and again. In no uncertain words, he's an asshole. I have no respect for him whatsoever. Jessie will tell you the same. As she said verbatim on the way home: "I have the coolest grandma in the world!" And you might want to check back later this week...

A Week of Thankfulness - Day 1

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
-- Epictetus

When I thought up this idea (given that many folks on Facebook are posting all 30 days something they are thankful for, I wouldn't say it's a great one) of blogging each day the week of Thanksgiving, I didn't anticipate that it would begin with Ben coming down with a virus that currently has him teetering on the brink of a hospital stay. Given that visits these days to the Children's Hospital of Greenville, SC are as frequent as snow in the South, a thankful heart this does not easily make!

But even with the not-so-terrific situation we currently find ourselves in I cannot ignore the words written above by the Greek philosopher. Even though Epictetus believed all things were determined by fate he also believed we were responsible for our own actions and by not accepting our lot in life by doing the best we can under those circumstances, we would indeed bring suffering upon ourselves. What makes the above statement even more remarkable is that Epictetus was born a slave and somehow became crippled during his childhood. His philosophies continue to influence modern literature, acting, and psychology. In essence this lessor known Greek educator did not allow his outcome in life be determined by things he didn't have...like freedom and health!

In thinking about this further perhaps this is the perfect day to be thankful for having a son just like he his; with Pallister Killian Syndrome, compromised lungs and asthmatic tendencies, lacking muscle control and communication skills, needing 24/7 care by watchful and guarded eyes. This is what Ben is to most that meet him. But for those that spend any amount of time with him, Ben is nothing short of being a remarkable human being.

Ben is a fighter. He is determined and absolutely relentless in the pursuit of a healthier and more normal life for not only himself but for his family as well. He has not only beaten the odds, he has flat out lapped the field and quite literally kicked his "opponents'" ass!

Ben is courageous. Like all of his other PKS brothers and sisters (or any other exceptional child for that matter), he willfully faces daily challenges that would defeat many adults. Truly I have been awed by his strength on many, many occasions.

Ben is an artist. For those that are regular readers here you already know of his penchant for painting but Ben's gift goes well beyond that. He is the best of artists in that he not only attempts to interpret his world, he makes his world better by his work. That is not only illustrated via paint and colorful fingers but also through his charm, his smile, his touch, his unconditional love.

These are just a few obvious characteristics Ben has brought into our lives. To us he is not a broken person who we need to fix. To those of us that are privileged to spend a great deal of time with him, Ben was brought into our lives to fix what was broken inside of us. I have said many times that Ben is as close to God or Jesus as I will ever get in this life. I am so very thankful I have the opportunity to experience that gift any time I choose to.

The Mini Canvases Have Returned!

Once again we are doing min-canvases for the gift-giving season! Currently we are taking pre-orders in a variety of themes including the "Peace, Love, and ?" series. Each one measures 2" x 3" and is an original painting on canvas! Also on order are miniature easels to display them on.

Give a gift of art this holiday season! I can personalize your canvas or let me know of another theme you might like. Some ideas include fish, ladies shoes, flip-flops, angels, Christian cross, Mr. Sunshine, Tiki faces, and cocktails.

I can attach a small bow to make a Christmas ornament or a magnet so you can display it on a refrigerator. Or display it on a small easel for just $5 more! If you work in one of those cubicle environments then hang it above your desk for a bright reminder of future vacations.

If your shopping for a teacher, a co-worker, or looking for a unique stocking stuffer a mini canvas would be perfect and affordable! The canvases are $5 each (plus shipping) - if you buy five I will throw in a sixth one for free! Also I have signed the back of each one.

To order or for more information e-mail me at benwaddell@bellsouth.net. The first ones will be ready to mail late next week. As always click on the images for a larger view.

The Most Amazing Random Act of Culture

I think this speaks for itself. My prayer is that more of these will bring us all closer together.

Memories of The Peace Train!

This puts Ben's costume even more into perspective. It was also cool to see Yusef Islam (Cat Stevens) be a part of Jon Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" the next day! We feel that Ben is has a finger on the pulse of America each year as the family constructs his costume for Halloween.

Connecting at Hopeful Parents

As always you can find us over at the Hopeful Parents website on the seventh of each month! Today me and Ben found a pretty cool article at CNN/Time and use it as a springboard for our post at HP. We discuss how painting helped us make connections with Ben and how exceptional children should help us make better connections with our fellow travelers in our personal life long journeys.

Also keep visiting Hopeful Parents during the month of November! All month long, Hopeful Parents is celebrating National Family Caregivers Month and National Blog Posting Month. If you are a special needs blogger you will have many chances to have your blog featured at HP! Check out my friend Christina's most recent update!